As an advocate for history and the traditional park systems in the Lehigh Valley, I was struck by the irony of South Whitehall's new noise ordinance. A resident on N. 30th, which adjoins the Village West Shopping Center, convinced the township to pass an ordinance because of noise associated with the shopping center's dumpsters. There are only six houses on those two blocks.
For over a year, Leroy Schmidt spend every weekend at Wehr's Dam, collecting signatures to preserve the dam, over 6,000 of them. Of equal importance, and legally significant, the voter's chose by referendum to preserve the dam. However, the dam was not included in the township's historic overlay district. The current commissioners have made no public declaration that the dam will be preserved. On the contrary, they knowingly allowed the Wildlands Conservancy to challenge the dam's structural integrity with the state.
These actions and inactions concerning the dam constitute a conspiracy against the voters of South Whitehall. This conspiracy was designed by the Wildlands Conservancy, aided by the cooperating Commissioners, and enabled by The Morning Call, which refuses to publish about the situation.
It's outrageous that one influential person can get an ordinance passed which benefits virtually nobody, while the wishes of the majority of township residents about the dam are being ignored.
photocredit: Tami Quigley
They are hoping that everyone will forget about the referendum. That is unlikely to happen as long as Mike is still around.
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