tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post7532682124605690651..comments2024-03-28T12:42:46.909-04:00Comments on MOLOVINSKY ON ALLENTOWN: Losing Our Parksmichael molovinskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-14384230066597597272009-10-21T11:07:44.142-04:002009-10-21T11:07:44.142-04:00TO: 9:55 pm
To say that one "care(s) a...TO: 9:55 pm<br /><br /> To say that one "care(s) about the parks as much as any of you", says nothing other than juvenilely stating the obvious. We all 'care about the parks'... as much as anyone else., however the danger in using that as a justification is that such a statement can be, and is, uninformed and thus dangerous. when you willy-nilly disregard the past context in which the Park system in Allentown was conceived and in which it harmoniously existed from 1930 to the 1970. There is a famous motto: "That the Future May Learn from the Past". You are uninformed (and thus inaccurate), in that your opinions are not in consonance with the historic mission and intent of the founder, General Harry Trexler. Do your research!<br /> Also putting riparian buffers in those sections of the park where there is no danger of sediment being carried into the Cedar Creek by water run-off, makes NO SENSE. Such is the case along Cedar Creek between Muhlenberg Lake and where the creek dips underneath the bridge on Tilghman Street. Riparian buffers would only make sense at the headwaters of Cedar Creek where sedimentation originates, starting at the portion of the creek that winds its way through theAllentown municipal golf course.<br /><br />AnonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-82981498532090278012009-10-19T20:12:25.522-04:002009-10-19T20:12:25.522-04:00Andrew,
If you don’t want to be judged by your yo...Andrew,<br /><br />If you don’t want to be judged by your youth then use more prudence when posting.<br /><br /><br /> Scott ArmstrongAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-51006305407829204132009-10-19T12:05:37.295-04:002009-10-19T12:05:37.295-04:00Noon.
Mr. Molovinsky,
We know you get lots of grie...Noon.<br />Mr. Molovinsky,<br />We know you get lots of grief so we don't blame you for thinking we were being s.asksksks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-37720050543211919712009-10-19T11:33:58.905-04:002009-10-19T11:33:58.905-04:00anon 10:03, sorry, i was being snippy. i have t...anon 10:03, sorry, i was being snippy. i have taken hundreds of photographs to help illustrate this blog, and have trouble enough keeping up with my own wish list.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-10962007888535609052009-10-19T10:03:12.286-04:002009-10-19T10:03:12.286-04:00Mr. Molovinsky,
We're the people who asked abo...Mr. Molovinsky,<br />We're the people who asked about the photo. You may have thought is was some kind of joke. It wasn't. We work till 6 and by then it's dark in the parks. That's the only reason we asked.<br />The request was sincere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-57972935511947435832009-10-19T08:05:42.260-04:002009-10-19T08:05:42.260-04:00anon 7:58, no; but drive or walk through the par...anon 7:58, no; but drive or walk through the parkway or cedar park and you will see hundreds of trees that have been planted in the recent years on formerly open space.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-88996870810597652832009-10-19T07:58:27.302-04:002009-10-19T07:58:27.302-04:00Could you possibly take a photo of some of the 550...Could you possibly take a photo of some of the 550 trees that were planted?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-25177947656009700672009-10-18T21:55:26.715-04:002009-10-18T21:55:26.715-04:00I will be keeping at it Scott.
I'd rather no...I will be keeping at it Scott. <br /><br />I'd rather not be judged because of my age on here folks. I care about the parks as much as any of you.Andrew Kleinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03766250794520292541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-60412504738677773962009-10-18T21:15:33.259-04:002009-10-18T21:15:33.259-04:00scott armstrong has been picking up litter around ...scott armstrong has been picking up litter around west park and the adjoining neighborhoods for many years.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-851447390824476242009-10-18T20:58:16.216-04:002009-10-18T20:58:16.216-04:00Andrew,
Clean up litter for another ten years t...Andrew,<br /><br /> Clean up litter for another ten years then we will talk.<br /><br /> Scott ArmstrongAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-67804650634615462802009-10-18T20:08:07.402-04:002009-10-18T20:08:07.402-04:00anon 5:17/6:44, your comment suggests that the ge...anon 5:17/6:44, your comment suggests that the general would approve of the new emphasis on recreational venues displacing traditional open space in our parks. your most welcome to provide a source for that theory here. In a previous post I described how the City and Trustee's went to court and had put aside a specific segment of his will entrusting the city with his beloved greenhouse (he funded the perpetual care for it). i will soon do another post on trexler's true vision for the parks- as a passive retreat. any suggestion that the general would approve of the current shenanigans, by both the city and trustee's, will not go unanswered here.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-7082532397563711242009-10-18T18:44:41.980-04:002009-10-18T18:44:41.980-04:00I found the info on the park system disappointing ...I found the info on the park system disappointing as well, but there is a considerable collection of material relating to Trexler.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-69345412496789036182009-10-18T17:35:29.568-04:002009-10-18T17:35:29.568-04:00anon 5:17, actually i made that trip and that stu...anon 5:17, actually i made that trip and that study. the historic society have a surprisingly small amount of material on the park system. everything i read and saw indicates to me that his inclinations would favor passive reflection.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-25267603355415513562009-10-18T17:17:44.607-04:002009-10-18T17:17:44.607-04:00to the anon who thinks general trexler's wish ...to the anon who thinks general trexler's wish was for allentown's parks to be passively used: in fact, he only wished that Trexler Park be passively used. Take a trip to the Lehigh County Historical Society to read about his earnest desire that other parks be actively and heavily enjoyed by Allentonians and their neighbors.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-61593767414267029692009-10-18T16:19:25.901-04:002009-10-18T16:19:25.901-04:00The tours I have taken are to expose small groups ...The tours I have taken are to expose small groups of people to the history of the parks, to their ecological and environmental aspects and to encourage folks to come out into them. <br /><br />I am not interested in making any of our parks commercial or overused. Everything I post can attest to that, and thanks Micheal. Although, I do try and make my opinions as often as possible. Trust me, I have alot of them.Andrew Kleinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03766250794520292541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-15417762480366406752009-10-18T14:36:54.299-04:002009-10-18T14:36:54.299-04:00anon 2:11, andrew's intentions are pure. i r...anon 2:11, andrew's intentions are pure. i read his posts on his tours, he just shares his observations with those friends and readers of his blog who are so inclined. in my opinion, he may be overly impressed by the "experts" whose jobs and grants depend upon their "innovations."michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-53603900554612542082009-10-18T14:13:39.636-04:002009-10-18T14:13:39.636-04:00"I wish people wouldn't work so hard to s..."I wish people wouldn't work so hard to save us."<br /><br />:)ironpigpenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11792492001296361796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-54500172516929001272009-10-18T14:11:35.392-04:002009-10-18T14:11:35.392-04:00TO: 4:11 pm
Leading tours through the Allen...TO: 4:11 pm<br /><br /> Leading tours through the Allentown Park system is not a good thing. The historic mission of the park system, as envisioned by Allentown's city fathers & Gen Trexler, was for a "passive" park system. One does not have to be an Einstein to understand what this means. The Parks are there for the citizens to take advantage of,'IF THEY WANT TO', and have enough SELF MOTIVATION. Running hoards of new visitors through the parks is a corruption of their original intent, and not a very responsible thing to be doing, especially coming from a novice 'know it all' with no institutional memory of Allentown's history. It is not a commercial destination like Disneyland, to be milked, marketed, overused, and ultimately defiled.<br /><br />AnonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-74571784332553629052009-10-18T12:45:36.772-04:002009-10-18T12:45:36.772-04:00Anonymous 7:55 AM said.. LVCI, I suggest you speak...<b>Anonymous 7:55 AM said.. <em>LVCI, I suggest you speak to the coaches at Allen High School about how no one is hurt by a little goose crap. With an unchecked (invasive species) population of canadian geese, they move from the immediate vicinity of the park to the sports fields across the street</em></b><br />Your keyword is <b>"unchecked"</b>. A dozen or two would not be the end of the world. The fact is we've exterminated more or less the entire lot of them and then to lay claim we want a "species friendly environment" is disingenuous. No way do I want the 100's and 100's that once where there. But to nearly eradicate 100% of the entire population.. is just plain extermination/sanitizing!<br /><br />Again for the record <b>I challenge anyone to photo 1 single fish as I requested for over the last 5 months or so.</b> No one has yet produced a single photo! <em>Believing is seeing.</em><br /><br /><br /><b>Andrew Kleiner said..."<em>Do you even go to the damn parks for anything but to find reasons to complain?"</em></b><br />It was not I who found fault in the original park designs. I thought the parks were just fine. As I recall the critiquing was not on my part.<br /><br /><b>DEFENDING <em>is not complaining</em>.</b><br /><br />Unless you consider it complaining when someone(s) wants to "redesign" rather then restore & maintain.<br /><br />Many Willow Trees were hauled away over the years and not replaced. Stonework is either buried or grown over. The stair landing area MM cleaned up once was spectacular. Yes the river needs to be dredged in that area too. It's all weeded up & the river's flow is impaired.<br /><br />Lake Muhlenberg certainly is in need of dredging as well. But part of it's stagnation is attributable to placing a path to the center island that was never there and needs to be removed so water once again can flow around the center island like the WPA designed it to. A couple of flow through pipes in the center doesn't cut it.<br /><br />The so-called "sediment' consists mostly of rotting leaves washing down street storm drains into the creek. Unavoidable. Unless you want to pump all the runoff water from 100's square miles of city streets to where? Either Lake Muhlenberg requires this kind of maintenance from time to time or ,God forbid, eliminate it all together.<br /><br />By way of example, Moncacy Park in Bethlehem is what a 'City Park' should look like. They've kept their WPA stone work in excellent repair. Cheap readily available stones serve to break up current in heavy rains. The step dam serves to oxygenate the water.<br /><br /><b>I had no intention of making any further comments,</b> but since my name was brought up I felt compelled to respond to accusations of me going<em> "to the damn parks for anything but to find reasons to complain"</em> OR the "<em>"unchecked"</em> remark. Which is not what I said. The remark implied I was endorsing an <em>"unchecked"</em> amount of geese/ducks.<br /><br />And oh yeah one more thing... <b>get me a picture of a fish in Cedar Creek</b> <em>.. still waiting</em>LVCIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09034343739402945565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-8294712242677704242009-10-18T12:19:10.877-04:002009-10-18T12:19:10.877-04:00i would like to mention that all 550 trees were re...i would like to mention that all 550 trees were registered by "ACORN" as prospective Democratic voters and will be voting November third in the ElectionChris Caseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03229946755174182758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-77457692168751289562009-10-18T08:13:05.292-04:002009-10-18T08:13:05.292-04:00dear anonymous 7:55, although your post sounds ve...dear anonymous 7:55, although your post sounds very well informed, it's not. considering there is no agriculture or construction in the park, the sediment buildup comes from upstream, where the riparian buffers in the park will have no effect, they will be but an educational token, depriving citizens of both view and access. lehigh parkway is in a wooded ravine, if any trees should be replaced, replace them on the slopes where they were, not on the open spaces. hundreds and hundreds of tree's, perhaps thousands have been planted on these open spaces in the last 20 years, totally changing the viewshed of the park. the lake is somewhat stagnate from the land bridge constructed in the mid 70's. the duck population was also destroyed at that time by dredging the lake, which was reoccupied by geese when the project was completed. the current park administration, as the recent former ones, have degraded the parks.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-51485013304048829742009-10-18T07:55:45.836-04:002009-10-18T07:55:45.836-04:00The parks system loses a considerable number of tr...The parks system loses a considerable number of trees every year to lightning, disease, and human vandalism - replanting new trees is hardly "reforesting" I'd venture to guess that even with Treevitalize the city has lost more trees in the last 30 years than have been planted. <br /><br />As for General Trexler and the parkways - one of the main motivating factors of creating parks along the Little Lehigh and Cedar Creek was to protect the watershed, a brilliant piece of foresight on his part. <br /><br />At that time, creating the park as Michael Molovinsky remembers was the best science had to offer by way of water protection. In fact, had parks been created along the length of the waterways, rather than the massive amount of hardscape upstream development, the condition in Allentown's portion of the creeks might be better. <br /><br />The stream might look "fine and well" but for the exact physical evidence of why it is clearly not, take a walk down to Lake Muhlenberg. The lake used to be 6 feet deep in parts. Over time, as sediment has washed into the creeks from flooding and stormwater runoff, the sediment has built up in the "lake" to the point where it is less than 2 feet deep in almost all areas of the lake. The water is stagnant and does not support an abundance of wildlife. Although LVCI does not believe there are fish in Cedar Creek - there are fish in the creek, above the lake. Many fewer fish make it further downstream and into the Lehigh River. <br /><br />Willow trees may be used to stabilize creek banks, but they do nothing to prevent the sedimentation of the creek. The riparian buffer, by its very nature, prevents most sediment from ever entering the waterway. <br /><br />Change is not always a bad thing, and your "do nothing" philosophy would result in a mud pit where the lake once was, and a toxic extremely-flood prone watershed for miles in both directions, which in turn would kill the grass in all of those un-planted mowed grass areas you all love so much, and hell, it would kill the remaining trees as well. <br /><br />Finally, LVCI, I suggest you speak to the coaches at Allen High School about how no one is hurt by a little goose crap. With an unchecked (invasive species) population of canadian geese, they move from the immediate vicinity of the park to the sports fields across the street. I'm aware of several nasty infections that have been picked up after athletes took falls or slid in grass that was full of goose droppings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-38626672066660786462009-10-17T17:59:29.177-04:002009-10-17T17:59:29.177-04:00I know I'm not in charge Micheal. Our views on...I know I'm not in charge Micheal. Our views on the parks will forever differ and it doesn't matter what either of us think in the end. The city will end up doing whatever it wants for better, but mostly, for worse.Andrew Kleinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03766250794520292541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-64521762631523586212009-10-17T17:15:55.338-04:002009-10-17T17:15:55.338-04:00andrew, my vision for the restoration of the parks...andrew, my vision for the restoration of the parks is simply returning them to the way they were. stabilize the banks by replanting willow trees every 30 ft. rip out the extraneous trees planted in the spaces designed to be open. restore the irreplaceable wpa icons. up to the early 70's, they were maintained. how sad that the boat landing faired better buried than the ones exposed to these recent park administrations. andrew, i'm glad you enjoyed the parks for the last 7 months, but that hardly puts you in charge. one person who commented here has been picking up litter for 15 years.michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-951782330457966647.post-89701828789456763642009-10-17T16:28:03.934-04:002009-10-17T16:28:03.934-04:00the wildlands conservancy, in addition to not spea...the wildlands conservancy, in addition to not speaking out about paving over the park, has said nothing about the county digging new wells at the aquifer which feeds the Little Lehigh. the new wells are to satisfy the demands from the commercial bottlers. if that's not enough sellout, they have staff from the nestle bottling company teaching children about water quality at their "wildland headquarters".michael molovinskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12581039755319742687noreply@blogger.com