Less and Lesser

Today's piece can be read at Poliblog

Courtesy of the Floor

This video clip was shot by Bernie O'Hare at Council on Wednesday Sept. 1, 2010, and was presented on his blog Lehigh Valley Ramblings.

Censure Time

Allentown City Council has been much more assertive against it's citizens than the Administration. To my memory, no Pawlowski initiative has failed to pass, but they're pretty tough with the public. When I asked Council President D'Amore if he would distance himself from Stephen Barron's threats to T-Mobile, his reply was silence. When Bob Romancheck asked Council if they would censure D'Amore, the answer was silence. Northampton County, in it's first scheduled meeting since this controversy became public, has censured Barron. Their County Executive immediately sent an apology to T-Mobile. Allentown has spent $millions of dollars trying to lure business here. What's the message, come to Allentown and be harassed about unionizing? For my tax dollars D'Amore can resign, his arrogance has well exceeded his accomplishments. Unless he has at least the consideration to defend his actions to the citizens of Allentown, his fellow Councilors should censure; He was elected, not anointed.

Time To Go

It's time for Michael D'Amore to go; It's time for him to resign. I first realized how much contempt he had for the citizens last summer.


Over 60 citizens signed a petition last July, under the Home Rule Charter, to put an item on the Council Agenda. Council President D'Amore declined to include the item, although all conditions were met, and the signatures were verified by the City Clerk. He even attempted to prohibit discussion of the issue, (Cedar Park Plan) although more than 150 concerned citizens had come to the Council Meeting. A discussion only occurred at the insistence of Council member Jeanette Eichenwald. I have provided a copy of the charter rule below; Inclusion is not at the option of Council President.

Apparently, Mr. D'Amore feels that as President he does have options above and beyond the Charter, even if the citizens deserve less rights. He may visit Lehigh Valley employers, and be part of a threat if they don't respond to his Mummer Parade Strut up to the door. He was fully part and parcel of Stephen Barron's threat. He didn't disclaim Barron's words or Barron's use of the word "We're", then, or since. The reason I seek D'Amore's resignation is that City Council is suppose to be the watchdog on contracts with the various unions representing city workers. Can D'Amore now claim that he is putting the taxpayer's interest ahead of the union when the next contract comes up for approval? This union advocate even wants to be Mayor. Could you imagine him negotiating, he'll make Afflerbach look good. Michael, I wish you well. Go back to teaching full time and being a union sycophant, but please first resign from City Council.
SECTION 1010
CITIZEN'S RIGHT TO PLACE AN ITEM ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
A. The qualified voters of the City of Allentown, upon receipt of a petition by the City Clerk, may
enter one agenda item on the regular agenda of City Council.
B. The petition filed with the City Clerk must contain the signatures and addresses of thirty-five
(35) registered qualified voters of the City, and the item to be placed on the agenda of City Council for
discussion/consideration before Council. Upon receipt of such petition and a two (2) day
review/certification period of the petition by the City Clerk, the President of City Council must include the
item on the agenda at the next regularly scheduled meeting of City Council.

The Mighty Atom

Years ago, at the Allentown Fair, as one would push through a sea of carney delusion, tucked back by the 4H animals, was an island of reality. There, in an old battered truck, an ancient Jewish strongman performed incredible feats of strength, to sell only homemade kosher soap. Standing on a platform on the rear of his truck, flanked by photographs from his performing youth, he would bent horse shoes and bite through nails. Many years earlier, my mother as a little girl in Bethlehem, saw him pull a truck uphill with his hair. Even as an old man, like a reincarnation of Samson, his grey hair was still long.
In the summers of 1964 and 1965, myself and a friend,(Fred Schoenk, retired Allentown art teacher) made and sold printed tee-shirts at the fair. We had the honor to know Joseph Greenstein(The Mighty Atom) and his wife. For those interested, there are various articles on the Mighty Atom and even at least one book. Enjoy the fair!

post reprinted from Aug.24,2007 and Sept.2, 2009

Northampton and Lehigh County Threaten T-Mobile

Steve Barron and Michael D'Amore, identifying themselves as public officials from Northampton and Lehigh County, threaten a T-Mobile executive. Mr. Stoffa and Cunningham, is Barron authorized to use his position in this way? I know that Michael D'Amore exceeded his authority.


As a taxpayer, I appreciate T-Mobile choosing to locate here, providing employment and paying taxes. The unionization of their employee's should be an internal matter between management and workers. It is totally inappropriate for D'Amore to use his city title in such a manner. Barron, in my opinion, should be replaced as controller.

Did Barron speak up for the union workers at Gracedale?

UPDATE: It took less than two hours for the first utube to be removed (this is another edition) It ends with Steve Barron, after being refused entry, giving the T-Mobile security guard a message for T-Mobiles's Vice President visiting the Allentown center

"Please remind him that if he needs anything from Lehigh County, we're going to remember this day."

This post is based on the current post by LVCI, which still has a working version of the utube as of 1:30 pm

The King has Abdicated

In 1958 my father had a food stand at the fair. It took him about an hour to realize you can not sell hot dogs in the King's back yard; Yocco, the hot dog king. When Yocco's claimed last year they were not at the fair because their canvas ripped, I was skeptical. This year it's official, they have abdicated their spot. Tonight the fair was jammed. In Ag Hall the granges still compete in vegetable canning. A wiseguy still incites you to dunk him. The world's smallest horse hasn't grown. Maybe Yocco's is gone, but the fair is still much more like 1958 than any other aspect of Allentown.

reprinted from Aug. 28, 2007 and Sept. 1, 2009

Flight To NoWhere

If you want a good laugh, go to the Lehigh Valley International Airport and watch the expression on the first time Continental passengers as they are loaded on a bus to Newark; this is after they check in at the flight counter! Today the constantly expanding and remodeling airport has less destinations than ever, about nine, including Philadelphia and Newark. Years ago, the Authority members hired what they mistook as a hot shot, George Doughty, to make the new terminal and airport something to match its new name. The old ABE Airport terminal was built as a WPA project, and like the rest of the valley back then, teemed at its seams. About ten years ago the hotshot talked the Authority members into expanding the departure terminal. Looking for a large under used space for arena football, I think I know a place. Recently, a judge awarded an adjacent landowner many more millions than he ever wanted, for land the airport took for its never needed, never built new runway. Rendell has designated $3.5 million in modernization grants to help the airport keep up with its declining use? Although there are not many places one can fly directly to from the airport, parking fee's are big city. There is a recorded tape loop which keeps reminding the few passengers that unattended cars will be towed for security reasons, i'd prefer water-boarding at Guantanamo.

The postcard depicts the first hanger and terminal, before the former one built by the WPA. The hanger still exists, as does the lettering on it's roof.



Postcard of former terminal built by WPA, added Jan. 16, 2010 for this reprinted version

Reprinted from Feb. 12, 2009. In less than a year, this has become a hot topic for County Executive Cunningham, and Mayor Pawlowski has just been appointed to their Board. I rejected a comment the other day claiming this was a negative blog, and I should look at things in a more positive light. This is a reality based blog, which often points things out before our officials are ready to concede that there is a problem.

Doughty loses job as director

reprinted from Feb. 12, 2009 and Jan. 16,
2010

The airport is once again being remodeled (Aug. 2010)

related post on O'Hare's Ramblings

Boat Landing Threatened

Last fall, about a dozen people toiled on two different occasions to uncover the Boat Landing, which had been buried for about 40 years. Although we didn't excavate the entire construction, a significant portion of that WPA structure was returned to the citizens of Allentown. I'm sad to report that the Park Department is allowing nature to once again overgrow this one of a kind icon. There are several dynamics in play. The Park Department is being pressured by the environmentalists to create a Riparian Buffer, a no mow zone along the creek. That program dovetails with the departments reduced manpower situation very well. As well meaning as that effort may be, it is essential that the Boat Landing and other WPA Constructions be exceptions to that program.

One of the reasons that the Allentown Park System became nationally recognized, was because of the magnificent stone structures built by the WPA during the Depression. These constructions, in addition to being architecturally beautiful, are a historic legacy of this city. We must do what ever is necessary to insure their preservation.

Growth Industry in Allentown

Yesterday I went to the Social Security Office, across from the prison, to discuss my retirement options. I was given number 199. In addition to retirement, Social Security also dispenses money for disability. I would say from the gray hair, there were
about three of us contemplating retirement, all the others were for disability. A few middle age men were carrying their fake canes. The canes aren't fake, it's the disabilities. I saw one such gentleman walk in from the parking lot, clearly the cane bore no weight, and was merely a prop. Most of the people waiting were quite young, in their twenties. Disability has been expanded to include mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, additive personality and anger management. I will say many of them did look angry to me. It was hard finding a parking space. Business also looked good at the prison. If Johnny Manana's had gotten these crowds....

reprinted from Nov. 18, 2008 and March 2, 2010

A Disingenuous Angle

One component of Ron Angle's excuse to sell Gracedale Nursing Home was it's declining population. Actually population is the exact reason that it should be retained. According to Rand Corporation;

In recent years, the rate of institutionalization among the elderly has been falling. It is predicted that this trend will reverse itself within the next decade, and that we will see substantial increases in the incidence of institutionalization among the elderly.

All studies and common sense indicate that nursing home populations are about to explode. Although the obvious factor is the aging Baby Boom generation, an increase in childless couples and the increase in life expectancy will also contribute to the demand for care.

One must question why Angle would cite such an erroneous reason. Both he and Stoffa claim repeated offers from the private sector to purchase the facility. Wouldn't they wonder why there is such demand for a declining business?

Now with a comment from Angle's Minister of Propaganda

Governor Cheesesteak's Growth Industry

Back in 2005, I referred to Lehigh County Prison as our growth industry. Unfortunately, our other cities in eastern Pennsylvania were suffering from the same consequences of the poverty magnet. While Governor Cheesesteak sped around the state giving out hundreds of millions in cardboard checks, Pennsylvania remained the State of choice for the problematic crowd. County Governments were mandated to provide service within twelve seconds of claimed residency, and the buses never stopped coming. Today John Micek, Morning Call Harrisburg reporter, informs us that we will be exporting prisoners because our prisons are overflowing. Once upon a time, we used to export manufactured goods, now it's scumbags. We were paid for the goods, which provided good jobs and made us the All American City. Now, we will pay over $60 a day to house our excess scumbags. Our initial shipment will be 2000 inmates to Michigan and Virginia. Rest assure that those states will speedily return them at the expiration of their terms.

reprinted from Dec. 22, 2009

Sestak on our Dime

Hosted at Poliblog

Donations Sought

The head of the Old Allentown Preservation Association, Jim Villaume, needs our help. On nights that the Iron Pigs have fireworks, he is forced to rent an out of town hotel room because of the noise. Apparently, gunfire doesn't bother him. The Administration, with City Council urging, has prevailed on the team to cut back the number of displays, even though fireworks are a time honored minor league tradition. Send donations to cover Mr. Villaume's hotel expenses to the Association office. You know that Allentown Fair is really a noise burden on the surrounding neighborhood.........

cityscape by Mark Beyer

The Legend Begins

On July 4th, 1934 Joe louis made his debut as a professional fighter. Thirteen months and nineteen straight victories later, most by knockout, 62,000 fight fans would jam Yankee Stadium to watch the new sensation fight the giant, Primo Carnera.

New York, New York - Primo Carnera, giant Italian boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world, and Joe Louis, hard-hitting negro heavyweight from Detroit, Michigan, weighed-in this afternoon at the offices of the New York State Boxing Commission for their fifteen round bout tonight at the Yankee Stadium. - 6.25.1939

Although badly battered from the first round, Carnera would gamely stay in the fight till it was stopped in round six. The legend of the Brown Bomber was clearly established.

photo of Primo Carnera

Starr in Allentown

Brenda Starr is an adventurous newspaper reporter who started her career at the Chicago Tribune, current parent of The Morning Call. The strip was always written by a woman, from it's start in 1940. Rumor has it that Jarrett Renshaw has requested that Brenda be assigned to Allentown, to assist him in his investigation of City Hall.

Brenda was created, illustrated and written by Dale Messick for 43 years.

The Mayor's Basement

Until now, I have refrained from commenting on the Mayor renovating his basement without a permit. My initial reaction was that Bernie O'Hare crossed the line discussing the Mayor's house, and especially involving his wife. I still feel that way, but now the story has appeared in The Morning Call. Jeff Pooley writes that the mayor should follow the "Good Rules" imposed on everybody else. Richard comments on Pooley's blog that the whole chain of city command should be investigated. It is these reactions, by both Jeff and Richard, to which I now respond.

Richard, are you really surprised that rules are not applied to everyone equally? This inequity is a widespread fact of life; It is the same everywhere, and is certainly not unique to just today's Allentown. Jeff, accepting this fact of life, are you sure that having so many rules is good policy?

I have often written that Allentown has never heard of an ordinance that it doesn't want. It wants to inspect your property when you buy it, if you rent it, if you want to sell it, and next, if it's vacant. I personally don't feel that an investigation of the Mayor's renovation is necessary. I would however, appreciate City Council realizing that we have more than enough ordinances governing private property, and it's time to show our taxpayers some respect.

Before Musikfest

In 1909, Bethlehem city fathers decided it was time to improve on the Broad Street Trestle Bridge built in 1871. The new concrete arch bridge was a major project, still serving Bethlehem well, 101 years later.

Internationale de Futbol

A Site for the Soccer Aficionado

Have Blog, Will Travel

In the television series from the late 50's, you could hire a sophisticated gunslinger named Paladin, provided you were on the righteous side of an issue. Here in the valley blogosphere, Bernie O'Hare is the bodyguard of choice. In the last week he has taken John Callahan to task six times to promote Charles Dent, and defended the Stoffa/Angle Gracedale Nursing Home sellout five times. Ramblings sort of sounds like a western.

The Landed Gentry

One of the popular misconceptions in our granola society is that our open space is threatened. Consequently, in addition to welfare and corporate welfare, we now have landed gentry welfare. We purchase land, at almost market value, and even allow the owner to keep it. Although there is a deed restriction prohibiting development, who can guarantee it will be enforced in future generations? In every case I'm personally familiar with, the owner never had any intention of development; In one instance, the owners were compensated over $1million.

In some cases the owners are working farmers, in many, just gentlemen farmers with country homes. An article in Sunday's Morning Call laments the reduction in the farmland preservation funds. Nothing in the land preservation compensation really guarantees continued farming, that would be somewhere between indentured servitude and slavery. In 2006, Pennsylvania spent $102 million in Growing Greener handouts. Although the program has been cut back in recent years, there is a long list of applicants hoping to get some of this handout. The granola eaters should drive across Pennsylvania. There is a lot of open space even in this heavily populated state, over 8 million farm acres. While we close mental hospitals and sell nursing homes, we pay yuppies playing weekend farmer, development rights on land they never intended on subdividing anyway.

One more Purse

In August of 1951, thirteen years after energizing the country's morale by knocking out Germany's Max Schmeling, an aging Joe Louis was fighting again to pay back taxes. The Brown Bomber had first retired as undefeated champion in 1949, after winning 61 fights starting in 1934. In two more months, on October 26, 1951, Rocky Marciano would knock him out and threw the robes. It would be the last time Joe Louis would fight.

Photo: fighting Cesar Brion, Louis wins in 10 round decision.

Saving the Spring Pond

As a small boy growing up in the twin homes above Lehigh Parkway, I would go down the steep wooded ravine and cross the Robin Hood Bridge. The stone lined spring pond and miniature bridge was just the first in a series of wonderful WPA constructions to explore. Last year, when I organized the reclamation of the Boat Landing, my memory turned to the pond. Although overgrown with several inches of sod, I knew the treasure was still savable.

On May 23, Andrew Kleiner conducted a tour of Lehigh Parkway, there I met Mike Gilbert of the Park Department and pitched the idea of a partial restoration. On May 26th, I posted A Modest Proposal, which outlined my hopes for the pond. On July 24, Kleiner posted Lehigh Parkway:Molovinsky gets his wish. I had no idea my modest proposal was implemented.

Park Director Greg Weitzel has indicated to me that the pond features uncovered will be maintained. Any further clearing will be at the discretion of Mike Gilbert. In our conversation he also stated that there are virtually no funds available for the preservation of the WPA icons.







I will attempt to organize a group and contributions for this most worthy cause. Between the Spring Pond and The Boat Landing there was once a bridge to the island. Wouldn't it be nice if a small boy could go exploring.

The Disgrace of Gracedale

Northampton County Executive Stoffa, and Council President Angle, are advocating that Northampton County exit the nursing home business as soon as possible. They cite the benefit and legacy cost of the employee's as the unaffordable factor, yet claim they will protect both the employee's and patients in any sale or lease; perhaps they will include the tolls from the Brooklyn Bridge with the deal.

Lehigh County isn't far behind Northampton in this dereliction of duty. Donny Cunningham's first act as County Executive in 2006 was to unionize Cedarbrook nursing home.

I've known people who have ended up in the County Nursing Home. It was never something they planned, but they were provided with good care when they needed it the most, but could afford it the least. It is a service that we as residents of these Counties could take pride in.

Both Easton and Allentown plan on fining private property owners for vacant real estate. Both Northampton and Lehigh County have handed out tax incentives, at our expense, to certain favored businesses. Our bureaucrats seem to know how we should run our business, yet cannot maintain the historical institutions with which they were entrusted.

Grooming and Litter

Years ago in downtown Allentown there were about a dozen barbershops and virtually no litter. Today, with the same population, there are about 60 shops and tons of litter. Apparently there is no longer a correlation between nice appearance and good manners. In the past men would wait their turn. Many of the new shops seemingly have an express system. A doorman with a walkie talkie informs the "barber" who is coming, and the patron can receive his service in less than a minute. Over the years I photographed most of the shops now gone. Although I'm sure many of the new proprietors are hardworking honest people who would not tolerate any criminal behavior, the days of taking my camera into barbershops has passed.

photocredit: molovinsky

Today's Morning Call has a feature story on the barbershops of Allentown; I thought it might be an appropriate time to republish this post from Jan. 7, 2009.

Towne Dealt Good Hand

Jake Towne was never going to get very many Jewish votes. Although Jews remain firmly in the Democratic aisle, here in the valley, Charlie Dent is very popular with many Jewish voters. What Jake Towne did get today is the headline,* which he would have never received without this controversy. With Jews such a small percentage of the population, about 2% nationally, he may even inadvertently profit numerically from an alleged anti-Semitic association.** Publicity wise, it certainly was a good day for the band Poker Face. I don't believe a third party candidate, in such a nationally funded campaign, need worry about being politically incorrect.

*Headline in hardcopy paper
** I have no reason to believe that Jake Towne is anti-Semitic.

Open Mike

This posting is intended to provide an opportunity to comment on any topic, or on an earlier posting.

Muddy Waters

It's been a tough five years for the Little Lehigh under Donny Cunningham. First, he has remained silent on the drilling of wells at the stream's headwater, to accommodate the bottling industry he shepherded to the valley. Now, The Morning Call has publicized the fact that the Lehigh County Authority (water and sewage) has an on going spillage of sewage into the waterway. Recently, when I criticized Cunningham's Plan to demolish the historic stone arch Reading Road Bridge, his blogosphere watchdog, Bernie O'Hare, defended the plan by quoting the "Bridge Doctor", Glenn Solt. Solt is Cunningham's public works director. Solt said that stone arch bridges look pretty, but they're filled with "crap." The Morning Call article quotes Richard Young, Pawlowski's Public Works Director. Young states that the Allentown Sewer Plant, which handles the sewage from the Lehigh County Authority, only intentionally dumps raw sewage downstream from the water plant. He fails to mention that the manhole covers, which overflow during storms, are upstream or just before our water plant. The above photo shows such overflow just west of Schreibers Bridge, which is only a few blocks before the water plant intake pipe. I hope Cunningham and Solt don't see this post. Schreibers Bridge is also a historic stone arch bridge. Built in 1828, it was rehabilitated in 1920 and 1998. Maybe Cunningham should concentrate on what's flowing under the bridges.

photo from The Morning Call
related post on Kleiner's Remember

Signs Of The Time

As Allentown eagerly awaits the opening of the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and banquet facility on 6th Street, lets go back in time. Before the former Sal's Spaghetti House was demolished on that parcel, preservationists from Bucks County saved the historic sign. Had the couple been somewhat more familiar with Allentown's history, they may have realized that the sign was neither very historic or iconic.

Before Hamilton Street was bi-sected architecturally by the now gone canopy, the street was lined with large neon signs, many of which were much more elaborate than Sal's; That sign became historic by default. Interestingly, the Sal's sign for most of it's


business days, said Pat's. Pat's and the sign go back to the mid 1950's. In the late 70's, the business was taken over by Sal, and the P and T were simply changed to an S and L. But time goes on; Sal's family is now in the sauce business and have a most interesting website. Congratulations to Mayor Pawlowski and Myron Haydt for bringing the Cosmopolitan to 6th Street; May they have the success that both Pat's and Sal's enjoyed.

1963 Pat's advertisement courtesy of Larry P
Hamilton Steet watercolor by Karoline Schaub-Peeler

Another Meathead Idea

Sal Panto, Easton's recycled mayor, has another idea. The owners of vacant properties will be fined; The longer the vacancy, the higher the fine. The ordinance will be based on the program from Wilmington, Delaware . All the meatheads borrow idea's from other municipalities; it's how you grow bureaucracies and cultivate mediocrity. Of course the only thing worst than a vacant property, is a property with a bad tenant. With all the bad apples rolling around out there, it takes a conscientious landlord a long time to find a good tenant; now he will be punished for his due diligence. Allentown also has such an ordinance in the works. If you like Allentown now, wait until every apartment unit is filled. We will have to speed up the low income conveyor belt from New York and New Jersey. Love those meatheads.

Each administration passes more and more ordinances. In fact, you cannot legislate pride of ownership. So far we have code inspections, rental inspections, point of sale inspections, and now a proposed vacancy registration; just clueless bureaucrats scanning sister cities for more ordinances, how far this All-American city has fallen.

I have once again removed word verification for comments

I Shot the Sheriff

Andy Roman shot the sheriff, but he didn't shoot the deputy. Once in Allentown, before this Administration chased out people who actually invested their own money, there was a coffee shop called Jerry's. Early in the morning people would gather for coffee and banter. Several large tables would fill up with county workers and early risers, such as myself. It was at these tables, over a few years, that I got to know Sheriff Rossi. I can describe him in one word; dedicated. It is very ironic that Andy Roman called Rossi the "Stealth Sheriff", just because Rossi didn't attend this past Commissioner meeting. I suppose Roman wanted him there to beg for the row office raise, and repent for charging more for laminating gun licenses. I think if Andy wants to find Rossi, he should try the Sheriff's office.

related post at LV Ramblings

More Weeding, Less Talking

Allentown has a few icons, such as the PPL Tower, the 8th Street and Tilghman Street Bridges. In Europe many bridges date from the middle ages, there are even Roman bridges still in use. It seems here in Allentown we cannot even keep an 80 year old bridge together. Earlier this year County Executive Cunningham and Mayor Pawlowski had a press conference under the Tilghman Street Bridge, while on the top weeds and saplings were growing out of the road bed. The bushes and weeds are still there, on both bridges, eroding away magnificent irreplaceable structures. Lets hope these great silver tongued planners stop waiting for penn-dot, and get around to buying a bottle of weed begone.
UPDATE: When I was a kid I grew up in Lehigh Parkway South, this was a development of twin homes built for the returning GI's, the streets were named for planes built during the war; Liberator, Catalina, and Coronado.(Queen City Airport was a WW2 plane factory). Getting into the rest of Allentown was a bit inconvenient. To go downtown(Hamilton St. was the Shopping Mecca of Lehigh Valley) you would have to go over the 8th Street Bridge. To get to the east side you would go down the Lehigh Street hill, up to Union and then over the river. Getting to points west required going over the stone arch bridge near Regency Towers. Construction of the 15th Street bridge finally connected the south side with the rest of Allentown. The metal deck, which was annoying from day one, was supposed to be temporary. So here we are, fifty some years later, being told the bridge is ready to be replaced. Is there anyone in authority who remembers how difficult it was to navigate Allentown before the bridge? So now the decaying 8th Street Bridge will absorb the traffic during construction of the new 15th Street Bridge? Allentown meanwhile defers simple maintenance, like rail painting, because of promises from Harrisburg? We truly are slow learners.

UPDATE: Lipstick on a pig; Allentown now has hung banners on the 15th St. bridge lightposts, distracting drivers attention somewhat away from the rusting rails.

UPDATE: Sept. 15, 2009. The railings on the 15th St. Bridge have been painted. The Linden Street Bridge, an iconic stone arch bridge over the Jordan Creek and Historic Rail lines has been torn down. No repairs have been done to either the 8th Street or Tilghman Street Bridges. Both the silver tongues are insured of re-election. We're still slow learners.

UPDATE: July 14, 2010. Don Cunningham now plans on tearing down the historic Reading Road stone arch bridge. His Administration exaggerates the amount of traffic, and ignores the fact that the bridge could easily have a weight restriction without inconvenience, because of nearby Hamilton Blvd. He is devoid of any sense of local tradition or history.

reprinted from July 31, 2007 and Sept. 15, 2009

Joseph's Tomb

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." (Exo 13:19)

For a thousand years, Jews had prayed at and cared for the Tomb of the Patriarch Joseph. The Samaritans had worshipped at the Tomb for 1,700 years.

On October 7, 2000, Ehud Barak ordered Israeli Border Police to withdraw from guarding the Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus (Shechem). Within hours it was destroyed. Since then there has been a pattern of the IDF escorting religious Jews to clean up the destruction, and then more desecration after they leave.

The bones of Joseph which the Children of Israel brought up from Egypt were buried in Shechem in the portion of the field that had been purchased by Jacob. (Joshua 24:32)

When Boxing was King

Although my fascination with boxing from the 1930's began with a family connection, was fed by a curiosity about the many Jewish boxers, the real hook is my love of black and white photography. Some of the best photographers of the era aimed their camera's at the ring during those years. Shown here is a boxing portrait of Izzy Jannazo. This tough welterweight fought the best, from Barney Ross to Sugar Ray Robinson. These photographs are from the Harry Winkler Collection, now housed at the University Library of Notre Dame.

Tony Chavez was the first New Mexican to fight for a title. He moved to Los Angeles to train for his lightweight title fight with Henry Armstrong. Harry Winkler assembled these amazing images while working as the Los Angeles correspondent for Ring Magazine.





Freddie Miller won 210 fights out of 250, between 1927 and 1940. This featherweight champ had two of his most famous fights with Abie Israel.

I will donate a complete black and white darkroom to any interested youth group

Mutilating Cedar Park

The traditional gravel walking/jogging path of west Cedar Park has been replaced by macadam roads. Although this blog, and others, embarrassed the Administration enough to eliminate even more planned roads within the previous open space, the damage is still substantial. Two new entrances have been built into the park from Ott Street.

A new main entrance ignores the park topography and ramps into the park like a boat landing. This intrusion eliminates the serenity of the previously passive side of the park.









Perhaps the most offensive aspect of this monstrosity is the half clover leaf, clearly designed for bicycles at the expense of both the open space and walker safety. Also added for bicycle convenience is an additional new entrance off Ott Street by Honochick Drive. Once again a clover design is provided so that the cyclists need not slow down.

A Tailor from North Street

A Tailor from North Street

ADDENDUM: I have suspended the word verification step from the  comment section.

E-ZSmile

E-ZSmile Cunningham even brought a smirk to my stern face the other morning. I was reading about the press conference over at the new Bennett Toyota site on Lehigh Street. Although the dealership will be simply moving from Hanover Avenue to Lehigh Street, supposedly the workforce will increase from 100 employees to 250, that's a 150% increase. Bennett also claimed that although national Toyota sales are down 16%, his are up 22%. I suppose if you're doing 38% better than your competitors, you could hire 150% more employees. Anyway, the frozen grin never left Don's face. Cunningham can even talk while he's grinning; He called the move "economic growth." Nothing was said about was what to become of the large existing facility on Hanover Avenue when it closes.

Macadam Mayhem

When the Administration recently claimed that their interest in the South Mountain timber was purely ecological, I wondered if it was the same Pawlowski and Weitzel who laid down tons of macadam at Cedar Park?

Although The Morning Call has requested the timber report through the Freedom of Information Act, the Administration is still legally resisting. One would think that Administrators, who now use phrases such as invasive species, would be more transparent about their intentions. At any rate, the macadam mayhem continues in Cedar Park, especially at the new Pavilion of Shame.


This picnic area across the creek from the swimming pool, which is often under water in heavy rain, has been paved with up to two feet of macadam. Previously, as shown in this photo, it was at ground level with a compacted stone surface.