AEDC's Choo Choo

The Allentown Economic and Development Corporation has received a $1.8 million grant, toward a $4 million dollar project, to restore a portion of the Barber Quarry branch to service an industrial building on South 10th Street. The building once housed Traylor Engineering, which was a giant back in the day. Recently, it housed a smaller fabricator who President Obama visited on his Allentown photo opportunity mission. The business has since closed, but let's not have that reality stand in the way of grants. Last summer, I fought against Allentown's Trail Network Plan, which catered to the spandex cyclist crowd. The new trail was to be built on the Barber Quarry track line. Not only didn't the AEDC oppose the plan, it's director was an advocate. Now they will be funded to develop that which they wanted to destroy. Where do I begin in Allentown's World of Mirth? Only in the unaccountable world of agencies and grants, would $millions of dollars of our money be available for projects which are twenty years too late. The track is long gone. The only industry (Traylor Engineering) which would have need, is long gone. The business reality of South 10th Street is now a go-cart track and the Hive, which is a Junior Achievement type project.

Barber Quarry Branch Line Posts
The Train of Lehigh Parkway
Allentown Archeology
Junkyard Train

Adorable AEDC

At the meeting last month between the City and Hamilton Street merchants, the new Community Development Director, Sarah Hailstone, was a case study in evasion. I asked how come Pawlowski said the previous week that he didn't know anything about the offers to buy the buildings, but now we're sitting there with her and the agent from Summit Reality? Hailstone said that previously it was being handled by AEDC,(Allentown Economic Development Corporation) but now it was in the City's court, and that eventually it would be passed on to a new Authority. The AEDC has always been a handmaiden of convenience for the City. I remember years ago reading an article that they overseer seven empty buildings, had a staff of four, and a budget of $millions. I know plenty of guys who overseer more empty buildings than that, with a used pickup truck and cell phone. During a gathering several years ago, then City Development Director Joyce Marin asked if anybody knew what the inside of the Schoen Building looked like? What struck me was months before Marin was head of AEDC, and the Schoen building was one of the seven she got big money to manage. Joyce was recently hired by the School District to promote before and after school activities by outside agencies. Gotta love the bureaucrats; Oh well, back to the adorable. The AEDC has announced an innovative program at the Bridgework Building on S. 10th and Harrison Streets. They will operate the Hive, where people who normally work at home on the computer, can work together in a common space, with wifi and a coffee machine. Unknown to AEDC, their innovative Hive was done years ago, in two locations on Hamilton Street. Of course on Hamilton Street the participants could actually see other human beings and patronize a lunch spot or store. Did I mention that AEDC also operates a blog called Allentown Good News. Maybe I could operate molovinsky on allentown from the Hive....

School District on Front Burner

Although six days have passed, comments are still being sent to Zimmerman Speaks Out. I have decided to put our troubled school system back on the front burner. Today Steve Esack, at The Morning Call, reported on the bloated district administration. This past Wednesday, I received some comments doubting whether newspaper reporters harvest idea's from blogs and the value of board members speaking out here. Actually, a comment placed previously on this blog revealed that administrative titles were being changed to affect funding. Both the reporter and editor confirmed that this blog was the genesis for their earlier Joyce Marin article. The school administration has warned teachers about publicly criticizing the district; This blog provides an opportunity to speak out.

As a teacher at WAHS, I welcome Mr Zimmerman's attempt to understand the safety issues at the high school.There are many assaults on teachers which bring about minimum consequences to students. Very few suspensions, needed approval by the district office, and failure to follow most points of the code of conduct have led to chaos in the high school.Until there is discipline and control in the high school, test scores will not go up. (comment on Zimmerman Speaks Out, received April 30.)

Along with looming teacher layoffs, we have an administration which seems to cater to administrators. We have an attempt to suppress the right of teachers to speak out, and we have discipline issues being swept under the rug.
UPDATE: Click on letter to enlarge

You have selected a very important profession at a time when great teachers in America are needed now more than ever. In the Allentown School District, opportunities continue for all who are reaching higher to improve our system and who share with us the practices, values and beliefs that make a real difference........Gerald Zahorchak

Dr. Zahorchak, If I was a teacher facing layoff, I would find this letter very ironic. I see a pattern of disconnect between your constant stream of Z Letters and the realities facing teachers, students and parents.

Prince William's Great Grandmother

Long before Prince William walked down the aisle yesterday in Westminister Abbey, his great grandmother, Princess Alice (Princess Andrew of Greece), walked there during the wedding of her son Phillip, to Princess Elizabeth. Princess(Alice) Andrew, later at the Coronation of Elizabeth, wore the habit of a nun. An extraordinary woman, she had founded a nurses order composed of nuns in Greece. She modeled the order after one started by her aunt and mentor in Russia, whom she had visited many years earlier. Born Princess Alice of Battenberg, she married Prince Andrew of Greece in 1903, assuming her new title.
During the Second World War, she hid a Jewish widow and her children in Athens, saving their lives. In accordance to her wish, she is buried in Jerusalem, next to her cherished aunt Duchess Fyodorovna, in the Russian Orthodox Church of Maria Magdalene.

The $25,000 House

A local blogger recently did a series of posts on the improving rental market in the Valley, and what the cities should do to prosper most from the trend. He combined a number of utopian concepts, which seem somewhat incompatible in the real world of eastern Pennsylvania. He wants affordable housing and upperly mobile housing, if not side by side, close by. The starry eyed call this mixed income neighborhoods. I think what they fail to understand is that this is Allentown, not Manhattan. We are a horizontal community, not constricted in area. Although he cites rising rents, he doesn't understand the specifics. Rents are rising in the suburbs, away from the mixed income neighborhood. Higher rents in center city are only the formula for higher vacancy and turnover rates, part of the learning curve for newer landlords. The tale of the tape is the real estate listings, and more indicative, the deed transfers. In Allentown there are currently 62 houses for sale under $50,000. This past fall and winter, the deed transfers have been dominated by dozens of homes, purchased for rental, by investors for $25,000. This low cost of entry has saturated the rental market with $700 a month homes. The house pictured above is near 12th and Linden Streets, and can be purchased for $16,000.

UPDATE: There has been a juxtaposition of failed real estate strategies which created our current situation. The city orange tagged many apartment buildings in the last couple of years. Government policy wanted to make everyone and their pet a homeowner, putting hundreds of marginally financed people in houses. The crash has now reverted them back to tenants, but angry, resentful tenants. Overall, as William Bendex would say at the end of the Life of Riley, "What a revolting development this turned out to be." A fellow blogger cut and pasted several articles on our wonderful new rental environment. I thought I'd give an actual report from the front lines. If you want optimism or false solutions, go to his blog or City Hall.

Allentown Moves Visitor Center

Allentown has moved it's Visitor Center from Hamilton Street to the America on Wheels Museum on Front Street; Hope that doesn't confuse too many visitors! According to The Morning Call, the center helped about twenty visitors a day at the old location. Assuming that Lee Butz will not be stopping in eighteen times a day anymore, they should now receive about two people a day, both asking for directions to Bethlehem.

The Consigliere

Blogger, and former attorney Bernie O'Hare has long had influence with Northampton political kingpins Ron Angle and John Stoffa. That influence, until recently, had been limited to a stream of good press on his blog and perhaps some ghost writing. The Gracedale episode seems to have elevated Bernie from press agent to legal advisor. His joint lawsuit with an elected official against the petition was quite unusual. Stoffa's comments that O'Hare saved the County money seem to compound the blurriness; The Morning Call has done a story on that topic. The second flank of the attack against Gracedale, centered on Stoffa's claim that a ballot question not only challenged the Home Rule Charter, but the actual Constitution of the United States. Once again we learned that O'Hare studied the Charter, and reprimanded The Morning Call for not accurately reporting Stoffa's somberness during the press conference. Could O'Hare now also be a stage director, in addition to writer and legal advisor? Could we have an Orson Welles in our midst? Citizen O'Hare.

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)

UPDATE: Early Sunday morning, as 15 ultra-orthodox Jews left the Tomb after Passover prayers, a Palestinian policeman opened fire on their 3 vehicles. Several men were wounded, and the 25 year old nephew of an Israeli Government Minister was killed.

UPDATE:In retaliation for the murder of a Jewish worshiper and the wounding of 5 others, last night at Joseph's Tomb, by official Palestinian Authority "policeman", dozens of Palestinians are rioting and burning down Joseph's Tomb in the middle of PA occupied Shechem/Nablus. (Israeli Radio, Channel B)
YNET interviewed one of the worshipers:
One of the Breslovers who was in the second car in the convoy and was lightly wounded told Ynet: "We arrived at the tomb like on many occasions in the past. Near the tomb we saw a spikes chain. One of the guys jumped out of the car and moved it aside.
"At this point a uniformed Palestinian police officer with a Kalashnikov in a jeep woke his colleagues up and they started firing into the air…I was in the front seat. We started driving fast in the direction of the tomb; we got out of the vehicles and kissed the tomb.
"When we got back to the vehicles the police shot at the vehicles, they were screaming 'Allahu Akbar'. ["Allah, The god of Islam, is great" -- the Islamic battle cry traditionally screamed before massacring infidels] It was crazy, they were shooting to kill. I screamed at the driver to drive out of there quickly. When we got to Har Bracha we attended to the wounded." (Ynet)
Haaretz was quick to write:
"The main problem is that they [the Israelis] entered the city without coordination," said Jibril al-Bakri, the Palestinian governor of Nablus.
I thought the main problem was the PA police yelling "Allahu Akbar" and then opening fire at unarmed Jewish worshipers.
Silly me. Jameel, Israeli Blogger,  The Big  Peace
Palestinians are once again burning Joseph's Tomb

Zimmerman Speaks Out

In retrospect and not as a rationalization, during that meeting my attention was more focused on the prospect of furloughing 249 teachers than what I thought to be "routine" personnel issues.It was the administration's fault this was not addressed. I trusted them and they simply violated that trust.They can apologize all they want but it does not change the fact they still achieved their purpose, sneaking their appointment into the position.
There are certain issues that I feel, if not addressed, will make the whole attempt at a redesign of the curriculum an exercise in futility.They need to be identified and discussed in the open to adequately resolve them. I will commit to that and will use this blog as a sounding board if OK,d by MM.As a point of information, I understand the Safety Task Force will now be a closed meeting with a select group of people. Apparently the last meeting was cancelled due to the overt vociferousness of a concerned parent. That person, I was told, was my wife. I fully support her efforts to discern the truth about the violence occurring in WAHS. To me a change in the structure of this meeting appears to be a direct violation of the sunshine law.
The administrators in charge of student services, from the top down, either have to get honest with the people of Allentown and learn to deal with them or find other positions.I will refer this to the solicitor for the school district and if not satisfied, the Secretary of Education and or the State Attorney General.
Sincerely,
David Fehr Zimmerman
Board Member ASD
At Mr. Zimmerman's convenience, this blog will glad to host his views on issues which may impede the success of any curriculum redesign.
UPDATE: I have closed comments here, please place comments at School District Front Burner

Gethsemane 1934

Maria Magdalene (Mary Magdalene) is the Russian Orthodox Church located on the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, Israel.
The church is dedicated to Miryam of Migdal, a follower of Jesus. Maria Magdalene was the first to see Christ after he was resurrected, and was a crucial and important disciple of Jesus, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tzar Alexander III as a commemoration for his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, in the traditional tented roof Russian style, including seven onion shaped golden domes. Photograph dates from 1934

Pennsylvania as Pig

A report yesterday in The Morning Call said thousands of gallons of drilling fluid used in hydraulic fracturing were spilling into the Towanda Creek. A disaster team was brought to the site from Texas. At the time of publication on wednesday, in The Times-Tribune (Scranton), the well blowout was continuing for over twelve hours. How many actual gallons of the carcinogenic witch brew actually contaminated the land and waterway will probably never be known. The well is operated by Chesapeake Energy Corp., which is one of the biggest and best equipped operators in fracking. The report said nobody was injured. That referred to immediate injury from the blowout. How many will suffer ill effects from contaminated water will be determined by future doctors, now still in elementary school. Gotta love Pennsylvania. We are the state with one of the biggest state houses. Our legislators have the largest staffs. Our governors, term after term, Democrat or Republican, appoint their minions to turnpike, bridge and other no-show commissions. I remember when in the late 70's, the lottery was the solution to keeping Pennsylvania's pig trough financed. Now we have added casino's and sacrificed our environment with hydraulic fracking. Reform is a barge, which floats by on Pennsylvania's contaminated river called Denial, every four years.

An Allentown Tradition

This photo, circa 1948, shows a Lehigh Valley Transit sweeper trolley passing Zandy's first steak shop, on the corner of Hall and St. John's Street. Also visible in the photo is their current location (upper left hand corner, please click to enlarge photo), in the former Park Movie Theater. After the Park, and before Zandy's, it was a textile dye factory. These two blocks served as a business district at the southern end of the Eighth Street Bridge. Zandy's started in 1940, and today the third generation carries on the business.

Mike Miorelli Fails to Credit Molovinsky

When I saw Joyce Marin's picture on the front page of The Morning Call yesterday, I was proud that molovinsky on allentown was able to bring the story to the attention of the public and media. The photo caption mentioned subsequent criticism of the hiring. That criticism occurred on my blog for the five days before Steve Esack printed his report. In those five days my blog story and comments grew to include an explanation by board member Zimmerman and a note from Superintendent Zahorchak. I didn't know if Esack's report would credit me as Michael Molovinsky, or molovinsky on allentown. I was shocked to instead find a local internet blogger. When I called Esack yesterday, he was genuinely embarrassed. He had written molovinsky on allentown in his story. It is journalism 101 to acknowledge who broke a story, when you write a subsequent piece based on it. This was not the first time a reporter has apologized to me for my name being deleted from his article. It was time to confront Miorelli. Although reporters have come and gone, Mike Miorelli has been metro editor of The Morning Call since 2001. Miorelli claimed that the reporter verified everything himself, including his own subsequent conversation with Dave Zimmerman, and didn't lift anything directly from my blog. That's true Mike, the only things that the newspaper got from this blog is the knowledge that Marin was hired, school directors were snookered, and that the public was upset.

UPDATE: Bill White, Morning Call columnist and journalism instructor at Lehigh, defends Mike Miorelli's position in the comment section of his blog. White invites bloggers to be guest instructors at his class, and his students to start a blog. I suppose he trains the student bloggers to be anonymous local internet bloggers to feed story ideas for the real writers at the Call.

Hailstorm at City Hall

Sara Hailstone, Allentown's Director of Community Development, was expecting to meet with several business owners concerned about being relocated by the hockey arena. Instead, she was confronted by a conference room full of merchants and several of their representatives. She started the meeting by questioning the presence of the Morning Call reporter, Matt Assad. Several merchants said they requested his presence. Hailstone got an earful from merchant after merchant, complaining of everything from poor communication by the city, to alleged outright intimidation by the strawbuyer, Summit Reality. She conceded that the City is the undisclosed buyer, and agreed to proceed with more respect for the merchants. I'll leave more details of the meeting to Assad's coverage, presumedly tomorrow. I'd like to mention an irony that only an old timer, like myself, can appreciate. Over the years we have invested untold $millions on Hamilton Street. We put up the canopies, we took them down. We have reconfigured the parking spaces endless times. We have created a Parking Authority that charges meter rates as if we were a destination. We burdened the merchants with endless regulations concerning their signs and their security gates. At the end of all this, what we essentially have, are those that were in the room today. Save for them, we would have no downtown. We have rewarded their lifetime of work, loyalty and investment with deceit and threats.

UPDATE: Matt Assad's article in today's paper pretty much tells the story of the meeting, but softens the tone present. Assad must maintain some working relationship with Hailstone, I do not. The merchants were very annoyed by tactics utilized by the city agent. A Korean daughter spoke of the pressure inserted on her father, and the effect on his blood pressure and health. A hispanic woman told of her 11 year old sister being harassed on the phone by the strawbuyer. She even wondered aloud if their minority status encouraged the disrespectful attitude. As the merchants revealed their resentment, Hailstone's body language and replies stiffened. Sam Hong, of New York Fashion, would like the Mayor to visit his store. Although two stores wide, and a major merchandizer on Hamilton Street, Pawlowski has never visited. Considering that he has been Mayor for 5.5 years, and Community Development Director for 3 years before that, perhaps he's not coming.

Late, and Maybe Wrong

Today, The Morning Call caught up with molovinsky on allentown about the hockey arena offers. In addition to being late, they may be wrong. They quote Ed Pawlowski as saying "We're not hiding anything." He says that the AEDC is openly trying to buy the properties. I interviewed two of the property owners mentioned in the article this past weekend. Both indicated that the buyer was not revealed, and that Summit Reality was acting as an agent for an undisclosed buyer. I did not review the offers to purchase myself. Also today, The Morning Call caught up with my Joyce Marin scoop. Although molovinsky on allentown is not credited in either story, the Marin story refers to a local internet blog.

Involuntary Conversion

In real estate, an involuntary conversion is when your property is taken by no plan of your own. The merchants of Hamilton Street are facing an involuntary conversion.

molovinsky on allentown has learned that the city is buying up the square block between 7th and 8th, Hamilton and Linden Streets, for the hockey arena. The subsidized Farr building, a Pawlowski pet project, will be spared. Although offers they can't refuse are based on the fair market value of the real estate, their livelihood and right of free choice are being violated. These businesses are not only their income, but security for their family's future. Many years ago, the city zoning made me close a photo studio in the area of Raub School. I was told that if I wanted to be insured the right to operate, I should have located in the business district. There once was a covenant between Allentown and merchants. If the merchants invested their time and money, the city would provide a district which secured their investment. Several years ago the merchants were upset that the bus transfer stops were removed; Little did they realize that they would be next. If the Pawlowski Arena for Sports and Culture doesn't work out, we will have lost the business district for naught.
UPDATE: Apparently, some of these offers were made as an option to buy, with an undisclosed buyer. A local prominent realtor, is acting as a straw buyer , for either a speculator or the city. Threats of eventual eminent domain. with a lower price, have supposedly been made to encourage signatures.

Caution, unconfirmed rumor

This blog has received a tip that our favorite school superintendent, has hired our favorite past community director, Joyce Marin. I have not been able to confirm this information, hopefully a whoops, my mistake will be needed.
UPDATE:
I have confirmed that indeed Marin was hired as a grant specialist. I've been told that the hiring was at Pawlowski's request. This will not be music to the ears of many laid off teachers and aides. I know of no accomplishments by Marin as community development director.

UPDATE: Marin is the Administrative Center Community Before/After School Activities Project Manager effective 4/4/11. The stated salary is $84,000 / Yr. This is a new position.
UPDATE: Email exchange
dr. zahorchak, it has come to my attention that you hired joyce marin as a grant writer. would you please explain why nobody in house could not perform this function and how an additional administrative position can be justified with so many teacher layoffs pending. sincerely michael molovinsky

Mr. Molovinsky, I read your question regarding Joyce Marian. There appears to be confusion probably due to the fact that the position is grant funded. The position is funded out of the Safe Schools Healthy Students grant. The position promotes and only focuses on before and after school activities as many of our therapeutic support services are covered outside of classroom hours – mentoring, arts enrichment, life skills support, and family activities. Her position will help dozens of agencies and friends of the district align their work and use our buildings as they support our children. Gerald Zahorchak

CastleRock

CastleRock took place in the cavernous Dorney Park dance-hall, Castle Garden. The "Garden" was built in the early 20's and hosted all the famous big bands of that era. By the late fifties it was called CastleRock. The Philadelphia recording stars, such as Frankie Avalon and Freddy Cannon would routinely perform. By my teenage era, in the early mid 60's, it was mostly disc jockeys. The Park was free, no admission. Pay to park, and maybe a buck or so for the dance-hall.







By then the nightclub tables shown in the photograph were gone, and sitting was around the sides. There were no shootings, and rowdiness was restricted to sneaking on a ride without buying a ticket. The dance-hall overlooked the lake, it was destroyed by a fire on Thanksgiving in 1985.

reprinted from January,26,2010

Flash From Past

Occasionally, some of the older boys in Lehigh Parkway would get saddled with taking me along to a Saturday matinee in downtown Allentown. We would get the trolley, in later years a bus, from in front of the basement church on Jefferson Street. It would take that congregation many years to afford completing the church building there today. The trolley or bus would go across the 8th Street Bridge, which was built to accommodate the trolleys operated by Lehigh Valley Transit Company. Downtown then sported no less than five movie theaters at any one time. Particularly matinee friendly was the Midway, in the 600 Block of Hamilton. Three cartoons and episode or two of Flash Gordon entertained our entourage, which ranged in age from five to eleven years old. We younger kids, although delighted by the likes of Bugs Bunny, were confused how the Clay People would emerge from the walls in the caves on Mars to capture Captain Gordon, but our chaperones couldn't wait till the next week to learn Flash's fate. Next on the itinerary was usually a banana split at Woolworth's. Hamilton Street had three 5 and 10's, with a million things for boys to marvel at. The price of the sundae was a game of chance, with the customer picking a balloon. Inside the balloon was your price, anywhere from a penny to the full price of fifty cents. The store had a full selection of Allentown souvenirs. Pictures of West Park on a plate, the Center Square Monument on a glass, pennants to hang on your wall, and picture postcards of all the attractions. Hamilton Street was mobbed, and even the side streets were crowded with busy stores. Taking younger kids along was a responsibility for the older brothers, the streets and stores were crowded, but predators were limited to the Clay People on the silver screen.

reprinted from March 24, 2010

Trail Network Approved

Denise Sanchez/The Morning Call/April 4, 2010

Shown above, Luciana Martucci, with her Barbie fishing pole, teaches her daddy how to fish in an Allentown park. Luciana is concerned that the Trail Network Plan will encourage many additional bicyclists, going much faster, which will make watching her daddy more difficult; He tends to wander when they walk on the paths. She doesn't understand why the paths are going to be dug up and paved to accommodate one particular set of users, at the expense of all others.

The parks are a nationally recognized heritage of all Allentonians, from one generation to the next. No one Administration, or set of Trustee's, is entitled to impose irreversible changes in its design or use.

This post is reprinted from one year ago. Despite assurances given by City Council at that time, to a packed chamber of citizens, that all future park plans would receive proper public notice and input, last evening funds were appropriated to begin construction of a bike trail connecting Cedar Park to Union Terrace and Lehigh Parkway.

Prime Time Television

Last evening Bernie O'Hare invited me to watch the Gracedale Business Matters show, and quite a show it was. Bernie pounded away at election fraud, despite both the Election Board and a County Judge approving the signatures. Since the taping, the Commonwealth Court has reaffirmed the legality of the petitions. Ron Angle offered to keep Gracedale, if the union would come back with significant concessions. A better prepared Tony Iannelli might have questioned Angle's authority, since he is not the County Executive, or even still Council President. Bernie insisted on calling Pastor Martinez a fake reverend. I'm not sure why Bernie wanted people to watch this show, but I may have seen his friend Bill Coker. Some gentleman in the audience asked under what authority do the citizens think they can circumvent council? It's called democracy.

Day of the Fight

In the late 1920's, Newark was home to a large Jewish population and hundreds of Jewish fighters. One night a week, Laurel Garden would host either boxing, wrestling or roller skating, in addition to performances by popular bands. One night in 1929, an eighteen year old volunteered from the audience to fill in for a missing boxer. The kid won by knockout, and so began the career of Tony Galante, who would fight 29 times at Laurel. Among the notables who fought there over the years were James Braddock and Max Schmeling. The photo above is a still from the documentary, Day of the Fight, made in 1951. It was the first film attempt by a young director named Stanley Kubrick. Laurel Garden was demolished in 1953.

Bad Lesson Plan

This blog has been critical of both the school superintendent and the school board. I have even mentioned the board leadership, but not by name. Although an elected office, I can think of no more of a thankless job than school board member. I'm sorry to report that someone has attacked a local business over the school district dilemma. Jeff Glazier is president of the school board, and fourth generation operator of Glazier Furniture. The store is still located on Hamilton, near 2nd Street. When it started in 1916, this was the busy hub of Allentown merchandizing. Throughout the years and generations, the family has stayed faithful to Allentown, and certainly doesn't deserve this abuse. Another member of the board works for the Lehigh Valley Health Network, would they boycott the hospital? It is my hope that whoever put up the signs, realizes that it wasn't his best lesson plan.

Allentown School District

Last night the School Board approved Zahorchak's Pathways to Success, laying off 247 teachers. Before I begin my tirade, let me acknowledge a reality. Apparently, there will be less revenue from the state and federal governments this year. (although we always seem to end up with more than the initial offer) Assuming that, never the less, there is a substantial reduction, and the taxpayers can only tolerate so much increase, some layoffs were inevitable. Also, apparently teachers cannot be laid off for reasons of economy, only curriculum changes. So, I concede a program change, and some layoffs were necessary. That said, this school board and this superintendent could not have done it in a poorer fashion. The board hired the wrong person last year as superintendent. It was apparent from the first Z Letter indicating that everything was wrong and that he had all the answers. It was apparent from the 3000 idea's he threw against the wall. It was apparent from transferring the most effective principals to administrative jobs. To have made the best of their bad hiring decision, the board would have to first recognize it. Apparently, this board, or at least it's leadership, has too much self esteem for such a conclusion.

Although 247 teachers will be laid off, not one administrator will lose his/her job. To make matters more irrational, many of these administrative jobs did not exist before last year. Although Zahorchak's goal of higher test scores and graduation rate are admirable, he is gutting the elective programs, which were the unique aspect of the Allentown School District. If he doesn't succeed in his goals, which is very likely, his plan was the Pathway to Failure. He has demoralized the teaching staff, even before the layoffs. Allentown School District has dug itself a deeper hole, which wasn't easy to do. Zahorchak claims we need a change; I agree, we need a new board and a new superintendent.

Allentown Citizen Patrol

Allentown City Council is debating whether to give Ernie Atiyeh $8,000 to start up a COP program, Citizens on Patrol. Atiyeh estimates the program would cost about $150,000 to start, and then about $90,000 a year, thereafter. Supposedly, the remaining funds would come from corporate donations and other sources. In today's Morning Call, reporter Chris Baxter outlines the different issues involving liability and precedent. The patrollers would be volunteers, while Atiyeh would pay himself $10,000 a year. If indeed Allentown's contribution would be a one time event, or limited to $8,000 a year, why open the can of worms for 5% of the program cost? Although the 5% may pay Atiyeh, the program can't really roll without the other $142,000. It would better serve Allentown taxpayers if we weren't the first donation in the kettle.

Goons and Gangs

Today's post is being hosted by Poliblog, click here for transportation

Two Ton Galento

In an era of tough men, Tony "Two Ton" Galento was a standout. Although he would never win a Mr. America contest, his left hook could knock down any man, including the legendary Joe Louis. Tony owned a bar in Orange, New Jersey, didn't train, drank beer and ate large meals before he fought. Between 1928 and 1944 he fought 110 times, knocking out 56 of his opponents.

He met the Baer brothers in back to back fights later in his career, losing both bouts, but not before knocking 6'7'' Buddy Baer down. The famous fight with Louis occurred at Yankee Stadium in June of 1939, before Galente beat Lou Nova in the infamous dirty fight. Tony was king of the world in the third round as Louis lay on the canvas, but he got up at the eight count, and knocked Galante out in the next round. Louis would later say that Tony Galante was one of the toughest men he ever fought.
post reprinted from May 30, 2010, bottom photo, after Lou Nova fight, added

Stoffa's Watergate

John Stoffa has been claiming that it was necessary for him to appeal the Gracedale Referendum question, in order to protect the Home Rule Charter's integrity. Many proponents of Gracedale, and brokers for honest government, didn't buy his excuse. Turns out that the co-author of the Home Rule Charter has come forward, and said that the question is exactly the type intended for referendum. In a compelling article by Jenna Portnoy, the co-author of the Charter, Bill Hansell, goes further;

"They're hiding behind the financial language because they simply don't want the question referred [to voters], and that's not playing by the rules."

Did I mention that even the tapes which cover the appropriate use of referendum are missing?
I'm sure that the tapes have been missing for many years, no wrong doing is implied

The Water Whore

It was a toss up if I wanted to call Don Cunningham a thief or a whore over a proposed new bottling company, he's both. I chose whore only because of alliteration. One may wonder why most of the new industry on the western edge of the 78 corridor are bottling companies; the answer is easy, not too many local governments would be willing to sacrifice both their water supply and stream quality for a few jobs. Ocean Spray Juice, just outside of Trenton, is a "...major water user, major sewer user." This blog has documented how the new wells* necessary to supply the bottling companies will lower the level of the Little Lehigh. This blog has also documented how raw sewage spills* into the same creek during periods of heavy rain. Ocean Spray needs pretreatment at its New Jersey plant because the strength of the raw discharge exceeds levels permitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

"At times their pretreatment facility has had to be shut down," Lynch said, "and every time we take that waste on, it just wreaks havoc on our plant to the point where we're almost in violation of the DEP."               Ocean Spray by Jenna Portnoy, The Morning Call, March 24, 2011

For two hundred jobs, which may well be filled by their workers moving here from New Jersey, we will have our waterway with less water and more sewage?

*Water Thieves In Our Community Part 1
Conclusion of Water Thieves
Muddy Waters
Playgrounds and Feces

My Shoes and Spencer

After reading Spencer Soper's article today on Butzy's Building, I realize that my shoes know more about Allentown than him, but they're probably older. Soper reports that the Butz Building is 90% full. He doesn't report, but may not know, the taxpayer contribution to that occupancy rate. First, the Lehigh Valley Tourist Bureau moved in: They wanted to be close to the PPL Plaza free admission WaterPark. Tony glad-hand Iannelli moved the Chamber of No Commerce in. We gave Butz $450,000 to entice Sangria with no start up cost. Spencer does have one line of news, the last sentence. Apparently, Butz is behind the push to locate the Hockey Arena downtown. "The hockey arena will get a lot of people to do things they wouldn't do otherwise." Like come to downtown Allentown?

Dead Jews and the New Media

Molovinsky on Allentown often wanders out of town, to the Middle East. To get there I regularly read The Jerusalem Post and Al Jazeera, among other outlets. As I mentioned before, Al Jazeera uses some Jewish journalists to give credibility to their Arab news bias. Here in America, it's worse; The Huffington Post uses Jewish journalists to ignore or distort Israel. For Jews, and others who care about Israel, this is an incredibly important problem, as the internet becomes the predominant source of news. The massacre of the Fogel family last week never made Huffington's front page. A new blog, Huff-Watch, has started to document Arianna Huffington's attitude about the Jewish State.

Court of the Blogosphere

In the Court of the Blogosphere, Lehigh Valley District, Bernard O'Hare is Chief Justice. He proclaims who is a liar, and who is not. Bernie is as close to as a lawyer as we get, he once was one. He regularly uses self-depreciation to emphasize what an honest injun he now is. When you think Bernie did something wrong, like be coached on the Northampton County taxpayer's dime, he will explain in 20,000 words or less, why it was legal. If you don't understand his explanation, he will explain it over and over and over, until you stop asking. His case this week involves some impropriety committed by candidates opposed to Dean Browning. Vic Mazziotti will be glossed over; Although a member of Boss Woodman's slate, only three weeks ago he was on O'Hare's dream team. Regardless what Election Officials may determine, or real court decisions, Judge O'Hare will bang away until election day. This is solely the opinion of The Lone Ranger of Blogging. You will not find the opinions or comments expressed here on O'Hare's blog, or any link to this blog on O'Hare's blogroll.

The Cosmic Punch

In California these days, everybody walks around with a yoga mat strapped to their back. That certainly wasn't the case in the 1930's, when heavyweight contender Lou Nova studied with the infamous self proclaimed mystic, Dr. Bernard. Nova was the World Amateur Heavyweight Champion and a proponent of clean living. He won his first twenty two fights as a professional. His promoters said he perfected the Cosmic Punch. He handed Abe Simon his first defeat after thirteen victories. He knocked out Max Baer twice. Clean living didn't serve him so well with the notorious dirty fighter Two Ton Tony Galento. Galento almost gouged his eye out, putting Nova in the hospital for weeks. Nova got his shot with Louis on September 29, 1941, but fell in six. Nova would go on to act in movies and even was a write-in candidate for President of the United States. He dropped out of the campaign because his mother was afraid he would catch a cold wearing a bullet proof vest, and shaking so many hands. She wasn't afraid of him being in the ring with some of the toughest men in the world.

A Pinata Called Woodman

Wayne Woodman is learning that being the local Chairman of the Republican Party is a thankless job, at least in the Lehigh Valley Blogosphere. Last week Bernie O'Hare called him dishonest and disingenuous, and this morning Chris Casey whacks him. The O'Hare attack I saw coming, despite a lunch they had together. The O'Hare world is pretty simple. Dean Browning's photograph is on O'Hare's mantle, along side of Stoffa, Angle, Cunningham and Dent. Any opponent of those on the Mantle will be punished, sooner or later. I am more disturbed by the current Casey attack, it's a cheaper shot. Because Woodman may own some property in California, he's against the dark skin soldiers who serve our country? Not only does Chris engage in class warfare, he even speculates why Woodman lives here. Chris my friend, what Woodman owns is none of our business. Why he moved here is also none of our business, but I doubt that it was to be a bigger fish in the Republican pond; There are nicer, warmer places to do that in.

The Jews of Iran

In 539 BC, when the Persian King Cyrus defeated Babylon, the Israelites were free to return to Jerusalem. Many instead ended up in that part of Persia which constitutes modern day Iran. Despite the current political climate between Iran and Israel, over 25,000 Jews still live in Iran. It has remained the largest Jewish population in a Muslim country since the creation of Israel in 1948, and among the most ancient of Jewish communities. Although certainly a minority in what could be perceived as an awkward situation, the community takes great pride in their Iranian history. Shown above is the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel, revered by both Jews and Muslims, in Susa, Iran.

Junkyard Train

Today, once again we ride a freight train of Allentown's great industrial past. In the early 1970's, the Redevelopment Authority tore down the neighborhood on either side of the Lehigh Street hill. At that time they had persuaded Conrail to move the the Barber's Quarry Branch line exclusively to the southern side of the Little Lehigh. The branch had crossed over and back to service the great Wire Mill. After crossing Lehigh Street, the train would proceed along the creek passing under the 8th Street Bridge. At the 10th Street crossing it would service another great industrial giant, Traylor Engineering.
In 2009 President Obama visited a successor, Allentown Manufacturing, which has since closed. The line would continue along the creek until it turned north along Cedar Creek to Union Terrace. After crossing Hamilton Street by the current Hamilton Family Diner, it would end at the current park department building. Nothing remains of the line, the tracks were removed. The Allentown Economic Development Corporation recently received a grant to rebuild the line to 10th Street, even though the plant Obama visited has closed. The neighboring former Mack Plant now houses a go cart track. How the money will be squandered remains to be seen. The top photograph was taken by local train historian Mark Rabenold in 1989. It shows the later relocated section of the track that was just east of the Lehigh Street crossing.

It's A Man's World

It's a man's world, and in it is a man's disease, prostate cancer. Although it strikes about 270,000 men a year, you don't see a circle of men discussing the issue with Oprah. It's not manly to discuss such things, we just soldier on. Oddly enough, one of the biggest research programs on the disease is currently funded by the Department of Defense. Odder still, is that one of our great soldiers, Senator John McCain, proposes removing the line item from the defense budget. The Senator is not against cancer research, he just doesn't believe that the program belongs in the defense department. The problem is that the move may well interrupt the funding mechanism on two new promising drugs which are in clinical trials. Men, and women who care about them, should contact Dent, Casey and Toomey to urge that the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) remain in the defense budget.

Angle & O'Hare LCC

They say in sports that the best offense is a good defense. The Angle & O'Hare Company believe that the best defense is a good offense. Bernie has been attacking Larry Otter, Steve Barron, and now the media; Bo Koltnow and Jenna Portnoy. Bernie states the issue himself in a recent post comment:

... Eckert Seamans was working on this matter bc they had no idea that I intended to file a suit. Once they became aware, they stopped. That saved the taxpayers money. Had I not filed, Eckert Seamans would have done so on behalf of the County, and guess what? That would cost taxpayers even more...

The question that Bernie has avoided answering is why would a county employed legal firm spend 80 billable hours working on a case, and then defer trying the case, and allow a private citizen to represent the county's interest?

Waiting for the Paper

This morning, as I wait for my McNews, I checked a few Israeli paper websites. Israel, with a total population less than New York City, has 22 daily papers. With a literacy rate of almost 100%, and three opinions for each two people, the thirst for news never ends. The average Israeli reads at least two papers a day. In addition to Hebrew, papers are produced in Arabic, English and Russian. The oldest existing daily dates from 1918, the largest from 1939. My favorite is the Jerusalem Post, which was founded in 1932. It's a smaller hard copy paper, with a domestic circulation of 30,000.

Tipping the Whipper

When you're being beaten up or whipped, are you suppose to give your abuser a tip? Taxpayers in Northampton County opposed to the sale of Gracedale just tipped the whipper. Morning Call reporter Jenna Portnoy today outlines how the law firm hired by Northampton Executive Stoffa was paid over ten thousand dollars for research used by Bernie O'Hare in his unsuccessful suit against the petitions. Stoffa claims was the research was done by the firm Eckert Seamans in case he decided to challenge the petitions. O'Hare claims that he did all his own research. Records indicate at least one phone conversation between O'Hare and the law firm, and language used by O'Hare mirrors that included in the firm's invoice. It appears to me that Stoffa's credibility has been stretched very thin by this whole Gracedale issue. First he has reneged on statements made to the Save Gracedale group about accepting their petition, and at the very least material used in the O'Hare/Angle appeal was supported by a law firm at taxpayer expense.

UPDATE: One thing about Bernie O'Hare, he's predictable. Ask too good of a question, and he usually responds that you're attacking his integrity. Such is the case currently. Responding to today's Morning Call article, he accuses John Cusick of such an attack. Bernie ignores the fact that the Eckert Seamans bill for over 80 hours, or close to $11,000, scrutinizing the petition signatures, was only used by him and Angle, and not the county. Also ignored is a question in the comment section of this post. May the taxpayers expect to be billed for any more hours involving your most recent appeal brief? My questions are asked here, because they are barred from O'Hare's blog, and this blog has been removed from his sidebar blogroll.

No Jews of Libya

Despite having settled there hundreds of years before Christ, there are no Jews in Libya.

I left Libya more than 42 years ago when the mobs were roaming the streets. They were not chanting for democracy or yearning for freedom — they were looking for  Jews.           

                                      Gina Waldman.

This community, that goes back 2,500 years, has obliterated their oldest minority...They drink anti-semitism with their mother's milk.

                                                    Gina Zanzur
After the creation of Israel in 1948, anti-Jewish riots and killings forced 30,000 Jews to flee. After the 1967 Israeli war, the remaining 6,000 were expelled, each allowed one suitcase and $20.
historic photo of the Jewish Quarter in Tripoli

Israeli Victim

Yesterday there was a service at a local mosque in protest to the hearing in Washington on the radicalization of Muslims. A local rabbi attended and symbolically declared himself a Muslim in solidarity. Also yesterday, Rabbi Udi Fogel, his wife, two children and their new infant were stabbed to death by terrorists, as they slept in the West Bank settlement of Itamar. Candy and sweets were handed out in Gaza in celebration of the massacre. Tomorrow the family will be buried. Will a Muslim cleric symbolically declare himself a Jew?

Open Letter to Charlie Dent

Mr. Congressman, I was surprised to learn today that Mohamed Bugaighis was Libyan. In all the letters, in all the years, to The Morning Call criticizing Israel, I assumed that he was Palestinian. Today he is quoted as saying People have reached the end of their patience. LIfe isn't worth living under dictatorship. Gadhafi has been a dictator all these years that Bugaighis has been bashing Israel, the area's only democracy. Why hasn't his indignation been directed at his own country of origin, instead of Israel? I am disappointed that you have chosen to give Bugaighis a showcase for his double standard. Your constituent (and supporter) Michael Molovinsky
UPDATE: Mohamed Bugaighis does in fact have a long record of being an opponent of Gadhafi. My familiarity with him was dominated by his relentless attacks on Israel in The Morning Call.

The Lemon Trees of Oxnard

In the summer of 1964, I got on a bus in Allentown headed for Oxnard, California, where I planned to work in the lemon orchards. I had with me a Give the kid a job letter from the boss of the Trexler Orchard in Orefield. The boss in Oxnard also owned a car wash, and I ended up working there. During WW2, homeowners in Oxnard were encouraged to build cottages for extra GI housing. I rented a small one room cottage at the far end of a back yard. The bathroom was added on to the backporch of the house. Every day I would walk to the square in Oxnard, and catch the bus to the carwash. In early August I was rescued by Sonny Huthmaker, whose family had moved from Lehigh Parkway to Hawthorne, California years earlier. Sonny was five years older. He and his friends were into body building, custom cars and gate crashing. They would attend events all over the Los Angeles area, and their sport was to sneak in without paying. Sonny would end up being a celebrity photographer and journalist in LA, and wrote a book on gate crashing*. I stayed at his house for two weeks, and the Beatles was one of the concerts we crashed. Upon returning to Allentown, the Beatles, on the same tour, were playing Atlantic City. Employing my newly learned crashing skills, I attended my second Beatle concert within a week. I don't know if they really sang or not, that's how loud the girls screamed, on both coasts.

* The Gate Crashers by Ken Huthmaker, which reveals the secrets of the society of the uninvited

Joe Cocker Concert

This photo of me dates back to the late 1960's. I stumbled upon it the other day looking for old Allentown photos. Although it has been my inclination not to become too personal on this blog, Bill White brought this on. He has a blog about American Idol with a video of Joe Cocker. At about the time this photo was taken, I saw Cocker perform in a small room with only about fifty people. About three years earlier I had seen the Beatles, twice, in one summer. I'll save that for another time when White inspires me; On second thought, I better write about it sooner than that.

Allentown Archeology

When it comes to the history of industrial Allentown, the railroad buffs are among the current experts. Our heavy manufacturing base moved it's materials on the tracks of several railroads. The Front Street area was crisscrossed with tracks and sidings. The West End Branch ran along Sumner Avenue, crossed Tilghman Street, looped around 17th Street and ended near 12th and Liberty. The Barber Quarry Branch ran along the Little Lehigh until it then followed Cedar Creek. It crossed Hamilton Street near the current Hamilton Family Restaurant and ended at what is now the Park Department Building. The rail buffs are current day archeologists, looking for remnants of those glory days. Shown above is a portion of the Barber Quarry pier and track. This is at the bottom of Lehigh Street hill, near the former bank call center, near the former Acorn Hotel, in a former city still called Allentown.
photo courtesy of Mike Huber, Coplay
related posts
The Train of Lehigh
Parkway
The World of Mirth
Lehigh Valley Railroad Piers
Depot at Overlook Park