Bill White, Something Borrowed

Readers of this blog know that I was upset about the editing of my last column in The Morning Call. My premise was that there would be a political price to pay for voting for the water contract. I wrote that "One Councilman, Michael Schlossberg, who is going to Harrisburg unopposed as a State Representative, is resigning early from Council to evade this damaging baggage." The Morning Call changed the sentence to "One councilman, Michael Schlossberg, who is going to Harrisburg unopposed in the election for state representative, is resigning early from council." That deletion significantly changed the meaning, and compromised the cohesion of my piece. When I called in protest, the Your View editor told me that he accommodated another editor who requested the change. I didn't ask who he was accommodating. It is generally known that Bill White is now assisting with the Letters page. Tuesday's Bill White column questions if Michael Schlossberg resigned early to avoid the water vote. I must now ask Bill White if he edited my editorial so that he could use my question as his own?

UPDATE: My first reaction to the editing of my Morning Call article last week was that it was a gift by the paper to Schlossberg. My second reaction, upon reading White's article, is clearly stated above. I have just been told that Bill White was NOT the second editor. Although I'm compelled to post this update, the sentence in my editorial never should have been changed. If I over-reacted, it's based on the paper's history in failing to give proper attribution.

Weekly Reader

When I was growing up my parents would receive both The Morning Call and The Evening Chronicle.* This was their main source of news. Television in the late 40's and early 50's had national and world news, but there was no local programing in Allentown. The antenna on our roof would receive the three network (ABC, NBC, and CBS) stations from Philadelphia, and that was it. The morning and evening papers provided the local news, in addition to national and world stories. Hess Brothers and Leh's would compete with multiple full page Ads. We children also had our own little paper, Weekly Reader, handed out in the classroom every Friday. I think of it when I get the thin Morning Call on Mondays.

* The Morning Call and Evening Chronicle were both published by same company, Call-Chronicle Newspapers.

reprinted from March, 2010

A Personal Memoir

I'm not sure memoir is a good title, rather than facts and records, I have hazy recollections. Assuming my memory will not improve at this stage of the game, let me put to print that which I can still recall. In about 1958 my father built Flaggs Drive-In. McDonalds had opened on Lehigh Street, and pretty much proved that people were willing to sit in their cars and eat fast food at bargain prices. For my father, who was in the meat business, this seemed a natural. As a rehearsal he rented space at the Allentown Fair for a food stand, and learned you cannot sell hotdogs near Yocco's. He purchased some land across from a corn field on Hamilton Blvd. and built the fast food stand. In addition to hamburgers, he decided to sell fried chicken. The chicken was cooked in a high pressure fryer called a broaster, which looked somewhat like the Russian satellite Sputnik. The stand did alright, but the business was not to my father's liking, seems he didn't have the personality to smile at the customers. He sold the business several years later to a family which enlarged and enclosed the walk up window. Subsequent owners further enlarged the location several times. The corn field later turned into a Water Park, and you know Flaggs as Ice Cream World.

I'm grateful to a kind reader who sent me this picture of Flaggs

reprinted from January, 2011

Romney's 47%

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 now 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....

The above is reprinted from a previous post entitled Growth Industry In Allentown.  The Obama camp and their sycophants in the media, think that they're having a field day with the secret Romney tape.  In reality, the tape raises a question about a serious problem in America,  which Obama and his choir wouldn't want to address.

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

above reprinted from May of 2011

UPDATE: SEPT. 21,2012  AEDC And Pawlowski AT IT AGAIN Pawlowski Development Company is currently conducting a full court press on both the County Commissioners and the Allentown School Board to grant KOZ status to the closed Metal Works, the same building referred to above, from where both Obama and Romney spoke on their visits to Allentown. When Obama was here shortly after being elected, it was still operating. By the time Romney came during his primary, it was already shuttered. At no time did the owner ever cite lack of rail service, or payment of property taxes, as factors in the decline of his company. Pawlowski has Scott Unger, from AEDC, pitching the KOZ, saying that the building will have a choo choo train. The track has been removed and scrapped years ago, all the way from 3th and Union Streets. The cost to restore the rail bed to an empty building on speculation would be untold $millions to the taxpayers. Although in the world of federal grants there is little accounting, this would truly be the Track To No-Where. Ironically, one of the last existing areas with a track spur, along the river by Structural Steel, is being eyed for residential use.

The Politics of Allentown's Water Sellout

According to The Morning Call article by Emily Opilo, former Councilman Michael Donovan's effort to establish a citizen committee to study the water sale issue has been rebuffed by Julio Guridy and Company. Before we get too far into the political shenanigans, let me explain that apparently Opilo replaced Devon Lash, following a long standing Morning Call tradition of assigning a new reporter to the Allentown beat. Devon replaced Renshaw, but there were a few in between I can't recall. I'm sure Emily's a good reporter, but it would be nice to have someone covering the Big Sellout who knows the characters. Actually, I know the dope, but The Morning Call altered my recent editorial to protect Michael Schlossberg. I wrote that Mike's retiring early to avoid the political baggage of the water sale vote. They changed the sentence to Mike's retiring. Emily, their new reporter, wrote a story earlier this week on the sale. She allowed Schlossberg, who will be our new unopposed State Representative, to praise the sale concept without having to endure the political damage of actually voting for it. How nice for Mike, he gets to kiss the ring of Pawlowski and Company, with no consequence from the voters. Talking of no consequence, apparently Peter Schweyer skipped last night's meeting, which denied the Citizen Group input. Gotta love the Cabal.

UPDATE:  Click Here For Coalition To Save Allentown Water

UPDATE: BY DENNIS PEARSON: Eichenwalds motion should have been seconded so Council could formally vote on the motion. So what if the vote perhaps would have been 4 to 1 against the proposal . At least Council would have formally answed the petition. But Council last night chose the cowhardly way to vote it down.

Such action to me demonstrated that all is not good with Allentown's appointed Council. Davis and Mota would not buck Guridy and Pawlowsky. And the elected O'Connell normally an ally of Eichenwald left her hanging.

Guridy chided the crowd for not showing respect, not hanging on his every word. Guridy for public purposes says to be an open mind. But in reality it would be very surprizing if he voted against the Mayor's plan. Guridy must remember that his leadership position in Allentown government does not require free citizens to bow down at his presence and pamper him with adolation.

Indeed I had thoughts of sitting on Council myself. On Council I would not be concerned about longevity on Council but doing the right and honorable thing. The issues that are coming before Council are issues I have deep understanding of. But because I would never automatically vote the Mayor's way or Guridy's way I would never be appointed to Council by this Council. That is why I will not apply for this third appointment on Council within a year.

Democracy is dead in Allentown. But Tammany Hall is alive.           BY DENNIS PEARSON

postcard shows the water works in 1905

Still Hoping For Change

The same liberals weaned on Camelot, now resent Mitt Romney's success. Romney's assets are peanuts compared to the Kennedy Fortune, which has supported the families of a hundred different offspring since Papa Joe made the fortune running booze from Canada. Here in the local blogosphere, Mitt lost Bernie O'Hare's vote yesterday, when it was revealed that Romney knew that there was only 53% of the vote up for grabs this election. Actually, Mitt said that he wasn't going to worry about the 47% of the population benefiting from entitlements. It fits the Obama media machine to twist, pull and shape that statement into Mitt not caring about those people, as opposed to realistically writing off their vote. They discount the fact that he was a governor to many low income people in Massachusetts. They ignore the fact that he has a reputation of lending a hand in his faith based community. O'Hare is more offended by a candid statement made at a private dinner party, than the divisive statements made by Obama on the campaign trail. Obama has been dividing citizens by income since he was elected. Why is John Kennedy a hero on his sailing yacht, while Mitt Romney is portrayed as the captain from Gillian's Island? The Bernie O'Hare's feel guilty that they are so disappointed in Obama's reality. The eloquent words were not matched by expected deeds. What a relief to find a few words by his opponent, which can be pounced upon.

Dear Resident

What most Allentonians know about the water leasing plan is limited to Mayor Ed Pawlowski's letter included with their current water bill. Although the plan has been covered by the newspapers and local television, apparently the public listens, but doesn't understand. I make this conclusion because although the City Council hearing was well attended, there were not thousands of homeowners there with torches and pitchforks. Pawlowski's Dear Resident letter lets the homeowner know that there is a plan to rebuild Allentown, and it is working. The only thing between them and nirvana is the unfunded pensions, and The Long-Term Leasing of the City's water and sewer services is the solution that brings both immediate and long-lasting financial relief....and keeps us on the road to prosperity.

Capernaum By The Sea

Matthew 4:13: And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum,...

Capernaum, the city of Jesus, is on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The foundation of the Synagogue of Jesus, is beneath the ornate 4th century synagogue, partially restored by the Franciscans in the early 1900's.

Mark 1:21: he entered into the synagogue and taught

Nearby, the modern Church of St. Peter's House was built by the Franciscans in 1990. It's glass floor reveals the lower walls of the 5th century octagon church, which was built around the walls of St. Peter's House. Also there, shown in the photograph, is the Greek Orthodox Church of the Twelve Apostles. It was built in 1931, during the British Mandate period (1917-1948).

reprinted from December, 2011

Obama's Failed Policy

Thoughts By Shoshana Bryen
 In The National Review: The violence in Egypt and Libya — now spreading to Morocco and Kuwait — is an indication that the U.S. is unable to buy leverage. We bombed Qaddafi and undermined Mubarak on behalf of the revolution, but it has not engendered warm feelings toward us — or our president — in their successors. (In Morocco, they're carrying signs that say "Death to Obama.") Revolutionary movements either have, or are co-opted by people who have, well-developed ideologies and agendas. The Muslim Brotherhood was forged over the course of decades spent in Egyptian jails. Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, the Haqqani network, Hamas, and Hezbollah know what they want to achieve, and it has nothing to do with representative democracy. They can't be bought by a few months, or even years, of American largesse or by America's dumping of Israel.... President Obama wanted our troubles in the region to be the fault of President Bush, but it wasn't true...America's problem is that it fails to understand that the enemy of my enemy is not my friend. He is only closer to me than my enemy, and only for now.

Shoshana Bryen in the New English Review: Is The War Against Islamic Terrorism Over? Shoshana Bryen: "War" against any pathology is doomed. The Wars on Drugs, Poverty and Terrorism have no matrix for success, so you wouldn't know when you'd won; you could never stop fighting. President Bush's formulation, "The war against terrorists and the states that harbor and support them," got to the heart of the symbiotic relationship between terrorists and their sponsors - terrorists need money, territory, arms, passports, etc. that can only be supplied by states; states need the ability to commit mayhem with plausible deniability (i.e., Saudi support for al Qaeda). The war would be won when the territory across the region is governed by sovereigns who decline support for transnational terrorist organizations. Without such support, you would still have isolated incidents - a man in a marketplace with a grenade - but the large-scale, country-changing, spectacular terrorism of 9-11 or Bali or London would be almost impossible. This does not mean those governments would be our friends, be democratic, like Israel, be secular, and/or not have wars. It simply means that support for al Qaeda and other such would dry up. To the question of whether we're winning - no. Particularly in the past two years, the Obama administration has withdrawn from Iraq (which was fragile), overthrew the Libyan government (which was anti-al Qaeda and now supports al Qaeda across North Africa and in Mali), and welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood while doing nothing to constrain Iran or Saudi Arabia (who support opposite sides, but both of whose sides hate us). The incentive for governments to withhold support for anti-Western or anti-Israel terrorism has been reduced, not increased by the Obama Administration.

Shoshana Bryen is Director of The Jewish Policy Center

Hillary's Mistake

Thoughts By Shoshana Bryen
In an effort to protect the delicate sensibilities of Egyptian rioters who invaded the American Embassy and tore down the American flag, Secretary of State Clinton accepted at face value the claim that the rioters were just so outraged and horrified by an anti-Muslim movie that they couldn't control themselves. While rejecting violence in a pro forma way ("There is never any justification..."), she went on to apologize for her nasty countrymen and to deplore them.... As a practical matter, Secretary Clinton's acceptance of the movie as instigator of the riots reeks of naiveté. Did it not occur to her that a purported offense against Islam might be a smoke screen for well-planned violence?.... Did it not occur to her that the anniversary of 9-11 would be a great time for Islamic enemies of the United States to launch another attack on a symbolic American target? They can't reach New York perhaps (thank you, NYPD and the Patriot Act), but an American Embassy is sovereign American soil... Ambassador Stevens' murder should infuriate Americans, who must at a minimum be wondering why U.S. Embassies in post-revolutionary Muslim countries were not better protected. The last time we were in that situation, 52 Americans spent more than a year imprisoned in the Embassy in Iran. What rules of engagement did the Marines guards have? Secretary Clinton has an unfortunate habit of trying to ingratiate herself with Muslims who can't seem to control themselves. In one of her earliest trips in 2009, she told an audience in Indonesia, "I am a Christian... Through the centuries we have had many people who have done terrible things in the name of Christianity. They have perverted the religion." It was a rookie mistake -- her religion and her opinion of its behavior are irrelevant. The government she represents is as deeply grounded in the separation of Church and State as it is in freedom of speech. Just as her religion is officially irrelevant, so is the religion of those with whom she interacts on behalf of the government. When mobs invade the sovereign territory of the U.S. abroad, when they tear down our flag and replace it with the slogan of the Muslim Brotherhood, when they murder an American Ambassador and members of the Embassy staff, they are our enemies. If they are Muslim, so be it Mrs. Clinton.

The above are excerpts from Bryen's article at The American Thinker. Shoshana is director of The Jewish Policy Center.

The NIZ Bonds

During the 1950's, the big television show was the $64,000 Question. Back then, that was a lot of money. Turns out, even though the contestants went into an elaborate soundproof booth, some players knew the question and answer beforehand. Although the second string developers, Joe Clark and Albert Abdouche succeeded in getting their properties included in the NIZ zone, will the NIZ Authority float more bonds for their projects? I'd bet not.

Allentown's Destination Dog Casino and Park

Recently, this blog hosted a guest post from a dog owner upset about the riparian buffers and grow zones blocking both access and view of the creeks. Also recently, I announced my new identity as park ranger, actually walking the parks on a regular basis. I can tell you that the dog owners love their four legged companions, the companions have healthy digestive systems, but not all owners are good at picking up their companion's deposits. All regular park walkers know that they must watch where they're stepping. Before Greg Weitzel left with his $million dollar resume, in addition to the Destination Water Park, he commissioned plans for a Destination Dog Park. Local environmental coalitions are not happy about the location, the park borders Trout Creek. Intentionally programming doggie deposits into our waterways is not considered Best Practice. As an advocate for preserving the historic features in our park system, I was disappointed to see both the park department, and Friends Of The Parks, hold a fundraiser for the doggie casino this past Saturday. This park department has not budgeted one dollar, or expressed one concern, about the condition of the deteriorating WPA stone structures throughout the park system.

Morning Call's Catch-Up

The Morning Call's feature story on the potential over supply of hotel rooms is nothing new to my regular readers. This blog has often said that the new arena hotel will reduce the Holiday Inn to a flop house, and be another nail in the coffin of the Americus, shown here in better days. According to the article, the Holiday is operating at about 38% occupancy. To think that the arena will sprout enough activity to support two hotels, much less three, is a pipe dream only possible with taxpayer dollars. I believe that if the Americus is to have a future, it will be as apartments. I also believe that ownership will be wrestled away from the current owner, before NIZ financing would be bestowed upon a favored developer for that conversion. Last, but not least, a revelation about my recent editorial in the paper. It was modified by the Morning Call staff to spare a City Council member my frank evaluation. I have inserted the unedited version with the previous post announcing the editorial.

Good News For Joe Paterno Fans

If the memory of Allentown, Pennsylvania is any indication, in about 30 years, the name of Joe Paterno should return to Beaver Stadium with full respect. Back in the 1940's, Allentown was the powerhouse of high school sports. It's football team compiled a record of 60-3-3. In basketball, between 1945-1947 they won 60 straight games, and both sports were coached by one man, J. Birney Crum. Over 20,000 fans would pack the Friday night football blowouts. Allentown set out to build the biggest, most elaborate high school football stadium in Pennsylvania. However, when the stadium was completed in 1948, Allentown High School was under suspension by the PIAA, for using 21 and 22 year old ringers on it's basketball and football teams. Information about this unfortunate misunderstanding is now hard to come by. Birney Crum's image has been completely restored. In 1982, they renamed the stadium after him. From the current school district website: Crum was much more than a demanding, hard-driving coach. He was also a soft, kind-hearted man who took care of the people in his AHS program. Crum recruited boys to go back to high school to finish their education. It doesn't mention that he recruited them back to play football and basketball again, until he got caught. Time is kind to former coaches. Birney even married one of the former cheerleaders, after she graduated. Expect to see Joe Paterno's statue back in 2042.

Forrest Gump card courtesy of Bob Lemke

City Council's Waterloo

An Editorial in The Morning Call, click on Photograph City Council's Waterloo: In the past year Mayor Pawlowski has ushered two major agendas through City Council with long term obligations, the Arena Project and the Trash To Energy contract. Both projects were controversial, had opponents, but didn't demonstrate that City Council can assert itself as an independently minded body of city government. Although both those projects involved enormous sums of money and outside interests, the mayor is once again at the door of City Council, with yet another monumental project. His newest plan, to lease the water and sewer systems for 50 years, will have unprecedented consequences. Three generations of Allentonians will experience both rate increases, and likely, less responsive service. Although Pawlowski can summon a few supporters to endorse his plan, opposition is widespread, from practically everybody who has a water meter in their basement. The plan would transfer some city workers to a private company, and result in disruptive bumping and reorganization of both street and park workers. If City Council cannot protect such a primary municipal service as water, existing since 1905, for whom do they serve? If City Council yet once again accommodates the mayor, their complicity this time will have repercussions. Each new increased water bill will remind the voters of this betrayal. For a primarily young City Council, with political ambitions of their own, they will gamble their future career with this vote. One Councilman, Michael Schlossberg, who is going to Harrisburg unopposed as a State Representative, is resigning early from Council to evade this damaging baggage. Another, Peter Schweyer, also wanted to run for State Representative, but was sidelined by the district mapping controversy. Supposedly, both Schweyer and Guridy would also like to run for Mayor in the future. A "Yes" vote on the water scheme could well be their Waterloo. The water bill will remind the voters, four times each year, for the next 50 years, that City Council elected to be nothing more than a rubber stamp.

2nd and Hamilton

Up to the mid 1960's, before Allentown started tinkering with urban redevelopment, lower Hamilton Street still teemed with businesses. The City had grown from the river west, and lower Hamilton Street was a vibrant area. Two train stations and several rail lines crossed the busy thoroughfare. Front, Ridge and Second were major streets in the first half of the twentieth century. My grandparents settled on the 600 block of 2nd Street in 1895, along with other Jewish immigrants from Russia and Lithuania. As a boy, I worked at my father's meat market on Union Street. I would have lunch at a diner, just out of view in the photo above. The diner was across from the A&P, set back from the people shown on the corner. A&P featured bags of ground to order 8 O'Clock coffee, the Starbucks of it's day.
please click on photo

reprinted from November 2011

The Other Channel

Click on television to change channel and view today's post.

No Firewater For Allentown Injuns

Center City residents in Allentown must frequent the State Store at 1918 Allen Street for their nearest firewater. Although Hamilton Street and center city has umpteen vacancies for many years, and our Allentown and Harrisburg officials cooperate to bring the Injuns hockey, no state firewater stores are provided in city center. Local West End Theater District residents have grown accustomed to double parking, and cars blocking Allen Street, as they wait to enter the small parking lot next to the busy state store. Deeper West End residents have a choice of state stores at Crest Plaza, K-Mart Plaza and the Shops at Cedar Point, but then again, they don't have a problem with firewater.

Beating World's Smallest Horse

Last night I attended the fair. This morning's Morning Call has a feature called Midway Callaway. It's about making cotton candy while wearing rubber gloves, putting it into a plastic bag and selling it behind a glass window. Brian (Callaway), that's not cotton candy, that's not a food joint, it's not even a midway. What I saw last night, despite perfect weather, was a sparse crowd on a sterile strip with glass and formica food trucks.

The night I took the attached photo, in the early 70's, music blasted from the hoochy-koochy shows. Andre the Giant easily defeated his opponent and Willie Restum held court outside the Beer Garden. Generations of Allentonians would gather once a year for a community reunion. I hope somehow there's still more to the fair than my aging eyes can see, and that today's children can still make a tradition out of it's current incarnation.

photocredit: stage on midway outside Hoochy-Koochy Show, Allentown Fair, early 70's, by molovinsky

reprinted from September 3, 2009

A Lucky Coward Goes To Harrisburg

Michael Schlossberg certainly is lucky to have no opponent in his race for the State House. I believe that his upcoming vote on City Council in support of the water and sewer lease plan would have had long term political consequences. I take the liberty on predetermining his vote, because he has never voted against Pawlowski or the party, he's strictly a company man. His resignation from City Council before, and because, of this vote is an act of cowardice. His replacement will be the third appointment on a seven person council. I keep resolving to be less critical of our elected officials, but unfortunately, their actions preclude such self improvement on my part.

The Hunkies of Bethlehem

According to my mother, a Gypsy king was buried in Allentown in around 1960, she knew about such things. She was born in Galgo, Hungary, an area of Transylvania, now part of Romania, near present day Gilgau. In Galgo, the Jews and Gypsies lived on the edge of town. In the early 20's, my grandparents, along with their Gypsy neighbors, came to Bethlehem to work at the Steel. On weekends, to make extra money, my grandparents would open their house and show Hungarian movies. None of their relatives, Jew or Gypsy, save one cousin, survived the nazi's; even the cemeteries were desecrated. As you can see from the document above, my grandfather earned his citizenship the hard way.

The post above is a reprint from September of 2009, then titled, King of the Gypsies.  This weekend a plaque was unveiled in Bethlehem, commemorating a strike and the death of a Hungarian steel worker in 1910.  Apparently, Bethlehem Steel had a long tradition of encouraging Hungarians to immigrate to Bethlehem to work at the plant.  Both The Morning Call and Bernie O'Hare covered the story.

The Self-Serving Of Alan Jennings

making way for White Guy Arena

Alan Jennings had stood silently by, while 34 minority merchants were displaced to build the White Guy Arena. He even became part of the NIZ Authority, who decides which developers qualify for Knighthood. Now, he has proposed that the Knights throw half a $million dollars a year at him. He didn't exactly put it that way, but here's the deal; He now proposes a community benefit fund which will pay for startup minority businesses, and other such Feel-Good projects starting on 7th Street. By coincidence, he happens to operate an existing organization housed at 7th and Liberty Streets, which does exactly the projects which he now proposes. Cut out of the deal would be CUNA, which had been meeting and proposing their own community benefit program. Of course the businesses displaced by the arena were started up by minorities, but they were self starters, not part of the Jennings Made Poverty A Business Corporation. As for CUNA, they should have been at City Hall last year, defending the previous existing merchants.

Better Photos By Molovinsky

The Morning Call's Delusion

It's becoming harder and harder to be a print paper junkie. My paper used to come at five in the morning, proper time for ink and coffee. Delivery now is at seven, but I don't complain. Although late, the carrier now is reliable, more than I can say about her predecessors. Once you trained puppies with newspaper, now the newspaper trains it's readers. Because of this new schedule, I'm forced to purchase a digital subscription, and finally glance at the hard copy several hours after morning coffee. On Wednesday, the Morning Call informed me that I should be grateful that I'm still getting the pulp edition seven days a week. The Harrisburg Patriot-News is cutting back to three day publishing.

Morning Call Publisher Timothy E. Ryan said his newspaper, with a combined print and online weekly penetration of 70 percent of Lehigh Valley adults, is "committed to providing comprehensive seven-day-a-week coverage."

Mr. Ryan, in all due respect, although you put out the paper seven days, it's been many years since the paper has been "comprehensive." Monday's paper has been like a grade school Weekly Reader for a decade. Considering that you only have one reporter on duty over the weekend, your Saturday, Sunday and Monday material is formulated on Friday. When you switch to three days it should be an easy transition.

The King's Men

Last evening, although dozens of concerned citizens spoke against the water lease plan, the Administration made sure that the plan had advocates. Although effective, nobody can accuse Pawlowski of being subtle about choosing his representatives; All to a man, are beneficiaries of the mayor. The arena's main benefactor, J.B. Reilly, told Council that capitalization rates may change, making the lease deal time sensitive. Strange how time is always of the essence with Pawlowski propositions. Charlie Thiel, purveyor of the city's security cameras, also pitched the plan. The original driving force for the upcoming 19th Street upgrade, Damien Brown, did his duty. Last, but not least, Bob Buck for The Chamber of Commerce, sang the mayor's song. Although not performing, but waiting in the wings as backup, was Alan Jennings employee Dan Bosket.

The Morning Call article, which emphasized the few supporters of the plan

The Express Times article, which emphasized the numerous opponents of the plan

The water works in 1905

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!

reprinted annually during the fairweek

Allentown Memories

click on photo to enlarge
From low income sections of center city, to expensive suburbs, Allentown and the Lehigh Valley is becoming home to more and more outsiders. I'm afraid the time will soon come when local memorabilia will have little appeal. Fortunately, for those interested, some impressive collections still exist. This past year Robert Bungerz published Allentown Remembered, documenting his outstanding collection of historical postcards and other objects. David Bausch, former County Executive and authority on Automobile Art, is also a expert on things Allentown. Then there are the many small collections, home of the hidden treasures. Above is an early aerial photograph of the Allentown Fair. Those interested in the recent commotion concerning the 19TH Street Theater District may find the upper right of the photograph interesting. There is no theater, there are no houses on Saint George Street and most of the buildings seem to to garages and automobile in nature (don't tell Auto-Zone). This gem is probably from the late teens or early 20's, and comes from the Thomas Reed Collection. Thomas is aka Z1pyro, long time expert shooter for Zambelli Firework Company. He retired several years ago, and we who appreciate fireworks, notice his departure.

reprinted from previous years

Allentown's Future

According to The Morning Call,  one quarter of  the Arena project debt service falls directly on the cigarette tax. Pawlowski and Company are fond of saying that the arena project will not impact the city taxpayers. This blogger has once again donned my janitor disguise, and managed to overhear an important strategy meeting between those who rule us. The concern was the longevity of our smokers, now a valuable commodity in the arena's future. Worse still, new smokers are not being cultivated in sufficient numbers to guarantee a cash flow for the next thirty years, the life of the bonds. Our forward looking leaders have come up with several proposals in protect what they affectionally call The Project. The Allentown Health Bureau and Police will stop conducting underage cigarette buying stings, once an annual public relations promotion for those departments. No sign or zoning regulations will be enforced in regard to store front cigarette advertising. City workers, who smoke, will be encouraged to take breaks in pocket parks that have playgrounds, such as Bucky Boyle, Franklin and Stevens. The Sweep Program will issue no tickets for cigarette related litter. A public relations firm, with ties to the tobacco industry, will be hired to explore any possible promotions under existing federal law.

Say It Ain't So

Excuse me Mayor Pawlowski for writing again, I know that you're a busy man. Me and my friend, who also worked at Mack back in the day, walked up and saw where that hockey arena is going to be. It took us a while, between my cane and his oxygen. We could barely believe the size of that hole! I bet that buildings going to cost a million dollars! My friend said that they're using the cigarette tax for the top of the building, but I told him that's nuts; That money's for children without health insurance. He's on oxygen because of those cigarettes, and you wouldn't allow the children's money to be spent that way. Anyway, with the stores gone, there was hardly anybody on Hamilton Street, but I know you know what you're doing. Those hockey games do save cities, don't they? I think my friend with the oxygen may be losing his marbles. He also said that you're going to sell the water works! I told him that he must be taking his medicine wrong. I'm going to mention it to his daughter next time she comes to Allentown. She used to live a few blocks up on Walnut Street, but moved to Catty after you sold the neighborhood parking lot to your house building friend. She got her Dutch up, because they went to meetings at the church about it, but you sold the lot anyway. You know the fancy people never moved there after all, and they had to rent those new houses out. I'm worried about my friend. He even said that you're going to mix the garbage with the poop, and burn it. I know that you're not crazy, so he must be nuts! Maybe you could come over to the senior high rise here on Walnut Street, and tell everybody that these things ain't so. Thank You.

Just Rewards

The Rubber Stamp Council of Apparatchiks (an all Democratic body of bureaucrats, as is traditional in the City With No Spending Limits) passes a resolution praising the lengthy jail sentence recently given to former dissident writer Michael Molovinsky. Molovinsky, as could be expected, ran afoul of Governor Ed Pawlowski's long-awaited "Fairness Doctrine" shortly after the sweeping law was enacted. The disgraced dissident was formally convicted of "gross political agitation, conspiracy to incite counter-revolution and blogging without a government permit". That and a few other charges revolving around heinous crimes against humanity. "It's good to know that a dangerous and ruthless criminal like Molovinsky got twice as much prison time as Jerry Sandusky," Mota related. "It's rather unfortunate that notorious IronPigPen character got away, though." (The aggrivating IPP, after a brazen smash and grab operation which left the Phantoms' Allentown ticket office effectively looted of all cash and valueable credit card information, was barely able to sneak across the unguarded border with Mexico but proceeded to make his way to east Germany on the strength of a phony passport provided by Republicans)

guest post by Rolf Oeler, from comment submitted to Back To The Future.

Allentown's Mickey Mouse Club

The Allentown Economic Development Corporation is wasting another $half million dollars on it's Baby-Diaper Changing Station, which they call the Bridgeworks Enterprise Center. Somehow, by changing the skylight panels, Allentown and Washington think that they're investing in the infrastructure of business. Meanwhile, Corbett was in Macungie visiting a real enterprise; A part manufacturer making axles for Mack Trucks. The Morning Call combined both these stories in one article, but failed to see the difference between productivity and Mickey Mouse.

More Big Adventures by Mickey
  Adorable AEDC
  AEDC's Choo Choo
  Figment of My Imagination
  Note To The Mayor

Back To The Future

It's the year 2018 and Mayor Guridy has just received the long anticipated study from A&P Associates. Advice from Afflerbach and Pawlowski doesn't come cheap, $475,000, but as City Council President Cynthia Mota said,"Sometimes it pays to invest in the best." Some of the recommendations to revive Hamilton Street and it's ailing arena complex are nothing less than brilliant. Reilly's dormant City Center Three and Four will be conveyed to The Allentown Housing Authority, to be converted into rent subsidized housing. The Lanta Terminal will become the Park Department's long anticipated Pit Bull Center, the intercity skate and dog park. The bus transfer stops are to be placed back on Hamilton Street between 7th and 9th, creating foot traffic and enhancing a sense of security. Meter rates will be reduced, once again accepting quarters and other coins. The old Allentown Brew Pub, closed since the Arena Sports Bar opened, will be torn down to create a convenient pocket parking lot. The renovations would be implemented by the Butz Company, and as is the policy, no estimates will be provided. Guridy will make the announcement early next week, and a translation in English will be available.

adapted from a previous post

New Park Ranger

When the doctor told me about my incredibly low vitamin D, he asked if my family was from Transylvania? When I replied that we were, he apologized for his faux pas and we determined that my condition was caused by blogging. I decided to get some sun by walking in our parks, combining my vitamin deficiency with my civil annoyance. Because I have never owned shorts or sneakers, the first week saw me in jeans, shirt and shoes. I went to a local discount store and purchased shorts and a tank top. Fashion now dictates that men's shorts go below the knees. Because I have short legs, the shorts went halfway to my ankles, looking like knickers from 1920. I took them to be shortened, but apparently mismarked them. Besides at the Pride Festival this past Sunday, no man wears shorts that short. I also made a mistake with the tank top. Apparently, I had inadvertently crossed over into the women's section at the discount store. When I washed the shirt, I saw the flowers on the label. Anyway, I am getting plenty of sun and investigating our parks. My first reports dealt with the No Maintenance Zone and included a letter from a dog owner, who can no longer enjoy the stream at Cedar Park. An apologist for City Hall suggested tick and insect repellant. Tony Martin replied: The no-mow zones does absolutely nothing beneficial to the creek in cedar creek park. My dog is small. Not a lab. He is only 10 inches tall and I prefer not to marinate his or my body with pesticides to repel ticks and other insects. Neither should any children be subjected to that. I, nor my best friend, have access to this once great park's best asset,the creek. You cannot even tell that a creek exists unless you cross the bridge. Please speak out about this issue,and let Mayor Pawlowski know that you the people, that pay his salary, will not stand for this nonsense to continue any longer. Mow the weeds already and restore both the view and access to this once beautiful creek/park. - Tony Martin Although I certainly do agree with Tony, currently the citizens must fight for fresh drinking water. With the private for profit Trash To Energy Plant, we have already lost the right to fresh air. Anyway, I just wanted to introduce myself in my new persona as Park Ranger. More reports surely to follow.

Grandstanding

Next Wednesday evening, August 29,at 6:30pm, citizens will have the opportunity to speak out against the Water System Lease. Mayor Pawlowski refers to this right of expression as grandstanding. He may be half right, but perhaps the grandstanding is by City Council. Take for example the hearing on the Trash To Energy Plant. Although one environmentalist after another spoke out against it, including those normally supportive of Pawlowski, Council still voted yes. If the water plant is profitable enough to attract buyers, why shouldn't the city retain the asset? Normal Pawlowski sycophants, such as Schweyer and Schlossberg, might want to consider the long term political consequences. Both Councilmen visualize a political career starting in Harrisburg. When a private water company starts raising the rates, which will affect the entire valley, their votes may well provide their future opponents an issue. I must exclude Jeanette Eichenwald from the grandstanding implication. She was sincere in calling for the public meeting. Will her colleagues seize their opportunity for leadership?

UPDATE: The Morning Call announced the meeting on it's website with the following headline: Public to get say on Allentown water, sewer plan.   The public will be allowed to speak, if they get a "say" remains to be seen.

UPDATE: Jeanette Eichenwald has an editorial today urging her fellow council persons to vote  against the water system lease and explore alternatives.  Although her independence is nothing new,  I applaud her effort to influence her colleagues.

Boxing Eggs

When I was a little boy, I would work at my father's meat market, boxing eggs. The job was pretty straightforward. I would take eggs from a big box, and put them in small boxes with folding lids, each of which held a dozen. If I did a whole crate without breaking an egg, I did a good job. The real adventure was the drive to the shop. We lived just off Lehigh Street, and would take it all the way to Union Street. The many landmarks are now gone forever, only remaining in my camera of the past. Shown above in 1952, is the portion of Lehigh Street near the Acorn Hotel, which is not visible in the photograph. Before reaching the Acorn, you drove under The Reading Railroad bridge overpass, which recently has been dismantled and removed. That line served the Mack Plant on S. 10th Street. Just beyond the area pictured, the Quarry Barber railroad spur also crossed Lehigh Street, at the bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek. That line also crossed S. 10th, and served Traylor Engineering, now known as the closed Allentown Metal Works. Just last week Mitt Romney was there, to rebuke Obama's former visit to the site. Mayor Pawlowski is now rebuking Romney, but none of them really know anything about it's past. A half block away, on overgrown steps built by Roosevelt's WPA, a thousand men would climb home everyday, after working at Mack and Traylor. Freight trains, on parallel tracks, from two different railroads, were needed to supply those industrial giants.

After my father rounded the second curve on Lehigh Street, we would head up the steep Lehigh Street hill. It was packed with houses and people. At the top of the hill, we would turn right on to Union Street. Going down Union Street, Grammes Metal was built on the next big curve. Grammes made a large assortment of finished decorative metal products. Beyond Grammes were numerous railroad crossings. The Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks crossed Union, as did the Jersey Central and several spurs, near Basin Street. It was not unusual to wait twenty-five minutes for the endless freight trains to pass. A two plus story tower gave the railroad men view and control of the busy crossing. A few more blocks and we were at the meat market, in time for me to break some eggs.

reprinted from July 2011

Dumbo The Flying Elephant

Lehigh Valley International Airport has just completed a deal with Delusion Airlines, which will pretend to fly passengers anywhere in the world they want. It is estimated that there might be up to 250,000 people in the valley with occasional hallucinations. Since the planes don't actually go anywhere, Delusion Airlines will not be sticking LVIA with a $million dollar fuel bill, as did all the previous airlines. Currently, there are not many flights that actually go anyplace. There are no direct flights to any city in Florida, except Orlando twice a week. There are no direct flights to Boston, or any other city considered a destination in the travel business. The busiest flight is the Continental Airline Bus to Newark. Despite still owing $16 million for land they never used, despite having less domestic flights than the old airport shown above, yesterday The Morning Call reported a plan to spend $5 million for a U.S. Customs station for international flights.

No Grandstanding

The public meetings on the Water System Sale(lease) are being conducted using Pawlowski's tried and true, dog and pony method. After the public is made to suffer through a PowerPoint presentation, survivors are allowed to submit a written question. Since City Council must approve the plan, Jeanette Eichenwald has called for a public input meeting. Pawlowski's not thrilled about that format. At the Pawlowski controlled information meetings, the public is not allowed to speak, or directly ask the mayor a question. The City Council format allows a citizen to speak for up to three minutes. Pawlowski believes that leads to grandstanding.  Although Council must approve the lease concept, it has not been determined if they will be allowed to vote on the actual contract. Another Council, in another era, would have automatically voted NO the first time, to insure they get to approve any contract. This post is based on an article by Scott Kraus, which appeared in yesterday's Morning Call, buried on the obituary page. I have been unable to find the story on their website, or provide a link. The streams which run through our park system provide water for the water filtration plant, and are called The Watershed. Control of these streams would be part of the lease to a private company.
Those concerned about the sale/lease of the water system are welcome to express their displeasure by joining us, when we plant a weeping willow on the bank of Cedar Creek, time and date to be announced.

The Sign Of Delusion

When I first saw the new street signs in Old Allentown, I gave them about a year. I must now downgrade that lifespan to about 6 months. The old green and white signs are going on 60 years of use. Generations of boys did pull ups on the old sign at 12th and Turner; This sign will support one pull up by one boy. The Allentown planning office told Morning Call reporter, Dan Hartzell, that the antique looking signs are to enhance the historic nature of Old Allentown. Hartzell thought that it's wonderful that the Old Allentown yuppies get something, because they Walk the Walk. He did not report that the signs have no structural integrity, are too short and are junk. Although Hartzell took the above photograph only one week ago, the Turner has since broken off the sign. In truth, we do not have an historic district, we have a poverty district with a few yuppies and a city hall deluding itself. In the City Without Limits, we wasted another half a $million dollars.

A New Tree For Cedar Park

The storm last year was devastating to the old willows of Cedar Park. To the members of our group, the weeping willows symbolize the finest aspects of our park system. This year the park was dug up while the Lehigh County Authority laid a new water main from Cedar Crest Blvd. to across Ott Street. The pipe then turned north, was dug under the creek, and up Ott Street under a new sidewalk. As noted in the post below by the Sierra Club, if Mayor Pawlowski has his way, the stream banks may soon be controlled by a private company with no ties to Allentown. Before that happens, our group will plant a symbolic willow tree along the banks of Cedar Creek. Although there is some debate on the appropriateness of riparian buffers in our park systems, it is agreed by all that the current No Mow Zones are not riparian buffers, but actually just No Maintenance Zones. Under the guidance of a riparian consultant, 20 feet of creek bank will be cleared to host the new willow.

Sierra Club Opposes Privatization

 The Lehigh Valley Sierra Club urges the City of Allentown to not rush to privatize its municipal drinking water and sanitary sewer system. The Lehigh Valley Sierra Club has several hundred members residing in the city, with 1,400 members living in the Lehigh Valley. The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest environmental organization, with almost one million members, 24,000 of whom live in Pennsylvania.

            Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski is proposing leasing Allentown’s municipal water and sewer system to a another, possibly commercial, entity for 50 years, in exchange for millions of dollars that could help shore up the city’s teetering employee pension fund. This seems at first blush like a lifeline to a city struggling financially but in actuality may be a recipe for disaster.

            Not only are water rates to residents projected to double under any leasing scheme but privatization would put Allentown’s jewel of a park system – much of it along the Little Lehigh Creek, the city’s prime drinking water source – under the control of a private entity that could exploit that watershed without concern for environmental damage that could result. Opportunities to market Allentown’s plentiful water to others would pass away from the city to an entity not controlled by Allentown’s citizens. In what condition would the system and its watershed be returned to the city after 50 years of private exploitation?

            The national Sierra Club recommends any municipal water system privatization follow five necessary steps before adoption:

            -- full public disclosure of all the details of the lease before approval

            -- evidence that privatization would not cost more than continued municipal control

            -- guaranteed continued and effective oversight by the municipality

            -- sufficient time for a vigorous public debate before privatization

            -- a public vote by the citizens on whether to undertake privatization.

            The current proposal to privatize Allentown’s water and sewer system includes none of these safeguards. Until this proposal follows these essential steps, Allentown should not blindly jump to hand off its water and sewer system to another entity. 

Sierra Club press release courtesy of Lehigh Valley Ramblings

A Picture Postcard

Hamilton Street once had three large five and dimes. which sold many  souvenirs of Allentown, including a  large assortment of postcards. Many of cards featured Allentown's picturesque park system, known for it's idyllic streams, weeping willows and iconic WPA stone structures. The card above, from 1948, shows the double sided stairwell in Lehigh Parkway, by the Little Lehigh.  The stone constructions, now over 75 years old, are in desperate need of some budget attention. A new philosophy of stream bank management has compromised access and view of the water, while not meeting the goals of it's advocates. The current administration, unlike the willow trees, doesn't have many roots in Allentown. You are welcome to join a group of citizens,  endeavoring to protect our parks' traditions, while tastefully merging the system with current demands. We will be meeting this evening in the lower level of The Allentown Library, at 7:00pm.

Park Defender Meeting

Tomorrow evening, Tuesday August 14, the Allentown WPA Association will once again meet in the lower level of The Allentown Library at 7:00PM. Although the group was originally started to cast light on the deteriorating condition of the WPA structures throughout the park system, we also discuss other issues affecting park users in Allentown. Regardless of your interest in the park system, or your point of view, you're most welcome to join us. The meeting will end promptly at 8:00pm, because of summer hours at the library.

The steps at Fountain Park connected the children of city center with the park, and their fathers with work at Mack Truck

Better Park Days

A Guest Post
My walks with my dog along the creek in Cedar Creek Park between Ott and Cedar Crest Blvd. have been some of the best times of my life. I have met many nice people and dogs in the past twelve years. I have seen and spoke with many people picnicking, reading a book, or just relaxing to the gurgling of the water while laying on a blanket along this beautiful creek. None of my dogs through the years, nor I, have ever had any ticks in this park until recently. All of this is gone now, along with many friends who will no longer come here because of the decision to "save" this creek (the clearest, cleanest in the area) by allowing weeds to grow along it, outwards of 20-30 feet or more. Please tell mayor Pawlowski and the park department to end this nonsense. No one at the park agrees with or likes the weeds, but say that there is nothing anyone can do about it. General Trexler intended for this land to be enjoyed by people, their children and pets, not to deny access to the creek. Please people speak up and demand that these weeds be cut. It will not take long for the ticks, mosquitos, snakes and vermin and the deadly diseases they carry, lyme disease, west nile virus, etc. to spread out from the park to the homes and neighborhood surrounding it. No one would tolerate their neighbors to have weeds growing next door to them. Please do not allow the city to destroy the beauty of this park any longer.
Tony Martin

The WPA and other park defenders will meet this coming Tuesday evening at 7:00p.m. in the lower level of The Allentown Library 

photo of park in 2008, when the creek was still accessible

Weitzel's World

The homepage of the Playworld Systems website features a picture of Allentown's Cedar Park Destination Playground. A close examination of the picture reveals that it shows less equipment than what Allentown actually installed. Weitzel shoved so much equipment into that playground that it exceeded the company's recommendations and best practices. An artist was employed to airbrush Weitzel's excesses out of the picture. Cross Ott Street, follow the yellow brick road and you come upon the LifeTrail senior exercise stations, which cost  $10,000 apiece. These stations are also produced by Playworld. Playworld, centered in Lewisburg Pennsylvania, also installed the new playground equipment at Franklin Park. Did I mention that Weitzel came to Allentown from Lewisburg?  They say that there's a framed picture of Weitzel on the boss's desk at Playworld.