Empty Nesters Flocking To 7th and Linden

According to Matt Assad of The Morning Call,  millennials and empty nesters are flocking to Strata Flats to rent the apartments.  I suppose that they like the ambience of the 7-11, which is catty corner from the apartments.  Demand is so great that Reilly will build additional apartments across from Symphony Hall, which is next to the Hook Restaurant, formerly the Cosmopolitan, once the project gets through city planning.  Sure hope the city planners go along with Reilly, I know that they're tough on him.  Wonder if they will allow him to use wood frame like he did on the first building?  You will also be surprised to know that Alvin Butz's new NIZ Phase 3 passed city approval.

This is the second infomercial that Assad has written for Reilly, promoting his apartments.  It's apparent to me that Reilly has found a way to harvest NIZ money from residential tenants. If he isn't somehow tapping their  state income tax,  I would then be suspicious of  the prorations between the residential and commercial portions of the buildings;  Understand that nobody checks the NIZ figures, nobody produces or checks financials, and nobody cares.  All is fair in love and the NIZ.

shown above Plywood Plaza, aka Strata Flats

Lehigh Valley Voters; Spun, Diced & Chopped

TUESDAY
As I start this post for Wednesday, it's early Tuesday morning, the polls just opened. I'm less interested in the results, as I am in the process. Those of us who thought that this would be an inexpensive election were mistaken. Yesterday provided another stream of mailers, including the bizarre specimen above. Talk about a fall from grace, Pawlowski went from endorsing in the primaries, to personifying corruption in less than six months, and he hasn't yet been accused of a crime. Although i'm no fan of Pawlowski,  this mailer is particularly offensive.  In addition to a mailbox of mailers, the phone rang with a slew of robo-calls. Vic Mazziotti's voice reminded me that the Results Team passed another tax cut. He didn't mention that the old folks at Cedarbrook are still dragging themselves down the hall to a communal bathroom, from 1940, thanks to his refusal to approve any renovation at the nursing home. Tuesday's newspaper headline story tells us that a former Olympic athlete is available for county commissioner, as if that is any sort of relevant qualification.

WEDNESDAY
It was announced in the recent entertainment news that a Walking Dead movie would be filmed in Allentown. I commented on facebook that it would be cast by Allentown voters.  Apparently, some of these zombies stopped to vote on the way to the audition.  Although the Democrats tried to cast Roger MacLean as part of their candidate slate, he is an outsider.  Roger was formerly a Republican, who realized that the party has become essentially unelectable in Allentown.  As top voter-getter yesterday, I have some optimism for Allentown. He would make a great candidate for mayor when Pawlowski starts his sentence.

Although Nothstein's election to the county board of commissioners is testimony to the voter's lack of sophistication,  with Hartzell elected and Vic Mazziotti gone,  that board can only be better.  Mazziotti was disingenuous about Cedarbrook, which may now receive some reconsideration.

An Independent Allentown City Council

With the exception of Jeanette Eichenwald, the current city council has rightfully been referred to as a rubber stamp. However, with Ed Pawlowski now tainted by the FBI investigation, the counter politicos hope the time is now ripe for change. We will see, come Wednesday morning. While Eichenwald has indeed been independent with her decisions on council, the late Emma Tropiano set the standard. Not only did Emma vote for the people's interest, she managed to rally citizens to her point of view, and fellow council members.

In the race for school board and county commissioners, I have recommended bullet voting, casting your ballot for just one choice, to multiply its effect. My choices are Scott Armstrong for school director, and Dan Hartzell for county commissioner. For city council, I would vote for two candidates, MacLean and Hershman, and write in the third, Fegley.  Steven  Ramos would receive my vote for controller.

Although there are no national races, today's election is very important. Will Allentown rise above the bondage of the Pawlowski administration? Will the voters save Cedarbrook, the county nursing home?

The Changing Face of Delinquency At William Allen

When I was at William Allen in the early 60's,  I was considered a delinquent. I got sent to the vice-principal's office once too often, and had to seek an alternative education. But my offense was speaking out in class, not knocking a policewoman to the ground. A month ago, the news was filled with a student walkout, supposedly protesting institutional racism.   I discounted that accusation then, and now,  but feel the real  problem reared its head last week. Student fights are nothing new, but what is new is students being enthralled by gangsterism.

 The school board candidate race is more intense than it's ever been in previous years. The liberal candidates have campaigned that some of the incumbents are too conservative.  The conservative candidates have countered that some of the liberals are tools of Pawlowski,  and have emphasized that connection.  In my opinion, it's not the school district that needs to be reformed, but rather some of the  values of the prevailing student culture.  Such changes will benefit the students much more in their life than any new curriculum, or different administrators.

Flyer For Lou Hershman and Steven Ramos

Mailer For Bob Smith and Scott Armstrong

Tomorrow, some Allentown voters will receive a mailer promoting Bob Smith and Scott Armstrong. Ed Pawlowski had targeted both incumbent school board members, by supporting a PAC with alternative candidates. While I took the Result Team county commissioners to task for evolving Pawlowski against Dan Hartzell, I find the using the Pawlowski association appropriate in the school board race. Pawlowski had stated that Bob Smith wasn't right in the head, and also personally demeaned Armstrong in the past. Both incumbents are dedicated to the education of students in the district. Yesterday's fights and student attacks on police officers, only emphasizes the importance of keeping these disciplined members on the board.

Dinner With Allentown's Write- Ins

I don't go out much at night. Between usually writing this blog around 4:30AM, and the family bakery, I have the schedule of a three year old. Truth be told, the bakery closed 35 years ago, but it's my normal excuse for going to slept at 8:00PM. With the election on Tuesday, and Rich Fegley and Shane Fillman running as write-ins, I'll try to catch up with them tonight in the little apple. Between my rosacea and shiny nose, I usually have my butler powder my face before I go out.

ADDENDUM: I invite any candidate for Tuesday's election to join me this evening, 6pm, at the Hamilton Street BreWWork

My Vote For Dan Hartzell

Come this Tuesday, I will cast one vote for county commissioner, it will go to Dan Hartzell. While in previous years my votes went to the current Republican Result Team, previously called their Reform team, they lost my support over Cedarbrook and the budget. As I posted earlier this week, although they claim support for Cedarbrook, they declined to approve a proven formula in the nursing home industry for a rehab unit. While their first handout card indicated support for the nursing home, two recent mailings from them make no mention of the facility. I find the most recent card (shown above) quite offensive, it's a hit piece against Hartzell. While hammering Hartzell for accepting a $3,000 contribution from Pawlowski last spring, they don't mention the cost or source of their own two mailings this week. Frankly, the four Republicans responsible for this card, Holt, Osborne, Mazziotti and Nothstein should be ashamed. While Nothstein's campaign mentions his gold metal, it apparently didn't involve sportsmanship. Holt campaigned on her efforts toward a fair redistricting map, how about fair campaigning? While I never expected to be voting for a Democrat next week, I'm even more surprised about the next paragraph.

I want to commend Geoff Brace for his lone vote against the commissioner's amended county budget. Brace refused to endorse a token tax decrease, while the county has a deficit spending budget. Muller today issued a partial veto, along with this statement:

 “The Happy Meal tax cut, which amounts to $12.80 per household on average, was a move designed to confuse voters into believing that campaign promises of the past have been met,” said Muller. “It is not prudent fiscal management but I am opting to leave the Commissioners running for election with their political spin and only veto what I consider to be the five most ill-advised amendments.

While the ethics of Pawlowski are certainly fair game for a discussion of  City Council and school board candidates, whose decisions interact with the city,  those questions are not relevant to the election of county commissioners.  The hit piece mailer shown above, only reflects poorly upon those who sent it.

The Good Ship Allentown Losing Credibility

The blogosphere has been buzzing since yesterday afternoon about Sara Hailstone leaving, and the budget being delayed until after the election. Although, The Morning Call associated her with the $billion dollar Reilly development, she had absolutely nothing to do with it. Although director of the paper tiger NIZ board, that too is just a legal requirement for the Reilly Development Company. Her departure, like the police chief, is a hope to be gone before they bring in the handcuffs. What we need to discuss here;   How can a city with a $billion dollars of new development needs a tax increase? Making Reilly's empire has not been cheap for the taxpayers. The development required considerable infrastructure improvements, and police protection. Need a cop, there's almost always one present by the Artwalk, along by Shula's and the new stores there. Although he does you no good, shut up, and pony up two more mills in city tax. Reilly is being treated to a $billion dollars worth of real estate at taxpayer expense,  while the same taxpayers get a tax increase?   By the way, that tax increase will not be announced until after the election, as to not hurt the Pawlowski endorsed candidates on Tuesday. Those candidates would be Glazier and Affa for City Council, and Koval for Controller.   Only in Allentown,  pass the arena popcorn please, we're paying for it.  

The Pawlowski Bitch Slap

Who's your Daddy now?

We, who write and read blogs, overestimate the general public. We assumed that Pawlowski's support with his PAC in the spring, would come back to haunt those candidates, after the FBI investigation. I pretty much dismissed that logical reasoning, until today's article in the Morning Call, by Emily Opilo, FBI cloud darkens Allentown election. The article makes that logical reasoning public, making it a reality, seven days before the election. The article associates Thiel, Glazier, and Affa with the Pawlowski/Fleck/FBI fiasco. Then again, I may now be overestimating the influence of the Morning Call's article. But, at the very least, it's a well deserved bitch slap at those who gladly kissed Pawlowski's ring last spring.

The Cedarbrook Myth

It's funny that with one week to go before the election, candidates are now suddenly supporters of Cedarbrook. Understand, that as a registered independent, I don't get most mailings sent out to the party faithful. One mailing I did receive was from Dan Road Warrior Hartzell. As someone who has addressed the County Commissioners on Cedarbrook, I don't remember seeing Dan there. That's another funny thing, seeing some candidate attend a meeting or two for the first time, after they decide to run for the office. Dan also claims on his card that he used to cover the meetings for the Morning Call. I assume that he did, but I don't remember that, and I remember too much. Anyway, the only thing sadder than Dan's funny card, was the Republican Results Team card. The team, Holt, Osborne, Northstein and Mazziotti, also pledge their loyalty to Cedarbrook. Results Team is dedicated to contining Cedarbrook's mission of care and excellent services in a fiscally sustainable manner with a clear and measurable strategy. In reality, the record shows that they apparently never found a clear and measurable strategy, as they voted against every reasonable proposal to modernize and save Cedarbrook.

ADDENDUM: As often the case, I get a message from some candidate I criticized, asking if I would kindly phone them, so that they could more fully explain their position, which perhaps I misunderstood.  In the case of the Republican Results Team, allow me to elaborate on my condemnation.  When you decided against remodeling the D wing for a profitable rehabilitation unit, you demonstrated your lack of commitment to Cedarbrook.  When you stated that perhaps instead you should get even more studies, or build a new nursing home, you demonstrated just how disingenuous you are on the topic.  That said,  I will host any comment from any candidate.  

photograph by K Mary Hess

The Business of Cedar Park

As an advocate for the traditional park system, I find commercial companies leasing Cedar Park a complete exploitation of the park.  On Saturday, the park lent itself to the second for profit company this year, The Color Run. (The first was Slide The City) These companies donate a small portion of the proceeds to a local cause, creating the misconception of community benefit, while the traveling shows are actually for their own profit.  Slide The City was really ironic, considering that Cedar Beach Pool was closed because of neglect.  After a long season of one scheduled event after another, one would think that the Rose Garden neighborhood deserved a respite, but not in this administration's commercial mind. I cannot tell you exactly from where the music was being broadcast early Saturday morning, but you could hear it from Cedar Crest Blvd. to 17th Street. These commercial add on events may be fine for a park system with no scheduled recreation, but that's not the case in Allentown, especially Cedar Park.

I don't write much about Pawlowski's trouble with the FBI, that's above my paygrade, but I can tell you I consider him a park criminal. His main crime against the parks is the neglect of the WPA structures, resulting in the collapse of the Lehigh Parkway wall.  Allowing the Wildlands Conservancy to demolish the Robin Hood Dam, to garner a grant, was another crime.  While the park system infrastructure crumbles, Pawlowski brags about people paying to be sprayed with colored powders.

Allentown's Pawlowski Girl

When Louie Belletieri ran in the 2005 Democratic primary against Pawlowski, he was supported by his fellow business person at 12th and Chew, Candida Affa. When Pawlowski won the primary, Candida switched her loyalty to him, and has never looked back. Pawlowski, in turn, has rewarded her devotion with numerous appointments, and she has never failed to support the company policy. This year she was recruited to run for City Council, and supported by the Pawlowski PAC, until political manager Mike Fleck disappeared, in the Pawlowski-Gate scandal. While other candidates are trying to distance themselves from Pawlowski, Candida doubles down. "What the mayor needs now is more support..." It's unclear to me if it's blind loyalty, or she may be oblivious of current events. I believe that in all the years of pushing Pawlowski agendas, she has only attended one council meeting. She personifies what's wrong with Allentown politics.

Downhill On Lehigh Street

During the early 1970's, Allentown demolished the entire neighborhood between Union and Lawrence Streets. It was, in a large part, home to the black community. How ironic that we destroyed the cohesion of a neighborhood, but renamed Lawrence Street after Martin Luther King. The only remnant of the neighborhood is the St. James A.M.E. Church. Going up the hill today we now have a vacant bank call center on the east, and the Housing Authority Project on the west. A whole neighborhood existed in from both sides of Lehigh Street, including black owned shops. The houses were old and humble, but people owned them, many for generations. Some blacks at the time wondered if the project was Urban Renewal or Negro Removal?

 reprinted from January of 2011

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
photocredit:Ed Miller, 1953
reprinted from November 2011

Leasing Allentown Municipal

I know nothing about golf, last time I was on the city course was as a 11 year old caddy.  However, I know something about Pawlowski. The problem with leasing the course golf, simply put, is that Pawlowski and this administration doesn't have the trust to continue making such decisions. Even before the recent FBI investigation, the golf course restaurant lease was political. While the administration justifies the proposal because the course lost $163,000 in 2014, please remember that we paid Atiyeh $1.4million for land that we didn't need, to expand a park system that we can't take care of, as is. The current pro, under job duress, is an interested bidder in Pawlowski's quick lease scheme. I'm sure that if council nixes the leasing, that gentleman will make sure that the course is in the black next year. However, that would involve council doing something new for them, saying no. After ten years of Pawlowski, that's a power that they seem to have forgotten that they process.

Molovinsky on Weddings and Elections

On Friday night I stepped out, by myself, to attend the Fegley Wedding Bash at the Brew Pub, the Mrs. couldn't go, she was tied up. Steven Ramos asked me if I was there to cover the event for the blog, and I said "no," just to smell the wedding flowers. Steven is running for city controller as a Republican. Who would expect a Hispanic to be a Republican in Allentown? His opponent, Mary Ellen Koval, is the incumbent hand picked by the Pawlowski/Fleck PAC. She has been busy lately gathering documents as ordered by the FBI subpoenas. Come election day, in two weeks, Steven is the integrity that this city so desparately needs. I would also strongly recommend the groom himself, Rich Fegley, for city council. Fegley is not on the ballot, but is running a write in campaign. The new electronic voting machines have a keyboard, which makes the write-in option easier. Voters only need to type FEGLEY to begin changing this city for the better.

WPA, A Work In Progress

On Labor Day in 2011, The Morning Call ran a story about my efforts in regard to the neglected WPA structures, and announced my upcoming meeting at the Allentown Library. Among those in attendance at that meeting was Karen El-Chaar, director of Friends Of The Allentown Parks. Later that year, I took El-Chaar on a tour of the WPA structures throughout the park system. In 2013, I conducted my first tour of the WPA in Lehigh Parkway, in conjunction with Friends Of The Parks. This year, El-Chaar successfully secured a grant from The Trexler Trust, which is currently being used to restore the steps at Fountain Park. The grant is being supervised by Lindsay Taylor, Allentown Park Director. The work is being done by Dietrich Stonemasonry, and managed by parks supervisor, Rick Holtzman.

Although much work remains to be done, it's my sense that all the decision makers mentioned above, are developing a greater appreciation of the unique gift that the WPA bestowed upon the Allentown park system.  I'm hoping that both that interest and work continues this coming spring and summer, especially in preserving the remaining portion of the wall in Lehigh Parkway.

Guarding Allentown City Hall

I've been intrigued by a recent report, by Emily Opilo in The Morning Call, by actions seeming to complicate the paper's discovery about the Ciiber contract,  which is apparently an object of the FBI investigation.  The city solictitor, Susan Ellis Wild,  refused to release documents requested under the company's former name,  Five C. This obstacle required the paper to file a new right to know request, under the new name, Ciiber.  Furthermore,  Susan Wild then responded with a thirty day delay, to review the second request.

Wild said she canceled the city's contract with Ciiber on July 16 after the company failed to provide the city with proof of liability insurance. Wild said she contacted city directors who would have been affected. None, she said, was opposed to canceling it. Wild said she also consulted with Managing Director Francis Dougherty before pulling the plug but did not speak to Pawlowski about the cancellation. "I got concerned about their responsiveness in general," Wild said of Ciiber. "If they couldn't respond before the contract, how would they respond after [it was executed]."

What is startling about this whole sequence is that the contract was only cancelled after it became an object of interest by the FBI.  Although Wild does serve at the Mayor's pleasure, she stated when all the commotion began, that it isn't her job to defend the mayor or any person at city hall. Although I understand the technicality that  Ciiber never satisfied the insurance requirements,  decisions to institute or cancel contracts are not normally made by the solicitor, although that office might consult, and send such notices. Additionally, Wild went out of her way to not have the mayor involved with her decision.  Wild is certainly appearing to be injecting her office defensively on the mayor's behalf, against both the ill fated Ciiber contract,  and the paper's attempt at scrutiny of city hall.

As Allentown Turns

Linden Street is reduced to one lane today, as a private contractor installs stencils on the street for the bike lane. I had forgotten about this idiotic plan. Let us hope that the projections for the arena's success are more realistic than their vision for the bike lane's use. Also observed on my patrol today was the unbelievably slow progress of the 15th Street Bridge project. More concrete and steel is completed in one day on the arena and City Center buildings, than has yet to be completed on the bridge. The entire southside of Allentown remains prisoner to misplaced priorities. Talking of misplaced priorities, yesterday the Administration applauded itself for starting the eastside fire house, a year and half late.
UPDATE: ABOUT THIS POSTCARD- Earlier this week I used a postcard of Lehigh Parkway in the Give A Damn, Save A Dam post.  Both cards have a similar coloration and were photographed by Harold Becraft in the early 1950's.  Becraft was a photographer from Suffern N.Y.,  who produced many of the images used in the postcards of Allentown's parks.  These cards were produced locally by E.H. Schall Co.  In addition to Becraft's name on the front, they're also marked Kodachrome.  Although Becraft did many park scenes for Schall, the image shown above is one of his few cityscapes.

reprinted from May of 2013

UPDATE OCTOBER 15, 2015: We seem to have two types of government, slow or greedy. The entire square arena block was built before the 15th street bridge was completed. While two and four men worked on the bridge for two years, 300 men worked around the clock on the arena. The old 15th Street Bridge, built around 1953, was a study in neglect. One city administration after another deferred maintenance,  because there was a plan for a new bridge, although the plan took decades to come to fruition. Then the contract, to save money, wasn't time sensitive. The greater NIZ arena project, including affiliated buildings, which allows the developers to reap an unaccounted for money stream of public taxes, was built as if money was no object, because it wasn't.  So, while a city was inconvenienced by a snail pace public bridge project, our state taxes were used for overtime, to speed up a bonanza for the barons.

Allentown Internment Camp For Homeless

According to Rich Fegley, who is a write-in candidate for Allentown City Council this year, the city will use the Fountain Park Pool House as a homeless shelter this winter. Although pool house sounds like a cabana, it's actually a stark concrete block building from the 1940's, where you could change into a swimming suit. This barrack opens to a high fenced in area, where the idle empty pools sit in a state of dilapidation. During the day, if they're physically capable of it,  the homeless can attempt to climb the steep steps, going three block straight up toward Walnut Street. Only a few years ago, the homeless lived under the 8th Street Bridge, in a small shantytown. The First Lady of Allentown, Lisa Pawlowski, had that demolished, and the hapless homeless ended up at Alliance Hall last year, after spending a couple of winters in a church basement. For whatever reason, perhaps Alliance Hall is too close to the downtown renaissance, the hapless will now be back on Martin Luther King Drive.

ADDENDUM: The Morning Call has picked up on the story.  According to them,  the pool house is currently under renovation.  However,  the paper also had the parkway wall collapsing while under renovation.  Nothing had been done to the parkway wall for 80 years prior to the collapse, and nothing has been done since.  So far,  the same invisible city crew has been working at the pool house.

WPA Labor Bears Fruit

I can't exactly tell you how long I have been advocating for Allentown's WPA structures, probably at least a decade. I can't tell you how many blog posts I've written, many dozen, or letters to the editor, dozens also. I have conducted meetings at the library, given tours of the structures, and excavated structures buried in the 1980's. I have lobbied several city councils and am currently tormenting a third park director. I'm now pleased to announce that for the first time in many years, some work is occurring on these irreplaceable icons of our park system. The stone steps have been reset and re-pointed in Irving Park. Currently, the missing steps at Fountain Park are being replaced, and by next week, I believe that the Union Terrace staircase wall will be repaired. I'm not known for praising, but next week I will try to properly thank the people authorizing these repairs.

reprint from The Morning Call, May of 2009

Another Morning Call Infomercial

As an advocate for the park system, seeing the above photograph from the Morning Call article on the Lehigh River parks, was a harsh joke.  The article is subtitled, Insider's Guide To The Lehigh Valley. It actually is an outsider's guide. The reporter states that he has never been to these parks previously, and his tour gulde is Pawlowski.  I'll go further, and doubt that any of recent park directors have ever been to Canal Park, which is in a condition somewhere between neglect and hazard.  Before I go further, let's be clear that the Morning Call asked Pawlowski, whose negligence allowed the iconic Lehigh Parkway entrance wall to collapse, to be it's tour guide in the parks.  Nothing has been done in Canal Park since Pawlowski was elected as mayor in 2005, or before that, when he served as Community Development Director, under Mayor Afflerbach.  Pawlowski even refers to the train line through Canal Park as a problem.  Someone should inform him that it is the main west line of Norfolk Southern, and more relevant to Allentown than he is, certainly at this time. As if that wasn't enough irony, Pawlowski is considering a new park to neglect,  for boat launching. All this attention about the river is part of the paper's hype for the new NIZ construction, soon to begin by the Tilghman Street Bridge. In a recent exchange with a Morning Call writer/editor, he defended the informercials
concerning the NIZ. Although I have been sending notes to the paper about the deplorable conditions in the existing parks, they choose instead to engage in a puff promotion for the NIZ, featuring a future indictee. Pass the Tums.

ADDENDUM: In regard to an earlier post, regarding emergency repairs needed at Union Terrace, shared by somebody on facebook,  Joe McDermott commented, "Fine, who is willing to pay more taxes to make those repairs, Mike Molvinsky, maybe?"  This is disturbing, because McDermott is a former Morning Call reporter who now pens for Pawlowski.  So, although this administration paid Abe Atiyeh $1.4 million dollars for land it's not using or needs for the park system, it employs a hack to link park maintenance with higher taxes.

photo by April Bartholomew/The Morning Call

Shame on LCCC, Again

When the NIZ was in the planning stages, before we, the unwashed public, knew about it, Lehigh Carbon Community College was already playing ball with the big boys, at the expense of their students. Those compromises started when their dean didn't object to the bus stop being removed from in front of it's Hamilton Street building. The college had no problem with their students walking from the transportation interment camp on 7th, beyond Linden. I phoned their dean at the time, and posted about it here on molovinsky. My next post concerned their willingness sell out to Reilly's plans to own the entire 700 block of Hamilton Street. They justified that compromise by saying that the building no longer served their needs. Now, that Reilly really has slowed down, seems that the building is again adequate enough. Although J.B. put on the smiley face about Talen going Jaindl, he's really not a happy baron about that. What has irritated me enough to write this third complaint about LCCC, is their program to train workers for the new NIZ restaurant jobs. I'm a proponent of community colleges, I see them as an opportunity for more students to continue their education. Although, I expect to see a lower bar on student admission standards, I expected that the deans and administration should be professional. Colleges, even community colleges, shouldn't stoop to training peanut vendors for the arena.

The NIZ As Etch A Sketch

When I sat down with Alan Jennings last month, he complained about the things mentioned yesterday in his resignation from the NIZ board. Other NIZ news besides Alan, is that the board cleared the way for Talen to move to the waterfront. What that means is that they unilaterally declared that state income taxes from Talen employees can be divided for both the arena debt, and for Jaindl's debt service by the river. Pat Browne, author of the NIZ stated;

"This is the result of a many-months-long public-private collaborative effort to balance the language of the NIZ program with its financial expectations,..."

Normally, if a law seems to have some leeway, I might say that it was written in pencil. However, in the case of the NIZ, it's an etch a sketch, they make it up as they go. Who knew that you could arbitrarily balance the language of a law? One of the reasons that Jennings resigned from the NIZ board is the lack of financial reports. State taxes will be diverted to pay for $1 Billion and counting in development, and nobody is counting the beans. Bills are accepted as presented, and the public coffer is dinged accordingly. Even Alan, whose own organization spends $millions of public money each year, was offended by the lack of accountability. According to Jennings, the Allentown NIZ is essentially a one man show, run by Sy Traub. The idea of a question seems to offend him. Personally, I don't solely blame Browne or Traub, I also blame the worms in Harrisburg called state representatives. They passed a law that they didn't know anything about, and continue to sanction an obvious work in progress, which works for the progress of just a few connected individuals.

Allentown As A Bustling Downtown

Just as people who visit Disneyland know that they're not really in the west or the future, visitors to downtown Allentown know that it's really not bustling. Bustling was a gift word bestowed on J.B. Reilly's City Center Public Tax Funded Empire, by The Morning Call. The Morning Call itself is struggling. Yesterday, their mother ship The Tribune Corporation, offered a buyout plan to it's senior workers. Unfortunately, most of the people at the paper are just a little too young to retire, and too old to land somewhere else. Most will pass on the offer, hoping to keep their seat when the musical chairs start playing again. In the meantime, we readers will be treated to words like bustling, even as reality starts to set in, before the paint is  dry on the new restaurant walls. While Grain opens this week, the pickings are slow at Roar. Too many restaurants already for the thin event schedule, and quick lunch times available for the imported office workers. J.B. will have to again prime the pump with another round of gift cards for the esteemed office workers. The Morning Call will have to review another restaurant, and coin yet another word describing excitement at Allentown's Disneyland.

Allentown's WPA Watchmen

Being a self appointed watchman over Allentown's WPA structures is an act in frustration. Since I started posting about the neglect of the structures in 2008, I have seen nothing of substance done. Actually, besides the steps at Irving Park being rebuilt, I have seen nothing done at all. While rebuilding that small staircase was positive, many negatives occurred in the meantime. The meantime has been over seven years. Also in the meantime, another set of steps were removed from Irving Park. The staircase at Union Terrace is deteriorating to the point where that structure is in jeopardy. The repair to a remaining staircase at Irving was done with a $25,000 grant from the Trexler Trust. In the last seven years, the park department's budget has been over $25 million dollars. The playground at Cedar Beach cost $1 million. Pawlowski has rejected my offer to be a liaison on behalf of the WPA structures. I'm pictured above standing over the former WPA wall, after it collapsed this summer, closing Lehigh Parkway's classic entrance. This city's history and future are tied to our park system and other quality of life issues, not just some private/public new buildings. I know there's no big money or national attention to be gained in fixing an old wall, but we have a responsibility to the things which made this city unique.

Mr. Pawlowski, Build Up This Wall

From a distance, the double stairwell off of St. Elmo Street, down into Union Terrace, looks pretty good. As you get closer, the disrepair becomes more apparent. The neglect and demise of this icon is nothing new, I have been writing about it for years. Union Terrace was the last major park developed by the WPA, and without a doubt, the most ambitious. The amphitheater and raised stage is separated by the Cedar Creek, an incredible symphony of landscape design. The park is now called Joseph Daddona Terrace, but I always use the original names, they have more meaning and history. The top of the main wall of the staircase is missing numerous cap stones. As this winter weather begins, water will seep down into the middle of the wall and freeze. This freezing and expansion cycle can destroy the irreplaceable wall in short order. Let us hope that a city with a $billion dollars of new development can find a few dollars to seal the top of this wall.

reprinted from November of 2014

ADDENDUM: Although, I have been writing about the need for maintenance at Union Terrace for years, the above post appeared last November, under the title, Emergency At Union Terrace. Unfortunately, since then not only has nothing been done, but the condition of the structure has significantly deteriorated. The flagstone on the landings has become dislodged. Pieces of the flagstone and stones from the wall, are being strewn about in the park. I have serious doubts if the wall can survive another winter, as water seeps down from the open top,  freezes and expands during the cold weather. If this irreplaceable structure is to be saved, the city must act now.

ADDENDUM:Earlier this morning I first titled this post, Ms. Taylor, Build Up This Wall. Lindsay Taylor is the current park director. I have decided instead to address the post to Mayor Pawlowski. Mr. Pawlowski has cut many ribbons opening businesses that have come and gone. Let up hope that he will turn his attention to a imperiled structure, that has graced Allentown since 1939. Let us hope that there was a lesson learned from the collapse of the WPA wall in Lehigh Parkway.

Nonsense In Allentown's Future

Above is some nonsense on Charlie Thiel's facebook page, about the American Parkway Bridge. By November, drivers will be able to travel on one road from the east side of Allentown, a baseball throw from Coca-Cola Park, to the city’s bustling downtown. Last year, I did a series of posts on Allentown's next mayor, in which I featured Sam Bennett and Charlie Thiel. This of course was well before the FBI visited the city's bustling downtown, and the reality that a new mayor will be coming sooner than later. Since then, Sam Bennett has been silent on all issues, except for fabricating a role in West Park's Historic District history, that she had no part of. Charlie, on the other hand, has become such a cheerleader of Allentown's nonsense, that he also has no credibility.

I've never seen Allentown's bustling downtown, but since I'm on Hamilton Street between 5th and 10th most days, perhaps Charlie can show it to me sometime. In the meantime, despite The Morning Call, Sam Bennett or Charlie Thiel, welcome to the real Allentown, as showcased at molovinsky on allentown.

Pennsylvania, A State Of Thieves

Back in July, I reported how the state was stealing from drivers at the Pocono turnpike exchange. By installing an EZ Pass only exit at the popular destination, and charging $65 per pop, per vehicle, the state has been making $150,000 a week at that point of robbery. It's been so lucrative, that the state will now duplicate the crime on both ends of the turnpike; At the Delaware crossing into New Jersey and at the western side, with Ohio. Welcome to Pennsylvania.  Meanwhile, back in Harrisburg, our visionary with the beard, has vetoed the stop gap budget presented by the  State House, forcing local school systems to issue bonds,  incurring more interest and debt payments.  A sorry state indeed.

Morning Call Catches Up To Molovinsky On Neuweiler

On Sunday, The Morning Call had an article that Ruckus Brewing was much less than previously presented, but they didn't mention their previous puffing.  Over two years ago, I reported that they were in reality a couple of young guys, with a rented office in NYC, who had purchased the former Reading Brewery Label, and contracted out the limited beer production. Recently, columnist Bill White defended the paper's reporting, and tried to marginalize this blog by not even referring to it by name. Although Ruckus had no actual brewing experience, and no real estate experience, they were given the option on the Neuweiler property, and a $34 million dollar plan in taxpayer NIZ funding,  to renovate the parcel. Although they had no experience,  they did have a local business agent named Mike Fleck. The paper previously gushed about the coming brewery and pub, regurgitating press releases like they were news. Recently, I reprinted one of my Ruckus/Neuweiler posts, and low and behold, The Morning Call now had a Sunday feature. But even fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare said,  But they had more details.  I reported two months ago that in fact they were  mickey mouse, with only a single distributor in Pennsylvania.  Bernie was impressed because the Morning Call printed the name of the distributor, which I had chose not to.  In reality, there wasn't one more pertinent detail in the paper's story than mine, written two months earlier.

I'll leave the regurgitated press releases to the paper.  I'll leave Bernie worshipping those details which pad out articles into longer features.  I will continue to distill reality from promotion in Allentown, and give the news in small shots, to discriminating readers. Comments will remain moderated, restricted to additional insights.  molovinsky on allentown will remain a craft blog,  in an ever more crass environment.

Today's Take Away From Yesterday's Walkout

As I revealed on this blog yesterday, and picked up today by Bernie O'Hare in his posting, Michael Frassetto has a reputation of being an excellent teacher. Never the less, a comment from Bernie's post yesterday states;

The students who fell for the charlatan Falsetto's insane rantings were simply looking for a reason to cut class. Pure and simple. None of them were serious students, just like their Pied Piper was a lousy teacher and got dismissed from a charter school position where even the worst teachers survive.

Frassetto was not a lousy teacher, and taught at Roberto Clemente several years, where he started United Youth Party. Until yesterday, that organization was only associated with positive work, involving youth participation in several notable projects. Many teachers at the charter schools are excellent educators. Likewise, I'd bet that some of the kids partaking in the walkout are indeed good students. It's easy to generalize and spout off like Bernie's anonymous commentator, but in addition to being misinformed, it can be counter productive. Frassetto certainly does has a flaw, he's too much an activist for the comfort of the administrators above him. However, to totally dismiss an action involving so many students, can only further alienate them. Although I totally reject the protester's formal demands, and many of them may indeed be underachievers, it is therefore even more incumbent upon Allentown to somehow make this experience more than just another negative for the district.

UPDATE:  I've been informed that the 3th walkout, for today Wednesday Sept. 30th, has been cancelled.

The Academy of Vindictive Arts

A rather ugly picture is emerging about the demonstration at the Allentown School Board meeting Thursday evening. From a report by Jacqueline Palochko of The Morning Call, we learn that protest leader, Michael Frassetto, was coaching kids for the protest during school time at the Medical Academy Charter High School, where he teaches. In trying to explain away distasteful videos on his facebook page, he clearly indulges in double talk. The article mentions that Jose Rosado is CAO of the that school, but omits Rosado's background. He was terminated by the Allentown School District as principal of it's alternative high school, and subsequently filed a lawsuit, claiming that minorities were unjustly sent to the alternative school. Minorities are the majority in the Allentown high schools,  so why not in the alternative school?  I have an issue with these discrimination type lawsuits.  Truth be told, minorities have a leg up getting hired, but never complain of discrimination on that end of the contract. If Rosado is the CAO, Abe Atiyeh might be the Provost, in that he apparently owns all the buildings housing the charter schools. Frassetto, rejected by employment by the Allentown School District, defends his coaching as a teachable moment, and Rosado claims that he wasn't aware of Frassetto's protest coaching. One would think that in a small charter school, that he should be aware of most everything.

Some have speculated that the demonstration and walkout scheduled this week are a concerted business effort to lure students away from the school district and into charter schools. My guess is that it's concerted vindictiveness,  against the Allentown School District. What is apparent is that the Medical Academy is a controversial place of learning. Some of the characters promoting the walkout actually have aliases, criminal records and pending charges.  This is what Frassetto also regards as a teachable moment? I was going to end this post by writing how ironic that parents looking for alternatives, end up sending their children to a place staffed by rejects from the public system, but there's a disclaimer necessary.  I heard that Rosado's trouble with the Allentown administration began because he complained about teacher's speaking despairingly about students.  Even more complicating to my narrative, I heard from a reliable source, that Frassetto is indeed an excellent, dedicated teacher. I conclude that Michael Frassetto has a problem separating his personal activism from his teaching. He's entitled to believe that the Allentown District has issues, but encouraging students to walkout for five days is not in any way educational.

photo of Michael Frassetto by Harry Fisher/The Morning Call

Armstrong On Demonstration At School Board

A lesson in anger and fraud was on display at tonight’s school board meeting. District students, offered free food if they showed up, were then riled up by an adult charlatan protest leader and directed to focus their energy and anger on the supposed injustices perpetrated by the Allentown School District, its board, and superintendent. This, they proceeded to do with great dispatch, banging on the Administration building’s picture windows and chanting very loudly. It was real sound and fury. The press and police were there in force. The leader of this group, who was clearly hoping to make a name for himself, was allowed to address the board. He used the opportunity to make thinly veiled threats and present himself as a great leader. I heard this from the hall as I was unwilling to be part of his audience. He is an opportunist, but the opportunity was created by Mayor Ed Pawlowski and his agents who discredited the district as part of their campaign to gain control of the board. With the FBI’s focus on the mayor, that plans seems to be in jeopardy, but the damage has been done to the district and yes, to the city itself. This protest is bad news for who, in the suburbs, will watch this and say, yes, let’s move our family to Allentown. Well done, Ed Pawlowski and all those who participated in his scheme to selfishly besmirch the ASD. Tonight was the first fruit of that effort.
                                   Scott Armstrong

ADDENDUM: The above first person account of the last night's school board meeting is by Scott Armstrong,  current board member and candidate for reelection in November.  Accounts of the meeting by the Express Times ,  WFMZ and The Morning Call paint a rather raucous event.  Protest organizer and charter school teacher, Michael Frassetto, would better serve students by encouraging them to go early, and stay late, rather than participate in his scheduled walkout.  It appears as if teacher union leader Debra Tretter could have separated her lack of contract grievance more from the other protest.  Likewise, former board member Holly Edinger appeared to put a political agenda ahead of the student's best interests.

Allentown News and molovinsky on allentown

Today, I was going to do another Yom Kippur post, this time on the 1973 war in Israel. On October 6th, Yom Kippur in 1973, 500 Israeli soldiers defending the Sinai, were attacked by 80,000 Egyptians. Instead, I'm going to write about a really surprised and outnumbered group, the Allentown taxpayers. Although, I would prefer to concentrate on the progress of the baby ducks at Cedar Park, Bernie O'Hare and Bill White compel me to indulge in this political stuff, as Emma of Allentown's past would say.

Today, O'Hare at Ramblings, writes about the NIZ not being accountable, if he only knew to what extent. In my recent sit down with Alan Jennings, he had the same complaint, and he's on the NIZ board. With passing through over $30 million in state tax dollars each year to J.B. Reilly, that amount exceeds the budget of many Lehigh Valley municipalities. It's ironic that the ethics of Kathleen Kane are being are scrutinized, when the state has neither a budget, or one responsible representative in Harrisburg. To heighten the irony, we have the largest full time statehouse in the country, or in other words, the most crooks.

While all this is going on, Bill White is emailing me, that my comment to his recent article, about how good the Morning Call coverage of the NIZ is, must have been deleted by an automatic program, which hunts and deletes inappropriate words. I suppose that telling the truth about Allentown's Revitalization is inappropriate.

So my friends, you are truly under served by me, who prefers to write about the WPA walls in Lehigh Parkway. You are also left uninformed by the Morning Call, which insists that it's cheerleading for Reilly's empire is actually hard news.

Yom Kippur 1965

Scott Armstrong, Magnet For Controversy

Of all the candidates running for Allentown school board in November, and there was perhaps the largest primary field in Allentown's history last May, none is more controversial than Scott Armstrong. The irony is that none of the candidates are more plain spoken and straight forward than Scott. In a city dominated by liberal Democrats, a conservative Republican becomes a lightening rod. Armstrong actually criticizes the teacher's union for their contract demands, and defends the superintendent. Here's a sample of the current frenzy worked up about Armstrong.

I think that fellow incumbent Scott Armstrong is a right-wing extremist who is not only racially divisive but an obstructionist to getting anything done by the rest of the board. He creates such a toxic environment at school board meetings that I cringe just being in the same room with him. He is not only not a part of the solution, but also he is a big part of the problem on the ASD Board, and he has to go.

The above slur appeared on facebook. For two terms now, defeating Armstrong has actually been a campaign theme for some candidates. As an writer on Allentown, and politically independent, I could endorse no better candidate than Armstrong. He's a home owner near Allen high, sent his kids there, and has been involved in every aspect of Allentown School District for the last decade.

It's going to be a knock down race this November. Ce-Ce Gerlach has developed nothing less than a grass roots machine. Charlie Thiel, first part of the Pawlowski chosen slate, has been positioning himself for the post Pawlowski period in the local Democratic machine.  But only Armstrong, truly represents the taxpayer with no ambition beyond the school board.

Readers of this blog know that in addition to addendum's and updates, I also do unannounced rewrites. Consequently, the post you read at 7:30 AM, may be quite different than the version at 5:30PM. This post may well become part of that category.

Allentown's Deluded Of The Month

I'm not sure who's more deluded this month, Mayor Ed Pawlowski, or Morning Call columnist Bill White. Since Pawlowski got visited by the FBI, he can't get enough of the little people. He's been attending little hispanic churches and posing with center city children. Two months ago, he was dining in NYC, and bending arms for campaign contributions. Ed's fall came from simple greed. Years ago he spend over a $million in taxpayer money to make City Hall user friendly. This year, he and his campaign manager instead conspired to sell access to him and city hall, quite a difference. Truth be told, Pawlowski and Fleck had nothing to do with the arena and that NIZ $billion of taxpayer money, so they went for their own little taste.

Bill White is offended because the blogs have reported that both he and his paper have been lite on scrutiny of the mayor and Allentown's Revitalization. Although he wrote an article detailing his and the paper's articles, he didn't mention these blogs by name. When I filled in the names of those blogs, he deleted the comment. Another truth be told, there has been nothing written or revealed of substance about the NIZ, which did not appear first on this blog, including information provided by others in my comment section. The paper was even officially comprised by having their building included in the NIZ, when it was the only property on north side of Linden Street included. Now, that would be something for Bill to write about.

ADDENDUM: Bill White states by email that he did not delete my comment on mcall.   He states that there is an automatic program, which deletes comments which contain offensive words. There were no such words in my comment, and it was deleted, within 24 hours.

screen grab from Pawlowski's facebook page, which is now a study in humility. 

A Fib and A Truth In Allentown

In a recent piece, Bill Kitten White explained that although the paper may have fibbed once or twice about Mayor Pawlowski, they are telling the truth about the NIZ, and it's wonderful. As if on cue, today's paper states that the Reillyville restaurants are preparing for the 10,000 Men Unity Conference at PPL Center on Saturday. After getting past the headline, and reading the article, Shula's better hold off on ordering more steaks, but perhaps Chickie's and Pete's might need a few more hot dogs, but I doubt even that. We find out that 3,000 tickets have been distributed, but the organizers are hopeful that more men attend. It's intent is to encourage men to fulfill their obligations, in regard to family and children. As if the restaurant bull wasn't enough, the article explains that a number of rooms at the new Renaissance Hotel have been set aside. Since they go for about $200 a night, those men would be better off saving that money for their children. Did I forget to mention that Ed Pawlowski is going to the event. He said that "It's important to take a step back from all the distractions in our lives...". Wonder what's distracting him?

ADDENDUM: Bill White's piece does NOT concede any fibbing about Pawlowski,  and defends it's coverage of the NIZ. It does take molovinsky and Ramblings to task, (but not by name) for our  criticism of the Morning Call coverage. Although White claims that the paper broke numerous stories, he omits the fact that his paper has never given attribution to this blog, for the stories broken here.  I found  White's version of the paper's coverage so distorted, I must have hallucinated that he admitted fibbing.

ADDENDUM 2: At the carnival, when you spin sugar fast enough, it becomes cotton candy. Likewise, when the paper indulges in spinning an event, especially to an absurd degree,  (such as this Unity event,)  it does become a fib.

UPDATE: Bill White deleted my comment off his mcall article,  criticizing him for not mentioning this blog by name.  Furthermore,  today(September 20th), a year late, the Morning Call finally gets around to reporting that the Allentown Arena was the most expensive arena ever built.

Rumble At the Reagan Library

As a conservative independent, I have no use for Hillary Clinton, and less for Bernie Sanders. Even though I'll be late opening the bakery this morning, I stayed up last night and watched the debate. I was actually more impressed with the undercard. Sans Santorum, Pataki, Jindal and Graham were compelling. But, as Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message, and those gentlemen, relegated to the second tier in the second debate, are no longer part of the medium.

 On the main card, the overly crowded field was almost like cage wrestling, too many people vying for camera time. In that regard, I felt that CNN had the camera on Trump a disportioncate amount of time. For foreign policy geeks, hearing that Trump will surround himself with experts, as opposed to being one, must be excruciatingly painful. I believe that if Marco Rubio could make himself appear older, he would be a real contender. I might send him some of my gray hair dye, it has helped me looked more distinguished. Getting back to McLuhan, Trump may have again stole the show by default. Although Jeb Bush was more aggressive, he only managed to play into Trump's portrayal of him as unenergetic. In that regard, Ben Carson appears to be self medicated. The other doctor, Rand Paul, also cannot shed the Trump barbs. Huckabee has cast himself more as a pastor than a viable politician. Both the governors, Walker and Kasich, failed to stand out. Ted Cruz presented himself well, but the media has marginalized him as too right for America. Although Christie held his own, he still looks like he caused that traffic jam at the bridge, trying to get to the donut shop before it closed. Certainly, Carly Fiorina also held her own, but I don't think that she has enough spunk to break through this large men's field.

I'm back to Marshall McLuhan and the persuasive media. If Trump produces some commercials which succeed in adding some world expertise to augment his bravado, the White House might become the next reality show.

Abuse At Cedar Park

After the previous park director, John Mikowychok, was here only three weeks, he endorsed the Wildlands Conservancy demolishing the Robin Hood Dam. To add insult to injury, he allowed them to pile the destroyed dam rubble around the stone piers of the Robin Hood Bridge, depreciating the beauty of a view enjoyed by generations of Allentonians. I told Mikowychok at the time, that however long he stays in Allentown, he will never climb out of the hole in damage he allowed. As it turned out, he  stayed only about a year.  The new park director, Lindsay Taylor, has already dug her self a rut. This past weekend, after last Thursday's rain flooded Cedar Park, the heavy support and supply trucks for Artsfest rutted the soft park ground. The ArtsFest is a nice event, but it's held in the wrong place. It's the wrong place for the overused and abused park, and it's the wrong place for the arts festival. It should be held in an urban environment, downtown. It could be a real boost for center city, either on Hamilton Street, or by the Alternative Art Gallery, on N. 4th Street.

The festival was held in area much larger than necessary to accommodate the event, and it rained two more times during the festival. Consequently, the large box and flatbed trucks necessary to supply and support the event did extensive damage to the park.  I do not blame the organizers of ArtsFest in any way.  There's a long history of such events in the park section east of Ott Street.  However, this is the first such event held west of Ott, in the Rose Garden section of the park.   Although this western section has been used before, it was confined to spill over from Sportsfest, and involved only golf cart type vehicles. The combination of soggy ground and heavy trucks produced 12" ruts through out the park. It will take the park department no less than $30,000 in material and manpower to restore the area,  assuming that they do. This is the good news, the bad is that nobody, save this blogger, may care. The Morning Call mentioned nothing of the damage in their review about the festival.  I know that Mayor Pawlowski didn't care about the parks before his own current problems, neither did City Council.

At the very least, as long as the park department is going to allow such events and damage in the parks,  they should have a designated park for such fairground type use.  That park should have an area which stays dry from creek flooding.  It's time for the Department of Parks and Recreation to show more respect for the classic beauty of Allentown's parks.

photograph by Harry Fisher/The Morning Call

The Betrayal Of Ed Pawlowski

The account in the Morning Call was biblical. A friendship so sincere, that the Pawlowski's trusted their only daughter to his care. But like other another person pure of heart, his great goodness was taken advantage of, he was victimized. In case anybody happen to not understand the sermon, the article spells it out. We learn that Lisa Pawlowski writes on social media, BETRAYED.

Although we can all benefit from a parable now and then, somehow the real victims were overlooked, the citizens of Allentown. If Pawlowski's trust was misplaced, how about the taxpayers. Although it's wonderful that J.B. Reilly's wish-list was fulfilled beyond his wildest expectations, we all have things we would have liked improved in the city. I would have liked if $1.3 million spend on Atiyeh land that we don't need, was used instead to repair the WPA structures. Homeless advocates would like a shelter properly funded and staffed. Better housing advocates would have liked to see more blighted properties rehabilitated.

The Pawlowski's may have been betrayed by Mike Fleck, but there's nothing biblical about them. Local drug dealers and thieves cheat and steal from each other all the time, but the paper doesn't portray them as Robin Hood. Maybe, by the time the whole story is told, the paper will get a grip on itself.

ADDENDUM: This morning, Bill White defends himself and the paper against blogosphere accusations that he and his associates have pampered both Pawlowski and the NIZ. I don't know anybody who reads the blogosphere, but Ramblings and molovinsky are widely read. Yes Bill, the paper has been late to the game. The Raid On City Hall could not be glossed over, but you're still promoting Reillyville like it's news. You need only look at this weekend's coverage of the Artswalk.

The Synagogues Of Jerusalem

Except when barred by one conqueror or another, Jews had lived in Jerusalem since King David. Prior to Jordanian rule in 1948, there was a Jewish majority for 150 years. In 1864, eight thousand of the fifteen thousand population was Jewish. By 1914, two thirds of the sixty five thousand residents were Jewish. In 1948 the United Nations Partition Plan divided the British Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. Jerusalem was to be initially an international city, with access guaranteed for all. This plan was rejected by the surrounding Arab nations, which attacked Israel in concert immediately upon the UN vote. When the truce was declared, Israel had survived, but East Jerusalem(walled Old City) was in procession of TransJordan. The Jordanians subsequently destroyed over 50 synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, which dated back to the 1400's. For hundreds of years both Christians and Jews were prohibited from building higher than Muslim structures. The few synagogues which survived were the ones built mostly below street level. The oldest surviving synagogue, The Jerusalem Synagogue, was built by the Karaite Jews in around 900. Shown above is the Ben Kakai, a Sephardic Synagogue built in the 16th Century.

Perhaps the most famous synagogue destroyed by the Jordanians was the Ashkenazi Hurva Synagogue built in 1720, it's dome visible in the top center of this photograph from the 1920's. It's replacement has just been completed.

reprinted from September of 2010

She's Not Here Mr. Molovinsky

I don't understand it, every time I stop in to see an Allentown public official, they're not there. Is there something about me? Up to this past July and the FBI Raid At City Hall, I suppose it was my blunt questions and subsequent blunt treatment on this blog that made them hid under the desk, whenever they saw me coming through the door. After the Raid, management was nervous. They knew that they served at the pleasure of a vindictive mayor, but now he was wounded, to boot. Some were afraid that they would end up being scapegoats for whatever accusations were coming down the pike. I can only imagine that yesterday's fear is today's terror. Now there are times, places and their signatures on reports, being used as evidence in a criminal investigation.

Although this blog has pointed out policy flaws since 2007, I never indulged in pay to play speculation. Frankly, despite the current meltdown at city hall, those specifics still don't interest me. I remain focused on policy, and it's effect on the city. Unfortunately, I realize that in this current climate, the bureaucrats could care less about better policy, and will be looking for life preservers. Never the less, I will still be coming through their doors.