Another Lawyer For The Fritzgeralds

If you believe that Pawlowski was color blind when he hired Joel Fritzgerald as police chief, you might as well stop reading this post now.

When the former Allentown police chief's son was arrested for pulling a gun on county detectives, and the chief hired a Philadelphia power attorney to defend him, and then counter sue for racism, I blogged questioning the father's integrity.  Apparently, I'm not the only one to question the father's integrity...He has been fired as chief by his current city, Fort Worth, Texas. Those interested in the current issues in Texas can read about it in the Morning Chronicle article.

My issue with Fritzgerald was that he was specifically hired in Allentown to increase racial harmony, not incite discord. The Fritzgerald family had no issues with such affirmative action when senior was hired. They had no issue with favoritism or nepotism when junior was hired as a guard at Lehigh County Prison. Although his son's power attorney managed to get him acquitted from the gun charges, the counter suit was totally inappropriate for the son of this police chief.  The court also found the racism  charge baseless, and dismissed the suit.

I understand that some may find my perspective on this situation offensive;  However, this blog is not meant to comfort.

When asked about his dismissal from Fort Worth,  Fritzgerald replied that he's hiring a lawyer. 

ANNOUNCEMENT: In September of 2007, I introduced Open Mike to the local blogosphere. Readers could comment on any topic they chose. To celebrate this blog's 12th birthday, I am reintroducing the feature this coming Friday. In 2016, to enhance accountability, I eliminated anonymous comments. The Open Mike posts will allow anonymous comments until 7:30PM.

Martin Tower Dust

Bob Novotnack, emergency management coordinator for Bethlehem, said officials don’t expect any lingering air quality problems(from Martin Tower implosion). He said it’s too early to tell, but the dust was expected from the concrete of the building, but nothing out of the ordinary. What Bob doesn't say that there is nothing ordinary about imploding a 21 story building. On the contrary, it is one of the taller buildings ever imploded. If that isn't enough to worry those concerned about what they inhale, how about the air quality monitoring?  Rather than be performed by Bethlehem or Pennsylvania, the monitoring was done by an outfit working for the developers.

Locally, the only media concerned with this health issue was Bethlehem blogger Ed Gallagher, on his Bethlehem Gadfly.

Novotnack concluded by saying “Coming down just like it was supposed to, and dust being controlled right now, and cleanup taking place, it couldn’t go any better for the city of Bethlehem,”   I don't know about the City of Bethlehem, but for the residents of Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley, some assurance that there would be no future health consequences was sorely lacking.

ANNOUNCEMENT: In September of 2007,  I introduced Open Mike to the local blogosphere. Readers could comment on any topic they chose. To celebrate this blog's 12th birthday, I am reintroducing the feature this coming Friday. In 2016, to enhance accountability, I eliminated anonymous comments. The Open Mike posts will allow anonymous comments until 7:30PM.

The People's Candidate

In the late 1970's, neighbors would gather in the market on 9th Street to complain and receive consolation from the woman behind the cash register. Emma was a neighborhood institution. A native Allentonian, she had gone through school with Mayor For Life Joe Dadonna, and knew everybody at City Hall. More important, she wasn't shy about speaking out. What concerned the long time neighbors back then was a plan to create a Historical District, by a few newcomers.

What concerned Emma wasn't so much the concept, but the proposed size of the district, sixteen square blocks. The planners unfortunately all wanted their homes included, and they lived in an area spread out from Hall Street to 12th, Linden to Liberty.* Shoving property restrictions down the throats of thousands of people who lived in the neighborhood for generations didn't seem right to Emma. As the battle to establish the district became more pitched, Emma began referring to it as the Hysterical District.
Emma eventually lost the battle, but won the hearts of thousands of Allentonians. Emma Tropiano would be elected to City Council beginning in 1986, and would serve four terms. In 1993 she lost the Democratic Primary for Mayor by ONE (1) vote.

Her common sense votes and positions became easy fodder for ridicule. Bashed for opposing fluoridation, our clean water advocates now question the wisdom of that additive. Although every founding member of the Historical District moved away over the years, Emma continued to live on 9th Street, one block up from the store. In the mid 1990's, disgusted by the deterioration of the streetscape, she proposed banning household furniture from front porches. Her proposal was labeled as racist against those who could not afford proper lawn furniture. Today, SWEEP officers issue tickets for sofas on the porch.

Being blunt in the era of political correctness cost Emma. Although a tireless advocate for thousands of Allentown residents of all color, many people who never knew her, now read that she was a bigot. They don't know who called on her for help. They don't know who knocked on her door everyday for assistance. They don't know who approached her at diners and luncheonettes all over Allentown for decades. We who knew her remember, and we remember the truth about a caring woman.

* Because the designated Historical District was so large, it has struggled to create the atmosphere envisioned by the long gone founders. Perhaps had they listened to, instead of ridiculing, the plain spoken shopkeeper, they would have created a smaller critical mass of like thinking homeowners.

reprinted yearly since 2010

ANNOUNCEMENT: In September of 2007,  I introduced Open Mike to the local blogosphere. Readers could comment on any topic they chose. To celebrate this blog's 12th birthday, I am reintroducing the feature this coming Friday. In 2016, to enhance accountability, I eliminated anonymous comments. The Open Mike posts will allow anonymous comments until 7:30PM.

Upcoming Election And The Morning Call

When I ran as an independent for mayor in 2005, the reporter assigned to cover the election already didn't care much for me, because of my conservative positions on various previous issues. Back then the Morning Call was more arrogant about their dominant position as the conveyor of local news. When I proclaimed that Allentown was becoming a poverty magnet, which wouldn't be making Allentown a better place, it was pure heresy. The message was considered so politically incorrect, that the reporter had no flack from his editor about underreporting on my campaign.

I don't believe that any of the current candidates for mayor can complain about the coverage.  Each candidate was both profiled and interviewed.  In addition to the print copy, there were also video clips.

photo from 2014, shirt from 2005

The Trains Of Union Street

Up to the late 1960's, Union Street, between the Jordan Creek and Lehigh River, was  crossed by numerous train tracks. In addition to the main tracks for the New Jersey Central and Lehigh Valley Railroads, the area hosted many sidings for the industries that once huddled along this historic river front area.  There was a small rail yard with five sidings between the UGI gas storage tank, which dominated Allentown's skyline, and Allentown Meat Packing Company.  The photo above dates from the late 1940's.  The map below from the early 1930's.



Small rail yard on bottom left of map. Allentown Meat Packing was the former H.H. Steinmetz Co. in 1932.

reprinted from 2017

Just Out Of View And Gone In Allentown

The photo above means a lot to me, for the things just out of view and now gone. You're at the crossing tower on Union Street, near 3th. There's another gate stopping the eastbound traffic, which has backed up toward the Jordan Creek. The same train has also blocked traffic further down the line, at Basin Street. It's the early 1950's and the tracks from the two rail lines, Lehigh Valley and Jersey Central, cross here.  At the end of Union Street you can make out my father's market, Allentown Meat Packing Company. The whole side of the building is a sign, painted directly on the brick in red and silver, Retail Meats, Wholesale Prices. You'll pass Morris Black Building Supply and The Orange Car before you get there. You'll also have to cross another set of tracks, which was the Lehigh Valley old main, before they built the Railroad Terminal over the Jordan Creek, at Hamilton Street. Our commercial past is now consigned to memory and future urban archeology.

reprinted from December of 2013

Allentown Meat Packing Co.

My grandfather lived on the corner of Jordan and Chew, and butchered in a small barn behind the house. He would deliver by horse and wagon to his customers, corner markets. The house is still there, the barn, long gone. My father, and one of his brothers, acquired the H.H. Steinmetz packing house in 1943. Operating as Allentown Meat Packing, by 1950 they closed the slaughter house, and converted the front of the plant into a meat market open to the public. That continued to 1970, when it was leased to an operator who sold meat by freezer full packages. In 1975 the building was torn down, as part of a long term lease agreement with A&B, who wanted the space for parking. The photo was taken just prior to demolition.

The Butchers Of Allentown

photograph by Bob Wilt

A&B (Arbogast&Bastian), dominated the local meat packing industry for almost 100 years. At it's peak, they employed 700 people and could process 4,000 hogs a day. The huge plant was at the foot of Hamilton Street, at the Lehigh River. All that remains is their free standing office building, which has been incorporated into America on Wheels. Front and Hamilton was Allentown's meatpacking district. Within one block, two national Chicago meatpackers, Swift and Wilson, had distribution centers. Also in the area were several small independents, among them M. Feder and Allentown Meat Packing Company.

Allentown Meat Packing was owned by my father and uncle. The area was criss-crossed with tracks, owned by both LVRR and Jersey Central. All the plants had their own sidings. This is an era when commerce was measured in factories and production, not just relocated office workers.

Molovinsky On Allentown occasionally takes a break from the local political discourse to present local history.  My grandfather came to Allentown in 1891 and lived in the Ward on 2nd Street. By the time my father was born in 1917, they lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets.

reprinted from previous years

Growing Old Waiting For Cedarbrook

Although the state mandates prisons, and no such mandate exists for nursing homes.  I believe that a sacred covenant exists between the county and its elderly, to maintain Cedarbrook. Northampton has a very old prison and a modern nursing home. Here in Lehigh County, we have a modern high rise prison, and a very old nursing home. Prisoners in Lehigh County have nicer amenities than the patients at its nursing home. What's wrong with that picture, what's wrong with those priorities?

County Commissioners have been studying renovating Cedarbrook since 2011.

Former County Executive Tom Muller had a  plan in 2014 to renovate a wing of Cedarbrook into private and semi-private rooms. His analysis had the project paying for itself within three years, by attracting rehabilitation residents. Instead of pursuing that viable turn around project, the Commissioners instead explored the sale option. Had the commissioners implemented Muller's plan, the proposed renovated wing would have already paid for itself.

Now, five years later, and the commissioners are still dropping the ball in regard to our elderly.  Some of the current commissioners even ran on a Cedarbrook platform.  While new federal regulations now require private bathrooms,  the commissioners just voted to go ahead with shared bathrooms, and apply for a federal waiver.  I've become skeptical about their intentions... Could voting yes on an unacceptable plan be just another way to continue ignoring Cedarbrook and our older residents?

photo by K. Mary Hess

The Fountain Of My Youth

Just west of the Robin Hood Bridge is a fountain which quenched the thirst of my summer days. Built during the WPA era, it overlooked the creek. Although the water was turned off years ago, so now is the view. The weeds and assorted invasives growing are not a riparian buffer. Science says that a buffer has to be 25feet wide to be of any value. A reader described this thin strip of wild growth as neglect, masquerading as conservation. All it does is block both the view and access to the waterway. It denies our current citizens the beauty and experience for which the parks were designed. Although the Wildland's Conservancy would like you to believe that the Allentown Parks are there to be wildlands, in reality they were designed by landscape architects, to provide the citizens of Allentown with what Harry Trexler called serenity. He did also appreciate conservation, but for that he created the Trexler Game Preserve, north of Allentown. There are places in the parks which can accommodate the riparian buffer zones, without compromising the intended public experience of waterway view and access. Riparians could be created and maintained in the western side of Lehigh Parkway, between the pedestrian bridge and Bogerts Bridge. In Cedar Park, the riparian section could be in western side, between the last walking bridge and Cedar Crest Blvd. It's time that the parks were given back to the citizens of Allentown. They are not funded, or intended by our tax dollars and the Trexler Trust,  just to be a venue for the Wildland's Conservancy to harvest grants.  Let a child again giggle by the creek's edge. Let us get back our intended park experience.

reprinted from August of 2013

ADDENDUM: I have lobbied the park department to leave the creek accessible in a couple small areas in Cedar Park.

A Modest Park Proposal

In around 2005, Allentown's park system suffered a major setback. The park and recreation departments were combined. In 2006, out of towner Pawlowski's out of towner managing director hired an out of towner with a background in recreation to be park director. Subsequently, they hired two more directors with an identical background.

Before this recreation obsession, Allentown respected the traditional park system, as designed by Harry Trexler.  Older residents could drive through Trexler Park, and park their car right by the duck pond.

Currently, in all of Cedar Park, there is only one bench by the creek.  The creek banks during the summer are overgrown by the riparian buffers, as dictated by the Wildlands Conservancy. I have lobbied the new park director* to add one more bench, certainly a modest proposal by any standard.

*The park director is a local, with an appreciation of Trexler's legacy

City Hall Promotes Reilly's Apartments

The time has come for the City of Allentown to officially define its relationship with J.B. Reilly's City Center Realty. The company is a  privately owned real estate portfolio.  Allentown's taxpayers are actually subsidizing Reilly, by making up state taxes being diverted to finance his buildings. It is entirely inappropriate for the current edition of Adventure Allentown magazine to feature and promote Reilly's apartments. On page 20-21, Reilly's 520 Lofts is described as upscale with a distinctly creative urban vibe accented with graceful nods to Victorian motifs. Did we pay the city's communication director to write that, or was that copy provided by Reilly's staff?

Understand that Allentown's other investors do not get featured in city publications, nor should they. Understand that Reilly has successfully appealed his tax assessments, and is paying less than the construction costs. Understand that promoting his apartments over that of other investors is totally improper.

Free Speech In Our Political Climate

I'm a sucker for historical markers. Whenever I see one, I stop and read it. The marker shown above is on a brownstone on E. 13th Street, in NYC.  I wasn't familiar with Emma Goldman.  For her free speech she was arrested several times, imprisoned, and eventually deported back to Russia, from where she emigrated as a young woman.

A Democrat candidate for Northampton District Attorney lost supporters and her campaign manager because in 2016 there was a Donald Trump sign on her side door.

The Trump Derangement Syndrome is so strong that anything less than totally hating him is considered consorting with the enemy.  When the result of a differing political opinion has such a consequence, is freedom of speech impeded? I believe that indeed it may be.

A facebook friend posted that Trump and his corrupt family have to be surgically removed from our Government. I no longer believe we can wait until 2020. Writing that about another president, in another time, might have been considered seditious.

We have entered a period where any present or even past consideration of Trump is the sole litmus test for a candidate.

Misguided Molovinsky On The NIZ

According to The Morning Call, $32.84 million $dollars of state taxes was diverted last year to pay the debt service on J.B. Reilly's growing empire of center city buildings. While this was over 90% of the $36.3 million diverted, Jaindl's got $2.1 million, and Butz got 3/4 of $1 million. The Morning Call headline referred to developers. NIZ articles always refer to developers. In reality, the NIZ should be called JBR, that would be much more accurate and truthful.

As someone who went to city hall meetings with the former merchants of Hamilton street, I can tell you that there was no truthfulness about the whole deal. Strawbuyers threatened former building owners with eminent domain, and Reilly bought up downtown. The Allentown Parking Authority even offered its lots for sale, so that development would even be cheaper for the developers.

I sat on the stage at WFMZ debating Mike Fleck about the ethics of the NIZ. The Morning Call's Bill White wrote that I was misguided. Reilly now owns the Morning Call building, and Mike Fleck is in prison.

Supermarket Comes To Allentown

The concrete monolith still stands five stories above Lehigh Street at the Parkway Shopping Center. Currently it sports a clock and a sign for St. Luke's medical offices. It was built in 1953 as the modernistic sign tower for Food Fair supermarket, which then was a stand alone store. Behind it, on South 12th Street was the Black and Decker Factory. The shopping center would not be built to decades later, connecting the former supermarket to the bowling alley built in the 60's. Food Fair was started in the 1920's by Russian immigrant Samuel Friedland in Harrisburg. By 1957 he had 275 stores. 1953 was a rough year for the butcher, baker and candle stick maker; the huge supermarkets were too much competition, even for the bigger independent markets, such as Lehigh Street Superette; it was further east on Lehigh, now the site of a Turkey Hill Market. The sign tower also remains at the 15th and Allen Shopping center, which was another stand alone Food Fair. That parcel remains an independent supermarket. Food Fair would eventually absorb Penn Fruit, which had a market on N. 7th Street, then turn into Pantry Pride. When the Food Fair was built, there was as yet no 15th Street Bridge. Allentown only connected to the south side by the 8th Street Bridge and the Lehigh/Union Street hill. (stone arch bridge, near Regency Tower, was route to West End) Allentown was booming and Mack Trucks were rolling off the line, a block east off Lehigh Street, as fast as they could build them. The factories on S. 12th st. are now flea markets. Mack Headquarters is being sold to a real estate developer. Perhaps those concrete monoliths are the monuments to better times, by those of us who remember.

reprinted from June 2009

Sign Of The Times

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

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


business days, said Pat's. Pat's and the sign go back to the mid 1950's. In the late 70's, the business was taken over by Sal, and the P and T were simply changed to an S and L. But time goes on; Sal's family is now in the sauce business and have a most interesting website.

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

reprinted from 2010

Revisiting Black Philadelphia

Last summer I presented several posts on the shrinking Black neighborhood in South Philadelphia. Gentrification is creeping south from the area between Rittenhouse Square and Broad Street, infringing on this former Black middle class area.  Most of the middle class Blacks moved away years ago, to more integrated areas, leaving behind a poorer neighborhood, but rich in history.

I have written about the Philadelphia Tribune, the Jack and Jill Society and other middle class Black institutions.  In a recent exploration, I discovered the last remnant of Father Divine,  a charismatic Black preacher, who amassed thousands of followers in the 1930's and 40's.  By the mid 40's, his church moved from Harlem to Philadelphia's Broad Street.  Divine died in 1965. There are numerous articles and documentaries on his ministry.  

Although I have no expertise on gentrification or Black Philadelphia history,  as I explore the neighborhood a year later,  I can see more and more signs advertising new expensive luxury apartments.    

Reflecting On The Allentown Park System

Every spring for the last decade I have met with the Allentown Park Department. Sometimes I have been invited for a meeting, and other years I just barged into an office, and inflicted my sermon on unappreciative ears. My sermon essentially never changes. Spend a very small portion of the park budget to maintain the iconic WPA structures, which this city could never afford to replace. Leave some openings in the Riparian Buffers, so that families might access and enjoy the creeks.

My mission has had limited success. I failed to convince city council to keep the little dam and its musical water sound by the Robin Hood Bridge. I failed to convince the city to maintain the Lehigh Parkway entrance wall, which then collapsed, closing the main park entrance for two years. My efforts have resulted in two structures being partially restored.

I lack any diplomatic skills. I'm used to officials cringing when I enter the room. My reward is when someone comes up to me in a park to complain about something there. Those people know that I care, and that I will speak out for them.

A Changing Confluence

Future cartographers will locate the confluence of the Little Lehigh Creek and the Lehigh River as south, and slightly east of the current LCA sewage plant. Historians will know better. Up to forty years ago, nature joined the Little Lehigh with with western channel of the Lehigh, halfway down the side of Kline's Island. Around 1970, the City of Allentown decided to reclaim the river channel north of the confluence, ending Kline's status as an island. What is now the last section of the Little Lehigh, was previously the Lehigh. The map shown was produced in 1900. Also gone from current geography is the man made harbors, shown north of the Hamilton Street bridge. The new google map shows that the

former bridge to Kline's Island still stands, crossing the now reclaimed former west channel of the Lehigh River. Also visible is the footprint of Allentown's former gas tank.




reprinted from June of 2013

Allentown's First Waterfront

Although cheerleaders for the current waterfront NIZ think that they're inventing the Lehigh River, Allentonians already had a river port in the 1800's. As this section of the 1899 map shows, Wharf Street, which is still partically there, led to a man made river port, with two channels back to the river. The Lehigh Port was dug out in 1829, and was used in conjunction with the canal on the other side of the river. In the early 20th century, as the canal commerce was replaced by the railroads,  the port was filled in,  by an expanding Arbogast & Bastian Meat Packing.  Currently, a private boat club utilizes the river front near that location.  I exhibited the map at a recent session of Molovinsky University.

The river port was slightly north of the current America On Wheels Museum, by the Hamilton Street Bridge, going over the Lehigh River to East Allentown.

reprinted for March of 2016

East Side Middle School

The local news has been covering Nat Hyman's lawsuit against Pennsylvania's plan to sell the State Hospital parcel. Also covering the case today is fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare.  I take exception to one premise in his otherwise excellent piece,  that another middle school isn't needed on the east side.  While I don't know the student figures for the existing middle schools, or even if they are overcrowded, I do know that no east sider can easily walk to Harrison Morton, which is the closest middle school to the east side.  Now as the crow flies, perhaps Harrison isn't that much farther than Raub is to the west end,  but there is only one practical route across the Lehigh River.*

Community activist Dennis Pearson has long said that the east side always gets shortchanged.... I believe that there is a lot of evidence for his accusation.  Allentown city council has also asked the state to put the planned sale of the property on hold, so that they can hold a hearing, and get community input on the parcel's future.

* Only the Hamilton Street Bridge connects to a populated area of the east side.  Both the Tilghman  and the new American Parkway Bridges are of little use to students.

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 its 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

Preaching To Allentown's Choir

This is part 2 of the post on the candidate debate conducted by the Allentown Coalition for Economic Dignity.  On Friday, in the first part,  I tried to be somewhat objective about what transpired at the debate. Although I made it clear that this wasn't the Chamber Of Commerce crowd cheering Reilly's NIZ success,  I limited my opinion to revealing that I declined to sign the inclusionary zoning petition. That document is meant to require developers (i.e. Reilly's Stratas) to set a portion of the new units (10-20%) aside for affordable housing.  I wrote against the NIZ before the first building was demolished to make way for the arena.  I defended the former merchants before anybody else. I do not believe that privately owned buildings should be financed with public tax dollars.  Everybody else went along, hoping for their own little taste of the promised prosperity.  That said, I do not believe that any developer needs to provide new apartments at anything less than market rate.

It was pointed out by both the moderator, Rev. Gregg Edwards, and the candidates, that Allentown is now a minority majority city, with a sizable portion of the residents hovering near the poverty line. This reality was the predominate theme of the evening.  All the candidates, both for mayor and city council, told those attending at the inter city church, that they felt their pain about any inequalities in the city. That ranged from housing blight, to not enough minority officers on the police force.

Among other recommendations advocated by the sponsoring Coalition ( a subgroup of POWER Lehigh Valley) is that if the city would compile a database of "good" and "bad" properties, it would be easier for tenants to navigate the rental process.  Center city housing is challenged, but by whom, I disagree. I think that the city should compile a list of good and bad tenants.

I'm not running for office, so I don't have to pander to anyone. Actually, when I did run, I didn't pander then either.

photocredit:molovinsky

Democracy In Allentown

Last night I stopped into the candidates debate at Rev. Gregory Edwards' Resurrection Church. Those interested in knowing who all the candidates are, and what they said, will have to look elsewhere. The debate was hosted by the Allentown Coalition for Economic Dignity. Although I declined to sign their petition for inclusionary zoning, the reception desk made me feel welcome.

The theme of the night was the needs of Allentown's growing diversity, and on that note, Ray O'Connell was astute enough to stress his attempts to make the city hall staff resemble the population.

The debate was very well attended.  Anybody of political consequence was there, including Congresswoman Susan Wild.  Rev. Edwards, as moderator, had several questions centered on the economic inequity of the NIZ. I couldn't help to think that just the day before, J.B. Reilly addressed the Chamber Of Commerce, where the NIZ was praised. Although the two events were only a few blocks away from each other, their points of view are miles apart.

photo courtesy of John Mortensen

Wrestling With Trump

The headline of a letter to the editor caught my attention, Trump’s policies more important than his faults. Although the particular letter didn't elaborate much on anything, that headline captures my dilemma. I agree with Trump on numerous polices, he is just so very inappropriate with his messaging. To many people who don't disagree with the policies, the messaging is so offensive, they can give no credit to policy. To them he is a constant irritant, who must go.

I recognized and wrote about the Trump Derangement Syndrome before the term was coined. Trump is the first thing they lament upon wakening, and the last thing they despise before sleeping. I have lost numerous readers by giving him any credit for anything.

This blog is produced in both web and mobile versions. Those who read the web version can see the Bill Weld For President logo on the sidebar. Nobody, including myself, gives Weld much chance in the Republican primary. To me he symbolizes the concept of keeping the current policies, but with a different messenger.

Opening In Allentown Government

In the Pawlowski era, most opportunities to get on Allentown's council came from appointment. There was no opportunity to become mayor,  even after Pawlowski was indicted.

When Schlossberg and Schweyer moved on to Harrisburg, their seats became available for appointment.  Michael D'Amore resigned when elected magistrate.  Jeff Glazier also was appointed,  and his successor was appointed, when he became controller.

This year with Roger MacLean's decision not to run again, there is a rare opportunity for a new face to be actually elected. While another chronicler might list all the candidates running this year, I prefer to ponder the election environment, and speculate, rather than ask, why people aren't running. MacLean, as a long time public servant, has probably decided to enjoy his amenities, and forego any controversies about them. Nat Hyman might have decided to concentrate on his rental business activities, and forego the inevitable conflict of interest allegations.

Old Allentown's New Problem

An Old Allentown resident linked to an article on Philadelphia gentrification on his Facebook page.  The link caught my attention, because I have been exploring that area of Philadelphia recently...the former black neighborhood south of Rittenhouse Square.

His interest in the topic is apparent, he lives in a mixed income area in the 400 block of N. 8th Street.  You have the solid middle class income attracted to the historical district, and the lower income apartment tenants. You have those who volunteer to beautify the neighborhood, and the indifferent tenants, who don't even obey the basic trash night rules.

Unfortunately for him, the gentrification of Old Allentown never really materialized.  The founders of the historic district were too ambitious, and made the district too large. Like minded people were spread out from 7th to 12th Streets, from Linden to Liberty.   Although now concentrated in the 300 and 400 block of 8th and 9th Streets,  another situation now confronts them.

Former Mayor Pawlowski, who himself lived in center city, befriended Old Allentown.  When plans were formulated for the arena and the NIZ,  OAPA (Old Allentown Preservation Association) stood silently by.  Never mind that historic buildings of architectural significance were being demolished and replaced by new construction without any visual merit.  The arena plan even called for event traffic to exit up and out historic 8th Street. Old Allentown should be grateful that the arena was really only a pretext for privately owned, publicly financed office buildings, and has a minimum schedule.  But all this is the good news, the bad news is Strata Lofts.

The owner of the privately owned, publicly financed office buildings has also built loft apartments, supposedly for millennials.  These apartments are being promoted by the local newspaper, The Morning Call. Whatever middle class is still being attracted to center city,  they are now being steered to City Center Loft Real Estate.  Although I have noted this irony and problem before, OAPA still stays silent, hoping for a cookie thrown their way that never comes.

Mt. Sinai Cemetery

Jews have been buried in a small section of Fairview Cemetery, called Mt. Sinai, for over 138 years. Although the markings on several stones have worn away, Hannah Dreifuss was buried there in 1868. The September 10th Chronicle in 1875 reported that two members of the Jewish faith, prominent Hamilton Street merchants, Joshua Schnurman and Simon Feldman, purchased a section from Fairview Cemetery and applied for a charter for Mt. Sinai Cemetery, thus creating the first Jewish Institution in Allentown.
Fairview Cemetery itself was not formally laid-out until 1870, when the renowned architectural firm Lathan of Buffalo was hired to create the premiere resting place in the Lehigh Valley. The giants of Allentown would be buried there, among them Harry Trexler, the Leh's, and the Mack's of truck fame.
The History Lehigh County, published in 1914, notes Mt. Sinai contained 29 graves. Among them was Julia Wolf, who died in 1907. Her husband Morris served with the local regiment in the Civil War, and lived to be 98 years old. Feldman and Schnurman were among the earliest Jews in Allentown, immigrants from Germany who practiced the modern "Reformed" Judaism. These gentlemen and their extended family members would go on to form the "Young Ladies and Men's Hebrew Society" in 1883, a predecessor to the Keneseth Israel Congregation organized in 1903. Mt. Sinai remained the resting place for Reformed Jews till 1928, when Keneseth Israel established its own cemetery. Burials continued at Mt. Sinai through the 1940's as spouses and passing family members joined those previously departed in family plots. Today there are 78 graves. In July of 2006, thirty years after the previous burial in 1976, Joseph Levine was laid to rest at the age of 103.

Blogger's Notes: Mt. Sinai Cemetery is unaffiliated with any synagogue, and with few exceptions, has been unused for 60 years.

The photo of the fence with Jewish star is a representation. There is no fence around the Mt. Sinai portion of the Fairview Cemetery.

reprinted 

Allentown's New Oligarchy

In the past I have written about the Livingston Club and that era of Allentown's heyday.  The leaders of the period (except Max Hess) would meet at the Livingston Club, and decide Allentown's future.  The group consisted of John Leh, Harvey Farr,  and Donald Miller.  As a common venture, they owned and operated Park&Shop. The Livingston Club existed because in addition to the oligarchy, there was a hundred other successful business men in center city.

Move ahead fifty plus years, and now there is a new oligarchy, J. B. Reilly,  Lee Butz and Mark Jaindl, but no surrounding business men. Tomorrow night J. B. Reilly is being honored at the library for his contributions to downtown.  That must be some sort of insider rich man's joke. We the taxpayers are financing a $billion dollars of  private property(Center City Reality LLC) for him,  and he is being honored for his contribution to Allentown?

ADDENDUM: This post is in no way meant to vilify these men, neither in the heyday past, or now.  They shaped the town, then and now.  Their enterprise was rewarded with great wealth.

General Trexler's Bridge

The 8th Street Bridge is one of the marvels of Allentown.  It was built to facilitate the Liberty Trolley run, from 8th and Hamilton to Philadelphia.  I posted about it before, with its impressive statistics. At the time it was the largest concrete bridge in the world.  It involved two business interests of Harry Trexler,  both the transit company and the local cement industry.

Harrisburg and The Morning Call have been braying about the bridges scheduled for improvement and replacement in the area.  Although, I virtually stopped attending municipal meetings,  I still partake in field trips to the local construction sites.  I don't announce myself, and try to be quick and quiet on these unauthorized inspections.  I would prefer not to vanish like Jimmy Hoffa.  I want to inspect the bridge, not end up in the bridge.

On first glance the work on the bridge looks very impressive. The bridge walls have been replaced with new concrete walls, almost identical to the original, even including the lighting pillars. My question is that the roadbed has been raised about 18 inches, but is still supported by the same arches. Eighteen inches of additional concrete on the roadbed and sidewalk is an enormous additional weight load. Furthermore, I have learned that there was bonding issues between the older base and new concrete. Only the approaches, on both ends of the bridge, have been replaced.  This was done because they are the lowest part of the bridge, and the most feasible parts to replace.  However, they were replaced with pre-stressed concrete beams, and the new arches are only decorative panels.  The original approach bases were massive constructions, which probably would have stood another 1000 years.

Only now is the part of the project which I knew to be necessary beginning.  The massive bridge arches has been showing spalling damage over the last decades.  That is the process where old concrete lets loose from the steel re-bar used as the construction frame.

When the project is completed, I do not expect to be invited to the ribbon cutting.

reprinted from July of 2016

Wehr's Dam, Family Magnet

In 2014,  the South Whitehall commissioners conspired with the Wildlands Conservancy to demolish Wehr's Dam.   Commissioner Tori Morgan assured Abigail Pattishall, from the Wildlands, that it would be an easy deal.  After all, the township's park director(Randy Cope) was the son of a Wildlands director,  and the Wildlands had already formulated the township's master plan park, which called for the destruction of the iconic dam.  Never mind that it is a magnet destination that has attracted generations to its beauty. Never mind that nowhere else can you see water flow over a dam and under a covered bridge in the same spot.

As myself and others rallied to protect the dam,  the Wildlands called in some sacred cow favors. Bill White wrote a column that he wouldn't allow his dog to swim in the water above the dam.  He didn't mention the unique beauty that keeps attracting him to go there,  even though he lives next to a local Allentown park, which also has a pond.  I had to battle for months to get a pro-dam letter printed, finally going over the local editor's head to the publisher.

The commissioners came up with a plan to accommodate the Wildlands.  They would tie keeping the dam to a tax hike, and put it to the voters in a referendum.  When the voters chose to keep the dam anyway,  the township now is ignoring the mandate, and not maintaining the dam. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Wildlands is corresponding with the state to have the dam condemned.  Although I documented the correspondence,  the Morning Call refused to print my letter, or investigate the situation.

Meanwhile, the township has hired the Conservancy to plan and build a  $multi $million $dollar walkway through the park, as if the dam won't be there.

HERE'S THE IRONY, despite their illegal schemes (ignoring a legal referendum), the dam on Sunday was teeming with families fishing together at the dam.  There is no higher calling for a township and their park department,  than to attract families enjoying themselves. The dam has been doing that for over 100 years.

THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE TOWNSHIP TO DECLARE THEIR INTENTIONS CONCERNING WEHR'S DAM.

Wehr's Dam Conspiracy Against Voters

The South Whitehall Commissioners never expected the voters to approve the referendum in November of 2016 to retain Wehr's Dam, especially when they had associated it with a possible tax increase. They thought that they could accommodate the Wildlands Conservancy in demolishing the dam, with no political consequence to themselves.

In July of 2014, the Commissioners gave the Conservancy permission to conduct a study of the dam, which was intended to justify its demolition. The engineering firm for the Conservancy then claimed that the dam was leaking under itself, at one small spot. On February 13, 2015, the DEP wrote the township; "The Wildlands Conservancy has recently brought to our attention that there is some confusion relating to the current condition of the Wehr's Dam..." For the Commissioners to have granted the Wildlands Conservancy permission to interface with the state was improper. The dam is the historic property of the township residents, not an outside party.

A subsequent study of the dam by another engineering firm could not confirm the above referenced leak. It is now necessary for the Commissioners to put aside their agenda of accommodating the Wildlands Conservancy, and honor the results of the referendum. They must change their Park Master Plan, which still calls for the dam's demolition. They must now advocate for the dam with the state DEP, and correct any misconceptions about its condition.

Although its been over three years since the referendum, the township hasn't applied one dab of cement to the dam. On the contrary, last year they tried to breach the dam by having a contractor pull a large tree trunk over it. The township has not said or written one word about the dam since the referendum.  The Morning Call has never made one inquiry or written one word about the dam since the referendum. The dam sits in a state of benign neglect, waiting for the state to accommodate the Wildlands Conservancy and condemn it. Only this blog defends the dam, its magic, and the voters' wishes.

photograph by Gregg Obst

Disgrace On Front Street

Students of this blog know that I'm not a big fan of the Allentown Economic Development Corporation.  Under the Pawlowski regime, they adopted his practice of fluff and puff, devoid of much substance.  Up until now my biggest complaint was their ridiculous plan on restoring the Barber Quarry branch rail line to S. 10 Street.  Although I always oppose removing existing tracks,  there is absolutely no reason to restore now missing tracks on speculation.  The probability of them attracting an industry heavy enough to need rail service is no better than zero.  So far, in about 15 years,  all they managed to do is put a go-kart track in a former Mack factory.  Although they have a $multi-$million $dollar budget, I know landlords who better manage more properties with a pickup truck and cellphone.

But today's post is about the former Neuweiler Brewery.  Mike Fleck, Pawlowski's former indicted campaign/business manager,  hooked up Ruckus Brewing with the AEDC,  which gave them the Neuweiler property.  Although Ruckus is primarily a couple young marketing guys with no actual brewing or property development experience,  they were given several extensions on their Neuweiler option.  They are now allowed to harvest income from renting storage space in the former distribution portion of the brewery, but have made no repairs to the brewery portion itself.  Understand that Pawlowski had the former owner actually jailed for conditions at the property, which is in much worse shape now.

The current condition brings us to a new chapter. Despite its imposing industrial architecture, the building may be beyond feasible saving at this point.  Now anything can be saved, but at what cost?  The building is under the public expense program called NIZ.  The NIZ is a unique program, which uses public tax dollars for private ownership.  I would prefer that my state tax dollars not be diverted to save this wreck,  only to enrich some NYC owners.

Now for a reality check.  Only this blog (later joined by LV Ramblings) sounded the whistle on Pawlowski's Allentown.  Only this blog chronicled the situation down at the former brewery.  Bureaucrats and profiting  law firms are always reluctant to cut bait on their previous poor decisions.

Syrian Flag Controversy

When I read about the Syrian flag controversy at city council,  I sighed somewhat.  Syrians and Allentown have a special bond that goes back over a hundred years.  That community started, and to a large extent stayed, in the 6th Ward since the late 1890's.

During the 1960's they developed a political base, first with D.A. George Joseph, then blossomed under then Mayor for Life, Joe Daddona.  They were Democrats who voted as a block, and held sway over more than one local election. Consequently, their employment by city hall also was noticeable.  Their allegiance to the Assad family is steadfast,  because the Assads were protective of the Christian minority in the homeland.

Paul Muschick has a column in the paper that states that city hall should raise no flag except our own, he writes...The United States is in a trade war with China. We’re haggling with Mexico over illegal immigration. I bet there are plenty of people in Allentown who would object to those flags, too.

Ironically, center city or probably City Center, is scheduling to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Of course that celebration is a transparent attempt to bring some foot traffic to the thirsty for business bars downtown. In blunt reality, all these flag risings in Allentown have always been political pandering, dressed up as cultural appreciation.

By yesterday, another longer established Syrian group came forward to express their support for the mayor's position.

Now, when they're ready for the Molovinsky On Allentown parade, let me know....

Stealing Businesses Is Now Our Industry

When I was a kid growing up in the 1950's, I couldn't begin to tell you everything that was manufactured in Allentown. If it was transistors at Western Electric, toaster ovens at General Electric, or thousands of shirts and pants at dozens of textile mills, Allentown produced product. We now call distributing all the products Made In China an industry. Commercial Development  is reduced to stealing existing businesses from a neighboring town. We pay people to direct Development Authorities, which orchestrate these musical chair jobs. The tax incentives given to facilitate the musical chairs do nothing for the residents but increase their tax burden. Although having no new product, these Authorities and incentives have become an industry in themselves. They have become the talking points for our politicians. Maybe not as a region or a state, but as a country, we would be much better off producing more, and playing musical chairs less.

photo shows toaster ovens being manufactured on S. 12th St. in Allentown

reprinted from February of 2015

A Crime By The Wildlands Conservancy

photo by Tami Quigley

The top photo shows the Robin Hood Bridge, before the Wildlands Conservancy demolished the little  Robin Hood Dam, just downstream beyond the bridge. The dam was only about 10 inches high, and was built as a visual effect to accompany the bridge in 1941. It was the last WPA project in Allentown, and considered the final touch for Lehigh Parkway. Several years ago, the Wildlands told the Allentown Park Director and City Council that it wanted to demolish the dam. The only thing that stood between their bulldozer and the dam was yours truly. I managed to hold up the demolition for a couple weeks, during which time I tried to educate city council about the park, but to no avail. If demolishing the dam wasn't bad enough, The Wildlands Conservancy piled the broken dam ruble around the stone bridge piers, as seen in the bottom photo. I'm sad to report that the situation is now even worse. All that ruble collected silt, and now weeds and brush is growing around the stone bridge piers. I suppose the Wildlands Conservancy considers it an extension of its riparian buffer.

The Wildlands Conservancy should be made to remove, piece by piece, all the rubble that they piled around the bridge piers, despoiling the bridge's beauty. City Council should refrain from ever again permitting The Wildlands Conservancy to alter our park designs.

It has been six years since the dam's destruction in 2013, and the bridge piers look more disgusting than ever.  The hypocrites at the Wildland Conservancy, insisting that dams be demolished to improve  the health of the streams,  have never has said one word about the raw sewage that overflows into the Little Lehigh during storms.  The hypocrites didn't want to antagonize any municipality from which they get grants.

Allentown Parks Victimized

Among the victims of Pawlowski's long corrupt tenure was the Allentown Parks system.  His managing director, Fran Dougherty, hired three park directors in a row with the same background...recreation.  All three of them looked to outside advise in regard to managing the parks' lands.  The Wildlands Conservancy took advantage of this opportunity to dictate Allentown policy and expand their presence in the Lehigh Valley.

They recommended Riparian Buffers along the creeks. Because the storm sewer system is piped directly into the creeks, these buffers are only token, and serve no purpose as true buffers.  However, that reality was of no concern to the Wildlands Conservancy.  They were even given a taxpayer funded grant to plant buffers along the creek in Trout Creek Park. As a consequence of this misguided policy, city residents have lost a unique feature of the iconic parks,  view and access to the creeks.  Ironically, every fall the buffers must be cut down anyway, to prevent invasive species from taking hold.  Also, because of the Wildlands Conservancy policy, we lost the small WPA Robin Hood Dam, and Harry Trexler's Fish Hatchery Dam.

Although Pawlowski is in prison, and we have a new park director,  the system is still under their influence. Along the way, with Allentown's former help, the Wildlands Conservancy became a local sacred cow.  The son of a Wildland's director became park director in South Whitehall, and they dominated that system, even creating that township's park masterplan.  Because they had control of both Allentown and South Whitehall, they are now officially in charge of the $multi $million$dollar Jordan Greenway, which encompasses both municipalities.

Criticism of the Wildlands, a self serving sacred cow, is limited to this blog.  The Morning Call, itself owned by the outside Tribune Corporation, with a succession of outside imported publishers, could care less about such things.

ADDENDUM: It should be noted that the so called environmentalists at the Wildlands Conservancy have never said one word about the raw sewage that spills over into the Little Lehigh Creek.  These hypocrites don't want to antagonize any municipality from which they get grants.  They are allowed to keep 15% of the grants for administrative costs, in other words, their salaries.

photocredit:molovinsky/former Robin Hood Dam

Allentown Parks Should Lead, Not Follow

I spend quite a bit of time in our park system.  Because of this blog,  people who recognize me often share their park peeves.  Recently, someone complained to me about how many trash containers have been removed from a certain park.  I spoke with a park official and was told that the new fad in park management was encouraging people to take out what they bring in.  I know that is fashionable in natural areas like our national parks.  I'll bet it is fashionable with the Wildlands Conservancy, who has been negatively compromising Allentown Parks, trying to turn them back to au naturel.

Allentown Parks are not state game lands.  You cannot install recreation attractions like disc golf and the prison yard exercise equipment at Jordan Park, and expect people to take out what they bring in. Those who make such decisions should visit downtown on a Monday morning, and survey the litter. If anything, our parks should have more trash containers, not less.

Allentown has an iconic park system that can be improved by trying only to duplicate our previous better days. The park system was widely envied, and graced dozens of souvenir postcards.

vintage postcard of Trexler Park

Pawlowski's Poor Priorities

The former Barber Quarry rail spur is no secret. The line ran along the Little Lehigh, under both the 8th Street and 15th Street Bridges, ending up near the present day Hamilton Family Diner. I have posted about it often; The Train of Lehigh Parkway, also The Train of Union Terrace and The Junkyard Train. It has played a role in several City plans. It's former railbed would be incorporated into the Trail Network Plan, and the AEDC received a grant to perhaps reinstate the rail line. Both these projects have been covered here at molovinsky on allentown. Today we are told that construction of the 15th Street Bridge replacement will be delayed because of arsenic found by the former railbed. Arsenic, and other pesticides were previously used to make railroad ties. This also is no secret. We are a city which can work with the state government to fast track development for political and private benefit, but are content to have the entire southside isolated. When construction finally does begin, it was suppose to start last November, the bridge will be closed in both directions for over a year. Schreiber's Bridge, the 184 year old stone structure a quarter mile west, has been taking a pounding.*  In 1957 the 15th Street Bridge opened, finally providing a good connection between South Allentown and the remainder of the city. Because Pennsylvania was considering it's replacement, Community Development Director Pawlowski, under Afflerbach, didn't have it's metal beam structure painted. Because Mayor Pawlowski has been consumed with Transforming Allentown, no haste has been applied to the bridge project. While the politicians and press lament about the Hole at 8th and Hamilton, I'm concerned about the quality of life issues; That bridge is one of them.

*This blog has noted the on going damage to Schreiber's Bridge from heavy use with just one lane of 15th Street Bridge currently closed.  This blogger personally informed Mayor Pawlowski of the damage. 

reprinted from May of 2012

Grumpy Old Men

The incoming emails have been signed Grumpy Hahn. Grumpy rang a bell with me, because the moderator of local facebook page called me bitter. Seems like such adjectives are used for those who find the ethics of Allentown less than pristine.

The facebook groups which are supposed to focus on issues in Allentown, instead find fault with anybody who criticizes the NIZ. Grumpy Hahn is aka Tom Hahn. In 2015, Bernie O'Hare did a piece on him and his challenge to City Council on their ethics. Hahn was grumpy about the city paying Abe Atiyeh considerably more than the apprised value of two parcels it didn't need for the park system. I advocated against the purchase at the time, and since then that they should be sold, even at a loss. 

Tom Hahn is life long resident of the east side, and still isn't on board with the city's agenda. He agrees with Dennis Pearson, who is still complaining about the east side always getting the short end of the stick.

If Hahn expressed himself on these facebook groups instead of emails,  he would most probably be branded a naysayer.  If we naysayers are all gray haired seniors,  and the young activists think Allentown is on the right track,  perhaps Ed Pawlowski can be re-elected when his prison term is over.

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 2014

Hard Words From Soft Machine Gallery

John Mortensen opened his Soft Machine Gallery in a hard neighborhood, Ridge Avenue down in the 1st Ward. Selling art and culture in Allentown is a hard sell. However, I don't think John need fret about his choice of location, because selling art on Hamilton Street is equally a hard sell. Although there is a $billion dollars of new buildings on the Hamilton Street NIZ District, being financed by $70million of our tax dollars annually, even the Moravian Bookstore's annex couldn't survive there.

What brings me to John's Gallery is his continuing struggle on a local facebook group about Allentown Issues. He has documented how desolate the NIZ is, despite the massive public financing of privately owned buildings. Some group members, rather than appreciate his input, think that they should be cheerleaders for the NIZ. They accuse him of being negative. One person even claimed that they could take pictures of desolate Ridge Avenue. John replied.... you are comparing Center City to the 1st Ward.. first mistake. Our gallery is in a long forgotten about neighborhood that is typically avoided so bringing people to events are sometimes challenging.

I applaud John for his efforts on Ridge Avenue. Likewise, I applaud Billy Mack for his efforts on 4th Street. These counter culture efforts, in off path locations, make for an interesting city.

John Mortensen is a write-in candidate for Allentown City Council