Political Correctness Degrading Allentown

PART 1
It was deja vu at Deja Vu nightclub.  This time ten people got shot outside the Hamilton Street bar early Thursday morning.  Over the years I have seen several so called nuisance businesses closed down in Allentown. Perhaps because Deja Vu is a minority owned business, frequented by minorities, authorities tip toed around the problems there. This is no Happy Days soda fountain,  the clientele is patted down for weapons before entering. While the local NAACP  turns loose a bull horn against local police departments,  they never seem to protest against street violence.

Besides this blog, don't expect to read about such realities in Allentown...Such frankness results in accusations of racism.  Authorities will say that people have nothing to worry about,  it's gang related, not random violence.  Politicians will say that the solution is gun control.

Meanwhile, as usual, nobody cooperates with the police. Allentown cannot revitalize until it cracks down on the current bad actors overwhelming it.

PART 2

When I was writing part 1 yesterday, I knew that the Deja Vu nightclub wouldn't have much of a future. The shooting made national news, and there is no way that state senator Pat Browne would allow someplace so close to the NIZ to impact negatively on it. But Browne and the NIZ's barron, J.B. Reilly, have a bigger problem. Yesterday afternoon there was a riot in the 100 block of N. 7th Street, visible from the windows in the new Strata Loft apartments. While police were trying to arrest a man for theft, he assaulted the officers. While trying to subdue the man, a large crowd of the unemployed gainfully unproductive gathered to jeer at the police. Videos were distributed on facebook showing the arrest, and of course not showing the resistance which preceded it. Those imbued with the victim mentality chanted police brutality. While Browne and Reilly can close the bar, those numerous chanters are Allentown's greater problem.

Securing Our Assets

During the World War we secured our assets with armed guards. The private police force at Bethlehem Steel outnumbered the City's police force. Last week, Wayne LaPierce, vice president of the NRA, outraged some liberal elements when he suggested policeman for our schools. The president of the Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, responded: Schools must be safe sanctuaries, not armed fortresses. Anyone who would suggest otherwise doesn’t understand that our public schools must first and foremost be places where teachers can safely educate and nurture our students. An unintended consequence of this debate was the frenzy it created at gun stores across America. Although the figures have not yet been compiled, it may have resulted in the sale of an additional 30 million firearms, especially those of high capacity. Weingarten must consider that even if the sale of firearms were banned tomorrow, there will still be over 200 million guns in the United States. I believe that a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines does not infringe upon the Second Amendment. However, whatever changes are implemented in regard to the sale of firearms, it will take decades to affect the volume of weapons currently in private hands. In the meantime, I don't think that a friendly policeman at a school is a bad role model. We must guard our assets.

reprinted from December 2012

A CyberVisit To Allentown

The responses and comments to the political posts are usually within a day or two. The historical posts have a much longer shelf life. People using search engines find something of their youth often years after I wrote the post. I still occasionally get a comment from someone who worked at a Mohican Market, often somewhere in upstate New York. Yesterday, a former post on the 6th Ward received such a comment.

 Hello molovinsky, I found your blog today. I was born in the 6th ward in 1933. My grandfather, who died very young, long before I was born, was Emanuelle Markowitz and was, I believe, the first religious head of Aguda Achim. His wife was Ida Markowitz. We lived at 234 and then 244 Hamilton St. and went to Harrison Morton grade school before departing permanently to New York City. Arnold Fein (brother is Barry)

 My grandparents lived on Second Street in around 1900, and belonged to the Agudas Achim congregation. After Arnold and I exchanged a couple comments, I invited him to send me a note about Allentown via email.

  Yeah, Michael, I went back for a visit about 3 yrs. ago. All of lower Hamilton St,is part of a highway and the Jersey RR Station ,I was told, failed as a restaurant.The stores I remember on Hamilton between 2nd and 3rd were, Queenies Luncheonette, Bucky Boyle's Bar, Harry Gross Shoes,an A&P on the corner of 1st (Front?)and Hamilton, a "holy roller" storefront church, a travel agency with a large steamship model in the window,Taylors Plumbing Supply (now Weinstein's-I visited the place when I was there), a "Giant" supermarket on 5th and Hamilton across from the P.O., Francis the barber on the hill,the Colonial theatre,etc.Harrison Morton is still there and 2nd St.off Hamilton is still the same including the "A Treat" sign on the little store near HM, which I remember. Some friend's names from that time are: Stanley and Nancy Kulp (Culp?) who lived in an old wooden house next to the Lehigh Valley RR Freight terminal across from Taylor's. Michael Miller, Bobby Kressler, George Mevrides(sp?), Andrew Kent,Dickie Catalina(whom I'll never forget as the guy who came running out on Hamilton St. on 12/7/ shouting, "the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor"), the 4-5 Delaney kids,Dickie Gross who lived in a stone house on 2nd St.just off Hamilton where his father had his dental practice, Lucille Wiener, Phyllis Malatrott,Victoria Minner,Ronald DiLeo whose father was a Dr., (told me my first "off color" joke in the 1st grade while we were standing side by side at a HM urinal)), Marvin Karll, 2 HM footballers (who were not friends as such), Barney Garulla(sp?) and Albert Casium, whom I believe was Albanian.Other places were the slaughter house, Arbegast and Bastion (sp?). Couldn't miss that!, Riverfront Park, and a horse watering trough on the corner of Hamilton and Front(?)Lots of others. Something priceless about childhood, no matter where it's spent.

 Even in Allentown.

UPDATE: More memories from "Arnie" Fein
Also, my grand parents owned a store on 2nd St. around Tilghman, before I was born. My mother always remembered the few words she knew in Slavic because some of the customers spoke only "Slavisch".Another recollection was in 1943 when a lot of us went to the JerseyRR terminal to watch a train full of German POWs being transported west. Larry and Jimmy Whitman lived above the A&P on that picture you sent. Their name was anglicized from a Polish name their parents shortened.Harry and Jean Getz, friends of my mother, owned a small shoe store between 2nd and 3rd Sts.The name of the travel agency was, if I'm correct, something like Bortz. On Walnut St. around the corner from Weinstein's was the "Perkiomen Transfer Co." The local movie house was the Townie which I believe was in the 6th ward.Further up the hill were the Colonial, the Midway and the Transit.There was a trolley named the Liberty Bell which went from 8th St. to Philly and a trolley to Bethlehem along the "Bethlehem Minsi Trail". Other memories as they come from the distant past...

 photo supplied by Arnold Fein, showing him, brother and mother at Hamilton and the current American Parkway, next to the current Weinstein Supply Company.

reprinted from 2012, 2017

2nd & 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 its day.
please click on photo
photocredit:Ed Miller, 1953
reprinted from previous years

The Butchers Of Allentown

Those coming here today looking for a story about sloppy civic leadership will be disappointed. This post is literally about butchers, more specifically, some butchers at Allentown Packing Company. A few days ago, while at the Fairground's Farmers Market, I learned that Bobby had passed away. Bobby was the "kid" who worked at my father's meat market on Union Street. Bobby grew up in an orphanage, a hardship which my father respected.

One meat cutter that I knew nothing about was Lamont, other than he lived at the West End Hotel. He was a bear of a man, who could carry a beef quarter from the cooler with no effort. I never saw Lamont in the market portion of the shop, he always remained in the back, either in the large cooler or the adjoining cutting room. While my father insisted that people working on the counter change their meat coat and apron several times during the day, no such rule was imposed upon Lamont. Although he would look over the trays of meat before being taken out to the display cases, he never spoke.

Last time I spoke to Bobby, he told me that he appreciated that my father had taught him a trade, which he used throughout his life.

reprinted from 2014

advertisement shown above from December of 1949

A Busy Week At Fairview

As the blog week started with Fairview Cemetery, so it will end.  I sort of feel like one of the grandfathers of the current effort there.  While I did suggest to Tyler Fatzinger to start Revive Fairview Cemetery,  he has accomplished more in a week than I ever imagined.  He has arranged publicity for the effort with local media, in addition to investigating what recourses both the city and state could provide.  Furthermore, he has reached out to various local elected officials. Overall, he has created a genuine buzz about solving the problems there.

One person who took interest in the cemetery is an old friend of the operator.  Although he never visited the cemetery prior to this week, he recommended giving the operator an opportunity to work with those volunteering their time, claiming that the operator is willing to cooperate.  Another veteran of the problems there pointed out that the operator has made those commitments before, and that the cemetery is actually in worse shape now than ever.

Tyler Fatzinger suggests applying pressure from all angles, including contacting the attorney general's office.  Tyler pointed out to me that he is only 26 years old, and prepared to be engaged for the long haul.

Engines Of Allentown

Fifty years ago Allentown was home to heavy industry, which required private engines to push material and finished product around their plants. Shown above is the engine at Structural Steel, located under the Tilghman Street Bridge. The Mack 5C plant, located at Lehigh and S. 12th Streets, had it's own engine. Traylor Engineering, on S. 10th Street, also had an engine. Although the private engines of Allentown are gone, a train whistle still blows, as Norfolk Southern rolls through South Allentown, on the old main line.

photo from the Mark Rabenold collection

reprinted from October of 2012

Browne Power

Yesterday, the state senate passed Pat Browne's proposal to demolish the state hospital by a 49 to 0 vote. This is in spite of a local petition effort to save the historic campus of buildings.

Although the original portion of the plan to sell the property to a Doylestown developer has been set aside, which developer ends up with the cleared parcel remains to be seen. Considering Browne's influence, it may well be the Doylestown guy, or some proxy for him.

Although different locals are offended by almost every element of this screenplay, my attention is focused on the power of Pat Browne.  He is the same senator who created the J.B. Reilly empire called the NIZ.

But as amazing as Browne's power is, we must also marvel at the ineptitude of state government in Pennsylvania. Since the reformer governor Wolf was elected, we haven't seen one reform in this state. We still have the highest gas tax. We still have the largest number of representatives in a state house. We still have dozens of overpaid commissions who do nothing but collect a salary.

I snickered at the news about exploring doing away with school taxes. They have been saying that since 1975. First it was going to be the lottery, You gotta play to win. Then it was the casinos.

What we have in Harrisburg is nothing but a club of mutual back scratchers. How else could anybody explain a 49 to 0 vote.

Morning Call file photo

Allentown Forsakes Its History

Once again the plan of a developer is being promoted as progress in the destruction of our history. Waterfront developer Mark Jaindl is going to rip out the LVRR Old Main Line, and give the yuppies another trail for their spandex clad bicycling. He has Whitehall, Allentown and the local planning rubber stamps on board. None of them have a clue about this historic rail line along the west side of the Lehigh River. It is simply the link to the success of Allentown, and in many ways the valley, state and country. I have no plans or allusion about stopping it. I will not be speaking to any more boards and commissions of deaf ears and blind eyes. They are even calling it a Memorial Trail for 9/11. A more enlightened community would preserve the historic track, for a future tourist train ride of our industrial past. Instead, here in the valley we destroy our history, and replace it with a sign. This blog will present photographs of the line and its place in our history, for the edification of those who care.

Enormous fabrication by Fuller Company sided at  Lehigh Structural Steel, on Lehigh Valley Railroad Old Main near the Tilghman Street Bridge

above reprinted from February of 2015

UPDATE JUNE 11, 2019: The historic rail line documented above has been removed. It was serving the last active rail customer in Allentown.

New Thoughts On An Old Cemetery

This past weekend I visited Fairview Cemetery. Over a decade ago, I spent many hours there and wrote numerous posts about its poor condition, resulting in some temporary improvements at that time. I can tell you that now it is in worse shape than ever. However, ironically, there is now much more activity and income being generated.  It has become an active Hispanic graveyard, with numerous new burials.

I was at first very disturbed about this new activity, because the new burials appear to be on old family plots, and on former common ground, such as alongside internal roadways. In one spot, it appears that all the old family stones have been placed around the family obelisk, and the old individual plots are being prepared for new burials. Almost all the new burials are Hispanic, while the old family plots are mostly old Pennsylvania Dutch. There is even a new Hispanic Jewish burial in the old Jewish section. I will leave the legal and moral implications of reusing these older plots to those better informed about such issues.

One reason the cemetery operator can get away with this reuse, is that for the most part, these old families are long gone. The families have died out, and their descendants have moved away.  Most of the new Hispanic graves are well tended by family members. I believe that these new burials may well become the saving grace for the cemetery. While the older families are gone, the new burials will help insure that there are new families who care about the cemetery, and how it is maintained.

Ce-Ce's Issue

I'm fan of Ce-Ce Gerlach, despite her campaign for Inclusionary Zoning. Ce-Ce told WfMZ that the city has an affordable housing problem. "These apartments(Strata) are great, a block away there is poverty," There is always poorer people a block away, no matter what city you go to. The contrast is even greater in the more affluent cities. Unfortunately, to some extent, it is more of a people problem than a housing problem.

Ce-Ce should visit the Social Security Office. There she will see many young people signing up for disability. While there are certainly people who really need such assistance, too many have chosen assistance as a life-style.

I support Ce-Ce because I see her as a genuine candidate of the people, as opposed to a poser. I was an opponent of the NIZ,  because it made the playing field so un-level. Even a building like the magnificent PPL Plaza cannot compete against the taxpayer subsidized new Reilly buildings. Ce-Ce proposes incentives for affordable housing within and adjoining the Strata buildings. Allentown would need a new Department Of Incentives to keep track of it all. What Allentown really needs is more incentivized people.

PPL Plaza Lawsuit

Yesterday, I said that I was deferring opinion of the Plaza lawsuit, the deferral is over. The building was purchased by New York investors with what I call a New York City frame of reference. At the time of purchase, they had no idea that Reilly/Brown would be scheming up the NIZ. They paid top dollar for a premiere building, with a blue chip Fortune 500 tenant. Because they didn't pay NYC prices, although an associate referred to it as a Philadelphia price, they thought it was indeed a solid investment. It is a unique building, which was custom designed to accentuate PPL's promotion of energy efficiency. Although the center atrium facilitated natural daylight, it wastes an enormous amount of space. The grass on the roof and other high tech energy concepts of that moment, bring no added value for other tenants.

The KOZ was originally conceived to help cities draw businesses to brownfields. That concept was bastardized over the years to regular parcels, including the former prime address of Lehigh Valley, 9th and Hamilton. With the KOZ expired, PPL having spun off Talen Energy, and Reilly and Jaindl competing for their tenant, their investment does indeed look like a white elephant.

The NIZ certainly does create an uneven playing field, but so did the previous KOZ's, to a much less extent. If class A space like the Plaza cannot compete, older office buildings have no future what so ever. If we had anything more than moral and mental midgets in Harrisburg, perhaps they would have thought through the NIZ,  in regard to the consequences to the greater marketplace.

reprinted from December of 2015

UPDATE JUNE 6, 2019: The Plaza building has been purchased at sheriff sale by another NYC investment firm.  The Plaza cost $60 million to build. It was purchased by the first NYC firm for $90 million.  They unsuccessfully sued after losing Talen Energy, claiming they could not compete with Reilly's NIZ.  After the first NYC firm defaulted on their loan, the latest NYC firm paid $16 million at sheriff sale. They now have refiled the same suit against the NIZ, on the same basis.

As Allentown Turns

Luiz Garcia reported receiving a poll survey call. Who would you vote for, Democrat Ray O'Connell, Republican Tim Ramos, or independent Nat Hyman? Garcia wanted to know if anybody heard that Hyman was running? To me, the question is who paid for the poll, and the answer would be only Hyman. Elsewhere in Hyman's world, State Senator Pat Browne appears determined to sell a cleared parcel, formerly known as the state hospital. While he changed his bill's number, the intent stays the same. But the new wording seems to suffice, even the Call's columnist, Paul Muschick, thought that it was indeed a new deal. With Browne's NIZ law written in flexible pencil, land trades are now allowed. Maybe the east side parcel will become Reilly Office Campus?

I suppose if Hyman was interested in a third party attempt, this would be the year. Allentown's Republican Party hasn't seated a mayor since Bill Heydt in 1998, so in essence, an independent would be the second party in this town. Ray O'Connell isn't exactly a full fledged incumbent, having been appointed by council. Between O'Connell's 27% tax raise, and Hyman being a landlord, I would expect a less than gentlemanly contest.

UPDATE JUNE 6, 2019:  Today blogger Bernie O'Hare claims that I implied that Hyman was running for mayor,  while he (O'Hare) actually asked him.  While trying to imply that he is a better reporter, what Bernie actually did was confirm that indeed Hyman did have a poll conducted.  Allow me to imply that apparently Hyman didn't like the results, if he paid for the poll, but isn't running.

Revive Fairview Cemetery

About ten years ago, I began searching for the grave of a young Jewish woman, who died around 1900. Among several Jewish cemeteries no longer in use, I searched Mt. Sinai, a small section of the sprawling Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street, just west of the 8th Street Bridge. The cemetery is the history of Allentown's past, including the graves of Harry Trexler, John Leh, and Jack Mack. As one proceeded deeper into the cemetery, away from sight on Lehigh Street, conditions worsened. As is the case with many old cemeteries, fees paid for perpetual care, 100 years ago, were long gone. Complicating the situation, the current private operator wasn't particularly assessable. In addition to extended family members upset about conditions, the situation was compounded by his refusal, with few exceptions, to allow private upkeep. My early posts on the situation drew response and phone calls from people with no interest in local political blogs; They were just exasperated relatives, with a family member buried long ago at Fairview. After beginning a series of posts, and letters to the editor, I prevailed upon The Morning Call to write a story one year later. The Call's story appeared on August 11, 2008. Within two weeks, the cemetery operator agreed to a public meeting I had organized at a local church. Arrangements were made between the operator and several parties. As with several of Allentown's older cemeteries, the issue of maintenance would be ongoing.

The current operator of Fairview, in addition to operating an on-site crematorium, is actively having new burials in the cemetery. It appears as if some of these new burials might be on old large family plots, which haven't been used or even visited in decades. In other cases, they appear to be along the internal roadways, which were previously not considered proper burial places.

Because of my longtime blogging on Fairview, periodically I would be contacted by someone with a family member buried at the cemetery. They were always frustrated by conditions at the cemetery, and asked where or to whom they could turn.  The photo shown above was taken by a frustrated family member. It occurred to me that a facebook group page could be a common meeting ground for such families.  Recently, after I started the Allentown Chronicles facebook group, local resident Tyler Fatzinger demonstrated strong concern for conditions at Fairview. I suggested that he moderate a new group dedicated to the cemetery. He agreed, and started Revive Fairview Cemetery.

Weed Wall Hiding Cedar Creek

If you want to see the creek in Cedar Park, the window is fast closing.   The weed wall, as encouraged by the Wildlands Conservancy, is already 5 ft. tall.  Although only the beginning of June,  with two small exceptions,  the creek is only visible from the bridge crossings.

One of the exceptions is a creek side bench by the park office, at 30th and Parkway Blvd.  Although I did lobby the park department to install a second bench at that spot, so far there has been no response.
The other exception is about six feet of open bank by the small wood bridge, just west of the Rose Garden.

Although I still yearn for the traditional park system designed for Allentown by Harry Trexler's landscape architect,  those days seem to be over.  Years ago, when the Wildlands Conservancy prevailed upon a former park director to stop mowing by the creeks,  the little work reduction corresponded with less park employees. Worse yet for park beauty, it also coincided with more park budget going for recreation.  So while we now cannot see or enjoy the creeks, we have a prison style outside workout station in Jordan Park, and a new skate park coming on board.

Although I recognize these new realities, I will give the park department or city hall administration no relief from my advocating for the traditional park values, which graced the picture postcards of Allentown's past.

A Bridge Stilll Stands

Last night, Glenn Solt, project manager for Lehigh County, came to the county committee meeting prepared with a twelve page report, and the engineer who wrote it. They testified that the condition of the Reading Road Bridge has deteriorated, the cost of repairing it has increased, but that the cost of replacing it has gone down. Solt's determined to rid Union Terrace of that old stone arch bridge. Never mind that it was completely rehabilitated in 1980, 156 years after it was built in 1824. Never mind that Hamilton Street Bridge is a quarter block north, and a new Union Street Bridge is being built a half block south.

Michael Molovinsky, an Allentown blogger who has previously written about the bridge, accused the county of exaggerating the condition of the bridge and the cost for rehabilitating it rather than replacing it. Molovinsky said the bridge's historic value is irreplaceable, "Let me be frank: Mr. Solt has no feel for history whatsoever," Molovinsky said. "... This bridge cannot be replaced. It's that simple." Colin McEvoy/The Express Times/June28,2012

This was the first bridge built west of Allentown, crossing Cedar Creek, on the route west to Reading, and one of the last remaining stone arch bridges. Although I would like to see a stake driven through the project, technical legalese demands that I periodically appear and defend our history and culture. The bridge replacement funds were approved years ago, and the matter at hand is a small contract for engineering studies.

reprinted from 2012

ADDENDUM: I'm happy to report that I would continue campaigning for the bridge, and eventually convinced the County Commissioners to save the structure.

Flash From Past

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

reprinted from previous years

New Graveside Tears At Fairview

In August of 08, after about a year of blogging on conditions at Fairview, The Morning Call ran the story shown above. I did manage to organize a small meeting between the cemetery operators and the public later that fall. Yesterday I received the following comment, submitted to a posting from that period.

Patti from California has left a new comment on your post "New Graveside Tears":

My family is buried at Fairview and 2 weeks ago I visited and was appalled at the horrible conditions and total lack of maintenance throughout the cemetery. I have been trying to reach Loretta or David most of the summer and was told they had taken an extended trip out of the country. (business must be good) They seem to be back now - but still no way to actually talk to them.

My mother is 97 - plans to be buried there with her parents and my Dad. I could cry at the thought ....

I googled Fairview and was led to your blog. Loretta told me in May I could get our plot maintained if I invested in their endowment for $1000. After seeing the total lack of care there, I feel like I would be throwing the money away. What do other people think or do about this appalling condition?

I feel sorry for this family, Fairview may have been a well maintained place when the father was buried there many years ago. I believe the cemetery is in better condition than it was two years ago, but that's not saying very much. I will occasionally revisit this topic, to at least continue a small noise on behalf of these families.

reprinted from September of 2009

ADDENDUM: Over the years I have published numerous posts about Fairview Cemetery. Today and yesterday, I revisited the cemetery to cast light on a problem; Allentown's orphan cemeteries. Although Fairview isn't really an orphan, it shares the same issues as the West End Cemetery, in center city. Our esteemed mayor took it upon himself to purchase two unnecessary parcels, ostensibly to add to the park system. In addition to their cost, $1.5 million dollars, there will be upkeep expenses by an already underfunded park system. City hall should instead concentrate on these cemeteries, which have been problematic for decades.

reprinted from November of 2016

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 7, 2017: In the picture above I'm shown walking in Fairview. Over the last decade, in addition to advocating for the cemetery's upkeep, I've made frequent return visits to keep checking on conditions. Starting about five years ago, I noticed new burials toward the rear of the sprawling cemetery, near Harrison Street. It certainly appeared to me that these new burials were on old family plots, probably no longer visited by any descendants. I mentioned my concern to several people associated with other cemeteries. They seemed to share my suspicion, but did not want to get involved. The new burials have continued, and now appear bordering old family plots even closer to the front of the grounds, near Lehigh Street. The current owner claimed years ago that the plot plan for the cemetery was destroyed in a fire. Let this post serve as public notice of what may well be a new problem at a very old cemetery.

Coffee With Emma And Ce-Ce

This blog did not take any overt positions on the recent primary election. Instead of profiling any candidate, I reprinted my piece on Emma Tropiano, The People's Candidate. I believe that Emma has a kindred spirit in Ce-Ce Gerlach. Now, I understand that a lot of people will take exception to my comparison, maybe even Ce-Ce herself.

Because of inaccurate media reports, Emma was falsely portrayed as bigoted. Her memory now unjustly bears that misconception. Most people today who repeat that slander never knew her. Emma was immensely popular, and easily won reelection to city council, election after election. Ce-Ce Gerlach was the top vote getter this primary, receiving almost double the votes of her fellow candidates.

As someone who knew both women, there are many similarities... Both being extremely accessible, down to earth, and making people comfortable.

Emma was energized to work hard for Allentown, as is Ce-Ce. Emma was passionate about the issues she championed, so is Ce-Ce.

I sat in diners having coffee with both of them, many years apart. I think that they would have understood and liked each other.

photo/The Morning Call

An American Hero

This painting, by aviation artist Mark Postlethwaite, based on World War 2, illustrates an actual air battle; Focke Wulf Fw 190D-9 of 14/JG26 flown by Ofw. Werner Zech is intercepted by a P-51 Mustang of the 339th FG flown by Captain Francis R. Gerard, 18th March 1945. Frank Gerard was one of our flying aces, shooting down four enemy aircraft from his Mustang in one battle over Leipzig, Germany. The retired Major General passed away this week (November 2008) and will be buried tomorrow with full military honors.

reprinted from November of 2011

Open Mike

This posting is intended to provide an opportunity to comment on any topic, or on a previous posting.  Anonymous comments were permitted on this post for several hours.

Street Madness In Allentown

Recently, I blogged about a gang of off street vehicles recklessly running stop lights on Front Street, near Bucky Boyle Park.  On Tuesday, I witnessed the same type of activity around 13th and Tilghman. Reports on facebook indicate that these driving violators are roaming freely around center city.  Also yesterday, there apparently was a running gun battle between two cars over a large section of the west end.

The time has come for police chief Tony Alsleben to crack down.  While I understand that the shooting car chases aren't everyday, the herd of off street bikes has become a constant.  At the least, they are guilty of disturbing the peace and reckless driving.

It's past time for a crack down. Worry about conviction rates and civil rights later. Allentown is fast losing quality of life.

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