Democrats To Eat Rich

Last night once again I listened to, rather than watched, the debate. I heard NYC Mayor di Blasio say that he will tax the hell out of the rich. With no video, and only my imagination, he sounded so gleeful about it, I thought of the couple on Gilligan's Island cooking in a kettle.

While Kamala Harris kept up her attack on Biden, it was Tulsi Gabbard, rather than Biden himself, who brought retribution back to Harris about her record as attorney general in California.

In the first portion of the debate, I was getting a little nauseous listening to the candidates drone on about medicare. Hope my policy provides coverage for that.

Each candidate stressed that they have the capacity to beat Trump, but apparently not the other Democrats, since only one will prevail.

Democratic Boxing Tournament

Yesterday,  this blog featured one of my posts from the Joe Louis boxing era. During that period people would sit around the radio and listen to the event. I do not get CNN on my limited television package, so I ended up listening to some of it on my computer.

I mostly heard people interrupting each other, with Elizabeth Warren being the main interrupter. I did hear Bernie Sanders say that He wrote the damn bill. This morning I read that it was the knockout line of the debate. Before I fell asleep, I also heard him say that under his plan I could get a hearing aid with my medicare. I could use that.

I understand that the rest of the tournament is tonight. Because I keep baker's hours, I couldn't stay up that late even if my TV received CNN. But, I figure if Joe Biden can stay up and stand on the stage, I should be able to stay awake long enough to listen to some of it.  Anyway, who knows what I'll get promised tonight?

Boxing 1930's, Primo Carnera

When Abe Simon fought Joe Louis in 1942, Abe was the biggest heavyweight* fighting. That wasn't the case when Abe began his career in 1935. Primo Carnera was an Italian strongman on the European circus circuit. He fought his first fight in Paris in 1928. It is pretty well known that he was brought to N.Y.C. by mobsters who arranged and managed his fights. The 6'6" giant upset Jack Sharkey in 1933, and held the title for a year until Max Baer had a go at him.

In 1935 Carnera fought the up and coming Joe Louis, who pulverized him into a bloody mess. Primo would return to Europe. Shown in the ring with him in 1933 is Jean Harlow, promoting her movie classic Bombshell.

* 6'7" Buddy Baer, brother of Max, had retired after a beating from Louis earlier in 1942.

reprinted from November 2012

Shooting At Iron Pigs Game

Over the weekend, a 10-year-old was shot inside Coca-Cola Park – on the actual ballfield – just prior to an Iron Pigs game. While nobody initially knew the boy was shot, an x-ray at the hospital revealed a bullet in the boy's leg.

The discovery that the boy had been shot came an inning or two into the ball game. Amazingly, neither the Iron Pigs nor the Allentown Police Department did anything to lockdown and/or clear the stadium.

In a hastily-revised article by the Morning Call, Iron Pigs GM Kurt Landes and co-owner Joe Finley were quick to state that the bullet most likely came from outside the stadium by someone indiscriminately shooting into the air.

This raises a few questions/observations:

1) Why wasn't the stadium evacuated once it was discovered that the boy was a victim of a shooting. Doesn't the safety of the other spectators (and the players) matter as much as making sure the Iron Pigs generate maximum revenue on a game night?

2) Who made the decision to continue with the game? Surely the APD could not have already completed their investigation, and likely couldn't even begin it since a baseball game was being played on the crime scene. Yet somehow both the Iron Pigs and the APD allowed the game to continue. This is an amazing contrast to the response a few weeks ago in Bethlehem, when an UNARMED man climbed into unauthorized areas on the Steel Stacks property and Bethlehem police canceled events and cordoned off the area out of concerns for the patrons there.

3) Why does the Morning Call accept the word of people with a vested interest in the narrative (Landes and Finley) dictate the facts of the story? The revised story had a lot of quotes from Finley and Landes about what the APD said it could be, but virtually nothing from the APD itself. The Iron Pigs advertise in the Call and the Call has been a big cheerleader for the team. Given the role the Call had (and the results it lead to) after being a decade-long cheerleader for Ed Pawlowski and slanting stories in his favor, it would appear that the Morning Call has learned nothing from how that experience turned out.

 4) Even if the investigation concludes that the bullet did come from outside the stadium, there is the far larger question of whether it was just random or deliberately fired. I am not a great believer in random events, and think it is far more likely that (if the shot indeed came from outside the stadium) somebody shot at the stadium deliberately. I’m not saying they were aiming at the boy who got shot, but that the stadium and ANY of its patrons would have been the target.

I know that’s a narrative that the Iron Pigs won’t want to discuss. But I’d like to believe that City Hall, the APD, and the Morning Call will put the public’s safety first in this case, or at least on an equal footing with the team’s profits.

We deserve honest answers about what happened on Saturday night. So far, we’re not getting them. 

The above was a comment submitted to the previous post by UNKNOWN.


ADDENDUM: The IronPigs have issued the following statement, "The police have concluded that someone discharged a gun in the air within a three-mile radius outside the ballpark. Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing the IronPigs could have done differently to prevent this type of incident from occurring." 

Certainly the team and police could not have prevented the incident from occurring, but they could have stopped the game and evacuated the stadium, while they determined that what actually happened presented no danger to anyone else.

According to the most recent Morning Call article, about 77% of falling bullets shootings hit the victim in the head, and about 1/3 die. Thankfully, the boy was very lucky. However, the stadium owners and police failed to protect the public by ending the game.  Currently, the coverup continues.

Aftermath Of Shootings In Allentown

The recent wave of shootings in Allentown continues to generate response. Hasshan Batts, who recommends that government generously fund his Promise Neighborhood organization, led a march in center city.  Ed White, political strategist, recommends that the city start a new Department Of Youth. He claims that such a department could be funded by finding waste in the existing city budget, and grants. By coincidence, his favored candidate for city council has experience in the grant sector, and will look for the money, if he wins the seat or not. As mentioned in my previous post, councilman Courtney Robinson thinks that we should inventory our existing youth associated services. I would like to elaborate on that approach.

The last thing this city government needs is another department. Although the shootings evoke a woke reaction, and such violence is newish to Allentown, it's a long standing chronic urban condition. For a city which just assessed a 27% tax increase, I certainly hope that the budget was scrutinized for waste. I certainly hope that all city departments are seeking any available grants. Allentown already has extensive youth programs conducted by the department of Parks and Recreation. Under the previous administration, several new positions were created to assist the mayor.  Certainly one of these positions could be utilized to include outreach and coordination of available options for youth. 

Allentown cannot approach one problem by complicating another,  homeowners are maxed out already.

image from West Side Story

Mileage From The Violence

It seems that some are trying to get some funding or publicity from the current wave of carnage in Allentown. The Morning Call newspaper went to bat for Promise Neighborhoods, and got some funding restored for that organization.

Promoter Ed White recommended supporting a new organization he started.  By my standards, the most logical recommendation came from councilman Courtney Robinson...He recommends creating an inventory of existing activities available for young people. While little leagues for baseball and basketball have existed since my youth, there are also excellent existing facilities for after school activities. In addition to keeping school gyms open, there is the YMCA and Jewish Community Center. There are people like Pastor Jim Rivera, who has been engaging youth constructively for decades.

Realistically, those who engage in gangs and violence, resist partaking in such activities as enumerated above. While hopefully some kids will find alternatives to the street, we will also need beefed up police action.

The Legend Begins

On July 4th, 1934 Joe louis made his debut as a professional fighter. Eleven months and nineteen straight victories later, most by knockout, 62,000 fight fans would jam Yankee Stadium to watch the new sensation fight the giant, Primo Carnera.

New York, New York - Primo Carnera, giant Italian boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world, and Joe Louis, hard-hitting negro heavyweight from Detroit, Michigan, weighed-in this afternoon at the offices of the New York State Boxing Commission for their fifteen round bout tonight at the Yankee Stadium. - 6.25.1935

Although badly battered from the first round, Carnera would gamely stay in the fight till it was stopped in round six. The legend of the Brown Bomber was clearly established.
photo of Primo Carnera

This blog has produced 24 posts chronicling the Joe Louis boxing era, many featuring Abe Simon, a Jewish heavyweight of the era... Simon and my mother were cousins. Lately, Allentown violence has allowed me little time and space to visit Madison Square Garden in the early 1940's. During the next few weeks I will reprint some of these posts, while still assigning staff to the city beat. One of my attractions to the boxing world is the black and white photography produced during that era. The public would listen to the fights on the radio, and then see the photographs in the newspapers the following day. While reproducing these posts, I may in some instances substitute alternative photographs, all classic images from the age of film and flash bulbs.

reprinted from 2012

Allentown's Drive-By Shooting

Yesterday, Allentown officially joined the drive-by shooting strata. A woman was shot on her porch near 9th and Tilghman, and officially designated an unintended drive-by, according to Allentown police.

Recently, a retired west end lawyer told me that he and his wife do not go downtown because they fear being an unintentional victim of violence. Although I found his fears unwarranted, after he reads today's paper, his fears will only be confirmed.

In 2005, as a candidate, I told Allentown that they were becoming a poverty magnet, which would have later consequences. One of the agencies which concerned me at that time just stated that they earned their reputation of an outstanding service provider, an effective advocate for low-income residents of the Lehigh Valley. We will now be funding agencies which promise to deal with the violence previous agencies wrought us.

illustration by Mark Beyer

Facing Allentown's Problems

Although the recent shootings have certainly been distressful for Allentown, if you're a candidate running for office, or a youth program director, there is no shortage of talking points to be made about the violence.

Hasshan Batts from Promise Neighborhood took advantage of the chaos, addressing a rally, and with an editorial in the paper. He said and wrote that "This is a proven, tested framework that has decreased violence by up to 80% across the world in neighborhoods that boldly implemented these strategies with generous, long-term funding." 

I don't doubt that Hasshan is as qualified and experienced as any director in any city. But since the Hell's Kitchen movies of 1930 with James Cagney, youth gangs, almost by definition, resist the Father O'Brians and Hasshan Batts'. Large cities like Chicago and Los Angelos have no shortage of experienced youth directors, yet the problems persist. Our elected leaders should support programs such as Promise, but let's be realistic before going boldly with generous, long-term taxpayer funding. 

photocredit:Jane Therese/The Morning Call

A People's Candidate

On Friday morning I was at Tim Ramos' well attended press conference. His speech mainly had to do with the recent shootings, and that as mayor he would do better than the current administration. He stressed restoring community policing,  a temporary curfew for young people, and city sponsored youth activities.

I've known of the Ramos family for years. since his brother Steve ran for Harrisburg a number years ago.  Tim, as was Steve, is on the Republican ticket. While most of the local Latinos are affiliated with the Democratic Party, Tim's earnestness transcends party considerations.

Although I took pictures showing the crowd, I use this picture with Ramos' back to the camera, taken after the press conference, to illustrate his ability to reach out and relate on a one to one basis.

Greg Weaver Art Scene

For about ten years, mid 70's to 80's, Allentown was graced with a one man art machine. Greg Weaver studied at Carnegie Mellon and then returned to the Valley to become artist, promoter and inspiration to dozens of local artists. His large studios, which moved from one low rent location to another over the years, became hubs for innovation and social activity. He was very prolific with his work, and generous with his encouragement. A typical monthly bash involved perhaps a poster by Mark Beyer( now an internationally known underground comic) performance by a jazz group such as Gary Hassey,(Greg also had a band) and perhaps a new showing by a local artist, such as Barnaby Ruhe. The loft parties were always mobbed, by many of the same people who now attend the Museum social events. This art "scene" cost the taxpayers nothing, it was done by artists, and it was real. Greg suffered from diabetes, and eventually lost his sight. Although blind he continued to produce art and inspire people until his death. Several of his works are in the Allentown Museums' permanent collection and his memory is in the hearts of his friends.

This post, which goes back to the early days of this blog, renewed interest in Greg's art scene and work.  It is still my hope that his art and inspiration be given more prominence by the Allentown Museum.

Tough Look At A Bad Time In Allentown

On Tuesday evening as a group of concerned citizens were meeting at a church on Ridge Avenue to discuss the recent spate of 24 shootings, another one took place. On facebook there is talk that the city needs better leadership, at both city hall and the police department. I do not subscribe to those theories. In larger urban centers, shootings are a daily occurrence. Although Allentown is still a small city, the poverty ratio now defies the normal socioeconomic bell curve. Many people consider associating poverty and crime as racist. I'm not a sociologist, nor prepared to provide qualifying data, but observation and crime reports certainly suggest a strong relationship between poverty and crime.

In 2005, as an independent candidate for mayor, I claimed that Allentown was becoming a poverty magnet. I saw thousands of people on entitlements being staked to move-in money by several well meaning but misguided agencies. For my observation, I was inappropriately accused of racism. My contentions were based on the apparent connections between poverty and crime, regardless of people's race and ethnicity. I certainly realize that not all poor people are criminals, but poverty does seem to generate desperation. Here we are 15 years later, and people are wringing their hands about what can be done.  In reality, if anything easy could be done, the shooting deaths in Baltimore and Chicago wouldn't be going up every year.

Despite my bluntness, I do believe that things can be made better in Allentown. Obviously a zero tolerance crackdown is in order. Hopefully our leaders will have the fortitude not to be intimidated by  accusations based on political correctness, whether they be of profiling or even of racism.

photocredit: Rick Kintzel/The Morning Call

Treasures Lost On Hamilton Street

                                                   click photograph to enlarge

The merchants who built Hamilton Street counted on architecture to attract shoppers into their emporiums. Large neon signs wouldn't appear for another fifty years. The soffit and fascia shown above, halfway between 7th and 8th on Hamilton, is one of the most elaborate facades in Allentown. One thing you can say about Allentown City Hall, they never let culture, art, or history get into the way of their plans. As successful cities come to value and profit from their history more and more, Allentown keeps using the standard catalog of proven failures. I know from other projects on Hamilton Street that Pawlowski isn't big on history. The Cityline Building in the 800 Block was permitted to stucco over beautiful brickwork. Sad that the puppies, who are directors at the Art Museum and Historical Society, remain silent on the planned destruction. It's hard to describe the magnificence of the skylight shown below, also in the targeted block. It's very large in three sections, in pristine condition. Should be quite a snack for Pawlowski's bulldozer.
The bulldozer prevailed, and the former architectural treasures of our mercantile history were not preserved, save for this blog's archives. Above is reprinted from May 2011

ADDENDUM:   This past weekend, a member of Old Allentown Preservation Association, and an active local Democrat, bragged on facebook about how he had recycled an old second floor office door from the demolished buildings in the arena zone. In truth, Old Allentown also turned a self serving, callous eye to the destruction noted in the above post. Although I'm glad the door was recycled, allow this post to note the irony and hypocrisy of the Association.

reprinted from January of 2015


UPDATE NOVEMBER 16, 2017: Although there's always some group bestowing some award on any new development, the Allentown NIZ is certainly no architectural destination.  Although I've taken hundreds of photographs in Allentown, including the ones shown here,  I have yet to buy film for any new building in the NIZ.

NIZ And Our Tax Dollars

All citizens of Pennsylvania subsidize the NIZ in Allentown. While state taxes are used for the developer's debt service,  those taxes must be made up to maintain Pennsylvania services. The NIZ is administered by an oversight board called ANIZDA.  That is the official description in a nutshell.

Students of this blog know that my description of the district is much more realistic.  It is a legal real estate deal worked out by state senator Pat Browne and his friend, J.B. Reilly.  Reilly owns most of the developable property in the 128 acre district, and is by far the biggest developer. With a couple exceptions, all the new buildings belong to him.  He is now even landlord to the Morning Call.  Over the years I have documented many of the backroom shenanigans,  including the explusion of the former merchants and property owners.

A recent article outlined new board member Adrian Shanker's attempt to make the NIZ more diversity conscious. He slowed down approval of an eventual $250,000 advertising contract promoting the NIZ. In reality, the advertising agency is a Reilly tenant, and the contract insures the rent stream to Reilly, and hopefully more tenants for his buildings.

Vibrant Downtown Living

On Saturday at 2:00pm, on a clear sunny afternoon, I drove down Hamilton Street. Between 10th and 7th Streets there were only four people.  Two of them were not a asset to center city, under any criterion.  The other two were almost at 7th, and carrying bags.  I suspect they may have been shopping at Villa, on 8th and Hamilton.  Although downtown apologists and cheerleaders will say that my report isn't true, unfortunately, it is all too true...especially on Saturdays.

J. B. Reilly's financially attainable apartments in the former Holiday Inn are just the beginning of his entry into the prevailing rental market.  There is no way that he will even attempt for the Strata rents in his new apartments on S. 8th Street, when they are completed.  Although he and the Morning Call refer to center city as vibrant, it is in fact a dead zone.  The paper and cheerleaders on local social media have bragged that these new apartment units are being financed without the NIZ. Actually, the NIZ was never to include residential. Offices and stores on the first floor of these residential buildings does allow Reilly to tap some NIZ benefits. Furthermore, there is no scrutiny of the prorations by the ANIZDA board.  Adrian Shanker,  head of the local gay and lesbian organization, is a recent appointee to the board. He managed to see that the guidelines were changed to include gays with other minority contractors,  that should be hired by the developers. Expect to see steel workers singing and dancing on the high beams.*

When Reilly is done building his new attainable rate apartments,  Allentown may become worse than it is now.  Allentown's problem isn't a lack of affordable housing, but rather a surplus of it. In that sense, Reilly is only contributing to the problem. Likewise, so are the new units in former converted factories.

* I'm not a fan of rewarding contracts based on minority ownership. The practice is not merit based, and has been exploited. While this blog does not adhere to political correctness standards,  Shanker has introduced some new thinking into the Good Old Boy Club called ANIZDA.  More on that in a future post.

New Park Plans All Wet

Allentown has announced plans for  new parks on the distressed parcels purchased during the Pawlowski regime. Pawlowski purchased these brownfields from a developer who had no other possible offers. Furthermore, he paid triple the appraised value. Cedar Beach swimming pool, after finally opening last summer, is again closed because of another leaking pipe. I believe that if the FBI didn't have more than enough shady deals to charge Pawlowski with, both the land purchase and swimming pool contract may also have been scrutinized.

Budget wise, Allentown Park Department already has far too many deficits to justify expanding its burden even farther. Although I support both the mayor and the park director, they are misguided to pursue this expansion. While grants may be found for new parks, the future ongoing maintenance will only increase the strain on the annual park budget. Instead, they should concentrate on restoring the existing parks to peak condition.

Jennie Molovinsky, Part 1

I was at a party where the host recently acquired a lawn sculpture. Unknown to him, a section of it was comprised of an old Jewish tombstone, of a wife and mother, M. Azrilian, who died at the age of 25 in 1918. It's a beautiful carving of a branchless tree trunk, symbolizing a life ended prematurely.
I became concerned as to where this stone had come from. Who would know if their great-grandmother's stone was taken? I had no idea even where my great-grandmother was buried. I searched for this young woman's grave. Finally, Rabbi Juda from Bethlehem directed me to the old Agudath Achim Cemetery in Fountain Hill. There I found the woman, M. Azrilian, with a new grave marker. Next to her I discovered Jennie Molovinsky, my great-grandmother.

My thanks to Rabbi Juda and M. Azrilian (1893-1918)

I  wrote the above paragraph in July of 1997.  In searching for M. Azrilian, I first became aware of Mt. Sinai, the small Jewish portion of Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street in Allentown. Early posts on this blog deal with my advocacy for that cemetery, and the history of the Mt. Sinai portion.  When Jennie died in 1913, the former Agudath Achim Synagogue on 2nd Street in Allentown had just consecrated their new cemetery on Fullerton Avenue. Jewish tradition requires that the first burial be a man, so Jennie was buried in the old cemetery, on Fountain Hill.

reprinted from June of 2014

Separate But Equal Housing For Allentown

When Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski gave his State Of The City speech the other day, he spoke the usual platitudes; He wants the lives of all Allentonians to be better. That sort of stock speech is not worthy of my analysis, but I would like to discuss where he gave the speech. Needless to say the lives of all Allentonians won't be better, considering one objective of the NIZ is to push the underclass out of the new nirvana. What should be a goal is improving the lot of all businesses, beside those few new chosen ones, subsidized by the NIZ. For decades the speech was given at the current Holiday Inn at 9th and Hamilton. With J.B. Reilly's brand new subsidized Renaissance Hotel, the future for the Holiday Inn looks bleak. Pawlowski had an opportunity to tell the owners that they're not forgotten, by once again using their facility to give the speech; Instead, he pontificated at the shiny new Renaissance.

above reprinted from February 2, 2015

UPDATE JULY 10, 2019. Ce-Ce Gerlach has been campaigning for Inclusionary Zoning. Under that proposal, a certain percentage of Reilly's new Strata Loft apartments would have been made available to people of less income for less rent. Although J.B. bulked at making his Lofts' mixed income, he has announced a separate domicile for the less fortunate. The former Holiday Inn at 9th and Hamilton is being converted for those of lesser means. Actually, Reilly's gentrification for millennials never made it west of 8th Street anyway.

Shootings And The Renaissance

One wonders if there can be a true renaissance, when drive-by shootings are occurring three blocks away. Although discussions of this sort are referred to as nay-saying in Allentown, that reality is affecting the marketplace. Lehigh Valley Health Network was supposed to put their orthopedic satellite on Hamilton, at the arena. After realizing that patients wouldn't go there, they chose the Westfield Building, out on Tilghman street. To fulfill their obligation to J.B. Reilly, they instead installed a fitness center. However, to induce employees to go down there and use it, they must now hire security personnel to escort the nurses to their cars. Although Pawlowski and his police chief say that crime is down, the nurses know better, they see too many victims. Reilly is succeeding in inducing a critical mass of office workers into the zone. They will need lunch, and there will be a market for restaurants. The success of any shops remains to be seen. How many new apartments can be supported, and who will occupy them, also remains to be seen.

Rumors are starting to circulate that Pawlowski is making plans to resign. Consequently, there are discussions on who council would appoint to replace him. This blog will wait to address that topic when a change occurs. However, the uncertainty doesn't help Reilly's Marketplace.

artwork courtesy of Mark Beyer

above reprinted from July of 2015

UPDATE JULY 9, 2019: When I wrote the above post four years ago, I never imagined that Pawlowski would get reelected again, and hang around until they were ready to drag him away to prison. I also never imagined that shootings would become a common event in Allentown. The latest one at the Maingate Nightclub unfortunately illustrates how mainstream they have become. There is no renaissance in Allentown, despite all the promotion that Reilly and The Morning Call can fabricate. On the contrary, the new buildings are just a ironic backdrop to a rapid decline in the civility and livability of the city.

View From Fairview Cemetery

This past weekend the Morning Call reported on current efforts to tame Fairview Cemetery, located on Lehigh Street, just west of the 8th Street Bridge. The article was very kind to the current operator, who should have been keeping the cemetery mowed. The article mentioned my efforts there, over a decade ago. At that time, although the cemetery was generally neglected, it was still in better shape than this year, before the current volunteer efforts began. While the reporter mentioned only one funeral in an old family plot, he didn't report on the numerous new burials taking place in questionable places. These places include former designated walking paths between plots,  and spots in old family plots, where new outsider burials should not be taking place at all. Although the operator wasn't mowing this year, he now more income than ever from the new burials.

When I became involved in the cemetery in 2008, Chris Casey was already caring for his inlaws' plots. While he and other volunteers are now mowing more and more of the cemetery, he realizes that his labor is ironically making the operator's funeral business more marketable.

Last month I encouraged Tyler Fatzinger to start a facebook group, where those interested in Fairview can congregate. Tyler, in addition to an enormous amount of hard work at the cemetery, has managed to get the attention of the local media. So far two meetings have occurred, one with the operator himself. Tyler is a young man in this challenge for the long haul.  His informal group has begun exploring the possibility of creating an organization dedicated to the cemetery's upkeep.

Good News For Joe Paterno Fans

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

Forrest Gump card courtesy of Bob Lemke

reprinted from September of 2012

Freight Trolleys and Shenanigans

This was supposed to be a Men's Stuff post, about the working cars on the Lehigh Valley Transit Company. Doing research for the previous post on that company, I became fascinated that they operated a freight operation with the trolley cars. I started acquiring documentation and photographs about the working cars necessary for such an operation. They built power substations throughout the valley that generated electric, then converted the AC to DC for their use. The rolling stock required coal trolleys, wire stringing trolleys, snowplow trolleys, and etc. I will present these black and white photo treasures in future posts, because I got side tracked by a shenanigan; you know me. Lehigh Valley Transit operated out of the Fairview Carbarn, which Lanta still uses off of Lehigh Street. Despite a trolley fleet that covered the entire City, plus the remainder of the Valley (Bethlehem and Easton), all the Men's Stuff working cars, and trolley service to Philadelphia, Lanta now needs Bicentennial BallPark because they acquired five (5) new hybrid buses? Supposedly these five new buses require a special garage. Although the Fairview facility now handles 78 regular buses, the ballfield has to go because of the five new hybrids.

men only: enlarge freight trolley by clicking on image

above reprinted from May of 2010

UPDATE July 4, 2019:  Attempting to save the ballpark, I organized a meeting at a center city church.  Attending the meeting were two city council members and families involved with Bicentennial Park.  Pawlowski and Lanta finally backed off, and the ballpark remains. Some people who attended that meeting became interested in Allentown politics, and attend council meetings to this day. Pawlowski's shenanigans have since caught up with him.

Trolley Demise In Allentown

A local young urbanist speculated that automobiles put the end to trolleys in the Lehigh Valley. He was half right, actually it was the Mad Men from General Motors. In the early 1950's, Americans were still a one car family, even in the prosperous Lehigh Valley. The mass transit system was still full of the other family members, still using the system for work, shopping and school. Between the late 1940's and 1953, Hamilton Street had both trolleys and buses. In the late 40's, General Motors wined and dined transit officials all over the country, exhorting the benefits of their buses. Shown above is a Lehigh Valley Transit work car, towing a trolley to Bethlehem Steel to be scrapped. The photograph was taken in 1952 on St. John Street, heading toward the Fountain Hill route. In June of 1953, the last trolley would run on Hamilton Street.

 reprinted from September of 2011

The Culverts Of Constitution Drive

As an advocate and student of the WPA, I'm often asked about the stone walls on Constitution Drive. None of the walls there invokes as much curiosity as the one I'm shown photographing. Locals refer to this structure as The Spring. Notice that there is a small short wall in front. This stone barrier protects vehicles from driving into the pit, designed to drain water through a pipe under the gravel roadway. Culverts and other practical structures were common WPA projects. Constitution Drive has several WPA culverts, but none of the other retaining walls are as elaborate as the one seen in the photograph above. Although Lehigh County designated funds several years ago to repair this wall, the work was never done. Such neglect is also the case in Allentown. The top wall of the double stairwell descending into Union Terrace is in dire jeopardy. This blog will soon once again document the condition of that structure. While our history and legacy crumble, this community and it's leadership is preoccupied with the arena and Philadelphia cheesesteaks.

UPDATE: Since I published the above in November of 2014, I successfully advocated to have the top wall of the Union Terrace Stairway repointed. However, the landings on that structure and the landings on the Lehigh Parkway Staircase, desperately need work.

photograph by K Mary Hess, 2014  

The Aineyville Viaduct

The other day I referred to myself as a local historian. I earned that self appointed degree by a long standing interest in local history.  Another interest, photography, enabled me to record some things that are no longer here to see. My degree is not unique. As I mentioned several times before, the local rail buffs are the real local historians. Their knowledge of our former industrial base is unsurpassed. Shown above is the Aineyville Viaduct (Bridge), which allowed  Lehigh Valley Transit's Liberty Bell trolley to cross over Trout Creek,  on the way to Philadelphia. Shown in the background is the Good Shepherd Home.  The bridge was in line with St. John Street.   Aineyville refers to the area south of Trout Creek, now referred to as South Allentown,  in the area of S. 4th  and Basin Streets.  The photo dates from 1948, photographer unknown.  The viaduct was dismantled in 1953.

reprinted from August of 2013

Mota's Version Of Confrontation

Cynthia Mota lodged a public complaint with the Parking Authority on Wednesday.  In her description the officer talked down to her because of her race, and imagine, asked to see her driver's license.  Joining her in the complaint was Hasshan Batts,  that would be Dr. Hasshan Batts to us.

While the Morning Call article on the complaint creates credibility for Mota and Batts,  I'm more convinced than ever that these two don't bode well for Allentown's future.  Let us not forget that Mota voted eleven times for Batts to be appointed mayor, without divulging that she worked for him.

In Batts' tape, Mota is heard saying that the incident shows why more people of color are needed to work for the city. Batts demanded to know where the officer lives.

I was at the city council meeting when Mota keep nominating Batts for mayor. Neither one of them acknowledged their arrangement.  While Mota and Batts want to see reform within the Parking Authority,  I believe that a greater concern is Mota and Batts' propensity for cronyism.

Allentown's Disability

I saw a reference in facebook to Allentown having the highest rent to income ratio in the United States. After a few searches, I discovered that the reference went back to a report from January of 2017, and was based on the number of evictions.

The source of the article was a report on Redfin. I believe that the conclusions are misleading, and I base this report on my own experience as a rental agent. The issue in center city Allentown isn't  the rents being so high, but rather the income being so low. Thousands of people in center city are living on disability payments. Recently, when I questioned the legitimacy of these disability claims, I was told that unless I'm a physician, I'm not qualified to make such a statement. So, let me instead say that over the years I've seen many disabled people carrying refrigerators into apartments. Instead, let me say that recently I saw hundreds of people on 7th Street, in the middle of day, jeering the police. So, although I'm not a physician, somehow so many strong looking people can somehow afford to mill, and even run, around center city during the daytime.

As for the evictions, although they claim that don't have the money to pay their current landlord, they always have it to pay the next one, until they decide to repeat the cycle.

Years ago I saw that Allentown was becoming a magnet for bad apples. Now we're officially hard core, reduced to funding programs called Promise Them What They Want To Hear.

Allentown Postcards

I have often used old postcards of Allentown on this blog. Most of the cards have a similar coloration, and were photographed by Harold Becraft in the early 1950's. Becraft was a photographer from Suffern N.Y., who produced many of the images used in the postcards of Allentown's parks. These cards were produced locally by E.H. Scholl Co. In addition to Becraft's name on the front, they're also marked Kodachrome. Although Becraft did many park scenes for Schall, the image shown above is one of his few cityscapes.

Growing Up Allentown

Life in Allentown during the 1950's was pretty easy, compared to now a days. Whether you were white or blue collar, there were plenty of jobs. Whether you lived in the west end or center city, all the neighborhoods were clean, well maintained and relatively crime free. The school system was the envy of the county, and people finagled to get their children enrolled in it. Allentown High School had championship teams in multiple sports, and the football stadium was one of the most lavish high school stadiums in the country. The park system was the subject of numerous picture postcards. Likewise, downtown was widely known, with Hess's being a destination. All the above attributes would stay in place throughout the 1960's, into the early 70's.

I bill this blog as the intersection of politics and history in Allentown, and the greater Lehigh Valley. Although I will continue to speak out on current events of concern, I suspect that this page will turn more and more to history. Perhaps nostalgia is so appealing because the current reality is so disillusioning. 

Although my archive of older Allentown pictures is extensive, I invited Ozzie and Harriet Nelson to illustrate this post.

reprinted from July of 2016

Dr.Batts and My Tax Dollar

In a video which surfaced on Saturday, Hassan Batts is seen berating a Parking Authority officer for issuing tickets or a warning at a public event.  Although I believe that a ticket can be inappropriate, Batt's behavior is of much more concern to me.  In the video,  Batt's is accusing the officer of harassing people and disrespecting them. When officers do their job, be they police or parking, they are not harassing people. If their action or ticket was inappropriate, there is proper recourse. If you don't get satisfaction at the Parking Authority office, you can always make your case in parking court. When the officer, presuming calling in for backup, describes Batts as a black male with a gray beard, Batts really gets agitated.  Although I would expect to be described as a older white male with gray hair, Batts cannot believe that this officer doesn't know who he is. Not only does he want to be referred to as Hassan Batts,  but Dr. Hassan Batts.

What's beyond disappointing about Batt's attitude is that he is executive director of Promise Neighborhoods.  Promise Neighborhoods receives taxfunded grants to improve neighborhoods, including relations with police.  After the shooting at Deja Vu,  his organization was headlined as how to deal with the gang/gun problem.   How can he teach respect for the police with a chip on his own shoulder?

Mr. Batts, and Phyllis Alexander, defended his behavior because of micro aggression, or a cumulation of slights.  After the shootings at Deja Vu,  state representative Pete Schweyer called Batts and asked "What do you need?",  referring to how much of my tax dollars.  I need Schweyer to watch the tape first, before handing out that money.

 video link

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.