Jennie Molovinsky Was A Quiet Neighbor

For nearly a hundred years the Wenz Memorial Company had a tombstone factory at 20th and Hamilton.  Their parcel extended from Hamilton Street back to Walnut Street, across from the home of former mayor Joe Daddona.   Years ago, large granite slabs would be delivered by railroad, using the the Barber Quarry spur route.  During the Phil Berman era,  the facilities were also used to produce large stone sculptures.  Behind the office and production building, most of the property was used for storage of tombstones.  Some of the stones were samples of their handiwork, and others were old stones that had been replaced with new ones, by family members.  Such was the case with my great grandmother's first stone, which has laid at Wenz's for several decades.  The row houses and their front porches on S. Lafayette Street faced this portion of Wenz's, and it was very quiet, indeed.

Some readers may have noticed that Wenz's has been demolished, and the parcel will now contain a bank,  Dunkin Donut, and Woody's Sport Bar.  The residents of Lafayette Street,  experiencing complete quietness for all these years, attended the zoning hearing as objectors.  Their previous view, a dark, quiet lot, would now be replaced with a lit parking lot, with bar patrons coming and going.  Although I will not comment on the zoning issues,  residents were supposedly told by the zoners that the development would improve their quality of life.  It's one thing to have the quality of your life degraded,  it's another to have your intelligence insulted, to boot.  Perhaps the zoners need some training in sensitivity.

reprinted from May of 2016

My Challenge For The State House

Recently, I decided that the voters in the 183rd District needed a better option, and entered the race as a write-in candidate.  The Democratic candidate, Jason Ruff, was complaining how disengaged the Republican incumbent, Zach Mako, was from Harrisburg.

Ruff himself, and several of his surrogates, have asked questions on my facebook promotions.  I have yet to see an insightful comment or idea from that camp.  He heralds the usual union endorsements, and supports the party positions, which would all require more taxes to implement. Of course, at the same time, he wants property tax reform.

I can assure voters that with Mako or Ruff, there would be no changes coming your way from Harrisburg. They both need the job, and the security that the old incumbent system provides.

While the primary function of a state representative is to make sure that the state returns proportional benefits to those communities within the district,  I have objectives beyond the obvious.  If elected,  I would work to eliminate some representatives,  there are far too many districts in Pennsylvania.  I would work to eliminate pensions for representatives,  there are too many long term incumbents,  preoccupied by being re-elected.  I would work to eliminate most of the commissions, many unnecessary, stuffed with patronage jobs. 

I would vote on each bill with quality government being the only criterion, not a party platform.

I understand that voters are passionate about the national election,  and some think that by voting straight ticket that they're sending more of a message.  If you live in the 183rd, make your message at the top of your ballot, but improve your state government by writing-in my name for State Representative...Michael Molovinsky    

The Corner Market

Although I doubt that there will ever be a show at the Historical Society, or brochures at the Visitors Bureau, perhaps nothing encapsulates the history of Allentown more than the corner grocery stores. Allentown proper, is mostly comprised of rowhouses built between 1870 and 1920, long before the era of automobiles and suburban supermarkets. Most of the corner markets were built as stores, and over the years many were converted into apartments. Up until the late 1940's, there may have been well over a hundred operating in Allentown. Some specialized in ethnic food. The bodega at 9th and Liberty was formally an Italian market. Live and fresh killed chickens were sold at 8th and Linden, currently H & R Block Tax Service. A kosher meat market is now a hair salon on 19th Street. The original era for these markets died with the advent of the supermarket. In the early 50's some corner stores attempted to "brand" themselves as a "chain", as shown in the Economy Store sign above. That market is at 4th and Turner, and has been continually operating since the turn of the last century. Ironically, as the social-economic level of center city has decreased, the corner stores have seen a revival. Most of these new merchants, many Hispanic and some Asian, know little of the former history of their stores, but like their predecessors, work long, hard hours.

ADDENDUM: The first supermarket's in Allentown were the A&P. In addition to occupying a former corner store near 2nd and Hamilton, they operated the super store on 19th St, home later to the Shanty Restaurant.  

ADDENDUM 2: Although there was an attempt to brand the corner stores to appear as a chain, the Economy Stores sign shown, apparently came from an early A&P format in 1912 when they leased small stores. If this particular store was such an A&P, or just dressed later with a reused sign, I have yet to determine.

reprinted from previous years

Growing Up Parkway

I'm a baby boomer. I was born in December of 1946. As soon as my mother climbed out of the hospital bed, another woman climbed in. I grew up in the neighborhood now called Little Lehigh Manor, wedged between Lehigh Street and the top of the ravine above Lehigh Parkway. That's me on our lawn at the intersection of Catalina and Liberator Avenues, named after airplanes made by Vultee Corporation for the War. We had our own elementary school, our own grocery store, and the park to play in. On Saturdays, older kids would take us along on the trolley, and later the bus, over the 8TH Street Bridge to Hamilton Street. There were far too many stores to see everything. After a matinee of cartoons or Flash Gordon, and a banana split at one of the five and dimes, we would take the bus back over the bridge to Lehigh Street.




Not that many people know where Lehigh Parkway Elementary School is. It's tucked up at the back of the development of twin homes on a dead end street, but I won't say exactly where. I do want to talk about the photograph. It's May Day, around 1952-53. May Day was big then, so were the unions; Most of the fathers worked at the Steel, Mack, Black and Decker, and a hundred other factories going full tilt after the war. The houses were about 8 years old, and there were no fences yet. Hundreds of kids would migrate from one yard to another, and every mother would assume some responsibility for the herd when it was in her yard. Laundry was hung out to dry. If you notice, most of the "audience" are mothers, dads mostly were at work. I'm at the front, right of center, with a light shirt and long belt tail. Don't remember the girl, but see the boy in front of me with the big head? His father had the whole basement setup year round with a huge model train layout. There were so many kid's, the school only went up to second grade. We would then be bused to Jefferson School for third through sixth grade. The neighborhood had its own Halloween Parade and Easter egg hunt. We all walked to school, no one being more than four blocks away.

reprinted from June of 2008

When Lehigh County Valued History

Back in the early 1970's, a former teacher in Allentown's West Park neighborhood borrowed my photograph of a grain mill, and championed its preservation to the Lehigh County Commissioners. Her efforts resulted in Haines Mill being preserved. It was a time when the county commissioners understood the concept of history and uniqueness. The county now preserves farmland, with the pollyanna notion that farmers will spout there, wear straw hats, and sell organic vegetables on the weekends. Although 22,000 acres have already been preserved, the county just authorized additional $millions to that end. A comment in the Morning Call said that it will insure that we have food in the future. Amazing how little people know about how food gets to the supermarket in 2016. While there is nothing unique about this farmland, and nothing really guaranteed about the preservation, it seems like progress to the environmentalists. Meanwhile, the commissioners and Historical Society turn a deaf ear to Wehr's Dam and other irreplaceable structures, being needlessly threatened.

That former teacher just passed away at 98 years of age. I still take photographs and champion for places that will never be again, but the current board of commissioners does not have the sense of history and esthetics of their predecessors.

reprinted from July of 2016

The Allentown Parking Authority Monster

Although the shopping district in Allentown has shrunk down to only Hamilton and 7th Streets, the meter district remains as it did during the heydays of the 1950's. The meters extend from Walnut to Chew, from 5th to 10th, well over 1000 meters in 20 sq. blocks. Parking meters extend out to 10th and Chew Sts, three full blocks beyond the closest store.* These meters are a defacto penalty for the residents, mostly tenants. In essence, it is a back door tax on Allentown's poorest citizens. The apologists claim the tenants can purchase a resident meter pass, however their friends and visitors cannot. To add insult to injury, in 2005, to help finance a new parking deck for the arts district, the Parking Authority doubled the meter rate and fines. Testimony to City Council permitting the rate increase indicated it was favored by the merchants. At that time I documented to the Council that in fact the merchants were not informed, much less in favor. The vote was 5 to 2, with Hershman and Hoover dissenting
* I used the above copy on my posting of October 3, 2007. In the past several weeks the Parking Authority finally removed the meters in the 900 block of Chew St, 50 years beyond their legitimate need.

UPDATE: The post above is reprinted from September 2009. I have published dozens of posts on the Parking Authority. In 2005, I conducted two press conferences on their abuses; One conference was at 10th and Chew Streets, and concerned the oversized meter zone. The second conference, directly in front of their office, concerned the fabricated merchant survey that they  presented to City Council. Old tricks die hard. Forward ahead to 2015, and the Parking Authority will once again penalize both existing merchants and residents.  The new plan is to double the meter parking rate from $1 an hour, to $2, and extend the metering time to 10:00pm.  They claim that the merchants are in favor of this plan. Although I will not conduct my own survey, as I did 2005,  their survey defies logic.  Why would any of the few surviving merchants want their customers submitted to a destination city parking rates in Allentown? Despite the hype,  Allentown is not Miami Beach or N.Y.C.. In reality, just as the taxpayers are subsidizing the arena zone,  now the merchants and residents will be subsidizing the arena plan through punitive parking rates.

UPDATE Memorial Day Weekend 2015: I did end up asking several merchants, and no, they were not surveyed. Eight years from the original date of this post, and the Authority is still up to the same shenanigans.   Reilly's City Center tenants, merchants and customers will get a free pass for the Authority's inconvenient parking lots. Other existing tenants in the NIZ, such as the south side of the 900 block of Walnut Street, will not be eligible for residential parking permits.  If you have a problem with any of this, remember, you must now put money in the meter at night, before  complaining to City Council.

UPDATE MARCH 20, 2020:  As of noon yesterday, the Parking Authority suspended tickets in the residential permit zones.  However, normal parking meter tickets will continue.  This would have of course punish merchants still open for business during this virus crisis. However, while there are virtually no merchants left on Hamilton Street since the NIZ revitalization, the punishment would have mostly affect the minority merchants on 7th Street....or in other words, life as usual in Allentown. Governor Wolf has declared that all non-essential businesses must close. Will the monster also now stand down?

UPDATE OCTOBER 20, 2020: Numerous voters trying to drop off their ballots at Government Center at 7th and Hamilton, report that the monster has awoken, and is giving out tickets. 

Disgrace On Front Street

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

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

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

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

above reprinted from 2018

ADDENDUM OCTOBER 19, 2020: Although I have been waging a write-in campaign for State Representative in the 183rd District, the Morning Call hasn't reported my candidacy to their readers in those communities,  which  they purport to serve. Furthermore, they know that unlike many candidates, I do not need the job or career, and that I have been an activist about government for decades. 

Those seeking better representation, and better use of their tax dollars, should network my write-in candidacy to their friends in the district.

The Short Life Of Allentown Bill 72

On Wednesday night, Daryl Hendricks introduced a Resign To Run Rule, co-sponsored by Julio Guridy. The bill stated that city employees must resign their position before running for office, and that elected officals, such as city council members, must be in the last year of their term before declaring for another office. Hendricks maintains that such rules help against corruption, and we all know that former mayor Pawlowski is in the big house. 

His proposal woke up the dais, since half of council, and a third of city employees, want to try for the top office in 2021. 

By the time the meeting ended, Julio withdrew his sponsorship. While Julio himself is in his last year, he realized the bill itself was deck stacking. 

The bill reminded me of the old Charlie Tuna ads, when the fish dresses up, hoping to be caught by the Tuna Company. He is informed that they are looking for Tuna that taste good, not just looks good.

One result of the short lived proposal was that Leonard Lightner, Community Development Director, declared his intention to run for mayor. Previously, this was a widely known secret.

Pawlowski's corruption was no surprise to those of us who followed city hall. While we didn't know contract details, we knew that a heavy hand was pushing people around. This blog reported on his shenanigans for years. Combine a strong arm mayor and a complacent local newspaper for a decade, and you get a Pawlowski.

The Sunday Drive

My family wasn't much for recreation.  My father worked six days a week, from early morning until early evening.  We did go for a long car ride on Sundays.  Back then gasoline was cheap, and having no destination wasn't thought of as wasteful.  Children were more content to sit in the back seat and look out the window, now they want a video screen in the vehicle.



Even children's play then involved more imagination and interaction.  Howdy Doody was just a puppet on strings, who spend most of his time talking to an adult, Buffalo Bob, can you imagine?

 Sitting in that back seat in the mid fifties, I might well had



my "coonskin" hat with me.  Fess Parker was a genuine American hero.  It mattered little if he played both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone, both were king of the wild frontier.  The ride probably lasted for two hours and then we would go to a restaurant to eat dinner.  Compared to now, there were very few restaurants.



My mother would cook all the other meals that week, and we probably ate out more than most.  Supermarkets were the new rage in food shopping, but the butcher, baker and candle stick maker were still going strong.  If my father headed west or south, chances are we ended up at Shankweiler's Hotel, famous for chicken and waffles.   They were at the intersection of Old 22 and Route 100.  The building still exists and currently is a bank.  The family also owned another hotel on Route 309.  Both locations also operated adjoining Drive-In movies.



If my father headed north or east,  we would end up at Walp's, which was on the corner of Union Blvd. and Airport Road.  Walp's was a much more urban place.   While Shankweiler's was an old country inn,  Walp's was built as a modern restaurant.  I enjoyed those rides, they were a learning experience.

reprinted from previous years

As Harrisburg Turns

In his quest last year to make voting easier, Governor Wolf reluctantly agreed to something this state has needed for a very long time,  the elimination of straight party ticket voting.  While the pundits are not in agreement about which party this change will benefit, I know it will benefit informed democracy. 

While Pennsylvania was one of the last states to still host this mindless straight party lever pull, it constituted nearly 40% of the votes cast.  My phrase about lever pull refers to the mechanical machines previously used in Lehigh County for decades. While I miss the reliability and confidence those metal booths provided,  I welcome the end of the all too easy down ballot. 

If this new policy stays in place, perhaps the voters will have to learn more about the local races, which actually effect their lives much more.   

The Morning Call Shuns Molovinsky

Today, the Morning Call began a series of questions and answers with the candidates in the local state representative races, but did not include me.  In the first installment on the 187th District,  it mentions that each candidate received written questions...None were sent to me.

In the 22nd District, I fully expect to see Enid Santiago listed... She is also a write-in,  not on the ballot, no different than my candidacy.

The Morning Call reads this blog everyday, and is fully aware that I'm waging a write-in campaign. I receive numerous notes from the publisher/editor complaining that I misrepresent the newspaper.

Mr. Miorelli, editor/publisher of the Morning Call,  by excluding me you are grossly underserving your subscribers in  Slatington, Walnutport, Northampton and all the other communities in the 183rd District, in both Lehigh and Northampton Counties.  

When the Morning Call excludes articles and letters on certain topics to reflect their political agenda, they compromise their journalistic integrity. When they start excluding certain candidates, they undermine local democracy.

Pennsylvania's State House Problem

Pennsylvania has a problem with their State House officials, they're in office way too long.  In Pennsylvania incumbents tend to stay in office until they decide to retire,  often serving over ten terms or twenty years.  The Morning Call has done an excellent exposé on the war chests that these Representatives For Life have accumulated.  The article, by Ford Turner,  reveals that the representative overseeing the committee on insurance has over $268,000 in campaign funds, donated mostly by the insurance companies that she is supposed to regulate. 

Pennsylvania has the largest state house in the country, with 203 districts.  An incumbent would be hard pressed to actually need more than $10,000 to wage a campaign for reelection. A war chest of over $200,000 would take care of the next 20 years of campaigning.  There are 24 representatives with chests well over $100,000.

While representatives,  especially ones running for the first time, promise reform and term limits, I know of none who actually did what they promised.  If I were to be elected as the write-in candidate for the 183rd district,  I would limit myself to two terms.  The current Republican incumbent is already running for his third term. His Democratic opponent is running for a job and a paycheck. 

Write-in a true independent for the 183rd, vote for true reform, write-in Michael Molovinsky. 

Allentown's Vanishing History

Years ago a reader sent me the above image.  It looks down the hill from 7th and Hamilton, north, toward Linden Street. He had been attempting to locate the old Lafayette Radio store on 7th street, because of a pleasant memory from his childhood. By my day the store had moved onto the southern side of the 700 block of Hamilton Street. History is quickly succumbing to the wreaking ball in Allentown. All the buildings shown above, on the unit block of 7th Street, have been knocked down for the arena and Reilly's Strata complexes.  When Salomon Jewelry departed,  Tucker Yarn remained one of Hamilton Street's last remaining businesses from the glory days.

Phil and Rose Tucker opened their first yarn store on N. 7th St. in 1949. That first store can be seen on the left side of the above photo. The Tucker Yarn Company had been at its current location at 950 Hamilton Street for over 50 years. For knitting enthusiasts the endless inventory was legendary. Phil told me years ago how even in May, traditionally a slow month for the industry, Hess's annual flower show kept Hamilton Street and his store busy. A busy Hamilton Street is a memory now, shared only by a couple of surviving merchants. Although many of Tucker's customers were elderly, the business was much more than a time capsule. His daughter Mae, nationally known in the trade, gave classes and operates a large mail order web site, tuckeryarns.com

Tucker Yarn has closed.  In the near future you will see the building replaced by one more new office building.  This blogger will continue his downtown recons, but I will no longer be sitting in a familiar place with familiar faces.

The above image can be found in Doug Peters' Lehigh Valley Transit

reprinted from November of 2019

Abuse Of Power At The Monument Building

The building had begun its life as the 1st National Bank. The second owner renamed it Corporate Center. The third owner renamed it Monument Building.

One morning in early July of 2008, code enforcement descended upon the Monument Building like a swat team.  Every officer, in every department , entered the building at the same time, and spread out looking for every possible violation. Under the previous owner, the same conditions, with the same tenants, were lauded as a rebirth.

Whatever motivated Pawlowski to pull the plug on the new owner, the tenants were lightweights, of no consequence to him. At that time, myself and few other malcontents, like Lou Hershman, would gather early in the morning for coffee at Jerry's Cafe, located on the first floor.

Jerry's was not one of the upstart businesses blessed with a Pawlowski grant at the time. He had to pay for everything, and everything had been inspected, inside and out. His plans had been approved, his electric and plumbing had been approved,  and his expensive grill and hood system had been approved.  While all the tenants were put out of business that day,  Jerry was also financially ruined. 

During this sorry Pawlowski era, he used the code department as a weapon.  Although Pawlowski is gone, some of that same mentality apparently still lurks with some of the code officers.  I wrote about Pawlowski's tactics back then in 2008, and I will continue to defend those currently victimized by such abuse.

The Monument Building would be torn down years later by J.B. Reilly, and replaced by one of his Corporate Towers.

I photographed the code cars that morning lined up for the raid   

reprinted from previous years

The Slandering Of Louis Hershman

Years ago, in a building that no longer exists,  an assorted group of early risers would meet for coffee.  By 6:30, most of us had arrived at Jerry's for the early morning sessions.  Included in this group of civil critics was Lou Hershman.  Lou's rants were almost exclusively centered on the city budget,  year after year, rant after rant.

What takes me back to that coffee shop is a current post on facebook.  A local Black Lives Matter advocate is supporting a local gays rights advocate, who is offended by the adoration being given Lou Hershman, who passed away last week. She claims that Lou was a bigot against gays.  In all the years and all the conversations that I had with Lou, he never once mentioned gays.  As for the young BLM activist,  I'm sure that he never met Lou, and probably never even heard of him before last week.

Back then, fifteen years ago, when I would drive to the coffee shop at 7th and Hamilton at six in the morning, I would always think about how calm town seemed at that time of day.  I knew that as the day progressed, so would the commotion.  Unfortunately,  the streets are considerably more violent now than they were then.  Allentown would be better off if the young BLM leader concerned himself with making the streets safer.  In fifty years, if he contributes as much as Lou Hershman did to Allentown, let's hope nobody slanders his good deeds.  

photocredit: Bernie O'Hare 

The Carnival Of Enid's Candidacy

In addition to this blog, I also administer a Facebook page titled Allentown Chronicles.  Recently, when I announced my current write-in campaign for the 183rd State House District, I also posted the announcement on the Facebook page. Because the page is defined as both local history and politics, I felt it was not inappropriate, and not too terribly self-serving.  Recently, a member had submitted several promotions for Enid Santiago's write-in campaign.  Two of them I removed, because other members objected to the solicitation of names, apparently to be contacted by her campaign. The third piece remains,  a youtube of a parade by Santiago and her supporters.  While in fairness I felt compelled to allow her campaign to be represented in the group,  I must confess to finding the parade beyond tasteless. 

Gender bender Eric/Erica Bickford is being charged with election crimes by DA Martin.  If ever there was a political victim, it is Bickford.  While Bickford admits he darkened some ovals so that the scanner could read them, nobody thinks or accuses him of changing even one vote.  Even though Enid Santiago won the district administered by Bickford, she initiated the charges he now faces. Bickford is low-hanging fruit to prosecute...  He doesn't make himself up very well as a woman.

I've known Eric/Erica for well over a decade.  Long before the current Stevens Park became fashionable, Bickford was there, advocating for it.  He has been a spokesman for the most underrepresented people in this city...the people in the back alleys, with no voice or connections to City Hall.

While I realize that Bickford seems bizarre to some, what I really find distasteful is people running for office beeping their car horns and hanging out windows.

As I write this piece Patrick Palmer and others are hyping Enid Santiago.  They must equate loud noise with leadership.  Justin Simmons says that if DA Martin is filing charges,  they must be proper. They may be proper by the book, but hopefully, a jury or judge will realize the innocence involved with the crime.

A more savvy candidate than me would be leaving this whole topic well enough alone, much less defending a rather eccentric election judge, and criticizing a minority candidate.   

As both a blogger and a candidate myself,  I only have one mission, and that is to simply always side with the truth, as I see it.

The Political Party Machines Of lehigh Valley

As an independent waging a write-in campaign for the 183rd State House District,  the party machines never cease to amaze me.  The mediocracy of your state government is no accident.  Their sole objective is to get elected, and then remain an incumbent.

In the 183rd, the Democratic challenger charges the Republican incumbent with a poor attendance record because of his duty as a reservist.  The incumbent in turn sends out an expensive mailer, claiming that he fights for his constituents both at home and abroad.

My motivation in running is to provide quality representation for a term or two, not support a party platform, or perpetuate a career.   There are numerous bills pending in the house.  While many are just expansions of a definition or terms,  some are of more significance.

I would support all the bills pertaining to financial aid for small businesses suffering from the consequences of the Covid-19 restrictions.  Pennsylvania certainly failed to provide adequate safeguards for our nursing home residents at the beginning of the pandemic.While a 23 year old feels immortal, a 73 year old feels vulnerable. At this point in time,  masks should be mandatory for indoor public venues. Small businesses should be able to operate with reasonable precautions, and customer discretion. 

photocredit: Richard C. Wolfe

The Mad Men Of Allentown

Back in the day, the titans of Allentown would fill the five barberchairs of the Colonial Barbershop, 538 Hamilton Street. That was when the town had three department stores. That was when Wetherhold and Metzger had two shoe stores on Hamilton Street. That was when Harvey Farr would meet Donald Miller and John Leh at the Livingston Club for lunch, and discuss acquiring more lots for Park & Shop. By 1995 all that was gone, but Frank Gallucci, 82, would still give some old timers a trim. The Colonial Barbershop property, closed for many years, has been purchased by J.B. Reilly. It is my pleasure to present this previously unseen portrait of Gallucci, toward the end of his career.

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from previous years

A Better Choice In The 183rd State House District

The voters of the 183rd State House District now have three choices. Two of those choices are the standard party fare.  Zach Mako,  the Republican incumbent, succeeded Julie Harhart's eleven terms. He's operating out of her former offices, using her former formula.  They send out a lot of birthday cards and certificates. He receives the usual NRA recommendation, and other perks in the Republican party basket.

Jason Ruff is the Democratic candidate.  Although neither he nor Mako emphasize their party connection, it's apparent from his endorsements. Ruff has been promoting his endorsement from the Teacher's Union and other unions.

I have now offered the voters a third choice,  a true independent, unaffiliated with either party. It's fair to wonder where my political philosophy generally lies, and that would be slightly right of center.  Needless to say, I won't have any party connected endorsements to tout, but my long term advocacy on numerous issues is a matter of record. 

My campaign really is grassroots,  confined in this covid-era to social media.  Along the way of advocating for one issue or another, I have taken the Morning Call to task so often, I don't expect even acknowledgement of my candidacy. Those who realize that the State House is void from inside scrutiny should take the effort to write me in. Hopefully those familiar with me, but not living in the 183rd, will recommend me to their friends that do live in the district.

photocredit:Slatington At Dusk by K Mary Hess

A Different Kind Of Candidate

Fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare recently did a post on my candidacy.  He attended the debate in 2014 when I took on long term incumbent Julie Harhart and the Democratic candidate.  Even the Morning Call at the time had to concede that Molovinsky had little trouble standing out in a three-way candidate debate....

On O'Hare's post an anonymous commenter, while acknowledging my expertise on South Whitehall issues,  questions my sincerity in running for State Representative, as a recently announced write-in. 

Over the decades I have become very familiar with the interplay between local municipalities and those the voters sent to Harrisburg to represent them.  The system is designed to get all incumbents re-elected, that is their primary objective. They can present themselves as white knights, with more money for their local school system, or a grant for a new playground.  More often than not our representatives are either fresh out of college,  or hand picked by a long term incumbent,  who is finally retiring. 

As an independent, my votes in Harrisburg would be based on the best outcome for taxpayers,  not a party platform.  Although I would not serve more than two terms,  in that period I will change the expectations for local representation. 

I do promise to be unpopular with my fellow elected officials. I think that there are far too many of them, getting too many benefits.  Such public service should be a dedicated mission, not just a career path.

A Problem In South Whitehall Township

South Whitehall Township stayed silent while the Wildlands Conservancy maligned the condition of Wehr's Dam with the state DEP.  That inappropriate  communication between the Wildlands and the state was intended to made the dam repair exceed the amount authorized by the voter's referendum.  The former, and some current commissioners, were  aligned with this conspiracy against the voter's wishes.

While the commissioners recently reassigned those funds previously set aside for dam repairs, the township has moved forward seeking a $half million dollars in grants for another park project. There has been three major park projects in Covered Bridge Park, costing $millions of dollars, while Wehr's Dam languishes away, despite the referendum to preserve it in 2016.  In addition to the grants to South Whitehall for projects other than Wehr's Dam,  the Wildlands recently received $half a million dollars for additional land on their South Mountain Preserve. Of course those grants are actually our tax dollars, which are being redirected away from projects voted on by the citizens, to finance pet projects by the Conservancy and their minions in South Whitehall.

Those of us who worked so hard to save the dam five years ago, are frustrated by the arrogance of several of the current commissioners, and the complicity of the Morning Call. 

As separate news items they sound nice: a new park in South Whitehall, and additional land added to a preserve on South Mountain. However, when you connect the dots, the problem becomes apparent. There is a nexus of connections between the Wildlands and several departments in Harrisburg, to redirect our taxes to their agenda.

My current write-in campaign as an independent for State House District 183 partially stems from this betrayal of the public trust.  When government isn't even responsive to such a placid citizenry as in South Whitehall, it's time to write-in somebody else for Harrisburg.

photocredit: Tami Quigley

In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle, A Lion Sleeps Tonight

This coming November 3th, Allentown will have the opportunity to restore the Lion to the sleepy City Council. Without Hershman, the new Council will provide no checks and balances, what-so-ever, to the Administration's version of government. Lou Hershman is a one man thorn bush. Rest assure that if any counter balance can be cajoled out of this essentially one party town, Lou is the man to do it. Regardless of one's political persuasion, there can be no down side to electing Lou. Which executive in our little world doesn't need at least some scrutiny, at least to answer an occasional question.

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from October of 2009

In memory of Lou Hershman

Upside Down Allentown

For someone like myself, with institutional knowledge of Allentown, yesterday was another rough day reading the Morning Call.  A featured story was Allentown losing its managing director. A former mayoral candidate is quoted saying that he'll look into the legality of the city operating with the position empty.  Actually, the city charter never authorized the position in the first place.  When the current charter was created, it was decided that Allentown would stay with a strong mayor, rather than have the city run with a managing director.  One of the first things Pawlowski did after taking over in 2006, was to hire a managing director anyway. So, for the last 15 years we have been paying for an unauthorized position.  Of course that's the least of it, considering that Pawlowski's managing director was part and parcel of his administration's corruption. 

Another featured story yesterday was the Wildlands Conservancy adding to their South Mountain Reserve.  The article mentioned that they secured a $half million dollar grant  from the state for the purchase.  What the Morning Call won't reveal is that this back channel with Harrisburg is being used to set aside the referendum about Wehr's Dam.  Although the citizens voted to keep their cherished dam,  the Wildlands is actively working behind the scenes to have the state condemn it.  While I handed the Morning Call the story on a silver platter, they refuse to print it.

Of course if I walked on water, they would say that I couldn't swim. Actually, they wouldn't say anything at all about me. Although there have been numerous mentions of current write-in candidacies, nothing has been mentioned about my write-in for the 183rd state house district.

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

Lehigh Valley vs National Politics

In addition to publishing this blog for over 13 years, two years ago I started a social media group named Allentown Chronicles. The group is designated for local history and occasional local politics. When I announced my write-in campaign for state rep, a couple members complained about the political nature of the post.

Being on social media, I took the opportunity to visit their pages. In both cases the pages were full of memes about national politics. It appears that although they’re very interested in the presidential election, they have no political interest in their own backyard. Their attitude seems very widespread in the Lehigh Valley. 

The state house is full of representatives who went there straight out of college and have been there ever since. While their party affiliation seems important in this region of straight party lever pullers, nothing else, certainly including their lack of accomplishment, seems to matter. 

As an independent, I offer them no blind party loyalty. As an involved activist, I offer them informed advocacy, but no campaign gimmicks. 

This blog will serve as campaign headquarters for Write-In Molovinsky. I’m not on the ballot, and my name must be written in by those wanting better government in their own backyard. 

The photo was taken at Wehr's Dam. I have been fighting to save local historic structures for many years.

Write-In Molovinsky

If the map below of the 183rd Pa. District looks gerrymandered to you, you might want to consider my write-in candidacy for the state house this election. In 2012, when this map was approved, Julie Harhart was in her umpteenth term. Reports indicate that her successor is not very innovative when in Harrisburg, which supposedly isn’t very often. 

The state house is full of representatives that have been there way too long. Although numerous candidates have broken term limit promises, I offer sincerity in that regard and all others.

I’m unaffiliated with any political party, and have been a vocal advocate for good government for decades. 

As a write-in candidate, I need your help recommending me to your friends in Slatington, Walnutport, Danielsville and Northampton. I need their help recommending me to their friends. 

Unlike usual state representatives, I will send no birthday cards, but will actually work for you in the state house. I will not wave from parade floats, but will work to make sure that your taxes benefit you. 

Let me put my tenacity to work for you. 

                                   

                                                       Michael Molovinsky

 

Hypocrisy Of The Wildlands Conservancy and The Morning Call

Yesterday, was the last day of the Conservancy's Annual Lehigh River Sojourn. The event was well covered by The Morning Call, with both a reporter and photographer on board one of the rafts. The three day event started with a talk by Chris Kocher, President of the Wildlands. The group gets grants during the winter to demolish dams, and grants during the summer to conduct this educational sojourn on the Lehigh river. Last year, Wildlands spend over $250,000 in grant money on just a study, promoting the removal of Wehr's Dam. Their website stated that the Lehigh Sojourn would take place rain or shine, but doesn't explain why. What Chris Kocher and The Morning Call fail to reveal is that their raft adventure is scheduled to coincide with the water release from the Francis E. Walter Dam in White Haven. It is only because of this dam that the Lehigh has a steady flow of water, and that these hypocrites can get their whitewater thrill. 

reprinted from 2015

UPDATE September 21, 2020: The Morning Call announced that the Wildlands Conservancy was paddling on the Lehigh River this past weekend. Of course hypocrisy isn't limited to the Wildlands Conservancy. The Morning Call has more than its share, hiding the story of the Wildlands Conservancy conspiring against Wehr's Dam and the citizens of South Whitehall Township

Jews In Jerusalem

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

Perhaps the most famous synagogue destroyed by the Jordanians was the Ashkenazi Hurva Synagogue built in 1720, it's dome visible in the top center of this photograph from the 1920's. It's replacement was completed in 2010.

This post was first printed in April of 2010, and titled The Synagogues of Jerusalem

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. The image here is from Mark Beyer, representing an invitation to a Weaver event.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 17, 2020: I first posted this piece in September of 2007, and over the years since. In recent years, the update usually contained a comparison to some current event, such as using taxes for art grants. A current article in the Morning Call informs us that a store room on Hamilton Street is being utilized as an art gallery, and waxes on about how wonderful it is. In reality, J.B. Reilly is donating the space he can't rent anyway, for the gallery. While this backstory is suggested in the article, what isn't mentioned is that the whole building is being financed with our diverted state tax $dollars. Enjoy your gallery, you're paying for it. 

Disclaimer: Fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare and I are competing in a Bastard Of The Week contest. It's nasty business, but we're both well qualified.

Bill White's Old Formula

Bill White's column this past weekend reminded me of his old recipes, like chocolate cake contests and Christmas lights. I think that if he, or his editor, ever had a new thought, they would probably think that something's wrong with them, and go to the emergency room. His vehicle for announcing his old recycled pet peeve column was Iannelli's recent interview with Donald Trump Jr..  Prior to the show, White claims that there was an enormous amount of complaints about Iannelli's choice of guest.  White, although writing a column about the show, does not provide a link to it

In the Business Matters interview,  which was actually well done by Iannelli,  Don Trump Jr. ironically mentions the constant negative press coverage.  From previous writings by Bill White, I suspect that he was the one who was really upset about Trump Jr. being on the show.  White certainly didn't have to talk his editor, Mike Miorelli, or the mother ship, The Chicago Tribune, into printing the column,  they're already on the bash Trump bandwagon.

The $64 thousand dollar question is how do the few remaining Morning Call readers actually feel about it?  Don Jr. maintains that Trump supporters tend to be quiet about their political preference.  It's one thing for the urban Chicago Tribune to bash Trump, but can the Morning Call afford the same attitude?  I know that they cannot afford to pay their rent, or at least they chose to vacate 6th and Linden, rather than pony up the money they owed.

The Morning Call hasn't shown much insight in the last year or so.  While they profiled the young leaders of the recent protests in Allentown, they fail to investigate stories handed to them, like South Whitehall Township conspiring against their own citizen's referendum on Wehr's Dam.
While I found White's article painfully predictable, I suppose that with the pandemic prohibiting public gatherings, he can't eat his way through Musikfest or the Allentown Fair.

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.

above post reprinted from previous years.

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

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 10, 2020:Although it has been almost two decades since Emma passed, she still incites controversy. A Republican supporter of Heydt still resents her opposition to the Rental Inspection law. Some Hispanics wrongly still believe that she was a racist. I could tell both of them that Emma was a Democrat, and that Allentown was still a two party town.

The Great Allentown Fair

The Morning Call website is hosting an archive of Fair Pictures from over the years. Being a fan both of fair pictures and black and white photography, looking at the 111 photos presented was a treat.

The photo shown above, which I will get back to, reminded me of one of my unique fair experiences. In previous posts, I have discussed that both my father and myself had stands at the fair. While my father learned that you couldn't sell hotdogs near Yocco's, I learned that drunks leaving the beer garden loved to buy printed T-shirts.

But today's post has to with George Kistler, long time City Clerk during the 1950's and 60's. George loved the fair, and loved sharing his fascination with a large group of people. I was fortunate enough to be invited several times. The routine was always the same; Dinner at a local stand on the eastern side of the fairgrounds, followed by the wrestling show. I remember photographing Andre The Giant.

The Morning Call fair picture above is none other than Jim "Super Fly" Snuka, who was recently back in Allentown, for a most regrettable reason.

reprinted from previous years

A Butcher In 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 previous years

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

Influences and Priorities In South Whitehall

As an advocate for history and the traditional park systems in the Lehigh Valley, I was struck by the irony of South Whitehall's new noise ordinance. A resident on N. 30th, which adjoins the Village West Shopping Center, convinced the township to pass an ordinance because of noise associated with the shopping center's dumpsters.  There are only six houses on those two blocks.

For over a year, Leroy Schmidt spend every weekend at Wehr's Dam, collecting signatures to preserve the dam, over 6,000 of them.  Of equal importance, and legally significant, the voter's chose by referendum to preserve the dam. However, the dam was not included in the township's historic overlay district. The current commissioners have made no public declaration that the dam will be preserved. On the contrary, they knowingly allowed the Wildlands Conservancy to challenge the dam's structural integrity with the state.

These actions and inactions concerning the dam constitute a conspiracy against the voters of South Whitehall. This conspiracy was designed by the Wildlands Conservancy, aided by the cooperating Commissioners, and enabled by The Morning Call, which refuses to publish about the situation.

It's outrageous that one influential person can get an ordinance passed which benefits virtually nobody, while the wishes of the majority of township residents about the dam are being ignored.

photocredit: Tami Quigley

Duck Farm And Hotel

At the beginning of the last century, Allentonians could take a day trip out to Griesemerville and spend the day at the Duck Farm and Hotel. The trolley, operated by Reading Traction Company, actually went through the Duck Farm building. That same trolley would continue west and go through or under the Dorney Park roller coaster. Today, Griesemerville is known as Union Terrace, or more precisely, Joseph S. Daddona Lake and Terrace.

The Hotel portion still exists as an apartment house. Heading west, cross the Reading Road stone arch bridge, built in 1824, and the former hotel is the first building on your right.

Note the bridge in the lower left of the above news clipping. This blog is proud to have played a part in preserving the bridge, and my hope is that the County of Lehigh will formally recognize the bridge's historic value, and secure it's future. Collectors of Lehigh Valley historic memorabilia can still find Duck Farm postcards.

news clipping courtesy of Danny Ruth 

reprinted from July of 2013, February of 2019

When Mack Was Allentown

I grew up around the corner from Mack's famous 5C plant, on the corner of Lehigh and S. 12th Streets. In the early 1950's, the brightly colored truck tractors would cover the lot next to the old assembly plant. All day long, a new tractor would leave for delivery somewhere, with two more piggy back on the coupling hitches. Over the years I have written a lot of posts about Mack, especially how their workers would use the Fountain Park WPA steps, walking to their jobs on S. 10th Street. Mack made all their own truck parts there, except the tires. Built Like A Mack Truck, was a result of the local craftsmanship.

In Saturday's Morning Call article about Mack investing in the Macungie plant, the vice president is quoted as saying that Mack was here to stay. By Saturday evening, that vice president was no longer with the company, according to WFMZ. I remember when the larger share of production was moved to South Carolina in 1987. Shortly before that plant closed in 2002, they handed out sunglasses to symbolize their bright future there. I remember when the World Headquarters on Mack Boulevard moved to North Carolina. I don't know about Mack's long term future in the valley, but I do know that the ties that bind have long since been broken.

Jack Mack, one of Mack Truck's founding brothers, was killed in an auto accident in 1924. He is buried in Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street.

reprinted from 2016