Sledding In Allentown

The photograph shown above is from 1958. It was taken in Little Lehigh Manor, the 1940's era housing development located above Lehigh Parkway's south ridge. I had the pleasure of growing up in that neighborhood. The hill favored by us kids of Lehigh Parkway was above the Log & Stone House.

Other popular sledding hills were in Allentown's west end,  behind Cedar Crest College, and Ott Street, between Livingston and Greenleaf Streets.  Years ago, a bridge crossed the creek by the park office at 30th and Parkway Blvd., with a parking area for sledders by the Cedar Crest hill. The Ott Street hill was closed to cars by the city, as an accommodation for sledders.  None of these hills are now accessible to a kid with a sled.

photo courtesy of S. Williams

reprinted from previous years

The Lehigh Valley Bureau Of Nonsense

When I comment on a story in The Morning Call, I like to do it in a timely way, so that my readers can find it before their parakeet messes it too much. Sometimes things must be put off. A candidate gets disenfranchised, so this little blog must produce an afternoon story. That story gets a bigger treatment on a bigger blog, and before long, our trusted press assigns space on the parakeet mat. Do people still have parakeets? I'm also restricted by having the hours of a three year old. While I'm blog blabbering here, someone recently asked if I don't want comments? My moderation system and baby naps certainly don't allow for immediate gratification. I also would rather reject a comment, then print it, and have to insult its sender. So, let's just say that I do appreciate your readership, and that your insightful comments are always welcome, even if printed in a delayed fashion. With all that out of the way, let's move on to today's topic, those taxpayer funded development agencies. An article in The Morning Call last week quoted some official from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, we also have one here in Allentown. They get federal grants to study each other. The  quotes from the golfer who works there;  He pointed to housing developments like The Townes at Trexler Square on Walnut Street in downtown Allentown as being attractive to incoming families. (According to its website, the $200,000-plus town houses by Nic Zawarski & Sons are sold out.) In all due respect to the golfer and the Parakeet Mat, here's the reality. Most of the units were purchased by investors, not yuppies wanting the urban dream. The last batch of units were sold by auction, at fifty cents on the dollar. The last section of townhouses were never completed, the foundations filled in with stone. Never the less, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation gets millions of dollars in grants, to gather and dispense nonsense. 

above reprinted from March of 2013

ADDENDUM JANUARY 17, 2024: A recent post of mine titled a Citizen's Reply to Mayor Tuerk was first submitted to and rejected by the Morning Call as a letter to the editor. While the paper's previous editor had distain for me and this blog, I was speculating that the new guard might appreciate a change from their usual  stable of contributors. I note that a sister paper, the Baltimore Sun, was just spun off to a private owner tired of the Sun's recent apathy concerning local politics.

Mayor Tuerk As Mr. Rogers

In a facebook self video on Sunday, Matt Tuerk repeatedly told us to be kind. He also promised us that the city would catch up on the litter this week when the wind dies down. 

I think the city would be better off if Tuerk realized he can't wish kindness on people, but he can get tougher on litter. 

Mr. Rogers himself had a connection with Allentown.  A previous minister at a large local church was friends with Rogers, and Rogers himself came to the farewell service in Allentown when the pastor retired.  

Bill White reported on the occasion.

Tuerk's Sake Of The City

Tuerk's speech to the large polite group gathered in Jaindl's waterfront emporium was less than encouraging.  We are truly a tale of two cities...One with continuous mostly misunderstood development fueled by diverted state taxes, the other rising crime with no real solutions proposed. 

Tuerk was dressed enough not to insult the affluent there with a promise of more Promise non-profit distraction. Instead, he referred to installing gun shot detectors. They can be mounted on the lampposts along with the cameras that are of no help.  The detectors are of little consolation to the violence weary.

In his earlier New Year message, Tuerk referred to modern policing.  I'm sure those present for his Sake Of The City speech would prefer tough policing, and much more of it.

Shown above at last year's Syrian Flag raising is Mayor Tuerk with new council president Cynthia Mota, councilwoman Candida Affa, and former councilman Julio Guridy.

Raising Dinosaurs

Not unlike Jurassic Park, Allentown's NIZ is raising dinosaurs. Tomorrow's Morning Call announces that Bruce Loch wants to build the tallest building in Allentown, 33 stories. Loch is a developer from yesteryear, when Joe Daddona was mayor. Daddona sold all the little corner triangles in Allentown to Bruce Loch, and his building partner John Troxell. All those houses in Hamilton Park, the ones with few windows, on the small odd lots, were built by Loch/Troxell. Back in the day I took Troxell to zoning, because he wanted to build twins on a small lot. Although I succeeded in restricting him to a single house, after the hearing, he told me if he had his way he would parachute a dozen prefab boxes on the parcel. Needless to say,  there's no market for Loch's skyscraper, but isn't Allentown's NIZ fun?

above reprinted from March of 2013 

 ADDENDUM JANUARY 12, 2024: Over a decade later and the plan is back on the table, this time with a new developer and four more stories. Now that the office market is saturated, the new plan calls for apartments above the bottom commerical floors. This plan allows them to harvest our state taxes through the NIZ, with little to no scrutiny. Although new state senator Jarrett Coleman has been trying to shine light on the NIZ books, Pat Browne and Company has managed to keep us in the dark.

Hurricane Diane, 1955

Hurricane Diane hit the Lehigh Valley in August of 1955. Living in Little Lehigh Manor, I remember huddling in the house, while the metal garbage cans of the era flew around the neighborhood. My father, whose meat market was on Union Street by the Lehigh River, worked throughout the night. Fortunately for him, his market had an second floor backup cooler, and a small freight elevator. While the retail business district on Hamilton Street is elevated enough to be unaffected from flooding, center city Easton was devastated by the Delaware. The next morning was rather surreal for a nine year old boy. A large willow tree on the corner of Lehigh Parkway South and Catalina Ave. was lying on it's side. Although the Little Lehigh receded quickly, the park road and basin had been flooded. Diane remains a record in flooding and damage. Let us hope it remains that way.

photo from August 1955. Lehigh River rising by former A&B Meats. The row of houses shown were demolished to make way for a new bridge approach several years later.

reprinted from previous years

A Citizen's Reply to Mayor Tuerk

When I read Mayor Tuerk's New Year message in the Morning Call last Thursday,  I thought that a citizen's reply was in order, and that I was just the citizen to make it.  As a long time activist and blogger, I think even our best elected officials benefit from a critique now and then.

Tuerk is hopeful that Allentown will receive a large grant for retraining people for employment. Allentown has no shortage of new buildings in center city, on the contrary. They are very unique, because they are publicly funded, but privately owned, and mostly by one man. When the legislation enabling this unique situation was slid through Harrisburg, the promise was that this windfall tide would raise everybody's ship. As it is turning out, the taxpayers got no relief, and we're hoping to retrain the jobless? In the real world, where politicians never dwell, those jobs in those new buildings require college degrees, and our jobless are apparently not interested in blue collar jobs, because industry can't find enough workers.

While the mayor wrote about firefighting, more personnel and equipment, he didn't say much about crimefighting.  This oversight came on the heels of a very bloody weekend, with six shootings.  While Tuerk probably wrote the editorial before the weekend, public safety has been on everybody's mind for a long time. Many believe that there is generally a lack of police enforcement, characterized by loud cars double parking.  We keep seeing reference to some supposed non-profits fighting violence. I can assure the mayor that citizens want the police doing that job. While those references to non-profits may pay good political dividends, they don't make improved public safety. 

Mayor Tuerk devoted considerable column space to trees and the environment,  but not one word about our schools. While the schools are separate from City Hall,  their quality goes hand in hand with quality of life in Allentown. Quality of life goes hand in hand with the perception of civility. Civility is perceived by clean quiet streets. 

Tuerk's column was preaching to the wrong choir. Those of us who still subscribe to our local newspaper don't care about grants and their usually false promise of a better life. From City Hall we want a better life in more simpler ways, like cleaner streets with more police cars.

photo of Tuerk at city council/molovinsky

Morning Call A Day Late And A Mile Off

A shooting in the 300 Block of Hamilton Street Thursday evening didn't make the paper until noon on Saturday, then it was described as on East Hamilton Street. The timely video report on WFMZ clearly showed the police presence just west of 2nd and Hamilton Streets. 

I do not believe that the Morning Call was intentionally downplaying the shooting.  Rather perhaps the reporter  didn't realize that East Hamilton Street is on the other side of the Lehigh River.  On Monday the Morning Call was still using the erroneous East Hamilton Street location.

Institutional knowledge of the town is getting thinner and thinner at 6th & Linden.  Of course now 6th & Linden is just a figure of speech, with the paper no longer having a physical presence there or anywhere.  I do however appreciate and admire that they still produce the paper under that handicap.

artwork by Allentown native Mark Beyer

Greetings From Northampton County

Over the last few days residents of Northampton County were greeted by the accomplishments of their elected officials by letter after letter in the Morning Call and anywhere else that would print them. These holiday messages came from Susan Wild in Washington, Boscola in Harrisburg and Mcclure in Easton. 

While those accomplishments may have resonated with some voters, I doubt that they impressed the depressed north of Easton along the Delaware.  Route 611, between Portland and the Water Gap has been closed for over a year. Although there is bureaucratic mumble jumbo about permits, clearly there is no influential important entity along that stretch. Even the iconic jazz spot, the Deer Head Inn, is shuttered.

During WW2 we built 2000 ships and 300,000 planes. How long would it have taken them to remove some rocks from a strategic road back then?

Welcome To The Vendig

In 1933, with the end of Prohibition, my grandparents(maternal) started operating the Vendig Hotel. They were the working partners, another immigrant family, here longer, were the silent backers. The hotel was directly across from the current Main Street Depot Restaurant in Bethlehem, which was the old New Jersey Line Terminal. With my grandmother cooking, they became well known for crab cakes and other shelled seafood. What wasn't known, was that she was strictly kosher, and never even tasted anything she prepared. As some may recall, my grandparents came from Hungarian Transylvania (now Romania) in the early 20's. Family lore* says Bela Lugosi visited the hotel. Lugosi was born in the same area of then Hungary, and started his acting career playing Jesus in Passion Plays. In 1931, after immigrating to America years earlier, he got his big break playing Dracula. Typecast as a villain, Lugosi was reduced in later years to drug addiction and playing in low budget monster films. He died in the mid 50's and was buried in his Dracula cape.

*My uncle, who as a boy lived above the hotel, had no recollection of Lugosi. The partner families would later merge through marriage, and 40 years later come to own the old vaudeville theater in South Bethlehem known as The Globe. It too is gone.                                                      

reprinted from 2008

Allentown Johnny Leonard

Born Johnny Lakatosh in 1902, Allentown Johnny Leonard fought between 1920 and 1928. Allentown became part of his fight name, to identify him from another Leonard of that period. Although the tough featherweight never got a title shot, he fought and beat some of the best, including the future champions. Fifteen of his fights occurred in Allentown, one at the Lyric Theater, now known as Symphony Hall. Many of his other Allentown fights probably took place at Mealey Auditorium, which was located in the vicinity of 4th and Hamilton. Allentown Johnny's record was 32/27/11.

reprinted from March of 2013

The Price Of Criticism

Being a watchman is not without cost. I would have little motivation to labour with this blog, five days a week, if I had to consider local government and the press off limits. I had requested pre-event publicity about the Parkway WPA Tour from The Morning Call. I sent the request to five staff members, covering all pay grades of decision. Although I received no replies, the paper demonstrated that they had both the resources and space for coverage, if they so desired. On Thursday, they dispatched a photographer to the park. Friday's paper contained about a half page spread, with two large photographs of a women and her dogs. A large vertical caption elaborated about huskies and next week's weather. This is National History Month, as another feature in the paper pointed out. Allentown's new generation, and its new residents, know little to nothing about the stone structures which are the signatures of our park system. Roosevelt, the depression, the New Deal, and the WPA might have some relevance during History Month. Today's WPA Tour didn't suffer from the paper's boycott of me, about 30 people attended. I suspect the paper will catch up on our WPA treasures, albeit minus myself. Allentown has just appointed a new park director. Let us hope he develops an interest in the treasures of Allentown.
UPDATE: I would like to express my gratitude to everybody who came out yesterday, to both support and learn about the WPA structures. I know that because of the nice weather and fishing season, parking was a challenge. I would also like to express my gratitude to Friends Of Allentown Parks, for adopting the WPA cause. I look forward in the future to conducting another such Discovery Walk. This coming fall we will conduct another Allentown WPA Association meeting, to which I hope to attract more converts. Again, thank you.

reprinted from April of 2013

ADDENDUM JANUARY 3, 2024: The Tuerk administration had shown no interest even in my early offers for park tours, and I assume that with my recent criticism of the administration, my stock is even lower.  Likewise, my rapport with the Morning Call has not improved.

Tuerk Falters On Allentown Violence

Mayor Tuerk attributed our violent weekend to the number of guns in our community. That would be news to the State Trooper who was stabbed over the weekend in Berks County. Of course the problem isn't guns and knives, rather the denizens who use them.

There isn't an easy solution to the denizen problem.  Pandering politicians, society and pop culture glorify that life.  However, Allentown doesn't have to be so hospitable to the perpetrators. When the police see a car double parked, take the opportunity to check out the driver...in the least he/she is blocking traffic.

I understand that people are hurting from the violence, and that the rally at Promise Neighborhoods was an opportunity to share that pain.

Allentown is a municipality with a mayor and police department. Resources directed to non-profits such as Promise Neighborhoods are actually defunding the police. While Promise received combined $millions from Washington, Harrisburg and Allentown, the Allentown police department remains understaffed.

Tuerk sees Promise Neighborhoods as a solution to our troubles.  WFMZ's report on the shootings ended telling us that Promise Neighborhoods went to the scene of all three shootings, to let the neighbors know that their resources are available.  

photocredit:Ryan Gaylor/LehighvalleyNews.com

Mayor Tuerk, Less Promise More Police

Mayor Tuerk, last time you had the displeasure of seeing me was at the Promise Neighborhood Allentown Budget Love Fest...That sure was a friendlier venue for you than city council!! Many years ago that building housed an apron supply business. They would supply my father's meat market, farther down on Union Street, with clean butcher coats and aprons every week. Talking about blood, I'm here to talk about the weekend shootings in the Ward and East Side.

Although I live farther west in Allentown, I spend a lot of time in the Ward.  I often see cars double parked on 2nd,  talking to one person after another, then moving on to the next block and repeating the conversations.  I see this week after week. I often wonder why the police don't see these things?

You need to start thinking less about appeasing Promise Neighborhoods and the politics involved with such distractions from real public safety. You need to direct Chief Roca to start cracking down on the lawlessness in front of our eyes. 

Frankly, you and Roca need to start doing a better job!

photo of cynical blogger in gray hair and black coat listening to Tuerk preach to the choir/Promise Neighborhood grant(s) recipient and voter block.

Jennings' Campaign to Free Ed Pawlowski

Alan Jennings,  former founder and long time head of Community Action of Lehigh Valley, has been actively campaigning to have Ed Pawlowski released early from his prison sentence.  On facebook one of Alan's friends writes:

The only thing Ed was guilty of was grandiosity and hubris, thinking an Allentown mayor could become governor? The campaign financing structure whereby you need to hit up millionaires or be a billionaire is also to blame! Politicians need to put their hat out for donations to a ridiculous degree.

Of course the above is nonsense. Pawlowski used every city contract as an opportunity to twist arms for campaign contributions.  Contracts were not given out based on price or value for the city, but rather donations to Pawlowski.  That is the corruption for which he is serving time.

Jennings marginalizes that reality in his campaign for Pawlowski. Jennings himself made a career of twisting arms to get funding for the sacred cow he operated. 

One person who knew Pawlowski well was Michael Adams, former long term tenant at the Log & Stone house in Lehigh Parkway. When Adams injected some truthful reality into Jennings' facebook post, Jennings resorted to an ad hominem attack. 

Apparently, Mike, you have crawled out of the dark hole into which you were heading when I stopped talking to you. Regarding Ed, you don’t know as much as you think you do about my role. And I’m not going to waste anymore time on you because you have chosen to  take pot shots at those trying to make a difference rather than contribute as you once did. Go back into your hole.

The problem with the Jennings and Pawlowskis of the world is that they're holier than thou, especially with other people's money.

Lehigh Valley Railroad Old Main Line

The last portions of the Old Main Line were recently removed from Jaindl's NIZ waterfront parcel. Save for this blogger, not a peep from anybody else in protest. On the contrary, the track removal was spun as a positive, with notions that it would become part of the rail to trail network.

Shown in the photo above, the Old Main crosses Hamilton Street. There was a siding for the large white warehouse on the far right side of the photo. The line had numerous sidings, serving companies both along the river and on Front Street. For A&B Meats, the siding went into the plant.

Just south of Union Street there was a freight terminal and small yard. Although the old iron trestle bridge still spans the Lehigh north of American Parkway, only little scattered sections of rail remain on the west side of the Lehigh River.

ADDENDUM: My pieces on local history are not taken from Wikipedia and other sources, but rather from my experiences growing up in Allentown.  My father's family operated a small meat packing operation on Union Street. Included in the parcel was a garage on Walnut Street, and the white warehouse shown above on Hamilton.  I spent many hours waiting for the trains to cross Union Street.

reprinted from February of 2020

DeSantis Unleashes Death Train On Trump Supporters

The Brightline private train line has killed 104 Trump supporters since its recent startup. Roaring through sleepy towns at 80 miles an hour, many elderly don't even hear the whistle before they become a roadkill pancake. 

In small towns like Palm Bay Florida, the laidback pedestrians were used to slow moving freight trains. All that changed with Brightline's plan to join Miami and Orlando with a speedy connection. While the line invested $millions in new tracks and bridges capable of handling the speed up to 130mph, the human factor got no attention. On the contrary, complaints about the loud whistles will only increase the carnage. 

Perhaps the next president could control the border problem with a Brightline Train instead of a wall.

The above post supplied by Rainy Morning Chronicle, a sister publication.

The Fountain Park Flood Wall

Last week I used this photo in regard to the water lease controversy. It shows the rear of the Allentown water plant on Martin Luther King Drive. Although I identified the railroad track as part of the former Barber Quarry Spur route, a mystery remained. The rail line itself was on the south side of the Little Lehigh Creek. It would past Schreibers Bridge, and end up past Union Terrace, behind the present day Hamilton Family Dinner. An inquiry to Mark Rabenold, local train historian, was in order. Wow... that's a rare photo, indeed! What you have there is the remnant of the siding that used to cross a short trestle/bridge over the Little Lehigh creek and once serviced the city's water works. You're right in that it came off the Barber branch. According to Dave R. Latshaw's article on the Barber branch in the 1988 Proceedings of the Lehigh County Historical Society.

"Initially coal was unloaded from hopper cars standing on a siding located along the south bank of Little Lehigh Creek and was carried across the creek by donkeys pulling two-wheel carts over a bridge built by Col. Harry C. Trexler directly behind the pump station. In later years a conveyor operated by electricity hauled coal from cars spotted on branch track to storage bins at the pump station. Circa 1910, the water department constructed a railroad bridge from the branch to the pump station. This bridge allowed the movement of coal in hopper cars directly to the boiler house....In August 1936, because flooding of Little Lehigh creek on occasion threatened the pump station and filtration plant, municipal authorities approved construction of a flood wall along the creek's north bank. In addition, a pit was built to allow dumping coal between the tracks and a conveyor then lifted coal from the pit to a coal pile on the east side of the boiler house." "Because only one car could be dumped at a time, the branch train pushed a car loaded with pea coal to the dump pit at least twice per week." "Railroad service to the water department ended in the 1946-1947 era."

The wall, which still protects Fountain Park from flooding, was another project of the WPA. 

reprinted from April of 2013

The Trains Of Allentown

As a blogger, at the moment, I need a rest from those bureaucracies which I find so exasperating, and perhaps visa versa. I suppose it would be a good time to stop and reminisce some more about trains, both model and real. Shown above was the real deal when the 0 gauge was king. Before I go too far, let me state that growing up I never had a train. For a few years I had a friend whose father, looking back, was rather obsessed with the hobby. He had the transformer shown. It was 275 watts, and could operate four trains and an assortment of accessories. For many years, Bloch's Hobby Store, in the 400 block of 7th Street, was a model train expert. Trains were also sold at Pollard's Firestone Tire Store, also on 7th Street.

I've presented a number of Barber Quarry branch line photographs in previous posts. The one below shows the siding at the former Traylor Engineering Plant on S. 10th Street, now owned by the AEDC. About 20 years ago the track was removed for the entire  length of the former rail line.
  photogragh by Mark Rabenold, 1987

reprinted from April of 2013

Thank You Jarrett Coleman

Students of this blog know that I don't make nice with much, people or institutions. I would like to express my gratitude to Jarrett Coleman for following through with his campaign pledge to make the NIZ more accountable.  He has received no support from his local elected peers, in either the state senate or lower house.

There is however one monkey wrench in Coleman's good intentions.  In the meantime, between Coleman's election and his senate NIZ resolution, Governor Shapiro appointed Pat Browne director of the Revenue Department. Pat Browne was the architect of the NIZ. The information needed to evaluate the success of the NIZ must ultimately come from Browne's department?!?

Pennsylvania has always been the place where the good old boys and girls stay safe and protected by each other. It's no accident that we have some of the highest taxes in the country and that the incumbents stay forever. 

I'm hoping that Jarrett doesn't join the club.

Ice Skating At Union Terrace

The skating pond at Union Terrace was a rite of growing up in Allentown.  Putting aside climate change, the pond was frozen every winter.  Maybe the park department intentionally slowed, or even shut off the flow of water.  A fire was kept burning in a metal barrel by the southwest corner of the ice rink.  Benches lined the south side where a kid could put his skates on.

While Albeth Ice Ring on the east side was a skating option for the serious skaters,  Union Terrace was the choice for us less graceful, but more interested in socializing.  There were no iphones or youtubes,  just kids interacting with other kids.

The center city and west end kids walked home from the pond.  There were no cell phones to call for a ride,  and nobody would want to be seen getting into their parent's car.

At that time the park department was a significant part of growing up in Allentown.  Come summer each part of the city had its own pool.  For some things, like Allentown and its park system, going backwards wouldn't be a bad thing.

molovinsky on allentown is published early morning every weekday.

reprinted from January of 2019

Code Department Fails Inspection

I was informed last week that City Line Construction was working in force on the problems at the Hamilton Business Center.  When I drove by on Friday, no less than five of their trucks were in front of the building. I told a tenant there that I was sure that with the good faith effort by the building owner, that the city would allow the tenants to remain, but I was wrong.  As it turned out the owner had to seek relief through a court injunction against the city order. 

Early last week when this situation unfolded, Vicky Kistler was offended by the rumor that the raid and subsequent tags were a political reprisal. With all that work being done rectifying the violations, the city's refusal to allow the tenants to remain appeared to be doubling down by Kistler and the city. As of late yesterday afternoon, both the city and owner announced a settlement, with no further comment.

In my view if the safety issues were being addressed, the city's stubbornness became harassment, against both the owner and the tenants.

ADDENDUM 10:30AM: WFMZ reports that the owner withdrew his injunction request, and that tenants again are ordered to move out. This latest development puzzles me.  Was the owner told that if he wins the battle, he will lose the war?

ADDENDUM 3:30PM: The Morning Call reports that the city stated this morning,  “due to the seriousness of the life safety issues, we anticipate that it could take several months to bring the property into compliance.” 

The fire suppression system reportedly passed inspection as recently as this past October. The iconic property started life as Chrysler First Financial. Over the years I have been in it often, it's way beyond just a substantial building.  Perhaps if the out of town owner was more familiar with the reputation of Allentown city hall/ code departments, he would be more defensive about protecting his interests.

The Lost Bridge Of Union Terrace

The waterway around Union Terrace is divided. Cedar Creek, in addition to running in front of the Amphitheater stage, also runs on the elementary school side of the former ice skating pond. The leg of the creek that connects the two branches runs along the north side of the pond. Two bridges used to cross that creek leg; one for former train branch line and one for park users.  The train branch line ended service to Wentz's Memorial Company years ago. The park department has also ended service to park users...The people bridge has also been removed. The park can no longer be entered from Walnut Street.  

On the north side of the park along Walnut Street, the steel plates from which the metal skaters were cut, now stand stranded from their cutouts. Between them, across the now bridge-less creek leg, the pond is full of algae. 

Union Terrace was the last major WPA project in Allentown. Ice skating at the pond was an Allentown ritual. The park was a former source of pride for all citizens, regardless of where they lived in Allentown. 

As an advocate for the traditional park system and the WPA, I get very frustrated by having to use the adjective former so often when writing about our park features.

reprinted from June of 2022

The History Of Union Terrace

The area now known as Joe Daddona Park has a rich history. The stone arch bridge dates back to 1828. If Lehigh County had it's way, it would already be gone. I'm proud to have played a part in its reprieve. Today I start a series of posts which will eventually lead to another Walk In The Park, this time in the area known for most of my life as Union Terrace. The park consists of the former city ice skating pond and the WPA amphitheater. This blog previously featured the train of Union Terrace, which was near the end of the former Barber Quarry Branch line. Talking of trains, shown above is the Joe Daddona house, which was originally the freight station of the Allentown and Reading Traction Company. 

reprinted from April of 2013

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 18, 2023:As it turned out I never gave a tour of Union Terrace.  Just last week Ann Daddona, Joe's widow, passed away. In addition to the short train tressle being removed long ago, the walking bridge over to the pond from Walnut Street was also removed about four years ago. Come this spring I hope to encourage the new administration to restore some lost features of our traditional park system.

So Much For Flirting

Allentown revisited 1972, behind Greg Weaver's studio on 10th St.

Now in memory of Greg Weaver, Debbie Ciappa, Ted Kefalinos, and Donald Brooks. Sound track by Burt Levine.

The Union Terrace Train

The Conrail engine backs across Walnut Street, as it delivers a flatbed of large granite slaps and blocks to the Wentz Memorial Company, by 20th and Hamilton Streets. Years earlier, the spur route extended across Hamilton Street and terminated at the building across from school district stadium, now occupied by the park department. On its run to Wentz, it went through the auto junkyard, continued on past the now closed Allentown Metal Works, and crossed the trestle in Lehigh Parkway. At Union Terrace the track was next to the former ice skating pond, behind the WPA Amphitheater Stage Mound. This photograph was taken by Dave Latshaw in the 1979, and is part of the Mark Rabenold collection. Rabenold is a local train historian, specializing in Allentown's former branch lines.

reprinted from September 2011

Kids Of The Parkway

There were hundreds of us, we were the baby boomers. The neighborhood was built for returning GI's, and the streets were named after the planes of WW2; Liberator, Catalina, and Coronado. The twin homes were wedged between Jefferson Street and the southern ridge above Lehigh Parkway. Now called Little Lehigh Manor, we knew it simply as Lehigh Parkway, and we had our own school.

Historical Fact:
The original part of the school building contained four classrooms, a teacher's room, and a health room. It replaced the Catalina Avenue School which existed in a home near the present site. Lehigh Parkway received national publicity because it was being build as a result of the new neighborhood. Thus, the "Neighborhood School Concept" was born.








Because of the school and the park, the neighborhood was really self contained. The Lehigh SuperMarket on Lehigh Street was within walking distance. Soon, FoodFair would build their first large Supermarket, also on Lehigh Street, which was even closer. Today it has developed into The Parkway Shopping Center. We kids enjoyed our own Halloween Parade and Easter Egg hunt.






Because there were so many of us, Parkway Elementary only went through 2nd. grade. We would take the bus to Jefferson Elementary for grades 3 through 6.

Historical Fact:
Jefferson Elementary used to be a high school, and for years, it had separate girls' and boys' entrances. These entrances were turned into windows at some point, but the exterior of the building still has the two entrances marked.

These were some of my friends from 3th grade. They all lived in the Parkway. Not only were they all boys, only yesterday, 56 years later, I learned the name of the girl I'm holding hands with in the May Day picture above.

Historical Facts from Allentown School District Website

ADDENDUM: other Parkway Neighborhood Posts,
Time Capsule
Allentown On My Mind

reprinted from January 2010

Allentown Budget Cover Finally Gets An Inside

Last night Allentown finally got a budget for 2024. The saga between the mayor and council involved a veto, and threats of no Christmas in 2024, if there was no tax increase. Although the new budget has no increase,  a holiday sustainability position was created to insure that holidays continue.

If this report seems a little flippant, it's because Allentown once again failed the Molovinsky Civility Test. Once a month I drive Tilghman Street, from Cedar Crest Blvd. to Front Street...That drive tells me everything I need to know about the state of the city. When you have drivers still double parking on Tilghman Street at 5:00pm, the Administration continues to fail the test.  A few $500 tickets would cure that condition.  It's appropriate that there is no tax increase... City Hall is preoccupied with making everyone feel welcome, except for the taxpaying homeowners.

The cover shown above was created by Osorio Canas, a senior at William Allen.

City Hall Insults The Neighborhood

This is a post which I spent a week trying not to write. It is a story of favoritism and abuse of power. About four years ago a homeowner, in a quiet south side neighborhood, moved out and rented the house to his brother. Under Allentown regulations this property hence became a rental property, and subject to license and inspection procedures. As it turns out, these brothers are childhood friends with an Allentown inspector. The second brother, the tenant, has been disruptive in the neighborhood by every criterion relevant to code enforcement. The property became unkempt and subject of numerous police calls, including the SWAT team. All calls for relief from surrounding properties seemed to end up with the family's inspector friend, and brought no relief from the problems. Allentown has been very pro-active with problem properties. In the first eight months of 2010, 342 properties received orange tags, forcing the property to be vacated. Most tags were issued for problems significantly more minor than those occurring in the subject of this post. This past October, the bank foreclosed on the property. The tenant legally became a squatter. A neighbor's complaint resulted in another inspector discovering that the bank owned property was an unregistered rental, and he issued a 30 day to vacate tag for illegal occupancy. It appeared that finally the neighbors would get relief from the trash, noise and police calls. The childhood friend inspector intervened, and the 30 day notice was never enforced. My efforts with the inspector on behalf of the other property owners (including myself) were to no avail. I have spent the week documenting the problem up the chain of command, right to the Mayor's office. Although the property is in gross violation of code, the illegal tenant is allowed to remain. Although in the last eight months police have surrounded the property several times in complete violation of the disruptive tenant ordinance, the occupant remains. In typical City Hall fashion, they have circled the wagons around the inspector, around their own. They are now actually trying to work with the bank and make him the homeowner. The top photo is the back yard on May 9, 2011, with years worth of garbage. You will be happy to know that a city contractor has now been hired to clean the property and cut the grass, at your expense. The City's course of action is a total insult to the neighbors. I did see some inspectors today, they were walking around my property. 

above reprinted from June of 2011

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 13, 2021: During the Pawlowski regime, city code enforcement was weaponized.  As both a landlord and blogger, I took on substantial personal risk to expose the Pawlowski regime for its corruption.  While the Morning Call borrowed some my other blog posts without attribution, they never once used ones about city hall shenanigans...That's why Pawlowski got away with things for so long. 

I'd like to tell you that city hall is completely cleaned up, but it isn't. Just two years ago I had to defend an east side woman from code abuse. While things are certainly better at city hall, it's still filled with people who were appointed and promoted during Pawlowski's three plus terms. While there's still a residual arrogance of power there, I'm hopeful for a more accountable city hall as time passes.  

Although the years have slowed this blog down somewhat, I'm still on patrol.

ADDENDUM JUNE 10, 2022: While there's a new mayor, any change remains to be seen. Matt Tuerk chose to keep everybody in place at city hall, including code enforcement. While I understand his reluctance against a clean sweep, some changes were in order. 

Tuerk has been preoccupied with inclusion and making all citizens feel welcome. While that's all nice and good, the time has come to start improving the rights of the property owners...The right to equal and fair treatment by all the departments within the city.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 12, 2023: What is bringing on these Code Department inequity posts is the statement by Vicky Kistler that she was offended by the rumor that the code department was in a reprisal mode when they inspected the Hamilton Business Center last week. I have no knowledge of that situation or the appropriateness of the city action.  I do have extensive knowledge of historical abuse by the code department. She (Kistler) should take no offense at any lingering rumors.

Closing The 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 in the city 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. At that time myself and few other malcontents, like Lou Hershman, would gather very early in the morning for coffee at Jerry's Cafe, located on the first floor. The building had begun its life as the 1st National Bank. After being closed for many years, it reopened as Corporate Center. The new buyer renamed it Monument Building. 

645 Hamilton Street was torn down, to be replaced by J.B. Reilly's Two City Center. Let me tell you the story of the little people, who were disposed of along the way.

The previous April,  Pawlowski wrote "I want to thank Valley Latino TV Show and Magazine for keeping the Latino community informed. Your dedicated effort shows commitment..congratulations... I wish you great success!" Along with the magazine and television studio, a graphic art designer, a festival promoter, and a security company were displaced.  The Morning Call, reporting on the violation report from the City of Allentown, described the building as unsafe. It was the same building, with the same tenants, in the same condition, as before. Unlike the city inspectors, or the paper's reporter, I was there every day for coffee at Jerry's Cafe. Jerry's was not one of the upstart businesses blessed with a grant. He had to pay for everything, and everything had to be inspected, inside out. His plans had to be approved, his electric and plumbing had to be approved, his grill and hood system had to be approved. City inspectors in and out of the building during this process included no less than plumbing, electrical and health. Although violation report issued to the building after the raid listed extension cords, it failed to note that those cords were attached to a movable lighting grid for the Latino Television production studio, and were cords by design. Although the city citation report cited unlicensed businesses, it omitted the fact that the lower level was occupied by Sassi, which performs drug testing for the Lehigh County, and the city's action caused Melendez Reality and Madison Mortgage, among others,  to vacate. 

I don't know if Pawlowski will teach government in prison, but Molovinsky University will teach how Pawlowski abused Allentown.

reprinted from previous years

photocredit:molovinsky

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 9, 2023: Pawlowski had weaponized code enforcement, and that arrogance  remained within the code staff, even into the O'Connell administration.  Since then there has been personnel changes and retirements... I'm not informed about the current integrity status within that department.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 11,2023:We learned over the weekend that the Hamilton Business Center at 11th and Hamilton was found in violation of codes. I have no insider information, or even an opinion on the necessity of closing down the building. Vicky Kistler, recently new head of Community and Economic Development, is quoted as saying that she is highly offended by the rumors that it was in retaliation for Tuerk's treatment by council. I think that as a long time city employee, Ms. Kistler, knowing full well the Pawlowski era shenanigans, should not be so offended.  Other news events permitting, this week I will remind Ms. Kistler and readers of some history involving the code department.

Softball With The Mayor

After a no confidence, but no consequence grilling at City Council Wednesday night, Hasshan Batts provided the mayor with the Promise of a friendly Neighborhood on Thursday. Promise employees packed the mid-size room with shoulder to shoulder chairs around the perimeter, with a small circle of chairs in the middle for good measure.

Tuerk's communications manager, Genesis Ortega, gently asked scripted softball questions, allowing Matt to showcase what a wonderful budget he had prepared for 2024.  He explained how just a few more dollars in this and that department would make a great city even better. He mentioned how the fire department was benefiting from a substantial grant, and that grants were something that people in the room were familiar with. A woman in attendance later wrote on her facebook page: We are lucky to have this committed, accessible, optimistic, and realistic public servant at the helm. There was also one elderly homeowner there for a few minutes, who receives no grants, but worried how any tax increase would add to the already announced school and water increases. 

If Tuerk's pared down 2% increase budget gets passed, or council instead overrides his veto of their no tax hike version, remains to be seen.

Images Of Allentown Past

photocredit:molovinsky
Over the years my camera has caught many images which can no longer be seen. Some have been recent victims of the changing city, others not seen for decades.

Evil Eva's/South end of 8th Street Bridge/2005 

reprinted from May of 2013

Distraction And Reality In A Spinning Allentown

While Allentown's attention will be distracted tonight by a possible no confidence vote at City Council, the real political news will take place tomorrow afternoon, at the Promise Neighborhood headquarters. Then and there, Tuerk and Hasshan Batts will reaffirm their mutual beneficial alliance. 

Batts' blackness will certify that Matthew Tuerk and/or his administration does not discriminate against people of color.

Mayor Tuerk's presence signifies that Promise Neighborhoods is indeed a legitimate vessel for our city directed grant money and corporate contributions.

Never mind that the Promise agenda is in conflict with city policy. Hasshan's grab for the former Allentown Toy Factory undone the long standing Allentown Redevelopment Agency.  His mentor program is part and parcel of the defund movement.

While the local MSM will cover the dog and pony show at City Hall,  this blog will concentrate on the real back-scratching fest taking place on Union Street.

The Gordon Street Paint Shop

As a boy growing up in Little Lehigh Manor, I vaguely remember the trolleys. The final switch over to buses occurred in 1953. Although the major trolley and bus barn was the Fairview facility near my house, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company also had other storage and work sites. The west end trolley barn, at 14th and Gordon Streets, also served as their paint shop. Although the location has been a wholesale plumbing supply business for many decades, until recent years the tracks leading into the current warehouse were visible. The photo above dates from 1938, and shows a freshly painted trolley.

reprinted from May of 2013

Junkyard Train

Today, once again we ride a freight train of Allentown's great industrial past. In the early 1970's, the Redevelopment Authority tore down the neighborhood on either side of the Lehigh Street hill. At that time they had persuaded Conrail to move the the Barber's Quarry Branch line exclusively to the southern side of the Little Lehigh. The branch had crossed over and back to service the great Wire Mill. After crossing Lehigh Street, the train would proceed along the creek passing under the 8th Street Bridge. At the 10th Street crossing it would service another great industrial giant, Traylor Engineering. In 2009 President Obama visited a successor, Allentown Manufacturing, which has since closed. The line would continue along the creek until it turned north along Cedar Creek to Union Terrace. After crossing Hamilton Street by the current Hamilton Family Diner, it would end at the current park department building. Nothing remains of the line, the tracks were removed. The Allentown Economic Development Corporation recently received a grant to rebuild the line to 10th Street, even though the plant Obama visited has closed. The neighboring former Mack Plant now houses a go cart track. How the money will be squandered remains to be seen. The top photograph was taken by local train historian Mark Rabenold in 1989. It shows the later relocated section of the track that was just east of the Lehigh Street crossing.

reprinted from March of 2011

The Barbershops Of Allentown's Past

I was never a frequent patron, but one of my reoccurring photographic interests was barbershops. Although Allentown now has more barbershops than ever, mine are from a different era. Some of the shops still exist, although the name and clientele has changed. Shown above is the former K&K, on S. 6th Street.*

All photos on this blog will enlarge when clicked.

ADDENDUM: This post first appeared on this blog in 2013. With the proliferation of many local history facebook groups, including my own Allentown Chronicles, I see much subject matter I covered years ago now being repeated by others.  So, even at the risk of seeming less than original, I still repost older images for the benefit of new readers.

* my photograph is from 1996.  The building no longer exists.

The Hamilton Street Bridge

The current Hamilton Street Bridge was completed in 1959, replacing the former steel trestle bridge. With the new Hamilton Street entrance ramp aligned further to the south, a small portion of front street and a few houses were vacated. Additionally, an entrance ramp was added from Union Street, which previously ended at Front Street. The photo above shows a portion of the earlier bridge and the former A&B meat packing plant, beyond their office building.  The office building has been incorporated into the America On Wheels Transportation Museum. lower photo shows entrance to former steel trestle bridge, with entrance ramp skirting A&B Packing House.

reprinted from May of 2013

Sparring At Allentown City Council

In the latest round of the City Council bout, former Human Relations Director Nadeem Shahzad urges council to proceed with the no confidence vote against the mayor, proposed by councilman Ed Zucal. Shahzad claims that he was forced to resign because he would not fire Karen Ocasio, who has since been dismissed directly by Matt Tuerk. 

Both Shahzad and Ocasio may well be filing discrimination suits. On the back burner is a discrimination investigation championed by Zucal. 

The rumor mill has Zucal considering a run for mayor come election time. I've come to believe that any current candidate has to have some Hispanic flavor, only if it's just a hint of Cuban coffee, as in Tuerk's case.

Shown above courtesy of the floor, at a recent city council meeting.

The Dinosaurs Of Sumner Avenue

Up to the early 1950's, Allentown was heated by coal, and much of it came from Sumner Avenue. Sumner was a unique street, because it was served by the West End Branch of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The spur route ran along Sumner, until it crossed Tilghman at 17th Street, and then looped back East along Liberty Street, ending at 12th. Coal trucks would elevate up, and the coal would be pushed down chutes into the basement coal bins, usually under the front porches of the row houses. Several times a day coal would need to be shoveled into the boiler or furnace. By the early 1970's, although most of the coal yards were closed for over a decade, the machines of that industry still stood on Sumner Avenue. Eventually, they took a short trip to one of the scrap yards, which are still on the same avenue, but not before I photographed them.

reprinted from 2011

photocredit:molovinsky

Allentown Meat Packing Co.

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

reprinted from January 2011

Lehigh Valley Transit, Clearing The Tracks

One of the challenges faced by The Lehigh Valley Transit Company was keeping the tracks cleared of snow during long winters. Special cars were constructed with huge plows for that purpose, plus some regular passenger cars had small plows mounted on the front for continuous cleanup. Shown above is a special plow car stored at the Fairview Yard.







The trolley system required much more infrastructure than later buses. Shown here is track intersection being constructed in center city Bethlehem. Corresponding electric lines would have to be constructed overhead to power the cars. For your viewing pleasure, here is an introduction to an available video by Gerhard Salomon on the service in Easton.



More information on The Rockhill Trolley Museum

reprinted from May 2010

The Union Street Train Tower

The Union Street crossing was a busy place. It was located between the Jordan Creek and south 3th Street. Virtually all the train lines serving Allentown converged here. The Lehigh Valley Railroad's old main line also crossed Union Street further east, toward the Lehigh River. Allentown was at this time served by two train stations, the Lehigh Valley Railroad Station which was built over the Jordan Creek, and the New Jersey Central, which still stands as a closed restaurant and bar. This photograph, from 1930, is first in a series which will chronicle both the demise of our railroad era, and manufacturing base. Today, the tower is long gone and only one track survives. It is used by a private short line operator.

photograph from the Collection of Mark Rabenold 

reprinted from July 2011