Parknership Moves Slowly

When the Trexler Trust funded Parknership was announced in May with much fanfare, I raised my hand immediately. However, it has been moving at a snail's pace. The board, which consisted only of Matt Tuerk and Jamie Musselman, just added their third member and board director, Simon Moore. Moore, like Tuerk, is a cyclist and runner.  With the spandex recreation component well in place, there still is no advocate for the traditional park system, much less someone to speak up for the WPA. While Tuerk seems to be picking the team, I haven't sold him on me yet. He balked and said that I was a reporter. While I replied that I would respect the board's confidentiality, he must decide if he's looking out for the parks, or just looking for more flattery.

In Cedar Park some of the invasives blocking the creek banks have grown into saplings, ten feet tall and an inch in diameter. Shown above is the foot bridge by the Rose Garden. There are miles of unattended creek banks in Allentown,  the creek by the rose garden in Cedar Park need not be one of them.

While I believe the Parknership needs my institutional knowledge of the parks, the parks meanwhile  need me to continue pointing out the neglect masquerading as environmental conservation.

The Night Hamilton Street Died

What was once a thriving block of Hamilton Street will now be turned into a ghost down. Even now, although not the golden age shown above, the block between 7th and 8th does business. Still hosting three chain stores, the block had survived, despite one arrogant mayor after another. The Family Dollar Store is one of their most successful branches. Rainbow (jeans) and Rite Aid also anchor the block, along with successful independents. In a night of shame, one of the most shameful acts was Julio Guridy, interrupting the merchants so that Mayor Pawlowski could educate them. Pawlowski said that the arena could attract up to 1.5 million people a year, and that everyone will benefit, even relocated merchants. Considering that the hockey team only actually attracts 3,000 people to 40 home games, Pawlowski is off by about 1.4 million. In reality, the stores that remain on the south side of the street will now face an empty arena and much less foot traffic. The upscale restaurants, such as Sangria and Cosmopolitan, will suffer, because their patrons will avoid the nighttime traffic congestion. Lou Belletieri told Council that he operated a restaurant across from the Wilkes-Barre Arena, and did no business, what so ever, from it. Councilman Michael Donovan said that although he feels for the merchants, he owes the other 118,000 citizens The Pawlowski Palace of Sport.* He actually owed them the courage to say no to this ill conceived plan.*

*Palace of Sport is a borrowed term coined by a blog reader. Donovan was joined by five other councilmen in his yes vote. 

reprinted from May 19, 2011 

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER 18, 2024:I drove down Hamilton Street on Monday afternoon at 2:15PM, from 12th to 4th. To say that it was dead is an understatement, maybe I passed three people. For a $Billion dollars worth of new buildings, and a 1000 new apartments, the emptiness almost defies logic. Only because it's usually so dead did I know that people weren't hiding in the buildings because of an escaped lion or killer from the prison. And they refer to this desolation as the revitalization of Allentown?

Trump Shots, self-inflicted And Otherwise

This post was conceived before the recent second attempt to shoot Trump at his Florida golf course.

Dick Cheney may have shot a friend with shotgun pellets, but Trump shoots himself in the foot, over and over. In addition to the Trump team doubling down on the cat and dog story, he tweets that he hates Taylor Swift. 

Years ago a star's manager would forbid she/him from endorsing one candidate over another. In today's world the mega stars are so wealthy that they can afford to express their opinion. Meanwhile, back in my mailbox, I'm getting an endless stream of campaign cards from both candidates. Why would Trump want to antagonize Swift fans farther by hating her? 

I never saw Trump as a disciple of self-control, It appears as if the poll numbers tighten, he becomes more impulse driven. If he takes blood pressure meds, he may want to increase the dose.

With this second attempt on Trump, I'm starting to see some conspiracy type speculations. All that is beyond my pay grade. The FBI and Secret Service will certainly be earning their keep as election day nears.

Allentown Archaeology

When it comes to the history of industrial Allentown, the railroad buffs are among the current experts. Our heavy manufacturing base moved its materials on the tracks of several railroads. The Front Street area was crisscrossed with tracks and sidings. The West End Branch ran along Sumner Avenue, crossed Tilghman Street, looped around 17th Street and ended near 12th and Liberty. The Barber Quarry Branch ran along the Little Lehigh until it then followed Cedar Creek. It crossed Hamilton Street near the current Hamilton Family Restaurant and ended at what is now the Park Department Building. The rail buffs are current day archaeologists, looking for remnants of those glory days. Shown above is a portion of the Barber Quarry pier and track. This is at the bottom of Lehigh Street hill, near the former bank call center, near the former Acorn Hotel, in a former city still called Allentown.
photo courtesy of Mike Huber, Coplay

above reprinted from March of 2011 

ADDENDUM AUGUST 22, 2023:The bridge has just been rebuilt, and the portion of the earlier railroad bridge show above was removed.

The Price Of Hyperbole

On Tuesday night Donald Trump couldn't switch gears out of his rally mode into a more adult theater. Considering that Kamala Harris was charged with immigration, and that it had gone out of control, all Trump needed to do was mention the basics, and forget about cats and dogs.

Considering that there is a large army of pro-lifers, all Trump needed to do was mention that states now have the authority, and that people are free to choose their state of residence. 

But who knows what lurks in Trump's mind and what propelled him to forget what venue he was at. 

Robert Kennedy Jr. thinks that the poor performance cost Trump with the undecided independents. I would agree that he gained no votes at the debate, but I question how many undecided remained before the debate. Taylor Swift's endorsement that evening only added to Harris's quiver. 

At the very best, Trump had a very expensive night.

Art NOT In The Park

On Saturday September 14, is the annual Art In The Park show in West Park. Great artists will be showing great art, but not all great local artists will be there. Among those great artists not showing is Fred Schoenk. 

Fred Schoenk has been producing art for over sixty years. While still at William Allen he was making jewelry for Cinruss Creations, and painting signs for Dorney Park. Returning to Allentown after graduating from Visual Arts in NYC, he taught art in our school system, sharing his skills and love of art with thousands of students. During that time he also operated a pottery studio, and did graphic arts and logos for many local businesses.

Fred is eccentric. The contact page on his website, Fred Schoenk-artist, doesn't work. The Facebook page he uses is private. Needless to say, he doesn't do computer art. His answering machine(610 7989115) as of now is still working. If you appreciate art and manage to make contact with him, and manage to get an invitation to his south side art factory, you're in for a very special treat.

Allentown's Orange Car

While the Orange Car, on Union St. near the Lehigh River, went out of business over twenty years ago, the building sat there vacant, fading away.  Although recently demolished, there's a story behind the slow demise.

When the Lehigh Valley Railroad went bankrupt in 1976, its rolling stock and track went to Conrail. However its other assets, such as real estate, were tied up in bankruptcy.  The Orange Car building was owned by LVRR.  Many years ago there was a small six track rail yard between the Orange Car and the meat packing business to its east.  Carloads of fresh citrus fruit would arrive weekly from Florida. After the rail service ended, the lessee continued operating the fruit stand for another twenty years. 

I labeled this post Allentown's Orange Car, because there was an identical looking sister store in Reading.  That location also had a major event in 1976,  a flood from which it never recovered. 

above reprinted from April of 2021 

Pennsylvania Squanders $Million On Bridge To Nowhere In Allentown

Drivers along Martin Luther King Blvd. have noticed a bridge built to nowhere across from the Parkette's parking lot. The large new cement bridge replaces an old small iron railroad trestle across the Little Lehigh, which served only the homeless for the last several decades. 

This is a story of grants and nonsense rising above incompetency to a level of blatant tax dollar waste.

Here is the story of this overbuilt bridge which leads to nowhere. Years ago the Barber Quarry railroad spur line was removed.  These tracks crossed S. 10th Street and proceed west to the old fertilizer plant, and then north past Union Terrace and eventually crossed Hamilton Street to serve the soda bottling plant on Linden Street. Its last working customer was the Wentz Memorial shop on Walnut Street. When the tracks were removed all the way back to 3th and Union Street area, the AEDC did not protest. After the AEDC came in control of the former Traylor Engineering building on S. 10th, they decided that if the tracks were reinstalled, it would make their vacant building more desirable to an industrial tenant. Of course in the real world reinstalling tracks costs a thousand times more than removing them for scrap iron. Also in the real world very few industries still exist which have need for a rail siding. Working for AEDC at this time was Matt Tuerk.

Meanwhile, the Allentown Park department, although neglecting existing assets such as the WPA structures and closing rather than repairing swimming pools, buys two unnecessary parcels before a former mayor begins his prison sentence. Biking enthusiast Matt Tuerk eventually becomes mayor when a grant finally comes down the pipeline, and we quietly get an overbuilt bridge to nowhere.

As a resident taxpayer I'm appalled at the misuse of public funds. I recall how Lehigh Parkway was bisected and degraded when the bridge there was replaced only by a pedestrian bridge. I recall how long it took to recently replace the bridge across the creek on Lehigh Street. I recall losing the Fountain Park pool because of the cost of a new filter. As a park advocate I have written volumes on the degraded park system supposedly because of the lack of funding. This bridge to nowhere is an insult to everybody.

ADDENDUM 8:00AM: The costly bridge, built with public money, will accommodate Serfass Construction & Development plans to construct a manufacturing facility on the old incinerator parcel, purchased from AEDC for $150K. Although I'm glad there is some purpose, I'm not delighted that our tax dollars are being used to enhance a private position. Pat Browne "engineered" the handout, and he's quite experienced with doing so for select beneficiaries.

Allentown WPA Report

I began advocating here on this blog to repair the landings on the Parkway's double stairwell back in 2010. That structure was the keystone of the Parkway's WPA projects in the mid 1930's. In 2020, when the Trexler Trust paid to have the vertical walls of that structure repointed, I spoke out. They had hired an expert to supervise the work. I went to the park and told the expert that repointing the vertical walls while ignoring the broken flagstone on the landings was akin to painting the walls of a house, but not repairing the leaking roof. The landings would start to sink and damage the stairs below. The mason indicated with a quiet nod that he agreed with me. I phoned the Trexler Trust with my concerns. I was briskly told that they do not seek public input. I have printed my plead to repair the landings almost every year.

I'm sorry to report that the landing have indeed started to concave, and the steps below them are starting to fall apart. While the vertical walls are tolerant of neglect, and could have gone many more years without repointing, the cost now to repair the landings and steps will be much steeper. 

The retaining wall on the Union Terrace stage is being repointed. While I'm glad to see something WPA getting attention, I wish the work schedule was more aligned with the needs of the structures.

Downhill On Lehigh Street

During the early 1970's, Allentown demolished the entire neighborhood between Union and Lawrence Streets. It was, in a large part, home to the black community. How ironic that we destroyed the cohesion of a neighborhood, but renamed Lawrence Street after Martin Luther King. The only remnant of the neighborhood is the St. James A.M.E. Church. Going up the hill today we now have a vacant bank call center on the east, and the Housing Authority Project on the west. A whole neighborhood existed in from both sides of Lehigh Street, including black owned shops. The houses were old and humble, but people owned them, many for generations. 

reprinted from May 2011 

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER 6, 2024:Although the houses shown in the photograph were over a hundred years old, the public housing project which replaced them has already itself been replaced.

Boxing Eggs

When I was a little boy, I would work at my father's meat market, boxing eggs. The job was pretty straightforward. I would take eggs from a big box, and put them in small boxes with folding lids, each of which held a dozen. If I did a whole crate without breaking an egg, I did a good job. The real adventure was the drive to the shop. We lived just off Lehigh Street, and would take it all the way to Union Street. The many landmarks are now gone forever, only remaining in my camera of the past. Shown above in 1952, is the portion of Lehigh Street near the Acorn Hotel, which is not visible in the photograph. Before reaching the Acorn, you drove under The Reading Railroad bridge overpass, which recently has been dismantled and removed. That line served the Mack Plant on S. 10th Street. Just beyond the area pictured, the Quarry Barber railroad spur also crossed Lehigh Street, at the bridge over the Little Lehigh Creek. That line also crossed S. 10th, and served Traylor Engineering, now known as the closed Allentown Metal Works. Just last week Mitt Romney was there, to rebuke Obama's former visit to the site. Mayor Pawlowski is now rebuking Romney, but none of them really know anything about its past. A half block away, on overgrown steps built by Roosevelt's WPA, a thousand men would climb home everyday, after working at Mack and Traylor. Freight trains, on parallel tracks, from two different railroads, were needed to supply those industrial giants.

After my father rounded the second curve on Lehigh Street, we would head up the steep Lehigh Street hill. It was packed with houses and people. At the top of the hill, we would turn right on to Union Street. Going down Union Street, Grammes Metal was built on the next big curve. Grammes made a large assortment of finished decorative metal products. Beyond Grammes were numerous railroad crossings. The Lehigh Valley Railroad tracks crossed Union, as did the Jersey Central and several spurs, near Basin Street. It was not unusual to wait twenty-five minutes for the endless freight trains to pass. A two plus story tower gave the railroad men view and control of the busy crossing. A few more blocks and we were at the meat market, in time for me to break some eggs.

reprinted from July 2011

A Promise Not Kept

Mayor Tuerk is still putting out the tired correlation between Allentown's violence and lack of opportunity. Recently I stopped in at Perkins, and couldn't understand why the hostess told me that there would be a thirty minute wait for table when the restaurant was three quarters empty. She explained to me that she was the only waitress, doubling also as the hostess. I since learned that this problem isn't unique to Perkins. 

Years ago I posted about all the fakers taking disability. Now it's one thing to have a city full of fakers with their hands out, but it's another thing to have pandering politicians and virtue signalers supplying the handouts. 

When there is three separate shooting incidents in a week, there should be a chorus of protest from the public and fellow elected officials. The sycophants remain silent. Allentown will have to decide if it wants to be livable or not. Realize that someone got shot while the mayor was on a Peace Walk with Promise Neighborhoods just a few blocks away. Realize while there is yellow crime tape all over downtown, Tuerk wants bike lanes down Turner Street? 

I don't blame Promise Neighborhoods for all the shootings this past week, but I blame Tuerk and Shapiro for thinking that sending $Millions Promises' way could possibly make a difference. That money has to go toward more police, nothing else. Let the virtue signalers support Promise with their personal private money, if that makes them feel good about themselves.

Tuerk shown above promising Promise.

ADDENDUM 6:00PM:I've been informed by comment that no funds went to Promise this year from Allentown. However, almost $1.6million came their way from Harrisburg.

Cold Reception For Park Advocate

I was surprised the other weekend when I came across volunteers and elected officials painting the gazebos in the Rose Garden. Just a couple of weeks earlier Mike Schlossberg and Nick Miller announced a $200,000 grant for their restoration. On hand was a photographer and videographer to publicize their participation. 

Questioning Schlossberg whether some of the grant would be going to restore the pavilion across the creek, he was clueless and unresponsive.

Nick Miller was polite and a little better informed, responding that some of the money could be spent restoring the neglected picnic pavilions. 

I then asked Park Director Mandy Tolino, who was also there. She told me that the pavilions would be replaced by new metal versions.  When I told her that the large wood pavilions would last many more years with just some long neglected maintenance, and not be a hazardous lightning target, she snidely told me that after the new ones are in place, she will take notes to see which ones lasted longer. When I questioned her about the creek weed wall infested with invasive species, she told me that there are also some native plants growing in the mess. (mess is my word)

Next time I don't want to know anything, I'll ask Schlossberg.  

Next time I want an answer, I'll ask Miller.

Next time I wanted to be dismissed, I'll ask Tolino.

No Ongoing Threat To The Public

When I grew up we were the All 'American City, the phrase most heard now is no ongoing threat to the public. Mr. Mayor, Mr. Police Chief, actually there is an ongoing threat to the public when people keep getting shot!!!  

I know that going on vote pandering diversity trips to the Caribbean isn't going to help. I know that funding former criminals to march around in orange shirts isn't going to help.

While the Morning Call doesn't report Saturday shootings until Monday, news spreads fast in the hood. While the Strata Apartments can put out advertisements about food courts, the food and museum isn't worth being accidentally shot for.

Until we get a much bigger police force, you have to flood this city with State Police, and start taking these bad actors off the streets and out of the alleys.

artwork by Allentown native Mark Beyer

ADDENDUM:The Promise Neighborhoods Peace Walk on Saturday ended at the 7th Street parking lot, where six people were shot the previous Sunday. Joining the walk were council president Cynthia Mota and Mayor Matt Tuerk. Mota had nominated Hasshan Batts for mayor when Pawlowski was carted off. Tuerk had started his mayoral term with a trip to the Dominican Republic to learn about their culture. An hour later and three blocks farther after the walk ended Saturday, there was another shooting at 8th & Union Streets. Mota and Tuerk apparently don't know the difference between orange and blue. Don't expect the public safety dilemma to improve under their leadership.

Hootchy Nights At The Allentown Fair

Morning Call columnist Bill White had a piece earlier in the week where he lamented that  Bobo the dunking clown was no longer at the fair. Although that's about as funky as it got for Bill in his era,  we older Allentonians remember much hotter nights at the fairgrounds. Up to the late sixties the fair had girly shows. I'm going back to the era of Gooding's Million Dollar Midway and Benny's Bingo. I'm going back to three midways packed between the Farmer's Market and Chew Street. I'm going back to when the fair only started after Labor Day.

I mentioned in one of my previous fair posts that Fred Schoenk and I made and sold printed t-shirts at the fairs during high School. At the Kutztown Fair we were hired by the burlesque show owner to letter a new banner for his show tent...as high school boys we would have paid him for the experience.

reprinted from September of 2018

photocredit:molovinsky...Black rock and roll review with strippers, 1969 Allentown Fair

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 September of 2016

The Mighty Atom

Years ago at the Allentown Fair, as one would push through a sea of carney delusion, tucked back by the 4H animals was an island of reality. There, in an old battered truck, an ancient Jewish strongman performed incredible feats of strength, to sell only homemade kosher soap. Standing on a platform on the rear of his truck, flanked by photographs from his performing youth, he would bent horse shoes and bite through nails. Many years earlier, my mother as a little girl in Bethlehem, saw him pull a truck uphill with his hair. Even as an old man, like a reincarnation of Samson, his grey hair was still long.
In the summers of 1964 and 1965, myself and a friend,(Fred Schoenk, retired Allentown art teacher) made and sold printed tee-shirts at the fair. We had the honor to know Joseph Greenstein(The Mighty Atom) and his wife. For those interested, there are various articles on the Mighty Atom and even at least one book. Enjoy the fair!

reprinted annually since 2007

The King Has Abdicated

In 1958 my father had a food stand at the fair. It took him about an hour to realize you cannot sell hot dogs in the King's back yard; Yocco, the Hot Dog King. When Yocco's claimed last year they were not at the fair because their canvas ripped, I was skeptical. This year it's official, they have abdicated their spot. Tonight the fair was jammed. In Ag Hall the granges still compete in vegetable canning. A wiseguy still incites you to dunk him. The world's smallest horse hasn't grown. Maybe Yocco's is gone, but the fair is still much more like 1958 than any other aspect of Allentown.

REPRINTED FROM AUG.28, 2007

UPDATE 2016: Yocco's has announced that they have closed their original location in the 600 block of Liberty Street.

What Is Allentown Always Celebrating?

Those who live in the Strata apartments across from  7-Eleven on 7th Street should take great consolation that Mayor Tuerk is disappointed in those shooters who made bad choices on Sunday evening. Likewise, they can take comfort in knowing that their state representative Josh Siegel was appalled by yet another incident of violence. He prescribes more investment in our youth to prevent future instances.

When you're locked down in your Strata apartment, who is actually living in a prison?  Apparently not those participating in yet another Allentown celebration of diversity. 

There is always a strong police presence at the 7-Eleven, sometimes up to three squad cars. Apparently that's not enough to deter the shooters. While eight people were shoot, one person was arrested. The police may have shot some themselves, when the victims pulled their guns to defend against the original shooter. Police chief Charles Roca said that this behavior by those who chose to engage in violence does not reflect who we are or what we are about as a community.  Actually chief, while all that chaos was confusing, what is clear is that we need the bad actors to be more intimidated by the police. We would be better served if you realized that the violence is becoming commonplace, and you need to response appropriately...enough with the kumbaya. What is also clear is that all money going to the anti-gun violence non-profits is going down the drain, at best. Despite that glaring reality, in its news report, the Morning Call continues to publicize Hasshan Batts and Promise Neighborhoods.

If I were mayor or state representative, my recommendation would be for less events and celebrations. If and when Allentown ever becomes safe again, then that would be an occasion to celebrate.

art by Mark Beyer

A Kitchen For Every Chicken

Herbert Hoover promised us a chicken for every pot. We are now being promised a kitchen for every chicken, and a prescription for free pot. When the term affordable housing is used, the real question becomes affordable for whom? The last time we were promised affordable housing, the middle class, as usual, eventually ended up enduring the consequences of that attempted manipulation of the mortgage market. 

This post is in no way intended as a political endorsement, but rather as a commentary on the cyclical nature of the real estate market. While the top of the curve currently does squeeze out some buyers, we should remember the crash we created in 2008.

As for politics, I wish there was someone I could endorse. While both parties are claiming profound doom if not elected, I'm fully expecting fresh lies for 2028.

Art In The Park

The West Park Art In The Park show has been occurring annually for about fifty years. It attracts both quality artists and an appreciative public.  This year the West Park 'Civic Association's endeavor is being promoted by two billboards on Rt. 22. The show will take place on Saturday September 14th.

Shown above is an artist in a park. Brandon Jones decided to take advantage of the weather and atmosphere to work on a commissioned portrait in Cedar Park.

A passing blogger decided to take advantage of Brandon to promote the visual arts in Allentown.

ADDENDUM: The show will be held in the park, rain or shine.

Allentown Memories

From low income sections of center city, to expensive suburbs, Allentown and the Lehigh Valley is becoming home to more and more outsiders. I'm afraid the time will soon come when local memorabilia will have little appeal. Fortunately, for those interested, some impressive collections still exist. This past year Robert Bungerz published Allentown Remembered, documenting his outstanding collection of historical postcards and other objects. David Bausch, former County Executor and authority on Automobile Art, is also a expert on things Allentown. Then there are the many small collections, home of the hidden treasures. Above is an early aerial photograph of the Allentown Fair. Those interested in the recent commotion concerning the 19TH Street Theater District may find the upper right of the photograph interesting. There is no theater, there are no houses on Saint George Street and most of the buildings seem to to garages and automobile in nature (don't tell Auto-Zone). This gem is probably from the late teens or early 20's, and comes from the Thomas Reed Collection. Thomas is aka Z1pyro, long time expert shooter for Zambelli Firework Company. He retired several years ago, and we who appreciate fireworks, notice his departure.

reprinted from July of 2008

Fast Bicycles In Slow Parks

produced by Gary Ledebur, Netherfield Studios, Philadelphia
contains adult content

reproduced from March 15, 2010

ADDENDUM AUGUST 21, 2024:Although this video is fourteen years old, I remain an opponent of bikes in the parks. While a bike whizzing by you is scary on Trexler Park's wide path, it is downright dangerous in Cedar Park. Pawlowski purchased two large brownfields, Basin Street and the former fertilizer plant. Those distressed parcels could be made into cycling parks for the spandex inclined, leaving the rest of us park goers much safer.

A Figment Of My Imagination

Dear Mayor Pawlowski,
Forgive me for saying this, but I'm very disappointed in the changes made to my town. After my wife passed away, I moved to the senior high-rise at 8th and Union St. I can see the old Mack Transmission Plant from my window, I worked there for 40 years. I understand now it's a indoor go-cart track, I find that a bitter pill. Actually pills are why I'm writing. I used to walk to the Rite-Aid on Hamilton Street. With that closing, I don't think I can walk out 7th St. to the old Sears. Forgive me Mayor, that's before your time in Allentown. The other Rite-Aid used to be Levines Fabrics, they bought it from Sears. The Army Navy store was across the parking lot. Anyway, back to my problem. Now I can't even catch the bus on Hamilton anymore to go visit my daughter in Catty. What have you done to me? My neighbor, a nice widow, tells me you gave that Mexican Restaurant lots of our money and they don't even pay their bills? Never ate there, what were you thinking? Anyway, sorry to bother you, I know you're a busy man, but I don't know where I will get my medicine from, and I'm upset. Sorry.

PhotoCredit: molovinsky

above reprinted  from July of 2008

ADDENDUM AUGUST 20, 2024:When this written in 2008, the downtown of my youth with Hess's, Leh's and Zollinger's was long gone. However, there still remained in the old stores a mercantile district. The new businesses didn't process the class merchandize for which the buildings were built a hundred years before, but it was still a shopping district. All that is now gone. Rite-Aid has returned, now at 7th and Linden. My mythical character, and I'm now his age, can again get his prescription filled within walking distance.

Allentown Post Office 1934

In the 1930's, the "New Deal" was good to Allentown. As I noted on earlier posts, our park system was enriched by monumental stone construction under the WPA. We also received one of the architectural gems of our area, the magnificent art deco post office. Constructed during 1933-34, no detail was spared in making the lobby an ageless classic. The floor is adorned with handmade Mercer tiles from Doylestown. Muralist Gifford Reynolds Beal worked thru 1939 portraying the Valley's cultural and industrial history. This incredible 74 year old photograph is the contractor's documentation of the project's progress. The back of the photo states; Taken Sept 1 - 34 showing lobby, floor, screens, desks, completed & fixtures hung

photograph will enlarge when clicked.

Reprinted from Jan.15, 2010 

ADDENDUM SEPTEMBER 28, 2022: While the NIZ-fueled new construction on Hamilton Street surges ahead, our architectural history continues to be destroyed. There is no more pathetic example of this than the magificant Art Deco post office languishing for sale. The irreplaceable front entrance lanterns on the eastern end of the building have vanished. 

The new NIZ construction continues, because our state tax dollars are used to finance the private owner's mortgage (almost all the new buildings are owned by one man). However, the language and greed of the NIZ concentrates on new construction, not on the older buildings. That iconic post office masterpiece remaining in limbo this long is a stain on Allentown. Any pretense of museums, art, and culture are exposed as hollow jokes, as long as that For Sale sign on the post office remains, and its treasures disappear.

ADDENDUM AUGUST 19, 2024:Nothing has changed since the above addendum in 2022, but I think even less of Allentown's art and culture community. They have succumbed to virtue signaling, now having shows featuring Black, Latino or Gay artists, as opposed to art which is blind to such irrelevant quotas.

Parkway's Keystone Deteriorating

When the wall along the entrance road to Lehigh Parkway collapsed, the entrance had to be closed, until they could construct a new wall. The closure wasn't because of the missing upper portion acting as a guard rail, it was because of the lower portion, which was a retaining wall holding up the roadway itself. In the mid 1930's, the road was built by the WPA, by cutting into the side of a steep ravine leading down to the Little Lehigh Creek. It was essential to shore up the exposed side of the road with a wall.

Halfway down the road is the centerpiece we call the Double Stairway. Steps from two sides lead down from the road, to the bridle path and creek below. Although very architectural, it too is an elaborate retaining structure for the road. This architectural masterpiece is in structural jeopardy. Although the vertical walls are in decent shape, the problem is the landings, both at the top and down each set of stairs. These flats surfaces have degraded, and water is seeping down into the steps below, undermining the structure from within.

The Double Stairway was designed in 1928 by one of the leading landscape architects in the United States. He was commissioned to design this masterpiece by General Harry Trexler. The stock crash of 1929 and the Great Depression put off the construction until Roosevelt's New Deal in 1935, when the WPA utilized the blueprints.

Allentown could never afford to create such an icon now, nor can we afford to lose it from neglect.

reprinted periodically since 2010

UPDATE OCTOBER 25, 2019: Although the years have passed, and now I even have a good rapport with the current mayor and park director,  the stair landings still have not been repaired and continue to deteriorate.  Worse yet, it is my understanding that there is money in the budget for the repair, but it is being delayed to study the problem. The previous administration studied the entrance wall, until it collapsed. What these stairs need is less study and some immediate attention from a masonry contractor.

UPDATE AUGUST 6, 2021: The study was completed, and the Trexler Trust paid to have the vertical walls of the structure repointed, but the problem landings remain in their deteriorated condition. This is the equivalent of painting the walls of a house, while ignoring a leaking roof. On a positive note, the remaining entrance wall, from the double stairwell down to the Robin Hood Bridge, is being repointed. It is my hope that the park department has the sense to repair the landings.  The landings and steps have further deteriorated, approaching being a hazard.
photocredit:molovinsky

ADDENDUM AUGUST 16, 2024:As shown above, I have been campaigning for this structure for over fourteen years. I'm sorry to report that the landings have indeed started to sink down, and are starting to degrade the steps below. Once more I implore the Trust/City to immediately hire a mason to repair the landings. No study needed, no expert needed, but immediate work necessary.

Weeping For The Allentown Park System

When Harry Trexler commissioned Frank Meehan of Philadelphia to design the Allentown parks, Meehan was considered the leading landscape architect in America.  It was because of Meehan that Allentown was shovel ready when the WPA started in the mid 1930's.  It was because of Meehan that our park system became the envy of cities everywhere.  

Throughout the park system he planted Weeping Willows thirty feet apart along the creeks. Their shallow, spreading root system provided the Little Lehigh, Cedar and Jordan Creeks erosion protection for almost a century. It provided both fish and fisherman beauty and shade along the creek banks.

Move ahead seventy five years, and in 2006 the from out of town new mayor Pawlowski combined the park and recreation departments, and hired a recreation major for department head. The new director turned over many park management decisions to the Wildlands Conservancy. The Wildlands introduced riparian buffers, even though the storm sewer system is piped directly into the creeks. As the Willows neared their lifespan and started dying out, they were not replaced. Rather, other trees were planted, back from the creeks, doubling down on the buffer concept.

We now realize that the creek banks are eroding, and that the buffers are incubators for invasive species. It is now the department's intention to seek outside consultants for recommendations. Rather than go outside again for advice, they should go back in history...Weeping Willows should be again planted along the banks. HOWEVER, the department REJECTS this suggestion, because willows are not indigenous. 

When I was a boy I lived above Lehigh Parkway in Little Lehigh Manor. My father's uncle worked for the park department cutting the grass along the creek. I'm saddened by the state of the overgrown creek banks, and the stubbornness of the city to not see the best solution.

Many of the original Willow trees have died, and the remaining ones are on their last legs.

above reprinted from May of 2022

A Persistent Park Advocate

The other day I had a rather candid exchange with the mayor. I told him I wanted to be included on the new Parknership to protect the WPA and other aspects of the traditional park system. He told me he suspected that they might consider me too outspoken.

While I had his ear, I told him that a park masterplan commissioned in 2005 concluded that the parks, especially Cedar Park, was being overused. He told me that he was an officer of the new Parknership, and that they would be commissioning a new masterplan. 

The new Parknership will be mostly funded by the Trexler Trust. While the Trust recognizes that the city and park system must change with the times, I believe that the word Trust implies an appreciation of the traditions associated with the founder's concepts. To that end, in addition to all the innovations of current times, the parks should also continue to reflect the tranquility so appreciated by Harry Trexler.

I believe that Harry Trexler would appreciate a voice and memory of the traditional park system on the new Parknership board.

A Rude Visit

When Irene stormed through Cedar Park, she knocked down and broke a number of the old willow trees. The sight of these magnificent trees along the creek banks, is the view-shed cherished by us proponents of the historical park system. As a boy in 1955, I remember the same damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Diane. Many of the remaining willows are now about 75 years old. Although they held the creek banks together for three generations, they have lost favor to riparian buffers.


It's nice to sit by the bank under a willow tree and watch the ducks swim by. Hopefully, somewhere along the banks of the Little Lehigh and Cedar Creek, there is still some open space for a few new weeping willows.
please click on photos to enlarge

photos by molovinsky

reprinted from September of 2011

ADDENDUM AUGUST 13, 2024:The bench shown above has been removed many years ago. Today the creek bank is so overgrown, it would provide no view anyway. While I might have a reputation for forthrightness not sought by the Parknership, I will continue my campaign for inclusion on their board. While I don't need the item on my resumé, there is a need for a traditional park system advocate. The Parknership is financed by Harry Trexler's vision almost a hundred years ago. That vision hired Meehan Associates (Landscape Architects) in 1928 to design our park system. More should remain of that vision of the parks than just a statue at the top of Trexler Park.

Works Progress Administration Meeting

Tonight is the meeting on Allentown's iconic WPA structures. When I first began this project three years ago, the steps leading from Union Street to Spring Garden were overgrown with weeds and saplings. My persistent, annoying blogging on the subject caught the attention of then opinion page editor Glenn Kranzley and columnist Paul Carpenter. The publicity they generated resulted in the city cleaning up those steps. My next target was what I called the boat landing. As a boy I had often played at that site. Long buried, it was now the step to nowhere.
Readers of this blog, on two separate weekends, succeeded in digging out the steps and the portion of the landing at the bottom on the steps. Blogger Chris Casey provided the lion's share of manpower in this accomplishment. The remainder of the landing was lost to large trees which grew over a period of forty years. There has been some speculation that my independent demeanor and blunt writing has alienated people, both at City Hall and The Morning Call. Although probably true, the merits of the projects stand on their own.
I managed to get the miniature bridge and spring pond cleared by appealing directly to Mike Gilbert, who is in charge of the watershed for the Park Department. I have been in communication with Park Director Greg Weitzel about tonight's meeting. Yesterday, I received a phone call from a women in her late 80's, whose father worked on the Lawrence Street steps. I believe a worthwhile future project would be to chronicle about those who did the labor; However, it's first necessary to insure that the fruits of that labor are preserved. Please join me this evening, so that I may prevail upon City Hall that a large number of our citizens hold these structures invaluable.

The meeting is at 7:00PM this evening in the lower level of the Allentown Library

above reprinted from September of 2011 

ADDENDUM AUGUST 12, 2024:Among others attracted to that meeting at the Library was Karen El-Chaar, then from Friends Of The Allentown Parks. She in turn secured a grant from the Trexler Trust to restore the steps at Fountain Park. I spent many years advocating for the WPA structures.  While the new Parknership would benefit from my experience and knowledge, my inquiries remain unanswered.

Allentown's Future

Mayor Daddona's plan to save Allentown was the canopy built in front of the stores on Hamilton Street. Mayor Heydt's plan was tearing down the canopy in front of the stores. Mayor Pawlowski's plan is to tear down the stores and build an entertainment complex. Pawlowski's plan will eventually take three square blocks off the tax rolls. Already the first $100 million block has grown into a second block and another $100 million. Because of a rainy week, Steel Stack's Jeff Parks is walking around with a tin cup asking for donations. The Sands Corporation will be able to finance its new entertainment complex with a money machine called a casino. When it rains on Pawlowski's white elephant, which it must from all the local competition alone, the short fall will come from our pockets. I'm not sure where Pawlowski will be then, but we're going to be up the creek, without a paddle, paying for huge, underused tax free buildings. There should have been a law, or a vote, or a City Council.

above reprinted from September of 2011

ADDENDUM AUGUST 9, 2024:Who knew that 13 years later Musikfest would again be having another rainy week. Allentown's arena turned out to be an underused pretext for a real estate scheme called the NIZ, which has profited essentially one man. Pawlowski ended up in federal prison, and this blog is still taking the bad actors to task.

Not Easy Blogging In Allentown

Yesterday, somebody called me an attention seeking blowhard. Someone else, commented on a very old post,.Molovinsky's twist of the facts. On facebook, Mayor In Limbo put a picture of the Lehigh Parkway wall being repointed. Truth is his neglect caused part of the wall to collapse, and my advocacy resulted in repairs being made at Fountain Park and Union Terrace. I've been called a naysayer by the best of them. I suppose their hubris makes those I scrutinize so outraged at my observations. Their outbursts toward me are personal, venomous and much more offensive than anything I write about their business or voting. I normally don't directly address those insults, and usually allow them the last word.  Probably being self-depreciating is an asset for me, in this endeavor that I call molovinsky on allentown. Perhaps, in the All American City of my youth, I would be a naysayer. However, in this era of self serving politicians, opportunists, and a newspaper which doesn't know if it wants to be journalistic or an advertising agency, I believe that I serve a public good, even if it's not universally appreciated.

reprinted from April of 2016 

ADDENDUM AUGUST 8, 2024:Although another eight years have passed, can't say that the powers that be think anymore of me, actually less. A few of years ago the Morning Call did a story on Wehr's Dam and didn't mention me. Without my campaign to save the dam, it would have been quickly demolished in 2014, before any public input. Likewise, my current exclusion from the Parknership, at least in its first round so far of sought input, is a statement on Tuerk's low regard for me. Regardless of such slights, this blog celebrated its 17th birthday this past May.

Growth Industry In Allentown

Yesterday I went to the Social Security Office, across from the prison, to discuss my retirement options. I was given number 199. In addition to retirement, Social Security also dispenses money for disability. I would say from the gray hair, there were about three of us contemplating retirement, all the others were for disability. A few middle age men were carrying their fake canes. The canes aren't fake, it's the disabilities. I saw one such gentleman walk in from the parking lot, clearly the cane bore no weight, and was merely a prop. Most of the people waiting were quite young, in their twenties. Disability has now been expanded to include mental conditions such as depression, anxiety, additive personality and anger management. I will say many of them did look angry to me. It was hard finding a parking space. Business also looked good at the prison. If Johnny Manana's had gotten these crowds....

reprinted from Nov. 18, 2008

Allentown, The Grant Sinkhole

Although the state of Pennsylvania has spent $500 million of your state taxes paying down the mortgage on J.B. Reilly's privately owned Hamilton Street empire, we learn that the fed is giving us $20million because we're a distressed area?!?  If it's a grant from Washington, or a grant from Harrisburg, both ways it's our money.

This grant will target the unemployed, who are actually the unmotivated.  Although we have new terms added to the lexicon all the time, unmotivated isn't among them. There was a press conference with our elected officials accepting the grant, and telling us what wonderful things will be done with it, and how it will change the dynamics of our community. In Pinocchio's time they would all be leaving that press conference with a long nose.

Hasshan Batts and his unfulfilled Promise was front and center at the trough.The Morning Call sought out his comments..." It’s crucial that we continue to collaborate and ensure that those most impacted have a voice and benefit directly from these funds.” I suppose working for Promise Neighborhoods is considered gainful employment by Mayor Tuerk, who reportedly already promised them a cut.

Rumble In Allentown's Police Force

Two police officers have filed a lawsuit against the department and city alleging misconduct.  While the suit itself didn't attract my attention, one of the plaintiffs is officer David Howells III.  Not only is David the third Howells, both his father and grandfather were on the force. 

This is turning out to be a lucrative year for municipal lawyering. There are now at least two lawsuits against the city alleging the dirty D, discrimination, among other charges.

I've been informed on good source that involvement with prostitutes is nothing new to Allentown administrations. The allegation involves a former mayor.

On the note of police and lawyers, I have a confession to make. I justify showing off my photograph above because it shows Chief Roca, a defendant in the police case, trying among others to restrain an enthusiastic citizen at council's courtesy of the floor. Mayor Tuerk can be seen in far right side trying to ignore the commotion. Also shown, among others, are school board member Ms. Phoebe Harris and Jessica Lee Ortiz from the non-profit sector.

click on photo to enlarge

The Island Of Lehigh Parkway

The scene above shows the island in the Little Lehigh, with the boatlanding in the background. Please note the bridge leading to the island. The island, bridge and landing were created by the WPA. Although the island still remains, as does it's stone piers, the bridge is long gone. The boatlanding, although buried, was partially recovered last year by myself and a number of volunteers. The island, as remaining, has lost it's shape and has been enlarged from deposits carried by the Little Lehigh. The island was created by the WPA in the mid 1930's, by excavating a channel on it's south side. It is the intention of the park department to eventually allow mother nature to fill in the channel. Park philosophy has changed from manicured to al natural. It is my hope that the excavated portion of the boatlanding will be retained. In regard to yesterday's post on Irving Park, I have confirmed that one of the WPA stone stairwells was indeed removed this year by the city. I hope that is not their version of a fix. It clearly indicates the need for the WPA Support Group. Click photo to enlarge.

above reprinted from September of 2011

ADDENDUM AUGUST 2, 2024: Although the Parknership has been in formation for a number of years, and hundreds of people have been contacted for input,  no one has reached out to me. The Parknership is a cooperation between the city administration and the Trexler Trust. Considering my known advocacy for the parks and WPA structures, my exclusion is obviously intentional.

Tuerk's Bloated Administration

Allentown has just announced hiring a new DEI coordinator.

“She will help us build a more inclusive workplace, inviting lots of different folks into the life of public service," Tuerk said in the release.

Although this hire may well be in response to the discrimination probe instigated by city council, I'm against both the hire and investigation. In my retro mind, unless the position existed in the Daddona administration, Allentown doesn't need it. I make a case for less is more in the mayor's office not because I'm stuck in 1970, but because Allentown's priority should be more boots on the ground, not think tanks on the 5th floor of city hall. 

Our littered streets are falling apart. Our police department is understaffed. Our park department is understaffed. 

If we were a larger city, perhaps we could afford to indulge in the social engineering positions popular in today's culture. However, things being as they are, we need to concentrate on basics. Fulfilling those basics will serve our residents far better than city hall being more inviting. 

As you can tell from the illustration chosen for this post, I'm not much for political correctness. If you can't get frankness from a local blog, where are you going to find it? 

above photo from Drew Carey Show

Beauty And The Beast Along Cedar Creek

The above scene is from Cedar Creek along the rose garden.  The creek banks have not been cut once this season. As an advocate for the traditional park system, the only solace I got from that situation was that the ducklings were spared from the usual spring massacre.

I did find the purple flowers pretty, and did feel a twitch of hypocrisy while taking the photo. Former park expert Michael Adams did inform me about my photograph....Purple Loosestrife, a beautiful but dreadful invasive... Michael is still an expert, but he was removed from the Parkway's Log and Stone house for political impurity by Pawlowski.

The new park director's background is in plant science.  She should wonder why both an opponent and a proponent of riparian buffers are upset by the condition of our creek banks.

A Failure By Dieruff High

This week I decided to go back to school, at least to hang outside of Dieruff. Upon re-evaluation, I must give my previous report on the WPA steps at Irving Park a failing grade. Besides myself, also failing would be Mayor Pawlowski, Park Director Weitzel and City Council President Michael D'Amore. Any lessons given about the WPA Steps at Irving Park better be given in the next couple years; after that they will be gone. We are soon approaching the point where the City will declare the cost of repair is cost prohibitive; Unless that is their current plan! As reported in the previous post's comments, one set of steps has already been removed by the City. All the remaining steps are in a state of disrepair. Shown above are the steps on Washington Street, between Jerome and Irving Streets. WPA Support Group member Mark Thomas prepared comprehensive documentation on the remaining masonry structures at Irving Park.
UPDATE: Mark Thomas raises the question as to whether these steps are indeed WPA. They appear to be the same vintage and colorization of the pool bathhouse, dated 1941. In any regard, the steps are clearly historic, and this group will campaign for their preservation.
please click on photo 

above reprinted from September of 2011

ADDENDUM JULY 30, 2024:The first repost on this topic appeared on July 18, and I apologize for the delay on this follow-up. In my bid to be included on the new Parknership board, I was being softer and trying to be diplomatic with my park posts. However, after reading reports of weekend chaos at Canal Park and elsewhere in our park system, I resorted back to this blog's mission...report on that grit too harsh for our other polite media. Last week I outlined a number of innovations taken by the current administration which have come back to bite us. We apparentaly are now providing recreation for New Jersey in our parks. The Jersey shore was designed for tourists, the Allentown park system was meant for residents. Back in my day there was a designated park system police officer. It is becoming apparent that we need more police coverage in our parks. While that need may be seasonal, we need an enlarged force all year, for overall safety and quality of life issues throughout Allentown.

Trump's Shorthand Costly

When Trump told Christians that they won't have to vote in four years, I knew what he meant. He meant that the country will be so fixed by then if he is elected this November, that they won't have the compulsion to run to the polls in 2028 as they do this year. 

Needless to say that quote will come back to haunt Trump. His opponents already claimed that he is a threat to democracy, and he's now saying you won't have to vote anymore. His shorthand phrases would drive a campaign strategist crazy, if he had one. Imagine always having to explain what he meant.

While Trump added nothing to his ticket with Vance as VP, Harris may choose Kelly, which will significantly enlarge her tent. While the polls have tightened to a draw, Harris can only go up from here, while Trump goes down. If Trump hopes to win, he might start talking in full sentences, pre-vetted bigly.

Weed Wall Hiding Cedar Creek

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

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

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

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

above reprinted from June of 2019

ADDENDUM JULY 26, 2024:In previous years the traditional park format got a break in early spring. The weed wall was temporarily cut down to prevent the invasive species from taking firm root, such as Poison Hemlock. I would complain that in the process the ducklings were turned into paste. Well, the ducklings fared better this year, there has been no cutting. The solution for both the ducklings and park goers is to mow the grass to the creek's edge, as planned by General Trexler's landscape architect. The ducks will find safe places to build nests.

Picnic Pavilion Blues

For the last decade the picnic pavilions below Cedar Crest College have been in a state of benign neglect. The park department stubbornly wants to replace these older pavilions with their lightning-friendly metal expensive replacements. 

Common sense would say why not just reshingle the older ones, and give them a fresh coat of paint. They have served the city well for eighty years, and still are eager to serve. However, the metal replacements have been put into the schedule years ago, and the bureaucratic way is to let the older ones decay until they're replaced with the scheduled new ones. 

Somehow I suspect that the replacements, when they finally do appear, will not last a fraction as long.

Students of the blog know that years ago I was very critical of Pawlowski and his succession of park directors, which were all of the same mold (Penn State recreation program) and hired by the same city manager. Had the FBI's menu been longer, they might have looked into some of those decisions and contracts.

I actually have a rapport with the current park director, and have not yet totally burned all the bridges with the new mayor. However, it is my avocation to champion for the traditional park system and the WPA. To that end, I will not compromise the mission with polite cordiality here on the blog.

above reprinted from June of 2022

ADDENDUM APRIL 19, 2023: Since the above post was written less than a year ago, there's yet another new park director, but I'm hoping to maintain a channel to that office.  However, as always, my mission remains the parks, not polite cordiality.

While I'm still advocating that the current picnic pavilions be saved, another important park feature has just been discarded.  Before the expensive (10k each) PlayWorld novelty exercise  kiosks were installed, the park had old school exercise stations. A classmate of mine from the mid 1960's would finish his daily walk with pull-ups.  While these time proven exercise stations were in good condition, this park system apparently still prefers gimmicks from catalogs.

Last, but not least, this year's duckling forecast...  You may have noticed very few ducks on the Rose Garden side of the park, but there are a few pairs. Unfortunately, their propagation chances again look slim. The park department did not mow the creek bank on the first cutting, and the poison hemlock is already thriving. If they cut down it before the ducks hatch, as they have for the last four years, once again no ducklings will survive to swim the ponds. The window for the bank cutting has closed, and they must now wait until after the ducklings are hatched and on their own.

ADDENDUM JULY 25, 2024:Another year has passed with benign neglect for the pavilions. On a similar note, vines completely cover the brick front on the barn by the park office, eating heartily into the mortar. Vines are also being allowed to grow on the office itself, which was a farmhouse back long before any of our days. I remain ignored by the mayor, the new park director, and the Parknership seems to be following their lead.