The Mad Men Of Allentown

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

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from May of 2013

Shade Tree Grant Wilted

Allentown City Hall was excited about a $milliion dollar shade tree grant.  It was supposedly going to save the residents in reduced electric costs. The grant is now tied up because of the Trump administration fund freezes. Mayor Tuerk even complained that the freeze hurts our kids...“Every kid knows how important trees are to clean air and clean water."  

Of course this miserable blogger has a different take on city trees. Unless they're planted southwest of the house, and at a certain distance, they won't help cool the house in the summer. But wait until the homeowners have to repair and replace their raised sidewalks, at their expense, from the tree roots. Wait until they have to clean the endless tree leaves and other tree droppings from their gutters.

I do share Tuerk's desire for our kids to experience water. What Allentown should do is take care of their parks as they were intended. They should replace the aging, damaged and now gone Weeping Willow trees along the creek banks. Besides for the Willows, which is all they need, they should mow the grass, so those kids can see and enjoy the water from our creek banks.

Allentown's New Building and Old Graves

Thanks to Allentown resident Lee Ann Thomas Smith, we learned this past November that the Immaculate Conception Church Cemetery on Railroad Street was being desecrated by the construction of a new apartment house. Smith contacted WFMZ, who reported on the outrage. Allentown Mayor Tuerk said that he would arrange a meeting between the developer and church, I suppose to dress up bad planning and make some amends. Hopefully, they will plant a row of hedges between the tombstones and the new building. I assume a cemetery doesn't require a setback, as with another building.

Already years ago, I reported on what I called the Plywood Plaza. In essence, it seems that Allentown has not been providing much oversight on these new construction projects. It may well be that the city does not have the expertise to do so, but then such inspections should be farmed out to an engineering firm.

As for as the approval process, that has been compromised for years. Planning and zoning are compliant puppies, waiting to be petted. The neighborhood, otherwise essentially poor at the richest, will have its scarce parking further reduced.

BUT, there will be a grand ribbon cutting, and we'll learn that the neighborhood is being revitalized under inspired leadership.

photocredit:Lee Ann Thomas Smith

Ce-Ce and Me Part 2

Recently, I had a post about my long history with Ce-Ce. I first met Ce-Ce campaigning outside of the gate at the Allentown fair. Her goal at that time, in 2011, was the Allentown School Board.  A couple years later we met for coffee at the Hamilton Family Diner. Her sincerity reminded me of my old friend Emma Tropiano. 

When Ce-Ce first ran for City Council, I attended her fund raiser at the Brew Works. I think by then the distance in our politics was already apparent. Ce-Ce is so left of me now, that my old eyes can barely see that far. However, she's in synch with much of current Allentown. I hope she realizes that I also care about humanity, even if I don't subscribe to DEI as an operational priority.

For the upcoming Democratic primary, I'm supporting Ed Zucal for mayor. Although he's also somewhat to my left, he has institutional knowledge of what was once a safer Allentown.

Easton Says No Thanks To Welcome Mat

Easton's police chief and mayor for life are not eager to put Allentown's Welcoming City status on their door stoop. They also don't have or want Allentown's shooting and homicide schedule. 

While Venezuelan gang members were killing someone in the Poconos,  Allentown was proposing to become a Welcoming City. Easton's top cop senses that the Welcome City designation can only be a beacon for unnecessary commotion. 

Allentown city council, confronted and intimidated by a chamber full of Welcome supporters, adapted the ordinance. It's easy in our polarized society to be construed as anti-immigrant, or worse, even as a racist. Mayor Panto felt compelled to emphasize his appreciation of law abiding immigrants on social media the next day. I was disappointed to see the ordinance in Allentown pass unanimously.

Shown above Easton center square, 1948

Depot At Overlook Park

Old timers have noticed that the contractor's building on Hanover Avenue transformed into a community center for Overlook Park. But only the oldest, or train buffs, realized that the building was the freight depot and office for the Lehigh & New England Railroad. Lehigh & New England was formed in 1895, primarily as a coal carrier. The line ran from Allentown to Maybrook, New York.

In 1904 it was acquired by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. The line ceased operation in 1961. Among it's infrastructure were impressive bridges across both the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers, both of which were dismantled. Ironic that a remnant of our industrial era is being utilized by the successor of a public housing project.

reprinted from February 17, 2011

photographs of Lehigh New England Railroad

Judge and Jury Alan Jennings

Alan Jennings was recently ranting on his facebook page about Trump/Musk shutting down the Consumer Finance Protection bureau. He wrote:

"Some of you may remember that my agency, now called Community Action Lehigh Valley, busted a mortgage fraud conspiracy that preyed on low-income Hispanics in downtown Allentown. We put a few guys in jail."

The targets of Jennings' campaign at the time supposedly participated in what was called predatory lending. Certain mortgage companies were giving mortgages to people with poor credit at a higher rate. I believe that it remains standard procedure for car loans and credit cards. Our enlightened, like Jennings, now focus on affordable housing, making low-income permanent tenants.

Jennings take great pride in jailing those mortgage brokers.  One of the people he sent to jail was married to a Hispanic woman, and was well appreciated for his work at a local mission.  Meanwhile, Jennings continues to campaign for Ed Pawlowski's release, whose criminal behavior cost every Allentown taxpayer more money on every contract he rigged during his reign.

Hunting For Non-Partisan In The Lehigh Valley

I owe Robert Orenstein for a snicker* when I read that his blog, Armchair Lehigh Valley, is non-partisan. He was the gatekeeper for the Morning Call opinion page. Almost all my submissions were rejected by him, because they were either too long for a letter, or too short for Another View. Lengthening or shortening them didn't help me get pass the gate :). Once, he actually told me that my piece only represented my opinion.  Imagine, sending an opinion to the Opinion Page?

His newsletter articles are now being printed by the Morning Call, and they in turn are promoting the newsletter. The newsletter is free, but he does have his hand out for donations.  It was under Orenstein's tenure that the three amigos were installed on the Another View page as regulars...Jennings, Cunningham and Iannelli. They're still there.

Those pieces of mine which did appear resulted from my annoying persistence. Several times I had to go over his head to be published. I do agree with him that there is a need for a local non-partisan outlet for local political news. I like to think that you're reading it here.

* a silent laugh

Mike Welsh Announces For County Executive

Mike Welsh, an extremely qualified local business man, has stepped forward to become our next county executive. 

“It’s an honor to step up to represent the County that I have had the privilege of calling home,” said Welsh. “Lehigh County has given me incredible opportunities — it’s where I’ve raised my family, run a small business, and served my community both in and out of office. Now, as our county grapples with new challenges and faces an uncertain future, it’s time for a steady hand and strong leadership. 

 “I know how to fight on behalf of residents and taxpayers. When I served as one of the few conservatives on the Allentown School Board, I fought against tax increases and wasteful spending while also working with both sides to get things done for students. And as a small business owner, I know the challenges that taxpayers and working families are facing in our county. I’m looking forward to fighting tax increases, supporting our local law enforcement, ending our status as a sanctuary county, and restoring common sense to the Lehigh County government.” 

As a political independent and blogger, I appreciate that county residents have a strong alternative to Democrat Josh Siegel, who never met a far left wing agenda that he didn't support.

Contact: Mike Welsh 

484-347-1833 

welshforexec@gmail.com

A Flash From Allentown's Past

In a 1997 Allentown of long ago, a controversial councilwoman lost a primary election for mayor by one vote. The councilwoman, Emma Tropiano, actually became more controversial after she passed away. She was branded as a racist by a newspaper at the time quick to judge. Years later, I heard the accusation/slur repeated by people who actually never knew her. But this post isn't about her, but about the person who beat her by one vote, Marty Velazquez. 

Velazquez was also a councilperson, and the first person with a Spanish name to serve in that position.  On Wednesday night, we learned that Marty is once again going to serve the city of Allentown, this time as the city's new HR director. 

Marty's hire is welcome by everybody, even this blogger! After last serving on council over twenty years ago, he re-enters a city hall mired in allegations of discrimination.  He has both the background and institutional knowledge to make a positive difference.

Trump Endangers Hostages

As Trump addressed Gaza at this press conference Tuesday night, I feared for the remaining hostages in Gaza. Trump was leaving nothing on the table for the Palestinians, much less Hamas, in whose hands the fate of the hostages lay.

As an independent, I could not bring myself to vote for the top of the ticket this past November. Both Republicans and Democrats complained that my decision was a vote for the other side. I mention this again, because after Tuesday night my non-vote decision was reaffirmed.

I was disappointed on Wednesday to read that Marco Rubio said...  As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again.. Although never thought of as a diplomat, his appointment as Secretary of State seemed less far out than some other cabinet picks.  Although all secretaries serve at the pleasure of the President, Rubio didn't have to parrot Trump's real estate banter.

Needless to say, Trump's plan won't play well in the Arab world. It won't even play well anywhere else in the world. Hopefully he'll start walking it back sooner than later.

Ce-Ce And Me

Ce-Ce Gerlach rocked South 16th Street this afternoon with a block party to raise funds for school uniforms. The block was packed with people enjoying several carnival attractions, music and food. From all reports, the new Allentown school uniform policy seems to have gotten off to a good start, but one issue is the cost of the  clothes.  With a large, low income student body, this can become a family hardship.  I'm sure Ce-Ce's organizing abilities  will help with this problem.  I've had a couple of conversations with Ce-Ce this past month, and I believe she will be a factor in Allentown's future.

above reprinted from September 7, 2013

UPDATE January 30,2018: Last evening I attended an early kickoff for Ce-Ce's campaign for Allentown City Council in 2019.  I've known Ce-Ce for years, and am glad to see her again offering her time and energy to Allentown.  In this sorry time we need people with her sincerity and integrity.

In regards to this sorry time,  it's my understanding that the prosecution against Pawlowski had a strong showing in court yesterday. Numerous witnesses, including former city employees, described bid rigging and a pay to play culture. Supposedly, the defense attorney seemed exasperated, and Pawlowski himself somewhat forlorn.

ADDENDUM MAY 30, 2023: This post harks back to 2013. Over the last ten years I have posted often about Ce-Ce. While she was trying to raise money for student uniforms back then, they have just become optional. While her progressive politics didn't earn my endorsement for the recent primary, come November Ce-Ce will certainly retain her City Council seat. 

Show above is the street party she organized in 2013. She is speaking with a member of the Buffalo Soldiers, a Black motorcycle club which visited the event.

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 5, 2025: Someone recently assumed that I didn't like Ce-Ce. On the contrary, I like her a lot. However, I couldn't be more opposed to some of her recent politics. One such initiative of hers is coming to vote tonight at city council....The Welcoming City Designation. At a time when gang members from Venezuela are being located and arrested, this would be a designation that Allentown surely doesn't need.

No Liberal Fix For The Carnage In Allentown

A shooting outside of an after hours club on Union Blvd. kept the emergency room busy. While one victim died, the other three survived. The newspaper tells us that this is the first homicide of 2025, after a recent low number in 2024.  What we're not told about last year is the total number of shootings, and bullets fired.  To this observer, those are the numbers that count.

The shooting isn't what brings us today's post, but rather the quote from Josh Siegel. “After-hour clubs like BKK Lounge undermine Allentown’s quality of life and our goal of building a safer city,... I believe in a vibrant and thriving nightlife, but not at the expense of safety and security"

Josh Siegel is the state rep from Allentown center city and aspiring to be county executive. If the current  Morning Call reporters had more institutional memory, they would remember when not that many years ago Josh marched up Hamilton Street with the Defund The Police crowd. I'll spare Josh some of the chants shouted that day, but they surely will not appear in his campaign literature. If the APD had more boots on the ground, perhaps cars could be assigned to the clubs' parking lots. It's not the first shooting outside one of these places.

Prostitutes and Rape in Allentown

A former Allentown police officer is charged with rape. News headlines tell us that someone can be sentenced to life in prison for certain rapes.  A street walker gets into a car voluntarily, discovers the driver is a cop, and then complains that she performed a sex act under duress, is that rape?  If an officer coerces someone he pulled over in a traffic stop for a sex act, that is rape. If a cop pulls a young girl into his car, that is rape. I understand that my feminist readers will take offense with this post. Many of my posts offend someone.

Supposedly these indiscretions were alleged before, and the previous DA declined to prosecute. There appears to be new allegations that the charged officer withheld confiscated drug money from the department. The illegality of that charge would be indisputable. Apologies, but I find rape too strong of a word against a prostitute who got into a car to perform a sex act.

Regardless of my outlook on the situation, Mayor Tuerk has a conundrum to straighten out before the upcoming election. He has stood behind police chief Roca since being elected. Will Tuerk continue that support, or will Roca find himself under a Lanta bus?

Allentown Investigation Goes International

Allentown City Council traded a former FBI agent familiar with the city (He investigated the Pawlowski administration), for an international law firm, with offices in United States, United Kingdom and Asia. While we must still pay the former investigator, Scott Curtis, the time clock will soon start ticking with Duane Morris law firm, at over $1200 an hour.

Taxpayers can thank Cynthia Mota, Daryl Hendricks, Candida Affa and Santo Napoli for treating our taxes like money is no object.  The $64K dollar question, or I should say the $640K question, is what was Matt Tuerk afraid of Scott Curtis disclosing?

The original purpose of examining city hall had to do with discrimination.  With the obstacles placed in the way of the Curtis investigation by Tuerk, I think a second investigation of Tuerk's motives would not be inappropriate.

The Day Non-Profits Stood Still

The local non-profits were wringing their hands over Trump's grant fund disruption. Needless to say also the local elected Democrats were expressing their disapproval over such an insensitive measure. Bethlehem mayor Reynolds whined that the Trump funding freeze is ‘an existential threat’ to city’s 78,000 residents.

The dilemma even challenged the newly elected Republicans. Arnaud Armstrong, spokesman for Ryan McKenzie, had to show concern for the unfounded fears of local constituents, but at the same time not be critical of the Trump administration. Of course former Congresswoman Susan Wild would not have been under such constraints.

Although the Trump administration had made it clear that it was a temporary freeze which didn't affect normal disability or rent subsidies, etc., by late yesterday afternoon they had to rescind the hold on funding. I expect that next time the administration will issue more targeted holds. I also suspect that some of these more nebulous non-profits will have to disguise themselves to have more legitimate purpose.

A Noose, A City Council And A School Board In Allentown

The plot has thickened in the Allentown City Hall noose case. The alleged victim, LaTarsha Brown, refused to volunteer a DNA sample to the FBI. Public speculation is trending toward the victim having fabricated the incident.

The current situation caught the attention of councilwoman Candida Affa, who is accused of racism by a deputy city clerk. Affa commented publicly about the Brown case on social media: "I’m thinking of those poor employees ..managers ….The Director.. who had to go through interviews and possibly DNA testing….Not one refused I repeat NOT ONE refused to cooperate. These are the workers we should be concerned about not one person is claiming to be victim."

All the above might be the good news.  The bad news might be that LaTarsha is also a school board member. It seems to this observer that the school board has been more concerned with racial identity issues than education.

shown above protest at city hall over noose

French Hill

French Hill went straight up from the old mill along the Nashua River, in Nashua, New Hampshire. It was always a poor neighborhood, housing mill workers and immigrants going back over a hundred years. Almost all the buildings on the narrow streets were wood, except the churches. The name came from the many French Canadians drawn there to work. I lived on the Hill during the early 1970's, on the top floor of a triplex.

The old wooden three unit was heated by gas space heaters and the whole building would rumble and shake when a vehicle came down the street. In the morning I would walk down the hill, through the mill property and over a pedestrian bridge to the old main street, where I worked in a photography store. A google search tells me that the neighborhood now houses street gangs. Nashua is right over the border from Massachusetts, yet I would have never imagined such urban problems reaching so far north.


The above post is a reprint from 2010.  Years ago I also never imagined Allentown having gangs,  nor the shootings and stabbings which are now occurring.

Allentown's Buffet Of Legal Cases

The Morning Call's Lindsay Weber did a good job of presenting the smorgasbord of legal cases currently involving the city of Allentown. She appropriately peppered her article with alleged and supposedly. Myself, not being a trained journalist, but rather an abrasive blogger, will add some speculations to her piece. Unfortunately, as you can see from the screen grab above, the Morning Call article is for subscribers only. The wisdom of that policy is above my pay-grade. I'm such an amateur that this blog is not monetized in any way. If you need reference to the MC article, you'll either have to buy a subscription, or find/buy  a copy of Sunday's paper.

The Tuerk administration's refusal to honor council's Scott Curtis investigation was flimsy. Bids and proposals are brought into compliance all the time. Council's reversal on the Curtis investigation is political, with Tuerk  holding sway with a council majority against Zucal's primary challenge. The motives for the Duane Morris replacement investigation, in this blogger's opinion, should itself be investigated.

I believe that one thing the paper and blog concur on is that the city government is as conflicted as ever. However, I believe that the only thing worse than such government conflict, is totally smooth sailing. That's when the real shenanigans occur, as during the Pawlowski administration.

Blue Light Special From Lehigh County

I suspect that even from Harrisburg, Josh Shapiro can see the blue beams projected into the sky from Allentown. Those beams come from both City Hall and the Lehigh County building. 

Last week County Commissioner Jon Irons pitched totally blue Allentown City Council on becoming a Welcoming City. The mostly blue county is contributing $650k to the affordable housing project on Walnut Street. When all said and done from various levels of government, that feel-good will cost the taxpayers over $20mil.  

The county does have a moral obligation to make sure that the  historic Cedarbrook remain in good operation. Started over a  hundred years ago as the county poor home, it evolved into a nursing home for low income seniors. A decade ago, Cedarbrook's future was in doubt... County nursing homes became unfashionable. Fortunately, both Lehigh and Northampton continue to meet that commitment.

Outside of the city boundaries, local Republicans were encouraged by a few wins, likely helped with Trump's coattails. The midterms in 2026 will be competitive and expensive.

Pawlowski Supporters Hard Of Hearing

T J Rooney, former long time Harrisburg incumbent, is now a lobbyist who tried to get a Pawlowski commutation onto Biden's desk. Alan Jennings, former patron saint of poverty, has championed for Ed Pawlowski since they led the former mayor out of the courthouse. Jennings bent a lot of arms as head of Community Action Committee of Lehigh Valley, and even sent at least one person to jail himself.

Now that the Joe Biden pardon window has closed, Rooney will look for some influence with the Trump administration. I have recounted to Jennings, and other Pawlowski disciples, some of the mistreatment Pawlowski inflicted on various people. As a blogger willing to take the Pawlowski administration to task, some of those he injured came to me with their tales of woe. Pawlowski assaulted most of them with the code department. When I conveyed some of the stories to Pawlowski's disciples, they fell on deaf ears.

What most of them have in common is that they benefitted from Pawlowski, especially when he cobbled together his last election while already indicted.

Tuerk's Missed Opportunity

Tuerk states that he is Allentown's first Hispanic/Latino mayor. He makes this claim because his grandmother was Cuban, and he hopes that the Allentown Spanish speaking community buys it. Although he is fluent in Spanish, some Puerto Ricans I know don't buy his contention. But this post is about something else...

Tuerk missed the opportunity to promote Allentown to arguably one the most influential Cuban-Americans in our country, Marco Rubio. When Rubio came to the Allentown Trump rally, he was a Senator. He now is Secretary Of State. When Rubio was taking Spanish in the Allentown Arena, Tuerk was protesting at 7th and Linden. 

It would have been nice if Tuerk, as mayor, decided on October 29th to represent Allentown, instead of the protesters. He could send Marco a congratulatory note from Allentown, but now Tuerk's name won't ring a bell with Rubio.

shown above Marco Rubio in Allentown's PPL Arena with young supporter

The Little Bridge That Could

When I was a boy growing up on the south side, going to the doctor near the current YMCA, meant going over Schreiber's Bridge. Being built in 1828, the bridge even back then was over a hundred years old. When the 15th Street (Ward Street) Bridge opened in 1954, who would imagine that it would come and go, while the stone arch bridge continued providing passage over the creek. The Little Bridge That Could took quite a beating during the last couple of years, while constructing the new 15th Street Bridge. Trucks smashed the northern entrance walls no less than three times, turning on to Martin Luther King Drive. Although it is understandable that the City will wait until this Spring to repair the walls, there exists a more urgent matter. From the extensive use caused by the detour, and this harsh winter, the roadbed is badly cracked over the bridge's arch. These openings allow water to enter and seep down into the stone arch. Perhaps the city administration could give the historic bridge some special attention yet this winter, it certainly has earned some consideration.

reprinted from February of 2014

DEI On Steroids In Allentown

On Friday, in the shadow of the noose incident the previous Friday, Allentown held workshops for its employees... but two workshops, one for whites and another for people of color.

Kumari Ghafoor-Davis, the city's new People and Culture Specialist, previously the Equity and Inclusion Coordinator, explained that the separation was so that the people of color felt more comfortable expressing themselves.  How such dual meetings promote racial harmony isn't clear to me, but then again, I'm not a People Specialist. I received a copy of the workshop notice Friday morning from someone who thought that it ironically fostered separation. By Friday afternoon, WFMZ also picked up the story.

If my low-key, write-in campaign for mayor* is successful, Allentown will be going back to just an HR director. The public is currently invited to various workshops, so that they might  determine what the policy should be in parks and other city departments. In my Allentown, the public would be encouraged to follow long established policies. The Tuerk administration is obsessed with DEI, to the point where they even removed safety gates in the parks, because they might symbolize that the city wasn't welcoming. While such inclusion contortions may have political dividends, they do not make the city any safer, better nor improve quality of life for the residents.

The flooded car shown above belonged to an elderly couple who decided to take a long stroll in the rain. Unfortunately, the creek rose faster than their return walk, but at least they didn't feel unwelcome.

*molovinsky for mayor is not a political campaign, rather a manual for a better Allentown. In the upcoming primary, I support Ed Zucal for mayor.

Catch 22 On Allentown's Route 22

It may be Matt Tuerk's first foray into politics, but apparently there's experience in the backroom dugout. Take for instance the double talk on the discrimination issue. Scott Curtis, former head of Allentown's FBI during the Pawlowski Show, couldn't comply with the city's RFP, because he is an investigator, and the forms were for law firms. 

Move ahead to the noose incident last Friday, and we learn that the Philadelphia law firm Duane Morris will be hired, but they are not required to comply with the RFP requirement that Curtis wasn't qualified to submit. If you find that confusing, the current Allentown FBI will be investigating the noose incident.

Shown above is 8th and Hamilton in 1953.  Allentown is like a box of assorted chocolates from Loft Candy. You never know which ordinance applies.

Watching Paint Dry At City Council

There was a time when I was a regular at city council meetings.  In more recent years I have been only an occasional visitor. Last night I tuned in electronically, expecting an animated public, and some sparring on the dais. 

The only sign of life came from bar owner Don Ringer, who asked why Tuerk wasn't there to face the music, and suggested it was time for both the mayor and police chief to move on.

The DNC would be proud to know that in addition to making Juneteenth a paid holiday, Allentown will be adding both both Latino and African American Advisory Panels. We will also be forming a Welcoming City Ordinance, to shelter immigrants from ICE and other Trump gestapo.

On January 29th, Council will decide whether to hire a Philadelphia law firm to investigate discrimination and possible racism at city hall. It took some woman from the public to ask whether that firm was chosen using an RFP, and what happened to the taxpayer investment in Scott Curtis? Neither the woman (nor myself) received answers to her good questions.

Allentown's West End Train

The Lehigh Valley Railroad operated a train branch line which served Allentown's commercial west end. It ran along Sumner Avenue servicing the scrap metal yards, warehouses and numerous coal dealers located there. The line then crossed Tilghman Street on a diagonal at 17th, before looping back east by Liberty Street at the Fairgrounds. The line ended at a rail yard now housing the small shopping center at 12th and Liberty. Although many of former commercial buildings still exist, all now house more retail type businesses. The B'nai Brith Apartments occupy the site of the former Trexler Lumber Yard. These historical shorts are difficult to write. Most current residents have no frame of reference to our former commercial past. True historians, such as the local railroad buffs, cringe at the lack of detail and specific location of the tracks. Suffice to say, that once upon a time, the mid-section of Allentown had much more commerce.

photo of train crossing Tilghman at 17th Street taken by Kermit E. Geary in 1974, from the Mark Rabenold Collection.

reprinted from December 2012

The Politics Of Racism In Allentown

Residents may remember that last year, after accusations of discrimination in city hall, Ed Zucal proposed hiring former FBI agent Scott Curtis to investigate. Mayor Tuerk claimed that the Curtis contract did not go through normal channels, and that the city would balk at paying the costs. Then last month council changed its mind (majority of votes changed) and suspended the Curtis contract.

Move ahead a month, and last week there was a new accusation of racism. A city worker found a noose like object on her desk. Now council president Cynthia Mota is heading an effort to hire a lawyer to investigate the culture at city hall. She states  "We remain committed to ensuring this process is free from political entanglements and focused on meaningful change."  She also claims that they will save money.

To this blogger, this new hire is actually completely politically entangled. If it wasn't, council would be proceeding with the previous investigation, which was already started. Are we taxpayers to assume that two investigations will cost less than one? Are we to assume that a lawyer will do a better job of investigating than a renowned former FBI agent? Hopefully, Affa and/or Hendricks will realize that the taxpayers are already invested in the Curtis investigation, and that it is the one that should proceed.

Companion post on O'Hare's Ramblings

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 sought 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

ADDENDUM JANUARY 13, 2025:That track was never restored, nor an industry secured that would ever need a rail-siding. It was wishful thinking that could only be entertained by bureaucrats working in a municipal authority, using tax dollars. The park garage on Linden Street succumbed to neglect. The former Mack plant on S. 10th Street is now an indoor garbage sorting dump.

The Train Of Union Terrace

The Conrail engine backs across Walnut Street in 1979, as it delivers a flatcar of large granite slaps and blocks to the Wentz Memorial Company, by 20th and Hamilton Streets. The Union Terrace track was next to the former ice skating pond, behind the WPA Amphitheater Stage Mound. The train locomotive, and it's boxcar of granite, weighing untold tons, passed over a simple trestle with 8" inch beams. The pedestrian bridge which Cunningham and Solt claim is inadequate, has 24 inch steel beams. The industrial era of Union Terrace has passed. Even the Wentz property is now for sale. Please join me tomorrow evening, Wednesday March 14th, and help save the Stone Arch Bridge at Union Terrace. The Commissioner Meeting is at 7:30pm. For those unable to attend at that hour, your presence would be appreciated at the committee meeting on destroying the bridge at 5:45. Ice Skating is no longer permitted on the pond. The Amphitheater is falling apart. Let us assert ourselves, and save something of Allentown's history.
Train 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.
click train photo to enlarge

above reprinted from March 13, 2012

ADDENDUM JANUARY 10, 2025: I did manage with the help of some commissioners to save the historic Walnut Street stone bridge. The amphitheater is in the final stages of restoration. However, in addition to the former train trestle being removed, so was the nearby little walk bridge into the park from the Walnut Street side. The return of that walkway remains on my list for Union Terrace.

A Bridge Still Stands

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

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

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

reprinted from 2012

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

UPDATE JULY 9, 2020: During his time as County Executive, Don Cunningham and his project manager Glenn Solt, managed to demolish several historical stone bridges. Worse, these losses were misrepresented as progress. When Allentown replaced the 15th Street bridge (Ward Street) traffic was detoured over Schreiber's Stone Arch Bridge, built in 1828.

ADDENDUM JANUARY 9, 2025:With the enthusiasm of then county commissioners Michael Schware, Lisa Scheller and Brad Osborn, I was able to save the bridge. Currently, the Union Terrace amphitheater is in the final stages of restoration. A former small pedestrian bridge over the pond run needs to be replaced, to reconnect access from Walnut Street to the park.

FOP Endorses Ed Zucal For Mayor

The Allentown Fraternal Order Of Police has endorsed Ed Zucal for mayor. 

Ed  Zucal press release

Zucal Endorsed by Allentown FOP (Allentown, PA) On Tuesday evening, Allentown City Councilman Ed Zucal, Democratic candidate for Mayor of Allentown, received the endorsement of the Allentown Fraternal Order of Police. 

 “I’m enormously proud to have received the support of the men and women who work to keep our city safe,” said Zucal. “As police and residents continue to face persistent crime and quality of life issues, they’re ready for a new direction. Sadly, the lack of leadership and often embarrassing behavior from Mayor Matt Tuerk has hurt the reputation of the city and destroyed the trust of the people who serve it. I’m running to change that.

 “As a former police officer in the city of Allentown, I know what it takes to deliver safer streets and higher quality of life for the people of Allentown. With the help of our law enforcement, we’ll work to protect and serve the people of Allentown, and bring respect and leadership back to the city we love.”

The Train Of Lehigh Parkway

This holiday season, as people drive over Schreibers stone arch bridge to get in line for Lights in the Parkway, few will be aware of the industrial past surrounding them. The Barber Quarry railroad branch line crossed the road, just beyond the bridge. On the left was the Union Carbine's Linde plant, the concrete loading dock is still visible. Although the last train ran in the early 1980's, the wooden railroad trestle is still there, to the west and south of the bridge. The area is now used as part of the disc golf course. The photograph was taken by Dave Latshaw in 1976, and is part of the Mark Rabenold Collection.

above reprinted from December 3, 2010 

ADDENDUM JANUARY 8, 2025: Although the former Union Carbine loading dock was visible for many decades, it now has been replaced by new apartment buildings on the parcel.  Also different is the intersection just uphill from the bridge, the long standing triangle island is no longer there.

Tuerk Pitches Tuerk

On Saturday the Morning Call gave Matt Tuerk a platform to promote himself for a second term.

Among the gems he tried to sell is that our city has grown by over 17% since 2000, and we’ve seen over $1 billion of investment in the past 10 years. He omits the fact that the $Billion is our states taxes being used to build one man an empire. Besides that NIZ nonsense, there has been very little investment in center city until the recent PPL residential conversions.

Another delusion peddled by Tuerk is that crime is going down to record lows. Credit great ER work at the hospitals and poor aim, because there has been no shortage of shootings. Perhaps some non-profit can build a shooting range, marksmanship shouldn't be a privilege limited to the middle class.

In fairness to Tuerk there was no reason, especially during an election year, that he shouldn't take advantage of the paper's offer for a column. Likewise, there's no reason that a local blogger shouldn't chime in with a review of it.

Where's The Creek?

The young man seemed proud to be at the Old Fashioned Garden with his wife and child. I got the feeling that it was a rite of passage that he had enjoyed years earlier with his parents. He approached me with a quizzical look and asked Where's the creek? I assured him that it was still here, but hidden behind all that underbrush. When he asked me why they did that, I just shrugged my shoulders and walked away. I don't think he really wanted to hear a rant.

The Wildlands Conservancy had no resistance convincing the past two park directors to stop cutting the creek banks and call it a riparian buffer. Both directors were from out of town, trained in recreation at Penn State, and had no feeling or knowledge of the park's history and traditions. To add absurdity to the situation, the storm sewer systems in Allentown are piped directly into the streams, bypassing the buffers, making them useless to their stated purpose. To add further irony to the absurdity, the park department must now spray insecticide on the underbrush to control the invasive species. Worse than blocking access and view of the streams, the recent director endorsed the Conservancy demolishing two small historic dams, after being here only six weeks, and never actually having seen the dams himself.

Why do I dwell on water over the dam? The Wildlands Conservancy is now pitching the dam demolition and riparian buffer agenda to South Whitehall Township. If they get their way, the beautiful picnic vista overlooking Wehr's Dam will be replaced with a wall of weeds. I'm on a mission to make sure that beauty and history survive at Covered Bridge Park. 

above reprinted from September 9, 2014

ADDENDUM JANUARY 6, 2025: While I did, with the help of others,  save Wehr's Dam, I have had no such success with the creek banks in the Allentown parks. On the contrary, this season yet another new park director didn't even do the once annual invasive species mow down. 

Although I am a long time known advocate for the WPA, I was denied a seat at the new Parknership table.  I did manage to place a letter to the Morning Call that appeared yesterday, and I will continue to speak out in defense of the traditional park system.

Allentown City Hall For Sale

I should clarify that I'm not talking about Allentown's current City Hall, some people think that it already has been bought and sold. I'm talking about the canopy over the main  entrance on Linden Street, and the  CITY HALL sign,  shown in the photograph above. Stored all this time, these Allentown artifacts are now available for the first time in over half a century. Send serious inquires as a confidential comment to this post.

Click on photograph to enlarge image.

reprinted from February 26, 2015

ADDENDUM JANUARY 3, 2024:Among those who thought city hall was for sale back then was the FBI.There is a current push to have Biden commute the sentence of former mayor Ed Pawlowski. I served as a contact between the former owner of the former city hall sign and the current owner. I doubt that there will be a third owner.  We with any institutional knowledge and interest are a dwindling commodity.

The Dam Video

Not too many campaign promises are kept, especially by a candidate who lost the election. Although I'm delighted that the dam was saved, in the upcoming posts I will divulge the money wasted and the lies told, in the attempt to demolish the dam.

reposted from March 19, 2015

ADDENDUM JANUARY 2, 2025:Although I lost the election, with the help of others I did manage to save the dam. The last article about the dam's fate by the Morning Call managed to omit my part in that effort, but that's the price of independent blogging.

The Culverts Of Constitution Drive

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

reprinted from November 25, 2014 

ADDENDUM JANUARY 1, 2025:Union Terrace did receive some repair in 2015, and is currently undergoing a complete restoration. K Mary Hess is a renowned landscape photographer who can be followed on Facebook, Photos of Lehigh Valley.

A Russian Orthodox Corner In Allentown

While the pulpit section of the Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary Orthodox Church is adorned with murals and icons of Mary, parishioners may notice that there is no such imagery on the beautiful stained glass windows. More careful inspection reveals that while there are no graven images in the glass, Stars of David and scrolls can be seen. As the ancestors of the current members came from eastern Europe and the Czarist Russian Empire, so did the building's original congregation. The gothic edifice was built as a synagogue in 1909 by Allentown's Russian Jews. The Orthodox Jewish congregation, Sons Of Israel, utilized the structure for 50 years before it was repurposed by the current American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox congregation.

reprinted from January 23, 2015

Over The Dam In 2014

For this early morning edition blog, 2014 is under the ice and over the dam. Between fighting to preserve Wehr's Dam, running for office and providing reality checks about downtown Allentown, it's been a busy year. I believe that the unvarnished truth is a commodity in short supply in the Lehigh Valley. From the main stream media, out of town readers would think that Allentown has turned completely around. We who actually plug the meters on Hamilton Street know that although the new buildings are in place, the promised commerce has yet to begin. So far even the arena events can be counted on one hand. Mayor Pawlowski had read so many promotions about the New Allentown in the local paper, he thought that he could ride that bus to Harrisburg. Although the articles about success were premature, I do believe that real change is coming Allentown's way.  molovinsky on allentown will be glad to celebrate that success when it arrives, but in the meantime will tell it like it is.

above reprinted from December 31, 2014

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 30, 2024:Although I lost the election as an independent for state rep, I, along with others, did manage to save Wehr's Dam. Despite all the new buildings and taxpayer money spent for the personal benefit of one developer,  success, a decade later, still hasn't caught up with Hamilton Street... It's still a ghost town.

The Devil Of Ocean Paradise

The resort town's boardwalk is partially open during the cold winter months for the hardy of spirit.  The stores that remain open were purchased mostly by middle eastern immigrants, who overpaid for their piece of the American dream in the dying resort.  Their mortgage demands every nickel they can muster,  and their large families are eager to practice their broken English on the few customers willing to brave the boardwalk's cold winter wind.

All their stores sell the same things...  brightly colored candy, souvenirs and small toys designed to make children nag and beg.  Along with the stores there is a strip of game stands, where during the warm summer breezes,  fathers and boyfriends hope to win a stuffed animal.  During the winter, the steel garage doors are closed on all these stands, except for one.  The immigrants with their broken English cannot lure in players, but the Devil can.

Oversized brightly colored stuffed animals adorn the stand. Music from the 70's pulses from one loud speaker,  while the Devil commands the occasional passing man to "show her that you care by winning a bear."  Please don't misunderstand me, he is not Satan himself, but a minor devil.  He can give you a cold, or ruin a first date,  but he has no power over life and death.  Even those he afflicts can purchase redemption.... Inside the stores there are chocolate wafers for sale,  covered with white candy sprinkles.  For a mere $26 a pound, the bad omen can be eaten away.

This minor devil came from Coney Island a decade ago.  Brooklyn's Brighton Beach area started gentrifying in the late 90's, and the dress up spread to adjoining Coney.  Doc, the minor devil, thrived on hearty spirits, but not heady minds.  His move to Ocean Paradise was a win-win.  While the owning immigrant gets to keep almost all the money the stand takes in,  Doc gets to dispense a headache or two each weekend.  He has a room at a nearby old motel owned by the same family, and enjoys the middle eastern food that he has eaten since time immemorial.

If you walk on the boardwalk during the winter, you better dress warm, and not be tempted to show her that you care.

reprinted from November of 2018

The Coal Yards 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. 

Many of those boilers and furnaces were converted to gas and oil. The coal bins were used as storage rooms. Over the years the heating units were replaced with more modern ones, designed for the fuel now being used. Coal is now a memory restricted to aging historical bloggers.

A Reflection On Christmas Lights

When I was a child, when it came to Christmas lights, more seemed better. I recall my father taking us to see a house out on Union Street, beyond Union Terrace, which decorated lawn, house and roof. The home owner continued that tradition for many years, until he became too old to perform that labor of love. 

When I became older and more visual, I found less decorations more tasteful. Not only was I drawn to less, but also older. Over the years my camera would turn to the retro decorations, especially those faded and shopworn. The film elmusion has held up better than my memory...I can only guess where the photo above was taken. 

Today's inflatables are not, in my opinion, camera worthy.

reprinted from previous years

Molovinsky Christmas Tour

Recently I posted about Bill White's recommended Christmas Light tours.  I hope that caravans of  new SUV's are taking White's tours, because he publishes his recommendations every year.  Bill, after all these years,  has his job down almost on autopilot;  Christmas light tours,  Eating his way through Musikfest,  Cake contest at fair, Grammar columns,  Hall of Shame, Worst sentence writer. etc., etc.

Anyway, I recommend that nobody take my light tour,  it's in the hood in center city Allentown. Actually, the block shown has had its share of crime in recent years. The alley is narrow,  so there is no passing another car.  The double parkers get very annoyed if you beep your horn.  Best to stick with White's tours out in suburbia, with the inflated decorations that are flaccid during the day.  Personally,  I prefer the center city house decorations.  There is something so much more inspiring about decorating a low income house, many of which are rentals.  It makes me feel better and more hopeful about downtown.

reprinted from December of 2017

This blog has been published every weekday, including holidays, since 2007.

Bill White Pitches Pawlowski Pardon

Bill White was persuaded to write a pitch for a Pawlowski pardon (commute of sentence) by a mutual friend of theirs. White pleads that Pawlowski didn't take money for himself, but only for his campaign for Congress, (where he could really enrich himself.) What Bill omits is that every city contract rewarded was based on those contributions to his campaigns, not on value to the city. White omits that in essence Pawlowski stole repeatedly from the city and taxpayers. 

White complains that the judge threw the book at Pawlowski with a sentence near the top of the guidelines. At this point Pawlowski has served a little less than half the sentence, so a pardon now would be at the bottom of the guidelines. 

The worse part of White's whitewash is his claim of what a wonderful mayor Pawlowski was. Prior to the indictment and trial there certainly was no criticism of Pawlowski from either White or the Morning Call. While the government proved Pawlowski's guilt on almost fifty counts, perhaps Bill should wonder why he still thinks that Pawlowski was a good mayor?

Allentown, Not Much For History

Once you go a mile west beyond Bethlehem, there's not much interest in history.  There's also not much interest in art or architecture.  Boast as you will about Allentown's new NIZ buildings, but there won't be any awards given there for architecture.  The new waterfront NIZ district will remove the historic LVRR rail tracks.  The local historical society concentrates on shows about Abraham Lincoln, with no interest in local topics. The Allentown park department actually encourages the disregard to its original plans and structures.  We're being led by people who seemed more concerned with their own future, be it in real estate or politics.

For years my efforts have concentrated on trying to save those historical structures unique to our area.  Although I may occasionally still succumb to that compulsion in the future,  hopefully, most of my protest will now be limited to posts on this blog.  I pleaded to no avail with too many commissions with predetermined agendas.  Let the less disillusioned plead to the deaf ears behind those dais.

Shown above is the former LVRR railroad station on Hamilton Street, which was demolished in the early 1960's.  The existing train station was the New Jersey Central.  Allentown never met a unique older building that it couldn't wait to tear down.

reprinted from July 1, 2015

The Fountain Of My Youth

Just west of the Robin Hood Bridge is a fountain which quenched the thirst of my summer days. Built during the WPA era, it overlooked the creek. Although the water was turned off years ago, so now is the view. The weeds and assorted invasives growing are not a riparian buffer. Science says that a buffer has to be 25feet wide to be of any value. A reader described this thin strip of wild growth as neglect, masquerading as conservation. All it does is block both the view and access to the waterway. It denies our current citizens the beauty and experience for which the parks were designed. Although the Wildland's Conservancy would like you to believe that the Allentown Parks are there to be wildlands, in reality they were designed by landscape architects, to provide the citizens of Allentown with what Harry Trexler called serenity. He did also appreciate conservation, but for that he created the Trexler Game Preserve, north of Allentown. There are places in the parks which can accommodate the riparian buffer zones, without compromising the intended public experience of waterway view and access. Riparians could be created and maintained in the western side of Lehigh Parkway, between the pedestrian bridge and Bogerts Bridge. In Cedar Park, the riparian section could be in western side, between the last walking bridge and Cedar Crest Blvd. It's time that the parks were given back to the citizens of Allentown. They are not funded, or intended by our tax dollars and the Trexler Trust,  just to be a venue for the Wildland's Conservancy to harvest grants.  Let a child again giggle by the creek's edge. Let us get back our intended park experience.

above originally posted in 2013

ADDENDUM JULY 1, 2022: When the above post was first written, Pawlowski's recreation trained park directors farmed many actual park decisions out to the Wildlands.  Although their influence has waned somewhat in recent years, these faux buffers remain a negative legacy. The buffers are faux because Allentown's storm system is piped directly into the streams, under the buffer weed wall. Those weed walls in turn have become hotbeds of invasive species, such as Poison Hemlock.  Now, as the downside of those invasives has become obvious, the department is cutting the grass back toward the streams, but still leaving the creek edge overgrown, hiding view and blocking access.  To further complicate the situation, in the last several years all new tree plantings were done away from the creek, at the outer edge of the then wide buffer...The end result is now cutting the grass is more difficult, with all the new trees in the path of the mowers.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 19, 2024: In recent years the park department has only cut down the faux fake excuse buffers only once or twice a season. Those cutting were necessary, so that the invasives would not take deep root. This year the invasives, in most places, were not cut at all!