The Little Bridge of Lehigh Parkway, Part 3

The little bridge is just off the parking lot by Robin Hood. When I started my blog, the small spring pond and raceway to the miniature bridge were completely overgrown. I prevailed upon the then separate Watershed Dept. to allow it be cleaned up. Although the bridge is being currently kept cleared, the pond and raceway is again very overgrown.

The deviation away from our traditional park system began in 2006, when during Ed Pawlowski's first term, he hired a park director not familiar with Allentown, and its iconic park system. Worse for the traditional park system, was that several members of the Trexler Trust were part of Pawlowski's kitchen cabinet, and didn't assert themselves in regard to the parks.

Nothing has been more detrimental to our traditional park system than the park department cooperating with the Wildlands Conservancy, starting with a weed wall in Trout Park. The Conservancy has no interest in parks, but rather nature. Worse, the Trexler Trust is now funding this desecration. THEY SHOULD BE TAKEN TO COURT FOR VIOLATING TREXLER'S INTENTIONS. THE FEATURES NOW BEING IGNORED WERE COMMISSIONED BY TREXLER HIMSELF.

The Little Bridge Of Lehigh Parkway, Part 2

In yesterday's post, Part 1, I mentioned that Tyler Fatzinger would be co-administrator of WPA Of Allentown Facebook group. Tyler has lent considerable energy to the Fairview Cemetery situation, and now wants to also address the WPA neglect.

Likewise, Tom Banotai will be joining me as an administrator on Allentown Chronicles Facebook group. Tom has been an active moderator on the group for several months. He is a former city employee, and not bashful about opining on city issues.

So far this blog has no succession plan. If you know someone who remembers when Allentown was known for clean and quiet streets, and an iconic park system, let me know.

the photo in part 1 showed the miniature bridge before the cleanup, above I'm standing on the cleared bridge.

The Little Bridge Of Lehigh Parkway, Part 1

As a baby boomer who grew up above Lehigh Parkway, I remember when all the WPA structures were pristine. I remember when the park department valued them as the irreplaceable icons which they are. In 2007, when I started this blog, championing for their upkeep was one of my missions. 

Over those early years I managed to get the little bridge cleared a couple of times. I managed to get the spring pond cleared, and dug out the Boat Landing with some volunteers.

Although I started a Facebook group dedicated to the WPA, it has been on the back burner. I have invited Tyler Fatzinger to be co-administrator, I expect his youth and enthusiasm to ping the cause. He recently asked me which local agencies might help the effort. He will soon learn that if these groups had a proper appreciation of our traditional park system, our efforts would not be necessary.

I've assembled 36 of my posts about growing up in Allentown during the 1950's, and have made the paperback available at the Amazon Bookstore.

An American Physician In Japan

I had become acquainted with Edward Stim M.D. googling about blood pressure meds.  His Physician's Notebooks is an extensive tome on practically any issue of health concern. After a few questions, I got included on his private group email list.  While the Notebooks itself is very personal and forthright,  his emails were a diary of his life, and quite a life it was.

He spent the Korean War period stationed in Japan, where he would learn the culture and meet his future wife. After med school in his hometown of NYC, and then practicing in the city, he would return to Japan, where he stayed for the remainder of his life.  For years, well into his mid eighties, he worked as an on call physician for a travel/hotel service business in Yokohama.

In addition to his Physician's Notebooks, he also wrote erotic novels. He would return frequently to NYC,  where he would enjoy family and activities from his youth in Brooklyn.  He edited medical textbooks and opined on world events. 

He remained both a student and teacher until his passing in December of 2021.

Time Travel OnThe Molovinsky Blog

Years ago in 2010, I posted about a 1920 diary/journal I found in an old furniture drawer forty years earlier. There were no names mentioned, but some times and places. Lo and behold, a small town librarian from Maryland recognized who must have written the journal, and contacted me years later. I was happy to reunited the journal with the library. Its future is now beyond my control.

Recently, I posted the above photograph I took in Nashua, N.H. in about 1975, to a Facebook group located there. Lo and behold, one of the boys shown heard of the posting, and confirmed in the group that the photo is of him and his brother.

I know that over the years, some of my blog posts about Allentown had cause, if not effect. I take absolutely no credit for any change in Washington, and have been diagnosed with derangement syndrome.

Fairground Farmers Market

If you grew up in or near Allentown, chances are that you been to the Farmers Market. The market has been in operation since 1953, all year except during Fair Week.  

While those visiting downtown Allentown will recognize very little from the past, the Farmers Market is frozen in time. Some of the purveyors have been there for near 60 years. 

When I was a boy, my father operated a meat concession at the market for a year or so. He gave it up because he recognized so many of the customers from his market on Union Street, and realized that he had doubled his overhead to serve the same clients.

For those of us who find change not always for the best, the Market remains a comfort.

reprinted from August of 2023

CLICK HERE for this baby boomer memory and 35 others in my booklet at the Amazon bookstore

Trump Says The Darndest Things.

Back in the baby boomer days, Art Linkletter had a TV show, Kids Say The Darndest Things. I watched a Trump speech at a campaign rally in Syracuse, NY. Trump is very pleased with himself for campaigning for the midterms. Needless to say at these rallies, he's taking to the choir.

While talking to the choir at the rallies, he is doing more harm than good. Everybody at the rally is already voting Republican, that's a given. But his bigger nonsense statements are picked up by the fake news. When he states that an ocean should be named after him, who can take him or the candidate standing next to him seriously?

The appearance of sneers, insults and comments may be delayed for the next couple weeks, as I sell pumpkins and Indian corn at a local farm stand. 

CLICK HERE FOR MY BABY BOOMER MEMORIES OF ALLENTOWN AT AMAZON BOOKSTORE.....    36 SELECTED POSTS FROM THIS BLOG