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

ADDENDUM NOVEMBER 13, 2026:As shown above, I have been campaigning for this structure for over sixteen 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.

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Crimes By The Wildlands Conservancy

photo by Tami Quigley

The top photo shows the Robin Hood Bridge, before the Wildlands Conservancy demolished the little folly Robin Hood Dam in 2013, just downstream beyond the bridge. The dam was only about 10 inches high, and was built as a visual effect to accompany the bridge in 1941. It was the last WPA project in Allentown, and considered the final touch for Lehigh Parkway. In 2013 the Wildlands told the Allentown Park Director and City Council that it wanted to demolish the dam. The only thing that stood between their bulldozer and the dam was yours truly. I managed to hold up the demolition for a couple weeks, during which time I tried to educate city council about the park, but to no avail. If demolishing the dam wasn't bad enough, The Wildlands Conservancy piled the broken dam ruble around the stone bridge piers, as seen in the bottom photo. I'm sad to report that the situation is now even worse. All that ruble collected silt, and now weeds and brush is growing around the stone bridge piers. I suppose the Wildlands Conservancy considers it an extension of its riparian buffers.

 photo by Michael Molovinsky

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Cedar Park Degraded

Recently, someone from the Trexler Parknership asked me what was my favorite tree in Cedar Park. I didn't answer her, because I was perturbed by all the new saplings planted out from the creek by the Wildlands Conservancy, to widen their Weed Wall. While these plantings were enthusiastically received by Mandy Tolino, Park Director, the WPA structures continue to crumble.

In truth I did have a favorite tree, an old gnarled specimen at least 75 years old. On Monday the street department added a water valve nearby, and pulled the tree out. The tree was at least 10 ft. away, and easily could have been saved if so directed.

During the Wildlands plantings I saw Tolino herself planting one of those superfluous saplings. She would have served the park much better by protecting the former tree shown above.

Trump Momentarily Glimpses Reality

Trump reportedly had some flashes of reality during the recent 60Minutes interview. He conceded that ICE may have gone too far. However, needless to say, on the most part, he gives his administration an A+.

The rumored fallout with Susan Wiles is disturbing. You would think with all the fake news articles, the blue wave wouldn't have shocked him so much. He now claims that the offer to Dana White was humor. He dismisses any suggestion that his financial gains were inappropriate.

He claims that he won't actively choose a successor for the 2028 election. Of course from the November 3th results, that means he won't bestow the kiss of death on anyone.

Trump Goes Defiant

Trump has never understood democracy. From his role in Jan. 6, 2021, to appointing Stephen Miller last week, he would always rather be a dictator than a president. All that served him until last Tuesday, when a wave of reality overwhelmed him

Most of the Republicans left standing after last week will start distancing themselves from the Oval Office. They had hoped that Trump would be content to defend his gold gilt, but be flexible with the will of the people. Instead Trump tripled down, even proposing Dana White as a press secretary?

There will be consequences to Trump's defiance.  Navy officers will push back against blowing up civilian boats in the Caribbean. Hegseth will be forced out. Mark Kelly and others who stood tall will look taller.

Mr. Jenning's Trophy Case

Alan Jenning's short lived post on Facebook pictured no less than two awards he received for being a great humanitarian. One of them was from some Latino group, which is relevant to this post. Jenning's post took George Rivera to task for heading the local Republican Party. Seems in Alan's mind, no Latino should vote Republican, much less work with them. I suppose he also has issues with the Log Cabin queers, who also go red.

With my baker hours I didn't see much of the post. It appears shortly before I retired last Sunday, and was MIA by early Monday morning. Alan did explain that the dialogue was demeaning his stature and his family recommended the deletion. Leave it to someone like me, with no stature, to dredge it back up.

Actually, a number of people, minority themselves, took Alan to task for the post. 

Needless to say that this was news wise a busy week, and this post never made it to prime time. Not just for Mr. Rivera in Lehigh County, but all Republicans, even Ms. Wiles in the White House, it was a rough week.

Prince Of The Gypsies

According to my mother, a Gypsy prince died near Allentown in the late 1960's, she knew about such things. She was born in Galgo, Hungary, an area of Transylvania, now part of Romania, near present day Gilgau. In Galgo, the Jews and Gypsies lived on the edge of town. In the early 1920's, my grandparents, along with their Gypsy neighbors, came to Bethlehem to work at the Steel. On weekends, to make extra money, my grandparents would open their house and show Hungarian movies. None of their relatives, Jew or Gypsy, save one cousin, survived the nazi's; even the cemeteries were desecrated. As you can see from the document above, my grandfather earned his citizenship the hard way.

REPRINTED FROM DECEMBER 23, 2007