A New Mayor For Allentown

One week from today Allentown elects a new mayor, hopefully.   I believe next Tuesday will be a long night for the top three contenders.  On Facebook this morning I saw a Hispanic congregation rooting and praying for Ed Pawlowski.  He spoke there on Sunday,  and apparently they believe in him more than the FBI, which has 54 counts of pay to play against him.

It still appears to me that The Morning Call is doing all they can for Ray O'Connell. They position his ad at the top of their webpage, and feature one letter of praise after another for him.  I remember in 05  when they buried my ad on the inside bottom of a middle page.

Nat Hyman has been endorsed by Charlie Dent.  Dent is popular across party lines, and hopefully his endorsement will be sufficiently conveyed to the voters.

While a Pawlowski win might still give O'Connell a delayed victory in 2018,  after Pawlowski is found guilty, the city would remain in paralysis for another 6 months.  It would be much better for  Allentown to awaken from its coma next week, and elect Nat Hyman.

Influence and Politics In Allentown

I found the Pawlowski campaign financial report very discerning.  Although he faces 54 counts of pay to play,  he led the pack in campaign contributions.  It demonstrates how much self-interest drives so many people, and how little integrity plays into their thinking.  Leading the pack for Pawlowski were the labor unions.  Although the Hispanic Community are Pawlowski's biggest fans,  their shallow pockets couldn't pony up much money.  However,  the Syrians filled that void.  Like the labor unions, the Syrians vote and contribute as a block, betting on keeping their influence.

It's informative to understand the bet on Pawlowski.  Although he might win in November, his time in City Hall is limited. At some point the trial will end,  and he will be packing his bags for prison.  Apparently, those who contribute to him are counting on his appointed replacement to honor historical backroom understandings.  It is for that reason that I support Nat Hyman.  Allentown really needs a fresh start. 

Excuse Me

Yesterday was a sad day in the local political peanut gallery.  A political strategist for an independent mayoral candidate released links pertaining to two old court cases involving Nat Hyman.  What drives candidates and their surrogates to such desperation? As Douglas Slifkin noted on Facebook, the night after the election the independent candidate will be home watching reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond.  Most of us are way too small in business to be involved in any litigation with international corporations.   I made the mistake of referring to this strategist as a campaign manager,  and he adamantly corrected me.  All I can say is  EXCUSE ME.

According to the FBI,  Allentown City Hall has been for sale for years. Of the three top candidates,  only Hyman can come in with a clean broom.  Pawlowski, win or lose,  will be spending January and February across the street on trial in federal court.  As a council member, the write-in candidate voted yes for Pawlowski's schemes dozens of times.  I'm concerned about Allentown's future, not some old dug up court case.  If Allentonians wants the sun to shine on a better city, they best work to get Hyman elected.

Allentown's Mayoral Debate

As it turns out, Tuesday's mayoral debate organized by Robert Trotner was the only one which will occur this election cycle. Trotner's square off only attracted the two independent candidates,  John Ingram and Solomon Tembo.  The Morning Call reported that Tony Iannelli  announced that the debate between Pawlowski and Hyman scheduled for Business Matters has been cancelled.  Although,  the article contains an old comment from this past summer by Hyman stating who he would agree to debate, he had no part in yesterday's cancellation.

Both Schlossberg and Schweyer have endorsed Ray O'Connell.  While I understand their desire to disassociate with Pawlowski,  for party politicians to endorse a write-in is unconventional.   Is it that they think that O'Connell is such an opportunity for Allentown, or is it their partisanship?  Perhaps sans the partisanship,  they would have endorsed Hyman.

ADDENDUM:  I have a hunch that Iannelli cancelled the debate because he couldn't justify wedging O'Connell onto the podium, and that The Morning Call didn't want the optic of only Pawlowski and Hyman without O'Connell.  Anybody who doubts the channel between Iannelli and The Morning Call hasn't seen the full page ads of him praising the paper as his source for local news.


UPDATE; While Ray O'Connell's ad dominates the top lead space on the paper's website, not one more word has appeared either on The Morning Call or WFMZ about the cancelled debate.  Only the local politicos ponder that here and on Facebook.

photo by Ed White

Gays For Pawlowski

Ed Pawlowski wants the voters to continue the success under his leadership,  to finish what they have started together.  This message has resonated well with the minority communities.  In these last weeks before the election, Ed is throwing everything against the wall that he can find.  He has announced body cameras for the police department.  With the exception of a former police chief's son,  there haven't been allegations of discrimination against local police departments.  The body cameras won't help with Allentown's biggest crime problem,  thugs shooting thugs.

Ed and the gay community have always gotten along well.  Allentown's gay activists have come to maturity during Pawlowski's endless terms.  We now have an LGBT community center behind Hamilton Street.  Yesterday Ed announced on Facebook that Allentown received some designation as gay friendly.  We all know that there is no shortage of organizations which award endless commendations for endless reasons.   While Ed's posting of this designation was clearly placed to attract the gay votes,  I'm wondering how many he will actually receive.  The gay community is highly informed.  I don't know if they're inclined to vote for a soon to be convicted felon.  However, for the most part they are Yellow-Dog Democrats,  and may well figure that when Pawlowski reports to prison,  fellow Democrat Ray O'Connell will take over.  I'm hoping that they will decide to make their vote more meaningful for Allentown, and vote for Hyman.

Art Museum Pie In The Sky

The head of Allentown's Art Museum,  who has been here four whole years now, wants to double the size and scope of the Museum.  When I read that every R.B. Reilly Strata tenant would get a free membership, I had to smile.  This town is certainly putting high hopes on these new tenants. Apparently, they're considered more cultured than the previous tenants, who were displaced by the construction.

I can appreciate an ambitious bureaucrat (not really), but this guy is really taking J.B.'s City Center Real Estate brochures to heart.  I haven't seen them taken so literally since the Morning Call promotions. This museum director should consider that these tenants didn't support a book store or a steak house. If he had arrived in Allentown before the Arena, he would know that Hamilton Street hasn't been upgraded in either merchants or clientele; There is actually less of both now.

He wants to build a performance center as part of the enlarged museum.  It would be better if Symphony Hall. one block over, got more use.   He also wants to build artist residences.  Will there be a wing for bloggers? Will it be outfitted for the needs of elderly bloggers?  I think that I could use a grab bar in the shower.

photo credit:The Morning Call

A Challenge For Nat Hyman

On Facebook I see people who are equating candidate Nat Hyman's success in the business world with Donald Trump,  which isn't helping his campaign.   In reality, Hyman's success would work well for Allentown in City Hall, but he must first get elected on November 7th.  Another issue stemming from Hyman's success is if he has a conflict of interest because of his apartment business? This question headlined The Morning Call on Sunday.   In my informed opinion, rather than a conflict, Hyman has a unique understanding of the Allentown's housing situation,  which is one of Allentown's biggest issues.

A number of years ago Allentown codified the conversion of commercial buildings into apartments by changing the zoning law.  While previously such conversions were a matter of special variance only, they now became allowable.  The thinking was that after decades of sitting idle, with no prospect of reuse as factories, it was time to make these buildings again productive.

I must question the motive of the Morning Call's article.  Was it intended to convey that Allentown doesn't need another possible conflict after Pawlowski's abuse of his power,  as Daryl Hendricks spells out, in case anybody missed the implication.   That would leave only Ray O'Connell as the viable alternative.  Of course the article conveniently omits any history as O'Connell as a Pawlowski enabler for the first three terms.  For someone who lost the primary, the paper is certainly treating O'Connell very well.   Hyman is not running for Mayor because he is seeking or needs special treatment from the city.  He truly wants to restore honor back to city hall.  Hopefully the voters will avail themselves of the offer of his time and energy.

Hyman owned Livingston Apartments

Supermarkets Come To Allentown

The concrete monolith still stands five stories above Lehigh Street at the Parkway Shopping Center. Currently it sports a clock and a sign for St. Luke's medical offices. It was built in 1953 as the modernistic sign tower for Food Fair supermarket, which then was a stand alone store. Behind it, on South 12th Street was the Black and Decker Factory. The shopping center would not be built to decades later, connecting the former supermarket to the bowling alley built in the 60's. Food Fair was started in the 1920's by Russian immigrant Samuel Friedland in Harrisburg. By 1957 he had 275 stores. 1953 was a rough year for the butcher, baker and candle stick maker; the huge supermarkets were too much competition, even for the bigger independent markets, such as Lehigh Street Superette; it was further east on Lehigh, now the site of a Turkey Hill Market. The sign tower also remains at the 15th and Allen Shopping center, which was another stand alone Food Fair. That parcel remains an independent supermarket. Food Fair would eventually absorb Penn Fruit, which had a market on N. 7th Street, then turn into Pantry Pride. When the Food Fair was built, there was as yet no 15th Street Bridge. Allentown only connected to the south side by the 8th Street Bridge and the Lehigh/Union Street hill. (stone arch bridge, near Regency Tower, was route to West End) Allentown was booming and Mack Trucks were rolling off the line, a block east off Lehigh Street, as fast as they could build them. The factories on S. 12th st. are now flea markets. Mack Headquarters is being sold to a real estate developer. Perhaps those concrete monoliths are the monuments to better times, by those of us who remember.

reprinted from November 2013

The Corner Market

Although I doubt that there will ever be a show at the Historical Society, or brochures at the Visitors Bureau, perhaps nothing encapsulates the history of Allentown more than the corner grocery stores. Allentown proper, is mostly comprised of rowhouses built between 1870 and 1920, long before the era of automobiles and suburban supermarkets. Most of the corner markets were built as stores, and over the years many were converted into apartments. Up until the late 1940's, there may have been well over a hundred operating in Allentown. Some specialized in ethnic food. The bodega at 9th and Liberty was formally an Italian market. Live and fresh killed chickens were sold at 8th and Linden, currently H & R Block Tax Service. A kosher meat market is now a hair salon on 19th Street. The original era for these markets died with the advent of the supermarket. In the early 50's some corner stores attempted to "brand" themselves as a "chain", as shown in the Economy Store sign above. That market is at 4th and Turner, and has been continually operating since the turn of the last century. Ironically, as the social-economic level of center city has decreased, the corner stores have seen a revival. Most of these new merchants, many Hispanic and some Asian, know little of the former history of their stores, but like their predecessors, work long, hard hours.

above reprinted from March 2012

photo of Yost Market by Carl Rubrecht, 1970 

ADDENDUM: The enamel Economy Stores sign has been removed.  I hope that the owner sold it,  because it was valuable. As for the A-Treat sign, the era of painted signs on brick buildings is long over, although some ghost images still remain in Allentown.

A Tailor From North Street

The Allentown Housing and Development Corp. recently purchased a home at 421 North St. That block of North Street was destroyed by fire, and the agency has built a block of new houses on the street's south side; it will next develop the other side of the street. The deed transfer caught my attention because Morris Wolf lived in the house in 1903. Wolf signed up with the Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry on July 18, 1861, in Philadelphia, when he was 22 years old. He was a private in Company A, of the 3rd Cavalry. This unit was also known as the 60th Regiment and was later called Young's Kentucky Light Cavalry.It defended Washington, D.C., until March 1862, then participated in many of the war's most famous battles: Williamsburg, Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. Wolf had signed up for three years and was mustered out Aug. 24,1864.

Recently, to commemorate Memorial Day, the local veterans group placed more than 500 flags at Fairview Cemetery. If that wasn't enough of a good deed, the group also set upright more than 300 toppled grave markers. Visiting Fairview recently, I saw they had not overlooked the graves of either Mr. Wolf, or another veteran, Joseph Levine. I have concerned myself with Allentown's Fairview Cemetery for the last few years. I first became interested in the small Jewish section, called Mt. Sinai. This was the first organized Jewish cemetery in Allentown. Currently, all the synagogues have their own cemeteries, and Mt. Sinai has been mostly unused for many decades.

Mr. Wolf lies next to his wife, Julia, who died in 1907. Morris would live on for 30 more years, passing away in 1937, at age 98.
Mr. Levine, a World War II veteran, and his wife, Ethel, were the first and last people to be buried there after almost 25 years of inactivity. When Ethel died at age 93 in 2000, it was the first burial at Mt. Sinai since 1976. Joseph was 103 years old when he passed away in 2006.

The Housing and Development Corp. and North Street are now part of Allentown's new neighborhood initiative called Jordan Heights.Although soon there will be a new house at 421 North St., there is a history that will remain with the parcel. Once a tailor lived there who fought in the Battle of Gettysburg.

reprinted from 2015 and previous years.

When 6th Street Was West Allentown

In 1903, the 600 block of 2nd Street housed one Russian Jewish family after another. They built a small synagogue there, which was kept open until about twenty years ago. My grandfather, who then worked at a cigar factory, had just saved enough to bring his parents over from the old country. They lived in an old house at 617 N. 2nd. The current house at that location was built in 1920. By the time my father was born in 1917, the youngest of five children, they had moved to the suburbs just across the Jordan Creek.

My grandfather lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets. He butchered in a barn behind the house. The house is still there, 301 Jordan, the barn is gone. He would deliver the meat with a horse and wagon. On the weekends, when the family wanted to visit friends, the horse insisted on doing the meat market route first. Only after he stopped in front of the last market on the route, would he permit my grandfather to direct him. excerpt from My grandfather's Horse, May 13, 2008

Allentown has just designated the neighborhood west of the Jordan to 7th Street, and between Linden and Tilghman Streets, as Jordan Heights. The area encompasses the Old Fairgrounds Historic District. Allentown's old fairground, in the years between 1852-1888, was in the vicinity of 6th and Liberty. It was an open space, as is the current fairground at 17th and Chew Streets. When my grandparents moved to Jordan Street it was a modern house, just built in 1895. Many of the Jewish families moved to the suburbs between Jordan and 7th. The Jewish Community Center was built on the corner of 6th and Chew, today known as Alliance Hall.
I wish the Jordan Heights initiative well. There's a lot of history in those 24 square blocks, and hopefully much future.

reprinted and retitled from previous years

photo: Opening of Jewish Community Center, 1928, 6th and Chew Streets.  Now Alliance Hall

The Butchers Of Allentown

photograph by Bob Wilt

A&B (Arbogast&Bastian), dominated the local meat packing industry for almost 100 years. At it's peak, they employed 700 people and could process 4,000 hogs a day. The huge plant was at the foot of Hamilton Street, at the Lehigh River. All that remains is their free standing office building, which has been incorporated into America on Wheels. Front and Hamilton was Allentown's meatpacking district. Within one block, two national Chicago meatpackers, Swift and Wilson, had distribution centers. Also in the area were several small independents, among them M. Feder and Allentown Meat Packing Company.

reprinted from February 2013

ADDENDUM MARCH 2016: Allentown Meat Packing was owned by my father and uncle. The area was criss-crossed with tracks, owned by both LVRR and Jersey Central. All the plants had their own sidings. molovinsky on allentown will be revisiting this area in upcoming posts. This is an era when commerce was measured in factories and production, not just relocated office workers.

ADDENDUM OCTOBER 2017:  Molovinsky On Allentown occasionally takes a break from the local political discourse to present local history.  My grandfather came to Allentown in 1893 and lived in the Ward on 2nd Street. By the time my father was born in 1917, they lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets. 

A Lehigh Parkway Vendetta

Over the years each summer people began to look forward to the wildflower garden,  which surrounded the Stone & Log House in Lehigh Parkway.  In the winter, occasionally someone would joke that the bearded man who lived there should dress like Santa Claus for Lights In The Parkway.

Needless to say, Michael Adams was shocked and upset when he was recently evicted from the house, where he lived for over 10 years.  He felt  assaulted again when the park department completely tore away the flower gardens that he cultivated for over a decade.

He'll be the first to tell you that for a long time he was a Pawlowski supporter.  He was surprised when he first got the eviction order referencing a large amount for unpaid rent.  He had a long standing agreement that in exchange for living there,  he would at his own expense both upgrade and maintain the property. Unfortunately for Michael, that arrangement was never written out.


Much like Pawlowski turning on his former supporter, the changes made to the house's outside by the park department are both startling and stark.

Moral Turpitude Deep At Cedar Beach

According to The Morning Call, Mayor Pawlowski is upset that Public Works revealed to City Council last night that the new swimming pool has a leak.  He thinks that the pool is under the purview of the Park Department, and any such announcement should have come through them.  Actually, the announcement should have come from Pawlowski, and it should have been made last week.  Pawlowski should have announced that he was sorry to report that the new pool has a leaking pipe, and that it won't be open this season after all.  Instead, he directed the Park Department to engage in an expensive, elaborate charade, so he could stage an election stunt.

After I reported on this blog last week that the pool was leaking,  I was confronted on Facebook by a media person in Pawlowski's employ, who criticized me for my negativity.  Replacing thousands of gallons of leaking water every day isn't a matter of positive or negative attitude,  it was simply a fact.  Pawlowski and his park director, instead of announcing the leak,  sodded the grass just for the weekend. (Instead of just allowing the grass seed to grow as previously planned). They paid the park staff overtime for the weekend to stage Pawlowski's pre-election meet and greet, all the while adding water to the leaking pool.

It seems so indicative of Pawlowski's character that he is upset that the truth came out, rather than the fact that the pool is leaking.

Pawlowski's hoax took a lot of extra water.

South Whitehall Determined To Destroy Wehr's Dam

It's been almost a year since the voters of South Whitehall Township told the Commissioners and Administration that they wanted to keep Wehr's Dam,  even if it took a few of their tax dollars.  However,  the Commissioners and Randy Cope, the park director,  still wanted to accommodate the Wildlands Conservancy, and demolish the dam.  Randy Cope has multiple ties to the Conservancy.  In addition to his father being a director of that organization,  he has commissioned it to implement the township Greenway Project along the Jordan Creek. In the last 11 months since the referendum passed, the township hasn't said one word about the dam, giving no confirmation that they would abide by the voter's wishes.

The large tree trunk seen above has sat on top of the middle of the dam most of the summer.  The tree has a branch stuck in the silt behind the dam.  It should have been pulled away from the back of the dam months ago, taken to shore and disposed of.  Randy Cope is now Director of Township Operations.  A tree contractor is being hired to bring in a backhoe below the dam, and pull the two ton trunk over the dam with chains, even though it is caught up behind the dam.   Randy Cope must be hoping that the process smashes the dam, or at least destroys the cement buttress and platform below it.

Although, the dam has survived for over a century, and was supposed to be saved by the voter's referendum,  the forces waged against it remain very real.  The Wildlands Conservancy/Conspiracy has undermined the dam with contrived accusations questioning its structural integrity with the state. The township administrators and commissioners have done nothing to defend the dam against those accusations. Although, I have documented the correspondence between the Conservancy/State/Township, The Morning Call has refused to print my exposé about these sacred cows and their scheme.  This blog serves as the last line of defense for the historic structure.

Rumble In The Morning Call Jungle

In my post last Thursday,  I called the Morning Call/Muhlenberg College Poll flawed.  Somehow, almost arbitrarily,  they assigned 22% to Ray O'Connell, although he wasn't included in their original question about choosing a candidate on the ballot;  Ray is a write-in, and not on the ballot.  Blogger Bernie O'Hare wrote about this topic yesterday, and the Morning Call editor provided an explanation that is as vague as the original article in the paper.  I can certainly understand why Nat Hyman was perplexed about how contrived and labored it was for the paper to justify covering three candidates,  when they appear to ignore their own guidelines in doing so.

Hyman brings some unique qualities to the race and hopefully on to City Hall, come November 7th.  While Ed's surrogates deride Hyman because he's a property owner,  in truth housing is perhaps the biggest issue in Allentown, and Hyman knows the subject, inside and out.  The paper endorsed Pawlowski in his first term, and generally supported him until his behavior rose to the current criminal accusations.  It is refreshing to see a candidate who is willing to question the paper.  But Hyman didn't become the success he is by obsessing on perceived slights.  Allentown City Hall needs a completely fresh start, and Hyman has the skill set to provide it.

Answering A Critic

On social media this weekend someone wrote about me;  Have you ever published anything positive about Allentown?  Although,  this person apparently has a professional agenda for his question, let me respond first as if he didn't.  This blog was never intended to promote a particular party,  public official or policy.  Rather, it was meant to try and safeguard some unique  aspects of Allentown.  Consequently, I defend the traditional park system, among other institutions.

My critic(s) can't suggest that I attend meetings and try to change policy,  because I've been to countless ones.  My critic(s) can't suggest that I run for office, because I have.

I think that what Allentown actually needs is more critics.  Public meetings are sparely attended.  There are plenty of smiling faces to come out for a free swim. Give them a free hotdog, and they could care less about how much the project cost,  or what else was ignored to build it.

This is a focused blog with a mission.  Entertainment, popularity and/or comments are not my objectives.  I do appreciate the readership of those who find the posts here worthwhile.

Now, getting back to this weekend's criticism of me.  He was complaining because I posted that the new pool may be leaking.  My critic has done media work for Pawlowski.   I wonder if he also considers the FBI  to be naysayers in regard to his client.  Lisa Pawlowski liked his comment about me.

I use the Sidewalk Superintendent Photograph, shown above, as a representation of my efforts to scrutinize city hall.   

Pawlowski's Pool Party

I suppose with the trial judge coming, and the election a month away,  Pawlowski doesn't have much time or reason to act dignified.  He has been campaigning hard among the least informed in the city.  On those notes, he has announced that Cedar Beach pool will be open this weekend.

“It has been a long haul to overcome the setbacks and get the project completed,” said Mayor Ed Pawlowski.  “The walls are plaster, so the pool is never emptied. The weather is going to be warm, and the pool has passed all the necessary inspections, so I want to give our residents an opportunity to enjoy it, or just come out to see it, even if it is only for this weekend.”

As an advocate for the park system, especially the crumbling WPA structures, I can only shake my head about Lindsay Taylor, the park director.  She apparently goes along with Pawlowski's nonsense, or has no say in decisions concerning her department.  If she's not embarrassed, she should be.

ADDENDUM:  I have observed city employees adding water to the pool every day.  A well placed source now informs me that indeed the new pool is leaking.  This delayed, over budget pool project originally started because the previous version of the pool was leaking.  Three years and $3 million later,  is it still leaking?

UPDATE:  Somebody on Facebook asked me if I'm sure the pool is leaking. That answer is NO.  I am sure that I observed them adding water every day.  My source tells me that the pool  is losing up to 6 inches of water overnight.

Muhlenberg Poll Flawed

Nat Hyman better not put too much faith in the current poll released by Muhlenberg College, and campaign as if he's behind, because he just might be.  The Muhlenberg polls are historically wrong, and this one seems no different.  Their lead question asked about the four candidates on the ballot, which excluded Ray O'Connell.  Although, the Morning Call article states that the poll puts O'Connell's support third,  behind Pawlowski,  it's unclear as it where that piece of data came from.

These polls are a joint project by the Morning Call and Muhlenberg College.  The article quotes one gentleman.

Leonard Glazier, a 91-year-old Democrat who lives in the West End, said he voted for Pawlowski in the primary but likely will support O’Connell in this election. The city is in pretty good shape under the mayor’s leadership, Glazier said, but the criminal charges against the mayor make him uncomfortable.“He’s going on trial supposedly after the election. What happens if he is convicted,” Glazier said. “The city doesn’t need that.”

What the article doesn't reveal is that this gentleman is closely related to a city official, and was well aware of the pending charges against Pawlowski when he voted for him in the primary.  Frankly,  I hope that Nat Hyman takes my warning to heart. Neither the paper or the college currently have the institutional memory to truly understand this election. In the 2005 mayoral race, The Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll was off by 26%.  

Stagecoach Back To Allentown

This past Friday I wrote a post referring to Allentown as Dodge City.  That post resulted from our police department determining that a shooting was justified.  Yesterday's double daytime shooting and killings have managed to get the police chief's attention.  He considers the daytime shootings less acceptable, because of the risk to school children.  A local coffee shop owner said that such things can happen anywhere,  even in the suburbs.

Actually, the incidence of such things happening in the suburbs is much, much less than downtown Allentown, north of Linden Street.  Normally, such violence for an incumbent mayor running again would be a problem. However, here in Dodge City/Allentown, nothing is normal.  We have an indicted mayor running for his fourth term while awaiting trial for corruption.  The dominant Puerto Rican/Hispanic downtown population rarely sees or hears anything, before the ambulance and police come to pick up one of their own off the street.

If this post seems insensitive,  you're at the wrong blog.

Disappointments Beyond Allentown

I was disappointed that United States objected to the Kurdish referendum on Independence. As John Bolton observed, Iraq as a sovereign nation is so shattered,  a new boundary in the north wouldn't much matter.  The Kurds have provided the only security afforded to Christians and other minorities in that strife ridden part of the world.  They have been on the front line fighting against our common enemies in both Iraq and Syria.

I was disappointed that Trump undermined Rex Tillerson with  his tweet about Rex wasting his time in regard to North Korea.  Tillerson was the adult in the administration, and his appointment was one of the main reasons that I have defended Trump on several occasions.  I would not be surprised to see Tillerson resign within two weeks.

Yesterday, the stock prices went up on firearm manufacturers. After each tragic mass shooting legislators react by threatening to restrict guns, and the public reacts by buying more.  I believe that we need to adopt the Giffords/Kelly* endorsement of the enhanced Brady type regulations, which puts more scrutiny on the who/purchaser, rather than the what/type of gun.

I wish that none of these above noted events happen, and that I could instead complain about Pawlowski and Cedar Beach.

*Giffords/Kelly started Americans For Responsible Solutions.

A Contested Race In South Whitehall

Come November 7th, the Lehigh County once again features many UNcontested races.  The political apathy of this area is truly remarkable;  It's a good thing that in addition to politics, I blog about local history.   Even the mayors race in Bethlehem is uncontested, as is that city's council race.  However, there are a few contested races, one of which is for South Whitehall Commissioner.

Mark Pinsley's campaign emphasizes that he is running to add a Democrat to the all Republican board of commissioners.  Both his opponents are Republican incumbents.  and voters are to pick two of the three candidates.  As an advocate who fought long and hard to save Wehr's Dam, I support Mr. Pinsley as someone who wasn't involved in the conspiracy to demolish the dam.  No one was more shocked when the referendum To Save The Dam passed, than the commissioners.  That ballot question was a disingenuous attempt by them to do away with the dam, with no political consequence to themselves. Before they connived  the referendum, they had ignored eight thousand signatures to save the historic structure.  Since the referendum passed,  the township has fallen silent, with not one word about the dam.

South Whitehall needs some new blood on its board.  With me, it's not an issue of Democrat or Republican,  but being responsive instead of arrogant.  I will cast only one  hyper-vote for commissioner, and it will be for Mark Pinsley.

photo: Wehr's Dam by K Mary Hess