OPEN MIKE

This posting is intended to provide an opportunity to comment on any topic, or on an earlier posting.

Bernie's Court

Although Bernie and the formal legal system partied company about twenty years ago, blogging has provided Mr. O'Hare with a much more suitable courtroom. In Bernie's new Court, Lehigh Valley Ramblings, he never loses. His methods are subject to no scrutiny from a higher authority. He is free to be an blatant sycophant for those he favors, and an assassin against those he doesn't. He revels in using those trial skills so long prohibited. He will take a query and construct and accuse the commentator of a massive insult. He will add words unsaid, and fabricate intentions. In his closing statement, he will inform the defendant that he will not be permitted a reply. The thing Bernie most enjoys about his courtroom, he is not only the prosecutor, he is also the judge. With a simple push of the delete button, he presents, defends and reaffirms only his viewpoint.

There is a sad element on this field trip to Bernie's Courtroom. Although he takes great pride in his skills, these manipulations do not go unnoticed by the readers. His intellectual dishonesty is much more apparent than he would like to believe.

From The Future

Alien friends of mine have provided me with both a photo and news from the future. Pawlowski announces in early 2010 that he has sold Bicentennial Park to Lanta, and the Park Maintenance Facility (on Linden Street across from stadium) to Muhlenberg College. molovinsky on allentown writes post after post on his blog condemning the sale of these important city assets. Pawlowski dismisses Molovinsky's criticism as sour grapes about not being hired as Joyce Marin's replacement for Community Development Director. Molovinsky applied for the position after learning that her blog, Allentown Good News, was cited as her accomplishment. The photo shown, taken in August of 2010, is the completed walking path in Cedar Creek Park, across the creek from the Rose Garden.

Selling Easton's Soul

Business, in the center cities of the Lehigh Valley, is a fragile thing at best. Even Bethlehem, considered the most successful, is more charm than dollars. Essentially, these prior centers of commerce have been reduced to three separate economies. The upscale restaurants serve a clientele, mostly in the evening, that has absolutely no interaction with the surroundings. The tourist venues, fixed or seasonal, also provide little revenue for the surrounding shops. Last, but not least, you have an urban population and the bus people. Bethlehem has managed to maintain an upscale demographic living in it's center city, but this post is about Easton. (Allentown only has one such person living on Hamilton Street, she is the Community Development Director)

The Morning Call has published three stories about the High School Sports Hall of Fame, which will occupy part of the new parking deck and Lanta Terminal, several blocks south of Center Square in Easton. Easton Mayor Sal Panto, perhaps hoping to once again see his high school picture, has been cheerleading this effort. Although there is no question that this is a moronic idea doomed to failure, grants are available, and Panto can't resist a grant. The pending failure of the Sports Museum is the good news; the destruction of the bus people economy is the real consequence. Allentown should have taught Panto an expensive lesson. (Lanta doesn't care about lessons or merchants) People waiting to transfer buses, as they do now at Easton's Center Square, will shop if the store is very close and convenient. They will not walk. They will not make an additional stop and wait for another bus. They don't buy much, but there's many of them. Now, they will sit on benches at the Easton Lanta Transfer Terminal and watch school children come to the Al Bundy Museum on field trips. Panto will wonder why business died on Northampton Street.

Sympathy For The Devil

I suspect that if you engage a search engine with the words Nick Balzano and sympathy, this post will be the lone ranger. Nick became, overnight, a human pinata. The band bashing him, had to add additional wagons. I don't mind offering some defense to someone who stepped on a sacred cow's tail. Actually, the only thing I despise more than Boy Scouts is those pre-Girl Scouts; Brownies are vile. Nick's ill advised comment was four seconds of a 15-minute presentation. He was rightfully frustrated that his union members, the boots on the ground, absorbed all the layoffs in the city, while all the new fifth floor white collar positions were spared. Although his union did decline to re-negotiate their contract, the large increase resulted from concessions made in previous years. Now I'm sure there is much more to this story than I know. I do know it seems that everybody was willing to throw him under the bus, and with his resignation, he apparently fell on the sword as his reward for ten years of leading the local union.

Penny Wise, Grant Foolish

When the monster, aka Allentown Parking Authority, tutored Lanta about grants, they destroyed Hamilton Street in the process. Lanta was able to harvest a federal grant and provide the last portion of the financing necessary to built the terminal/parking deck at 6th and Linden Streets in Allentown. The first level store spaces were to be rented out to upscale stores, such as a woman's boutique or a private winery outlet. Hamilton Street merchants, viable if not glamorous, suffered a 40% reduction in business from losing the bus transfer stops. Save for a donut shop paying one dollar a year, the terminal retail space remains vacant. (The monster is moving it's office there)

Lanta has now joined forces with Easton's Mayor Panto to duplicate the success there. There is a grant that neither Panto or Lanta has the wisdom to leave on the table. Easton's deck will be built three and half blocks from Center Square, where the transfers now occur. Although no boutique or vineyard is being promoted, Mayor Sal (Panto) has announced that the High School Sports Hall of Fame Museum will anchor the transportation hub. Lanta has clearly stated that the success of center city main streets is not their concern, but Panto should know better. I suggest the Mayor drive over to Allentown and speak with the Hamilton Street merchants about the consequences of losing the bus transfer stops.