CastleRock

CastleRock took place in the cavernous Dorney Park dance-hall, Castle Garden. The "Garden" was built in the early 20's and hosted all the famous big bands of that era. By the late fifties it was called CastleRock. The Philadelphia recording stars, such as Frankie Avalon and Freddy Cannon would routinely perform. By my teenage era, in the early mid 60's, it was mostly disc jockeys. The Park was free, no admission. Pay to park, and maybe a buck or so for the dance-hall.







By then the nightclub tables shown in the photograph were gone, and sitting was around the sides. There were no shootings, and rowdiness was restricted to sneaking on a ride without buying a ticket. The dance-hall overlooked the lake, it was destroyed by a fire on Thanksgiving in 1985.

Reprinted from Sept. 10, 2008

Business Doesn't Matter

Tony Iannelli, Director of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, would like a share of the local hotel tax. Hotel taxes are a scheme local municipalities came up with about 20 years ago to penalize visitors to the region. Tony wants a share to fund his own version of a Main Street Program. Scott Armstrong, writing on the Lehigh Valley Conservative Voice, responds;

Has the chamber raised the white flag on the notion that commerce is their business and taxing and spending is the state’s? Or is it that the leadership of the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce sees their organization as just another development bureaucracy deserving of tax payer support? Either way the idea that the “voice for business” now wants your tax dollars speaks to an unsettling reliance on public funding rather than private initiative for economic development. Hasn’t the chamber just undercut their own raison d’être with this request? Aren’t they supposed to be the voice and engine of the private business sector? Can they deny the obvious, that by their own action they appear to be merely another redundant and useless government development entity?

Scott Armstrong


The local Chamber has indeed been a curious hybrid, business/public wise, for many years. Iannelli's weekly show on WFMZ, Business Doesn't Matter, seldom deals with business. Iannelli teamed up with Pawlowski in 2006 giving Lou Belleterri the famous Mystery Job. Like Lanta, they have had no dialogue with the majority of local merchants for many years, while remaining closely aligned with the Parking Authority. Both the Asian and Hispanic merchants have formed their own groups. Many of the Chamber's personnel have been active with the more progressive elements of the local Democratic Party. Although I have never attended one of his network meetings, I must assume Tony throws a good mixer.

King Levinsky

In 1964, a young Cassius Clay trained in south Miami Beach for his first fight against Sonny Liston. At that time, this section of the city was home to mostly retired Jews on fixed income. The hotels, decades after their prime, became pension rooming houses. Decades later, these same buildings would be restored to their art deco splendor, creating today's South Beach. As Clay trained, a middle aged punch drunk necktie peddler told him, "After Liston punches your head, you'll be selling ties with me." The street peddler was a fixture in Miami Beach. He didn't ask, he told people they were going to buy a tie. The future champ probably didn't realize that the heckler was none other than King Levinsky, legend of the 1930's, and veteran of over 118 heavyweight fights. Levinsky was born Harris Krakow in Chicago, and worked at his parent's fish market on Maxwell Street, the Jewish section during the roaring twenties. Although he never got a title shot, and weighed only 185, he fought all the leading heavyweights of his time, including the 265lb. giant, Primo Carnera. Managed by his sister Lena, he was known never to turn down a fight, including those against Max Baer.

Reprinted from Feb. 22, 2009

Pawlowski's Bunnyhop

In the late 50's there was a song and dance called the bunnyhop. You essentially took one step backwards, and two forward, slow progress for sure.

In 1934 Perry Minich and his bride opened a jewelry store on the side of the elegant Americus Hotel. The post depression years weren't that easy for a merchant in luxury goods, but they had faith in Allentown. They were rewarded by Allentown's boom years during the 50's . In 1981 a robber entered the store, pushed Mrs. Minich to the floor, then shot and killed her. The Minich family carried on with their Allentown business. Their nephew, who witnessed the tragedy, took over the store. One by one, in Scranton, Easton, and Wilkes-Barre, hotels of the Americus vintage, closed and were boarded up. The Americus, a white elephant, although a dollar short and a day late, stayed open. Enter new Mayor Ed Pawlowski, self-designated real estate expert. In early 2008 He erected a scaffold around the building, declared it unsafe, and ordered the existing merchants to vacate because he was going to have the electricity shut off.

For those really familiar with the situation, the irony abounds. One week after the scaffold was erected at the Americus, a window fell out the Schoen building, which is across and up the street. Owned by the city for many years, the falling window narrowly missed several pedestrians. The three merchants of the Americus received no compensation. Besides Minich, Kerrigan's Shoe Repair had operated for many years. Pawlowski ended what had endured over seventy years, through good and bad times, including tragedy.

The electricity never was cut off. Minich, Kerrigan and a clothing store were put out of business for nothing, but now it's going to cost us. This past Wednesday, City Council approved submitting a grant application to Harrisburg for $1.5 million to help the new hotel owner remodel and rent the storefronts. Total grants required for the Americus Project are estimated to run from $10 to $25million dollars. We will never again attract a merchant of Minich's caliber, or a craftsman like Kerrigan. Its seems with Pawlowski's bunnyhop, it cost many $millions for every step forward.

Portions of this post reprinted from April 21,2008
Related Posts: A Boutique Hotel and Clueless In Allentown

My Grandfather's Horse

My grandfather lived on the corner of Chew and Jordan Streets. He butchered in a barn behind the house. For the sake of the vegans I'll spare the details, but suffice to say it wasn't for sissies. 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.
I managed rental properties between 4th and 12th Streets. Collecting rents or throwing people out is not for sissies. I developed a route between the buildings, utilizing many alleys because of the one way streets. While on my route, I got to know many people living in Allentown, and the circumstances of the different neighborhoods. I would often take pictures of people and things I considered photographic. Although I no longer have the managing job, like my grandfather's horse, I continue on the route. But things have changed, I now keep my car door locked. Not only don't I take photographs anymore, even making eye contact is uncomfortable. The streets are mean and the people are hard. Don't blame me, as an agent I always put the neighbor's comfort ahead of finding tenants. Don't blame me, as a citizen I ran for office and bluntly said what needed to be done.

reprinted from May 13, 2008

City Without Limits

Yesterday, somebody called me a naysayer on this blog. My critic said we need administrators to promote Hamilton Street. Yesterday at Symphony Hall, Mayor Pawlowski presented our new slogan and marketing plan to the bureaucrats who earn a living implementing such promotions. Everybody there in attendance earns their living, directly or indirectly, keeping the hot air in the inflatable woman. Years ago such machinations were not necessary. We really were designated the All American City, and it took not one bureaucrat to achieve that, much less a hall full.

The reputation and economic engine of our city was provided by entrepreneurs and conscientious citizens. City Hall administered the public services; police, fire, street and parks. We were known as the city of Mack Truck and Hess Brothers.

Promoting ourselves with paid slogans I believe will have little return on investment. Years ago the advertisement said the public wanted tuna that tasted good, not dressed well.




Will the public buy a slogan when a different reality stares them in the face? I suppose that's why I'm a naysayer.



Photogallery: The Morning Call/Harry Fisher