The Bicycles of Allentown

produced by Gary Ledebur, East Coast Studio #3, Philadelphia
contains adult content


Click Here to see actual Fox Segment on Allentown, courtesy of O'Hare's Ramblings

reproduced from March 10, 2010

Timber, Blogs and MSM

Today in The Morning Call, Tim Darragh reports that the Pawlowski Administration is fighting reporter Jarrett Renshaw's request for information on the timbering plans for South Mountain. Pawlowski and Weitzel claim that they're only concerned about the health of plant and animal life, and it's premature to release information from the timber harvest report by CC Forestry, which cost the taxpayers $7,500. What has been lost in the forest, is that the newspaper learned of this contract FROM THIS BLOG. I first posted about the timber shenanigan on July 2, 2009. I have no doubt that when the reporter first made his inquiry for the Morning Call story on July 12th*, my allegations were dismissed as misinformation by a naysayer. Assistant City Solicitor Frances Fruhwirth is now arguing against the Right To Know request by stating "the tree inventory is not finished yet..."

This blog now hears rumors that contracts have already been issued for the tree harvest.

Another article in today's Morning Call speaks about the economic benefit Allentown can obtain from visitors by promoting it's beautiful park system. The beauty only remains, because for decades the parks have been spared from those arrogant enough to think that they can improve upon it. I am proud to be a naysayer.

* story in Morning Call archives, however, address too long for hyperlink (search CC Forestry)

The Fox News Interview

Two women reporters came to Allentown recently, and interviewed both myself and Bob Romancheck. It is my understanding that these short clips will appear this evening as part of Sean Hannity's Special, Waste 102. The program airs at 9:00 p.m.

Paving Paradise

Dig deep, Sweet Bulldozer
Coming to take my park away
Dig deep, Sweet Bulldozer
Coming to take my park away
I looked over Cedar
and what did I see
Coming to take my park away
A band of City Officials
Coming to take my park away

Park Director Weitzel, to gain support for the Trail Network Plan, has told various people, including some City Council members, that plans for the additional paths in Cedar Park have been tabled. Although the existing path is being both widened and blacktopped to accommodate cyclists, he would forgo the remaining planned paths which would have broken up the open green space into very small sections. This week the Bulldozer proves otherwise; A north/south path is being paved through the middle of the green. Ironically, the Council vote to approve the Trail resolution was cancelled last week because Mr. Weitzel was not available to give a presentation. Will the Council, after being misled about the paths in Cedar Park, finally have the courage for a no vote?

I would be amiss, if I did not once again remind Friends of the Parks and The Environmental Advisory Council, that they are nothing but pawns, who should be ashamed of themselves.

The Mohican Markets

Once, before the malls, there were three thriving cities in the Lehigh Valley, and some merchants would have a store in each of the downtowns. Some of the buildings still exist, and have been reused; the Allentown Farr (shoe) Building is now loft apartments. Two of three Mohican Market buildings, famous for baked goods, no longer exist. The Easton location, on S. 4th St., was victim to fire. The Allentown store now is the parking lot behind the new Butz office building. The Mohican Markets were owned and operated by Bernard Molovinsky. Below is the Mohican recipe for chocolate chip brownies, revealed for the first time in 35 years.(you may want to make less brownies)
Chocolate Chip Brownies
#1 Yield (2) Pans.
5lbs. Sugar
2lbs. M.F.B
2oz. Salt
8oz. Glucose
2oz. Milk Powder
2lbs. Egg Whites(1qt.)
8oz. Water(1/2 pt.)
3lbs. 8oz. Cake flour
-----------------------
#2
2lbs. Chocolate Chips
------------------------
#3
4lbs. Dough
4oz. Sugar
4oz.Cocoa
8oz. Water(1/2 pt.)

Place no.1 in small machine bowl and mix smooth. add no.2 to no.1 and mix until chips are well incorporated.
Remove 4 lbs. of dough and mix with the sugar, cocoa and water
Deposit into Baking sheets with no.3 on top to make marble effect.
Bake - 375 degrees

reprinted from September 25, 2007

ADDENDUM: My family also owned a meat market across the street from the Easton Mohican called Melbern Meats. On my way to lunch in the square every day, I would visit a friend who worked at the Iannelli chicken and cold cut stand in the 5&10 on Northampton Street.

The People's Candidate

In the late 1970's, neighbors would gather in the market on 9th Street to complain and receive consolation from the woman behind the cash register. Emma was a neighborhood institution. A native Allentonian, she had gone through school with mayor for life Joe Dadonna, and knew everybody at City Hall. More important, she wasn't shy about speaking out. What concerned the long time neighbors back then was a plan to create a Historical District, by a few newcomers.

What concerned Emma wasn't so much the concept, but the proposed size of the district, sixteen square blocks. The planners unfortunately all wanted their homes included, and they lived in an area spread out from Hall Street to 12th, Linden to Liberty.* Shoving property restrictions down the throats of thousands of people who lived in the neighborhood for generations didn't seem right to Emma. As the battle to establish the district became more pitched, Emma began referring to it as the Hysterical District.
Emma eventually lost the battle, but won the hearts of thousands of Allentonians. Emma Tropiano would be elected to City Council beginning in 1986, and would serve four terms. In 1993 she lost the Democratic Primary for Mayor by ONE (1) vote.

Her common sense votes and positions became easy fodder for ridicule. Bashed for opposing fluoridation, our clean water advocates now question the wisdom of that additive. Although every founding member of the Historical District moved away over the years, Emma continued to live on 9th Street, one block up from the store. In the mid 1990's, disgusted by the deterioration of the streetscape, she proposed banning household furniture from front porches. Her proposal was labeled as racist against those who could not afford proper lawn furniture. Today, SWEEP officers issue tickets for sofas on the porch.

Being blunt in the era of political correctness cost Emma. Although a tireless advocate for thousands of Allentown residents of all color, many people who never knew her, now read that she was a bigot. They don't know who called on her for help. They don't know who knocked on her door everyday for assistance. They don't know who approached her at diners and luncheonettes all over Allentown for decades. We who knew her remember, and we remember the truth about a caring woman.

* Because the designated Historical District was too large, it has failed, to this day, to create the atmosphere envisioned by the long gone founders. Perhaps had they listened to, instead of ridiculing, the plain spoken shopkeeper, they would have created a smaller critical mass of like thinking homeowners, who then could have expanded the area.