Towne Dealt Good Hand

Jake Towne was never going to get very many Jewish votes. Although Jews remain firmly in the Democratic aisle, here in the valley, Charlie Dent is very popular with many Jewish voters. What Jake Towne did get today is the headline,* which he would have never received without this controversy. With Jews such a small percentage of the population, about 2% nationally, he may even inadvertently profit numerically from an alleged anti-Semitic association.** Publicity wise, it certainly was a good day for the band Poker Face. I don't believe a third party candidate, in such a nationally funded campaign, need worry about being politically incorrect.

*Headline in hardcopy paper
** I have no reason to believe that Jake Towne is anti-Semitic.

Open Mike

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

Muddy Waters

It's been a tough five years for the Little Lehigh under Donny Cunningham. First, he has remained silent on the drilling of wells at the stream's headwater, to accommodate the bottling industry he shepherded to the valley. Now, The Morning Call has publicized the fact that the Lehigh County Authority (water and sewage) has an on going spillage of sewage into the waterway. Recently, when I criticized Cunningham's Plan to demolish the historic stone arch Reading Road Bridge, his blogosphere watchdog, Bernie O'Hare, defended the plan by quoting the "Bridge Doctor", Glenn Solt. Solt is Cunningham's public works director. Solt said that stone arch bridges look pretty, but they're filled with "crap." The Morning Call article quotes Richard Young, Pawlowski's Public Works Director. Young states that the Allentown Sewer Plant, which handles the sewage from the Lehigh County Authority, only intentionally dumps raw sewage downstream from the water plant. He fails to mention that the manhole covers, which overflow during storms, are upstream or just before our water plant. The above photo shows such overflow just west of Schreibers Bridge, which is only a few blocks before the water plant intake pipe. I hope Cunningham and Solt don't see this post. Schreibers Bridge is also a historic stone arch bridge. Built in 1828, it was rehabilitated in 1920 and 1998. Maybe Cunningham should concentrate on what's flowing under the bridges.

photo from The Morning Call
related post on Kleiner's Remember

Signs Of The Time

As Allentown eagerly awaits the opening of the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and banquet facility on 6th Street, lets go back in time. Before the former Sal's Spaghetti House was demolished on that parcel, preservationists from Bucks County saved the historic sign. Had the couple been somewhat more familiar with Allentown's history, they may have realized that the sign was neither very historic or iconic.

Before Hamilton Street was bi-sected architecturally by the now gone canopy, the street was lined with large neon signs, many of which were much more elaborate than Sal's; That sign became historic by default. Interestingly, the Sal's sign for most of it's


business days, said Pat's. Pat's and the sign go back to the mid 1950's. In the late 70's, the business was taken over by Sal, and the P and T were simply changed to an S and L. But time goes on; Sal's family is now in the sauce business and have a most interesting website. Congratulations to Mayor Pawlowski and Myron Haydt for bringing the Cosmopolitan to 6th Street; May they have the success that both Pat's and Sal's enjoyed.

1963 Pat's advertisement courtesy of Larry P
Hamilton Steet watercolor by Karoline Schaub-Peeler

Another Meathead Idea

Sal Panto, Easton's recycled mayor, has another idea. The owners of vacant properties will be fined; The longer the vacancy, the higher the fine. The ordinance will be based on the program from Wilmington, Delaware . All the meatheads borrow idea's from other municipalities; it's how you grow bureaucracies and cultivate mediocrity. Of course the only thing worst than a vacant property, is a property with a bad tenant. With all the bad apples rolling around out there, it takes a conscientious landlord a long time to find a good tenant; now he will be punished for his due diligence. Allentown also has such an ordinance in the works. If you like Allentown now, wait until every apartment unit is filled. We will have to speed up the low income conveyor belt from New York and New Jersey. Love those meatheads.

Each administration passes more and more ordinances. In fact, you cannot legislate pride of ownership. So far we have code inspections, rental inspections, point of sale inspections, and now a proposed vacancy registration; just clueless bureaucrats scanning sister cities for more ordinances, how far this All-American city has fallen.

I have once again removed word verification for comments

I Shot the Sheriff

Andy Roman shot the sheriff, but he didn't shoot the deputy. Once in Allentown, before this Administration chased out people who actually invested their own money, there was a coffee shop called Jerry's. Early in the morning people would gather for coffee and banter. Several large tables would fill up with county workers and early risers, such as myself. It was at these tables, over a few years, that I got to know Sheriff Rossi. I can describe him in one word; dedicated. It is very ironic that Andy Roman called Rossi the "Stealth Sheriff", just because Rossi didn't attend this past Commissioner meeting. I suppose Roman wanted him there to beg for the row office raise, and repent for charging more for laminating gun licenses. I think if Andy wants to find Rossi, he should try the Sheriff's office.

related post at LV Ramblings