Night of Broken Glass

In 1938, on the nights of November 9 and 10, the Nazis whipped up anti-Jewish riots in a pogrom now known as Kristallnacht.


During these two nights, synagogues were set on fire and thousands of Jewish shop windows were broken.



Ninety one Jews were killed. 30,000 were arrested and taken to camps, a harbinger of the Holocaust.

FlashBack

                   Joe Louis vs. Abe Simon, Madison Square Garden, May 1942

In the 1930's and 40's, slow film emulsion and fast action, required bright light to capture the scene. A Speed Graphic camera, equipped with a large flashbulb gun, was the standard workhorse for the ringside photographer. By the 1960's, smaller format cameras, electronic strobes and faster film were standard equipment.

The Nickel and Diming of Allentown

Everybody keeps telling the Allentown taxpayer that their increase is only twenty five cents a day, two thin dimes and a nickel. Two thin dimes and a nickel for Cunningham, because when times are tough, the demand on county service is higher. Mayor Pawlowski will have your employer deduct his dimes at work, with an increase in the Earned Income Tax. New school superintendent Zahorchak supports the new city taxing plan, guess why? Yesterday he announced a new position, Chief Turnaround Officer; “The creation of the chief turnaround officer position is another step in our goal of ensuring that every student is prepared to go to college or successfully complete post-secondary schooling,” explains Superintendent Gerald L. Zahorchak, D.Ed.
Silly me, I thought that was his job! He's creating about a dozen new administrative jobs, how many nickels and dimes will that cost? The real estate boom in Pennsylvania was largely caused by excessive taxation in New Jersey; where are you going to move to now?
related articles:
The Morning CallPPL Opposes Mayor's Tax Hike
Ramblings by O'HarePaCan Condemns Pawlowksi's 40% Tax Hike
Inclusion by DonovanChief Turnaround Officer?????

The Monster Parking Authority

Back in September, I wrote about a center city homeowner exasperated beyond fairness by the Allentown Parking Authority. Here are a few excepts from his letter in that post.

I am writing to express my surprise and dismay upon receiving yet another citation from the City of Allentown.
This time a street cleaning ticket. THIS ONE IS FOR 50.00!! It states repeat offender.
Is this really how to construct a GOOD neighborhood?
Now I am in the pool for the city to collect fifty dollars at a time?
This policy is unbelievable and unconscionable.
I realize that the city is hurting for money, but this is not the way to raise revenue.
Sweep tickets, APA tickets, all kinds of inspections, fees to visit fish, and what else?
I really wanted to have a good experience living in this city.
You must not allow the city to tax/fine/extort this kind of money from cash strapped intercity residents.
I will not pay 50.00 for a street sweeping ticket.
The insult is further compounded because there is no redress to these matters prior to the escalation of the fine fee.
No good will come from the City of Allentown continually stepping on the very citizens that stabilize our neighborhoods.
Respectfully,

Mark's new letter, to the full City Council

Where did this insult of a program (the "repeat offender designation")originate and who supported it?
I am a stabilizing element in my neighborhood and a twenty year plus resident in center city Allentown.
I pay my taxes and my street cleaning fees.
The Allentown Parking Authority makes a profit from street sweeping. I have now been designated as a "repeat offender".
Am I to be subject to this new tax forever? This is certainly another tax.
How about parking tickets? Will they too have a repeat offender category?
I Have to work different hours, and can't always get back to move a vehicle at noon.
I can't park on the north side of my block because drug dealers punch and otherwise dent my and other citizens cars parked in front of their shops.
The Allentown police are working hard to control this problem - tax money well spent.
The police department does not produce income. Why does the Allentown Parking create wealth?
Hammering low income city folks with this predatory penalty driven program to fill city coffers is just wrong.
Living in the center city should be tolerable and maybe even safe and enjoyable for residents.
One more straw on your camels back.
This is how you cause citizens to say "I'm done".
I would appreciate a response. Please tell me how wrong I am and why.
Thank you,
Mark XXXXX

Mark's reward for his protest? While waiting for his day in district court to appeal his "Repeat Offender" status, the Parking Authority mounted the orange boot on his car. While OAPA holds house tours on 8th Street, and $millions of dollars are spent dressing up 7th Street, the salt of our city is punished for living on 6th Street.

Ezekiel's Tomb

Ezekiel's Tomb is south of Baghdad, in Al Kifl. The tomb dates back to the 6th Century B.C., during the Babylonian exile. Prior to creation of Israel in 1948, 100,000 Jews still remained in Iraq; Today, there are eight.

Last year Hebrew lettering was covered over in fresh plaster, in a process to turn the ancient Jewish shrine into a mosque. Fortunately, word leaked back to Israel and to the Jews of Iraqi descent. That community's history in Iraq spanned 2,700 years, 1,000 years before the birth of Islam. The renovation is now under international scrutiny, and hopefully the Jewish elements will remain. The photo shows Iraqi Jews in front of the tomb in 1932.

Conflicting reports: There are conflicting reports, both about the condition and intentions for the shrine. Here is an article from The Jerusalem Post, dated May 2010, which claims that there has been no damage (recent) to Jewish inscriptions.
NY Times recent article, Oct. 19, 2010

Lowering the Zoning Bar

While attention tonight will be focused on the Mayor's budget proposal, City Council will quietly pass a new zoning law. One of the major changes is the new process for conversion of commercial space into residential. While formally, practically every aspect was by variance, the conversions will now be encouraged by special exception leeway. The streamline procedure reflects the Administration's hope that young professionals will opt to live the loft life, and avail themselves of Allentown's urban charm; Of course, the only problem is reality. While the new upscale apartments near Wegmans filled quickly, the lofts in Allentown proved to be a hard sell, despite being beautiful. My concern for the City is not about the well done projects, but that this new ordinance will just create the last thing we need, more apartments. Not all loft apartments will be done equally. Not all loft apartments will attract the higher income demographic these changes are meant to encourage. The previous zoning procedure succeeded in producing more lofts than demand, the new one may well produce more apartments than is desirable.