Better Work By FAR

When Rohrbach told City Council that the Bill will hurt competitive construction for Allentown, Allentown should have listened. You couldn’t walk in Allentown, especially near City Hall, without stepping on Rohrbach work, including the new Arts Walk. Quality cement work, and F A Rohrbach, has been synonymous in Allentown for 35 years. The disconnect shown between City Council voting for the ordinance requiring union labor, and the history of Allentown, is staggering. It was here in the valley that both the national cement and steel industries began. Our local tradesman and fabricators became world renowned for quality work. In all the years of the All American City's pride, former leaders knew better than to chop off the legs of our esteemed craftsmen. Now the glory days are behind us, and we are in the days of petty self serving. Our local politicians grovel at the union hall, pandering for a block of votes. Rohrbach came to City Hall out of principle and loyalty to his employees. Where was Lee Butz? Many quality contractors who work for his construction managed projects are not unionized. Butz speaks out about how nice and safe Hamilton Street is; He should have spoken out about the quality work of local tradesman, union affiliated or not.

The Bill, sponsored by Pawlowski, D'Amore and Schweyer, passed 5 to 2. Pawlowski is from out of town, and unfamiliar with the traditions of our local tradesmen. D'Amore is a certified union sycophant. Schweyer is employed by Jenn Mann, who is union co-dependent. Guridy doesn't assert himself. As an advocate for minority businesses, he should have thought about the small contractors starting up. Schlossberg is a machine politician in training. Ray O'Connell's vote was a disappointment. I applaud Donovan and Eichenwald, neither originally from the area, for their dissenting votes.

Morning Call article by Jarrett Renshaw

Doing It His Way

He was Frank Sinatra's favorite fighter. Tami Mauriello started fighting professionally when he was 17 years old, as a light heavyweight. After two loses to Gus Lesnevich for that title, he moved up to the heavyweight division. In 1943, Sinatra paid $10,000 to buy an interest in his fellow Italian American. Sinatra sang the National Anthem before one of his fights. Eleven straight wins set up his title shot with Louis on September 18, 1946, in Yankee Stadium. This incredible photo shows the first round knockout. Mauriello ended his career with an 82 - 13 record. He later appeared in the movie classic, On The Waterfront, with fellow heavyweights Tony Galento and Abe Simon.
click on photo

St. Matthew's Monastery

St. Matthew's Monastery in Kurdish Iraq, one of the oldest Christian Institutions in the world, was built by Christians fleeing persecution in 363 AD. Today, 16 centuries later, Christians are once again seeking shelter there. In the last decade it has been estimated that half the Christians have left Iraq. Since the Baghdad Church bombing in October, some Christians are afraid to be seen wearing a cross; Others have fled with little more than the clothes on their back. Pray for them.

St. Matthew's is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church

A New Look

Two posts ago, commenter Monkey Momma found it ironic, that as a blogger, I was not a fan of silicon chips. When I made the statement, I actually had social media more in mind, not the internet per se. I'm aghast at all the drivers on cell phones. Who are they talking to, and what is so important? I'm aghast at people reading the newspaper on a small iphone, scrolling up from the bottom. Admittedly, I am a dinosaur with technology; So today, I give myself a new look. You will now find a cropped version of my high school picture with my comments.

graduation picture, Allen High, mid 1960's.

Mount of Temptation

The Palestinian Authority unsuccessfully tried to increase tourism to Jericho this year, no rush, the town might be the oldest inhabited city on earth, 10,000 years. In 1895 the Greek Orthodox Church built the Mount of Temptation Monastery, where the devil tried three times to tempt Jesus during his forty days of prayer and fast. Steeped in both the Old and New Testaments, next to Jerusalem, it is the most excavated city in the Holy Land.

related post on Jericho

A Road Runs Through It

Once there was a time when gasoline was twenty five cents a gallon, there was no internet, and a family would go for a drive on Sunday. There was no traffic congestion or road rage. The cars were large, and they all came from Detroit. You could drive through a park, even an amusement park. There was no rush to get back to the television; It was very small, with only a few channels. Life now seems to revolve around small silicon chips, I preferred when it was large engines.

photograph shows the road through Dorney Park