The Train of Union Terrace

The Conrail engine backs across Walnut Street in 1979, as it delivers a flatcar of large granite slaps and blocks to the Wentz Memorial Company, by 20th and Hamilton Streets. The Union Terrace track was next to the former ice skating pond, behind the WPA Amphitheater Stage Mound. The train locomotive, and it's boxcar of granite, weighing untold tons, passed over a simple trestle with 8" inch beams. The pedestrian bridge which Cunningham and Solt claim is inadequate, has 24 inch steel beams. The industrial era of Union Terrace has passed. Even the Wentz property is now for sale. Please join me tomorrow evening, Wednesday March 14th, and help save the Stone Arch Bridge at Union Terrace. The Commissioner Meeting is at 7:30pm. For those unable to attend at that hour, your presence would be appreciated at the committee meeting on destroying the bridge at 5:45. Ice Skating is no longer permitted on the pond. The Amphitheater is falling apart. Let us assert ourselves, and save something of Allentown's history.
Train photograph was taken by Dave Latshaw in the 1979, and is part of the Mark Rabenold collection. Rabenold is a local train historian, specializing in Allentown's former branch lines.
click train photo to enlarge

Governance by Misinformation

Donald Cunningham is so hell bent on fulfilling his 2005 campaign pledge to replace the bridges, that he is providing false information to the County Commissioners.Glenn Solt is so tormented about the Mickley Bridge failure in Whitehall, that he tells reporters that all stone arch bridges are filled with junk and crap.

"There's nothing better than opening a bridge," said County Capital Projects Manager Glenn Solt, June 1, 2006

Cunningham told Samantha Marcus, of The Morning Call, that regardless of the bridge's fate, the county will likely have to close down the pedestrian walkway, which was added in 1980. Apart from the oversized I- Beams badly needing paint, which is actually negligence by Cunningham and Solt, the pedestrian bridge could support elephants all day long. If it were a little wider, it could support army tanks all day long. It's three piers and concrete walkway are in perfect shape. I also question the traffic count associated with the bridge. According to Cunningham and Solt it's 2,600 vehicles a day, which would be more than 100 an hour. Considering virtually no use from midnight until dawn, it would require about 130 cars an hour. Three cars crossed the bridge in the 15 minutes I was there this morning. I was there to completely document the bridges photographically, (car and pedestrian) to insure that the County Administration inflicts no intentional damage to these structures. If I was a County Commissioner given misinformation about something which I can so easily observe, I would have to seriously question everything coming down from this Administration.

Please join me Wednesday evening, 7:30, at the County Commissioner Meeting, and prevail upon the Commissioners not to squander our tax money and our history.

Lehigh County's Hypocrisy

As Lehigh County celebrated it's 200th Anniversary yesterday at Agricultural Hall, it's real commitment to history will be tested this coming Wednesday evening. County Executive Don Cunningham, and his director of destruction, Glenn Solt, have already failed the test. The issue is the Reading Road Bridge, built in 1824, and rebuilt in 1980, when a pedestrian bridge was added. Glenn Solt recently told a Morning Call reporter that the bridge is filled inside with debris and junk. Two years ago, when I started the campaign to save the bridge, he told blogger Bernie O'Hare that the bridge was filled with crap. Although conceding it's structurally sound, he's speculates that a storm in a few years could destroy it, and he already has approved plans and funds to replace it now, ready to go. Solt also points out that the bridge was never officially designated historic. Considering that the bridge is 188 years old, survived hurricane Diane in 1955, I believe it has more chance of getting hit by a meteorite than failing in a rain storm. Preeminent local historian Frank Whelan signed copies of his book at yesterday's event. The book contains old photographs of many Lehigh County structures which no longer exist. Let us hope that Wednesday evening the County Commissioners save our bridge.
Cunningham photo by The Morning Call/March 10,2012/Donna Fisher

Morning Call Blog Contest

If you vote for Bernie O'Hare and me today, we'll gladly buy you a hamburger tomorrow. Bernie and I have decided to enter The Morning Call Blog Contest. Unfortunately, rather than being judged by journalists, it's a simple popularity contest. We need you to vote for our blogs, and place the votes every day, until March 25th. Please consider Bernie (Lehigh Valley Ramblings) for the Politics category, and this blog (molovinsky on allentown) for Opinion. Click here to reach the contest.

Revelation In A Hallway

When I arrived at City Hall Wednesday evening, the Council Chamber was already packed by union workers, and closed to the public. Stranded out in the hallway, were many of those who came to speak against Delta Thermo's trash to energy plant. What they had in common, for the most part, was being informed on the issue, and being supporters of Pawlowski. Some were families, like Jeff Fegley of the Allentown Brewworks, cut off from his brother, already inside the Council Chamber. Others were couples, like non-profit director Julie Thomases, cut off from her significant other, environmental activist Dan Poresky. Although new Council Member Cynthia Mota had been impressed with the science fair poop dryer that she saw on her field trip to New Jersey, these informed opponents know better. That little demo machine didn't even contain a combustion chamber, or consequently, evaluate the emissions. This is the unproven technology that the citizens of Allentown will be submitted to, for the profit of Delta Thermo. If there was a revelation in the hallway, it was that the Price of Admission, with the Mayor, has significantly increased. Delta Thermo is fronted by Marcel Groen, a power broker with state-wide influence. The arena project now involves hundreds of $millions of dollars, and the Lehigh Valley Hospital. Previous supporters can't even get in the door anymore.

Government by Intimidation

Wednesday Evening, 8:40PM
This evening, hundreds of out of area union workers packed City Hall Chambers, forcing police and fire marshals to deny access to dozens of local opponents of the Trash to Energy project. Among those who had to push through the hallway crowd to reach the council chamber, were the Morning Call reporter and Frank Concannon; I presume he was summoned by the Mayor as a safety vote. In the hallway, a former high ranking city employee explained to me how the project jeopardizes all the City's previous investments, in both trash removal and sewage system. The Trash to Energy Plant would burn both trash and sewage, in an unproven technology. Adding irony to this attack on our air quality, many of the most informed opponents work for non-profits, dependent upon the City, for both funds and contracts. Those opponents not intimidated by the union workers, must then worry about the Mayor. How many will be unable to speak this evening because of the union maneuver to jam and close the room? A proper reaction by Council would have been to postpone the meeting, and move it to a larger venue. Experience tells me that it will be a long meeting, with the yes vote coming about 11:30.
UPDATE: The Trash to Energy plan passed about 1:00 am. The vote was 4 to 2, with Cynthia Mota's compliance. Frank Concannon left before the vote. When he arrived about 7:40pm, he had to go through a group of bikers in front of city hall.