Get On Board

I had a chance encounter with a supporter and associate of the mayor, an influential man, accomplished by any measure. He asked me why I have to be so negative? He said that I should get on board with the arena, it's going to happen anyway. I suggested that perhaps some dissent is healthy for a community. Sure of his position, rather than consider my point, he proceeded that Allentown needed to be revitalized. Although I might agree with that, I don't see the arena doing it. Yesterday, in a Morning Call article about the arena, a hockey fan from down the line can't wait for the arena to open. Although that portends well for the arena owner, the Brooks Company, will this fan be spending money in town? Will he patronize a restaurant outside of the arena, either before or after the game? As our conversation proceeded, I learned that the gentleman was unfamiliar with this blog, and based his assessment of my negativity on a letter or two to the editor. I suppose that if he ever ventured here he would have saved his breath. I have not identified the mayor's associate, nor will I host comments speculating on his identity. My point is that although the administration faced no opposition from city council, or from the press editorially, they even resent a lone voice or two asking a few questions.

Monopoly Allentown Style

Earlier this year I reported how J.B. Reilly had plans to acquire the entire block on the south side of Hamilton Street. Two holdouts at this point have been both the jean and wicker stores on Hamilton Street, otherwise, his conquest has been on course. Recently, he closed on three buildings containing 16 units on S. 8th Street. I can tell you that neither the apartments, nor it's tenants, will give Mr. Reilly pride of ownership. What motivates him to become a reluctant landlord? Is this to be Four City Center? I don't think so, it will be challenging enough to rent his three other planned office buildings. We have been told that the NIZ was not specially designed for Mr. Reilly, and that other developers were welcome to apply. However, it's becoming apparent that they will have to buy their parcel from J.B..

A CyberVisit

The responses and comments to the political posts are usually within a day or two. The historical posts have a much longer shelf life. People using search engines find something of their youth often years after I wrote the post. I still occasionally get a comment from someone who worked at a Mohican Market, often somewhere in upstate New York. Yesterday, a former post on the 6th Ward received such a comment.

 Hello molovinsky, I found your blog today. I was born in the 6th ward in 1933. My grandfather, who died very young, long before I was born, was Emanuelle Markowitz and was, I believe, the first religious head of Aguda Achim. His wife was Ida Markowitz. We lived at 234 and then 244 Hamilton St. and went to Harrison Morton grade school before departing permanently to New York City. Arnold Fein (brother is Barry)

 My grandparents lived on Second Street in around 1900, and belonged to the Agudas Achim congregation. After Arnold and I exchanged a couple comments, I invited him to send me a note about Allentown via email.

  Yeah, Michael, I went back for a visit about 3 yrs. ago. All of lower Hamilton St,is part of a highway and the Jersey RR Station ,I was told, failed as a restaurant.The stores I remember on Hamilton between 2nd and 3rd were, Queenies Luncheonette, Bucky Boyle's Bar, Harry Gross Shoes,an A&P on the corner of 1st (Front?)and Hamilton, a "holy roller" storefront church, a travel agency with a large steamship model in the window,Taylors Plumbing Supply (now Weinstein's-I visited the place when I was there), a "Giant" supermarket on 5th and Hamilton across from the P.O., Francis the barber on the hill,the Colonial theatre,etc.Harrison Morton is still there and 2nd St.off Hamilton is still the same including the "A Treat" sign on the little store near HM, which I remember. Some friend's names from that time are: Stanley and Nancy Kulp (Culp?) who lived in an old wooden house next to the Lehigh Valley RR Freight terminal across from Taylor's. Michael Miller, Bobby Kressler, George Mevrides(sp?), Andrew Kent,Dickie Catalina(whom I'll never forget as the guy who came running out on Hamilton St. on 12/7/ shouting, "the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor"), the 4-5 Delaney kids,Dickie Gross who lived in a stone house on 2nd St.just off Hamilton where his father had his dental practice, Lucille Wiener, Phyllis Malatrott,Victoria Minner,Ronald DiLeo whose father was a Dr., (told me my first "off color" joke in the 1st grade while we were standing side by side at a HM urinal)), Marvin Karll, 2 HM footballers (who were not friends as such), Barney Garulla(sp?) and Albert Casium, whom I believe was Albanian.Other places were the slaughter house, Arbegast and Bastion (sp?). Couldn't miss that!, Riverfront Park, and a horse watering trough on the corner of Hamilton and Front(?)Lots of others. Something priceless about childhood, no matter where it's spent.

 Even in Allentown.

UPDATE: More memories from "Arnie" Fein
Also, my grand parents owned a store on 2nd St. around Tilghman, before I was born. My mother always remembered the few words she knew in Slavic because some of the customers spoke only "Slavisch".Another recollection was in 1943 when a lot of us went to the JerseyRR terminal to watch a train full of German POWs being transported west. Larry and Jimmy Whitman lived above the A&P on that picture you sent. Their name was anglicized from a Polish name their parents shortened.Harry and Jean Getz, friends of my mother, owned a small shoe store between 2nd and 3rd Sts.The name of the travel agency was, if I'm correct, something like Bortz. On Walnut St. around the corner from Weinstein's was the "Perkiomen Transfer Co." The local movie house was the Townie which I believe was in the 6th ward.Further up the hill were the Colonial, the Midway and the Transit.There was a trolley named the Liberty Bell which went from 8th St. to Philly and a trolley to Bethlehem along the "Bethlehem Minsi Trail". Other memories as they come from the distant past...

 photo supplied by Arnold Fein, showing him, brother and mother at Hamilton and the current American Parkway, next to the current Weinstein Supply Company.

The Sign Of Hypocrisy

Very early this morning I was amused by the article in The Morning Call speaking of something new coming to downtown Allentown, a electronic billboard. I thought I had put the soon to be demolished Monument Building to rest, but now it features in yet another story of Allentown's double standards. Before the Mayor forced the owner to lock the doors, he had installed the exact type of new billboard coming to Allentown. I apparently was not the only one shaking my head over this story. Before 7:00AM I received the following comment.

  In regards to the future digital billboards: The sad part is that a business man had this same idea and placed a beautiful sign on the side of the 645 Hamilton Street building only to have ut turned off due to City politics.. Everything that is being thought of as new and innovative was proposed and DONE by individuals 6-10 years ago who took it "upon themselves" to make Allentown a better City. Unfortunately, we received no support so many have left or became apathetic... SMH Alfonso Todd

There is actually a proud tradition of signs in center square.  For many years during the golden era a large illuminated Neuweiler Beer sign stood atop the Whelan Drugstore, on the northwest corner.  Back to the hapless Monument owner and his innovative sign.  The sign was up for a number of months and being tolerated by the city, until one faithful day.  As a favor to the coffee shop owner,  the sign company programmed an ad for Lou Hershman running for office, just as Mayor Pawlowski was walking down the street.  The Mayor blew his fuse, and the sign shortly thereafter, when the city threw every sign law on the book at the owner.

 The billboard is actually still mounted to the building, as a testament to this hypocrisy.   Is it the same billboard firm now hired by the city to place billboards on certain streets, including N. 7th? I'll leave some meat on the bone for the paper to discover, when they adopt this story.
photocredit:molovinsky

The Fifth Estate-Blogging

Occasionally I post a comment on The Morning Call website. Invariably, Future Downtown Arena Attendee comes on to say that I live beyond the city borders and only received so many hundreds of votes in my independent bid for mayor. Last time she attributed my criticism of the mayor's initiative on sour grapes, for having lost the election. Of course there could be no other rational reason to oppose all those enlightened plans coming from city hall. In this town, with one party only on city council, and no scrutiny from the local press, this blog is often the epicenter of opposition. Certainly my associate from Nazareth, Bernie O'Hare, adds a larger voice on some issues. The noise Bernie and I make is eventually heard by our newspaper friends. Although you will seldom see mention of our blogs, they eventually adopt the issues.

The Year Of Promise

Mayor Pawlowski has a new sermon on his Facebook page about selling our water system, actually it's only a fifty year lease. And it was written in a town near Bethlehem "a unique solution has been identified that is not only feasible, but I believe, the right thing to do. City Council and I propose a long-term lease of the city’s water treatment and distribution system and the sewer collection, treatment and disposal system." I was under the impression that City Council had to evaluate and approve this proposal, seems as if they're already on board. The apostle Julio is mentioned. "City Council President Julio Guirdy expressed concern that public consideration be just as important as the city’s, so we have scheduled four public meetings on the first four Thursdays in August to present this proposal to the public and listen to your feedback." If both the mayor and city council has already decided that this is the way to go, these public meetings are just the usual dog and pony shows. In a proclamation biblical in tone, Pawlowski declares 2012 the year of promise. "This proposal represents a fantastic opportunity to cover our costs, shore-up our bottom line and avoid tax increases for the foreseeable future. I called 2012 the Year of Promise. With this option we can realize our promise. It gives us the ability to rebuild our financial foundations, leverage the progress we have forges together, and turn our progress into success." Be sure to attend those public meetings, your opinion on the subject surely matters to them.