Dan Hartzell Discovers WPA

The Morning Call's Road Warrior, Dan Hartzell, has discovered the WPA. His article today explains the progress, or lack of, concerning the wall in Lehigh Parkway. Like my article four months ago, he interviewed Rich Young, head of public works. Although Dan learned nothing new that my readers didn't know about the wall, he does mention that city is waking up about our WPA treasures. I don't know how Dan got to the Parkway for his photo, but he probably had to cross Schreiber's Bridge. The condition of that bridge is the real road story needing his attention. When I had interviewed Young, although the western approach wall on the north side of the bridge had just been rebuilt, the eastern approach wall had also been smashed. Young acknowledged that this damage was caused by trucks trying to make the turn onto Martin Luther King Drive. The rebuilt western wall approach has again been smashed. Although the bridge is weight restricted, the trucks are ignoring the sign. Allentown can install dozens of security cameras downtown, but not one to protect our bridge built in 1828. I invite Hartzell to join my tour of the Parkway WPA structures on April 6th. If he shows up, I'll suggest that he read and copy my reports about Schreiber's Bridge.

A Snowy Morning In Jerusalem

Snow is a rare occurrence in Jerusalem, but on January 10th it snowed 6 inches, the biggest storm since 1992.  Although this blog concentrates on local political commentary, I do indulge in a few distractions. Among those are local history, boxing from the Joe Louis era, and stories from the Holy Land.  With all topics, the quality of the visual image presented here is paramount to me.

The Hibernating Morning Call Newspaper

A month ago I wrote a post entitled Top Brass To Cash In Chips. At that time, I wrote; Check with The Morning Call in ten days to two week, for what will be just a longer version of my exclusive. It actually took the Call one month. How is it that a blogger can scoop a paper? How is it that a feature story can be team written that contains virtually no new information? How can columnists use their bully pulpit to write about grammar, week after week? I think the answer lies in the recent bankruptcy period of the Tribune Organization. During that period business decisions were made from financial distress, not journalistic accomplishment. Those retaining their jobs were probably frozen somewhat, knowing that decisions were being made 1,500 miles away, by people who likely never even read The Morning Call. Now that the Tribune has emerged from bankruptcy, I wish the remaining staff well, with whomever their new employer turns out to be.

UPDATE: Question for Bill White.  Bill, should it be whoever or whomever your new employer turns out to be?

Sal Panto's Obsession

I became interested in Sal Panto years ago, when he first championed for a new parking deck behind the Wolf School. I'm somewhat familiar with center city Easton, and recognized that as a third rate location. Sal then pushed for a location further up Northampton Street, again away from the square. Finally, he bought into the Lanta Terminal/Deck formula, first done in Allentown. At the time, in Allentown, it removed the shoppers from the shops. Now of course, Allentown has removed the shops. Panto then paired the Al Bundy High School Museum of Sports with the deck, specifying that Sal's high school picture be included. He now wants City Hall in the proposed complex, so that he may view the picture through out the day.

An Attempt To Smear AlfonsoTodd

There is an effort under way to sabotage Alfonso Todd's candidacy by Bill Villa. Apparently, Todd has some issues with his driving record, which Villa managed to uncover, and distribute. I first started receiving emails from Villa smearing Todd several weeks ago. Alfonso is on Villa's enemy list, along with dozens of other people, who never in reality caused him any harm. When you're on Villa's list, he contacts your employer, and complains that you're sadistically provoking him, even though in truth he's harassing you. If the boss doesn't comply with Villa's demands, then the boss goes on the list, and Villa contacts the boss's superiors, making the same demand. It is in this way that all the local college deans made the list. Also included are ministers, priests and bishops. Todd decided to go public with this attack on him and submitted a comment to my blog. A little OT and I KNOW it won't make the Morning Call but this is how Candidates for City Council are treated.... So, I have received my first threat of BLACK MAIL since I began running for the office of ALLENTOWN CITY COUNCIL. Now, 3 people had warned me that this would happen and I was like OK. But when they dig up what they THINK is going to embarrass you and will make you drop out of a race that I KNOW will help Allentown,PA become a better place, then I have no choice but to do as I said I was going to do and offer full transparency ANSWER: Sure, parking tickets and a forgotten ticket. It happens and as a human (average person) I have made mistakes. I have paid or am paying my fines and i move on. It still has nothing to do with my desire to make Allentown, PA into a better place for my children, your children, and everyone else. My past has nothing to do with the great future I envison for Allentown. Thanks for the information by the way. It's appreciated! Alfonso Todd 484 619 6541 Todd's correct in that this would probably not have made The Morning Call. The only person less likely to be mentioned in the paper than me is Bill Villa, who has put most of their staff on his enemy list.

Allentown Becomes A Monarchy

Park and Shop Lots

Downtown Allentown boomed for about 100 years. During the prosperity years following World War II, the two car family emerged. Several business leaders of Allentown realized both the parking problem and the potential to enhance sales. Park and Shop was begun by Harvey Farr, Donald Miller and John Leh. The current small parking deck at 10th and Hamilton, above the current uptown police substation, was the first deck in the country. To make the parking lots, shown in the postcard above, houses were purchased and torn down. Although the gentlemen mentioned in this article profited from their influence, they always provided solutions for the betterment of the community. They seemed to be a benevolent oligarchy. As the viability of the Park And Shop enterprise declined along with the intercity shopping, The Allentown Parking Authority was conveniently formed by local politicians, and it purchased the lots using Municipal bonds; The process allowed the aforementioned gentleman to land on their feet, in a downward market.

Flash ahead thirty five years to another downward market, and we have one gentleman, J.B. Reilly, buying up center-city with municipal bonds backed by state taxes. Reilly has purchased far more property than ever owned by Park and Shop. He has purchased virtually the four square blocks surrounding the arena, a significant portion of the Neighborhood Improvement Zone(NIZ). Again the process was facilitated by our elected officials. Let us hope that the new monarchy will be as benevolent as the old oligarchy. reprinted from November 2012                                                                                                                                                                                                 UPDATE: There was never any criticism of the old oligarchy, because one of the members, Donald Miller, owned the newspaper, The Morning Call. Flash ahead thirty five years, and again there is no criticism of the new monarchy by The Morning Call. Instead, on the contrary, valid questions raised by the alternative media, such as this blog, are dismissed as misguided and snide. Morning Call readers know that Reilly acquired property, but they don't know that with three exceptions, he acquired all the property adjoining the arena block. They are given the deed transfer dates as proof of no insider information, while ignoring the real relevant dates when agreements of sales were pushed on the owners. This distorted reporting goes back to the beginning of the project. In the first meeting, between the former merchants of Hamilton Street and the Pawlowski administration, the merchants complained that they didn't know the identity of the real buyer. While Sara Hailstone admitted the buyer was indeed the city, and that the realtors involved were indeed strawbuyers, those details never made the paper, despite the reporter's presence at the meeting. Similar intimidation tactics were used by Reilly in assembling his current monopoly of adjoining arena property. Similar cover is again being provided by The Morning Call.