Saving A Treasure

Yesterday I had an amazing experience, I decided to research the WPA items at the Lehigh Valley Historical Society. I found that particular documentation lacking. But, from out of nowhere, an elderly lady handed me a photo from her pocketbook; a picture of the Boat Landing she had taken with a Kodak Brownie camera in the early 1940's. She had the picture with her because she had shown it to several friends who also lamented the loss of our icons.












Today I went to the park to photograph the remaining element of that structure, the steps, to write a post I intended to title "Lost Treasures". Despite my fear of ticks and other organic matter, I proceeded down the steps and pushed the bushes aside. There to my surprise, I found that the retaining walls were mostly still there.

Emboldened by this discovery, I went over to the other side of the creek and worked my way through the riparian buffer; there to my utter amazement I saw that the curved creek walls of the landing have withstood the years of time. Despite decades of neglect by our Park Department, I believe that a half dozen people equipped with a few clippers could unveil a lost treasure. There is a few large trees which have grown on the landing, and there are missing stones, but most of it still exists, waiting only for a few urban archaeologists with an appreciation of what once adorned this park. Will you join me in this act of civil unvandalizing and help restore this gift from our past?
reprinted from October 2009

UPDATE: In the fall of 2009, a half dozen people helped me uncover part the boat landing, buried for over 40 years. It ended up requiring much more than a few clippers; pickaxes, shovels, and wheel barrel after wheel barrel of removing earth.  Amazing as this feat was, The Morning Call never wrote one word about it. Come join me and others on Saturday April 6th, 10:00a.m. at the Robin Hood parking lot, as we tour the WPA treasures in Lehigh Parkway.

The Prophets of Allentown

Not unlike ancient Israel, Allentown has it's prophets and Kings.

While the kings speak, dress and present themselves better, it is the prophets who know the law and our history.

While they may never get elected or appointed, the kings know to listen and learn when the oracles speak.



In Tribute To Dennis Pearson, For Many Decades of Devotion To Allentown

Lehigh Valley Bureau Of Nonsense

When I comment on a story in The Morning Call, I like to do it in a timely way, so that my readers can find it before their parakeet messes it too much. Sometimes things must be put off. A candidate gets disenfranchised, so this little blog must produce an afternoon story. That story gets a bigger treatment on a bigger blog, and before long, our trusted press assigns space on the parakeet mat. Do people still have parakeets? I'm also restricted by having the hours of a three year old. While I'm blog blabbering here, someone recently asked if I don't want comments? My moderation system and baby naps certainly don't allow for immediate gratification. I also would rather reject a comment, then print it, and have to insult it's sender. So, let's just say that I do appreciate your readership, and that your insightful comments are always welcome, even if printed in a delayed fashion. With all that out of the way, lets move on to today's topic, those taxpayer funded development agencies. An article in The Morning Call last week quoted some official from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, we also have one here in Allentown. They get federal grants to study each other. The  quotes from the golfer who works there;  He pointed to housing developments like The Townes at Trexler Square on Walnut Street in downtown Allentown as being attractive to incoming families. (According to its website, the $200,000-plus town houses by Nic Zawarski & Sons are sold out.) In all due respect to the golfer and the Parakeet Mat, here's the reality. Most of the units were purchased by investors, not yuppies wanting the urban dream. The last batch of units were sold by auction, at fifty cents on the dollar. The last section of townhouses were never completed, the foundations filled in with stone. Never the less, the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation gets millions of dollars in grants, to gather and dispense nonsense.

Circling The Wagons

Experienced Democratic operatives today are scrutinizing Kim Velez's petitions, hoping to substantiate the apparent bluff employed by Attorney Tim Brennan, denying Velez's rights as a candidate. The effort is intense enough that they're triangulating the petition signatures, in regard to her residence. The desperate insinuation is why aren't the signatures from the neighborhood in which she claims to live? There are no rules about where candidates must collect signatures. There are, however, ethic codes for lawyers. Ms. Velez, by every measure, withdrew as a candidate under duress. I invite Tim Brennan to comment on whose regard he called Ms. Velez.  One must also ask why Brennan's client didn't file a conventional challenge to any signatures with the chief clerk of voter registration?  Hopefully, the democratic process will be restored quickly, and Ms. Velez will be reinstated as a candidate.

UPDATE: Emily Opilo, of The Morning Call,  has published a report on the Velez situation.  Brennan appears, in my opinion,  evasive in his answers.  Mr. Tim Benyo, Chief Clerk,  concedes that the withdraw occurred in an unusual fashion.  He appears to not have gone out of his way to consul or question Ms. Velez,  despite the unusualness.   Benyo  rejected the  water  referendum ballot petition last month on a technicality, but doesn't question Velez's reasons.  Apparently, the machine picks their clerks well.

Teachers Should Share Sacrifice, says Armstrong

For some time now, many Allentown teachers have appeared before this board to express their concern for Art, Music and Physical education in the ASD and their commitment to its importance as a core subject for learning and intellectual growth. Being on education’s front line they are the experts on what motivates learning. Likewise, they see first hand the detrimental effects of cuts in Arts, Music and Physical education. However, they also have the power to rescue these at the elementary level for the children of the Allentown School District by simply agreeing to extend the pay freeze. In the face of dire economic circumstances/times, the taxpayers will be doing their part to balance this budget. They will be directed by this board to makea sacrifice, their tax bill will go up, and more money will be taken out of their pockets. If ASD teachers would make a similar sacrifice, Arts, Music and Physical education could be continued in the district’s elementary schools. If the teachers wanted to save more positions then they could consider a small salary decrease. The amount of salary reduction necessary to save positions could be quickly calculated by the district. The teachers are not powerless in this budgetary crisis. They could choose to do the right thing for the district’s students and their fellow teachers facing furlough. They can provide an example of selflessness and demonstrate their commitment to public education.

Scott Armstrong

UPDATE:  The Teachers Response
Here is the unions response to Mr. Armstrong's ideas
This email is for all members.

Dear Mr. Armstrong and Board members,

Thank you for your belated request to negotiate with the AEA. I will gladly forward your email below to our members today.

Is Dr. Mayo aware that you have made this request? If this is a formal request to negotiate with AEA, it is the first such request made of the Association, to date. Ordinarily, we receive requests to negotiate from the Superintendent.

Our teachers demonstrate their "selfless commitment to public education" every day. I don't know if you realize how dedicated they are to their work, their students and the Allentown School District.

I would like to remind you - and I have said it many times recently - our members chose to enter into a three-year contract with the district just last year. They agreed to a complete freeze this year and two more years of concessions, for the duration of the contract. Had the board or the district needed more from us, in anticipation of future financial difficulties, those needs should have been addressed before January, 2012. To vilify this Association after the fact is disingenuous.

Sincerely,
Debra Tretter

Water Workings 2013

According to a Morning Call report by Samantha Marcus, Allentown will permit the Lehigh County Authority, aka LCA, to bid on the water lease, even though the County Commissioners declined to extend their charter from 36 to 50 years. The explanation used by the Commissioners was that their rejection would spare county residents from indirectly paying for Allentown's pension problems. There also was the allegation that LCA, although a public authority, was unaccountable and aloof to public dialogue. Ironically, any bid now submitted by LCA would be amortized over a shorter term, actually increasing the debt service. This blogger had inquired behind the scenes, concerning the Commissioners rationale in rejecting the LCA charter extension. The commissioners felt that the LCA was prepared to overbid, much more than a private company would offer. With LCA out of the way, perhaps the private company bids would not even rise to a level acceptable by Allentown City Council. It's apparent that the rules of this game are very flexible. Pawlowski is hellbent on leasing the system, and would likely accept the highest offer, regardless of previously stated bottom lines. Also, over a third of county residents are Allentonians, and the remainder currently get their water from Allentown, through the LCA. I believe that creating a new Allentown Water Authority, then issuing revenue anticipation bonds, would have been the best option to meet pension obligations. However, that option was never on the table. Unless City Council exerts itself with alternatives, under the game imposed by Pawlowski, the LCA is our best choice.