The School Dilemma

There's a couple of conflicting articles about the Allentown School System budget dilemma on the local radar. Scott Armstrong, School Director, says that all options are being deployed against the shortfall; maximum tax increase allowed by law, layoffs, and spending down the reserve. Joanne Jackson, School Director, says that her fellow directors must do more. Armstong has suggested a teacher wage concession. Jackson, I suppose, would use more reserve funds. This dilemma is not new to older Allentown tax payers. Usually by the mid summer the State restores some of the funding. Likewise, the school system has a habit of staffing based on grants, which will always run out. As a payer of state taxes, I'm not a big fan of the NIZ. That zone was split into three sections; Downtown, Riverfront, and thankfully, The Sacred Heart Hospital. Perhaps it should have been four, including the Allen High Campus. Amazing how much creativity can be applied to finance private development, and how little toward public education.

Marginalizing In Allentown

Carmen Bell,Alfonso Todd,Julio Guridy, Ray O'Connell, Jeff Glazier, David Melman, Kim Velez

The Morning Call continues to marginalize the opposition candidates in Allentown's City Council race. Thursday evening, April 18th, four of the challengers met three of the incumbents at the NAACP Candidate Forum. Although the article, which featured the water lease issue, was on the top of page seven in the hard copy, as opposed to the usual bottom position, the article contained no photograph. The photo above is borrowed from a challenger's facebook page. As the article was presented, the incumbents were quoted on the first page, while the challengers are not mentioned until the continued portion, five pages later. The incumbents favor the water lease, while the challengers take exception to the plan. One incumbent, Cythnia Moto remains out of the country, recuperating from an illness. One challenger, Daryl Hendricks, seems to be dodging the fray. Hendricks, a retiring police captain, may find the water lease issue best avoided, since the lease was necessitated by police pensions.

photocredit:Just Uniq Productions

Trolley To Dorney Park

When the Allentown-Kutztown Traction (Trolley) Company purchased Dorney Park in 1901, trolley companies were buying or building amusement parks all across the country. Perhaps the most famous was Coney Island. Usually located between two cities serviced by the company, it was a plan to increase weekend rider-ship. Passengers could spend a day at the park, swimming, picnicking, and partaking of the rides and amusements. Through merger, the trolley would become the Allentown-Reading Traction Company, whose line began just south of Hamilton, on 7th Street. The line went west on Walnut Street, and then followed the Cedar Creek to the park. The roller coaster was built over the tracks in 1923, the year that the Allentown-Reading sold the park to the Plarr family.  Trolley service would continue to 1934.

Jim Layland contributed to this post.

Dear School Board

The following email was sent to members of the Allentown School Board, Mayor Pawlowski and a school administrator.

Scott Armstrong

April 18, 2013
 Dear Board Members, First and foremost I want to say that this email is solely from me and is not on behalf of any other person or entity. I know emotions are high right now. I also know that you can state your views in a professional & respectful way. I have continually watched Scott Armstrong and his unprofessional behavior. He belittles people, talks to them in a condescending tone and then has the audacity to glare at people when they make statements or ask questions that he disagrees with or challenges his point of view. He may well be an intelligent, professional man trying to do what he feels is best for ASD and its students. It is one thing for him to treat adults with sarcasm but seeing him treat children that way is appalling. These are some of the very students he has been elected to protect and educate. He is being an abusive bully. When I sit and watch his antics and his disrespect of others I feel I am watching a somewhat educated version of comedian Jeff Dunham’s fictitious Bubba J. character, a man who is anything but professional, ethical or politically correct. His treatment of the Student Representatives to the Board is what has caused me to write this email. I know there are rules and regulations that the Board must follow. It is time for the Board to step up and do something about Mr. Armstrong’s behavior.
Carolyn Schafer 

Scott Armstrong send the following reply to the same email list.

Carolyn Schafer, Thank you for your concern regarding my “behavior” at school board meetings. With all due respect my response to you is that I have every right to say what I say and will continue to address the issues squarely and as I see fit.
Scott Armstrong

It is apparent that Armstrong certainly annoys Ms. Schafer, who is an officer with the Teacher's Union, but was writing independently of that affiliation. I'll grant Ms. Schafer that Scott does have mannerisms that could be interpreted as sardonic, but she goes on to approach character assassination. She goes on to describe him as an abusive bully. Bullying is the current hot button sin of education. It's nice that Ms. Schafer was treated to such gentlemanly behavior by previous school directors, but Armstrong was elected by the voters, and only they should decide his future on the school board.

Win, Place or Show With The Morning Call

The paper has been giving the water lease controversy good play, but I can't say the same about those candidates opposed to the lease. Although the digital version of the paper has treated the challengers well enough, the problem lies with the print edition. Independent candidate for mayor, Michael Donovan, had his initial announcement on the bottom of the 6th page. Yesterday, the same dismal spot was reserved for the council candidates opposing the water lease. It's my observation that the paper, for the most part, has two different audiences. Although the digital subscribers may now outnumber the old hard copy folks, it's those very dinosaurs who comprise the super voters. While the reporter, Emily Opilo, has been being fair with her writing, the layout editor has given the candidates poor placement.

Thank You Senator Toomey

As the country is reeling from the cowardly terrorist act in Boston this week, local Senator Toomey exhibited extraordinary courage in co-sponsoring the gun background check. Toomey's base is ultra conservative, and he hurt himself with that constituency. With the proposal failing to pass the Senate, his credit with the gun control advocates will be a forgotten moment. Toomey said he was doing it because He felt it was the right thing to do. Apparently Capital Hill isn't ready for any changes in gun control, because the Toomey-Manchin amendment only closed gaping loopholes.