Light Rail, Circa 1935

The Lehigh Valley Transit Company ran a trolley between 8th and Hamilton and just outside Philadelphia between 1901 and 1951. In 1913 the company completed the 8th Street Bridge, which remains one of Allentown's icons to this day.



The Liberty Bell functioned as a trolley as it stopped in Coopersburg, Quakertown, Sellersville and the different towns along the way, but approached speeds of eighty miles a hour on the open track between them. At the last station in Upper Darby, passengers could transfer to a different company to complete the ride into center city Philadelphia.










Here in the Valley the company transitioned to buses by the early 1950's, and became part of Lanta in 1972. Lanta and Easton officials might take notice that the Allentown Ticket Office, shown in above photo, is only 75 feet from 8th and Hamilton, which was the center of the business district. The intercity rail beds are pretty much gone now. The same people who now advocate light-rail, couldn't wait to tear up the tracks and make bike paths.

reprinted from May 2010

St. Matthew's Monastery

St. Matthew's Monastery in Kurdish Iraq, one of the oldest Christian Institutions in the world, was built by Christians fleeing persecution in 363 AD. Today, 16 centuries later, Christians are once again seeking shelter there. In the last decade it has been estimated that half the Christians have left Iraq. Since the Baghdad Church bombing in October, some Christians are afraid to be seen wearing a cross; Others have fled with little more than the clothes on their back. Pray for them.

St. Matthew's is part of the Syriac Orthodox Church

reprinted from December 2010. Things have only gotten worse for the Christians in Iraq, many more have fled.

Allentown Injures Mayfair

While Mayor Pawlowski cuts ribbons for the hockey people, and pats himself on the back, Allentown health inspectors burped food vendors at Mayfair for $25 each. Additionally, they got out their thermometers and made sure everything was heated or cooled to their exact specifications. Over the years, I heard numerous complaints about the health department and their selective overzealous enforcement. I knew of several Hamilton Street merchants who had to make food a couple of degrees warmer or cooler, to sell in front of their business, although it just came from their kitchen inside the store. News of this sort of harassment circulates among vendors who do these sort of shows. Pawlowski should harass the contractor working on the 15th Street. The snail pace of that job, and the consequences to commerce on the southside, is an outrage.

photocredit:molovinsky/Allentown Fair 1999

The Unemployed Consigliere

Come the new year, and Bernie O'Hare could well be out of a job. How do you explain to unemployment that you're a consigliere, and have lost your influence at the government center? If Bernie fails to get the position renewed, it won't be from a lack of effort on his part. This week he actually compared John Callahan to Abraham Lincoln. Preparing for the worst, Bernie is willing to commute to work. In addition to Callahan, he will photograph and praise Tom Muller this fall, way beyond the normal bounds of good taste. The photograph shown here was taken yesterday. Bernie injured his back and was unable to exercise for three day, during which time he gained 70 pounds.

The Fire Tower Caper

A molovinsky on allentown exclusive. The residents of Allentown are being told that if we do not sell the fire training tower to the Lehigh Valley Hospital Laboratory for expansion, we're in danger of losing a large employer. It appears much more likely that it's the back end of a long standing plan, and that the hospital is accommodating us. There have been plans for at least two years for a new fire training facility, and the city has been soliciting grants for such. The multi-story, multi-million dollar training facility is to be built adjoining the police academy in Lehigh Parkway. The location is the road and hill currently used as the temporary exit road for the park,  and also used as the exit during the Lights In Parkway. In the past this area served the public as park land, used for many years by model plane enthusiasts. The new training center would bring all the heavy fire equipment from nearby counties, necessitating a wider road, moved further east of the current single lane exit road. This would be in line with the new park tradition of spreading more macadam. molovinsky on allentown has also learned that with new adjoining police and fire training facilities, there is discussion of a new position, Public Safety Director. The Director would oversee Police, Fire and EMS. The new position would require appropriate assistants and secretaries, in The City Without Limits.

reprinted from July 2012

UPDATE: Although this blog broke this story almost a year ago, it is now coming home to roost. As it turns out, the hospital now supposedly wants the additional space just for additional parking. Needless to say, there is plenty of room at Queen City to accommodate parking, without tearing down the existing fire training facility. The new facility in Lehigh Parkway would forever deny citizens previous park land and infringe upon the park's passive intent. Michael Rosenfeld, a former director of the Allentown Redevelopment Authority, spoke out against the new plans. Pawlowski's reply: "As a city resident, Mr. Rosenfeld ought to be ashamed of himself for trying to oppose this." In The City Without Limits, opposing opinion is limited.

Allentown City Council

The race that interested me most last evening was Allentown City Council. WFMZ, as of 10:00p.m., when over 65% of election returns were in, had not mentioned that contest even once. The result turns out to be exactly as I predicted. My problem is that I didn't make the prediction here on this blog. I actually said that if any of the non-incumbents win, it will be Daryl Hendricks. Although turnout yesterday was only 11%, Pawlowski/Fleck had their machine in operation. I noticed a campaign worker in the West End, Pawlowski sign on the car, clip board in hand, working 26th Street. The losing incumbent, Jeff Glazier, did come in fifth. How much of an agent of change Hendricks will be, remains to be seen. If he does assert himself, it will not be a game changer for Allentown. If a vote is 6 to 1, or 5 to 2, the Administration still gets it's way, regardless. Independents can still run for Council, and appear on the November Ballot. Let me now make my future prediction in writing. When Peter Schweyer resigns to take the new District 22 seat in Harrisburg, Jeff Glazier will be reappointed to City Council. election chart from WFMZ