School Board Masochism

Allentown School District will receive an extra $9.6 million dollars, allowing some positions to be restored, the pending tax rate to be somewhat reduced, and perhaps some additional funds to be held in reserve. The extra windfall is an annual reoccurrence. The question is why would the School Board, year after year, submit itself to the unnecessary rancor and vitriol before receiving the final state contribution? Worse yet, why should teachers have to ride that seesaw of being laid-off, and then rehired? Mike Schlossberg patted himself on the back for helping to get the local extra funds, but then voted against the budget, I assume as a good partisan. As we poison our water in Pennsylvania to benefit the natural gas industry, there's not much done in Harrisburg that impresses me.

UPDATE: Press release from ASD:
 “This is an unprecedented show of commitment to our District from the state,” says Dr. Russell Mayo, Superintendent of the Allentown School District. “We are incredibly grateful to the state and two legislators, in particular – Senator Pat Browne (R) and Representative Mike Schlossberg (D) who have led the charge to support our District and enable us to continue to provide a balanced education to the more than 17,000 students we serve in Allentown.”

Dr. Mayo, fear not, Browne and Schlossberg will give themselves more than enough credit. It's a shame for the teachers who once again have been submitted to this yoyo budget procedure. What can be done about that?

Joseph's Tomb

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He had said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place." (Exo 13:19)

For a thousand years, Jews had prayed at and cared for the Tomb of the Patriarch Joseph. The Samaritans had worshipped at the Tomb for 1,700 years.

On October 7, 2000, Ehud Barak ordered Israeli Border Police to withdraw from guarding the Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus (Shechem). Within hours it was destroyed. Since then there has been a pattern of the IDF escorting religious Jews to clean up the destruction, and then more desecration after they leave.

The bones of Joseph which the Children of Israel brought up from Egypt were buried in Shechem in the portion of the field that had been purchased by Jacob. (Joshua 24:32)

In April of 2011, as 15 ultra-orthodox Jews left the Tomb after Passover prayers, a Palestinian policeman opened fire on their 3 vehicles. Several men were wounded, and the 25 year old nephew of an Israeli Government Minister was killed.

The Palestinians once again set fire to the tomb.

reprinted from April 2011

Allentown Parks, An Environmental PlayStation

Over the past five years, older visitors to city parks have noticed that the lawns and meadows adjoining the streams have been allowed to grow wild. While we, who appreciate the view and access to the creeks, see this new model as unkempt, our young politically correct speak of riparian buffers and grow zones. The riparian theory is that the undergrowth keeps the nitrogen runoff from the surrounding neighborhoods from reaching the streams; it soaks it up. In reality, Allentown's storm runoff system is  piped directly into the streams, bypassing the buffers, which are then for naught. This charade continues to downgrade our traditional park system because of money. The Wildland's Conservancy get grants and ignore the pipes, and plants the nonsense. It's easier for the Conservancy to prevail upon the Park Department, than persuade farmers and private land owners beyond the parks, where the effort might really do something. These grants not only pay for the plants, more importantly, they play for the hypocrites' salaries. They are also funded by large corporations, which can feel better about their real pollution. The Allentown Park System has become a feel good, environmental playstation. The Conservancy's new grant is to remove dams in Allentown Parks. This practice, in theory, improves water quality. Just as the storm runoff pipes make the riparian buffers useless, the sewer pipe along the Little Lehigh makes the dam removal just another token project. When I pointed out the overflowing sewage pipe, they switched gears, and now speak of allowing fish to swim upstream. Our wonderful park system even takes care of that issue with the magnificent trout hatchery, on Fish Hatchery Road. Please help me protect and preserve the small iconic dam by the Parkway's Robin Hood Bridge. Let the grant hunters ply their hypocrisy elsewhere. Protect our traditional park system.

shown above are the pipes which release rain water directly into the Cedar Creek, next to the Rose Garden Ponds.

Racism Accusation In Allentown School System

The Morning Call and Express Times have reported that the federal government is making inquires regarding opportunities for minorities in honor, gifted and advanced placement courses in the Allentown School system. These investigations usually result from a complaint. Yesterday, in a Facebook comment, a local Latino accused the school administration of institutional racism.

What will it take until the parents of this district take to the streets. ASD is institutionally hostile to students and educators of color. No question. So what are you going to do about it?

Those making such comments base their accusation on the small number of minorities represented in the administration and teaching staff, vs. the high percentage of minority students in the system. Although minorities are now a majority in the Allentown School System, this transition occurred in just the last decade. The career of the average education professional is about thirty five years. Before the fiscal crunch, when Allentown was in the hiring mode, it took aggressive action looking for minority candidates. Almost half the population of Puerto Rico now resides in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida. Many communities in these states are competing for Hispanic educators. Hispanic teachers cannot be manufactured. The activists should expend their energy cultivating an appreciation of education in their community. In the meantime, they should show more appreciation for the dedicated teachers of ASD.

Allentown's Taste Problem

The Morning Call reports that Sangria, the high end restaurant in the Butz Building, is failing; That's because it never existed in the real marketplace. Butz was given a grant for $350,000 to outfit the place, so he and the operator rode that pony as long as the ride was free. Truth is that none of these high end puppet shows have succeeded, there's no market for such in Allentown. That's because this town has zero ambience. The Cosmopolitan also is a failure, but the owners have pockets deep enough to keep the doors open. The arena will not make Allentown a dining destination. It will attract a hotdog and beer crowd, that will exit this town as fast as a clogged 8th Street will allow. They're building a monstrosity on Hamilton Street, which will not attract one dime beyond those getting the free ride. Thus spoke the marketplace.

School Board Math Test

The Administration has been going around pushing to turn the Phoenix Building into apartments, and give the owner a pass on taxes, to boot. Needless to say, the pitch worked at City Council, what doesn't? That independent body voted 6 to 0 to approve, with Jeanette Eichenwald absent. They're using the old historic name, Adelaide, in their pitch, and the usual buzz words, like loft and young professionals. The developer wants to turn the building into 150 apartments. Unless we learn how to clone young professionals, common sense knows that school age children will be running up and down the hallways at the Phoenix, or Adelaide, or whatever they call it. If many children aren't there for the first wave of tenants, they surely will be, as the bloom fades on that rose, long before the KOZ would expire. What does it cost the Allentown School system to educate 100 to 150 children a year? The taxes on the building are only $18,000. Any more than two students is a loser to the School Board. How many children can they expect from 150 apartments? Why would they even consider approving a tax incentive? Why would the Administration even ask?

The classic postcard shows the building from the rear, facing the Jordan Creek