Notice Is Hereby Given

Pawlowski formally began his march to Harriburg today with the creation of the Pawlowski For Governor PAC. I suspect as a candidate running for his third term as mayor that he will downplay his larger ambition, at least until after the upcoming November election.

UPDATE: This story was picked up off this blog about 11:30 Friday morning.  How did I know before the Morning Call when the legal notice was printed in the Morning Call? Legal notices and classified ads are placed through the Tribune office in Chicago.  The press page layout is computer delivered to the printing presses during the evening, and the paper is printed for early morning delivery.  The legal notices are not included in the digital edition.  Do the local reporters read the hard copy paper at 5:00 a.m., much less the legal notices,  as does this blogger?  By 7:30 Friday morning Pawlowski challenger Michael Donovan thanked me for the post.

The Jews of Iran

In 539 BC, when the Persian King Cyrus defeated Babylon, the Israelites were free to return to Jerusalem. Many instead ended up in that part of Persia which constitutes modern day Iran. Despite the current political climate between Iran and Israel, over 25,000 Jews still live in Iran. It has remained the largest Jewish population in a Muslim country since the creation of Israel in 1948, and among the most ancient of Jewish communities. Although certainly a minority in what could be perceived as an awkward situation, the community takes great pride in their Iranian history. Shown above is the Tomb of the Prophet Daniel, revered by both Jews and Muslims, in Susa, Iran.

reprinted from March 2011

Ezekiel's Tomb

Ezekiel's Tomb is south of Baghdad, in Al Kifl. The tomb dates back to the 6th Century B.C., during the Babylonian exile. Prior to creation of Israel in 1948, 100,000 Jews still remained in Iraq; Today, there are eight.

Last year Hebrew lettering was covered over in fresh plaster, in a process to turn the ancient Jewish shrine into a mosque. Fortunately, word leaked back to Israel and to the Jews of Iraqi descent. That community's history in Iraq spanned 2,700 years, 1,000 years before the birth of Islam. The renovation is now under international scrutiny, and hopefully the Jewish elements will remain. The photo shows Iraqi Jews in front of the tomb in 1932.

Conflicting reports: There are conflicting reports, both about the condition and intentions for the shrine. Here is an article from The Jerusalem Post, dated May 2010, which claims that there has been no damage (recent) to Jewish inscriptions.
NY Times recent article, Oct. 19, 2010

reprinted from November 2010

Walking With Cynthia Mota

During my failed attempt to save the dam at Robin Hood in Lehigh Parkway, I invited members of Allentown City Council for a private tour. Although only Cynthia Mota and Jeff Glazier accepted the offer, it was an hour well spent. I had spoken to Glazier several times in the past, but had never met Mota. I found her genuinely interested in the park, and intrigued by the neglected WPA sites that I pointed out. She did let me know that she felt that she had been treated unfairly on this blog in the past.  During a large portion of the walk, Mota was being pitched  two opposing points of view about the riparian weeds, one by John Mikowychok, the new park director, and the other by myself. Mikowychok told Mota that he believes the stream is more enticing if you only can see a glimpse of it, here and there. Apparently, Wildlands Conservancy and Mikowychok have a new arrangement, and the Conservancy is to begin replanting the buffers, wider than ever. Although it was an appropriate opportunity for Mikowychok to mention the upcoming  Wildlands buffer project,  he didn't say a word.  Motta needn't be concerned about me,  but she should worry about Mikowychok concealing important park plans.

School Director To Stay

Joanne Jackson has decided to rescind her resignation to the Allentown School Board. Jackson is a former teacher, well liked by the teachers and students. Her resignation resulted from tension with some other board members, a situation which apparently she has decided to accept as par for the course. I'm personally glad she came to this conclusion. It serves the school district best to have board members with divergent points of view. Shown above, Joanne is giving the commencement speech at Dieruff this past spring.

Drag Races At Queen City

During the 1950's, for a summer or two, city sanctioned drag races were held at the Queen City Airport. Dopey Duncan, radio personality and racing car enthusiast, was instrumental in organizing these events. The airport and large hanger seen in the background was built by Consolidated Vultee, to produce airplanes for the war effort.