Barbarians At The Bridge

Although both Cunningham and Pawlowski hosted celebrations of our regional birthdays this year, neither cares about our history, nor do their minions. Glenn Solt, Lehigh County's project manager, and supposedly aspiring County Executive, seems contemptuous of our history. He repeatedly claimed that the 188 year old Reading Road Bridge is neither historic or unique. He states that there were 14 such bridges in the county when he began his watch. Unfortunately, for our history, this is the only one that this blog has concerned itself with. When the effort to preserve the bridge began, Cunningham said that if the community wanted to keep the bridge, the plans could be modified; But, by this past Wednesday, Solt was putting on a full court press for a new bridge. Perhaps, he sees the aggressive bridge replacement program as an accomplishment for a future political campaign. Downstream, Schreibers Bridge is now being jeopardized by Pawlowski. Because Allentown allowed the beams on the 15th Street Bridge to rust away from lack of paint, the northbound traffic now uses Schreibers, another stone arch bridge, also 188 years old. Car and trucks now line up for a block to cross the historic bridge. Three weeks ago, I personally informed Pawlowski that an outside stone on the northwest approach had come off, and others were being stressed. When the 15th Street Bridge is closed this summer for replacement, the traffic flow on Schreibers will be overbearing. History is more than blowing out a candle at Agriculture Hall, or hosting a dinner at the Holiday Inn.

The old postcard shows Schreibers Mill from the east. Although the mill has been gone since the beginning of the 20th Century, the bridge in background is still serving Allentown.

reprinted from March 11, 2012

UPDATE: Since this post  appeared in March of 2012, there has been some changes on the political scene;  Don Cunningham resigned his position as County Executive, and Scott Ott and Tom Muller are running to fill that position for the new term starting in January 2014.  Although the Commissioners did grant the bridge a reprieve from demolition last winter, the bridge's future is once again in jeopardy. State guidelines have changed, and bridges with 3 Ton limits are now slated for closure and/or demolition.  Muller and assorted Democratic candidates for Commissioner are using the bridge as a campaign issue, saying that it should have already been replaced.  Missing from their self serving opportunism is any awareness of the historical significance of the bridge.  Because the bridge is not on an official historical register, Glenn Solt actually stated that the bridge is not historically significant.  On the original route between Easton and Reading, it's one of the most historically significant bridges in Pennsylvania, and an icon of Lehigh County.  Meanwhile, downstream, it's sister Schreibers Bridge also faces the 3 Ton State mandate.  Schreibers has been carrying truck after truck this past  two years, including fire trucks, as it provides the detour for the new 15th Street Bridge under construction. It's approach walls have been repeatedly smashed by tractor trailers trying to turn off the bridge onto Martin Luther King Drive.  Both bridges need to be preserved.  The historical significant of these bridges to our community should not fall victim to  blind general state mandates or local politics.

The Future Politics of Allentown's Current Poverty

Allentown's large urban core is mired in poverty and survival. This urban poor environment, mostly hispanic, currently has little inclination toward the luxury of politics; This is why we have a Pawlowski for mayor, instead of a Diaz. The arena project is not on their minds, nor will it effect their lives in any way. Allentown's current middle class, remaining in the outer neighborhoods, have divorced themselves mentally from Allentown's new reality. They have a nice house, with taxes relatively less than urban areas east of Pennsylvania. Their children are grown, and many have moved away, at least to the outlining boroughs. Although they read the local paper and shake their heads about the problems in center city, their streets and quality of life remain quiet, clean and acceptable. Allentown has the problems of much larger urban areas, a consequence of it's strategic location. I believe that conditions in Allentown will slowly improve, not because of any arena or other white elephant, but because a hispanic middle class is evolving. As the Latino population enters it's second generation, a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other ethnic institutions will steer their demographic into a middle class. In the future, Allentown may well be the leading hispanic city in the northeast.

De Test Scores, De Test Scores

The Morning Call has an article about recent standardized school test scores. Although the article said the scores were not that important, it's a long feature story, complete with charts. Kids in the Parkland averaged 30 points higher than Allentown, at all grade levels. I would hope that the Allentown School Administration does not overreact to these results. Previous Superintendent, Gerald Zahorchak, turned the system upside down, and inside out chasing better test scores, apparently for not much result. Allentown is dominated by a very poor, transient urban core, where English is often the second language. We previously stripped the arts, gym, library and other essentials for well rounded students who enjoy school. Our teachers and curriculum are as good as any suburban school. Eventually, the student body will become less transient and more stable, performing better on these tests. In the meantime, lets not keep turning the schools inside out.

Trick or Trick

When I was a kid growing up in Little Lehigh Manor, Halloween was a real treat. The child centered neighborhood yielded each kid shopping bag after shopping bag of candy at the end of each October. Occasionally, there was a house owner, usually childless, who made the kids perform for their treat. Last night the four candidate had to perform for the public, as part of their application for police chief. Pawlowski made them come to Allentown, sit down together and explain to the peanut gallery why they're the best man for the job. Considering that the public has no vote in their selection, the performance was seemingly for Pawlowski's benefit. Mayor and candidate for everything will make his choice by month's end, just in time for Halloween.

photocredit:Colin McEvoy/The Express Times

Save Our History

I have just started an online petition to save the historic Reading Road Bridge. The petition asks Lisa Scheller, Chairwoman of The Lehigh County Commissioners, to authorize repair, not replacement, of the historic stone arch bridge.  I ask readers of this blog to kindly consider signing. Thank you. Please use this link to access the petition.

Allentown's Pesky Citizens

When you're a transformational leader attempting to share your vision with the rest of the state, it's annoying to deal with those little minds concerned with pettiness, such as the air they breathe and the water they drink. Fortunately for Ed Pawlowski, he has Acting Mayor Fran Dougherty and Mayor In Waiting Julio Guridy to handle those peons. As they line up at the podium at city council, one by one the Guridy-Dougherty tag team disposes of the little pests. The air and water midgets will have to take their case to the Supreme Court, which will hear it in 2021. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the Ungrateful Bastards Of the West End.

I live at 22nd and Allen. 2 cars totaled, finished basement had to be gutted, boxes of personal treasures thrown out, hot water heater damage, 10,000 in repairs, so far. Sewer drain backed up 2 days later, direct result of the storm drains pushing it up, another 2,000 to jack hammer the floor and replace pipes. Next door neighbor's hot water heater is gas and after sitting in in 3 ft of water, almost blew. We were evacuated by the fire department, clean up is overwhelming, stress is unbelievable, but ..............I am an ungrateful bastard! Mary Shimshea

The city will complete it's survey of the storm sewer problem by 2019, and in the meantime keep two rowboats at the West End Firehouse.  Those who line up at that podium should be content with the opportunity to express themselves.  The notion that a city moving forward at this rate of speed can slow down to correct neighborhood problems is selfish.