Simon Gets Brother's Verdict

Louis F. Simon(Right) tell his heavyweight brother that he is proud that he lasted into the thirteenth round of his fight with Joe Louis last night. Mike Jacobs announced after the bout that the two would be rematched in New York on May 16th.

Blogger's Notes: The above is an Associated Press "Wirephoto" that appeared in newspapers across the country on March 22, 1941. The title and caption is the actual Associated Press copy. Mike Jacobs was Joe Louis's manager. Abe Simon actually ended up fighting four more opponents and waiting over a year before the rematch; they met for second time and the title in Madison Square Garden on March 27, 1942. Simon was knocked out in the 6th round, he never fought again. His career record was 36 wins, 25 by knockout, 10 loses, 1 draw.

reprinted from December 2012

Simon Fearless Against Bomber

The 1941 June edition of Ring Magazine featured the Abe Simon vs Joe Louis fight in March. Editor-writer Nat Fleischer was in awe of Simon's courage against the unbeatable Brown Bomber. Fleischer wrote "They (fans) saw Abe Simon give the Bomber the greatest battle he has had since he won the crown..." Although Simon Lost by TKO in the 13th, this image of Simon grinning at Louis while taking the 8 count in round 7, is one of my favorite photographs of that fight.

reprinted from December 2012

On this evening 73 years ago, March 17, 1941, Abe Simon got in the ring with Joe Louis in Detroit, for the Heavyweight Championship. Louis was in his prime, with the finesse of Muhammad Ali and the punching power of Mike Tyson. When it was revealed several days later that Simon had fought with a broken right hand, a rematch was guaranteed.

Another Morning Call Infomercial

For the second weekend in a row, The Morning Call has featured an advertisement posing as news. This week's infomercial heralds that there is a new attitude about the downtown revival. They commissioned Muhlenberg's Chris Borick to conduct another one of his polls, showing that 10% more people feel more positive about Allentown. It just goes to show you what you can do with a $billion dollars of state taxes. I won't discuss the reporters; If their employer is satisfied with two seasoned reporters wasting a week or more on these puff pieces, all the power to them. I do have a call in to Chris Borick, wondering how a political science professor can justify his participation in these soft news stories. His reply, if and when received, will appear as an update on this post. Should there be a firewall between news and advertising? Should the Morning Call disclose that they were added to NIZ, even though their property is an arbitrary tangent to the district? Why are they treating the success of the arena as a fait accompli?

UPDATE:  To his credit, Borick returned my call, even after reading this post and the comments.  He considers the poll he conducted as part of an on going quality of life survey that he conducts in the Lehigh Valley, in conjunction with the paper.  He feels that this point in time will be a valid benchmark to compare with public opinion after the arena is up and running.  I explained my objection to the article, especially referring to the previous activity on the 700 block as a dead zone.  In reality there was  a lot of business done on that block,  even if it involved a low income clientele. It was one of the most successful Family Dollar stores in the country.  Although he considers himself an optimist about the changes in center city and the NIZ, he finds the questions raised by this blog legitimate.

$100 A Week

In 1935, a Jewish boy earning $35 a week carrying 300 pound blocks of ice, was offered three times more to fight; win, lose or draw. For one hundred dollars a week, Jock Whitney, British aristocrat and sportsman, owned Abe Simon. Abe won his first 14 fights, 12 by knockout. On his climb to fight Louis in 1941 he would knock out 27 opponents, including Jersey Joe Walcott.
reprinted from December 2012 

This blog has produced numerous posts chronicling the Joe Louis boxing era, many featuring Abe Simon, a Jewish heavyweight of the era; Simon and my mother were cousins. Lately, Allentown political shenanigans have allowed me little time and space to visit Madison Square Garden in the early 1940's. During the next couple of weeks I will reprint some of the Simon posts, while still assigning staff to City Hall. One of my attractions to the boxing world is the black and white photography produced during that era. The public would listen to the fights on the radio, and then see the photographs in the newspapers the following day.  I refer fight fans to December of 2012,  which can be found on the archive list on the right sidebar. 

Parkway Spared Another Indignation, For Now

With the decision by Health Network Laboratories to relocate to Hanover Township, Lehigh Parkway has been spared another indignation, for now. Mayor Pawlowski had planned on moving the fire training facility into the park, next to the current police facility and shooting range. This would have created a public safety campus, and significantly increased the traffic into the park. The facility would have been available to outside fire departments and their large equipment. Although Pawlowski was motivated to retain the Lab's 400 jobs on Lehigh Street, he has no feel for the park's grander and history. Shown above is the Robin Hood Bridge. The former adjoining small dam was demolished last fall, and it's rubble piled around the stone piers, turning a former beautiful vista into visual garbage. Although I was asked to conduct another park tour this summer, I declined in protest to this desecration. I have since reconsidered, and the time and place will be announced later this spring by Allentown Friends of the Parks.

Destruction of the beautiful dam, shown in the previous post, and the desecration of the bridge piers shown above, was done by The Wildlands Conservancy, with permission from Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

Wildlands Conservancy Duped Public With Farr Road Purchase

For several months readers of the Morning Call have read articles and have been submitted to advertisements soliciting funds to purchase for preservation acreage "adjacent" to the Pool Wildlife Sanctuary. In reality this effort is an disingenuous attempt by several influential people to maintain the view from their houses. The land in question does not abut the Sanctuary or the Little Lehigh Creek, but is separated and isolated by Farr Road, from both these entities. The land in question fronts on Cedar Crest Blvd., and is an island created by Farr Road both entering and exiting Cedar Crest in two spots about 1/2 mile apart, about two miles south of the hospital. The fakers claim "This land is a high-priority conservation area due to its location as part of the Little Lehigh corridor,its proximity to a high-quality cold-water fishery....." Ironically, the big-shots who have organized this effort, do live on the creek and adjoin the Sanctuary, perhaps they should protect the sensitive area and tear down their houses. Shame on both the newspaper and the Wildlands Conservancy for promoting this myth. reprinted from 2007 

UPDATE:   I have learned since I wrote the above piece in 2007 that the Wildlands Conservancy has no shame and few principles.   If the beautiful Robin Hood Dam had been located upstream, behind these properties, it would have been preserved.

Photograph by molovinsky of the former Robin Hood Dam, demolished by The Wildland's Conservancy