Opportunist Or Emperor

When Jim Martin just referred to Mark Pinsley as a political opportunist, he wasn't mincing words. Pinsley used his short stint as a South Whitehall commissioner to run for two other offices. Since being elected county controller, he has inserted himself into township, city and county politics. 

Recently, when I was watching a virtual South Whitehall commissioner meeting, I was confused about Mark Pinsley's presence. Although no longer a commissioner, he was participating in the discussion. Township residents know all too well that their opinion can only be presented hours later, at the end of meeting, during discourtesy of the floor. Apparently, those rules are not imposed on Pinsley.

Recently, an Allentown ordinance giving grants to artists was proposed by Pinsley, who was never an Allentown resident.

His current intrusion into county politics questions the ratio of black to white inmates who meet bail.

I don't know when he was made emperor of the Lehigh Valley Democratic Party,  because he's not  listed as an officer.

Barbarians At Allentown Post Office Gate

In the 1930's, the "New Deal" was good to Allentown.  Our park system was enriched by monumental stone construction under the WPA. We also received one of the architectural gems of our area, the magnificent art deco post office. Constructed during 1933-34, no detail was spared in making the lobby an ageless classic. The floor is adorned with handmade Mercer tiles from Doylestown. Muralist Gifford Reynolds Beal worked thru 1939 portraying the Valley's cultural and industrial history.

Unfortunately for history and culture, this architectural gem is now being targeted for NIZ private/public enrichment.  Several architectural treasures were demolished for the arena, along with Allentown's mercantile history. The Postal Service has signed off on the building, and the developer is chomping at the bit. The real tragedy is that the other new buildings are not even full, but with private construction being funded by taxpayers, there is no need to worry about such details as occupancy rates.  Efforts to save this irreplaceable building may start and end on this blog.  The Morning Call, itself a partner in the NIZ,  has taken a back seat on such matters.

The 83 year old photograph, part of my private collection,  is the contractor's documentation of the project's progress. The back of the photo states; Taken Sept 1 - 34 showing lobby, floor, screens, desks, completed & fixtures hung

photograph will enlarge when clicked

reprinted from previous years

Mapping Allentown's Past And Future

The map, partially shown above, was produced by the Nathan Nirenstein Company of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1929. His firm specialized in engineering maps of various center cities on the eastern seacoast. The map is 22X30, and expands out from 7th and Hamilton for 2 1/2 blocks east and west,  2 blocks north and south. The map includes names of both the owner of the building, and the merchant/tenant occupying the space, if different.

While numerous small banks are shown on both Hamilton and the side streets, the coming Depression surely culled that herd. Allentown City Hall and police station are still on Linden Street, while the post office is at 6th and Turner. Two large hardware stores, Young and Hersh, are on Hamilton Street.

The buildings are owned by hundreds of different people.  What will future generations think when they see a 2029 map, and all the buildings are owned by just a few people?

reprinted from 2016

Sign Of The Times

Scott Armstrong, former Allentown School Board member is upset that Phoebe Harris, a current board member, is circulating the above poster on her facebook page.  The discussion and poster were created by a student at Dieruff High.

What the student, and perhaps even Ms. Harris, don't seem to realize is how the police came to be in the schools.  The high schools did use their own security people prior to police, but it was insufficient to quell escalating violence.  There were even a couple of incidents when adults came into classrooms and attacked students.

Talk of signs of the times...Although the country just suffered $billions of dollars in damage from riots and looting,  a sheriff was arrested in California for damaging a paper BLM sign.  Although that sheriff was arrested,  over a hundred people were shot in Chicago last weekend, including children.

Those children in Chicago and our children in Allentown schools deserve to be protected. If there are overreactions from the BLM movement which compromise that protection,  it will not be progress, but a step backwards.

Dancing On Eggshells In Allentown

If you want to picnic in an Allentown park, you need to reserve the table and pay the fee. If you wanted to demonstrate, you needed a permit and to post a bond. However, for the recent protest in the fragile Rose Garden, no permit or fee was enforced.

This weekend on social media, a downtown woman complained of fireworks tormenting her dog and keeping her children awake. However, she made it clear that she wouldn't clean up an exploded garbage bag across the street, or involve the police.  In the more livable areas of Allentown,  cleaning up litter and notifying the police is exactly what the neighborhood groups do.

Fortunately, this weekend's Defund The Police march in Allentown probably won't gain too much traction with city council,  two members themselves were former policemen.  However, a couple of months ago city council did throw the fairgrounds' neighborhood under the bus, by passing a noise exemption ordinance for the Maingate Nightclub.  Let us hope that they have the resolve not to throw the whole city away.

The World Of Mirth

Allentown at one time had two very productive railroad branch lines; The West End, and the Barber Quarry. The Barber Quarry, for the most part, ran along the Little Lehigh Creek. It serviced the Mack Truck plants on South 10th, and continued west until it turned north along Union Terrace, ending at Wenz's tombstone at 20th and Hamilton Streets. The West End, for the most part, ran along Sumner Avenue, turning south and looping past 17th and Liberty Streets.

The Allentown Economic and Development Corporation has received a $1.8 million grant, toward a $4 million dollar project, to restore a portion of the Barber Quarry branch to service it's industrial building on South 10th Street. This building housed Traylor Engineering, which was a giant back in the day. Recently it housed a fabricator who President Obama visited on his Allentown photo opportunity mission. The business has since closed, but let's not have that reality stand in the way of grants. Last summer, I fought against Allentown's Trail Network Plan, which catered to the spandex cyclist crowd. The new trail was to be built on the Barber Quarry track line. Not only didn't the AEDC oppose the plan, it's director was an advocate. Now they will be funded to develop that which they wanted to destroy. Where do I begin in Allentown's World of Mirth?

The wonderful photograph above shows the World of Mirth train at 17th and Liberty. World of Mirth was the midway operator at the Allentown Fair during the 40's and 50's. In the background is Trexler Lumber Yard, which burnt down in the early 1970's. The B'nai B'rith Apartment houses now occupy the location.
photograph from the collection of Mark Rabenold

UPDATE: The Barber Quarry branch was not the primary railroad access to the Mack plants on South 10th Street. The branch only provided service to Mack Plant #2 on South 10th and Mack Plant #1 on 7th and Mill Streets which both closed for manufacturing in 1924 in favor of Mack #3,3A,4 and 4A on South 10th. These were served by the Reading Railroad Mack Branch. There was a switchback that connected the Barber Quarry to the Reading west of Traylor Engineering and Manufacturing Co. Yet, that was built by the Reading to serve Traylor and did not provide access for the LVRR to Mack #3,3A, 4 and 4A.

Also the western terminus was not wenz's on Hamliton Street. The branch crossed Hamilton and served several businesses including Yeager Fuel on North St Elmo, several silk mills and Pepsi Bottling at 2100 Linden Street. The bottling plant closed in 1963 which then became a city parks department building. The LVRR sold and removed the track north of Hamilton street in 1969. Accordingly, in 1970, the Wenz company became the western most shipper and receiver on the branch. update information from anonymous comment in November of 2010