Dead Artist Premium

This weekend I attended the show and auction of Greg Weaver artwork at the Penn State Campus in Center Valley. Although the show was very well done, I didn't stay long. Although the bidding was high, none of the money will benefit Greg or his wife, who have both passed away. Greg and I were friends in the 70's. He would frequent my photo shop, and I would enjoy his loft parties. Greg's loft moved from one low rent location to another over the years. It's fair to say that he made virtually nothing from the art that people were bidding against each other for this past Friday night. Those now benefiting from his mystique, an artist who went blind and continued producing art until he died young, hope to establish an alternative museum for local artists. I would like to see a permanent Weaver collection and designated room at the Allentown Art Museum. 

reprinted from December of 2014 

ADDENDUM JULY 26, 2021: Either this coming fall or spring, I will sponsor an art show for Jessica Lenard, at a gallery yet to be determined. She was a contemporary of Weaver, who was also producing art in Allentown during that era.

Morning Call's New Pet Pol

As somebody who has been trying to get a letter published in the Morning Call for five years, I was amused by a large picture of Mark Pinsley which accompanied his latest letter. Pinsley is a political opportunist, who runs for bigger offices, after just getting elected to a smaller one. Although no longer a South Whitehall Commissioner,  he still presides over their meetings, and was front and center at their recent new building ribbon cutting.

The reason that I was so amused is that the editor was recently touting the opinion page as a town square for various opinions. The reality is those opinions, for the most part, better conform with his, or there's no space at the page for you. This is Pinsley's second letter published within a month, and the paper even provided a link to the first one.

Pinsley just recently announced his newish political quest, state senator. With such an agenda, years ago the paper would have never run his oversized picture with his letter, which was actually just a campaign piece. 

With Ce-Ce tainted with bad judgement, Mark is now the new best in show.

Saving The Spring Pond

As a small boy growing up in the twin homes above Lehigh Parkway, I would go down the steep wooded ravine and cross the Robin Hood Bridge. The stone lined spring pond and miniature bridge was just the first in a series of wonderful WPA constructions to explore. Last year, when I organized the reclamation of the Boat Landing, my memory turned to the pond. Although overgrown with several inches of sod, I knew the treasure was still savable.





In the spring of 2010 I met Mike Gilbert of the Park Department, and pitched the idea of a partial restoration. On May 26th, I posted A Modest Proposal, which outlined my hopes for the pond. By July, Gilbert had the Park Department clear off the remaining stones, and clean up around the miniature bridge.


Park Director Greg Weitzel  indicated to me that the pond features uncovered will be maintained. Any further clearing would be at the discretion of Mike Gilbert. In our conversation he also stated that there are virtually no funds available for the preservation of the WPA icons.







I will attempt to organize a group and contributions for this most worthy cause. Between the Spring Pond and The Boat Landing there was once a bridge to the island. Wouldn't it be nice if a small boy could go exploring.

above reprinted from previous posts

UPDATE August 2013Mike Gilbert has retired, and the Park Department has a new director. Although grass and sod are starting to again cover the remaining stones that surround the pond, the miniature bridge is still visible. I will make it my mission to again pitch the new personnel.

UPDATE June 18, 2014. The grass and sod has reclaimed the stones that surround the pond. Only the very top of the miniature bridge is still visible to those who know that it's there. Unless there is an immediate intervention, it's days are numbered.
HISTORY IS FRAGILE

UPDATE February 2017:In 2015, in cooperation with Friends of Allentown Parks, I supervised college volunteers to clear the new sod off the pond stones, and the new bush off the miniature bridge. Allentown is on its third park director since this post was first written, and has acquired two large parcels to create new parks. To be planning additional parks, when our existing park features are left to abandonment, is incredibility poor management.

UPDATE May 1, 2018:  This past weekend the pond, miniature bridge and spring channel to the creek were once again cleared.  The work was done by volunteers from Faith Church, Asbury Church, Igesia De Fe and Salem Bible Church,  through Karen El-Chaar, director of Friends Of The Parks. Although the park department provided assistance in the two clean ups over the past several years,  they have  not provided ongoing maintenance to the site.  Understand that in the past few years they have constructed the exercise area at Jordan Park, the cement disc golf pads in the parkway and other recreational features. It is long overdue that the WPA structures be returned to the regular park budget and schedule.

UPDATE JANUARY 14, 2020:  Karen El-Chaar is now Director Of Parks. Hopefully she will have a soft spot for this particular WPA structure. I continue trying through this blog and facebook to keep these structures on the public agenda.

Allentown, A Revolting Development, Chapter 10

Over the years I have used Chester Riley as a meme on numerous posts, most of which complain about the declining quality of life issues in Allentown. Chester was the star of a 1950's sitcom called The Life of Riley. Every episode, after his workday at a factory, he would have to solve a family dilemma within the allotted 30 minutes of his TV show. 

So much has changed in Allentown as I watched that program every week as a little boy.  Fathers coming home from the factory with their curved black lid lunchboxes are a thing of the past.  Now a days, Allentown factories are mostly a thing of the past.  Worse yet,  father's coming home is also for too many a thing of the past.

Last evening, while driving on busy Tilghman Street, two cars following each other skidded through a red light, and then swerved across the two lanes to turn off at the next corner. 

Several years ago Morning Call columnist Bill White described me and this blog as dour and misguided. Of course at that time he and his employer were still praising Pawlowski and Allentown. I'll take dour over indicted, and I'll take the old Allentown over the revolting development it has turned into.

Morning Call Donates In-Kind To Ce-Ce

Since the Morning Call has publicized Ce-Ce Gerlach's Go Fund Me campaign, complete with a link, her contributions have risen 600%. One anonymous ponied up $500. Seeking $100,000 to defend against two misdeameaner charges is almost a crime in itself. While the paper for 6 days solicited funds for her, remember they have been invested in her for a long time. 

Ce-Ce was one of the Morning Call's Go To people. They have a stable of people they quote time after time on certain subjects... Iannelli for business, Jennings for poverty, Borick for politics, and Ce-Ce for affordable housing. 

While Ce-Ce may well end up too tarnished to keep her Morning Call post, editor Miorelli is apparently in a damage control mode regarding her.

Front & Union Streets 1958

In the mid 1950's, Midas Muffer's first shop in Allentown was just off Front & Union, just west of the former Hamilton Street Bridge. The current bridge was built in 1959. 

Shown above, in addition to the muffler shop, is the Russ Bankes auto repair/ gas station, and the rear of the C Keller & Sons Moving and Storage warehouse, which faced Hamilton Street. The section of Front Street between Hamilton and Union was eliminated for the new bridge ramps. The gas station was torn down to accommodate the new bridge's Union Street off ramp. The warehouse would remain until destroyed by a fire in 1982. 

The former muffler shop was later torn down to build a larger auto body shop. That newer building is now Los Primasos Tire Shop.

click on photo to enlarge