WPA Labor Bears Fruit

I can't exactly tell you how long I have been advocating for Allentown's WPA structures, probably at least a decade. I can't tell you how many blog posts I've written, many dozen, or letters to the editor, dozens also. I have conducted meetings at the library, given tours of the structures, and excavated structures buried in the 1980's. I have lobbied several city councils and am currently tormenting a third park director. I'm now pleased to announce that for the first time in many years, some work is occurring on these irreplaceable icons of our park system. The stone steps have been reset and re-pointed in Irving Park. Currently, the missing steps at Fountain Park are being replaced, and by next week, I believe that the Union Terrace staircase wall will be repaired. I'm not known for praising, but next week I will try to properly thank the people authorizing these repairs.

photo is reprinted from The Morning Call, May of 2009

above post from October 13, 2015

ADDENDUM APRIL,12,2022:The Morning Call recently reported that the skateboarders are complaining about their new skatepark at Jordan Park, because there's currently no lighting for night skateboarding. At Union Terrace, the stream is eating away at the stone pillar on the north end of the amphitheater stage built by the WPA in 1939.

AnonymousApril 8, 2022 at 2:27 PM              Sorry I'm late on posting this, but they need to send the masons back to Union Terrace. The large main stairwell has stones falling out, and it is getting vandalized on a routine basis, as evidenced by broken beer bottles and pieces of slate thrown down from the steps towards the creek. In addition, the smaller steps across the amphitheater are increasingly being removed; the left side of the stage area has a gaping hole in it; and the left tower in front of the stage is dangerously close to the creek from storm erosion. I don't know if City Hall and the Parks Department believe they have time to wait, analyze and study what needs to be done, but they don't. They need to act quickly or there won't be anything left that's financially feasible to save.                       Above a comment submitted to a previous blog post 

Apparently, back in 2015, I was patting myself on the back prematurely. Although I've fallen from grace with the Morning Call, this blog will continue pointing out how the city is neglecting the iconic WPA structures, which made our park system famous. History and beauty seem to mean less and less to this city every year.

Dinner With Allentown's Write-Ins

I don't go out much at night. Between usually writing this blog around 4:30AM, and the family bakery, I have the schedule of a three year old. Truth be told, the bakery closed 35 years ago, but it's my normal excuse for going to sleep at 8:00PM. With the election on Tuesday, and Rich Fegley and Shane Fillman running as write-ins, I'll try to catch up with them tonight in the little apple. Between my rosacea and shiny nose, I usually have my butler powder my face before I go out.

ADDENDUM: I invite any candidate for Tuesday's election to join me this evening, 6pm, at the Hamilton Street BreWWork

above reprinted from October 30, 2015 

ADDENDUM APRIL 11, 2022: The above post was written almost seven years ago. Neither Fegley or Fillman made it as write-ins. My makeup man has passed away, and I seldom venture out at night anymore.  Although I still produce this blog and a sister page on facebook (Allentown Chronicles), I have become less active about Allentown's political scene. Back in 2015, when this post and I were fresher, I had three posts that day promoting certain candidates for the primary... Nowadays I limit my election recommendations. However, I do continue to advocate for Allentown's iconic WPA structures, unfortunately in various stages of neglect throughout our park system. If Mayor Tuerk and park director El-Chaar manage to repair the landings on the Parkway's double stairway, I'll venture out to conduct another park tour.

Naysaying In Allentown

An apologist, who is in a profession to profit from the current development, wrote these kind words about me recently; Why would they spend 20 million in a new apartment building if the Strata 1 was not filled? Business people make business decisions. Strata 1 is full, don't be fooled by the incessant haters and naysayers... Of course the answer is simple. Because the taxpayers are paying the construction costs and debt service for these privately owned buildings, there are no normal business decisions being made. With nobody currently questioning the bills or figures submitted, or the taxes grabbed, the chosen developers would be stupid to stop building, while this environment remains unregulated.

But lets move away from the lucrative nuts and bolts of the NIZ, and examine me, as a naysayer. I first heard this term applied toward me and this blog by Pawlowski, about eight years ago. His majesty, at the time, wasn't used to any scrutiny. With an adoring press and public, I was writing heresy. At that time, even my fellow blogger from Nazareth condemned my criticism of Allentown's administration.

In recent weeks, Pawlowski's face was used on numerous mailers to personify corruption. I actually take no pleasure in his fall from grace, and wish him a soft landing in his current predicament. This blog's raison d'exister is to cast light on those decisions which unnecessarily depreciate our life. If normal business decisions were being made, or our park treasures were being properly maintained, and citizens questioning local officials were shown appropriate respect, I could write more posts on history, and less about politics.

above reprinted from November 10, 2015

ADDENDUM APRIL 8, 2022: In the above post, written in 2015, I'm referring to 2007 when Pawlowski was publicly calling me a naysayer...In subsequent years he would call me worse. Fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare quickly came on board recognizing that Pawlowski was ethically challenged. While the Morning Call supported Pawlowski until his indictment, they never learned to appreciate either O'Hare's or my contribution to the local dialogue. Pawlowski did not have a soft landing. I continue scrutinizing, and in this community consider the label naysayer a badge of honor.

When Mack Was Allentown

I grew up around the corner from Mack's famous 5C plant, on the corner of Lehigh and S. 12th Streets. In the early 1950's, the brightly colored truck tractors would cover the lot next to the old assembly plant. All day long, a new tractor would leave for delivery somewhere, with two more piggy back on the coupling hitches. Over the years I have written a lot of posts about Mack, especially how their workers would use the Fountain Park WPA steps, walking to their jobs on S. 10th Street. Mack made all their own truck parts there, except the tires. Built Like A Mack Truck, was a result of the local craftsmanship.

In Saturday's Morning Call article about Mack investing in the Macungie plant, the vice president is quoted as saying that Mack was here to stay. By Saturday evening, that vice president was no longer with the company, according to WFMZ. I remember when the larger share of production was moved to South Carolina in 1987. Shortly before that plant closed in 2002, they handed out sunglasses to symbolize their bright future there. I remember when the World Headquarters on Mack Boulevard moved to North Carolina. I don't know about Mack's long term future in the valley, but I do know that the ties that bind have long since been broken.

Jack Mack, one of Mack Truck's founding brothers, was killed in an auto accident in 1924. He is buried in Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street.

reprinted from 2016

A WPA Monday

A month ago Mondays, I climbed the steps at Fountain Park to speak to the stone masons repairing that iconic structure. The steps were built in 1936, and would soon serve thousands of men walking down from center city to the Mack factory, to produce trucks for the war effort. It took me ten years to get the masons there, but by now I had another pressing objective. In the last couple of years, the top of the wall at the double stairwell at Union Terrace had become open, threatening that structure with potential catastrophic damage. After learning that the masons had no assignment beyond the Fountain Park steps, I drove over to the Park and Recreation Office.

Lindsay Taylor, the new park director, has been fairly cordial to me, considering my reputation as a mauler of city bureaucrats. I explained that the top of the Union Terrace wall was open, and that I had serious doubts about it surviving another winter of freeze and thaw cycles.  I requested that the masons make an emergency repair on top of the wall, while other repairs needed there could be delayed. Taylor agreed to consult her park supervisor, Rick Holtzman, about my request. Later that morning, I spoke with Holtzman, who agreed that it would indeed be appropriate to reassign the masons.  The masons were replacing missing steps and repointing the Fountain Park stairwell,  through a grant from the Trexler Trust. The grant had been written and requested by Karen El-Chaar, from Allentown Friends of the Parks. El-Chaar had attended my meetings years earlier on the WPA structures, and I had since  conducted tours of Lehigh Parkway in conjunction with her organization. Holtzman requested that El-Chaar clear the repair at Union Terrace with the Trexler Trust, since their funds were designated to be spent at Fountain Park. The Trust gave their permission for the masons to be temporally reassigned.

By the weeks end the masons spend a day at the Terrace, and repaired the top of the wall. I'm grateful that Lindsay Taylor and the Trexler Trust responded to stabilize that structure, and optimistic that their commitment to  our WPA history will continue.  I will  in turn  continue on,  when necessary, mauling the bureaucrats.

The photograph above shows the WPA steps being built in Seattle. I'm sure an identical sight could be seen on Lawrence Street in 1936. 

above reprinted from November of 2015

A Tale Of Two Cities

"We're a medium-size city

with big-city crime."    

-Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Allentown

For those of us who grew up in Allentown, we always considered ourselves a medium-sized city with a small town feel. We were literally designated the All American City. One of the most amazing aspects of this transformation, is that our total population has essentially stayed the same since 1928, when we first achieved 100,000 people. Twenty years ago we lamented the loss of Hess Brothers and other symbols of our prosperity, now we mourn the loss of basic civility and safety.

above reprinted from May of 2010

ADDENDUM APRIL 5, 2022: In a discussion on Facebook about the changes that have occurred in Allentown, somebody wrote, "But neither of us can deny there is a strong undertow of racism in many of the comments we read on these Allentown sites."  It is too easy to use the term "racism" to justify bad behavior... It intimidates and shuts people down....that's why we're having seating council members who marched shouting "F--K the Police, Defund the police." and then can even run for higher office.