A New Police Station For Allentown

The mayor and police chief are clamoring for a new police station, to replace the aging facility built in 1962. The newest house I ever lived in was built in 1956. My previous houses were built in 1929 and 1905. Most of the row houses in Allentown date from 1895 to 1930.  While the police station heating system may indeed needed replacement, that doesn't require a new building. 

I think that this mayor and police chief should concentrate  more on quality of life issues before being concerned with replacing perfectly serviceable  municipal buildings. A new building won't reduce crime, but it will increase taxes.

Shown above is a 1960's era postcard, with a rendering of Allentown's new municipal facilities at that time.

Republicans Forego Allentown

Republicans have long forfeited Allentown, but with no candidates for this year's state representative races, they are also abandoning surrounding sections of Lehigh County. Josh Siegel in the 22nd,  Mike Schlossberg in the 132nd, Peter Schweyer in 134 and Jeanne McNeill in 133 all get a pass come November. 

A local Republican laments that they can't attract good candidates because the local media amplifies smear tactics used against them. Although there may be some truth to that explanation, as a conservative independent, I find the lack of choice in the voter booth unacceptable.  I hope an independent comes forward in some of these races.

Pictured above is my billboard from 2014, when I ran as an independent against eleven term powerhouse Julie Harhart from Northampton, and a Democrat. If I was younger and nicer, I would love to run again.

Lanta Suspends Service Because Of Snow

I haven't  been on a Lanta bus since my days at William Allen. However, I've been to Lanta headquarters and other locations for meetings about their service.  I first got on their case when they ended bus service to the former merchants of Hamilton Street, steering their passenger victims to their detention center across from the former Morning Call building. 

It seems that whenever there is a frisky snow predicted, they're awful quick to suspend service. While I can appreciate that they would like to avoid stuck buses, they seem less concerned about stranded passengers. Do not those who take a bus to work depend on it for their return trip home?

Lanta accounts to nobody. Although there are occasional Dept. of Transportation meetings which allow public comment, it doesn't carry any weight with the decision makers.

Smelling The Roses In Allentown

Last summer I posted about the city purchasing two parcels supposedly for the park system, using funds from the water and sewage lease deal. The transactions interested me, because the last thing the park department needed was more area not to take care of. Although the main stream media never picked up on my revelation, a pit bull from Nazareth now has that bone. Although this blog chronicles the short comings of the park department, especially in regard to the WPA, there is one section, of one park, which receives no criticism.

Paul Pozzi started working for the department in 1979. In 1985, he joined the small crew at the Rose and Old Fashion Gardens. For the last decade, the gardens have been solely under his magnificent care. We who take solace in that magic place owe him a debt of gratitude.

photo by molovinsky, flowers by Paul Pozzi 

above reprinted from August of 2015

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 13, 2024:Mr. Pozzi, after over forty five years working for the park depaartment, has retired. If his replacement comes to know half as much about the gardens, or works half as hard, we'll still be in good shape. Thank you Paul!

The Legend Begins

On July 4th, 1934 Joe louis made his debut as a professional fighter. Eleven months and nineteen straight victories later, most by knockout, 62,000 fight fans would jam Yankee Stadium to watch the new sensation fight the giant, Primo Carnera.

New York, New York - Primo Carnera, giant Italian boxer and former heavyweight champion of the world, and Joe Louis, hard-hitting negro heavyweight from Detroit, Michigan, weighed-in this afternoon at the offices of the New York State Boxing Commission for their fifteen round bout tonight at the Yankee Stadium. - 6.25.1935

Although badly battered from the first round, Carnera would gamely stay in the fight till it was stopped in round six. The legend of the Brown Bomber was clearly established.
photo of Primo Carnera

This blog has produced 24 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 few weeks I will reprint these 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. While reproducing these posts, I may in some instances substitute alternative photographs, all classic images from the age of film and flash bulbs.

reprinted from December of 2012

Securing Our Assets

During the World War we secured our assets with armed guards. The private police force at Bethlehem Steel outnumbered the City's police force. Last week, Wayne LaPierce, vice president of the NRA, outraged some liberal elements when he suggested policeman for our schools. The president of the Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, responded: Schools must be safe sanctuaries, not armed fortresses. Anyone who would suggest otherwise doesn’t understand that our public schools must first and foremost be places where teachers can safely educate and nurture our students. An unintended consequence of this debate was the frenzy it created at gun stores across America. Although the figures have not yet been compiled, it may have resulted in the sale of an additional 30 million firearms, especially those of high capacity. Weingarten must consider that even if the sale of firearms were banned tomorrow, there will still be over 200 million guns in the United States. I believe that a ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines does not infringe upon the Second Amendment. However, whatever changes are implemented in regard to the sale of firearms, it will take decades to affect the volume of weapons currently in private hands. In the meantime, I don't think that a friendly policeman at a school is a bad role model. We must guard our assets.

reprinted from December 2012 

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 9, 2024:School security, including police, is now a fact of life in many cities, including Allentown. While student discipline is an ongoing problem, recently the district accused and dismissed a principal for overreacting. While I'm uninformed about specifics, being a school employee is apparently increasingly difficult, at least under this administration and board.