Just Out Of View And Gone In Allentown

The photo above means a lot to me, for the things just out of view and now gone. You're at the crossing tower on Union Street, near 3th. There's another gate stopping the eastbound traffic, which has backed up toward the Jordan Creek. The same train has also blocked traffic further down the line, at Basin Street. It's the early 1950's and the tracks from the two rail lines, Lehigh Valley and Jersey Central, cross here.  At the end of Union Street you can make out my father's market, Allentown Meat Packing Company. The whole side of the building is a sign, painted directly on the brick in red and silver, Retail Meats, Wholesale Prices. You'll pass Morris Black Building Supply and The Orange Car before you get there. You'll also have to cross another set of tracks, which was the Lehigh Valley old main, before they built the Railroad Terminal over the Jordan Creek, at Hamilton Street. Our commercial past is now consigned to memory and future urban archeology.

reprinted from December of 2013

The Deep Price Of Trump's Showmanship

Trump says sometimes you have to take medicine....I wish that his Secretary of Health, Kennedy, felt the same way. 

While measles in Texas is terrible, our cutoff of food and medicine to Africa could have more dire consequences.  The first case of ebola in American could be a plane ride away.

I see partisan acquaintances defending the economy against Trump's tariffs, and his inappropriate cabinet appointments as necessary to right the ship. As they guzzle the kool-aid, I hope that they have deep pockets and a good immune systems. 

As I'm writing this. Trump announced that he is suspending the tariffs on most countries for 90 days. What the situation will be by the time you read this tomorrow, who knows? But, I can tell you that the rest of the world is not amused.

Reillyville Defended To Taxpayer's Last Dollar

Nick Miller not only took over Browne's office space in Reilly's building, but also as front man for City Center Real Estate. Also, let's not forget the Morning Call's endless promotion of Reilly's NIZ. This recent headline shown above, again forgets to mention the $Billion of diverted state tax money that went toward all the privately owned  new buildings.

Now, if I have my numbers wrong, don't blame me. The state house voted down Jarrett Coleman's proposal for a real audit. Joining the panel discussion with Miller was a City Center spokeswoman, and a merchant. Also you shouldn't blame the new reporter, he doesn't know that he's beating an old drum.

Talking of that old drum, I wonder who is still listening to it?  Someone recently told me that they were billed hundreds of dollars a month when their subscription promotion expired. Here you might also get distorted news, but at least it's free!

Homeless Moving To Allentown Rose Garden

Nat Hyman filed a legal action against the city in regard to the homeless encampment by one of his buildings. I do not find his action inappropriate.  The city then asked Hyman if he would take in some of the homeless....That request I do find inappropriate. They would not have asked Reilly to put up the homeless in a Strata building.

Years ago, Pawlowski took a local developer off the hook,  purchasing two parcels we did not need for parks. One on Basin St., and the other the old fertilizer plant on Martin Luther King. We didn't need them then and we don't need them now. 

Although I'm a self-proclaimed park expert, I must admit I have not been to the Jordan Meadows parkway along the Jordan Creek. I will refrain from opining if the park was advisable, but since we created it, we must maintain it. Comments on yesterday's post on the homeless maintain that the city has adopted a too woke attitude tolerating homelessness.  Rather than rehash that discussion, let's say that all sections of the city deserve the same treatment. Would that encampment be tolerated in the Rose Garden?

The Homeless of Allentown

Homelessness in Allentown, or any other city, is nothing new... That's why the Rescue Mission has been in business for over 100 years, and I mean in business, but more on that later. 

Before having a winter weather shelter at the Y, we used the former pool house at Fountain Park. The Salvation Army has facilities for women and children. Back during Pawlowski's reign, his wife was in charge of the homeless situation.

We always have had homeless encampments. They're usually displaced because of some commercial reason. In recent years, they were under the 8th St. Bridge, by the former incinerator plant, and now in the news, along the Jordan Creek. There have always been the lone wolf homeless. Whether in Lehigh Parkway or even by the Giant shopping center.

When the siren goes off every few years, people form committees and fork over money. About twenty years ago, the Rescue Mission was so flush that they operated an apartment house on 8th Street. When I reported that they were evicting people for non-payment of rent, my disclosure was resented. There has always been lone wolf homeless, and lone wolf bloggers.

While people are blaming current high rents, of course mental health is the long term reason for homelessness. Needless to say, I have no solution. However, I have observed that outreach workers hooking up the homeless with whatever assistance they're willing to accept, has been useful.

The Singer And The Steakhouse

Yesterday, the infamous Shula's Steakhouse singer was in district court on charges unrelated to the Arts Walk incident.  He claims that the Allentown Police have a vendetta against him.  Maybe they do,  their boss's boss is known for his vendettas.  The Hunsicker family, long associated with baseball on the south side,  made the same accusation about Pawlowski last week at city council.  But, this post is about the real crime last August by the steakhouse.

In the molovinsky on allentown hall of justice,  J.B. Reilly, Pat Browne,  Sy Traub, etc. would have been in court yesterday, not the singer.  They, and the others that are responsible for using public money to bring Shula's to the Strata Building (which is filled up no matter what Molovinsky says).  They are responsible for the vendors who got stuck holding the bag for pennies on the dollar, when Shula's went bankrupt.

Elsewhere, in the upside down NIZ world, the parolee center is closing after 35 years, so that Reilly can build his City Center Tower Number 6.  Some of the parolees will be transfered to Scranton and Wernersville, now, that shouldn't disrupt their lives.  Hey,  if you're a singer or a parolee, move along, it's Reilly Time.

above reprinted from May 25, 2016

ADDENDUM APRIL 4, 2025: For many the above post is ancient history.  But allow me to refresh your memory. Some hapless soul was arrested on the Arts Walk for singing about ten years ago. They claimed that he was degrading the atmosphere. I can't tell you what restaurant is there now, so many have come and folded. Yesterday it was announced that they were closing the Marketplace. How many poor vendors wasted their time and money there?  Don't blame the Morning Call for these NIZ failures, they never stopped promoting the scam/scheme that uses your diverted state taxes.  About the only place people ever read the truth about it was here, on this blog.