Kline's Island, An Environmental Frankenstein

Today, Kline's Island is synonymous with the sewer plant. It wasn't always that way. Originally, like Adam's Island, it was owned by a family, and had houses. It was the location of the first bridges across the Lehigh, being the narrowest point. Allentown doesn't have a good history with the environment. Besides allowing the Wildland's Conservancy to actually defile our park system with their inappropriate, token science fair projects, we're not much for islands. The sewer plant on Kline's will soon be transferred to the Lehigh County Authority. Far worse for the previous island, we are allowing a company to build a trash to energy plant, which will mix imported garbage and sewage into pellets to burn. This project isn't energy driven, but rather motivated by tax credits and finance. Allentown is the only community which was receptive to such such an environmental frankenstein. The top photo shows Kline's Island in 1939, when it was still an island. Allentown decided that Kline's would be a good spot to use as a fill dump, and filled in the entire western channel of the former island. Please join me in my efforts to save the small historic Robin Hood dam on the Little Lehigh. Believe me, Allentown City Hall doesn't know best. 




above reprinted from June 5, 2013

ADDENDUM OCTOBER 15, 2018. 

The public trash to private cash plant on the island was never built. If it was, it may have been part of the Pawlowski corruption trial. Unfortunately, the small Robin Hood Dam was demolished by the Wildlands Conservancy, and its rubble piled around the formally picturesque stone bridge piers.  It's five years later, and this blog continues to fight against the sacred cows, and for the traditional park system.

ADDENDUM JUNE 4, 2025: Although I remain an outlaw at City Hall, I still get back channel calls when some official needs to know something about the parks or city history. That arrangement is OK by me, and I keep their privacy. I still patrol the streets and parks, and don't hesitate to speak out on this blog.

Trump's Kindergarten Cabinet

Subscribers to this blog know that I don't think much of Trump's nominations to his cabinet and other posts. There was one exception, local wiz Jared Isaacman's appointment to NASA. Isaacman, in addition to being a business genius, is a space geek. Trump has withdrawn Isaacman's nomination, because apparently the geek has described himself as a moderate, and has contributed to candidates from both parties. 

Trump's obsession with those that kiss his ring has cast his presidency as flawed since before day one. Trump is to be given credit for closing the border, but everything since has been way too impulsive for my liking, and for good governance.

Trump will be studied in the future not by political scientists, but by psychology majors, studying narcissism.

County Executives Stammer

Our social studies teacher turned county executive has failed the federal test on sanctuary cities. He's now complaining that Lehigh County shouldn't be on the Fed study hall detention list, because we're not a full blown sanctuary conspirator.  Although we don't cooperate fully with ICE, we thought we cooperated enough.

Apparently, ICE and the Trump administration see it differently than Lehigh's Armstrong and Northampton's McClure. They both  thought that they could play it both ways, not cooperate, but not actively interfere. I witnessed a Lehigh County commissioner encourage Allentown City Council to adopt the Welcoming City ordinance, in which a city does not collaborate with ICE.

The fly in their ointment is that the Trump administration controls the funding that bleeding hearts depend upon. They will now complain about MAGA, and have their legal departments spin their wheels in reverse, hoping to get back to the starting line.

ADDENDUM: The Department of Homeland Security has removed the list of sanctuary locales from its website, responding to pushback from the Association of Sheriffs.

Deciphering Fetterman

I didn't vote for Fetterman, and at the time of his election, it was hard for me to understand why anybody would have chose him over Oz. But then again, being an independent, I underestimate party loyalty. 

However, since his victory, I have become somewhat of a fan. Overcoming the effects of a stroke is hard enough work, without being in the public spotlight. Going public with any malady, much less depression, also requires courage.

He is now combating accusations of poor attendance.  His independence from the party platform on several items, while a positive with me, hasn't helped his predicament. If he was a representative who had to run again next year, I'd consider him a long shot. But he's a senator, with over three years left to reestablish his popularity.

Removing The Undesirables From Hamilton Street, Circa 2007

In the fall of 2007, Allentown began the systematic removal of the undesirables from Hamilton Street, in cooperation with Lanta. At the time, I championed for the now former merchants and their customers. Among other things, I organized a meeting at a center city church. Below, three posts from that period are reprinted. For a more complete understanding of the bus stop issue, click on 2007, listed on the right side bar, under the archive section.

MEETING AT CHURCH
As the organizer of the forum at Faith Baptist Church on Lanta, I would like to make some speculations on what was not said at the meeting. First and foremost, the meeting was not covered by The Morning Call. I sent the press release to two reporters,plus the local editor. I'd like to note the "Paper" is a "partner" in the new Lanta Terminal. It was built on land they sold to the Parking Authority and they receive free parking at the new deck; Their publisher attended the dedication with the three amigo's.(scroll down to earlier posting). All four democratic candidates for county commissioner were no shows, although one of the candidates, Kevin Easterling, expressed solidarity over the phone; but Kevin was recently hired by Ed Pawlowski as our new Recreation Director. My attempts to connect with Lehigh Carbon Community College in regard to the effect on their students at the Hamilton Street annex were unanswered. I would like to thank all the candidates who did attend, Ellen Millard-Kern from Senator Browne's office and Bernie O'Hare for his coverage of my efforts.
UPDATE: As a result of a inquiry by Ellen Kern, I did finally receive a call from a dean at the Community College. They approve of the bus stop being removed from in front of their facility because it has "reduced the litter". I inquired about the inconvenience for their students who now must walk to the Lanta terminal; they have received "no complaints". As one who tried to contact a dean myself and received no replies, I must question whether that comment has much value. As winter weather approaches, common sense would indicate a bus stop moved from in front of the building to two blocks away, is not student friendly.

 ALLENTOWN CELEBRATES

Allentown's latest Dancing in the Street, Octoberfeast, will have multi-cultural attractions. There will be genuine rickshaw rides, pulled by former Asian merchants who were forced out of business by the City Department of Gentrification. After this week's party for the Brewpub, the rickshaws will operate on a regular basis between Hamilton Street and our new Lanta Transportation Center.

 SILENCE OF THE LANTA
Hannibal Lecter has been offered parole on the condition he restrict his diet to Hamilton Street bus riders. Once a month he will be permitted an Asian merchant; on thanksgiving he may have a preselected blogger. Mr. Lector will be micro-chipped and given a new Hamilton Street loft apartment. He will be monitored by the new surveillance cameras. Mayor Pawlowski and Armand Greco will provide more details at a press conference early next week at the new Lanta Terminal.               

above reprinted from July of 2015

UPDATE MAY 10, 2021: Because J.B. Reilly is building more apartments on the northeast corner of 7th and Linden,  the Lanta Terminal,  bus entrance and exit, will once again be reconfigured. As local activist Erin Keller points out, these changes to the Lanta property, which is only twelve years old, will be at tax-payer expense. 

It started years ago when they took the bus stops off Hamilton Street. The bus passengers and the merchants had a historical relationship, dependent upon each other. Now of course the bus passengers are just cattle, whose pens are moved around at the convenience of the current establishment. The Morning Call article on the changes, characterizes them as improvements for rider convenience.

The Zucal Factor

Before the primary election last week, my hunch was that if Zucal could reach 40% of the Democratic votes, combining that with Republicans and independents, might take him over the top in November. Well Zucal came up short in the primary, by about 20%. Does that mean that November is a lost cause for him? 

I believe that Zucal is still viable for November, and here's why. Tuerk was a little nervous for the primary. Witness his absurd meltdown about Zucal being MAGA, and Police Chief Roca rolling out neighborhood crime stats, just a week before the election. The patter about violent crime being down is nonsense, witness a shooting last Wednesday at 18th & Chew Streets. Tuerk and Roca will not crack down on noise and litter, they're too woke for any culture clashes.

Tuerk got out his vote for the primary, but Zucal has plenty of people to mobilize. The. homeowners on the east and south sides knew and remember a better quality of life. Overcoming Tuerk will not be an easy task, Zucal will have to knock on a lot of doors.  He was essentially a one man band for the primary. Although not really a Republican, will the soldiers from that party get behind him?  I can tell you that as an independent, life long Allentonian and chronicler of this city,  Zucal has my support.