The Fountain Of My Youth

Just west of the Robin Hood Bridge is a fountain which quenched the thirst of my summer days. Built during the WPA era, it overlooked the creek. Although the water was turned off years ago, so now is the view. The weeds and assorted invasives growing are not a riparian buffer. Science says that a buffer has to be 25feet wide to be of any value. A reader described this thin strip of wild growth as neglect, masquerading as conservation. All it does is block both the view and access to the waterway. It denies our current citizens the beauty and experience for which the parks were designed. Although the Wildland's Conservancy would like you to believe that the Allentown Parks are there to be wildlands, in reality they were designed by landscape architects, to provide the citizens of Allentown with what Harry Trexler called serenity. He did also appreciate conservation, but for that he created the Trexler Game Preserve, north of Allentown. There are places in the parks which can accommodate the riparian buffer zones, without compromising the intended public experience of waterway view and access. Riparians could be created and maintained in the western side of Lehigh Parkway, between the pedestrian bridge and Bogerts Bridge. In Cedar Park, the riparian section could be in western side, between the last walking bridge and Cedar Crest Blvd. It's time that the parks were given back to the citizens of Allentown. They are not funded, or intended by our tax dollars and the Trexler Trust,  just to be a venue for the Wildland's Conservancy to harvest grants.  Let a child again giggle by the creek's edge. Let us get back our intended park experience.

above originally posted in 2013

ADDENDUM JULY 1, 2022: When the above post was first written, Pawlowski's recreation trained park directors farmed many actual park decisions out to the Wildlands.  Although their influence has waned somewhat in recent years, these faux buffers remain a negative legacy. The buffers are faux because Allentown's storm system is piped directly into the streams, under the buffer weed wall. Those weed walls in turn have become hotbeds of invasive species, such as Poison Hemlock.  Now, as the downside of those invasives has become obvious, the department is cutting the grass back toward the streams, but still leaving the creek edge overgrown, hiding view and blocking access.  To further complicate the situation, in the last several years all new tree plantings were done away from the creek, at the outer edge of the then wide buffer...The end result is now cutting the grass is more difficult, with all the new trees in the path of the mowers.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 19, 2024: In recent years the park department has only cut down the faux fake excuse buffers only once or twice a season. Those cutting were necessary, so that the invasives would not take deep root. This year the invasives, in most places, were not cut at all! 

ADDENDUM JULY 8, 2025: I'm pleased to report that another suggestion of mine has filtered down to the ground crew. The weed wall in front of the fountain has been cut back, revealing the creek. The fountain remains inoperable, but that decision is beyond my pay grade. Unfortunately, the top of the wish list, the landings on the double stairwell, have yet to be repaired. That repair has been neglected for so long, that the landings are starting to sink down, making a former repaving job much more complicated.

The Little Bridge Of Lehigh Parkway

A few years ago, new and young visitors to the park would have no idea that a magnificent miniature bridge crossed a spring run to the Little Lehigh. Certainly, such a stone construction wasn't necessary to cross the 24 inch waterway. It was built in a era of masonry art, fueled by the Great Depression, and funded by Roosevelt's WPA. Over the last decade, budgetary cutbacks and environmentalists demanding riparian zones, justified allowing it to be consumed by brush and saplings. In 2010, I persuaded Mike Gilbert, park department manager, to partially clear around the bridge. Although a tree now blocks its southern approach, the bridge has been given a reprieve on its destruction.

reprinted from 2012

ADDENDUM JULY 18, 2022: While it has been another decade since I had the miniature bridge uncovered, I'm sorry to report that the WPA structures still remain a low priority with the city. While the wall into Lehigh Parkway has been restored out of necessity to retain entrance to the park, neglect for the other structures continues. I will continue to publicly complain about this shortcoming in the city's vision.

ADDENDUM JULY 7, 2025: Since I started campaigning for the spring pond and miniature bridge, it had been cleared twice...Once by by the city in 2010, and several years later by Friends of Allentown Parks, under Karen El-Chaar. A couple months ago, I again campaigned for the structure with a person influential with the park department. I'm happy to report that the miniature bridge has been cleaned up, along with one side of the spring pond. Although the stones lining the pond have not been cleared off, I'm grateful for the work that has been done, and hope that it remains on their schedule.

Podcast Link At High Noon

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The Fairgrounds, An Allentown Tradition

My post last Friday about the Farmers Market drew the nostalgia crowd on Facebook (Allentown Chronicles), and their wishes that the tradition continues.  There are however particulars about that institution not widely known. The Fairgrounds Association is mostly owned by a group of aging stock holders, and traditionally no one family held more than a few shares. That group is rapidly aging out, with the average age 110 years old :). 

The Farmers Market is rented to one vendor, who in turn subleases the various spots. That vendor is 105 years old :). Now I'm also old, and this information could likewise be dated. However, knowing the institution fairly well, I doubt that much has changed.

Years ago, the fairgrounds was a highly sought after real estate parcel for a shopping center and/or housing. Although that demand may have subsided, there are institutions, such as the LVHN, Muhlenberg College, etc., who might some day have similar designs. Back then, the old stubborn stock owning families resisted, but old is now the key word. Anywho, for now, we still enjoy our fairgrounds.

No Threat To The Public

Chief Charles No Threat To The Public Roca assures us after every shooting. Mayor Matt Inclusion Tuerk started his term with Discovery Trips to the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. He should have started his term with trips to 6th and Allen and other frequent gunfire zones in Allentown. 

Chief Roca is always asking the public for help, does anybody ever come forth? Shouldn't Promise Neighborhoods know something about such things, with all the grants going their way?

Subscribers to this blog on the web version can find Radio Molovinsky on the sidebar. Last year I created a few short podcasts, and learned that air time is not easy to fill by yourself. Recently, I decided to try the medium again, and thought that it would be interesting to discuss Allentown with someone with a different perspective. I've known Alfonso Todd for over twenty years. While I'm an old, third generation white man in Allentown, he's a younger, 1st generation black man in town. Alfonso is an event promoter and occasional DJ. We live in different worlds, but in the same town.  I hope to provide a link to the first podcast by Friday afternoon.

New Jersey Parties On The Lehigh

If it wasn't for the Allentown Police cars, Canal Park looked like a crowded park along the Delaware in New Jersey...Not a Pa. license plate to be seen. I hadn't been to the park since the invasion began, but reports certainly were not exaggerated. A friendly guest was providing Caribbean music for all with his low-rider's high volume stereo.

Just a few years ago, I was often the only one there. Now, after witnessing the invasion myself, I suggest that with only one entrance into the park under the old train trestle, they could close the park until the invaders find another destination. At the least, they could take advantage of the restricted entrance and limit the park to Allentown residents. 

This is an administration which removed the flood gates at the picnic grove behind Cedar Beach  swimming pool, so that nobody ever feel unwelcome. The parks and taxpayers are paying the price for Tuerk's absurd attitudes about inclusion. We never used to need three police cars for Canal Park.