An Allentown Park Primer

 I know a little about the Allentown Park System. Actually, compared to the mayor and current park director, I know a lot. I was raised on the south ridge above Lehigh Parkway, in Little Lehigh Manor. The park was my backyard and playground. Changes and neglect in that park are particularly painful to me.

Yesterday, Mayor Tuerk had news conference at Cedar Beach Pool about the New Jersey invaders overrunning our waterways. Although neither the TV station, newspaper or politically correct mayor put it that way, but that's the way it is. The mayor walks on eggshells. The invaders are New Jersey Hispanics, mostly from the Dominican Republic. The mayor claims that he is the first Latino mayor in Allentown, and their representative. He even started off his first term with a fact finding trip to the Dominican Republic. Apparently, he didn't learn enough there to deal with this current invasion of our parks. Yesterday, Tuerk actually said “We want to welcome everybody from places like Queens, The Bronx, Union City, from across the entire commonwealth..." He doesn't have the moxie to say, "stay where you live."

The first elephant in the room is that Allentown closed two major pools, Fountain and Jordan. The second elephant is the lack of gates at strategic places. Canal park only has one entrance and gating it off would be a cinch. Mayor Tuerk feels gates are unwelcoming, and it goes against his inclusionary compulsions, but that's tomorrow's post.

Shown above is the closed Jordan Pool. Fountain Park Pool is likewise closed. Mayor Tuerk said that kids should swim in pools, and not the creeks?!? Blogger Michael says that the city should have maintained its pools, rather than spending half a $mil expanding the skate park.

The Mexican General and Canal Park

In the 1960's, if you snuck into a park at night with a girl and a bottle of beer, you were sure to encounter an officer we called the Mexican General. It didn't matter which park, what time or how remote of a spot you found, he would find you. How he could patrol all the parks at the same time was beyond comprehension. 

I do not know his true heritage, except that he resembled the Mexican officer in the 1950's TV series Zorro. On the topic of heritage, the Lehigh Valley Railroad train engine heading into Canal Park above in October of 2020, is four decades beyond its real time. In 2012, Norfolk Southern painted Heritage engines in the colors of the different former lines absorbed into the current east coast carrier.

If the officer mentioned above really was Mexican and Spanish speaking, he would certainly have his hands full today in Allentown parks, especially Canal Park on the weekends. Hundreds of Dominicans from New Jersey have made the park a destination. The time has come for Allentown to close the parks past a certain time of day. An alternative would be to hire 500 more police officers.  

Mayor Tuerk has scheduled a news conference today on the parks....Tomorrow I'll tell you what he got wrong.

Allentown Sanctuary City

I know that Allentown isn't a Sanctuary City, but rather A Welcoming City. While the distinction isn't lost on me, apparently it is lost on the Feds and ICE, they're camping at 5th & Hamilton.

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk is upset that ICE is operating in the Lehigh County Courthouse, and has asked a local judge to intervene against the Federal government's right to do so. Although the county courthouse is located in Allentown, the request is clearly politically based, and outside of the mayor's purview.  Likewise, County Commissioner Jon Irons is involved with a volunteer group, Lehigh Valley Emergency Response Network, actively intervening on behalf of the immigrants detained.

Allentown City Council Vice President Cynthia Mota has a business to assist immigrants. Ce-Ce and company (Natalie) are also on board with the mission. Although I lean to the right, even I have issues with our detention centers in El Salvador and the Everglades.

The Kurious Kase Of Ed Zucal

LehighValleyNews.com wrote a piece wondering about Ed Zucal's campaign...They think that he's missing in action. Ed is on the ballot, and not missing. Here are some future appointments to his kabinet.

Kat Kyman will be Director of Kommunity Development. NIZ won't be the only initials in town.

Luke Lolovinsky will be Director of Parks, he's already sourcing Weeping Willows.

The bureau and positions of Inclusion will be cut back, but the Neighborhood Groups will get a seat at the table.

The police department will become less culturally sensitive and start issuing parking tickets for double parking, and will give those violators a good looking over.  Car stereos, which can be heard before they are seen, will be ticketed.

Mayor Zucal will not be making fact finding trips to the Caribbean, nor raising flags of every country with a denizen in Allentown.

Allentown may not again become the All American City, but it will be an American city.

A Gift From Mayor Tuerk

When you write a blog for eighteen years, sometimes you struggle for topics....Today was a gift from Mayor Matt Tuerk.  His letter in the Morning Call yesterday was prime political baloney. He writes that last year the federal government was on his side improving Allentown, but not this year. As an example, he mentioned  non-profits  helping combat gun violence, and current funding cuts affecting such organizations.  He mentioned investments in recreation and affordable housing being cut back.

Matt, glad you enjoyed your junket to Tampa, but please stop blowing that cigar smoke. Biden or Trump, Promise Neighborhood grants or not, enlarged skatepark or new full basketball court, you gotta get back to basics.

Older taxpaying homeowners resent the stadium being closed to watch the fireworks. Not everyone wants to join you at another one of your Inclusion Festivals. Tell your police chief to start checking out those cars double parked, they are not delivering Meals On Wheels.

Move Over Philly

Is it just my perception, or are there more shootings going on? I can't ask the administration, or their statistics will say nope! Can't afford to ask Promise Neighborhoods, or my taxes will go up to give them more grants.  Can't ask my Democratic representatives, they all stick together.  Can't ask my city Republicans, because there aren't any. If the newspaper still had an office, maybe I could go down there and ask.

For those who share my curiosity about this, you're stuck with my observations. I'm beginning to wonder if there are any denizens out there not armed? I don't see any political/police crackdown on the horizon. I wish the mayor would spend less time jogging and biking, and more time trying to drive down Tilghman Street at 5:00PM.  We don't need more basketball courts, we need more police taking violators to district court.

This blog is one place that the city won't get a pass. Years ago Philly had to elect a former tough police chief to clean the place up...I think Allentown needs a Rizzo or Giuliani.

artwork by Mark Beyer