Allentown Archeological

It's not as easy as it appears providing the only critique of city government in Allentown, and doing it for eighteen years. The established news agencies want to keep their access lines open, and bite their tongues... And I'm only referring to the few reporters with enough institutional knowledge to know the difference between the bull and the reality.

Needless to say I'm not a popular guy, and I'm not even compensated:) There are no ads here, and no begging for donations, I don't even dance for comments. Anywho, I do occasionally need a break from the establishment's admiration for me. Because I take some pride in having something printed here every weekday, my vacations are the archeological pieces.

The photo above is from the former Wentz tombstone company at 20th and Hamilton. My own great grandmother's first marker lay on the grounds there, after it had been replaced many years earlier. A good portion of the new Allentown doesn't even know the place was ever there.

Money Pit On Hamilton

City Council is considering a $300K kickstart toward another new non-profit to promote center city. Last time I checked, the taxpayers are still paying for the NIZ privately owned new buildings, called City Center RE, which has their own promoters. Fifteen years ago, we were told that the arena would be the engine driving center city. Last year we were told that the new music venue and hotel by 10th & Hamilton would be the ticket to kickstart Hamilton Street.

This new scheme is being pushed by clothing store owner/city councilman Santo Napoli. We taxpayers are already dressing up all the non-NIZ buildings. Now, maybe if you could bring back Max Hess Jr., you might have someone who could bring people downtown. 

Here's a suggestion... Instead of another non-profit staff to support, how about free parking, and use that $300k to compensate the Parking Authority for some lost revenue. Nobody wants a $28 ticket to come downtown to buy a shirt.

The Z Coalition

I bill myself as an independent non-partisan. This November, voters will have their last opportunity to keep Allentown resembling something of its past. By resembling, I mean a re-emphasis on public safety. By public safety I mean a crackdown on double parking, loud stereos, litter and other kinds of rudeness against quality of life in the city.

Ed Zucal will be on the ballot for mayor in the Republican column. Although not a Republican, he gained enough write-in votes from Republicans to secure that spot. I'm hoping that for the sake of Allentown there are enough disillusioned Democrats to join with Republicans and independents to put Zucal in the mayor's office.

Four more years of Matt Tuerk's progressive politics, despite new buildings on Hamilton Street, will make Allentown a Camden on the Lehigh. Those interested in helping the effort may contact Ed Zucal directly, or join a coalition of supporters here through this blog post. If you  comment with your contact information, it will NOT be printed.  

Michael Molovinsky

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.