Theater On Hamilton Street

In the screen grab above,  Matt Tuerk and Pat Browne are unveiling a replica of a statue that was in the former, long gone Rialto Theater, to enhance Reilly's new theater/art district. Browne designed the NIZ for Reilly, and there has been no constraints on the use of our tax dollars to create and expand it. 

I've been the critic since before the first building appeared. As a blogger, the displaced former merchants turned to me in desperation. They were being bullied out their lives, for Reilly's sake. While this blog has documented many of the transgressions, the damage continues. The former Allentown arts district has been compromised to enhance another Reilly position.

I'm purposefully using Sylvester Stallone's movie ad with the picture of the sculpture. Stallone is not really a tough guy, and the theater we built for Reilly really isn't an arts district.

 I'm not here to be polite

ADDENDUM:Although I penned this early Sunday morning, the new blog on the block also posted on the statue Sunday evening. This will happen in Dodge with multiple blogs...It's for the good!

Gift For Mackenzie

The Morning Call bestowed a gift upon Ryan Mackenzie...The headline stated that Mackenzie DID NOT kick illegal immigrants off of Medicaid. The article goes on to explain that illegals don't get Medicaid in the first place. 

The key words in this post are goes on to explain. Most people don't go on, they don't get pass the headline. The Democratic war cry against the Republicans, including Mackenzie, is that the Big Beautiful Bill will cut Medicaid to millions of people. I honestly don't know the ramificatins of the bill, but neither does the public, or most of the legislators who voted for or against it. What matters more for the upcoming elections is the headlines!

In this era of reduced newspaper reading, those digitial headlines are one of the coins of the realm. The other big currency is the mailings. Each election the mailers become more prolific and more deceptive.

I'm not here to be polite

Back To Basics

Mayoral candidate Ed Zucal sent out a mailing this week with a back to basics theme. I'm one resident with whom that message resonates. One thing positive about the NIZ -- nobody has to pitch development in Allentown, we haven't even caught up with all the new buildings yet.

Instead, Zucal is pitching public safety, which certainly needs a major upgrade. Tuerk's recent press conference on improved crime stats convinced nobody. The suburban preception of center city has not improved during his term. 

Tuerk is a populist, raising every and any flag, and sponsoring one festival after another. But there are thousands of city residents who remember calmer times, and yearn for the tranquility of yesteryear. Zucal is offering them that chance.

Allentown's First Black Bar

In a neighborhood that no longer exists, Allentown's first legal Black liquor establishment had a short tortured run.

McLaughlin's Cafe was on the corner of Wire and Lehigh, at the bottom of the hill. Wire was the street that ran along the Wire Mill, another long forgotten part of Allentown's industrial history. By the mid 1950's, things were getting rough in the old bar. Police became a regular referee as fights and prostitution frequented the establishment. Finally the state liquor board decided to pull their license. 

The neighborhood had two complexions. There were the white descendants of the factory workers, and it also was the center of Allentown's small Black population.

Hamp Webb was a popular figure in the Black community. Just outside the straight and narrow, he was courted by the white officials for his influence with his community. Hamp operated unlicensed speakeasies with some success.

In the final days of McLaughlin's, they featured black entertainers from Philadelphia, and even referred to it as the Black & White Club. As McLaughlin's license was being revoked, he negotiated a sale to Hamp Webb.

The Morning Call reported that he fought to secure a license to provide a drinking establishment for his fellow Negroes, where they could congregate without being molested. After a court hearing, he was finally given the license in 1957, and Ham Webb Bar&Grill opened.

Hamp Webb was killed the following year in an automobile accident. While operation of the bar was taken over by his sons, they apparently didn't have local connections to deflect legal citations that came with operating a rough bar in a tough neighborhood. The property and license were liquidated at a tax sale in 1960.

reprinted from April of 2020

Accepting Fewer Comments

Most bloggers crave comments, but not me lately. I have begun accepting less and less comments. I'm not trying to get a seat at any table, those invitations haven't been in the mail for many years. With this blog being in its eighteenth year, I don't think that there is a former, current or future official I haven't offended. 

I don't fret about offending people, but I'm beginning to fret about anonymous commenters taking cheap shots. To make myself even less viable, sometimes now even a signature isn't enough for me to publish. This doesn't mean that I'm turning into Mr. Rogers. I will continue to speak out when appropriate, but resist piling it on. I will also apply the same standard to those that comment. Comments that raise an important point, regardless if offensive, will still appear. 

Needless to say, everyone who sends in a comment thinks it is worthwhile, and consequently is offended when it is not published. Don't despair, you can always phone or email the official with your complaint.

The Allentown Rose Garden

While I have been a long time advocate for the traditional park system and the WPA structures within, I had not given much study to the Rose and Old Fashion Gardens in Cedar Park. They were in the very capable hands of Paul Pozzi, who retired last year after many years of devotion to the gardens. His  replacement, Nick Hutte, is likewise doing an excellent job.

In 2010, I did question the rebuilding of the ponds. The contractor cut under the walls when dredging. Although the dirt was replaced, I questioned how compacted it was. I'm sorry to report that the pond walls are fairing very poorly, after only fifteen years. I question if the proper mortar was used?

The rose garden dates back to 1930-1931, predating the WPA work and structures in the park system. At the time the garden was built, the trolley still ran along the creek to Dorney Park and beyond, and Parkway Blvd. was still called Linden Street.

The garden was conceived by then Mayor Gross, and designed by Claude C. Yost. Dedication took place on Saturday June 20th, 1931. The garden was an enormous success, and attracted thousands of visitors. Although we now also have an Old Fashion Garden with a series of connecting ponds, in 1931, the garden had one lagoon.

shown above Rose Garden construction 1930