Myths From The Morning Call

For a few years I was a regular contributor to the Morning Call editorial page. People often tell me that they miss readings my pieces. I reply that they will only see my name now when I die, or if I get arrested. Beyond the loss to my ego, my banning from the paper has some consequence to the public knowing the full story on several topics.

The public is certainly never told about the sacred cows that the paper protects. They're not told about the Wildlands Conservancy subverting the Wehr's Dam Referendum. They're not told about the relationship between Reilly, the hospital and the NIZ. And they continue the myth that Pawlowski had something to do with the Hamilton Street revitalization.

Ed Pawlowksi’s story was, by the dictionary definition, a Greek tragedy. The essential element was there: A protagonist reaches for the heights but is undone by a fatal flaw. In the former Allentown mayor’s case, the flaw, by all accounts, was hubris. Having ruled city hall as the long-struggling city finally mounted a comeback, Pawlowski wanted to move on to bigger things — a U.S. Senate seat or the governor’s office. The necessity of paying for those ambitions led him into crooked dealings that ended with conviction on scores of corruption charges and a 15-year federal prison sentence. The Morning Call

Pawlowski had nothing, what so ever, to do with Allentown's comeback. The new construction is a result of the NIZ, a very special state law which only applied to Allentown, which allows a developer to use state taxes for his mortgage debt service. The law was crafted by local powerful state senator Pat Browne, and has benefitted his life-long friend J.B. Reilly. Pawlowski, knowing that he no involvement with the NIZ, but realizing that the paper wasn't spelling out the story, decided to ride the misconception out of Allentown, to either Harrisburg or Washington.

Reilly now owns the Morning Call building. The paper is written by a skeleton staff and printed in Jersey City. An aging blogger tells the true story to a select internet audience, hoping that his name in the paper's obituary column isn't forthcoming too soon.

A Supremo Christmas

While I've never shown much enthusiasm for J.B. Reilly's attempt to revitalize downtown through his high end shops, neither has the marketplace. Christmas day, I visited the new Supremo Market on 7th Street, occupying the former Levine's Fabric store. The market was attractive, large, well stocked and mobbed.

There is an old saying that there are more nickels than quarters. I suppose that it should be no surprise that in a city populated by a large percentage of low income people, a well run store geared for that demographic can prosper. What's interesting is that while the taxpayer ponied up a $Billion dollars, so far, for the NIZ, the thriving Supremo costs us nothing. While the Morning Call writes one promotion after another for Reilly's portfolio, there is nothing said about this real success story in Allentown.

Let me provide some history.  Once upon a time,  that was the busiest block on 7th Street. The building was built as a Sears and Roebucks in the early 1950's, using a plan duplicated in other cities. The store did well competing with the three local department stores, and was first to go suburban.

Talking of history, some may notice a new item on this blog's sidebar. It's a picture of a Mack Truck Magazine cover, which was printed each month. I have titled the new insertion, LOCAL HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE.  Hopefully, the local political shenanigans will slow down, so I can devote more posts to our rich history.

stock photo from Supremo website

above post reprinted every December since 2015 

Faith Baptist Church (Allentown)

There is a small church on the 200 block of N. 12th Street, which is served by a humble man, Pastor Robert Hargrove. Pastor Hargrove has been ministering to his flock at Faith Baptist Church for over 40 years. Years ago, when I managed buildings in the neighborhood, I had the privilege of meeting the pastor and seeing his concern for others. While his congregation was small, his outreach in the neighborhood was large. In addition to running a summer program for local kids, his church door was always open for those in distress.

While his formal congregation was mostly black, it seemed that most of his outreach helped the poorer whites in the surrounding blocks.

Over the years he kindly allowed me to conduct a few community meetings at the church, on topics such as Fairview Cemetery and the removal of bus stops.

While the large churches with the politically astute leaders get most our attention,  many people in need often turn to the small neighborhood churches, such as Faith Baptist.

The Coptic Church Of Alexandria

The Church and Theology School in Alexandria was established by the Apostle Mark in 60AD. Most of the early converts were common Egyptians who spoke Coptic. Although Christians became the majority before the Arab invasion in 636, by the 12th century they were the minority. The concept of monasteries in Christianity was started by the Coptics in the deserts of Egypt. Currently, the Coptics are threatened by transitions in Egypt, let us pray for their safety.

photograph of St. Marks Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt.

reprinted from previous years

A Jewish Christmas Card

Many Jews experience some conflict during the Christmas Season. This is essentially a Christian nation, and to totally ignore that reality could be perceived as rude. Although Abe Simon proudly wore the Star of David on his boxing trunks in NYC, he also sent out Christmas cards to his non-Jewish associates. Simon, in 1942, was the last Jew to fight for the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

reprinted from previous years

molovinsky on allentown is produced every weekday, year-round.

Sledding In Allentown

The photograph shown above is from 1958. It was taken in Little Lehigh Manor, the 1940's era housing development located above Lehigh Parkway's south ridge. I had the pleasure of growing up in that neighborhood. In yesterday's post, the hill favored by the kids of that neighborhood was featured.

Other popular sledding hills were in Allentown's west end,  behind Cedar Crest College, and Ott Street, between Livingston and Greenleaf Streets.  Years ago, a bridge crossed the creek by the park office at 30th and Parkway Blvd., with a parking area for sledders by the Cedar Crest hill. The Ott Street hill was closed to cars by the city, as an accommodation for sledders.  None of these hills are now accessible to a kid with a sled.

photo courtesy of S. Williams
molovinsky on allentown is produced every weekday, year-round.