Allentown's Tea Leaves

Some people read tea leaves, I read deed transfers. I can tell you that Pawlowski's Transformation includes 3 square blocks. In addition to the publicly stated 700 block of Hamilton Street, projects will also be built on blocks to the east and north. When completed, downtown will have two separate shopping districts; There will be the low income Hispanic Shopping District on 7th Street, and the hoped for middle class district on Hamilton, west of 8th Street. These two districts will be physically separated by the new projects; hockey arena, event center and hotel(s). In a recent Morning Call article The heart was torn out of the city, Easton's Mayor Sal Panto says that their 1966 renewal project was a total mistake. Panto won't apply the lesson to that city's new plans about a Lanta Terminal and High School Sports Museum. Here in Allentown, Pawlowski wasn't even here for our previous failures. The stark, former bank call center on the Lehigh Street hill, between Martin Luther Drive and Union Street, is testament to Allentown's previous failed attempt at transformation. Although the current Hamilton Street, shown above around 1950, is a shadow of it's former glory, the buildings remained for future renewal. That option will end come November. It is my fear that some mayor will say in 2050, that tearing down those buildings, was a total mistake.

Newspaper Safari

People occasionally contact me when they're exasperated with the city, but a gentleman I spoke with yesterday was fuming at the newspaper. A column on the front page of the sports section glorified shooting a lioness on an African Safari. If that didn't offend this guy enough, the hunter planned to return to Africa, to shoot an elephant. The hunter's only concern was that killing deer in Pennsylvania just wouldn't do it for him any longer. He says that in Africa, if your check book is big enough, you can kill anything. Hope that doesn't include bloggers, but back to the upset newspaper reader. I think he can accept the misguided hunter, but he wonders what processed the columnist and his editor. I should mention that the paper included a photograph of the Great White Hunter and the dead lioness. Perhaps to the reporter, who covers both sports and outdoors, bagging a lion hunter is a bigger catch than the usual teenage boy shoots first deer story. Anyway, for us Babar fans, it was offensive.

I have purposely not linked to the article, nor will I host comments mentioning the hunter by name

Connecting the Neglect

Although this blog has documented the deterioration of the iconic WPA Structures throughout the park system, the City goes forward with new park projects without addressing problems with existing features; We will now connect the neglect. The Morning Call this past weekend distributed the Fall and Winter Directory to Parks and Recreation. The cost of the slick magazine could have in itself repaired one set of steps at Irving Park. The City is going ahead with it's plans and paid consultants for the Network of Bicycle and Pedestrian Trails. The next meeting for that project will be October 26, at the Library. I attended the previous meeting last April. The theme is Connecting our Community. Park Director Weitzel and the paid consultant spoke about connecting the children of Allentown with the park system. Although they had a professionally produced large illustration of the Fountain Park area, the Lawrence Street WPA Steps were not included. In reality, that magnificent structure was built exactly for that purpose in 1936. It now stands neglected, with numerous missing steps, as a monument to this Park Department's misplaced priorities.

This evening the WPA Support Group will meet once again at the Library. Park Director Weitzel has asked to attend to present the achievements of his department. I told him he was welcome to make a short presentation. A few members of our group will also make short presentations on the current condition of the iconic WPA structures, which had made our park system famous. The meeting is this evening, in the lower level of the Allentown Library, at 7:00p.m. Members of the public, press and Trexler Trust are invited to attend.

Korean on Mayor's Menu

Last week blogger Bernie O'Hare reported on the Lehigh Valley Mayor's Dinner. Although he presented a glimpse of statements made, he neglected to report on the food served, Korean. I don't mean Asian style rice and pork, but they ate actual Koreans, former Allentown merchants. These unusual victuals were arranged by Sara Hailstone, Allentown's Community Development Director.

Although the above is satire, now some ugly truths. Although Hailstone promised the merchants assistance in relocating, in reality, obstacles were put in their place. In one instance, a long standing displaced merchant was told by a landlord in another location that he wouldn't rent to him, because of his merchandize and clientele. The landlord said that the City wanted a new look, and he didn't want to jeopardize his hopes for a future grant. Another merchant was denied relocation funds previously promised. Although I attended the meeting between Hailstone and the merchants, and heard the promises, I will provide no details about the identity of the merchants. These unfortunate victims of Allentown's progress still hope to make a living here, despite the city.

Holmes vs. Panto

Sal Panto does pretty good in the local blogosphere. He's in Bernie O'Hare's Walk on Water Club. The ReNew Yuppies like him because of the his position on trains, planes, and buses. About the only blogger not impressed is me. I've seen him back things to a fault, like the parking deck behind the Wolfe School. Although his supporters keep saying that Easton is different than Allentown, I know that the Lanta Terminal and the Al Bundy Museum of High School Jocks are canned mediocrity. Apparently, Larry Holmes is also less than impressed with Panto's plans. The Morning Call reported that Holmes will move his nightclub rather than pay more taxes for the Improvement District . Reinforcing my opinion of Panto, his best argument to Holmes is that his proposals, (Panto's) haven't passed yet. While other mayor's made light of themselves, Panto hurt his arm patting himself on his own back at the Mayor's dinner. Panto may well induce Holmes to stay put with one incentive or another, but it sure won't be because of enthusiasm for Panto's plans.

Holmes tutors Ray Mercer, 1992

A Failure by Dieruff High

This week I decided to go back to school, at least to hang outside of Dieruff. Upon re-evaluation, I must give my previous report on the WPA steps at Irving Park a failing grade. Besides myself, also failing would be Mayor Pawlowski, Park Director Weitzel and City Council President Michael D'Amore. Any lessons given about the WPA Steps at Irving Park better be given in the next couple years; after that they will be gone. We are soon approaching the point where the City will declare the cost of repair is cost prohibitive; Unless that is their current plan! As reported in the previous post's comments, one set of steps has already been removed by the City. All the remaining steps are in a state of disrepair. Shown above are the steps on Washington Street, between Jerome and Irving Streets. WPA Support Group member Mark Thomas prepared comprehensive documentation on the remaining masonry structures at Irving Park.
UPDATE: Mark Thomas raises the question as to whether these steps are indeed WPA. They appear to be the same vintage and colorization of the pool bathhouse, dated 1941. In any regard, the steps are clearly historic, and this group will campaign for their preservation.
please click on photo

King of the Gypsies

According to my mother, a Gypsy king was buried in Allentown in around 1960, she knew about such things. She was born in Galgo, Hungary, an area of Transylvania, now part of Romania, near present day Gilgau. In Galgo, the Jews and Gypsies lived on the edge of town. In the early 20's, my grandparents, along with their Gypsy neighbors, came to Bethlehem to work at the Steel. On weekends, to make extra money, my grandparents would open their house and show Hungarian movies. None of their relatives, Jew or Gypsy, save one cousin, survived the nazi's; even the cemeteries were desecrated. As you can see from the document above, my grandfather earned his citizenship the hard way.

reprinted from Sept. 7, 2009