As Allentown Turns

Allentown's greatly touted NIZ should be named the ROA, Reilly Owns Allentown. While his state house boy recovers in the hospital, and his home boy tries to become a senator, J.B. Reilly said Let There Be Stores. These stores were duly announced this week by the local paper and TV, which will promote them as they open. As he did with the restaurants, J.B. will hand out special J.B. currency to the new office workers, which can be used in the stores. The Plywood Plaza Apartments for the workers, at 7th and Linden, will be completed this fall. The idea of company housing and stores isn't new, cement companies and mines did it back in the early 1900's.

While trying to escape Allentown, first to Harrisburg and now to Washington, Mayor For Life Pawlowski tells us who to elect to City Council and the school board. Meanwhile, the streets beyond the Reilly District are potholed and dirty. Existing residents are being double ding donged at the parking meters. The WPA structures in our parks are crumbling away. Don't despair, buy a ticket for the Classic Geriatric Concert Series at the J.B. Reilly Arena, and enjoy a night out.

Courting The Allentown Teachers

Back in my fathers day, students gave the teacher an apple to get in their good graces. In current Allentown, the teachers are courted by the school board candidates, who hope to get into the good graces and recommendation of their teacher's union. One teacher forwarded me this email from Charlie Thiel, which was sent through official school channels.
To All Teachers in the Allentown School District, Thank you for all that you do to change the lives of our students. By creating an attitude of lifelong learning for our students, you are profoundly impacting their lives. I am sure there are some days (perhaps more than you would like to admit) that you ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” Rest assured that you are changing the lives of young people every day. Do you remember the first time you helped a student have a revelation, where the lightbulb went on? Maybe they finally learned to tie their shoes, or they were able to solve an algebraic problem, or even understand Shakespeare…or you provided a snack when they had not eaten for the last day. The needs of our students are great. But our teachers are greater! Thank you for heeding the calling on your life and choosing the Allentown School District and our students. Happy Teachers Appreciation Week!
Charlie Thiel      School Board Director

 The image below by candidate Mark Smith appears on facebook

Once upon a time, school board candidates appealed to the public and parents, for an opportunity to speak for them on how the school district should be run. Now, it appears that some candidates are appealing directly to the teachers, who are already well represented by their strong union.

ADDENDUM: Mark Smith feels that this post mischaracterized his intent. His reply is contained within the comment section.

ADDENDUM 2: I'm closing comments on this post. Please direct any additional comments on the school board election to the newer school board post,  Allentown School Directors In Dark

The $66 Million Dollar Dinner

Yesterday, a couple from Slatington told me that they went to the Allentown Art Museum during the afternoon on Sunday, then walked up to the Hamilton Kitchen, where they ate outside on the terrace. Except for the traffic noise on 7th Street, they had an enjoyable experience, and think that Allentown has changed for the better. Then, he asked what I thought. I told him that his meal cost the taxpayers of Pennsylvania about $66 million last year, most of which was going to the debt service of one private individual. Never the less, he enjoyed his day, and I have heard this story from different people, numerous times. Most people really don't care what the new experience cost, or who is paying for it, or who owns it. Of course, most people don't care how poorly this state is run, and keep electing the same officials, election after election. Then, there are some people who concern themselves with such matters, welcome to molovinsky on allentown.

Gilding The Lily, The Allentown Arena

This past Sunday was a usual weekend for The Morning Call, gilding their lily, The Allentown Arena. One feature story told how the perception of center city Allentown has changed, the other dealt with tourism and the higher hotel occupancy in the valley. The center city story mentioned the new restaurants and shops. Although I spend a lot of time downtown, and have frequented many of the new eateries, I have yet to find one of the new shops. Never mentioned  is the arena schedule promoted two years ago; So far this year, by those projections, the venue is about 65 events short. The companion piece on the hotels had even a greater reality void. Neither center city hotel in Allentown was mentioned. The glaring unasked question, which would link both articles, is how is the new arena's Renaissance Hotel doing? Without that question and answer, neither article had any value.

Law By Mob Rules In Baltimore

Marilyn Mosby, Baltimore's prosecutor, apparently has decided that her real future is in politics, not the law. On Friday, when announcing charges against the police officers, she told the protestors, "To the people of Baltimore and the demonstrators across America: I heard your call for `No justice, no peace.' In regard to the police, she went on to say that nobody is above the law. It appears however,  that the rioters who looted and torched the buildings, might be above the law in her town.  While she had the mob celebrating in the street, the message for the thugs of Baltimore and elsewhere is that rioting pays. Although the charges against some of the police may prove to be warranted,  their implementation was pure street theater,  not normal legal procedure.

ADDENDUM: Tension broke out again in Baltimore today, as police arrested a  gun carrying suspect.  Such problems will be the cost of that city's appeasement.

Lehigh, County Of Hypocrisy

While The Wildlands Conservancy was working (they still are) to destroy the picturesque Wehr's Dam, supposedly to improve Jordan Creek water quality, the Lehigh County Authority was studying their option to dump treated sewage into that same creek. The Authority is under the gun by DEP to address sewage problems in the valley. One problem, as discussed previously on this blog, is that sewage overflows into Lehigh Parkway's Little Lehigh, during heavy storms. The other major problem is that Kline's Island Sewage Plant is at capacity. One horrendous option under study is spraying treated sewage sludge onto open land. All that is the known news, here's the hypocrisy. The Lehigh County Authority leased these facilities from Allentown knowing full well that these long standing problems had never been addressed. Lehigh County's Donny Cunningham induced Ocean Spray and other major waste water producers here, knowing full well that the county had a looming problem treating sewage. Kicking the can down the road is bad government, but when it ends up floating on raw sewage, it gets ugly.

It's Wrong To Justify The Riots, Period

Yesterday, Alan Jennings had an editorial that said yes the riots are wrong, BUT, you must understand the racism behind it. Last night, and today, rallies are occurring around the country, in solidarity with the beleaguered of Baltimore. In their politically correct version, the rioters are now protesters. That CVS and Mall that were looted and torched were subsidized to build there, after the riots of 1968 chased away any private investment. The protesters on Monday night went as far as to burn down a new senior housing development, now there's a political statement for sure.  Racism does exist, but so does lawlessness. Rather than riot over the death of a prisoner, it would be more productive for the neighborhood to examine why so many of its males engage in criminal acts. The apologists and professional advocates will reply that the cause is poverty. Fortunately, there is a growing segment of that neighborhood that is too busy working and bettering themselves, for such self-defeating rationalizations.