Allentown, Activism and Anonymity

There are several subjects which strangers occasionally contact me about.  One of them is Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street.  The cemetery has a myriad of problems, and exasperated family members find my name after doing a google search.  In the past I have written numerous posts,  generated a newspaper story and conducted a public meeting on the issue.

This recent caller was wondering what could be done to organize other families, and exert some pressure for more upkeep.  I suggested a group Facebook page,  perhaps calling it Families Of Fairview Cemetery.  I then suggested that he start the page, which is free, and only requires a couple clicks of the mouse. At that point he started wondering if the cemetery operator might retaliate with some legal action against him.  It's not my intention to be critical of the caller, but I  realized that once again, another person probably wanted Mikey To Do It.  I suppose it's like anonymous said here on the blogosphere.  Most people using that name for comments do not have a sensitive job,  they just don't want to stand out. Understand, that unlike this fellow,  I do not even have a family member buried there.  In fairness to him, he seems like a conscientious  guy, and may well start the page himself.  However, if he doesn't, I think that assignment will have to be picked up by someone other than myself.  This mule is looking to lighten the load.

The O'Hare/Molovinsky War

Recently, I had written in both a post and comment that Bernie O'Hare excludes this blog from his blogroll because of a feud that started because of my comment that his disclaimer about Morganelli in March of 2016 was inadequate. Yesterday, he posted a piece which he claims proves that he deleted my blog because of hate, because it was 14 months after our Morganelli issue before he deleted this blog.  Of course, the only thing that proves is that O'Hare thinks of his readers as sheep, which he can lead to any conclusion he wishes.  This past May, Knit Knee Lion wrote in a comment on Bernie's blog, "he...kept a link to your "blog" on his sidebar whilst you have banished his from ye olde blog roll........ I'd say your treatment of Ken Heffentrager was very hateful, it was a real punch and judy show." Bernie replied;

I would have preferred if Bernie had let my explanation of why he excluded my blog from his sidebar stand, rather than have to expose his distortions.  However, since his post yesterday states that I was being loose with the truth, and that I'm hosting a hate blog, an answer is required. After I pointed out how much Bernie understated his support for Morganelli with his $25 contribution disclaimer,  O'Hare started taking shots at this blog. He would routinely refer to the Molovinsky Tabernacle Choir and other slurs. A number of people mentioned his increasing hostility toward me. I held my tongue for months, but then decided to start defending both myself and this blog. It was only then, after I started pointing out Bernie's flaws,  did he delete Molovinsky On Allentown from the list.

ADDENDUM: For viewers on mobile devices, in Bernie's screen shot shown above, he replies;  I have no obligation to link to a blog that repeatedly attacks me.  There is no mention of it being a hate blog.

UPDATE: Bernie now updated his post from yesterday, falsely claiming that I admitted that I lied. (He found an awkward sentence he could take out of context)  While others might enjoy his kind of propaganda,  I'm inclined to disengage from defending against his distortions.

The Lemon Trees Of Oxnard

In the summer of 1963, I got on a bus in Allentown headed for Oxnard, California, where I planned to work in the lemon orchards. I had with me a Give the kid a job letter from the boss of the Trexler Orchard in Orefield. The boss in Oxnard also owned a car wash, and I ended up working there. During WW2, homeowners in Oxnard were encouraged to build cottages for extra GI housing. I rented a small one room cottage at the far end of a back yard. The bathroom was added on to the backporch of the house. Every day I would walk to the square in Oxnard, and catch the bus to the carwash. In early August, I was rescued by Ken Huthmaker, whose family had moved years earlier from Lehigh Parkway to Hawthorne, California.  Ken was five years older,  and his friends were into body building, custom cars and gate crashing. They would attend events all over the Los Angeles area, and their sport was to sneak in, without paying. Ken would end up being a celebrity photographer and journalist in LA, and wrote a book on gate crashing*. I stayed at his house for two weeks. The next summer I would use my learned gate-crashing skills to see the Beatles in Atlantic City.

* The Gate Crashers by Ken Huthmaker, Which reveals the secrets of the society of the uninvited.  Huthmaker would become the photographer for Mickey Hargitay's televised exercise show.   Huthmaker photographed Hargitay and his wife, Jayne Mansfield,  by their pool. 

Charlie Tuna and The Allentown School District

Allentown School District is going the way of the old Charlie Tuna ads,  trying to convince students and their parents that it is the best option for their education. Like the tuna campaign, they're going to be using billboards, radio and social media. They will be creating a new communications position to implement this new strategy. Supposedly, the effort is directed to help stem the student flow to charter schools.

As someone with a background in both education and communications, I find the new approach truly uninspired. Apparently, this idea is the current fad of the day, and Bethlehem is also doing it. Bureaucrats are bureaucrats, whether at a city hall or the school district building, and seldom think beyond the ideas presented in their profession's current magazines.

Before large public school systems were gutted by cost cutting, after-school activities offered a large menu of activities and sports. These were the lures which attracted students, whether it be theater or football. As a taxpayer,  I would rather see the money spent the old fashion way, on coaches instead of communication directors.

photo: the former Little Palestra at Allentown High School

Early Morning In Allentown's Cedar Creek Park

Occasionally, I get to combine my passion for photography and the parks. By my criterion, the Allentown park system is in dire straights. While we have been buying plastic junk from catalogs, and allowing the Wildlands Conservancy to grow weeds along the creeks, the important features are crumbling. Pawlowski has been a disaster for the parks, and his succession of park directors are equally clueless. Although, it is my hope for a new mayor, my advocacy will continue, regardless of who prevails in November.

photo credit: molovinsky/Early morning winter scene along the Cedar Creek.

Growing Old Waiting For Cedarbrook

The Lehigh County Commissioners finally approved renovating Cedarbrook on Wednesday evening, with a 5-4 vote. I have posted on the nursing home over a dozen times, and most recently accused the commissioners of continued stalling on their decision. Supposedly, those against the renovation favored building a brand new facility. One would have to question how many more years the new construction option would have taken to study and actually happen, if ever.  There was no way that the old Scott Ott slate was going to stay in the nursing home business. From my point of view,  if we have to be in the prison business,  why not also fulfill an honorable obligation to our elderly citizens. In the meantime, just for PC, they funded farmland preservation,  which is actually a glorified subsidy for the landed gentry.

As a taxpayer, I addressed the commissioners on this topic twice since 2014. As a blogger, I endorsed Dan Hartzell, because he indicated support for our seniors and the facility. I'm hopeful now that the construction will move forward, and will be endorsing Brad Osborne for executive, who supported the project. I'm grateful that Tom Muller had the tenacity to keep the needs of our seniors on the front burner.

photocredit: K Mary Hess

Bernie and Anonymous Said

I've been holding my tongue for quite a while with this topic,  but as Popeye says,  "That's all I can stands, cuz I can't stands n'more." It's exhausting taking Bernie O'Hare on, for a variety of reasons.  First and foremost,  he thinks that he is never wrong,  and is certainly incapable of conceding as much.  Furthermore,  last time we sparred, he made a veiled threat to file a lawsuit.  He has some notion that criticism assaults his integrity,  and that he will defend his current integrity in court,  because of some issue earlier in his life.  He already  excludes MOLOVINSKY ON ALLENTOWN from his local blog list.

My complaint is his selective criticism of those who comment.  He has no issue with anonymous commenters who agree with his point of view,  but those who disagree are often called cowards.  Furthermore,  recently he has taken to identifying opposing comments from those that he is criticizing.  He recently labeled comments defending Justin Simmons as coming from Justin.   It's puzzling to me how he knows who certain anons are,  but not others?

An excerpt from this post was presented earlier this evening on Facebook

ADDENDUM: Bernie responded with a post on his blog.  Needless to say, he finds no fault with his comment policy.  His excuse that he doesn't link here because I host hate is really another  hostile misrepresentation by him.  He actually doesn't include this blog on his blogroll because I offended him by pointing out that his disclaimers about supporting Morganelli were inadequate. In Bernie's world loyalty is the main theme, in mine it is truthfulness.   He's allowing no comments on the post, he simply cannot stand criticism.