The Lehigh Valley At War

If you lived in the Lehigh Valley during either World War, you knew that those victories required an enormous amount of equipment. Mack Truck was under control of the War Department during both conflicts, starting in 1915 and then again in 1942. The Queen City Airport on Lehigh Street is a vestige of the second war. Mack Truck and Consolidated-Vultee Aircraft joined forces to produce planes and plane parts. Mack's biggest contribution was its trucks during WW1, establishing their reputation for durability. The naval gun shop at Bethlehem Steel was one of the largest in the world when built. With barrels up to 14 inches, it was capable of providing up to 30 guns a day.

Mack Trucks for War Department 1918

above reprinted from January 2013

UPDATE May 2, 2018: Mack Defense, a division of Mack Truck in Macungie, was just awarded a Defense Department contract for $82 million to produce trucks through 2023.

Saving The Spring Pond

As a small boy growing up in the twin homes above Lehigh Parkway, I would go down the steep wooded ravine and cross the Robin Hood Bridge. The stone lined spring pond and miniature bridge was just the first in a series of wonderful WPA constructions to explore. Last year, when I organized the reclamation of the Boat Landing, my memory turned to the pond. Although overgrown with several inches of sod, I knew the treasure was still savable.





In the spring of 2010 I met Mike Gilbert of the Park Department, and pitched the idea of a partial restoration. On May 26th, I posted A Modest Proposal, which outlined my hopes for the pond. By July, Gilbert had the Park Department clear off the remaining stones, and clean up around the miniature bridge.


Park Director Greg Weitzel  indicated to me that the pond features uncovered will be maintained. Any further clearing would be at the discretion of Mike Gilbert. In our conversation he also stated that there are virtually no funds available for the preservation of the WPA icons.







I will attempt to organize a group and contributions for this most worthy cause. Between the Spring Pond and The Boat Landing there was once a bridge to the island. Wouldn't it be nice if a small boy could go exploring.

above reprinted from previous posts

UPDATE August 2013Mike Gilbert has retired, and the Park Department has a new director. Although grass and sod are starting to again cover the remaining stones that surround the pond, the miniature bridge is still visible. I will make it my mission to again pitch the new personnel.

UPDATE June 18, 2014. The grass and sod has reclaimed the stones that surround the pond. Only the very top of the miniature bridge is still visible to those who know that it's there. Unless there is an immediate intervention, it's days are numbered.
HISTORY IS FRAGILE

UPDATE February 2017:In 2015, in cooperation with Friends of Allentown Parks, I supervised college volunteers to clear the new sod off the pond stones, and the new bush off the miniature bridge. Allentown is on its third park director since this post was first written, and has acquired two large parcels to create new parks. To be planning additional parks, when our existing park features are left to abandonment, is incredibility poor management.

UPDATE May 1, 2018:  This past weekend the pond, miniature bridge and spring channel to the creek were once again cleared.  The work was done by volunteers from Faith Church, Asbury Church, Igesia De Fe and Salem Bible Church.  Although the park department provided assistance in the two clean ups over the past several years,  they have  not provided ongoing maintenance to the site.  Understand that in the past few years they have constructed the exercise area at Jordan Park, the cement disc golf pads in the parkway and other recreational features. It is long overdue that the WPA structures be returned to the regular park budget and schedule.

When Beauty Ruled Allentown Parks

When I grew up, beauty was the hallmark of the Allentown Park System. The parks were featured by picture postcard makers, and were sent out across the country by visitors who came to marvel at our unique park system. This is not to say that they weren't played in and enjoyed by the residents. Kids passed footballs while their fathers fished along the willow lined creek edges. As I grew up living above Lehigh Parkway in Little Lehigh Manor, I can testify that hundreds of kids played in the parks all day. The parks were designed for both beauty and enjoyment.

Last weekend hundreds of tree saplings were densely planned along the creek at the rose garden. This was done to permanentize the Phony Riparian Buffer. I call it phony because in Allentown the storm water is piped directly into the streams, bypassing the buffers anyway. All that the buffers do is deny both access and visual beauty of the creeks to the public. This access and beauty was the main design feature of the Allentown Park System, and it is why the parks were placed along the streams.

The buffers are promoted by the Wildland Conservancy,  a local sacred cow which I stand alone against when defending our traditional park system.  On Friday I had my first talk with the park director since the man who hired her got convicted.  I realize that I will never succeed in having the stream banks fully restored as they were designed to be.  It is my revised mission to get sections of the banks kept mowed,  where a father might show his daughter the beauty of the creek on a spring day.

Annual NIZ Sleight Of Hand

Yesterday The Morning Call came out with their annual NIZ sleight of hand report.  It states that the NIZ is a success, because in addition to generating the taxes that center city paid previously to the state,  it earned an additional $53 million, which was used to pay $20 million for the arena and $33 million to J.B. Reilly's privately owned, but publicly financed real estate empire.

This year's report is written by a different reporter,  because the previous one spun so well he is now working for the tax funded county development agency.

What the report doesn't tell you is astounding.  Not one job or tax dollar is new to Pennsylvania.  All the businesses were poached from elsewhere in the state, many from South Whitehall.  A large percentage of that money isn't from jobs at all, but actually from the cigarette tax, which previously was used for  CHIP,  the children's health insurance program.

Understand that the sleight of hand report was written in the Morning Call building,  now owned by Reilly,  by a reporter whose own states taxes now go to Reilly.  Finding truth in this valley is becoming more challenging.  Don't assume it's in the newspaper,  or even elsewhere in the local blogosphere.

Allentown As The All American City

To we who are native Allentonians, the recent announcement of Allentown being nominated as an All American City once again is amusing. Last time we received that designation(in 1975) there were real things to hang that hat on, but now there are just facades embellished by press agents.

The requirement states that To apply, municipalities must show that they include all segments of their population in community decision-making, including diverse ethnic, racial, socio-economic and age groups, according to the National Civic League. The city must also be able to show “demonstrable, significant and measurable” achievements from the last five years.  Needless to say the city is offering the rebuilt Hamilton Street (NIZ) as its entry for the contest.  I can tell you that the public, and certainly any ethnic public, had no input what- so- ever in the NIZ. I met with the former merchants of Hamilton Street when they were being bullied by strawbuyers to sell their lifetime of work in short order,  while being threatened with eminent domain.

Our local politicians are beaming about Allentown again being nominated. They will send a delegation to Denver when the winners are announced in June.  I suspect that they won't pick me to represent the city.

A Tale Of Two Bridges

In the mid 50's, it was a big deal to us southsiders when they opened the new 15th Street Bridge. Prior to that, we had to either go over the 8th Street Bridge, or use the old stone arch bridge by the fertilizer plant. The fertilizer plant is long gone, but the old stone bridge is still there. Schreibers Bridge was built in 1828, and rehabilitated in 1920. The new 15th Street bridge was built in 1957, and is now restricted to south bound only, until which time it can be completely replaced. So the new bridge lasted 54 years, while the old stone bridge is still in use, 182 years later.

Recently, I urged Donny Cunningham not to replace the stone arch bridge on Reading Road. His project manager, Glenn Solt, insists that the historic bridge must be replaced. He stated that stone arch bridges look nice on the outside, but inside, they're filled with "crap." Thankfully, Don and Glenn didn't target Schreibers Bridge, because we're really going to need it with the new 15th Street Bridge out of commission. Hopefully, they will reconsider about stealing our history on Reading Road.

above reprinted from November of 2010  

ADDENDUM APRIL 25, 2018:   The 15th Street Bridge has been replaced.  Historic Schreiber's Bridge will now be closed to repair the north side entrance wing, which was damaged by a truck during the new, new bridge replacement.  I did manage to save the Reading Road Bridge.  Hopefully, I can now prevail upon  the new mayor, Ray O'Connell, to save the endangered Monumental Double Stairway in Lehigh Parkway.

Congressional Candidates Night In Bethlehem

Brith Sholom, the largest Jewish congregation in Bethlehem, is holding a conversation with the 7th District Congressional candidates tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m..  Although all Democrats and the Libertarian are expected to attend, both the Republican candidates had prior commitments.  Marty Nothstein will be at the Lehigh County Commissioner meeting. The candidate's views, especially in regard to Middle East affairs, will be a topic of special interest.   Members of the general public are welcome to attend.
                                                 
                         WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018, 7:00p.m.
                                    Congregation Brith Sholom
                          1190 West Macada Road, Bethlehem, Pa.