Allentown, Not Much For History

Once you go a mile west beyond Bethlehem, there's not much interest in history.  There's also not much interest in art or architecture.  Boast as you will about Allentown's new NIZ buildings, but there won't be any awards given there for architecture.  The new waterfront NIZ district will remove the historic LVRR rail tracks.  The local historical society concentrates on shows about Abraham Lincoln, with no interest in local topics. The Allentown park department actually encourages the disregard to its original plans and structures.*  We're being led by people who seemed more concerned with their own future, be it in real estate or politics.

For years my efforts have concentrated on trying to save those historical structures unique to our area.  Although I may occasionally still succumb to that compulsion in the future,  hopefully, most of my protest will now be limited to posts on this blog.  I pleaded to no avail with too many commissions with predetermined agendas.  Let the less disillusioned plead to the deaf ears behind those dais.

Shown above is the former LVRR railroad station on Hamilton Street, which was demolished in the early 1960's.  The existing train station was the New Jersey Central.  Allentown never met a unique older building that it couldn't wait to tear down.

* This post is reprinted from July of 2015. Allentown now has a new mayor and a new park director. I am encouraged that the new administration will be more sensitive to our history.

The Life Of Riley

The situation comedies of the 50's had a common theme. The father would have to resolve some family commotion within 30 minutes, but back then 30 minutes was longer, there were many less commercials. Diversity was limited to social-economic circumstances. Ozzie Nelson lived in an idealized suburban house and had all day to find the solution. Riley worked in factory, lived in a duplex, and had to do his conflict resolution after work.

Conflict is no stranger to this blog, often only lubricated by turmoil. Though usually dissecting Democrats, I have also bickered with the remnants of the local Republican party. Seems the remnants resented it when I revealed that the majority of homeowners in the West Park area were opposed to the Historic District, imposed upon them a decade ago. They can't understand why the opposers didn't attend their coffee clutches at the time; They say that they would have dropped the plan if only they knew. They didn't offer that option back then, to the standing room only protesters, at the City Council Meetings.

William Bendix, as Riley, would end every episode by saying "What a revoltin development this is", pretty much like Allentown.

UPDATE: This post is adapted from April 2009. In retrospect, they were the good old days. An outrage at that time was having an historic district imposed on a neighborhood. Now, we have a mayor who takes an entire square block, tears it down, and burdens the community with $200 million in debt, with no public input what-so-ever. What a revoltin development this is.

reprinted from April of 2012

Crime And Perception In Allentown

An article in this weekend's Morning Call vaunts the statistical decrease in Allentown crime.   Although the numbers may give the local politicians and police chiefs some talking points,  they provide no comfort, what so ever, to the citizens.  Furthermore,  they do nothing to change the perceptions of crime and safety in center city Allentown.

Although I realize that this post will deemed as naysaying by my usual critics,  perception is more important than numbers.  Reporting that homicides dropped from 17 to 12 for last year, says more about bad aim than civility.  The number of stabbings increased.

Crime dipped supposedly all across America.  Here again, when you hear about the number of shooting deaths in Chicago, Detroit, and Baltimore, one must wonder about how meaningful these new crime guidelines actually are.

artwork by Mark Beyer

Allentown's Pending Cold Winter

2018 promises to be a cold winter in Allentown. The city is being governed by a mayor facing over fifty charges of corruption. He was elected by plurality in a three way election, mostly by Allentown's newer population. If he is forced to resign because of a plea or conviction, Ray O'Connell expects to be selected mayor by city council.

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 in Allentown were 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. The current mayor has no memory of those times, and might be too preoccupied to care much about sledding this winter.

* hill in Lehigh Parkway, above the Log and Stone House

photo courtesy of S. Williams.

reprinted from December of 2017

Sanders, God and Trump

Readers of this blog know that among those that regularly comment here,  there is a wide range of opinion. A liberal leaning commenter justified CNN not covering the White House briefing, because Sanders told a Christian Broadcaster that she believed that God wanted Trump to be president. In other words, in his mind she admitted that she is crazy.

She didn't make that statement in a White House briefing as new government policy... It was rather a personal opinion, to another person of faith. While I do not share her opinion about Trump and God, I do believe that White House briefings need to be covered, if CNN wants to serve its public. Their editorial opinion of Trump's policies is irrelevant, regarding their responsibility to present news. If they editorially believe that the briefings more resemble propaganda than facts, that too is irrelevant. They seem to be on a moral high horse, commingling their opinion with what constitutes news.

I can appreciate that Trump and his administration present a challenge to the media. I cringe when Trump publicly disputes our own intelligence agencies. I'm not oblivious to his inappropriate and misinformed statements. However, he is the current president, and his office's news briefings are news. Time has shown us that every statement out of the White House has not always proved historically accurate. Roosevelt may not have been as surprised by the Pearl Harbor bombings as he proclaimed afterward, on the famous radio broadcast. We're in a different media age. Information is now transmitted instantly, from around the world. Informed citizens have a lot to absorb. I prefer my media sources to separate out their attitude, from the information they present as news.

Morning Call Joins News Ban

Last night on the Call website, in the top roll of articles was a commentary piece from the Washington Post.  The column, written by Erik Wemple,  justifies CNN not covering the recent press briefing by Sarah Sanders,  because of White House lies. He also cites frequent distortions and falsehoods.  If these are not justifications enough, he adds their bogus pronouncements and concludes that CNN's audience appreciates discretion in what news is presented.

Now, I understand that there is a history of tension between CNN and the Trump administration. However, with CNN's dominant position in media,  democracy would be better served by allowing the public to hear the briefings.  Instead, we have a major cable and internet provider deciding what is news worthy for us, with a major paper justifying the censorship. Then, that attitude is passed on to  minor markets,  like Allentown.

If Trump felt as if he was mistreated by the press in 2016,  he hasn't seen anything yet,  if he runs again in 2020.

Independents As Spoilers.

The Democrats are in a bit of a snit because Starbuck's Howard Schultz might run as an independent. They're afraid that such a run would siphon votes away from the Democrat candidate, and give Donald Trump a victory in 2020.

Neera Tanden, president of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress and confidante of 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, tweeted: "Vanity projects that help destroy democracy are disgusting. "If he enters the race, I will start a Starbucks boycott because I'm not giving a penny that will end up in the election coffers of a guy who will help Trump win."

It is a reality in two party America that independents can inadvertently act as a spoiler, but to suggest that such an effort destroys democracy is in actuality an assault on democracy in itself.

We could have better government on every level if we were not married to the two party reality. Note, I did not write two party system, because the Constitution never specified having parties, or the number of them.

Meanwhile, the Democrat pundits are suggesting that Schultz could best fulfill his hopes for America by not running,  but fund the get out the vote effort.