Cannibal Valley

During the summer of 1952, Lehigh Valley Transit rode and pulled its trolley stock over to Bethlehem Steel, to be chopped up and fed to the blast furnaces. The furnaces themselves ceased operation in 1995, and are now a visual backdrop for young artists, most of whom never saw those flames that lit up that skyline. Allentown will now salvage some architectural items documented on this blog, and begin tearing down its shopping district, which was serviced by those trolleys. As young toothless athletes from Canada, entertain people from Catasauqua, on the ice maintained by a Philadelphia company, Allentown begins another chapter in its history of cannibalism. 

photo from August 1952, showing last run on St. John Street to Bethlehem Steel

reprinted from November of 2011

Hispanic Identity Politics

Some of the new state house districts in Pennsylvania,  especially for Hispanics in Allentown,  are ethnic mapping by design.  Although it is Hispanic political affirmative action, it's still not enough for some activists.  Local Spanish radio guru Victor Martinez complained that there are too many other minorities in the new third Allentown District as proposed.

I suppose that in the world of Enid Santiago and Martinez, only Hispanics would run and vote, ensuring Enid's victory.  After Enid lost the primary last time, in addition to contesting the vote, she ran as a write-in against her own party's elected winner.  Her crew even managed to strong arm support for the effort from some incumbent Democrats.

Because the new state map was purposefully drawn with eight minority opportunity districts,  the local Hispanic community and others will succeed in electing more representatives to the state house. However, whether such a preoccupation with identity politics really serves the best interests of any community in the long term is questionable.

Allentown Postcards

I have often used old postcards of Allentown on this blog. Most of the cards have a similar coloration, and were photographed by Harold Becraft in the early 1950's. Becraft was a photographer from Suffern N.Y., who produced many of the images used in the postcards of Allentown's parks. These cards were produced locally by E.H. Scholl Co. In addition to Becraft's name on the front, they're also marked Kodachrome. Although Becraft did many park scenes for Schall, the image shown above is one of his few cityscapes.

reprinted from May of 2013

The Morning Call Delivery

I've been a continuous Morning Call subscriber for 34 years, every day, seven days a week. I think that might well be some sort of record. Even other dinosaurs, occasionally, have let their subscriptions expire, to take advantage of some promotion. Not me, full ticket, paid by the year. The last couple of years, as their delivery system broke down, I have taken to pay semi annually. Quarterly will now be the prudent choice. I no longer attempt to complain about a missing paper. Waiting to speak to somebody in India is detrimental to my blood pressure. molovinsky on allentown opens early, but the paper keeps coming later; Even mcall doesn't refresh itself until about 5:45 a.m. I no longer get the paper in time for my morning coffee, the pot is long empty by the time it arrives. I suppose soon I'll have to get my news from the City Web Site.

reprinted from December of 2011

Allentown 1950

Sixty years ago downtown Allentown hummed. It was fueled by the vision of people who developed empires, not cookie cutter ideas from the National Magazines for Bureaucrats, like the arena. Shown here is the Transit Office and depot at the side of 8th and Hamilton. General Trexler had been a principle in the Trolley Company, which also built the 8th Street Bridge, to connect Allentown with points south, all the way to Philadelphia. In addition to being the terminal for the Philadelphia bound Liberty Bell, it also fed the merchants of Allentown with thousands of shoppers from its many Allentown routes. The shoppers now sit on the cold steel benches at the Lanta Detention Center on 7th Street, as the non-visionaries prepare to demolish the center of town, to build a monstrosity. 

The light and shadows reveal that this is an early morning photo. In a few hours 8th and Hamilton (behind the trolley) would be clogged with shoppers

above reprinted from December of 2011

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 24, 2021: In the decade since the above was written, downtown Allentown turned into an urban office park. While there are a few stores, it no longer aspires to be a shopping destination. The first floor retail space in the new apartment buildings are to justify the NIZ financing requirement, not to meet any market demand for storefronts. Criticism of the new center city is limited mostly to this blog. Other voices, such as the newspaper, have either profitted from the NIZ, or are indifferent.

The Clown And The Landlord

Yesterday's Morning Call had an article by Dan Hartzell on Sunday's Halloween Parade. Dan wrote "Last minute financial donations from community activists saved the 2005 parade..." Hartzell goes on to write about the candidates present and the weather conditions, but who were the community activists? He then writes "City Parks and Recreation Director Greg Weitzel said the parade is no longer under threat of extinction- a good thing, since the event dates to 1905 and could be the oldest Halloween parade in the country." But who were the community activists? As a boy growing up in the 50's, the Halloween Parade was one of the biggest events of the year. My family would watch from around 15th and Hamilton, avoiding the packed crowds further down in the teeming shopping area. I remember Hopalong Cassidy riding his horse in the parade. In 2006, another TV icon from that era, cowgirl Sally Starr, participated in the parade at age 83. I don't know how many people in 2006 had any idea who Sally Starr was? Now in 2010, not only is Sally Starr forgotten, so are the community activists who saved the Oldest Halloween Parade in America(Inc.)*. Saving the parade was organized by Everett Bickford, aka Apples the Clown, and Heidi Unterberg. The parade was able to occur because of a donation from John Chapkovich, at the time a 23 year old landlord. Thanks Everett, thanks Heidi, thanks John, for keeping a 105 year old tradition going.

*Oldest Halloween Parade in America Inc. is copyrighted by Everett Bickford

reprinted from November of 2010

Branding Candidate Molovinsky

An article on Wehr's Dam referred to me as a blogger running for State Representative. Before that label sticks,  please allow me to identify myself. I'm a long time community advocate, who in recent years has used a blog to help shine light on issues. Long before I had a blog, or even a computer, I was a contributor to the community dialogue. Although a life long proponent of historical preservation, in the late 90's I organized homeowners who felt an unnecessary proposed historic district infringed upon their property rights. Among many other issues in recent years, I turned my attention to the preservation of the WPA structures gracing our communities. Although the article referred to me as a member of the group defending Wehr's Dam, I actually started that effort. Even though Allentown is not part of the 183rd District, I continue to publish molovinsky on allentown, because it is an archive on my activism during the last decade. However, that activism started long before the blog. 

above reprinted from September of 2014 

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 22, 2021: I have always considered state government in Pennsylvania dysfunctional, and self serving for those incumbents elected here for life. With that conviction, I ran as an independent in 2014 against eleven term incumbent Julie Harhart, even though the Northampton area dominated the little sliver of South Whitehall in the 183th District. It is my understanding that the proposed new map places the township in one district. I wonder if South Whitehall would now be ready to be represented by a trouble maker like myself?