Pray For Allentown

When Allentown Police Chief Charles Roca put up a Pray For Ukraine meme yesterday, my immediate thought was Pray For Allentown. I had just learned that in addition to the shots fired in Cedar Beach Sunday evening, there was another homicide, at an east side bar early Thursday morning.

In addition to putting out this blog every weekday, I also administer a large facebook group, Allentown Chronicles. The group majors in history, and minors in local politics.  Many of its members are former Allentonians, whose memory dwells in better days for the Queen City. Many of them would prefer not even to read about the town's current state of crime.

In addition to those members fixated on the past, there is a group which I refer to as the cheerleaders. These are current residents who compare Allentown to Philadelphia, Chicago and Detroit, and think Allentown is just experiencing urban problems that are part of life in all big cities. Many of them are either transplants, or too young to remember the good old days. One of the cheerleaders mentioned that there were only 6 fatalities in 2020. He omitted the fact that there were 63 shootings. The low kill rate is only from poor aim, and good ER work at the local hospitals.

This post is not intended to minimize the suffering occurring in Ukraine. It is also not intended to demean the empathy shown by Chief Roca to that tragedy.

I altered Chief Roca's meme by putting Allentown over it.

Morning Call's Social Agenda

The Morning Call's coverage of the Cedar Beach Park shooting incident started and ended with quotes from Pastor/Activist Gregory Edwards, who wasn't there, on the relationship between poverty and violence. In between, there were quotes from Enid Santiago, who wasn't there. Although Edwards' grandchildren were in the park(not him), so were hundreds of other children.  Enid Santiago was a candidate for state representative, who didn't even win the primary election. 

Why is the Morning Call featuring these people in an article about a seminal incident in Allentown?  And certainly, a drive-by shooting in an Allentown park is a seminal incident or a low point. Although nobody was actually shot, that was only by a blessing. The shooter was across the creek and bridge from the basketball courts, shooting a handgun. Nearby was the Destination Playground, full of children.

The Morning Call has been obsessed with what they promote as the new leaders in Allentown.  As a paying subscriber to the paper, I can tell them that I had enough, too much already, about their view of new leaders in Allentown. All I want to know is who the shooter was arraigned before, and what bail was set? It couldn't be too high!

artwork shown above by Mark Beyer

Gun Shots At Cedar Beach Park

I was saddened to hear about shots being fired near the basketball courts in Cedar Beach Park. 

I'm afraid the city is at the point now that when a crowd is drawn to Cedar Beach and other parks, we need additional police coverage on site.  

The Morning Call reports Pastor/activist Gregory Edwards as saying... 

“So, when we talk about public safety, ... poverty is an act of violence. When folks are living in abject poverty, poverty is an act of violence, and so certain types of crimes happen in certain environments. I’m not abdicating personal responsibility, but certain types of crime happen in certain environments because of the lack of resources that could alter someone’s decision."

In all respect to Pastor Edwards, Allentown always had poor people and Allentown always had parks, but we never had shootings in the parks. Credit to Mayor Tuerk, who seems to understand that poverty is one issue and public safety is another. 

While the activists will always want more resources for their poverty programs,  the police need more manpower,  if our city and parks are to become safe again.

Ag Hall At The Fairgrounds

Growing up in Allentown, the fair was part of our lives. From being a boy going with my parents, to a teenager jumping over the fence and ogling at the girlie shows.

Both my father and I had stands at the fair. He had a food stand one year as a warmup to opening a fast food drive-in. A friend and myself made and sold printed tee-shirts during high school.

As the years passed, my interest in the midway waned, but I found Ag Hall more interesting. You know you're entering the sedate stage when the bottled vegetables at the Grange exhibit interest you.

The photo shown above was taken in Ag Hall at the 1993 dog show.

Harris Converts To Republicanism

Lisa Scheller and the local Republican party have gained a forceful ally, MsPhoebe Harris. Apparently, after being censured by the local Democrats for attending a function associated with the other side of the aisle, she attempted to participate in a Democratic committee meeting. Not only did she find herself unwelcome, but the police were actually summoned to eject her.  Harris maintains that she had never endorsed a Republican, and that other Democrats attended events hosted by elected Republican officials without consequence. Although my understanding of the sequence of events is somewhat murky, Harris felt discriminated against, and before the dust settled, she felt lynched. 

I first met Harris at a coffee klatch organized years ago by Robert Trotner.  A transplant from Maryland, Harris was introduced to Allentown politics when Pawlowski appointed her to the Human Relations Council. In addition to becoming the Allentown Democratic Committee president, she was elected to the Allentown School Board.  

Although being a former political opponent, I suspect that she will be appreciated by Republicans for both her focus and tenacity. Harris will have to defend her conversion to both Democrats and the local Black community, which are tightly associated. Next Saturday, at the Black History Month Commemorative Event,  I suspect that Harris will be the only Republican in the house. Perhaps there will be more before the evening is over.

ADDENDUM:I should clarify that the event she was censured for involved state senator Pat Browne. She only attended the Dr. Oz event AFTER her dust up at the Democratic Committee meeting. 

photo of Dr. Oz and MsPhoebe Harris

Bill Whitewashing At The Morning Call

In his recent column, we learn that Bill White is worried that what he calls the MAGA candidates are going to win come November.  He goes on to clarify that these are the Trump people.  Now, I'm not a Trump person myself, but I sure hope that there are some wholesale changes in Harrisburg. 

Bill claims that he was a long time critic against the Democratic corruption in Harrisburg, but that these MAGAs will really undermine our state's progress. Of course in this Valley of Incumbents Voted for Life, White never put a name to any of these Democrats. It's easy to complain about corruption in the state house when never naming a culprit. 

While White claims that he wanted to see improvement in Harrisburg, he's still worried about any of the status quo being changed out. Over the years White has labeled me misguided and dour for actually naming bad people and programs.  There is a reason that the FBI spent two years investigating Allentown, and practically every contract signed at city hall. It took that long because there were no clues from Bill White or anybody else at the Morning Call.

The West End Train Branch

The Lehigh Valley Railroad operated a train branch line which served Allentown's commercial west end. It ran along Sumner Avenue servicing the scrap metal yards, warehouses and numerous coal dealers located there. The line then crossed Tilghman Street on a diagonal at 17th, before looping back east by Liberty Street at the Fairgrounds. The line ended at a rail yard now housing the small shopping center at 12th and Liberty. Although many of former commercial buildings still exist, all now house more retail type businesses. The B'nai Brith Apartments occupy the site of the former Trexler Lumber Yard. These historical shorts are difficult to write, because most current residents have no frame of reference to our former commercial past. True historians, such as the local railroad buffs, cringe at the lack of detail and specific location of the tracks. Suffice to say that once upon a time, the mid-section of Allentown had much more commerce.

reprinted from December of 2012