The Roasting Of Harry Trexler

In a recent discussion of the weed wall in Cedar Park, someone commented that Harry Trexler must be turning over in his grave. In reality, poor Harry has been on a rotisserie for decades, which ironically he pays for.

In 1985, when the Trexler Trust allowed Allentown to demolish Mary Trexler's cherished greenhouse, he turned over in the grave. When sitting members of the Trust were in Ed Pawlowski's kitchen cabinet, they started discarding traditional guidelines for the parks. Creek decisions were outsourced to the Wildlands Conservancy.

The original creek banks sheltered by willows are a thing of the past. Hundreds of trees have been closely planted together, even farther out from the banks, making the former traditional grass cutting impossible. The city/park department has even started a Forestry Master Plan. The Trexler Trust and its new Parknership are on board with these plantings, recently funding more trees. For the most part, the Parknership has been involved with recreation....Perhaps it should have been called the Playship.

West Park Storm Report

The West Park Civic Association's Facebook page, showing the storm damage to the park, was widely shared. Having lived by the park for many years, and being opinionated about the park department, I decided to survey the park myself.

I'm glad to report that damage was mostly limited to one quadrant, and the park/arboretum was mostly spared. The city was there with both ample equipment and manpower cleaning up.

While the park is a gem, the civic organization is one of the saving graces in Allentown. I'm sure the same can be said for other groups in Allentown, but I'm more familiar with the West Park group.

shown above 1950 era post card

Allentown Department Of Neglect

The above wall separates the parking lot from the path at the Park Department office. The wall was built as part of the barn yard in the early 1900's. The trolley to Dorney Park ran in front of it. About six years ago, when the crack was about one half inch wide, I suggested that a dap of cement was in order. 

The Park Department seems to prefer to let things go, until which time they need to be replaced, rather than repaired. However,  if the project is for recreation, it's another story. Last summer the skate bowl at Jordan Park was doubled in size. This past spring, hundreds of trees were added out from the creek weed walls.

Talking of trees, West Park took a particularly hard beating Saturday night from the storm. The Department is going to have its hands full this week cleaning up from both the July 4th festivities, and the storm.

Dour, Misguided Molovinsky & NIZ

For this post I tried to locate a photo of Seymour Traub lecturing me at a city council meeting. Our faces aren't visible, but you see a very tall man lecturing a short man. Reilly, Traub and the NIZ were lucky, because for years the only vocal objector was this blogger. After I represented the opposition at a Iannelli Business Matters show, Bill White wrote that I was dour and misguided.

While I was a minor annoyance to the powers that be, Jarrett Coleman would emerge to beat NIZ architect of record Pat Browne in the state senate primary. Coleman has been actively trying to inject some accountability into the NIZ for the sake of the taxpayers.

Sy Traub was forced this week to postpone a meeting to sit new members to the NIZ board, because they were not reviewed by Harrisburg. While the occurrence was reported by the Morning Call, the reporter doesn't understand, or at least report, Traub's consigliere role in the NIZ.

shown above Business Matters. left to Right, Tony Iannelli, Steve Thode, Sy Traub, Michael Molovinsky, Mike Fleck

Is The Color Purple Now Blue

As I set type for tomorrow's edition, we learn that Lehigh County Commissioner Jon Irons is resigning. Jon is very progressive, more so than the accused, indicted drug dealer. How the commission got so far to the left escaped my active scrutiny. Last time I was at a meeting, Lisa Scheller and the Republicans were in charge.

In recent history, I know that progressive Josh Siegel easily beat former Allentown Police Chef Roger Maclean.  A Republican partisan in my orbit claims that only Democrats can now win, and that good people don't want to run for local offices.

I understand the Democratic strength in Allentown with a Latino majority. I believe that the D's strength in the county should be alarming to the Republicans campaigning for the midterms. While I won't be doing much endorsing, I make an exception for Jarrett Coleman, who has been fighting for the taxpayers since being elected to Harrisburg.

Trump and Marie Antoinette

On Saturday night, Trump stated that the earthquake in Venezuela was terrible, but because of his takeover of that country, people were dancing in the streets. I have been watching reports from that devastated country, and needless to say, no one is dancing.

How out of touch must someone be to refer to dancing when there is so much destruction and death? Trump is right up there with Marie Antoinette. How sycophantic can Republicans be to not call Trump out about such statements?

Although the Republicans are emboldened by the Trump pick successes in the primaries, they may well end up with a less competitive candidate come the general in November.

Growing Up Allentown

I'm a baby boomer. I was born at the end of 1946. As soon as my mother climbed out of the hospital bed, another woman climbed in. I grew up in the neighborhood now called Little Lehigh Manor, wedged between Lehigh Street and the top of the ravine above Lehigh Parkway. That's me on our lawn at the intersection of Catalina and Liberator Avenues, named after airplanes made by Vultee Corporation for the War. We had our own elementary school, our own grocery store, and the park to play in. 

On Saturdays, older kids would take us along on the trolley, and later the bus, over the 8th Street Bridge to Hamilton Street. There were far too many stores to see everything. After a matinee of cartoons or Flash Gordon, and a banana split at one of the five and dimes, we would take the bus back over the bridge to the shelter of our neighborhood.

reprinted from June of 2008

ADDENDUM JUNE 30, 2026:This post along with thirty five other baby boomer memories of Allentown comprise my book available at Amazon.