Mayor Blows Smoke Up Puff Bloggers' Behind

A local puff/hate blog currently has an interview with Mayor Pawlowski. Talk about bad timing, the mayor is asked about previous accusations of favoritism shown to the Brew Works. Mayor Ed denies the rumors and goes on to state he supports any business which contributes to Allentown. The displaced owner of the golf course concession might take exception with that statement. Mr. Stanley, after operating the Sand Trap Grill for ten years, was outbid not by price, but by a "better" answer; and the winner was the Brew Works, what a small world. Councilman Peter Schweyer apparently knew Stanley was a goner before he did. The mayor was also "confused" with at least one other answer, but he did pick the appropriate blog for half-truths.

Golf Course Shenanigans 2

Original Posting on Dec. 24;
According to an article by Jarrett Renshaw in today's Morning Call, the long term (more than ten years) operator of the restaurant at the golf course has been out maneuvered by Mayor Pawlowski. Although his bid was identical to the successful bidder, the winner provided better answers to a questionnaire; so much for the concept of respecting an existing tenant and his track record. The new tenant, Allentown Brew Works, also has a track record with the city and taxpayers. Jarrett Renshaw writes, "The awarding of the Brew Works contract continues a long line of public support to the Allentown Brew Works, which has enjoyed more than $4.5 million in local, state and federal loans and grants to renovation and construction. The public support includes more than $90,000 in direct taxpayers support from the city of Allentown for design and facade improvements. In addition, the Allentown restaurant sits in a Keystone Opportunity Zone, which means it's exempt from most state and local taxes until 2011."
The decision was not officially made by Pawlowski, but by his five-person committee of city officials. Rumor of this shenanigan has been circulating town for several weeks.
NEW SHENANIGANS
Jarrett Renshaw now reports on the Queen City Blog*, that the out maneuvered operator of the golf course grill, Robert Stanley, appeared before Allentown City Council, to no avail, with over 150 golfer signatures asking the city to retain his Sand Trap Grille. Pawlowski defended his decision to "upgrade" the concession and "create a destination that appeals to more than just golfers." Someone should inform the Mayor, and City Council, that the golf course, parking lot and concession is for the golfers. The only upgrades needed are the elected officials at City Hall.

* http://blogs.mcall.com/allentown/2009/02/local-golfers-armed-with-a-petition-of-150-signatures-stormed-city-council-wednesday-night-to-protesta-recent-recent-decisi.html

Mt. Sinai, Consecrated Ground

Jews have been buried in a small section of Fairview Cemetery, called Mt. Sinai, for over 138 years. Although the markings on several stones have worn away, Hannah Dreifuss was buried there in 1868. The September 10th Chronicle in 1875 reported that two members of the Jewish faith, prominent Hamilton Street merchants, Joshua Schnurman and Simon Feldman, purchased a section from Fairview Cemetery and applied for a charter for Mt. Sinai Cemetery,* thus creating the first Jewish Institution in Allentown.
Fairview Cemetery itself was not formally laid-out until 1870, when the renowned architectural firm Lathan of Buffalo was hired to create the premiere resting place in the Lehigh Valley. The giants of Allentown would be buried there, among them Harry Trexler, the Leh's, and the Mack's of truck fame.
The History Lehigh County, published in 1914, notes Mt. Sinai contained 29 graves.** Among them was Julia Wolf, who died in 1907. Her husband Morris served with the local regiment in the Civil War, and lived to be 98 years old. Feldman and Schnurman were among the earliest Jews in Allentown, immigrants from Germany who practiced the modern "Reformed" Judaism. These gentlemen and their extended family members would go on to form the "Young Ladies and Men's Hebrew Society" in 1883***, a predecessor to the Keneseth Israel Congregation organized in 1903. Mt. Sinai remained the resting place for Reformed Jews till 1928, when Keneseth Israel established its own cemetery. Burials continued at Mt. Sinai through the 1940's as spouses and passing family members joined those previously departed in family plots. Today there are 78 graves. In July of 2006, thirty years after the previous burial in 1976, Joseph Levine was laid to rest at the age of 103.

* Chronicle source courtesy of Frank Whelan
** states "people of Hebrew faith" purchased section in 1881
*** Congregation Keneseth Israel 100th Anniversary History

Blogger's Note: Mt. Sinai Cemetery is unaffiliated with any synagogue, and with few exceptions, has been unused for 60 years.

Clueless In Allentown

The other day in letter to the editor, a self-confessed "ardent booster" of downtown Allentown, was "astonished" that Freeman's would close its Hamilton Street location in the middle of all the "positive activity." Ignoring the reality that the store had more chance of being robbed than selling anything, the cheerleader cited a planned charter school moving into a vacant office building. Will their students buy high end jewelry? The "renaissance" includes The Cosmopolitan restaurant on 6th Street. Not often has a building foundation been so elegantly named and subsidized. Included on his list of proposed construction is Nic Zawarski's project at the former Schoen Furniture site on Hamilton Street. I hope Nic first finishes the townhouses he suspended on 8th Street. Lastly, this believer cited the pending sale of the Americus Hotel, the real reason for this posting. From time to time, it has been necessary for me to say things to which almost everybody flinches. Unfortunately, for all of us, I have been usually correct. (all the time, but that sounds too arrogant) My fear is that down the road, the Americus operated by Mendleson. may turn out being less problematic for Allentown than under new ownership. Here's why; By every measure the building is an enormous white elephant. Under Satan (nobody has ever been more vilified than Mendleson) two long term established businesses contributed to downtown, Kerrigan Shoe Service and Minnich Jewelers. He keep the building open renting out only about six apartments. He paid the taxes, always two years late at the sheriff sale, but he paid the taxes. Under the new buyer, we will bestow endless grants and KOZ status. There will be no taxes for many years, if ever. We will never regain merchants of the caliber we lost. (Pawlowski chased them out to turn off the electricity, which has stayed on anyway). All this is the good news, here's the bad; the building will be turned into 100 low income apartments, ensuring there will never again be a clientele on Hamilton Street which could afford jewelry at a store like Freeman's. Mr. letter to the editor, perhaps the owner of Freeman's reached a different conclusion about these projects leading to a "renaissance."

UPDATE: I do not mean to imply the building will be designated low income, rather this is the demographic which the finished project will attract. 100 units is a guesstimate, assuming the first several floors will be commercial

UPDATE 2: According to The Morning Call, Mendleson has concocted another buyer to negate Allentown's petition to the bankruptcy judge. Pawlowski's buyer is a local apartment operator, who would have paid $750,000 to the city through the sheriff tax sale procedure.

The Second Tenant

As both a property manager and a political activist, I know Allentown needs less housing, not more, to upgrade itself out of its current problems. I have opposed the mass conversion of commercial space into loft apartments, and the building of new townhouses on former parking lots. The apologists for this administration, both amateur and professional, dismissed my perspective as nay-saying, claiming a middle-class will relocate to these urban experiments. Experience has taught me that the first tenant doesn't matter, who will be the second and third tenant? Will that new apartment soon be occupied by another young unwed mother on a buffet of entitlements. Several years ago the residents around St. Pauls Church, at 8th and Walnut, objected to losing the neighborhood parking lots for a Nic Zawarski Townhouse project. Pawlowski and The Parking Authority bestowed the parking lots, high hopes and KOZ status on the new townhouses. Those completed and unsold are now being offered for rent.* Although the apologists explained how the units were built for childless well heeled buyers, under the reality of federal rental discrimination laws, the Allentown School System better buy a few more desks.

*http://www.niczhomes.com/rental-properties/rental-communities.php

No Past, No Future

Yesterday, I went to the local history room at the public library to continue my research on Mt. Sinai, the old Jewish section of Fairview Cemetery. Sometimes you get lucky, sharing the room with me was Frank Whelan, Allentown's history expert. Many of you may remember Ask Frank, his column at The Morning Call. I found nothing in the card catalog on either Mt. Sinai or Fairview. On a hunch I asked Frank, a Christian, if he knew anything about the obscure Jewish Mt. Sinai; I hit the jackpot. Unfortunately, Allentown is not as lucky. Frank has been laid off from his position at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, operated by the Lehigh County Historical Society. Their director, Joseph Garrera, although an expert on Lincoln, is not even from this area. It seems that the local historical society, with a half dozen or so paid positions, chose to dismiss the only local expert on the staff to save a few bucks. Frank's salary was nominal, I'm sure it costs more to feed the penguins at the zoo. Allentown is changing quickly in every way. It is not enough for the Museum to save the local artifacts, while it discards the local resources.

Allentown Crime Down

According to statistics released by the State Police, crime rates have decreased in Allentown. If this makes you feel safer, please stop reading this blog now, because you are a moron. However, there are other local blogs you may well enjoy, among others, I suggest Allentown Good News or Lehigh Valley Somebody. If your interested in seeing a powerpoint presentation of the actual statistics and charts, attend an upcoming campaign meeting with Mayor Pawlowski. Many of his presentations can be seen at suburban churches, comfortably away from the "safety" of Allentown. Although this report may be of little consolation to the 85 year old west Allentown woman, recently punched three times in the face in her own garage, these numbers are music for those who design election brochures. This city has degenerated into the frightening realm of home invasions, what can it matter that vehicle thefts have decreased from 553 to 492?

Photo, courtesy of William Weber from the Herman L. Weber Collection

Exclusive Interview with Pawlowski

Bill and Angie Villa have just announced that they have arranged an exclusive interview with Mayor Pawlowski. They will accept questions the public wishes to ask the mayor. Here's a few questions; Does the mayor have any hesitation about being interviewed by a couple who are routinely dishonest about what they and others say? Does he object to the Villa's assuming other people's identity on their and other people's blogs? Is he bothered by the fact that the Villa's continually attack the integrity of the District Attorney and the Editor of The Morning Call? Does he mind that the Villa's submitted a member of Allentown City Council and a Northampton County District Justice to insults?