Drag Races and Such at Dorney

Dorney Park is celebrating it's 125th Anniversary, as noted by The Morning Call and Remember*, by blogger Andrew Kleiner. A landmark that old, has provided memories for five generations. As a teenager in the 1960's, friday nights at Castle Rock, a dance hall from the twenties, were literally a Freddy Cannon moment. Park admission was free, and there were many attractions which no longer exist, most victim to fire. In addition to the dance hall, there was also a roller skating ring and a stock car race track. The picture above was part of a large neon sign on Hamilton Blvd., on the northwest corner with Cedar Crest Blvd.

In 2007 John Travolta,dressed in drag, portrayed Hollywood's version of Hairspray, initially made by campy underground film maker John Waters, and shot at Dorney Park in 1988. Travolta's part was originally played by a less wholesome, real life female impersonator named Devine, who died shortly after the movie was released.

In my father's time, you could get the trolley at 8th and Hamilton and take it to Dorney Park. Through the 1980's, you could still drive on the road which went right through the middle of the park. Now, combined with a water park, Dorney has become a regional attraction. Busloads of children and families come from New York and elsewhere, but it will always remain a rite of passage for local youngsters.

* rememberkleiner.blogspot.com

Stairway To Shame

In the mid 1930's, Allentown, and especially it's park system, was endowed with magnificent stone edifices, courtesy of the WPA; Works Progress Administration. This was a New Deal program designed to provide employment during the aftermath of the depression. Stone masons from all over the country converged on this city and built structures which are unreplaceable. The walls and step structures in Lehigh Parkway, as the Union Terrace amphitheater, are legacies which must be protected. Pictured above is the grand stairway from Lawrence Street (Martin Luther King Drive) up to Union Street, built in 1936. The steps are in a state of disrepair. They lead to the great Union Street Retaining Wall, fifty feet high and two blocks long, which was completed in 1937. I call upon the Trexler Trust and Allentownians of memory, to insist these steps are re-pointed and preserved. The current Administration knows little of our past; save the things in Allentown that matter.

The City of Allentown is embarking upon a $3.8 million dollar capital plan to change the nature of our parks, funded in large part by the Trexler Trust. Although a number of fads will be accommodated, not one dollar is earmarked to preserve the existing WPA treasures. General Trexler envisioned the parks as a reserve for the passive enjoyment of nature. Among the new Disney-World type plans are a wedding pavilion in the Rose Garden, and the largest playground in eastern Pennsylvania to be built in Cedar Park. The trail through Cedar Creek Park will have lights installed, and the picnic area's will be expanded. Anybody driving past Cedar Beach on a Monday morning sees the trash generated currently by only a few picnic tables. How many more park workers will be required to deal with the consequences of these new plans? The playground is being billed as a "Destination Playground", who will pay to keep that clean? Allentown should build and monitor numerous playgrounds throughout center city, within walking distance for children and parents. The Trexler Trust and The City of Allentown have a responsibility to first repair and maintain these iconic stone edifices which are unique to Allentown.

photo info: the dedication stone is on the Union Street wall. The steps shown in the photo here go through a tunnel in the wall and climb up to Spring Garden Street. They are in total disrepair. This posting is a combination of two previous posts, which appeared on this blog last September.

Rape Of Park

The feature shown in the photo, from the Mack Truck Magazine of 1943, shows a beautiful stone masonry structure in Lehigh Parkway that was allowed to go to ruin. We kids of the Parkway called this the "boat landing". It is located near the end of the park near Regency Apartments. I use the present tense because remnants of this edifice still exist, buried under dirt and debris. Other attractions lost in that section of the park include the Spring Pond near the Robin Hood parking lot, and the bridge to the "Island", plus the mosaic inlaid benches which were on the island. ( Island halfway between parking lot and boat landing). I have no doubt that neither the Mayor or the Park Director knows that these centrepieces ever existed. While these are unreplaceable architectural treasures well worth restoring, we squander our heritage to buy a oversized playground out of a catalog.

Mikey Will Say It!

I received an anonymous letter concerning Lehigh Parkway. The writer's assumed that since I grew up by the park I have a special affinity for it, I do. They write, "Perhaps you consider looking into these issues and reporting on your blog." Their concerns are so unabrasive, by my standards, I will pass them along without making any verification. The Allentown Park System contains a number of houses, there are at least two in the Parkway and two in Trexler Park. The houses have been traditionally rented to people affiliated in one way or another with the City. The "writers" are concerned about the condition of the garage which adjoins the white stucco house near the hunters cabin off of 24th Street.* Their second concern, is the location of a new restroom facility. Apparently one is proposed to be built up the slope, above the parking lot often called Robin Hood.* This is over the first bridge on the right as one enters the park from 15th Street. The "writers" are concerned that users must walk the incline to use the facility. More problematic, it adjoins a wooded area and poses a "physical and safety risks to park goers." Many years ago there was a bathroom in this exact location. It was discarded because it seemed to foster predatory behavior. The "writers" suggest that the new facility be placed on level ground near the parking lot by the new pedestrian bridge and white barn.* Their final concern, and which might well be the reason for the letter, is that the new park "czar" seems closed to suggestions about the best location for the new bathroom . In the letter, they correctly claim that the decision about the bathroom structure will affect the park's future for decades. Perhaps the new director should take advantage of input from these knowledgeable friend's of the park.

* location, as I interpreted from letter

Neglect Has Its Reward

The City of Allentown, through the Redevelopment Authority*, purchased the property it demonized last year with it's first Landlord of Shame. We paid $93,500.00 for 343 N. 9th Street, described last year as following: "The properties have a lengthy list of code violations and have been delinquent in the payment of taxes and fees. There are numerous interior and exterior code violations at 343 and 345 N. 9th St. The units lack fire separation/protection between units and hard wired smoke detectors with battery back-up. There are numerous electrical violations throughout the buildings, including exposed wiring. The homes are missing plumbing fixtures. Windows need to be replaced." The owner, Adam Thor, had paid $110,000 at the height of the market in October of 2005. In that time frame I met Mr. Thor, he was in an acquisition mode, obsessed with purchasing property with no down money, disregarding the price of the property. That property was not worth $110,000 then, it wasn't even worth $93,500, and that was before it became distressed. I have not asked the City or Redevelopment Authority for an explanation, and in return I have been told nothing I can't believe. I do believe the City should not be in real estate business, nor have they ever been particularly good at it. Paying too much for this property may be the lessor of two evils. I know from prior statements the City aspired to acquire and deconvert houses in that block; I would hope Mr. Thor's induction into the Landlord Hall of Shame was not a strategy for that purpose. * The Redevelopment Authority is independent from the City, however, under this Administration, this Authority and The Parking Authority have been functioning as agents of Pawlowski's Agenda. UPDATE: Photo shows 345 N 9th. 343, directly to it's right, is less impressive. Both properties are tagged as unfit and padlocked. My curbside appraisal of 343 is $44,000. I'm not a licensed appraiser, but I did recently stay at a Holiday Inn.

City Hits Home Run

The Homebuyer's Supermarket, sponsored by the City of Allentown, was a well organized, well attended event. Filling the entire floor of the Palace Banquet Hall, prospective home buyers were greeted by three full midways of realtors, mortgage originators and community organizations. Intended to spur responsible home ownership in the city, the timing was perfect; warm weather, low interest rates, and a generous federal tax credit. Shown in the photo are the new townhouses on North St., which have replaced the devastation from a fire in 2004.

Groundhog Day

In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray wakes up every morning to find himself re-living the previous day, over and over. Yesterday, Jarrett Renshaw wrote, on Queen City Blog, about grants to improve 7th St. I attended my first 7th St. Gateway improvement meeting in 1994 at St. Luke's Church. In 2005 I attended the exact same meeting, in the same place, moderated by the same City official. All the audience eager beaver participants were new, thinking the wheel was being re-invented. Little did they know how many millions were squandered by this Groundhog Day real life bureaucracy. Ironically, the section of 7th St. never reached by these programs, developed a viable business district without the intervention of city planners. Nineteen years later, I am encouraged by the new Main St. Program and it's manager, Peter Lewnes. Perhaps tomorrow will be a new day.

The Life Of Riley

The situation comedy's 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, yesterday I was bickering with the remnants of the local Republican party. Seems the remnants resent my implication of their arrogance. Scott Armstrong and Trent Sear are upset that I revealed the majority of homeowners in the West Park area were opposed to the Historic District imposed upon them. They can't understand why the opposer's didn't attend their coffee clutches at the time, Scott says he would have dropped the plan only if he knew. He didn't offer that option to the standing room only protesters at the City Council Meetings. He claims he and the West Park Association were ignorant of the Daytime Curfew Ordinance being used now to teach the pizza shop owner a little humility. Pam Varkony, who helped sponsor the Pizza Ordinance and ignored the protesters of the Historic District, currently writes on her blog that Allentown needs a Mayor who tells it like it is; well, that would have been an idea for her when she was on council.

I have altered the names of Armstrong, Sear and Varkony as not to offend anybody.

William Bendix, as Riley, would end every episode by saying "What a revolting development this turned out to be!", pretty much like Allentown.