Plaza Growers Market

Every Wednesday at lunch time, 11:30 to 1:30, find a small, but interesting mix of local growers and food vendors at the PPL Plaza, 9th and Hamilton Streets. The market also provides live entertainment by some of the better known local musicians.

photocredit: molovinsky

Friends of the Allentown Parks

Friends of the Allentown Parks was started in 2008 to preserve, promote and improve the parks for everyone. They foster stewardship of the environment and city parks. So far they have condoned the reflective pools being dug below their original depth, compromising the structural integrity of the walls. They have also remained silent regarding the lumbering plan on South Mountain, and not a peep or squeak about digging up the Old Fashion Garden during it's blooming season, despite having hosted a flower tour last month. Their motto is, We Can Make The Difference. Click on the above image to see the difference they have made.

Weitzel Mocks City Council

Wednesday evening, as citizens lined up at City Council to speak against the plans for Cedar Park, I saw both the Chief Planner and Community Development Director leave the meeting and make frantic calls from the hallway. By the time Council members told the citizens that they would summon Weitzel, Weitzel was summoning the bulldozers. By Thursday morning the old fashion garden was dug up. Never mind that the garden is in full bloom, Weitzel doesn't care about that. This is an insult to the City Council, and the Citizens of Allentown. This is an insult to Friends of the Parks and anybody who supported these plans as well intended.

Addendum: Allentown has two flower gardens, side by side, rose and old fashion. So far, only the old fashion, which is in full
bloom, has been closed off and dug up, in both directions. Thus far, the bulldozers haven't reached the rose garden

photocredit: image borrowed from blogger Andrew Kleiner

The Perfect Storm

In August of 1955, the Lehigh Valley got hit with Hurricane Diane, one of the most powerful to ever hit the area. The flood stage reached by the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers has never been seen before or since. The Allentown Parks weathered the storm fairly well. Unfortunately now, fifty four years later, our beloved parks are about to be destroyed by the perfect storm. In 2005, for the first time ever, we elected an outsider for Mayor. In 2007 he hired an outsider for Park and Recreation Director. This gentleman, well qualified in recreation, has no background in parks. In 2002, because the Afflerbach Administration was misusing Trexler Trust funds for operational expenses, those funds were frozen by Court Order and accumulated. In 2005 The Trexler Trust paid for a study of appropriate park projects, done by an outside firm from Philadelphia, for future guidance on how its funds might be used; also during this year certain members of the Trexler Trust became involved in the effort to elect Pawlowski. By 2008 the Perfect Storm had formed to assault the historic view of our Park System; an outside park director, an outside mayor, a huge amount of money and a politically supportive Trexler Trust.

The plans for Cedar Creek Park offend almost everybody who grew up in Allentown; most of us didn't learn of them until recently, long after they had been funded by City Council. They include a Destination Playground above Cedar Beach Pool and a Wedding Pavilion in the Rose Garden. Ironically, the Philadelphia Study, known now as the Master Plan, calls for less use in Cedar Park. The WildLands Conservancy will plant a Riparian Buffer Zone throughout the Park System. As these bushes grow higher, except for a few places, park goers will not be able to see or approach the creeks. As the Riparian Buffers grow wider, more recreational venues are planned in the remaining green spaces; including skateparks, additional parking lots, additional picnic pavilions and restrooms. The Conservancy refers to seeing the creek as the old fashioned English and French Park values. What the Conservancy fails to understand is that our parks are not wildlands, they are parks. What the mayor and park director fail to understand is that thousands of Allentownians treasure our old fashion park values. Although much of these projects will be funded by the Trexler Trust and other grants, the maintenance costs will be borne by the Allentown taxpayers. I and other old fashion types will continue in our attempt to defend our parks.

Addendum: Of the $3.8 million dollars Mr. Weitzel was allocated to remodel our park system, $482,000.00 may be spent on
professional services and consultation

Defend The Parks

Only you can defend our park. Please join me and your neighbors this Wednesday evening to convince City Council that these plans are not compatible with the historic traditions of the Allentown Park System. Contrary to Administration myth, the greater public has been virtually unaware of these plans until very recently. Because of forwarding Trexler Trust Capital Maintenance Funds from one year to the next, City Council has never voted on these specific plans. We do not need a "Destination Playground". We do not want weddings in the Rose Garden, or an expansion of the picnic pavilions. We may speak only at the "Courtesy of the Floor", which starts precisely at 7:30 pm, this Wednesday, July 15th. The bulldozers are literally on the way; this is the first and last chance to preserve our local values.
City Council Chamber
First Floor City Hall
Wednesday, July 15, 7:30pm

Comment #5

Today's most interesting article on timbering South Mountain begged one question; although it says the Pawlowski administration had not mentioned the lumber survey publicly, the reporter knew about the project? I answered that question on the article's topix comment section, only to find it deleted, comment #5, much like the credit which should have appeared in the article.
I was first informed of the project on June 27th, and again, by a second source a few days later. I withheld publication until I could confirm the story through a document on July 2nd. Although I usually post in the morning, I published "Timber" that evening.
The Morning Call article, ten days later, had much more information than I knew, which was only that the inventory was complete on the east side of Rt. 78/309, and the west side fieldwork was expected to be complete by July 10th. I declined to reveal my sources, which the reporter fully understood. I don't know if there is an established protocol for Newspapers acknowledging blogger originated stories. I do know I was told this blog would be credited, but I realize a reporter is subject to an editor. I do know my comment was deleted.

Rose Garden Wedding Pavilion

For over sixty years brides have been photographed in the rose garden. Although this tradition is somewhat of an inconvenience upon those there to view the flowers, who could not wish even a stranger best wishes on their special day. It seems as if we were not hospitable enough; our "new to town" mayor, and our "new to town" park director have a better idea. A pavilion is being built which will accommodate actual weddings. One can only imagine the wear and tear this ill conceived horror plan will have on our historic garden. No need to buy flowers, just pick a few. Whatever is thrown at the bride will litter the ground. Whatever is drunk in celebration, will overflow the trash receptacles. Parking will increase drastically, but worry not, there is a suggestion to allow diagonal parking. In my youth, the homes across from the Rose Garden was millionaires row. I can only hope those current residents appreciate festivity. On Monday I will make a suggestion how others can join me, and defend our park against this most unwanted intrusion.

Wildlands Conservancy Sell's Out

In today's Morning Call*, Abigail Pattishall, praises the park plans at Cedar Park; apparently she didn't drive by Cedar Beach last evening. Pattishall's praise was earned by the Park Department agreeing to plant riparian buffers along the creek west of Ott Street. Riparian buffers are shrubs left to grow along the creek banks. They reduce the amount of fertilizers and pesticides which can enter a stream; never mind that the park land is not farmed, nor are chemicals applied. The zones also help reduce flooding. The Conservancy, in exchange for this gesture, has ignored the consequences of all the remaining plans. The new plans increase the amount of impervious surface in the flood plain dramatically. How much surface will be covered by the new Destination Playground and it's required parking? How much surface will be covered by the new pavilions, walkways and lighted paths?

Had Ms. Pattishall drove by Cedar Beach last evening she would have seen hundreds and hundreds of cars parked on all the grassland between the creek and Hamilton Street. (Basketball Tournament). The compaction of the soil that occurred last evening will negate any benefit against flooding provided by a riparian buffer. I can accept the riparian buffer zone project. I cannot accept groups, which should know better, condoning intrusions on the park system, just because their pet project is accommodated.

* http://www.mcall.com/news/opinion/anotherview/all-pullqt.6953702jul09,0,6487124.story