Allentown's Uptown Admission

From the crumbs breaking off the NIZ windfalls, it's apparent that no elected position in Allentown is for the little guy anymore, even election to the school board. This event announcement, sent from the Chamber of Commerce email account, shows that $14,000 is being raised on Charlie Thiel's behalf, before anybody even walks through the door. Among $thousand dollar hosts are developers Reilly and Jaindl. Sponsors at $500 include Pawlowski and our state representatives. Nobody gets a sip of wine or bite of cheese for less than $100. We have candidates who will spend three times more on their election than the district spends educating a student. What's the lesson here?

Whitehall's Hozza Inherits Allentown's Syrians

Back in day, when demolition began to build the arena and Reillytown, Whitehall's Ed Hozza was cutting the ribbons with Ed Pawlowski. At the time, I questioned what he was doing there. Hozza's enthusiasm for Allentown's project quickly waned, as he realized truck after truck was dumping the former ground up buildings into  Whitehall's quarry. If that wasn't insult enough for Hozza's support, within two years Pawlowski would be supporting Hozza's current opponent. Although Hozza may have lost Pawlowski's support, there's a new power broker in Whitehall, the former Allentown Syrian community. The Syrians in Allentown developed their political influence back in the days of District Attorney George Joseph. Voting as a block, the Democratic Club in the ward could be counted on in local elections, and numerous Syrians ended up working in various departments of Allentown City government. Through inter-marriage and relationships, many non-Syrian names became part of the base, even including extended members of my family. Although that power base has shifted north in the last 15 years, it took Pawlowski's refusal to raise the Syrian flag to make the move official. In the future, the flags will be raised in Whitehall.

Incited Allentown School District Race

Someone or something has incited a crowded school district race, and I believe that it's Scott Armstrong. Thirteen candidates are running for five spots in a race that normally barely has enough candidates to cover the spots. To the ire of the Teacher's Union, Armstrong has consistently and loudly identified the pension issue as the financial problem of the school district. Understand that although it is well known that pensions are bankrupting the school districts and the state, Pennsylvania failed to enact any change, even with a previous Republican Governor and both chambers of the State House. Understand that the failed proposals for change protected all previous and existing employees, and only affected future hires. Never the less, the unions are so strong that nothing more than lip service is ever implemented. Pleading children are used as props to protest teacher and program cuts, resulting from budget realities. While Armstrong has the courage to articulate the facts at the meetings and in editorials, he became a scape goat for some operating only on emotion about music and art programing. Ironically, Armstrong himself was schooled in fine arts, and his work is first rate. Truth is a heavy coat to wear in politics, but Armstrong carries the weight well. If the burden isn't heavy enough, Pawlowski is attempting to influence the results. He and the districts two lightweight state representative, Michael Schlossberg and Peter Schweyer, have started a PAC to push their hand chosen candidates. Out of thirteen candidates, Armstrong offers the homeowners the most mettle for their tax dollars.

UPDATE: The last sentence above as been modified since being published early this morning.

The Monster Parking Authority

Back in September, I wrote about a center city homeowner exasperated beyond fairness by the Allentown Parking Authority. Here are a few excepts from his letter in that post.

I am writing to express my surprise and dismay upon receiving yet another citation from the City of Allentown.
This time a street cleaning ticket. THIS ONE IS FOR 50.00!! It states repeat offender.
Is this really how to construct a GOOD neighborhood?
Now I am in the pool for the city to collect fifty dollars at a time?
This policy is unbelievable and unconscionable.
I realize that the city is hurting for money, but this is not the way to raise revenue.
Sweep tickets, APA tickets, all kinds of inspections, fees to visit fish, and what else?
I really wanted to have a good experience living in this city.
You must not allow the city to tax/fine/extort this kind of money from cash strapped intercity residents.
I will not pay 50.00 for a street sweeping ticket.
The insult is further compounded because there is no redress to these matters prior to the escalation of the fine fee.
No good will come from the City of Allentown continually stepping on the very citizens that stabilize our neighborhoods.
Respectfully,

Mark's new letter, to the full City Council

Where did this insult of a program (the "repeat offender designation")originate and who supported it?
I am a stabilizing element in my neighborhood and a twenty year plus resident in center city Allentown.
I pay my taxes and my street cleaning fees.
The Allentown Parking Authority makes a profit from street sweeping. I have now been designated as a "repeat offender".
Am I to be subject to this new tax forever? This is certainly another tax.
How about parking tickets? Will they too have a repeat offender category?
I Have to work different hours, and can't always get back to move a vehicle at noon.
I can't park on the north side of my block because drug dealers punch and otherwise dent my and other citizens cars parked in front of their shops.
The Allentown police are working hard to control this problem - tax money well spent.
The police department does not produce income. Why does the Allentown Parking create wealth?
Hammering low income city folks with this predatory penalty driven program to fill city coffers is just wrong.
Living in the center city should be tolerable and maybe even safe and enjoyable for residents.
One more straw on your camels back.
This is how you cause citizens to say "I'm done".
I would appreciate a response. Please tell me how wrong I am and why.
Thank you,
Mark XXXXX

Mark's reward for his protest? While waiting for his day in district court to appeal his "Repeat Offender" status, the Parking Authority mounted the orange boot on his car. While OAPA holds house tours on 8th Street, and $millions of dollars are spent dressing up 7th Street, the salt of our city is punished for living on 6th Street.

UPDATE: The above post is reprinted from November of 2010. As I wrote yesterday, I have posted often about the Authority. A decade ago, I would go toe to toe with the director at City Council meetings and outside her office. It's somewhat awkward now, because I'm friendly with the current director. However, the same essential flaw exists with the Authority. That flaw is that it allows itself to be periodically used by Pawlowski's Administration, to further some other city agenda, at the direct expense of the residents.

Parking Authority Preys On Poor

Although the shopping district in Allentown has shrunk down to only Hamilton and 7th Streets, the meter district remains as it did during the heydays of the 1950's. The meters extend from Walnut to Chew, from 5th to 10th, well over 1000 meters in 20 sq. blocks. Parking meters extend out to 10th and Chew Sts, three full blocks beyond the closest store.* These meters are a defacto penalty for the residents, mostly tenants. In essence, it is a back door tax on Allentown's poorest citizens. The apologists claim the tenants can purchase a resident meter pass, however their friends and visitors cannot. To add insult to injury, in 2005, to help finance a new parking deck for the arts district, the Parking Authority doubled the meter rate and fines. Testimony to City Council permitting the rate increase indicated it was favored by the merchants. At that time I documented to the Council that in fact the merchants were not informed, much less in favor. The vote was 5 to 2, with Hershman and Hoover dissenting
* I used the above copy on my posting of October 3, 2007. In the past several weeks the Parking Authority finally removed the meters in the 900 block of Chew St, 50 years beyond their legitimate need.

UPDATE: The post above is reprinted from September 2009. I have published dozens of posts on the Parking Authority. In 2005, I conducted two press conferences on their abuses; One conference was at 10th and Chew Streets, and concerned the oversized meter zone. The second conference, directly in front of their office, concerned the fabricated merchant survey that they  presented to City Council. Old tricks die hard. Forward ahead to 2015, and the Parking Authority will once again penalize both existing merchants and residents.  The new plan is to double the meter parking rate from $1 an hour, to $2, and extend the metering time to 10:00pm.  They claim that the merchants are in favor of this plan. Although I will not conduct my own survey, as I did 2005,  their survey defies logic.  Why would any of the few surviving merchants want their customers submitted to a destination city parking rates in Allentown? Despite the hype,  Allentown is not Miami Beach or N.Y.C.. In reality, just as the taxpayers are subsidizing the arena zone,  now the merchants and residents will be subsidizing the arena plan through punitive parking rates.

Gethsemane 1934

Maria Magdalene (Mary Magdalene) is the Russian Orthodox Church located on the Mount of Olives, in the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.
The church is dedicated to Miryam of Migdal, a follower of Jesus. Maria Magdalene was the first to see Christ after he was resurrected, and was a crucial and important disciple of Jesus, and seemingly his primary female associate, along with Mary of Bethany, whom some believe to have been the same woman.
The church was built in 1886 by Tzar Alexander III as a commemoration for his mother, Empress Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, in the traditional tented roof Russian style, including seven onion shaped golden domes. Photograph dates from 1934

reprinted from April 2014

Allentown's Historic Syrian Community

When my grandfather first arrived in Allentown he lived in the Ward, on 2nd. Street. It was around 1895 and the neighborhood was full of immigrants. Some groups came from the same area in the old country, most noticeably the Syrians, from the village of Amar*. They were Antiochian Orthodox, a minority in a Muslim country. The congregation of St. George's Church on Catasauqua Ave., largely is descended from those immigrants. Well known names in Allentown, such as Atiyeh, Haddad, Hanna, Makoul, Koury and Joseph are among their members. They were among one of the first groups to organize, and those organizations still exist. The photo above was organized by the Syrian American Organization in 1944. Note that Jewish, on the left, is treated as a nationality.

* hopefully my Syrian friends will correct any historical errors I have made.

click on photo to enlarge

UPDATE: The above post is reprinted from March of 2010. I have repeated the post several times since over the years, and have written other posts concerning Allentown's historic Syrian Community as well. Although I didn't grow up in the Ward, I grew up with their children, who had by then also lived in other sections of town. Throughout the 1950's and 60's, the organized Syrian community wielded considerable strength in local Democratic politics. I assure you that Pawlowski went hat in hand to their leadership even in 2005. This week at least a portion of the community came to City Council, hat in hand; Pawlowski had denied their request for a Syrian Flag ceremony at City Hall. The Syrian political influence in Allentown has been somewhat weakened by a large migration of that community to Whitehall. I will also concede on Pawlowski's part that the current politics of Syria is indeed very complicated. That reality aside, the large local Syrian community deserves some public recognition of it's historic role and roots.

Jerusalem

In the city of awe-inspiring sites, the most imposing is The Dome of the Rock. The Dome covers the Rock from which Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven to receive a message from Allah. The Jews believe the rock is the Foundation Stone, from which the world was created. On it, Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Isaac and the Ark of the Covenant stood when the Temple occupied the Mount. The Mount and Temple was enlarged by Herod, during the lifetime of Jesus.

Jews pray at the retaining wall, The Western Wall, which survived the Temple's destruction by the Romans in 70 A.D. The bottom four rows of stones date from Herod, below current street level, there are 17 more layers.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is west of the Temple Mount. The first church was built on the site in the 4th century. Christians believe the church encompasses both the sites; where Jesus was crucified, and also buried and rose from the dead.
reprinted from July of 2013