A Field Trip To Allentown's 7th & Hamilton

On Saturday evening, during prime dinner time, I surveyed the four trendy rent subsidized restaurants at center square. While the outside area at Hamilton Kitchen was fairly full with drinkers and snackers, the inside tables were virtually empty. Shula's was near empty. The Dime was about one third full, and Roar was also virtually empty. The Renaissance Hotel showed no signs of life in the lobby, suggesting few to no guests. An interesting comment was recently submitted to an older post.

The LVH building(at the arena) is a joke. As an employee, I wasn't allowed to park in that lovely enclosed parking lot underneath the actual building while going through EPIC training-- I had to park BLOCKS away-- It seems that all of the peons of LVH have to park quite a distance away as well from what I could see. While attempting to try to park in that "special" lot under the building, I had some nasty parking lot gestapo make me turn around since I didn't have the correct magical permit affixed to my rear view mirror. Undoubtably that lot is somehow restricted to "special people" . Honestly, they would have to hire a fleet of security officers to escort each and every one of us. I just walked quickly with my keys sticking out between my knuckles. When I work at the Bethlehem site, I wind up parking at the dead mall next door and spend fifteen minutes just walking to the desk where I work, so it made no difference to me. Taking a peak at the restaurants near the entrance, I find it hard to imagine most employees having lunches long enough to dine there, let alone being able to afford to eat there. Granted, I could afford a soft pretzel... As far as the gyn is concerned, I would rather pull out my hair one by one than deal with the traffic to go there in the morning before or after work. I highly doubt any potential patient would want to deal with driving there for a doctor's appointment, unless they live a very short distance away and are very familiar with the area. After driving through the decrepit outlying area filled with blighted/condemned houses and finally parking, the first thought that came to mind as I saw the newly developed area was, "I smell a rat".

It's apparent to me that virtually free rent may not be enough to keep these restaurants afloat. Reilly might have to consider actually paying them to stay open.

Sam Bennett Killed At Donecker Mansion

Sam Bennett had pledged to chain herself to the fence at the Donecker Mansion, to save it from the plan by St.Lukes Hospital to demolish the structure. Heavy demolition equipment made short order of the building today. Although I haven't heard any news reports about Bennett's fate, I can only assume that Sam was killed early this morning, protecting the mansion. Update and funeral details will follow.

The Ethics Behind Allentown's Revitalization

This weekend The Morning Call had a fine exposé by Scott Kraus on a victory party for the mayor's last election to that office, in January of 2014.  J.B. Reilly contributed fifteen of the twenty thousand dollars raised for the event. Apparently, not all the bills were paid, and not all the money was accounted for.

"If those funds were not used properly, I am upset." J.B.

I doubt that J.B. is upset enough to have lost any sleep this weekend. He was not accused of any wrongdoing. In our era of politics, spending $20 thousand on a party for Eddy doesn't seem improper.  In our era of political correctness, any left over money was supposed to go to the poor people, under Alan Jennings' umbrella organization;  Cake Crumbs For The Poor.  Why wouldn't someone contribute $15k  for Mayor Ed, after all, we're having a $Billion Dollar Revitalization, which J.B.will own.

What really was the big deal about Mayor For Life's third election victory? Mayor for life, a molovinsky on allentown coined phrase, is now being replaced by Pawlowski-Gate,  copyright pending. In the real world, which isn't funded by diverted taxdollars going to private owners, $20,000 would pay for a lot of baby formula and diapers. In the last few years, Allentown, in it's jubilation about the renaissance, has had too much money and not enough values or ethics.

Pawlowski's Happy Face

The happy face picture is from Thursday night. Although Ed insists that he isn't going anyplace, he better start gathering cardboard boxes for his move. This blog stated that the NIZ Barons will force Pawlowski out once he became a distraction to the building boom, which is based on enthusiasm, not a need for office space. That point actually came a few days later, when Channel 10 ambushed Pawlowski at the Butz ribbon cutting, asking him when he was going to resign. Last night, City Council met to discuss the protocol for succession. It was clearly meant as a message for Ed Pawlowski, because the procedure is spelled out in the charter. I can't say that they're throwing him under the bus on Hamilton Street, because there are no more buses on Hamilton Street.

Pawlowski's Political Hardball

Before I was a blogger, I was a political activist in Allentown, since the early 1990's. In these twenty five years I've taken numerous lumps. Pawlowski was probably the most aggressive against opposition, having publicly defamed me no less than twice. One of his former press lackeys, formerly from The Morning Call, even tried to marginalize me, just yesterday. Let me return the favor. As I stated previously, I believe that the Neuweiler Brewery might be part of the federal inquiry. Mike Fleck represented the company given the option to try and harvest $30million in NIZ funds. This past winter, that outfit, based in NYC, finally raised the deposit to buy the property from Allentown, from an undisclosed source. Examining Pawlowski's current contributions, we find $30,000 in total contributions from an extended family group involved in venture capital in NYC. Could this be the smoking gun? Thirty grand isn't a bad investment to get $30 million. I have yet to find a link between the venture capital fund and the brewery option, but research is not my strong suit. I can tell you that all six members of the contributing family seem to have no connection to Pennsylvania, much less Allentown or the Pawlowski senate race.

Schlossberg/Schweyer, Two Peas In A Pod

Peter Schlossberg and Michael Schweyer co-wrote an editorial in the Morning Call. I know I have their first names mixed up, but that's because they're two peas in the same pod. Both boys worked for Jenn Mann, and were Pawlowski bobbleheads on city council. Although now state representatives, they're still Pawlowski bobbleheads. Both boys were part of the Pawlowski PAC, Citizens For A Better Allentown, who told us who to vote for in local elections. Now that Pawlowski is halfway between accused and indicted, the boys are trying to distance themselves from the scandal, but they will always be bobbleheads. In the editorial they champion a Democratic Party state budget proposal, which would supposedly increase funds to Allentown School District, a noble idea indeed. The boys neglect to mention that they have opposed the Republican pension reform bill, which addressed the most pressing fiscal issue of the decade. Since pension reform would protect all former and current employees, and only affect future hires, the only reason to vote against it is to placate the unions. If Peter and Michael want to contribute to the state in some way, perhaps they could share an office and staff. I'm sure that they will never vote differently than each other, or the Democratic party line, anyway.

Allentown's A-Treat Of News

The headlines in Allentown change quickly. What's top of the heap at noon, may be back page by the morning. Because of this, molovinsky on allentown is negotiating with J.B. Reilly, for a center city satellite office. Yesterday's Morning Call Watch-Dog report has attracted the attention of state auditor general Eugene DePasquale. But as everything else in this valley of mirrors, it's not for the reason presented. Education insiders explain the backside political reason. Governor Wolf has issues with charter schools, and the funds that they siphon off from the brick and mortar public schools. Although the Allentown lease was innocent enough, it's another excuse to review guidelines for charter school applications.

As a citizen and taxpayer of Pennsylvania, I would prefer if Mr. DePasquale would spend his time in Allentown examining the NIZ. With a $Billion Dollars of development, and $40 million or so of our tax dollars going to pay the debt service for private owners, that might be something for an auditor General to examine.

Meanwhile, back here in the valley of few questions, the natives are happy that Jaindl is rescuing their favorite tooth rotter. After all, at the end of the day, why worry about taxes and corruption, when you can sip some flavored corn syrup.

The New Watchdog

ASD Made Secret Charter School Deal is the headline across the Morning Call. Above it, the paper's new Watchdog Report logo. This is at least the second time recently that the Call has referred to it's articles as Watchdog Reports. Quite a bark from a paper that clearly was a lapdog for the last three years. As I stated yesterday, the paper had to man-up, because the news was passing them by. But, in their haste, are they now making headlines out of nothing?

As some readers know, I keep the family's traditional butcher/baker hours. Also, as some readers know, I have back channels, especially with the school board. From the mail awaiting me early this morning, I can tell you that the school board is not happy with today's headline.

Last year, Abe Atiyeh pushed hard for an elementary art charter school in the former fitness center on Union Street, to fill one of his many buildings. I wrote, at that time, that he even used a public relation's firm to solicit parents, and voice support with the district. Although, the district rejected the application twice, such rejections are usually overturned on appeal to Harrisburg. Meanwhile, the district was formulating their own alternative high school, to both keep charter funds internal, and also be more relevant in today's school environment. The district was interested in the former bank call center, coincidentally owned by Atiyeh, which would give high school students intern access to the new offices on Hamilton Street.

In January, the district ended up approving the art charter school, before a Harrisburg appeal would have overturned their rejection anyway, and also leased the former call center.   At the time, Atiyeh also included a letter, pledging to not submit future charter school applications. To the district, that letter was not the essence of the lease deal, but the lap puppy, turned watchdog, sees it differently. Puppies are supposed to be paper trained, but here in Allentown, the puppy, in it's haste to train the paper, is making unnecessary noise.