Small Town Pizza Blogger

The comment was sent yesterday to an older blog post from July; Pennsylvania, A State Of Corruption. The comment, sent through a second person, details alleged corruption by a local police officer, with a background story spanning two decades. After reading the allegation, I forwarded it to Bernie at Ramblings. He claims to be a genuine reporter, award winning, no less. Me, I'm just a small town pizza blogger. Now, I don't mind trying to save a dam or wall, and calling a few officials irresponsible in the process. Hell, I'll even suggest that the mayor and the police chief should leave Dodge. But, when it comes to a specific incident of corruption against an individual, I'll leave that to others, who purport to tackle such issues. In addition to the other blogger, I forwarded the comment to several reporters with local news outlets. If you also have such an allegation, please send it somewhere else, I'm just a small town pizza blogger.

small town pizza blogger trying to save WPA wall in 2013

Pawlowski and the Little People

Lately, I noticed on facebook, that Ed Pawlowski has started attending littler events, such as a small hispanic church picnic. Understand that if Mayor Ed had his choice, he still would be a candidate for the United States Senate, and not the object of an FBI investigation. He still might had,  under the prior scenario, attended a mega congregation picnic, but previously he didn't have interest in the small fry stuff. Why now is Ed showing up at the munchkin events? Does he want to say he got religion as part of his future defense? Naw, he always had big church religion. Beyond the obvious, that his personal cache has depreciated, he might be trying to cultivate a Marion Barry constituency. When the Washington mayor got popped for cocaine, his followers still elected him. I think that the taint from the Raid On City Hall has made bigger office, or big appointments, on the state or federal level, a goal no longer attainable. Perhaps Ed sees being Mayor For Life now as his best shot, supported by the little people, more tolerant of legal scrapes.

A Blogging Dilemma

Sometimes Bernie and I wonder who is the bigger bastard, him or me? I suppose it depends on the story. Neither of us pulls punches, but we operate differently. Bernie has some pets, me, I don't like anybody. On the other hand, I don't go to court or send anybody to prison. Another difference is how we handle comments. On Ramblings, comments appear instantly, often encouraging chatting between his readers. Here, because I must first approve the comment, they often sit overnight, from early evening to early morning. This morning, there was over a dozen comments waiting, which bashed Alan Jennings, none of which will appear. Now, I don't mind anybody being blunt and insulting, but doing it anonymously, that's just too easy. Another issue with anonymous comments are their accuracy. On another subject, I opened a comment this morning about the Trexler Trust. It began explaining that the General didn't particularly like the WPA structures. Trexler was killed in an automobile accident in 1933, the WPA construction began in 1935. If you're going to send a vicious comment, light on fact, send it to Bernie.

Molovinsky receiving license to blog, currently valid in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, District Of Columbia, and Florida

Getting Real About The NIZ and Affordable Housing

Alan Jennings has proposed that 20% of units in new luxury NIZ housing be put aside for low income. Sy Taub believes that now is not the right time. Both Alan and Sy can relax, the low income aspect is already built in. When Reilly built the new Renaissance Hotel, he condemned the Holiday Inn, at 9th and Hamilton, to become a flop house. Furthermore, despite the Morning Call's hype, the Strata Flats will be moderate housing soon enough. Lets be real, both the downtown and the building itself, lack the ambience to succeed with upscale urban dwellers.

Also, while I'm taking the Morning Call to task, here's another problem with today's article. The Morning Call keeps using Alan Jennings and Ce-Ce Gerlach has their go to people for these articles. There are plenty of other critics available in regard to the NIZ. Ce-Ce is a candidate for election in two months. It is a distinct disadvantage to the other candidates that Ms. Gerhart is mentioned, over and over again.

photograph of Millennial Prison Courtyard by The Morning Call

Truth, Justice and the American Way Can Offend In Allentown

I got into an argument with one of my readers yesterday, on the Deleted By Pawlowski post. Seems that he's a cyclist who insists that Lehigh Parkway hasn't lost users, despite it's primary entrance off South Jefferson Street being closed. In the heat of the debate, I mentioned spandex and helmets; He was offended. Over the years I cultivated many new readers. Back, before he probably knew of this site, I opposed the Trail Network Plan, which was to link the parks together with a bike path. My objection was based on priorities. I felt that the park department should first be taking care of it's existing infrastructure, such as the WPA structures, and the Fountain Park Pool. It was at that time I started writing that the park director had to do more than think about the spandex crowd. Well, three parks directors later, the WPA entrance wall at Lehigh Parkway has collapsed, and I offend my reader by referring to spandex and helmets. Also since then, a second new park director told city council that the Basin Street parcel purchased from Atiyeh, was needed to link the parks together, parks that he hadn't even seen yet. Recently, the third new park director, told the press that she knows nothing about that plan. So, my offended reader, now you know the history of my spandex slur. While $1.5 million dollars was spend, justified by something nobody remembers, not one dollar has been spent on the WPA, or the pools. Anyway, back to my disgruntled reader. I also explained that I produce this blog to fill an ever increasing void in local truth, available to people interested in things beyond the available A-Treat flavors. In the course of this endeavor, I will unfortunately offend some people.

Informercial At The Morning Call

The advertisement for the Strata Flats apartments was on Sunday's front page, New Luxury Strata Flats Filling Up Fast.  That's now you merchandize apartments in a new complex,  get yours quick, before it's too late.  There was just one problem, it wasn't an advertisement, it was article, presented as news.  Being familiar with the rental dynamics of Allentown, I did my own research. After waiting 30 minutes outside the entrance to the Strata above Shula's, and being careful not to hum Barbara Ann, finally a person came  out.  He was a genuine Millennial.  New to area, he moved in three weeks ago. Although happy with the apartment, he has hardly seen nobody else in the building, although the leasing agent told me that it was filling up fast.   He was surprised that they pro-rated August's rent, and charged him no security deposit or last month's rent.  Furthermore,  although new construction, they allowed his dog.  Nothing about his experience indicates that the apartments are renting very well, much less almost rented up. The article even said that demand is so high, that J.B. Reilly might have to fast track his other planned apartment buildings.  Observing the outside balcony's facing 7th Street, charming view indeed, it appears that several of the porches have been staged.  Staging is when the owner puts  in furniture to make it look attractive, or in this case, occupied. I fully understand Reilly hyping the apartments as renting like hot-cakes, but for the Morning Call to participate in the ruse, is sad indeed. But,  I suppose that's why people are clicking here for the some honestly, a commodity in short supply in Allentown.

ADDENDUM: The same reporter who wrote the Strata story, Scott Kraus, today has a story on the business page; Two Center City Earns Energy Star Rating. In this latest puff piece, he quotes Reilly's manager, "...City Center's tenants can enjoy lower monthly energy costs." Kraus should decide if he wants to be a reporter or a rental agent, right now he appears to be a shill.

Deleted By Pawlowski

On Sunday morning, Ed Pawlowski put a sketch of the proposed renovated Cedar Beach Pool on his facebook page. It's actually very nice, I have no issue with the plan. I do, however, have a issue with the misinformation dispensed by him and his administration, about the parks and other aspects of the city. You can no longer see the scene pictured above. The beautiful little Robin Hood Dam in Lehigh Parkway was demolished by the Wildlands Conservancy, and the vantage point from which this photograph was taken, has been closed since the WPA wall collapsed. Neither of these losses was necessary. I unsuccessfully tried to save the WPA dam, and likewise, unsuccessfully, lobbied for repairs to the wall. Some of my efforts concerning our iconic park system are chronicled on a separate facebook page, WPA-Lehigh Valley Save Our Structures.  Pawlowski deleted a comment and link to that page, that I put on his posting.  However, the proof is in the barriers, which block off Lehigh Parkway to thousands of citizens. The city gladly accepted misinformation from the Wildlands, and also dispensed misinformation and excuses concerning the wall. Pawlowski now states that Cedar Beach pool is closed because of a sink hole under the pool. When it was closed earlier this summer, the city then claimed a leak in the filter system. Now, rather than repair it as previously stated, we learn that a whole new plan for the pool was actually in the works.

Although the FBI is annoyed at Pawlowski's style of hiding things from the public,  that  generally doesn't bother me too much. The voters have the corruption, and corresponding rubber stamps that they endorsed, election after election. However, when it comes to the iconic park system, I become agitated. This unique park system was a legacy meant to be passed on to future generations. To me, it's importance is way beyond Pawlowski's pay-grade.

photocredit: molovinsky

Bill White's Confusion

I had to shake my head reading Bill White's column yesterday. While I often criticize Bill for wasting his bully pulpit on grammar and his reoccurring themes, it's actually better than the revisionism he bestowed upon the Morning Call yesterday.  He wrote, "The Morning Call has focused attention over the years on practices that hinted at pay to play, but those revelations never generated enough heat to trigger legislation or internal reforms." That's news to me Bill, although I realize that the paper has now ended it's eight year  honeymoon with Pawlowski, that only occurred after the recent FBI raid.  By my scorecard, you would have to cite examples of these revelations about pay to play you claim the paper made. Up to recent events, the paper took everything from the Pawlowski Administration at face value.  In reality, the paper, and pardon me for saying, you in particular, were cheerleaders, especially for the NIZ.  You even called me misguided for suggesting that the NIZ was a plan based on layers of inequity; Inequitable to most of the existing businesses in the valley, and segregating against the residents of center city. Although you now write that "Time is running out for politics as usual,"  most of the few local political mavericks have ended up in your Hall Of Shame.  If your memory lapses continue,  you might want to see your physician.