The Corruption of The Lehigh Valley

When I debated Mike Fleck on Business Matters, he called me a naysayer and spoke much louder than me, but perhaps with less integrity. 


The Lehigh Valley is becoming corrupt. It's not always the outright crime as now being investigated in Allentown by the FBI, sometimes it's simply misdirecting the voters, as is occurring in South Whitehall Township, in regard to Wehr's Dam. Either way, the citizens are being short changed.  Sometimes, that deception enriches the officials,  other times the public is simply cheated out of their history.  In some ways the voters are responsible for their own victimization.  If they insist on always voting one party, as in Allentown,  eventually there is no longer any checks and balance.  If not enough people are motivated to serve, as in South Whitehall, eventually the uncontested elections result in arrogance.  While the story of Mike Fleck and Allentown will dominate the main stream and alternative media this weekend,  my next post will outline the upcoming crime against the people in South Whitehall.

Sign Of The Times In Allentown

Yesterday, Mayor In Limbo put a picture of the new Jordan Park sign on his facebook page. I have an issue with these signs, allow me to explain. When I unsuccessfully tried to save the quaint little WPA Robin Hood Dam, the park director at the time offered to erect a sign explaining where the dam had been. I suggested instead that we keep the picturesque dam, with no signage. Signage is the rage with the recreationally trained, and all the park directors since Mr. In Limbo's first election, have that same background. By the park office in Cedar Park, I have been advocating for the patching of the old parking lot retaining wall, along the path. Rather than patch the wall, they have installed decorative wooden railing, poured a concrete planter area, and painted parking space lines. While the new CVS type parking lot really added nothing necessary, the retaining wall continues to deteriorate. While the parks get new signs, the Cedar Beach pool project remains dead, without water.  What should be done in the park system is quite simple;  Maintain those wonderful things that still remain, because we have already lost so many treasures. Once there was a beautiful tropical greenhouse in Trexler Park, torn down to plant native bushes along the Little Cedar Creek. Three years ago those bushes were cut down, so now neither feature remains, but we have some nice signs.  I'm still hoping that City Council will appoint me as a citizen liaison on park issues, but I suppose I won't be getting Julio's vote.

                         BONUS PARK PHOTOGRAPH BELOW

Bogert's Bridge, Lehigh Parkway

The Photography of K Mary Hess

Not Easy Blogging In Allentown

Yesterday, somebody called me an attention seeking blowhard. Someone else, commented on a very old post,.Molovinsky's twist of the facts. On facebook, Mayor In Limbo put a picture of the Lehigh Parkway wall being repointed. Truth is his neglect caused part of the wall to collapse, and my advocacy resulted in repairs being made at Fountain Park and Union Terrace. I've been called a naysayer by the best of them. I suppose their hubris makes those I scrutinize so outraged at my observations. Their outbursts toward me are personal, venomous and much more offensive than anything I write about their business or voting. I normally don't directly address those insults, and usually allow them the last word.  Probably being self-depreciating is an asset for me, in this endeavor that I call molovinsky on allentown. Perhaps, in the All American City of my youth, I would be a naysayer. However, in this era of self serving politicians, opportunists, and a newspaper which doesn't know if it wants to be journalistic or an advertising agency, I believe that I serve a public good, even if it's not universally appreciated.

Reilly Gain, Masonic Pain

The Masonic Temple is perhaps the remaining architectural wonder of Allentown. The five story Classic Revival building took over two years to construct, opening in 1926. The large ritual meeting rooms are adorned with murals. General Harry Trexler was a Mason, and largely responsible for Allentown's Temple, which is on the list of significant historic buildings. Unfortunately, after almost ninety years, it's future is in jeopardy. It is essentially supported by one large commercial tenant, an accounting firm which rents the office space on the first floor for $10,000 a month. The accountant will be moving into J.B. Reilly's new office tower when completed. The Masons are hoping to find ten smaller tenants for $1000 each to fill the void, or perhaps twelve at $800. The only certain thing is that their good fortune with a large dependable tenant appears to be over. When Pawlowski cuts the ribbon for Reilly's new tenant, he'll be actually pulling the plug on an important part of west Allentown's history. He'll give mouth service that his department of Musical Chairs will help find them a tenant.

reprinted from April 15, 2013

ADDENDUM 2016

Special Use for Halfway House for up to 30 youths, ages of 12-18 years.


In 2013. I knew that the Masonic Temple would never again have such a quality tenant as Buckno and Lisicky. However, to go from the most prestigious accountant in the valley, to a halfway house for delinquents, is indeed a sorry consequence of the NIZ. The beautiful murals and decor of that building will not survive the new tenants.

Smoking News From The Morning Yawn

Yesterday's Morning Call tells the story of a wonderful smoked-on-site barbecue venue coming to the former Shula's. Beyond the spin by J.B. Reilly and the Morning Call, there are many factors to digest. We learned that while Lafayette Ambassador bank will be made mostly whole from the Shula bankruptcy, the other creditors will be getting peanuts. We understand that because the deal will include the former restaurant equipment and liquor license, the new operator will be going in virtually for nothing. But, there is more to this story, which you will not learn anywhere else.

Years ago, I told the story of Jerry's coffee house,  cooking an occasional egg on a George Foreman grill. The city made that poor little immigrant install a $40K exhaust system. Readers of this blog know that I refer to Strata Lofts as the plywood palace, because they allowed J.B. Reilly to build using plywood, under the thin fake brick facade. We learn now that below this palace for millennials, they will allow the new barbecue pit to operate a smoke house. If that's not enough of a hazard, there will be an open fire pit outside, between the Strata Lofts and the PennRose apartments. If that was the little immigrant Jerry's plan, they would imprison him for even mentioning a fire pit.

ADDENDUM: The Morning Call followed through today with yet another article on the coming barbeque restaurant, this time featuring their plans, including a robust take-out service.  I can see where 7th and Linden would be a convenient location for takeout, especially for the suburbanites.  I expect the Call to outdo themselves promoting Reilly's latest offering.           

A Blog and a Cemetery

About ten years ago, I began searching for the grave of a young Jewish woman, who died around 1900. Among several Jewish cemeteries no longer in use, I searched Mt. Sinai, a small section of the sprawling Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street, just west of the 8th Street Bridge. The cemetery is the history of Allentown past, including the graves of Harry Trexler, John Leh, and Jack Mack. As one proceeded deeper into the cemetery, away from sight on Lehigh Street, conditions worsened. As is the case with many old cemeteries, fees paid for perpetual care, 100 years ago, were long gone. Complicating the situation, the current private operator wasn't particularly assessable. In addition to extended family members upset about conditions, the situation was compounded by his refusal, with few exceptions, to allow private upkeep. My early posts on the situation drew response and phone calls from people with no interest in local political blogs; They were just exasperated relatives, with a family member buried long ago at Fairview. After beginning a series of posts, and letters to the editor, I prevailed upon The Morning Call to write a story one year later. The Call's story appeared on August 11, 2008. Within two weeks, the cemetery operator agreed to a public meeting I had organized at a local church. Arrangements were made between the operator and several parties. As with several of Allentown's older cemeteries, the issue of maintenance will be ongoing. This would be a worthwhile project for City Hall.

Mt.Sinai In Fairview Cemetery

Jews have been buried in a small section of Fairview Cemetery, called Mt. Sinai, for over 138 years. Although the markings on several stones have worn away, Hannah Dreifuss was buried there in 1868. The September 10th Chronicle in 1875 reported that two members of the Jewish faith, prominent Hamilton Street merchants, Joshua Schnurman and Simon Feldman, purchased a section from Fairview Cemetery and applied for a charter for Mt. Sinai Cemetery, thus creating the first Jewish Institution in Allentown.
Fairview Cemetery itself was not formally laid-out until 1870, when the renowned architectural firm Lathan of Buffalo was hired to create the premiere resting place in the Lehigh Valley. The giants of Allentown would be buried there, among them Harry Trexler, the Leh's, and the Mack's of truck fame.
The History Lehigh County, published in 1914, notes Mt. Sinai contained 29 graves. Among them was Julia Wolf, who died in 1907. Her husband Morris served with the local regiment in the Civil War, and lived to be 98 years old. Feldman and Schnurman were among the earliest Jews in Allentown, immigrants from Germany who practiced the modern "Reformed" Judaism. These gentlemen and their extended family members would go on to form the "Young Ladies and Men's Hebrew Society" in 1883, a predecessor to the Keneseth Israel Congregation organized in 1903. Mt. Sinai remained the resting place for Reformed Jews till 1928, when Keneseth Israel established its own cemetery. Burials continued at Mt. Sinai through the 1940's as spouses and passing family members joined those previously departed in family plots. Today there are 78 graves. In July of 2006, thirty years after the previous burial in 1976, Joseph Levine was laid to rest at the age of 103.

Blogger's Note: Mt. Sinai Cemetery is unaffiliated with any synagogue, and with few exceptions, has been unused for 60 years.

reprinted