Pawlowski's Luck Of The Irish

Residents of the West End, from 19th street to Ott, between Tilghman and Liberty think that Pawlowski did a good job with the snow. This neighborhood, bordering into the west end, contains many super-voters.   In reality, the area was plowed curb to curb to facilitate the St. Patrick's Day Parade on Sunday.

Reports from elsewhere in the city aren't so good.  The school system had to hire a contractor to clear the school fronts, because the city's snow removal was inadequate.

The only thing wrong with my political analysis in the first paragraph is that it is incorrect.  Unlike 2013, 2009, and 2005, that west end neighborhood does not belong to Pawlowski; It will likely go to Ray O'Connell.  Likewise, Charlie Thiel and Sam Bennett have strong sections of the city, and have been working hard for the nomination. Although, they all read this blog and my predictions, none of them concede the advantage to Pawlowski.  The Democratic Primary this year is a real horse race.

Jessica Lenard's Birthday Boy

Birthday Boy is oil on canvas, 60"x60". I am making this piece and other monumental works by Jessica Lenard(1950-2016) available to the public. Those so interested can contact me off line.

As Allentown Turns

As I posted on Wednesday, the snow storm was a gift for Pawlowski. With less snow than predicted, and warmer temperatures,  Mother Nature is cooperating to make our Mayor For Life look good. Needless to say, not all the campers are happy. Many of Allentown's narrow streets with high density, put the cars and snow at odds. Two women were arrested for fighting over a parking spot.

On the political scene, while there have been challenges in the small Republican slate, the large Democratic group of mayoral candidates remain unscathed.

Pawlowski's legal predicament was helped out last year when a federal prosecutor resigned to run for District Attorney in Philadelphia.  Pawlowski may now benefit again,  as Trump and Sessions restock the Justice Department.

While everybody cares about the snow and parking, I'm afraid very few residents concern themselves about who will prevail on May 16th.

Billy Mack's facebook photo of 4th Street, just north of Tilghman

A Pink Pussy Hat Moment

Actually seeing Pawlowski in a plow truck, as I predicted, has me shaking my head. Actually reading other pundits agree that Pawlowski has the advantage in the primary, had me debating the future of this blog. If not for the dual mission of trying to safeguard our historical structures, I might be laying off the new staff.

I titled this post a Pink Pussy Hat Moment because I couldn't understand why so many women weren't getting past Trump's election. If Pawlowski wins the primary, I will be in that same mental state.

Not to fully reveal my egotistical nature, but after the last several days in the blogosphere,  I think that  local readers may need my political ethics.  I suspect that even with a Pawlowski victory, I will carry on.  However,  I won't be so sure about Allentown's future.

Pawlowski's Manna From Heaven

The good Lord helped out Moses with manna from heaven when the Israelites were in the desert.  He has likewise helped out Pawlowski with a snowstorm before the primary election. The snow ended with about 14", below what was predicted.  Rest assure that snow removal will be beyond Allentown's usual level of performance.  Rest assure that in the coming weeks Pawlowski will applaud and pat himself on the back for that accomplishment.  Even expect a few photos of him in a snowplow.  Mayor for Life on the job.

photo by Stephanie Sigafoos/The Morning Call

The Hypocrisy of The Wildlands Conservancy

This past Sunday The Morning Call chronicled the raw sewage which overflows into the Little Lehigh during heavy rainstorms.  The various municipalities and the LCA  are struggling with a  formula for the shared cost of meeting the EPA guidelines. This problem has been occurring for over a decade.  I first reported the situation here on this blog seven years ago.  The biggest hypocrite in this problem is The Wildlands Conservancy.  While tearing down dams in Lehigh County to supposedly improve stream quality,  they have turned a blind eye to the sewage problem.  While the municipalities are worried about the expense of larger pipes, the Wildlands concerns itself with dam removal grants.  They are allowed to keep a certain administrative fee for each demolition.  In exchange for the municipalities cooperating with the dam deals, the Wildlands plays deaf and dumb about the sewage.  This blog has documented races and walks starting in Lehigh Parkway fields which were covered in feces and toilet paper the day before the event.

photo shows sewage overflowing into the Little Lehigh, just upstream from the drinking water plant.

Crucifying Grass Roots In Allentown

This past weekend blogger Bernie O'Hare and I disagreed over city council candidate Ken Heffentrager.  Ken is a founding member of a tenants association, which takes landlords to task over blighted conditions.  He has become a regular at city council, also taking the city to task for not being aggressive enough with landlords.  I have a soft spot for such grass roots activism,  having defended the traditional park system and other structures over the years.  As a former candidate myself, I appreciate the tenacity involved in running.  Heffentrager is not some main stream guy being encouraged by the local Democratic party.  On the contrary, he is an outsider,  stepping forward under his own volition.

O'Hare's comprehensive post last week on Lehigh County candidates apparently had some misnomer concerning Allentown council candidates.   When Heffentrager commented on the mistake,  O'Hare lowered the boom on him.  O'Hare  used his  research skills to discover some past legal problems and associated unpaid fines by Heffentrager.  He also challenged Heffentrager about an alleged omission on his candidate application.  He implied that Heffentrager was both a criminal and a liar.  When I added my perspective to the comment dialogue,  O'Hare doubled down with a reply that was almost a repeat, word for word, of his prior attack on Ken.

Bernie stated in a subsequent comment that he would report why Heffentrager is unfit to serve in a separate post, to warn the voters.  Heffentrager is only a second tier candidate at best, but he is a first tier attendee at city council.  Please understand that the number of people who regularly attend council meetings couldn't fill a large table at the Hamilton Family Diner.  Bernie has never suffered from a lack of self-righteousness.  Although, he will attempt to justify his attack on Heffentrager, in reality he is inadvertently helping to crucify grass root candidates in Allentown.  There is nothing in Heffentrager's background that made him ineligible to run.  There is nothing in his background that would make him ineligible to serve, if elected. There is something in Bernie's post which will discourage people in the future from stepping forward. Allentown needs all the city council candidates it can get.

ADDENDUM: O'Hare has published his promised hit piece on Heffentragger, in which he repeats over and over that Heffentragger is a criminal.  He cites two cases, which  from the small fines involved,  appear to be cases of a controlled substance.  He then goes on to question Heffentrager's income, implying that he is a drug dealer.  Although Heffentragger may have been treated compassionately by the legal system,  he was retried harshly by self-appointed Judge & Jury Bernie O'Hare.

UPDATE:

O'Hare deleted  my comment shown above from his new hit piece on Heffentrager this morning. What a sad Punch and Judy show he runs, when doubling down on his self-righteousness

Allentown's Dignity On The Line

In the last several months I have often referred to my irate women facebook friends, who cannot let go of their rage against Donald Trump.  I have also mentioned that prior to this past national election, I have seen little political interest expressed by most of them.  However, today's revelation is the most disturbing to me.  Despite non-stop Trump criticism, not one of these local women have written one word about the upcoming mayoral election. They are apparently more consumed with this past November than the future.  They are apparently more concerned about things that will probably not affect them, than their own backyard.

As I have previously posted, Pawlowski is courting certain segments of the minority communities with favors and promises.  With such a crowded field, that could well be a winning strategy.  I realize that this is a controversial statement,  but anyone who knowingly votes for a candidate tainted by corruption, in return for a few more city entitlements, gets no respect from me.

If the local women, so distressed by Trump in Washington, would devote a few minutes of their time for an alternative mayoral candidate,  Allentown could emerge from the primary with some dignity.