A Figment Of My Imagination

Dear Mayor Pawlowski,
Forgive me for saying this, but I'm very disappointed in the changes made to my town. After my wife passed away, I moved to the senior high-rise at 8th and Union St. I can see the old Mack Transmission Plant from my window, I worked there for 40 years. I understand now it's a indoor go-cart track, I find that a bitter pill. Actually pills are why I'm writing. I used to walk to the Rite-Aid on Hamilton Street. With that closing, I don't think I can walk out 7th St. to the old Sears. Forgive me Mayor, that's before your time in Allentown. The other Rite-Aid used to be Levines Fabrics, they bought it from Sears. The Army Navy store was across the parking lot. Anyway, back to my problem. Now I can't even catch the bus on Hamilton anymore to go visit my daughter in Catty. What have you done to me? My neighbor, a nice widow, tells me you gave that Mexican Restaurant lots of our money and they don't even pay their bills? Never ate there, what were you thinking? Anyway, sorry to bother you, I know you're a busy man, but I don't know where I will get my medicine from, and I'm upset. Sorry.

PhotoCredit: molovinsky

Reprinted  from July of 2008, to commemorate the return of Rite-Aid.  Isn't it wonderful that J. B  Reilly will finally get a tenant there who will do enough business to actually pay rent.

reprinted from August of 2016

The History Mission Of molovinsky on allentown

Since it's inception, molovinsky on allentown has published local history along with political commentary. Allentown has become a city of immigrants; Whether it's our from out of town mayor and his from out of town staff, or our new population demographics, it's difficult to find someone who has lived here for more than twenty years. Redevelopment is nothing new to Allentown. Entire neighborhoods and portions of Hamilton Street have disappeared in the past. There has never been a shortage of new bridges or political ambition. This blog, unencumbered by considerations of political correctness or business promotion, posts these short historical markers, as reference points for the curious.

When opened 1913, the Eighth Street Bridge was the longest and highest reinforced concrete arch bridge in the world. The Lehigh Valley Transit Company organized the Allentown Bridge Company in 1911 for the sole purpose of building the bridge. The structure operated as a toll bridge from its November 17, 1913 opening until the 1950s, at which time the toll was five cents for an automobile. The concrete standards that once supported the trolley wire are still standing. Harry C. Trexler, founding member of the Transit Company and Lehigh Portland Cement Co., was a principle player in the construction of this bridge. General Trexler's grave-site, in Fairview Cemetery on Lehigh Street, affords unique views of the bridge and center city Allentown.

reprinted from January of 2014

Local Blue Tsunami

Tim Silfies,  the Libertarian candidate for congress, was greeting people outside my polling place.  Although it was 11:40am, well past the morning voting rush,  it took me 40 minutes to get through the line and cast my ballot.  In that 40 minutes I chatted with the woman next to me.  She was part of the local blue tsunami.

As an observer of local politics, I found this tsunami very disturbing.  A wave alone can be damage enough,  but a tsunami can sweep completely unqualified people along with it into office.  Locally, we almost lost Pat Browne's experience and influence to the frenzied straight party lever pullers upset about Donald Trump.

Center city Allentown, with its Hispanic majority, is more politically monolithic than ever.  Any  Republicans with Allentown in their district will have a hard time competing against such a solid voting block.

photocredit:The Morning Call

The People's Candidate

In the late 1970's, neighbors would gather in the market on 9th Street to complain and receive consolation from the woman behind the cash register. Emma was a neighborhood institution. A native Allentonian, she had gone through school with mayor for life Joe Dadonna, and knew everybody at City Hall. More important, she wasn't shy about speaking out. What concerned the long time neighbors back then was a plan to create a Historical District, by a few newcomers.

What concerned Emma wasn't so much the concept, but the proposed size of the district, sixteen square blocks. The planners unfortunately all wanted their homes included, and they lived in an area spread out from Hall Street to 12th, Linden to Liberty.* Shoving property restrictions down the throats of thousands of people who lived in the neighborhood for generations didn't seem right to Emma. As the battle to establish the district became more pitched, Emma began referring to it as the Hysterical District.
Emma eventually lost the battle, but won the hearts of thousands of Allentonians. Emma Tropiano would be elected to City Council beginning in 1986, and would serve four terms. In 1993 she lost the Democratic Primary for Mayor by ONE (1) vote.

Her common sense votes and positions became easy fodder for ridicule. Bashed for opposing fluoridation, our clean water advocates now question the wisdom of that additive. Although every founding member of the Historical District moved away over the years, Emma continued to live on 9th Street, one block up from the store. In the mid 1990's, disgusted by the deterioration of the streetscape, she proposed banning household furniture from front porches. Her proposal was labeled as racist against those who could not afford proper lawn furniture. Today, SWEEP officers issue tickets for sofas on the porch.

Being blunt in the era of political correctness cost Emma. Although a tireless advocate for thousands of Allentown residents of all color, many people who never knew her, now read that she was a bigot. They don't know who called on her for help. They don't know who knocked on her door everyday for assistance. They don't know who approached her at diners and luncheonettes all over Allentown for decades. We who knew her remember, and we remember the truth about a caring woman.

* Because the designated Historical District was too large, it has failed, to this day, to create the atmosphere envisioned by the long gone founders. Perhaps had they listened to, instead of ridiculing, the plain spoken shopkeeper, they would have created a smaller critical mass of like thinking homeowners, who then could have expanded the area.

reprinted yearly since 2010

Endorsements for Local Election 2018

Unfortunately, this election seems to be a referendum on Donald Trump,  even in races where there is absolutely no connection.  One such race would be local state senator,  Pat Browne(R) vs.  Mark Pinsley(D).    Democratic straight lever pulling against Trump would be the only explanation for a Pinsley win..  Browne has mountains of experience and has brought heaps of benefit to Lehigh Valley.  Pinsley has no experience what-so-ever, and announced for state senator before he even began serving as township commissioner.  Although, he ran and won for township commissioner,  he never attended their meetings prior to that election.  After the unfortunate shooting by Dorney Park,  he went and stood with the protestors, against his own township and police department. He is entitled to his own beliefs, but as a commissioner, he should have restrained himself against being so demonstrative.  It was a self-serving optic for his state campaign, ignoring the best interests of South Whitehall.

One of the most geographically absurd state house districts in Pennsylvania is the 183rd.  It runs from Danielsville, east through Northampton to Slatington, and then south to the Allentown municipal golf course.  Former representative Julie Harhart had two decades to craft this gerrymandered contortion.  Her chosen successor was Zach Mako(R), who in addition to having no political experience,  also had no knowledge of the issues.  Now, as an incumbent,  he's running on the cliché of abolishing income tax.... He apparently still knows nothing.  His opponent, Jason Ruff(D) is a business owner from Slatington, who serves on the town's council. He is familiar with the issues, he is concerned with government, not just getting elected.

Regardless of how you feel about my bi-partisan endorsements,  I would ask you one favor.  Even if you decide to vote straight ticket, please do not pull the idiot lever.  Instead, pick each one of your choices, even if they are all of the same party.  You owe yourself and the candidates at least that much deliberation.

ADDENDUM: An early version of this post which cited a polling was in error.

Open Secret In Northampton

The Morning Call has printed a letter expressing support for Judge Zito, signed by 34 lawyers.  Contrary to Attorney Ed Angelo's assertion, these guys praise the judge for improving justice in Northampton County.  Yesterday, I called the letter a good boy list for Santa Claus.  Since yesterday, I have reconfirmed Angelo's allegation with a second lawyer.  Also yesterday, I deleted a signed comment from a third lawyer, confirming Angelo's observations..  I did the deletion because I felt it necessary to confirm with the attorney that it was indeed his comment, because the heading was from a pseudonym.  Although, I did confirm that it was from him,  it's his place, not mine, to resubmit the comment.

Judge Koury maintained that he never heard the complaint before Angelo's allegation this week.   However, one of the attorneys speculated that Zito will step down sooner than later,  now that the best kept secret in Northampton is out in the open.

Here Comes The Judge

As someone with a propensity toward insubordination,  I was intrigued by the Morning Call article by Riley Yates on Judge Zito in Northampton County.  Attorney Ed Angelo publicly claimed that the judge strong-arms defendants into plea bargaining.

I informally interviewed a local respected attorney, who confirmed Angelo's allegation. No your honor, I will not reveal his name.  I was particularly struck by the notion that when Angelo told the judge that other attorneys feel the same way,  he asked who they were?

A follow up article reports that Zito will recuse himself from Angelo's case. Meanwhile, another attorney, Joshua Fulmer, got 32 other lawyers to sign a letter supporting the judge against the allegation.  Sort of sounds like a list of good children for Santa Claus.  The president judge, Michael Koury, said that he never before heard the allegation?  The District Attorney's office said that they're staying out of the dispute?

It sounds like they run the trains on time in Northampton,  but at who's expense?

The Morning Call's Washington Post Article

The Morning Call published The Washington Post's article criticizing Trump for visiting the Pittsburgh Synagogue. The Post wrote.... President Donald Trump visited this grief-stricken city Tuesday, amid accusations that he and his administration continue to fuel the anti-Semitism that inspired Saturday's massacre inside a synagogue....It is completely political, partisan and improper to link Trump to anti-semitism and the shooting.

The rabbi of the congregation had the good graces to welcome the president and say.."Hate is not political,It is not blue or red, it's not male or female, it doesn't know any of those divisions."

The two quotes above were taken from last night's version of the story. By this morning, the Post decided to remove the rabbi's statement... I suppose that they would rather give the impression that every Jew in Pittsburgh was offended by Trump's visit.

Facebook is full of memes with people united against anti-semitism, even Jews are using the meme.... That's hard for me to understand,  as a Jew, that was always a given.  For me it is also a given that Trump stands with the Jews.