Prison Professor Pawlowski

WFMZ reported on Lisa Pawlowski's tweet, that Ed Pawlowski has drawn up a curriculum to teach a class on Understanding Government, at his prison in Danbury, Conn.  My first reaction to the story was to wonder if it would deal with understanding what is honest government, rather than shaking down contractors for campaign contributions?  Putting aside those obvious wisecracks, the next question is why would WFMZ report on Lisa's proclamations? She is the woman who proclaimed his innocence, even as they took him away in handcuffs.  I suppose that she might proclaim his innocence so adamantly, because she was so involved with his governing.

I doubt that the prison system will approve such a stunt by a convicted elected official. While the Morning Call is never shy about adopting a story,  they seemed to pass on this piece of public relations by Lisa.

photocredit:WFMZ
ADDENDUM: The Morning Call did pick up this story after all, this morning at 6:00am, two hours after it appeared here. (and a day after WFMZ)
UPDATE 10:19AM:  The Morning Call has withdrawn the story.

McHistory In The Lehigh Valley

Readers of this blog know that I'm upset about what little value history is given in this community.  Yesterday's Morning Call story on the Lehigh Valley Trust Bank building goes a step farther, and significantly alters the story of an important structure.  After reading the Morning Call article, one would think that the bank closed,  Abe Atiyeh purchased it and then sold it to the Jaindls,  who are now opening an event center after restoration.  The real story is so different,  I can only conclude that this current article was only meant as another NIZ promotion, not a serious background of the building.

When the building was purchased by Seigfried Braun, unmentioned in the article,  it had been modernized.  He and his family spend years and most of their assets lovingly restoring it.  The famed skylight and other adornments were covered over decades earlier, by a massive new lowered ceiling.  What you see now is the fruit of his labor. Restoring the skylight alone took over a year.  In addition to that bank,  he also purchased the Dime Bank and the Elks Club.  The Dime Bank has now been incorporated into the new Renaissance Hotel.  The Elks Club was demolished to make way for J.B. Reilly's aborted massive Two Towers project.

Unfortunately, illness forced Mr. Braun to quickly sell these significant structures for pennies on the dollar, to Abe Atiyeh.  We should thank Braun for saving these magnificent structures.  Although, I like to think that my local political opinions have merit,  my better calling is to defend and advocate for local historical structures, when I have the needed endurance.  Meanwhile, I use this blog to present local history, and occasionally point out misconceptions about it.

reprinted from January 7, 2017

molovinsky on allentown is published early morning every weekday.

The Sign Of Hypocrisy

Very early this morning I was amused by the article in The Morning Call speaking of something new coming to downtown Allentown, a electronic billboard. I thought I had put the soon to be demolished Monument Building to rest, but now it features in yet another story of Allentown's double standards. Before the Mayor forced the owner to lock the doors, he had installed the exact type of new billboard coming to Allentown. I apparently was not the only one shaking my head over this story. Before 7:00AM I received the following comment.

  In regards to the future digital billboards: The sad part is that a business man had this same idea and placed a beautiful sign on the side of the 645 Hamilton Street building only to have ut turned off due to City politics.. Everything that is being thought of as new and innovative was proposed and DONE by individuals 6-10 years ago who took it "upon themselves" to make Allentown a better City. Unfortunately, we received no support so many have left or became apathetic... SMH Alfonso Todd

There is actually a proud tradition of signs in center square.  For many years during the golden era a large illuminated Neuweiler Beer sign stood atop the Whelan Drugstore, on the northwest corner.  Back to the hapless Monument owner and his innovative sign.  The sign was up for a number of months and being tolerated by the city, until one faithful day.  As a favor to the coffee shop owner,  the sign company programmed an ad for Lou Hershman running for office, just as Mayor Pawlowski was walking down the street.  The Mayor blew his fuse, and the sign shortly thereafter, when the city threw every sign law on the book at the owner.

 The billboard is actually still mounted to the building, as a testament to this hypocrisy.   Is it the same billboard firm now hired by the city to place billboards on certain streets, including N. 7th?

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from August of 2012 

ADDENDUM JANUARY 1, 2019: I'm reprinting this post about the electronic billboard to address a Pawlowski myth. His supporters think that his only misdeed was innocently mixing together some contribution campaigning with some city contracts. In reality, since his first term, he abused his power as mayor. Although the Morning Call never reported these abuses, I was there, and knew some of the victims.

Allentown's Apartment Myths

Recently, an antagonist erroneously wrote on facebook that I hate Allentown, and that I profit from chopped up houses.

People often attribute Allentown's problems to center city houses being converted into apartments, as if this occurred recently. Many will be surprised to know that almost all the converted apartments existed for over 60 years. When the GI's returned from WW2, the trend was for small single family houses with small lawns, i.e. Levittowns. Most conversion of the row houses took place in the late 40's and early 50's, and more less stopped by the early 60's.  Because of them, Hamilton Street remained viable for twenty years beyond the main street in Bethlehem, Easton and Reading. Allentown was chosen during this era as the All American City. During those 50 years, 1940 to 1990, nobody complained about the apartments or the tenants.

What has changed is the demographics, so there is at best a classist, or at worst, a racist element to the current complaints about center city apartments.

The existing converted houses are not going away, unless Allentown wants to compensate the owners for their property rights. What can only be contemplated, at this point, is the future consequences of new housing, in both converted industrial buildings, and new apartment buildings in the NIZ.  Is Allentown helping itself, in the long run, by creating additional housing stock?

Shown above is the converted mansion from the Mary Tyler Moore Show.  Mary lived on the second floor, while her friend Rhoda had the third floor apartment.

molovinsky on allentown is published early morning every weekday.

Double Down(Towns)

People often speculate as to why Bethlehem now is a destination, while, too often, Allentown is considered a place to avoid. The long answer will not fit within this short post, but here may be a few reasons. Bethlehem had two downtowns, on both sides of the river. While downtown Allentown certainly was the premier shopping area for the Lehigh Valley prior to the malls, it may have become a victim to over-planning. In the late 60's, early 70's, Allentown attempted to compete with the suburban malls by building a canopy on Hamilton Street. The viability of Hamilton Street was extended for a few years, but the magnetism of Hess's could well have been the reason. Bethlehem also built a pedestrian mall on Broad Street, but the historical quaintness of Main Street remained. Although the commerce in its southside business district languished, the architecture remained. By the time Allentown removed the canopies in the late 90's, the architecture of its buildings had long been bisected and altered. As historical became chic, Bethlehem profited from having done less in the past.

Its southside business district is a time capsule, architecturally unchanged since the turn of the last century. It now is becoming a mix of boutiques and bistros in a fashionable historic setting. Last, but not least, Bethlehem benefited from consistency of developmental leadership. While Allentown has had a succession of Economic Directors, Tony Hanna, with benefit of his institutional memory, has led Bethlehem for many years.

Shown at the top is pop up photo matches from the 1930's, promoting Julian Goldman's Fine Clothes For The Family on the South Side, East Third Street. Also shown is Tony Hanna, along side of the former Goodman Furniture Store.

above reprinted from July of 2012

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 28, 2018: Allentown lost most its historical mercantile district with the arena, and new NIZ office towers. They are without architectural merit.

Stacking The Deck

When Donny Cunningham appointed Ed Pawlowski to the Lehigh Valley Airport Authority, he stacked the deck against Queen City Airport. Pawlowski has advocated selling Queen City for development since before he was mayor. The fact that this city needs no more commercial or residential space is lost on him. South Mall, once home to three large department stores, now has one. The property has underperformed for decades. Needless to say, the last thing the school district needs is more housing and students. The distance between Queen City and Lehigh Valley Airport provides a safety margin between commercial planes and small aircraft. The Airport Authority is a case-study in poor decision making. They took land for runway expansion they never used, now owing the original owners ten times the price in penalty and interest. (LVIA is under court order to pay $26million) They expanded their departure terminal to a size they never needed. They constantly remodel the under used facility. They fired their director with no succession plans in place. Cunningham appointing Pawlowski, with a predetermined agenda, is the last person that board needed.
In an article today in The Morning Call, it states that the sale and development of Queen City could create "thousands of jobs." That is ridiculous.

above reprinted from December of 2011

ADDENDUM: Since I printed the above post in 2011, Queen City managed to stay on as an auxiliary airport. With the demise of Bon-Ton, things have only gotten worse for South Mall. LVIA continues to make unnecessary improvements, and there are still painfully few destinations on their departure board.  Ed Pawlowski is now residing at a federal detention center in Connecticut.

The Cheesesteak Reality

The photo and caption above is from the Morning Call.  I did not read the story.  I saw the meme on facebook, where I also did not read the post or comments.  Only the native Allentonian nostalgia types ponder which institution has better cheesesteaks.  Before Vince's, the spot was outfitted for Tony Luke's,  a Philadelphia cheesesteak king.  The successive failures aren't related to the  cheesesteaks, but to the changing demographics.  Cheesesteaks aren't a staple in Puerto Rico.  Cheesesteaks are not a staple to the younger office workers, who can't get out of Dodge fast enough,  come five o'clock.

We aging dinosaurs remember when Hamilton Street was the place, and Brass Rail cheesesteaks were king.  The demand was so great, that the establishment, in addition to the dining room, had walkup spots in both front and back.  That business wisely moved its operation out of center city to Lehigh Street.

Until which time the newspaper understands that it is cheesy to write about the sandwich, and ignore the demographic realities,  this blog will continue to serve the truth, both here and to take out.

A Snowy Morning In Jerusalem

Snow is a rare occurrence in Jerusalem, but on January 10th (2013) it snowed 6 inches, the biggest storm since 1992.  Although this blog concentrates on local political commentary, I do indulge in a few distractions. Among those are local history, boxing from the Joe Louis era, and stories from the Holy Land.  With all topics, the quality of the visual image presented here is paramount to me.

reprinted from February of 2013