The Little Bridge Of Lehigh Parkway

A few years ago, new and young visitors to the park would have no idea that a magnificent miniature bridge crossed a spring run to the Little Lehigh. Certainly, such a stone construction wasn't necessary to cross the 24 inch waterway. It was built in a era of masonry art, fueled by the Great Depression, and funded by Roosevelt's WPA. Over the last decade, budgetary cutbacks and environmentalists demanding riparian zones, justified allowing it to be consumed by brush and saplings. In 2010, I persuaded Mike Gilbert, park department manager, to partially clear around the bridge. Although a tree now blocks it's southern approach, the bridge has been given a reprieve on it's destruction.

reprinted from previous years

Saving The Spring Pond

As a small boy growing up in the twin homes above Lehigh Parkway, I would go down the steep wooded ravine and cross the Robin Hood Bridge. The stone lined spring pond and miniature bridge was just the first in a series of wonderful WPA constructions to explore. Last year, when I organized the reclamation of the Boat Landing, my memory turned to the pond. Although overgrown with several inches of sod, I knew the treasure was still savable.





In the spring of 2010 I met Mike Gilbert of the Park Department, and pitched the idea of a partial restoration. On May 26th, I posted A Modest Proposal, which outlined my hopes for the pond. By July, Gilbert had the Park Department clear off the remaining stones, and clean up around the miniature bridge.


Park Director Greg Weitzel  indicated to me that the pond features uncovered will be maintained. Any further clearing would be at the discretion of Mike Gilbert. In our conversation he also stated that there are virtually no funds available for the preservation of the WPA icons.







I will attempt to organize a group and contributions for this most worthy cause. Between the Spring Pond and The Boat Landing there was once a bridge to the island. Wouldn't it be nice if a small boy could go exploring.

above reprinted from previous posts

UPDATE August 2013Mike Gilbert has retired, and the Park Department has a new director. Although grass and sod are starting to again cover the remaining stones that surround the pond, the miniature bridge is still visible. I will make it my mission to again pitch the new personnel.

UPDATE June 18, 2014. The grass and sod has reclaimed the stones that surround the pond. Only the very top of the miniature bridge is still visible to those who know that it's there. Unless there is an immediate intervention, it's days are numbered.
HISTORY IS FRAGILE

UPDATE February 2017:In 2015, in cooperation with Friends of Allentown Parks, I supervised college volunteers to clear the new sod off the pond stones, and the new bush off the miniature bridge. Allentown is on its third park director since this post was first written, and has acquired two large parcels to create new parks. To be planning additional parks, when our existing park features are left to abandonment, is incredibility poor management.

UPDATE May 1, 2018:  This past weekend the pond, miniature bridge and spring channel to the creek were once again cleared.  The work was done by volunteers from Faith Church, Asbury Church, Igesia De Fe and Salem Bible Church,  through Karen El-Chaar, director of Friends Of The Parks. Although the park department provided assistance in the two clean ups over the past several years,  they have  not provided ongoing maintenance to the site.  Understand that in the past few years they have constructed the exercise area at Jordan Park, the cement disc golf pads in the parkway and other recreational features. It is long overdue that the WPA structures be returned to the regular park budget and schedule.

Politics In Allentown Police Department

According to our local news sources, a couple members of the public spoke out last night against interim chief Alsleben. While the local police union officially supported him, chatter on social media lately has revealed that he isn't supported unanimously by everyone in the department.

Some in the public gallery have recommended filling the chief spot from within the department, mentioning a captain, and even a detective. Getting back to the public gallery, there isn't much institutional memory there.

In truth, there has always been politics in the department. At least one former chief himself,  years earlier, had been a plaintiff against the department.

There have also been reports that Alsleben may be looking for a spot in another community. Assuming that the interim chief is still a candidate early next month, council will have a difficult decision. The fact that three members of council are themselves former Allentown policemen, is a unique footnote to the equation.

Nagy Novelty Company

In Downtown Allentown's commercial years, stores extended 3 blocks out from Hamilton Street. The only remaining remnant of that era is the parking meters, which apparently haven't noticed that the stores have been gone now for over 30 years. A magic shop mentioned in the previous post was on 9th Street, between Linden and Turner. On 8th Street, also a couple blocks off Hamilton, was the Nagy Novelty Company. The dictionary defines novelty as a small, often cheap, cleverly made article, usually for amusement. The Nagy's had thousands of them, floor to ceiling. There were little jokes and gags, sometimes risque, passed around parties in the 40's and 50's. When you pulled " Miss Lola, The Snappy Bubble Dancer" leg's out, your finger got snapped. The Nagy's, an ancient father, son and dog, stayed open till around 1980. I was never sure which one was the son. To me, as an aficionado of the old and curious, the store was a shrine. Items which they sold for a few cents, now sell on ebay for many dollars. They manufactured their own greeting cards. Shown here is the front and inside of an embossed card probably dating back to the 1920's.
reprinted from December of 2008

Issues With The NRA

I'm a supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Although that is a right which I defend, as an engaged citizen I appreciate living in a society of laws. There are rights and laws, and we can all live within them. I do not blindly consider every regulation as a curtailment of my rights, or as a slippery slope which will erode them, as does the NRA.  I can exercise my rights in a responsible manner, without purposefully provoking those who feel differently about this issue.

Each November the NRA sends its current and former members a card telling them whom they should vote for in their district, to protect their 2nd Amendment rights. Although their member magazine often features hunting rifles, the organization must also think of their members as sheep, who should only care about one issue. As Americans we should guard our right to own firearms,  but never tolerate being told how to vote.

I support Americans For Responsible Solutions, the group started by Mark Kelly and  Gabby Giffords.  They both value their right to own a fireman,  but appreciate the need for greater controls against irresponsible ownership.

Shown above is a 38 special, gifted upon Frank Sinatra by the Miami Beach Police & Firemen's Association.  

reprinted from December of 2014

Local Strategist Disses Allentown Interim Police Chief

Ed White emerged on the local political scene about two years ago, around the time he attended a forum in NYC, where you pay $thousands of $dollars to rub elbows with the rich and successful, and have your picture taken with them. Although I have been politically active and a blogger for many years, previously I never saw or heard of Mr. White, but he now considers himself an expert on local government. He is also a self proclaimed selfie advocate, taking pictures of himself, everywhere and with everybody.

In the previous and current election cycles, he has been involved with several candidates for local office. While he dislikes being described as a promoter or manager, he refers to himself as a strategist. When he volunteered to mediate between a local cemetery operator and group dedicated to improving deficient conditions there, I didn't approve of his participation, because he was involving a current candidate in the effort. Likewise, when he recently proposed an organization with paid speakers to influence youth,  to me it raised some questions.

This past weekend he has called for rejecting Mayor O'Connell's recommendation of Tony Alsleben as police chief, instead calling for a national search. He wrote "and he(Alsleben) lacks the judgment, leadership, vision and public relations skills necessary to be an effective chief". Although Alsleben has been on the force for 19 years, he further faulted him for not moving within the city boundaries after he was appointed interim chief.  What the selfie king doesn't factor in, is that during the Pawlowski regime we suffered the disastrous results of two national searches. We ended up with inferior chiefs from out of town, who didn't even know their way around the city. They didn't know the personnel, or the local police assets.

Ed White is entitled to speak out against Tony Alsleben. This post is not a blanket endorsement of Alselben,  but rather my appraisal of White... Ed White is involved with candidates whose campaign is based on advocating such changes.

Allentown will not benefit from another national search for a new police chief. Furthermore, it may well be time to examine if the current residency requirements are really benefitting the city.

Ed White's expensive selfie with Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines

The Train Of Dorney Park

By Wally Ely
 In 1934, times were tough — in the Lehigh Valley and throughout the United States. The Great Depression was rampant. Unemployment kept willing and able workers out of jobs, with some in food lines or soup kitchens. Dorney Park was just hanging on, waiting for better days. There was no way the park could afford anything new to keep interest in the amusements alive. Nobody could afford to come to the park in 1934, especially not to spend any money. Bob Plarr, park president, was not accustomed to sitting back, waiting and hoping for things to improve. Plarr had an acquaintance, Miles Erbor, from the nearby village of Wescosville. Erbor, known as Mike, ran a machine shop in his garage. Erbor floated his bright idea for a new ride at Dorney past Plarr, and he loved it! Erbor's thought was to build a miniature version of the national train sensation of the day, the Burlington Zephyr. He could do it economically, with many used parts he had on hand.... The new Zephyr traveled the route an old steam engine-powered open-air train had traveled around the west end of the park. The Zephyr Jr. started near the main crossing of Dorney Park road, which divided the park; it continued along Cedar Creek parallel to the Water Skooter boat ride and then passed the swimming pool and rumbled through a short storage building, which served as a tunnel. At the far end, the route approached the boating lake and began to circle back. On the return trip it passed the picnic groves, more Water Skooters, and finally the rocket ship ride and the old mill. A final turn across the bridge near the French fry stand brought the ride back to the beginning. The announcement of the new ride at Dorney Park was welcomed by the community; there weren't many positive announcements in those days. The public responded. Crowds appeared at the park to buy the nickel tickets for a Zephyr Jr. train ride. The nickels added up, and a new, steady cash flow helped pay the bills and enabled Dorney Park to ride out the Depression.....

The above is excerpted from a column written by the late Wally Ely, which appeared in The Morning Call on May 5, 2013. The photo has been added.  Ely was a history,  train buff and author, who had written a book on Dorney Park.

Democrats To Eat Rich

Last night once again I listened to, rather than watched, the debate. I heard NYC Mayor di Blasio say that he will tax the hell out of the rich. With no video, and only my imagination, he sounded so gleeful about it, I thought of the couple on Gilligan's Island cooking in a kettle.

While Kamala Harris kept up her attack on Biden, it was Tulsi Gabbard, rather than Biden himself, who brought retribution back to Harris about her record as attorney general in California.

In the first portion of the debate, I was getting a little nauseous listening to the candidates drone on about medicare. Hope my policy provides coverage for that.

Each candidate stressed that they have the capacity to beat Trump, but apparently not the other Democrats, since only one will prevail.