In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle, A Lion Sleeps Tonight

This coming November 3th, Allentown will have the opportunity to restore the Lion to the sleepy City Council. Without Hershman, the new Council will provide no checks and balances, what-so-ever, to the Administration's version of government. Lou Hershman is a one man thorn bush. Rest assure that if any counter balance can be cajoled out of this essentially one party town, Lou is the man to do it. Regardless of one's political persuasion, there can be no down side to electing Lou. Which executive in our little world doesn't need at least some scrutiny, at least to answer an occasional question.

photocredit:molovinsky

reprinted from October of 2009

In memory of Lou Hershman

Upside Down Allentown

For someone like myself, with institutional knowledge of Allentown, yesterday was another rough day reading the Morning Call.  A featured story was Allentown losing its managing director. A former mayoral candidate is quoted saying that he'll look into the legality of the city operating with the position empty.  Actually, the city charter never authorized the position in the first place.  When the current charter was created, it was decided that Allentown would stay with a strong mayor, rather than have the city run with a managing director.  One of the first things Pawlowski did after taking over in 2006, was to hire a managing director anyway. So, for the last 15 years we have been paying for an unauthorized position.  Of course that's the least of it, considering that Pawlowski's managing director was part and parcel of his administration's corruption. 

Another featured story yesterday was the Wildlands Conservancy adding to their South Mountain Reserve.  The article mentioned that they secured a $half million dollar grant  from the state for the purchase.  What the Morning Call won't reveal is that this back channel with Harrisburg is being used to set aside the referendum about Wehr's Dam.  Although the citizens voted to keep their cherished dam,  the Wildlands is actively working behind the scenes to have the state condemn it.  While I handed the Morning Call the story on a silver platter, they refuse to print it.

Of course if I walked on water, they would say that I couldn't swim. Actually, they wouldn't say anything at all about me. Although there have been numerous mentions of current write-in candidacies, nothing has been mentioned about my write-in for the 183rd state house district.

Trolley Demise In Allentown

A local young urbanist speculated that automobiles put the end to trolleys in the Lehigh Valley. He was half right, actually it was the Mad Men from General Motors. In the early 1950's, Americans were still a one car family, even in the prosperous Lehigh Valley. The mass transit system was still full of the other family members, still using the system for work, shopping and school. Between the late 1940's and 1953, Hamilton Street had both trolleys and buses. In the late 40's, General Motors wined and dined transit officials all over the country, exhorting the benefits of their buses. Shown above is a Lehigh Valley Transit work car, towing a trolley to Bethlehem Steel to be scrapped. The photograph was taken in 1952 on St. John Street, heading toward the Fountain Hill route. In June of 1953, the last trolley would run on Hamilton Street.

 reprinted from September of 2011

Lehigh Valley vs National Politics

In addition to publishing this blog for over 13 years, two years ago I started a social media group named Allentown Chronicles. The group is designated for local history and occasional local politics. When I announced my write-in campaign for state rep, a couple members complained about the political nature of the post.

Being on social media, I took the opportunity to visit their pages. In both cases the pages were full of memes about national politics. It appears that although they’re very interested in the presidential election, they have no political interest in their own backyard. Their attitude seems very widespread in the Lehigh Valley. 

The state house is full of representatives who went there straight out of college and have been there ever since. While their party affiliation seems important in this region of straight party lever pullers, nothing else, certainly including their lack of accomplishment, seems to matter. 

As an independent, I offer them no blind party loyalty. As an involved activist, I offer them informed advocacy, but no campaign gimmicks. 

This blog will serve as campaign headquarters for Write-In Molovinsky. I’m not on the ballot, and my name must be written in by those wanting better government in their own backyard. 

The photo was taken at Wehr's Dam. I have been fighting to save local historic structures for many years.

Write-In Molovinsky

If the map below of the 183rd Pa. District looks gerrymandered to you, you might want to consider my write-in candidacy for the state house this election. In 2012, when this map was approved, Julie Harhart was in her umpteenth term. Reports indicate that her successor is not very innovative when in Harrisburg, which supposedly isn’t very often. 

The state house is full of representatives that have been there way too long. Although numerous candidates have broken term limit promises, I offer sincerity in that regard and all others.

I’m unaffiliated with any political party, and have been a vocal advocate for good government for decades. 

As a write-in candidate, I need your help recommending me to your friends in Slatington, Walnutport, Danielsville and Northampton. I need their help recommending me to their friends. 

Unlike usual state representatives, I will send no birthday cards, but will actually work for you in the state house. I will not wave from parade floats, but will work to make sure that your taxes benefit you. 

Let me put my tenacity to work for you. 

                                   

                                                       Michael Molovinsky

 

Hypocrisy Of The Wildlands Conservancy and The Morning Call

Yesterday, was the last day of the Conservancy's Annual Lehigh River Sojourn. The event was well covered by The Morning Call, with both a reporter and photographer on board one of the rafts. The three day event started with a talk by Chris Kocher, President of the Wildlands. The group gets grants during the winter to demolish dams, and grants during the summer to conduct this educational sojourn on the Lehigh river. Last year, Wildlands spend over $250,000 in grant money on just a study, promoting the removal of Wehr's Dam. Their website stated that the Lehigh Sojourn would take place rain or shine, but doesn't explain why. What Chris Kocher and The Morning Call fail to reveal is that their raft adventure is scheduled to coincide with the water release from the Francis E. Walter Dam in White Haven. It is only because of this dam that the Lehigh has a steady flow of water, and that these hypocrites can get their whitewater thrill. 

reprinted from 2015

UPDATE September 21, 2020: The Morning Call announced that the Wildlands Conservancy was paddling on the Lehigh River this past weekend. Of course hypocrisy isn't limited to the Wildlands Conservancy. The Morning Call has more than its share, hiding the story of the Wildlands Conservancy conspiring against Wehr's Dam and the citizens of South Whitehall Township

Jews In Jerusalem

Except when barred by one conqueror or another, Jews had lived in Jerusalem since King David. Prior to Jordanian rule in 1948, there was a Jewish majority for 150 years. In 1864, eight thousand of the fifteen thousand population was Jewish. By 1914, two thirds of the sixty five thousand residents were Jewish. In 1948 the United Nations Partition Plan divided the British Mandate of Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab. Jerusalem was to be initially an international city, with access guaranteed for all. This plan was rejected by the surrounding Arab nations, which attacked Israel in concert immediately upon the UN vote. When the truce was declared, Israel had survived, but East Jerusalem(walled Old City) was in procession of TransJordan. The Jordanians subsequently destroyed over 50 synagogues in the Jewish Quarter, which dated back to the 1400's. For hundreds of years both Christians and Jews were prohibited from building higher than Muslim structures. The few synagogues which survived were the ones built mostly below street level. The oldest surviving synagogue, The Jerusalem Synagogue, was built by the Karaite Jews in around 900. Shown above is the Ben Kakai, a Sephardic Synagogue built in the 16th Century.

Perhaps the most famous synagogue destroyed by the Jordanians was the Ashkenazi Hurva Synagogue built in 1720, it's dome visible in the top center of this photograph from the 1920's. It's replacement was completed in 2010.

This post was first printed in April of 2010, and titled The Synagogues of Jerusalem

Greg Weaver Art Scene

For about ten years, mid 70's to 80's, Allentown was graced with a one man art machine. Greg Weaver studied at Carnegie Mellon and then returned to the Valley to become artist, promoter and inspiration to dozens of local artists. His large studios, which moved from one low rent location to another over the years, became hubs for innovation and social activity. He was very prolific with his work, and generous with his encouragement. A typical monthly bash involved perhaps a poster by Mark Beyer( now an internationally known underground comic) performance by a jazz group such as Gary Hassey,(Greg also had a band) and perhaps a new showing by a local artist, such as Barnaby Ruhe. The loft parties were always mobbed, by many of the same people who now attend the Museum social events. This art "scene" cost the taxpayers nothing, it was done by artists, and it was real. Greg suffered from diabetes, and eventually lost his sight. Although blind he continued to produce art and inspire people until his death. Several of his works are in the Allentown Museums' permanent collection and his memory is in the hearts' of his friends. The image here is from Mark Beyer, representing an invitation to a Weaver event.

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 17, 2020: I first posted this piece in September of 2007, and over the years since. In recent years, the update usually contained a comparison to some current event, such as using taxes for art grants. A current article in the Morning Call informs us that a store room on Hamilton Street is being utilized as an art gallery, and waxes on about how wonderful it is. In reality, J.B. Reilly is donating the space he can't rent anyway, for the gallery. While this backstory is suggested in the article, what isn't mentioned is that the whole building is being financed with our diverted state tax $dollars. Enjoy your gallery, you're paying for it. 

Disclaimer: Fellow blogger Bernie O'Hare and I are competing in a Bastard Of The Week contest. It's nasty business, but we're both well qualified.