Molovinsky and Wehr's Dam

On June 26th, 2014 the Parkland Press reported my initial presentation to the South Whitehall Commissioners to save Wehr's Dam.  I knew from previous experience with the Wildlands Conservancy that they would seek quick approval, and even quicker demolition, when they obtained the green light. The commissioners had already approved a new park master plan, which called for the dam's removal. 

My efforts alerted others, including descendants of the dam's original builder and owner, to join the battle. The commissioners, for political purposes, went through various insincere gestures in response to the public outcry to save the iconic dam. They sponsored a referendum in 2016, never expecting it to pass, tying it to a tax increase.  Although the referendum did pass, the commissioners managed to stall committing to the dam for another five years. 

Meanwhile, behind the scenes, the Widlands Conservancy interacted with Harrisburg, using their influence to mandate repairs five times more complex and expensive than necessary,  attempting to undo the referendum by cost limitations. The previous commissioners never ceased trying to accommodate the Wildlands Conservancy.  During this period I had become a persona non grata at the Morning Call, and they refused to print my submitted letters on the situation.  When I finally prevailed upon editor Mike Miorelli to assign a reporter to the topic,  they ignored Right To Know information I provided them, and then white-washed the entire conspiracy against the dam.

While I was barred from the Morning Call (I still am), I continued to advocate for the dam here on this blog, and revealed the culprits working against the dam. I'm happy to report that all involved in the conspiracy are now out of office, and also out of the township's administration. The dam is now being repaired for state approval. While the reconstruction is much more extensive and expensive than it needed be, at least future residents will still be able to continue enjoying both the beauty and history of the park's landmark feature...water flowing over the dam and under the covered bridge!

ADDENDUM: Those interested in more details about the conspiracy can refer to my previous post on the dam. Those with still further interest can type Wehr's Dam into the search engine box on this blog's  web version sidebar. That search will yield over a dozen posts on the topic.

Shootings In Allentown No Threat

Yesterday Allentown was assured by the police and Morning Call that the shootings on 5th Street were no threat to the public.  While the victims were hauled off on the conveyor belt to the ER by the EMS, life continues in center city as usual.

We have a mayor, about Hispanic as a Taco Bell sandwich, telling everybody in Spanish that he understands both their language and sentiments. 

We have a school board that only hires Black people, who in turn only hire Black people, so that they look like the brown people that they're supposed to teach.

We have a local NAACP calling everyone racist.

We have a newspaper who proved that they wouldn't know corruption if it occurred under their nose for over a decade.

artwork by Mark Beyer

Growing Up Allentown

Life in Allentown during the 1950's was pretty easy, compared to nowadays. Whether you were an office worker or factory worker,  there were plenty of jobs. Whether you lived in the west end or center city, all the neighborhoods were clean, well maintained and relatively crime free. The school system was the envy of the county, and people finagled to get their children enrolled in it. Allentown High School had championship teams in multiple sports, and the football stadium was one of the most lavish high school stadiums in the country. The park system was the subject of numerous picture postcards. Likewise, downtown was widely known, with Hess's being a destination. All the above attributes would stay in place throughout the 1960's, into the early 70's.

I bill this blog as the intersection of politics and history in Allentown, and the greater Lehigh Valley. Although I will continue to speak out on current events of concern, I suspect that this page will turn more and more to history. Perhaps nostalgia is so appealing because the current reality is so disillusioning. 

Although my archive of older Allentown pictures is extensive, I invited Ozzie and Harriet Nelson to illustrate this post.

reprinted from July of 2016

Lunch At Allen

Up to the mid 60's, students at Allen High could leave the building for lunch. Scattered in alleys around the the school, garages had been converted into lunch shops and hangouts. The Hutch was in the alley between 17th and West Streets, in the unit block between Hamilton and Linden. Suzy's was behind the Nurse's Dormitory, between Chew and Turner. Another was across Linden from the Annex. They all had the same basic decor, a few pinball machines, a few tables and a small lunch counter. Most of the business was during lunch period, and before and after school. It's my understanding that occasionally a kid or two would skip school and hangout all day. Today these garages, turned into luncheonettes, have long ago reverted back to garages. Most of the current residents of West Park probably don't even know about this commercial history right behind their houses. I missed photo day at Allen for my yearbook, but if anybody has a picture of the gang from the Hutch, I'd appreciate a copy.

reprinted from previous years

ADDENDUM NOVEMBER21,2022:This year I was tempted to retitle this post Allen Out To Lunch. While I was a delinquent at Allen, that designation now appears to belong to the School Board. They hired a supposedly interim superintendent, but now are allowing her to indulge in full blown press coverage, more than normally allotted to a permanent hire. In my day, a student who acted like the board would have been sent to the principal's office, but at Allen they now paddle the principal!

The Hamilton Street Bridge

The current Hamilton Street Bridge was completed in 1959, replacing the former steel trestle bridge. With the new Hamilton Street entrance ramp aligned further to the south, a small portion of front street and a few houses were vacated. Additionally, an entrance ramp was added from Union Street, which previously ended at Front Street. The photo above shows a portion of the earlier bridge and the former A&B meat packing plant, beyond their office building.  The office building has been incorporated into the America On Wheels Transportation Museum.

lower photo shows entrance to former steel trestle bridge, with entrance ramp skirting A&B Packing House.

above reprinted from May 2013

Velcome To The Vendig & Allentown Photographic

In 1933, with the end of Prohibition, my grandparents(maternal) started operating the Vendig Hotel. They were the working partners, another immigrant family, here longer, were the silent backers. The hotel was directly across from the current Main Street Depot Restaurant in Bethlehem, which was the old New Jersey Line Terminal. With my grandmother cooking, they became well known for crab cakes and other shelled seafood. What wasn't known, was that she was strictly kosher, and never even tasted anything she prepared. As some may recall, my grandparents came from Hungarian Transylvania (now Romania) in the early 20's. Family lore says Bela Lugosi visited the hotel. Lugosi was born in the same area of then Hungary, and started his acting career playing Jesus in Passion Plays. In 1931, after immigrating to America years earlier, he got his big break playing Dracula. Typecast as a villain, Lugosi was reduced in later years to drug addiction and playing in low budget monster films. He died in the mid 50's and was buried in his Dracula cape. My last uncle, who as a boy lived above the hotel, had no recollection of Lugosi. The partner families would later merge through marriage and 40 years later come to own the old vaudeville theater in South Bethlehem known as The Globe. It too is gone. My experience with Allentown Photographic in the late 70's, at 12 N 8th Street, was not unlike my grandparent's with the Vendig Hotel. Neither were particularly successful, both only lasted a few years, but provided many memories. Now, Bela Lugosi never came into my shop, but my custom darkroom did attract numerous characters. I printed negatives supposedly smuggled out of Russia of the Romanov Family, while my strange anonymous customer watched by the door for KBG agents.(If they were real, I made no copies, nor did I keep the negatives) I once rented the darkroom to the local Porno King for his art directors to produce Puritan Magazine. His former building is now becoming the new Mayflower Condominiums. I snuck into a local high school to photograph an old circus juggler perform his act, one more time, on the stage. This photo gem, of a midget skating between legs, is from the jugglers' memento's. 

posts combined and reprinted from July 2008

The Shadow Returns

In 2009, I presented a series of posts as the Shadow Mayor. I contended that I donned a janitor outfit and worked undetected in City Hall, where I was able to ascertain secrets and shenanigans concerning the Pawlowski Administration.  Whether that disguise was real or fictional, this blog's disclosures, along with those of blogger Bernie O'Hare, became of interest to the FBI years later, in their investigation of Allentown.

The Shadow retired during Ray O'Connell's time in the fifth floor, but now is coming back, to monitor Matthew Tuerk. I must clarify that I suspect no shenanigans or illegality from Tuerk, whatsoever, but rather think that his policies need surveillance. 

I have been told that he has run out of flags to raise from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and now is looking to Africa for sister cities. He also supposedly wants to make Genderfluid Identity Support a cabinet position.

I apologize for being a dinosaur, and thinking that Mayor Tuerk is too concerned with things beyond the proper scope of city government.  Although I will not reveal my new disguise, I will admit that I have dyed my hair. Although Tuerk wants to protect every possible type of personal choice, I heard that regard for the elderly isn't high on his priority list. In Tuerk's younger and younger City Hall, my gray hair would have given me away.

N. 6th Street

Allentown has just designated the neighborhood west of the Jordan to 7th Street, and between Linden and Tilghman Streets, as Jordan Heights. The area encompasses the Old Fairgrounds Historic District. Allentown's old fairground, in the years between 1852-1888, was in the vicinity of 6th and Liberty. It was an open space, as is the current fairground at 17th and Chew Streets. When my grandparents moved to 301 Jordan Street, it was a modern house, just built in 1895. The suburbs then were between Jordan and 7th. The Jewish Community Center was built on the corner of 6th and Chew, today known as Alliance Hall. I wish the Jordan Heights initiative well. There's a lot of history in those 24 square blocks, and hopefully much future. 

excerpted from a July 2010 post 

photo of N 6th St. from 1949