Kids Of The Parkway

There were hundreds of us, we were the baby boomers. The neighborhood was built for returning GI's, and the streets were named after the planes of WW2; Liberator, Catalina, and Coronado. The twin homes were wedged between Jefferson Street and the southern ridge above Lehigh Parkway. Now called Little Lehigh Manor, we knew it simply as Lehigh Parkway, and we had our own school.

Historical Fact:
The original part of the school building contained four classrooms, a teacher's room, and a health room. It replaced the Catalina Avenue School which existed in a home near the present site. Lehigh Parkway received national publicity because it was being build as a result of the new neighborhood. Thus, the "Neighborhood School Concept" was born.








Because of the school and the park, the neighborhood was really self contained. The Lehigh SuperMarket on Lehigh Street was within walking distance. Soon, FoodFair would build their first large Supermarket, also on Lehigh Street, which was even closer. Today it has developed into The Parkway Shopping Center. We kids enjoyed our own Halloween Parade and Easter Egg hunt.






Because there were so many of us, Parkway Elementary only went through 2nd. grade. We would take the bus to Jefferson Elementary for grades 3 through 6.

Historical Fact:
Jefferson Elementary used to be a high school, and for years, it had separate girls' and boys' entrances. These entrances were turned into windows at some point, but the exterior of the building still has the two entrances marked.

These were some of my friends from 3th grade. They all lived in the Parkway. Not only were they all boys, only yesterday, 56 years later, I learned the name of the girl I'm holding hands with in the May Day picture above.

Historical Facts from Allentown School District Website

ADDENDUM: other Parkway Neighborhood Posts,
Time Capsule
Allentown On My Mind

reprinted from January 2010

Allentown Budget Cover Finally Gets An Inside

Last night Allentown finally got a budget for 2024. The saga between the mayor and council involved a veto, and threats of no Christmas in 2024, if there was no tax increase. Although the new budget has no increase,  a holiday sustainability position was created to insure that holidays continue.

If this report seems a little flippant, it's because Allentown once again failed the Molovinsky Civility Test. Once a month I drive Tilghman Street, from Cedar Crest Blvd. to Front Street...That drive tells me everything I need to know about the state of the city. When you have drivers still double parking on Tilghman Street at 5:00pm, the Administration continues to fail the test.  A few $500 tickets would cure that condition.  It's appropriate that there is no tax increase... City Hall is preoccupied with making everyone feel welcome, except for the taxpaying homeowners.

The cover shown above was created by Osorio Canas, a senior at William Allen.

City Hall Insults The Neighborhood

This is a post which I spent a week trying not to write. It is a story of favoritism and abuse of power. About four years ago a homeowner, in a quiet south side neighborhood, moved out and rented the house to his brother. Under Allentown regulations this property hence became a rental property, and subject to license and inspection procedures. As it turns out, these brothers are childhood friends with an Allentown inspector. The second brother, the tenant, has been disruptive in the neighborhood by every criterion relevant to code enforcement. The property became unkempt and subject of numerous police calls, including the SWAT team. All calls for relief from surrounding properties seemed to end up with the family's inspector friend, and brought no relief from the problems. Allentown has been very pro-active with problem properties. In the first eight months of 2010, 342 properties received orange tags, forcing the property to be vacated. Most tags were issued for problems significantly more minor than those occurring in the subject of this post. This past October, the bank foreclosed on the property. The tenant legally became a squatter. A neighbor's complaint resulted in another inspector discovering that the bank owned property was an unregistered rental, and he issued a 30 day to vacate tag for illegal occupancy. It appeared that finally the neighbors would get relief from the trash, noise and police calls. The childhood friend inspector intervened, and the 30 day notice was never enforced. My efforts with the inspector on behalf of the other property owners (including myself) were to no avail. I have spent the week documenting the problem up the chain of command, right to the Mayor's office. Although the property is in gross violation of code, the illegal tenant is allowed to remain. Although in the last eight months police have surrounded the property several times in complete violation of the disruptive tenant ordinance, the occupant remains. In typical City Hall fashion, they have circled the wagons around the inspector, around their own. They are now actually trying to work with the bank and make him the homeowner. The top photo is the back yard on May 9, 2011, with years worth of garbage. You will be happy to know that a city contractor has now been hired to clean the property and cut the grass, at your expense. The City's course of action is a total insult to the neighbors. I did see some inspectors today, they were walking around my property. 

above reprinted from June of 2011

UPDATE SEPTEMBER 13, 2021: During the Pawlowski regime, city code enforcement was weaponized.  As both a landlord and blogger, I took on substantial personal risk to expose the Pawlowski regime for its corruption.  While the Morning Call borrowed some my other blog posts without attribution, they never once used ones about city hall shenanigans...That's why Pawlowski got away with things for so long. 

I'd like to tell you that city hall is completely cleaned up, but it isn't. Just two years ago I had to defend an east side woman from code abuse. While things are certainly better at city hall, it's still filled with people who were appointed and promoted during Pawlowski's three plus terms. While there's still a residual arrogance of power there, I'm hopeful for a more accountable city hall as time passes.  

Although the years have slowed this blog down somewhat, I'm still on patrol.

ADDENDUM JUNE 10, 2022: While there's a new mayor, any change remains to be seen. Matt Tuerk chose to keep everybody in place at city hall, including code enforcement. While I understand his reluctance against a clean sweep, some changes were in order. 

Tuerk has been preoccupied with inclusion and making all citizens feel welcome. While that's all nice and good, the time has come to start improving the rights of the property owners...The right to equal and fair treatment by all the departments within the city.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 12, 2023: What is bringing on these Code Department inequity posts is the statement by Vicky Kistler that she was offended by the rumor that the code department was in a reprisal mode when they inspected the Hamilton Business Center last week. I have no knowledge of that situation or the appropriateness of the city action.  I do have extensive knowledge of historical abuse by the code department. She (Kistler) should take no offense at any lingering rumors.

Closing The Monument Building

One morning in early July of 2008, code enforcement descended upon the Monument Building like a swat team. Every officer, in every department in the city entered the building at the same time, and spread out looking for every possible violation. Under the previous owner, the same conditions, with the same tenants, were lauded as a rebirth. Whatever motivated Pawlowski to pull the plug on the new owner, the tenants were lightweights, of no consequence. At that time myself and few other malcontents, like Lou Hershman, would gather very early in the morning for coffee at Jerry's Cafe, located on the first floor. The building had begun its life as the 1st National Bank. After being closed for many years, it reopened as Corporate Center. The new buyer renamed it Monument Building. 

645 Hamilton Street was torn down, to be replaced by J.B. Reilly's Two City Center. Let me tell you the story of the little people, who were disposed of along the way.

The previous April,  Pawlowski wrote "I want to thank Valley Latino TV Show and Magazine for keeping the Latino community informed. Your dedicated effort shows commitment..congratulations... I wish you great success!" Along with the magazine and television studio, a graphic art designer, a festival promoter, and a security company were displaced.  The Morning Call, reporting on the violation report from the City of Allentown, described the building as unsafe. It was the same building, with the same tenants, in the same condition, as before. Unlike the city inspectors, or the paper's reporter, I was there every day for coffee at Jerry's Cafe. Jerry's was not one of the upstart businesses blessed with a grant. He had to pay for everything, and everything had to be inspected, inside out. His plans had to be approved, his electric and plumbing had to be approved, his grill and hood system had to be approved. City inspectors in and out of the building during this process included no less than plumbing, electrical and health. Although violation report issued to the building after the raid listed extension cords, it failed to note that those cords were attached to a movable lighting grid for the Latino Television production studio, and were cords by design. Although the city citation report cited unlicensed businesses, it omitted the fact that the lower level was occupied by Sassi, which performs drug testing for the Lehigh County, and the city's action caused Melendez Reality and Madison Mortgage, among others,  to vacate. 

I don't know if Pawlowski will teach government in prison, but Molovinsky University will teach how Pawlowski abused Allentown.

reprinted from previous years

photocredit:molovinsky

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 9, 2023: Pawlowski had weaponized code enforcement, and that arrogance  remained within the code staff, even into the O'Connell administration.  Since then there has been personnel changes and retirements... I'm not informed about the current integrity status within that department.

ADDENDUM DECEMBER 11,2023:We learned over the weekend that the Hamilton Business Center at 11th and Hamilton was found in violation of codes. I have no insider information, or even an opinion on the necessity of closing down the building. Vicky Kistler, recently new head of Community and Economic Development, is quoted as saying that she is highly offended by the rumors that it was in retaliation for Tuerk's treatment by council. I think that as a long time city employee, Ms. Kistler, knowing full well the Pawlowski era shenanigans, should not be so offended.  Other news events permitting, this week I will remind Ms. Kistler and readers of some history involving the code department.

Softball With The Mayor

After a no confidence, but no consequence grilling at City Council Wednesday night, Hasshan Batts provided the mayor with the Promise of a friendly Neighborhood on Thursday. Promise employees packed the mid-size room with shoulder to shoulder chairs around the perimeter, with a small circle of chairs in the middle for good measure.

Tuerk's communications manager, Genesis Ortega, gently asked scripted softball questions, allowing Matt to showcase what a wonderful budget he had prepared for 2024.  He explained how just a few more dollars in this and that department would make a great city even better. He mentioned how the fire department was benefiting from a substantial grant, and that grants were something that people in the room were familiar with. A woman in attendance later wrote on her facebook page: We are lucky to have this committed, accessible, optimistic, and realistic public servant at the helm. There was also one elderly homeowner there for a few minutes, who receives no grants, but worried how any tax increase would add to the already announced school and water increases. 

If Tuerk's pared down 2% increase budget gets passed, or council instead overrides his veto of their no tax hike version, remains to be seen.

Images Of Allentown Past

photocredit:molovinsky
Over the years my camera has caught many images which can no longer be seen. Some have been recent victims of the changing city, others not seen for decades.

Evil Eva's/South end of 8th Street Bridge/2005 

reprinted from May of 2013

Distraction And Reality In A Spinning Allentown

While Allentown's attention will be distracted tonight by a possible no confidence vote at City Council, the real political news will take place tomorrow afternoon, at the Promise Neighborhood headquarters. Then and there, Tuerk and Hasshan Batts will reaffirm their mutual beneficial alliance. 

Batts' blackness will certify that Matthew Tuerk and/or his administration does not discriminate against people of color.

Mayor Tuerk's presence signifies that Promise Neighborhoods is indeed a legitimate vessel for our city directed grant money and corporate contributions.

Never mind that the Promise agenda is in conflict with city policy. Hasshan's grab for the former Allentown Toy Factory undone the long standing Allentown Redevelopment Agency.  His mentor program is part and parcel of the defund movement.

While the local MSM will cover the dog and pony show at City Hall,  this blog will concentrate on the real back-scratching fest taking place on Union Street.

The Gordon Street Paint Shop

As a boy growing up in Little Lehigh Manor, I vaguely remember the trolleys. The final switch over to buses occurred in 1953. Although the major trolley and bus barn was the Fairview facility near my house, the Lehigh Valley Transit Company also had other storage and work sites. The west end trolley barn, at 14th and Gordon Streets, also served as their paint shop. Although the location has been a wholesale plumbing supply business for many decades, until recent years the tracks leading into the current warehouse were visible. The photo above dates from 1938, and shows a freshly painted trolley.

reprinted from May of 2013