Most bloggers crave comments, but not me lately. I have begun accepting less and less comments. I'm not trying to get a seat at any table, those invitations haven't been in the mail for many years. With this blog being in its eighteenth year, I don't think that there is a former, current or future official I haven't offended.
I don't fret about offending people, but I'm beginning to fret about anonymous commenters taking cheap shots. To make myself even less viable, sometimes now even a signature isn't enough for me to publish. This doesn't mean that I'm turning into Mr. Rogers. I will continue to speak out when appropriate, but resist piling it on. I will also apply the same standard to those that comment. Comments that raise an important point, regardless if offensive, will still appear.
Needless to say, everyone who sends in a comment thinks it is worthwhile, and consequently is offended when it is not published. Don't despair, you can always phone or email the official with your complaint.
While I have been a long time advocate for the traditional park system and the WPA structures within, I had not given much study to the Rose and Old Fashion Gardens in Cedar Park. They were in the very capable hands of Paul Pozzi, who retired last year after many years of devotion to the gardens. His replacement, Nick Hutte, is likewise doing an excellent job.
In 2010, I did question the rebuilding of the ponds. The contractor cut under the walls when dredging. Although the dirt was replaced, I questioned how compacted it was. I'm sorry to report that the pond walls are fairing very poorly, after only fifteen years. I question if the proper mortar was used?
The rose garden dates back to 1930-1931, predating the WPA work and structures in the park system. At the time the garden was built, the trolley still ran along the creek to Dorney Park and beyond, and Parkway Blvd. was still called Linden Street.
The garden was conceived by then Mayor Gross, and designed by Claude C. Yost. Dedication took place on Saturday June 20th, 1931. The garden was an enormous success, and attracted thousands of visitors. Although we now also have an Old Fashion Garden with a series of connecting ponds, in 1931, the garden had one lagoon.
shown above Rose Garden construction 1930
A statue in the Rose Garden has been removed to be refurbished. The sculpture honestly wasn't on my radar until Friday, when I noticed some large equipment for its removal. That equipment included an engine type lift, and a very large truck crane. On Saturday, I noticed that the bronze statue apparently lifted right off the base, perhaps making the heavy equipment unnecessary.
Allow me to expand my confession to admit that I didn't realize that the sculpture was also sort of a water feature, a bird bath. The Smithsonian notes that it was created by George Thomas Brewster in 1925. It was commissioned by Harold S. MacLaine in memory of his wife, and originally placed in the park by Trout Hall. The rose garden was began in 1930-31, so the sculpture had been moved from its original location.
Shown above is an early morning view of the sculpture by Lehigh Valley photographer Jason Fink.
photocredit:Jason Fink
Yesterday, around 5:00PM, I witnessed a car back up and park on the corner of 7th and Linden. Not near the corner, but on the corner. The driver locked the car and strolled away. Across the street an Allentown Police officer was directing traffic out of the parking garage, and ignored the illegal parking. Meanwhile, a three wheel motorcycle blaring a stereo loud enough to be heard for blocks was also ignored by the officer.
I now realize that my excursion, annoying as it was, could have been much worse. Thirty minutes later, there was a shooting at 8th & Linden. The decline seems fast and steep.
My military experience is limited to having ridden past Quantico a few times on the train. However, the President addressing all the assembled generals has no more experience than me. He didn't even understand why they didn't laugh at his jokes. He doesn't understand that they are supposed to be apolitical. When he suggests that they practice warfare on civilians in our cities, he demonstrates a dangerous kindergarten comprehension of our government.
I doubt that even many Republican veterans could appreciate the reason for the conclave assembled at Quantico. It could not have been more ill advised from any viewpoint.
Fortunately for us, we have a very disciplined military. I expect the fallout will be limited to eye rolling. They knew Trump is a moron, and now they know the same about Hegseth. Hegseth said that generals who do not agree with his agenda should resign. Most of those generals earned their stripes the hard, long way, and know that the constitution will hopefully improve the current situation in another three and a half years.
On Monday afternoon, President Trump said I got to witness the greatest accomplishment in civilization. Well maybe, if Hamas accepts the deal, it is an accomplishment. Greatest in history? That statement is one for psychology, not history.
Netanyahu said that if they didn't do it the easy way, they would have to do it the hard way. What was hard was watching them say so little, with so much pomp. I hope that for the hostages and the Palestinians, Hamas accepts the proposal, but my regard for both Trump and Netanyahu won't improve.
I think that Trump should say nothing without a teleprompter, not even hello or goodbye.
I grew up working in a meat market. People often would buy a round steak, and ask the clerk to tenderize it. You ran it through a machine with steel teeth on opposing rollers. Those thousand perforations made the lower cost tough steak tender.
Multiple ads in the Morning Call have been tenderizing Mackenzie for next year's election. They don't really expect Mackenzie to vote against the administration's budget, but the purpose is to suggest to the voters that he's voting against their interests.
Although the Democrats won't be deciding on Mackenzie's opponent until next May, expect to receive many mailers and see many ads in the meantime. Money is no object when they attempt to turn a tough cut into hamburger.
Nobody wants to be called a racist, and everybody walks on eggshells when discussing the current situation in the Allentown School District. The recent fad in urban education was that the person who the students see in leadership, should look like them, and that meant black or brown, but not white.
School Boards have hired Superintendents of color, who in turn hired principals of color. There has developed a large demand for a rather smaller pool of qualified candidates, who meet the color test. Here in Allentown, the superintendent we hired was actually paid off to leave a similar position in New England. We in turn have just suspended, with pay, a new principal at Harrison Morton, who kicked out the window in a police cruiser last weekend.
The core of school directors who adhered to the color test are not running for reelection. By good fortune, we have a pool of new candidates, who are very qualified to improve the district.
On Wednesday's post, a commenter asked me how I claim to be a conservative, when I don't endorse Trump's Americanism. I wouldn't call Trump's agenda American values, and Mackenzie's sycophantic behavior may well be a bad bet on his part. His reported answers on the WFMZ Iannelli interview were way too safe for me.
The most independent that he could be was to agree with Iannelli that certain behaviors were wrong, such as going after political enemies, but he stopped way short of calling Trump out on them. Closing the border is a horse that can be ridden only so far.
When science research against cancer is defunded, and a president babbles on against Tylenol, people with a grade 12 education wince. When enough people wince, over one misstep or another, that party suffers in the midterms. The WFMZ interview was an opportunity for Mackenzie to present himself as his own man...he failed to do that.
In terms of being independent and your own man, this blog (me) has moved more to the center. As a conservative independent, many of my readers are Republican. Many people cannot understand that there are independents like myself, who really do not adhere to one party or another. Likewise, they may not understand that this blog is not written for monetary compensation. I express my opinion, readers are welcome to come and go.
This isn't my first post critical of Mackenzie. It is my hope that he comes to assert himself when Trump introduces a flawed policy, and I can vote for him in 2026.
The Morning Call headline stated that an Iron Chef is making a bet on Allentown. Anybody who has a paid subscription to the paper knows better than that. We've seen Reilly's City Center RE subsidize one new restaurant after another, since Shula's opened on the Arts Walk in 2015.
We old timer subscribers have seen one Morning Call Reporter, after another, present a news release as news.
I watched Josh Shapiro on Meet The Press this past Sunday. As a possible Democrat for 2028, he'll have to present Allentown as a feather in his cap. When the press comes to the Queen City in 2028, I doubt that they'll be able to eat at Jose Garces' Okatshe Japanese Restaurant. For Hamilton Street, three years is an eternity.
Nobody will ever accuse Donald Trump of false modesty. In his typical kingly fashion, he let the United Nations know about all the wars he stopped. He was subdued about the wars he would supposedly end on day one, Gaza and Ukraine. There, he has emboldened Netanyahu and Putin to ratchet things up.
While he and MAGA continue their self congratulator interplay, the rest of the world is forced to be silent and polite. After all, the United States remains the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, even if our current leadership is very quirky.
While we have had issues with the UN for decades, previous presidents had met the situation with attempts to gain better value for our investment, as opposed to Trump's dismissive and disruptive posturing.
The upcoming election for Allentown School Board has five grade A candidates. Among them are two veterans of previous boards, again volunteering their experience.
Bob Smith Jr. is a well known activist in Allentown, with several previous school board terms on his resumé. The same applies to David Zimmerman, who also again is offering his experience to the troubled district.
The current board and administration has been very preoccupied with racial identity. While that is an important consideration in a system with a minority majority, education and leadership will always be the most valuable attributes for student success. With that in mind, I make the following recommendations.
Two Year Opening
Bob Smith Jr. for two year term. Smith is also on the ballot for a four year spot, but my vote will go for the two year slot, that way we can get five great board members.
Four Year Openings
1. Evette D'Amore- Evette has two sons at Dieruff, and is very active in the school system.
2. David Zimmerman- Dave is experienced on school matters and willing to serve again.
3. Tom Houck- retired city policeman and activist
4. Dianne Michels- Special Ed teacher with Masters in Education.
We're in a dangerous time. We have a bully in the White House, who isn't anywhere near bright as he thinks. Back from England, he said of broadcast media,"They're 97 percent against(me); they give me only bad press. I mean, they're getting a license...I would think maybe their license should be taken away."
Ted Cruz was critical of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's statement to networks "We can do this the easy way, or we can do this the hard way", but not exactly for the right reason. Cruz is afraid that such heavy handedness by the FCC will hurt conservatives when the Democrats come back into power.
After eight months of Trumpism, it's encouraging when somebody even suggests that the emperor has no clothes. There will be more of Cruz speaking up, because Trump will say something about the Texas senator being out of line...Trump can't help himself. Because Trump's mouth runneth over, eventually, more Republicans will put on their big boy pants...hopefully in time to repair some of the damage.
While late night comedy thrived on making fun of Biff/Trump, Trump did Jimmy Kimmel a favor. Kimmel will emerge somewhere as the official spokesman against the naked emperor. Who knows, he might even run for congress.
In the meantime, the Trump machine had a revival yesterday at Charlie Kirk's memorial service. Vance was front and center, hoping to be the heir apparent for 2028.
Additionally, two late night hosts have lost their slots, and the Trump administration is expanding the previous parameters of hate speech.
I find all of this disturbing, especially as a blogger, who scrutinizes local government. More disturbing is corporate America being intimidated by the government, against their employees and talent. Expect less jokes on your late night television.
After Iannelli recorded the Business Matters debate between Josh Siegel and Roger MacLean, there was some buzz about how acrimonious the show was. I also saw some recent comment about how Siegel washed the studio up with MacLean. As a local political blogger I felt compelled to watch it, although it was more painful than I feared. It wasn't MacLean beat up, but rather Siegel beating himself up, with canned platitudes.
Siegel thinks that he can beat MacLean by attaching him to Trump and MAGA. Although he did mention federal budget cuts that could challenge the county, his persistence with that line became quickly tiring. Siegel is a smooth talker, but too smooth, sounding like a door to door encyclopedia salesman.
In reality, the reports you hear about this debate are more relevant than the debate itself. No offense to Tony, but only about a dozen people ever watch the show.
The new pavilion at Cedar Park had a full house for the Lehigh County Democratic Committee picnic. I understand their enthusiasm, with the Trump administration being so divisive. While Trump certainly did seal the border, the deportation portion is over the top to all but the diehard partisans.
Although the midterm is over a year away, the Mackenzie postcards have already started arriving. The Democrats don't yet even have a name to push, but their mailers are also already flowing.
If money doesn't sway too much, the County Executive seat is in play come this November. While Siegel's war-chest is huge, the Board of Commissioners is so far left, suburban voters may push back toward the center with MacLean.
photocredit:Mike Schlossberg
When I was in high school we would drive the circuit. The circuit was from the Ritz at the fairgrounds down Hamilton Street to 6th Street, and back up Linden Street back to the fairgrounds.
Now that I'm a senior citizen, operating an adult day care blog, I drive the loop. On the high school circuit we looked for girls, on the senior loop I look for signs of civility. The loop is down Tilghman Street from Ott to 2nd, and across and back up Linden, back to Ott St. Going down Tilghman I encountered a young man doing a wheelie on his motorcycle in the 900 block. Farther down in the 500 block a pickup truck double parked, tying up traffic in both directions. Going east on 2nd, I was passed by a scholar on the left. The scholar stayed in the left, against the oncoming lane for several blocks. He was very pleased with himself.
Back in high school on the circuit, I was never very good at meeting girls. Now as a senior citizen, I'm not very good at finding quality of life in center city Allentown.
On the quality of life topic, last week the city celebrated the renovation of the amphitheater at Joseph Daddona Park. While I usually insist on using the traditional names of our historic venues (Union Terrace), I'm using the Daddona name because his house has just been approved as a two-unit by the zoning board. That house has a lot of history, starting out as a trolley office, to a favorite mayor's pride and joy. I hope the zoning application received the proper scrutiny.
A Lehigh County Commissioner is blaming his arrest on the man. The commissioner, Cole-Borghi, claims that the charges and disclosure of such are political, emphasizing that he is a black man. Worse for us county taxpayers, another commissioner, Jon Irons, seconds Borghi's contentions.
Last time I checked, two law enforcement entities were under the commissioner's purview, the Sheriff Department and the District Attorney's Office. While Borghi may be innocent of the drug charge, he is guilty of using politics and race as an excuse. Even the Lehigh County Democrats have distanced themselves from the contention that Borghi's race was a factor in his indictment.
If not for Borghi and Irons, I would probably not be making a County Executive recommendation. But, in light of how far off center the Commission has become, my vote will be going to Roger MacLean.
Before I started this blog in 2007, I was a letter writer to the Morning Call. My letters were not well received, more often I heard back nothing. When pressed, the opinion page editor, Robert Orenstein, would usually respond that my submission was either too long or too short. While Orenstein allowed an open door for the establishment, independent voices like myself had to fight tooth and nail for some column space.
In 2014, the then South Whitehall Commissioners tried to green light demolishing Wehr's Dam for the Wildlands Conservancy. I managed to get it postponed for public comment. Their next tactic was a disingenuous referendum, where they tried tying preserving the dam to a tax increase. When I fought against that conspiracy, Orenstein claimed that my letter was just my opinion. Imagine, sending an opinion to the opinion page?
Orenstein and some others at the Call ended up taking an early buyout offer from the Tribune. They now produce a newsletter that you can subscribe to. While they promote themselves now as journalists, they don't tell you how their gatekeeping helped keep a corrupt mayor in power, and promoted a still ongoing real estate scheme.
The amount of news coverage and analysis of a doodle from one womanizer to another is distressing. With all the disruption of government service in the name of efficiency, how can the doodle matter, and if Trump drew and sent it or not? Talk about fiddling while the city burns!
On the topic of burning cities, it's distressing to see ICE recruiting from our undermanned local police forces. An adult administration would be working toward more police officers for our communities, not offering them sign on bonuses to arrest workers at car plants and outside Home Depot.
This is not an adult administration. It has reduced previously respectful institutions to divining nonsense, because substance is no longer on the table. We'll get past it, and there will even be a presidential library, but with comic books and doodles.
Kane's restaurant had a glass and stainless steel front, complete with glass doors. Tables were set with table cloths and silverware. Service was by waiters. He set up across from the side entrance of the Farmers Market, on the west side of the fairgrounds. Although very successful in the south, here in Allentown the locals stayed loyal to their church and civic association tents, which were on the eastern side of the grounds.
Trump wants to rename the Department of Defense, the Department of War. Likewise, Allentown's Park Department should be the Department of Neglect. Bogert's Bridge has to be the classic example. Rather than just keeping it painted, it is getting a $2.7mil overhaul. It's grant money mind you, but it's the system which needs the overhaul, not the bridge.
For the pedestrians and the occasional horse, it has plenty of structural integrity. It had seen its last motor vehicle many decades ago. Although technically a sag in the span, two concrete piers were added to the middle back in the traffic days.
When the metal bridge in the parkway was damaged by a storm, it was replaced with a pedestrian bridge, bisecting the park to vehicle traffic. That was the time and place to spend money, and keep the park as designed. We essentially now have two parks, both depriving citizens the pleasure of driving through. The Department of Neglect has suffered from the lack of strategic planning for the last three decades.
In the last few years I revealed that I have been exploring Florida. Last year, I mentioned my low-rent office, inland from Cape Canaveral. While near the marsh, I can still see Musk's endless rockets taking off, crowding space with satellites.
Florida is governed by Trump wannabe Ron DeSantis. His Nigerian born Surgeon General wants to ban childhood vaccine mandates, like Measles and Smallpox. Yesterday, he compared those vaccines to slavery. I would think that in reality, slave children were denied the medical advances of their era.
Last year, I posted about the Death Train, which speeds through sleepy towns, killing slow reacting seniors. I am of course now one of those seniors. My friends of the liberal persuasion should restrict themselves to the blue enclaves when here. Otherwise, you might find the alligators friendlier than my neighbors.
In 2008, when the Rose Garden Ponds were being rebuilt, there was an annoying blogger complaining that the pond walls were undermined when the ponds were dredged. Although they did replace that ground, he then complained about it not being compacted enough. Seventeen years later, I'm back with a bigger complaint.
The pond walls seem to be falling apart, and quickly. Although built in the mid 1930's, they were in better shape before the restoration in 2008, than now. Perhaps they used the wrong mortar mix. Although they stood for 75 years before being restored the first time, the next restoration will have to be much, much sooner than that.
Worse for the ponds, this park administration doesn't appear to have much interest in maintaining park infrastructure. Recently, I complained about the vines destroying the park barn at 30th and Parkway Blvd.. Shingles are now starting to fall off the barn roof. The parking lot retaining wall continues to crumble. I will continue to complain.
The other Sunday when Eddie Aviles put on a tie and canvassed with and for the local Republicans, I told someone that it could come back to bite the Republicans. That come back didn't take long! Although Eddie was recently arrested for protesting on behalf of the homeless, the card features an old issue. Old is the keyword here. The incident referenced goes back over a decade, to 2013.
It occurs to me that the effort to defame Aviles might well backfire on Siegel and the Democrats. Eddie now gets into what John Lewis used to call good trouble. Standing up for the homeless won't lose votes with most people.
Eddie is certainly his own man. Between now and November, he could be involved in several commotions. I've always related to freelance activists, and one man bands.
The title above is a play on words, and actually refers to Jackie Rivera, who will probably become a County Commissioner an easier way than she expected. Her opponent, the incumbent Zachary Cole-Borghi, has been arrested and charged as part of a large marijuana ring. The Smith refers to her maiden name, being the daughter of Bob Smith Jr., local Republican and Allentown School Board candidate.
People charged with crimes have won elections before, including Allentown's mayor Pawlowski. Borghi is not charged with processing a couple joints of pot, but rather being part of an organized ring, involving large quantities and lots of money.
How the local Democratic Party will react remains to be seen. Although people are legally innocent until proven guilty, hopefully the party will at least show some integrity and shun him.
As if there isn't enough events at Cedar Beach Park, the Park Department is now renting the park out to private promoters for even more events. On Saturday evening the park was mobbed for the Water Lantern Festival, operated by a private promoter.
According to their website, tickets for the event cost $35. I don't know what kind of gate security they had, or how many people actually paid the full freight, or what the city's take was. but I do know that the park is terribly overused and abused.
A Tuerk sycophant asked me what I thought of the city's public meetings to formulate ideas for a new park masterplan. I told him they were nonsense, and that the parks weren't meant to be a venue for every popular fad. They also were not intended to be pimped out to promotion companies.
please excuse my frank language in this post
Over the years John Bolton has been called many things, mostly a hawk, but never disloyal to the country. He did however write and say that Trump was incredibly uninformed and unqualified as President. No good deed goes unpunished, and the FBI gave him a good housecleaning on Friday. Trump's response to news of the search... “He’s not a smart guy. But he could be a very unpatriotic guy and we’re going to find out".
I don't expect anybody in the cabinet to speak out, they're sycophants who are there for their loyalty, not their expertise or integrity. But I must wonder about the long term workers and agents assigned with such distasteful tasks. They know that they're harassing or firing or penalizing people who deserve better.
As I have written before, I think that Republicans are going to have a hard sell come mid-terms. I don't think that they need to worry about Trump promoting a primary challenger, but rather being ousted in the general for their compliance to him. J.D. Vance apparently thinks that he is the heir apparent of the newly gilded Oval Office, parroting Trump's Blame Biden Blatter. After the Democrats retake the White House in 28, Vance can always write another book. For the former MAGA non-readers, he can record some podcasts.
You have to give Mike Schlossberg credit, he's not afraid to confront mental illness, in himself or his constituents. Recently, to atone for any and all misguided votes over the years, he suggested voters dunk him. For three consecutive days, Mike allowed voter after voter, regardless of political affiliation, to throw balls at the target. He was dunked no less than three hundred times.
Asked if this will be a yearly ritual, he's hesitant to commit. He doesn't doubt that his future votes will deserve public punishment, but confused by the enthusiasm of the participants.
Some ball throwers in the long line exhibited anger far beyond any decision made in Harrisburg. His aides had to monitor against people wanting a second and third time in line, despite the long wait. His intent was to reduce mental illness, not contribute to it.
I'm sure I don't know as much as I think I do about most things I write about, but with today's post, I know nothing. Dr. Google has been helping me out here with band schedules and reviews. If I was fifty years younger, maybe I would have heard of some of these groups, but I wasn't very hip back then either.
The reviews suggest that the venue is doing well. People complain about the wait to get in, but that suggests the shows are successful. My big question is about spin off business after the shows? I know they have their own bar, but are the other restaurants benefiting before or after the performances? Another question is about the Allentown Parking Authority. Are they preying on the concert goers?
J.B. Reilly seems intent on injecting some life into his Potemkin Village. Considering how many of our state tax dollars have been invested into his empire, we must wish him well on that.
In 2012, I appeared on a Business Matters show about the upcoming arena and NIZ. I and Steve Thode from Lehigh spoke against it, while several people were chosen to champion it, including Mike Fleck and Sy Traub.
I had been helping out the former merchants, and attended a couple meetings at City Hall with them. They were being threatened with eminent domain if they refused to sell. Although they were compensated fairly for the real estate, they got nothing for their businesses. While one of them relocated to 7th Street, all the others went out of business. In all cases it was more than their livelihood, it was also their past and future.
Bill White wrote a column about the debate, and referred to me as dour and misguided. Not one business from anywhere on Hamilton Street prior to the NIZ remains. No businesses, including restaurants, had any lasting success. Nobody still considers Hamilton Street a business district, it is now an urban office park. Mr. Fleck got indicted along with Pawlowski. Sy Traub remains on the NIZ board.
I hoping Bill White responds to this post. Was I as misguided as you thought? BTW, I'll accept the dour label, especially when it comes to the NIZ.
Yes, I know that Jennings retired from Community Action, but there's a new sheriff in Dodge anyway. Gregory Edwards has grown his church into a multi-faceted program. A couple of years ago his organization was gifted the historic Zion Church, where the Liberty Bell was hidden during the Revolutionary War. But, the Allentown of 2025 isn't much for history.
Resurrected Community Development Corp., an arm of Resurrected Life Community Church, will renovate and build an addition to its Children’s Academy at 916 W. Turner St. The $7mil project is mostly funded by federal tax credits funneled to the corporation by Finanta. Finanta appears to be the king of community non-profits. It was started with a $90mil grant, and has developed into a credit union and statewide lender.
If I was a nicer and smarter man, this blog would be a 501c. It's truly non-profit, I don't even get a salary. I do, however, get a lot of dirty looks...
photocredit:Economidis/TheMorningCall
Every time I hear Ryan Mackenzie say One Big Beautiful Bill, I cringe. Before its passage, he was astute enough to say that his support would be conditional on maintaining certain benefits and safety nets. Since his yes vote, he has decided to bet it all on Trump. He has been touring local businesses, owning his vote on it.
Likewise, she is allowed to remain on the school board, because after all she is not running for re-election. I would think that she should have the intuition to resign from the board, sorta of a right vs wrong example for the students... of course I live in another world from another time.
photocredit:April Gamiz/MorningCall
No sooner than I announced last week that this blog was becoming a semiweekly, I had to bring out a special edition to break the story that Tuerk was pulling the plug on the Jordan Creek encampment. The city was facing a strong lawsuit from developer Nat Hyman, who ironically donated some of the land for the Jordan Meadows park walk. I also broke the story that Hyman won't stand down, unless additional conditions are met. Tuerk's turnaround on the encampment created some flak from his most progressive supporters, and the camper's claim that he broke a promise. While the non-profits are gnashing their teeth about the displacement, not a tear was shed or word said when the previous homeless encampment was unceremoniously removed from the Basin Street area, opposite the Parkettes. That eviction was to accommodate a commercial developer, and the city built him a bridge to boot. While we're dressing up all the remaining private buildings near Reilly's NIZ holdings, we dumped the homeless at Hyman's doorstep.
Also on Tuerk's list of problems is another black eye for the police department. Another officer is accused of misconduct, for pistol whipping a denizen after a police chase. Chief Roca being Hispanic fills Tuerk's diversity agenda, but his leadership abilities are coming more and more into question.
Shown above is not Musikfest, nor even an event hip enough for Mayor Matt, but rather the Allentown Band playing in West Park. The Allentown Band started in 1828, and is the oldest band in the United States. Molovinsky On Allentown started in 2007, and is the oldest continuous blog in Allentown. Although I just announced last week that I was reverting to a semiweekly schedule, my only sponsor, Hess's Department Store, demands that I remain in publication every weekday.
photocredit:Jeff Wetherhold
Besides the Trust, those who identify with the local establishment will take offense at this post, but I wasn't on their Christmas list since never. Although they may take offense, they hear me, and let me remind them of a time not that long ago.
Every Saturday morning Pawlowski would meet with his Kitchen Cabinet in the back room of the Hamilton Family Diner. The Cabinet had no less than two sitting Trust members and a local judge. The Cabinet met for about a decade, until the FBI indictment, then it disbanded faster than Pawlowski could ask what happen?
So what's the message of my post? The Trust remains political, endorsing the interests of an administration, rather than that of the park system. Even the new Parknership, mostly financed by the Trust, is directing their resources to the park system's existing agenda. That agenda is replacement oriented, as opposed to maintenance conscious. Over the years we have lost numerous park features we could never afford to replace. They range from a magnificent greenhouse in Trexler Park, to a small, simple wooden bridge to a now neglected island in Lehigh Parkway.
Shown above is the retaining wall by the parking lot at the park office. It's small potatoes, but about a decade ago I mentioned to the park department that the wall needed some patching. I have mentioned it at least every couple years since. Perhaps their plan, if they have one, is to wait until it crumbles, then replace it. They're not much for a stitch in time saves nine.
Some of the older readers may know who was in the kitchen cabinet mentioned above. Please refrain from mentioning any names in any comments, that's not my point, nor will I print them.
Nat Hyman filed a legal action against the city in regard to the homeless encampment by one of his buildings. I do not find his action inappropriate. The city then asked Hyman if he would take in some of the homeless....That request I do find inappropriate. They would not have asked Reilly to put up the homeless in a Strata building.
Years ago, Pawlowski took a local developer off the hook, purchasing two parcels we did not need for parks. One on Basin St., and the other the old fertilizer plant on Martin Luther King. We didn't need them then and we don't need them now.
Although I'm a self-proclaimed park expert, I must admit I have not been to the Jordan Meadows parkway along the Jordan Creek. I will refrain from opining if the park was advisable, but since we created it, we must maintain it. Comments on yesterday's post on the homeless maintain that the city has adopted a too woke attitude tolerating homelessness. Rather than rehash that discussion, let's say that all sections of the city deserve the same treatment. Would that encampment be tolerated in the Rose Garden?
above reprinted from April 8, 2025
AUGUST 6, 2025: SPECIAL EDITION **AN OUTSIDER RUMOR CLAIMS THAT THE CITY WILL MOVE THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT BY AUGUST 25TH, TO AN AS OF YET UNDETERMINED LOCATION.**(IT WON'T BE THE ROSE GARDENS :) )
UPDATE 2:15PM: Homeless camp posted that they must vacate by August 25th because they're in a flood plain.
UPDATE 2:25PM: Hyman has informed MOLOVINSKY ON ALLENTOWN that he will NOT withdraw the lawsuit unless
1. They will not allow the homeless to return
2. They will clean up all the mess left behind
3. They create a landscape equal to other parks
4. There will be ongoing policing of that area
Trump will be costly, very bigly, very soonly. He misthinks that he can weaponize tariffs to control the foreign policy of our allies, as in regard to Palestinian recognition. His pal in arrogance, Netanyahu, has undone years of good will building by Israel, by weaponizing food in Gaza.
The monetary price for Trump's vacillations will be borne by USA consumers. What he accomplishes on a Monday, he squanders by Thursday. The political price, while slower to show up, will be coming. Biden didn't become incompetent until the end of his term, Trump's already showing his shortcomings.
When Republicans will stand up and speak out remains to be seen. Only partisans can still accept the silence... support from independents has already been lost. I don't see Trump really caring about the Republican Party and reining himself in. Incumbents will have to distance themselves from His Highness to secure their political future.
I'm a fan of the old Drew Carey Show reruns, it is difficult for me to accept that he became a game show host.
