Allentown Student Victimized By Bullying

Good evening Mr. Molovinsky,
      I have read some of your blogs and am reaching out to you that maybe you would be able to write a blog on how bullying is handled in the Allentown School District. I have a 7th grade daughter who attends (redacted) Middle School. She was a Honor Roll student until she started getting bullied in October. Not only has she been bullied, but the Assistant Principal claims to have lost all of the incident reports that she and her witnesses have turned in, with no kind of explanation of how this could happen. Then instead of dealing with the two children who were bullying her in class, and out of class, they moved her in the middle of the semester from basic classes to Advanced Honors classes. In this move they gave her no support at all to learn the lessons. Well of course her grades went from Straight A's to 2 D's, 2 B's and a C. I have had meetings with the old and new principal, and even sent emails to Mr. (redacted) at the district office. My daughter has worked so hard to make sure she had honor roll 6 marking periods so she could make National Jr.Honor Society and to keep a promise that she made to a teacher from last year. And this was taken from her. The school has not even given her any type of Restorative Justice. My daughter is now saying that if it was to happen now, she knows the children will have other students come after her. I can't afford to put her in private school, and shouldn't have to. The District has a policy 249 that they didn't follow at all in this case. It is time for someone to stand up and advocate for the children of the ASD. If this could happen to my child, with me being involved and going to Board Meetings, PGA meeting, and school programs, then I can only imagine what is happening to other students?

I wish the above note was a hypothetical situation, but it's very real. I spoke to the woman this evening, both she and her daughter are very distraught by the school's inaction on this situation. She would like her daughter to have the opportunity for scholastic credit recovery, and most importantly, to feel safe at school.

The Morning Call's Asian Premise

Morning Call readers were just treated to an epic two day, two part, nine page story on what may well be a false premise. That premise is that somehow, Asians from New York City are being victimized into riding the bus endlessly, between the big apple and Bethlehem, to make about $20 a day selling their free $45 slot machine pass for $40. The article painted them as modern day coolies, who must wander around south Bethlehem for hours, waiting for the bus to return them to Chinatown. Now, as you can tell by coolies, I'm not as encumbered by political correctness as our daily paper. A Facebook friend, who I never met, as is typical with Facebook, is offended that the paper used the word Asians. In his progressive circle, ethnicities are no longer mentioned. In my world, the bus passengers should have been called Chinese, since they are Chinese. The paper's headline said that Asians ride the bus to live. Actually, these Chinese live to gamble. Most people who live in NYC, especially Chinatown, do not have a car. The casino is crowded with Chinese gambling, most of whom came on those buses. The Sands Casino in the Macao district of China is the most lucrative casino in the world.

photocredit:April Bartholomew/The Morning Call/March 11, 2014

UPDATE: As little as I thought of The Morning Call story on the Asian bus riders, I apparently gave it too much credit. It's a rewrite of a story that appeared last year in The New York Times.

Changes In The Allentown School District

In a comment submitted to the previous post, somebody referred to the change in the student demographics. In that respect, the district certainly has changed. When I graduated Allen in the mid 1960's, I do not recall one minority student. The quickness of this change is somewhat of a sociological phenomenon, but beyond that observation, such discussion does not benefit our current students. There certainly has been some white flight because of these changes, but then again, that's just another frank observation. Although Allentown's total numerical population hasn't changed much in the last 100 years, it now has the same problems of much larger urban centers. As the previous post reveals, there's quite a difference of opinion on the school board on how to process the tight school budget. I applaud all nine members for their dedication.

photo courtesy of Sandy Paul

Emotion vs. Reason at School Board

Last night the school district went through it's annual gnashing of teeth. One again the budget realities dictated that there be layoffs. Once again the teacher's union president filled the chamber with distraught teachers and students. Once again those school directors who accept the reality of numbers were vilified by those playing for acceptance and popularity. Come June, the system will once again allow one of our elected officials from Harrisburg to be a white knight, and announce that he has secured so many more $millions for the Allentown School District.

UPDATE: Allentown School District Launches ASD Virtual Academy The Allentown School District has launched their new ASD Virtual Academy offering students online academic opportunities with a personal touch – the support of our high school guidance teams, face-to-face time with their teachers, and technical support and assistance. ASD Virtual Academy students residing in the Allentown School District in grades 9-12 may enroll in these online program options and receive high-quality online courses through three cyber or virtual educational experiences: · Full-Time Virtual High School Program · Credit Recovery Program · Virtual Supplemental Courses This is an exciting for the Allentown School District. It allows the district to compete with cyber schools, and keep both students and student financial allotments within the district. Hopefully, even the obstructionists will voted against the budget last night can appreciate this development.

The Last Fight

When Abe Simon stepped into the ring at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 1942, it would be his last fight. He had been recently married, and promised his wife that he would stop fighting. One year earlier he had fought Joe Louis the first time, and endured a tremendous beating for thirteen rounds. Fighting since 1935, ranked 6th by Ring Magazine, a shot at the title was something a fighter cannot pass up. Many fight historians consider Louis the hardest hitting heavyweight of all time. Because of the publicity Simon gained from these Louis fights, he was offered a lucrative cross country boxing tour, which he declined. It was also Louis's last title defense for four years, until fighting Billy Conn in June of 1946. After the Simon fight he joined the U.S. Army, where he would fight 96 exhibition bouts at bases throughout the country. Shown above, Simon got knocked out in the sixth round.

reprinted from December 2012

March 27, 1942

Guest Post by Mike Casey
Before 18,220 fans at Madison Square Garden on March 27, 1942, big Abe Simon stepped into the ring for the final fight of his career. Scaling 255 1/4lbs, he was a massive, bear of a man who had once used his considerable size and muscle on the gridiron. Abe outweighed Joe Louis by nearly 48 pounds, but already knew the dangers of duelling with the Brown Bomber. Just a year before at the Olympia Stadium in Detroit, Joe had decked Simon four times and stopped him in thirteen rounds.Coming back for seconds was never a good idea against the prime Louis. But Abe had heart, pluck and a big punch and everyone knew that anything could happen in heavyweight boxing. Simon had knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott in six rounds, beaten Roscoe Toles and drawn with Turkey Thompson. Abe had also waged a thrilling battle of the giants with Buddy Baer, in which he had beaten Buddy severely in the opening round before being stopped in the third.......Louis finished the fight quickly in the sixth round, sending Abe down and out with a final left-right blast. Perhaps Joe had been riled after first snapping Simon to attention with a quick-fire combination in the second round. Big Abe had laughed at him....
copy courtesy of Mike Casey Archives
photograph(added by molovinsky): Abe Simon in corner after fight, with manager Jimmy Johnston

reprinted from December 2012

Heavyweight Championship of the World

On March 21, 1941, my mother's cousin Abe Simon, son a of Jewish egg and butter salesman, fought Joe Louis for the title in Detroit. Lasting 13 rounds, he earned another title shot against the Brown Bomber a year later in Madison Square Garden. After retiring he acted in several movies, including On The Waterfront and Requiem For A Heavyweight.


Administrator's note: I'm reprinting these photo's and captions in a much tighter time frame then originally posted, to give the viewers more of a feel of the Louis era.

reprinted from December 2012

Arena Food Vendor Headlines Paper

A picture of french fries and an article about the chosen food vendor for the arena is the headline today in The Morning Call. The latest arena promotion was again written by Matt Kraus. Actually, there are two seasoned reporters writing these puff pieces, Scott Kraus and Matt Assad. Since the editors of the paper have allowed them to combine their work load, I have decided to combine their names. This way they can better share the fame, or shame, depending on your point of view. In the entire feature story there was one relevant observation, in the last sentence of the article. Albert Abdouche, owner of the Americus property, observed that the arena wants to capture as many of the food dollars as possible, spend on an evening in Allentown by their fans. No surprise there.

The Weigh-In

                                            Madison Square Garden, March 27, 1942
When they met for the first time the previous March, Abe Simon battled Joe Louis for 13 rounds. The Detroit crowd went wild that the Jewish giant from New York could absorb Louis's punches. Louis had the power of Mike Tyson and the finesse of Muhammad Ali. When it was revealed that Simon had fought with a broken hand, the Madison Garden rematch became a big ticket. Louis knocked Simon out in the sixth round. It would be Simon's last fight.
click on photo to enlarge

reprinted from December 2012

Environmental Tokenism Depreciated Bethlehem

Once upon a time the fortunes of Bethlehem were tied to the Steel, now they reside on it's historical appeal. The current flavor of the month with the green crowd is demolishing dams. Regular readers of this blog know how would be governor Pawlowski allowed the Wildlands Conservancy to destroy the Parkway's Robin Hood Dam, and deposit it's rubble around the bridge piers. The dam on the Monocacy creek suffered the same fate last year. While the dam destruction cost Allentown park goers both beauty and sound, Bethlehem lost it most valuable commodity, history. The top photo shows the original Broad Street Bridge, before it was replaced with the current one,  about 100 years ago. The bottom photo shows the same vista, but minus the historic dam. In addition to the lost history, the loss of visual impact is staggering. Bethlehem has suffered a permanent loss from former boy mayor Callahan's poor decision. Three cheers for Easton's Mayor Panto, who told the Wildlands Conservancy to look elsewhere with their dam removal and grant seeking agenda.

the top photo appeared in a Karen Samuels Facebook page. the bottom photo by John Marquette is from the same page. neither one intended the photos as used here.

Allentown, What a Revolting Development

The guy across the top of the post is William Bendix, who played Chester Riley on The Life of Riley. He ended each episode by saying, What a revolting development this turned out to be. That was a television series in the 1950's, but the phrase is appropriate to Allentown today. molovinsky on allentown spends much of it's space on the past, because it was so much better than the present. The Pawlowski Administration and The Morning Call are so focused on the future, because they hope that it's so much better than the present. On Monday afternoon, two teens were apprehended near the high school, waiting for trouble with machetes. Elsewhere, a suspect punched a cop. Our new police chief is driving around getting to know Allentown. Our mayor wanted to use hopeful expectations for this new arena as his ticket out of town. In Chester Riley's world he worked in a booming factory, and his commotions had to do with a neighbor not inviting him to a Sunday picnic. In Allentown, we have never employed people,  smashing your door in. Although this blog shies away from crime stories, we will not sugar coat the revolting development that has become Allentown.

The Second Louis-Simon Fight

$12.50 was pricey in 1942, but it got you ringside at Madison Square Garden for the Heavyweight Championship. Louis was defending his title against Simon, who had gone 13 rounds with the Bomber a year earlier in Detroit. It was the hot ticket that night in New York City.

The Great White Hope

Seventy two years ago this Thursday evening, March 27, 1942, Abe Simon got his rematch with Joe Louis for The Heavyweight Championship of the World. In 1942 that was a big sporting event, on par with the World Series. Millions of people across the country would be listening to the fight on the radio. Jack Johnson was the first black man to hold the World Heavyweight Championship, in an era which did not celebrate such an accomplishment. A former champ, James Jefferies, was induced by $100,000 in 1910 to come out of retirement to challenge Johnson. Jefferies was called The Great White Hope. The story became a movie in 1970, starring James Earl Jones. By the time Joe Louis became champion three decades later, although the resentment was gone, he was still referred to as the Negro Champion and the Brown Bomber. A promo for Abe Simon's first Louis fight even refers to Simon as The White Heavyweight. Simon certainly was no bigot, his trainer for the fight was none other than the great Jack Johnson himself.

reprinted from July 2012

A Lesser Prescription

When the arena office building was first announced about 18 months ago, Lehigh Valley Health Network was going to be opening a Sports Medicine Center in the arena complex. A recent article in the Morning Call now states that the hospital will operate a fitness center and training facilities for their computer network, utilized by the hospital on various campuses. Although the Morning Call reporters have been on board selling the Transformation, they didn't write one sentence on the shift in the hospital's commitment. It's no surprise that they decided against using the 7th and Hamilton location for patients, that would be adding pain to the injury. Although St. Lukes and Lehigh Valley go toe to toe, and side by side, in locations throughout the valley, St. Lukes has decided to let Lehigh Valley have the 7th and Hamilton location without their competition. That was an easy decision.

molovinsky Blog Posts, A Work in Progress

An associate spends hours writing his blog posts. When he's done he has produced an edited, finished piece. Not here at molovinsky on allentown; The posts are usually written very quickly, very early in the morning. Although they have been described as succinct, sometimes the conciseness leads to misinterpretation. Readers who revisit the post later in the day often find slight word changes, and additions, that clarify the meaning. Likewise, our daytime editor may alter the original photograph chosen to illustrate the post. It's with great pride that we announce that we have hired Beatrice to coordinate all aspects of the production. As always, your readership is appreciated.

An UPDATE on the post about updates: With the hiring of Beatrice, nobody will accuse molovinsky on allentown of age discrimination. Beatrice will handle all comment moderation. Although she retires very early in the evening, be assured that your comment will receive every consideration the following morning.

De Eagles, De Eagles

Like our height challenged friend seeing the plane approach Fantasy Island, our local newspaper couldn't contain themselves about the Eagles playing the arena's first date. Let's discuss what this choice was really all about. Michael Donovan, who garnered 40% of the mayoral vote this past November against would be Governor Pawlowski, speculated that it was a strategic choice to attract an older, upscale patron to Allentown. He is correct, that demographic needs to be reintroduced to center city, where they haven't been in decades, if the center city Transformation is to be the success touted by the administration and newspaper. The Eagle audience fits their bill,  it is mostly white and over fifty. Almost all the tickets will sell for over $175 each. Pawlowski and Company are hoping that these suburban ticket buyers have a good first experience in Allentown's new center city. Although they won't enjoy convenient line of sight parking, and for the Little Apple, there will be some traffic congestion after the concert, the hope is that the experience will be positive enough for a return visit. East and south-siders needing police assistance that evening will experience a delay; Every policeman in Allentown will be on display near the arena.

A Voice and Style is Silenced

Patrice Sidoione passed away suddenly earlier this week. When Allentown began the property acquisition program several years ago for the arena, the methods were not nice. Straw buyers were sent into the properties, making offers with threats of eminent domain to those who would not cooperate. Although these tactics were ignored by The Morning Call, this blog reported the process, threat by threat. Patrice, who owned a hair salon on 8th Street, keep me updated on this process and invited me, as did other merchants, to attend their meetings with city officials. Although the administration was hoping that the merchants would go quietly, they didn't know Patrice Sidoione. She championed for her rights, and encouraged the other merchants to stand up for theirs. Those who knew her are saddened by her untimely death. An obituary notice appears in today's paper.

photo of Patrice by Ramy Song

Pre-fight Hype

In the early 40's, during the War, boxing was a big sport. Pre-Television, fans would rather around the radio, and hear blow by blow commentary. Visuals were mostly restricted to newspaper photographs the following day. Not unlike the hype for the SuperBowl, the papers would also run photos prior to a big fight. Shown here are photos of contender Abe Simon, who was challenging Joe Louis for the Heavyweight Championship on March 27, 1942, at Madison Square Garden. These AP syndicated photos appeared in newspapers across the country on March 6th. Above, shows Abe and his wife in their kitchen. Below, he squares off with a neighborhood boy.

Simon's Record

reprinted from December 2012

The School District, Politics and Media

Readers to yesterday's Morning Call were treated to Paul Carpenter's column on the reduction of school librarians. Although many of my blog posts offend the writers at the Call, Paul won't be offended because he doesn't read the blogs, or much on the web at all, for that matter. So, although the paper had a quarter page for Paul's opinion, it couldn't find room for a letter by an actual school director on the same subject. Here's Scott Armstrong's unpublished letter.

To the editor, Sunday’s front page (March 16th) gave to Allentown with one hand then took away with the other. The paper proclaimed above the fold a “New Attitude” about the future of the city due to a controversial arena project, then underneath gave the back of its hand to the financially strapped Allentown School District because our libraries are “understaffed and underused”. Curious that the lengthy report neither mentioned the cause of the shortage of staff nor that the shortage is due to financial factors beyond the district or board’s ability to control. Thus, readers might conclude from this reporting that mismanagement, callousness, or indifference to the importance of libraries led to the current situation. How opposite is the truth, and The Morning Call and its reporter know better. That article did a disservice to quality journalism, the readers, and the Allentown School District. Scott Armstrong

Meanwhile, back in today's world of Facebook, school policy is often unofficially discussed by school directors, and the directors identified as Republican or conservative become irrational targets. A proposed resolution by Ce Ce Gerlach will be discussed at this evening's school board meeting. It seeks to involve the County Commissioners with the drop out rate at Dieruff and William Allen. Gerlach's proposal was reported by the Express Times, but The Morning Call, by policy, only has room for done deals. As an informed citizen, I think that the drop out rate is a reflection of the poverty culture dominating center city Allentown, more than a failure of the school district, and certainly isn't a reflection on the school board. Enter political operatives like Ed DeGrace, who writes, Identify the obstructionists and ask the voting community to hold them accountable and vote them all out! In reality we're fortunate to have a school board representing both the interests of the teachers and taxpayers. I believe that all the members put the interests of the children first.

UPDATE: The board voted 6-2 to table Cece's resolution requesting the County Commissioners to institute a task force on drop-outs. Although Cece expressed some bewilderment of that decision on Facebook, this blog obtained a note by member D. Zimmerman expressing his and the majority opinion; I think the administration has been working to address this issue over the past number of years and has made progress. The job is not over and it remains , I believe, a top priority of everyone involved with ASD. If some folks feel that progress is not sufficient, that is an issue they need to address separately. There is not one single solution to this problem. It is a multifaceted one and so necessarily is any solution to it. I fail to see how a county investigation will add anything to this mix or of what benefit it will be other than to reaffirm the obvious. I will not be supporting this resolution however I will strongly support any efforts by ASD to lower the dropout rates of our students.

Allentown's West End Train

The Lehigh Valley Railroad operated a train branch line which served Allentown's commercial west end. It ran along Sumner Avenue servicing the scrap metal yards, warehouses and numerous coal dealers located there. The line then crossed Tilghman Street on a diagonal at 17th, before looping back east by Liberty Street at the Fairgrounds. The line ended at a rail yard now housing the small shopping center at 12th and Liberty. Although many of former commercial buildings still exist, all now house more retail type businesses. The B'nai Brith Apartments occupy the site of the former Trexler Lumber Yard. These historical shorts are difficult to write. Most current residents have no frame of reference to our former commercial past. True historians, such as the local railroad buffs, cringe at the lack of detail and specific location of the tracks. Suffice to say, that once upon a time, the mid-section of Allentown had much more commerce.

photo of train crossing Tilghman at 17th Street taken by Kermit E. Geary in 1974, from the Mark Rabenold Collection.

reprinted from December 2012

Simon Gets Brother's Verdict

Louis F. Simon(Right) tell his heavyweight brother that he is proud that he lasted into the thirteenth round of his fight with Joe Louis last night. Mike Jacobs announced after the bout that the two would be rematched in New York on May 16th.

Blogger's Notes: The above is an Associated Press "Wirephoto" that appeared in newspapers across the country on March 22, 1941. The title and caption is the actual Associated Press copy. Mike Jacobs was Joe Louis's manager. Abe Simon actually ended up fighting four more opponents and waiting over a year before the rematch; they met for second time and the title in Madison Square Garden on March 27, 1942. Simon was knocked out in the 6th round, he never fought again. His career record was 36 wins, 25 by knockout, 10 loses, 1 draw.

reprinted from December 2012

Simon Fearless Against Bomber

The 1941 June edition of Ring Magazine featured the Abe Simon vs Joe Louis fight in March. Editor-writer Nat Fleischer was in awe of Simon's courage against the unbeatable Brown Bomber. Fleischer wrote "They (fans) saw Abe Simon give the Bomber the greatest battle he has had since he won the crown..." Although Simon Lost by TKO in the 13th, this image of Simon grinning at Louis while taking the 8 count in round 7, is one of my favorite photographs of that fight.

reprinted from December 2012

On this evening 73 years ago, March 17, 1941, Abe Simon got in the ring with Joe Louis in Detroit, for the Heavyweight Championship. Louis was in his prime, with the finesse of Muhammad Ali and the punching power of Mike Tyson. When it was revealed several days later that Simon had fought with a broken right hand, a rematch was guaranteed.

Another Morning Call Infomercial

For the second weekend in a row, The Morning Call has featured an advertisement posing as news. This week's infomercial heralds that there is a new attitude about the downtown revival. They commissioned Muhlenberg's Chris Borick to conduct another one of his polls, showing that 10% more people feel more positive about Allentown. It just goes to show you what you can do with a $billion dollars of state taxes. I won't discuss the reporters; If their employer is satisfied with two seasoned reporters wasting a week or more on these puff pieces, all the power to them. I do have a call in to Chris Borick, wondering how a political science professor can justify his participation in these soft news stories. His reply, if and when received, will appear as an update on this post. Should there be a firewall between news and advertising? Should the Morning Call disclose that they were added to NIZ, even though their property is an arbitrary tangent to the district? Why are they treating the success of the arena as a fait accompli?

UPDATE:  To his credit, Borick returned my call, even after reading this post and the comments.  He considers the poll he conducted as part of an on going quality of life survey that he conducts in the Lehigh Valley, in conjunction with the paper.  He feels that this point in time will be a valid benchmark to compare with public opinion after the arena is up and running.  I explained my objection to the article, especially referring to the previous activity on the 700 block as a dead zone.  In reality there was  a lot of business done on that block,  even if it involved a low income clientele. It was one of the most successful Family Dollar stores in the country.  Although he considers himself an optimist about the changes in center city and the NIZ, he finds the questions raised by this blog legitimate.

$100 A Week

In 1935, a Jewish boy earning $35 a week carrying 300 pound blocks of ice, was offered three times more to fight; win, lose or draw. For one hundred dollars a week, Jock Whitney, British aristocrat and sportsman, owned Abe Simon. Abe won his first 14 fights, 12 by knockout. On his climb to fight Louis in 1941 he would knock out 27 opponents, including Jersey Joe Walcott.
reprinted from December 2012 

This blog has produced numerous posts chronicling the Joe Louis boxing era, many featuring Abe Simon, a Jewish heavyweight of the era; Simon and my mother were cousins. Lately, Allentown political shenanigans have allowed me little time and space to visit Madison Square Garden in the early 1940's. During the next couple of weeks I will reprint some of the Simon posts, while still assigning staff to City Hall. One of my attractions to the boxing world is the black and white photography produced during that era. The public would listen to the fights on the radio, and then see the photographs in the newspapers the following day.  I refer fight fans to December of 2012,  which can be found on the archive list on the right sidebar. 

Parkway Spared Another Indignation, For Now

With the decision by Health Network Laboratories to relocate to Hanover Township, Lehigh Parkway has been spared another indignation, for now. Mayor Pawlowski had planned on moving the fire training facility into the park, next to the current police facility and shooting range. This would have created a public safety campus, and significantly increased the traffic into the park. The facility would have been available to outside fire departments and their large equipment. Although Pawlowski was motivated to retain the Lab's 400 jobs on Lehigh Street, he has no feel for the park's grander and history. Shown above is the Robin Hood Bridge. The former adjoining small dam was demolished last fall, and it's rubble piled around the stone piers, turning a former beautiful vista into visual garbage. Although I was asked to conduct another park tour this summer, I declined in protest to this desecration. I have since reconsidered, and the time and place will be announced later this spring by Allentown Friends of the Parks.

Destruction of the beautiful dam, shown in the previous post, and the desecration of the bridge piers shown above, was done by The Wildlands Conservancy, with permission from Mayor Ed Pawlowski.

Wildlands Conservancy Duped Public With Farr Road Purchase

For several months readers of the Morning Call have read articles and have been submitted to advertisements soliciting funds to purchase for preservation acreage "adjacent" to the Pool Wildlife Sanctuary. In reality this effort is an disingenuous attempt by several influential people to maintain the view from their houses. The land in question does not abut the Sanctuary or the Little Lehigh Creek, but is separated and isolated by Farr Road, from both these entities. The land in question fronts on Cedar Crest Blvd., and is an island created by Farr Road both entering and exiting Cedar Crest in two spots about 1/2 mile apart, about two miles south of the hospital. The fakers claim "This land is a high-priority conservation area due to its location as part of the Little Lehigh corridor,its proximity to a high-quality cold-water fishery....." Ironically, the big-shots who have organized this effort, do live on the creek and adjoin the Sanctuary, perhaps they should protect the sensitive area and tear down their houses. Shame on both the newspaper and the Wildlands Conservancy for promoting this myth. reprinted from 2007 

UPDATE:   I have learned since I wrote the above piece in 2007 that the Wildlands Conservancy has no shame and few principles.   If the beautiful Robin Hood Dam had been located upstream, behind these properties, it would have been preserved.

Photograph by molovinsky of the former Robin Hood Dam, demolished by The Wildland's Conservancy

Bernie and Wayne

Bernie O'Hare is running a story that says that Wayne Woodman pushed Wanda Mercado-Arroyo off the bus to the Republican State Committee, to give the seat to his wife, Lisa Scheller. Although Bernie writes that he isn't calling Woodman a bigot, he points out a couple times that Mercado-Arroyo is Hispanic, and questions how inclusive Woodman really is toward that group? That story was pitched to this blog several weeks ago, and I rejected it. It came from somebody who doesn't have much use for Wayne Woodman. When it landed on Bernie's desk, it found fertile ground. Although Bernie will argue differently, and cite facts, certain people are consistently treated well by him, and others, not so well; Me, I don't like anybody.

While we're on the subject on Hispanics, I like to announce that Steven Ramos collected the required amount of signatures in his run for Allentown's new 22nd State House District, mandated because of the surge in the Hispanic population. His candidacy is supported by Wayne Woodman, who had hired Steven several years ago to direct the local party office.

Chump Change in Allentown

Recently, Mayor Ed Pawlowski said that the community would share in the benefits of Allentown's transformation, and that he was directing $2.5million towards that end. As the riverfront and the Neuweiler Brewery projects come on line, we are fast approaching the $1 billion dollar mark with the NIZ state tax rape. Advocates for community benefit should not despair that their share is less than one quarter of one percent, because the mayor has indicated that more may come their way, if they behave themselves.

When Neon Was King

During the glory days of Hamilton Street, when it came to neon, bigger was better. No store had a bigger sign than Hess's, and that was appropriate. When the city planners decided to built the canopy, that was the end of the great neon age for Allentown. That structure bisected the building's facades, and the vertical signs had to go. Since then we have progressed into sign regulations. Shopping is not a primary part of the new Hamilton Street transformation. Let's move this discussion around the corner to Allentown's new Hispanic shopping district on 7th Street. Hispanic Shopping District is my designation, not the city's. I call it that, because that's what it is. The street is being managed by Peter Lewnes, who is doing a good job. He's giving facade grants and sign guidance. The buildings end up with a historic look, and a professional hand lettered sign. Although it's neat, clean and presentable, it's not too exciting. Of course the City Fathers don't want too much excitement, as the people from Catasauqua drive in to the new arena. These new subsidized merchants are on a short leash. City inspectors remind them that besides for OPEN signs, no neon is permitted, and it must be inside the store. Now I know that I'm not a paid consultant,  and there's no grant involved with this idea, but how about letting our new merchants put up some neon?How about letting them pursue the same dreams as the merchants once did on Hamilton Street. How about lengthening that leash?

The Morning Call's Unbashful Cheerleading

The special section in this weekend's Morning Call is called Great Expectations, The Story of Allentown's Renaissance. In this 36-page special section, The Morning Call will take a closer look at the urban renaissance underway in Allentown, the projects that will bring thousands of workers and hundreds of new residents to the city's downtown... Less than 48 hours ago this blogger wrote that molovinsky on allentown was turning the corner on the arena, but I didn't mean that I would condone unfettered cheerleading by the press. In the first of four sections each Morning Call reporter writes an essay referencing Allentown's past, although none of them have any actual memory or experience of that era, beyond the paper's archives. The second section promotes the new businesses arriving and refers to center city as a boomtown. The article omits the reality that taxpayers across the state are subsidizing Allentown's transformation. Section C is about The People Behind the Transformation. Although the paper writes that they are the engine of change, it can also be said that they are the private beneficiaries of public money. The last section may be the worst. It is supposedly essays by civic leaders. Some of them are bystanders, and some of them had absolutely nothing to do with any of it. All four sections are packed with paid advertisements, with the biggest ads coming from those benefitting the most. Yesterday, I reached out to several current and former members of our political establishment, for their opinion of the paper's special edition. They all agreed that it ranged from unbalanced to outright promotion, dressed up as journalism.

Turning Allentown's Blight Into Success

The recent article about Allentown in the New York Times used the B word. Aided by tax dollars that would otherwise go to state or local general funds, developers should be able to offer attractive rents to companies that bring in new workers — who in turn might move into or buy new apartments and support new shops and restaurants in what had been a blighted urban landscape. The writer of the Times piece is from New York City. We know that, because even J.B.Reilly, who hopes to rent apartments to the new office workers, isn't building condo's to sell in center city Allentown, or as he says, city center Allentown. While that writer is from NYC, this writer is from Allentown, and will now tell you how to change blight into success; You simply move it around the corner and up three blocks. The merchants and shoppers previously referred to as blight on Hamilton Street, are now being touted as the success of 7th Street. On Hamilton Street they had to compete with both the memory and expectation of better days. On 7th Street, thing have been so dire for so long, the same shops and people now look like success. We could debate the sociology of my observation. We could become offended or defensive, but taking the show around the corner did change the perception. Talking of turning the corner, readers may soon notice a change in this blog. Although molovinsky on allentown will continue to write the unspoken, there are  few too vestiges of the old commerce and valves to reference. While nobody will identify me as an advocate of the Arena and Neighborhood Improvement Zone, reporting will shift more to the future.

photocredit:The Urban Shopper/michael molovinsky

The Backside of Allentown's Development

Yesterday was a big day for J.B. Reilly and his City Center Development. The New York Times featured a story on Allentown's unique development bonanza, and Reilly was rubber stamped by the Arena Authority to build two more buildings. There were a couple of items in the Times puff article which demand a reality check. Aided by tax dollars that would otherwise go to state or local general funds, developers should be able to offer attractive rents to companies that bring in new workers — who in turn might move into or buy new apartments and support new shops and restaurants in what had been a blighted urban landscape. Although I know that the lunch business will increase tenfold, I can yet to believe that the new workers will choose to live downtown. Another concern of mine is the quote by the hospital administrator. Dr. Ronald Swinfard, chief executive of the nonprofit, said it would benefit by paying less rent per square foot than it does in its current suburban location — where it will retain some operations — but that it was mainly attracted to the new building because it will add to facilities for the community medicine that the group already offers elsewhere in Allentown. My worry is that their presence in the new building on Hamilton Street will lessen their commitment to the facility at 17th and Chew Streets. Any reduction in that commitment would be very detrimental to greater Allentown.

Who's In Charge of Allentown's Snow Failure

When these winter storms of our discontent started, I visited Mayor Pawlowski's Facebook page. He assured everybody that he was on top of it, and that the streets were in good shape. There are small streets on the east side that have yet to see a plow. There are heavily used streets, such as Liberty, which has yet to be cleared curb to curb, end to end. Reports from the field yesterday indicated that the city was clearing 14th Street. In a lifetime of traveling Allentown, I don't think that I have ever used 14th Street; Who's in charge? Another cost of the water lease was losing the manpower, equipment and experience which helped clear the snow in the winter time. While the Administration and media are fixated on the arena's progress, essential public service is ignored.

Allentown's Snow Removing Failure

Yesterday, I decided to revisit the street shown in the previous post. Although the street once again had snow dugouts, the 600 block of 16th Street now always has too many double parkers to allow safe stopping. The picture shown above, taken yesterday, is the 300 block, between Chew and Gordon Streets. While I was waiting for the drugstore to develop the film, the street sweeper truck sped down the middle of 16th street. Although sweeping tickets are issued by the Allentown Parking Authority, the sweeping trucks are operated by Allentown's Department of Streets. I did not observe any sweeping tickets being issued. Rather than going through the motion of sweeping, I would have rather seen Allentown continue the curb to curb snow removal job, which seems to have been suspended. The parking on many streets and blocks still remain clogged with the snow from the storm weeks ago. Although we have dodged yet another snow storm, the temperatures are forecast to remain very cold. One can only feel sorry for the poor snooks who work for National Penn Bank. They are being forced to move from quaint Boyertown, to the filth of center city Allentown.

The Allentown Parking Authority

The Allentown Parking Authority Officer shown here is by far the most productive person they have, he may well be the most productive city worker period. I estimate he easily writes over a $half million dollars a year by himself. He spends the day hoping from one fertile hot zone to another. You can see him everyday, several times working Chew Street, between 16th and West. That block, because of the hospital, has time restricted parking. He's like a fisherman, a very good one, who knows the good spots. For those less familiar with this blog, please use the search engine on the upper right; type in parking authority. Along with taking them to task numerous times, I documented fictitious data they provided to City Council to justify doubling the meter rate and fine structure. I also 

"They're acting like a vampire sucking the blood out of downtown," Molovinsky said of the authority.

conducted a news conference, covered by Channel 69, on unnecessary parking meters as far out as 10th and Chew. Those meters were finally removed, only this year. Some comments on the previous post suggest that there is justification for the Authority and their policies. As a student of this bureaucracy for years, I can tell you that it has actually had a negative affect on center city commerce. It's simply a back door tax, mostly on those who can least afford it. The cars shown are being ticketed for not moving for street sweeping, despite the snow.*

*photographs from 2007, Parking Authority supposedly no longer gives "sweep tickets" during snow storms.

UPDATE: This is a reprint from September of 2010. My thanks to the reader who sent me the archive date. I was told by the current Authority director that although the regulations haven't changed, they now use discretion concerning enforcement during snow hardships.

Behind The Curtain of Blogging

Recently, a fellow blogger frustrated by the lack of comments submitted to his blog, complained that two blogs seem to dominate the valley. I believe that he was referring to Bernie O'Hare's Lehigh Valley Ramblings, and yours truly. The complaining blogger posts anonymously, on a wide range of topics, assuming that the public should find something interesting about his opinions. The information being transmitted over the airwaves is limitless, and highly competitive. Bernie works the local political scene half the day, and every night; He is a fixture at Northampton County meetings. Although I'm much more reclusive than O'Hare, last week I sat down with a party chairman, a school superintendent, a county judge and a state representative. Please don't get the impression that these distinguished people invited me to lunch, on the contrary. In each case I ambushed them in a public place, and left before they could summon security. In addition to gonzo journalism, I use this blog to publicize causes in which I'm involved, such as the WPA, and preserving the traditional park system. Nobody cares about my opinion on the Oscar nominees, nor should they.

Helping Democracy in Allentown

As a party candidate to run for the state house you need 300 signatures. Today, a State Representative told me how difficult that can be even for an incumbent. Steven Ramos is running as a Republican in the new Allentown 22nd District, which is overwhelmingly Democratic. I ask all registered Republicans in the District to contact Steven and arrange to sign his petition. Regardless of who you support, everybody benefits from more choices. Steven can be reached at 610 335=5247 or steven.ramos@hotmail.com