Many people, including that miserable bastard, The Curmudgeon, have asked me what I like about Allentown.I like its many interesting people. One of them is septuagenarian Barbadel (don't call her Barbara!) Campbell.
I first met her on a warm Friday night outside the steps of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in downtown Allentown. And let me tell you, it was love at first sight. From her two wristwatches adorning each wrist to her peace sign necklace to her distinctive hat, everything about her screamed iconoclast. My kind of woman! Rarely have I heard a more gifted orator. She spoke with passion and knowledge about Allentown and its problems.
Best of all, I'm pretty sure she wanted me. She kept on giving me the look, although my brother insists she was just squinting in the sun. He gets jealous.
Well, Barbadel (don't call her Barbara!) recently penned a magnificent letter to the editor concerning the plight of suffering Hamilton Street merchants. Here's part of what she says.
A LANTA board member said in an Oct. 3 article that Hamilton Street merchants basically wanted something to complain about. I, as a 75-year-old bus rider, and customer of the ''complaining'' merchants, find that remark offensive.
A specious reason for the rerouting has been offered -- denying access to buses on two blocks of center city will reduce traffic congestion! This reasoning defies logic, when other cities strive for less vehicular congestion by urging commuters to use public transportation.
You can meet iconoclastic Barbadel (don't call her Barbara!), smiling Bibi Hazra (Loco Dollar Store), stunningly beautiful Jenny Lim Chen(House of Chen) and many other Hamilton Street merchants this Thursday night, 7 P.M., at Faith Baptist Church, 219 N. 12th St. (between Turner and Chew Sts.).
Professor Jeff Pooley, who lives on Sixth Street and is something of an expert on gentrification, assures me no concerted effort is being made to drive minority-owned businesses out of the city. But he agrees that "[t]he decision to close/move those LANTA stops was a bad one. Those business owners deserve to raise hell about it--I agree. . . . The bottom line is that LANTA made a truly crappy decision, and it should be reversed--and the mayor should be pressured on this too."
And that's the point to Thursday night's meeting. Candidates for city and county office have been invited to state whether LANTA and Mayor Ed Pawlowski should meet, and soon, with Hamilton Street merchants. Anyone interested in a responsive and accountable city government should try to attend.
14 comments:
Who loves ya, baby? (Extra Credit: 10 points if you can identify the source of that line)
Of course I know the answer to that one. I'll let someone else ID it.
Telly Savalas, "Kojak"
Bingo. Dottie gets the door prize.
Lehigh Carbon Community College will have to change its literature about the convenient bus service (route w) between its Hamilton Street annex and the main campus in Schnecksville; imagine, paying tuition for a course in political science from those who would compromise their students in such a fashion.
For the 97% of people in the LV who don't use LANTA or shop on Hamilton Street, this story is a big yawn.
anon 7:37, $10 million of taxpayer money has gone into 4 private gentrification projects in the 800 block, all of which are exempt from property and local income taxes, yawn away, but your paying for it.
... of which over $7 Million is loans.
More money goes to expand or start businesses half the size in your average industrial park.
Double yawn.
historically most of these loans are forgiven, paid off by hud grants. speaking strictly for myself, i find 97% of the people in the valley a yawn, 100% of those that post anonymously
Anon 7:37,
I'm trying to attract more bus riders to my blog.
anon 7:37, i admit being perplexed by the indifference to this issue. almost every other topic on these blogs is hypothetical; what would dent vs. bennett do, how do we treat those that choose to live under a bridge, how should education be approached and evaluated.... in this lanta bus stop issue we have your politicians and appointed officials blatantly passing the buck and denying the agenda being implemented, and you smirk and yawn. i'd rather stand on a soapbox about this, even if i'm preaching to nobody
I think it's fortunate that most people yawn at this topic.
Let's be honest....the majority is more interested in seeing the new Brew Works than hearing the stories of a dollar store owner.
If it isn't in the LV Mall or the Promenade, it isn't retail news.
:-)
Besides, where were you guys when the bus stop was moved at the Lehigh Valley Mall? No support for the now suddenly economically depressed Ruby Tuesday franchise?
And if you put it to a vote, I think you'd have the majority supporting not only LANTA on Hamilton Street, but Allentown's gentrification conspiracy.
Who doesn't like to be part of a cool conspiracy?
I'm not yawning about this topic. Social injustice is not something to yawn about unless you are completely self-absorbed. I'm not really interested in shopping at a pretentious faux downtown like the Promenade. I don't like it when restaurants and stores are self- described as "upscale" because to me that really means exclusionary. It's like saying if you do not have enough money then you don't belong "up" here with us. I wish Hess's was still around. Even though Hess's had fancy chandeliers, I could always find a bargain there. I'd like to see the Dollar Store do well and co-exist with The Brew Works so poor people, middle class people and wealthy people can all have equal opportunities to dine and shop.
Amen, Dottie. Allentown, and the Lehigh Valley, has more than its fair share of snobs.
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