In her Letter to the Little People, which you can read here, Lisa Pawlowski ("I also happen to be the mayor's wife") wants you to cram the next city council meeting with kids and signs, which will "play well for any media that would be there." She also proposes that you join her facebook group, "Yes, we need a big playground at Cedar Beach park (handicap access)!"This facebook group is 90 members strong, and thus far includes far more politicos and cronies than real grassroots support. Here are some of the members:
* Bethlehem resident and "Lehigh Valley Christain for Obama" Michael Laws;
* LC Dem Party boss and Allentown non-resident Rick Daugherty;
* long-time Pawlowski cheerleader Damien Brown, who has been well-compensated by the Pawlowski campaign;
* anonymous robocaller Rob Hopkins, famous for a Pawlowski-engineered, last-minute, smear campaign against Allentown City Council candidate Lou Hershman.
* Jacob Bruce Oberholtzer, who is still listed as treasurer of the Lehigh County Democrats, and who incredibly argues we should just "let the pros" handle it. (Jacob does have a brother with autism);
* Allentown Brew Works' Richard Fegley, a Pawlowski crony who would do really well with a beer stand at the playground;
* Allentown City Council member Peter Schweyer, who has yet to see a Pawlowski initiative he does not like;
* Easton city council candidate/Pawlowski campaign manager/political consultant/Northampton County Council applicant/former Easton mayoral candidate Michael Fleck, who claims to have a degree from Notre Dame High School;
* Allentown City Council member Julio Guridy, who is up for reelection and is relying on Pawlowski's campain machine to keep him in office;
* Stephen Crockett, a union organizer from Delaware;
* Hillary Kwiatek, a Bethlehem resident running for Lehigh County Commissioner.
Will there be little Flecks and Browns running around at the next Allentown city council meeting? Will the Fegleys supply the booze? Will Hopkins man the phones? Stay tuned.
37 comments:
90? And how many Facebook friends does the support for the vendor in South Bethlehem have? 6,000 or so? Anne Boleyn has a way to go yet...doncha know.
Gotta love that Palowski machine. Keeps on chugging along.
Is this Lisa's entry into politics? Just like the Clinton thing, right here in the Lehigh Valley?
You go Ed!, you ole leg lifting dog.
Bernie wrote:
Allentown City Council member Peter Schweyer, who has yet to see a Pawlowski initiative he does not like;
Everytime you use this guy's name, may we suggest you add.
Jennifer Mann's sidekick who is double-dipping. Folks forget.
Lisa shot herself and any real supporters of this playground in the foot by sending that stupid letter. There is and has been much support for these plans over the course of the two years of planning, and now any support offered by those same families or neighbors will likely come off to council as less meaningful because it has been engineered by the moron "first lady." Way to go Lisa!
I am totally in favor of this playground, and also convinced that the Pawlawski family are their own worst enemies. For a politician, the mayor is not very smooth.
I wonder, though, if there are 90 people on that face book page and you only could pick out 12 of them, than maybe the rest are just average joe's like my family. I don't have a face book log in so I guess I'll take your word for it that the support is not strong.
I just think that, at least for my experience with my neighbors and friends who have children and families, we are supporters even if we don't sign up for face book to say so. I've even written a letter to city council, which i wish i could take back so I could ammend it to say "I didn't write this at the urging of that goon lisa pawlawski! I can make my own opinions without being told what to say by her!"
"I wonder, though, if there are 90 people on that face book page and you only could pick out 12 of them, than maybe the rest are just average joe's like my family."
Some undoubtedly are, and some are people like Mrs. Mike Fleck, Ms. Fegley, an Arcelay, etc.
For the record,
I am a parent in the West End foremost.
A parent who is not just working for the Pawlowski campaign, but who is being paid for his services, as revealed by Pawlowski's campaign fiance reports.
If you can dig up the sign in sheet you will see I participated in the first public review session of the Cedar Beach plan at the Allentown Public Library after seeing it advertised in the newspaper.
Many changes were made after that meeting based on the input of the citizens who chose to participate. Examples include the location of the proposed skate park and the removal of a proposed traffic circle on Ott St.
Allentown is a younger city today and the recreational opportunities for her citizens should reflect that.
Currently there are no public playgrounds in the West End other than a small lot on Ott St at the city's southern border. Cedar Beach is an ideal location for a playground considering recreational opportunities currently exist here for all age groups except kids.
Bernie; Great research. I did go back to the link you posted and the account was no longer privatized. Glitch? I do stand corrected << and not the 1st time either! :-)
Anyways, I think many of these people are being led to believe these venues will be for the handicapped with special needs when in fact it was clearly stated "handicapped accessible". There's a big difference. Neighbors here had to pay to have our sidewalks ripped up to make them "handicapped accessible". To qualify for various state/federal funding this is a requirement. So let us not confuse a 'handicap park' with one that is "accessible".
I will repeat my mantra to these folks. Show me a list of the equipment and it's placement. If they can't, it is very possible they just might be buying a Pig-in-a-poke. What % of this is designated for handicapped use? Whether one supports or does not support this issue, this should be based on the particulars, not tugging on heart strings. And right now we're really short on specifics.
In regards to "trusting the pros"... trust is earned not given. Has this mayor's administration earned trust? Hardly.
Damien C. Brown;
I do appreciate the fact that you were involved. So please don't take this negatively when I ask..
Can you or anyone you know provide the equipment & layout details for the playground or skate park? The city's website & architecture's drawing does not provide details.
With me it's more a discussion on what kind amusement areas (mega or less then mega) rather then whether there should be none at all.
People are all worked up on an emotional level with little or no details to go on.
"Allentown is a younger city today and the recreational opportunities for her citizens should reflect that."
With a 567 person playground? I see the "recreational opportunities" provided to A-town's youth, and it's one of the worst communities for children who want to be involved in sports in the LV. I know quite a few children who play football and baseball in Bethlehem and other communities because A-town's programs are little more than baby-sitting services. Youth enrollment in sports has dropped every year since Pawlowski assumed office.
the wagons are circling. damien, i haven't seen you comment on a blog for 2 years or so. as you know there is no playground in your neighborhood. kids play basketball in the alley, which does disturb the neighbors somewhat. wouldn't it better serve your neighborhood to have a local playground than a mega one in cedar beach. allentown does need playgrounds, not a mega destination for weitzel's resume. the location means that kids cannot go there themselves safely. children in hamilton park would have to cross hamilton. kids in damiens neighborhood would have quite a hike, impossible for center city kids. simply put, it's an absurd plan by a director and mayor disconnected from the reality of our needs. how pathetic is that letter, calling all sycophants and apologists.
It is CHRISTIAN, but I can't read so why would I know how to spell?
Dig the CHILDREN AS PROPS move, Mr. Brown?
Retired ASD teacher here.
The goal of any free children's park should be to serve, provide access to, as many kids possible.
To create one massive park at the expense of kids in neighborhoods too far removed, is simply the wrong way to go, UNLESS there is no other option financially feasible .
I don't know all the details behind this proposal, but I'm thinking the rationale for such a plan is "Hey, the money is available to spend on THIS existing park (and not inner city pocket parks) so let's spend it"!
There is NO question this major new attraction will require many more parking spaces. As it is, with just the swimming pool requirement, three-fourths of the existing parking lot is filled. So, count on an additional acre being paved over, possibly even additional restrooms needed.
I also agree the added annual maintenance, security, insurance costs will be a substantial burden for an already distressed city. Are there any projections for these added expenses?
Although added expenses would still be a part of any new children's parks, my belief is, our kids, physically challenged or not, would be better served by creating additional, and smaller, neighborhood parks throughout the city.
Unfortunately, I fear the concept of better serving more kids where they live is NOT what this available funding is all about.
As a parent and grandparent the value of a "community playground" in a bucolic setting cannot be underestimated. Build a small park in the first ward and the only kids you will see there are Latinos. Build a small one in another neighborhood and it will only reflect the ethnic groups surrounding it. A destination playground bring children of all of the city's diverse polulations togehter, incuding kids with disabilites. Kids love playing with a lot of other kids. Given the obesity statistics among our children outdoor activitiy of this type in a safe environment would be beneficial. All the fuss about its size and impact to an underutilized Cedar Beach Parkway is postering by obstructionist nabobs.
"All the fuss about its size and impact to an underutilized Cedar Beach Parkway is postering by obstructionist nabobs."
Is this Spiro Agnew?
The whole point here, incidentally, is that a park is supposed to be underutilitized. Once that stops, it stops being a park.
Damian: Thanks to the incompetent Democratic Party hacks that have run Allentown for the past 8 years the middle class has fled the "true" West End (west of Ott Street) and there are nearly no children to play in a West End playground. All that's left are empty nesters and younger families with no kids. There is no demand for a West End playground. the Playground should be built east of 17th Street.
Bernie,
Seeing that all I do politically is register voters, help out on campaigns, recruit volunteers for political campaigns, train volunteers, and knock on doors myself, and that I don't or never have gotten a paycheck for doing the above things.
I'm guessing I'm a grassroots guy.
Jake Oberholtzer
MM, I deleted one of your comments bc it will take us off topic and into CRaZy land. I'd prefer to avoid that.
Jacob,
I see your point and give you credit for being involved in the political process. It's no easy task and I am a miserable bastard, as you well know.
Having said that, I find it curious that so many of the Democratic political activists - most of whom are nonresidents - have signed onto that goofy F/B group. I think many are just responding to Lisa's clarion call, made on a horn she must have borrowed from one of the angels.
This is a city issue, but is not really a Dem v. Republican issue. Frankly, I could see Obama argiung that there should be smaller playgrounds in ALL the neighborhoods. I could see him taking Pawlowski to task for not making existing playgrounds more friendly to people w/ disabilities. I could see conservationists and the Sierra Club complaining about the rape of a valued natural resource, considering the other plans that exist for Cedar Beach, which are not environmentally friendly.
Amazingly, Allentown Dems like you will sign onto this goofy idea because it comes from your Democratic leaders, and you trust them. Two of the seven city council members have already singed onto Lisa's F/B group, like good little sheep. Yet you trust them. Will you continue to trust them when Pawlowski decides to extend systematic home inspections to your neighborhood?
This is why there is really no place for partisan politics in local issues. Sometimes, the bad guys are Democrats. Sometimes, the people are right and it's always worth listening to them. That's one of the main reasons for the comments on this blog.
Bernie,
I support a handicapped accessible playground. I'm sensitive to this issue growing up with someone who was handicapped.
If the local residents want to organize to stop it that is fine by me and I don't object. It is America and it is their right. I love seeing people organize for and against things. I'm a giant fan of democracy.
I'm not going to apologize, I personally like Lisa Pawlowski. She helped out during the primary with Obama and was a great volunteer like I was.
At the end of the day, all I care about is that there is a playground that is handicapped accessible and safe in the area.
20 years ago when my brother was growing up was a different time and a different world and such a place would have been nice because it would be a safe place he could play.
If kids with physical disabilities are playing, kids with mental disabilities are probably going to be playing to under parental supervision.
That makes me happy because when adults are around on a playground, kids have a tendency to be less cruel.
Jake Oberholtzer
bernie, i have no problem with you deleting, frankly i wish you and other bloggers did more of it. actually, you may delete this after reading. my previous comment identified the anon as a known disrupter of honest dialogue. i have assumed that you also recognized her. by toning down her comment, and omitting the usual blatant insults, you're willing to leave her in the back door?
MM,
There is a small, but vicious group of people who slam you at every opportunity. I will delete them when I see them.
I'm not really certain that the Anon is who you think it is. It was mostly an argument on the merits, and that would be out of character. Sure, we are all called nabobs, but that's pretty harmless stuff and could be Spiro Agnew for all I know.
There are people who support this project, and I'd like to hear from them, too. Sure, people like Jacob and Damien risk coming into a buzzsaw, but I like differing views. I learn things. One thing I learned is that there must have been some notice to the public. Damien Brown claims he read about it in the newspaper and attended a library meeting about it. He claims changes were made to the plan as a result of public discussion.
One of my main objections to this project is the lack of notice or detail, but Brown does counter that to some extent.
bernie, members of Friends of the Parks will tell you that there was plenty of notice, but when you call their number, it goes to the park and recreation office, now there's an independent group for you! pawlowski formed an Environmental Advisory Committee, but its members didn't know about the plan to lumber south mountain? Weitzel works with the wildland conservancy, but they say the rest of the park plan, is not "their focus". I'm not saying some people didn't participate, but i can tell you that the average citizen was not informed, and the park is one of the icons of allentown. i can tell you the adjacent neighbors were not notified, and they will experience the most consequences.
about this group of fans, i disagree. i would say that there is a married couple who slam me at every opportunity. the mrs. usually refers to obesity when defending the playground.
jake, do you really think a playground which will be a destination for parents with children with autism can be not fenced in and be close to hamilton Blvd?
Bernie,
Thank you for respecting my opinion. It would have been nice for more of the public to involve themselves but there is plenty of blame to go around for that.
Maybe the newspaper can be blamed for not writing an article rather than posting an announcement. Maybe the public can be blamed for not participating assuming these were some grand plans that would never come to fruition (words I literally heard from a few). Maybe the city should have held a pep rally. Who knows, but it was publicized.
I am not 100% crazy about the entire plan to be honest. I would move the playground a bit and dramatically reduce the reparation buffers but I am only one opinion of the many who chose to contribute and I respect their contribution.
What motivation will anyone have to participate in any future planning or visioning process if their opinion and/or work may be tossed at the last minute.
At the end of the day we have a darn good plan that better reflects and adapts to the current uses of the park. Tons of kids are there every weekend from all walks of life already. Let them play.
"At the end of the day we have a darn good plan that better reflects and adapts to the current uses of the park. Tons of kids are there every weekend from all walks of life already. Let them play."
Damien,
Nobody here wants to prevent kids from playing. I think you, Jake, MM, LVCI, Scott, Retired ASD, MonkeyMomma and I would all agree that, whatever planning has already taken place, nothing and no one is hurt by dialogue on this topic. A-town city council will not suddenly explode because people who support or oppose these plans desire to be heard.
Let's look at some of the points made and questions raised.
* Park planning should always include people and children with disabilities. ALL AGREE.
* Should there be improvements made to existing playgrounds, more pocket palygrounds or should there be one megaplayground? DISAGREEMENT.
* Will the destination playground be just handicapped accessible, or will it have equipment that children w/ disabilities can use? UNKNOWN.
* Is a 567 person playground too much, and will it have an adverse environemntal impact on what is, after all, a park? MOST SAY YES.
* Is it really a good idea to pave a path when cinders and gravel are easier on joints? SMALL POINT.
* Will this playground have adverse consequences to surrounding residences? VERY LIKELY.
* Have provisions been made for supervision, especially if this playground includes children w/ disabilities? UNKNOWN.
* Who is going to pay for this, including asupervision and maintenance, and is now the time? UNKNOWN.
These are just some of the points and questions.
damien, in all due respect the finished plan is very,very similar to what weitzel had in mind from the get-go. the preview sign at cedar beach says there was intensive public input, we all know, including you, that is a fabrication. if the truth be known, the conservationists, beside the contracted wildlands conservancy, are very upset with everything but the riparian buffer. there was no objective environmental study. surely these drastic changes can wait another 6 months for proper input. what can be so important about paving a walking path and installing lights, about building a wedding pavilion, etc. that can't wait?
I'd agree that more review is needed, but there is one other point I've been thinking about. City council is the legislative branch ans its primaty role appears to be little more than approving or rejecting the budget. A-town has decided it wants a strong mayor form of government. If the legislative branch starts tinkering w/ an administrative decision, doesn't it weaken the executive branch? Perhaps the council has more authority than that. It certainly needs to approve whatever city funds are budgeted.
"I happen to be the mayor's wife"
Nowadays, with Atown the way it is this is a position as prestigious as the #1 realtor in Centrailia.
There are so many questions that exist about this park. It's funny in a way that those that say we need to preserve "green" space are usually the first to authorize paving more green space away under the perview of what's "good" for the children. You know what children need? Handicap accessibility = definitely. But they also need places to run and appreciate the beauty of nature. Why is there such a huge fascinaton that we need to entertain our children with bright, shiny things. What about the encouragement of the imagination and the wonder of learning? Perhaps idealistic. Our neighborhood group runs a local 4-H for inner city kids. They learn all kinds of things about nature, bugs, and the cycle of life. Green space and nature is something we have little of downtown and benefit from our parks greatly.
How many parking spots do we have now? How many will we have if this plan goes through? How much "green" space is lost? How much additional flooding will there be by the removal of this addition and adding of concrete? No one that I know has answered that question. It needs to be answered. Don't our parks in Cedar Beach flood enough? Why do you think that is? Because people value "construction" over "preservation"?
Our wildlife are already moved about. Where does all the natural habitat go, I wonder? Don't tell me it doesn't matter. Of course it does. I am so upset about this park because it it a "PARK" not a playground. Playgrounds should be in local neighborhoods accessible to everyone. Parks should be accessible to everyone. Each needs to be valued. General Trexler trusted us with this land and, in my opinion, we are abusing that trust. Just because we have basketball courts now and a pool doesn't mean should further abuse our PARK.
Wow, who would have thought that a conservative could be a such a conservationist? LOL I like to think of myself as a pragmatist and to me this just doesn't make sense.
Kim Beitler
Kim- there is no reason why green space and play space cannot co-exist. The playground is large, but will take just a small fraction of the park systems footprint. Kids need to learn both the wonder of nature and the joy of playing with ther kids in a safe play area that is designed to help them develop their bodies. And for kids with disabilities it will be an opportunity to play with other children in an integrated setting. The playground will become a microcosm of our community's socioeconomic diversity. I cannot imagine general trexler would have any problem with it whatsoever. The Trexler Trust Board has endorsed the playground and no one is more familar with his intended legacy, or more dedicated to the preservation of his wonderful gift to city.
"The Trexler Trust Board has endorsed the playground and no one is more familar with his intended legacy, or more dedicated to the preservation of his wonderful gift to city."
I'm not so satisfied about that as you seem to be. There are those who believe that the trustees have lost sight of General Trexler's wishes.
Anonymous said... "And for kids with disabilities it will be an opportunity to play with other children in an integrated setting."
Which pieces of equipment are you referring to that will be used for the 'disabled'?
Specifically what kind of disability do you have in mind with what piece of equipment that is on order?
Is it OK to mix the 12 year olds up with the 4 year olds with different infirmities?
Anon 10:14 AM,
I respectfully disagree with you on so many points.
" Kids need to learn both the wonder of nature and the joy of playing with ther kids in a safe play area..."
Please tell me what makes this "safe"? Increased usage = more people = more cars traveling around the area of Ott St.= children crossing the street to the "destination park" where parents will most surely be dropping off their children to play.
Does fencing the park in - like they do for Mayfair - make the park "safe", like they claim it does? People and their choices make things safe or unsafe. "Safe" is just a talking point to make people feel better and to acquiesce. I don't buy it, I'm sorry.
Trexler Trust, I no longer understand. Too many have seemingly sold out by choosing to become Pawlwoski supporters and integrating themselves into the political process of "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" instead of being unbiased. To me, their silence speaks volumes. Please remember, Trexler Trust, took the Afflerbach administration to task for not doing what they deemed " neccesary maintenance" on the park. Who was CD Director at the time? Ed Pawlowski. Relatively unknown by many, except for those that were watching until he decided to run for mayor. I don't really considor him to be a good steward of what I considor to be our "jewels."
I guess, what I'm saying is that I have little, if any trust, in our mayor, based on a proven history of performance.
I respect your opinion and believe your intentions are well meant. However, I disagree with them. What I hope, for all concerned, is that there is an agreement made on behalf of those residents that live around the park. They will be the ones most effected by this and DESERVE a right to be heard. I could care less about studies, and specialists. Residents and taxpayers in the City of Allentown should always come first and foremost when decisions and the effects of those decisions are put into consideration. Way too often they are an oversight or a "obstacle" to overcome.
Kim Beitler
Well Kim I would think it would be safer for the kids than going to a smaller inner city park with higher traffic volumes and drive-by shootings! How many people have been injured crossing streets bordering the park during Mayfair? None that I am aware of. Once there the children will be infinitely safer than in their own neighborhoods playing on the sidewalks and streets. Such a fuss about a marvelous new asset in our community! You are entitled to your opinion but I, nd I believe most Allentonians support the new "destnation" playground, new basketball courts and other improvements to the Cedar Beach Parkway recreational area.
"it would be safer for the kids than going to a smaller inner city park with higher traffic volumes and drive-by shootings!"
How ironic! Those who oppose the destination playground and other changes have been tagged as racists by people who are scared to death of drive-by shootings in an inner-city playground. Do you wish to segregate your children from those other children?
I believe the answer is yes.
Post a Comment