Fed Ed Reverses Course on Basketball Rim Removal

Allentown Mayor "Fed Ed" Pawlowski has reversed course on his ill-considered decision to remove basketball rims from Andre Reed Park. He had taken this action on the basis of complaints from neighbors, but without bothering to discuss the situation with local coaches and community activists who could have told him what he apparently has never learned - Allentown is a basketball town. So starting today. the rims will go back up. But now he wants them locked every night at 8 or 9 pm.

Fed Ed announced his decision during a meeting last night at Dieruff High School. I have linked to The Morning Call's story because I was unable to attend. I was at a basketball game myself. Allentown Central Catholic was expected to win easily. Unfortunately, they played Dieruff High School, and Coach Joe Jarjous' boys played like a team who had been disrespected and were out to prove a point. They did. We had our asses handed to us.

"Hey, we didn't take the rims away," I said to one of the victors, a young man who might be 5'6" and scored about 15 points.

He flashed a smile

In addition to her story, Morning Call reporter Emily Opilo live-tweeted the meeting.

"Pawlowski starts the basketball meeting by telling ... group that this meeting will not devolve into a shouting match."
(All he wants is silence,and damn little of that!)

"Pawlowski says he's not anti-youth or anti-basketball."
(I have attended Allentown basketball games for years at all three high schools, and have never seen him at a game. Not even last year, during Allen's fantastic run.)

"Pawlowski says they've installed boulders to deter people from driving up to the basketball court at night and shining headlights."
(He forgot to mention the bear traps.)

"Woman yells out 'You bought the house, the park was there.' It gets loud in here real fast. Now it's all yelling."
(And these are the people who complain about kids being too loud)

"Woman yells out: 'Mr. Mayor, what are you going to do when other people who live around parks complain?'"
(That's an easy one. It all depends on whether the complainer took Fed Ed's campaign signs, hosted a party or gave him a few bucks for his campaign.)

"League coach says the parks staff won't consistently put up the rims at the park."
(On the bright side, they'll be just as inconsistent about locking them.)

"Andre Reed's mother is here for this discussion. She hasn't spoken yet."
(But halfway through the meeting, the skies opened and she ascended straight to heaven, joining Elijah, Jesus, Muhammad, Harvey Goldstein and the Immaculate Mother of God.)

Janet Keshl: Don't blame the homeowners for moving near parks. Kids are different now, she said. Less respectful.
(Darker, too. Keshl is a Fed Ed toadie).

Woman: I learned how to work, and I learned how to compete. And that started at the park. Don't take away what kids need to develop skills.
(But do kids vote?)

"Woman says she doesn't like how basketball is being equated with crime. Half the room applauds loudly."
(Actually, it's football that should be equated with crime. Or pickleball.)

Pawlowski to woman: "And by the way, you don't even live in the city!" Good portion of this room applauds.
(Fed Ed himself is a Chicago carpetbagger.)

Mayor: "I’m not against basketball. I want your kids to play basketball. I also want to take care of these residents."
(After all, they contributed to him and took his yard signs. What's the over-under on him watching just one basketball game during the A-town Throwdown this weekend?)

The assistant principal of Dieruff asks Pawlowski to listen to input from the school basketball coaches but he hasn't opened the floor.
(Why on earth would he do that? It would only show he had zero interest in their concerns or the kids they mentor.)

Angry east side mom yells while storming out: "It’s way bigger than basketball. We’re going to take our community back, one way or another."
(Hopefully, she will register to vote and show Fed Ed the door, unless he is being housed by federal authorities.)

Resident asks whether they'll lock rims in the winter. Pawlowski says kids don't play in the winter and everyone yells "oh yes they do."
(And this guy is the mayor of a basketball town?)

Coach Jarjous stands next to Pawlowski and says this meeting should have happened before the rims came down. Ballsy.
(People should have been standing up to this bully long before last night, but it's nice to see someone who has his priorities right set Fed Ed straight.)

Thanks to Fed Ed, I can now launch my evil plan to take away all the rims at Dieruff and Allen High Schools. We'll put them in Pawlowski's back yard. ... and blame Emmaus. Nobody likes Emmaus.