No 'Lights In The Parkway' For 2015

Pix Courtesy WFMZ

'Lights in the Parkway' replaced for 2015 Christmas season
By Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com

"'Lights in the Parkway', a tradition for Lehigh Valley families since 1996, is being replaced by "Allentown Lights," city officials announced Wednesday afternoon...

The reason is ongoing repairs to a retaining wall make it impossible for two-lane traffic to safely enter the parkway..."


My Comments About The Article AboveSince 1996 a lot has changed down there and not for the better. It's a damn shame how the city has left the 'Lehigh Parkway' go to hell.

Gone are the little scenic dams by 'Robyn Hood' and by the 'Trout Hatchery'. Gone are the scenic views of the Little Lehigh River itself by allowing Riparian Buffer Zones weeds to grow obstructing fishermen, bikers, joggers, hikers and picnic goers alike. The 'Iron Bridge' that once allowed cars to go through the park has been replaced by a walkway. A part of the once beautiful WPA wall lays in rubble and now threatens the roadside entrance from 15th Street. And now this annual event has been bagged as well.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist nor expensive study to see what's been going on here. All one has to do is visit in the Bethlehem area 'Monocacy Park' or 'Saucon Park' 'Canal Park' in Northampton or any number of other area parks compared to Allentown's 'Lehigh Parkway'.

Shame on not only Allentown's leaders, but also the so-called protectors of the parks. They all had a hand in allowing this to happen. I'm sure if Allentown was creative enough to come up with nearly $1B for downtown renewal it wouldn't be a problem coming up with only a teeny tiny fraction of that amount for maintaining the 'Lehigh Parkway' as it once was.

This shows me where the priorities are. It isn't with protecting parks of nature, but rather trying to further advance a urban environment. What they don't get is the very reason why the suburbs have prospered. Allentown's leaders can do what ever study they want but people have always gravitated towards greenery over concrete monoliths. If it were not so we wouldn't see all these New Yorkers and people from New Jersey overwhelming our area parks.

Those seeking refuge from the big city and who've have been relocating here have created a condition which has come to the point where our parks, local farm fields have been overdeveloped and highways clogged. So much so we are becoming what they left. Why are we encouraging this by spending tax dollars on even more urbanism rather the protecting the few things we would have going for us?


Disgusting. Frustrating.. and just plain wrong!