Allentown Pools- I Have A Plan

Allentown council not ready to dive right in on approving city pools plan
Randy Kraft | WFMZ.com Reporter

"The cost to close Fountain, turn Irving into a spray park and redo Cedar, Mack and Jordan was estimated at $10 million to $11.3 million, with those projects being done over the next seven years." MY PLAN:If the city is determined to choke up 10 or 11 million dollars, why not just buy qualifying city residents season passes to Dorney Park? The passes are good at both parks and currently cost individuals just over $100. I'm certain the city could negotiate a lower price in bulk. Even at $100 apiece 15,714 passes could be handed out each and every year for the next seven years.

(the intended time stated for completion of the project)

There a number of advantages:(1) The city eliminates their pool vandalism & legal liabilities. (2) Who wouldn't rather go to Dorney for it's rides & water park?(3) Why wait seven years to enjoy what can be had right now. (4) The city doesn't have to pay to maintain or for guards & security. (5) In seven years would we'd have to start all over again.I'm not all that hot about spending this kind of money in the first place, but if we're going to do it, might as well make it some place people really want to go. The city's already too heavily invested in the entertainment business. Leave it up to the professionals who do it better.

Anyone else see how few actually use the city's pools?

There's no way the city can compete. Today's population just doesn't sit around pools anymore. They haven't for some time. There'd certainly be less bored people hanging around the streets or the city pools on a hot summer day getting into trouble. People need to be kept occupied (entertained) or they get into trouble. That's a fact. You want to attract new people to Allentown? Want to help lesser fortunate inner city kids? Want to reduce vandalism and nuisance police calls? Want to provide the people a first class recreational area?

Offer them season passes to Dorney or at least a huge supplemental discount off season passes. If people object to the $11+ million intended to be spent on city pools, the city should ask themselves, how many folks do you think would still object if the city were to offer season passes to Dorney instead? I'd prefer we didn't spend this kind of money in the first place. But, if the city's so determined as to spend $11+ million, at least spend it on something a far larger number of people could get behind and will actually use. Don't even talk to me about funding not being available for this. We've all seen the magic happen when government planners get something in their heads time and again. Sports complexes, airports, casinos, entertainment venues, public TV construction, trails, private offices, hotels, restaurants and all kinds of other private business developments, etc. etc. etc. If not on this, then let us do none of those either. Those projects benefited a few well connected. At least this plan would actually be spent doing something for the people who benefited little or nothing from those.Except for the privileges of spending money on tickets or services to use them, the average person has received little or nothing in return.

Which Would You Rather? The Pool OR...

Most Awesome New Year's Eve Fireworks Ever!

London 2012

Video Courtesy "The BBC"

Pearl Harbor Day Message

Uploaded April 22, 2011

Video Courtesy "Tony"

Deep Frying Turkey Dangers

Planning on deep frying your turkey this Thanksgiving?

BE CAREFUL!

Video Courtesy "Underwriters Laboratories"

More Info @ UL



Here's another humorous cautionary tale from
"State Farm Insurance" featuring William Shatner

Buy Local For Thanksgiving

DISCLAIMER: I have not nor will I receive compensation of any kind for the following. My sole purpose in posting the following information is to encourage people to support local businesses.

More Info @ Patch: "Talking Turkey"- Jaindl Farms
.. and here at Jaindl.com

If you'd prefer otherwise, how about Koch's Turkey Farm near Tamaqua?

Both of them feed their birds a vegetarian diet fortified with vitamins and minerals. The feed mill for both of them are located right on their farms from locally grown corn and roasted soybeans.

Both of their turkeys are never fed antibiotics or growth promotants at any time and have access to outdoor areas.

The Koch's are certified that they follow humane farm animal practices They have over 50 turkey products. They can purchased at either their farm location or at "Whole Foods".

Whichever one you decide on..

158 More "Buy Local" Businesses

Over-The-Top Trick or Treating

At the risk of sounding like a cranky old man.. Friday night was trick or treat night in Allentown.

Every trick or treat night here in the Westend of Allentown we get inundated with trick or treaters. I have no problem with the Halloween handouts. What I do have a problem is the huge numbers of them. There are a total of 4 kids who live in our half block on both sides of the street. So let's say there's as many as 15 more or so kids living to either side of our half block.

How then do you account for all these kids?

Video was taken from one of my surveillance cameras while we were away.

We go to our own kids houses each year for the last five to hand out our treats. One lives in Whitehall Township. The other in Coplay where both their neighborhoods have 10x's as many kids and yet 1/5th the number of trick or treaters. You may ask what accounts for this number of kids and why do we leave?

Well we used to burn through 15 bags of candy in the first hour alone even though we only handed one piece out to each. That's over the top. I've watched SUV's and/or vans pull up and unload 5 or 10 kids. They'd hit the houses, then pile back in the vans and go down to the next block. Then the next.

It's quite obvious downtown parents set about to go hit up the richie's in the Westend. I certainly can't blame parents for wanting to come out here where's it's safer. BUT on the other hand, we can't go through 12 lbs of candy in one hour either. It's taking advantage.

Blame it on the parents, I suppose, but I AM NOT WEALTHY. I AM ON Social Security and so are about 5 of my neighbors. If you will note in the video the guy handing candy out across the street on his front porch ran out about 45 minutes into this (around 6:45 PM).

So no hard feelings, but this is the choice we made for ourselves. It's a shame for the kids who actually do live in our neighborhood. But it does speak to the kind of attitude that seems to pervade in the culture of Allentown, does it not?

Bolshoi Theater Back In Business

One of the grandest gem of all the theaters in all the world is back in business.

The Boshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The condition of the theatre back on July 2, 2005 was deplorable. It was closed since that time in order to make over 700 million dollars in renovations.


One of the most beautiful of all theaters has been completely restored over the last 6 years and last night (Oct. 28, 2011) had it's grand gala reopening.

The theatre's first performance was on January 18th in 1825. The restored theatre removed a couple of hundred seats in order to expand it's huge stage. All the lightening and audio systems installed are now the latest state of the art.

The creme de crem from all over the world were fortunate enough to bear witness last night for the first gala performance after the completion of the renovations.

Behind The Scenes

* Tickets last night went for as high as $67,000!
a * Actual current prices now range from 2000-4000 Russian Rubles
($67-$135 American Dollars)Details Of The Reconstruction
Schedule Of Future Performances
Homepage for The Bolsho Theatre