Political Courage Needed To Save Allentown — And Its Suburbs

Fifty years ago a group of far-sighted businessmen (and yes, they were mostly men at that time) led by Walter Dealtrey created a concept that ultimately transformed the economic, demographic and geographic face of the Lehigh Valley. They called it the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, and it started as a small development near what is now called Lehigh Valley International Airport.

Today Lehigh Valley Industrial Park boasts seven campuses across the region that are home to 470 businesses that employ 22,000 people. By 2015, that number is expected to reach 25,000, according to LVIP’s 2010 annual report.

The Valley owes a debt of gratitude to those pioneers. Because of their leadership in suburban and rural development, the region evolved from its heavy industry base to a diverse economy that, for the most part, has allowed it to survive the collapse of the rust belt, the loss of major employers such as Mack Trucks and Bethlehem Steel, and develop a more tech-oriented base that has attracted a once unimaginable variety of employers.

The site of the future Allentown arena … or centralized, citywide swimming pool, depending on the outcome of ongoing political pissing matches.

But silver linings always have dark clouds behind them.

Moving Out Of Fat City Isn’t So Easy

Where's the beer, dude?

Getting old sucks. If you had asked me three months ago where I expected to be in my new fitness regime, I would have boldly predicted that I’d be down at least 10 pounds and would have dropped a couple beats from my resting heart rate. Pride goeth, right? Oh, I tried. I actually got into a good groove in January and I was hitting the gym a couple times a week before everything went to hell.

Apparently my not-so-keen analytical mind forgot a couple factors in this equation … much as it used to do back in Mr. Barnak’s 9th grade algebra class. (I’m not saying how long ago that was, but I believe his first name was Pythagoras.)

Live: From Sunny Acres, Florida, They’re Baaacckkkkk ….

Good evening and welcome to the 4,723rd Republican presidential debate since Jan. 21, 2008. I’m White House correspondent Jake Tappedout and I’ll be moderating tonight’s debate … because every other practicing journalist in the free world is in State College covering Joe Paterno’s funeral and I made the mistake of parking in the network president’s space yesterday in the rain. Geez, I thought he was still on his yacht in Jamaica.

We’re here at the Blue Plate Retirement Home in Sunny Acres, Fla., affectionately known by those residents coherent enough to remember it as “God’s Waiting Room.” I have to tell you that we are taping today’s debate for broadcast later tonight so that the seven members of our audience who were still ambulatory and continent enough to attend could get home in time for “Matlock.” On the other hand, I can tell you that thanks to developments over the past few weeks, this is the first time that the audience actually outnumbers the candidates on stage.

Gentlemen, shall we begin?

The Lion In Winter

He’s an old man now and the years, at last, are catching up to him. He’s sick, injured and deposed. But not broken. Never broken. Though the roar has been reduced to a frail whisper, he still fights to reclaim the reputation and respect stolen from him by the alleged crimes of one and the cowardly acts of others.

The old lion is down but not out.

I’ve been a Penn State fan most of my life. I studied journalism at University Park, attended football games and met lifelong friends there. In recent years it has been my pleasure to serve in a volunteer capacity at the Lehigh Valley campus, working with some wonderful people led by a chancellor who epitomizes all of the things we admire about Penn State.

But in truth, I have actually always been just a Joe Paterno fan.

Wheezing My Way Through Winter

Temperatures in eastern Pennsylvania yesterday reached the mid-60s with a nice breeze. Today they are barely topping 45 with a cold breeze and they are dropping.  I know that the warm weather is a blessing in early January, and I definitely won’t complain about it.

Isn't this a terrorist device?

I did take advantage of the weather yesterday and got out for a brisk, hour-long walk that covered a little better than 4 miles. If I can keep that up, I will re-introduce some running into the routine and maybe even get in shape for a 5K in mid-March. That should be fun.

Making my body exercise is like taking Rick Santorum to a NOW rally. You know even before you arrive that it’s going to be an ugly scene, things will quickly get overheated and by the time we’re done there are enough bad feelings for a week of Dr. Phil. But my gut is threatening to establish its own ZIP code and before it reaches out and touches AT&T for area code status, I have to try to get it down to some reasonable proportions.

Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot …

The daily comic delivers the Sunday ads and features section a day early now so it gives me a heads-up on my horoscope for the following day. Nothing like getting bad news early. Anyway, my fortune for New Year’s Day suggests that I get old relationships in order so that I can move ahead to a profitable and healthy 2012.

Sure gonna miss those guys ...

Not bad advice and it got me thinking about some of my closest friends and how they have impacted my life. You know what? They have to go. It’s not going to be easy; it seems like I’ve been close to some of these guys forever. But it’s time to say aloha, hasta la vista, sayonara.

I hope they don’t hold grudges.

My New Year’s Resolution: Less Stress Behind The Wheel

It’s the time of year when I start thinking about New Year’s resolutions that I’ll never keep. One of them is to reduce the stress in my life … which pretty much means I should give up driving. I mean, really, most of us arrive at work or home more stressed out than when we left because driving scares the hell out of us.

Ever watch the other drivers? It’s one of my favorite pastimes when I’m in heavy traffic and moving about as fast as the line at my local McDonalds. (These people have never heard of “fast” food, believe me.)