At the bottom of a Canal

Allow me to begin with the now emptied canal; there exists an opportunity here that should not be allowed to get passed by. Inside the nearly dry canal, there is visible trash. Now, with the water gone, I think it is an amazing chance for a group of volunteers to get in there and clean it out before the water comes back. I would love to get this project underway myself. It certainly needs to be done but it is going to take some manpower. Here, I must congratulate Judith Ross. Ms. Ross has taken it upon herself on the Bethlehem side of the Canal to rescue the wildlife put in peril by the absent water of the canal. You are doing a great job Ms. Ross, thank you.

In all the visits I have made to Canal Park, I have never not found significant piles of dumped trash in the undergrowth. During a visit a few years ago, a picture was taken of me standing on the boat launch. Upon further observation, a dead cat was clearly visible in the water next to me. Standing on the boat launch and looking across the river yesterday, I saw this:



When I turned around, I saw this:


It is a damn shame that the Parks department has suffered the staff cuts it has. The maintenance job they do is difficult and tiresome. Our parks system is huge. It is increasingly apparent to this observer that the maligned volunteer projects of late need to increase tenfold.

On Sunday in Canal Park, the parking lot was full of huge stones which I assume are part of the breach repair:

There is no other park in the city of Allentown that is as naturally powerful than Canal Park. Steeped in history, the park now serves as a window to the state of Allentown and her parks today. Much more than that breach requires repair in Canal Park. I hope someone recognizes it soon.