A NATIONAL HONOR: MAYOR PAWLOWSKI ELECTED TO THE U.S. CONFERENCE OF MAYORS ADVISORY BOARD

The U.S. Conference of Mayors held their 82^nd Meeting in Dallas this year, where Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski was elected to the USCM’s Advisory Board.

Consisting of mayors who are members of the Conference of Mayors, and who have been active in their efforts to advocate policy on Capitol Hill and to the Obama Administration, the Advisory Board acts as a source of advice to the Executive Committee of the USCM on any and all matters of program or policy.

Trustees of the USCM, along with the top three officers and past presidents make up the Executive Committee of the organization. Pawlowski is the only member on the board of 28 from Pennsylvania.

“It has been my pleasure to speak to members of Congress and the Administration on legislation of interest to the USCM,” Pawlowski said. “It is important that Pennsylvania’s third largest city be represented in the discussions of national urban policy that will affect Allentown for decades to come.”

Mayor Pawlowski attended the event with more than 200 of the nation’s mayors from across the country. The USCM is a non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more.

The officials convened at the OMNI Dallas Hotel to discuss a variety of issues, including education, the minimum wage, transportation, housing, the economic health of the country’s cities, and help for returning Veterans.

Mayor Pawlowski is currently serving as Vice Chair of the USCM Community Development Committee and also chairs the Pipeline Safety Task Force, which focuses on education and regulations that will reorganize the current infrastructure designed to transport combustive substances through America’s cities and towns.

 

RECOGNIZED FOR SERVICE: MAYOR PAWLOWSKI RECEIVES THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD FROM PML

Mayor Pawlowski recently received the Distinguished Service Award from the Pennsylvania Municipal League (PML) during their 115^thAnnual Convention in Philadelphia.  The convention played host to both elected and appointed municipal officials from all across the Commonwealth, and featured several accredited sessions under PML’s Elected Officials Leadership Training Program.

“I am extremely honored to receive the Distinguished Service Award from the League. I have a sign above my office door that reads, ‘Never, Never, Never Give up!’ I try to take that message with me every day,” said Pawlowski. “There is so much we can accomplish when we work together.”

The annual award is given to a member of the PML by the Board of Directors to recognize outstanding examples of leadership and dedication.  Mayor Pawlowski was honored with the award for his years of excellent service to the City of Allentown and for his leadership within the PML, where he served as President for the past year and currently serves as a board officer.

During his first two terms as Mayor of the third largest City in the state, Mayor Pawlowski has brought more than $1 billion in new development projects to all corners of Allentown, and has worked tirelessly to bring over $100 million in state and federal grants to the city.  These grants were used to rebuild city parks and help develop new businesses and residencies downtown, which has resulted in a better quality of life for every neighborhood and resident.

The Mayor has streamlined operations in City Hall and increased services to the community. He has rebuilt the city’s police force from its historic lows in 2005, and over the past several years has seen crime decrease by over 26% and violent crime decline by over 19%.

His role as board officer and past president of PML led him to oversee the administration of PML’s municipal services including legislative advocacy (on both the state and federal level), publications designed to educate and inform, inquiry and research, education and training certification programs, consulting-based programs, and group insurance trusts.

Most importantly, he has championed the immediate need for municipal pension and Act 111 reforms.   Act 111 of 1968 is the current state law that provides binding arbitration to police and fire fighters in exchange for prohibition against striking.

“Mayor Ed Pawlowski has furthered the cause of municipalities in his tenure as mayor of Allentown and as president of PML,” said Executive Director Richard J. Schuettler. “The Allentown renaissance will leave a legacy to be emulated across the Commonwealth.”

 

 

 

MAYOR PAWLOWSKI TO HOST “COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATIONS”

Join Mayor Pawlowski on Wednesday, August 6^th for a fundraising event titled “Cocktails and Conversations” at Digital Feast in the Butz Corporate Center, Suite 520, located at 840 Hamilton Street in downtown Allentown.  The event runs from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and grants you the opportunity to converse with the Mayor about all of the exciting events and development happening in downtown, including the opening of the PPL Arena in September.

Tickets for the event are $250 and you can reserve your spot by calling Shelby at (717) 213-4300 or by emailing her at srexrode@7pointsconsulting.com.

Don’t miss your chance to mingle with elected officials, as well as business and community leaders while showing your support for all of the great things that the Mayor has accomplished for the Queen City.

ADVENTURE IS OUT THERE: CITY PUBLICATION “ADVENTURE ALLENTOWN” RECEIVES 2014 APEX AWARD

Adventure Allentown, a City of Allentown publication, has received a “2014 APEX Award of Excellence” in the “Publication Design & Layout Category” from Communications Concepts Inc., which runs the APEX Award competition. This designation for Adventure Allentown was received hot off the heels of a 2013 APEX award in “Magazine & Journal Print” and recognition by the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, Inc. in 2009, which named the publication as the recipient of the annual Excellence in Agency Publication award.

“Adventure Allentown has been a big hit since its first issue in 2008,” said Mayor Pawlowski. “We use it to help inform residents and visitors about programs that highlight our commitment to fitness, healthy lifestyles, the arts, and economic vitality through events that capitalize on Allentown’s greatest assets. I am very proud of the work done by the staff to produce this award-winning biannual publication.”

Focused on bringing information on special events to Lehigh Valley residents, Adventure Allentown features a large variety of events for all ages, from youth and adult programs to information concerning city parks and golf courses, music and theatre programs, local museums, maps of parks and recreation areas, event schedules, and much more. Selected from a pool of almost 2,800 applicants for only 11 major categories, the APEX award was distributed based on the achievements of a publication in graphic design, editorial content, and ability to achieve communications excellence.

The Fall & Winter edition of the publication will be published in September of 2014, with 70,000 copies being distributed around the city, including to city parks, schools, businesses, and newspapers. Design work for the publication is contracted through Publication Design Inc., and is done in full collaboration with city staff. The guide can also be found at: http://www.allentownpa.gov/parks.

If you would like more information concerning Adventure Allentown of other city publications, please contact the City of Allentown Department of Parks and Recreation at 610-437-7750.

 

READY FOR A SUMMER FULL OF HOOPS: RESURFACED COURTS AWAIT BALLERS

 

Resurfaced Basketball Courts at Jordan Park

Recognizing the rich history of playground basketball in the City, including the recent “Catch a Rising Star” Stellar Basketball Tournament at Cedar Beach Park, the largest High School Basketball Tournament in the country, the City of Allentown recently completed more than $165,000 in upgrades to courts throughout the City.

The work includes cleaning, patching, repairing and resurfacing two basketball courts at Irving and Jordan parks, one full and one half court at Trout Creek West, and single full courts at Fountain Park and Jordan Meadows.

Basketball players of all ages are finding resurfaced courts at facilities throughout the City of Allentown.  The Department of Parks & Recreation is completing more than $165,000 in improvements to basketball and other courts at nine city facilities.

The work included cleaning, patching, repairing and resurfacing two basketball courts at Irving and Jordan parks, one full and one-half basketball court at Trout Creek West and single full basketball courts at Fountain Park and Jordan Meadows.

“Whether our kids are playing in organized leagues or adults just wanting to play in pick-up games, you don’t have to go far to play on some of the best outdoor facilities around,” said Mayor Pawlowski.

In addition, two tennis courts are being transformed into new basketball courts at Percy Ruhe Park in a $56,000 improvement project which should be completed next month.  An existing court there is being resurfaced, and player benches, a scorer’s table, spectator bleachers, lighting and fencing are being added to courts at the park.

In 2013, the Basketball Courts at Keck, Roosevelt and Valania Parks were resurfaced, along with the Roller Hockey Rink at Jordan Meadows and the Tennis Courts at Irving Park.  The Department of Recreation and Parks sponsors a summer Basketball League that consists of 48 teams playing in six divisions ranging in age from nine to fourteen.  The league currently plays at Cedar Beach Park and Irving Park, but will move from Irving Park to Percy Ruhe Park upon completion of the improvement project at Ruhe Park.

The city also supports summer high school varsity and junior varsity basketball leagues at Cedar Beach Park.