Momentum is building. Word is getting out and many more Mt. Lebanon residents are questioning the use of artificial turf, not only from the health and safety aspect, but also the inappropriate use of taxpayers' tax dollars, and the lack of transparency within our local government and sports organizations. I have been asked to post the following details:
- Anti-Artificial Turf Project Protest
- Saturday, November 8 10:00 AM
- Clearview Common in Uptown Mt. Lebanon on Washington Road
- Garage parking available
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| The commissioners dug up this... |
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| For this. High School Turf that is four years old. |
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40 comments:
Everyone dress nicely and behave cause the Lebo cops, uniformed and plain clothed, will be video taping everything. Suggest you all take lots of pics of them with audio turned on high.
I don't believe that about the MTLPD for a minute. It would be in their best interest to support less spending for sports projects since that would make it easier to to get money for equipment, raises etc.
I know for a fact several opposed turf.
The cops report that they are understaffed in MTL. Which 911 call are they going to dismisse to videotape a protest 3:18?
There were no issues at the rally last Sunday. Don't let 3:18 PM intimidate you.
Elaine
3:18
Thanks for the dress-for-success tip. But I think we have it covered. Heck, some of us might even shower that day.
And the cops will be taping it all? I'd like to think they're really that interested in this whole issue but let's be honest. We're not talking about a group of beret-wearing graduate students burning draft cards and calling for revolution. In the end, though, if they want to tape it, I'm onboard. Unlike some residents, our group won't whine about some inapplicable wiretapping law. If we're in a public setting, videotaping is fair game. You know, as it is everywhere else in Lebo.
Have a super night. Hope to see this weekend.
Let's not forget when the turf was being approved PA had an inexperienced secretary at the Department of Environmental Protection who resigned in a scandal over sexually explicit emails.
Any video tape will be good material for the next election cycle. A record of how unhappy residents are with the leadership on the Commission will be put to good use later.
I will be happy to upload videos from Saturday's protest here on the blog. Maybe Albert Turfstein can add them to his YouTube channel.
Elaine
when the muni says "the police have an issue with..." or the school district says "we rely on the police for...", either or both organizations are trying to bully you into submission. In other words, they are getting scared now and 3:18 is resorting to their old school police fear tactic. Shameless but predictable.
That's a nice picture of the 4 year-old turf from the high school and reflects premature field failure, which continues to be highlighted by Forbes magazine with another article published ToDaY:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2014/11/02/failure-rate-of-artificial-turf-fields-unknown-by-public/
"When I (the journalist) pressed further about the definition of premature failure and failure rate, the company (Field Turf) wrote: “Unfortunately we can’t provide this information due to competitive and legal reasons. We totally understand that these may seem like simple questions to you, but as part of a public company and due to the unfortunate fact that we have ongoing litigation to think about, we cannot comment further here.”
More from the article:
"But it is imperative that the municipalities thinking about installing artificial fields have this information and data to make an informed decision. And if they do not have such data, how can they claim artificial turf fields are more durable than grass fields?"
This synthetic turf technology is a quick fix, but it might also be a quick disaster, Commissioners.
My son will probably never play on this fields as he's at the high school level in sports but he plays on grass and turf all the time both in school and non-school events. I asked him which he preferred to play on and he said turf was much better to play on. He's played a lot of games on turf.
I told him there was controversy about the turf they are putting down and he said "About getting the pellets and getting cancer". I told him it was. He said that he's maybe swallowed a few of them, "it's not like I'm eating bags of the stuff".
It sounds like ingesting a large quantity of these pellets is not something that happens over the normal course of play. Granted you wouldn't want any but I just thought I'd put that out there.
Nice that your "son" prefers turf. But actual professional athletes throughout the US and the world prefer grass.
7:09, your son is currently at the high school level, correct?
That means he's probably played on crumb rubber turf in Mt. Lebanon for maybe 4 years.
Get back to us in another 8 years or so after he's played and practiced everyday on crumb rubber fields!
Just thought I'd put that out there.
Don't forget 11:40, if we begin to have problems wirh synthetic turf we always have Larry Evans to call on.
Why he offered to drive commissioners all the way to Washington, PA to see a turfed field rather than just walk them over to our HS is perplexing though.
http://www.thealmanac.net/article/20140723/OPINION02/140729998
"When I returned to Pittsburgh and started coaching my kids from our new Mt. Lebanon digs, I managed a few indoor soccer complexes and became a synthetic grass salesman. I fashioned myself on a Johnny Appleseed crusade covering 22 states with the good news of a safer sports alternative to Astroturf’s nylon rugs. I sincerely believed that I was on the good side of a highly regulated industry and syn turf fields have proliferated to the point that today they are the rule rather than the exception. My biggest sale, by the way, was to Washington & Jefferson College, a 235,000 square foot multi-sport complex off of Interstate 70 next to the Washington Wild Things Stadium. At the time, it was the largest continuous synthetic field in the world. That field is now over 10 years old and is still in pristine shape and I talked with their Athletic Department folks who would highly recommend it to our Lebo community. At the Commission meeting, I suggested to all to venture on down to that field if they wanted to check out their Cedar Boulevard field’s future. I even offered to drive, but got no takers."
What happens in 6 or 8 years when the turf needs replaced? Will it be allowed to be dumped? What happens if some EPA law is passed and it can't?
I would challenge any pro turf person to go visit the high school turf in it's current deplorable state with matted plastic blades (that defeats the purpose and benefit that artificial turf is supposed to provide) and tell me how you would prefer to play anything on that instead of lush natural grass.
I'm just hoping that our investment in the new turf at Middle/WildCat doesn't end up like the high school turf.
Nick M.
I wonder what number of people who attend the protest you will consider it a success?
30? .1% of our population
300? 1% of our population
Majority rule by the elected officials of the people is what makes America the greatest country in the world.
10:44
The only way to know where the community stands on the turf is to put ut up for a vote. You could always go back through the commission meeting videos and tally the number of those speaking for and those against. As for the rally, it's the only place for those who have been ignored by our Commissioners have to go. That's also why we live in the greatest country in the world, we have a right to assemble to show our displeasure for the decisions being made.
10:44,
Tallying votes in a video is completely innaccurate method for some many reasons I can only assume that part of your post was in jest.
As far a town vote, you can't vote on every issue nothing would get done, for or against, as we'd need to have a vote every few weeks on every issue. Imagine the cost on that.
This brings us to the fact that there was a vote. These are the elected commissioners. They been elected writ-large by the community and given the power to decide these issues whether you or I like it or not.
We then have three choices on this issue:
- Vote them out
- Bring legal proceedings
- Civil disobedience to prevent the further construction of the turf.
Please note I am not promoting civil disobedience just pointing out that it is an option in an democracy.
With the first the construction of the field will be complete before the next election.
The turf will be roughly 35% done by the time of the protest this Saturday.
People can keep protesting and posting but I can almost guarantee you that come mid-December people will be walking on a turfed field.
8:13 AM, you must be reading the same script that Kristen reads from. "As far a town vote, you can't vote on every issue nothing would get done, for or against, as we'd need to have a vote every few weeks on every issue. Imagine the cost on that.
This brings us to the fact that there was a vote. These are the elected commissioners. They been elected writ-large by the community and given the power to decide these issues whether you or I like it or not."
Elaine
Not the first time a Commish has put forward for consideration - "bring legal proceedings" Elaine.
Gee, 10:44 if we had 30 people show up, it would be 28 more than turf had in terms of visible support over the last two years. Too bad you and the four commissioners don't understand how government is supposed to work.
Funny how 8:13 is concerned about cost of everyone voting on every little item. I'm worried about the cost of the turf plans.
I also like the straw man argument that if turf is voted on by everyone, EVERYTHING would have to be voted upon.
The turf project was not part of a budget. It is/was funded through "unassigned funds". This is a euphemism for overtaxing. When the town purposely sandbags budgets that lead to inflated millage rates, they grow "unassigned funds".
My 1st preference is that the town does its job and get the budget right. My 2nd preference is that an over-taxation be returned to the citizenry via refund or millage reduction. My distant 3rd choice is that the unassigned funds be used for projects that would be offered up and voted upon via referendum.
This is excess money that could be used to benefit the whole town. You and I may argue over whether the turf project does so. Put it on a referendum and we would see exactly whether the turfing Wildcat/Middle makes sense to the community at-large. Nobody asked to vote on "every issue".
I vote for my representatives to keep the town administration in order and on task of keeping this place a safe place to live. I also count on them to seek out and listen to their citizens' concerns. I know I am not going to agree with them on every issue but will on many. The RTKs show very clearly the closed-door style in which this project was moved forward.
I did not vote for them to select pet projects from unassigned funds and provide handouts/public-space giveaways to a few non-profits that benefit only a fraction of the municipality and are themselves often run in a very shadow-like manner.
10:48 I know you want to rename "unassigned funds" but simply calling them "overtaxing funds" would not adequately describe what is going on within Mt Lebanon. Please consider what projects the municipality has failed to undertake over many years, and still yearly, that they include in the budget. The excess money then goes into the "unassigned funds". Many of these projects were intended to protect public safety. What is an adequate name for that sort of fund?
10:48, 3:50 it seems you both are at least reading the same book. Rather than fighting over the title of individual chapters, lets get together and get it published.
Another name for unassigned funds is a "slush fund!". Slush funds can be spent with NO ACCOUNTABiLITY! Maybe the PA Auditor General needs to be notified of this issue!
I wish I had a dollar for every time someone says that the PA Auditor General needs to be notified.
How many have gone to the budget meetings so far? There was one last night and one tonight. That's what I thought.
Elaine
Kristen,
If you really don't want to continue the turf battle with Kelly, why don't you vote against toxic turf and leave it at 3-2 then see what happens? Maybe someone else will support you if you can think of a vote to trade.
It sure beats CANCER FOR KIDS.
8:27 Come on Kristen enjoys picking on Kelley that is what a bully does.
3:28, Kristen loves to pick on people. Think back how she heckled Gillen in the scholl board meetings!
Something she quickly stifles when it occurs at commission meetings.
Then there is the "What the Kluck" protest. The strangely, un-neighborly emails uncovered in RTKs and now her apparent cold-shoulder with fellow Democrat Fraasch.
The question we should all be asking is what positive iniatives has she put forward in her tenure as commissioner.
Are things more pleasant in Lebo than before she arrived? Nicer?
The biggest initiative attached to her name seems to be deer culling in which she wants to kill something rather than coexist peaceably.
Perhaps we should amend that comment at 4:54.
There may be a lot of feathers in Kristen's cap.
We know she supports dumping $1.2+ million on artificial turf.
Seemed to be OK with a pool project that far exceeded initial $ projections.
If memory serves, didn't she support the $150 million high school proposal?
She likes to spend money surveying deer, her constituents apparently not so much.
She likes going after newcomers, but only those who came before 2005.
Not sure if that covers it all, but is there anything where she lobbied hard hard to freeze or cut municipal spending?
Where does she stand on PAYT for instance?
5:56 PM, Kristen supports PAYT. Remember how she said that she is green and recycles her cardboard boxes?
Kristen doesn't see the contradiction between being green and voting to have tire crumb infill.
I think you mean that Kristen goes after newcomers AFTER 2005. She and Silverman came here in 2005.
Elaine
Yes thank you, Elaine. I meant after 2005, not before.
While I have never been in an executive session my imagination has me convinced of this:
Brumfield: I'll support you on the deer if you support me on the turf.
Linfante: Really? For real?
Brumfield: Yes. You've got my word. We have got to take care of both the turf and the deer. Now let's move on this before our slush fund is slashed by long-standing public safety initiatives from 1949.
Linfante: Ok. I am in.
FAST FORWARD TO NOW:
Linfante: I am ready for the deer cull.
Brumfield: Well, not so fast. That doesn't sound to safe to me.
Linfante: Safety? What? You have *never* been concerned about safety before now.
Brumfield: Come on, Kristen... high powered rifles?
Wouldn't it be refreshing if one or all of the Pro-turf commissioners or SAB attended the Anti-turf protest and defended their decision in a truly open forum.
I'm pretty sure, even though they're absolutely resolutute in their choice, that none have the cajoles to appear in any meeting where they don't control the questions, time, and choice of speakers.
"Come December people will be walking on a turfed field". I certainly hope not. Unlike grass, which can , to a certain extent, repair itself, turf cannot. If people are "walking on a turfed field" hope they have the approved footwear lest the warranty be nullified or part of the now 2.5 million dollar crown jewel be damaged.
So much for the popularity of soccer in W. PA.
http://triblive.com/mobile/7040535-96/companies-team-stadium
Those people arent leaders. Theyre political remora, put into office by an apathetic electorate with a miniscule number of votes. Theyre simply placeholders.
8:39...,have you ever run for or held office? Or do you prefer to sit annon behind a computer and hurl slurs?
3:42 anonymously like you do, right?
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