Monday, January 30, 2017

Shooting starts Feb. 1, 2017 - March 31, 2017

Look for more of these signs going up. On public property only. Private properties will remain private.


But only at the PUBLIC areas, not private property. The commissioners believe that it is none of our business to know where the bullets will be flying on private properties in Mt. Lebanon. Dave Brumfield was quoted in The Almanac:
“What is at issue is a number of residents that have volunteered their property for the program. In doing so, they did not expect to open themselves up to public ridicule or harassment from someone who might disagree with their beliefs on the issue of the deer cull.”
Killing on private property will occur seven days a week, starting at 4 PM, while killing on public areas will be restricted to five days a week. For Heaven's sake, do not go sled riding at the golf course on a Friday night. Your children may be exposed to a "teaching moment."

I sent the following email to the commissioners, manager, and police chief. I have not heard back from any of those seven people.

Commissioners,

In case you missed it, I posted Keith's letter to the district concerning your "sharpshooting" program in my post, https://lebocitizens.blogspot.com/2017/01/bullets-never-cross-sidewalks.html Your announcements to this lethal program are always buried on the municipal website.

I wonder if MLPD will be issuing the same suggestion in Keith's letter on NextDoor. Also, will his suggestion be posted on Facebook and other MTL social media?

Elaine Gillen
"Parents and teachers may want to tell children to avoid the designated parks after dark and suggest they use sidewalks/established safe walking routes instead of shortcuts through private properties."
Remember to keep your kids and pets on sidewalks. Mt. Lebanon has installed bullet proof glass next to all sidewalks in Mt. Lebanon. That must be true if our manager suggests that we use sidewalks. He also wants us to tell children to avoid the designated parks after dark. The only problem with that statement is that shooting will begin at 6:00 PM, not after dark as he states.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

You probably won't print my comment since I'm remaining anonymous.

In doing so, they did not expect to open themselves up to insurance claims either.

Lebo Citizens said...

6:11 PM, I made an exception for you. Where else can you say that in Mt. Lebanon? The pro kill folks have the deer killed seven months out of every year. They have no reason to complain. The municipality is doing exactly what the pro kill people want.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

LEBO INSANITY

Just a reminder. The rifle typically used in these deer killing programs is the .223 caliber bolt-action rifle with 55-grain bullets (some vendors like Wildlife Services used the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle with larger caliber ammo). The maximum range of the .223/55-grain ammunition is 2.20 miles. So if there is a misfire, missed shot, or ricochet anyone within a 2.20 mile radius is in lethal danger. The standard Pa hunting regulated "safety zone" is 150 yards from any occupied building, which obviously is a total joke, i.e. 2.20 miles equals 3, 872 yards. However, the commissioners applied for a Pa Game Commission special permit that allows them to suspend the mandated safety zones. So while Commissioner Brumfield seems to be extremely concerned about the feelings of residents who want DeNicola's shooters to shoot high powered rifles, with no safety zones, to kill the deer in their yards, he apparently has no concerns for residents who live next store, behind, or adjacent to these residents who are concerned for their family, children, and pets safety. In addition, the commissioners have totally dismissed residents who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) caused by trauma associated with firearms, who pleaded with them not to allow shooting in their neighborhood. This special permit suspending safety zones in densely populated and developed residential neighborhoods should be illegal. Regardless, the commissioners should use some basic common sense to protect their constituents from high powered rifles used right next to their homes with no safety zones. BTW, the residents "donating" their property and Mt. Lebanon are not even required to notify the neighbors that shooting is taking place right next to their homes, and have even gone to court to prevent Elaine from identifying these properties so at least residents are aware of the lethal danger, and can warn their children and try to protect themselves. And this is all because a handful of wealthy politically influential entitled women refuse to plant deer resistant flowers. I can't think of another word to describe this situation, but INSANE.

Lebo Citizens said...

Wait, what's this about going to court to prevent me from identifying their properties?

Oh, and thank you, 7:53 AM, for donating your comment.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

I just reread your comment and understand. I thought you said that there was additional legal action taken by private property owners, and not just Mt. Lebanon. Yes, it is insane.
Elaine

Lebo Citizens said...

To be clear, I am only protecting the identity of those who are anti-kill in Mt. Lebanon. The ONLY anonymous comments that I will accept are from anti-kill folks pertaining to this subject. Someone has to protect their point of view. Mt. Lebanon is only protecting the identity of the pro-deer killing residents. Mt. Lebanon had no intention of protecting the identities of the anti-kill folks in those Right To Knows.
Elaine

Anonymous said...

Several questions.

Why are the commissioners paying top dollar for sharpshooting while White Buffalo has done a sterilization program for less money?
Sterilization we are told is suppose to be way more expensive than sharpshooting.
Perhaps we need commissioners and municipal executives to be be better negotiators!

Especially since White Buffalo's culling efforts have done nothing to reduce deer/vehicle accidents.

Looking at these numbers, I can't wait to see the results of the SMART (yeah right!) PAYT program.

"East Hampton, N.Y., which recently hired White Buffalo to carry out a sterilization campaign, originally expected to pay $1,000 for every deer that DeNicola's team surgically neuters, but that amount was later negotiated down to about $500 to $700 per deer."

https://www.google.com/amp/www.courant.com/politics/hc-white-buffalo-10-2014-20141027-story,amp.html?client=safari

On the Deer FAQ it reads: "At what times and days will shooting occur? The special use deer control political subdivision permit allows culling activities to take place seven days a week. Shooting will take place in the late afternoon and after dark."

Elaine reports this message from The municipal manager: "Parents and teachers may want to tell children to avoid the designated parks after dark and suggest they use sidewalks/established safe walking routes instead of shortcuts through private properties."

But the PIO's FAQ reads: "Shooting will take place in the [LATE AFTERNOON] and after dark."

Emphasis above is mine to show -- does the left hand know what the right hand is doing in the municipal offices?

Plus, why should residents and especially kids be subjected to restrictive use of our parks and recreation facilities to satisfy the blood lust of a few?

Signed,
Thinking Taxpayer,
donor

Anonymous said...

anonymous comment regarding killing deer.

Rather than the muni manager, commissioners and the solicitor working on ways to keep the $100,000 annual deer culling locations secret why aren't these legal wizards coming up with solutions for the municipality to lift the recreation use only restriction on the million dollar Twin Hills and McNeilly properties that serve pretty much no one?

The recreation use only restriction brings up an interesting topic.

IF Twin Hills and McNeilly parks are to be used FOR RECREATIONAL ONLY isn't the municipality breaking that use restriction by culling in those parks?
If they argue culling is a recreational use because hunting is considered a recreational activity then wouldn't recreational hunting need to conform to the safe zone restrictions from the Game Commission?

They provide havens for the deer and if developed into tax generating housing or business space we could afford to air condition our elementary schools or fix the ice rink without a bond.

Furthermore, we'd probably have fewer deer to deal with thereby reducing vehicle/deer accidents.