$2 million, then $3 million, now it's up to $6.9 million

Mt. Lebanon approves public works, gun range projects

Commissioners voted 3-1 to approve a contract with RSSC Architecture of Wexford for architectural and design services for the project at a cost not to exceed $288,500. Commissioners Dave Brumfield, Steve Silverman and Stephen McLean voted in favor. Ms. Fraasch dissented. Commissioner John Bendel was absent.

These guys exhaust me. Thanks, Janice Crompton, for reporting this.

Is this odd or what? UPDATED 2X

President of the commission, Dave Brumfield, is not running for re-election again. Yay. The Democratic candidate running in Ward 4 is Craig Grella. Craig is on the PA Democratic Party staff as Digital Operations Director. It is a paid position.  http://www.padems.com/party/staff/ Does anyone see that as a problem?

Craig's professional website www.craiggrella.com is now being used for his commission race. His professional website was more like his LinkedIn profile. 

A couple of things I noticed about Grella's website. His committee address is not in Mt. Lebanon as indicated (15228) but in the city. While I appreciate his sense of humor, his website is being paid for by Friends of Craig Grella, the website which previously was his professional website.

Craig's vision for Mt. Lebanon is admirable. Our schools provide an education second to none, and Craig wants to do everything in his power to keep it, as well as other things, that way. However, Craig is running for commission, not school board director.  He has no magic fix for Mt. Lebanon, but seems to be running on the "unity" platform.

I find it unusual for a staff member of the PA Democratic Party to be running in the commission race here in Mt. Lebanon. Is that another conflict of interest that Mt. Lebanon voters are presented? I'm not comfortable with it, but I am not faced with that dilemma, only the residents of Ward 4.

Update March 29, 2017 4:51 PM Now, it is getting really odd. Craig Grella's non-profit Orgspring Inc in Pittsburgh has never filed a 990.  I see that since income is less than $25,000, filing is not required. But here's the oddest part. Craig Grella is declaring ZERO income. Source: nonprofitfacts.com And before the trolls start attacking, yes, I see the small print on this website. "Use at your own risk."

Update March 29, 2017 9:35 PM A non-profit with less than $50,000 in receipts can file a 990-N. It’s just an e-postcard with basic information on it. Guidestar does not list 990-N’s. Orgspring is up to date on their filings.

Timmy Ticket Trickery in its infancy

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "There's something about Mary UPDATED 2X": 

It is still obvious to me that there is a " conflict of loyalty with Berks and Outreach. Who is to say that she's not IDing kids in the district with disabilities which gets sent to the to MLSB which likes to get rid of kids with disabilities including physical, and mental health disabilities. It has happened in the past. All students have a right to a free and appropriate public education. Too much corruption in regards to the disabled kids. This is why Sabol was let go. She found out and had it been investigated, then the school district would have been bankrupt. 

Anonymous 

Funny how one submitted comment leads to exactly what I was looking for. I did a blog search for "Sable" and found this post, which I believe marks the beginning of the Cappucci, Birks, and Remely shenanigans with Timmy. OMG  They want to keep him through June 30, 2019 The contract extension was added to the agenda and was not even suggested at the previous meeting! I went back to the school board meeting summaries, to find out which school board members voted to extend Timmy's contract and found this. http://www.mtlsd.org/uploaded/SchoolBoard/Board_Summaries/September_16,_2013_Board_Meeting_Summary.pdf  (Note who was absent.) Did you read Cappucci's Board President Report? I'm sure it was purely a coincidence, but young Cappucci had just entered the job market. Did you notice Alyssa DeLuca's name? We know how that was a disaster!

Please, Mt. Lebanon, do not vote for Elaine Cappucci, Mary Birks, or Dan Remely. Too many conflicts, coincidences, untruths, false promises, and a complete lack of transparency.

There's something MORE about Mary. And Timmy.

Mt. Lebanon resident, Bill Matthews sent the following email to the school board. His attached summary documents untrue statements made by Mary Birks and the Superintendent.

From:	Bill Matthews
To:	schoolboard <schoolboard@mtlsd.net>
Subject:	Board Meeting Comments
Date:	Sun, Mar 26, 2017 8:36 pm
Attachments:	MTLSD-Budget-Comments-03-26-17.pdf (2050K)

---

Members of the MTLSD School Board:

Please find attached a summary (with documentation) of my remarks during last week's Board meeting.

As I indicated at the meeting, the issues continue to fall into one of three buckets: Transparency, Accuracy and Employing the Best Available Information.

Ever since Superintendent Allison left the District, we have taken steps backwards in each of these areas.

Best,

Bill Matthews

cc: Mt. Lebanon Residents

There's something about Mary UPDATED 2X

Today's mail...

No, A. Friend, I have not investigated that. Could you get a team together and investigate? You can mail your findings to me, which I will share here.

Searching the blog, I found this post to be rather timely. My first tutorial: How to file a Right To Know Timmy, Birks, and Remely are against transparency. The Riemer, Strotmeyer, and Diamond slate website shows:

We believe that the foundation of maintaining this rich tradition of education in Mt Lebanon is a collaborative effort between teachers, parents and the administration, that should be founded on transparency, accountability and mutual respect.

Update March 26, 2017 5:44 PM I am happy to say that there are some Lebo Citizens readers who are looking into this topic. The 2014 990 for Outreach was sent to me. On page 7 of 30, Mary Birks was paid $31,946 when she was part-time and working 24 hours per week. The link to the annual report in 5:34's comment indicates that Mary Birks was promoted to full time.

We developed the next Strategic Plan for 2015-2018 which lays out the organization’s priorities and goals to inform our work. In addition, we are proud to have moved our leadership to full-time positions – including both our Executive Director, Mary Birks and our Clinical Director, Christina Hostutler.

Update March 27, 2017 3:58 PM 2014 (2013) 990 for Outreach
2013 (2012) 990 for Outreach 

Bait

Bait...that four letter word that appears on Tony DeNicola's invoice for "sharpshooting" deer. No description. No quantity. Just...Bait $524.30.

Eleven days ago, my email exchange with Commissioner Steve McLean came to a halt. It might be because I wanted answers to the tough questions. I had originally emailed the entire commission on February 21, 2017, and Steve McLean had finally replied with some answers on March 10, 2017.

We may never learn the whole story about the time when Mt. Lebanon was taken to the cleaners by Tony DeNicola. Certainly, the commissioners don't want to know how or why we were charged over $800 per deer!

Yet another letter opposing the Timmy Ticket

This speaks volumes, Elaine and Mary.

Original publication date: 3/15/17 2:09 PM

Mt. Lebanon Democrats endorse School Board Directors

Last Wednesday, March 8, the Mt. Lebanon Democratic Committee endorsed the slate of Mike Riemer, Stephen Strotmeyer and Aviva Diamond for Mt. Lebanon School Directors.

We believe our candidates to be well educated, successful volunteers with a strong history of service to Mt. Lebanon, as well as, a desire to serve our District's students. This slate is composed of fresh thinkers who respect tradition, embrace accountability and innovation.

You can learn more about our endorsed candidates at

www.friendsofmtlebanoneducation.com

Was: The nonsense is NOT stopping. Now: The Timmy Ticket UPDATED

Original publication date: 3/13/17 3:00 PM

Elaine Cappucci sure is a gutsy woman. Not only did Elaine file, but is running for both seats! Let me back up a minute. As it was explained to me last week, there is a two year term seat which is the remaining portion of Elaine's term. Then there are the usual four year seats that expire at the end of this year. I believe all are running for both seats. Word on the street is that the solicitor is wrong on this, but what do I know? If Elaine wins both seats, or any of school board candidates win both seats, then there will be an appointment or another special election. (It is not clear what will happen.)  Even with 111 mostly negative comments in my post, This nonsense has to stop!, Elaine is running in TWO elections.

I received another anonymous letter this morning. Again, I will permit anonymous comments to protect the individual(s) who sent this to me.

March 14, 2017 4:40 PM Another anonymous letter in today's mail. This time, the author claims to be a teacher.

Consider the source...

Last week, Mt. Lebanon's public information officer posted this on mtl Magazine's Facebook feed.

People were writing in, thanking Susan for the heads up. There was talk about reporting them, making unannounced appearances, and lots of sympathy for poor old Wally. Finally,

I had written a rather long response, but I couldn't post it because the post had been removed. 

An apology for the "errant" post followed. 

It appears that Susan thought she was posting on her personal Facebook page, but only realized it after she was challenged. I had commented on the "errant" post, but the "apology" has since been removed. All that remains now is the reply to Jeremy Tucker.

Correction. The "apology" has not been removed. 

The damage was done. No apology for trashing Petco on the municipal FB page. The comment I added to the sidebar disappeared, as well.

I want to share my experiences with Petco on Ft. Couch Road. I have been taking my dog to Petco for twelve years. I have never had a bad experience. Timmy the dog gives them kisses when he arrives. The staff all greet Timmy by name when we enter the salon. I schedule Timmy's appointments for every six weeks or so. The groomers appreciate that because they don't have to deal with fur that is matted. We arrive on time. The groomer will tell me that Timmy will be done in two hours or less, depending on how busy they are. They ask if there are any medical issues they need to be aware of. Who brings their dog to get groomed after surgery? They call when Timmy is almost done. I pick up Timmy right away. Sometimes, people use Petco as a kennel, leaving their poor dogs wait until their owners are ready to pick them up. 

Timmy greets me, wearing a cute bandana, tail wagging. I tip the groomers well and away we go.

The groomers all saw Susan's post on Facebook. They were shocked to read what the PIO had posted. I feel so badly for their maligned review. The groomers are always kind and conscientious. 

Please consider the source. Remember to market, to market, to buy a...? 

Speechless UPDATED

District News

John Grogan Named PSADA Athletic Director of the Year

Posted 03/13/2017 11:41PM

Mt. Lebanon High School Athletic Director John Grogan has been selected as the 2017 Pennsylvania State Athletic Directors Association (PSADA) Region 4 Athletic Director of the Year. Region 4 includes the WPIAL and the city of Pittsburgh schools.

Mr. Grogan's selection by the PSADA is in recognition of his efforts, dedication, leadership and achievements in athletic administration. Furthermore, the award recognizes excellence in athletic administration, demonstrated by the outstanding work of Mr. Grogan, who continues to make a profound difference for student athletes and coaches in Mt. Lebanon and the region.

With this award, the PSADA Foundation will provide a $1000 scholarship to a soon to be selected Mt. Lebanon High School student-athlete.

Mr. Grogan will receive this recognition at the State Athletic Directors Association conference next week.

Congratulations to Athletic Director John Grogan on this well deserved award.

Grogan case filed 022717 

Defendants Mt. Lebanon School District and Grogan have refused to answer an interrogatory or produce documents in response to requests for production that seek communications within their control on these very subjects. Defendants’ tactical refusal to respond to Plaintiffs’ discovery requests violates the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and prevents Plaintiffs from being able to effectively litigate their claims.

Begor 030717
Begor 031317

Update March 22, 2017 10:22 PM Shaking my head.

I'll be right back, after this brief commercial...

I will be giving a free demonstration on making snap tags tomorrow, March 16, 2017 from 6-7:30 PM at Gloria Horn Sewing Studio. I will show you how to make a snap tag while I go over all the necessary materials and techniques. You will be able to make these tags on any Baby Lock embroidery machine.

Come to Gloria's shop, located at 300 Castle Shannon Blvd. Please call to register 412-344-2330, just so I make sure I have enough hand-outs for everyone. I'm bringing my latest snap tags/key fobs too!

Inhaler and quarter are not included.

Game Commission supersedes Allegheny County Health Department?

It is a known fact that Mt. Lebanon has a rat problem. Search "rat amnesty" on this blog. It is also well known that Allegheny County Health Department has rules and regulations for rodent and pest vector control.

Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations

The Health Department shut down Merlin Benner. Remember this photo?

But things changed drastically since Tony DeNicola entered the picture, and Keith McGill became manager. The municipality became the Mt. Lebanon CIA leading covert operations. The commissioners are under the impression that the PA Game Commission supersedes the Allegheny County Health Department.

Commissioner Steve McLean finally responded to my numerous emails concerning bait.

Q: Was White Buffalo in compliance with the Allegheny County Health Department? He wasn't last year.

A: White Buffalo has complied with the State Game Commission requirements and that the state requirements ascend the County, similar to how Federal regulation can ascend state. So White Buffalo was in compliance with the State and thus with Allegheny County

With our terrible rat problem, wouldn't the commissioners want to comply with Health Department inspectors?

Q 1: What kind of bait was being used last year? This year?
Q 2: What mechanism or feeder was used to distribute the bait last year? This year?
A: I grouped questions 1&2 together - The bait and mechanism used is determined by White Buffalo and is not disclosed to the municipality and is confidential to White Buffalo as proprietary. Also White Buffalo is in compliance with the permit issued by PA.

Did you read that, Allegheny County Health Department Inspectors? It is all proprietary. How many other businesses get away with those answers? I'm betting that nobody else tells you that.

Anyone care to contact Allegheny County Health Department and let them know that the PA Game Commission and Mt. Lebanon don't give a rat's ass about them?

March 12 - March 18, 2017

It's Sunshine Week. Do something about it.

This is YOUR government UPDATED including response from Tony

Nick Meduho submitted a Right To Know on February 22, 2017 and received this response on March 1. Nick can file an appeal with the Office of Open Records, but what is the point of that? Mt. Lebanon will just take him to Court of Common Pleas if the OOR rules in Nick's favor. Today, Nick emailed the municipality these questions and received no response.

“Does anyone know who has possession of the trail cameras that were used during the archery hunt that were billed to the taxpayers?

Where exactly are they now?

Anyone??”

Update March 10, 2017 9:09 AM Sorry to report that this update does not include answers to Nick M.'s questions. What I wanted to share is The Almanac's article Deer sharpshooting operation ends in Mt. Lebanon. When information from the municipality is scarce, residents tend to cling to every word, looking for answers. Here is what I got out of Luke Campbell's column.

“I don’t think anybody was expecting 70 degree weather in February,” municipal manager Keith McGill said. “When it gets that warm the deer are less attracted to the bait because they don’t need to expend as much energy. There is also a whole lot more human activity.”

As I pointed out previously, "volunteer" archers started hunting in September, in warm weather and no bait, and killed 36 deer while Tony DeNicola charged us $9,000 for non-existing trail cameras, plastic bags, and zip ties. That came to $250 per deer, using "volunteers."

Campbell goes on to report:

The goal of the commission was to ultimately reduce the deer-vehicular collisions by 50 percent over the course of five years only grew further away with 122 accidents reported to Mt. Lebanon police. Those crashes in 2016 increased in every month other than two – October and December – in 2015 when only 73 collisions were reported.

Again, the "five year" window seems to be subjective. Are we in Year 2? Year 3? Year 4? Whatever it takes to sell the program. Repeatedly, I have been asking for the percentage of deer/car collisions to total collisions - a true measure. We get nothing.

McGill explains:

“The number one thing has always been safety,” McGill said. “Residents have requested an aerial survey but deer don’t recognize borders and don’t stay in one place. Accessibility is the question.”

but in the next paragraph:

density of deer remains high in certain parts of the community according to DeNicola.

Our manager tells us that deer don't stay in one place, while the charlatan claims that deer do stay in one place - mostly within Virginia Manor borders.

Meanwhile, the manager, PIO, and commission continue to blacklist residents.

Update March 12, 2017 6:29 PM Nick M. emailed Tony DeNicola today and got some answers. Our commission could have easily done that. Our manager will probably intervene again and tell Tony to direct all emails to him, as he has in the past. Your  power plays are getting really boring, Keith and commission.
Email correspondence from Tony DeNicola in reference to trail cameras.

Dear Pass Time and groad 570 UPDATED

John Hayes has yet another deer story about Mt. Lebanon in yesterday's paper. Mount Lebanon, Michigan town have different approaches to deer problem The usual commenters to John Hayes' biased reporting include pro-kill Pass Time (we all know who that is) and anti-kill groad 570. Both read my blog. So this post is for the two of you.

My buddy, Pass Time, reminded us of this letter sent by the PA Game Commission to Keith McGill on February 5, 2016. The letter came as a complete surprise to State Representative Dan Miller and Commissioner Kelly Fraasch because of the positive meeting Dan set up with Mt. Lebanon and the PA Game Commission. I kept this voice mail on my phone for over a year, waiting for the right time to share. I believe the time is right.




I am also addressing this post to groad 570 since he had the following to say:

I'm sure if the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners stood together as one and demanded that they be allowed to implement a safe approach to deer mgt in their community, and requested the support from their state representatives, that the PGC would grant them their request.

groad 570, as you can hear above, our state representative and commission did stand together as one and asked for sterilization, but it got us nowhere. When the Game Commission has John Hayes and Susan Morgans working with them, nothing can stop the PA Game Commission. They will NEVER approve sterilization because no deer are being killed. Literally, the PA Game Commission is calling the shots here.

So Pass Time, rest assured that you will continue to get deer killed in Virginia Manor. John Hayes had this as his final statement.

In the coming months, commissioners in Ann Arbor and Mt. Lebanon will vote on including the cost of deer management in their 2018 budgets.

What will the deer management be? According to Tony DeNicola's final "sharpshooting" report,

The Commission will need to decide whether to emphasize added non-traditional lethal management activities in very tightly developed areas or transition to sterilization in these areas of the community. 

What are non-traditional lethal management activities that Tony DeNicola uses?

• Live capture followed by euthanasia (More trap and shoot. Think Merlin the Magnificent). 
• Non-hunting participants scaring deer toward tree stands using ATVs. Deer seeking refuge were dispersed to hunters in tree stands by non-hunting participants on foot or in off-road vehicles to increase the likelihood of harvest. 

Mt. Lebanon commissioners strive to please those in Ward 1 and will continue to include deer killing in the 2018 budget. The budget will be approved by the current commissioners: John Bendel, Dave Brumfield, Steve Silverman, Steve McLean, and Kelly Fraasch. Dave Brumfield is not going to be on the commission in January. We're hoping that incumbent Steve Silverman will not win, but he will still be able to vote for more deer killing either way.I'm sure if the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners stood together as one and demanded that they be allowed to implement a safe approach to deer mgt in their community, and requested the support from their state representatives, that the PGC would grant them their request.

Update March 6, 2017 3:29 PM Keith McGill continues to give Nick Meduho one word answers. The cost of the 2017 "sharpshooting" program was $44,868.50. Fifty five deer were killed for $44,868.50. That comes to $815.79 per deer. Of those 55 killed, 22 were fawns, which would have not been born had we sterilized the deer. The foundation was going to pay for the sterilization and would have cost us a minimal amount of money, but the deer haters convinced the commission to continue killing deer at a much higher cost.

PAYT is DEAD. Again.

Talk about recycling. PAYT was declared dead on April 30, 2015. See PAYT is DEAD. Then on May 27, 2015, I wrote that PAYT is being recycled again. Highlights from the commission meeting Fast forward to January 3, 2017 when Susan Morgans was going to make us feel good about solid waste and PAYT, now called SMART, in her memorandum to Manager Keith McGill. Desperately Seeking Susan UPDATED

Somehow I missed this news from the March 3, 2017 PG. Beverly Road may get more parking; pay-as-you-throw tossed in Mt. Lebanon

"After nearly an hour of debate Monday, commissioners decided not to further pursue a pay-as-you-throw garbage collection program, after analysis indicated that it could cost some residents more than the current system." 

“Not one person has expressed an interest in pay-as-you-throw, but they are interested in weekly recycling,” Commissioner Stephen McLean said about the emails and calls he has received on the issue."

PAYT is DEAD. Again.

State releases SAT scores for Pittsburgh-area high schools

#3

#2

#1

March 2017 Behind the Bubble UPDATED

She’s Running!: Charlotte Stephenson on Women in Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Elections That Matter

by Jason Margolis

For Charlotte Stephenson, this is the right time to run for Mt. Lebanon Commissioner of Ward 2.

It’s right for her personally, as she is at “a time in my life where I have the time to dedicate to doing the homework necessary to do good work for the community. I would enjoy doing that.”

Charlotte Stephenson announces candidacy for Ward 2 Commissioner

It’s also right for her politically, as she believes the world needs more women in government, that the MTL Commission has “not been responsive to the people” who are paying for what they vote on, and no other viable Republicans candidates are running.

Fresh off attending a “Ready to Run” conference at Chatham University designed to encourage the female “51% minority” to have more formal input in the political system, Stephenson has been out canvassing for signatures around Mt. Lebanon. She is working to join the currently only female Commissioner, Kelly Fraasch of Ward 5, on a Commission that some have called an ‘old boys club.’

Speaking to the way Fraasch has reportedly been treated in decidedly gendered ways on the Commission, Stephenson said, “I have noticed that, and it needs to be changed. Kelly and I see eye-to-eye on many things. I have always wanted to work with Kelly, and I think we would work well together. She is level-headed, makes good decisions, and does her homework. I wouldn’t just vote same as Kelly [because we are both women], it would be based on what is right. But a lot of times she is right.”

However, gender issues are far from the only thing motivating Stephenson to run for Ward 2 Commissioner. Speaking on some of the more controversial issues in the community, Stephenson called the municipality’s approach to deer management a “staggering fail.” She added that “it has not been a successful program. Whether you are for or against it, it isn’t working. Deer-car collisions went up 67%.” While acknowledging that “We probably need deer management of some kind,” Stephenson emphasized that it should be non-violent and “well-thought-out … We need a middle ground.”

Describing herself as “fiscally conservative,” Stephenson commented on the general financial state of the municipality: “We need to hold the line on taxes. I don’t want to see any increases.” She also said that there are likely savings to be made in collaboration with the school district, referencing the new multi-purpose rifle range as an example. Stephenson also promised as Commissioner to “keep her eye on the ball” for ways various collaborations could reduce the tax burden in what she sees as a high-taxed community.

Stephenson also expressed concerns about the way the current Mt. Lebanon governmental structure works more to serve special interests and neglects the recommendations of its own boards. As an illustration, she spoke about the recent recommendations of the Environmental Sustainability Board regarding the artificial turf project being ignored by the Commission. Instead, Stephenson believes that the “Sports Lobby” overpowered the Commission with their “clout.” She added, “Sports are important, but there are a lot of other things that are important too. This special interest group has driven a lot of things, especially with the turf.”

Stephenson commented that she believes when people volunteer their time on a board, the Commission has an obligation to heavily consider their recommendation – not personal agendas. Otherwise, “It discourages involvement,” and she warned, “I don’t think we are using people as a resource.”

As she has been walking around Mt. Lebanon, where she has lived for the past 32 years, obtaining signatures has also been an opportunity to hear what is of concern to the residents. Stephenson says the top issues she hears the most about are Pay As You Throw (PAYT), concerns about the serious drug issues in the community, the need for a dog park, and fears connected to the municipality’s spot tax assessment program. People are also concerned about the physical conditions of many of Mt. Lebanon’s structures, as is Stephenson, who added that “We own properties that we are not maintaining. We should be reluctant to take on more things until we take care of what we have … I am a big stickler for taking care of what we have first.”

Stephenson said that not only is she “ready to serve, and ready to work hard” but that this is something she has been working towards her entire adult life. Indeed, her community service resume in Mt. Lebanon includes active involvement with the MTL Veterans Committee, the MTL Drug Task Force, the Denis Theater Foundation, the MTL Foundation for Educational Involvement, and being past-president of the MTL Extended Day program. She also has been involved at the Allegheny County level, including initiating a “Visit a Vet” program to support veterans who are on their own.

Ultimately, Stephenson said she is running for Ward 2 Commissioner because “elections matter.” If you want to reach out to candidate Charlotte Stephenson, she said she is eager to hear what is on your mind. Stephenson can be reached at: stephensoncs@verizon.net.

Update May 6, 2017 11:30 AM Charlotte's campaign website is http://www.votecharlottestephenson.com/