Predictions for 2018

I see some major changes in 2018. Here are my predictions:

Jan Klein will retire. Finally. See Goal #10. http://www.mtlsd.org/page.cfm?p=703

The Stormwater Fee will be challenged. Small uprising in a local Facebook group.

Commissioner Grella's case for Public Drunkenness and Similar Misconduct will be closed. I hope.

Timmy will start working for a change since the Board majority has higher expectations of him.

Less Right To Knows will be needed for School District information requests. Municipality - not so much.

One Ethics Complaint will be finalized with more complaints filed in 2018.

Mt. Lebanon Residents will realize that they have been duped by Tony DeNicola.

The Capital Campaign will be shut down.

The Municipality will pay for more artificial turf.

Susan Morgans will retire. No, that will never happen.

Here is to a transparent and accountable Mt. Lebanon government in 2018.

Happy New Year.

Just peachy

Remember the case that Blaise Larotonda dismissed on December 27, 2017? Summary Trial with next door neighbor begins tomorrow at 9 AM UPDATED  The Honorable(?) Blaise Larotonda is swearing in this clown at Tuesday's commission meeting. January 2, 2018 Commission Agenda Good thing Blaise dismissed Craig's case since he will be the commission liaison to the Parking Advisory Board. Also a given, he will be the Sports Advisory Board liaison.

Craig's September 5, 2017 Public Drunkenness and Similar Misconduct arrest remains active. Maybe he can get that dismissed too since he will be the Alternate for SHACOG.

Blaise is also swearing in Treasurer Joe Senko. Joe is not a popular guy these days.

"Disgusted with Government..."

"Disgusted with Government" UPDATED 12/29/17

That's what Mt. Lebanon resident and Lebo Citizens Reader, Rudy Bies had to say yesterday when he tried to prepay his taxes.

Residents could have save thousands of dollars had Mt. Lebanon cooperated with its taxpayers. It would have been a win-win situation.

But Miss High and Mighty Morgans said that Mt. Lebanon can't violate its Home Rule Charter.

We NEVER make exceptions, do we? What would have happened if we had? If you want reasonable government, consider moving to Upper St. Clair, Peters Township, or Bethel Park. They look out for their residents.

Read more: New tax rules befuddle some property owners, make early birds out of others

Update December 29, 2017 8:51 PM I wanted to share the following with Lebo Citizens Readers. Rudy Bies emailed some more of his thoughts on this topic.

I am sending this just for the record to support why I believe the residents of Mt. Lebanon were treated very poorly by our very own local government. 

Below is the link for a PDF of the

LOCAL TAX COLLECTION LAW
Act of May. 25, 1945, P.L. 1050, No. 394

This is the law that Joe Senko, Mt. Lebanon Treasurer gave to me and it was his excuse as to why he could not accept any 2018 tax payment in 2017.

 

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/PDF/1945/0/0394..PDF

To make it easy -I have highlighted below what is found near the bottom of page

19 of 37, of the attached PDF, which is a copy of the law.

 

 

Section 15. Receiving County Taxes Not Assessed and Adding

Names to Duplicates Prohibited.--It shall not be lawful for any

county treasurer, county commissioner or any tax collector, nor

for any other person, on his or their behalf, to receive payment

or give any receipt for the payment of any taxes that have not

been duly assessed and returns of said assessment made according

to law, nor shall any such treasurer, commissioner or tax

collector, or other person on his or their behalf, receive

payment or give any receipt for the payment of any taxes from

the collection of which the tax collector has been exonerated

according to law....  

I have bolded above and underlined the key provisions.

In short - it is unlawful to "receive payment or give any receipt"...

CONCEPT ONE

Most of us taxpayers are quite content to use our cancelled check as a receipt.

So we as taxpayers are not asking anyone one to give us a receipt, at least not at this time, as many are concerned about their federal tax deduction.

CONCEPT TWO

Notice above - how poorly the law is written - it states that the collector is not allowed to receive payment.

The collector has no control over the taxpayer.  When a taxpayer chooses to mail their tax payment to the tax office and the tax office opens the mail, the tax payment has obviously been received. That fact can not be changed.

SUMMARY

Please don't read the above law with an approach for what it should say or what may have been intended - I ask that you simply read it for what it actually says and to read it from a perspective of how you could accommodate the taxpayers if you were in a position of "authority".

Notice above that I have highlighted in red that the law also includes the County, yet Allegheny County was quite helpful in accommodating the tax payers - Joe Senko was not.

It would seem that there was absolutely no effort made to accommodate  the taxpaying residents of Mt. Lebanon, not by our local government, not by our state legislature, and not by our governor, who could have easily issued an executive order.

2018 tax payments | Mt. Lebanon does not want your money

Based on recently passed tax legislation, the Mt. Lebanon Tax Collector has received inquiries from residents regarding their ability to prepay their 2018 property taxes prior to the end of 2017. While the Municipality and the Tax Collector understand resident’s desire to prepay their taxes, current statute prohibits the collection of these taxes before they have been duly assessed. Taxes cannot be "duly" assessed because we will not receive the certified county assessment docket until late January or early February of 2018. Therefore, the prepayment of 2018 property taxes in 2017 is unfortunately not something that can be legally accommodated. The Municipality’s Solicitor has reviewed this matter and concurs with this position.

http://mtlebanon.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=822

The PG reports: Allegheny County is accepting prepaid taxes and has for years as a courtesy to its residents. County taxes are due tomorrow. Postmarks do not apply in this case. They must be in the County tax office no later than tomorrow.

Summary Trial with next door neighbor begins tomorrow at 9 AM UPDATED

This might be awkward. Soon to be commissioner of Ward 4 will be facing his next door neighbor tomorrow morning at 9 AM.

Craig Grella's Summary Trial begins tomorrow morning in front of Magisterial District Judge Blaise P. Larotonda, Craig's next door neighbor.

Craig's November 9, 2017 hearing for public drunkenness and similar misconduct is still active.
https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05217-NT-0000326-2017 I can't understand why it is taking so long.

Ward 4's new commissioner will be sworn in on January 2, 2018 at 8 PM in the Commission Chambers.

Update December 27, 2017 4:25 PM DISMISSED. Blaise dismissed Craig's case.
https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05219-TR-0003661-2017

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05219-TR-0003662-2017

Elf hopped up on sugar loose in Bridgeville!

Buddy the Elf has gone rogue in Bridgeville! Bridgeville's finest caught it all on video!

https://www.facebook.com/bridgevillepolicedepartment/videos/1617651051654822/

Merry Christmas!

Bill Baldwin UPDATED

BALDWIN

WILMER "BILL" K.

Age 81, of Mt. Lebanon, passed away on December 23, 2017, with his dear family at his side. He was born September 9, 1936, in Wilkinsburg, the son of the late Dr. Wilmer and Elizabeth Baldwin. Bill was the beloved husband for over 55 years of Jean (Similo) Baldwin; devoted father of son, Allen (Julie); and daughter, Drs. Maria Baldwin Konitsky (William); loving grandfather of Ryan Baldwin (Brianna) and Alexander Konitsky; great-grandfather to Ayden and Aryzona Baldwin; brother of the late Mary Elizabeth. Bill graduated from Wilkinsburg High School in 1954. He received his B.S. from University of Pittsburgh in 1957. He completed a Master's degree in public administration in 1958 at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army serving as a captain in the infantry, active duty 1959-1960 and active reserve 1961-1966. Bill was dedicated to public service through his professional and volunteer work. His career in public government began as assistant city manager in Wilkinsburg (PA) in 1959 until 1964. He then became the first city manager in Wilkins Township (PA) and served from 1964-1987. In 1987, Bill and his family moved to Mt. Lebanon where he was assistant and then city manager. He retired in 2001. Bill also taught at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs in the 1990s. Bill was an active supporter of a number of organizations. He participated in the Boy Scouts of America for many years and was given the Silver Beaver Award. Bill had a great passion for trains. He volunteered many years at the Carnegie Science Center Miniature Railroad and Village display and was an active member of the South Hills Model Railroad Club. Bill particularly enjoyed involvement in his community of Mt. Lebanon and was active in the Mt. Lebanon Lions Club and the Mt. Lebanon Historical Society. He had great fondness for the Mt. Lebanon Library and was an avid supporter. He will be remembered as a great educator and mentor, dedicated public servant and loving family man. Friends will be received at LAUGHLIN CREMATION & FUNERAL TRIBUTES, 222 Washington Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15216 Tuesday from 4-7 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held Wednesday 10 a.m. at St. Bernard Church (everyone please meet at church), with an interment service to follow in Homewood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 or the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon, 794 Washington Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15228.


Published in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26, 2017

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/postgazette/obituary.aspx?n=wilmer-k-baldwin-bill&pid=187621300&fhid=9787

Update December 27, 2017 6:45 PM Mt. Lebanon Magazine finally posted something on Facebook today at approximately 2:30 PM. That is disgraceful.

Remember this? Throwback Thursday

And the appointed school board director is... UPDATED 122017 @2:50 PM

Cappucci wants Moorhead.
Strotmeyer wants Frioni.
Beal wants Frioni.
Larry wants Moorhead.
Olbrich wants Frioni.
Cooper wants Moorhead.
Diamond wants Wood.
Riemer wants Frioni.

Al Frioni is the newly appointed school board director.  Not yet.

Discussion.

They voted again.

And Al Frioni is the newly appointed school board director.

Update December 20, 2017 5:37 AM The District has chosen not to air the meeting, or at least at this point, the video has not been uploaded. Thanks to David Huston, the meeting was recorded. Here is a link.

Special_2017-12-18.MP3 Shared via OneDrive

Update December 20, 2017 2:50 PM The video has been uploaded to the MTLSD website and can be viewed here.

While we're talking about election campaign finance reports

This is the document portal for viewing campaign finance reports mentioned in an earlier post.

https://documents.alleghenycounty.us/publicaccess/DatasourceTemplate.aspx

It is a little tricky to search for school board director candidates. Under Select Search Type, select Campaign Finance Reports from the drop down menu.  Leave the Candidate/Committee Name section blank. Enter 2017 for Report Year. For Office Sought, enter School Director.

To find their campaign committees, under Select Search Type, select Campaign Finance Reports from the drop down menu. Leave the Candidate/Committee Name section blank. Enter 2017 for Report Year. For Office Sought, leave that blank too.

The first group is the Cappucci Caste Remely Birks committee.

Campaign Finance Statement - MT LEBANON SCHOOLS COMM FOR OUTSTANDING - N/A - 2ND FRIDAY PRE-ELECTION - 2017
Campaign Finance Statement - MT LEBANON SCHOOLS COMM FOR OUTSTANDING - N/A - 2ND FRIDAY PRE-PRIMARY - 2017
Campaign Finance Statement - MT LEBANON SCHOOLS COMM FOR OUTSTANDING - N/A - 30 DAY POST-PRIMARY - 2017

The second group is the Riemer Strotmeyer Diamond committee.

Campaign Finance Statement - MT. LEBANON EDUCATION FRIENDS OF - N/A - 2ND FRIDAY PRE-ELECTION - 2017
Campaign Finance Statement - MT. LEBANON EDUCATION FRIENDS OF - N/A - 30 DAY POST-PRIMARY - 2017
Campaign Finance Statement - MT. LEBANON EDUCATION FRIENDS OF - N/A - 2ND FRIDAY PRE-PRIMARY - 2017
Campaign Finance Statement - MT. LEBANON EDUCATION FRIENDS OF - N/A - 30 DAY POST-ELECTION - 2017

I see that Mrs. Janice Frioni did not "give a ton of money" as a previous anonymous commenter claimed. She made a contribution of $450 on October 30, 2017. She was not the largest contributor of either campaign.

I am glad that someone brought up the election campaign reports because there appear to be some violations. The CCRB committee failed to file a 30 Day Post Election Campaign Finance Statement. That is a no-no.

Another big no-no is the illegal campaign contribution accepted by the CCRB committee. Under no circumstances can they accept contributions from businesses. The RJL Group, LTD contributed $100. See page 24/42 of the Campaign Finance Reporting Law. 

The treasurer of the CCRB campaign is also the treasurer of Outreach, at the recommendation and request of Mary Birks. Also from ADMINISTRATION CAUGHT IN COVER-UP UPDATED

Anonymous said...
Elaine Cappucci's longtime campaign treasurer and friend is Nancy Dapper. Nancy's daughter just got a dream teaching job with the Mt. Lebanon School District. Surprise! I'm sure it's just another remarkable coincidence or is this a pattern of behavior? Is this best for the children?

May 14, 2017 at 11:05 AM

Pittsburgh's oldest news station going off the air

KQV, Pittsburgh's oldest all-news station, to go off air Jan. 1

This is sad news for the news business. Our own Richard Gideon is an alumnus of the station - part of the original 1975 NBC News and Information Service crew.

Before their all-news format, we would all listen to Jim Quinn, Chuck Brinkman, and others for their top 40 list that would be available at National Record Mart weekly. I just came across an old one that I had. August 10, 1971 - August 17, 1971 Hit Parade I was a rising senior at Mt. Lebanon and back in the day when we used baby oil to get darker tans.

Sorry to hear that a Pittsburgh reliable news source is going off the air.

Board Candidate Interviews Monday Evening UPDATED 121817

December 18, 2017 Special Board Meeting Agenda

Interviews start at 7:00 PM. Yes, that's the same Bill Moorhead who didn't want to run for re-election.

Update December 18, 2017 7:53 AM Here might be two reasons not to vote for Bill Moorhead.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9r_1biKte_bYV81NlB4MTFfZDg/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9r_1biKte_bNmJzV3M4elhMek0/view?usp=sharing

Firing Range Approved UPDATED 121517

Plan approved for new firing range in Mt. Lebanon

Despite concerns raised by Castle Shannon and Mt. Lebanon residents, the Commission approved plans for the firing range at the golf course. In a 3-1 vote, with Kelly Fraasch opposed and John Bendel absent, the firing range, which has been located at Public Works for forty years, will be built at the golf course.

The Castle Shannon line is on three sides of the golf course. Residents from Pine Avenue, as well as those concerned with the close proximity to Myrtle Avenue School attended several public hearings, but we all know that public hearings have never influenced commissioners when their minds are made up. 

The firing range will be built on the sloped area next to the golf course's lower parking lot, which will be expanded by seven spaces. The building will not interfere with golf course operations, parking or the garden plots. (Map data ©2017 Google)

“It is no secret that I am not supporting this particular part of our renovations for public works. I think that we should have had full consideration and location on Cedar Boulevard,” Fraasch said about the street that runs parallel to the public works facility property, “not putting in a new structure over at a place that’s going to be impacting that neighborhood.”

Update December 15, 2017 4:02 PM From Keith McGill's Administrative Report today:

Yes! Timmy has new goals! UPDATED 121417

Mike Riemer has been president for two weeks now and already, the board has set Timmy's goals for 2017-2018. This should have been done months and months ago under Mary Birks' administration. Timmy has been working with no goals even though he received a 5.5% increase effective July 1.

During his Board President's Report, Mike Riemer spoke from the heart and talked about respect and meeting decorum. He also brought up academic excellence and announced that the Superintendent's Goals for 2017-2018 were going to be posted on the District's website today. I think that Mike's report was one of the best I have ever heard. To see the meeting, please watch the meeting here.

Update December 12, 2017 10:58 PM It was during Mary Birks' last days in office when I emailed the school board about the November Century of Excellence Capital Campaign. I never got an answer as to when the November Financial Report was going to be posted. Not only did Mike get Timmy's goals on the website, I see that the November Financial Report for the Capital Campaign has been posted. It is available here.

Update December 14, 2017 10:23 AM This is what was posted on the District website during the December 11, 2017 school board meeting. Superintendent Goals 2016-2017 

Financea. Conduct Negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with our Clerical Union (Contract expires June 2017.)

During the meeting, Timmy had no idea what the Clerical Union Collective Bargaining Agreement start date or expiration date was when it was approved at the December 11, 2017 school board meeting. That is pathetic. He had these goals for almost a year and a half.

Will he only serve Democrats? UPDATED 121317

I am getting pretty fed up with Craig Grella, the soon to be Ward 4 commissioner. Craig is Digital Operations Director, a paid staffer, for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. I have been getting "anonymous" comments under the December 5, 2017 post What an embarrassment, Ward 4 that have a common theme. All the comments show distain for Republicans and continue to get more and more hurtful. I have deleted several comments, including the one where he answered with, "Your dead husband?" when I posed the question, "Let's see. Who would be the most upset with this post?"

How can Craig Grella serve as Ward 4 commissioner, while he is a paid director of the PA Democratic Party? How can he fairly govern Mt. Lebanon residents, when he is constantly attacking Republicans? The MLDC chair "accidentally" omitted this conflict of interest when she was campaigning for Grella.

I have raised this point about Craig's conflict of interest, but the Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee continues to sit on their hands and do nothing. Meanwhile, his docket sheets continue to remain active.

Now you have a new thread where you can bash Republicans, Craig.

Update December 13, 2017 7:19 PM A summons was issued on 12/04/17. Craig Grella accepted the certified summons yesterday, December 12, 2017. The summary trial is scheduled for 12/27/17. The assigned judge is Blaise Larotonda, Craig's next door neighbor. Public Court Summary

Loaded for bear?

The agenda for tomorrow evening's Joint Discussion/Regular Meeting appears to be pretty innocuous. Will Larry, Elaine, and Bill show up loaded for bear, like last week, or will they be amiable and cooperative?

Last week's meeting was embarrassing. It was ironic to hear a resident make a reference to Robert's Rules of Order, when his own wife was not observing Robert's Rules. Personal attacks were made toward other board members. Speaking without being recognized by the president seems to be the norm now. This includes the superintendent! When residents or taxpayers go up to speak, they are often met with interruptions. Hostility and bullying have no place at a school board meeting.

I am extremely optimistic that good things will happen this year. I believe the school board is headed in the right direction. Even Pantone's Color of the Year is encouraging. Here is to 2018!

2017-2018 Weather Closures and Delays

Now there is no set temperature or wind chill used for closings or delays. 

"and make first hand observations in some of our neighborhoods" is code for "What I see when I go out for my run at 4:30AM."

---

From: Dr. Timothy Steinhauer <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Thursday, December 7, 2017 12:01 PM
To: Mt. Lebanon Families
Subject: 2017-2018 Weather Closures and Delays

 

December, 2017
Dear Mt. Lebanon Families,
Now that the cold weather has arrived, I’d like to remind you about our emergency weather procedures. When I make the decision to delay or cancel school it is always with student safety as my primary concern. Unfortunately, weather is very unpredictable and conditions may vary throughout our community. There is no exact amount of snow, temperature, wind chill or weather condition that dictates when to delay or cancel school. Many resources are used to gather information. Generally I carefully review multiple weather forecasts, may consult with the Mt. Lebanon Police and Fire Departments, gather reports from our plowing crews and make first hand observations in some of our neighborhoods. When conditions require the delay or closing of school, you will receive a call from our Phone Alert System. Delay or closing information is also announced on the website at www.mtlsd.org, District Social Media, and on local cable, and TV stations.  Typically, when school is canceled, after-school and evening activities will also be canceled. School cancellations will be made up at the end of the school year as noted on the District calendar.
Phone Alert System
In the event of a school delay or closing, you will receive an automated phone call from the District's Phone Alert System to the primary phone number you have listed with the school. Only one call per family is made. Calls are typically made no later than 10:00 p.m. and no earlier than 6:00 a.m. On rare occasions, I may need to delay or cancel school after 6:00 a.m. or change a delay to a cancellation when there is a question about road conditions or extreme cold. Your caller ID will display “Mt. Lebanon School District” and the District’s main number of 412-344-2000. The success of this system depends on accurate contact information obtained from school records. If your information has changed, please update your contact information in the Dashboard or ask the building secretary to update your files.
Information Sources for a Delay or Closing: 

• MTLSD website: www.mtlsd.org ;
• School District Cable Channels 19 (Comcast) and 33 (Verizon)
• Mt. Lebanon Public Access Channels 17(Comcast) and 34 (Verizon)
• KDKA TV and www.kdka.com; WPXI TV and www.wpxi.com; WTAE TV and www.thepittsburghchannel.com ;
• KDKA Radio 1020 AM
• Twitter:  @MTLSD ; @MTLSDSUPER
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/MTLSD ;
• Push notifications through the MTL APP

There is always going to be snow, cold and inclement weather in Western Pennsylvania. There may be days when school will be in session when the roads may be snow covered and the temperature is cold. On those days we all need to walk and drive with caution and make sure that our children are appropriately dressed for the cold weather. As always, please use your best judgment regarding the weather conditions in your own neighborhood.
Thank you for your help and patience during this winter season.
Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Robocall at 12:41 AM

Did anyone else receive a robocall from Oradell, NJ at 12:41 AM this morning? The phone number is 1.201.267.3323. I thought it was an emergency. When I answered it, I think it was about a credit card or something. I reported it to Whitepages.com, but I don't think that will do any good.

Mt. Lebanon Magazine article causing quite a stir on Nextdoor

Recently, Mt. Lebanon Magazine's Laura Pace Lilley wrote an article about overnight parking in Mt. Lebanon.  Overnight Parking Rules Could Ease Links to it also appeared on Facebook yesterday.


There is quite a discussion on Nextdoor about this "improvement." The initial post was:

As if we do not already pay exceptional property taxes, there may be a new rule that will require a nightly fee for a request to leave a vehicle on the street overnight if that particular vehicle has exceeded 10 nights in a given year. There are merits to the current ordinance, but is this next step warranted?

There are comments such as

• ...this is another example of how MTL is not really as 'rich' as they pretend to be and often must perform financial circus tricks to find the money to pay for ridiculous projects like killing deer at $80K/year and pursuing 'fields of turfed dreams' at $500K+ a pop. Nice to see the taxpayers waking up.
• I think mt. Lebanon is over reaching ag-ain! They will create any excuse to squeeze more money from home owners and the hard working class!!!
• ...if the article appeared in MTL Magazine -- which I believe it did -- you can count on a total white-washing of the facts. That magazine is published by the MTL Public (Mis)information Office - which, by the way is very expensive to run and if the expenses were even just cut in half would create many more resources for MTL than this additional burdensome tax.
• Yes, when I had pointed out the facts in their page I was told I was spreading out misinformation. I was also given a police officers nane and number and told to call him. I was treated rudely. I’ll never read another of their publications again.
• What next? Taxation on household animals?

On my street, there are homes which do not have driveways. Now what? Someone asked about the cost of the software. This reminds me of the parking app and parking space sensors, which cost taxpayers $25,000(?), along Uptown Washington Road. How many parking tickets are needed to justify the cost of that expenditure? 

Since the commissioners are willing to spend $771.10 per deer, they have to raise the money somehow. They are already double charging condominium owners for garbage collection. 

You voted for them, Mt. Lebanon.

New school board president is...UPDATED

Mike Riemer.

The new vice president is Sarah Olbrich.

Update December 5, 2017 6:12 PM The meeting video of last night's reorganization meeting has been uploaded and is available here.

MTL responsible for plaintiff's accident and subsequent injuries, suit says

Mount Lebanon Township responsible for plaintiff's accident and subsequent injuries, suit says

For counts of negligence and loss of consortium, the plaintiffs are seeking damages in excess of $35,000 and demand a jury trial. 

The plaintiffs are represented by John Linkosky and Sara Linkosky of John Linkosky & Associates, in Carnegie.

Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas case GD-17-011938

This is how we are paying Tony $771.10 per deer

We were originally told that Tony was going to charge us $250 per deer. By filing a Right To Know, I was able to get an unexecuted copy* of the Sharpshooting RFP and the 2017-2018 Sharpshooting Contract.

I think there is some fuzzy math going on with the travel expenses or I just don't understand. In any case, we shouldn't be paying $771.10 per deer to be killed. Even the blood thirsty gardeners should agree that is too much. They thought that $500 per deer to be sterilized was outrageous. But then again, they thought that paying Sandy Baker less than $5000 was excessive. That was for almost a week's worth of work. When you want deer killed that much, I guess nothing is too high.

*Bonnie Cross, the Open Records Officer, will be sending executed copies to me when she receives them.

What an embarrassment, Ward 4

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05219-TR-0003661-2017

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05219-TR-0003662-2017

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05219-TR-0003319-2017

https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/DocketSheets/MDJReport.ashx?docketNumber=MJ-05217-NT-0000326-2017

Jack is home.UPDATED 12/05/17

From his aunt: UPDATE JACK HAS BEEN FOUND HOME SAFE WITH PARENT WANNA THANK MT LEBO DETECTIVE AND POLICE FORCE FOR DOING EVERYTHING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

Update December 5, 2017 6:29 AM Per MLPD: **UPDATE** - Both juvenile males (15 yr old & 17 yr old) have been tracked down by our Detectives and Officers. We are happy to report that they are both safe.

Another Pittsburgh area school district sues FieldTurf

New Castle School District v FieldTurf

School board reorganization meeting on Monday

I have been waiting for this day. The Reign of Terror will be over, according to the Reorganization meeting agenda.

Also on the agenda is the appointment of the solicitor, that Thomas P. Peterson be appointed School Board Solicitor for one year. Remember, he didn't see a conflict of interest with a former school board director approving contracts with her employer. I hope the school board keeps that in mind when they appoint Peterson again.

I am hoping for some big changes with the reorganization. We're long overdue.

December 2017 Behind the Bubble | Leaving Mt. Lebanon

This is Jason's final Behind the Bubble submission. Thank you for a whole year of this unique perspective of life in Mt. Lebanon, Jason. Your series was edgy, thought provoking, and always popular. I'm sad that it is coming to an end. 

December 2017 Behind the Bubble

by Jason Margolis

The genre came to me – I did not choose it.  My final BtB is a poem called

Leaving Mt. Lebanon

There is little to say,

when it’s over.

It’s

just

over.

The sparkled streets

are now strange.

The meetings of the warlocks

a distant, bad dream.

Only through small keyholes

is there light.

There are three I hold dear.

And a park.

And a teacher.

And a solitary newsroom

with a dire story few want to hear.

We are all in a bubble

but not all bubbles are the same.

Some float out, others crash down,

many just implode.

And then

it’s

over.

This is my 2,416th post.

I had a crazy idea to start this blog on November 29, 2010. Tomorrow marks the start of my eighth year.

Some Statistics

I published 44,590 comments.

I chose not to approve 863 comments, which are still sitting in my spam folder. Those are mostly anonymous and hate-filled. I did approve the most hurtful comment which came in at 12:06 AM.

The true spam comments were deleted.

1,891,460 pages were read by you.

My most popular post of all time is still Parent offended by article in The Devil's Advocate.

The second most popular post is Photos from tonight's meeting. Those photos were from a time when we thought that attending a commission meeting actually mattered. Silly us.

How I start my day.

I made a lot of friends along the way, but also lots at the other end of the spectrum. My expectations include transparency, accountability, honesty, and fairness. That is where I lose some people.

I am hoping that 2018 is the start of a new beginning. Two of our biggest bullies in local government are at the end of their terms. I'm optimistic that our new leadership will regain control of our administrators by insisting that the administrations act promptly on letters and requests sent by the public and to make documents accessible and transparent for the public. When that happens, I'm calling it quits.

Readers, thank you for your support. I really appreciate it.

"Sharpshooting" 2018

I watched enough of last night's commission meeting to know that I had to file a Right To know for the proposal and contract between White Buffalo and Mt. Lebanon.

Kelly Fraasch made a point to voice her opinion about the cost of this program. Not only is she against the "sharpshooting" program in general, she thought the cost of $771.10 per deer for up to 100 deer was outrageous. When the commissioners first came up with the idea that we had too many deer in Mt. Lebanon, the cost was estimated to be around $250 per deer.

The vote was 3 to 1 in favor of continuing the deer killing program. Dave Brumfield checked with Steve McLean and Craig Grella before he voted yes. Steve "Fiscally Responsible" McLean supported it. We're still waiting for Craig's decision to be published.

Want to be on the school board?

The Mt. Lebanon School District is seeking residents* interested in applying for an anticipated two-year vacant position on the Board of School Directors. Residents 18 years old and older who have been residents of Mt. Lebanon for a least one year are invited to submit a letter of interest and resume to the Office of the Superintendent, Mt. Lebanon School District, 7 Horsman Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 or email the Superintendent's Administrative Assistant, Jeanine Szalinski, at jszalinski@mtlsd.net. Applicant information will be accepted through December 11, 2017 until 3:00 p.m. Interviews are anticipated to be held at a Special Board meeting on Monday, December 18, 2017.

*without any conflict of interests, please. 

Public Notice

Execute the execution

Our brilliant commissioners are still under Tony DeNicola's spell. The commissioners will be voting on November 27, 2017

Consideration of a contract for a white-tailed deer management utilizing sharpshooting. The Municipality desires to follow the controlled hunt archery program currently occurring with a sharpshooting program under a PA Game Commission political subdivision permit. This activity would occur from February 1, 2018 to March 31, 2018. 

The Municipality received a proposal from White Buffalo, Inc., to provide deer management sharpshooting services. Under the contract up to 100 deer could be removed at a cost of $77,110. 

Recommended Action: Move to authorize the execution of this agreement with White Buffalo, Inc., for the removal of up to 100 deer at a cost not to exceed $77,110, subject to the approval of the manager and the solicitor.

Do we even have 100 deer? As in the past, we have no idea how many were killed by the archers, during Archery Season. Last year, the taxpayers paid Tony $9,000 to have "volunteers" kill 36 deer.

According to my blog posting from November 23, 2016  Tony, please return the commissioners' brains, 

Recommended Action: Move to authorize the execution of this agreement with White Buffalo, Inc., for the removal of up to 100 deer at a cost not to exceed $83, 477, subject to the approval of the Manager and the Solicitor.

55 deer were killed last year by "sharpshooting," at a cost of $815.78 per deer.

Year	Deer Removed	Cost of Removal
2007	79	$19,900  (USDA)
2008	146	$50,837 (USDA)
2015	6	$3,000  (Wildlife Specialists)
2016	101	$15,460 (White Buffalo -Archery)
2016	114	$74,375 (White Buffalo –Sharpshooting)
2017	36	$9,000 (White Buffalo- Archery)
2017	55	$44,868 (White Buffalo -Sharpshooting)
Total	537	$217,440

Here is the breakdown by year:

2007 $288.41 per deer
2008 $348.20 per deer
2015 $500 per deer
2016 (archery) $147.24 per deer
2016 ("sharpshooting") $652.41 per deer
2017 (archery) $250 per deer
2017 ("sharpshooting") $815.78 per deer

Brumfield's legacy will be to approve another year of killing deer with high powered rifles in undisclosed areas of Mt. Lebanon. He once said that he will only vote for shooting deer when the deer carry rifles, to even the score. I wrote that

Both Steve Silverman and Craig Grella want to continue doing business with that scoundrel, and will vote along with John Bendel and Steve McLean to keep Tony DeNicola. Killing deer causes collisions to increase, but they will continue to bring in lethal weapons because deer are scary.

Craig Grella didn't have to vote this year. Brumfield will get it passed. Parents, expect another CYA letter in January from Super Timmy and Keith McGill like this one sent last year. Bullets never cross sidewalks We'll hear how there hasn't been an accident. Will they only stop when there is? 

To Hell with those with PTSD.

Happy Thanksgiving

Traditionally, Thanksgiving has been a time to express gratitude for what we have and to spend time with the ones we love. But for many years, Thanksgiving has meant the start of a very stressful holiday season of buying stuff, instead of doing stuff with our friends and family. We've starting to put presents before presence.

1. Participate in Buy Nothing Day on November 24. Take the pledge to avoid crowded malls on the busiest shopping day of the year, and invite your friends to do the same!
2. Start a conversation about Stuff. Talk with your friends and family about where our Stuff comes from and where it goes – and the impacts on people and the planet along the way. Sharing The Story of Stuff movie on social media is a great icebreaker!
3. Give a non-material gift like event tickets or membership to a local museum.
4. Gift something home-made or second-hand like baked goods, upcycled art, or quality used items.
5. Volunteer with a local charity or community organization – and bring your friends along, too.
6. Make a plan to relax. Holiday obligations and activities can leave us with little time to truly recharge. Set aside some time to get out into nature or to simply curl up with a good book.

https://catalogchoice.org/

Thanks for doing your homework, MLRC

From Facebook:

Mt. Lebanon Magazine shared Local Government Academy'sphoto.

Third from the left, Mt. Lebanon's newly elected commissioner, Craig Grella, is pictured at the opening session of the Local Government Academy's course for newly elected officials. This course is a great way for officials to review the basics of local government, ask questions, meet some of their peers and be ready to hit the ground running when they are sworn in in January. Thanks for doing your homework, Mr. Grella!

But we still don't know about Mr. Grella's arrest, do we? And what about that conflict of interest? From March 29, 2017 Is this odd or what? UPDATED 2X We can thank the MLRC for that one. They would rather photograph an excellent candidate in front of a fire engine, than inform the public about these irregularities. Just keep blaming the Democrats, MLRC. What a crew!