Susan Morgans and John Hayes, you disgust me.

Susan Morgans and John Hayes, you disgust me. In your article, New regulation expands the role of ‘public’ hunting for suburban deer 

Municipal spokeswoman Susan Morgans said the community kerfuffle has calmed since the deer-reduction policy was enacted, and deer numbers seem to be dropping in parts of Mt. Lebanon. There have been no hunting-related shooting incidents related to the program, she said.

"Community kerfuffle," Susan? You beat us into submission. We have given up. We filed Right To Knows. You cited us. You took us to court. We have shared photographs of hunting-related incidents. We have had protests. We were harassed for walking through parks. We have gone to court. We tried to use facts. We tried to be logical. We feared for our lives and you call it kerfuffle? Despicable.

John Hayes, you call yourself "Outdoors Editor." Please. Why don't you just admit that you are the mouthpiece for the PA Game Commission? You write:

The municipality won a court challenge that attempted to force its commissioners and controlled-hunt organizer to reveal the names of participating hunters and property owners.

For your information, what I was challenging was the right to know WHERE lethal weapons were being discharged, so that people like me with PTSD, could avoid those areas. But evidently, $7,000 later, we don't have that right. Parks remain open during hunting season as well as culling . And now, as you so gleefully like to bring up Mt. Lebanon every chance you can, the public will be shooting in our parks. Thanks, John. You are a real piece of work.

Suprise suprise

Look who wrote this article.

Downtown developer wins permit to remove Peregrine nest

How many will unsubscribe?

It is well known by Lebo Citizen readers that I unsubscribed from the Post-Gazette because of Outdoor Editor John Hayes. Recently, many Democrats unsubscribed from the PG because of its endorsement of Rick Saccone. How many will unsubscribe from the Trib because of this featured commentary?

Katy Pavlich: Hillary Clinton's bitterness continues

Where were you, PG Editorial Board, when Mt. Lebanon mocked the PA Office of Open Records? UPDATED

Cabal of silence: Mocking open-records standards in Amazon bid

My reply is below. Stand by for the PG haters to comment.

Elaine Gillen

Where were you when Mt. Lebanon mocked the PA Office of Open Records? Your "Outdoor Editor" didn't see it as mocking. In its appeal to Common Pleas Court, Mt. Lebanon "had the temerity to argue" that Mt. Lebanon residents donated their properties for killing deer, when the PA Office of Open Records determined that no property was donated, but granted access to their properties. It sucks when it happens to you, doesn't it?

Update February 28, 2018 6:21 PM Will Gov. Wolf mock the PA Office of Open Records too?
Metcalfe Declares Major Victory for Election Integrity and Maximum Transparency

Mixed Messages

Long time readers of Lebo Citizens know that I have unsubscribed from the Post-Gazette because of Outdoor Editor John Hayes. Since Mt. Lebanon started their "sharpshooting" once again on February 1, I imagine that we will be seeing another unbiased "article" from Hayes, the PA Game Commission mouthpiece. What I don't understand, are the mixed messages from the PG.

This one appeared a couple of weeks ago. Food plots: How to create a winter wildlife buffet What? How to create a winter wildlife buffet? I'm confused.

This one scares me. Will our brilliant commissioners decide to go this route next year, when we end up paying $7,711 per deer to kill ten deer? The cost will certainly be lower! I wonder how many residents will "donate" their properties for this one. Survey suggests fire may be the only remedy for a deer-killing plague There is nothing in the "Gun Free School Zone Act" that says anything about fires. John Bendel, Steve McLean, Craig, Grella, and Steve Silverman - sound like a good idea to you? And what about you, Susan Morgans? You can continue to be "transparent enough" by publishing the hours to be listed as "late afternoon and evening," not mentioning that the hours really begin one half hour after elementary school children are dismissed.

The hours, for those who really want to know when the shooting begins on undisclosed private properties are 4:00 PM to 11:00 PM, seven days a week. On public properties, the shooting is from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

More unbalanced reporting from Hayes

I stopped subscribing to the PG because of their "Outdoor Editor" John Hayes and his unbalanced "reporting." I got what I expected to read when someone forwarded a link to his article in yesterday's PG. In Michigan, a deer management experiment scrapped in Mt. Lebanon begins its second season

The PA Game Commission's mouthpiece is buying into the BS that deer killer Tony DeNicola is dishing out. Who else would be charging to kill 250 deer during a non-lethal "experiment?" Why does baiting not work during frigid temperatures OR milder temperatures? In either scenario, DeNicola is justifying his failures. 

Hayes also forgot to mention that DeNicola originally quoted MTL commissioners $250 per deer for "sharpshooting." This year, our commissioners are willing to pay $771.10 per deer, even more lucrative than Timmy's annual increases! That is based on killing 100 deer. What will be the true cost this year?  We will learn more in April, after DeNicola has cashed his check.

And now, from the laziest "reporter"

John Hayes contacted me yesterday.

Hey Elaine,

I'm writing a short advance of the deer management vote that will happen at tomorrow's commission meeting. Care to provide an update of where your Right to Know case stands? 

- John

What an ass. I think he is the only "reporter" who doesn't know how to look up dockets. Instead he feeds off of Susan Morgans. Here is his latest biased report. Mt. Lebanon commissioners to take up deer issue once again.

“But don’t think it would be easier this year,” he [Tony DeNicola] said. “We had great support and the [property owners] were fabulous. But [archers] killed 100 deer and look around the municipality — you can’t see a difference. They’ll need to kill more this year. Also, last year they shot the dumbest of the dumb deer on the properties we had access to. This time the deer will be educated.”

Then there is what Susan Fleming Stroyd Morgans had to say.

Ms. Morgans said if commissioners approve the hunt, which would start in late September, parts of the public golf course, McNeilly Park and Robb Hollow Park likely would be included.
“There’s been very little drama in comparison to what we all endured last time,” she said, referring to street protests and meeting disruptions that occurred near the start of last year’s controlled archery hunt. “There’s been very little comment on it at all.”

No drama? Did she forget about Scott Township taking Mt. Lebanon to court over killing deer in Twin Hills? Nothing was said about promising anonymity, because they can't. My attorneys have taken that issue to Commonwealth Court. Of course, John Hayes would have known that, if he did some research.

Open season for busy bodies again UPDATED

The PG's John Hayes published the Office of Open Records' Final Determination of my Right To Know appeal, the second one that was granted my way. Mt. Lebanon required to disclose deer hunt records Now busy bodies and Republicans are under attack in the comment section. Only "busy bodies" want to know where the hunting is taking place. Ironically, I don't remember the last time I voted for a Republican whose name wasn't "Elaine Gillen." Aaaannnd, five Democrats voted for the archery program.

John Hayes just emailed me at 5:00 and asked if I was interested in doing an interview with him. Here is what I wrote back:

This is the second OOR appeal that they granted. Only 20% of OOR appeals are granted. 

I thought I would have seen you at Amy Castor's hearing. At the bottom of page 5 of the OOR's Final Determination which you posted, Mt. Lebanon referenced Amy Castor's charges. Blaise convicted Amy of two charges with fines totaling $1100. Judge Nauhaus dropped one charge and reduced her fine to one dollar.

Mt. Lebanon is taking me to court on April 11. Want to donate to my legal expenses?  https://www.gofundme.com/thefightforthertk

Can't wait to see what kind of a spin he puts on that one.

Update March 3, 2016 11:35 PM I'm noticing that the PG is deleting the personal attacks tonight.

Update March 4, 2016 1:00 AM State agency still believes Mt. Lebanon deer cull emails are public records Deleting personal attacks in the Trib - not so much. 

Gearing up for the killing UPDATED

John Hayes certainly is. I can almost see the drool dripping down my laptop display as I read his latest article, For early season archery, use pre-rut tactics.

With the killing set to start in five days, I am prepared to post safety-related incidents that occur as a result of the archers and/or sharpshooters. If anyone has pictures or videos and specifics, email me at EGillen476@aol.com and I will upload them to this blog. If there are any descriptions, they can be submitted as a comment. People have volunteered to photograph tree stands. Thank you! All I have to do is give them the location. Those will also be added here. I will start my own archery incident report and pray that I have nothing to post.

Yard signs requests have not diminished. Considering that this will continue until the end of January, I see myself reordering yard signs again and again. The commissioners are the problem. They can also be the solution.

Update September 15, 2015 9:58 AM The archers are permitted to hunt 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Want a sunrise/sunset time timetable by date? Click here. Sunset on Halloween is 6:18 PM. That means that archers will be hunting on private property up until 6:48 PM on Halloween. Trick or Treat starts at 6 PM.

White Buffalo and John Hayes are encouraging INDEPENDENT archers to continue

It is getting to the point where I dread Sundays. What crap will the PG's John Hayes report next? Hayes didn't let me down. More crap is in today's Deer reduction redux: Mt. Lebanon tries managed archery to remove deer

Hayes starts out his propaganda with a woman who had called him on the phone. "Great," I thought. "He's going to write about the poor woman I met at the informational meeting who called Hayes with concerns about killing deer." Nope. No such luck. However, I delivered a "Not in My Yard" sign to her the next day.

More crap like this:

Infrared aerial photo counts of deer, which Mt. Lebanon has used, are notoriously unreliable but most commissioners say overwhelming anecdotal evidence has convinced them the community has a deer problem.

And this:

discrete archers have been quietly and legally dragging out deer for decades.

Kristen Linfante's replacement, Coleen Vuono told John Hayes that she received an email from a resident saying that there were eight deer walking down a residential street. My response would have been, "How long ago?" and "Seeing eight deer in Mt. Lebanon does not justify five months of killing deer."

Hayes posted a series of Q and A's from "independent hunters."

Will hunters who are not with White Buffalo be banned from Mt. Lebanon?

Can’t happen. Legal deer hunting already occurs on private property in Mt. Lebanon, and Maddock said he doesn’t want those hunters to stop. At the landowners meeting, he said he would not put stands on properties that are already being legally hunted, and he’s attempting to coordinate with independent hunters and urge them to shoot more does.

Do independent archers have to follow White Buffalo rules?

No. Neither White Buffalo nor Mt. Lebanon can set hunting laws, which are determined by the state legislature, or regulations set by the Game Commission. Participants in the managed hunt voluntarilywill exceed those restrictions.

Are the golf course and parks the sole domain of White Buffalo?

Like any other landowner, the municipality can let anyone it wants onto its property and keep the rest out. Most of the White Buffalo hunt will occur on private land with the owners’ consent, but some stands may be placed in municipal parks.

What if a deer takes an arrow and falls in somebody’s yard?

Same rule applies to everyone. Neither hunters nor police can enter private property without the owner’s permission, even to retrieve a lawfully killed animal. Only a Game Commission wildlife conservation officer can enter a property without permission to retrieve hunter-shot game.

Will there be a major outcry when a blood trail is spotted on Washington Road?

You bet. It’s Mt. Lebanon — expect a major outcry no matter what happens.

****

A second shipment of yard signs are due tomorrow. I have a waiting list of requests. Word has gotten out and I'm starting to hear from residents in Scott and Baldwin Twp., who live just outside the Mt. Lebanon borders. Scott Township commissioners have been notified of possible "legal hunts" in Twin Hills Park, located in Scott Township.

John Hayes is doing his best to promote Mt. Lebanon as THE place to hunt. What is up with this guy?

John Hayes couldn't keep his mouth shut

Had I known this was John Hayes, I would have said something about it.

As I wrote previously, I attended the informational meeting on Saturday designed to recruit private properties to kill deer. John Hayes sat across the room from me, posing as a Mt. Lebanon resident. He did not have a pen and paper in hand, but sat mostly with his arms folded. Hayes even spoke during the meeting, not identifying himself as a member of the press. What is up with this guy?

Posted online this morning at 12:00 AM, is John Hayes' Mt. Lebanon property owners preparing for possible deer archery hunt.

While mostly civil, the two-hour informational meeting devolved near the end into sharp words among residents, which municipal manager Keith McGill tried to mitigate. Outside the municipal building, opponents of the plan set up booths to press the case for safety and animal rights.
The Richardsons of Rockland Avenue attended with hopes of signing up their yard, but left abruptly.

John Hayes, you failed to mention that it was a prokill person who was firing off "sharp words" to a resident who was questioning the program. There were no opponents of the plan setting up booths. A couple of us went for pizza at Mineo's. And the Richardsons live on Rocklynn Place. There is no Rockland Avenue in Mt. Lebanon.

John Hayes, is there something in this for you? It sure appears that way.

Hayes vs. Santoni re: coverage for tonight's meeting

John Hayes is the reason why I canceled my PG subscription. At one time, he said that we have thousands of deer in Mt. Lebanon. Matt Santoni has been doing some investigative reporting and not relying on Susan Morgans for information. Both men lurked on my blog. Neither one has asked to be invited. Neither one has been invited.

Matt Santoni: Deer culling back on table in Mt. Lebanon

John Hayes: Mt. Lebanon may use archers to control deer

Santoni: The proposed contract with Connecticut-based White Buffalo Inc. and Jody Maddock of Whitetail Associates would have them vet archery hunters and work with property owners to assemble areas where they would be permitted to hunt the community's deer herd, which the commission wants to thin in the hopes of cutting car crashes.

Hayes: Commissioners are expected to authorize a $15,460 contract with White Buffalo, a Virginia-based nonprofit conservation organization that researches deer control and provides management options.

Santoni got the right state. It is Connecticut. He also mentioned that Jody Maddock is with Whitetail Associates. Neither mentioned that Maddock is project manager for White Buffalo. Santoni wins this one.

Santoni: The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Fine Arts Theater at Mt. Lebanon High School.

Hayes: With expectations of a big crowd, the meeting will be held at the Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theater at 7 Horsman Drive. The discussion session starts at 6 p.m., and the commission meeting begins at 8.

The discussion session starts at 6:30 PM. Another win for Santoni.

Santoni: Residents and animal welfare activists protested that cull, and a new organization called the Mt. Lebanon Coalition for Coexistence has issued statements opposing the planned archery cull.

Hayes: But Nita Fandray of the Mt. Lebanon Coalition for Coexistence, which advocates a nonviolent problem solution, cited another Mt. Lebanon Police Department statistic; From 2012 to 2014, Mt. Lebanon experienced 1,803 total vehicle crashes. Of those, 144 — 8 percent — were deer-related.

Even though Hayes messed up on Nita's quote a bit, (Deer are not the problem), I'm giving this one to Hayes because he actually interviewed Nita. A win for Hayes.

Santoni: Though Maddock previously told the commissioners he took more than a year to secure owners' permissions to hunt in other communities, McGill said he was reasonably confident they could set up a program for Mt. Lebanon in a few months.

Hayes: not available

Santoni demonstrated that this is another boondoggle in the makings. Maddock needed 18 months or so to do it correctly. McGill is confident that we only need a few months. This one definitely goes to Santoni. 

Santoni: They have not yet approved resubmitting an application to the game commission to control the deer population with sterilization, McGill said.

Hayes: not a word about sterilization 

Because Hayes never mentioned sterilization, Santoni wins again. 

I just did an interview with Maria Gabriel from KDKA Radio. Snippets will be played throughout the day. I was half asleep when she called. Keeping my fingers crossed that I sound OK. Ugh.

John Hayes at it again.

I called it. Another article from the PG's John Hayes full of misinformation. Hayes is the so called reporter who estimates that we have THOUSANDS of deer in Mt. Lebanon. Because we have thousands of deer, he has a photo of deer in Allegheny Cemetery. Our deer are so elusive that they can dodge press photographers.

Hayes writes in today's PG:

The public is invited to attend the commission’s work session at 6 p.m. Monday at Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theater. But they will not be permitted to speak. Or shout. Or chant and carry signs as did many during the protests prior to and during a controversial deer cull that was abruptly ended in March. So now we aren't allowed to carry signs either? Whose rule is that?

Hayes continues:

A few loose ends:
• In May, the Mt. Lebanon commission paid cull contractor Wildlife Specialists $3,000 — $500 for each of six deer killed in the 11 days of the aborted cull. 

And $12,000 to come up with Wildlife Specialists' plan. 

• There have been no arrests made in the vandalism and sabotage of contractor equipment, or for after-hours trespassing on park property during the culling program. 

From a Right To Know, police reports show that some of the police calls were for the silver truck that Benner's henchmen were using. Police reports also show that some of the calls included the killers trespassing on church property.

• Gardening expert Sandy Baker was paid $2,500 for several workshops and speaking engagements in April intended to help Mt. Lebanon residents deer-proof their gardens. 

Not $2,500, Folks. Sandy Baker was available the entire day at Earth Day in Main Park. She also gave three seminars at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, lasting on average two hours each. Another presentation was made at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills. By comparison, Anthony DiNicola is charging Mt. Lebanon $2.000 to attend tomorrow evening's farce.

• Venison from deer killed during the cull was donated to Hunters Sharing the Harvest, a non-profit program that provides meat for food pantries and shelters. 

Sorry, John, it was donated to a virtual church in cyberspace, Link in the Chain Ministries. 

• $1,270 donated on a crowd-funding website to Citizens Against the Deer Cull was spent on supplies, food, a phone bank party and other support for anti-cull volunteers.

A phone bank party? Seriously? I had to fight with Kelly Fraasch to get reimbursed for the Sandy Baker dinner. Don't forget the 7.9% fee and 30¢ per donation, John.

• In April and May, 41 deer-related incidents were reported to Mt. Lebanon police.

Incidents are not accidents, John. Through a Right To Know, our former police chief said that the deer incident report is being used erroneously. 

 In "Mt. Lebanon to tackle deer problem again," our newest commissioner, who spoke as a private citizen during citizen comments in November that she was pro-kill is mentioned:

The latest wrinkle in the deer debate is the appointment in April of Coleen Vuono as a Mt. Lebanon commissioner. A former commissioner and president, she filled the seat of Kristen Linfante, who resigned in February for health reasons. Having watched from the sidelines as the community exploded in March, Ms. Vuono says she’s been updated on the details and is ready to roll up her sleeves.
“I was so disappointed and surprised at how this was handled. I want to have my input,” she said. “I think, yes, there is a deer problem. The goal is to reduce the number of traffic accidents caused by deer by 50 percent. Sterilization and some other things that have been discussed will not cut the deer population now. … We have all the information we need. It seems to me there is only one alternative and it’s to cull the herd.”
Ms. Vuono says she loves animals, but she loves her town more. The number of deer in Mt. Lebanon, she said, is many times higher than when she served on council from 1988 to 1991.
“People on both sides had some of the facts, but not all of the facts,” she said. “This is how it is now. There are just too many.”

Spoken as a true dictator. Where is the democracy? This is who your commissioners appointed unanimously, Mt. Lebanon.

Hayes interviewed a former New York Times reporter who has never been to Mt. Lebanon.

Jim Sterba says he’s seen it all before. Rancorous public meetings represented by at least 10 factions. Demands for a population count. Assurances that “too many” means deer are causing problems. Contradictory experts. Government dithering. Neighbor vs neighbor.
“And I’ve never even been to Mt. Lebanon,” said Mr. Sterba. A former New York Times and Wall Street Journal reporter, his coverage of many community deer conflicts led him to write “Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds,” published in 2013.
“These fights are far more widespread than most people imagine,” said Mr. Sterba, who lives in New York City. “They’re going on in literally hundreds — maybe thousands — of communities or townships or counties or state parks.”
In the late 1800s, when timbering and hunting were uncontrolled, there were very few deer in highly populated states, he said. Wildlife management agencies like the Game Commission were formed, and the habitat grew back in new configurations — lush suburban landscapes with no natural predators, no hunting and an unlimited supply of food. By the 1980s, urban deer populations had begun to grow out of control.
“Urbanites who didn’t grow up in rural areas generally don’t like killing the deer and are concerned about public safety with hunters out there,” he said. “Politicians, rather than upset voters on both sides, do nothing until the problem gets so out of hand, they’re forced to do something drastic.” 

So, how does the story end? 

“The same thing usually happens. The fights go on five or 10 years as they go through what will work and what won’t,” he said. “In most cases they fight on and on and on until they reach a tipping point, until they get past all the non-lethal means … and the people who don’t want to kill deer get an education in the consequences of a lack of civic responsibility. Finally, somebody makes a political decision and once they do, the kerfuffle dissipates fairly quickly.” 

So there you have it, Mt. Lebanon.  Our demands for a population count is just "kerfuffle." We will fade away. Soon, neighbors will be holding hands while sitting around our chimineas and singing "Kumbaya." The End.

The fix is in UPDATED

The commissioners' minds are made up. So made up that they won't even allow the suggestion that gardens could be improved to deter deer. How simple would that be? They also say another survey is out of the question, which indicates they don't want to know there are fewer deer, just proceed as planned - killing deer.

Sandy Baker a.k.a. the Deer Doctor emailed the following documents to all of the commissioners this afternoon. She also FedEx'ed it yesterday to arrive this morning by 10:30 AM.

Cover letter from Sandy Baker

Mt. Lebanon Deer Report

Mt. Lebanon Recommendations

While there are no non-lethal panelists for Monday's dog and pony show, Sandy's report is a timely voice for a safe, non-lethal, and effective solution. Monday's deer discussion forum is a complete and blatant sham. The panel is all pro deer killers. The purpose is to sell the Fall killing program. The fix is in. The Commission has already decided. There will be no citizen comments. Residents who are opposed to violence or guns in our neighborhoods are being silenced. Residents opposed to this killing program will just be annoying. With us censored, the commissioners can script and market this pro-deer killing forum to the public. 

The Post Gazette's John Hayes contacted a member of the Coalition for Coexistence. He said that aerial surveys are pointless and nobody uses them. Nobody counts animals, roadkill, or density. This is the same person who said that we have THOUSANDS of deer. Hayes is one of the clowns from our Public Misinformation Officer's media circus.

The fix is in, Folks.

Update June 19, 2015 11:07 AM A LeboALERT just went out at 10:55 AM. We have the honor and privilege to OBSERVE the deer killing vote on Monday. How many LeboALERTS is this now, Susan? Enjoy rubbing our noses in it?

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


You may observe Mon. 6 pm
commission work session on deer at MLHS Fine Arts Theater. No public comment.
http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/11039

Update June 19, 2015 7:19 PM

Mr. Feller,

The folks who are attending the deer management meeting on Monday, Jeannine Fleegel, Jody Maddock and Anthony DiNicola…are they being paid to attend the meeting?

If so, what is the total compensation being paid to each of them.

Thank you,

***

Steve Feller's reply:

From: Stephen Feller [mailto:sfeller@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 3:48 PM
To:
Cc: Commission
Subject: Re: meeting

Only one of them, Dr. DiNicola, is being compensated by Mt. Lebanon.  I expect his total compensation to be $2,000.  

"'Peril'...sell the fear."

Thank you, Jason Robi, whoever you are. That was his comment to Linda Wilson Fuoco's article Rabies, coyotes and ticks, oh my! Perils abound in the backyard this summer I wonder when the PG's deer hunter John Hayes, who wrote on February 1, 2014: "With thousands of white-tailed deer causing what has been called a public safety hazard in Mt. Lebanon.." will write his BS about deer for the obvious media blitz going on in time for the June 22 Commission Discussion Session on deer "management."

Fuoco, who responded with a comment on Lebo Citizens  was just part of the "media circus" as described by Susan Morgans. Somehow, Fuoco subscribed to the theory that there are 400 deer in Mt. Lebanon. Morgans defended her on Facebook.

The municipality is so entrenched in this prokill movement, that the two donated planters of deer resistant plants outside of the municipal building are dying from lack of water. Thanks to Barbara S., the planters got a healthy drink of water last night. Driving by today, I don't think MRTSA can revive one of them.

To be fair, I am starting to think it is the commission, being bullied by the power brokers. In the latest Right To Know, our former police chief wanted to end the deer incident report.

It was crazy how our commissioners expected our police force to protect corn. As far as the deer incident report, I have been saying all along that it is bogus. I never filed that August 20, 2014 report. I have never been able to remove that entry from the report. Now, I see that the report has many gaps of information. Yes, Coleman, the report is being used erroneously to push a personal agenda. Originally, we were told that the goal was to reduce deer/vehicle collisions by 50% in 3-5 years, from 2% to 1%. Our commissioners are relying on a deer killer's estimates while ignoring FLIR aerial surveys. They are now depending on an incomplete deer incident report, often confused with a deer accident report.

Our public misinformation office is busy at work contacting her clowns, gearing up for Round 2 of the media circus and the June 22, 2015 Commission Discussion Session featuring deer killer Tony DeNicola. All part of selling the fear.

PG, I'm done with you.

As a 40+ year subscriber, I have canceled my subscription to the Post-Gazette. My carrier, Malcolm Andrews has been providing excellent service for many years, and I thank him and his family for their dedication. This is not a reflection on you, Malcolm, but it is based solely on John Hayes' weekly lies. The final straw was in his article today, Other towns also face deer dilemmas.

If protesters think Mt. Lebanon is done with its deer debate, they’re wrong. About 200 pregnant does are expected to deliver 300 or more additional deer to Mt. Lebanon in the coming months.

Where the hell are you getting your numbers, Mr. Hayes? Is this based on your estimates that Mt. Lebanon has THOUSANDS of deer?  I'm tired of you, Mt. Lebanon commission, Mt. Lebanon staff, and other media sources blaming "protesters" for Benner's blunder.

You write:

Activists opposed to the municipality’s plan to kill enough deer to decrease deer-car collisions by 50 percent in five years are still celebrating their victory.

The deer-car collisions plan is BOGUS!

• In Mt. Lebanon, people got hurt in over 90% of reported car crashes that involved pedestrians and/or bicyclists. (This is compared to 35% for regular car crashes and 3.8% for deer/car crashes.)
• In the last 4 years, there have been 50 reported injury-causing crashes involving pedestrians and/or bicyclists. (This is compared to 6 reported injury-causing deer/car crashes. In other words, there are 8 times as many for ped/cyc as for deer.)

Tom Moertel's in-depth analysis will be posted on Kelly Fraasch's blog in the near future.

Try to cancel a subscription online. It can't be done. I ended up finding this, Subscription Questions. I am sooooo done with you, John Hayes.

ALL protests have been lawful, John Hayes

Mt. Lebanon deer cull begins Monday night

Here we go again. The Post-Gazette reporter who claimed we have THOUSANDS of deer in Mt. Lebanon, now says that most of the protests have been lawful.

Sorry, John Hayes, but ALL of the protests have been lawful and peaceful. It is our constitutional right to protest.

I am sick and tired of the scare tactics being used for the deer killing which will start on Monday night.

Commissioner Kristen Linfante wrote in an email to an anti-deer cull person:

Please feel free to call me if you have additional questions. In addition, I know you alerted us to a protest that will take place at the Connor Rd site. Considering the placement of that sight, and the placement of the no trespassing signage, I do want to warn you that the police officer that accompanied me to the site informed me that any protesters will likely be arrested for trespassing. This is not meant to be a threat from me - I am simply telling you what the officer told me.

I have yet to get a response to my Thursday, March 5, 2015  6:16 PM email to Manager Steve Feller, Chief Coleman McDonough, and the Commission concerning the use of Bird Park. Merlin Benner is crying "Harassment" when people are trying to find out about Bird Park.

Brian Benner of Wildlife Services* said the company is cooperating with police.
“We haven’t had many real problems yet,” he said. “People are trying to find out where the corrals are, and there’s some concern there.”

You're damn right there is some concern there, Mr. Benner. We have a right to know if you are shooting in Bird Park! Nobody will confirm or deny use of Bird Park.

Deputy Chief Aaron Lauth was quoted as saying

“We haven’t been told by the contractor that anyone has caused damage to equipment or done anything else that would interfere or make [the site] unattractive to animals,” he said.

So, Mr. Benner, why are you saying that you don't trust us?  Mr. Hayes, I don't see anything unlawful. Knock it off, Boys.

*Note to John Hayes. The name of the company is Wildlife Specialists LLC, not Wildlife Services. We stopped doing business with those clowns in 2008.

Gate up at Robb Hollow 03.07.15

CIVIC-MINDED? UPDATED

The Post-Gazette reported:

Quietly, discreetly, a few civic-minded archers have been hunting for deer in Mt. Lebanon for years.
“I’ve taken five does out,” said Dave, a Mt. Lebanon archer who asked that his last name be withheld to avoid upsetting neighbors.

CIVIC-MINDED?  Since when does someone who is civic-minded wants his last name withheld to avoid upsetting neighbors? Civic-minded, according to Merriam-Webster: tending to do things that help your city or town and the people who live there.

John Hayes' Mt. Lebanon's deer herd in the crosshairs After years of population growth, the South Hills suburb plans to corral and kill dozens of deer. How did it come to this? is full of bullshit.

Outraged animal lovers call it “carnage.”

Mr. Hayes neglects to include those of us who are concerned with the safety of Mt. Lebanon residents. These areas are in public parks and in close proximity to neighborhood schools.

Hayes quotes the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. He also writes:

After much debate, commissioners implemented a then-controversial taxpayer-funded deer reduction program combining U.S. Department of Agriculture sharpshooters and a limited trap-and-kill operation that removed 230 deer in two years. Before the program had met its goals, it was discontinued in 2008.

What Hayes fails to mention is that in each of the years when Mt. Lebanon had "sharpshooters" and they weren't sharpshooters, by the way, Wildlife Services failed to meet their goal.

Season 1 - goal was 75 deer.  69 were killed.
Season 2 - goal was 150 deer. After doubling the nights agreed upon by Mt. Lebanon calling them "half-nights," 146 deer were killed. 145 were recovered and tagged (Lindendale deer was not tagged)

The bogus deer "incident" report is continually brought up by the media. The 807 deer related incidents include deer sightings and my August 20, 2014 report WHICH NEVER OCCURRED.

Hayes continues with:

The state Game Commission and most wildlife agencies estimate deer density using habitat analyses, road kills and other circumstantial metrics rather than hard counts, which are considered to be expensive and not particularly reliable.

Each aerial survey cost Mt. Lebanon $5,000. The 2013 count of 342 was "extremely accurate." The 2014 count of 196 done by the same firm, at the same time of the year, showing a 43% reduction, suddenly was not. (Why can't I find the 2014 aerial survey on the municipal website?) The counts done by Wildlife Services in 2006-2008 were compiled over a series of nights, possibly counting the same deer over and over.

The PA Game Commission's Chris Rosenberry failed to confirm that deer sterilization is a proven, effective method of non-lethal deer management. Science IS there, Mr. Rosenberry.

Finally, John Hayes again chose to ignore the press release which states that there will be another protest tomorrow at 5:30 PM. Good work, John.

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Petition: Stop the deer culling! As of 2:27 PM on February 22, 2015, there are 4,369 supporters.

I located the email addresses of the Scott Township commissioners.

Craig Stephens   craigs6785@gmail.com

Stacey Altman   staceyalt@msn.com

David Calabria   dcalabria@mackinengineering.com

Thomas Castello tcastello@aol.com

David Jason        dave.commissioner@live.com

Patricia Caruso   caruso1386@comcast.net

Donald Giudici   dwgiudici_cpa@hotmail.com  (Twin Hills Park is in his ward)

William Wells    redwagon2@verizon.net

Eileen Meyers    commeileen@comcast.net

John Hayes has a second article in the PG today, Outdoors notebook: Hunters take aim at Mt. Lebo deer cull More on "Dave."

But hunters generally stay out of Mt. Lebanon, said Dave, because of discharge ordinances that effectively "ban" hunting. The ordinances, however, aren't enforceable - Mt. Lebanon police chief Coleman McDonough confirmed that state law and prior court decisions trump local laws that attempt to control hunting, which is solely regulated by the Game Commission.

This quote really upset me.

Chris Rosenberry, head of the PGC deer and elk team that approved the plan, put it this way:
"The community is telling us that the problem is too many deer now," he said. "In some way, some of the animals have to come out of the population."

The "community" telling the PGC that the problem is too many deer now is made up of Steve Feller, Kristen Linfante, Steve Silverman, Dave Brumfield, John Bendel, Barbara Logan, Marilyn Narey, Carolyn Byham, Lourdes Castellanos, and Michalina Pendzich.