Showing posts with label Kip's Deer Processing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kip's Deer Processing. Show all posts

Thursday, April 23, 2015

Of course it was Kip's UPDATED

A Right To Know was filed on March 16, 2015 asking for "All emails, text messages and written communication between any Mt. Lebanon employee and any employee of Wildlife Specialists for the period between February 15 - March 11, 2015 regarding the deer management program currently being conducted in Mt. Lebanon."

The RTK was partially granted and partially denied and sent in two files. Steve Feller's cover letter includes an explanation.

Highlights from the redacted Right To Know file include:
  • Wildlife Specialists mapped out 1,000' buffers from school buildings instead of measuring from property line of schools. Only one school needed to be adjusted. This bait site was the one vandalized. Page 18.
  • "This new issue about the school SAFE act is all empty because the act states that all "unauthorized" individuals may not possess a fire arm within a school safe zone. If you are licensed by the state or the local authority to do so then you are authorized. Why is this not clearly obvious to the commissioners and Police Department? Otherwise, the police would not be allowed to come near a school." - W.S.
  • Per John Bendel's suggestion, Steve Feller was feeding Merlin Benner questions that were going to be asked at the Discussion Session. Page 19.
  • Page 21. Concordia was upset with Brian Benner concerning use of their property. Concordia did not grant permission to cull the deer on their property.
  • Page 25. Feller notified W.S. that the sites previously chosen at Markham, the golf course, and McNeilly are all within the 1,000' buffer.
  • Page 28. A female lawyer warned W.S. if they did not call PA One Call by 11 AM that day, that she would call and report them. Merlin suggested that they make the call. This woman spoke with our police chief who did not understand that bullets are considered explosives.
  • Page 30. Merlin Benner threatens a resident with harassment.
  • Merlin tells Coleman that they will comply and limit work on site to the two approved by the PA Game Commission. See letter from the Game Commission. Page 33.
  • W.S. blamed Kelly Fraasch for sharing Kip's information on page 38. W.S. said that Kip and his wife were very worried about their safety and for the business.
  • Page 39. More "harassment" from a Mt. Lebanon resident toward Kip.
  • Page 41. Kip had been identified in one of the "activist blogs."
  • Amendments to the application begin on page 54 to include adding more men to the permit, allowing semi-automatic rifles, and use of a Scott Township property owned by Mt. Lebanon (Twin Hills).
  • Page 61. Since McNeilly is off the table, W.S. wants to use Williamsburg and Main Park. W.S. also tells Feller that they have written permission from Concordia.
  • Page 65. Facebook announcement of the February 28 protest on Connor Road.
Highlights from the other RTK file include:
  • Brian Benner says that hopefully all shooting will be under the cover of darkness. Page 6.
  • A fourth name was not on the amendment request. Game Commission said that a new request must be submitted with all four names listed. Page 9.
  • Coleman reports to Benner about debating with a citizen on page 16. See photo here. 
    Baiting begins. Benner heard that one of his co-workers saw a feeder photo in an article and was concerned that they were trespassing. He realized that the photo could have been taken from a distance. What a squirrelly bunch!
  • Page 17. No feeders at Twin Hills.
  • Page 27. McNeilly was doused with urine. How do they know?
  • Pages 30 - 45. PA One Call reports.
  • Gene wanted to know how or why information was disclosed about shooting. Aaron Lauth told him that Merlin Benner shared it with a Trib reporter. Page 46. Squirrelly!
  • Page 47. First Church of Christ did not want their lot used for parking or access for deer killing. W.S. had called the police on members of the public who tried to tell them that they did not have permission to be there!
  • Deer were captured and killed without incident. They were pleased that there was no protester interference. Page 48.
  • Wildlife Specialists wanted to use cross-bows at McNeilly, Bird, and the Golf Course since it would not violate the 1,000' federal school law. Thankfully, Steve Feller said thanks, but no thanks. Page 50.
  • Page 51. More on PA One Call.
  • Page 55. Coordinates of "Trapping Sites."
  • The Health Department called and had not approved any wild game processors for food banks. Page 64.
  • Page 65. Request to use lawful firearms for big game was denied.

Another RTK is due on or before May 5. Now that my heart is racing again and am all fired up remembering all the unrest the deer killing had caused, I want to remind everyone that the municipality is bringing in Sandy Baker this weekend, to share her recommendations for non-lethal methods of deer management. 

Update April 24, 2015 3:05 PM The final report from Wildlife Specialists has been posted here. Six deer were processed at Kip's Deer Processing yielding 183 pounds of venison all donated to "Link in the Chain Ministries."

Update April 25, 2015 9:20 AM I did a quick calculation and figured that the meat came to $81.97 per pound of venison. ($12,000 for the deer management plan + 6 deer at a cost of $500/deer.)

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Killing starts on Monday, after dark UPDATED

Mt. Lebanon deer-culling corrals sprayed with urine, repellant


“I don't trust them to abide by the law, because they haven't so far," Benner said.

Excuse me? WE HAVEN'T ABIDED BY THE LAW SO FAR? Uh, Mr. Benner, who had a corral built 257 feet away from a school, violating the Federal School Zone Gun law? Who has a corral ten feet too close to another school? Who tried to kill deer in Scott Township when the PA Game Commission permit stated within Mt. Lebanon? Why was your man, Gene Huntington doing field work, again another PGC permit violation? Why didn't you call PA One Call? Why were you continuing to build the corral over in McNeilly in the pouring rain on Tuesday, after being told to halt work until the utility companies marked their lines?

Oh, wait. Do you mean the Municipality? With one commissioner (Linfante) urging residents to take matters into their own hands and then, in writing, tell a person that the Mt. Lebanon Police will be on Connor Road to arrest any protestors? By not keeping their website up to date and giving false information about the locations of the deer killing? By not properly notifying residents who live near the killing fields? By locating another spot in Bird Park a little further away from Markham Elementary?

It is our constitutional right to protest, Mr. Benner. You may not like it, but frankly, we don't like what you are doing either. We don't like what Commissioners Bendel, Brumfield, Linfante, and Silverman are doing. 

I have never encouraged anyone to tamper with the bait. I have suggested calling the deer processors, food banks, and Game Commission. Sorry, Mr. Benner, but receiving four calls a day is not excessive, considering I get hundreds of visitors on Lebo Citizens every day.

Benner said people have been bombarding the companies that would likely process the dead deer with questions or claims about the safety of the meat, to the point that he refused to name the processors or food banks that would accept the meat for distribution through Hunters Sharing the Harvest.

Yeah, you'll fix us and not disclose names of food banks or processors. Way to go. The closest deer processor is in Carnegie. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to go on Kip's Deer Processing's website and find out what this means:


I wonder why Kip's declined to comment. Could it be that YOU NEVER CONTACTED HIM? 

And you don't trust us.


Update March 5, 2015 7:32 AM WTF

From: merlinbenner@gmail.com  On Behalf Of Merlin Benner
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 6:52 AM
To: XXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Re: Bird Park

Hello XXXXX

I'm sorry, but that's not my role to know at this point.  I could find out.  All sites are jointly picked between the Township and my field staff, so I suggest contacting the Township for site specific information.

Thanks.

J. Merlin Benner, President Wildlife Specialists, LLC 2780 Hills Creek Road Wellsboro, PA  16901 

office:  570-376-2255   cell:  570-439-6898

On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 6:39 AM, XXXXXXX wrote:
Mr. Benner: 

Is there currently a deer baiting station in Bird Park?

Thank you.

Update March 5, 2015 2:28 PM The conversation continues with Merlin Benner. Holy Shit!

From: merlinbenner@gmail.com [mailto:merlinbenner@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Merlin Benner
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 1:57 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Bird Park

Hi XXXXXXXX,

I have been advised to request that you no longer communicate with me, so please do not contact me.  I have appreciated your tone in our communications, and am sad that we are on opposing sides of this issue.  

Sincerely,
Merlin Benner

On Thursday, March 5, 2015, XXXXXXXXX wrote:
Thank you for your response. I look forward to hearing from you about the Bird Park site and anything else you would like to say about the procedures followed at the site. I hope, for your sake, that the assurances you are relying on are coming from your own legal counsel.



From: merlinbenner@gmail.com [mailto:merlinbenner@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Merlin Benner
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 7:52 AM
To: XXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Re: Bird Park

I can.  I am tied up all morning, but will see one of them early afternoon and ask.  I have been assured that all procedures have been followed on all sites.

J. Merlin Benner, President Wildlife Specialists, LLC 2780 Hills Creek Road Wellsboro, PA  16901 

office:  570-376-2255   cell:  570-439-6898

On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 6:57 AM, XXXXXX wrote:
Could you please find out from your field staff, Merlin?

Thanks.

Update March 5, 2015 2:35 PM Final correspondence from resident to Benner.
From: XXXXXXXXXX
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 2:28 PM
To: 'Merlin Benner'
Subject: RE: Bird Park

Merlin---

As you wish. I am sorry that you are now the subject of a public gag order.

Also, as I stressed in our conversations and email, my interest here is in public safety and abiding by the relevant laws and policy, the purposes of which are to promote the safety of our children and the public-at-large. That you see us on opposite sides of the crucial safety issue both saddens me and terrifies me.

Update March 6, 2015 8:02 AM No response from anyone so far. 

From: egillen476
To: cmcdonough ; commission ; sfeller 
Cc: msantoni  
Subject: Bird Park 
Date: Thu, Mar 5, 2015 6:16 pm 

There is quite a bit of confusion over Bird Park. Lt. Lauth made reference to shooting in Bird Park in Matt Santoni's article. http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7891131­74/deer­corrals­lebanon#ixzz3TYWq2joa 

“If we get a call of shots fired from Bird Park and we know that's where they're working, we can put two and two together,” Lauth said. Is Bird Park back in the mix? If so, could you give us an idea where? Merlin Benner refuses to tell us. 

Elaine Gillen

Update March 6, 2015 12:51 PM No answers from the commission, Steve Feller, or Coleman McDonough about Bird Park.

Update March 6, 2015 12:58 PM 


From: merlinbenner@gmail.com  On Behalf Of Merlin Benner
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2015 12:18 PM
To: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Cc: Gene Huntington; Aaron Lauth; Coleman J. McDonough
Subject: Re: permit

I asked you not to to contact me or my staff.  This is harassment.

On Friday, March 6, 2015, Nicholas Meduho Jr wrote:
* * * SECOND REQUEST * * *

From: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 9:25 PM
To: 'Merlin Benner'
Subject: RE: permit

Thank you Mr. Benner, I will ask Mt. Lebanon but I thought that part of the $12,000 we paid you was for your work in submitting the permit, am I wrong?

Can you please tell me why you were advised that people not contact you? The residents of Mt. Lebanon hired your company and paid you $12,000 of their hard earned tax dollars. I have never heard of a company being paid for a project and then the company that was paid was not allowed to be contacted. Is this something new?

So who do we contact if we have questions or concerns?

Thank you Mr. Benner.


From: merlinbenner@gmail.com On Behalf Of Merlin Benner
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 8:08 PM
To: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Subject: Re: permit

Sorry, but Mt. Lebanon submitted that.  You will need to get it from them.  

I have been advised to request that people not contact me about this project, so please do not contact me or my company.  

Thank you.

J. Merlin Benner, President Wildlife Specialists, LLC 2780 Hills Creek Road Wellsboro, PA  16901 

office:  570-376-2255   cell:  570-439-6898

On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 4:08 PM, Nicholas Meduho Jr wrote:
Mr. Benner,

Can you please email me a copy of the deer management permit that was submitted to the PA Game Commission for the deer management program currently taking place in Mt. Lebanon.


Thank you,

Nicholas Meduho
Mt. Lebanon, PA


--
J. Merlin Benner, President Wildlife Specialists, LLC 2780 Hills Creek Road Wellsboro, PA  16901 

office:  570-376-2255   cell:  570-439-6898

Update March 6, 2015 1:02 PM
From: Coleman McDonough [mailto:cmcdonough@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Friday, March 6, 2015 12:20 PM
To: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Cc: sfeller@mtlebanon.org; Commission
Subject: Re: conditions

Mr. Meduho- Thanks for your concern, but I'm just fine. In regard to your inquiry, various entities bear responsibility for complying with the permit conditions. I think it would be fair to say that you and your vigilant associates will also continue to monitor the process.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 6, 2015, at 11:40 AM, Nicholas Meduho Jr wrote:
Mr. Feller and Commissioners,

I hope everything is ok with Chief McDonough.

From: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Sent: Thursday, March 5, 2015 4:26 PM
To: cmcdonough@mtlebanon.org
Subject: FW: conditions

* * * THIRD REQUEST * * *

From: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Sent: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 5:07 PM
To: cmcdonough@mtlebanon.org
Subject: conditions

* * * SECOND REQUEST * * *


From: Nicholas Meduho Jr
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 3:55 PM
To: cmcdonough@mtlebanon.org
Subject: conditions

Chief McDonough,

Out of curiosity, who is making sure that all the conditions that are listed on the deer management permit are being strictly adhered to?


Thank you,

Nicholas Meduho
Mt. Lebanon, PA