The Powder of Attraction! UPDATED

Could this be what is all around Twin Hills Park?




The following photos are from the Twin Hills Park area. Is this fair? The last photo shows the attractant on the curb! 

Update December 30, 2016 9:23 AM I sent these photos to the commissioners and manager. Here is Keith McGill's reply. 

Photo taken by child UPDATED

Hunter at Twin Hills Park
October 24, 2016 @ 3:10 PM

Hunter later spotted parked in his driveway on Beverly Road.

Update October 25, 2016 1:33 AM A reader sent this pic of a homemade Not In My Yard sign on Connor Road.

NOT IN MY YARD

Update October 27, 2016 9:31 AM Arby's must have taken notice of the "Eat More Venison" sign in Mission Hills. Venison sandwiches will be available November 25-28 at the Library Road Arby's.
Arby's offering venison sandwich in hunting markets — including Pittsburgh

Thanks for the advanced notice, Timmy UPDATED 2X

Super Timmy sent this email to parents today. Thanks for the heads up, Timmy. Could you have waited a little longer?

Thanks to all the concerned parents who sent me copies of his email.

From: Dr. Timothy Steinjauer <noreply@mtlsd.net>
Sent: Monday, October 3, 2016 12:24 PM
To: Parents in the Mt. Lebanon School District
Subject: 10/03/16 Update: Municipal Deer Management Program

Dear Mt. Lebanon Parents,

The Mt. Lebanon Municipality sent us an update that effective today, Twin Hills Park has been added to the list of public properties that are being utilized in the controlled archery hunt program. All other program information remains the same and can be found at this link on the Municipal website: http://www.mtlebanon.org/2114/Deer-Management-Information.

Sincerely,

Timothy J. Steinhauer, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Update October 3, 2016 5:56 PM Did Timmy really spell his name incorrectly? OMG.

Update October 3, 7:47 PM Thanks for reading my blog, John Hayes. ugh. Mt. Lebanon expands deer hunt to include disputed Twin Hills Park

Where are the car/deer collisions?

Mt. Lebanon uploaded a map today of the deer/car collisions in Mt. Lebanon from May 2011 - June 2016.

In small print, there is a note at the bottom of the map. "NOTE: Approximately 50% of incidents cannot be mapped due to data limitations." The data limitations are related to missing information related to location. The location of a deer vehicular incident is not always included in the report. Really?

I do see the urgency now to kill deer in Twin Hills. Just look at all the deer/vehicular collisions that could have been avoided in the last five years. What...one? But our municipality is in litigation with Scott Township so that we can kill Scott Township deer in Twin Hills Park. Yeah, makes perfect sense.

Not a whole lot of deer/car collisions around the golf course.

The deer/car collision that stands out for me, is the one that isn't even on a road. It is near Beadling and Purchase.

What has been spent so far on deer management? $100,000? We're going to pay Tony another $9,000 so that we can kill deer in Scott Township? Seriously, why are we doing this?

Scott is hopping mad at Mt. Lebanon

Last night, our commissioners met in executive session to discuss a possible settlement with Scott Township over Twin Hills. In October, Scott Twp. was able to get a temporary injunction to stop the killing of deer in Twin Hills.

On Scott's agenda for tonight, Twin Hills settlement was listed, but on a revised agenda, Twin Hills was removed. It came up anyway during Citizen Comments. Scott's position is that they are against killing deer by any means in any of their parks, including Twin Hills. They have the injunction and they are not backing down. Good for Scott Township!

Lebo violated the Federal Gun-Free School Zone Act UPDATED

Look how close Rockwood Park is to Foster School. Mt. Lebanon had deer killed with guns in 2006-2008. They violated the Gun-Free School Zone Act. Nothing within 1,000 feet of a school. No amount of paint in soothing colors recommended by John, in the paint department of Rolliers would have made it OK. I was living a nightmare for two f-ing years. I called Tom Kelley in Public Works. I called Steve Feller. I called my commissioner. I was in tears, hearing the gunshots outside my window. Those bastards were breaking the law. Susan Morgans came up to me before a commission meeting and said, "How many times are you going to say the same thing over and over about the deer?" Oh, how I wish I knew this back then:

2007 USDA Activities Report

2008 USDA Activities Report

Reporting was changed to quadrants, rather than specific locations

I announced on NextDoor that if Ward 3 voters wanted another option for commission, to write in my name. I also had a link to my YouTube interview of April 27. Julie Daubner flagged it as inappropriate. Greg Daubner flagged an additional comment, as well. That is what is inappropriate here?

There is a wildlife center in Virginia that takes in dozens of fawns every year and then releases them when they are mature enough to go back into the wild.
http://wildlifecenter.org/critter-corner/current-patients/fawns-2015

Then there is Mt. Lebanon. Four NIMY signs were reported stolen over the weekend. Why? The deer are being killed, as they wanted. Deer are going to be killed until the end of January, year after year. Depending on the vote in January, more killing could go on through March.

Trees are being numbered and cleared out of Twin Hills Park. Why?

 


There are huge broken tree limbs hanging directly over trails. The park is neglected. I have never seen a public park in such hazardous condition anywhere.

The Eagle Scout bridge has graffiti on it.

And only God knows what this is in Twin Hills:

I was driving from Heidelberg today via Swallow Hill >Segar>Lakemont>and past Public Works, praying all the way that I wouldn't see a wounded deer. We shouldn't be living like this.

I am so upset that I sent the following email to the current commissioners, commission candidates, solicitor, and interim manager:

Good riddance to Tom Kelley, Steve Feller, and my former commissioner. I pleaded with them to stop the killing in Rockwood Park. I went through HELL from 2006-2008 when Mt. Lebanon was killing deer next to my house in Rockwood Park. 

Kristen Linfante, as my commissioner, had the audacity to tell me to seek help and advised that I see John in Rolliers' paint department so that he can recommend paint in soothing colors for my basement. 

I had been telling the commission many times over the last ten years how it is unsafe to be killing in Rockwood Park. I also had to put up with Susan Morgans with her snarky question before a commission meeting, "How many more times are you going to say the same thing over and over about the deer?" That was ten years ago. 

Fast forward to 2015. Six candidates on the ballot for commission. Only two are anti-violence. I can't even find an email address for one of the candidates who is pro-kill. You can all sit there in your homes and make these "well thought out" decisions to kill deer, but how many of you have been in a situation where you are lying in bed at night, trying to sleep in a vinyl siding addition with gunshots outside your bedroom window? I had just lost my husband and had no safe place to grieve. Now I find out, what Mt. Lebanon was doing was ILLEGAL! Rockwood Park is almost 716 feet from an elementary school, violating the federal Gun-Free School Zone Act. No guns within 1,000 feet from a school. How dare you! 

I was driving from Heidelberg today via Swallow Hill, Segar, Lakemont, and past Public Works praying that I wouldn't come across a wounded deer. What have you done to Mt. Lebanon?

As I said during Citizen Comments, Killing Anything, Anywhere, by Any Means is a PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE. Thanks to you, we are afraid to walk our dogs, drive in our cars, and play in parks. How dare you!

Elaine Gillen

Tree stand adjacent to Twin Hills Park

343 Oak Forest

Scott and Lebo will meet again on November 2

Hunting in park focus of Mt. Lebanon meeting with Scott

I don't see how there can be a compromise. Scott Township does not want hunting of any kind. The park is for recreation, and Scott commissioners don't want to put their residents in harm's way. How refreshing.

The next scheduled meeting is the day before Election Day. 

HOT OFF THE PRESS!!!!!! UPDATED

Scott Township has filed a complaint against the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon. The docket number is GD-15-017557.

It is so new, that the documents have not been uploaded to the Court Records website. Woo Hoo!

Scott v Mt. Lebanon

Scott Township's reason for seeking an injunction is the "conditional use agreement" between Scott Township and Mt. Lebanon, which states in the deed that Twin Hills Park is for recreational use.

Our commissioners believe that our parks and golf course are for recreational hunting for 4.5 months, not recreation. On October 13, 2015, our commissioners will be considering adding a few additional months of "sharpshooting" at a cost of almost $90,000.

Update October 3, 2015 5:10 AM Mt. Lebanon needs Scott's OK to hunt deer in Twin Hills Park, township argues "Scott plans to ask a judge Monday for an emergency injunction, said township solicitor Robert McTiernan."

Scott Twp. Commissioners Reiterate - No Hunting in Twin Hills

Scott commissioners reiterated Tuesday that they have not changed their opposition to deer culling in Twin Hills Park. http://www.post-gazette.com/news/environment/2015/08/28/Scott-says-no-to-Mt-Lebanon-deer-culling-in-Twin-Hills-Park/stories/201508280096

On the home page of www.lebocitizens.com, is a nine minute audio clip of that meeting. Attorney Barbara Sollenberger did an excellent job. Thank you, Barbara!

Mt. Lebanon Commissioners should take note that Scott Township has no time clock. Ms. Sollenberger spoke for nine minutes and was treated with respect. In addition, a non-resident is permitted to speak at Scott Township meetings. Oh my!

Commissioners: Stop and Face the Flood Waters UPDATED

Lebo Citizens readers know that on Monday evening, I spoke about the recent flooding issues and offered a solution to consider, instead of spending $700,000 on artificial turf. The PG's Harry Funk wrote in his article, Mt. Lebanon officials ponder spending

Other residents disagreed, including Elaine Gillen of Vallevista Avenue. She questioned the priorities of spending money on athletic fields vs. addressing safety issues, such as helping to mitigate some of the problems that contributed to widespread flooding on July 10.

My suggestion comes from personal experience. At the bottom of my driveway, Mt. Lebanon installed a backflow valve, also known as a back water valve. I understand there are now 55 of these valves in Lebo. They work!

In The Almanac's Eric Seiverling story,  Mt. Lebanon addresses flooding issues  (saved in Google Docs) Mt. Lebanon Municipal Engineer Dan Deiseroth was quoted as saying:

“In my tenure here, this is the fourth event of this magnitude,” Deiseroth told commissioners. “It’s happening more frequently.”

Four Mt. Lebanon cars were totaled due to the flooding. Carole Gilbert Brown reported in her PG article, Flooded residents in Scott seeking township help that Scott Township had five cars ruined.  She also reported:

Another Ryan Drive resident, Joe Woznicki, said stormwater runoff from the nearby Carriage Park Apartments has caused his property to sink 4 to 6 inches in 18 months. Seven other homes on the street are affected by erosion at the base of the hill from the complex's drain pipes that can't handle the heavier flows, he said.

These homes, as well as Beth El Synagogue and the Twin Hills Park, which is owned by Mt. Lebanon but is in Scott, are "losing more and more of ground surface," Mr. Woznicki said.

 But who got the commissioners' attention on Monday night? A mom of a five year old needing field space to play lacrosse and the sports cabal.

"I look at the fields in our community as I would any other item of infrastructure," said David Franklin of Pinetree Road, a member of the Mt. Lebanon Sports Advisory Board. "At some point, we need to update them." 

Coolidge Avenue resident Chris Sloan called Mt. Lebanon's field conditions substandard compared with some other municipalities and advocated the installation of artificial turf.
"It attracts people," he said. "It's an asset of our community. It could be on our 'pro' list when we do pros and cons."

So there it is in black and white. What is most important infrastructure to Dave Brumfield, John Bendel, and Kristen Linfante? Fields.  They would like to take $700,000 and put it toward turfing a field, and a school district field no less. Who cares about the people who had flooding? Certainly not those three.

Update July 26, 2013 4:53 PM I have started a new list on this blog, right above the change order list. I will post more streets as they come in here. You don't have to sign your name. Just submit the name of the street where residents experienced flooding.

How Twin Hills Park will be used is up in the air

In today's PG, freelance writer Carole Gilbert Brown reports in her article, How Twin Hills Park will be used is up in the air that the agreement for Twin Hills was never executed. 

In an April 21 post on the Lebo Citizens blog (www.lebocitizens.blogspot.com), Mt. Lebanon solicitor Philip Weis explained to a resident who had contacted him that the township was in the process of determining what Scott's park rules are and whether they would apply to Mt. Lebanon.

Scott has its own work cut out for itself, after it was discovered recently that a maintenance and police/fire protection agreement drafted in August 1994 for Twin Hills had not been executed, even though the planning commission and its commissioners had approved the land's purchase.

"It just fell through the cracks," surmised board president Tom Castello, who was not a commissioner when the sales agreement was made.

Scott officials are checking to see how their ordinance differs from Mt. Lebanon's.  A 1971 Scott ordinance does not allow dogs in its parks. The agenda for the original purchase is here.  The meeting minutes can be found here.

Meanwhile, back at the Commission

During Monday's Commission Discussion Session scheduled for 6:15 PM, the Commissioners will be discussing, among other things:

• Preliminary discussion about a possible location for an offleash dog park.
• Preliminary 2012 financial results and beginning discussion on fund balance.
• Public information role and services.

The Commission will be introducing an  Ordinance Allowing Domesticated Animals in Twin Hills Trail Park during the regular 8:00 meeting following the Discussion Session. This park is in Scott Township. Has anyone checked to see if the Scott Township Zoning Board permits an animal park? Can we make ordinances for property that is not in Mt. Lebanon? Perhaps that will come up in the Commission Discussion Session.

Beginning discussion on fund balance might be how the Turf Board, I mean the Sports Advisory Board, will be able to get turf snuck in.

Finally, the topic that is near and dear to my heart, "Public information role and services." There is fifteen minutes allotted for that topic. Are there changes in store for the Public Information Office? I am not trying to start any rumors, but it is nice to see that on the agenda.  Defining the role of the PIO is definitely in order here.