In preparation for playing on the toxic turf UPDATED

From Chip -  MIDDLE & WILDCAT FIELD With the opening of the middle/Wildcat field there are some guidelines and rules that we must adhere to. These are not suggestions but rules set forth by the municipality and manufacturer. 1 – No food of any kind permitted. Sport drinks and other beverages are to remain in the bench/dugout area. 2 – Gum & seeds are not permitted. 3 - Chairs, tents and any other objects that could cause damage to the surface are not permitted. 4 – Any shoes with metal cleats, tips or spikes are prohibited. 5 – No motorized vehicles, skateboards, bicycles or vehicles of any type. 6 – Snow removal of any type is not permitted. 7 – Permitted events have precedence over any other activities. 8 – No tobacco products, open flames etc. 9 – All garbage is to be disposed of after each event/game. *** Please do not reply to this message as this account is not monitored ***

Mt. Lebanon Baseball Association • PO Box 13068 • Pittsburgh, PA 15243

07.18.15 10:45 AM Warranty voided?

Vuono: Kill 100 deer by archers AND 150 deer by sharp shooters UPDATED

Updated July 15, 2015 6:57 AM I changed the title to this post to demonstrate the venom my commissioner has toward deer. Linfante looks like Mary Poppins compared to Vuono. Coleen Vuono actually wanted to hire Wildlife Services, the bimbos from 2006-2008, to kill 150 deer by night AND, simultaneously hire DeNicola's White Buffalo to kill 100 deer by day. The last aerial survey showed 196 deer in and surrounding our six square miles. Commissioners also approved goats and guard mules for Bird Park.

I cannot believe what I heard tonight. I am still in shock, so let me start with what I said during Citizen Comments. 

I have been speaking against deer killing for ten years. I'm part of the Coalition for Coexistence because I am against violence. Firing weapons in our densely populated community is dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Repeatedly, I have been asking about the sterilization permit application. Steve Feller had said that it was going to be resubmitted in April. When I asked again, Tony DeNicola had helped fill out the application form . The PA Game Commission representative, Jeanine Fleegle offered to help with the process at the June 22 meeting. Yes or No. Has it been resubmitted? [The answer was "NO."]

On the White Buffalo website, there is a nice photo of Jody Maddock. He is a project manager for Tony DeNicola. Maddock was billed as working at Bryn Athyn College. Nothing was ever mentioned that he was the founder of Whitetail Associates. We were never told that there was a connection between the two "experts." Then we find out that tonight, you folks may approve a proposal submitted by them. Was an RFP advertised? Yes or No. [The answer was "NO."] By the way, that proposal was never publicized. 

Asking the hunters to produce the deer's right jaw bone as proof of delivery is the most gruesome and revolting thought possible for many of us. What is this? Medieval times? 

Did you ever play the game, "Whack a Mole" at Chuck E. Cheese's? You bop one mole and then another one pops up somewhere else. That's the game I feel we're playing regarding the reasons to kill the deer. We've heard the gardens are being destroyed, there's too much deer poop, the car accidents involving deer are increasing, we have too many deer, counts don't matter, Lyme Disease, you're against sharp shooting and then you are for sharpshooting, the Ecosystem is being destroyed, birds are disappearing and my favorite, deer are scary. As soon as we debunk one issue, you're on to something else. 

So what is it really? Car accidents or gardens? If it is car accidents, why are you focusing on 9% of the total accidents? You're forgetting the other 91% of the car accidents. What happens if the number drops 50% before five years? When does the tally start? 2012? 2016? 

If it is NOT about gardens, why was there so much emphasis placed on "ongoing deer management" at a former commissioner's home last Sunday? I emailed you the notices she was passing out and I put them on my blog, Lebo Citizens. She had been quoted as saying, "Well the deer are going to die anyway." I love the Mt. Lebanon Public Library Garden Tour. I am a big supporter of the Library and have attended ALL 25 years of tours. It is a shame that it was used as a political platform to kill deer. This isn't the first time that has happened. A few years ago, the Gentlemen Gardeners did the same thing. If it isn't about gardens, then why does this happen repeatedly? 

I was fascinated by the goats and mule presentation and how they eat invasives. Deer love poison ivy and English Ivy. Goats are good. Deer are bad. Goat and donkey poop is acceptable. Deer poop is not. 

I am having an especially hard time writing those checks to pay my taxes. This was once a stellar community. Now Mt. Lebanon provides comic relief during the news.

***********

So you may have heard by now, three commissioners are now opting for "sharp shooting" AND archery. Dave and Kelly are still opposed to sharp shooting, but John "I'm against sharp shooting" Bendel is now right there with Coleen and Steve. If Coleen could have started sharp shooting tonight, it would not have been soon enough. Let me tell you, they aren't sharp shooters. We're not talking Navy SEALS. 

For those Lebo Citizen readers who were not here in 2006-2008, you don't know the fear of not knowing who is outside ready to shoot when you have to let your dog go out in the middle of the night. None of us know what it will be like to see archers in the daytime. For all those people tonight, well, I guess it was technically last night, who were afraid to have their kids play outside because of the deer, will now have to deal with seeing wounded deer, archers trailing deer, dying deer, and arrows covered in blood and fur. 

There were people tonight who actually said that they do not want to coexist. I don't know what else to say tonight except I am deeply disappointed in the commission and the blood thirsty residents who spoke this evening.

Update July 15, 2015 7:49 PM Mt. Lebanon residents to get choice in allowing bowhunting on properties to cull deer

Super Vote is Upheld

We will still need four votes to incur debt! This is HUGE! Four commissioners voted no. Dave Brumfield was the only commissioner who wanted to change it to three commissioners needed. Sorry, Dave.

For Immediate Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Monday, July 13, 2015

The newly formed Mt. Lebanon Coalition for Coexistence is marking territory throughout the municipality. An advocacy group and progressive think tank, the Coalition opposes violence and objects to municipal-sponsored deer killing in Mt. Lebanon’s public spaces and private property. The group, which is comprised of Mt. Lebanon stakeholders, claims that its growing solidarity stems from residents’ dismay over the municipal government’s preoccupation with pursuing violent remedies to an unproven problem with the White-Tailed Deer living in the community.

On Friday, the municipality announced that tomorrow evening’s commission meeting will include Commissioner Steve Silverman’s recommendation of a proposal to hire professional killers, once again, to eliminate Mt. Lebanon deer. The proposal, dated June 30, 2015, has not been made available to the public. Nor has the municipal government mentioned an issuance of a request for proposals that has historically preceded any proposal submissions. The Mt. Lebanon Commission consists of five registered Democrats.

According to the Coalition, Mt. Lebanon residents are still reeling in the wake of the horrific, inhumane, municipal-sponsored deer killing in public parks last spring. Undeterred, in late June, the government invited a small panel to speak to the commissioners about various ways to solve the perceived deer problem facing Mt. Lebanon. Together, two of those speakers submitted the June 30 proposal that will involve the use of bows and arrows to kill deer on public and private property. If the Commissioners have their way, “recreational archery” soon will take the place of recreation in Mt. Lebanon.

While urging the commissioners to reconsider using lethal weapons on Mt. Lebanon deer, the number of which is anyone’s guess, the Coalition promotes non-violence, including deer sterilization or birth control programs. Further, the group suggests that no additional action be taken until the government provides competent evidence to support its position that deer pose significant problem. Mt. Lebanon officials cite deer/vehicular accidents as the driving force behind their sponsored deer kills.

The Coalition’s general mission is threefold. First, the group asks the commissioners to take a step back from a decision to sponsor another violent operation and, instead, take a realistic look at the statistics regarding vehicular accidents. According to Mt. Lebanon’s most recent published statistics, deer related vehicle encounters amounted to only nine percent of the total vehicular accidents in 2014. The Coalition for Coexistence questions the government’s insistence on continually expending enormous amounts of municipal time and resources only to ultimately reduce that already low percentage by half, or to approximately four percent. And, the Coalition finds it staggering that reasons and proposed solutions for the 91% of non-deer related accidents evidently are not on the commissioners’ radar screens.

Second, the Coalition expects to be a positive force in steering the community away from its culture of violence. Recalling Mt. Lebanon’s former stellar reputation, the group represents a weary population, growing increasingly tired of the municipal government’s apparent obsession with killing. The commissioners seem to thrive on the negative energy that has pitted neighbors against neighbors and has thrust the community’s dark side into the media spotlight. The Coalition views public parks and places as contaminated by municipal-sponsored deer kills and is optimistic that residents will begin to mend fences for the purpose of restoring Mt. Lebanon to its previous posture of stability and character.

Finally, but equally important, the Coalition for Coexistence contends that public safety issues and population density statistics necessarily prohibit the use of archery or firearms for the purpose of killing deer within its borders. The two contractors who submitted the June 30 proposal, both professional killers, conceded at last month’s panel presentations that Mt. Lebanon poses difficult challenges to any future deer killing operation. But the commissioners continue to show a complete lack of regard for the health and welfare for the community-at-large.

Several residents plan to represent the Coalition for Coexistence at tomorrow evening’s scheduled meetings of the Mt. Lebanon Commission, at 6:30 and 8 PM. Instead of its usual venue, the commission will meet tomorrow at the Mt. Lebanon High School’s fine arts theater, located on Cochran Road.

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.

The Trib's featured commentary tonight is by Lebo Citizens reader and Mt. Lebanon resident, Jason Margolis.

Resolving Mt. Lebo's deer management

 

By Jason Margolis

Monday, July 13, 2015, 9:00 p.m.

The Mt. Lebanon deer-management issue is about to erupt again as the commissioners' “cooling off” period has come to a quick end. To some, the Mt. Lebanon deer “problem” is a mirage — a phantom notion of the vapid and excessive. To others, it is a real public crisis, threatening both property and life.

While there are serious questions about whether it is possible to target deer within a particular community (deer know no borders and, unlike children, are not assigned to school districts) rather than a larger area (e.g., an Allegheny County deer-management plan), it is time for the two warring sides to meet in the middle.

With this in mind, I propose the following:

(1) No lethal methods be used within Mt. Lebanon. Killing strategies that would target only the deer in parks are too inhumane and ineffective (e.g., culling — which failed in March 2015) and other methods like sharpshooting are too dangerous to humans in such a densely-populated area. Rejecting lethal methods of deer management will also remove many of the moral and ethical objections articulated by those opposed to past Mt. Lebo management means.

Taking deer-killing off the table is the only way to keep our family-oriented parks and backyards peaceful, enjoyable and nonviolent, as they were intended.

(2) Use sterilization as the primary management method, supplemented by other approaches (promoting deer-resistant plans, enforcing the speed limit, public education). Methods of sterilization have advanced significantly. This method certainly is safer for humans and more humane for animals.

(3) Supplement the greater expenses for this approach with privately raised funds and veterinarian volunteers.

There is a model for such private-public partnerships in Mt. Lebo (for example, the also highly controversial artificial turf project). The Mt. Lebo deer cull in March was infamous regionally and nationally. A “GoFundMe” campaign likely would garner significant donations at this point.

The approach outlined above honors both those who believe the deer are truly a problem in Mt. Lebanon as well as those against guns and bloodshed for humans and animals. It is also fiscally responsible.

Inevitably, some from both sides will argue that sterilizing deer is against nature. But I would expect that very few would claim the same about a woman taking the pill or a man getting a vasectomy. These approaches have evolved to assist humanity in controlling the population in humane ways.

As humans, we are hardwired to solve complex problems through individual ingenuity and community collaboration. Unfortunately, we are also hardwired for conflict — particularly when in a state of fear.

At the apex of our human capabilities, we bring together multiple viewpoints to find a reasonable middle ground.

A community like Mt. Lebanon should give us no less than the best we have to offer.

And in the case of Mt. Lebanon deer management, this middle, reasonable path would be: sterilization partially funded through private donations.

Jason Margolis is an educator. He lives in Mt. Lebanon.

Copyright © 2015 — Trib Total Media

Attend Mt. Lebanon Commissioner Meeting

Please read this announcement that I received yesterday. Thanks.

Attend Mt. Lebanon Commissioner Meeting
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Time: 8:00 PM
Location: High School Fine Arts Theater

http://www.mtlebanon.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2410

Notice:
Although the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners received educated quality advice about nonlethal deer management for Mt. Lebo earlier this year, at their June meeting, they chose to dismiss all of the nonlethal advice and only look at lethal ways they can kill deer and endanger our safety in the process. They will vote on the 2015/2016 deer kill plan on Tuesday night. Please plan to attend to give public comment. It's our lives and our town too, so please speak up and let them know it's not OK to endanger our community to protect their landscaping.

Remember Mt. Lebanon does not have a "deer problem" we only have people complaining that they do not want to see deer and that their plants are being eaten ... but their voices get heard because they make them heard and they do not care how it affects other people in the community. We do not have anymore deer in Mt. Lebanon than any other community in Western PA, nor do we have more deer impact issues, nor more vehicle accidents, we simply have more people who complain about seeing deer than in any other community and thus the Commission says we need to kill some.

It's our town, our lives and our neighborhoods too, so please speak up and let the Commission know it's not OK to endanger our community to protect landscaping.

Along with there being no safe place in our community to shoot deer with high powered rifles there's also no safe place within our community to shoot deer with a a cross bow and then to track their wounded bodies through our neighborhoods.

For all the deer killed, others from neighboring towns will filter in and thus we ultimately never reduce the number of deer and the people who complain now will continue to complain but the Commissioners can say they killed some deer ....

Thank you again for your attention to this grave matter.

Babs tarnishes the Garden Tour

Today was my 25th Mt. Lebanon Public Library Garden Tour. This has always been my favorite Mt. Lebanon event and would look forward to it every year. I support the Mt. Lebanon Library and would never think of making it political. I would say hello to all the attendees at the Garden Party which is held the evening before, even if we may disagree on an issue. Last night, there was a change in the air.

Since Barbara Logan's garden was on the tour, she attended the Garden Party. The Logans' garden was on the Garden Tour three or four years ago, but made a command appearance this year. I said hello to Barbara, and was ignored. I said hello to others who spoke in favor of killing deer, and would get a cold hello in return. I was very discouraged. This was the one social event that I loved. 

People spoke in whispers saying that they actually weren't bothered by the deer. To say that out loud would have been politically incorrect last night.

Today's tour was fabulous. There were eight private gardens on the tour. The subject of deer seemed to come up at every home. I spread the word about a deer deterrent called, "The Scarecrow." It is a motion sensing device that attaches to a garden hose. It really works! 

Then I attended the Logan garden. At the sign in table were stacks of these.

And this:

This is what upsets me the most. The commissioners are telling us that this isn't about gardens. It is about reducing the deer/car accidents (9%) by 50% over the next five years, while ignoring the 91% of the remaining accidents. It isn't about car accidents. It really is about gardens. 

We need to reduce helicopter/car collisions

Here is one that needs to be on the commissioners' radar.

Mt. Lebanon police arrest Georgia man accused of driving onto active St. Clair Hospital helipad | TribLIVE

This may reduce car accidents...

Here is DeNicola's and Maddock's proposal

Someone sent me a copy of the June 30 proposal made by Anthony DeNicola and Jody Maddock.

The deer estimates are all over the place. I knew Wildlife Services was back in the picture. They were looking at my blog. USDA Wildlife Services were the killers from 2006-2008. I have an accident report about those clowns on my website, lebocitizens.com. They weren't drug tested, couldn't cite the safety rules, and were known to shoot themselves in the foot or through the floorboard of their trucks.

Former district judge gets GOP nod for special state Senate election, Arnet seeks Democratic nomination UPDATED

Former district judge gets GOP nod for special state Senate election

Former District Judge Guy Reschenthaler won the Republican nomination for a special election in the 37th state Senate district Saturday.

Mr. Reschenthaler resigned his Jefferson Hills judicial position immediately before accepting the nomination that he captured on the fifth round of balloting among Republican officials from the district. The seat includes communities in Allegheny County's southern and western suburbs as well as Peters Township in Washington County.

The special election, which will coincide with the Nov. 3 general election, was prompted by the resignation of former state Sen. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon, who left the seat to head the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Reschenthaler, a U.S. Navy veteran who was elected to his judicial seat in 2013, will have a head start on campaigning as the Democratic Party has yet to schedule its nominating session. Nancy Patton Mill, the Allegheny County Democratic chair, said she expects their nomination process will take place later this summer.

Six candidates filed for the GOP nomination. On the final ballot, Mr. Reschenthaler tallied 48 votes to capture the nomination over Bethel Park Councilman Paul Dixon, who had 31. There was one abstention.

They were the survivors of a field that included D. Raja, who was the GOP nominee against Mr. Smith when the Democrat won the seat; Natalie Mihalek, a Mt. Lebanon attorney; Tim Young, a former high school principal; and John Schnatterly, a member of the Bethel Park Republican committee.

Word on the street is that Mt. Lebanon's Heather Arnet will probably be chosen as Reschenthaler's opponent.

It will be weeks before Mr. Reschenthaler knows the identity of his November opponent, time that he said he would spend on fundraising and organizing. No Democrat has officially launched a candidacy although Michelle Zmijanac, the head of the Mt. Lebanon Democratic Committee, has expressed an interest in the seat. Another Mt. Lebanon resident, Heather Arnet, the CEO of the Women and Girls Foundation, has also been mentioned as a potential candidate.

Update July 15, 2015 2:20 AM Arnet seeks Democratic nomination for former Sen. Matt Smith's seat

Archery hunt planned UPDATED

The agenda for Tuesday's Commission Meeting, to be held at the Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theatre, has been posted. Looks like an archery hunt is a go!

13. Consideration of a proposal for professional deer management services. 

White Buffalo, Inc. has submitted a proposal to select and train archery hunters and work with property owners on an archery hunt. The contract proposal totals $15,460. Recommended Action: Move to authorize the proper municipal officials to enter into a contract for archery management services, with the understanding that: (a) Dr. DeNicola and Jody Maddock will follow the rigorous screening and training criteria outlined in their proposal of June 30, 2015; (b) Prior to conducting an archery hunt, representatives of White Buffalo will attend the September 8, 2015, Commission meeting to describe the details of the final program including the background of the manager and hunters, number of public and private properties to be used, and safety procedures that will be utilized.

Bubbles in the Bubble

Large mass of bubbles in Mt. Lebanon fountain may have been a prank

Authorities said a high school prank may have led to bubbles overflowing a Mt. Lebanon fountain this morning.

The suds started appearing sometime around 5 this morning in the fountain near the corner of Washington Road and Alfred Street by Clearview Commons Park in the municipality’s business district, according to Mt. Lebanon police.

“Whoever did it does it as a joke,” Mt. Lebanon police Lt. John Remark said. “They don’t understand it can ruin the pump.”

The lieutenant said that the bubbles might work themselves out or public works will be called in to clean up the mess.

Crumb rubber going in