Orthodox Christmas Day

Greek Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on December 25, but there are many Orthodox Christians who are celebrating Christmas today, January 7, 2017.

The Almanac reported there was a Kwanzaa celebration at Mt. Lebanon Library. While the community focuses on unity, I hope there will be a celebration for Orthodox Christmas.

счастливого Рождеста 

PAYT in Peters - Not so much UPDATED

When I saw this article in The Almanac, I thought, "This could be us if PAYT comes to fruition."

Delinquents owe $82,000 for garbage collection

Some residents are not paying as they throw in Peters Township, resulting in this:

PAYT does not appear to be working in Peters Township. Government officials are now dealing with legal action against delinquents. On the bright side, Mt. Lebanon commissioners can take all the legal action they want because of the agreement they have with their solicitor. It won't cost Mt. Lebanon a dime extra (think MTL's case against me), but the downside is that we will see more of what is pictured above. Not only will Mt. Lebanon be dealing with delinquents, we also have hoarders here. There, I said it. There are people in Mt. Lebanon who do not part with anything. Hoarding will increase if there will be a separate fee for solid waste removal.

Peters Township is rethinking their PAYT system.

He suggested that township officials consider changing how residents are charged for waste collection. 

“I think, as part of next year’s budget cycle, we should look seriously at the possibility of incorporating that into the taxes,” he said. “There are lots of reasons to do it. The downside is that it results in a substantial tax increase. But it eliminates these problems with liens, and it eliminates lot of the fees associated with trying to collect.”

Susan, how does this fit in with your memorandum to Keith? Are you going to call up The Almanac and complain that they printed such "trash?" I'm willing to bet that mentioning "hoarders" and "Mt. Lebanon" in the same sentence did not sit too well with you. But this is the real world.

Commissioners, are you listening?

Update January 6, 2017 12:36 PM

Then there is this one:

I could do this all day.

Where did Guy go?

I drove by Sen. Guy Reschenthaler's office today on Castle Shannon Blvd. and the place is empty except for the "For Rent " sign in the window. I wasn't able to see if he left a forwarding address on the door. Does anyone know where he is relocating?

Missing teen found

The missing teen from Baldwin Township was found.

Desperately Seeking Susan UPDATED

What would we do without the Public Information Officer? Susan Morgans sent out a memorandum to Keith McGill and shared her plans to make us feel good about solid waste and PAYT, now called SMART. Mt. Lebanon can count on Susan to put a positive spin on everything, including garbage.

PIO PAYT Memorandum









Update January 3, 2017 8:10 PM I thought it would be appropriate to include this portion of last week's Commissioners' Administrative Report from Keith McGill.

This isn't the first time there have been delivery issues with the print edition of mtl Magazine. See Update on mtl Magazine delivery

Tony Spills the Beans UPDATED

Tony admits that the archers are being reimbursed for their supplies, funded by taxpayers! Mt. Lebanon hired White Buffalo to reduce deer/vehicle collisions, not to focus on addressing residents' complaints on their properties. We all knew it is about the gardeners, and not trying to reduce deer/vehicle collisions. Tony also admits that he was hired to avoid media attention. Everything is a secret. See highlights in email exchange below.

"Deer numbers"

Update January 2, 2017 4:32 PM Oops! Tony has said too much. Keith is taking over now. Sorry, Nick. You've been shut off. Again.

Revamping the Stormwater Management Fee

I'm sure by now, you have all received your 2017 Stormwater Management Fee. Some people have referred to this fee as a "rain tax." Each single family home, duplex, or townhome is charged for one Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU), regardless of size. All other properties, including places of worship, are charged 1 ERU for each 2,400 square feet of impervious surface.

Every home is charged a yearly fee of $96.00, or $94.08 if paid by 1/31/2017. Some homes in Mt. Lebanon have leach beds, which do not feed into the stormwater management system, yet are still charged a stormwater fee. Starter homes in Mt. Lebanon are charged the same amount as the mansions in Virginia Manor.

While the commissioners contemplate PAYT or SMART, whichever is the acronym du jour, perhaps they should take a step back and look at how inequitable their rain tax is.

Also, take note of what Jordan Tax Service charges us for our sewage bill. It is a flat rate of $4.36 per bill.  I am paying, on average, close to a monthly 28% fee. I questioned this service charge with Jordan Tax Service, only to be told that it is what Mt. Lebanon agreed to pay. When bringing it to Andrew McCreery's attention, I was told that is what Jordan is charging us, and Mt. Lebanon has no control of it. It sounded negotiable to me. So which is it?

While on the subject of utilities, I spoke with an electrical supplier about negotiating a municipal rate. It is possible, but when I presented the idea to the commissioners, the idea was rejected.

When all of these inequities are corrected, I will be the first one to praise PAYT/SMART, but until then, it is just another bad idea coming from the Municipal Building.

Look Up Lebo, Look Down Lebo, Look Out Lebo - Which is it?

Another pedestrian was hit last month. The media report for the pedestrian who was hit near Mayfair on December 7th, was sent while I was on vacation.

From: Aaron Lauth [mailto:alauth@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Wednesday, December 28, 2016 9:33 AM
To: Lebo Citizens Reader
Subject: Re: hit pedestrian

On December 7, 2016 at approximately 10:07 am, Mt. Lebanon Police responded with other emergency services to the area of 205 Woodhaven Drive to investigate a reported motor vehicle versus pedestrian crash.  Upon arrival, it was determined that the crash had originally occurred on Mayfair Drive at its intersection with Washington Road.  The striking vehicle and driver were now in front of the residence at 205 Woodhaven Drive.  An investigation of Mayfair Drive at its intersection with Washington Road revealed that there were no adverse conditions and the roadway was dry/free of defects at the time of the crash. 

Officers spoke with the 59 yr old female driver who related that she was driving her vehicle, a 2014 white Nissan, eastbound in the right curb lane of Mayfair Drive near its intersection with Washington Road.  She observed a steady red signal at the intersection and noticed a large amount of traffic in the area. The driver related that she "may have been distracted" and began to turn right (southbound) onto Washington Road.  As she turned, she struck a pedestrian within the marked crosswalk on Mayfair Drive.  She then stopped her vehicle and checked on the pedestrian.  Officers did not observe any damage to the vehicle as a result of the crash.

Officers then spoke with the 16 yr old male pedestrian.  The pedestrian stated that he was walking northbound on the western side sidewalk along Washington Road approaching its intersection with Mayfair Drive.  He observed the "Walk" signal at the intersection and began to cross Mayfair Drive within the marked crosswalk.  As he was walking within the crosswalk, he was struck on his left side by the vehicle.  He then fell forward toward the ground.  The pedestrian related that as he fell, the vehicle rolled along/over his left leg, from foot to knee.  He complained of left ankle and shin pain as a result of the crash.  Officers observed that the pedestrian sustained minor abrasions to both knees as a result of the crash. MRTSA was requested to the scene for an evaluation. The pedestrian was ultimately transported to St. Clair Hospital by his father.

No other witnesses were identified for this incident.  The driver was ultimately issued a citation for the following violation of the PA Vehicle Code:

Section 3542(a) - Failure to Yield to Pedestrian in Crosswalk 

Aaron V. Lauth

Chief of Police

Mt Lebanon Police Department

555 Washington Road

Pittsburgh, PA  15228

(412)343-4015

alauth@mtlebanon.org

www.mtlebanonpd.org

 

FBI NA Session #264

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. 

Our 2017 Commission President UPDATED 3X

Pay no attention to the posted agenda for Tuesday's organizational meeting on the municipal website. The agenda is from last year. Kelly Fraasch will not be sworn in as president. Meet our new president.

President-elect David Brumfield

The Organizational Meeting begins at 8 PM on Tuesday, January 3, 2017.

Update December 30, 2016 7:22 PM The agenda listed under the weekly calendar is still incorrect; however, the correct agenda for Tuesday's meeting is posted under Agendas & Minutes. Steve Silverman is going to be vice-president. It looks like the ice rink project will have to be rebid. Perhaps the Sports Advisory Board should do some more fundraising. President-Elect Brumfield should bring that up at his next SAB meeting.

Update January 2, 2017 9:18 AM We're paying for a millage increase to fund the ice rink PLUS taking money from unassigned funds to replace revenue lost during the closure of the rink.

Update January 5, 2017 1:10 PM President-elect Donald Trump caught wind of President Dave Brumfield's presidential makeover and changed his iconic hairstyle for the inauguration. Sorry Dave.

I'm in the Washington Post

'Volunteer archers'

No mention of our densely populated community of 33,000 people packed in six square miles.
No mention that we have no idea where the killing is taking place, so that we could protect ourselves and our pets.
No mention that we are a walking community. No school buses here.

I wish Santa left me money under the tree to pursue this. It is madness.

Behind the Bubble - New Feature Coming To Lebo Citizens

Behind the Bubble – New Feature Coming to Lebo Citizens

by Jason Margolis

I am pleased to announce a new monthly feature coming to Lebo Citizens: Behind the Bubble.  

Through news and feature stories, this series will look take a journalistic stance towards one of the most fascinating, and often divisive, places to live in Western Pennsylvania.  Additionally, it will do so in a spirit of inquisitiveness, not partisanship.  I will be writing one story a month for one year beginning January 2017.

Behind the Bubble will ask questions and seek insight about what lies behind the surface just below, and beyond, the bubble’s rim.  Just below the bubble are the people, histories, aspirations, fears, and relationships that move Mt. Lebanon.  Just beyond the bubble’s rim is the bigger world that Mt. Lebanon models, eschews, interacts with, and turns away from.  Through more closely examining these cultures, Behind the Bubble will seek to expand the understandings of both the people within and outside this community.

On a personal note … When I was asked to contribute to Lebo Citizens, I initially declined.  First, I am busy parenting three young children.  Second, I have a demanding and intense job as a professor and department chair at Duquesne University.  

However, ultimately I saw this as an opportunity to return my roots as an English teacher and journalist in New York City.  There, I wrote articles for community newspapers, taught journalism, and was the faculty advisor to the student newspaper.  I remember how journalism – real journalism – could be a light in the darkness.  Journalism asks why and how, when others won’t even touch the what.

Unfortunately, here in Mt. Lebanon and beyond, real journalism is in some serious trouble.  While we wouldn’t expect anything other than gloss from municipal publications like Mt. Lebanon Magazine, many of our local papers have fallen short of asking these important questions.  This is not a phenomenon unique to Western Pennsylvania, as newspapers are shuttering their doors everywhere, or keeping only a safe, skeletal staff that supports on-line advertising.

The new real journalism is on line, in a flat world, though to get there you have to sift through a sea of “fake news.”  In creating and maintaining Lebo Citizens, Ms. Elaine Gillen – say what you will about the messenger’s manner – has turned over rocks for insight.  Anyone interested in learning more about journalism in today’s world should read through these pages carefully.  

I am honored to join Lebo Citizens for one year to contribute to this mission of real journalism within and beyond Mt. Lebanon – just below and beyond the bubble’s rim.  

Behind the Bubble - New Feature Coming to Lebo Citizens

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus...PLUS New Holiday Video

I'm taking a much needed break, so Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus and Happy New Year!

I saw Straight No Chaser a couple of weeks ago. These guys are great!





Update December 20, 2016 6:31 PM So much for taking that break. A few folks sent me several versions of this new video and asked me to post it. Fox Business channel (Fios 617) interviewed the creator of this video thirty minutes ago.

Courtesy of Richard Gideon:

Here's a suggestion for your "Christmas Video" posts from my favorite On-Line comedian: REMY!

Short bio: "Remy Munasifi (born June 16, 1980) is an Arab-American stand-up comedian,[2] parody musician and video artist who became anInternet celebrity after his production of comedic sketches based on Arabs under the name "GoRemy" on YouTube. His videos have gained over 89 million views as of March 2016." (Wikipedia)

Discussions continue on ‘SMART’ trash collection in Mt. Lebanon | The Almanac UPDATED 2X

A guest blogger who wishes to remain anonymous asked me to post this. If you have a post you would like me to share, email me at EGillen476@aol.com. 

Are people getting the message yet? Probably not!!!

"Baram asked commissioners to not use the $20,000 in the 2016 budget to “engage the community for the input needed to customize a possible program,” with the hope of spending it in 2017 for educational purposes."

NOT ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY FOR INPUT-- of course not! Better to use the $20,000 for indoctrination.

Discussions continue on ‘SMART’ trash collection in Mt. Lebanon

Then there is this from your blog:

"Mr. Meduho,
To continue to expend staff time to provide a response to numbers that are subject to change is an inefficient and fiscally irresponsible use of taxpayer funds, therefore there will be no further response to these requests."

In other words... they'll tell us what they want us to know when they're good and ready and not before.

Coupled with your RTK case and it's obvious who works for who.

Update December 15, 2016 2:39 PM Receipt for commissioners' pre-meeting meal. $119.50 for Lebo Subs.

Update December 16, 2016 6:58 AM The comment from Not Too Smart at 6:15 AM got me thinking about snow removal. This idea could save the municipality millions too. Will we get a tax decrease for saving Mt. Lebanon millions? Yeah, like that will happen. A reduction in services while our taxes increase is how our commissioners think. Our SMART commissioners will vote for it!

Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight

An earlier comment suggested I contact the ACLU concerning my Commonwealth Court affirmation.

If you are still interested in pursuing this case, I would suggest that you give Vic Walczak, the legal director of PA's ACLU, a call. I think he lives in Upper St. Clair, and see if he would be willing to take this case to the Pa Supreme Court. 

Thanks for all of your efforts to identify these hunting and shooting locations so that residents can warn their children to stay out of harms way, and try to protect the safety of their family and pets.

December 12, 2016 at 11:10 PM

I contacted the ACLU and received this reply:

From: Info <Info@aclupa.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Dec 14, 2016 8:59 am

 Thank you for contacting the ACLU with your question.  Unfortunately, the ACLU does not currently have a confidential system by which to process email complaints, or the resources to answer general questions about the law. 

 

The ACLU is a privately funded organization relying heavily on the services of volunteer attorneys.  We seek to preserve and extend certain constitutional principles, most of which are found in the Bill of Rights.  We are not a general provider of legal services.

 

We generally take only those cases in which the facts are not in substantial dispute and, more importantly, in which there is a significant civil liberties issue.  We give priority to cases where our participation can benefit a large class of people or lead to a positive change in the law.  Scarce resources are an unfortunate constraint, preventing us from taking many meritorious civil liberties cases.  As a result, we must be very selective in choosing which issues to address.

 

To obtain an answer to your question or other legal advice, we advise you to contact a private attorney or other legal services provider.   If you believe that your rights have been violated, you can complete and submit an online complaint form on our website at http://www.aclupa.org/our-work/legal/fileacomplaint/electronic-complaint-form , or you may fill out and mail in a general complaint form, which is available athttp://www.aclupa.org/downloads/intakequestionnaire.pdf More information about the types of cases we take is available at http://www.aclupa.org/legal/fileacomplaint.htm.

 

 

Info

ACLU of Pennsylvania

PO Box 60173

Philadelphia, Pa 19102

p: 215-592-1513

www.aclupa.org

Taking this case to the State Supreme Court is very expensive. I still haven't recovered from the first round at the Court of Common Pleas, thanks to our commissioners who appealed the PA Office of Open Records Final Determinations. My gofundme was helpful (thanks again to all who contributed) but left me with quite a legal bill. Unless Santa leaves me a check under the tree, I don't see how I can continue to pursue this. We don't have the right to know where or when arrows are flying or bullets are discharged in our densely populated community. I'm arranging a bus trip to Rolliers to meet with John in the paint department, so that he may advise us on soothing colors to paint our basements.*

Thanks, Kristen Linfante, for the sage advice.

*In case there are readers who do not recognize sarcasm, there is no bus trip to Rolliers.