Lebo Citizens

Saturday, March 7, 2015

They ARE in Bird Park

Those dirty bastards would never answer our questions. None of them! Not Benner. Not Feller. Not McDonough. None of the commissioners.

I hope you rot in Hell. Not Kelly Fraasch.

All of these photos were taken this afternoon, March 7, 2015.

How many feet is this from the nursery school at St. Paul's? From the Children's Room at Christ Scientist?

GPS Coordinates at Bird Park

GPS Coordinates for Children's Room Christ Scientist

GPS Coordinates for Playground at St. Paul's

GPS Coordinates at St. Paul's Nursery School

St. Paul's Episcopal Nursery School

Children's Room at Christ Scientist Church

The gate is up!!! There is a camera behind the corral, up quite high in a tree. There is a lot of brush towards the trap.

Would someone calculate how many feet Mushroom at Sunnyhill Unitarian Church is from Bird Park?

Update March 7, 2015 6:32 PM Buried Gas Line on Connor Road. I told you!

03.07.15 Connor Road

Does Columbia Gas know that Benner will be firing explosives? What about People's Gas? 800.764.0111. This is where Benner will be shooting his bullets, some or many of which will hit and penetrate the ground. All hell will break loose if he even scrapes one of those gas lines. Sounds like an emergency call to me!

Corrected label

About the Golf Course, sent by a Lebo Citizens reader:

Here are 3 photos taken at the "Golf Course" corral today. I thought originally this was actually in the boundary of the golf course fencing but it is not. (You can see in the one photo titled "downhill side.2" the golf course fence in the background. Very close.

The site is very easily accessible from the Shop N Save parking lot (off of Castle Shannon Blvd).

Accessing this is very simple and the depth of the woods it sits in is not wide at all. Legally access it via a well-worn, flat path. Directions: Park in the Shop N Save lot on Castle Shannon Blvd, using the driveway on the left (if facing the store). Park as soon as you get into the lot, as close to the left side as possible. Look toward the far left corner of the lot, and you will see very visibly a flat path leading away from the lot across a relatively open expanse, before entering just a small bit of woods. Walk ~2 min or so on the flat path and you'll see it on your right. Path seems fairly well-travelled (2 people were walking dogs through in the 15 min I was there.)

Golf Course Downhill Side 2

Golf Course Downhill side

Golf Course Uphill Side

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

Friday, March 6, 2015

Change Orders for March, including a transfer of up to $538,000 of funds

From the March 9, 2015 School Board Meeting Agenda:

Change Orders for High School Renovation Project – The change orders for the high school project totals $55,207 from the Contingency and $65,938 from soft costs, the Capital Budget and insurance claims. The change orders are as follows:

a. GC-111-270 to Nello for $31,361 for doors, hardware and partitions,

b. EL-77-271 to Farfield for $23,846 for conduits, door openers, power changes and light fixtures,

c. EL-78-272 to Farfield for $4,396 for power and data lines in new library,

d. GC-112-273 to Nello for $1,173 for glass and door work,

e. IN-11-13 to Nello for $41,951 for repairs to damaged wood floor,

f. IN-12-14 to Farfield for $15,758 for repairs for water damage, and

g. ME-33-274 to McKamish for $2,660 for fume hood.

Additionally, the Board is asked to permit the transfer of up to $538,000 from the FF&E Soft Cost Budget to the Contingency Budget. The Superintendent recommends approval of these change orders and the budgetary transfer.

Why is it always the wrong one resigning from the School Board?

Another good guy has submitted his resignation to the Mt. Lebanon Board of School Directors. According to the March 9, 2015 School Board Agenda, the Board will accept the resignation of school director Scott D. Goldman.

Scott, I want to thank you for your years of service on the school board. You were fiscally responsible and didn't cave in to the pressures of an out-of-control school board. Thank you for your hard work, honesty and transparency.

You will be missed, Scott. Good luck.

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

merlin@wildlife-specialists.com

www.wildlife-specialists.com

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

merlin@wildlife-specialists.com

www.wildlife-specialists.com

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

merlin@wildlife-specialists.com

www.wildlife-specialists.com

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

merlin@wildlife-specialists.com

www.wildlife-specialists.com

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

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

The Realtors AREN'T Happy with Mt. Lebanon

A new website just went live. http://endthenewcomertax.com/ Paid for by the Realtors® Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh, the website lists this about the Newcomer Tax:

It’s an Unfair, Forced Assessment on New Home Buyers
It Targets Home Buyers to Pay Higher Taxes
It Discourages Home Sales

Call to action:

Write to the Commissioners
Attend the March 10, 2015 Commission Meeting

Looks like the March 10 commission meeting is going to be a humdinger. The commissioners may want to move the meeting because we anti-deer cull people packed the room last time and promise to bring more Mt. Lebanon people to the March 10, 2015 meeting. We're also staging another protest at 5:30. Newcomers and Realtors are welcome!

Update March 4, 2015 3:57 PM END THE NEWCOMER TAX: Put Our Collective Voices to Work

The REALTORS® Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh (RAMP) is calling for greater consistency and transparency within the assessment appeals process in the municipality of Mt. Lebanon, and other communities in Allegheny County. Properties for sale are being targeted for tax reassessments, placing higher taxes on incoming residents.

Update March 4, 2015 5:52 PM The Almanac | Realtors Association fighting Mt. Lebanon newcomer tax

Update March 4, 2015 7:40 PM RAMP has sent a mailing to all Mt Lebanon residents who may be directly affected. (Postcard copy attached)

Update March 4, 2015 10:09 PM Mt. Lebanon appeals ahead

Mt. Lebanon will appeal 26 more residential property assessments in 2015, after reaching back as far as the late 1980s to find the most underassessed homes based on sale prices.

Update March 9, 2015 6:06 PM Municipalities Call for More Property Tax Assessments

A Comprehensive Letter From A Mt. Lebanon Resident UPDATED

The following recommendation to withdraw the Capture and Euthanize Contract was sent to our Mt. Lebanon Commissioners, Municipal Manager, Mt. Lebanon Police Chief, Solicitor, and president of Wildlife Specialists, LLC.

Update March 4, 2015 4:04 PM The Almanac | Mt. Lebanon deer plan is inhumane

Monday, March 2, 2015

Santoni: Hunting the Deer Hunters

Santoni: Hunting the Deer Hunters | Backstory
blog.triblive.com/sbts/2015/03/02/santoni-mt-lebanon-hunting-the-deer-hunters

That is exactly what many residents have been doing in recent days, "Hunting the Deer Hunters."

Mt. Lebanon hasn't made it easy for us. Allegedly, Mt. Lebanon was to notify neighbors and haven't done a very good job. I have asked repeatedly for neighbors bordering these killing fields to share their letters, and not one of them have been able to say that they received anything from the municipality.

How many received this LeoALERT and checked the agenda to see if anything was mentioned about killing in the parks?

From: LeboALERT
To: EGillen476
Subject: LeboALERT: The Mt. Lebanon Park...
Date: Mon, Mar 2, 2015 3:37 pm

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.

The Mt. Lebanon Parks Advisory Board meeting agenda for March 3, 2015 has been posted to the website. View agendas http://mtlebanon.org/Agendas

Well, I checked and there was nothing mentioned. Here is the agenda: http://mtlebanon.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2295

This is the Environmental Sustainability Board, Kristen Linfante, and artificial turf ALL OVER AGAIN! Why isn't Commissioner Steve Silverman addressing this issue with the Parks Advisory Board?

At the last commission meeting, a very emotional resident brought up a video of what happens during a corral and kill and had the commissioners confirm that they watched the video. They all said that they saw it. Here is the video. I won't watch it, but it is a daily journal of corralling wild boar using this method. http://jagerpro.com/hog-control/trapping-equipment.aspx What the hell!!!!

Saturday, February 28, 2015

Deer Protest on Connor Road

I'm sorry I missed today's deer protest on Connor Road. Logistically, it was a poor choice for a protest. But that was exactly the point to selecting this site. Surrounded by natural gas transmission lines and Duquesne Light equipment, as well as luring deer across a heavily traveled road is a formula for disaster.

McNeilly Park, 990 feet away from Seton LaSalle, just 10 feet shy of the 1,000 ft. restriction, demonstrates that they don't know how to use a GPS. And the commissioners don't have a problem with these guys firing guns. It is also pretty slimy that Wildlfe Specialists LLC. and the municipality are willing to cut it so close by a few feet. A Lebo Citizens reader has an appointment on Monday with the Seton LaSalle school principal.

Protesters rally against deer cull on Connor Road

https://twitter.com/PG_Czebiniak/status/571760390809493504/photo/1

Protesters demonstrate against Mt. Lebanon deer culling program

Keith Hodan | Trib Total Media

Cull Protesters Demonstrate in Mt. Lebanon

Mt. Lebanon residents protesting.
Photo credit: Tim Lawson/KDKA

Opponents of Mt. Lebanon deer cull protest at corral site

“They want to shoot a gun where there is high traffic, gas lines, and power equipment,” Ms. Chicchi said, pointing to a small yellow flag, which she said indicates gas lines, sticking out of the ground on the side of the road.

“In addition, members of the community needed to alert the proper authorities that neither the Mt. Lebanon commission or Wildlife Specialists LLC applied for a gas permit to shoot where gas lines are. In addition to that, one of the cull sites, McNeilly Park, is approximately 300 feet behind a gas station. That’s putting the public in harm’s way.”

In the same article:

Robert Grimm, 56, also of Mt. Lebanon, has been a hunter for more than 40 years and was holding a bright neon-orange sign reading, “Real Sportsmen Say No Deer Corrals.” He came to the protest to give a view on the issue from a “sportsman’s perspective.”