I'll be right back, after this brief commercial...

I will be giving a free demonstration on making snap tags tomorrow, March 16, 2017 from 6-7:30 PM at Gloria Horn Sewing Studio. I will show you how to make a snap tag while I go over all the necessary materials and techniques. You will be able to make these tags on any Baby Lock embroidery machine.

Come to Gloria's shop, located at 300 Castle Shannon Blvd. Please call to register 412-344-2330, just so I make sure I have enough hand-outs for everyone. I'm bringing my latest snap tags/key fobs too!

Inhaler and quarter are not included.

Game Commission supersedes Allegheny County Health Department?

It is a known fact that Mt. Lebanon has a rat problem. Search "rat amnesty" on this blog. It is also well known that Allegheny County Health Department has rules and regulations for rodent and pest vector control.

Allegheny County Health Department Rules and Regulations

The Health Department shut down Merlin Benner. Remember this photo?

But things changed drastically since Tony DeNicola entered the picture, and Keith McGill became manager. The municipality became the Mt. Lebanon CIA leading covert operations. The commissioners are under the impression that the PA Game Commission supersedes the Allegheny County Health Department.

Commissioner Steve McLean finally responded to my numerous emails concerning bait.

Q: Was White Buffalo in compliance with the Allegheny County Health Department? He wasn't last year.

A: White Buffalo has complied with the State Game Commission requirements and that the state requirements ascend the County, similar to how Federal regulation can ascend state. So White Buffalo was in compliance with the State and thus with Allegheny County

With our terrible rat problem, wouldn't the commissioners want to comply with Health Department inspectors?

Q 1: What kind of bait was being used last year? This year?
Q 2: What mechanism or feeder was used to distribute the bait last year? This year?
A: I grouped questions 1&2 together - The bait and mechanism used is determined by White Buffalo and is not disclosed to the municipality and is confidential to White Buffalo as proprietary. Also White Buffalo is in compliance with the permit issued by PA.

Did you read that, Allegheny County Health Department Inspectors? It is all proprietary. How many other businesses get away with those answers? I'm betting that nobody else tells you that.

Anyone care to contact Allegheny County Health Department and let them know that the PA Game Commission and Mt. Lebanon don't give a rat's ass about them?

March 12 - March 18, 2017

It's Sunshine Week. Do something about it.

This is YOUR government UPDATED including response from Tony

Nick Meduho submitted a Right To Know on February 22, 2017 and received this response on March 1. Nick can file an appeal with the Office of Open Records, but what is the point of that? Mt. Lebanon will just take him to Court of Common Pleas if the OOR rules in Nick's favor. Today, Nick emailed the municipality these questions and received no response.

“Does anyone know who has possession of the trail cameras that were used during the archery hunt that were billed to the taxpayers?

Where exactly are they now?

Anyone??”

Update March 10, 2017 9:09 AM Sorry to report that this update does not include answers to Nick M.'s questions. What I wanted to share is The Almanac's article Deer sharpshooting operation ends in Mt. Lebanon. When information from the municipality is scarce, residents tend to cling to every word, looking for answers. Here is what I got out of Luke Campbell's column.

“I don’t think anybody was expecting 70 degree weather in February,” municipal manager Keith McGill said. “When it gets that warm the deer are less attracted to the bait because they don’t need to expend as much energy. There is also a whole lot more human activity.”

As I pointed out previously, "volunteer" archers started hunting in September, in warm weather and no bait, and killed 36 deer while Tony DeNicola charged us $9,000 for non-existing trail cameras, plastic bags, and zip ties. That came to $250 per deer, using "volunteers."

Campbell goes on to report:

The goal of the commission was to ultimately reduce the deer-vehicular collisions by 50 percent over the course of five years only grew further away with 122 accidents reported to Mt. Lebanon police. Those crashes in 2016 increased in every month other than two – October and December – in 2015 when only 73 collisions were reported.

Again, the "five year" window seems to be subjective. Are we in Year 2? Year 3? Year 4? Whatever it takes to sell the program. Repeatedly, I have been asking for the percentage of deer/car collisions to total collisions - a true measure. We get nothing.

McGill explains:

“The number one thing has always been safety,” McGill said. “Residents have requested an aerial survey but deer don’t recognize borders and don’t stay in one place. Accessibility is the question.”

but in the next paragraph:

density of deer remains high in certain parts of the community according to DeNicola.

Our manager tells us that deer don't stay in one place, while the charlatan claims that deer do stay in one place - mostly within Virginia Manor borders.

Meanwhile, the manager, PIO, and commission continue to blacklist residents.

Update March 12, 2017 6:29 PM Nick M. emailed Tony DeNicola today and got some answers. Our commission could have easily done that. Our manager will probably intervene again and tell Tony to direct all emails to him, as he has in the past. Your  power plays are getting really boring, Keith and commission.
Email correspondence from Tony DeNicola in reference to trail cameras.

Dear Pass Time and groad 570 UPDATED

John Hayes has yet another deer story about Mt. Lebanon in yesterday's paper. Mount Lebanon, Michigan town have different approaches to deer problem The usual commenters to John Hayes' biased reporting include pro-kill Pass Time (we all know who that is) and anti-kill groad 570. Both read my blog. So this post is for the two of you.

My buddy, Pass Time, reminded us of this letter sent by the PA Game Commission to Keith McGill on February 5, 2016. The letter came as a complete surprise to State Representative Dan Miller and Commissioner Kelly Fraasch because of the positive meeting Dan set up with Mt. Lebanon and the PA Game Commission. I kept this voice mail on my phone for over a year, waiting for the right time to share. I believe the time is right.




I am also addressing this post to groad 570 since he had the following to say:

I'm sure if the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners stood together as one and demanded that they be allowed to implement a safe approach to deer mgt in their community, and requested the support from their state representatives, that the PGC would grant them their request.

groad 570, as you can hear above, our state representative and commission did stand together as one and asked for sterilization, but it got us nowhere. When the Game Commission has John Hayes and Susan Morgans working with them, nothing can stop the PA Game Commission. They will NEVER approve sterilization because no deer are being killed. Literally, the PA Game Commission is calling the shots here.

So Pass Time, rest assured that you will continue to get deer killed in Virginia Manor. John Hayes had this as his final statement.

In the coming months, commissioners in Ann Arbor and Mt. Lebanon will vote on including the cost of deer management in their 2018 budgets.

What will the deer management be? According to Tony DeNicola's final "sharpshooting" report,

The Commission will need to decide whether to emphasize added non-traditional lethal management activities in very tightly developed areas or transition to sterilization in these areas of the community. 

What are non-traditional lethal management activities that Tony DeNicola uses?

• Live capture followed by euthanasia (More trap and shoot. Think Merlin the Magnificent). 
• Non-hunting participants scaring deer toward tree stands using ATVs. Deer seeking refuge were dispersed to hunters in tree stands by non-hunting participants on foot or in off-road vehicles to increase the likelihood of harvest. 

Mt. Lebanon commissioners strive to please those in Ward 1 and will continue to include deer killing in the 2018 budget. The budget will be approved by the current commissioners: John Bendel, Dave Brumfield, Steve Silverman, Steve McLean, and Kelly Fraasch. Dave Brumfield is not going to be on the commission in January. We're hoping that incumbent Steve Silverman will not win, but he will still be able to vote for more deer killing either way.I'm sure if the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners stood together as one and demanded that they be allowed to implement a safe approach to deer mgt in their community, and requested the support from their state representatives, that the PGC would grant them their request.

Update March 6, 2017 3:29 PM Keith McGill continues to give Nick Meduho one word answers. The cost of the 2017 "sharpshooting" program was $44,868.50. Fifty five deer were killed for $44,868.50. That comes to $815.79 per deer. Of those 55 killed, 22 were fawns, which would have not been born had we sterilized the deer. The foundation was going to pay for the sterilization and would have cost us a minimal amount of money, but the deer haters convinced the commission to continue killing deer at a much higher cost.

PAYT is DEAD. Again.

Talk about recycling. PAYT was declared dead on April 30, 2015. See PAYT is DEAD. Then on May 27, 2015, I wrote that PAYT is being recycled again. Highlights from the commission meeting Fast forward to January 3, 2017 when Susan Morgans was going to make us feel good about solid waste and PAYT, now called SMART, in her memorandum to Manager Keith McGill. Desperately Seeking Susan UPDATED

Somehow I missed this news from the March 3, 2017 PG. Beverly Road may get more parking; pay-as-you-throw tossed in Mt. Lebanon

"After nearly an hour of debate Monday, commissioners decided not to further pursue a pay-as-you-throw garbage collection program, after analysis indicated that it could cost some residents more than the current system." 

“Not one person has expressed an interest in pay-as-you-throw, but they are interested in weekly recycling,” Commissioner Stephen McLean said about the emails and calls he has received on the issue."

PAYT is DEAD. Again.

State releases SAT scores for Pittsburgh-area high schools

#3

#2

#1

March 2017 Behind the Bubble UPDATED

She’s Running!: Charlotte Stephenson on Women in Government, Fiscal Responsibility, and Elections That Matter

by Jason Margolis

For Charlotte Stephenson, this is the right time to run for Mt. Lebanon Commissioner of Ward 2.

It’s right for her personally, as she is at “a time in my life where I have the time to dedicate to doing the homework necessary to do good work for the community. I would enjoy doing that.”

Charlotte Stephenson announces candidacy for Ward 2 Commissioner

It’s also right for her politically, as she believes the world needs more women in government, that the MTL Commission has “not been responsive to the people” who are paying for what they vote on, and no other viable Republicans candidates are running.

Fresh off attending a “Ready to Run” conference at Chatham University designed to encourage the female “51% minority” to have more formal input in the political system, Stephenson has been out canvassing for signatures around Mt. Lebanon. She is working to join the currently only female Commissioner, Kelly Fraasch of Ward 5, on a Commission that some have called an ‘old boys club.’

Speaking to the way Fraasch has reportedly been treated in decidedly gendered ways on the Commission, Stephenson said, “I have noticed that, and it needs to be changed. Kelly and I see eye-to-eye on many things. I have always wanted to work with Kelly, and I think we would work well together. She is level-headed, makes good decisions, and does her homework. I wouldn’t just vote same as Kelly [because we are both women], it would be based on what is right. But a lot of times she is right.”

However, gender issues are far from the only thing motivating Stephenson to run for Ward 2 Commissioner. Speaking on some of the more controversial issues in the community, Stephenson called the municipality’s approach to deer management a “staggering fail.” She added that “it has not been a successful program. Whether you are for or against it, it isn’t working. Deer-car collisions went up 67%.” While acknowledging that “We probably need deer management of some kind,” Stephenson emphasized that it should be non-violent and “well-thought-out … We need a middle ground.”

Describing herself as “fiscally conservative,” Stephenson commented on the general financial state of the municipality: “We need to hold the line on taxes. I don’t want to see any increases.” She also said that there are likely savings to be made in collaboration with the school district, referencing the new multi-purpose rifle range as an example. Stephenson also promised as Commissioner to “keep her eye on the ball” for ways various collaborations could reduce the tax burden in what she sees as a high-taxed community.

Stephenson also expressed concerns about the way the current Mt. Lebanon governmental structure works more to serve special interests and neglects the recommendations of its own boards. As an illustration, she spoke about the recent recommendations of the Environmental Sustainability Board regarding the artificial turf project being ignored by the Commission. Instead, Stephenson believes that the “Sports Lobby” overpowered the Commission with their “clout.” She added, “Sports are important, but there are a lot of other things that are important too. This special interest group has driven a lot of things, especially with the turf.”

Stephenson commented that she believes when people volunteer their time on a board, the Commission has an obligation to heavily consider their recommendation – not personal agendas. Otherwise, “It discourages involvement,” and she warned, “I don’t think we are using people as a resource.”

As she has been walking around Mt. Lebanon, where she has lived for the past 32 years, obtaining signatures has also been an opportunity to hear what is of concern to the residents. Stephenson says the top issues she hears the most about are Pay As You Throw (PAYT), concerns about the serious drug issues in the community, the need for a dog park, and fears connected to the municipality’s spot tax assessment program. People are also concerned about the physical conditions of many of Mt. Lebanon’s structures, as is Stephenson, who added that “We own properties that we are not maintaining. We should be reluctant to take on more things until we take care of what we have … I am a big stickler for taking care of what we have first.”

Stephenson said that not only is she “ready to serve, and ready to work hard” but that this is something she has been working towards her entire adult life. Indeed, her community service resume in Mt. Lebanon includes active involvement with the MTL Veterans Committee, the MTL Drug Task Force, the Denis Theater Foundation, the MTL Foundation for Educational Involvement, and being past-president of the MTL Extended Day program. She also has been involved at the Allegheny County level, including initiating a “Visit a Vet” program to support veterans who are on their own.

Ultimately, Stephenson said she is running for Ward 2 Commissioner because “elections matter.” If you want to reach out to candidate Charlotte Stephenson, she said she is eager to hear what is on your mind. Stephenson can be reached at: stephensoncs@verizon.net.

Update May 6, 2017 11:30 AM Charlotte's campaign website is http://www.votecharlottestephenson.com/

This nonsense has to stop!

Elaine Cappucci appears to be running again for School Board. You may remember that she had to resign because of a family member interviewing for a teaching position in the Mt. Lebanon School District. The family member was hired. Elaine is now running on the same ballot as Mary Birks. Both are huge Timmy supporters. Here is the information that was sent to me this morning.

I will accept anonymous comments for this post, to protect the identity of those who identified this situation. 

This must stop!!!!!!!

Coincidence? I think not.

A Lebo Citizens reader brought the following to my attention based on the Commission meeting agenda for Monday, February 27, 2017 .  Aren't salaries over a million dollars?

I find it odd that we comment about the high salaries on your blog regarding the library then a few weeks later they want to pass an ordinance so the library follows municipal rules and policies so they have more oversight especially when it comes to hiring employees.

Bill No. 3-17

"...fees may be modified or added by the manager at any time." UPDATED

I saw an ad on mtl Magazine's Facebook feed the other day. Sending a copy of the ad and what I thought was a simple question turned out to be too difficult for our manager to answer. My question was, "How much is Lanz Associates paying for this advertising?"

After the usual multiple emails exchange with our manager, Keith McGill wrote:

"As such I cannot provide you with a specific cost for this ad."

That is very disturbing news to me. On one hand, I'm told that fees may be modified or added by the manager at any time, but on the other hand, Keith has no idea what the cost was for the ad. Very disturbing.

Here is the email exchange.

February 23, 2017 email exchange with Keith McGill re mtl FB advertising

It is frustrating to constantly hear, "I don't know" or "I do not have that information" from the person who SHOULD know or have that information. If it is not available, how about taking that extra step to find the answer?

Update February 25, 2017 1:46 PM I heard back again from Keith McGill. Here is his reply:

From:	Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To:	egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc:	Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Subject:	Re: Free advertising?
Date:	Sat, Feb 25, 2017 10:01 am

---

Good morning Elaine,

As I indicated in my previous response, sponsored content is a new product being offered to advertisers. As such, we are still trying to determine appropriate pricing.

It is possible that the pricing may need to be adjusted for online and sponsored content based on advertiser interest and response. This will take some time to determine.  I anticipate that we will be able to include the prices in our media kit next year.

I think the important thing is that the magazine has identified another revenue opportunity that will potentially allow us to continue to deliver important information on municipal programs and services to our residents in a cost effective manner, with the added benefit of promoting what a truly exceptional community we live in.

Keith 

On Fri, Feb 24, 2017 at 6:10 PM, egillen476@aol.com <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

Hi Keith,

Will you please find out what the specific cost is for this type of advertising next week? It is disturbing how often we hear, "I don't know" or "I don't have that information" when we ask questions these days.

Commissioners, would you please follow up with Keith?

Thanks and have a wonderful weekend, everyone.

Elaine

Sharpshooting is OVER!!! UPDATED 2X (Proprietary info!)

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


Mt. Lebanon has ended sharpshooting phase of deer management due to current/projected warm weather. More info on homepage,www.mtlebanon.org.

Deer Management Update (February 23, 2017)

SHARPSHOOTING HAS CONCLUDED. The sharpshooting phase of this year's deer management program has ended because of the unseasonably warm weather, which is projected to continue. There has been diminished activity at bait sights because deer now have other food sources, so the 
municipality cut the program short rather than expend additional funds for what would be a diminishing return. 

Under the contract, either party has the right to end the program with notice; payment is only for time and materials expended as of the date the program ends. The municipality and White Buffalo, the contractor, agreed that ending the program now was the most fiscally responsible course of action.

White Buffalo will provide a final report in the near future, which will be posted here. 

Update February 23, 2017 8:44 PM Now it's a five year program.

“It was the fiscally responsible decision,” said municipal spokeswoman Susan Morgans. “They reached about half the [2016-17] goal … but there was not a sense of disappointment. We’re just two years into a five-year program.”

http://www.post-gazette.com/local/south/2017/02/23/Mt-Lebanon-calls-off-rifle-cull/stories/201702230185

Update February 24, 2017 3:56 PM DeNicola told me last year that the type of bait and how it is distributed is proprietary. Here is how he does it in Cincinnati.

This is DeNicola spreading corn over in Cincinnati last month. No bait stations.

Commissioners, please save Christmas for discriminating residents

I just read in The Almanac's Lebo commission mulls brick street policy the most stupid reason for keeping bricked streets in Mt. Lebanon.

It’s become a tradition for Yvette Yescas and her family to drive around various Mt. Lebanon neighborhoods during the holiday season to capture the Christmas spirit. From the variety of lights and decorations, Yescas, a member of the Historic Preservation Board in Mt. Lebanon, directs the route based on another allure to fully encapsulate the experience.

She and her family specifically choose brick streets in the community as the primary route for their adventure.

This isn't the first time the subject of brick streets has been discussed. Back in 2014, the commissioners voted to replace brick roads with asphalt, with Ward 1 commissioner John Bendel being the only commissioner voting against the policy. Mt. Lebanon residents opposed to loss of brick roads

The Historic Preservation Board also produced a remodeling guide at taxpayers' expense at the tune of $25,000, also for Ward 1's Virginia Manor.

If history repeats itself, the Historic Preservation Board will ask the commission to revisit their remodeling guide, as well. I wonder if there will be any recommendations for Christmas lights and decorations in their remodeling guide.

We're using the wrong matrix UPDATED with invoice

A friend reminded me of the deer management presentation* held on June 22, 2015 at the Fine Arts Theatre. The presentation is still available on the municipal website. Here is one page that confirms what we have been saying all along. Mt. Lebanon has bad drivers.

Instead of looking at number of deer/car collision numbers, we need to concentrate on the percentage of deer/car collisions over the total number of collisions. According to the June 22, 2015 slide above, we're at around 8%. The rate of total collisions has sky rocketed, yet deer collision rates are 8%. We shouldn't be measuring deer/car collisions without considering the TOTAL amount of collisions. Figures don't lie and liars figure. And cost us thousands of dollars. 

*The same presentation where we weren't told that Jody Maddock worked for Tony DeNicola.

Update February 20, 2017 1:33 PM Sorry, Mt. Lebanon, but you are deceiving the public. Mt. Lebanon deer archery statistics lower in 2016 Keith McGill was quoted as saying

“We’re hopeful that we will start to see a reduction in the deer-vehicular accidents,” McGill said. “That has always been the goal of the program.” 

How about concentrating on reducing the total crashes while looking at the percentage rate of deer-vehicular accidents against that total? Of course there has been an increase of deer-vehicular accidents! The total crashes are increasing at an alarming rate, yet the percentage of deer/car collisions seems to be around 8% per year.

Paul Curtis was the bozo who estimated that we have approximately 800 deer in Mt. Lebanon, based on the number of accidents. Curtis had to be told how big Mt. Lebanon is, and never stepped foot here.

Cornell's Paul Curtis and DeNicola's buddy

WE HAVE BAD DRIVERS!

Update February 21, 2017 5:19 PM Three person days @ $1500/day. 2017 White Buffalo Archery Program Invoice Seven returning archers from 2016 (some were off-duty police officers) were re-trained for $4500. From the municipal website:

Controlled Archery Hunt: 2016-2017 Season: White Buffalo, Inc., a wildlife management firm, was hired to screen, train and manage the archers who conducted a bow hunt last fall. The archers were required to show experience through harvest verification and were required to have a Bow Hunter Education Certification before beginning. The hunt took place on the following public properties: Conservation District (Connor/Terrace Road), Golf Course, McNeilly Park, Twin Hills and Robb Hollow Park as well as the adjacent public works property. Off-duty police officers were the only hunters permitted to hunt on public properties. In addition, interested residents worked directly with White Buffalo to donate their properties for the program. A total of 36 deer were removed through this program. Total cost: $9,000. 

Baiters Gonna Bait - no, the big news is below! OMG! UPDATED 3X

A man driving a four door grey Nissan pickup, much like this one except without running boards and roof rails, has been driving in the Sunset Hills area putting out bait in a white bucket. The Allegheny County Health Department has warned Mt. Lebanon that this method of distributing bait is not permitted.

Baiters have been walking along Old Farm near Brafferton and Fruithurst. The Nissan has been parked in different spots over the last week in the same area. The woods, located behind those houses on Fruithurst, Brafferton and Old Farm, are private property. Additionally, deer have been gathering around Newburn and headed toward Beverly Road. Lovely. More deer/car collisions.

Don't forget how deer are being baited toward Cochran Road, in Virginia Manor. Who is the mastermind baiting so close to busy roads? Wait. Let me guess. The guy who couldn't show up tonight to tell us how many deer were killed by archers. 

Oh my gosh! The archery report summary has been published on the Municipal website. THIRTY SIX deer were killed. We paid $9000 for thirty six deer to be killed by volunteers. There was one unrecovered deer by the WBI group and one not recovered from the Hunter Cooperative; resulting in a ~5% loss rate. From the report:

The consensus for this decline seems to be due to the decline of the deer population in their hunting areas.

I am so fucking mad. DeNicola convinced the asshole commissioners to spend almost $84,000 to kill more deer in the current round of "sharpshooting." AND THERE IS A DECLINE OF THE DEER POPULATION? Are you fucking kidding me?

Update February 15, 2017 2:28 PM I asked for an explanation to the numbers of deer kills in the public areas. I never seem to fully understand the logic.

Email exchange - Gillen and McGill 021517.

Update February 15, 2017 11:09 PM Ask any question about the deer killing and you'll hear "I don't know."

1. Why weren't there any deer killed in Robb Hollow or Public Works? "I don't know."
2. What kind of bait is being used to lure the deer? "I don't know."
3. How is the bait being distributed? "I don't know."
4. Is Jared Hudson doing the baiting? "I don't know."*
5. When will the sharpshooting begin? "I don't know."
6. Will a LeboALERT be sent out alerting residents when sharpshooting will begin? "I don't know."
7. Why aren't the specific hours listed on the website's FAQ? "I don't know."

Will someone make an audio recording of Kimberly Schevtchuk's comments from last night, please? It pretty much went like what I listed above, except for #1 and #4. I asked about Robb Hollow and Public Works. Because of Kimberly's direct questioning, the municipality issued a LeboALERT today and updated the website to show the specific hours of "sharpshooting."

*Mr. Meduho,

The sharpshooting contract is a time and materials contract between White Buffalo and the municipality. As such, all contact with the contractor will be through Mt. Lebanon to ensure that we are effectively controlling costs associated with the program.

 Knowing the identity of the individual placing the bait returns no value to the municipality.

 Keith

Update February 16, 2017 12:55 PM I am posting an audio recording of Kimberly Schevtchuk's comments here.

Brick Street Policy - 25 minutes, Archery Hunt - 10 minutes

The agenda for tonight's Commission Discussion Session is posted here. If Dave Brumfield adheres to the schedule, "Ian McMeans, Matt Bagaley and others will present the policy for discussion" for twenty-five minutes. Ian McMeans is the assistant manager. Matt Bagaley is from Gateway Engineering. I wonder who the "others" are.

Twenty-five minutes for a discussion about brick streets sounds like a long time to "review of possible policy for the replacement of brick streets." I bet high maintenance Ward 1 gets their way again.

Keith McGill, not Tony DeNicola, will be providing a review of 2016 controlled archery hunt report. In ten minutes or less. What a gig! Tony DeNicola, Bonnie Cross, and Susan Morgans account for almost $500,000 of the municipal budget. Manager McGill earns way too much to answer emails from residents and be the frontman for the deer killing. 

On another note, core drilling took place at Public Works. This is in preparation for the Public Works Facility and Firing Range project at the tune of $6,735,000. I wonder if Tony will lure the deer inside the firing range to kill them.