Gun Safety, Play Dates, Mt. Lebanon School District, and PA HB 1168

The following appeared in the Washington Elementary Newsletter over the weekend:

Community News

Having "The Talk" About Guns

Don't miss this important information from Mt. Lebanon Chief of Police Aaron V. Lauth: Here's the scenario...you schedule a play date for after school with your child's classmate. You've asked their classmate's parent the tough questions..."what time should I come pick them up?"... "should I send a snack?"...maybe even, "do you have an extra car seat so my child is safe and secure on the drive to your house?" Have you ever considered asking the parent if they have any unsecured firearms in their home?  It's not a question that is regularly thought of or one that is always easy to ask. Consider the following information and decide for yourself if this is an important question to consider asking. With an estimated 270 million civilian-owned firearms in the U.S. -- nearly one for every man, woman, and child -- the odds are good that there's a gun (if not several) located someplace where your child spends time. If that fact doesn't give you pause, this one will: A study published inPediatrics found that nearly 1.7 million children under age 18 live with a loaded and unsecured gun in the house. It could be on a closet shelf, in a drawer, or under a mattress -- where a child can easily reach it. Yet few parents raise the issue of firearms before letting their kid play at someone else's home. "Most parents who own guns are responsible about keeping them locked, unloaded, and stowed away safely," says Beth Ebel, M.D., a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. "Yet nearly 40 percent of gun-owning households with children have an unlocked gun to which a child might gain access." Since 1988, the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program has been promoting firearm safety in schools and youth groups as well as through law-enforcement agencies. Its main points: If you see a gun, 1. Stop. 2. Don't touch. 3. Leave the area. 4. Tell an adult. MLPD Crime Prevention Officers utilize and teach kids these key points during some of their safety lessons in the elementary schools throughout the district. Unfortunately, research shows that most kids can't resist the lure of handling a gun, even after they've been warned repeatedly not to do so. "Children can recite what to do if they find a gun and still do the wrong thing when it counts," says Raymond Miltenberger, Ph.D., professor of applied behavior analysis at the University of South Florida, in Tampa. As proof, he cites his studies published in Pediatrics, which showed that 4- and 5-year-olds who participated in verbal safety training didn't follow the correct procedure when they were left alone in a room containing a gun. When scheduling that next play date, please consider asking about unsecured firearms. It could save your child's life. Some additional resources on the topic can be found at the following links: http://askingsaveskids.org/ http://besmartforkids.org/ http://www.parents.com/kids/safety/guns-within-reach/  http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/10/living/guns-parenting/ ~Julie Toussaint, PTA President Meanwhile, PA HB 1168 passed in the House (Dan Miller voted against it)  where every Commonwealth school district will be required to provide at no charge to the PA Game Commission a classroom for hunter education classes. The PAGC would supersede any activity occurring after school, evening, or weekend classes. PA HB 1168 was sent to the Senate on October 30, 2015. Our commission will be voting to permit "sharpshooting" in Mt. Lebanon on January 23, 2016. We are sending mixed messages to our children. I pray that there will be no accidents.

Color away your stress

I read on one of my creative blogs today, that adults are taking up coloring. You know, with crayons? It is an easy way to escape back to simpler times. From Pinterest:

Coloring isn’t just for kids—it’s a way for anyone to overcome stress and get back to their creative side. Some people even consider it a meditative activity. That’s why adults are hooked on coloring books.

Over 2 million copies sold worldwide since its release in 2013

I might bring some crayons with me to Tuesday's Public Hearing for the 2016 Manager's Recommended Budget. The meeting starts at 8:00 PM.

mtl Magazine

Rockwood Parking Lot

Rockwood Parking Lot

There are three line items for "deer management" totaling $100,000. Replacing the Rockwood Park upper parking lot was bumped way down below the line. Rat baiting program is being eliminated.

Things I learned at Foster School

No, I didn't attend school at Foster. I'm a Jefferson kid. I'm talking about standing outside Foster School for 13 hours on Election Day.

It is extremely disheartening to see how many haters live in Mt. Lebanon. One man came up to Heather Arnet's volunteer and called Heather a baby killer. He kept yelling about Planned Parenthood and repeated over and over how Heather is a baby killer. Heather is a loving mother of an autistic child and was very upset. Rightfully so. He then came up to me and asked if I support Planned Parenthood. I said, "Hey, I'm just a write-in candidate for commissioner." It was awful.

Then there are the deer haters. I couldn't believe how many voted based on that issue alone. Both Andy and Steve got their votes. People kept screaming, "Kill 'em all!" Later, I said to both Andy and Steve how one of them was going to be my commissioner and that deer are not the most important issue in Mt. Lebanon. We have speeders, pedestrians being hit or killed, kids dying of heroin overdoses, houses flooding, sidewalks and streets in disrepair. I took a lot of ribbing over the deer issue. There was a salt box next to the parking lot at Foster, and one Republican joked and said that is where they put the dead deer.

I learned that 16 deer were pulled out of the Conservation District so far. The hunter there is a moonlighting Scott Township police officer. The only complaint that the neighbor had was that the hunter had gone back one time to clean up the entrails, and the coyotes had already gotten to them.

I saw our solicitor at the Foster School and asked him how the mediation went with Scott Township the day before (Monday.) He said that he couldn't talk about it. I hope that Scott Twp. didn't back down.

Both Andy and Steve are against PAYT and the Newcomers Tax.

I learned that Coleen Vuono is capable of smiling and even laughing. Yes, she was doing both when talking with the Dems.

And this is what is most disturbing. A parent from the Goddard School told me that a couple of weeks ago, the owner of The Goddard School on Painters Run, had come to work to a gruesome discovery in her parking lot. There was a dead deer with an arrow. It was so gory that the fire department had to come and hose off the parking lot at 5:30 AM before the kids got to school. Since that is Upper St. Clair, I'm guessing that it wasn't OUR fire department who cleaned up the bloody scene. The owner is VERY upset and was unaware of the archery program going on so close to the school. These maps were shared with the owner, who then called Keith McGill.

The owners of The Goddard School are very concerned about the sharpshooting set for February. In my post The Goddard School is now open, I have the link to Keith McGill's claim that the owner is satisfied with his response. They are not!

We are living in a community of haters. I am so sad to learn that.

The constable was called because of me

The night before every election, Foster School drags two large bulletin boards out of storage.  Facing the entrance, the "Republican Board" is placed on the left hand side and the "Democrat Board" is set up on the right side of the entrance. When I arrived at 6:45 AM at Foster School, signs had already been posted on the Republican board. Since I spent no money on signs or posters, I recycled a 11"x17" poster from my campaign in 2011. Steve McLean's signs and door hangers took up most of the space. Fortunately, my small sign with "Write In" handwritten in the upper left hand corner could squeeze in the remaining space. Steve was really nice about it when he warned me that the committee may take down my sign, but personally, didn't have a problem with my sign being posted. [Queue the Imperial March music, Darth Vader's Theme.] Then Tommy Dunn, head of the Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee showed up and said that my sign is not to be posted on the board.

Republican Board 

I was ready for Tommy. Back in 2011, Tommy pulled the same crap on me. See my May18, 2011 post, I'm tired. Jim Cannon and I were not permitted to post our signs on the board because we were not endorsed candidates. As I wrote on May 18, 2011, the boards belong to the school district and are stored on site. I told Tommy that I was a Republican and had every right to be on that board. I was a write in candidate and will have little impact on the election. Tommy had bigger problems, I told him. In Ward 1, Dan McNichol didn't have contact information on his website. No email address. No contact form. Nothing. I tried to contact him and couldn't. I told him that there were residents of Ward 1 who couldn't reach him. Both he and Temp Smith pulled out their phones and pulled up his website. They were quiet. (John Bendel crushed him at the polls.) Then I asked Tommy what the official color was for Republicans. Red. What's the color for Democrats? Blue.

Democrat Board

What color is Steve McLean's sign? Blue. They cringed. I said to Tommy, "You are really threatened by me, aren't you? You need to choose your battles."

By this time, the Judge of Elections stepped in. He had no idea how to call it, so he called the constable. The first call, the constable said that there are no other locations permitted for signs. Tommy was going to "let it go for now." The second call to/from the constable was that if the signs are owned by the Republican Committee, then they had the right to do that, but since an agreement was reached, it's OK. In the future, he suggested a third board for Write-in or Independents. 

Here are my questions. 

1. Where does the third board go?
2. Who pays for the third board, if the parties allegedly bought their own boards?
3. Can the parties prove that they bought the signs?
4. If the Republican board only posted signs for endorsed candidates, where was sign for the only Republican running for school board?
5. Does this violate my civil rights? 

The Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee is nothing but a bunch of good old boys. Their website is an embarrassment. LeboGOP See the empty blocks on the left? Until recently, they listed Sue Rose as a Republican school board director. Ms. Rose, who switched parties and became a Democrat, missed most 2011, her last year in office, due to illness. The list of Republican elected officials has been removed from their website since there are few remaining in office. Do you see anything on the bulletin board for Matt Kluck, the only Republican running for School Board? Neither do I.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone who helped me with my write-in campaign. I had to keep reminding them that I would not win, but we were taking a stand. Thank you to the voters who took the time to write in my name. I'm not going away. I am not upset. I am here for the long haul.

Final results

99.55%  100% of the precincts have reported and here are the results:

Commissioner MT LEBANON WARD 1 Vote for 1 

John Bendel (DEM). . . . . . . . 1,119 62.55 

Daniel T. McNichol (REP) . . . . . 665 37.17 

WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 5 .28

Commissioner MT LEBANON WARD 3 Vote for 1 

Andrew Reinhart (DEM) . . . . . . 845 48.09  

Steve McLean (REP) . . . . . . . 885 50.37 

WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 27 1.54 

Commissioner MT LEBANON WARD 5 Vote for 1 

Kelly Fraasch (DEM) . . . . . . . 886 58.56 

William L. Hoon (REP) . . . . . . 616 40.71 

WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 11 .73

Here are the school board results:

School Director MT LEBANON Vote for 5 

Elaine L. Cappucci (DEM/REP) . . . . 6,226 19.44 

Lawrence Mark Lebowitz (DEM/REP). . . 6,195 19.34 

Sarah L. Olbrich (DEM/REP). . . . . 5,804 18.12 

Hugh L. Beal (DEM) . . . . . . . 4,693 14.65 

William L. Cooper (DEM/REP) . . . . 5,601 17.49 

Matthew J. Kluck (REP) . . . . . . 3,442 10.75 

WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 67 .21

Referendum:

Mt. Lebanon Referendum MT LEBANON 

Vote for 1 Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,070 84.17 

No. . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,142 15.83

Update November 4, 2015 1:14 PM 2015 General Election Results

What an idiot

Do you ever have so much to write about something that you don't know where to begin? If not, you're lucky. It is very frustrating. I am at that point with the PG's latest article Mt. Lebanon elections could mark critical juncture for municipality's deer debate. I'm particularly frustrated with John Hayes, Susan Morgans, and the Ward 3 candidates on the ballot.

First, please understand that it isn't a case of sour grapes. A press release was sent out announcing my write-in campaign. No mention of my write-in campaign. It's not that. I guess it starts with Andy Reinhart. He had said to me, when we met in Dunkin Donuts for coffee, that he was an avid reader of this blog. That is how he stayed informed about Mt. Lebanon. He also told me that he was anti-kill. It is odd that 1) Reinhart wouldn't subscribe to the blog when it went private, and 2) he told everyone else that he was pro-kill. Hayes missed Andy's page on deer "management"as pointed out by a submitted comment. However, Reinhart's website is ambiguous. I had told Andy back in the spring that he had my vote because McLean is an idiot. When I found out that I was lied to, I launched my ill-fated write-in campaign.

Second, where do I begin with Susan Morgans? Words like "rancorous" and "tempers have cooled" are over the top. "Acts [of] sabotage" is not what made national news, Susan. It was the cruel act of corralling those poor, six deer which took eleven shots to kill three of them.

Then there is Steve McLean. His quotes are insulting.

“I’ve been going door to door in my district,” Mr. McLean said. “About 10 percent of people bring up [lethal control of] deer. It’s a loud minority. I appreciate their passion, but I’m concerned about the conduct they have displayed.” 

His website touts his support for, “effective and responsible deer management with bow [hunting] and sharpshooter.” 

“It’s responsible and effective,” he said. “It has been done in the past in Mt. Lebanon — I’m not sure why they stopped it — and other communities do it.”

What an idiot. He is concerned about "the conduct they have displayed." Nothing like insulting voters, Steve. He is also for fiscal restraint and public safety, yet isn't sure why the killing stopped in the past. What an idiot. Back in 2006-2008, "sharpshooters" were killing close to schools, not counting bullets, lied to police, and were too costly. In 2008, allegedly about 200 had signed up for shooting in their yards but were denied because of their locations in our densely populated community. The yards were too small and were not suitable. "Other communities do it" is the dumbest reason yet. Where were you when we were discussing density, Steve?

I hope to stand tall tomorrow at Foster School with these idiots. I'm disappointed with all the candidates in Wards 1 and 3. November 3, 2015 will be a dark day for Mt. Lebanon.

Tuesday's Forecast - high of 72 and sunny!

Tuesday is Election Day. Based on the forecast, turnout should be good at the polls. I am still looking for some volunteers to pass out voting literature at Foster, Mellon, and Markham. The schools are closed that day. Want to get your teenagers out of the house that day? Volunteer them. ;)

Welcome to Leb-Anon

I can't take credit for this. Someone sent me a suggestion that Mt. Lebanon needs a support group based on Al-Anon principles. Judging from yesterday's LeboALERT, our public servants are in denial. They will not admit that Mt. Lebanon is turning into a ghetto.

Last night, there were several reports of gunshots around 10 PM around Main Park. This was sent to me today.

Blood stains on Greenhurst Drive this morning

Maybe the nineteen of them can read this email at their next Leb-Anon meeting.

Correcting misinformation UPDATED

In this week's administrative report to the commissioners, Keith McGill announced the coffee that the public information office held for real estate agents.

I wish I knew what "misinformation about Mt. Lebanon" those mean, old real estate agents are spreading about us. Really, Susan?

Also in the 2016 Manager's Recommended Budget, see pages 30-31 for what Public Information is costing us. Funny how people still have to rely on Lebo Citizens for information. Or is it "misinformation" as some people like to call it?

Update November 1, 2015 3:32 AM From the 2016 Manager's Recommended Budget: More corrections of misinformation.

Citizen Engagement. The impact of technology and the explosion of social media offer new opportunities for better community engagement and dialogue. There is an opportunity to increase transparency and accountability in how local government services are delivered.

Hunting on Halloween UPDATED 4X

At the August 15th private property recruiting meeting, I raised my concerns about hunting on Halloween. Since hunting is permitted in Mt. Lebanon until thirty minutes after sunset, hunters can hunt up to 6:48 PM this Saturday. I was laughed at, when I mentioned it.

	NEXTpittsburgh (@NEXTpittsburgh)
10/28/15, 9:08 PM Costumes of the night at the @MattressFactory @YelpPittsburgh monster bash go to Mt. Lebanon's Betsy's Ice Cream. pic.twitter.com/fUMgDag1EY

NEXTpittsburgh (@NEXTpittsburgh)

10/28/15, 9:08 PM

Costumes of the night at the @MattressFactory @YelpPittsburgh monster bash go to Mt. Lebanon's Betsy's Ice Cream. pic.twitter.com/fUMgDag1EY

Commission president John Bendel claims that Jody Maddock's hunters have been told that they are not to hunt on Halloween. That's terrific, John, but Jody Maddock's hunters are outnumbered. Have there been any LeboALERTS announcing that there is to be no hunting on Halloween? No. The only restriction that I am aware of is "No Block Parties on Halloween," (except...uh...Roycroft and Sleepy Hollow.)

Update October 29, 2015 10:33 PM No mention of private hunters.

From: jbendel
To: egillen476 
Cc: commission ; philip.weis ; kmcgill ; alauth 
Subject: Re: Halloween 
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2015 10:16 pm 

Elaine, 

Keith McGill contacted White Buffalo to remind them that there is no hunting on Halloween.

Update October 30, 2015 12:57 PM My email:


Commissioners, School Board Directors, Mr. McGill, Dr. Steinhauer, Chief Lauth, Rep. Miller, and Solicitor Weis,

I have been getting phone calls from people who were crying and emails such as the one below about Trick or Treating tomorrow.

These hunters are everywhere. This is even worse than I thought - how many private hunters are there in addition to the 6-10 White Buffalo guys? These poor deer.


there are tons of pickup trucks (one is parked practically in front of my house now) - he must be eating at the Subway (I hope and not hunting on Academy). There is a tree stand in the bed of his truck.


These trucks are all big, like Nissan's or Silverado's. I saw several this morning. Just saw a beat up one pulling out of the ball field area - the guy was in Camo and had a dog in the truck with him.


I see them at the Dollar General in the morning and at dusk, and then out and about. They are easy to spot.

As you can see by my earlier correspondence with the commission, I have concerns with the private hunting that will be going on tomorrow during Halloween. I believe that President Bendel was intentionally ambiguous concerning my concerns about private hunters since the commission has no control of the archery program.

Since there will be no action by the commission, I am begging the school district to issue a warning to parents about this dangerous situation.

Our primary concern should be about the safety of our children. Please, Dr, Steinhauer, step up and do the right thing. Send a letter to parents.

Thank you.

Elaine Gillen

Update October 30, 2015 4:48 PM Not one of them responded. Instead this LeboALERT came out at 3:00 PM. Let's pretend there aren't any hunters out there. Unbelievable.

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.

Trick or Treat is tomorrow
night from 6-8 pm. Police will be vigilant, but please be extra careful while
walking and crossing streets. Have
fun!

Update October 31, 2015 12:37 PM I never heard back from Dr. Steinhauer or any of the other eighteen people. I guess Student Safety is not one of Timmy's goals. I checked the Superintendent Goals for 2015-2016, and sure enough, nothing is mentioned about student safety. Saved in Google Docs Silly me, I thought that Student Safety would be Timmy's Number 1 Priority. Evidently, it isn't important to our school board directors either.

Looking for Volunteers for my Write-In Campaign

The polls are open on Tuesday from 7 AM to 8 PM. The polls for Ward 3 are located at Foster School, Mellon Middle School, and Markham School.

I could use some help passing out voting cards. Any volunteers? Email me privately at EGillen476@aol.com if you want to help me out.

Time slots are:
6:45 AM- 11:15 AM
11:00 AM - 3:15 PM
3:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Any amount of time is welcome. Thanks in advance!

We've been lied to repeatedly UPDATED

What is it about Ward 3 commissioners? The last three Ward 3 commissioners have lied to their constituents.

Clueless Joe lied about his plans to move. During the May 2011 Primary, when I ran against him, Joe told the Mt. Lebanon Republican Committee that he had no plans to move out of Mt. Lebanon. This was while he had a For Sale sign in his yard and had told the media that he was moving out of Mt. Lebanon.

Kristen Linfante - well...uh...did she ever tell the truth?

Coleen Vuono is no exception.

From: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
To: cvuono <cvuono@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: kmcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>; commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; philip.weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>; coleenvuono <coleenvuono@hotmail.com>
Sent: Wed, Oct 28, 2015 4:26 am
Subject: Re: Emails

Coleen,

I see that your moving sale ad was created on October 21, 2015 and that your moving sale was held the day before your rude response. 

Your Statement of Financial Interest did not indicate that you had a staging business. I believe you told a resident that you retired in 2011. Why would this ad have been in the March 2014 mtl Magazine?

You have been lying from Day 1. 

Elaine Gillen

-----Original Message-----
From: Coleen Vuono <cvuono@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>; Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Philip Weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>; coleenvuono <coleenvuono@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sun, Oct 25, 2015 4:08 pm
Subject: Re: Emails

Ms. Gillen,

Prior to the last Commissioner's meeting no one knew the outcome of the vote on sharpshooting, including me.

Rest assured that I am fully aware of the requirements of residency in the third ward in order to represent that ward. The interim manager and the members of the commission have been informed of my intent to sell my home. This situation is being addressed appropriately by the appropriate parties.

Your input is unnecessary and is intrusive. .

Coleen Vuono

On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 3:55 PM, egillen476@aol.com <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

That all depends on you folks. It sounds like you are breaking Sunshine, Coleen. You already know the outcome of the vote. The similarities between you and your predecessor are amazing.

After tonight's vote I would hope that you would find a better way to spend your time than in creating controversy in this community.

Coleen Vuono 

The sale of your house has everything to do with Ward 3, and ultimately, all of Mt. Lebanon.

Elaine Gillen

-----Original Message-----
From: Coleen Vuono <cvuono@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>; Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
Cc: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; Philip Weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>; coleenvuono <coleenvuono@hotmail.com>
Sent: Tue, Oct 13, 2015 11:25 am
Subject: Re: Emails

Senior citizens in Mt. Lebanon know that they can place a phone call to their commissioners to voice their opinion on issues if they do not have access to the internet. I have received calls from Mt. Lebanon residents.

I base my decisions as a commissioner on what I consider to be in the best interests of the community after being informed by residents on both sides of issues. The deer issue is one of public safety.

I am in favor of a deer management program that includes sharpshooting, but that has not been the only issue I've been involved in.  Since I've been on the commission I've voted on many agenda items, I've proposed items for discussion that I think are important to Mt. Lebanon and I've been involved in other issues in the third ward.

In addition to my "life" I served for 4 years as a commissioner and recently served on the Planning Board and volunteered to complete the term of the previous third ward commissioner.

I support this community and have shown this in my civic engagement.

My personal life-the sale of my home-has nothing to do with you (even though you toured it during an open house-were you planning on moving?)

After tonight's vote I would hope that you would find a better way to spend your time than in creating controversy in this community.

Coleen Vuono 

On Tue, Oct 13, 2015 at 9:43 AM, 'egillen476@aol.com' via Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org> wrote:

Commissioners,

My phone has been ringing off the hook with senior citizens who do not have access to the Internet. They are unable to email you and tell you how they are on blood pressure medication and how upset they are with your current unmanaged program. They cannot fathom "sharpshooting" will follow through March 2016. 

Knowing how the commission operates, you will base your decision tonight on the volume of emails. You will use any means which justify your personal agendas. I am in the process of ordering more yard signs (fourth shipment), but "Not In My Yard" signs don't seem to carry the weight of emails, I'm learning. 

It is clear that my commissioner is the driving force behind the sharpshooting vote tonight. I tried to tell some of you how her intentions to serve on the commission were only to kill deer. After all, she "has a life," as she said during her interview in April. I imagine that the "Sale Pending" sign on her house will change to "Sold" after tonight's vote.

The Scott Township commissioners govern in the interest of public safety, and not make every divisive issue a competition, with the loudest group winning.

If you are keeping track, I am opposed to sharpshooting, bow hunting, corral and kill, or any other lethal means that come across your computer. I speak for the hundreds of people who have "Not In My Yard" signs in their yards.

Elaine Gillen

Update October 28, 2015 10:45 AM 

No Discussion Session video UPDATED

From: Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To: egillen476 <egillen476@aol.com>
Cc: Philip Weis <philip.weis@bipc.com>; commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>
Sent: Tue, Oct 27, 2015 8:49 pm
Subject: Re: video?

Good evening Elaine,
We are experiencing an issue with Granicus. I.T. is aware of the issue and is working on a resolution with the vendor.
We experienced a similar issue once before and only the discussion session is affected.

Keith

Keith McGill, AICP
Municipal Planner

On Oct 27, 2015 8:06 PM, "egillen476@aol.com" <egillen476@aol.com> wrote:

Commissioners,

Are you aware that the commission discussion session video is not online? The commission meeting video is available. Do you know when the discussion session will be online?

Elaine Gillen

Update October 28, 2015 4:55 PM 

From:	Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>
To:	Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>; E.T. Gillen <egillen476@aol.com>
Subject:	Discussion session
Date:	Wed, Oct 28, 2015 3:02 pm

---

The Commission discussion session is now available on line.

Keith

--
Keith McGill, AICP
Interim Municipal Manager/Municipal Planner
412-343-3684
kmcgill@mtlebanon.org

Commission actions to reduce dvcs UPDATED

The following email was reprinted with the author's permission.

 
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 10:29 AM
Subject: Commission actions to reduce dvcs
To: Commission <commission@mtlebanon.org>, Keith Mcgill <kmcgill@mtlebanon.org>


Commissioners,

I would like to ask what specific actions the municipality is currently taking -- other than discussing the need to kill deer  -- to reduce deer vehicle collisions by 50% over the next few years.

When I spoke at last night's meeting, I emphasized the direct and well established correlation between deer mating season, which is going on right now, and increased deer vehicle collisions (nearly half of PA dvcs occur in Oct or Nov alone).  Articles educating motorists of the increased likelihood of dvcs this time of year are being put out by newspapers, the Game Commission, insurance companies, and PennDOT.  Yet, I have seen or heard nothing from the municipality in the way of driver education on this matter despite your insistence that deer-vehicle collisions are such a pressing safety matter that it justifies bringing hunters and guns into our community for the sake of public safety.

The deer are one factor in deer-vehicle collisions. Surely there are others?  Drivers play an important -- and more influential -- role, and roadway conditions are important too. Those are factors we can have some influence on.  The Game Commission, PennDOT, and insurance companies all focus on public education to try to reduce dvcs.  In contrast, it seems to me that our municipality is focusing only on killing deer, even when sterilization could impact this problem directly as it would eliminate much of the mating-related behavior that is responsible for many dvcs.  

Maybe I am mistaken, and there are other actions being taken right now.  Could you please identify what those actions might be and how/where they are being implemented?

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Barbara Alsko

Update October 27, 2015 5:25 PM Thank you, Barb!

From: LeboALERT <noreply@mtlebanon.org>
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 3:46 PM
Subject: LeboALERT: Deer are very active...
To: EGillen476@aol.com

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.

Deer are very active now.  Please drive carefully to avoid crashes.  Find tips  on deer behavior and safe driving at www.mtlebanon.org.

Tony's Picks for Killing

I have been looking at the White Buffalo proposal to kill up to 150 deer. The public locations under consideration are:

Taking into account the Federal Gun-Free School Zone Act, I have taken some screen shots of Tony's picks for killing.

Golf Course:

Myrtle Ave through the center of golf course

Myrtle to the wooded area of golf course

Mt. Lebanon Montessori and Academy along wooded area

Sorry Howe School. You're one ft. too far away.

McNeilly Park:

Robb Hollow Park:

 Public Works:

Twin Hills:

Scott Township Motion and Court Order

Which brings us to the costs...

White Buffalo has the costs broken down into two parts.

The first part includes planning, communication, education, and permitting for a total of $13,080. This was approved by our illustrious commissioners at the October 13 meeting.

The second part is based on killing up to 150 deer. The total cost before processing is $52,670. If 150 deer are killed, the cost per deer is $351. If only six deer are killed, the cost is $8,778 per deer. And when the public properties are eliminated because of the Federal Gun-Free School Zones, the cost to kill six deer on PRIVATE property will be $8,778 per deer.

It gets better. Tony is estimating $100 per deer for processing. What he fails to tell us is that if the meat is donated to Hunters Sharing The Harvest, all processing costs are waived.