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"'Peril'...sell the fear."

June 5, 2015, 11:50 am
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Thank you, Jason Robi, whoever you are. That was his comment to Linda Wilson Fuoco's article Rabies, coyotes and ticks, oh my! Perils abound in the backyard this summer I wonder when the PG's deer hunter John Hayes, who wrote on February 1, 2014: "With thousands of white-tailed deer causing what has been called a public safety hazard in Mt. Lebanon.." will write his BS about deer for the obvious media blitz going on in time for the June 22 Commission Discussion Session on deer "management."

Fuoco, who responded with a comment on Lebo Citizens  was just part of the "media circus" as described by Susan Morgans. Somehow, Fuoco subscribed to the theory that there are 400 deer in Mt. Lebanon. Morgans defended her on Facebook.

The municipality is so entrenched in this prokill movement, that the two donated planters of deer resistant plants outside of the municipal building are dying from lack of water. Thanks to Barbara S., the planters got a healthy drink of water last night. Driving by today, I don't think MRTSA can revive one of them.

To be fair, I am starting to think it is the commission, being bullied by the power brokers. In the latest Right To Know, our former police chief wanted to end the deer incident report.




















It was crazy how our commissioners expected our police force to protect corn. As far as the deer incident report, I have been saying all along that it is bogus. I never filed that August 20, 2014 report. I have never been able to remove that entry from the report. Now, I see that the report has many gaps of information. Yes, Coleman, the report is being used erroneously to push a personal agenda. Originally, we were told that the goal was to reduce deer/vehicle collisions by 50% in 3-5 years, from 2% to 1%. Our commissioners are relying on a deer killer's estimates while ignoring FLIR aerial surveys. They are now depending on an incomplete deer incident report, often confused with a deer accident report.

Our public misinformation office is busy at work contacting her clowns, gearing up for Round 2 of the media circus and the June 22, 2015 Commission Discussion Session featuring deer killer Tony DeNicola. All part of selling the fear.

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Public Hearing for the Elimination of the Super Vote on Tuesday

June 6, 2015, 8:28 pm
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OK, Lebo Citizen Readers, the public hearing to eliminate the super vote is on Tuesday. Bill 7-15 is to change the number of commissioners permitted to incur debt from four commissioners to only three commissioners.
Currently, a simple majority of the Commission is authorized to make decisions regarding expenditures, capital programs, budgets, and setting of tax rates. However, the Charter requires a super majority of the Commission to make decisions regarding debt. This ordinance would change the Charter regarding the number of commissioners required to incur debt to promote uniformity in financial decision making.
This amendment requests that the Department of Elections of Allegheny County places this on the Election Ballot for November 3, 2015.

To read more about this, see my May 22, 2015 post, The financial ruin of Mt. Lebanon

Prove the person wrong who wrote: "WHY IS IT SO EASY FOR YOU FOLKS TO GROUSE ON THIS BLOG AND SO DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO WALK TWENTY FEET FROM A CHAIR TO A PODIUM AND TAKE THEM ON?" This is a public hearing. Don't even bother writing in to say "there is only one sure way to change things and that is through the voting booth" or "vote in new candidates."Now is the time to say something.
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Avoid Washington Road and Connor/Gilkeson Roads UPDATED

June 10, 2015, 3:04 pm
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What a mess! Traffic lights are out at Mt. Lebanon Blvd. and Washington Roads, and Terrace and Connor Roads. Gilkeson Road is closed with fire trucks and police cars right by Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church and the Galleria. I see smoke too.

I hope it opens soon. I was on my way to our Greek Food Fair and the road is blocked in both directions.

There is a fire right in front of the Galleria.  I haven't heard if anyone was hurt on Gilkeson. Everyone is OK at the church. Unfortunately, no one is able to go up to the Food Fair.


Allegheny County (@Allegheny_Co)
Mt. Lebanon: 100 blk Gilkeson Rd - utility pole on fire. Gilkeson Rd shut down btwn Washington Rd (SR-19) & Cedar Blvd. Power outage in area











Update 7:35 PM Utility pole fire in Mt. Lebanon jams traffic, causes power outage

Update 8:28 PM According to the 8:23 PM LeboALERT:

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


Gilkeson Rd is reopened to
traffic. Delays and restrictions will continue in the area while repairs are
made.
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Mt. Lebanon Considers Shifting Cost Of Trash Hauling To Individual Homeowner

June 11, 2015, 8:21 am
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Mt. Lebanon Considers Shifting Cost Of Trash Hauling To Individual Homeowner

Delano: “What’s the guarantee that the next year and the next year and the next year, you don’t raise the millage back up again?”
Brumfeld [sic]: “Oh, there’s absolutely no guarantee.”
With lots of options under the pay-as-you-throw system from charging residents per trash bin, or requiring paid tags, or requiring special higher-priced trash bags, some residents say why fix something that works well.
“I do like the system the way that it is now,” says resident Lois Larry. “You don’t have to estimate how many containers am I going to have.”
I wonder what the Public Information Office thinks of Dave Brumfield speaking with the TV station.


"Once the TV stations and the blog starts, the situation is out of our control - and it is my office that looks bad," said Susan Morgans in a Right To Know.
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Tell Mt. Lebanon: No More Deer Killings - In Defense of Animals

June 11, 2015, 8:15 pm
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It will be a year tomorrow when we had the Andrew McNitt dog and pony show on toxic turf. In ten days, we will have the Tony DeNicola dog and pony show on why we need to kill more deer. The media circus has begun, Susan. It's going national again.

It's showtime.


mtl -- Mt. Lebanon Magazine
Yesterday at 1:43pm · Edited · 
The first of three special Commissions sessions to review and refine goals is Monday, June 22, at 6 p.m. at Mt. Lebanon HIgh School Fine Arts Theater. The topic is deer management. Other sessions are Monday, July 27, at 6 p.m. on pedestrian/vehicle safety and Saturday, August 8, at 8:30 a.m. on financial trends/public outreach (locations to be announced). The purpose of these sessions is to allow Commissioners time to have in-depth conversations about complex topics. The deer management meeting will feature invited experts in various deer management strategies. The public is welcome to attend but there will be no opportunity for comment. All meetings will be videotaped and webcast at www.mtlebanon.org the following day. Residents may comment on any of the issues at regularly scheduled commission meetings.

Tell Mt. Lebanon: No More Deer Killings - In Defense of Animals 



It’s Time for Non-lethal Methods!

Your help is needed in persuading commissioners in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania to abandon any plans to repeat a cruel and unpopular deer killing.
The municipality of Mt. Lebanon, a Pittsburgh suburb, recently abandoned its plans for a large urban deer kill, 11 days short of its scheduled end date with six deer killed out of a planned 150.
The killing method was opposed by animal protection groups and hunters alike for its especially inhumane nature. The plan was to bait deer – many of them pregnant does – into a small corral, then close the gate remotely, and shoot them. Shockingly, it took 11 bullets on the first day to kill three deer caught in the corral, and the average waiting time for deer in the pen before killing was an astonishing 90 minutes.
The premature end to the killing, and low kill numbers were blamed on spring weather enabling deer to find food elsewhere and on interference from protesters. Amazingly, despite the epic failure of this misguided plan and despite the rift created in the municipality, commissioners seem intent on pursuing a lethal method in the fall and may even consider using the corral method once again, claiming that it will work better in fall or winter.
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Jefferson Middle School Principal is moving on up

June 13, 2015, 5:02 am
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Burgettstown hires new superintendent

Thomas Jefferson Middle School Principal Dr. James Walsh has taken on a new position as superintendent of Burgettstown Area School District.

He will begin his tenure at Burgettstown on June 22, replacing Acting Superintendent Deborah Jackson. 
Walsh is currently the principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Mt. Lebanon School District, where he also serves as the district-wide curriculum supervisor. He previously served Aliquippa School District as the director of curriculum and student achievement, and as a principal in Hopewell School District, both in Beaver County.
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DeLuca resigns

June 13, 2015, 5:36 am
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The Capital Campaign Director for Mt. Lebanon School District resigned recently. In my August 13, 2013 post Lebo Appoints Capital Campaign Director, Alyssa DeLuca's starting salary was $82,500 plus benefits.

According toMonday's school board meeting agenda, the school board will be approving Margaret M. Schmidt's contract. "This is an extension to the agreement with Margaret M. Schmidt to provide consulting services for the capital campaign at a rate of $62.50 per hour, not to exceed $2,000 per month, up to a maximum of 32 hours per month."
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Tired of the trolls

June 13, 2015, 7:18 am
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I have been running my Lebo Citizens website for more than five years. David Huston has been kind enough to attend and record all the school board meetings for me. Such dedication, David. Thank you! This blog,  Lebocitizens.blogspot.com,  is 4+ years old and has been a public blog for all those years. I have allowed comments from everyone, including some very "not nice" people. There is a name for this group of "not nice" people, Internet trolls.

Through the years, trolling has increased here on Lebo Citizens. This group has forgotten that my blog is...well...my blog. It consists of documentation from Right To Knows, minutes of meetings, agendas, lists of cost overruns from various construction projects, photographs, and my views of what is happening in my hometown of Mt. Lebanon. The hours are long and the pay stinks. I am not complaining about it, but what I do object to are the hurtful comments and threats that are being submitted. If these people are so unhappy with this blog, why do they read it?

Fortunately, Blogger has an option that I can select which takes my blog from "Public" to "By Invitation Only." I have tested this option in the last 24 hours and have decided to make this switch permanently in the next few days. The folks who have asked to be invited will remain on the list and will continue to have access to the blog, once the change becomes permanent. If you want to be invited, please email me with your real name and email address. In the subject line, add "Please invite me." I realize that this will cut my readership drastically, but it is the risk I have to take. Do I really want the nasties here? My website, Lebocitizens.com will remain available to everyone.

Thank you to all the wonderful people who I have met over the years, both virtually and in person. I regret that I have to take this action, but enough is enough.
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Is the US women's World Cup offense being hindered by turf?

June 15, 2015, 5:52 am
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Wellness Policy Tweaked

June 15, 2015, 7:36 am
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This evening, Mt. Lebanon School Board Directors will be voting to accept the revisions made to Wellness Policy JLJ School Wellness.

Some parents feel they are changing the policy so that it is consistent with their long standing practice of denying recess to children as a form of punishment or for failing to submit a missing worksheet.

I am wondering if it has something to do with Caribou Coffee being sold to students.
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The commissioners found the loophole. UPDATED

June 16, 2015, 4:56 am
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There will be a Commission Discussion Session for deer "management" on Monday, June 22, 2015 at the Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theater at 6:00 PM. There will be no Citizen Comments at that meeting. According to Title 65 - PA General Assembly, the commissioners shall provide a reasonable opportunity at each advertised regular meeting and advertised special meeting for residents to comment. But here is the loophole:
If the board or council determines that there is not sufficient time at a meeting for residents of the political subdivision or of the authority created by a political subdivision or for taxpayers of the political subdivision or of the authority created by a political subdivision or for both to comment, the board or council may defer the comment period to the next regular meeting or to a special meeting occurring in advance of the next regular meeting.
This is exactly what our illustrious Public Information Office has told us.
The public is welcome to attend and listen, but there will be no opportunity for public comment. Residents may comment on any of the issues at regularly scheduled commission meetings.
I will not be attending this special meeting due to a scheduling conflict, but will be looking forward to watching the dog and pony show...scratch that...the special deer "management" meeting on the municipal website later on in the week.

I am planning to make the switch for Lebo Citizens to go from Public to By Invitation status before Monday. If desired, email me with your real name to request an invite. I will email an invitation, once the information has been verified.

Update June 16, 2015 12:54 PM Non-lethal advocate/"Deer Doctor" Sandy Baker was not invited to present at the June 22, 2015 Deer "Management" meeting. I don't believe The Humane Society's Laura Simon was invited either. Only "expert" revealed is deer killer Tony DeNicola. I see that USDA Wildlife Services has been peeking here on Lebo Citizens. They were the group from the 2006-2008 deer killing that then-president Dan Miller fired. God Help Us All. 
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The Almanac | Mt. Lebanon citizens are engaged

June 16, 2015, 1:34 pm
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The Almanac wrote a nice editorial about Mt. Lebanon citizens today, Mt. Lebanon citizens are engaged.
The citizens of Mt. Lebanon are arguably the most engaged group of people in the South Hills. One need look no further than the front of the municipal building before a commissioners meeting, or inside the doors of a commissioners or school board meeting to see the evidence.
I can testify to that. With my decision to go by "Invitation Only," there have been a couple of naysayers, but the response that I have received is extremely favorable. Mt. Lebanon residents are engaged. Lebo Citizen readers want to know what is going on in Mt. Lebanon. They aren't buying what is coming from our public information office. When our PIO "scolded" The Almanac's editor, we wrote to the editor in support of The Almanac. Yes, readership will go down here, but it will be cathartic. No more trolls. No more public information officers. Public servants will have to work for a living, instead of relying on Lebo Citizens for information.

My thanks to The Almanac for recognizing that we are engaged. Thank you for going beyond what you are told to write by our public servants. Yes, we've noticed.
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Agenda for the Dog and Pony Show

June 17, 2015, 12:31 pm
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The agenda has been posted for the June 22, 2015 deer "management" commission discussion session.

June 22, 2015 
6:00 P.M. Mount Lebanon High School 
Fine Arts Theater 
155 Cochran Road, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15228 
Commissioner Work Session and Discussion on 
A Goal to Improve Deer Management 

Speakers: Keith McGill, Municipal Planner 
                 Jeannine Fleegel, PA Game Commission 
                 Jody Maddock, Director of Campus Services Bryn Athyn College 
                 Dr Anthony DiNicola, White Buffalo, Inc. 

Agenda: 

1. General Overview of Deer Management in Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair- Brief history, reports/statistics, deer/vehicular collisions, (Keith McGill, Municipal Planner) 

2. General problems with deer, Pennsylvania Game Commission approach, where to get accurate info, need for a management plan and why deer numbers are not appropriate for management decisions in these areas. (Jeannine Fleegle, Wildlife Biologist, Pennsylvania Game Commission) 

3. Development of a deer management plan and discussion of suburban “managed hunts” utilizing recreational archers (Jody Maddock, Director of Campus Services Bryn Athyn College) 

4. Sterilization/Contraception, costs/issues, status of response to previous PGC questions and other deer management issues. (Dr Anthony DiNicola, Founder/President, White Buffalo Inc.) 

5. Commission Q & A 

6. Commission discussion on next steps. 
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The longest quiet phase E V E R

June 18, 2015, 3:07 pm
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Mt. Lebanon School Board extends consultant's contract
The campaign, conceived in early 2013 to offset some of the cost of the nearly completed $109.65 million high school renovation, has been moving along behind the scenes with the formation of committees and the quiet courtship of potential large donors. But there has been no public outreach, nor any announcement of what's been collected or what the district has paid.
District spokeswoman Cissy Bowman said the campaign remains in its “quiet phase,” with organizers planning “awareness events” for potential donors during the summer and into the next school year.
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Letter to the Editor: Anthony DeNicola

June 18, 2015, 6:36 pm
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One of Mt Lebanon’s “suitors” for a future deer cull is Anthony DeNicola, who heads up White Buffalo, a sharpshooting firm. DeNicola and his company purport to “conserve native species and ecosystems.” While the company has recognized the business potential of non-lethal methods such as sterilization (it has been hired to perform tranquilization of deer for surgery on several projects), most of its business is in sharpshooting, a lucrative affair these days in suburban America. In fact, DeNicola has likened deer management to mowing lawns, in that it requires regular maintenance (i.e. repeated high-dollar contracts guaranteed over the long-term). Quick to point out his Doctorate in Wildlife Ecology, DeNicola nevertheless fails to encourage the real long-term improvements that could be brought by landscape modifications and attractant removal.

White Buffalo has come into conflict with members of the public on several occasions when hired by municipalities to implement deer culls. Most notoriously, it settled with animal protection group SHARK for a total of $17,500 after illegally destroying evidence the group had taken of White Buffalo and park rangers killing deer inhumanely (placing plastic bags over the heads of struggling injured animals) and damaging camera equipment.

The incident occurred in 2004. In response to an unpopular cull of semi-tame deer in Ohio’s Metro Parks system, SHARK had set up a number of surveillance cameras. One week into the cull, one of the cameras was found by park rangers, leading to a frantic search and the eventual discovery of SHARK’s other cameras. These were placed in an evidence locker. However, instead of being left there, DeNicola was able to access the locker, deleted the video evidence of his firm’s activity and damaged the cameras. This action should constitute Evidence Tampering, a felony under OH state law, but DeNicola escaped charges in a clumsy cover-up by park rangers.

Unfortunately for White Buffalo and the park rangers, SHARK already had one week’s worth of footage under its belt, which was more than enough to show the public what its “humane” methods consist in.

Here’s the kind of video DeNicola and officials were willing to break the law to prevent the public from seeing. DeNicola subsequently claimed these deer are in their death throes. Judge for yourself:
http://www.cleveland.com/solonsun/news/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1229611088109080.xml&coll=4

Here’s a veterinarian’s opinion (from: http://www.sharkonline.org/index.php/akroncruelty-com):
Hi, my name is Dr. Bennett Fagin, and I'm a veterinarian, a licensed veterinarian in the state of Ohio. 


I've been a veterinarian for 22 years. I’ve just finished watching video footage of a deer kill in the Summit Metro Park, and I've watched the footage from before the deer was shot until the deer was dragged off of the field and in my professional opinion; the deer was not killed with the first shot. The first shot was the only shot, and I do not understand why an additional shot wasn't rendered after the deer was shot the first time.

A bag was placed over its head, and the deer actually struggled more after the bag was placed over its head than it was after it was shot. I realize that muscle contractions occur for minutes following a fatal shot, but what I visualized was more than muscle contractions or fasciculation.

The animal actually thrashed when its leg was grabbed and in my professional opinion, the manner in which this animal was shot is inhumane. I think the animal should have been shot again, and someone at close range should have placed a shot either in its head or through its heart and humanely killed it.

Thank you.”

For a full report on this incident: www.metroparkscorruption.com

Video report:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NszxW3g8xRU

Then there is Belinda Geiger…
Geiger was a resident of Solon, OH, in 2006 when White Buffalo came into town to conduct a deer cull. She was arrested after DeNicola complained that she was stalking him. Those charges were dismissed in court in 2007.

Geiger then sued, claiming that the City of Solon and White Buffalo conspired unlawfully to silence her right to free speech. The City scrambled to transfer the blame to White Buffalo, filing a cross claim making White Buffalo responsible for any violation of Geiger’s rights. A City attorney stated at the time “It’s our position that if anything was done inappropriately, it was DeNicola.” Geiger was ultimately awarded a settlement of $25,000, half paid by the City of Solon and half by White Buffalo.

So this is the “expert” sharpshooter Mt Lebanon is considering bringing into a community that is already bitterly divided over the issue of deer culling? Someone who has been shown to be unscrupulous in his actions and who apparently has a poor mastery of citizens’ constitutional rights. DeNicola has already announced his own “estimate” of deer numbers in Mt Lebanon to conveniently support his claim that sharpshooting is required before sterilization can be effective. This estimate was apparently produced without the backing of any scientific method whatsoever. In other words, here we have a situation where an “expert” is analyzing deer numbers and recommending lethal action… an expert who will subsequently bid for the contract in question. Sound familiar, Mt Lebanon?

What’s more, Mt Lebanon isn’t the first potential White Buffalo customer to have DeNicola serve as both “Pro-Kill” Expert and Executioner. The same claims have been made by opponents of deer culls in Vassar and Cayuga, to name but two.

Is this who you want your tax dollars to go to?

What a shame the public won’t get the chance to question Tony DeNicola at Monday’s public meeting…
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The fix is in UPDATED

June 18, 2015, 7:32 pm
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The commissioners' minds are made up. So made up that they won't even allow the suggestion that gardens could be improved to deter deer. How simple would that be? They also say another survey is out of the question, which indicates they don't want to know there are fewer deer, just proceed as planned - killing deer.

Sandy Baker a.k.a. the Deer Doctor emailed the following documents to all of the commissioners this afternoon. She also FedEx'ed it yesterday to arrive this morning by 10:30 AM.

Cover letter from Sandy Baker

Mt. Lebanon Deer Report

Mt. Lebanon Recommendations

While there are no non-lethal panelists for Monday's dog and pony show, Sandy's report is a timely voice for a safe, non-lethal, and effective solution. Monday's deer discussion forum is a complete and blatant sham. The panel is all pro deer killers. The purpose is to sell the Fall killing program. The fix is in. The Commission has already decided. There will be no citizen comments. Residents who are opposed to violence or guns in our neighborhoods are being silenced. Residents opposed to this killing program will just be annoying. With us censored, the commissioners can script and market this pro-deer killing forum to the public. 

The Post Gazette's John Hayes contacted a member of the Coalition for Coexistence. He said that aerial surveys are pointless and nobody uses them. Nobody counts animals, roadkill, or density. This is the same person who said that we have THOUSANDS of deer. Hayes is one of the clowns from our Public Misinformation Officer's media circus.

The fix is in, Folks.

Update June 19, 2015 11:07 AM A LeboALERT just went out at 10:55 AM. We have the honor and privilege to OBSERVE the deer killing vote on Monday. How many LeboALERTS is this now, Susan? Enjoy rubbing our noses in it?

This is an important notice from LeboALERT.


You may observe Mon. 6 pm
commission work session on deer at MLHS Fine Arts Theater. No public comment.
http://www.mtlebanon.org/DocumentCenter/View/11039

Update June 19, 2015 7:19 PM

Mr. Feller,

The folks who are attending the deer management meeting on Monday, Jeannine Fleegel, Jody Maddock and Anthony DiNicola…are they being paid to attend the meeting?

If so, what is the total compensation being paid to each of them.

Thank you,

***

Steve Feller's reply:

From: Stephen Feller [mailto:sfeller@mtlebanon.org]
Sent: Friday, June 19, 2015 3:48 PM
To:
Cc: Commission
Subject: Re: meeting

Only one of them, Dr. DiNicola, is being compensated by Mt. Lebanon.  I expect his total compensation to be $2,000.  

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Who knew?

June 19, 2015, 7:28 pm
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When I was at our Greek Food Fair last week, I asked the nuns who were selling Icons, if there was an Icon of an Orthodox Patron Saint of Animals. I knew of St. Francis of Assisi, the Catholic Patron Saint of Animals.
Francis saw animals as his brothers and sisters because they were God’s creatures, just like people. He said of animals: “Not to hurt our humble brethren is our first duty to them, but to stop there is not enough. We have a higher mission -- to be of service to them wherever they require it.” So Francis prayed that God would work through him to help animals as well as people.

To my surprise, there is an Icon of the Orthodox Christian Patron Saint of Animals, St. Modestos.


This shouldn't surprise me since Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew beautifully stated: “Everything that lives and breathes is sacred and beautiful in the eyes of God.” We believe it is our responsibility as human beings to love, honor, and care for God’s earth; that He created and blessed every creature that swims in its oceans, walks or crawls on its soil, or flies in its skies. 

I would love to hear from Lebo Citizen readers of other faiths. About two months ago, a resident spoke at a commission meeting and said that he and his wife were very upset that deer will be killed using his tax dollars. I agree. This goes against my religious beliefs too. 
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John Hayes at it again.

June 21, 2015, 5:55 am
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I called it. Another article from the PG's John Hayes full of misinformation. Hayes is the so called reporter who estimates that we have THOUSANDS of deer in Mt. Lebanon. Because we have thousands of deer, he has a photo of deer in Allegheny Cemetery. Our deer are so elusive that they can dodge press photographers.

Hayes writes in today's PG:
The public is invited to attend the commission’s work session at 6 p.m. Monday at Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theater. But they will not be permitted to speak. Or shout. Or chant and carry signs as did many during the protests prior to and during a controversial deer cull that was abruptly ended in March. So now we aren't allowed to carry signs either? Whose rule is that?
Hayes continues:
A few loose ends:
• In May, the Mt. Lebanon commission paid cull contractor Wildlife Specialists $3,000 — $500 for each of six deer killed in the 11 days of the aborted cull. 
And $12,000 to come up with Wildlife Specialists' plan. 
• There have been no arrests made in the vandalism and sabotage of contractor equipment, or for after-hours trespassing on park property during the culling program. 
From a Right To Know, police reports show that some of the police calls were for the silver truck that Benner's henchmen were using. Police reports also show that some of the calls included the killers trespassing on church property.
• Gardening expert Sandy Baker was paid $2,500 for several workshops and speaking engagements in April intended to help Mt. Lebanon residents deer-proof their gardens. 
Not $2,500, Folks. Sandy Baker was available the entire day at Earth Day in Main Park. She also gave three seminars at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, lasting on average two hours each. Another presentation was made at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills. By comparison, Anthony DiNicola is charging Mt. Lebanon $2.000 to attend tomorrow evening's farce.
• Venison from deer killed during the cull was donated to Hunters Sharing the Harvest, a non-profit program that provides meat for food pantries and shelters. 
Sorry, John, it was donated to a virtual church in cyberspace, Link in the Chain Ministries. 
• $1,270 donated on a crowd-funding website to Citizens Against the Deer Cull was spent on supplies, food, a phone bank party and other support for anti-cull volunteers.
A phone bank party? Seriously? I had to fight with Kelly Fraasch to get reimbursed for the Sandy Baker dinner. Don't forget the 7.9% fee and 30¢ per donation, John.
• In April and May, 41 deer-related incidents were reported to Mt. Lebanon police.
Incidents are not accidents, John. Through a Right To Know, our former police chief said that the deer incident report is being used erroneously. 
 In "Mt. Lebanon to tackle deer problem again," our newest commissioner, who spoke as a private citizen during citizen comments in November that she was pro-kill is mentioned:
The latest wrinkle in the deer debate is the appointment in April of Coleen Vuono as a Mt. Lebanon commissioner. A former commissioner and president, she filled the seat of Kristen Linfante, who resigned in February for health reasons. Having watched from the sidelines as the community exploded in March, Ms. Vuono says she’s been updated on the details and is ready to roll up her sleeves.
“I was so disappointed and surprised at how this was handled. I want to have my input,” she said. “I think, yes, there is a deer problem. The goal is to reduce the number of traffic accidents caused by deer by 50 percent. Sterilization and some other things that have been discussed will not cut the deer population now. … We have all the information we need. It seems to me there is only one alternative and it’s to cull the herd.”
Ms. Vuono says she loves animals, but she loves her town more. The number of deer in Mt. Lebanon, she said, is many times higher than when she served on council from 1988 to 1991.
“People on both sides had some of the facts, but not all of the facts,” she said. “This is how it is now. There are just too many.”
Spoken as a true dictator. Where is the democracy? This is who your commissioners appointed unanimously, Mt. Lebanon.
Hayes interviewed a former New York Times reporter who has never been to Mt. Lebanon.
Jim Sterba says he’s seen it all before. Rancorous public meetings represented by at least 10 factions. Demands for a population count. Assurances that “too many” means deer are causing problems. Contradictory experts. Government dithering. Neighbor vs neighbor.
“And I’ve never even been to Mt. Lebanon,” said Mr. Sterba. A former New York Times and Wall Street Journal reporter, his coverage of many community deer conflicts led him to write “Nature Wars: The Incredible Story of How Wildlife Comebacks Turned Backyards into Battlegrounds,” published in 2013.
“These fights are far more widespread than most people imagine,” said Mr. Sterba, who lives in New York City. “They’re going on in literally hundreds — maybe thousands — of communities or townships or counties or state parks.”
In the late 1800s, when timbering and hunting were uncontrolled, there were very few deer in highly populated states, he said. Wildlife management agencies like the Game Commission were formed, and the habitat grew back in new configurations — lush suburban landscapes with no natural predators, no hunting and an unlimited supply of food. By the 1980s, urban deer populations had begun to grow out of control.
“Urbanites who didn’t grow up in rural areas generally don’t like killing the deer and are concerned about public safety with hunters out there,” he said. “Politicians, rather than upset voters on both sides, do nothing until the problem gets so out of hand, they’re forced to do something drastic.” 
So, how does the story end? 
“The same thing usually happens. The fights go on five or 10 years as they go through what will work and what won’t,” he said. “In most cases they fight on and on and on until they reach a tipping point, until they get past all the non-lethal means … and the people who don’t want to kill deer get an education in the consequences of a lack of civic responsibility. Finally, somebody makes a political decision and once they do, the kerfuffle dissipates fairly quickly.” 
So there you have it, Mt. Lebanon.  Our demands for a population count is just "kerfuffle." We will fade away. Soon, neighbors will be holding hands while sitting around our chimineas and singing "Kumbaya." The End.
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Stacking the deck

June 21, 2015, 10:20 am
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Tomorrow evening, Mt. Lebanon residents have been invited to observe the deer "management" meeting at Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theatre. Doing a search of one of the invited experts, Jeannine Fleegle, I came across this article on the United Sportsmen of Pennsylvania website.

DEER MANAGEMENT SERIES, NO. 6: STACKING THE DECK
PGC Hired Three Deer Biologists who were all Trained at Chesapeake
Farms to Eliminate Deer Impacts by Eliminating Deer
By John Eveland
June 18, 2014 
Historically, foresters and environmentalists have long sought to dramatically reduce Pennsylvania's state mammal. It was always understood, however, that their goal was nothing more than a wishful dream. That is, until 1998 when the Green Certification circumstance removed deer management from the realm of science and made it a political issue that could financially benefit DCNR. Realizing the reality of deer reduction, following the departure of Gary Alt, PGC's chief of wildlife management quickly stacked the deck with a like-minded next-generation of deer biologists. In 2010, PGC's Board of Commissioners requested that the author of this article investigate this rumor. The following facts were uncovered.
PGC's Chesapeake Farms Connection. The Pennsylvania Game Commission lists three staff deer biologists (Chris Rosenberry, Bret Wallingford, and Jeannine Fleegle,) who report to Calvin DuBrock, Director of the Wildlife Management Bureau; and Robert Boyd, Bureau Assistant Director. It can be no coincidence that of the myriad accredited university degree programs throughout the nation which regularly produce thousands of professional wildlife biologists, that all three deer biologists employed by the PGC attained their graduate degrees from the same college (North Carolina State University), were mentored by the same NC State advisory staff members, and conducted their thesis deer research at the same small 5-square-mile Chesapeake Farms agricultural demonstration area on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Their principal advisors were Richard Lancia and Mark Connor, Director of Chesapeake Farms, who lists his research interests as "population ecology and management especially white-tailed deer, management of crop damage by deer, and wildlife in agro-ecosystems".
At Chesapeake Farms, PGC's three deer biologists were trained in a deer management philosophy called Quality Deer Management—reducing deer impacts accomplished by increasing antlerless harvests toward decreasing herd size. Whereas students from most university wildlife degree programs are educated to view deer as an asset to the natural ecosystem and society, PGC's three deer biologists were trained in a setting that views deer as a negative impact-causing element with little to no emphasis placed on the value of deer, the tradition of recreational hunting, and sportsmen. Hence, PGC's deer biologists brought with them from Chesapeake Farms a wildlife management philosophy that was better suited for private organizations such as Audubon and the Sierra Club than for a traditional state game management agency.
Fleegle wrote in her thesis, "More than any other wildlife, deer are perceived to cause the most damage to crops." In like fashion, Rosenberry wrote, "Balancing white-tailed deer impacts is the fundamental issue affecting a majority of Pennsylvania's deer management decisions." Former Executive Director, Carl Roe, epitomized the deer team's negative view of deer and sportsmen when he told the Governor's Council for Hunting, Fishing, and Conservation that hunters are of no concern in deer management.
Conclusion. It is not likely that Calvin DuBrock could have succeeded for over a decade in decimating the Commonwealth's deer herd if he had not hired like-minded staffers to perpetuate the action. The three deer biologists and those in the PGC who hired them have adopted the deer reduction philosophy of Chesapeake Farms (eliminating deer impacts by eliminating deer), and appear to be using Chesapeake Farms as a template to systematically convert the state to this system. It is, therefore, evident that PGC's deer biologists were not hired to manage Pennsylvania's deer herd in the best interest of the resource or sportsmen, or to pursue the PGC's mission for recreational hunting as prescribed by state law. Instead, it appears that they were specifically hired to decimate the herd. This they have achieved.
Continuing my search, I found this article on Outdoor News' site. Agency’s article about deer insulted some state hunters. 
At their recent quarterly meeting here, commissioners heard a complaint about the story, authored by Jeannine Fleegle in the August issue of Pennsylvania Game News. 
Randy Santucci, president of the Unified Sportsmen, claimed the piece was “disrespectful” and “essentially spit in the face of sportsmen.”
Once again, we have hunters and PETA on the same side!

Back to Google. Deer hater and former commissioner Kristen Linfante did a radio show, Oh Deer! Deer Overpopulation,with Jeannine Fleegle back on August 2, 2012. The topic was deer overpopulation. Deer hater Kristen Linfante resigned in the spring from the commission citing health problems and was replaced by deer hater and former commissioner Coleen Vuono.

John Hayes, chief deer population estimator of thousands, interviewed Ms. Fleegle in 2010. He also reported that Upper St. Clair ended their deer culling operations in 2009. Can we believe him? He is as misinformed as our PIO. I believe that is a prerequisite to be a member of Morgans' media circus. Former public works director and "too old for this bullshit" Tom Kelley hated deer. He made John Hayes' article. He's gone too.

Come on, Mt. Lebanon. See what is being presented to us. The commissioners have no idea how many deer we have. They are relying on "experts" whose livelihood is killing deer. Our tax dollars are paying deer haters, both commissioners and staff. They are hiring deer killers with our tax dollars. I have nothing to gain by this. I am not being paid. We don't know how many deer we have. The commission has never proven that we have a deer problem. They have resorted to a bogus deer "incident" report containing erroneous information. There is something definitely wrong when hunters and PETA are on the same side.

And as John Hayes said today, leave your signs at home when you observe tomorrow's farce.
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Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Association hit with defamation suit

June 22, 2015, 2:26 pm
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Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Association hit with defamation suit

"A former Mt. Lebanon couple is seeking at least $35,000 in damages in a suit filed against the Mt. Lebanon Lacrosse Association, alleging board members spread false rumors about them and their children concerning drug use and stealing money from the organization, forcing them to move to Colorado. William and Katherine Bedortha say in the suit filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court that board members Kate Murdoch, Brian Prettyman, Jeffrey Iovino and other unnamed defendants defamed them by spreading false rumors through text messages and gossip around the Mt. Lebanon pool and other public spaces."

The couple, who lived in Mt. Lebanon from 2007-2014, were active members of the lacrosse community, where they coached and engaged as members of the lacrosse association’s board. The political environment of youth sports might have brought forth the rumors, according to the couple’s attorney, Bill Labovitz.

“We understand there’s a political nature to these types of boards and organizations, but the actions by association’s board members have gone too far and they must be held accountable,” Labovitz said. The suit goes on to say board members conspired a plan at a June 23, 2014, meeting to ouster the Bedorthas from their positions in Mt. Lebanon lacrosse.

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