All About Gracedale

Tara Zrinski is in her fifth week as NorCo Executive and is already dealing with a full-blown crisis aka Gracedale. She had barely taken office when she learned that the nursing home's license had been reduced from regular to provisional. That's when she also learned of federal fines amounting to $80,550. At last night's meeting of Northampton County Council, she went into great detail on steps she is taking to improve what was once hailed as the "jewel of the county." It has since become a millstone around the necks of county executives. She also advised Council that, at least in the short term, "it is likely that the county is going to have to support Gracedale out of the general fund."

Here's what she's doing in the short term.

First, she is meeting on a regular basis with the Director of Human Services and Gracedale's Administrator, and will receive a written report every two weeks about what is happening. To the extent that she can supply Council with copies of these reports without violating privacy laws, she will do so. 

Second, the Administrator will be required to attend quality assurance committee meetings to ensure that it is held accountable for plans of correction that address deficiencies found by the state Department of Health and to exercise oversight before quality issues become deficiencies. 

 

Third, she is evaluating whether the right people are in the right positions. She will delve deeper into the vetting of nurse services, contractors, and their staff as well as on-site training and the scheduling of nurse staff. 

Fourth, both she and representatives of her office will make unannounced visits to Gracedale. 

Fifth, she wants Gracedale's Human Resource representative to provide a report on the frequency, quality, and utilization of staff evaluations. "This is something that I did in the controller's office. I believe that you have to evaluate staff. I believe that if they are not performing the duties that they are obligated to do in their contracts, that we will be putting people on performance improvement plans. We will be holding people accountable for the actions at Gracedal. "

Sixth, she will begin the process of retraining new and existing employees. 

Seventh, "we're getting a cat, right?"

She has three long-range goals. She wants to make the home financially sustainable, provide a higher quality of care and make it more attractive to residents, families and referral sources. 

To accomplish these goals, she wants to do the following. 

First, she wants to create a quasi cabinet level position just for Gracedale and take the home out of the hands of Director of Human Services Sue Wandalowski, who has enough on her plate

Second, she wants to convert Gracedale's advisory board into an actual task force. It's unclear what they would actually be tasked to do, other than raising money via grants and donations to a 501c3.

Third, she thinks the home can be reimagined to provide more health services like the dialysis it currently offers. She thinks that could be accomplished by partnering with other health networks.

Fourth, she believes the aging home is in dire need of capital improvements, noting that the practice of housing four residents in one room is outdated and needs to change. 

Fifth, Gracedale needs its own financial overseer..

Sixth, she like to make the daycare at the home available to other count employees.

She also would like County Council to do the following:

First, tour the home.

Second, adopt a resolution against cuts to Medicare and medical assistance payments to nursing homes and for increases in Medicare and medical assistance reimbursement to nursing homes, especially county run homes, whose census is almost all medical assistance. 

Third, pass a resolution to state and federal officials for capital improvement funds, similar to the capital improvement funds established for school districts, for county owned nursing homes. 

Following her presentation, she asked for an executive session to discuss personnel measures taken to address some of the eight citations that have plagued the home since March. 

I will have more about Gracedale on Monday to explain why its license is provisional, which was explained by Council member Dave Holland. 

In Wake of Margle's Drug Charges Wilson Borough Looking For New Solicitor

On Tuesday, I told you that local attorney Stanley Margle, who is facing drug charges, was jailed for refusing to provide a drug-testing sample to pretrial services. Although he's presumed innocent, he's still required to comply with bail conditions. He learned the hard way just what can happen when they are ignored. According to the docket sheet, which sometimes can be a day or two behind real time, he was still jailed as of last night. Lehigh Valley Live has reported that Margle has since provided a sample, so the court might be inclined to release him. ... Or not.

As I mentioned, Margle was still Wilson Borough's Solicitor as of their reorganization meeting in January. That may be changing soon. Wilson Borough is now looking for a new Solicitor. Proposals are due February 20.

A post about a local attorney going through hard times is going to attract a lot of interest, especially when he has public clients. Years ago, I wrote about another local lawyer who was stealing money from clients and his own firm to pay for his drinking and gambling addictions. He never forgave me and once accosted me at a high school basketball game. 

I understand the anger. As most of you know, I am an alcoholic. Not a former alcoholic. There's no such thing. If you can't handle booze, you can never handle it and should always refer to yourself as a current alkie. I am very fortunate that I am one of the last of the true alcoholics, meaning that I was only using booze and no other drug. I am also grateful that one stint in rehab and one year of daily AA meetings have kept me sober. 

When confronted with the reality that an addiction is interfering with matters that mean something to you, most addicts and alcoholics will blame anything but their addition for their problem. In Stanley's case, it is a mysterious "rogue cop." Certainly not cocaine. 

Eventually, the lucky among us hit bottom. It finally dawns on us that we are addicts or alcoholics and it's something we can't outsmart. 

In my case, I hit bottom after the Disciplinary Board saw through my bullshit and recommended that I be suspended. I actually wandered off to the Delaware Gap National Recreation Area, where I was gonna' off myself. I don't know what happened because I told no one about my problems, but a good friend who practiced law with me somehow found me and talked me down. His nickname was Sunny. To this day, I don't know how he knew or how he was able to find me. 

My sincere hope is that Stanley has hit bottom and that he now realizes he's not smarter than his addiction. He still has a lot to offer this world and believe he can make an excellent contribution to this world if he meets his problem head on and fights it like the good lawyer he was a few years ago. 

Federal Judge Gallagher's Final Order Dismissing Lawsuit Filed by NorCo's Former Custody Master

I've already posted Federal District Court Judge John Gallagher's Opinion dismissing a civil rights action filed by NorCo's former custody master, Lisa Tresslar, against Northampton County Court.  In its final form, her complaint was that she suffered retaliation for voicing complaints about changes in the court's custody procedures. The actions taken against her were so severe that she claimed she was constructively terminated. 

After reviewing the extensive discovery, which consisted of inappropriate text exchanges between her and now jailed Attorney Stanley Margle, Judge Gallagher tossed the suit. He concluded that her claim that she voiced her complaints as a private citizen, and not as a public employee, were unbelievable. He added that, even if that were true, she failed to produce any evidence that the court even knew of them. 

I neglected to attach his final order, dismissing her case with prejudice. This means no do-over. 

Judge Gallagher Order Granting Summary Judgment in Former NorCo Custody Master Lawsuit by BernieOHare

Border Czar Announces Changes in Minneapolis Ice Enforcement

During a news conference on Wednesday, Border Czar Tom Homan has announced positive changes in tactics for immigration enforcement agents in the Minneapolis-St. Paul areas. I'd say they are positive changes.

First, focus will be on what are considered the "worst of the worst." He notes the recent arrest of 14 people with homicide convictions, 87 sex-offenders and 28 documented gang members. This is targeted enforcement as opposed to the sweeping raids under Gregory Bovino. The priority is what he calls "public safety risks."

Second, he acknowledged that state prisons and many county jails already do notify ICE of the impending release of an illegal immigrant. This corrects previous disinformation that prison officials refused to cooperate. There do remain some county jails who provide no cooperation, but they are under the control of county sheriffs, not state officials. 

Third, Homan will draw down about 700 law enforcement from Minnesota. This should help, alleviate the perception that these federal law enforcement agents are an occupying force. He conceded that previous tactics have been "less than perfect."

Fourth, local police chiefs have agreed to respond to 911 calls for assistance when protests get out of hand. 

Fifth, while acknowledging that people have every right to protest, observe and report official misconduct, protestors who interfere with and impede immigration arrests while be prosecuted. He noted the recent arrest of 158 people accused of impeding officers. 

Sixth, he noted that all immigration enforcement in Minneapolis will wear body cams.

Overall, I am pleased with what he calls "smarter enforcement, not less enforcement."

Zrinski to Ask NorCo Council To Approve Budget Transfer to Gracedale

Before he left, former NorCo Council member John Brown predicted that the County would be asked this month to contribute between $10-15 million in taxpayer funds so that Gracedale could balance its books for 2025. In her first report to County Council, Exec Tara Zrinski conceded that a contribution would be needed. 

Tonight, a Budget Amendment is being sought and it includes Gracedale. The supporting documents are not yet posted so it's unclear how much Gracedale will need. We'll know tonight. 

In addition, Council will be provided with updates on open concerns about the nursing home, which now operates with a CMS rating of just one star (much below average) and a provisional license. 

In my view, the county has failed to make long-range plans for the home. It still packs residents four to a room. Since the onset of COVID and the mass resignations, it has failed to recover staffing and is overly reliant on outside nursing care.  The problems are summarized quite nicely in a comment someone anonymously made yesterday:

"Gracedale situation is critical. A management company is your best bet however be prepared this won't happen overnight. The staffing problem is such the census should be cut and that likely won't happen. Cedarbrook many years ago closed a wing and made it into I independent living. When staffing got low other units were temporarily closed. They had a long term plan for a new wing in the works for 20 years that is now happening. Council received letters outlining the problems years ago and ignored them. Brown listened and actually started making improvements but lost the election. Gracedale can't come back from this unless big changes are made by management with experience. May I also add although not popular the unions in nursing did not help the attitudes and poor decision making. Don't get me wrong there were many devoted staff who cared deeply about their residents as I'm sure there still are. This is not an easy situation to solve and will take years of commitment. The buildings are old with little investment in making them marketable in today's world. They do take people no one else will but that has led to their problems as easily seen in the provisional license status. Secured separate units for behavioral issues must be considered if they are to continue to take these residents. Staffing adjustments also need to be made. Running a home on basically agency staff is a disaster waiting to happen. I feel badly about the present situation, but I can say I personally tried to help and despite it all no one wanted to hear anything, but what they wanted to hear. And here we are."

Gracedale Nursing Home Fined $80,550 By Medicare, License Reduced From Regular to Provisional

I've written repeatedly about Gracedale, Northampton County's nursing home, in recent months. In January, I told you that the facility has been cited seven times since Michelle Morton took over as Administrator. Her background is recreational therapy, not nursing homes. I've told you that the latest CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) rating places the home at just one star, which is considered well below average. The home has the added indignity of a scarlet letter in the form of a 

next to its name to warn potential residents and their families about the possibility of abuse. Finally, Executive Tara Zrinski has told County Council that a county contribution will be needed for 2025. 

I'd love to paint a prettier picture. The home serves a noble purpose and is the last refuge for many who have nowhere else to go. Unfortunately, things may actually be worse.  Medicare may impose penalties on a nursing home when there's a serious health or safety violation that remains uncorrected. Gracedale was hit with two penalties totaling $80,550 on September 19, 2025. This appears to be related to residents who were just wandering off the premises and then being retrieved by local police. 

Finally, its license is imperiled. Instead of a regular license, it now operates with a provisional license. This takes the place of a regular license when there are serious deficiencies that need correction. If the nursing home fails to meet CMS standards, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement will stop and the home will be out of business. 

There are still 14 county-owned nursing homes in Pennsylvania. All but Gracedale have regular licenses. This includes the largest county-owned nursing home, the 778-bed Fair Acres located in Lima, Pa. Of the 14 county-owned nursing homes, Gracedale provides the least amount of nursing care to residents. 

There are also 7 state-owned nursing homes. All have regular licenses and all provide more nursing care to residents. 

Pennsylvania also includes 227 nursing homes owned by non-profits. All but 3 have regular licenses.   

NorCo Council is poised to discuss Gracedale this week. It's pretty clear that everything it has tried as failed. It is time to bring in people who know what they are doing. 

Beitler on ICE: Two Things Can Be True

When seeking truth, two things can be true at the same time.

Yes, folks can and should have real concerns about how U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates in American cities right now. And yes, it can still be a mistake to cut off a successful relationship between county government and federal law enforcement that helped combat human trafficking and other serious crimes in Lehigh County.

I share concerns about due process, reduced training and recruitment standards, and a sense that enforcement is not focused on those with serious criminal records. Recent reporting shows training for new Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has been shortened, with recruits completing less instruction than in the past and many struggling with basic standards or being placed into field roles before full training was finished. Law enforcement training experts outside the agency have raised questions about preparedness and use of force protocols. I think most agree law enforcement should be held to the highest standards. These issues deserve serious discussion and stronger policies to protect civil rights, including the rights of American citizens who could be falsely accused. But turning a lease decision into a claim that all cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security harmfully oversimplifies a complex picture.

What also is true is that intergovernmental partnerships with DHS have helped our local community confront the brutal reality of human trafficking, a serious and ongoing problem in our region that preys on vulnerable people and destroys lives. Our geography makes us particularly vulnerable. The question should be about local realities. Reality is, there is no local evidence that HSI here has operated outside its criminal investigative function from this county office. What got lost in the politics is the real work happening here at home. The human trafficking task force in Lehigh County, created under an agreement unanimously approved by a bipartisan board, brought together local law enforcement, medical professionals, social service providers and federal investigators to target traffickers while supporting survivors. After a very political press event led to a rushed decision to evict the investigators, I heard directly from survivors, nurses, advocates and local law enforcement about how critical the partnership has been. Real cases and real lives were protected because agencies worked together.

Counties are not immigration policy makers. We are service providers. Our job is to protect residents, support victims and keep our communities safe. That means setting clear local boundaries on how county resources are used, being transparent with the public and, when needed, holding partners accountable. It does not mean dismantling partnerships that work because national politics are heated. When we shift into politics over objectivity we weaken our ability to focus on the core responsibilities our residents rely on us to deliver.

It’s important to understand. DHS includes many different functions. For example, airport security through TSA. We would certainly not suggest evicting TSA from LVIA over immigration policy disputes. The same principle of distinguishing roles should apply to all federal partnerships. Put yourself in the shoes of a victim of trafficking and ask what makes you safer, political theater or maintaining real investigative resources?

Leadership should not make unilateral decisions without engaging stakeholders. Unfortunately, I believe that happened here. Conversely, I’ve learned through conversations with local service providers that victims do not report crimes directly to federal agencies. They come through hospitals, shelters, advocates and local police first. Federal partners are brought in later when cases require broader investigative tools that local agencies alone do not have. My perspective comes from listening to the people who work closest to victims and who see the consequences of hasty decisions in real time. The consistent theme I heard was not about politics, but about making sure survivors continue to have safe entry points and that frontline workers have access to the tools needed to stop traffickers. Claims that victims will not seek help because of federal perception overlook how victims actually enter the system and how investigations work in practice.

To the survivors who have reached out, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, nonprofit leaders I’ve spoken with, and others now working with one less important tool, I am sincerely sorry that county leadership has failed you.

Two things can be true at once. Effective local governance should not be about headlines or national political battles. Here at home? It should be about objectivity. Yes, we can and should demand accountability, insist on due process and set firm local guardrails. But we can do this without weakening known partnerships that protect victims of trafficking and other serious crimes. We should set limits without breaking the tools that protect the most vulnerable. We should talk to stakeholders before holding press conferences. Ending this partnership does not change federal immigration policy, but it does change whether local investigators, medical providers and survivor advocates have access to the tools they were using to go after traffickers. That is what responsible local government looks like, and it requires an independent, nonpartisan, fact driven perspective focused on outcomes, not party lines.

Ron Beitler is an Independent Lehigh County Commissioner.

Prominent Area Attorney Stan Margle Jailed Over Refusal to Provide Drug Testing Sample

Noted Easton area attorney Stanley Margle, as of this moment, is a resident of Northampton County jail. He was scheduled to provide a drug testing sample to the pre-trial office yesterday. He appeared but was unwilling to comply with his bail conditions, which require him to submit to periodic drug testing. He has refused to do so since October 7, 2025

Senior Judge William Mahon, a Chester County jurist brought in to hear Margle's case, is not playing. Late yesterday morning, he ordered Margle to provide a sample or be jailed 

At a 2 pm bail hearing, Margle was sentenced to 30-60 days. I do not have that Order but his docket sheet shows that he has definitely been jailed.  

Margle is still Wilson Borough Solicitor, at least as of its January reorganization meeting. At a hearing with NorCo Council in which he advocated for a tax break to convert the vacant Dixie Cup factory into luxury apartments, he actually argued with a Council member (Kevin Lott) who supported the TIF.  

Margle currently is facing drug charges in two separate incidents at the courthouse. In both cases, he forgot a satchel that contained either cocaine or drug paraphernalia. 

No disciplinary charges have yet been lodged against Margle by the Pa Disciplinary Board

Federal Court Dismisses Civil Rights Lawsuit Filed by NorCo's Former Custody Master

Yesterday, I told you that a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by former Northampton County Custody Master Lisa Tresslar had been put on hold by District Court Judge John Gallagher. I saw that as a sign that the parties were working on a settlement of Tresslar's claim of first amendment retaliation. I was wrong. Judge Gallagher apparently stayed the matter because he had heard enough. Yesterday, he granted a motion of summary judgment in favor of President Judge Craig Dally and Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and against Tresslar. Her claim has been dismissed with prejudice, meaning it's over for her. 

Tresslar served as NorCo's first ever full-time Custody Master between 2014 and 2023. She had been Judge Michael Koury's Clerk and was lured into the role by then President Judge Steve Baratta. During her time as Custody Master, Tresslar became deeply concerned about proposed changes in custody guidelines. She believed they would force families to agree to settle custody disputes without vital evidence being heard by the courts that could endanger children. She voiced these concerns to President Judge Dally. She spoke in opposition to these changes at a meeting of the NorCo Bar association family law committee, although she claims she did that in her capacity as a citizen and not as Custody Master. She also spoke to investigators who were reviewing claims of judicial misconduct filed against two jurists. 

Notwithstanding Tresslar's opposition to these changes, new custody guidelines were eventually imposed. In addition, Tresslar's role was reduced. She lost her supervisory power, and she was placed under a part-time custody master. Her workload was changed, and she resigned.

Without even reaching the question whether she suffered retaliatory behavior, Judge Gallagher concluded that her lawsuit must fail because her speech would only be protected if it was in her capacity as a private citizen, and not as a custody master. Moreover, even assuming that she could establish that her complaints about revised custody guidelines were made in her capacity as a private citizen, she never established that anyone on Northampton County's bench knew of them. 

So ends a case with many twists and turns and the discovery that Tresslar may have played favorites with at least one attorney, Stan Margle. He was once her own attorney in her own custody battle, and discovery revealed several inappropriate text messages from Tresslar in which she appears to advise him on strategy and demeans another attorney opposing him.   

You can read Judge Gallagher's opinion below. 

Summary Judgment Against Tresslar in Federal Case by BernieOHare

UPDATED: ICEOUT Receives FOUR Unconfirmed ICE Observations in Easton Area

ICEOUT is a nationwide map through which people can report ICE observations in their community. It is maintained by People Over Papers, a 501c3 nonprofit. 

The map includes an unconfirmed report that ICE was observed at the Easton Recreation Office, 123 S 3rd St, Easton, PA at 1:47 pm. The report indicates that 15 agents in 5 or more cars were there. Another unconfirmed report, including a photo, indicates that ICE was seen outside the vacant LA Fitness Center in Wilson Borough on January 31 at 1:30 PM. Two vehicles and about 5 agents are spotted. A third unconfirmed report indicates four vehicles were spotted the same day at 10 am at 2403 Butler Street in Wilson Borough. 

UPDATED 2:20 PM: A fourth unconfirmed observation of ICE as made at Easton's Centre Square (which is a circle) today at 10 am. Five cars observed. 

NorCo Council Lawsuit Over Audio Visual Upgrades Still Pending

Back in October, Northampton County Council sued former Executive Lamont McClure over audio and visual upgrades to County Council's meeting room. Ron Heckman, a former Council member, was participating in meetings remotely and routinely complained that he was unable to hear or see what was happening. When he would speak at meetings, his voice would often cut off, and no one could hear him. It was suggested that he might be responsible himself for his technical difficulties, but he insisted that this was a systemic problem that the Executive branch chose to ignore. 

Northampton County Council actually adopted an Ordinance for these upgrades in late 2023. According to the terms of this Ordinance, the upgrades were to be completed by June 2024. Then Exec McClure vetoed the Ordinance, but the only Council member who voted to sustain that veto was then Council member (and now Executive) Tara Zrinski. 

The total cost of these upgrades is unknown but is well within County Council's contingency fund. 

With the recent election and inauguration of Tara Zrinski as Exec, I thought County Council and the Exec would reach some sort of agreement. But instead, the matter is currently in the hands of Northampton County Court. The County Exec maintains that a complaint for Declaratory Judgment is an improper form of action. I personally think a Mandamus action is probably more appropriate but am unsure whether the court wishes to exalt procedure over substance. 

Former NorCo Custody Master's Suit Against Court Has Been Stayed

Federal District Court Judge John Gallagher has stayed the lawsuit that Northampton County's former Custody Master, Lisa Tresslar, has filed against Court Administrator Jermaine Greene and President Judge Craig Dally. His Order, filed on January 13, is at the request of both sides. 

In her action, Tresslar maintains that she is the victim of retaliatory action for exercising her first amendment rights concerning major changes imposed by the court in the way that custody cases are handled. The court has denied any retaliatory act and adds that that it is in any event imbued with legislative immunity because the changes to procedure were a matter of court rules adopted by the judiciary. 

Both sides previously have filed Motions for Summary Judgment, which were argued in December.

A stay of this sort is often an indication that the parties are attempting to settle their differences.