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Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Norco Council Candidates' Night On Election Eve

A few days before the election - October 29 - the Lehigh Valley League of Women Voters will sponsor a candidates' night for all Northampton County Council wannabes. This forum will be hosted by St. John’s United Church of Christ, Broad and Prospect Streets, Nazareth, PA. Controller hopefuls Steve Barron and John Schimmel have received no invitation, but the LWV has a very full plate with the council candidates alone.

County Council is the legislative branch of Northampton County Government. It consists of nine elected members. Four represent specific districts, and five are elected at-large throughout the entire County. In this election cycle, only one at-large seat is in contention.

Tony Branco, an unknown outside Hellertown, is in serious trouble. His record as a council appointee is undistinguished, and opponent Peg Ferraro is very formidable. In my opinion, he lost his first debate. His likely defeat will be a setback to machine Democrats on council - Charles Dertinger, Lamont McClure and Diane Neiper.

Here's the evening's ambitious agenda.

7 – 7:45 p.m.
Room 1, at-large candidates Anthony Branco and Peg Ferraro

8 – 9:30 p.m. District Candidates
Room 1:
District 1 - Ann McHale and Tom Dietrich
District 2 – William E. Wallace and J. Michael Dowd

Room 2:
District 3 – Lamont G. McClure and Mark H. Schwartz
District 4 – John F. Maher and Ron Angle

Candidates will answer questions from the League of Women Voters and the Green Valley Coalition, a special interest group promoting farmland preservation. They will also submit a few written questions from the audience.
(Photo of Peg Ferraro and Tony Branco at Pen Argyl debate, courtesy of Windgapper)
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10 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 9:20 AM

    Is O'Hair going to be a moderator for the League at this event, as he has been caught in drag with another drag queen before?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bernie O'HareOctober 16, 2007 at 10:10 AM

    Spoken like a true ten-year old.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 10:33 AM

    The train wreck at South Side Bethlehem's five-points intersection caused by Ed "Fast Eddie" Rendell, John Callahan, Darlene Heller, and St. Luke's Hospital can't be ignored until the October 29, 2007, Northampton County-wide debate sponsored by the "Lehigh VAlley" League of Women Voters.

    Voters need to know NOW the positions of at-large candidates Peg Ferraro and Tony Branco and Distric 1 candidates Ann McHale and Tom Dietrich regardind the train wreck.

    Again I urge as many Northamppton residents as possible to attend the Bethlehem Planning Commission review of BethWorks scheduled at 3 p.m. today at Bethlehem Town Hall, 10 E. Church St.

    I smell "Casino" Jack Abramoff here.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 12:35 PM

    Two articles in today's Morning Call, "$2 million tagets traffic tie-ups" and "Forks sets forum of planned regional health agency," link the St. Luke's Hospital and Sheldon Adelson's BethWorks Sands casino.

    The BethWorks casino hasn't even been built yet - in fact, hasn't even received final approval from the Bethlehem Planning Commission, and already the city's official like Mayor John Callahan and former Forks Township supervisor Richey Ricci are counting the Sand's chickens before they hatch.

    How appropriate that a post on Lehigh Valley Ramblings about Glenn Taggart of Donna Taggart Associates is illustrated by a cartoon of the fox guarding the henhouse.

    The cartoon is approprate. The alliance between St. Luke's Hospital and Sheldon Adelson's casino is not.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 1:37 PM

    Bernie,

    I'm lost by Billy Givens (?) Anon 10:33 and 12:35 post. Since you won't delete him, can you at least translate? It doesn't make sense to me on the topic at hand. I'm not trying to be mean. He just looses me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Bernie O'HareOctober 16, 2007 at 3:36 PM

    Anon 1:37,

    Yes, that's definitely Billy. He apparently is upset that casino money will be used to fund a bi-county health authority.

    But I don't know that the votes exist for one in any event.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 7:55 PM

    Hey Bernie, do you think the League of Women Voters will sponsor a "sore loser" candidate in their debate? What is their policy?

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 9:28 PM

    They already are sponsoring one with Ferraro, Branco, and McClure. All three lost two years ago.

    Health dept will pass.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousOctober 16, 2007 at 10:34 PM

    Would they invite a candidate who lost this past primary and is now running a write in campaign? If I am not mistaken, PAs "sore losers" law prevents such a person from getting on the ballot as an independent.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Bernie O'HareOctober 16, 2007 at 10:43 PM

    You are right. Will you please identify this candidate? You've hinted around, but should just come out and identify the person and the office being sought.

    ReplyDelete

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