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Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Meet Jack Panella's Sister

Ann Marie and Jack Panella, brother and sister 
Superior Court Judge Jack Panella invited me to a lecture about lynching last night. Maybe he was trying to tell me something. He and Northampton County Judge Leonard Zito were the event sponsors of a terrific presentation by Mark Curriden, co-author of Contempt of Court. That's a book about a turn-of-the-century lynching that ultimately led to the one and only time our Supreme Court has ever conducted a criminal trial. Curriden spoke to a group of seventy people at Lafayette College's Kirby Hall of Civil Rights. The Boys and Girls Club of Easton also hosted the event, and Executive Director Dean Young manned the door. I tried to slip by, but got caught and had to cough up $5. After the riveting story, I also bought the book

In addition to District Judge candidates Antonia Grifo and Tim Prendergast, Easton Democratic activists Matt Munsey and April Niver were there. But the biggest treat for me was finally getting to meet Jack's sister, Ann-Marie Panella. She is a long-time Palmer Township Supervisor, which is one of the best-run local governments in the Lehigh Valley. When I asked her about that last night, she had nothing but praise for her fellow Supervisors. "We always try to do the right thing," she told me.

Panella was a power house in the private sector, working as VP for Human Resources for MCS Industries. But she gave that up recently for a job at the Children's Home in Easton. "I love it," she tells me, bragging that she was bringing some of these children to last night's lecture. And she appeared to enjoy herself thoroughly with her wards, who wanted to go home with her.

Judge Panella and his sister agreed to pose for a picture even though, as he pointed out, neither of them is running for anything this year.
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16 comments:

  1. Ann-Marie PanellaFebruary 6, 2013 at 6:11 AM

    Thank you for the kind words. I, too am glad we finally met.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2013 at 9:19 PM

      Thanx for being role models for the children they will deffinetly remember your work!! These two are a step above most serving the public sector, these days when scimming public funds is the norm they are giving of themselfs.

      Thanx again,
      REDD

      Delete
  2. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 9:09 AM

    Who is Jack Panella? Is this thing on? Zzzzzzzz.....

    ReplyDelete
  3. zoidFebruary 6, 2013 at 9:28 AM

    Jack and Ann Marie both class acts!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 10:17 AM

    I enjoyed the positive story Bernie. Sounds like it was a nice event. There are some classy elected officials out there.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Bernie O'HareFebruary 6, 2013 at 10:27 AM

    Ann-Marie, I always seemed to just miss you, and am so happy I finally got a chance to catch up with you. Zoid is right. You and Judge Panella are both class acts who volunteer a lot of your own time to make this a better community. We are very lucky to have people like you and your brother.

    Invite me to the Children's Home some time. I know I can't take pictures of the kids, but am sure there are many stories that my readers would enjoy and perhaps should read.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 2:55 PM

    Tricia Mezzacappa
    February 6, 2013 at 1:00 PM
    Dear Friends,

    I need your support. Tomorrow morning at 9 am I will be walking into motions court with my motion to dismiss O'Hare's libel claim. I am hoping some of you, (time providing) will show your solidarity by sitting with me in the courtroom.

    I put this on facebook. If the Lord is with me, there will be a line wrapping around the courthouse rotunda, and a cop out front directing traffic. Please, if you have the ability join me in the courtroom ...just ask for motions court when you arrive. They will tell you which room its in.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Bernie O'HareFebruary 6, 2013 at 3:23 PM

    That;s interesting. I have been provided no notice of her intention to be in court. Her appearance is ex parte.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Peter J.CochranFebruary 6, 2013 at 5:00 PM

    Hay Judge, are you drinking from the fountain of youth? Thank you for your service to the public.Your sister a wonderful person ,thank you both.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 9:41 PM

    Great duo.

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2013 at 9:53 PM

    Bernie, good luck on your lawsuit Tricia has been studying up on the law and is pretty sharp with her understanding of the law. If the case is dismissed her blog erupt in a frenzy of celebration, I hope you are prepared for this.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Bernie O'HareFebruary 6, 2013 at 11:55 PM

    She needs to study a lot more. If she does, she'll soon realize she's already lost her case. A judge has ruled that the statements I attribute to her are defamatory per se. Once I prove she;s made them, she's toast. Her response has been to repeat them.

    Also, the notion that she will be in motions court tomorrow to have my case dismissed, without providing prior notice to me or my attorney, is evidence that she does not know what she is doing. No judge will entertain her motion ex parte.

    I have no intention of appearing at a hearing to which neither I nor my attorney has received notice. I suspect she will not be there either, and is playing games as she has been doing all along.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Bernie O'HareFebruary 6, 2013 at 11:58 PM

    "Great duo."

    They truly are. Ironically, after always just missing Ann Marie, I bumped into her tonight at Wegmans. She tried running away when she saw me, but I was too fat for her.

    She is a very nice lady. Her brother is the closest thing NC has to a rock star. When he comes to the courthouse, everyone comes over to talk to him.

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2013 at 2:11 AM

    Hey O'Hare I guess his azz smells better than Stoffa's. Chris,t do you have an apartment up there?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Bernie O'HareFebruary 7, 2013 at 2:14 AM

    You don't have too much hate, do you?

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousFebruary 7, 2013 at 11:09 AM

    "Tricia has been studying up on the law and is pretty sharp with her understanding of the law."

    What an inane comment. Attorney Rick Orloski, Mezzacappa's opposing counsel, has 40 years of experience actually practicing law. Get real!

    ReplyDelete

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