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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Did Easton's New Codes Czar Bungle Billboard Ruling in Forty Fort?

Last week, I outed Steve Nowroski as the person who soon will be getting paid $87,000 as Easton's new code czar. Easton tried to keep his identity a secret until I blew the whistle and reported that he is someone who has been investigated twice - once for using code as a retaliatory measure and once for issuing permits without inspections. This was in his capacity as Forty Fort's code enforcer, a position he resigned two weeks after the investigations started. What I failed to tell you then is that Nowroski had another job at Forty Fort. He was their zoning officer. A clerical failure there led to an unpopular 60' high lighted billboard in spite of a rejection from the Zoning Hearing Board.

Reason? Somebody "forgot" to send the denial to billboard company, Northway Ventures. That failure to notify the losing party formally resulted in something that the law calls a "deemed approval." According to a video of a subsequent Borough Council meeting, Nowroski is the person who should have notified Northway.

I'm unsure whether he's the actual culprit. It could be the ZHB Solicitor. On the other hand, Nowroski is a named Defendant in the mandamus action that resulted. But this is now the third incident that casts doubt on whether hiring this guy is a good idea, to say nothing of paying him $87,000 a year.

According to Mayor Sal Panto, everything was reviewed by his "background investigator".

I wonder if he gets $87,000 a year, too.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

The hate and jealousy continue

Anonymous said...

It is the Solicitor's job to wrote to opinion, and likely the town's to send it out. A Zoning Officer should track such things, IMO, and verify that it was sent. The Solicitor is not a clerk and does not work weekly at the town facility.

The person who wrote the nonsensical comment at 7:02AM has no clue about zoning, other than she couldn't run a massage parlor out of her house.

Deemed approval is very powerful, as Forty Fort found out. Having a ZO who pays attention to details is important, so all land owners are living by the rules - even those who have no interest in rules or the law when it applies to them.

Anonymous said...

Consider the source...I heard hr gets $8.70 dollars from O'Hare when he clicks on the link.

Anonymous said...

Our current council gets a D- from me when it comes to hiring. Haven't they learned from the Steckman fiasco? We give too much money and too much power to these new hires.

Anonymous said...

Nobody gets any money for the new investigative news sources that also implicates local news sources by there ommisions¿ Thank God for those people speaking out as formal whistel blowers with this new technological inclined tool¿

That said Bernie, I know you are but a county over the light post story has a ommiision too¿ This would be the most traveled state root to the new arena¿ Who and what entity within the city government pocketed public cash funds in this allentown collaboration¿

With MM's latest accomplishment as well as his not tooting his own horn and being the main actor modisty¿ It is a wonder he is still verticle with the who and what was the opposition in this Transgretional Transformational Resurgence into the darkages for city dwellers¿

redd
patent pending

Black3car said...

Ah yes....but a turd that shines!

patches said...

Again we would like to CONGRATULATE Bernie O'Hare, for another job well done. He is doing in 1 week what we have been trying to do for the last 5 years (uncover the real truth about Steve Nowroski). We live next door to Steve in Swoyersville, PA Luzerne County. We have a law suit pending that Steve is involved in. We have written to every senator, congressman, etc, even the President of the United States. We even put a small billboard in front of our house listing all the Code and zoning violations, we were asked to take it down. we contacted our 2 local newspapers they came but did not want to get involved, imagine that!! (we need to know some of Bernies secrets on how he's getting all his articles published). We left no stone unturned. Finally after writing and writing to the Labor and Industry board, they came to our home. Labor and Industry just does not come out for anything there must be hard core evidence (we have). The Borough gave Labor and Industry a letter stating that Steve never worked for Swoyersville (how convienient, Boy, did he luck out! Not so fast our lawsuit is pending).
Oh, and buy the way we are not writing anonymously, check with Steve he will know right off the bat who this is. For that matter just about everyone in Swoyersville will know who this is.

On one other note Forty Fort hired a couple years ago a new police chief named Frederick J. Lahovski Jr bet you can't guess where he is from? Nazareth, PA worked in the same building as Steve Nowroski. Wonder if there might be a connection????? Do you think that might be how Steve got his job in Easton???? JUST WONDERING! Guess we will all be busy the next few days researching this one.

Peter J.Cochran said...

Patches--You did not name yourself this because you shoot an 'inline'rifle. But more likely because you admit to being ragtag in your own demeanor. The inference that these two men are co -conspiring or of like character because they are from the same bailiwick is just that --an inference. Lohovski and Nowroski have relatives that came here to work the mines back when. Lohovski is a hero ,he is a combatant type that is a cop and veteran and would save your kid and wife from danger ,putting himself last.He probably does not subscribe to the political athletics from people who are sheep. You putting him here on this post , parallel to some other candidate in another job.--Yes I said that.

Bernie O'Hare said...

The claim that officer Lahovsky is a source is incorrect. I do know him and first met him years ago, when he started working in Nazareth. I can't say for sure whether he is the finest police officer in the Lehigh Valley. But he is certainly the finest police officer I have ever known. I can think of several people who owe their lives to him. Nazareth is very lucky to have him. Unlike many police officers, he is not a Yes man. Instead of blindly following authority, he will question it, especially if he smells politics or an overbearing civilian who really should not be involved in professional, day-to-day, law enforcement decisions.

I think he, along with Officers Schleig, Shimer and Koch, along with Deputy Chief Miller, are the core of what can be a very good and professional police department. An intelligent police department.

So far as I know, he does not come from the Forty Fort area. I could be wrong, but believe he actually hails from the reading area and spent most of his life here in the Lehigh Valley.

I do not reveal sources, but since Officer Lahovsky seems to get accused of everything, let me state now that he is not my source for the story about Nowrosky. I will take that information with me to the grave.

patches said...

I would like to clear up some confusion! Frederick J. Lahovski Jr DID work for Forty-Fort Borough as chief of police for a short time and we did have the pleasure of meeting him on more than one occasion. He is and was one of the finest police chiefs anyone could ever ask for. We have the highest regard for all these officers(forty-fort, Swoyersville and all surrounding areas)who put their lives on the line for all of us. The reference I made between Steve and Fred was only that they worked in the same building and maybe became good friends, and maybe Fred might have told Steve about a opening in Easton for a new code inspector! Please don't take things out of context!

Bernie O'Hare said...

Just wanted to clear up that he is not my source.

Anonymous said...

Patches sounds like a great match for Bernie. Yahoo!!

Peter J.Cochran said...

Accepted to me too , maybe it was snowing and you need to get out early,like Congress.Ok Patches your a bigger person now for an explanation as I rate the man in question /the cop -a hero.Aside from Easton hires, nothing else, is my issue.