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| Human Services Building |
At 2 pm yesterday, Northampton County became the owner of its Human Services building, located at 2801 Emrick Boulevard in Bethlehem Township. The county had been leasing the building for $1.05 million per year.It was also paying $190,000 per year in taxes. It purchased the building for $14.5 million, exercising an option that became available this year. For years, former Executive John Stoffa had argued for a single centralized building for 80,000 clients who often need services from several departments. His vision has become reality.
Ironically, Stoffa was unable to see the realization of his dream yesterday. He's been sidelined by a disease affecting his mobility. Though absent, he was the first person who Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure thanked.
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| From left to right: Ken Kraft, Jim Gentile, Lamont McClure, Ken Mohr and Tom Harp |
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| John Stoffa |
Before this acquisition, Human Services were split up at locations in Easton and Bethlehem. This meant that people who needed servoces from several departments would have to visit both locations.
Like everything else in Northampton County, this no-brainer was controversial. The Governor Wolf building,located in Easton, was plagued with all kinds of problems, including asbestos. Caseworkers complained that children who came for supervised visitation were exposed to lead-based paint and even guano. Stoffa was accused of just wanting a building named after him.
As you can see (above), the building is simply called Northampton County Human Services Building Ken Kraft joked it should be named after him. If I were King, the building would be named after Grace Packer, the little girl who was murdered by a former NorCo caseworker and her boyfriend. She is a reminder of how the system we set up to protect our most vulnerable people can end up hurting them.
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| Closing, from left to right: Att'y Veronica DeAngelo Johnson,Att'y Michael Corriere, Jim Gentile, Lamont McClure and Council President Ron Heckman |
23 comments:
Did Cozze handle that too as a Clerical Tech?
Mezzacappa, go bray on your Facebook page
That shiny building will go a long way toward keeping kids safe. Any word on the AG's investigation?
Bernie, that there is good wording of farm animals? Did it and it pig Bray back and forth in the barn yard.
The bearded fat lady is just another Smoletting monster!
Bernie, let those analisticz professors
pander for there placement in this nue building. There will be a strict regiment of treatments for there displacement in society to fill the voids.
How does this county have 80,000 people requiring services of about 300,000 folks. Are there people that want to get on the gravie train? My parents never went to the court house except for jury duty ,or gun permit. My mom is 90 , pays her own way, because my father saved it and didn’t buy shit like 43 ince TVs or luxury cars. Whey do so many people require so assistance. It appears then the whole nation is full of people requesting service,getting disability,and having kids with issues ,is this true ? Crazy costs . Hold people responsible for their own crap . They caused.
Pete many of the mellenials that are the new selling points are predicted to be the most colorectal people in history. Will this account for 79% of the human in need of services from this site.
The 80.000 number was one of Stoffa's BS tactics to get this built., He wanted his monument and he got it. Most of those 80,00 will never even see that building since they are served at home. It was built for the employees. No problem but don't BS people. People like Pete don't understand how politicians like Stoffa play games with peoples emptions to get what they want.
In the end it is all about having names on plaques and photo ops. Politicians are all the same
Right ,just checked back before I turn in .it seems we cater to “self inflicted individuals “ and I think we should should be supercharging the productive with grants and not the dredges that move here from N.J.and NY. Are there any figures on how many pre- exiting 100 year families that have been here received services against the TAX migrants that move to avoid taxes in NY.,N.J. And run ours up after they move in . Traffic ,auto insurance costs and school tax’s are most effected and the damed development is not helping us , it’s j killing us. Somebody should should blow up the bridges ,but political people don’t see it. Wallmart handycaped zone is always filled ,yet they walk around the store ,park using grandmas pass ,and obesity is not in their vocabulary. Most have body weight that exceeded their credit score .
“. We pay for this Don’t we?
When this building was first proposed, in progress , I think we only had 235,000 residents in Northampton County . To move out of Easton was probably right but you have now an administive building with a Sheriffs Deputy like Gracedale so I’m going to assume that employs 6 a week to cover that has no threat issues. I think it’s unnecessary and expensive. These bulildings do not contain high risk issues ,again this is a move because of high influx of people “ tax migrants “ moving here . What do we need to expend costs for armed people at Gracedale for ?Things are “slow and routine there”that had a problem the local police could deal with it. Food is good ,people are nice and it’s a good facility. They don’t hire criminals to watch our grandparents. —— Go ahead ,beat me up.
@ Dales - you have a dirty mouth. Needs to be washed out with some Palmolive.
Pete makes a lot of sense. He isn't fooled.
Peter J Cuckhrane face Dale's Moussad at the Landsdowne road Tavern in hells kitchen or forever be known at a dottard coward who can shoot a rifle but not knuckle up like a man.
To show how this crap is all about ego, why is a plaque there with Brown's name on it? Because it was done and he happened to be in office? Even some of the tea party republicans that would never had approved the thing. So silly. Why not put William Penn's name on a plaque while you are at it. All about face time Disgusting.
Is that right ? I have been retired almost 3 yrs . So your not up to snuff. I understand your concern . But at Gracedale for example there is no threat .ive been in there every week since the issue came up about proper care on this blog . I see all theVeterans I can each day I go. If you ever had Economics 101 tell me . Yes I’m an ass hole sometimes because I’ve been through a lot of shit and I don’t apologize or appreciate political people that can’t do their jobs. And to knomskulls that can’t sign their name because they are committed enough ,but I am . I say ,from my observation,under their conditions,Gracedale staff is doing wonderfully. No body has a compliment of Veteran occupation. Your live could not handle mine . Give me a name I will tell you about yourself,free. !
How about this, Put the sheriffs out on Warrant Work , You have one of best fugitive officers anywhere on staff curantly . I wouldn’t want him look n for me and I know how to disappear. So ‘ get it out there . Use the rescourse . Take on the opportunity to be somebody. Stop complaining about my opinion as as a tax payer observer that was once in same industry. I loved fugitive work ,it’s better that sex .
If fact bub , I dought if you worked there you could get to T-6 in timely manor because you have not drilled it . Would you run staircase or take elivator? iI would have perimeter security outside ,which means you might be in the cold and not on your phone in the lobby. So if you want to come after me you will have to pass muster bub. I sat with nuclear bombs in my younger days and there was 0 tolorance in protocol.
The Sheriff is a capable man , he has experience inNYC but detractors of local issues may prevented him from “ the feelings - the knowing of local issues. But he’s an administrator. I knew his mother -in - law almost all my memory as a child ,she was a school teacher . Now over with my mother at nursing home . So I would not do anything to hurt his office as I idmire the Sheriff. So- you that Anon that called me out ,you need to re- evaluate how you got hired , how you fit in and how you perform as an employee. Evan your range scores on B-27 targets ,before you come after me ,an old guy on SS . You don’t know,what you don’t know.
But the county has no money
Just another building the County won't take care of. Look at the courthouse, it is a shit hole!
We lost one of our Veterans from Gracedale yesterday. Mr Hahn from around Bangor,Pa. he was in the U.S.Army I n the 50s ,he was a meteorologist. I asked him how did you get that job as a boot camp nobody ? He replied I think I checked the wrong box in recruiting office.I say what ? So they send him to school and ship him over to Oman in Middle 50s .( we were not flying anything in there then ) . He is there with 7 other people and they don’t wear uniforms. The natives were walking around carrying AK- 47 s and they would pass by each other with a hand raised with no trouble . I tell him the CIA was only created about 7 years ago in 1947 like the U.S,Air Force the same year ,and you were part of their operation,unknowingly. He smiles and says ,so what, I had a good time there. Bless his soul.
CWO 1 Hahn ,U.S.Army ,a wood worker and did some nice carvings. So I go over to Eisinheart Mills in Forks and Mr Cousins give me block of BASS wood for this Mr Hahn .its the perfect dimensions for him to carve out the Lincoln Memorial. He didn’t make it .
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