Mr. Brown To Meet the Press

Up until now, Northampton County Executive John Brown's administration has been marred by a lack of transparency. He has been unavailable for phone calls from the press, has declined comment when directly asked and has ignored emails. That attitude, however might change soon.

Brown has scheduled a news conference in his office for 1:30 pm tomorrow to discuss his "media policy" as well as general topics of interest. There will be a 15-minute presentation, followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. .

Even I am invited.

Post your questions in the comments (no personal attacks), and I will try to ask them.

A Main Street Manager in the 'Burbs

A mural won't save a business

Roads are a mess, especially in the cities and boroughs. There's simply no place to put the snow, and workers are getting tired. What's really bad is that many small businesses die in this kind of weather. I experienced this yesterday when I drove through Wind Gap, Pen Argyl  and Bangor. I was on my way to a basketball game in Roseto, and was shocked to see so many shuttered businesses. Some stores still have Halloween decorations in their windows. Steckel's Jewelry, the oldest such shop in the Slate Belt, has closed its doors. In the meantime, Bangor's Main Street Manager, funded with Northampton County real estate tax dollars, is safely ensconced in the 'burbs, playing the harmonica.

Does this make any sense at all?

During a December 4 budget hearing, Council member Scott Parsons proposed funding the Slate Belt's Main Street Program, which is supposed to have the financial backing of the five slate belt boroughs, out of general tax revenues instead of hotel tax money. In fact, he proposed taking the money from $52,500 set aside to fix Gracedale's kitchen.

Now there's supposed to be a separate and sacred account for Gracedale. Council previously adopted precisely such a resolution. Parsons and Bob Werner were two of the loudest voices complaining that we spend Gracedale money to put out fires elsewhere. But that's exactly what happened. Unanimously, too. The very same Council which preached about diverting funds from the nursing home did exactly what they condemned. The rationale was nobody intends to fix the kitchen floor this year. It can wait.

Instead of fixing Gracedale's kitchen, this money pays for Main Street Manager Sharon Davis. But aside from Bangor and Pen Argyl, no other Slate Belt borough has signed onto the program. So Davis is doing her Main Street thing, whatever that is, for just two boroughs.

It gets better. Instead of being located in one of the Slate Belt's boroughs, eating with the troops, she's off in the countryside. Her office is located at the Tott's Gap Arts Institute in Upper Mount Bethel, home of the shit wars. While businesses in the Slate Belt dry up, she's going on goofy wisdom walks and conning the county into buying murals done by the artsy-fartsy types. This is not borough business revitalization. This is bullshit.

Her web page is a joke. It contains no links to any programs and no offers to help businesses with grants or loans.

This entire program is a waste of money and the County should pull the plug now.

A real Main Street manager would be exploring ways for boroughs to pool resources, combat the snow and keep businesses 

Want a cost saving suggestion? This program is a failure and should be stopped. I won't charge $715,200 for this idea. 

Northampton County Monkey Business

If nothing else, Deana Zosky proves that there's a big difference between a sole source contract, which often is a chummy arrangement, and one derived from considering different proposals. She can provide an example of both.

You already know about Zosky's $715,200 deal for "comprehensive business consulting services" to Northampton County. I told you about that on Friday.

What you don't know is that Zosky already had her foot in the door last year.

In the waning days of the John Stoffa administration, Northampton County's Industrial Development Authority (IDA) sought and got four proposals to administer the taxes in the Chrin TIF.  Zosky, associated with Compass Point, provided one of them.

She asked for $200,000, four times more than the next highest bid.

As you probably have already surmised, the IDA went with a lower bidder in January.

That's what happens when there's competition.

So why did Executive John Brown sole source her for a much more crucial role? Why not seek proposals from other business consultants before asking Council to approve a deal that will include $715,200 in fees and hundreds of thousands more in IT costs?  Will he tell Council that there's something unique about Zosky? That's just not so.

We know that she and Brown were fellow board members at RenewLV, a creature of the Lehigh Valley Partnership. We know that Richard McAteer, a retired Bethlehem Steel Exec and Computer Aid boss, got Brown his seat on that Board and introduced him to all the Lehigh Valley Partnerships types.

They like to call themselves the Big 25.

I call them WASPs - White, Anglo-Saxon Pricks.

There is little doubt in my mind that NIZ twins J.B. Reilly and Joe Topper, who funneled a whopping $50,000 to Brown's campaign through the state Republican party, urged Brown to hire the very person they have collecting their NIZ taxes. I'm sure they'll deny it if asked, just as they made sure they did not contribute to Brown directly.

They just happen to be the only two individuals to contribute to the state party in the election cycle leading to Brown's election.

They'll say it's just a coincidence.

Zosky and her unnamed "team" will give the County three days a week from her unnamed "Lehigh Valley offices". After a year, this drops to two days a week. At the same time this is going on, Zosky will continue to collect Allentown NIZ taxes and work out a plan for CRIZ compliance in Bethlehem and Lancaster.

As if this were not enough, Zosky is also a consultant with "Green Performance Strategies," which appears to be a Compass Point spin-off.  Her profile fails to specify any governmental experience at all, in start contrast to her proposal claiming to be a specialist.

This is not business consulting.

This is monkey business.

Can You Say Mayor Sam Bennett?

Though they're still washing the dishes from Allentown Mayor Edwin Pawlowski's inaugural ball, Allentown blogger Michael Molovinsky has an interesting post about Hizzoner's possible successor.

City Council Prez Julio Guridy would like the job. But Molovinsky passes him over for former Congressional candidate Sam "Curly" Bennett and Charlie "I used to be a Republican" Thiel, a registered Democrat who might run as an Independent.

I have no idea whether Bennett is really serious, but I hope so. The blogs will write themselves.

The Rise of the Municipal Snowblower

As streets are replaced by mountains of snow, some local municipalities are experimenting with heavy duty snowblowers to remove snow and increase parking. Nazareth is trying one of these $150,000 models, which loads snow into passing trucks. Borough officials plan to return it ... eventually.

Brown Wants a $715,200 "Business Consultant"

John Brown, who was as a business consultant before he became Northampton County Executive, would like to have one of his own. He has proposed a four-year contract with Deana M. Zosky, an Emmaus-based CPA, for "comprehensive business consulting services." In addition to paying her $715,200 over four years, the County would also be on the hook for customized IT programming, printing, and travel costs outside of the Lehigh Valley.

Because the contract exceeds $100,000, it must be approved by County Council. It is also a "sole source" contract, meaning that no proposals from other consultants were actively sought.

Under the proposed contract, Zosky will be paid $216,000 for the first year (Feb. 20 to Dec. 31)for three days of work per week. In years two, three and four, she shall be paid $166,400 annually for what amounts to two days per week.

That translates to $200 per hour.

In her February 11 proposal to Brown, Zosky cites what she calls "significant government experience," adding that she specializes in "government sector work." She indicates that she and "[h]er team focuses on working with government at all levels within the state ... ."

But her company, Four-Score, LLC, was just formed on January 23, according to documents on file with the state corporation bureau. The corporation business address is actually her residence in Lower Macungie Township. The company has no web page.

Zosky's resume reveals that most of her professional career has been devoted to private sector clients, including Intel, Mack Truck and Associated Merchandising Corporation.

The only evidence of direct involvement in local government is her work as "chief turnaround officer" at what she refers to as a "local school district."

That local school district is Allentown. It does not appear to have turned around. Allentown School District's most recent proposed budget includes a $10.6 million shortfall.

Zosky resigned after about a year on the job. According to a Morning Call account, she "clashed with [the] central office over access to grant funds and personnel decisions."

In Allentown, Zosky also served in 2009 on a private sector "blue ribbon committee" charged with the responsibility of recommending financial improvements. Mayor Edwin Pawlowski was forced to reject many recommendations as unfeasible in the public sector

Zosky did serve as a Lower Macungie Commissioner for two years, but was appointed to the position. She was also an unsuccessful applicant to a vacancy on the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners in 2010.

Currently, Zosky is Chairman of the RenewLV, which was established by the Lehigh Valley Partnership to focus on regional cooperation and urban revitalization. Executive John Brown was a fellow board member at RenewLV before his election.

She is also a "strategy and execution executive" at Compass Point, a business management consulting firm headed by Tom Garrity. Garrity also chairs the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation, which is funded in large part by hotel taxes levied by both Lehigh and Northampton County. Compass Point handles the administrative and compliance aspects of the Allentown's controversial NIZ. Zosky claims she leads that effort, which consists of collecting and accounting for the taxes.

According to the terms of the proposed contract, Zosky will assist in the implementation of a county-wide reporting dashboard that will be used to track capital projects and other county programs in real time. This dashboard has already been mentioned both by Executive John Brown and Council member Hayden Phillips in previous Council meetings.

Government agencies are increasingly adopting dashboards for a wide variety of applications, from cost control to emergency preparedness.

No explanation was provided for why no other business consultants, who may have experience in implementing government dashboards, were considered.

This proposal will be reviewed by Council's Finance Committee on February 19.

Recommended reading:

Zosky Contract

Zosky Resume

Updated 4:55 pm: Provided with a copy of this story, Zosky states there are some inaccuracies, which she will clarify when she appears before Council's Finance Committee on Wednesday.

Who's The Real King of Allentown?

I had always thought Mayor Edwin Pawlowski was the King of Allentown, but during last Summer's Allentown Fair, his throne was usurped by King LegendStatusAllentown. Though he has yet to make his way to City Hall, I suspect it's only a matter of time.

Near as I can tell, this guy plays hockey, drinks beer, wrestles professionally, drinks beer, performs in a band called Atown Sluts, drinks beer and seems to pop up in the strangest places.

Here's some of his Facebook status updates:

"Welfare office is like a singles bar."

"How do I setup Facebook so only RELEVANT people can comment on my statuses?"

"My future wife probably hasn't even been born yet".

"Last night I got kicked out of someone's house because I 'talked for 45 minutes straight about myself and didn't once ask them how they were doing.' What is wrong with people? When a LEGEND comes through have some respect for a LEGEND & be grateful he's even at your house."

"Got slapped in the face 4-5 times tonight by a chick, to me that's still a successful night".

"DID YOU KNOW?: At my last social security meeting they tried to give me lithium."

"Everyone in my car is on LSD".

"Police pull me over just to say 'hi'".

His band is performing Sunday, 3 pm at Hava Java.

He must be out on work release.

Does This Top '83 Record?

This snowstorm may top the record that blogger Michael Molovinsky discussed yesterday. According to a Post by the Eastern PA Weather Authority, which accurately predicted this Monster Storm, "Allentown, PA all time record for daily snow depth (total snow on ground, not fallen currently) is 28" set on February 12th, 1983. Current snow depth is 24.2" and that record may be tied or fall before this ends."

In Allentown, the water lease may have dealt a blow to snow removal. Before the lease, there was a crew of seasoned plow truck operators who could respond to a snow storm. But once the water lease was executed, many of them now reportedly now work at the water authority and took their trucks with them.

Snowmageddon Cometh: Prepare For Snow Emergencies

8pm Update from EPAWA:

Storm to end between 2-4 AM, with an additional 4-8".

2/13, 3PM Update: Get Ready For Round 2!!

Graph from EPAWA

In advance of Snowmageddon, projected by Eastern Pa Weather Auhority to dump between 12-18" on this area, you'd have to be insane not to know that there will be a snow emergency in your municipality. These emergencies are listed at WFMZ's Storm Center.

I will update this post with relevant information concerning the storm. Please use the comments here to notify readers of problems encountered during the storm.

Update from EPAWA: "Snow will move in from South to North. It is currently just to our south and will continue to spread over the region shortly after 10PM. Further north it may be until after 11PM. The snow will go through the day Thursday with the *possibility* of a lull for Eastern PA into NJ/DE. I say possible as guidance differs on how much of the dry slot works west. The snow will come back in and heavy after this possible lull in the afternoon hours. End time right now looks like 2-4AM Friday."

Slatington Swingers?

My guess is you won't see this at a Catholic Church.

To The Vet

Do we have to go?

A friend snapped these on her cell. I loved them, and she gave me permission to use them. The dark pup is just 10 weeks old.

NorCo EMS: Be Prepared

(Nazareth, Pennsylvania) – Northampton County Emergency Management Services (NCEMS) continues to monitor severe winter weather expected to impact the region and urges residents to prepare now.

Area residents must take steps now to prepare for the storm by gathering supplies, reviewing emergency plans and preparing for the possibility of power outages. County Emergency Management officials have begun preparations for EOC activation and key response agencies have been placed on standby.

Robert Mateff, Director of Northampton County Emergency Management Services, noted that the County will activate the Emergency Operations Center to a Level 3 as a precautionary measure in anticipation of significant snowfall. Mateff said “Citizens should stay tuned to local media outlets for storm related information and instructions.”

Northampton County residents and visitors are encouraged to sign up for the County’s emergency notification system NotifyNC by visiting www.NotifyNC.org. “NotifyNC allows emergency management officials to send real-time emergency alerts to cell phones, pagers, email, and other registered devices,” said Northampton County Executive John Brown. “This public alerting system greatly enhances the County’s efforts to prepare and protect the public.”

In areas where forecasts are calling for significant snow and possible icy conditions, motorists should postpone travel whenever possible. Those who travel in adverse conditions should ensure that their vehicle has a full tank of gas and an emergency supplies kit. The kit should include warm clothing, blankets, food and water, and any items needed such as medications, baby supplies, and items for pets.

Rumor Mill: Spadoni Asked to Resign

Bethlehem Attorney Chris Spadoni, who has served as Solicitor to City Council for the past 17 years, has been asked to resign, according to inside sources who asked not to be named. Spadoni himself declined comment, and I have emailed Council President J. Willie Reynolds for confirmation. 

In addition to his municipal work in Bethlehem, Spadoni has served several other local governments, including Easton and Northampton County. He has also been an assistant District Attorney and was Chief Public Defender for four years. 

As their Solicitor, Spadoni could advise Council that any decision to terminate him must be made in public. A back room decision to replace him would violate the state Sunshine Act.

Is This a Law Blog or Comedy?

You won't see Scott Allinson help some poor schlep get SSI disability. The only kind of welfare he likes is corporate welfare. So it's no surprise to see him post a blog that waves the pom poms for both the NIZ and the CRIZ. Here's what he says:

"The NIZ and the CRIZ programs currently being used in the Lehigh Valley are powerful economic development tools that will encourage citizens to live, work, and recreate in the City of Allentown and the City of Bethlehem. It is expected that new businesses will continue to move to the area, bringing with them employment opportunities and an expansion in resident-oriented services for an overall increased quality of life."

Hey Scott, when you're finished cleaning out J.B. Reilly's bathroom, please do us all a favor and name the new businesses that have come to the NIZ, other than a subsidized hockey team.

BB Gun Ordinance Full of Holes, Sez Resident

Josh Berk

Under Pennsylvania state law, no local municipality has any authority to ordinances that limit the right to own, transport or carry a firearm. But most local governments, including Hanover Township, have ordinances concerning the "discharge" of firearms. Hanover's discharge ordinance may originally extend back to the '70s, according to Township manager Jay Finnigan. For the last two years, even BB guns are included. But resident Scott Hess told Supervisors, at their February 11 meeting, that the local ordinance is too restrictive.

Hess told Supervisors that he should be able to teach his son how to shoot a BB gun while in his back yard. He also complained about the $1000 fine. "If I'm defending my home under the castle doctrine, could I be fined $1000?" he asked.

Hess also accused township officials of turning the municipal building into a fortress, complaining about bulletproof glass that separates Township staff from the public.

"Unfortunately, in today's society, there are lunatics out there," responded Manager Jay Finnigan. He reminded Hess that, this past Summer, a shooting rampage during a township meeting killed three people.

"You can't live in fear," responded Hess. He told them he'd give them some time to think the matter over.

Washington Township, located in Northampton County, is currently considering a limitation on the discharge of firearms in residential areas.

In other business, Supervisors refused to waive $1,152 in tax penalties and late fees for business privilege taxes owed by several Penncap properties. Spokesperson Lisa Pektor argued that she never received the notices from Berkheimer Associates. "It's a one-time deal," she promised. Though Chairman John Diacogiannis was willing to grant a waiver on a one-time basis, Supervisors Glenn Walbert, Jack Nagle and mark Tanczos disagreed. manager Jay Finnigan explained, after the meeting was over, that the Township has a policy against allowing these waivers.

Supervisors also learned that their salt shortage crisis may be coming to an end. Public Works Director Vince Milite reported that 125 tons were recently delivered. But his workforce has now been stricken by the flu, though he said they have continued to plow.

As a final matter, Bethlehem Area Public Library's new Executive Director, Josh Berk, introduced himself, thanking the Board for their support. In addition to lending books, Berks also writes them. His latest is "STRIKE THREE: YOU'RE DEAD", intended for young readers.

It can be borrowed at the library.

Meet Cathy Reuscher

Cathy Reuscher

Bethlehem's newest member of City Council, Cathy Reuscher, is a New Jersey native who was educated in Pittsburgh and at the University of Buffalo. Since 2008, she has lived in Bethlehem's Southside and is City Council's sole representative south of the Lehigh River. She is a co-founder of the Bethlehem Food Co-op, and is Mid-Atlantic policy associate for the Appalachian Mountain Club.

Q. Where you surprised by the appointment? - "A little bit. There were 11 very competent candidates up there. I wouldn't be surprised if they had picked any one of them."

Q. Why did you seek the appointment? - "I love the City. I chose to live here and have been here since '08. I love the people. I do have experience that I think is relevant to City Council."

Q. Name one thing you'd like to get done in the next two years? - I'd like to dust off the Jeff Speck walkability report and implement some of its recommendations." [This report was prepared for the City in 2009].

Q. Is the Southside improving? - "Yeah. Things are picking up and improving on the Southside. The perception is improving, too. There are some incredible small businesses. People just need to give it a chance."

Q. What about the poverty there? - "Part of those things are out of our hands. But this is where walkability comes into play. If you have to drive to your job, it's going to be a major impediment for many people with no car."

Q. Will you run in two years? - I'm not sure. I'll have to see how I feel two years from now."

NAACP Opposes Easton Charter School

Kevin Easterling, publisher of Lehigh Valley Black News Network, is unhappy with me for reporting that an Easton charter school founder and future CEO is currently on ARD for a sexual offense. You see, the guy happens to be black. Here's what Easterling wrote.

hmmmm...could be circumstantial...who knows...I'm not sure you have all the details (or tried to get them)...trying to find the connection of this post as it relates to a political Blog. (Public School Funds I guess)...sometimes it's not as Black and White as it 'is what it is' maybe... that's why the Express Times didn't touch it, or maybe they don't know....If 'folks'feel comfortable reading an imbalanced Blog post... that's their call...I believe some of your post are not motivated by racial bias but this post is suspect.

Basically, he played the race card.

Now that both The Express Times and Morning Call have "touched" this story, and in far more detail than I, perhaps he thinks they are racists, too.

In fact, maybe the NAACP is racist. One thing that neither daily has told you about this charter school application is that it was opposed by Easton NAACP President Bonita Crowe. She appeared in opposition at the school board hearing last week.  Though pressured before the meeting to keep silent, she responded, "This ain't no social club."

You see, the NAACP is philosophically opposed to charter schools. As Crowe explained to the school board last week, it drains funds from tight school district budgets. There is no "rigorous oversight," as the Vincent Ford debacle makes abundantly clear. She even worries that charter schools could result in de facto segregation. That seems likely in the Easton experiment.

Though Crowe was cut off before finishing her speech, she provided the rest of it to me. It ends with this paragraph.

"Based on the current realities of the charter school experiment in Pennsylvania, PA NAACP has concluded that the most efficient approach to thoroughly educate our children is to put the public's tax dollars and efforts into supporting and improving the traditional public school settings across the Commonwealth."

Morganelli Calls For Mental Health Courts

(As Laura Savanelli and Dr. William Vogler of Family Services look on, DA John Morganelli calls for Mental Health Court)

Did you know that Pennsylvania has the 6th highest total number of prisoners in jails and state prisons? That 16% of them suffer from a mental illness? That those with a mental disorder stay behind bars eight times longer than people without mental illnesses who are arrested on identical charges?  That one out of every four Americans now suffers from an emotional affliction? That two million of these people are incarcerated every year? It is these revelations that have led Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli to attempt the formation of a Mental Health Court.

Morganelli made this announcement at a February 10 news conference, flanked by representatives of Family Answers, a social services agency located in Allentown. He was also joined by Executive John Brown, Human Services Director Allison Frantz and Mental Health Administrator Wendy Heatley.

Morganelli made clear that mental health courts are nothing new. Currently, there are 17 of them in Pennsylvania.

He explained it would be a pre-trial diversionary program where successful completion or graduation could result in dismissal.

Mental Health Administrator Wendy Heatley 

The cost of this program is at this juncture unknown, though the DA emphasized a desire to use and re-allocate existing resources rather than create another layer of bureaucracy. "Mental health courts are not for the creation of new treatment services, but to create more efficient and effective linkages to existing services," he reasoned.

Morganelli noted that some patients at the former Allentown State Hospital are making their way through the criminal justice system. Mental Health Administrator Wendy Heatley, who established group homes for many of these former patients, agreed that some are slipping through the cracks.

"We have been seeing some people that have gone out and reoffended," she observed. .

This court would be independent of a drug court or the treatment programs in place for substance abuse. Morganelli hinted that he might advocate a drug court down the road.

This program would exclude most violent or sexual offenses, where protection of the public is an overriding concern.

Though he is leaving the details to court administrators, Morganelli would like to see a program that first and foremost addresses the needs of our veterans. "Our veterans have put their lives on the line for our freedom and we need to do everything possible to help them when they return and often deal with mental illness caused by the trauma of war, physical injury and their overall service to this country," he said.

Morganelli would also like this court to address juvenile matters.

Executive John Brown made no public statement supporting or opposing this idea.

Blogger's Note: This is an updated version of the story that published yesterday at 2:52 pm.

ET and MC: Charter School Advocate Resigns

Yesterday, I told you that Vincent Ford, head cheerleader for the "Strong Foundations Charter School" in Easton, never bothered to tell anyone that he's been accused of sexual offenses in Monroe County. He's currently on ARD, a special program for first offenders. Not only does this reflect badly on Ford, but it makes one wonder about the judgment of other charter school advocates. I felt it was an important story.

Two things bothered me. I had no idea what led up to the charges. Also, though I was certain that Ford was my man, I wanted to give him an opportunity to explain. Fair play and all that.

I placed several calls for Ford at the charter school website. I also emailed the school. No answer. That's no surprise. Bottom-feeding bloggers like yours truly get no respect. Plus, he might have been just a tad irritated with me. I have that effect, I'm told.

It's a gift.

But I still wanted to know what had happened. I was getting ready to schlep up to Monroe County when The Express Times told me, "We got this!"

And so they did. Both The Express Times and Morning Call ran very complete stories that included Ford's reaction as well as the rather sordid details that resulted in the charges against him.  Fortunately, he resigned when confronted.

About the best a blog can do is to complement the ongoing news coverage provided by the dailies. There is simply no way I could acquire the information they produced in less than a day. Ford would not talk to me. I doubt other Shiloh people would speak to me as well, especially after African American activist Kevin Easterling had basically called me a racist for my coverage. The Magistrate's office, located in Stroudsburg, would likely be very slow to let me look at the file. I can guarantee you I'd get it, but it would take time.

Since Ford had every intention of being the "CEO" at this Charter School, exposing him was a public service.

Other Charter school advocates, like consultant Howard Kutz, told The Express Times he's sorry to see Ford go, calling him a gentleman. That should be enough to make one wonder whether the prime motivation here is education or sucking money from a school district to create a private school for Shiloh Baptist Church.

I have supported some charter schools. This is not one of them.

Easton Passes The Salt

Nothing like table manners. As municipalities all over the Lehigh Valley scramble for road salt, Easton and Mayor Sal Panto have been good neighbors. According to Hizzoner, "[W]e lent 100 tons to Palmer Township 2 weeks ago which they have replaced and on Friday I approved lending road salt to the Borough of West Easton. We will always do our best to help our neighbors."

Very classy.