Gracedale Passes State Re-Inspection

Constable James Smith  (left)

Northampton County's nursing home, Gracedale, suffered a setback in December when the state Department of Health noted 11 patient-care deficiencies during its annual inspection. Its current Medicare rating is two stars, or below average. But there are signs that things are turning around. During a revisit, the state Department of Health noted that all deficiencies have been corrected. In addition, the home was complimented by the state on its reduction in the use of psychotropic drugs.

Interim Administrator Jennifer Stewart-King told County Council at their March 7 meeting that what she needs most of all are electronic health records. She us currently reviewing three bids, and plans to have them in place within a month or two.

In response to a question from Council member John Cusick, she acknowledged that staffing the 3-11 shift has always been a problem. But she added that the shift differential being paid is reducing the number of absences. Council member Bob Werner suggested the possibility of an on-site daycare for employees's children, and the home is pursuing that option. Executive Lamont McClure added, however, that there are "hurdles."

Stewart-King said the biggest misperception about Gracedale is that "there is no quality there." She said that is completely untrue and stressed the commitment, loyalty and family atmosphere. "I love my job," she said several times. "We know we all make a difference."

Council President Ron Heckman told her that because Gracedale is a public institution, a negative inspection will get far more scrutiny and attention than at a privately-owned home. "We talk about these things openly," he observed.

Executive Lamont McClure, in an interview outside of the meeting, added that another problem is that Gracedale, unlike other nursing homes, will accept everyone. It has a higher proportion of  residents with unique issues than other homes, including public homes.

Executive's Report

In other business, Executive Lamont McClure reported on the Election Commission's decision to recommend the ExpressVoteXL voting system. Council will be asked to approve the purchase of 320 machines for $2.9 million.  He praised the Commission for affirming the choice of 81% of election workers who reviewed different systems. "We're very pleased their voices were heard," he said.

He then explained a recent decision to begin referring to the courthouse as the Government Center in any business concerning the administration. Though County Council decided in 2005 to call the building the "Northampton County Courthouse," he said this was confusing both employees and the public. The courts sometimes close because of bad weather, but other county offices remain open unless the Governor declares a state of emergency.

He also reported on the success of Teladoc, a mobile app employees can download on their smart phones to put you into near immediate contact, by video or voice call, with one of over 3,100 licensed health care professionals. It began in Northampton County in June 2018 with an email blast to all county employees. Since that time, it has saved the county $335,533 in medical claims.

Hemp and marijuana

Council member Tara Zrinski offered two resolutions concerning hemp and marijuana.

The first resolution, which forms an industrial hemp committee to encourage industrial hemp production by Lehigh Valley farmers, passed by a 7-0 vote. Industrial hemp production removed industrial hemp from regulation as a controlled substance. Zrinski is hopeful that the manufacture and processing of industrial hemp can produce jobs in Northampton County, particularly in the slate belt.

Zrinski's second resolution supports federal and state efforts to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. Zrinski herself asked that it be tabled, stating it needed more work. She maintained, however, that the law needs to change. She noted that marijuana is lumped in with heroin as a Schedule I controlled substance, a situation that Council member John Cusick calls "patently absurd." He added that ten states and the District of Columbia have legalized or decriminalized marijuana, and he'd hate to see Pennsylvania miss out on the tax revenue as it did for years with gambling. .

Zrinski called this movement a "social justice issue" at its core. "This is going to take thousands of people out of jail," she said, adding that many of them are black or brown.

Some of them are in Northampton County's jail.

Retiring Constable Honored

County Council also honored Constable Stan Smith, who is retiring after 26 years of dedicated service in Nazareth.

"It's not what you take when you leave it, it's what you leave behind," said Constable Smith, quoting what he said is a country song.

NorCo Elections Comm'n Recommends New Voting System With Paper Trail

Last night, following a lengthy meeting attended by approximately 40 elections judges, Northampton County's Elections Commission voted 3-2 to recommend that County Council fund the ES&S ExpressVote XL over the Clear Ballot voting systems. The ExpressVoteXL is preferred by Executive Lamont McClure, Administrator Charles Dertinger, Finance Director Steve Barron and elections office staff. Voting Yes were Elections Commission Chair George Treisner, along with Commissioners Layton (Lee) Snover and Maudeania Hornik. Voting No were Commissioners Deb Hunter and Kathy Fox. Before the vote, Dertinger advised the Board that this new system will be in place for November's election.

Last year, Pennsylvania's Department of State directed all 67 counties to select new voting systems that include a paper record, making post-election audits more accurate. They must be in place before the 2020 primary. Though the statewide cost of his change is estimated at $125 million to $150 million, the state has yet to provide any of the funding. The federal government has provided a $342,000 grant to Northampton County.

Since last year's unfunded mandate, voting system vendors have been pitching heir products throughout the state. In February, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale determined that these salesmen lavished gifts on officials in 18 different counties. They ranged from de minimis gifts like chocolate-covered pretzels to more troubling all-expense paid trips to Las Vegas.

Both Northampton and Lehigh County have denied receiving any gifts. NorCo Exec Lamont McClure made clear yesterday that he neither sought nor received any gifts. This was echoed by Administrator Charles Dertinger and Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron. Dertinger said that any county employee who accepted a trip to Las Vegas would likely be fired by McClure before the plane took off.

One of the vendors, Russ Dawson of Clear Ballot, admitted that he does sometimes hand out boxes of chocolate-covered pretzels. "I do cupcakes, too," he admitted. "From Walmart."

Yesterday's meeting was suggested by Hunter as a result of a demonstration of different voting systems at Lehigh County. Tim Benyo, the Voter Registrar there, invited Northampton County elections workers. Despite predictions that no one would come to an event offering no compensation, about 40 Northampton County pollworkers participated. They came to last night's meeting as well.

These systems were rated by Northampton County poll workers. The two top choices were ExpressVoteXL (81%) and Clear Ballot (7%).

They made presentations again last night, although Clear Ballot's President wanted ExpressVote vendors to leave the room.

They were allowed to remain.

The difference between the two systems is that Clear Ballot is a voter-marked paper ballot, while ExpressVote's paper trail is established electronically.  ExpressVote would be similar to the current system. Clear Ballot would require a voter to mark his ballot in a privacy booth, after which he would scan it in a separate line "There is going to be a line at that machine," warned Allen Tp Elections Judge Sandy Pisaletto.

NorCo Deputy Administrator Amy Cozze laid out the case for ExpressVoteXL.

First, and most importantly, ExpressVoteXL has been certified by both the federal government and the state. She said the certification process for Clear Ballot was halted on January 29.This was disputed by Clear Ballot's Ingrid Giordano, who said certification is pending/

Second, the overall cost of ExpressVoteXL is cheaper when the ten-year legacy costs are included. The total cost to the county of ExpressVoteXL is $3.7 million, while the cost of Clear Ballot would be $5 million. Hunter refused to accept this cost estimate,saying it was "bloated" for Clear Ballot and underestimated for ExpressVoteXL.

Third, the Clear Ballot system raised privacy concerns. After marking ballots, voters would stand in line to scan their votes, raising the possibility that other voters could see how they voted. Hunter downplayed this concern, saying voters in Chester County are handed a folder into which they place their ballot while waiting to scan.

Fourth, Cozze is critical of Clear Ballot's logistics. She noted that the state wants ballots prepared for 110% of the voters in each district. In some districts, they would weigh as much as 80 pounds. She also noted the problems of having separate stations for marking ballots and then scanning them.

Democratic activist Joanne Messenlehner, who had earlier objected to seeing me in the room, called the decision a "no-brainer." "Taxes are necessary but I don't think we should inflate this by not doing our homework."

Agreeing with her was GOP Chair Lee Snover. "We're not a third world country," she argued. "We have technology for a reason. I don't want anyone determining the intent of my vote except for me and the machine."

Elections Comm'n Chair George Treisner objected to Clear Ballot as "going back to the old ages."

Hunter wanted to be able to review a paper system offered by ES&S, but this system failed to get any strong recommendation from NorCo poll workers. The meeting was intended to be a demonstration of ExpressVoteXL and Clear Ballot. Commissioner Maude Hornick made clear she wanted to vote that night.

And that's what happened. The two Republican Election Commissioners were joined by a Democrat to support the choice of the McClure administration.

No one offered me any chocolate covered pretzels.

Should NorCo Refuse to Do Business With Voting Machine Vendor Bearing Gifts?

Tonight, at 6pm, NorCo's Elections Commission will be holding a public workshop in the County Council meeting room (located on the 3rd floor of the Northampton County Courthouse), where they will be conducting a final review of the two voting machine systems they have narrowed down for consideration. There will be vendor representatives from both ES&S ExpressVote XL and Clear Ballot system. Elections judges have been invited. The workshop will be immediately followed by a special meeting, presumably so that the Elections Commission can recommend a system for funding to County Council. I have previously seen and really like the ExpressVote XL. A demonstration machine was here last year, and Northampton County officials seem to favor this system as well. But I have my reservations. Thanks to State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, we know that this vendor was wining and dining officials in other counties.

When Vic Mazziotti was NorCo's Finance Director, he was frequently approached by vendors who wanted to do business. He went to lunch with one of the them, and the vendor attempted to pick up the tab. Mazziotti told the vendor, "You can buy my lunch, but then you'll never do business in Northampton County."

Auditor General DePasquale has the same view.

“Even if this activity was permitted under the law, county officials who are making decisions about spending taxpayer dollars should not accept anything of value from the companies that are asking for their business,” DePasquale said. “It’s not only about the need for officials to follow the letter and the spirit of the law; it’s about preserving the integrity of their role in the democratic process.”

ES&S, which manufactures ExpressVote XL, is a big offender. Northampton and Lehigh County election officials deny being influenced, but they are not the ones who make the purchase.

Some of the gifts are de minimis. Some have real value. They include the following:

Expense-paid travel to destinations including Las Vegas;
Tickets to a wine festival and a distillery tour;
Dinners at high-end restaurants and other meals;
An open bar at a conference for elections officials;
Tickets to an amusement park; and
An assortment of treats such as chocolate-covered pretzels, snacks and coffee.

DePaquale produced letters from all 67 counties. With specific reference to ES&S, they reveal the following attempts to curry favor:

Bucks County - a buffet lunch for election personnel.
Butler County - a lunch for elections officials. A wine tour was turned down, as well as tickets to a Penn State football game.
Cameron County - a lunch and a box of chocolate covered pretzels.
Clearfield County- informational lunches and dinner at Char's Tracy Mansion in Harrisburg, as well as dinners in Pittsburgh.
Clinton County - sweet rolls, coffee mugs, boxes of chocolate covered pretzels.
Crawford County - trip to visit Nebraska warehouse declined.
Elk County- lunch at Subway
Forest County - a wine tour in Erie, followed by a dinner.
Luzerne County - two all-expenses paid trips.
Mercer County -turned down wine-tasting tour.
Northumberland County - Voter registrar treated to $37 lunch.
Somerset County - ambiguous and evasive reply.
Warren County - dinners, hospitality rooms, trips to Hershey Park, wine-tasting tour and those famous chocolate-covered pretzels. Golf was declined.
Washington County -lunch.
Westmoreland County - lunches, dinner at Monteray Bay Fish Grotto, Lake Erie Wine Festival.
York County - lunch.

What happened here demonstrates why a statewide gift ban is needed, applying to all public officials. There are just too many opportunities for mischief.

With specific reference to Lehigh and Northampton County, elections staff deny receiving gifts of any kind. Higher ranking county officials and members of County Council or Commissioners should also be asked on record whether they were offered or received anything from ES&S. If the answer is yes, ES&S should be eliminated from consideration.

Also, at the demonstration that takes place tonight, ES&S should be asked why these legal bribes are so necessary. These sleazy sales tactics tend to undermine public confidence in a fair selection system for the most important thing you need in an election - an accurate ballot.

Easton NAACP to Host Candidates' Night on Apr 8

Easton's branch of the NAACP will host a candidates' night on Monday, April 8, 7 pm at the Boys and Girls Club of Easton, located at 201 Jones Houston Highway (508 Charles St). All candidates in county and city races are being invited, regardless of party. With a contested Easton Mayoral and NorCo District Attorney races, this should be very interesting. So far as I know, one has stepped forward to challenge John Morganelli in his quest to become a judge.

Why Municipality Should Care About Walkability

I see this all the time. A developer will come in with a massive residential or commercial project that develops every square inch possible. Nothing's wrong with that, but then the developer will seek a waiver or deferral on sidewalks. They will note, and quite correctly, that none of the properties bounding them have sidewalks. That's most likely because those older developers were granted waivers or deferrals. Municipal officials almost always go along with these requests, but should think twice. That's because last year was the deadliest for pedestrians since 1990.

According to The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), there were 6,227 U.S. pedestrian deaths in 2018. Pedestrian deaths are rising while, ironically, other traffic fatalities have decreased.

Pennsylvania has the eighth highest number of pedestrian deaths among all 50 states. According to the report, most fatalities occur along local roads.

The spike is blamed on SUVs, smartphones, more people driving etc.

I would add poor walkability plans in our local communities.

So if you think that it's odd that Dr. Paige Van Wirt has made walkability an issue, think again. and this is not a "liberal" issue. Conservatives like Ron Beitler in Lower Macungie Tp are very concerned about pedestrian safety, too.

$4.8 Million Minsi Lake Improvements Underway

Have you ever visited Lake Minsi? It's a 117-acre lakein Upper Mount Bethel Tp, but it also includes woodlands, trails and 400 "vernal pools" (also known as swamps) that attract all kinds of migratory birds and other wildlife. I used to fish there daily when I first quit drinking. My AA sponsor was a great fisherman, and he was going to turn me into Jeremiah Johnson. Well, I never caught anything. That's not why I was there. I loved its pristine beauty, especially at this time of year. The solitude and cold air really helped me clear my mind.

A $4.8 million Lake Minsi improvement project is underway, and will be finished by November 2019. The PA Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will construct a new reinforced concrete spillway, raising the crest of the dam approximately two feet. After the new spillway is complete, the lake will be refilled and restocked in time for the 2020 trout season.

During construction, which begins this week, parking will be limited to designated areas.

I liked it the way it was, but understand that the lake had some problems.

Minsi, incidentally, is wither a phratry of the Lenape people or one of the languages they spoke.

Dr. Paige Van Wirt Seeks Full Bethlehem City Council Term

Dr. Paige Elizabeth Van Wirt has announced her election bid for the Bethlehem City Council four year seat. Dr. Van Wirt was appointed to Bethlehem City Council in March 2018 after an unsuccessful write-in campaign. In her campaign statement, she claims her emphasis is accountability, transparency, a commitment to improving walkability and an approach to economic development built on a thriving small business community.

A physician, Dr. Van Wirt also has both prior experience and training in urban planning, low-income housing development, and municipal finance. She was Project Manager for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. There she managed the selection, development, and approval of low-income housing. She also worked as a municipal bond analyst for Moody’s Investors Service.

Currently, she is co-founder of a medical practice that cares for the region’s elderly in nursing homes and assisted living facilities, including Gracedale.

She claims that before casting a vote, she asks, “Is this in the best interests of the citizens of Bethlehem?”

Since her appointment, Dr. Van Wirt has worked to develop stronger lines of communication between City Council and the citizens of Bethlehem. She regularly meets with local businesses and residents to hear concerns and increase overall engagement. For example, she solicited ideas and feedback from over 60 downtown businesses to better inform her decision around a key parking issue. Dr. Van Wirt has also developed a strong social media presence on Facebook, where she keeps her constituents informed about upcoming council meetings and decisions.

She believes Bethlehem needs to attract young people and businesses by creating a city where people want
to live and work. "There is much work to be done to fulfill this goal, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on council to get the job done," she said.

Based on my own interviews with her, I consider Dr. Van Wirt the most qualified candidate in the Lehigh Valley for municipal office.

Four Bethlehem City Council spots are up for grabs this year. Aside from Dr. Van Wirt, other Council members whose terms end this year are Michael Colón, (Gracedal Admssions Coordinator), Shawn M. Martell (Nazareth High School teacher) and J. William "Willie" Reynolds (William Allen High School teacher). Martell has decided against seeking a second term while Reynolds and Colón are seeking another term.

Retired firefighter Davd Saltzer, Easton Area High School guidance counselor Grace Crampsie Smith, motivational speaker Carol S Ritter and former Aldi Exec Bill Carpenter have also announced their candidacy.

So there are seven people running for four seats.

Some Good News About Gracedale

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure has always been a proponent of Gracedale, the County's nursing home. When he was still on County Council, he consistently argued there was a "moral obligation" to maintain the home, irrespective of whether it made or lost money. Voters agreed. In 2011, they voted by a 3-1 margin against plans to sell it. McClure made Gracedale a central theme of his Executive race as well. He exposed plans to relocate the jail there. Though he's been good to Gracedale, the nursing home has failed to repay the favor. A negative state health inspection report, released in January, revealed 11 deficiencies in patient care. Ratings plummeted to two stars, or below average. But he finally has some good news to report, and ironically, it comes from the state Department of Health.

When voters decided to keep Gracedale, former Executive John Stoffa and County Council decided that the facility needed a private management firm like Cedarbrook in Lehigh County. Premier Health Care Management was hired at a cost of about $500,000 a year. After doing a thorough assessment, Premier began making changes. The quality of care went up. The home went for two years in a row without a deficiency during the annual inspection. The Medicare ratings went up, too. The home was briefly at four stars. Moreover, a nursing home that was losing millions every year slowly became profitable. Even if you deduct a federal grant called the IGT transfer from the home, it still was in the black.

A large part of the reason for this is D Freeman, Premier's point man at Gracedale. During his time there, he got to know everyone. For some reason, McClure and some other Democrats had issues with Premier, but they were never really quantified in any meaningful way.

That changed when Freeman left Gracedale. His replacement, though affable, lacked Freeman's enthusiasm. The home remained profitable, but the quality of care began to suffer. The home dropped from four to two stars in Medicare's rating system. It was fined when a suicidal resident who was left alone attempted to kill herself. It was also repeatedly criticized over the use of psychotropic drugs, which have been called chemical restraints.

When McClure took office, he allowed Premiere to remain in place for a year before ending the county's contract. In hindsight, he has said that was a mistake. At the end of December, while Premier was still manager, a state inspection yielded 11 deficiencies directly related to resident care.

Anonymous commenters here have blamed McClure, claiming he hates old people and other nonsense. That is political garbage.

County Council and McClure have both also learned that medical records are kept on paper instead of electronically. The former Director of Nursing, in her year-old letter to Council, has said many of the problems there are decades in the making.

So that's the bad news. The good news is that the State Department of Health, the same agency that gave Gracedake a bad rating, has complimented Gracedale on its reduction of the use of psychotropic drugs.

“The current achievement of your staff is a reflection of the facility’s ability to empower residents to reach their highest practicable well-being,” the Department of Health noted in reference to Gracedale. The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Division of Nursing Care Facilities (Division) has joined the National Partnership with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to assist in the improvement of dementia care and reduction of antipsychotic drug use in nursing homes within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

“We appreciate the recognition from the Department of Health on this issue,” says Lamont McClure. “When it comes to the care of our most vulnerable residents, it’s important that we are in line with current recommendations and research.”

In addition, the Department of Health requested that Gracedale share the lessons learned in achieving this goal in order to assist other nursing homes in accomplishing similar results.

T make clear his is a positive development, but the recent changes and negative survey make clear that thee is a need for separate Council oversight. Lori Vargo Heffner's Human Services Committee is simply overwhelmed by the numerous other Human Services agencies. They are important, too. There shoud be a separate Gracedale committe. Ideally, the person who should run it is a former Director of Human Services. That would be Council President Ron Heckman.

Morning Call Guild Is Overdue

When I was younger and had more hair than I do now, both local newspapers would send squads of reporters nightly to cover municipal meetings all over the Lehigh Valley. They also had someone on hand to cover every high school athletic contest. I remember watching Peg Rhodin phone in stories from the Easton courthouse and give flawless accounts of criminal cases. Or reporters hounding an Executive so much that he would insist all questions must be in writing and faxed to him in advance. Times have changed. The Express Times no longer covers county government, and is content to just run news releases sent by the county. The Morning Call will sometimes send a reporter, but he misses the most important stories discussed in committee hearings. This is bad for democracy. People who have no idea who is representing them will naturally align themselves with their tribes and might vote for a terrible candidate simply because of his party. What's worse, this lack of coverage is an open invitation to political corruption. We need newspapers, but they are now owned by corporations who care more about dollars than actually telling you what is happening. Though we still have two dailies, the Lehigh Valley has become a news desert. WFMZ-TV69 actually provides vastly superior local coverage than you'll find in your daily. So that's why I think the efforts of Morning Call reporters to unionize is long overdue.

Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell tweets, "I've worked as a newspaper reporter for 11 years, all for non-union papers. It's a brutal industry. My newsrooms have been downsized 5 times, including a round where I was laid off. This step is to protect our local newsroom and provide job security for the journalists in it." Reporter Steve Essack adds that reporters have formed a guild to combat "Tribune’s corporate nonsense that wastes money and people."

I've certainly seen both newspapers waste good people.

Although I understand newspapers need to make a profit, they also need to tell us what is going on or people will stop buying them. While a union offers no protection against short-sighted corporate cuts, a contract would ensure better working conditions. More importantly, a guild will enable reporters to continue to act as watchdogs instead of lapdogs licking up news releases.

They explain more in this FAQ.

NorCo To Help Families In Need of Subsidized Daycare

Back when I was a little monster, I had this annoying habit of waking up around 2 am, and then knocking on neighbors' doors. I ran away from home periodically to become a mountain man. The last straw was when I nearly killed my sister. She was thirsty and whining to my mother, who was trying to clean the bath tub with five kids tormenting her simultaneously. As the oldest, I decided to help. So I gave my sister a bottle of clorox. That was just one of several occasions in which I was shipped off to my grandparents for a little vacation. I liked it better there anyway because my grandfather - a really cool guy who always wore a three piece suit - gave me pocket watches and American flags. He also took me on walks every night, even though he was quite ill. We'd walk a block or two, and then he'd tell me to wait on the corner while he gets his shot. He'd tell me he was quite sick. A block later, he would need another shot. After a few blocks, I could see myself that my grandfather was very unhealthy. When we'd return home, my grandmother could see it, too.

In those days, most mothers stayed home with the kids. Their salvation was their family, who could be counted on to look after holy terrors like myself.

Times have changed. Both parents work, almost always as a matter of economic necessity. Most salaries are too low to raise a family on one parent's income. Although some can rely on family to help take care of young children, most are spread out. As a result, there has been an explosion of daycares. But what do parents do when their combined income is so low they are unable to afford it?

Northampton County has decided to help.

On the first Thursday of every month, between 1-5 pm at the Human Services Building on Emrick Blvd in Bethlehem Tp, Human Services staff will assist anyone with questions about child care, including subsidized child care.

“Finding quality child care can be difficult under the best circumstances,” says Executive Lamont McClure. “We hope, by providing access to specialists, it makes it easier for our working families to find daycare.”

Human Services is located at 2801 Emrick Blvd. Bethlehem, PA 18020.

Another Kind of Election Fraud

Governor Tom Wolf has imposed a gift ban, but it only applies to state employees. Bethlehem has a gift ban, too. Most local governments allow them. his needs to stop.

As I've reported as recently as last week, all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties have been directed to have new voting systems in place for next year's Presidential election. One way or the other, you'll be paying the bill for machines that include a paper trail. But are the best products being purchased? According to a disturbing report from Auditor General Eugene DePasquale, officials in 18 counties accepted gifts from vendors that ranged from free trips to Las Vegas, dinners and even tickets to an amusement park.

No official accepted any gift in Northampton or Lehigh County.

“Even if this activity was permitted under the law, county officials who are making decisions about spending taxpayer dollars should not accept anything of value from the companies that are asking for their business,” DePasquale said. “It’s not only about the need for officials to follow the letter and the spirit of the law; it’s about preserving the integrity of their role in the democratic process.”

Michael Colon Seeks Second Term on Bethlehem City Council

Michael G. Colón, 32, who has served on Bethlehem City Council since 2016, is seeking a second term.

He is a graduate of Liberty High School and Penn State University, where he obtained a degree in political science. He is currently employed at Gracedale Nursing Home as its Admissions Coordinator.

Why is he running again?

"Bethlehem is currently in the middle of major transition as we merge our own existing 911 center with the Northampton County 911 center. As chair of the city council public safety committee, a former county 911 dispatcher, current county employee, and citizen of Bethlehem I find myself in a unique position to provide oversight and feedback during the transition. Moving ahead I also look forward to using the public safety committee to continue following how Bethlehem is handling the on-going opioid epidemic which sadly no community is immune from. During the summer of 2018 we were able to bring representatives from state, county, and city levels of government to a committee meeting for a comprehensive outlook on how we’re addressing this problem. In the face of local and regional competition I will work to grow Bethlehem’s economy as we continue to bring in new jobs, support small business, and revitalize our city. Lastly, I will continue to stay involved in our community listening to the feedback from all corners of Bethlehem."

A Democrat, he is a lifelong Bethlehem resident

Four Bethlehem City Council spots are up for grabs this year. In addition to Colón, other Council members whose terms end this year are  Shawn M. Martell (Nazareth High School teacher), J. William "Willie" Reynolds (William Allen High School teacher) and Dr. Paige Van Wirt (physician). Martell has decided against seeking a second term while Reynolds seeks re-election. Dr. Van Wirt, a Council appointee, has yet to announce.

Retired firefighter Davd Saltzer, Easton Area High School guidance counselor Grace Crampsie Smith, motivational speaker Carol S Ritter and former Aldi Exec Bill Carpenter have all announced their candidacy.

So far, there could be as many as seven people running for four seats.

Mark Pinsley Running For Yet Another Office

Before the ink was dry on the election results that would make Mark Pinsley a South Whitehall Township Commissioner, he was running for another office. He challenged incumbent State Senator Pat Browne before he even took the oath in South Whitehall. After losing that race, he's now decided to take on Glenn Eckhart for Controller in Lehigh County. 

The Controller, established under Lehigh County's Home Rule Charter, exists primarily to follow the money. Is it being spent properly?

In the past, I have tormented Eckhart for his poor spelling and grammar. But he knows how to count, has been an effective Controller and is highly regarded by his contemporaries.

Pinsley, quite obviously, is an opportunist.

Werner's Wife Running to Succeed Him

Sandy O'Brien-Werner has to decided to seek her husband's seat on Northampton County Council. Unless they are getting a divorce, this is a pretty clear indication that Werner himself is calling it quits after two terms representing District 2. This includes Easton, Forks, Palmer, Glendon, West Easton, Wilson Borough and Stockertown.

Werner is politically very active, and I have seen her at all kinds of Democratic events over the years. As she makes clear on her Facebook candidate page, "I am an elected member of the State Dem. Ctte., EADC, NCDC, and am a member of the Northampton County Council of Democratic Women. I am wildly partisan when it comes to national politics but not so much at the local level. I'm looking forward to working with all members of Council, both Ds and Rs, and toward maintaining Gracedale and assisting Area 2 citizens."

One place I have never seen her is at a Northampton County Council meeting.

Though she has been extremely active within her own party, I am unaware of any public office Werner may have held.

She is a retired educator who studied at Wilson Area High School, Clarion University and UConn. She taught at Easton Area High School.

Former Easton Area School Board President Frank Pintabone may also be seeking this seat.

I am unaware of who is running on the Republican side.

More Oversight Suggested at Gracedale

Blogger's Note: This report is based on Northampton County videos. I skipped last night's meetings to watch DeSales defeat DelVal in an exciting basketball game. It's playoffs, and both Desales MBB and WBB will play in the 'ship on Saturday. In case you're wondering, my grandson did get in the game for the final 30 seconds. He looked very good standing on the court as the clock ran out.

Last night, Northampton County Council's Human Services Committee was supposed to conduct a meeting  focused exclusively on Gracedale, the county-owned nursing home. The most recent state survey, released January 4, cites 11 deficiencies directly related to resident care. Medicare now lists the home as a two-star, or below average, nursing facility. This is in stark contrast to the five stars (much above average) assigned to Lehigh County's Cedarbrook. But as happened before, there was no detailed discussion for three reasons. First, Human Services followed a lengthy Tara Zrinski committee meeting on, of all things, industrial hemp. Second, Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski, who really likes to talk, spent 40 minutes talking about every department but Gracedale. Third, Human Services Chair Lori Vargo Heffner spent a good ten minutes stating she'd like to change these meetings on a different day and time. So only about 35 minutes was actually spent on Gracedale. What little was revealed is disturbing.

By the numbers, we know the following, based on the month of December:

- Gracedale's census was about 665.
- Over $200,000 was paid to outside agencies to provide nursing care.
- The number of bedsores was a net of 53. (They do not count residents who have them when they arrive).
- There were 119 reportable infections.
- There were 332 incident reports.
- There were 172 falls.

Interim Administrator Jennifer D. Stewart-King made the case for electronic health records. She noted they are in use at Cedarbrook. She added that they need to institute pain and wound committees as well. She said employees were ignored when they asked for these things. "[County Executive]. McClure was the only one who heard us," she said.

McClure's decision to remove Premier as an outside manager was challenged as well. Council member John Cusick noted that when Premier took over, the County was paying $6 million to fund the home. Premier turned a $6 million deficit into a $3.3 million operating surplus.

"I think that is a big plus," observed Cusick.

McClure responded that Premier exalted cost over care and ruined morale. "They were tasked to run the home so there would be no county contribution," he asserted.

McClure's decision was challenged by Council member Bob Werner as well. He asked whether the County had ever looked at the operational assessment done by Premier. Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski admitted she was unaware of it. He then asked McClure whether he performed an operational assessment before terminating Premier. McClure admitted he performed no operational assessment.

"How did you determine you were going to do a better job without a plan?" asked Werner.

McClure said his decision was based on interviews with county employees as well as the $500,000 Premier charged every year.

Though he neglected to mention it, McClure has been concerned that Premier's record at other public nursing homes has been the subject of bad surveys and complaints.

Council President Ron Heckman, who earlier said he's "all for hemp," concluded Gracedale needs more attention. He noted that in the past, there were bi-weekly meetings to provide oversight.

"We as a group have to think about the largest department in our county with the largest number of residents and the most employees," he said.

And then they ran out of time.

Gracedale Needs More Attention Than Green New Deal

Wisely, because of inclement weather, Northampton County Council canceled its Personnel and Finance Committee meetings yesterday. Two other committees will meet today. The first is Tara Zrinski's  Parks and Open Space Committee, which meets at 4 pm. The second is Loroi Vargo Heffner's Human Services Committee, scheduled at 5 pm. What has been happening is that Zrinsi's meeting always goes on forever, which gives Heffner less time. She starts to do a slow burn as Zrinski goes on and on. Then, when Human Services meets, so many items are scheduled that it is difficult to do justice to them all. That is why a devastating Gracedale survey got about five minutes of attention.

Today, Zrinski is going to discuss the Green New Deal in her committee meeting, as well as the impact of the Federal Farm bill. Neither item is related to a core county function. She also wants to change the name of her committee, most likely to reflect a more aggressive environmental agenda.

As for Human Services, Gracedale is the sole topic of discussion today. Heffner wants to hear more about the good things going on there. I prefer the truth.

A letter sent to all Council members in early January provides more insight about conditions at Gracedale than months of Heffner's committee. It should. It comes from the former Director of Nursing. She was replaced by Executive Lamont McClure when he took office.

Here's part of her letter:

Gracedale has been neglected for years. Not just the last four years but for many decades. The outdated and appalling status of the living conditions for the residents of Gracedale actually brought me to tears the first time I saw the cinder block walls and furniture obviously from decades ago. The resident mattresses had not been replaced for years (actually no one could tell me when) leading to resident skin pressure injury. An assessment revealed these mattresses were no longer offering any pressure reduction. The mechanical lifts recently assessed found 22 lifts were in poor condition. The most vulnerable of our population have been ignored and the taxpayers should be appalled as I was. However, my goal was to work to improve the conditions and the mattresses have been replaced, some furniture has begun to be purchased and the next step was to begin mechanical lift replacement. The ultimate goal being to develop a purchasing replacement plan yearly to assure that this would never happen again.

I knew the position would be a challenge, and I happen to love a challenge that works to improve the lives of residents in long term care. So imagine my response in early December when I received a letter from the new county executive- elect that stated “this past November our voters spoke loudly and issued a mandate for change.” It went on to say “ I write at this time to inform you that you will not be re-appointed to your position in the new administration” and “your last day of employment with the County of Northampton will be January 1, 2018.”

Perhaps Heffner should spend some time discussing this. She's only had this letter a year.

NorCo and Berthlehem Close to 911 Deal

Northampton County Council will tonight consider the purchase of Bethlehem's 911 assets for a net profit to Bethlehem of $1.37 million. The county is poised to assume control of Bethlehem's emergency calls by the end of June. That's when the state stops providing 911 funds to Bethlehem.

Clarification, 10:10 am: It's a poor choice of words to say Bethlehem is making a profit. It is getting what it needs to pay off the debt. Sorry for the confusion.

Bangor School Board VP Resigns After Ejection

When then Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan was ejected from a wrestling match in which his son was a participant, that was news. Nobody questioned it, even though he quickly apologized to the referee who tossed him. So when Bangor Area School Board VP Stephen Bussenger was not just tossed from a basketball game in his own school's gym, and had to be escorted out by school police, I considered that newsworthy as well, and reported it. As a high school basketball fan myself who has seen Bussenger at several games, I noted I had never seen him act out. I even speculated that the ref may have confused Bussenger with someone else. But I added, "If he did misbehave, he certainly owes the referee and his school board an apology. A high school basketball gym is actually a classroom in which good sportsmanship is taught." According to Lehigh Valley Live, Bussenger did apologize half-heartedly at last night's school board meeting. He also resigned because, as I learned, he recently moved out of the school district. Finally, both he and his wife bashed this blog for allowing vicious anonymous comments about him.

You know, like the kind.that appear all the time on Lehigh Valley Live.  and set an

The attacks on my readers sound suspiciously like they come from Bussenger and his wife. Anonymously,of course.

I have three points for Bussenger et ux.

1) If you are an elected official, especially a school director, don't get tossed out of basketball games 

2) If you want to set a good example for your daughters, don't get tossed out of basketball games.

3) If you want to avoid suggestions of impropriety, don't sell candy from your chocolate store to the school district where you are a director.

Tiny West Easton Starting a Police Department

West Easton Police Department

Throughout the Lehigh Valley, many geographically large municipalities like Upper Mount Bethel or Williams Townships, have no local police department. They rely on the state police. If the people who live in those communities have to wait 40 minutes for state police to respond to a complaint, so be it. These supposedly conservative townships have no problem in allowing impoverished cities like Allentown or Easton to subsidize what little coverage Pennsylvania State Police can provide. No law requires police protection, though most of us think government has a core obligation to do so. At a time when many local governments have forgotten why they're really there, one tiny community is bucking the trend. West Easton, whose population was estimated at 1255 in 2014,is forming its own police department. District Attorney John Morganelli is helping, too, with $10,000 in drug forfeiture money.

During a news conference at the site of the new police station, 301 Sixth Street, Mayor Dan DePaul introduced retired Pa. State Police SGT Robert Mehady. He served with the state police for 25 years,mostly out of he Belfast barracks. He served as a consultant to the borough as it considered the pros and cons of its own force.

That's something West Easton has done without since 1966. Between 966 and 2013, it contracted for police coverage with either Wilson Borough or Easton. Since that time, it has relied on the state police.

DePaul, Morganelli, Mehady and paint can

Though DA John Morganelli said he is "very satisfied" with the coverage provided by state police, he pointed to a recent activity in which state police were too busy to follow up on suspected drug activity occurring within the borough.

Calling West Easton a "great location for a small police department," Morganeli added that "folks like the idea of knowing police are nearby."

Chief Mehady  called West Easton a "tremendous community," a "little oasis" in the Lehigh Valley.

The department will actually be a hybrid police department staffed by the chief and two part-time officers. State police will still be patrolling the borough when local officers are off-duty.

Mayor DePaul said that $150,000 was budgeted for the new department in 2018 and 2019. It already has acquired three police vehicles, two of which were donated by Palmer Tp. He hopes to see the department function in a matter of months.

One shortcoming of state police coverage is that they refuse to enforce local ordinances regarding parking. Chief Mehady said that in just one swing through the borough, he spotted about 50 vehicles with expired inspections. Mayor DePaul added some of these cars are parked on borough roads for months at a time.

West Easton might ne an oasis to some, but is also the lair of Tricia Mezzacappa. She has flooded the tiny borough with incessant Rights-to-Know, has driven up legal costs and is in court with West Easton so frequently that its Solicitor has asked that she receive approval from a judge before she files any more actions.

Tricia Mezzacappa is certainly part of the reason Easton stopped providing police coverage. She has since that time made numerous unfounded complaints to state police. I suspect Chief Mehady will have his hands full. Nevertheless, I must applaud West Easton officials for doing something more wealthy communities have forgotten. They are serving their residents.

Updated: Former Aldi Exec Seeks Bethlehem City Council Seat

Will Carpenter, a former Aldi executive and resident of Bethlehem's northside historic district, is running for a two-year term City Council.

 “I am running for Council because I believe we must build on our strong foundation with a vision that puts our community needs and values front and center," he said in his announcement. "I look forward to bringing my experience to help Bethlehem find the right balance in continued growth and sustainability with responsible government oversight. Transparency, inclusion and high ethical standards are key ingredients to keep Bethlehem strong for generations to come.”

Carpenter was raised in upstate New York and is a graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Science in Applied Economics and Business Management. For 24 years, he was employed at ALDI USA, a popular grocery chain. Promoted to Director of Real Estate, he spent 20 years working with cities, including Baltimore and Philadelphia. In that time, he spent many hours with council members, mayors and city staff negotiating agreements that included zoning changes, improvements to public infrastructure, traffic studies and performance guarantees

He made Bethlehem his home in 1999. He states that, unlike many other cities in the Northeast, the Christmas City has defied the odds and continues to be in a strong position for responsible growth

Carpenter is married and has two daughters, both of whom attend Liberty High School.

According to LinkedIn, he currently is a Sprint business solutions advisor.

He either is or was President of Bethlehem's Historic District Ass'n as well as a trustee at River Valley Waldorf School.

Carpenter was among those who late last year objected to a zoning text change that would permit the commercial use of a corner property in the City's Historic District. The measure passed.

Unfortunately, I failed to get Carpenter's political party. I will update when I do.

Updated 9:41 pm: Carpenter is a Democrat.

Taiba Sultana Running For Easton Mayor

A local Easton activist, Taiba Sultana, is running for Easton Mayor. She is seeking the Democratic nomination, which will guarantee a primary contest between her and incumbent Mayor Sal Panto.

This is the fight to build a City that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and the well-connected," she states on her webpage. She backs that up with a progressive and aggressive platform.

I've already received one email attacking her, but my view is that people should decide these things. When Sultana ran for City Council, party bosses tried to force her off the ballot. Now they are painting her as an American hater.

Although she is far to the left of me politically, her voice should be heard.

Panto is immensely popular. Personally, I think he's a bit too full of himself. he's also dishonest, something he demonstrated when he was posting under fake names at Lehigh Valley Live. He has been a good Mayor most of the time. His stand on Lafayette College and the problems in the west ward have plagued him. His promotion of some 100' tall Vitruvian Eunuch (politically incorrect to call it a Man) is borderline idiocy that will end up costing the City.

If Vitruvian Peter M(el)AN runs, Sultana suddenly becomes viable.

There's quite a lively discussion at Laini Abraham's Easton page. I was surprised at all the "progressive" Eastiniand=s who condemn Sultana because of her religion.

Former Business Owner Seeks Slate Belt Seat on NorCo Council

Wind Gap resident and small business owner Tom Giovanni is seeking the GOP nomination to Northampton County Council's District 4. That seat covers what is known as the slate belt and northern tier. He will announce officially tomorrow night at the Columbia Fire Company, 164 Garibaldi Avenue, Roseto, PA 18013, 6 pm.

I know Giovani. I used to walk by his shop in Nazareth every day on my way from my estate to my car. It was called Hi-Tech Laser Systems, and I once walked n to see if they could laser he hair off my back.

"We're not that kind of laser business," said Giovanni, who is more into information technology.

Tom says he wants to be decided to be a part of bringing back the focus of looking at the needs of the people who live in Northampton County. He wants them to "stay on track with keeping human services at the forefront of the decision-making process." He feels that with his business background, leadership, and community involvement he can connect reason and responsibility to basic fiscal choices that will forge Northampton County into a place that serves as a lighthouse community for common sense productivity.

Born and raised in Bangor, PA. Tom attended elementary school at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and graduated from Pius X high school. Tom lived in the Nazareth Area School District in Bushkill Township for 31 years. This past year he moved to Wind Gap, PA. Tom founded Hi Tech Laser Systems in 1990. In December 2012, he sold the business to East Coast Network Services and continues to help the company grow as one of its employees. Throughout his career Giovanni has earned a number of IT certifications (Microsoft Networking, Hewlett Packard Certified Printer Technician, Microsoft Windows Server Sales, Cisco Authorized Sales Partner, etc.). Tom has volunteered time in the community as he has served on many Boards in the Lehigh Valley with organizations, such as: Greater Valley YMCA, Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, Nazareth Business Council and Nazareth Bath Chamber of Commerce. Tom enjoys spending time with his wife, three children and two grandchildren as they attend community, church and social event.

What I like about Tom already is that he is someone who has spent a lot of time volunteering in different organizations. This used to be commonplace among candidates for public office. Now the only volunteering most candidates do is at the phone banks of their party organization.

Roseto Borough Councilman Dan Engle is seeking the Democratic nod. After promising transparency, he blocked me on Facebook for criticism of a campaign announcement that tells us nothing.

This race is already over. Unless Giovani is caught with an altar boy, he wins in a solidly Republican district.

Better make that two. . 

In Off Election Year, McClure Raises $57,700

Incumbency helps. Lamont McClure was elected Northampton County Executive in 2017. In 2018, there were no county races. He nevertheless raised $57,700 last year. His vanquished foe, former Executive John Brown, raised no money. In fact,he had to lend his campaign $6,500 so he could pay a $6,632 bill still owed to his political consultant, Communications Concepts.

The lion's share of McClure's money comes from the trade unions. This is no surprise. Historically, they have always been his biggest supporter. He has always supported them, too. One of the first times I saw him, he was handing out flyers for one of them.   

The one troublesome aspect of McClure's warchest is that it includes a large number of $500 donations from people who work for him. McClure assures me that no one is forced to give him money. Of course not. That would be macing, and is criminal. It's still something that was largely absent under former Executives John Stoffa and John Brown. It still looks like pay-to-play.

You might think that these kinds of donations should be illegal. Such a law, however, would almost certainly be considered an infringement of the First Amendment  Also, it would make it very difficult for someone like  McClure, who took a major paycut to become Executive, to get his message out to the public.

The one and only contribution that really bothers me is $500 from lobbyist Jennifer Mann. I saw her in the courthouse halls a few weeks ago, headed to public works. She's up to something.

The only other NorCo pol who went out of his way to raise money in a nonelection year is Bethlehem City Councilman Bryan Callahan. He raised $20,800 last year, including money from the controversial Benner family as well as Westgate Mall owner Mark Pepitone.

Personally, I'd like someone to give him money to just shut up at Council meetings. His incessant monologues alienate everyone eventually.

Bethlehem City Councilman Willie Reynolds, who can raise money as well as anyone, made no effort to do so last year. Nor did incumbent Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez, who is sitting on $130,298.92 .

Easton Mayor Sal Panto, running for his 638th term this year, raised no money last year. 

Nor did Bethlehem City Council member Michael Colon, who reports a whopping warchest of $168.84.

Good on them.

NorCo Elections Comm'n Ponders New Voting System

ExpressVote XL a top contender 

Northampton County's Elections Commission met yesterday to discuss, among other things, the new voting systems that the state wants in place before the Presidential election. These must contain a paper trail. Governor Wolf has given counties this mandate, but has only provided a pittance. The Commission decided to conduct a meeting again on March 6 to seek input on which system to recommend to NorCo Council for funding. The only No vote came from Chairman George Treisner. "Personally, I think it's a waste of time," he said.

On January 10, about 30 NorCo elections judges visited Lehigh County for a demonstration of several voting systems. According to Deputy Voting Registrar Amy Hess, a survey of these judges reveals they like the ExpressVote XL (previously discussed here) as well as Clear Ballot. Elections Commissioner Deb Hunter would like to invite some experts from Lehigh University to discuss these systems.

Hunter also expressed frustration at receiving the agenda on the day of the meeting, although it was pretty much identical to an "informational" meeting in December. She also complained about the meeting being set by the Administration. "These are our meetings," she complained, asserting the Commission's independence.  .
Bushkill Township resident Crystal Mulada spoke about moving elections from the Butz Elementary School to a nearby fire hall. "The voters of this Township are telling you they want [the polling place] changed," she argued.

Commission member Maudeania Hornik commented on an elderly voter who was struck and killed by a driver in the Forks Tp Community Center parking lot during November's election. "The Forks incident bothers me," she said. "I think it's horrible that someone went out to vote and lost their life." She noted that the parking lot there is always congested, and suggested that Forks officials be requested to cancel other events on election day. "I'm not telling them what to do," she stressed, but said that would make things safer.

Administrator Charles Dertinger said he would discuss the matter with the community center.

Complaints about the Upper Nazareth Municipal Building as a polling place are being reviewed, advised Solicitor Richard Santee. He said he had received a letter from Upper Nazareth Solicitor Gary Asteak.

Finally, Commissioners approved a referendum question in Lower Nazareth Township asking the voters if they would support an additional earned income tax of 0.25% for the acquisition of open space.

Was McClure Right to Replace Gracedale's Manager?

Last week, NorCo Executive Lamont McClure placed the blame for a negative health inspection at Gracedale on Premier Healthcare Services. That's who was managing the county nursing home when state officials arrived. Is McClure right or is he just scapegoating Premier? Based on what has happened in Westmoreland County, he appears to be correct.

Premier was hired to manage Gracedale in 2011. It manages numerous nursing homes. At the time this private manager was hired, the nursing home was losing $5.9 million a year, and going in the wrong direction. Premier worked on increasing the census while improving the quality of care. It paid off. Gracedale went for two years without a single deficiency during state inspections. But that all changed with the departure of D.Millard Freeman, who had been Premier's point man.

Two years ago, the ratings at the nursing home tumbled after a suicidal resident was left alone. The most recent inspection resulted in 11 deficiencies among a small sample of residents. They ranged from keeping residents in restraints to improper feeding. By this time, Executive McClure had already decided to replace Premier with an in-house administrator.  He nevertheless faulted himself for failing to act sooner.

Premier is also the manager at Westmoreland Manor, a county nursing home in the western part of the state. It is a 408-bed facility. It was hired in 2016 after there were dozens of deficiencies in a state survey. A negative state inspection in September has resulted in the replacement of Premier's administrator, but Premier itself is still managing the county home.

Westmoreland Manor is rated by Medicare as a "one star" home, meaning it is "much below average."  Gracedale has a "two star" rating, meaning it is "below average." Cedarbrook, Lehigh County's home, has a "five star" rating, meaning "much above average."   

Former GOP Council Member Running for NorCo Controller

Former NorCo Council member Hayden Phillips, 66, is seeking the Republican nomination for County Controller. That position is currently held by Richard "Bucky" Szulborski, who is stepping down at the end of the year. Easton Controller Tony Bassil has already declared his candidacy for the Democratic nomination.

The controller is an independently elected official responsible for the internal control of the county's financial transactions. He may audit county departments or outside agencies receiving county funds. He can audit on his own initiative. The annual salary is $65,000.

Born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, PA, Phillips attended and graduated from Meyers High School. He earned earned a BS Degree from Mansfield State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Lehigh University.

He spent much of his career in the Technology Service Industry, gaining expertise in Project, Program and Portfolio Management. He retired from Hewlett-Packard with 25 years of service. He continues to teach classes in Project and Portfolio Management as an Adjunct Instructor at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

In addition to his business experience, Phillips has served his country as a United States Marine. He has 27 years of combined active and reserve service. He retired with the rank of Colonel.

He previously held elected office, holding an “at large” seat on Northampton County Council for four years, during the period 2014 -2017.

His campaign announcement states that Phillips "was known as hardworking and conscientious. He earned a reputation as independent and non-partisan. He looked at the facts and made decisions only on what he felt was for the good of Northampton County."

Ordinarily, I would disregard this as puffing. But I happen to agree. He has a conscience and was more than willing to stand up to a Republican Executive when he thought it was going in the wrong direction.

Despite his independence, he was defeated in 2017 in a blue wave that swept many local Republicans out of office statewide. Because local newspapers provide little coverage of county government, to say nothing of the persons who seek election, there is an increasing tendency to just vote the party instead of the person. On the other hand, voters like divided government 

Though fiscally conservative, Phillips has also been criticized for proposing a tax hike during his first year in office. He was acting on the basis of dire financial predictions about the county's finances, which later proved to be inaccurate.

Phillips and his wife have resided in Lower Nazareth Township, PA. since 1993. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Engle Demonstrates His Transparency By Blocking Me

I've had two stories this week about elected Slate Belt officials. The first involves Bangor School Board VP Steve Bussenger. He had to be escorted out of his own gym during a basketball loss to Moravian Academy after refusing to heed a referee's ejection. I noted I had never seen him act out at any of the basketball games I attended. The second story involves Roseto Borough Council member Dan Engle. He's running for NorCo Council, and wanted me to tell everyone. His campaign manager provided no biographical information, not even a photo. I had some fun, admittedly at his expense, with his own Facebook intro. He calls himself "big dark and handsome .. if you like big." Both stories were fair. But the comments in each story make clear that both of these guys are thin-skinned.

Engle, who promised in his campaign statement to bring transparency to Northampton County, blocked me on Facebook. He failed to provide any meaningful information, and then his supporters accused me of "stalking" for trying to find out on my own. So much for transparency.

Bussenger supporters blamed the ref and everyone else. He recently sold his home. He was going to use his rental property as a new address, but too many eyes are on him now.

If you are or want to be an elected official, expect scrutiny. That's what happens in a democratic government.

Dan Engle is Big, Dark and Handsome ... If You Like Big

Dan Engle, a Roseto Borough Council member and fourth generation member of Boilermakers Local 28, is running for Northampton County Council. He wants to represent infamous District 4, also known as the Slate Belt or Northern Tier. It consists of the Slate Belt area, Bushkill Township, Upper Nazareth, Bath, Chapman, Moore Township, Lehigh Township and Walnutport.

Engle is a Democrat in a Republican district. Republican Korry Franke had planned to run for the position, but recently changed his mind. The seat is currently held by Republican Matt Dietz. He unfortunately is stepping away from politics to spend more time with his young family.

Other than telling me that Engle is a trades union member serving a two-year term on Roseto Borough Council, his statement tells me nothing about him. His LinkedIn page provides no details either. Is he a Slate Belt original or from elsewhere? Where did he go to high school? Does he have a college education? I do know he served an apprenticeship.

Hos Facebook page could use some work. His intro starts out with "I'm 6'1 and big dark and handsome .. if you like big."

WTF is that?

I've seen him at one or two County Council meetings and he is almost as ugly as Ken Kraft.

His campaign announcement provides no photo.

I'll be talking to Dan as the campaign progresses and ask for details concerning is background, which really should be in his announcement.

For more information, email Engle at engle4noco4th@gmailcom or visit Facebook at fb.me/engle4noco4th.

The public is also able to join him at his kick-off on Thursday, February 21 from 7pm-10pm at the Scorecard located at 130 North Broadway, Wind Gap. So he is opening his campaign on a night that NorCo Council meets.

NorCo Deputy Sheriffs Approve New County Contract

The union representing Northampton County Deputy Sheriffs has voted to endorse a new, three-year, labor contract. The terms of the new deal will be revealed when the new contract is presented to County Council for approval. It is expected, however, that the contract terms will be in line with six other labor contracts that Executive Lamont McClure has negotiated since assuming office.

The one holdout is the union representing corrections officers.

One county union, the one representing court-related professionals like probation officers, has disbanded. Since they serve at the pleasure of the court, there is little a union can do for them.

Why I Ignored Trump's SOTU

Over the years, I've religiously watched or listened to SOTU addresses. I provided no coverage of Donald Trump's speech last week, which Republicans loved and Democrats hated. That's because I chose to ignore it.

Here's why. I've had enough of Donald Trump. I've grown tired of his ugly tweets, his blatant lies, his fear-mongering and the constant chaos that surrounds him.

Time to cancel his series. It's become boring. 

Allentown Accepts $132k For Supposed $1.25 M Fire Bill

After weeks of needless review, Allentown Mayor Ray O'Connell has finally signed a release accepting Nat Hyman's payment of $132,363 as full settlement of city expenses incurred in the a vacant Franklin Street factory that Hyman had hoped to rehabilitate. Unfortunately, the property went up in flames late last year.

Though Allentown is in financial distress, O'Connell sat on the release for weeks before signing it, likely because it vindicates Hyman.

This is far below $1.25 million demolition cost originally projected by city officials. The sole council member to voice any concern about this cost is Julio Guridy. City officials reluctantly agreed to allow Hyman to renegotiate the cost, and he managed to shrink it about 90 per cent.

Imagine what he could have done with a city budget.

"Now if only I can get Pat Browne to return my calls and letters and save the taxpayers another $15,000,000 on the state Hospital!" said Hyman.

Bangor School Board VP Tossed From Basketball Game

Earlier this season, Moravian Academy stunned Bangor's talented boys' basketball team in a 66-65 victory. Not only was it Bangor's first Colonial League defeat in three years, but the game was won in a buzzer beater off an assist from Abe Atiyeh to Peter Chiaradia. But that was then. Surely things would be different when the Lions would visit Bangor and play both the team and a host of enthusiastic Slaters ON February 6. Sure enough, things were different. This time, Moravian won by 10in a 73-63 victory during which four Lions scored in the double digits. Unfortunately, the game was marred by a display of poor sportsmanship. Was it someone on the team? No. Coaching staff? No. A student? No. A parent? No. The person who had to be taken out by police was none other than Bangor School Board VP Steve Bussenger.

Over the years, especially at summer league, I've seen Bussenger at numerous games. I've never seen him act out. But he apparently did something during last weeks game to prompt an official to eject him. After the signal was given, Bussenger refused to move. So the signal was given again, and Bussenger still refused to leave. The official had to request a school police officer, and one who happens to be a Bussenger cousin, to escort him from the facility.

Everyone in the slate belt is related. Bussenger is also a cousin of Bangor's coach, Bron Holland.

Exactly what Bussenger did to prompt ejection is unclear to me. I've been unable to reach him.

On Facebook, former school director Bob Cartwright makes this observation:

If this was a student or your child or mine there would be discipline or a penalty for being ejected for one's conduct. Whether it is school suspension, loss of the privilege to attend sporting events etc but when its a School Board member there is a different standard? We teach our children and lead our students to do the right thing and conduct themselves accordingly in representing themselves,family, community and school and we are expected to look the other way when it is someone in a leadership role? We have a top notch security dept who should not have to deal with this kind of issue from our leaders.

I'm no Bussenger fan, but know from past experience that there are times when referees eject the wrong person. I'd want to hear from him before condemning him. If he did misbehave, he certainly owes the referee and his school board an apology.  A high school basketball gym is actually a classroom in which good sportsmanship is taught

Bron Holland's team is very tough and physical But in the encounters I've witnessed against Allentown Central Catholic, they were always good sports. In rare losses, Bron Holland is among the first to congratulate opposing players and coaches.

Gracedale's Bad Survey Gets NorCo Council's Attention

I took NorCo Council to task yesterday for scheduling a meeting with nothing on the agenda, not even a discussion of a negative survey about Gracedale. I decided to skip. I had no desire to attend a meeting in which all Council members do is blow their own horns and then go home. Guess what? Council suddenly reversed course and decided, after all, to make that health inspection the focus of last night's meeting. This report is based on the video

Executive Lamont McClure started by saying he regrets not having fired Premier, the nursing home's administrator, last year. Premier was still Gracedale's manager at the time of a health inspection that resulted in 11 deficiencies.

Saying he was "very disappointed," McClure pointed to several other nursing homes run by Premier with "below average" ratings. He noted that five of the 11 deficiencies are directly related to the system used by Premier to direct nursing home care. To make matters worse, he said that Premier's expert at the home had basically checked out in April. "Not only were we poorly managed, we weren't managed at all."

Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski stressed that the county takes each of the 11 deficiencies seriously, and corrective actions are in place. Jennifer D. Stewart-King, the county's own nursing home administrator, echoed Wandalowski. She said her team "by no means takes this lightly." She noted the inspection process became more rigorous as a result of complaints from state auditor general Eugene DePasquale. State inspectors were at Gracedale for four days, talking to everyone. They also watched residents at mealtime, and check the medications administered to 70 of them.

She went over each of the 11 deficiencies (you can read them here) and how they are being addressed.

Stewart-King said that immediate education and audits at every shift are being done. "We do what needs to be done to make sure this doesn't happen again." Both Wandalowski and Stewart-King stresses a need for electronic health records. Stewart-King said the paperwork is "overwhelming"

Wandalowski agrees there "needs to be more in-person training." She pointed to health education software being implemented, but still six months away.

"Do whatever you have to do, lean on whoever you need to lean on, push whoever you need to push, but let's get this system going," urged Council President Ron Heckman.

"We were lied to, said Councilman Bob Werner, referring to the private administrator."We finally got into the black and now we find out we have some problems again."

He asked specifically about the wound care team, only to learn that one resident has six pressure wounds.

"Please, let's fix something here," he said with some exasperation.

Despite the concerns expressed by everyone else, two people attempted to minimize the negative survey. Unfortunately, one of them - Lori Vargo Heffner - chairs the Human Services. Just as unfortunately the other - Brian Dunlap - is Gracedale's administrator in training.

"Comparatively, it was good," said Heffner. She wants to chair a meeting in which administrators will "tell us what you did well, too. Let's not just focus on the deficiencies."

Brian Dunlap, an accountant, played math games. He presented a spreadsheet of 15 nursing homes and contends that Gracedale would only have one deficiency if it were smaller. This argument is based on the fallacy that deficiencies are somehow related to number of residents.

NorCo Council Has No Business For Tonight's Meeting

Last time Northampton County Council met, there was a disturbing report of a negative survey by the state Department of Health at Gracedale. Though the nursing home is now rated "below average" by Medicare, there was no discussion. Council President Ron Heckman did suggest that there should be a meeting devoted entirely to Gracedale. Tonight could be such a night because nothing is listed on the agenda. Not even about plastic straws. They will give meaningless committee and liaison reports, and then go home. This needs to be discussed, not brushed under the rug.