How Would You Stop Mass Shootings?

I had intended to write about Northampton County today. That will have to wait until Tuesday. Yesterday, the joyous mood at a wedding party in Bloomsburg was dampened by news of a deadly mass shooting in El Paso that left 20 people dead.  Just a few hours later, news broke of yet another mass murder in Dayton.

I'm sure that no one, from Donald Trump to the most absolute defenders of the Second Amendment, condone what happened. But as bodies of the dead and wounded were still being carried away, Beto O'Rourke was calling Trump a white nationalist.

Stay classy, Beto.

Instead of playing the blame game for political advantage, I'd like to understand what's going on.

The Violence Project has studied every mass shooting since 1966, and reaches the following conclusions:

1. Most mass shooters experienced early childhood trauma.

2. Most were angry or despondent about a specific grievance.

3. Most mass shooters studied the habits of others before them.

4. They all had the means to do what they wanted to do.

I think most of us would agree that access to firearms should be denied to thise who fit into the first three categories. But I confess that's no easy task in many cases.

Council to Hire Deputy Clerk

Northampton County Council Clerk Linda Zembo was paid $99,176.00 last year. This year, it will be more. She is paid $47.979 per hour. Yet Five members of County Council think she needs a Deputy and voted to create a position for one last night. They are obviouslu making room for someone.

I will fill you in on Monday.

I will also have the latest on eco-warrior's Tara Zrinski's abuse of her county office for her State Rep race.

Milides Demolition Imminent

Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure told County Council at their August 1 meeting that demolition of the Milides building at the courthouse campus is imminent.

The Milides building was built by prominent Easton attorney Gus Milides. In addition to its convenient location, it includes a 40-space parking lot. In 2007, a divided NorCo Council voted to buy the building for $1.5 million, with Ann McHale ad Ron Angle voting No. McHale believed the price was too high while Angle said part of the property would have to be razed.

As it happens, Angle was correct. Both the former law office and its parking lot are slowly falling off a cliff. This is mostly because it was built on fill that had never been properly packed down. Stormwaters add to the erosion.

The plan is to demolish the building and place an underground tank beneath the parking lot to drain rainwater. After the property is shored up properly, a new parking lot for 104 vehicles is planned. This will include eight handicapped spaces, six of which will be van accessible.

McClure expects that to happen before winter sets in.

NorCo Council Approves $8.7M to Build Forensic Center

Northampton County Council has unanimously approved six contracts totaling $8.7 million for the construction of a forensic center at the Gracedale campus in Upper Nazareth To. They did so at their August 1 meeting, following a review by the Finance Committee.

"We will endeavor to be on time and on budget," said Executive Lamont McClure. He praised the "high quality craftsmanship" of the contractors selected. He added they were chosen under a new "responsible contractor ordinance" requiring apprenticeship programs.

This ordinance has come under fire as being slanted in favor of unions, but McClure noted that two of the bidders selected are nonunion. 

A federal challenge to this ordinance was rejected by United States District Judge Edward Smith, but McClure said the ruling has been appealed.

The contracts approved are as follows:

1. General Contractor - Sordoni Construction Services (Forty Fort, Pa) for $6,050,000. - Of six bids, two were rejected because they failed to provide prevailing wage.

2. Electrical Construction. - Wind Gap Electric (Wind Gap, Pa) for $737,700. - Two bids were received.

3. HVAC. - JBM Mechanical (Nazareth, Pa) for $1,011,000. - Three valid bids were received.

4. Plumbing and Fire Protection. - Myco Mechanical (Telford, Pa.) for $496,300. Five bids.

5. Solar Construction. - Wind Gap Electric (Wind Gap, Pa) for $293,770. Two bids.

6. Low Voltage Security Construction. - Wind Gap Electric (Wind Gap, Pa) for $112,976. Two valid bids were received, and a third rejected for lack of required documentation.

The term of these contracts is 18 months, indicating that the county expects to have the forensic center completed by the end of next year. 

All contractors were available for questioning.

Biden Winner of Both Dem Debates; Tulsi Shines Again

Joe Biden was assailed 27 times during Wednesday night's debate among 10 Presidential contenders. This time, instead of looking like a deer frozen in the headlights, he responded effectively to attempts to distort his moderate views on issues like health care and immigration. Although he delivered few zingers, and sometimes fumbled what he was saying, he held his own and occasionally threw detractors like Cory Booker and Kamala Harris on the defensive. I actually consider him the winner of both nights of debates.

On Tuesday, Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren spoke passionately in favor of things like Medicare for All, free college and the Green New Deal. But when people promise things that sound too good to be true, they usually are. Fairy tales are nice to read, but pragmatism is what works. Biden's centrist views are more appealing to me.

As good as Kamala Harris was in her first debate, that's how bad she looked last night. Her attempted attacks on Biden failed, and the former prosecutor found herself in an unfamiliar role as a defendant when combat veteran Tulsi Gabbard lit into her.

Gabbard, who looked very good in the first debate, was even better last night. While most of her barbs were aimed at Donald Trump, her takedown of Harris's role as California's AG was epic.

As Harris squirmed and shook her head, Gabbard eviscerated her as someone who jailed people for marijuana possession, but then laughed when asked if she ever used it.

"[S]he blocked evidence that would have freed an innocent man from death row until the courts forced her to do so. She kept people in prison beyond their sentences to use them as cheap labor for the state of California. And she fought to keep cash bail system in place that impacts poor people in the worst kind of way."

"The bottom line is, when you were in a position to make a difference and an impact in these people's lives, you did not. And worse yet, in the case of those who are on death row, innocent people, you actually blocked evidence from being revealed that would have freed them until you were forced to do so. There's no excuse for that."

This unemotional and fact-based style was apparent in her limited opportunities to speak.

Harris has been touted as Biden's VP candidate, but Gabbard would be better.

CACLV Claims Lack of H2O For Children in Park Programs

I'm unsure exactly how much CACLV is involved in local summer park programs. In Allentown, for example, this eight-week program has been run by the City for the past 106 years, long before Alan Jennings was a community organizer. Other Lehigh Valley communities do the same thing. Yet it is CACLV, and not any of these municipalities, that yesterday issued a press release implying that children in these programs have only limited access to water.

The release, entitled "Drinking Water Access across Valley Summer Meal and Recreation Programs Becomes Concerning," asserts "children at outdoor summer meal and community recreation programs within Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton do not have full access to drinking water." It goes on to claim that many parks have no drinking water, and then pats itself on the back because Costco and Nestle donated bottled water.

I find it very hard to believe that local municipalities would schedule summer playground programs without giving children access to drinking water. That would be criminal.

So what I find "concerning" is the CACLV "news" release.

I'll Chime in on Democratic Debates Tomorrow

I missed the first hour of last night's debate among 10 Democratic Presidential contenders. I will catch that first hour today and tell you what I think of both debates tomorrow. From the hour I did see, I was very impressed. The moderators were much better, and so were most of the candidates. A passionate Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders pitted their views against John Delaney, who contrasted "real solutions" with "impossible promises."

Delaney, who said the wealthy should pay more and is worth $65 million himself, pointed out that raising the capital gains tax makes mores sense than Warren's wealth tax.

NorCo DA Seizes $146,255 and Five Vehicles

Northampton County DA John Morganelli has seized $146,255 and five vehicles from drug dealers during the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2019. Morganelli uses this money for undercover purchases, police equipment and training.

He has this message for drug dealers: "When we catch you we will seize your money, your house, your vehicle and any other ill gotten gains from your drug dealings. Drug use and drug dealing in Northampton County will be very unprofitable."

NorCo DA Forfeiture Report by BernieOHare on Scribd

NorCo Controller Reviews P-Card Purchases

Back in 2017, when he was Controller, Steve Barron conducted a devastating audit detailing abuse of the county's credit cards, called P-Cards. He noted junkets to Vegas, New Orleans, Atlantic City's Harrah Resort and other posh destinations by some county employees. He also noted meal purchases in violation of Northampton County’s Policy on Travel, Meal and Mileage Reimbursement (Code 3.708). P-C were also being used to purchase gift cards, which were then handed out like candy by former Human Resources Director Amy Trapp. Barron has since moved on to become the county's Director of Fiscal Affairs. A recent audit of the county's P-Card purchases reveals improvement, but there are still problems.

This audit was conducted by NorCo Controller Richard "Bucky" Szulborski and his lead auditor, Kathleen A. Kuzma. They took samples from o 6,257 transactions over a 15-month period ending exactly one year ago.

1. Some P-card transactions failed to have appropriate documentation, were not properly and were beyond the purchasing cut-off date for 2017.
- Of 125 transactions selected for testing, 20 that were approved by a proxy authorized signer that was not on the Fiscal Affairs authorized signer list. Eleven approvals were later found on uploaded documents.
- Eight cardholders were improperly set up for "automatic" approval.
- There were 242 transactions after the cutoff date for 2017.

2. Some P-card transactions failed to comply with county purchasing policies.
- Two of 125 sampled transactions failed to use an approved vendor.
- Four of 125 sample transactions included a charge for sales tax even though the county is exempt from sales tax.
- There were eight gift card purchases. These are still in use for participants of Drug Court as well as some clients in Human Services. Only one lacked proper approval.
- All transactions were within the cardholder's limits.
- Of 438 weekend purchases, 10 were selected. All but one were valid purchases. The improper purchase was a $25 baggage fee for the spouse of an employee. That employee no longer works for the county.
- Of 19 charges for air travel, five were selected for testing. One of these was an inappropriate charge involving air travel of a
spouse of an employee while traveling together. This was picked up by Fiscal Affairs and the employee reimbursed the County for the air fare of the spouse.

3. Employee meal purchases.
- Of 15 transactions for meal purchases, one was for a gift card and another for a non-food item. Three purchases exceeded the county meal allowance. Seven meals were purchased even though there was no travel, which violates county policy.

Meet NorCo's New Voting System

In the weeks leading up to November's election, Northampton Councty has scheduled several demonstrations of the new voting system. It is called the Express Vote XL, and was certified by Pennsylvania's Department of State on November 30, 2018.

If you would like to see the system demonstrated for your organization, please contact Amy Cozze at Northampton County's Department of Administration. ((610) 829-6244.

August 13th Tuesday – August 17th Saturday 12:00pm – 8:00pm Blue Valley Farm Show@ the Block Building, 707 American Bangor Rd. Bangor, PA. 18013

August 29th Thursday 11:00am – 12:30pm Northampton Community College Partner Fair, 3835 Green Pond Rd. Bethlehem, PA. 18020 @ the Quad between College Center and Kopecek Hall

September 3rd Tuesday 3:30pm – 6:30pm Bath Borough Municipal Building, 121 S. Walnut St. Bath, PA. 18014

September 4th Wednesday 11:15pm – 2:45pm Easton Area Community Center, 901 Washington St. Easton, PA. 18042

September 7th Saturday 11:00am – 1:00pm Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St. Easton, PA. 18042

September 9th Monday 10:00am – 1:00pm Bethlehem City Hall, 10 East Church St. Bethlehem, PA. 18018

September 13th Friday 9:00am-11:00am Cherryville Senior Center @ Hope Lutheran Church, 4131 Lehigh Dr. Cherryville, PA. 18035

September 18th Wednesday 9:00am – 11:00am Slate Belt Senior Center, 707 American Bangor Road Bangor, PA. 18013

September 19th Thursday 11:00am – 1:00pm Northampton Senior Center, 902 Lincoln Ave. Northampton, PA. 18067

September 25th Wednesday 12:00pm – 2:00pm Old York Rd Senior Center, 720 Old York Rd. Bethlehem, PA. 18018

September 28th Saturday 11:00am – 1:00pm Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St. Easton, PA. 18042

September 30th Monday 10:00am – 1:00pm Bethlehem City Hall, 10 East Church St. Bethlehem, PA. 18018

October 3rd Thursday 12:30pm – 2:30pm Cherryville Senior Center @ Hope Lutheran Church, 4131 Lehigh Dr. Cherryville, PA. 18035

October 5th Saturday 12:00pm – 2:00 pm Hanover Township Community Center- Fall Festival, 3660 Jacksonville Rd. Bethlehem, PA. 18017

Trump Is a Boor, But is Right About Baltimore

Reality TV Show Star turned President Donald Trump has managed to make himself the center of attention again. This time it's for his weekend tweetstorm on Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings. He chairs a House Oversight Committee that has been giving quite a bit of scrutiny to our immigration policies on the Mexican border. Trump called Cummings a "brutal bully" who should take care of the "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess" in Baltimore, adding "no human being would want to live there." I have since read numerous news accounts that just automatically conclude Trump is a racist. Democratic presidential candidates have been quick to join this chorus. Readers of this blog know I consider our President unfit for any office. He may very well be a racist. But what he said about Baltimore is all-too-true. In fact, it can be said of most of our urban centers, including Trump's New York City. It's an inevitable result of one-party rule and the corruption that follows. The solution to this problem is opening up our primaries.

I've been to Baltimore a few times. I've run a marathon throughout the city streets and also participated  in a  bike tour. I have even sailed there a few times. The Inner Harbor is magnificent. The rest? Not so much. During the marathon and bike ride - about ten years ago - I passed by more than a few dead rats rotting in the middle of the road. In addition, it's plagued by a huge homeless problem.

Then there's crime.Here's an observation from The New York Post:

Among the largest 30 American cities, Baltimore has the highest crime rate, and is a close second to Detroit for the highest rate of violent crime. But for murders, Baltimore is second to no other city, with more than 50 homicides per 100,000 people. That puts Charm City in the ranks of Jamaica, Venezuela, and El Salvador in terms of lethality.

But The New York Post is biased, you might say, and it is. How about what Trump calls the "failing" New York Times? It reached a similar conclusion in The Tragedy of Baltimore, and no one called that story racist.

Certainly, there are many reasons to like Baltimore, and it does have pockets of wealth and hard-working people. But like any urban center, it has become rotten from the inside, mostly as a result of corruption that has included several recent Mayors. It's what happens under one-party rule. We've seen the corruption in Philly, Allentown, Reading, Harrisburg and Scranton.

In Philly, two City Council seats are for members of a minority party. According to Governing, those seats may be going to Democratic Socialists this year, a pattern that has started in other cities as well.

The solution to one-party rule,as well as the corruption that inevitably follows, is an open primary in which Independents can vote. Amazingly, the state senate has passed a bill providing for open primaries, and the matter now sits in the State Government Committee.

If Governor Tom Wolf were really interested in stopping corruption, he'd get behind this bill.

Don't hold your breath.

NorCo May Opt Out of State Civil Service

For years, Northampton County has been plagued by caseworker vacancies in Children, Youth and Families (CYF). Without question, this is a stressful job with a high burnout rate. But according to county Human Services Director Sue Wandalowski, an underfunded and understaffed state civil service commission has made things worse. As a result, Executive Lamont McClure will soon ask Council to approve a resolution opting out of civil service.

To illustrate the problem, Wandalowski said at last week's Human Services Committee meeting that there are 13 caseworker vacancies in CYF. Yet it took the state civil service commission two months to provide a list of caseworker applicants. When it finally did, it contained only three names.

When NorCo asked for more names, civil service provided a list of 80 people who had filled out parts of the application, and suggested the county contact them directly. The county did, and learned that list was fraught with errors. Some of the people identified had not only taken the test, but were already working as caseworkers.

Pennsylvania's Civil Service Commission administers the hiring system for 37 state agencies employing nearly 57,000 civil service employees.

Caseworker vacancies in CYF can mean the difference between life and death for some abused or neglected children, so Wandalowski wants to opt out of civil service and do the hiring in-house. This has already happened in Berks and Bucks Counties, she said. According to The Sentinel, Cumberland County is currently in the process of withdrawing from the state civil service commission because of similar difficulties in filling vacancies. The state civil service commission, Wandalowski said, is actually encouraging counties to opt out so long as career service regulations are in place.

Wandalowski estimates the process will probably take a year.

"If it sounds too good to be true, sometimes it is," cautioned Council Prez Ron Heckman. He told Wandalowski he'd want to hear from counties that have opted out before making a decision.

Mueller Hearings a Waste of Time

I  listened to former special prosecutor Robert Mueller testify before Congress yesterday during trips to and from Allentown. Traffic was bad, so I wasted  at least an hour of my life listening to a circus in which no one sounded very good.

Let's start with Mueller himself. He was a reluctant witness who previously made clear he had no desire to testify because his two-volume report speaks for itself. He was hardly compelling. He actually seemed to be trying to forget everything.

Democrats used him as a prop to point out different facets of the report showing that Trump is a disgusting person. His tweets already make that clear. So what?

Republicans attempted to vilify Mueller, suggesting political motives from a career prosecutor who is a registered Republican. Right.

Both parties looked like idiots. If this was supposed to be the preface to impeachment proceedings, Democrats are overreaching. Not happening. It's a monumental waste of time better spent on issues that matter, like a broken healthcare system or our increasing income inequality.

The best way to rid ourselves of the Tweeter-in-Chief is to elect someone else. The hearings yesterday make that a little less likely. Both parties looked bad, but Democrats insisted on this nonsense.

CACLV Takes Steps To Improve Facade Program

Around this time last year, I chronicled the plight of two West Coast transplants to Allentown named Shelby Brown. They brought their Little Drill marketing business to Hamilton Street. They applied for a facade grant with Upside Allentown, a branch of CACLV. That's when the fun began. Their grant was initially rejected when they refused to paint their building battleship grey. I actually went to the home of CACLV Executive Director Alan Jennings to tell him in person about possible insider dealing, but mostly to complain about the color. Battleship grey? Is there an uglier color? Turns out the inside of Jennings home is painted battleship grey.

After the past year, I'd have to say that battleship grey or even camo would be an appropriate color. That's because Whitney and Edwards have been pretty much at war with Jennings, CACLV board members, Main Street Manager Peter Lewnes and various City Council members. Jennings told me he'd not only conduct his own investigation, but would ask the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development to do so as well.

CACLV now reports nothing was wrong with the facade grant program. But at the same time, seven recommendations have been made to stop the insider dealing and conflicts of interest that clearly occurred.

Interestingly, there is no report from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. That state agency has confirmed it does no investigations.

Accused Palmer Tp Murderer Waives Extradition

From Palmer Tp PD: Edgar Himel, has waived extradition in Colorado and will be brought back by Palmer Police Investigators to Pennsylvania  from Colorado for arraignment on charges of Criminal Homicide and Theft ofMotor Vehicle.

A video arraignment has been scheduled for 9:30am Friday morning at the Northampton County Central Booking Center located at Northampton County prison in Easton.

Blogger’s Note: Himel is accused in the July 4 slaying of his wife. Her body was discovered at the couple’s Palmer Tp residence three days later. 

On July 4, the victim had called 911 to report an “emergency.” Two police officers responded, but there was no answer at the door. One officer went around the home and could see a man who appeared to match Himel’s description in the bedroom, where the victim’s remains were eventually discovered. Police cleared the area without making contact.

An internal investigation is underway, and right-to-know requests have been denied because of both the civil and criminal investigation.

 

How About Medical Marijuana at Gracedale?

One problem plaguing Gracedale and other nursing homes is the high use of psychotropic drugs, condemned by some as a chemical restraint. This is just one of many topics Gracedale Interim Administrator Jennifer D. Stewart-King discussed with NorCo Council last week. But they all began to laugh when Council member John Cusick asked if any consideration has been given to the use of medical marijuana. "No!" said Stewart-King.

Medical professionals there should reconsider. According to the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, "Studies examining older adults that are utilizing medical cannabis legally have demonstrated significant decreases in prescription medication use, most notably a reduction in opioid analgesic usage. As such, medical cannabis should be viewed as an additional option in the clinician's toolbox of therapeutic interventions for symptom relief."

Most nursing homes, however, prohibit medical marijuana because of their reliance on Medicare for funding. The feds prohibit marijuana.

One New York nursing home gets around this by refusing to purchase or store medical cannabis, but allowing residents to store their own stash in a locked container. cannabis medicine. Residents must purchase their cannabis medicine on their own and self-administer or have it administered by family.

If you want to increase Gracedale's census, this is one way to do it.

Census Dips at Gracedale

When Premier Healthcare Service was hired as Northampton County's Administrator at Gracedale, the census was down to 590. This means revenue was down, too. Turning that around was a top priority of this privatized manager, and by February 2015, the number of residents had increased to 681. Executive Lamont McClure has fired Premier, convinced the county can administer the home itself. But if census is any indication, it's time for another private administrator.

In February, Gracedale Interim Administrator Jennifer D. Stewart-King reported in February that census was down to 665. Last week, she told Council's Human Services Committee that it dropped even more, to 645 in June. This is now below what is budgeted, meaning a loss of revenue. At the current rate, Gracedale is about three months away from down to the level it was at when Premier was hired to turn things around.

Stewart-King said that she is working to increase census by reaching out to media, including radio and TV. She is also trying to recruit more staff, and has sent flyers to LPNs and RNs within a 30-mile radius. She even advertises in church bulletins.

"Just come and try us out; You'll fall in love with us,." she said.

That's actually a pretty good pitch.

DON told Council that mandated overtime is down from a high of 13 in May to just one this month.

This, however, comes with a price. Less staff.

According to Medicare, Gracedale is still rated below average, at two stars. That includes staffing.

This is not rocket science. The best way to increase staffing is by paying people more. When that happens, census will go up, too.

Zrinski Blasts Bethlehem Tp, Legislators Over PennEast Pipeline

It's no longer just nonbinding plastic straw bans. Northampton County Council member Tara Zrinski is now pursuing a new resolution, also nonbinding, taking aim at the PennEast Pipeline route through Bethlehem Tp. This one calls for an evacuation plan and asks PennEast to provide equipment for first responders. Her resolution was discussed by Council's Energy Committee on July 17. "I can't just sit by and not do something," she said. She was highly critical of Bethlehem Township's Board of Commissioners and state lawmakers, who have already negotiated an agreement under which the Township will receive $475,000.

PennEast Pipeline is a consortium of natural gas companies who want a 36" compressed natural gas pipeline extending 115 miles from Luzerne County to New Jersey. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) granted conditional approval on January 19, 2018. Northampton County Council has already adopted two resolutions, both penned by Zrinski, opposed to the pipeline.

In May, Bethlehem Township’s five Commissioners unanimously approved a deal with PennEast under which the consortium agreed to move the pipeline 109’ farther away from residences. It promised to bury the pipeline 4-feet deep instead of the usual 2-3’. It pledged periodic inspections, including x-rays of pipe welds. Finally, it assented to a $475,000 cash payout to the Township. This followed a year of negotiations that included Commissioners, Solicitor Jim Broughal, State Rep. Marcia Hahn and State Senator Lisa Boscola.

Zrinski slammed the deal because, she says, the Township has failed to provide for an evacuation route that passes near residents, schools and hospitals.

"They threw their hands up. They said they had Lisa Boscola on this, they had Marcia Hahn on this and they couldn't negotiate. Their lawyer said, 'Go ahead, take the 475.' They didn't ask for new firetrucks, emergency preparedness equipment. When you have PennEast in front of you, and they're doling out millions of dollars to the water authority and you say, 'Oh yes, I'll take your first offer of $475,000.' Mind blown."

Zrinski also challenged the motives of negotiators. "I think you have to look at the people who are negotiating these pipelines," she cautioned. "They have different interests in them than we have," she said, failing to explain what she meant.

At one point, she said she wanted to invite Bethlehem Tp Solicitor Jim Broughal in for questioning.

Zrinski wants to bring PennEast back to the table and get more equipment for first responders. She noted that homes, schools and even a maternity ward are within the 900' blast zone, but "[t]he $475,000 that Bethlehem Township received or will receive is hardly enough for even a firetruck."

She said one of the Township's Commissioners told her there is no evacuation route. She complained local municipalities are "unprepared to negotiate with pipeline companies or ask for the things that are necessary."

"This poses a significant risk for people in this area for evacuation," she complained. She said some residents would only have 40 seconds to evacuate. "It doesn't matter how much money you have when your house melts," she continued.

In addition to criticizing Commissioners, Zrinski also slammed state lawmakers. "If our legislators are not doing their jobs, we have to push them to do it."

Zrinski is currently running against to State Representative Marcia Hahn. She is also a solar energy sales representative.

She did most of the talking at this committee, which she chairs. It was difficult for Council members to offer suggestions or ask questions without being interrupted by her.

Council President Ron Heckman did have a chance to express some reservations.: "Will it make a difference at the end of the day?" he asked of a nonbinding resolution. "It has absolutely no meaning to them or anyone else whatsoever."

Zrinski sharply disagreed. She warned that, unless the county acts, "We're going to get railroaded and put people in danger."

But is she right?

Commissioners Strongly Dispute Zrinski's Assertions

Three Bethlehem Township Commissioners - John Merhottein, JohnGallagher and Malissa Davis - have teamed up with a joint response to Zrinski's proposed resolution.

"Our issue with Ms. Zrinski's comments regarding PennEast is she never appears to read below the headline. If she would have attended the meeting (or asked us) when we voted to accept the agreement with PennEast, she would have known we offered to accept no money if they would move the pipeline out of the blast zone of Hope Ridge (PennEast Declined). The water authority has nothing to do with Bethlehem Township.

"Neither St. Lukes (assuming she means the maternity ward) nor any school are in the blast zone. Ms. Zrinski again muddles the facts to suit her purpose.

"Our mandate, under circumstances where we had no legal position to change things, was to protect Hope Ridge and we accomplished some pretty significant safety improvements.

"Here are the facts: PennEast had FERC approval. They did not have to negotiate with us. We negotiated and got the following safety concerns: Moving the pipeline over 100 feet from the proposed route, inspections as a class 4 pipeline, 100% x-ray of welds on the pipe, the pipeline buried an additional foot and the Residents in that area asked for a tree line. We did not accept the first offer from PennEast. Our ultimate goal was to move the pipeline as far as possible from Hope Ridge.

"We never 'threw our hands up'. Consider the position we were in with negotiating with PennEast (PennEast could have condemned the land, we could have gotten no safety concessions and less money). We are proud of what we accomplished. There were numerous phone calls and emails; a PennEast meeting with residents; and two negotiation sessions. We would not consider that throwing our hands up.

"Our 'lawyer' never said 'take the 475'. As a matter of fact, our Solicitor did what any good Solicitor should do, guided us through the negotiations, presented the facts and allowed the Board to make the decision. We did not accept the first monetary offer from PennEast.

"As for the 'people who are negotiating these pipelines' and their 'interests in them', we can assure the residents of Bethlehem Township and Ms. Zrinski, our interest is and was the safety of our residents. Moving the pipeline farther away from Hope Ridge and the additional safety concessions we received are proof of that. We could have probably gotten more money and fewer safety concessions.

"We would like to note we do have an emergency response plan in conjunction with the County.

"As for what was or was not asked for, Tara Zrinski was not in the negotiation. She didn't ask anyone on our negotiating team what we asked for, nor did she offer any suggestions. She never asked to sit in on negotiations. It is easy to criticize from afar, especially after the fact. Senator Lisa Boscola and Representative Marcia Hahn reached out to us and asked what they could do. Where was Tara?

"On a personal note, for Ms. Zrinski to make these comments, nonetheless put it in a resolution, without getting all the facts is hurtful and self-serving, not only to this Board, but to the public we both serve."

Commissioner John Merhottein
Commissioner Malissa Davis
Commissioner John Gallagher

Blogger's Assessment: In 2008, Northampton County Judge Emil Giordano sanctioned Tara Zrinski for perjury in a custody dispute. She continues to play fast and loose with the facts. She attempted to rush her pipeline resolution. She placed it on the agenda for Thursday night though she failed to submit it until the Monday before the meeting. When Council members attempted to question her, she talked over them and incessantly interrupted, getting louder as the meeting continued. As we know now, and from Township officials, her proposed resolution was at least reckless with the facts, if not outright lies.

She smeared the entire board, four of whom are Democrats, just like her. Malissa Davis and John Gallagher are both practicing environmentalists, while John Merhottein is a fiscal hawk who would shake down PennEast for every penny he can get.

She also derided two state lawmakers who, unlike her, volunteered their time and services in this negotiation.

What Zrinski really wanted was political mileage in a run against Hahn. This will now backfire. First, she was reckless and tried fear-mongering and alarmism instead of truth. Second, she alienated natural allies like Davis and Gallagher. Third, she has given Hahn an issue to use against her. Fourth, she has lost credibility with her fellow Council members. No one should support anything she proposes unless it is thoroughly vetted.

For this irresponsible behavior, she should asked to step down as Chair of the Energy Committee.

200 Sign Petition Asserting "Staffing Crisis at Gracedale

Kelly Ehlman, a 20-year Gracedale worker, admitted she was nervous as she stood in front of Northampton County Council last night. "I'm here about the staffing crisis that we face in Gracedale," she said, adding she was doing so "on behalf of the residents." She presented a petition with 200 signatures asserting a an employee shortage despite initiatives made by upper management.

Her petition calls on Council to investigate by obtaining the results of a family survey conducted by management, inquiring about the rise of employee resignations, re-assessing initiatives implemented by the Director of Nursing and "find a solution to what management has failed to accomplish."

Council President Ron Heckman suggested that she meet with Human Services Chair Lori Vargo Heffner, who agreed to discuss the mater with Ehlman.

Council member John Cusick also suggested she address her concerns with her union. "I have tried that; that's been void," responded Ehlman. "Out of desperation on my account I am here even though I face possible retaliation in the future."

She said that she recently visited one floor with two aides serving 50 residents on the 3-11 shift.

"Doyou have any specific recommendations that have not been tried?" asked Council member Matt Dietz.

Ehlman responded that the county has already doneseveral things she called ridiculous. She cited a short-lived attempt to eliminate per diem as well as the elimination of a staffing position on every floor.In addition, she said employees are pulled off floors for training.

"Whatever they are doing, the staffing crisis has worsened," Ehlman said of Gracedale administrators.

Heckman promised Ehlman she'd face no retaliation.

NorCo Council Approves $36M Contract For Medical Services at Jail

Though Northampton County Council member John Cusick moved a proposed $36 million contract with Primecare for medical services to the jail over a period of up to 10 years when it was in committee, he was the sole No vote when Council voted on it last night. The contract was approved 7-1, with Council member Peg Ferraro being absent. Cusick is bothered by the length of the contract.

"If you can get stability in health care that the county can count on ..., with due respect John, I'm kind of seeing it from the other side," retorted Council member Kevin Lott.

Six Council members agreed with Lott.