Easton Planning Commissioner, Dennis Lieb will present an alternative to raising taxes for the NID tonight at Easton City Council's public hearing for the NID.
Posted by: Noël Jones
Anyone interested in the proposed Neighborhood Improvement District downtown (NID), or ways to revitalize our blocks and neighborhoods city-wide, will want to make it a priority to attend Easton's City Council meeting tonight, which will be held on the first floor of the Two Rivers Landing Auditorium at 30 Centre Square and will begin at 6 p.m.
As discussed in my post about the last city council meeting on the NID, Planning Commissioner, Dennis Lieb, will introduce and explain the concept of a Neighborhood Parking District instead--a successful concept that has been proven to revitalize neighborhoods in other parts of the country, where residents get parking passes for metered blocks, and keep all revenue from the meters for block improvements, i.e.,
facade grants, repairing and power-washing of sidewalks, planting trees, etc., or--putting the money toward organizations already benefitting downtown, like the Easton Ambassadors, who keep the downtown clean. This is a plan that, unlike the proposed NID, would involve no need for tax increases that drive away new residents and investors. If you would like to support this idea, or to just come out and hear more about it, please try to make it down to Two Rivers Landing tonight. The meeting starts at 6pm, and Lieb will be speaking before the public hearing which is near the end, so don't worry if you're driving back from work and arrive a little late. The full agenda is below:
CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA
Stated Session
Wednesday
August 10, 2011
6:00 P.M.
1. CALL TO ORDER
2. INVOCATION
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
4. ROLL CALL
5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
6. ACTION ON MINUTES – July 27, 2011
7. CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION – Michael Vangelo
8. PRESENTATION – Dennis Lieb – Parking Benefit Districts
9. CITIZENS RIGHT TO BE HEARD – (Agenda Items Only)
10. REPORTS RECEIVED BY COUNCIL
(a) ESWA July 11, 2011 meeting minutes.
(b) EAJSA March 21, April 18, and May 16, 2011 meeting minutes.
11. ACCEPTING REPORTS ON BEHALF OF COUNCIL.
12. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES
(a) Finance (Kenneth Brown)
(b) Economic Development (Sandra Vulcano)
(c) Planning (Roger Ruggles)
(d) Public Safety (Jeffrey Warren)
(e) Public Works (Elinor Warner)
(f) Administration (Michael Fleck)
(g) Report of City Solicitor (Attorney William Murphy)
(h) Report of Mayor (Salvatore J. Panto Jr.)
13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Bill No. 24, Accepting HOPE VI Utilities and Easements.
2. Bill No. 25, Authorizing the Issuance of its Taxable General Obligation Note.
14. CORRESPONDENCE
15. NEW BUSINESS
(a) Introduction of Legislative Bills
(b) Declaring the Intention of the City to incur Debt.(R)
(c) Supporting development of a Skate Park.(R)
(d) Approving a Right-Of-Way Encroachment Agreement.(R)
(e) Approving a Service Agreement with Bio-Haz Solutions Inc.(R)
(f) Approving a Developers Agreement with Lafayette College.(R)
16. CITIZENS RIGHT TO BE HEARD - On any matter.
17. PUBLIC HEARING – NID Program
18 ADJOURNMENT
Posts
332 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 332 of 332U know what I forgot.....Im a big crazyhead...I forgot to tell Noel I yuv her...I gotta tell her everyday cos I dont want her to forget...I yuv U noel Ur the bestest.......tunsie
It seems the anonymi and amend must all have gone to bed early. Hopefully, all are well rested, rested enough to answer my questions.
Or is there a place where the public can find these answers for themselves?
Megan--thanks for posting! Sorry to hear that blogspot cyber space may have eaten a longer comment--I hate it when that happens, and try to encourage everybody to compose and SAVE longer comments in Word, just in case, so that they can try again. I know this has happened to Dennis Lieb a few times, and he had an even stranger occurrence, where it seemed that the comment had taken, the number of comments changed, and then the next time he went in to look, the comment was gone. This happened a few times until I finally posted it for him.
If this glitch happens to you again or anyone else, please email me at neighborsofeaston@gmail.com with the comment and I will post it for you--so sorry about that. Blogspot is glitchy sometimes. I will be moving to a new format next month.
Thanks again for clarifying the EFM/GEDP/MSI relationship for readers.
Laini--
If there is an office where people can come in and look at the records, that's great, but I think what also needs to happen for the NID (or a combined NID/PBD) to be a success is that at the next public meeting, GEDP reps, whether its Gretchen or Donna or someone else, should back up a bit and explain to residents the things that they seem to be unclear on--things, like:
1. What is the GEDP, has it succeeded in its goals/mission, who gets paid and out of what funding (is it public?) why is it essential, and is the NID money to support any part of the GEDP, or is it just to cover specific programs under it?
2. What is MSI, has it succeeded in its goals/mission, how much does it cost alone and why should residents consider it essential enough to support it with their own money going forward? (Some call it fees, some call it a tax, but that's really splitting hairs) what people want to know is "is this worth more money being taken out of my household income to support?"
3. The GEDP needs to clarify for people that the Ambassadors program is different in that its a contracted service, tell the people how much it costs and why there are no cheaper alternatives.
4. They need to explain the precise breakdown of how much money they need to raise from people and how much will go to each program.
People seem really unclear on all of this, and if they explain it all--as Megan has done here about the Farmers Market--then residents might feel more comfortable and less upset. Some may still not want to fund it, but if everyone understands everything clearly, there would probably be less heat to the public discussions.
My sense is that if the GEDP doesn't quickly open their books and educate the public, that the NID might get killed with the necessary 40% opposition, just because people don't want to feel like they're having money extracted from them by an organization that they don't understand, for purposes that are unclear.
Thanks again to Megan and Amend for being part of the conversation on the pro-NID side. And to Moniker for breaking down some of the history as to the origin of the GEDP and pointing out strategic concerns.
In the end, it's really important for us all to not lose sight of the fact that we all want the same thing--the successful revitalization of Easton until all storefronts are full of diverse of businesses so that no one has to drive the burbs for daily needs, the downtown looking clean and sharp at all times, residency high, and people feeling comfortable walking around.
People may have different ideas about how to achieve that, but if everyone keeps the commonality of the goal in mind, and the GEDP is forthcoming and transparent, the community will be able to have robust public discussions without feeling divided.
Another thing that has to happen is that revisions must be thorough. Dennis Lieb's Parking Business District idea was not included in the revisions in the PowerPoint presentation at the last public meeting. That was key public input that stands to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for revitalizing the downtown, and the GEDP for some reason did not incorporate it into the presentation at the next meeting.
My concern is that the GEDP might be so attached to the NID plan that they have developed, that they are not really interested in other ideas that would alter it substantially, no matter how good they are and how much money it would save property owners. Hopefully that is not the case. But the PBD was not in the revisions, and that's a big question mark, that they need to explain if they want residents to support the NID.
And I still don't understand why the Taggart Associates site says that Donna Taggart created a BID here. We don't have anything yet, and we're not even talking about a BID (but maybe we should be).
tunsie, you are right, i will have to do a post about jazz soon--maybe the next time you have a really good show coming in...but this is off-topic...although it's a nice breather from the topic--this is the post that won't die...i had no idea when i posted about this meeting that it would generate over 200 comments : - o
The NIDiots seem to quiet down when the hard questions start getting asked and unpleasant facts start getting pointed out. No more charcter assassination? No more lies? No more smoke and mirrors? Or maybe they don't like being outed? And why so defensive? Somebody getting too close to something? Let's just follow the money, shall we?
I would like to add one more thing to the list - I would like the organizations which are functioning as subdivisions of our city government to function in the transparent way in which government entities are supposed to. I have heard that the GEDP is a separate entity, a 501(c)3, a non-profit, so it is not required to be open. I don't think this is true. I would like to find out for sure, and then if it is true that it is in fact a subdivision of City government, it needs to behave as such. I think it will go a long way toward healing this city. This probably also goes for the Redevelopment Authority.
Clean & Safe is great. But clean, safe & open is better. :)
From the NID Draft Plan tucked in the end of the distribution packet:
Revenues:
NID $ 307,581
Other Sources $ 245,844
Total Revenue $ 553,425
Expenses:
Ambassadors $ 271,320
Main Street Admin $ 127,920
Main Street Programs $ 154,185
Total Expenses $ 553,425
They never reveal where the other sources of 245,845 are coming from or what all the expenditures are for Main Street and the Ambassadors. They only reveal those expenditures that the NID are going to pay for.
This is where I get angry. How dumb do they think we are? We are entitled to know where that additional money comes from and to where it is going. When asked they have not revealed the source or the application of these funds.
They need to be fired. The community is better off without a program that needs to hide in the closet.
NIDiots are just the smoke screen that GEDP M-O-U-S-E hids behind. Follow the money.
Main Street Admin $ 127,920
Main Street Programs $ 154,185
??
ok, that does not sound good. any time administrative costs outweigh program costs, eyebrows will be raised.
hopefully the next public meeting on this will clear all of this up for people. i hope that residents can come in and avoid the personal/emotional stuff to just focus on getting the facts. that's what people need--facts--so they can understand precisely what is being asked of them and why, so they can decide if they want to do it or not.
re: NIDiots--now, now, Santos...
Am I being rude?
re: Laini's earlier question, if anyone involved in the GEDP has received façade or business grants from the GEDP or Main Street, that would be a problem, and residents have a right to know that. hopefully that is not the case.
I will give Gretchen a call today to find out where residents can go to access info on the GEDP. Hopefully everything is explainable and above board and makes sense so that residents can feel better about what's being proposed, and the discussions can be less emotional.
Here's the description of the Main Street Initiative from the GEDP site:
A "downtown revitalization program whose mission is to encourage and promote the economic strength and vitality of Easton's central business district. These efforts focus on enhancing the quality of life in the downtown, solidifying Easton's identity as a "college town" and promoting the uniqueness of our community's history, architecture, diverse culture and riverfront location. EMSI aims to increase consumer business, build the retail, restaurant and professional services base and make downtown Easton the natural gathering place for the greater Easton community."
Now my issue with this description is that it makes it sound like the MSI and the ambassadors are the same thing, because the only major improvement to residents' quality of life downtown has been the work of the Ambassadors.
The missing part that would really improve resident quality of life hasn't happened yet--a diversity of stores and services so that downtown residents don't have to drive to the burbs to get what they need.
Also, successfully promoting Easton as a "college town" hasn't worked yet. We still don't see a lot of Lafayette students come down the hill except to go to class in the Williams Art Center, to do internships, and to drink at the bars at night.
This really SHOULD feel like a college town, but it doesn't. And if Lafayette is a partner with the GEDP, I don't understand why that isn't happening.
to verify that last point the college runs buses from campus to Giant super market and Wal mart at the crossings daily several times per day. The college business is going to suburban stores.
This description is from the GEDP site:
"Since its inception, the Easton Main Street Program has: Created www.EastonMainStreet.org website featuring info for business and property
owners as well as promotion and special event info and a business directory and links Implemented Main Street Façade Challenge Grants for downtown properties Implemented an anti-litter campaign and placed cigarette receptacles around entry ways to downtown businesses
Implemented “Open” flag program for businesses Conducted quarterly “Business Owners Roundtable” meetings Created the “Experience Easton” business recruitment guide Held bi-annual Suburban Business Fairs to showcase downtown retail establishments Implemented a “Change for Meters” program encouraging merchants to have quarters at the ready for customers Created “Discover Easton” Map and Guide Created a business recruitment & retention plan Purchased an informational kiosk to inform residents and visitors about local businesses and attractions Organized retail promotions such as the “Find the Gingerbread Man” Contest, Winter Wonderland Window Contest, Merchant Trick or Treat Night, Feather Your Nest Birdhouse Design Contest & the Love Letters Valentines’ Day
Created and organized events such as “Dancing on Thirds”, “Chocolate Lover’s Soiree”, “Lafayette in the Square”, “Jazz in the Square”, and “Holiday Open House”
Since 2009, the Main Street Program can quantitatively point to 9 net new businesses in the Downtown, 22 new full time employees and 44 employees retained, 53 businesses assisted with sustainability issues, and 17 downtown buildings filled through Main Street’s assistance. All of these successes have led the Pennsylvania Downtown Center to recognize Easton’s Main Street Program as one of the best in the state."
A good web site is an important thing. I guess I just don't understand why it had to be a separate web site from the GEDP web site. Events are nice, but if they are just drawing visitors for each event, and not investors and businesses downtown, it's worth asking how important those events are to fund and whether there might not be another way of funding them--like through the city's special events fund. Why GEDP's business grants and loans have to go through MSI, I don't understand, in fact, I don't understand why they have to go through the GEDP and not just come directly from the city itself, as other grants do...
And the anti-litter campaign? If that were working we wouldn't need the Ambassadors, right?
The most valuable contribution would seem to be the 9 new net businesses in the last two years. I would like to know the list of those businesses. I am confused by "17 buildings filled"--if there are only 9 net businesses, how were 17 buildings filled? Do they mean residential buildings?
I got a complaint...another one why dont we ever get to talk about food I watch a lot of cooking shows and while I dont cook.I do consider myself an EXPERT on food....so dont forget we are gonna talk about JAZZ and FOOD.....I love U noel....tunsie
ah, jazz and food would be such a nice break from all this...
I think it's great the the GLVCC is one every main street and I think its great that they oversee the downtown program in Bethlehem. But Easton is not Bethelehem and Easton's Main Street program is far superior to theirs --- in my mind.
And just beause they are in every downtown doesn't mean that they are focused on the urban cores. They are financed primnarily through members and its the big corporations in the valley that keep them afloat. GLVCC is much more focused on state and national issues than our downtown. And taht's becasue that is their mission. We need the GLVCC to be a voice of business. We need MSI to be the voice of center city Easton.
Both organizations have a purpose and both do a great job. I:t's time to get along.
Dear Anonymi 1:25-
I disagree with your characterization of the Chamber's activity in urban areas. Are you familiar with First Friday? That's a DBA event. ArtWalk? DBA. They work so well with the city that their websites connect to each other almost seamlessly.
http://www.bethlehempa.org/
You're perpetuating a myth that's been perpetuated for too long. You might want to check out Bethlehem DBA events some time.
Check out their membership. It's not limited to "big corporations." It's almost just the opposite.
http://www.downtownbethlehemassociation.com/Members.html
Sorry, I posted the city link instead of the other in the first comment. It doesn't matter. You get the idea.
Probably my favorite thing to come out of the DBA recently is their Livelocal campaign. People need to start learning about what's going on just a few miles away. And if we support them, they'll support us, too.
http://livelocalbethlehem.com/
Noel,honey...I could tell U about GOOD food.I was telling my surrage girlfriend EL WARNER.she is my honey when i dont have a honey.I was telling her I dont go out to eat because I eat like a king at home.if I cant get equal or better than I can get at home.I dont go for it,when I see these places that I have had a glass of wine and turned down the food after seeing it,full.I think these people eat garbage at home.I love Noel EL.Marishka.Lauren.Amy.Elizabeth.Erica.Selin.Jackie.Diane.....tunsie
Noel honey U forgot to thank me 4 using my real name cause sometimes im anon mouse........tunsie
Anon 1:25
Tell me about Bethlehem's Main Street Program. I did not even know that they had a program. They have an Elm Street Program which is directed at a neighborhood outside of the downtown. I am curious to know what their objectives are and how they are meeting those objectives.
It would seem to me that Bethlehem is ahead of Easton in many areas. Visitors? Musikfest attracts 1,000,000 visitors. Bethlehem operates a visitors center in their historic district. Don't know those numbers. I know its tens of thousands at Xmas time. So, I think they are making the visitor numbers.
Their business districts have been strumming along and the South Side has taken a shot in the arm because of partnerships with the University. The other factor that is amazing about Bethlehem is their ability to attract investment in the old Beth Steel facilities. That yard is bigger than the entire City of Easton. I am amazed at their progress with office, warehouse and entertainment construction. Look at any other industrial town in this state, you won't see that much effort.
So, tell me how Bethlehem's Main Street Program works. I want to know.
noel darling while we got a lot of people posting I want to take time out of my schedule to tell every body in the whole widest world to vote for EL WARNER for city council.and if U dont vote for my favouritist EL,I am gonna beat U up......tunsie
r u now giving credit to Beth DBA for Musikfest? Maybe they can raise the $750k they just lost.
Everything you cite in Bethlehem has been around a long time before GLVCC. The fact id that other than those things they just run mixers. Gee I guess that's okay in Bethlehem.
Listen, I nefver said they didn't do a good job, it's a harder job in Easton becasue for far too long we were the forgotton one at the east end of the valley. It was much harder to do that in Easton and that is what MSI has done - they pushed the snowball up hill and we are on our way to better days.
maybe your last paragraph is what you should have said to begin with rather than to mislead everyone into believing that Easton and Bethlehem were in Main Street race. Bethlehem has different challenges. They have to infill the largest vacant lot in the Lehigh Valley. One positive is a lot of capacity in people, volunteers and money. We are not in the same race.
The issue is never the Farmer's market, Main Street, GEDP, etc. We have goals and objectives. Are we meeting them? That poster, Monikr keeps stating that our objectives are visitors, jobs and residents. I don't know if those our objectives. But, if you take a measurement today on those three objectives, we have a long way to go. We have to continuously ask ourselves do we have the best vehicle or is there something else? We have to expect that in development certain measures that are applicable today will not work tomorrow. At some time we will have to cut ourselves from Main Street and GEDP. We should be committed to ourselves and the city and not to an organization.
A classic example of the difference:
Bethlehem was laying out their Historic District and their plans in the 1960's. We did not adopt a local district until after 2000. They had already dealt with their dilapidated structures. We just began the fight at 5th and Northampton. We have a lot of catching up to do. That element, Historic Easton, has been lost. We need to kickstart it again
I oppose funding a NID with tax increases in any form. Easton taxes are already the highest in the County. Why would a prospective business owner or homeowner chose the added expense? The real issue is we have been wasting time arguing over the NID while our time and effort could be refocused on attracting new homeowners to Easton and solving quality of life issues in our neighborhoods. Without out some economic diversity in the neighborhoods that adjoin our Downtown, we will not have the consumers necessary to attract businesses like a supermarket. Why did Weis build a new store at the corner of Sullivan Trail and Uhler Rd? Because that is the center of the largest growing consumer market. The concept of build it and they will come is a movie theme, not reality. Demographics is what drives a business plan. That is how the money is raised and how we get a store. Subsidizing a project like a grocery store is guaranteeing it's demise.
The $600,000 NID budget is unrealistic for a City our size. What is it that the NID needs to provide? Local government is not here to do everything. Sure I would like the City of Easton to wash my car once a week or mow my grass. But what would be the cost? Local Government was devised to pool taxpayer money to do the things we can't do for ourselves. Like streets, water systems, sewer systems, law enforcement and fire protection, what I call traditional services. Sweeping your sidewalk is not something you can't do for yourself. Marketing should be left to cooperatives like the Chamber. Sending $271,000 to a Kentucky company to sweep sidewalks is just lazy. Sorry but it is. We need to enforce codes and laws to make bad neighbors comply and the City needs to use existing resources to clean City or common property. Little additional cost. If additional help is needed to accomplish cleaning efforts it should be in a summer/weekend youth jobs program, keeping all the cash right here in Easton.
If we do feel we must absolutely have these services delivered in the current form, which I am not convinced, then Dennis's Parking District is a good way of proceeding. When parking demands rise the revenue rises. If the programs fail to attract more visitors to DT than the revenues decrease. This idea is not without some problems to overcome. First, the plan will create a gap in an already stressed budget by removing meter revenues from the budget. Second, a problem with continuing expansion of metered parking as a revenue source. Parking meters should be used as a management tool not a revenue stream. The revenue should be a secondary result of good management. We need to meter prime spots but residential streets as well as less then prime spots should be free. Put a little sweat into your visit and parking is free and your health is improved. As Dennis has said in the past the City needs a parking strategy. Another topic for another day.
As far as the GEDP, it needs to be dissolved and it's duties need to be assigned to City government with a clear and direct line of accountability to the citizens of Easton. Who decides who sits on the GEDP Board anyway? Too many questions, not enough answers from GEDP. Noel, I have asked how to access the GEDP's files and I have been granted permission to review them. I have not had the opportunity to schedule a date with the Redevelopment Authority, but will be scheduling soon.
And when you have reviewed GEDP's records, and have found no criminal activity or underhanded dealings - will you come back on here to tell the people that you were wrong?
We'll be waiting.
Anonymi 5:34-
In life, everyone has different standards of what is and isn't ethical. That's why there are laws. This will give you an idea of what kind of practices an entity like GEDP should be following in the State of PA. This would also include holding public meetings in accordance with the Sunshine Act.
http://www.ethics.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/faqs/11412
If the GEDP had been run in a more transparent way, people would not be as upset as they are. There's plenty of time to change that.
If you don't feel like clicking on that link but would like a good example of why I believe this, here it is, taken from that page:
Q: If one or more political subdivisions would organize an entity, such as a non-profit corporation, to exercise a basic power of government or perform essential governmental functions, might the entity’s board members and employees be considered “public officials” and “public employees” as those terms are defined by the Ethics Act, and therefore be subject to the Ethics Act and Regulations of the State Ethics Commission, and particularly, the requirements for filing Statements of Financial Interests (SFIs)?
A: Yes. When one or more political subdivisions (such as, for example, counties, cities, boroughs, townships, school districts, or vocational schools) organize an entity, the newly organized entity is also a political subdivision as that term is defined in the Ethics Act and Commission Regulations. See, 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102; 51 Pa. Code § 11.1. An appointed official of a political subdivision, such as a board member, is a public official subject to the Ethics Act, Commission Regulations, and SFI filing requirements, unless the statutory exclusion for members of purely advisory boards is applicable. See, Eiben, Opinion 04-002; 65 Pa.C.S. § 1102 (definition of “public official”). As for employees, depending upon the authority of their respective positions, employees of a political subdivision might be considered “public employees” subject to the Ethics Act, Commission Regulations, and SFI filing requirements. Id.; see, Snyder, Opinion 05-007 (non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation organized by school district to promote, enhance, and supplement school district programs); Eiben, supra (charter school); Gent, Opinion 95-006-R (regional planning commission serving as an area loan organization).
As public officials, there are many things that govern the behavior of GEDP board members. There are rules about conflicts of interest, outside relationships among board members and on and on. Minimially, every member is required to file a Statement of Financial Interests. Based on the most current Form 990 which has been filed, it does not appear that is being done.
This is a problem.
I think it would be very good if people could stop being so defensive and consider, just for a minute, that the people who are upset with the way things have and continue to be handled have very good reason to be. And then maybe we can work together to make things better.
Anonymous,
Let me make it clear I have not accused anyone of wrong doing. I want to bring the GEDP into the sunlight. My goal is to dissolve the GEDP and I want existing government to assume it's role so there is defined accountability to the citizens.
501c3's have to have their books open to public view. They are tax exempt and therefore have that obligation to be transparent. This is not my opinion but an easily verifiable fact. They have to show their books if it is requested by the public.
Anonymi-
Transparency is about far more than open books. Please check out the link I posted above to the State Ethics Commission.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transparency_(behavior)
I was responding to your earlier post where you were told that only government entities had to have sunshine. Non profits do too. Yes there is also the need to have a Board, by law, and statements regarding how they handle conflicts of interest.
I see. Sorry for misunderstanding. I'm tired.
Yes. But this isn't just a non-profit. It's a non-profit which was set up by and functioning in conjunction with the City gov't. That means, according to the PA State Ethic's Commission's ruling, that it must adhere to the same code of conduct as a government. It's not like a private non-profit. It's a public one. So there's more transparency required.
The governmt needs to have a non profit as its channel for dollars that can be written off. Businesses are able to write off their donations to this non profit. The non profit has a right to keep a certain percentage of what is donated that is apart from its program costs. What that percent is can be "flexible" and is usually folded into its administrative costs.
Amazing that figure Megan quoted for EFM budget- seems very lean - kudos to her!
According to the GEDP's 2009 Form 990, in that year they had $2,978,823 in revenue.
$2.4 million of that appears to be from "Development and Operation of the Two Rivers Landing" and they also list $2.1 million in expenses associated with it.
Why do we never hear about this? The rest of the expenses, combined, for that year, are $354,000 with $554,881 in revenue. That's the part that's listed for "Economic Redevelopment including the Main St. Program, Facade Program and contracting for an economic development plan for the City of Easton. That was the same year the NID planning started. If this process was transparent, we could know how much it was, and if that's what it was. Please correct me if I am misstating ANYTHING.
You have no idea how many questions I have. If there were public meetings, they could have been asked.
Here and in the whole USA country - too many businesses seem to be about exploiting people instead of providing services and making a profit well earned. When government joins with business to rule the people it is called fascism. Using people to create an impression and then getting rid of them to do something completely different is what Hitler did over and over. This is what they did with the Main Street thing. The mission statement Noel quoted bears no resemblance to the one originally written by the community and was they basis for getting the funds. Also using law enforcement (Homeland Security?) to spy on people and to suppress free speech is something that begins in small ways. One might wonder about these posts that disappear.
Mike--thanks for posting--it's great for residents to hear a candidate weigh in on a topic that matters so much to the public as to generate 243 comments.
I just want to make one correction. I mentioned this earlier in the comments, but I understand with so many long comments, people might be skim reading and missing things if they are joining the conversation late in the discussion--A Parking Benefit District *will not* take money out of the general fun. What Dennis Lieb has described to me is a scenario where only the increment of the raise on the price of the meters, and the additional revenue from extending the hours, and any new meters put in, would go to the PBD. That way all current revenue stays in the general fund, and the PBD gets all new revenue and decides what they want to do with it to fix up downtown.
In this scenario, the general fund loses NO money. And depending how much revenue is raised--and how much costs are lowered--there may not even be a need to raise the millage rate at all.
It is a win/win scenario, which is why I don't understand why it was not incorporated in the revisions in Donna Taggart's presentation at the public hearing. The public feedback that was incorporated into the revisions detailed very slight adjustments to the original plan. Incorporating a PBD would be a big revision and save property owners A LOT of money, and yet Dennis' suggestion was not incorporated. Dennis brought it up at the meeting two weeks prior, and Donna Taggart and Gretchen Logenbach were both there.
I will be meeting with Gretchen this week to try to get my head around all this, but I encourage everyone else to do their own research as well. This is a forum for information sharing, and I am trying to learn as much as readers are. We should all be doing independent research and sharing it, so that as a community of independent individuals, we self-educate and learn from each other.
By the way, Mike--if you know where to get access to the documents, could you please share that with readers so that they can access them too?
Thanks in advance!
Probably Not Anon--thanks for taking a moniker. Please, Anonymi--please take a moment to take a moniker--it is hard to follow these anonymous comments and know who is responding whom without monikers.
Probably Not Anon has now detonated Godwin's Law which says that all conversations, if given enough time, will end up on the topic of Hitler.
As for being on a government watch list, I have been told by someone in Harrisburg that this blog has been on the terrorism watch list for a while now, because of my posts against fracking for natural gas.
What a ridiculous waste of money--considering anyone can read the blog for free.
However, I do think it's a blogspot glitch, not hacking, that caused Dennis' and Megan's posts to evaporate, because if we were following PNA's logic, they would be deleting the posts of the people asking the questions, not the people trying to give the answers.
Sorry Noel
I was not able to attend the meeting, I had to work. I did skim the posts and missed some of the comments on the PBD. Price to park is still an issue, must be balanced.
I made a right to know request to Gretchen and recieved a letter from legal counsel stating that I could contact the Redevelopment Authority offices to set up an appoint to reveiw files and that I could flag any pages I want copied at 25 cents a copy.
Mr. Krill writes:
"I oppose funding a NID with tax increases in any form. Easton taxes are already the highest in the County. Why would a prospective business owner or homeowner chose the added expense?"
1) By that logic, since Easton already has the highest taxes, then I guess no one is purchasing property, moving into town, or starting a business. Or am I wrong?
2)I haven't read all of the posts here but I don't recall anyone quoting Mark Mulligan, the developer of the multi-million dollar Pomeroy's project. He stated at the first NID meeting and at the most recent that he was ATTRACTED to Easton to do business in part because of the effort to develop a NID. Either Mulligan's a big fat liar or maybe Mr. Krill you should be listening to what a real developer is saying.
Since we dont have an NID I dont think this developer was depending on that - in the papers he was quoted as saying the Ambassadors were an attraction.
Read the real estate closings listed in Sat ET and you will know property in Easton is dirt cheap - that is a big attraction.
THe developer received a 1.6 or 1.7 million dollar grant to a project cost of 3.5 million. That would be incentive enough.
Morning Call January 12, 2010
"Easton attracted my eye because of the redevelopment grants and the willingness of the town to work with you," said Mulligan, who was in the city Monday to talk with planning officials about how to get approvals for the project.
"The availability of a public-private partnership, in this economic environment, can make or break a deal," Mulligan said. Without public money, he said, it would have been hard to secure a favorable loan for the renovation."
No comment about a NID or Ambassadors. Money talks.
try getting the public to a chamber meeting or access to their records. I hate to inform you but the chamber is broke, busted and disgusted. Sorry Laini & Noel you both are wrong on this one.
And Laini - I don't think you will be selling many pocket guide advertisements this year
Dear Mr. Krill,
Someone should remind you that you are a firefighter and you should stick to that. Why did Weiss build a new store in Forks.....Yes because of population but also because there was land to build on. Where do you build a grocery store within City limits. You answer that and I will tell you why it can't be built there. It's one thing to run your mouth. It's another to know what you are talking about.
Anonymi 12:55-
I hope that is not the case. But if there is not support for a pocket guide in Easton, then I guess the City will have to start doing its own marketing.
Like I said earlier, I will not be held hostage by people threatening not to advertise with me. There are so many wonderful, supportive people and businesses in Easton who appreciate what I do. And there are more in Bethlehem and Allentown. And there are other towns who are contacting me wanting to know if I'd do pocket guides in their towns. Keep in mind, I currently get no financial support from cities. This is an independent business. But it appears there are cities who are willing to support it. They recognize that it is something which helps them.
I love this town and making the Easton pocket guides has been more a labor of love than anything. I only hope that I can continue doing it.
Also- to the same Anonymi-
The Chamber is not required to have public meetings. They are a 501(c)6, not 3. That means they are classified as a Business Trade Organization. They are primarily funded through membership dollars, not public money. It's very different.
And seriously, I don't understand why and Anonymi wouldn't just use a moniker. How many times has Noel asked? What's the big deal? Pick a fake name. It's easy. Really. Or if you're feeling really brave, use your own.
Do you think our founding fathers used fake names in debates?
One last thing, based on the property records at www.ncpub.org, Two Rivers Landing (30 Centre Square) is owned by the Redevelopment Authority.
More questions.
Hey, another country heard from......he really does exist. I expect that Krill will be running his nouth off against anything the city sees as positive to try and get some support. His ideas are far fetched - like as if no one else thought of them. You can talk and talk and talk but Panto delivers action.
Also, in regards to the Chamber....rthey do great work. Just like the Discover Lehigh Valley. But Easton cannot rely on just a regional organization. Sorry but of course there are more small businesses ion the Chamber than big ones --- but check the DUES. They are a membership based organization and if staff wants their job they will cater to the needs of the money people.
Anyone remember when TRACC used to organize and promote our downtown? Evie Gulick was a full-time employee doing much if not all of what MSI does today. Gues what? When times got tough the first thing the chamber cut was that position and all promotion of the downtown.
You may not want to hear ti but we who have been here have seen the ebb and tide of chamber activities. They are a great group and I support the GLVCC but don't ever think they won't cut you right out when you need them the most.
I hope that history doesn't repeat itself.
Do you people have any idea what the rest of the Valley thinks about Easton? They think it's a joke. Part of what I'm working to do is to change that.
Anon 12:55--not sure what you're referring to. I have not mentioned the chamber.
Please take a moniker.
Anon 7:46--re: Mike Krill, you said:
"I expect that Krill will be running his nouth off against anything the city sees as positive to try and get some support. His ideas are far fetched - like as if no one else thought of them."
You're contradicting yourself to call his ideas far-fetched and then try to mock his ideas as if everyone has thought of them already before. Which is it? Far-fetched ideas are ones that no one thinks of because, well...they are FAR-fetched.
I'm neither for nor against Krill, but if commenters are going to get snarky, they should try not to embarrass themselves by contradicting themselves. But then, it's easy to get sloppy if you're posting anonymously.
That's another reason that I prefer that people take monikers--they tend to take pride in their monikers and are a little more careful about making sense and backing up what they say, even though they are anonymous.
Noel dont forget we R gonna do a post on JAZZ.I can tell U soooooooooo much about JAZZ,baby....than we R gonna do a post on food.I will tell U about good food....and another thing another thing U forgot to thank me 4 using my name...im not anon mouse today......I yuv u noel.........tunsie
Mr. Krill needs to be brought up to speed. I don’t know of any elected official talking about “tax increase to fund the NID” nor will there be a “gap in an already stressed budget by removing meter revenues from the budget.”
It was the mayor who proposed the increase in meters to raise money for the NID. He stated that at 50 cents per hour the city currently collects about $300,000 per year of which most of that comes from the downtown district. His recommendation was to raise the parking rate to $1 per hour and dedicated the additional money raised to the NID.
He also states that he supports Dennis’s (sic) PBD but not in residential neighborhoods. I believe the whole premise that Dennis spoke about is that it can be used city wide and money raised in that district must be spent in that district. He needs to read the handout.
Also, the city announced that a full parking study was being commissioned as part of the intermodal project to develop a parking strategy. I guess he missed that as well. The real question about the study is whether or not people – residents and merchants – will buy into the outcome of the study. To date they have not agreed with any of the studies on the shelf.
Lastly, he wants to dissolve the GEDP. Does he know what they do? Does he know their function? And he wants to make that part of the city. Duh, does he know that Gretchen wears many hats and that when Panto came into office he placed the GEDP under her as Executive Director so that the city would have better oversight? And doesn’t he know that when the city started funding MSI, EFM and Ambassadors that he placed them also under the GEDP and Gretchen again to have better transparency?
Our city has many challenges especially given the economy, but I believe it is on the right path and maybe the mayor gives credit to the residents, volunteers and his staff, I say he sets the tone and the vision. Clean and Safe is happening. Financial stability and fiscal responsibility is a reality and the environmentally sensitive housing rehab program is fixing our neighborhoods house by house.
Let’s address the issues that need fixing and keep the political jargon out of it. Talking about doing something is not the same as doing it!
thanks for using your name and owning your words, tunsie! (although i kind of like imagining you as 'Anon Mouse'--a new superhero with a cape, and a big "A" on his chest...)
I dont have a cape with an A on my chest...U know Ur being a big SILLY HEAD......thats not nice.....I yuv u noel...tunsie
I am sooooooooooooo happy everybody is done fighting...Honey...I thought it was never gonna end...In Conclusion I want to ask everybody...Can we all get along....I yuv noel and i dont want her in the middle of all this violence.shes like me she likes to laugh......anon mouse...aka TUNSIE JAZZ<baby
Laini wrote: "I love this town and making the Easton pocket guides has been more a labor of love than anything. I only hope that I can continue doing it."
You can continue doing it as long as mommy and daddy keep supporting you. Obviously what you do has to be a labor of love because you make no money doing what you do. Just like Lani's Little shop. It was open for like 2 weeks until you got tired of it. Another mommy and ddaddy subsidy. Maybe if you put half as much effort into preparing a business plan for the shop as you do on this blog it might have stayed open 4 weeks. Stores like yours that come and go because the proprietor doesn't know what she's doing makes Easton look bad.
PS If you think you have any credibility, just remember that people haven't forgotten how you suggested that Main Street was behind the disappearance of your (or really Met-Eds) broken manhole, because you dared to speak against the NID. What a kook!
"I always cheer up immensely if an attack is particularly wounding because I think, well, if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left." –Margaret Thatcher
PS Anonymi- MetEd gave me the manhole cover.
I'm tired of conversing with people who are too cowardly to use their own name. You want to insult me? Fine. Put your name on it.
Part One
Lots of dumb-ass anon. comments since I last checked back here. Seems to be no shortage of one thing in Easton: moronic cowards who won't own their own words.
I am doing my own research on a host of questions that have yet to be adequately answered and my forthcoming guest post on downtown and the PBD will be in three parts:
Part I...A general review of my observations and concerns about the shortcomings in our public process in Easton. Something that is costing us both legitimacy in the eyes of the public and an opportunity to fully exploit the talents of it's individual members. This is across all segments of development.
Part II...A debunking of a lot of the misinformation that has been spread over the past week amongst the comments to this post. The information I give you to counter these comments will all be qualified and identified as to it's source.
Part III...A robust discussion - in detail - of exactly how a parking benefit district works, its key components and why we would want to implement it in a particular way in Easton. I will welcome all questions at it's conclusion since a public venue for this type of thing has yet to materialize.
I have a focus to my participation in this town's affairs that requires me to get over the personality issues that often cloud clear thinking and progress. That hasn't always been easy. A lot of people crucified me as an obstructionist for fighting the Riverwalk project. I realized that others had strong emotional reasons to become attached to it's promise. I chose to avoid as best I could any direct personal conflict with those supporting it and instead remained focused on the uncomfortable facts.
I would wonder how many people today would want to have a half-built garage and empty condo shell building sitting in the flood plain, racking up debt, during the worst economy in our lifetimes. How many would have given up the opportunity to infill S Third Street with a new, mixed use transit center in exchange for that mess on the river?
Our community's strategic position today is the result of one or two or a handful of people, in each case, questioning past decisions that the status-quo told us were none of our business or that fighting them was futile because they were "done deals". There are no done deals until we, the public, say they are. By ignoring their detractors they changed the face of the city for the better.
End Part One
DRL
Part Two
The Mike Krills, Noel Jones, Laini Abrahams and various assorted monikers on the blog have a different perspective than perhaps a majority. They are questioning the best-laid plans of mice and men and for that they are showing courage at the local level in the face of a national society that has become too distracted by daily nonsense to see their own country driving off a cliff.
We don't have to make chit-chat with them on the street; we don't even have to like them; and in the final analysis we don't have to agree with them either. We do owe them the courtesy of an open ear, eye and brain and we owe ourselves the option to consider other alternatives. The most eccentric individual in any gathering may miraculously arrive at the best solution - but only if he or she is given the respect of our attention.
The one thing none of these people deserve is the disrespect and blatant cowardly attacks of scumbags like these little piss-ants that posted just before me. When you get your successful gift shops up and running, put your names on the masthead, keep them above water despite all the random forces arrayed against you and say, "Hey, look at us, We're so-and-so. We ridiculed Laini on the blog and now we're more successful than her"...Then you can run your mouths. Anonymorons.
DRL
Stating that the rest of the Lehigh Valley considers Easton a "joke" is insulting to all of us to who choose to reside in Easton, operate businesses in Easton and work so hard for the betterment of the City we truly love. Very disappointing, Laini. I know there's no point in stating thing like Easton has the best credit rating in the LV or the most fiscally sound government or that our LV sister cities look to Easton as trend setters in terms of things like the ambassador program and our newspaper rack ordinance, but I had to put it out there. Fire away.
I have decided to post as anonymously, which seems to be in the Grand Easton Tradition. Nice to see how my fellow anaons have crapped all over Laini. I know that she commited the unspeakable crime of disagreeing with the proposed funding of the NID. Not the value of programs or services, mind you, just their funding. That bitch! I went to the first public meeting about the NID. Funny that Mayor Panto interrupted her 5 minutes of free speech and no one elses. Then he rolls his eyes in exaspiration at the second meeting. He certainly didn't behave that way when Larry Holmes spoke after her, and it's not like he's happy with the proposed tax. It is important to remember that Laini did nothing but question the process. That is what is was sparked this hideous flood of venom and vitriol
Sorry, I have been around too many people from other areas of the Valley who roll their eyes when you mention that you are from Easton. We have a deserved reputation for a small town that will take years of good news to have others take us seriously. Remember we charge more in taxes than anyone else in the valley. We have had a disproportionate share of brutality suits involving our police department. Remember it was our police who accidentally shot and killed an individual at Hackett Park and a fellow police officer. It was our housing authority that was called out for excessive personal benefits to members. On top of that we have more than our share of drug activity and the criminal costs that go with it. That includes some horrific murders. We also house more of the poor just check our income levels compared to the rest of the valley. There may be some bright things happening and a lot of people have always taken interest in the community. It has always been one of those things that one step forward and a few steps backwards. Yeah, I know what she means. When I say I am from Easton you can see that expression in people's faces that they are sorry for you. It's reality and if it hurts, get use to it. We have a lot to change here.
If Laini jumped to the conclusion that something was stolen because of her appearance at the first NID hearing I think that the level of personnal attacks witnessed in the comments section of this blog proves that her character assessment of those associated with the parent organization and their stooges. Real classy of Mayor Panto weighing in. Why the Mayor of the fouth of fifth largest municipality in the Valley gets the highest salary for his position ($80,000) has to tend bar on the weekends is intriguing. Maybe he likes the Touch of The Common People, although it IS at a country club, so I guess not.
This is why sinking down to level that the fine people of Easton seem to have no problem with is such a gas. I have lived in small towns all my life and Easton is no different from any of them. Full of petty, jealous small-minded people who resent anyone who wants to enter what they think is their turf. Just like the Crips, Bloods and Latin Kings that have helped make Easton the Jewel on the Deleware. Maybe the other anons can formalize thier little mob in to a gang, too. Bullying and extortion with that particular sense of self-righteousness and persecution that all gangs seem to have in common.
Anon 7:26 AM
Maybe you better check your records again. The mayor of Easton makes $75,000 not $80,000 and it is not the highest in the Valley. Also, look at the others staff. He has two they have three and five. Plus as I have heard, he has not filled his secretary's position since December to do his part to balance the budget without a tax increase.
Now for the weekends, how often is he there. There is no doubt in anyone's mind that the man puts in a hundred hours a week. He attends everything. Yes, as I understand it he still helps his former employer when he has time. And he even helps behind the bar when necessary. I say kudos to him. And by the way, it has a country club name but it is not a member only facility - it is public just like Greenpond.
I have watched our mayor take a lot of crap from some individuals and yes Laini is one of them. He was defending volunteers that she was degrading. I give him credit for that and hope that he does the same for all volunteers.
I have heard him many times say - we can disagree without being disagreeable. Comments that the city oesn't kniow what they are doing or MSI just does mixers is a slap in the face to hundreds of people that are working to make Easton great.
I read him comments here where he asked everyone to get a long and publicly told Laini that he would consider her comeent to have the NID at the beginning of the next meeting.
Kudos mayor, keep up the good work. You have much more tolerance and patience than me.
If Sal stopped suddenly he would probably have your head up his a&&. Unless, of course, this is Sal and your head is already there.
btw, mayor lover, it seems that "getting along" is only mentioned when Sal is being criticized and never when personal attacks are made on anyone else. Typical City ofEaston hypocracy.
Anon here are Sal's comments and when he is here he identifies himself. Why don't you visit him - he is very approachable and make your accusations to him face to face. Here are his comments:
Sal Panto says:
One thing I dislike is a divided community. Yes there should always be opinions, discussions and ultimately an agreement to move forward on the most acceptable idea. But placing blame or making negative comments about another person's opinion and or involvement is hard to tolerate.
Hence Laini's comments about me. However I do not take them personally. I take them because I know when she used to attend council meetings there was a policy that the public was allowed to speak for 5 minutes. They were never interrupted becasue frankly, they were never recognized and were rarely responded to by members of council.
Just like last evening's remarks about the placement of the NID presentation, I listened and learned that in the future I will try to be more explicit in the time designated for a hearing. However, last night's meeting was a very important meeting for council and it was nice to have people witness the proceedings.
I like to think that I have opened the dialogue to the point where there is an actual dialogue and not just five minutes of words and then move on to the next item.
I believe he asks for name calling to stop for everyone.
Sorry, Charlie, just doing business the Easton way. Funny that you only make this comment when it hurts you. Doesn't seem to come up when it's being done to some one else. Great leadership!
Wow--I would like to know that I can step away from this blog for half a day when I have a meeting in New York and a bus ride back (where the wi-fi wasn't working) without coming back to see the calibre of the conversation having deteriorated to such a degree. That usually doesn't happen. I must have some new readers/commenters.
For any readers that are new to the blog, this is unusual, and if you read around other posts you'll see that most discussions remain civil, albeit passionate at times.
So, upon returning, I have done what I always hate to do--I have deleted a few comments that qualified on my list of two criteria for deletion: a) either being heated and completely off-topic, or b) levying personal attacks that contain bigotry, vitriol or both. A few comments that I would normally delete I left up because they were responded to well, and I didn't want the responses to not make sense after a deletion. But usually I am faster on the draw with people who would like to make this forum their own personal sandbox for picking petty fights. That's not what it's for, and I won't have it.
There is one distasteful comment about the mayor, that I almost deleted, but left up because it is making a valid point--the previous commenter's post was an exercise in propaganda. That's not the mayor's fault, it's the propagandist's fault.
I would like to ask everyone to please bring it down a notch, and debate the TOPIC without getting personal. Getting personal is a complete waste of readers' time (and mine). I don't want to know your personal business or anyone else's, so please don't air it here. When I say "please," I mean, "prepare to be deleted if you can't handle that."
The topic is the NID, as proposed, vs. (or in addition to) a Parking Benefit District. Now, other subtopics worthy of discussion have sprung out of the original topic, such as attempts to understand the mission and funding sources of the Main Street Initiative and the GEDP, as well as possible alternatives to those organizations. The topic of how Easton is viewed elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley is also a valid topic for discussion, as is the consistent backlash of old-guard cronies in Easton against citizens engaged enough to speak up during public meetings.
(cont.)
(cont.)
I would like to thanks Dennis, Megan, Laini, Sal Panto, Mike Krill and tunsie for all posting with their names, owning their words, remaining civil and debating with actual POINTS AND INFORMATION, and I also want to thank Moniker, Amend and everyone else who is helping readers follow the conversation by using monikers, and sharing information.
I know there are those who will cry CENSORSHIP because I've deleted someone, but remember, this is a private blog, run by me, and I can run it however I want to. I will not have this public think tank derailed by those who deteriorate into personal insults because they have run out of valid points to make.
I have left the comments of anyone disagreeing with me, or anybody else, who has remained, for the most part, civil and ON-TOPIC, and will continue to do so.
The middle third of this conversation was great and really starting to get somewhere--I would like to get back THERE--where the issue is that needs to be solved. We still have a NID and a PBD on the table.
I will be meeting with Gretchen Logenbach tomorrow, and will hopefully come away with clear information about the GEDP that I can add to the conversation. But I would remind anyone from the GEDP and MSI who may be reading this to remember that they are welcome to post at any time, if they really want the public to a) understand what it is that they do, and to b) be willing to pay to support it going forward.
I must also thank Laini and the Mayor for both being extremely civil in posting to this conversation under some real heat. That takes character. The Anonymi would like us all to believe that Laini Abraham is a crazy loser who doesn't really care about Easton, and yet these comments have proven that it's only those attacking her anonymously that are cowardly and sound a little crazy, while Laini, who actually created a business that does nothing but PROMOTE Easton, has consistently posted even, grounded, and forthcoming comments in response.
The proof is in the pudding, as they say.
As for Easton's image in the eyes of the rest of the Valley, Laini and Megan are setting a great example of how to disagree passionately while remaining civil. I hope everyone else will follow suit. By "hope" I mean, "I will delete your comments if you can't handle that."
My blog, my rules. If you want your opinion to be heard here, you'll have to use the strength of your points, not personal attacks.
I'm sure most of us can handle that, since 99% of the comments on this blog have been both passionate AND civil.
Sal Panto says:
Thank you Noel for taking a position against some of the Anon comments that only degrade individuals and serve no positive purpose for or against the issue at hand.
I heard about the ranting so I thought I would come back and again express to all that the conversation be about the issues and not personalities. For me, it is important because I will be casting a vote. To do that requires me to hear all sides of the issues as well as wlternative opinions and proposals.
I am asking that any of these commentors who may be my supporters to refrain from the personal attacks. Everyone working for the betterment of the city should be commended not derailed into vicious name calling.
Noel honey U forgot to say U was sorry for saying.I had a cape and a big A on my chest.thats not nice.Im the only one on here that doesnt fight and i dont forget to tell u I yuv u all the time.I dont tell U that u have a cape and a big A on ur chest...tunsie
Megan--did you save it in Word? It sounds like you may be suffering from the same thing that was happening to Dennis Lieb, when I had to post his comment for him.
If you still have it, email it to me at neighborsofeaston@gmail.com and I'll post it for you.
Sorry you're having trouble! I can't wait to move to the new format--by the way, everybody, the new and expanded Neighbors of Easton site will be launching in a new platform on Friday, Sept. 9th.
Mayor Panto--thanks very much for posting.
tunsie--i was joking, but i take it back--you will have a cape and T instead, because you always post with your name, and everyone who has the guts to post with their names on this blog and own their words are my heroes.
Noel honey....and dont forget we R gonna talk about food than we R gonna talk about JAZZ...cos U promised me....I yuv U noel...Tunsie
noel honey can we do one on my favouritist ice crem in the wholest widest world....PURPLE COW...I am a Black raspberry-ologist...I can tell U about that one.....dont forget...i yuv u tunsie
tunsie--please email me at neighborsofeaston@gmail.com instead of posting here, so that we can keep this conversation on topic--thx!
Easton doesn't have a "shadow anything." Everyone knows everything in 30 minutes or less. Or can get to know everything if they go to the source, City Hall. Also, why would we be bashing success. It makes no sense. The downtown is alot better and we don't need to go backward.
Bash is a harsh word - connotes violent behavior. I don't think that we want to even suggest that criticism or even eye openers are "bashing" There are plenty of reviews about Easton on the internet. Some people say good things. Some, not so good. Here are some excerpts from recent visitors to our downtown within the last 30 days:
. . ."The best part of this place is the Purple Cow Creamery in the alley next to the building. The town itself is a very run down old town that looked to be mostly deserted except for the Crayola place. The Crayola Store next door is a great place to buy Crayola products, just make sure you bring lots of $$$$. I wouldn't make the trip here just for this. Definitely a "passing - through - why - don't - we - stop kind of place."
. . . "Downtown Easton is itself a run down and scary place, and the only place we found to eat lunch was the extremely overcrowded and dirty McDonald's Express that is attached to the "factory."
When I read reviews such as this I take out a pin and pop that balloon I have been riding. There is always need for improvement.
Here's another:
"Has anyone stayed at the Holiday Inn Express or the Hampton Inn in Easton Pa? I am considering both for a 1 night stay before going to Lafayette College. The Holiday Inn looks a bit closer to campus but the Hampton Inn might be in a newer area. I'm curious if its worth the extra drive. I'd also love any info on what restaurants/shopping is available nearby these hotels. THANK YOU!"
Funny, a Lafayette visitor seeks to stay outside of town. He got lots of info on the restaurants located in Palmer. As I said we have work to do. I am not saying negative things, visitors are making these comments.
moniker--could you please post the links where you excerpted these quotes? that would give readers a chance to see for themselves what visitors are saying--thanks!
funny--the word "bashing" seems popular with the old guard here. that's the word school board president Kerry Myers used at a recent school board meeting while yelling at residents who spoke up during public comments (very civilly) with concerns about nepotism. he also yelled that we were "pathetic" and that we were not "born and raised here" and therefore didn't have a right to criticize those that were.
to defenders of the status quo, criticism from residents/voters/citizens or even an expression of CONCERN, or direct questions without specific criticism, is called "bashing."
it's an inappropriate response.
Review from Trip Advisor July 09
Just spent the weekend in Easton with my three kids. They had a great time at the Crayola Factory and we had a great time in town. We had been there before but had never explored Easton. We stayed at the Grand Eastonian - a hotel that is actually condos apartments and not hotel rooms. Suites up to 3 bedrooms are available with great prices, full kitchen, indoor pool, free parking & continental breakfast included. Went to the Farmers Market in the center of town on Saturday and the kids had fun with the create & design your own zucchini that they then raced against other kids in a tournament. We also had fabulous food in town - Sette Luna (awesome pizza), Ocean, Sogo (pan Asian) and the best ice cream at Purple Cow Creamery right around the corner from the Crayola Factory. All in all, an unexpectedly fabulous weekend in the cute little college town. My advice - skip the McDonalds and take a walk - everything I mentioned is within a less than five minute walk from the Crayola Factory.
College town???? Get real. Why are the real residents the real people that are really here now paying taxes and volunteering their lives away always dissed. The provincial professionals in this town don't understand that Easton's diversity both with respect to race and income levels is very attractive to sophisticated people of all races and incomes and we should not be ashamed of it. And what they also don't understand is that this is not a college town and it is not as yet really an arts town either. We are a town with a good housing stock and a town that is exemplary in its capacity to absorb diversity. Easton is also a progressive town being the only one in the Lehigh Valley were Obama won.
I dont know when everyone is going to stop fighting...I just want tell everybody I love the Purple Cow....and ....I yuv Noel Marie...tunsie
Why is it that Eastonians are always first to put themselves down. When I have visitors come from out of town they marvel at how nice our city is and how clean it is. EAston residents need to get to other cities our size and larger to appreciate what we have here.
Wow.. I've about this exchange but haven't read it until now. This blog is called NEIGHBORS of Easton, isn't it? wow
Shining and Westwardian--thanks for posting with monikers.
Most issues are not this contentious, but there are a lot of interesting perspectives being expressed here.
Shining, you make some really good points. I would add proximity to New York to the list of real attractions to the idea of living in Easton.
And I agree that Easton is no where near a "college town" yet, and it should be. I don't often see college students in our downtown cafes, we should be seeing them full of college students. Actually, what DOES feel like a college town is College Hill--Cosmic Cup and the other pizza shops and restaurants always have students in them. But we don't have the same college town feel downtown yet at all. I rarely see Lafayette students downtown during the day that aren't on some sort of internship. Except around the bars at night. I have a friend who lives on Sitgreaves who has to chase off the students from the alleys around his house nightly.
I met with Gretchen Logenbach this afternoon to talk about the NID, GEDP and Main Street.
I learned a lot, and will try to synopsize it here, in installments:
1. Relationship between GEDP and City of Easton
Gretchen is both the Exec. Director of the Easton Redevelopment Authority, and the Greater Easton Development Partnership. She is only paid by the Redevelopment Authority, but because it is in the GEDP by-laws that the head of the Redevelopment Authority sits on their board, heading the GEDP is an additional duty she fulfills on top of her regular job for the Redevelopment Authority. The Easton Redevelopment Authority is a separate entity from the City of Easton, with a completely different budget/accounting.
So with regard to public disclosure of financials, GEDP is a nonprofit and not bound by law to open its books. However, because their Exec. Director is also the Exec. Director of the Redevelopment Authority--which is not a part of the City, but could be argued to be a governmental body--and because the GEDP is now getting such a large chunk of their funding from the City, it could be argued that they should, and Gretchen was more than willing to share financial information about the organization.
2. The NID vs. the PBD
The parameters of a Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) are apparently dictated by the NID Act of 2000, and by law, must be administered by either a nonprofit (like the GEDP), or an authority (like the Easton Redevelopment Authority).
So a NID cannot INCLUDE a Parking Benefit District like the one Dennis Lieb suggested at the last public hearing, but it can COEXIST with a PBD as a side-by-side solution for maintaining and revitalizing downtown. Gretchen explained that that was why Dennis' idea wasn't included in the revisions to the NID that Donna Taggart presented. I said, that's fine, but that when the people ask about this, they are not parsing the structural restrictions of these programs, what they are really asking is if the millage rate on the NID could come down if we instituted a PBD.
3. The NID and the GEDP
The NID is only one proposed component of the GEDP. The GEDP is the lease-holder of the Crayola and Two Rivers Landing buildings, but does not receive the revenue--it is just funneled through to pay for expenses. They do not manage TRL in any way. In addition to TRL, GEDP is the umbrella nonprofit OVER the Main Street Initiative, the Easton Ambassadors, the façade grant and business loan programs, and a few other things. Gretchen is going to send me a list of all the entities. Chris Heagle attended the meeting from the City's Finance Dept., and explained that each program has its own checking account, and that the checks are cut through the City's payroll office. [Easton Farmers Market, by the way, is almost completely independent of GEDP--they just help with the bookkeeping and accounting side because it has grown so much in recent years].
The NID has been proposed to cover MAIN STREET INITIATIVE AND EASTON AMBASSADORS ONLY:
Total NID: $405,000
Ambassadors: $271,320
Main Street: $133,680
4. The Easton Ambassadors
The Ambassadors are run by Block by Block of Ohio. They have a successful program that is used around the country, and they are contracted to run their program here, after hiring local employees. So although the company is not a local company, the employees are local residents, so the majority of the money for the Ambassadors actually stays in the community.
The Ambassadors do much more than keep the streets clean. Management visits Easton quarterly, to meet with Sandy, who manages the Easton Ambassadors and they hold training sessions to teach their employees all kinds of things, like how to best be extra ears and eyes on the street and work with local authorities. They have been involved in helping to alert police to drug dealing, and recently, I heard they even stopped a child abduction. They are even taught things as subtle as how to approach a parent if their baby seems to be shivering and need of a blanket. They give directions and answer questions for tourists. They water the flower pots and beds downtown and shovel snow in the winter. They are generally a very welcoming, helpful presence on the street, and I have not heard anyone say that they are not doing a great job. The only question I have heard is whether or not there are cheaper local programs or alternatives that could achieve the same result. Gretchen is convinced there are not, but says if anyone knows of one, they are welcome to present it.
Some also had reservations about the company being from out of state, but maybe they will feel differently to know that most of the money goes to the employees and they are local residents. Gretchen says that the great service that Block by Block provides, is that they manage everything themselves, and assume all liability, including unemployment claims.
Sandy manages 3 or 4 part-time and 3 or 4 full time employees at any given time (the number changes seasonally).
i have to run to the school board meeting, but stay tuned for 5. Main Street Initiative...
great write up Noel, thanks for talking to her. However, I must agree, I see lots of college students in downtown and the west ward businesses. Thuis week, actually I think it might be next Tuesday, their student orientation guides will be spending the night in downtown learning the area, tasting food samples and then they meet with the mayor at Purple Cow for ice cream. I believe that is usually around 8:00 pm/ H has been doing this since he got into office and then he also addresses the parents and freshman with the President on I beliecve that is next Thursday in the Quad. He has also been doing that since he got into office.
As an staff member at the college I can tell you that he has done more to bring parents and students to the city than any other mayor. He actually gives the parents his home phone number if there is an issue.
I have seen alot more student go to downtown and the west ward -- saints, Teen Center, community gardens -- than ever before. He promotes it and the parents and students respond.
I have seen parents and students at the Farmers Market as well.
Easton has become more of a college town in the last three years than in the last 20.
Oh, by the way. the Lafayette Leopard was at Heritage Day along with the ejntire athletic department and coaches. They set up in the south third street parking lot and had various games with the students and youth playing side by side.
Things are moving forward.
I constantly caution against the potential of revisionism. We too often fall in the trap of wanting to rewrite history because of our limited time in the present. We fail to recognize that our time was really a part of a long succession of events that is now history.
Arthur Rothkopf, Lafayette's former President, redefined the college's relationship with Easton. His successor has added to that. Both he and his successor have enjoyed fruitful relationships with a number of elected officials.
Rothkopf made the decision to move the College off the hill to North Third. He began the acquisition of property to develop a new "downtown campus". He supported numerous efforts of the city of Easton as far as economic development. He wrote many checks that went to seed money for a number of projects such as the Hotel Easton. He brought the college and its resources and staff to the city to assist in economic development as well as social development programs. He recognized that the college and city would either survive together or fail together. He remarked on many occasions that students had lost their connection to the city and he began the transformation.
Elected officials responded and began to engage with students and faculty in a different manner. Fortunately his efforts have been continued by his successor. Fortunately those efforts have attracted the support and commitment of the present mayor. The turn in the college's relationship with the city has been a long term process. My hope is that it continues beyond current personalities.
I must agree with anon 10:29. I was fortunate enough to know Art and his wonderful wife, both committed deeply to the success of the city. I spoke with them at the recent commencement and we shared the history and present status of the college and city. Both were delighted to see the advancements made in our city.
I unfortunately remember the two Presidents that served during my first two terms and can only tell you what a pleasure it was to see Art interact with the city. They were good customers of our store and we would talk about his new leadership often when they shopped.
Today I enjoy my relationship with the college tremendously and they have been a strong supporter of the city. Like Art, Dan Weiss is a class act and the college and the city both benefit from his leadership. But I will say that the Board of Trustees are also commited to the future of the city and many of them have given their blessing to be a large player in the city.
As the staff member said two posts ago, I do look forward to my visits and interaction with the college, especially with the bond I have with the students. Easton is their home for four years and more and more of them are giving time to our agenices and yes, they are in our downtown and neighborhoods. I meet their parents at the Farmers Market or at one of our restaurants on the weekend. I see them at the Saints or the Teen Center.
The residents of Easton founded Lafayette College and today the college is helping us find our new beginning. Easton is indeed fortunate to have Lafayette College. I can assure you that many other college towns cannot say the same thing.
I too hope this relationship continues to build regardless of the personalities.
Then there is this overview of the city written by a Lafayette College student on Prowler:
"Please do not let Lafayette’s surrounding area deter you—it’s really not that bad! Easton, an old steel-manufacturing city that boasted a large manufacturing center for many years, might not seem like much to write home about. Besides the actual College Hill, it is an old, run-down, residential area that needs a lot of fixing up before it can draw in visitors that should visit for the interesting attractions that are actually available. The city is working to get students off the Hill, however, by planning activities like Lafayette Day in the Square, but the college and Easton don’t seem to communicate well with each other—Lafayette Day was during the college’s fall break last year.
Oftentimes, a student will say, “I have to do the Crayola Factory before I graduate,” but most of the time, one that lives on the Hill stays on the Hill. That’s the problem with Easton, Pa., its best efforts aren’t enough to attract its most valuable visitors—Lafayette College students. Easton lacks a certain spark, but it is trying to become a college town. It just has a lot of work to do."
@moniker- I just hope the student who wrote that isn't going to contribute to the "Guide to Easton" that Lafayette is having their students make.
5. The Main Street Initiative
This program is the one whose importance and progress is the most difficult to quantify, as the good it has done is incremental and rather intangible to those not working in, or with, the organization. After emailing back and forth with Megan McBride and meeting with Gretchen Logenbach, the shape of their contribution to the city's revitalization efforts is beginning to take shape for me.
Megan is a very passionate supporter of Main Street because she had years of experience as a business owner before Main Street started and then of course over the years that Main Street has been in effect, and what she cites as one of the greatest improvements due to the Main Street Initiative is that where there used to be very little in the way of cooperative relationships between various business owners, commercial property owners, various organizations and the city, over the years these relationships have been strategically developed and nurtured so that now their is an almost seamless groundwork of cooperation behind the scenes on which incremental progress has been made in recent years in terms of attracting not just any old store to the downtown area, but stores that they have determined in their study are wanted and needed in our downtown.
There has also been new cooperation between Main Street and the City--especially the Public Works Dept.-- in terms of beautification downtown and in the riverfront parks. Main Street pushed for the playgrounds at the new river parks, and it's a good thing, because from what I have seen, they are the biggest draw in terms of getting people down to the river. They have been producing music concerts at Riverside Park that have drawn as many as 500 people at a time, and they have also coordinated certain aspects of cleanliness and beautification downtown, like putting 100 cigarette receptacles around the downtown businesses,--which they keep a supply of and sell to store owners at cost--so that customers and employees wouldn't throw their butts in the street on smoke breaks.
(cont.)
5. Main Street Initiative (cont.)
Gretchen told me something interesting about the snowflake project, in which residents make thousands of paper snowflakes to put in storefront windows all around downtown for the last couple of years. This was Ken and Ron's idea (the owners of Mercantile Home) but they worked together with Main Street to get access to the storefront windows, and for Main Street, it was really an excuse to strike up conversations and relationships with local business and property owners to help build the network of cooperation in downtown in general that enables them to enact their strategy for beautification and recruiting and retaining businesses.
So, since that all still sounds rather intangible, here's a story Gretchen told me as an example:
There is a new entrepreneur who is planning on opening an outdoor retail shop--stuff for hiking, camping, fishing, boating, etc. I am really glad to hear this as I have been saying since I moved here that it makes no sense that a town that sits on two rivers wouldn't have more businesses that sell outdoor retail. But I'm getting ahead of the story.
The beginning of the story is that there is a commercial property owner downtown, who needed to rent his empty storefront out, and since there weren't a lot of offers coming his way, he was considering renting to the the mental health clinic next door, who wanted to expand. This is NOT one of the types of businesses that is on the list of desired businesses in Main Street's vacant property study, or the residential survey, and so when they got wind of it, they approached the property owner right away. They had heard that there was someone who wanted to open an outdoor retail shop, and asked the property owner to please wait while they did everything they could to find this entrepreneur the necessary financing he needed. Because they had developed a relationship over time with this property owner, they were able to convince him to wait and keep the space available for this new entrepreneur with a preferable business. Then MSI took their study and resident survey and went around with this entrepreneur to various funding sources with whom they've built relationships over the years, and got him the funding. So now, instead of an expanded mental health clinic downtown, we will finally have an outdoor retail store soon.
So when it comes to the NID, downtown residents have a choice to make--either they think the benefits of having the Ambassadors and the incremental progress the Main Street Initiative is not worth investing in and keeping, and they want to scrap it to start all over and try something new, or, they think it's worth it to pay the fee/tax to keep it going and see if Main Street picks up momentum now that they've built up these relationships. That brings us to the fee/tax itself--how much is it?
I was surprised, actually to find out how low it is for residents. The current figure being looked at is 4 mills for businesses and 1 mill for residents. The lowest rate on a house downtown would amount to $14.60/year--a little over $1/month. The highest rate on a house downtown would be $98.80/year, or a little over $8/month. So I'm not sure where the fears of resident flight are coming from, with regard to the NID.
But what I think about it all does not really matter--it is downtown residents who will decide.
I just wanted to share what I've learned so that those participating in this forum can take it into account as they make their decision.
But I think the takeaway for GEDP, Main Street, the City and anyone else who may have been upset by this conversation, is that this has been a snapshot of just how much residents do and don't understand about what GEDP is and does, and what Main Street is and does, which is important information with regard to marketing and promotion. If people spend all day working with others who are informed on how all these orgs and entities work, it's easy to have a misconception about how much the public understands, and when any of these entities react to resident questions with defensiveness--or outright attacks on residents--it only serves to cause confusion, suspicion and bad blood in general, which is never good, but especially when they're proposing something that they need residents to support. The How Dare You attitude only defeats their own purpose.
In my opinion, one of the greatest obstacles to revitalization in Easton is this "in-crowd" mentality that is perpetuated by many members of municipal bodies and local nonprofits here, that seeks to either shut out--or when that fails--demonize, citizens who speak up during public comment. It defeats the purpose it two ways: a) it creates bad blood and resistance for personal reasons, and b) public officials miss out on the creative ideas and solutions--and professional experience--that it's citizenry has to offer. Too often plans are proposed and it is clear that the entities that proposed them already think they've come up with the best possible idea and that they are just going through the motions of taking public input because they have to--not because they're interested in seeing if someone in the public might have even better ideas and solutions.
Dennis Lieb spoke up as a citizen at a public meeting and offered a great idea that has been proven to work around the country (the Parking Benefit District), that I'm happy to say may very well get incorporated into the City's overall plan for raising revenue for revitalization. As many times as he has done this over the years, you'd think they start going to him first, in the planning stages. But the PBD, if it happens, will take at least 8 months to a year to develop, as the PBD would have to go through precisely the same public input and revision process that the NID is going through. So they may end up coexisting, but one cannot be part of the other.
The only other point of interest that I learned with regard to the GDEP, is that it has always been primarily funded with public money, not private fundraising, and now some of that public money is disappearing, including DCED $$ from the state, and CDBG $$ from the federal government (via the city).
I have to weigh in on this "college town" discussion:
When it comes to revitalizing Easton in any way, whether as a college town or otherwise, wishful thinking and an attempt at positive affirmations will not make it so. And it is prevalent in this town for those that work for the city and our local nonprofit "community" to get defensive and angry when they hear people give their perspectives on THE CITY THEY LIVE IN and those reviews are not all rosy--as if we are disloyal, or negative, and are supposed to be walking around as part of a propaganda machine, telling the world that things are as they aren't.
When I tell people about Easton, I say, "it's a really cool little city, 90 minutes from NYC, a little rough around the edges and in need of some TLC, but it's on two rivers with great bike trails, and has great historic architecture everywhere. it has decent restaurants and some great pubs with really good live music, and a lot of creative types are moving out here and fixing up the old houses--come visit some time!"
What I don't say is: "Easton a bustling college town, clean and safe and full of great shops downtown!"
I'm glad the mayor is giving tours to the students, but he cannot control what they think, or see with their eyes when they are on that tour. Still, it's great that he introduces them to the town. But what he really needs to do is pressure Lafayette to get out of their Sodexo contract. That will help more than anything.
Easton is not yet what people normally describe as a "college town" in this country. Providence, RI is a college town. Cambridge, MA is a college town. Easton SHOULD be a college town, but as long as Lafayette has the contract that they have with Sodexo and its mandatory full-meal plans, not to mention the 11% fee that Sodexo charges any Easton business who accepts the students' meal cards, students will not come down the hill to eat regularly at our restaurants. And until we have some interesting clothing and other retail shops that students like to shop at, we will not see them regularly in our stores.
(cont.)
college town (cont.)
And until we cure blight in our neighborhoods, they will not be venturing there regularly (outside of internships and other field work for class) either. The key word is REGULARLY. A tour is nice, but that is not a REGULAR visit. Same with parent visits, the Pards to People dinner, and internships. None of these are REGULAR visits into our city, and a COLLEGE TOWN is one where you REGULARLY see college students in every cafe, restaurant and store that you walk into, because they are THAT much a part of the town's social fabric. They're not doing it for class credit--they WANT to be in the town's shops, restaurants and cafes REGULARLY. College Hill is like that--any time you go into Cosmic Cup, it is full of students. The downtown cafes do not get that student business, even though they have wi-fi and should be favorite study spots.
We are trying, and that is good, but we are not there yet, and it's disingenuous to say that we are--it is not disloyal for residents to reflect REALITY when they share their perspectives.
Until the Sodexo contract goes, and we attract some quality clothing and retail shops, and cure blight, the kids and all their money will not come down that hill except for internships, an occasional tour, and to drink.
Lafayette, I have heard, has been reconsidering its Sodexo contract, and last year students were protesting them for poor work conditions and lack of fresh, organic food. There was even talk about serving farm fresh food up there. That would be really great both for Lafayette and for Easton. Sodexo has been busted for millions for fraud in three states close to us: NY, NJ and OH. But they are the 2nd largest food services corporation in the world, and for whatever reason, Lafayette seems either unable or unwilling to get out of that contract.
But it would do a lot for making Easton more of a college town if students weren't forced to buy full-meal plans from them.
One interesting point about the college is the tours given by underclassmen to prospective students and parents. Some of my friends who have visited from out of town told me that many students were very blunt about Easton. I inquired about that because I was concerned because the city may be getting sold short.
The college told me that there is no effort to censor student speech. In fact there is a belief that any effort to control student speech will only backfire. The students will protest by either exaggerating about the environment or by refusing to participate in the tour programs. So the students give honest opinions about the campus, the food service, the social life and Easton, too.
To a certain extent we have to accept harsh criticism and complaints about unrealized expectations. The cost is not cheap-almost 60,ooo per year. If Mom and Dad are not hurting then the student is looking forward to years of debt. If the student comes from wealth then their expectations exceed what the town has to offer. So I would not expect ovations over the city.
What's best is to educate as much as possible. What is even better is not to oversell what we have. That is only going to hurt more. We are not a college town. Epodunk.com ranks college towns. When you see the factors that are important you can see why we would not rank well.
One student said, "There are some strange characters wandering around the streets of Easton, but as long as you walk around with a friend or two, it’s pretty safe." We all know that statement is honest. Why do we get upset about it?
Its my time to give everybody my 2 cents,and I want to tell U its hard 2 stay on topic especially when our host is soooooooooooo beautiful.and I'm not saying that because our soooooooooo fine host is also a JAZZ singer.WHY is it that when someone says something against the grain is everybody ready to lynch her in center square.she spoke her mind at a city council meeting,which by the way is within her rights.If U dont like what she said..thats OK 2...U dont have 2 pay her any mind...DONT HECKLE HER...It seems like were R going to have armed guards protecting her at the next NID meeting.It is not a matter of whether U like her or not.....Let her have her say...WE as a city R bigger than that we have a lot of briliant minds in this city.we can solve our own problems.we dont need to fight like teenagers.If somebody goes to the podium and says something that is not 100% accurate.dont let the fact that U dont like that person be an excuse to attack her.How can U hate someone that much...In the 18th century they use to kill women that were suspected witches.....That"s a good I.....NO..NO..NO...U dysfunctional people.we cant kill somebody.U big crazyheads....Laini is an AMBASSADOR...I'll tell U how I came to that...All she has to do is WAKE UP everyday.by doing that she is still a business owner in the city of EASTON.As a business owner she is in effect an ambassador 4 the city..she chooses to do business and live here.she can go anywhere but she chose to stay here.whether her business makes money or not is HER business.her relationship with her mother and father is also HER business.I need to tell everybody that her choice for MAYOR is going to LOSE...RAY CHARLES is DEAD and BLIND,and he could tell U that,baby.we need to accept criticism whether it is accurate or not...we dont have to acceptit...but dont kill the messenger.....Noel Marie I love U did I stay on topic now,baby......Tunsie JAZZ
ok, tunsie, a little passionate, but yes, on topic, in as much as earlier--for those who may have joined us late in the discussion--we did have some anonymous low-lifes personally attacking Laini Abraham for speaking up at the last City Council meeting with strong concerns about the NID, insulting her as a business person, as well as dragging her family into it, and Laini was both strong and classy and handled it all openly and directly and above all PUT HER NAME TO IT, which the "Anonymi" did not have the guts to do.
I would have simply deleted them right away, but did not catch the whole exchange until later, and since there had been some good responses from Laini and others, I let it stand.
I think we're past that part of the conversation now, thankfully, and those commenters (or perhaps just one repeat commenter) have slunk away like Gollum back into the bog. but the one enduring point that tunsie is emphasizing here, is that no one should be personally attacking any citizen just for speaking up during public comments. it is a key part of our local democratic process. so anyone against public comment, or public dissent, is against the democratic process, and doesn't belong in America.
Moniker--thanks for the link to Epodunk.com--I will go check it out. What's the link to the site where you're reading these student reviews?
In regards to the Lafayette College Student Orientation Leaders Tour (scheduled for August 23rd) it should be noted that this tour is provided by the Easton Main Street Initiative not Mayor Panto. This will be the fourth year in which Main Street has taken 50+ OLs and College Staff on a tour through Easton. The tour begins at the State Theatre with a Slideshow featuring festivals, concerts, farmers' market, bike trails etc., things that cannot be experienced on the tour. From there, the students visit 18-20 businesses where they get to meet the owners and enjoy samples at the restaurants. The evening concludes at the Purple Cow where Mayor Panto welcomes the students and gives a fine speech about the City. The tour was designed to get the OLs informed and and excited about downtown Easton and it's been quite effective. The OLs then bring their freshmen groups down for individual tours. Main Street also does educational presentations for the on-campus tour guides and will be doing a program for the RAs this year. The town gown relationship has grown stronger due to programs such as these and Lafayette Day. Additionally it should be noted that Lafayette students and staff serve as volunteers within the Main Street Program. Donna Krivoski, Director of Parents relations has been a tremendous asset!
Thanks for the info, Megan--it's good for everyone to be really clear on who is doing what.
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