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RAVES & RAVES
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Jail maintenance 101: somebody's gotta do it!
No matter what type of problem solving plan Fayette takes with its jail, one thing for
certain is that in the future, whatever jail we end up with, needs to be maintained.
- As shown below, a source sends a photograph of a cell in his county's "new" jail. It's
one that Commissioner Al Ambrosini and the former controller discussed at a
Connellsville bar 20 months ago with architectural and engineering firm, L.R. Kimball
and Associates of Pittsburgh and New Jersey.
As per the jail ad hoc committee architectural group report from Jim Killinger from
February 20, 2013, they met to discuss criminal justice statistics, alternatives to
incarceration programs and a 2001 county jail "draft 500-bed core" developed for
Fayette.
Nonetheless, the new jail that they were looking to copy or learn from in that county
doesn't look so new and spiffy clean anymore. The rust and peeling paint on the bars or
doors, as shown in the lower right section of the photo, don't take long to accumulate
when nobody is maintaining the joint.
- That's a lesson, however, that nobody needed to travel any real distance to see first-
hand. All one has to do is to take a walk or short jaunt downtown Uniontown.
- ____________________________________________________________________________________
Zap: says months ago told
who would build jail
At today's county commission agenda planning
meeting, Commissioner Vince Zapotosky disclosed
that he was told months ago which architectural and
construction firms would build the once-proposed
Dunbar Township county jail.
Zapotosky, in mid-August, withdrew his support for
building an all-new jail in Dunbar Township, saying
simply that he no longer supported the project.
At the time, the project had been put out to bid
illegally, with only the support of Commissioner Al
Ambrosini, when a notice of solicitation of bids was
published in the building trades.
The notice, which appeared to be a genuine article,
bore county bidding project numbers and the name of
the interim county controller, who was unaware that
any such notice was published until checks started
arriving from prospective contractors wanting the
project specs.
- Today, Zapotosky said at the public meeting that
someone from the firm of Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and
Associates, the company hired to do Fayette's
feasibility study for the jail in 2013, and who
completed the drawings for the once-proposed all-
new jail, informed him that the entire project would
stay with that firm and Sleighter Engineering. The
construction project was never legally put out for bid.
As per Zapotosky at today's meeting, he, reportedly,
was told that the two firms would remain with the
project and build the jail.
Now how do you suppose the two companies
would've been guaranteed the job and would have
been able to submit the lowest bids before bidding
was allowed?
RAVES that Zapotosky stopped the project to work
with the minority commissioner to keep the jail
project legal and within the confines of downtown.
By votes of 2-1, the commissioners today agreed to
forward onto next week's agenda plans to transfer an
unused building from ownership of the city to the
county, for possible jail usage and to seek a project
manager for the downtown jail plans.
Also, jail related, next week the commissioners will
vote to accept or reject plans to start borrowing on a
line of credit up to $10 million dollars.
Of that amount, the county could spend up to roughly
$6.8 million of it for jail purposes, after repaying
$2.5 million borrowed from the 2014 general fund
and funding the $700,000 CYS building addition.
Next week, the first order of business should be to
remove Ambrosini from the chairman role and
remove that damn gavel from his hand. (14 Oct 14)
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"Alfie's Most Arrogant, Audacious Quote Yet"
"I'm the only one sitting up here who doesn't need a job."
Al Ambrosini, at today's county commissioner agenda meeting, making a most
unprofessional, inappropriate comment to his fellow commissioners and public.
Was he boasting that his significantly younger fellow commissioners don't have his
assets and he doesn't need to work? Or did he mean he doesn't care if he loses an
election for his prison cause? Or is it just a simple, pathetic cry for help, that he's in
over his head? Or all 3 possibilities?
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Annual Thanksgiving Eve Benefit Show
RAVES to Pittsburgh musician Bill Toms and his lovely wife, Joyce, as they are
gearing up for their 9th Annual Thanksgiving Benefit Concert.
This time around, they are playing for proceeds to benefit The Down Syndrome
Association of Pittsburgh, on Wednesday, November 26, 2014, at 8 pm, at the Hard
Rock Cafe in Pittsburgh (Station Square).
This event will feature an evening filled with Blues, Soul, and Rock and Roll, from
Jimmy Adler and Band, Bill Toms and Hard Rain (with special guests Shari Richards
and Helene Milan), and Jill Simmons & Friends (featuring Jill Simmons, Bill Toms,
Pat Scanga, Jeanie Shook, James Franciscus, Andrea Pearl, Jack Sanso, Marcy Brown,
and many more). There will also be a table with auction items.
Sean McDowell of WDVE and Rob O’Friel of WYEP will emcee. Ticket price is $12 in
advance and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased at The Hard Rock, or online at
showclix.
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Dirty politics, stealing and stupidity
RANTS to the sad state of things in area political and public service news today.
Front and center, dirty politics plays out in television ads for the 32nd state senate
race. Regardless of whether someone considers himself a politician or not, he's
playing dirty politics, oblivious to the fact that he or she, who throws the first
instigating, cheap slap, ends up losing the public's respect and the race long before
Election Day.
Moving then along, outside the 32nd state senate district, we have the almost
certainty -- i.e., at least, based on huddles at some obviously not private enough
gatherings -- that the upcoming county commissioner race will become the most
downright dirtiest political campaign that this county has seen.
In between today's latest television political ads, we shake our heads learning that an
area chief probation officer was charged with misusing public funds and that a
respected pharmacy owner is behind bars for stealing about $350,000 from
government and private insurances with lots of bogus prescription opioid refills.
It is unknown whether the pharmacy owner is an addict and did so to feed his own
habit or if he sold the tens of thousands of pain meds to create or maintain other
addicts. If he sold the opioid pills, the street value of the proceeds needs to be added
to the $350,000 that insurances lost to give a full picture of what he did. (10 Oct 14)
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Opponent of all-new jail to tour old jail
Neither a RANT nor a RAVE, but a note of anticipation for a possible newspaper report
or story of one citizen's first-time tour of the county jail tomorrow.
It's hard to imagine a student of Uniontown High School of the '70s not ever touring the
jail with Mr. Boyle's sociology classes. Perhaps she was absent from school that day.
- Nonetheless, tomorrow, sometimes photographer here and always outspoken county
government watchdog, Ms. Marybeth Homistek, will tour the inside of the county jail.
- RAVES that she's touring the lock up. While some are content doing nothing today to
improve the conditions for today's inmates and content to wait two years till an all-new
jail is built over a pyrite cesspool, it's easy to predict that Homistek will become an
even bigger thorn in some of those sides after she tours.
For instance, when she is shown the old piece of discarded, replaced water pipe, nearly
grossly corroded shut inside, you just know that she likely will rattle off prices of pipe
and cost analysis comparisons of what it would cost for county maintenance staff to
replace pipes (single or multiple phase repairs/replacement), versus the cost if the
whole project were contracted to a plumber.
Either that, or she'll have all that info the next morning.
- This two-year wait to improve the quality of life of the inmates isn't going to sit well
with Homistek, once she sees how the upkeep of the jail has been neglected. It's one
thing to hear about it, but another to see first hand the impact of the prison upkeep
being neglected for so long. I'm betting that her long list of fast-track fixes, prioritized
with what I'm sure will be the most intricate detail, will reach from the podium to the
floor at future county meetings.
I hear that area bookies are placing bets on whether inmates and staff at the county jail
soon will receive bottled drinking water, after hearing that she is touring the jail. It's a
wiser bet to bet that it won't end with just the water. (6 Oct 14)
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RAVES to Jim Killinger of Uniontown for complaining to the press about smoking
restrictions not being enforced 30 feet from the courthouse doors.
While it's easy to understand why the uninformed public might not enforce the ban -- i.
e., without yet to be purchased visible reminder signs banning smoking -- RANTS that
employees pictured smoking in the newspaper spread disregard a county policy. (6 Oct
14)
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County seeks proposals for downtown jail property
The county's ad seeking sealed proposals for property in downtown Uniontown for a
county jail started publication in the paper today. There is to be a separate notice
elsewhere for proposals for the pre-constructed jail pods.
Meanwhile, RANTS that the county's website was not prepared for the notice today to
run, apparently. The notice in the paper says that interested persons may obtain specs
and proposal sheets from the county's website. However, mail started flowing in earlier
from readers asking why no information is found today on the website. Email is sent to
the commissioners asking when that information will be available online. Hopefully,
tomorrow, readers! (5 Oct 14)
Editor's Note: info is now online on the county's website. (6 Oct 14)
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- Neither a RANT nor a RAVE, but a chuckle wondering why someone from Castle
Shannon gives a rat's behind about Al's jail plan enough to write to the paper about it.
Some of us are still wondering when the county opted to change its $28-30 million
Crabtree design to a two-story jail and expand county services to include a kids' jail for
the 4 kids we house in detention elsewhere. Please read "What happened to Al
and Tom's $28-30 million budget?" (5 Oct 14)
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"Quotes Of The Day"
- "I don't know how much experience you have in construction, but the cost of
renovating the old structure AND building vertical structures is without a
doubt greater than the cost of building new and flat. "
Unnamed newspaper writer, in email recently to me, as we discussed the
county's situation with the jail
- "There's no way that the all-new plan in Dunbar Twp was coming in in that
$28-32 million range that Al and Tom Crabtree repeated last year so many
times as a solemn promise.
"Don't forget that that 9/13 estimate was before they changed plans and didn't
tell anyone for months that they were adding a second floor and kids
detention services.
"That said, I think Al's redesign makes his point of horizontal vs vertical
build costs a moot point."
Me, in response, wondering how such a reasonably intelligent person writing
in support of an all-new facility seemed so genuinely unaware that the last
minute jail redesign slid through to zoning had a second story and would
include a teen jail for the 4 kids we send out of county for services
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- Contest to guess when all the pictures
will match the correct online inmate records
- Readers are asked to submit guesses when the county jail's online inmate
search records will be corrected. The winner will receive a $50 gift card to
the restaurant, gym, shooting range or tire store of choice.
- Rules:
- One entry per reader will be accepted through 12 noon on October 4. In the
case of duplicate entries, the one recorded first by email time will win.
- Entries must include name, email and the full date when you think the
online inmate search records will be fully corrected.
- Entries can be sent to webmaster@julietoye.com
- Lets be positive. Guesses saying, "It will never be corrected" will be
discarded.
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- Warden asked to explain online county
inmate search screw ups
A concerned citizen today stopped by the court house to relay to the
commissioners the errors that he is finding on the online county inmate
search records mentioned previously here.
After he spoke with one of the commissioner's administrative assistants
and provided her with an email of his concerns, a commissioner wrote to
the warden asking for an explanation and a resolution.
The request for an explanation and a resolution from the commissioner to
the warden was carbon copied to the other prison board members. (1 Oct
14)
- County jail inmate search photos: just 1 of 7 correct, so far
- An informal search underway of online county jail inmate incarceration
information and photos so far documents 6 of 7 incorrect inmate identifying
photographs -- i.e., contains someone else's picture, in other words.
Whether or not this inexcusable mistake on the county's website jail inmate
search records contributed to a wrong prisoner being released in recent times
is unknown.
However, it's outright shameful, that, right off the bat, a new search underway
of only 7 so far different known prisoners pulled up 6 of 7 wrong inmate
photographs.
One inmate of 7 searched today, on a positive note, had all 15 of his
identifying photos correct over 15 different sentences and stays in the jail.
More on this later. (1 Oct 14)
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Paper allows attack to continue
RANTS to the editorial page editor at the Herald Standard for allowing all of
the comments in a letter to the editor from Jim Killinger to stand
unaddressed, without at least a brief editorial comment written to readers
with the letter.
Killinger has every right -- i.e., because this is America -- to make silly
remarks, such as calling anyone opposed to an all-new jail in Dunbar
Township "anarchists." He's such a hoot that way.
RANTS, however, that Killinger once again tossed out there the childish,
incorrect comment that another commissioner or two could have, should have
attended the unadvertised Ambrosini jail ad hoc committee group meetings,
but chose not to do so.
It's getting old.
RANTS that the paper allows his legally incorrect comment to repeat time
after time, without adding an editorial comment such as "Our newspaper
attorney disagrees with Killinger and offered legal opinion that the
unadvertised monthly meetings of Ambrosini's jail ad hoc committee violated
the Sunshine Law."
If, by now, the former architectural ad hoc group leader can't get it through
his head that it would have been a Sunshine breach for 2 commissioners to
have been present at those meetings, the paper had and ignored its editorial
obligation to tack on a comment to educate him and its readers of its own
attorney's ignored legal opinion. (1 Oct 14)
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Where's the ad?
While 2 commissioners voted 2 weeks ago to publish public notice soliciting
prices on pre-constructed jail pod buildings and downtown property, the
notice has yet to be published in the paper.
Today, those commissioners had some discussion about the matter, as
Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink said she spent time earlier today getting
basic info for specs. (30 Sept 14)
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Why don't some common sense jail
repairs get done?
RANTS that the county prison board (3 commissioners, district attorney,
controller, sheriff) has taken no action to mandate that repairs be made to the
county jail's leaking pipes and to replace or reinforce wooden exterior doors
vulnerable to inmate escape.
Talk to this one and he'll say that higher ups stop repairs from being made.
Talk to someone else and he'll laugh it off and say it's nonsense. Talk to yet
someone else and he'll say some are afraid to speak openly at a public
meeting. Others even offer empathy and a supportive pass to staff who say
one thing one day and recant the next day out of fear of losing their jobs.
The bottom line is that the whole situation sucks and doesn't need to keep
sucking until two completely opposites sides of an issue battle it out.
Regardless of whether the Dunbar Township all-new facility is built or if pods
go in downtown, there's an emergency situation that is being neglected right
now.
The negligence of the prison board for not mandating that leaking pipes and
drains be fixed can only cause county real estate or assets to decrease in
value. It also poses a health risk for anyone housed or working in sitting
water or sewage.
The games, utter nonsense and leaking pipes need to stop. Whoever stops
repairs from being made to add to the drama of an overcrowded, old facility
needs to be fired or removed from office.
The jail warden this week is supposed to get with his staff and address the
matters in the staff's complaints to the newspaper and then report back to the
prison board. Yes, we've heard that before. Cue the violins.
RANTS that government is comfortable with and has chosen the much slower
path to problem solving. (30 Sept 14)
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"Quotes Of The Day"
"The Xinhua Signal has not acted as the watchdog of government, as those in
the field of journalism are so fond of saying. The Xinhua Signal has not been
a fourth independent estate in Fayette County; it has acted as an arm of those
corrupt officials in the local government. It is their propaganda arm, and as
such, the Xinhua Signal and its staff are the main reason for the corruption in
our beloved county."
Neuman, exert from "The Adventures of Alfred and Vincent Part 12"
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When will dep warden's pipes be fixed & what about those
doors?
County commissioners today were asked if there is any plan to fast track
repairs to pipes in the deputy warden's office and to reinforce/replace wooden
rear doors at the jail.
Readers recall that a union rep at the last prison board meeting pointed out
that the doors are vulnerable for inmate escape. These 2 items should fall into
the "emergency needs" category, no? More to follow. (29 Sept 14)
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Why did the warden give conflicting answers?
RANTS that we seem to have two conflicting statements to go on from the
county jail warden, in regard to sewage back ups at the historic facility.
At Friday's reconvened prison board meeting, the warden, at about 18:35
into the video from Chuck U. Farley, was asked to comment on staff's
complaints that staff must walk through human waste 2-3 hours daily at the
county lock up, due to daily sewage back ups inside the old jail.
"It don't. If it backs up on a daily basis, I'm unaware of it," the warden
answered Friday at the public meeting."
That said, why then does today's Herald Standard contain the following
photo cut line:
"Warden Brian Miller looks over the aging sewage pipe system of the
Fayette County Prison. Sewage backups are a constant occurrence, says
Miller, as inmates stuff bedding and other items down the cell block
toilets. "
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When is the full truth going to be told here?
RANTS that the county maintenance director/public works director has
received no work repair requests, yet the paper today says that the deputy
warden "has a plastic garbage can near his desk that is used to confine
sewerage from the floor above and not spread across his cramped office
floor."
- Why?
RANTS that repair requests are not being made for these issues and that
staff not reporting the problems through proper channels go
unreprimanded.
- In the real world, tenants with residential or commercial leases are held
accountable, if structural damage results from delaying or not reporting at
all a need for a repair to the owner.
Logic and common sense dictate that the longer a leak goes without repair,
the more damage there is to plaster, dry wall from water, mold, warping,
and rotting of structural support beams and flooring, including
complications with wiring if it gets wet, etc.
- Add to the mix complaints from the public, including a former inmate, that
mold is a problem in at least one area prisoners use, logic and common
sense dictate that the jail be thoroughly cleaned and that emergency
repairs be made immediately. Nobody should have to be suggesting that
these corrective measures be coordinated. Nobody should have to be told
to do his or her job.
- RANTS, most of all, that most opinions shared to date about the jail's
plumbing seem to be oblivious of these obvious facts:
- There is a big, big difference between a broken water pipe and an
intentionally clogged toilet.
- Unsupervised inmates can and will intentionally block toilets with items
and materials and do so even in all of the other brand new county,
state and federal facilities built elsewhere.
- The county's director of maintenance and public works has received
no verbal or written requests for repairs or replacement of broken
water or drain pipes in the jail.
Seriously, if inmates who commit suicide can remain hanging for 30
minutes undetected with current day video monitoring, do these downtown
folks really believe that inmates in an all-new facility stuffing toilets will be
stopped, in record time, with a reduced number of staff monitoring them?
With the plan that Commissioner Al Ambrosini has in mind, to employ less
staff per shift to guard more inmates in a new facility, shouldn't we,
logically and realistically then, expect even more stuffed toilets in an all-
new facility then? You betcha!
Even in an all-new facility, the whining, bitching and moaning about all of
the intentionally stuffed toilets would still be a common complaint. (28
Sept 14)
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"Quote Of The Day"
"You can have a prison in the city, but the problem is there has to be an
outside perimeter that just a citizen off the street can't walk up to. The fence
or something has to be there."
Frank Rutherford, UMWA District 2 rep, in a new video, "Recipe for
disaster," produced by the Herald Standard, talking about the need for a fence
or barrier from keeping the public at bay from getting illegal contraband to
prisoners.
Developers of the once-proposed, all-new Dunbar Township jail, however,
sought and received zoning approval to plant less trees and not to build a
fence surrounding the facility. After mild initial haggling, the county threw in
an offer to put up a fence in a small area near a public walking trail along
railroad tracks.
- Planners of the once-proposed all-new jail in Dunbar said the facility would
be so pretty, it would be a shame for people on surrounding properties and
public roads not to see it. They debated the need for a fence that Rutherford
must still believe was included in the jail perimeter design.
The building itself, they said, would look like a school. No need to hide it
with a fence and tree perimeter, the architect and engineer adamantly stressed
at a zoning hearing and county planning commission meeting.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Editor's Note: To access video from Chuck U. Farley of the below discussed
meeting, please click here. Although the audio is at times distorted, it clearly
documents that Commissioner Al Ambrosini was annoyed that Commissioner
Angela Zimmerlink questioned the jail warden about staff complaints given to
a local paper. RAVES to Chuck U. Farley for posting the meeting video and
for doing so so promptly.
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Warden disproves jail staff complaints
- At today's prison board meeting, the county jail warden disagreed with a
written list of statements, reportedly given to the media and written from
the standpoint of jail correctional staff.
The list of complaints about the old jail was sent via email to the county
commissioners, as the local paper is said to be planning a two-day media
blitz on the information.
- One by one, as the complaints were read, the warden pretty much
disagreed with, well, pretty much all of the statements. As per the email
sent to the commissioners, the complaints claim there's no security at the
jail, no weapons for staff to use, raw sewage on the floor daily and
deteriorated walls that can be broken through for inmate escapes.
The written complaints given to the newspaper also included the supposed
fear staff have with what was said to be an increase in the number of
knives obtained by inmates.
As per the warden at today's meeting, yes, there is security. There are
locked weapons on site. Any plumbing mess causing raw sewage to leak
was repaired. The walls cannot be broken through. Knives, as per the
warden, have not increased as contraband.
A quarter of a RAVE must go out to a union rep who attended today and
emotionally reacted to the warden's dismissal of the bulk of the written
complaints.
In spite of needing a time out, the union rep still scores a quarter RAVE for
screeching the grain of truth to the complaint given to the paper that
inmates can break through the walls.
A quarter RAVE because that union rep informed the board at a public
meeting on video that some rear wooden doors need immediate attention.
RAVES, O, RAVES, however, that the historic, old jail walls are structurally
sound and not crumbling, as some want us to believe.
RANTS if we have to read this crap in Sunday and Monday's papers.
There's one more water pipe leaking that needs fixed, as per the union rep
at today's meeting. Hold the presses! (26 Sept 14)
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Prison board reconvenes in public meeting
Today the county prison board reconvened in a public meeting. No
disciplinary action was taken in the matter of unspecified issues with the
county jail warden or any other jail employee.
Board members opted to investigate further before taking action. The
meeting was continued two days ago, when citizens voiced various
concerns about prisoners sleeping on concrete, black mold in the booking
cells, dirty conditions which could be cleaned but aren't.
Later today, Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink said that "disciplinary
action/performance review should have been taken and it was not." (26
Sept 14)
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Staff oblivious to plans for jail 2nd story?
When will Alfie be removed as chairman?
RANTS that Al Ambrosini has not been removed as county commission
chairman of Fayette County. Yesterday, he continued to meet with his jail
ad hoc committee to press for the Dunbar Township jail and memorial
shrine to himself to be built.
RANTS that Ambrosini and his dwindling group of supporters may even
consider filing a federal law suit to get the current jail closed down,
foolishly thinking that a court order as such would better guarantee that
the all-new Dunbar Township jail will be built.
Such a filing likely only would cause the downtown plans to move more
quickly.
While Ambrosini's jail plans ultimately included plans for a second story for
the new jail, today's Herald Standard's article, "Prison working group to
study staffing, policy needs for new lock up," contains this following
uncontested statement: "While some have advocated the working group be
dismantled, the attending members said that anything short of a single-
story, one location correctional facility would not meet the current or
future needs of the county."
RANTS that a majority of commissioners stopped all work on a new jail to
explore alternatives, but that the jail ad hoc committee and Ambrosini
demonstrate that they are unwilling to explore alternatives.
Ambrosini cannot be removed quickly enough as chairman of the board of
commissioners. It's a symbolic move, yes, but one that is long overdue in
happening.
Likewise, the commissioners themselves also cannot act quickly enough to
ban county employees from meeting with Ambrosini on paid work time to
hold these jail ad hoc committee work group meetings. Surely, they have
other more pressing county work that needs to be completed. (26 Sept 14)
______________________________________________________________________________
Cost savings ideas presented to prison board
At today's county prison board meeting, the board heard a few common
sense cost savings ideas that deserve its prompt consideration. RANTS
that overworked jail staff had to come to ask that several job vacancies be
filled immediately and RANTS that citizens seem to do a better job than the
county does tracking and counting inmate's by the severity of crimes
committed.
RAVES, first, to those staff for pointing out that the long, drawn-out hiring
process seems ridiculous, given that many who applied for the jobs are
already trained on the job part-timers.
RANTS that the budget for the jail is hit hard by staff over time costs when
it doesn't seem to need to be. RANTS that even one or two of the six or
seven openings aren't filled immediately. RANTS to the unnecessary costs
and the emotional and physical toll that working ongoing over-time takes
on staff.
RAVES, also, to citizen Kathryn Jones of Uniontown for informing the
prison board that she tallied the list of inmate charges and convictions and
believes that 10 percent of them should not be in jail.
As per her count, Jones said 10 percent of the inmates were involved in
victimless, non-violent criminal cases. RANTS that the courts can't do more
to revisit these cases and release some who shouldn't be incarcerated.
RANTS that during the Dunbar Township jail planning drama -- i.e., really
since the fall of 2012 -- that RTK answers from the county were always "we
don't know," when asked for a percentage or number of inmates
incarcerated for non-violent crimes.
RAVES that people such as Jones can pour over lists and determine rough
statistics to prove that these possibly time-consuming tasks of reviewing
and comprising lists or categories of criminal severity are, nonetheless,
easily completed tasks.
The county should feel ashamed. (24 Sept 14)
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Prison board to reconvene Friday in executive
session
The county's prison board meeting today was continued and is to
reconvene in private session in 2 days to discuss jail administrative staff
issues.
At today's short meeting, Commissioner Vince Zapotosky questioned
whether Commissioner Al Ambrosini, the jail warden and two guard union
members met for a press interview yesterday in the warden's office. Two
union staff who attended today's public meeting said they were not
involved.
Following an executive session today, the upcoming scheduled private
meeting was announced to discuss more about jail administrative staff
issues. (24 Sept 14)
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Farley stands ground, records county meeting
RAVES to Chuck U. Farley of Uniontown for standing his ground and
demanding that he be allowed to record today's county prison board
meeting.
Upon arrival at the county jail for the meeting, the young video documenter
objected to being stopped from recording the meeting. Farley persisted
and was given his checked phone/camera back to record the brief meeting.
RAVES to Farley, once again, for volunteering his time and energy to
preserve a public meeting by recording it and quickly releasing the video to
the public. Here is a link to today's county prison board meeting. (24 Sept
14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Security breach, exaggeration, delusion and/or lie?
Alfie cites contraband as reason to
build all-new jail
RAVES of chuckles reading today's letter to the editor from the county
commish chair, Al Ambrosini, to the Herald Standard.
Exactly what does he mean when he refers to the current jail and current
jail annex and says that "we already experience contraband problems with
just two buildings because of a lack of supervision." Does Ambrosini
realize the full impact of what he just said? How does contraband just
magically appear in those restricted areas? It doesn't.
RANTS that Ambrosini doesn't seem to realize that he described a major
security breach is happening inside restricted jail areas. Contraband
doesn't just rain down from the sky, right?
RANTS, also, that Ambrosini seems to have forgotten that his plan
presented for the once-proposed, tossed aside new justice center also
expanded at the last dramatic minute to include a second story. Why then
does he, in today's paper, bash one of the alternate jail plans that includes
a second story? Surely, he forgot that his plan included a second story,
too.
Did Ambrosini also forget that his county jail ad hoc committee also
produced several opinions from engineers, architects and building
professionals that the old jail could be upgraded?
RANTS that Ambrosini, instead, hasn't produced solid proof from the real
world to support his often-touted claim from his fantasy, spin and
delusional world that the total costs for housing out of county inmates is a
solid $200,000 per month expense.
Gee, why is it that Ambrosini hasn't produced such proof? Why is it that he
will never, never, never be able to produce such factual documentation?
Why is it that nobody should take anything he says seriously, until he
produces such proof many times requested of him? (22 Sept 14)
__________________________________________________________________________________
- "Quotes Of The Day"
- "... most of the people behind the bars are violent and should not be out
on the streets for everyone in the community's safety."
Fayette County Prison staff, posting this week on Al Ambrosini's election Facebook
page, stressing that the county needs a jail with solid cell doors to prevent
prisoners from spitting in his face again. The staff described two separate attacks
two days ago on him and two other jail staff because, in his opinion, there are no
solid cell doors.
"Make no mistake we know what our daily risks could be but we also know
that there are people in positions of power that can give us the support
and respect to authorize the building of a new prison having our health
and safety in mind.
"How many of us have to be assaulted before someone does the right
thing? It's totally out of control and not the fault of anyone that works in
the prison. It lies on the shoulders of people that head up Fayette county
that refuse to respect the Correction Officers and do the right thing and
build a new prison for the officers safety and well being of all that work
there."
RANTS that the staff feels that persons opposed to an all-new jail do not
care about the safety of jail staff. (18 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
- Unanimous vote to get bids for downtown jail space
RAVES to Commissioner Al Ambrosini for being part of a unanimous vote,
to seek bids for costs of prison pre-constructed pod buildings and also to
seek bids/costs from downtown building/property owners for an alternative
idea than the pods.
- There is nothing at all smart-ass about this, readers, please be assured.
The RAVES to Ambrosini for voting unanimously for the county to perform
due diligence are genuinely sincere RAVES.
Readers are encouraged to pray -- again, not being a smart ass -- that
tomorrow or the day after, we don't hear that he misunderstood the full
meaning of the motion and vote. (16 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Editor's Note: To view tomorrow's agenda for the meeting of the county
board of commissioners, please click here.
Included on the agenda is an item for commissioners to "consider
discussion and possible action on Resolutions passed prior to August 19,
2014 concerning any and all matters pertaining to new construction of the
Justice & Rehabilitation Center." (15 Sept 14)
________________________________________________________________________________
"Quote Of The Day"
"The anonymous blogger is calling for time sheets for Zap's assistant to
see if she clocked out for the radio interview a few Fridays ago. Did the
blogger ask if the assistant punched off the clock or took vacation time to
be interviewed by Al and the reporter for the paper? What's the difference?"
Pete, today at the diner
________________________________________________________________________________
Zimmerlink repeats alternative jail plan in HS
RAVES that she seemed to be reading our minds, as just recently a buzz
question of the day was did anyone have a link to the minority
commissioner's 2013 plan to resolve county jail problems and keep the jail
downtown Uniontown.
Today, Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink penned some commentary very
worth reading, again outlining those ideas in the Herald Standard.
Her commentary today was in response to a recent editorial claiming that
her only solution to jail overcrowding is to find vacant space in downtown
Uniontown and parade prisoners to their locations.
- RAVES to her for not letting that unkind, untrue, biased comment to go
ignored and for repeating the ideas that she outlined last year around the
time of the Crabtree road show jail public meetings. (14 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Ground breaking photo op recreated for
Ambrosini?
RAVES for photo opportunities and hotels springing up in the middle of
nowhere. If you're a public official running late for a ground breaking
ceremony, public gathering and photo op, there's no real need to rush. As
these photos from different sources indicate, the Connellsville hotel
ground breaking yesterday was re-inacted with some different folks
manning the shovels.
Please note that Commissioner Al Ambrosini did not make it into the Trib's
ground breaking photo, but he is pictured in a promotional photo series
from hotel developers in this You Tube video.
County Commissioner Vince Zapotosky, shown in the group of spectators
in the series of pictures on You Tube, did not man a shovel to turn over
some dirt in either of the sources' pictures. (13 Sept 14)
________________________________________________________________________________
- Editor's Note: Due to problems in publishing, the entire below piece was not
published originally.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Zap lobbies city council for downtown jail
support
RAVES to Commissioner Vince Zapotosky for lobbying the Uniontown City
Council to support keeping the jail downtown. No kidding; this was an
awesomely brilliant move on his part.
While we may want to shake our heads, laugh and ask what took
Zapotosky so long to see through the flimsy jail plans that he strongly
supported for over a year, I still must send RAVES that he had the you
know what to appear at the city council meeting and ask for the council's
support.
While Zapotosky has drawn his share of RANTS here over his years in
office, he is RAVED for calling the county back to the planning table in the
jail matter. Throughout the process, his has always been the second
needed vote. It cost the county to spend a few million dollars already,
possibly unnecessarily.
He says he thinks the county can spend about $20 million to correct all
that's wrong with the county jail. The minority commissioner's past ideas
came also with a much lower estimate than did the all-new jail in the
Crabtree design.
There are still supporters out there of the Ambrosini state of the art prison
in Dunbar Township, you know, who ignore the two preliminary geo-
technical land surveys and the fact that an illegal public bid notice was
illegally published in the building trades and $450 checks from duped
contractors were received.
Those facts alone prove that some in the county are not as smart as
Zapotosky.
He may pay at the polls, if he runs for re-election, for helping to waste over
$2 million dollars on Ambrosini's jail. That's beside the point here, now.
In the meantime, though, lets move on. Lets hear what he has to say and
see how well he and the minority commissioner can problem solve.
We're betting they will resolve the jail overcrowding problem sooner than
the once-proposed Ambrosini jail would take to be built. (11 Sept 14)
"Favorite Quotes Of 2014 So Far"
- "Believe me, you need all the help you can get, partner, so you should
listen..."
John Cofchin, to Commissioner Al Ambrosini, at the special meeting,
February 26, 2014, in a cramped room to announce the purchase of the
$1.25 million land in Dunbar Township, when Ambrosini tried to stop
Cofchin from speaking again, as seen at 3:09 into the video at this link.
The same speaker a little later, at 3:57, in the same link above of part 6 of
Chuck U. Farley's video recording, provides another favorite quote of 2014
so far, during the exchange and mention of quantum physics.
___________________________________________________________________________
- "Quotes Of The Day"
- "So a former magistrate is charged with perjury and obstructing of law
over the new judge's nephew's DUI case being bounced out of court."
Pete, today at the diner, reacting to television news that the state attorney
general's office charged the former magistrate for his role in the 2011 now
infamous case
"Better tell the grand jury to reconvene. They're not done yet here with this
one!"
Dave, in response, indicating that at least one other individual needs also
to be charged, possibly 2
- _______________________________________________________________________________
13 years ago...
RANTS that an anniversary, now 13 times passed, still is overwhelmingly
painful for many to observe. RAVES of ongoing respect to the group of NYC
firefighters and police, who became charter readers here 9 years ago, because
of the St. Paul's Chapel piece written here once upon a time.
RAVES to Ed and his guys, who were part of the original first responders in
NYC, for continuing to offer support to kids who lost parents 13 years ago in
the Twin Towers. Ed once shared such unforgettable words here, that every
day since the terrorist attacks is September 12th for him. He was not
exaggerating in the least. And to update, nothing that way has changed.
RAVES to some of the finest people imaginable, as they, no doubt, will at
some point today meet again on the bench in Lower Manhattan, outside St.
Paul's Chapel, to quietly remember the friends, co-workers and thousands of
other lives lost 13 years ago today. (11 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
County to advertise for downtown property,
downtown construction
RAVES that the county commissioners will have on their next agenda
whether to advertise for a downtown building for a jail and whether to get
bids on adding on to the current jail or building an all-new jail facility.
Can a blogger declare a county holiday?
________________________________________________________________________________
Warden: Unaware of Crabtree
drawing specifics?
The county jail warden, who has been quoted as saying that he spent a
considerable amount of time jail planning with the county-contracted jail
architect, today was unable to state something so basic as how many
adolescent cells were planned in Crabtree's proposed Dunbar Township jail
design.
_______________________________________________________________________________
1 of 3 jail sewage aps
County jail sewage grant rejected
RANTS for added confusion created to an already confusing enough situation.
More specifically, I'm talking about what a big difference a day made to news
of the status of grants in process for county jail sewage installation.
On Friday, the local paper, the Herald Standard, told it's readers ("Future
uncertain for in-place prison sewerage plans, grants and land purchase") that
the county's grant writer was confused, in the dark, because he had "yet to
learn from the commissioners whether he should notify the agencies that he
intends to" cancel the grant applications.
RANTS that he took his frustration out by contacting the paper instead of the
commissioners to ask a simple question.
Instead, he whined in the paper Friday that the "Appalachian Regional
Commission rated Fayette County’s grant application for the construction of
an access road to the proposed prison as the number one priority, putting it in
line for the available $500,000 federal grant.
“With the support of the 10-county region, Fayette County is in a good
position to receive the grant,” he said in Friday's paper.
Meanwhile, in today's Trib, we learn that the same county staff wrote to the
county commissioners on Friday that the U.S. Department of Commerce
denied Fayette County's application for a $587,289 jail sewage grant.
RANTS that it nearly is 3 weeks since the commissioners halted the plans in
motion for the once proposed all-new jail in Dunbar Township and nobody
connected seems on the same page.
Commissioners should have already met at least once or twice in the past 2
weeks to talk about the jail.
RANTS, too, that the legal public notice advertising the scheduling of the
commissioners' work group sessions to be on an "as needed" basis those
Tuesdays and Thursdays we mentioned below two days ago. Yes, there is a
purpose to the inclusion of the "as needed" status in the ad, but developing a
plan of action and discussing ideas and new concepts takes time.
Should the other 2 jail-related sewage grant applications ($852,000 grant for
the development of sewage service to the proposed prison site and a $78,000
grant application to the state Department of Community Economic
Development towards costs ) be formally cancelled at this time?
Shouldn't something as important as deciding whether to formally cancel the
grant applications or to allow the grant applications already filed to run their
course -- be subjects that the county commissioners and their grant writer
should have discussed already, one way or another? Do the applications
legally have to be cancelled under the circumstances?
While it sounds as though this is a subject that the county solicitor might
need to be consulted over, the county commissioners apparently still need
improved communication between them and their department heads or
administrative staff, when the out-of-the-ordinary, high priority, local
government situations happen.
If halting plans for a new county jail and major county project isn't example
of an out-of-the-ordinary, high priority, local government situation, nothing
else likely ever will be. (7 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
County schedules jail work sessions
RAVES, finally, that county jail work sessions have been scheduled.
As per a courthouse source, the legal notice will be advertised in Sunday's
paper. Commissioners are to meet on the second Tuesday of a month at 2
PM and on the fourth Tuesday at 10 AM for the purpose of addressing the
county jail overcrowding problem. These meetings are scheduled to be
held in the county commissioners' conference room in the courthouse. (5
Sept 14)
______________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
- "Seriously, I have a hard time with Zap stopping the jail plans and then
going this long, a few weeks now, without scheduling a county
commissioner work session together.
Pete, today, so curious why there has been no work session scheduled yet
for the 3 county commissioners to meet and talk about jail options.
"I like Zimmerlink's plan last year with the pre-constructed buidings. Six
months operational.
Pete's former co-worker, wondering aloud if the commissioner has given
any more thought to the ideas she kicked around last year, or whether
she's comfortable leaving her ideas from last year to stand on their own at
this time with little or no change.
- "Don't forget; (Commissioner Al) Ambrosini says we can move a lot of
prisoners out to group homes. The Veterans' Court is starting up. The
chaplain's residential program is going to start up. Day Reporting Center
has to have helped some with recidivism in a year.
"We should move Ambrosini's group home people out of the county jail
ASAP. Let Ambrosini lead the way to funding all that or let him shut up and
stop making ridiculous statements or reasons why we need an all-new
county jail."
Dave, to anyone listening
- "It's interesting that Al told radio listeners that a high percentage of
inmates could be in supervised group homes. I say interesting because it
hasn't really been that long ago that RTK answers were "I/we don't know,"
when asked how many inmates qualified for the Day Reporting Center,
Veterans' Court, Mental Health Court, etc. I'm glad Al's so enlightened
now."
Moi
- _______________________________________________________________________________
Another Ambrosini snafu?
New point raised in jail zoning matter
An attorney, representing one of the two groups of citizen challenging the
county zoning decisions about the proposed Dunbar Township jail, filed a
new motion, previously referenced 2 days ago in the "Another Ambrosini
snafu..." piece below.
The group contends that the county had never passed any motions or
resolutions authorizing application for zoning on the jail land and project.
The attorney representing the group maintains that Fayette County
Commission Chairman Al Ambrosini acted without the approval of fellow
commissioners when he applied for zoning variances for property for the
purposed jail. (3 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Jail zoning land use appeals continued till Nov. 12
- A hearing on the jail zoning motion to strike intervention from the county,
scheduled to be heard in 2 days, will not be held. Other parts of the case
have been rescheduled to be heard in November.
Visiting Westmoreland County Senior Judge William Ober has given the
appellants in the case, two groups of citizens appealing the county zoning
decisions in the matter of the proposed new Dunbar Township jail land,
until September 26 to file their briefs in support of their land use appeals.
Ober has given the county zoning board until October 27 then to respond.
(2 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Group contends SCI Fayette toxic coal waste killing inmates
Human rights activists contend that SCI Fayette was built in the midst of 40
million tons of coal toxic waste and is killing its inmates at an alarming rate.
To read the complete one-year investigation into the health issues of
inmates and residents of the coal town in which the prison is located, "No
escape: Exposure to coal toxic waste at SCI Fayette, please click here.
SCI Fayette, the 2,000 bed, $125 million maximum security prison where all
of the state’s vehicle license plates are made, opened in LaBelle in 2003. It
was built on part of the old strip mine site that has been used for coal
combustion waste disposal for 60 years. (2 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
- "The question isn't why (a person's real name Pete uses when he refers to
the blog FCPH) is dising Zap again... For me, the question is why is that
blogger giving Ambrosini a free pass?"
Pete, today, reading the blogger's latest trash Zapotosky piece
"He writes what he is told to write."
Dave
"I'm running out of heroes."
Pete
Another Ambrosini snafu making it to court
tomorrow?
RANTS because it seems another infamous procedural snafu from the
county commish chair will prompt another court case appeal to be filed in
the morning.
Goodness gracious, is this man seriously considering a run at re-election
when he never seriously attempted to learn the basics of ethics and county
codes?
Why is he still the county commish chairman? RANTS that the other two
have not de-throwned him yet. More to come tomorrow. (1 Sept 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Old burgh music videos released
RAVES to people such as Sasha Koledin, for releasing previously unseen
video of some priceless live Pittsburgh music acts.
Take a moment to see a young Glen Pavone on fire, backing James King
on fairly decent quality video, from Gene's Blues Bar, before Eminent
Domain took that hole in a wall, fun place off the map for the Rt. 51/Liberty
Bridge intersection expansion.
RAVES to Sasha for giving up this recording, in impressive black and white
video from Gene's. It brought a lump to throats and smiles to those who
knew those two gentlemen and miss them.
Sasha also gives us a live version of the Silencer's "Cry Tough." Thank
you, Sasha, very, very much. (31 Aug 14)
_____________________________________________________________
- Ambrosini crying the blues in letter to ed
RAVES of chuckles this Sunday morning reading the commish chair's letter to
the editor of the Herald Standard, rehashing how the jail ad hoc committee
came to exisit and why.
RAVES of chuckles that he brings out the big guns -- i.e., a 14-month-old
editorial starting with, "Let's be clear about one thing, Fayette County must
build a new prison as soon as possible."
RANTS because the commish chair is still whining in a letter to the editor
today about losing his second vote on an all-new jail in Dunbar Township.
RANTS because his letter praises the work of his volunteer jail work group,
but also makes no mention of all of the different professional opinions that he
gathered himself and then buried on the current jail's ability to be redone.
(Please see items 6-9 in this link.).
RANTS because the commish chair is still blaming others and refuses
to accept responsibility for withholding a second dismal geo-technical
land survey for a few months and for allowing illegal ads requesting a
solicitation of bids be published in building trade publications. (31
Aug 14)
________________________________________________________
- "I see Golddigger is back in the news. Why hasn't the county defense hit
on Golddigger's social media comments that she published during this time
of supposed anguish?"
Pete, today, in email from his vacation at the shore, stressing that his
concern is about what's right versus what isn't right. He also stressed that
he does not minimize the overall anguish typical that anyone in
Golddigger's position with a CYS complaint is expected to experience.
"I see Golddigger had herself removed from the suit because she says she
was too easy a target to discredit. Imagine that!"
Dave, replying, emailing from a different vacation at a nearby shore,
situating his fishing seat, getting ready for a leisurely spent Labor Day
weekend with his extended family, including his future son-in-law, who
dislikes sports, politics, fishing, visiting small social clubs with older men
and tip boards, bowling in alleys and on machines, sitting at diners and
doing most other things that Dave holds sacred and dear to his heart.
_______________________________________________________________________________
County planning jail work session meeting(s)?
Since announcing to AM radio talk show listeners 15 days ago that he
wants to explore other options before committing to continue with the
proposed Dunbar Township county jail construction plans, Commissioner
Vince Zapotosky hasn't announced that a commissioners work session
meeting is scheduled. Neither has Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink.
Both commissioners had been asked two days ago for comment on
whether such a work session is being scheduled. Lets hope so. Shouldn't
we be hearing something? (30 Aug 14)
________________________________________________________________________________
Zap refused to sign for July down payment
Are we stuck with the $1.25 million
dollar land deal from Hell?
While we know that some pending zoning appeal hearings address that
notion that the land deal is dependent on zoning processes going
smoothly, it is a comfort to know that the county has not signed off on
payment for any part of the $1.25 million dollars to the seller.
When asked what's up with the land deal -- i.e., does the county end up
saddled with the land -- Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink said today that a
payment of $125,000 was to have been made toward the total purchase
price of $1.25 million dollars, at the timing of the signing of the agreement
of sale, which was in April.
In July when the internal requisition was processed, Zimmerlink said that
"Commissioner Zapotosky refused to sign the requisition to process the
payment."
To her knowledge, Zimmerlink said that the requisition to purchase or pay
a $125,000 down payment for the land still has not received a needed
second commissioner signature.
RAVES to Zapotosky for not signing that requisition in July. RAVES, RAVES.
RANTS, though, that the agreement of sale was signed by all parties before
all possible paths of due diligence were thoroughly explored.
______________________________________________________________
County yet to advertise for land, property for a jail
Once upon a time, the county advertised for land for a temporary womens'
jail last year, but the county never advertised for land for a jail.
To date, anyone wanting to include his or her property for consideration
for becoming a jail were required to get in touch with and go through the
county commission chairman or his representative, the jail ad hoc
committee architectural group leader.
Commissioner Al Ambrosini kept reassuring all that his process of
acquiring names and addresses was perfectly fine and dandy and declared
all possible and accounted for, without running an ad seeking proposals or
prices from interested property owners.
The county's initial search for 150 acres of land narrowed considerably, to
about 18 acres in the final zoning plans, for the new jail.
Commissioners were asked today whether a work group session has been
scheduled for them yet to discuss options to jail over crowding. (28 Aug 14)
______________________________________________________________________________________
No editorial when a board member berated her
Board member put attack of
reporter on meeting agenda
As to be expected, the local paper was quick to defend its reporter in the
matter of the county commissioner assistant interview in the paper one
day, then as the incident was featured on local AM talk radio the second
day.
Besides pointing out negative comments said to the reporter during a
public county meeting, the editorial board there took additional blows at
the audience at county meetings.
The editorial, also, completely overlooks another incident, when the same
reporter was chastised by an airport authority board member, in a public
meeting, for something she wrote.
We've not heard too much of the exchange that occurred at that May
meeting of the county airport authority board.
It was an awkward, uncomfortable moment for me personally, to have been
in the same room, when that unfortunate exchange was going on.
This wasn't a member of the public complaining. The venom was coming
from an airport authority board member, during a public meeting, directed
at one reporter.
Fayette County Airport Authority Board Member Joe Maher was certainly
upset that evening with the reporter. He brought along to the meeting his
copy of the newspaper article that the reporter wrote.
Maher berated her something awful. He also berated a fellow authority
board member, for speaking to the reporter in the article that he disliked
and took issue with, in the middle of the public meeting. He was on a roll.
Maher's nasty-toned speech to the reporter followed reaching the meeting
agenda item, "Newspaper Article."
"Newspaper Article," following the infamous agenda item, "Homeland
Security Letter," discussion involved Maher chastising the reporter in a
stern, nasty tone.
The reporter, however, impressively held her own with him that evening. He
didn't rattle her and should have been ashamed for trying to intimidate or
rattle her.
Her story that he criticized, referenced a well-respected professional at a
well-respected state aeronautic office.
Likewise, the airport authority board member quoted in the story, also
brought credibility to the story.
Maher's grilling of the reporter, as part of a time-coordinated meeting
agenda item at the May meeting, was unfortunate, mean, out of line and
most unprofessional.
His behavior deserved to have been discussed in a critical editorial that
should have been written. (26 Aug 14)
- _______________________________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
- "..this is Fayette County where ignorance and hatred reign undefeated over reason and
common sense. Opponents of the project filled the commissioners’ meeting room, chastising
and hollering at anyone who talked favorably about the project. Civility and common courtesy
went out the window as everyone and anyone was fair game, including our reporter who was
merely doing her job covering the meetings..."
"It’s interesting that while Zapotosky and Zimmerlink talked about saving money for taxpayers,
they didn’t have a problem watching the $2 million already spent on prison plans go down the
drain. "
Herald Standard, editorial, highly critical of the Commissioners Z and people who participate in
and/or attend county meetings, also minimizing Al Ambrosini's role in the jail matter as one
"hampered by his inexperience as an elected official."
- ___________________________________________________________________________________
Zimmerlink's 2013 jail expansion idea:
could be operational quickly?
What the above-referenced newspaper editorial does not say is that it
knows that Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink last year proposed an
alternate plan to building an all-new jail.
Her plan, within 6 months of being implemented, could have put functional
temporary or permanent pre-built jails/buildings parked out back of the
current county jail.
Viola! All of a sudden, there would be room for therapies, classrooms, sick
rooms, AA, NA, church services, visitors, etc.
Also, within 6 months, most inmates housed out of county would have
been able to return to serve their sentences at the county jail.
The time frame of 6 months is referenced because that is the length of time
that the pre-constructed buildings take to be ordered and delivered.
County leaders are urged to hold those work session meetings that were
discussed, approved but never advertised by public notice in the paper and
never held. It will be interesting to hear alternative options discussed.
Zimmerlink's plan deserves further exploration at a public presentation. So
do the plans developed by John Buchanon, Dr. Evelyn Hovanec and their
group, and any plans that Commissioner Vince Zapotosky wants to
contribute for consideration.
Solutions can become available much quicker than late 2016-2017. That is
the estimated time period that Ambrosini planned to have the once-
proposed Dunbar Township jail open.
- Do we really need an all-new jail?
- We have to spend money on the old jail anyway.
- We have sewage out back of the courthouse/jail.
- All utilities are in most places downtown.
- We don't need a parking garage, as the one option in Crabtree's 2013 feasibility study stated
we needed, if the jail expanded downtown.
_______________________________________________________________________________
- Why hasn't Ambrosini provided it?
Proof requested in mid-July?
Where is Commissioner Al Ambrosini's documentation of proof that the
minority commissioner last month requested, to support his claims, that the
county spends $200,000 total per month, on all combined costs
associated with housing and transporting inmates for incarceration at out
of county jails?
At last month's county meeting, the minority commissioner asked
Ambrosini to show such proof, that staff costs and transportation costs
associated with out of county rented jail cells were about $112,000 in one
month.
That is, after all, exactly what he is saying when he claims that it costs
$200,000 per month to keep inmates out of county.
Did the minority commissioner ever get this proof or documentation of
costs? Did Ambrosini ever provide it?
If he didn't want to comply with the minority commissioner's request to
document his claims, lets hope soon that he goes to the paper to talk
about such solid documentation of his alleged facts.
While monthly cage rental fees to other counties recently totaled about
$80,000 for the actual cage rental fees, Ambrosini stuck to his mind
boggling claim last month that the county still paid $200,000 per month on
all combined costs associated with out of county cage rentals.
If he has such fantastic proof, then he needs to show proof. Please,
please, show us.
If he has no such proof, then Ambrosini needs quickly to grow up and stop
promoting his fictional type of fuzzy math.
If his revelations were true, and facts were documented in all the required,
usual places, by now, the minority commissioner would easily have found
jail fiscal records to support Ambrosini's new math numbers.
Does Ambrosini have proof that out of county cage rentals actually cost
$200,000 per month?
Or is this another exaggeration, tid bit of misinformation, or a lie?
Ambrosini needs to stop blaming other people because he led a group of
jail planners to walk aimlessly amok, instead of problem solve effectively.
And, for goodness sake, he needs to stop avoiding answering real
questions. (24 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
- When one can't call in...
Thoughts on AM talk radio
On Friday, my phone rang twice, from people who were listening to a discussion of a
local AM radio talk show host and a caller, about the "rift" between the two sitting
Dem county commissioners.
No doubt, yes, there is a "rift."
But the breakdown of a relationship between the two Dem county commissioners
seems to be a lot more complex than a mere rift. There seems to be a lot more to it.
Almost always in transit at those times of day, and not one to like to talk on the
phone while driving, I was able to catch a bit of the on air discussion, but unable to
call in.
So, respectfully, I later sent the talk show host this next email.
To follow, came the realization that I forgot to mention to him that I disagreed with
the on-air broadcasted opinion on a "third" group... or, more specifically,
narrowed to be what those on-air perceived to be a passive-type involvement in jail
planning, on the part of the minority commissioner.
I just didn't get it. Those added thoughts are on the left, at the above blue email link.
- To take in, spend money on out of county fun raiser
Alfie: announcing his re-election plans?
Unless he announced his candidacy in the building trades publications that I missed,
Commissioner Al Ambrosini hasn't yet officially announced that he will seek re-
election for a second term in office.
But if it's any clue, he is said to be holding a pricey admission fund raiser next month
out of county. "Success through proven leadership," appears to be his re-election
political campaign catch-phrase slogan.
RAVES that he has friends at a time like this, who will pay $250-$5,000 to have a
casual jean dress dinner with him, in a tucked away Westmoreland
mountain private social club.
_____________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
"You know, they're going to build that jail behind Laurel Mall
before it's all said and done."
Woman in Sheetz parking lot, asking a familiar stranger
"Think so?"
Me
"Oh, yes!"
Her, pausing a moment, very confidently, to awkwardly lean
forward to speak in an almost whisper... the horrible woof of
what had to be a breath mixture of last night's liquor and
sometime overnight's rancid vomit, quickly starting to remind me
of what I ate at my last meal.
Her breath overpowered the woof from the small amount of gasoline she
spilled while filling her car...
I was going to let it go -- this notion of hers that Zap would
align himself again behind Ambrosini on the Dunbar Township
super duper hall of justice. If there is no cheaper alternative
that is practical, she could be right. That might be exactly
what ends up happening.
Since this woman before me, getting her printed receipt from the
gas pump, seemed at the moment to be reasonably sober, I
addressed her whisper and asked her this.
"Don't you think that most people already have heard the
absolutely very worst possible thing that anyone can say about
Zap?" I asked.
Sometimes, answers take a while.
Her facial expression about 5 seconds later seemed to indicate a
faint smile and the response that she was shaking her head yes,
in agreement.
"Are you going to write about me?" she asked after a minute of
silence.
"Yes, but I have no interest in mentioning who that is in your
car with you trying to hide." (23 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
RAVES that someone on the outstanding warrants list is in custody after committing
another crime on video. One of yesterday's shopping center bank robbers, a
female, was previously being sought for 10 months on other charges,
driving with a suspended license. If apprehended last week, she would've
been destined to stay at the county jail or be transferred to another
county's rented cage bill.
RAVES that yesterday's events and incarceration took care of 2 matters, and that she
now should end up with a sentence to the state prison system instead of the county
jail.
Thank you, Alice, for turning yourself in to police and making it easier. (23 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
County withdraws motion in jail zoning
appeal cases
Citizen John Cofchin of Uniontown sent word early this morning that the county
solicitor withdrew the county's court motion to intervene as a county in the jail
zoning land use appeals that he and 5 others filed.
At Tuesday's county meeting, another citizen, Terry Kriss, questioned whether any
of the 3 commissioners or the lead county solicitor directed the second
solicitor to file the county's motion to intervene as a county.
Commissioners three said he/she/they did not give any approval for a
solicitor to file a motion to intervene as a county in the two groups zoning
appeals.
This all resulted because the Cofchin group and the Kriss couple appealed the zoning
decision, partly based on the belief that Al Ambrosini filed the original zoning
paperwork as a private citizen, representing himself and not the county.
More to come on September 4, when the visiting Westmoreland Senior Judge
William Ober returns to Uniontown to hear the other items of the citizens' appeals.
(22 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Patch Hunky blog returns to slam Zap,
meeting audience
RANTS that the Fayette County Patch Hunky blogger came out of
hibernation, after nearly a year of saying virtually nothing, to dis the
audience of the last county commissioners' meeting and the second chair
for changing his mind on Alfie's jail.
While everyone certainly is entitled to his or her own opinions, the PH let
us all down when he ignored the last challenges of election nominating
petitions and the county chair's Sunshine Law violations.
The PH let us all down when he looked away, as the county chair selected
a $1.25 million dollar tract of pyrite city land for a new jail and lied, one
after another shameful time to the public.
The PH disappointed us so when he ignored the commish chair's decision
not to share documents and to let an illegal notice go out for publication in
building trades soliciting jail construction bids.
Had the anonymous -- well not really anonymous -- PH been plugging away
writing all these last months, no matter which side of the new jail debate he
took, he would not be RANTED here today.
He has every right to say that he felt the audience was unkind to the
reporter, because it very well was unkind to her.
He has every right to say a shameful amount of money was wasted by all of
the 2:1 votes on the new jail because that is a sorely undeniable fact.
He has every right, too, to defend the Herald Standard, even after making a
hobby of establishing a blog that ridiculed that publication, its writers and
editors for so long.
____________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Night"
- " No longer under Dim and Alfred’s control, Vincent has released himself from
the chains that held him down. The threats of maintaining control are nothing but
veiled at this point. For every claim against Vincent by Alfred and Dim, Vincent
has stronger counter claims of his own against those villains.
Truth is power, Vincent, use it wisely!"
Neuman, an exert from "The Adventures of Alfred and Vincent, Part 11"
_____________________________________________________________________________
But otherwise has lots to say
DA silent on building trades notice
RANTS that the DA and others in today's paper knocked Commissioner Vince
Zapotosky for getting a second opinion on the jail drawings, pulling out da big
guns at Duquesne University for a legal opinion on it without providing all the
facts.
Fact of the matter is that da big guns weren't asked what the county's liability
would be if a contractor not chosen for the jail project took legal issue with
the bogus, illegal and unauthorized Public Notice, bearing a county
controller's name without her knowledge, county bid numbers, welcoming
contractors to send $450 weeks ago to obtain project specs that
Commissioner Al Ambrosini alone authorized for publication in the building
trades.
RANTS that nobody speaking out today in the paper seems to mind that real
life contractors saw the trades publication notice and responded by sending
a check before the county had legal right by County Code to publish a
controller's name in an ad saying the project was already out for bid.
RANTS that they still whine in delusion that "Obstructionists" want no
changes. Where the hell have they been all this time to believe such
nonsense?
Given that these gentlemen don't want to step up the Day Reporting Center
and alternate sentencing programs, don't give a rat's behind to provide
treatment today and hinge it all solely on being feasible only if an all-new jail
is built out in a mine field, who really are the true Obstructionists in this
picture? (19 Aug 14)
- ____________________________________________________________________________
The Trib: MIA on Alfie's apparent loss of second
vote on all-new jail
RANTS that the Trib is MIA, providing no coverage yet on the big Fayette
news that Commissioner Al Ambrosini seems to have lost his second "yes"
vote, from Commissioner Vince Zapotosky, to build the all-new jail in
Dunbar Township.
Zapotosky took to the air on radio talk show last week to say that he will not
sign off as a needed second commissioner behind Ambrosini to get the jail
construction project out to bid and that he's aiming to keep the jail downtown.
Depending on the source or where one reads, costs are said to be from $28
million to $40 million for Ambrosini's planned state of the arts jail.
Also MIA in the Trib's coverage is the news that Ambrosini says that he
reported Zapotosky to the state Ethics Commission, for getting a second
opinion on the Crabtree jail architectural drawings.
Tomorrow's another day, however. We can only hope that a paper, that prides
itself in television commercials as being the "watchdog of the community,"
will take its shot at catching up and reporting Fay news, right? (18 Aug 14)
should never happen again, if this project proceeds in a different location."
Nobody here could agree more. (16 Aug 14)
_____________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
"I see the new reader poll question online at the Herald Standard asks readers
if Vince was right to give a professional a copy of Crabtree's design for a
second opinion."
Dave, reading online, this afternoon at the diner
"Let me know when they ask for readers to guess how many times Al has lied
to the public and withheld information from his peers and public."
Pete's opinionated wife
"Let me know if and when they ask if their writer was out of line double
teaming the assistant."
Pete
"Will you people stop talking about this? The jail is being built in Dunbar
Township, so get over it already!"
Unnamed guy, sometimes seen hanging out elsewhere with Commissioner Al
Ambrosini
"Guess someone hasn't heard, huh?"
Dave, replying to a visibly stunned Unnamed, but looking at Pete while
speaking, as Pete's opinionated wife then brought Unnamed up to speed
______________________________________________________________________________________
IT Director resigns
County meeting agenda online
The agenda for Tuesday's county commission meeting is posted online for
anyone wishing to review it.
Nothing jail related appears. A good number of routine social and behavioral
service contracts will be discussed.
Also, on the agenda is that the commissioners are being asked to accept the
resignation of the county director of Informational Technology, effective 6
days from today. Lets hope that he was planning to depart for a wonderful,
new job and that his being placed in the spotlight recently, after following
directives from Commissioner Al Ambrosini to allow the fiscal contractor
access to the county's financial and staff records, has nothing to do with his
resignation.
Not on the agenda is an item many so wish is included on Tuesday:
replacement of the county commission chairman.
____________________________________________________________________
More lawsuits coming Alfie's way?
While word was received here that a powerhouse lawyer has been obtained
to file another jail-related lawsuit against the County of Fayette, readers,
naturally, are also curious about a much different matter -- i.e., whether
Thursday's alleged actions of the county commish chair against another
commissioner's assistant will draw an employee harassment suit against
him.
Readers by the score, empathetic to the assistant, have written in to
express their outrage in Thursday's matter. No matter the political party or
side of an issue anyone calling the county office, readers always
commented that the assistants to the two commissioners have always
been most respectful and professionally polite.
That said, RANTS that it does not appear that common courtesy and
respect were in the air two days ago. Overwhelming public opinion, so far,
is that the assistant reportedly put through the grinder Thursday in the
commish chair's office should take legal action against him. Some also feel
that the paper is equally at fault.
Whether the assistant ends up filing grievances or a lawsuit against the
commish chair is unknown. If the paper has an audio recording of the two-
hour interview, it's time to publish that link for us to hear.
Whether readers threatening to cancel subscriptions or chose to advertise
elsewhere over the matter actually do as they say they will is not the point.
Publishing an audio link to the interview, if one such exists, would be the
right thing to do. (16 Aug 14)
- ___________________________________________________________________________________
Zap: doesn't believe Alfie's jail
is the one Fay needs
Commissioner Vince Zapotosky told WMBS talk radio listeners today that
he is now willing to explore other jail options, including keeping the
location of the jail downtown.
"We need to come up with a plan that fits the needs of Fayette County," he
said.
While he acknowledged that he voted all along for Ambrosini's jail plan,
Zapotosky said he previously "did what I thought was in the best interests
of the county at the time."
At the current time, however, he no longer is convinced that the plan that
Ambrosini wants built is what the county needs.
Undoubtedly, his live statements aired today had to have caused after
lunch heartburn for some. That's OK; they'll get over it. (15 Aug 14)
______________________________________________________________________________________
Alfie bullies Vince's assistant
for 2-hour "interrogation"
This afternoon Commissioner Vince Zapotosky and his assistant, Kathy
Winkler, took to the air on the WMBS radio talk show to explain what
Commissioner Al Ambrosini shamefully did yesterday to her.
According to Winkler, she was asked yesterday to enter Ambrosini's office to
speak to him. When she entered, she said that she found Ambrosini and
Herald Standard writer, Patty Yauger, inside, asking her if she knew a man in
a courthouse security video leaving the building on July 30, with what we've
learned were drawings of the proposed new jail.
When Winkler wanted to leave the room, she said that Ambrosini reportedly
said that "he would take care of me with my job...I wouldn't lose my job."
During what Zapotosky told radio listeners was a two-hour long period of
"interrogation" of his assistant by Ambrosini and the writer, Winkler
reportedly was repeatedly asked about the plans that Zapotosky freely admits
he obtained for a West Virginia man to offer a second opinion on the jail
drawings.
Zapotosky described the two-hour ordeal in Ambrosini's office and the
emotional impact it had on his assistant as "a form of harassment." He said to
the radio audience that he does not approve of the "approach of journalism"
that his assistant felt pressured to endure.
RANTS that Winkler was bullied in such a pathetically bold way for a
sensational type of story that appeared in today's paper. RAVES of hope that
she tells him to 'shove it' if he ever tries that kind of crap again.
Because Ambrosini's term can't end soon enough for this writer, may the
other 2 commissioners unseat him on Tuesday from the commission chair. A
message was left for Ms. Yauger at the paper, requesting comment. To follow.
(15 Aug 14)
_________________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
"It's official now! Alfie turned Vince into the Ethics Commission. Wow!"
Pete, this morning at the diner, reading the Herald Standard online that the
commish chair cut loose the second seat commissioner for giving a set of jail
building drawings to a West Virginia contractor who donated to both their
campaigns... thus, confirming rumors circulating for a week that this pay back
was coming, following the second commissioner's public disagreement that
the chair had leaked the county's unpublished and unauthorized legal notice to
seek jail construction bids to regional construction publications ahead of time
- "Figures! The first scoop the paper got with Right To Know lead had to come
from a directive or tip from Alfie to cut Vince off at the knees."
Dave, in response, commenting as he read that the two male commissioners
previously met twice for lunch with that same West Virginia contractor
- _______________________________________________________________
- Inferior products used in Crabtree's $50 M
Connellsville High School renovation/addition
RANTS that inferior quality building supply products were used in the $50
million dollar 2013 renovation and new addition to the Connellsville Area
High School.
With the new school year starting in just 11 days, the district will move
quickly to have the top level of concrete surfaces that softened in the rear
of the building ground down, replaced with a product 5 times stronger than
concrete and topped with a sealer coat.
Also needing redone is the repainting of the ceiling over a 1-year-old
swimming pool with a better quality paint. This is horribly sickening news,
no?
Nobody's saying just yet whether the district or the builders will have to
fund the projects do-overs. RANTS if more public money is used to fund
any corrections for problems that should not have happened in the first
place. Shouldn't someone have known in 2013 that a product 5 times
stronger than concrete was needed when the plans were developed?
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates of Mechanicsburg designed and
constructed the $50 million dollar project last year, as per that company's
website. CenterPoint Engineering, coincidentally (wink, wink), also of
Mechanicsburg, was the project engineer.
Crabtree, Rohrbaugh and Associates, of course, is quite a familiar name
with readers, as it is the firm that has been paid over $1 million dollars to
date for designs for the proposed new Fayette County jail. (14 Aug 14)
________________________
Alfie's central court: why wouldn't
the judge comment?
- RANTS that red flags must be raised when hearing that the county president
judge won't comment until plans are actually developed on Commissioner Al
Ambrosini's plan to create a central court to begin operating as early as
October.
Given that Ambrosini's plan is to have county preliminary hearings held in
a matter of a few weeks in a yet to be renovated downtown building for the
next 2 years, and given how poorly the last 2 years of jail planning has
gone, one can't help but understand why the judge deferred comment.
While Fayette has 7 designated and 6 operating (1 vacancy) district
magistrate offices where county preliminary hearings are held, Ambrosini's
plan is to move preliminary hearings downtown. Preliminary hearings, as
per the state's website, are held from 3-10 days after an arrest, unless
continued, or unless the defendant wavies that hearing to go straight to
commonwealth court.
Does Ambrosini's plan include moving all preliminary hearings to that
central court? Or will this affect only the cases involving incarcerated
defendants who did not post bail? Or will Ambrosini's court only be held
for defendants who were charged by state police and not by township or
city police?
Will driving to a central court from outlying areas of the county cause some
witnesses not to want to bother to offer testimony unless under subpoena?
Will district magistrates be included to offer input in this change? Will one
court be able to coordinate and handle a workload that 7 district courts now
process? Are all 3 county commissioners involved in making this change?
Red flags, yes, can't help but be raised in this matter that plans couldn't
have been discussed thoroughly enough if a president judge isn't
comfortable enough to offer any comment. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
have central courts, but have any other counties pursued this concept?
Hopefully, better minds than Ambrosini's are providing input and planning.
The public has little to no faith that anything he imagines and develops is
feasible. (13 Aug 14)
- ____________________________________________________________
- Editor's Note: While a correction came in late afternoon from the minority
commissioner that 4 of those 6 below mentioned counties polled by the
county chief clerk employ no controller, 4 out of 6 in our book here still
makes the statement worthy of the designation of being noted as a "Best
Laugh Of The Day."
________________________
"Best Laugh Of The Day"
"The other statement made by (Commissioner Al) Ambrosini is that he had
(Chief Clerk Amy) Revak poll other counties... 6 of the 67 counties
responded... all 6 counties do not have their controller perform this function.
Those 6 counties do not have Controllers!"
Commissioner Zimmerlink, again today, commenting online at the local
paper, adding that one employee, who Ambrosini named yesterday as having
access removed to the county fiscal information, wrote today to the
commissioners that she had only one single instance of being blocked out of
the system because she was working from at home in the evening.
________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
"Perhaps the question should be why does Ambrosini (and he says Zapotosky
agrees) want sole discretion on who has access to the financial ledgers of the
county?"
"Ambrosini maintained that he did not make an arbitrary decision that would
allow Lynch unrestricted access to the system, but instead to have Holbert
restore his access that was withdrawn by Wrona."
Herald Standard article, "Fayette County acting controller, commissioner
allege breach of financial system"
"Mr. Ambrosini told me to give (Lynch) what he needs. He just said he did
not have access and he needed access to do something. I should have asked
the other two commissioners.”
County Information Technology Director Kebin Holbert, commenting to the
Trib
“The system should be secure. (Employees) changing a light bulb is one
thing. If it's the financial store, that's something different. ... Kebin was taken
advantage of because he was told to do something. He listened to a boss,
instead of bosses.”
Commissioner Vince Zapotosky, commenting in the Trib piece, "Investigation
urged of security breach in Fayette County computer system"
_______________________________________________________________
Allowed fiscal planner access to staff records
Audacious Al puts county at
risk of staff lawsuits
RANTS that Commission Al Ambrosini audaciously made the unwise decision
to designate full access permission to the county's contracted financial
planner without approval of a commission majority.
RAVES to the acting controller for jumping on the issue, bringing it to the
attention of the minority commissioner. The contracted fiscal planner,
reportedly, thus had access to county employee files, courtesy of
Ambrosini's poorly made decision a few months ago.
RANTS that Ambrosini, without commission majority approval, reportedly
gave the sole go ahead to remove access control from the acting controller
and assign it to the county informational tech staff. Why? Because he had
the county chief clerk poll 6 other counties to learn who performs those
duties elsewhere. No kidding!
RANTS that this latest back room decision made audaciously by one man
has potential to put the county at risk from lawsuits from county workers.
RANTS that this real possibility never once crossed Ambrosini's mind.
RANTS because January of 2016 cannot come soon enough. Ambrosini is
waaaay too much of a liability for this county. He simply does not think
clearly. (12 Aug 14)
_________________________________________
Audacious Al attempts to add
last minute jail agenda items
RANTS that Commissioner Al Ambrosini didn't have much to say yesterday at
the Election Board meeting, but today had the brazen audacity to try to sneak
non-emergency, jail-related items onto the county agenda list for the next
vote.
Given that the commish pulled out 1990s speaking time limits and pre-
registration requirements days ahead to speak for mere citizens to abide
by -- and especially given that he childishly pounded his gavel, abruptly left
a county meeting and whined and didn't want to return to finish the
meeting because he felt citizens weren't playing by his rules -- his actions
today prove, once again, how out of touch he arrogantly is with the people
he serves.
Some mail critical of this column came in back then, blasting opinion here
that Ambrosini would not be able to live by and with the same, strict rules
that he commanded of the public to pre-register to speak. I was plum
wrong, one said. Ha!
Why is it that his now dwindled-down, bare bones number of fan club
members still can't admit that he is out of control? He proved us right
again here today by trying unsuccessfully to pull such an arrogant fast one
with the agenda.
RAVES to a new majority that did not allow him to succeed today. RAVES,
RAVES! (12 Aug 14)
_________________________________________
Masontown didn't matter much, it seems
RANTS that a former county administrative assistant and Masontown council
member is charged with thieving $1,600 from Masontown Matters, a
volunteer community improvement group. RANTS also that a second person
reportedly helped her out by generating a bogus bank statement to hide the
missing funds.
RANTS that so many incidents such as this one happen. Even if full
restitution is made, it's still a crime.
_____________________________________________________
County goes to court unprepared for
jail land use appeal
Visiting Senior Judge William Ober sent those gathered today in the matter of
citizens wishing to combine their zoning land use appeals and to stop the
county from intervening in its appeal home early since the county came to
court with incomplete paperwork . The latter part of that case, of course,
resulted when the two groups of citizens raised the issue that the county
commish chair, alone as a private citizen, filed for the zoning special
exception and usage 3 months ago.
While there were no objections for the two groups of citizens to combine
their cases, Ober took no action on the county's intervention motion since
he found that the county solicitors had not completed all of the county's
court paperwork.
As per John Cofchin, one of four individuals comprising the first zoning
appeal group, the judge opted for a public Status Hearing today instead of
a traditional private meeting because the case is of great interest to the
public.
Ober will continue and reschedule after the county does its paperwork. No
kidding. How embarrassing, eh? (11 Aug 14)
____________________________________________________________
- "Quotes Of The Day"
"Pretty odd that the Dem commissioners followed the law by scheduling an
election board hearing today to hear Connellsville's request to put a
referendum on the ballot, but, like scared bullies, blew off the Referendum
Group."
Pete, back on solid foods now after dental surgery, this morning at the diner,
referring to the request of the city council to have a referendum to allow
voters decide to keep a paid (1 person) fire department
"Maybe the two learned from past mistakes?"
Waitress, who isn't registered to vote but signed candidate nominating
petitions in the past election for two unsuccessful wannabe candidates
___________________________________________________________
Gas up the car!
Al needs another road trip to Franklin
With delusional dollar signs in his eyes, Fayette County Commission
Chairman Al Ambrosini blindly leads the jail debate with his hyped but weak
stand that Fayette can rent its extra cells to other counties. He, realistically,
needs to take a long look at Franklin County's situation prior to counting his
chickens before they hatch.
Last we checked in with Franklin County at the end of 2013, that relatively
new county jail had 80 empty spaces, even though it opened its doors to
renting out cages to other counties. In 2010, that county had taken in
about $900,000 in cage rentals.
Today, a count of Franklin's prisoners in its 468-bed facility is 437,
including 11 from other counties and 11 more waiting for a transfer to state
facilities.
If there's such an open market for renting out cages, as Ambrosini deludes
himself into thinking there is, why isn't Franklin full to capacity with
revenue generating rentals?
Why wasn't it full another 80 more prisoners then in late 2013? Franklin's
Crabtree-designed new jail is certainly pretty enough that other counties
should be flocking to its doors with their excess prisoners. Why hasn't that
consistently happened to a greater extent, however?
Also, it must be emphasized that there are online comments documented
that bringing in prisoners from way outside the county jail system there
hurt the jail's budget because its staff was transporting across state for
hearings. With Ambrosini and other making such stink about the liability
with driving our inmates to other jails, how would it sit with them if they
had to drive to the eastern part of the state for hearings as Franklin has
done?
While Ambrosini took a bus load of county reps with him to tour Franklin 2
years ago, he blindly ignored the warden's primary messages. Franklin
County ignored developers' suggestions to build a larger jail for 600
prisoners, and instead started a Day Reporting Center for 129 admissions.
This is over twice the number that Fayette opted to serve when our DRC
opened last year. Why was that?
Building smaller -- and not building a larger jail for 600 that planners
recommended -- saved Franklin County over $10 million dollars in
construction and $3 million in annual operation costs, as per this referenced
case study. The Franklin warden had nothing but praise for its alternative
sentencing program when he commented here.
With its DRC opened now for 8 years, Franklin's own jail population has
been consistently around or under 400, the number of prisoners its
crowded, old jail housed before the new jail opened.
Franklin County made a wise decision to serve the needs of its own
citizens by starting a large DRC to reduce recidivism down to about 18
percent, as compared to 47.8 percent with those with traditional parole
supports.
Expansion of the DRC continues to be what Fayette needs instead of an all-
new 480 bed jail and memorial shrine to the Dem commissioners.
Franklin County's numbers prove that Ambrosini's delusional, eccentric
money-making scheme and planning process, indeed, all ran pathetically
amok.
Likewise, our other 2 commissioners need to tackle and stop him. (10 Aug
14)
____________________________________________________________________________
Parvo epidemic at the pound
While we were thrilled to learn recently that all 300+ animals made it out of
the disastrous fire that swept through Living Treasurers, RANTS that now the
pooches at the county SPCA are pitifully dying, or have already died from
parvo. RANTS that the situation is so bleak that the kennel was placed under
a quarantine order, unable to take in or adopt out any animals, for the time
being.
Readers without any pooches at home thinking of adopting a pet are urged
to step up and adopt a pooch who survives parvo treatment, should those
pets become available for adoption.
Pooh Dog, a stray pup found off Gallatin Avenue in an extreme snow
storm, came to my home that way, once upon a time. The twitch he had in
his shoulder as a result of the parvo almost disappeared a few years later,
when the frail doberwoman, Lady, also joined our family.
Pooh and Lady made a great, comical Mutt and Jeff team together,
standing guard at the crib for the new baby back then, who came after
them. Both pets bounced back with care and treatment. They were sweet,
awesome pets, who both lived to the old age of 16. (10 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________
$1.25 M land purchase price not included
Ambrosini misinforms radio listeners
While the 2013 Crabtree Needs Assessment and Feasibility Study did make
allowances of $2,700,000 - $3,000,000 dollars for site preparation, contrary to
what the commish chair thought and expressed yesterday on the radio
interview, page 5 of the study quite clearly states that the estimated
$27,116,049 - $31,802,774 project cost does not include site acquisition.
In other words, once again the commish chair failed to know important, key
facts of the plan that he, by now, should be so familiar with in detail that he
should be able to rattle them off in his sleep. He told radio listeners
(advance this link to 28:35 for audio) that he thought some of the land
purchase funds were included in Crabtree's assessment.
RANTS that listeners in the know wanted to bang their heads listening to
the misinformation that he passed along. RANTS, too, that the interviewer
was even less familiar with the plans as was the commish chair. (8 Aug 14)
_________________________________________
Yoi! Local paper says bids haven't yet been
solicited
RANTS to the local paper for stating in today's story, "Geotechnical study
recommends soil compaction for new prison site," that "the county has yet to
solicit bids for the construction."
As we all know, the solicitation for bids was published in building trades
publications, bore the name of the county controller without her knowledge
and solicited $450 from contractors who responded to receive project specs.
As for the proposed, then cancelled, pre-bid conference that the notice
stated was to be held yesterday morning at the airport, more than one
source today reports that there still was a meeting with one contractor off
site. Why does that not surprise anyone?
RAVES, however, to the local paper for finally mentioning the dreaded "c"
word, Caissons, in print, in relation to the type of extraordinary
construction means necessary to build a heavy 2-story building on such
inferior ground and wetlands. (8 Aug 14)
________________________________________
FCPB meeting minutes: no mention of
adolescent jail, 2nd story added
RANTS that it seems the first public mention of the new jail having a second
story and additional other space for a juvenile detention truly was at the
county planning commission meeting on May 8.
None of the long-withheld 2014 county prison board meeting minutes,
published just this week on the county's website, mention that the county
had opted to add a second story to the adult jail and space to take on kids'
services at the proposed Dunbar Township facility.
One would think that information about those important developments
would have been shared with county prison board members prior to the
May 8 planning commission meeting.
Why wasn't it shared?
That the county did not disclose these significant pieces of information
prior to the planning commission meeting 3 months ago, and hasn't
mentioned any further information about developing kids' services seems
more than a bit odd to one nearby county's juvenile justice staff.
"If your county thinks it can merely warehouse kids, it's badly mistaken,"
the administrator said. (8 Aug 14)
_________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
"Alfie said on the radio today that it was all kosher with the ad in the trades
rooms because no specs were published -- you know, as though the real legal
notice, when it's published, will have that information. You don't get that
information unless you're a contractor who pays the $450 fee."
Pete, today from home, nursing a tooth root canal
"He thinks people are stupid."
Pete's grandson, turning 18 soon and very eager to vote, referring to the
commish chair
"Maybe they will release the specs in the real legal notice in the paper, you
know, just to make it look good!"
Pete's older grandson
_______________________________________________________________
Jail zoning appeals: Monday, 1 PM, Courtroom 3
For those curious as to when the court is going to be in session on the jail
zoning land use appeals, one party involved this morning said that it appears
there may be some movement on this early next week. More later.
_______________________________________________________________
What's on Al's mind?
RANTS that Commissioner Al Ambrosini continues to ignore the immediate
needs of the county jail inmates by stubbornly refusing to implement
treatment programs NOW. His attitude is a real slap in the face to the inmates
currently held in the downtown jail and also to the professionals who could be
helping now.
For instance, does it really matter if a chaplain or therapist is trying to
reach an inmate in a new room or old one? Maybe in Ambrosini's mind, but
not in the real world.
RANTS most of all, though, that Ambrosini stupidly continues to see the
problem as an all or nothing situation. Is he the only person breathing air
simple enough, who believes that even 1 person out there exists who
wants to "do nothing" about the current overcrowding issue?
Oh, please!
What a waste of radio time today hearing the same BS! With all the
planning going into the hour, I would have hoped that he would have said
something worthwhile.
To listen to the hour-long WMBS interview and hear first hand all of the
hoopla, please click on the yellow colored banner at the top of this piece to
learn of more incorrect information floating around inside Ambrosini's mind.
He's a real hoot and handful, folks -- especially concerning his ever changing,
exaggerated numbers for transportation costs for prisoners and his piss-poor
regurgitation of an excuse, about why a notice published without a
controller's knowledge and without 2-3 commissioners approving its
advertisement is legal.
Can January of 2016 come soon enough? (7 Aug 14)
________________________________________
Another heroin addict in the county jail?
A good thing that state police noted in media reports that a man arrested,
after eluding police and going into a stand off before being captured, had in
his possession a hypodermic needle and a spoon. He's now said to be in the
county lock up. Lets hope that his possible withdrawl soon from drugs will be
noted in his jail processing record. (7 Aug 14)
__________________________________
Fayette lock up: so many staff issues
RANTS that the long withheld, newly published county prison board meeting
minutes from March-June make reference to what seems to be an excessive
number of instances of staff problems, disciplinary action taken and
employees needing employee assistance programs (mental health/D&A).
Reading through those minutes, and considering how small the overall
staff size is, it's easy to wonder if we shouldn't be shutting down Fayette's
current jail completely tomorrow and sending all inmates out?
The $12-17 per day per inmate we're "saving" for housing inmates in the
county jail here really cannot be worth keeping it open, with its same
ongoing, internal problems. (6 Aug 14)
________________________________________
More on Alfie's fuzzy math
RAVES to readers, who often ask the question here, about the actual cost to
keep an inmate housed inside our Fayette lock up. At the April county prison
board meeting, a commissioner asked the jail warden that very question.
That a commissioner had to ask that question, in itself, is quite unsettling,
given that these are the minds -- i.e., the commissioners -- making
important decisions about Fayette's huge debt coming down the pike with
a new jail.
RANTS of the ever most disappointing kind that at this point in time
spending public money, a commissioner needed to ask that question. It's
absolutely mind boggling.
Nonetheless, as per the April meeting minutes, the cost given per day to
house an inmate at the 126-year-old jail is $48. We pay up to $60-65 per day
to other counties to house those inmates we can't accommodate because the
current jail is full.
Hypothetically speaking, if the current jail magically could house all of
Fayette's inmates and none needed to be transferred to other jails, we're
saving $12-17 per day per inmate. Big woop, since more staff would have
to be hired to accommodate the needs of 40-50 prisoners at home.
RANTS because all we hear is it's costing $200,000 per month for those we
ship out to other counties. Wrong. Way wrong! (5 Aug 14)
________________________________________
Alfie blames everyone but himself... film at 11
RANTS that Commissioner Alfie Ambrosini whines a blue streak and blames
others for his own stupid mistakes. He whines about being stopped in his
tracks and now having to delay to advertise bids properly. Who but Alfie was
responsible for publishing a notice with a controller's name attached, county
project bid numbers without legal approval from 2-3 commissioners? Who
gave that info with county bid numbers on it and the prepared legal notice to
Crabtree for publication in building trade sites without a second signature?
Sure wasn't the other 2 commissioners.
RANTS, 30 months now into the job, that Alfie still hasn't taken time to read
county codes yet and still has no clue how to do things legally, properly and
ethically for this county.
RANTS that Alfie accepts no ownership of his own wrong doings and
mistakes. (5 Aug 14)
________________________________________
"Quote Of The Day"
"I've heard alot of legal double talk in my time, but this one takes the cake."
Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink, commenting on statements released from
the county jail architect and county commish chair, defending their placement
in building trade publications of the notice seeking bids without prior
approval from 2 commissioners
_______________________________________________________________
Editor's Note: In the wee hours, an email came in from Commissioner Vince
Zapotosky. Below is the unedited, actual comment:
vzapotosky <vzapotosky@fayettepa.org>
Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 2:01 AM
I did not attend Prison Advisory Group for more than 5 minutes in fact the
last meeting my colleague commissioner joined me I did the speaking but it
was brief. It can months more but want to get right now and 10,20 years
from. To heck with politics let's get it done. I know this won't read or plat
well with your readers but I am just trying to do my best. Take care and
God Bless you and your family and readers.
______________________________________________________________
"More Quotes Of The Day"
"No, you're wrong. I would vote for Zapotosky next year if he halts the jail
from being built there and looks again at those 2 other jail alternatives as
viable options. Not because it's a political thing, but it's the right thing....
They say Zimmerlink doesn't want to build a jail. Her idea would have solved
the problem of farming out inmates 6 months after she proposed it last fall."
Pete, to someone from a labor union, on the other side of the counter
"So if he changed his mind from building an all new jail in Dunbar Township,
you would vote for him?"
That guy across the counter, to Pete
"Yes."
Pete, replying, with a serious, straight face... and dropping mouths of a few
regulars, who, clearly, clearly, were shocked and silently stunned, by Pete's
admission his first few words into it
"It was more than some of them could handle," Dave's wife later wrote to me.
She was amazed by the number of people who agreed with Pete. With
limitations, though. She stressed that none are willing to wait till after
elections for alternative jail plans within Fayette's fiscal means to be
discussed. There were other considerations, too. More on that to come.
_______________________________________________________________
Does this mean we'll get a foot of snow?
FCPB 2014 meeting minutes finally published
online
RAVES that 6-month-old county prison board meeting minutes have finally,
finally become available for public reading on the county's website. Thanks to
Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink for sending the directive to have those
meeting minutes published today. None had been posted to the county site
since January's meeting minutes were approved.
Read away, folks.
__________________________
"Quotes Of The Day"
"So I wonder if Ambrosini will still hold that 'pre-bid conference' on
Thursday at 10 AM at the airport for the jail bids?
Pete, today at the diner, regarding the fact that the county commish chair
advertised a notice in building trades publications, against county code
without the blessing and prior approval of 2-3 commissioners, seeking bids
and offering a conference for potential construction company staff wanting to
bid on the job
"Wouldn't it be interesting if someone from the Attorney General's office
dropped by to meet and greet them?"
Dave, in response
"The 'notice' bears a date of July 1 on it and says bidders may obtain bidding
information from Tom Crabtree, starting on or after July 25. Why didn't the
commissioners discuss this publicly at July's meeting? How long has the
notice been published with the trades groups? I'm surprised the acting
controller hasn't screamed about her name being attached to that unofficial,
illegal notice."
Pete's wife
"I would be calling the Attorney General myself if I were her."
Dave's wife
_________________________________________
Transporting inmates: FACT says no
Today Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink stated here that she received written
confirmation from the Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation that no
prisoners are transported to or from out of county jails in that agency's
vehicles.
However, other sources insist that this did occur. More to come. (4 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________
Jail construction bid info
Is it stupidity or bid rigging?
That he allowed the notice required by law to have approval of 2-3
commissioners to be leaked for publication without proper approval and
proper advertisement is probably the most stupid thing that Commissioner Al
Ambrosini has done in office.
That the county already is receiving checks from contractors without legal
bids being sought properly reeks to high heaven.
Why should professional contractors in Florida, Maryland, Altoona,
Harrisburg, Arkansas and Georgia be privy to project details before the
authorization to seek bids and legally advertise the proper way was given?
Why the compulsion to rush the proper process?
Commissioner Ambrosini said long ago that he knows who he wants to
build the jail. Was he just speaking in terms of the architect and engineer,
whose services are considered to be professional services exempt from
bidding?
Perhaps he has no specific contractor in mind and will end up doing things
the proper way.
Right now, however, the situation reeks of contamination from attempts to
allow bid rigging. May that cloud of disgusting possibilities soon be gone,
by having the county back paddle and seek bids the proper way. (4 Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________
Editor's Note: Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink confirmed today that one
contractor has already submitted a non-refundable $450 check to the
architect to announce that he intends to bid some of the jail construction
projects.
So much for contractors waiting for the legal bid notice to be published the
right way, so much for the commish chair doing things properly and so
much for the press not calling him out on it. For her email here today, we
thank her, and, thus, include part of her released comment to the paper
below.
"Quotes of the Day"
"Too often lies are said, false information is stated and subsequently printed
without confirmation about their new jail and this is another one of those
times."
Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink, reacting to consequences of the draft legal
notice sent to publications without proper county approval and the media's
take on it. She referenced emails circulated with a public legal notice
attached without proper county approval. While the county commish chair,
chief county clerk, solicitor, architect, jail warden and deputy warden were
included in that decision, and contents of the unauthorized notice were stated
in the paper, she and the second commissioner were excluded from the
information sharing process.
"The question is was this reporter told the contents of the Notice and by
whom? If I am correct, and I believe I am, then the person or persons who
told the reporter the contents of the Notice did so without full disclosure and
actually falsely because as I said the Notice states the date, time and place of
the bid opening."
Zimmerlink, continuing in her previously referenced thoughts
_________________________
Alfie alone knew jail preview leaked to contractors
RANTS -- with all of the public meetings and the ability with modern
technology to notify someone instantly with messaging, emails, faxes and an
old communication tool called the telephone -- that only the county commish
chair was aware that the jail project architect and engineer leaked advance
notice to contractors in contractor trade publications that the bidding process
will be underway shortly.
Why?
And why is it that Commissioner Vince Zapotosky just now is getting ticked
off that he and the minority commissioner are left out of the informational
loop? Had the commish chair informed him, would the second commish
still be annoyed that the minority commish alone might not have known?
There's a well established chain of documented proof that he never cared
before that she was ignored in communications with the jail project.
So why does he now, 21 months into the jail talks, remind the commish
chair that there are 3 commissioners, not just 1?
He chose not to take an active part in the past 21 months. He chose not to
attend the jail ad hoc work group meetings and to make sure he prefaced
any conversation about why 2 commissioners signed in on a jail ad hoc
committee sign in sheet -- you know, when possible Sunshine Act
violations were discussed -- by saying he signed in, said hi and quickly left
the meeting and provided no input.
The rest of us know he's there only for the second needed vote on
anything jail related. By now, he should be used to and quite comfortable in
the wimpy position that he allowed to be created for him. RANTS that he
protests now.
Bids for jail construction still have to be advertised in the newspaper. The
preview leaked out to the building trades with one commissioner's
knowledge and approval just notifies the contractors that the bidding
process is almost set to go. Why can't they wait, however, for the legal
standard greeting in newspaper ad form?
Does the architect normally go this preview route for privately funded, large
construction projects?
Or is it done only in preview for large public-funded projects? If so, why? To
get the most bang out of kickback funds possible? Will they ever learn when
they do things ass backwards, that's exactly what we're bound to assume. (3
Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________
RAVES of chuckles from reading the latest online reader poll question in a
local paper, asking whether county commissioners should fund and build a
municipal swimming pool for county residents. Surely, they jest!
Will a full-page pictorial paid ad from politicians and 'citizens for a better
swimming Fayette' be next?
_________________________________________
County Prison Meeting Minutes: MIA for 7 months!
RANTS that no county prison board meeting minutes have been published to
the county's website for 7 months. Why is that? One would think that with the
big push for the county to spend so much public money on an all new jail that
these types of meeting minutes would be published just as soon as they are
approved at the following monthly meeting.
RANTS because so many readers ask if the county is trying to hide things.
That is, after all, how reasonable people tend to think when government
isn't as open as it should be. Seven months, yes, that's awfully shameful.
_______________________________________________________________
50,000 gallons of raw sewage per day expected
Dunbar Twp taking public comments on new jail
sewage
Fayette County is submitting a Sewage Facilities Planning Module for the
construction of the proposed new county jail.
A legal notice in the paper today states that the facility is "projected to
generate a maximum flow of 48,900 gallons per day at full capacity that will
be conveyed to the Dunbar Boro/Twp Sanitary Authority Sewage Treatment
Plant."
The project will include a connection to the Dunbar Borough/Township
Sanitary Authority collection system and a sanitary sewer line extension to
the jail. A public notice is required since this work will result in a public
expenditure in excess of $100,000 -- otherwise, would any public notice have
been published?
Publication of the notice kicks off a 30-day public comment and review
period. A copy of the Sewage Facilities Planning Module can be reviewed
during regular business hours at the Dunbar Township Municipal Building,
128 Township Drive, Dunbar and at the county courthouse. Written comments
will be accepted at the Dunbar Township Municipal Building until Saturday,
August 30, 2014.
________________________________________
FACT transports Fay inmates to, from other jails?
Since the below piece was published questioning the commish chair's math
skills, a few sources have been in touch to say that county jail staff have
driven Fayette Area Coordinated Transportation buses with shackled inmates
in street clothes to out of county jails for his or her incarcerations.
Commissioners have been asked to comment and clarify if the county jail
needs to have, or already has a contract with FACT to drive and use the buses.
More on this later. (1 Aug 14)
_________________________________________
Why is Alfie so mathematically challenged?
RAVES to County Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink for telling the county
commish chair that she would like to see documentation that out of county
cage rentals cost $200,000 per month. Given that about $87,000 was spent last
month on out of county cage rentals, the commish chair's math would put
transportation costs for those prisoners housed elsewhere at a staggering rate
of $112,600.
Possibly, all of the rest of us are in the wrong business and should be
bolting to price vans and the cost of rented armed guards. All 54 prisoners
housed elsewhere can't possibly be costing us that much in
transportation. Not even by Alfie's gross math miscalculations or his gross
exaggerations can this be remotely true.
Hypothetically, lets pretend that all 54 prisoners were transported out (or
back, or just one way) all in the same month. A jail source says that has
never happened, but lets pretend it's the norm. That would put the 54 runs
at an average cost of $2,085, for anywhere from an hour to 6-7 hours of
work per staff, depending on whether prisoners are en route to the next
county or a few hours distance.
Now lets also pretend that all 54 housed elsewhere needed two-way or
return transportation all in the same month. Gas up the van for 108 trips at
an average cost then of $1,042.50.
As per Alfie's math, the county last month spent a whopping $3,753 daily for
transportation out, back or both. Why doesn't he see that this "fact" is so off
the wall, ridiculously exaggerated?
Yes, Alfie needs to show the minority commissioner and the rest of us proof
that it cost $3,753 per day last month for transportation. Courthouse staff
should expect an exceptionally long line outside Alfie's office tomorrow of
private transportation reps willing to travel with armed guards for far less. (1
Aug 14)
_______________________________________________________________
RANTS to having to hand pick 2-hour-old, unmelted hail from the garden
and plants following this evening's rare summer hail storm. While the hail
more rapidly melted from stone patio and concrete sidewalk areas, its
damage was limited to the plants and pinged vehicles. RAVES, however,
that this Wednesday evening hail storm was not strong enough to topple
trees or rip roofs. (30 Jul 14)
________________________________________
County took 1 year to fix AC in metal jail annex
RANTS to one of the most disgusting pieces of 100 percent factual county
information to come down the pike in a while or three.
RANTS that it took one year to replace a $12,000 air conditioning system in
a 100-degree jail annex.
For a county government, so often infamously known by reputation for its
asinine-made, snap decisions that waste beaucoup bucks without real logic
or due diligence, all involved county officials aware of this pathetic year-
long situation should be ashamed.
Why, it was nearly one year ago when we started hearing about how
uncomfortably hot and stifling the historic stone jail is in the summer. How
could anyone, in good conscience, involved in the day to day operations of
the metal jail annex, not react sooner than one year to fix the problem?
Not to piss anyone off, but the question must be asked where was the
guard union in all this? Why didn't the union rep attend a county meeting
to complain about the air conditioning in the metal jail annex being broke
down for one year?
Next, does the chaplain visit the annex? Then there's Commissioner Vince
Zapotosky, who said he was inside the jail annex several times in the past
month. Did he inform his fellow commissioners that county workers were
too busy to tend to the broken down jail annex air conditioning system for
the last year?
The situation also begs to ask whether the county maintenance head
complained to the commissioners that his current number of staff couldn't
get to all key repair jobs.
The county majority made the conscious decision last year not to improve
conditions of the historic stone county jail. That's a whole different story,
though.
Anyone in the last year, who was aware of the situation at the metal jail
annex and took no action, is at fault for allowing it to continue to a
ridiculously long time.
So far, that group is known to include the warden and the one
commissioner.
Why the big deal to spend a little under $12,000 for an outside repairman to
tend to the metal structure's air conditioning?
Why did anyone charged with the safety of staff and prisoners allow the
problem to go on inside a 100-degree metal jail building for one year? (30
Jul 14)
________________________________________________________
Editor's notes: Three things to pass along... The county airport engineer
from Baker Engineering confirmed today that the projected goal in the
master plan is to increase the number of take offs and landings at the local
airport by 4,000 per month over the next 20 years. We thank her for
clarifying that goal.
Secondly, for those Dems concerned that you won't have alternatives in the
next county commish race, please take some comfort in knowing that some
are stepping forward and organizing with campaign managers to seek office.
More on this when they are ready to make their formal announcements.
Lastly, for clarification sake: The recent RTK answer provided an airport
grant application for $2 million, signed in 2012 by the commish chair. The
recent $1 million gift from Daddy Warbucks is the match for that other $1
million of that OLD grant money that the former airport manager applied for
two years ago. The county's $1 million part of that grant was funded through a
state budget line item and is to be used specifically for the purposes intended.
That money sits available through 2015 before it would have magically
disappeared if unused. The new gift offer as a match makes it possible now to
use the OLD money lying around for the intended purposes. (30 Jul 14)
__________________________________________________________
RAVES that public access to Protection From Abuse order information is
again open -- i.e., except to restrictive cases protected by special court
order, which is the way it is supposed to be. If a Trib writer hadn't asked
about why the PFA information had suddenly last week become off limits
information in hardcopy form in the courthouse, would we have even
known this change had ever happened?
RANTS because all the reasoning behind the on, off, then on again reversal
of the information being available to the public doesn't seem to matter
much. Many people will tend, of course, to imagine that the information
suddenly was kept from reporters or the general public to hide a particular
name or two from the public.
Even if it genuinely is not the case here, all of the moves only reinforce
that suspicion and distrust in the integrity of government and the lack of
wisdom and reasoning in flawed, paid legal advice. (30 Jul 14)
_____________________________________________________________
"Quotes Of The Night"
"Are you entering the county's contest to "Name the street" for the jail?"
Dave, to a high school teen sitting with his mother at the diner
"No. I'm moving away after college. I'm not paying for that jail!"
17-year-old future economics and business major
_______________________________________
Jail geo-technical land survey: final
copy same as draft
Today confirmation was sent here of emails between the county jail
engineering firm and the minority county commissioner, stating that there
were no changes in the dismal draft land survey and the final version.
In other words, the nasty pyrite levels remain at a whopping 4 times the
preferred level for building without first sinking a fortune into the land to
stabilize it and make it solid.
RANTS that the majority doesn't work as hard as the minority
commissioner does for the public. Can you imagine how pretty Fayette
might be sitting at this point in time if only they did? (29 Jul 14)
_____________________________________________________________
"Quote Of The Day"
"You shouldn't criticize the airport's master plan goal to have 4,000 more take
offs and landings in 20 years than it has today. Sure they can -- please hear
me out -- extend a runway to 4,400 feet and extend a taxiway to accommodate
larger aircraft, build and fill more T-hangers and corporate hangers, acquire
property in the FAA runway protection zone, replace lighting, upgrade the
fuel pump facility to 24-hour service and improve perimeter security. Geez,
that's really the easy part. They got over the stubborn hurdle, by ignoring or
swaying some tenants who didn't want to lose their current hangers to
progress and be displaced."
Pete, today at the diner, commenting to a skeptic seated in Dave's usual spot
Editor's note: clarification was requested from the county airport engineer
about that 4,000 more number targeted with the master plan. Clarification was
requested to learn if that refers to 4,000 more per month or year, or is it a
projected total increase overall in 20 years, etc.
_____________________________________________________
What? Terrorists have no fake IDs?
Belated RAVES to the courthouse staff, who passed our test 4 days ago by
accepting a dropped off envelope for someone without requiring the new
security form to be completed. Yes, yes, yes, all too well, we know that there
are evil and cowardly anonymous people out there, who threaten or intend
harm.
However, lets cut to the real Fayette chase and call the new security
procedure what it really is -- i.e., a means of tracking messages or
envelopes to a certain courthouse official.
RANTS, overall, though, because the naive new policy overlooks the
simple, basic fact that real terrorists or evil minds so unlikely would walk
into a courthouse with their real photo ID in the first place. (27 Jul 14)
_____________________________________________________
But why are jails the new asylums?
RANTS, as today's Herald Standard reports, that today's jails are considered to be the
"new asylums," as about 60 percent of our county jail population has some type of
behavioral health issues.
RANTS, however, that there's one important fact unmentioned in that assessment.
The same county behavioral health office, now pushing for a $60 million jail, is the
very same office that took the state's money, starting in the mid-1990s, to reduce
state hospital beds and, instead, develop county outpatient services to keep
people from needing state psych hospital admissions.
Prior to that reduction of Fayette's state hospital beds, from 100-120, down to
what is about 20 or under in more recent times, it was easier to be admitted to a
state hospital, whether someone had criminal charges or not.
Prior to that reduction of Fayette's state hospital beds, from 100-120, down to
what is about 20 or under in more recent times, it was easier to be admitted to a
state hospital, whether someone had criminal charges or not.
Everyone, back then, involved in the downsizing of some state hospitals and
transfer of money to the counties to manage their own mentally ill persons in the
community, knew that jails would become the new asylums if counties did not
develop, implement and monitor the right programs to target patients from
becoming lost in the criminal justice system.
Everyone. (27 Jul 14)
_______________________________________________________________
Woman seeks signatures to get on 51st state district race ballot
Besides readers expressing their appreciation of area musicians and some locals
sharing their frustration with public officials who lie, cheat and make public
spectacles of themselves in circus form, the most common complain or thought
shared here is some people's upset because so few with good public service
ability want to enter politics.
For those in the 51st state legislative district who don't even feel like voting
anymore, perhaps it's worth your while to jaunt over to Byers' Market on Main
Street in Uniontown to learn more about someone new who wants to be that
district's next state representative.
Kathryn Jones of Uniontown is seeking signatures to get on the ballot. Anyone
wishing to sign her petition or learn more is asked to do so at the above
mentioned convenience store or to stop by her home headquarters at 137 Union
Street, Uniontown, to learn more. The deadline for her to submit her petitions is
Tuesday. (26 Jul 14)
_______________________________________________________________
"Quote Of The Day"
"The county should have sent the senior geotechnical engineer a 'draft' check
for that report!"
Pete, at the diner today, listening to the local talk radio show conversation
about the jail property geo report. The county paid nearly $10,000 for the
study, which is linked to the county website (and given out in RTK here), still
in "draft" form.
"Doesn't matter, Pete. Nothing can change the pyrite levels and important,
dismal facts. It's a wasteland, no matter how they try to spin it!"
Dave, in response
_______________________________________________________________
Homepage/To Today's R&R Older R&R
Copyright Protected
While he has given several reasons in public meetings why he withdrew support for the all-new jail project in Dunbar Township 2 months ago, we don't hear about those reasons in many circles. It would help, certainly, if people could read about it in the paper. This week, the commissioner who withdrew his support for the Dunbar Township jail project, commented critically about the 5-month-old geotechnical engineering report, prepared for Sleighter Engineering, by Geo-Mechanics, Inc. Commissioner Vince Zapotosky's concern over GMI conducting a less thorough core sample test "randomly instead of (core samples taken by a) grid" is understandable. An absence of his stated concern over the geotechnical survey in the media is remarkable! As per page 3 of the GMI report, 31 "standard" test borings were drilled on the property that the county wanted to purchase from Fay Penn for $1.25 million dollars. Only 9 of those 31 core samples were drilled on the exact site where the one-story that became a proposed 2-story jail was to go. Feedback received here from contractors of large, heavy, multiple-floor industrial buildings has been a hoot, with most wondering why the county would want to proceed on such troubled land without a "grid" report and then additional reports. Readers unsure of the differences between standard or random core samples and samples taken on a grid fashion, please refer to this easy to follow explanation with diagrams to see how more thoroughy land is tested by grid. Is it fair for supporters of the all-new Dunbar Township jail to criticize Zapotosky and Commissioner Angela Zimmerlink for stopping the Dunbar Township jail and for not wanting to put that project out to bid legally? You can't blame the public, though, if it has not been informed of very good reasons why this project in Dunbar Township was stopped. (15 Oct 14) |
| A cell at the Beaver County Jail, pictured recently, shows rust and chipped paint on the bars on the lower right. The jail is about 10 years old. |
| Something else left out of the papers about the county agenda planning meeting... |