POLITICS AS USUAL ?

(FORMER MAYOR) CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER BILL LEINER, Jr. RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WILL PRESENT SOME AWARDS IN OCTOBER.  THEY ARE THE MAYOR'S (?) ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, THE P.O.M. AWARD AND THE COPLAY TOWN WATCH "VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR" AWARD.

AT THE AUGUST 2012 REGULAR COPLAY COUNCIL MEETING CURRENT COUNCIL MEMBER BILL LEINER, Jr. WAS TAKEN TO TASK BY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR LEINER Jr.'s USE OF THE WORDING "MAYOR'S ACHIEVEMENT AWARD" WHEN MAKING THE PRESENTATION IN OCTOBER. IT WAS STATED IN THE MINUTES, AND REPORTED IN THE WHITEHALL/COPLAY PRESS, THAT COUNCIL FELT THIS WOULD BE A MISREPRESENTATION OF THE FACTS.  COUNCIL FELT THAT IF A MAYOR'S ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, IF THERE WAS ONE, SHOULD BE PRESENTED ONLY BY THE MAYOR CURRENTLY SERVING IN THAT POSITION.  THEY STRONGLY SUGGESTED LEINER, Jr. CHANGE THE SO CALLED AWARD TO "FORMER MAYOR'S ACHIEVEMENT AWARD".  ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE HE AGREED TO CHANGE THE WORDING,  IN A LETTER TO THE EDITOR IN THE WHITEHALL/COPLAY PRESS A WEEK OR SO LATER,  HE AGAIN STATED THAT AS A FORMER MAYOR HE HAD THE RIGHT TO USE THE ORIGINAL TITLE OF THE AWARD.   AS USUAL, WITH LEINER, Jr., IT'S "MY HIGHWAY OR THE HIGHWAY".  IN MY OPINION, THE AWARD IS STRICTLY:
POLITICAL !!!

ANOTHER AWARD, P.O.M., PROPERTIES OF MERIT, IS ALSO TO BE PRESENTED BY HIM. THIS PROGRAM WAS INITIATED IN THE LEHIGH VALLEY BY AN ALLENTOWN RESIDENT, A FORMER FEMALE CANDIDATE FOR OUR CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.  SHE MANAGED TO GET IT TO THE STATE FUNDING LEVEL UNTIL A LOCAL PA STATE SENATOR, SERVING IN HARRISBURG, CONTESTED THE PROGRAM AND FUNDING WAS TERMINATED IN OUR STATE AND CAUSED THE P.O.M. OFFICE IN ALLENTOWN TO BE CLOSED PERMANENTLY. WE, THE DICKMAN FAMILY, BECAME HOME OWNERS IN COPLAY IN JUNE OF 1955 AND THE ONE THING WE CAN RECALL IS THAT NO MATTER WHO VISITED US FROM OUT OF TOWN, EACH AND EVERY ONE COMMENTED ON NEVER HAVING SEEN A COMMUNITY SO NEAT, CLEAN AND BEAUTIFULLY KEPT.  THE RESIDENTS OF COPLAY HAVE ALWAYS KEPT IT THAT WAY WITHOUT ANY INCENTIVE EXCEPT SELF SATISFACTION AND PRIDE IN THE COMMUNITY.  WHAT WE WILL STATE NOW IS NOT MEANT AS A PERSONAL AFFRONT TO THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE P.O.M. AWARD FROM THE FORMER HIZZONER, BILL LEINER, Jr.     OUR INTERPRETATION OF P.O.M. IS PLAINLY, PILES OF MANURE AND IN OUR OPINION IS STRICTLY:
POLITICAL !!!

EARLY THIS YEAR, LEINER Jr. STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO STAGE A FUND RAISER "RUN" TO BENEFIT THE COPLAY PUBLIC LIBRARY.  IT WAS ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT THE START AND FINISH POINT FOR THE "RUN" WOULD BE HIS HOME ON 8TH St. TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION, ALL PREVIOUS FUND RAISER RUNS STARTED AND FINISHED IN THE VICINITY OF THE THE COPLAY PARKWAY AND THE IRONTON RAIL/TRAIL.  IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS GOING TO CONDUCT A FUND RAISER RUN TO BENEFIT THE COPLAY PUBLIC LIBRARY, WHY WOULD YOU NOT WANT THE "RUN" TO START AT, AND FINISH AT, THE COPLAY LIBRARY, SO AS TO FOCUS ON THE ENTITY THAT WOULD BECOME THE BENEFICIARY OF THE "RUN".
IN OUR OPINION, THIS ACTION BY BILL LEINER, Jr., WHICH WE HOPE IS EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL, IS STRICTLY: 
POLITICAL !!!

LEINER Jr, HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF ANOTHER COMMITTEE BY HIS GROUP.  THE SKUNK RELOCATION COMMITTEE.  IF I HAD A VOTE, I KNOW WHERE THEY COULD BE REQUESTED TO START.

THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS MOOT.  THE COPLAY COUNCIL WORKSHOP MINUTES OF 10/2/12 STATE THAT BOROUGH WAS INFORMED BY THE PA STATE GAME COMMISSION THAT IT IS ILLEGAL TO TRAP WILD ANIMALS, BUT IN 2008 AN EXCEPTION WAS ADDED TO ALLOW LOCAL, STATE OR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO BE NAMED AS A NUISANCE WILDLIFE CONTROL OPERATOR TO PERFORM TRAP AND RELEASE SERVICES. A FORMAL REQUEST IN WRITING MUST BE SENT TO THE PA GAME COMMISION NAMING THE EMPLOYEE.  COUNCIL WILL VOTE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF A GIVEN EMPLOYEE AT THE 10/9/12 REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.


FRANK D.