Ahhhh Yes Christmas ... a Time to Give (and Receive)

Don't you just love this time of year! Yes it is somewhat stressful but it is a nice time to share with family and friends and to wish them good tidings and a happy new year! For some, it will be a VERY good year indeed and after reading the donor list for the campaign of Trappe's "Trusted Team", one would think they will be laughing all way to the bank with the Trappe taxpayer's money!

I received the official financial documents (required to be filed by state law) for the Trusted Team and the Mark Marino PAC and found out who was directly and indirectly involved with donating money. Now for the totals first ... are you sitting down ... believe it or not the "Trusted Team" spent over $9,500 on their Trappe Borough Council Campaign. Wow ... that has got to be a record for a small Borough like Trappe!

Now typically in local races you spend at the MOST $1500 (in a contested race). Money and favors bought this election and the 'Trusted Team" will be bring their sleigh in January to Trappe Borough Hall and will be handing out presents to all of the donors.

The following is the donor list for the "Trusted Team" (with my comments):

• Mark Marino and John Kane $2000 - Development of the Trappe School site (1st Avenue and College Avenue) - want zoning overlay but area residents opposed and so is current Council
• Gilmore and Associates (John Sartor) $650 - Former Trappe Engineer buying back his job
• Anthony Tosco, Tosco Real Estate (Collegeville) $250 - Represents properties in Trappe
• Bob Manley $500 - Insurance Broker (Watch this guy get insurance business without bidding or rigged bidding)
• Al Hermann $250 - Former Trappe Borough Manager (Contract) - Wants his old job back
• Steve Fox, Le Jardin - $500 - Wants many waivers to develop Zollers property
• Ralph Zoller $400 - Wants many waivers to develop his property with Steve Fox
• Bob Brandt $150 - Represents Strategic Realty, proposed developers for the Trappe School site (1st Avenue and College Avenue)
• Tony Mazzamuto $350 - Owns property in Trappe and is good friends with the Stagliano's
• Rowan Keenan $80 - Collegeville Councilman and an employee of his fathers law firm. That law firm is solicitor for Lower Frederick Township (where Ernie Schmitt was just elected and formerly served as Building Inspector while working at the CTJPW as a no-show employee)
• Liz Veres $60 - Collegeville-Trappe Joint Public Works employee and head of clerical union that is looking for better contract (like you could get better!)
• Robert Kerns $1000 (via his PAC) - Current Trappe Borough Solicitor who is looking to stay the Borough Solicitor

Sources of Mark Marino PAC money (some of it funneled to the "Trusted Team")

• Gambone Development $13000 - To get out of Silverleaf work wiythout paying
• Bob Brandt $300 - Representing Strategic Realty for the Trappe School
• THP $500 - Fugo Tract development
• Strategic Realty $400 - Trappe School
• BG Partnership $250 - Trappe School
• Ed Mullins $1500 - Fugo Tract
• Carl Weiner $1000 - Andre DiPrinzio property on Main Street is being held up by current Council due to numerous requested waivers

Now no one in business spends money unless they think it will make them money. After reading the list and my personal opinions above ... it starts to fall in place.

Compare the money that the "Trusted Team" received to that of Stu Strauss and the others that ran against them and you will see that Strauss and the others did not have a prayer. The "Trusted Team" had ten times more money, they had the press (bought and sold), and for God's sake they had press releases for a little borough campaign! Take a GOOD look at my list above and I think you will agree here there is more here than meets the eye.

Yes indeed, there will be no coal in the stockings for these donors. Yes folks, just come to the Trappe Borough Council meetings (held on the first Tuesday of the month) for the next four years and you will see Santa Watson and his merry elves pull up to Trappe Borough Hall in their sleigh and and hand out Trappe Taxpayer's money to all of these donors ... wait and watch!

Jingle bells, jingle bells ...

The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated

I have been away in Europe for the holiday and returned to the country yesterday. No computer while away ... just R&R ... now back to business.

To quote Mark Twain "The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated". As was posted on Stan's Blog "Isn't it funny that after Stu Strauss lost in his attempt at a write-in campaign, that the "ghostly" Craig Marks has ceased in his attempt to discredit any of the other candidates ? Now Stan, answer me this.... Do you believe that Mr. Craigs' blog was just part of Stu Strauss' smear campaign effort? He disparaged your words many times over and even attempted to discredit you when all that you ever did was speak the facts. Thank you Stan for giving us this forum to voice our opinions".

Stan Huskey wouldn't know facts if he fell over them. He does not care about facts and it is blatant what he is doing. That is that he is nothing but a mouthpiece for his cronies and a fraud. And we aim to "smoke him out".

As for the the other prediction on Stan's Blog that stated Carrig would be replaced by now ... well let us just say it has not happened. I do agree that the voters have spoken so let the residents of Trappe get what is coming to them ... higher taxes, mismanagement and pay-back time to Mark Marino and (John) David Kane. We will be watching and reporting quite a bit of information that ties Kane, Marino, and the Stagliano's in a way you would not believe. Let us say for now that all of these parties owe the IRS in a big way and we will show the public records to prove it.

Another Dot Connected

On November 1st I received the following e-mail:

Dear blogger,

While searching the internet I came upon your site. Reading your blog is what is disturbing. Maybe you should stop wasting your time bashing people who are actually out there, on their own time, not being paid, WHO WERE VOTED IN BY THEIR COMMUNITY (must I remind you), to help out their community and get off your butt and help out along with them. Maybe, instead of wasting time on the computer, you could get your name out there by making your community better for the greater good by doing things like, public concerts, parades, putting in sidewalks, lights in the park, getting rid of wooden swings and metal sliding boards so the kids dont hurt themselves, cleaning up the dam, putting in traffic lights and stop signs where they are needed, must I go on, and then maybe YOU can run for mayor!Wow what a thought. please shut up. no one wants to hear these things. If the public was not happy with the way Terrie and Al and everyone else on council handle things, they wouldnt have voted them in. And if anyone feels they can do a better job, then maybe they should run for council, or hey, maybe even attend a meeting?? Did you ever see the turnout of a council meeting? No one cares about their community issues until it directly affects them. And those people who are dealing with the issues every day so that the rest of us don't have to, such as the council, mayor, policemen, firemen, etc. should be commended not criticized. If you truly feel these people should not be a part of council, maybe you should hold a public debate about it and see how many people show up TO SUPPORT THEIR ACTIONS!! Feel free to post my email.
Diana Cordrey

Now at first I was a little suspect of this e-mail as I have a received a few e-mails where the person was not verifiable but when I did check on Ms. Cordrey I did find out she was indeed a resident of Collegeville (she has been in her current home since January 2006). I was also suspect when she stated that she "searching the Internet" when she "came upon our site". While appreciate the comment we are not exactly world famous here.

I also did note that Ms. Cordrey's e-mail came from her e-mail address at the Kravco Simon Company. Kravco Simon's home page states that "Kravco Simon's retail properties are among the most productive and successful in the country, creating value for tenants, shoppers and property owners alike. The Company's portfolio features the second largest shopping mall in the U.S., The Plaza and the Court at King of Prussia".

So I felt at the time that Ms. Cordrey was passionate about Collegeville and the folks who run the Borough. After all she is a neighbor of the Stagliano's and I am certain she knows them personally.

Then in watching the news yesterday on Channel 6 I noted they covered the outlet mall opening in Limerick (quite extensively I may add ... morning, noon and night). Here is the "quid pro quo" when it comes to Diana Cordrey...the reporter noted that the new outlets are no threat to the King of Prussia Mall due to the fact that the Kravco Simon Company built the new Limerick Outlets and they own and operate the King of Prussia Mall. And Diana Cordrey is employed at the Kravco Simon Company.

Here is another "dot connected" to David Kane who, once elected in Limerick, played a big part in pushing these outlets through and spurring development like it is nobodies business. Refer to my earlier posts regarding David Kane and Mark Marino and their support of the Trusted Team in Trappe. Then wait and watch what happens in Trappe with the school on first Avenue where (John) David Kane and Mark Marino will most likely financially benefit from this development. And once again more development with no one addressing the traffic problems.

And speaking of traffic problems the 422 bypass is a joke with it's daily 14 mile plus backup. It is an embarrassment to this region and is always in the news (daily traffic reports). And another huge headache is in the morning (or just about anytime) trying to go east on Ridge Pike from the Limerick Area. Trying to get through Collegeville Borough is a nightmare. Traffic is often backed up through Trappe into Upper Providence because the Collegeville Borough Council cannot fix the intersection at Main Street and Route 29, commonly known as the "Dog Leg" project. And their inept Borough Engineers, Gilmore and Associates, engineering a "new" liht at the WaWa to accommodate the diner and did not even synchronize it with the other lights in the area. We are all paying the price for this.

You may recall that Collegeville attacked Trappe for holding up the "Dog Leg" project and then we found out that it was all a big lie and that Trappe did not hold up anything (lots of Times Herald coverage EXCEPT when it was resolved - just another Stan Huskey co-conspircy). Well I believe that PENNDOT has sent a clear signal when they recently paved Gravel Pike (Route 29) all the way up to the construction area of the "Dog Leg". The message is that PENNDOT does not plan to do the the Dog Leg Project anytime in the near future. Collegeville has once again (the Dog Leg Project has been in process for over 15 years even though the Collegeville web site states 1997 ... another untruth) changed the timeline for the start of this project (they have changed it at least 10 times) to Spring of 2008. Now you may recall that Collegeville Officials stated Trappe was "delaying" the start of the project as it was to begin in the Fall of 2007.

Residents in Upper Providence have developed a campaign against development in Collegeville and Upper Providence. The group, known as Citizen’s Action Committee to Save Upper Providence and Collegeville, initiated their sign campaign along Routes 29 and Route 422. The group was established to influence township officials reviewing plans for high-density retail, office and hotel constructions projects. Well, when it comes to Philip A. Barker and Robert A. Fieo, Chairman and Vice Chairman in Upper Providence there is no influence unless you are a developer with money or a famly member.

If you want to know what the character of Phil Barker and Robert Fieo look no further than the board of Supervisors hired Sue Barker (Yes that’s right Phil Barkers wife) to the position of Park & Recreation Director at a starting salary $45,000 plus benefits. And Phil Barker was there for Bob Fieo when they hired Bob’s son for the Public Works Department.

I hope the folks in charge in Lower Providence, Upper Providence, Collegeville, Limerick, Perkiomen Township and Trappe wake up and hear the people instead of the developers to line their own pockets or to give jobs to their family members.

I doubt it and will show much more this in my next post.

Thomas Jefferson wrote "“Information is the currency of democracy” and “The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.”

In writing this blog we will do our best to bring you information that is ALWAYS truthful and we promise to keep alive "The spirit of resistance to government (that) is so valuable on certain occasions".

Election Results

Well some well deserved congratulations are due in some tough races. First is a big congratulation to Michael Nutter who I believe will bring a much needed "breath of fresh air" to Philadelphia (the place stinks after Mayor Street that anything would be better). You have to respect a guy who has his child in the PUBLIC school system ... now that is putting your money where you mouth is. He will have to work with the Council in Philadelphia and that is never easy but I believe he has the personality and experience to be a success. I wish Mayor-elect Nutter all the luck in his endeavours.

In the race for Montgomery County Commissioner congratulations go out to Bruce Castor, Jim Matthews and Joe Hoeffel. I do not know Joe Hoeffel personally but I am told he is a good man of much integrity (like Bruce Castor and Jim Matthews) and will do a good job for Montgomery County. We are happy to have him on board as one party in total control is not good! Just as an FYI, Hoeffel actually beat Matthews by a very slight margin but that should send a message to the GOP ... stay on your toes and watch what your GOP area leaders are doing. Some of these area leaders are really upsetting people with their own agenda and it WILL come back to haunt the GOP ... wait and watch.

After all the Democrats did take five of nine row offices. The five row offices are:

• Clerk of Courts
• Controller
• Coroner
• Prothonotary
• Register of Wills

The next election will be interesting to watch as I predict that it will be very precarious for the Republicans ... especially for Mike Vereb's seat.

And Montgomery County did make history Tuesday night when it elected its first woman district attorney, Risa Ferman. Ferman received more than 85,000 votes - more than anyone else running for county office, including the man she will succeed, Bruce Castor. Risa Ferman is a worthy person to fill Bruce Castor's shoes. We wish her luck in her new position.

The other big congratulations goes out to the "Trusted Team" in Trappe Borough. They did a "clean sweep" and we wish them the best when they take their seats in January. Let us hope they live up to their billing.

It is interesting is the candidates who ran as Republicans but who won as Democrats as they cross-filed. Some examples are:

In Collegeville, MaryLynn Gaydos and Louise-Marie Tulio ran as Republicans but won as Democrats. Also in Collegeville Andrea L. Baptiste ran and won as Democrat beating out Republican Dale A. Bondanza.

In Trappe Fred Schuetz, Lew DiPrete, and Matthew Watson ran as Republicans but because they cross-filed they won as Democrats. Only Paul W. Edwards ran as a Republican and won as one though he did cross-file as a Democrat.

Now some folks may say that these candidates were just covering their bases but I say what are you - Republican or Democrat? Perhaps it is winning at any cost.

Paul Greco and Election Day in Trappe

Several residents of Trappe have forwarded to me an e-mail from Paul Greco titled "Make Trappe Great Again" and have commented they are upset that Mr. Greco sees fit to "put down" their town. And after reading the e-mail I can see why. These folks went on to say they think Trappe is a great place to live but they do not like the traffic congestion and want it addressed prior to additional development.

Obviously Mr. Greco feels differently when he writes "For the last two years Borough Council has systematically moved to isolate us and roll back the advances of the last fifteen-plus years. Rather than a Council suited to the challenges and demands of 2007, this Council seems happy to conduct business as if it's 1977".

One person who wrote to stated "Well if lower taxes, fiscal prudence, and making sure the residents can get out of their driveways and their developments is such a bad thing, so be it. I do not want more development until we address traffic problems".

But more important than anything is that tomorrow is election day in Trappe. Fred Schuetz, Paul Edwards and Lew DiPrete deserve a chance as Council Members. But Matthew Watson has a conflict of interest in being a realtor who has until recently, advertised himself for sale to developers at his employers web site. He removed that reference after it was reported on this Blog.

And in my opinion that conflict of interest coupled with Mr. Watson's attendance record is a good enough reason to write in Stu Strauss when you vote.

According to the meeting minutes of Trappe Borough, as a Councilperson Mr. Watson in 2004 was absent 4 out of 13 meetings; in 2005 he was absent 4 out of 13 meetings; and in 2006 he missed 7 out of 14 meetings. In January and February of 2007 Mr. Watson was absent but when he decided to run for re-election as part of the "Trusted Team" he only missed one more meeting up until now.

And the meeting minutes of the Collegeville-Trappe Public Works Committee show Matt Watson's Official Attendance Record for 2004 that he was absent 8 out of 12 meetings attending 4; For 2005 that he was absent 7 out of 12 meetings attending 5. He was removed by a unanimous vote of Trappe Council in June 2006 due to poor attendance. He could have voted against replacing himself but you guessed it ... he was absent from Council ... and Mr. Watson did not cite a reason for his absence.

And according to these same meeting minutes Matt was Chairperson. In my eyes that is a very poor attendance record and it does not cover the period that he states all of those deaths in his family. And if there were these many deaths not one person at Trappe Borough and/or CTMA/Public Works knew about it until many months later after Mr. Watson's attendance record was brought forth by his critics. According to sources at both Trappe Borough and CTMA/Public Works, Mr. Waston would make contact late in the day stating he would not be attending the respective meeting but citing no reason as too why.

On the other hand Stu Strauss has a near 100% attendance record for both CTMA and Public Works as a member of those committees. Strauss (along with the Trappe Representatives) have uncovered many overcharges made to the Trappe Ratepayers and Residents and has ensured that there will be no rate increases in sewer or water until there is fiscal responsibility brought to the local utility for sewer, water and other services. And that includes the illegal charges made to the pension plan for the non-uniformed workers of Public Works.

If you are a voter in Trappe do yourself a favor ... mix it up ... give Fred Schuetz, Paul Edwards and Lew DiPrete a chance but do not vote for Matthew Watson. Write-in Stu Strauss and keep an assemblance of balance in Trappe Politics.

Signs, Signs, and More Signs ... Everywhere!

As I stated in my last posting I wanted to address political signs. Thanks to Bob Manley of 7th Avenue in Trappe who wrote:

The Strauss campaign had previously placed a sign on the lawn of the building where Jim Gerlach has his office. The Landlord either took the sign down himself, or asked that it be removed. The sign disappeared for awhile. Yet, on Friday afternoon the sign reappeared. While it may be down by the time you read this e mail, it would be a GREAT idea to blog about how Trappe politics has sunk to a new level. Placing signs on a property AFTER the owner wanted it removed. How sad. Does the campaign have so few people that support Mr Strauss that they have to place signs were they are not wanted? And, where the signs were previously removed? Also, how about the Republican Committee People supporting a non endorsed candidate? Shouldn't you be calling for their immediate removal? Their house has a sign that supports Mr. Strauss, who I am sure you know was soundly defeated in the primary. Talk about abuse of office! They ran for a job to support the Republican Party, yet now turn their backs on helping the endorsed Republican ticket. You can call for their resignation since they won't perform the job the voters elected them to perform. That is great blog material. I can hardly wait to read about it! Signed Bob Manley

Well I did some investigation and I found out in fact there had been a sign from Mr. Strauss's campaign on that property. I am not certain who owns the property but I believe this sign as well as others from the Strauss Campaign were illegally vandalized on mischief night as several homeowners wrote to me complaining that signs were missing from their properties. Perhaps Mr. Strauss's sign was removed Tuesday evening during mischief night? Bob Manely offers me no facts about who owns the property where Congressman Gerlach has his office and if the property owner did in fact ask Mr. Strauss to remove because he did not have permission. I ask Mr. Manley to please send me any information regarding this so I can post it. If Mr. Strauss did not have permission of the property owner than I agree with Mr. Manley that the sign should have never been there. Period.

Now on to the the Republican Committee people Bob Manley states should be removed for non-endorsement of the "Trusted Team" win in the Trappe Primary. I do not believe there is a provision under the rules that would allow anyone to remove the standing Committee People because they did not endorse the primary winners. But of course I could be wrong. Please send me info if anyone has it.

I do believe that during this campaign that certain folks in Trappe have "sunk to a new level". If it is true that someone vandalized the signs endorsing Stu Strauss on mischief night then that qualifies as a "new low". What bothers me the most though is the way that certain members of the "Trusted Team" according to Montgomery County records were registered just before running for office either as Democrats or Independents. Matthew Watson has now switched parties several times. Lew DiPrete also switched parties just prior to running for office in Trappe. Go ahead and check it out yourself. In fact the entire "Trusted Team" crossed-filed for the primary for both the Democratic and Republican Parties. So if they lost as Republicans - presto - they would run as Democrats.

I think the picture above says it all - that the "Trusted Team" are Democrats in Republican clothing with their signs right next to the Democratic Candidates for Montgomery County Commissioners Joe Hoeffel . And that is how the Republicans are going to lose control in Montgomery County. With this type of slow infestation by the Democrats the Republicans are sure to lose control. And all with the endorsement and financial backing of Mark Marino as the Area 4 Leader for the Montgomery County Republican Party.

A Readers E-Mail amd My Response

I was away for some of the weekend (starting Friday) and I did not have a chance to do a new posting. Perhaps later today or first thing in the morning (after all the Eagles are playing Dallas!) I will have a new post for this election week.

In the meantime let me share a reader letter and my response to that letter.

From: Natalie Smith
Date: November 3, 2007 8:22:38 PM EDT
To: MarksCraig@gmail.com
Subject: pvpa

Saw a pvpa blog advertising sign on the street.Interesting. You say that you are writing about thethings going on in the perk valley area but you focuson only a few. how come? who are you? and shouldn'tpeople be able to answer in your blog? so like i canwrite a blog about you with anything i feel likesaying? i don't think its fair. something isn't right.answer me this. why do you only have your sign intrappe? you only talk about Matt Watson, Fred Shuetz,Ernest Scmidt, Arnold Bender,who are from trappe. MarkMarino, David Kane, are from limerick. limerick isntin perk valley.Mayor Stagliano, Teresa Stagliano lookslike they are from collegeville. their cool people.Stan Huskey is from norristown. hes not in pv.youthrow in to look like a real blog Penn Delco SchoolDistrict andVerizon Fios. you keep talking aboutcollegeville taxes, police dept. & Collegeville $52.00tax. who cares? dude, i work in trappe and pay a$52.00 tax to trappe! my friend works in eaglevilleand pays it to! talk abou that why don't you! so likewhat about all the other towns around like perkiomen,upper and lower prov, skippack, etc.? your blog andyou looks like a fake and like you have axes to grind.talk about whats happening in other towns
to.theres alot going on everywhere else to.

And here is my response:

Natalie:

Thank you for reading my blog and for writing to me. Let me address your points one at a time but first give you the definition of a blog:

A blog (a portmanteau of web log) is a website where entries are written in chronological order and commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many Blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other Blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic.

Saw a pvpa blog advertising sign on the street. Interesting. I did not put any signs up for my blog. Obviously someone likes what I am writing and has decided to "get the word out". People want to be a part of the blog it and I think that is great! I am not certain what you find "interesting" as you left it hanging.

You say that you are writing about the things going on in the perk valley area but you focus on only a few. how come? I have only so much time to write about certain subjects at certain times. After reading the Stan Huskey's blog I thought to myself that his commentary seems one sided and we the people need to get both sides of the story. When Stan refused to even talk to the people he wrote allegations about I and others thought that was unfair and downright biased. So I thought I can blog as well. I already had a blog so I started blogging about the issues in Trappe and Collegeville as it had been in the news quite a bit over the last 2 years. By the way anyone can blog ... it gives the "power of the press" to all instead of just the few. In Mr. Huskey's case in my and others opinions he has severely abused his power and now it has irreparably tarnished his and the Times Herald's reputation.

Who are you? Just click here http://www.blogger.com/profile/12036806303794817521

and shouldn't people be able to answer in your blog? I am not certain I know what you mean by "answer" since I don't pose questions other than that of the poll questions. I do offer folks to write to me (as you have) and (if appropriate and warranted) I will respond to your e-mail as I am here. I have had an overwhelming amount of feedback both pro and con ... some thanking me for providing the information that I have and others not liking the information I have provided. I have backed up all of what I have wrote with official documents either in pictures, meeting minutes, or official documents from a prosecuting agency, etc.

so like i can write a blog about you with anything i feel like saying? Sure you can start a blog. Anyone can. All you need is content and people to read it. I feel I have both and all of what I have posted can be substantiated with official documents as cited in the previous question. The groundswell of readers and their feedback to what I have written to date is very flattering.

i don't think its fair. something isn't right.answer me this. why do you only have your sign in trappe? Please see your first question but as I said I have no signs.

you only talk about Matt Watson, Fred Shuetz, Ernest Scmidt, Arnold Bender,who are from trappe. Mark Marino, David Kane, are from limerick. limerick isnt in perk valley. I think of Limerick as a part of Perk Valley. So do many others. I try to write regarding people and areas that I think are interesting to my readers and have a direct or indirect impact of the Perkiomen Valley and the surrounding areas.

Mayor Stagliano, Teresa Stagliano looks like they are from collegeville. their cool people. I appreciate your insight regarding the Stagliano's but I am not certain what you mean when you say they it "looks like thy are from collegeville" and they are are "cool people". It sounds as though you know them personally. I do not and I am strictly looking at them as public officials and their records of governing and the use of the powers of their respective offices.

Stan Huskey is from norristown. hes not in pv. Good point ... so I would suggest you post a comment at his blog asking Mr. Huskey that very question. I look forward to reading your comments posted at his blog.

you throw in to look like a real blog Penn Delco School District andVerizon Fios. I do not know what a "real blog" is versus a "fake blog". I do not just "throw" anything in ... I give facts and commentary I think will be of interest to the readers of my blog and and let the readers decide. Simple as that.

you keep talking about collegeville taxes, police dept. & Collegeville $52.00 tax. who cares? The people in Collegeville I think would care when we talk about property taxes. My recent posting comparing municipal property taxes in Collegeville and the direct neighbors was a real eye opener for many as I received many e-mails saying so. I did not refer to the EMS Tax in my posting other than to say in another posting that Collegeville had a hearing coming up with an Ordinance to adopt the EMS tax. I do not object to the EMS tax.

dude, i work in trappe and pay a $52.00 tax to trappe! my friend works in eagleville and pays it to! talk abou that why don't you! Here is my response ... I have no objections to the EMS tax.

so like what about all the other towns around like perkiomen, upper and lower prov, skippack, etc.? your blog and you looks like a fake and like you have axes to grind. talk about whats happening in other towns to.theres a lot going on everywhere else to. Natalie, you have no credability when you make unsubstantiated allegations and it is counter-productive to a meaningful dialogue when you accuse my blog as being a fake. That may be your opinion but without a definition and substantiating facts as to how a blog is "fake" it will fall on deaf ears. No axe to grind here just want ALL of the FACTS out there for the readers. Simple as that.

I appreciate all of your input and I hope this clears up the many misconceptions you have. I do hope you keep reading my blog and tell all of your friends about it. I believe I will be able to keep it interesting. Fact after all is much greater than fiction.

Sincerely,

Craig Marks

Next blog: Signs, Signs, and More Signs ... Everywhere!

Thanks to Bob Manley for writing to me for the suggestion to look into the political signs in Trappe. I appreciate his support!

A Cryptic Response

This blog author received a very cryptic message from Teresa Stagliano, one of the subjects of yesterdays posting. Here is the text of that e-mail:

Hi Mark, or Stu, or Al.

Attached please find a suitable picture for your next "blog-stay tuned". I would prefer you use this one rather than the photo of myself that is posted on the Collegeville Borough website as I feel the lighting in this photo brings out my best features. I also really like the lime jacket I am wearing. Please feel free to contact me if you need a different angled shot.

I must say I have thoroughly enjoyed the anecdotes on your blog. When I find I am having a bad day, all I have to do is log on to your site and I feel better knowing that someone has me on their mind, and for that I truly thank you!

For clarification purposes, please note the correct spelling of my name:
Teresa M. Stagliano (that is Theresa without the H, in case you forget).
Some people prefer to call me "Terrie" (note, that spelling is with an "ie" not a "y").

Hope you had a great Halloween!

Best,
Terrie

As I am certain you the reader will find this response to my posting to be somewhat disturbing. This response only underscores the point I was trying to make yesterday … that Mrs. Stagliano and her husband as well as the rest of Collegeville Borough Council must be held accountable for their actions.

The points made in yesterday’s post of public officials using the power of their office for personal gain are serious in nature and not to be taken lightly. But what does Mrs. Stagliano do? She responds as if she is untouchable and it is all a joke! She mistakenly identifies me as one of her self-imposed political adversaries.

The residents and voters Collegeville Borough need to take a hard look at the Collegeville Budget and ask why Collegeville’s tax rate is one of the highest in Montgomery County. Here is a comparison to surrounding communities:

Perkiomen Township - 0.52
Upper Providence Township - 0.00
Trappe Borough - 0.00
Collegeville Borough - 3.50 (Highest allowed by law)

Based upon the above municipal tax rates the following is how much borough tax a resident would pay on a home of $300,000 in assessed value:

Perkiomen Township - $156.00
Upper Providence Township - $0.00
Trappe Borough - $0.00
Collegeville Borough - $1,050.00

I encourage Collegeville Residents to attend the next Collegeville Borough Council meeting and ask the hard questions as to why the Borough needs a full-time Treasurer and eight policemen (including a full-time detective)? Eliminating or reducing these functions would reduce the Borough's costs by over $1 million dollars.

Manipulating the law for your benefit, high taxes, cost shifting to neighboring boroughs, and cronyism with public employees. What is next for Mrs. Stagliano and Collegeville Council?

How about endorsing Mrs. Stagliano for District Judge? That is right. Sources tell me that Mrs. Stagliano has already attended the required state schooling to run for office as a District Justice and has her eye on Ben Crahalla’s office as Judge Crahalla is up for mandatory retirement.

Now you can just imagine if this is how Mrs. Stagliano and her husband abuse their powers as members of Borough Council for their personal gain, just what would happen if she became a District Justice?

Now that is truly scary!

It Is Good To Be King (or the Mayor of Collegeville)

Several folks have written to me regarding the Stagliano's (Albert and Teresa) the Mayor and the Vice-President of Collegeville Council respectively. One person even sent a picture (left) of the Mayor's car parked in a fire zone right under the fire zone sign! I am told this picture is right next to The Pizza Stop Restaurant where you will often see cars parked in this fire zone including the Mayor's car and that of his wife, Teresa Stagaliano, Vice-President of Collegeville Council and also a licensed barber who works at the barber shop.

The resident who sent the picture asked me in their e-mail if the Mayor is "above the law"? Based upon the picture and them telling me that cars are parked all day long in a fire zone with no police action I could only reply "I guess so"! We thought this warranted more investigating so we could bring you the whole story.

Well it turns out to appear that Mayor Stagliano believes he is above the law. I am told by one of the folks from Collegeville who is "in the know" that shortly after being elected Mayor, Stagliano got all fired up and instructed the Collegeville Police Chief NOT to ticket him or anyone else for parking in a fire zone in the shopping center where the Stagliano's have their barber shop. Sergeant Bruce Penuel was just doing his job when he attempted to ticket the Mayor's car. The Collegeville Police do a great job and had always done an admirable job of policing the fire zones within Collegeville Borough. Not any more as the Mayor has seen fit to put his own interests before those of the public and their safety.

This "power trip" with the Stagliano's goes FAR beyond parking in fire zones. In early 2006 it came to the attention of Trappe Council that one of the representatives for Trappe on CTMA and Collegeville-Trappe Joint Public Works (CTJPW), Ernest Schmitt. Council was told:

• Mr. Schmitt was not a resident of Trappe Borough (and admitted in a court deposition that he had not been a resident for over 4 years)


• Listed his mailing address as that of the CTJPW building on First Avenue in Trappe on all official correspondence for CTMA and CTJPW so he could "hide" the fact that he eally had been living Lower Frederick Township for the past 4 years


• Was an employee of CTJPW and had voted to raise his own salary several times (up to $30,000.00 per year) without the consent, as required, from the Collegeville and Trappe Borough Councils'


• Was Treasurer of CTJPW (you cannot be an employee and a officer of such an entity)

With this information Trappe Council had no choice but to request Mr. Schmitt's resignation. He refused to resign in spite of the evidence presented to him that he did not meet the requirements to be a representative for CTMA or CTJPW.

It took the legal action of the Montgomery County DA, Bruce Castor, wherein Mr. Castor threatens legal action to force Mr. Schmitt to resign. During this whole scenario I am told and the meeting minutes show that Teresa Stagliano got pretty damn angry and defended Mr. Schmitt. Trappe Officials asked why she was interfering with Trappe Council? Mrs. Stagliano would not reply. Shortly after Trappe was successful in removing Mr. Schmitt, Teresa Stagliano along with members of Collegeville Council and the Collegeville appointees of CTJPW and CTMA attempted to use public money from CTMA and CTJPW coffers to pay Mr. Schmitt's legal bills. Then Collegeville Council voted to appoint Mr. Schmitt (for a short time until it was pointed out to her that the appointment was illegal) to be the representative for Collegeville for the regional sewer authority. Wow! Lucky for the taxpayers of Trappe and Collegeville, Trappe Officials blocked Mrs. Stagliano from paying Mr. Schmitt's legal bill using public funds.

In my next post we will bring you the results of a long-term investigation into the CTJPW and the cronyism that has been going on with Teresa Stagliano and the employees of CTJPW. Now remember, this is a person elected to represent Collegeville Borough Residents and be part of the team to "negotiate" with the employees of CTJPW. There must NEVER be an appearance of a "conflict of interest" on Teresa Stagliano's part ... but we will show you numerous examples of just that.

Stay tuned!

Stan Huskey's "Truth of the Day"

Well, there goes Stan Huskey and his version of the "truth" as he writes on his blog:

"Anyway, this is (and I know I've said this before but I'm serious this time) the last time I'll address the alleged charge to Trappe Borough for putting borough contact information in the Collegeville/Trappe Heritage special section. I didn't a little investigative reporter. I was a cop reporter in a former life, you know. The money that shows up on the Trappe books is for an ad they took out in the section; not for the listing".

What ... talk about spin?!

Stan, you wrote "No, we didn't charge Collegeville and Trappe to put their listings into our recent Collegeville/Trappe Heritage piece". That was a lie and the invoice proves it.

Someone commented to the posting "No, No, No" posting "After viewing the invoice that was printed on the "other" bogus website formed by what I believe to be by a current council member to disparage the name of the endorsed candidates (even though the committee persons refuse to endorse them because the candidates that they wanted to endorse didn't win the primary), It appears as if "Mr Marks" would have had to have access to the boroughs Accounts Payable files. That being said, if either of the two employees that work at Borough Hall have never seen this apparition of a blog author, Then i for one would have to say that it appears if some fishy business has been going on..........Is that really such a surprise for the current regime that sits on council"?

I have to assume that they are referring to this blog. I am not a current member of Trappe Council and I have never even lived in Trappe. You see my picture ... have you ever seen me sitting at the Trappe Council table during meetings? This sounds like the Clinton's and their "vast right-wing conspiracy" theory!

But enough of that let us focus our efforts on the invoice. I exercised the right of a PA Taxpayer and I obtained the invoice under the Pennsylvania Right To Know Law. Under this law it provides access to public records and make copies thereof. While the law states that a formal request can be made, most entities, having nothing to hide, grant access without a written request. After all it is the taxpayer's information as they paid for it.

The law defines a "Public record" as "Any account, voucher or contract dealing with the receipt or disbursement of funds by an agency or its acquisition, use or disposal of services or of supplies, materials, equipment or other property and any minute, order or decision by an agency fixing the personal or property rights, privileges, immunities, duties or obligations of any person or group of persons".

What I have noticed in Trappe is the folks who want to gain control write such things when they cannot answer the allegations made against someone like Mr. Huskey. They do not address the immoral and possible illegal activities of Fred Schuetz and Matthew Watson of the "Trusted Team".

Oh and before I forget let me "connect-the-dots". We have reported on this blog in a prior posting regarding David Kane and Mark Marino. One of the current candidates for Trappe Council and a member of the "Trusted Team", Lew DiPrete, was a person I would not associate with Fred Schuetz, Matthew Watson or Paul Edwards as he is not associated with land development or real estate. Then it struck me ... could this Lew DiPrete be related to Beth DiPrete of Limerick Township? Sure enough, Beth is the wife of Lew DiPrete and the Finance Director / Treasurer of Limerick Township.

Now I find it interesting that Beth's employment depends on none other than David Kane, Chairman of the Limerick Township Board of Supervisors. Now Mr. Kane is well known for being a bully and firing anyone who disagrees with him. This is the same David Kane who financed (through a Republican PAC) the "Trusted Team" campaign.

Yes, the "Trusted Team" has been bought and sold by Mr. Kane and Mark Marino. It was overheard on primary night (May 15, 2007) that Mr. Kane stated he "owned Trappe with this primary victory and the Trappe School development would benefit him". How? Wait and watch as we are investigating. When the new "Trusted Team" takes their seats in January keep your eye on development in Trappe ... especially the Fugo Property subdivision and the Stearly Tract. Our prediction is they will "sail through" Council under the direction of Mr. Schuetz and Mr. Watson while selling out the nearby residents and the good folks purchasing properties in these subdivisions.

And finally let me address the "sidewalk" issue in Trappe. Under the guidance of Trappe Councilman Jim Durrell, the sidewalks were marked for replacement and letters were issued giving residents of those properties the directive to replace the sidewalks. Well ... this whole "project" has turned into somewhat of a problem so NOW the Borough has backed off. Now what do we do about all of these "marked" sidewalks?!

Next blog posting "It's Good to Be King".

Stan Huskey Strikes Again

What is it with Stan Huskey and the truth? This guy is in TOTAL denial! On his blog in his post of October 15th Mr. Huskey writes:

"No, we didn't charge Collegeville and Trappe to put their listings into our recent Collegeville/Trappe Heritage piece".

Well I believe the invoice to the left (click to enlarge) clearly shows that Trappe was indeed charged for the "Heritage Day" ad. It is not for classified advertising as Mr. Huskey alludes to when he responds to his own post and writes "Apparently some people don't understand plain English. We did not charge College, or Trappe money to go into the Collegeville/Trappe Heritage section. I'm sure there was a bill in Trappe that was paid to The Times Herald, just like there is for every other municipality that runs a legal notice. Do you understand now? I've received about 15 comments on the blog about this. I'm half tempted to believe they're all from the same person. This is as clear as I can make it and this is the last time I'll comment on the topic". By the way Trappe Borough only advertises legal notices in the Pottstown Mercury. My question is can Mr. Huskey start telling the truth? I don't think so ... think about that the next time you read something in the Norristown Times Herald ... fact or fiction? Due to Mr. Huskey this newspaper is losing what little credibility it has left.

Good News for Collegeville Residents (Well Sort of …)

According to the Collegeville web site there will NOT be a tax increase for fiscal year 2008. That will be a huge relief and burden off the residents and taxpayers of Collegeville who suffered a whopping 133% tax increase in November 2004 for fiscal year 2005. The Tax Rate is for General Purposes, the sum of 3.5 Mills on each dollar of assessed valuation or the sum of .35 Cents on each one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.

In researching the budget for the cause of the large increase in 2004 we discovered the police budget increased from $800k to $1.2M. Wow! Why does Collegeville need all of those police officers (7 counting the Police Chief) AND a full-time detective? Without Ursinus College (which contributes NO money to the tax base) they are but one square mile. A lot of folks are confused in thinking Collegeville Borough is a much larger Borough due to the Post Office being located there but they are smaller than Trappe Borough according to the Montgomery County Web Site.

Additional items on the agenda at it’s public meeting on November 7, 2007 at the Borough Hall will be the establishment of a parking by permit only program and the adoption of the "Local Services Tax" in order to implement the Act 7 Amendments to the tax known as the "Emergency and Municipal Services Tax"; imposing a tax at a rate of $52.00 per year for all non-residents and residents who carry on an occupation in Collegeville Borough.

Just what the folks need ... more taxes!

When Good People Fail To Get Involved

I found it very interesting the recent arrests of the former board president of the Penn-Delco School District in Delaware County and its former superintendent whom were charged in connection with an alleged scheme to secretly invest money in a company that operated child-care programs at district schools.

A reported statement from one resident told the existing school board members "We're going to be watching every move you make". It was also reported that the school board got a tongue lashing outraged by the scandal. "I think this was all done for greed on their part," said Janice Fromal of Aston. "The people arrested today are, in essence, charged with violating the trust imposed in them," said Delaware County District Attorney Mike Green.

What I find even more interesting and perplexing why good people were not watching before this happened? Most people by nature are trusting and do the right thing. But remember the old saying "People do not do what you expect, they do what you inspect".

Don't let what happened in the Penn Delco School District happen here. Get involved and keep yourself informed. We will do our best to report all of the ongoing local government business here ... please stay tuned!

Stan Huskey's Fictional World

I do believe that Stan Huskey, the Editor of the Norristown Times Herald, missed his calling in life to be a fiction writer. In his recent blog he writes:

No, we didn't charge Collegeville and Trappe to put their listings into our recent Collegeville/Trappe Heritage piece. Yes Mr. Huskey, you did charge Trappe Borough $200 as noted in the vote that took place during the September 2007 Trappe Borough Council Meeting.

No, I don't know Mark Marino. I think I shook his hand for the first time last Monday and said hello to him, but in my book, that doesn't mean I know him. Yes you do know Mr. Mark Marino as you were seen by several people on March 15, 2006, at the Swann/Mathhews Reception held in Conshohocken, speaking at length to Mr. Mark Marino.

No, I don't allow every post to go through. No fiction here ... just cherry picking. Time to retire Mr. Huskey ... or they should remove you. Your journalistic integrity is gone and the general public knows it.

Matt Watson and the Truth

It appears someone from the "Trusted Team" is reading this blog in Trappe. We noticed that Matthew Watson, a current member of Trappe Borough Council, has removed his name as one of the representative agents at 1st Patriot Realty, his last known employer.

Now I would venture to guess that Mr. Watson wants to distance himself from Drew Bycoskie, a realtor and principal with 1st Patriot Realty, Mr. Watson's last known employer and his boss. In his bio on the 1st Patriot Web Site, Mr. Bycoskie describes himself as "In his continued pursuit to offer his clients additional services, Mr. Bycoskie became heavy involved in both Land Development and investment properties opportunities for both himself and his clients. During this time, Mr. Bycoskie began to work with Ted Laskowski on several real estate and land development projects. As Ted and Drew began to talk and work with one another, they could see the positive synergies that they had together.

With that, both Ted and Drew have merged their real estate and mortgage companies to offer their clients a full service organization that can handle all aspects of an individual’s real estate transaction. Mr. Laskowski’s 30 plus year experience as a real estate broker in both commercial and residential real estate combined with Drew’s analytical and financial capabilities offer a wealth of knowledge, expertise and diversity to their clients".

What is interesting here is Mr. Bycoskie owns land at 437, 438, and 439 Main Street in Trappe that was brought before Trappe Council for land development for housing and was rejected due to "numerous required waivers" to ordinances and other considerations. Mr. Stu Strauss was very vocal in his opposition to the numerous waivers ... but not Mr. Watson. In other words Mr. Bycoskie wanted to squeeze more into his land development so he could make more money. And Mr. Watson, along with the majority of the last Trappe Borough Council, was going to let this go through giving it special treatment until Mr. Strauss and Mr. Scholl brought this to light. Why? Well for starters, Mr. Bycoskie was a big contributor to most of the Council's election as well as lending support to their campaign by posting campaign signs on his various properties. But the real "quid pro quo" for Mr. Watson was a "job" with 1st Patriot Realty when he left Harvard Realty Exchange in Trappe.

Now enter another developer, Andre DiPrinzio, whose last land development was Carriage Ridge in Trappe, who it appears has joined up with Mr. Bycoskie to develop the land development at 437, 438, and 439 Main Street in Trappe. Mr. DiPrinzio was not a good business partner with the folks who purchased homes at Carriage Ridge until the currently seated Council put Mr. DiPrinzio on notice ... then the residents of Carriage Ridge got treated fairly. I was able to cull this from the Trappe Borough Council meeting minutes posted here.

I believe that the land development for 437, 438, and 439 Main Street will be presented to the "new" Trappe Council should the "Trusted Team" win the general election next month. The only problem for them is Mr. Watson would need to recuse himself due to the conflict of Mr. Bycoskie being his last known employer. My guess is that they will attempt to get around this "conflict of interest" by having Mr. DiPrinzio lead the land development with Trappe Borough Council. I do believe that both Mr. DiPrinzio as well as Mr. Bycoskie have contributed financially to the "Trusted Team" but that needs to be confirmed from the financial statements they are required by law to file.

Stay tuned on this one and we will continue to monitor the "Trusted Team" and will update you when we have new information.

Stan Huskey and the Truth

This morning Mr. huskey wrote on his blog "did I say I didn't know who the Marinos are? I'll answer that. No, I didn't. I said I didn't 'know' Mark Marino. I know his father quite well. We spoke often when I was a cop reporter. I don't know Mark".

Well here is a refresher for you, Stan. On March 15, 2006 at the Swann/Mathhews Reception held in Conshohocken several people have written to me stating that they saw you speaking at length with Mark Marino at this event. Does that ring a bell?

These same folks indicated they also left comments on Mr. Huskey's blog but they never appeared. So when you write in the same posting "First, yes I do moderate this blog. I have to. However, if you'll go back and check out previous posts you'll see I try to use comments from both sides" we all know you once again are not telling the truth. By the way, why does Mr. Huskey "have to" moderate his blog? I believe it is so he can bias the comments for one side only. What say you Mr. Huskey?

The most important thing to a reader of a newspaper is that the reporting be unbiased and the truth. Not to print just part of the story ... deciding to only report the facts as they see fit. As the editor, we count on Mr. Huskey to do fair and truthful reporting - both in the newspaper and on his blog. Mr. Huskey crossed the line by reporting unsubstantiated allegations on his blog. It is time for Stan Huskey to go as Editor of paper. He can retire or however he wishes to handle it. If he does not voluntarily go, then the powers-to-be at the Norristown Times Herald need to take action.

Newspapers have enough trouble these days when they play it straight. With declining advertising and readership they need not have their journalistic integrity questioned. Mr. Huskey was caught in a lie and has put the reputation of this fine newspaper in jeopardy.

This is just irresponsible. Period.

Mr. Huskey, Your Slip Is Showing

Once again I feel the need to point the disingenuous and downright dishonest nature of Mr. Stan Huskey as Editor of the Norristown Times Herald.

In his most recent posting to his blog Mr. Huskey writes “The role of your local newspaper is to be a watchdog”. My question for Mr. Huskey is for whom is he a “watchdog”? Mr. Marino? Mr. Kane? Mrs. Stagliano? Mr. Schmitt? Just who Stan? Because it is NOT the residents of Trappe. How do I know this? Because the few times over the past two (2) years the Norristown Times Herald has only covered the Trappe Council meetings when they are “summoned” to do so by Mr. Huskey’s cronies.

Furthermore, Mr. Huskey writes “First, I do not know Mark Marino. I think I met him for the first time the other day, but I certainly don't know him. I do know Mike Marino”. Anyone who knows anything regarding Montgomery County Politics knows that if you know Mike Marino, you damn well know Mark Marino. And Mark Marino is one of the Area Leaders for the Republican Party. We have now caught Mr. Huskey in a lie as we can get numerous folks who will testify that Mr. Huskey has known Mark Marino and has not, as he states “I met him for the first time the other day, but I certainly don't know him”.

When various members of the current Trappe Borough Council requested the Times Herald send a reporter to cover a Trappe Council meeting the reply received was “we don’t cover Trappe, our sister publication, the Pottstown Mercury covers Trappe”.

The Mercury has done a “fair” job of reporting on Trappe Borough. Much credit goes to Mr. Evan Brandt of the Pottstown Mercury who at least provided fair coverage in the past. But even Mr. Brandt has his limitations. He takes his marching orders from the Managing Editor Nancy March (OK – but really – no pun intended). As for Nancy March and Stan Huskey … well more on that later. It will be, shall we say “enlightening” along the lines of “good cop, bad cop”.

If you don’t believe this just review the article wherein the Times Herald “splashed” a histrionic article regarding accusations made against the Trappe Borough Manager during a recent court case. The Times Herald covered this story as though the gentleman had already been convicted. They further printed the actual notes of testimony from court deposition transcripts which I believe is unprecedented for this or ANY local paper. By the way, the Trappe Borough Manager won his case and was exonerated but did the Times Herald “splash” that on their front page? Not even a mention was made in their paper that indeed this gentleman won his case and was exonerated. Wow, they really are not appearing to be great watchdogs for ALL of the Trappe Residents and Taxpayers.

Now let us take a look at the piece of journalism that appeared in this past Saturday’s Times Herald wherein the paper makes mention of Mr. Carrig’s reaction to a petition that was presented to Trappe Council. The petition was presented by Mr. Arnold “Bud” Bender of Rittenhouse Square, the same development where Mr. Carrig resides. The exact motive of Mr. Bender is unclear. What is clear is that until the last few months Mr. Bender had not even attended at Trappe Borough Council meeting even though, according to Montgomery County Court Land Records, Arnold Bender and his wife Diane have been residents of Trappe Borough since June of 1988.

This much is clear. It was reported that Mr. Carrig challenged Mr. Bender when the petition was presented. Mr. Carrig stated it was a personal vendetta and he told someone in the audience to “shut the hell up” when they called for Mr. Straus, Council President, to bring the meeting to order. What the paper failed to report was Mr. Carrig’s other “outburst” regarding Arnold Bender’s past. You may remember Mr. Bender in the news about eight (8) years ago where Mr. Bender was forced to resign as Police Chief of Spring City. Off the record, I am told by officials at the Borough of Spring City that Mr. Bender had a sexual tryst in his office where he was literally caught with his “pants down”.

Hmmm, now this is very interesting. The Times Herald reports unsubstantiated allegations of non-residency about Mr. Carrig but does not even question a private citizen, Arnold Bender, writing a "press release" stating Mr. Carrig as being a non-resident. Especially one of Mr. Bender’s character. Sounds personal to me!

Once again the the unethical and downright dishonest Mr. Huskey writes “For some reason the discussion on whether a Trappe councilman still lives in the borough has turned to what business is it of the newspaper or of mine”. I do not know how Mr. Huskey forms his opinions, but it obviously is not based on ANY evidence that Mr. Carrig does not “live in Trappe” and that he remains a resident.

So I did what Mr. Huskey should have done … I called Carrig at his home. He stated that he is remains a resident of Trappe and has been for the past twenty (20) years. When he is no longer a resident of Trappe he will resign from Council. Period. He further stated that if anyone has any evidence that he is not a resident, bring it forward and present it to the Borough and/or the newspapers.

If you have no evidence that Mr. Carrig is NOT a resident, Mr. Huskey, I think I would leave this alone. As they used to say many years back “your slip is showing” ... in more ways than one.

Twisted in Trappe by Collegeville

Happy Columbus Day! If you have the day off, enjoy it.

More stuff on Trappe. I have reviewed the meeting minutes for the last two years from Trappe Borough, CTMA, and CTJPW over the weekend and I believe that the majority of the current Trappe Council has done quite a bit to try and clean up Trappe and have the Borough comply with state laws and the MPC. It appears from the meeting minutes that the representative members from Trappe for CTMA and CTJPW think that there have been some inequities between Trappe and Collegeville. I will have those inequities in a future post as soon as I can outline them from the meeting minutes.

The actions of these council people to clean up Trappe Borough and the CTJPW (Public Works) have been met with fierce opposition by a small group of people from Trappe and Collegeville. Some of these people had been running the Borough and with little to no oversight from the past Borough Councils. They were running the Borough in such a manner as to violate the Municipal Planning Code (MPC) in every which way they could.

Case in point is most of the appointments of the various positions. I learned that apparently the former Planning Commission Chairman Fred Schuetz (part of the “Trusted Team”) had instructed the Borough Secretary, Pat Katona, to alter the appointment dates for various positions so the current council could not take action on those positions and so the people Fred had endorsed would stay in place even though their term had expired. This was caught by the Borough Manager and a councilperson who questioned Ms. Katona and she admitted that it was indeed Fred Schuetz who had told her to do so. This information was then turned over to the Borough Solicitor and with great time and expense the Solicitor had to go through over five (5) years of records to reconstruct who should be where. Boy, talk about a mess!

Then there is Matthew Watson, another one of the "Trusted Team", who is a licensed real estate agent. At his employer’s web site, 1st Patriot Realty he advertises himself as "as a Borough Councilman in his town and works in-depth with the Planning Commission and Zoning Board. He also sits on the Board of Public Works and the Sewer Authority. As an Accredited Buyers Agent, he looks forward to helping you find just the right investment, land or home transaction to best fit your needs".

According to the Trappe Borough records Mr. Watson does not sit on either the Board of Public Works or the Sewer Authority and has not since March 2006. Now, I don’t know about you but I see an appearance of Mr. Watson selling his influence. By the way, I heard a that this will change once the "Trusted Team" is seated in January 2008 and that the “Trusted Team” will restore Mr. Watson’s power to those committees. Wait and watch.

I am still waiting for much more information from several sources. One bit of information is regarding Collegeville Council and a gentleman named Ernest Schmitt, and the support that Collegeville Council Vice-President Terry Stagliano gave to Mr. Schmitt when Trappe Borough Council Members challenged his Trappe residency in early 2006 (apparently including having his legal bills paid out of public funds). I am promised it will make very interesting reading and will include a letter from Bruce Castor, Montgomery County District Attorney, wherein Mr. Schmitt is threatened with legal action if he does not resign sighting him as a non-resident of Trappe Borough and Mr. Schmitt refusal to resign.

I hope to have more of this in my next posting.

Our New Look

You may have noticed that my blog has a new look and a new site address. Many of you have written to me asking me what happened to the prior content. Well when we migrated from the old site address to the new one we had no way of (easily) porting all of the new and archived posts. So we start with a fresh look today. I am backlogged with posts and will be catching up soon.

Have a great weekend and we will have a new post on Monday.

Verizon FIOS Now Available in the Collegeville CO

Great news! I just got notification from Verizon that FIOS Cable TV is available if you are served out of the Collegeville central office.

Go here to see if you qualify.

Duped in Trappe by Norristown

For those of you who don't know Stan Huskey he the editor of the Norristown Times Herald. As an editor one would hope that Mr. Huskey would use better judgement and exercise professional ethics when he accuses a local elected official of misconduct. But apparently not Mr. Huskey. When his bosses at the newspaper were informed about the misinformation and hearsay that Mr. Huskey had posted on his blog, his bosses replied that he had their full support. Mr. Huskey, on his blog does not identify himself as the Editor of the Norristown Times Herald. But when asked who he was he acted like everyone should know. Well I didn't until he identified himself in a posting.

A recent post to Stan Huskey's Blog was titled "Trapped in Trappe" wherein Mr. Huskey writes "What I'm hearing is Trappe council member Mark Carrig doesn't live in Trappe anymore". Mr. Huskey offers nothing to support these allegations and does not disclose his source for this "information". He appears to carelessly spread rumors about an elected official. This is irresponsible journalism. Period! But Mr. Huskey does not care. Why you may ask? Because of his best friend, Mark Marino. Here is that story.

A recent investigation has uncovered that "Trappe's Trusted Team" (who in May 2007 won the Trappe Borough Republican Primary) has been backed and financed by a PAC controlled by Mark Marino and David Kane. Here are some facts on Mark Marino and David Kane:

• David Kane is the Limerick Township BOS Chairman


• David Kane works as a developer for the Skippack firm he founded‚ Kane Core Inc.


• Kane Core’s co-founder‚ according to the firm’s Web site‚ is Mark Marino‚ who is chairman of the Skippack Township Board of Supervisors


• Mark Marino recently became chairman of the Area 4 Republican Committee‚ a district that includes Limerick‚ Collegeville‚ Lower Providence‚ Perkiomen‚ Royersford‚ Skippack‚ Trappe‚ Upper Providence and Worcester


• Marino’s father is former District Attorney and former County Commissioners Chairman Michael Marino‚ who was recently appointed county solicitor


• Michael Marino also keeps an office at Kane Core and does occasional legal work for the group On Jan. 3‚ 2006‚ Traffic Planning & Design was named the new traffic consultant in both Skippack and Limerick townships

Are all of these relationships a mere coincidence? What is the "Quid Pro Quo" for Mark Marino and David Kane. The old PV School at 1st and College Avenues in Trappe. That is the quid pro quo.

The current Trappe Council have uncovered disturbing business practices in Trappe Borough and their appointed representatives to the committee at the Collegeville Trappe Municipal Authority (CTMA) and the Collegeville Trappe Joint Public Works (CTJPW) have as well. And it appears that they they have upset the powers to be in Collegeville who have a conspiracy with some members of the current Trappe Borough Council, the employees of CTJPW and others to oust the current Trappe Council. Why? They have saved thousands of dollars for the Trappe and Collegeville residents and ratepayers and brought back integrity to the Trappe Borough government.

Which brings us full circle. Why would Mr. Huskey print hearsay regarding Mr. Carrig when it is hearsay? Why not contact Mr. Carrig for his comments as any responsible journalist would do? I don't know this guy Carrig but a whole group in Trappe has been going after him regarding his personal life. And I know one thing ... when you attack someone for their personal life you take the focus off the issues. I say stick with the issues and the heck with their personal life. Mr. Huskey should stop doing the dirty work for Mr. Marino and his cronies.

Why don't you ask Mr. Huskey for what facts he has regarding Mr. Carrig's residency on his blog? Post your comment. Most likely you won't see your comment posted as Mr. Huskey has full editorial control and from what I am told he "cherry picks" what is posted.

I say if this represents the Norristown Times Herald and their journalist integrity it is time to cancel my subscription. How about you?