LVS Interview w/ Don Cunningham

"Mrs. Dottie" and I first met popular Lehigh County Executive Don Cunningham, Jr. (pictured) when Don and Bethlehem Mayor John Callahan were in the audience for a Villas gig in October 2004 at the Illick's Mill Fall Gala in Bethlehem. We have some piks from that gig at our website's "Gig Piks" page and that's Bethlehem City Council person (and our booking host for that very fun Illick's Mill gig) Karen Dolan pictured about half-way down the page. Cunningham and Callahan cornered us after our set to rave about The Villas original music which we thought was very gracious of them. Then in September 2006, The Villas shared the stage with Don and his cover band at Downtown Allentown's "Dancing in the Streets" celebration and opening of the new Butz Corporate Center. We like Don (and his cover band) and we believe the feeling is mutual. We also figure Don knows we're not "nutz" as has been perpetrated against us in certain circles 'round our local blogosphere in the aftermath of our daughter Sheena having been killed by a drunk driver. 

LVS initiated our email interview w/ Don Cunningham three weeks ago on August 28th with an email we published here as a blog post entitled, "Just Say No" to Bernie O'Hare.

When we didn't hear anything back from Don, we popped him this email on September 16:

Hi Don, hope all's well. Q. Have you had a chance to read our blog exposé on Bernie O'Hare? [Follow Link Below] And, do you have a response or a reaction for us, either off, or on, the record? Thanks again for your consideration, Don. Best Regards, Bill Villa

Don emailed us back later that same day and now our interview was rolling:

Bill, Things are going fairly well for me; thanks. Certainly have a little more time on my hands since pulling back from trying to build a race for Governor next year. Anyway, in regard to blogs -- right, wrong or indifferent -- I don't read any of them. People often let me know who is writing what, etc. but I don't read blogs or read newspapers on-line. In regard to bloggers, since they dispense information regarding county government to people who do read them, we treat them as "media." Therefore, we send them our news releases, invite them to news conferences and review and often grant requests for interviews. In this electronic age, I realize I am a bit of a dinosaur in not getting my news and information electronically but I do understand that many others do get their information that way. I didn't realize you have a blog. If you write about county goverment, we certainly will put you on our distribution list. Toward that end, I'm copying Kathleen Parrish, the county's public information director, on this email. I hope you are well -- and the band is playing often. -Don

[LVS Note: Readers, we inserted the link on Kathleen Parrish's name to our post entitled, "DA Martin Stonewalls on Stinky Garlicki Hiring." Although Don Cunningham "didn't realize you have a blog" (wink wink), we're pretty sure Kathleen Parrish knows.]

We responded to Don right away: 

Thanks, Don. I can't speak for the family of George Usry ... or Lucille White ... but on behalf of the family of Sheena Villa, we're asking that you remove Bernie O'Hare and Lehigh Valley Ramblings from your "media" list and avoid him like the plague he is. Don, what can we tell our blog readers, re: your answer to our request? Thanks as always for your consideration. Best Regards, Bill Villa P.S. Hi Kathleen ... 

Don responded to us later the same day: 

Oh, if you need a response, I would just use what is our county policy that was pretty much imbedded in my previous email. We treat all bloggers that dispense information regarding county government as "media." Therefore, we send them our news releases, invite them to news conferences and review and often grant requests for interviews. I have no intention to offer any comment that goes beyond our non-discrimination policy to inform equally all media outlets and reporters that are interested in and cover Lehigh County government. Thanks, Don [cc: Kathleen Parrish]

We responded to Don yesterday: 

Don, we're not asking you to "discriminate" but we are asking that you be more discriminating regarding who you consider "credible media."

O'Hare was disbarred by the PA Supreme Court for "dishonesty, fraud, deceit, misrepresentation, unauthorized activity, forgery, cover-up, conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice, illegal conduct, and moral turpitude."

And O'Hare's "moral turpitude," by definition, and in the application of the PA Supreme Court, was the "evil intent" activity of emotionally torturing his already-suffering client George Usry for two years. George Usry was a Bethlehem Steel worker; your father (who also worked there if I recall correctly) may have known George Usry.

If you read our blog's exposé on O'Hare, we can't imagine you not coming to the same conclusion that we and many others have-- i.e., that O'Hare, 23 years later, is still engaging in the same evil intent activity he was disbarred for 23 years ago. He's still getting his kicks through emotionally torturing already suffering, grief-stricken families, and my grieving family has been a favorite target of O'Hare's for over a year now.

Don, we ask that you (at least) apply some due diligence and have your media liaison people examine our exposé on O'Hare. And until you come to an informed decision on this matter, we ask that you initiate a moratorium on O'Hare, regarding Don Cunningham press release information and crony interview access that gives credibility to a "news" source who, clearly, does not merit it.

Q. Will you commit to doing at least this? i.e., informing yourself, re: our facts on O'Hare.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best Regards,

Bill Villa

P.S. Our blog, "Lehigh Valley Somebody," is located here > http://bloggingdottie.blogspot.com.

Start w/ our post dated, August 28, 2009, and work backwards. Thanks.

Readers, this is where we're at, so far, re: the LVS Interview w/ Don Cunningham. 

Hopefully, we'll get more responses back from Don and be able to conclude our interview ... and resolve the disturbing issue of local politicians lending undue credibility to Bernie O'Hare by giving him their unwarranted, and undeserved access. 

If you'd like to read the LVS exposé on Bernie O'Hare that is, hopefully, being examined very carefully by Team Cunningham right now, and by all area politicians eventually, even if we have to camp out in their offices and read it to them, follow these links.

THE UGLY TRUTH ABOUT BERNIE O'HARE 

 

Part 1: Overview  

 

Part 2: George Usry  

 

Part 3: Lucille White  

 

Part 4: Still Duped By O'Hare?