DA Martin: We Have a Right To Know

[After you read this post, read the follow-up post, Kathleen Parrish Responds ]

Readers, this went out in today's mail:

July 20, 2009

To: Kathleen Parrish, “Right To Know” Officer, Lehigh County

From: Bill Villa

Ms. Parrish, recently, former longtime Morning Call newspaper "courthouse beat" reporter Debbie Garlicki became an Executive Aide in the office of Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

As my attachments indicate, Ms. Garlicki’s new duties as an Executive Aide to DA Jim Martin include writing and disseminating Press Releases promoting Mr. Martin— a function not all that different from Ms. Garlicki’s previous position at The Morning Call newspaper, but I digress.

Q. Did this Executive Aide/Public Relations position in DA Jim Martin’s office exist prior to Debbie Garlicki's permanent layoff from The Morning Call newspaper?

Or was this position created especially for Debbie Garlicki?

I look forward to an initial response from you within 5 business days as is pledged at the Lehigh County web site’s "Right To Know" page.

Thank you.

-------------------

UpDate: In a message dated 7/31/09 9:05:51 AM, Kathleen Parrish writes:

Hi Bill, I received your request in the mail yesterday. I have the information you requested and will put it in the mail today. Thanks, Kathleen

------------------

Readers, please note: a mailing glitch (an error on my part) resulted in the "late" (i.e., received just yesterday) arrival of my Open Records Act, "Right To Know" inquiry onto Kathleen Parrish's desk. She is responding to my inquiry 4 business days faster than is promised at the County's web site, and I appreciate that. Look for a follow-up post on this matter, after we have a chance to examine the County's answer to our question.

DA Martin: We Have a Right To Know

[After you read this post, read the follow-up post, Kathleen Parrish Responds ]

Readers, this went out in today's mail:

July 20, 2009

To: Kathleen Parrish, “Right To Know” Officer, Lehigh County

From: Bill Villa

Ms. Parrish, recently, former longtime Morning Call newspaper "courthouse beat" reporter Debbie Garlicki became an Executive Aide in the office of Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin.

As my attachments indicate, Ms. Garlicki’s new duties as an Executive Aide to DA Jim Martin include writing and disseminating Press Releases promoting Mr. Martin— a function not all that different from Ms. Garlicki’s previous position at The Morning Call newspaper, but I digress.

Q. Did this Executive Aide/Public Relations position in DA Jim Martin’s office exist prior to Debbie Garlicki's permanent layoff from The Morning Call newspaper?

Or was this position created especially for Debbie Garlicki?

I look forward to an initial response from you within 5 business days as is pledged at the Lehigh County web site’s "Right To Know" page.

Thank you.

-------------------

UpDate: In a message dated 7/31/09 9:05:51 AM, Kathleen Parrish writes:

Hi Bill, I received your request in the mail yesterday. I have the information you requested and will put it in the mail today. Thanks, Kathleen

------------------

Readers, please note: a mailing glitch (an error on my part) resulted in the "late" (i.e., received just yesterday) arrival of my Open Records Act, "Right To Know" inquiry onto Kathleen Parrish's desk. She is responding to my inquiry 4 business days faster than is promised at the County's web site, and I appreciate that. Look for a follow-up post on this matter, after we have a chance to examine the County's answer to our question.

Allentown City Council VP Mike Donovan Should Resign or Be Fired

Related Morning Call "newspaper" story  

Readers, in case you missed it in The Morning Call "newspaper" recently, oh so "civil" (wink wink) Allentown City Council vice president Mike Donovan has been "accused" (a.k.a. charged) w/ Criminal Harassment and is also facing a property destruction lawsuit stemming from a surprisingly uncivil rage incident w/ a neighbor. 

According to the neighbor's Criminal Complaint, Cedar Crest College professor Donovan said that "me and Diana" (i.e., Morning Call freelance writer Diana Morse, Donovan's wife) were tired of the neighbor's dog. The neighbor claims that Councilor Donovan rang her doorbell several times last month in a "brutal disturbing way," smashed her front glass door, and repeatedly harassed her and her two children about the family dog-- including storming to her 17 year-old son's place of employment and harassing him there while he was trying to do his job. 

The neighbor's Criminal Complaint also implies that, like a robotic "Stepford Wife" w/ an implant in her brain, Diana Morse enabled her husband's harassing behavior and verbally harassed the neighbor's two children herself as well. 

This is the second time in recent months that seemingly "mellow" (on the outside anyway) Councilor Donovan has been involved with the law. In April, Donovan commanded some teenagers in Bucky Boyle park to stop riding go-carts there or face police wrath so one of the boys punched him in the face. 

Although these two rage incidents are troubling and indicative of an emerging "dark side" to Mike Donovan and his wife, they are merely the last straws that should break the camel's back re: Councilor Donovan, in the always humble opinion of Lehigh Valley Somebody. 

We believe these transgressions are much more troubling ...

Morning Call-Affiliated Hate Bloggers Manipulating Allentown Politics

Readers, for the past year or so, embittered, vendetta-driven 2005 Allentown Mayoral Election loser and South Whitehall Township resident and rabid NeoCon, Mike "3%" (and that's how few votes he got in '05) Molovinsky, has become, incredibly, one of councilor Donovan's "advisors" on matters affecting Allentown. 

Even worse, another of Donovan's insider-access "advisors" is Mayor Pawlowski-Bashing Nazareth PA resident and fellow hate blogger, Bernie O'Hare, co-creator of the shamelessly dishonest, sadistically cruel, and Morning Call-Approved "Troll Parade" blog. 

All three "men" are hand-picked members of Valley Blogosphere, The Morning Call's "newspaper" dissent-quashing and political agenda-framing group assembled by Glenn Kranzley.  

Councilor Donovan: we are judged by the company we keep and you are cavorting w/ and soliciting the counsel of corrosive and divisive out-of-town cretins. And in your spare time, it appears you are smashing the glass front doors of neighbors whose behavior you disagree w/ . 

How uncivil for a City Council VP (for now) to behave. 

Allentown City Council VP Mike Donovan Should Resign or Be Fired

Related Morning Call "newspaper" story  

Readers, in case you missed it in The Morning Call "newspaper" recently, oh so "civil" (wink wink) Allentown City Council vice president Mike Donovan has been "accused" (a.k.a. charged) w/ Criminal Harassment and is also facing a property destruction lawsuit stemming from a surprisingly uncivil rage incident w/ a neighbor. 

According to the neighbor's Criminal Complaint, Cedar Crest College professor Donovan said that "me and Diana" (i.e., Morning Call freelance writer Diana Morse, Donovan's wife) were tired of the neighbor's dog. The neighbor claims that Councilor Donovan rang her doorbell several times last month in a "brutal disturbing way," smashed her front glass door, and repeatedly harassed her and her two children about the family dog-- including storming to her 17 year-old son's place of employment and harassing him there while he was trying to do his job. 

The neighbor's Criminal Complaint also implies that, like a robotic "Stepford Wife" w/ an implant in her brain, Diana Morse enabled her husband's harassing behavior and verbally harassed the neighbor's two children herself as well. 

This is the second time in recent months that seemingly "mellow" (on the outside anyway) Councilor Donovan has been involved with the law. In April, Donovan commanded some teenagers in Bucky Boyle park to stop riding go-carts there or face police wrath so one of the boys punched him in the face. 

Although these two rage incidents are troubling and indicative of an emerging "dark side" to Mike Donovan and his wife, they are merely the last straws that should break the camel's back re: Councilor Donovan, in the always humble opinion of Lehigh Valley Somebody. 

We believe these transgressions are much more troubling ...

Morning Call-Affiliated Hate Bloggers Manipulating Allentown Politics

Readers, for the past year or so, embittered, vendetta-driven 2005 Allentown Mayoral Election loser and South Whitehall Township resident and rabid NeoCon, Mike "3%" (and that's how few votes he got in '05) Molovinsky, has become, incredibly, one of councilor Donovan's "advisors" on matters affecting Allentown. 

Even worse, another of Donovan's insider-access "advisors" is Mayor Pawlowski-Bashing Nazareth PA resident and fellow hate blogger, Bernie O'Hare, co-creator of the shamelessly dishonest, sadistically cruel, and Morning Call-Approved "Troll Parade" blog. 

All three "men" are hand-picked members of Valley Blogosphere, The Morning Call's "newspaper" dissent-quashing and political agenda-framing group assembled by Glenn Kranzley.  

Councilor Donovan: we are judged by the company we keep and you are cavorting w/ and soliciting the counsel of corrosive and divisive out-of-town cretins. And in your spare time, it appears you are smashing the glass front doors of neighbors whose behavior you disagree w/ . 

How uncivil for a City Council VP (for now) to behave.