Letter to Yenta 10/20/99

Dear Concerned2,

If you are serious about being informed I suggest you attempt to
do so before judging other peoples motives.

For information on the park (not boat launch) at the foot of
Randolph see Janine Witte's letter to Yenta of October 8th.

If you think the builder will do everything the cheapest way
possible, why did you buy a house from him. The fact is the roads and lighting are the responsibility of the builder and the borough has several hundred thousand dollars in escrow until he completes the work. After he leaves the roads are the responsibility of the Riverwoods community represented by
your association.

The borough is putting all the pressure it can on PENNDOT to get
River Road open. We all hope it will be sooner. It is not being overlooked.

The history of the current political nonsense in New Hope will
take more than a brief outline. Come out to council meetings, volunteer (Partners in Progress is a great organization). Learn before you judge.

A Resident

Letter to Yenta 10/19/99

I too am a new resident of Riverwoods and as such I am searching
for knowledge about Riverwoods and New Hope. In reading the letters from "Concerned" and "Just asking", I can see valid points and/or concerns being raised by both.

I don't know where the responsibility for the street leading up to
Riverwoods lies, but it is certain that this street is, and will
continue to be, within borough limits and as such, it should be of
concern to all of us, including whoever is in charge of looking
out for New Hope's best interest. Although from what I've heard is not the Borough Council. There aren't any signs either at the bottom of the hill nor at the top, where the actual community begins, that tell us where Riverwoods begins. I do know however, that the streets of Riverwoods will eventually be turned over to the Borough for maintenance when the community is finished. An unwritten Murphy's law says that a builder will do the least amount of (or the cheapest) work possible as long as it is within the guidelines of the State, County and/or Borough.
This means that the Riverwoods builder will not add extra lighting or anything else unless they are told to by, you guessed it, The
Borough. The fact remains that Riverwoods IS a part of New Hope. We pay taxes to the Borough and furthermore, a $2,500 contribution to the Borough archives was built into the price of each home. And since we are speaking of taxes, is probably safe to say that we pay considerably more in property taxes than many other New Hope home owners since our properties are assessed at "current" market values. I believe that these facts entitle us, residents of Riverwoods, to make some reasonable demands from the community in which we live. And by that I mean New Hope.

Recently I learned that the $2,500 per lot I mentioned, is being
considered to fund the construction of the boat launch "Just
asking" mentioned in his/her letter. I think that "Just asking" did a
great job in dissecting the significance and the consequences of such a project. It appears to be another clear indication that this project was proposed by desperate politicians with a total lack of forethought and whose only hope was to obtain a few votes in the upcoming elections. Another possibility is that they are expecting to profit from such a project in their personal/business interests. These are not the plans of responsible, accountable visionaries. They are the result of desperate, selfish minds trying to suddenly pretend that they care for this borough and its citizens. Additionally, I must also commend "Just asking"
on the comments about parking permits for New Hope residents. I believe that someone running for Council is proposing this. It's worth looking into and voting for.

One final comment. I have heard that River Rd. may be closed for
well over 1 year for repairs. We need to find a way to put some
pressure on the appropriate governing body to accelerate the needed repairs. After all, why should it take more than a couple of months to repair approx. 20 feet of road?. River Rd., as narrow as it is, is still a major traffic artery for all of us in New Hope and Solebury Township. It shouldn't be overlooked.

Last request. Being new to the area, I was hoping to gain enough
insight on the political turmoil that has this town so shaken up. Could someone give me a brief outline of what has happened and who made it happen?. I'd like to be better informed before I go to the polls in a couple of weeks.

Concerned2
New Hope, PA.

Letter to Yenta 10/15/99

Dear Yenta,
1. The last we heard from you was on 6/8/99, do you still exist?
Has someone or something prevented or silenced you from your column? Your perspectives are missed.

2. Not being well versed in what belongs to whom, regarding
Concerned from  10/11: (" As a fairly new resident of Riverwoods, I can see that New Hope and even Riverwoods are in need of improvement. The street lighting in   Riverwoods is practically non-existent. The road that leads to our community from Rt. 32 is in total darkness at night making it hard and perhaps unsafe to walk down to the center of town
after sunset.") Have you looked into the probability that the newly created street leading
to Riverwoods does not belong to New Hope and that the lighting situation is the responsibility of Riverwoods and not that of the boro as well? Just asking.

3. Regarding the possibility for a non-motorized boat launch for
canoes, kayaks, etc....anything that can be hand carried and walked down a flight of   stairs and placed into the river by hand area for residents to have a passive recreational area to enjoy the beauty of the Delaware River - I would like to know where the vehicles are slated to park so that people whose homes are not within walking distance can use the boat launch? I was  also wondering if anyone has an educated guess of how many locals
would actually use such a place with the likelihood of it being over-run by teenagers and tourists in the seasonal months (which I assume is what is predominately in town on most weekends in the warmer months when many locals are off work). Unless locals have a parking permit, how likely are they to go anywhere near Main Street during the height of the season? Even then, where would they park? If this brings a more significant number of
boaters, has the inevitable need for more water rescues been addressed? If someone was stupid enough to go into a hurricane swollen river and put volunteers and rescuers lives in peril, what happens when we invite more people to use the river off of a bumper to bumper street where emergency vehicles can't
pass? As much as I detest baby-sitting adults, the reality is that
even when people are told to enter at their own risk, others have to go get them when they can't help themselves.
Just asking.

Letter to Yenta 10/11/99

For the past eleven months I have been observing and listening to many varied opinions about the state of affairs in this borough. All parties seem to be more concerned in bickering over what has been done than in what can be done to fix our many problems and getting New Hope the attention it deserves and needs. The political situation in this town is unacceptable. The current Council members have managed to turn this small town into a very depressing circus and from where I stand, it is time for change. While the insults and finger pointing tactics continue to fly, New Hope is fast becoming another South Street, or Wildwood as
someone elese pointed out. River Road is littered on both sides, the town is quickly decaying and some businesses like Odette's are allowed to keep unsightly "temporary" signs for what seems to be an eternity. Other businesses that many of us consider undesirable are allowed to flaunt their questionable products and taste to the world. This is not the New Hope I remember from 20 years ago and if we don't act now, then God only knows what it will become.

As a fairly new resident of Riverwoods, I can see that New Hope and even Riverwoods are in need of improvement. The street lighting in Riverwoods is practically non-existent. The road that leads to our community from Rt. 32 is in total darkness at night making it hard and perhaps unsafe to walk down to the center of town after sunset.

There are many reasons why many of our residents love this small borough but we all agree that it also has many flaws. We should concentrate on making New Hope the most appealing, safe and desirable place to live in an already magnificent county. Let's choose the political candidates that will put New Hope first and will leave their personal and/or profitable interest somewhere else.

Concerned.
New Hope, PA.

Letter to Yenta 10/11/99

I spoke with the Upper Makefield Police today. They have a seemingly endless supply of lost people looking for New Hope. Penn Dot has a detour that must follow state roads (because the closed road is a state road) which is lengthy and confusing. They believe that the road will be closed for at least a year maybe two, and offered to help us select good locations to put up our own detour signs that would be more effective because we do not have to follow state roads. This is one of those projects that New Hope can pull together and put differences aside to accomplish. I plan to bring this up at the next council meeting to see if we can do something about this.

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 10/11/99

I have tried to stay out of the political arena, because of the mudslingling that always occurs....but I must say that there's been too much mud slung at Bob Gerenser by his political opponents. On October 3, Mr. Chris Bollenbacher wrote that Mr. Gerenser ran for office on the platform of "getting rid of the chief [Brobson]."

I save all letters and literature that comes my way -- and nowhere do I read that Bob Gerenser ran on any such platform. His letter to all New Hope Republicans, dated May 8, 1997, says that he wants to "reinstate checks and balances in the police Department." That's a Far Cry from saying that he wants to "get rid of the chief." To me, that sounds like responsible government!

The recommendations made in the Stone and Kelly Report was the result of a promise that Mr. Gerenser made to the voters of New Hope - and, what do you know? He fulfilled his
campaign promise!

Just want to set the record straight....
A concerned voter

Letter to Yenta 10/8/99

I've seen some of the recent "Dream Team" campaign literature, and once again I must write to explain my own understanding of the the Keystone Grant of $100,000 for a "boat ramp." The Dream Team literature seems to state an incredible oversimplification of a potentially valuable resource for ALL New Hope residents.

The $100,000 Keystone Grant requires a $100,000 cash match from New Hope. As Councilman Ginsburg explained at numerous Borough Council meetings, the $100,000 which represents the Borough's portion might come from the Riverwoods donation ($2,500.00/per house built) escrow fund. Riverwoods and
Council had agreed to this fund before construction began - and the purpose of that money was for promised open space/recreation for THE COMMUNITY.

IF the requirements of the Keystone Grant are met, that money could be applied toward a small waterfront park on Randolph Street. There would be a non-motorized boat launch (for canoes, kayaks, etc....anything that can be hand carried and walked down a flight of stairs and placed into the river by hand). The Keystone Grant can only be obtained if it applies to water transportation of some sort. BUT IN ADDITION TO THIS IS A PASSIVE RECREATIONAL AREA FOR ALL RESIDENTS TO SIT, READ
AND ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF THE DELAWARE RIVER. Dennis Wise from Partners in Progress has rendered a beautiful version of this park concept, and I'm sure that anyone who wants to see it could stop by Borough Hall to take a look. We should also get input from our school children for this park (maybe a children's art exhibit about river transportation, maybe a yearly contest/science project for the older students in "launching" a hand-made boat, etc. etc. )

Furthermore, Councilman Ginsburg made it VERY CLEAR that before plans are ever submitted, we will need to have several PUBLIC MEETINGS to get ideas and input from the community as to the park's use. We can utilize the creativity, common sense and intelligence of all residents (new and old alike) to give this park concept a real boost, and PULL our community together! If nothing is finalized for the Keystone Grant, then nothing is lost and no money is "wasted." We're talking about ideas and POSITIVE POTENTIAL for our town. And every resident would have year-round access to the river.

Let's work on this chance to solidify and work with our neighbors!

Janine Witte

Letter to Yenta 10/4/99

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 10/4/99

I'm not a proponent of any party, group or individual currently vieing in the New Hope political scene. I've lived in the area close to 20 yrs and believe that our council has been dominated in recent years by arrogance and personal profit motives. The atmosphere of the boro reflects this. Maybe some of our original artists need to be enlisted. We're losing the original spirit of this town, which in my opinion is our most important asset. The arrogance of the Gerenser types are turning our town into a Wildwood.   

Letter to Yenta 10/4/99

Things that bother me about Chris Bollenbacher's letter:

1. Broadbrushing

2. Generalizations

3. Anger

4. Half-truths

5. Sensationalism

6. Re-hashing issues that have been answered time and time again

Enough is enough.

Signed,

Fed up....

Letter to Yenta 10/3/99

Things that bother me,

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 10/2/99

On Tuesday night October 5^th there will be a public meeting of the New Hope Civil Service Commission. At this meeting the commission will review the rules and regulations adopted by the previous commission and approved by borough council after review by the boro solicitor.

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/29/99

The post of Dr. Rey Velasco MD, dated September 28, is exactly what I had in mind when I posted my remarks to you on September 28, and signed Apolitical.
I could not have paid someone to illustrate my point more succinctly or quickly.
Thank you Dr. Velasco.
Signed, Apolitical

Letter to Yenta 09/29/99

Ellen Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/28/99

Dear Yenta:

Your Editorial, "A Case of Bad Timing" which chastised Mayor Larry Keller for his lack of administrative leadership during Hurricane Floyd was right on the mark. His response to some highly-respected, long time New Hope residents who implored him to put aside his personal agenda for the safety and welfare of the New Hope community, and to rescind the undeserved and
"politically motivated suspension" of Interim Chief DeLuca was not the only intercession made to Mayor Keller that day. Mayor
Keller insisted that he had everything under control and if they disagreed with his decision "SO BE IT!" This cavalier remark was
certainly proven true-just speak with Iain Haight-Ashton, his fiancée, the Witties, Ashenbrenners, his friends, and members of the community. Ethel Aschenbrenner is a nurse, and without her intervention, "SO BE IT!" would have taken Iain's life. There was no police presence in that location that afternoon at the peak of the hurricane when Iain suffered what was considered a heart attack, requiring 15 minutes of resuscitation before transportation to Doylestown Hospital. In the emergency room at Doylestown Hospital, the medical professionals could not stabilize his heart rate (320 beats per minute) for almost 9 hours. They used electric paddles to shock his heart to prevent losing him. (Ask Iain if you can look at the burn marks on his chest from the paddles.)
On the morning of Hurricane Floyd, the New Hope Borough Police Committee demanded a meeting with Mayor Keller that he had agreed to negotiate his "improper suspension" of Chief DeLuca. He was now bowing not only to his "supporters" (a small cheering group, who despise the fact that the majority of long time New Hope Borough residents, merchants and visitors, respect and like Frank DeLuca and appreciate his nineteen years of professionalism, kindness, and caring for the people of New Hope.)   This respect grew from his daily foot and mobile patrol in addition to his administrative duties. Again, Mayor Keller refused to reverse his decision. Why should he? He had everything under control. So "under control" that when the police did not put barricades south of Rabbit Run bridge, which was flooded out, local residents with flashlights were diverting traffic from the bridge. After all there was a BMW already bobbing and floating in the canal. "SO BE IT!" once again. Evidently, the Mayor and the local Emergency Management Team, under the direction of Tom Markey and Fred Williamson (who just happened to drive the Mayor to the citizens' meeting) also, had everything under control. The residents of New Hope were safe and secure. After all, Sugan Road, from Old York Road was under 6 feet of water
along with the Inn and the Ruins. West Mechanic Street was washed away, railroad ties were uplifted, rock slides were
occurring on Route 32. The New Hope Public Works Department in addition to our "suspended" Interim Chief Frank DeLuca, out of uniform, and in his own vehicle were working on these problems. The Volunteer Fire Fighters of  New Hope Borough were also extremely busy- pumping water out of residents' basements throughout the day and the night. But, per Mayor Keller, "SO BE IT!" - I have it all under control! "I would never, ever do anything that would put the people of New Hope at risk." The Mayor's suspension of Interim Chief DeLuca was improper and undeserved. The allegation that Chief DeLuca failed to respond to an "altercation" between two residents after a Borough Council meeting is simply not true. He did handle the disturbance accordingly, requesting the two officers on duty to respond and document. These reports are on file as well as a statement from one of the parties involved. I understand the instigators refused to cooperate by not completing a written statement!!!!!!
Ask the Mayor why he countermanded Interim Chief DeLuca's decision to have another officer on duty for "crowd  protection" that evening, and why he ordered Interim Chief Deluca to place the officer back on the street. The Mayor seems to have forgotten the previous Council Meeting held in the New Hope-Solebury School Auditorium. There a   certain small but obnoxious and vocal minority raised the council meeting to such a vile, vulgar screaming match that members of the school board, who were having a meeting adjacent to the Borough Council meeting, demanded that the Borough Council be brought to order, and that the screaming and vulgarity cease immediately. The Council president recessed the council Meeting before certain individuals who were constantly disturbing and encouraging mob madness
mentality had to be physically removed from the meeting.
How many years of police experience does Mayor Keller have? He's been in office two years and instead of playing "Tug of War" with the Interim Chief for EGO and politics, he should be working TOGETHER for the improvement of New Hope Borough. Furthermore, who is advising Mayor Keller of police policies???
Had the Mayor allowed the Interim Chief to exercise his 19 years of professional police knowledge and experience this contrived " incident" would never have taken place. The Taunters only have the gumption to harass when they are with their small support group. On a one-to-one basis, they lack the ability to speak or think on their own. Every Council meeting is rehearsed, and everyone has his or her script. They even walk in with them, so they can read their lines. They even plan where they will sit during the meeting! The New Hope Borough Council Meetings are referred to as "Monday Night At The Fights." If this small group
of "civic minded; non-political; gifted and talented people" would divert their negativism to creativity, how much better for all those residents of New Hope Borough that don't want the "good old boy," out-of-control, lack-of-accountability, free form of government back in control.

Dr. Rey Velasco, M.D.
New Hope Borough

Letter to Yenta 09/28/99

Dear Yenta,

I appreciated many of the the comments in Chris Bollenbacher's last letter. Although there are many issues and solutions on which we don't agree, at least there is an opportunity for reasonable exchange in the Yenta, for those "in-between" times (when the weekly newspapers aren't published).

I wish to correct one idea which he credited to me: that municipal officials should take some type of training or education in local
government. I wholeheartedly support this concept, since so much of New Hope's recent problem seems to have been the result of simply not understanding or knowing when to apply the proper procedures. However, credit lies with the platform of the New Hope Residents for Positive Change (NHR) and their candidates. I believe their idea is a giant step in the right direction.

The other point is that of the Yenta publishing anonymous letters. Given the heated political climate and rumors of threats and
intimidation from those who might disagree with something one writes, I can empathize with a writer wishing to express his or her opinion without that fear. I don't believe that a person is any less concerned or involved in New Hope's future by choosing anonymity. As long as one is not spreading malicious gossip or rumor, it's a valid way to express an opinion - and I think the Yenta should be complimented for allowing it.

Thank you -
Janine Witte

Letter to Yenta 09/28/99

It is with great reluctance that I write this, as I fear being drawn
into this nearly ridiculous dialogue, or worse yet, may actually play a part in prolonging it. What has prompted my change of status from spectator to [God forbid] participant, is what appears to be a vitriolic knee jerk reaction to ANY event or situation in New Hope that either political party feels it can parlay into the next "shocking mishandling of the borough's affairs", in some perverse attempt at scoring political points with the electorate.

My threshold was reading what appears to be an attempt to link the travails of the late heavy rains to the mayor's enforcement of a one day suspension of the acting police chief. Am I truly to believe that if officer Deluca was on duty, the unfortunate gentleman on his way to an impromptu meeting of "concerned citizens" would not have suffered an apparent heart attack? Or upon his collapse a uniformed officer, presumably officer Deluca, would have promptly driven by so as to assist him and furthermore make unnecessary someone standing in the rain to
direct an expected [or unexpected!?] ambulance?

From my readings I must also infer that a flooding Rabbit Run would not have claimed two vehicles to its waters had we the proper number of police on duty. Rabbit Run is not even in the borough! I'm sure that Solebury's fine police force had the situation well in hand. I must also believe that our mayor, upon reflecting on his apparent misdeeds, sneaks into borough hall
and slips a note under the borough mangers door to the effect that he is leaving the country, thus leaving the citizenry of New Hope to their own devices.

If I was one of the police officer on duty that day, not to mention the ever competent New Hope Street Department, or any one of a number of volunteers associated with the Rescue Squad and Eagle Fire Company, I'd be somewhat put off to believe that there were certain members of the community who felt exposed to the forces of evil, because officer Deluca was not available
for duty. I believe he was down in Washington Crossing saving someone foolish enough to consider this day an excellent one for a little boating. I'm sure the rescued women is quite glad officer Deluca "had the day off"! I commend officer Deluca for his actions and wonder why in the world he would even want to be acting police chief.

After reading some of the posts to your site I find it hard to believe that the authors actually read what they have written. I must categorize these posts as near ravings as they seem to have lost all objectivity, play fast and loose with the facts [when they can be found], and I feel are simply designed to instigate the next round in the ever downward spiral into absurdity.

I agree with Mr. Bollenbacher's [i.e. Lucky To Be Dry] sentiments
regarding Mr.& Mrs. Witte's comments in the Gazette. We need to get some professionalism in borough government, common courtesy between the government and it's citizens, and respect for the oppositions point of view. This is so basic I'm surprised it needs to be pointed out.

New Hope needs and must move on. We are experiencing the end of the era were a few concerned citizens basically looked after the towns affairs in a somewhat informal manner. Those days are over. Decisions can no longer be made in the borough's parking lot before or after a Council meetings. They need to be made in public, at the Council meetings, were the thought process can be witnessed and commented upon by the public as the situation warrants.

I have lived in New Hope a long time; I've never seen it like this.

Apolitical

Letter to Yenta 09/27/99

Dear Lucky To Be Dry,

Your letter to "Still Above Water" highlights the biggest problem New Hope has, communication problems. You suggest to "Lucky To Be Dry" that they continue to express their thoughts at council meetings and in the newspaper. The problem with this is that the paper won’t print an anonymous letter, and someone who will not use his or her name when expressing an opinion certainly will not stand up at a public meeting.

."Outside Looking in" says they want to double someone’s salary and claims that they will pay it themselves. That’s pretty tough talk, which is most likely why they remain anonymous.

I do not always agree with Mr. Witte, but I respect the fact that he stands up for what he believes and is not afraid to say so. When one signs their name to a statement one is more conscious about making sure facts are correct, and the possibility opens for a positive dialogue necessary to overcome differences of opinion which will allow a mutually beneficial solution.

In Mr. Witte’s letter to the editor in this weeks Gazette he says "officials generate unnecessary antagonism by their leadership style", which I agree with. Mr. Witte goes on to say " Those who attend council meetings are consistently allowed to use extravagant amounts of time to attempt to uncover administrative deficiencies item by item, which I also agree with. I disagree with Mr. Witte that there need to be guidelines to control this. I believe that the council meetings belong to the residents, and they deserve answers to all questions. Countless times I have heard responses from council such as"we’re collecting data" (the results of which we never hear), or " put it in writing", or " I don’t have to answer that", or a blank stare followed by "next question?" Every question from a resident should be answered immediately, or there should be a time given that the answer will come. Then council should be responsible enough to give that answer with out having to be hounded by residents. Regarding the deficiencies, council is supposed to solve problems, not create them. In respect to this, I believe it is Mrs. Witte who has the solution, when she suggested that our public officials undergo some education pertaining to their field. We could improve our situation in New Hope if our public officials would do a few basic things. Seek and follow the solicitor’s advice before making decisions rather than after, avoiding the need to fix situations. Admit to errors immediately and repair the problem rather than stonewall on resident’s questions. Base decisions on research and input from the community rather than on what the individual councilman "feels" is correct. Realize that just because a person was elected to a position does not mean that every action is wholly and immediately accepted by the public. And lastly but most importantly, a good rule of thumb for our council should be that if council feels that they must do something quickly and quietly so as not to get the residents all worked up; then it should not be done at all. Everything council does should be done with the blessing of the majority of the residents. The only requirement of residents should be that they remain interested enough to show up for the meetings and ask the questions.

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/27/99

Dear Still Above Water & Ralph Prosceno, my sincere apologies for the incorrect spelling of Ralph's name. It was merely a typographical error, nothing more; Councilman was spelled incorrectly also. My message was simply to highlight the spirit of community which came out of the storm. It was not meant to divide, but highlight a sense of unity. It is sad that even some observations and praise for the common good within New Hope is
misconstrued and provides fodder for negative interpretation.
Fred Williamson

Letter to Yenta 09/24/99

Dear Yenta,

We would like to praise the article written by "Still Above Water" (whoever you are!!), and we hope you will continue to express your well-expressed thoughts and concerns at upcoming Council meetings and Letters to the Editor.

New Hope did rally in the midst of our hurricane emergency, and we are sincerely indebted to all who helped, but this was definitely no time for the Mayor to use political power-plays.

This was not "penalty box" time in a hockey game; this was an issue of reducing public safety potential during a very real emergency.

Thank you,
Lucky to be Dry

Letter to Yenta 09/24/99

Every time I think I’ve seen it all, something else happens.

September 23^rd Beacon, in the article about Mr. Deluca. There is a reference about Mr. Deluca out shopping for new police cars! One of council’s major issues with Mr. Brobson was that we had too many police cars.

Also in the Beacon, Mr. Gerenser seems to feel that one civil service issue isn’t enough. Now he wants to take Mr. Deluca’s one-day suspension before the civil service commission, so there is a "no bias on the answer" If Mr. Gerenser would like, I would be more than happy to pay Mr. Deluca for his one-day suspension. New Hope does not need to add to the legal bills over this. My address is 22 North Main Street, New Hope. I will pay the request the same day I receive it.

This offer is not intended to grand stand on this issue but is made because I see this issue causing on a smaller scale the same problems as exist with Chief Brobson. You may remember when Mr. Deluca was asked to fill his current position, council (which Mr. Gerenser is a member of) announced that Mr. Deluca had agreed to waive his civil service rights while serving as interim chief. Now Mr. Gerenser wants to take this issue before civil service. Council must now take the position that Mr. Deluca is not civil service. My opinion of course is that Mr. Deluca cannot waive his rights because there is no provision for this action in the boro code, and therefore is entitled to protection, as I believe Mr. Brobson is. If it does go before the commission, which one will it be? This issue has still not been settled.

I encourage Mr. Gerenser to accept my offer to fund Mr. Deluca’s one-day suspension and then request that he button his overactive lip.

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/23/99

September 23, 1999 

It is amazing that new hope’s mayor, larry keller appears to think he has psychic powers, or maybe a crystal ball, that he can use to predict the safety of new hope residents and their property. This is regardless of what experience or expert advice and information is available.

For instance, prior to the borough council meeting on june 25^th, 1999, cpl. Frank deluca, interim acting chief, who has 18 years of Law enforcement experience and training, having the foresight to predict a possible volatile situation, believed that it would be prudent to have extra police coverage at the school where the council meeting was to be held. The mayor overruled this decision and ordered cpl deluca to remove any other officers from the building. An officer was assigned to the hallway. Had the mayor not overruled cpl deluca, what has been described as an altercation between two residents could very well have been avoided. I was one of the residents that was involved in this "so called altercation", and gave the police department a written statement. To date, it is my understanding that the other party would not. I am willing to take a polygraph, as to what took place, And emphatically state that I did not push or hit anyone. Larry Keller, our mayor, sees me frequently in borough hall but has not once asked me a question about the incident. He obviously, has listened to the other side of the incident and has leaned in only one direction.

In no way could cpl. Deluca have intervened in an incident that lasted approximately 3 to 5 seconds. The biggest disturbance in that hallway was the other party’s "roommate" running down the hallway yelling, "I’m going to tell larry and have him fire you!" there was no legal cause for cpl deluca to arrest either one of us, but since the mayor is a friend of the other complainant, it seems cpl deluca has been suspended for not following the mayor’s whims instead of the law. Along with the fact that cpl deluca was not the mayor’s choice for interim chief, even though deluca was the senior cpl.

Early last week, it was widely known that there was a severe hurricane known as floyd, heading up the coast. Meteorologists repeatedly warned that there was not any way they could predict where it would come ashore nor how far inland we would be affected. Even with this knowledge the mayor chose to change the police department manpower shortage from five to six officers short, (at the September 13^th, council meeting the mayor had announced how shorthanded the police department was due to three resignations and two disabled officers.) This suspension came 85 days after the incident between myself and the other resident. This justifies the suspension taking place the day a major hurricane is expected to hit our immediate area?? A day when a chief of police, whether interim or not, is needed to enforce the proper care and safety of its residents and to guide and direct new part-time officers!

I am 69 years old, have lived in new hope borough for over 30 years, have never had a reputation or history of assaulting anyone especially someone 25 years younger than myself.

Would it be asking for the moon, if the mayor would start representing all the new hope residents, and stop following his scripted directions.

William D Brook
New Hope Boro Constable & Former Chief of Police
55 north main street
New Hope, PA. 18938
215-862-2594

Letter to Yenta 09/23/99

The Mad Hatter would have been proud of Robert Seneca’s and Carole Reynolds Snyder’s letters and Mayor Keller’s response to the damning article in the Intelligencer regarding Mayor Keller’s decision to suspend Acting Chief DeLuca on the day of the Hurricane Floyd emergency.

They blame the suspended officer; they blame the Borough Council, they blame the Police Committee. The blame everyone but Mayor Keller, who in a serious lapse of judgement, left New Hope bereft of one its key public safety officials during a major emergency. Floyd flooded houses and apartments in New Hope and closed many roads. The canal had to be opened to prevent flooding and the Delaware was rising over a foot an hour. We were not far from a major disaster.

To not have all able-bodied police available on what is already a short handed force is irresponsible. It is not the Mayor’s job, as Ms. Reynolds Snyder stated, to judge that New Hope "residents would be safe". The Mayor is responsible for the police and for emergency notification. It is his job to make every police resource available in an emergency to best assure public safety. He didn’t do that, pure and simple!

Unfortunately, this is all about politics. It is a continuation of the campaign to discredit Acting Chief DeLuca that has consumed Mayor Keller and the Chief Brobson cabal since the ex chief’s termination. But this time the stakes were more than outsized egos. What was farce almost became tragedy.

By the way, if Mayor Keller is so dedicated to the community, why did leave for Europe on Monday, right after Bucks County was declared a Federal Disaster area? And why did he officially notify the Borough by slipping a note under the Borough Managers door on Sunday, when no one was around? Was he embarrassed?.

What we have in all these justifications is spin. No substance, just spin. Everything twisted, no matter what the cost. Speaking of spin, read Fred Williamson’s paean to the Mayor and "his people", published below. Nice of him to mention Boro Council President "Ralf Percino" (sic) in passing.

Signed
Still Above Wate

Letter to Yenta 09/22/99

Wonderfully stated, Mr. Williamson!!!

Ellen Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/21/99

RE: Floyd; Up-Close and Personal

Lately many negative aspects of New Hope have come to the forefront in our newspapers. There is a shining star, however to all the recent pessimism. I am pleased to accentuate the positive - the volunteers in our community are the BEST anywhere. During the recent storm our Eagle Fire Company, which became command headquarters under the direction of Chief Tom Markey, Frank
Cosner Sr., Corporal John Goss and Mayor Larry Keller, were prepared for whatever Floyd threw our way. The Company went above and beyond what could ever be expected of any volunteer organization.

The men and women of the Eagle Fire Company answered numerous fire and rescue calls during the height of the storm, putting themselves in personal peril, as well as pumping almost one hundred basements during and after the storm. What makes this noteworthy is the fact that while the volunteers were
pumping their neighbors' basements, their own were also filling with water. Volunteers' basements waited until everyone else's needs were served before addressing their own.

Special attention should also be given to Mayor Larry Keller who personally contributed to the Emergency Management Team efforts. Larry was at command headquarters in the preparation of the storm throughout Thursday and in to the wee hours of Friday morning. Larry remained with the team of volunteers for several hours after the river had crested. Boro Counsel President Ralf
Percino and Counsel Man Jake Fell also stopped by to offer their assistance. In addition, Corporal John Goss did an exemplary job of organizing the New Hope Borough Police Department. Also, the New Hope Public Works Department, under the direction of Tom Carroll, immediately and strategically placed barricades in areas of particular concern. They ensured drains were open
during the height of the storm which eliminated the potential for additional flooding and performed a host of other services to minimize damage. the New Hope-Lambertville Rescue Squad worked virtually around the clock on rescue situations. Quite frankly, I don't know where we would ever be without all
of these teams working seamlessly in conjunction with one another.

The firemen, rescue, and support groups perform these services because it is a large part of their lives and it is what they do to give back to their community. Another group that also deserves particular thanks are the families of these volunteers who braved the storm alone while their loved ones were out performing community service. These individuals deserve all the gratitude in the world for being supportive of those dedicated to
serving others.

I am very proud and grateful to be a part of New Hope. Floyd brought out our true spirit of community!

Fred Williamson
President & Fire Marshall
Eagle Fire Company
New Hope Borough

Letter to Yenta 09/19/99

"Speaks for itself"

How much is the salary for police and that of whoever is authorizing that percent of the town's budget to keep the sham going? Whatever it is, I'll double it. That way I can move back and play the only game in town; stirring up a lot of rheotoric, while I find some kind of valid basis for getting away with anything I want.

Sincerely,
"Outside looking in".

Letter to Yenta 09/17/99

Dear Chris......I know that Frank Schmauck is a respected Forensic
Phsysioligist.. I was aware of that before you told me. That said, I am surprised that he changed his mind on Robert Brobson, s civil service status. Frank changed his mind because of politics, NOT because of the evidence. That is why I feel that he was intimidated. And he should not have been. I know that people have tried to do the same with Joe Knox and Karen Doughty. It was not easy for them either . But they did their job. There comes a time Chris, when you have to stand up for what is right and what is wrong. Even if you have to stand alone. That is what a public servant must do. It is a lesson that you have not learned.
Elaine J McNeely

Letter to Yenta 09/16/99

Dear Elaine,

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/04/99

Dear Grateful Attendee,

Letter to Yenta 09/04/99

Well, last night, Chris Bollenbacher, Elaine Seeb, and Frank Schmuack decieded that Robert Brobson was civil service. I am not surprised at how Chris and Elaine voted, they wanted the Ex-chief back anyway. But I am surprised at Frank. First he says Brobson is not civil service, and then changes his mind and says that Brobson is civil service.I think someone got to Frank to make him change his mind. That is sad. We have have now spent over 200.000 dollars and it still not over. New hope is the laughing stock of the community. I guess Chris Bollenbacher does not
care about that. All he care about is getting back at Bob Gerenser. I only hope that Chris not elected in the fall. He is not worthy to be a Councilman. I hope that the Democrats stop hiding and start making some noise on this. Time will tell..........Elaine J McNeely

Letter to Yenta 09/04/99

Dear Chris Bollenbacher,

I have read all of your letters, and I appreciate your attempt to explain your stand on the Civil Service issue. I am sorry, but the facts that came out in the August 30 meeting of the Civil Service Commission, speak loud and clear to me that this case should never have been heard by the CSC in the first place - because the former chief simply does not qualify for such protection. IF HE IS NOT CIVIL SERVICE, THEN THE BOROUGH COUNCIL IS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE HIM A HEARING. That being the case, all of the reasons and evidence are MOOT, whether you agree with Borough Councils decision or not. THINK OF THE MONEY IT WOULD HAVE SAVED THE BOROUGH, IF IT HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN BEFORE A BODY WHERE IT NEVER BELONGED IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Yes, a hearing in general may have been helpful to the public, but it is clear to me that doing it through the Civil Service Commission was not the way to go. I think Knox and Doughty did a thorough, careful job....and the public was allowed to hear what we were kept from hearing in April and May. Mr. Rudolf presented very clear arguments for disqualifying from Civil Service protection.

Sorry, but all I hear is political campaigning and Gerenser-bashing.

Still A Grateful Attendee

Letter to Yenta 09/02/99

Dear Yenta,

Since the Lambertville Beacon will not publish any negative responses to their inflammatory Editorial (8-19-99), we thought
that your readers might want to know that there are TWO sides to every story. Understandably, most papers have somewhat of a political slant, but to not allow challenges to editorial articles in which they had clearly biased the story, is irresponsible. As one of our local residents once stated, "silence equals consent". If the Beacon silences its readers' responses, that very act construes a false message that there is an overall agreement with their position. Here is the response we had written to the Beacon, and which they chose not to publish.........

In response to the Beacon Editorial of August 19, 1999 ("Let others take over chief's case"):

What was omitted from your article is that both parties in the Chief Brobson issue have been trying, since March of 1999, to
have an impartial, independent body hear their case. It's been obvious for months that our borough is not able to solve
this very complex issue on its own, or arrive at a resolution concerning the former chief's Civil Service vs. at-will
managerial status.

In two separate instances, the judge issued a directive to both parties to try to solve this problem between them. However,
it's increasingly apparent that the issue gets more complicated and frustrating for ALL OF US each time it gets thrown back in our laps. Both parties are trying to get this issue back to an impartial body, where it was destined to end up anyway. It is unfair for you to pin the blame on one side, without understanding and reporting all of the events leading up to this point.

Although editorials are expressly intended for opinions on such matters, I believe your article intentionally presented only one
side of a very complex set of circumstances. New Hope IS moving forward. There are too many other important matters that have been eclipsed by the Brobson case. We can't afford to ignore them any more.

As with any legal case, each party uses strategies that they believe will enhance their conviction and support their claims.
Your term "politically motivated" to describe Borough Council's actions mischaracterizes such legal strategy. Your
description is particularly interesting considering your obvious "politically motivated" agenda to report only Mr.
Bollenbacher's side of the story while omitting the reasons that Council felt legally justified in believing that Brobson was not entitled to Civil Service protection. And of course, each party believes the other is responsible for prolonging the case or not using sound judgement. It will be the court's burden to decide if anyone has been aggrieved by the actions of either party. All this proves is that it's a matter far too complicated for any of us, including editorialists, to reduce to a few simple paragraphs. It is incredibly naïve to think otherwise.

New Hope is anxious for a speedy resolution to this issue. However, as all litigants are painfully aware, we have no choice
but to await our day in court.

Janine and Paul Witte

Letter to Yenta 09/01/99

Dear Grateful Attendee,

Unfortunately you did not finally hear all the arguments. As a matter of fact you did not hear anything of importance because to this date nothing of importance has been discussed yet.

There was a request by Chief Brobson in January of 1999 for a hearing. Approximately nine months and $200,000.00 in legal fees later the only thing that has been discussed is the chief entitled to civil service? Is Chris Bollenbacher a resident? Have Chris and Elaine been sworn in properly? Is their commission proper? After nine months, three court appearances, 5 days of hearings before the civil service commission, one wasted meeting of the new commission ( because Mr. Gerenser felt he had the authority to swear in boro officials) and one four meeting before the new commission, you have still not heard word one about why the chief was fired.

A side note about the swearing in, I would not have made such a big stink about the swearing in if Mr. Gerenser had not tried so hard to use the swearing in of myself and Elaine to have us removed. I called our boro solicitor days before the last public meeting and told him that I would be raising the issue of Mr. Gerenser not having the authority to swear in public officials. At the meeting I did raise the question and as usual there was no answer, however within one week the mayor was asked to swear in the two new civil service officials. At the second civil service meeting the first motion was to adopt the proceedings of the first civil service meeting, there by quietly solving the problem without calling any attention to Mr. Gerenser’s continuing arrogant behavior.

The new civil service commission claims to have spent 12 hours reviewing the records, however the questions they asked at the one and only legal meeting were those of someone who clearly did not have a firm grasp on the history of this situation. I’m really sorry that you feel the new commission was correct and that Karen Doughty explained that there was no evidence presented to her that convinced her otherwise. I do not wish to attack Ms. Doughty because I do not know anything of her other than what I heard at the meeting but, she quoted the Boro Code section 1184 c as a reason to vote to not give civil service protection to the chief. This section says that the council may appoint a chief without the testing prescribed before in the section. It goes on to say that after that appointment all other sections of the code apply. Earlier in the code it says that any police force of three members or more falls under civil service and affords protection. If Ms Doughty had voted the opposite way her response would have been iron clad, as it was she proved Mr. Brobson’s case. She then went on to cite examples of affidavits that claimed the chief was hired as an at will employee, one from our council president Mr. Prosceno, who when reviewing the court transcripts answered most questions with " I don’t recall" He did claim that the chief was hired outside of civil service, however in minutes of a public meeting he said " with the help of the civil service commission……"

Ms. Doughty cited a affidavit from Mr.Rosenfeld saying that the chief was hired outside civil service, however in the court records he cannot remember if the commission which he then served on was involved or not. Clearly after being inadequately informed as to the previous proceedings and after spending an entire four hours at the one and only legal meeting of the new commission, these two new members were able to come up with a fair vote which just happened to be the opposite of the vote that got Elaine, and Myself removed from the commission, and which just happened to be the same opinion of Mr. Gerenser. Does it not bother you that at the end of these proceedings both Mr. Knox and Ms. Doughty claimed that they were in adequate to handle this decision? You can read this for yourself in the record.

This case could have been before a judge in Doylestown back in April were it not for Mr. Gerenser and Mr. Rudolph trying everything possible including threats of personal lawsuits and jail time to Elaine and myself to avoid having to back up their actions of January 4^th when they fired the chief. Do you know that the chief was never brought before a session of council? He was never reprimanded verbally or in writing? That to this day the mayor (the head of the police dept) has no complaints of his work? Do you know that the Stone Kelly study said that the chief did nothing illeagal? Do you not think that if a man is fired without any warning of his performance that he is entitled to a hearing to explain why or at least to defend himself ? I to this day do not know if the chief has done anything wrong because I have spent the last nine months trying to defend the man’s right to be heard. And now Grateful Attendee thinks that all other arguments for further action seem moot. Well surprise! In this country you really do get to have a hearing. It isn’t over yet.

Judge Susan Devlin Scott said that she would not issue an injunction to the previous members of the civil service commission to stop their removal and that if they felt that they were still properly seated that they should continue until the boro prevented them from doing their job. The original and true New Hope Civil Service Commission is having a meeting on September 2, 1999 at 7:30 PM at the firehouse to finish the business before us as required by the boro code. The Borough Council has threatened to have the members arrested if they do exactly what the judge told us to do. Maybe you think it great if were arrested and that it might finally shut us up. Maybe it shows you to what extreme this council might go to to fufil their personal agendas. Mr. Gerenser will not intimidate us into canceling our meeting. Is it not scary when a member of council wants to have people jailed who are volunteers to the community, represented by attorneys who tell them that it is proper to follow the judges orders. The saddest part of this is that our council president either is supportive of Mr. Gerenser’s personal crusade or is simply lacking the courage to step in and control his own council.

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 09/01/99

Dear Yenta,
It is a great shame what New Hope has become. A town that we used to be so proud of; and I am not referring to Love saves the day either. Those pictures don't bother me or most people I know at all. They are not something I would hang in my house, but there is nothing wrong with looking at a human body. I think the politics here are outrageous and are going no where. The old
regime started the troubles the new crew is just being stupid and adding too them. If Mr. Angry Bollenbacher really cared like he says about this town, he would not be suing it and creating more legal bills. Time to really clean house, and once and for all, get rid of the old, get rid of the new crew, and I don't really know the solution. Its almost hopeless. We all need to dream a new positive future here somehow. Anyone with any ideas? Imakay

Letter to Yenta 09/01/99

I am interested in knowing why Councilman Gerenser has not paid his Real Estate Taxes on his two properties in New Hope.

Letter to Yenta 09/01/99

Dear Captious Critic,
In 55 years you must have seen the 1960's, 70's and 80's. And all
that went with it. You talk about how "Lovely" the town was and how "Nice" the shops were. The shops were never "Lovely and Nice." They were and still are (Unique and Fun). New Hope always was a Holloween kind of town. A place where people could be differnent. A place to express yourself. These so called "Honky tonk, scum-bag types" are our bread and butter.

What gives you the right to suggest to our town fathers that we start profiling our visitors and rid the ones you don't want.

As far as Lambertville being a nicer place to visit, it isn't by
chance. Lambertville has re-invented itself. They have put themselves on the highway to the future. Unlike people like yourself on a bridge to the past. We don't need to rid the town of the so called scum. We need to think differently and go forward not backwards.

If you want to live in the past, I suggest you rent the movie
(Somewhere In Time) starring Christopher Reeve. If you like the character he plays in the movie, you may be able to go back 55 years to where you want to be.

Letter to Yenta 09/01/99

I have to agree with the grateful attendee. It was good to finally get to the truth about Robert Brobson, He is NOT civil service. He never was to begin with. We have spent 120.000. to find out this. He cost this town dearly. Now he has a lawsuit in court, because he wants Chris Bollenbacher & Elaine Seeb to get his job back. They are not civil service either. New hope has gone broke beause Brobson lied to Council but most important, He lied to us, the taxpayers of New Hope. And we have not begin to know what crimes he may have committed.As a taxpayer, I want my money back. Maybe we should sue Brobson to get the money back.
Maybe Bollenbacher's *sham* civil service hearing can be a fundraiser for Brobson. Elaine J McNeely

Letter to Yenta 08/31/99

Having been born and raised in New Hope some 55 years ago I have seen many changes-none to the good. I use to be proud to say I was from New Hope but not anymore. New Hope was a lovely town filled with NICE shops and artists,people were not always wealthy but were very respectful and friendly. Now when I am in New Hope it looks like Halloween all year long. What kind of parents raise children to look like freaks-blue hair,nose rings, lip rings,pants that drag on the ground. How do they let them out of the house looking like that. I have been in town and seen them sitting on the church steps screaming obsentities loudly to tourists and others across the street for everyone to hear. Imagine how the people whose church that is feel when they hear this
coming from their steps. The shops were lovely shops years ago-not like the one on the corner of Bridge and Main and others you now draw honky tonk,scum-bag types. If you have stores like that, dear town fathers,that is the type of people you will have frequent your town!! It has become a (not so nice) place to be. I now prefer to walk the bridge to Lambertville,where the shops are much more inviting and the little side streets have nice gardens to walk past. And it use to be that Lambertville was the (Not so nice
)place to be. Not anymore. So wake up! Town fathers and do something constructive to rid the town of scum and not so busy fighting among yourselves.
Old New Hoper

Letter to Yenta 08/31/99

I appreciated the fact that the public was allowed to sit in on the August 30th Civil Service Commission Hearing. FINALLY - we heard the arguments, the references, the affadavits, the legal interpretations FIRST HAND. It left no doubt in my mind that what the Civil Service Commission decided was correct. Chief Brobson was not hired as a Civil Service employee. As Ms. Doughty explained, there was no evidence presented to her that convinced her otherwise.

This was a verification of Borough Council's position all along, that Mr. Brobson was an at-will managerial employee, and therefore it was not Borough Council's obligation to provide him a hearing if they didn't think it necessary.

I also appreciated the time and thought the Commission put into this. The entire meeting was conducted professionally and fairly. Of course, there are citizens who will not agree with the decision -- but when you hear the evidence, all other arguments for further action seem moot.

A grateful attendee.......

Letter to Yenta 08/23/99

Dear Former Anarchist,

Did I miss something ? Is an understatement.
Try this one, Am I totally ignorant to the situation ?
Let me help you out. The Civil Service Commission consists of three members. Three members are holding a meeting. Chris Bollenbacher advertised it because Chris Bollenbacher is the
Secretary of the Commission and that’s what secretaries are supposed to do. The Commission is holding a meeting because we are required by the Borough Code to fulfil our duty EVEN if
we are improperly removed by the Borough Council. The Judge at the end of our hearing refused to rule as to whether we were still an effective commission saying If you feel you are still Civil Service then you should act as such. It will most likely be determined in the future in court as to which commission is the correct one.

As to appointing myself to the Borough Council (as ridiculous a statement as that is) I was fortunate to receive 209 votes in the primary, far more that my opponents, and will be on
the ballot this November. If I should end up with a seat on Boro Council I can assure you that will be the end of personal agendas and misinformation such as we have now.

If you want to ask questions in a public forum such as this may I suggest something more important like, Is it true that the legal bills regarding Chief Brobson are now in the vicinity of $190,000.00?

Here’s another one, The budget for New Hope is 1.7 million dollars. We have spent so far this year 1.5 million. Since we have been spending money at the rate of over $192,000.00 per month this year and we have 4 months left and we have only 216,000.00 left in the budget could that mean that Chris Bollenbacher was right when back in October of 1998 he said that this was coming and there was still time to stop it? Do you suppose maybe that’s why he left council when the Council President and the Borough Manager came up with this irresponsible budget and he didn’t want the blame for it in 1999 when it didn’t work because
he was the finance chair?

Is the council even aware of this problem as they merrily encumber $100,000.00 for a park, as Mr. Gerenser continues to wage his expensive personal battle with the police department?
Is it true that Mr. Johnson is refusing to sign anymore checks to pay Joe Rudolf? If it is true then council must understand that not paying him does not solve the problem. They must stop using him!

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 08/23/99

I see in the Gazette that Chris Bollenbacher is holding a civil service hearing on Sept 2nd "in the matter regarding Robert Brobson". Did I miss something? Did he go to court and get reinstated to the commission?
Following this logic to the next level I guess Chris can now drop out of the Borough Council race and just appoint himself to the position...... or perhaps all of the positions.

Signed,
Former Anarchist

Letter to Yenta 08/19/99

Dearest Yenta, I am writing this letter in response to the letter by Terry Burroughs about the nude paintings in the windows at Love Saves the Day. Personally, I thought it was pretty humorous and wondered who's feathers they were trying to ruffle. I don't know the owner, or know why they put up the display, but I guarantee that it probably wasn't an accident!
My kids are all grown, but I would rather them have seen nude human figures on canvas, than the violence that was spoon fed them, and which is still fed to our youth everyday through TV, video games, and popular music. Part of the reason my generation is so screwed up today (I'm 48), is because many of us were taught that nudity was nasty, and that sex was taboo and not
a subject to be talked about. I'm glad that things are changing, and that nudity and human sexuality can now be discussed openly and honestly without people being put on major guilt trips. And another thing...New Hope isn't Disney World or Sesame Place. If anyone feels that their children will be hurt by seeing cultural diversity or occasional nude paintings, then maybe they should go to the mall and stay away from Main Street. I've been heavily into the study of my roots for the past several years now, and have found out some interesting things about the history and the
times of my ancestors. I discovered that I am a descendant of two of the Salem witches, and that witchcraft was far more prevalent in Scotland, where most of my ancestors emigrated from than anywhere else on earth. We hear more about witchcraft throughout history, when societies were more conservative, fundamental, and puritanical in their views. Most people
who were accused of witchcraft didn't even know what it was. You could be accused of being a witch just because you were different, or a neighbor who didn't like you could brand you a witch just to get rid of you. Many lives were destroyed and ruined because of unsubstantionated rumors and gossip by people with "holier than thou" attitudes. The reason that I am bringing this up, is because I sense the same thing happening in New Hope and feel that it has been going on for some time.  People, particularly the politicians and their followers, seem to be getting  more entrenched and closed minded in their views, and then launch witch hunts and viscious attacks on their enemies, simply because they don't agree with them. I moved to New Hope because I thought it was a wide open liberal thinking town. I liked the fact that people were different, that diversity was celebrated, and that Main Street had independantly owned business' that weren't like cookie cutter mall stores. I liked the fact that people were attracted to New Hope because they could be themselves for a few hours (or maybe for the rest of their lives), and have met the most incredibly interesting and talented people here. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else on earth, and maybe thats why I get so upset when I see and hear all the nastiness and petty bickering every time I go downtown. I hardly go downtown anymore because of it and that bothers me. It just has a tendency to drain me and sap all of my energy, and I really don't need that in my life. Anyway, maybe I'm wrong, but I sense a more conservative and puritanical
atmosphere growing in New Hope, and if thats the way the majority wants it to be, then I guess I have no recourse but to accept it...I just don't like it!
Sincerely, Allan P. Duncan

Letter to Yenta 08/11/99

Belated Response to your 4/9/99 story

"4/9/99 - The Yenta has learned that the neighbors on New Street and Mechanic Street at last prevailed over St Martins Catholic Church. The borough finally issued a cease and desist for their parking lot. Father Schmeer allegedly met the decision with some dismay. The battle has been raging for some time as the Catholic church had gone into the parking business and began expanding their spaces. Before you knew it, they had a bulldozer on the little hillside next to the cemetery and they were plowing up the ground and laying stone for additional spaces. Small problem - the ground disturbance caused massive run-off into the living rooms of the homes on the hillside below. What a surprise! Let's hope they use some of the parking money collected to repair the problem."

Dear Yenta you have learned only part of this story and the residents of New Hope and the surrounding area have been poorly informed of the facts surrounding this situation. First of all, to call what happened at that borough meeting a "victory" is a disgrace! St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church and its parishioners were terribly, viscously and wrongfully attacked by the so-called New Street and Mechanic Street "neighbors" that complained to the borough about the use of their parking lot. I heard those "neighbors" present their false testimony blaming the church
for all that is evil in the borough (check the transcripts). We were
embarrassed for Father Schmeer and the people of the Church by the treatment they received by these "neighbors" and the zoning board. With "neighbors" like this, who needs enemies? If the "neighbors" were so concerned about beer bottles and trash on their property, why don't they complain about the bars that served the liquor in the first place or to the police instead of placing blame on the Church? And why were there no police reports available to back up their false allegations and hearsay
evidence? If there was damage to the living rooms of their homes, why was it not presented as evidence?

Secondly, why was the Church's activity singled out as the only parking lot violator? There are at least four other parking lots within the same block, yet only the Church's lot was found to be in violation of the borough's zoning ordinance? Even the owners of some of the other parking lots testified in support of the Church's parking and testified that there is not enough parking in New Hope on weekends. St. Martins has been using its parking lot since it was built in 1885! There were documented cases presented to council over the years of the Church using the lot to raise money, yet this was dismissed as hearsay. The use of
the lot by St. Martins to raise money by parking cars existed long
before the area zoning regulations and it's use should have been
"grand-fathered". Many of these "neighbors" have lived here for only a short period of time and should have been more respective of the history of the church, what gives them the right to dictate how the church can use its property and how can you limit an activity that has been in existence for more than 104 years? The borough is selectively enforcing the zoning ordinances at the request of the few anti-religious activists to persecute the church! Why not work with the church to help resolve the problems of public drunkenness rather than limit their ability to use their property to raise funds?

Thirdly, the work that was being done by your "bulldozer" (it was
actually a backhoe) was to dig graves and to attempt to correct the problem caused by the water run off into the cemetery behind the church. The cemetery has operated there since it was established in 1885. The "bulldozer" digging graves did not cause the massive run off of rainwater, the rain run off was caused by the clearing of land for the development on the hill above the church (Riverwoods). In fact, the church has also been affected by the run-off and was attempting to raise the level of the ground at the edge of the cemetery to help prevent further run off by allowing more water to be absorbed into the ground.

The number of families that belong to St. Martins has grown
substantially over the past several years. The church needs additional parking spaces for its parishioners to park there for mass services. The Church also needs to raise money to support the numerous charitable activities as well as build a new Church to accommodate the new families. Even their efforts to build a new Church on the ten acres they own on Bridge Street have met with strong anti-religious opposition and lack of borough support. Yet another group of alleged "neighbors", this time from the Riverstone community, organized their protest of the building of the new church "in their backyard".

The friends and family of St. Martins are just now recovering from the shock and horror of the evil that is being inflicted by the
anti-religious "neighbors" in New Hope reported by your brief review on 4/9/99. This country was founded on the basis of religious freedom and freedom from persecution. St. Martins is now experiencing the same evil akin to the gay bashing that is prevalent in this town's history.

Sign us as friends of St. Martin and residents for religious freedom and protection from religious persecution. You're on the wrong side on this one.

P.S. if you want to find a real story, you should investigate the role of our fine mayor in all this.

Letter to Yenta 08/09/99

I just drove past "Love Saves The Day" (LSD) on the corner of Main & Bridge and I was stunned to see larger than life murals of totally nude women in the windows. I was in the car, so if close up they are not nude, I greatly apologize. But it surely looked that
way to me. This is a town for all people including children. Am I the only one who thinks this is inappropriate? Shouldn't parents have the choice to decide if their children see this or not rather than having it flat in their face? Although it is not an ad for nude
dancers, I think it looks trashy because it is out of place (this is not the Admiral Wilson Blvd. in New Jersey). I do not think this is art because of the way it is being used. In the proper place, I think it is fine. But not in the street. I assume it has nothing to do with what is going on or being sold inside, I hope. I think this is in
very poor taste. New Hope is so concerned about people going to get a body part pierced and people on motorcycles, but not about 6 foot nudes in the window? What am I missing here?

Terry Burroughs
Solebury

Letter to Yenta 08/07/99

Dear Waterphile,

Chris Bollenbacher

Letter to Yenta 08/07/99

Mr. Bollenbacher's letter sounds to me like another deliberate attempt to throw even more confusion into
the air with his lists of rhetorical questions, when there are REAL, TANGIBLE ISSUES on which to
focus all that negative energy!!!!!!

As a small, caring town, LET'S MAKE A TRUE EFFORT TO STOP SECOND-GUESSING EVERYONE ELSE'S MOTIVES & AGENDAS. BOTH "SIDES" HAVE TO STOP WITH THE
"CHEST-POUNDING" (as someone once wrote about). GET THE BROBSON ISSUE TO COURT, WHERE WE'VE ALL BEEN TRYING TO GO ANYWAY.
The sooner the better........

It's time for New Hope to heal, refocus, and really tackle the water and sewer issues. Republicans? Democrats? Independents? How do you feel about these issues as candidates? We'd like to hear from all of you!

In the meantime, let's use our meetings and all of our elected town
officials in a pro-active way, and figure out some immediate resource solutions (especially water) .
PLEASE!

A concerned waterphile

Letter to Yenta 08/04/99

Letter to Yenta 8/04/99

SO ....TO RECAP

The borough hires and pays a former Chief of Police who was removed from his post in light of illegal activity to investigate and criticize the New Hope Police Department despite free assistance from the State.
The "report" was introduced to a well publicized public forum.
Chief Brobson was removed from his post despite his efforts to work with the counsel in response to the report, his "national" reputation on organization and crime intervention within a Police Force, his unmarked record in his State and local Police duties, and kudos for turning around the New Hope Police Departments budget, safety and reputation.
Chief Brobson was "not allowed" to hold a public forum in response to the report. In fact he was "locked out".
Borough Counsel hires an Interim Police Chief for which no line in the Borough Code allows for.
Since taking office, the Interim Police Chief has hired an unqualified officer, carried a concealed weapon, and made
several arrests all without certification putting the Borough in lawsuit jeopardy.
The Interim Police Chief endangered lives in a off-duty pursuit and failed to yield to an above ranking officer.
Two Police cars have been totaled costing the borough additional monies.
Two Officers have been injured and are unable to work.
Crime has visibly increased in the Borough.
Counsel continues to spend the taxpayers money on the fight of Chief Brobson when 4 recent decisions have been in favor of the former Chief.
Chief Brobson continues to spend his own personal money to clear his record on top of being a taxpayer himself.
Keep your eyes wide open folks - its not as foggy as the Counsel makes it out to be.

Letter to Yenta 7/30/99

After reading so many letters in the Gazette about our Lumberville neighbors' concerns for the Delaware Canal, I'd like to propose that some of our New Hope residents also become involved in putting pressure on the DCNR to use their grant money to FILL THE CANAL with much-needed water. (Taking drought restrictions under consideration, of course!) I hope the DCNR will publicly clarify this situation, if in fact we don't have all of our information correct from reading local newspapers. The towpath part of the project should be SECOND in priority to filling this historic waterway with what we were promised -- WATER. The Lumberville and Point Pleasant residents have had a dry ditch
for too long.

We were promised dredging and filling - not gravel towpaths! New Jersey has the resources to do both. If we have to choose because of budgetary restrictions, wouldn't it be better to walk on grass along a tranquil waterway, rather than have an expensive gravel towpath bordering a ditch?

The Delaware Canal region is a state park, and it is something we should all be able to use and be proud of. CALL and put pressure on Ken Lewis at the Park office!!!! At least demand that he hold a public meeting to address these
concerns.

Thanks,
Jan Witte

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