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Click here for original post with party photos
8/21/13 UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF THIS POST
Thanks to the Residents who are posting flyers around town with this blog, these flyers are not affiliated with Perkasie First but the fact they are showing up proves that residents are awakening to the problem with management of this town!
8/21/13 UPDATE AT BOTTOM OF THIS POST
Thanks to the Residents who are posting flyers around town with this blog, these flyers are not affiliated with Perkasie First but the fact they are showing up proves that residents are awakening to the problem with management of this town!
Will concerned residents continue the pressure on Council to take action at the next meeting? Plan to attend the next Borough meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd at 7pm
and demand action from Council Leadership
What was learned about the events surrounding the 8/11/13 near riot at Menlo Aquatics Center at the Borough Council meeting last night:
- Despite red flags, police were not made aware of the party until they were called for a disturbance.
- Pool staff did not feel safe at the event, and witnessed drug and alcohol use and other disturbing sights.
- Pool staff were forced to clean up the pool the next day, handling drug needles and combing through the grass on their hands and knees. Comment from one lifeguards parent: "Too bad the pool employees were told to throw away all the evidence including driver's licenses."
- The pool was never tested for fecal coliform levels the next day despite reports that the pool was so murky that you couldn't even see the bottom. It was simply shocked with extra chlorine and reopened after the teenage pool staff swept the grounds.
- Once again the District Attorney's office is involved with Perkasie Borough, thanks council!
The manager of the Chartwell Swim Club in Marlton NJ where the club-style party was supposed to be held knew from her interactions with the promoter that something was not right- did her due diligence and found out with a simple internet search about the real intent of the party and was able to cancel it and call police to protect their facility.
"It all seemed sketchy to me, so it really wasn't a difficult thing because the story changed, like three or four times, every time we talked to them," said Michelle Adams of Chartwell Swim Club of Marlton, N.J. Adams said it only took minutes on Google to discover the party was a paid, nightclub-style event.
Read more from WFMZ.com at: http://www.wfmz.com/news/Perkasie-pool-party-causes-outrage/-/121458/21535958/-/9jsdqa/-/index.html
“Two officers ran from the front entrance and saw six to eight pool guests standing on the hood, roof and trunk lid of a marked police car from an assisting jurisdiction. The offenders jumped off the car and scattered, fleeing north on Third Street in different directions,” Hillias said.
Kate Lane, a neighbor of the pool, said the night was very scary. “I was scared, and I thank God for the police that were in front of my house,” she said.
Menlo lifeguard Phil Allebach, who was on duty the night of the party, said he was pushed into the pool several times and saw patrons drinking liquor and smoking marijuana. Many patrons were being rude and acting unsafely around the pool, doing flips and diving into shallow water, he said. Allebach and other lifeguards had to perform multiple rescues.
“As the night went on, the party became total chaos,” he said.
At Monday night’s council meeting, someone had posted large, orange signs inside the meeting room, with the messages “Yet another cover-up by borough officials!” and “Aigeldinger — short on leadership,” referring to council president Matt Aigeldinger. Other residents called for Perkasie leadership to resign, to heavy applause.
"Police say the party attendees climbed on police cars and pushed lifeguards into the pool. Two dozen officers from neighboring towns were called in to help."
"The man on the phone said he was desperate. He needed to rent a swimming pool for his younger brother's birthday party. A New Jersey swim club had canceled because of a sewage problem. He was willing to pay extra - even make a donation.The public pool in Perkasie, a small borough in upper Bucks County, declined his offer for more money. But it booked the private party for Aug. 11, expecting about 100 people."
"As the night went on," Menlo lifeguard Phil Allebach said, "the party became total chaos."
Six to eight partyers were stomping on the hood, roof and trunk of an unmarked police car, while neighbors worried that the wildness would spill into their yards.
"I was scared," said Kate Lane, a neighbor of the pool. "I thank God for the police that were in front of my house."
Police and pool staff are to be commended for their actions that night. They were put in danger by inept leadership in the Borough. The same leadership that promises "changes to policy" so this will never happen again and empty platitudes from the rest of council, with Councilperson Florence Frie even being critical of people raising concerns. Councilman Stottlar explained he would like to be part of a proactive council as opposed to a reactive one and offered a heartfelt apology.
Call or email them directly and demand answers as to why the kids who work at the pool, the police, and the residents were put in danger. DO NOT CALL THE POOL, the staff there are not to blame.
Come to the next meeting on Tuesday September 3rd at 7pm, council promised to take action and the residents must hold them to this promise! Mark you calendars now!
Manager Dan Olpere 215-257-5065
Mayor | John Hollenbach -- 2013 | (215) 257-7617
Council President, Ward 1 | Matthew Aigeldinger -- (240) 364-4788
Council Vice President, Ward 2 | James E. Purcell -- (215) 257-5065
Council, Ward 1 | Steven F. Pizzollo -- (215) 258-5665
Council, Ward 1 | Stephen G. Algeo -- (215) 257-8542
Council, Ward 2 | Florence A. Frei -- (215) 257-7054
Council, Ward 2 | Justin Stottlar -- (215) 257-5065
Council, Ward 3 | Barbara J. Krantz -- (215) 453-2183
Council, Ward 3 | Suzanne Kravitz -- (215) 258-0196
Council, Ward 3 | James Ryder -- (215) 896-9069
Video of Manager Dan Olpere being interviewed by news cameras, sorry for the poor sound quality the acoustics are terrible in the room
Emails received by a councilman from borough residents:
this is .......... from S third St we met last year you helped me with some issues here, I was at the Borough Meeting tonight the first in many years, I don't know how you do it, I couldn't . to sit there and listen to the praise and apologies from most our your fellow council members, I think you were the only one who spoke the truth reactive not proactive. Not one of them had the guts to say someone should be held accountable for what they did. I am sure some low level person will take the fall but they as the borough paid employees those in management should be held accountable, the fellow to your left said everyone makes mistakes in their job and he is correct but make enough of them or make one big enough you get fired or at least disciplined. again no accountability. To put those police and the Kids from the pool in harms way like that those apologies were not enough those responsible should do it in person to their faces. THEY ALLOWED THEIR OWN RULES TO BE BROKEN! Shame on them it came back to bite them, In work today our cleaner who used to clean for the borough and lived here brought up the news that was in his local paper today.
another black eye for Perkasie, I took my house off the market earlier this year and we decided to stay here, not sure if that was a mistake I will regret. One other point tonight about the new business coming to Perkasie I know you heard it and I do understand the importance of new business , but to give them a break on their electric bill that was like a knife in my back!
Thanks for your time,another black eye for Perkasie, I took my house off the market earlier this year and we decided to stay here, not sure if that was a mistake I will regret. One other point tonight about the new business coming to Perkasie I know you heard it and I do understand the importance of new business , but to give them a break on their electric bill that was like a knife in my back!
Thanks for your time,
Another Email:
I heard from my wife that the pool is closed today and they have a team in there cleaning the place. (A week late don’t you think).
My wife went to the borough hall and demanded a refund for the rest of the season (when asked why for obvious reasons the borough secretary denied the Splah N First Class event and said that it was all “here say.” I think a copy of the police report from last nights meeting needs to be distributed to ALL Perkasie borough employees and they should nock-off their attitudes at this time, and be reminded who they are working for) and reiterated to the snippy woman at the desk that we will not be renewing our membership until Dan Olpere is gone.
Hopefully this occurs sooner than later.
Yet Another Email to Council:
Mr. Pizzollo: This is NOT a "mistake" as you alleged on Monday night. A mistake is made in honesty, deception is made by negligence lack of accountability, and irresponsible actions. There was lack of accountability in three stages that day solely by Dan Olpere. The first, was not researching WHO was renting the facility. The second was not responding when finding out what the party was really about, and hanging the lifeguards and police, as well as every resident in this town out to fend for themselves, while he cozied up in his Montgomery County home. The facility in New Jersey called the borough three times, no response - irresponsible lack of accountability. The third was not reporting to the borough to 'help' when finding out what was happening. The fourth was putting the public works staff, and lifeguards, as well as young children and pool patrons at risk during and after the cover up cleanup effort. Was the bucks county health department contacted to test the pool water? Were there drug dogs brought in so a toddler doesn't put "sugar" in their mouth? Was the place searched with metal detectors to ensure that all of the used needles had been found? - another failure on Dan's shoulders and a grave lack of accountability.
Dan Olpere failed miserably in his attempts to do his job, he failed the public, the lifeguards, and the police. It is INCONCEIVABLE how this so called Council can sit there, stone faced and defend the actions (or lack thereof) of Dan the day, especially after hearing from the Police and lifeguards at the meeting on Monday night.
The fact that they defend this man, puts each and every one of them who defended him in the same boat of deception. They want this story to go away, they will brush it under the rug, and push it aside. This is an election year. I would urge everyone in Perkasie, who has a shred of concern regarding this situation, weather its for your kids sake, your neighbors, friends, and family, or your own, to attend these meetings, and watch as they harbor this man from criticism and push the blame to a "mistake." Remember this in November, vote each and every one of these deceptive, dishonest members out of public office for the good of the town.
Dan Olpere failed miserably in his attempts to do his job, he failed the public, the lifeguards, and the police. It is INCONCEIVABLE how this so called Council can sit there, stone faced and defend the actions (or lack thereof) of Dan the day, especially after hearing from the Police and lifeguards at the meeting on Monday night.
The fact that they defend this man, puts each and every one of them who defended him in the same boat of deception. They want this story to go away, they will brush it under the rug, and push it aside. This is an election year. I would urge everyone in Perkasie, who has a shred of concern regarding this situation, weather its for your kids sake, your neighbors, friends, and family, or your own, to attend these meetings, and watch as they harbor this man from criticism and push the blame to a "mistake." Remember this in November, vote each and every one of these deceptive, dishonest members out of public office for the good of the town.
ATTEMPT AT DECEPTION using NEWSPAPER by DAN OLPERE / PERKASIE PRIDE
After accurate reporting by NBC10, WFMZ, Intelligencer, and News Herald reporter Erin Weaver describing the events and testimony from the public meeting, another article mysteriously appeared by a "Tim Halteman" attempting to downplay the near-riot at the pool by saying it was just "people having a good time" and calling concerned residents out as "overreacting".
No names or even street locations of the "residents in the vicinity" were cited, and there was other inaccurate information such as claiming there were 40 security guards when police have already confirmed 15. Nothing in this article should be taken as credible by the public, it is simply an attempt to continue the attempted coverup with damage control.
According to Tim Halteman's Linkedin page: Tim Halteman is a sophomore writing major and dual philosophy / English minor at Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT. Tim currently is Senior Editor and a regular reporter of The Mountaineer, Green Mountain College's monthly newspaper. He is also an editor for and contributes creative work to The Reverie, GMC's annual literary magazine. Tim hopes to continue creative writing and playing music into the future while searching for a job in the publishing or editing field.
For the past 3 months he also lists a role as an "intern" with Montgomery Media. His current address is listed as Glens Falls NY. Has Tim has been HOODWINKED by someone to write this fabricated article?
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