Why did New Hope Borough Council President Scandone Resign, Then Change His Mind?

Why did President Bill Scandone resign from New Hope Borough Council Jan. 6, only to reverse course and “rescind” his resignation on Jan. 18?

Borough Council at a Jan. 17 meeting had given him the latitude to withdraw his resignation by voting in a split decision not to “accept” it. Scandone was absent from that regularly scheduled meeting, but explained in a statement read aloud on his behalf that he was quitting the group due to “familial obligations.”

When he reversed his resignation the next day on Jan. 18, he reportedly said he was “thrilled” to remain president. So why did he offer to resign in the first place, and why is he unwilling to explain the general nature of the “familial obligation” that was significant enough for him to resign, then wasn’t?

Scandone isn’t saying. He hasn’t responded to repeated requests for information about his on-again, off-again resignation.

Documents obtained by the Free Press show that Scandone at first referred to “personal matters” in a Jan. 6 letter to New Hope Borough Manager Cathryn Thomas informing her of his “resignation from the New Hope Borough Council effective immediately.” Thomas also did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Scandone went on to explain in his letter, “These matters will take greater priority in 2017. I intend to focus on familial responsibilities.”

Documents also reveal that one day earlier, on Jan. 5, Scandone canceled a meeting with Larry Panzica, owner of Moo Hope Ice Cream at 22 S. Main St., and new owner of the former Cryer’s Hardware building at 20 S. Main St. Also apparently invited to attend were Thomas, Zoning Officer Jim Ennis, and Council Member Ken Maisel (who serves on New Hope’s Universal Construction Code Committee, or “UCC”).

Scandone nixed the meeting “as a first step in addressing your concerns,” referring to a stern note sent a day earlier by Council and UCC Member Claire Shaw describing a “suspected agenda” that included discussion of “Larry Panzica’s experience/complaints with the UCC process.”
“I would like to know what you view our purpose as a committee to be,” asked Shaw in her Jan. 4 letter to Scandone. “If it is to trouble shoot and resolve UCC issues, then why have you circumvented the committee’s jurisdiction?”

The letter goes on to assert, “You have kept information from this council for the last 12 months to promote your own agenda and you have continually failed to include members of council on important issues, choosing non-council, non-residents as your confidants.”

Additional documents and interviews with multiple sources over several months reveal a pattern by Scandone of intervening directly in controversial issues and projects under the jurisdiction of council and its sub-committees, often in private meetings with Council Member and former Revitalization Committee Chair Joseph Franlin at his side. Franlin‘s influence has risen along with that of the Revitalization Committee, which last year promoted the doubling of parking meter rates in downtown New Hope, along with the proposed “Cannon Square” project.

Did Shaw’s Jan. 4 criticism of Scandone’s actions lead him to resign from borough council on Jan. 6? Scandone won’t comment. But new information continues to emerge, and it’s painting a portrait of dysfunction at the highest level of New Hope’s municipal leadership.

New Hope Chamber of Commerce effort to ‘combat motorcycle noise’ causes business backlash

By Charlie Sahner

When New Hope Chamber of Commerce President Connie Gering announced a “Rev It Down” campaign last week to “try to combat the motorcycle noise in a way that respects both residents and those motorcyclists who do obey our noise ordinance,” she knew she was wading into contentious waters. After all, noise, and particularly motorcycle noise, has been a hot button issue in New Hope for decades.

But Gering, who also serves as Chairperson of the Borough’s Revitalization Committee, Co-Chair of New Hope for Our Canal, and is a candidate for a seat on New Hope Borough Council in November, says she believes that resident pressure for a quieter town could have resulted in more draconian enforcement measures against motorcyclists, and that the Rev It Down campaign is a good compromise that respects the 97-98% of motorcyclists “who obey our noise ordinance.”

“The campaign was initiated after a Revitalization Committee meeting where residents wanted to return to an era when motorcyclists were being targeted for ticketing,” said Gering. “Our goal with Rev It Down is to deal with the situation in a kinder manner with signs and a message that was designed by a fellow rider.”

Not everyone in New Hope’s business community, however, agrees that lessening motorcycle sound levels should be a high-priority issue for the area’s largest business group.

Joel Roberts, local resident and owner of Mechanic Street Mugs at 10 W. Mechanic St. said, “New Hope is not a quiet little New England town. If you don’t like a little noise, music, cars or people yelling from across the street, you don’t like New Hope.”

Jim Miscisin, owner of Affordable Art in the Four Seasons Mall, agreed, saying, “As a long-time merchant that has been located on both sides of town, I do not believe that motor cycle noise is significant enough to warrant any campaign to reduce it.”

Jeffrey Frydman, local resident and real estate developer went a step further, saying, “The bikers are keeping Main Street alive.”

But a bartender at a Main Street establishment who asked not to be identified because he hadn’t discussed the matter with management, said of the Rev It Down initiative, “What does revving do anyway? I’m in favor of the signs. Nothing against motorcycles…just revving.”

And an employee of a South Main Street retail business, who likewise requested not to be named because he wasn’t authorized to speak on behalf of his employer, said of motorcycles, “They’re annoying as hell, but they should be allowed.”

Two employees of a downtown restaurant disagreed with each other over the Chamber’s action. Said the first, “There’s no need to sit and rev in idle.”

The other, who also asked not to be identified, said, “The Chamber has no conception of helping downtown businesses, in fact, they’re doing everything they can to harass our customers and drive them away.”

Gering defended the Chamber of Commerce initiative, saying “The motorcycle visitors are an important asset to the business community of this town and we welcome them. There are only a small percentage of motorcyclists who choose to rev up their bikes while on our streets and we are asking them to wait until they are leaving town to do so.”

But long-time resident and owner of Mystikal Tymes Eric Lee at 127 S. Main St. said of the “Rev It Down” signs displayed about New Hope streets, “It’s the most ridiculous thing…it’s an oxymoron – you can’t ‘rev down’.”

Carl Glassman, owner of New Hope’s popular Wedgwood Inn, said of motorcyclists, “They are part of the New Hope landscape, and they are a welcome ingredient of the larger New Hope experience.”

Loretta M. Johnson, owner of the Surrender shop at 11 W. Mechanic St., summed up the sentiments of many interviewed for this article, saying, “Part of the character of New Hope is the noise – bikes, trucks, radios, guitars – the noise adds to the town. Once in a while it can be a little too noisy and disruptive to other people, however, there are people coming to town that enjoy the sounds and sights New Hope has to offer. In society today, we should be less judgmental, and certainly this is a town of acceptance of everyone.”

Who is Nick Gialias and why is he running for New Hope Borough Council?

Nick Gialias (Photo: Charlie Sahner)

By Charlie Sahner

Nick Gialias is a candidate for New Borough Council in the election scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 8. This year's polling site has been moved from the Eagle Fire Company building to the New Hope Borough Community Room adjacent to Borough Hall. Gialas will be vying with three other contenders for three open seats on New Hope's top governing body.

A resident of Riverwoods with a wife and young daughter, Gialias, 33, sees himself as a family man and businessman, but his background in biomedical engineering seems to underly the precision of his speech and the directness of his opinions. He owns the Logan Inn, a family business where his father is the chef and other relatives are frequently helping out with the perpetual urgencies that accompany any sprawling inn-restaurant-bar. Gialias is running on the Republican ticket in a town where party affiliations are of dubious concern. He is also known as a primary organizer of the New Hope/Lambertville Friday Night Fireworks.

So, why is Gialias trying to become a member of Borough Council?

"I'm really concerned about the prosperity of New Hope," he said. "I want to help bring it back to the flourishing community we have come to love. We need to bring back some of the institutions that defined New Hope -- the mule barges, Odette's, and the Playhouse, Zadar space and Delaware waterfront in general. There's very little access for residents and guests to view and enjoy the river," added Gialias.

The troubled Bucks County Playhouse is indeed on many residents' minds these days, and the symbolism of its financial plight is not lost on Gialas. "The Playhouse is more than a business issue.They don't appreciate how much the Playhouse means to the residents of New Hope. The bank doesn't care. For the bank, it's just a dollar asset. For us, it's more than that; it's part of our history, culture and identity here."

Gialias' solution to the Bucks County Playhouse fiasco: "We need to go to [Reps.] Bernie O'Neill, Chuck McIlhinney and Mike Fitzpatrick and get them into the process, and see what kind of support we could receive at the county or state level, be it legislative, financial, or public."

Gialas believes the beleaguered Bucks County Playhouse also reflects negatively on New Hope's reputation as a haven for the arts. "We need to encourage the arts, encourage painters and performers on the streets, not require permits. If we're going to say we're an arts community, we've got to bring the Playhouse back -- we've got to put our money where our mouth is."

Likewise, Gialias views reviving the currently dry section of the Delaware Canal running through New Hope as vitally important to the borough's prosperity. "Reviving the canal is about wildlife, tourism, beauty and history. I'd rather people try and fail -- at least you can bring attention to the problem, and you might get lucky and raise enough money to fix it up. You also show people your mind is in the right place," he said.

In terms of the high rate of store closings in New Hope, due in part to the uncertain national economy, Gialias said, "The way you get good shops here is by creating a good environment for them to prosper. Right now, restaurants are providing an important service to the community, which also helps all the shops in the vicinity.

"The businesses are really providing a tax base that keeps taxes lower. The restaurants are paying school tax, but not sending kids to school. People move here for the school system that is paid, in part, by restaurants. Parking meters and fines more than pay for the police. I can't imagine a future New Hope that's prosperous without a flourishing business community. Tourism supports the borough because it keeps taxes lower, supports the schools, and supports the police force."

Added Gialias, "My perspective comes from being a resident here, having a family here, and having a family business here. I want New Hope to do well, and I need New Hope to do well."

But, cautions Gialias, "We should be careful not to lose our sense of small-town community. We need to be treating everyone with dignity, and respect what they bring to the town. And we need to be supporting people who are looking to renovate, restore, and maintain old properties.

"People that scrape and paint their houses every year should be praised, and not criticized if it's not the exact right color. Sometimes we get off track with that," continued Gialias.

And what difference can one Borough Council member make?

Says Gialias, "I will try to better inform the public about the major issues in town and get them involved in the process. We all want New Hope to continue being a great, lively, vibrant place where we can bring our family, friends, and relatives."

Positions available on New Hope Borough advisory boards and commissions

By Charlie Sahner

New Hope Borough Council will be filling several vacant committee and advisory board positions at its January and February meetings, so now is a good time to fill out an application if you're interested in being part of borough governance.

The open positions are:

Park and Recreation Board
1 vacancy with a term of office expiring on December 31, 2013.

Historic Architectural Review Board
2 vacancies with terms expiring December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2013. One vacancy is restricted by state law to appointment of a building inspector.

Shade Tree Commission
1 vacancy with a term of office expiring on December 31, 2014.

Revitalization Committee
1 vacancy restricted to a member of the New Hope Shade Tree Commission with a term expiring on December 31, 2012.

Recycling Committee
1 vacancy with a term of office expiring on December 31, 2011.

Applications for these volunteer position are available at the borough's web site or at 123 New Street.

Borough Council Decides Visitors Can't Park Past 11:00 p.m. in Municipal Lot

Vote in this Week's Poll on Parking

By Charlie Sahner

Until what hour should vehicles be allowed to use the parking lot next to New Hope's Borough Hall (formerly St. Martin of Tours church)?

That's the central question to be discussed and voted upon at the next New Hope Borough Hall meeting in two weeks. 

Right now, the meters at the lot stop running at 9 p.m. (as they do in most places around town), but parked vehicles are expected legally to vamvoose soon thereafter.

Some neighbors wouldn't mind less of a "circus-like" atmosphere, which they attribute to drunken revelers parking at the nearby lot late at night, by and large.  Others ask why this parking lot won't let patrons remain until at least 2:30 a.m., when many bars, restaurants, clubs, and other parking lots close for the night.

What's your view?

Until what hour should vehicles be allowed to use the parking lot next to New Hope's Borough Hall?

9 p.m.?  11 p.m.?  Overnight?

You can vote right now in a live poll (and see the results) at the New Hope Gazette.  Scroll down the far right column until you see the poll, and let your voice be heard!

Opinion: New Hope PA Visitors Center Stripped of Historic Antiques

A 170-year-old table and other pieces of furniture were removed from the New Hope PA Visitors Center according to the Bucks County Herald so that they can be used in the expensive church New Hope's Borough Council purchased and is renovating for their new offices.

In the Herald photo above, a visitors center worker is depicted sitting on the irreplaceable artifact, apparently laughing.

It's disappointing that New Hope's Borough Council and Chamber of Commerce don't have enough faith in the native talent of our town to believe we are fully capable of promoting ourselves, and have chosen instead to pay a small marketing firm in Bensalem, PA to do it for us.

It's also disappointing to see another local news media outlet demonstrate the journalistic sensibility of Pravda.

Meanwhile, get your ass off our table.

It is the property of the taxpayers of New Hope PA.

New Hope PA Borough Council and Chamber of Commerce Give Up on Visitors' Center (and Promoting Tourism?)

The Times of Trenton reports today that New Hope's visitor center, located in a former town hall at South Main and Mechanic streets, will be outsourced to the Bucks County Conference and Visitors Bureau beginning January 1, 2010.

"It's a win-win situation for everyone," said Councilman Richard Hirschfield, who for several years was looking for a way to get the tax-funded tourism operation removed from the borough's budget.

The borough had been budgeting $62,000 a year, the equivalent of about $1.1 million in real estate taxes, to operate the center.

[Ed. note: New Hope PA also earns $371,200 per year from parking meters, $315,000 from parking ticketing and stopping vistors' vehicles, $89,000 from its "business privilege tax", and $56,150 from "business licenses and franchise fees"]

"It was felt the borough could contribute and work toward it but it should be the function of the New Hope Chamber of Commerce or some other organization that would promote business," said Hirschfield.

Louis Licitra, former president of the organization, said it was impossible financially for the chamber to operate the visitors' center.

"After all, people come to New Hope for New Hope. They don't come here to see the visitors center," said Licitra.

Who the Heck are We Supposed to Vote For?

Many voters in the New Hope PA Borough Council elections are still scratching their heads this weekend over whom to pick next week . If you think you know who you're voting for, please tell the rest of us what to do by clicking our anonymous survey link located in the upper right column of this page.

Who is Bill Scandone and Why is He Running for New Hope PA Borough Council?

Last week, Bill Scandone left a flyer in my mailbox asking for my vote in the upcoming New Hope PA Borough Council election. Four seats are up for grabs this November, and for the first time in quite a while, it appears the Republicans have a full slate and are going to give the four Democratic incumbents a run for their money. Bill's one of the Republican upstarts this year, not that "Republican" or "Democrat" mean that much in a small town like New Hope.

The thing that caught my eye about Bill's flyer was that he listed his email address and phone number on it. Now, it's not unusual for smarter candidates to campaign door to door in the closing weeks of local elections, and to claim they want to "listen" to constituents' views, but they don't usually leave a personal calling card: billscandone@comcast.net or 215-595-6304.

So I emailed him, and he agreed to meet and talk about the campaign. I had seen "Scandone" signs around town, and had also heard there might be actual competitive races in the upcoming elections. Rumors have also abounded that a couple of high-ranking local politicos are promoting a candidate to depose one or more incumbents, partially motivated by last spring's bloodless coup in Borough Hall.

There's two things I learned about Scandone fairly quickly: he is actually listening to people, and he is running a serious campaign. When I met him, he'd already spent the morning at a local diner shaking hands by the front door.

A former head of International Compensation and Benefits for Pfizer, Scandone, 62, lives on Kiltie Drive, likes dogs, goes bicycling, knows lots about fixing the bike path that runs along the Delaware Canal. Bill had been President of the New Hope-Solebury Education Fund, where he helped raise money for worthwhile local teaching initiatives.

I asked whether he's aligned with any group or individuals involved in the Borough's opposing factions and alliances, and he said he's running because "I wanted to do more, to give back to the community."

"After speaking with those involved in Borough Council and the New Hope-Solebury School Board," says Scandone, "I felt I could be more impactful on Borough Council. I believe in the concept of social responsibility," he added. "I intend to be a public servant to this community, and I don't know if that's happening now."

One key element of Scandone's plank seems to be a concern for "revitalizing the downtown."

Says Bill, "There's many stores and galleries closed, and when they close, there's a snippet of the identity of New Hope that is lost."

I asked him why he felt residents should theoretically be concerned about the welfare of local shops and businesses. Replied Scandone, "As a resident I feel I have a vested interest [in the business community]. There has to be a balance. At the end of the day what you don't want vacant shops."

Scandone is not opposed to franchised businesses, as long as their identity meshes with that of New Hope, and he is especially interested in seeing more restaurants and galleries. Admittedly, his economic proposals do not appear overburdened with specificity at this point, but his basic approach is clear enough: he has lots of experience in negotiating and consensus building and believes he can bring the right people together to start "spreading the good word about New Hope."

"New Hope is at a crossroads and could be eclipsed by other places, and New Hope could financially lose out," he continued.

"I've got the time. I've got the experience. I really am committed to this."

Sure does seem to be the case. The weeks ahead will certainly hold unexpected twists and turns, but this much is for sure: Bill Scandone seems like a serious contender.