There is no power of the people without The People.
Who are You Voting For This November?
Current Supervisors
What do we know about our leaders? All refused requests to provide information about themselves:
Elysburg Local League is formally shutting down, though there will be updates from time to time to document goings on. Here is my letter to the editor explaining my decision to withdraw from community efforts in Ralpho Township (you can see the documented version of Mr. Madera's statement in Ralpho Township Supervisor Meeting Minutes for July):
In July, Ralpho Township Supervisor, Mr. Madera, read a
prepared statement as a response to my letter to the editor against a cell
tower variance. Mr. Madera ridiculously suggested that my letter showed that I
am against the entire community, including an organization that I volunteer
with. My letter was specifically focused on the Zoning Hearing Board and their
decision to grant a variance based on dubious judgments.
Because of Ralpho Township leaders’ continued retaliation
against me for raising my voice against the cell tower variance, and for
important community-centered changes in the community, I have withdrawn from
community organizations in the municipality. I don’t want to negatively affect
the few organizations in the community with the image township leadership have
consistently put on me as being ‘against the community.’
I have never been against the community here in Ralpho
Township.
I will continue to raise my voice where I feel I need to. In
particular, as the Township goes into 2018, I do hope issues my family has
brought up will be considered, namely:
- · Increased access for all community members to the municipal gym
- · Safe paths from all neighborhoods to the municipal and community park
- · Sidewalks/parking infrastructure downtown to increase business patronage
- · Maximizing opportunities for small business development downtown
- · A visioning process, or other outreach, that gives citizens the opportunity to have a voice in the future of Elysburg
- · Renewed commitment to and understanding of the rule of law, justly applied. Particularly, a review of what a variance is, and what a hardship is.
Leadership in Ralpho have sent our family strong messages
that: ‘people’ don’t want businesses downtown; the community is permanently
fractured by the highways, and will never be connected; Elysburg is a ‘bedroom
community’ and people here do not want a larger community feeling; Elysburg is
too big for people to want a walking infrastructure; safe paths for kids to
walk/bike around town are not a priority; and that rules do not apply to those
favored by leadership.
These strong messages, along with consistent retaliatory
behavior from township leadership, have made it clear that we must take our
talents and investments elsewhere – to a more safe, community-centered, and
business friendly municipality.
On October 10 the Supervisors will go over the budget for
the next year. I have witnessed supervisors deny requests for the park and the
library, while approving tens of thousands for things like a scissor lift to
replace a ladder for the gym, a $10,000 fan for the gym, and new mats for the
gym. Meanwhile, the community cannot access the gym unless they pay $50hr. I am
not attending Ralpho Township meetings anymore. I was usually the only
community member there, and it has become a very unwelcoming environment for me
and my family.
More people need to get involved in self-governance, because
no one can stand alone against the power holders in the community, unless they
have thousands for legal fees to sue wrongful leadership.
Harrison Family, Elysburg
Contact: elysburglocalleague@gmail.com
This blog is written by Kathryn Bullington. I am a freelance writer, with a BA and a BS in International Politics/Political Economy and Agricultural Sciences/International Agriculture, from Penn State. I am passionate about community, civic engagement, and entrepreneurship. Our communities are what we make them!
