Occupy Emmaus Leads Councilman to Ask About Triangle Regs
Occupy Emmaus supporters can remain in Triangle Park indefinitely as long as they don’t cause a disturbance.
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Emmaus Borough Councilman Brent Labenberg was mildly preoccupied last night about the Occupy Emmaus supporters who have been gathered in Triangle Park in varying numbers since Friday afternoon.
“I have a question about the kids on the Triangle,” Labenberg said, at Monday’s Emmaus Borough Council meeting. “What time does the park close?”
In response, Councilman Nathan Brown said that he had actually looked up the answer to Labenberg’s question on Monday afternoon. “I checked it today,” Brown said, “and Triangle Park has separate rules. They can stay there 24/7.”
Labenberg then said he is concerned about where the Occupy Emmaus supporters are standing in Triangle Park. Their location may be impacting how well drivers can see as they merge onto Main Street from the south side of the Triangle, he said.
“At times there has been six or seven of them in a row with signs and I worry about when a car comes up to the stop sign and can’t see,” Labenberg said. “I worry about an accident.”
Borough Council President Lee Ann Gilbert told Borough Manager Craig Neely to speak with the Emmaus Police Department on Tuesday morning about the issue. The police should ask the Occupy Emmaus supporters to move to a different location in Triangle Park that poses less of a potential danger to drivers, she said.
After the meeting Gilbert said that since Triangle Park is a public park, as long as the Occupy Emmaus participants don’t cause a disturbance, they can remain in the Triangle for as long as they like. There are no permits required to be there or regulations that would allow the borough to ask them to leave, she explained.
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Emmaus Town Hall
28 S 4th St, Emmaus, PA -
Triangle Park
S 4th St & Main St, Emmaus, PA -
Bill Strickland
8:46 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Labenberg should stop seeking nitpicky ways to discourage these kids from the peaceful and orderly protest that is giving them the opportunity toexpress their opinions in a public forum. First he's concerned about the Triangle's hours. Then, only when that possible route of discouraging the kids is closed does he become worried about traffic safety. Those kids are practicing democracy; Labenberg is shaming it.
Matt
11:32 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
screw the protest those kids live at home with mommy and daddy and more than likely have no jobs, only because they are always in the triangle, so what do they know of have money taking out of your paycheck, all they know is what some stupid hippie teacher has taught them, taxes are a way off life get over it and carry on with your life, don't like it leave
Lori Washburn
12:30 pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I also feel the No Dogs Allowed signs at that park should be taken down. The dogs do less damage then the skateboarders or the people who like to swim or dump things in the fountains. Emmaus does not allow dogs in any of their parks and that should change!
Nora Markovitch
5:05 pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ever since I started protesting there (and NO Matt- I don't live with 'mommy and daddy') I, too noticed that there could be a concern with the traffic merge. That is why whenever I stand there, I try to help the people who are merging. As a driver I understand blind spots, and whatnot, that's why I took it upon myself to actually flag people when it was safe to persue that merge. Try and stop us all you want, bad talk us all you want, but you will never actually do anything except make us stronger.
JR
6:49 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
John T. Royer
6:48pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Nora, that was an excellent reply, showing intelligence and good family values. No crudities of language, no insults, just a proper response. I met you a few days ago when I stopped to chat and was impressed then and more so now.
Also, Nora, I am a retired teacher and I am neither stupid nor a hippie. But then, you already know that.
Nora, I am a victim now for three years of enforced retirement due to the bad economy caused by massive imports from a communist country but I manage with S.S.I. with my wife. However, for you and for many of my former students from Lincoln Technical Institute and Lafayette College who have lost their positions, I have great sorrow. The American dream is slipping west to Asia. We oldsters need to pay attention to the future, especially those of us who still have work and can help create jobs for our children and grandchildren.
We are the envy of the world. Let us not slip into mediocrity.