The Worst Woman Hater of Them All
POTTSTOWN, PA – We see that self-anointed responsible Pottstown citizen Thomas Hylton crossed another item off his bucket list at last night’s Pottstown School District Finance/Personnel Committee meeting with the submitted resignation of Terri Lampe, the district’s director of development.
Hylton, who can now claim responsibility for the loss of Ms. Lampe’s past two jobs, celebrated last night by dressing up as his favorite mentor, Ronald McDonald, during the committee meeting (was that a big bag of McDonald’s french fries sitting next to Hylton during the meeting??). Be sure to check out Ronald McHylton’s outfit in the video posted on The Fishwrap’s home page. It’s also speaks volumes that Hylton, and his faux-exiled PCFRG chair Dennis “Sleepy” Wausnock, refused to sit at the table with the other members of team during the committee meeting. Talk about non-team players!
So, what’s the deal with Tom Hylton constantly bullying women in Pottstown? He’s done it several times through his paid advertisements in The Fishwrap. And he recently did it with two dirty marketing mailers issued in the days before last month’s primary election. Hylton better be careful or Michele Pargeon will open up another can of whoop-ass on him at tonight’s board meeting (we’re sure that Frances and Gail Yoder will be there to protect him).
We’re thinking of setting up a “Get Tom Treated Now” fund with a local psychologist. Maybe that will help him curb his appetite for bullying and badgering women around town.
So until the meds kick in…we nominate Thomas Hylton as president of the He-Man Woman Hater’s Club!
I have heard through the grapevine that SB Director Harris wanted to replace Ms. Lampe with her buddy Vanessa Saylor. My guess is that Ms. Lampe just got tired of being hounded by a serial misogynist.
Sorry to say, in my experience of Vanessa Saylor: she doesn’t walk the walk and she is no team player herself.
But then, on the bright side if she were thrown into the den of misogyny with McHylton, I hunch that she would blacken both of his eyes and leave him toothless. Vanessa strikes me as woman who will tolerate no shit and I’ve heard she has a particular aversion to plaid.
I found this entertaining, so I’ll share:
(comment from Evan on Merc website)
“I won’t presume to know what he was about to ask about them because that is when Mrs. Pargeon interrupted him and I picked up my video camera.
There was no need to record anything before that because no one was shouting. I was not even sure where the conversation was going or if it would be relevant to the budget story I would obviously be writing shortly.
Call me crazy, but I thought one school board member shouting at another might be newsworthy.
I’m afraid it’s that simple.”
“There was no need to record anything before that because no one was shouting.” Personally, I would’ve found the presentation on the budget news worthy – maybe the slides could’ve accompanied that story. No, it was determined that shouting was the ‘main event’ and dubbed news worthy. Sure an outburst might sell papers, the real story was the budget and the altercation second – IMHO.
Again, this is (for me) a fundamental problem in Pottstown. Focus is on the conflict not the issue and the facts – those get broken out into several other stories. My point is proven by examining the number of hits the stories have rec’d 91 for shouting & 80 for arts & music funding restored. The comments stand at 17 to 2, respectively.
Was this REALLY the story or just good copy?
So nice of the Mercury give the continual opportunity for posters to bash Mrs. Pargeon. To use the Mayor’s argument – this is passion, on her part. While this was a public meeting it was a sub-committee meeting and, usually, no one in attendance but the members of the committee BUT it’s now front-page news!!
Pottstown needs to begin to solve problems rather than perpetuate them and, Evan, I think this was a bad choice during a controversial time for the SD. You have to report what you see & hear but I think downplaying this might have been a better choice. The budget and that vote is the issue not the personality conflicts!
I’m afraid it’s evident that you might be creating more problems for the board and town to find a common goal and a way to achieve it. I think you might be aiding the politics by personality, in this instance.
It’s interesting to me that Michele Pargeon revealing her passion and frustration by raising her voice (and some pretty relevant issues) at that meeting is characterized as “shouting” and called out as poor form. And yet Tom Hylton’s endless stream of foot-stomping diatribe is given a pass because he pays to have it printed in The Muckery.
Talk about a double standard.
Maybe my opinion is colored a bit by the issues, but I watched that video on The Muckery web site, and I didn’t think Michelle’s empassioned pleas for a little consistency (for once) on the part of Mr. Hylton rose to the level of a shouting match.
Thank goodness Evan Brandt has never sat down to a holiday dinner in my house. He’d be taking steps to have my entire extended family committed. What a non-story this turned out to be. But it gave the Hylton supporters something to rail about for days on end. Maybe that was The Muckery’s goal all along.
And don’t lose sight of the fact that it was a woman who dared to raise her voice…. If it had been, say, Nat White who had upped the volume in order to be heard would he have been accused of “screaming”? Somehow I doubt it.
Hylton isn’t the only misogynist in Pottstown. Apparently they run amok at The Muckery, too. Yes, Nancy March, women can be misogynistic, too.
Remember the rightwing uproar over the use of the word “shrill” in describing Sarah Palin’s rather un-melodic tone of voice? That pales in comparison to what The Muckery did today.
But it gave the Hyltonites the hot beef injection they needed. At least The Mercury is still good for one thing.
Here are some of the other items on Tom Hylton’s bucket list:
1. Attract yuppies and baby boomers to Pottstown
2. Make sidewalks as colorful as my wardrobe
3. Bully and harass every female office candidate in Pottstown
4. Make school board insolvent, buy Rupert at a school district fire sale and turn it into a brothel for low income seniors
5. Plant and grow talking trees like the ones in the Wizard of Oz
6. Completely piss off every educated income earner in Pottstown making more than $100K
7. Force Weitzenkorn’s to sell only plaid men’s clothing
8. Buy The Fishwrap and rename it The Tom Hylton Times
9. Make Pottstown School District sustainable by keeping open all five elementary schools
10. Save Pottstown School District millions of dollars per year by getting rid of all special ed students
BBQBill…. You made my day! (I especially love #5!)
Why don’t all of those Tom Hylton supporters create their own website to celebrate all things Hylton – and all of the wondrous things he’s done for Pottstown?
Oh – that’s right – it already exists. It’s called The Mercury.
Hello all,
I doubt there is anything I can write here which will change anyone’s mind. They’ve seemed pretty made up to me for quite a while.
Nevertheless, I’ll offer some points for consideration:
I do seem to recall a lot of ranting here about Mr. Hylton shouting at Mrs. Harris after the meeting at which Mr. Kalis was named solicitor.
Had that happened in a public meeting and been captured on video, (and yes, had that happened, I would have shot that with the camera as well) ask yourselves honestly, would any of you be complaining about what The Mercury is perpetuating? (You all seemed to think it was worth repeating and posting on the internet.)
Rather, had I been able to shoot that but, as monkeybusiness has suggested, exhibited restraint under those circumstances and stuck to the issues, I would have been accused of protecting Mr. Hylton.
This very site has complained about how rude it was of Mr. Hylton to get up in the middle of a school board meeting and go talk to someone in the audience. But Mrs. Pargeon interrupting someone who has the floor (repeatedly) and shouting at them is simply “passion?”
It appears double standards abound in Pottstown.
Had Mr. Hylton been shouting at a public meeting, I doubt anyone here would be attributing it to “passion.” And no matter how much Mr. Hylton’s advertisements may annoy you, and you may feel free to characterize them as foot stomping, I disagree that that they are equivalent to what Mrs. Pargeon did.
In fact, if we reported on their content, you would then accuse us of a slavish devotion to an advertiser and trying to double the impact of what he pays to publish. Please note that the only time the content of those ads appears in the news columns, is when someone publicly chooses to refute them. And then each side is given equal access to the news columns to reply.
As for monkeybusinesses comments, the truth of the matter is we put both stories up on the web site. One which is about the budget and Mrs. Lampe’s resignation and the restoration of cuts to music, art, library and gym and one which dealt with a remarkable event at a meeting.
Readers chose what to read. They had equal access to both on our web site.
In fact, for our print readers, any mention of Mrs. Pargeon’s “passion” was reserved for the end of the article, after they had read about the salient issues for which monkeybusiness has such fervent reverence.
(It was with some amusement that I note that among the issues on which this site has chosen to focus is what Mr. Hylton was wearing. Heady stuff indeed.)
For what it’s worth, monkeybusiness, I agree with you that the budget is the issue and that’s what I went there to report and that is what the headline in the print edition and the majority of that story is about.
But some other news happened while that was going on. We reported that too.
On a similar note, I recall being accused here some time ago of editing Mrs. Weand’s comments as they related to charter schools, all part of an ongoing plot to protect Mr. Hylton.
I explained that they had been broken into two parts, the first part being more timely because it related to the upcoming meeting of the task force and that the latter part of Mrs. Weand’s comments would be published, and the video posted, when I could get to it.
Both have now been published and the videos presented, as promised. Feel free to retract your accusations at any point.
Have a good day everyone.
Mr. Brandt, somehow your endless quest for the truth always winds up being some kind of defense for Mr.Hylton. I am sure that you will respond by challenging mine, but endless defenses of Mr. Hylton by yourself and the Fishwrap only undermines your credibility, which is a shame.
@monkeybizness
Customers vote with their feet. They flock to businesses they favor, run from those they don’t. Website readers vote with their clicks. It doesn’t surprise me Evan’s shouting story was heavily preferred by readers; it was, indeed, good copy. Should the budget have been the focus? Yep, I agree, but I’ll bet you couldn’t pay most folks to read about it.
A worthwhile comment, MB, and the first I’ve ever replied to here. Thanks for making it.
Joe Zlomek, Managing Editor
The Sanatoga, Pottstown, Limerick, and Main Street Posts
Lately Evan, you seem to expend an increasing amount of your time and creative talent backing up the decisions that you have made to report on issues, (or parts of issues), that you surely know will hit the panic button for every “Plaid Troll” that frequents the online comments. This, in addition to you’re increasing defense of the long-term bond that was forged between the Fishwrap and Tom Hylton, which supersedes thoughtful, intelligent, up to the minute, newsworthy content. The soul of this newspaper has been sold for a dollar and a pint of sensationalism.
Sometimes, I like to imagine who you are Evan, or who you would be, if not employed by the Fishwrap. Do you take the challenges of this Borough to heart as a resident? Does any of the crap you report ever hurt your feelings?
Take the same energy you and the Fishwrap expend in negativity and defensiveness, spin it around 180 and provide this community with a kernel of real world information and support. Example: how are other school districts resolving similar challenges, how are other communities supporting the arts and revitalizing their towns? Why should WE support the arts, in particular,the ONLY friggin’ art gallery that we have downtown. What really good projects are happening in our community right now that support the movement to revitalize? There’s a house on the 300 block of Walnut that was blighted and someone has begun to restore it – what do you know about that Evan? Where is the real news? Someone at the Fishwrap might have to get up off their ass and go looking for a good story? That too much work? No, no … I understand.
But you know what? There’s a new kid on the block, a competent and respectable organization to be reckoned with. In the few short weeks of it’s existence, this online competitor, Pottstown Patch, has cleaned the floor with the Fishwrap and it may be time to start bolstering the good efforts of this community. Halve truths and selective reporting are indefensible.
BBQ Bill – #2, #5 and #8 get my vote. “The Tom Hylton Times” would effectively remove the red lipstick stain on the pig.
@UpSideDown:
First allow me to take a moment being amused by an anonymous commenter imagining who I am.
OK, moment over.
First, I notice we’ve moved on to a new tack. Don’t like Evan’s previous points, let’s attack Evan.
If I knew who you were anonymous commenter, I might stop by your place of work (if you work, as you seem to spend at least as much time here as I do) and criticize everything you do publicly for months at a time and then wonder aloud why you would defend it.
As for my feelings and what things I take to heart, why in the world would I ever respond to such a question in a venom-filled room such as this? Anonymous attackers do not merit answers to such questions.
You want to know for real? Call me on the phone at 610-323-3000, Ext. 159, identify yourself, and I’ll be happy to have that conversation with you. Otherwise, don’t presume that just because I respond to comments here about my work that I have anything to say to a coward making those attacks on a personal matter.
If I had the time, I would post the links to the ways The Mercury has shown how other communities support the arts (see recent coverage of Boyertown budget talks); I would post reports on what good projects are happening in our community (Sly Fox brewery. Front page. Tri-PAC. Front page. Moto-Cross race. Front page. Etc.).
I suggest that perhaps you need to get off your ass and pay more attention to what we report every single day while you sit here and obsesses about one person and what he’s wearing to a public meeting.
I’m pleased to see a house in the 300 block of Walnut Street is being fixed up. I certainly hope its being fixed up to be an owner-occupied. Do you know that to be the case? The names of the people doing the work? The exact address? How to contact them? Why not help me cover it than attack me for not? Wouldn’t you rather have it covered than sit on your ass and carp about how I’m not doing it? Isn’t that what you say you’re asking for? Where’s your effort?
By the way, I presume you missed the two reports I’ve done on the DeSenas and the work they are doing on three King Street properties.
Again. Front page.
As for Patch, I e-mailed their editor and wished her luck as soon as they announced. I thought their report on the last school board meeting was just fine.
What will you do, I wonder, when we both report the same thing from one of those meetings? How will it be pro-Hylton spin then?
If for no other reason I welcome them..
By the way its “half truths,” not “halve.” I would expect you to be more familiar with that term.
@Jeff Leflar:
Jeff, you have already shown me what counts for fairness in your book. You no longer merit a response.
@Joe:
Thanks for the reply and I’m honored you took the time to write it!
Your comment about not being able to pay people to read about what should’ve been the focus is the problem, in a nutshell (IMHO). This is the VERY thing that needs to get the focus – how to get people to take some time to read about the important stuff in the midst of glitzy happenings. How can this be accomplished? Change of format?
I think sensational journalism needs to go by the wayside.
@Evan:
I’m not going to debate what passions do to a person or what they motivate them to do, in certain instances. The actions weren’t equal (as you aptly point out) but the inner feelings that drive them might be – that’s all.
You know, I don’t believe you ‘protect’ anyone. I believe, sometimes, things happen when you are present that might not otherwise. Whether the words or actions are worthy, or not, of copy is your choice after reviewing the notes or ‘tape’. It is, sometimes, said people perform for the camera and I think many times ‘shows’ are put on for you (& others in your field) during these meetings. I think, at times, you have to take that into consideration before final draft.
You’re not a bad guy or reporter – you get stuck in the middle ALL too often. I’d like to see more of your style, not what people expect of you. Every once and a while, it’d be nice to hear your feelings on ‘things around town’. You have seen a lot and know a great deal and people might benefit from some of your personal perspective. I’d like to see a weekly installment of both sides of the story with your opinions at the end along with a thought-provoking question to the reader(s).
So to the journalists – I think we, as a community, need to focus on what’s really important and could use your help to focus on the information more than the personalities involved. Having access to two stories and seeing which way people tend to lean (gaper block) might suggest ‘changing it up’ a bit to entice people to go for the issues, rather than the fireworks.
Is it possible to change instinctive behavior to go for ‘blood & guts’ over ‘solid numbers & research’?
@BBQBill:
#5 gets my vote, if and only if there are flying monkeys, too!!!
THANKS for the laugh!!
@monkeybizness: Thanks for the kind words. But I think, as this site and the comments on The Mercury site both demonstrate, what you suggest would be impossible.
Just defending the facts I’ve reported results in people questioning my objectivity (See Jeff Leflar comment). I can only imagine the furor if I shared what I actually think about some of this stuff. Accusations of bias from one side or another would be thick and furious.
Speaking your mind in Pottstown only puts you on someone’s side unfortunately. It’s probably why we never make any progress.
As a “demotivator” plaque I have on my file cabinet says: “None of us is as dumb as all of us.”
They were YOUR points Evan, who else should I respond to or, “attack”, ( your words), pray tell?
“As for my feelings and what things I take to heart, why in the world would I ever respond to such a question in a venom-filled room such as this? Anonymous attackers do not merit answers to such questions”.
Why did you lower your standards, in the first place, to defend yourself in an anonymous “venom-filled room” ? Answer a question? No, really? Isn’t that a bit like saying, “I stepped into the brothel to have a peek but I’m the kind who should never have to pay for THAT”. One of those things that makes you go hmmmm.
Oh course the Fiswrap covered Sly Fox, TriPac, Moto Cross, and many many more news items that are a lot like “manna from heaven”, ( a no brainer), that falls out of the sky, lands in the lap of the Fishwrap and **WALA** the story is “framed up” with a few cute catch phrases, a photo or two, and out the door for publication, (often with gross misspellings, awkward sentences and skewed facts).
But to actually put on the lean mean Journalistic Hat and hit the streets, the internet, the books, you know…RESEARCH a story that could relate to the challenges in Pottstown, well – WHAT EVAN – you want me to do that because you don’t know me but you surmise I have all day to do your job??? Welll, ok, I probably could, but what then what will you do for work?
It was upstanding of you to wish good luck to the Patch, I’ll bet they’ll be toasting champagne flutes when they read, here, that you approve of their last report on the sb meeting.
By the way, it’s “DeSeta’s” not “DeSena’s” You did say you wrote those stories Evan?
Oh, lest I forget Evan, it’s TWO houses on King and one on Farmington. You did say you wrote those stories?
Those posting comments over at The Muckery are real pieces of work.
Like any of them would ever bother to attend a school board or borough council meeting. They’re too filled with hatred and venom to turn off their Commodore 64s and actually contribute to society.
Tom Hylton can’t fabricate real taxpayers to attend these meetings, but he sure can create numerous fake aliases to make his invisible cyber army look like it actually exists. He sure is keeping Gail Yoder and Frances busy! Crack that whip!
Too bad someone didn’t record that video of Hylton shouting and stomping his feet at Valerie Harris at the middle school shortly after he was elected. Ask Gail Cooper (the principal of the MS) about that altercation from Hylton. It’s no secret. Where was private eye Brandt with his trusty camcorder when that travesty took place?
Someone needs to follow Hylton (and Wausnock) around with a digital recorder. Follow Dennis all the way home to Boyertown after the board meetings. Follow Hylton to his secret out of the sunshine meetings. Isn’t Hylton the guy who used to secretly record people’s conversations when he would set up meetings at his house? What a creep!
@Upsidedown:
– “Why did you lower your standards, in the first place, to defend yourself in an anonymous “venom-filled room?”
Answer: As I’ve said, to defend my work, not to post things about my personal life.
– “Oh course the Fiswrap covered Sly Fox, TriPac, Moto Cross, and many many more news items that are a lot like “manna from heaven”, ( a no brainer), that falls out of the sky, lands in the lap of the Fishwrap and **WALA** the story is “framed up” with a few cute catch phrases, a photo or two, and out the door for publication, (often with gross misspellings, awkward sentences and skewed facts).
Answer: This barely merits a response, but as it relates to your next question “But to actually put on the lean mean Journalistic Hat and hit the streets, the internet, the books, you know…RESEARCH a story that could relate to the challenges in Pottstown,”:
Answer: Well let, see.
– There was the analysis of state funding for education, how it relates to Pottstown and the revelation of how the funding formula hits poor districts harder (something the AP reported two weeks later)
– Then there was the comparison with how that same formula will affect cuts to Upper Merion by comparison. (Praised on this site by the way)
– Then there was a multi-part series about the efforts of First Suburbs, the gathering in Lancaster and how the issues they highlight affect Pottstown. (Not to crow but the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association thought it award-worthy. I looked for you at the neighboring anonymous critics’ conference, but seeing as how I don’t know who you are, it made it hard to located you).
– And let’s not forget the analysis of the lawsuit in Westchester County that could affect how federal funding could come to Montgomery County communities with an over-abundance of low-income house. (More on that coming by the way).
– So, although you seem familiar with the paper you claim not to read, you’re obviously missing some pretty important stories, the kind you say you want to read.
I look forward to your in-depth reports. Because up until now, it seems you just take shots at the things that are “framed up” for you, like other people’s work.
But I give you credit where it’s due, you are right about one thing.
It is DeSeta, not DeSena.
And I guess I got confused about the homes they’re working on because I was talking to them yesterday during the Positively Pottstown happy hour at The Mercury (maybe you could host the next one at your house, if anyone is ever happy there) and they were telling me about their plans to buy neighboring King Street homes.
So, you got me.
My bad.
@BBQBill, had it happened at a public meeting when I had my camera, as I’ve said, that would have been published too.
I find it amusing the hatred and vitriol the Hyltonites over at The Muckery have for Michele Pargeon. Remember a few short years ago when she was Tom Hylton’s hand-picked, recruited, indoctrinated candidate? How many thousands of dollars did Tom Hylton spend to get Michele Pargeon elected?
And what was the sin she committed to make her the lowest form of human life in the eyes of Hylton’s minions? She had the audacity to think for herself, to keep her mind open to facts other than those selectively pedaled by Hylton. How dare she. Off with her head!
“@Jeff Leflar:
Jeff, you have already shown me what counts for fairness in your book. You no longer merit a response.”
If you think how you and the Fishwrap support Tom Hylton like he is some kind of God is fair then I believe that my sense of fairness is spot on. I even believe that if (God forbid)Mr. Hylton committed some kind of heinous crime all we would get out of the Fishwrap is another “Oh Well, Tom is just being Tom” lackey editorial.
What’s sad is that a reporter is supposed to report the news not spin it to support some editor’s God complex. And quite honestly, I don’t care if I am blacklisted by anyone from the Fishwrap, it just proves my point that if you disagree with Mr. Plaid Pants you get punished by the Fishwrap and it’s minions.
Jeff,
As you well know, this has nothing to do with Hylton, although its a convenient rationalization that will certainly play well on this site.
This has to do with unfounded accusations you made on The Pulse about my pending coverage of Mr. Habekost’s criminal record without bothering to to find out if I was planning coverage or not.
I was and I did, as I said I would, but the fact that I didn’t do it on your time line was all the evidence you needed to see a conspiracy and say so publicly.
You then refused to allow me a rebuttal because you didn’t like what I had to say about your post. That’s pretty basic stuff. So much for your civil discourse proclamations.
It seems that if you disagree with Mr. Leflar you get blacklisted from his blog.
When I make a mistake, and I make a lot, I own up to them and have so here. The fact that you still feel your “sense of fairness is spot on” tells me something about your character.
It’s a disappointment to me, because I think your group is an important voice and I admire the fact that you post under your own name. It’s a shame that you undermine their credibility.
Tom Hylton can thank himself for the creation of this blog. He did it in three simple steps.
Step 1: Tom Hylton talked Fishwrap Editor Nancy March into accepting his mean-spirited rants as paid advertising. March even agreed to place them on the paper’s editorial page to make them appear as if they were legitimate news pieces.
Step 2: Tom Hylton set up his Pottstown Citizens political action committee
Step 3: Tom Hylton bought himself a seat on the Pottstown School Board
After the final straw (Step 3), this blog was created.
Why? Because we saw, after the first two steps (which both occurred in 2008, one year prior to the introduction of our blog to Pottstown) that The Fishwrap was the enabler in the abusive relationship Hylton has created and fostered in Pottstown.
How do you recover from an abusive relationship? You sever all ties. Ongoing contact with the abuser can throw you back into the shame spiral and keep you from moving forward with recovery. (One of the tactics of abusers is to grind your self esteem down so that you remain with them, believing you can’t have or don’t deserve better treatment.)
So, defend Tom Hylton all you want. Write slanted articles on how he is the victim and the innocent babe in the woods. The rest of us are painfully aware of the abusive relationship Tom Hylton has with The Fishwrap (that has stunted Pottstown’s growth over the past 30+ years). The Fishwrap will never leave the destructive relationship it has with Hylton. Which is why we will continue this site. The day that Hylton removes himself from public politics and stops meddling in holding Pottstown back is the day this site goes away.
And by the way Evan, unbeknownst to you, the blogs of Pottstown teamed up to conduct a social media experiment prior to May’s primary election. All sites banned your inflammatory comments leading up to the election. We noticed a definite improvement in the comments posted on all sites during your forced exile. It was quite nice. And we can do it again at a moment’s notice (who knows…maybe you already have been banished to the outer reaches of the Pottstown blogosphere…).
There is strength in numbers. This site is proof.
And Evan, while you may not consider your work to be “personal” if you are not taking it personally then why the hell would you even consider showing up here to “defend” your work, on a blog that YOU call an “anonymous venom-filled room”?
Your words Evan.