Ned Donovan - Ithaca ‘12

Hey everybody,

So this might be my second post in Anger and Hate, however I chose not to call it that because unlike Fred Phelps, the following recipient at least deserves open discourse.  In Allentown, PA (where my father is currently the Vice-President of the City Council) there is a man named Bill Villa.  I will not get into the man’s history except to say that it is truly tragic, and the loss of a daughter is awful, as my family (although I was not born yet) can tell you.  I don’t know much about the man because most of the information I have about him comes from his truly vicious blog postings, or from people who seem to hate him, and therefore speak about him in hyperbole and with venom. In a recent post he threatened to go after my father with “Both Barrels” which in context means that he may or may not use the legal system to attack him, but I believe the wording is very specific and is a very thinly disguised threat of harm. So on that post I have posted a comment with my thoughts on his actions. Because I hear that he has a tendency to rewrite, or not accept comments he does not like (pardon me Mr.

Hey everyone,

So it’s that time of the year where we all get together and stuff our faces in honor of good in the world.  That’s not me being sarcastic either, I love that tradition (I love food).  There’s not much to report here, I just hope that everyone’s having a phenomenal thanksgiving, that all my college friends are having wonderful breaks from school, and that everyone in my life is taking a day to relax, and just enjoy themselves.  I know I am.  I’m here in Allentown at my dad’s house with my Dad, Diana, Devan, and Graham joined me for thanksgiving as well.  We’re about to go out to a large thanksgiving gathering of friends which should be fun, and should have too much food involved.

My break has consisted of relaxing and eating and sleeping.  I’ve watched a bunch of football with Jason, played video games with Derek, watched movies with the gang, and one day when Graham, Jason, Christine, Danny Moss, Nick Taylor, and I went out for a hike in the woods of Ithaca.  The pictures are posted below.  Beyond that there’s not much else to report.  Graham and I got really lost driving down here…(okay I got really lost because I was driving and Graham was playing video games on his computer) and the trip which should’ve been 3 hours, took a little over 4.  Ah well, we can’t win them all.

Hey everyone,

So I’ve been here at school freaking out about life and the things I have to do, because everything is so hectic right now.  It was only today, that I had a sort of epiphany, where I realized just how confined to my own program I am right now.  Looking at the trials and tribulations of my friends and family I realize just how much less stressful my life is than I thought.  Specifically my brother and my father have been having truly stressful and trying months.  We’ll start with my father. My dad (Michael Donovan, and no, not the director who is all over my resumé; they are different people) is a city councilman in Allentown Pennsylvania. Earlier this year he was assaulted by some teenagers he asked to stop go-karting in a park they were not allowed to be riding motorized vehicles in.  One kid punched him in the face and broke his cheek bone.  My father, did not push the full wrath of god upon this kid to make an example of him, instead he talked with the boy, the judge, and the boy’s father, and came up with a suitable juvenile sentence.  I can tell you if I had been hit, I would have gone after him in a heartbeat.  Later on this year my father went next door late at night to ask his neighbors to quiet down and to bring their barking dog inside.  When he knocked on the door, he was answered by an angry woman who was screaming at him, and she slammed her glass door in his face.  The door shattered, covering him in glass, and he (wisely) left the scene after calling the police.  Soon after he was served with two cases, one for criminal harassment, and one for destruction of property (she maintains that he broke her door).  The harassment case was thrown out by the judge at the end of the summer, and the DOP case was voluntarily removed by the complainant after receiving a letter detailing the penalties for the consequences of wrongful use of civil proceedings and abuse of process.  You can read the details here on Bernie O’Hare’s blog.  The time between the charges being dealt, and the dismissing of the cases was a few months, however, and over that time many biting personalities in Allentown were able to take potshots at my father over the case (Bill Villa being the #1 instigator).  These people have been coming after my father a lot recently, and this is the other trial my father is constantly facing.  On his public blog he hopes to allow a forum for people to get ideas through to the city council.  As with all political public blogs, these bring out the best and worst of people.  Recently he’s been getting a lot of the worst from Bill Villa and his supporters.  In that blog post I just linked, Mr.

Hey everyone,

My Father, the City Council Vice President

So I am currently in Allentown Pennsylvania, spending my last few days with my dad before I head back up to Ithaca.  My father, an Allentown City Councilman (see accompanying picture) wanted to show me some sights that I hadn’t seen yet, so he brought me to America on Wheels.  It’s a museum, documenting America’s car history, but also the way the automobile industry shaped the Lehigh Valley, and brought about Pennsylvania’s first major economic boom.  As I learned the other night, Allentown is the third largest city in the fifth largest state in the country.  The Pennsylvania Turnpike was the first major interstate highway, and it shaped the way our country’s roads and highways were formed.  I learned all of these things while in Allentown, with a lot of help from America on Wheels.

Below is a gallery of all the photos, you can also find them in the photo section of my site. 

The museum was a good blend of written history and visual stimulus.  From the section entitled “The Legends of Speed” featuring various race cars of all different shapes, sizes, and eras; to the section entitled “Deja zoom” which handled the new resurgence of the electric car, and the possibility of a hydrogen cell car.