Pair of citizen groups disunited
New organization skirmishes with
 forerunner over political views

BY JERRY L. GLEASON
OF THE PATRIOT-NEWS

What’s in a name?

In "Romeo and Juliet," Shakespeare said "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."

Roses weren’t what West Hanover Twp. resident Beth Carricato had in mind when she said. "This stinks."

Carricato is a member of Citizens United, a small group of township residents formed in 1999 to promote good government. The name was registered with the state Board of Elections as a public interest group in May 1999 and has been meeting regularly in the township’s municipal building since then.

On Nov. 9, a group with opposing political views registered with the state as a nonprofit corporation under the name Citizens United for Quality Government, then told the original Citizens United it could no longer use the name and that it should cancel a planned open-house meeting at the township’s building.

"Its nothing but harassment. Carricato said.

Citizens United, saying the two groups have similar but different names, refused to cancel the meeting. About 100 people attended.

Helen Pinkerman, the township resident listed as the corporate officer of Citizens United for Quality Government wouldn’t say how the group selected its name.

‘We want honest government in the township." Pinkerman said. ‘These people had no right to use my [group’s] name.

"Other than that, I have no comment," Pinkerman said.

Stephen Millard. a West Hanover Twp. supervisor and Citizens United member, suspects that the purpose of the formation of Citizens United for Quality Government was to stop the open-house meeting,

Earlier this month. Citizens United distributed fliers to voters at township polling places, inviting them to attend the open house. Citizens United was formed to promote informed discussion on township issues and to encourage more people to i-un for local office or participate in community affairs.

"The fliers had the heading Citizens United for Quality Government.’ but that was just a slogan," Millard said. "It isn’t our name. We aren’t close enough to their name for it to be a conflict.

"This is just another of the bizarre things that happen around here in the name of politics, Millard said.

For Millard. the battle over the group’s name is a case of deja vu.

Last August. Annette Antoun. the owner of the Paxton Herald and a political opponent of Millard’s, officially registered the business name West Hanover Herald, then told Millard he could no longer use that name for the newsletter he had been publishing for 13 months, At the time. Millard was running for township supervisor.