J-Town Really Gets My Goat

You know, there are other things roaming around the fine town of Jeannette that I’d be putting ahead of goats in the ol’ complaint box.

Goats are on the loose in a Westmoreland County town.

The four goats were purchased by the owner of a vacant property on Penn Avenue in an effort to keep control of the growing grass.

Neighbors say the goats wander off the property in search of food and water. In fact, they are often seen wandering across train tracks and through the streets of downtown Jeannette. One resident described it as a “petting zoo.”

A group of angry residents even created a Facebook page, which creates a humorous protest against the goats.

Jeannette City Council passed an ordinance on Sept. 8 that prohibits farm animals in the city. Anyone who violates the ordinance will face a fine ranging from $50 to $300.

Meanwhile, Frank Trigona, the owner of the goats, says he takes good care of the animals. He says they always have plenty of food, water and shelter. He also says he has no plans to get rid of them.

You know, this reminds me of a story. Out here in my redneck of the woods, Jeannette is a town or two away from me. Apparently, the kids in the region call their place “J-Town.” Why am I saying this? Well, years ago on the drive home from work, part of which involves going through some of the … not so nice … places of Pittsburgh, there was some graffiti on a wall that read, “J-Town N*gga.” For some reason I found this really really funny.