West Homestead

Last link in Great Allegheny Passage

By Jon Schmitz, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County and Sandcastle Waterpark are expected to announce an agreement within days that will allow completion of the last missing piece of a biking and hiking trail linking Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

“I really expect we’ll have a formal announcement in the next couple days,” said James Judy, vice president of operations for Palace Entertainment, owner of the park.

“I believe that is probably going to be the case,” agreed county spokesman Kevin Evanto.

The deal would cap years of negotiations aimed at finding a way to accommodate the trail on the park’s narrow strip of land between a railroad line and the Monongahela River.

The roughly one-mile stretch is the last link in the 150-mile Great Allegheny Passage from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md., where it connects to the C&O Towpath to Washington.

When all is complete, it will be possible to bike about 335 continuous, mostly flat miles from Pittsburgh to the nation’s capital without interference from motorized traffic.

The former owners of Sandcastle for years resisted efforts to build the trail through the park, saying there wasn’t enough room.

“The next time you visit Sandcastle take a close look at the tight access road and try to visualize a 10-foot-wide trail running between the road and the railroad tracks. I hope you will conclude that not having the available land wide enough for a trail does not make us stubborn,” said Peter McAneny, then-president of Kennywood Entertainment, in a 2008 letter to the Post-Gazette.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10194/1072356-455.stm?cmpid=HBEHTML#ixzz0tZOYFJWt ]

By David Whipkey
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10063/1040014-55.stm]

By Mary Niederberger
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The president of the Steel Valley school board and the district’s superintendent walked out of last night’s meeting as a resident was attempting to discuss a citizen coalition she is trying to form to work with the board and administration on district projects and programs.

The abrupt end came after a meeting during which the board, at the recommendation of Superintendent William Kinavey, eliminated three administrative positions and created another without much explanation.

After the board’s actions and during the citizen comments portion at the end of the meeting, resident Sharon Ford had used the three-minute time limit the board has imposed on public comments. She wanted to continue, but board President Joseph Ducar announced her time had expired and immediately gaveled the meeting to a close. Then, he and Dr. Kinavey abruptly walked out of the meeting.

The rest of the board, with the exception of school director Edward McCallister who was absent, remained and continued a discussion with Ms. Ford for approximately 20 more minutes. Several board members explained to Ms. Ford that it is common practice for public bodies to impose time limits on comments.

Ms. Ford has exceeded the time limit during previous addresses to the board and has tried to maintain that it is not legal for the school board to enforce the limit.

In the end, board members encouraged Ms. Ford to prepare and deliver a written report to board secretary Mark Cherpak to be included in the packets that they receive on the Fridays before board meetings. The hope is that would eliminate the need for long presentations by Ms. Ford.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09175/979489-100.stm ]

By Mary Niederberger
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Allegheny County Council President Rich Fitzgerald came to the Carnegie Library of Homestead yesterday bearing a significant gift — a $150,000 check from the county Department of Economic Development.

The funds came from a Community Development Block Grant and will be used to begin infrastructure improvements in preparation for the installation of an elevator that will make all three floors of the library, built in 1898, accessible to the disabled, said Library Board President Dan Lloyd. The library is still seeking funding for the elevator.

The grant was the second major gift recently received by the historic library, which is actually located in Munhall. The library board plans to soon renovate and enlarge the children’s and teen area with a $50,000 grant from the Allegheny Foundation and a $10,000 gift from Janney Investments.

The project will enlarge the current 850-square-foot children’s library by about 50 percent, said Mr. Lloyd, who is also a Munhall councilman. He made the announcements at a late-day news conference yesterday at the library.

[ Full story available at: http://www.postgazette.com/pg/09050/950267-100.stm ]

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Two Homestead residences were destroyed and two others damaged in a pre-dawn fire today. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation.

The two buildings that were destroyed were a duplex at 344-346 E. 11th Ave. and the house behind it at 1106 McClure Ave.

A resident of 344 E. 11th Ave, identified as Patricia Hoston, was taken to UPMC Mercy for smoke inhalation. That was the only reported injury.

About eight people had to be evacuated from four houses after the fire started after 6 a.m. Initial indications from fire officials is that the fire was ignited by a candle.

[ Full story available at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09046/949379-100.stm ]