I had a birthday recently. None of your business which one, or what day it was. Anyway, regular Almanac readers will remember that I previously admitted that I'm a fan of Hawaii Five-O, mostly for all the wrong reasons.
So imagine my delight when my brother presented me with my birthday presents: the complete first season of Five-O on DVD; the original Hawaii Five-O soundtrack (on vinyl!); Booking Hawaii Five-O, a critical history by Karen Rhodes; and an authentic HPD ... er, sorry ... Honolulu police badge.
McGARRETT: Chin, go down to the border. It's 1,954 miles long Ñ better take Kono. Nobody comes in unless you know it. Go easy on the workers, but the smugglers and dope pushers Ñ you know what to do.
CHIN HO: Good as done, boss.
McGARRETT: Danno, I want these people legalized. Tell Congress to send me a bill. I want it tough, and I want it fair. And I want it on my desk Monday morning. Then get me a sandwich and my suitcase.
Gallant Welcomes His Neighbors: West Mifflin Area and East Allegheny school districts last night sent their A teams to Duquesne on a mission to welcome Duquesne high school students.
Their presentations to an audience of about 250 were so enthusiastic that the session was more like a recruitment than a forced arrangement.
"We're going to make history, and we're going to do it the right way," said West Mifflin Area Superintendent Patrick Risha.
"We're here for education," said East Allegheny Superintendent Roger D'Emidio, who pledged to educate every child who comes to the district.
(Post-Gazette)
: : :
Goofus Rails Against ‘Outsiders’: Yesterday's town hall meeting brought out about 350 people, quick to erupt in angry outbursts.
"We don't want 'em!" North Versailles parent George Velardo yelled from near the back of the auditorium. "Why don't he teach 'em at his house?" he shouted moments later, referring to Zahorchak.
When Logan suggested athletes from Duquesne should be able to earn starting spots on their new school sports teams, shouts of "No!" echoed throughout the auditorium.
People booed when they were told how much the state would contribute for each Duquesne student -- almost $10,000 -- and again when the discussion jumped to promises of no tax hikes.
"This is a lie," East McKeesport councilman Ross Cianflone said.
(Tribune-Review)
: : :
Gallant Looks Forward to Meeting New Friends: Maha said the Washingtons, and any other player who might come to West Mifflin from Duquesne, will have every opportunity to succeed.
"Once a player becomes part of our team and part of our family," he said, "they will be treated fairly."
Maha, also a teacher at West Mifflin, said he's prepared for whatever the ultimate decision regarding the possibility of Duquesne students attending school at West Mifflin.
"If you look at it in general terms as an educator or a coach, whoever is in my classroom I will teach to the best of my ability," Maha said. "And as a coach, I will coach to the best of my ability. That will never change."
(The Daily News)
: : :
Goofus Files a Lawsuit: The West Mifflin Area and East Allegheny school districts filed a joint lawsuit in Commonwealth Court this afternoon, challenging the law that will place students from the former Duquesne High School into their schools, West Mifflin solicitor John Cambest said.
The goal of the lawsuit is not to block the arrival of Duquesne students this year, but to change the plan in future years, Cambest said.
The Legislature passed a law this month empowering the state Secretary of Education to designate two or more schools to receive students from the closed Duquesne High School. Secretary Gerald L. Zahorchak chose West Mifflin and East Allegheny.
The two districts claim the legislation that empowers Zahorchak is written specifically for Duquesne and therefore should be ruled unconstitutional, Cambest said.
(Tribune-Review)
: : :
(With apologies to the publishers of Highlights For Children magazine. Goofus and Gallant are registered trademarks of Highlights.)
The fate of one of the city's oldest surviving places of worship is in the hands of an Italian "playboy millionaire" best known for squiring actress Anne Hathaway around Hollywood --- and for being sued by Penguins owner Ron Burkle.
The former St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Magyar Church on Beacon Street was purchased in January by a limited-liability corporation controlled by Raffaello Follieri, whose family's close ties with the Vatican have enabled him to purchase hundreds of closed churches across the United States.
St. Stephen's Parish merged with St. Pius V Parish in 1994; the church was permanently closed five years ago this month after the death of longtime pastor Rev. Stephen Kato. (Additional photos are available in Tube City Online's photo gallery.)
St. Stephen's was one of 10 closed churches that companies with ties to Follieri purchased from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh in 2007. Another was St. Nicholas along Route 28 in Pittsburgh, the nation's first Croatian Catholic church. The St. Nicholas acquisition may make it difficult or impossible for former parishioners to preserve the structure for use as a national Croatian-American heritage center.
. . .
Church Sales Nationwide: The Follieri Group is buying properties from dioceses to "renovate them" and "convert them to new uses" including housing or commercial businesses, according to a 2006 article in the National Catholic Reporter. The St. Stephen's property includes the sanctuary, erected in 1899; the neighboring school, built in 1931; a single-family house that served as the rectory; and three smaller out-buildings.
The exact value of the sale isn't clear from county real-estate records available online. The county's website lists only a "multi-parcel sale" to Follieri by the Diocese for $60,000.
It's not evident if Follieri paid $60,000 for each of the six parcels, or in total, but RealSTATs, the Pittsburgh-based company that tracks real-estate sales in Allegheny County, lists only one sale on Beacon Street to Follieri's company.
If Follieri paid only $60,000 for the entire complex, it was a bargain. Tax records assess the property's value at $237,600, including $194,600 for the church. (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
Church purchases by Follieri have helped some declining inner-city areas. In Atlantic City, N.J., Follieri's purchase of a church and school that were vacant for 20 years have cleared the way for the property to be redeveloped as housing for casino workers, according to NCR. .
. . .
Controversy: But Follieri's redevelopment plans for local churches have also been controversial. In Philadelphia, the former Transfiguration Church was supposed to be renovated for use as an arts and cultural center, while housing was slated for neighboring land.
It hasn't materialized, and according to a June 12, 2006 article in the Philadelphia Daily News (not online) neighbors say the Follieri Group is letting the property fall into disrepair.
Follieri's business methods are also attracting scrutiny. One of his early American backers in the church redevelopment was Burkle, a Los Angeles billionaire who invested $105 million in the venture in 2005, and who also owns the Penguins along with Mario Lemieux.
In April, one of Burkle's companies sued Follieri in Delaware, accusing the Follieri group of "willfully and systemically misappropriating" $1.3 million for his own use, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Gossip columnists have tittered over allegations that Follieri spent the money to finance his own lifestyle, including a penthouse apartment in Manhattan and five-star hotels and restaurants for himself and Hathaway, who had star roles in the movies The Princess Diaries and The Devil Wears Prada.
. . .
Influence Peddling?: More than a few critics also question whether the Follieri Group has used undue influence on the Vatican to purchase properties below market value. Andrea Sodano is a vice president of the Follieri Group; according to NCR, he's also the nephew of Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State from 1991 to 2006, and dean of the College of Cardinals.
As one commenter noted on a blog maintained by Domenico Bettinelli, editor of Catholic World Report, "If this business endeavor involved Donald Trump and not Princes of the Church, words like influence peddling, arm-twisting and kick-backs would be bandied about." Follieri has denied that, saying that the younger Sodano is a merely an engineer who works on the technical side of the company.
It's not just Follieri's church redevelopment scheme that's raised eyebrows. According to the New York Post, a non-profit foundation controlled by Follieri is marketing a discount prescription plan.
Instead of distributing 5 million cards last year as it promised, it passed out only 300,000. The Follieri Foundation also promised to make grants for Catholic education, senior housing and day care. The Post says the Foundation had not made a single grant in those areas as of June 2007.
And one of Follieri's companies is marketing a special Visa credit card that's supposed to contribute 1 percent of the user's purchases to a Church missionary society. No money has yet been donated, the Post says.
. . .
Buyer Wanted: Where does all of this leave St. Stephen's? Pittsburgh commercial real-estate broker Grubb & Ellis is listing the complex for $225,000. An ad on the company's website says it would be ideally suited for "group living, personal care, institution, school or day care." (PDF)
Though zoned for residential use, the property adjoins a commercial district along Evans Avenue and is only a half-block from the campus of UPMC McKeesport Hospital. Presumably it could be rezoned.
Churches in the City of Pittsburgh have been reused for restaurants and bed-and-breakfast style inns; McKeesport's location along the Youghiogheny River Trail would seem to make a bed-and-breakfast for hikers and bikers feasible, and the nearby hospital would also provide some customers.
Unfortunately, no one has shown any interest in doing something like that in McKeesport.
It also seems that the school could be reused as a personal care facility or day care facility, but the church building is problematic without extensive renovations. Most developers would be happier to tear it down.
In the meantime, according to the signs there's a "development opportunity" on Beacon Street, adjacent to a major hospital, next to public transportation, near the McKees' Point Marina and the Yough River Trail.
Maybe someone will buy it and make the city (and Anne Hathaway's boyfriend) very happy.
. . .
(Tip o' the Tube City hard hat to Alert Reader John M., who first informed me that St. Stephen's had been sold.)
You are on an archived page of Tube City Almanac.
Click the banner to return to the front page; or click here to visit Tube City Online.
Published weekdays (usually), except holidays (and when we have something better to do) at McKeesport, Pa., by Tube City Online LLC, P.O. Box 94, McKeesport, Pa. 15134.
Opinions expressed here are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent those of any organization. No warranty is given or implied for the information and opinions contained herein; the reader uses that information at his or her peril.
Except where noted, all contents are copyright © 2003-2008 Tube City Online LLC, a limited-liability company chartered in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. No content from Tube City Online may be reproduced in whole or part in any digital or print publication without express permission, except that short excerpts may be used with attribution in commentary or for critical purposes.
Tube City Online is edited by Jason Togyer, member National Writers Union, Society of Professional Journalists, American Radio Relay League and National Radio Club.
Also, objects in Tube City Online may be closer than they appear. If Tube City Online is swallowed, seek professional help immediately. Stop use of Tube City Online if condition persists or worsens. Tube City Online is produced in a facility that also includes Peanuts. Do not expose Tube City Online to open flames and keep it out of the reach of children. Do not back up, as severe tire damage may result. Not responsible for lost or stolen articles. Tube City Online is still not a significant source of saturated fats or Minnesota Fats.
