October 31, 2010 | Link to this story

Happy Halloween!

Category: General Nonsense || By

In what's become an annual tradition at Tube City Online, we present the story of the blood-sucking monkeys who were raised in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania ... which is really scary territory, kids!

Then the monkeys got too big for West Mifflin, so they hopped on a freight train and went to Sewickley! And then ... well, Count Floyd will tell you the rest.

Just a little blast from the past courtesy of Pittsburgh's own Joe Flaherty and SCTV. Remember, this film won the Western Pennsylvania Fright Award in 1978.

If you want to feel old, I'll remind you that this clip is from 28 years ago. And that is really scary.

(You can get the DVDs from Amazon.com: SCTV, Volume 2)

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October 29, 2010 | Link to this story

City Gas Well No Sure Thing, Drillers Say

Category: News || By

There's no guarantee that a proposed gas well being drilled on city-owned land in the 12th Ward will produce gas --- and thus revenue --- drillers told city officials and residents Thursday night.

Although the past drilling history in the McKeesport and Versailles area suggests there is indeed gas under the parcel, a new well might not be productive, John Hazi, senior land agent for Penneco Pipeline Corp. of Delmont, Westmoreland County, told the Almanac after the meeting.

Penneco has made an offer to drill for gas on the so-called "Palkovitz property" along Eden Park Boulevard near Renziehausen Park, a nearly 27-acre parcel which was taken by the city for delinquent taxes in 2009.

"We had an independent study done by a geologist, and by a staff geologist, and we determined that it was worth drilling," Hazi said. "There probably is gas there, but it really is not a sure bet."

Still, the potential exists and the odds are favorable, said David Smail, land and engineering supervisor for Penneco.

"Each well costs $250,000 to $300,000 to drill, so we wouldn't put that kind of money into this unless we were confident" that a gas deposit is likely, he said.

. . .

The well would not be one of the more controversial, expensive and deeper wells that access gas trapped in the Marcellus shale layer a mile or more below the surface.

Penneco doesn't drill Marcellus shale wells, said Dean Walters, a field superintendent for the company. Instead, the well would be drilled into a layer of so-called Devonian shale that's about 3,000 to 5,000 feet below the surface.

Those shallower wells have been drilled in Pennsylvania since the early 20th century, and many of those decades-old wells are still productive today, Walters said.

In exchange for the right to drill on the property, Penneco would pay the city a 12.5 percent royalty on any gas obtained, and give the city up to 400,000 cubic feet of free natural gas per year. A drilling lease obtained preliminary approval last month from city council, but is going back to council for final authorization at Wednesday's meeting.

. . .

Under terms of the lease, Penneco has the right to drill up to six wells on the property, but would probably only drill three, Hazi said. If the wells are productive, each would pay the city between $500 and $1,200 per month, he said, or between $6,000 and $14,400 per year. (An rough estimate by the Almanac, based on current gas prices, had pegged the city's potential revenues at $2,000 to $7,500 per year.)

If the first well is successful, Penneco will consider exercising its option to drill the additional wells, Hazi said.

. . .

Only a few residents attended the meeting at the Palisades, Downtown, but they voiced concerns about noise from drilling operations and the potential for air or water pollution.

The process of constructing a drill rig, drilling the well, tapping the gas, and then setting up a collection station will take about two months, the Penneco officials said. Assuming the well is productive, employees will only be at the site a few days a week after the site is up and running.

The noisiest part of the process --- drilling the well --- would take about a week, and operations would be restricted to daylight hours, Walters said.

Under the lease, the city has the right to limit drilling operations to minimize noise, said J. Jason Elash, city solicitor.

. . .

After the well is drilled, a mix of water, sand and what Walters called a "mild acid" is used in the drilling operation to fracture the rock and release the gas (a process called "fracking"), but state Department of Environmental Protection regulations require all of the water to be collected and trucked away to an authorized treatment plant.

During the fracking process, the water is collected in a plastic-lined pond, then vacuumed into a tanker truck. Asked about the possibility of a leak or spill, Walters said such accidents are rare, but do happen.

In the event of a spill, the soil around the liner would have to be excavated and taken to a treatment site for disposal, Hazi said. Such accidents are generally minor and happen "maybe once" in every 60 wells drilled by Penneco, Walters said.

. . .

Other questions centered on the possibility of a gas explosion, like the one that destroyed a gas well in Indiana Township in July, killing two workers.

Walters said such accidents are rare, but that he couldn't make any blanket promises. "Gas is very volatile," he said. "There's always a risk. But we all have families that we want to go home to."

. . .

Several people quizzed Elash whether drilling the well would keep the city from incorporating the parcel into Renzie Park, as proposed by Mayor Jim Brewster.

"There is no blanket prohibition --- no ordinance --- against commercial activities in Renzie Park," Elash said. Individual deed covenants on many of the other parcels that make up Renzie prohibit drilling, but no such restriction is included in the deed to the Palkovitz property.

Brewster wants to extend an existing fitness and nature trail through the site. Elash said the well would not keep the trail from being expanded.

"I think the thought of city council is to use the funds from this drilling process to pay for that expansion," he said. "The extension of that trail and other things (from Renzie) goes hand and hand with what these gentlemen are doing."

. . .

The proposal has been presented to the Allegheny Regional Asset District, which provides an annual subsidy for Renzie's operation, and the RAD board had no objections, Elash said.

In fact, several other non-profits that receive RAD money are also looking into leasing gas rights, said Dennis Pittman, city administrator, who also attended the meeting with Penneco.

A road will need to be built into the site to move equipment during the drilling process. While the exact location hasn't yet been determined, Penneco wants to avoid using "narrow residential streets," Walters said.

. . .

The company has also agreed to work with the city, Elash said, to put its access road in a location that will facilitate the expansion of Renzie Park, if and when the parcel is annexed to the park.

Under state DEP regulations, the site would be planted with vegetation to match its original appearance, and also would be secured with a locked chain-link fence. The finished well equipment would stand about eight feet high.

City council meets at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the public safety building (the old municipal building) at the corner of Lysle Boulevard and Market Street, Downtown.

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October 27, 2010 | Link to this story

Briefly Noted: Halloween Parade, Trick-or-Treat Slated

Category: Events, News || By Staff and Wire Reports

The city's recreation department will hold its annual Halloween parade for children 10 and under this Saturday in Renziehausen Park, a spokeswoman announced.

Parents or guardians should arrive at the park office (near Jacob Woll Pavilion) at 3 p.m. The parade will begin at 3:30. For additional information, contact Annette James at (412) 675-5020, extension 605.

Official trick-or-treat times city-wide are from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday.

Meanwhile, public safety officials have issued their annual warnings to motorists and parents about trick-or-treat safety.

A spokesman for the state Department of Transportation this week urged parents to add strips of reflective tape to darker-colored costumes and trick-or-treat bags; encourage their children to carry a flashlight or "glowstick"; remind children to stay on sidewalks, if possible; and also remind them to look both ways before crossing streets.

. . .

Editor's Note: Some Towns Trick-or-Treat Saturday: Well, I'm glad I checked on this ... some Mon-Yough communities have moved trick-or-treat to Saturday, apparently to avoid conflicts with Sunday night's Steelers game. Because, you know, God forbid that childhood activities should disrupt the Steelers' pre-game show.

Communities holding trick or treat on Saturday include Duquesne (5:30 to 7:30), Forward Township (5 to 8), Homestead (6 to 7:30), Lincoln (6 to 8), Pitcairn (5 to 7), West Mifflin (6 to 7:30) and Whitaker (6 to 7:30). There may be others.

Notice that there's almost no coordination at all. (I mean, 5 to 8, Forward Township? Seriously?) Honestly, we could screw up a one-car funeral in the Mon Valley. --- Jason Togyer, Editor, Tube City Almanac

. . .

Penn State Sets Career Event: Penn State students and alumni are invited to a career-building and networking event at the university's McKeesport campus.

"Ask the Experts: Internship and Job Search Advice" will be held at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in the Ostermayer Room of the Student Community Center.

The event will include small group discussions on career topics related to helping students and alumni be more effective in internship and job searches. Professional recruiters from a variety of industry areas and organizations will share expertise and tips.

Resume and interviewing advice also will be available. Students and alumni should RSVP to the Career Services Office at Penn State Greater Allegheny by emailing psuga-careers@psu.edu.

. . .

Fundraiser Nets $110K for McKeesport Campus: The scholarship fund for local Penn State students is $110,000 richer following the seventh-annual "All That's Jazz" event at the Greater Allegheny Campus in McKeesport.

More than 200 alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students gathered Oct. 16 for the event in the Student Community Center near Renzie Park, said Linda Curinga, campus spokeswoman.

"We more than doubled what we raised last year," Chancellor Curtiss Porter said in a prepared statement. "Everyone who contributed to this event should be extremely proud. We will have the funds available to help students pursue their educational goals here at Penn State Greater Allegheny."

In addition, a "reverse auction" raised more than $14,000 for student books and computers.

This year's event celebrated Pittsburgh's jazz legacy with performances by Ben E. Benack Jr. and Ben E. Benack III; Roger Humphries; Max Leake; Dave Pellow; Eric Johnson; and vocalist Fred Pugh.

Former KDKA-TV personality Bill Flanagan served as master of ceremonies. The event was organized by Mark Gruskin, president of the Penn State Greater Allegheny Advisory Board; Amy Michaliszyn and Jan Pokrifka, auction co-chairs; Nancy Seifert and David Pellow, entertainment co-chairs; and Nancy Traina, Capital Campaign Committee Chair.

Since its inception in 2004, All That's Jazz has raised more than $374,000.

. . .

McKees Cafe Sets Winter Hours: The restaurant in the Palisades Ballroom has gone to a limited operating schedule for the winter, a spokeswoman said.

McKees Cafe is currently open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Beginning Nov. 25, the restaurant will close on Saturdays as well.

The reduced schedule is necessary because of a lack of visitors to the McKee's Point Marina and the biking-hiking trail. Normal operations will resume in the spring.

. . .

Westinghouse Bridge Restricted Monday: Just when you thought it was safe to use the George Westinghouse Bridge, PennDOT has announced periodic restrictions beginning Monday and continuing through Nov. 9.

The restrictions will happen outside of morning and afternoon rush hours, and are necessary so that safety inspections can be completed. Only one of four lanes will be restricted at a time, said Jim Struzzi, PennDOT district spokesman.

A $5 million, two-year project to rehabilitate the bridge was largely completed earlier this month. The span, which carries Route 30 over Turtle Creek, Braddock Avenue and RIDC's Keystone Commons, handles about 24,000 cars and trucks daily.

The inspection work will be done by SAI Consulting Engineers Inc., Struzzi said.

. . .

Tennis Courts Closing Oct. 31: Tennis courts at all county parks will close for the season on Sunday, a spokesman said. They reopen April 1.

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October 26, 2010 | Link to this story

Trail Boosters Renew Efforts as Pittsburgh Link Draws Near

Category: News || By

With the hiking-biking trail network between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., finally nearing completion, members of the McKeesport Trail Commission are stepping up efforts to promote the city as an destination to be explored.

New signs at the 15th Avenue Bridge and in Boston, Elizabeth Township, will highlight the 6.2-mile "Loop" through the city and around the Youghiogheny River, while a long-awaited information kiosk at McKee's Point Marina is ready for installation within the coming weeks.

At a meeting Tuesday night, Commission President Linda Brewster said volunteers also plan additional plantings to beautify the trail. A Dravosburg resident is donating saplings to be planted, though the exact locations have yet to be determined, she said.

The commission also debuted new T-shirts promoting the city's location on the bike trail. Designed by Dan Rugh of Commonwealth Press on Pittsburgh's South Side, the shirts depict the Bendel Lighthouse, Jerome Avenue Bridge and the CSX railroad bridge over the Youghiogheny. Priced at $10 and $15, the shirts are being sold at McKees Cafe in the Palisades.

. . .

Last week, County Executive Dan Onorato and the owners of Sandcastle Water Park announced they've finally reached an agreement to construct nearly 1 mile of biking and hiking trail through Sandcastle's property in West Homestead.

The link is the last remaining gap in the Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile trail between Pittsburgh's Point State Park and Cumberland, Md. In Maryland, the trail joins the C&O Canal Trail, which runs to Washington, D.C.

The final segment will begin near the Costco store in the Waterfront and will be built between Sandcastle Drive and the CSX railroad tracks. A fence will separate the trail from the railroad tracks. Engineering and design work is underway and construction is expected to begin this winter, though work will be suspended in May when Sandcastle opens for the season.

Already under construction is a new segment of trail between Duquesne and Whitaker, using the path of a former U.S. Steel coke gas pipeline. Two new bridges over the Norfolk Southern's railroad tracks are already in place.

All of the work, including the segment near Sandcastle, is expected to be complete by November 2011.

. . .
The city's trail commission is pushing to improve the appearance and amenities of McKeesport-area segments in preparation for what they expect will be an influx of new users. Bob MacGregor, one of the commission's "trail monitors," said volunteers are patrolling the biking and hiking paths to clean up debris, help wayward visitors and report safety problems.

McKeesport remains something of a "bottleneck" on the Great Allegheny Passage, MacGregor said, because there isn't a private right-of-way available through the Downtown area. The official trail markings currently require cyclists to navigate several blocks of sidewalk on Lysle Boulevard.

When renovations to Fifth Avenue are complete, Brewster said, the commission will ask city council for permission to reroute the bike trail there.

. . .

In the meantime, the new kiosk near the Palisades will help visitors find their way. The kiosk includes a map, a history of the McKeesport area and photos of historic locations. Similar in design to ones found in Connellsville and West Newton, the kiosk is being paid for by a grant from Columbia Gas, trail board members said.

The "Scoop on the Loop" signs are designed to raise cyclist awareness of the two complementary sections of trail, called "The Loop," that parallel the Youghiogheny River through the city, Elizabeth Township, Liberty, Port Vue and Versailles, connecting at the 15th Avenue Bridge. One sign is already in place at the bridge; installation of the others is pending.

The commission is also lobbying the city's public works department to clean up those parts of the trail that use public streets --- including the area around the closed Lysle Boulevard parking garage, where broken concrete and dirt litter the sidewalk.

"It's the first thing people see when they come into McKeesport," MacGregor said. "We need to make sure everything is done by the spring."

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October 21, 2010 | Link to this story

Briefly Noted: Dive Team Has County, Regional Support

Category: News || By Staff Report

McKeesport's growing river-rescue team is poised to become a regional resource, Fire Chief Kevin Lust said.

Seven firefighters and four police officers are now trained in advanced water rescue techniques and handling underwater breathing apparatus, and will soon train in ice rescue, he said.

A new river rescue boat probably won't be delivered before December because the factory is "running behind" schedule, the chief said.

. . .

Allegheny County officials and Pennsylvania's "Region 13" homeland security task force have both been supportive of McKeesport's dive team, Lust said, with Region 13 arranging for some $70,000 in equipment to be used by the city.

With the equipment and the support comes an obligation to help neighboring municipalities when they need river rescue or dive team services, he said.

"We will be expected to assist other departments, not just McKeesport," said Lust, but added the city should view it as an "honor" extended by Region 13 and by Bob Full, Allegheny County chief of emergency services.

. . .

Lust also released the fire department's statistics for July, August and September.

City firefighters answered 292 calls during the three-month period, including 52 structure fires, 75 car accidents, 50 reports of "hazardous conditions," 26 calls for service, and 17 calls classified as "good intent" but unfounded.

Through Oct. 6, firefighters answered 886 incidents total for 2010, Lust said.

. . .

Police Stats Issued: McKeesport police made 221 arrests in August and 178 in September, Police Chief Bryan Washowich said.

Officers also issued 141 traffic citations in August and another 244 in September. Many of those citations were issued as part of the city's participation in state and federal campaigns to crack down on aggressive driving, he said.

Police tagged 70 abandoned vehicles in August and 64 in September, towing 31, Washowich said.

City police also participated in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, an initiative sponsored by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to safely dispose of unwanted, expired or unnecessary prescription drugs. The event was "very successful," the chief said.

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October 20, 2010 | Link to this story

New Streetlights Make Bow; Parking Meters To Come

Category: News || By

Call Downtown's Fifth Avenue the city's "Back to the Future" street.

New curbs have restored the street to the width it had before a 1970s reconstruction project, while new streetlights hark back even further, to the gaslight era of the 19th century.

It's the city's ongoing attempt, with funding from the state's Home Town Streets program, to breathe some life into a commercial corridor that's a shadow of its early 20th century heyday.

. . .

In a shopping district which once boasted eight department stores --- including J.C. Penney and Sears --- and dozens of specialty shops, only a handful of retailers remain, including Natale Sporting Goods, a state liquor store and a CVS pharmacy.

Although a digital media company calling itself TruVu Entertainment recently took over the former Immel's Department Store, many other storefronts remain vacant or occupied by marginal businesses.

While few people are predicting a retail resurgence that would restore Fifth Avenue to the days when it was Allegheny County's second-largest shopping district, city officials seem unwilling to take the street's shabby appearance for granted.

. . .

Restoring Fifth Avenue to two-way traffic between Market and Coursin streets is a necessary first step, City Administrator Dennis Pittman says.

In the 1970s, during one of several unsuccessful attempts to stave off competition from Monroeville Mall and other shopping centers, Fifth Avenue was cut to one-way traffic, and its sidewalks were widened, in an attempt to encourage pedestrian traffic.

But Pittman says potential businesses now tell city officials they're not interested in Fifth Avenue unless their customers can drive to their location from both directions, and unless they can park right in front.

. . .

That's one reason the city is re-installing parking meters along Fifth Avenue. Council this month set the fee for parking on Fifth between Water and Huey streets at 25 cents for 30 minutes. Parking also will be limited to two hours.

City officials say the meters and the time limit will hopefully encourage turnover and make sure spaces stay free in front of stores.

Although the new meters have not yet been purchased, the poles are being installed, and the city has a vendor in mind, Mayor Jim Brewster says.

The new meters will be electronic and designed to "reset" to zero when a car leaves, he says, and will be paid for through the Downtown Business Authority.

. . .

The existing meters, which were removed, were often malfunctioning or vandalized, and many were rusty or leaning sideways. Brewster says. "They were embarrassing," he says. "From Uncle Bub's (restaurant) to the (Shop 'n Save) there wasn't one of them straight."

But Brewster and others, including Council President Regis McLaughlin, have said the city needs to be more aggressive in collecting parking meter revenue and fines.

A draft financial report leaked this month to the Daily News by City Controller Ray Malinchak also identified parking revenue as a major source of potential income to close future budget deficits.

. . .

As another attempt to encourage parking Downtown, the lot on "Cox's Corner" --- itself once the site of Downtown's largest department store --- will get a new entrance from Fifth Avenue.

Old trees, many of them dying or dead, have also been removed and will be replaced by decorative planters, says Bethany Budd Bauer, community development director.

State officials also have given the city permission to use Home Town Streets funding to purchase a new traffic light for the intersection of Fifth and Walnut, she says.

The $929,000 reconstruction project is expected to continue through the spring. General contractor is Carnegie-based Power Contracting Co.

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October 18, 2010 | Link to this story

Another Day, Another Rant

Category: Rants a.k.a. Commentary || By

A word, if you don't mind, about supposed voter apathy.

I vote every single time they'll let me, for judges, school board and borough council, and in primaries and general elections.

I'm not looking for a pat on the back, it's just the way I was taught. My mom's parents voted in every election, I think because they didn't take it for granted.

When grandma was born, women weren't allowed to vote. And in tiny coal-mining towns like the one where pap grew up, the company bosses used to try and threaten the miners into voting for the "right candidate."

Ever try to threaten a guy who spends daily spends 12 hours underground with a shovel? You just make him mad. "F--- you, I'll vote for whoever I want to," he says.

And yet we're told that one party currently has an "enthusiasm" gap, while overall turnout in next month's election is unlikely to top 40 percent. What changed since grandma and pap's day?

. . .

Well, grandma and pap didn't grow up with cable TV news, where idiots spend 24 hours a day talking about trivial crap --- "Oooh, Jerry Brown's in trouble after he was caught on tape calling his opponent a 'whore'" or "We've got video of Christine O'Donnell admitting to witchcraft!"

Plenty of time they have to cover nonsense, but they hardly ever tell you where the candidates stand on the issues --- in my opinion, there's lots of stuff about Christine O'Donnell that's way scarier than witchcraft.

So, instead of getting factual information from our news media (which is, you know, supposedly its job), we get bombarded with TV commercials that say things like, "Joe Sestak wants new job-robbing taxes that will cripple our economy!"

. . .

C'mon, whether you like Joe Sestak or not, do you really think he wants to "cripple the economy"? That's just plain stupid.

But as a result of this non-stop circus of electronic political noise --- clowns to the left, jokers to the right --- many people say, "Well, I don't like politics because all of the candidates seem like crooks, and I don't know anything about the issues.

You need to look harder for information, but it's out there. The League of Women Voters produces excellent unbiased voters' guides, and the Allegheny, Westmoreland and state bar associations provide nonpartisan endorsements for candidates in judicial races.

. . .

I know lots of us have a sense the game is rigged. The problem is the Glenn Beck crowd has been told it's liberals/unions/feminists/teachers/minorities/foreigners/gays who've rigged it ... in other words, people who don't really hold any significant power.

They don't seem to realize it's the corporations with the big bucks (Google "Koch brothers" and read about those two slimeballs, if you can stand it) who have the money, and thus the power, and do whatever the hell they want, and who are trying to rig the game.

For that, I again blame the media.

. . .

As a result of tax policies designed to benefit the super-rich, wealth is concentrated in the hands of the top 1 percent of Americans at a rate not seen since the 1900s.

Do you hear about that in the so-called "liberal" media? Probably not, but they recap "Dancing With the Stars" and cover every one of Sarah Palin's tweets as if they're news.

I keep thinking of a line from The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy about "a bunch of mindless jerks who will be the first ones against the wall when the revolution comes." That describes cable TV news anchors in my mind.

. . .

"But," I hear you say, "my vote doesn't matter." Ask Al Gore about that. He lost Florida --- and the presidency --- by 537 votes. That's eight votes in each of Florida's 67 counties that could have decided a national election.

For that matter, ask McKeesport Mayor Jim Brewster. He lost the 1999 mayoral primary by seven votes city-wide.

Seven people could have selected the mayor. Eight people in each of those counties could have picked the President of the United States.

And hey: The voting booth is the one place where the wealthy fat-cats can't touch you. They couldn't in grandpap's day, and they can't now.

. . .

The only bright spot I see is that younger Americans pay almost no attention to conventional talk radio, TV and newspapers. Audiences for those three sources are getting progressively older. Younger Americans are getting their information from political blogs, The Daily Show and other alternative outlets, and many of them are very well informed.

But because their parents and grandparents don't vote, many of them haven't caught the voting habit. And some of them voted in 2008, but because Barack Obama didn't give them a magic pony and a new bicycle, they're pouting.

They need a not-so-gentle kick-in-the-ass this year to go vote.

Well, the line forms to the right, everyone, and I've got my ass-kickin' brogans on: Go the f--- out and vote, you whiners.

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October 17, 2010 | Link to this story

Blogging Lessons from a Machine-Made Man

Category: Sarcastic? Moi? || By

A few months ago, I learned that I'm part of the Mayor Jim Brewster Machine, or the "JB Machine" as it's called on other websites. This came as a surprise to Brewster when I told him.

I asked him what sort of benefits accrue to members of the "JB Machine." He said I can park Downtown for up to a half-hour for only 25 cents, and I can use Renzie Park whenever I want (between sunrise and sundown).

Also, I just got my sewerage bill, and it shows a $23.51 credit. This may be because I stupidly overpaid last month's bill, but I prefer to think it's because of my status as a member of the Machine.

Unfortunately, because I'm part of the "JB Machine," when internal city financial reports are leaked, I don't get a copy. Those are only "made public" to people who aren't part of the "JB Machine," I guess.

. . .

I've also recently become part of the "Mayor Luke Ravenstahl Machine." I learned this after I wrote a commentary about Rich Lord's "The Network" series in the Post-Gazette.

I foolishly thought that the stories were about the complicated relationship between private consultants and local governments in the Mon Valley. But I have since been told privately they were actually an attack on Ravenstahl.

Because I professed not to know this, I was told I must be an apologist for the "Ravenstahl Machine" and was gently chided for peddling "the conventional wisdom."

. . .

There are only two cities in Allegheny County whose mayors haven't yet made me part of their political machines --- Clairton and Duquesne.

The balls are in your respective courts, Richard Lattanzi and Phil Krivacek. Let me know if I can peddle some conventional wisdom for either of you gentlemen. I'm also good at apologias.

. . .

One group that isn't part of any "Machine" is comprised of people who post comments on the Topix.com forums. I see from Saturday's Daily News (which is sometimes part of the "JB Machine" and sometimes isn't) that a West Mifflin police sergeant is suing the website to obtain the names of people who made "inflammatory comments" about him and his wife.

Setting aside the obvious First Amendment implications, I noticed that the Daily News refers to those commenters as "bloggers" four times, counting the headline.

Sweet sainted ghost of Eleanor Kratzer! Do we need to have remedial Internet classes?

OK, fine: A "blog" is defined as "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks provided by the writer."

. . .

Not everything that's on the Internet is a "blog" any more than everything in a newspaper is a "news article." People who comment on an Internet forum are no more "bloggers" than people who write letters to the editor are "reporters."

This isn't the first time the Daily News has made this mistake --- while reporting on a similar case involving a Forward Township supervisor, it kept calling the defendants "bloggers." They're not either --- they're anonymous commenters on the elizabethboro.com website.

. . .

To be fair, the Daily News isn't the only newspaper that makes this mistake, but it is the one I read most frequently (besides Grit and The Hobo News).

Anyway, if the Daily News is going to persist in calling these people "bloggers," then I will begin calling the Daily News a comic book, since they both contain cartoons, right?

Thus endeth this Sunday's lesson. Please contribute generously to the political machine of your choosing.

. . .

Note: For next Sunday's sermon, entitled "I Got Mine, Suckers," I will take for my text St. Newt's First Letter to the Palinites. Brother Pat Toomey will then lead us in singing, "What a Friend We Have in Von Mises."

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October 14, 2010 | Link to this story

Briefly Noted: Crawford's Life, Work Examined at Sunday Talk

Category: Events || By

The man who arguably was McKeesport's most powerful and wealthiest man 100 years ago is all but forgotten today.

A program Sunday at McKeesport Heritage Center will try to rectify that omission.

The center's 2010 Founder's Day Address will examine the life of Edwin R. Crawford, founder of McKeesport Tin Plate Co. and wealthy benefactor of many local charities, including UPMC McKeesport hospital.

The speaker is Miles Richards. Admission is free at the program begins at 2 p.m. at the Heritage Center, 1832 Arboretum Drive, Renziehausen Park.

McKeesport helped break the European monopoly on tin-plated sheets of steel --- used in cans, pots and pans, packages, and roofing material --- beginning in 1875, when America's first successful tinplate mill opened in Demmler, below present-day Highland Grove. (See "The 'Tinplate Liar' of McKeesport" in Tube City Online's Steel Heritage section.)

Crawford was an employee of the Demmler mill who in 1903 struck out on his own, founding McKeesport Tin Plate in Port Vue, at the present site of ELG Metals. Soon the factory employed more than 3,000 people, and was the largest and most successful independent steel company in the world, second only to the much-larger U.S. Steel Corp. in production of tinplate.

Beginning in 1927, McKeesport Tin Plate was traded on the New York Stock Exchange, and it paid reliable dividends of more than $4 per share, even during the Depression.

But failure to modernize spelled the eventual end of McKeesport Tin Plate. At the Port Vue operation, workers packed small sheets of tinplate into wooden boxes for shipment. Newer mills --- including U.S. Steel's Irvin Works, which opened in 1938 --- could run off continuous coils of tinplate much cheaper and more efficiently.

That same year, McKeesport Tin Plate began losing money. Two years later, it sold the Port Vue factory to Jones & Laughlin Steel Co., and in 1941 it changed its name to National Can Co.

Crawford didn't live to see the fall of McKeesport Tin Plate. At his death in 1936 at the age of 66, he was worth an estimated $3.8 million --- about $60 million by today's standards.

About half of his estate was left to establish a charity in his name; the McKeesport-based E.R. Crawford Trust remains in operation more than 70 years later.

Sunday's address also will kick off the Heritage Center's 30th anniversary year, a spokeswoman said. For more information, call (412) 678-1832 or visit the website.

. . .

MSP Sets Oct. 31 Concert, Dinner: McKeesport Symphony Pops is taking reservations for a pasta dinner that will follow the debut concert of its 2010-11 season.

The first concert of the year --- entitled "Tricks and Treats: A Swingin' Party" --- is slated for 2:30 p.m. Oct. 31 at the auditorium of McKeesport Area High School, 1960 Eden Park Blvd.

Under the baton of maestro Bruce Lauffer, the concert will feature trumpeter and bandleader Stephen Hawk, professor of music at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, and a program of big band music made famous by Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Henry Mancini and other greats.

Following the concert, McKeesport High School's Culinary Department will cater a pasta dinner including dessert and coffee. Reservations for the dinner must be made in advance by Oct. 21 and cost $10 per person. Call the symphony office at (412) 664-2854 or email the symphony at mail at mckeesport symphony dot org.

Tickets for the concert will be sold at the door and are $18 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and $10 for students, with children six and under admitted for free. All seating is first-come, first-serve.

Visit the symphony website for more information.

. . .

Trail Newsletter Online: McKeesport Trail Commission's Fall 2010 newsletter is now available.

This issue includes stories about two long-distance charity rides that paused in the city this summer --- one by a father-son cycling team to raise money for juvenile diabetes research, and another by a group of seven college students riding coast-to-coast to raise money for AIDS research.

The trail commission will hold its final meeting of the year at 6 p.m. Oct. 26 at McKees Cafe, located on the first floor of the Palisades Ballroom, Fifth Avenue at Water Street, Downtown.

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October 12, 2010 | Link to this story

Tom Corbett: He's a Gas!

Category: Cartoons, Commentary/Editorial || By

Fun fact: Pennsylvania is the only major natural gas producing state that levies absolutely no tax on natural gas production.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and the Democratic-controlled state House proposed a tax structure identical to one levied in neighboring West Virginia.

But the state Senate, which has a Republican majority, is said to be "worlds apart" from the lame-duck governor and the lower house of the General Assembly.

The state Senate is expected to adjourn Thursday without taking action, according to the Associated Press.

. . .

The Marcellus Shale Coalition, representing ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and EOG (formally Enron Oil and Gas), among others, favors a plan that would tax, at most, one-third of total well production at the full tax rate. The coalition's plan would assess a much lower rate on the first five years of production and eliminate it altogether in later years.

Setting a rate in Pennsylvania comparable to that of West Virginia is well within the range of comparable producing states and could eliminate tax competition between the two states. The rate hasn't hurt West Virginia's production; in fact, as of 2009, more Marcellus Shale wells had been drilled in West Virginia than in Pennsylvania.

(Guest commentary, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sept. 19)

. . .

Municipalities in which drilling occurs also will need help repairing roads damaged by heavy truck traffic and providing additional services to meet swelling populations. Many lawmakers recognize the burden and are willing to divert a portion of an extraction tax to municipalities. Yet, Corbett, citing his no-tax-increase pledge, is among those politicians arguing a new levy will send drillers elsewhere.

That argument doesn't hold water. Drillers already have invested heavily to reap the Marcellus Shale payoff. According to geology.com, the extractions from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and West Virginia have a wellhead value approaching $1 trillion.

(Editorial, Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Oct. 2)

. . .

What, no tax? There are no other states we know that allow such a free ticket. Even Texas and Oklahoma have gas taxes.

Common Cause PA and Conservation Voters of Pennsylvania have launched a web site, www.marcellusmoney.org, listing reported donations to various officials, including the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates. It shows ... Pennsylvania GOP Gubernatorial candidate Tom Corbett has received $372,720. Pennsylvania Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Dan Onorato has received $74,300.

The contributions go back some years, we would note. We'll let you decide why Corbett has received so much more than Onorato. Perhaps it's because Corbett does not support any severance tax on natural gas.

("In Harrisburg" column, Lock Haven Express, Sept. 21)

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October 07, 2010 | Link to this story

Renzie Addition to Be Reviewed, But School Plan Rejected

Category: News || By

A proposal to add nearly 27 acres to the city's Renziehausen Park has been tabled for further study.

And city council has rejected McKeesport Area School Board's proposal to construct a new elementary school building in the same location.

The parcel in question is the so-called "Palkovitz property," which borders Eden Park Boulevard but is accessed from Easler and Allison streets.

. . .

At Wednesday's meeting, city council voted 6-0 to delay adding the parcel to Renzie Park. Councilwoman Loretta Diggs was absent due to illness.

The delay was suggested by Councilman Darryl Segina. Council asked Solicitor J. Jason Elash to investigate whether any existing deed or ordinance would prevent the city from drilling for natural gas on the property, and for a formal survey of the land.

Segina also suggested that a committee should study the best use of the new parcel, if it's added to Renzie Park.

. . .

Mayor Jim Brewster had suggested extending Renzie's existing fitness and nature trail into the Palkovitz site, if it's added to the park, but Segina rejected the idea.

"I'm opposed to having the trail extended up there," Segina said. "Maybe a nature preserve would be the best use --- I don't know." Brewster was not at last night's meeting.

The city last year acquired the property, which had long been tax-delinquent. In September, Westmoreland County-based Penneco Pipeline Corp. asked for permission to drill up to six gas wells on the property, in exchange for paying a royalty to the city.

Although council gave preliminary approval to the contract with Penneco, a final agreement has not yet been signed. A public hearing is scheduled for later this month to discuss the proposal.

. . .

City officials have repeatedly said they have no plans to drill in the existing parts of Renzie Park. Because much of the land was donated, using pieces of Renzie for commercial purposes would be difficult or impossible anyway, Elash said.

Language inserted into the deeds by the donors prohibit using land they contributed to the park for drilling or other activities, he said. If the city tried to use the land for a business, the property would revert to the donors, Elash said.

No such requirement is on the deed for the Palkovitz property, and wouldn't be inserted into the deed unless the city --- the current owner --- asked for it, he said.

. . .

Council also asked Elash to get a written opinion from the Allegheny Regional Asset District board to find out whether the newly acquired parcel would be eligible for RAD funding if drilling is permitted on the land.

RAD funding comes from the county's 1 percent sales tax. During the current fiscal year, the city was awarded more than $653,000 toward Renzie Park to pay for operating expenses and capital improvements.

. . .

In a related matter, council by 6-0 vote rejected McKeesport Area School District's application for a "conditional use permit" to construct a new elementary school on the northwest corner of the Palkovitz property.

Council delayed action on the proposal in June at the request of then-Superintendent Michael Brinkos. The delay was requested after residents of the surrounding neighborhood objected. Brinkos said the district needed time to study the impact of the new school, and investigate other locations.

Since then, the school district has made no further attempt to contact the city, Council President Regis McLaughlin said.

. . .

"They've never come back to tell us what they're doing," McLaughlin said. "Not one school board member has come to anyone from the city to say anything."

According to published reports, the district is currently looking at two other sites, including one on a parcel between 35th Avenue and Grandview Avenue. On Tuesday, Brewster said he'd object to any attempt to build a school on that parcel.

"If they rejected the Palkovitz property because of complaints from two residents, well, I've received a dozen complaints from people who live on 35th or Grandview," Brewster said.

If the school district decides to move forward again with the Palkovitz property, it is welcome to submit the site plan for re-consideration, McLaughlin said Wednesday.

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October 06, 2010 | Link to this story

Council Considers Renzie Park Expansion

Category: News || By

Renziehausen Park could grow by more than 10 percent under a plan submitted to city council by Mayor Jim Brewster.

Under an ordinance to be considered tonight, the city would annex to Renzie the so-called "Palkovitz property" along Eden Park Boulevard, keeping the 27-acre parcel rural but extending the park's existing walking and fitness trail.

"This is a dead piece of property that isn't being used for anything," Brewster said Tuesday. "Why would we not take advantage of it?"

. . .

A portion of the property was to be used for a new elementary school, but that plan was tabled by McKeesport Area School District while the school board considers other locations.

The property, formerly owned by the Palkovitz family and once used as a trash dump, was taken over by the city in 2009. City, school and county taxes had not been paid on the parcel for "at least 25 years," City Solicitor J. Jason Elash said.

Expanding Renzie would not preclude the city from setting aside the part of the property for a school, if the plans are resurrected, city officials said.

. . .

The expansion also would not prevent the city from leasing the mineral rights to drilling companies trying to access natural gas in the Marcellus shale deep underground.

More than 30 individual pieces of property --- many of them donated to the city --- make up Renzie's existing 205-acres. Drilling was forbidden in those parts by the donors in covenants written into the deeds, Elash said.

No such covenant is attached to the deed for the Palkovitz site.

. . .

If the parcel is added to Renzie, Brewster envisions extending the Charles D. Lickert Memorial Nature and Fitness Trail through the area.

At a council work session Tuesday, Councilman Darryl Segina questioned whether the city should be expanding the trail when existing portions need repair.

"There are parts of that trail right now that people can't walk side-by-side through because of the weeds," Segina said.

. . .

Segina also asked whether people would be willing to walk a trail through property that's wooded and undeveloped.

"Parts of that trail frankly would be kind of desolate --- spooky --- and I'm not sure people would want to walk down there by themselves, especially women," he said.

Brewster suggested a more rustic trail would appeal to a different audience --- namely younger people --- than the existing fitness trail, which passes through the improved and developed portions of Renzie. He pointed to the trails that criss-cross Pittsburgh's Schenley Park as an example.

. . .

"I agree that we need to fix and maintain the current trail," Brewster said. Expanding the trail wouldn't need to happen right away, he said, and could wait five years or more.

But, the mayor said, the Palkovitz property presents an opportunity to improve Renzie, which he called "an important asset," at little cost.

Council is expected to vote on the proposal at 7 p.m. tonight during its regular meeting in the Public Safety Building, 201 Lysle Blvd. at Market Street.

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October 05, 2010 | Link to this story

COG Pursuing Joint Cable TV Agreement

Category: News || By

A coalition of local boroughs, townships and the City of McKeesport may attempt to negotiate more lucrative cable TV franchise fees for taxpayers.

McKeesport, Liberty Borough and Forward Township have agreed to partner with Twin Rivers Council of Governments in negotiating a joint contract with Comcast, and more communities are expected to join, says John Palyo, COG executive director.

"It's still in its very infancy," he says. "We're talking about potentially joining together to negotiate one agreement instead of five, six, seven agreements.

"It'll save legal costs and definitely increase the amount of the gross (cable franchise) revenues for the communities," Palyo says.

. . .

The COG is working with O'Hara Township-based Cohen Law Group --- founded by former Pittsburgh City Councilman Dan Cohen --- to revise cable TV agreements that in some cases are out of date, according to Palyo.

Municipalities grant exclusive franchises to cable companies in exchange for a percentage of their gross revenues --- by federal law, up to five percent.

But those agreements haven't necessarily kept pace with the explosion of new cable services, Palyo says.

McKeesport's cable agreement with Comcast, for instance, counts 11 different types of cable TV services towards the franchise fee paid the city, he says. Newer agreements, however, take a percentage of gross revenues from more than 20 different services.

. . .

"Just in the last 10 years, technology has come a long way," Palyo says. "There can be revenues from pay-per-view, sales from home shopping services, on-demand services."

The Cohen group, which specializes in telecommunications law, has agreed to assess cable agreements for all of the COG's 13* member municipalities at no cost.

Cohen Law would collect a fee if it's asked to negotiate a joint agreement, Palyo says, and if five or more of the COG's municipalities agree to the partnership, the group will cut its fees 50 percent.

. . .

As part of a joint agreement, Twin Rivers COG might also be able to persuade Comcast to add new features and public-service channels, if its municipalities want to pursue those options, he says.

"Obviously, the big question is, 'Well, what can you do about getting our rates lowered?'" Palyo says. "This has nothing to do with that. But local governments do have some power when it comes to negotiating rights-of-way, services, and other things within their franchise authority."

. . .

According to published reports, Cohen Law has negotiated similar joint cable agreements on behalf of the North Hills and Turtle Creek Valley COGs in Allegheny County and for the Mercer County Regional COG.

However, not all of those attempts have been successful.

Last year, on behalf of the Steel Valley COG, Cohen Law tried to negotiate a joint agreement with Verizon for its fiber-optic cable and Internet service. According to a 2009 story by Michael DiVittorio in the Daily News, the joint approach was scuttled when Verizon pulled out of negotiations, and insisted the individual municipalities sign separate agreements,

. . .

But with the Mon Valley's communities facing stagnant or declining property tax revenues, the COG is trying to "be creative" on behalf of its communities, Palyo says.

"We need to find a way to maximize revenues," he says. "I think everyone should at least look at it and consider it."

(more)

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October 04, 2010 | Link to this story

Flyover Ramp Targeted for Late '11 Opening

Category: News || By

(If the above video fails to load, click here.)

. . .

Three firms --- one of which would bring as many as 1,000 jobs to the city --- are eying the industrial park on the former U.S. Steel National Works site.

But they won't relocate to McKeesport until a new access ramp into the property is complete.

That's the word from local, state and federal officials who attended a formal groundbreaking ceremony for the ramp on Monday morning.

"Those of us who were born and raised in this area, we remember what these sites once were for our parents and grandparents," said U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, Forest Hills Democrat. "But now we're thinking about what these sites will be for our children and our grandchildren ... Access is the key to making these sites work."

. . .

The ramp will connect with Lysle Boulevard at the foot of Coursin Street, then cross CSX Railroad's tracks between the Rite Aid and the Eat 'n Park. Construction is expected to be complete in November 2011.

Meanwhile, work continues to install new sewer lines to the vacant portion of the site.

And in the spring, Regional Industrial Development Corp., the non-profit corporation which owns the industrial park, will begin demolishing old concrete support structures in one of the empty buildings to make that structure more marketable.

"We have some $3 million to $4 million worth of site improvement activity going on besides the flyover ramps," said Don Smith Jr., RIDC president.

. . .

While there's been significant interest in the McKeesport property, the railroad crossings represent a figurative and literal obstacle, he said.

"We've seen an upsurge in prospects, but every one of them, literally, asks about access to the site," Smith said. "This flyover ramp we think is one of the keys to unlocking the value on this site."

Of the three active prospects for McKeesport, one is the new solar panel company which is considering a move to the old railroad roundhouse, said Bill Burroughs, RIDC vice president of project development. That facility would employ about 200 people.

. . .

Burroughs declined to name the other prospects, though city Administrator Dennis Pittman said they include a utility and what he described as a "regional transfer company." He also declined to be more specific.

Access to the industrial park has been a problem since the park was first created. Though several businesses are located in the park, its largest tenant, a Dish Network call center employing 600 people, closed in March. Company executives cited the railroad crossings as an impediment.

"For those of us in McKeesport, the trains don't seem to be a problem," Mayor Jim Brewster said, "but when you're in a service business, you can't afford to have your employees waiting for trains."

. . .

RIDC recently completed a flyover ramp into its industrial park in Duquesne, which like McKeesport was separated from surface roads by railroad tracks. While the ramps have been on the drawing board for more than a decade, they were delayed by a lack of funding.

"But no one ever lost sight of the goal, which was to provide safe access to these sites," said Dan Cessna, district executive for the state Department of Transportation.

A $6 million grant from the federal stimulus program closed the gap and made the ramp possible. The ramp's cost is currently estimated at $10.9 million.

Allegheny County public works officials are overseeing construction with assistance from the city, RIDC and PennDOT.

. . .

City officials have tried to court retail stores or restaurants to the property, but were hampered because of the crossings. "If we can convince RIDC that retail can be a possibility on this site, we certainly don't want people crossing railroad tracks," Brewster said.

Convincing RIDC to allow retail development on the site might be easier said than done. RIDC's Burroughs said the corporation prefers to market the site for industrial and manufacturing uses.

But he added RIDC has "had discussions with retailers over the years" and the flyover ramp "really makes it possible" to develop a shopping area on the site.

"If the right opportunity comes to put a major retailer here, we would welcome it," Burroughs said.

. . .

The new sewer lines are being installed by the Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport, Pittman said. Though sewer lines were connected to the buildings when U.S. Steel owned the property, many of them emptied into the Monongahela River and can no longer be used, he said.

The lines will serve some existing customers and also open the site to future development, Pittman said.

RIDC's demolition work will take place in the large, empty structure next to the former Dish Network building. Contractors will remove old concrete support beams that once held pipe-making machinery and other equipment, Burroughs said.

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October 01, 2010 | Link to this story

Briefly Noted: Flyover Ramp Groundbreaking, Police Seek Driver

Category: Events, News || By Staff Report

City, county, state and federal officials will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Monday morning for the new flyover ramp into the RIDC Industrial Park.

The long-awaited ramp --- estimated to cost about $8 million --- will allow traffic into the former U.S. Steel National Works site to bypass two railroad crossings that currently provide the only vehicular access.

Funded in part by the federal stimulus plan, the ramp will connect with Lysle Boulevard at the foot of Coursin Street --- between Eat 'n Park and the Rite Aid pharmacy --- and cross the CSX Railroad tracks.

But the ramp cleared one of its biggest hurdles on Sept. 3, when Eat 'n Park reached an agreement to vacate part of the parking lot of the restaurant in exchange for the alley on the east side of the property.

Mayor Jim Brewster, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle of Penn Hills, and district representatives from the state Department of Transportation are scheduled to attend Monday's ceremony.

. . .

City Police Seek 'Suspicious' Driver: City police are looking for a driver spotted for several days lurking near a school bus stop in Highland Grove.

The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male in his late 20s, with "bushy eyebrows" and driving a black car.

Police say on Tuesday, the man approached a young girl waiting for a bus at the corner of Highland Avenue and Lime Street and began asking her personal questions, refusing to leave her alone until she finally left the bus stop. She was not harmed.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at (412) 675-5015.

. . .

White Oak P.D. Slate 'Stranger' Program: White Oak police will host a "stranger danger" program at 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at the borough municipal building, 2280 Lincoln Way.

The program is open to the public and no registration is necessary. Parents and guardians are encouraged to attend. For details, call the police department at (412) 672-9726.

. . .

School Sets Craft Show: Mon Valley School will host a craft show from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 23, a spokesman says.

The school --- one of three special education centers operated by the Allegheny Intermediate Unite --- is located at 555 Lewis Run Road, Jefferson Hills, between CCAC South Campus and Bowser Pontiac.

A $2 admission ticket also provides a free entry into a "Chinese auction." In addition to craft tables, food and refreshments will be for sale, and door prizes will be given away.

All proceeds benefit student activities at Mon Valley School.

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