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The non-profit agency responsible for developing the former Grandview Elementary School into an apartment building, constructing or renovating 50 houses and providing renovations for nearly 700 city homeowners has been honored with an official proclamation on its 25th anniversary.

Mayor Jim Brewster and city Council President Regis McLaughlin last month presented William Richards, chairman of the McKeesport Housing Corp., with a citation thanking the agency for its "unselfish dedication to the welfare of our citizens."

The housing corporation provides financial assistance and help obtaining grants and low-interest loans for low-to-moderate income families whose houses need renovations and repairs.

This year, the corporation is also offering training in lead abatement to landlords and contractors and administering a federal stimulus program designed to prevent working families from becoming homeless.

McKeesport Housing Corp. has also constructed 32 new homes in the city and renovated 18 vacant properties, returning them to the tax rolls, according to officials.

In addition, MHC administered money from the Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing Program that was used to construct new houses on the site of the old Union Avenue reservoir in the Seventh Ward.

MHC is not related to the similar-sounding McKeesport Housing Authority, which operates the Crawford Village and Harrison Village public-housing complexes and the Isbir Manor, Steelview Manor and McKeesport Towers high-rise apartment buildings.

(In the interest of full disclosure, Tube City Community Media Inc. last year ran advertising for MHC in exchange for an ad in the corporation's golf program. No money changed hands.)

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Village Fireworks Axed?: The latest victim of the city's austerity program could be the fireworks that traditionally close the International Village ethnic food and music festival.

To save money, there will probably be no fireworks on the last day of this year's festival --- the 51st --- set for August 17, 18 and 19.

But the show will go on for the annual Independence Day fireworks display, also at Renzie. CIty council last month awarded a $13,000 contract to Zambelli Fireworks Manufacturing Co. of New Castle, Lawrence County to produce the annual display.

"It's not a complete 'no' yet," Brewster says, "but it's my opinion that we need to begin cutting back some programs."

If the city's budget picture improves by August, he says, "we can reconsider it."

The International Village fireworks were almost wiped out in 2009, though weather was the cause. A sudden, severe thunderstorm with dangerous lightning forced emergency personnel to evacuate Stephen Barry Field, cancel entertainment and close the festival early on the final day, though the fireworks were shot off, albeit earlier than scheduled.

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West Fifth Reconstruction Proceeding: The reconstruction of pothole-strewn West Fifth Avenue remains on target for this year, officials say.

However, there is a big financial pothole that the city will have to avoid --- bids for rebuilding the street and removing the streetcar tracks came in over the amount of money available for the work.

The street, which carries about 21,000 vehicles daily and serves as a main entrance into the city from the west, is being rebuilt with assistance from a $1 million state Department of Transportation grant.

The lowest bid --- from Donegal Construction of Unity Township, Westmoreland County --- was $1.09 million. Engineering work will add another $160,000, Brewster estimates.

At last month's meeting, city council by 7-0 vote awarded the contract to Donegal. "We think that if we go through that bid with the contractor line-by-line, we can eat into the price and get the costs down," Brewster says.

Five other bids ranging from $1.1 million to $1.6 million also were received from competing construction companies.

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