Tube City Almanac

Slow Progress Reported on School Construction

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:45:00 -0500

The partial renovations at Francis McClure Intermediate School are close to completion, but the grounds still remain a construction zone, McKeesport Area School District officials said last week.

Meanwhile, the district is still waiting for the state Department of Environmental Protection to approve an erosion and sedimentation plan for the new school planned at the site of the demolished Cornell Intermediate School before it can break ground. The plan was submitted last May, officials said.

School directors are also awaiting a decision from the state Department of Education on their PlanCon D application for the proposed new elementary-intermediate school on part of the former Buck estate, a location that the district is pursuing by eminent domain. The application requests partial state reimbursement of the construction project.

During a public comment period at Wednesday's board meeting, swimming coach Scott Smith told officials he was concerned about a seeming lack of progress over the on the McClure and Cornell projects over the last several months, considering the unseasonably mild winter, and hoped that the board would continue to monitor the costs.

School Director Tom Maglicco reiterated his concerns about the overall costs of the three schools, arguing that the district has already spent as much money on the first two to date as it originally planned to spend for all three construction projects.

After the board meeting, Maglicco recapped how the construction costs have increased over the initial projection of approximately $47 million for the three schools --- roughly $6 million for Francis McClure, $21 million for Cornell and $21 million for the new elementary-intermediate school.

Currently, the district has incurred $47 million to $48 million in costs for the McClure and Cornell projects, Maglicco said. The addition of another major school construction would escalate projected total construction costs to around $77 million to $79 million, he said.

The total projected figures for the three schools have fluctuated throughout the board's discussions. As previously reported, school directors in September estimated total construction costs for all three projects at around $84 million.

Maglicco added that the district's debt service payment would increase by $1.3 million for the 2012-2013 school year.

He also wondered about the impact of these rising costs on other smaller projects throughout the district, including potential improvements to the football stadium. School Director Mark Holtzman reported during the meeting that the athletic committee recently inspected the stadium to check out the current conditions.

School Board Finalizing Student Dress Code

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:41:00 -0500

Sharp-dressed students were on the agenda last week at the McKeesport Area School District.

School officials said that Maryland-based sporting goods manufacturer Under Armour may soon be naming the high school football team one of its "Under Armour Undeniable" programs based on its athletic achievements. Meanwhile, the district will soon solicit public comments on a dress code for all students.

At Wednesday's meeting, School Director Trisha Gadson said the board's Legislation and Policy Committee has developed a timeline for the implementation of a proposed new dress code throughout the district.

The committee expects to distribute this week a one-page flyer to local community leaders with its proposals, soliciting feedback from the public, Gadson said.

The public may provide feedback to building principals or submit comments through a link that will be available on the MASD website. The deadline for feedback is March 5.

After a follow up meeting in late March, the committee plans to present a first reading of the proposed dress code on March 28 to the school board, and a second reading on April 25, Gadson said.

. . .

In other business, the school board approved a three-year contract with Under Armour supplying the high school football team with apparel, pending review by the district's solicitor.

McKeesport Tigers football coach Jim Ward said the company reached out to the district with its proposal to fit the football program with apparel, based on the program's accomplishments over a long period of time.

Only 56 programs in the country are "Under Armour Undeniable" schools, and MASD is the only district in Pennsylvania that received this proposal, he added.

. . .

A new pre-calculus course will combine the current half-year Trigonometry and College Algebra courses into one full-year class under the high school curriculum, School Director Mary Jane Keller said. The new course was approved by the board's Education, Technology, Grants and Outside Funding Committee.

. . .

Public Relations and Communications Specialist Kristen Giran reported that a group of students helped celebrate School Director Recognition Month by reading statements to the board emphasizing the importance of public education.

Superintendent Tim Gabauer reported that a group of Western Pennsylvania business leaders visited the district as part of Leadership Pittsburgh to gave students a chance to speak about their experiences in MASD.

The visit was an opportunity to show "what McKeesport is, what McKeesport stands for and where McKeesport is going," Gabauer said.

New Store Adds Life to Walnut Street Corridor

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:34:00 -0500

A lady brandishing a Shop 'n Save circular made a beeline for the sharp-dressed man in the dark suit who was greeting customers at the new Bottom Dollar Food store in Christy Park.

"It says here you match prices," she said to the man, standing in the produce section. "I want to know if you'll match the price on this ground beef." The man shook his head and smiled.

"Sorry, I can't help you," Mike Cherepko said. "I don't have any control over that. I'm the mayor of McKeesport."

It was a simple case of mistaken identity. But there was no mistaking the excitement swirling around the grocery store that opened its doors Thursday morning --- the first newly constructed grocery store in the city in at least four decades.

Despite a cold, steady drizzle, customers began lining up at midnight for a chance to claim one of 200 bags of free groceries. By 8 a.m., the line wrapped around the building, and cars had spilled out of the parking lot and into the surrounding neighborhoods.

. . .

A discount division of Salisbury, N.C., based Food Lion, Bottom Dollar is challenging Giant Eagle on its home turf with seven new stores in the Pittsburgh region. Local officials are hoping the Walnut Street location helps bring a critical mass of new businesses to that corridor.

"People realize that Downtown is not going to be what it was years ago," Cherepko said. Walnut Street "is the new business center for the city of McKeesport. You're going to see shoppers here from Elizabeth Township, Liberty, Port Vue, White Oak --- I think this store is going to be a huge success.". . .

The store employs nearly 50 people, most of whom are from the city, said Kevin Daw of Penn Hills, store manager. The McKeesport location is almost fully staffed, though a few cashier positions still remain to be filled.

Daw, who joined the Bottom Dollar chain after a 20-year career at Giant Eagle, said he had never seen a store opening like Thursday's. Bottom Dollar "is a different animal," he said.

Some elements of Bottom Dollar will be familiar to people who have shopped another discount grocery chain, Aldi. Like Aldi, customers must bag their own groceries. Bags cost 5 cents each, though cardboard boxes are provided free. Bottom Dollar also offers a large selection of private-label "store brand" items. At 18,000 square feet, the store is also smaller than most supermarkets constructed in the last 20 years.

But unlike Aldi, Bottom Dollar also carries many name brand, nationally advertised items, as well as fresh meat and produce. In a way, it combines elements of discounting with those of a traditional neighborhood grocery store.

. . .

Besides the added employment and tax revenue, the new store cleans up an ugly corner at the southern entrance to the city. Bottom Dollar replaces several vacant buildings, including an old Eat 'n Park and the former Keystone Auto Parts and Paul Jones Dodge.

"I think it's a great organization," said state Sen. Jim Brewster, McKeesport Democrat, who is trying to convince Bottom Dollar to add stores in Clairton and Duquesne. "And they haven't asked for much --- they brought in good people and they spent their own money. As an elected official, those are the kinds of people you like to deal with."

Christy Park is the city's designated "Elm Street corridor" because of its mix of homes and businesses, and its walkability. "You can walk here," said Brewster, who lives a few blocks away. "And with public transportation being cut, people need to be able to walk."

. . .

Bottom Dollar is not the only new retail business along Walnut Street north of Long Run Road. The long-vacant Tube City Brewhouse is now Chick's Grill --- a sports bar specializing in chicken dishes --- while TigerTown has since 2007 transformed an empty Arby's location into a bustling pizza and barbecue joint.

The opposite side of Walnut from Bottom Dollar, on the former site of Reliance Steel, there's now a Rite Aid pharmacy, and city council has approved plans for a Family Dollar nearby.

In addition, developer Robert Biros has resumed work on a strip-style shopping center at the intersection of Walnut Street and Long Run Road, where PB&S Chemical once was located. Work halted several years ago when state officials refused to approve environmental permits.

Walnut Street and Long Run Road are both state highways. According to city officials, the state has promised to erect a traffic light at the intersection when the shopping center is complete. "A traffic light is absolute necessity once that opens up," Cherepko said. "You already have problems getting in and out of there now."

. . .

Besides the show of support from residents --- more than 400 people were on hand for the grand opening --- the new store received a strong show of support from local elected officials. Cherepko and Brewster were joined at the ribbon-cutting by all seven members of city council and Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey, West Mifflin Democrat.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Mike Merriweather --- acting as a spokesman for the chain --- said Bottom Dollar wants to be "integrated into the fabric of the community." He and Daw presented local officials with $500 donations for McKeesport Area High School, Founder's Hall Middle School, Centennial Elementary School and White Oak Elementary School.

Briefly Noted: City Solicitor Recovering After Crash

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:38:00 -0500

Weather may have played a role in the accident that sent the city's solicitor to the hospital early Sunday morning*.

City police Chief Bryan Washowich said an 2004 Cadillac SUV driven by J. Jason Elash, 40, of McKeesport was traveling south on Route 48 when it went out of control on a curve between Old Long Run Road and the entrance to Olympia Shopping Center. The SUV left the road and struck an office building located at 716 Long Run Road.

The building houses a variety of electronics companies and a local office for Comcast Cable, and is owned by Paul F. Rost Electric Inc. of Greenock, according to county tax records.

Elash was the only person in the vehicle, Washowich said. The road was "ice patched" at the time of the accident, he said. According to the National Weather Service at Moon Township, temperatures dropped to 11 degrees at 3 a.m. Sunday morning.

Elash was transported by ground to UPMC Mercy Hospital for medical treatment and his SUV was towed from the scene, Washowich said. The investigation is ongoing. City firefighters and McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service also responded to the scene.

City officials said Elash has been released from the hospital and is recovering at home.* Editor's Note: Edited after publication to clarify when accident occurred.

Hundreds Visit New Grocery Store

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:03:00 -0500

Hundreds of McKeesport-area residents vied for the opportunity to be the first through the door of a new Bottom Dollar supermarket in the city's Christy Park neighborhood.

Although no official crowd estimate was available, officials and store employees estimated the crowd at more than 400 people. The first 200 customers through the door at 8 a.m. Thursday received a free bag of groceries.

Located on the former site of a long-defunct Eat'n Park, Paul Jones Dodge and the former Keystone Auto Parts, the Bottom Dollar is the first newly constructed grocery store in the city since the 1970s.

The McKeesport store is one of seven just launched in the Pittsburgh region by Bottom Dollar, a division of Salisbury, N.C., based Food Lion. The stores represent the company's entry into Western Pennsylvania, where it will challenge the dominant chain, Giant Eagle, along with Supervalu's Shop'n Save and Foodland brands and discounters such as Aldi and Wal-Mart.

More details in tomorrow's Tube City Almanac. For more photos, visit Tube City Online's Facebook page.

Below, preparing to cut the ribbon are Allegheny County Councilman Bob Macey, city Councilman Darryl Segina, city Councilwoman Fawn Walker-Montgomery, Store Manager Kevin Daw of Penn Hills, city Councilman Dan Carr, city Councilman Keith Soles, Mayor Michael Cherepko and State Sen. Jim Brewster.

(Both photos this page: Denise L. Ritter, special to Tube City Almanac.)

Brewster: Seat Appears Safe Through 2014

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:53:00 -0500

(Editor's Note: Updated Thursday PM to add new information, quotes.)

A state Supreme Court decision throwing out a proposed redistricting map appears to preserve the Mon Valley seat currently held by state Sen. Jim Brewster, at least through 2014.

The two-page, 4-3 ruling issued last night, said the map violated state law and freezes the current districts in place.

That will force a Republican-led committee to draw a new map of state legislative and senatorial districts statewide, which is unlikely to be complete and approved in time for this year's May primaries. (Read the ruling here.)

According to published reports, it's the first time in 40 years that the state's high court has rejected a redistricting plan. Democrats, who are in the minority in both houses of the state General Assembly, had complained that the Republican map didn't group together neighboring towns, but instead divided up communities strictly for partisan advantage.

. . .

More than 70 people --- some private citizens, others representing activist groups such as Common Cause --- filed objections in the Supreme Court to the plan. Among those were city Mayor Michael Cherepko and state Rep. Bill Kortz, Democrat of Dravosburg, who said in their court filing that fracturing the present 45th District would hamper efforts to "unify the communities in the historic Mon Valley region."

"It's nice that the Supreme Court recognized that common people and common areas should not be split up," Brewster, a McKeesport Democrat, said Thursday. "When the majority party has control of the process, we know that they'll try to improve their standing. But this map was not drawn fairly."

Although the court has not issued its full, written decision, Brewster expects the current districts to be frozen until after this year's elections. State legislators are elected every two years.. . .

"My understanding is that we will be remanded back to the old map, there will be a new map drawn, and all members will have to run in the new districts in 2014," said Brewster, whose 45th Senatorial District was to be moved to the Poconos region.

Most constituents in the current 45th District would have been divided between state senators Tim Solobay of Canonsburg and Sen. Jay Costa of Forest Hills, while some would have been moved into the district represented by state Sen. Jim Ferlo, a Democrat from Pittsburgh's Lawrenceville neighborhood.

. . .

The map was approved Oct. 31 along party lines by the state Legislative Reapportionment Commission, a five-member panel comprised of three Republicans and two Democrats.

There are 50 Senate and 203 House districts in Pennsylvania. New legislative maps must be drawn every 10 years, following a U.S. Census, in an attempt to keep districts evenly balanced in population. The Pittsburgh area was expected to suffer in this redistricting because of population losses in the western half of the state.

However, Article II, Section 16 of the state Constitution says that house and senate districts "shall be composed of compact and contiguous territory as nearly equal in population as practicable" and that "unless absolutely necessary no county, city, incorporated town, borough, township or ward shall be divided in forming either a senatorial or representative district."

. . .

Democrats had complained that under the Republican proposal, one borough was divided among as many as three different legislators.

The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania has argued that the practice, known as "gerrymandering," was designed to keep legislators in safe districts, where they would lack competition. "We applaud the Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision," said Olivia Thorne, president of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. "It is a real victory for Pennsylvania Voters and reinforces the need to replace the Commonwealth's broken redistricting system with one that puts the interests of the voters first."

a statement released last night, Costa, who also serves as state Senate Democratic Leader, said he was "pleased to learn that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the many petitioners who filed an appeal to the Legislative Reapportionment Commission's final plan."

Costa was a member of the commission, along with former Superior Court Judge Stephen J. McEwen Jr., Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, House Majority Leader Mike Turzai, and House Minority Leader Frank Dermody. McEwen was appointed by the Supreme Court to chair the commission back in April 2011.

. . .

"It is the responsibility of the reapportionment commission to devise a plan that is true to both the Constitution and the voters of Pennsylvania," Costa said. "Counties and communities must have their voices heard in Harrisburg, and our goal was to make sure that the 2011 redistricting process achieved that."

State Sen. John Yudichak, a Democrat from Luzerne County, noted that in many states, independent commissions redraw legislative maps.

"The principled, unbiased approach that states such as Iowa and others have adopted needs serious consideration in Pennsylvania," says Yudichak, who has introduced a bill that would put the redistricting process into the hands of a nonpartisan group. "Voters, not politicians in Harrisburg, should decide election outcomes."

. . .

A spokesman for Turzai, a Republican from Bradford Woods, told the Tribune-Review the map "met the standards and conditions set forth in the Constitution," but that the party would have no further comment until they got a full ruling from the Supreme Court.

. . .

According to published reports, three Democrats on the Supreme Court --- Max Baer, Seamus P. McCaffery and Debra McCloskey Todd --- ruled against the plan, along with Chief Justice Ronald Castille, a Republican. The dissenting votes were cast by Republican Justices J. Michael Eakin, Joan Orie Melvin and Thomas Saylor. (Read the dissenting opinion.)

Yudichak called it a "prudent ... bipartisan decision" to "send legislative redistricting back to the drawing board."

On Nov. 29, Brewster submitted petitions signed by more than 2,000 voters who opposed the relocation of the 45th Senatorial District. But he said on Thursday that he had tried to be patient while the court decided the fate of the map --- and his seat.

"No one else but me thought the Supreme Court would do this," he said, adding, with a laugh, "I've stayed quiet on this, and you know that's not easy for me to do."

Briefly Noted: Free Seminars on Student Aid

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:36:00 -0500

State Sen. Jim Brewster today announced that he will host three student aid seminars for local students and their parents.

"In these tough economic times, paying for a college education is a steep challenge," Brewster said. "It is imperative that college students explore eligibility for every college grant or loan prospect. My seminars are aimed at helping families understand what's out there, what they may qualify for and how to apply."

The free seminars on financial aid and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid applications will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on the following Saturdays:

Feb. 4: Auditorium, Community College of Allegheny County, Boyce Campus, Monroeville;

Feb. 25: Auditorium, Penn State New Kensington; and

March 3: Ostermeyer Room, Student Community Center, Penn State Greater Allegheny.

Advance registration is required. For more information or to register, call Kathy Jo Osman at (412) 664-5200 or email kosman@pasenate.com.

. . .

Water Company Announces Grant Program: Applications will be accepted through March 24 for Pennsylvania-American Water Company's Environmental Grant Program.

The program --- established in 2005 --- awards grants of up to $10,000 to support activities such as watershed cleanups, reforestation efforts, biodiversity projects, streamside buffer restoration projects and hazardous waste collection efforts, a spokesman said.

All work must be performed within one of the communities served by the company. A proposed project also must improve, protect or restore the watershed or source water, be a new or innovative community initiative, or serve as significant expansion to an existing program.

For more information, visit the company's website, or call Terry Maenza at (610) 670-7789, extension 1009, or email terry.maenza@amwater.com.

. . .

Live Comedy Thursday: Penn State Greater Allegheny will host a live comedy show by Inside Joke Films at 12 noon Thursday in the cafeteria of the Student Community Center. The program is free and open to the public.

Inside Joke Films: Live! is comprised of Jonathan Braylock and Ramy Youssef, friends who met in high school and have been performing together for more than a year. The young duo combines cleverness and humor with high energy to bring a colorful perspective to the world of sketch comedy. With witty dialogue, physical comedy, and the occasional rap song, Braylock and Youssef fuse live sketches and video to create a fun, fast-paced show that is uniquely their own.

The duo was a finalist at SketchProv 2010 at The People's Improv Theater, Judge's and Audience Choice for Best Sketch Group at SnubFest 2010 in Chicago, and was a back-to-back Backyard Brawl Champion at the Upright Citizen's Brigade in New York.

The program is sponsored by the Greater Allegheny Office of Student Activities.

Hardscrabble Update No. 1

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:06:00 -0500

In case you missed it, the story I discussed back on Jan. 17 has finally run. Pam Fessler, a correspondent with NPR, traveled around town with state Sen. Jim Brewster and Mayor Mike Cherepko, and spent time at Womansplace and the Bethlehem Baptist Church.

The story was called "In Former Steel Town, Residents Question GOP Candidates' 'Entitlement Society' Talk," and ran on public radio stations nationwide during NPR's "All Things Considered."

Unfortunately, Fessler worked almost no cliches into her story, which renders her ineligible for the Milbank-Littwin Award for Parachute Journalism.

The Milbank-Littwin --- depicting a broad brush on a field of bull flop --- is likely to be awarded to a reporter who best exemplifies the old media tradition of "phoning it in" and making sweeping generalizations based on a few scant minutes of research. Since Fessler spent two days actually getting to know her subject, this story just didn't qualify for the Milbank-Littwin.. . .

Luckily, we have another entry. Alert Reader Bob Braughler, who was present at the creation of the Hardscrabble Mon Valley Watch in 2008, spotted an actual use of the word "hardscrabble" in this story by reporter Michael Fuoco in the Post-Gazette.

It's about heroin and contrasts the life of an affluent addict in suburban Austin, Texas, with the life of "a middle-aged black man from a hardscrabble Mon Valley steel town." But unfortunately, the story isn't about national politics, so this entry doesn't qualify for the Milbank-Littwin, either, though we appreciated the use of the word "hardscrabble" and we did play the drinking game. (Hic!)

But remember, with more than nine months to go until the election, there's plenty of time! Send your "hardscrabble Mon Valley" sightings to tubecitytiger at gmail dot com.

Briefly Noted: Heritage Center Spotlights 'Teenie' Harris

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:41:00 -0500

Snap! went Teenie Harris' camera, as Marva Louis, Katherine King and Portia Trotter rode the carousel at McKeesport's Olympia Park during the summer of 1939.

Snap! went Teenie Harris' camera, capturing world heavyweight boxing champion "Jersey Joe" Walcott as he sparred with Ben Skelton at Rainbow Gardens Amusement Park in 1951.

Snap! There are the ladies of the Bethlehem Baptist Church getting ready for a Women's Day luncheon in 1958.

Snap! There's McKeesport welcoming President Kennedy in 1962.

For nearly 40 years, Charles "Teenie" Harris --- also known as "One Shot," because he rarely made mistakes --- documented life in Western Pennsylvania for The Pittsburgh Courier, one of the nation's best-known African-American newspapers. Harris' camera didn't discriminate --- black and white, famous and infamous, young and old were all recorded for the pages of the Courier.

McKeesport Heritage Center will mark Black History Month with a program about Harris at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 19. Laurence Glasco, a professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, will be the guest speaker. The program is free and open to the public.After retiring from the Courier in 1975, Harris' work was all but forgotten. He licensed his collection of 80,000 images to a local businessman who sold prints to the public at flea markets and street fairs until Harris was forced to sue for back royalties in 1998. Rights to the images were subsequently re-acquired by his family, who sold them to Pittsburgh's Carnegie Museum of Art.

Since 2003, the museum has scanned and cataloged nearly 60,000 of Harris' photos, many of which can now be viewed online. Glasco, who has written several books on the African-American experience in Pittsburgh, helped curate the museum's current exhibition of Harris' work. The exhibition will begin a national tour in February.

For more information about the Heritage Center, call (412) 678-1832 or visit the website.

. . .

Editor's Note: The writer of this article is a member of the board of directors of McKeesport Heritage Center. Opinions expressed at tubecityonline.com are not those of McKeesport Heritage Center, which has no control over the content on this website.

News from Penn State: 'Hamlet' This Weekend

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:50:00 -0500

Shakespeare comes to town this weekend as the Three Rivers Theatre Company visits Penn State's campus in McKeesport.

A relatively new local repertory company that showcases young actors, Three Rivers will present "Hamlet" at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Cultural and Fitness Center on the Greater Allegheny Campus.

Tickets are $20 and will be available at the door. Penn State Greater Allegheny students will be admitted free, while all other students with ID will be admitted for $10.

Founded in July 2010, Three Rivers Theatre Company is a seasonal, non-profit theatre dedicated to "engaging, entertaining, and fostering an appreciation" for contemporary and classic theater. For more information, visit its website or call (412) 926-8187.

The Fitness and Cultural Center is located near the corner of University Drive and Broadway Avenue on the Penn State campus.

. . .

Students, Landlords Invited to Meet: Penn State Greater Allegheny will hold an Off-Campus Housing Fair from 12 to 2 p.m. Feb. 9 in the concourse area of the Student Community Center, a spokeswoman announced.

Individuals in the community who have rental properties are invited to attend. About 100 students at the McKeesport campus are expected to need off-campus housing during the 2012-13 academic year.

The campus is in need of safe, well maintained and reasonably priced rental properties that are close to the campus. Property owners must pre-register for this event by contacting the Office of Student Affairs weekdays between the hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at (412) 675-9181.

Closed Today

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 23:59:00 -0500

Tube City Almanac was closed today, Jan. 18, 2012.

There are two laws pending in the U.S. Congress that would give federal authorities new powers to control what can be published on the Internet.

These laws are supposed to protect publishers from copyright infringement --- which is important. Tube City Community Media Inc. supports efforts to protect authors, artists, publishers and composers from having their work stolen.

However, leading experts on the U.S. Constitution and communications law argue that these laws would violate American rights to free speech and assembly, as well as our protections against unreasonable search and seizure. (Read more here: "DNS Filtering to Fight Internet Piracy Violates the First Amendment," by Lauren Mack, JURIST, University of Pittsburgh School of Law)

Under at least one interpretation of these laws, Tube City Online could be shut down if we even linked --- without knowing it --- to a page that was accused of infringing someone else's copyright.

We believe this is an important issue, and that you should be aware of it.. . .

IF YOU THINK THIS ISSUE IS IMPORTANT, you can let your elected representatives know how you feel --- pro or con --- about the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Preventing Real Online Threats of Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) by contacting them at the addresses and numbers below.

Please note: Tube City Community Media Inc. does not and is required not to lobby on behalf of any issue or position. Therefore, we are not taking a position, but we are providing information in the public interest.

CONTACT INFORMATION

McKEESPORT/MON-YOUGH AREA
(ALLEGHENY COUNTY):

U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle
627 Lysle Boulevard
McKeesport, PA 15132
Phone: (412) 664-4049
Fax: (412) 664-4053

NORWIN/PENN-TRAFFORD AREA
(WESTMORELAND COUNTY):

U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire
2110 McLean Street
Aliquippa, PA 15001
Phone: (724) 378-0928
Fax: (724) 378-6171

ALL PENNSYLVANIA:

U.S. Senator Bob Casey
Regional Enterprise Tower
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2490
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 803-7370
Fax: (412) 803-7379

U.S. Senator Pat Toomey
100 W. Station Square Dr., Suite 225
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 803-3501
Fax: (412) 803-3504

. . .

Signed,
Jason Togyer
Executive Director
Tube City Community Media Inc.
McKeesport, PA

Facebook: facebook.com/TubeCityOnline
Twitter: twitter.com/TubeCityOnline

Winter Weather Returns Tonight

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:35:00 -0500

(Jacob Woll Pavilion, Renziehausen Park. Denise L. Ritter photo)
. . .

The National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for Western Pennsylvania through Wednesday morning. Forecasters at the agency's Moon Township office say a low pressure system moving from the Midwest into southern Ontario will bring a cold front.

As the weather changes, strong winds --- gusting to 50 mph --- are expected from the southwest across the Mon Valley. The strongest winds will arrive just after sunset. Sporadic power outages are possible, and driving may be difficult, forecasters say.

Tonight's weather includes rain changing over to snow after midnight, with a low of 24. Expect winds of 20 mph, gusting to 50. Wednesday brings a chance of light snow with a high of 28.. . .(Editor's Note: Weather stories are the last refuge of a publication with nothing to say.)