Mt. Lebanon Woman Makes Film Here

When Los Angeles movie producer Dana Jackson had to pick a city for the premiere of her independent movie "Park," she didn't hesitate; she chose her hometown.

The Mt. Lebanon native will have the first theater showing of the movie tomorrow at the SouthSide Works Cinema. It is an adult comedy about 10 people whose paths cross during a lunch hour in an out-of-the-way park in Los Angeles.

"I'm just really excited to be back at home and sharing the movie," said Ms. Jackson, a 1985 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07270/820798-55.stm

Music Series Strives To Serve Varied Tastes

One of Charlotte Simmons' favorite memories as a committee member for the long-running and popular Music for Mt. Lebanon is helping 86 high-spirited, Russian performers, none of whom spoke English.

"Trying to communicate was funnier than any 'I Love Lucy' script," she said of her attempts at international communication through mime and hand signals. During that same show, Stuart Fox, then the group's president and a retired Air Force reservist, went backstage to welcome the general -- in full military dress --who escorted the group.

"I never thought I'd shake a Russian general's hand in the United States,'' Mr. Fox said. Mr. Fox, 73, and Mrs. Simmons, 80, both of Mt. Lebanon, are board members of Music for Mt. Lebanon, a nonprofit community music series that has been bringing musical acts to Mt. Lebanon for the past 62 years.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07270/820800-55.stm

New Option In Hospice Care Opening In Lebo

During his 10 years as a Franciscan monk, Rafael Sciullo developed skills for ministering to the dying. He used them when he later worked as an social worker, and when he assumed leadership in the hospice field as the Chairman of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Association.

Now the former monk and caregiver works in Mt. Lebanon as the president and chief executive officer of Family Hospice & Palliative Care, the largest independent, nonprofit, community-based hospice in Western Pennsylvania.

Next month, the hospice starts taking patients for its new Center for Compassionate Care, a 12-bed facility and education and conference center. The center is located in what was formerly the Ward Home, an orphanage-foster care home, at 50 Moffett Street.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07270/820754-55.stm

Walker Safety Still An Issue

In a perfect world, red means stop, green means go and we'd all just get along. But for now, say police in the South Hills, be mindful of those Yield to Pedestrian signs in the crosswalks.

That's a message that would benefit both drivers and walkers, said police who talked about pedestrian safety now that school is back in session.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07270/820809-55.stm

Could Uptown Use a Bodega?

Lately it's seemed that the rise of big box retailing has meant the end of the neighborhood grocery store, and with it, a continuation of the feedback loop that makes building vibrant sidewalk shopping districts so hard in the suburbs: as conveniences leave main street, main street becomes less convenient. Duh. That's why I was excited to read a recent Pop City article about a new Giant Eagle Express grocery store coming to the Manchester neighborhood in the city. Quoting the article:

“It’s a new neighborhood grocery concept that’s meant to fit in to urban and rural areas, where there isn’t a big box,” says Dick Roberts, with Roberts Communications. “It varies depending upon the neighborhood and property.”

The first thing I thought was: what a great idea for uptown Lebo. (It needn't be a Giant Eagle — maybe there's a new generation of McGinnis kids looking to branch out?) It would be great. Uptown has a high concentration of condos and apartments, with more on the way. I'm sure the people living there would love to be able to walk to the store. I loved it, when I was a kid living in the city. Also, there will soon be a suites hotel, and extended-stay guests there will probably want to be able to buy food somewhere close.

Unfortunately, I get the sense that a grocery store doesn't fit with a certain prevailing vision of Washington Rd. That groceries, like karate, are too pedestrian for an uptown of boutique shops and nice restaurants. How's that for irony! But that's not how I see it. To me a small urban grocery uptown conjures images of Parisians stopping on the way home from work to pick up fresh food and a baguette for that evening's dinner. That's what I'm talking about — a place to buy fresh produce, meat, fish and dairy, rather than a convenience store. Such a place would fit in nicely uptown. Remember, bodega is etymologically the same as boutique.

Of course, this all leaves the question of where you'd put one. Uptown, happily, has few, if any, vacant storefronts. Rollier's obviously has the best location, but they're not going anywhere any time soon. The hotel site would have been another good spot, with parking below, like the old Center Ave. Food Gallery in the city. If rumors of Molly Brannigan's demise are not exaggerated, that could be a nice spot for a small grocery, especially if they could get access to the parking lot in back. Maybe if the town ever gets its act together about developing the air rights over the T station, they could put one there, although that would take some creative architecture, I think.

Regardless, of the specific location, this is the kind of development that should be considered in making a vibrant main street on Washington Rd. Maybe as part of the Port Authority's efforts to develop the areas around the T station? Your thoughts?

Music Series Strives To Serve Varied Tastes

One of Charlotte Simmons' favorite memories as a committee member for the long-running and popular Music for Mt. Lebanon is helping 86 high-spirited, Russian performers, none of whom spoke English.

"Trying to communicate was funnier than any 'I Love Lucy' script," she said of her attempts at international communication through mime and hand signals. During that same show, Stuart Fox, then the group's president and a retired Air Force reservist, went backstage to welcome the general -- in full military dress --who escorted the group.

"I never thought I'd shake a Russian general's hand in the United States,'' Mr. Fox said. Mr. Fox, 73, and Mrs. Simmons, 80, both of Mt. Lebanon, are board members of Music for Mt. Lebanon, a nonprofit community music series that has been bringing musical acts to Mt. Lebanon for the past 62 years.

Smith and Mustio Buck Party Leadership

Two Pittsburgh-area legislators, one Republican and one Democrat, find themselves in a spot where no rank-and-file lawmaker wants to be -- out of sync with their own leaders on a major issue.

But Reps. Mark Mustio, R-Moon, and Matthew Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon, are vowing to push for a vote on a bill that often strikes a chord among the public: reducing the size of the General Assembly.

Mr. Mustio said the size of the proposed reduction isn't set in stone, but he's working on a bill to trim the House, now at 203 members, by about 20 percent, or to 161, and reduce the 50-member Senate to 40. Those are also the numbers contained in a Senate bill sponsored by Sen. John Pippy, R-Moon.

NOTE: Senator Pippy represents Mt. Lebanon as well.

Link: www.postgazette.com/pg/07267/820128-85.stm

School Numbers Game Masks Ills

On the surface, the state's report card on math and reading achievement is impressive: 92 percent of Pennsylvania's school districts and 77 percent of its schools met or were making progress toward all state achievement targets.

But beneath the surface is another picture -- even in some schools that made what's called "adequate yearly progress," or AYP, under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

While AYP requires meeting the targets in only one grade span, four of 43 districts in Allegheny County -- Brentwood, Hampton, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair -- met all of their targets in all three grade spans in both subjects without using alternative means. Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair managed to do it even with special education subgroups in all three grade spans.

Of the 32 high schools in Allegheny County that made AYP or were making progress toward it, only four had to account for special education subgroups, and only one -- Mt. Lebanon with 64.3 percent in reading and 46.4 percent in math -- made AYP in both subjects without an alternative mean, such as safe harbor.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07267/820095-298.stm

Girls in Tank Tops at Lebo Football Games

A sharp-eyed reader forwarded an editorial from The Almanac (which, by the way, has a snappy new website). Here's a link to the piece. Here's the text in full:

If a picture speaks a thousand words, one we published last week spoke volumes to some.

The photo, printed on a sports page, showed several enthusiastic Mt. Lebanon High School students cheering on their football team. The controversy didn't surround the picture. It focused on the attire of those in the photo - or rather the lack of attire on the teenaged girls.

We received several phone calls from citizens who were concerned about the girls' mode of dress and angry at us for publishing the picture. They claimed it was an embarrassment to the students and their families.

We stand behind the picture which, most certainly, shows the fan spirit of these teenagers. The snapshot was taken at an outdoor public venue attended by hundreds of people. It captures the enthusiasm, emotion and frivolity of a high school crowd, right down to the letters painted on the girls' stomachs.

What could be argued is the appropriateness of what the girls were wearing. But that is an argument that should take place in the household and not on the telephone or offices of this newspaper.

Enter any high school - locally or nationally - and you will witness a menagerie of truly eye-opening clothing styles. We all know the arguments parents have with their teenagers concerning mode of dress. But we also know that kids will find a way to do as they please and go against the wishes of their parents. Some of this may not be done out of defiance or spite as may be thought, but merely to fit in not just among their peers but also society.

Today's mode of dress can be seen by turning on any television or picking up any magazine. As a society, our children are awestruck by famous singers, actors and athletes. They strive to be just like them, from the way they sing, dance, play and dress. While we may want a better code of conduct from these people, we are also fascinated by them and have come to accept how they act - and dress - and use it as conversation talking points.

We know the schools try to regulate what students wear but, short of requiring uniforms, their authority only goes so far, especially for sporting events such as football games. At those types of activities, we cannot demand our school officials be required to oversee hundreds of teenagers and whether or not those students roll down the waistband of their pants to an unacceptable level. If that type of attire or behavior bothers us, it's our job as parents to make sure our children only wear and act in a manner which we believe to be appropriate.

When a published story or picture strikes a nerve, it can stir up a debate among the public. The role of a newspaper is to be an information provider for its readers. It sometimes, though, can become a reflection instead.

Well said.

Welcome to the Beehive!

Welcome to town to a new shop:

Beehive NeedleArts

671 Washington Road, Mt Lebanon, PA 15216

(in the vicinity of Aldo Coffee and Enrico Biscotti)

Sale Of Land OK'd For Long-Stay Hotel

Coming soon to Mt. Lebanon: more room at the inn. Commissioners last week agreed to approve the sale of a 12,600-square-foot parcel of land on Washington Road where its intended buyer -- Kratsa Properties, of Harmar -- had proposed building an upscale, long-stay business hotel.

"Kratsa is a quality, highly experienced builder," said Stephen Feller, Mt. Lebanon municipal manager.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07263/818915-55.stm

Thieves Making Copper A Hot Metal

It takes real brass to steal copper. Theft of the ductile metal is no surprise; for years, people have been illegally stripping copper to sell through salvage yards. It's found at construction sites, in wiring, home downspouts, as decorative sheeting on buildings, in the coils of air conditioners.

But a recent spate of thefts in the Mt. Lebanon area could be the work of a bold team that removed the copper from South Hills homes and two churches in at least 11 incidents since Aug. 20.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07263/818841-55.stm

Bad for Business, Revisited

This Blog-Lebo post from earlier this month, which raised a question about high "stem fees" at Iovino's Cafe on Beverly Road, prompted a long and mostly thoughtful comment thread about Pittsburgh businesses, restaurants, customers, and entrepreneurs. Generally, I wondered whether high prices are in the interest of a startup business that is trying to build a clientele.

Since that post, I've eaten (again) at Iovino's, and I can report the following:

The food is excellent. I had eaten lunch there before; this time I went for dinner. The service was attentive and patient.

At dinner in the middle of the week, the restaurant was very busy. That's impressive.

From what I could observe, well over half of the tables were stocked with wine brought in by diners. (Iovino's is a BYO restaurant.) It's not quite correct to conclude that stem fees aren't affecting Iovino's business, since the restaurant doesn't advertise the fees or include them on the menu. It's also not quite correct to conclude that customers are happy to bring in wine while knowing what the prices are. I don't know how many of my fellow diners were repeat visitors and presumably know about the price structure already. In all likelihood, many do. But some surely do not.

Business does seem strong, and the food is very good, and so long both are true, then it's easy to see the logic in keeping prices where they are right now.

And Pittsburgh certainly could use many more restaurants like this one.

The Buddhist Monk of Mt. Lebanon

Lebo's David Clippinger is featured in the Post-Gazette's The Next Page. He is the resident instructor of a Zen meditation group that meets at Sunnyhill, the Unitarian Universalist congregration on Washington Road, and the Director of Still Mountain T’ai Chi and Chi Kung, which (according to its website) "is dedicated to the true essence of T’ai Chi Chuan as practiced in Buddhist Temples in China—namely, the combined emphasis upon martial skill, spiritual development, and overall health." He is the self-described "Buddhist Monk Posterboy of Mt. Lebanon."

Post-Gazette piece

Still Mountain website

New Lebo Business Mentoring Group

In a comment on this recent post about Hidden Mt. Lebanon, one person suggested that when it comes to the prospect of change in Mt. Lebanon, I was long on rhetoric and short on specifics.

Here's something concrete that I support: A new Business Mentoring Group has been established in Mt. Lebanon as part of its Economic Development programming. From the website:

Entrepreneurs with knowledge-based businesses are particularly welcome here. A business mentoring roundtable, comprised of CEO’s and founders of prominent local companies such as Vocollect, CEI, and CEO Ally, Inc., advises new and expanding businesses on all aspects of business planning including marketing strategies, operations, and access to capital.

The business mentoring roundtable meets monthly and sessions are scheduled by appointment only. Presenters must submit in advance a written executive summary of the business plan, and be prepared to make a fifteen-minute presentation on the plan elements. The presentation will be followed by a question and answer session. Following the discussion, a member of the group will coordinate the group’s responses and reactions to the presentation and communicate back to the entrepreneur.

Here's the site, with a list of the members of the roundtable. I'm not a CEO or a company founder, but I've been invited to join the group. The next meeting is September 25.

Mystery Service Station

While standing in line at the PNC Bank on Beverly Road this morning, I turned around and looked at the auto repair shop across the street from the bank. I've always wondered about the place because it doesn't have any signs on it at all, yet it's always packed and they are always working in there.

Anyone care to share any info on the place? They must be really good if they don't even advertise their name on the building. How do people get their cars worked on? Do they just walk in or is it referral only?

Mt. Lebanon in a Nutshell

I've posted before about the online City-Data message board and its very enlightening and entertaining discussion of Pittsburgh neighborhoods and communities, including Mt. Lebanon. Some Blog-Lebo readers are also City-Data contributors. That's especially interesting in light of the fact that most City-Data discussions of Mt. Lebanon are prompted by prospective homebuyers who are searching for information about Lebo.

This recent thread, begun by a query about the characteristics of different Mt. Lebanon neighborhoods, contains an especially insightful description of the entirety of Mt. Lebanon. The poster is Lebo resident "Janiesgirl" (a pseudonym) and her post on September 12, at 10:09 p.m., is worth reading in full. Here's just a taste:

Anyway, Mt. Lebanon is delineated by the elementary schools. By and large, you will describe where you live by naming the elementary school the kids go to. Example: "I live in the Foster area", which is the area on the left heading down Washington Road toward the Galleria Mall. Some areas have their own "names" such as Cedarhurst Manor, Mission Hills, Virginia Manor, Central Square, Old Virginia Manor..., but even then, you would identify with the local school and you would certainly also participate in the whole Lebo pride gestalt.

I'll give you a brief rundown of areas by school and perhaps in a later post, I'll give you a sense of what Mt. Lebonites seek/like. BTW, you'll notice I mention some "homes" in my synopses. Mt. Lebanon has several county-run group homes for different populations. I mention the few I know.

Foster - At the southern end of Lebo, bounded by Washington Rd. and Mt. Lebanon Blvd. Borders Bethel Park and Castle Shannon and ?? Some of the grandest and loveliest houses in Lebo are here on Hoodridge and Terrace. Some of the more modest houses are here too and there's a pocket of rental properties. Good proximity to the malls. Good proximity to the shopping area on Mt. Lebanon Blvd. Home to the "home for pregnant teen girls" - a group home for pregnant girls. Because the housing stock ranges from modest - fantabulous, it's an interesting and good Socio-Economic mix. The school's fields are a little decrepit, but generously sized.

Markham - Also toward the southern end of Lebo. Runs into the Galleria Mall. Is bounded by Washington Rd (Rt. 19), Painters Run, Cedar Blvd and Cochran Rd. Contains Bird Park and is adjacent to the Mt. Lebanon Park. Housing stock ranges from nice to fantabulous. Little to no rental. There is a private street down by the Galleria, Forest Glen, which is gorgeous. Has a few recently developed streets (James Place,?,?) that have big, beautiful new houses. Little parklet adjacent to the Galleria - Parents of toddlers take their kids to this very manageable play area. Markham, while it runs into the Galleria, can be a little more isolated from shopping. You need to hop in the car to drive up some long, winding roads to reach a business district. Some people think it's a little more "insular". The school has a reputation for parents who "run the show", but really all Mt. Lebanon parents feel very invested in their schools, so take that with a grain of salt.

Uptown's Best Kept Secret: $1 Saturday Parking

I ran some errands uptown last Saturday, and, partly out of curiosity, I parked in the Academy lot. Had I not, I probably would have looked for a metered space on the street. Walking a back to the car, I passed the South Garage and noticed that on Saturdays garage parking costs $1 all day.

This is a great policy, but could it possibly be advertised any worse? I've been uptown many times in the year since I moved back here, and I had no idea about it until last week. Cheap parking is essential for uptown businesses to compete with all the places where shoppers can go and park for free. Sure, the rates are posted on the garages, but customers have to actually come uptown and try and park in the garage to see that. The rates are posted on the MLPA website, but people don't go check parking rates on the web when deciding where to shop, they operate from memory.

If you doubt how strong the parking effect is, consider that my wife, who is not originally from here, refused to shop at Rollier's for months after we moved here because she didn't know they had a parking lot in back -- she had only ever driven by the front of the store. It never occurred to me to ask her if she knew about the lot, and never occurred to her to ask me where I park when I go there. Instead, she just went to Home Depot. She eventually discovered the lot by accident while driving through Lebo for some other reason. I think her reasoning is typical of most shoppers: they go where they feel it's easiest. The same reasoning applies to any of the businesses uptown that don't have their own parking lots. I'll be much more likely to go to Aldo's or Empire Music on a Saturday afternoon now, knowing that I only have to pay a dollar to avoid having to look for a parking space on the street -- but it took me a year to learn that I can do that.

Adding to the confusion is the fact that the street meters and Academy lot still charge hourly rates on Saturday. Why the inconsistency? The Academy lot, particularly, is equivalent to a single-level garage, why different rates? And what's up with the Sunday rates? From the MLPA rates page, I have to infer that the garages charge hourly rates on Sunday while the meters are free. Yes? If so, why?

Uptown businesses should be fiercely promoting whatever cheap parking they have available, as should the MLPA, if it wants to serve the Lebo business community.

St. Clair Hospital Receives National Designation

St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon is one of six hospitals in the United States to receive the "Stage 6" designation from HIMSS Analytics, the leading healthcare information technology market research firm.

Stage 6 is a classification of hospitals that have successfully implemented information technologies across a multitude of systems, including electronic medical records, to improve quality, patient safety and planning for future business changes.

The designation was announced in a publication, "Stage 6 Hospitals: The Journey and the Accomplishments," by HIMSS Analytics, a subsidiary of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. The study assessed more than 4,300 hospitals nationally.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07256/816982-55.stm

MLHS Athlete Has Drug-Resistant Staph

Mt. Lebanon High School is informing parents that a student has a confirmed case of drug-resistant staph. A letter about the situation, posted on the school district Web site, said the patient is an athlete but did not specify the sport or the gender.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07257/817441-55.stm

Link 2: www.kdka.com/topstories/local_story_256213907.html

The Deer Return

Today I received an email from an organization that calls itself the "Coalition for Neighborhood Safety & Awareness." The name is misleading. This is a group that wants to stop the deer eradication program in Mt. Lebanon, but it's acting primarily out of concern for the deer, not primarily out of concern for neighborhood safety.

Agree or disagree with the idea that Mt. Lebanon should be hunting deer, the fact that deer themselves are CNSA's priority is clear from the identity of the inaugural CNSA speaker.

From the email:

"On Tuesday, September 25, 2007 at 7:00 pm Environmentalist, Anthony Marr, will be speaking about alternative approaches to managing deer in Mt. Lebanon. See details below (flyer attached).

Keep Our Neighborhoods Safe!!

Use of high-powered rifles compromises our safety and is poor use of our tax dollars

You’re invited to attend a FREE Seminar on the truth about deer control in our townships

Anthony Marr
Preservationist and founder of Heal Our Planet Earth to speak on co-existing with local deer

When? Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Time? 7:00 p.m.
Where? Mt. Lebanon Library, Room A
16 Castle Shannon Blvd
Pittsburgh, PA 15228-2252
RSVP: info@cnsa-mtlebo.org

Marr has worked as a field geophysicist and an environmental technologist.
He’s conducted high profile campaigns in Canada for the bears and seals
and has been to Japan to speak on behalf of the marine life.

For more information visit: http://www.cnsa-mtlebo.org

We hope you join!"

Anthony Marr's biography is here. He is an accomplished and interesting person, but he is an anti-hunting activist, not a neighborhood safety expert.

Hidden Mt. Lebanon, Chapter Six

Hidden Mt. Lebanon thought number six is this:

In almost every significant respect, culturally Mt. Lebanon is a microcosm of Pittsburgh.

To a lot of people both living in Lebo and living elsewhere in the region, that's counterintuitive. What about Lebo's high average household income? (It is clearly higher than the regional average.) What about the great schools? (They are very, very good.) What about the leafy streets and the friendly neighbors? (Not uniquely Mt. Lebanon, however.) What about the stereotypical Mt. Lebanite holier-than-thou attitude and the stereotypical Dad-works-Downtown-while-Mom-manages-PTA family unit? (Stereotypes are made to be broken down.)

Set those things aside.

Mt. Lebanon shares two key things -- very important things -- with the City of Pittsburgh and with the Pittsburgh region.

One is a collection of extraordinary cultural assets. Mt. Lebanon has the people, the money, and the other raw materials needed to make itself into a sparkling jewel of a little town. It's a very nice town right now, but it's on the sleepy side. Lots of folks like the fact that it's on the sleepy side. Some folks would like a bit more blood pumping through those arteries. There's an interesting dialogue going on between groups invested in those two points of view, and I can't predict the outcome. But that dialogue is going to get increasingly public (on this blog, among other places), and while the tone is likely to remain respectful (I hope), not everyone is going to be comfortable with everything that gets said. Some of the dialogue has been and will be about the future of commerce in Lebo; some of it has been and will be about art and other culture, education and recreation.

The City of Pittsburgh and the region as a whole likewise benefit from some extraordinarly assets. Compared to metro areas of roughly the same size, not to mention larger ones, it's dirt cheap to live here. "Livability," even on recent surveys of dubious validity, is high. We have high quality institutions of higher education turning out the raw materials of the businesses of the future -- technology, art, people -- and we have a well-educated and hard-working population waiting to assemble them and move forward. There is lots of (private) money locally to be invested.

Two is a paralyzing anxiety about the future, even while everyone recognizes that it has to happen. This is reflected in at least two ways, both of which show up in Mt. Lebanon as well as in broader Pittsburgh. There is the "glass-half-empty" mentality, which keeps people from taking risks and initiating change. Pittsburgh doesn't make it easy to start and grow and finance new businesses and other new enterprises. Pittsburgh doesn't welcome the critique of the status quo that begins, "This would be better if . . . " (In fact, Pittsburgh doesn't handle criticism well under any circumstances!) Pittsburgh doesn't deal well with provocation, or with risk. All of this is true of Mt. Lebanon. And there is simple though innocent ignorance of the skill set that is required to move past or around or through that fear. Living in the Bay Area and then living near Boston, I arrived in Pittsburgh armed with the naive assumption that anyone with more than a year or two in business would understand that to start and grow a new business, and to energize the beginning and growth of related businesses, you have to construct a not-very-elaborate network: Innovators and entrepreneurs. Idea people (inventors, artists, others). Real estate people. Investors. Accountants. Lawyers who understand how to link them together. There are lots of each of those in Pittsburgh -- and in Mt. Lebanon. Yet my naive assumption was entirely wrong. I've had countless conversations both in Lebo and in Pittsburgh with successful individuals in each of these groups: If you want to get the community up and moving, this is who you have to talk to; this is what you have to do. It's an Introductory course in getting-a-city-moving.

I'm optimistic that anxiety about the future of Pittsburgh is receding, that fear is being slowly replaced by hope, and that local networks -- both in Pittsburgh and in Mt. Lebanon -- are forming and getting traction. I mention my piece of getting-a-city-moving only as an example; others do this much more than I do and, I hope, do it much more effectively. I just write about it from time to time. At a meeting in the City last night, a group of us concluded that the way to stop worrying about Pittsburgh's famous insecurity was to stop worrying about Pittsburgh's famous insecurity.

If things are nice now, just wait until they get better. Because they can, and I hope that they will.

[For the first post in this series -- on the centrality of children and dogs in Mt. Lebanon -- click here.]

[For the second post in this series -- on the Fourth of July celebration in Mt. Lebanon -- click here.]

[For the third post in this series -- on the status economy -- click here.]

[For the fourth post in this series -- on high school football -- click here.]

[For the fifth post in this series -- on the Lebo Bubble -- click here.]

Commissioners Approve Land Sale For Hotel

Mt. Lebanon commissioners last night approved the sale of a 12,600-square-foot property along Washington Road for a hotel development.

The property, located adjacent to the Howard Hanna building, has been the subject of various development possibilities over the past five years. The proposed buyer, Harmar-based Kratsa Properties, intends to use the land for a nationally franchised hotel.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07254/816414-55.stm

Link 2: www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/pittsburghhotel0912.aspx

Attention Lebo Homeowners!

A sharp-eyed neighbor emailed me with the news that according to the Lebo police blotter , thefts of copper downspouts are on the rise. A quick check of the blotter suggests that something is indeed going on; our copper is disappearing.

My correspondent speculated that illegal drugs are the culprit. I don't know about that one way or the other, but a Google search suggests that copper prices are simply going through the roof; demand in Asia, not demand for drugs, is the driver.

There's a bad free trade/globalization in here somewhere, but it's too late and I'm too tired. At least Mt. Lebanon isn't alone in its suffering.

Bad for Business?

A friend of mine in Mt. Lebanon reports on a sour recent experience at Iovino's Cafe on Beverly Road. My friend and a partner took a visitor and a partner, visitors from out of town, to dinner. They brought a bottle of wine, prepared to pay a reasonable corkage fee. The restaurant, however, charged a "stem" fee -- $4 per glass -- which cost him $16 (four people, four glasses, one table) on top of the cost of the bottle.

Stem fees aren't unheard of in the restaurant business, though they are relatively uncommon at restaurants, like Iovino's, that don't offer a wine list (and don't pay to select and store wine that they sell). (For a review of the issue from an industry point of view, try this piece.) Modest "per table" or "per bottle" fees are more common, and reasonable in light of the cost of stocking, cleaning, and replacing wine glasses. $4 per stem, however, is out of line; $16 for the bottle is something you'd expect to pay in a high-end restaurant in San Francisco or New York, not a pleasant neighborhood restaurant in Pittsburgh.

My friend won't be back.

Road Construction on Cochran

Traffic will be reduced to a single lane each way from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow and for the next two Saturdays on Cochran Road/Route 19 in Mt. Lebanon.

A contractor will be repairing the concrete in an area where a recent water-main break occurred and weakened the highway. Drivers can expect changing traffic patterns and occasional delays.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07250/815520-100.stm

Officials Reviewing New Plans For Washington Park

Another real estate company has stepped to the plate to begin marketing Washington Park, an upscale condominium and retail development planned for Mt. Lebanon at the corner of Washington and Bower Hill roads.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/09_05_ML_condo_stalls_B

Web Site (and New Sign) For Washington Park

While driving on Washington Road yesterday, I noticed that a new (and bigger) sign has gone up on the Washington Park property. Interestingly, the sign now lists a web site for the project as well.

Riders React To Changes In Transit Routes

Pittsburghers know that you can't always get there from here, especially on public transportation. But the Port Authority is trying; it just wants its riders to be a little more flexible.

The introduction of three new weekday bus routes in the South Hills area is the authority's second foray into the "trunk-and-feeder" system used by other metropolitan transit systems, such as St. Louis. It's hardly a revolutionary idea, just a fairly new one in our area. In Philadelphia, for example, the feeder system serves light rail, heavy rail (trains) and commuter rail.

Other cities employing this system to some degree include Dallas; Houston; Portland, Oregon; Salt Lake City and Sacramento.

The Port Authority's newest changes were achieved by eliminating two bus routes -- the 37A Mt. Lebanon and the 41C Cedar Boulevard -- and creating a feeder system of smaller buses to take riders to major light-rail stations instead of all the way into town.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07249/814822-55.stm

Does it Matter Where Kids Go to College?

The new school year is starting and soon MLHS kids will be scrambling to submit college applications, and agonizing over whether they'll be accepted to their top choice school or their "fallback." There is probably some time before the stress begins in earnest, so it seems like a good time to mention Paul Graham's latest essay, in which he argues that it doesn't matter where you go to college. Graham is a tech entrepreneur who went to Cornell for undergrad and Harvard for his PhD. He founded ViaWeb, which eventually became Yahoo Stores. Now he runs Y Combinator, a venture that funds technology startups. His company has evaluated hundreds of applications from thousands of potential startup founders. His conclusion: there's no relationship between what school someone went to and how smart or talented they are. My favorite quote:

There's nothing like going to grad school at Harvard to cure you of any illusions you might have about the average Harvard undergrad. And yet Y Combinator showed us we were still overestimating people who'd been to elite colleges. We'd interview people from MIT or Harvard or Stanford and sometimes find ourselves thinking: they must be smarter than they seem. It took us a few iterations to learn to trust our senses.

Practically everyone thinks that someone who went to MIT or Harvard or Stanford must be smart. Even people who hate you for it believe it.

But when you think about what it means to have gone to an elite college, how could this be true? We're talking about a decision made by admissions officers—basically, HR people—based on a cursory examination of a huge pile of depressingly similar applications submitted by seventeen year olds. And what do they have to go on? An easily gamed standardized test; a short essay telling you what the kid thinks you want to hear; an interview with a random alum; a high school record that's largely an index of obedience. Who would rely on such a test?

There is other evidence, including the Dale and Krueger study that showed that attending a more selective school does not lead to higher income over time:

They find that school selectivity, measured by the average SAT score of the students at a school, doesn't pay off in a higher income over time. "Students who attended more selective colleges do not earn more than other students who were accepted and rejected by comparable schools but attended less selective colleges," the researchers write. They also find that the average SAT score of the schools students applied to but did not attend is a much stronger predictor of students' subsequent income than the average SAT score of the school students actually attended. They call this finding the "Spielberg Model" because the famed movie producer applied to USC and UCLA film schools only to be rejected, and attended Cal State Long Beach. Evidently, students' motivation, ambition, and desire to learn have a much stronger effect on their subsequent success than the average academic ability of their classmates.

As Graham points out, even non-prestigious schools will have some smart students and professors to hang around with and learn from. Practically all public research universities now have honors programs, whose students are at least as smart as -- and probably smarter than -- the average Harvard undergrad.

What do you think? Is it worth the extra 2x to 3x tuition, plus the time the kids spend, organizing their high school lives around the perceived preferences of the admissions officers?

Volunteers and Ideas Wanted

As part of Pittsburgh's 250th birthday celebration, Imagine Pittsburgh! is soliciting proposals for community-driven and community-based civic projects that will be funded by powers-that-be. Here's the website with details. A total of $1 million in grants is available.

Recent Lebo arrival Chris Schultz, who blogs at Green is Good, would love to hear from people interested in assembling a Lebo-based proposal. How about something to make Lebo more bicycle friendly? How about more support for green design and green building? Email Chris at schultzchr@gmail.com. The deadline for proposals is September 14.

Deer Management Meeting Rescheduled

Mt. Lebanon Municipality has rescheduled the public meeting on deer management that was originally planned for Wednesday, September 12, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building Commission Chamber. The meeting date needed to be changed because of schedule conflicts among key participants.

The new date for the deer management meeting is Wednesday, September 26, at 7:30 p.m. in the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building Commission Chamber.

Last year at Mt. Lebanon's request, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted a study that confirmed the number of deer in Mt. Lebanon exceeded the community’s “carrying capacity.” Mt. Lebanon contracted with the USDA for a controlled hunt conducted by certified sharpshooters, and the herd was reduced.

The public is invited to hear a discussion of the USDA's final report on last year's program and the agency's recommendations for deer management in the coming season. Craig Swope of the USDA will be present at the meeting. Following his presentation, Mt. Lebanon Commissioners will hear public comment.

The USDA’s final report will be posted on www.mtlebanon.org on Tuesday, September 5. For further information, contact Public Works Director Tom Kelly, at 412-343-3869.

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Update from Mt. Lebanon Municipality: Mt. Lebanon residents are invited to comment on the municipality’s deer management program at a public meeting to be held 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 26, in the Commission Chamber of the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, 710 Washington Road.

Last year, at Mt. Lebanon’s request, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) conducted a study that concluded that the number of deer in the community exceeded the local “carrying capacity.” Mt. Lebanon then contracted with the USDA to reduce the size of the herd using certified USDA sharpshooters.

At the September 26 meeting, Craig Swope of the USDA will discuss the agency’s final report on last year’s program and make recommendations.

A public comment session will follow. Commissioners hope to hear from residents who were satisfied with last season’s effort, as well as from residents who have concerns or wish to suggest ways in which the deer management program might be improved. In the interest of time, comments will be limited to five minutes per speaker. The USDA report is posted at www.mtlebanon.org.