Attempted Murder/Suicide in Mt. Lebanon

Mt. Lebanon Police say it appears that a local teenager may have tried to kill his former girlfriend before attempting to kill himself by jumping in front of a Port Authority trolley car during rush hour.

According to police, the boy allegedly had beat the girl in the head with a hammer in a nearby wooded area after she broke up with him earlier in the day. Police say he asked the girl to meet him. She was able to flee and get help from neighbors. She was taken to Children's Hospital with head injuries.

Update: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has posted an article containing the names and pictures of the two people involved in this incident last night.

Link 1: www.postgazette.com/pg/07305/830336-100.stm

Link 2: www.kdka.com/topstories/Pedestrian.T.accident.2.479716.html

The Go-To Guide To Mt. Lebanon

Tracy Certo from Pop City has written a great article about our town called The Go-To Guide To Mt. Lebanon. It's a good read for someone that has lived here their whole life or someone who is brand new to "Lebo".

Link: www.popcitymedia.com/features/mtl1031.aspx

Mojoe Coffee Moves To Castle Shannon

Former Mt. Lebanon based business Mojoe Coffee has moved from their old Broadmoor Avenue digs to 250 Mt. Lebanon Boulevard in Castle Shannon. Pop City talks about the move in their "Development News"

Link: www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/mojo1031.aspx

Rep. Smith To Host Hearing on Transit-Oriented Economic Development

From an email received this morning from Rep. Smith's office:

Please join me and my colleagues on the Majority Policy Committee at a hearing on transit-oriented economic development from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building , Commissioner's Room, 710 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon.

The hearing will focus on the South Hills Transit Investment District, the status of a commissioned study that was made possible by a Transit Revitalization Investment District grant from Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, future plans for areas surrounding our area's light rail transit stations, and economic projections. Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato is scheduled to testify at 1 p.m.

This is meeting is open to the public. If you have questions, please contact me in my constituent service office at (412) 571-2169 .

John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

Congratulations to Natalie Kindler, who has been selected by WQED as the winner of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus 2008 "How does music change lives?" Essay Contest. The Tour Bus will be at Jefferson Middle School on October 30th from 8 am - 4 pm. The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is a non-profit, mobile recording studio outfitted with traditional musical instruments as well as current technological advances. Since 1998, the Bus has provided free hands-on programs to hundreds of high schools and colleges. In addition to the winner and 4 friends making their own music video, 100 JMS students will be able to experience the bus and all of its offerings.

Meet The Candidates Night

How do you know who to vote for? Take the time to meet and question school board and commissioner candidates. A non-partisan forum sponsored by the Mt. Lebanon PTA Council and the League of Women Voters.

Date: October 30th

Time: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

Place: Jefferson Auditorium

Welcome, Newcomers

The November 2007 issue of Mt. Lebanon ("mtl") magazine unintentionally acknowledges that Mt. Lebanon is not Lake Wobegon, Mayfield, Stepford, or Pleasantville. Sometimes people get angry here, behave irrationally, and generally act up. Sometimes expectations just clash. This is great news, in my opinion -- not that people behave irrationally, but that the town acknowledges a minor bit of imperfection. From Susan Morgans' "About this issue":

Here’s what I don’t get. We all chose to live in Mt. Lebanon with 33,000 people packed into six square miles. It’s impossible to avoid our neighbors. So why are we so surpised when their behavior affects our lives? And why don’t we think more about how our actions can diminish their quality of life? Mister Rogers got it; why can’t we?

Merle Jantz has a short feature further on that talks about politeness in parking, leaf blowing, party planning, trash disposal, dog barking, and weed trimming, among other things. The general tone of the piece is that the Municipality has the power to force you to deal with these things, so please be nice and deal with them on your own. Don't call the police. Instead, have a friendly chat with your neighbors, or slip them a nice note, and in the worse of cases get in touch with the Municipality's Community Relations Board.

Like Susan, I'm puzzled by a community filled with would-be Captains Renault ("I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here."), but I'm not puzzled at all that we're not all related to Mister Rogers. Put 33,000 people in six square miles and how could you *not* have people disagreeing with each other and occasionally giving offense? Diversity of expectation is a sign of health -- people are living independent lives, rather than conforming to a single government-sponsored set of rules for daily living -- not a sign of problems.

If you take "government telling you what to do" out of the picture, then absolutely, it is annoying to see your neighbors not playing by unwritten neighborhood rules, and absolutely the best solution much of the time is to chat with your neighbors, who (we hope) will be reasonable. It is nice to use good manners, and it is nice to get along.

There is a big difference, however, between people who go about their lives and give offense inadvertently, on the one hand, and people who go out of their way to flout norms of decency, on the other. Your level of annoyance and the character of your response (if any) should be proportionate. Sometimes the failure to chat informally with your neighbor is itself the cause of the problem, rather than leaves or parking or dogs. And sometimes being annoyed is simply unjustified. Behavior that disrupts expectations is occasionally par for the course in a crowded suburb.

Do we all have examples of these things? I do. Intentional offense: A neighbor who didn't like elementary school children cutting through a corner of the neighbor's yard to get to school erected a fence for the sole purpose of keeping them out, rather than to protect plantings or protect the kids themselves from harm. (This was years ago.) Building the fence was legally justified, but socially offensive. Disproportionate response: I've had neighbors threaten me with lawsuits twice, once over this blog (as you all know), and once over a small heap of dirt and leaves in my yard. The threats were both legally and socially unjustified. Just suck it up: Other people park in front of my house. That doesn't bother me, but I know that that same issue bothers a lot of other people. Parking there is legally and socially justified. I don't own the street.

MLHS Updates Families On MRSA Measures

Mt. Lebanon High School Principal Ronald P. Davis sent a letter Friday to parents and students, updating them on the Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) that has affected 11 student-athletes since September.

Tests conducted by the Allegheny County Health Department showed no presence of the bacteria on the football field turf or in the field house. Towels and disposable cups are available on the sidelines during the game as is a container for used towels. The equipment truck has been disinfected.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_534928.html

Library Group Recognizes Volunteers

Mt. Lebanon Public Library volunteer Jim Jamieson has been named Volunteer of the Year for 2007 by the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA).

And Pennsylvania Rep. Matt Smith (D-Mt. Lebanon) was selected by ACLA as "State Elected Official" of the year, for supporting libraries and helping to maintain and boost state library funding, particularly the Keystone Fund which was threatened with reductions in funding levels for libraries.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_24_ML_volunteer_of_yr__B

Lebo Mother Leads Way In Lead Testing

When they adopted Maia from China as an infant, Leeann and Lee Anderson thought they'd rescued her from a toxic environment.

Then Leeann Anderson discovered that several metal Thomas the Tank Engine toy trains that Maia, 4, and her son, Evan, 5, have played with and chewed on for years contain lead.

"I felt physically sick," said Anderson, 38, of Mt. Lebanon. "I was feeling, as a mother, I brought this into our home."

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/southwest/s_534369.html

Link 2: www.stoptoxicimports.org

Candidates Against Using Drink Tax For Transit

Both candidates for Allegheny County Council in District 5 have said imposing a new alcoholic drink tax to pay for transit is a bad idea.

The drink tax -- 10 percent on alcohol served in bars and restaurants in Allegheny County -- is part of a two-pronged approach to provide a dedicated funding stream of about $30 million to fund mass transit in the region. The other source would be a $2 daily tax on car rentals.

"It seems like kind of an odd fit," said Barbara D. Logan, a Mt. Lebanon commissioner who is the Democratic nominee challenging Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07298/828188-55.stm

Link 2: www.gastgeb.com

Link 3: www.loganforcountycouncil.com

Upcoming Kids Safety Fair

A "Kids Safety Fair" will held at the Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Building on Washington Road Saturday following the annual Halloween parade, which starts at 10 a.m.

The safety fair, sponsored by County Councilman Vince Gastgeb and the Mt. Lebanon Police Department, will provide information on various safety issues concerning children and on crime prevention and health and nutrition.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07298/828199-55.stm

Parent Resource Network Featured

In today's Post-Gazette:

Beginning this month, the Parent Resource Network will provide parent mentors who have NICU experience or a child with ongoing medical needs. The group will also offer support groups and a hotline, and will assist with the variety of needs that arise when a child is hospitalized -- from arranging meals to arranging pet care.

Support will extend well beyond the time the child is in the NICU, since many children will leave the hospital with chronic health problems or with conditions that are not yet diagnosed.

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07297/827774-114.stm

Link: http://www.parentresourcenetwork.org/

Kudos to Lebo's Kelly Fraasch, who spearheads PRN.

County Bans Sex Offenders From Living Too Close To Schools, Parks

Allegheny County Council yesterday passed a law prohibiting registered sexual offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a school or child care center, public park or playground.

Council unanimously approved the ordinance that was introduced in June by Councilman Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park, after a group of Mt. Lebanon residents, angered to learn that a registered sex offender was living near an elementary school in the Sunset Hills neighborhood, pressed for more restrictions.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07297/827964-85.stm

Some Lebo History....

NOTE: A big thanks to Annette Sanchez from the Andy Reinhart for Commissioner campaign for sharing this list of facts with us. These facts are also listed on Andy's site.

1. In 1951, Edwin H. Beachler of The Pittsburgh Press wrote, “Mt. Lebanon is the community that an unsurpassed civic spirit built – people with such deep pride in their stone and brick ‘castles’ that they refused to settle for anything but the best.”

2. In the 1920s, Mt. Lebanon was the fastest-growing community in Pennsylvania, gaining 11,000 people over that decade. The township’s 1200-foot altitude and prevailing westerly winds made for cleaner air – a real advantage as air pollution worsened in the Pittsburgh area. (The Pittsburgh Press, 1951)

3. Foster School, named for famed Pittsburgh composer Stephen Foster, was built in 1939. It was Mt. Lebanon’s fifth elementary school. (The Pittsburgh Press, 1951)

4. The area known as Mt. Lebanon has a complicated history: In 1788, it was part of St. Clair Township. When that was divided, in 1806, it became part of Upper St. Clair, and in 1861, it became part of Scott Township. In 1912, residents of the eastern portion of Scott formed Mt. Lebanon Township. (from “Annals of Mt. Lebanon,” commemorating the 25th anniversary of the founding of Mt. Lebanon , 1937.)

5. Mt. Lebanon was the first township in Pennsylvania to create a community relations board. It was formed in 1966. (From “All About Mt. Lebanon,” 1968)

6. Mt. Lebanon takes its name from two cedars of Lebanon trees, brought from the Holy Land and planted in 1850 by Rev. Joseph Clokey. Many years later, a piece of one of the original cedars was carved into a gavel and presented to the Mt. Lebanon Women’s Club. (From “All About Mt. Lebanon, “ 1968)

7. According to “All About Mt. Lebanon,” a pamphlet created in the late ‘60s for new homeowners, 1968 school tax rates were 38 mils, while the municipality received 11.25 mils. Current tax millage is 23.56 for the school district and 4.97 for the municipality.

8. Although Mt. Lebanon became an independent township in 1912, real growth didn’t come until 1924, when the Liberty Tubes opened. As automobile ownership exploded, accessible suburbs like Mt. Lebanon became more desirable. (from “All About Mt. Lebanon,” 1968)

9. The oldest church in town, Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian, was founded in a local orchard on a farm owned by David Kennedy in 1807. It was originally called “The Associated Reformed Congregation of Saw Mill Run.”

10. The July-August 1989 edition of Mt. Lebanon Magazine promoted the Great State of Mt. Lebanon State Fair, to be held July 28-30 at Washington School. Among the events planned were a Lawyers Relay Race, Decorated Volvo contest, and Hot Wheels rodeo.

11. The first issue of Mt. Lebanon Magazine, dated January 1981, featured a profile of Colorado’s then-governor, Richard Lamm, a 1953 graduate of Mt. Lebanon High School.

12. In an April 1981 Mt. Lebanon Magazine article, “Making Friends With the Fast Idiot,” high school math coordinator Fred Gaertner noted that the school owned four computers, and was about to add two new Apple microprocessors.

13. A March 1989 advertisement in Mt. Lebanon Magazine announced the grand opening of the Galleria, “the city’s most eclectic collection of fashion from Ann Taylor to Zebra.”

14. In 1968, a Mt. Lebanon family pool pass sold for $25. That year, the pool offered a Teen-Age Swim from 9-11 pm on Thursdays, for fifty cents. (Family pool passes cost $220 in 2007.) (1968 information from “All About Mt. Lebanon”)

15. In 1968, roughly 78 percent of Mt. Lebanon voters were registered Republicans. “All About Mt. Lebanon” noted that Republican registration was once as high as 94 percent.

16. Coal was mined underground in the township from 1883 until 1923. Streetcars to Pittsburgh began in 1901; later that year, the first real estate subdivision, the Mt. Lebanon Plan, was laid out. By 1905, 11 subdivisions had been approved in the area that became Mt. Lebanon. (from “Mt. Lebanon: Where Past and Future Meet,” by Wallace F. Workmaster, Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon)

17. “As early as July, 1912, the (Mt. Lebanon) commission debated establishing a speed limit on Washington Road and marking dangerous spots on other roads... By 1934, Mt. Lebanon residents owned 3,966 automobiles and lived in 3,460 dwelling places, figures which suggest that a number of families owned more than one vehicle, even in the depths of the Great Depression.” ( from “Mt. Lebanon: Where Past and Future Meet,” by Wallace F. Workmaster, Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon)

Dormont Has a Blog!

I just stumbled across the DormontBlog, which is very nice looking -- and which looks like it has occasional trouble with commenters getting personal on the blog. Unimaginable!

Altogether, having another community blog in the South Hills is a great thing. Welcome to the blogosphere, belatedly!

Link: http://dormontblog.org/

No MRSA Found At MLHS Stadium

Tests conducted by the Allegheny County Health Department have shown that there is no staph bacteria in the turf or the field house facilities at Mt. Lebanon High School stadium.

Health Department Spokesman Guillermo Cole said today that all 13 samples taken yesterday came back negative for any type of staph germs, including those that cause the drug resistant MRSA infections that have been confirmed in 10 students at Mt. Lebanon High School, including nine football players.

Mr. Cole said 13 samples were taken in all, with eight coming from the field and five from the indoor facilities, including the locker rooms, weight room and training room.

Link: www.postgazette.com/pg/07292/826788-100.stm

Link 2: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_533635.html

Link 3: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_24_ML_MRSA_outbreak_B

Get Out of Here

If you search the archives of Blog-Lebo comments, among several regular themes you'll find this one: Stop whining. If you don't like the way that things are in Mt. Lebanon, then move away. Sometimes the theme is expressed by long-time residents of Mt. Lebanon who are skeptical of any effort to (change) (improve) the town (take your pick of those two words!). Sometimes the theme is expressed by new arrivals who picked Lebo because it's a special place, and they see little reason to upset their new apple cart.

You won't find that theme among the posts, because I (speaking only for myself) find that attitude just bizarre. Yes, Mt. Lebanon is a terrific little town. As I've written myself here over and over again, it's a great choice for families and even young professionals moving into the Pittsburgh region or moving out of the City. Yes, I know that there are a lot of long-time residents in Mt. Lebanon, and many families that have been here for multiple generations, and I know that they care passionately about Lebo and its history and its traditions. Yes, some folks get over-invested in personal melodramas that don't affect the town's quality of life (or schools, or business, etc.).

Like any suburb, Mt. Lebanon is far from perfect, and some of its flaws have gotten a lot of public attention in recent years. But complaining about complaining -- telling people to move away if they don't like something about the town -- is mean-spirited. It's bad for Mt. Lebanon. Very few people are able to pick up and move easily and quickly, and very few people want to. My sense is that most people in Mt. Lebanon like the town a great deal, and that many people -- including many of those who comment critically on this blog -- are working as hard as they can to make it the best place they think it can be. Mt. Lebanon is very nice, but it is *not* the best of all possible worlds.

The "move away" comment is not usually meant seriously. It's meant metaphorically, to discourage the criticism. That's backward. Encourage the critics! (Though don't encourage their melodramas.) Don't send them away. You want to sell those unsold houses? Attract newcomers? Don't turn Mt. Lebanon into Stepford. Show the world that Mt. Lebanon has the self-confidence and intelligence to discuss its future publicly.

The Fastest Man in Mt. Lebanon

Mt. Lebanon resident Dr. Allan Tissenbaum, who practices with the The Orthopedic Group, finished sixth overall last month in the M45 division of the 100 meter dash at the World Masters Athletics Championship in Riccione, Italy.

Link One

Link Two

Dr. Tissenbaum also volunteers as the author of the "GeezerJock Doc" column for GeezerJock magazine, "the magazine and online community for Masters athletes."

Beverly Heights Church Transition Proceeds

"Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church was dismissed from the Pittsburgh Presbytery yesterday so it could join a more conservative denomination -- the first of what could be several votes over divisive theological and ecclesiastical questions.

The dismissal was the culmination of six months of discussions precipitated by the Mt. Lebanon church's overwhelming vote in April to leave the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.

The vote by the presbytery's clergy and elders was 174 for dismissal and 73 against, with two abstentions.

The action takes effect immediately."

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07292/826690-55.stm

ZIPskinny

I came across ZIPskinny tonight while perusing my normal list of blogs. It's a pretty interesting site that uses data from the 2000 Census.

They have a "What You Need To Know About This Site" section which states the following:

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, errors and omissions can occur, and visitors are encouraged to use the actual Census site instead of this one for any serious research.

Additionally, we wish to point out that there are certain important limitations to the data presented here. Because many of the measurements are based on sample data, certain results may be skewed in some cases, especially when the ZIP code area in question represents a very small sample. Please bear in mind that ZIP codes are not uniform population units. They were invented for mail delivery, not population comparisons.

The site provides an interesting "first glance" at a ZIP Code area, but it should only be seen as that -- a first glance. It is not a substitute for the more thorough research you should do prior to making decisions about relocating to or conducting business in a particular location.

It's interesting to see some of the statistics that they provide about the ZIP codes of Mt. Lebanon. I've broken down all of our ZIPs in the following list:

• 15216
  
• 15226
  
• 15228
  
• 15234
  
• 15243
  

MLHS Architect Search Will Begin

Board members in Mt. Lebanon will select a board committee next week to negotiate a contract with prospective architects for the high school renovation project.

Estimated at $100 million-plus, the work would net the selected architect firm between $6 million-$7 million, because architects charge a percentage of the total cost of the work as their fee. The board members named to the committee will seek out and negotiate a contract with architect firms. The entire board would then be asked to approve the agreement.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_17_ML_architect_search_B

MLSD Values Policy Defined

Board members in Mt. Lebanon have approved a school district "core values" policy which is defined as "a system of beliefs and behaviors that an organization exhibits on a day-to-day basis."

The policy as approved requires administrative enforcement and development of administrative procedures for implementation, but does not specify what the penalties, if any, would be for violations.

School board members along with administrative staff developed the policy in committee. It was read for the first time at last month's school board meeting. It passed by unanimous vote Oct. 15.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_17_ML_core_values_B

Lebo Walk Will Honor Fallen Friend

Tom Bauman lived joyously, as a mentor to many of the children of Mt. Lebanon and friend to many adults.

He was also a son, brother, teacher, coach and landscaper and was often seen rollerblading, a sport he loved, in the Virginia Manor area of Mt. Lebanon, near where he had grown up. Tom climbed the Grand Tetons - twice. Once he honored a deceased uncle, who had been a prisoner of war in WWII, by running the steps of the US Steel Building.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_17_ML_Walk_to_Remember__pix

Lebo Moves To Install Sidewalks

Mt. Lebanon is known as a "walking community," and yet nearly 35 percent of Mt. Lebanon streets are without sidewalks. The board of commissioners voted unanimously on Oct. 8 to make that percentage a little smaller.

The municipality passed a resolution for new sidewalk segments to be constructed between 847 McArthur Drive and 128 Woodland Drive, as well as from 202 Whitmore Street to 214 Whitmore Street.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_17_ML_sidewalks_B

Libraries Offer Interactive Learning

Justin Thakar's mother was pleased when she was told her 15-year-old son has a good accent when he speaks Japanese. "He is doing well with Japanese. It's not the easiest language to learn," said Mary Beth Thakar of Mt. Lebanon, who home-schools her son.

Justin works hard on his Japanese, but his mother credits his progress to online language instruction the Mt. Lebanon public library offers its patrons. The library provides "Rosetta Stone," a language study program that she downloaded onto an MP3 player to help guide her son through the difficulties of Japanese and Spanish. The library offers similar programs in other languages, including English as a second language.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_533107.html

C.C.'s Place For Potato Pancakes

Happy Birthday to you, C.C.'s! On Nov. 1, C.C's Home Made Food, Mt. Lebanon's only diner with its signature blue and white awning, will celebrate 25 years as 'the place' for a bowl of chicken dumpling soup made daily with real chicken and Pittsburgh's Best list potato pancakes.

In a way it is also owner Mt. Lebanon resident Carolyn Zulka Christian's birthday because you can't separate the two. It's Carolyn's initials which identify the storefront diner. She is chief cook, bottle washer, restaurant designer and local celebrity. C.C's was featured in the recently published cookbook, "Where We Like Eat'n At" by Gail Nesbitt Jones and Marsha Dugan Kolbe.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_17_Lori_Cook_Carolyn_Christman_pix

First Flight for a Mt. Lebonite

Mt. Lebanon's Brad Fisher, who works for Alcoa, will be taking one of the world's most unique business trips next week. He's be traveling to Singapore next week on Alcoa's behalf to be a passenger on the first commercial flight of the new Airbus A380 aircraft.

Brad has set up a blog to chronicle the experience. Check it out at http://a380firstflightfirstperson.blogspot.com/.

Mt. Lebanon Mystery #2

From this morning's Post-Gazette:
County to test Mt. Lebanon High field as source of staph
"The Allegheny County Health Department will test the turf and field house at Mt. Lebanon High School stadium to see if they harbor the bacteria that are causing drug-resistant staph infections among the school's football players.

Ten cases of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, infections have been confirmed at the high school, nine of them among football players with the 10th a student-athlete from another team. Three more students with suspected cases are being tested and one case has been confirmed at Jefferson Middle School."

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07291/826385-55.stm

I hope that updates will be posted at the School District's website.

The turf at the high school is only four years old. When does the warranty run out?

UPDATE (10/19 7:30 am): Bethel team to take MRSA precautions for Mt. Lebo game (Post-Gazette)

Mt. Lebanon Mystery #1

My alarm didn't go off this morning, so I woke up an hour late -- as did my son, who would have been late to school. But Mt. Lebanon High School is closed today. Why? A "major power outage." What's the source? There's no information on the high school website, and no news on the municipality website.

The Post-Gazette reports: "Duquesne Light is reporting that a "power surge'' caused the outage, and crews were working in underground vaults to discover the problem and fix it."

Link: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07291/826446-100.stm

Is this part of the curse of living in a town where the infrastructure (sewer, water, gas, electrical) is simply old? Or is it something else entirely?

Updated at 6:20 p.m.: The municipality of Mt. Lebanon declined to add a comment to the blog, but the municipality's website now reports:

A crack in an underground electrical cable that occurred at about 11:40 Wednesday night resulted in a power outage in and around Mt. Lebanon High School. Classes were cancelled Thursday as a result. Mt. Lebanon Fire Department determined that there was no danger to the high school building. Power has been restored to all areas of the community except the high school. Duquesne Light crews currently are working to replace the faulty cable and to proactively replace two other cables that supply electricity to the high school. Power is expected to be restored by 5 p.m. this evening and school is expected to reopen on schedule tomorrow.

Link: http://mtlebanon.org/CivicAlerts.asp?AID=56

The Post-Gazette's report (link above) has likewise been corrected to eliminate the reference to a "surge."

Rep. Smith To Sponsor Senior Fair

From an email received this morning from Rep. Smith's office:

State Rep. Matt Smith (D-Mt. Lebanon), will sponsor a senior fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 at Galleria of Mt. Lebanon. The senior fair will include free information on a variety of state and local issues from 80 exhibitors, applications for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program and PACE and PACENET, free flu shots, door prizes and refreshments. Anyone on Medicare who wants to get a free flu shot is asked to bring his or her Medicare card. Guests will include KDKA radio personalities Dr. Knowledge and Miss Information, who are scheduled to attend from 11 a.m. to noon.

Lebo - Democracy in Action

In a Comment at this earlier post, Ward 1 Voter posed a series of excellent questions for the candidates for Mt. Lebanon commissioner:

1. One of the largest retail spaces in our Central Business District - the Denis Theatre - has remained dormant for a number of years. Certainly, it would add to the vibrancy of our communtiy and the existing retail and dining establishments if this asset was once again put to good use, or even redeveloped for a new use as soon as possible. How would you prevent similar property owners from sitting on these prime retail locations while doing nothing?

2. As I travel to my children's soccer games around Western Pennsylvania, I have noticed that the community fields in several other areas put Mt. Lebanon to shame, both in number and overall condition. Further, it is becoming increasingly obvious that Mt. Lebanon's fields cannot meet the present demand. Do you have a position with respect to developing additional field space, while maintaining or updating our existing field space?

3. Do you have a position regarding the various swimming pool proposals that have been presented?

4. Do you support TIF funding for the condominium project on Washington Rd?

5. In recent years, traffic has become one of the single biggest issues facing our community. As you may know, a traffic calming policy was implemented a couple of years ago and several recommendations for effected neighborhoods have been presented to the Commission. However, only one (Mission Hills) has been formally implemented. Are you in favor of increased funding to support traffic calming measures or do you believe that traffic is something that we simply must accept as part of life in Mt. Lebanon?

6. For several decades Mt. Lebanon was able to market itself to first time homebuyers and growing families by promoting its excellent schools, its stately homes on quiet streets and its proximity to Downtown. However, many neighboring school districts have made up the gap and, in some instances, passed Mt. Lebanon. Many of our once quiet streets are now busy cut through routes for residents living south of Mt. Lebanon. And our stately (aging) homes are now a tough sell to a family of 4 or more, particularly when you compare them to the newer homes in Wexford, Pine Richland and Cranberry, all of which are becoming increasingly convenient to Downtown with 279 North, the HOV lanes, etc. How do you plan to market the "new" Mt. Lebanon to first time homebuyers and growing families?

So far, Andy Reinhart (candidate in Ward 3) and Raja (candidate in Ward 1) have weighed in with responses in the Comments to that post. Again, here is the link.

UPDATE (10/19 7:25 am): Bonnie Van Kirk (Ward 1 candidate) has added a long response in the Comments to the earlier post Link here. Dan Miller (Ward 5 candidate) has put up a long Comment on this (Democracy in Action) post.

Handmade House of Horrors

Kathy Engel handed out candy to 221 trick-or-treaters last year. That's considered an off year in her Mt. Lebanon neighborhood. "It was rainy," she said with a laugh. Engel and her neighbors are accustomed to handing out about twice that much, in large part because of her neighbor's Halloween display.

Ken Unico has a front yard full of animatronic creatures, including an alien that blows bubbles. A head that pops out of a toilet spits water. Smoke rises from the head of a gorilla in an electric chair. A pair of torso-less legs pedal an exercise bike.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_532822.html

Lebo Doc Sets Up Concierge Practice

From last Saturday's Post-Gazette, on page 1:

"Beginning Jan. 1, [Dr. Joel Warshaw, formerly with Mt. Lebanon Internal Medicine] is starting the area's first "concierge" internal medical practice for adults and older children. A local pediatrician, Dr. Scott Serbin, established a similar practice for young people in 2004.

Patients will be able to call Dr. Warshaw directly, even on weekends and holidays. If necessary, he'll meet them in the emergency room or make house calls. And he promises same-day or next-day appointments, even for nonemergencies.

The service comes with a price: $1,000 to $1,500 per year for most adults, with discounts for couples and older children."

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07286/825167-114.stm

Link 2: www.warshawmd.com

Link 3: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/s_533798.html

Will Dr. Warshaw get enough subscriptions to make his new practice fly? Some physicians who opened concierge practices discovered that not enough patients signed up. Maybe concierge medicine, like the Cupcake Class (people with enough disposable income that they can waste it on $3 cupcakes), is another barometer of Pittsburgh's economic sophistication. Best wishes to Dr. W, and to all of his patients.

Political Signs Everywhere

Yes, I know...this is the time of year where are our plants begin to die and the political yard signs begin to grow. Each April and October, signs supporting one candidate or the other sprout in our yards showing our support of a particular candidate or candidates. Mt. Lebanon is no different that anywhere else with regards to this.

What I want to know is -- why are candidates' signs showing up in areas that they shouldn't be? While I'm not going to name names, I'm very curious as to why I'm seeing a signs for someone on the other end of Mt. Lebanon -- nowhere near the area they are running to represent. I can totally understand saturating your own ward that you want to represent, but I think that is is unfair (and totally confusing to some voters) to place your signs all over the municipality. It's also totally inappropriate for signs to be placed on municipal property -- which I have definitely seen as well.

If any of the candidates read this blog, I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts (or reasons) why we're seeing signs in places that they shouldn't be.

Concert Will Help Neighbors Help Lebo Family In Need

Neighbors of a Venezuelan man who brought his family to Mt. Lebanon four years ago to escape political unrest in their homeland hope to raise money to pay for his cancer treatments.

Otto Limongi, 52, a self-employed contractor who has no health insurance, was diagnosed Aug. 30 with colon cancer that metastasized to his liver, almost four years to the day after the family arrived here.

They have been without an income since the diagnosis. "He can't work, and his wife doesn't have a work visa," said Kelly Fraasch, who is working with Aimee Lamendola to organize a benefit concert to help defray Limongi's medical bills.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/southwest/s_531949.html

MLPD Nab 2 Suspects In 13 Copper Thefts

Investigators have captured two men suspected of stealing copper downspouts to fund their drug habits, Mt. Lebanon police said Wednesday.

"Detectives worked with police in other places, checked with scrap dealers and pawn shops to get these suspects," said police Lt. Kenneth M. Truver.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/southwest/s_532011.html

Link 2: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/10_17_copper_arrests_B

Beehive NeedleArts on Pop City

New Lebo business Beehive NeedleArts has been featured on Pop City this week as a new business on Washington Road. Congrats on the exposure!

Link: www.popcitymedia.com/developmentnews/mtlebanon1010.aspx

Google Street View in Mt. Lebanon

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported today that Google has added Pittsburgh to its list of cities that it provides "street view" maps for. Interestingly, they have also done maps for some of the suburbs as well. Mt. Lebanon is one of those towns that has been included.

Visit the link below, click on "street view" at the top of the map, click on the camera for Pittsburgh and then drag the map around until you see the blue highlighted streets in Mt. Lebanon. You'll notice that they are still doing their scanning so part of our town is visible and other parts are not.

Link: maps.google.com

Firefighters Suffer Heat Exhaustion In Mt. Lebanon

Two firefighters were taken to St. Clair Hospital for treatment of heat exhaustion Sunday night after a three-alarm house fire in the 400 block of Longridge Drive in Mt. Lebanon.

Mt. Lebanon fire Chief Nick Sohyda said a fire that began in the basement of the unoccupied home had a good head start before it was reported to authorities at 6:11 p.m. The injured firefighters were with Mt. Lebanon and Bethel Park. The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_531549.html

Why Blog-Lebo?

Some people in Mt. Lebanon persist in characterizing Blog-Lebo as journalism. That's wrong. It's not journalism, and Joe and I aren't journalists. (I'm descended from two generations of professional journalists, so I know the difference.) We don't purport to be objective. We're critics. When it suits us, we link to news reported by the mainstream media. We critique, we comment, we offer opinion. When we see things we like, we may say that we like them. When we see things that we don't like, we may say that, too. Last night, as I was mulling the future of the blog, I wrote out a longer string of thoughts on the topic and posted it to Pittsblog. Read the whole thing here.

Ctrl+Alt+Del

Trying to avoid affecting a James Brown impression, Joe and I will give Blog-Lebo another go. We believe that last week's storm clouds have passed. There were good reasons to suspend the blog; as several commenters noted, there was more to the story than reacting to a nastygram. But many commenters and neighbors have made a persuasive case to us that there are more good reasons to continue.

We will implement some changes, some now and some later. Right now and most important, anonymous comments will not be permitted. The role of anonymity on the blog is an issue that we've discussed both on the blog and privately, and we've finally concluded that we're willing to risk the likely loss of commentary that follows from expecting commenters to identify themselves. Pseudonymous comments will be permitted only if there is a basis for identifying the commenter. I'm fully aware that people can make up names and impersonate others, and that the rule isn't perfect. I'm counting on good behavior on the part of most people. Joe and I will deal with the rest, but we hope that there will be relatively few of those.

The chief reason for the switch is to shift the burden of policing good behavior from us (where it lies when anonymous comments are OK) to you (where it lies when anonymous comments are not OK). An identity requirement will, we hope, encourage you to help us maintain a civil tone on the blog.

There is a also a substantive reason for the switch. I understand the fear that drives many people to post anonymously -- fear of teachers, fear of coaches, fear of neighbors, fear of municipal officials, fear of assessors. Almost everyone is afraid of something or someone, and every person needs to calculate their own personal risk equation. But anonymous comments pay a price in persuasiveness. Using your own name buys you credibility - and solidarity. After last week's episode, there was a minor "I am Spartacus" effect, as bloggers both near (Rich and Chris in Pittsburgh) and far (Jeff in Seattle, Jim in Colorado) blogged and linked in sympathy. Thanks to everyone who commented and expressed support for the blog! I didn't realize that the blog had such a wide national constituency. I could thank more of you, but I don't know who you are. Hopefully, as the blog reboots, I will.

Also, I should note that at least one other Lebo resident picked up the proverbial blogging gauntlet. (At least I assume that the author is a Lebo resident.) Welcome to the blogosphere to the Mt. Lebanon blog, at http://mtlebo.net/.

Mt. Lebanon Teen Hurt Walking Into Moving Car

A 15-year-old girl suffered abdominal injuries Thursday when she walked into the side of a slow-moving car near Mt. Lebanon High School.

The incident occurred about 3:30 p.m., shortly after classes had been dismissed at the school on Cochran Road, Mt. Lebanon police Lt. Michael Gallagher said. The girl walked from between two parked cars and into the side of the vehicle that was about to turn onto Florida Avenue, he said.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_531111.html

Mt. Lebanon Embraces Poets, Crafters Of Fiction

As if plotting rebellion, writers and readers come to the sweltering, two-room apartment above a dry cleaners and bakery, sinking into castoff couches or sitting rigid on folding chairs. A ceiling fan stirs stale air on a sweltering late-summer evening.

Terry Dubow, a fiction writer from Cleveland, arrives among the latecomers and walks to a music stand-cum-podium to read from a recent short story, a dark piece about sexual power and damage.

Paper Street Press, a Mt. Lebanon-based literary magazine, has opened one of its regular reading sessions along Beverly Road.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/living/s_530742.html

Deer Cull Likely In Mt. Lebanon

In the past five months, 23 collisions between deer and motorists have been reported in Mt. Lebanon. Such numbers have risen steadily since 2000, when police began tracking incidents, with 34 that year. In 2006, there were 62 incidents, none involving serious injuries to humans.

No surprise then, that a deer management meeting last week indicated the municipality will likely conduct further deer culling in parks and on private properties that agree to the shooting.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07277/822543-55.stm

Mt. Lebanon Golf Pro Settles Discrimination Suit

Mt. Lebanon officials have reached a tentative settlement agreement with the golf pro of their public course, who filed a federal age discrimination lawsuit last year.

Matthew Kluck, 49, claimed officials began trying to force him out in 2001, then intentionally made his job more difficult with reduced pay to make him quit. Kluck made about $61,000 when he filed the suit in January 2006. He sought reimbursement for lost pay and bonuses.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_530855.html

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish

Blog-Lebo is suspending operations. Existing posts and comments will remain. For the foreseeable future, there will be no new posts.

For an explanation, go here.

If you think that Mt. Lebanon deserves a community blog, please -- go ahead. Start one. They're free. I'll read and maybe even comment, and I'll link to you from Pittsblog.

For blog-based updates on Mt. Lebanon, read Pittsblog, along with the rest of the region.

See you at Aldo's sometime.

Rep. Smith To Host Meetings On Megan's Law

From an email received this morning from Rep. Smith's office:

Please join me at one of two meetings I will host on a proposal (H.B. 1803) to strengthen the state's Megan's Law. This legislation would create a residency restriction and provide for greater disclosure on residency for tracking purposes.

First Meeting

Time: 12:00 PM
Date: Monday, Oct. 8

Location: the Commissioner's Room at the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, 710 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon.

Second Meeting

Time: 6:00 P.M.
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 10

Location: the Story Room at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, 16 Castle Shannon Blvd., Mt. Lebanon.

Commissioner John Daley Newsletter, Part III

[Read Part I here.]
[Read Part II here.]

TIF

Another issue the Commission has been wrestling with for years
has been development of the property at the corner of Washington and
Bower Hill Roads. The land, sometimes referred to as the "Pennzoil
Property" has been sitting vacant, unused and generating very little
in tax revenue for decades. Back in 1995, a comprehensive plan for the
development of "gateways" to the community was completed on behalf
of the Township. The plan, known as "Chan Krieger," proposed
moderate-density lower scale apartments or condos with a first-floor
retail component for this northern Washington Road gateway to Mt.
Lebanon.

As anyone can discern, the Washington-Bower Hill land has still
sat vacant for the last twelve years. There was an ultimately-aborted
attempt at development with a builder some years back, but that attempt
failed largely due to the developer's inability to secure financing
for the project. In the late Spring of 2005, the Township invited a
Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from developers interested in building
a project envisioned by the Chan Krieger Plan. The process ultimately
led to Zamagias Properties being selected as the developer.

The controversy surrounding the project is not the development
itself but rather has been the securing of Tax Increment Financing (TIF)
by Zamagias. Before addressing the controversy, I will preface my
discussion with one item about the project which I do not believe is
controversial; namely, I believe persons on either side of the TIF issue
would agree that the project itself is a worthy one, will be attractive
in appearance and will provide a "shot in the arm" to the Washington
Road commercial district.

The real question has been whether this type of project in this
community is worthy of a TIF. As a general rule, I share the opinion of
Fifth Ward Commissioner Keith Mulvihill that private development is just
that - private - and that it should succeed or fail based upon its own
merits. However, as with any general rule, I also believe there are
exceptions. The simple fact is that the Pennzoil property has been
vacant and gathering weeds for the last few decades. It is an eyesore
and generates only roughly $13,300.00 in municipality and school
district real estate taxes collectively on an annual basis. While a
developer could certainly come in and proceed with a project without a
TIF, the project we would get would not be what is envisioned by Chan
Krieger. During the process, I came to the conclusion that the Zamagias
project was a worthy and worthwhile development and that the land would
not get developed pursuant to the Chan Krieger Plan without a TIF.

As I stated during a public meeting when the Commission approved
a TIF district for the development, the TIF process was far from
perfect. I think the developer should have been more prompt in its
submissions of plans and documentation. The Commission had to grant
extensions to Zamagias on more than one occasion. I also believe the
Township, including the Commission, could have consulted more closely
with the School District during the process.

Nevertheless, I still believe proceeding with the TIF for
Zamagias was the right thing to do. I believe one of the misconceptions
that arose during the debate on whether to proceed was the idea that the
Township and School District would be giving the developer something
akin to a wheel-barrel of cash and that the taxpayers would be fleeced.
To the contrary, under the TIF, an agreed-upon percentage of the
incremental increased tax on the property is placed in a fund to repay
the developer's loan. With the development and improvement to the
real estate, there will still be much greater tax revenue to both the
Township and the School District, even with the TIF. I believe
Commissioner Dave Humphreys of the Third Ward provided an excellent
rebuttal to the arguments against the TIF in his October 2006
Commissioner's Report in Mt. Lebanon Magazine, and I would encourage
you to read the same. If you no longer have the October 2006 issue, it
is available online at the Mt. Lebanon website.

The deer management, aquatic center and TIF issues I have
discussed in this newsletter are of course only a relatively small
portion of the challenges I have seen as a Commissioner. In future
newsletters and in my Mt. Lebanon Magazine reports, I hope to engage in
a discussion of other questions as well. As always, I am available for
questions, comments and criticism via telephone call, e-mail or simply
approaching me on the street. My contact information is at the
www.mtlebanon.org site.

Commissioner John Daley Newsletter, Part II

[Read Part I here.]

AQUATIC CENTER

Another question the Commission has been dealing with for the
last few years has been that of replacing our community swimming pool.
The current pool, completed in 1977, is at the end of its useful life.
The aluminum shell of the pool is buckling in places, and the
underground piping is in danger of failing. It is possible to get a few
more years out of the existing facility, but it is safe to say that
simply putting band-aids on the current pool is not a long-term
solution.

That being said, the real issue has been how to proceed. A few
years ago, there was a proposal for the Township and School District to
build an indoor natatorium that would combine competitive swimming with
a community facility. Largely out of reasons of cost, this proposal was
abandoned. About 14 months ago, we commissioned the aquatic firm of
Counsilman-Hunsaker to conduct an aquatic feasibility study for
replacing the current community pool. There were three public input
sessions in which citizens and stakeholder groups could voice their
ideas and concerns for a new facility. There was also a blog for
persons to post their comments and ideas online.

Counsilman-Hunsaker came up with an aquatic feasibility report
which discussed five separate options for a new facility. Each one of
these options contained cost and revenue estimates which took into
account demographic trends and inflation. The options ranged from
simply replacing the current 50-meter pool to an elaborate indoor
facility along the lines of the abandoned proposal for a combined
school-community facility. The indoor options (there were actually two
of these) are essentially off the table at this point. They are
cost-prohibitive, and the school district has indicated a lack of
interest in revisiting the combined facility idea.

At this time, there are three Counsilman-Hunsaker outdoor
options being considered. One is to simply replace the existing pool
with another 50-meter pool. The cost estimate for this proposal is
about $6.6 million. Another proposal is for a single body of water
which would combine a 25-meter competitive element with a recreational
element. This option has a $7.37 million cost estimate. The final of
the existing options still on the table is for two separate bodies of
water - a 50-meter competitive pool and a separate body for recreational
use. The estimate for this proposal is $9.96 million.

Under the latter two options, for the recreational element of
the facility, the idea of zero-depth entry (i.e., like a beach or as
with Dormont Pool) has some support. The recreational element would
also encompass amenities such as slides and fountains (something the
existing pool has). The idea for a vortex and/or "lazy river" has
also come up as a recreational element. Finally, there appears to be
some support for heating a new facility, something the existing pool
does not have. Having heated water could potentially increase the use
the pool would get in June, which can be on the cool side.

At recent Commission discussion sessions, there have been
concerns over cost raised. The replacement of the pool would be a
capital improvement project, necessitating the floating of a bond issue.
A bond issue requires four affirmative votes by the Commission.
Although I certainly would like to see Mt. Lebanon having a first-class
community aquatic facility for the long-term, there are legitimate
budgetary concerns about the debt service on such a significant
undertaking. At this time, I believe the support does exist on the
Commission to go forward with a project to build a new facility. I am
not sure the support is there, however, to go forward with the most
expensive of the outdoor options. I have also heard from citizens who
do not want to see a facility that essentially makes Mt. Lebanon's
pool as "Sandcastle-Mt. Lebanon." I do not believe even the most
elaborate of the existing options does that.

At this point, I cannot predict with certainty as to whether the
Commission will go forward with budgeting for the aquatic center before
the end of this year. There will be three new Commissioners coming to
office in January, and there may be a feeling among the outgoing members
of the Commission to defer to the new group coming in. It is also
possible that we may ask Counsilman-Hunsaker to come up with a hybrid
option that combines some of the desirable elements of the existing
proposals with an eye toward keeping the costs down. I am confident
that the Commission will proceed with a new facility, but it may be a
year before we act.

Commissioner John Daley Newsletter, Part I

John Daley, Commissioner in Mt. Lebanon's Ward 2, asked if Blog-Lebo would post a newsletter on his behalf. We're happy to do so, and the first Part of the three-Part newsletter appears below.

Any other Mt. Lebanon Commissioners and School Board members who would like to do the same are welcome to do so. Candidates for Commissioner and School Board are also welcome to send us newsletters for posting. Please contact us.

JOHN DALEY ANNUAL NEWSLETTER 2007

In my campaign for the office of Second Ward Commissioner in
2005, I promised to put out an annual newsletter for persons living in
the Second Ward. With the internet and, more specifically, the advent
of blogging, I believe this medium of communication is the best way to
reach not only Second Ward residents who take an active interest in
local government, but for persons in all of Mt. Lebanon as well. What I
would like to do here is to discuss some issues of interest I have faced
in Mt. Lebanon since my time on the Commission, as well as to address
the positions I have taken on the same.

Before I talk about some of the issues I have dealt with facing
the community, I want to make one prefacing statement; namely, that if
there is one absolute for anyone who holds public office no matter what
the level, it is that you can never be all things to all people or
please all of the people all of the time. Dealing with issues of policy
in a representative form of government requires an elected
representative to take positions with his or her votes. It is simply
inevitable that some of those votes are going to be disagreed with by
some. Without further adieu then, here are some of the issues (and this
is by no means exhaustive of issues facing the community) I have seen
and my take on the same.

DEER MANAGEMENT

Perhaps the issue I have seen that has generated the most
passion in my 20 months or so on the Commission has been that of the
deer. It is in fact a question that pre-dated my election in November
2005. During a Commission meeting I attended as a candidate, a public
hearing was conducted as to culling (in the form of a controlled hunt)
with use of professional bow hunters. Citizens rose to speak on the
question, with a majority of those in attendance speaking out against
culling operations. No further formal action was taken that year.

Upon my coming to the Commission in January 2006, the deer issue
of course did not go away. We had representatives of Upper St. Clair
come in to Commission discussion sessions to discuss their experience
with culling - first with bow hunting, and then later with United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) sharpshooters. The Upper St. Clair
experience revealed that it was only when sharpshooters were utilized
that the number of vehicle-deer collisions was reduced. We also had
USDA representatives come in to discuss their operations in culling deer
populations, and we did have an individual appear at a discussion
session via telephone conference to speak to contraception methodology.

A Deer Management Plan was commissioned and posted on the
municipal web site, and we did conduct another public hearing on the
subject. As was the case in 2005, a large number of citizens rose up in
opposition to a controlled hunt - some citing safety concerns with the
use of firearms, and others philosophically opposed to the idea of using
lethal methods to manage the deer population. Unlike the year before,
however, nearly as many people at the public hearing voiced support for
a controlled hunt. Some of these citizens were from the Second Ward.
In addition to this, a solid majority of the phone calls and e-mails I
received on the deer management subject were in support of the idea of a
controlled hunt.

My own personal view that developed during the process was to
support USDA going forward. I believe we did (and still do) have a
deer problem in Mt. Lebanon, particularly in the Second Ward, with Bird
Park and Robb Hollow Park being areas where significant numbers of deer
are. I would readily admit that the problem is not as pronounced in
areas such as the Fifth Ward, where the Washington Road business
district is. The deer population problem that convinced me that culling
was necessary was the issue of vehicle-deer collisions. Although
persons speaking of damage to gardens and shrubbery, as well as the risk
of lyme disease, played some factor in developing my view, those factors
alone were not enough to convince me to go forward. It was the very
real prospect of a collision between a vehicle and deer that would
involve either serious injuries or fatalities.

I also became convinced that contraception was not a realistic
option - in terms of feasibility, effectiveness and cost. I also was
satisfied that the USDA would take adequate safety precautions in their
culling operations. Their experience in other communities has been
solid in terms of safety. There has not been a single injury to a
person reported in all of the years of USDA conducting culling
operations. We were also briefed at length as to the safety precautions
USDA uses, such as using a softer ammunition that expands on impact in
order to decrease the risk of a ricochet, taking shots from elevated
positions so that the bullet travels downward and only with a backdrop
in the case of a miss. This also decreases the risk of a ricochet.
Finally, the USDA personnel conducting the hunt were to be professionals
and not some over-enthusiastic weekend hunters.

At the end of the day, I and three other Commissioners voted to
authorize USDA to engage in a controlled hunt or culling of the deer
population with use of sharpshooters in the areas of our public parks
and golf course. During the course of the culling operation between
February and early April 2007, some 69 deer were killed and removed,
with the venison meat of 68 of the deer being donated to local food
banks. Not a single injury was reported during the culling, and I am
not aware of more than one or two complaints registered which related to
persons seeing the removal of deer which had already been shot.

The deer issue has recently come up again. On Wednesday,
September 26, 2007, the Commission conducted a two-hour public meeting
on deer management. We heard from Craig Swope of USDA, and the USDA
report is available on the Mt. Lebanon web site at www.mtlebanon.org.
The report summarized the culling activities earlier this year, and it
recommends that 150 deer be targeted for the 2007-2008 winter months.
During the meeting, approximately 25 citizens spoke and provided their
opinion on the deer issue. A clear majority of the persons there (I
counted 17) were in favor of the culling and indicated that they would
support further culling activities by USDA.

As for those of you who are opposed to the approach the
Commission has taken - whether philosophically, for safety reasons or
for a combination of the two - I can respect your viewpoints. The issue
is one where I believe reasonable minds can differ. At the end of the
day, I can only say that I looked at the issue, determined there was
indeed a problem based upon the evidence presented and made the best
call I thought I could given the situation.

St. Clair Hospital Begins Work On New Emergency Room

St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon broke ground today on an 18,000-square-foot emergency department, with the state contributing $500,000 toward the $13.5 million construction cost.

The larger emergency department will allow for 80,000 visits per year; in the most recent fiscal year, St. Clair had 50,000 visits. It is projecting 60,000 within the next five years.

St. Clair, a 329-bed hospital, has 525 physicians and more than 2,000 employees.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07274/822069-100.stm