Mt. Lebanon Student, 13, Disciplined Over Threats

The Mt. Lebanon police department is investigating threats made by a student at Jefferson Middle School involving a possible list of students targeted for harm, but police said there is no imminent threat to any students at the school.

In a press release this morning, Mt. Lebanon police said school officials reported the matter to the department after several students were overheard talking about the threats and the alleged list.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08031/853718-100.stm

Link 2: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/s_550328.html

Former MTLPA Employee Sues Over Job Lost

The former assistant director of the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority sued his former employers Wednesday, alleging he lost his job in retaliation for attending public meetings and speaking out about matters of "public importance."

David Egler, 52, of Mt. Lebanon, worked as assistant director for three years before losing his job in June 2006. In his lawsuit, Egler said Mt. Lebanon violated his right to free speech and that the authority owes him $10,127 for unused sick time.

Link: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_550134.html

Sanitary Sewer Treatments in Mt. Lebanon

Take a look at this announcement on Mt. Lebanon's municipal website:

Sewers in some areas of the community will be treated for root-related blockages beginning January 24. The designated sewers either have been treated previously or have been identified recently as posing potential problems.

Residents in the immediate areas will be notified by flier.

All products used to treat the sewers are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

A certified pesticide applicator from Municipal Sales, the company that has performed the work for the past four years, and a Mt. Lebanon Public Works inspector are on the site at all times. The foam or herbicide used never comes in contact with anything other than the inside of the sanitary sewer system.

Mt. Lebanon has found that this routine treatment of our aging sewer system significantly reduces the number of blockages and backups. If you have questions, please call Public Works Superintendent Rudy Sukal, 412-343-3504.

Here's the link. There is also a map of the areas in town that will be treated.

The other day, Joe and I got an email from a Lebo resident who argues that these treatments actually create a risk of exposure to humans and animals, because the pesticides aren't actually applied as carefully as all that. The stuff spills. And it allegedly seeps into water lines. Here's a link to some photos that suggest the presence of a problem.

Is this something that the municipality should be concerned about?

Blog-Lebo on Flickr

I've been meaning to set up an account on Flickr for Blog-Lebo but I've kept pushing it off for one reason or another. Mike's post below about "urban archeology" finally gave me the kick in the butt that I needed to set it up.

So you don't know what Flickr is? Well, (I think) it's an awesome picture sharing web site where you can see pictures of anything and everything and make comments on them. I've had my own account for years now and I absolutely love it.

I have set up an account for Blog-Lebo on the site and I'm hoping that people that read this blog will submit pictures that we can place on the account for people to look at and comment on. I've also set up a Yahoo account (bloglebo@yahoo.com) for you to send your pictures to. You must have a Yahoo account in order to set up a Flickr account.

So what to send? Anything and everything! I'd like to set up a "things that aren't there anymore" set (credit to Rick Sebak for the name) and then whatever else categories/sets that you recommend when you send your pictures. It would be great if people who had "old" pictures from Mt. Lebanon would be kind enough to scan them in and send them to me so that I can post them on our Flickr group. Thanks in advance for sending your pictures!

Send pictures to: bloglebo@yahoo.com

Blog-Lebo Flickr page: www.flickr.com/photos/bloglebo

Urban Archaeology in Mt. Lebanon

In her comment on the "Ground Round" post below, Marjie strikes a theme that came up at last December's "Meet the Bloggers" session: Could Blog-Lebo understake a "things that aren't there any more" series about Mt. Lebanon?

Absolutely.

There are several ways to do this, and they can all be pursued simultaneously. Call it "crowd-sourced urban archaeology."

One: Comment away on your favorite thing or place that isn't "there" any more, and share your memories about the role that the thing or place played in the lives of you, your friends, and your family.

Two: Pick a current location or storefront in one of Mt. Lebanon's business districts and talk about what business (businesses?) used to be there.

Three: Someone with much more time on their hands than I do could integrate responses to One and Two with Google Earth data, and create an interactive memory map.

Have fun!

Perpetual Bridesmaid Contest Winner

Mt. Lebanon School Board Director Faith Stipanovich was recently awarded the title of "Perpetual Bridesmaid" in a contest held by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Link: www.postgazette.com/pg/08025/851898-51.stm

Thanks to Gina and Julie for letting us know about this!

School Board Approves Survey of HS Property

The school board approved a contract for $17,685 with Professional Land Survey Services for a survey of the high school property. The survey will mark off all property boundaries and utilities. It is the first step in the process toward the planning of a new or renovated high school.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08024/851623-55.stm

New Development Coming To Former Ground Round Site

Plans for a 8,012-square-foot retail complex at the site of the Ground Round restaurant received preliminary approval from the Mt. Lebanon planning board Tuesday night. Family Christian Bookstore has committed to the largest unit, taking approximately half of the space in what will be a single-story building on the site.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08024/851623-55.stm

City Sidewalks, Busy Sidewalks Make Area Towns More Livable

Mt. Lebanon (and its sidewalks) were mentioned in an article yesterday in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Here's an interesting snippet from the article:

She grew up in McCandless, but when she returned to the Pittsburgh area 10 years ago, she insisted to her husband that they live in Mt. Lebanon, where he grew up. "I put my foot down. I remember Mt. Lebanon, I remember the sidewalks and the trees. I remember the North Hills, and there's no community there," she said.

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/east/s_548885.html

MLFE Raises $4,100

The Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education raised $4,100 through ticket sales for its second annual Menu Tasting and Wine Pairing fund-raiser, held earlier this month. The event at Isabela on Grandview Restaurant, generated $100 from each $135 ticket to benefit the foundation, which provides education programs for the students in Mt. Lebanon schools. A holiday mailing appeal raised another $2,235.

The foundation was established in 1999 and is a donor advised endowment fund through the Pittsburgh Foundation. It's mission is to provide a permanent source of financial support to enable the Mt. Lebanon School District to expand and enhance learning opportunities for students. Since its inception, the foundation has raised more than $125,000, awarding 70 grants to teachers for innovative classroom projects. See more at www.mlfe.org or call Jackie Foor at 412-478-7743.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08024/851623-55.stm

School Board Approves Preliminary Budget

The school board approved the preliminary budget of $73,563,244, which calls for a 1.19-mill tax hike. School officials have said the budget was formulated strictly to meet the deadline imposed by state Act 1 and is not necessarily the preliminary budget it will adopt.

A more accurate version of the district's preliminary budget will be presented in March and adopted in April. Final budget adoption will be in May.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08024/851623-55.stm

Link 2: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/01_30_ML_school_budget

Lebo Native Plays Puppet Characters In Show

Joshua Landay got the call on the morning of Jan. 10. That evening, he learned, he would be standing on the Benedum Center stage on opening night of Disney's The Lion King. "They said, 'You're going to need to be Timon tonight' and lo and behold I get to open in my hometown," said Mr. Landay, 27, a Mt. Lebanon native.

Timon is one of three characters that Mr. Landay plays as a stand-by in the traveling production that is playing at the Benedum Center through Feb. 17.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08024/851625-55.stm

School Board Votes To Join AIU Computer Network

Despite some lingering concerns, the Mt. Lebanon school board voted 7-2 to join the Region Wide Area Network being created by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.

The high-speed computer network is expected to connect 41 of the county's 42 suburban school districts and offer a variety of upgrades in technology services for the districts.

At a discussion meeting last week, some Mt. Lebanon school directors appeared hesitant to vote to join the network after director of technology Christopher Stengel told the board it would cost the district an additional $600 per month.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08024/851649-55.stm

FiOS Here I Am

The Verizon FiOS installer came and went at my house yesterday, and now I'm fiber-equipped. The installer arrived around 10 a.m., zipped around inside and outside the house, and everything was up and running by 5:30. Not every FiOS install goes so smoothly. Given the design of the house, the layout of our existing wiring, and an in-house personal IT network technician whose room-and-board is supplied by his parents, we're fortunate to have resources that are not easily matched around Mt. Lebanon.

The Verizon installer was very efficient, very professional, and very generous with his insights and advice about system setup questions. Our Internet connection speeds are noticeably faster than they were under our Comcast (cable) setup. The basic FiOS TV channel lineup is impressive. (Look, they're speaking Spanish!)

Two hiccups:

The Mt. Lebanon public access channels (municipality and school district) are not available on the Verizon system. Mt. Lebanon's website advises that this will happen within a year.

We had to redesign our prior TiVo setup to ensure that Verizon FiOS and TiVo get along. Compared to the old setup, where the TiVo tuner and the TV tuner would run off of the same cable feed (via a splitter), now we need one FiOS set-top box for the TV and a separate FiOS set-top box for the TiVo. (Reason: The TiVo can't use the FiOS digital input.) We passed on the Verizon DVR, which would obviate the problem and be cheaper to boot, based on Internet research suggesting the inferiority of the Verizon product. We'll see how this plays out.

Ready to Sign Up

The Mt. Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department has a cool (!) recruiting video:

Naming Rights in Lebo?

A sharp-eyed Blog-Lebo reader pointed me yesterday to a Post-Gazette report that Dick's Sporting Goods has purchased naming rights to a new complex of playing fields in Cranberry. (Link here.) The story doesn't report the amount of money involved, or the length of the contract, or the nature of the PR that Dick's will receive.

But it's an interesting idea. Is it one whose time has come -- Mt. Lebanon? Lebo needs a lot of money for its athletic facilities, and there isn't much enthusiasm for tax increases or big bond issues. How about looking into naming rights? Every little bit might help. The "Speedo Aquatic Center" doesn't sound bad . . . .

"No One Ever Leaves Mt. Lebanon"

Spotted at the brand-new Lebo-based blog "Suburbia Calling" ("After a decade of city living, I've moved back home to the suburbs to raise my daughter. So how does a SMBC, liberal, secular humanist, bereaved mom, full-time mom to a living child, and full-time professional handle coming back home to suburbia?"), this YouTube-based submission to the Mt. Lebanon HS Film Festival.

Mt. Lebanon high school students face a common choice: deal with alien attackers, or break down for the first time and leave the Lebo bubble! Reality? Or satire?

School Board Sees Early 2008-09 Budget Proposal

The Mt. Lebanon school board was presented with a proposed 2008-09 preliminary budget on Monday that totals $73,563,244 and calls for a 1.19-mill tax hike.

But Finance Director Jan Klein told the board that the spending plan was put together simply to meet the deadline imposed by state Act I and is not necessarily an accurate version of what the district's actual preliminary budget will look like. The board is expected to vote on the proposal next Monday.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08017/849794-55.stm

Kids Snuggle Up For Storytime In Lebo

"Climbing a tree, eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, buying new school supplies..." she read from a book. The children giggled and raised thumbs up in agreement with their school principal.

The scene was part of last Thursday's 2nd Annual "Snuggle Up and Read" event at Washington Elementary School in Mt. Lebanon. Teachers from kindergarten through fifth-grade classes read stories to students and their families during the evening event sponsored by the school's Parent Teacher Association. The event benefited the Pajama Program, a non-profit organization that provides new pajamas and books to needy children. More than 145 pairs of pjs were collected.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08017/849778-55.stm

School Board Questions Value Of IU Computer Network

The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is in the process of creating a high- speed computer network that is expected to connect 41 of the county's 42 suburban school districts, but Mt. Lebanon officials aren't sure they want to be part of it.

AIU officials said they are surprised to hear of Mt. Lebanon's reluctance to join the network, called the Region Wide Area Network, and that if the district backs out, it likely will increase the cost to the remaining districts.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08017/849795-55.stm

Lebo Oral Surgeon Charged

"An oral surgeon accused of sexually assaulting several young women while they were under anesthesia surrendered to police this morning.

Dr. Robert John Boyda Jr., 42, of Mt. Lebanon, faces 15 felony charges, including 10 counts of indecent assault, one count of sexual assault and two counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse."

Link 1: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08017/849961-100.stm

"Boyda is a 1988 graduate of Harvard. His attorney said Boyda is innocent."

Link 2: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_547833.html

MLHS' Oxenreiter Wins NVC Pittsburgh Citywide Championship

John Oxenreiter, a 17 year-old senior at Mt. Lebanon Senior High School in Mt. Lebanon, outperformed 94 other local high school vocabulary scholars tonight, winning the NVC Pittsburgh Citywide Championship. As the local champion, Oxenreiter earned $5,000 toward a "529" higher education savings plan and qualifies to compete in the "National Vocabulary Championship" Finals in Los Angeles on March 10.

Link: money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/LAM16414012008-1.htm

Link 2: www.postgazette.com/pg/08015/849342-100.stm

Link 3: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_547735.html

Tarting Up Downtown

Mt. Lebanon based The French Tart was highlighted in yesterday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the opening of their 3rd location in downtown Pittsburgh.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08010/847913-34.stm

ACLU Discussion Group In Mt. Lebanon

NOTE: This was received from Hilary Chiz, one of our blog readers, who asked that I post it on her behalf.

The ACLU of Pennsylvania, Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, holds regularly scheduled “Coffeehouse Discussion Groups” around town, focusing on civil liberties issues with broad community appeal.

Now in its second year, the group, which began in a Shadyside coffee shop, has expanded to include both the South Hills as well as the North Hills.

Mt. Lebanon Library and the Sunnyhill Unitarian Universalist Church have hosted the public events in the past. Speakers have included Duquesne Law professor Bruce Ledewitz and Andrae Marak, professor of Political Science at California University of Pennsylvania.

This Thursday, January 17th, at 7 pm, the ACLU will present “Guantanamo: The Enemy is Us,” facilitated by Don Guter, Judge Advocate General, U.S. Navy, and Dean of Duquesne Law School, at Panera at The Galleria, at 1500 Washington Road.

Dean Guter will discuss the Guantanamo Bay prison camp, and the forum will include participation by those who attend.

The lively events are intentionally thought-provoking, and allow for a number of perspectives to naturally emerge. Mt. Lebanon events have been particularly stimulating, perhaps because of the wide diversity of actually-held opinions in our community.

For more information and to download reading materials, please visit: www.aclupa.org/events/discussiongroups .

Temple Emanuel Receives DHS Grant

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, on Friday presented Temple Emanuel of the South Hills a check for $85,500 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The grant money is to enhance security around the temple grounds and buildings. A condition of the award is that the temple match 25 percent of the federal funds.

Temple Executive Director Saralouise Reis, who wrote and submitted the grant application, said the money will be used to replace the existing monitoring and recording system; add cameras; erect additional fencing; install intercoms in all nursery school and center classrooms; and more.

A press release from the Department of Homeland Security said the awards "support target hardening and security screening activities in selected nonprofit organizations that are deemed at high risk of a potential terrorist attack."

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08010/847987-55.stm

Official Hired To Promote Doing Business

This is the second week of Dan Woodske's new job, but he's done his homework. As Mt. Lebanon's new commercial districts manager, Mr. Woodske, 27, is responsible for developing and promoting the business communities along Washington and Beverly roads, plus Castle Shannon Boulevard.

"It's a pretty large and vibrant commercial district and I'm concentrating on learning ways to maintain and grow it," he said.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08010/847996-55.stm

Link 2: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/business/s_547743.html

Smoke Closes Restaurant, Road In Mt. Lebanon

Customers and employees were evacuated from Molly Brannigans restaurant in Mt. Lebanon yesterday when smoke was spotted in the basement at about 4 p.m. The source of the smoke could not be determined and the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department gave employees the go-ahead to reopen the restaurant, at 660 Washington Road, last night.

Washington Road was closed from Cedar Boulevard to Alfred Street for nearly two hours as fire crews from Mt. Lebanon, Dormont, Castle Shannon, Green Tree and Bethel Park responded to the incident.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08010/848068-55.stm

Our Savior, Hope Lutheran Churches To Merge

Two Lutheran churches in the South Hills will merge in May, joining forces in an attempt to bring vibrancy back to their once-flourishing congregations.

At both Our Savior Lutheran Church in Mt. Lebanon and Hope Lutheran in Upper St. Clair, membership has dropped from close to 400 each in the early 1970s to slightly more than 100 each now, said the Rev. Jamison J. Hardy, who is the pastor at Our Savior and the vacancy pastor at Hope Lutheran.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08010/847928-55.stm

For New Official, Business Is His Business

It's not unusual for Raja to take trips out of town, given the global nature of his IT services and consulting company, Mt. Lebanon-based Computer Enterprises Inc. But Raja, who, by Indian custom has a one-name name, was doing something a little different this week. He took a vacation.

But it's back to work Monday, when Raja and fellow first-term Commissioners Dan Miller and Joe DeIuliis take their seats at the first regular Mt. Lebanon municipal meeting of 2008.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08010/847997-55.stm

Bellevue Update

I've posted here before about the growing hipster quotient in Bellevue: Why Can't Mt. Lebanon Be More Like Bellevue?

The Mt. Lebanon residents who put out Pop City got the message. Check out today's Pop City feature, The Business Boomlet in Bellevue.

Newsmaker: Dan Woodske

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has done a profile of Dan Woodske, the new commercial districts manager for Mt. Lebanon who was hired on January 2.

Link: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_546105.html

Link 2: Commercial Districts webpage

Cutting Out Of The Business

The Cochran Barber Shop, 373 Vanadium Road in Scott, kept its name through two moves from its original location on Cochran Road in Mt. Lebanon. When the building owner decided not to renew the lease, owner and barber Regis Jones decided to close the shop rather than endure a third relocation.

"I'm tired of moving," Mr. Jones said. "I have enough money to retire. I've been working since I was 14 years old."

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08003/846164-55.stm

Mt. Lebanon Pianist Wins $10,000 Scholarship

Mt. Lebanon High School junior Alvin Zhu has been playing the piano since he was four. While some teens may be playing video games, he has been practicing two to three hours a day, winning competitions including First Place in the Aikens - Cadman Competition in Pittsburgh, the 2007 Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artists Audition and the 2006 - 2007 Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition.

He was chosen by the program as one of 25 recipients of a $10,000 scholarship from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. The award which can be applied towards music lessons, college tuition, instrument purchases, competition fees will support Alvin's studies at the Aspen Music Festival and School this summer and a 2008 youth orchestra tour to Italy.

Link: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/01_02_ML_pianist_Alvin_w_pic

Raja-juvenation

Raja, our new 1st Ward Commissioner, was recently highlighted in the latest Pittsburgh Magazine:

Link: http://www.wqed.org/mag/features/0108/raja.php