Mt. Lebo Powers Past McKeesport In Quarters

McKeesport guard Ty-Meer Brown describes his team's defense as physical, but Mt. Lebanon's Evan Pierce calls it something else.

"They were playing a little dirty at times," said Pierce, who scored a game-high 18 points in Mt. Lebanon's 56-44 quarterfinal victory Saturday in the WPIAL Class AAAA playoffs. Pierce was on the receiving end of an intentional foul that sent him crashing to the floor behind the basket.

Read more: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/highschool/s_669332.html

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10059/1039244-361.stm

“Tulips To Go” Fundraiser to Benefit the Mt. Lebanon Library

If you like flowers or our local library, you’re going to love “Tulips To Go,” a novel fundraiser to benefit the Mt. Lebanon Public Library. From March 4, 2010, through April 5, you can order tulips in bunches of ten. Each bunch is available in several colors and is yours for a $10 donation. Pick up your orders at the library on April 12.

Cynthia Richey, Library Director, said, “Everyone is excited about initiating the library’s first Tulips to Go fund-raising campaign. Severe funding cuts have heightened the need for grassroots efforts to build awareness and generate funds for the library. Our library is busier than ever. Tulips to Go donations will finance much needed book, CD, DVD, and database purchases for the benefit of library patrons.”

For more information or to order tulips, see the Tulips To Go announcement or contact Mardi Centinaro at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library, (412) 531-1912 Ext. 210.

Baumhammers Granted Stay Of Execution

The man convicted in a deadly shooting spree 10 years ago has been granted a stay of execution until at least November.

Richard Baumhammers was in court this morning for a hearing. He was convicted in the April 2000 shooting rampage that stretched from Mount Lebanon to Beaver County.

Read more: www.kdka.com/local/Richard.Baumhammers.stay.2.1522675.html

To Benefit the Library: An Evening with the Ortner-Roberts Duo

On Saturday, March 27, 2010, the Ortner-Roberts Duo will perform at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

The Duo is German clarinetist Susanne Ortner and the American pianist Tom Roberts. Susanne is an internationally acclaimed soloist and a member of the German Quartet Sing Your Soul. Tom is one of the leading exponents of a style of early jazz piano known as Harlem Stride.

Both Sing My Soul and the Ortner-Roberts Duo played at the Library to packed houses in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy a fabulous concert while supporting the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

Admission is $15, with all proceeds to benefit the Library’s book and audio collections. (No advance sales.) The performance will held on the Main Floor, 1st Level. For more information, contact Judy Sutton at 412-531-1912 or events@mtlebanonlibrary.org.

Updated 2010-02-26 00:01 to correct the date of the performance. Thanks to Bill Lewis for spotting my mistake. —Tom

“Scrubby,” the Wild Turkey of Scrubgrass Road, Hit By Car

I never met Scrubby, but many residents knew the wild turkey fondly. The Post-Gazette reports that Scrubby was killed last Friday, presumably hit by a passing car:

So it did not come as a shock when residents near the Elm Spring and Scrubgrass Road intersection of Mt. Lebanon learned Friday that Scrubby, the caring wild turkey who often made its home near – and in – the road, was the victim of a deadly game of turkey plays chicken.

“It was not surprising, but is sad,” said Judy Campbell, a crossing guard for the school district and one of the last who saw Scrubby alive.

Read more:

• Life on the road comes to an end (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Mt. Lebanon Survives A Scare Against Shaler

Mt. Lebanon almost picked the worst possible time to lose its first game of the season against WPIAL competition.

The Class AAAA No. 1 seed Blue Devils trailed Shaler (11-11) with less than five minutes to play but rallied for a 33-31 first-round win Tuesday night at Chartiers Valley.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10055/1038112-361.stm

What Kind of High School Does Mt. Lebanon Need for The 21st Century?

Proponents of the current plan for the high school claim that less-expensive options won’t help our students prepare for the 21st century. But what exactly is a good education for the 21st century? And how can we build our high school today to meet the needs of tomorrow?

History suggests that when we try to predict what the future will bring, we get it wrong. In 1995, how well did you predict the ways in which the Internet would change the world? Did you predict anything like Google and their free online mail, maps, and office productivity software? Wikipedia? Amazon.com? Did you predict blogging and tweeting? Did you predict that the Internet would allow top universities like MIT, CMU, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, and many others to make their courses available to students around the world, including high school students, for free?

In the year 2000, did you predict that in less than ten years’ time, mobile phones were going to change the lives of young people? Did you predict that constant connectedness and text messaging would become a way of life for them? Did you predict that today, a lot of those free courses from the world’s top universities could be delivered directly to a mobile phone in a student’s hand, anytime, anywhere?

Just fifteen years ago, the Internet and mobile phones were two innovations that most people had never experienced. Nevertheless, both of them dramatically and unexpectedly changed the world we live in today, especially for young people and especially for education.

If we can’t predict the disruptive effects of emerging technologies only ten or fifteen years into the future, even when the technologies have been around for years (the Internet and mobile phones both existed well before fifteen years ago), how are we supposed to anticipate what our students will need decades in the future?

We can’t. We’re terrible at predicting the future. Once we accept this truth, we’ll realize that trying to buy today what our students will need tomorrow isn’t likely to give them what they will actually need when the time comes.

And trying to build the high school for tomorrow is an even greater gamble. With online learning and mobile computing both on the verge of becoming mainstream, do we really expect that in twenty-five years students will need to go to a centralized building to learn?

How, then, should we prepare for the future? The answer is simple: Save. While we can’t know today what we will need for tomorrow’s education, we do know that whatever it is, we can buy it with money. So the way to prepare for tomorrow is to save for it. That way, we can afford to buy whatever our students will need, when the need becomes clear.

That’s why overspending on a high school today is particularly harmful. Not only does it waste our money today, it deprives our students of what we could have purchased for them tomorrow.

Mt. Lebanon Hears School Renovation Supporters, Critics

The Mt. Lebanon School District held a public hearing last night to provide an overview of the planned $113.3 million high school renovation project and to take comments from residents.

The Act 34 hearing, which is required for all new buildings and substantial additions to existing buildings, lasted more than three hours and was moved to the high school's auditorium to accommodate a much larger audience than typically attend the school board meetings in the library.

Read more: www.postgazette.com/pg/10054/1037951-100.stm

Additional links:

• Proposed Mt. Lebanon Renovations Debated (KDKA)
• Public Debates Renovations In Mt. Lebanon (KDKA Video)
• Pros, Cons Aired Regarding Mt. Lebanon High School Project (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

WPIAL Announces Sites And Times For Tuesday's Playoff Games

After the opening weekend of preliminary and first round playoff basketball games, the WPIAL has added sites and times to its bracket for the majority of its Tuesday and Wednesday matchups.

On the boys' side, Shaler, which defeated Fox Chapel in a play-in game on Saturday, will take on Class AAAA top seed Mt. Lebanon at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Chartiers Valley.

On the girls' side, Class AAAA top-seeded Mt. Lebanon will play Woodland Hills at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Chartiers Valley,

Read more: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_668312.html

Local Structural Engineer to School Board on High School Project: “Stop this Huge Mistake”

Proponents of the current plan to reconstruct the high school have frequently characterized it as the only reasonable option. They argue that the current plan is only slightly more expensive than merely patching up the facility and is therefore worth the small additional expense. It’s the smart choice, they argue.

But that argument relies upon two premises which are suspect. First, it relies upon the premise that the alternative – a more-modest, renovation-only option – would be just a temporary “Band-Aid,” delivering little value. Second, it relies upon the premise that this Band-Aid would cost nearly as much as the currently proposed reconstruction.

Both premises wither under scrutiny provided by local structural engineer Dirk A. Taylor, P.E., who challenged them in a four-page letter he sent the school board yesterday.

Mr. Taylor, who was a member of the Community Advisory Committee and has served the school district on more than a dozen other projects at the high school, has repeatedly asked the school board to reconsider its plans to embark on an ambitious reconstruction of the high school. Now, in his letter to the school board, Mr. Taylor demonstrates that the claims about the alternative’s low benefits and high costs are mistaken. He begins:

It has come to my attention that a member or members of the Mt. Lebanon School Board have publicly stated that there is no reason to reconsider renovation of the existing High School as a cost saving alternative over the currently proposed reconstruction project because a renovation would still cost at least $103 million, without even achieving the level of quality of the proposed school. I am not sure how that statement could possibly be substantiated.

In his letter, he dispels the notion that a pure renovation is merely a temporary Band-Aid:

[The renovation] would include a total updating of every architectural, mechanical, electrical, and telecommunications system throughout the facility to ‘21st Century learning standards’ per the project’s stated goal.

Further, Mr. Taylor demonstrates in step-by-step calculations how P.J. Dick’s construction-cost estimates for the current reconstruction plan, when applied to a comparable pure renovation, result in an estimated cost savings of nearly $30 million:

Thus, a pure renovation of only 480,000 square feet of the existing High School would reduce the total project cost by $28.8 million, applying unbiased mathematics to the DD Cost Estimate Numbers presented by P.J. Dick.

Having removed the two pillars upon which rests the argument that reconstruction is more sensible than renovation, Mr. Taylor closes his letter by begging the school board to reconsider its plan:

In this era of grossly irresponsible spending at virtually all levels of government, perhaps I was naive to think it could be any different at the local school board level. Please show me I was not incorrect to think that you were capable of acting responsibly. Stop this huge mistake before we reach the point of no return.

I hope the school-board directors who read Mr. Taylor’s letter are willing at least to consider the possibility that he may be right.

Read more:

• Structural Engineer Dirk A. Taylor’s letter to the School Board, dated Feb 18, 2010 (Reprinted with permission)

Lebo Takes Top Spots For Boys And Girls Basketball In WPIAL Seedings

The Mt. Lebanon boys' and girls' basketball teams are the No. 1 seeds for the Class AAAA playoffs.

The WPIAL announced playoff pairings and seedings at a meeting tonight. Mt. Lebanon was one of two schools that had their boys' and girls' teams seeded No. 1 in their respective classifications. The other was North Catholic. The North Catholic boys are No. 1 in Class AA and the North Catholic girls No. 1 in Class A.

The playoffs start Saturday with preliminary- and first-round games at various sites around the WPIAL. The championships are March 5-6 at Duquesne University's Palumbo Center.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10048/1036709-100.stm

LeboHoops.com

Mt. Lebanon resident Julia O'Hara has created www.LeboHoops.com, a great new site to follow the boys and girls basketball teams. You can learn about all of the players and coaches, keep up with the news on the teams and find out when the next game is. Make sure to check out the site as our teams enter the playoffs. Good luck Lebo!

How to Brew an Economic Perfect Storm in One Easy Lesson

There’s a lesson to be learned from the economic “perfect storm” that’s brewing. It’s a lesson about how to brew such storms.

It’s easy: just take a small storm and feed it.

Each time our elected representatives, at any level of government, decide to spend what they deem affordable in light of immediate circumstances, but fail to adequately consider the wider consequences of their spending, especially the consequence that a number of such “affordable” purchases can easily add up to more than can be payed for, the storm grows a little stronger. Each time our elected representatives convince themselves that this project is worth the cost but fail to consider all the other representatives who are telling themselves the same thing about their projects, the storm grows a little stronger. And each time our elected representatives tell us that they are “going to have to make hard decisions” but fail to make them on this project, passing them down the line instead, the storm grows a little stronger.

Seen in this light, the high school project isn’t the problem; it’s a symptom. It’s a symptom of the disease that plagues the way our elected representatives make decisions. And that disease is nearsightedness.

Our representatives cannot see beyond their own projects and decisions. They cannot see far enough to realize that other representatives are making the exact same decision that they are, the decision to spend boldly (not frugally) because this project is worth the cost. They cannot see far enough to realize that all projects are worth their costs to the people behind them. They cannot see far enough to realize that all projects, together, cost more than can be payed for. Each time our leaders fail to see these things, the storm grows stronger.

Out of our nearsightedness, we have brewed quite a storm for ourselves. A nearly perfect storm. It approaches. It is nearly upon us.

Still, we feed it.

Updated 2010-02-17 16:50 with minor edits for clarity.

Allegheny Institute: Mt. Lebanon School Taxes Becoming “Nightmare”

The newest policy brief from the Allegheny Institute For Public Policy is about a topic of frequent interest in Mt. Lebanon: school taxes. According to the brief, the effect of upcoming taxes on homeowners will be staggering:

In this budget forecast scenario a Mt. Lebanon household with the municipality’s 2008 median income of $77,167 and owning a home with the median value of $190,000 – that is correctly assessed – will see school real estate taxes go from the current $4,580 to $6,437, assuming the home’s assessed value stays at its current level. This will be accompanied by a $385 per year earned income school tax, more if the household is fortunate enough to have its income increase over the next five years.

Then there is the earned income tax paid to the municipality along with property taxes to the municipality and county: another $2,400 per year – assuming municipal and county tax rates do not rise. In sum, under the projected tax increases the owner of a median value house could be facing well over $9,000 in local taxes each year by 2015.

The full brief is available to the public: Mt. Lebanon Schools Becoming a Taxpayer Nightmare (PDF)

Read More:

• Future finances concern Mt. Lebanon resident (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
• School taxes increase 3.41 mills (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Updated 2010-02-18 08:13 to include Read More section.
Updated 2010-02-18 17:21 to include link to Post-Gazette coverage of school taxes.

Suspect's Fatal Jump In Mt. Lebanon Investigated

Police and the Allegheny County district attorney are investigating the death of a woman who had been arrested in a suspected methamphetamine lab in Bridgeville and later jumped 35 feet into a hospital parking lot as she was being escorted to jail.

Jessica Tucker, 28 of East Sparta, Ohio, died at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday in Allegheny General Hospital, authorities said.

Four hours earlier, Tucker had jumped a retaining wall in the parking lot at St. Clair Hospital in Mt. Lebanon after breaking away from a Bridgeville police officer who was escorting her.

Read more: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_667114.html

Mt. Lebanon Teams Hold Off Big Rivals

The Mt. Lebanon boys' and girls' teams are undefeated against WPIAL competition this season, but both had to pull out close wins Friday night.

The host Mt. Lebanon boys needed double overtime to beat rival Upper St. Clair, 66-60, in Class AAAA Section 4. Meanwhile, the Mt. Lebanon girls edged host Bethel Park, 50-47, in AAAA Section 4.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10044/1035726-361.stm

Ceremonies, Workshops In Mt. Lebanon Herald Arrival Of Year Of Metal Tiger

For some, these days preceding Valentine's Day are for shopping and ordering flowers for sweethearts.

But, for those who observe the Chinese Lunar New Year -- that begins this year on Feb. 14 -- preparations involve closing the cycle of one year and purifying oneself for the next.

On Saturday, or the day before the start of the Year of the Metal Tiger, a Qigong purification workshop will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills, 1240 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon. Qigong is a form of exercise and moving meditation for coordination of the body, mind and breath.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10042/1034974-55.stm

Otaku Club In Mt. Lebanon Brings To Life Kids' Interest In Japanese Culture

Even in libraries, a good business model involves giving customers what they want.

So a few years ago when Laurena Shultz noticed that many of the young people in the Mt. Lebanon Public Library were showing interest in all things Japanese, she decided to start a club where they could get together.

Ms. Shultz, the teen services librarian in Mt. Lebanon, then started the Otaku club, which meets once a month to make projects, read and generally celebrate Japanese pop culture.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10042/1034967-55.stm

Are We Premier?

There have been two articles in the past week about other school districts -- one about a new director on the Plum School Board and another about nepotism in school district hiring -- that have referenced the Mt. Lebanon School District.

Both times, the MLSD has been complimented. In the Plum article, new school director Loretta White states "I'd like to see our district go from good to great," she said. "The way people talk about Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon, there is no reason they can't talk about Plum that way."

In the nepotism article, Moon school director Rosemarie Varsanik suggested "that the board 'look at the premier school districts we keep comparing ourselves to, places like Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon.'"

So what makes us (and Upper St. Clair) "premier"? What are we doing better than other school districts? And what do we need to do to stay that way?

Do We Have To Make Up Snow Days?

I know many people are wondering whether or not students will have to make up all of the days missed because of the 2 rounds of snow we received in the past week. A recent posting on Facebook by one of my friends who is a teacher in another school district shines a little light on the topic:

The PA State Education Association told Channel 11 these missed school days may not have to be made up since Pennsylvania is in a state of emergency, but the emergency declaration does not automatically qualify districts for forgiveness of days. Each Superintendent in Pennsylvania must write a specific letter about their district's situation and that is sent to the Department of Education who makes the determination.

The school district's web site has the following information posted:

A final decision about snow make-up days has not been made. Parents will be notified once details are available.

Opponents Of Mt. Lebanon School Work Urge Meeting Attendance

The fliers are flying in Mt. Lebanon.

Opponents of a high school renovation and addition project — at a cost of up to $113.3 million — have been e-mailing a circular urging residents to attend a state-mandated hearing on the project at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 in the high school auditorium.

"The audience for these fliers are primarily people who are not aware of what is taking place," said Bill Lewis, 73, of Mt. Lebanon. "It's kind of a wake-up call."

Read more: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/pittsburgh/s_666160.html

Mt. Lebanon Cancels School For Monday

Some school districts are already announcing they will be closed Monday.

Pittsburgh Public Schools, Seneca Valley, and the Mt. Lebanon School District announced they would be closed Monday.

Read more: www.mtlsd.org/district/HeadlineArticle.asp?HLP_ID=1342&HL_ID=555#555

School Board Directors Get Their Messages Out

With the Act 34 hearing for the high-school renovation approaching, and with updated budget forecasts now available, school-board directors are trying to get their messages to the community.

On Friday, February 5, 2010, Josephine Posti updated her blog with a new article, “Bottom Line.” In the article, she discusses how the renovation will affect property taxes. Over the next few years, the project will cause taxes to increase by about 3.4 mills or 14 percent. To help residents understand how the increase works out for their own households, she links to a table of millage increases that shows the typical increase for various home assessments. For owners of homes assessed at around $200 thousand, the bill for the renovation works out to about $57 more per month ($675 per year). If the renovation comes in below the $113-million maximum, which Mrs. Posti expresses confidence that it will, the new taxes would be correspondingly lower.

On Saturday, February 6, 2010, James Fraasch posted “The Blitz Is On,” in part a response to Mrs. Posti’s article. He points out that any financial decision, while appearing sound on its own, may be unwise in light of the larger financial picture. He goes on to show that our school district’s financial picture, when considered as a whole, is concerning:

So when you see people say that the high school might mean a 14% increase in taxes ... and that’s the “Bottom Line”, it kind of misses the point entirely. The Bottom Line isn’t just a single expense. The Bottom Line is the forecast we received last Thursday. And that Bottom Line is ugly! From 2009–2010 to 2014–2015 the millage is projected/estimated to rise from 24.11 to 33.31, a 38.15% increase in taxes.

Neither of the directors’ blogs allows comments, so if you want to comment on either or both articles, feel free discuss them here on Blog-Lebo.

Hydrants and Vehicles

As we continue to dig out from the snowstorm this weekend, the firefighter in me would like to ask you to please dig out around any fire hydrants on your property or near your home. We know where all of the hydrants are in town, but they may be completely covered in snow right now, so if you're out shoveling -- we'd really appreciate it if you could dig out around the hydrant!

Also, please do NOT park in the street. The public works crews are out hard at work to clean and salt our streets and they can't do their job if there are cars in the way. It also will make it harder for emergency vehicles to get to where they need to go. Thanks for your understanding!

Updated 2010-02-07 15:44 to add photo.

Mt. Lebanon Digs Out After 4th-Greatest Recorded Snowfall

The National Weather Service has ranked the recent snowfall – 21.1 inches – as the region’s 4th greatest for a single storm, coming in a few inches behind the 1993 superstorm’s 25.3 inches. The Mt. Lebanon Emergency Management Agency declared a snow emergency, and most residents spent the morning in their homes, watching the snow fall.

Many residents did brave the snow, however. Aldo Coffee reported a near-record morning. It would seem that in Mt. Lebanon, coffee drinkers would rather risk snowy dangers than caffeine withdrawal.

In the early afternoon the snow subsided, and residents ventured outdoors. The youngest took to sledding and other forms of wintry merriment, but most residents started the laborious process of shoveling themselves out. Casey West tweeted that it took him (and his helpers) about three and a half hours to finish the job.

How did the snowstorm affect you? If you have stories or photos, please share them.

Read more:

• Sometimes You Make the P-G Just for Showing Up (Aldo Coffee)
• Snow creates a cool playground (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
• Snowmageddon in Mt. Lebanon, February 6, 2010 (Real lebo)

Updated 2010-02-08 11:00 to link to additional coverage.

Snow Emergency Called for February 6, 2010

Allegheny County and the Mt. Lebanon Emergency Management Agency are calling a Snow Emergency for February 6, 2010. Residents are advised to stay in their homes and off the roads. All municipal and school activities are canceled.

Update: The following water-conservation notice is no longer in effect, having been lifted at 6 AM on Sunday, February 7, 2010. The Department of Environment Protection, however, has issued a Boil Water Advisory for those customers who lost service entirely. For more information, see Mandatory Conservation Notice LIFTED in Allegheny and Washington Counties.

Because of a power outage near a treatment facility, Pennsylvania American Water urges customers in Allegheny and Washington Counties to refrain from using water for showers, dishwashing, flushing, cooking, or drinking until the issue is resolved. This mandatory conservation notice extends throughout the day and night on Saturday, February 6, 2010. Pennsylvania American Water will notify customers of service resumption through its web site under the Alert Notifications section.

For more information, see the Snow Emergency notice from Mt. Lebanon Emergency Management and the list of Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) about the emergency. Contact Pennsylvania American Water’s customer service center at 1-800-565-7292.

Updated 2010-02-06 15:16 with better photo.

Updated 2010-02-06 16:14 with PAWC’s water-conservation notice.

Updated 2010-02-07 08:57 to show that water-conservation notice has been lifted.

Veteran Mt. Lebanon Runner Picks Up Honors

Being the competitor that he is, Mt. Lebanon's Roger Brockenbrough doesn't like to come in second.

Still, being given an honorable mention as USA Triathlon's 2009 Grand Masters Triathlete of the Year and its Duathlete of the Year is a significant achievement, especially for a 75-year-old competing in a category that begins at age 60 and has about 2,300 competitors.

"It's not as good as first place, but we take what we can get," Brockenbrough said.

Read more: www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/s_665755.html

Mt. Lebanon Teen Targets ZIP Codes For Diabetes Cure

Monica Oxenreiter, a sophomore at Mt. Lebanon High School, thinks big when it comes to raising money for diabetes research.

With her Zip the Cure campaign, which she launched on World Diabetes Day in November, she aims to bring in a whopping $4.2 million for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by raising $100 in each of the more than 42,000 ZIP codes in the United States.

Zip the Cure's Web site -- www.zipthecure.com -- shows her progress. A yellow map of the United States is colored green in the ZIP codes where $100 has been donated.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10035/1033221-55.stm

'Fake Lebo' Is Making Real Lebo Laugh

Mt. Lebanon was discovered in 1722 by Col. Thaddeus Lebanon III while he was on an expedition to find attractive real estate.

He planted his flag near Lord Shannon's castle, then fought off uprisings from the Sisters of St. Clair and the Baron Von Dormont.

This is, of course, not the real history of Mt. Lebanon. But it is the history of Fake Mt. Lebanon, as presented by a new "Fake Lebo" blog site and Twitter feed.

Read more: www.post-gazette.com/pg/10035/1033202-55.stm

Food Drive to Support South Hills Interfaith Ministries

Mobilize and Empower South Hills (MESH) is currently holding a food drive to support the food pantry of South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM). Please consider donating non-perishable items at a number of convenient drop-off points or to SHIM at 5301 Park Avenue, Bethel Park.

Greatly needed items include spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables (green beans, peas, corn, carrots, spinach, etc.), cereals, and diapers. (Note: SHIM cannot accept packaged foods with broken seals or expired dates, or foods that were canned or packaged at home.)

The food drive ends Monday, February 22, 2010. For more information, see the food-drive page on the MESH website.

Update 2010-02-10 22:58: The food drive has been extended one week, ending February 22, 2010.

Second Has Ring Of Success To Lebo

With Mt. Lebanon's second-place showing to Canon-McMillan in the Section 5-AAA team wrestling championships came validation and motivation.

The Blue Devils upset Hope-well, 37-29, in the semifinals, and although they lost to the Big Macs, 54-15, in the title tilt, they secured runner-up honors in the division for the first time in 25 years.

In fact, 1986 was the last time, Mt. Lebanon wrestling had participated in the playoffs.

Read more: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/02-03-2010-lebo-wrestling

Smith To Host Cyber Meeting

State Rep. Matt Smith, D-Mt. Lebanon, is holding his first cyber Town Hall meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9.

Internet users who wish to join in the meeting or ask questions will be able to do so by accessing Smith's Web site at www.pahouse.com/MSmith.

"I want to give constituents more ways and opportunities to share their concerns and thoughts on state governmental issues, and this is one way to do that," Smith said. "This allows those with busy schedules to submit questions and watch the town hall live online or watch at a later date on my Web site.

Read more: www.thealmanac.net/ALM/Story/02-03-2010-Smith-cybermeeting

Mt. Lebanon Stays In One National Poll, Drops From Another

Despite losing its first game of the season, the Mt. Lebanon boys' basketball team remained in the USA Today national rankings.

Mt. Lebanon (16-1), which lost to Archbishop Carroll, 72-63, on Saturday, is ranked No. 23 in USA Today. The Blue Devils dropped two spots from last week. However, Mt. Lebanon dropped out of the Maxpreps.com national top 25. The Blue Devils were No. 23 in Maxpreps last week.

Read more: community.post-gazette.com/blogs/varsityblog/archive/2010/02/02/mt-lebanon-stays-in-one-national-poll-drops-from-another-franklin-regional-lineman-chooses-syracuse.aspx

Free H1N1 Clinic This Saturday At Jefferson

Just a reminder from Cissy Bowman, Director of Communications for the MTLSD:

The Mt. Lebanon School District is holding a FREE H1N1 Clinic for all members of the Mt. Lebanon community ages 5 and above on Saturday, February 6, 2010, from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. in the Jefferson Middle School cafeteria at 21 Moffet Street.

Read more: www.mtlsd.org/district/HeadlineArticle.asp?HLP_ID=1342&HL_ID=570#570

Learn Something New, Help Local Students

Over at her blog Center Court, Jo Posti has a great idea to help you learn something new this year: make a commitment. We make commitments to eat less, to go to the gym – so why not to learn something?

To help you follow through, Jo invites you to send her an email, telling her what you’re committing to learn. For each person who sends one, she will make a donation to the Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education. Your email not only helps you learn something, but helps local students learn something, too. Pretty good deal.

I’ve already sent in my email. How about you? What are you going to learn this year?

Moroccan Native Brings Culinary Influences To Mt. Lebanon Cafe

Abdel Khila, the owner of Kous Kous Cafe in Mt. Lebanon, says Moroccan food is culled from "generations of creativity."

"We have a lot of influences from all over," says Khila, 34, who lives in Beechview with his wife, Lida, and their two children. "Moroccan food uses a lot of spices, but not a lot of hot flavor. It's extremely unique."

Read more: kouswww.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/fooddrink/s_664557.html

One Coffee Six Ways: A Tasting at Aldo Coffee

On Saturday, I happened to stop by Aldo Coffee on Washington Road while they were holding a coffee tasting. A seat had opened up, and Rich, the co-owner, invited me to join the fun. He said they were going to do something unusual – prepare one kind of coffee six ways to see how the different brewing methods affected the resulting drink.

We used a coffee from Burundi, East Africa; it is pictured above. Pictured below are the six preparations, ranging from the common press pot to the elaborate vacuum brewer. Three of them I had never seen before.




The progression of preparations was fascinating. Rich started with methods employing thicker filters, then thinner filters, and finally filterless screens. The filters remove sediment and coffee oils, resulting in a cleaner drink. The filterless methods allow the oils and some sediment to come through, resulting in a “thicker” drink that emphasizes mouthfeel and other flavors.

All of the resulting drinks were delicious, but they were distinct. Trying them in succession allowed us to recognize and appreciate the differences, which were less subtle than I had expected.

I also came to appreciate that there was something almost sacred in some of the preparations. The vacuum pot, for example, requires holding a flame under a small vessel filled with water. The water eventually boils, but you must wait for it, until finally, under mounting pressure, it climbs a small chain into an upper vessel, where it meets ground coffee. Then the flame is extinguished, the pressure in the lower vessel drops, and the resulting vacuum draws the water from the upper vessel into its original home below. But now the water is changed: it is brewed coffee.

The experience was memorable. I had a great time, learned much, and even made some friends. Rich said that they do tastings most months. If you have the chance to attend one, take it.

Updated 2010-02-03 00:58 to clarify that tastings happen most months, not just a few times a year. —Tom

Updated 2010-02-04 00:04: For information about upcoming coffee tastings, see the list of coffee tastings at Aldo Coffee.