Monday, October 31, 2011

School district denies citizen’s request to review redesigned high-school drawings

On September 26, 2011, Mt. Lebanon resident Bill Matthews made a request under Pennsylvania’s Right-To-Know law to review the plans for the high-school project. The project had recently been redesigned after bids for the original design came in too high. Mr. Matthews wanted to review the changes. His request was straightforward:
[T]o review, in the district administrative offices, current architectural or other drawings of the High School project reflecting changes incorporated or anticipated to be incorporated based on the recent project re-design efforts.
At different times in 2010, Mr. Matthews had made three virtually identical requests to review earlier versions of the plans and drawings. Blog-Lebo has obtained copies of these requests. They read as follows:
  1. January 29: “HS Project Design Development plan and drawings. Request is to review in the District Administration or Facilities office.”
  2. February 23: “Design development drawings and more recent drawings of the high school project. Request is to review the available drawings in the facilities office.”
  3. November 24: “Request is to review, in the District administrative office, the current drawings and architectural plans for the high school project.”
All three requests were granted.

Mr. Matthews’s new request, however, the school district has denied. Why? Because, according to the school district, revealing the drawings would be too dangerous.

Seriously.

In a response to Mr. Matthews dated October 26, 2011, the school district claimed that it didn’t have to reveal the drawings because they were exempt from Right-to-Know law for safety and security reasons. Disclosing the drawings, according to the school district, “would be reasonably likely to result in a substantial and demonstrable risk of physical harm to or the personal security of an individual” or “[create] a reasonable likelihood of endangering the safety or physical security of a building...”

Still, even if all the drawings were exempt from Right-to-Know law (which I find hard to believe), that exemption would merely give the school district the option to deny Mr. Matthews’s request. The school district still could have allowed the review (as it had in the past), or it could have allowed a review of only the drawings it didn’t deem too sensitive to disclose. But the school district, for reasons I find hard to fathom, chose to deny a citizen – completely – the right to review something that it seems reasonable for a citizen to review.

Why? I have no idea. Does the school district believe that it’s genuinely dangerous to reveal the redesigned drawings? Even in its own offices? Even to a citizen it’s already shown earlier versions of those same drawings three times?

So why prevent a review of the drawings now? The school board and school administration have both claimed repeatedly that one of their foremost goals for the high-school project has been to be open and transparent with the community. What, then, does the school district hope to accomplish by denying, on grounds that seem specious, an in-office review of the redesigned high-school plans?

I have no idea, but I do find it concerning. If you find it concerning, too, you might want to ask the candidates for school board what they think about the incident before casting your votes on November 8. They all claim to support government transparency, but it’s cases like this that help us determine who actually lives up to the claims.

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Kenmont Avenue: toilet-papered again

Once again, Kenmont Avenue has been toilet-papered. This time, I managed to get my camera there just after it happened, shortly after midnight, I suspect. Click on the image below for a few more photos.


Kenmont Avenue at midnight on Sunday, October 30, 2011.

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P-G: Mt. Lebanon swim coach will return after suspension

Mt. Lebanon High School's swim coach will return to his position after charges of child endangerment that had forced his suspension were recently dropped, a school district spokeswoman said.

Cissy Bowman of the Mt. Lebanon school district, said David Schraven had been suspended during the court's investigation but will be reinstated starting Monday.

Principal Brian McFeeley Friday sent a letter to parents of all students at the high school, alerting them of the decision.

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P-G: Upper St. Clair topples Mt. Lebanon for crown

When it comes to winning games, no coach in WPIAL history has more memories to scroll through -- 351 -- than Upper St. Clair's Jim Render.

So when Render called the latest triumph one of the best he has ever been a part of, you know there was quite a bit of significance behind it.

Dakota Conwell rushed for 276 yards and three touchdowns to lead host Upper St. Clair to its first conference championship since 2006 after coasting to a 42-6 victory Friday night against archrival Mt. Lebanon.

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon says it's a wrap: Papering a popular holiday tradition

As revered holiday traditions go, few approach the majesty or the reliability of the Kenmont Avenue toilet-papering ritual.

Every Oct. 30 for the past 25 years, trees, shrubs and fences along the 400 block of the Mt. Lebanon street overnight have sprouted strands of brilliant white tissue among the falling leaves.

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon playing USC: Winner takes it all

The details of the loss have mostly faded, but Dakota Conwell hasn't forgotten the heartache of losing to Mt. Lebanon.

"Not a day goes by in our locker room that we don't remember what happened last year," he said. "We've been talking about it for almost 365 days now."

It was this time last year when Conwell had Upper St. Clair ahead by 10 points in the fourth quarter -- minutes away from being Quad West champion -- before losing, 14-10. With the win, Mt. Lebanon took the conference title.

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P-G: Upper St. Clair vs. Lebo: Simply put, it's a big deal

In the pantheon of their ultimate goals for the season, a conference title would be -- both Upper St. Clair and Mt. Lebanon hope -- a mere footnote to what they accomplish this season.

The Blue Devils and Panthers entered the season with legitimate hopes of making it to Heinz Field for the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game, and even if one doesn't win the Great Southern crown, they'll happily trade that if they are playing at Heinz on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Patch: Mt. Lebanon Woman Featured on ABC's 'Everyday Health' Sunday

This Sunday, Mt. Lebanon resident Ellese Meyer will be featured on ABC's "Everyday Health," which runs on WTAE at 12 p.m.

"Everyday Health" profiles people who are either facing a health crisis or are close to someone facing a life-altering health event. All of the people profiled have chosen to help people in similar situations. Each program addresses a medical condition, sometimes includes a celebrity guest and always provides a surprise reveal for the person profiled.

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The Almanac: USC-Mt. Lebanon matchup tops rivalry week

Since the start of the season, football teams have targeted Oct. 28. Nine weeks into the 2011 campaign, it all comes down to this...rivalry week. And Friday features plenty of showdowns in the South Hills

The best has Mt. Lebanon (4-0, 6-2) visiting Upper St. Clair (4-0, 7-1) for a 7:30 p.m. kick-off. The clash pits two undefeated squads in the Great Southern Conference.

As the defending champion, however, Lebo is the team to beat.

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Commissioner Miller's Resolution Regarding Our Parks and Fields

UPDATE: The resolution was defeated during Monday night's meeting.

Dan Miller, the 5th Ward Commissioner, recently posted the following blog entry on his web site. It contains information about a resolution that he introduced at this evening's Commission meeting regarding the issuance of bonds to fund development of the McNeilly Road property as well as improvements to the pool, Main Park and Bird Park.

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P-G: Devices welcome: Schools welcome technology

At Mt. Lebanon High School, it's BYOT -- as in, "Bring Your Own Technology."

The new initiative was launched this month by the school district to incorporate, rather than prohibit, the use of technology such as laptop computers, smartphones and iPads into the educational curriculum during the school day.

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P-G: A Walk Will Reveal Much

The following is a letter to the editor written by Mt. Lebanon resident Joann Doran to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

For those who think that Mt. Lebanon is not changing, all they have to do is get out of their cars, remove their blinders and take a walk. Crumbling sidewalks, litter strewn areas, dog droppings left for others to clean up, slum landlords who allow their rentals to disintegrate and residents who no longer take pride in the appearance of their property are problems creeping into this once pristine community.

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Trib: It's official: Mt. Lebanon Parking authority to end

By the end of the year, the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority will be no more.

The board of commissioners has been absorbing the functions of the parking authority for the last four months. Most authority employees have been hired for positions within the police department, public works department and tax office.

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P-G: DA drops charges against Mt. Lebanon man who left kids in car

All charges have been withdrawn against a Mt. Lebanon high school swim coach accused in August of leaving his two young children alone in a car while he grocery shopped, court records show.

David Schraven, 44, had faced two misdemeanor counts of child endangerment and a summary count of leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle. Police said he went shopping at a Giant Eagle for more than 20 minutes while his 7-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son were alone in his car. A passerby alerted police.

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The Almanac: Hagy's records translate to Lebo victories

Had Luke Hagy played varsity football his freshman year of high school, the Mt. Lebanon senior might have been chasing the WPIAL and Pennsylvania state rushing records this season. Instead, Hopewell's Rushel Shell has grabbed those headlines with 8,089 career yards.

That fact does not hinder Hagy as he plods towards his own milestones and his own objectives for his Blue Devil teammates.

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The Almanac: ML manager: It's time to invest in rec facilities

There is good news in Mt. Lebanon: all recreational facilities are making money with the exception of the swimming pool. The bad news is a majority of those facilities are in need of upgrades, repairs and renovations.

During a manager's coffee Oct. 12, Steve Feller said with the recent upturn in profits Mt. Lebanon can now begin to reinvest in its aging centers.

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

Trib: Few Mt. Lebanon residents seek storm water fee credits

Don't roll out the (rain) barrel just yet.

Mt. Lebanon's stormwater fee took effect last month, but few people are seeking the credits the municipality is offering for homeowners who buy rain barrels or build stormwater retention ponds, said Public Works Director Tom Kelley.

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Trib: Castle Shannon pharmacy robbed for second time this month

A Castle Shannon pharmacy was robbed last night for the second time this month.

Employees at the Lebanon Shops Pharmacy on Mt. Lebanon Boulevard called police to report a suspicious male walking in an aisle with clothing over his head about 9 p.m.

When police arrived, the man already had robbed the store and fled, Castle Shannon police Chief Kenneth Truver said.

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Trib: Magistrate OK'd as judge for Western District of Pennsylvania

The Senate on Monday confirmed a Mt. Lebanon woman as the newest federal judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Cathy Bissoon, 43, has been a federal magistrate judge since August 2008. President Obama nominated her in November to fill a seat that has been vacant since March 2007 when Thomas Hardiman was appointed to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia. Her 82-3 confirmation leaves Pennsylvania with eight judicial vacancies, including one in the Western District.

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Patch: More Details Available of Mt. Lebanon-Baldwin Twp. Athletics Complex

Although Mt. Lebanon's newly planned and approximately 23-acre-large "McNeilly Park" athletics complex will include "less than probably even a quarter of an acre" of Baldwin Township land—according to Mt. Lebanon's Municipal Planner Keith McGill—some Baldwin Township officials and other area municipal leaders have still expressed concern over how the park will affect non-Mt. Lebanonites.

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Monday, October 17, 2011

PennLive.com: Mt. Lebanon RB Luke Hagy issues an oral declaration to Cornell

An Ivy League school has landed one of the WPIAL's top AAAA running backs.

Luke Hagy, a 5'11, 185-pound senior for Mt. Lebanon High School, issued an oral declaration to Cornell Tuesday, according to Tony Greco, publisher of PantherDigest.com, Scout's website for the University of Pittsburgh.

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P-G: Mt. Lebanon's Hagy hammers rival for 255, two TDs

Luke Hagy rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns, leading Mt. Lebanon to a 14-3 win Friday against conference rival Bethel Park.

The win at Bethel Park's homecoming moved the Blue Devils (5-2, 3-0) into a tie for first with Upper St. Clair in the Great Southern Conference standings. Bethel Park dropped to 3-4 and 2-1.

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Thursday, October 13, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon: Revision made in proposed student-staff online protocol

The Mt. Lebanon school board may finally have a policy covering how students and staff can interact online, after discussing the eighth revision on Monday.

Staff, teachers and coaches will be permitted to e-mail students for educational or school-related reasons, as long as the employees are using an official district account that can be monitored. They can also use social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, as long as any messages they send are visible to the public. Finally, school officials can text students, but parents will have the option of having any messages copied to them or sent exclusively to them.

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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

P-G: Timeline updated for Mt. Lebanon school project

The architect and construction manager for the planned Mt. Lebanon High School renovation on Monday night provided the school board with an updated timeline for the project.

The Mt. Lebanon School District should be ready to advertise for bids for its long-planned renovation by Oct. 26, architect Tom Celli said.

Mr. Celli had projected last month that the district would advertise for the bids today -- Oct. 11 -- but the date was pushed back by two weeks to give construction manager P.J. Dick more time to review the drawings for the project

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Monday, October 10, 2011

Trib: Mt. Lebanon nonprofits withhold new fee

Two Catholic churches and a school in Mt. Lebanon are refusing to pay the municipality's new stormwater fee, arguing that they are nonprofits exempt from taxation.

St. Bernard Parish on Washington Road, St. Winifred Parish on Sleepy Hollow Road and Seton-La Salle Catholic High School on McNeilly Road are withholding payment while a lawyer from the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh meets with Mt. Lebanon's solicitor.

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Friday, October 07, 2011

Letter: Blood drive on October 15, 2011

David Brown writes to us with news of a blood drive next weekend. —Tom

MESH (Mobilize and Empower the South Hills) is hosting a blood drive for the Central Blood Bank. Mobile drives like this one account for 50% of the blood supply required by regional patients. Last year, we collected 53 donations but we still had unused capacity and our goal this year is to fill all 100 appointments. Will you help?

Date: October 15th
Time: 9 am to 3 pm
Where: Sunnyhill - Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills
1240 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon

Here are the Donor Eligibility Guidelines. Sign up to donate blood or help out in the canteen via email. Our project manager Yvette Yescas or her designee will contact
you to confirm.

Thank you,
David Brown
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Trib: Mt. Lebanon's rich history depicted in new photo book

The Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon is hoping a new book will help raise the organization's profile and bolster interest in the municipality's rich history.

The society's Member Appreciation Day to be held on Saturday highlights the new book of Mt. Lebanon historical photos, which was released last week by Arcadia Publishing, with a portion of the profits supporting the society's programs and operations, said President M.A. Jackson.

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Thursday, October 06, 2011

Trib: 'Serial robber' from Mt. Lebanon indicted in W.Va.

A Mt. Lebanon man on probation for holding up nearly a dozen banks in Florida was indicted on Wednesday on charges of robbing a bank near Wheeling, W.Va.

Jeremy T. Dugan, 32, is charged with stealing nearly $6,000 "by force, violence or intimidation" on Sept. 2 from the First Choice Federal Credit Union in Elm Grove, W.Va., federal prosecutors in West Virginia said.

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Patch: Mt. Lebanon Planning Outdoor Athletics Complex to Border Baldwin Township

Baldwin Township officials expressed concern at a Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday night over a plan by Mt. Lebanon Township officials to build an outdoor athletics complex on the Mt. Lebanon-Baldwin Township border.

The entire complex, which is expected to consist of soccer and baseball fields, is tentatively scheduled to exist on now-wooded Mt. Lebanon property between Queensboro Avenue and McNeilly Road, but lighting equipment used at the complex, as well as noise from athletics events, will almost certainly affect Baldwin Township dwellers.

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The Almanac: Development keys Lebo's soccer success

Despite returning only three starters from last year's district semifinalist club, Mt. Lebanon has forged a successful soccer campaign.

With their 5-0-1 start in section, not to mention their 8-3-2 overall mark, the Blue Devils promise to be a formidable playoff opponent once the WPIAL tournament commences later this month.

"As guys gain important experience, the team is playing well," noted the Lebo head coach, Ron Wilcher.

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The Almanac: Lebo dominates Central Catholic meet

Despite dreary and damp conditions, Mt. Lebanon dominated the Central Catholic Invitational held on the cross country course in Schenley Park.

Paced by Alex Moran and Kevin Tramaglini, the Lebo lads dashed off with the first-place trophy in Division A. The Blue Devils racked up 54 points while second-place Chambersburg followed with 107.

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Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Trib: Utility grant to brighten Mt. Lebanon veterans memorial

A proposed Mt. Lebanon Veterans Memorial got a big boost on Monday when Duquesne Light announced it will donate $220,000 to add hundreds of tiny lights that would symbolize soldiers lost all around the world.

The Power of Light grant will allow Mt. Lebanon to move forward with the design as originally intended by Garfield-based Loysen & Kreuthmeier Architects. Construction bids exceeded the amount raised for the memorial so the municipality made the lights an option that could be funded and built separately, municipal spokeswoman Susan Morgans said.

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Saturday, October 01, 2011

PG: Mt. Lebanon 38, Canon-McMillan 0

Luke Hagy rambled for three first-half touchdowns, sparking the Blue Devils' rout of the visiting Big Macs in a Great Southern Conference opener. Hagy gained 120 yards on 25 carries, scoring from 7, 10 and 2 yards for Mt. Lebanon (3-2, 1-0).

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P-G: Hearing delayed for man charged with kids left in car

The preliminary hearing for Mt. Lebanon's high school swim coach on charges that he left his two young children alone in a car while grocery shopping was postponed Thursday.

David Schraven's attorney sought the continuance.

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P-G: Panel looks at incivility in public dialogue

A mediator, a political science professor, a newspaper columnist, a priest and a psychologist sat down together last week in the Mt. Lebanon municipal building and tried to answer the question: "Can we disagree without being disagreeable?"

It wasn't a personal question but a panel discussion, and for 90 minutes Wednesday night the five speakers mulled over the issue of civility -- or the lack of it -- in public discourse.

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