November 30, 2021 |
By Staff Reports | Posted in: Announcements, McKeesport and Region News
The Garden Club of McKeesport will welcome visitors — and potential members — during its annual Holiday Sale this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the club house, next to the Rose Garden at Renziehausen Park. The hours overlap part of McKeesport’s annual Festival of Trees, which opens Thursday at the nearby Jacob Woll Pavilion.
“We have live wreaths, swags, kissing balls and a lot of Christmas crafts that the members make,” says club member Cindy Medved of White Oak. “There will be dried flowers and a bake sale as well.”
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November 30, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Buildings at 907 and 911 Fifth Ave., Downtown, were demolished in November with the help of funds from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, and the vacant furniture store at 903 Fifth Ave. is also scheduled to be torn down. Demolition of abandoned buildings will remain a focus on 2022, city officials said. (Tube City Almanac photo)
Demolition of vacant buildings, stabilization of residential neighborhoods and attracting new business development will remain key focuses of McKeesport’s mayor in 2022.
City council will hold a budget hearing at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Public Safety Building, 201 Lysle Blvd. at Market Street. Council is expected to vote on the budget at 7 p.m.
By law, the city is required to have a balanced budget.
Earlier this month, Mayor Michael Cherepko said some of the programs that the city wants to launch in 2022 — such a program to help homeowners get their roofs replaced — may be ambitious, but he’s optimistic they can be funded.
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November 29, 2021 |
By Sarah Turnbull | Posted in: Announcements, McKeesport and Region News
Scaled-down structure at the McKeesport Model Railroad Club was inspired by the city’s Jerome Avenue Bridge. The club is holding its annual open house Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19. (Sarah Turnbull photo for Tube City Almanac)
Bob Balawajder of the McKeesport Model Railroad Club remembers when trains would pass through downtown McKeesport every day.
“I’ve been part of the club for 38 years. I’ve always been interested in trains. I used to go shopping downtown with my mother and we would watch the trains go by,” Balawajder said.
The club, located at 2209 Walnut St., kicked off its Holiday Open House Nov. 27. The open house features a 2,200-square-foot layout depicting the Mon Valley in the mid-20th century. Hours are 1 to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19.
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November 24, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
Updated with comment from CVS.
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Arrivals at Saturday’s “Salute to Santa” parade who thought they might stop at the CVS Pharmacy on Fifth Avenue for a beverage or a snack got a lump of coal instead.
CVS “made the difficult business decision to close the CVS Pharmacy store located at 311 Fifth Ave. in McKeesport on Nov. 11,” said Matt Blanchette, a spokesman at the company’s headquarters in Woonsocket, R.I.
“We understand the disappointment of our closing store’s neighbors and customers,” he said. “The closure of this store is not a reflection of the hard work and dedication of our employees,” and all employees were offered “comparable roles” at other CVS locations, Blanchette said.
Last week, CVS announced plans to close up to 900 stores over the next three years.
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November 23, 2021 |
By Emily Scott © Public News Service | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
A bill making its way through the Pennsylvania General Assembly would help ensure a smooth transition to graduation for young people who face personal challenges outside of school.
Senate Bill 324 would help address barriers to graduation for kids experiencing homelessness or who are in the foster-care or juvenile-justice systems.
The bill creates a point of contact at the student’s school to help support them as they return to the classroom after time away from the education system.
Young people in foster care “face many barriers,” said John Lydon, chief executive officer of McKeesport-based Auberle, which works with at-risk youth and their families.
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November 16, 2021 |
By Bonnijean Cooney Adams | Posted in: Entertainment, McKeesport and Region News
Strains of “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” greeted visitors to Serra Catholic High School as the band prepared for a playoff football game — while also getting in some practice for McKeesport’s Salute to Santa Parade.
The band is seeking alumni — even those who have not picked up a flag or an instrument in years — to march along with current students in this Saturday’s parade.
It was also a time to reminisce and celebrate a successful competition season, where the group was named the 2021 Tournament of Bands Western Expansion Region Group 1A champions for “El Matador.”
“I am unbelievably proud of them,” band director Jesse Bush said. “I couldn’t be happier with how they performed this season.”
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November 11, 2021 |
By Siana Emery | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The McKeesport unit of the NAACP has accepted an apology from the school district superintendent, and both sides say they want to collaborate on challenges facing the community.
“My comments were not intended to be disrespectful or unprofessional,” said Mark Holtzman Jr., McKeesport Area School District superintendent, this week. “They were geared towards calling to action our community groups (and) members that were present at the meeting.”
Brenda Sawyer, NAACP unit president, said Wednesday the group wants to “put this incident behind us and continue to do what’s important.”
“And that is to ensure that the children in the McKeesport Area School District experience acess to quality teaching, fair discipline, equitable resources and challenging curricula — all necessary in preparing them for college or vocational training with resultant meaningful careers,” Sawyer said.
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November 10, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport’s mayor and the founder of a men’s shelter remained at odds this month.
At November’s city council meeting, Keith Giles, chief executive officer and founder of First Step Recovery Homes Inc., apologized for a recent confrontation with Mayor Michael Cherepko in front of city hall.
But Giles said that he remains frustrated that the city demolished a house owned by First Step — without his permission, he said — and sent the charitable organization the bill.
In addition, Giles said, he is disappointed that the city no longer supports the organization financially.
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November 10, 2021 |
By Emily Scott © Public News Service | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
The location for a proposed gas-fired power plant near Buena Vista. (Invenergy illustration via Elizabeth Twp. Zoning Hearing Board)
Several environmental organizations are appealing a decision made last month by Allegheny County to approve an air permit for a large gas-fired power plant which could pose environmental and public health risks.
Invenergy’s proposed Allegheny Energy Center would be a 639-megawatt plant located in Elizabeth Twp., along the Youghiogheny River near Buena Vista. (See the original application to the Elizabeth Twp. zoning hearing board, PDF download)
A coalition of four environmental groups said under the permit, Invenergy would be able to turn the plant on and off frequently, which could lead to unlawful spikes in air pollution.
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November 09, 2021 |
By Jason Togyer | Posted in: McKeesport and Region News
McKeesport City Council has approved an ordinance that will allow violators of zoning and planning rules to be cited in criminal court.
At the November meeting, council by 7-0 vote amended the city’s zoning and planning ordinance to allow someone convicted of violations to be sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine upon conviction by a magistrate.
City Solicitor J. Jason Elash said McKeesport’s zoning ordinance previously allowed violators to be cited with a criminal offense, but the language was dropped during a comprehensive update done in 2017.
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