Students who attend Francis McClure and Twin Rivers schools, and their parents, will notice a minor change in the 2017-18 academic year.
At last week's board meeting, McKeesport Area School Board voted to change the names of Francis McClure Primary and Francis McClure Intermediate to Francis McClure Elementary, and the names of Twin Rivers Primary and Twin Rivers Intermediate to Twin Rivers Elementary.
School Superintendent Rula Skezas said only the names are being changed, slightly; the entrances and classroom schedules are not being changed.
Also at the board meeting, resident Keith Murphy told the board he was concerned about the longterm effects of violence on children living in the school district.
McKeesport students "are becoming desensitized," he said. "When I hear about people getting murdered in North View Heights, these kids will smile and laugh explaining how 47 bullets went into some person ... That's PTSD."
After six and a half years, McKeesport city administrator Matt Gergely is leaving the job --- but not McKeesport --- behind.
McKeesport Area School Board last week named Gergely assistant to the business manager for grants and outside funding, beginning July 1, at a starting salary of $85,000. The contract runs through June 30, 2022.
A replacement for Gergely will have to be named by Mayor Mike Cherepko and McKeesport City Council. The topic is likely to be an item for discussion at Wednesday's city council meeting.
"It was a very tough decision for me, being loyal to the city and the mayor, but in the end it seemed to be the right choice for myself and my family," Gergely said Tuesday. The move was made after discussion with Cherepko and other city officials, he said, and is being made on good terms.
"Everyone here has been very nice about it, and it's been kind of overwhelming, which is a little humbling," he said.
Gergely described himself as "very excited" to move into a role at the school district where, he said, he hopes to help strengthen the working relationship between the city and the school system.
Editor's Note: Due to an editing error, this story was corrected after publication.
A McKeesport Area School District teacher who was accused of assaulting a student* has been dealt with "appropriately," though school officials declined to identify the teacher.
At last week's school board meeting, resident Matthew Whetsell asked school directors about the outcome of the incident, rumored to have happened less than two months ago.
"While that is a personnel issue and we cannot speak publicly about personnel issues, it was handled appropriately," School board solicitor Gary Matta said.
In other business, Dr. Tia Wanzo was approved to be MASD's Assistant to the Superintendent for the 2017-2018 school year at last week's School Board Meeting.
Other administrative moves approved by the school board include:
Ashlee Boyle to Associate Principal at Founders' Hall
Brie Adams to Assistant Principal of McKeesport Area Technology Center On-Line Learning
David Listori to Assistant High School Principal/Special Education Supervisor
Wayne Wade to Assistant Principal of Alternative Education/District Security Coordinator, and
Pam Gordon to Coordinator of Elementary Education/Curriculum and Instruction/Pre-K.
(Above: Mary Rose Bendel, director of adult education and outreach at Carnegie Library of McKeesport, hands out gloves and trash bags to young volunteers on Saturday morning. Tube City Almanac photo.)
More than 150 people turned out Saturday morning at Earth Day-themed cleanup events throughout the city of McKeesport, while in neighboring communities such as Port Vue and Glassport, residents woke up early to get organized.
Tom Callahan of Port Vue was helping to man one of several large trash bins set up behind the Romine Avenue ballfields. "I do this every year," he said, adding that he was planning to be back at his post on Sunday morning as well. "It's a lot of garbage so far," Callahan said.
In the city, leaders of cleanup groups met at the Palisades on Water Street for breakfast and to plot strategy before meeting up with 15 groups of volunteers ranging from six people to more than 20 people throughout McKeesport.
One woman volunteered to clean the intersection of Walnut Street and Eden Park Boulevard by herself.
Mayor Mike Cherepko said the turnout was heartening.
"I would be lying if I said I was surprised, because here in the city of McKeesport, that's one thing that we're always blessed with is volunteers," he said. "No matter what it is --- no matter what the occasion --- this is just another example of people pulling together for the betterment of the city."
The death of a West Mifflin woman at the Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday morning has been ruled a suicide.
Jamie Gettings, 33, was found hanging in a cell at the Pittsburgh facility just after 2 a.m., said Allegheny County Jail Warden Orlando Harper.
"Medical (personnel) responded to render medical assistance, however, she passed away," Harper said in a statement. Allegheny County Police are investigating, he said.
Above: Lay minister Ray Albright and the Rev. David Else nail sins to a wooden cross at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Downtown, during Good Friday services there.
Christians around the world are marking Easter weekend, the three days that commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ as recorded in the New Testament.
Churches in the Western and Orthodox traditions calculate holy days using different calendars, but this year, both are celebrating Easter Sunday at the same time --- a relatively rare event that will not happen again until 2025.
A complete overhaul of McKeesport's zoning ordinance represents a vision of what the city could look like in the future.
One of the biggest changes is a newly created zoning district along the Monongahela River waterfront that allows single-family homes and townhouses like those at Homestead's Waterfront development.
On Wednesday, city council by an 7-0 vote adopted the 139-page comprehensive zoning ordinance, which is the outgrowth of a planning process begun in August 2013 with help from what was then called the Twin Rivers Council of Governments.
"This is really about envisioning what the city is going to look like after we're all gone, 20, 30, 40 years from now," Mayor Mike Cherepko said Wednesday. "This is designed to help us market the city."
McKeesport Area High School will showcase Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" beginning Thursday in the high school auditorium.
Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, with an additional 2 p.m. matinee Saturday.
Tickets are $5 for students and senior citizens, and $10 for adults. To help ease the crowd, patrons will not be able to select their seats for tickets purchased the night of the performances.
During the performances there will be a Chinese auction, a 50/50 raffle, as well as flowers to buy for the performers and a general concession.
Since January, the cast, musicians and crew have practiced nearly every day after school, dedicating just over three months of work leading up to their performances.
"Although I have been involved with the musical for the past six years as program designer and photographer, this is my second year in the role of producer," says MAHS staff member Carolyn Carreiro, co-producer with director Tina Stewart.
(Photo by Mary Shelly/Special to Tube City Almanac)
Dr. Mark Holtzman Jr. is the new superintendent of the McKeesport Area School District.
At a special meeting Wednesday night, school directors voted unanimously, with all nine members present, to appoint Holtzman to the position.
Holtzman's position is effective July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2022 including a salary of $140,000, subject to the terms and conditions upon execution of a written agreement between the parties.
Holtzman's work experience includes serving as MASD's Director of Secondary-Education and Teacher Evaluation from July 2015 to the present, McKeesport Area High School's Building Principal from July 2010 to June 2015, and as Dean of Students at West Mifflin Area High School from August 2007 to July 2010.
Holtzman also worked as a behavioral specialist for both MAHS and the UPMC's Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic.
School Director Patricia Maksin was very vocal in her strong support for Holtzman. She said she did not originally vote for Holtzman seven years ago because of issues she had with his appointment, and because she also felt he wasn't ready. "You proved me wrong," Maksin said. "I learned to never vote against Mark Holtzman, because what Mark Holtzman says, he's going to do."
Above: Shia Ethridge, 7, a student at Francis McClure, reads "Wake Me in Spring" by James Preller to School Director Ivan Hampton. (Photo by Mary Shelly, special to Tube City Almanac)
Fourteen first-graders from throughout McKeesport Area School District attended the March 22 board meeting in celebration of "Read Across America Day."
Introduced as "fluent readers" by Pamela Gordon, coordinator of elementary curriculum/instruction, each student read one-on-one with a board director as a slideshow of the students played for the crowd to see.
All of the students were wearing a handmade hat resembling the one in "The Cat in the Hat."
Board President Joseph Lopretto filled the room with laughter as he asked the first graders, "Where's my hat at?"
