SUMMER 2010
COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
Lincoln Way reconfiguration to bring easier traffic flow ALSO INSIDE: Real Estate in McKeesport Plus: Milton L. Lebowitz Bridge Dedication
I ntroducing a heal th pl an option f or smal l business designed to sav e green. asy to use, conomical and Environmentally friendly.
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features
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3 SUMMER 2010
Health and Wellness News You Can Use F or residents of eastern communities
Hot Tips for a Cool Summer: Stay safe and healthy with the simple Don’t Do’s on page 3.
© 2010 UPMC
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What’s Inside page 2
Play It Safe This Summer
page 3
What You Don’t Do Can Mean a Healthier You
community interest
WorldmClass Ear, Nose, and Throat Care Close to Home page 4
Heads Up on Helmet Safety Be Sun Smart This Summer
page 5
Digital Mammography Saves Lives
page 6
The Freedom of Independent Living
page 7
Care You Can Trust — Whenever You Need It
Lebowitz Bridge Dedication ...........................................3 Lincoln Way Reconfiguration ..........................................6 Great Allegheny Passage Trail Completed ....................12 McKeesport River Rescue Adds Boat/Training .............14
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OPEN YOUR HEART TO A SENIOR
Taking Flight over Western Pennsylvania......................16
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McKEESPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT
business spotlight
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UPMC TODAY
Long Run Children’s Center .................................................4
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REAL ESTATE IN McKEESPORT
on the cover
From left to right: Michele Gessner, Secretary of WOLDC, Sean Logan, Pennsylvania State Senator, Al Lebedda, Vice President of WOLDC, and Wayne Washowich, Executive Director of WOLDC.
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 1
Summer 2010
Welcome to the summer issue of IN McKeesport. I hope this magazine reaches your mailbox on a clear, warm day. Why? Because the stories we feature here highlight people doing things in your community. They didn’t need good weather to get out and do something that makes a difference. But if you’re like me, having a clear sky is a definite motivator. Being outside, hearing birds chirping, smelling that fr eshly cut grass and having a nice glass of lemonade gives me the fortification to go above and beyond. We should all aim to do one thing this summer – even if it’s on a rainy day – to benefit those around us or our community as a whole. Not only will you get a great sense of satisfaction for yourself, you will make a difference in someone’s life. I’d like to hear about what you did to make a differenc e this summer – E-mail our managing editor, Marybeth Jeffries at Marybeth@incommunitymagazines.com with the information of what you did to make a difference. Who knows? You may just end up in the pages of the next IN McKeesport magazine, and read about yourself over a nice glass of lemonade. Have a great summer IN McKeesport.
IN McKeesport Area is a non-partisan community publication dedicated to representing, encouraging and promoting the McKeesport Area School District and its comprising municipalities by focusing on the talents and gifts of the people who live and work here. Our goal is to provide readers with the most informative and professional regional publication in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PUBLISHER
Wayne Dollard ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER
Mark Berton mark@incommunitymagazines.com MANAGING EDITOR
Marybeth Jeffries marybeth@incommunitymagazines.com OFFICE MANAGER
Leo Vighetti leo@incommunitymagazines.com WRITERS
Jonathan Barnes Karen Ferrieri Kelli McElhinny Pamela Palongue Sandy Trozzo Chris Weber GRAPHIC DESIGN
Wayne Dollard Publisher
Cassie Brkich Susie Doak Joe Milne Tamara Tylenda PHOTOGRAPHERS
Summer! I didn’t think it would ever get here. Now that I am able to get out my gardening tools and get busy “out there” it seems to me that many of you are doing the same thing. Getting out there I mean. In this issue you will get to read about the Open Your Heart to a Senior Program which helps seniors in the community get much needed help with household chores and rides to their appointments. Did you know that the Pittsburgh area has one the largest po pulations of seniors living in our communities? Programs like Open Your Heart to a Senior are much needed and deserved to be recognized for their efforts! We also want to make sure that you know we want to recognize all of the men and women who are serving in our country’s military. If you have a family member from the community who is serving, please send us their photo and where they are so that we can honor them! We are very blessed at IN McKeesport Magazine to be able to have the opportunity to share such wonderful stories with you, our readers. I hope you will keep us in mind when you run in to someone who is worthy of recognition. You can write to me at the magazine, marybeth@incommunitymagazines.com. Enjoy!!
Marybeth Jeffries Managing Editor 2 IN McKeesport
Rebecca Bailey Garyyonphotography.com One Way Street Productions WEB DEVELOPMENT
DS Multimedia ADVERTISING SALES
Nicholas Buzzell Brian Daley Gina D’Alicandro Liz Dodson Tina Dollard Rose Estes Jason Huffman Jesse Jones Brian McKee David Mitchell
Linda Mitchell Tamara Myers Gabriel Negri Annette Petrone Tara Reis Vincent Sabatini Michael Silvert RJ Vighetti Jason Zakis
IN McKeesport Area, is carrier route mailed to all district households and businesses. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Copyright 2010. CORRESPONDENCE All inquiries, comments and press releases should be directed to: IN Community Magazines Attn: Editorial 603 East McMurray Road McMurray, PA 15317 Ph: 724.942.0940 Fax: 724.942.0968
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Community leaders, friends and family from throughout the region gathered this past April 30 to honor the memory of the late White Oak Mayor Milton L. Lebowitz at the dedication of the Milton L. Lebowitz Memorial Bridge. Mayor Lebowitz was one of White Oak’s most passionate and influential citizens with more than 40 years of service as an elected official, volunteer, business owner, husband and father. A Korean War veteran, he joined the White Oak Recreation Board in the early 1970s and went on to serve on the White Oak Borough Council. He became the Mayor in 1998, serving until his death in 2003. The bridge dedicated to the former mayor Milton L. Lebowitz crosses Jack’s Run Stream at the intersection of State Route 48 and McClintock Road. Built in 2008, the new bridge carries nearly 2,000 vehicles a day and will improve traffic safety by widening the highway crossing the bridge. The dedication ceremony brought together three generations of the late Mayor’s family as well as local leaders to recount their personal stories of Mayor Lebowitz’s positive impact on the lives he touched. Led by State Representative Marc Gergely, those speaking also included White Oak District Justice Tom Miller, White Oak Police Chief Joe Hoffman, State Senator Sean Logan, State Representative David Levdansky, former County Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht, Judge David Wecht, former State Treasurer Barbara Hafer, PennDOT Executive Director Daniel Cessna, County Council member Bob Macey, and White Oak Borough Manager Jack Petro.
Representative Gergely guided the legislation through Harrisburg to officially designate the bridge as the Milton L. Lebowitz Memorial Bridge. “The people of White Oak now have a lasting memorial to a man who devoted nearly 40 years of his life to improving his community and the well-being of those around him,” stated Gergely. “The Milton L. Lebowitz Memorial Bridge will continue to remind us of his contributions to White Oak and his legacy.” “My children and I are honored that Milton has a permanent tribute in the community he loved,” said Joyce Lebowitz, the Mayor’s widow. “I have been touched by the strong support from the community for this memorial.” Lebowitz was active in the Gemilas Chesed Synagogue and Tree of Life Synagogue and was a member of the General Smedley D. Butler American Legion Post 701 of White Oak, the Aliquippa Elks Lodge, F&A Masons and Syria Temple of the Shrine of Cheswick. He was owner and founder of Green Valley Cleaners and The Joseph Krow Company. He was married to his wife Joyce for 50 years and they have three children Kim, Todd and Devorah. For more information on the Lebowitz Bridge dedication and the Mayor’s legacy, contact Representative Gergely’s office at 412.664.0035 or repgergely@pahouse.net Pictured below: Representative Gergely at dedication with Joyce Lebowitz. Photo: Jennifer R. Vertullo/The Daily News.
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 3
Long Run Children’s Learning Center – Nearly Half a Century of Excellence For more than 48 years, Long Run Children’s Learning Center has been educating the McKeesport area’s pre-Kindergarten youth, and Executive Director Tom Smith said that that dedication to excellence in education will be continuing for the 2010-11 school year. “We’re going to be starting the year with a staff of 25 teachers,” Smith said. “And we offer year-round programs and services ranging from one-day, topical presentations to five-day-a-week programs. We’ve been doing this for years and we know how to do it right.” Part of Long Run’s success is due to its small class sizes. No class has more than 17 students in it. Each of those classes has one certified teacher and two assistants to ensure that students get one-on-one access to their instructors. Some classes are even smaller – the Bridge to Kindergarten class has just 12 students in each class section with one teacher and one assistant. “There’s a lot of room for individualized programming,” Smith said. All of this instruction takes place in a rural setting in a building that was designed for the purpose it serves. “Almost all of your early learning centers are housed in some kind of converted building - a school room or a church,” Smith said. “Our building was built to be what it is. Each classroom has its own entrance to a large, beautiful playground and lots of opportunities for outdoor activities. It was designed from the ground up to be a preschool center.” Within the building, Long Run offers students well-equipped, state-of-the-art computers connected to a Wi-Fi network. Smith said that for young children, getting started early on computers is a recommendation in all of the national standards. Their interactions with computers at that age is more social, than work-driven.
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“We try to keep it a social activity, working on a game at the same time,” he said. “We offer it, but minimize it because most can do that at home on their family computers. With us, they have opportunities to do other things.” Smith said that some of those things coming up this year include continuing the Pre-K Counts partnership with the MASD; adding an extended-hours preschool program at the Center; offering full-day child care services with the traditional Long Run level of quality; creating an after-school class for children in grades K-2; identifying and developing productive partnerships with other community agencies that serve young children and their families and securing the funds necessary to support the Center through this transition phase. Long Run will still be offering basic early childhood programs: half-day preschool classes for three- and four-year olds, and the popular Bridge to Kindergarten classes for children who will be entering Kindergarten in the fall. The Center was re-accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) last year and carries a rating of four Keystone STARS. The school also holds a child care Certificate of Compliance from the PA Dept. of Public Welfare, and is licensed by the PA Board of Private Academic Schools. Anyone interested in finding out more about Long Run’s programming or dedication to excellence can contact them at: Long Run Children’s Learning Center, 1109 Long Run Road, McKeesport, PA 15132 or by calling 412.751.9022. They are also online at info@longrunclc.org and www.longrunclc.org.
Long Run Children’s Learning Center 1109 Long Run Road McKeesport, PA 15132 412.751.9022 info@longrunclc.org www.longrunclc.org
SPECIAL REPORT
SR 2031 Section A02 - Lincoln Way
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 5
WHITE OAK CHAMBER l SPECIAL REPORT
Lincoln Way reconfiguration to bring easier traffic flow By Jonathan Barnes
It has been a decade in the making and the source of a lot of scratching of heads by planners, but in the near future, residents and motorists who travel through White Oak will be enjoying a new look to traffic flow along Lincoln Way through the borough’s commercial district. The planned revised road configuration will allow visitors to access stores and stop to chat with their favorite local merchants while also passing through the borough more safely.
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The $10 million project is the culmination of years of volunteer effort by residents and officials who lobbied various state agencies to find funds to make the project reality. The work will include road reconstruction, the installation of turning lanes and the erection of signal lights at various intersections along a three-mile stretch of Lincoln Way. The project also will include work to widen Lincoln Way from State Street to Route 48. The newly rebuilt stretch of road is intended to serve as a sort of welcoming area for motorists accessing the borough’s entrance to Allegheny County, with new street signs and newly planted trees bringing a fresh look to the streetscape. Lincoln Way is White Oak’s main traffic artery, with 22,000 vehicles using it each day. The road is the access point for thousands of commuters entering Allegheny County from North Huntington Township and other nearby communities. The Lincoln Way improvements are meant to help develop and support new and existing businesses in the area, as well as make the area more accessible to pedestrians and motorists. Ultimately, White Oak Local Development Corp. volunteers would like to use the project as the foundation for redevelopment of other areas of the borough that are in need of development. Construction work on the Lincoln Way project will begin in the summer of 2011 and be completed over three construction seasons, said Wayne Washowich, president of White Oak Local Development Corp., which led the road reconfiguration effort. The contract for the work is ready, but a contractor has not yet been selected. Washowich founded White Oak Local Development Corporation in 1999, when as a member of council he, along with his fellow council members, recognized the need for changes in the road that would help improve safety and bring better access to local businesses. WOLDC started at the time as a citizen’s advisory board and later was incorporated. The volunteer group is comprised of community leaders, business owners, elected officials and community activists interested in local development. The first goal of the group was to get its planned road reconfiguration/commercial revitalization project on the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission’s 12-year Transportation Improvement Program, which WOLDC was able to accomplish shortly after its formation. The group also received a Community Development Block Grant from the Allegheny County Department of Economic Development for the commercial revitalization project. A large portion of the $10 million in required funding was received through federal transportation dollars. The revitalization project will include the construction of sidewalks and crosswalks, installation of decorative lighting, benches and trash cans, creation of green spaces along the road and other pedestrian-friendly amenities. When the project is completed, the overall look and feel of White Oak’s business district should be changed for the better and be noticeable to everyone, Washowich said. It’s about time, after a decade of hard work.
“This is the heart of the community. Not only will the construction make the road much safer, the [improved] aesthetics of the area will make it a much more pleasant and more attractive place to visit,” Washowich said. The Lincoln Way road project has been in the design phase for the past year. Hanson Design Group, The Eads Group and McCormick and Taylor have been helpful in the designing of the project, which has required the cooperation of various government agencies and utility companies to make it happen. Recently, telephone poles were moved in the project area in preparation for the work. The physical improvement was noticed by many people and is building anticipation in the community for the long-planned road work, volunteers said. Moving the telephone poles for the project was a major hurdle that had to be overcome to make way for the road reconfiguration. “It’s amazing. When I started working on this project, everyone told me it would never happen. I was able to build a consensus with this community advisory board… We persevered and stuck together and made it happen. I’m very proud of that and of those people who helped so much with this,” Washowich said. Washowich credited the many volunteers involved in the effort with being the heart of the action. Many attended meetings and stayed involved over the years to make the project a reality that their kids and grandkids will enjoy. Michelle Gessner, special projects coordinator for White Oak borough and secretary of White Oak Local Development Corp., said she cannot wait to see the project when it is done. “It will make a tremendous difference,” Gessner said. “It’s going to be a lot nicer and a lot safer.” The work to get the project up and running was not without its rewards. What was especially appealing about the process of getting the project going was the way so many different groups worked together, Gessner noted. “The way folks worked together was amazing—government agencies and utility companies, gas, electric and sewage companies,” Gessner said, adding that the community came together for the project. “It was easy to sell [the idea of the project] to local business owners. More than 90 of them agreed on the road design.” Gessner envisions the look of the Lincoln Way area after completion of the project as a clean and aesthetically pleasing spot. “We’ll get rid of that free-for-all into the asphalt jungle. It will definitely have more of a village feel,” she said. White Oak Local Development Corp. board member Bill Plumb agreed, noting that the most obvious changes realized by the project will be a more efficient routing of traffic through the borough. A safer and more efficient way through the borough should appeal to anyone who travels the area. “The project will provide much more safety, partly due to the creation of turning lanes. After the construction work is done, it will be a lot easier for people to stop and shop. Right now, our traffic is very heavy in White Oak,” Plumb said.
Current Conditions
Proposed Improvements
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 7
Your Local Small Business Needs It Pays to Join the Chamber Networking Discounts Group Purchasing Local Advocacy Insurance Discounts
Do you miss the time when you could go into a business and the owners knew your name, gave you friendly service and excellent value? Did you know those days are still alive in White Oak where local business always puts, you, the customer first? Besides, small businesses are vital to the economy of our community and our nation. Many of your friends and neighbors rely on local small businesses for their livelihood. For every $100 spent in locally owned small business, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll, and other expenditures. Spend it in a national chain and only $43 stays here. Best, when you purchase products made, designed or constructed by your friends and neighbors, you can be assured of high quality.
Community Events Business Workshops Helping Business Save Money Affecting Legislative Decision-Making
RCA 201 Lysle Blvd. McKeesport, PA 15132
Image Building
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IN McKeesport
412.678.2450
OpenYour Heart to a Senior
By Jonathan Barnes
W
hen Mary Allshouse needs a ride to the store or elsewhere, she’s got a group of helping hands at her service, thanks to a new initiative geared toward keeping seniors living in their homes as long as they are able. Allshouse, 90, had a nice outing recently with Dee, one of the Open Your Heart to a Senior volunteers. She took Allshouse shopping and Allshouse returned the favor, buying lunch for the two of them. “It was very enjoyable,” said Allshouse. “The volunteers are very lovely people, very enjoyable.” The program is made possible through funding from the United Way of Allegheny County. The necessity of the initiative was determined through a study by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health which was funded by the United Way of Allegheny County. For several years, Family Services has had outreach programs geared toward helping seniors in their homes. From the University of Pittsburgh study, the United Way identified the care of frail, home-bound seniors as one of the most serious issues in the region. The United Way also learned that Family Services’ programs were struggling to get enough volunteers to help seniors. The initiative is designed to help recruit more volunteers and to let the community know there are seniors who need a ride to the grocery store or to the doctor’s office, or a visit or a friendly call. Those interested in volunteering to help a senior in need are welcome to join the effort. They help by providing transportation for seniors to medical appointments, pharmacy visits, yard work or simply helping them with correspondence or bills. For more information on the Open Your Heart to a Senior program, call 412.307.0071 or toll-free 866.467.0888.
The idea is to let the community know there are seniors who need a ride to the grocery store or to the doctor’s office, or a visit or a friendly call.
1520 California Ave., White Oak Unique style 5 BR, 3.5 Ba 2 story home w/ space galore. New windows, interior & exterior doors, roof, dirveway, furnace, A/C, Kitchen, hardwood floors and much more! $ 199,900 MLS #820258
818 Everglade Dr., Elizabeth Township If you are looking for a sprawling 3 BR, 2 Ba home w/ a lg. rooms, screened in patio, mahogany wood, level lot, over 2550 sq. ft. living space - then look no further. This lovely home is for you. $ 197,000 MLS #821696
2200 Pleasant Dr., White Oak This 2 story, 3 BR, 1.5 Ba has everything including pool, lg. den, nice breakfast nook, updated bath, fireplace and patio leading to lovely yard. $ 134,900 MLS #814372
Contact: Milo Hindman 412-780-1150
Contact: Shirley McNamara 412-401-6437
Contact: Phyllis Spiegel 412-609-4666
SUBMIT YOUR EVENT! Please submit your information, including a phone number and e-mail information to: marybeth@incommunitymagazines.com
or call 724.942.0940
Howard Hanna Wilson Baum Real Estate 314 Long Run Road McKeesport, PA 15132 Office: 412-751-2200 ext 120 Fax: 412-751-2207
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 9
MAYOR’S CORNER
The advent of summer is always a very active time in the City of McKeesport. This year, 2010, has been extraordinarily busy. The McKee’s Point Marina (see feature article enclosed) continues to be a recreational destination point for boaters and other water enthusiasts. The completion of the Rails to Trails (Allegheny Passage) trail head in McKeesport links this interstate hiking and biking venue with our marina. Tangential to the marina is McKee’s Café. It is located on the first floor of the Palisades and has already been host to bikers from 36 states and six European countries, i.e. Ireland, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Thailand and Mexico. Additionally, in July, City Council awarded a bid to Harbor Guard Boats, Inc., to acquire a river rescue boat which also will be housed at the marina. It will provide both fire protection as well as river rescue capabilities in the Monongahela pool, commencing at the Braddock Dam and continuing to Elizabeth, including the Youghiogheny River. Allegheny County, in conjunction with PennDOT, awarded the Flyover Ramp to the Industrial Center of McKeesport at Coursin to Lysle Boulevard to Mosites Contracting. Mobilization is scheduled to commence August 1st, and completion is expected by the fall of 2011. West 5th Avenue is currently being reconstructed and will be completed by the fall of 2010 – including the roadway to the Mansfield Bridge Ramp approach. 5th Avenue, from Market Street to Hucy Street, is also undergoing a $1.3 million face lift. It is hoped that this project, complete with streetscape amenities – decorative lighting, benches, planters etc., will be completed by the Christmas Parade. If that is not enough, 12 local city streets are also being paved, 10 of which were milled. It is truly a busy summer here in McKeesport.
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Finally, on the 17th of June, the Pennsylvania State Mayor’s Association announced Mayor of the Year award. I am flattered and humbly proud to announce that the City of McKeesport was recognized for this prestigious honor. In accepting this reward I would be remiss, as evidenced by the précis of aforementioned projects, if I did not recognize this award really represents the aggregate effort on the parts of those department heads and employees that work with me here in the City of McKeesport. Police Chief Brian (B.J.) Washowich who spearheads a multi-faceted law enforcement force; Fire Chief Kevin Lust who oversees our Fire Department; Jim Brown who manages our Allegheny Regional asset District funds over $600,000 per year for Renziehausen Park; Community Development Director Bethany Bauer who is responsible for not only our Community Development program, but also our grant process; Solicitor JasonElash; and especially Nick Shermenti who coordinates the public works department which is responsible for not only day to day maintenance, as well as, helping implement new initiatives like the Marshal Drive Extension. All have made my job easier and McKeesport a very special place to live.
Have a wonderful summer!
City Council Members: Regis T. McLaughlin, President Michael E. Cherepko, Vice President Richard Dellapenna Loretta M. Diggs Darryl Segina Alfred J. Tedesco, Jr. V. Fawn Walker Police Non Emergency Phone: 412.675.5050 Fire Department McKeesport Fire Fighters P.O. Box 15134 412.675.5021 or 412.675.5070 McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service (MARS) Edwin Coulter, Chairman, McKeesport Ambulance Authority & Emergency Management Coordinator Emergency Phone: 911 Non Emergency Phone: 412.675.5076
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500 5th Avenue McKeesport, PA 15312 Phone: 412.675.5020 www.mckeesport.org
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E 48 LINCOLN WAY AT ROUTE WHITE OAK 412.672.9631 DISCOVER THE UNIVERSE OF PANDORA P S, RINGS, JEWELRY INCLUDING CHARMS RACELETS PENDANTS, EARRINGS AND BR AT OUR NEWLY EXPANDED STORE " $ " $ Š $ $ "! "! ! ! # # $ $ $ $
SHE BROKE
THE GLASS WHITE OAK
CEILING
White Oak Borough Borough Building 2280 Lincoln Way White Oak, PA 15131
BEFORE ANYONE EVER
CALLED IT THAT. NOW SHE JUST NEEDS
A CONVERSATION. Phone: 412.672.9727 Fax: 412.672.0760 www.woboro.com
Volunteer now. Thousands of seniors are trying hard to remain independent. But they need our help. A friendly visit. A ride to a doctor’s office. Even simple help with grocery shopping. Please join us. Volunteers are needed in every neighborhood, from as little as an hour a month to routine weekly visits. Learn more at 412-307-0071 or www. openyourhearttoasenior.org.
Mayor Ina Jean Marton Phone: 412.672.9727 ext: 257 Police Non emergency phone: 412.672.9727 Fire Departments Rainbow Volunteer Fire Company 2916 Jacks Run Road White Oak, PA 15131 412.664.9523 White Oak No.1 Fire Company 1130 California Ave. White Oak, PA 1513 412.664.4822
An initiative of United Way of Allegheny County in cooperation with Family Services of Western Pennsylvania and North Hills Community Outreach
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 11
Trail Segment Completes Great Allegheny Passage in McKeesport By Jonathan Barnes
At the recent dedication of the final segment of trail in McKeesport’s section of the Great Allegheny Passage, Mayor James Brewster’s voice broke a little bit as he described the passion of one of his predecessors, the late former Mayor Joe Bendel. Years ago, then-mayor of McKeesport Joe Bendel had a vision of McKeesport’s waterfront as a lively place, a focal point for entertainment and a hub of activity, Brewster said. Through the work of Bendel and others, that focal point was created in the Marina at McKees Point and the nearby Palisades multi-use recreational and banquet facility. The section of the walking and biking trail, from the 15th Street Bridge to the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers, will formally connect the section of the Great Allegheny Passage trail. McKeesport city administrator Dennis Pittman noted that more than a dozen years ago, local leaders wanted to make the Mon Valley a destination point. Former Mayor Joe Bendel pushed the concept and Mayor Brewster drove toward that goal, Pittman said, standing outside the city-owned McKees Café, on the lower level of the Palisades building. “I’ve been blessed to work for a man who took others’ vision and made it a reality,” Pittman said. Last year, another section of the trail by the Marina was constructed, and improvements to the park area there also have been done in recent years. The Marina itself has been upgraded in recent years and currently has every available slip filled by local recreational boaters. The 1.7-mile section of trail dedicated by local and state officials will be constructed by Lane Construction of Bridgeville. The work will mainly consist of excavating the existing trail and replacing it with a new base and asphalt. The $416,000 project was bid in August to Lane Construction. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials handled the bidding process for the project because it is a PennDOT Trails project. One obstacle was a granting of a right-of-way from Camp Hill Corp., which is a riverside steel tube fabricator in McKeesport. Workers have been clearing the area of vegetation and refuse to make way for the 10-foot-wide trail. After excavating for the trail, workers will install a foundation that will be topped with asphalt. Brewster talked about how, as a banking executive years ago, he was about to leave the airport to head back home from a business trip. “This tall, lanky guy hitched a ride with me from the airport,” Brewster said of Bendel. “He talked me into running for council.” Joe Bendel had the idea to put the marina down here, then put the trail beside it and have the city buy the Palisades, Brewster said. At the time, the Palisades was a former roller rink/dance hall.
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Bendel taught Brewster that to do his job right, the mayor would have to have vision and a plan for the future, he said. “Thousands of people will come through our city because of this [trail and marina],” Brewster said. “It’s not unusual to come down here at night and meet a biker and have him tell you he’s from another state.” The mayor also complimented the people of the city who were gathered for the festive event, which was followed by drinks and cake outside the café. “McKeesport is resilient for one reason: You’re tough people. You’re committed people… If we sell our town, McKeesport will be 50,000 [people] strong some day.” Part of how the city is selling itself is by improving itself, by “dressing up” and looking good for companies and residents that are considering locating there. “You want to go to a dance, you dress up. That’s how you get a date,” Brewster said. “We’ve got an image issue, like a lot of towns. But we’re going to fix that image.” Regional Trail Corporation’s Jack Paulik explained the lengthy process of getting the trail completed, noting that there were about 20 meetings between officials of McKeesport, Port Vue, and Liberty Borough to get things in place. “The leadership in those municipalities gets it,” Paulik said. I challenge you to look at McKeesport from the Riverton Bridge; it’s absolutely gorgeous.” Regional Trail Corporation’s Hannah Hardy said her group is excited to be nearing completion of the Great Allegheny Passage. “I’d like to thank Mayor Brewster for his dedication in completing it… We’re seeing a huge economic impact in the Great Allegheny Passage,” Hardy said. Jack and Marce Schultz, of Pittsburgh, stood by their bicycles, just off the trail by the Marina, listening to the comments of the local leaders. The couple are very familiar with the trail and actually came for the dedication, Marce said. “It was frustrating for us to not be able to ride directly past here… Any little piece [of trail] that gets completed is a win for us.”
McKeesport Marina
– of boats and good times
By Jonathan Barnes
With hundreds of boaters docking their crafts at McKeesport’s popular Marina at McKees Point, recreational traffic on the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers around the city has increased. Commercial traffic on the rivers, including many industry vessels, also has sped up in recent years, said Ray Dougherty, manager of the Marina. Back when he took over as manager of the city-owned marina four years ago, Dougherty had just 60 boats docked at the marina. Now nearly every slip is full, with 180 boats docked at the downtown marina. The change is the result of decisions made under Dougherty’s leadership, in coordination with a mayoral administration that is intent on working to make McKeesport a destination spot for those within and outside the Mon Valley. To bring in more recreational boaters, the city began by lowering the lease rates for the boat slips in the marina, then added entertainment to make the place more of a must-be spot for boaters. The changes were made in response to a survey of the boaters, which revealed that they were looking for entertainment at the Marina at McKees Point, Dougherty said. “They were looking for destinations… Now we have them, including summer concerts and the café,” Dougherty said, referring to the now city-owned McKees Café, in the lower level of the Palisades Building, across the parking lot from the marina. The café had struggled under a succession of private owners who had trouble making the place profitable. A year ago the city took over the café, bringing stability to the restaurant that was needed to make it a solid destination spot.
To encourage boaters, as well as hikers and bikers along the Great Allegheny Passage trail, which runs alongside the Marina, city officials decided to open up use of showers in the Palisades building to boaters and weary travelers for a small fee. Clearly, the strategy is working. One wall of the café is filled with penned messages from travelers along the trail, such as residents from Germany, Thailand and all across the United States. They may not be coming for the concerts, per se, but they are spreading the word to others who use the trail. Meanwhile, the boaters in the marina also are spreading the word as well as bringing new business to the city. Pittsburgh Boat Sales recently moved into the Palisades building’s garage, where the company will be near its clientele, which is growing in the Pittsburgh area. And even though there has been a large turnover in ownership of recreational boats due in part to the recession, the desire of boaters to have a slip in McKeesport is very strong, Dougherty said. Currently, all of the 30-footer slips are leased, leaving just a dozen 20-foot slips available for use. In addition to the almost bucolic calm of the marina, as well as the nearby amenities and the new faces encountered along the trail, boaters are grooving to the tunes played by a variety of bands that the city hires for free concerts at the marina. The concerts are open to the public throughout the summer and this year there will be at least 10 such performances and possibly more if a couple more bands can be booked, Dougherty said. All of the concerts occur on Saturday nights from 8 to 11 p.m. and occur at the marina. On June 12, the Smooth Groove Band will play.
June 19’s concert features Tube City Dukes with Special Guest Eugene Morgan. On July 10 the Tim Scott Band will perform, and on July 24, Tres Lads will entertain during the Marina’s Christmas in July Party. Six on the Beach will bring their nautically inspired flair to the Marina on August 7; and for the Marina Poker Run on Aug. 14, a band to be announced will play. On Aug. 21, the Tube City Dukes will perform with a special guest. The Tube City Dukes also will play with guest Guitar Zack on Sept. 4. And finally, the band Smooth Groove will perform on Sept. 13. Local blues legend Billy Price also might perform this summer at the Marina, Dougherty said. Boaters and music-lovers are encouraged to check the city’s website, www.mckeesport.org, for updates and schedule changes to the Marina Concert Series. McKeesport city administrator Dennis Pittman said the increased awareness and usage of the marina is all part of Mayor James Brewster’s plan to revamp the city and bring it back to a new, enhanced vitality. Pittman said that for some of the concerts and other events at the Marina, boaters from outside the area are coming in to dock, enjoy the music, and make new friends. “The city is a destination point for boaters because of what we offer with the Marina, the Palisades and the trail. These boaters are making a visit to the Marina an excursion weekend, and that’s a good thing for everyone,” Pittman said. Dougherty said that word of the Marina at McKees Point is spreading, but many still aren’t aware of all the place offers. “People would be surprised to know that we have so much entertainment down here. It’s one of the best-kept secrets in the Mon Valley,” Dougherty said.
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 13
McKeesport River Rescue Adding Boat and Training By Jonathan Barnes While out on a cruise one sunny afternoon, a pleasure boater loses power by the confluence of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny rivers near McKeesport. After failing at many attempts to re-start his vessel, the boater calls for help. McKeesport River Rescue speeds to the distressed boater’s aid, helping to tow his craft back to the Marina at McKees Point nearby. In a way, the rescue is just another day in the city, which boasts a full-time fire department which also includes the River Rescue team. The group is trained in rescuing people both on the water and underneath the water, and soon, thanks to the help of the city, the first-responders will have another, powerful weapon in their quest to provide safety throughout the city and the surrounding area. Fire safety in McKeesport extends to all of its boundaries—on land as well as on the rivers that surround the city, said Chuck Margliotti, deputy assistant fire chief and river rescue team coordinator for McKeesport Fire Department. And because McKeesport River Rescue is one of the few such water-based emergency response teams in the Mon Valley, its role in providing support for rescues around the city and in other communities is essential. That’s why the city’s decision to acquire a specially designed river rescue boat for its rescue team is another forward-thinking move on the part of city leaders, said McKeesport city administrator Dennis Pittman. Soon, the rescue team will replace its modified pleasure craft that it uses for rescue with the “fireboat.” The $147,000 fireboat will be equipped with a water pump enabling it to spray up to 2,000 gallons per minute on a fire. The twin-engine boat, equipped with two 300 horsepower engines, will have sides that fold open to facilitate rescue and recovery operations, Margliotti said. While McKeesport has had a river rescue for about a decade, it is the best-equipped and largest of the Mon Valley river rescue teams. The addition of the new fireboat to the team will bring an element of professional service currently unavailable in the Mon Valley, said Ed Harmon, assistant deputy fire chief for McKeesport Fire Department.
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In coordination with the new craft, members of the river rescue also are receiving additional training this summer. The team is comprised of 32 members of the fire department, six of whom are trained in underwater rescue. Soon, team members will receive more training in water-based firefighting, as well as adding more members who are trained in dive operations. Having the Marina at McKees Point nearly full with 180 boats docked there and also increased industrial traffic from mills in and around the city, the rivers around McKeesport are bustling with boats, Harmon said. “There are a lot of boaters here and the pool keeps getting busier every year. Accidents do happen... And a lot of what we do is preventative,” Harmon said. Many of the calls the rescue team responds to involve mechanical failure with boats, but other calls also are working to avoid catastrophe, such as when the team responds to the scene of a would-be suicide, where a person is hanging off a bridge and police are trying to talk him down. The rescue team waits beneath the bridge in case the would-be jumper actually leaps. “McKeesport really is surrounded by rivers. The Youghiogheny travels the one side of the city,” Margliotti said. “We needed a boat that would navigate both rivers easily.” In addition to being able to provide better help to pleasure boaters, the new fireboat will allow rescue team members to fight a land-based fire along the waterfront from the boat— or, of course, to fight a fire on an industrial boat. That complements the professional service provided by the full-time fire department and could be a selling point to businesses considering locating in and around the city, Margliotti said. “McKeesport has put themselves in a good position [through the purchase],” Margliotti said. “The mayor and council’s support helped a lot.”
By Jonathan Barnes In the past few years, infrastructure work being done in McKeesport has progressed at a fast clip. The Marshall Drive/ Route 48 intersection has been completed, work is being done on the riverfront trail alongside the Marina at McKees Point, and now, West Fifth Avenue is next. The $1.1 million project will reconstruct the street and parts of the sidewalk along west Fifth Avenue, from Rebecca Avenue to the Marathon Oil station. The section of road is about a mile long. The project has been in the planning stage for a year, said McKeesport city administrator Dennis Pittman, noting that the road was resurfaced 10 years ago. Because subsurface work wasn’t done to the street, it must be reconstructed. This time, the contractor will be encapsulating old Pittsburgh Railways tracks that are buried beneath the road and which make a proper reconstruction impossible as long as they are buried. “The expansion and contraction of the rails in the winter exacerbates the deterioration of the asphalt,” Pittman said. The section of road is the major east-west artery connecting McKeesport to Glassport and Elizabeth and elsewhere, Pittman said. “It’s very heavily traveled,” he said.
sm Comfort The of Knowing your air conditioner works like a dream
Donegal Construction recently won the contract for the work with a bid of $1.089 million, plus inspection costs of $80,000. The local share of the cost of the project that will come from McKeesport is $177,000. Those funds will come from McKeesport’s general fund, Pittman said. Construction work will begin immediately on the project and is expected to be completed by the end of October. Work on the project will impede traffic to one lane and could be done during some evenings to lessen the impact on commuters, Pittman said. A separate but related road project, the reconstruction of west Fifth Avenue from Rebecca Avenue to the Jerome Street Bridge, also will be done while the city road project is being done. The second project is being coordinated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which owns that section of West Fifth Avenue. The project will involve reconstruction of 650 feet of the road. Folino Construction has been awarded the contract for that smaller job. “It gives us a complete project,” Pittman said.
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IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 15
Over Western Pennsylvania
Phil Martini grew up with planes and the idea of flight. His parents started taking him to air shows when he was only three years old. As a child, he played with toy planes and colored in airplane coloring books. As a teen, he owned the very first version of Microsoft Flight Simulator and has owned every version since. Despite an obvious disposition towards flight, Martini never really thought about becoming a pilot until he heard about the Pittsburgh Flight Training Center. When he sat down to consider the option, he knew he had to give it a shot. Not only did it fit his lifelong interest, but it also made logical sense. “This was a chance for me to both get an associates degree and flight training,” Martini said. The Pittsburgh Flight Training Center is located at the Allegheny County Airport and does exactly what its name suggests. The center is partnered with the Community College of Allegheny County and through the college, PFTC students are trained in the classroom as well as through personal flight training sessions. In-plane training sessions take place in one of the center’s 12 aircrafts. Students can work towards their private, instrument, commercial, multi-engine, and CFI ratings.
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by Josh Wetmore
The PFTC started in 1980 and is the oldest flight training school in the Pittsburgh area. The school offers training for Part 61 and Part 141 certification and provided 4,910 hours of training in 2009. The center also believes they are a friendlier and cheaper alternative to bigger flight training schools that don’t have locations near Pittsburgh. “Some people say this is like a hidden gem because everyone doesn’t know about it. The quality of flight training here for the value in Pittsburgh, without ever leaving home, is unbelievable,” said Mike Kramer, the general manager of PFTC. Kramer isn’t the only source making that statement; the numbers make it as well. According to the Airline Transport Professionals website, it costs a student $8,495 to earn a private pilot’s license at their school and $39,991 to earn a commercial license. ATP is one of the country’s largest flight training schools. In comparison to ATP, Kramer said that PFTC’s prices, while they vary depending on the progression of each student, average around $5,523 for a private license and $9,582 for a commercial license. Those prices don’t include $2,457 and $4,818 government subsidies for private and commercial training, respectively.
“We make flight training as affordable as we possibly can, and we mean that,” Kramer said. “You can go straight from here to the regional airline, nothing gapped at all.” PFTC is also different from schools like ATP in that they don’t have a set timetable for its flight training milestones. While Part 141 training, the more demanding and professional training regimen, requires students to fly three days a week, some students choose to fly as many as five times a week, helping them earn their license sooner and at a lower cost. For Part 61, the frequency of training sessions is up to the student’s discretion but the center recommends at least twice a week. At a pace of two to three flights a week, a student can earn his/her private license in seven or eight months and get a commercial license in two and a half years. “We want you to do well. We don’t want you to keep repeating everything,” Kramer said. Martini, who taught Kramer how to fly as an instructor for PFTC and is now a corporate pilot, said the Pittsburgh Flight Training Center was the opportunity he needed. “If it wasn’t for the program, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Martini who added that although learning to fly is fun, it also takes effort. “It’s not easy, it takes a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of study, and a lot of money.” Flight training might not be a walk in the park but the Pittsburgh Flight Training Center prides itself on making flight training as easy as possible. The center gives each student a primary instructor who will administer each of the student’s lessons unless the instructor is absent, in which a secondary instructor will take over. Also all of the center’s planes are Cessna models meaning students aren’t tied to one specific airplane. Along with making the process short, Kramer believes flight training in general is worth a shot as either a profession or a hobby. “It’s a good time right now,” Kramer said about the piloting job market. “There are more people leaving the industry than there are trained to take over.” Martini agrees that becoming a professional pilot is worth the work. And that even the training can be exciting. “The first time you get into an airplane… it’s… I don’t even know how to describe it,” Martini said. “It’s like a lifelong thing.”
For those who are interested in but unsure about flight training, PFTC offers a half hour intro flight for $87 and an hour flight for $165. Once training begins, the training center’s instructors are prepared for any kind of student. “We’ve seen it all here,” Kramer said. “The apprehension is natural and that’s what we want to tell them. If you come in here the first couple of times, you’re going to be nervous. We don’t just sit there in the right seat with our arms crossed and say ‘take off’ or ‘land,’ you know – abrasive. Its nothing like that, we’re in tune to if they’re uncomfortable; we can tell.” Kramer does admit that flying isn’t for everyone. Some people do find it too intense and others just aren’t made to be pilots, but those people tend to be in the minority. From his experience, the more people fly, the more they love it. “You can get hooked on aviation real quick. That’s why everyone does it for a living,” Kramer said. “It’s a lot of fun.” For more information on the Pittsburgh Flight Training Center, call 412.466.1111, e-mail at Freedom@PghFlight.com or visit their website at www.pghflight.com.
IN McKeesport | Summer IN McKeesport 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 1717
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Welcome
To the McKeesport Area School District pages!
In this section you will find important information from the Superintendent and the School Board President, and dates and events to remember for the rest of the school year. We have once again highlighted the talented students who truly make our schools a great place to learn!
A Message from the School Board President
Welcome back! This year brings a lot of excitement and change to our district. We look forward to breaking ground on our three building projects and keeping the best interest of our community in all of the decisions that we encounter. One of the biggest factors in the overall success of our students and our district will always be our ability to work in partnership with our parents and the community. We hope that you feel welcome in our schools and that you will take advantage of opportunities to become involved, to learn more about your school district and to be a part of the many things that are taking place. Members of the school board of directors encourage parents and guardians to be actively involved, in all areas if the district, by attending board and building level meetings. Board Meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Sessions begin at 7:30 p.m. in the board room at the district administration building, located at 3590 O’Neil Boulevard in McKeesport. On behalf of the board, I hope you had a great summer and welcome back! Sincerely, Wayne N. Washowich President, McKeesport Area School District Board of Directors
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 19
A Letter From the Superintendent Dear MASD Community Members, As we conclude the summer break, I’d like to thank MASD students, families, faculty and staff for coming together and making 2009-2010 a successful school year. The District is proud of the accomplishments that were made over the past school year. The academic curriculum delivered to our students is aligned to the Pennsylvania State Standards and an on going effort to promote the delivery of research based instruction and curriculum to each student is at the forefront of our efforts. Changes for the upcoming school year include the streamlining of the academic coaching program. This year we will bring the academic coaching services under one roof to promote collaborative planning and the implementation of quality staff development. Academic Coaching Services will be provided to all buildings to ensure that best practices in instruction and assessment will be implemented consistently district wide. The district’s ongoing parent and staff training sessions have proven to be extremely popular and will continue throughout the next school year. I encourage the entire community to take an active role in the education of our students. Learning is an ongoing process. It is the responsibility of an entire community to impress upon our students the value of obtaining a quality education.
20 IN McKeesport
As we open to the 2010-2011 school year, we do so with a resolve of insuring that all students are provided the most appropriate education possible. The District will continue to meet individual needs of all students. Our team is excited and feels privileged to work with the children of McKeesport and will continue exploring ways to improve the quality of education offered to students who attend our schools. I encourage you to visit the district’s website, www.mckasd.com, for updated information regarding the District and individual school events. Celebrate the good things happening throughout the District. Look for newsletters as well as future editions of the InMcKeesport Area Magazines. Watch for future updates on the District’s building projects and other activities going on throughout the District. I would like to personally welcome back all students for the start of the 2010-2011 school year. I ask all who have a vested interest in the McKeesport Area School District to continue working in the best interest of our students. Sincerely,
Dr. Michael B. Brinkos Superintendent
SUMMER 2010
Health and Wellness News You Can Use
Hot Tips for a Cool Summer: Stay safe and healthy with the simple Don’t Do’s on page 3.
What’s Inside page 2
Don’t Let Knee Pain Sideline You This Summer
page 3
What You Don’t Do Can Mean a Healthier You
page 4
Heads Up on Helmet Safety Be Sun Smart This Summer
© 2010 UPMC
page 5
Digital Mammography Saves Lives
page 6
The Freedom of Independent Living
page 7
What’s Happening at UPMC McKeesport
Don’t Let Knee Pain Sideline You This Summer This is the time of year we all love to head outdoors — to the garden, golf course, or bike trail. But if you’re among the 27 million Americans who suffer chronic knee pain due to osteoarthritis, summer isn’t always fun. What can you do to ease your pain and get back into the swing of the activities you enjoy? Michael Tranovich, MD, of Pittsburgh Bone & Joint Surgeons, PC, says many nonsurgical treatments are available to ease knee pain resulting from arthritis. “A good place to begin is by making lifestyle changes, such as losing weight to reduce stress on the joints and avoiding high-impact activities that aggravate the knees,” he advises. Other non-surgical options you might consider include: • Low-impact exercise and physical therapy to help improve the strength and flexibility of your knee. Physical therapy can increase stability by strengthening the surrounding muscles. An exercise program that includes stretching and low-impact activities such as riding a stationary bike, swimming, and light weight training also can be effective in treating arthritis. • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) — such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), and naproxen (Aleve®, Naprosyn®) — are used to relieve pain. But use caution: NSAIDs can have side effects, especially if taken over long periods of time or in amounts greater than the recommended dosage. • Corticosteroid injections into the knee joint are used to reduce symptoms of an arthritis flare-up and provide relief that may last a few months. However, injections don’t work for everyone and can cause side effects.
Surgery may be necessary when other treatment measures fail to provide relief, says Dr. Tranovich. “But before making any decision, consider the pros and cons of surgical and nonsurgical measures,” he advises. If your injury requires surgery or you choose to have surgery, your options include: • Arthroscopic surgery enables doctors to examine and repair joint damage using a technique (arthroscopy) that requires a few small incisions. Doctors use arthroscopy to remove loose bodies from the knee joint, repair torn or damaged cartilage, reconstruct torn ligaments, and occasionally to correct damage caused by arthritis. • Partial knee replacement is a procedure used by doctors to replace the most damaged portion of the knee with a prosthesis made of metal and plastic. This surgery can usually be performed through small incisions and requires a brief hospital stay. While recovery time is faster than total knee replacement, long-term results may not be as effective. • Total knee replacement surgery — where doctors replace the entire knee with an artificial joint — is performed on more than 600,000 people worldwide each year. With recent advancements in surgical technique and implant design, many patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery have experienced dramatic improvements in pain levels, function, and quality of life. UPMC McKeesport has board-certified orthopaedic surgeons on staff to guide you through the various treatment options that will get you back in the game quickly. Contact information for the orthopaedic surgeons on staff at UPMC McKeesport is available under the Physician Listing on page 7 of this newsletter.
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www.UPMC.com/Today
Summer Checklist: Summer Checklist
What You Don’t Do Can Mean a Healthier You Whether you’re heading to the beach or planning a “staycation” this year, here are some “Summer Don’t Do’s” that might surprise you: Don’t eat your fruits ‘n veggies until you wash them thoroughly. Consider going organic when purchasing produce that sustains high levels of pesticides even after washing. The “dirty dozen” includes apples, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, raspberries, strawberries, bell peppers, celery, potatoes, and spinach. Don’t pet Fido if he’s been playing in poison ivy. Rashes from poison ivy, oak, or sumac can be picked up from the urushiol — the substance found in the sap of plants — that sticks to clothing, shoes, tools, toys, and even pets. Surprisingly, it can’t be spread from person to person or by scratching. Wash your skin thoroughly after working or playing outside, particularly if you suspect you’ve come into contact with poison ivy. You might need to wash your gardening gloves, tools — and even the dog!
Don’t shower, don’t wash the dishes, and don’t do laundry during a thunderstorm. Keep the kids away from video games, too. Lightning can travel through wires or pipes extending outside, so it’s important to avoid contact with plumbing and electrical wires during storms. If someone is struck by lightning, call 9-1-1 for immediate medical care. Remember, lightning strike victims carry no electrical charge, so you can attend to them immediately. Don’t hold the mayo at summer picnics and cookouts. You won’t get food poisoning from eating potato salad, chicken salad, and other food just because it contains mayonnaise. The real culprits are the bacteria that flourish on foods containing protein at temperatures between 40º and 140º F. To prevent illness, keep hot foods hot (140º F or above) and cold foods cold (40º F or below). Discard all perishables left at room temperature longer than two hours — one hour if the temperature is 90º or higher. When in doubt, throw it out!
Don’t leave grandma, the kids, or the dog waiting in the car. A car can heat up quickly even when it’s relatively mild outside. On a summer day, temperatures inside a vehicle can climb more than 40 degrees in just an hour! Be careful with outside activities, too. Young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable in hot, humid weather. Prevent overheating by reducing activities.Wear light, loose-fitting clothes and drink plenty of water or sports drinks before, during, and after physical activity. Anyone showing signs of heat illness should lie down in a cool place with legs elevated. Loosen or remove clothing. Use water, wet towels, and fanning to promote cooling until help arrives. For a complete list of our summer “don’t do’s,” including treating bee stings and drinking water, visit us online at www.upmc.com/today.
Why is a primary care physician important to your good health? Having a primary care physician (PCP) means entering a partnership with a doctor whose ultimate goal is to help you stay healthy. PCPs do that by getting to know you, your lifestyle, and your family history. In addition to handling non-emergency care, your PCP monitors your ongoing health needs, maintains your health records, and focuses on preventive care. If you have a medical problem, your PCP will tell you what to do and link you to the right specialist or support program. PCP’s have specialties in general internal medicine, family practice/general practice, and pediatrics.
Non-emergencies typically handled by your primary care doctor: • colds • sore throat • headaches • back pain • aches/pains • strains/sprains • fever • physicals • infant care (including immunizations)
1-800-533-UPMC
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Health Tips from UPMC Health Plan
Heads Up on Helmet Safety Most children don’t like to wear helmets when biking. But the facts show that helmets work. A properly fitted bicycle helmet can reduce your risk of head injury by 85 percent and reduce the risk of brain injury by 88 percent, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Getting children in the “helmet habit” helps protect their brains from serious injury. Even professional bike riders know that bike crashes or collisions can happen at any time. In three of four bike crashes, the biker usually suffers some sort of injury to the head. Each year in the United States, about half a million kids are seriously injured in bicycle-related accidents; between 45 percent and 88 percent of bicycle-related brain injuries would be prevented with the use of a helmet. A well-fitted helmet gives your child added protection from injury, so take a few minutes to learn the basics: • The helmet should sit flat on the head — make sure it is level and is not tilted back or forward. If the helmet leans forward, adjust the rear straps. If it tilts backward, tighten the front straps. • The front of the helmet should sit low — about two finger widths above the eyebrows to protect the forehead. • The straps on each side should form a “Y” over the ears, with one part of the strap in front of and one behind — just below the earlobes. • The chinstrap should buckle securely at the throat so that the helmet feels snug and does not move up and down or from side to side.
Think twice before basking on the beach or slipping into a tanning booth this summer — that perfect tan comes with a price tag. Last year, more than a million Americans of all ages were diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. “Indoor and outdoor tanning are equally risky because both expose you to ultraviolet radiation in the form of UVA and UVB rays,” says John Kirkwood, MD, director of the Melanoma and Skin Cancer Program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. Both have been shown to increase your risk of skin cancer. “UV rays increase your risk for skin cancer because they trigger mutations, and also knock out the immune response that enables the body to protect itself,” says Dr. Kirkwood. Skin cancers caused by UV rays may not appear for years — lulling people into thinking that tanning and sun exposure are safe and even healthy.
Are You at Risk? Not just sun worshippers are in danger. You can be, too, if you have: • An increased number of moles
Head injuries aren’t just limited to bikers. Crashes during other outdoor activities such as rollerblading, skateboarding, ice skating, and skiing can also result in head injury. So use your head to protect your child’s. Make helmets required gear for all family members when participating in these activities.
• Had two or more serious sunburns before age 18
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.bam.gov) and Kidshealth.org
• A job or recreational activity that regularly puts you in the sun
Keep your kids safe while they keep cool this summer. Visit www.upmc.com/today for tips on swimming pool safety.
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Be Sun Smart This Summer
www.UPMC.com/Today
• A personal or family history of skin cancer • A sensitivity to the sun or freckling tendency that makes you work extra hard to tan
What Can You Do? Avoid tanning beds, and work at reducing your exposure to strong sources of UV light, such as natural sunshine. Choose a broad-spectrum sun protection product that has a high SPF to protect against UVA and UVB rays, such as one that contains micronized zinc oxide or titanium oxide. And be sure to alert your doctor to skin changes such as itchy, scaly patches, wounds that won’t heal, an increased number of moles, or new, changing, or unusual moles.
Innovation at UPMC
Digital Mammography Saves Lives Improves the Early Detection of Breast Cancer When Sherry DelGrosso turned 40 in February, she followed her doctor’s advice and scheduled a routine mammogram. Although she’d had a scare with a benign, atypical growth nine years earlier, she was considered a low-risk patient with no family history of breast cancer and had little reason for concern. But her digital mammogram revealed a tiny growth in her dense breast tissue that she was unable to find through self-examination. Her April 9 diagnosis, which came on her husband’s birthday, confirmed she had infiltrating ductal carcinoma. As the mother of a four-year-old daughter, she decided to attack the cancer aggressively by undergoing a bilateral mastectomy at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC in May. Ms. DelGrosso says the digital mammogram enabled doctors to detect her cancer early so she could begin treatment. “This technology absolutely saved my life. It caught my cancer early before it could spread or metastasize. It means so much to me to know I will be here for my beautiful daughter,” she says.
Digital mammography is a “wonderful first” in a promising new era of technology, says Dr. Zuley. “It’s a very exciting time to be in breast imaging. We have so many new tools for diagnosis.” “The earlier we detect breast cancer, the lower the stage and the greater the survival rate. That means less need for radical surgeries, lymph node dissection, and systemic chemotherapy. Reducing treatment with earlier detection helps the patient.” Traditional film
Digital film
Catching Cancer Earlier Kandace McGuire, MD, assistant professor of surgery at Magee, says the cutting-edge digital mammography available to doctors at UPMC is helping them catch cancer in its very early stages, which means a better chance of survival for breast cancer patients. “Digital mammography catches cancer earlier. It is saving lives,” says Dr. McGuire, the breast surgical oncologist who performed Ms. DelGrosso’s mastectomy. Margarita Zuley, MD, director of breast imaging at Magee, says the new technology is better at detecting cancer in women under 50 and women with dense breast tissue. Research also indicates digital mammography is better able to detect Stage 0 breast cancer.
Newer and Better Technology Provides a Closer Look Digital mammography also provides newer and better technology for capturing the image and transferring it to a computer. While digital mammography uses x-rays — the same technology used in traditional mammograms — the images are collected on a digital detector and stored on a computer rather than collected and stored on film. Viewing the images on a computer gives doctors a closer look at the structures in the breast, helping them to diagnose potentially life-threatening breast tumors. Another benefit of digital mammography is that it can offer women instant feedback. Once the mammogram is complete, the image is available for doctors and radiologists to view immediately and in the same room.
A Clearer, Closer Picture Digital mammography is helping doctors at UPMC catch cancer in its very early stages, which means a better chance of survival for breast cancer patients. Pictured above are examples of both traditional and digital films.
Digital mammography is currently offered at UPMC McKeesport and most other UPMC locations. Talk to your physician to determine if a digital mammogram would be preferable based on such factors as age and family history. Above all, never put off having a regular mammogram. For more information about digital mammography or any of UPMC’s imaging services, call 1-800-533-UPMC, option 1. Ms. DelGrosso’s treatment and results may not be representative of all similar cases.
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Are You Ready?
The Freedom of Independent Living Mow the lawn. Wash the windows. Pay the bills. There’s an endless list of tasks that comes with owning and maintaining a home. But after a lifetime of raising a family and working hard, is it time for a change in your life? For a growing number of Pittsburgh seniors, the answer is decidedly “yes!” as they discover the benefits of independent living. It’s a lifestyle choice. “The biggest reason you should consider independent living is the freedom it offers to both you and your family,” says Kitty Collins, a vice president with UPMC Senior Communities. “Residents in our independent living communities often say they wish they had moved earlier, because they’re now free to pursue their hobbies and interests in the company of other like-minded adults.” Interested in the theater? Love to shop? Fanatic about Pittsburgh’s athletic teams? Wish you could be part of a book club, walkers group, or volunteer organization? These are just a sampling of the activities you’ll find as an independent living resident.
Independent Living Means Choices “Today’s support network for seniors is very different than it was 20 years ago,” explains Ms. Collins. “For young families in which both spouses must work, there’s just not enough time to keep up their own home, tend to their children’s activities, and help a parent.”
You’re ready for independent living if: Many families of independent living residents at UPMC find that they no longer spend their weekends running errands and assisting with home chores. Visits mean quality time spent together; there are even rooms for family parties and game rooms for grandchildren to enjoy billiards, a hand of cards, or watch movies.
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IN Woodland Hills www.UPMC.com/Today
Some seniors worry that independent living means “giving things up.” At UPMC Senior Communities, the emphasis is on providing residents with the kind of valued amenities and support seniors want in their lives. These include: • Weekly housekeeping and laundry services • Onsite dining with freshly prepared meals (and the option of making their own) • Transportation services for shopping and appointments “Our residents find that great flexibility awaits them at our independent living residences — from bringing their beloved family pet and having their car on-site, to furnishing their residence with their favorite furniture and decorating it with their own signature style,” says Ms. Collins.
With locations in neighborhoods throughout the Pittsburgh area, UPMC Senior Communities also gives independent living residents the opportunity to stay connected to friends and neighbors, and remain active in their faith and community organizations.
Making the Move Easier Surprisingly, the hardest part of leaving a home for most seniors isn’t the memories they’ll leave behind. As one UPMC independent living resident says,“Memories are easy to bring along with you.” But preparing to put your home up for sale can be daunting. In response to requests from prospective residents, UPMC Senior Communities has developed a variety of partnerships with reputable and high-integrity organizations that specialize in helping seniors organize, stage, and sell their homes, explains Ms. Collins. “These professionals help eliminate the hurdles and worries everyone faces when moving.”
You’re ready for independent living if: • You value your privacy and independence • You enjoy spending some time in the company of other adults your age • You feel more comfortable with the added security and safety offered in a community setting • Arthritis, vision problems, or other physical limitations sometimes complicate living at home • You welcome the thought of “hassle-free” living In addition to independent living residences, UPMC Senior Communities also offers assisted living and skilled nursing options for seniors who need added care.
Want to learn more? For more information, call 1-800-324-5523 or visit www.upmcseniorcommunities.com
Meet Our Physicians Please visit www.upmc.com/findadoctor or call 1-800-533-UPMC (8762) for more information about any of our physicians.
UPMC McKeesport is pleased to introduce the following physicians: CARDIOLOGISTS
ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS
UPMC CVI Century Cardiac Care
Heart of Pittsburgh, PC
Ihsan Awan, MD Stephen Bowser, MD Simon Chough, MD Francis Ergina, MD Perinkulam Viswanathan, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-664-4124.
Jerome Itzkoff, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-621-3131.
Adler and Krause Cardiology Medical Associates Lawrence Adler, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-823-3300.
Mitchell E. Antin, DO For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-390-3430.
Pittsburgh Bone & Joint Surgeons, PC Madhavan, Chandra and Tauberg Cardiology Medical Associates Vasantha Madhavan, MD Ramesh Chandra, MD Stuart Tauberg, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-823-3113 or 412-469-0600.
Buck Medical Association Horacio Aure, MD Joseph Secosky, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-672-9781.
Eric Chamberlin, MD George Kappakas, MD Christopher Radkowski, MD Michael Tranovich, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-678-0534. David Hartmann, MD Timothy Honkala, MD Robert Weiss, MD For more information, or to schedule an appointment, please call 412-267-5040.
What’s Happening at UPMC McKeesport Health Education Classes Close to Home Smoking Cessation Programs Help Clear the Air! UPMC McKeesport’s smoking cessation program offers a wide range of communitybased classes to assist you in your quest to quit smoking. The classes include smoke-free education and instruction, individual counseling, tips on quitting, and ongoing support through nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges provided by UPMC McKeesport and Tobacco Free Allegheny. The classes are held: Mondays, 1 to 2:45 p.m., UPMC McKeesport Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Center, Oak Park Mall, White Oak, PA Tuesdays, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., UPMC McKeesport, Conference Room, A-level Crawford Building, McKeesport, PA Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., UPMC McKeesport Outpatient Center, Three Parkway Center East, 2020 Ardmore Blvd., Forest Hills, PA Thursdays, 1:30 to 3 p.m., Latterman Family Health Center, 2347 Fifth Ave., McKeesport, PA Thursdays, 4:30 to 7 p.m., 9th Street Free Clinic for the Uninsured, The Common Ground, 409 9th Street, McKeesport, PA For more information, call 412-664-2114, or simply stop by one of the conveniently located smoking cessation community locations.
1-800-533-UPMC
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UPMC McKeesport 1500 Fifth Ave. McKeesport, PA 15132
UPMC Today is published quarterly to provide you with health and wellness information and classes and events available at UPMC. This publication is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice or replace a physician’s medical assessment. Always consult first with your physician about anything related to your personal health.
Even the smallest discovery is important. Doctors rely on quality images to make accurate diagnoses and treatment decisions for their patients. UPMC is a leader in creating and adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance medical imaging and improve patient care. In fact, some of the most innovative advances in the field of radiology have happened in our hospitals, such as the invention of PET/CT a combined technology that can help to detect cancer in its earliest stages. And our state-of-the-art computer system allows imaging scans to be quickly accessed and viewed by physicians across our network with just the click of a mouse. Our advanced technology and expert radiologists can make a real difference in your care. Whether you need an x-ray or advanced radiology testing, trust Imaging Services at UPMC McKeesport. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 412-664-CARE (2273) or visit UPMC.com/Imaging.
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McKeesport Area Contact Information School Board of Directors
Central Administration
Administrative Team
James L. Brown
Superintendent Dr. Michael Brinkos 412.664.3612
Special Education Supervisor Mr. David Listorti 412.664.3625
Joseph L. Chiaverini Christopher A. Halaszynski
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Timothy Gabauer 412.664.3622
Mark P. Holtzman Vice President Steven E. Kondrosky Dennis J. (Joe) Lopretto Thomas P. Maglicco Patricia A. Maksin President Wayne N. Washowich
Business Manager/ Board Secretary Mr. David M. Seropian 412.664.3600 Director of Human Resources/Administration Services Mr. James G. Humanic 412.664.3608 Director of Federal/ State Programs (Homeless Liaison) Mr. Michael V. Matta 412.664.3627 Director of Special Education Mrs. Patricia Tkacik 412.664.3622
Special Education Administrative Assistant Mr. Menas Zannikos 412.664.3624 District Grants and Special Projects Coordinator/Director of Vocational Education Mrs. Patricia Scales 412.948.1362 Coordinator of Early Childhood Education Dr. Catherine Lobaugh 412.948.1386
Principal of Cyber School/ District Technology Integration Dr. Jane Coughenour 412.948.1317 Communications/ Public Relations Specialist Ms. Kristen Davis 412.664.3645 Director of Buildings and Grounds Mr. Edward Fagan 412.664.3631 Technology Coordinator Mr. H. Ben South 412.664.3764
Secondary Curriculum and Transformation Coordinator Mr. Harry Bauman 412.948.1310
Director Food Service Ms. Tammi Davis 412.664.3685
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 29
McKeesport Area School Information Administration Office 3590 O’Neil Boulevard McKeesport, PA 15132 Office: 412.664.3600 Fax: 412.664.3638
McKeesport Area High School and Technology Center 1960 Eden Park Boulevard McKeesport, PA 15132 Office: 412.664.3650 Fax: 412.664.3621
Superintendent:
Head Principal of Academics:
Dr. Michael Brinkos
Mr. Mark Holtzman Director of Career and Technology Center:
Mrs. Patricia Scales White Oak Elementary 1415 California Avenue White Oak, PA 15131 Office: 412.664.3790 Fax: 412.664.3794
Centennial 1601 Beaver Street McKeesport, PA 15132 Office: 412.664.3750 Fax: 412.664.3756
Principal:
Principal:
Dr. Tamara Sanders-Woods
Ms. Staci Fitzpatrick
George Washington 1818 Sumac Street McKeesport, PA 15132 Office: 412.664.3770 Fax: 412.664.3738
Founders’ Hall 3600 O’Neil Boulevard McKeesport, PA 15132 Office: 412.948.1310 Fax: 412.664.3768
Principal:
Principal:
Mr. Paul Sweda
Dr. Karen Chapman
Francis McClure Intermediate School 500 Longvue Drive White Oak, PA 15131 Office: 412.664.3740 Fax: 412.664.3747 Principals:
Dr. Rula Skezas Ms. Pamela Gordon Principal of Cyber School/District Technology Integration:
Dr. Jane Coughenour
30 IN McKeesport
Graduate Reflections A friend of mine told me something that rooted in my mind that I constantly ponder. He stated that there are times when no one is around and you will have to find some way to accomplish the task you are attempting, no matter how difficult it may be. Although the words he spoke may have meant very little to him at the time, the simple statement changed the way I approached tasks. This advice can be applied to practically anything in life to aid in reaching success. When situations become difficult, there are two possibilities that one may choose: either turn away and run or face the challenge and attempt to persist through. I believe the class of 2010 has charged head first through life. If you look around the auditorium, you will see a class that has excelled in all areas McKeesport High School has to offer. From music to cosmetology, auto mechanics to athletics, McKeesport is providing the world with skilled induviduals who will undoubtedly improve the areas in which they specialize. In today’s society, many are quick to judge McKeesport Area High School as a less than adequate place to get an education. There is nothing further from the truth. The courses that our school offers not only deliver a solid education but allow students to interact, form relationships, and grow as a family. Just as the city of McKeesport has faced adversity head-on, the class of 2010 can rely on the bond we have with one another to weather the storms we will unquestionably face as we branch out from our Tiger roots. If one walks down the hallways of our school, one can observe students and teachers greeting each other, laughing together, and learning together. Because of this strong bond, I am proud to be a part of the McKeesport class of 2010. The countless memories of enjoyable times with classmates throughout the years have made high school the most rewarding time of my life. From Dr. K’s labs to fixing ridges, forming my foundation here has been both fun and inspiring, and I would like to thank my peers, teachers, and administration for this fulfilling and unforgettable family that has been built over the past four years. I frequently think of my friend’s advice about finding oneself alone and facing adversity. We will all face challenges in our lives that we have to overcome, but we will never truly be alone, because we have our Tiger family behind us. As the saying goes, “Once a Tiger, Always a Tiger.” If we continue to strive for excellence in all areas, as we have in the past, and rely on our roots to give us the encouragement we’ve always shared with each other, then nothing is insurmountable for us. Thank you and congratulations to the class of 2010.
Welcome family, friends, teachers, and administration to the graduation ceremony for the class of two thousand and ten. To the graduating seniors, I would like to say, “Congratulations. We have finally made it.” It seems like only yesterday that we were on our first school bus ride to kindergarten, and now look at where we are today. Time flew by faster than we ever could have anticipated. The senior year of high school is always a time where those around us repetitively say, “These are the best days of your life. These are the moments you will always remember.” No matter how cliché this sentiment is, I cannot help but believe that it is true. I encourage us all to remember our years at McKeesport Area High School, from our freshman food fight to dancing at our amazing senior prom. Never forget the bonds and ties we made, not only during high school but in the years prior. It was on our journey together that we discovered who we are as individuals, whether we expressed ourselves best through art, academics, or sports. The teachers who we favored, the classes that we loved, and the friends that got us through tough times all added to the infinite amount of memories we will always have to cherish. Keep in mind that these remarkable memories gained in high school would not have occurred without the motivation of those close to us. Whether it was our parents, a cousin, or a family friend that encouraged us to strive for the best, graduating from high school would have been impossible without them. I know that without my parents’ enthusiasm and constant reassurance I would not be standing before you. Although I sometimes get embarrassed when they whip out prom pictures to show someone or tell any person who will listen about my future plans, I am thankful because I know they are acting out of pride for my achievements. Graduating high school is an accomplishment for which we all should be extremely proud. Our hard work and dedication led us straight to this day, as we sit here with excitement and a feeling of success. I wish all of my fellow graduating seniors the best of luck, and I hope that you will continue to experience success in every aspect of your lives. Thank you, and once again, congratulations to the class of two thousand and ten. We have finally made it. Rachel Rajcsok Salutatorian
Nicholas A. Ferraro Valedictorian IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 31
Graduate Reflections (cont.) Friends, Romans, countrymen... I’ve always wanted to say that. I welcome you as we come together on this most glorious of occasions: to celebrate four years of hard work. The commencement ceremony of the class of two thousand and ten. This dedication to ourselves and our families is to be forever cherished. Like all of the memories, we remember all of the life lessons that we have learned here. A wise teacher once quoted Nelson Mandela, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” Let’s not kid ourselves friends, we come together at a challenging time for our district. We have all heard of the glory days when classes of one thousand walked on commencement days, when MAHS was the leader in technology, athletics and academics and the PSSAs did not exist. So we must ask ourselves when times get hard and waters deep, do we give up or rise to the challenge and defy our stereotypes? Now more than ever we must pull together and become one strong united McKeesport. Do not forget your roots. Be proud of our community. It is our pride, not our problems that will make our future bright. Now, before the merriment of commencement commences, I hope that your years with us here at McKeesport have prepared you for the challenges you face. Who knows? Among you there may be a future Bill Gates or President Obama, and among you young women, there may be a Betty White, a Condaleeza Rice, or even a Snookie. But you will always remember the glorious memories of McKeesport High. McKeesport Class of 2010 forever. David Kisan Student Council President
Good evening to my fellow graduates, administrators, family and friends. I am truly honored to be speaking to this wonderful senior class. First and foremost, I would like to take the time to thank this year’s graduating class for electing me as their president. It has truly been a wonderful experience and a great year! I would also like to thank the faculty and the administration; and last, but certainly not least, the people who make it possible for us to be sitting in these seats - our parents. I would like to acknowledge a few faculty members who made an impact on my senior year. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Tharp and Mr. Saxon for your time, hard work, and dedication to our class this year. Our graduating class shares something unique; we were the first to take part in Freshman Academy and project 720. One of the benefits of Freshman Academy was the bond it helps create amongst us. Our class is a family. We had times of disagreement, but we also gave each other words of encouragement, and we worked hard to make a difference. I’d like to share a few words of encouragement. A bit of advice can be taken from the following quote by an unknown author: “The future lies before you, like a field of driven snow, be careful how you tread it, for every step will show”. I accept as true, that we are in control of our dreams and destinies. Every step we have taken to get to this moment has brought us closer to our dreams. Today we walk up on the stage and receive our diplomas, we will be completing an important chapter of our life. So, graduates, be proud to be a student of the McKeesport High School Class of 2010. Cherish every memory that we have shared. Even though we are going to begin the next chapter of our lives, taking different paths; no matter where those paths may lead, a bond has been created that can never be broken. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2010 and I wish you success and happiness in life. It has genuinely been an honor and my pleasure. God bless you all. Rosheeda Bryant Senior Class President
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Commencement Messages, Addresses and Thoughts from the McKeesport High School Class of 2010 McKeesport Area High School is not just a place to receive a quality education, but a place where one acquires a real world experience. Although nothing can totally prepare you for life, the teachers that I have had the pleasure of working with and the classmates that I have encountered have shown me the productive side of getting ready to face my future with excitement. I have been enrolled in the Building Construction Program for the past three years. Throughout these years, I have been taught that work ethic is the most valuable weapon a person can possess. For example, I was working on the trim in the modular home that we were building, while I worked very hard for the entire period. After I finished, I found that Mr. Locke had been watching us the whole period. The lesson we all learned is you should always work to your full potential. Your boss maybe watching you! Another lesson that I have been taught is that the way that you approach a situation is important. For instance I had to cut, cope, and lay base board for most of our modular home. Therefore I prepared my tools the day before. This cuts down on wasted time, in the world of work every minute counts. Anyone can be taught if willing to learn, but to have a work ethic to see that anything new is an opportunity to open new doors in your life is rare. Mr. Locke said “If you’re fifteen minutes early for your job you’re on-time, if you’re on-time you’re late, if you’re late you’re in trouble, but if you’re there before your superior then you’re in perfect shape,” and he was right. Communication is essential to survival in our future endeavors. Before we begin to work, we would have meetings to make sure that everyone was clear on what to do. Whether the project was renovating a courtyard or making a path for kids to easily walk up, we always talked to each other first. Mr. Locke was an open book when it came to his experiences.
He told us countless times, “If you want to do something, go for it, and let nothing stop you no matter how improbable people make it seem”. For each job we worked on, we became more skilled and faster. Many jobs needed to be finished like the drywall, cabinetry, electrical, and crown molding, but because we were always working and listening to Mr. Locke we all were ready to get our jobs done correctly. I competed in the SkillsUSA competition where I saw how people work and why they chose this career and why those choose to go back to it every day. To them construction was second nature, it was career, and their release. Most of all it was their passion. These people all started somewhere just like me. What makes them great is the story of how they were prepared thanks to the people who taught them. Thanks to Mr. Locke’s guidance, my future plan is to get in the Pittsburgh carpentry union program for commercial or residential! After I possess my Journeymen’s paper I plan to open “Clay Brother’s Construction” with my brother Brandon Clay. I feel that I have been truly blessed to be placed in the Building Construction program. It has made me the man that the world will soon see. Mr. Locke was a big influence on my life throughout these years. He treated me with respect as a student, worker, but also as a friend. Mostly everything I know is thanks to him and the teachers here at McKeesport. I would like to wish the class of 2010, and all future graduating classes of McKeesport Senior High School good luck. Finally, I would like to say a personal “thank you” to all the teachers that have helped all of us reach our goals and dreams. Thank you! Joshua Clay Top Technical Student
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 33
Graduate Memories
ISTRICT
D CHOOL SPORT S
McKEE
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G R A D UAT I O N 2 0 1 0 Students of Distinction Student (alphabetized)
Parents
Nichole Bills
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bills
Lana Bodner
Mr. and Mrs. James Bodner
Lisa Bodner
Mr. and Mrs. James Bodner
William Bowen
Jane Bowen and Bill Bowen
Casey Bricker
Kevin Bricker and Cathy Callahan
Megan Brinkos
Mr. and Mrs. Myles Brinkos
Nicholas A. Ferraro Valedictorian
Patty and Angela Ferraro
Chelsea Frazier
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Raynak
Blake Guzewicz
Mr. Alan and Mrs. Cyndy Guzewicz
Alaina Harvey
Mr. and Mrs. Don Harvey
Toriq Howie-Bey
Tamara Bey and Nowell Howie
Kendall Hunter
Mrs. Tina Hunter and Mrs. Regina Richardson, Grandmother
Malia Jenkins
Mrs. Dawn Jenkins and Mr. David M. Jenkins, Jr.
Lydia Kinkaid
Mr. Greg Kinkaid and Mrs. Deborah Gregory Kinkaid
David Kisan
Dave Kisan and Terri Kisan
Reita Kline
Mr. and Mrs. George Kline
Kalynn Ocel
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ocel
Amanda Peterson
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Peterson
Carly Pollock
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Pollock
Rachel E. Rajcsok Salutatorian
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rajcsok
Julie Rucker
Mr. and Mrs. Nick and Sharon Rucker
Carmen Russo
Rick and Amy Singer
Amanda Schrott
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Schrott
Keyan Taylor
Mrs. Tina Johnson
Bye-Bye Cornell
I wanted to take the time out today, because I have something important to say. The good times in Cornell are sadly over, I guess we aren’t lucky as a four-leaf clover. We finished math, science, and reading, we got smarter and now we are leaving. So, bye-bye Cornell, bye-bye Cornell, you treated us all very well. I’m not going to shed anymore tears, we had some very, very good years. So, bye-bye Cornell, bye-bye Cornell, you treated us all very well! Written By: Keyla Kennedy Cornell, Room 317
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 35
McKeesport Academic Coaches
As key players in a line of work that revolves around the idea of education, it might seem logical that teachers should constantly be learning about their own performance. This isn’t always the case, however. Often learning opportunities for teachers can be limited to a handful of in-service days every year, but the McKeesport Area School District is taking steps to make the learning, and not just teaching, a daily activity for teachers in the district. Over the last few years, the district has hired and increased the presence of academic coaches, respected educators who work to help improve the teaching quality in the district.
In the upcoming school year, the district will increase the presence of coaches to ten full-time coaches. Most of the coaches specialize in either reading or math anduntil now most coaches have only been hired part time. “They become a direct resource for the classroom teachers,” Gabauer said. “They provide professional development on a daily basis.” Along with helping teachers develop the best way to teach their students, the coaches also help administrators build school curriculums.
“We had coaches in our elementary schools for a number of years,” Tim Gabauer, the district’s assistant superintendent said. He said during those years the district has seen improvement in the forms of better test scores and positive teacher feedback.
E Youth
@wards
The George W. Tippins Youth Entreprenuer Regional Business Plan Competition is a showcase for young people to demonstrate their business ideas and talents. The program is sponsored by the Tippins Foundation and named in honor of one of Pittsburgh’s most successful entrepreneurs, inventors and financiers of the latter half of the twentieth century. McKeesport students took 2nd and 1st place in this competition and they are headed to New York City. Pictured (from left to right): 2nd Place Winner Kristen Popp, Kimberly Rose, 2010 Certified Entrepreneurship Teacher of the Year Winner, Patricia Scales, Acting Director of Career and Technology, and 1st place Winners Keena Simmons and Ryah Gadsen.
For more information on E Youth, visit http://www.eyouthamerica.org/ 36 IN McKeesport
State of the(Performing)Arts In the McKeesport Area School District As a seventh grade student in the McKeesport Area School District in the 1970s, Kimberly Moore joined the McKeesport school musical, then open to both middle school and high school students. Through working under director Jane Vranish and producer Robert Luketic for six years, Moore developed a love for acting and musical theater. This love turned into a lifelong passion and after finishing college with a degree in theater and vocal performance Moore looked to teach student actors like her childhood role models Vranish and Luketic taught her when she was an aspiring performer. Back then, Moore was just a small part of the then growing tradition of McKeesport Area High School Musicals. But now Moore has returned to McKeesport to follow directly in the footsteps of her childhood teacher, Vranish. Moore has directed 10 of the last 13 musicals along with producer Beth Murphy and thinks that she has done her best to continue a storied tradition. “I am always very proud of the productions we put on,” Moore said. Vranish, who worked on 25 musicals and directed, choreographed, and conducted 12 of them, said the tradition of great musicals at McKeesport started in the 1950s. It grew under her and Luketic in the 1970s and 80s and is continuing under Moore and Murphy. “We had people come from Florida and out of state to come back, just to see the musicals,” Vranish said. “We wanted to put on the best musical we possibly could.” As someone with a personal knowledge of the standards the musicals are held to, Moore understood what she was up against when she began directing the shows in 1998. “There was a lot of pressure to keep things up to that standard,” Moore said. “It was terrible pressure.” So far Moore and Murphy haven’t disappointed their community or their predecessors. As one of the judges for the Kelly Awards, awards given out by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera to the top high school musicals in the greater Pittsburgh area, Vranish is now required to look at McKeesport’s musicals through impartial eyes. Even without rose tinted glasses, Vranish still thinks McKeesport’s shows were and are top of the line. “I can honestly say we could have been a contender,” Vranish said about her own productions which preceded the award’s existence. Now that the awards do exist, she has proof to back up her pride in her hometown plays. “They’ve been nominated for a lot of awards,” she said. While not an official judge, Anne Marie Nucci agrees that the standards of the McKeesport musicals has been upheld since she was the head of costume design under Vranish and Luketic.
“When the tradition continued I was thrilled,” Nucci said. “The play this year was wonderful.” This year’s play has received a nomination for best costume design with the performance of “The Wizard of Oz” last April. In the past the plays have received nominations for Best Scenic Design in 2009; Best Supporting Actor, Best Scenic Design, Best Crew/ Technical Execution, and Best Choreography in 2006; Best Actor and Best Actress in 2003; and won a special judge’s award in 2002. The evidence of success for McKeesport productions is bigger, and older, than the Kelly Awards. Like most historically significant programs McKeesport is not without its historically significant alumni. When the school’s tradition was just beginning, its most famous member, Tony and Emmy Award nominee Grover Dale, was honing his craft. Vranish said that Dale came back to McKeesport during her time as director and after watching one of her shows said the play “looked like a $250,000 dollar production.” Moore thinks the success of the past and recent musicals is because of the effort and skill of not one person but an entire group. “We have a phenomenal team,” Moore said. “Both back then and now it’s always been a team effort.” Moore and Vranish both said that watching their respective shows come together in front of an audience is a rewarding experience; Vranish even compared it to opening a show on Broadway. They both also said, however, that teaching their students and seeing them develop is what the history of McKeesport musicals is really about. “My favorite part of the process was leading up to it,” Vranish said. “What I love about the students in McKeesport is they were grounded in reality.” “I’m a firm believer that participating in the musicals gave students a confidence that they otherwise wouldn’t have had.” There is no better example to support Vranish’s believe about confidence than Moore herself. “If I hadn’t had the support and the backing that I had, I wouldn’t have been able to get up on that stage,” Moore said. “I’d like to carry on that same tradition with the kids.” Moore has taken conscious steps to make sure that the musicals are about the students and not the faculty. After a few years of the shows ending with the students give her and Murphy flowers, the two decided to ban the practice. Not because they didn’t appreciate the gesture but because it made them, and not the students, the center of attention. “I told them ‘the last applause is yours,’” Moore said. After many years away from musical theater, Nucci agrees that what really stands out about McKeesport’s musicals is the effort of the students. “The kids were very hard working, as well as the staff.” Nucci said. “They gave it their all.”
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 36
A new literacy program gets McKeesport students reading early and often McKeesport Area School District and the Beginning with Books Center for Early Literacy are joining together in a program that promotes early literacy. This is a program that encourages and supports families to engage in early reading and other literacy activities. It will provide a series of free, informal parent workshops in which the group learns about reading to children, early literacy, and quality age appropriate children’s books. The program will help parents become more skilled and confident in reading to their children. It will encourage daily reading aloud and regular visits to the library. It will also stimulate positive parent-child interaction as well as children’s literacy development. Beginning with Books has received a grant from the Heinz Endowments to offer these workshops. Each workshop will provide a certified facilitator to lead each session. A variety of resources will be provided at each session that parents will be able to use with their children at home.
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The event to kick-off the program is Stories in the Park. This program is for children ages 0 through 9 and their families. Stories in the Park will take place Saturday, August 21, 2010 from 9:00-12 (noon) near Pavilion #7 in Renzie Park. McKeesport Area School District and Beginning with Books will co-host the event along with the McKeesport High School Child Development Department, Carnegie Library of McKeesport, the Family Center, and the Altrusa Club. Five stories have been selected to be read throughout the morning along with songs and activities to enhance the event. The McKeesport High School Graphics Arts Department and the Building Construction Department designed and built the characters that will line the path throughout the story walk. The stories are certain to capture the imagination of the children in attendance. This collaboration gives evidence of McKeesport Area School District’s commitment to student achievement starting with the very youngest of children in promoting literacy by raising readers in our community. With this strong foundation, all of our children will have the potential to be successful throughout their lives.
Most learning that goes on in a high school happens in the classroom. But outside, hands-on learning can give students valuable learning experiences that a classroom cannot provide. The Administrative Academy program at the McKeesport Area High School is focused on giving students an opportunity to gain real world experience. The program, new this school year, took 20 juniors from the school on once a month trips to professional locations. At these locations the students were taught life situations that complemented what they had learned in class. Dr. Timothy Gabauer, Assistant Superintendent, said the program was intended to make math and science more relevant to students. He also said that the district is trying to find ways to increase their standardized test scores and that math and science have been two major focus points. “We tried to look at where we need the most work,” Gabauer said. “How to get the most bang for our buck.” This year’s program was based on partnerships with the following professional organizations: PNC Bank, Heinz Field, Axis Architecture, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, and the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center. Each of these organizations helped plan lessons that were related to their organization, represented real world scenarios, and fit around the academic goals for the students. Gabauer said the lessons varied from personal budgeting at PNC Bank to calculating angles of pursuit on a football field when they visited Heinz Field.
In addition to Heinz Field and PNC Bank, the students also went to the Carnegie Science Center through the Intermediate Unit and visited the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center where they learned about complex computer simulations. From Gabauer’s perspective, the program was successful in capturing the attention of its students. “I think initially they were hesitant,” Gabauer said. “But as time went on they were hooked almost immediately.” Apparently the students weren’t the only ones who were hooked. Gabauer said he and the other eight school administrators who went on the trips ended up learning from their partnership members as well. “We were learning with them,” Gabauer said. The ultimate goal for the program was to help its students learn and be interested in math and science but it also had an added benefit. Through the various trips, the students and faculty worked together and formed stronger bonds than before. “I can tell you by the end, the relationships were way different. It became a family,” Gabauer said. The plan for this program in the future is to continue in the upcoming years. The district also hopes that the students who participated this year will come back to help, mentor and encourage next year’s juniors who will be chosen at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 39
PROM MEMORIES
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IN McKeesport
Military Career Day McKeesport High School hosted a Special Military Career Day held in May. Members of the Army and Marine Corps brought in specialized equipment including a helicopter, hummers, equipment, and uniforms. Students also had the opportunity to discuss their career plans and ask any questions they had with the servicemen.
U.S. Army Nathan Haman Shakera Johnson Ross Schank
U.S. Navy Jared Kercell Khalil Armstrong Stara Burton
Army National Guard Kayla Hansen
U.S. Air Force Marissa Donelson
U.S. Marines Jonathan Patterson Sterling Meekins
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 41
REAL ESTATE M c Ke e s p o r t
proudly announces Real Estate IN McKeesport a comprehensive look at the McKeesport market. In this section, you’ll find interesting information about creating beautiful spaces to live in, choosing a real estate professional to help you buy or sell a home as well as other interesting facts about your community.
Homes Still Priced Right in Pittsburgh’s Suburbs By Jonathan Barnes While other metropolitan areas of the U.S. saw sharp declines in home values as a result of the recession, Pittsburgh’s housing continued to gain value through the economic downturn. And although the federal tax incentives for home-buyers dry up at the end of April and most don’t expect them to be extended, it is still a very good time to buy a home in this region or even to sell one, regional real estate experts said. The local housing market again is in a boom period and is much stronger than last year, said Howard “Hoddy” Hanna of O’Hara-based Howard Hanna Real Estate, which has 40 offices in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
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IN McKeesport
The local housing market is up 34 percent from last March, Hanna said, noting that low interest rates and affordable housing costs make it the ideal time for people interested in buying their first home or for those looking to upgrade to a pricier home. “Housing prices are a lot more realistic, in relation to people’s income [than in other areas],” Hanna said.
Comparing Values Because there is a relative shortage of homes in the $250,000 and below first-time buyer segment, owners of homes in that range (and even up to around $300,000) might consider selling their house if they think they would like to upgrade to a more expensive house, Hanna said. These home owners might get a better price than they think for their house, because their house happens to be in a bracket caught in a seller’s market. Such lower-priced homes are selling very quickly right now because there are many buyers for them and not as much inventory, while higher-priced homes in Pittsburgh have fewer buyers interested in them and can be bought for very competitive prices, Hanna said. “Single-family houses are tough to buy in that $250,000 and below price range,” Hanna said.
REAL ESTATE M c Ke e s p o r t
Hanna isn’t worried that the lack of tax incentives for home-buyers will have a detrimental effect on the local market. Overall in Southwestern Pennsylvania, we have an eight-month supply of housing inventory, he noted, versus an average inventory supply of seven to nine months. “If our unemployment and interest rates remain the same, the lack of tax incentives won’t make a difference,” Hanna said. Making the right decision in buying a home in the first place is not a choice to be taken lightly, experts warned. Those looking to buy a home first must thoroughly assess their financial situation. Knowing whether they can afford to buy a home, or whether they should try to do so at this time, is at the crux of a home-buying decision. Considering one’s current credit status and one’s budget are a good place to start in determining whether it is the right time to buy a house, said Debra Lorenzato Fabian, a mortgage banker with American Financial, located in Upper St. Clair. The average Pittsburgh first-time home-buyer purchases a house in the $80,000 to $150,000 price range. In the region, that price range will buy a lot of house, even in more affluent neighborhoods such as Mt. Lebanon, which has homes priced as low as $90,000 or as high as $2.2 million, Fabian said. These days, she is writing more Federal Housing Authority loans than anything else, she said. Because Federal Housing Authority mortgages require just a 3½ percent down-payment, more people are applying for them these days. That 3½ percent down-payment can even be a gift from a relative or friend. But there are limits on the amount of the loan in this program, though, which caps out mortgages at $327,500. By comparison, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac require a 5 percent down-payment on the home. That down-payment must be a prospective home-buyer’s own money. Even so, real estate experts said the investment in a home in this region is one that will likely slowly gain in value over the years. “This market is so conservative and always has been, and it benefitted us through this housing downturn, which really didn’t affect us,” Fabian said.
Overcoming Perceptions Inventory in the $300,000 to $600,000 housing segment is still plentiful and not at all tight, said Steve Fink, marketing director for Paragon Homes, a Robinson-based custom home builder that constructs homes ranging in price from $200,000 to $2 million.
“Pittsburgh has always been a good place to be and a solid market,” Fink said. “Our biggest challenge was the perception that it wasn’t a good time to buy a home.” That view has changed among most people and more buyers are looking at homes these days. Those house searches are especially focused on added values, such as energy-efficient features in homes. “Many people are looking for more energy-efficient homes, with green features built into them. They also are looking for homes that fit their lifestyle,” Fink said. “There is a trend toward smaller homes, with less extravagant designs.” Many of those energy-efficient features are available in all of the houses that Paragon Homes builds, Fink said. Using such features properly is important, he noted. Having the correct “R” value in insulating a home—and having the right R-value in the proper places—is essential to ensuring a house’s energy efficiency. “Picking the right builder is important when considering building an energy efficient home,” Fink said, adding that all builders don’t have the same sound building practices. Mt. Lebanon-based Prudential Preferred realty agent Mona Colichie said that while inventory in the mid-priced range is not tight, in some areas such as in Mt. Lebanon, inventory is low. Competition between buyers is especially tough in the first-time home-buyer’s price range, she said. “These days, it’s a hot market for sales. My agents are incredibly busy,” Colichie said. “There are now often multiple bids [placed by buyers] on a property.” Nonetheless, deals are available, Colichie said. Foreclosures can sometimes be a good deal for a first-time home-buyer, she said. “Foreclosures are part of the business, like it or not,” Hanna said. “In the past, we never had the abundance of foreclosures that we do now.” In addition to potential bargains to be found in some foreclosed homes, short sales of homes also are a possible option for some buyers, Hanna said. Short sales are when a home owner sells the home for less than the amount owed on the mortgage and the bank takes a loss on the sale.
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 43
REAL ESTATE M c Ke e s p o r t
Adding Curb Appeal Can Make a Home By Jonathan Barnes
STAND OUT
Spring and summer are a gardener’s time of year, when pruning, cleaning, planting and maintenance of a landscape are most labor-intensive. For green-thumbed folks the work is a loving labor, though feeling alone won’t bring success when the task is enhancing a landscape in a smart way. Figuring out how to make a home’s frontage “pop” can be a task best left to professionals, but for the savvy homeowner, a few good tips can make a noticeable difference. Whether it is a front yard’s harder features, its plants or its overall design, adding curb appeal often comes down to bringing something of interest to the space to make it stand apart from the others around it. To achieve outstanding curb appeal, homeowners should take a second look at how their front yards are functioning, experts throughout Pittsburgh’s suburbs recommend. Are the yard’s design elements working harmoniously together, so aspects of the home’s construction and particulars of its landscape are given correct exposure? If not, things probably should change, but how? Asking and answering such questions can help a homeowner to enhance their property’s frontage, but it also can open them to the possibility of other notions for improving their yard. Such ideas can go far in helping to make a home the property that neighbors stop and tarry in front of, admiring its contours and colors.
Water or Stone? Making a space less linear is one place to start when redesigning a front yard, said Jeff Blunkosky, chief operations officer of McDonald-based Pittsburgh Stone and Waterscapes. For example, a straight concrete walkway leading to the home could be replaced with a curved walkway composed of paving stones. “Adding an earth tone hardscape can bring everything together,” Blunkosky said, noting that some manufactured pavers are stronger than many driveways. Because of this, some homeowners are choosing to replace their driveways with pavers, he noted. While concrete contractors will give up to a 1-year warranty on their work, manufactured pavers can last decades, Blunkosky said. When planning a major change to a front yard’s hardscape such as a new walkway, choosing the right color is essential. A new walkway should be comprised of a material with a color that is complementary to the house. “A red brick house doesn’t need a red brick walkway. You want to use a brown paver,” Blunkosky said. “You always want to use a secondary color, not the main color… Using the main color for a hardscape can be overwhelming [to the eye].” Adding stones to incorporate a feeling of the natural landscape in the front yard also can add spice to the space. Incorporating some sort of rocks into the yard’s flowerbeds, be it a grouping of boulders at the front of the lot or an edging of colored rocks in the flowerbeds, also helps to add interest. 44 724.942.0940 to advertise | IN McKeesport
“We incorporate a little rock work with the flowerbeds, to complement the plants and the colors in the house and hardscape,” Blunkosky said. Avoiding straight lines in other hardscape features, such as retaining walls, can be a smart idea, too. Replacing a tired straight retaining wall with a new colorful wall with a curved edge can make the yard more interesting. The cost of such improvements isn’t always small. Paver walkways can run from $16 to $22 per square foot (depending upon the type of paver, placement of the walkway and the size of the walkway), while concrete walkways made of exposed aggregate or made of stamped concrete run about the same price. Blunkosky isn’t a big fan of stamped concrete. “Why do they stamp concrete? To make it look like a superior product,” he said.
Creating Focal Points People who aren’t trained in landscaping or who didn’t grow up gardening can become overwhelmed when trying to decide what to do with a worn-out looking landscape. Sometimes, less is more— that is, adding just one more design element could make a noticeable difference. Some homeowners are using topiaries more often these days to add such interest, said Randy Soergel, who along with his wife Beth co-owns Soergel’s Orchards Garden Center in Franklin Park. “You don’t put [the topiary] in and forget about it,” Soergel said, adding that two rules apply to landscaping. “Don’t plant vegetation where there won’t be good drainage. And if a plant dries out just once, it’s done.” Until a plant’s roots can find their own water, regularly watering it is essential. Some plants take up to two years to establish their roots, Soergel said. Most homeowners are rejuvenating their yards at this time of year, rather than planting new landscapes altogether. An older-looking landscape can be spruced up by pruning some plants such as overgrown bushes near the home, and by removing other plants that are too large and out of proportion with the space. Incorporating one focal point for the yard, with a topiary, a Japanese maple tree, a sitting area, a small pond or even a particular stone or groundcover, can give the space more energy. Since the front yard is the first part of a home, creating interest is important to making the space inviting. Caring for the plants also is important in creating a beautiful landscape, but some homeowners are afraid to prune plants because they fear they’ll kill the plant, Soergel said. “We try to teach people how to maintain the landscaping they have, including when and how to prune,” Soergel said. The garden center offers free classes to people interested in learning more about how to maintain their yards. At 7 p.m. every Tuesday night in April and May, Soergel’s Orchards Garden Center hosts a do it yourself class teaching about landscaping and yard care. Those interested in attending a class are asked to register by calling the garden center at 724.935.2090, or emailing randysoergel@gmail.com.
REAL ESTATE M c Ke e s p o r t
Curve Appeal One of the most prominent trends in re-imagining front yards with existing landscapes is changing the yard’s contours. Many homeowners are replacing their straight concrete paver and wood-tie walls with colored concrete block walls that are laid down without mortar and are pretty easy to install, said Tony Verrico, owner of Verrico Landscape Supply in Penn Hills. The local supply yard carries 10 hues of the Versa-Lok wall material, as well as different types of pavers to enhance a yard. The walls can last up to 40 years, Verrico said. “We’re seeing a lot of concrete driveways being removed and replaced with pavers,” he said. Straight retaining walls are being replaced with curved walls, which sometimes have a planter incorporated into them at the front of the yard, Verrico said, adding that he is seeing more straight steps replaced by new curved steps as a way to make the yard more interesting. Making simple improvements to a yard, such as adding a tree, can make a big impact, Verrico said. Trees such as dogwoods and other flowering ornamentals, are good choices to consider as accent plantings. Planting hardy bushes such as boxwoods also can bring more definition to a front yard space, he said.
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52,000 Potential Customers in McKeesport!
Can I Qualify for a Mortgage? By Karen Ferrieri People are talking these days about whether or not banks are actually lending money. The housing market in Pittsburgh is still a fairly strong one and people are trying to take advantage of programs out there to give first home buyers tax credits of up to 10% of the total selling price of the house, up to $8,000. Or, if you currently own a home but want to buy another home that would now be your primary residence, you could also receive a tax credit of up to $6,500. And, of course, people are scrambling to take advantage of the high foreclosure market right now. So, with that in mind, they are wondering, “Can I qualify for a mortgage?” Sally Minnock, Home Mortgage Consultant for First Commonwealth Home Mortgage, a Joint Venture with Wells Fargo Bank and First Commonwealth Bank, stated that, “Yes, banks are lending, however, the process has become a lot stricter in that there is a lot more documentation and paperwork necessary to verify everything before the loan application is completed and reviewed. The days of obtaining ‘limited documented loans’ are over. They don’t exist anymore. Now, everything has to be documented for proof. We are now underwriting the way it was done thirty years ago.” According to Ms. Minnock, interest rates are still determined based on credit scoring. You can get a great interest rate with a credit score of 740. However, if your credit score is below 740 your rate will likely increase with a conventional loan. However, if you are applying for a FHA loan, having a credit score in the 620s will enable you to still qualify for a loan, although 3.5% of the selling price of the house is still needed on a FHA loan as a down payment. When you talk to your mortgage consultant for the first time, they will most likely punch in to an automated system your name, address, social security number and credit score to determine what interest rate you’d be eligible for. For first time home buyers, this entire process can be confusing. However, Ms. Minnock suggests working with your real estate agent and a mortgage consultant to help guide you through the process. They can look at whether or not you are ready to buy a house based on many factors, including your income, current financial situation, and your credit score. They will need a lot of personal information to be able to guide you effectively, but it is worth doing a lot of the work upfront before you start searching for a house. Finding all of the necessary paperwork that you will need during the final application process where the documentation is absolutely necessary, will help you avoid putting yourself in a stressful buying situation. Plus, you will know exactly what you qualify for or what you will need to do to get to the point of actually getting the loan. Obtaining a loan and your dream house is not impossible if you are willing to be patient, organized and go through the steps to qualify before you start searching for the perfect home.
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IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 45
S U M M E R
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Adopt a Pet: Precious his little cat’s story is a great example of how a little love goes a long, long way. Precious was initially found as a stray and rescued off the streets by a kind gentleman who gave her a wonderful loving home. For years she lived happily with her new family and feline roommate, until her owner became ill. With no one else to care for them, he sadly brought these dear cats to Animal Friends. Precious did not have an easy adjustment. She missed her owner miserably and no matter how much kindness the staff and volunteers showed her, this sad little cat would not let anyone near her. She was just not a happy cat. But we knew that there was wonderful cat hiding in that sad little face. And we were right! Precious went home with a foster family who just gave her a little love and within days we saw
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the sweet gentle personality we knew was hiding under the sadness. Today, this sweet little cat will come up to you and show her affection by rubbing against you and giving you long deep purrs. She is great with using both the scratching post and litterbox and loves to spend her days watching everything going on outside the window. She even gets along with the family dog! All it took was a little bit of love. Please contact Animal Friends to set up a meet and greet with Precious. Call Animal Friends at 412.847.7002.
46 724.942.0940 to advertise | IN McKeesport
on the go...
Surfing the ‘Net Check out these rules that keep you safe when online!
✗ ✗ ✗
✗ ✗
What did the computer d lunchtime?o at Had a byte!
NEVER give out your name, address, phone or the school you attend to anyone online without your parent’s permission. Don’t enter contests without asking Mom or Dad first. If someone sends you something that makes you feel uncomfortable, let your parents and teachers know. NEVER respond to it yourself. NEVER agree to meet someone you’ve met online. NEVER send a person your picture without your parent’s permission. ✗ Only your parents should know your internet passwords.
Top Tech Words You Should Know!
Computers are Fun! Find each of these words in this puzzle.
1. Download - To download a file is to get it from someone else’s computer, over a network, and save it on your own computer, CD, or memory dvice. Example: Let’s download the photo of George Washington for the history project. 2. Pixel - A pixel is a tiny dot of light on the monitor. It is the the smallest part of every image you see on the computer monitor. Example: How many pixels does that photo have in it? 3. Modem - A device that links a computer to the internet through a telephone line, or a DSL or cable connection. Example: Our modem needs to be replaced. Our computer is downloading this photo slowly! 4. Browser - A software program that lets you explore the internet to let you discover things like graphics, sound, movies, games, and more. Example: Open a browser and search for George Washington for your President of the United States history project.
IN McKeesport | Summer 2010 | incommunitymagazines.com 47
HOUSES OF WORSHIP Arc Ministry 1501 Union Avenue
First Spiritualist Church 809 Locust Street
Bethlehem Baptist Church 716 Walnut Street
First United Methodist Church of McKeesport Versailles Avenue
Beulah Park United Methodist Church Grandview Avenue Bryn Mawr Church of Christ 2901 State Street Calvary United Methodist Church 1915 Bailey Avenue Central Presbyterian Church 1510 Versailles Avenue Christ Temple AME Church 937 Rose Street Christ United Methodist Church of North Huntingdon Twnshp 2800 Coulter Road Church of Christ 947 Franklin Street Church of The Good Samaritan Southern Street Coulter Road Baptist Church 225 Coulter Road Creative Ministries Berachah 1422 Evans Avenue Evangelical Congregational Church Walnut Street Faith Lutheran Church 1656 Lincoln Way First Christian Church 1025 McCleary Street First Church of Christ Scientist 1028 Fawcett Avenue First Church of the Open Bible 719 Union Avenue First Evangelical Free Church 4001 University Drive
Gemilas Chesed Synagogue 1400 Summit Street Glassport Assembly of God Church 210 5th Avenue Gospel Hall Assembly Prescott Street Greek Orthodox Church Annunciation 1128 Summitt Street Greenock Methodist Church 1213 Greenock Buena Vista Road Highland Grove United Methodist Church 2909 Highland Avenue Holy Family Polish National Catholic 1921 Eden Park Boulevard Hope United Methodist Church 2401 Jenny Lind Street Immanuel U P Church 525 Market Street Kephart United Methodist Church 906 Fawcett Avenue
Mount Vernon Community Presbyterian Church 2200 Buena Vista Road New Jerusalem Holiness Church In Duquesne 2130 Lewis Street Park Baptist Church 749 Center Street Port Vue United Methodist Church 1565 Washington Boulevard Rehoboth Apostolic Church 1910 Grandview Avenue
Temple B’Nai Israel Synagogue 2025 Cypress Drive
Saint Johns Evangelical Lutheran Church 329 9th Street
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Foyer Center Street
Saint Mark Parish 1101 Romine Avenue
Voice of Vision Outreach Ministries Incorporated 723 Walnut Street
Saint Martin Deporres Parish 704 Market Street Saint Mary Czestochowa 2515 Versailles Avenue
Wesley United Methodist Church Broadway Avenue
McKeesport Church of God Mission 1301 Soles Street
Saint Paul AME Church 1350 Locust Street
Call 724.942.0940
48 724.942.0940 48 IN McKeesport to advertise | IN McKeesport
St. Joseph Rectory 1125 Romine Avenue
Saint John The Baptist Ukrainian Church 1907 Eden Park Boulevard
Saint Patrick Church 310 32nd Street
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St. Denis Church Rectory 5110 3rd Street
St. Marys Romanian Byzantine Rite Catholic Church 318 26th Street
McKeesport Alliance Church 938 Summitt Street
52,000
Sampsons Mills Presbyterian Church 1665 Lincoln Way
Saint Angela Merici 1640 Fawcett Avenue
Liberty Presbyterian Church Elizabeth Street
Potential Customers in McKeesport!
Saint Stephens Episcopal Church 220 8th Street
St. Marys German Church 414 Olive Street
Saint Nicholas Byzantine Catholic Church 410 6th Street
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Saint Sava Church Hall 901 Hartman Street
Riverview Baptist Church General Conference 1911 Soles Street
Saint Marys Russian Orthodox Church 330 Shaw Avenue
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness 3535 Foster Road
Saint Plus 2911 Versailles Avenue
West Side United Methodist Church 305 Atlantic Avenue Zion Baptist Church 1300 Locust Street Don’t see your church listed? E-mail your information to: mark@incommunitymagazines.co m. Listings are free and a service from IN McKeesport Area Magazine.
Do you know someone who is serving in the armed forces from the McKeesport area? We would like to honor their commitment by featuring them in this magazine. Please forward your name, the soldier’s name and where they are serving, along with a photo to marybeth@incommunitymagazines.com
Help us recognize these fine men and women!
Fibroids are common. Our approach to treating them is not. Uterine fibroids are a common condition, affecting approximately three out of four women. Although noncancerous, fibroids can sometimes cause symptoms that include unusual periods and pelvic and back pain. If you have these symptoms, consult your doctor. If you’ve been diagnosed with uterine fibroids, the Fibroid Treatment Center at Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC will help you understand all the alternatives available. We were the first in the region to employ a multidisciplinary approach that brings a number of experts together to determine the best treatment plan, including minimally invasive techniques. Our board-certified gynecologists, along with surgeons and radiologists, work with your primary care physician to provide seamless care – as well as peace of mind.
To learn more, visit UPMCMagee.com or call 412-641-4435.
603 East McMurray Road McMurray, PA 15317 O: 724.942.0940 F: 724.942.0968 www.incommunitymagazines.com
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