Tribune - Review / Pittsburgh Tribune - Review

Falling Population Fuels Construction Debate in Mt. Lebanon

Newlyweds David and Marie Reese moved from Shadyside to Mt. Lebanon 39 years ago, lured by the pre-eminence of the school district's facilities and educational offerings. Today, population loss is threatening that status. Between 2000 and 2008, the number of people living in Mt. Lebanon fell by 2,591 to 30,381. Its high school is projected to lose 239 students between 2006 and 2013.

Kids Young and Old Say, 'Go Fly a Kite'

Once or twice a month, members of the Fly Pittsburgh Kite Club gather where no one has to grow up. "We're all just big kids who love to fly kites," said Lydia Mansur, 50, of Canonsburg.

National Night Out: Communities Take Stance Against Crime

The 19 members of the Dinwiddie Community Alliance work year- round on making the Hill District a safer place. But alliance President Marlene Jackson said she needs more neighborhood support.

Emergency: Ambulance Services Need Infusion of Cash

Two local ambulance service providers are in critical condition. The Valley and Quaker Valley Ambulance authorities are facing financial difficulties stemming from an increase in expenses and a decrease in insurance reimbursements.

The Couple That Plays Together, Stays Together...65 Years

It's never too late to try something new. That seems to always have been the philosophy of Mitch and Viola Jarasiewicz, a Cranberry couple who just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. This year, they've learned how to play a Wii, a Nintendo video game system that's primarily a hit with children, but has found a niche among seniors.

Service Hasn't Ended for O'hara Veteran

Vietnam War veteran, local volunteer and longtime American Legion officer Clem Stanisauskis can't slow down. The 64-year-old O'Hara resident is an active volunteer at the VA hospital in O'Hara and has worn many hats at the American Legion.

It Was a Dog Day Afternoon in the 'Burgh

As Gretchen Kuhns looked out over the various breeds of dogs and their owners from throughout Pittsburgh and even as far away as northern Virginia, she couldn't help but smile. Her vision had been realized.

Girl Talk Pushes Listeners to Broaden Horizons

Girl Talk has come a long way since the days of playing warehouses, basements and half-empty art galleries in semi- forgotten corners of Pittsburgh. Now a planet-spanning pop music phenomenon and one-man musical Zeitgeist, Girl Talk -- also known as Gregg Gillis, 28, of Polish Hill -- is headlining an outdoor show of all local bands Friday night at the Amphitheatre at Station Square. The lineup reflects Girl Talk's unclassifiable, genre-jumping music, ranging from hardcore hip-hop (Wiz Khalif...

Standardized Test Scores Rile Gateway Superintendent

Gateway School District's superintendent this week called the high school's latest standardized test scores "unacceptable." Gateway High School failed to make sufficient progress in reading and math on the 2008-09 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment test as required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act, superintendent Cleveland Steward Jr. said during Tuesday's school board meeting.

Dodd & Conrad: Smelly Deals

Euphemisms and rationalizations should not spare U.S. Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., from a full Justice Department investigation of what has every appearance of a blatant conflict of interest, if not self-dealing. The senators received special VIP mortgage deals from the former Countrywide Financial Corp., one of the bigger players in the Great Mortgage Meltdown and since subsumed by Bank of America.

The Kbr Report

Criminal prosecution should follow the Department of Defense inspector general's new report on a Shaler Green Beret's electrocution in a Baghdad shower. The report on the Jan. 2, 2008, death of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth says Texas-based contractor KBR didn't properly ground or inspect a water pump and tanks that KBR installed.

Case Prompts Tighter Oversight of Monroeville's Finances

Since the arrest of two Monroeville tourism bureau employees last year, borough officials have implemented new oversights to ensure proper handling of the bureau's finances. "We've updated the bylaws to incorporate checks and balances," said Monroeville Councilman Frank Franci, council's liaison to the bureau. "We've pretty much revamped the policies so that we'll hopefully never see something like this again."

Two North Hills Chambers to Merge

The two largest chambers of commerce in the North Hills will merge Jan. 1, creating the region's third-largest chamber behind the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce and the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce. The Cranberry Area Chamber of Commerce and Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce will boast more than 1,000 members after the merger, officials said.

The Thursday Wrap

Political convenience: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission says "every option must be on the table" to curb "excessive speculation" in oil prices. Never mind that the same commission last July concluded that last summer's crude oil price run-up was due to normal market forces. As The Wall Street Journal notes, "Speculation becomes excessive when prices move in a politically inconvenient direction." And we would remind that speculation leads not only to higher prices but lower prices, too...

Bauerstown Blight Being Removed

Even before she got married in 1974, Gayle Dietz knew she wanted to live in the tiny Bauerstown section of Shaler where her husband George grew up. "In the old days, they used to call Bauerstown the slums of Shaler, but it's really been a nice, quiet place to raise a family," said Dietz, who has lived along Walters Avenue for 35 years. "Most of the people here have pride in their homes and really try to keep them up."

Haters Not Just Liberals

Regarding L. Brent Bozell III's column "Hate talk? Liberals have it nailed" (July 26 and TribLIVE.com): Apparently, he has never watched Fox News and has never watched, heard or read anything by Michael Savage, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, etc. I wonder why Bozell is so concerned about liberal hatemongers if they have such a small audience, as he claims. I would prefer that all these hatemongers -- conservative and liberal -- go away and be replaced by ho...

Ex-Pta Officer to Repay $2,141 to Penn Hills School District

One of two cases involving theft of money from the Penn Hills School District has been resolved. A former PTA treasurer at Washington Elementary School agreed this week to repay $2,141 she was accused of stealing.

Woman's Plan to Honor Sons Creates Debate in Dormont

A woman's quest to honor her sons has raised a tough issue in Dormont. Mary Pitcher of Dormont wants to build an 18,000-square-foot park in Dormont Park near Memorial Drive and name it in honor of her sons Stephen, 19, and Vince, 21, who drowned last summer during a camping trip to the Allegheny Reservoir.

Young Achiever: Kristie Dash

Age: 17 Residence: Cranberry

Donation Likely to Fire Up South Allegheny Ceramics Students

A McKeesport man is jump-starting the South Allegheny School District's new ceramics course. "I hope they can get an education of some kind, (like) learning the skill of how to paint," said George Branick, who donated an estimated $100,000 in supplies and equipment after reading about the course in The Daily News, Trib Total Media's newspaper in McKeesport.