Tube City Almanac

September 22, 2008

Notes From All Over

Category: News || By

A few stories you may have missed:

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Health Department, Elizabeth Twp. Reach Agreement: The Elizabeth Township Sanitary Authority will pay $20,000 in fines to the Allegheny County Health Department for dumping raw sewage into the Youghiogheny River.

In addition, according to the health department, Elizabeth Township will connect its system to the Municipal Authority of McKeesport's wastewater plant in the city's 10th Ward once upgrades are made to that facility.

On numerous occasions, county and state officials say, the township's sewage treatment plant has dumped millions of gallons of untreated water into the river since August 2007.

The first phase of the consent order requires the township to map and monitor its sewer lines; inspect and repair leaks; and identify and remove connections between the sanitary sewer lines and storm drains, which allows rain water to enter the system and causes some of the overflows. That work must be complete by October 2010.

The second phase will require Elizabeth Township to connect to the city's plant. The township sanitary authority will be penalized $100 to $500 per day if it fails to comply with the terms.

(Tube City hard-hat tip: Alert Reader Jeff.)

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WM Vets Get High Marks for Website: A website maintained by West Mifflin's Veterans of Foreign Wars "Intrepid" Post 914 has won second prize among all VFW posts in the United States.

"The members of the post couldn't be more pleased," said Mike Mauer, post quartermaster and website contributor. "For years we've made a deliberate effort to reach out to younger service personnel. This award shows that we're heading in the right direction."

Features of the Post 914 website include a slide show that highlights its activities and information about local soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The site was created by members of the post and designed by Jim Hartman, creator of the www.15122.com website that spotlights activities in and around West Mifflin.

"Through his work with the Lions and other community non-profit organizations, Jim has shown himself to be a vital asset to West Mifflin and the entire Mon Valley," Mauer said. "We couldn't have been able to get this award without him."

According to the VFW, 70 websites were entered in this year's competition. Entries were judged on the quality of their design and content, their navigation elements and the speed with which the pages load.

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'Jazz' Fundraiser Benefits Local Campus: Vocalist Lynn Roberts will headline the fifth-annual "All That's Jazz" concert to benefit scholarships at Penn State's Greater Allegheny Campus in the city.

Roberts began her long career as a young "girl singer" with the Charlie Spivak Orchestra at the end of the Big Band era and before her 18th birthday, she'd shared a stage with Frank Sinatra. She later performed with both Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Harry James and Benny Goodman.

The concert, dinner and charity auction begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 in the campus' Student Community Center, just off University Drive near Renzie Park. Tickets are $75 each or 10 for $600, and all proceeds benefit the Penn State Greater Allegheny Scholarship Fund.

"Scholarship funds have become increasingly important to our students and their families," Chancellor Curtiss E. Porter said in a prepared statement. "With 85 percent of college students depending upon some form of financial aid, these funds can make the difference between students staying in college or having to make some hard decisions about their futures."

Since 2004, "All That's Jazz" has raised $158,000 for the Penn State Greater Allegheny Scholarship Fund, according to a campus spokeswoman. Last year, proceeds from the concerts supported 34 students with nearly $51,000 in aid.

To reserve tickets, call (412) 675-9048.

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PSGA Focuses on Latin America, Caribbean: A lecture by the director of the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Pittsburgh will kick off this year's international programs at Penn State Greater Allegheny.

PSGA's international teaching program began in 2004 and is designed to expose students to intercultural and international issues.

This year, the McKeesport-based campus will focus on the culture and politics of Latin America and the Caribbean, a spokeswoman said.

Events begin with a lecture at 12 noon on Sept. 30 by Kathleen de Walt, a professor of anthropology at Pitt, on global food prices and their effect on "food security" in Latin America.

The lecture, to be held in the Ostermayer Room at the Student Community Center, is free and open to the public.

On display now through April in the J. Clarence Kelly Library are 32 works of art on loan from the Friends of Hôpital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti.

Friends of HAS is a Pittsburgh-based organization which supports the operation of the rural Haitian hospital through the sale of Haitian artwork.

Artwork on display right now at Kelly Library includes a variety of styles depicting Haitian scenes and ceremonies.

Other upcoming events include a "Tango Night" on Nov. 11 and several performances for children in December.

For more information, call (412) 675-9143.






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