Tube City Almanac

March 05, 2009

Small Business Center Posts Hours

Category: News || By

Small business experts from Duquesne University and the University of Pittsburgh are offering free consultations for Mon-Yough area residents on Fridays.

The sessions are being held at the offices of U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle and state Sen. Sean Logan at 627 Lysle Blvd., Downtown, said John Dobransky of Pitt's Katz Graduate School of Business. The two universities staff the office on alternate weeks.

People interested in starting businesses or who already own their own business can get free advice on marketing, loans and other topics, Dobransky said. They cannot provide legal advice, however, and they cannot advise non-profit corporations, he said.

Although there is no fee for the initial consultation, an information packet for the additional consultations costs $25, Dobransky said.

Sessions at the Lysle Boulevard location are held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but appointments outside of regular office hours can be scheduled. Call Pitt at (412) 648-1542 or Duquesne at (412) 396-6233.

. . .

Traffic Officer Honored: The AAA has honored city police Sgt. Carl Kuzel for leading an effort to slow speeders and curb aggressive driving.

At Wednesday's city council meeting, police Chief Joe Pero presented Kuzel with a commendation from the motor club for reducing serious accidents in 2008. There were no fatal car crashes in McKeesport last year, Pero said.

The city was one of only two Allegheny County municipalities to deploy the new Electronic Non-Radar Device, or ENRADD, system on several streets. Manufactured by York County-based YIS/Cowden Group Inc., ENRADD uses infrared light to measure a vehicle's speed.

Kuzel is also a state-certified commercial vehicle inspector, Pero said.

. . .

New NAACP President: Ocie Paige is the new president of the McKeesport Branch of the NAACP.

Former president of McKeesport Area School Board, Paige is a city native who served in the U.S. Army for 20 years.

A veteran of Korea and Vietnam, Paige is now retired from the restaurant industry. He is the husband of Alease Paige.

. . .

Houses Sold: All four houses being constructed on the site of the former Union Avenue reservoir have now been transferred to their new owners, said Lani Temple, executive director of the McKeesport Neighborhood Initiative.

Groundbreaking on three additional houses is expected in April, she said. The development is a partnership between MNI, McKeesport Housing Corp., the city Redevelopment Authority and county, state and federal agencies.*

. . .

New Tenants: The Regional Business Alliance, created from the merger of several area chambers of commerce, has relocated to the former municipal building at Lysle Boulevard and Market Street. The move was completed Monday.

RBA has signed a five-year lease, city officials said, and will pay $650 per month to rent an office suite on the second floor. The offices were renovated by city public works crews.

Although the structure, now called the Public Safety Building, is still used by the police and fire departments, the second floor has been vacant since city administrative offices moved to the former McKeesport National Bank building at Fifth and Sinclair streets.

Twin Rivers Council of Governments may also relocate to the Public Safety Building from West Mifflin; the agency will vote on the move later this month.



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* -- Correction appended March 7.






Your Comments are Welcome!

Jason,

Ocie Paige is a class act and a leader in the entire community. He was the first african-american male to serve on the MASD School Board.

One correction, Lani Temple is the Executive Director of MNI and the Chairman of McKeepsort BluePrint Communities Initiative.

What did you think of my debate with the Mayor concerning the City web-site?

Councilman Shelly
Paul "Sluggo" Shelly (URL) - March 06, 2009




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