Avalon Elementary parking
Borough officials and Avalon PTO members have come up with a plan to help ease parking problems created when parents drop-off and pick-up their child-ren at school.

A resolution approved by Avalon Council at its Aug. 18 meeting will allow parents to purchase a parking permit that will let them park in front of the school, between North School Street and North Chestnut Street, from 7:30 until 8:30 a.m. and from 2:30 until 4 p.m. on weekdays.

The area previously had been designated “no parking,” resulting in parents receiving tickets from police.

Although the permits technically will be issued by the borough, the PTO will receive the proceeds from the sale at $5 per tag. Information about obtaining a permit will be distributed to parents.

Resource officer
The Northgate School Board has unanimously approved extending an agreement for a school resource officer for another year.

Bellevue Police Officer Michael Hudson will serve as the school resource officer for the 2009-10 school year. The cost to the district is $20,000.

School delay
Classes at the A.W. Beattie Career Center will be delayed because of the renovation project.

Northgate School Board member Dr. Shannon Smithey said at the board's regular meeting on Monday that classes at Beattie would be starting one week later than normal.

The first day of classes at Beattie will be Sept. 8.

Non-profit groups for library
Avalon Borough will spend up to $7,500 to form non-profit groups associated with the Avalon Library.

Solicitor Richard Canciello told borough officials at the Aug. 18 council meeting that the Internal Revenue Service had declined to grant tax-exempt status to the library itself because it receives so much funding from the borough. The tax-exempt designation would make donations to the library tax deductible.

Instead, Avalon will follow other municipalities' lead in setting up separate groups associated with the library that can accept donations on the library's behalf.

The expenditure was approved unanimously by council, with members Tom Michalow and Dan Sefick absent.

Glaser Avenue funds
The Northgate School Board has approved an additional contribution to the Glaser Avenue road and sidewalk project.

At its Aug. 17 meeting, the board unanimously approved a contribution of $55,000. Northgate previously had approved $70,000 which brings the districts total contribution to $125,000.

Board member Charles Miklos said that the district owns 51.38 percent of the property along the private portion of the road. Miklos said that the average contribution from the other property owners will be about $1,600, and be based on their frontage.

Board member Shirl Reinhart was absent.

Park Avenue concerns
In a carryover from last month's meeting, Ben Avon residents came to Tuesday's borough meeting to discuss with council members the situation with the row houses along Park Avenue.

Ron Lantzy of Sylvan Walk said he noticed that the contractor had put plastic pipe along a downspout, and water now runs into the street and into one of the neighboring yards.

Borough engineer Ed McGee told council that he was concerned about the structural integrity of the buildings, saying that the support columns in front have to be stabilized, and soon. McGee said he noticed a lot of other violations when he toured some of the buildings recently.

"The stormwater control is inadequate, and in the interior, the plumbing and electrical work needs to be brought up to code."

Lantzy said he is particularly worried because school will be starting in a couple of weeks, and approximately 15 children live in the Park Avenue area. He asked if a fence could be put around the housing to keep people away.

"It's like a construction site, not just a remodeling project," he commented.

Council member Todd Smith said that if the columns are within 10 feet of the sidewalk, which they are, a fence can be put up. Council president Ken Opipery Jr. said he would tell the contractor to erect a fence around the site.

McGee concluded, "The developer has a hard road to hoe, and he needs to be aggressive about it."

Swimming pool hours
Operating hours at both Avalon and Bellevue swimming pools will decrease in the coming weeks, but the pools will work together to make swimming available over the Labor Day weekend.

Liesl Klicker, who manages both pools, said that the pools will go to weekend hours beginning Aug. 24 due to a lack of staff. They will be open daily from noon until 6 p.m. except for Aug. 28, when both pools will be closed.

Over the Labor Day weekend, Klicker said, the Bellevue pool will be open Saturday and Sunday, and Avalon's pool will be open Sunday and Monday.

Klicker said that nearly half the pools' staff of 24 lifeguards -- including all the head lifeguards -- is comprised of college students who have quit to return to school.

Loan authorized
The Northgate School District now has authority to borrow at least $1.5 million should state funding be held up much longer.

The loan was authorized by the school board at its meeting Monday. School funds cannot be released until the state approves a budget.

"I have not seen such a battle going on in Harrisburg. It's never been quite like this," superintendent Dr. Reggie Bonfield said. "I don't see an end in sight on this one."

Bonfield said that the district has invested monies that could be used, but would have to pay penalties to obtain the funds.

Berner estimated that the district would need at least $1.5 million. She said that she had spoken with a bank officer who told her to make sure the district borrowed enough in case the state did not send any funds until December.

Board president Ruth Lorey asked that board members be notified if administrators decide to apply for the loan.

Board member Shirl Reinhart was absent.

No parking, please
Ben Avon Mayor Ken Opipery Sr. said at Tuesday's council meeting that he plans to send a letter to the business owners along Church Avenue, asking them not to park along the main street.  He said some business owners keep their cars there all day. Not only is there a two-hour limit, but the lack of parking spaces also forces people who are going to the local doctors to walk longer distances, Opipery said. 

"They have to walk too far," he said, particularly referring to people who might need walkers to get around. "I'm just asking (the owners) to work with us."

Paving project update
Avalon Borough's summer street rehabilitation project has undergone some schedule changes, but is still expected to wrap up on time.

Borough manager Harry Dilmore told borough council members at their meeting on Tuesday that changes in the paving schedule were made to accommodate Columbia Gas, which is installing a number of new lines in the area, so that the utility work is completed before the streets are paved.

The project will be completed by mid- to late September, Dilmore said.

Pool cover purchase
The Northgate School Board authorized the purchase of a new cover for the high school swimming pool at its regular meeting on Aug. 17.

The cover will be bought from LOF Energy Systems, Inc., which also will install the new cover at a cost $9,800.

According to board member David Natale, the new cover is more energy efficient and will pay for itself in three years due to energy cost savings. The prior cover lasted some 11 years, he said.

Going to Bellevue
Residents' concerns about an influx of Bellevue people at Avalon's swimming pool were put to rest by the manager of both boroughs' pools.

Avalon resident Jackie Yurkovich presented Avalon Council with a petition signed by residents against the proposed plan to have a single pass next summer that would be good at the swimming pools in both boroughs. Yurkovich, speaking at the Aug. 18 Avalon Council meeting, said that there have been no problems at Avalon's pool this summer, and those who go there regularly want to keep it that way.

A one-month test of the program, however, indicates Avalon swimmers have nothing to worry about. During August, passholders from each borough were able to swim at the other borough's pool. So far, according to pools manager Liesl Klicker, most of the people participating have been Avalon residents who visited Bellevue's pool.

Klicker said that some 20-30 Avalon residents -- mostly families -- visit Bellevue's pool each day, while so far only one family from Bellevue has gone to Avalon's pool.

Council member Ed Repp said that simple economics may control whether the single pass program continues next summer. Grant funds no longer available to individual municipalities are open to joint programs, he said, and could pay for improvements at both pools.

Fire service approved
Ben Avon Council has unanimously approved entering into an agreement with Emsworth to provide fire service for Kilbuck Township.

Per the agreement, Kilbuck will pay Ben Avon and Emsworth $13,000 each per year for the next five years. Ben Avon will handle the east side of the township, and Emsworth will cover the west side.

Council member Sue Weiss asked where the money would go, and president Ken Opipery Jr. suggested that perhaps some of what each borough receives could be put into a separate fund to be used to purchase equipment in the future. A committee will be formed to make such a decision.

Council member Mark Colenbrander was absent.

Contracts approved
A painting contract with Mohan Painting Corp., Inc. was approved unanimously by the Northgate School Board on Monday.

The company will sandblast and paint the metal exterior stairs at Bellevue Elementary. The project will cost $9,850.

A contract with Intex Contracting, Inc. to remove and reinstall the block wall and stone sign along the walkway to the high school softball field also was approved. The work will cost $9,700. Board president Ruth Lorey abstained from the vote for the wall work because a relative works for Intex Contracting, Inc.

Board member Shirl Reinhart was absent.

Representatives named
The Northgate School Board appointed representatives to the Northern Allegheny Tax Collection Committee during the regular school board meeting on Monday.

Director of finance and operations Marilynn Berner will serve as Northgate’s delegate, and board member Susan Nolan will be the alternate.

Board member Shirl Reinhart was absent.

Lower increase
Road salt will cost local municipalities more than it did last year, but not as much as officials feared it would.

Avalon Council streets committee chairman Ed Repp reported Tuesday that the bids obtained through the Quaker Valley Council of Governments, which apply to all North Boroughs municipalities except Ohio Township, came in at $52.75 per ton. That price is about $10 higher than what the boroughs paid last year, Repp said, but far less than the $100-plus paid by other municipalities.

Northgate personnel
A number of personnel decisions were made by the Northgate School Board at its meeting on Monday.

The board hired Alyssa Myers and Arlon McGaha as part-time special education teacher assistants.

Abigail Anderson was hired as a full-time teacher at Bellevue Elementary. She replaces Josette Rhykerd, who resigned.

Connie Anastasio, Heather Persson and David Haslett Jr., were approved as adjunct substitutes for the 2009-10 school year and will be paid $85 per day.

David Amend was hired as a full-time maintenance worker for the middle/high school.

The board also hired three part-time custodians. John Stiger, Allan Ecimovic and Leon Randolph will work at Avalon Elementary, Bellevue Elementary, and the middle/high school, respectively.

James Rieg, Kim Jordan and Brian Bradley were approved as substitute custodians.

Colleen Chulack was hired as a lunchroom supervisor at Bellevue Elementary.

Norman King, Thomas O'Brien and Diane Dolan were hired as school crossing guards.

Jenee Van DeVelde was approved as a volunteer cheerleading coach.

The board accepted the resignation of Makenzie Black as a teacher at Bellevue Elementary.

The board approved a wage increase for pool instructor aides and lifeguards.

The pay rate for aides will increase from $7.50 to $7.75 per hour, and for lifeguards will increase from $7.75 to $8 per hour.

Handicapped parking
Two requests for handicapped parking spaces were approved by Avalon Council at its Aug. 18 meeting.

Reserved parking spaces will be placed near 206 Harrison Ave., and on Orchard Avenue near 202 Harrison Ave.

Both requests were approved unanimously by council. Council members Dan Sefick and Tom Michalow were absent.

Council also voted to remove a handicapped parking space in the 600 block of California Avenue. Safety committee chairman Patrick Narcisi said that reserved spaces in the municipal lot fill the need for handicapped parking in the California Avenue business district.

School donation
A donation from Coldwater Creek, Inc. to support literacy programs at Bellevue Elementary was approved by the Northgate School Board at its regular meeting on Aug. 17.

The $1,000 donation was presented to Northgate on behalf of the company by district resident and Coldwater Creek employee Laura Stephany.

Tax committee volunteer
Ben Avon council member Judy Konitsney volunteered at Tuesday's meeting to serve as the borough’s representative on the earned income tax committee. 

President Ken Opipery, Jr. explained that the state has mandated a new way to collect the EIT -- by county -- and that Allegheny County has been divided into four districts.

Ben Avon is in the Northern District, and will have a total of 60 committee members -- one from each of the 12 school districts and one from each of the 48 municipalities. Each region is to decide the best way to collect the tax, and for now, the committees are just being asked to gather information to make that determination.

Council unanimously approved Konitsney's selection. Mark Colenbrander was absent.

Perfect attendance
A number of the Northgate School District employees were given special recognition at Monday’s school board meeting for having perfect attendance during the 2008-09 school year.

A total of 23 staff members had perfect attendance, including seven administrators, two administrative center support staff members, four custodians, one secretary, five teachers and four teacher assistants.

Staff payments
A number of payments to staff members were authorized by the Northgate School Board at its meeting on Monday.

The board authorized paying four teachers $1,468 each for being team leaders for various curriculums. The team leaders help with budgeting and interdisciplinarywork between the different curriculums.

Elizabeth Wells will be the team leader for the English department. The team leader for the math department will be Bonnie Mohr. Sam Donini will be the leader for the science department, and the social studies department team leader will be Ed Marcellus.

Jan Desko and Rick Torre both were approved as ASSET teacher leaders (Achieving School Success through Empowering Teachers) for the 2009-10 school year. Each will be paid $470.

Mark Majerac will be paid $1,122 for being Northgate's forensics team coach. The board also approved a stipend for another forensics coach position, which has not been filled yet, in the same amount.

Katie Greco will be paid $2,337 to work as assistant volleyball coach for the 2009-10 school year.

Board member Shirl Reinhart was absent.

Ben Avon ordinances
Ben Avon Council unanimously voted to advertise two ordinances at Tuesday's meeting: one is to allow the Comcast cable agreement to operate for the next 10 years, and the other is to renew the police service agreement with Ohio Township.

Both ordinances will be voted on at next month's meeting. Council member Mark Colenbrander was absent.

Policy update
The Avonworth School Board has approved updates to the Avonworth School District Staff Acceptable Use information and the Student Contract Agreement.

The policy change was in regards to the operations and acceptable use of the internet.

The policy now addresses using flash drives and other storage devices, according to board member Peter McKay.

Development program
The Avonworth School Board has authorized sending superintendent Dr. Valerie McDonald to a superintendents' professional development program.

The program will be held Oct. 21-23 at Bedford Springs. The cost to the district is approximately $800, according to McDonald, which includes registration, a room, meals and mileage.

Use of facilities
Two requests to use district facilities were approved by the Northgate School Board at its regular meeting on Aug. 17.

The Pittsburgh Spirit will use the softball field for games and practices. The team also was given permission to use the indoor batting cages at the high school. The team will be charged $100 per four-hour event.

The board also approved the community swim program to be held at the middle/high school swimming pool for the 2009-10 school year.