The post-election reorganization of Bellevue Council Monday night was not without incident -- several of them in fact. The meeting began with one council member-elect omitted from the swearing-in, and ended with questions about the legitimacy of the entire process. In between, a new regime took charge of council, and perhaps set the tone for the coming year.

Rita Collins Rita S. Collins, wife of the late Michael J. Collins, died Sunday, Sept. 11, 2011. Mrs. Collins was a member of Catholic War Veterans Ladies Auxiliary Post #1365.

Bellevue has been home, off and on, for the past 20 years for Kathy Coder, but since returning here in 2004, the community has become her passion.

"When we moved back, we bought a 100-year-old house. It was lots of work, and at the same time, I kept thinking I wanted to get involved with Bellevue. I knew nothing about local government, but I thought I'd like to bring some ideas here."

Coder went to a few council meetings, found herself replacing a council member who had resigned, and shortly after was elected council president.

FOCUS ON SCHOOLS Editor:

Our community has been debating alcohol or no-alcohol with a passion, but we have been less publically vocal on the impending budget doom in store for our Northgate School District, which will be devastating to our students and ultimately our community's well-being.

Reading through The Citizen's article on the budget, I noticed that CAD and Robotics will be eliminated, full-day kindergarten will be eliminated and the school musical is marked for elimination. These are all areas that directly affect our students.

An Avalon Police officer was injured April 1 in the foot pursuit of a man who turned out to be wanted by Beaver County police, and also was in possession of suspected cocaine.

Police say that Derrick Smith, 38, of Beaver Falls, hid when he spotted a police car on Malvern Road. Officer Bob Scott found Smith lying between the front porch of a home and a tree, at which time Smith began running toward Bellevue. The pursuit crossed North Home and North Starr avenues before entering the backyards of homes on Shade Avenue in Bellevue, where Smith was apprehended.

Northgate’s 2011-12 budget is “in deep trouble” after funding cuts in the proposed state budget threaten to add another $700,000 to the existing deficit.

Finance committee chairman Daniel O’Keefe said at Monday’s committee of the whole school board meeting that Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed spending plan is expected to reduce Northgate’s reimbursements and state revenue by some $640,000 to $700,000.

Added to the previously projected deficit of approximately $900,000, the district now needs to make up between $1.3 million and $1.5 million.

While the Northgate School Board seeks permission to increase property taxes 2.5 mills in the coming year, a challenge to cut spending was endorsed more heartily in theory than in practice at the board’s work session on Monday.

Replacing a sewer line on the Avalon - Bellevue border carries a steep price tag, and not just in dollars and cents.

While the nearly $400,000 estimated cost of the West Bellevue Station sewer is something neither borough expected before a few months ago, the higher price may be paid in the relationship between the two governments as they wrangle over how to split the cost.

Avalon borough engineer Shawn Rosensteel told officials from that borough Tuesday that a plan to address the badly deteriorated and broken sewer line has been prepared.

By a vote of 4-2, members of Ben Avon Council, at Tuesday's meeting, repealed the stolen handgun ordinance that they had adopted last December.

The ordinance, which has undergone much discussion the past two months, required residents to report lost or stolen handguns to the police within 72 hours of their disappearance, or face a large fine and possible jail sentence.

Council member Sue Weiss said that council was "premature in throwing it out." However, council member R.J. White referred to a 2006 Supreme Court and said that the ordinance was not reasonable.

Bellevue Council's public safety committee will take another shot at drafting an ordinance regulating recreational fires after officials and residents agreed there was no "burn" in the burn ordinance proposed.

The committee reviewed the issue after receiving complaints from residents about outdoor fires that had become a nuisance due to the quality and quantity of smoke being produced.

Editor:

I was very disappointed in the recent decision by the Avonworth School Board's Athletic Committee to cut wrestling from the co-op sports agreement. After attending the meeting, I left with the feeling that little is known about this wonderful character-building sport!

Much of the information being provided to board members appears to be incorrect. The cost for the 2009-2010 season was significant;y less than budgeted -- $15,000 ($7,500/school) -- due to fewer coaches. When participation is low, the need for multiple coaches should be considered, as well as volunteer coaches.