It will cost about $4,000 more to complete a remodeling project in Bellevue’s police station.

Council orginally authorized the expenditure of $10,000 to rehab the station, but safety committee chairman David Gillingham Jr. told council members at their May 25 meeting that some unexpected concrete work will require additional money.

His motion to spend $4,000 from bond funds hit a snag when no one actually knew whether that much remained uncommitted from the bond. Council approved the expenditure contingent upon the funds being available.

Bellevue will not be applying for a grant to fund a new police officer position if officials follow their own directive.

Safety committee chairman David Gillingham Jr. made a motion at council’s regular meeting Tuesday to apply for a COPS grant that would provide funding for a new police officer for three years. Gillingham, however, could not answer questions about whether the borough would have to pick up the tab for the officer after the 36-months funding period.

A variety of day camps for children will be held at the Ohio Township Community Park on Nicholson Road this summer.

Among the camp themes are: how to draw, survival/nature, games, teen weight loss, Carnegie Science Center Insect Investigators, CSI: Pittsburgh, herb garden/nature, bugs, “learn to make stuff,” sock puppets, photography/modeling, “BFF”s, garden art and “Abrakadoodle Beach Party.”

The camps will be held during June and July.

For information on the camps, visit the Web site at www.ohiotwp.org.

A quick trip to the store became more of a ride than expected by a young Ben Avon man, whose vehicle flipped over after hitting the hillside along Perrysville Avenue in Ben Avon, near the entrance to Avon Park. Driver Mark Keyser told police that he lost control in the heavy rain gushing down the street Saturday afternoon. Pictured here, a relatively uninjured Keyser, who managed to get himself out of the car, jumps back in to obtain some belongings. Also pictured are Ohio Township Police Officer Joel Donovic and NorthWest EMS personnel.

Photo by Connie Rankin for The Citizen

Avalon Police responded to a traffic accident at the Marathon station on Union Avenue on May 14. Police found a vehicle wedged between two steel poles that were attached to the gas station sign.

An Avalon man was arrested May for for the theft of prescription medications from a Florence Avenue residence on May 13. Charged was Stephen Fazio of Cleveland Avenue.

Port Authority officials are unsure how long a 5-ton weight restriction will be in place on the Center Avenue bridge in Emsworth, but Ben Avon officials are concerned that it may be long enough to result in damage to some of the borough’s side streets.

The weight restriction was posted Friday, May 14, after a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation inspection revealed areas of deterioration on two piers, according to Port Authority spokesperson Heather Pharo.

Pharo said that further analysis of the span is needed, and is likely to take several weeks.

By LOIS THOMSON

"I regret voting for it because it's unenforceable, and possibly unconstitutional," said Ben Avon Council member Dan Herchenroether, referring to the gun ordinance council adopted last December that requires residents to report lost or stolen handguns to the police within 72 hours or face a potentially huge fine.

Editor:

I hope someone can explain to me how politics work in Emsworth, because I am not sure I follow right now. Council says they are voted there to serve the tax payers of the community, but are they?

Avalon Police Chief Robert Howie, left, welcomes his successor, new chief Tom Kokoski, after Kokoski was sworn in by Mayor David Haslett at Wednesday’s Avalon Council meeting. Howie will retire May 25 after 17 years as chief, and a total of 23 years with the Avalon Police Department. Kokoski, who has been a police officer for 12 years and employed with Avalon for the past eight, was hired last month by Avalon Council. Council voted Wednesday to approve a 3.5 year contract with Kokoski, though Dec. 31, 2013.

Drivers traveling through Ben Avon should note that a stop sign is going to be mounted at the bottom of Ridge Avenue where it meets Brighton Road.

Borough council members voted unanimously at Tuesday's meeting to install the sign. Sue Weiss was absent.

The Northgate School Board voted Monday to contribute $8,000 to improvements at Avalon’s California Avenue Park, but not the $10,000 requested by Avalon Borough.

Avalon obtained a $28,000 grant to rehabilitate the park, which is used by Avalon Elementary School students. The project is expected to cost another $22,000, however, according to board member David Natale. He said that Avalon originally requested that the district chip in $8,000, but then sent another letter requesting a $10,000 contribution.

Northgate will hire 10 summer custodians and attempt to avoid hiring a painting contract this year.

The summer help -- college and high school students -- will be paid $8 per hour. Buildings and grounds committee chairman Charles Miklos said at Monday’s school board meeting that the students should be able to handle both summer cleaning and painting, at a cost savings to the district.