Home

Content about Ben Avon

01.14.12
Ben Avon Recital

William Haller, professor of organ and organ literature at West Virginia University, and professor of oboe Cynthia Anderson will present a recital of organ and English horn/oboe music at the Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon, 7501 Church Ave., on Sunday, Jan. 29, at 4 p.m.

The concert is free and the public is invited.

12.10.11
Community Christmas

The Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon, 7501 Church Ave. is opening its doors to the community with several events being held in the next few weeks.

A Christmas concert and dinner will be held Sunday, Dec. 11. The concert will begin at 4 p.m. and will feature chancel choir, junior choir, bell choir and soloists. Following the concert, dinner will be served in the Fellowship Hall. There is no cost for the dinner. A basket for a free will offering will be available.

09.16.11
Firefighter shares post-9/11 work

Ben Avon volunteer firefighter Steve Kosak brought the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to life for Avonworth students this week. Kosak was part of an emergency response team sent to the scene of the plane crash in Shanksville, where volunteers spent weeks combing through the wreckage and debris.

06.03.11
Remembering

A color guard of veterans led the Avonworth communities’ annual Memorial Day parade in Emsworth and Ben Avon.

05.13.11
All frogs are not green

Did you ever take a logic class in college? Do high schools even offer logic classes? They should. The skills that come from a logic class are life-changing.

I loved my college logic class. It was one of the first signs that my future included law school. Right after debating everyone in my high school, regardless of position, and organizing a variety of protests. It was the '70s, after all.

But logic stuck with me even after I became a much mellower person, not inclined to frequent debate or protest.

10.23.09
Crunch time

There are only a couple weeks left until Election Day.

That probably isn't sending chills down the spines of most of you this year, but maybe it should.

08.21.09
Fireworks!

The North Boroughs Independence Day Fireworks Celebration -- delayed due to flooding at the end of June -- will take place this Saturday, Aug. 29.

The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the second annual hot dog eating contest featuring members of the Avonworth and Northgate varsity football teams.

"Uptown Rhythm and Brass" will bring the musical entertainment right after the hotdog eating contest, about 7 p.m.

The fireworks will go off at dusk, which will be about 8:30 - 8:45 p.m.

There will be refreshments for sale.

01.28.12
Court tosses redistricting plan

Even as local politicians were gearing up to run for state legislative seats in new districts, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Wednesday struck down the reapportionment plan, completely rearranging the proposed political landscape in areas such as the North Boroughs.

01.22.12
Cashing in on card leads to arrest

The use of a stolen gift card led area police to a Bellevue man, and the discovery of a lot more stolen goods.

The case began on Dec. 27, when two Ben Avon residents reported thefts from their vehicles. One owner reported that a gun had been stolen, along with several gift cards. Ohio Township Police were able to obtain video of the man who used the card at Giant Eagle, and worked with Avalon and Bellevue police to identify that man as Keith Dengler, 23, of Bellevue.

01.22.12
Possible tax break

Ben Avon is considering offering a tax abatement to anyone who would like to buy certain property on Park Avenue, with the stipulation that the existing structures would be torn down and that any rebuilding would be done according to the borough's code.

The property currently consists of five buildings containing 19 units. Nearly five years ago, Jeff Garbinski bought it with the idea of renovating the property into 19 affordable housing units. However, little has been done since that time and various problems have ensued.

01.08.12
Ben Avon Council reorganizes

Three newly-elected members of Ben Avon Council were sworn in by Mayor Bob Jones Monday evening before council voted to return Lloyd Corder to the president’s chair and committee appointments were announced.

Pictured here from left are Corder, newly-elected council members Earl Bohn, Suzanne Weiss and Michael Bett, and Jones.

Corder was re-elected president of council in a unanimous vote, as was Weiss as vice president.

Corder was prepared to make committee assignments for the coming year, and also named council members to handle special projects.

11.18.11
Ben Avon feels “backdraft”

Even as a new fire services contract for Ben Avon Heights was being accepted by Avalon Council Tuesday evening, Ben Avon officials were feeling the loss and the “backdraft” for the role some officials may have played in the decision.

In selecting Avalon to provide fire services after 15 years of contracting with Ben Avon, Heights officials last week stated unequivocally that they were changing not only to save a couple thousand dollars each year, but because of the “negotiating tactics of Ben Avon Council.”

11.18.11
Ben Avon feels “backdraft”

Even as a new fire services contract for Ben Avon Heights was being accepted by Avalon Council Tuesday evening, Ben Avon officials were feeling the loss and the “backdraft” for the role some officials may have played in the decision.

In selecting Avalon to provide fire services after 15 years of contracting with Ben Avon, Heights officials last week stated unequivocally that they were changing not only to save a couple thousand dollars each year, but because of the “negotiating tactics of Ben Avon Council.”

11.11.11
Heights fire contract moved to Avalon

After 15 years of service from the Ben Avon fire department, Ben Avon Heights emergency calls will be answered next year by the Avalon Volunteer Fire Company. Of possibly even greater significance, however, is the fact that the change is being laid squarely at the feet of Ben Avon’s elected officials at a time when a joint Avonworth community fire department is being proposed.

11.11.11
Heights weighs revenue options

Despite facing some costly infrastructure repairs, Ben Avon Heights officials have agreed not to raise the property tax millage rate in 2012, but may look at imposing a sewer surcharge.

The construction of a retaining wall on Briarcliff Road -- along with the associated engineering, easement and utility line movement costs -- could carry a price tag as high as $200,000, according to council president Mark Davis.

11.11.11
Voters choose in Ben Avon, Emsworth

Facing the only council elections to be decided in the North Boroughs, voters in Emsworth and Ben Avon cast their votes on Tuesday.

In Emsworth, newcomer Kevin Yurkovich received the highest number of votes, 359. Joining him on council next year will be two appointed incumbents: Alex Nalevanko, who received 327 votes, and Brian Fashian, who got 289.

That left former borough official George Rossi the odd man out, with only 205 votes.

Both Yurkovich and Nalevanko were candidates on both the Democratic and Republican ballots.

11.05.11
Emsworth, Ben Avon voters to choose

Voters in Emsworth and Ben Avon will have the only real local government choices to make in the Nov. 8 general election.

In Emsworth, four candidates are seeking election to three four-year seats on the borough council, while Ben Avon voters will fill three council seats from among five candidates.

11.05.11
Ohio Township arrests

Recent DUI arrests by Ohio Township Police include:

On Oct. 29, Angelina Bairhalter, 34, of West View, on New Brighton Road in Ben Avon Heights. On Oct. 30, David Wise, 54, of Emsworth on Route 65 in Emsworth. On Oct. 30, Steven Ressler, 45, of Pittsburgh on Mt. Nebo Road in Ohio Township.

10.14.11
Obituaries 10-14-11

Robert Schafers Robert H. Schafers, 84, of Kennedy Township, died Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 in Ohio Valley Hospital. Mr. Schafers was retired from Alcosan with 28 years of service. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

10.07.11
CTP Presents “Exit the Body”

The Community Theatre Players will present “Exit the Body,” a mystery farce in three acts by Fred Carmichael.

The performances will be held at 8 p.m. on Oct. 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29 at the Community Presbyterian Church of Ben Avon, 7501 Church Ave.

All tickets are $7.

A dinner will be held before each Friday performance (Oct. 21 and 28) at 6 p.m. for an additional $15 per person.

Reservations for the play alone are suggested, however reservations for dinner and the play are required.

Call (412)734-2050 for reservations.

10.07.11
Fall ballot is bleak in most boros

With a couple of exceptions in Ben Avon and Emsworth, the November general election ballot features even fewer candidates than the primary ballot -- and not because of primary election decisions. Between withdrawals and the lack of write-in votes, more than a few municipal government seats are without candidates, and contests have been eliminated in others.

10.07.11
Obituaries 10-7-11

Anna Marie Ayres Anna Marie Staudenmaier Ayres, wife of the late George W. Staudenmaier, died Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011. She is survived by four children, George W. Ayres Jr. and his wife Ruth, Mary Ann Turkovich, Margaret "Peggy" Ayres and Rose Marie Ayres; and her grandson, William Turkovich and his wife Stephanie. She was preceded in death by six brothers; and her son-in-law, John Turkovich.

09.23.11
Ben Avon garbage

Ben Avon Council has approved a garbage collection contract with Waste Management that will be effective from 2012 to 2016.

The new contract will include an e-waste option. Borough secretary Carmella Hallstein told council Tuesday that Waste Management made two proposals to the borough -- one an extension of the existing contract, and the other adding an e-waste option to the contract.

09.23.11
Obituaries 9-23-11

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.

09.02.11
Into the storm

While many of us spent last weekend watching the Weather Channel as Hurricane Irene moved up the East Coast, more than 80 Western Pennsylvania residents were deployed to the eastern part of the state. Among them were four men from NorthWest EMS trained in swift water and flood rescue, and members of the regional rescue team created to respond to water-related emergencies.