Content about Director

04.01.11

Among the cast members of Northgate High School's musical, "All Shook Up": (top) Lydia Glatz, James Kania, Leah Dunn, Colby Simpson; (middle) Bridgit Walters, Aaron Makatura, Taylor Reed, Kendra Anick, Sam Driscoll, Ayleah Whitehead; (front) Emily Sybo, Kim Senko, Casey Blackman.

By TOM STEINER

Blending Elvis Presley with William Shakespeare for a night of upbeat entertainment might seem like a rather daunting task, but the cast and crew of Northgate High School's musical has done just that in their production of "All Shook Up."

03.04.11

Denise Plaskon took the long way around to reach Bellevue once again.

While studying at the University of Pittsburgh -- where she received a master’s degree in library and information science -- she did sales work that included Bellevue as part of her territory.

Since then, she has traveled a bit, working as the branch manager of the Lawler Branch Library in New Bedford, MA, for three and a half years, and then as director of the Everett Free Library in Everett, PA for two years.

11.26.10

Registration for the next session of the Northgate Community Swim Program will be held in the high school pool lobby on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 29-30, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

07.30.10

When Alex Riddle addressed his fellow seniors as class valedictorian at Avonworth High School's graduation ceremonies in June, nobody doubted his claim to being at the top of the Class of 2010, his grade point average being 4.28.

07.23.10

For the first time since March, the Borough of Bellevue has a director of administrative services on the job in the borough hall. Former Crafton manager Doug Sample began work Monday. The position has remained vacant since Connie Flasher resigned last spring.

01.08.12

Kenneth Todoverto Sr. Kenneth M. Todoverto Sr., 81, of Bellevue died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011. He is survived by his wife, Loretta Todoverto; four children, Kenneth Todoverto Jr. and his wife Sandy, Janice Barry and her husband Mike, Carla Pritchard and her husband Glenn and Donna Boyer; his sister, Louise Killian; and five grandchildren, Brian Verlihay and his wife Steph, Steven Verlihay, Glenn Pritchard Jr., Becky Pritchard and Ally Boyer.

12.10.11

Despite projecting nearly $400,000 in unbudgeted surplus funds, Bellevue Council has approved a proposed 2012 budget that not only increases property taxes by a quarter mill, but increases the sewer surcharge by 25 cents per 1,000 gallons of water used.

The $7.4 million budget includes 2 percent pay increases for non-contract employees and the hiring of a new, part-time code enforcement officer. It also includes expenditures of more than $100,000 in matching funds for the skate plaza and downtown streetscape projects.

12.04.11

Pending the approval of next year’s borough council, Bellevue will contribute to the Congress of Neighboring Communities (CONNECT) as a sign of the borough’s commitment to the program.

CONNECT is a project of Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, designed to deal with “policy level issues” facing the City of Pittsburgh and the 38 municipalities that border the city, according to associate director Kathy Risko.

10.22.11

While Bellevue's director of administrative services thinks the Artober Fest benefit raised about $6,500 to benefit a proposed skate plaza in Bayne Park, officials have some serious questions about the unauthorized expenditure of almost that much to put on the event.

DAS Doug Sample told council members last week that the event grossed about $12,500, apparently including a $5,000 matching grant from Allegheny General Hospital. Sample said about $6,000 was spent on the event.

10.22.11

Alma Fleming Alma Eleanor Oestreicher Fleming, 97, of Wadsworth, OH, formerly of Kilbuck Township and wife of the late James D. Fleming, died Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. She is survived by her daughter, Patricia Livingston and her husband Paul; three grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three nephews; and a niece. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Nellie Oestreicher; and her brother, Charles Oestreicher and his wife Helene. Friends were received at O'Brien Funeral Home, North Side, until the time of services on Friday. Burial was in Rosedale Cemetery.

John Koch Jr.

10.22.11

Bellevue officials are still debating which company to hire for tax and fee collection, possibly including garbage fees in 2012.

Council's finance committee has recommended hiring Jordan, which currently i used by the solicitor's office to collect delinquent real estate taxes. The company's performance in that task has been "above and beyond our wildest expectations," according to director of administrative services Doug Sample. Sample said the borough budgeted about $90,000 in revenue from delinquent property taxes, and has received about $170,000 so far and is expecting $100,000 more.

10.07.11

Ohio Township is asking for the Avonworth School District's help in preventing the defacing of its street signs.

Avonworth superintendent Valerie McDonald and Brad Waters, director of fiscal management and support services, had a meeting with officials from Ohio Township last week, according to McDonald. At that time, McDonald and Waters were informed that Avonworth seniors were believed to be defacing street signs in the township. According to McDonald, signs were starting to wear the "2012" mark. McDonald was told that this was "everywhere."

09.23.11

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.

09.09.11

New academic standards were discussed at the Avonworth School Board’s work session on Sept. 6. Dr. Shannon Varley, director of curriculum and instruction for the district, spoke to the board about the Common Core Standards, which have been adopted by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

08.26.11

Refinancing Bellevue’s bond issue has netted the borough almost double what officials hoped to earn.

Director of administrative services (DAS) Doug Sample reported that council had authorized refinancing the bond at the point it became possible to save at least $125,000. That point was reached and surpassed recently, he said, netting th borough $238,000.

Sample said that the money would be used to offset the borough’s 2012 bond payments.

08.12.11

With Marilynn Berner retiring as Northgate's director of finance and operations at the end of September, the Northgate School Board has hired her replacement.

Christopher Urso was hired with a two-year contract at a salary of $66,000 per year. His 2011-12 salary will be pro-rated.

Ursu already has begun work at Northgate in order to be able to take over the district's business office in October.

07.22.11

Everyone knows that public education is facing hard times. Budget reductions have forced teacher lay-offs, as well as cuts to the curriculum and student activities in school districts across Pennsylvania.

When a total of $5,265 was recently removed from Northgate High School's musical theater budget, some might have expected the director and aspiring actors and actresses to roll over and take a deep last breath.

07.15.11

When school starts up in September and friends trade stories about how they spent their summer, most will talk about vacations, jobs, relaxing.

Some, though, will have a different story to tell. Their story will be about traveling nearly 900 miles to do volunteer work under the scorching Missouri sun, helping the people of Joplin put together lives shattered as a result of the May 22 tornado that killed 116 people.

07.02.11

Barely a month after voters rejected allowing liquor licenses in Bellevue, the borough is dealing with a proposal to sell beer in Bayne Park -- a proposal from the borough's own employees.

The idea for a "beer corral" in the park developed from plans to hold an arts festival to raise money for the borough's matching share of a grant to build a skate plaza in Bayne Park.

06.10.11

Although some additional revenue is expected to find its way into the Avonworth School District’s 2011-12 budget, officials are being advised to remain cautious with expenditures as they vote next Monday on a final spending plan that includes no property tax millage rate increase.

The public hearing on the proposed budget, held prior to the school board’s work session last Monday, was a non-event, with no one from the public having any comments or questions.

05.27.11

Bellevue has matters well in hand when it comes to meeting wet weather mandates, according to the director of the 3 Rivers Wet Weather Project.

05.27.11

Dropping interest rates may make it possible for Bellevue to refinance the borough’s bonds and net a savings of at least $150,000.

Director of administrative services Doug Sample told officials at the council meeting on Tuesday that interest rates were at 3.89 percent, but if they contin ued downward to 3.79 percent, Bellevue could save some money by refinancing the bonds last refinanced in 2005.

He suggested authorizing the firm of Boenning & Scattergood to refinance the bonds if the interest rate hit the necessary level.

04.15.11

Although no binding vote will be taken until June, members of the Avonworth School Board said Monday that they believe that they can balance the coming year’s budget without increasing property taxes.

Avonworth has received permission from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to increase millage rates by .89 mills, according to director of fiscal management Brad Waters. The tax hike would have produced about $600,000 in revenue, he said.

04.15.11

Bellevue Council is being asked to amend the borough’s personnel code to give newly-hired employees paid vacations before they have worked a full year.

Director of administrative services Doug Sample told council members at their Tuesday work session that the borough had hired three new full-time employees recently, all of whom “expressed displeasure” that they would not be able to take paid vacations this summer.