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.

By LOIS THOMSON

Ben Avon Borough is seeking grant money to start the next phase of improvements on Avon Park.

Council president Lloyd Corder said at Tuesday's meeting that he wanted the borough to apply for a grant now because he did not believe funds will be available in the coming years. The money would be put to use to remove part of the tennis courts and put a surface on the rest that could have multiple purposes, i.e., for tennis, basketball, dek hockey.

By Lois Thomson

Ben Avon Mayor Bob Jones' lunch with Ben Avon Heights officials caused a bit of a stir at the borough's council meeting Tuesday.

Joined by Ben Avon Council President Lloyd Corder, Jones picked up the tab for a business luncheon with Ben Avon Heights Mayor Scott Dismukes and council president Mark Davis, at a cost of $59.07.

When Jones asked council for reimbursement, finance chair Judy Konitsney said the borough has never paid for a business luncheon, and added, "We have a borough hall if you want to hold a meeting."

If it's budget time, it also must be time to discuss the Bookmobile service in Ben Avon. At Tuesday's council meeting, officials said the cost of the service will increase from $9,115 this year to $10,000 in 2011.

Finance chair Judy Konitsney was absent, but council member R.J. White said she told him she was not going to put it as a line item in the budget. However, White said he has heard from many residents who want to keep it.

Chief search A police officer who lives in Avalon told borough officials Tuesday not to look too far from home for a new police chief.

With current Chief Robert Howie set to retire this year, council hired a consultant to conduct a search and recommend candidates for his replacement.

Ben Avon Council unanimously passed both an ordinance and a resolution involving guns at Tuesday's meeting.

The members first voted to advertise an ordinance requiring residents who have guns that are lost or stolen to report that information to the police.

The resolution ap-proved was to encourage the state legislature to make a law that stolen or lost guns must be reported to the police.

Lloyd Corder and Dan Herchenroether were absent.

Ben Avon's incumbent mayor and two council members, all Democrats, were unseated Tuesday in a stunning upset victory for newcomers.

The only incumbent council member re-elected during the general election was Republican Lloyd Corder, who was nominated on both the Republican and Democratic tickets.

The only Democrat elected to council Tuesday was 19-year-old Richard White, who was the top vote-getter after Corder.

Joining him, and Corder, on the borough council in January will be Robert Galbraith II and Brian Tokar.

Education funding urged A resolution approved by the Northgate School Board will be sent to the state legislature, urging representatives to maintain state funding for schools.

"They're talking about giving us less money than they did last year," said superintendent Dr. Reggie Bonfield at the school board's committee of the whole meeting on Monday. "Hopefully that won't happen."

Team elimination? Northgate could eliminate its ninth grade boys' basketball team in an effort to bolster the school's varsity program.