Working from home, I've found, has both its pluses and minuses, and is not for those lacking in self discipline.

On the plus side, I get a lot more work done in a shorter period of time because I don't have the phone calls or visitors I would have in the office. And unless you count Arthur and a couple cats, I really don't have any coworkers to chat with during the day. Arthur -- the ultimate couch potato -- snoozes all day, and the cats -- well, the cats do present their very own unique challenge to productivity.

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.

The Avalon Police Department’s war on drugs -- and drug dealers -- continued last weekend as officers conducted surveillance and netted 30 stamp bags of heroin and one suspected drug dealer.

Police say they observed a drug transaction at the corner of Orchard and Cleveland avenues on Saturday, Dec. 4. Layton Burks, 21, of Florence Avenue, was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, delivery of 10 stamp bags of heroin, resisting arrest and possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail.

Bellevue Council will solicit proposals from ambulance services.

During council's regular meeting on Aug. 24, safety committee chair David Gillingham Jr. said that he was concerned that Bellevue did not have a formal written contract with any ambulance service. Up to now, he said, Bellevue has had only a "handshake" with NorthWest EMS.

The agreement holds only that calls to 9-1-1 and emergency requests from police for an ambulance are automatically routed to NorthWest. Residents of Bellevue are free to employ any ambulance service.

Bellevue will turn to a professional pool management company to cover the Memorial Park swimming pool this summer.

Council's parks and recreation committee held an emergency meeting last Saturday when officials realized that they had not received viable applications for the pool manager's position. According to committee chair Lisa Blaney-Stewart, the borough received proposals from only one individual, but two companies.The committee recommended entering into a contract with one of the companies, Swim America, owned by a Bellevue resident.

A vehicle was reported stolen from a driveway on South Home Avenue on Feb. 21.

All four hubcaps were reported stolen from a vehicle parked on Parkview Avenue on Feb. 21.

For the first time since the Act 1 tax relief law went into effect, neither of the local school districts will certify to the state next month that they will not raise property taxes beyond the inflation index. Instead, both will leave open the option of millage hikes to cover contributions to the state retirement fund.

The reason? A dramatic increase in the contribution rate for the Pennsylvania School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) that is expected to get much higher in the coming years.

Incumbent Kilbuck Township supervisor John Fader was elected chairman of the board of supervisors during the Jan. 4 reorganization meeting.

His election came after new supervisor Tom Tomaro, pictured above at left with Fader, took the oath of office.

The board remains short one member due to the midterm resignation of Sue Merckner last month. A special meeting to fill the vacancy will be held Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.

Photo by Connie Rankin for The Citizen

With five council seats to be filled, the Nov. 3 general election is an important one for Bellevue. There are contests to be decided in each of the borough's three wards.

First Ward

Voters will choose two representatives from among four candidates running for council in the first ward. Incumbents Jane Braunlich (Democrat) and Kathleen Coder (Republican) are joined on their respective ballots by newcomers Susan Schafer and David Piet.