Winter Digest – Reorganization, Resolve, Revelation…and Rachmaninoff

I hope you’ve had a good year thus far.

Over the last few months I’ve been collecting ideas for new stories, revisiting old ones, and reviewing developments locally and elsewhere that stand to embellish both. They will make their way here in coming weeks, hopefully without unnecessary delay.

Among these was a rediscovery of sorts, courtesy of an energetic virtuoso classical pianist that I found on YouTube and Spotify while looking for something to listen to while doing the evening dishes.

I first became familiar with the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff as a teenage band geek. Through the assistance of the late George Habers and his Carroll’s Music Store in Sewickley (where Thomas Jewelers is today), I was able to gather a small collection of recordings representative of the body of work of one of the great composers of the early 20th century. It also helped that the Pittsburgh Symphony, led at that time by André Previn, played many of these pieces during their concerts, which were broadcast on WQED-FM, currently celebrating its 50th anniversary.

While those recordings are now either lost or in storage somewhere distant, a search for something else brought me to the doorstep of what has been a resurgence in the popularity of classical music, which one music publication attributed to restrictions during the COVID pandemic –

A 2020 study by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deezer, and the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) found that classical music was enjoying a rise in popularity among young people during the lockdown period…35% of respondents in the Orchestra’s research felt the genre helped them to relax and maintain calmness and well-being during the pandemic, with 18% saying that listening lifted their spirits.

Orchestras are picking up on this vibe, and attempting to offer programming that is attractive to younger adult audiences, perhaps those with more casual lifestyles, a shorter attention span, and more disposable income.

WESA reported last year on efforts by the PSO to more fully engage this demographic, including this season’s PSO Disrupt series, designed to “reinvent the classical music concert experience as more welcoming”.

After revisiting Rachmaninoff’s music through the expertise of Yuja Wang, I regained an appreciation that had been forgotten, and for which I am grateful.

If you have a little time to spare, give her a listen –

Municipalities Reorganize and Re-Energize, with Reservations

Local boroughs and townships were busy during January reorganizing for the coming year. Along with swearing in newly elected officials and re-elected incumbents, the re-appointment of professional services providers such as solicitors and engineers is also undertaken, as is the appointment of an official publication to advertise legal notices.

The Sewickley Herald attempted to cover as many of these reorganizations as they could, which is a good thing. These events are mostly formalities, with some exceptions and additional legislative activity involved. Here are some examples –

The reorganization of Edgeworth Borough Council was postponed by two weeks, owing to a reported lack of a quorum. When they did convene on January 16, new councilor Rebecca Cartus was among those sworn in. Rev. Cartus, a commissioned interfaith minister and certified teacher, polled ahead of long-time incumbent David Aloe in November.

Council recognized Mr. Aloe at their December meeting for “his twenty-nine year tenure as a member of Borough Council, in addition to his other positions on various boards, commissions, and other community organizations“. During the same meeting, the remainder of Council appointed Mr. Aloe to a vacant seat on the board of the Edgeworth Municipal Authority. Per the borough website, Mr. Aloe also serves on the Civil Service and Planning Commissions, and the Board of Directors of the Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority (QVAA).

The Herald also reported that Council approved the hiring of a full-time police officer, which makes the borough’s police force staffed with only full-timers. Council also authorized the purchase of two Automatic License Plate Reader (ALPR) devices for patrol cars, with funds donated by a borough resident.

ALPR cameras mounted on a light pole – Electronic Frontier Foundation

As reported here previously, ALPR technology has been in local use for several years in primarily fixed locations, such as the intersections at both ends of the Sewickley Bridge.

The Quaker Valley COG reported in its 2023 annual report that Rep. Valerie Gaydos (R-Edgeworth) had assisted in securing a $100,000 grant “for the procurement, installation, and maintenance of traffic cameras and associated license plate identification technology… The QVCOG Police Chiefs Committee identified several regional intersections that would be appropriate for the aforementioned technology”.

Mobile use of this technology is also expanding; the Edgeworth purchase is perhaps one of the first installations of vehicle-based ALPR in the immediate local area.

ALPR technology remains controversial from a civil liberties standpoint. Advocacy groups such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation have outlined the various ways that law enforcement can leverage ALPR for as many potentially nefarious purposes as ones that have genuine benefit to the essential services that police provide.

A particular area of concern is connecting ALPR systems into a nationwide mass-surveillance network, capturing the movement of citizens through their vehicles and sharing that information with, in many locations, whomever they choose. Private companies such as Flock and Vigilant continue to actively market these networked systems to police departments both large and small – Edgeworth’s system comes from Motorola Solutions, which also owns Vigilant.

The American Civil Liberties Union has closely followed the expansion of ALPR since the 2010s. In a position statement released last year, the ACLU outlined its concerns, framed with the positives associated with ALPR technology –

We don’t find every use of ALPRs objectionable…we do not generally object to using them to check license plates against lists of stolen cars, for AMBER Alerts, or for toll collection, provided they are deployed and used fairly and subject to proper checks and balances…

But there’s no reason the technology should be used to create comprehensive records of everybody’s comings and goings — and that is precisely what ALPR databases like Flock’s are doing.

In our country, the government should not be tracking us unless it has individualized suspicion that we’re engaged in wrongdoing.

Vehicle-mounted ALPR system – ACLU of Virginia

The report also offers strategies for concerned citizens that address the data collected by the ALPR – how long it is retained, who it is shared with, and how it is used in conjunction with existing criminal justice systems. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 16 states currently have laws on the books that address these issues in some fashion. Pennsylvania isn’t one of them.

The last attempt to introduce a bill here appears to be 5 years ago – Rep. Rob Matzie (D – Harmony Twp.) was a co-sponsor. I’ve reached out to him for any updates on more recent efforts.

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In Leetsdale, a welcome to both new and not-so-new members of Council took place on January 2, as incumbents Jeff Weatherby and Wes James (who did not seek re-election) were replaced by Scott Zahner and Benjimen Frederick. Mr. Zahner, a long-term Leetsdale resident and current President of the Quaker Valley Rotary Club, has most recently distinguished himself in the steering of the volunteer committee that plans and fund-raises to conduct the borough’s annual 4th of July celebration.

Mr. Frederick, who served on council from 2017-2021 before being denied re-election, found his way back on this year, continuing the trend in Leetsdale of recycling politicians. This is not necessarily a bad thing when you have a small pool of potential candidates to draw from, but may not be as desirable on the larger stage. Consider that only one U.S. President has ever been elected to non-consecutive terms – let’s hope it stays that way.

There are several items involving Leetsdale Council and administration that are noteworthy as the year progresses –

The delayed issuance of an occupancy permit to Rize Sports (reported on in October of last year) remains in place as of February, according to Borough Secretary Jennifer Simek. The required elements necessary for completion to satisfy the borough’s requirements were detailed in an October 3, 2023 letter from borough engineer Dan Slagle. This is included in a cache of documents obtained via a Right To Know Law request in November 2023. The minutes of that month’s Council meeting included comment from several residents (myself included) concerning the project and its impact on the neighborhood. The Engineer’s report from January indicates that improvements to an acoustical barrier on the property are being completed, with additional testing to follow.

According to Herald reporting from February 19, Council appointed two residents to vacancies on the Planning Commission. One is Washington Street resident James DeGori, who has been vocal in pointing out difficulties related to the construction and operation of the Rize Sports site, and its impact on his and other nearby residences. The other is downslope homeowner, high school project opponent and recent school board candidate Bill Jasper.

The borough appears to be making changes in its approach to code enforcement issues. The Council agenda for February 8 also included a proposal to hire Harshman Group as Zoning Officer and Building Inspector.

Harshman provides services to numerous municipalities across 4 counties. They were previously contracted by Sewickley Borough to provide services after the retirement of the borough’s code enforcement officer in 2019. As reported here, Sewickley’s relationship with Harshman was not without its rough spots, and the borough has since gone back to administering these services in-house.

The Herald reported that Leetsdale Council tabled the motion to hire Harshman at its February 8 meeting. No reason was specified. Per the agenda for the March 7 workshop meeting, Council will consider this again at their regular meeting this Thursday.

I’ll be monitoring and reporting on any future developments on the code enforcement front in Leetsdale. Based on previous observations and posts from as far back as 2016, as well as recent changes to the way public records information is shared, there is cause for concern that I will elaborate on at a later date.

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The reorganization in Leet Township was well documented in the minutes posted on the township website. The transition for Township Commissioner mirrors that of Leetsdale, with former commissioner Donna Adipietro and newcomer Martin Zimmel being elected in November. Long-term incumbent Carolyn Verszyla was denied in her re-election bid, while incumbent Martin McDaniel, who has been involved in local governance for nearly half a century, was re-elected to another 4-year term.

Mr. McDaniel was actually hired by Sewickley Council as Borough Manager 46 years ago last week, and started his work there on April 1, 1978.

Ms. Adipietro returns to the Commissioners after a 2-year absence amidst a close election in 2021. She was first elected a Commissioner in 2017 – prior to that she served for over 15 years as the Township’s board representative to the QVAA, and for 16 years as its’ Emergency Management Coordinator. She also currently serves on the Planning Commission and as Leet’s representative to the QVCOG.

Mr. Zimmel has a lengthy background in law enforcement, including as Crescent Township’s Police Chief in the 2010s and a stint with the Ambridge Police Department. Most recently, Mr. Zimmel has been employed by Sewickley Borough – he coordinates the police department’s handling of code enforcement issues.

Perhaps his expertise may be put to additional use as the township begins the process of hiring a permanent Police Chief, for which it has advertised on its website. The agenda for the February 26 meeting listed a motion to authorize the Civil Service Commission to begin the process of testing for full and part-time police officer positions as well.

Also included under New Business, Public Safety Committee was a “Motion on Potential Litigation Settlement“. Seeing this, I checked local, state and federal court databases and found a new lawsuit filed by former police chief Michael Molinaro. In the complaint, Mr. Molinaro alleges a breach of a 5-year employment contract, and is demanding wages, benefits and other compensation in excess of $400,000.

Emails sent to attorneys for both Mr. Molinaro and the township requesting comment regarding the suit received no reply. The Herald was getting the silent treatment as well.

The Commissioners also appointed Chris Rearick as their Zoning Officer. Mr. Rearick is certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), part of the American Planning Association (APA), and also serves as the Township Manager in Jackson Township, Butler County.

The zoning appointment is part of the QVCOG’s Zoning Technical Assistance (ZTA) program, designed to “share the services of a zoning consultant…to assist, guide and advise (municipalities) and/or their respective Zoning Officers regarding any zoning issues that arise in conjunction with the administration, enforcement and interpretation of a participating municipality’s zoning ordinance”.

This initiative by the QVCOG to make available to their member municipalities personnel with expertise in the nuances of planning, zoning, and other land use issues is a feather in the cap of the organization. The impact upon those boroughs and townships that take advantage of this will be interesting to monitor down the road.

Leet Commissioners also followed the lead of several other nearby municipalities in passing an ordinance regulating short-term rentals. The Herald reported in January that members of the township Planning Commission made the recommendation based on a highly publicized April 2022 shooting incident in Pittsburgh.

Mr. McDaniel told the Herald he was unaware of any current short-term rentals in the township, so this ordinance may just be a preemptive strike against excessive revelry. Leet Township residents can now rest assured that their communities are protected from a raging kegger at an Airbnb or Vrbo, while those conducted by the property owners might perhaps be undisturbed. Who knows?

Commonwealth Court Ruling, Engineering Review Equals Mixed Bag for High School Project

Proponents of the Quaker Valley High School project received a boost in late January with the Commonwealth Court decision reaffirming the earlier ruling by Common Pleas Court overruling certain requirements made by the Leet Zoning Hearing Board (ZHB).

The complete opinion basically concurred with the lower court that the ZHB exceeded its authority. It’s highly likely that the two core issues that have arisen out of this process – the emergency access road and the protection of downslope Leetsdale homeowners – will continue to be fleshed out before the Planning Commission, because frankly that’s where they belonged in the first place.

Reached in mid-February regarding the possibility of an appeal, Bill Jasper, one of the participating objectors, commented on the decision –

In 2019 Leet amended its zoning ordinance, the effect of which seemed to shift the burden of proving the health, safety and welfare concerns of a particular zoning decision from the applicant to the objectors. Leet had exhausted its budget for legal expense and chose not to fight this interpretation. We essentially filled the gap by taking up the cause that should have been pursued by the township. We lost, not on principle, but largely for lack of unity.

Further, the project is significantly delayed, if not dead. If the QVSD engineers cannot rationalize needed exceptions to the Leet land development and grading ordinances, the school does not fit on the proposed site. The problem is so existential that required applications for permits from Allegheny County, the DEP and respective utilities have not even been initiated.

It’s senseless to continue with a further appeal.

The district’s interactions with the Leet Planning Commission have thus far been a halting affair, due in part to a review of the plan documents by Leet Township’s engineering firm, Lennon Smith Souleret Engineering (LSSE).

In late December LSSE submitted a detailed review of the latest site plan submission. This 11-page document details several errors, omissions, and inconsistencies in the plan documents and engineering drawings, as compared to what is required to be submitted for consideration. For example –

Documentation of an approved Highway Occupancy Permit (HOP) remains to be provided. Additionally, traffic control plans provided are noted as preliminary. Final plans, in accordance with any approved HOP from Allegheny County, must be provided.

This comment appears to dovetail with Mr. Jasper’s comment above, and suggests that considerable work needs to be done, with associated coordination and permitting from other involved stakeholders, before a final plan is ready for consideration by the Planning Commission.

The commission canceled their February 22 meeting, and the status of this month’s meeting, scheduled for March 28, is as yet unknown.

DEP Ruling on Big Sewickley Creek Roils Many – Crickets Stand Out

Map showing the Allegheny / Beaver County line as defined by Big Sewickley Creek. The creek also serves as the boundary between the 16th and 44th legislative districts. Click to enlarge. – Allegheny County GIS / J. Linko

In late January, the PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a letter of approval to PennEnergy Resources to draw as much as 1.5 million gallons per day from Big Sewickley Creek, to support hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations in Economy Borough, Beaver County.

Several miles of Big Sewickley Creek serves as the boundary between Allegheny and Beaver counties. It also serves as the boundary between Rep. Matzie’s 16th District and Rep. Gaydos’ 44th District (see graphic above). While the proposed site where the water will be drawn is on the Beaver County side, any impact on the surrounding environment and habitat will affect the entire watershed, which reaches well into both counties.

Cooney Hollow area of Big Sewickley Creek, with pinned GPS location of water pumping operation from DEP approval letter. Municipal boundaries included. Click to enlarge – Google Maps / J. Linko

PennEnergy has been trying for the last several years to gain approval for this water source, according to reporting by both the Herald and the Beaver County Times.

Reaction to the DEP decision was swift and loud. Jessica Guay of KDKA-TV detailed both stakeholder objections and the PennEnergy response in a report from February 21. The Big Sewickley Creek Watershed Association (BSCWA) has posted several updates on its Facebook page, while continuing to promote its regular activities as the opening of trout season approaches. They have also produced a background information document that has some interesting revelations to share.

The PA Environment Digest Blog, with some very detailed reporting on the permit approval last month, quoted Katie Stanley, BSCWA President –

(BSCWA) reflects the frustration of all who advocated against this permit. Residents’ favorite spots are going to be impacted, including popular fishing locations and the famous swimming hole. Hundreds of community members spoke out against this, our state representative didn’t want this, yet the decision was still made to grant the permit. Why don’t the people who live near, recreate in, and care about this creek get a say in a decision that impacts them and the wildlife they care about?

Informed sources had been hinting at a more formal response coming from this group, and that response came to light on Friday of this week in the form of an appeal of the decision before the PA Environmental Hearing Board.

The docket sheet for the appeal includes several documents so far. Among these are the appeal document and appendix which sets forth specific objections to the approved Water Management Plan (WMP), as well as a lengthy public comment response document. The court has set a schedule of required conferences and filings that runs into October.

I will be digging further into these as the appeal runs its course.

Click to enlarge.

Rep. Rob Matzie, a vocal opponent of the project since it was first proposed, wasted no time in criticizing the DEP decision. In a July 2021 letter to then-DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell, Matzie also wrote –

Let me be clear. I am on record as supporting natural gas extraction. I do not support a ban. But I have also fought for and voted against measures that weaken regulations and remove local input and control on these permit requests.
ln most cases, I believe we can have energy extraction and maintain a clean, healthy environment. I do not believe this is one of those cases.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this development is where comment and position statements are not coming from.

This is most notable with the lack of any statement from Rep. Valerie Gaydos. Neither Rep. Gaydos’ website, Facebook page, or most recent e-mail newsletter makes any comment about the granting of the permit and/or any community concerns.

An e-mail sent to Rep. Gaydos on February 19, inquiring as to when a statement may be forthcoming, has thus far received no reply.

The two state senators whose respective district boundaries also follow the creek, Sen. Devlin Robinson (R-Bridgeville) and Sen. Elder Vogel Jr. (R-New Sewickley Twp.) also make no mention of the controversy on their respective websites.

Sen. Robinson did mention in his most recent newsletter that trout stocking is taking place in preparation for the opening of the season in less than a month. This is nice, so long as there is a viable local creek to stock.

One other person that did reply to an e-mail was Hadley Haas of Glen Osborne, who is running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Ms. Gaydos in November. Ms. Haas replied –

I am aware and concerned about the PA DEP / Penn Energy decision regarding Big Sewickley Creek.

I have reached out to Rep. Matzie to better understand the situation and the path forward. Once we have that conversation, I will be prepared to issue a response and will notify you at that time.

Thank you for your patience.

Ms. Haas’ campaign website lists clean air and water as a key focus area of her campaign, so hopefully a more comprehensive response will be forthcoming as the April primary approaches.

I generally like the job Ms. Gaydos is doing, insofar as being (mostly) responsive to concerns and questions as well as bringing home the bacon for first responders and others.

While I disagree with her advocacy of the GOP position on certain issues, she is also capable of reaching across the aisle for bipartisan efforts to accomplish meaningful results.

Witness her partnership with Rep. Emily Kinkead (D-Pittsburgh) to get a landslide insurance bill introduced – a timely effort considering recent events in Moon Township and the concerns of Leetsdale homeowners downslope of the proposed high school.

So it would seem to be incumbent upon Ms. Gaydos, as a local resident and arguably the most visible presence of state government in our immediate area, to speak to the Big Sewickley Creek dispute as she would any significant community concern, as part of her regular duty to her constituents.

This is irrespective of any position her party may take on use of this resource, or on the energy development that it supports. It would also appear to be another opportunity for bipartisan cooperation, as the creek impacts her constituency as much as it does Mr. Matzie’s, and both legislators have previously stated their support for local control and input.

Her silence thus far seems to defy explanation – this meant to me that it was worthy of further exploration.

This led me to the campaign finance reports filed by the Gaydos campaign for the 2022 general election. A search of one such filing in October 2022 (see Page 33) revealed a $1,000 contribution to Ms. Gaydos by Richard Weber of Sewickley, who listed his occupation as CEO of PennEnergy Resources – verified by the company website.

This is but one contribution – there could likely be more, but I’m not digging any further at the moment.

For lack of anything else, it appears that Ms. Gaydos is allowing that money to speak for now, and precious little is being said.

The silence is deafening.

Until next time.

2023 Campaigns and Beyond – Quaker Valley School Board

Your Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of all.

Yet hope remains while all the Company is true.

– Galadriel, from The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

It occurred to me that the number of members of the Quaker Valley School Board corresponds with the number of “riders” who joined together as a fellowship in Tolkien’s classic tale of struggle, and eventual triumph, against the malevolent forces of Sauron.

The above reference is concerned more with the nature of a project that is so precarious, and the factors impacting success or failure so numerous, that comparisons to the challenge faced by Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, Gandalf and company seem to be appropriate, if only in a metaphorical sense.

As expected, the increased activity surrounding the school board election and the high school project has overarching significance in comparison to any other issue that might have influenced Quaker Valley area voters on November 7.

What Is Really Different This Time?

Before setting out to write about another school board election, it was important for me to review what I wrote two years ago. When I did, I found that a lot hasn’t really changed, other than some of the players.

This includes my cautious optimism about the success of the project, although over the last two years I have found continued, valid concerns originating from sources as varied as local officials to recent QV alumni to within my own family.

There is still a “long game” – the high school project – and a “short game” consisting of various talking points largely designed to leverage items of current interest or political importance, regardless of their feasibility or prudence (curriculum changes, book restrictions) or to attempt to gain an emotional advantage (QVEA contract negotiations). I tried to illustrate some of that silliness in my last post, which in some ways is a companion piece to this one.

This not to say that the QVEA contract is unimportant – it’s absolutely critical, and at least one parent this week said as much in the Herald. The QVGOP tried to take the negotiations and make them appear adversarial for political purposes, when just the opposite is likely the case.

There is another long game I touched on two years ago – that of the attempts by opponents of the current high school project to delay, obfuscate, and otherwise push back whenever possible. If the statements of one candidate are any indication, there may be little letting up.

These efforts will likely continue in earnest regardless of the general election results, and may constitute a larger existential threat to stability and progress for both the school district and the construction of a new high school, unless cooler heads prevail.

QVGOP Ad, Sewickley Herald, November 2, 2023 – Page 11. Click to enlarge.

Aside from putting the Beatles song in my head, the above ad displayed a sense of desperation on the part of the Quaker Valley GOP. To go along with the alarmist appearance and tone was the “inexplicable” switch to blue ink for the candidate names – with one of them misspelled. Did they really think we were going to confuse them with Democrats?

The November 19 Sewickley Herald provided additional insight from the winning candidates about what was for me a no-brainer, Captain Obvious kind of thing – that this election was always a de facto referendum on the new high school. That the victors seem to be trying to paint it as one speaks less to the decisiveness of their victory than it does an attempt to quell calls for an actual referendum on the project itself.

Region 3 election results show Walls and Webster with a tight 53% to 47% victory over English and Smith – Allegheny County Elections Division

I believe that what may still be in question is whether or not the results constitute a decisive electoral mandate or just a simple majority, and a small one at that.

Region 1 winner Gianni Floro certainly seemed to think he had a mandate, based on quotes in the Herald story which on one hand stated that the opposition “had a paucity of evidence to support their position” (I had to look that one up).

He was also quoted as saying –

The opposition, with the exception of well-intentioned and reasonably justifiable concerns from residents who reside below the site of the new high school, has not been well intentioned.

Mr. Floro’s comment reminds me of a certain proverb that could reasonably apply to both sides of this argument – such is the nature of the dedication to each side’s respective cause. Perhaps the inability to work together is the pavement lining that proverbial road to ruin – a factor perhaps recognized by many voters when they chose who they did.

Nevertheless, those residents with concerns about site safety do present “reasonably justifiable” concerns that the school board, regardless of its composition, cannot ignore. Bill Jasper stated the following on his website in the wake of his 56% to 44% loss to Mr. Floro –

I will continue to fight against what I consider to be an inherently flawed, expensive and high risk high school project. My goal is to avoid financial ruin for the school district and precipitate a voter referendum, allowing taxpayers a choice. I can do that on or off the school board.

Mr. Floro also stated the following to the Herald –

There have been those who have intentionally delayed this project and cost the taxpayers an enormous amount of money, time and resources, and they have openly pledged to continue to do so, this is unfortunate and reveals the true nature of their character.

While refusal to compromise seems to me more of an extremely questionable choice than a character flaw, Mr. Jasper and his cause are just one of the challenges facing the new board in the months ahead.

Along with some deeper analysis of those factors, here are other things that drew my attention during this year’s campaigns –

The “Lines of Death”

Approximately 2014.

Approximately 2017.

“Muottas”, as seen from the air both before its’ sale to Thomas Tull, and after the historic house was moved and the new house site abandoned. Click to enlarge.

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Leslie and I visited the proposed high school site as part of a tour group on September 14. Our guides were QVSD Facilities Director Charlie Gauthier, accompanied by Communications Director Michelle Dietz.

“Muottas”, circa 1990s. Click to enlarge – Sewickley Valley Historical Society

This was my first visit to the site since I drove up shortly after the initial 2015 sale of the property by Dr. and Mrs. Harlan Giles to Thomas Tull. Aside from a sense of sadness for the loss of a lovely historic setting, the tour was informative and somewhat comprehensive, considering that much of what was being discussed had to be left to the imagination. We’ve seen all of the imagery from the Blueprint QV site – it might’ve been nice to have something of a plan in hand to refer to.

It would also be nice if the Research and Studies page of the Blueprint QV site were indexed chronologically, with the newest information listed first. Sorting the files and reports alphabetically doesn’t lend itself to continuity and flow with a project as fluid as this one.

Muottas as of September 2023 – a relocated, decaying relic awaiting her fate. Click to enlarge.

Regarding the house, Mr. Gauthier and Ms. Dietz confirmed the unfortunate truth that Muottas would be demolished to make way for the high school building. They did state that they were in the planning stages of reusing many components of the house as part of the new construction. Included among these are exterior stone, interior woodwork, exterior and interior copper and terra cotta roofing, along with some artwork that was left with the house.

To verify the district’s statement I reached out to the Sewickley Valley Historical Society. Executive Director Amanda Schaffer stated via email –

The Architecture Committee of SVHS (in September) discussed Muottas at length. The chair of the Architecture Committee, Teresa Duff, and another committee member, also recently toured the property and are working with the school district to incorporate elements of the home into the new buildings. They are also working to make sure that other salvageable pieces make their way to appropriate companies/individuals.

Section of September 2023 Preliminary Site Plan, with the addition of municipal boundaries and highlighting the driveway access from Little Sewickley Creek Road. The proposed driveway around the high school comes within 30 feet of the Edgeworth boundary, and within 120 feet of the original access road to the property. Click to enlarge.

During the tour, Mr. Gauthier pointed out the location of the boundary of Leet Township and Edgeworth Borough, and the intent to maintain the Edgeworth side of the property as associated “green space“. Mr. Gauthier also stated that the original driveway to the property from Little Sewickley Creek Road will remain in place, adding that “police cars can get up there“.

South view from the Edgeworth side of the property. Visible are the Sewickley Bridge, Sewickley Academy, and in the foreground the Thomas Tull estate on Woodland Road. Click to enlarge.

According to the Edgeworth Borough Zoning Map, their portion of the former Muottas property is zoned as Special Use (SU), defined by the borough zoning ordinance “to provide for a variety of residential dwelling options at a reduced intensity of development in order to conserve environmentally sensitive land.”

As any construction planning or activity would likely trigger a zoning process in Edgeworth, a major benchmark for QVSD in their direction to their architects appears to have been whatever you do, don’t cross that line.

Another apparent benchmark is the stated contention by many stakeholders that secondary access from other than Camp Meeting Road is a critical public safety need. The district is doing the right thing to preserve the driveway in at least its current form, should the Commonwealth Court appeal by Mr. Jasper and others be successful and the Leet Township Zoning Board’s original ruling is upheld.

Regardless of that outcome, should the Leet Planning Commission establish additional requirements for emergency access and evacuation, this roadway and its access points will likely serve as the template for upgrades if needed. This may present additional challenges if a zoning process in Edgeworth becomes necessary.

I’ve made multiple attempts over the past month to reach Mr. Gauthier through Ms. Dietz, to clarify some of the future plans for the original driveway. I have thus far been unsuccessful.

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The other issue remains the applicable legislation that governs how much the district can spend, and the associated requirements of those laws. The district held its first required Act 34 public hearing on October 26, which included public comment from several familiar voices in both the high school project debate and associated legal wrangling.

The frequently asked questions page on the Blueprint QV website provides comprehensive information on these laws, and there are other places that have additional guidance on the application of the rules, along with a practical history over the 50 years that Act 34 has been law.

Mr. Jasper’s website remains a compendium of information mixed with advocacy, which may require additional critical thinking on the part of the reader.

Screen capture from Bill Jasper website illustrating spending limits under Act 34 and LGUDA that would trigger a referendum if exceeded. Click to enlarge.

So there are two lines that appear to be playing a significant role in defining the scope and design of the new high school. One is on a map, seemingly fixed and unalterable like the laws, codes, and procedures of the associated local government(s). The other is on a balance sheet, fluid to a degree but slaved to a process that the district appears to want to avoid, possibly at all costs.

For some reason this situation reminds me of a Robin Williams comedy routine that is almost 40 years old. The late, great Mr. Williams is having some fun at the expense of then-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi –

While the district has taken a painstaking approach to avoid crossing one of these lines, it’s still unclear from my vantage point that they will be successful. It’s also just as unclear whether the consequences of crossing them will constitute a threat to the entire project as currently envisioned.

The Lament of the ‘Reasonably Justifiable’

Along with the seeming attempts to avoid having to deal with Edgeworth, the lack of a steep slope provision in the Leet zoning ordinance (mentioned here previously) has added to the perceived difficulties of those Leetsdale residents downslope of the property.

Included among these residents is Mr. Jasper, who spoke at the October 30 School Board meeting about the need to have the downhill homeowners included as named insureds on any insurance the district obtains for project construction, asserting that these 25 homeowners cannot obtain landslide insurance on their own. After Superintendent Tammy Andreyko sought to clarify what exactly the district has done and plans to do regarding insurance, Mr. Jasper offered additional comments relative to this need being a priority for whomever the district engages to procure project insurance.

The issue of site stability and safety now appears to be the “foundation” from which the opposition will continue to mount their offensive. Mr. Jasper continues to post information he is obtaining from Right to Know requests, much of which is focused on engineering reports.

Mr. Jasper’s site also references a letter from Timothy Budacki, a 40-year downslope Leetsdale resident and former long-term chair of the borough’s planning commission. Mr. Budacki also states that “My business background is risk management and I hold credentials in risk management, liability prevention, environmental management and safety and health.”

The bulk of the letter offers guidance in the selection of an insurance plan for the project, and reaches as one of its conclusions –

The School District, Leet Township, Leetsdale and affected residents must be added to whatever type of liability insurance program the district selects. There can be serious repercussions if the wrong type of insurance program is selected for the completion of this large project.

Mr. Budacki provides footnotes and references for many of his assertions, and offers what I consider to be credible statements of concern from a subject matter expert.

Additional concerns were also expressed in a different way by Leet Township resident Lynn Truskie, who was on this year’s ballot for Leet Commissioner as an independent, finishing 5th. In 2021 Ms. Truskie ran on the Republican slate for School Board along with her husband, Brett Williams. While she didn’t make it out of the May 2021 primary field, Mr. Williams did, finishing a close 3rd for one of the two Region 1 seats that were won by incumbents Danielle Sauro Helkowski and Jon Kuzma.

In a campaign flyer distributed to Leet households in October, Ms. Truskie seems to engage in a campaign centered around the high school project, with some interesting observations about the stability of the high school site and the need for additional insurance.

The ample use of capital letters, boldface, and highlighted text made for an entertaining read, even if lacking for references or footnotes. Here’s an example –

While this is admittedly a familiar refrain among opponents of the project, it is also the largest remaining issue that may give the opposition any traction at all, absent what continues to be an elusive majority at the polls.

Other Interesting Perspectives

Several downslope residents and others presented some well-crafted questions and unique commentary during the question /comment segment of the Community Meeting / Panel Discussion conducted by the district on September 20. You can watch this segment of the presentation by clicking here or on the links associated with each commenter.

Some of the highlights included –

• Leland “Peter” Floyd of Sewickley, known locally for leading a property tax reform effort 30 years ago, had several questions related to environmental concerns at the site – nothing really mentioned about tax impacts, just the environment. It seemed to me to be further evidence that some of the opposition are grasping at straws for something to pick upon.
• Downslope Leetsdale resident and attorney Tom Michael had several questions for engineer Geoff Phillips of Phillips and Associates. These questions eventually adopted the tone of a cross-examination until an attorney on stage, Mr. Floro, intervened to allow for other citizens to participate.
• Mr. Jasper attempted to ask a question, but also attempted to conflate it with campaign talking points until he was cut off by Mr. Floro, who reminded Mr. Jasper that “this is not a debate” and referred him to the candidate forum that was conducted on October 2nd. Video of that forum is available here, courtesy of Sewickley Stream.

Matt Doebler, another local attorney who operates Sewickley Stream and whose wife currently sits on the QV School Board, opined in an October 30 post about his reasons for endorsing the eventual winners of the election –

I just want a new high school for my kids. I am not persuaded that the opposing candidates have any legitimate interest in a new building. Look, they’re not the first people in the world who don’t want their taxes to go up—there’s nothing un-American about that. But let’s just tell it like it is and admit that they don’t want to build a new school because they don’t want to pay taxes. I am annoyed that this group—led in court by one of the opposing candidates—has caused delays that will cost my older daughter any time in the new building.

Despite his likely familiarity with the history and intricacies of the debate thus far, Mr. Doebler may have captured the essence of the average QV voter with school-age children – a bloc that may have provided enough support to put like-minded candidates on the school board.

While this support is tempered by the operational and fiscal realities of the project as detailed above, there are also those out there who have brought forward more intangible concerns.

Segment of September 2023 preliminary site plan with proposed concrete sidewalk highlighted. This would provide a foot and bicycle path from Beaver Street to the proposed high school campus. Click to enlarge.

QV class of 2020 alumnus Fisher Hemwall, in a letter published in the online Herald on October 25, lamented a perceived threat to the concept of a network of community schools –

With all of the Quaker Valley Schools located on Beaver, this creates an accessible school commute inherent to our school district. In moving the high school to the proposed site, Quaker Valley becomes reliant on cars and buses…the bikers and walkers are left in their dust…Without the connectivity of the school district, the town takes its first step towards a car central society where our lovely back roads of oak and maple are overgrown with asphalt and vinyl siding.

This young man may not have as firm a grasp of the history of the QV School District as he should. If he did, he would know that the loss of an “accessible school commute” has occurred here before, beginning with the 1956 merger itself but most notably in the mid-1970s, when Sewickley, Leetsdale, and Fair Oaks lost their elementary schools with the opening of new, larger schools in Edgeworth and Glen Osborne.

He might also take note of the historical shift in population that has been documented here on more than one occasion. The total population of the school district per the 2020 census is almost evenly divided between the four municipalities along Beaver Street (Leetsdale, Edgeworth, Sewickley, Glen Osborne) and the other seven in the district.

There are lots of families for whom the car and the bus have always been an essential component of their school interaction.

Per his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Hemwall is studying architecture and business at Kent State. He elaborated much further and with deeper emotion about this topic in a post on his personal Substack page, which I will not quote here as it is best read as a full-length screed statement of opinion.

He reminds me a lot of me when I was his age – passionate, articulate, and at times painfully uninformed. I was of the same general disposition when I was 21, in addition to being a failed candidate for school board.

The process of connecting Beaver Street to the new high school also appears to be tenuous. The district’s messaging and other information doesn’t lend itself to confidence so far.

While the above graphic shows a 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalk paralleling Camp Meeting Road from Beaver until it joins the proposed lower driveway to the campus, the district states on the FAQ page of the Blueprint QV site that they “may (emphasis mine) include two dedicated and paved paths along Camp Meeting Road for pedestrian and bicycle traffic“.

The district also released a new land development plan (file is large) on November 27 that includes a sidewalk, but also a disclaimer that the final location of the sidewalk is “to be determined by architect design team” (Page 52).

My wife has also expressed concerns about removing the high school from Beaver Street, and is also skeptical about the viability of such a walkway, especially with regard to proper clearing during the winter along with ongoing maintenance and security.

Conclusions

As the new school board convenes next week to reorganize with its new members, I’m hopeful that they will continue to exercise the due diligence they have thus far with not only the high school project, but also the contract with the teachers. A new physical plant for education can only take the district so far in achieving a best practice for its students – people matter just as much, if not more, to the district’s ongoing success.

Another thing I wrote two years ago about the new high school debate is still applicable, but perhaps just as elusive –

• The people have spoken.
• What some of you want is not going to happen.
• Stop this nonsense and come together for the sake of our students.

It sounds to me that among those residents whose properties sit below the project site are persons with significant experience in risk and property management. They have made credible assertions and raised legitimate questions concerning how their properties will be protected – questions that have yet to be answered to their satisfaction.

I also believe that the school district, who according to Superintendent Andreyko have neither put the project out for bid nor selected a Construction Manager as yet, has exercised due diligence thus far. This will need to continue in earnest as the district awaits the decision of Commonwealth Court, and the equally due diligence of the Leet Township Planning Commission.

It’s kind of ironic and sad that the pluralistic, parochial nature of the municipalities that make up the QVSD have presented, and continue to present, a significant impediment to the efficient planning for a new high school as well as the protection of downslope residents, part of whose dilemma can be sourced to the lack of common sense land use protections on the other side of an imaginary line.

The fallout from the election has also had an impact on some of these municipalities – I will explore that in more depth soon. In the meantime, maybe we can take a step back from all this and enjoy a quiet, joyous holiday season.

Take care.

Political Weather Alert

The National Windbag Service has issued a Flash Mud Warning for the greater Quaker Valley area, including Leet Township and surrounding locales.

Spotters report that increased mudslinging from certain candidates for office has extended unchallenged into the local online/print media and other platforms of note.

Examples of this all-too-frequent phenomenon appear below –

Disparaging your opponents (current and former) in the media is apparently one of the “most pressing issues” for Leet Township Commissioner Carolyn Verszyla. – Sewickley Herald

These occurrences include outbursts of intensity on the open-ended Silliness Scale that are unprecedented across the local political landscape.

The political weather in Florida is also unsettled, and thanks to QV Taxpayers for Strong Schools we have a whole bunch of information whose relevance to local issues is questionable, as is the attempt to paint Mr. Jasper with the tired “tax-and-spend” label – from a campaign mailer received on October 14. Click to enlarge.

Some of this activity can be sourced to QV Taxpayers for Strong Schools, an organization that has no apparent listing with the Commonwealth as a business, charity, or campaign finance committee. Aside from a recently active YouTube channel, the group has no online presence that can be found.

Additional information from enlightened sources indicates that this group may have splintered off from the established advocacy group QV Strong, possibly desiring to engage in more politically charged advocacy than the parent organization may have been willing to. A mailer received on October 26 provided a physical mailing address for the organization.

Of the four videos posted by the group to date via YouTube, social media, and text messages, the below example makes mention of all candidates in Region 1 and Region 3. The other two target specific individual candidates, and one is a positive ad featuring Jessica Webster, which is well worth 22 seconds of your time.

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While the short-term forecast shows an increased chance of similar activity over the next week, caution should also be exercised with pockets of mud that may actually display some of the properties of bull excrement.

These may look like familiar arguments, but are actually attempts to leverage popular sentiment not otherwise associated with the campaign in order to gain political advantage.

Ad from the October 12 Herald. This coincided with demonstrations outside of several school buildings, to which QV Administration responded – “Recent demonstrations outside our schools were not endorsed by the Quaker Valley School District nor the Quaker Valley Education Association“…Aside from that, when was the last time a Republican candidate openly expressed concern about the plight of organized labor? Answer – When they want to benefit from doing so. Click to enlarge.

The slogan at the top, long associated with QV Strong, is instead co-opted by the QVGOP in this ad from the October 26 Herald. The ad attempts to conflate the goals of QV Strong with the alternative high school plan agenda foisted by the listed Republican candidates. This creates more confusion than clarity – a recurring trend in political ads from this side of the debate. Click to enlarge.

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Just as there are static meteorological phenomena that persist in specific locations, such as the Bermuda High or El Niño, political weather also has patterns that last in the same position for much longer than could normally be expected, with varying effects.

In the immediate area there is a political weather system that most observers would have expected to dissipate many months ago, but remains relevant to the current climate, and may have sufficient strength to impact the upcoming election.

Let’s call it El Molinaro.

Leet Commissioner Martin McDaniel also chose to weigh in against former Board members, barely answering the Herald’s question for their October 17 election preview story. He also perpetuates the debate concerning the Molinaro issue by attempting to weaponize it against an opponent in the upcoming election. Former Chief Molinaro’s appeal to the township’s Civil Service Commission will be decided November 1. – Sewickley Herald

While El Molinaro is forecast to drastically reduce in visibility after November 1, it still has a lot of potential to wreak havoc on the race for Township Commissioner.

Reports have been received that a member of the Civil Service Commission publicly accused a Township Commissioner at an October 23 public meeting of attempting to influence Commission members in their decision regarding the appeal.

Mr. Molinaro filed a Right to Know Law request with the Township on October 24. According to documents obtained from the state Office of Open Records (OOR), “the Township timely invoked a thirty-day extension of time to respond on October 25, 2023…As a result, the Township has until November 30, 2023 to respond to the Request”. An appeal filed by Molinaro the same day was dismissed by the OOR as premature.

Depending upon the Civil Service Commission’s decision and acceptance of the findings, the continued instability generated by El Molinaro could develop into a Category 5 you-know-what-storm.

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Citizens who may recall a period where the climate was lively but less volatile may benefit from the collection of advertising from just 6 months ago. A lot of disagreement to be sure, but a lot less mud as well.

Climate change in the literal, physical sense may be so gradual as to be less than believable for some, but this deterioration of political climate feels like a harbinger of more difficult times ahead, unless the parties involved commit to mitigate those factors that contribute to this instability, which if unabated will only exacerbate the already demonstrated incivility.

There will be more to say. Until then, Citizens should be prepared for increased mud and froth as the silly season continues until November 7.

Critical thinking strategies are strongly encouraged until this activity subsides. Above all, please remember to vote.

October Shorts – Books, Babies, Backpedaling, and Basketball

Banned Books Week – Muted Locally?

This corner has made banned books a focus, especially over the last year or so. As such, the recognition of Banned Books Week here should be of no surprise to any regular visitor. This year’s observance was noteworthy for the increase in media attention toward the various attempts around the country to restrict access to books in both school and public libraries, according to the annual reporting of the American Library Association.

Seeing how the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh was putting forth activities related to this year’s observance, and seeing no visible references to the week at our local library, I inquired of the Allegheny County Library Association (ACLA) if they knew of any observances at libraries outside the city. Incidentally, Banned Books Week was founded here in Pittsburgh – good to know.

ACLA CEO Amy Anderson stated that the group’s individual members may have displays or other small observances, but there was nothing on a coordinated basis being done by the organization as a whole. She did mention a “Blind Date with a Book” event at the Avalon Public Library – I confirmed with this library that their event is ongoing, possibly through the end of the month or “until all the books are checked out“.

Blind Date with a Banned Book display, Avalon Public Library.

I recently walked through the Moon Township Public Library, which has had its share of administrative upheaval this year. I found no display or other indications that the library was observing or highlighting the week in any way.

To be honest, I haven’t seen much of a commemoration by the Sewickley Public Library for several years. Given this seeming low-key response by many suburban libraries, I thought it would present a good opportunity to touch base with SPL’s new Executive Director, Ruth Neely.

Along with more programming around Banned Books Week and the reported trends toward challenging public library content along with that of school libraries, I was interested in getting Ms. Neely’s perspective on this, considering her background as Director of Libraries at Sewickley Academy. As reported by the Sewickley Herald on September 13, Ms. Neely spoke of her calling as a provider of information –

What truly drew me to libraries was having the belief of having quality information available to everyone, and for free…This equitable sharing of resources to create a better informed population or to improve the quality of life for a community, that’s what really spoke to me.

Ms. Neely declined my request for an interview in late September, citing a “need to focus on committing my time to the projects in front of me for now” – this includes the library’s continued renovation and associated operational challenges, along with the culmination of their 150th Anniversary celebration.

Ruth Neely, Executive Director, Sewickley Public Library – Sewickley Herald

When I do get to speak with her, I would like to ask about her transition to SPL from SA, and how that move speaks to her beliefs as expressed above. As she presided over the SA libraries during the school’s administrative upheaval in 2021 and 2022, I’m interested in her perspective of those events.

I would also be interested in knowing if there was any pressure on those libraries from the same activist parents that demanded and orchestrated that upheaval. If such pressure existed, could it have risen to a level that may have caused Ms. Neely to seek employment elsewhere?

As of this writing, Ms. Neely is still listed as the Chair of Department for the Academy’s libraries, per a screen capture from their website on October 1. Perhaps they miss her…

It looks as if she’s happy to be remaining in the area. Hoping that SPL and its patrons will benefit from her experience and enthusiasm.

Blacksmith’s House Back on the Market – Preservation Debate Ensues

When I wrote about the Blacksmith’s House last year, I framed much of the article around the connections that have shaped the history and ownership of several properties in Edgeworth that were purchased by Sewickley Academy for the stated purpose of developing athletic facilities.

It wasn’t until I read the Herald story about Ruth Neely that another connection became painfully obvious, and somewhat timely. Quoting the story –

Neely has a family connection in Sewickley’s history. Her four-times great grandfather, William Neely Sr., opened the first blacksmith shop in the borough along Beaver Road in the mid-1800s.

According to their op-ed in the May 6, 2022 Herald, the Sewickley Valley Historical Society captioned an old photo by stating that the Blacksmith’s House “was built for William Neely, blacksmith for the Shields family, who came to the area in 1839“.

This is something else that I’d like to ask Ms. Neely about, especially given the potentially existential threat to the house that its purchase by her then-employer may have initially represented.

As we now know, the Academy’s initial plans for the property may have been derailed by the existence of a covenant that restricts use of the Blacksmith’s House property to that of a single-family dwelling. This and other community concerns related to the preservation of both the Blacksmith’s and Miller’s houses, and the protection of the nearby environment, impacted the Academy’s initial plans to improve the facilities at Nichols Field.

Instead of the installation of a large synthetic turf field along with lights and improved bleacher seating (among other amenities), the Academy revised their submission in March of this year to a more modest proposal. In April, Edgeworth Council approved the project. The minutes of that meeting (under New Business) detailed the scope of the revised project, the challenges that necessitated the revisions, and the variances granted to allow for its approval.

According to those minutes, SA Facilities Director Jim Miller cited requirements related to stream protection as a key factor in the project’s scope being reduced –

Mr. Miller explained that turf installation is considered earth disturbance, and in order to comply with all regulations related to NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permitting, installing turf on all fields results in requirements that the Academy is unable to meet.

Mr. Miller added that earth disturbances under one acre do not require an NPDES permit, which resulted in the turf installation being limited to the baseball infield. This compromise in scope should be good news for those concerned with the protection of the Little Sewickley Creek Watershed.

Improvements at Nichols Field include a newly paved parking lot, and a reconstructed baseball field that includes synthetic turf. Click to enlarge.

Paving with wedge curbs and the installation of a rain garden will allow for effective stormwater drainage. Click to enlarge.

In a Herald report from March 9 of this year, SA Head of School Ashley Birtwell stated they had no plans to demolish either the Blacksmith’s House or the Miller’s House, adding that “we’re still exploring options there“.

Blacksmith’s House attic space. Original floors, cedar throughout. Click to enlarge.

Seven months later, those plans have taken the shape of making moves to jettison the Blacksmith’s House, and repurpose the Miller’s House for revenue generation. At the beginning of this month, the Academy placed both houses on the sale and rental real estate markets respectively.

Leslie and I toured the Blacksmith’s House during an open house by the listing agent on October 3. It has been painstakingly maintained, but is in need of upgrades on several fronts. It feels ideal for a buyer intent on providing modern upgrades, while preserving some of the interior character and exterior charm of the entire lot, including the detached garage / workshop.

Miller’s House interior, with original flooring. Click to enlarge – Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Ironically, an example of upgrades that are complementary to a historic site can be seen in the Miller’s House rental listing. The interior has a newer kitchen, paint, and what appear to be electrical and lighting upgrades, while maintaining the original hardwood flooring in many places. It appears to be ideally suited for an executive rental, which the advertised rent (whew!) would also seem to indicate.

Citizens concerned with the long-term preservation of historic properties in Edgeworth may see this as a singular success, with the larger goal of a preservation ordinance yet to be achieved, and additional work to be done.

The covenant protecting the Blacksmith’s House property prevents its use for anything other than a single family dwelling, with associated outbuildings. In the absence of a preservation ordinance, this would not prevent a new homeowner from demolishing the Blacksmith’s House in favor of new construction that fits the stated parameters.

I reached out to Mike Cevarr, who was instrumental in forming the ad hoc group Preserve Edgeworth, about any plans to continue efforts in this direction. He stated that he personally did not have the time to pursue a preservation ordinance effort, but is encouraging those with interest to take up the cause.

In conversation with others, it sounds like the will is there to muster the involvement of Edgeworth residents in pressing their elected officials to develop and enact a preservation ordinance. A display of citizen consensus on the matter has been a condition that those same officials have required over the nearly 30 years that the issue has been discussed in the media and elsewhere.

Best wishes to them.

Sewickley Maternity Unit Closure has Existential Overtones

The Herald report of the recent closure of the Labor and Delivery Unit at Heritage Valley Sewickley was unexpected and more shocking to me than I expected it would be. My brother and I were born there, as were Leslie, all of her siblings, one daughter and our granddaughter – a total of 15 people whose lives began at Sewickley Hospital – it’s almost as if a cornerstone of the community has been unceremoniously removed.

Heritage Valley Health System (HVHS) CEO Norm Mitry made comments to the Herald that certainly sounded like he was feeling it too – “This has been one of the most painful decisions we’ve ever had to make” – but the Herald reporting further illustrated the difficulties that resulted in this move.

Seems that the physicians doing most of this delivery work have largely flown the coop, and whatever physicians that HVHS tried to recruit to maintain these services were not keeping it financially viable. The situation feels similar to when a long-serving group of primary care / family practice physicians left for Allegheny Health Network in 2016.

Mothers-to-be can still obtain prenatal care at Sewickley, but their only option for delivery within the HVHS system is at the Beaver hospital. This closure leaves few maternity care options within northwest Allegheny County aside from the relatively new AHN Wexford.

Aside from this specific closure, the downsizing and/or consolidation of local hospital services into facilities with a more regional scope is a trend that is increasing in frequency across the region. According to a June report from Kris Mamula at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, this trend is favored over outright closure of facilities for more than just effective coordination of services –

One advantage: Little public backlash comes with downsizing — unlike what happened when UPMC announced the closing of Braddock Hospital in 2010, which spurred a messy community standoff. Closing a hospital dialysis unit or shifting joint replacement surgeries to a regional hospital from a smaller, community hospital can pare costs without drawing a public outcry.

A sampling of Mr. Mamula’s recent reporting shows several stories related to Heritage Valley’s difficulties with both “several years of sizable operating losses” and the shifting of ICU services from HVHS Kennedy to the Sewickley Hospital, making the Kennedy location “a campus of Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital, (which) will continue to operate an emergency room, an array of diagnostic services and outpatient rehabilitation and a 45-bed behavioral health unit”.

Sources close to local health care operations indicated that many of these difficulties may be tied to the HVHS acquisition of the former Ohio Valley General Hospital in 2019, and the related additional expense. With patients requiring intensive care now being shunted from Kennedy to Sewickley, it also appears that patients in need of behavioral health services are receiving those mainly at the Kennedy location.

It should also be noted that HVHS, one of only two independent health care systems remaining in Allegheny County, is also the only health system that owns a local EMS agency, having purchased NorthWest EMS not long after the Ohio Valley acquisition. Considering the difficulties that EMS agencies without such backing are experiencing, one wonders how much of a financial burden a large EMS provider may be placing on a parent health care system already experiencing financial challenges.

KDKA-TV investigative reporter Andy Sheehan did a three-part series last week on the fiscal and staffing challenges affecting EMS statewide. He also highlighted a new advocacy group, made up of some of the most experienced names in EMS in PA, that is starting a push to educate providers and the public (and lobby legislators) about what is needed.

I’ve had occasion in recent months to visit Heritage Valley facilities to be with family members receiving care. The providers there remain dedicated to their work, and the facilities themselves are clean and appear well-run in spite of the small signs of a health care system that is contracting to focus resources on what they feel they can sustain.

I also found some painful irony in this move, given the continued presence in our area of organizations that have made, and continue to make, a great difference in the lives of our area’s children – groups such as the Child Health Association, Laughlin Children’s Center, and the Watson Institute.

For me, this is just an additional example of how the Sewickley Valley is codependent on the communities that surround it – the illusion of our area’s exclusivity is increasingly untenable as big box stores, health care facilities, and other examples of development flourish in surrounding areas where available land is cheaper and more abundant.

The rush hour traffic that backs up around and on what is a lifeline of our local area – the Sewickley Bridge – is a continual reminder of how we must keep up with others around us in order to remain relevant to the greater whole of our citizenry.

Nearby towns such as Ambridge and Coraopolis are reinvigorating local community spirit in part through small business investment, spurred by reasonable retail space and housing costs in comparison to that offered here – and it’s no mistake that these communities have an increasingly multicultural flavor to them. It’s almost as if these areas are hearkening back to their “melting pot” origins – or not.

Who shall thrive in this climate?

Rize Sports Arises in Leetsdale Industrial Park – Cui Bono?

In keeping with a theme of what types of investment and energy translate to an improved sense of community, we come to the opening of the new Rize Sports basketball facility in the Leetsdale Industrial Park. With 55,000 square feet of dual purpose basketball and pickleball courts, the new facility will reportedly feature –

…three regulation basketball courts with seating for approximately 80 spectators and one championship regulation basketball court with seating for around 250 spectators. It will also include a state-of-the-art practice basketball court. Other amenities include two multi-purpose team rooms, a café area, grab-and-go concessions, a lounge area, and a training room. The two multi-purpose rooms can be used for small corporate meetings and banquets.

Rize Sports, Leetsdale Industrial Park.

If the name sounds somewhat familiar, the facility shares the same ownership as the Ramp N Rize boutique fitness center in Sewickley, and was funded by Edgeworth billionaire Thomas Tull and his wife, Alba. This new venture is managed by Sports Facilities Companies, a Florida-based management firm specializing in these kinds of operations.

The new facility benefited from a focused PR blitz that began in August and continued into this month, culminating in a grand opening celebration on September 27 that was emceed by Steelers veteran Charlie Batch. Among those in attendance were numerous luminaries from the basketball world, including Julius “Dr. J” Erving, WNBA star Diana Taurasi, and Moon Township native and University of Kentucky coach John Calipari.

The Post-Gazette reporter covering the festivities was gushing over the new facility, as was Coach Calipari –

“This isn’t for-profit, this is to help that community…I’m telling you, it’s going to benefit them and kids will say, ‘I had a place to play.’ You don’t know the impact it’s going to have until five or 10 years from now, but I can tell you they did the right stuff in that building.”

Interior portion of Rize Sports facility. Click to enlarge – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

More interesting to me than the lineup of celebrities that attended the opening is who was not there – in perusing the media coverage, I did not see any representatives of Leetsdale Borough or the Quaker Valley School District in attendance.

Contacted this week, QVSD spokesperson Michelle Dietz stated that she was “not aware of any District officials who were invited or attended in an official capacity“.

Information received from Leetsdale officials indicated that while invited to the event they were advised not to attend, due to issues related to the occupancy permit for the facility that have yet to be resolved.

There is reportedly a list of conditions that has been provided to Chapman Properties, who manages the industrial park, related to unresolved corrective measures at the site. I have requested this information from the borough via the Right to Know Law.

Some of these issues may be contributing to some hard feelings from some residents of Washington Street whose properties abut the Rize building and adjacent Monroe Way. Opinions expressed on social media and elsewhere cite problems such as increased building-related noise, excessive use of exterior lighting, and a diminished residential esthetic as a result of the new construction.

Monroe Way, October 2022. Click to enlarge – Google Maps

Monroe Way, October 2023. Click to enlarge.

Issues about its legal occupancy notwithstanding, Rize Sports management is wasting no time attempting to get the facility working, advertising a 2-day tournament for middle school-age boys near the end of the month, with an added incentive of no fee for team entry.

Recreational facilities in the commercial areas of Leetsdale across the Maruca Overpass have experienced a mixed bag of success. A trampoline park that opened in the industrial park in 2013 closed after a few years and relocated to Canonsburg. By contrast, the Three Rivers Karting facility in the Buncher Commerce Park has expanded its offerings since its inception, and appears on the surface to be doing well.

Lynn Kohlmeyer Memorial Park in Leetsdale, at the south end of Washington Street and Monroe Way, literally in the shadow of the new Rize Sports facility and the industrial park. – Google Maps

I have questions about exactly what types of participation the Rize facility will invite and nurture – will this be an asset that the entire community can integrate into, or will it specialize primarily in providing an elite competition and training experience to those with a particular skill set, competitive advantages, and/or ample financial resources?

As much as the community at large may reap some form of benefit from the Rize facility and the continued investment activities of Mr. Tull, I think it’s equally important to take stock of those public facilities that belong to all of us.

In Leetsdale, borough council has taken steps to assess the community’s interest level and priorities when planning wholesale improvements to the borough’s parks. Kohlmeyer Park (pictured above) is a well-kept and updated small park situated to serve residents of the Washington Street area, but can also be a welcoming space for anyone.

Changes are also in the works for the more popular and centrally located Edward Henle Park. While not privy to any specifics, Council did authorize the replacement of the basketball equipment in the park, which will likely occur closer to next Spring. This is something to look forward to.

We are three weeks away from Election Day. The lead-up to this highly consequential vote on the local level has already become more than just interesting – I’ll have more to report about in a couple of weeks.

In the meantime, enjoy the Fall weather.

A September of Consequences

As is typical when summer begins to wind down and school begins to wind up, so do all manner of other processes related to community activities, politics, and the business of government.

Here’s some things that have happened or are happening this month that may have significant impact on individuals, groups, communities, or the region at large.

High School Project – Serve and Volley

It appears as if the Quaker Valley School District is preparing to begin an effort to more effectively communicate information about the proposed new high school, and to make their case for the continued development of the project as it is currently designed.

I believe this is partially in response to the volumes of information that District 1 school board candidate Bill Jasper has been posting online and in other forms of communication since the May primary election.

According an August 23 Sewickley Herald report, the QVSD board reviewed some revised drawings and an updated timeline – this includes a planned “vote on the maximum project budget” at a legislative meeting this evening.

This past week the district also finalized a “Community Panel Discussion” on Wednesday evening Sept. 20th. The event promises the following –

• A brief history of the project and overview of the
current design
• A timeline of upcoming events and milestones as we
prepare to break ground
• Expert insight from professionals, administrators, and
board members who are working on this project
• Interactive dialogue and an open Q&A session

Reporting about the event in last Thursday’s online Herald also included commentary from at least one board member encouraging attendance –

“It’s important to attend this if you want to get the information directly from the source,” said Gianni Floro, school board member and chairman of the facilities and operations committee.

“If you want to hear what our years of due diligence has produced. … I would hope that every seat in the auditorium is full. I would hope that everyone we can cram in there, responsibly, could check it out.”

The district is also planning to live stream the event, and is soliciting community input in advance.

An interesting website graphic and yard sign design. Click to enlarge.

Mr. Jasper appears to be unimpressed by the gathering, stating on his website –

The meeting on September 20th is solely a PR event. Expect the CHEERLEADERS to be out in full force.

This did not stop Citizens For a Great School from encouraging attendance at this event in a September 13 e-mail blast.

Leslie and I toured the site last week at one of the tours offered to the public. It was our first time up there since just after Muottas was sold – before anything had been done to the historic house, its outbuildings, and surrounding grounds.

I’ll have more to say later on.

Gaydos Town Hall Highlights Possibly Related Legislation

While it’s unknown who scheduled what when, a letter from Rep. Valerie Gaydos and Democratic Rep. Emily Kinkead, dated August 31, announced a town hall meeting to discuss issues regarding the propensity of landslides in our region, and proposed legislation designed to address issues surrounding property owners who may experience problems due to the threat of landslides or actual earth movement.

According to an e-mail blast from Rep. Gaydos on August 18 –

Damage from landslides is not covered under normal homeowner’s insurance, so this is an area where the average homeowner is often “on his or her own.” The expense can be overwhelming.

House Bill 589 would add coverage of landslides, slope movement and sinkholes to an existing program in the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that currently only covers mine subsidence assistance and insurance.

It’s unfortunate that this town hall, to be held at the Sewickley YMCA, is scheduled at the same date and time as the school district’s community meeting at QVHS.

This new legislation raised some additional questions regarding the types of landslides involved, and whether this could also be a potential funding source for mitigation of other slide situations –

• The inability of homeowners to purchase insurance for storm water or landslide damage in areas where such a risk has been identified, and could be exacerbated by human as well as natural activity. An example is those homes downhill from the proposed site of the new high school. Mr. Jasper is one of those homeowners, and has made reference to this issue in previous versions of his expansive campaign website.
• Rural roadways in our area with known slide areas that are currently marked with cones or other warning devices, or completely closed to traffic.
  

  Way Hollow Road in Sewickley Heights, closed since January 2020 due to multiple slides. This is a state-maintained roadway – Google Maps

  Local examples include Way Hollow Road, Little Sewickley Creek Road, and Big Sewickley Creek Road. These roads are often critical access pathways for residents, responders, and commuters.

I expressed these concerns in an e-mail to Rep. Gaydos earlier this month, and am awaiting a reply.

Citizen Nocito Faces the Music, and the Media Responds

When I first moved back to the area, one of the many curiosities I encountered that had sprung up in my absence was the enormous house on Beech Ridge Drive in Bell Acres.

Over the years my interest in the house and its owner, Joseph Nocito Sr., has waxed and waned with associated media coverage of Mr. Nocito’s ongoing legal difficulties regarding the manner in which he funded the construction of both the house and the miscellaneous trappings of a lifestyle to fit and support such a residence, along with its occupants and family members.

“Villa Noci”, Bell Acres Borough. Click to enlarge – Google Earth

Both the largesse and the legal challenges of both Mr. Nocito and his son, Joseph Jr., have been well-covered by the local media, most notably by Torsten Ove of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Mr. Ove has continued his excellent work while on strike against the P-G, most recently in the Newspaper Guild of Pittsburgh’s strike publication, the Pittsburgh Union Progress. On the broadcast side, KDKA-TV has aired several segments focusing on the house, its assessed value, and Mr. Nocito Sr.’s lengthy federal court battle.

The financial and other exploits of the younger Mr. Nocito have also been well-documented by both online and mainstream media. This goes back as far as the failure of a mortgage company amidst the 2008 financial crisis, the purchase of a popular public golf club in 2012, and the use of that facility to host his lavish 2014 wedding.

This was followed in 2015 by his indictment for conspiracy to commit fraud and subsequent guilty plea and 2016 sentencing.

Villa Noci interior – U.S. Attorney’s Office / PACER

According to media reports and court documents, the financial chicanery of the son paled in comparison to that of the father.

Following his 2018 indictment after an investigation that dated back to the early 2010s, Mr. Nocito Sr. agreed to plead guilty last November.

Much of the meatier recent reporting on this has been provided by Mr. Ove at the Union Progress, as well as the staff of the Trib / Sewickley Herald. Paula Reed Ward of the Trib very nicely summarized the offenses committed in her September 14 story –

The CEO and president of Automated Health Systems, a company that serves as a Medicaid enrollment brokering firm, Nocito pleaded guilty last November to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

He has already paid $15 million in restitution.

He admitted to writing off millions of dollars in home construction costs and personal expenses without paying taxes.

The government has said that Nocito’s house is the largest in Pennsylvania.

It was built through a sophisticated scheme, the government said.

Between 2006 and 2012, Nocito concealed more than $66 million in AHS income by funneling it through other companies he controlled.

He then used that income not only in the construction of what the government on Thursday called a palace, but also for a butler, a chef, luxury vehicles, tuition for his grandchildren, and other personal expenses.

It is, Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Melucci said, the largest individual tax fraud in the history of the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Villa Noci at ground level. Click to enlarge – Keith Strakocic / AP

The most recent flurry of media attention focused on the sentencing phase, which was completed yesterday. The Trib/Herald’s coverage stood out for me because their reporting was featured in their hyperlocal paper, both electronically and in print. Their editorial board also elected to publish an opinion concerning the affair.

Mr. Nocito’s attorney requested he serve his sentence under house arrest in one of his properties in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh – he stressed he would not be at Villa Noci. Quoting a Trib/Herald story from late August –

Nocito is asking the court to spare him any time in prison.

Reasons cited in court filings included Nocito’s age, need for two knee replacements, obesity, problems using stairs and poor health.

“Simply put, Mr. Nocito is not a person who can acclimate to prison,” the filing said.

In addition, the defense said, nine of Nocito’s children and grandchildren rely heavily on his financial support, including education expenses.

Nocito also cited his charitable work, including serving on the boards of Homewood-Brushton Health Center, Ohio Valley Hospital, Brentwood Community Bank and Robert Morris University.

The filing said that Nocito has donated millions of dollars to charity, including money to help save the Pittsburgh Creche at Downtown’s Steel Plaza.

“If Mr. Nocito is not placed on probation or a term of electronic monitoring permitting him to continue to work and generate income…it will be challenging for him to provide for the financial support of his family, which will indeed result in a substantial degree of financial hardship to Mr. Nocito’s children and grandchildren,” the defense wrote.

Villa Noci interior – Mansions and More

The prosecution reacted incredulously to this request, and made their sentiments well known in court records. Their sentencing memorandum, dated September 8, broke down and attempted to debunk each of Mr. Nocito’s reasons for his request, and stood its ground for 37 to 46 months in prison.

The memorandum is a pretty good read – more of a white-collar-true-crime potboiler than dry legalese.

For those interested in digging deeper, the court record of a lengthy (217-page) PowerPoint presentation is available to review here.

Federal Judge Joy Flowers Conti, in a tentative ruling prior to the sentencing hearing, tended to side with the prosecution, but kept her options open –

In sum, the court recognizes its discretion to grant a downward departure on the basis of his charitable works, but on the present record, the court’s preliminary assessment is that the
departure is not warranted.

To the extent there is other evidence to the support Nocito’s request, it may be presented at the sentencing hearing.

That hearing commenced last Thursday, but was continued until yesterday due to the sheer volume of character witnesses and letters received by the Judge. According to Mr. Ove’s account in the Union Progress, this was not without a little “minor drama” –

Nocito’s lawyer, Phil DiLucente, didn’t dispute Nocito’s crimes… He described his client as a generous business owner and loving father and family man who gave freely to any person or institution that needed help, from the Catholic Diocese to poor children through the Pittsburgh Promise.

He presented nine character witnesses, including two priests, several relatives and Nocito’s wife, who all praised his good deeds. Many more friends and family wrote letters; Judge Conti said she’s never received more character letters for a defendant.

One Nocito friend, James Smerdell…described Nocito’s fraud as a “lapse in judgment.”

That caught the attention of (Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg) Melucci, who confronted Smerdell in front of the packed courtroom. A tax fraud scheme that cost Americans millions, he asked, is a “lapse in judgment”?

“I don’t know what else you would call it,” Smerdell said.

“A crime,” Melucci responded.

Mr. Nocito was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, the first six months on house arrest.

Per the Trib / Herald report, Mr. Nocito’s house arrest will be at a location other than his version of Xanadu.

Enjoy the approaching Autumn.

Summer Shorts: Walmart Taketh Away…and Giveth?

A key historical reference point in the continued opposition to the construction of a new Quaker Valley High School is the 2006 landslide at the construction site of a Walmart, on the site of the former Dixmont State Hospital in Kilbuck Township.

Route 65 “Dixmont Stretch” and adjacent railroad tracks, September 20, 2006. Click to enlarge – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The slide disrupted vehicle and rail traffic along adjacent Route 65 for nearly two weeks, and ultimately resulted in Walmart abandoning their plans and remediating the site as open space.

As reported here about 18 months ago, those opposing the new high school construction have highlighted the presence of Pittsburgh red beds on the site, as they were present at the Dixmont site. This was likely a direct contributor to one of the largest cases of “we told you so“ in recent memory.

As I reported last month, this attempt to label the proposed high school site as geologically suspect has not been lost on the QVSD. Along with this due diligence, the Leet Township Planning Commission will meet this week to begin reviewing the district’s submission.

Central to those discussions will likely be safety concerns related not only to geology, but to ingress and egress – especially in emergency situations.

For me, the safety of any proposed school facility is a primary consideration, and the safety issues surrounding the proposed high school site have been, and will continue to be, the subject of much discussion.

While pondering this, I started seeing and experiencing locations that appeared to incorporate desirable design features, especially for access. Ironically, the first of these was a Walmart.

Walmart, Economy Borough, Beaver County – Primary access is via Economy Way from Route 65, through Northern Lights Shopping Center. A gated secondary access road connects the store to Conway-Wallrose Road via Sproat Avenue. Click to enlarge.

According to Economy Borough manager Travis Cavanaugh, the idea for a secondary access road came not from an ordinance, but from a member of council during initial planning meetings with the company. Walmart agreed with the idea, and while the secondary road that connects the store to Conway-Wallrose Road is gated off, in an evacuation scenario that impacts Route 65 this capability can be invaluable.

Economy’s Zoning Ordinance, while not requiring this secondary access for commercial development, does have a requirement for Planned Residential Developments –

The principal entrance to the site of a planned residential development (PRD) shall connect directly to an arterial or collector street, as defined by this chapter. In every planned residential development (PRD), a secondary means of access shall be provided that may connect to a local street.

This makes me wonder why such requirements were not required of developers of such large residential subdivisions as Quaker Heights and Sewickley Heights Manor, which only have one way in and out. Review of Leet Township and Aleppo Township ordinances found no language similar to Economy’s that would require such access.

<——————–>

While this scenario is duplicated in numerous communities in our area and beyond, awareness of the potential for emergency evacuations has become heightened after two tragic incidents over the past weeks – the wildfires that decimated Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, and the gas explosion that killed 6 and destroyed or damaged as many as 10 large houses in Plum Borough.

Ohio Township Community Park and Nature Center – While the site is accessed via Nicholson Road, a gated access road also connects the park to Red Mud Hollow Road. Click to enlarge.

Even with these apparent deficiencies in residential access, we are still seeing recent major development efforts in our area where access into or out of the site from two different public roadways is an integral part of the project, even if that secondary access is restricted in some fashion.

This leads to continued speculation regarding the lack of such a contingency for the proposed high school site. Barring any sudden changes in the preliminary site plans submitted to the Leet Planning Commission, the site is still without one – this despite a consensus expression of concern by Leet public safety and emergency management stakeholders.

<——————–>

Screen capture from William Jasper YouTube video, posted August 18.

Along with the Planning Commission review are numerous other challenges and benchmarks that must be achieved and/or maintained for the project to continue as the school district intends.

These include the Commonwealth Court appeal of Judge Joseph James’ ruling reversing the Leet Zoning Board’s decision (which required an emergency access road), and financial benchmarks that if not met by the district could trigger public hearings and/or a referendum on the financing of the high school project.

Republican School Board candidate William Jasper continues to put out information about the project via mailers and now a YouTube channel. His latest video, posted last week, is over 9 minutes of the same arguments Mr. Jasper has already made, with some additional information, organized into a seemingly more digestible format. He uses the same graphics featured on his campaign website, which while comprehensive are at times reminiscent of the white boards on The Big Bang Theory.

I’ve stated previously that some of Mr. Jasper’s assertions are a little beyond the pale for me – he seems to have had an opportunity with the video to provide attribution, footnotes, and/or a source bibliography, but only chose to attribute one quotation that I saw.

I also think it’s unfortunate that he put the word TRUTH in capital letters as part of the video title, especially considering the interesting use of that word and style elsewhere.

In keeping with that, Mr. Jasper also seems to put forth some information as fact when it is only his opinion – witness his statement in the video that the appeal of the lower court decision on the Leet Zoning Board denial has an “expected affirmation of zoning approval with existing conditions” (including an emergency access road), with a court ruling expected in January. Aside from his being an appellant in the case, how does he know this will be the outcome, and when?

Mr. Jasper appears to be most salient when it comes to site safety and emergency preparedness issues – he literally has a stake in this game by virtue of his residing near the site, and his status as a litigant.

The rest of his assertions, while appearing to be grounded in economics and other sciences and/or what one might consider common sense, are still ripe for challenge and debate by those in favor of the high school project. When and how that happens, beyond the June Sewickley Herald op-ed from the school board, remains to be seen.

<——————–>

In thinking about all of the factors impacting the development of a new location for the high school over the years, I’m struck by the apparent lack of coordination and consistency by municipal governments in assuring that contingencies for emergency response and evacuation are properly addressed.

The 11 local governments that make up the Quaker Valley School District largely display an innate desire to remain independent, from the manner in which public safety services are delivered to priorities related to planning and zoning. This anachronistic, parochial approach is increasingly unwieldy and inefficient in the 21st Century.

Some towns have shown foresight by engaging in joint efforts at planning, or leveraging economies of scale to obtain critical services such as police, and participating in organizations such as the QVCOG.

How does this relate to the new high school and its potential challenges? I have a feeling that the school district has been resistant to an emergency access road not only because of the potential cost, but how overall cost may also be impacted by engaging in the bureaucratic processes of another municipal entity. In short, they may not want to have to deal with Edgeworth.

I believe that Mr. Jasper is right about the length of the road that has been traveled already, and how potentially long the road will become, depending upon the activities commencing (or concluding) in the coming weeks and months – perhaps the most crucial time period in the long, fractious history of this project.

I’m beginning to wonder whether there will be a new high school by the time our granddaughter, who starts second grade tomorrow, is ready to attend it.

Enjoy the beginning of the school year.

Summer Shorts: Fifty Years Gone – What Have We Learned?

Everyone of us who is the parent of a teenage child understands the problems of raising children today. Every vice seems to be hurled at these youngsters. It is almost as though we are wrestling with the Devil himself. Parents everywhere are anxious.

– Betty G.Y. Shields, Editorial, Sewickley Herald, August 29, 1973

Taken on its face, without any date or other references, the above paragraph could apply to any one of the generations of young people that have been brought forth over the last 50 years.

Yet it was during the summer of 1973, 50 years ago this month, that the tragic end to a three month-long mystery brought out emotions uncharacteristic for a small town and its local paper.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 31, 1973

The initial media report appeared in the May 16, 1973 Sewickley Herald. John Besong and Cindy Dworchak, both of Leetsdale’s Washington Street neighborhood, were last seen the evening of April 26, after both had attended school that day at Quaker Valley Junior High (now the Middle School).

It was also reported that then-Leetsdale Police chief Michael Poninsky had alerted both the print and broadcast media, and had “put a description on police wires“. What that specifically consisted of is unknown.

Additional Herald reporting indicated that a few sightings of the couple had been reported to authorities, but then slowed to nothing until their skeletal remains were discovered on July 29, 1973 by a man and his son collecting berries in a wooded area between the Davis Road / High Street area of Fair Oaks and the northern fringe of the Quaker Heights development.

The area where they were found was described by the Beaver County Times as “a wooded area about 1,000 yards from the nearest road“. Additional information received from a Leetsdale native via social media provided further insight –

There were two vehicle trails that ran from the “Fair Oaks” (north) end of Quaker Heights Manor along the two ridges north to the power high-line (transmission) towers on those ridges. They were found at the base of the west tower, high above Beaver Road. The two trails ended at the towers.

1967 Penn Pilot aerial photo of area where the bodies of John Besong and Cindy Dworchak were found on July 29, 1973. Locations of wooded area around electric line transmission towers is highlighted in red. Click to enlarge – Historic Pittsburgh

3D rendering of same area as seen from the west, taken 2021. The houses immediately south of the area in red were built in the 2000s – this was all wooded area in 1973 (see above photo). Click to enlarge – Google Maps / J. Linko

While the Times and Post-Gazette reports did not speculate on the manner of death, the Herald coverage was the first to quote anyone regarding the possibility that the incident was a murder-suicide. Media reports also indicated that the investigation was being handled by detectives from the Allegheny County Police. When contacted, the agency stated they were unable to locate any case records related to their investigation.

I was going to try to dig deeper to ascertain from relatives and friends what may have motivated these two to leave together. Media accounts stated that the two had a history of running away from home, but offered no greater insight beyond that.

The parents of both Cindy and John are deceased, but their words are part of the historical record to be explored further on. I did reach out to siblings, one of whom was willing to talk about what they could remember, but I elected to forego any further exploration into the motives or perceived mental state of all involved.

I did this out of respect for those touched more closely by these events. I elected to focus more on the community reaction, which was considerable for a small town (as reflected by its media) and played out in the wake of significant national news that may have served to stir already strained emotions into action.

After the coverage in late July the only mention in any print media was Cindy Dworchak’s obituary in the August 15 Herald. The attention level changed significantly with the August 29 edition.

Helen Dworchak Letter to Editor, Sewickley Herald, August 29, 1973 – Click to enlarge.

On the editorial page was a letter to the editor from Helen Dworchak, Cindy’s mother. This was followed, on the same page, by B.G. Shields’ editorial as referenced above.

Both women made strong, impassioned observations – Mrs. Dworchak attempts to speak directly to those young people who may have not cooperated with authorities and/or withheld information on the couple’s whereabouts –

Some of you thought you were doing these two children a favor? Always ‘don’t be a tattle-tale’, ‘don’t rat, that’s not right’. It’s such a big honor to know things and keep them from parents and officers who are trying to help. When we asked and almost begged for information, you all felt good for not telling.

She also expressed frustration with Pittsburgh news media that declined to print information about the couple’s disappearance, quoting some outlets as dismissive, stating that Cindy and John were “just runaways” until the situation changed –

Just as soon as they are found – molested or shot or whatever, the story immediately changes. Reporters, photographers, detectives are all falling over each other for news and information!

Along with the timeless observation at the top of this post, Mrs. Shields lamented in hindsight that while her paper did publish information, “we could have done more“. She also continued about the dichotomy of media attention in an atmosphere that encouraged private difficulties to be kept private – regardless of the potential danger –

Had we trusted the first instinct, a call would have been made to the parents to see if we could assist them by printing a picture, but we feared it would embarrass them. Now we realize that Cindy’s family would have welcomed that help. However, some parents would have scolded us for even asking.

Tragedy on a National Scale

Both Mrs. Dworchak and Mrs. Shields made mention of an incident in Texas – Mrs. Shields referred to “the Houston atrocity” – that came to light at about this same time, and may have significantly influenced the manner in which their respective areas of concern were addressed by law enforcement, the media, and other community stakeholders.

Quoting a 2011 Texas Monthly article and related coverage –

On August 8, 1973, the Houston Police Department discovered a 33-year-old man named Dean Corll shot to death at a home where he was staying in Pasadena, a Houston suburb. They were given information that prompted them to search a shed Corll had been renting; a beach at High Island, east of Houston; and a wooded area near Sam Rayburn Reservoir. They eventually discovered the mutilated bodies of 27 boys in what the New York Times called “the largest multiple murder case in United States history.”

This discovery brought reporters and writers from across the nation and the world to Houston, including In Cold Blood author Truman Capote. The investigation revealed that as many as 20 of the young male victims were from the same neighborhood or an adjacent one, and had been reported as missing. Many of these boys were mischaracterized by police at the time as “just runaways“, apparently not a priority to commit a lot of investigative resources to – this despite pleas and protests by anguished parents.

Quoting the Texas Monthly –

Eleven of them had attended the same junior high. How, Capote and everyone else wanted to know, was it possible that so many boys could have been snatched away from one working-class area of Houston, a mere two miles wide and three miles deep, without anyone—police, parents, neighbors, teachers, or friends—snapping to what was happening?

But you have to understand what that time back then was like. There was no FBI Behavioral Science Unit in the early seventies warning citizens of a certain type of killer who went after a particular group of people (like boys)…There weren’t even missing children pictured on the side of milk cartons. As hard as it is for us to understand today, people in 1973 didn’t snap to the idea of a serial killer.

And so many people told (reporter Skip Hollandsworth) that in that era, the general consensus was that there was this rebellion going on among the youth—that many of them wanted to run away and try free love and listen to Janis Joplin and live in communes. A bunch of boys took off from one neighborhood? It was no big deal.

The Herald of August 29 also showed one of the first signs of a regional, if not national shift in priority and attitudes toward missing juveniles in the wake of the Houston tragedy. On the page opposite the comments of Mrs. Dworchak and Mrs. Shields was a report on a change in procedures at the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office for handling information about missing persons and runaways.

The article reads more like a press release than something written by a reporter, and was likely an attempt by then-Sheriff Eugene L. Coon to get ahead of the issue, at least as far as his agency could in conjunction with the dedicated Missing Persons bureau of the Pittsburgh Police.

It’s also likely that Mrs. Shields chose to include the story in that issue because of its relevance to the local tragedy that appeared to be foremost on her mind.

Sheriff Coon added an additional note of caution –

Translating Outrage into Action

While it seems apparent that the events in Houston and subsequent fallout served as the catalyst for a nexus of change in the approach of police and other government agencies to reports of missing children, it also seems that in death Cindy and John brought the point home for those in positions of responsibility at the local level.

Commentary both directly and indirectly related to the incident continued to appear in the Herald in the weeks following. This included a September 19 letter from the father of John Besong, as well as a full-page ad in the September 12 issue, an open letter to the community from the clergy of St. Stephens Church.

These three ministers sounded familiar themes related to the decline of the social fabric and its impact on the integrity of the family unit –

The letter concluded with a scripture reference from Deuteronomy related to being a living example of God’s commandments to one’s children.

Could this letter have been written today and still remain relevant? Indeed, the times we have lived in since 1973 remind me more of a passage from Ecclesiastes –

⁸ All things are wearisome,
    more than one can say.
    The eye never has enough of seeing,
    nor the ear its fill of hearing.
⁹ What has been will be again,
    what has been done will be done again;
    there is nothing new under the sun.
¹⁰ Is there anything of which one can say,
    “Look! This is something new”?
    It was here already, long ago;
    it was here before our time.
¹¹ No one remembers the former generations,
    and even those yet to come
    will not be remembered
    by those who follow them.

Is Information Power, or Just Information?

Fast forward to today, where information about runaways and other missing persons is readily available from both public and private sources, ranging from regular news media coverage to Amber Alerts.

This information is delivered via mobile data networks both secure and very public, and orchestrated by law enforcement at all levels of government, partnered with private organizations such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Still, kids are going missing for all manner of reasons. They are featured on TV and various online platforms seemingly every week. Some of them look like little weathered adults, grown up and spent all too soon.

The heightened levels of attention by law enforcement and the media are clearly helping to raise the collective awareness of society to the plight of missing and runaway children far beyond that of 50 years ago.

This awareness is also extended to those segments of our society that seek to prey upon children. This is not limited to runaways (but can certainly be a contributing factor to the runaway problem) and certainly not limited to a criminal element.

While awareness of the scourge of human trafficking is on the rise, so are the struggles of established institutions in the wake of predatory behavior by those placed in a position of trust.

Both Cindy and John are buried next to their parents.

We Are Better Together

The Sewickley area saw more than its share of tragedies involving children in the 1970s. While things certainly have changed – I can’t imagine my granddaughter with the same latitude that I had as a child – the problems that may have manifested themselves in a 50-year old tragedy continue to plague us today.

While our government, schools, and social service infrastructure commit increasing amounts of resources to addressing the impact on children (real or perceived), at the heart of the matter is the realization that there’s no real replacement for the strong, responsive, present, and engaged support of a family unit to teach, listen and set an example of responsible adulthood – regardless of what that unit looks like.

As difficult as it may seem at times, a strong, trusted community of committed citizens can make a significant difference in enhancing the lives and safety of children – regardless of perceived differences.

Even in the face of danger, there should always be a place of safety and trust for children in a society that claims to care for them – regardless of the circumstances.

Enjoy the rest of your summer.

 

Acknowledgments –

Sewickley Herald Digital Archive

Newspapers.com

Findagrave.com

Summer Shorts: EMS *IS* Public Safety, and Other Inconvenient Truths

Every couple of years stories appear in the media concerning the challenges faced by Emergency Medical Services providers, who are largely dependent on health insurance billing for the bulk of their operating revenue. This year has seen increased media coverage of these challenges, as well as reporting on some unique solutions.

EMS is not alone in facing significant challenges – the other public safety disciplines are also facing crises with their own set of issues and factors, along with some common ones.

Before we get into this  – public safety has been my livelihood for nearly 40 years, so the disclaimer on the masthead of this blog remains in force –

The opinions expressed in this weblog are solely my own as an individual and private citizen, and do not represent the opinion or policy of my family, my employer, or any other private or public entity.

This includes the Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority, on whose board I currently serve as the representative for Leetsdale Borough.

At the beginning of this month, Trib Total Media reporter Rebecca Johnson reported on the continued funding crisis plaguing Pennsylvania EMS agencies. She interviewed EMS chiefs from across Allegheny County, including from our local EMS provider.

The well-written story highlighted common challenges across the agencies – staffing and retention, health insurance reimbursement, and support from municipalities served. It should be noted that the Quaker Valley Ambulance Authority, operated by Valley Ambulance Authority under an agreement dating to QVAA’s inception nearly 50 years ago, receives operational funding from an annual per capita tax assessment from the 11 member municipalities. That assessment is currently $9 per person, and with current population figures generates close to $140,000 per year.

I believe that the best EMS agencies (Valley / Quaker Valley included) draw their operating philosophies from both the health care and public safety disciplines, and through a commitment to excellence in both have established themselves as equal and essential members of the public safety community.

It therefore follows that as a public safety agency, EMS needs to be supported by revenue streams from both health care and local government.

As the Trib story indicated, municipal support for EMS varies greatly across agencies and local governments. The government of Penn Hills operates its own EMS agency, and funds it via their general fund budget. In 2023, their allocation for EMS is just under $2.3 Million. The 2023 budget for the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS is about ten times that.

Health care-based revenue for EMS is largely tied to whether or not a patient is transported. The bulk of the EMS agencies in our area also provide non-emergency transport services (NET for short) such as from a hospital to a care facility, to generate the necessary health insurance billings to sustain the service.

The difficulties of sustaining operations based solely on the varying reimbursement rates of health insurers has taken its toll on EMS agencies in our region. Some municipal officials also bristle at increased response times to emergency calls by reduced numbers of available ambulances, often already committed to those transports necessary to provide the bulk of their revenue. In short, live by the NET, die by the NET…

There is hope on a couple of fronts. Many agencies are watching the assertive effort taken by the Ross / West View EMS Authority to provide a more reliable stream of operational funding.

Ross/WV made headlines this past February by successfully completing an effort to have the five municipalities they serve enact an ordinance that levies a “Special Emergency Ambulance Service Fee” on all residences and businesses. The fee schedule is currently set at $55 per year for residences and small businesses, and scales upward to $500 per year for businesses with a permitted occupancy of 300 or more persons.

Ross/WV will be responsible for collecting the mandatory fee, and there is teeth in the ordinance to address scofflaws in the form of additional fees and/or the ability to seek relief via the local Magistrate. Through this process Ross/WV hopes to replace $300,000 in annual direct funding from their municipalities with as much as $1.8 Million if they collect what they believe they can.

Another effort underway on the legislative front is designed to recognize the changing operational landscape of EMS, and allow for government to apply a proven method for service delivery on a county-wide scale.

Senate Bill 501 would amend the state Municipal Authorities Act to allow for the creation of public safety authorities at the county level. Quoting co-sponsors Sen. Lisa Baker and Sen. Timothy Kearney –

Many EMS companies and communities know that regionalization provides an opportunity to provide better services in perpetuity, but struggle to find successful ways to get around the legal obstacles that our current structure inadvertently creates…

Our bill would give counties the option to create Public Safety Authorities, which may be used to provide services for EMS. Individual municipalities would be able to join, or not join if they so choose.  Rather than replacing our incredible volunteer and career EMS companies, authorities would exist to support them and their work.

By giving counties and municipalities the tools to organize regionally, we allow for innovative service models—from centralized administrative support to higher levels of coordination—that can best fit the needs of our diverse communities.

Public safety officials in the northwest corner of the state are already making cooperative adjustments to response protocols in order to operate more efficiently. They are also entertaining the idea of a countywide authority to “among other things, provide a uniform system of funding for each EMS agency at a time when agencies are dealing with higher costs and call volumes, difficulties in attracting and retaining volunteers and paid staff, and challenges in raising enough money to support their operations“.

Regardless of the methods used, there is a need for EMS to secure a steady source of operating capital, independent of the outrageous fortune that accompanies reimbursement under our convoluted, dysfunctional health care system.

At the heart of this is the fact that EMS is public safety. How these agencies are funded, and the responsibilities these agencies have to both their respective profession and the communities they serve, is a struggle that has gone on for too long.

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Another existential crisis playing out in our public safety community concerns more of a crisis of attrition than of finances, but stands to exert significant impact on municipal and individual pocketbooks if not properly addressed.

A state senator and volunteer fire chief from the Philadelphia suburbs is sounding a familiar alarm, but with a more ominous tone and sense of urgency than in previous years-

“Ultimately, what’s going to happen is when we, the volunteers, go the way of the dinosaur, there’s going to be significant property tax increases…I’m not saying the volunteer fire service will completely go away. It’s (a question of): ‘Will the volunteer fire service be able to continue to provide adequate fire protection?’ If we don’t start getting some people in the door, that’s going to be reality.”

Over the last 12 years since I returned to the area, this drama has played out in several locations in and around the Quaker Valley, and continues as a daily challenge to departments with dwindling memberships, especially during workday hours.

This has not been lost on elected officials in several communities, who for this and other reasons made choices that ended their relationship with their legacy volunteer department. Since Edgeworth fired their volunteer department in 2011, the councils in Ben Avon and McKees Rocks have also de-recognized their departments, opting for coverage from an adjacent community.

Bellevue Borough Ladder Truck, 2016 – youtube.com

This past March, the council in Bellevue opted to end its relationship with the volunteer contingent that augmented the borough’s two paid firefighters. They also decided to bring in the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire to assist with structural fire response, while maintaining the borough’s paid firefighters for other responses in conjunction with other North Boroughs companies.

The Bellevue council committee report and recommendation in support of this move details a relationship with their volunteers that is symbiotic and strained in their dealings with both council and the paid fire staff, and inevitably dysfunctional.

The report also points out a symptom of the dysfunction inherent in the volunteer fire service across the region –

It was noted in February of 2023…that the Borough’s firefighters had recently needed to call 8 different companies to get 14 firefighters on scene.

In 2020, during a structure fire on Grant Ave, 40–50 departments were called for mutual aid because so many companies sent a driver who was not qualified to fight fires, and the Assistant Chief had to keep calling other companies, possibly losing valuable time, and depriving other municipalities of staff and equipment. It is clear that relying on mutual aid companies brings more trucks to Bellevue but not the personnel necessary to fight fires.The State of Pennsylvania has relied too heavily on volunteer participation for decades, mostly to save on the costs associated with managing a fire service, and this model is currently in crisis in regards to funding and volunteer participation.

The Committee recognizes that while our volunteers are appreciated for their time and service, we are doing a disservice to our community by relying on skeleton crews to respond to calls. As noted in monthly reports, the department averages about one volunteer responder per call, often leaving our paid firefighters to arrive on scene alone or to enter a building alone.

There are some positives out there, however small and incremental. In Allegheny County there have been several consolidations of volunteer departments, most recently in Aspinwall and Sharpsburg.

Having spent a few years as a volunteer firefighter I can testify to how much an organization with that level of responsibility and community involvement thrives on a sense of belonging and purpose – even when the ability to serve that purpose is dwindling.

Leetsdale VFD – Sewickley Herald

This is not the case everywhere. We literally have a front row seat to the operations of our local fire company, along with being neighbors with the Chief and other officers and firefighters. There are several young people in the mix – a good sign for the future.

We see the effort and due diligence put in by this team every day, and how recognition of the limitations being felt by many of our area departments manifest themselves in who, at a minimum, is summoned to respond. The name on the side of the truck, along with the imaginary lines we draw around ourselves, become increasingly anachronistic in these times and under these circumstances.

How long it takes until recognition – or denial – of those limitations manifests itself in foundational change is largely dependent upon us citizens, and the elected leadership in which we place our trust – preferably without a tragedy to bring home the point.

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That elected leadership is also charged with budgeting and oversight of law enforcement services, which can take up a considerable chunk of a municipal budget, unless you are like Glenfield and Haysville and opt for services from the State Police.

For those who prefer a locally controlled presence, the concept of regional policing is holding fast for those communities that embraced it years ago, and continues to attract the interest of those local governments that are seeing the advantages as staffing and budgets dwindle.

The concept of consolidation has begun to hit the news cycle with increasing frequency. A Post-Gazette overview from last week featured the fledgling Beaver Valley Regional Police Department, which consolidated from independent agencies in Baden, Conway, and Freedom, and is attracting interest from other nearby towns.

A supporting editorial spelled things out in the familiar, stark terms of media coverage past –

There are simply too many police and fire departments in the Pittsburgh region. The duplication — the result of an unplanned accumulation of neighborhood departments over the decades — makes public safety services unnecessarily expensive, with no real benefits in quality and efficiency.

Amen to that.

To conclude, I’d like to provide some statistics that seem to illustrate the local nature of this issue in pretty stark terms. Let’s look at three adjacent units of governance, similar in land area and population, in terms of public safety resources and coordination –

 

Avonworth School District

Municipalities – 5

Population – 12,398     Land Area – 10.5 square miles

Police Departments – 1

Fire Departments – 2

EMS Agencies – 2

 

Franklin Park Borough

Single municipality – Part of North Allegheny School District

Population – 15,239      Land Area – 13.5 square miles

Police Departments – 1

Fire Departments – 1   

EMS Agencies – 1

 

Quaker Valley School District

Municipalities – 11

Population – 14,121     Land Area – 23.3 square miles

Police Departments – 8

Fire Departments – 7

EMS Agencies – 1

 

From this standpoint it looks like our local municipal and public safety leaders have some talking – and work – to do.

Until next time.

Summer Shorts: School Board Double Down, Jasper’s Jabber and Jaunt

This month I’m posting some brief (for me) pieces on subjects that beg mention due to their timeliness and/or significance.  Many of these topics have been fleshed out already – others don’t really need as much analysis to get a point across.

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The Sewickley Herald op-ed collectively signed by the Quaker Valley School Board (June 29 print edition) sought to clearly establish the board’s position on the high school project, presumably in response to the continued post-election information push by the QVGOP. This has been manifested most recently by the campaign of District 1 Republican candidate William Jasper, who is seeking to unseat incumbent Gianni Floro.

The board used assertive, straightforward language in defending their decision to build a new facility elsewhere, and forego building on the current site –

Even if we were to consider building up the lower portion of the property, disturbing the floodplain would involve multiple state and federal agencies, and cost taxpayers five to eight years and millions of dollars seeking permitting that we have little confidence we’d receive.

The current land is largely fill soil, including a coal seam that has caused groundwater flooding and resulted in damage to the building as it is. A new building on that land would not be immune to these enduring challenges.

Building on this land would also likely require the relocation of the current student body to a suboptimal location, such as offsite trailers, for multiple years. This board will not deprive a generation of students of their entire high school experience.

They continued in this vein to both identify and commit to strategies that they claim will maintain their commitment to responsible fiscal stewardship, in ways both voluntary and imposed upon the district by state law.

One topic of interest that was incompletely addressed relates to safety issues that pervade both the project site and location. The board touted (and rightly so) its subject-matter expert on school policing and security, and its commitment to the physical security of the proposed facility and those who would occupy it –

Additionally, our commitment to public health and safety is reflected in design decisions that prioritize adaptability to evolving needs, accommodating shifting requirements while delivering a high-quality education.

Unless something has drastically changed, however, “adaptability to evolving needs” also includes the ongoing controversy concerning emergency access to the site from a roadway other than Camp Meeting Road, and “shifting requirements” must take into account the documented presence of possibly unstable soils under the project site. I have covered these issues in more depth here, here, and here.

These are two of the issues raised previously before the Leet Township Zoning Hearing Board, whose decision regarding the project was appealed by the school district to Common Pleas Court. The court’s decision to reverse the Zoning Board ruling has been appealed to Commonwealth Court, with Mr. Jasper listed as one of the intervenors.

Among many other things, Mr. Jasper asserts in his most recent campaign literature that the school district “ordered 100+ additional soil test borings & final engineering drawings; having spent $10.7 million through Q1 2023“. He elaborates further on his website –

The district is drilling additional test borings…to attain greater certainty of soils quality and the work required to stabilize a hillside that is continually moving…The findings of soil testing will be crucial to the accuracy of highly suspect cost assumptions, currently just under $100 million. 

Assuming this is correct, for me this shows that the district is in the midst of due diligence concerning the stability of the site. Any additional fiscal concerns that Mr. Jasper may be trying to infer appear to have been acknowledged by the board in their Herald op-ed –

As fellow taxpayers, the board is committed to executing this project in the most cost-effective manner possible. In our recent meetings, we have emphasized our dedication to funding the project within the Act 1 tax index each year.

Furthermore, we are bound by legal constraints regarding the amount of debt the district can carry and the maximum expenditure on a building (Act 34). Overbuilding, overborrowing and overtaxing are not viable options for us.

Other factors affecting this may include a Commonwealth Court ruling in favor of Mr. Jasper and his associates, additional project requirements imposed by the Leet Township Planning Commission, and/or a repudiation of current board leadership by the electorate come November. 

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As reported last month, Mr. Jasper has hit the post-primary ground running, or as he puts it on his comprehensive campaign website, “Walking the Walk“. He took that sentiment literally during Leetsdale’s annual 4th of July parade.

Bill Jasper candy bag, distributed during Leetsdale 4th of July parade.

Instead of riding in a vehicle, the nearly 80-year old candidate chose to briskly walk the entire parade route. Wearing a yellow campaign t- shirt, gray work pants, ballcap, and carrying what appeared to be a repurposed cardboard box with an attached strap over his shoulder, he offered not candy to those he passed but instead gave out paper bags adorned with a campaign sticker to hold whatever candy spectators had already collected.

I drove a vehicle along the parade route, and Mr. Jasper’s pace was faster, so I was unable to snap a photo of him. He did present a rather unique visual when compared to other candidates – Johnny Appleseed came to mind.

That comparison brings with it a continued curiosity about what exactly Mr. Jasper and his campaign are sowing. 

Mr. Jasper’s website contains a lengthy narrative that delves into other topics surrounding district operations. These include cost per student, educational integrity, existential threats, and social and cultural issues. This page includes a “platform” for improvements that is endorsed by both Mr. Jasper and the QVGOP.

Mr. Jasper also addresses topics that perhaps stretch the boundaries of the issues at hand, and perhaps veer a little too far to the right  –

• He has some harsh words for local media coverage of the high school project –

Here is a spoon-fed article in the June 1st Sewickley Herald: “Design for new high school approved.” When you read it, ask yourself whatever happened to investigative reporting? There was no attempt to seek contrary input. No push-back, no questions asked. Just blind parroting of a narrative spouted by an interested party. The reporting by the Herald on the high school project has been consistently biased and one-sided. Question everything they print on this subject. It is not journalism.

• He also gives an impassioned critique of the public health / public school response to the COVID pandemic, which he describes as –

…a classic example of how we abdicated liberty in exchange for the promise of safety. We blindly accepted the advice of self-serving public health “experts,” enriched a new class of billionaires (+500), decimated the middle class and stunted economic growth. What’s worse, our public schools imposed lockdowns, masking and social distancing that served to isolate our kids and hinder their development. We even pushed vaccines with false promises of efficacy and safety for most kids who were at very low risk of severe injury. When history is written of our era, public health and public schools will receive failing grades.

• Mr. Jasper has also made the news outside of his school board campaign. In September of last year he addressed the Allegheny County Board of Elections at their monthly meeting with comments that were submitted in writing prior to his delivering them in person.

      WTAE was there for the meeting, and reported on several “election integrity skeptics“       that addressed the board, including Mr. Jasper. His comments included the following –

I knew there was some fraud in the election process, but the 2020 general election taught me I was very naïve. Fraud was rampant, and in my opinion, skewed the results. What we are enduring today — inflation, human misery, and threats to our national sovereignty — are the direct consequence of a failed, election integrity process.

G-men were my heroes when I grew up. Now, I see the FBI as part of the election integrity problem, not acting as a reliable partner of the American voter. You can and should do something about the election integrity.

Mr. Jasper makes note of his endorsement by the Allegheny County chapter of Moms for Liberty, and defends the organization and its efforts –

The media typically, and unfairly, associates Moms for Liberty with book banning. Understand, I don’t favor banning anything…I support the rights of parents to filter (and be made aware of) what their kids see and learn about, especially in the early grades. Further, I think the public schools have pushed an ideology that is opposed to traditional, family values; demeans the role of parents and fails to uphold our constitutional rights, including individual liberty — the antithesis of censorship/book banning.

I e-mailed Mr. Jasper requesting comment after Moms for Liberty was classified as an extremist organization by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). He replied –

I know (SPLC) from its early days when I was the publisher of a local travel magazine in Montgomery, AL. Like many such groups, it had to re-invent itself to survive and raise money. I don’t take them too seriously. They make noise; that’s what they do to stay relevant and appeal to their donor base…

What creates media attention with (Moms for Liberty) is disclosure of what is being taught in a public forum (school board meetings). Critics respond with bombast (allegations of “book burning”) instead of logic, thinking it sells better. It doesn’t.

LaTarndra Strong (right) came to Philadelphia to protest outside the Moms For Liberty event at the Marriott Hotel on June 30, 2023. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Bombast was not in short supply on either side of the spectrum when Moms for Liberty held their “Joyful Warriors Summit” in Philadelphia at the end of June. The event brought most of the announced Republican presidential candidates, along with numerous protest groups outside the venue – some invoking pejorative names (see photo) that have become popular on social media.

Trying to put this rhetoric aside, I looked for a calmer, more reasoned analysis of the group and found one at The Hechinger Report. Included was a short interview with Keri Rodrigues, the president and co-founder of the National Parents Union, an organization with hundreds of affiliated groups nationwide that describes itself as “an authentically parent-led organization that works to advocate for policies and initiatives that support families and promote educational equity…Our work is guided by a set of values that prioritize parent empowerment, collaboration, and community building.”

To me this sounds closer to the essence of how effective change in education should be addressed – not with inflammatory public demands from what is often an isolated, bellicose minority. As Ms. Rodrigues described the Moms for Liberty strategy –

This is not serious. It is a distraction…It does not do anything to really prioritize what our children need in this moment…we have work to do, and this is not work…It is political posturing.”

Bill Jasper is conducting a unique, motivated, and comprehensive campaign for school director at a time of great change and associated risk for the school district. Along with being a party to related litigation, he is presenting information that is relevant and timely to what is arguably the largest project undertaken in the district’s history.

He also espouses positions on issues that may get in the way of what appears to be his greater goals. By muddying the waters of what should be a campaign based on pertinent facts with typical conservative complaints about biased news media, overly restrictive COVID policies, and election denial, he creates his own roadblocks to the potential validation of his agenda by what is likely a good chunk of Region 1 voters. He can do better.

Until next time.

Election Postscript: I’d Rather Have a Ballot in Front of Me than a Cholecystectomy

(Apologies to Dorothy Parker et al)

With all of the lead-up to the May 16 primary election, I was looking forward to working that morning and coming home afterward so that Leslie and I, as is our past practice, could walk across the street and vote together.

That course of action was compromised on Mother’s Day, with the evening arrival of upper abdominal pain that would not go away. After toughing it out overnight, the decision was made to proceed to the ER at AHN Wexford the following afternoon. After a brief physical and ultrasound, it was quickly determined that my gallbladder was inflamed and possibly infected. With that, I was admitted.

So when I should have been casting my vote in what has been one of the more interesting local primaries in several years, I was having a completely unexpected parting of ways with a minor, reportedly unnecessary organ. Things have since progressed steadily to the resumption of a new normal.

During my convalescence I managed to read a bit about the election results, and have tried to drill down into some areas that haven’t been explored by others. In a general sense, it seems as if some unexpected gains were made in some areas, while in others the battle lines have been fortified and/or clarified for another round come November. 

County Races

The successful race run by State Rep. Sara Innamorato for the Democratic nomination for County Executive is another example of successful campaign strategies by progressive factions of the county’s Democratic Party.

The more moderate “establishment” candidates such as John Weinstein and Michael Lamb, both with lengthy track records in municipal and county governance, assailed Ms. Innamorato for a lack of similar experience. This included attack ads, some directly from the candidates and some from others, which attempted to label Ms. Innamorato as a “socialist“.

In the wake of her victory, additional attention has turned toward Joe Rockey, her Republican opponent in November’s general election. Mr. Rockey has labeled himself a “centrist“,  presumably in hope of attracting more moderate Democrats and perhaps the tacit support of the Weinstein and Lamb camps.

Mr. Rockey also attempted to paint Ms. Innamorato as being from “the left wing” of the Democratic Party and beholden to a particular labor union for the bulk of her support.   Full disclosure – I am a member of that union. Mr. Rockey himself has received the endorsement of at least one union as well.

With all of this posturing and wrangling, what really interested me was Mr. Rockey’s physical resemblance to U.S. Senator Mitt Romney of Utah. 

Left – Joe Rockey (R), Candidate for County Executive — Right – US Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah)

From appearance to similarities in surname and political philosophy, if Mr. Rockey were seeking a Republican politician to emulate he could certainly do worse.

Republicans also factored into another election having repercussions that carry into November. The race for District Attorney will feature County Chief Public Defender Matt Dugan, who defeated long-time incumbent DA Stephen Zappala in the primary, against…Republican nominee Stephen Zappala. Get enough write-in votes and interesting things CAN happen…

Regardless of who wins, there are some serious elephants in the room that will need to be dealt with, beginning with the county jail, and as a consequence the conduct of the county’s criminal justice system. 

On a more local note, Sewickley Borough Councilor Todd Hamer won the Democratic nomination for the District 2 seat on Allegheny County Council. District 2 comprises all municipalities in the North Allegheny and Pine-Richland school districts, and all QV municipalities except Glen Osborne, Glenfield, and Haysville.

Mr. Hamer will face incumbent Suzanne Filiaggi (R-Franklin Park) in November.

Magisterial District Judge – The Franklin Park Factor

Along with the countywide emphasis on criminal justice, the Magisterial District Judge is that essential first component of the justice system that brings it to bear for most citizens.

For at least the last fifty years the District Court for the Quaker Valley area has been located in Leetsdale, and served over that time by only two judges – the late James E. Russo, and the current judge, Robert Ford.

Judge Ford is retiring this year. The primary race to elect his replacement was somewhat spirited, with a twist that had a decided effect on the outcome and may impact the court in other ways, depending on the outcome of the general election.

Magisterial District Court 05-3-02 serves not just the 11 Quaker Valley municipalities, but also the borough of Franklin Park. This is significant in that Franklin Park, as of the 2020 census, has about 1,000 more people and about 200 more registered voters than all of the QV municipalities combined – a significant political force in this race if properly leveraged.

Click to enlarge.

Both the Republican and Democratic results appear to reflect the importance of this area to the eventual outcome, along with the quirky nature of one candidacy. 

Of the four candidates that sought party nominations, only one, Joseph Bellissimo, is from Franklin Park. Mr. Bellissimo is retired from a lengthy career in law enforcement at the federal level. He is also the only one of the four that did not cross-file for both party ballots, opting to seek only the Republican nomination.

While Glen Sovich made a strong showing in the QV communities, this was overshadowed by Mr. Bellissimo’s dominance in his own backyard. Of his 984 total votes, 780, or nearly 80 percent, came from Franklin Park voters, according to the Allegheny County Elections Division.

This dominance appears to have been essential to giving Mr. Bellissimo his 115-vote margin of victory over Mr. Sovich.

Democratic nominee Giuseppe Rosselli, the only attorney in the race, made a balanced showing across the district, with 46.7 percent of his 1575 total votes coming from Franklin Park. This helped him to a comfortable victory over Michael Lepore.

Mr. Rosselli prevailed in 7 of the 9 voting precincts in Franklin Park, possibly owing to a lot of time spent campaigning in the area, along with endorsements such as the one he received from the head of a prominent, family-owned borough business.

Still, one wonders what the outcome of the Democratic race may have been had Mr. Bellissimo cross-filed onto the Democratic ticket as well. This could make for a spirited race in the fall.

I am also including links to some of the information that was disseminated during the primary campaign, for the successful candidates here as well as other local races of note. This may be of interest should the nature and/or tone of the rhetoric from and between the candidates change substantially as the general election approaches.

Rosselli full page ad, Sewickley Herald, May 11, 2023

Leetsdale Candidate Forum, March 30, 2023 – via Sewickley Stream

QV School Board – We’re Just Warmin’ Up, and the Stakes are High

Bill Jasper postcard-style flyer mailed to Region 1 addresses in early June. Click to enlarge.

The primary results for the five seats on the Quaker Valley school board were settled along party lines, despite the ability of the candidates to cross-file for this particular office. The “losing” candidates in each race garnered enough votes from voters of the other party to allow speculation that the general election races in at least two regions will be close.

In Region 1, incumbent Gianni Floro received the Democratic nod over Republican William Jasper, who returned the favor by capturing the Republican nomination. Notable in the results is the showing of each candidate in the race that they lost, along with the total number of votes cast – both numbers being pretty close to one another.

Mr. Jasper has not let up since the primary, following up with a postcard mailer sent earlier this month and updating his already robust website with additional information, assertions, and allegations. His concerns about site safety, from secondary access roads to stable soils, bears attention.

While I believe it would be worthwhile to fact check the remainder of Mr. Jasper’s claims, I will reserve that significant task for a later time. I will say that at least one of the claims made on the above flyer has been called into question by those with subject-matter knowledge.

Gianni Floro ad, Herald, May 4, 2023

Gianni Floro ad, Herald, May 11, 2023

QVGOP ad, Herald, April 13, 2023 (All Regions)

Leetsdale Candidate Forum, March 30, 2023 – via Sewickley Stream (Region 1 Candidates only)

Region 2, which consists of just Sewickley Borough, had 4 cross-filed candidates. Incumbent Geoff Barnes and Republican Corinna Garcia-Skorpenske swapped the top two slots for the two respective tickets, all but guaranteeing them election to the two available seats come November.

There were also four candidates in Region 3, the district’s largest. These four chose to pair up, and split the Democratic and Republican nominations along those lines. Melissa (Missy) Walls and Jessica Webster will face John English and George (Bud) Smith for the two seats in November. Both incumbents in Region 3 chose not to seek re-election.

Noteworthy from these results is that Ms. Webster and Ms. Walls captured about one-third of the Republican votes, while Mr. English and Mr. Smith received 20 percent of the Democratic votes.  A factor in a potentially tight rematch? We’ll see…

Walls / Webster ad, Herald, May 4, 2023

Walls / Webster ad, Herald, May 11, 2023

QVGOP ad, Herald, May 11, 2023 (All Regions)

This upcoming general election for school board is also the closest thing to a referendum on the new high school that voters are likely to see, barring any action required under PA Act 34.

The five seats that are to be decided could constitute a majority of the board when it reorganizes this coming December. Depending upon the outcome, it could be a continued affirmation of the high school project as it is currently evolving, or present an existential threat to the entire project and a pivot toward consideration of options with the existing high school site.

The months ahead promise to be a tense and busy period leading up to November 7.  If the last school board election is any indication, the rhetoric and the amount of information presented will ramp up significantly – Mr. Jasper’s body of work may just be the tip of an ever-growing iceberg, with the future of the high school project being the proverbial Titanic if he and his cohort prevail. 

This is why I have created an additional page on this site that features much, if not all, of the print advertising regarding the primary election and the high school project. This will hopefully provide a civil baseline of where the candidates stood in May, should the tone of the election somehow become muddied in negative campaign strategies and ad hominem attacks.

There will hopefully be enough time to evaluate and report on what has already been put out there, and what will be forthcoming.

Leet Township Commissioner – High School Review, Divisiveness, Police Chief Controversy

It’s important to remember that while the future of the high school project is being indirectly mulled over by voters, the Leet Township Planning Commission is preparing to consider the district’s plans for the high school site. Sources have stated the latest estimate for that review process to commence is later in the summer, possibly in August. It’s quite conceivable that the process will extend beyond the November election.

How this will affect the upcoming Commissioner election is yet to be seen, but Planning Commission Vice Chair (and former Commissioner) Donna Adipietro was the leading vote-getter in the Democratic primary for three seats, followed by incumbent Martin McDaniel and Kristine Shelton.

Issues in Leet that I wrote about after the 2021 election continue to influence politics and relationships between government and citizens. These include divisiveness between residents that reside in the Fair Oaks neighborhood along Main Street and Ambridge Avenue and those in the newer, more affluent subdivisions located “on the hill” via Camp Meeting Road. These divisions are mimicked by the township’s two voting districts.  

Some of the campaign rhetoric resulted in several Commissioners trying to discredit statements made by Ms. Adipietro on Facebook. This occurred during their regular, public monthly meeting on May 8, and was verified by the township’s audio recording of the meeting, obtained by Ms. Adipietro via a Right to Know Law request. 

It would appear that this attempt to publicly castigate Ms. Adipietro had little effect on her primary showing.

It also appears as if the results of the Republican primary for Commissioner may indicate some dissatisfaction with the GOP camp as a whole. Both incumbent Carolyn Verszyla and Katherine Longwell were out-polled by write-in votes for the four Democratic candidates.

Of the 220 write-ins certified by the county elections division, Mr. McDaniel led with 77 Republican votes. He is slated to join Ms. Verszyla and Ms. Longwell on the Republican ballot in November.

Adding to the above controversies is the ongoing fallout concerning last year’s firing of Police Chief Michael Molinaro.

As meticulously reported by the Sewickley Herald beginning in April of last year, this controversy began with an investigation of the Chief that necessitated him being placed on paid administrative leave. One year ago last week Chief Molinaro filed a federal lawsuit over this action prior to being formally terminated (with no public notice) last July.

Review of the case docket and supporting documentation shows both sides trading assertions and rebuttals, a move toward mediation and evaluation of the dispute by a neutral party, and extensions of time to complete discovery.

In April, Chief Molinaro’s attorney filed a motion to withdraw from the case, citing in part “irreconcilable differences“.  In a May 18 letter to the court, Chief Molinaro requested termination of the suit, stating that he was in a dispute with his attorney over additional payments. He also alluded to a settlement offer from the township, and that his attorneys had stated they would not represent him further unless he accepted that settlement.

Chief Molinaro opted instead to focus on his right to appeal his firing before the township’s Civil Service Commission. Hearings related to that appeal were postponed indefinitely in September of last year.

In the wake of his declining a settlement offer and dropping the lawsuit, those hearings are set to begin tomorrow, with several future dates already planned in the coming weeks.

Chief Molinaro asserts in part that his termination is politically motivated, and that the reinstatement of an officer he claims to have terminated for cause also has political underpinnings.

In his letter to the court he refers to himself as the “Tentative Police Chief of Leet Twp. (Civil service hearing pending)”, which leads one to believe that reinstatement is his ultimate goal, and could also help to explain why Interim Chief Brian Jameson has yet to be formally given the job.

Based upon public court documents, along with evidence that has been made public record, these hearings could prove quite interesting. The information currently available includes several pieces of evidence obtained via a Right to Know request, after they were ordered released by the state Office of Open Records in response to an appeal filed in January by reporter Jennifer Borrasso of KDKA-TV.

These records include complaints about an officer’s conduct received from the township Manager and others, documentation of that officer’s actions that resulted in supplemental discipline, and written objections to that officer’s reinstatement from not only the Manager, but the police bargaining unit, consisting of all full-time Leet police officers.

Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, the cost to the township of defending the lawsuit could itself prove to be additional fodder for the November elections – even more so if Chief Molinaro prevails.

Even if he had accepted a settlement, the cost to the township for the Commissioners interfering where they likely should not have cannot be ignored.

Too Important to Miss Another

This election stands to potentially change the path of government in many areas within Allegheny County, the Quaker Valley, and beyond. The issues behind choosing which of our neighbors serve as elected officials will have far-lasting effects on the continued viability of governments large and very small, and on our education system as well.

I hope to be able to dig deeper into some of these issues over the next few months. In the meantime, there are other issues to explore, and a personal mandate to get healthier, lest other body parts have any ideas about rebellion.

Within that context I’m certainly glad we Pennsylvanians have the ability to vote by mail.

Have a safe and pleasant summer ahead.