Fascinating information is pouring in about these groups. I received this link from the July/August 2002 issue of mtl Magazine. See pages 30 and 31 about fields and YSA. http://ebooks.mtlebanon.org/mtl/mtl-072002/files/31.html There was talk about turfing Jefferson from the time Smartchan was superintendent ten years ago. The JMA earned the PASBO (PA Association of School Board Officials) award of achievement, but it doesn't look like PASBO ever reviewed the 990 forms. According to the article, drainage was already rectified. Lots of interesting information, including The Blue Devil Club and Marcia Taylor's involvement.
I also received more 990's. The Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club does a fiscal year, only their fiscal year is from 1 September to 31 August of the following year. Here are their 990's.
Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club 2008 990
Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club 2009 990
Mt. Lebanon Aqua Club 2010 990
The Mt. Lebanon Hockey Association also reports on a fiscal year basis starting 1 May and ending 30 April the following year. Here are their 990's.
Mt. Lebanon Hockey Association 2009 990
Mt. Lebanon Hockey Association 2010 990
Mt. Lebanon Hockey Association 2011 990
I'm intrigued with all these non-profit groups in Mt. Lebanon - especially the field sports groups. No one group has $200,000 to contribute towards this scheme to carpet and light Wildcat/Middle fields. The Soccer Association comes close, with net assets of $179,687 - and MLAC has $131,592. YSA certainly can't come up with the $200K by themselves - they only have a net worth of $31,918! They must be counting on contributions from other field sports groups to bring $200,000 to the table.
Do you have nothing else to do?
ReplyDeleteElaine,
ReplyDeleteIf the YSA is simply a shell to redirect a portion of the sports associations' fees, I'm curious why would you expect the YSA to have any real assets?
Elaine, page 29 of the 2002 *mtl* article mentions high school use of sand (beach) volleyball in Mt. Lebanon Park, another now Olympic sport and really unrealized sport in Lebo. Wonder if it still is active and in use by students ? Does the YSA support it ? Another municipal recreation use not paid for with a fee. It has become a professional sport and maybe scholarships are available ?
ReplyDeleteVery notable is the "23 playing fields" on page 30. This contrasts with the only 14 column's of scheduled fields in the YSA turf proposal in June, which excluded the H.S. turf and H.S. "Rockpile" fields, and which would then account for only 16 of the 23 fields.
Lets see if anyone can tell us what happened to the 7 missing fields...what they were/are, where they were/are ?
Fortunately for those of us who care about how our tax dollars are spent in an increasingly adverse economy, Elaine makes time to keep up with this blog.
ReplyDeleteAnd, no, I am not Elaine.
12:45 PM thank you for noticing how much time I put into this blog. I did say that I would be a full time commissioner when I was running, so why wouldn't I take blogging seriously?
ReplyDeleteElaine
12:45 who are you to judge what another person does with their time?
ReplyDeleteI'll tell you what, pound for pound, dollar for dollar Elaine's blog is a lot more pertinent, valuable, insightful and entertaining than mtl magazine!
And amazingly she does it all for free.
12:45 you should make as good use of your time.
After all how many times do you need to read about Morgan's adventures growing up in the bubble?
By studying all of these local charities, foundations, or 501(c)(3)'s, via their IRS 990 forms, one gets a reasonably good picture of the financial health of each organization. I think this is rather important, especially when one is thinking about making a contribution, but has only limited resources to give to a local group.
ReplyDeleteSo as I say to my military clients (albeit revised for this purpose), "Thank you, Ms. Gillen, for the information and your service to Mt. Lebanon."
RG and 2:46 PM, first of all, I am not as old as Susan Morgans, so I don't have as many stories growing up in the bubble. I am waaaay younger. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSecond, I get lots of help. Thanks to readers, a lot of information shows up in my mail box. I couldn't possibly come up with all this myself. I am up to 77 foreign countries who have read my blog. Thanks to all of you!
Elaine
Having a positive impact on negative people does not equal having a positive impact on the world. True, I am a regular reader of this blog and I often swear at my computer screen because of what most of the regular posters write, but I'm starting to feel bad for you guys...none of you seem happy, with anything. Take a vacation! Get some sun! Have a drink! Just don't do it a youth baseball game.
ReplyDelete5:13--you're dismissed.
ReplyDeleteAnd why the magic number of $200,000? What's the significance? The magic carpet ride Franklin wants to take us on will cost ten times that.
5:31 if you were paying attention $200,000 is the amount the YSA says they will contribute... Hahahahahahahahahahahaha... They will contribute to the turfing project for lights and bleachers.
ReplyDeleteThat is $200,000 over ten years. That might be in dog years, but I am not certain.
ReplyDeleteElaine
Notice the two sets of 990s are from non-field sports. MLAC members pay a per-athlete fee to YSA which was reduced several years ago after the leadership questioned the value and impact of YSA on competitive swimming. As I recall the value cited by YSA was that efforts to get a new indoor pool would be fully supported by YSA members as a 'community.' As a member of MLAC, I'd like to see us stop paying into this organization and direct the monies elsewhere. By the way, we pay full costs for every hour of pool time, as I see the Hockey Association does for ice time. No free rides here. I also know that there have been discussions in the past to take a portion of assets to support either a new record board for the indoor pool or heater for the outdoor pool. Now this is an organization that earnestly looks at giving back to the community.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I was at a commission meeting when a representative from Mt. Lebanon Hockey wanted to fund some projects for the ice rink. I could never understand why hockey and Aqua Club would even be in YSA. Did I read it here or on Lebo Fields that Aqua Club wasn't complaining? I look at the pool and wonder what that person was thinking when he made that statement.
ReplyDeleteHere is the kicker. Lacrosse, which never paid a nickel to YSA made the YSA presentation for artificial turf.
Elaine