The following may be hazardous to your health

I keep bringing up the capital campaign and somehow it is always brought back to the issue of artificial turf. So let's look where we came from, if we dare...

For now, Josephine Posti's Center Court blog is still available on Blogger. You can read it here. If she does delete it, I have it archived here. Also from 2013 is my blog post [6.9%] 7.46% increase for Timmy

Picture this: a school board sitting in executive session making very, very difficult decisions.

Where do we cut? We've already trimmed the fat; now we're cutting muscle. How do we pay for the remainder of the high school renovation? Do we wait for a green light from Pursuant Ketchum? Should we cut librarians? Guidance counselors? Custodians? Do we eliminate the community service coordinator? Should we charge students to park? What about increasing student parking fees? Oh, this is so hard! Shall we charge an activity fee? We need to make cuts as far away from the student as possible. How about a $30 million fundraising campaign? No...a $15 million campaign! Uh...$6 million fundraising campaign? Yes! That's it! But we still have to figure out how we are going to pay for the rest of the project. We can't have a referendum. Let's float a bond! We'll wrap it. Use capitalized interest. Don't use any money from the General Fund. It will only be $18 a month more. No, that's not right. We'll say that it is like no increase at all. No...We'll say it will be like two large pizzas. Wait a minute. There is a grievance that we need to address. If we ignore that, maybe it will go away. For sure, we won't budget for it. Uh oh, there is something else. PSERS. Darn that Corbett! It is all his fault. What to do, what to do? Let's come up with an early bird contract for our superintendent! Let's give him the same lame goals as he had in 2012-13 and 2013-14! Even better - let's give him a 6.9% 7.46% increase to kick off the 2014 contract. Perfect! But we have to do this quietly, because it will never fly if it gets out. Now what about the rifle range, the weight room, tennis courts, and Mellon Field? It should add up. We have TERC Investigations.

Here it is, Folks. Dr. Timothy J. Steinhauer's 2014-2019 Contract 

The picture I painted above was before the school board directors okayed a transfer from the General Fund in the amount of $923,520.02 IT ALREADY HAD. Josephine Posti and Elaine Cappucci, both on the capital campaign cabinet, were telling us that they were going to cut librarians, charge students to park at the high school, RAISE student parking fees, charge activity fees, cut guidance counselors, blame Corbett for everything, eliminate the rifle range, nix repairing Mellon Field, trimmed the fat and now cutting into muscle, while extending Timmy's contract - against the recommendation of the auditor general and give him lucrative annual raises.

Josephine Posti has the audacity to question a $700 donation to a political campaign made by an individual who also supports the MLFE and donates his time to the community - both municipality and school district. Read the crap that the Century of Excellence Capital Campaign "Co"chair has been writing about for years. The same woman who was praying for me. The same woman who is angry that her friend Mary Birks, pulled the reset presentation before the election like it is the fault of Riemer, Strotmeyer, and Diamond. Josephine Posti wanted to make cuts as far away from the student as possible, while wasting almost a million dollars from the General Fund - and she is the one who is angry. Unbelievable.

Hugh rocks!

Parents ask Mt. Lebanon School Board for smaller elementary class sizes

“I think class size is key as well,” board member Hugh Beal said. “I would be willing to vote to fund that. If we have to reopen the budget, I’d be willing to do that. I think we can find money and I think it’s something the administration should strongly consider.”

Meet the Candidates

On Tuesday, May 19, 2015, registered Republicans and Democrats will have the opportunity to choose up to five School Board Directors. Additionally, those voters in Wards 1, 3, and 5 will be voting for their candidates to serve as Mt. Lebanon commissioners. Four years ago, Mt. Lebanon voters had more options, with several candidates running for the same seat. The League of Women Voters held a Candidates Forum, prior to the May Primary in 2011, which gave voters an opportunity  to learn more about those running for office. For this Primary, registered R's and D's must rely on social media.

The race for School Board Directors includes six candidates for five seats. Those running for School Board have the opportunity to cross file.

Running on both tickets are:

Incumbent Elaine Cappucci
Incumbent Larry Lebowitz
Incumbent Bill Cooper
Hugh Beal
Sarah Olbrich
http://www.leboed.com/

Running on the Republican ticket only:

Matt Kluck
No website for Matt Kluck

For the Commission:

In Ward 1,

Incumbent John Bendel (D)
http://www.votebendel.com/

Dan McNichol (R)
http://votemcnichol.com/

In Ward 3,

Andy Reinhart (D)
http://www.andyreinhart.com/

Steve McLean (R)
No website for Steve McLean

In Ward 5,

Kelly Fraasch (D)
http://www.kellyfraasch.com/

William Hoon (R)
No website for William Hoon

If voters are dissatisfied with the actions of our School Board, this Primary gives registered R's and D's a chance to vote out one incumbent. The General Election in November will give all registered voters an opportunity for change in leadership (the majority) within our Municipality.

"This is bullshit and I'm going home." UPDATED

That is what Public Works Director Tom Kelley said at the June 3, 2014 Parks Advisory Board meeting at 00:55:13.

PAB Chair Hugh Beal was asking for an accounting of the funds allocated to the Parks per the Budget. Not enough money is being spent on the Parks, in his opinion. At 00:47:33, Hugh asked to look at Forestry. His copy of the 2013 Budget Actuals showed that there was $348,000 designated to Forestry. Beal pointed out at the 00:49:20 time stamp, that he found six dead trees in Rockwood Park, a park the size of a postage stamp, for example. Hugh said that he wasn't questioning Tom Kelley's competency or auditing anything; he was just inquiring about how the money was being spent. Kelley responded that he didn't care if Hugh was. To my surprise, Tom Kelley even mentioned my name when talking about Rockwood Park! He went on to say that he didn't like Hugh Beal's attitude and stormed out of the meeting. Yikes! Is this what the PAB has to deal with because they are against the turf project at Middle and Wildcat Fields?

By the way, the Parks Advisory Board representative for the Sports Advisory Board was not at the PAB meeting again. They didn't have a quorum. Who's the PAB representative on the Sports Advisory Board? Dave Franklin. I think it may be time to kick Franklin off of the Parks Advisory Board. It might also be time for Mr. Feller to have a little talk with his staff.

Commissioners, do you see what you are doing to Mt. Lebanon? You have boards and staff trying to keep Mt. Lebanon safe, and you have tied their hands by allocating over $750,000 to turf beautiful grass fields. That money could be well spent in other ways.

For anyone wondering, the dead trees have been removed from Rockwood Park. Thanks to all involved.

Update July 1, 2014 11:07 PM The Mt. Lebanon Parks Summit was held this evening. Hosted by the Parks Advisory Board, individuals from the Environmental Sustainability Board and the Mt. Lebanon Nature Conservancy shared their thoughts on possible improvements to the park system. The podcast is available here.

Parks Advisory Board pushes back!

The Parks Advisory Board met on May 6, 2014. There were three residents who spoke against the artificial turf at Middle and Wildcat Fields. Chairman Hugh Beal changed the order of the agenda so that new business, specifically artificial turf at Middle and Wildcat Fields, could be discussed immediately after Citizen Comments. 

During the meeting, the Parks Advisory Board decided to draft a letter to the Commission to express concerns related to the pending field turf project on Cedar Blvd.

The video has been uploaded on the municipal website and may be viewed here. The letter is read at the 01:16:28. Here it is in written form:

The Parks Advisory Board is writing the commissioners to express concerns related to the pending field-turf project being pursued by Mt. Lebanon on Cedar Boulevard. 

Although athletic fields are not strictly under the purview of the Parks Advisory Board, we are concerned about potential negative impacts of this project on nearby parks and recreation areas, and the nuisances presented to adjacent recreational open space. These concerns have also been voiced by citizens who have presented at PAB and Commission meetings. 

Specifically, the PAB is concerned about:
1. The use of crumb-rubber infill, which contains hazardous materials, including heavy metals such as lead, zinc and chromium. In addition, gases that are emitted by the decomposing rubber infill are known to aggravate respiratory diseases such as asthma and COPD. This will prevent vulnerable residents from accessing these fields and nearby park space.
2. The potential to increase storm water runoff due to the impervious cover used in the construction of this field. The resulting storm water may overwhelm the downstream Robb Hollow Park area and exacerbate Cedar Boulevard flooding events, further disturbing Cedar Boulevard residents. In addition, this storm water may carry with it the infill (and hazardous materials) and biocides/chemicals used to maintain the fields.
3. Artificial-turf fields are known heat islands, which may have spillover effects on other adjacent park and recreational areas, including the tennis facility and swimming pool area. 

Therefore, the PAB advises that:
1. The municipality should request that entities bidding on this project be asked to address these concerns directly.
2. The municipality should reconsider the use of crumb-rubber infill and ensure that the fields will not exacerbate stormwater problems in the Robb Hollow watershed area.

Thank you, Parks Advisory Board for reviewing your mission statement, for advocating for our parks, for listening to residents, and for protecting our precious resources.

Please sign this petition if you want to halt public funds for use of artificial turf at Wildcat and Middle Fields.