Towns

Baldwin Borough

A motion to hold all council meetings in the auditorium of the municipal building failed by a 4-3 vote during a borough meeting last week, despite support from Dave Depretis, John Ferris, and Michael Stelmascyzk.

Councilman Ferris criticized the current and longtime use of a small meeting room beyond the police department as the location of the meeting, which is held the second Tuesday of the month.

Bethel Park

Council will vote July 14 on whether or not to pave the parking lot for its public works building for nearly $85,000.

Tim Moury, president, said if council approves the project it should be completed by the end of September.

Mr. Moury said it has been many years since the lot has been paved, and last year the municipality completed some storm water work in preparation for the project.

If approved, the contract will likely be awarded to TA Robinson Asphalt Paving for $84,919.

The public works building is located on Slater Road across the street from the municipal building.

Brentwood

At its meeting last week, council voted to authorize borough manager George Zboyovsky to pursue changing the health care plan for employees, due to significant rate increases in the existing Highmark plan.

Mr. Zboyovsky said he would seek a different plan with the same terms of coverage.

• Council also awarded a reconstruction bid to TA Robinson Asphalt Paving Inc. for $255,473.55 for reconstruction of the library and pool parking lots and adjoining sidewalks. Construction begins this month.

• Council also voted to hire Cameron Wenig as a summer evening security guard in Brentwood Park. Mr. Wenig will work 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. at the rate of $9 an hour, and will work until Labor Day. Voting against the hiring were council members David Wenzel and Mario Richards.

• Council passed a resolutions to supports the borough's application for a community development block grant to make the library accessible for those with disabilities.

• Mayor Ken Lockhart requested that those attending tomorrow's Fourth of July parade bring supplies to donate to Brentwood Cares, a charity led by the mayor that sends care packages to troops stationed abroad. The mayor will be participating in the parade and will have a vehicle to hold donated supplies. In particular, the charity is seeking snacks and canned goods with pop-top lids.

For more on the parade, visit the borough's Web site at www.brentwoodboro.com.

Mt. Lebanon

The town's Fourth of July Celebration will start at 9 a.m. in Main Park, off Cedar Boulevard. It will include barbecue food vendors, music, games, a petting zoo, giant inflatables, a climbing wall, pony rides and more. Children's games and activities are from noon to 5 p.m., and All-Star sporting events are held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

An evening concert by Pittsburgh's Rhythm and Blues band, No Bad Ju Ju, is at 7:30 p.m., followed by Zambelli fireworks at 9:30 p.m. The rain date for fireworks only is Saturday.

South Park

The Allegheny County Parks Department, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group, will host the third annual Mountain Bike Festival starting at noon tomorrow in South Park. The festival continues at noon Saturday at North Park, at 6 p.m. Monday at Boyce Park, and at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Hartwood Park.

Bikers can participate in free organized rides. Cyclists are strongly encouraged to have proper equipment, including a helmet, water and a knobby-tired mountain bike in good working condition.

The trips will last approximately two hours and will cover 12 to 15 miles per ride.

For more, including contacts and designated meeting times and locations, visit www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/bike.aspx.

Upper St. Clair

At an informational session Monday, the board of commissioners gave the go-ahead to combining fund raising for the township's pending community recreation center with fund raising for the Regional Environmental Education Center.

The township will also seek 501(c)(3) nonprofit status for the effort.

Board President Ched Mertz said the action was a recommendation of Mike Green, of Goettler Associates, of Columbus, Ohio, which the township retained for fund-raising services for the recreation center.

The township hopes to raise $2.5 million through the joint effort, with $2 million for the center and $500,000for REEC.

The board is expected to choose a membership fee structure for the community recreation center at its Monday monthly meeting.

Ribbon-cutting on the facility is expected on May 1, 2009.

Whitehall

Whitehall Public Library wants to know if there's enough community interest in reprinting a 121-page, hard-cover book on the history of Whitehall. The initial printing of the keepsake, titled "A History of Whitehall Borough And Its Government," by former mayor Edwin F. Brennan, sold out.

For more, call the library at 412-882-6622 or send e-mail to whitehall@einetwork.net.

Schools

Bethel Park

St. Katharine Drexel School's Athletic Association is seeking parent volunteers to coach and help organize programs for the 2009-08 school year.

If interested, call Chairman Keith Lanetz at 412-881-1220 or e-mail wrkuzzbo@comcast.net.

Munhall

Steel Valley School District's Franklin Primary Center recently received a $4,900 fitness grant from the Highmark Foundation's "Highmark Healthy High 5" school challenge. The funds will be used for new physical education equipment for kindergarten fitness classes.

• The school district announced new breakfast and lunch prices for the 2008-09 school year: elementary lunch, $1.75; secondary lunch, $2; elementary and secondary breakfasts, $1. A la carte items, and second breakfasts and lunches also have increased slightly.

West Jefferson Hills

The school board, on June 26, adopted a $36.2 million budget for the 2008-09 school year that increases the millage rate for the first time since 2004.

The new millage rate is 21.08, which reflects an increase of 1.09 mills, or 5.45 percent.

Each mill generates about $1 million for the district.

Homes with an assessed median value of $108,000 will pay about $120 more a year in real estate taxes.

The need to raise taxes was blamed on annual increases in salaries and wages, and the recent rise in fuel costs and other items.

The vote on the budget was 9 to 0. The vote to increase the millage was 8 to 1, with Karen Cassel dissenting.