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Friday – June 28, 2013

Thursday – June 27, 2013

Wednesday – June 26, 2013

By Les Harvath

Published: Saturday, June 29, 2013, 9:00 p.m.

Updated 2 hours ago

For several generations, since tanks were introduced on the battlefields of World War I, kids, especially boys, have played with them as they grew up. But Belle Vernon Area High School senior-to-be Jonathan Baker has gone one better, or perhaps 33 tons better.

For Baker’s soon-to-be-completed Eagle Scout project, he has taken on a World War II era Sherman tank that, due to aging, exposure to decades of weather and vandalism, is in dire need of repair.

Situated on a concrete slab in the center of the World War II memorial in Monessen, a long-neglected Sherman tank is undergoing a long-awaited and much-needed facelift.

Exploring several possibilities for his project, “this one stood out,� Baker said, referring to turning the tank into an attraction instead of an eyesore. “I have five great-great uncles who were in World War II and, even though this is not the memorial dedicated to all Monessen residents who were veterans, this is a World War II memorial and I thought it would be a fitting tribute to them and everyone who fought in the war.�

With his plans in hand, Baker, a member of Scout Troop 1543 in Belle Vernon, attended a Monessen city council work session to present his proposal. One day later council gave Baker the go-ahead.

“Jonathan came to council and said he was looking at the tank for his Eagle Scout project,â€� Monessen City Administrator John Harhai said. “That tank has been here 50 years and, even though refurbishing was necessary, was not high on the list of the city’s priorities. We liked what Jonathan had to say and we are working with him. He is repainting the entire tank and redoing the surrounding area, including shrubbery.

“This is the future of the United States,� Harhai added, referring to Baker and Scouts like him. “These are the children you want to work with, and I wish we had more young people who are willing to take on responsibilities such as Jonathan has. This is an excellent project, one which will obviously benefit our community. He came in with a solid plan and knows what he wants to accomplish.�

In presenting his plans, Baker fielded questions regarding the overall project, landscaping, and color he would paint the impressive tank, a decommissioned military vehicle. He located the original serial number through a military data base website and will replace military markings of the tank, including a white star on the front and numbers on the sides of the 19-feet-4-inches long, 8-feet-7-inches wide, 29-feet high, 450 horsepower weapon, armed with a 75 mm gun, two .30 caliber Browning machine guns, and one .50 caliber Browning machine gun and a crew of five.

More than 50,000 Sherman tanks, named in honor of Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s subordinate, William Tecumseh Sherman, were produced between 1942 and 1945, and was the most commonly used American tank in World War II They were used in all combat theaters (National WWII Museum in New Orleans website). “Sherman tanks,â€� wrote Stephen E. Ambrose in “D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II,â€� were “the first vehicles on Omaha Beach (on D- Day).â€�

Baker has been involved with scouting since the second grade, joining with friends and following in the footsteps of his father, Jeff, who is Scoutmaster of Troop 1543.

Dennis Lynn, assistant Scoutmaster of Troop 1543, has known and worked with Baker for five years.

“Jonathan has a high energy level and a positive attitude,� Lynn noted. “He exhibits a lot of scouting spirit and is very motivated. He helps with younger Scouts and tries to keep their excitement levels up and keep them interested in their activities. He helps keep the Scouts focused on tasks at hand.�

Once Baker, who plays the clarinet in the Belle Vernon Area Symphonic Band and will be clarinet section leader in the Belle Vernon Area marching band, decided on his project, he reviewed some of his plans with Lynn.

“Everything went well,� Lynn added. “His ideas were organized; he had back-up plans and a very logical approach to what he is doing.�

To obtain necessary materials for the project, Baker contacted veterans’ organizations in Monessen and surrounding communities, receiving primer and paint, which will cover any paint markings from vandals to restore the tank to its original green color. In addition to restoring the tank, Baker, along with members of his Scout troop, is rebuilding a stone wall and redoing landscaping at the memorial site.

“Everyone I contacted has been very supportive and positive about the project,â€� Baker said, noting that the project will be completed in time for the city’s July 4 celebration.

However, Baker did not merely settle for refurbishing the tank and bringing it back to life.

“I’ve heard a lot about the Sherman tank and I researched it and discovered it obviously has an impressive history,â€� he added. “It’s one thing to work on a project, but if you know something about the subject it adds a personal connection, and is more fun in the long run.â€�

Les Harvath is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.

1. Valley residents big winners at Senior Games

2. Grebb Summer Basketball League begins its 5th year

3. Historic World War I tank in Belle Vernon gets facelift

4. CalU gets $100K grant from Scaife Foundation

5. Fountain honors hospital officer

6. Long wait ends

7. Monessen shooting victim facing drug charges

8. Two men charged in theft of tires, rims from North Belle Vernon shop

9. Festivities to mark opening of new Charleroi-Monessen bridge

10. Two arrested on drug charges in Monessen

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There was a time when people who lost jobs, at least in the white collar world, were told not to work at anything “lower status” while waiting for the next professional opportunity, lest it hurt their career. The idea seemed to be that if you settled for something too “low,” you’d never be taken seriously again.

I’ve heard so many versions of this idea over the years, my head hurts. Coming from a blue-collar family, I might have missed the memo that one’s career should be more important than one’s mortgage payment.

In any case, I think that most people who held this view have had to let it go during this last recession, which could be one good thing to come out of that economic free fall.

Now the issue isn’t so much whether one should take interim work, but how to manage it without wreaking havoc on the broader job search. Lining up the interim job is another puzzle for most people: The first job search is hard enough; now there should be a second search?

Yes, there probably should be. Even if you’re working, now is a good time to change your mental default setting from, “I probably wouldn’t take interim work if I lost my job” to “I almost certainly would.”

The more we lock our brains into the expectation that we can and will find work under any and all circumstances, the more resiliency we’re likely to build in.

With this world view, you start to see potential sidelines everywhere, just as a good driver is unconsciously scoping the road for potential

problems and escape routes.

Whether or not you’d like to take an interim job while you orchestrate your “real” job search, or you’d like to be ready in case you need one later, you’ll find it easier going if you follow some basic steps.

1. Think about logistics. An interim job usually pays less than your regular work. Hence, it shouldn’t involve a long or difficult commute. Unless you live in a rural setting, consider five miles from your home to be your optimum hunting grounds.

2. Consider your schedule. It doesn’t make sense to pay more money for day care than you’ll make at this job. When assessing potential work hours, look for time that you can give to the job without having it cost you money elsewhere. You’ll also need to allocate 15 to 20 hours a week to finding your main job. For these reasons, optimum interim job schedules often include early mornings or evenings.

3. Assess your marketable skills. Are you physically fit? Good on the telephone? Knowledgeable about tools or certain processes? Familiar with your area roads and neighborhoods? Write it all down. Remember: You’re not going to do this work forever, and you won’t be paid top dollar. So don’t limit your list to the things you’re very good at or enjoy doing. If you can tolerate it and do it well enough to fill the bill for an employer, it goes on the list.

4. Choose your interim job goal. A broad category such as customer service will work. Less helpful is a handful of ideas, such as “landscaping or call center work or night security.” Such disparate ideas make it difficult to build a credible resume, and can sound unfocused in conversations.

5. Make an interim job r
e
sum
e
. This short, to-the-point document highlights what you can do for a particular group of employers, and downplays everything else. So a marketing executive seeking retail work will use the top of the resume to showcase strengths in serving the public and making sales, with only a line or two toward the bottom of the page devoted to the last marketing job. The goal isn’t to “trick” the employer, but to demonstrate you have the skills they need.

6. Talk with employers. This kind of search is best done person-to-person, so start a list of potential employers and the managers to talk with. As a rule, this is more easily done with small companies, or those that are locally managed than with the big-box groups that rely on electronic processes. Once employed, you’ll find smaller employers are also more flexible about schedules.

7. Stay cheerful! Even if an interim job feels like a major detour, you’ll be glad later that you did it. Cash flow, structure, human contact and a sense of self-reliance tend to trump bruised pride related to working “below one’s level.”

Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.

There was a time when people who lost jobs, at least in the white-collar world, were told not to work at anything “lower status” while waiting for the next professional opportunity, lest it hurt their career. The idea seemed to be that if you settled for something too “low” you’d never be taken seriously again.

Or something like that. I’ve heard so many versions of this idea over the years, my head kind of hurts. I think that most people who held this view have had to let it go during this last recession, which would be one good thing to come out of that economic freefall.

Now the issue isn’t so much whether one should take interim work, but how to manage it without wreaking havoc on the broader job search. Lining up the interim job is another puzzle for most people: The first job search is hard enough; now there should be a second search?

You’ll find it easier going if you follow some basic steps.

•Think about logistics. An interim job usually pays less than your regular work. Hence, it shouldn’t involve a long or difficult commute. Unless you live in a rural setting, consider five miles from your home to be your optimum hunting grounds.

•Consider your schedule. It doesn’t make sense to pay more money to day care than you’ll make at this job. Look for time that you can give to the job without having it cost you money elsewhere. You’ll need to allocate 15 to 20 hours a week to finding your main job. For these reasons, optimum interim job schedules often include early mornings or evenings.

•Assess your marketable skills. Are you physically fit? Good on the telephone? Knowledgeable about tools or certain processes? Familiar with your area roads and neighborhoods? Write it all down. You’re not going to do this work forever. If you can tolerate it and do it well enough to fill the bill for an employer, it goes on the list.

•Choose your interim job goal. A broad category such as customer service will work. Less helpful is a handful of ideas, such as “landscaping or call center work or night security.” Such disparate ideas make it difficult to build a credible resume and can sound unfocused in conversations.

•Make an interim job resume. This short, to-the-point document highlights what you can do for a particular group of employers and downplays everything else. So a marketing executive seeking retail work will use the top of the resume to showcase strengths in serving the public and making sales, with only a line or two toward the bottom of the page devoted to the last marketing job.

•Talk with employers. This kind of search is best done person-to-person, so start a list of potential employers and the managers to talk with. As a rule, this is more easily done with small companies or those that are locally managed than with the big-box groups that rely on electronic processes.

•Stay cheerful!

There was a time when people who lost jobs, at least in the white-collar world, were told not to work at anything “lower status” while waiting for the next professional opportunity, lest it hurt their career. The idea seemed to be that if you settled for something too “low” you’d never be taken seriously again.

Or something like that. I’ve heard so many versions of this idea over the years, my head kind of hurts. I think that most people who held this view have had to let it go during this last recession, which would be one good thing to come out of that economic freefall.

Now the issue isn’t so much whether one should take interim work, but how to manage it without wreaking havoc on the broader job search. Lining up the interim job is another puzzle for most people: The first job search is hard enough; now there should be a second search?

You’ll find it easier going if you follow some basic steps.

•Think about logistics. An interim job usually pays less than your regular work. Hence, it shouldn’t involve a long or difficult commute. Unless you live in a rural setting, consider five miles from your home to be your optimum hunting grounds.

•Consider your schedule. It doesn’t make sense to pay more money to day care than you’ll make at this job. Look for time that you can give to the job without having it cost you money elsewhere. You’ll need to allocate 15 to 20 hours a week to finding your main job. For these reasons, optimum interim job schedules often include early mornings or evenings.

•Assess your marketable skills. Are you physically fit? Good on the telephone? Knowledgeable about tools or certain processes? Familiar with your area roads and neighborhoods? Write it all down. You’re not going to do this work forever. If you can tolerate it and do it well enough to fill the bill for an employer, it goes on the list.

•Choose your interim job goal. A broad category such as customer service will work. Less helpful is a handful of ideas, such as “landscaping or call center work or night security.” Such disparate ideas make it difficult to build a credible resume and can sound unfocused in conversations.

•Make an interim job resume. This short, to-the-point document highlights what you can do for a particular group of employers and downplays everything else. So a marketing executive seeking retail work will use the top of the resume to showcase strengths in serving the public and making sales, with only a line or two toward the bottom of the page devoted to the last marketing job.

•Talk with employers. This kind of search is best done person-to-person, so start a list of potential employers and the managers to talk with. As a rule, this is more easily done with small companies or those that are locally managed than with the big-box groups that rely on electronic processes.

•Stay cheerful!

There was a time when people who lost jobs, at least in the white-collar world, were told not to work at anything “lower status” while waiting for the next professional opportunity, lest it hurt their career. The idea seemed to be that if you settled for something too “low” you’d never be taken seriously again.

Or something like that. I’ve heard so many versions of this idea over the years, my head kind of hurts. I think that most people who held this view have had to let it go during this last recession, which would be one good thing to come out of that economic freefall.

Now the issue isn’t so much whether one should take interim work, but how to manage it without wreaking havoc on the broader job search. Lining up the interim job is another puzzle for most people: The first job search is hard enough; now there should be a second search?

You’ll find it easier going if you follow some basic steps.

•Think about logistics. An interim job usually pays less than your regular work. Hence, it shouldn’t involve a long or difficult commute. Unless you live in a rural setting, consider five miles from your home to be your optimum hunting grounds.

•Consider your schedule. It doesn’t make sense to pay more money to day care than you’ll make at this job. Look for time that you can give to the job without having it cost you money elsewhere. You’ll need to allocate 15 to 20 hours a week to finding your main job. For these reasons, optimum interim job schedules often include early mornings or evenings.

•Assess your marketable skills. Are you physically fit? Good on the telephone? Knowledgeable about tools or certain processes? Familiar with your area roads and neighborhoods? Write it all down. You’re not going to do this work forever. If you can tolerate it and do it well enough to fill the bill for an employer, it goes on the list.

•Choose your interim job goal. A broad category such as customer service will work. Less helpful is a handful of ideas, such as “landscaping or call center work or night security.” Such disparate ideas make it difficult to build a credible resume and can sound unfocused in conversations.

•Make an interim job resume. This short, to-the-point document highlights what you can do for a particular group of employers and downplays everything else. So a marketing executive seeking retail work will use the top of the resume to showcase strengths in serving the public and making sales, with only a line or two toward the bottom of the page devoted to the last marketing job.

•Talk with employers. This kind of search is best done person-to-person, so start a list of potential employers and the managers to talk with. As a rule, this is more easily done with small companies or those that are locally managed than with the big-box groups that rely on electronic processes.

•Stay cheerful!

LITTLE FALLS – The township is working with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development to develop a vision for the municipality that will be included in the master plan.

It is a vision for which they are incorporating resident’s input and to further that goal they held the second of two visioning sessions on Tuesday evening.

Michael Lysicatos, a senior planner with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development, presented about 20 residents with pictures of existing conditions in the Singac section of town and proposals for that area, which they then rated on a scale of one to 10.

He presented photos of “gateway areas,” which are points at which people enter that portion of town, photos of different signs for that part of town, and parking options.

“The pavement is changed to a kind of brick texture,” he said referring to a picture of what might be for an entrance to the Singac area of town. “It lets drivers know something is different.”

He presented a picture of a “shared bike lane,” something that indicated with sign painted on the roadway that the road was to be shared by bikers and cars. He also proposed connecting the Singac district to a walkway along the Passaic River.

Lysicatos focused primarily on the business district in the Singac area. “Parking is an important part of any business district,” he said, before asking residents to rate pictures of parking in front of businesses separated by landscaping, parking that is shared between residential and businesses, and street parking that is delineated with painted lines.

He also presented a picture of planter boxes in the streets. And Lysicatos presented a picture of public art that doubles as street furniture and bike racks. The bike racks appeared as larger-than-life paper clips and a bench was shaped in the form of a butterfly.

“There were many interesting ideas and they can make it happen in Singac if there is enough vision and desire,” said Renea Shapiro, president of the Little Falls Alliance for a Better Community. Shapiro said she would like to see new facades for buildings, trees, as well as new curbs and sidewalks. She added, “You don’t need millions of dollars.”

Shapiro also liked the idea Lysicatos presented for signs to indicate where certain business and landmarks are in the municipality. “We’ve been talking about that for years,” she said, adding that is also something that is easy to make happen.

LITTLE FALLS – The township is working with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development to develop a vision for the municipality that will be included in the master plan.

It is a vision for which they are incorporating resident’s input and to further that goal they held the second of two visioning sessions on Tuesday evening.

Michael Lysicatos, a senior planner with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development, presented about 20 residents with pictures of existing conditions in the Singac section of town and proposals for that area, which they then rated on a scale of one to 10.

He presented photos of “gateway areas,” which are points at which people enter that portion of town, photos of different signs for that part of town, and parking options.

“The pavement is changed to a kind of brick texture,” he said referring to a picture of what might be for an entrance to the Singac area of town. “It lets drivers know something is different.”

He presented a picture of a “shared bike lane,” something that indicated with sign painted on the roadway that the road was to be shared by bikers and cars. He also proposed connecting the Singac district to a walkway along the Passaic River.

Lysicatos focused primarily on the business district in the Singac area. “Parking is an important part of any business district,” he said, before asking residents to rate pictures of parking in front of businesses separated by landscaping, parking that is shared between residential and businesses, and street parking that is delineated with painted lines.

He also presented a picture of planter boxes in the streets. And Lysicatos presented a picture of public art that doubles as street furniture and bike racks. The bike racks appeared as larger-than-life paper clips and a bench was shaped in the form of a butterfly.

“There were many interesting ideas and they can make it happen in Singac if there is enough vision and desire,” said Renea Shapiro, president of the Little Falls Alliance for a Better Community. Shapiro said she would like to see new facades for buildings, trees, as well as new curbs and sidewalks. She added, “You don’t need millions of dollars.”

Shapiro also liked the idea Lysicatos presented for signs to indicate where certain business and landmarks are in the municipality. “We’ve been talking about that for years,” she said, adding that is also something that is easy to make happen.

LITTLE FALLS – The township is working with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development to develop a vision for the municipality that will be included in the master plan.

It is a vision for which they are incorporating resident’s input and to further that goal they held the second of two visioning sessions on Tuesday evening.

Michael Lysicatos, a senior planner with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development, presented about 20 residents with pictures of existing conditions in the Singac section of town and proposals for that area, which they then rated on a scale of one to 10.

He presented photos of “gateway areas,” which are points at which people enter that portion of town, photos of different signs for that part of town, and parking options.

“The pavement is changed to a kind of brick texture,” he said referring to a picture of what might be for an entrance to the Singac area of town. “It lets drivers know something is different.”

He presented a picture of a “shared bike lane,” something that indicated with sign painted on the roadway that the road was to be shared by bikers and cars. He also proposed connecting the Singac district to a walkway along the Passaic River.

Lysicatos focused primarily on the business district in the Singac area. “Parking is an important part of any business district,” he said, before asking residents to rate pictures of parking in front of businesses separated by landscaping, parking that is shared between residential and businesses, and street parking that is delineated with painted lines.

He also presented a picture of planter boxes in the streets. And Lysicatos presented a picture of public art that doubles as street furniture and bike racks. The bike racks appeared as larger-than-life paper clips and a bench was shaped in the form of a butterfly.

“There were many interesting ideas and they can make it happen in Singac if there is enough vision and desire,” said Renea Shapiro, president of the Little Falls Alliance for a Better Community. Shapiro said she would like to see new facades for buildings, trees, as well as new curbs and sidewalks. She added, “You don’t need millions of dollars.”

Shapiro also liked the idea Lysicatos presented for signs to indicate where certain business and landmarks are in the municipality. “We’ve been talking about that for years,” she said, adding that is also something that is easy to make happen.

LITTLE FALLS – The township is working with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development to develop a vision for the municipality that will be included in the master plan.

It is a vision for which they are incorporating resident’s input and to further that goal they held the second of two visioning sessions on Tuesday evening.

Michael Lysicatos, a senior planner with the Passaic County Department of Planning and Economic Development, presented about 20 residents with pictures of existing conditions in the Singac section of town and proposals for that area, which they then rated on a scale of one to 10.

He presented photos of “gateway areas,” which are points at which people enter that portion of town, photos of different signs for that part of town, and parking options.

“The pavement is changed to a kind of brick texture,” he said referring to a picture of what might be for an entrance to the Singac area of town. “It lets drivers know something is different.”

He presented a picture of a “shared bike lane,” something that indicated with sign painted on the roadway that the road was to be shared by bikers and cars. He also proposed connecting the Singac district to a walkway along the Passaic River.

Lysicatos focused primarily on the business district in the Singac area. “Parking is an important part of any business district,” he said, before asking residents to rate pictures of parking in front of businesses separated by landscaping, parking that is shared between residential and businesses, and street parking that is delineated with painted lines.

He also presented a picture of planter boxes in the streets. And Lysicatos presented a picture of public art that doubles as street furniture and bike racks. The bike racks appeared as larger-than-life paper clips and a bench was shaped in the form of a butterfly.

“There were many interesting ideas and they can make it happen in Singac if there is enough vision and desire,” said Renea Shapiro, president of the Little Falls Alliance for a Better Community. Shapiro said she would like to see new facades for buildings, trees, as well as new curbs and sidewalks. She added, “You don’t need millions of dollars.”

Shapiro also liked the idea Lysicatos presented for signs to indicate where certain business and landmarks are in the municipality. “We’ve been talking about that for years,” she said, adding that is also something that is easy to make happen.

Downtown Lex

Posted: Friday, June 28, 2013 2:55 pm

Consultants envision an improved Lexington

by Danny Gruber
C-H staff writer

lexch.com

|
0 comments

LEXINGTON – The Lexington Planning Commission met Wednesday to conduct a public hearing on the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

The city revises its comprehensive plan every five to 10 years. The last revision was completed in 2005. With revisions to area flood maps, as well as the recently released census results, city officials thought it prudent to revise the city’s master plan, which is designed to look at community projects planned out for the next 25 to 30 years.

Members of the commission heard from Jeff Ray, of JEO Consulting of Wahoo, the firm hired to conduct a profile of Lexington and determine how its citizens wanted their city to grow.

The plan for Lexington’s future was broken down into four major phases: Profile, envision, achieve and implement. To date, JEO built a profile of Lexington and, last fall, held a series of community hall meetings in Lexington to gather citizen input on what they thought Lexington should become.

Those who could not attend one of the town meetings were invited to participate through a website, called “Think Big Lexington.”

Ray was on hand to provide planning commission members with the results of those citizen ideas.

“Housing was a component that came through loud and clear,” he said.

Ray said the infrastructure was already in place for Lexington to grow. Recent upgrades to the city’s electrical feed and area transformers as well as current plans to upgrade the city’s sewage treatment plant will serve the community for several decades to come. The next step, he said, would be adding housing and replacing existing housing.

Other items to be accomplished were all cosmetic projects that would improve Lexington’s image. One idea was to create landscaping at the I-80 exit into Lexington that would give travelers a sense of place when driving through. Ray commented the scenery along I-80 was stark.

“It’s shocking to people from the east and west coast,” he stated, citing that York was a good example of a city that is easily identified—they have a water tower painted like a hot air balloon.

Enhancements along the Plum Creek Parkway corridor, such as a landscaped median, and enhancing the look of the grain elevators at the Jackson Street overpass with color-changing LED projection lights was another concept Ray offered.

One of the more grandiose visions presented by Ray was a “market plaza” on Adams Street by Vazquez Market, with space for several food trucks and an area for people to eat and congregate.

“Make it a destination area,” he said, adding the park was conveniently located nearby.

After Ray’s presentation, there were no questions or comments from the public or the commissioners.

The plan was approved by the planning commission and forwarded to Lexington City Council members who are expected to consider the plan at their July 23 meeting.

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