Towns

Mt. Lebanon

The Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon is issuing collectible note cards featuring town landmarks drawn by local artists.

They include:

The Mt. Lebanon Cemetery Gatehouse, by Baywood Avenue graphic artist Marilyn Narey

St. Bernard Church by Navahoe Drive architect Mimi Jong

The Nesbit House, 806 Washington Road, by Catalpa Drive digital illustrator Kathy Rooney

The Denis Theater (retro) and Potomac Bakery by M.A. Sinnhuber of Art by M.A.

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church by former Mt. Lebanon resident and educator Greg Frommeyer

An Arlington Park house by Marlin Drive West artist Kris Macoskey

Mt. Lebanon United Presbyterian Church by Mt. Lebanon High School graduate and art educator Ned Garnhart

Beverly Road Shops by former Mt. Lebanon resident and art teacher Karen Larsen.

The cards, which will be sold for $10 for a pack of eight, will be available in October at Create-A-Frame/Handworks Gallery, 670 Washington Road; Planet Art Gallery, 632 Washington Road; Portobello, 297 Beverly Road; and Josephine, 190 Castle Shannon Boulevard. The cards also will be sold at special events. Only 500 sets will be printed.

Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato will be among many civic, corporate and political representatives at today's 10 a.m. announcement of Family Hospice and Palliative Care's first capital campaign in its 26-year history.

The largest, not-for-profit community-based hospice in Western Pennsylvania, Family Hospice is renovating the former Ward Home at 50 Moffett St., in Mt. Lebanon into The Center for Compassionate Care. The 48,000-square-foot-facility will house a 12-bed Inpatient Hospice Unit, clinical/administrative offices and an Education/Conference Wing with seating capacity for 300.

To date, $1.9 million has been raised toward the project's initial goal of $3 million to renovate the 51-year-old building.

Renovations are expected to be finished by March.

Commissioners Monday night voted 3-0 to extend a sales agreement between the Mt. Lebanon Parking Authority and developer Michael Zamagias Interests LTD, to allow more time for Zamagias to put together plans for tax increment financing.

The agreement has been extended until Feb. 28. Commissioners David Humphreys and Keith Mulvihill were absent.

Commissioners still have not reached a decision on proposed turn restrictions in the Mapleton/Marietta neighborhood aimed at reducing cut-through traffic in that area. The traffic board had approved a proposal months ago and traffic engineer Mark Magalotti answered questions Monday but commissioners were unable to reach a consensus that would move the item onto an agenda for a vote.

Peters

Council tabled a decision this month, to replace the Pelipetz Road bridge, which provides access to the Arrowhead Trail, when the lowest bid for the project came in over budget.

The township had earmarked $175,000 for the project, expecting bids for a timber bridge. The lowest bid was $216,365 for a concrete structure because, township engineer Scott Rusmisel said, a timber vendor who could have supplied the material went out of business.

The 30-foot-long wood and steel span was in disrepair for several years, then badly damaged by the remnants of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, said.

Council questioned whether the bridge had to be replaced, because it serves only a parking lot to Arrowhead Trail and one private property. Council asked Mr. Rusmisel to review other options before making a decision.

The vote to table was 5-0, with Councilmen Robert Lewis and Frank Arcuri absent.

Council accepted a proposal from National City Bank for a five-year lease arrangement at an annual rate of 4.48 percent to buy a firetruck. Council voted this year to spend $292,964 for the truck, with the township and fire department splitting the cost.

The fire department agreed to pay the township $40,000 in lieu of trading in its current fire engine, which it wants to use for parts. The new truck is expected to be delivered next month.

Council reviewed a letter from Washington County President Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca asking the township to use its police department to move inmates to and from court hearings. Currently, constables do the job at the expense of the county court.

Township Manager Michael Silvestri said the request would be too expensive, and got the nod from council to discuss the matter with neighboring municipalities and to meet with the county commissioners and court.

Council tabled a vote on the final site plan for the Willoughby Woods townhouse development on Valleybrook Road because it has yet to receive the results of an environmental assessment that was finished several weeks ago. The content of the fill used to cover acid mine drainage ponds on the property is unclear, as are landscaping plans from the developer, who asked to remove several evergreen trees from the site.

Schools

Seton-LaSalle

Seton-La Salle Catholic High School will hold an open house from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday. An information session will be held at 1 p.m.

The school is at 1000 McNeilly Road. Its Web site is www.slsh.org. To schedule an individual visit or receive an enrollment packet, call 412-561-3583.