Here's to the past: The orange and black of the old Stowe High School Stallions fly atop one flagpole, alongside America's red, white and blue and Pennsylvania's blue, green and gold.

Here's to the future: 15 new computers and a new network base for the police video cameras that keep an eye on Broadway Avenue through the heart of the West Park business district.

As for the here and now, the double-edged Election Day buzz Nov. 6 spoke for itself.

With moving vans out front, voters in one room and township employees unpacking things everywhere, Stowe officials couldn't be happier with their workingman's version of a grand opening.

Two floors of brick, glass and granite, the new $3 million township building in the 500 block of Broadway took a half year longer to complete than planned.

But a few months of delays will add up to little if the oft-repeated accolade of Stowe Commissioner Frank Zieger Jr. stands up to the test of time.

"This is going to be the crown jewel of Stowe Township," Mr. Zieger said in May 2006, and pretty much every month thereafter. "If we do nothing else in our lifetime," he said of the current board, "this is it."

The 5,000-square-foot facility replaces an old, turn-of-the-century firehouse that had served as township headquarters for decades. The new building has twice as much space as the one on Island Avenue that will be put up for sale.

It includes much-needed elbow room for the police and township employees, said Township Secretary Marie Incorvati.

"We're certainly excited about it. I can't wait," Ms. Incorvati said recently as she packed up some final files.

Also included are an evidence room, three jail cells and separate entries for police and prisoners. The second floor will feature several meeting rooms and offices for the Allegheny County district attorney, state legislators and parole officers.

There's also a tax collector's office but so far, no tax collector.

One of the community rooms was used as a polling station which was intended to give things an open house kind of feel.

"We picked Election Day so voters in Stowe can see their new home, and I'm sure they're going to be proud of it," Mr. Zieger said. "We want to showcase it because it is their new municipal building, too."

As building committee chairman, it is Mr. Zieger who helped keep the long-delayed project on track. But he is quick to share the credit with the entire nine-member board of commissioners, particularly Chairman Howard Duerr and Vice Chairman Robert Homer.

"Like I keep on saying, when we work together this is what you get," Mr. Zieger said.

A special nod goes to former commissioner Frank Carpellotti, he added, who suggested the township invest in its past in flying colors. A former football star at the old Stowe High School, Mr. Carpellotti made arrangements for the Stallions flag. Even Mr. Zieger went along with the decision, though it wasn't easy.

Mr. Zieger doesn't pretend to be much of a Stallions fan, having been a graduate of the last class of McKees Rocks High School. Stowe and McKee Rocks had quite a gridiron rivalry for nearly 40 years until their high schools merged into Sto-Rox High School in 1966.