It was a year of interesting quotes by adults from all walks of life in Allegheny County's West suburbs and Beaver County. Here are some of those comments we published throughout the year:

"I can't see them getting rid of it, the 28X, with all of the people going to work at the airport."

-- Ken Nowakowski, of North Fayette, speaking about the Port Authority's proposal to drastically reduce routes include the 28X because of financial troubles. PAT did cut service, but not as dramatically as was feared and the 28X survived.

"It is probably the worst business that I can imagine being built next to my home."

-- Mary Pinsoneault, of Clinton, opposing a plan to build a gas station on Route 30. Findlay Supervisors approved the plan despite concerns of neighbors.

"The court will do what the school board could have done." -- Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Joseph James, changing Sto-Rox school board elections from at-large to regions to assure representation from McKees Rocks and Stowe.

"It's not very frequent that we honor these requests."

-- Tad Kelley, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service Pittsburgh District, speaking about Robinson's request for its own ZIP code.

"This cannot continue for the law-abiding citizens of Carnegie Towers and for the safety of my officers."

-- Carnegie police Chief Jeff Harbin after citing the Carnegie Towers owner for continuing criminal activity.

"We hadn't gone in to see the extent of smoke and water damage. It's dragged on so much longer than we anticipated."

-- Scott Baker, Jenny Lee Bakery marketing vice president, explaining why the bakery, which had been damaged by fire on Thanksgiving Day 2006 hadn't opened yet.

"I figure my job is to determine the function, and then the architect can create the form."

--Montour School District acting Superintendent Carl DeJulio speaking about his strategy in planning the renovation of Montour High School.

"In any small municipality like us, you can't afford to do a project like this. You don't have the money in the general fund."

-- McDonald Council President Tim Thomassy, talking about the borough's dilemma for replacing a 70-year-old bridge forming the end of Arabella Street.

"If they had not chosen to build it here, they would have been keeping the question mark out there: How long is US Airways going to be part of the region?"

-- Airport Area Chamber of Commerce director Sally Haas, explaining the impact of US Airways' decision to build its new operations center in Moon rather than moving to the Sun Belt.

"We're out of space. Kane Field is the only developable property left in Bower Hill."

-- Bower Hill Volunteer Fire Department Chief Gary Sawicki, addressing the need to purchase 10 acres of Allegheny County-owned property between Vanadium Road and Kane Boulevard in order to replace its 70-year-old fire house.

"Hallelujah."

-- Cornell Superintendent Erv Weischedel reacting to the settlement of a new teachers' contract. Teachers had worked since August without a contract.

"It's a good opportunity for the whole district, not only for the football players."

-- Debbie Mirich, West Allegheny school director and member of the athletics and activities committee speaking about $1.4 million worth of construction contracts for renovating the high school stadium.

"I know, nobody wants to see me."

-- Kevin Kinross of the governor's Western Pennsylvania office who was a stand-in for Gov. Rendell at the Classrooms for the Future ribbon-cutting at Cornell High School in Coraopolis.

"Smooth Operator is a great program. It enables us to specifically put an officer out on the road and target traffic enforcement, only without being taken away to answer other calls."

-- Hopewell Police Chief Gene Ungarean who was part of a statewide crackdown on aggressive drivers that resulted in 440 tickets issued by police in Moon, North Fayette, Robinson, Hopewell, Center and New Sewickley.

"Quite frankly, we spoke to a lot of pretty frustrated building principals. What the district needs is effective management."

-- Rege Kostrub, of Facilities Maintenance Systems, which proposed taking over management of the Montour School District's maintenance and cleaning staff.

"It is a sad irony that St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, named after the founder of the first Catholic school in America, can no longer sustain itself."

-- The Rev. Joseph Luisi, pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish, talking about the closing of the elementary school serving the Carnegie and Scott area.

"I think the judge very carefully followed all of the evidence and did, in fact, believe it was a mistake as opposed to a criminal act."

-- Joseph Paletta, attorney for Carnegie Manager Stephen Vincinti, after charges were dropped against his client for using a ladies bathroom instead of the adjacent men's restroom in the municipal building.

"We figure it takes a new road 18 months to live up to its projections. It takes that long for people to know about the road and for travel patterns to gel."

-- Tom Fox, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission spokesman, explaining the low traffic counts on the six-mile Findlay Connector after six months. The road was projected to carry 6,000 to 8,000 trips a day. The six-month average was 2,625.

"It was kind of a shock. But it was refreshing to see that people think that highly of me to serve the borough."

-- Jason Sarasnick, after his upset victory for a Bridgeville council nomination after the Primary election.

"We just don't feel that a gas station should go in a residential area, and the supervisors apparently disagree."

-- Mary Pat Pinsoneault, one of the Findlay residents objecting to plans for a gas station and convenience store on Route 30.

June

"At mile 18, you can now say, hmm, do I want to go east to Carnegie, today, or do I want to go west to Weirton?"

-- Stan Sattinger, co-founder of the Montour Trail Council, speaking at the Function at the Junction to mark the connection of the Montour and Panhandle trails.

"It's exciting because it's really going to be a valuable asset for the community. We've had a lot of response from artists who are anxious to help."

-- The Rev. Regis Ryan, a director of Focus on Renewal and driving force behind the Sto-Rox Cultural Arts Center after receipt of a $1.5 million grant to support the project.

"How do you think this looks to the average person out there? I think it's poor form for us to be hiring relatives at all. He shouldn't have been allowed to apply"

-- Robinson Commissioner Jerry Brouker complaining about hiring a nephew-in-law of commissioner Sam Abatta as a police officer.

"We are thrilled that the event is being held again. It was missed by the church and by the community."

-- Georgia Katzbeck, Crafton United Methodist Church secretary, on word that the Crafton Celebrates festival in Crafton Park would return over the July 4 holiday.

"It's Robinson Town Centre, it's The Pointe at North Fayette, but it really doesn't feel like the downtown. A lot of the goal of this workshop was really, 'how do we ... make it really feel more like the place that people want to come to?'"

-- Lynn Manion, director, Airport Corridor Transportation Association, discussing a mobility study by high school students of the North Fayette and Robinson commercial district.

"I told him we were going to the drive-in and he said, 'What's that?' I told him it was a big movie outside."

-- Jamie Bertges, who took her son, Josh, 4, to the newly opened Twin Hi-Way Drive-In in Robinson.

"We think it's a good decision. The taxing bodies provided services for those properties."

-- Chartiers Valley Superintendent Anthony Skender, agreeing with a court decision that dismissed a lawsuit brought by Robinson and the Montour School District in an attempt to recoup los taxes on Cloverleaf Estates West.

"You can construct hypotheticals, but is this sufficient to terminate? I don't believe asnosmia is a fatal defect."

-- Fraternal Order of Police attorney Ronald Koerner, commenting on the appeal of Collier police officer David Agostino, who was fired after he lost his sense of smell.

"I always said you should never name anything after anyone until they're dead. It's nice to be appreciated."

-- The Rev. Regis Ryan, director of Focus on Renewal health and social service agency in McKees Rocks, reflecting on news that the town's new art center would be named after him.

"We don't want to ship kids out of the school and we don't want them in trailers. We want kids to come to school as normally as possible."

-- Montour Superintendent Patrick Dworakowski, speaking about planned renovations at the high school.

"If you can hang one piece of insulation, you can hang 50. You just have to keep moving."

-- Julie Wettach, staffer for Hosanna Industries, which erected a house in less than one week with the help of more than 100 volunteers .

"I was going to keep nominating him until he won. My mayor has spent his whole life around Bridgeville, I cannot imagine anyone that would be more deserving of this prestigious award."

-- Bridgeville Police Secretary Mary Poole, explaining why she nominated Mayor Donald Dolde for the Pennsylvania State Mayors' Association Mayor of the Year.

"We have made a conscious effort to integrate both congre,gations into one. The future looks bright and it's a move that the parish had to make."

-- The Rev. Frederick L. Cain, pastor of Holy Child parish in Bridgeville where St. Anthony Chapel was closed and St. Agatha Church was renamed Holy Child.

"Are we saying the grades have been wrong for three years?"

-- Carlynton school director Pat Schirrippa asked after a computer glitch left some students with incorrect grade point averages on report cards last year.

"It was like go to the devil and give up, or do something."

-- Mooncrest activist Shirley Owen, speaking about why she had been involved for many years in leading the campaign to clean up her neighborhood in Moon. Mrs. Owen died Oct. 14.

"There's just so much there that's just a little bit beyond our reach. Each month we move a little bit closer and maybe we can grab one piece. You know it's out there; you know the potential's out there. You can see it."

-- Taris Vrcek, executive director, McKees Rocks Community Development Corp., speaking about plans for an upscale McKees Rocks.

"The commission recognizes his past service and regrets it can't ignore his disability."

-- Collier Civil Service solicitor Jack Luke, reading verdict to uphold the honorable discharge of police officer David Agostino who has lost his sense of smell.

"I can no longer continue to put my heart into serving this borough as I have done for the past 15 years."

-- Carnegie Mayor James Pascoe wrote in a two-page resignation letter.

"It's kind of like, 'How do you eat an elephant?' And the answer is, 'One bite at a time.' "

-- Center Area School District Superintendent Daniel Matsook, speaking about the daunting "to do" list of things to do after his district agreed to merge with the Monaca School District.

"It's very hot and it's dirty and it's scary and it's violent. You mix all that together and you can imagine what it's like to be there."

-- Oakdale police Chief Jim Lauria, who returned from Iraq, where he trained police officers for seven months.

"When I was looking to own my own restaurant, I was looking for something that was a landmark. This business was a business that deserved to be started up. Wright's was a huge success story. They had four generations here. I don't need to reinvent the wheel."

-- Joe DeCarlo, who purchased, remodeled and reopened Wright's Seafood Inn in Heidelberg, which had closed because of flooding in September 2004.

"It's a shame that it was closed for such a long period of time, but we are very happy that it has reopened sooner than expected."

-- George Werba, business owner who was please at the reopening of Black's Bridge, which carries Crafton Boulevard over the Port Authority's West Busway. The bridge had been closed 14 months for repairs.

"This is going to be the crown jewel of Stowe Township."

-- Stowe Commissioner Frank Zieger Jr., speaking about the opening of a new municipal building.

"I can understand how I could have lost. But, I cannot believe our township would vote for a car salesman when an attorney, Mike Vennum, was running -- an attorney with experience in municipal law."

-- Candidate Jesse Forquer, who lost his bid for Robinson Commissioner.

"From a local standpoint, we get $2.6 million worth of renovations for $1.3 million.

-- West Allegheny school board Vice President Ed Faux, speaking about state reimbursements for renovations at the high school for adding energy-efficient lights, boilers and other items.

"We're planning an 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot facility. The final size will depend on how much money we can raise for the building fund."

-- Mary Weise, president of the Bridgeville Public Library Board of Directors, speaking about plans for a new library.

"I think we all up here [in the commissioners' seats] deserve to know where this money is."

-- Robinson Commissioners' Chairwoman Stephanie Triko-Selelyo, revealing the existence of an unidentified and unexplained bank account holding township funds.

"The longer this goes on, the bigger the black eye for Carnegie."

-- Jack Kobistek, a candidate for a mayoral appointment, expressing his disappointment in partisan politics among Carnegie council members.