Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Tuesday: The News So Far

East Allegheny School District suing for having been assigned 35% of Duquesne High School Students. (P-G, Team Effort)

Editorial Aside: What will their argument be? Is East Allegheny particularly nearby? Are they getting hosed just because they're another hard-luck school?

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Wal-Mart steps in to offer a plan to stabilize the Kilbuck County site. (P-G, Don Hopey) They are not allowed to pursue any development until the structural work is done. One lane of traffic on Rt. 65 has been closed ever since the landslide.

Editorial Aside: The article seemed to leave the story's lead villain, Kilbuck Properties LLC, out-of-the-picture.

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The P-G Diana Nelson Jones piece on the departure of URA chief Jerry Dettore features the shock and disappointment felt by others upon hearing the news: folks from the Bloomfield-Garfield Corp., Oakland Business Improvement District, and East Liberty Development Inc.

It also has this:

"I was fortunate that the publicity surrounding the mayor's actions ended up" being advantageous.

"A lot of people in the region I have worked with over the years were interested," he said. "I have a number of opportunities and offers.

The Trib Jeremy Boren version plays up the bright future on the horizon for the "respected" former URA chief, and includes this note:

A provision that would have given Dettore a "golden parachute" worth a year's salary if he were fired without cause does not apply because he has chosen to leave, his contract states.

Editorial Aside: Sounds like he got tired of playing games, and elected to leave with his head held high. Imagine that.

5 comments:

  1. The East Allegheny argument will be completely sound and unbeatable in front of any judge from around these parts. They will need only point out, "But you have to cross the RIVER to get back and forth", and they will march away victorious.

    As everyone from around here knows, crossing a river is like adding at least another 50-60 miles onto any journey.

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  2. Admiral,

    What is the difference between the "river" you must cross to get to North Versailles and the "railroad tracks" any student in Duquesne would have to cross to get to West Mifflin?

    YOu're right, that will likely be their argument, but it is bogus, too, as someof those students in Duquesne likely live just as close to Versailles Township as some do to West Mifflin.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. You do realize that I was JOKING, right? It's bloody well ridiculous for any school district to refuse access to these kids, let alone the ones which are right next door. But since East Allegheny is suing, and Bram asked what their argument might be, I thought I would try to figure out what the lamest, most pathetic argument possible would be.

    The only obvious difference between the two high schools is that one required crossing the Mon. And since nobody around here likes to cross rivers to get anywhere -- I typically only do it to get to the airport or to Ikea, myself -- I thought that the "crossing the river" argument was probably about as lame as the East Allegheny lawyers could get.

    I was really just trying to have a laugh. I didn't realize that you would take me seriously.

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  5. Admiral--

    The problem is you may have been joking, but I could really imagine hearing that specific argument.

    Having looked at a map of the three communities, Duquesne appears to be within walking distance (or ONE PAT bus ride away from West Mifflin High School.)

    East Allegheny High School is not only in North Versailles, but is damn near in Westmoreland County, one mile south of the intersection of PA48 and US30(the Lincoln Highway).

    I don't actually think there is a PAT route that serves BOTH the communities of Duquesne AND North Versailles.

    So, tragically enough, since the distance between Duquesne High and West Mifflin High is a scant 2 miles, compared with 6.6 miles from Duquesne High to East Allegheny AND they have to cross a river, go through McKeesport, you may have a valid argument.

    Even if you WERE joking, I think you hit the nail on the head.

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