fall 2012 sewage treatment plant expansion study begun

Sewage Treatment Plant Expansion Study BegunFALL 2012

Public Works ..............................................2Cranberry Has It’s Own Radio Station ....4Cranberry’s Customer Service Dept. ......5Planning ....................................................6Renovation Blitz ........................................7Parks & Recreation ..................................8In Briefs ......................................................9Calendar ..................................................10

Thorn Hill Industrial Park........................13Tech Company Profile ............................14Supervisor’s Commentary ......................15Fire Company ..........................................16EMS..........................................................18Public Safety............................................20Seneca Valley ..........................................21

Inside This Issue:

724-776-4806www.cranberrytownship.org

A Publication of

It may not make for proper dinner table conversation, but there’s been lot of media attention lately directed to sewage in Allegheny County – raw sewage.

Here’s why: municipal treatment facilities there, particularly including the huge ALCOSAN plant on the OhioRiver, have had chronic problems withuntreated sewage flowing into the river as a result of rain storms. That’snothing new. What’s different is thatthat the problem has now prompted federal and state agencies to demandrepairs costing as much as $3.6 billion.That could triple residents’ bills forsewer service. And that’s big news.

Those same clean water regulationsapply throughout Pennsylvania, including Cranberry and Butler County,

although the architecture and conditionof the Township’s sewer system are fundamentally different. But the environmental concern is the same. So for years, Cranberry’s Board ofSupervisors has made a priority ofincluding responsible collection, transmission and treatment of wastewater as an essential element of its planning for community growth.

That includes an aggressive program to identify and remove stormwater from the sanitary sewer system. Itincludes a pretreatment program that obliges businesses to remove hard-to-treat material from their wastestream before it reaches the plant. Itincludes frequent inspection, repair andrelining of sewer pipes. And it includescareful monitoring of sewage flow andpopulation growth to anticipate thepoint at which planning for upgrades to the plant will be required.

That point has now been reached.Accordingly, at their August meeting, the Board adopted a Resolution that initiated a planning, design, and permitting process which could lead toexpanding the Brush Creek wastewatertreatment plant’s capacity. That processis expected to take several years tocomplete. However, any expansion it

leads to wouldn’t have to be in placeuntil 2017, which is consistent with thenormal five-year timeline for projects of that type.

“Our charge is always to stay ahead of the game,” explained AssistantTownship Manager Duane McKee, whowill be overseeing the planning effort.“It’s about using the planning tools we have to make sure the plant’s ready to grow with the community.” ˜

Flushing out future needs. What willCranberry’s wastewater treatment capacityrequirements be when the Townshipbecomes fully built-out? A new study will examine the community’s needs for 2030 and beyond.

Cranberry’s Board of

Supervisors has made a

priority of including responsible

collection, transmission and

treatment of waste water as

a fundamental element of

community growth.

FALL2012 CranberryTodayLR_CranberryToday Temp.FNL 9/25/12 11:46 AM

We’re Pumped Up! Cranberry’s fresh water supply has a brand new gateway into the Township. It’s the newly constructed $2.8 million pump house on Pennwood Place in Thorn Hill Industrial Park, and it hasenough pumping capacity to meet Cranberry’s projected water needs through 2030 and beyond, when the Township’s population is anticipated to level out at around 50,000. The new facility, which replaces a smaller pumping station nearby, is outfitted with high-efficiency pumps and variable speed motor drives. It will be able to deliver as much as 4.4 million gallons a day to Cranberry’s water system from the West View Water Authority’streatment plant on Neville Island.

PAGE 2 Cranberrytoday

PUBLIC WORKS

Interceptor One Water flows north in Cranberry, so the Township’s gravity-fed sanitary sewer system ends up in the northern part of the community, at the sewage treatment plant on Powell Road, by the Turnpike. The neighborhood collector pipes which carry thatwastewater, drain into larger trunk lines, calledInterceptors. And Cranberry’s 16 local interceptors, in turn, feed into Interceptor One, which delivers all of it to the treatment plant. Work on installing a newand larger Interceptor One is currently underway.Excavation began at the plant in July and will eventually work its way south to the Allegheny Countyline. Greenland Construction, a family-owned business,is building the pipeline and adhering to its 18-monthconstruction timetable, despite the sudden loss of afamily member, attributed to natural causes, on theCranberry job site in August.


www.cranberrytownship.org PAGE 3

PUBLIC WORKS

Not everyone is in the market for a second-hand police cruiser, dump truck, or hot dog grill. But lots of localgovernments, taxi operators and building contractors are. So whenCranberry retires its older vehicles and surplus equipment, it wants tomake it as easy as possible for other people to buy them.

Until two years ago, that was accomplished by advertising an auctionin the local newspapers and hiring anauctioneer to preside over the sale.Prospective buyers from all around theregion would flock to the Public Worksbuilding yard where the items were on display. Each bidder was issued a number, and the auctioneer wouldmethodically go from item to item, seeking bids from anyone interested. A fee of 10 percent would then betacked onto the successful buyer’s bid to cover the auctioneer’s expenses,and all moneys owed would be collectedon the spot.

Most of the merchandise actually sold, although some for very modestprices. But the amount of upfrontadministrative work required of PublicWorks employees was significant, andadvance approval by the Board of

Supervisors was always required. Not only that, in order to maximizeattendance, the auctions were oftenscheduled at times outside of normalwork hours, which would frequentlyresult in overtime pay.

So, several years ago, the Township tried a different approach to disposingof its older vehicles, equipment, andsurplus materials: an online auction, in this case, one run by Municibid, a

web-based company started in 2006 to improve the returns which local government agencies in Pennsylvania,Massachusetts and Maine received for selling their excess items. Howeverbuyers from anywhere in the world –including private individuals – are welcome to bid on and buy that merchandise.

Anyone familiar with eBay would recognize the formula. A photo of the

item at auction is displayed and a detailed description is provided, including its location. The highest current bid and closing time of the auction are shown. Bid increments areidentified along with conditions of saleand answers to questions posed by prospective bidders.

“Everything we’ve tried to sell has sold,” Public Works Director JasonDailey reflected. “Vehicles are obviouslyour bigger ticket items. But everythingfrom $25 signal heads to a kitchen grillto printers and computers has gone. So we’ve been pretty successful.”

And it’s not just sales to local buyers.“One of the last police cars that we soldactually went to New Jersey,” he said.“Surprisingly, it’s dealers who find thesevehicles because they know they have a second life after we’ve used them.We’re not always sure what they do withthem. But they generally come in withtheir dealer credentials to purchasethose vehicles.

“Another advantage is that you don’thave a lot of haggling. The reserve priceis what it is. If they bid too low, it showsthem that the reserve has not been met . We do our research ahead of time;we know what these used vehicles areworth on the market, and we know what we want to get for them.

“We don’t have specific dates when we run auctions, but we have donethem fairly regularly in the fall becausethat’s usually when any new vehicles webought have arrived, and we’re ready todispose of the old ones. So usually, bythe end of September or early October,we’re ready to have an auction.”Winning bidders then add 8 percent to the purchase price for the auctionsite’s fee.

To see what Cranberry and other local governments are selling, or to register as a potential bidder, go towww.municibid.com. ˜

The Virtual Auction: Bringing That Cyber-Gavel Down

Buyers from anywhere

in the world – including

private individuals – are

welcome to bid on and

buy that merchandise.


Cranberrytoday

More and more people are listening to the radio these days, according toArbitron. But it’s not necessarily yourgrandfather’s kind of radio – the typestarted nearly a century ago by KDKA.Now, in addition to traditional AM andFM radio broadcasts, listeners are tuning to satellite radio in their cars, HD radio in their homes, podcasts intheir pockets, and internet radio justabout everywhere.

In fact, there are more than 18,000internet radio stations now online, and most are available to listenersworldwide. More stations are joining indaily as traditional broadcasters addaudio streaming to their websites, andorganizations of other sorts – churches,hotels, theme parks, airports, chainstores and so on – create their owncombined music-information webcasts.

So, starting this past July duringCommunity Days, Cranberry Townshipbegan offering a hyper-localized service,Cranberry Community Radio, or CCR. It is the first municipality known to have added internet radio to its mix ofinformation resources, and a six-monthpilot test of the system is now underwayto see if it can generate enough interestamong listeners, as well as potentialadvertisers, to become a self-sufficientinformation and entertainment serviceby next year.

To listen, simply go to the home page of the Cranberry Township website,www.cranberrytownship.org, and clickon either of the two links posted on itsleft side. A new screen will open whichincludes a few simple controls, and

following a short pause, the audio portion will begin. Or you can go directly to the broadcast at www.cranberryradio.com. The service is in operation 24/7, but the energylevel of the music played at night isdeliberately scaled back from its moreup-tempo daytime selections.

Cranberry resident and broadcast radio veteran Keith Stover was an early proponent of the idea. He had previouslyimplemented a dedicated internet radio service for Dutilh MethodistChurch, where he is also a member. His company, Shout Mountain, providesthe back office technology and musicstreamed over both the church andTownship stations, as well as the newsannouncements and informational messages placed between songs inCCR’s adult contemporary repertoire – a music catalog which has been artfullyscrubbed of potentially offensive lyrics.

But listening to the station doesn’trequire its audience to be tethered to their desktop computers. It is also available on cell phones, throughtablets, on tabletop internet radios, and in cars outfitted to connect theirsound systems with personal mobiledevices. Nor does listening have to be a solitary experience.

Visitors to the CranberryWaterpark this summerwere astonished to hear a commercial-quality radio service over the facility’s sound systempunctuated with professionally recordedannouncements about the CranberryPublic Library, Cranberry Highlands,recycling events and similar highly localized messages, including somefrom its initial commercial sponsor,Northland Ford. And customers of thedealership were equally surprised tohear it over the auto store’s music system.

But will it last? If, after the six-monthpilot run evaluation, the decision ismade to continue CCR, Stover seesmore features being added to the service. One possibility involves creatingoriginal programming, perhaps targetedto specific segments of the Township’spopulation. Another is integrating theradio service more closely with a mobilephone application which could enablelocal shoppers – as well as local shopowners – to connect more easily.

Still, with the current surge of newmedia, it is far from clear where any single service will end up, even just afew years into the future. But if CCRproves to be a success, it will provide

residents with usefulcommunityinformation,offer a newoutlet for localbusinessadvertising,and engendera closersense ofbelonging toits listeners –all without costing thema dime. ˜

Now Hear This: Cranberry Has Its Own Radio Station

Cranberry Township is the first

municipality known to have

added internet radio to its mix

of information resources.



“We really do try to answer people’squestions,” Nancy Sikora, Supervisor of Cranberry’s Customer Service department explained. But there aresome questions they just don’t have a good answer for.

“We always get unusual stuff,” Sikoraadmitted, “like what do I do about a raccoon in my back yard who’s staringat me? Where do I get the paperworkfor a driver’s license? I’m getting married; where do I go? Where do Ivote? Where can I buy a dog license?”But the most frequent questions involvetrash issues, building permits andinspections, and concerns over sewerand water payments – issues that everyone on staff is well prepared to handle.

Still, with the growth of municipal services, Cranberry’s Customer Servicedepartment has emerged as the focusfor all sorts of inquiries concerning alltypes of government functions – manyof which actually belong to state orcounty agencies.

Yet even today, where posted customerratings have become all the rage, veryfew public agencies actually operatecustomer service departments. In fact,the very notion that governments have“customers” at all – a term traditionallyreserved for business patrons – is alien

to most units of government. As aresult, most public agencies tend tostaff their offices with a receptionist out in front, whose main job is to screenvisitors and steer them to other staffdepartments. Cranberry is different.

The Customer Service counter inCranberry’s Municipal Center is staffede very business day from 7:30 in themorning until 5:00 in the evening. Thatcounter is the first thing visitors seewhen they enter the administrativeoffice. All six of its customer service representatives, or CSRs, as they’reknown, are expected to handle anyissue thrown their way, although anyoneis welcome to drop by and chat with thepeople who work there, even duringlunch hour. In fact, many of the peoplewho stop by just come over to say hello.

What most visitors don’t see when theycall or drop by is the administrativeinfrastructure the CSRs use to handlethe issues people bring in. Should it beentered into the Township’s network asa service request? As a work order? Asan informational query? As an inside oroutside referral? And which area of theTownship organization is best equippedto resolve their issue? But for someone

whose problem requires quick attention,that doesn’t matter; what really countsis the results, and Cranberry’s’ CSRsare very results-oriented.

Even though Customer Service maintains a 9½ hour work day, gettingthere isn’t always convenient for someresidents, and the department is awareof that. “In the future, I see extendedhours with more services becomingavailable 24/7,” Sikora observed. “I seeus taking advantage of more featureson the website – almost like a 3-1-1system where you can submit a request online and we’ll forward it on.Or processing utility bills online. Or issuing building permits online. Also, live chat – it’s just another avenue fortalking with people over the phone and through the computer.” ˜

Cranberry’s Customer Service Department: Manning The Front Lines

For someone whose problem

requires quick attention,

what really counts is the

results, and Cranberry’s’

CSRs are very results-oriented.

Question: “Who’s the Commissioner?”Answer: the Chairman of our

Board of Supervisors is… “No, who’s the Commissionerof the NFL?”

Question: “I’m travelling to CranberryTownship and leaving theCentury III Mall parking lot;do I turn right or left?”

Question: “What’s the water quality of the stream near theTurnpike? I want to let my dog wade in it.”


PLANNING

Seven years ago, Cranberry’s Board ofSupervisors adopted the Township’sfirst Traditional NeighborhoodDevelopment Zoning ordinance, or TND.Its timing was largely to accommodatethe development of Park Place, a huge

project adjacent to Graham Park which visualized building approximately 800 living units, and whose design represented a sharp break from thelarge-lot, single family home, plannedresidential developments which had been the standard pattern forneighborhood construction in Cranberryover the previous 30 years.

For example, the new ordinance provided for smaller lots, shorter setbacks, on-street parking, a mix ofhousing types, commingling commercialwith residential uses, alley ways, streetgrids, and other features normally

associated with 19th century smalltowns and big city neighborhoods.Increased density is always a plus for developers.

But the resulting building configurationshad another important quality: that

unlike previous zoningrequirements, theTND permittingprocess focused onthe form that a proposed new construction projectwould take, ratherthan on the uses itstenants planned tomake of it. What itmeant was that in the future, as thecommunity’s life-workpatterns evolved, the Township’sappearance wouldremain largelyunchanged.

Since the 2005 adoption ofCranberry’s first TND ordinance, its provisions have beenrefined and extendedto other areas of

the Township, enabling types of bothnew and infill development to happen which would have been illegal under the previous code. The most recent fine-tuning of the ordinance took placejust this past summer. And it includedrenaming the zoning regulations from TNDs to CCDs – CommunityCharacter Districts.

“There are good ways to do density and not-so-good ways to do density,”Chief Strategy Officer John Trant, Jr.explained, referencing the Township’s2009 comprehensive plan. “TheCranberry Plan focused on higher

density, mixed use, pedestrian oriented development. The TNDs were our means to that end. CCD is a re-characterizing of that zoning tool; it’s fundamentally the same.

“But the term ‘traditional,’ in Cranberry,suggests that we’re trying to rebuild the past. We’re not. We’re trying to build on the past and introduce higherdensity, mixed use, pedestrian orienteddevelopment for reasons that rangefrom quality of life to the fiscal health of the Township. There’s not a whole lottraditional about that; it’s more aboutlooking forward into the future.”

However, the Township’s interest inextending its TND/CCD ordinances community-wide are more than simplyphilosophical. “We know that markettrends show an exponential increase in demand for housing stock centeredaround mixed use development – neighborhoods that are pedestrian-oriented with apartments, townhouses,and a mix of dwelling types,” Trant said.“It’s both a mix of different housingtypes, and mixing residential with non-residential uses in the same area.”

“Our goal is for the TND/CCD ordinanceto become either the primary or an overlay zoning ordinance for the entiretownship,” he said. “The Cranberry Plan makes a compelling case for anyfuture development to be mixed use,pedestrian-oriented, higher densitydevelopment. So that’s the directionthat we’re heading.

“Single-family subdivisions can still bebuilt, but we’re not incentivizing themwith our ordinances like we did in the‘80s and ‘90s. We’re incentivizing moremixed housing stock – higher densityand the ability for developers toincrease their revenues by increasingthe number of units on a site.” ˜

Taking The Tradition Out Of Traditional Neighborhood Development


“We’re trying to build on the past and

introduce higher density, mixed use,

pedestrian oriented development. There’s

not a whole lot traditional about that;

it’s more about looking forward.”



It may not have been an ExtremeMakeover – after all, no walls were torn down and no rooms added – butthe surprise renovations donated toupgrade the Cranberry home of MarineStaff Sergeant Joshua Caskey and hisfamily during five days of intensive work,were both extensive and dramatic.

Back in March, the 12-year Marine veteran had accepted medical retirementfrom the service as a result of injuriessuffered during his second tour in Iraq.He, his wife Kelly, and their four youngchildren returned to southwesternPennsylvania, the couple’s childhoodhome, and bought a 1979 house in theTownship’s Creekwood neighborhood.

It was in fairly good shape for a home of its age, but it required some TLC, particularly in light of Sgt. Caskey’sinjuries. For example, the home’s frontentry had subsided, the front railing into the house was loose, some of theflooring was unstable, grab bars wouldbe needed for better balance, and soon. It was the perfect project for theRemodelers Council – a division of theBuilders Association of MetropolitanPittsburgh. Jim Eichenlaub is BAMP’sExecutive Director, Todd Klippa chairsthe Remodelers Council.

“Our national organization had teamedup with the NFL Players Association,encouraging the local chapters of bothgroups to work collaboratively to do projects for either veterans or folks inneed,” Eichenlaub explained. “So wesaid we’d like to do a project. We

identified a couple of folks through aveterans support organization, visitedwith the Caskeys, and looked at whatthey said they needed. They gave us apretty short list of things. Meantime,Todd and I were thinking while thosewere nice things to do, we’d almost certainly go beyond them. But we didn’t tell them that.”

As soon as the two men went back tothe Council to explain what they had inmind, the project began snowballing.Offers of help and donations beganpouring in. “Our organization includes600 companies, a number of which aresuppliers. I had six or seven companiesthat would have supplied kitchens orbaths,” Eichenlaub said. “But I didn’thave enough kitchens and baths to goaround. So we started splitting it up andsaying ‘okay, if you’ll supply the vanityupstairs, someone else will supply theone downstairs.’ So we spread it out as best we could to involve as manypeople as possible.

“We ended up with over 100 companies,and we still have members who say theywant to make a donation. If it doesn’t go to this project, we know it’ll go to thenext one because we want to continuethis as an ongoing operation. Whetherit’s with the football players or not, ourassociation will continue to provide support to the counties our membership serves.”

To preserve the sense of surprise, 84 Lumber, the owners of NemacolinWoodlands, offered the family a

week-long vacation at its LaurelHighlands resort just before the remodeling work began. Their neighborswere quietly recruited to help in whatwas to become a whirlwind of activitywhich soon touched every facet of thehome’s interior and exterior.

“The Township administration was overwhelmingly cooperative,”Eichenlaub said. “And the neighborsjumped in 110 percent. A couple ofthem actually took vacation to be there.And when the residents got notified, itstarted another round of support andpeople asking: what can I do? Word gotout to the Caskey’s church, and that ledto more people. And Josh’s affiliationwith the military organizations – theyjumped in and said what can we do? It just took on a life of its own.”

The family’s return to their home onAugust 24 was huge. TV stations, aMarine Color Guard, a police and firecompany escort, builders, neighbors,and well-wishers of all sorts were on hand to greet the family and witness their surprise. People became teary-eyed. “It was a tremendous outpouring of support,” Eichenlaubreflected. “It renews a person’s faith in our communities and what our country’s all about.” ˜

Renovation Blitz Helps Ease Healing Veteran’s Return

Welcome home. Local media, neighbors,Marines and veterans gathered to witnessthe surprise renovations awaiting StaffSgt. Joshua Caskey, wearing sunglasses,his wife and their four young children ontheir return from a retreat in August. More than 100 contractors, suppliers and donors contributed to improving thefamily’s Creekwood home.

“The Township administration

was overwhelmingly

cooperative, and the neighbors

jumped in 110 percent. It just

took on a life of its own.”


The detention pond which was excavated to handle stormwater runoff when Graham Park was built in 2008, has grown to become a smalllake and is about to take on additionalresponsibilities. Starting this month –perhaps as early as the October 7 dedication of the park’s new ScoutCentennial Plaza situated by water’sedge – the pond, now deepened, reconstructed and sculpted into a one-acre lake by the Township PublicWorks department, will open for public fishing.

But it’s strictly recreational – catch and release only, where any fish caughthave to be immediately returned to thewater. No trophy fishing or food fishingwill be allowed.

“What I’m excited about is that inCranberry Township, we really don’thave a body of water where kids havebeen able to fish,” Township EngineerJason Kratsas explained. “I have twoyoung kids myself, and I’m always looking for opportunities where they can catch fish. We’re looking to createan experience here where we have theright species of fish in an area designedso that kids can catch fish – and a lot of them.”

More than a year ago, about 30 bassand several hundred bluegill were quietly transported from HerefordManor Lakes – which is currently undergoing reconstruction – to stockthe Cranberry fishing lake. And minnowswere added to provide food for the larger fish. But the lake has remainedclosed to any sort of fishing to allow itstransplanted fish population enough

time to becomeacclimated, tobreed, and to create a stableecosystem.

To help, a varietyof structures –cement pipes,stones, and rubble – wereplaced in the bottom of thepond to providehiding places andbreeding spots, particularly for thesmaller fish. Aerators were installed tokeep the water fresh and in circulation.And so far, at least, it seems to be working; no sightings of lost fish havebeen reported by any of the PublicWorks personnel who tend to the pond.

As a private body of water, as distinctfrom a state-managed fishing pond, different conditions apply to its recreational use. For example, nolicense is required, and there is nodefined fishing season.

However the Township itself has adopted a series of rules to promotesafe and enjoyable use of the lake. For example, no boating, swimming, or wading will be allowed in the lake.Fishing is only allowed during daylighthours. No individual can have morethan two fishing lines in the water atone time. No archery fishing or anyother type of fishing that would harm or kill the fish is permitted. No live baitother than earthworms will be allowed.Barb-less hooks or hooks that have had their barbs blunted are strongly recommended. And if there are anygeese in the area, feeding them will be prohibited.

Although the lake will become an important recreational asset forTownship residents and visitors, its initial role as a flood control device willremain intact. “This water does not

come from Brush Creek,” Kratsas pointed out. “This water is primarily thestormwater runoff from Graham Park.The detention facility is still there; it’sthe top layer of water. We just dug downbelow that – as much as ten feet insome areas. So as we get storms andrain, that water’s draining into the lakeand recharging it.

“It works like a wet retention facility; it has a normal pool elevation, but aportion of it is there for stormwater control. There’s a good foot and a half or two feet above the normal pool elevation to help hold back water when there is a storm. So while it’sgoing to be a great fishing site, it’s stillmaintaining its stormwater detentionproperties.” ˜

PARKS & RECREATION


Graham Park Fishing Lake Is About To Open

Guidelines for Fishingin Graham Park • Catch-and-release only• No fishing license required• Open all year• Daylight fishing only• Fishing permitted from

every side• Boating prohibited• No swimming or wading• Maximum of two lines

per person• No spear or archery fishing• No live bait except earthworms• No bird feeding allowed• Barbless hooks recommended

We’re looking to create an

experience here where kids

can catch fish – and a lot

of them.”


Knit One, Pearl Ten. As the poetsaid, you may never see a poem as lovelyas a tree, including ones that in summerwear nests of robins in their hair. But ifyou go to certain parts of Holland, SouthAfrica, Portugal, Illinois, Honolulu, orCleveland, you just might see a few treeswith something even more exotic in theirhair – crocheted tree cozies. The novelartworks that result from the hobby –sometimes known as Yarn Bombing –have produced unexpected and strikinglybeautiful patterns in yards, parks andarboretums all over the world. AndCranberry Township may be next. CTCCis sponsoring its own crocheting projectto envelop a select group of park trees in fabric by next spring. Crochet enthusiasts and quilters are welcome to participate, and CTCCwill provide all the materials. For details, contact Bruce Mazzoni at

[email protected].


IN BRIEFS

Scout Plaza About To Open.Cranberry’s new Scout Centennial Plaza in Graham Park is about to open.A ribbon cutting has been scheduled for 11:00 AM on Sunday, October 7, to dedicate a monument and flagstonedeck that mark the hundredth anniversary of the Scout movement inAmerica. The project, with sponsorshipfrom the Cranberry TownshipCommunity Chest and hundreds of individual donors, sits at the edge of aone-acre fishing lake alongside BrushCreek near the park’s baseball campus.A three-sided monument at the centerof the Plaza depicts the life cycle ofscouting in America.

Pruning Street Trees. If there are trees on your prop-erty along the edge of the road,it’s your job, as a homeowner,to keep them pruned back sothat they don’t interfere withpedestrians on the sidewalk, ormotor vehicles on the street. But keeping branchestrimmed back to 14 feet above street level in order toavoid encroaching on motorized traffic can be difficult, andpotentially dangerous, for residents to accomplish. SoCranberry Township’s Board of Supervisors is consideringa plan to contract with professional arborists to keep thestreet side of trees in the Township out of traffic, and todo so without damaging the trees themselves. The otherside of the tree, which should provide at least 9 feet ofclearance above sidewalks, would remain the homeowner’sresponsibility. If approved, the contracted pruning arrangement could go into effect as early as this month.

Project Pumpkin. What would Hamlet, Sherlock Holmes, HuckleberryFinn, or Count Dracula look like incarnated as jack-o-lanterns? If you enterthe Cranberry Public Library’s Third Annual “Project Pumpkin: A Pumpkin Decorating Contest with Character,” the answer will be up to you. On October 18 and 19, the Library will be acceptingpumpkins carved and accessorizedas favorite literary characters fromreaders of all ages. Library patronscan vote to select the winning entrybetween October 20 and 25.

Neighborhood Summit. About two-thirds ofCranberry’s neighborhoods have homeowners associa-tions, or HOAs. They are permanent legal bodies, createdwhen the developments were first approved, to maintainthe common areas within those plans. They also haveauthority to regulate many of the details affecting theproperty of their residents. More than ten years ago,Cranberry began to convene quarterly meetings of officersfrom Township HOAs so theycould discuss their concerns.That pattern continues, and theHOA Forum has now emergedas an important venue for HOAboard members to shareapproaches and solutions to theproblems their neighborhoodshave in common. Cranberry’swebsite has posted informationon their meeting schedules,agendas, and shared resources. Go to cranberrytownship.org/HOA for details.


Computer Class ×Internet I, Library, 9amFarmers’ MarketMashuda Dr,

Community Park, 10am–1pmSAT/ACT ClassLibrary, 1–3pm


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4 & 5 Year Old Storytime ×Library, 11am or 1pmBoard of Supervisors MtgMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball(30+), 8–10pm

Discussion Group Library, 10am4 & 5 Year Old Storytime ×Library, 11am or 1pmTeen Art Club Library, 4pm

Farmers’ MarketMashuda Dr,Community Park,10am–1pm

Registration may be required for some programs. For more information, call:× Cranberry Library 724-776-9100 µ Cranberry EMS 724-776-4480

* Cranberry Customer Service 724-776-4806 √ Cranberry Highlands 724-776-7372† Parks and Recreation 724-776-4806 ext. 1129 ‡ Butler Housing Authority 1-800-433-6327

Free Housing Counseling ‡Library by Appt,2:30–4:30pmFamily Pajama TimeLibrary, 6:30pmChapter Book Club ×Grades 1-3, Library, 7pm

4 & 5 Year OldStorytime ×Library, 11am or 1pmOpen GymBasketball(30+), 8–10pm

PumpkinDecoratingContest entriesaccepted Library

Farmers’MarketMunicipal Ctr parking lot,3:30–6pm

4 & 5 Year OldStorytime ×Library, 11amor 1pmOpen GymBasketball(18+), 8–10pm

Planning AdvisoryCommissionMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 6pm

SAT/ACTClassLibrary,1–3pm

Farmers’ MarketMunicipal Ctr parking lot, 3:30–6pmNot Just BallroomDance East CoastSwing, Gym, 7–11pm

Free HousingCounseling ‡Library by Appt,2:30–4:30pm

Farmers’MarketMunicipal Ctr parking lot,3:30–6pm

Computer Class ×Internet II, Library, 9amFarmers’ MarketMashuda Dr, CommunityPark, 10am–1pm

4 & 5 Year OldStorytime ×Library, 11amor 1pm

Last day to register to vote for general election4 & 5 Year Old Storytime ×Library, 11am or 1pm

Books & Bagels Book Club ×Library, 10amUPMC Wellness Series: Back Pain, Municipal Ctr, Sr/Teen Ctr, 12:30pm

4 & 5 Year Old Storytime ×Library, 11am or 1pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

4 & 5 Year OldStorytime ×Library, 11amor 1pmOpen GymBasketball(18+), 8–10pm

Computer Class × Intro toOnline Databases, Library, 9amFarmers’ Market Mashuda Dr,Community Park, 10am–1pm

FallHayride √CranberryHighlands,2–5:30pm

Genealogy101Library, 7pmOpen GymBasketball(18+),8–10pm

Board of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball (30+), 8–10pm

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Halloween Trick or Treat in Cranberry Twp, 6–8pmFamily Pajama TimeLibrary, 6:30pm

Planning AdvisoryCommission Municipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 5:30pm

FRI12

SAT13

MON1

ADHD SeminarLibrary, 6:30pmZoning Hearing BoardMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 7:30pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

Free Housing Counseling ‡ Library by Appt,2:30–4:30pmFamily Pajama Time Library, 6:30pmChapter Book Club × Grades 1-3, Library, 7pm

Pumpkin Decorating Contestentries accepted LibraryOpen Gym Basketball(30+), 8–10pm

4 & 5 Year OldStorytime ×Library, 11am or 1pmOpen GymBasketball(18+), 8–10pm

SAT27

Fishing DerbyGraham Park,8–10amComputer Class ×Social Media,Library, 9am

20 & 30s Book Club Library, 7pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

Last day to apply for acivilian absentee ballotfor general election


Free HousingCounseling ‡ Library by Appt, 2:30–4:30pmFamily Pajama TimeLibrary, 6:30pmChapter Book Club ×Grades 1-3, Library, 7pm

Psychic Sisters return to CranberryLibrary 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball (18+), 8–10pm

ScoutingPlaza/FishingLakeDedicationGrahamPark, 11am

COLUMBUSDAYTwp Officesopen, Libraryclosed

Open Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

First Editions Book Club ×Library, 7pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

Family Pajama TimeLibrary, 6:30pmChapter Book Club ×Grades 1-3, Library, 7pm

Farmers’ MarketMunicipal Ctr parking lot,3:30–6pm

Sheriff’s Office – Gun LicensingMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers,9am–2pm

Learn CPR µ Cranberry EMS,9am–12pm

Friends of Library Book Sale

Spookapalooza † Lions Shelter,Community Park, 12–2pmFriends of Library Book Sale


NOV Registration may be required for some programs. For more information, call:× Cranberry Library 724-776-9100 µ Cranberry EMS 724-776-4480


PAGE 11

WED28

THURS1

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THURS29

FRI30

MON26

TUES27

SUN11

WED14

Computer Class ×MS Word I, Library, 9am

First Editions Book Club ×Library, 10amOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

Open Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm


VETERAN’S DAYLibrary closed

Last day to payschool tax atface value

Santa’s First Stopand CranberryTree GallerySanta arrives viafire truck, MunicipalCtr, 7pm

Stories, Fun and Visit with Olivia ×Library, 8:30am, 10am, 11:30amComputer Class ×Security, Library, 9amFarkleberry Craft ShowMunicipal Ctr, 9am–3:30pm

Open GymBasketball(30+), 8–10pm

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Daylight Savingsends

ElectionDay

Discussion Group Library, 10am4 & 5 Year Old Storytime ×Library, 11am or 1pmTeen Art Club Library, 4pm

Board of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball (30+), 8–10pm

Apple TastingLibrary, 7pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

UPMC Wellness Series:Diabetes, Municipal Ctr, Sr/Teen Ctr, 12:30pmFree Housing Counseling ‡ Library by Appt, 2:30–4:30pm

Open GymBasketball(30+),8–10pm

ComputerClass ×MS Word II,Library, 9am

Zoning Hearing BoardMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 7:30pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

Board of Supervisors MtgMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm

Books & BagelsBook Club ×Library, 10amFree HousingCounseling ‡Library by Appt,2:30–4:30pm

THANKSGIVINGMunicipal Ctr,Library, TwpOffices closed; no waste collection

Waste Collection – 1 day delayMunicipal Ctr, Library, andAdministrative Offices closed

20 & 30s Book ClubLibrary, 7pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm





MON24

TUES25

WED26

THURS27

FRI28

MON31

SAT1

SUN2

MON3

TUES4

WED5

THURS6

FRI7

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TUES11

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THURS13

FRI14

SAT15

SUN16

MON17

TUES18

WED19

THURS20

FRI21

SAT22

SUN23

SAT29

SUN30


DEC Registration may be required for some programs. For more information, call:× Cranberry Library 724-776-9100 µ Cranberry EMS 724-776-4480


CHRISTMASEVE

CHRISTMASDAYMunicipal Ctr,Library, TwpOffices closed; no waste collection



WinterBegins

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

ComputerClass ×Excel I,Library,9am

NEW YEAR’S EVELast day to paycurrent school/local Taxes


KWANZAA BEGINSWaste Collection –1 day delay thru 12-29Free Housing Counseling ‡Library by Appt, 2:30–4:30pm

Books & BagelsBook Club ×Library, 10amFree HousingCounseling ‡ Library by Appt,2:30–4:30pm

Board of Supervisors MtgMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball(30+), 8–10pm

Zoning Hearing BoardMunicipal Ctr, CouncilChambers, 7:30pmOpen Gym Basketball(18+), 8–10pm


Brunch with Santa √Cranberry Highlands,10–11:30am,12:30–2pm




Computer Class ×Excel II, Library, 9amHanukkah begins atsundown

National Pearl HarborRemembrance DayNot Just BallroomDance Nightclub 2Step, Gym, 7–11pm

Discussion Group Library, 10amTeen Art Club Library, 4pmBoard of Supervisors MtgMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6:30pmOpen Gym Basketball (30+), 8–10pm

Planning Advisory CommissionMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6pmSavvy Social Security Library, 7pmFirst Editions Book Club ×Library, 10amOpen Gym Basketball (18+), 8–10pm




Ask any lifelong resident of a certainage, and they’ll tell you about Thorn Hill.It was a reform school – a correctionalinstitution for boys under 16 sentencedby Juvenile Court to be straightened outand trained in useful skills. It was whatboys in the Pittsburgh area were warnedwould be their fate unless they stoppeddoing whatever it was they were doing.

That was then. Today, you’re more likelyto hope that your child actually ends up in Thorn Hill which, for the past 30 years, has been the site of thelargest industrial park in westernPennsylvania and currently home tomore than 70 businesses representinga wide variety of industries.

Back in the 1950s, the nearly thousandacre Thorn Hill site, which straddles theMarshall-Cranberry line, was conceivedas a response by Pittsburgh’s corporateleaders to a growing difficulty thatthreatened the region’s economy. Herewas the problem, according to RIDC Vice President Timothy White: “Whenthe Regional Industrial DevelopmentCorporation was formed in the 1950s,there was a boom in light industry –

including things like consumer goodsfabrication, business product assembly,and research – happening all over thecountry. At the time, Pittsburgh was aheavy industrial city with very little lightindustry. But all the usable sites alongthe rivers had been taken by heavyindustry – steel, glass, chemicals, andpower plants for example. We were at a regional disadvantage because therewas very little flat, buildable land.

“One of the main reasons RIDC wasformed was to make more pad-readysites for light industrial companies toexpand and thrive in Western PA. So all the big corporations pitched in toseed-fund RIDC and to engineer deals

for the first threeindustrial parks –O’Hara Township,Thorn Hill, and RIDCWest in the airportarea. Then, as new highwaysopened up, theybecame extremelysuccessful.”

Unlike many otherbusiness parks in theregion which mainlyoffer Class A officespace, RIDC’s focusis on accommodatinglight manufacturing,distribution, R&D,and assembly-typeoperations – busi-nesses that advancethe region’s export

economy, White pointed out. And itappears to be working. “We’re doingpretty well compared to other regions,”he said. “The recession did hit us, butcomparatively speaking, we’re doingbetter. We’re seeing a lot of growth inCranberry and the surrounding areas.”

Like Thorn Hill, whose reform schoolcampus was mostly open farm landbefore it became an industrial park,

RIDC’s O’Hara and airport area sitesalso began as undeveloped green fieldsaway from the city. But in the 1980sand with the region’s primary steelindustry collapsing, RIDC made a strategic switch: they began redevelopingbrownfields – sites formerly occupied bymills and factories of the now-dyingheavy industries.

As a privately-funded nonprofit organiza-tion with leaders from the region’s topcorporate, government, academic andprofessional institutions on its board,RIDC has been able to form partnershipsand take on projects that wouldn’t makefinancial sense for private developers.“Our goal is to create jobs and keep taxpayers in Pennsylvania,” White said.“We try to find ways to put the piecestogether to make development happenat these sites.”

Today, RIDC’s footprint extends toeleven counties in SouthwesternPennsylvania and includes such diverseprojects as re-booting the former Tech21 project in Marshall, taking down theformer VW-Sony plant in Westmoreland,creating Pullman Center Business Parkin Butler, financing six new buildings onCMU’s campus, widening Warrendale-Bayne Road, and redeveloping the massive four million square foot site ofthe old Westinghouse Electric plant inTurtle Creek. There are even four emptyparcels still available in Cranberry, along Thorn Hill Drive Extension.

“You have to work with the local leader-ship,” White explained, “The agendasand level at which leaders want to beengaged varies by municipality andcounty. But Cranberry’s been very supportive. They’re progressive, they’reforward-thinking in their developmentactivities. We don’t have any issues with Cranberry Township.” ˜

RIDC’s focus is on accommodating businesses

that advance the region’s export economy.

Thorn Hill Industrial Park: From Workhouse To Workplace

Industrial strength. At nearly 1,000 acres, Thorn HillIndustrial Park is the largest in western Pennsylvania andhome to more than 70 companies. RIDC Vice President Tim White explains the nonprofit development agency’s mission in its eleven-county region.


Cranberrytoday

In most places, when youlose electric power, theonly way the utility learnsabout it is if you call in to report it.That’s a relic of the way the power gridwas built in the late 1800’s and earlydecades of the 20th century – a one-way delivery system flowing down fromlarge power plants to the consumer. Buttoday’s soaring demand for electricityleads to equipment breakdowns on thatoutdated grid, causing power outages.Repairs are often slow, resulting inangry customers and lost sales for thepower companies. Yet many of thoseoutages could be prevented.

To achieve that, electric companies arenow transitioning the nation’s powerdelivery network into a two-way smartgrid system. Its goal is to accommodateelectricity customers more efficientlywhile helping to prevent outages fromhappening. It enables the utility torespond more quickly when outages dooccur. But it is a huge and expensiveundertaking. Monitoring and controllingthe grid involves deploying a whole battery of devices to send detailed information about grid conditions backto the power company in real-time,enabling them to evaluate system performance and optimize it.

Tollgrade Communications, whichmoved last year from Cheswick intoCranberry Business Park, is one of theleading manufacturers of products andsoftware designed to collect, analyzeand communicate exactly this sort ofinstantaneous information. Its currentand prospective customers are theoperators of power grids in Europe,South America, the U.S. and Canada.And that’s only part of their $50-plusmillion a year business.

The other part involves monitoring the performance of telephone and

broadband access to help their users maintainhigh-quality, dependable

service. In fact the company’s name,Tollgrade, comes from the old telephoneindustry jargon which recognized thatnot all phone lines were satisfactory fortoll calls. The highest quality lines wereidentified as toll-grade. And today, itsnamesake company tests more than250 million phone lines worldwide, nonstop.

Much of the technology which Tollgradeuses to collect and analyze networkinformation is proprietary. The companymaintains a wall of patents to protectthe ways it senses, aggregates, andinterprets critical performance data. A lot of that research and developmenttakes place in Cranberry, where 55 of its 120 employees report to work.

Tollgrade’s Lighthouse brand utility monitoring products consist of sensorsclamped to medium voltage power lines which monitor and communicateinformation, 24/7, along with softwareto analyze the data. That informationenables utility companies to track anddiagnose their grid conditions, pinpointoutage problems, and fix them morequickly.

Until last year, private investors couldbuy shares of Tollgrade on the NASDAQstock exchange. But a San Francisco

investors group saw the company’s business offering as a strategic fit, andin May of 2011, Golden Gate Capitalacquired all of Tollgrade’s outstandingshares – bringing new business savvy,new capital, and new developmentopportunities to the 25-year old company.It also validated the company’s move, a few months earlier, into its newCranberry Township headquarters.

“Cranberry is an up and coming, thriving area,” Tollgrade CEO Edward H.Kennedy explained. “It’s a good familyarea where people want to live. But it is also an educated area with a stronghigh-tech atmosphere and a solid technical talent pool to draw from.Cranberry is a great place to run a business from; plus our landlord, Dick Donley, is a very progressivethinker who runs this high tech facility in a very efficient manner.

“We’re very happy here. The employeesreally appreciate the new office facilitiesand the Cranberry area. When we have visitors come in, there’s an infrastructure to support business – a lot of different hotels, restaurants and shopping. It’s a nice area; peopleenjoy coming here.” ˜

TECH COMPANY PROFILE

Testing, testing. Tollgrade CommunicationsCEO Edward H. Kennedy, in the R&D areaof his company’s Cranberry Business Park headquarters building, explains how Tollgrade’s monitoring and data collection devices continuously test linecharacteristics on both electrical grids andcommunication networks worldwide.

That information

enables utility

companies to track

and diagnose their grid

conditions, pinpoint

outage problems, and

fix them more quickly.

Although widely known for its quality retail businesses, Cranberry is also becoming an important high technology center. CranberryToday’s profiles of different local technology companies offer a glimpse into the Township’s emerging knowledge-based economy.

Tollgrade Communications SqueezesNew Efficiency From Older Utility Lines



You can’t alwaystell how good acommunity’s firstresponders aresimply by looking

around you. That’s because a lot of theirsuccess is measured by the things thatdon’t happen rather than by those whichdo. I’m thinking of buildings that don’tcatch fire and stores that don’t getrobbed and traffic accidents that don’t occur.

But all of those non-events, and a wholelot more, aren’t just luck or coincidence;they’re the result of good planning, goodbuilding codes, good fire preventioneducation, good traffic engineering,superior technology, great enforcementefforts, and high levels of citizeninvolvement.

Once a community develops a reputation as a secure place to live,work and play, it can get caught in a virtuous cycle by attracting new residents and businesses – people who value those qualities – to settle in the community. And that, in turn, perpetuates the sense of well-beingwhich brought them there in the firstplace. That’s pretty much what’s beenhappening here in Cranberry.

Cranberry residents have high expectations of their community in just about every respect: they wantgreat parks, smooth traffic, excellentshopping, good job opportunities,affordable housing, and awhole lot more. But most of all, they want to be safe.No community can achievegreatness if its residentsdon’t feel safe on itsstreets, around its shops, or in their homes. And ourBoard is acutely aware of that. So we’ve done ourbest to create a system of

public safety as good as the communityit serves.

That system includes three primary services – police, fire, and EMS – eachof which has its own distinctive history,governance, and financial life. Thepolice, for example, are full-timeTownship employees. The Fire Companyis strictly volunteers. The EMS is a non-profit business which pays its expensesthrough subscriptions, insurance, userfees, and donations. But all three services have strong ties to Cranberry’sDirector of Public Safety, who coordinatestheir responses as well as theTownship’s support for their work.

In just a few weeks, another element ofthat support will come on line; it’s thenew Public Safety Training Facility, whichwill be located next to several otheremergency service training structures –the fire training tower, the vehicle burn

pads, and the practice range. Like thoseother resources, this one is being createdto continue building the proficiency ofour first responders without requiringthem to spend time traveling away fromtheir base or their families in order toreceive that instruction.

Our decision to build the training facility,as well as choosing to make a numberof other infrastructure improvements inthe Township, such as expanding ourwater and sewer capacity, are all drivenby our long-range plan which seesCranberry growing into a community of50,000 by 2030. So we’re not onlyspending to satisfy current needs, we’reinvesting in the future of a communitythat just keeps getting better and better.

One consequence of that investment isthat our public safety services are notthe cheapest in the region. We only hirefull-time, professional police officers, we provide our first responders withexcellent facilities, we support theirtraining, and we provide the equipmentthey need to become the most effective professionals they can be. And we thinkour residents appreciate that priority.

But we also provide police coverage forthe Borough of Seven Fields, and thecost for that level of service has beenshared by their residents. Recently, however, they told us they may notrenew our agreement, which providesan early out at the end of 2014. We do understand that they would like to

reduce their public safetyexpenses. But whatever theoutcome of that discussion,the priority Cranberryplaces on employing andsupporting our highlytrained emergency serviceproviders, both paid andvolunteer, is as strong asever, and that convictionwill not change. ˜

Investing In Public Safetyby John Skorupan, Cranberry Township Board of Supervisors

You can reach John Skorupan by email at [email protected]

The new Public Safety

Training Facility is being

created to continue

building the proficiency

of our first responders

without requiring them

to spend time traveling

away from their base

or their families.

SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTARY


Cranberrytoday

FIRE COMPANY

9/11 Memorial Dedicated A monument memorializing the losses suffered by first responders at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001was dedicated in front of Cranberry’s Park Fire Station on theeleventh anniversary of the attack which claimed nearly 3,000lives. The attacks on the iconic twin towers took the lives of340 firefighters, 60 police officers, ten emergency medicaltechnicians and a chaplain in addition to hundreds of airlinepassengers and thousands of civilian casualties on theground. The centerpiece of the fire station memorial is a twisted, 836-pound steel beam recovered from the WTC site.

Fire Prevention/Fire Safety October 7-14 is National Fire Safety week in the United States. Its timing marks the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 which lasted for days, destroying 3.3 squaremiles of urban structures and claiming hundreds of lives. But structure fires remain a danger;in 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to 369,500 home structure fires which caused13,350 injuries, 2,640 deaths, and $6.9 billion in property damage. To reduce the risk of personal injury from a home fire, the Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company urges

residents to make an escape plan for their family, install smoke alarms on each level, and change their batteries twice a year.Professional home furnace checks are also strongly recommended, as is adherence to the Township’s long-standing ban onleaf burning. Smoking is the leading cause of home fire deaths. Unattended cooking accidents have been the largest sourceof home fire injuries since 1990. Clogged fireplace chimneys and space heater accidents are second.


FIRE COMPANY

For a guy whonever cared much

about school as a student in SenecaValley during the’90s, John Renyck has spent an awful lot of time in theclassroom lately.

Shortly after joining the Marine Corps,where he served from 2005 to 2009,Renyck had to spend several months ina class at Fort Leonardwood, Missouri,learning to operate different types ofheavy machinery. Every time a newpiece of equipment came on base, itwas back to school, then onto the nextassignment, which included stints inJapan, Korea, California, and severalprovinces of Afghanistan building bases,moving containers, loading convoys, andproviding convoy security.

Renyck’s family had moved to Cranberryin 1990, when he was just nine yearsold, so after his military service wascomplete, he returned to Cranberry –only this time with his beautiful Japanesebride and their two young children. But after six months of pounding thepavement following his discharge – at a time when the economy had hit rockbottom and no one needed heavy equipment operators – he finally contacted the machine operators unionto see what they could do to help.

“The union said I had to go to operatingschool to learn how to do the job I’dalready been doing for four years,” herecalled. “So at that point I decided Iwould go back to school, but that I’d be doing it at a regular college.”

As he was waiting for classes to start,Renyck decided to rekindle his interestin firefighting which had ignited wayback in high school. “I was looking for a job, and had all this free time. I’d

drive by the fire station every day, and I thought: maybe I’ll try the fire company again. So in 2010, I put my application in.”

But the schedule for Essentials ofFirefighting – a required class for newvolunteers – arrived at a difficult time.“By then, I was going to college full-time, along with taking Essentials. I was taking something like 22 or 23credits of classes, and lost 20 pounds. I call it ‘23-Credit Diet’ because I didn’thave time to eat.” But his dual track of academic learning and technicaltraining continued. And earlier this year, following even more hands-on classes,he received his Firefighter I certification.“I’m just a firefighter,” he shrugged. “Icut cars apart and put fires out.”

Still, even though Renyck holds a commercial driver’s license and hasyears of experience behind the wheel of big machines, he has had to rely onother fire company members to drivethe unit’s engines. “I have a CDL, butCompany policy is that you take thestate-mandated emergency vehiclecourse and then have 25 hours drivingtime with a certified driver from ourcompany before going out on the roadyourself. So I’m trying to take that drivers course, but it isn’t offered very often.

“I’ve got a wife and kids now, and all of a sudden it matters if you have aneducation. When I got out of highschool, I thought I’d never use any ofthat again. Now, years down the road, I can see how wrong I was.

“So I’ve been working my way towards aBachelor of Science in Civil Engineering,using the GI Bill to pay for it,” he said.“I’m at CCAC right now. I’m hoping to

transfer into either Pitt or Point Park,hopefully in the spring semester.”

But for Renyck, service with the firecompany fills a different and equallyimportant function. “Coming out of theMarine Corps, you’re leaving a systemwhere everyone cares. There’s a lot ofcamaraderie. People are concerned ifyou’re doing all right or if you need helpwith this or that.

“It’s the same with the fire company.People care, and it gives you the senseof purpose you lost coming out of themilitary. That’s because in the military,there’s big sense of mission; you’rethere doing a job. You’re doing it foryour country. People depend on you.And when you come out, that kind ofgets lost. So the fire company helps tofill that need.” Sometimes even in theclassroom. ˜

Firefighter Profile:

After Hitting The Beaches, MarineJohn Renyck Hits The Books

Cranberry welcomes new Fire Company volunteers throughout the year. To learn more, call 724-776-1196.

“Coming out of the Marine

Corps, you’re leaving a

system where everyone

cares. It’s the same with the

fire company. People care,

and it gives you the sense of

purpose you lost coming out

of the military.”



The 2,600 pagesof 2010’s Patient

Protection andAffordable Care Act, often

referred to as Obamacare, scarcelymention EMS. But the fortunes ofAmerica’s 13,000-plus ambulance services will be directly affected bychanges in healthcare delivery as the Act’s provisions come into force.

For the Cranberry Township EMS, whichhas seen the demand for its servicesgrow while its reimbursements for medical transport decline, the changepresents a potentially huge opportunityto expand both its menu of services andits revenue base in a radically alteredhealthcare environment.

“The Big Thing right now, with the implementation of healthcare, is that hospitals won’t be paid for re-admissions,” Cranberry EMSExecutive Director Jeff Kelly explained.“So, let’s say you go to the hospital for a diabetic complication today, andyou’re readmitted for the same kind ofproblem some time in the next 30 days,the hospital stands not to get any kindof reimbursement.”

For a full-service hospital, with hugeoverhead operating costs, that can bedevastating. So a major thrust of thenew legislation – with strong supportfrom health insurance carriers – is to discourage the use of hospital emergency rooms as a source of primary care, and to redirect thosepatients to more cost-effective serviceproviders, like Urgicare centers. Butthere are other options as well.

“EMS services are recognizing that if we can go out and do some of these services in the home or whatever environment these folks are in, to keepthem out of the hospital and providethem a better quality of health care or

quality of life, thatcould become veryimportant,” Kellysaid. “So a lot ofwhat came with thepassing of the healthcare bill was achange from justgoing to the hospital,to doing prevention,wellness, healthscreenings, andthings like that.”

Transitioning EMSfrom being primarily

a medical transport service into asource for what is now being calledcommunity paramedicine, will be complicated, Kelly recognizes. For example, it involves identifying very specific community needs – asthma,diabetes, obesity or whatever – andoffering services that benefit those population segments. It means findingthe funds to train the unit’s EMTs andparamedics to provide those services.

It means working out new partnershipswith current health service providers.And it means establishing reliable revenue streams for delivering thoseservices.

“It could take anywhere from one tothree years to get a really solid footprinton what we’re doing,” Kelly noted. “This is a whole new concept. Instead of having down time where our peoplesit around and wait for a call, we mightschedule, say, an 8:30 appointmentwith Mrs. Smith, and then a 10:45 with Mr. Jones. So we can use theseadditional services to bridge a gap fordowntime for our crews.

“In any case, we are going to be changing our focus,” Kelly affirmed.“EMS in general – not just in CranberryTownship – is changing. It is no longerabout the ‘you call, we haul’ mentality,which has been around since the inception of EMS. It’s different now. And it will continue being different.There will be expanded services, andthere will be opportunities to do different things, both as a provider ofpre-hospital emergency treatment and a supplier of scheduled health care inthe field.” ˜


EMS

EMS Seeks New Opportunities In ShiftingMedical Landscape

“If we can go out and

do some of these

services in the home,

to keep them out of

the hospital, that

could become very

important.”


Car crashes, according to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration,are the number one killer of childrenbetween 1 and 12 years old in theUnited States. The agency stronglyadvises that putting children in the right car seat, at the right time, andusing it the right way, is the most effective method for protecting them.And, over the past several decades,doing so has grown to become a solemn obligation of parents, grandparents, caregivers and anyoneelse transporting young children.

But it’s easier said than done. For example, the type of seat that’s right for a child will change repeatedly as the child grows from infancy throughadolescence. Within each major category – rear-facing seats, forward-facing seats, booster seats, and seatbelt harnesses – there is a huge assortment of makes and models. On top of that, there is a dizzying varietyof vehicle makes and types with whichthose seats need to interface. And thatinterface is somewhat different – andsometimes impossible – depending on the combination.

So, with options proliferating in everycategory, what’s a parent to do? InCranberry, one place to start is bytouching base with the Township’sPolice and EMS. For some years,Cranberry’s police department hasoffered complementary child safety seat instruction on the first Monday of each month. They still do, using twofully certified on-duty police officers.

But this past summer, five members ofthe Cranberry Township EMS completeda nationally standardized four-day ChildPassenger Safety Course and beganoffering additional sessions to residentson how to secure the proper fit andattachment of child restraints in familyvehicles. However, in the case of EMS,that help is available every Tuesday andThursday at the ambulance company’sbase station on Thomson Park Drive –also free of charge, although donationsare always welcome.

The recent certification of the EMSemployees – and the possible additionof several more over the coming year –are part of a plan to augment the unit’sestablished medical transportation service with other community health,safety and wellness services. In thecase of safety seats, it positions theEMS to become recognized as aRegional Car Seat Fitting Station, eligible to receive grants which, amongother things, would allow them toreplace damaged car seats.

“Every car seat on the market is crashtested to the same government regula-tions,” Kelly pointed out. “If people wantto spend $400 on that perfect seat thatmatches the interior of their car whenthey could have spent a third as much

and gotten just as good a seat, that goes through the same rigorous testingprocedures but allows them to keep alittle more money in their pocket, that’sfine. But it really isn’t a better seat.

“If you pay that extra money, theremight be some added gadgets and gizmos and things that go along withthe seat that you may or may not use.However the take-home message is this: you do not need to spend $400because you think you’re getting a saferseat than if you were spending $80,because they’re crash-tested the same.If a seat fails the test, it can’t be sold.

“However, anything you buy which does not come in the box with that seat,isn’t crash tested. So those little mirrorsthat everybody wants to install to look at their babies, the sun shades that goalong the windows – any of the thingsthat toy stores sell to make you feelmore warm and fuzzy about your childbeing in the back seat – they’re notcrash tested. In the event of a collision,those things can become projectilesand strike your child. So we tell peoplethat everything that comes enclosedwith the car seat has already beencrash tested, government approved, and deemed safe for a child in the seat.Anything else you buy, is not.” ˜

EMS


A Child’s Car Seat Is Not A Throne

“Every car seat on

the market is crash

tested to the same

government regulations.”

Heights Drive Extended. The long-planned extension of Heights Drive out to Rt. 19 is now a reality. Its construction, which benefitted from favorablesummer weather, enabled the roadway, four traffic-calming planter islands, andassociated landscape improvements along the new 2,700 stretch of two-lanepavement, to be completed and opened on schedule. As a Township-owned collector road, as distinct from a residential road, Heights Drive includes no curbcuts for either home or business driveways. It carries a posted speed of 25 milesan hour and will significantly decrease the time required for emergency vehiclesto respond to calls from residents living in the Cranberry Heights plan of homes.The $1.5 million project was financed out of Transportation Impact Fees collected over the years in association with local development projects.


PUBLIC SAFETY


Just as Pittsburgh was preparing to hostBikeFest, a 15-day gathering of cycliststo celebrate life on two wheels, a pair of back-to-back accidents involving bicycles and motor vehicles resulted in the deaths of two adult bike riders,both along stretches of Penn Avenue.Although Pittsburgh had been recognizedas a bicycle-friendly city as recently as2010, the pair of fatalities drove homethe realization that the challenges ofsafely mixing bicycles with motor vehicles along city streets are huge.

Finding ways to safely accommodate thetwo forms of travel and minimize thoserisks on suburban roads has been a

priority for Cranberry as well. TheTownship’s Bicycle and PedestrianConnections Plan – which Cranberry’sBoard of Supervisors adopted inDecember of 2010 – visualized a cohesive network of well-marked bikeways, primarily along existing local roads. It had been a top recommendation of Cranberry’s 2009comprehensive plan, and its routeswould link together key sites in theTownship, as well as providing pathwaysfor safe recreational bike riding.

Starting this past August, evidence of that plan began to appear alongselected routes in Cranberry. Share-the-Road signs and pavement markingshave been put in place as part of theTownship’s new CycleCT program – an initiative which includes web-basedinformation resources as well as otherbicycle-related efforts in Cranberry.Among the program’s goals are promoting bicycle and pedestrian mobility, improving safety, and increasing access to sites in and aroundthe Township including workplaces,stores, schools and parks.

The first segment of Cranberry’s designated bike route network is now inplace. It begins at the northern end ofGraham Park and continues south alongGraham Park Drive through BelleVuePark, down Haine School Road, acrossFreedom Road to LaPorte Road, thenonto Greenwood Drive and Rolling Road,before finally terminating on Thorn HillRoad at the border with neighboringMarshall Township. The total length ofthe segment is approximately 3.5 miles.Other segments will follow.

Safe bicycling, however, requires bikeriders, as well as motorists, to know andrespect the signs, signals, and rules of the road they share. “Bicycles areconsidered vehicles in Pennsylvania;they have to do what motorists do;they’re required to obey the trafficlaws,” Cranberry Police Lt. Kevin Meyersexplained. “DUI laws apply to bicyclists,not just to motor vehicle operators. Even though no license is required,Pennsylvania’s vehicle code still applies.

And if it involves someone under age16, their parents can be cited for bicycleviolations.”

That’s not all. While pedestrians shouldwalk against traffic on roads withoutsidewalks, bicycles need to be going inthe same direction as the flow of traffic.However bicycling on sidewalks is prohibited in Cranberry; sidewalks arefor pedestrians. Helmet laws apply tobike riders 12 and under. And a recentchange in state law requires motor vehicles to provide at least four feet ofclearance when passing bicycles. A 44-page Bicycle Driver’s Manual, publishedby PennDOT and posted online, providesadditional tips, rules, and precautions.

Last month, in an effort to increase theproficiency of public safety professionalswith the concerns involved in teachingbicycle safety, a group of area policeofficers, EMS paramedics, elementaryschool teachers and other communityleaders involved in youth activity instruction, completed a train-the-trainercourse hosted by Cranberry and offeredunder Pennsylvania’s Safe Routes toSchool program. Among its topics: bicycle inspection, helmet fit, funda-mentals of handling, hazard avoidance,signaling, turning and yielding.

Their ultimate objective, as thePennDOT manual puts it, is to cultivatestreetwise cyclists by fostering an attitude of security and confidencewhen riding a bike in the company of cars. ˜

Cranberry Cyclists Get Street Smarts

The Township’s Bicycle and

Pedestrian Connections Plan

would link together key sites

in the Township, as well as

providing pathways for safe

recreational bike riding.

Road Closed Means Closed Road. It seems as though lot of drivers in Pennsylvania interpret safety warning signsalong roadways as suggestions which they are free to ignore. So, for example, where flooding or other hazardous conditionshave resulted in “Road Closed” signs being posted, some motorists – particularly if they’re driving trucks or SUVs – simplywind around them. That annoys PennDOT Secretary Barry Schoch. It also puts motorists and emergency responders at riskof serious injury. So on July 5, Gov. Corbett signed a law that puts teeth into warning signs. Now, anyone who drives aroundor through traffic control devices which have been used to close a road as a result of hazardous conditions, will be fined up to $250, have two points added to their driving record and, if emergency responders need to be called to get you out of trouble, the fine is doubled and you’ll also be responsible for repaying the cost of staging that response.


www.cranberrytownship.org PAGE 21www.cranberrytownship.org PAGE 11

The back-to-school budgets for hundreds of Seneca Valleyfamilies were eased a bit this school year, thanks to the “Give Pack” program at Victory Family Church in CranberryTownship. Victory volunteers spent three days in late Augusthanding out more than seven hundred backpacks filled withfolders, notebooks and other school supplies. Some includedgraphing calculators for some of the secondary students.

For two Seneca Valley mothers, accepting this kind of help isnot easy, but it’s necessary… at least right now.

“My 3-year-old son has cancer,” one mother at the event said.“My husband works a full-time job, I have two other children,and I spend a lot of time in the hospital. We just can’t makeends meet.”

Medical bills are why another mother said she could not turndown a free backpack full of school supplies for her threechildren. And she wanted volunteers and the community toknow that it’s no small gift.

“My husband works full-time, and I’m starting a new job, so our kids can’t understand why we don’t have the money to for new things for the school year,” she said. “But now thatwe don’t have to go out and buy new backpacks and supplies,we can get the kids new tennis shoes… or maybe even a new outfit.”

Being able to afford new shoes and clothes, thanks to theGive Pack program, was a big deal to both moms.

“My children are going to walk to school in their new clotheson that first day of school, and they’re going to feel special,”one of the moms said. “They’re going to have to go back to the old clothes the next day, but for that one day, theywon’t feel poor. They will feel like all the other kids aroundthem. And that is a very special gift.”

For families who could not attend one of the Give Pack programs, Victorydelivered the backpacks to the CentralOffices at Seneca Valley, where they weregiven to principals and teachers to hand out to students in need.

It can be tricky for public schools to work with organizationslike Victory Family Church, as there is a fine line betweenchurch and state—even when it comes to programs like this.

“We’re being careful not to talk about religion,” one Victoryvolunteer said. “In fact, we’re not even saying, ‘God blessyou.’ But I believe our actions speak louder than our words could.”

And Dr. Tracy Vitale, Seneca Valley Superintendent of Schools,said with these tough financial times, the District simply could not turn down the support.

“It is through community organizations and outreach programs like this that we are able to accomplish so muchmore for our students and families.”

And for two of the many parents who took part in the GivePack program…

“People don’t realize what the face of the ‘less fortunate’ is,”one said. “My family contributes to this community. We work,we volunteer. But at the end of the day, we just fall short. Butour community is lifting us up with programs like this, andthis is a happy face today. We are so grateful.”

“My children see us worrying about our sick son and aboutour bills all the time,” the other mom said. “Today, they got topick out a new backpack and feel pretty normal. I can’t saythank you enough, because that makes me feel good, too.”

Teaming up to “Give Pack”

Victory Family Church members and volunteershand out back packs for the “Give Pack”Program.

by Mary C. Vandergrift,Assistant to the Superintendent/

Communications, Seneca Valley School District


724-776-4806www.cranberrytownship.org

2525 Rochester Rd, Ste. 400, Cranberry Twp., PA 16066

Board of SupervisorsBruce Mazzoni, Chairman

Mike Manipole, Vice ChairmanRichard Hadley / David Root / John Skorupan

Jerry Andree, TOWNSHIP MANAGER

Paul Brown Contributing Photographer

Shelley Notaro Layout and Design

Peter Longini Editor

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDPermit #25

Cranberry Twp., PA

POSTAL PATRONCRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA 16066

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Curbside TV Collection To End. Here’s another good reason to get your flat screen TV set now: starting January 24, 2013, the EPA is banning the disposal of old TVs, computers, monitorsand printers as part of normal trash collection – even if they carry a Collection Connection disposal tag.Waste haulers will be prohibited from picking them up for landfill disposal. Instead, the makers of theseelectronic devices will be required to establish ongoing recycling programs at no cost to consumers.Retail stores which sell them will be required to notify customers about how and where they can be recycled. Some stores, like Best Buy, already have free recycling programs in place. And community recycling programs will continue, but rules regarding TV disposal vary.


fall 2012 sewage treatment plant expansion study begun

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