The West Mifflin Area High School Presents "Oklahoma"

Performances Friday March 13, Saturday March 14, at 7:30 pm, and Sunday March 15, at 2:00 pm.

Tickets on sale now or at the door: $8 Adults/Students $4. Senior Citizens admitted free with advanced Senior Event ticket.

Certain appliances can be left on curb for pick up

By The Tribune-Review
Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Allegheny County residents can leave refrigerant-containing appliances on the curb for free pickup and recycling, county health officials said Tuesday.

The program is paid for with a $150,000 grant from the Clean Air Fund, which gets its money from pollution fines, and will last until the grant money runs out. The Health Department aims to recycle at least 3,750 appliances this year.

The Appliance Warehouse and Parkway Heating and Air Conditioning are carrying out the program under contracts and will collect refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, water coolers and other household appliances that contain refrigerants. Refrigerant gases can deplete the ozone layer, which blocks the sun's ultraviolet rays.

To arrange for curbside pickup, call the Appliance Warehouse at 1-888-463-7366. In western suburbs, call Parkway Heating and Air Conditioning at 412-279-6001.

Emptying anchors challenge Century III Mall

By Kim Leonard, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, January 10, 2009

Century III Mall owner Simon Property Group Inc. said Friday it's working to find new tenants or uses for two large, anchor store spaces that will be emptied through liquidation sales.

Jackets, skirts and T-shirts were selling for a few dollars each this week at Steve & Barry's, which is closing all its stores. Sofas, tables and other furniture pieces will be sold off starting Wednesday at a Macy's Furniture Gallery and clearance center.

The West Mifflin retail complex has battled rumors in recent years that it is on the verge of closing. Real estate firms have said the mall has been marketed for sale in recent years, but Simon has said it doesn't discuss any plans to sell properties.

"There is no plan as of right now, but we have an active leasing department that is trying to find other uses for that space," Century III's Marketing Manager Chris Jamison said of Steve & Barry's.

Possibilities include using the first-floor space for special events, at least for the time being, she said. The furniture store is being targeted for an "even more appealing" new use, Simon spokesman Les Morris said after Macy's announcement Thursday that it will close that location and 10 other underperforming stores.

Together, Steve & Barry's and Macy's represent more than 10 percent of the space at the 1.29-million-square-foot West Mifflin mall, where the vacancy rate already was running at above 20 percent two years ago.

"Ruby Tuesday's restaurant closed. Steve & Barry's is closing. It's a sign of the times, I guess," Christopher Kurzawa of Upper St. Clair said this week as he left Steve & Barry's with two bags of clearance items. Still, Century III is a nice, convenient place to shop and a good place to bring his family, he said.

Jamison and mall Manager Gina Mercorelli said yesterday that Century III has about 120 stores with four large anchors -- a Macy's department store that will remain open, plus Dick's Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney and Sears. In the past, the store count was listed as high as 180.

The mall that will celebrate its 30th birthday later this year is in the midst of a Route 51 commercial district that features a Super Wal-Mart, Kohl's and other major retailers next door at Century Ridge Crossing, and restaurants and shops at other centers.

According to data released yesterday, retailers cut 522,000 jobs in 2008, the worst year since 1939 for workers in the industry, and layoffs are expected to continue as more stores close. The Macy's furniture outlet has three employees, while a Macy's department store that is closing in Natrona Heights has 124 workers.

Ruby Tuesday's closed Dec. 7, and the restaurant chain said it has shut down or will close around 70 stores. K Bee Toys is liquidating stock at Century III and other locales. Whitehall Jewelers, another retailer quitting business, has shut down at the mall, and another jeweler, Citron, has posted store closing signs.

Duquesne University marketing professor Audrey Guskey said Century III remains "a nice mall, and at one point it was the mall to go to." Still, shoppers are willing to travel farther, to the expanded Ross Park Mall, for example, and to the new Tanger Outlet Center near Washington.

"My understanding is that Tanger did well this season" and pulled shoppers away from South Hills Village and retailers in Robinson, as well as Century III, Guskey said.

Sheriff’s Paddy Wagon, Not Santa’s Sleigh, Delivers Gifts To Underprivileged Kids

WEST MIFFLIN, Pa. -(WPXI)- The sight of a sheriff’s paddy wagon is not customarily associated with hope and joy. However, many local families enjoyed watching their kids climb into the back of the sheriff’s wagon on Thursday.

Thanks to friends at the West Mifflin Wal-Mart, the paddy wagon was filled with toys for the sheriff’s Tree Of Hope-Angel Tree program. The program, celebrating over 20 years of service, provides gifts to underprivileged boys and girls in the Pittsburgh area.

On Thursday, the sheriff’s paddy wagon was at the West Mifflin Wal-Mart parking lot to distribute the toys.

From there, it made its way to the Tree Of Hope headquarters in Harrison Township to unload toys for distribution throughout Allegheny County.

Steve & Barry's appears headed for liquidation

A bankruptcy filing in New York appears to signal an end to efforts to save about 170 Steve & Barry's stores that survived an earlier round of restructuring. Operators now plan to liquidate inventory at all stores no later than early next year, according to court documents.

A list of assets includes locations in Century III Mall, West Mifflin, Monaca, Irwin and Erie. Steve & Barry's filed for bankruptcy in July and later sold assets to BH S&B Holdings.

More than 100 stores, including sites in Lower Burrell, Greensburg and Johnstown, were shuttered in the first round of closings.

Kennywood president to resign at end of year

Monday, December 08, 2008

By Joyce Gannon, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Peter McAneny, president of Kennywood Entertainment, will resign at the end of the year, the company said.

Mr. McAneny, 56 will stay on for an undetermined period of time to help with the transition in ownership to Spanish-based Parques Reunidos, which bought the landmark West Mifflin amusement park and its affiliated parks earlier this year.

PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE

VFW POST 914 "Intrepid"

PEARL HARBOR
REMEMBRANCE

The public is welcome and encouraged to attend a Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony Sunday Dec. 7 inside the Corporate Air hanger at the Allegheny County Airport in West Mifflin. Sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 914 since 1991, the event is co-sponsored by the American Merchant Marine Veterans of the Mon Valley.

Ceremonies will begin at 12:55 p.m., or 7:55 a.m. in Hawaii - the same time bombing began 67 years ago. Featured speakers and attendees will include former president of Pittsburgh City Council and District Magistrate Gene Ricciardi and Representative Bill Kortz of the 38th Legislative District. Also present will be other area leaders and participation by many local veterans’ service organizations. As in years past, Pearl Harbor survivors will be in attendance, including VFW Post 914’s sole remaining Pearl Harbor survivor, Bernard Ordos, 89, of West Mifflin.

Live music of patriotic songs will be performed by the award-winning West Mifflin Area High School Titan Thunder Band. The West Mifflin Area High School's Air Force Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps Honor Guard will also participate.

Light refreshments will be served before and after the ceremony. Donations to benefit veterans and troops serving overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan will be accepted.

West Mifflin Holiday Light-Up Night

The West Mifflin Borough Annual Holiday Light Up Night will be held on Tuesday, November 25th at 6pm at the Borough building on Lebanon Church Road.

Join in with the community in starting the Holiday Season! The West Mifflin Titan High School Brass Band will provide the Holiday music to get all into the spirit of the season along with dancers from local dance studios.

Refreshments will be served and all children attending will receive a gift bag.

Festival of Bands

WMAHS Titan Thunder Marching Band's
8th Annual "Festival of Bands

Saturday, September 27, 2008

7:00 p.m. - WMAHS Athletic Complex

"Confirmed performers include members of the Hempfield, South Park, Schenley, Beth Center and Franklin Regional High Schools Marching Bands.

A special performance by the Duquesne University Marching Band and the University of Pittsburgh's Varsity Marching Band, under the direction of Mr. Jack Anderson, will highlight the event.

An estimated 3000+ spectators will enjoy great music, raffle drawings, prizes, food and fun.

Tickets available at the gate. $6.00/Adult and 3.00/Student

West Mifflin Area School District 3000 Lebanon Church Road - Suite 300West Mifflin, Pennsylvania 15122

Voyager Jet Center Receives Prestigious Platinum Rating

PITTSBURGH , June 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Pittsburgh -based Voyager Jet Center, the leader in private aviation services, has received the highly coveted Platinum rating from Aviation Research Group/U.S. Inc. (ARG/US), the world leader in specialized aviation information research and analytics. The ARG/US Platinum rating is the highest-level safety audit rating awarded within the private aviation industry and is widely recognized as the ultimate validation of excellence in operational practices and flight safety standards. Voyager Jet Center, committed to providing customers with the utmost private charter experience, is one of only 61 Part 135 operators in the United States to be recognized as Platinum by ARG/US out of approximately 2,400 total operators.

"I am extremely pleased to announce that Voyager Jet Center has been rated Platinum by ARG/US. Not only are we one of only three operators in the state of Pennsylvania to achieve Platinum, less than 3% of all Part 135 charter operators in the U.S. attain this extraordinary safety rating," said Richard M. Ryan , president, Voyager Jet Center. "This rare achievement is the direct result of hard work and dedication from our employees along with a strong commitment from ownership. Safe and efficient transportation is the mantra of Voyager Jet Center and our employees. The ARG/US Platinum rating validates our safety systems and processes," added Ryan.

The ARG/US-administered rating focuses on three major criteria: historical safety ratings, current aircraft and pilot background checks. Following a rigorous and comprehensive analysis of each area, ARG/US awards a safety rating of Does Not Qualify (DNQ), Silver, Gold, Gold+ or Platinum to Part 135 operators that meet or exceed these criteria. To attain Gold+ or Platinum, an on-site audit is required. Platinum is the highest level of ARG/US safety ratings available. The ARG/US audit is a true "process" and "systems" audit administered by trained and experienced aviation auditing professionals to evaluate the operator against industry best practice standards. A Platinum rating requires a functioning Safety Management System, a clear and workable Emergency Response Plan, and appropriate written standards, implementation, and records for all major aspects of Operations and Maintenance within a flight department or charter company.

About Voyager Jet Center

Voyager Jet Center, based in West Mifflin, PA. , is a leading private aircraft management and services company with a Fixed Base Operation (FBO) at Allegheny County Airport (AGC), the private aviation hub for western Pennsylvania ; and additional locations in Naples, FL ; Cleveland, OH ; and Bozeman, MT. Voyager Jet Center is the trusted provider in aircraft management and consulting, charter arrangement, aircraft fueling, sales, maintenance and hangar services. VJC-managed aircraft operate on Voyager Jet Center (VJC) certificate V0JA087M. Voyager Jet Center is one of only 61 Part 135 operators in the United States and three within Pennsylvania to be recognized as Platinum by ARG/US out of approximately 2,400 total operators. For more information about Voyager Jet's fleet or private aviation services, please visit www.voyagerjet.com .

SOURCE Voyager Jet Center