B-25 Mystery Search Picks Up Again In Monongahela River

PITTSBURGH -(WPXI)- Is a B-25 bomber that crashed in the Monongahela River near Sandcastle in 1956 still there, or was it removed under darkness by the government? This week, a research group is once again trying to answer that question.

The B-25 Recovery Group has been researching the issue since 1994. This weekend, it will return to the water to search again.

At a pre-search meeting at the Sen. John Heinz History Center on Thursday, the group showed off the latest search technology."

It will be a combination of a side-scan sonar, which allows us to get a big picture of what the bottom looks like. It's like a sonogram. We will also use a sophisticated magnetometer to help us locate any metal objects," said Bob Shema, director of special projects at the Marion Hill Association.

Experts from the group said they are concentrating on locating the engine block, the landing gear, the tires and the gas tank, because they were all bulletproof.

The mystery of the B-25 wreckage has endured for more than 50 years.

The plane, with a crew of six airmen, took off from a Nevada air base on Jan. 31, 1956. After stops in Oklahoma and Michigan, the crew headed for Olmstead Air Force Base in Harrisburg.

But with the aircraft running low on fuel, pilot Maj. William Dotson decided to ditch into the river.

The crewman survived the impact, according to the survivors. Four men were rescued, but two crewmen went under. Their bodies were recovered two weeks after the crash.

News reports at the time described an extensive search for the wreckage in the weeks after the crash. The Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies dragged the river, at one point lifting a wing out of the water, only to have it slip back under.

Since then the mystery has grown, sparking theories about secret cargo, UFOs and government cover-ups.Searchers said that, even if the mystery of the past isn't solved, the new search technology used could benefit others in the future.

The search takes place on Friday and Saturday.

JRMC Diagnostics Services at the Waterfront now has Mammography

JRMC (Jefferson Regional Medical Center) Diagnostics Services at the Waterfront is pleased to announce the addition of Mammography to our Diagnostic Imaging Center.

An open house is scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th from 4:00 PM- 7:00 PM at our Waterfront site. Hors d'oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

Everyone is welcome!

JRMC Diagnostic Services at the Waterfront in Homestead
Walk-in service for X-rays.
Services by appointment: Open MRI, multi-slice CT, ultrasound, Doppler and DEXA (bone density).
Free parking.

Jrmc Diagnostic Service
495 E. Waterfront Dr
Homestead, PA 15120-1144
(412) 325-0990


REMEMBER OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!!

Free Alarms Available From County Health Department

As part of National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 5 – 11, and in light of recent fatal house fires, the Allegheny County Health Department is reminding residents that every home should have a smoke alarm on every level.

Free smoke alarms, including installation and fire safety education, are available from the County Health Department. To schedule an installation, call 412-247-7800

While the smoke alarms are available countywide, priority is given to the elderly and disabled and residents of 17 communities with the county’s highest house fire rates:

Braddock, Collier, Duquesne, Etna, Forward, Homestead, McKeesport, North Braddock, Versailles, Wilkinsburg and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Allentown, Beltzhoover, Carrick, Hazelwood, Homewood, Lincoln-Lemington and Perry South.

The program, which is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, offers smoke alarms powered with built-in lithium batteries designed to last 10 years and provides one alarm for every level of the home.

House fires are a major cause of death and injury, especially during the cold weather months, and working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in such a fire by 50%.

Kitchen fires account for 40% of all house fires. Other major causes include smoking materials, electrical problems, malfunctioning heating equipment and the use of unattended candles.

FREE STROKE SCREENING

SATURDAY
OCTOBER 11TH, 2008
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Clark Memorial Baptist Church
1301 Glenn Street, Homestead, PA

Screening includes:· Stroke risk assessment survey· Blood pressure check· HDL and total cholesterol· Blood sugar level· Body Fat Analysis· * Educational information and counseling.

To register for the free screening, call the Jefferson Regional Medical Center Community Program Line at 412-469-7100.

Registration is required.

Munhall couple's home to be used as primary location for new horror film

By STACY LEE, Daily News Staff Writer

10/06/2008

Pittsburgh Film Office Director Dawn Keeser said location scouts searched the Pittsburgh area for the perfect house for the new Summit Entertainment horror film.

They found it at the Munhall home of Joseph and Rose Karichko.

"Sorority Row" will begin shooting today along Eleventh Avenue, using the Karichkos' house.

House Row Productions, LLC, which was created for the movie, also is shooting interior scenes in the Carnegie Library of Homestead's basement. Exterior scenes will be shot of several other area houses and in Park Square.

The rest is being done on set," Rose Karichko said.

"Sorority Row" is about five sorority girls who cause the murder of one of their sorority sisters when a prank goes wrong. They agree never to talk about it again. But after graduation, a killer begins targeting the girls and anyone else who knows about the murder.

"We're thrilled about Summit Entertainment filming here," Keeser said. "We did a lot of work to get them here. We're hoping 'Sorority Row' will be the first of many Summit Entertainment productions in the region."

She said the production company has hired many local residents for the film.

The Karichkos' third-floor office was transformed into a women's dorm room and the front parlor was turned into a men's dorm room.

"They're taking the furniture out of those rooms along with nearby rooms and hallways to make room for the cameras," Rose Karichko said. "They have cardboard all over the house to protect the walls and floors. They're more worried about things being damaged than I am."

The production company is bringing in its own furniture for the film.

Shots will also be taken of an approximate 1,500-square-foot add-on to the back of the 502 E. Eleventh Ave. house.

"The house needs to look bigger," Joseph Karichko said. "So they put a facade in the back."

He said crews are hanging Greek letters and banners on nearby homes to make them look like sorority and fraternity houses.

The couple has been living in their house for the past three weeks while crews prepared the home for the movie.

Rose Karichko said crews worked on the outside of the house until last week.

"They packed everything," she said. "They said they'd put the books back in the exact order in which they were on the shelf. If we need to read one, they know the exact box it's in."

Rose Karichko said the crew took pictures of the areas before they changed them so that they can restore them when filming is completed.

She said the crew worked 12-hour days to get ready for the film.

Joseph Karichko said the film crew did much of the landscaping in his backyard that he had planned to do, but hadn't had time.

The production company lodged the Karichkos at the Shadyside Inn for the 10 days that the film will be shot in their home.

"They will be doing a lot of night shooting," Joseph Karichko said. "There could be 300 to 400 people on the block."

The couple is being paid for the use of their home. They declined to name the exact amount, but said it is well worth it.

"It's crazy Hollywood money," Joseph Karichko said. "It's a decent chunk of change."

Steel Valley Chamber of Commerce Jewelry Bash

Proceeds Benefit the S.V. Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund.

Saturday October 18, 2008
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM(Doors open at 1:30 PM)

Pittsburgh Elks Lodge #115
800 Buttermilk Hollow Road.

Tickets
1 for $20.00
2 for $30.00(500 tickets with 2 numbers per ticket)

JEWELRY PRIZES & CASH PRIZES
every 10 minutes plus…additional jewelry will be raffled, 50/50, and plenty of door prizes!

Appetizers and Refreshments
ONE GRAND PRIZE TO BE AWARDED

Winner need not to be present to win

Prizes must be claimed within 30 days. Unsold tickets become property of the Steel Valley Chamber of Commerce

Amity Street Crossing is Open

The Amity Street railroad crossing is open.

October 7, 2008
5 pm

Carnegie Library of Homestead - Upcoming Events

October 13, 2008 - Hanson w/ Dave Barnes

October 25, 2008 - Sweet Honey in the Rock

November 1, 2008 - Bob Weir and RatDog

November 2, 2008 - Gov't Mule w/ Back Door Slam

November 12, 2008 - The Hold Steady & Drive By Truckers

November 13, 2008 - Michael Franti and Spearhead

November 28, 2008 - Bo Wagner's Rat Pack Christmas & Pure Gold

For more information call 412-452-8240 or email musichall@homesteadlibrary.org

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster by calling 412-323-1919 or by visiting www.Ticketmaster.com

Tickets for Hanson and Bo Wagner's Rat Pack Christmas are available through the Carnegie Library of Homestead at 412-462-3444

Amity Street Crossing Closed

The Amity Street railroad crossing closed at 9:15 am October 7, 2008

Pennsylvania Winery - Heritage Winery joins the Waterfront Town Center.

Pennsylvania Winery - Heritage Winery is now open in the Waterfront Town Center. 412-462-4646

Welcome Carters to The Waterfront

Carters, the leader in childrens' apparel, opens Wednesday October 8th at the Waterfront.

Amity Street Crossing is Open

The Amity Street Crossing is open as of 6:10 pm October 6, 2008!

"Sorority Row" begins filming in Munhall Oct 6

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
By Rob Owen, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh has a long history as a location for filming horror movies, from "Night of the Living Dead" to "Silence of the Lambs" to "My Bloody Valentine 3-D" earlier this year.

This fall another horror film will shoot in Western Pennsylvania: "Sorority Row," which may or may not be a remake of 1983's "The House on Sorority Row." Calls to production company Summit Entertainment had not been returned at press time.

Summit has made the teen movies "Step Up," "Never Back Down" and the upcoming vampire flick "Twilight," based on the popular book series.

"Sorority Row" will star Briana Evigan ("Step Up 2: The Streets") and Rumer Willis ("The House Bunny"). Willis' mother, actress Demi Moore, attended Charleroi High School. Evigan's father is actor Greg Evigan ("My Two Dads").

Production on "Sorority Row" is slated to begin Oct. 6.

The production is seeking to fill 20 speaking roles and more than 500 extras locally, primarily 18-to-25-year-olds who can portray college students. Anyone interested should fill out an application and upload photos on the Mosser Casting Web site (MosserCasting.com).

"Pittsburgh is thrilled to have film work happening in the region," said Dawn Keezer, director of the Pittsburgh Film Office. "We're hoping to have a long-term relationship with Summit."

Update 10/6/08

Sorority Row has began filming on 11th Ave. in Muhnall across from the Carnegie Library of Homestead

Munhall Houses

Amity Street Crossing Closed

The Amity Street railroad crossing is closed for repairs.

According to the Port Authority web site the railroad crossing is to be closed October 6 and 7.

Homestead Bridge garden "clean-up"

This Saturday, September 27, 2008 beginning at 9AM we hope to put the garden to rest at the Homestead Bridge site.

We want to "mulch" the flowers to add to the compost at 7th & Amity, cut the grass on both sides and remove the black plastic covering the flower beds.

Anyone interesting in volunteering to help with this project should be at the Homestead Grays Bridge garden at 9 am.


Ray Saunders
Steel Valley Young Life
412-462-1619

New West Homestead Web Site

The borough has launched a new Web site, www.westhomesteadpa.com.

The site includes community history, borough and business directories, event calendars, education information, property development and loan programs, news and a section geared to borough residents.

The site was a collaboration of Sharp Creative Co. and borough employees and residents, Mayor John J. Dindak said. Future plans call for allowing users to obtain building permits and pay taxes online. Feedback, suggestions and comments are encouraged, Mr. Dindak said

Phantom Fright Nights named as the # 3 Amusement Park Halloween Event!

West Mifflin, PA (Vocus) September 19, 2008 -- Kennywood's Phantom Fright Nights continue to receive acclaim. On Sept. 12, 2008, Hauntworld Magazine, the "haunt" industry's leading trade magazine, named Phantom Fright Nights as the # 3 Amusement Park Halloween Event!

This year the Kennywood event, Phantom Fright Nights, opens Friday, September 26 and continues Friday and Saturday evenings through November 1. Hours are 7 PM to1 AM. (A bonus night, Sunday, October 12, has hours of 7 PM to 11 PM.)

We are thrilled to be listed as one of the best Halloween events in the country," comments Jerome Gibas, Kennywood General Manager. "Kennywood's goal is to produce the ultimate haunt experience, and it's especially gratifying to see that our Team Members effort is respected within the industry."

According to Hauntworld, "attractions are recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects, and overall scare factor… In an industry that has reached the multi-billion dollar mark, these haunts are leading the way in scream-inducing innovations."


Hauntworld's Top 5 Amusement Park Halloween Events:

1. Universal Studios Horror Nights - Orlando, FL
2. Knott's Scary Farm - Los Angeles, CA
3. Phantom Fright Nights - Kennywood Amusement Park - Pittsburgh, PA
4. Universal Studios Horror Nights - Hollywood, CA
5. Tampa Busch Gardens - Tampa, FL

For those who know Kennywood, a first-time visit to Phantom Fright Nights reveals a somewhat disturbing transformation from the park's regular season. Approaching the parking lot one notices the happy lights and music have vanished. Instead, the Phantom himself guards the front gate. He's accompanied by fog, creepy music, and eerie figures. Visitors safely traversing through the creepier-than-ever tunnel may travel fog-filled midways and scare zones to brave the haunted mazes and rides.

This year Guests will find an impressive new haunt, Voodoo Bayou. Upon entering the Bayou, Swampland Canoe And Raft Excursions (SCARE Tours) beckons. SCARE Tours promises the adventure of a lifetime through Voodoo Bayou, once famous for its raging rapids. As soon as one enters SCARE's gate and steps into the swamp, he or she discovers it's too late to turn back! A warning from past victims is heard in Whispering Canyon, and dodging tombstones, coffins and evil spirits within the swamp's cemetery becomes a necessity. The massive collection of shrunken heads belongs to the Bayou's Voodoo King, who seems to have found the perfect cave for procuring interesting specimens.

Phantom Fright Nights take place every Friday and Saturday night from September 26 through November 1 from 7 PM to 1 AM, plus a bonus night: Sunday, October 12 from 7 to 11 PM. Tickets are $23.00 at the gate or $20.00 at participating Giant Eagle locations. Group Rates are also available; call 412.464.9931 to make a reservation. See www.kennywood.com for further details.

No food or beverages may be brought into the park during Fright Nights. Halloween masks, make-up, or costumes are not permitted. Phantom Fright Nights is not recommended for children under 13 years of age. For further information call 412.461.0500 or visit www.phantomfrightnights.com.

You've been warned.

About Hauntworld Magazine: Hauntworld Magazine www.hauntworld.com is the premier haunted attraction magazine in the industry, providing insider access into the world of haunted attractions to nearly four million people.

About PFN: Every year since 2002 Phantom Fright Nights and its cast of ghosts, ghouls, goblins and gremlins have continued to morph. PFN, which also features many scarier than normal thrill rides, has successfully added 10 operating days to Kennywood's shoulder season and led to the opening of a Halloween event for younger children - HallowBoo! - at sister park Idlewild www.idlewild.com, located in Ligonier, PA.

About Kennywood:
Kennywood first opened in 1898 as a "trolley park" at the end of the Monongahela Street Railway. Operated by Kennywood Entertainment, Kennywood is western Pennsylvania's largest provider of summer fun. It is often regarded as America's finest traditional amusement park and is internationally known among thrill seekers and amusement park enthusiasts for its collection of classic rides, state-of-the-art thrill rides, and world-class roller coasters and a wide variety of food, games, gardens, and live entertainment. For more information please call 412.461.0500 or visit www.kennywood.com.

Carnegie Library Lays Off Directors To Save Money

Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 9/23/2008

The Carnegie Library of Homestead (CLH), PA, one of only four libraries in the country built and endowed by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, is facing hard times, having laid off its library director and executive director (the latter managed the fitness club and music hall sharing the facility).

CLH board president Dan Lloyd told LJ that the layoffs were a short-term solution to a budget crunch; the terminations save CLH $100,000. (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette erroneously reported that the action was permanent.) Lloyd said the library relied too much on CLH’s endowment. Now board members are stepping up their money-making services offerings—the fitness and music facilities—in order to make CLH less reliant on the endowment. CLH is also ramping up fundraising efforts, promising that a donor will match every gift.

Endowment funding
Carnegie not only funded construction of the 34,000 square foot multipurpose facility (with 8000 square feet for library service) more than 110 years ago; he also funded its operation. (U.S. Steel managed CLH until the 1970s.) In recent years, said Lloyd, the directors relied too much on endowment funds to supplement the less-than-generous contributions from the four small communities it serves. which cut into principal. CLH’s annual budget is $680,000. Municipal contributions add up to less than $30,000 and about $75,000 comes from Allegheny County taxes.

Currently, five board members are helping an administrator manage the three facilities. Two library staffers have MLS degrees (at least one is required for continued state certification).

New revenues
The fitness club, which has a pool that Lloyd says “trained several Olympic athletes” in its day, has been upgraded. Formerly unused space now has modern weight-training equipment. Membership, at $32/month, has increased. More ambitiously, CLH has stepped up programming at the 1000-seat music hall, “a mini Carnegie Hall" (in Lloyd's words).

So far, CLH’s earnings from the music hall have been $60,000 in just six months and Lloyd predicts that revenue will be $150,000 for the first year. CLH’s only additional hire is a house manager for the events; the agent, promoters, and CLH each get a cut of the concert proceeds. Performers have ranged from Patti Smith to Emmylou Harris to various alt rock and metal bands. “It’s a major win for the community,” said Lloyd. “We put money up at first; but we made it happen.”

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

Free Stroke Screening

SATURDAY
OCTOBER 11TH, 2008
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Clark Memorial Baptist Church
1301 Glenn Street, Homestead, PA

Screening includes:· Stroke risk assessment survey· Blood pressure check· HDL and total cholesterol· Blood sugar level· Body Fat Analysis·

Educational information and counseling To register for the free screening, call the Jefferson Regional Medical Center Community Program Line at 412-469-7100.

Registration is required.

Thank you for a successful light up night!

Just a quick note to everyone about our successful 1st Light-Up Night. I guess the best way to sum up our success is that the Officers working that shift asked if we could do that more often. It was encouraging seeing so many homes with the lights on and in many areas, neighbors sitting outside spending time together. We where able to send a message that we care about our community. So I would like to thank all of you who participated.

We had our fire companies and the local police from the Steel Valley area patrolling with us as well as 2 police cars from West Mifflin, and 1 from Pleasant Hills.Not to bad for our first attempt. I have some different ideas for next years event but we have had a great start. We still have a long way to go but we are making progress.

So with that said, thank you for supporting our Crime Watch and keep up the work.

Dan Boehme
Crime Prevention Officer
Munhall PD

Events

Friday September 19, 2008
West Homestead - Riverplex, Sandcastle
INTERNATIONAL TASTE OF PITTSBURGH Best of Pittsburgh's multicultural food, dance, music and heritage. Fri. 4 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight. Riverplex, near Sandcastle, West Homestead. $3 kids 3-12, $5 students, $8 seniors, $10 adults.

Homestead - Bost Building, 412-464-4020. "Seeing Pittsburgh," 44 Pittsburghers photograph what defines their community, through Jan. 31. Closed Sun.

The Pump House -- Pittsburgh Project REMIX" (through Sunday), on Waterfront Drive in Homestead. Created and directed by Megan Carney and inspired by W. Eugene Smith's 1950s photo essay, "Pittsburgh Project," it sets out to capture via "collage" aspects of Pittsburgh today. Featured are Brian Czarnicki, David Gebhardt, Wali Jamal, Gabrielle Kroner, Sharon McCune and Gayle Pazerski; info at 1-773-610-5514 or www.MCarneyProjects.com. Friday 7:30 pm, Saturday 9.20 @ 7:30

Munhall- Munhall Light Up Night 6 pm to 9 pm


Saturday, September 20, 1008
West Homestead -- The Bulgarian Cultural Center, 449-451 W. Eighth Ave., will kick off its 88th season of the vecherinka, a Balkan dance party, at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. Free dance lessons are offered at 7:30 p.m. Bulgarian foods and beverages will be available. For more, call 412-461-6188.

West Homestead -- Bulgarian Cultural Center, 449/451 W. Eighth Ave., begins its 10th season of Soup Sega! on Saturday, offering 14 varieties of gourmet Bulgarian soups. Eleven of the soups are vegetarian. Soups and other food are available from 9 a.m. to noon Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. To order, send e-mail to bmnecc@gmail.com, visit www.bmnecc.org or call 412-461-6188.

West Homestead - Riverplex, Sandcastle
INTERNATIONAL TASTE OF PITTSBURGH Best of Pittsburgh's multicultural food, dance, music and heritage. Fri. 4 p.m.-midnight, Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight. Riverplex, near Sandcastle, West Homestead. $3 kids 3-12, $5 students, $8 seniors, $10 adults

Homestead - Bost Building, 412-464-4020. "Seeing Pittsburgh," 44 Pittsburghers photograph what defines their community, through Jan. 31. Closed Sun.

The Pump House -- Pittsburgh Project REMIX" (through Sunday), on Waterfront Drive in Homestead. Saturday 7:30 pm

Munhall -- Munhall Community Day, Gummy Knight Memorial Field, 11 am - 9 pm. Fireworks 9:00 pm


Sunday September 21, 2008
Munhall -- St. Rita Church, 219 W. Schwab Ave., in Munhall Gardens, will hold a spaghetti dinner from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, with a Chinese auction and baked goods. Tickets are $6 for adults; $3 for children younger than 12. Takeout available.

The Pump House -- Pittsburgh Project REMIX" (through Sunday), on Waterfront Drive in Homestead. Sunday 3:00 pm


PITTSBURGH IMPROV Waterfront, Homestead, 412-462-5233. Flip Orley Thurs. 8 p.m., Fri. 7 and 9 p.m., Sun. 7 p.m

Random acts of kindness

At The Waterfront, my lost purse came to the surface thanks to many helping hands

Pittsburgh Post Gazette
September 18, 2008

On Thursday, Sept. 4, I spent some time at the Waterfront mall in Homestead and at a favorite card shop called the 39er where there are a lot of great cards for 39 cents. (My friend Mort has dubbed me "the Queen of Cards.")

After chatting with the owner of the shop, Ed Ruck, I left to go on my way to GetGo to get some gasoline -- only to discover that I did not have my purse with me!

It was at that moment I realized that, before getting into the car, I had taken off a sweater and placed my purse on the roof of my car while I put my sweater in the car. I remembered that as I drove off, I did hear a thump -- but at the time, I figured it was my purse falling from the back seat to the floor of the car. Well, now I knew that "thump" was outside the car -- my purse had "flown the coupe!"

I decided to retrace my steps and headed back to the card shop. I did not expect to find my purse, but I was hoping that in some way I could get some help.

And that's just what happened.

At the card shop, Ed was deeply concerned with my plight and called 911. The dispatchers got in touch with the Homestead Police, where Officer Frank Snyder took the call.

Meanwhile, some other Waterfront customers had located my purse in the parking lot and they called 911, which then contacted the Homestead Police. Two Waterfront security guards -- Bryan Taylor and Shaun Helman -- heard the call on their radio and obtained the purse. They, along with two Homestead officers, Jeff Luptak and Sgt. Joe Derry, reunited me with my purse.

I do not have the name of the people who called security, but they truly did the right thing. I do want to thank all the wonderful officers who helped me. Everything in my purse was in perfect order and all of you made it a very happy day for me

-- THELMA (TEMMIE) GOLTZ, Oakland

Park Asbestos Informational Meeting

A 30-minute informational meeting to respond to questions will be held at 6 tonight in Steel Valley High School auditorium by Don Horgan, asbestos inspector supervisor for the Allegheny County Health Department.

Thursday September 18, 2008
6:00 pm
Steel Valley High School

Park Elementary School Closed Over Asbestos Concerns

MUNHALL (KDKA) ― The Steel Valley School District is closing Park Elementary School in Munhall on Wednesday September 17, 2008 because of concerns about asbestos.

At a school board meeting Tuesday night, a number of parents asked what would be done to keep students safe.

Asbestos was discovered during roof work at the school and the project manager tried to assure parents that the problem was contained. School Board President Pam Terrick wanted to know why the project wasn't finished before school started as promised.

In the end, Superintendent William Kanavey ordered Park Elementary closed Wednesday while the district gets more answers from the contractor and the Allegheny County Health Department.

No word yet on how long the school may be closed.