More Clairton History

If Everything’s Coming Your Way, You’re in the Wrong Lane!

A horse is a horse, of course of course: That is how the Mr. Ed theme song on TV began but it needs an update. Mrs. June Rooney owns her, Sir Mark Prescott trains her and Scott Donoho is the jockey who rode Miss Clairton to victory at the European Breeders' Fund Maiden Fillies' Stakes in Lingfield, UK. She beat the favored Jambo Bibi. Miss Clairton is the product of a mixed marriage between Marju of Ireland and Spirito Libro of the USA. The marriage took place on the Grove Stud Farm in Newmarket, Suffolk, England, north of London and not far from Cambridge, so she is well educated. We know very little about horses or horse racing or how the filly got her name but are confident that Miss Clairton will continue her winning ways. The photo shows Miss Clairton and Jockey Donoho (second from the right).

An international flavor of Russian hands and Roman fingers: Our favorite Clairton librarian Odessa Ellis was the subject of an interview when last we visited our hometown. She was busy setting up a book display that featured Clairton authors, that is, authors with roots in the community. We have written in the past of Joan Cutuly, David Pergrin, Annabelle Bucar and other former Clairtonians who have published books, but Odessa has provided us with a fresh list of current Clairton authors which includes Boice-Terrell Allen, Bernice DeBois, George B. Berry, Eklectyk, Frank Gerace, Leslie Harper, Denyse I. Johnson, Joyce Milton, Barry K. Nelson, Paul Paolicelli, Robert J. Pollick, John A Russo & George A Romero, Julia Tolliver, Rose M. Williams, and Stanley Yarulis. These should make your summer reading list.

Things are tough all over: The recession has hit Clairton and the City government is doing their best to cut the budget. Accorting to the Tribune Review, the City has combined the positions of city manager and finance director, a move that will save the city $38,000 a year. City Manager Ralph Imbrogno will receive six weeks of accumulated vacation and retain health insurance benefits until Aug. 31 for his 11 years of service. In April, three secretaries and three public works department employees were furloughed; volunteer fire Chief John A. Lattanzi had his pay cut 10 percent. While in Clairton last week we made an effort to reach Mayor Richard Lattanzi and spoke to him briefly. The mayor has some excellent ideas regarding the upgrading of the city but seems overwhelmed. We also had a chance meeting with Rex Cole, an energetic 29 year old CHS grad and lifelong Clairton resident. Mr. Cole has some excellent ideas to improve the community including searching for grants that would make Clairton a model in the area for refurbishing buildings to make them more efficient and greener. Here’s hoping the mayor and Mr. Cole are able to get together and see the ideas be implemented.

Paging Marcellus Shale: We did several posts on Marcellus Shale and the natural gas deposits that many touted would be the economic savior of the Mon Valley and other locales. They may be retrieved by typing in Marcellus Shale in the box to the left above the word, “Labels” then hitting the “Enter” button on your keyboard. Exploration on the project continues but the big boys seem to be moving in. In a recent Post Gazette article that some say was placed by the politicians who to not want exploration, “According to fishermen, there are noticeable declines this year in local fish populations in watersheds that have just begun to recover from industrial pollution, acid mine drainage and sewage overflows. Requires emergency response personnel to be provided information on the identity, quantities and placement of toxic chemicals and requires that an emergency plan be coordinated with local community fire and emergency response organizations.”

The article continues, “As recent gas well explosions in Texas, Clearfield County and Moundsville, W.Va., illustrate, the soothing platitudinous reassurances of slick public relations men and the politicians who have stuffed their campaign chests full of gas money are to be accorded the same weight and credibility as those relentlessly green energy ads foisted on us by British Petroleum for the past several years. With the horrific oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico by green-washed BP revealing lies, criminal negligence, self-delusion, disregard for worker safety, obstruction of justice, total indifference to environmental health ... for the sake of our children and grandchildren, we can do better, we must do better.

Without adequate regulation, without serious taxation that strengthens environmental enforcement and helps support vital public services like education and public transportation in a time of economic crisis, without clear uncapped liability rules that assign and enforce responsibility for irresponsible actions, without preservation of property rights by blocking the indirect destruction of the value of people's homes and lands, without significant public money to repair the roads and bridges that will be damaged by the invasion of heavy equipment bearing down on us, without protections for fish and wildlife, we must stop the drilling.”

Translation: Big companies want rules and regulations that will freeze out the little guy who owns an acre or two under which natural gas might exist. The big companies have the legal means to buy politicians who will create legislation favorable to them. Am I a little paranoid with this suggestion? I give you two words… B P. Wait, here is another, EXXON. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

Just back from a Clairton trip: We just returned from a week in Clairton and the surrounding area. Had a wonderful time visiting old friends and making some new ones. While there we met with Jim Hartman, President of the Mifflin Township Historical Society. He was kind enough to share with us scads of information and photos of Clairton’s history. We will be featuring much of it on this blog and will credit it appropriately. We encourage you to go to their web site listed at the end of this post. Thank you, Jim.

A little blogging music Maestro... “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
www.mifflintownship.org

Interest in Shale Refuses to Pale

Had a Cool Yule? Have a Frantic First
and Marcellus Shale Revisited

Are we in recovery yet: Let’s see, Christmas day plus a couple. My best guess is that you had at least one of the following awkward moments grace your Christmas day festivities: Grandpa made the kids squeal when he took out his teeth, somebody burned the turkey and dinner plans had to be altered, family members who’d said they couldn’t make it showed up – at least one was crude, obnoxious, and drunk. Two brothers-in-law got into a fight. Grandma comments that your brother’s “trophy” wife dresses like a tramp. Somebody forgot to take the stuffing out of the turkey before baking and it caught fire. Halfway through dessert somebody realized the giblet gravy had not been put on the table. Somebody asked the newly married couple when they are going to start their family and got the finger in response, and finally, somebody said, “This is the last time we’re doing this. Next year we eat out.”

Hidden gold or fool’s gold: We would like to share a few more bits of information regarding Marcellus Shale and the impact it might have on Clairton and the entire Southwestern Pennsylvania region. Some see it as the savior of the region’s economy and others see it as one more snake oil pitch. But the facts are that things have happened quickly and there are some heavy hitters interested in the pursuit of a potential bonanza.

Discuss it and they will come: Several months ago event coordinators planned to host a Pittsburgh conference for natural gas producers. They expected somewhere between 200 and 300 attendees. Once registrations for the conference began to arrive it became clear that the numbers would exceed the projection – so much so that the conference venue was changed from a downtown hotel to the Convention Center in order to accommodate the nearly 1,500 attendees.

The giant sleeps tonight: The Marcellus Shale range, which extends from Tennessee to New York, is not a recently-discovered phenomenon. Neither is the technology required to extract natural gas from the shale a recently-discovered technique. What happened to spark interest in the gas was the publication of two reports; one by a Texas natural gas company, whose annual report documented production of the first natural gas wells, drilled in Washington County, PA. The following month a geology professor from Penn State co-authored a report with a colleague from a university in New York that further discussed the potential for the extraction of natural gas from the rock bed far underneath the rich Pennsylvania (and neighboring states) soil. In the report, the estimated amount of underground gas was increased from about 2 trillion (reported earlier by a U.S. Geological Survey) cubic feet to 516 trillion cubic feet of gas – up to 250 times the earlier estimate.

If gas production were to even closely approach its estimated potential, another Penn State study reports, the result could initially be the creation of some 30,000 new jobs in Pennsylvania. The following year that number could jump to 48,000 and the year after to 98,000 new jobs directly and indirectly related to Marcellus Shale development. By 2020 the development could add $13.5 billion to the state’s economy and create more than 176,000 new jobs. Collectively, these reports have begun a rush to be the first to exploit the new industry.

Where the wealth lies: In order to reach the Marcellus Shale layer of rock and extract the gas bonanza, it is first necessary to drill a well 6,000 to 8,000 feet straight down. Once Shale layer has been penetrated the drilling apparatus must turn 90 degrees and drill horizontally, as the caverns that contain the gas lie horizontally. A portion of the well is then sealed and water is pumped in. The pressure fractures the surrounding rock and allows for more gas recovery over a wider area. This process is called “hydrofracking.”

Timing is everything: The hydrofracking technique has been around for decades, as has the knowledge that rich gas deposits lie beneath the soil but it had not been economically practical to pursue the gas until a natural disaster hit. Beginning late August 2005 three storms; Katrina, Rita, and Wilma struck the Gulf of Mexico causing massive disruptions in the nation’s natural gas supply. As a result the price of natural gas doubled and doubled again, then skyrocketed from $2.00 per BTU to nearly $16.00 per BTU by the end of the year. Still, it was thought that Marcellus Shale gas deposits were buried too deep to be removed economically. However, after a few test drillings and importing the use of hydrofracking from West Texas (it had been used in other regions for nearly 30 years but not along the Marcellus range) made the gas more easily accessible. Once the horizontal-then-vertical drilling was coupled with hydrofracking, production increased dramatically. Hence, by 2007 the Marcellus Shale Range, more specifically, Southwestern Pennsylvania, became THE place to consider drilling for natural gas.

It’s never that easy: Although the natural gas producers are excited and the residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania are hopeful, environmentalists are worried and have erected a “Proceed with Caution” approach. Their biggest concern has to do with the wastewater produced with hydrofracking. One of the drilling companies has developed a system for recycling all its wastewater, another recycles part of its flowback and disposes the remainder through state or federal facilities. A third possibility for the recycling of the wastewater has been suggested – extracting the salt for use as snow removal deposits on roadways. Environmentalists, Industry representatives, and government agencies have formed the Marcellus Shale Coalition, a 62-member group that is examining possible risks and solutions.

In order for the Marcellus Shale natural gas exploration and mining to continue successfully, gas prices must stay above $ 3.50 per BTU. Recent prices have stabilized in the $5.00 per BTU range which bodes well for the industry and business in the region for years to come. Already several of our readers have written to report they’ve been approached by companies wishing to drill on or under their land in exchange for royalties.

Much of the information in this post was provided by former Clairtonian Thomas Nixon of Nixon and Associates, and an article by Elwin Green.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Classical Gas” by Chicago.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com

What the Shale? Clairton wins!

Of Marcellus Shale and Football Champs

Date Opponent Time/Result
Fri., Sep 4 at Laurel L15 - 8
Fri., Sep 11 Monessen W46 - 0
Fri., Sep 18 Frazier W62 - 7
Fri., Sep 25 at Bentworth W53 - 0
Fri., Oct 2 at Fort Cherry W45 - 6
Fri., Oct 9 Chartiers-Houston W63 - 3
Fri., Oct 16 at Burgettstown W53 - 0
Fri., Oct 23 at Avella W59 - 0
Fri., Oct 30 Serra Catholic W39 - 7
Fri., Nov 6 South Side Beaver W61 - 0
Fri., Nov 13 at Avonworth W24 - 0
Fri., Nov 20 at Laurel W33 - 0
Fri., Nov 27 Rochester W14 - 13
Fri., Dec 4 Conemaugh Township W46 - 0
Fri., Dec 11 Farrell W13 - 7
Fri., Dec 18 Bishop McCort W15 - 3


More Marcellus Mania: Our previous post regarding the possibility of Marcellus Shale discoveries as a possible boon to the Clairton economy brought a host of responses – some positive, some negative, but many hopeful. Several readers reported that they or their neighbors or family have already signed leases and others have reported being contacted by companies seeking permission to drill on or under their land. Environmental organizations and local watershed groups have expressed concerns over the potential impact of Marcellus Shale natural gas development on public water supplies and water quality. As a pre-emptive strike one company has announced that it will donate $750,000 to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) to underwrite the deployment of a remote water quality monitoring network in the upper reaches of the Susquehanna River watershed.

It is obvious that economic benefits and job creation from Marcellus Shale development will be tempered by the environmental precautions and safety measures taken by the industry. On the other hand, if Marcellus Shale gas production is to proceed, perhaps the monitoring by environmental groups will create even more jobs. Town hall meetings are being held throughout the region to educate the locals regarding the potential and potential risk of mining natural gas from Marcellus Shale. We invite comments from readers who have attended those meetings and will share the comments and reactions of attendees. More to come.

Bears just do it: Clairton is the Rodney Dangerfield of communities and by extension so are its schools and athletic teams. And the worst offenders in the dissing of Clairton are its own citizens current and past. On a Clairton bulletin board the Bears football team was predicted to choke this season, especially after the first game that resulted in a loss. As the Bears rebounded from that non-conference loss, even after drubbing the same team that had beaten them earlier in the season, locals and former locals still insisted the team would choke. They are bums and thugs. They will play an uppity private school in the playoffs. Bishop McCort prepares their young men for Penn State; Clairton prepares its young men for the state pen. No way do the Bears have the self discipline to complete a season as state champs. Coach Nola doesn’t know how to coach and the players will eventually fold. So went the online bulletin board. However when the dust cleared, NOT!

No touchdown for Johnstown: Bishop McCort High School is a private Catholic school in the hard luck town of Johnstown, PA. Johnstown is most famous for the Great Flood that happened 120 years ago. Ok, the school also had a player in the 1960s by the name of Jack Ham who went on to Penn State then had a stellar career with the Steelers. The McCort Crimson Crushers football team has a proud tradition. The private parochial school opened in 1929 and it costs thousands of dollars in tuition to attend. Its football team was undefeated (14-0) going into the State playoffs. Clairton High School is a public high school, also rich in tradition with an excellent football team. Last year Clairton lost a heartbreaker in the State championship game and this year lost its season opener, which could have broken the Bear’s spirit. But it didn’t.

McCort came into the game as District 7 champs, Clairton as District 6 champs. McCort did not go into Hershey for the playoffs the night before as Clairton did. Instead they kept to their normal routine for an away game. But the Bears, whose season included 8 shutouts, who outscored their opponents by a total score of 619-58, or an average of about 41-4, and whose defense had not allowed a touchdown throughout the entire playoffs, were loaded for… well, Crushers.

Going into the fourth quarter Clairton’s vaunted defense was again too stingy to give up a touchdown but the offense had managed only a field goal – their first of the season - and the score was tied at 3. The Bears drove to the Crusher one yard line and Desimon Green forced his way into the end zone for a touchdown. Five minutes later running back Deonte Howard broke free for an 80 yard scamper to score the final touchdown in the game. Final score: Clairton Bears 15, previously unbeaten Bishop McCort Crimson Crusaders 3. Congratulations to the State Champion Clairton Bears.

Don’t let your heart be snowbound: The East Coast, including Clairton is blanketed with a snowstorm this weekend. The temperature in Las Vegas yesterday was nearly 70 degrees with plenty of sunshine. But that was not the case this time last year. From my blog one year ago today, “Yes, Las Vegas is in the Mohave Desert. Yes, the desert is hot and dry. Yes, the average precipitation in Las Vegas is about 2.75” annually, but when it rains, “gully washers” start high in the foothills on the west side of town and cascade down onto the Strip a little more than 300 feet below, then down to Henderson, another 300 feet or so, and finally into Lake Mead. The County has spent millions of dollars to tame the flooding with catch basins strategically placed throughout the Las Vegas Valley and for the most part it works pretty well. No longer do cars float in the Strip Hotel Casino parking lots, and those lucky enough to be visiting during a desert rainstorm are no longer treated to Mother Nature’s fury. But the snow… well, that’s another story.

Oh the weather outside was frightful: Earlier this week a storm blew down from Alaska and Canada and through the desert. This happens every 5-8 years or so and the Las Vegas valley sees a sprinkling of show but not very often and not for very long. But records are made to be broken, right? The 3.6 inches that fell on Vegas last Wednesday was the heaviest snowfall in recorded history. That is not a misprint 3.6 inches was a record. McCarran International airport was shut down tighter than the lid on a pickle jar, and I-15 northbound to Utah and southbound to California was shut down. U.S. 95 north toward Reno and south toward Boulder City and Arizona was shut down. The city came to a grinding halt. Thousands of airline passengers were stranded. Of course, there are worse places to be stranded than Las Vegas, unless of course, you gambled all your money and had your airline ticket pinned to the inside of your underwear. Nobody was Leaving Las Vegas.”

A little blogging music Maestro… The Clairton High School fight song played by the Clairton Band.

Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com