Bearly Winning

Clairton Updates
When is 13 a lucky number? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it is when our Clairton Bear football teams goes 13-0 and wins the WPIAL championship for the fourth time in five years. Maybe it is lucky when the team outscores its opponents 410-26. Maybe it is when the team earns 5,000 yards for the season, holds its opponents to a total of four touchdowns and shuts out 9 of its 13 opponents. The mighty Bear football team of 1020 did all that and is now headed to State where if they win another three games, they will be state champs for the second consecutive year. Congratulations to Coach Tom Nola and his staff as well as Bear seniors Josh Page, Brian Boyd, Devante Dockery, Deon Ellis, Desimon Green, Brandon Small, Marquis Norris, Devon Porter, Keith Craven, William Ingram, Wesley Sutton, and Bishop Neal, as well as all the undergraduates that made this a winning season. In the year 2061 you will gather to celebrate your 50th high school reunion and the memories that you are making today will be as fresh and satisfying then as they are now. Congratulations and enjoy the rest of the ride.

The victory at Heniz Field clinched the WPIAL championship for Clairton for the third consecutive year. The Class A division for high schools has had playoffs since 1928 and prior to Clairton’s third consecutive honor, only one other team had won three consecutive Class A WPIAP championships – Rochester, the team Clairton beat for the honor. Clairton has played Rochester five times since 1992. Rochester won the first two meetings and Clairton the last three. Clairton Coach Tom Nola was gracious in his victory speech stating, “It was a typical Clairton-Rochester game. Both teams played great defense.” But Rochester Coach Gene Matsook, whose team posted the fourth consecutive loss at Heniz Field was less so. His post game comments included, “Not taking anything away from Clairton but our defense is as good as theirs.”

Clairton has not lost a conference game since 2005 and are the defending PIAA and WPIAL Champs. The Bears have won four of the past five WPIAL Class A championships and has won seven WPIAL titles. Clairton has made 14 WPIAL championship-game appearances and has won its conference title five consecutive years.

Twenty years ago: Clairton lost to Farrell – 40 – 0.

Thirty years ago: Coach Tom Nola began his coaching career at Martinsville, (VA) High School.

Fifty years ago: Clairton High School All American Jim Kelly spent his freshman year at Notre Dame where he continued his outstanding career. Jim would go on to earn All America honors as a senior at Notre Dame and play professionally for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Those are just a few of the highlights and tradition at Clairton High School Go Bears.

More Clairton News: City officials and members of the school board are working together on a comprehensive community improvement plan. More recreational opportunities, revitalizing the business districts in Clairton, strengthening municipal partnerships and services, providing housing options and improving transportation to, from and within Clairton are among the plan’s components. Further information about the plan may be obtained at the Clairton Municipal Building either by visiting in person or phoning the main office at 412.233.4299.

Bridge to Clairton: A groundbreaking was held recently on the J.R. Taylor Memorial Bridge, which will eventually carry a branch of the Montour Trail. When completed the bridge will measure 17 1/2 feet high and connect two segments where bicyclists and pedestrians previously had to take ramps down from the trail, cross the two busy roads and go back up to the trail. About 40 miles of completed trail travel in a rough half-circle from Moon to Clairton and is broken up by incomplete segments through Bethel Park, South Park and Jefferson Hills.

Clairton minister promoted: Rev. Jerome Robinson was born in Braddock. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Geneva College as well as a doctorate from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He has been s licensed and ordained since 1991. Rev. Robinson served as pastor at the Morningstar Baptist Church in West Mifflin before his transfer to the Morningstar Baptist Church in Clairton. He was recently installed as moderator of the Allegheny Union Baptist Association but will continue as head pastor of the Clairton church as well. Congratulations Rev. Robinson.

Clairton benefits from grant: U.S. Senator Bob Casey recently announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has awarded $674,313 to three southwestern Pennsylvania communities to hire new police officers. The funding is available through DOJ's COPS Office. Clairton Police Department received $165,964 to hire a new police officer.

It’s a dirty shame: Twenty-three year old India Banks of Clairton was pulled over by police. The officer asked if they could search her car and she agreed, but handed a dirty diaper to the officer and asked if the officer would toss it in the trash. But the smell that emanated from the dirty diaper was more than manure. It was in fact the unmistakable odor of marijuana! Ms. Banks recently appeared in court as a result of the traffic stop but she did not crap out. Instead she was placed into a special program for first time offenders. The program will allow her record to be expunged if she complies with the terms of her probation. If so the dirty deed will be eliminated.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Backfield in Motion” by Mel and Tim.

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

Clairton and Pittsburgh

Clairton and the little neighbor down the street;
Today’s rambling

Clairton 26 Springdale 7. Total so far this year; Clairton 598, Opponents 26

They’re everywhere: I got a call this weekend from Bill Bennett, transplanted Clairtonian who lives in Phoenix. He told me that Jack and Clair Pierosh and George and Francine Zdrale were in Vegas to celebrate Jack’s son’s 40th birthday. Last time they’d been to Vegas was to celebrate Jack’s 40th

They left the “kids” and we Clairton grads got together to watch the Steelers beat the pants off Oakland whilst getting homered by their own refs. The event got me thinking about the historical significance of Pittsburgh. I’ve written about Clairton’s history. Here is a little about the little village down the river.

Some facts about the ‘Burgh: In 1758 George Washington and General Forbes rode up to the smoldering remains of Fort Duquesne at the Point and decided to name the small village “Pitts-Borough” which soon became localized to “Pittsburgh.” In 1803 Lewis and Clark began their expedition at the Point. McGuffy’s Reader became the school reading standard and in 184o the Duff’s became first business college to open. In 1908 the City celebrated its 150th anniversary in grand style with parades on land and on the water, and the cornerstone was laid for Soldiers and Sailors Hall. Fifty years later, the Bicentennial was celebrated with celebrations that resembled a World’s Fair atmosphere, and the cornerstone of the Civic Arena was laid. It was the first building with a retractable roof.

Other historical facts about that little village down the river from Clairton include the invention of wire cable that made suspension bridges possible. The oil industry was started by a Pittsburgh resident. Foundries built cannons for the Civil War and the first armor plated warship. The first ground coffee was packaged by John Arbuckle and the invention of Westinghouse air brakes made train travel much safer. In 1881 Pittsburgh became the birthplace of labor unions. Alcoa aluminum was made in the Strip District and Andrew Carnegie opened his first library in Braddock.

Pro football began in Pittsburgh and local George Ferris invented the Ferris Wheel for the 1893 Columbia Exposition of the Chicago World’s Fair. The wheel was higher than the Eifel Tower! H. J. Heinz, of course became the world leader in packaged foods and the Pirates hosted the first World Series in 1903. The banana split, movie theater, bingo, gas station, and road maps, were all firsts in the ‘Burgh. And Pitt was the first college to attach numbers to their football jerseys. Local Nellie Bly became the first female war correspondent and of course, KDKA became the first radio station to broadcast.

In 1924 the Liberty Tubes became the longest artificially ventilated automobile tunnels. The following year a Pittsburgher made the first cross-country flight. In 1929 Isaly’s introduced the Klondike. Other inventions by locals included the Zippo lighter, Ice Capades, and the Jeep.

In the medical field Jonas Salk invented polio vaccine, Alcoa built the first aluminum skyscraper, and WQED became the first educational TV channel. The first atomic-powered submarine and electric plants made their debut at the 1958 bicentennial and of course, one of man’s happiest inventions, the pop top beer can and later aluminum bottles were invented by Iron City Breweries and the Big Mac was a local invention. And the world-famous St. Louis Arch? Prefabricated and erected by Pitt locals. Clean air legislation started downtown. The Steelers were the first NFL team to win four Super Bowls. Local doctors did the first heart-liver-kidney transplant.

I’m from the government and I’m here to help you: In 1890 President Benjamin Harrison created a U. S. Board on Geographic Names in an effort to bring some order to the naming of cities, towns, lakes, mountains, and other things that needed to be named. At the time some states had as many as five towns with the same name. One of the first orders of business of the board was to have the “H” dropped from any city whose name ended in “burgh.” Pittsburgh area people have always been a proud, independent lot and they decided to keep their “H” since the town was obviously a historical exception. In short, they told the Board to stick the rules where the sun don’t shine, and they didn’t mean the smoggy skies of their city. For the next 20 years they waged a torrid campaign to keep their beloved “H” even in the face of threatened federal troop intervention. In 1911 the Board finally relented and let Pittsburgh be Pittsburgh.

Three cheers for North Dakota: Oh, did I mention a couple of other US cities named Pittsburg sans “H?” The list of almost name-alikes included:
Pittsburg, California - Contra Costa County
Pittsburg, Colorado - Gunnison County
Pittsburg, Florida - Polk County
Pittsburg, Georgia - DeKalb County
Pittsburg, Illinois - Fayette County
Pittsburg, Illinois - Williamson County
Pittsburg, Indiana - Carroll County
Pittsburg, Iowa - Van Buren County
Pittsburg, Kansas - Crawford County
Pittsburg, Kentucky - Laurel County
Pittsburg, Michigan - Shiawassee County
Pittsburg, Missouri - Hickory County
Pittsburg, New Hampshire - Coos County
Pittsburg, Oklahoma - Pittsburg County
Pittsburg, Oregon - Columbia County
Pittsburg, South Carolina - Greenwood County
Pittsburg, Texas - Camp County
Pittsburg, Utah - Piute County
Pittsburgh, North Dakota - Pembina County They might not have Iron City Beer or an incline, but they have the fortitude to keep their “H.”

A little blogging music Maestro… (all together now) “There’s a pawn shop on the corner, in Pittsburgh Pennsyl-van-i-a…”

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

Of Bears today and days gone by.

Bears Roll Continues

How ‘bout those Bears: Thanks to Jay Graft, Cal Sabo, Jim Hartman, and all who send me updates on our Clairton Bear Football team. The regular high school season is over in the WPIAL and post season play has begun. CHS played their second playoff game. Elizabeth-Forward Warrior field hosted the game between Clairton and Bishop Canevin and the bears won another squeaker, 47-0. That was the Bears 26th consecutive win and they move on to the semi-finals next week against Springdale.

Senior Josh Page used the game to demonstrate his skills, intercepting four passes on defense and while on offense catching four on offense for 95 yards and a touchdown. The score was 35-o at halftime! Halftime! In a playoff game! Pitt recruit Desimon Green didn’t do too badly either, rushing for two touchdowns and passing for two more.

The next opponent, Springdale (10-1), is no patsy. They are the last team to beat Clairton, 21-20 in a 2007 semifinals. The two teams have not played since. It should be a whale of a game, and of course we will bring you the results.

Those who stayed: Many readers of this blog are ex-patriot Clairtonians who moved away for school or work or service, and did not return. Others who have stayed include a core of hard workers whose desire is to male Clairton the best it can be. The Clairton Chamber of Commerce, under the direction of current leader Kathy Tachoir has been a key influence to that end. To that end, I encourage all who can make it to attend the CLAIRTON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN COMMUNITY MEETING which will take place MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2020 6:30PM at the CLAIRTON EDUCATION CENTER-AUDITORIUM

The plan will be presented to the Community for their knowledge and understanding.
There will be time for questions and answers.

The Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee along with the City and School District have worked for many months to develop this plan. We listened to the residents comments from the first Community Meeting in January and incorporated the items the residents cited as concerns.

We ask you to contact your family and friends who can make it and invite them to join with us begin to: "MAKE CLAIRTON THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE".

Republicans sweep election: The election was a landslide in many parts of Pennsylvania including Clairton as Republicans swept the election two years after one of the most enigmatic presidents was elected on the Democrat ticket. Despite the popularity of the young, good looking president, many of the young people who supported him in the previous election simply did not turn out to vote in the mid-term. Still the election of a president with his background was groundbreaking. But Republicans constantly hammered away at issues such as the economy and the fact that he has not kept many of his campaign promises. The result is the new mayor and several councilmen were sworn in. The list included Mayor Bob Stokes, new councilmen James J. Daily and Ross Valvo, Controller Dr. George Wright and Congressman James G. Fulton. The year was 1962 and John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic to hold the presidency had been elected on the strength of the youth vote.

Tight budgets: The economic circumstances of 1962 caused the City Council to pass a smaller, more austere budget. That budget did not contain enough money to meet the payroll for City workers for the rest of the year. The previous year’s (1961) budget had been just over $1 million, but the new one came in at $958,870. Although the budget was reduced by just over $64,000, Councilman Bob Medvivovich complained that his department could not be run on the $86,000 allotted to it. There had been no tax increases the previous four years for Clairton residents.

More bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t take one more step: A prominent family from Large, the Marion Batinich family, owners of Marion’s Tavern, was returning home from a holiday visit to Florida. The big car was loaded with six family members when the driver lost control on a state highway in Dillon, South Carolina. Killed in the crash was Marion Batinich, 62, believed to have been driving, his wife, Mary, 52, daughter Carol Ann, 20, and another daughter, Anna Mae Majernich. Frances Batinich and Mrs. Majernich’s one month old daughter were taken to a local hospital.


Things looking up in 1962 Clairton: Newly elected mayor Robert Stokes in his “State of the City” speech, predicted that Clairton would become “the most booming mill town in the valley” within the next four years. Speaking to a standing room only crowd in the Clairton High School auditorium, the mayor stated there will be a “tremendous effort to supply jobs to the jobless.” Among the other dignitaries on the stage were Congressman James G. Fulton, Commissioner John Walker, and former Clairton Mayor Robert W. Ostermayer. Mayor Stokes outlined several projects that would help the city get back on its feet, including the establishment of a new Housing Authority for Clairton and the release of some 400 lots in the city that could be used to build affordable housing.


In Summary: Republicans being swept in during a mid-term election two years after the election of a young dynamic Democrat president, budget woes in the city, a high jobless rate and the need for affordable housing. A review of the January 3, 1962 Clairton Progress, aside from its single copy price of seven cents and annual subscription rate of $3.00 suggest considerable truth to the old adage, “The more things change the more they stay the same.

Thanks to Jim Hartman and the Mifflin Historical Society for the copies of the Clairton Progress.


A little blogging Maestro: The number I hit song five weeks in a row in 1962, “Sherry,” by the Four Seasons.

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

Clairton Today and Yesterday

The Spirit of Clairton History

Bears and Honeybears: The Clairton Bears knocked off another opponent. A Districts 7 (WPIAL); 5 football 2010 - Round 1 - Game 1. This time the victim was Carmichaels and the score was 42-0. The next playoff opponent will be Bishop Canevin next Friday. We will keep you posted. By the way, Clairton is the only team to advance in the playoffs from the Black Hills Conference. Fort Cherry, Chartiers-Houston and Brentwood lost their first-round games.

There is more to Clairton than just football even though it seems to get the most ink. A full complement of mens and womens sports has been a tradition of CHS for many decades. The band is among the many extra-curricular activities available to students and the majorettes, renamed Honeybears in the 1950s are among the pride of Clairton. Reader Gary Irvine sent me the photo of the majorettes circa 1952. It was a few years after the photo above that Benny Benack took over from Rutilio Rotilli as the head of the band and majorettes. Benny was a cool dude in those days. His parents ran the photo studio that took most of the school pictures and Benny was a prodigy. He regularly played his trumpet and led bands at Steeler and Pirate games and had the majorettes select a name for their group. They chose “Honeybears.

The drum major has not yet been identified but the girls, so talented yet still in high school, from left to right are: Peggy Manual, Nancy Irvine, Nora Fiore, Clair Cicchini, Viola Roberts, Mary Jane Pittman, Audrey Slate, and Agnes Martis. We also mention with sadness that Nancy Irvine recently passed away in Charleston, S.C. at age 75.

Cheerleaders: The majorettes of 1952 were complemented by a unique group of cheerleaders. Why unique? They were all male! George Kraynak, Michael Mihalov, Burt Finney, Roy Verbanes, Angelo Sgroi, and Paul LeDonne were the five male cheerleaders who, according to the Clairtonian, “… mastered the old standby cheers and added to the list, Sound Off, Where, Where, and Ichabod.” Whether 1952 or nearly 60 years thereafter, school spirit is alive and well at Clairton High School.

Not just a good football team: Most educators groaned when the federal government introduced the “No Child Left Behind” Act. The idea was a good one but the first problem was that it was an unfunded initiative, which meant schools were mandated to do several things including scads and scads of student testing, but no monies were provided with which to accomplish the task. Still schools were measured against one another and each year a report card, called, AYP, or Average Yearly Progress measures the success to which all students are held. In a recent letter, Clairton School District Superintendent Dr. Lucille L. Abellonio wrote, “We are extremely proud to announce that the district has achieved AYP status in reading and mathematics for the third consecutive year! Congratulations for all their hard work to staff and students.


“In order to continue our academic progress, there are many exciting changes planned for this year at Clairton City School District! The district is beginning a ninth grade academy at the high school level. There will be a wing on the high school floor which will house all ninth grade classrooms and faculty. This will establish a sense of community for those students and provide a vehicle to foster communication between staff members working with our ninth grade students. New courses are being offered in the High School. The departments offering the new courses include English, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, Business Education, Family and Consumer Science, Technology Education and Art Education.

“Student court, the school newspaper, and the production of morning announcements are just a few of the new activities available for student participation. We are excited to begin Project Grad during the fall semester and provide academic support services and college access services to our high school students throughout the day. The program will be located in room 224.

“Some middle school students will participate in Read 180 a computer based reading program. This program is based on individual student ability and incorporates videos, teacher instruction and books with CDs for independent instruction.

“Elementary school will continue the academic academies and learning academies which were instituted last year. Children, parents and teachers have provided much positive feedback regarding the elementary program.

“We are welcoming a new social worker this year, Ms. Cassidy Yeager, who is coming to us from the Pittsburgh Public Schools and will be working with all our students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. She has many exciting plans for the coming year.

“The district received the Enhancing Education through Technology (EETT) grant in the amount of $50,000.00 which will be used to continue to integrate technology into classroom lessons. A new District website is being developed, and wireless network access will be available on the high school level as well as other common areas such as the cafeteria and auditorium.” A tip of the hat to the good Doctor and her staff.

Too many homeless: Homelessness is an issue in many parts of the country, and western PA is no exception. For the children of homeless parents the problem is even more acute. .Nicole Anderson, coordinator of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit's Homeless Children's Initiative, which covers nine southwestern Pennsylvania counties has conducted training sessions for districts outlining their responsibilities to homeless students. Clairton School District participated in a session and has developed a partnership with a local agency providing transitional housing for single parents of 24 children. On the first Wednesday of each month, high school guidance counselor Maureen McGarvey goes to Sisters Place in Clairton to check in with moms. On her first visit she gave them enrollment packets and a list of important numbers and dates. There must be a special lounge in heaven for people who do certain things on earth. That lounge would include military heroes, palliative care workers, and guidance counselors such as Maureen who go above and beyond the call for our children.


A follow up: Thanks to readers Doe, Shelby, and bill who forwarded us information Clairton Club 46. It is a social club run by volunteer firemen who drive Clairton Fire Truck #46. Word is that the cook is great and the fish frys are yummy. We’ll have to give it a try on our next visit.
A little blogging music Maestro… “You’re My Inspiration” by the Chicago.

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

Building Blocks of Clairton

Clairton Police Department: Keeping your grandparents safe in 1948.
Left to Right FRONT ROW: Albert Ihnat, Joseph Soltis, Joseph Frickanish, Chief Pete Orsini, Raymond Eichler, Ralph Cole, Tony Katish
SECOND ROW: Eddie Johnson, Vernon Presley, Alex Chester, Chuck Hoff, Leo O’Donnell, Sarge Fiore, Vince Ross, Pete Maskin
THIRD ROW: Bernard Busch, Charlie George, Mike Lutheran, Sam Myford, Bruce Ackinclose, Salem Greene, George Trocheck


Regular season ends: The Bears ended their regular season and the final score was: Clairton 483, Opponents total 19. The amazing CHS football squad finished their undefeated regular season having scored 60 or more points in four of their nine games. The fewest points scored, 41, came against Little Washington which plays in a bigger league than Clairton. It is true that our hometown has had some setbacks and encountered many changes over the past half century or so, but football tradition lives. We salute Coach Nola, his staff, and the entire football squad. Job well done! Now on to the playoffs. Season results below:

Date Opponent Time/Result
Fri., Sep 3 at Washington W41 - 0
Fri., Sep 10 Western Beaver W55 - 6
Fri., Sep 17 at Carlynton W60 - 6
Fri., Sep 24 Chartiers-Houston W48 - 0
Fri., Oct 1 at Avella W60 - 0
Fri., Oct 8 Bentworth W60 - 0
Fri., Oct 15 at Brentwood W52 - 0
Fri., Oct 22 Fort Cherry W42 - 7
Fri., Oct 29 at Serra Catholic W60 - 0


Passing of a giant: We mentioned former CHS football coach Pat Risha in a prior post and cited some of the challenges that he’s had during his career as an educational administrator. The local media produced several stories that were critical of some of his dealings and those articles led to an ethics probe of the superintendent of three different area school districts. It is clear Mr. Risha had both supporters and detractors, but one cannot deny the impact he had in so many different arenas within the field of Education. From his start as a substitute Phys. Ed. teacher at Clairton High School to his tenure as a successful coach, to his ventures (and adventures) into local politics, business, and education; Mr. Risha was a difference maker. Pat Risha passed away last week of an apparent heart attack. West Mifflin Superintendent Janet Sardon, who replaced Risha was quoted as saying, "He was one of the best superintendents this region has ever seen. Every decision, every program he put in place, everything he did was always surrounded by the best interests of kids." Rest in Peace Pat Risha.

Clairton doctor: We have written in blogs past about one of Clairton’s family physicians, Dr. Eugene Cutuly. He was our family doctor for most of my youth, and after I left home, he continued as both family friend and doctor of my parents. My father died at age 87 and my mother passed away in her ninety-first year. Dr. Cutuly was their doctor until they died, and he was five years older than they were! If you search his name in the box on the upper left of this blog, you will find past blogs that we’ve written about Dr. Cutuly.


An unassuming, understated rebel: The Cutuly’s eldest daughter Joan and I shared classes and Sadie Hawkins dances as well as other CHS experiences. We were classmates. Joan became a teacher first at CHS, then at other schools and at some point moved to Las Vegas where she taught High School English. She was more than the typical English teacher, she was a teacher on a mission to teach and reach all students – gang members, honor students, limited English speakers, and every other high school student who wandered into her classroom. Her methods were unique and groundbreaking as she used the teaching of writing skills as problem solving strategies. She became a very successful award-winning teacher, recognized in the fast-growing school district as one of the best. In fact she became so successful that her unorthodox methods, although successful, threatened the traditional administration. The administration pressured her to replace those unorthodox albeit successful teaching techniques for the more traditional ones that ironically resulted in lower achievement and higher dropout rates! Joan wrote a book which was published by the National Council of Teachers of English, entitled “Home of the Wildcats: Perils of an English Teacher”

Joan was branded a radical by school officials – a round peg in a square profession; the buttons figuratively ripped from her soldier uniform and her sword broken. She was driven from the corps of teaching and those who drove her out were rewarded with cash bonuses. But she soldiered on. Bent but not broken she was driven from the desert to the sea coast where she rested, recuperated, then regrouped. She came to terms with many issues in her life and published a second book, “Prisoner of Second Grade.”

In her own words: In the introduction of her second book Joan describes herself in the following way, “I was more of a poet at heart than a teacher. By poet, I don’t mean simply a lover of metaphor but rather one who breathes for the day when truth turns power structures into flowers. It’s this latter trait that in so many oppressive regimes has earned poets a reputation for being nettlesome.”

Joan Cutuly has begun a new phase of writing. Inspired by an obnoxious but lovable seagull, she has put together a wonderful blog site called the Gulliver Initiative. Its purpose is to create better schools through art, humanity, and reason. I encourage you to visit the web site at http://www.joancutuly.com/index.html. If you don’t find as fascinating as I did, I’ll refund your money. (just kidding – its free). Joan Cutuly, Clairton gal.



Finally, we have a question for readers of this blog. We have seen many references to Club 46 in Clairton (image above). There is even a logo on a facebook page. This seems to be a community activity that is hosted by the volunteer fire department and hosts dances, fish frys, and other community activities. So we are sending out a research request to all blog readers; please tell us about Club 46 and we will post the information in a future blog.

A little blogging music maestro, “Paperback Writer” by The Beatles

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

Clairton football, etc.

Clairton: City of Prayer and Stalwart People

Lancaster’s Grand Dame: We’ve written before about the amazing Lancaster family of Clairton. Type Amazing Lancasters in the blank space in the upper right corner of this blog (just to the left of the word share), click on the magnifying glass icon and that post will appear. Elmer Rowan Lancaster and Dorothy Pauline Cooley were married back in the days when men were men and women were happy about it. They moved into a humble home n what was then called Woodland Terrace. Ron was the first born and would go on to become the most famous through the medium of football – a hall of fame player, coach, and sportscaster in Canada. After Ron there followed a passel of kids to include Jean, Allen, Marvin, Carol, Bill, Betty, Dorothy, Janet and Shelby. But every Lancaster child after Ron might have not become if not famous in all of North America although each became fine examples of what kind, generous, successful people should be.

The scion of the family passed away in 1999 at the age of 83. Three of the four boys, Allen, Marvin, and most recently Ron, have passed away as well. But Mother Hen Dorothy keeps on keeping on even at age 92. Oh, she might not have quite the spring in her step as she once did (she now does most of her traveling in a wheelchair due to a hip problem) she still is a diehard football fan, and that means the Clairton Bears. For more than half a century Dorothy Lancaster attended every Bears home game and a few away games as well. Her four sons were all Bear players. Her six daughters were also HoneyBears and cheerleaders. In fact, Dorothy has been watching Bear football since she was a child. Clairton’s football team is undefeated this year and took the state championship last year. Part of the reason is great talent. Part of the reason is great coaching, and part of the reason is great fan support from Ms. Lancaster anad the Clairton High School boosters. RAH!

Speaking of Clairton football: The Bears played Fort Cherry last Friday. It was senior night and the team started out a little sluggish. The opponents actually launched a nine-play 75 yard drive to go ahead of CHS by a score of 7-0. Then the Bears came out of hibernation, shook off much of the lethargy, and scored the next 42 points. Final score: 42-7. Running total for the year: Bears 423 – Opponents 19.

Adding insult to injury: The Bentworth High School football was not looking forward to their game with Clairton. CHS was a powerhouse. A juggernaut that chewed up its opponents and spit them out, and BHS was not particularly strong this year. But off they went like sheep to a slaughter and indeed it was a 52-0 slaughter. That would have been bad enough, but when they returned to their locker room they discovered it had been burglarized. Seems a replacement custodian who had worked that night did not realize the door should have been locked and some thieves took advantage... a crime of opportunity. Clairton Superintendent Lucille Abellonio said the district will compensate the Bentworth players and staff after a final inventory of stolen items has been completed.



Where’s the fire: Clairton fire chief John Lattanzi, a 22-year fire department veteran, made about $40,000 per year. Not an exorbitant amount for a fire chief, but a bit rich for the struggling Clairton budget. So next year when the new budget goes into effect the fire chief position will be relegated to volunteer status and the money that had been the salary will go into the general fund. The rest of the firemen are volunteers.

Thar’s gold in them thar rolling hills: Between the Clairton turnoff and the Blue Flame on route 51, there is a turnoff for the Expressway that will meander down to West Virginia. The toll booth on Rte. 43 collects four bits (that’s 50 cents in western talk). And West Virginia wants their piece of the action so they recently passed legislation to collect a toll on their side of the highway. When the WVA portion of the highway opens next spring there will be a toll booth to collect a buck a car - $4 for trucks. Fewer than 4 miles of the 75 mile expressway lie in West Virginia. Keep a cache of quarters in that cup holder.

A personal memory: I’ll close today’s blog with a personal memory of Clairton. I grew up on the last block of St. Clair Ave. There was no Ravensburg Bridge and the road from Rite Aid (nee Gumbles Chevrolet) onward was unpaved. It was an ash road, covered with residue from the mill that was pulverized into dust as cars drove over it. In the summer tar was spread over the pulverized ashes which kept the dust down but drove our mothers crazy as the kids tracked tar into the house.

There were only a few boys in that last block; Louie (who died suddenly and unexpectedly at age 13 or so) and Butchie (who has spent most of his life behind bars for bank robbery and assorted other charges) and me. Johnny and Kenny were little twerps too young to hang with the big kids.

The last house on the street belonged to Mr. and Mrs. G. They had no children and she was a grandmotherly type from whose lips came the sweetest words – until Mr. G. came home drunk – which was nightly. Then she would unleash a litany curses at him that would make a sailor blush.


My good friend Carol who was Louie’s sister, along with little sister Sassy, and I would often watch Mr. G come home after a hard day of working and drinking. He would aim his panel truck at the open door of the one-car garage then BOOM! He’d hit the side. Then he’d back up, take aim again and head into the garage… BOOM! He’d hit the other side. All the time Mrs. G. would be shouting vulgar curses at her drunken husband. The ritual would continue until he was finally able to navigate the truck into the garage. Across the street, through the picture window, we would howl with laughter each time he missed the garage. There was little concern in those days about the perils of drunken driving and indeed Mr. G. lost his life when he presumably misjudged the onset of a bridge and drove his truck over a cliff. The days of innocence were not without tragedy.

A little blogging music Maestro… “Those Were the Days,” by Mary Hopkin.
Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
www.mifflintownship.org

You've gotta love Clairton!

First a word about the Clairton Bears…

Game # 7 - Brentwood: Thanks to the many readers who keep me apprised of Clairton area happenings, particularly Cal Sabo who is usually first with the Bear news. Last Friday the unbeaten Bears put their streak on the line against a strong 4-1 Brentwood team and quarterback Cory Bauer, one of WPIAL’s top rated passers. The result? The QB completed two of 16 passes for a total of minus two yards and four interceptions. The entire Brentwood team could not manage a single first down and ended the game with minus six yards total. So how did our lads do offensively? Josh Page, Desimon Green, Brandon Small and Tyler Boyd all scored touchdowns… BEFORE THE GAME WAS TEN MINUTES OLD!!! Boyd netted 106 yards and two touchdowns ON THREE CARRIES! The Bear defense forced turnovers on three of Brentwood’s first six plays. Final score: Clairton 52, Brentwood 0. For the season: Clairton 381, Opponents 12. The Brentwood coach shook his head and said, “I’ve never seen a team like that.”


There was one scary moment in the game when Pitt recruit Desimon Green, after he had made two sacks and batted down five passes, made a tackle that left him lying on the turf. He was removed from the field to a hospital in an ambulance. But coach Nola reports that the move was precautionary and Desimon is fine.





Clairton coaches and politics: Coach Nola is being carried around on a throne as though he was a genius. But a few short years ago he was being vilified over – shoes! As Dinah Washington (wife of football great Frank “Night Train” Lane) used to croon, “What a Difference a Day Makes.” So it is for Patrick Risha, successful Clairton football coach from the 1980s. He left gridiron for another field – educational administration, and became Superintendent of South Allegheny, McKeesport Area, and West Mifflin Area. Just as his Bears teams won on the field, several teams of businesses won contracts in his school districts – but not without lawsuits and controversy. There have been allegations that school district employees were directed to do work on the homes of his son as well as a school board member on company time. Controversy also followed his tenure in which favored companies submitted low bids for work, then billed the district substantially more by implementing “change orders” that nearly tripled the cost of the project.


Controversy began to swirl around Coach Risha then he was assistant superintendent at South Allegheny. He and a cousin were appointed to the Port Authority board. Soon there were allegations of bid fixing, but the controversy didn’t hurt his professional status as he was soon named superintendent of the school district. He left that position under pressure but with a negotiated $325,000 settlement. He and the attorney who had negotiated the settlement moved on to McKeesport as superintendent and school district counsel respectively. He then moved on to West Mifflin where the same attorney was solicitor. Between 2005 and 2009 the attorney’s firm collected nearly $ 1 million from McKeesport and West Mifflin school districts. In 2009 Superintendent Risha, who by then was working from home, resigned shortly after school board elections saw his supporters defeated by his antagonists. Reports continue to circulate that the 60-year old former superintendent and Clairton football coach is being investigated by the State Ethics Commission.





Same family; different controversy: Coach Risha’s son, Patrick, is neither a coach nor a school superintendent. Rather he is a businessman who, along with relatives of two officials of the Clairton Municipal Authority, started a business and came up with a clever and fascinating scheme that turns water into wine – well, not literally. The firm, Green Disposal, was formed in 2009 and two months later bumped 146-year old CNX Gas Corporation to become the designated firm to dump tainted water from shale gas extracting (fracking) into Clairton’s Mon Valley sanitation plant.


Here’s how it works: Green Disposal pays Clairton 6.5 cents per gallon to accept wastewater from the fracking process, and treat it at the plant located at “Peters Creek Bottoms” near State Street before it flows into Peters Creek and the Monongahela River. Once Green Disposal got the contract to treat the water, it contracted with CNX (yes, the same firm they edged out to get the Clairton contract) to allow CNX to deposit its waste water into the Clairton plant. Result? Green Disposal gets paid by CNX to allow CNX to dump tainted fracking water through the Clairton waste water treatment plant. Green Disposal then pays Clairton 6.5 cents per gallon to allow the water to be cleaned at the plant. The contract between Green Disposal and CNX is private so we do not know how much profit Green Disposal makes without ever touching the tainted water. But Clairton stands to make nearly $ 700,000 in the deal this year alone! And Green Disposal? They’ve already moved on to the West Mifflin Sanitary Sewer Municipal Authority and signed a contract with them. To paraphrase an old mining adage, “Thar’s gold in that there water!”


A labor of love: John Hodish loves his hometown. Born and raised in Clairton, he not only chooses to remain, but is on a campaign to improve the City. He led a recent March to Washington to raise the awareness of the plight of Clairton, seek political help, and raise funds on behalf of the City. John heads the Clairton Community Outreach Program (CCOP) that has formed many partnerships and outlets for Clairton residents in need (see photo above). Their Gospel Choir is going strong and the boxing club boasts the fifth ranked boxer in the nation, Samantha Griffith. Much of the help has come from ordinary folks, some from extraordinary ones like State Committeewoman Ruth Pastore, whose Crime Watch program works hand-in-hand with CCOP. As an offshoot of the Crime Watch program John and his volunteers are starting a program to address domestic abuse of women and children. They hope to eventually offer temporary shelter for abuse victims. I remember ex-Clairtonian the late Alex Ross making a plea at a class reunion. He said, “We need to give back – to help our city. We need to show it that some of us may have moved away, but we have not abandoned Clairton.” I encourage every reader of this blog to contact John Hodish at sandman715@yahoo.com. Send him an email and ask how you can help your hometown.


A little blogging music Maestro… “HELP!” by the Beatles.

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