Julius Bakos Sr.
Makes Generous
Donation in
Memory of His Son
C IT Y O F MC KE ES POR T NE WS
cKeesportt
cKeespor
Lifelong McKeesporter Julius Bakos Sr. made
a generous donation to his hometown’s police,
fire and public works departments. Bakos
offered the donation in memory of his late son,
Julius Michael Bakos Jr.
“It’s unbelievable to have someone in our
community who is so unbelievably generous,”
Mayor Michael Cherepko said. “He’s helping our
departments obtain much needed equipment
while honoring his son’s memory.”
Bakos said he was happy to do something
honorable that would leave a lasting memory of his son in the community where he was raised.
“I’ve lived in McKeesport all my life. I made a living in this city, and I wanted to spend my money where
I made it,” Bakos said. “I wanted to give back to the city of McKeesport.”
City administrator Matt Gergely thanked Bakos for his philanthropy, noting that his donation is helping
the city’s public safety departments equip themselves to save lives.
“We are enhancing the equipment we already have with new additions to these departments,” Gergely
said. “Without Mr. Bakos’ generosity, we would not have been able to purchase these non-budgeted items.”
Parking enforcement
increased
The City of McKeesport is increasing parking enforcement in the
downtown area.
Iris Russ, who has worked in the parking enforcement office at
the McKeesport Police Department for many years, has taken on a
new task of ticket-writing, and she’s is excited to work in the field.
“I’m out in the community letting the business owners and their
patrons know that parking enforcement is increasing again,” Russ
said. “We’re keeping people on their toes, but they’re OK with it.
We have to be fair, and everyone knows that.”
In the downtown area, meters offer a variety of time blocks in
25-cent increments. According to city ordinances, parking meters
can be enforced Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
They will not be enforced on Sundays, or local, state or federal
holidays.
On regular business days, drivers who do not put coins in
36 McKeesport Area
their meters will be ticketed. They have 10 days to pay the ticket
(with the first 48 hours being a discount period) before a reminder
notice is issued. Five days after the reminder notice is issued,
the driver will be summoned to the local magistrate for meter
violations.
“Parking enforcement is part of our responsibility as a police
department,” traffic Lt. Christopher Olinsky said. “We have to keep
the downtown area safe and navigable, so that business can be
conducted in our city.”
Not only will police and parking officers be looking for meter
violations, but they will pay close attention to cars parked in
handicapped spaces, loading zones, along yellow curbs or near
fire hydrants. Olinsky said safety is the department’s biggest
concern when handling traffic-related issues.