MAYOR’S
Corner
MICHAEL CHEREPKO
S
pring is finally here. We made it through two major
snowfalls and a tremendous amount of nuisance snows,
and it’s time to dedicate our staff to a fresh start that we
can associate with the spring season.
As we look ahead to the remainder of 2018, there are many
things McKeesport residents can celebrate and enjoy together.
A full lineup of seasonal activities is listed on our local pages
of this quarter’s edition of In McKeesport Area magazine.
You’ll see children’s events, solemn ceremonies, full-scale
celebrations, and a summer concert series whose performers
will be announced in coming weeks.
In these pages, you will get a glimpse of the good news
that’s taken place so far in 2018, including community events
and fundraisers for local organizations. We couldn’t have
enjoyed our Easter Egg Hunt, NAACP Pancake Breakfast, and
school events more.
Also, you will meet our quarterly Living the Message
awardees selected by the McKeesport Message Committee, a
subcommittee of my Select Committee on Crime and Violence.
This season’s awardees are Maniya Mitchell, Cindi Higdon, state
Rep. Austin Davis, and Mary Pat Soltis. In our community, we
have folks of all ages and backgrounds doing their part to make
McKeesport a better place for everyone. That’s something I
truly appreciate and take great pride in recognizing.
Please join me in carrying out my administration’s motto
of “Working Together for a Better McKeesport.” This slogan
is an invitation for everyone who lives, works, and worships
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MCKEESPORT AREA
in the City of McKeesport to make a positive impact in the
community. Whether it’s students creating a positive peer
environment their school, members of a city church serving
community members in need, or local businesses adopting a
roadway for organized cleanup efforts, each and every one of
us can do our part.
As 2017 came to a close, I made a commitment for city
departments to make a major investment in our community’s
infrastructure and neighborhoods when I revealed plans to
revitalize the city with “The McKeesport Rising Project.” Now,
2018 will bring a widespread demolition and infrastructure
improvement endeavor utilizing a new $2.5 million line item
to target blight, preserve our neighborhoods, and improve
our roadways. As public servants, we are here to uplift the
McKeesport community by improving residents’ quality of life
today, while also guaranteeing the stability they will need in
coming years.
We hope “McKeesport Rising” will inspire visions of a mystical
phoenix rising from its own ashes as a striking metaphor for
the rebirth or revival of our community. We are looking to
rid our neighborhoods and business districts of blight, while
opening the door for new development. Land is available for
building new homes and businesses, and we hope to diversify
our economy so that the community as a whole is able to grow.
We are very thankful for the residents and businesses already
investing in our community, and we can’t wait to see what
2018 has in store.