Halloween Parade
The City of McKeesport hosted its annual
Halloween parade and children’s party on
October 22, moving the festivities indoors due
to inclement weather. But a little rain didn’t
scare away the city’s youth, who came dressed
as zombies, superheroes, zoo animals and
more.
More than 100 children filled the Jacob Woll
(Main) Pavilion to show off their costumes,
hear a Halloween story read by Mayor Michael
Cherepko, and take part in fall crafts with
pumpkins provided by the Carnegie Library
of McKeesport. Lunch was provided by the
McKeesport Recreation Board, and books
were given to each child thanks to a generous
donation by Book Country.
C it y o f Mc Kee spo rt N e ws
cKeesportt
cKeespor
PITT Make a Difference Day
Furthering the City of McKeesport’s vision to revitalize and
repurpose the historic Penn-McKee Hotel, local volunteers
had the pleasure of working alongside dozens of students
from the University of Pittsburgh on October 22.
“Pitt Make a Difference Day is proud to partner with the
City of McKeesport for this day of service,” PittServes director
Misti McKeehen said. “Students, faculty and staff engage
in over 100 projects on this day of service and each one
is making a measurable impact for the organizations and
communities we serve. With thousands of students serving
in Southwestern PA on October 22, we couldn’t make this
day happen without partners like McK eesport.”
The ninth annual Pitt Make a Difference Day (PMADD)
allowed the city to clear the lower portion of Fifth Avenue
of overgrowth, debris, and garbage. Community volunteers
and students used pickers and brooms to clear sidewalks
and alleyways. They pulled weeds by hand.
A bulk of the work was intended to beautify the exterior of
the now dilapidated Penn-McKee building at 122 Fifth Avenue. Decades of neglect have caused the building to fall into disrepair;
and after years of confusion and controversy, the city took control of the property in 2014.
City officials are working with local historian Jason Togyer of Tube City Online to develop a marketing packet to draw attention
to the Penn-McKee’s history, as well as its potential.
Largely vacant since 1985, the Penn-McKee was designed by Benno Janssen, better known as the architect of Pittsburgh’s
Mellon Institute, William Penn Hotel and Washington Crossing Bridge, and Ligonier’s Rolling Rock Farms.
The city was active in funding the Penn-McKee’s construction. It was built by the Community Hotel Corp., which was chartered
in 1924 with the help of the McKeesport Chamber of Commerce. The corporation sold 5,000 shares of stock at $100 each to local
residents and business owners to raise money for the hotel’s construction.
In the hotel’s heyday, there was a saying that if something noteworthy happened in McKeesport, “It happened at the PennMcKee.”
The most famous happening occurred in April 1947, when freshmen congressmen John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon
debated the Taft-Hartley Act in the hotel ballroom – the first-known public appearance together by these future political rivals.
26 McKeesport Area