cKeesport CITY OF MCKEESPORT NEWS
Kids enjoy
“ Frozen” breakfast event
The Mon River Fleet Lions Club hosted a“ Frozen Winter Wonderland” breakfast at the Main Pavilion in Renziehausen Park – complete with pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, and a pancake topping bar. On December 2, the event welcomed children from the Fleet communities of McKeesport,
First phase of Gergely Park renovation complete
The City of McKeesport has announced completion of repairs to its fishing pier at Gergely Park. The pier, which sits along the Youghiogheny River near the popular Marina at McKees Point, was reconstructed this fall using $ 173,200 of the city’ s Community Development Block Grant funding through the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The fishing pier, built in the early 1980s, had fallen into disrepair after years of harsh weather, including a damaging ice floe that knocked loose its supports in the winter of 2015. Lutterman Excavating recently put finishing touches on the project.
“ The former
pier was in deplorable conditions, and it needed to be replaced,” community development director A. J. Tedesco said.“ With this project, we are looking at the first phase of redeveloping Gergely Park. Our next phase will be reconstruction of the amphitheater in that area. These projects combined will give us the possibility of hosting community events along our scenic riverfront.”
Mayor Michael Cherepko commended Tedesco for managing federal funds to improve such a valuable asset.
“ Everything we do to enhance our fishing pier, the amphitheater, Gergely Park, and the Marina at McKees Point will improve our city as a destination,” Cherepko said.“ Our riverfront offers a variety of unique recreational opportunities for visitors of all ages. These assets and activities bring people into our community, and we’ re proud to show them what McKeesport has to offer.”
In the spring, the city will break ground on a $ 70,000 project, also funded through CDBG, to reconstruct amphitheater seating surrounding the pier.
Recycle bins available in McKeesport
In celebration of America Recycles Day on November 15, McKeesport is asking residents to do their part to boost the city’ s recycling program.
For several years, McKeesport has offered single stream recycling, which allows paper, cardboard, plastics No. 1-7, glass bottles, and aluminum or bi-metal cans by placing everything in a single bin. While some residents had small recycle bins leftover from a previous program, most who recycled on a regular basis had to purchase larger bins to accommodate their household needs. Residents using large bins should bag their recyclables at a weight not to exceed 30 pounds so that bags can be easily lifted into the hauler’ s trucks. Bags tend to become heavier with less volume when filled with glass bottles or paper, as opposed to plastic bottles or aluminum cans.
Thanks to a $ 216,934 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
30 McKeesport Area
Duquesne, Clairton, Braddock, and more to enjoy a hearty breakfast, listen to stories, and sing and dance with the Ice Queen and Ice Princess.
Protection, the city was able to purchase more than 4,000 recycling bins as well as a leaf collection machine. The city was obligated to match $ 24,104 to cover a portion of the project’ s cost.
“ This is a great opportunity to teach McKeesport residents about the value of recycling from both budgetary and environmental perspectives,” Mayor Michael Cherepko said.“ Every recycled item reduces the amount of trash hauled to the landfill by our provider. That reduction reduces our landfill deposit costs and allows us to be an environmentally responsible community.”
Providing residents with household bins – available in 95- and 32-gallon sizes – provides a greater opportunity to participate in the recycling program. The city has been educating residents on the do’ s and don’ ts of its local recycling initiative for several years, and the bins offer more incentive to participate, city officials said.
“ It is our hope that the ability to distribute these bins to our residents will remove a barrier that was preventing some households from recycling,” community development director A. J. Tedesco said.“ We wish to thank the DEP for partnering with us in this endeavor and bringing this service to our community.”
City officials said America Recycles Day, a national initiative to keep America beautiful, was the perfect opportunity to promote recycling efforts in McKeesport. The city registered its bin promotion as an affiliate of America Recycles Day.