Which is More Dangerous, “Hunting“, or “Black Friday” Shopping?

It’s just another peaceful day in the quaint town of Avella. The sun is poking out of the clouds, this is soon to change if you can trust the local forecast. The first day of Rifle season for deer saw the tempters in 40s and rain. This is lousy weather for deer hunting, but right on que at first light it sounded like a shooting

Here in Pennsylvania, it is the second day of “Deer Season 2009” and the forth day of Christmas sopping season. I am not sure which has had the most injuries. It sounded like a shooting gallery here, and seeing as I live more in the rural part of the county, I am guessing it was at deer.

It has been years since I have done either. My job caused me to give up hunting, and it has been a couple of years since Santa has had to stop at our house. Notice I said, “Had to.” He still makes brief stops here. As far as the hunting aspect of it, here in Pa the first day of deer season is just as important as the holidays. Most school districts shut down for it, jobsites shutdown for It, and dinners have special meals for this day.

When it comes to “Black Friday”, I have very little experience, however I have heard a lot of war stories. The one time I did the Black Friday thing was right after I got married, and that was enough. My wife feels the same way I do about it. However, my In-laws live for this season. Well let me say, the men for the deer, and the ladies the shopping. No, that is not being sexist, however it is stereotypical.

This year I lost some of my respect for the people of the area when I heard, more people camped out at Sam’s Club to see Sara Palin, than camped out for the Black Friday “Door Buster Specials”. However, in other parts of the country “Door Buster Specials” reinforced my belief that there are still idiots out there. Riots breakout when the doors open to save a few dollars on a computer, or a game station, which will be over a hundred dollars cheaper in two weeks. This isn’t the smartest move, because you may pay five times that amount in hospital bills. People should at least wait until the Healthcare Bill is put in place. Then again, they might be practicing for the food lines that are coming.

So far, they have announced that ten hunters have been injured here in Pennsylvania, I typed, “People Hurt on Black Friday” in to Google and got a return of 30,000 hits. So, I say Hunting is safer. At least for the hunter.
ABA

Independence Township Washington County, Pennsylvania Report

“Say It Ain’t So!”

That is a saying when something is said that congers disbelief, and I heard such a statement this Thanksgiving.

As I was rushing around yesterday, getting ready for the Feast at my wife’s aunts house when the phone rang. On the other end was her mother, asking if we could run down to the place I hate with a passion and pick up a few things that they had overlooked, and a news paper.

As we pulled in the parking lot of (Da,da,da) The Uni-Mart. (da, da da.) I saw a person who was at the Township meeting the Wednesday before, so I went inside to tell him of my plans of putting the petition out, and to make sure no one had done the same thing. When I approached him he kind of looked around me, but when I ask the question he stopped and said the words that made me utter, “Say it ain’t so.”

I had asked him about the petition, and he cut me short saying, “It’s a done deal.” He started to tell me what the supervisors said at the meeting so I stopped him and told him I was there and that was not the impression I had gotten. Even though it was said, that there was nothing the people could do now. I hard a different tone in the voices when some one said, we could take it to court and get an injunction to stop it. After I had finished with the feeling I walked out of the meeting with, he told me it is a done deal and there is nothing that can be done. As turned to leave the store, I told him I will go forward with my plans.

Thinking like this is what has let the town get run into the ground. There is no fight left in the people. Every time we went to the meetings, we are told that there is nothing that can be done about anything. However to have it regurgitated back at me by the people that I thought were on my side, well let’s just say I see why my senior year was the last year we had a championship football team.

What has happen to the people of this area? There is no fight, and all bitch. Don’t get me wrong there are a small number of us that look for that confrontation, however more than not we are the ones that they bitch to. They are the same ones that can’t be found when their support is needed. When I have ask for signatures I have been told, oh no I don’t put my name on anything. The one that gets me is, “They are my friends and I don’t want to hurt feelings.” That one always floors me, you walk up on your friend screwing your spouse and you say nothing because you might hurt some feelings? This is as bad as that senior, because we are getting screwed.

Well that is about it for this entry. I will talk to some people and see if we are really done in our fight. Incase the supervisors are reading this, I will be talking to a few lawyer friends I have. To the people of Independence Township Washington county PA, I say, “Speak up, because on the level of local government we need to stick together.”

ABA

ps. Below is the petition I will put out.

A PETITION FOR:

THE STOPPAGE OF THE NEW TOWNSHIP BUILDING

We the Citizens and Taxpayers of Independence township, Washington County in the state of Pennsylvania, are opposed to the building of a new building to house the Supervisors for the above-mentioned township.

We feel there is no need for the spending of over a Half of Million Dollars on an unnecessary structure, when there are other alternatives.

There for, we the undersigned wish to see the progress of the plans for the building brought to a stop, and put to a public vote.

Print Name Address *Phone Number Signature

What Are They Trying to Pull on “We The People” of Independence Township

When I attended the Independence Township meeting on November 17, 2009, I was five minutes late, but missed only the opening formalities. I admit, I have been a lazy citizen when it comes to the township meetings. The last meeting I attended was about two years ago on the possibility of a police force. With that said, I have been keeping an eye on the building of a new Township Building and the police force, at least I thought I was. I was under the impression the building was to be paid for by grants. We were either lied to or, they felt it was not important to tell the citizenry plans had changed.

The meeting held on November 11, 2009, dedicated more time to the subject of reforming a police force in the township. According to the PA Focus, Mr. Wright said, it would be expensive. However, from what I have been told, it will be more expensive to continue on with the agreement with the Pennsylvania State Police and the Washington County Sheriff’s department. I have just found out that Independence Township still has a police department, at least on paper. It was never disbanded. I will explain that in another entry.

Now we are being told that the new Independence Township Building is a done deal, and that it has been public knowledge for two years now. This is not entirely true. As I said above, we were told the building would be paid for buy grants that the Supervisors had gotten. The fact is, the Half Million dollar (plus) building will be paid for with loans. How will those loans be paid? You guessed it, your taxes. (An important thing to remember is, if the Supervisors use any of the Stimulus money to pay for the build they will be breaking Federal laws.) You can find a copy of the Drawing for the new building at, PA Focus

Now to be fair, the Supervisors have said that the tax will not be raised for this project. However, we have heard this line of B.S. many times on all levels of government. You have to ask yourself, “If taxes won’t be raised how will they handle going from $600.00 a month to over $3000.00 a month. Will they cut the road repair budget, when we are being told that, (the money isn’t there now) to fix the roads right. To maintain the building after it is built without increasing taxes will be impossible, especially with the tax base dwindling every year. Also, when one of the main incomes to the town is rental properties.

I will placing a petition local businesses, and going door to door. Trying to gather enough signatures to show a judge and hope to get an injunction to stop any further movement on the building. So please sign a petition when you see them in a business, or someone comes to your door. It is time, we the tax paying residents of Independence Township, and The Avella Area school district, show the people we put in the office that we don’t see the need to spend the money on an unnecessary building when there is so much that our township desperately needs.

ABA

The Independence/Cross Creek Sewage Project is a little inconvenient But will be worth it in the long run.

 

Project Sign

 

 

 

The Sewage Project for six hundred households and businesses, seems to be going without much of a hitch thus far. There has been a few unexpected problems however, they have been minor. On 09-24-09, at the start of the Hillside Way run the contractor broke the main waterline through no fault of the operator. The drawings had the pipe and the pipes diameter wrong. This caused the project to fall behind, until the water company could get to the site and fix the pipe.

 Because of the shallowness of the utility lines on hillside way, the water will be shutoff every day during working hours. The daily time will be approximately 7:00 AM and ending at 6:00 PM starting Monday 09/28/09. Residents of Hillside Way would be advised to store water for, cooking and flushing toilets. After the water is turned back on, it would be advised to let all taps run until the water runs clear before using.

It is always good to look at the positive side of the little inconveniences of the construction. Our little town of Avella will reap the rewards of, cleaner waterways, and a better chance of attracting businesses to the area.

The only real complaints that I have heard, are that the residents feel as if they are left in the dark. No one was notified of the start date of project. We were not informed of the date that our area would be worked on and how it would effect getting in and out of our properties. Of course we are us to this in Avella. The Supervisors feel, the less the populous knows the less negative feedback they will have to put up with. The sad thing about that is, the people vote the same people back in every time.

ABA

Below are photos of the beginning of the sewage preparation plant.

 

Building 1 Sewage Plant

The Sewage Plant

 

Building 2

Porject Stats

4% of the project is complete.

Counties

 

Municipalities

Cross Creek Township, Independence Township

Project Schedule

Estimated Start Date

2009-07-31

Estimated Complete Date

2010-09-01

Funding Recipient(s)

Washington

Independence-Cross Creek Joint Sewer Authority

Amount: $11,744,000 (ARRA) $3,675,000 (Other)

Sub-Recipient(s) Bankson Engineers Inc. Bankson Engineers, Inc., Alex E. Paris Contracting Company, Inc., Mongiovi and Son Excavating, Inc., Kukurin Contracting, Inc., Wagner Electric and Construction, LLC, Controlled Climate Systems, Inc., R.A. Monzo Construction Co., Inc., Independence-Cross

Households Served

552

“What’s New With the Lincoln Bank Restoration”

 

The Avella Area Community Association ,has been working hard over the summer on the bank project. The “Old Gresti Appliance Store” has been demolished and removed. The glass for the windows has been ordered, and the Drawings for the building are done. Inside, tempory lighting has been installed. 

I will be going inside to take some photos in the next week or two. For now I have a few shots of the outside.

Side towards the railroad tracks.

The slab that the dumpster is setting on is where the old store was. 

Side towards rt.50

The north side of the building will be the side people see when they enter the town on route 50.

The west entrance will be the main entrance. On the south side (towards the tracks) will be handicap acccessible.

I have a few other shots of the north side of the build.

Stairs to the basement.

The blue stripes let the public know, there was a barber shop in the basement.

The side towards rt.50.

 

Office

This is an office located in the south west conor of the building. I took the shot through a broken window.

I will have more pictures of the progress on the inside of the building soon.

ABA

Community sees big potential in old bank building

Below is an article that was posted in the Observer/Reporter on 4-10-07.
Original Article

By Michael Jones
Staff writer
mjones@observer-reporter.com
AVELLA – Peering up at the towering Lincoln National Bank, Tom Jennings envisions a bustling building that could become a cornerstone for redevelopment in Avella.
Never mind that most of its windows are broken and vines stretch across the 84-year-old brick facade. Or, that a leaking roof has destroyed much of the building’s interior. Or, even that the building hasn’t been occupied since the Great Depression.

“You got to have a lot of vision,” Jennings said, slowly sipping his mug of coffee while standing next to the busted front doors. “It looks rough, but clear away the debris and it will look a lot better.”
Jennings and other members of the Avella Area Community Association are fighting to save the building from the wrecking ball ever since Independence Township supervisors in December began discussing whether to raze it.
Members of the community group are asking the supervisors to give them enough time to prove a restoration of the building would be safe and economically viable. They contend they have reached an agreement to purchase the building for a nominal price from the current property owners, the Ciaffoni family.
John Ciaffoni would not comment on the building or a potential sale to the community group.
The Lincoln National Bank opened in Avella in 1905 inside a smaller wooden structure before crews constructed the current building in 1923. A modern marvel at the time, it dwarfed other businesses in the quaint town. But when the bank closed in the early 1930s, it fell into disrepair.
“This building stands as a testament to the Depression,” Jennings said, pausing for a moment. “This was a thriving community and a booming mine town.”
The building’s facade remains in good condition with little wear or vandalism, although the padlocked doors have since been ripped open, allowing vandals to ravage parts of the interior that weren’t weathered by time.
A layer of ice covers the first floor and icicles hang from the ceiling of the dark and dank lobby, which holds the frigid cold like a freezer. Pop cans, empty cigarette packs and even a lawnmower are scattered across the floor next to a tiny portal once used by the bank teller. Dirt and weeds hang from around the wooden stairwell that leads to the building’s second floor.
Upstairs, the ceiling’s steel frame is visible after much of the plaster collapsed from the leaking roof that continuously drips water onto gashes in the floorboards. Rays of sunlight shine through the broken windows and into the sprawling upper floor. Graffiti covers much of the walls and towering pillars.
Despite the mess, Jennings, Dale Tudor and his wife, Marcy, have a clear vision of how they would restore the building and what it would become to the community. Engineers have told them the building is structurally stable, they said, and reconstruction costs are estimated at less than $1 million.
Their imaginations run wild when they ponder what stores could go inside, suggesting a historical center, restaurant, antique shop, bar or, fittingly, a bank. Dale Tudor suggested Avella could become a tourist spot with the reopening of the nearby train station and renovations to Meadowcroft’s rockshelter archaeological excavation site.
“Avella could be a real destination for people from Pittsburgh, Steubenville and Wheeling,” he said.
Jennings added the building could become a beacon for economical development.
“I see a focal point for the town,” Jennings said. “I see it lit up and a place where people will be proud to enjoy Avella for its uniqueness and historical value.”
But township officials do not share a similar sentiment and have branded the building a hazard. Township solicitor Bob Clarke said officials are taking legal steps to demolish the building, although the current property owners oppose the move. The fate of the building could remain in limbo until the end of the year, Clarke said.
“The condition of the building is such, we cannot let it continue (to stand),” Clarke said. “It’s just unsafe, and it must come down.”
Max Morgan, executive director for the Washington County Council on Economical Development, has a special interest in the building because his father, a medic during World War I, directed its construction following the war. He commended the association’s efforts and hoped the building would remain standing.
“They got a big fight out there,” he said. “But if they’re inspired to improve their little community, they should be congratulated.”
Jennings admitted the supervisors’ position is a minor setback, but is convinced the community will rally around a landmark that has stood dormant for most of the 20th century.
“There’s a lot of hope here,” Jennings said. “We can never be more enthusiastic of what could be, and looking at what is.”

Update From the Bank Restoration Committee,and My Thoughts on the Town

There has been a fund raising effort going on in order to continue the renovations of the building. We have sold raffle tickets, that give you a chance at winning $600.00. We are also selling Kroger cards and a portion of the money goes towards the cause. When you by the card it is loaded with $5.00, you can refill the card with any amount you wish and a portion will go to help the Bank Building.

I have heard that the committee has run into some opposition from the township once again. Once again they are trying to hold up the project, and demolish the structure. We have also had some of te local youth brake the locks off the doors and steal the cleaning supplies and other equipment that had been stored in the building.

My Thoughts

What is needed in this township is law-enforcement, and not the State Police and County Sheriffs riding through two times a day. We need to hire one fulltime and one or two part-time officers. The wining I hear at the township meetings is that they don’t have the money to undertake this. “Well if that is the case, where did they get the money to by the old municipal building, too tear it down and build a new building on the site?” This will also cost about 40 to 60 thousand to hire an engineer to draw up the plans for the new building.

One of the major reasons the tonwship cannot atract busineses to the area is lack of police protection. Why should we allow them to spend that kind of money on a building that is not really needed when the have plenty of builds that could house the office. I have been told that they need the space for records, and I have suggested that they have them put on a computer program, again I was told that they can’t afford it. We need to find out what they are doing with the tax dollars that we pay. The town looks like a dump, the roads are crumbling, and we lost out EMTs a long time ago.

We now have a population that is basically made up of people that were not born in this town, and have moved in because of the low rent, and taxes. (They are not really all that low.) However, when you get that happening you also find that they don’t take pride in the town because 8 out of 10 will not be here longer than 2 years.

Recently we have had a string of tagging, and vandalism by kids whose families have moved here because they were chased out of other towns for their gang type activities. I have chased some of theses kids from in front of one of the store where my wife works, for skate boarding during business hours, and harassing the older people that shop there. The only thing that happen was, they retaliated by tagging and vandalizing the store. When I told the State Police who did it they said that they have to catch them in the act. This Just one more reason law enforcement is needed in this town.

May I suggest that as many people attend the meetings as possible, and voice our concern on these problems, and if we do not get satisfaction, run people that will address them.

ABA

What we are trying to save.

Here is some footage, of the bank building. There is a lot of Potential for this building. With a little hard work and a cash flow it will be the center piece of the town.

What is Going On In the Village

After a long conversation with a friend of mind, I found out that one of my hopes for this sleepy little village is in the process of coming true. A group of local businesses, and citizens have gotten together and are going to restore the old Lincoln National Bank.

The bank is one of the last remaining original buildings left in this town. However it is not the original Bank. Setting directly behind the bank building is the original bank. It is now an apartment building.

A Short History

Preservation Pennsylvania

Lincoln National Bank, 1575 Avella Road, Independence Township, Washington County
Opened in 1905 in the coal-mining town of Avella, this bank was a vital part of the
community in the early 20th century boasting of deposits in excess of $1.75 million.
During the depression the bank failed and it closed in 1931 with only $ 43,000 cash on
hand.

The imposing brick structure is prominently located in the small town and has
been deteriorating over the last 75 years. Township officials have ordered its demolition
while the Avella Community Association have been trying to work with the current owner
to have the building turned over to them for use by the community. The owner has
expressed a willingness to work with the Association but the Township is pressuring for
demolition.