Interesting Elections News.....

The Primary Election occurred back on May 17th and one of the races at stake was the Democratic spot for the Comssioners position in Ward 3. Incumbent Dan Kinross was being challenged by newcomer John Sponcer for the Democratic spot on the ballot in the November elections. There weren't any Republicans running for this spot, so it looked as if the winner of the Democratic spot would run unopposed in the November elections.

Commissioner Kinross won the Primary back in May, beating out John Sponcer for the Democratic spot on the ballot. I guess in many people's eyes...that was that.

Or was it......

I spoke with the Allegheny County Elections Divison this morning to find out there was a write in winner for the Republican spot on the ballot for the Ward 3 Commissioners spot. The results have been verified and I was told that Dan Kinross received 35 write in votes on the Republican side and that John Sponcer received 49 write in votes on the Republican side.

The gentleman that I spoke with told me that the necessary paperwork has been sent out and that as long as Mr. Sponcer completes the paperwork and returns it by July 1st, he will appear on the ballot in November for the Republican spot in the 3rd Ward Commissioner Race.

So I guess the ball is now in John Sponcer's court.........

McKnight(mare) road work begins on Monday!

**Update - PennDot has delayed the start by one day.  The project will begin Tuesday night at 8 PM** - geez, project hasn't even started and it is delayed.  I hope this isn't a sign of things to come for this project!

On Monday night, PennDot will kick off a project on McKnight Rd that is expected to last the summer.  Work will include: milling and resurfacing, concrete pavement patching, drainage, guide rail, concrete barrier, curb and sidewalk improvements, curb ramp installation, signing and pavement markings, and signal upgrades in Ross and McCandless Townships.   Expect construction from Nelson Run Road to Perrymont Road.

Phase I will include bridge work on the structure over Babcock Blvd, work on the intersection with Peebles and McKnight Road (near McIntyre Sq) and other work on McKnight Road.

From an email from PennDot:

The following will begin on Monday:
•         Long-term single lane traffic on McKnight Road at the bridge over Babcock Boulevard from 8 p.m. on Monday continuously through early October.
•         Nightly single lane closures on McKnight Road from Babcock Boulevard to Perrymont Road:
Monday-Friday nights
o   Northbound (outbound) – 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
o   Southbound (inbound) – 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Saturdays
o   Northbound – 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Sundays
o   Southbound – 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Sundays
•         Single lane closures on Babcock Boulevard in the area of McKnight Road from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday-Friday nights.

Please use caution as you travel McKnight Road and remember that while the construction may make your travels a bit more difficult, it will make it more difficult to navigate emergency vehicles such as police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks!

Check the traffic conditions at http://511pa.com/ before you venture out on McKnight(mare) Rd or plan an alternate route!

North Hills Patch has launched!

Ross Township and West View Borough have taken another step into the 21st century with the launch of The North Hills Patch! This digital media outlet is a" community-specific news and information platform dedicated to providing comprehensive and trusted local coverage for individual towns and communities." The goal of North Hills Patch (and other Patch communities) is to become your local news outlet, where local information and news stories are easily accessed.

Go...right now....check it out at http://www.northhillspatch.com/

This is a tremendous resource for our community and will provide an oppotunity for all things Ross Township/ West View! There is a News section which will focus on local stories so that you can see what is happening in our neighborhood. There is an Events section in which you can browse for local happenings or even promote your own. There is a Places section that lists the businesses in the area, which is a great tool when you are looking for something specific our would like to discover something new. There is also a Marketplace in which you can place your own classified ad or search for something to buy as well as a Q & A section where you can ask questions.

I say this is a tremendous resource because it can tie our community together. This is an interactive news outlet....one that lets you (and encourages you) to comment on news items, ask questions, post announcements, add events to a community calendar, and share stories. Basically, this is YOUR local news site where your interaction makes the site what it is. This will become the place to find out what is going on in Ross Township and West View!

It will be so nice to have one place to go to in order to find news stories that are relevant to our area. No more searching sites from the other media outlets that cover all communities. If it's something local, you will find it at The North Hills Patch!

Editor AmyJo Brown has been working very hard since April at putting this all together. She is backed by a tremendous team at Patch.com (which includes editors, writers, photographers and videographers from the local area) as well as an Editorial Advisory Board. In addition, AmyJo has a unique background in digital reporting that will contribute to the success of the North Hills Patch. If you take a look at the site now, you can see that she has been VERY busy traveling around the area, getting to know people, taking pictures of things of interest, and getting a feel for Ross Township and West View.

So to AmyJo, I would like to say Congratulations on the launch and welcome to the area!

To you, I would like to say......GO CHECK IT OUT!

http://www.northhillspatch.com/