wntr 09 cranberrytoday lr 12/23/08 1:24 pm page 2

With volatility in the nation’s economy hitting levels whichhaven’t been seen for decades,Township officials are being cautious about Cranberry’s 2009budget.

“It’s kind of a maintenance year –trying to keep the level of servicesthe same,” Cranberry’s FinanceDirector Vanessa Gleasonobserved. “You won’t find any massive new projects in this year’sbudget, but you won’t find anybeing dropped, either.”

At their meeting on December 18,the Township’s Board ofSupervisors approved a $31.3 million budget for 2009 that included no changes in the amount of real estate taxhomeowners would pay. A technical change in the county’sassessment ratio – from 75 percent

to 100 percent of each property’sassessed value – was offset by acorresponding reduction in themillage charged to Cranberry residents, resulting in a zero taxincrease. Sewer and water servicerates remain unchanged and trashcollection increases averaged $1.43 a month per household, a combination of cart priceincreases and reduced state aid.

“We’re looking for modest growth in revenue next year,” Gleasonsaid. “We have a 98 percent collection rate on property tax, sowe aren’t too worried about that.But we will closely monitor theBusiness Privilege/Mercantile taxand the Earned Income Tax andthe Real Estate Transfer Tax.” A steep drop in local building activity and the municipal permit

SIDEIN

Cranberry’s 2009 Budget Provides No Tax Increase

2009 WINTER EDITION

CTCC ............................................2Planning ........................................3Supervisor’s Commentary ..............6Public Works..................................7Calendar ......................................10Library ........................................12School District ............................13In Briefs ......................................14Tech Company Profile ..................16Fire Company ..............................17Graham Park: Just Wait ’til Spring ......................22

th i s ed i t ion

todayCranberryFor the most current information, visit us online at www.cranberrytownship.org

“You won’t find any massivenew projects in this year’sbudget, but you won’t findany being dropped, either.”

Numbers game. Cranberry Township’s FinanceDirector Vanessa Gleason is making sure municipalrevenues and expenses stay in line during a time ofreal uncertainty.

Continued on page 15.

2009 Cranberry’s Projected Revenues And Expenses

General Fund 2009 Budget

Revenue

General Fund 2009

Expenditures

EARNED INCOME TAX

INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUE

BUSINESS PRIVILEGE/MERCANTILE TAX

12%

REAL ESTATETAXES

FEES FOR SERVICES

LOCAL SERVICE TAX

REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX

PUBLIC FACILITY DEBT SERVICE

11%

PUBLIC SAFETY

PUBLIC WORKSGENERAL GOVERNMENT

ENGINEERING

5%

PARK PROGRAMS

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

6%6%32%

8%

3%

24%

22%

27%

3%

20%

LEGISLATIVE

1%

20%

WNTR 09 CranberryToday LR 12/23/08 1:24 PM

Cranberry Township’sCommunity Chest – the previously obscure charity devoted to raising money for localnonprofit organizations– now has a national profile as well as a few thousandmore dollars to work with. Both grew out of CTCC president Bruce Mazzoni’s innovative idea forauctioning naming rights to a streetin the upscale Park Place traditionalneighborhood development, currently under construction.

Mazzoni presented his idea – which had been inspired by an eBay auction for a bridesmaid’s role at a stranger’s wedding this pastsummer – to Creative Real EstateDevelopment Corporation, the company behind the Park Place project. But instead of allowing one street to be entered into theauction as Mazzoni had requested,CREDCO Executive VP Eric Lammoffered three.

When the story got out – initially onthe front page of the Post-Gazetteand then quickly picked up byUnited Press International, Fox News, Yahoo, Good Morning

America and other nationalmedia in addition to

several overseas wire services – it immediatelydrew favorable attention

to both the Township, theCTCC, and to Park Place.

It also attracted the attention ofprospective bidders whose choices of names would be immortalized on street signs in the neighborhood,starting this year.

John McClymonds, owner of theCranberry Supply Company and alongtime supporter of local projects,liked the cause which the auctionrepresented. He also wanted tohonor his mother Dorie and his latemother-in-law, Theda. So with helpfrom his daughter-in-law, and just tenminutes left in the ten-day auction,he jumped in, only to find that hisoffers for Street A – the longest andmost prominent of the three – wereimmediately outbid. So he quicklymoved over to Street B where, afterentering several bids, he found himself the winner at $1,325. Ifokayed by the developer, theTownship and Butler 911 – all ofwhom are part of the approvalprocess – Theda Dorie Drive will

become a permanent address inCranberry Township.

Cranberry native Leslie Leumannrarely picks up a newspaper. But she saw a copy of the CranberryEagle at her parent’s home with theauction story on its front page. Lessthan two years earlier, her 23-yearold son Lee Boss, a pilot, had beenkilled in a motorcycle accident inAtlanta, where his family had movedsome years earlier, before Leumann’sreturn to Cranberry. As a boy, Leehad ridden dirt bikes on the property where Park Place is beingbuilt today. Although a memorialhad been held for him in Atlanta,there had been none in Cranberry.So in the final hours of the auction,she decided to place her winning bid of $1,305 for Street C. She proposes naming the street Capt. Lee Boss Way.

The most prominent of the threestreets up for auction in the plan,Street A, was snapped up by the Eat ‘n Park restaurant group whichhad learned about it from the Post-Gazette’s story. With its newlyremodeled restaurant on Rt. 19 just to the south of Cranberry, and a presence in Butler County since

1971, Companyspokesman KevinO’Connell said thatEat ‘n Park not onlysaw the auction as agood cause, but alsoas a light-hearted wayto promote the company brand. So for a winning bidof $3,350, the ParkPlace development’sMain Street couldhenceforth beknown as SmileyCookie Lane. ˜

2Cranberrytoday

Street Naming Auction Raises Money, Visibility For CTCC

It immediatelydrew favorableattention to boththe Township,the CTCC, andto Park Place.It also attractedthe attention of prospective

bidders.


After threeyears,dozens of public

meetings andcountless hundreds

of staff hours, the 25-year CranberryPlan is nearing its final stage.

“Right now we’re wrapping up the Growth Management Planphase,” according to Chief StrategicPlanning Officer John Trant, Jr.“We’ve taken the input collectedover several years and formulatedhundreds of recommendationswhich the Citizens Advisory Panelworked on. We used their work to develop recommendations and prioritize them. Then we foldedthem into a draft plan documentwhich was distributed to CAP members during December.

“Also during this November andDecember, we collected input fromsurrounding municipalities and

other interested stakeholders,” Trantsaid. “We’ll follow up by getting theirinput on the draft plan itself and itsrecommendations.”

Once that input to the preliminaryversion is in hand, a final draft willbe taken to the Planning AdvisoryCommission early this year. ThePlanning Advisory Commission will then hold a public meeting for formal review of the plan document and then make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for adotion in Marchor April.

“Once it’s adopted, we’ll be rollingthrough the recommendations. And we anticipate engaging several

of the CAP groups in certain projects,” Trant said. “A lot of folks have expressed interest in continuing to participate in guidingthe future of the Township, and theTownship certainly welcomes thatparticipation.”

With the Township’s planningprocess already on a roll, Trant sees the effort continuing to pressforward.

“We don’t want to lose momentum,”he said. “There’s a great momentumthat was built by the CAP and wewant to keep that going. We will be immediately getting into initiatives to implement the plan’srecommendations.” ˜

Long Range Plan Nears Long-Awaited Conclusion

PLANNING

3Cranberrytoday

Cheri ArmitageSusan BallaEd BeattyTom BiceRichard BinghamChris BorderTeresa CanadaChuck CaputyRandy CarperTim CaseyMatt ClarkRichard CollinsRick ColonelloVic Conrad

Paul CrockerRobert GillenbergerLarry EhretRandy ElderGarth EricsonDavid FolkerRoy HurdTerry JewellMark KantrowitzCaroline KibbyDave KovachGeorge LongWendy LydonJames Lynskey

Shirley MahrTony ManesShane McGoeyFrank MonikowskiJames MorelandDuke NazarHerb OliverDan PageFred PetersonJohn PhillipsVince ProfetaWaldo Rall Ann RealeRay Renyck

Tina RombachSusan RusnakJan StevensMichael StreibCindy TananisGloria TubridyRoy WagnerDave WeberDan WisniewskiMeredith WolfeJames WoodGong Zhang

A tip of the CAP to:

“There’s a greatmomentum and we want to keep that going.”

the

Shaping the FutureW

WW.CRANBERRYPLAN.O

RG


Every meeting of Cranberry’s governing Board of Supervisors is advertised ahead of time and isopen to the public. That’s the law in Pennsylvania. Not only that, everymeeting includes an opportunity forvisitors – residentsand non-residentsalike – to commenton any item, whetherit’s on or off the official agenda.

But to get the mostout of participating in a Township Board meeting, it helps to come prepared – both by understanding the issue you planto address and by knowing how theBoard’s meetings are organized.Here are some useful guidelines:

Meeting Schedule. The Board of Supervisors normally meets twice a month, usually on Thursdayevenings beginning at 6:30. The firstThursday of the month is its RegularBusiness Meeting where the Boardvotes on various agenda items. Thelast Thursday of the month is itsAgenda Preparation Meeting where the Board determines whichitems will be ready for legislativeaction at their Regular meeting thefollowing week. Meeting times canbe changed, but only with advancepublic notice advertised in theButler Eagle and on the Township’swebsite.

Meeting Composition. The Boardof Supervisors includes five electedmembers; at least three must be present for the Board to transactbusiness. In addition, meetings are normally attended by variousTownship employees including its Manager, Assistant Managers,Engineer, Planning Officer, and different department heads as well as its solicitor – an attorney who

counsels the Board on legal and procedural matters. If one or morehearings have been scheduled toreceive public comment on a specificmatter, such as a proposed zoning

variance, speakers will be sworn in and a stenographer will record their comments.

Public Comment.A period for commentsfrom individuals concerning any matter,on or off the agenda,begins immediately after

a Board meeting is called to order.Raise your hand and you will be recognized by the Board Chairman.Address the Board, not the audience; this is the Board member’sopportunity to hear you directlyspeaking about the issues that matterto you. The Board welcomes yourthoughts, ideas and questions. Butplease be aware that this is not aQ&A session; it is unrealistic to provide thorough answers to allquestions in such a brief time.However all questions directed tothe Board will receive a follow-upresponse as soon as possible after the meeting. But you don’t need to wait for a Board meeting to askquestions; residents are encouragedto call the Townshipoffice at any time.

Group Comments.If you come to theBoard meeting as partof a group that sharesthe same concern, organize your group’scomments ahead oftime so that you haveone spokesperson. Ifmore than one personneeds to speak, makesure they don’t end uprepeating what another

group member has already said. Waituntil the Board Chairman recognizes you before speaking, then identifyyourself and speak clearly so thatyour comments will be heard. Even if you are upset or angry, try toremain calm and give a thoughtfulpresentation; remarks that comeacross as a rant do not earn anyone’sserious attention. Do not applaud or boo or attempt to intimidateother speakers who have a differentpoint of view.

Prepare Yourself. If you plan toattend a Board meeting to address aconcern, it helps to do some advancework. Check the Township’s websiteto verify the meeting time and seewhat’s on the current agenda; checkagain on the day of the meeting;sometimes things change. Take thetime to nail down the facts and relevant background about the issue you want to address so that

your point of viewcomes across effectively. You arewelcome to bring yournotes along. Brevity isalways appreciated;keep in mind the limited time availableto complete theBoard’s business. Youare also free to leavethe meeting at anytime after presentingyour comments. ˜

4Cranberrytoday

Every meeting includes an

opportunity for visitors to

comment on any item on or off theofficial agenda.

PLANNING

Make Yourself Heard At Board Meetings


5Cranberrytoday

Rough construction – the initialearthmoving phase in building the1,850-foot road which will connectEhrman and Garvin Roads inCranberry’s northeastern corner – is about to begin, in partnership with the developer of a housing plan adjacent to the project.

Part of the Township’s agreementwith Singer Construction, the devel-oper of the nearby Mystic Ridge plan of homes, was that instead of making a financialcontribution toCranberry for roadwayimprovements –part of theTownship’s standard requirement is thatdevelopers improveany roads alongtheir property to meet current standards – he could provide anequivalent value in grading work for the new road connector.

“In lieu of their actually wideningGarvin Road, we’re taking what thatwould have cost and translating itinto earthwork and stormwater workfor the connector,” TownshipEngineer Jason Kratsas explained.They’re getting ready to start roughgrading for their own development.

And as soon as we get the remainingrights of way issues resolved, they’llbe able to start rough grading forthe connector as well.”

Although winter is not a traditionalconstruction season in Cranberry,work can actually continue as long as dirt keeps moving efficiently. If itbecame too frozen or too sloppy, theproject would have to be suspended.“They could be working all the way

through if they have amild winter,” Kratsassaid. “But if we havetypical December-January-Februaryweather, they couldbe shutting down sooner.”

Additional fundingfor the connector will come from the Township’s traffic impact fee

program. “The developer can do the earthwork for much less than we would be able to contract it outfor,” Kratsas pointed out. “So this is really a great partnership in thathis earthmoving equipment is rightthere. He can just roll the grading of our road project in with his landdevelopment.”

Planning for the new connectoractually began a number of years

ago. “It’s been a long project, but it should be done by next summer,”he said. “The original cost estimateswere $500,000. But that was with usbidding out the earthwork andstormwater work instead of having a developer using his own workforceto do it. Now we’ll probably be into the $200-300,000 range forroadwork. So we found significantsavings through this partnership.”

An adjacent traffic calming projectin the Ehrman Farms plan usesmedian islands and other features to slow the additional traffic whichthe new connector road is designedto handle.

The new connector forms part of a larger plan to create a secondarynetwork of east-west and north-southroadways within the Township. Itwill, for example, give residents ofEhrman Farms access to FranklinRoad; today there’s no easy way toget there. And it creates parallel connections to spread out the traffic on the Township’s main thoroughfares. The connector is part of a transportation plan whichhas been in place since the late1990s. ˜

Work Is About To Begin On Ehrman-Garvin Connector

The missing link. The inked-in line connecting Ehrman Road, above andleft, to Garvin Road, below and right, will become a real street later this

year, easing travel in Cranberry’s fast-growing northeastern quadrant.

Instead of a making a financial contribution

to Cranberry for roadway improvements,

the Developer couldprovide an equivalent

value in grading work for the new road connector.

PLANNING


6Cranberrytoday

SUPERVISOR’S COMMENTARY

If you’ve beenhere for awhile, you’llrememberwhen stateroute 228 was a two-lanerural road.Today, at least

in Cranberry, it’s a four-lane highwaywith added turning lanes and median planters and synchronizedsignals to handle all the traffic. Sowhat do you guess it cost PennDOTto make all those improvements?The answer: zero.

Essentially everything you see nowon 228 east of I-79 was developed by Mine Safety Appliance, CranberryWoods and Creative Real EstateDevelopment Company, along withthe Township. That’s because twelveyears ago, we had a vision of creatingthe infrastructure that could supporta world-class business park inCranberry Woods – one which wouldattract and retain the knowledgeindustries of the future. We stuck to that plan and were eventually able to put it in place without statemoney. It was a huge success. Today,the businesses along that corridorgenerate millions of tax dollars thatgo into state and federal coffers.

Six years ago, PennDOT began aprocess to expand 228 all the wayfrom Rt. 19 to Rt. 8. Then in 2007,Westinghouse announced that oneof the nation’s most significant economic development projects was going to happen right here inCranberry with the construction oftheir new engineering campus and

world headquarters. Their decisionvalidated the Township’s strategicplans for the 228 corridor.

Based on PennDOT studies andtheir own discussions with state agencies, Westinghouse came tobelieve that 228 would be improvedwell beyond Cranberry. As a result,private individuals, businesses, and builders from Seven Fields to Middlesex began making theirown plans accordingly.

But over time, cost creep and com-peting priorities eroded the state’soriginal commitment including, in particular, improvements to theCranberry portion of the highway.

In the meantime, Westinghouseannounced they will be growingbeyond their original expectations.In addition to the 3,500 employeesthe company originally said werecoming to the Township, they now anticipate 800 more. However, without improvements to the corridor, they will consider puttingthose jobs elsewhere – most likely in the Carolinas, which so activelyrecruited them to move there in the first place.

We can certainly understand thegrowing pressure on state resources.But the fact remains that this is anoutstandinginvestmentopportunity –one whosecost would be returnedmany times over throughadditional

tax revenues resulting from the creation of high-paying jobs alongthat corridor.

Investing in the Rt. 228 corridormakes especially good business sensenow that the overall economy is introuble; with Westinghouse planningto bring in thousands of attractivenew jobs, and Simon Properties andCreative Real Estate Developmentworking to bring in thousands more,it would be very shortsighted not to seize that opportunity. So eventhough Pennsylvania’s economy is slow overall, ours happens to begrowing. As a result, the state as awhole would benefit from betting onthe future right here in Cranberry.

Perhaps, in time, the various 228stakeholders will see it in their self-interest to find a solution, and it may not be the same sweet deal for PennDOT that it was before. Ofcourse, we realize there may be acertain amount of gamesmanshipgoing on right now. But it’s a high-risk game. How much longercan these companies wait to invest in the corridor? How patient canWestinghouse be before deciding totake jobs down to South Carolina?

We just don’t know. And frankly, wemay not find out until it’s too late.

But we hope ourregion’s leaders willfind solutions quicklyso that we won’tneed to learn thehard way. And we askeveryone else to lend them a handin doing so. ˜

Playing In Traffic: Gamesmanship Along 228by John Skorupan, Supervisor, Cranberry Township

You can reach John Skorupan at: [email protected]

This is an outstanding investment opportunity – one whose cost would be returned many times over.

It would be very shortsighted not to seize that opportunity.


7Cranberrytoday

PUBLIC WORKS

Crunch TimeCranberry Fires Up Solar-Powered Cardboard Compactor A lot of cardboard boxes get thrownout in Cranberry – and that’s noteven counting the ones supermarketsand retail stores recycle every day.It’s the result of people moving intothe community with a van full ofpacking cartons, combined with the waste generated by a prosperouscommunity’s taste for consumeritems that arrive in cardboard boxes.

Although the Township allowedcurbside recycling of cardboard right from the start of its CollectionConnection program in 2004, andlater supplemented it with two commercial-size containers behindits Municipal Center, the demand for cardboard disposal just kept ongrowing.

“You buy a television, you buy arefrigerator, you buy a computer – it comes in a box,” Lorin Meeder,Cranberry’s environmental programcoordinator, pointed out. “But whatdo you do with that box? It’s too big for your recycling container. Sowe get 1,200 pounds a week in thecardboard containers behind theMunicipal Center. They fill upinstantly. If we empty them out onFriday, they’re full by Sunday – evenoverflowing at certain times of theyear. We didn’t want to put out more

containers; what we needed insteadwas some way to compact them toreduce the volume, reduce the number of trips, reduce the amount of fuel used –to reduce the whole carbon footprint.”

Then two summersago, Meeder saw atrade magazine ad for a solar-poweredcompactor. He wrote a grant proposal to the state’s Departmentof EnvironmentalProtection to buy one.Last spring, the grant –covering 90 percent of the unit’s $35,000 cost – wasapproved. A competitively bid contract was awarded to VogelDisposal that shares the costs as well as the income from collectingand selling the cardboard. AndPennsylvania’s DEP, which countsthat cardboard toward Cranberry’srecycling goals, will even add fundsto the Township’s annual performance grants as a result.

Today, the self-service compactor is up and running and available toresidents 24/7. During just its first

six weeks, the unit collected six tonsof cardboard.

Even at night and on cloudy dayswhen the solar collector isn’t gettingenough sunlight tocharge its batteries,the compactor willstill run, althoughwith a little helpfrom standard powerlines. But there areseveral ground rules.“You have to breakthe boxes down toget them inside theslot,” Meeder said.

“And we don’t want contamination –we don’t want Styrofoam or packingmaterial. That should go in thegarbage. Also preventing litter; we don’t want people leaving trasharound.” Just to make sure, apole-mounted camera will keep a watchful eye on the device.

User instructions are posted right on the unit. “The short version isthat you put your cardboard in theslot and press the ‘start’ button,”Meeder explained. “That compactsit, and then it’s ready for the nextcustomer.” ˜

Ain’t no sunshine. Neither cloudy days nor gloomy nights will keep Cranberry’s new solar-powered cardboardcompactor from crushing the cartons brought to the back of the Municipal Center by residents eager to ditch theirunwanted boxes. Material collected in the self-service unit,which was funded by a state DEP grant, will be sold at prevailing commodity prices.

“What we neededinstead was some

way to compact themto reduce the volume,reduce the number of trips, reduce theamount of fuel used

– to reduce the wholecarbon footprint.”


8Cranberrytoday

PUBLIC WORKS

Cranberry Township, together with some of its neighbors, is startingto flex its muscles in the electricpower market. And the results arebeginning to show up on the bottomline. Call it leverage.

Whatever you’re buying, bigger isbetter. Take Wal-Mart, for example.The reason it can offer lower pricesthan other stores is that it buys inbigger quantities. So it pays less for each unit of merchandise than anyone else. But that same principlecan apply to buyers of practicallyanything.

Cranberry Township buys a lot ofelectric power, at least compared to the typical household. But therates it pays for that power don’t necessarily reflect the scale of its purchases, which last year amountedto almost $800,000.

Part of the reason is that instead of having one large account with the electric company, Cranberry currently has 83 – and that’s downfrom an even larger number not too long ago.

Some of them huge, such as thewastewater treatment plant whichconsumed more than $385,000worth of electricity last year. But others are almost microscopic,including the flashing lights at various Township crosswalks, each of which the power company treatsas a separate account.

Until recently, arcane PUC regula-tions governing the purchase of electricity didn’t allow the Townshipto do much about it. But the powerindustry’s gradual deregulation created a new opportunity: poolingaccounts, at least for the power generation portion of the electricbill. “We were invited to participatein a group called ‘DirectEnergy On Demand.’ It’s a power broker,”

Public Works Director Jason Dailyexplained.

“With deregulation, you’re now able to aggregate these accounts,pull them together, and buy power at intervals throughout the year.Plus, we’re able to put our very smallaccounts into it,” Daily said. “So thisis going to save us a lot of money.Our initial savings was estimated at$17,000 for the year just by pickingup those smaller accounts. It couldbe as much as $60,000 when we pullall the accounts together.”

One of the problems in the past had been that even though therewere frequent swings in power rates,commercial customers had to lock intheir purchases for the full contractperiod – often several years in length– all at one time. Sometimes itworked out, sometimes it didn’t,because you never knew where therates would go next.

“What ended up happening was thatall of a sudden we had to becomeenergy experts and figure out thebest time to lock in,” he said. “Butnow, with this new strategy, they canbuy power in a step fashion. And, asprices keep getting lower, they canbuy bigger and bigger bundles ofpower. So it’s a much better strategythan having to figure out the besttime to buy. Evenwhen rates creep up, you’re still notbuying all yourpower in one swing.

And the benefits are not just limitedto the Township’sown accounts. “Wehave the SenecaValley Schools, the Four-PointsSheraton, and

some restaurants in Cranberry aswell as a few smaller companies inour pool,” Daily noted. “Everybody’senergy is pooled together and purchased in bulk at different intervals. The risk is that you don’tknow the exact cost per kilowatt. But by losing the certainty of paying, say, 9.2¢ per kilowatt hour on some accounts, we end up payingsomewhere between 6¢ and 8¢ perkilowatt hour. The average, over thecourse of a year, is well below theenergy company’s quoted rate.”

That may be just the beginning, however. A newly-installed intervalpower meter at the Brush Creekwastewater treatment facility is starting to track the plant’s energy

use every 15 minutesthroughout the day.Once the results areknown, plant operatorsmay be in a position toreschedule equipmentuse in order to buypower at off-peak times and realize anadditional 30 percentsavings. ˜

Cranberry Pools Power Purchasing

Sticker shock. Public Works Director JasonDailey checks a power cabinet in the Public Worksoperations center. By combining Cranberry’s electric power purchases with those of other commercial and institutional customers, all participants will realize significant savings.

“We have the SenecaValley Schools, the

Four-Points Sheraton,and some restaurants

in Cranberry as well as a few smaller

companies in ourpool. Everybody’senergy is pooled

together and purchased in bulk.”


9Cranberrytoday

PUBLIC WORKS

Tire chains can be a big help whenroads are icy and miserable. But themisery usually begins with puttingthem on in the first place – atedious, time-consuming and dirtyjob. So most people don’t use them,preferring instead to wait until theroads have been cleared. But if yourjob is to operate the plow that clearsthe roads, you don’t have that luxury.

So Cranberry’s Public WorksDepartment has found a better solution: an automatic chain mounting system that the driveroperates with just the flick of aswitch. All the heavy trucks thatCranberry acquired over the past six years have been outfitted with the devices, which are now availablefrom three different suppliers. It is a technology that first got its startwith ambulances and fire engines.

“It’s driven by air pressure, and whenyou hit the switch, it releases a chainarm which puts a rubber wheelagainst the tire,” explains CranberryStreets and Properties Manager WaltBeighey. “The rubber wheel is drivenby the tire, so when the wheel hitsthe tire, it spins. On the end of therubber wheel is a short piece ofchain, so the wheel is driving thischain to slip underneath the tire.”

The reverse is true for taking themoff. “If you want to put them back

up, you put the lever the other way,it retracts and goes back to its stowedposition and your chains are justhanging there,” Beighey said.

However, due to the notoriouslyshort lifespan of tire chains – generally less than 200 miles – it’s a bad idea to use them when youdon’t really need them. So theDepartment’s automatic systemsallow snowplow operators to usetheir chains selectively as they goabout clearing the Township’s roadways.

“It used to be that the day before weknew a storm was coming, we wouldjack the trucks up, put the chains on,put bungees on, and get them readyto go,” he recalled. “By the end ofthat night, we were back rebuildingthe chains because they would havealready started snapping.”

But there’s a caveat: you can’t wait to get stuck and then mount theautomated chains; you have to bemoving to make it work. As a result,Beighey tells his crew, if you thinkyou’re going to be in trouble, putthem on, get through whateveryou’ve got to do, then release themback into the stowed position.

Years ago, when most American carswere rear-wheel drive, tire chainswere commonly used to navigatePittsburgh’s hilly winter terrain.

Today, with better tires, front wheeldrive, all-wheel drive, improved roadmaintenance and global warming,chains and steel-studded tires are in much less frequent use.

But that’s just fine with Beighey and his Public Works staff. “Thefewer chains you’ve got, the betterthe roads are going to be; they chew up the surface.” ˜

Easing The Chain Pain

The automatic systems allow snowplow operators to use their chains selectivelyas they go about clearingthe Township’s roadways.

Chain reaction. Streets and PropertiesMaintenance Manager Walt Beighey demonstrates the automatic tire chain feature onthe Township’s newer heavy trucks. Beighey isresponsible for dispatching plows and salt trucksto clear local roads whenever a snow storm hits.


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Board of Supervisors Organizational Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6:30 pm

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7Senior Center Monthly Birthday Party Municipal Ctr, Senior Ctr, 9:30 am

Daytime Storytime*4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmSenior Center Monthly Birthday Party Municipal Ctr, Senior Ctr, 9:30 am

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAYNo School SVSD

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GROUNDHOG DAYBook Discussion The Devil in the White City by Eric Larson,Library, 7 pm

Daylight Savings Time Begins set clocks ahead 1 hour

COMMUNITY CALENDARCOMMUNITY CALENDAR * Registration required. For information contact Cranberry Public Library 724-776-9100.† Registration required. For information contact Cranberry Parks and Recreation 724-776-4806 x1129.

Schedule of SaturdayComputer Classesavailable in Library

Kids’ Chapter Book Club*Grades 1-3, Library, 7:30 pmFamily Pajama Time Library, 7 pm

Waste Collection Holiday Tree Pick Upthrough 1/23 on regular collection day

TUES

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Family PajamaTime Library, 7 pm

Sweetheart Bingo Municipal Ctr, 2 -3:30 pmFamily Pajama Time Library, 7 pmParks & Recreation Advisory Board Mtg Municipal Ctr, Tenant Conf. Rm, 7 pm

Daytime Storytime*4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmBoard of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6:30 pm

Board of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6:30 pm

Cranberry Senior Citizen Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers,1 pm

Spring Begins

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

Planning Commission Work SessionMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 5:30 pm

Morning with Mr. Bunny † Municipal Ctr, 12 – 2 pm

Parks & Recreation Advisory Board MtgMunicipal Ctr, Tenant Conf. Rm, 7 pm

THURS

29Last Day for WaterparkEarly Bird Rates

Daytime Storytime*4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pm

MON

2Planning Commission MtgMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 7 pm

PRESIDENT’S DAY Twp Offices open, Library closedNo School SVSD Zoning Hearing Board Mtg (if needed) Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 7:30 pm

WED

25TUES

24

MON

16

SAT

10

FRI

20

Planning Commission Work SessionMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 5:30 pmNo School SVSD

Planning Commission Work Session Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers,5:30 pm

Daytime Storytime*4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmCranberry Senior Citizen Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 1 pm

Cranberry Twp Preschool Open House Municipal Ctr, 10 am – 2 pm

Daytime Storytime*4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmPlanning Commission MtgMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 7 pm

No School SVSD

NEW YEAR’S DAYTwp Offices, Municipal Ctr, and Library ClosedNo School SVSD Waste Collection 1 day delay through 1/3

Wii UltimateChampionship Battle † Municipal Ctr, 7 - 10 pm

Daytime Storytime* 4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmCranberry Senior Citizen Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 1 pmManaging Arthritis presented by Alexander Ward, PT, DPT, Freedom Rehab Ctr, Library, 7 pm

Kids’ Chapter Book Club* Grades 1-3, Library, 7:30 pmFamily Pajama Time Library, 7 pmParks & Recreation Advisory Board Mtg Municipal Ctr, Tenant Conf. Rm, 7 pm



Cranberry Twp Preschool Open House Municipal Ctr, 10 am – 2 pm


Daytime Storytime* 4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmBoard of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6:30 pm

Book Discussion Wild Swans by Jung Chnag, Library, 10 amKids’ Chapter Book Club* Grades 1-3, Library, 7:30 pmFamily Pajama Time Library, 7 pm

Kids’ Chapter Book Club*Grades 1-3, Library, 7:30 pmFamily Pajama Time Library, 7 pm

Daytime Storytime* 4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmThe Picky Eater: How To Promote Good Nutritionpresented by Bellevue Pediatrics, Library, 7 pm

Waste Collection Holiday Tree Pick Up through 1/23 on regular collection dayZoning Hearing Board Mtg (if needed)Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 7:30 pm

Walk-In AARP Tax Preparation Library, 10 am - 2 pm through 4/6

Board of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers,6:30 pm

ASH WEDNESDAYMothers and Daughters, Growing Together:Puberty, 10-13 Yrs presented by BellevuePediatrics, Library, 7 pm

Book Discussion One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus, Library, 10 amTaking Care of Your Heart UPMC Passavant Wellness Series, Municipal Ctr, Senior Ctr, 12:30 pm

Daytime Storytime*4 - 5 yrs old, Library, 11 am or 1 pmSenior Center Monthly Birthday Party Municipal Ctr, Senior Ctr, 9:30 am

Book Discussion The Flamingo Rising by Larry Baker, Library, 7 pmPlanning Commission MtgMunicipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 7 pm

Zoning Hearing Board Mtg (if needed) Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 7:30 pm

Book Discussion Call for title, Library, 10 amColorectal Cancer – What You Need to Know UPMC Passavant Wellness Series, Municipal Ctr, Senior Ctr, 12:30 pm

Things That Go Bump in the Night: Solving Your Child’s Sleep Problempresented by Bellevue Pediatrics, Library, 7 pm

Board of Supervisors Mtg Municipal Ctr, Council Chambers, 6:30 pm

MON

9Friends of the Cranberry Library Valentine Book Sale Library through 2/14

VALENTINE’S DAY


LIBRARY

12Cranberrytoday

Back before community libraries had become the information andtechnology hubs that people knowtoday, they struggled to keep best-sellers and basic reference materialsin the hands of their book-lovingpatrons. Jane O’Donnell, who hadbeen Cranberry’s first head librarianuntil 1980, remembers it well, as do her five children – all of whompitched in to help from time to time.

“We opened in 1975. It had takenthe board about a year and a half to organize it.

“We started out in one room in theold municipal building on RochesterRoad,” Mrs. O’Donnell said, recallingthe library’s original ten-by-twelvefoot space and 200 donated paperback books.

“When it got toobig, the Townshipgave us anotherroom in the build-ing, so we had tworooms,” she said.“Then they built asecond floor ontothe building andredid the oldpolice garage forus, so we had thelibrary there for a while.”

Throughout thatwinter, as remodel-ing work was goingon, the library and its three-memberstaff took up temporary quarters intwo semi trailers parked in a lotbehind the building.

But once they wereback in their remod-eled space, duringevening hours, thelibrarians had moreon their hands thanjust circulatingbooks. “There werefive police officers inthe same building,and they hadnobody to watchtheir phone at night.So if it didn’t gothrough the 911, we answered theirpolice calls, too,”

she said. “That’s just how thingsworked. It was a different era, that’s all.” ˜

Jane O’Donnell, Cranberry’s Pioneer Librarian

Young childrenreading stories todogs,teenagersinstructingsenior

citizens in the fine points of computeruse, and video gaming for patrons ofevery age are among the innovationsthat Leslie Palotta – Cranberry’snewly appointed Head Librarian –sees as opportunities for publiclibraries to continue serving theircommunities in the future.

For the past eight years Palotta, aRoss Township resident, worked atMoon Township’s library and, for thelast three of those years, served as itsDirector. Before that, she worked atthe McKinley Memorial Library inNiles, Ohio, the birthplace of thenation’s 25th president. Although itis not a formal presidential library –McKinley doesn’t have one – itcomes pretty close, serving as a

museum as well as a repository forhis presidential papers.

Ms. Palotta was recruited to lead the Cranberry Public Library thispast fall, following the retirement of its long-time Head Librarian,Carol Troese. Her new appointment began January 2.

“I love that the Cranberry Library isa busy library. I love that it has a lotof energy,” Palotta reflected. “Thechildren’s area especially strikes me.In addition to doing adult services, I spent a good deal of time as a children’s librarian as well. So wherever I am, I immediately go to the children’s section to see howthat’s working; I think it’s a goodindicator of how the community isusing the library. There’s a lot ofactivity in that section, so I’m happy to see that. It’s not yourgrandmother’s library.”

It’s not her mother’s library, either.“My mom worked for Mellon Bank’scorporate library. She was a library

assistant there,” Palotta said. “Shegrew up loving libraries and passedthat on to me. My brother and Iwere raised in a library atmosphereand constantly taken to the library as children – always being read to.”

“I worked in a library in college. Ithought it was just going to be justmy get-me-through-college job. But it ended up becoming my career,”she reflected. “People joked with methat as I got older, I should becomea librarian. I resisted it for a longtime. But ironically, the very firstplace I visited on my college campuswas the library. And the reason I went there was not to check something out; it was because that’swhere I knew I wanted to work.”

Reading to dogs – a popular library program in Cranberry andelsewhere – helps children buildtheir confidence as readers. ˜

New Head Librarian Favors Novel Partnerships

Check it out. Back in 1975, JaneO’Donnell, on the right in this yellowingButler Eagle newspaper photo, wasCranberry’s first head librarian.

WNTR 09 CranberryToday LR 12/23/08 1:25 PM Page 12

13Cranberrytoday

SCHOOL DISTRICT

Finding ways to save money isn’t exactly

a new concept.

Many of us are aware now more than ever

of the cost savings found in the simple act of

turning off a light or lowering a thermostat.

Families have been practicing it for years and

now the Seneca Valley School District is taking

part. Members of the Seneca Valley Administration

and Board Members recently took a proactive

step in good stewardship of energy and taxpayer

dollars by embarking on a comprehensive energy

conservation and management program with

Energy Education.

“This program is a people-oriented program,”

according to Rick Lapishka, assistant director of

buildings, grounds and activities, and the newly

appointed education manager for the District.

“There is no equipment to purchase or lease.

The program aims to change the habits of the

people that use our facilities.”

Energy Education is a national company

whose energy conservation programs have

saved more than $1.5 billion for public school

districts. Seneca Valley’s program began earlier

this school year with Mr. Lapishka conducting

energy audits to ensure that students and

teachers are comfortable during class time

and scheduled activities, and that energy is

used only as necessary.

As a key part of the program, Mr. Lapishka

tracks energy consumption—including

electricity, water, sewer, natural gas and fuel oil

using energy-accounting software. The software

compares current energy use to a baseline

period and calculates the amount of energy

that would have been used if conservation

and management practices had not been

implemented. It adjusts for weather, equipment

additions or deletions, and changes in

building use.

His role is to help motivate everyone in the

district to use energy wisely, keep classrooms

comfortable, take advantage of daylight and

practice other smart energy strategies.

During the hours when

the buildings are occupied,

Mr. Lapishka can often be found

reminding staff of the new guidelines

as he works to change habits.

“Sometimes I even get suggestions on where

I can find additional savings,” he said. “I find

that many people are behind this effort not only

to save tax payer dollars, but to help save the

environment by reducing our carbon footprint

and carbon dioxide emissions.”

All costs of the Energy Education program

come from Seneca Valley’s existing utility

budget, with savings projected to more than

pay for the program. Additional savings can be

redirected to other parts of the district’s budget.

Energy Education has worked with more than

900 educational organizations across the nation,

positively impacting the educational environment

of more than 12 million children and helping

save more than $1.5 billion in 23 years. It will

take approximately six months before Seneca

Valley’s savings can be determined. But the

impact is felt in more than just our schools.

“I have been told by several people that because

of the program here at work, they are more

aware of the energy savings opportunities at

home, and even catch themselves doing things

that they never did before,” Mr. Lapishka said.

Here are a few suggestions for home:

• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact

florescent bulbs.

• Replace a standard thermostat with a

programmable one and set it back at night

and during the day when nobody is home.

• Unplug device (phone, toys, game) chargers

from the wall when devices are not being

charged.

• Don’t let the water run when brushing teeth.

• Set the hot water heater to a lower temperature

(120 degrees should be hot enough).

• Wash clothes in warm water instead of hot.

Doing Our PartBy Linda Andreassi, Communications Director


14Cranberrytoday

IN BRIEFS

GimmeShelter.TheCranberryHighlandsClubhouse

has a new addition. A permanentstone and wood shelter outfittedwith its own gas cooking grill, is now in place behind the rear patio;it will be open for business startingthis spring. The shelter eliminatesthe need to erect tents, canopies, orother temporary shelters at the facilityfor weddings, meetings, or golf outings. To reserve the Clubhousefor your personal or business event,call Jon Shuster at 724-776-7372.

Miracle Award.Cranberry resident MikeSherry, who hasworked tirelesslyto develop support for the

Miracle League baseball field nowunder construction in Graham Park,was named recipient of the Achievafamily of philanthropies Award forExcellence in Community Inclusion.The award honors Sherry’s work anddedication on behalf of people withdisabilities. The Cranberry MiracleField is part of a national movementcreating a network of baseball fieldsthat can be safely played by childrenusing wheelchairs, braces, or othermobility aids.

Up For The Count.Preparationsfor the 2010Census havealreadybegun. Census Bureau workers arenow out on the street, attempting toverify the address list which will beused to mail questionnaires to everyhousehold in the country at the

beginning of 2010. CranberryTownship officials will be cooperatingwith the Census Bureau throughoutthe year to help make sure that itshead count, which forms the basisfor congressional representation,public fund allocations, and more, is complete.

WaterPark PriceCut. Prices for 2009 membershipsto the CranberryCommunityWaterPark purchased before January 31 have been reduced from previousyears’ Early Bird rates. Those reductions are especially significantfor individuals and for families oftwo. However every category ofmembership, regardless of familysize, will realize at least a $5 reduction over the comparable ratefrom 2008. The initial discount period for membership runsthrough the end of January.

Cranberry Scores AAA Award. Forthe second year in a row, CranberryTownship has been awarded theRegional AAA Platinum Safety Award– the association’s highest – for itsefforts to enhance traffic safety. The award recognizes work by theTownship Police, Engineering andPublic Works departments in identifying problem areas on localroadways and fixing them. The roads targeted in this year’s awardincluded portions of Graham School, Powell and Unionville roads. Other Township safety pro-grams, including Project Buckle Up, Smooth Operator, child safety seat checks and motor carrier inspections also contributedto the award.

Penn Power EyesTownship Site. Theconceptual plan for a new electricalsubstation to serve a power-hungrycustomer base in Cranberry wasshown to the Board of Supervisorson October 30. The idea for the facility – which is still in its preliminary stages – is to tap into theAllegheny Power high-tension linethat crosses the Township, step itdown to lower voltage, and distributeit to commercial and residential customers in Cranberry. The companyhas proposed a 5.8 acre Townshipsite adjacent to Community Park.However a number of issues must be addressed before any action istaken by the Board.

New Guard AtCTVFC. A new generation of leadership has beeninstalled by CranberryTownship’s Volunteer

Fire Company. At the CTVFCNovember annual meeting, long-time President Chris DeCreestepped down from that post in favorof Bruce Hezlep. Other Companyofficers elected include JohnKontros, Vice President; CarolynNelson, Secretary; Jim Cole,Treasurer; and Mike Hanks andRyan McDonald, Directors at Large.Most of the Company’s brigade officers – firefighters who representthe organization’s 911 emergencyoperations – remain in place from 2008.

RecognitionLunch. At itsJanuary 16annual meeting andKick-OffLuncheon, the Cranberry AreaChamber of Commerce and CTCC –the Cranberry Township Community

In Briefs


fees it generates were also a sourceof concern, resulting in a much leaner forecast for revenue from fees.

Uncertainty about the length, depth, and impact of a nationwideeconomic downturn on Townshiprevenues also made long-range forecasting more difficult than usual.“We expect our 2009 revenue to beup slightly, but not as much as weusually see,” she continued. “I thinkwe’ll have to be extra diligent interms of watching the money comein this year, making sure we’re on

target. If we see it sliding, then we’llneed to make some adjustments.”

But in government as in other areasof life, timing can be everything. “Wewere very excited that we were smartenough to do the bond issue forGraham Park in May, when we got it at 3.7 percent interest,” she said.“Since then, municipal bond insurance rates have skyrocketed.And because we had a great rating,we went on our own. But for municipalities that need bond insurance, it’s incredibly expensive –almost prohibitive for a bond issue.

Fortunately, prudent financial plan-ning by our Board of Supervisors has positioned Cranberry Townshipperfectly for this type of event.

“This was an interesting budget year – a lot of unknowns,” Gleasonreflected. “We want to be diligent –we don’t want to be cavalier. But the Board has been diligent aboutmaintaining an excellent financialposition for Cranberry. Their stew-ardship has put us in a good positionto manage through current economicconditions. Their leadership reallyshines in times like these.” ˜

15Cranberrytoday

IN BRIEFS

Chest – will present awards to severalindividuals and organizations inrecognition of their contributions toour community. Chris DeCree andDave Berneberg of the VolunteerFire Company will be honored fortheir extraordinary volunteer workover many years, and Ralph Mashudawill be presented a CommunityService Award for his company’s generous help to the Township,including the grading of GrahamPark. Contact the Chamber office for reservations: 724-776-4949.

Rolling Workshop. A new high-topdiesel van equipped with a standup

workbench, anassortmentof tools,and essen-tially allthe materi-

als needed to keep the Township’sbuildings in good repair, has joinedthe Cranberry fleet. It replaces amuch less efficient vehicle which hadbeen used for maintenance purposesbefore. By cutting down on the multiple trips which were previouslyrequired to find tools and parts, the van is expected to speed repairsand save staff time.

It’s Too Late! Any 2008 ButlerCounty/Cranberry Township or2008-2009 Seneca Valley SchoolDistrict real estate taxes that weren’tpaid in full by December 31 havebeen turned over to the County’sTax Claim Bureau. You can reachthem at 724-284-5326. Your 2009Butler County-Cranberry Townshiptax bill will be mailed on March 1and can be paid at the discount ratethrough April 30. If you havechanged your mortgage company or are no longer using an escrowaccount to pay your property taxes,contact the tax collector’s MunicipalCenter office at 724-776-1103. ˜

Cranberry’s 2009 budget provides no tax increase Continued from front cover

Cranberry’s Public Works Department reminds residents that when shoveling snow, shovel it to the right side of yourdriveway – otherwise a passing plow is likely to push it backand undo your work. If you have a fire hydrant in front ofyour house, don’t shovel snow on top of it; firefighters needto spot it and get to it quickly in case of emergency. And ifyour indoor water meter is enclosed, open the space to allowwarm air from the house to get in – otherwise your pipes can freeze, creating all sorts of mischief.

Winter Tips…


16Cranberrytoday

TECH COMPANY PROFILE

If you’re ever lucky enough to climbher stairs and gaze out any of the 15 windows in the Statue of Liberty’scrown, you will not only be treatedto a commanding view of New Yorkharbor, you will also see – just inchesin front of you – something muchcloser to home: the corporate logoof Traco.

Traco, Cranberry’s largest employerfor the past 30 years, manufacturescommercial-grade windows anddoors. With its corporate headquar-ters in Cranberry Industrial Park and sister manufacturing operationsin Tennessee and Georgia, Tracoserves architectural clients through-out North America. But few of itsemployees, and almost none of itscurrent customers, actually reside in Cranberry.

Back in 1971, when the family-owned company first relocated from Pittsburgh’sManchester district to Cranberry, theTownship had just one traffic light, CEO Robert Randallrecently recalled. “We built 10,000square feet here, onthree acres. Our sales manager at the time, John Kalakos, who isnow our Executive VP, came into the plant and said ‘my God, how are we ever going to fill this up?’”

But by 2008, after four major additions, the Cranberry facility covered a million square feet, staffedby a workforce of 1,100. And just thispast summer, the company celebratedthe 65th anniversary of its foundingby Randall’s parents as the ThreeRivers Aluminum Company – ahome improvement business onPittsburgh’s North Side.

Today, many of America’s most recognizable buildings are outfittedwith Traco window systems made in Cranberry, including the EmpireState and Flatiron Buildings in New York – a city where numerous high-rise buildings are either builtfrom, or retrofitted with, the company’s high-end commercialproducts. In Florida, big-box retailstores distribute Traco’s hurricane-resistant products. And at many U.S. embassies and military baseshere and overseas, the windows aremade from Traco’s blast-resistantproducts. But it is the Statue ofLiberty which became the company’s signature project.

“We do a lot of work in New YorkCity, and the Ellis Island reconstruc-tion manager was a very good client

of ours,” Randallrecounted. “One of theprincipals had asked usto look at the job, but I kept refusing because it was an engineeringnightmare and we werevery busy at the time.Then one day, the principal came here towitness a test for one ofhis high-rise buildings.After the test, he came

in my office and said ‘I really wantyou to look at this job.’

“The next day, replicas of the statue’s original drawings appearedon my desk. We reviewed them and I said ok, we’ll have a look. So weflew to New York and went out to theisland. The statue was shrouded inscaffolding. It was a picture-perfectday. We went into the hoist, got tothe top, the door opens, and there’sher head, with New York City in thebackground. I said ‘guys, we’ve gotto do this.’

“One of the best things about it wasthat we never assigned the job toanyone in our company; people volunteered, and they did thingsthey had never done before becausethe material we had to use wasbronze – not aluminum. They wereall individually hand-made, and theyturned out to be 15 absolute jewels.”

Randall has witnessed tremendousgrowth and change during his company’s 38 years Cranberry. Butfor Traco, as for other manufacturingfirms, it’s been a mixed blessing.“Maintaining the size of our work-force has been a very big challengefor the last several years,” he said.“There just aren’t enough peopleavailable for manufacturing. It’sbecome a service-oriented region.Very few of our employees comefrom Cranberry now; they’re comingfrom Evans City, Mars, Butler, BeaverCounty and we have people busingup from Pittsburgh. So we’re bringing them in from surroundingareas. We used to get a lot of goodyoung people from high schoolsthrough school-to-work programs.But today, most of those programshave been discontinued.” ˜

TRACO Opens A New Window On Change In Cranberry

Although widely known for its retail businesses, Cranberry is also becoming an important high technology center. Each issue of CranberryTodayfeatures the profile of a different local technology company and offers a glimpse into the Township’s emerging knowledge-based economy.

NextGen. Traco combined European technologywith home-grown know-how to create a new generation of ultra-energy efficient doors andwindows using high performance glass fabricated on a specially-equipped line in thecompany’s massive Cranberry Township plant.CEO Robert Randall, left, oversees the operation.

Back in 1971, whenthe family-owned

company first relocated from

Pittsburgh’sManchester districtto Cranberry, the

Township had justone traffic light.


17Cranberrytoday

FIRE COMPANY

Profile of a firefighter:

In The Kontros Household,Firefighting Is A Family AffairFor years, JohnKontros hadwanted to be a Cranberry

firefighter, just like his wife Maria.And many of Maria’s fellow brigade members had encouraged him tojoin. But his job with a mortgagecompany, which required his keeping Tuesday evening hours, was always in conflict with the FireCompany’s own monthly meetings.

Then in 2004, after 27 years with the same firm, his day job suddenlydisappeared. So the first thing hetold his wife was that, at last, he was going to join the Fire Company.“No,” she told him, “you’re going to find a job first.”

But John stuck to his guns, decidingto join the Fire Police – a specializedunit of CTVFC that manages trafficaround active fire zones, working to protect firefighters as well asmotorists – many of whom are frustrated by restricted roads whilefirefighters battle the blaze. And in2007, he won the Chief’s Award fordemonstrating unusual initiative,despite his relatively short tenure.

Service with the Fire Police requiresits own training and 16 hours ofcontinuing education a year. A significant part of it has to do withhandling combativemotorists who –despite warningsigns, cones, flares,and signal lanterns– remain obliviousto the danger, mowing down

cones and sometimes forcing John to dive out of the way to avoid being hit. Others arrive with a litanyof curious questions, excuses for ignoring the warnings, pleadings for alternative directions, or requeststo be made an exception so they can get to their home, job, orappointment.

In Cranberry, however, with the Fire Company’s heavy emphasis ontraining, Fire Police are encouragedto learn the basics of firefighting aswell. Yet despite the demands, Johnquickly rose to Fire Police lieutenantand was elected a Fire Company vice president for 2009. “I’m not the kind of guy who can easily say‘no’,” Kontros admitted.

While Maria knows she was a motivating factor in John’s decisionto join the Fire Company, what shewasn’t prepared for was the extent of his involvement. “John is unbelievable in how he has jumpedinto this,” she said. “I didn’t know hewas that interested. He is influentialand respected by so many peoplethere now, it’s wonderful.”

John’s sense of commitment also carried over to his working life,

where he quickly snaggeda management positionwith Target.

Back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, when she was still a child, Maria’s fatherserved as West MifflinFire Company’s Chief.And she was eager tobecome a firefighter herself. But her fathersaw things differently,refusing to let her join.

“Then I got married and we had our daughter Brittany. So, I put it on a back burner,” she recalled. “But when Brittany was 14, I talkedto John about it and then joined.”

Despite her own asthma condition,Maria became a member of the Fire Company’s Self-ContainedBreathing Apparatus team where her assignment is to track exactlywho enters a burning building andwhere they are at all times.

Her biggest challenge came at theoutset with the initial fire trainingcourse, called ‘Essentials’. But withthe help of Company veterans andtraining twice a week over a three-month interval, she mastered thethick manual, passed the requiredtests, and never looked back.

Brittany, now a newlywed herself, was reluctant to become a firefighter.But she joined the Ladies Auxiliary,arranging social events for theCompany and preparing food todeliver to firefighters responding toa lengthy structure fire. “I didn’t feelI had the courage they did,” she said.“I’m just not that type. I look up tofirefighters like I do to people in thearmed forces, because they risk theirlives for others.” ˜

Cranberry welcomes new Fire Company volunteers throughout the year. To learn more, call 724-776-1196.

Service with theFire Police requires

its own trainingand 16 hours of

continuing education a year. A significant part

of it has to do withhandling combative

motorists.


18Cranberrytoday

FIRE COMPANY

House fires have posed a seriousdanger to every generation. But thecurrent generation of housing adds a special set of risks to residents andfirefighters alike. That’s because the building materials now in common use are very different thanthe traditional wood and masonryused in construction for centuriesbefore. They are manmade, and in a fire, they behave like nothingbefore them.

To Cranberry Volunteer FireCompany Chief Bill Spiegel, who isresponsible for the safety of both hisresidents and first responders, thosechanges make training more criticalthan ever. “Buildings are being fabricated out of lighter-weight materials and they’re being pre-fabricated off site, brought in,and put together as a jigsaw puzzle,”he said. “The materials burn morerapidly and with higher heat intensity. The buildings tend to collapse faster and the materialsinside the structures burn with higher toxicity. That creates a real issue for theresponder.”

Unlike conventionallumber, which burnsslowly, compositematerials like pressedboard and particleboard are gluedtogether and burnmuch more rapidly.Home insulationmade from plasticfoam is also proneto burning quicklyand emitting toxicfumes in theprocess. Even the main supportmembers of a

house structure have changed. “A lotof times they don’t use steel beamsanymore; they’re using particleboard beams that are laminatedtogether,” Spiegel noted.

Not only that, the fact that homesare being built tighter to becomemore energy efficient means that the gasses and heat which resultfrom a fire aren’t escaping. “We havethe potential to get into a flashoverrelatively quickly,” he explained.

In a flashover, heat from a growingfire is absorbed into the walls andcontents of a room, heating its combustible gases and furnishings to the point of sudden ignition.When a flashover occurs, it essentiallyeliminates the possibility of searchand rescue, spelling grave danger to anyone trapped there – civilian or firefighter.

So how does a firefighter know what materials have actually beenused in the house? “In responding to a structure fire, one thing youalways want to look for is the age of

the communitythat building isin,” Spiegel said.“Chances are, if abuilding is older,it was built withheavier gradematerials.

The newerconstructiontends to be thelighter-weightconstruction,and CranberryTownship is arelatively new community. So a building’sage is an

important clue as to what materialswere used in its construction.”

Reading the smoke for signs ofwhat’s inside a fire is also a criticalpart of the firefighter’s response.“We train our firefighters extensivelyon reading the types of smoke we see emitting from a building,” hesaid. “Whether it’s lazy-moving, orheavy-moving, or fast-moving smoke;whether it’s a color, whether it’s alight gray or white or a heavy blacksmoke, it gives them an idea of whatprogression the fire has alreadymade. If there’s fire emitting from the structure when we get to the scene, that’s an importantclue as well.

Yellow or brown smoke, smoke whichcomes out in puffs around the edgesof doors and windows, and windowswhich appear brown or black whenseen from outside, are all signs ofincomplete combustion, typicallycaused by lack of oxygen. They arealso telltale signs of an imminentbackdraft – the explosive re-ignitionof a fire if oxygen is suddenly re-introduced into the room.

“We train extensively on search techniques,” Spiegel said. “We trainon how to recognize the potentialfor a flashover or a backdraft. Andwe train on ventilation processes toreduce that risk and to release theheat and gas from the interior of thestructure to help firefighters battlethe blaze or rescue a potentiallytrapped victim.” ˜

Reading Smoke Signals New building materials present novel risks to firefighters.


19

FIRE COMPANY

Cranberrytoday

Three-quarters of America’s firefighters are volunteers. But theNumber One killer of volunteer firefighters on duty doesn’t involveany of the grim dangers inherent in fighting burning buildings, containing wildfires, or rescuing people trapped in auto wrecks. It’s heart attacks.

Nationwide, of the 100-plus volunteer firefighters who dieresponding to alarmseach year, more thanhalf are from heartattacks. Unlikecareer firefighters,who can frequentlysqueeze exercise intoslack times duringtheir duty shift, mostvolunteer firefightershold the same sortsof sedentary day jobs which are typical of today’s work-force. As a result, gettingthemselves in shape so they can snap into actionin the middle of the night requires a specialeffort.

Although to date, Cranberry’svolunteer fire company hasbeen spared a fatal heartattack, nobody is immune. So a year and a half ago, theCompany organized a wellness program to focus the same intense camaraderie and teamwork on improving theirphysical condition as they do infighting fires.

Fire Fighter John Pristas, a healthadvocate and former UPMC program administrator whose current day job involves representinga Boston-based maker of artificialhearts, is its chair. As Pristas puts it,“health issues are close to my heart.”

To help keep the program’s goalstop of mind, Pristas makes extensiveuse of email, often sending three orfour health-related emails a week tohis fellow firefighters. Although hisefforts have earned him the tongue-in-cheek title of ‘Spaminator’ amongCompany members, it has also kepthealth awareness at high levels.

The Fire Company’s wellness program is based, in part, on

recommendationsoffered by a websitecalled Heart-HealthyFirefighter. And one element of it includesweight management. “We sponsor a WeightWatchers program whichis open to everyone inthe Company,” Pristassaid. “The first time we

did it, we had 23 people sign up andwe lost over 400 pounds during a12-week course. We had a secondsignup that we’re just finishingnow, with 15 people. We’ve lost150 pounds this time.”

Weight loss, however, is onlypart of the program. “It’s a

change of lifestyle,” outgoing Fire Company president DeCreeexplains. “Once the program is over, you’re committed to continuewhatever you’re doing with it. Youchange your eating habits, youchange your smoking habits, you

change whatever you’re doing. Andwhen our guys enter the program,they stay with it until they finish.They meet every month to see howthey’re doing,” DeCree said. “I’velost 35 pounds.”

For a number of years, the FireCompany has maintained a roomoutfitted with exercise equipment in the Rt. 19 Park Station. But its use had always been casual. However,

that too is starting to change. “Webring a professional trainer in once a year to teach people how to usethe exercise equipment,” DeCreeexplained. “You can work out all you want, but if you’re not doing itproperly, it really doesn’t help you.These professional people come inand tell you the kind of stuff youwould do down at their gym.”

The Fire Company’s exercise facilityis available all the time and membersoften drop in, use it for 10 or 15minutes, and then come back lateron. “The only time it’s scheduled is when we bring in the trainer,”DeCree said. “The YMCA sendsdown an instructor and they’re notcharging us.” But it’s sort of a barterarrangement, he explained. “Inreturn, we go up and teach their personnel fire safety – how to evacuate their building.” ˜

Fire Fighters Leaner (But Not Meaner)

Fit Firefighters. Firefighter and fitness enthusiastJohn Pristas, left, runs the Fire Company’s wellness program. With him at the Rt. 19 ParkFire Station’s elliptical exercise machine are David Watkins and Chris DeCree. Participatingfirefighters in the Company’s Weight Watchers program lost a combined total of more than 500 pounds in 2008.

Nationwide, of the100-plus volunteerfirefighters who die

responding toalarms each year,more than half arefrom heart attacks.


Every fire engine in Cranberry isequipped with a thermal imagingcamera; it’s one of the first toolsthat’s taken off the truck during a call.

It looks like a cross between a StarWars-style ray gun and a handheldTV set, except that the images on itsscreen seem unnaturally ghostlike.That’s because, instead of using lightfrom the visible spectrum to create a traditional picture, it uses infraredfrequencies – the otherwise invisibleelectromagnetic waves associatedwith heat rather than light. So thepicture you see on its screen is actu-ally showing heat sources, includinganimals, overheated wires, andhotspots of every sort that you wouldnever see with an unaided eye.

Normally the cameras are used topinpoint fires concealed behindwalls or other enclosed spaces in a building. But not always. “It’s agreat rescue tool,” Fire CompanyAdministrative Assistant Mark Nannapointed out. “If somebody’s in abuilding and the crew takes its thermal imaging camera in, they can actually pick up body heat. Wetrain on using it in smoke conditionsbecause you can’t see in the smokewhen you go into a fire. If you go inand put that camera up, you can see what’s in front of you, if there’ssomebody lying on the floor.”

But it has unconventional uses aswell. “The police have borrowed it a couple times,” Nanna said. “Onetime, they had a prisoner crawl upinto the ceiling; he was trying to getaway by going through the rafters.They were chasing him around, butcouldn’t figure out exactly where he

was. So they called us, webrought the camera down,and we walked around pointing it at the ceiling.And all of a sudden, therehe was! That’s when he came crashing downthrough the tile.”

Each thermal imaging camera costs $12-15,000. But last year, the CranberryVolunteer Fire Companyreceived one as a gift fromits maker – the Mine SafetyAppliance company based in Cranberry Woods; MSAalso donated two new aircylinders worth $1,000apiece. And the Fire Company hasworked to repay that generosity. Partof it comes through training MSAemployees in the proper use of fireextinguishers. Another part comesthrough beta testing – trying outMSA product prototypes and providing them with feedback. But most of it comes from help with marketing.

“Every year, the big trade show for firefighters is in Indianapolis,”Nanna explained. “That’s where they bring out new products, andthey like to do photo shoots of the products in use. Since their headquarters are here in Cranberry,we’ve come to know them prettywell. They call me, I get some guystogether, we go up to the trainingtower or wherever, and we do aphoto shoot for them. It’s usually an all-day event. We’ve done quite a few.”

In one instance, every firefighterwho appeared in the photo shoot

was given a custom fire helmet. Inanother, which demonstrated MSA’snewest self-contained breathingapparatus, the Fire Company wasgiven a thermal imaging camera for its help.

“When you see their brochures, itshows our guys, our trucks,” Nannanoted with pride. “We did a videothat they showed at the big fire show,and it was all our guys. And they hada big banner going across the front,and that was one of our guys, too.”

“All of our air supply equipment isfrom MSA,” outgoing Fire CompanyPresident Chris DeCree observed.“It’s good for maintenance becausewe don’t have to look for parts fromdifferent companies. All the packsare the same model. Helmets, cameras – everything is from MSA.It’s because of the way we operateand the way they operate. They’re a good corporate neighbor.” ˜

Cranberrytoday

FIRE COMPANY

CTVFC ❤ Mine Safety Appliance

Gottcha. The picture of Fire Company AdministrativeAssistant Mark Nanna captured on the display of this MSA thermal imaging camera was created from infraredradiation rather than visible light. The rugged cameras,which are carried on every CTVFC fire truck, can see heatsources, including concealed fires, right through a building’swalls and ceilings.

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“They like to do photo shoots of their products in use. We go up to the training tower and we do a photo shoot for them.

We’ve done quite a few.”


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FIRE COMPANY

Cranberrytoday

Fire Company Offers Clean, Cheap Fire Extinguisher TrainingJust abouteveryone has at leastone fireextinguisherat home andat work, but hardlyanyone everuses them.That can

be a problem when an emergencyarises, because if you’ve never operated one before, you may not be able to use it effectively. That’swhere Cranberry’s volunteer firecompany comes in.

“We get calls from Chamber ofCommerce members asking us totrain their employees in how to useextinguishers,” according to firecompany administrative assistantMark Nanna. “So we show themhow.”

Over the years, Cranberry’s fire company had given countlessdemonstrations showing the properuse of fire extinguishers. But it triggered some messy problems. “Weused to take a quarter of a 55-gallondrum, pour a little diesel fuel in it,light it with a flare, and then havethem take a real extinguisher andput it out” Nanna recalled. “But it’svery dirty. And second, it’s veryexpensive; every time you dischargea fire extinguisher, it’s about $80 to get it filled again.”

So two years ago, the Company took a different path and acquired alookalike simulator. “We bought thefire extinguisher simulator because it was starting to get expensive for us and for them,” he said. “It’s a panthat you connect to a propane bottleand then put a little bit of water intoa special fire extinguisher equippedwith tiny transmitters.”

Although the unit’s propane flamesare authentic, they are not actuallyput out by the extinguisher’s smallstream of pressurized water. Instead,when its handle is squeezed, theextinguisher emits a sound frequencysimulating the lifelike noise of a real-life extinguisher in operation.When the burner’s sensors pick upthat sound, their propane valve shutsdown and puts out the flame.

“It gives people a chance to see how it really works. We tell themwhen to use it, how to use it, what todo, what not to do, how far to standaway from the unit. It’s used exactlylike a real extinguisher,” he said.“But instead of using diesel fuel and making nasty black smoke whenI’m trying to get it to light with aflare, we can set it up in ten minutes.We’ve already done more than 100 people in a single day.” ˜

“Two years ago, the Company took a different path and acquired a lookalike simulator. It’s used exactly like a real extinguisher. It gives people a chance to see how it really works.”

Realistic simulation. Fire Company veterans Chris DeCree and Dave Berneburg demonstrate the Company’s fire extinguisher simulation

system which is used to train local residents and workers in the proper use ofhousehold fire extinguishers. Fire Company Administrative Assistant Mark

Nanna, to the left, controls the flow of propane feeding the fire.


No firm date has been announcedfor the official opening ofCranberry’s new Dick’s SportingGoods Sportsplex at Graham Park.But work on the spectacular newfacility has been moving forwardrapidly and its dedication is onlymonths away. Invitations andannouncements about the GrandOpening will be issued as plans are finalized with the park’s major partners – Dick’s, the PiratesCharities, and the local athletic associations.

In the meantime, though, most of the park’s major features can beclearly seen from a distance. Accessroads and parking lots – which arestill closed to the public – have nowbeen paved. Most of the walking/bicycle trail is finished. Sidewalks are in place. The park’s concessionbuildings are all taking shape. Thesoccer complex is moving alongwell. The maintenance shed isalmost done. The park’s irrigationsystems have been working well and

the grass is growing in nicely.

“All our turf surfacesare growing well,”Township engineerJason Kratsas reports. “I think we’ve estab-lished enough turf on all playing surfacesthat we’ll be in goodshape come spring.

On the park’s baseball campus – one of three field clusters in the park – an asphalt pavement base has been put down for the MiracleField; its rubberized playing surfacewill be laid in the spring. A signagesystem for navigating to and throughthe park has begun, although moredetails remain to be worked out, andthe baseball dugouts are started, but not yet complete.

Park furniture – benches, concessiontables, fountains, and bleachers –have all been ordered. And thesuperstructure for a tall identity sign

along the Turnpike is now largely in place, although the electric service has not yet been hooked up.

However all of that will be takencare of shortly.

In the meantime, though, the parkremains a construction site underthe responsibility of the general contractor, and patience is neededbecause until it opens, anyone usingthe fields without authorization isconsidered to be trespassing. ˜

724-776-4806www.cranberrytownship.org

2525 Rochester Rd, Ste. 400Cranberry Twp., PA 16066

Board of SupervisorsRichard Hadley, CHAIRMAN

John Skorupan, VICE CHAIRMAN

Bruce MazzoniJohn MiliusDavid Root

Jerry Andree, TOWNSHIP MANAGER

Steven Czetli Contributing Writer Cindy Marzock Communications Assistant

Shelley Notaro Layout and Design Peter Longini Director, Communications

PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDPermit #25

Cranberry Twp., PA

For the most up-to-date information, visit us online at www.cranberrytownship.org

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Graham Park: Just Wait ‘Til Spring

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POSTAL PATRONCRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA 16066


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