Jun 8, 2013 5 min read

A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:

Desire to bury utilities leads to delay in Waynesburg streetscape work

WAYNESBURG – Pretty sidewalks won’t mean much if the town still has ugly telephone poles and wires hanging overhead, Waynesburg’s engineer told council Monday as he explained some of the challenges facing the streetscape project.

Borough officials, along with the nonprofit group Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful, have been planning to revamp several blocks in the business district since 2005.

“It’s three years now, and we don’t have anything to show for it,” said Michael Dufalla, engineer with Mackin Engineering.

The project has been delayed because of utility line relocation issues. Dufalla said that burying the lines is the easiest way to eliminate the clutter of overhead lines. However, finding a way to do that has proved problematic.

Because of the federal money that will go into the project, the borough will not be allowed to pay Allegheny Power to perform the necessary electrical work without undergoing a competitive bidding process. Dufalla also anticipates problems with the electric company’s union that may preempt the hiring of a contractor with the lowest bid.

“Everybody wants those utilities underground. The question is what mechanism do we use to put those lines underground,” he said.

10 years ago

West Greene district close to state takeover

ROGERSVILLE – West Greene School District may not yet be in danger of a state takeover, but it’s getting pretty close, a representative from the state Department of Education told school board members Tuesday.

Dr. Ronald Stainbrook painted a bleak picture of the district’s finances at a special budget meeting.

“It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out what happened here,” he said. “Over the past five years or so, the district spent more money than it brought in.”

That overspending amounted to a deficit of about $530,000 at the end of the 2001-02 fiscal year. A formidable obstacle, Stainbrook said, but it’s nothing that the board can’t eliminate if it takes steps to curb spending and increase revenue.

Stainbrook works in PDE’s office of education administration, a bureau that offers services to school districts on a number of issues.

Several months ago, West Greene requested his input on different ways the district could be administered more efficiently.

Stainbrook visited the district in January and came back with a laundry list of recommendations that West Greene could implement to improve its financial outlook. Some of these suggestions might be hard pills to swallow, the 35-year educator admitted.

“But, if you don’t reduce operating costs, you will, without a doubt, become a distressed school district,” he said.

A school district, which accumulates a deficit equal to 2 percent of its total real estate value and maintains that debt for two consecutive years will be considered distressed. With West Greene’s deficit, the district is close to meeting the state’s criteria.

No damages in cemetery case

The state Superior Court has affirmed the verdict of a Greene County jury that failed to award damages to the descendants of people buried in a Richhill Township cemetery mined under more than 12 years ago.

The appellate court, in an order issued late last month, affirmed the March 31, 2000, jury verdict denying damages to 47 people whose relatives are among those buried in Braddock Cemetery near Graysville.

The relatives filed the lawsuit against Braddock Cemetery Co., and Consol Pennsylvania Coal Co. and Rheinbraun U.S. Corp., partners in Bailey Mine.

Plaintiffs claimed the cemetery company improperly entered into agreements with Consol that allowed it to mine beneath the cemetery and that the mining, completed in early 1991, caused the cemetery to subside 31/2 feet, damaging caskets and burial vaults.

The cemetery company and Consol maintained the agreements were proper and mining had not damaged the graves.

To obtain rights to mine beneath the cemetery, Consol had agreed to repair damages, give the cemetery company 4.1 acres of land adjoining the graveyard and pay the cemetery company $70,000, money cemetery directors said was needed to continue to maintain the property.

Following a three-week trial in March 2000, a jury found in favor of the coal company and cemetery company and awarded no damages to the plaintiffs.

25 years ago: June 9-15, 1988

Human Services Commission created for Greene County

WAYNESBURG – A Greene County Human Services Commission was created June 2 to serve as in an advisory capacity to the county commissioners on local policy involving social issues.

The commission consists of 15 individuals form throughout the county who were appointed by the county commissioners on recommendation of the Washington-Greene Community Action Corp., whose personnel will staff the commission.

‘The commission, if properly used, will be of great merit in controversial matters. It can permit the board (of commissioners) to take progressive and worthwhile actions with the support of an informed community,” said John A, Wilson, CAC executive director.

45 years ago: June 9-15, 1968

Manufacturing employment dips as plants increase

A State Department of Internal Affairs industrial survey of Greene County shows that employment is county manufacturing industries decreased nearly 100.

On the other hand the number of manufacturing plants in the county increased, climbing from 31 to 35. Nevertheless, manufacturing employment dipped from 767 to 679 – a decline of 88 workers.

Payrolls of these 35 manufacturing establishments amounted to $2,393,400. Compared with 1965, wages and salaries were up by $20,200.

Total value of production in the county stood at $11,263,500 – a healthy increase over the 1965 figure of $10,613,800. Value added by manufacture in 1966 stood at $4,552,100 as compared with the previous year’s $4,832,500.