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January 25, 2016

Demolition of Properties for CVS Pharmacy Begins

Demolition for the CVS Pharmacy began earlier this month as crews brought down a few of the buildings. The Pharmacy will be located at the intersection of Fifth Street and Fountain Avenue roughly across from the Rite Aid Pharmacy. The construction site consolidated 10 properties, including the old St. Agatha Roman Catholic Church. According to CVS sources, St. Agatha will possibly be deconstructed as opposed to demolished and the materials will be sold. CVS’s time table indicated a start date late in 2015. However, according to Ellwood City Borough Officials, CVS had not yet completed all the proper work paperwork…

January 22, 2016

Mayor’s Office: Be Alert for On-Going Phone Scam

Mayor Anthony Court wants to remind residents about an on-going scam that the US Department of Treasury has been warning taxpayers to be on high alert for. Some Ellwood City residents have called the Mayor’s office to let him know that they have received this type of phone call, telling them they need to pay their back taxes immediately or they will be arrested. These individuals are targeting our elderly, trying to frighten them into paying immediately. Please pay attention to the elderly in our area, so that they do not fall victim to this phone scam. Remind everyone, especially…

January 22, 2016

2016 Royal Rumble Party

The 2016 Royal Rumble Party will be held at It’s Time Fitness (formerly Walnut Ridge School) on Sunday, Jan. 24. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is free. The WWE Royal Rumble will be shown on a giant ten foot screen for fans to enjoy. Special guest Shane “The Franchise” Douglas will be hanging out throughout the evening watching the Royal Rumble and mingling with fans for photos and autographs. There will be a Pick ‘Em contest for the Royal Rumble with the winner getting $500. Second and third place winners will receive $100 and $75. Winners will be announced…

January 22, 2016

New Chamber Director Settles In, Set Goals

“First week on the job and we already lost Trader Horn,” Ray Santillo joked as he worked on arranging his new desk. Santillo is the new executive director the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce, a role he began on Monday, Jan. 11. Although there are many challenges ahead, he has a matching enthusiasm for the work and the Ellwood area. Santillo is a lifelong resident of Ellwood City, who raised four children here and says he is blessed that they all live nearby. He made his career with Riverside school district as a teacher, coach and ultimately principal of…

January 22, 2016

Weekly Basketball Recap: Ellwood City, Riverside Experience Section Losses

Riverside Girls Win One, Lose Won Defeat isn’t something the Riverside Girl’s basketball team has experienced much this season. The team started with a seven-game winning streak briefly interrupted by Neshannock before going on an eight-game streak. The last game in that streak was against Laurel in a home conference game on Monday, when Riverside won 79-50. Katie Stang and Sydney Wolf both broke 20 points, scoring 23 and 20, with the other half of Riverside’s point distributed among eight players. However, the girls’ second winning streak game to an end in an away game yesterday at Beaver Falls. Although…

January 21, 2016

Council Appoints One Full-Time Patrol Officer Over Objections Raised by Two Members

In a 5-2 vote, Ellwood City borough council appointed a full-time patrol officer on Monday, Jan. 19. The officer is also the nephew of recently sworn-in council member George Celli. The new full-time officer, Jonathan Fauzey, has been working part-time since a previous council hired him in August 2013. Monday’s vote had similarities to the vote almost two and a half years ago to hire Fauzey as part-time. In both votes, council members Judi Dici and Marilyn Mancini voted against the motion but were defeated by a majority that included Celli. Dici and Celli have been off council since losing…

January 21, 2016

Committee Approves Vogel Bill Reducing General Assembly Size

The Senate State Government Committee today (Jan. 20) approved legislation introduced by Senator Elder Vogel that would reduce the size of the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Senate Bill 488, which would decrease the Senate from 50 to 45 Senatorial Districts and the House of Representatives from 203 to 153 districts, now goes to the full Senate for consideration. “This is a bill that I have been working to get passed since I was elected to the Senate. When I first ran for office, one consistent message I heard from voters was that the size and scope of the Pennsylvania General Assembly…

January 20, 2016

Borough Council January Meeting Brief

The following is a brief summary of the Ellwood City Borough Council meeting held on Jan. 19: Visitors Ralph Chiappetta, a former council member, asked council if the police department had implemented a schedule change passed by council last year and intended to reduce overtime. Council members replied that as that is Mayor Anthony J. Court’s duty, they are not yet aware if the changes have been implemented. Chiappetta asked council to find out and to authorize Borough Solicitor Ed Leymarie to obtain a writ of mandamus if the mayor doesn’t comply. Appointments/Resignations Ellwood City Library Board- Norma Zingaro and…

January 19, 2016

One of Perry School’s Boilers to Be Replaced

In a unanimous vote on Jan. 14, the Ellwood City School Board decided to replace a broken boiler at Perry Lower Intermediate at a cost of $90,000. Perry has two boilers but only one is needed to properly heat the building. Both are over 50 years old and are well past their expected years of service, according to Business Manager Richard Zarone. “It could last five years, it could last five minutes,” Zarone said regarding the functional old boiler. Zarone presented the board with an option to replace both boilers at a cost of $150,000. Replacing both this year would…

January 19, 2016

Three School Board Members Wish to Change Ellwood City Festival’s Relationship with District

Although they were shut down by a majority vote on Jan. 14, three Ellwood City school board members wanted to change the district’s relationship with the Ellwood City Festival Committee. Erica Gray, Jennifer Tomon and Danielle Woodhead, all new members as of December, voted no on a routine annual motion to approve the Festival Committee’s request to use district property. “It’s our property. We should negotiate directly with the organizations that will be using it,” Tomon had said at Monday’s agenda meeting. The property specified in the motion includes the old Ewing Park School ground and the parking lot on…