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Option Independent Fire Company

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Major Crime Down in Baldwin Boro

And other notes from Tuesday night's Baldwin Council meetings.

Major Crime Down Baldwin Borough police Chief Michael Scott said at Tuesday night's regular Baldwin Council meeting that major crime in Baldwin has gone down in recent years. The amount of Uniform Crime Reporting Part 1 crimes in the borough, which include criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, criminal mischief over $500, motor vehicle theft and arson, was down 4 percent in the borough from 2011 to 2012, Chief Scott said, despite multiple burglaries toward the end of 2012. And from 2010 to 2011, that amount was down 18.6 percent, he said. New Parking Restriction in Cross Street-Gardenville Road Area The Baldwin Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Tuesday that prohibits parking on …

In this Article:

Baldwin Borough Police Department, Baldwin Council Expected to Set Borough Millage at 5.41, Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, and 7 more ›

Danny

12:57 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Thank you Baldwin Borough Police Dept. I cannot believe the ignorance of some individuals to say that the police had nothing to do with this.   more ›

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Ann Scott Rejoins Civil Service Commission in Baldwin

Scott's replacement was an ineligible appointment. Also, more borough appointments and other notes to report.

Ann Scott Returns Former longtime Baldwin Borough municipal employee Ann Scott's replacement on the borough's all-volunteer Civil Service Commission in April should never have been appointed. The Baldwin Council officially recognized that mistake in October when it accepted the resignation of her replacement—James Behers. As a state constable, Behers was ineligible for a spot on the Civil Service Commission, something that no council member was aware of when he was appointed. At a meeting on Tuesday night, the council brought Scott back to the commission with a narrow, 4-3 vote, and she will serve there again until at least the end of April 2018. Behers' appointment in April was also met with a 4-3 controversy. Voting for Behers over Scott…

In this Article:

Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, Shade Tree Group Approved, Civil Service Controversy and Other Baldwin Boro Notes, More Civil Service Controversy in Baldwin Borough, and 5 more ›

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Becks Run Fire Department Decertified

Action at Tuesday night's borough meeting could mark the end for Becks Run.

While its chief and deputy chief await a formal Allegheny County arraignment for embezzlement charges, the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department was officially decertified by the Baldwin Borough Council on Tuesday night. The council voted, 6-0, to approve the decertification, which terminates all authority previously granted to the department to perform duties associated with a volunteer fire department and revokes its official status as a volunteer fire department serving the borough. (Councilman Ed Moeller was absent for the vote but arrived later at Tuesday's meeting.) In light of the embezzlement charges, brought because Chief Leonard "Len" Novak and Deputy Chief Stephen Bonetti allegedly misused approximately $25,000 in public funds, …

In this Article:

UPDATE: Becks Run Firemen Charges, Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department, Baldwin Independent Fire Company No. 1, and 4 more ›

Monday, November 5, 2012

Where and When Should You Vote on Tuesday?

Read here for a list of polling places and times in Baldwin Borough, Baldwin Township and Whitehall Borough.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. To make the voting process easier for Baldwin-Whitehall Patch readers, below is a list of B-W's polling places. To learn which place you, specifically, should be voting at, use this resource. All polls are open from from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Need to brush up on the candidates? Click here for the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch's 2012 Election Guide. BALDWIN BOROUGH Lafferty Center, 330 Joseph St. BALDWIN BOROUGH Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, 3344 Churchview Ave. BALDWIN BOROUGH Saint Albert the Great Catholic Parish, 3171 Churchview Ave. BALDWIN BOROUGH Option Independent Fire Company, 825 Streets Run Rd. BALDWIN BOROUGH McAnnulty Elementary School, 5151 McAnulty Rd. BALDWIN BOROUGH Leland Park Community House, …

In this Article:

Baldwin-Whitehall Patch: 2012 Election Guide, Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, Saint Albert the Great Catholic Parish, and 12 more ›

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Baldwin Boro Council Reviews Firefighters' Funding

'Right now, we really don't know (how the funds are spent).' - borough Manager John Barrett

Less than three weeks after the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office charged two Baldwin Borough firemen with misusing approximately $25,000 from the Pennsylvania firemen's relief fund, the Baldwin Borough Council has begun discussing new auditing practices for its four fire companies. Though no specific mention was made during Tuesday night's council meeting of the embezzlement charges facing the chief and deputy chief of the Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department, the council members' discussion centered around preventing just such alleged fraud from happening again. During his administrative report, Baldwin Manager John Barrett suggested ways that borough administration could "better safeguard those public funds, or at least, try to…

In this Article:

Becks Run Volunteer Fire Department and Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex

Jon Wain

10:30 pm on Monday, September 17, 2012

operating out of two stations is a move backwards.close option station then the firemen from that area have to travel further to man the trucks.trucks that would be gone to the call already cause closer personel boarded them and left.the facilities at south baldwin and churchview are simply not suited for more trucks.the fire service should never be knocked backwards.two chiefs over seeing two …   more ›

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Baldwin Council Asks, 'How Do We Make Community Day More Fun?'

A public meeting on Tuesday brought out various ideas for increasing participation and revenue.

Lack of attendance at its 2012 Community Day celebration led the Baldwin Borough Council to hold a public meeting on Tuesday night in order to generate ideas for drawing bigger crowds in future years. The council turned to the experts themselves—community members—to find out how to make the event better for everyone. And at the meeting, residents, council members and the Community Day committee brainstormed about several different solutions to the attendance problem, including adding new events like a carnival, a swimming tournament and/or performances by schoolchildren. "We all want it to be the best possible community function it can be," said Councilman Ed Moeller, who has been appointed to oversee the Community Day committee. "It's …

In this Article:

PHOTOS/VIDEO: Baldwin Boro Community Day 2012, Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, Baldwin Borough Swimming Pool, and 1 more ›

BWRESIDENT

2:46 pm on Friday, July 27, 2012

I attended and volunteered for community day and even volunteers were shooed away by the parking police("members of the coucil" )who manned the parking lot assuring no one without a parking pass got in. This meant even though i was there a full hour and a half early to help and walk my team in the parade i had to park my car-leave my children - walk all the way up to the fire station and then …   more ›

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Baldwin Leaders Have Authority to Install Lock Boxes

Fire officials can utilize International Fire Code, adopted in 2000.

A lengthy discussion over lock boxes had between Baldwin Borough firefighters and council members has ended up being, well ... "moot," as Councilman Bob Collet called it. After the two groups debated both sides of the important issue at a borough meeting on July 10—does requiring the boxes improve public safety or violate Fourth Amendment rights?—borough Manager John Barrett revealed on Tuesday night that the council had already authorized the boxes' use in Baldwin years ago. In 2000, the Baldwin Council passed an ordinance that adopts the International Fire Code, Barrett said after doing some research on the topic between council meetings. And part of that fire code—Chapter 5 to be exact—allows for officials to require that lock boxes be …

In this Article:

Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, Baldwin Fire Officials Pursuing Lock Boxes, South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company, and 2 more ›

Comment_arrow

cc

1:38 am on Monday, July 30, 2012

nonfire pitts you must be talking about yourself as you have been the one that bullying others telling people that they aren't allowed to burn their fire pits because you don't like them. Sorry but I live in the United States and still have my freedom that obama hasn't tried to take away from me yet. There are far more worse pollutants in the air that we breath other than coming from a fire pit.   more ›

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Baldwin Fire Officials Pursuing Lock Boxes

And other remaining notes from a July 10 borough meeting.

Firefighters, Council at Odds Over Lock Boxes Fed up with trying to track down business owners to unlock doors while responding to emergency calls, local fire officials are asking that owners place lock boxes at their businesses for off-hours access. The officials—Chad Hurka, president of the South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company; Jim Barbour, assistant chief of the Option Independent Fire Company; Bill Connors, deputy chief of Baldwin Independent Fire Company No. 1; and Kenneth Guerra, Baldwin's emergency management coordinator, appeared before the Baldwin Borough Council on Tuesday night to ask for the council's help in mandating cooperation. But council members are hesitant to force business owners' hands. Council member Michael …

In this Article:

$600/Year Sewage Increase for Baldwin Residents?, Parking Debate Continues at Baldwin Council Meeting, South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company, and 4 more ›

Comment_arrow

schleprock

4:01 am on Monday, July 16, 2012

After reading the information Chad provided, these keys wouldn't be issued to individual personnel. They would be placed in a box electronically controled (as Chad stated) on each fire truck and there seem to be a lot of preventive measures built into these boxes to prevent easy access for any emergency personnel. If access was made to these keys located at the business or within the emergency …   more ›

Monday, April 23, 2012

Where Should You Vote on Tuesday?

A list of polling places in Baldwin Borough, Baldwin Township and Whitehall Borough.

The Baldwin-Whitehall area will see a number of primary races and one special race on Election Day, April 24. To make the voting process easier for Baldwin-Whitehall Patch readers, below is a list of B-W's polling places. To learn which place you should be voting at from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., use this resource. BALDWIN BOROUGH Lafferty Center, 330 Joseph St. BALDWIN BOROUGH Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, 3344 Churchview Ave. BALDWIN BOROUGH Saint Albert the Great Catholic Parish, 3171 Churchview Ave. BALDWIN BOROUGH Option Independent Fire Company, 825 Streets Run Rd. BALDWIN BOROUGH McAnnulty Elementary School, 5151 McAnulty Rd. BALDWIN BOROUGH Leland Park Community House, 374 Knoedler Rd. BALDWIN BOROUGH W.R. Paynter Elementary School, …

In this Article:

Q-and-A: It's Schmotzer vs. Cratsley for Vacant PA House Seat, Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, Saint Albert the Great Catholic Parish, and 13 more ›

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Baldwin Council Decides to Redistribute Fire Funding

Funds will be split based on redrawn service areas, starting Jan. 1.

He never intended it to end this way, but South Baldwin Volunteer Fire President Chad Hurka watched the Baldwin Borough Council decide by a unanimous vote on Tuesday night to redraw the service area lines for its four fire departments. Officially, the council voted to redistribute borough funding for those departments—starting Jan. 1—but that funding will be based on those new service areas, which must be drawn by Jan. 1, as well. Hurka approached the Baldwin Council during an October 2011 borough meeting to ask for more municipal funds to operate his department more effectively. Since then, the council has gotten more and more serious about changing its fire funding practices, culminating with Tuesday's action. "When I approached Council…

In this Article:

South Baldwin Volunteer Fire Company, Stay Informed & Get Engaged—Sign Up for the Patch Newsletter!, Baldwin Borough Municipal Complex, and 6 more ›

Jon Wain

7:13 pm on Thursday, April 26, 2012

Sandra dear your tax dollars will fund the paid fellows. By the way when the call goes out for a confirmed fire you will get 20 to 30 fire fighters . Same call with paid guy s you get 4.Then they count on the volunteers to answer and help . Easily figured out ,,,your paid ,,Im not ,kiss my butt   more ›

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