the almanac O C T O B E R 20, 2024
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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New rules
Young trick-ortreaters pose for a photo last year during Mt. Lebanon’s Pumpkin Patch Parade. This year’s event is slated for 11 a.m. Oct. 26 along Washington Road between Shady Drive to Lebanon Avenue.
Peters council takes action to curb ‘electric motorcycle’ use By Jon Andreassi Staff writer
jandreassi@observer-reporter.com
Peters Township, like Bethel Park, is also holding a home-decorating contest. Judging will be held Oct. 23 and winners will be announced Oct. 25. Participating homes will be posted so fans can drive by and check out the displays. Also on Halloween, in Peters Township, the recreation center will hold a parking lot bingo from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 31. Players should dress in their favorite Halloween costume to be eligible to win special prizes. Bingo is played from the comfort of participants’ cars. Winners
Peters Township council enacted an ordinance Monday aimed at controlling the use of “electric motorcycles” by the local youth. Council passed the ordinance unanimously. Chairman Tom Pirosko was absent from Monday evening’s meeting. Peters Township police Cpt. Judd Emery was on hand and told council they have received daily reports of young people riding electric motorcycles in the municipality. Emery said the bikes have no pedals and can reach speeds in excess of 35 mph. The new rules require that electric bike operators be at least 16 years old, and anyone under the age of 21 is required to wear a helmet. Electric bikes are only permitted to be ridden on paved pathways, and not allowed on township owned property after dusk. Parents can be held responsible if they permit any unauthorized use of electric bikes. The township will be required to post signs informing residents of the regulations. Township Manager Paul Lauer explained that the ordinance is one step in curbing what has become an issue in Peters Township. “We don’t want anyone to believe that by adopting this ordinance we’re going to solve this problem easily. The fact of the matter is a lot of the activity we’re seeing, particularly when these bikes are being used on roadways, is already against the motor vehicle code. It’s just not easy to catch them,” Lauer said.
SEE FUN PAGE A6
SEE RULES PAGE A3
FRIGHTFUL FUN SUBMITTED PHOTO
South Hills ramps up for Halloween Spooky season has arrived, and ghosts as well as goblins will be out in force seeking treats until Oct. 31. Traditional trick-ortreat events will be hosted throughout the South Hills. With an array of activities, Bethel Park covers the gamut for those in search of frightening and fun thrills. From 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31 the municipality will hold trick-or-treat throughout the neighborhoods. Participating homes passing out candy should turn on porch lights. Those not participating should leave lights off. The annual Spooktacular Parade will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 26.
There are two parade routes for the northern and southern portions of the community. Routes are available on the municipality’s Facebook page as well as at www. bethelparkpa.gov. Spectators can dress in costume as a variety of special vehicles provide surprises for them along the way. The community’s decorating contest will be judged between Oct. 21-30. There will be one winner per ward. Winners will be announced at the November council meeting. To nominate a home call 412-831-6800, extension 211, or email: jdavin@bethelpark.net.
The Find Salty Junior competition continues through Oct. 28. Each week the skeleton mascot will appear throughout the community. When residents find it, they should take a picture and submit it via the municipality’s social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram and X. The contest closes Friday at noon. Winners are selected via a randomizer app live at 4 p.m. each Monday during the Bethel Park Minute. Ten winners will receive a $25 gift card. Winners will be announced at the Nov. 11 council meeting.
A favorite Halloween attraction is Haunted Hundred Acres Manor, featuring zombies, creatures and monsters at 1 Hundred Acres Drive in the heart of South Park. Hours are 7 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday as well as Sunday. Friday and Saturday times are 7 to 11:30 p.m. While the attraction opened in mid-September on a limited basis, it will operate continuously from Oct. 24-Nov. 1 with lights out to be determined on Nov. 2. Visit www.hundredacresmanor.com to order tickets. Free shuttles to the attraction are offered from 30 Corrigan Dr.
Peters Township
20 years on, fracking’s potential health impacts eyed Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of stories reflecting on 20 years of gas drilling in Southwestern Pennsylvania.
By Karen Mansfield Staff writer
kmansfield@observer-reporter.com
Twenty years after the first gas well was fracked on the Renz farm in Mount Pleasant Township, Washington County, a body of evidence points to the possible correlation between the drilling technique and health harms, ranging from cancers, respiratory ailments, lower birth weights, and cardiovascular disease. The industry maintains that drilling for natural gas is safe, but an increasing number of studies suggests that fracking poses a threat to public health, say public health groups and health professionals. Last October, the ninth edition of the fracking science compendium, which includes more than 2,300 peer-reviewed medical and scientific papers, media investigations and government reports, was released and concluded that fracking poses serious health issues.
A South Franklin Township gas well.
Included in the compendium was a set of three studies completed in early 2023 by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, conducted after dozens of concerned community members in Southwestern Pennsylvania demanded an investigation into the cause of more than 67 rare cancer cases, including Ewing sarcoma, in a four-county area. According to the PA Health and En-
SPORTS Late season arrivals bolster Bethel Park as playoffs near PAGE B1 What’s happening, B3
vironment Study, released in August of 2023, children living within a mile of a well had a five to seven times greater risk of developing lymphoma. Additionally, people with asthma living within 10 miles of wells during the production phase had a four to five times greater chance of their asthma worsening. And babies whose mothers lived within 10 miles had higher odds of being born un-
SPORTS Peters Twp. girls win third straight WPIAL golf title PAGE B1 Real estate transactions, A6
PHOTOS: KAREN MANSFIELD/OBSERVER-REPORTER
derweight and small for gestational age, the study states. Another study, conducted by Yale University in 2022, showed that young children living about a mile from natural gas wells were two to three times more likely to develop acute lymphoJodi Borello is a co-founder of blastic leukemia than children who do MAD-FACTS (Moms and Dads not live near a gas development. - Family Awareness of Cancer SEE HEALTH PAGE A2 Threat Spike)
SIGHTS & SOUNDS Time to add pumpkin to your diet PAGE B3 Classifieds, B4-6