Kittanning Public Library to Receive New Security Cameras

by Nathan Lasher

After Kittanning Borough Council Member Lisa McCanna brought several crime-related problems regarding the Kittanning Public Library to the attention of the Council, the decision was made to purchase new security equipment for the Library.

During her Library Report, McCanna issued the Council a handout, and spoke of recent events that have occurred at the Library as well as the need for new security cameras. “There have been a lot of problems at the Library,” said McCanna. “Two computers have been stolen at a value of over $2,000 as well as books, and other items. Some of the confirmed cases of theft occurred when people were caught stealing other things and they had Library items with them.”

Also, on McCanna’s list of the need for upgraded security were valuable and rare local history materials in the Library’s Pennsylvania Room, concern about suspicious/unusual behavior, and concern about the new corridor between the Library and adjacent buildings.

On her handout, McCanna received two estimates for new surveillance systems. One was for $3,628.97 from MVS Security Services, and the other came from 2Krew Systems for $3,197. After hearing about the estimates, Kittanning Chief of Police Ed Cassesse offered some advice.

“We have a four-camera system over at the Police Station,” said Cassesse. “We paid a little over $500 for it. It records on a VCR, and they can strategically put four cameras in there and they’d only have about $500 spent. So, that may be your route to go for now.”

Council Member Cindy Housley made the motion to purchase the cameras and McCanna seconded. The Council voted to purchase the cameras which will be monitored by the Kittanning Borough Police.

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Borough Council President Denounces Post Office

by Nathan Lasher

Almost one year ago, members of the Disability Investigative Group (DIG) held a rally in Kittanning’s Riverfront Park followed by a protest demonstration at the Kittanning Post Office due to the fact that the building was not accessible according to the standards of the American Disability Act (ADA). With recent renovations occurring at the Post Office, Kittanning Borough Council President Gerald Shuster criticized the Kittanning Post Office for neglecting to improve its accessibility for the disabled during a Borough Council meeting held last night.

“I know this sounds like a broken record, but, if you look at the Kittanning Post Office, my understanding is they are now currently completing about a $200,000 project,” began Shuster. “Much of what they are completing is cosmetic. When you polish the marble and sandblast the building it’s a lot different than fixing a roof or fixing windows in a building for environmental control. When the contractor was asked, and this is not the contractor’s fault by any means, if there is any plan to put in a handicapped or disadvantaged entrance into the Post Office the answer was ‘no.’ Yet, if you look at the Post Office as it stands at this very moment, there are two things that become very obvious. One, the steps have been torn out. So, it would have been a golden opportunity for a post office which allegedly has no money to operate, and they’re doing cosmetic surgery to a building that didn’t need it. The roof, perhaps, but we’re talking about cosmetic stuff like sandblasting brick, and it just doesn’t work out. They really thumbed their nose at Kittanning Borough and to the persons in the community who use the post office who are disadvantaged.”

Shuster went on to explain that the Post Office has cost the Borough money because it was not required to purchase a building permit to perform the work.

“You’re talking close to a mill in taxes because the Post Office sits in an island of its own; they’re quasi-governmental,” said Shuster. “Congress says they can do nothing to them. Senate says they can do nothing to them. But, they can control the community; they absorb all of the services that we provide anyone; fire, police, and ambulance. They pay nothing back to the community. They do offer employment, but other than that this has become a game with them to embarrass the persons who are so in need of services from the community meaning an extra way into the post office. I think it’s unconscionable that they do this.”

After board member Lisa McCanna asked Shuster if he felt that the Post Office was ignoring the accessibility issue on purpose in order to thumb their nose at the Council, Shuster explained further.

“It’s not so much us as it is the disadvantaged of the community,” said Shuster. “They’re held harmless from every law that the Federal Government has put up to protect the disadvantaged of any community. Not just Kittanning. You could go to Saskatchewan, Alaska. They are held harmless from abiding by all of the regulations that if anyone in this room tonight wanted to advance on their own property to make any substantial improvement, they would have to come through our codes officer and pay a proportionate fee to get the permission and the evaluation.”

McCanna agreed with Shuster’s comments. “Tearing down those walls that was the perfect opportunity to take the accessible walk down along the side after all of the money they spent there,” she said. “And, instead of doing that they shined up the walls.”

At the end of the discussion Shuster added, “I think the needs of people come long before polishing the marble at the façade of the building or sandblasting. The brick is only going to get dirty again anyway.”

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