Ice rink, fountain proposal approved

The City Planning Commission approved a proposal to build an ice rink and fountain in the plaza area at PPG Place, Downtown.

Project manager Mike McDonnell said Tuesday he expects the ice rink to open before Christmas. Crews will begin demolition and begin installing the proposed fountain in April.

'We won't make it for Light Up Night, but we'll have it open before Christmas,' McDonnell said.

The 9,600-square-foot rink will surround the Christmas tree that traditionally adorns the courtyard in the center of PPG Place. The fountain will include 120 water jets and 240 light fixtures and will be computer-controlled to allow for a variety of configurations.

'It looks like a wonderful idea and it's great to see it happen,' Commission Chairman Tom Armstrong said.

PPG officials hope the rink, which will be bigger than the one in New York's Rockefeller Center, will help bring more visitors Downtown and encourage office workers to linger after their workday is over.

Pittsburgh

Port Authority of Allegheny County buses, along with other motorists, will have to make room for runners when the City of Pittsburgh's annual Great Race is run on Sept. 30.

Street closures will start at 6 a.m. for the 5K and 10K events, which will end at about 11:30 a.m. The 5K race will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Fifth Avenue and Atwood Street in Oakland, and the 10K race at 8 a.m. by Beechwood Boulevard and Dallas Avenue.

The events will close all or portions of Beechwood, Dallas, Forbes, Morewood, Fifth and Craft avenues, as well as the Boulevard of the Allies from Forbes to Commonwealth Place and Commonwealth Place from Boulevard of the Allies to Fort Duquesne Boulevard.

Port Authority customers are advised to expect delays and closure of some stops. For additional information, call Port Authority Customer Service at (412) 442-2000, or (412) 231-7007 for the speech and hearing impaired.

Forest County

Plans for a $120 million state prison in Forest County could soon be back on track.

The project for the 2,063-bed facility near Marienville, about 85 miles north of Pittsburgh, was halted this month when the state Department of Corrections became concerned about finding a reliable water supply.

County officials have since turned in a feasibility study and cost-allocation plan calling for installation of a $3 million water system supplied by a series of wells.

The Department of Corrections has committed $2 million toward the water project and the county is expected to secure another $750,000 from an economic development grant. The county is expected to finance the remaining $250,000.

Westmoreland County

Construction of two new stadiums for Pittsburgh sports teams indirectly pushed up the cost of renovations at five Hempfield Area schools in Westmoreland County.

A tight job market created by work on PNC Park and Heinz Field is one reason bids for renovations of the schools averaged between 8 percent and 20 percent higher than had been estimated during an early planning stage, Ryan Pierce, of Astorino Pellis Architects, told the school board this week.

The work at Harrold Middle School and Fort Allen, Maxwell, West Hempfield and West Point elementary schools began in 1999 and continued through this year. Pierce said a booming economy during that period and simultaneous construction of the stadiums, a convention center and two large operations centers for banks in Pittsburgh put a premium on manpower.

The work at the five schools is estimated to have cost between $31 million and $35 million. Bids, which do not include change orders, came in at least $2.9 million higher than early estimates.

Ligonier

The Ligonier Valley School District is grappling with the issue of restricting school-sponsored trips in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

Superintendent Stephen Whisdosh said some teachers are asking the board for direction as to what to tell students regarding out-of-state trips.

In past years, seniors have had the option of a class trip to Florida. The Laurel Valley High School Band had been considering a New York City trip. Any trips would take place next spring.

'If I were a district parent, I wouldn't want my children going to Florida now,' Whisdosh said at a board meeting this week.

Board President Larry Rummel agreed, but he did not want to rule out anything prematurely.

'It's not business as usual, that's for sure, but we don't want to say no to a kid now (for a later trip),' Rummel said.

Board member Dan Resenic said that given the unpredictability of the situation, it would be difficult to decide when travel would be safe.

'Five months from now, something else may happen,' Resenic said.

Pittsburgh

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will visit Duquesne University at 3 p.m. Friday, the 20th anniversary of her appointment to the nation's highest court.

The program includes a 20-minute retrospective video on O'Connor, the first woman appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. A reception of the Duquesne University Law School Alumni will follow her remarks.

The event is open to the public, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.