Blawnox Memorial Day plans set

Blawnox will have a parade and service on Memorial Day that one official believes will be its biggest ever.

“This is probably the biggest parade that we have,” Mayor Anthony Gross said. “It’s a very big town event. It’s always exciting. It’s become more exciting because year by year we’re trying to make it grow. It’s a work in progress, but it’s fun.”

Participants will line up at the Sunoco at Boyd Avenue starting about 10:30 a.m. May 29.

The parade is scheduled for 11 a.m. It will travel along Freeport Road to the monument at North Avenue where a service will take place.

People and groups can sign up to march in the parade through May 24.

Those interested can notify the borough office at 376 Freeport Road.

Participants currently on board include borough council, local veterans, classic car drivers, the Fox Chapel Area High School Band, members of the Blawnox Community Garden and the Blawnox, Fox Chapel and Aspinwall fire departments.

Plans for the event were announced at the May 10 council meeting.

“I think it’s important to recognize our veterans, all veterans,” Gross said.

“We have a lot of people that have been in the military come through here. We just lost one about a month ago.”

Gross was referring to World War II veteran George Bubash who died March 29 at age 100.

Originally from Lawrenceville, Bubash enlisted in the Army in November 1942.

He was captured by the Germans at the Battle of the Bulge and was held for four months at a prisoner of war camp until it was liberated.

Bubash was a member of St. Edward’s Church in Blawnox. He served on borough council and was commander of American Legion Post 555 for many years.

Councilwoman Katie Specht-Coban heads the community event committee in charge of the parade.

Trash talk

Blawnox Council is considering the borough’s options for garbage collection in preparation of seeking a new contract. The current deal with Waste Management is set to expire at the end of the year.

The borough is in a two-year extension to a three-year contract, Manager Kathy Ulanowicz said.

Residents are billed quarterly or monthly depending on their arrangement with the borough.

The borough sends out trash bills with its water and sewage invoices. The borough pays Waste Management monthly.

The consensus was to request bids for unlimited manual trash collection, which is the current service, as well as limited service.

Limited service means only trash in bins would be collected and not additional bags.

Gross said automatic service, which is collection via truck with a handle that connects to a special trash bin, would not work in Blawnox largely due to its narrow alleyways and side streets.

Council also discussed seeking prices with and without recycling.

The hope is to have specifications ready to go out for bid in June and award the contract in September.

A town hall meeting may take place after the bids are received to inform residents of potential contracts.

“You just want people to understand what the best deal is,” Councilwoman Christine Carnevali said.

Honoring Fox Chapel seniors

Blawnox Council plans to recognize graduating Fox Chapel Area High School seniors from the borough at its June 14 meeting. Parents who would would like their students to be honored can call the borough office at 412-828-4141.