Edwards Lifts Poverty as His Platform

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards promised a Pittsburgh audience Tuesday night he would fight to close the gap between rich and poor schools.

"We've got two public school systems in America. We've got one for those who live in wealthy suburban areas and one for everybody else," Edwards said at the Hill House Association in the Hill District.

"We have got to build one public school system" to give all students equal opportunity for education, Edwards said to applause from a crowd of about 250.

The education theme was an expansion of the anti-poverty message the former U.S. senator from North Carolina has pounded during his "Road to One America Tour," an eight-state swing that began Sunday in New Orleans and ends today in rural Kentucky.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/election/s_517796.html

Splashy Parade Ends Westmoreland Firefighters Jubilee

Circleville Volunteer Fire Department in North Huntingdon will conclude its month as host of the 72nd annual Westmoreland Firefighters Convention with a parade Saturday to coincide with the last day of its annual fair.

The fire department has hosted numerous convention activities since the beginning of June, according to Circleville firefighter Al Harff, who is coordinating the parade and festivities. The parade will mark the closing of the convention as well as the end of the fair.

"The convention is at a different location every year. We've had a series of meetings and luncheons at our fire department. We've had an election of officers. There has been a Mohawk Dinner, which is for past chiefs to talk about the old days. We even have a tent city next to our fire hall for some members who traveled some distance for the convention," Harff said.

"We haven't had a parade in 10 years," Harff said. "We liked celebrating the convention in conjunction with our fair this year."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_518537.html

Dinner With Barack Obama

Every supporter who made a donation of $5 or more between June 6th and June 13th took part in a Dinner with Barack campaign.

On July 10th, four lucky people from all over the country were flown to Washington, DC for an evening of good food and good conversation.

Christina, Haile, Michael, and Margaret gave between $5 and $25 and got the kind of personal time with Barack that other politicians reserve for Washington lobbyists and special interests.

http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/dinner/

Western Pennsylvania Program Aims to Stop 'Brain Drain'

Kayla Pongrac likes volunteering. The senior at Shade-Central City High School in Somerset County has helped the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Light the Night Walk, Habitat for Humanity and the Humane Society of Somerset County.

Two years ago, she joined the Challenge Program, a nonprofit organization that matches high schools with business partners who contribute financial rewards to deserving students.

"The awards don't just go to jocks or popular kids," said Pongrac, 17. "Everyone has a chance. It's given me so many opportunities."

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_517358.html

Obama says Clinton war plan 'convoluted'

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Friday that his top rival's attempt to pressure the Bush administration to end the war in Iraq is "a convoluted approach to the problem."

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to introduce an amendment repealing the congressional authorization for the war. It would require the president to seek new authority from Congress if he wanted to continue operations past Oct. 11, 2007, five years after initial authorization was given.

"If you simply repeal the language, then presumably you'd have to reauthorize something. You've got 150,000 troops over there and support personnel," Obama told The Associated Press in an interview after a campaign stop in Las Vegas.

"Why we would try that approach as opposed to simply setting a timetable for withdrawal strikes me as a convoluted approach to the problem," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070714/ap_on_el_pr/obama_ap_interview

'No Passenger Left Behind' action soars at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport

It's a problem Gabe Monzo wanted for some time and, now that it's here, he has landed a solution.
With June's passenger departure totals rising to 1,349 under Northwest Airlines at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport, the Unity facility turned passengers away on a number of outgoing flights because its 34-seat Saab aircraft were filled, said Monzo, the airport's manager.
"When it comes to air service, having too many passengers is admittedly not the worst problem you can face, but we do understand that it's a major problem for the passenger who gets bumped from a flight," Monzo said Tuesday during a meeting of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority board.
In anticipation of such a scenario, the authority brokered a deal early last month to connect passengers denied boarding at Arnold Palmer Regional to available Northwest Airlines flights scheduled the same day at Pittsburgh International Airport in Allegheny County.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_516713.html

Greek Festival in Monessen Hopes for VIP Visit

Could Hillary Clinton be among the guests at this year's traditional Greek Food Festival at St. Spyridon Church in Monessen?
If you ask Bill Manus, church council president, the answer is yes.
Last year, Manus saw Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and his wife, Theodora, at the theater at the Waterworks in Homestead and invited them to the festival. Even he was surprised when the couple dropped by.
This year he mailed an invitation to Clinton to attend the 29th annual festival set for 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 15 at the church's air-conditioned social hall, St. Spyridon Hellenic Center, as well as on the church grounds.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribunereview/news/westmoreland/s_515899.html

Barack Obama Vaults Into Political Limelight

A freshman senator with an atypical political background, Barack Obama, D-Ill., became one of the leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination when he joined the race in February.
Obama has tried to distinguish himself from his more experienced rivals by asserting that it’s time for new ideas and leadership. In an effort to appeal to voters who oppose the Iraq war, he notes frequently that he opposed the Iraq war in 2002 when Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former Sen. John Edwards and other Democrats voted to authorize the use of force against Iraq. Obama wants U.S. troops withdrawn from Iraq in 2008.

http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1564066756433784101