This year's Easter Egg Hunt was held at the elementary school and was very successful.  The Easter Bunny made his annual visit and delighted the children with treats and prizes.

The Midland Development Corporation would like to thank Mayor Angela Adkins for chairing the event and Children and Youth Services for grant monies used to underwrite expenses. 

There is a fantastic new resource from the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania that provides expertise and guidance in handling a host of issues related to downtown vacant property/land and blight issues.

This "NEW TOOLS QUICK GUIDE" provides a compilation and brief description of state laws recently enacted for Pennsylvania's communities to address the problem of vacant, abandoned and blighted private property.  

Check out the "New Tools Quick Guide". 

With the Assistance of
Carnegie Mellon University Masters Students

Through a partnership between Sustainable Pittsburgh and Town Center Associates (TCA), local communities have benefitted from the insight and expertise of Carnegie Mellon University students who were taking the "Sustainable Community" course, taught by professor, Dr. Matthew Mehalik (also of Sustainable Pittsburgh).

Participating communities selected a key project in their business district for which they were seeking fresh perspective and ideas. The students worked over the course of the semester in Aliquippa, Monaca, and New Brighton, visiting the communities, interviewing community members and conducting hours of research and analysis on the important business district projects.

The students presented their findings at a final symposium held at Carnegie Mellon University, and their final reports will soon be available on Sustainable Pittsburgh's website. The findings may be relevant to many of the issues your downtown may be facing, or projects you may want to pursue in the future. Topics in the reports include:

· Creating a Sustainable Downtown Park

·  Improving the Access Route from the Business District to an Important Community Park

· Developing Business District Wayfinding Systems

· Enhancing a Downtown Theater/Anchor Business

· And much more!

Town Center is grateful for the opportunity to work with the CMU students and Sustainable Pittsburgh, and we look forward to incorporating their suggestions into helping your community build a more sustainable business district.

Taking advantage of our region's resources is one of the most valuable ways we can participate in our community. The Ohio River Trail Council and Western Pennsylvania Wheelman have paired up and designed several programs to do just that.

Combining exercise and the outdoors, biking the Ohio River Trail has never been easier. The ORTC and WPW invite the community to participate in the brand-new Trail Ride Series in the tri-state region. Beginning Saturdays in April, twice-monthly rides are being held along Western Pennsylvania's beautiful 'Rail Trails,' typically within 2 hours of the city of Pittsburgh. The rides range in terrain difficulty and typically run between ten and forty miles long and involve a stop at a local restaurant for lunch.

It is the hope of the ORTC to encourage involvement in the beautiful outdoors that surround our local communities in a spirit of adventure and physical wellness. Partnerships in our region are underway with new programs rapidly developing to include a number of interests. Canoe & Kayak Club, Walking & Hiking Club, Running Club, Fishing Club, Birding & Butterflying Club and a Photography Club are all beginning to grow in popularity as our region continues to flourish.

The Ohio River Trail Cycling Club promotes fitness and recreation in our community, and the club invites riders of all abilities to explore our region on 2 wheels! For questions or comments, contact Vincent Troia or Nathan Peluso and refer to the ORTC ride calendar for event dates, visit their website at www.ohiorivertrail.org or call their offices at 724-728-2625.