We're Cold.

What happened?

The weather just straight flipped the script on us these last few days.

One day, we're wearing jorts and mesh half-shirts.
And now we're sporting long john underwears, and fleece hoodies.

It's ridiculous.

Not only was it cold, it was frickin' windy too.

So windy that we were forced to leave our toupee at home, as we'd be very embarrassed
if it were to blow off in public.


Now, there is a chance we are a bit spoiled by the great weather this past September
has provided. But that doesn't change the fact that we had to smell the humbling
odor of the furnace running for the first time of the year.

Other than cookies baking, or a Wendy's chili fart...is there any smell more
recognizable than the furnace's first heat blast after a long summer off?

By the looks of things, we will be back in the 60's after today.

Although it looks to be a soggy few days heading into the weekend.

-
Let's hope something interesting happens around here before tomorrow, as the
fact that we have to talk about the weather is depressing us.

Get To Know a Newker.

When we sat for our first official NEWK meeting, way back in 2009, we talked
about running some stories about local personalities and such.

We even mentioned it in some of our earliest works.

Unfortunately, it has taken us much longer than first imagined to construct a proper
interview, that was worthy to grace our distinguished pages.

But wait no longer.

As our crack team has come to the rescue.

"Hehehehehe...crack."
May we present to you, a man that goes by many names...

Fireman Frankie

theNEWK: What is your name, and what do you do?

Fireman Frankie: "My name is Frank J. Sarno...... friends call me Frankie, to the nightlife "DJ Frankie", and to my friends at theNEWK "Fireman Frankie" lol. I am a Mechanic / Electrician / DJ / Volunteer Fire Fighter.... I know, I know.... That's a lot. Right now, I'm a mechanic for my family's business in New Kensington (Mar Mac Tire Co.) and i have a side business as a DJ (FNF Entertainment). I belong to New Kensington Fire Dept #1, where I hold a line officers position as 2nd Lieutenant. This year i will have 15 years in the fire service."


theNEWK: Whereabouts were you raised, and where did you go to school?

FF: "I was born in New Ken and raised on Main St. in Parnassus. Grade schools I went to: Edgewood, Fort Crawford, and Mt. St. Peters. I spent my high school days at St. Joe's in Natrona Heights and graduated in 1996. I then went to Triangle Tech and got an Associates Degree. Finished that in 1997."


theNEWK: Name 3 local places that you like to grab dinner and/or a drink.

FF: "Do Drop Inn, Natrona Heights,PA (Eat and Drink)
Woodpeckers Pub & Grub, Upper Burrell,PA (Eat and Drink)
Mulligan's Clubhouse, Cheswick,PA (Eat and Drink)"


theNEWK: How did you hear about theNEWK.com?

FF: "Facebook....... and i've been addicted ever since! lol"


theNEWK: Pick any number between 12 and 14.

FF: "13....... Why?"
(We ask the questions around here, okay Frankie?)


theNEWK: What is the best place you have visited and why?

FF: "Italy in 1990. Went to see my Grandparents for a month. It was their 50th Wedding Anniversary."


theNEWK: Do you wash your goatee with regular soap, or do you use shampoo? (Answer “n/a” if you live life facial hair free.)

FF: "Good question!! I shampoo it!"


theNEWK: You are on a deserted island that has a pizza shop, and you must pick 1 topping for the rest of your life. What is it?

FF: "Italian Sausage!"


theNEWK: Do you have hobbies?

FF: "Music, Cars, Technology"


theNEWK: Are you good at impersonating anyone famous?

FF: "People tell me i look like Smash Mouth. I'm a man of many talents. To answer this question I will say Frank Sinantra!"


theNEWK: Are you for, or against, the designated hitter in baseball?

FF: "I don't watch Baseball...... Hockey and Football!"


theNEWK: What about this area, do you like the most?

FF: "The History of New Kensington and the small town. The fact that everyone knows your name.... well, Almost everyone. lol Thought about leaving so many times, but there's just something about it that keeps me here."


theNEWK: Do you have anything that you would like to plug? (We are talking about a business or a cause or something. Please don’t make a vile joke using the word “plug,” on our distinguished website.)

FF: "My family's business, Mar - Mac Tire Co. located at 345 Main St. in New Kensington. We are a Goodyear Tire dealer and auto repair center. We've been in business for over 50 years. www.marmactire.com


FNF Entertainment, DJ Frankie over 6 years experience. Top of the line equipment, digital music library, lights, and sound. Bar's, Nightclubs, Weddings, Adult Parties. www.myspace.com/fjsarno or www.facebook.com/FrankSarno or DJ_Frankie@comcast.net"


theNEWK: What was your favorite and least favorite question that you just answered?

FF: "Fav..... hmmmmm all of them but one.
Least....... Baseball... lol"

First off, we'd like to thank Fireman Frankie for taking the time to answer our
groundbreaking questions.

Our hard-hitting nature tends to intimidate many regular folk.

Frankie was not one of those folk.
He answered honestly, and without hesitation.

Other than that one time where he got sassy, and we had to put him in his place.

The one question we forgot to ask him, is if he plays "Breakfast a Tiffany's" by
Deep Blue Something during his DJing gigs.

We here at theNEWK love that tune.
(Even the uber-rare acoustic German import version.)

Maybe we'll get lucky, and he'll leave a comment with the answer.

-
We really hope you enjoyed this piece.

If so, let us know so we can find more interesting people to bother.

Random Picture Monday (09-28-09)

Get your milk on.

High School Football Scores (week 4)

How did your team do?

Penn Hills Indians 7 Vs. North Allegheny Tigers 24
Plum Mustangs 20 Vs. Franklin Regional Panthers 33
Highlands Golden Rams 0 Vs. Kiski Area Cavaliers 20
Apollo-Ridge Vikings 0 Vs. Shady Side Academy Indians 21
Deer Lakes Lancers 19 Vs. Valley Vikings 28
Freeport Yellowjackets 20 Vs. Burrell Buccaneers 17
Leechburg Blue Devils 0 Vs. Riverview Raiders 20
Springdale Dynamos 29 Vs. Carlynton Cougars 0

Bear With Us.

We've had a pretty involved week here at theNEWK.

Involved might not be the correct word, let's just say it's been busy.

What with the parade story, the videos, and the latest wing review.

And just think if we cared about the G20 drama.

What are we getting at?

I'm going to tell you.
Simmer down.


Friday is always kind of a wildcard day on this site.

And this Friday is no different.

Let's just say we found a video.

A video featuring the great town of New Kensington.

Can we say that this video is a little bit strange?
(Sure we can, to be honest we can say anything we want, seeing as it's our site.)

Want proof?

Here is where we typed something about a "corn-turd," just to prove our powers to you.
Then we decided that it might be a bit too disturbing for some of our readers, so we
left out the whole "corn-turd" bit.

Back to the video.

Not quite sure what's more off-putting...

Is it the 80's style porno music?
Or is it the space taxi that appears at 48 seconds in?

You be the judge.

Wingapalooza 2009 (Stop #2)

After many suggestions on where the next stop on our quest
for winged treasures, we decided on...

The Rainbow in Freeport.

And we are happy we did.

Let me just tell you, as David "DSDC" Cooper and I strolled into this quaint
little establishment nestled between Buffalo Creek and the Allegheny River, we
knew with our noses that a splendid and tasty evening awaited us.

Seriously, we were ready to throw down.

But first things first.

We met up with a couple friends who we asked to join us, and lucky for us,
they introduced us to the owner Phyllis.

She and her husband Jim have owned The Rainbow for 11 years, and have
been serving their scrumptious seasoned wings the entire time.

Granted we have never been to Phyllis and Jim's home, but we couldn't imagine feeling
any more welcome than she made us feel this evening.

Now, we've been told that wing night at the Rainbow is on Saturday, starting
at 5pm and ending when the wings run out. Which we hear could happen
quite early, depending on the crowd that given night.

So if you finish reading this, and decide you'd like to try out some of their best selling
whole seasoned wings for the super-special price of $0.45 each,
jump on your steed and ride.

Ride hard, and ride fast.

Because if DSDC and I beat you there, you might have to wait for the next Saturday.

That's a promise.

Actually, you can get these wings 6 days a week (closed on Sundays), as well as
many other tummy pleasing options. They open at 11 am, and the kitchen closes
usually around 9 or 10 pm (the bar is open until 2 am).

Let's get down to the grub already, shall we?

They offer 2 styles of chicken wings...

The popular seasoned, and the sauce laden buffalo wings.

Can you guess which ones we ordered?

If you said both, we have a bingo.


Seeing as we had a couple minutes before our food arrived, and the fact that they
serve cold beer at The Rainbow, who are we to not order up a couple chilly ones?
We're not rude.
How thirsty did we just make you?


The wings got there lickity-split, and we dove right in to the seasoned (shown with a
side of Rainbow Sauce). And let me tell you what. These things were everything and
more than we expected.Cooked perfectly, with a nice crisp outside, and an ultra juicy inside. We didn't really need
the dipping sauce. But it was such a perfect compliment, that we dunked each bite as
if we were mad at the table below.

They are everything a seasoned wing should be.


We moved on to the buffalo wings, without even taking a breath. Okay, I need to just stop here for a second.

Look at that picture.
Seriously, go back and look at it again.

Do I even need to write anything about these wings?

That picture alone should have you lacing up your New Balance shoes and jumping
into your fuel efficient Hyundai Accent, and twittering about it as you drive so your
friends can meet you there.

They were good, very good.
Was there actually any question about that after looking at them?


Our dinner friends ordered up some of the Rainbow Fries,
and these things were outstanding.

David Cooper said it best when he emailed me...

"The Rainbow fries were cheesy, gooey, messy goodness that were
nothing but love in a basket...with bacon."

I think that pretty much sums them up perfectly.


Another dinner mate had a fresh grilled chicken salad that sounded very crisp
and delectable.
We were not offered a bite of this culinary masterpiece, but we did notice that not
one word left his mouth as he ate it, so we assume it tasted as good as it looked.


The table was emptied in record time, proving that all of our readers that
suggested this place, couldn't have been more on point.

It was time to head out, but not before we had another beer.
You know, to help the digestion process.


Thanks:
Phyllis, the bartender, and also the cook. Great job everyone.
To everyone that told us to go there.
To our dinner friends, J and T.
Once again to www.davidcooperphoto.com.
And to all the chickens that gave their lives so we could eat them with sauces.

Info:
The Rainbow
323 Second St. Freeport Pa.
724.295.0130
Free fries on Tuesday and Thursday with any sandwich purchase from 6-9.
Bud and Bud Light specials during Penguin games.

There's More!

Yes, if you can believe it.

We have even more great footage from this past Saturday.

We realize that we may be talking too much about our triumphant debut in the
Lower Burrell 50th parade, but there is a good reason for it...

We love talking about ourselves.

Seriously, if we could kiss our own lips, we would.

Okay, enough of that.
On to the content.

Here is a great little video that we shot while waiting to begin.

Now, once you see this video, your life may never be the same.

We aren't kidding.

It's life altering.

And without further ado.
We present to you...




How amazing was that?

It's like taking a picture of a lightning bolt.
It's like seeing Haley's Comet.
It's like the Pirates having a winning season.

We want you to think about this for a minute.

What are the odds that on the day of LBC's 50th celebration, a world famous
Budweiser Clydesdale drops an uncooperative nugget right in front of us as we
await our starting position?

3,190,013 to 1

We did the math.

We Came, We Saw, We Rocked the House.

Maybe we're tooting our own horn here a little bit.

And to be extra honest, the only rocking we provided was when Neil Diamond's
classic "Sweet Caroline" pumped through our hood mounted ipod sound system.

The lucky folks that lined Leechburg Rd. at that point, all sang along.

It was magical.

~

The parade was really something to be seen.

As over 80 participant groups took over the mile long section between
Edgecliff rd. and Wildlife Lodge rd., and it lasted almost 3 1/2 hours.

As we waited for our Santa-like position (late in the parade), we were able
to take a few pictures and even a short video of the event.

Hazzard County was represented.


Shriners in their little big rigs.

We forget what band this is, but we recognized the newspaper guy.

Looking sharp.


DSDC wasn't in town this weekend, so here is my best "awesome photographer" impression.

Here was our view at the end of the parade route.


How about a short video of the Shriners?




Thanks for being so patient.

This space reserved...

This space is reserved for a post containing pictures and video from
this past weekend.

Be patient.

Check back in a little bit. It'll be worth it.

--
Sent from my mobile device

www.thenewk.com
www.facebook.com/thenewkblog

Random Picture Monday (09-21-09)

They make us proud.



------

A special thanks goes out to those that walked with us in the parade.
Thanks as well to all of our supporters in the crowd.

------

Good luck to Bottom of the Barrel hockey team tonight.
Your time is now.

High School Football Scores (week 3)

Penn Hills Indians 31 Vs. Butler Golden Tornado 21
Pine-Richland Rams 45 Vs. Highlands Golden Rams 7
Indiana Little Indians 7 Vs. Kiski Area Cavaliers 35
Mars Planets 27 Vs. Plum Mustangs 0
Apollo-Ridge Vikings 13 Vs. Freeport Yellowjackets 42
Burrell Buccaneers 43 Vs. Summit Academy Knights 20
Ford City Sabers 28 Vs. Deer Lakes Lancers 21
Valley Vikings 43 Vs. West Shamokin Wolves 0
Carlynton Cougars 26 Vs. Leechburg Blue Devils 21
North Catholic Trojans 20 Vs. Springdale Dynamos 14
Riverview Raiders 37 Vs. Wilkinsburg Tigers 14

Was Front Page the Right Page?

Seriously.

Did any of you see the front page of the Valley News Dispatch yesterday?

If so, we imagine that you also have a new image burned into your head.

We know we do.

This is a list, containing some of the most memorable images of all time.
And the newest member of the group.











Listen.

We feel horrible that this dude got shot in the butt like Forrest Gump.

It's an awful story on many levels.

But there are so many things wrong with that picture.

Are we out of line here?

First of all, why isn't he getting medical treatment?
It looks like they decided to window shop instead.

Where are his shoes, and why are his pants off?
Two valid questions.

There are three people in this picture.
The police officer, the victim, and a guy in a white t-shirt.
What is white t-shirt guy looking at, and why is he there?

~
Sorry everyone.

We just couldn't let that go unnoticed.

We wish Josh (the victim) a very speedy recovery.
And we hope those guilty of this crime, are brought to justice.


-----

Tomorrow should be gorgeous.
If you would like to get out and enjoy the blue skies, come check us out
in the Burrell parade.

As if you didn't know about it already.

Give us a shout, if you do.
You might get some delicious candy thrown at you.

Preparations Have Been Made

We spent a good bit of time today purchasing and preparing items for
this Saturday's parade in Lower Burrell.

And by the sounds of it, this thing is gonna be big.

Really big.

As big as the Super Bowl?
Yes.

As big as the Emmy Awards?
Yes.

As big as our ego?
Not quite.

But trust us, this thing will be worth seeing.
(And not just to find out what theme we decided on.)

The Budweiser Clydesdale Horses will be there.

The Shriners and their little cars will be there.

And we, the NewK, will be there.
With our party hats on.


------

It's email time!

We got this one the other day, and it was perfect in many ways...

Hi,

I have no idea who runs this thing, but I wanted to express my thanks to you. Normally, everyone just mocks the LBC and surrounding areas, but it's refreshing to see someone who celebrates it--but still with a tinge of good humor!

-Stephanie

See.

We told you it was perfect.

First, she referred to us as a "thing."
That's awesome.

Second, she has great manners, as she thanked us for what we do.
That's just good parenting.

Next, she used a local slang term for Lower Burrell City, "LBC."
That proves she's "down." And we dig it.

She then says that we use humor on our site.
That's actually the one problem here. We consider ourselves a top-notch local news source, and take the things we do very seriously.

VERY SERIOUSLY!

Do you think Wingapalooza is a joke?
~

So obviously, we are not using 'humor' in any way.
(We actually prefer sarcasm.)

Other than that, we thank you Stephanie.
Your kind words are an inspiration to us, and we appreciate you taking
time out of your day to drop us a positive email...

I hope we continue to amuse you.

Wingapalooza 2009 (Stop #1)

A few weeks back, we received an email asking about where we liked
to eat chicken wings in the area.

Instead of just blurting them out as we normally would, we took the time and came
up with maybe the greatest idea ever.

Better than the telephone.
Better than electricity.
Better than smut on DVD.

Yes, it's that good.

We decided to ask you, the reader, what place serves your favorite c-wing.

The response was overwhelming.
(You can read about it here.)

And thank goodness for that, as we now have more reasons to head out and
eat those deep-fried treats from flavor heaven.

All aboard!

First stop: Phillippi's Family Dining and Pizzeria in Natrona Heights

After a much debate, and a little bloodshed, the tasting team was finalized.

It consisted of me (the person writing this), the always fabulous
David "Super Duper" Cooper ("DSDC" as he's known around here), and the third
member was my wife (who doesn't eat wings).

Now many of you may ask, "why take a non-wing eater to a wing eating event?"

We actually have 3 reasons for that...

1. We needed someone to sample other menu items.
2. Someone without "wing fingers" had to take notes for us.
3. I hate sleeping on the couch.

There you have it, three perfectly valid reasons.
Happy?

This past Monday we showed up right in the heart of the dinner wing rush.

See, Phillippi's has wings specials every Monday (all day), and that is no secret
around these parts. People are well aware of the great wings and deals they have.
And they show up for them by the bus load.

They were nice enough to offer us a great spot right near the window.

We couldn't have asked for a better place, as you will soon be able to tell by the
photos that were snapped by DSDC.

We jumped right to the wing section of the menu...

So many different choices, it was going to be hard to decide what to order.

I prefer my wings dipped in a tasty sauce, but am willing to try just about anything.
Unless it's crazy hot, then I tell David to try those ones.
(He's a brave and honorable man.)

But after speaking to Kim and Belinda, we found out that their regular seasoned wings
are the most popular, with the brand new breaded style coming in a close second.

Now being equipped with knowledge, we could make our educated selections.

We in turn ordered a couple of every wing they offered.

How smart are we?

As we patiently awaited our wings to cook (done so to perfection by wing chef Brian,
our new best friend), we sampled the famous Birdville Pie.
We now understand why the 65 year old recipe has never been modified.

As we finished our last bite of the Birdville, our wings made their much anticipated arrival.
(Belinda must be quite strong, as those wings must have weighed a ton.)

There they were, all laid out in front of us...
Seasoned Wings
Breaded Wings
Buffalo Style Wings:
Garliquin Romance
Peachburgh Express
Sweet BBQ
General Tso's
Afterburner
and Too Fargin' Hot

(All wings with special Monday pricing of only 50 or 60 cents each.)
This is for full on jumbo wings, people!

It was a wingtopia.

Here are a couple wing pics.

The popular seasoned wings...

The new breaded wings...
And my personal favorite of the group, the General Tso wings...
Wing sauce, ranch dressing and beer driblets covered our hands
like a Jackson Pollock painting.

We gave each other a high-five (in our minds), as the physical act of doing so
may have joined our sticky, yet delicious mitts together for eternity.

It turns out that David was unable to choose a definitive favorite.
Which is not surprising, as each and every wing we sampled was a taste explosion to
our palate. We surely made a great first choice of stops for Wingapalooza 2009!

But we're not done yet!

The third and most beautiful member of our team decided to make a go of the
Mini Angus Burgers, served on pretzel buns. She also ordered the Baby Bird's Nest.
Which is a fabulous dish of fries, topped with 3 shredded cheeses and smoked bacon.

What was that sound?

Oh, it must have been your stomach.

That wraps up the food portion of this write-up.
The wings were great (even the hot ones that scare me), the atmosphere was
fun, and the great service topped it all off.

We couldn't have been happier.

Oh yeah, we have one more David Cooper picture to show off.
It's a pic of the Baby Bird's Nest.

But first, we wanted to take this opportunity to highlight what DC has done for this
posting. So I tried to copy one of his photos, using only the crafty lens of my trusty
blackberry digital camera.

David's Picture (www.davidcooperphoto.com)...

My blackberry attempt...

I know which one makes me hungrier.


---
Article Facts and Info:
Phillippi's Family Dining and Pizzeria
2105 Freeport Rd. Natrona Heights
724.226.3505
Kitchen open daily until midnight (10pm on Sundays).
Breakfast served daily (We will surely check that out).
Yuenglings are also on special on Mondays.
"Free Topping Tuesdays" gets you up to 3 toppings free on any pie.

Thanks:
Kim, Belinda, Lynette, and wing chef Brian.


You can see all of David's photos here.
http://www.davidcooperphoto.com/theNEWK/PhillippisWings/


Bonus Fact:
We used the word "fabulous" twice in this article.

Lower Burrell Is Putting On the Ritz.

(Click image to see it full sized.)

So this Saturday is the big day.

There will be all kinds of fun to be had in the LBC, starting at 1pm with the parade.
In which we will be participating.

And remember, if you cheer loud enough for us, we might just pelt you
with some delicious candy treats.

We will be near the end of the parade (like Santa), so don't leave early.

And after the parade ends, there will be plenty of things to keep you busy
until the big fireworks show that night.

We here at the NewK love fireworks.

Not so much the ones people fire off in their backyards.
But the big professional ones that look like golden weeping willows, or purple
sparklicious palm trees.

Those get us all jacked up, like we would be, if we were about to 'summer' at
Kellerman's Resort, ala Dirty Dancing.

-
Speaking of which, the great Patrick Swayze has passed away after a
battle with cancer.

He starred in such NewK favorites as the aforementioned Dirty Dancing,
Point Break, Road House, and Red Dawn.


God speed, Pat.You will be missed.

Random Picture Monday (09-14-09)

At one time sold the coldest 40's in LA.

Respect.

High School Football Scores (week 2)

Here you go.

Bethel Park Black Hawks 25 Vs. Penn Hills Indians 0
Kiski Area Cavaliers 14 Vs. Peters Township Indians 34
Plum Mustangs 0 Vs. McKeesport Tigers 54
Highlands Golden Rams 0 Vs. Montour Spartans 27
Deer Lakes Lancers 6 Vs. Burrell Buccaneers 42
Valley Vikings 6 Vs. Kittanning Wildcats 7
Springdale Dynamos 7 Vs. Western Beaver Golden Beavers 27
Riverview Raiders 14 Vs. Rochester Rams 54
Leechburg Blue Devils Vs. Shenango Wildcats
Summit Academy Knights 13 Vs. Apollo-Ridge Vikings 23
Freeport Yellowjackets 14 Vs. Shady Side Academy Indians 20

Steelers Sausage Party.

When we woke up this morning, the day had a different feel to it.

We haven't felt this way for months.

It felt good.
It felt right.
It felt pure.

It felt like a football day.

And what goes perfect with football?

Beer?

True, but we were thinking something else.


Big TVs?

Also a good guess.


Hot Sausages?

Yep, that's it.

So our mission was clear, and we accepted it.

We gathered up our cash and our keys, and we set forth.

First stop, Costa's Italian Market for sauce, peppers and an onion.

We quickly crossed the Tarentum bridge, and made our way to Vibo's Bakery for
2 dozen of the best sausage rolls in the valley.
After the always friendly transaction at Vibo's, we headed further up river to our next stop.

A sausage party ain't nothing without sausages.
(Or a bunch of dudes.)


We pulled into one of our all time favorite places.
Brestensky's Meats.

We snatched up 3 lbs of their best hot sausage and had a quick conversation with
the always lovely counter lady.

You may be asking yourself about the lone penny sitting atop of the sausage.

Here is the unfortunate story...

As we made small talk in the sausage section, I asked "you look pretty low on stock, is
it because of the Steeler game tonight?"

She then told me some of the most devastating news we've heard in a while.

She told me the reason they were low in many items, was due to the fact that this
Saturday would be the last day they were to open their doors.

It seems that after 45 years in business, and having lost her husband this past June, that
keeping the retail shop open was just too much.

I was floored.

I told her I would miss her and her great meats, and wished her well.

After she totaled up my buys, I was due exactly 1 penny in change.
I normally have them toss it in the penny cup, but I had different plans for this cent.

I left the store with sausages, a half pound of ham salad, and a rather shiny 2003 penny.
I will keep this penny as a remembrance of Brestensky's.
You will be missed my friends.
Here is my memory penny...
Here is the delicious meat, half way through the searing phase.
I finished them off for a few hours in the crockpot with the peppers, onions and sauce. Nice.


Here is the money shot.
Ask us how good that tasted while we watched Jeff Reed kick that overtime field goal.

All in all, not a bad evening.


--------

Today is the 8th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.
We remember that day like it happened last week.

Our thoughts go out to everyone still effected by those events.

Peace and love.


----------

Did anyone make it to the Snoop concert?

Big Brother Is Watching You.

Not the Big Brother on CBS.

We stopped watching that when Michelle got evicted.
(Seriously, is Natalie the most vile human you have ever seen?)

Now that we got that off our chest, back to the story.

Fact is, the great city of Arnold is installing 3 shiny new cameras to keep an
eye on the streets.

They are placing them in the business district on 18th, 17th and 15th streets.

These cameras will be used to capture images of vandalism or other illegal activities.

Also, any humorous footage worthy of an appearance on AFV.
(So if you have any plans of being hit in the testicles with a blunt object, the city would prefer you do it on those specific streets, hopefully when the sun is shining nice and bright.)

Seriously though, the city patrolmen/patrolwomen will be able to access these
cameras via their in-vehicle laptops.

Which means, that in between setting their fantasy football lineups, and reading
theNEWK, they will be able to check in on you.

Now don't feel singled out.

A bunch of other local towns have installed such cameras.

Freeport, Ford City, Kittanning, Oakmont and Verona are all using video surveillance.

Verona has 14 cameras within city limits.
(We will now refer to Verona as "Hollywood East.")

(We googled "Movie Star," for a picture to go along with that joke,
and this guy showed up. *He is a wig model.)


-----

We can't do anything better than that guy.
We have totally lost our train of thought.
The wig model has KO'd us for the day.

Have a great Thursday.

Go Steelers.

Sweet Child O'Nine

09/09/09

In honor of today, we will list 9 things you should do in the Newk before you die.
(Or move away.)

Ready?

Okay!

1. Eat at Denny's on Tarentum Bridge Rd. at 3am on a Saturday.
(Be sure to pay close attention to the regulars that sit at the counter.)

2. Pick out a Thanksgiving day turkey at Pound's Turkey Farm.
(Gobble gobble, ya'll.)

3. Drive down Coxcomb Hill on a rainy Friday midnight, and look for
the ghost of the jogger lady.

4. Schedule a spelunking trip to the Tour Ed Mine.
(We think it's more walking, than spelunking...but whatever. Spelunking isn't
a word we get to use very often.)

5. Storm the beaches of Normandy.
(Drink at Normandy Bar in Parnassus before noon.)

6. Glen's Custard.
(Enough said.)

7. Stroll across the shaky walking bridge that connects Leechburg and Hyde Park.

8. Write your name on the dam wall in Braeburn.

9. March in a parade.
(That reminds us, we still have spots available to walk with theNEWK. Email us today!)

Email theNEWK

Did we miss anything?

Have you done any of these?

Fastest. Weekend. Ever.

That weekend sped by faster than I drive when I gotta get home to use the bathroom.

Whoa, that's fast!

Seriously, where did it go?

Tuesday already?
Meh.

The extended weekend was a blur for us here at the newk.

But we did manage do take a few notes of some happenings that ensued.

First: We kinda took Friday off.
Sorry about that.

Second: Some of us made the journey to the Pittsburgh Renaissance Festival
on Saturday. That place is a trip. It will be going on for another 4 weekends, and we
think it's well worth the drive to check it out.
May we suggest the smoked turkey leg? Yumm.
(Those that went, took no pictures. Can you believe it?)

Thirdly: Sunday was spent cooking out and drinking with friends. Maybe the last
BBQ of the year. Kinda depressing.
(Pictures were taken, but are not suitable for impressionable eyes.)

Fourth Meal: The rains came Monday, and we sent our soggy bottom field reporters to
the 30th annual Labor United Celebration at Northmoreland Park.
(They also took no pictures.)
They made us aware of an entertaining musical set by the Vogues, featuring one
of our favorite tunes "Signed, Sealed, Delivered."
We were also told of the most popular t-shirt choice for the event...

"On Ice or Grass, We'll Kick Your Ass."

And when they say "grass," we assume they are not referring to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Who used this long weekend to set the all-time record for consecutive losing
seasons by a professional franchise. 17 magical seasons.

------

On a more serious and somber note.

Our thoughts and well wishes go out to the families of the people injured in the vehicle
collision that happened this past Sunday on Route 366.
A Lower Burrell teenage girl was killed, and four other people were injured in the crash.
We would like to extend her family every comforting thought we have to offer.

Random Picture Monday (09-07-09)

-Labor Day Afternoon Edition-


East LA

High School Football Scores (week 1)

Here are some newk area school football scores.

Enjoy.

Deer Lakes 14 at Apollo-Ridge 6
Freeport 37 at Kittanning 21
West Shamokin 0 at Burrell 63
Bethel Park 37 at Kiski Area 14
Fox Chapel 32 at Highlands 13
Gateway 19 at Penn Hills 7
Jefferson-Morgan 34 at Leechburg 14
Monaca 6 at Springdale 27
Plum 26 at Indiana 6
Riverview 6 at Shenango 27
Valley 6 at Ford City 16

Some teams had great weeks, some teams didn't.

(That was the most generalized statement we have ever made.)

Labor Day Weekend Extended.

We have officially extended Labor Day weekend to include today.

Which is why we took the day off.

Do something fun.
Northmoreland Park is having their annual thing, so go there.
Have a picnic.
Cut the grass.

Whatever, just be safe about it.

We'll see you soon.

Smooches.

--
Sent from my mobile device

www.thenewk.com
www.facebook.com/thenewkblog

Sometimes We Have Nothing To Say;

If you can believe that.

Seriously.
There are many things to discuss, locally and nationally.

But none of them seem worthy of an entire post.

You wants examples, eh?

- High school football starts this Friday.
- The G-20 Summit is costing money and stirring controversy.
- Former green and white Power Ranger wants to fight in the UFC.
- There is a big ass fire once again in California.
- Pig is in town.
- Michelle Obama has hair.
- Harmar Super 8 got robbed again.
- Lower Burrell patrolman named state's top DARE officer.
- Tiger Ranch cats are ready for adoption.
- People are still getting the swine flu.
- We have not eaten chicken wings since we wrote about them.
- We were accepted into the upcoming Burrell parade.

So there you have it.
A nice little rundown of current worldly affairs.

To be honest, there are a few topics we could expand on.

But, we aren't.

Not today.

Don't be mad.


We'll make it up to you.

With a picture of Lee Greenwood.


You can't stay mad at us.