Oct 13, 2010 By Christine Haines 3 min read

BROWNSVILLE – The Greater Brownsville Area Chamber of Commerce is gearing up for Light-up Night in November. Chamber President Frank Ricco said Genevieve Capatosti has volunteered to organize the event, as she has done for many years. Ricco said numerous school, Scout and community organizations are involved in the preparations for the event.

“Light-up Night is very costly. We put out 3,000 candles, at 22 cents each, it adds up,” Ricco said. “Plus, our lights always need some type of repair.”

The chamber maintains all of the lighted Christmas decorations hung along the main streets of the borough that will remain lit from the night after Thanksgiving through the Christmas season. Light-up Night involves a fire truck parade, featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus, that winds through the streets of Brownsville, Hiller and West Brownsville, followed by treats handed out at one of the fire departments each year. Ricco said further details would be available at the November meeting.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have money from the fireworks to cover that. It’s really a bright spot,” Ricco said.

Mayor Lester Ward said the borough is also organizing a Halloween parade that will be held at 11 a.m. Oct. 30. Ward said trick-or-treating would be held in the borough that day from 1-3 p.m.

The chamber voted to donate $100 toward treats for the parade participants and Ray Koffler said the Izaak Walton League would donate coloring books for all of the children.

Jack Moores, president of the Brownsville chapter of the Izaak Walton League, said the East Bethlehem Township Dive Team recently examined the bottom of the lake at Patsy Hillman Park and found no major debris but plenty of plant growth that needs to be cleared. Moores said funding has been obtained to install an aerator in the lake, though funding is still needed for its installation.

In other matters, Jerrod Murtha, the new Brownsville branch manager for Pittsburgh National Bank, attended Tuesday’s meeting, saying he’d like to be more involved in the community.

“I just want to see what PNC can do for Brownsville to help it get revitalized,” Murtha said.

Norma Ryan reported that the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corp., along with the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce, would be holding ribbon-cuttings at several new businesses in Brownsville on Oct. 22. Ryan said a new photo gallery and framing shop, “Capture,” has opened in the lower level of the Flatiron Building, and the Market Street Performing Arts Academy operated by Fred Lapisardi will be opening in another building owned by BARC. The ceremonies will conclude with a formal ribbon-cutting for the new restaurants and shops at the Thompson House on Water Street.

Ryan said BARC is looking for someone with a scissors lift that will extend at least 30 feet high for the installation of a new mural on the side of the American Legion Building facing the Market Street parking lot. Ryan said the old mural that had been on the building was taken down and will be restored by art students in the Brownsville Area School District.