The communities served by the Signal Item and Bridgeville Area News are, for the most part, great places to live, work, shop, attend school, worship and have fun.

So what would make them even better, more livable and, for a few of them, less troublesome?

Carnegie, for example, has three pressing needs:

• A financial invigoration of the financially-strapped volunteer fire department so that the VFD remains in existence.

• Promotional clout to help borough businesses remain profitable and not be forced to relocate or close.

• Approval to hire a needed 13th police officer.

Also, it wouldn't hurt if the mayoral mess got straightened out.

Bridgeville

The once-bustling borough wants to attract new business and revitalize downtown.

Meetings are typically held at 7:30 a.m. to promote these pertinent issues as well as the June 21 community day.

The Bridgeville Business Alliance meets at 7:30 a.m., also.

Attendance is almost always light.

Small wonder.

Several callers complained to the newspaper about how they would like to attend these meetings and lend a helping hand, but how work or family commitments prevent this at such an ungodly hour.

The simple solution is to have the meetings at night.

Collier

Township officials and property owners need to stop the bleeding at Collier Town Square. After a couple of years of robust tenancy, the place has more vacant storefronts than a ghost town.

Get the parking resolved.

Attract and retain businesses.

Crafton

Crafton needs to make a smooth transition under a new council president after Nancy Koerbel's sudden resignation last month.

Crafton Library will expand after a successful fund drive.

New street signs should be installed throughout the borough by year's end.

Crafton Celebrates is back as the lifeblood of July 4 festivities.

Green Tree

Green Tree prepares for the celebration of its 125th anniversary in June 2010.

Planning meetings will be held regularly, and borough residents and organizaitons are encouraged to atttend and offer their input for what city officials hope will be an event of historic proportions.

Heidelberg

Wright's Seafood Inn reopening under new ownership (after closing in 2004) put the little town that could back on the map.

South Fayette

Newbury Market is shaping up to be a smash hit in this progressive township.

New business developments help give the community an identity it lacked for years.

Scott

Scott continues to make progress in its ongoing identity crisis.

Scott is always being confused with surrounding municipalities, especially when it comes to the location of important businesses, such as Woltz and Wind Ford and Raceway Plaza. They are not in Heidelberg, but in Scott. Give credit where it's due. Actually, steps have been taken (via an aggressive ad campaign) to ensure a better connection.

In sum, things around the area could be better, but they definitely could be worse, too.