After 52 years on Etna council, Pete Ramage finishes last term

The Little Pine Creek flood project and keeping the peace with the police and public works departments are among Pete Ramage’s favorite feats during his 52 years of service on Etna borough council.

A council president for 46 years, Ramage is stepping down at the end of his term later this month because of health reasons.

When asked to explain his longevity and the attributes of a good councilperson, Ramage said it is important to be a good listener.

But there is a quality that one does not acquire easily or discipline themselves into – a passion for public service.

Ramage’s history includes military service and a career as a math teacher and a principal for the Pittsburgh Public Schools. On the side, he volunteered for St. Vincent de Paul; Visual Connections, a nonprofit that assists the blind, and other organizations and causes.

“You always want to look what is best for the community not for yourself,” said Ramage, 83, who has lived in Etna all of his life. “I always looked for things to improve life for the community.”

Under Ramage’s leadership, numerous projects were completed in Etna, including the Etna Riverfront Trail and Park project, adoption of a Green Master Plan and the installation of a new “green” streetscape that garnered the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

Ramage is personally proud of negotiating labor contracts with borough police and public works employees without a strike during his long tenure.

Ramage said the hardest task for him was laying off three policemen, the public works director and a clerical worker in the early 1990s. At that time, the borough was struggling after years of population decline and an eroding tax base.

Ramage’s accomplishments on council and as a founding member of the Etna Economic Development Corporation are too numerous to name, said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald in a proclamation honoring Ramage.

“Suffice to say that the Etna that we know today is due in large part to his leadership and support,” Fitzgerald said. He touted Ramage’s work in greening the community, economic development, flood mitigation, investment in infrastructure and recreational amenities for the community.

U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb, State Sen. Lindsey Williams and Allegheny Council also penned proclamations honoring Ramage’s public service.

Ramage attended All Saints grade school in the borough and graduated from Etna High School in 1956, where he was an all-star basketball player. He enlisted in the Navy and became a communication technician second class petty officer.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s degree from Duquesne University. In addition to his time with Pittsburgh Public Schools, he served as the principal of the All Saints Catholic Grade School in Etna until it closed because of flooding from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

Ramage, council and the mayor have worked hard for decades to save Etna from major flooding.

Ramage served as the borough’s delegate to Three Rivers Wet Weather Basin Group since its inception. Under his leadership, the borough oversaw $5 million in flood protection projects and stormwater management.

As president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Etna, Ramage was the go-to guy for residents who lost belongings during floods and other misfortunes, according to Mayor Tom Rengers.

Growing up, Rengers said he was in awe of Ramage and his friend and fellow councilman, the late Vince “Buns” Jones.

“They were the dynamic duo,” said Rengers, who has been mayor since 2004. “They had nothing to gain personally and always put the general public first.

“Pete and Buns helped people any way they could, whether it was going out there with shovels or going door-to-door for information to get loans and grants for the borough.”

Rengers said Ramage is patient, gathers all the facts first and never made a knee-jerk move.

“He just knew that everything was going to take time, that there were no overnight solutions anywhere,” Rengers said. “Pete just kept plugging away.”