Many people who attended a benefit concert in West Deer said they had no issue with travel or parking despite a nearby tunnel closure.
The 130-year-old Rural Ridge Tunnel on Little Deer Creek Valley Road in Indiana Township closed Friday, the same day former Florida Georgia Line frontman Brian Kelley performed at No Offseason Sports’ outdoor concert stage, about 2 miles down the road.
Mike Albaugh, general manager of the Ales of 6th tavern in Tarentum, was tailgating with two cars full of staffers and bar patrons.
“We thought with the tunnel it might be bad, but it was perfect,” Albaugh said. “(We) went right in (to the parking lot). I came up Bull Creek Road and the whole back road to avoid the park.”
Some of his compatriots said they took Crawford Run Road and several side streets.
The group was among the first few hundred to arrive at the venue.
Tarentum Councilman Ray Kerr and his wife, Debbie, also were some of the early birds up front in the general admission section prior to the opening act.
They said they took East Street in West Tarentum and Bakerstown Road to West Deer and had no issues.
“It’s only, like, a 15-minute drive,” Ray Kerr said.
It was the second show at the recently opened venue called the Horse Shoe. The first was country star Justin Moore a few weeks ago.
West Deer Deputy Police Chief Tim Buck said there were no issues with customers entering or exiting then, and no problems were reported as of early Friday evening.
“Up to this point, it’s a non-issue,” Buck said. “We expected most of the traffic to come from the north since that’s the main way in. For the last concert we had no issues with exiting. It was about seven minutes and we had everybody cleared out of here, and that was about 3,500 people.
“I think it might be a little bit less (tonight), but again it’s something that we are prepared for. … We’re not parking cars, but we’re monitoring them. We’re walking through (lots) making sure people are able to get in all right and making sure there are no issues in the parking lot as well.”
West Deer officers were stationed at the parking lot entrances. No Offseason staffers directed motorists in the lots. Concert-goers also were screened by and wanded at security checkpoints.
“We feel that it’s adequately safe and everybody here had a great time (at the first show),” Buck said. “That’s the feedback we got. We have a good presence. You’ll see us. We’re here to make sure everybody does have a good time and gets home safely.”
The deputy chief said his daughter, Bella, 15, is a big Florida Georgia Line fan and was excited to come to the show.
“To have a venue like this in our town with the names that they are bringing in is awesome,” Buck said. “We love it. She loves it more than anybody. It’s a good thing for our community.”
The weather also held off from rainy reports that caused Kennywood and Idlewild parks to close Friday. There were only a few clouds in the sky above the concert.
Why Kaley does it
Harrison resident Kaley Bastine, 12, has been raising money for various police departments in the Alle-Kiski Valley since July 2018.
This time, she wanted for the Tarentum Police Department to be able to get a police dog.
Kaley and her mother Jamie, reached out to Kelley via Instagram in April.
They shared their story and the response from the singer was “How can I help,” the mother said.
“I can’t believe it’s happening,” Jamie said Friday as the opening acts were preparing to perform. “Conversations and phone calls with his agents got this.”
Kaley said she felt compelled to do something to help police after the passing of Brian Shaw.
Shaw, a New Kensington police officer, was killed in the line of duty in 2017. He lived in Lower Burrell and was a Burrell High School graduate.
She has raised money for the Harrison, New Kensington and Lower Burrell police departments. Now, add Tarentum to the list.
Proceeds from ticket sales, food and drink will go toward the charity Kaley’s Kops.
“I’m pretty nervous and really excited,” Kaley said. “Like very, very excited. I’m just happy Brian Kelley can come out here and do this for me and hope that we can get a canine. When I was little, all I would listen to was Florida Georgia Line.”
Her favorite song from FGL is “Holy” and loves Kelley’s “See You Next Summer.”
About the police dog
Jeremy Belusar, 30, of North Huntingdon has been a Tarentum police officer since 2019. He is vying to become its new police dog handler with Kaley’s help.
“I’m more geared toward narcotics and weapons,” Belusar said of his service. “I’m not big on (traffic) citations and ruining people’s days over that. I’m more geared toward taking the harder criminals off the street.”
Belusar said it costs between $10,000 and $20,000 just for the dog and its training. A police SUV with the proper canine equipment can cost around $75,000. Monthly training is also a requirement.
“It all depends on where you obtain the dog from and where the training is from,” Belusar said. “Our biggest expense is going for the vehicle and outfitting our vehicle.
“Our department really appreciates everything Kaley and her entire family has done. It’s a very big deal for our department.”
Buck said West Deer has a police dog, and it has proved to be a valuable asset to the department.
“What Kaley’s doing is great. It’s great for their community,” Buck said. “We are happy to help anyway we can to help them get what they need for their community, and a canine is a great tool. This is our fourth one. It is a great tool to have and we use it a lot. We’ll do whatever we can to help another community get one.”
A police dog lives with its handler through its service and usually throughout its life in retirement.
Belusar said that won’t be a problem for him.
Community support
He and Kaley were selling T-shirts and 50-50 raffles to help raise funds.
Ray and Debbie Kerr each got one of the shirts.
“I just met that little girl, Kaley, and shook her hand and told her how proud so many people are of her,” Debbie Kerr said. “She’s accomplished a lot in her short number of years. She’s doing a heck of a job.”
Ray Kerr said they listen to country music a lot, but that was not why they came out.
“The fundraiser is the biggest part),” Ray Kerr said.
Albaugh echoed that sentiment on behalf of his group. Raising money for police has a personal connection for Albaugh. His son, Joseph Albaugh, is a former Allegheny Valley Regional police officer.
The concert was coordinated by 423 Productions owner Chase Bass. He was grateful the Bastine family reached out to use the venue.
“It’s a pleasure to see people show up and support something like this,” Bass said. “Especially when you have something that starts with a young girl in the community that wants to do something to benefit her local police department. ”
The amount of money that was raised was not available before Friday night’s show.
Michael DiVittorio is a TribLive reporter covering general news in Western Pennsylvania, with a penchant for festivals and food. He can be reached at mdivittorio@triblive.com.
