Harry Funk stories, Page 20
Bethel Park Veterans Day program focuses on support pets
Apparently, dogs can go a step beyond serving as man’s best friend. During what seemed like a typical evening in 2011, U.S. Air Force veteran Ron Papik unknowingly suffered a severe drop in his blood sugar. “He went out to play cards. He came home. He went to bed,” his...
Pittsburgh leads national Light To Unite for Purple Heart’s 240th anniversary
As the sun set on Veterans Day, the land of the red, white and blue turned purple. Starting in Pittsburgh at the Koppers Building and followed by New York’s One World Trade Center, reddish-blue illumination glowed across the United States for Light To Unite, an initiative to honor the 240th...
No tax increase anticipated in Plum
Plum officials do not anticipate an increase in the real estate tax rate for 2023, according to information presented at borough council’s Nov. 7 work session. For projected revenues to match expenditures, though, borough manager Michael Thomas said it would be necessary to use between $1.2 million and $1.5 million...
Fall musical returns to Hampton Middle School
For the first time since 2019, Hampton Middle School is able to stage a full-fledged fall musical. Back then, the students who will take part in presenting “Newsies Jr.” were in elementary school. “It’s different, because you have all these kids who aren’t used to the production,” director Greg Shumaker...
Happenings around Plum, Oakmont and Verona, week of Nov. 7, 2022
Military charity collecting candy Local nonprofit Military Connections will have collection bins for leftover Halloween candy that will be donated to troops stationed overseas. Collection points are located at: • Military Connections, 313 Tionesta Drive, New Kensington • Tomlinson Insurance Agency, 506 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont • Oakmont Realty, 630...
‘We just crossed $40,000’: Festivities in Carnegie celebrate nonprofit’s record year for fundraising
As with most aspects of life, battling a debilitating disease takes money, and quite a bit of it. Thanks to the generosity of more than 230 donors, Mark Christman was able to share some especially good financial news on behalf of the cause he supports. “This is a big shock...
‘Do not talk during shows’: Hampton venue promotes respect for performers
Say you’re a musician who has poured the proverbial heart and soul into a writing a song, one that you’re proud to perform in front of a live audience. But a glance at the crowd shows eyes focused on cellphones and mouths jabbering away, as if you didn’t really exist....
Springdale Marine Corps League detachment celebrates branch’s 247th anniversary
In lieu of “Happy Birthday,” U.S. Marine Corps veteran Andy Burch suggested a more specific celebratory tune: “You all brought your singing pipes with you today, right? We’ve got to sing ‘The Marines’ Hymn.’” With that, the Tarentum resident launched into the familiar “From the Halls of Montezuma to the...
Members of military inducted as Hampton Heroes
Each year, Hampton Township School District honors members of the military, past and present, as Hampton Heroes. Traditionally, the ceremony for new inductees took place on an alternating basis at the high school, middle school or an elementary building. “During the pandemic, we decided to move this outside,” Superintendent Michael...
No tax increase expected in Monroeville
Monroeville’s proposed 2023 budget calls for no changes in municipal tax rates. If adopted by council as scheduled on Dec. 13, the spending plan maintains the property tax rate at 4 mills, meaning property owners will continue to pay $400 per $100,000 of assessed value. Earned income, business privilege and...
‘Everyday Heroes’ featured in Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra children’s program
By vocation, Dr. Joel Greenberger has been fighting cancer for nearly half a century. By avocation, he’s one heck of a horn player. Along with treating patients while serving as chairman of the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Radiation Oncology, Greenberger managed to add making music to the mix, playing...
Plum Borough Community Library acknowledges donors with Giving Tree
Visitors to Plum Borough Community Library will notice something new, and probably intriguing. Mounted prominently on one of the walls is a Giving Tree, featuring leaf-shaped medallions of assorted colors bearing various inscriptions, such as a dedication to the “loving memory of Mike & Mary Maloney.” They were the parents...
‘Learning about each other’: Carnegie library display helps celebrate Diwali, India’s Festival of Lights
The United Nations projects India to become the world’s most populous country by decade’s end. In the meantime, the 2020 U.S. Census shows more than 4.5 million Indian Americans, constituting 1.4% of the population and representing the nation’s highest-earning ethnic group. Yet India’s holiday of Diwali, which about a billion...
Family STEAM Night returns to Gateway’s Ramsey Elementary in Monroeville
Move over, Steph Curry. When it comes to basketball-shooting accuracy, Sally may have your number. Sally, named after the late astronaut Sally Ride, is a robot constructed by members of Gateway High School’s Quasics Robotics Club. And during Family STEAM Night at Gateway’s Ramsey Elementary, Sally put on a heck...
Gateway marching band scores hit at championships
Gateway scored a hit with “Headphones On.” That’s the title of the show presented by the high school marching band this season, and it impressed judges at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association Championships to the tune of an 87.575 score out of 100, good for sixth place among 17...
Hampton High School Marching Band scores best-ever showing
“A Night to Dismember” was, if you’ll pardon the expression, a night to remember. The Hampton High School Marching Band’s horror-themed show received a score 90.375 out of 100, good for fourth place among 17 sets of performers, at the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association Championships. “That was exciting. We...
‘Books and Brews’: Plum library program addresses one of America’s best-loved beverages
That ice-cold beer you’re sipping had its share of searing temperatures on its way to your taste buds. “Boiling, perhaps surprisingly to some folks, is extremely important in the brewing process,” Hunter Bedford told an inquisitive group gathered at Plum Borough Community Library. The professional brewer, happily plying his trade...
‘I could create a rapport’: Stories help Bethel Park musician connect with audiences
A song with a name like “Drinkin’ Wine, Spo-Dee-O-Dee” has to have a story behind it. And Bethel Park resident Mark Shuttleworth tells it whenever he performs the 73-year-old precursor to what became rock ’n’ roll. Spo-dee-o-dee, you see, was the nickname for a concoction made of port and lemon...
Students help with tree planting at Miners Memorial Park in Bethel Park
The first-graders gathered at Miners Memorial Park had learned their lessons well. “Why do we plant trees?” Brian Tarbert, president of the Bethel Park Shade Tree Commission, asked the youngsters, who proceeded to give detailed answers based on their studies about the environmentally beneficial attributes of the tall, woody perennials....
Bethel Park Music Boosters’ hoagie sales mark 50 years
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bethel Park Music Boosters’ hoagie sales, the organization is taking a cue from Willie Wonka. “When you purchase your delicious hoagie, look inside the wrapper for the special surprise of a golden ticket,” Aaron Booz announced. “In each sale, we slip in 50...
Reality check: Hampton eighth-graders learn how to become savvy spenders, savers
When it came to deciding how to keep herself sufficiently entertained, Sonia Troiana had to choose between splurging and sticking to her budget. “They were really trying to sell it to me,” the Hampton Middle School student said. “They were like, ‘Well, you’re going to be really lonely and have...
Community contributes to ‘Remembering Rennerdale’ book
At the height of the covid-19 pandemic, recently widowed Kathleen Zimbicki found a way to maintain her sanity, as she’ll admit, by painting watercolors of neighbors’ homes in the Rennerdale section of Collier. Through social media, she shared her portraits with other artists, seeking their feedback. “One of the greatest...
Bethel Park vibist pays tribute to brother with new album
When contemplating a musical instrument to pursue, many a young man’s thoughts turn to percussion, particularly the primal attraction of beating on a drum kit. That was Lou Lucarelli’s selection back in the day. But eventually, he decided to study a second, not nearly as well-known percussive instrument. “I played...
School spirit flourishes at Plum Homecoming event
Plum residents know how to fill a high school parking lot. Nearly 1,000 members of the community arrived on Oct. 6 to show their support for the Mustangs football team and several other school groups. The occasion was a Homecoming extravaganza featuring food trucks, performances and a massive bonfire to...
Heidelberg VFD brings back Fall Fest
Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Department hosted its first Fall Fest in 2021, around the time that residents of the borough and surrounding communities were starting to participate in activities following the prolonged limitations caused by covid-19. “We were really excited to finally bring everyone together,” Noah Wanielista, fire department vice president,...
