JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories

Things are about to get a lot greener at Robinson’s Home & Garden in Sewickley. The live Christmas trees and wreaths were expected to arrive at the shop on Nov. 23, just in time for the holiday rush, which officially begins the day after Thanksgiving. “Our busiest times are spring...

At her new Leetsdale studio, IM Studio, Sewickley artist Isabella “Bella” Maroon has turned her lifelong passion for clay into a space for creativity and connection. Through hands-on classes and workshops, she invites others to experience what clay has always given her — a way to reflect, to grow, and...

Robert Clemente Jr. remembers entering Three Rivers Stadium when he was 7, and spotting posters with a picture of his father. He walked directly toward one of the images behind the backstop of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ former home field on Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “I missed him so much that when...

Wedding dress designer Hayley Paige says that the moment a bride steps into her gown is sacred. “In a world that’s constantly evolving, that moment remains sacred,” said Paige, who will be at Bridal Beginning in Mt. Lebanon on Thursday. “It transcends trend or extravagance; it’s pure expression. For so...

The door opens and in walks Bentley. He goes directly behind the counter … and waits. “Bentley knows where the treats are,” said Lee Ann Carey, owner of Three Dog Bakery in Sewickley. “Dogs will be on the sidewalk a few stores away and they just know where this shop...

Standing by what will soon be an 8-foot addition to Downtown Pittsburgh’s skyline, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust President & CEO Kendra Whitlock Ingram paused Monday to show reporters the view set to define Arts Landing: a clear stretch of the Allegheny River and a striking angle of the city’s iconic Three...

In the fifth grade, Adrian J. DeGori knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. It was an open and shut case — there was no deliberation. “I told everyone I was going to be a lawyer,” DeGori said, inside the offices of Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C....

When Landon Shaw was 16, a big, bulky machine sat by his bed. Twelve-foot hoses with attachments connected to both sides of his heart, pushing air to pump blood throughout his body, making a loud whooshing sound. For 17 days, the biventricular assist device, known as a BiVAD, an artificial...

For Dusty Donaldson, one journey led to another. After navigating the emotional path of a lung cancer diagnosis, operation, chemotherapy and recovery, Donaldson decided to travel down another road. She purchased a Ford Transit Connect van and drove across the country to create awareness for early detection of lung cancer....

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson was the 1994 commencement speaker at Morgan State University in Maryland, and one of the graduates in the audience was Ed Gainey. “I look back on this, years later, because here’s a gentleman … who wrote ‘Radio Golf,’ where he talked about the first Black...

The Calling answered the call. Known for top hits including “Wherever You Will Go” and “Our Lives,” the rock band will headline the Highmark Light Up Night on Nov. 22. The band released its latest single, “Stand Up Now,” in 2024 after a 20-year hiatus. Vocalist Alex Band, guitarist Daniel...

Janel Morrison takes getting close to nature seriously — as the newly hired naturalist at Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley Heights, she spends part of every workday in the meadow. Morrison’s position includes engaging the public through education, programming and land management on the 33-acre property, as well...

Swin Cash read a love letter — to her mother. She recited the words after receiving an Africana Icon Award at the third annual Africanism Gala on Saturday at Heinz Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh. The evening, which highlighted Black beauty, was held in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. It...

Women of all ages gathered on Saturday evening to celebrate Black beauty — both inside and out — during the third annual Africanism Gala at Heinz Hall in Downtown Pittsburgh. Each guest dressed in her signature style — there were gowns adorned with sequins, dresses in colorful prints and suits...

Jessica Pilyih rarely sits at her desk. And her students don’t sit at theirs, either. “I am not a desk person,” Pilyih said as she sat at one of the semi-circular round tables inside her fifth-grade classroom at Holiday Park Intermediate School in the Plum Borough School District. “I have...

Laura Palmer adds light and fragrance to the world one candle at a time. The founder of Bean Candle Co., a fragrance store located along Beaver Street in Sewickley, Palmer has created a brick-and-mortar shop that smells really, really good. “Scent is powerful in ways we don’t always realize,” said...

As Pittsburgh prepares to kick off its holiday season, organizers are shining a brighter light on the issue of food insecurity. This year’s Highmark Light Up Night and Peoples Gas Holiday Market will place a special emphasis on supporting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which is facing heightened demand...

Dr. Tom Forrest gives patients something to smile about. It’s not just his profession — it’s his passion. People are smiling more than ever for their cell phone cameras and Forrest wants to help those smiles be the brightest. “Since the introduction of the smartphone, everyone now has a camera...

The location has changed for a group of avid bocce players, but the love of the game hasn’t. Creating a sporting atmosphere is what Fox Chapel resident Tony Folino and his sons, Frank and Dino Folino, envisioned for The Bocce House of Pittsburgh. The unique complex in RIDC Park in...

Two decades ago, Nancy Kury’s ex-husband saw images of multiple colorful entry ways from Ireland and New York that were photographed and stacked in rows on a poster. The Doors of Dublin and Doors of New York posters inspired the Dogs of Sewickley. “He said, ‘If there can be Doors...

For the first time, palatial mansions in Lake Macleod will welcome guests for an up-close look at these homes dressed for the holidays. Five one-of-a-kind residences in Pine are part of the Symphony Splendor 2025 Holiday House Tour North. Hosted by the Pittsburgh Symphony Association to benefit the Pittsburgh Symphony...

Nicki Saini saw a social media post that a women’s clothing and accessories boutique in Sewickley was closing and that mannequins, fixtures and jewelry stands were for sale. Little did she realize she’d purchase more than a mannequin and a clothes rack. Saini owns Koala Boutique, a women’s clothing and...

A couple of guys from New York named Frank met a James Beard Award-winning chef through a connection with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The rest is Mt. Lebanon history. The meeting ultimately led them to open F&F Pizzeria in the old Bado’s Pizza Grill & Ale House on...

The same week Scottish immigrant and industrialist Andrew Carnegie was inducted into the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame because of his philanthropy and commitment to learning through libraries, those libraries received a monetary gift. “As I was sitting at the Walk of Fame ceremony on Monday, I thought, every one of...

When Quaker Valley School Board member Stratton Nash saw children riding bikes without helmets, he was concerned for their safety. “I want the kids to be safe,” said Nash, a Sewickley resident who wanted to advocate for bicycle safety the same week as National Walk & Roll to School Day,...