JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 56

Terri Bone remembered calling the neonatal intensive care unit from her hospital room to check on her newborn daughter. “The nurse told me, ‘she stopped breathing last night, but she is OK,’ ” said Bone. “ ‘Premature babies do that sometimes.’ ” After 10 days in the NICU at what...

Go green and recycle that Christmas tree. The City of Pittsburgh has five drop-off locations for live trees starting Saturday and running through Jan. 26. The program was started to invite residents to recycle rather than send trees to a landfill, which happens when they are placed at the curb...

Elliott Cramer was helping move a neighbor’s water heater when he had a revelation. Some might say it was out of the box — or, rather, inside a large cardboard box. “I thought, the cardboard box would make for a perfect rocket ship,” said Cramer, who was assisting a neighbor...

Santa Claus sits in a chair, reading a magazine. Nearby is a Christmas tree adorned with bright bulbs and ornaments, along with colorfully wrapped presents underneath. A string of lights frame the space, and snowflakes decorate the scene. Santa has a couch decorated with fluffy pillows to lounge on. It’s...

For Ben Butler, the space just felt right. After months of searching for a site for their new brewery, Butler and his business partner Aaron Easler have signed the lease. Look for a March opening of Necromancer Brewing Co. at 2257 Babcock Blvd. in Ross. “I grew up in Ross,...

The bread will no longer rise at Mantsch Blue Bonnet Bakery after Thursday. The longtime Homestead staple for fresh bread, homemade buns and tasty sweet treats from doughnuts to cakes to cookies is closing on Christmas Eve. “It’s time to retire,” said owner Michael Mantsch, 66, of West Mifflin, who...

There are 14 more days remaining to vote for the People’s Choice award in the City of Pittsburgh’s Gingerbread House Display and Competition. The recognition is new for the 18th annual event, which went virtual this year because of the pandemic. More than 1,500 votes have been cast for the...

They are the universal symbols of the holiday season. Menorahs and dreidels, wreaths and trees, unity cups and bowls of fruit — all integral parts of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. While each has its own customs and meanings and ways to celebrate, all three share one thing in common: light....

Kasey Coles pushes the living room couch out of the way. Her studio space is now ready. Such is the life of a senior dance major at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, a creative and performing arts magnet school, Downtown. Pittsburgh Public Schools are stuck in remote learning because of the pandemic....

Go green on Wednesday. At 8 p.m. the Association of Irish and Celtic Festivals will host “An Irish Christmas Concert,” with support from the Embassy of Ireland and Irish festivals in the U.S., including the Pittsburgh Irish Festival. The virtual performance will be a livestream event of seven acts from...

Look for the festive line of vehicles with illuminated menorahs driving through Pittsburgh at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The annual Menorah Parade to celebrate Hanukkah will go on, but with some changes to its destination based on Pennsylvania’s latest covid-19 restrictions. The procession will begin at Rodef Shalom in Shadyside and...

Even before Gov. Tom Wolf announced new covid-19 orders on Thursday, Jimmy Brown planned to temporarily close his Regent Square restaurant. “It doesn’t make sense to stay open the way things are,” said Brown, owner of the Frick Park Tavern on Braddock Avenue. “We are a sit-down and enjoy kind...

The Rink at PPG Place in Downtown Pittsburgh plans to stay open, but with capacity changes, in light of Gov. Tom Wolf’s new pandemic restrictions. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people. “The ice rink will be open and abiding by the state requirements,” said Byron Sharp, president of Magic...

Brighton Heights resident Tom Sarver, a nationally recognized artist, created a Virtual Puppetry Residency that connects creative people from around the globe. Their work can been Saturday at the International Puppet Festival, an online show featuring 32 artists. There will be children’s, all-ages and adult shows (may contain adult humor,...

The Peoples Gas Holiday Market and Santa Zoom Experience in Market Square are closing Friday night, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced. The Merry Market Pop-Up scheduled to open this weekend will not take place. News of the cancellations came after Thursday’s announcement by Gov. Tom Wolf. His orders amid the...

Miniature cars are lined up ready to roll. Kitchen sets await that first pretend meal. Bicycles sit ready for that ride around the block. And teddy bears and baby dolls long for that much-needed hug. These are some of the items that will be given to children as part of...

Dark times need illumination. At 5 p.m. Thursday, 1,000 homes in the Pittsburgh area will light the first candle on their menorah celebrating the opening of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. They will do it virtually because of the pandemic. “It is so important that people stay connected,” said Adam...

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is adding a twist to holiday window displays with a contest this season. “As a retail store, your window displays are one of the most important marketing tools you have,” said Suzanne Mauro, a Pittsburgh-based retail consultant. “They can make someone passing by, enter your store...

With the colder weather here to stay, many Downtown Pittsburgh restaurants have decided to cover outdoor spaces for continued dining to help accommodate state-mandated capacity requirements. Some outdoor dining structures resemble mini-greenhouses. Others look like plastic domes. Bakersfield Pittsburgh has tents, heaters and picnic-bench seating on Penn Avenue. At Bourbon...

This is the story of one mother and one daughter bound by an enduring devotion to each other and a lifelong promise to be each other’s protector....