Maria Sosso stories

Pine Community Park was buzzing with activity Sept. 20. The township’s annual Touch-a-Truck event from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. featured plenty of opportunities for youngsters to get an up-close look at public safety and public works vehicles. A quiet period was held the first hour to accommodate children with...

Pine ssupervisors began their Sept. 15 meeting with a 2026 capital projects discussion. “I think it’s always relevant coming into the capital projects discussion to talk quickly about our revenue. We do a revenue analysis every year before we do the budget, and Ronata’s just going to run us through...

The Penn Tree area in Richland Community Park is getting a touch-up. Pine-Richland junior Carlton Fogliani is undertaking the revitalization effort as his Eagle Scout project. Fogliani is a part of Troop 150 based out of Gibsonia. Richland supervisors approved the project at their meeting Aug. 20. The Penn Tree...

Membership rates at the Pine Community Center are going up for the first time in 16 years. Since the center’s opening in 2009, base membership rates have remained unchanged. These memberships provided access to the walking track, fitness center and basketball gym. A VIP membership option was later introduced, offering...

Richland celebrated its 31st annual Community Day on Aug. 9. The Pine-Richland Marching Band kicked off the event at 4 p.m., providing the accompaniment for the national anthem sung by Claire and Raegan Dosch. Capping the affair was Zambelli fireworks at 10 p.m. The day was packed with food, games,...

The Pine Community Center is spreading the word that Leslie Basilone, one of its SilverSneakers instructors, has been named a finalist for the 2025 SilverSneakers Member of the Year Inspiration Award. Basilone, 66, of Pine is among five finalists competing for the honor through votes from the public. The other...

Pine officials and the Wexford Volunteer Fire Company held a strategic discussion before the regularly scheduled supervisors meeting July 21 to try to negotiate the terms of a new agreement. Though this was only the first discussion regarding the terms of the new agreement, the two sides were able to...

“I feel that this year’s open house was attended by more residents than last year. We enjoy meeting our residents and feeding them also. Smiles on kids’ faces say we are doing things right in teaching them about what firefighters do,” Chief Dave McWilliams said. One of the live demonstrations...

Pine held its first splash pad Family Fun Night of the season on June 18. The evening featured an under-the-sea adventure theme. Children met SpongeBob SquarePants, made themed crafts and received a goodie bag. And all of the youngsters in attendance got to cool off at the splash pad. Pine...

Pine supervisors heard from concerned residents about traffic safety concerns at their meeting on June 16. June Sterling, a resident of Mars Valencia Road Extension for 50 years, remarked on the amount of heavy vehicle traffic on her road. Mars Valencia Road has been closed since April for construction. Sterling...

Pine celebrated its 35th annual Community Day on June 21. The event started earlier than in previous years, with festivities kicking off at 2 p.m. and ending with a fireworks display by Pyrotecnico. Pine Community Park was filled with food trucks, games and live entertainment for all ages. Community Day...

The Friends of Pine Community Parks amphitheater is now open in Pine Community Park. The community was invited to attend the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:45 p.m. June 12, which coincided with the kickoff of Pine’s Rockin’ Rec summer concert series. Township Manager Jason Kratsas and members of the board...

It’s time for summer camp once again in Pine. Camp Pine for children in first through sixth grades kicks off June 9 and runs for 10 weeks through Aug. 15. The program is held on the Pine Community Center side of the park. Campers will use the splash pad, turf...

Pine held its annual Memorial Day Honor Ceremony at 9 a.m. May 26 at the township’s Veterans Plaza. The ceremony at the corner of Church Road and Route 910 brought the community together in remembrance and gratitude. Township staff, board members, residents and veterans gathered to honor the individuals who...

During the correspondence portion of the May 19 supervisors meeting, Wexford Volunteer Fire Company notified Pine of its intent to withdraw from its current agreement to provide fire protection and initiate negotiations for a new one. The township’s current agreement with the Wexford VFC is set to expire in December....

Pine officials are recognizing the contributions of its public works professionals during National Public Works Week, which runs May 18-24. National Public Works Week is sponsored by the American Public Works Association and has been celebrated across North America since 1960. This year’s theme is “People, Purpose, Presence.” It highlights...

Pine hosted its second annual Earth Day event April 26-27, and this year’s bash was packed with even more activities and fun for everyone. “The Township of Pine’s second annual Earth Day event was a true celebration of community and sustainability. With more than 50 vendors and activity booths, educational...

The Richland Volunteer Fire Department recognized the bravery of one of their own during its monthly meeting April 18. Chief Dave McWilliams started off the meeting by recapping the events of the March 5 fire that occurred at North Woodland Circle. Ryne Zierenberg, a union carpenter and member of the...

Wexford Volunteer Fire Company in Pine has a new fire chief. After five years in the role, Chris Ausefski decided to step down as chief to spend more time with his family. He remains with the company through his involvement in the EMS program. Following Ausefski’s resignation, a special election...

Northern Tier Regional Library is one of 11 libraries to receive a Keystone Grant this year. The nearly $92,000 grant will help pay for some much-needed renovations at the library’s Richland location. A portion of the grant will be used to redo the bathrooms at the Richland library, as the...

Pine celebrated the Easter season this year with goodies and furry friends. Children swarmed the Pine Athletic Complex looking for eggs April 12. The Egg-cellent Egg Hunt was open to those 10 and younger, with time slots allotted for the different age groups. Supervisors Chairman Ryan Colombo was pleased with...

Richland supervisors awarded the contract for their 2025 road paving program to Shields Asphalt Paving. “Natalie; myself; Mike Kuhn, our public works director; and Scott Shoop, our township engineer, went out and did a road tour of all the roads that are on this list, along with some other ones...

Following an influx of anonymous Right-to-Know requests across Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors has advised municipalities to review and update their Right-to-Know policies. In light of this development, Richland recently updated its Right-to-Know policy. The Right-to-Know law is the Pennsylvania law that guarantees a person’s right to...

Richland has been named a banner community by the Allegheny League of Municipalities for the 12th consecutive year. The banner community program recognizes municipalities that distinguish themselves as model communities through their outstanding commitment to professional development, prudent fiscal management, transparency, accountability and proactive communications to engage community stakeholders. “I...

Jo Ann Evans of Richland unwinds from her high-stress job as a nurse practitioner with an unconventional hobby — she is part of the competitive dog show circuit. Evans said she spent two years researching before she got her first puppy from “a wonderful breeder and mentor.” “This was a...