Maria Sosso stories, Page 4
Pine recognizes volunteer efforts
Pine supervisors recognized resident John Lombardo for his many years of volunteer service to the township at their meeting on Jan. 16. He is president of the Wexford Volunteer Fire Company and has been serving for 11 years. “John’s been a key member of the Pine community for many years....
Pine hosts Winter Special Needs Family Fun Day
Special needs children and their families enjoyed an afternoon of fun at the Pine Community Center on Jan. 13. The annual Winter Special Needs Family Fun Day was free to attend and open to all ages. Ninety participants were in attendance. This year’s theme was penguins, and the day featured...
Speech, sensory development center opens in Hampton
Yellow Bridges Speech and Sensory Development Center is now open on Route 8 in Hampton. The center offers small group therapy for up to five children with one or two adults. Each group lasts anywhere from two to three hours. Individual speech and language therapy sessions are available to children...
Leadership stays steady for Richland supervisors
Richland supervisors reappointed Ray Kendrick as chair and George “Skip” Allen as vice chair at the Jan. 2 reorganization meeting. Supervisor Donna Snyder made a motion, which was approved unanimously, to reappoint the following administrative entities and professional staff: • Northern Regional Police Department of Allegheny County — Kendrick, Snyder...
Eligible Richland firefighters, EMS volunteers to receive $300 tax credit
Active volunteer firefighters and emergency responders in Richland once again will be able to receive a tax credit under Act 172, Pennsylvania’s volunteer service credit program. Richland board authorized approval of Act 172 at their Dec. 20 meeting. The program provides a financial incentive to active volunteers in fire companies...
Al’s Bike Drive donates nearly 600 bikes to Toys for Tots
Sixteen years ago, Gibsonia resident Al Todd attended an annual corporate luncheon supporting Toys for Tots. Little did he know at the time how much his simple act of kindness would impact families across Western Pennsylvania. “I brought a toy and as I was helping a Marine load his van...
Renovations underway at Pine Community Center
Pine Community Center is upgrading its fitness spaces, undergoing a renovation to the lower level of the community center. “We will be combining two existing fitness rooms into one, which will allow some of our larger classes to move out of the gym and into this new room. The gym...
Proposed 2024 Pine budget keeps township at lowest millage rate in county
Pine is once again on track to have the lowest real estate tax rate in Allegheny County, as the proposed budget for 2024 maintains the rate at 0.998 mills. In addition, the budget has been designed to accommodate the maximum allowable Homestead/Farmstead Exclusion, 50% of the median assessed value of...
Monroeville Senior Citizen Center ramps up activities
The Monroeville Senior Citizens Center has many new and exciting programs for adults ages 50 and older to enjoy as 2024 approaches. “We’re always trying to expand our programming to be able to provide the most that we can for our community,” department head Tara Gresock said. “One of the...
Richland property tax rate holds steady in proposed 2024 budget
Richland residents will see their property taxes hold steady for another year, according to the proposed 2024 budget. “Richland’s Township’s millage rate remains unchanged from last year,” township manager Dean Bastianini said. For 2023, a millage rate of 2.696 mills is levied on all commercial, residential and non-exempt real property....
Comcast expanding services to Pine Township
Comcast is expanding its services into Pine after all. The issue of Pine entering into a franchise agreement was previously tabled at the Oct. 16 board of supervisors meeting due to a dispute over the service area. After additional discussions, Comcast said it was willing to state in the agreement...
Pine, Mars cemeteries participating in Wreaths Across America
Two cemeteries in Pine and one in Mars will participate in Wreaths Across America this holiday season: West Union, Mount Pleasant, and Mars cemeteries. Wreaths Across America is a non-profit organization that helps commemorate fallen veterans by placing wreaths at their graves each Dec. 16, National Wreaths Across America Day....
Pine’s Comcast agreement hits snag
Armstrong remains the primary cable provider in Pine after negotiations with Comcast for a new franchise agreement stalled. Comcast has expressed interest in building out its service into the township and competing with Armstrong for those services. One of the reasons Comcast is looking to expand is due to the...
Pine and Richland townships hold 1st joint trunk or treat
Eager truck or treaters descended on Pine Community Park on Oct. 22 in search of candy. This year marked the first joint trunk or treat event between Pine and Richland townships. “Gina Kampi, Pine Township’s program coordinator, took the lead on this event and did a great job,” Pine parks...
Pine approves agility agreement with PennDOT for winter road maintenance
To keep roads in Pine township as safe to drive as possible in winter weather conditions, Pine supervisors approved a PennDOT agility agreement at the Oct. 2 meeting. “In talking to PennDOT, one of the big issues that has been arising in Pine is winter maintenance of the state roads...
Northern Tier Regional Library holds tea fundraiser
Fans of “Bridgerton” and “Sanditon” flocked to Northern Tier Regional Library for a regency tea party on Sept. 23. Tea sandwiches, cookies, pastries and varietal teas were served as patrons took part in regency trivia and games. The lineup included raffles, music and prizes. “It was so much fun for...
Monroeville celebrates International Day of Peace
Monroeville and neighboring communities united to participate in the International Day of Peace Celebration on Sept. 23. The ceremony occurred at the Monroeville Rotary Club’s dedicated Peace Pole and Pavilion 4 in Community Park West. In 2021, the club dedicated a peace pole with “Let Peace Prevail” translated into 38...
Ram Fam pep rally part of homecoming festivities
The Pine Athletic Complex in Pine Community Park was packed on Sept. 17 for the Pine Richland Rams Homecoming Volunteer Committee’s pep rally, Ram Fam. The event featured a parade, food trucks and a bonfire. The festival on the field showcased local organizations and sports teams running games and activities...
EarlyAct Club pairs Divine Mercy Academy students with Rotary service initiatives
Divine Mercy Academy and Monroeville Rotary Club have partnered to provide community service opportunities for kids ages 5-13. While the EarlyAct Club at Divine Mercy Academy is the first of its kind in Monroeville schools, Rotary Club president Diane Milowicki hopes to create many more of these clubs in the...
Richland Community Park soccer field damaged
Richland resident Justin Lee takes his son to play soccer at Richland Community Park, so when he heard that the field had been vandalized, he was concerned. “My son is in the under-5 group for soccer and they practice at Richland Community Park. When I saw what had been done...
Spectro Dolce returns to Monroeville
Spectro Dolce Confectionery is officially open for business in the Monroeville Mall, providing sweet treats to customers and job and learning opportunities for those with autism. “Spectro Dolce is part of our Autism Employment Network. It’s a direct paid work experience for individuals with autism and other forms of neurodivergence....
Pine’s Touch-a-Truck draws crowd
Pine Township hosted its annual Touch-a-Truck event on Sept. 16 in the Pine Community Center parking lot. The family-friendly event drew a crowd of young residents eager to see, touch and learn about a truckload of vehicles. Franktuary and Kona Ice provided food and sweet treats. One of the highlights...
Pine glass recycling bin now open
Pine residents can now drop off glass bottles, jars, and jugs of all colors at a permanent recycling station in the municipal building parking lot thanks to a grant provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The township celebrated the grand opening of its new recycling bin with a...
Northern Tier Library eliminates late fines
Northern Tier Regional Library eliminated fines as of Sept. 1. This decision comes as the result of an ongoing initiative to make libraries more accessible to the public. The Allegheny County Library Association piloted the program in September 2019 in nine of its member libraries, including Millvale, Monroeville and Penn...
Divine Mercy Academy in Monroeville welcomes back students
Administrators and teachers at Divine Mercy Academy in Monroeville were eager to get students excited about the new school year at their back-to-school event on Aug. 22. “The event was really for our school families to start the year off on the right foot and enjoy the company of the...

