Patrick Varine stories, Page 12
Recovery from flood damage still a work in progress in Murrysville area 2 weeks after storms
Tim Wagner Sr. of Murrysville is disassembling a treadmill in his house to see if he can get it working again. The exercise equipment is in his basement, which was flooded after an early June storm parked itself over his neighborhood along Hills Church Road. In the immediate aftermath of...
Franklin Regional will take over management, maintenance at Murrysville’s Haymaker Park
Haymaker Park in Murrysville is old enough that baseball legend and Western Pennsylvania native Honus Wagner once played there. “It was here way back when they were planting the trees for the ‘Murrysville’ tree sign that overlooks the field,” said Charles Conway of Murrysville, a board member with nonprofit Communities...
Monroeville native goes from Glamour Shots to glamorous clients
If you grew up in the 1980s, the brand name Glamour Shots probably conjures a very specific — and colorful — image in the mind. For Monroeville native Brett Freedman, the overly rouged cheeks and popping lipstick in classic Glamour Shots photos were part of the inspiration that led him...
TribLive Taste Test: Utz Lemonade potato chipsVideo
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But life did not give us lemons here at the TribLive Taste Test. Instead, it gave us Utz Limited Edition Lemonade potato chips. In all respects except the obvious one, these are just like any other potato chip. Very similar in fat content,...
Mt. Lebanon poet, artist earns spot in ‘Art of the State’ gallery in Harrisburg
Marilyn Narey’s main challenge in preparing her entry for Pennsylvania’s “Art of the State” contest was that she could only submit one piece, instead of the full series from which it originates. In addition to her work as a visual artist, the Mt. Lebanon resident is also a poet, and...
Franklin Regional hikes taxes by 4 mills for 2025-26 school year
The Franklin Regional school board approved a final 2025-26 budget with a 4-mill property tax hike. The board unanimously OK’d a final budget at its June 16 voting meeting. The $71.25 million budget has a $671,000 deficit, covered with $147,000 from the district’s technology fund balance, along with approximately $525,000...
Murrysville area: Alzheimer’s fundraiser, farmers’ market, live music and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Ginny’s Carniv-Alz The Alzheimer’s Association will host an afternoon carnival June 29 in Murrysville as part of its “The Longest Day” initiative. “The Longest Day” is a campaign the association undertakes annually during the summer solstice, the day of the year with...
A long goodbye: For U.S. Open crew, the show starts when the golf endsVideo
For Leighton Schwob, operations director for the U.S. Open, last week’s golf tournament technically could be considered a lull in his work schedule. Sure, there was overnight maintenance on the course and pedestrian pathways, and the rainy weather exacerbated things somewhat. But Schwob’s small army of staff, contractors and vendors...
Monroeville area: Blessing of the Pets, summer music camp, barbecue-fest and more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Hillcrest United Presbyterian events Hillcrest United Presbyterian Church will host the following upcoming events: • Blessing of the Pets, 10 a.m. July 6, held in a tent outside the church. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. Pets must be on a...
Ride-share drivers getting plenty of work on the streets of Oakmont
Heather Copenhaver’s first 24 hours as an Uber driver went pretty darn well. “I’m averaging about $32 per hour,” said the Fox Chapel resident. She was among hundreds — if not thousands — of ride-share drivers shuttling U.S. Open fans in and out of Oakmont throughout the week. “I started...
Oakmont native returns to U.S. Open, 72 years after caddying for Ben Hogan’s 1953 victory
Carl Nasse was 10 when he began working as a caddie at Oakmont Country Club in the late 1940s. Just a few years later, a 15-year-old Nasse found himself walking the Oakmont course as Ben Hogan’s caddie when the Texas-born golfer won the 1953 U.S. Open Championship. Nasse was paid...
U.S. Open interns get a crash-course in planning, executing a major sporting event
For a college sports management major, practical experience doesn’t get much better than working a major American golf championship where 200,000 people are expected to come through the gate. So when Dakharee Mann’s professor texted him last fall about the U.S. Golf Association’s Pathways internship program at the U.S. Open,...
How they track the flight of golf balls at the U.S. Open for TV viewers, spectators on siteVideo
When a golfer at the U.S. Open tees off, in less than one second the members of the NBC Sports broadcasting team know where the ball is headed, how far it will go and where it will land. That’s great for viewers watching at home, who see a comet-like streak...
Foresters: Spread of beech tree leaf disease ‘concerning’
Pennsylvania naturalists are keeping an eye on a disease that has been killing beech trees in the eastern U.S. for more than a decade, but has begun spreading more rapidly in the past three years. Beech leaf disease is believed to be caused by a particular type of nematode, which...
Monroeville area: Barbecue fest, blood drives, Revolutionary War service, more
Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com. Convention center events The following events are scheduled at the Monroeville Convention Center, 209 Mall Plaza Blvd.: • June 14: Steel City Xpo car show. For more, see SteelCitySociety.com. • June 27-29: Pittsburgh BBQ and Band Fest. For more, see PittsburghBBQandBandFest.com. •...
USGA’s course maintenance teams work all night to ensure a pleasant U.S. Open experience
Leighton Schwob, the U.S. Golf Association’s U.S. Open Championship director of operations, wishes he had a little more darkness to work with. “Too much land, not enough night,” he said of the daily — or in this case, nightly — maintenance of public areas at Oakmont Country Club. One doesn’t...
Make sure to bring a healthy appetite to the U.S. OpenVideo
Should you be eating a Philly cheesesteak for breakfast? It’s a culinary debate for the ages. Dick Atzeni of Sligo, Clarion County, and his granddaughter, Hannah, certainly weren’t against it, as they chowed down on their sandwiches around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the U.S. Open in Oakmont. Atzeni has been...
Local artists will decorate Liberty Bell replicas for nation’s 250th anniversary
Pennsylvania’s plans for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026 include placing replicas of the iconic Liberty Bell — decorated by local artists — in all 67 counties, including two in Westmoreland. A replica bell also will be placed at Point State Park in Pittsburgh....
Monroeville VA clinic will host town hall meeting, resource fair
The VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System will host a Veterans Town Hall and Resource Fair on Wednesday at its Henry Parham VA Outpatient Clinic in Monroeville. Veterans, their families and the public are invited to attend to learn about programs and services for veterans. The fair will be from 1-2 p.m....
Consistent rain this spring has some local farmers frustrated
A rainy day is not always good news for Hempfield farmer Neil Palmer. “This is a time of year when we want to be out frequently doing tillage, planting, seeding, cultivation, all of that,” said Palmer, who has sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions and cabbage planted. “When we’ve got consistent...
Murrysville and Export assess damage from weekend storm, flooding
Friday’s downpour generated so much stormwater that it destroyed a culvert built by Murrysville public works crews along Lyons Run. “Forty-eight tons of R-7’s and asphalt are now somewhere else,” Murrysville Public Works Director Bill Paiano said in a memo to town officials in his initial assessment of the damage...
Veteran fan, former Oakmont caddie offers suggestions for fans attending U.S. Open
Derek Gionta has seen the U.S. Open both inside and out. That’s because, in addition to attending multiple opens over the years, the 44-year-old Monroeville resident also was a caddie at the Oakmont Country Club during his high school and college days. “My brother was already doing it when I...
U.S. Open offers fans full plate of culinary options at Oakmont Country Club
As soon as the U.S. Open’s final putt is sunk, Susan Lacz starts thinking about the next year’s tournament. Lacz is CEO of Ridgewells Catering in Maryland, the United States Golf Association’s longtime catering partner for the event. She’s one of the people in charge of making sure hungry U.S....
Former Franklin Regional, North Allegheny basketball coach was ‘dedicated to excellence’
Robert Greenleaf’s slogan with his Franklin Regional basketball team was “Dedicated to Excellence.” And the longtime educator and basketball aficionado lived the motto in all aspects of his life, friends and family said. “He was well-known and well-loved,” said Bob Bozzuto, who worked with Greenleaf in both the Franklin Regional...
Blight fight bill would create statewide database of scofflaw property owners
Absentee and out-of-state property owners who acquire real estate as an investment might have little interest in their tenants or the quality of their homes. State Rep. Brandon Markosek, D-Monroeville, said such a site can impact an entire neighborhood if it isn’t addressed quickly. His House Bill 1062, which passed...
