Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 103
Fox Chapel’s Hardie Valley Park set for October opening
A private opening ceremony will be hosted in October for Fox Chapel’s newest recreational gem, the 17-acre Hardie Valley Park, just prior to the space officially welcoming the public. A brief event at 11 a.m. Oct. 17 will include members of the parcel’s previous longtime owners, the Hardie family, borough...
News briefs: Thefts of political signs under investigation in O’Hara
O’Hara police are investigating several reports of the theft of political signs from front yards. Township leaders are reminding people that stealing political signs is a crime. Violators will be charged with trespassing and theft by unlawful taking. Glitter an Glow event canceled Fox Chapel Garden Club’s Glitter and Glow...
The week’s top stories from around the Lower ValleyVideo
Here are some of the week’s top stories: Indiana Township home on market for $8 million An Italian villa built in 2007 and perched high atop a hill in Indiana Township is on the market for $8 million. The six-bedroom mansion includes six full and two half bathrooms, a 70-foot...
Student news: Shady Side Academy students form committee, raise money for local nonprofits
Shady Side Academy Middle School eighth-grader Sonia Kshirsagar created the Breckenridge Youth-Run Service Committee (BYSC) in Wexford for which she serves as chair. On Aug. 22, she organized a multicharity neighborhood block party that benefited four local nonprofit organizations: The Free Store in Wilkinsburg, Urban Impact, Every Child Inc. and...
Grants, donations total $250,000 for Sharpsburg parks
A $125,000 state grant for Sharpsburg parks will be matched by a private donation to bring new playground equipment and safety features to two popular borough spots. Council on Thursday night announced the state grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Money will be used to install rubber...
Fox Chapel adds roads to paving program
Fox Chapel Council on Monday night added some work to the borough’s 2020 road paving list. Members voted to add Dogwood Lane to the road improvements after saying the money was available. “When we initially awarded the contract, covid-19 just hit and we were concerned about funding,” manager Gary Koehler...
Trick-or-treat traditions carry on with safety guidelines in place
Children can start setting their sights on a Harry Potter or Baby Yoda costume. It appears that trick-or-treat won’t be sidelined across the Lower Valley because of covid-19. Municipal leaders said the Halloween tradition will carry on this year, although they are urging participants to follow CDC safety guidelines. Most...
Mr. Smalls in Millvale switches focus to food, outdoor concerts
The scent of grilled burgers and Mexican street corn will fill Butler Street in Millvale on weekends as Mr. Smalls Cafe takes over the road for socially distanced food, friendship and live music. It is the latest move by the music venue to stay afloat after being hard hit by...
Sharpsburg sewer project aims to alleviate overflows
Work is underway on a sewer project in Sharpsburg that is expected to remove more than 6 million gallons of overflows along Clay Street. A section of the road will be shut down for more than three months. The project targets the section between Sixth and Eighth streets, from the...
Pumpkin sale in Fox Chapel will help build schools, clinics in Haiti
Picking a pumpkin from a makeshift patch probably has never had such far-reaching effects. Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church (FCPC) will host a harvest sale Oct. 2 through 7 to benefit four rural villages in Haiti. Money raised at the fall-themed event will help pay for infrastructure in small towns across...
Allegheny County grants target conservation efforts in O’Hara, Shaler, other communities
A deteriorating stormwater line in O’Hara will be replaced with a natural open channel thanks in part to a grant from Allegheny County. The township was among three local groups to share in more than $795,000 distributed through the county’s Gaming Economic Development and Tourism grants program. The projects include:$245,248...
Shaler Rotary donation helps 6 food pantries replenish supplies
Bread of Life food pantry in Etna served more families in September than in each of the previous five months. “Resources are becoming scarcer, unemployment is becoming more evident and benefits are running out for families,” food pantry manager Alexis Weber said of the covid-19 impacts on the program. A...
Ghosts and goblins take over Camp Guyasuta for Halloween-themed event
Bubbling cauldrons, pumpkin patches and gory goblins will overtake Camp Guyasuta in O’Hara for one day only in October. Dubbed Haunted Guyasuta, tickets are on sale now for the Halloween-themed event. Haunted Guyasuta will be 3 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 17, with specially timed events for those who prefer...
Fox Chapel Area senior spearheading social justice workshop
A Fox Chapel Area senior is spearheading a social justice workshop for teens that aims to challenge discrimination and develop potential legislation. Abby Rickin-Marks said the remote conference Oct. 24 is meant to enlighten students about issues of inequality and arm teens with the know-how to write proposals and petitions...
A look back at the top stories from the Fox Chapel area for the week of Sept. 14Video
Here are some of the week’s top stories from around the Lower Valley: - Libraries will welcome patrons back Oct. 1. Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg community libraries will reopen to patrons after being shut down for six months because of coronavirus concerns. Each site will operate with limited capacities. Cooper-Siegel will...
Panther Prowl walk-a-thon raises money for Christ the Divine Teacher in Aspinwall
A socially distanced Panther Prowl walk-a-thon brought in more than $5,000 for Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall, with students taking advantage of the outdoor fundraiser to enjoy music, bubbles and a few laps around the park. The walk-a-thon, in its second year, was hosted Sept. 17 at...
Several construction projects underway in O’Hara business district
Construction continues at the Chase Bank along Fox Chapel Road in O’Hara, with company officials saying the branch is on track to open later this year. It is one of several businesses under construction in the township’s retail corridor. Also underway are a Chick-fil-A in Fox Chapel Plaza and an...
Birthday drive-by event scheduled for Shaler Area board member battling cancer
A 50th birthday drive-by celebration for a Shaler Area School Board member will double as a fundraiser to help her fight medical expenses. District residents are invited to partake in the parade from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday for board member Suzanna Donahue, who is battling cholangiocarcinoma, or bile...
Fox Chapel Area freshman developing app to detect x-ray abnormalities
Before he even started high school, Fox Chapel Area freshman Adhitya Thirumala was using his technological prowess to develop potential advancements in the medical field. Thirumala, 13, was named among the Top 300 middle school innovators from across the country in the 2020 Broadcom MASTERS, a prestigious STEM competition. The...
Fox Chapel Area student-led documentary on Fred Rogers airs on YouTube
A student-produced documentary on legendary Pittsburgher Fred Rogers taught Fox Chapel Area senior Jean Daniher to aspire to be better simply by slowing down. “We all have the opportunity to be as kind and understanding as he was if we just slow down,” said Daniher of O’Hara. She worked as...
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education goes remote for fall semester
For someone who values movement as much as Pilates instructor Cara Metallo, the covid-19 pandemic has taught her a newfound appreciation for words. Moving to an online platform for her classes forced Metallo, an O’Hara resident, to find “an eloquence and connect with students deeper in regards to goals with...
Shady Side Academy violinist accepted into Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra
A Shady Side Academy junior auditioned and won a spot in the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO), one of the oldest and most advanced children’s music groups in the country. Hector Lampert-Bates, 16, a violinist, said his acceptance into the prestigious orchestra comes as a relief, after having auditioned two...
Fox Chapel Area School District prepared for shifts in instructional model
Fox Chapel Area administrators are considering ways to add a day of in-person instruction to the district’s hybrid model, or return to class entirely, but recommendations have not yet been brought before the school board. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac on Monday night gave a detailed report of her team’s efforts...
Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg libraries to reopen doors Oct. 1 with limited capacities
Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg community libraries will reopen their doors Oct. 1, albeit with limited capacities. Twenty patrons will be permitted at one time to browse the shelves at Cooper-Siegel in Fox Chapel, while 10 will be allowed in to the smaller Sharpsburg site. “It’s been a long, hard road, but...
Aspinwall to get new water feature at Field Avenue playground
One of the most popular spots in Aspinwall is getting a makeover this fall. Council on Sept. 9 voted to replace the spray fountain at the playground along Field Avenue. “It is a long time coming,” Aspinwall Councilmember Jeff Harris said. “It was once, initially a wading pool in the...
