Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 51
Upbeat energy propels St. Joe’s production of ‘Godspell’
St. Joseph senior Elizabeth Skrinjar is sharing her talent on stage for the first time in her high school years and said it’s one of the best decisions she has ever made. “I thought the musical would be something fun,” she said. “Now I think of it as an escape...
Emergency responders to receive sweet Hometown Hero Thank You
What started as a way for a Cookie Brigade in Harrison to thank local emergency responders has turned into an all-day event where the public is invited to celebrate police, fire and ambulance personnel. Lori Miller coordinated the Hometown Hero Thank You as a way to extend appreciation to local...
Sharpsburg Casino Night benefits football, cheer teams
A Casino Night in Sharpsburg will benefit the Fox Chapel Foxes & Foxettes youth football and cheer teams. The event will be 6 to 9 p.m. March 18. Tickets cost $40 and include $40 in playing money and dinner. Games will include blackjack, roulette and craps. There will be a...
Plans for Chipotle at Pittsburgh Mills inching forward
It shouldn’t be much longer before Chipotle fans can get their favorite Mexican food at the Village at Pittsburgh Mills. Frazer supervisors last month approved a land development plan by Cardinal Realty, which is eyeing property in the Lowe’s parking lot to build a free-standing restaurant. Chipotle Mexican Grill is...
Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge to roll out Savvy Citizen alert system to keep residents informed
When a police manhunt unfolded Jan. 2 in Harrison, Tarentum and Brackenridge, residents were thirsty for information about what was happening. But there was no way of broadcasting real-time details, Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf said. That is going to change soon. The three municipalities are planning to launch a platform...
After six decades, Kathy Bollinger relishes changing role at Community Library of Allegheny Valley
Kathy Bollinger was a sophomore at Tarentum High School in the 1960s when she started her part-time job at Community Library of Allegheny Valley. Little did she know that her stint as a page would transform into a six-decade career helping the library grow into a community hub that serves...
From reading room to learning center, Community Library of Allegheny Valley celebrates 100th anniversary
When PPG founder John Baptiste Ford built the YMCA in Tarentum and insisted that it have a reading room, he couldn’t have imagined that a few stacks of books would eventually result in a multimillion-dollar facility in Harrison visited by more than 40,000 people each year. That was 100 years...
Fundraising group works to raise profile of Community Library of Allegheny Valley
Harrison resident Mary Lou Beck spends a lot of time in retirement brainstorming ways to work. A member of the Friends of the Community Library of Allegheny Valley, Beck keeps busy year-round raising money and awareness of the facility that serves 20,000 people in six municipalities. “We do fundraisers, and...
Braeburn Alloy workers’ vote for union representation upheld by National Labor Relations Board
Last month’s vote for a labor union to represent Braeburn Alloy Steel workers in Lower Burrell during contract negotiations has been upheld by the National Labor Relations Board. The vote Feb. 23 was held by secret ballot. Negotiations have not yet been scheduled. It was an unusual hoop for employees...
Harrison approves this year’s paving list
Nearly a dozen roads in Harrison are on tap to be repaved this year. Commissioners voted to spend about $311,000 for paving projects that include Broadview Boulevard, the busy street that runs parallel with Freeport Road. The contract was awarded to Shields Asphalt Paving of Richland. Work hasn’t been scheduled...
Fruit stand opens for season in Springdale Township
It would’ve been hard for motorists along Freeport Road in Springdale Township to miss Heidi Bair on Thursday. Dressed as a bright red strawberry, the owner of John & Gerry’s Quality Fruit Market danced along the roadside to alert people that the store is open for the season. The store...
Riverfront Theater Company opens season with dark comedy ‘True West’
A dark comedy about the complexities of family relationships will open the season for the Riverfront Theater Company. “True West” is the tale of two alienated brothers – one a well-educated screenwriter and the other a drifter – who might have more in common than they’d like to admit. “It’s...
Pastor at St. Vladimir Ukrainian Church in Arnold fundraising to help youth group in native country
In the midst of rebuilding his fire-ravaged church in Arnold, the Rev. Yaroslav Koval of St. Vladimir Ukrainian Catholic Church also is trying to help revive parts of his native war-torn country. He’s raising money to benefit the Emmanuel Youth Group of the Blessed Martyr Josaphat Kotsylovsky in Stryi, Ukraine....
Springdale power plant property could be rezoned residential
Riverfront property in Springdale could look vastly different if council moves forward with a proposal to rezone a coveted piece of land. The partially dismantled Cheswick Generating Station, which is on 56 acres and includes an adjoining 27-acre parcel, will be the focus of discussion during a meeting Wednesday of...
Corbet Street demolition will disrupt traffic in Tarentum
Demolition of a building in the heart of the Tarentum business district will interrupt traffic for a few days this week. A three-story brick building at 215 Corbet St. is scheduled to come down, beginning Tuesday. The project is expected to last two to three days. Borough Manager Dwight Boddorf...
No injuries reported in Spring Hill fire
No injuries were reported in a fire Sunday in Pittsburgh’s Spring Hill neighborhood. Emergency crews were called not long after 5 p.m. to Radner Street, where smoke was coming from an abandoned building. Firefighters had the situation under control by about 6 p.m., according to an Allegheny County dispatcher. The...
Kings & Queens Restaurant in Stoystown a total loss after fire
A Stoystown staple is gone. The Kings & Queens Restaurant & Pub along Lincoln Highway was destroyed by fire Saturday. A Somerset 911 dispatcher said the building is a total loss. One person was transported to a hospital for minor smoke inhalation, according to the dispatcher. There were no other...
Building the Valley: Redefined @ 4th in Tarentum is a picker’s paradise
A self-described cross between a treasure-seeker and a scavenger, Meridith Ross has found the perfect profession. The owner of Tarentum’s newest second-hand store, Redefined @ 4th, Ross said the business allows her inner artist to shine. “I love to pick, and I’ve always loved to refurbish,” said Ross, a 1991...
Manufacturing apprenticeships a boon to students, employers
When his pursuit of a mechanical engineering degree at Penn State New Kensington was derailed, Cameron Fouse turned to Plan B. “I tried machining for the first time and learned everything I could online,” said Fouse, 29, of Ford City. An entry-level job at Metplas Inc. in Harrison landed Fouse...
Glass show at New Kensington Quality Inn draws hundreds for ‘treasure hunt’
Susan Conforti of Green Tree stopped counting her collection of Depression-era wine glasses at 120. As she gleefully perused the offerings Saturday at the 46th annual Depression Glass and Pottery Show at the Quality Inn in New Kensington, her husband tagged along behind and playfully shook his head. “I just...
Highlands administrators say focus on Workforce Readiness sets up all students for success
Curriculum changes in the Highlands School District are intended to expose students, as young as kindergartners, to options that will excite and prepare them for success after high school — whether that means college, trade school or employment. A Career and Workforce Readiness Program is moving forward for all grade...
Harrison emergency crews lauded for saving 2 lives
Though his crew is in the business of saving lives, Citizens Hose EMS Director Jim Erb was stunned when they had the chance to rescue two Harrison residents within a month. Quick action by Harrison police and Citizens Hose Fire-Rescue-EMS helped save a woman’s life during a cardiac incident at...
On one of region’s steepest roads, Aspinwall’s Run for the Hill of It benefits emergency services
An avid runner, Adam Janosko admits he was feeling the burn when he crossed the finish line at the top of Center Avenue in Aspinwall during last year’s Run for the Hill of It fundraiser. The Shady Side Academy track coach can’t wait to do it again. “That hill is...
Bayer grant boosts food access at Salvation Army in Brackenridge, Greensburg
Brackenridge Salvation Army chef Cheryl Bieranoski doesn’t mess around when it comes to good eats. The self-described lunch lady is gleeful scooping out whopping-sized servings of sloppy Joes and fruit salad to more than 100 people Thursdays at the free Community Lunch. “Everyone is so grateful,” said Bieranoski, who has...
Carolyn Saldari Bengel announces bid for 6th term
District Judge Carolyn Saldari Bengel has announced her re-election bid. Bengel’s court covers Brackenridge, East Deer, Fawn, Harrison and Tarentum. A resident of Harrison, Bengel is a full-time judge who said she “has always focused on the need for a fair judicial system that truly represents the people of our...
