Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 61
Tarentum police investigating Labor Day carjacking
Tarentum police are investigating after a woman told them she was carjacked at gunpoint just before 7 p.m. Sept. 5 along Heuser Way, not far from the Family Dollar store. No one was injured, according to Chief Bill Vakulick. The victim posted to social media about the incident, writing, “You...
Labrador retriever pup, Charlie, could be new staffer at Highlands Middle School
The Highlands Middle School in Harrison could have a new administrative staffer by next week — one with four legs and a wet nose. The school board is considering a proposal for a district therapy dog named Charlie, a 5-month-old Labrador retriever. Charlie belongs to Principal Becky Bragan. “The goal...
Squaw Run stream renamed as Sycamore Run
The federal renaming of a stream that runs through Fox Chapel, Indiana Township and O’Hara is a long-sought triumph for people who battled years against what is now a nationally recognized slur. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Sept. 8 announced that Squaw Run will be called Sycamore Run, striking...
Asbestos uncovered in Tarentum structures set for demolition will increase cost of work
The good news for Tarentum residents is that four hazardous homes and a dilapidated commercial building are expected to be demolished by January. The bad news is that the cost of the demolitions just jumped after asbestos was uncovered in all of them. “It will be costly,” Code Enforcement Officer...
Harrison, ATI and Western PA Conservancy partner to ‘put trees to bed for winter’
Harrison resident Sharon Ellis spent much of Tuesday morning weeding and mulching around the trees that dot the grass outside the Highlands High School football stadium along California Avenue. “Trees are good for the health of the community and it’s important that you take care of them properly,” Ellis said,...
Tarentum police seek help finding woman missing for 2 weeks
Tarentum police are seeking help to find a woman missing for two weeks. Tonya Lynn Sadecky, 43, was last seen when a friend dropped her off in the area of Ninth Avenue and Morgan Street in Brackenridge, Chief Bill Vakulick said. She was last seen before noon on Aug. 28....
History museum celebrates work of late Tarentum artist Rudy Tutka
A late Tarentum artist whose work added flair to the pages of the Valley Daily News in the mid-1900s and later the Valley News Dispatch will be celebrated with an exhibit of his work. Illustrations by Rudy Tutka, who grew up in a home along Ross Street and worked as...
Public art installation to add vibrancy, joy to Aspinwall
A public mural in Aspinwall will tout the best of the borough and is expected to spur similar art projects to boost pride and aesthetics. Spearheaded by the advocacy group, Aspinwall Neighbors, the mural is being painted on the Field Avenue playground pavilion through a series of weekly workshops that...
Help pull plastics, mattresses, toys (and more) from the Allegheny River in Harrison, Tarentum
Cleanups in Tarentum and Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood will happen this weekend as part of a larger effort to pluck litter from the Allegheny River. The monthlong series of events hosted by Allegheny CleanWays focuses on removing debris that has piled up along the riverbanks. Volunteers can ride along on the...
Tarentum festival-goers can vote on design of borough trail
Thousands of people expected to attend the Summit Hose Fall Festival in Tarentum will have a chance to vote on plans for the borough’s riverfront trail. Friends of the Riverfront will be on hand to solicit input on the proposed path. The festival runs tonight, Sept. 8, through Saturday at...
‘Gateway to Natrona’ on tap near kayak launch
The kayak launch along the Allegheny River in Harrison’s Natrona section soon could become an enhanced destination for people seeking shorefront recreation. The Harrison commissioners are hoping to move forward on a project to create a nine-space, paved parking lot at the corner of Sycamore Street and River Avenue, new...
ATI, Harrison partner on beautification project
Volunteers from ATI will join the Harrison tree committee Tuesday to make over a cluster of 27 trees planted years ago near the Highlands baseball fields. About four dozen people will tend to the bald cypress, birch, elm and pine trees that were paid for through a $250,000 grant from...
Discover local flora during 2 ranger-led walks at Harrison Hills Park
Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to take part in two free hikes this month at Harrison Hills Park. Seeds and Spores is scheduled for Sept. 17. Hit the Trail will happen Sept. 25. Hosted by Allegheny County, the hikes are tailored to all skill levels. Park rangers will lead the first,...
Faces of the Valley: Bill Godfrey uses world experience to grow Natrona spirit
Bill Godfrey graduated from Tarentum High School in 1969, earned an art degree from Edinboro University and didn’t set foot in the Alle-Kiski Valley for the next several years. “I wanted to see the world,” said Godfrey, 72. “I was nomadic. I saw the pyramids, the Great Wall of China...
Brackenridge trail nears final steps for construction
Walkers and bikers could be exercising along a new Brackenridge path by fall. The borough’s section of the larger 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail is in the final stages of pre-construction, according to officials from the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront. “We’ll be putting out bids soon for the section...
Brackenridge proposal to ban street sports equipment appears dead
A proposed Brackenridge ordinance that would ban street sports equipment such as basketball hoops and hockey goals appears to be dead. Council was expected Thursday to discuss the idea, which was spurred by residents’ complaints over traffic obstructions and property damage. “They did not pass the ordinance last night,” borough...
Learn yoga, Italian, history and more through Fox Chapel Area Adult Education
Learn to speak Italian, get the basics of yoga or much, much more during the fall semester at Fox Chapel Area Adult Education. Registration is underway for the newest slate of classes offered by the nonprofit. “We exist to provide adults with access to the Fox Chapel Area School District...
Mosaics unveiled at Natrona trail, complete connection to community park
Eighty-six-year-old Helen Strzesieski grew up on Chestnut Street in Natrona, one block from what is now the community park. She was among those who gathered Wednesday for the reveal of a 13-set mosaic panel installed along the Harrison neighborhood’s newest asset, a 100-foot concrete trail that connects to the Allegheny...
Single-lane restrictions along Route 28 extended through December
Single-lane restrictions on Route 28 in O’Hara and Harmar will be extended for at least three more months. Work that initially was expected to wrap up in mid-September will run through early December. Motorists should allow extra time for travel, PennDOT announced. Traveling northbound, restrictions will be in place from...
Aspinwall’s Christ the Divine kicks off new year
It wouldn’t be the first day of school at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy without the traditional Popsicles-with-the-principal celebration. Nearly 170 students in kindergarten through eighth grade kicked off the new school year on Aug. 25, ending the day with a sweet treat. School leaders said everyone appeared excited...
Brackenridge focuses on revitalization, eyes 12 blighted structures for demolition
Five ramshackle structures in Brackenridge are expected to be razed this fall, and council is eyeing another seven to follow. It’s the first push in an effort to remove blight, clean the community and lay the groundwork for redevelopment. “It’s going to be fantastic,” Councilman Dino Lopreiato said. “They’ve been...
Brackenridge pursues $600,000 state grant to help foot cost of public works building
A new Brackenridge public works building could break ground by mid-2023 if the borough lands a $600,000 state gambling revenue grant. Council applied for a Local Share Account grant, funded by state gambling tax revenues, but will have to wait a few months before hearing back, engineer Gordon Taylor said....
New Tarentum manager eager to be part of borough’s growth
Tarentum’s new manager, Dwight Boddorf, feels he is joining the borough at the perfect time. “It seems like there’s a good connection between council, businesses and residents, and I want to be part of the growing success,” said Boddorf, 35, who serves as Stowe Township administrator. His first day in...
Former longtime Aspinwall resident Fay Powell is a force behind annual Harvest Fair
Fay Powell has been a long-time contributor to, and consumer of, the Harvest Fair at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. A church member more than four decades, Powell recalls making mushroom sandwiches and being part of a sewing group that made doll clothes. Since retiring in 2015 as a nurse at...
Fox Chapel Rotary Golf Classic scores big money to help local charities
The Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area will hit the links for a good cause. Members will host the annual Golf Classic fundraiser with proceeds benefiting two local charities: Aspinwall Meals on Wheels and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. “Both groups have been serving the communities in the...
