Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 64
‘We have to move forward’: Guardian Angels Parish eyes closing 5 churches, 17 ancillary buildings
As a child spending time at his grandparent’s house in Natrona, Paul Krofchik vividly recalls walking the few blocks from their home along Linden Street to Mass at St. Ladislaus Church, a domed building that takes up half the block on Spruce Street. “It was huge, and there were these...
Long-term lane shift coming to Route 28
A long-term lane shift along Route 28 near O’Hara is scheduled to begin Saturday to accommodate a paving project. PennDOT announced that work will begin at 5 a.m. on southbound Route 28 and impact the stretch that runs through Aspinwall, Sharpsburg and O’Hara. Motorists will be shifted from the current...
Funnel Cake Fridays prove a hit for Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary
If it’s a Friday in July, you can find Bill Crooks flipping funnel cakes behind a sizzling hot fryer at Kennedy Park in Sharpsburg. A line of hungry people snakes around the concession stand, eager to sample the festive fare offered by the Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary. “We do about 80 funnel...
Harrison man sought in Freeport Road burglary
Harrison police have issued an arrest warrant for a man accused of breaking into Freehling Service along Freeport Road and stealing a truck and other items. Mark Bauer, 61, of Harrison is charged with burglary, criminal trespass, theft and receiving stolen property stemming from an incident July 22. “He was...
Harvest Church purchases Calvary Baptist in Harrison, hopes to grow congregation
Church leaders looking to grow their audience in Harrison finally have a building to call home. Harvest Church, a nondenominational ministry, is scheduled to purchase the Calvary Baptist Church in the Natrona Heights section of the township. The church sits along Pacific Avenue, just off Freeport Road. “I’m stoked,” said...
Sheldon Park Community Garden thriving again
A community garden in Sheldon Park is thriving once again thanks to two women with green thumbs and big hearts. Whitney Washington, a resident of the public housing complex in Harrison, resurrected the decades-old plot three years ago after it fell into disrepair. Now, providing food for residents is among...
Joe Grushecky set to rock out at Allegheny RiverTrail Park
Legendary Pittsburgh rocker Joe Grushecky will hit the stage Friday in Aspinwall for an evening of blues and soul sure to get audiences movin’ in their seats. The concert is part of the Rock the River series, the park’s annual summer shows, aimed at bringing stellar musical performances to the...
Route 28 ramp closures scheduled near Harmar, Fox Chapel
Motorists who use Route 28 near Harmar and Fox Chapel should expect traffic tangles beginning Wednesday. In Harmar, the on-ramp from eastbound Route 910 that carries traffic north on Route 28 will close short-term, PennDOT announced. Weather permitting, work there is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. and will go...
Tarentum Recreation Board shakes it up with Food Truck Festival
Tacos, shrimp po’boys and ice slushies will be on the menu at Tarentum Recreation Board’s inaugural Food Truck Festival. Scheduled for Aug. 11, the event is expected to fill Riverview Memorial Park. “We thought this would be a fresh idea for Tarentum,” said Carrie Fox, board president. “We wanted to...
Investigation underway at Harrison house slated for demolition
A fire at a Harrison home that was targeted for blight remediation is under investigation by the Allegheny County Fire Marshall. Emergency crews were dispatched at about 6:40 a.m. Monday for a two-alarm fire at 52 North Canal Street in the Natrona section of the township. “There is water damage...
Harrison police investigating trio of burglaries along Freeport Road
Harrison police are investigating the burglaries of three businesses late last week along Freeport Road. A truck was stolen early Friday from Freehling Service at 2901 Freeport Road. Burglars also hit Della’s Frozen Custard at 5001 Freeport Road and Harbison’s Nursery at 4024 Freeport Road. All three incidents happened overnight...
Harrison secures $118,000 to raze blighted buildings
Several blighted homes in Harrison will be demolished next year thanks to a $118,000 grant awarded to the township in June. Manager John Pallone said a majority of the money will be spent in the Natrona section of the township but noted there are other areas that will be addressed....
Free food distribution set at Pittsburgh Mills
A free mass food distribution for Alle-Kiski Valley families will be held from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at Pittsburgh Mills. The drive-thru-only event is hosted by the Harrison-based Allegheny Valley Association of Churches (AVAC) and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Since the pandemic hit, the food distribution...
Tarentum receives nearly $100,000 for sewer work along East Seventh Avenue
A sewer project along East Seventh Avenue in Tarentum will be largely paid for by a federal Community Development Block Grant. The borough was notified June 23 that it will receive nearly $100,000 through the program, which is distributed through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “We were...
Faces of the Valley: Volunteer Janet Purdie helps grow BridgePoint Church in Tarentum
When the pandemic forced Janet Purdie’s layoff from her full-time job at Leeds in New Kensington, it was a sure bet she wasn’t going to sit around the house. A seven-year parishioner at BridgePoint Church in Tarentum, Purdie ramped up her volunteer efforts at the site along East Ninth Avenue...
Harrison commissioners to vote on police chief’s retirement and rehiring
The question of whether Harrison police Chief Michael Klein can retire later this year and be rehired on a part-time basis will be a topic for discussion by the township commissioners Monday. The board last month held off on voting whether to allow Klein to retire Oct. 28 and return...
Harrison library reveals ‘Secrets of the Allegheny River,’ including long-popular Jack’s Island
Growing up in 1940s Natrona, Mary Ann Debor didn’t have to look far for a perfect riverfront getaway. Her family was among a dozen who built wooden cabins on Jack’s Island, an idyllic retreat plopped in the middle of the Allegheny River between Harrison and Lower Burrell. “We had a...
Dog park construction underway at Harrison Hills Park
Ground has been broken for the off-leash dog park planned at Harrison Hills. The 1.3-acre site will sit along Woodchuck Drive, across from Laurel Shelter in the upper portion of the park. Allegheny County landscape architect Joel Perkovich said the open field is a perfect spot to let dogs of...
Corbet Street market to be demolished by fall to make way for parking, green space
Corbet Street in Tarentum is expected to have a new look by fall with the demolition of a two-story building that was home for many years to a corner market. Borough officials on June 23 closed on the purchase of 215 Corbet, the two-story red brick building that is noticeable...
Fanciful ‘Xanadu’ rolls into Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park
A musical fantasy with rad costumes — on wheels — will transform the stage at Allegheny RiverTrail Park for an out-of-this-world rendition of “Xanadu.” Riverfront Theater Company’s Young Artists will transport audiences to the disco-loving days of 1980 for the roller skating adventure. It will be presented at 7 p.m....
Allegheny Valley Hospital seeks empathetic volunteers
Rosemary Musolino retired in 2009 after 30 years working as a reading specialist at New Ken-Arnold School District. Within three weeks, she had a new gig volunteering a couple of times a week at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison, a role she called “totally outside her comfort zone.” “I always...
BridgePoint Church to host services, picnics in Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park
A Tarentum minister is inviting people to worship in Riverview Memorial Park on four Sundays this summer. The Rev. Val Schubert from BridgePoint Church, an Assemblies of God ministry along East Ninth Avenue, said services will be combined with children’s crafts, music and food in hopes of drawing people to...
St. Joe’s High School leaders promoted to new roles
Two administrators at St. Joseph High School in Harrison will lead with new titles but in familiar roles. Beverly Kaniecki and Kimberly Minick were named president and principal, respectively, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced Friday. The work is something the pair has shared for more than a decade. “God...
Volunteers sought to clean Allegheny River banks from Verona to Aspinwall
Volunteers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty will have a unique opportunity to clean typically inaccessible banks of the Allegheny River between Aspinwall and Verona during an event on July 23. Hosted by Allegheny CleanWays, Friends of the Riverfront and 3 Rivers Outdoor Company (3ROC), the shoreline clean-up is...
Summit Hose Fall Festival to return to Tarentum after 2-year covid hiatus
Bingo, bands and the best French fries this side of the river will fill Tarentum’s Riverview Memorial Park when Summit Hose Company brings back its popular Fall Festival after two years in a covid-related hiatus. The carnival is scheduled for Sept. 8-10 and is expected to draw thousands of people...
