Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 97
Shaler commissioners approve property tax relief for eligible fire volunteers
Shaler commissioners have extended the township’s tax relief program for fire volunteers. Property tax relief is now available for firefighters who don’t meet the criteria for the township’s typical earned income tax (EIT) assistance. Eligible fire volunteers can receive up to a $300 credit on their township property taxes through...
Drive-up ATM coming to Butler Street in Shaler
People will be able to do their banking at a stand-alone ATM machine soon to be under construction along Shaler’s Butler Street business corridor. Commissioners approved a site development plan from OptiVia LLC to build a drive-thru banking machine near the Shop’n Save grocery store. It will sit at 917...
Free meals for Fox Chapel Area School District families doled out weekly at Blawnox firehall
Free grab-and-go meals will be available in Blawnox each Tuesday through Feb. 2 for Fox Chapel Area School District families. Sponsored by Backpack for Hunger and Fox Families Care, the meals will be served at the Blawnox firehall, 376 Freeport Road. “This is for anyone,” volunteer Lisa Bowden said. “There...
Fox Chapel Area telethon raises $16,400 for Sharpsburg Community Library
Programs and projects at the Sharpsburg Community Library funded by the Fox Chapel Area student telethon will continue for years to come, library officials said. The event brought in more than $16,400 for the library at 1212 Main St. “We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from the...
Efforts underway to make Aspinwall library/community center accessible ‘for all’
With its tree-lined streets and walkable neighborhood, Aspinwall could benefit from a community center that offers game nights, book-borrowing, gardening and a café. That’s according to residents Amy and Christian Lima who are spearheading a nonprofit effort to open the Aspinwall Library — the name of which belies the variety...
The top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of Jan. 4Video
Here are some of the top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of Jan. 4: • Fox Chapel church hosts ‘Fill-a-Truck’ food collection for local pantries An annual food collection at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church will help local food banks that include Bread of Life in Etna,...
Shaler Area School District again extends remote learning; return to classrooms moved to mid-January
Shaler Area School District has again extended its remote learning period, this time through Jan. 15. Superintendent Sean Aiken alerted families through a letter that students will return to the classroom for hybrid instruction beginning Jan. 19 for Cohort A and Jan. 21 for Cohort B. January 18 is a...
Belle Voci women’s choir using off-time during pandemic to fuel camaraderie
The Fox Chapel-based women’s choir, Belle Voci, is using the covid-19 pandemic to fuel camaraderie and strengthen spirits. In many ways, the group is connecting more deeply than when their time was focused strictly on rehearsing, Pamela Bruchwalski, marketing director, said. “We may not be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, but...
Etna seeking to fill a 3rd Ward council vacancy
Etna residents interested in serving local government can apply to fill a council vacancy. Interested residents must apply by Jan. 12. Bill O’Dell, who represents the 3rd Ward, resigned Dec. 31. He was not immediately able to be reached for comment. The 3rd Ward consists of the neighborhood left of...
Atria’s, Juniper Grill remain closed despite lift on state restrictions
Two local restaurant chains have chosen to remain temporarily closed despite the state lifting its most recent covid-19 restrictions. Management at Atria’s and Juniper Grill said they cannot be profitable at half-capacity, as mandated by Gov. Tom Wolf’s virus-related guidelines. “We cannot and will not make it as a business...
Winter lantern festival to launch Fox Chapel’s new parks conservancy
A winter lantern festival in Fox Chapel first delayed by rain is rescheduled for sundown Friday. The event will launch the borough’s new parks conservancy by installing a sea of flickering lanterns across the field at McCahill Park along Squaw Run Road. From 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., people can enjoy...
Aspinwall holds tax rate steady despite increase in spending plan
Aspinwall officials are crediting a strong housing market for helping to maintain the property tax rate in 2021, despite increased spending and pandemic impacts. Aspinwall Council approved the borough’s $2.8 million budget, which holds the real estate tax rate at 6.86 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000...
Fox Chapel Presbyterian asks people to Fill-a-Truck for local food pantries
An annual food collection at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church will help local food banks bridge the gap between the holidays and spring time drives, pantry leaders said. The Fill-a-Truck event in early February, split between the Bread of Life in Etna, St. Vincent de Paul in Sharpsburg and Council of...
Shaler approves purchase of former primary school for community use
A former Shaler Area elementary school will be converted for community use after its purchase by the township is complete. The vacant Jeffery Primary building along Wetzel Road was offered for sale by the district to Shaler for $120,000. The 31,500 square-foot school sits directly across from the municipal building...
Chartiers Valley to continue remote learning through Jan. 11
Chartiers Valley School District will continue remote learning this week, with students returning to the classrooms Jan. 11. Superintendent Johannah Vanatta alerted families through a pre-holiday letter that the district hoped to capitalize on extended remote learning to mitigate the spread of covid-19. “The district found it quite beneficial to...
Newly formed Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy sponsors winter lantern festival
A visit to McCahill Park in Fox Chapel on Jan. 1 will be nothing short of magical as the site transforms into a glistening field of lights at sundown. The effort is to promote the newly created Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy, founded to emphasize the community’s passion for its expansive...
In brief: board vacancies, road closures, fundraising and more in the Shaler area
Etna is seeking candidates to fill the newly created human relations commission. Of the five-member board, two people will serve three-year terms, two will serve two-year terms and one will serve for one year. Members can’t hold public office and must be borough residents or own a business in town....
Top stories from across the Lower Valley for the week of Dec. 20Video
Here are some of the top stories of the week of Dec. 20: - Blawnox property taxes remain steady. Blawnox residents will pay the same real estate taxes to the borough in 2021 after council approved the borough’s budget. With the property tax rate at 9.85 mills, the owner of...
Fox Chapel area student news: Covid-19 cases reported; meeting schedule and more
Fox Chapel Area School District reported 36 confirmed and probable covid-19 cases in the schools as of Dec. 16. The district reports its cases in a rolling 14-day period and counts a case only if the person was physically in the building while infectious. In December, the high school saw...
Shaler Area Backpack Initiative dishes up meals for more than 100 district students a week
Shaler Area is seeking secret Santas to help feed district children – but the good deed will last long after the holidays. The district’s Backpack Initiative provides weekend meals to more than 100 children in kindergarten through eighth grade, dishing out easy-to-prep meals and single-serving snacks to ensure nutrition isn’t...
Shaler holds line on taxes, moves forward with $700,000 in trail work and stream restoration
Shaler residents will pay the same in property taxes to the township in 2021 after commissioners approved its $14.5 million budget. The plan maintains a real estate tax rate of 3.49 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will again pay $349 to the township. Residents also pay...
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education builds on success of first online-only classes
The first-ever entirely remote semester of Fox Chapel Area Adult Education (FCAAE) proved to be more rewarding than organizers expected – so much so that they’re building on its success for a second round of virtual classes that begin in January. “I am so honored to work with a community...
O’Hara appoints 3rd Ward rep to serve vacancy
A consultant who worked previously as the assistant athletic director for Fox Chapel Area High School was appointed to fill a vacancy on O’Hara council. Republican Greg Caprara will represent the township’s 3rd Ward through 2021. He is serving the remainder of a term vacated last month by Scott Frankowski....
Aquinas’ John Griffith builds Marian grotto to earn Eagle Scout
A wooden Marian grotto now graces the hillside overlooking Dolan Field at Aquinas Academy in Gibsonia. The simple shrine to the Virgin Mary was built by junior John Griffith, 17, who worked for six weeks on the project to earn his rank as Eagle Scout – the highest achievement in...
Aspinwall eyes safety improvements for Freeport Road
Aspinwall council hopes to implement safety initiatives along Freeport Road in 2021 that could include upgraded bus shelters, bike sharrows and increased parking. The plan would follow some of the many recommendations derived from a 2019 TranSystems study, paid for by a near $13,000 grant from Allegheny County. The list...
