Lifestyles category, Page 30
High school reunions going strong despite presence of social media
Debbie Gathagan, 67, said planning a class reunion is a lot like planning a wedding. Gathagan’s last name was Tedesco when she graduated from Penn Hills in 1974. She stayed in the area until she moved to Plum about two years ago. After 20 years without seeing most of her...
Mattel releases new ‘Blind Barbie’ doll
Mattel launched the first ever blind Barbie this week in partnership with the American Foundation for the Blind. The new doll comes with a red-and-white cane, sunglasses that provide additional eye protection for individuals who may be sensitive to light and a slightly upward-looking gaze that blind people may have,...
Chicken wings advertised as ‘boneless’ can have bones, Ohio Supreme Court decides
Consumers cannot expect boneless chicken wings to actually be free of bones, a divided Ohio Supreme Court ruled Thursday, rejecting claims by a restaurant patron who suffered serious medical complications from getting a bone stuck in his throat. Michael Berkheimer was dining with his wife and friends at a wing...
Rockaway Pizzeria moving to Regent Square
Rockaway Pizzeria is set to move from White Oak to Regent Square this fall. Corbin Waligura, manager of Rockaway Pizzeria, confirmed that the move will take place in October. The pizzeria will move into the former Square Cafe space on South Braddock Avenue across from Hemlock House, which is under...
Volunteering would feel good even if it didn’t have health benefits. But it does
After retiring from 35 years as a teacher, Jeff Kellert began volunteering as a tutor and helped with monthly dinners at his synagogue. Later, he got certified to lead support groups every other week for the National Mental Health Alliance, an organization for relatives of people with mental illness. Altogether,...
On the road: Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
The Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix is the country’s largest vintage racing event, and the only one run on city streets. There are more than a dozen events throughout the city that draw more than 200,000 visitors and raise money for Autism-Pittsburgh and Merakey Allegheny Valley School. Since 1983, the annual...
Ragtime Racers will be on the road at Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix
Ford Motor Co. founder Henry Ford once said, “Auto racing began five minutes after the second car was built.” That philosophy is the foundation of a race exhibition group that will be in Pittsburgh Aug. 3-4 for the annual Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix. Formed in 2018 for race cars manufactured...
New hair salon combines cocktails with luxury cuts in Aspinwall
A luxury family-friendly hair salon is now open in Aspinwall. Tonic Salon hosted a soft-opening celebration Sunday, July 21, at 339 First St., off Brilliant Avenue. The event drew a packed house, and guests enjoyed champagne and Italian spirits. “We do hair differently here. It’s the total experience, and we...
These plants wait their whole lives to bloom once. It’s usually spectacular
Flowering annuals generally bloom nonstop before dying at the end of the year or season. Perennials return every year, providing either season-long color, a burst of blossoms followed by sporadic blooming or a limited show that can last as little as two weeks. And biennials flower only in their second...
‘Hillbilly Elegy’ generates high interest at Westmoreland, Allegheny libraries
Since former President Donald Trump announced Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance as his running mate, Vance’s memoir has generated attention at local libraries. The 2016 book, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” tells the story of Vance’s family roots in Kentucky, his upbringing in Middletown, Ohio,...
Picklesburgh adds extra day, new events
Leave it to Pittsburgh to continue to make an even bigger big dill out of pickles. The annual pickle-inspired event — Picklesburgh — is produced by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and presented by Kraft Heinz. This year, there is a new competition and an extra day for the event voted...
Melanie Marie Malloy Boyer champions Hispanic business growth
Melanie Marie Malloy Boyer is a business whisperer, curator of connections and proud Colombian. How does this skillset wrap all into one person? For the executive director of the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a multi-hyphenate — someone who has multiple skillsets and professions — it comes...
Aperitivo Club in Downtown Pittsburgh inspired by Italy
Aperitivo is an Italian word meaning a small drink of liquor taken to stimulate the appetite before a meal. It is usually accompanied by a light snack. The Aperitivo Club near Market Square in Downtown Pittsburgh brings this tradition to life. Tucked in the back of Market St. Grocery and...
After crash that killed 6 teens, NTSB chief says people underestimate marijuana’s impact on drivers
DETROIT — A horrific crash that killed six high school girls in Oklahoma two years ago has the head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board urging parents to warn teenagers about the risk of driving after using marijuana. Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy made the appeal to parents Thursday as her...
Historic utility and high fashion. 80-year-old LL Bean staple finds a new audience as a trendy bag
FREEPORT, Maine — L.L. Bean created it 80 years ago to haul heavy blocks of ice. Now it’s a must-have summer fashion accessory. The simple, sturdy canvas bag called the Boat and Tote is having an extended moment 80 years after its introduction, thanks to a social media trend in...
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium announces its newest penguin
The newest penguin in town got to meet the leader of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Head coach Mike Sullivan got a behind-the-scenes visit with a chick named for the hockey event when a player scores three goals in the same game. Hat Trick, nicknamed “Hatty,” is the newest penguin at the...
Standing tall: Stilt walkers tower from above as they entertainVideo
O’Ryan McGowan-Arrowroot is wearing colorful pants that are way too long with vertical stripes and a shirt with bold horizontal stripes. His polka dot socks are mismatched. He puts on a hat made from a kitchen colander, a red-and-white polka dot jacket and a red clown nose. McGowan-Arrowroot reaches for...
Primanti Bros. honors Paul Skenes with meal deal for diners wearing mustaches — real or fake
Facial hair is in. At least at Primanti Bros. it is. To honor Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes, the restaurant will offer a free classic sandwich to any diner with a mustache at 8 p.m. during Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game. Skenes was announced Friday as the starting pitcher for the...
What to do if your personal info has been exposed in a data breach
LONDON — Data breaches like the most recent one involving AT&T customers are becoming an almost regular occurrence. As more of our lives move online, our personal data like email addresses, phone numbers, birthdates and even passcodes are becoming ever more vulnerable to theft or being mistakenly exposed. In malicious...
$7 million estate offers old-world luxury in Fox Chapel
A European-inspired estate boasting an elevator and eight bathrooms in Fox Chapel is listed for $7 million. The provincial-designed country estate on three acres, located at 341 Fairview Road, sits atop a hill and overlooks 7½ acres of undeveloped land owned by the Fox Chapel Land Conservation Trust. “This estate...
River view: Glen Osborne Airbnb is located on a house boat
Imagine waking up and looking out the window to a view of the water and feeling waves moving under you. That can be a reality aboard an Airbnb right here in Western Pennsylvania. The Serene Houseboat Hideaway is an Airbnb docked on the Ohio River in Glen Osborne. Owned by...
26 million tons of clothing end up in China’s landfills each year, propelled by fast fashion
WENZHOU, China — At a factory in Zhejiang province on China’s eastern coast, two mounds of discarded cotton clothing and bed linens, loosely separated into dark and light colors, pile up on a workroom floor. Jacket sleeves, collars and brand labels protrude from the stacks as workers feed the garments into shredding machines....
Whiskey Heritage Center celebrates Pa.’s historical significance in distilling
It’s often steel, coal and glass that come to mind when Pennsylvanians think of the state’s core industries. But, to Aaron Hollis, many forget a historically key player: whiskey. West Overton Village, a museum and heritage site in East Huntingdon, has opened the James B. Beam Pennsylvania Whiskey Heritage Center,...
Faces of the Valley: Anne Lindsay frequents farmers markets with a business baked from scratch
Like many people, Anne Lindsay took up a new hobby in the early days of the covid pandemic, looking to kill time after a day of virtual classes as a Freeport Area High School student. The difference is, she stuck with it, turning a hankering for sourdough bread into a...
An Alaska tourist spot will vote whether to ban cruise ships on Saturdays to give locals a break
JUNEAU, Alaska — Each year, a crush of tourists arrives in Alaska’s capital city on cruise ships to see wonders like the fast-diminishing Mendenhall Glacier. Now, long-simmering tensions over Juneau’s tourism boom are coming to a head over a new voter initiative aimed at giving residents a respite from the...
