Bethel Park Journal category, Page 23
Bethel Park girls volleyball sets sights on section title
Bethel Park’s girls volleyball team plans to “hit the ground running” this season. With seven starters back from last year’s playoff squad, coach Brooke Muraco is bullish on the Black Hawks’ chances. “Almost all the returning players played competitively with a club in the offseason,” Muraco said, “and we did...
Rev ‘Em Up For Kids returns to Bethel Park
If you like the “Smokey and the Bandit” movies, you’ll love Jim Gastgeb’s Pontiac. He has a 1977 Trans Am that looks pretty much like what Burt Reynolds drove in the Hal Needham-directed films, and Gastgeb even has life-sized images of the Bandit and Sally Field. No Jackie Gleason, though....
Independence work continues as school year starts in Bethel Park
The principal of Bethel Park’s Independence Middle School joined the staff just as plans for the building’s renovation were starting in earnest. “It’s very exciting, because you get to design the space and the instructional component together,” Racquel Sutton said. “And when do you ever have that opportunity? Every other...
Peters Township event benefits Always B Smiling activity center
As she spoke to a substantial crowd of people gathered on a bright Sunday morning, Kristin Huibregtse had difficulty holding back tears. “I know Bennett’s smiling down at all of this,” the South Fayette resident said, “and I’m just so happy and just love everybody here.” The occasion was the...
‘That’s how we remember it’: Legend of Drowning Fish endures as Bethel Park brewery marks 1st anniversary
So, two guys walk into a bar with a talking fish. Then they all decide to open a brewery together. “We say that’s a true story,” Pleasant Hills resident Don Tomino said. “We were drinking a little bit that day, but that’s how we remember it.” He and Mike Ameel...
‘No longer invisible’: Voter information shared at Chinese association’s picnic in North Park
Along with English and Spanish, voter services in Pennsylvania now are available in Chinese. “Many of our community members don’t know yet,” Stephanie Sun, executive director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, said. “So that’s why we’re here, to share more resources and information.” She and...
Jake Dixon trades in season tickets for shoulder pads as he awaits Steelers preseason debut
Jake Dixon is used to attending night games at Acrisure Stadium. In two days, he’ll get to actually play in one. Dixon, the undrafted rookie offensive lineman from Bethel Park and Duquesne, will make his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday when they open the preseason against the Seattle...
Bethel Park celebrates life of teacher: Jon Gentile remembered by family, friends and fellow Phish fans
Ask the average music listener about the rock band Phish, and a likely response is either the faintest hint of recognition or a flat-out blank stare. But concerts by Phish — yes, that’s with a “Ph” — marked special occasions for Bethel Park High School teachers Jon Gentile and Rich...
Daily camp report: Bethel Park’s Jake Dixon involved in fight to end Steelers practice
Tempers already were intensifying when defensive lineman Carlos Davis and guard Kendrick Green scuffled in training camp Friday, the first day the Pittsburgh Steelers donned shells under their jerseys. It reached a boiling point on the final play of the workout. Again, Davis was at the center of the festivities....
Scaling Seven Summits: CEO’s climbs raise money toward providing free hearing aids
Scaling North America’s tallest peak is difficult enough without temporarily losing a vital means of communication. “You’re on this rope, and you can’t talk to anybody because you have to be separated on the rope,” Julie Beall-McKelvey said. “In case one of you falls, you can’t be right next to...
TV Talk: Former Pittsburgher talks new season of ‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’Video
When “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” returns for its third season Wednesday on Disney+, the show moves from its regular Utah high school setting to a summer camp where the campers perform the Disney musical “Frozen.” Executive producer/showrunner Tim Federle, a 1998 graduate of Upper St. Clair High...
Bethel Park happenings for week of July 25, 2022
Summer concert series continues The 2022 Dean Streator Summer Concert Series, sponsored by the Bethel Park Community Foundation, continues at 2:30 p.m. each Sunday through Aug. 7 at the Bethel Park Community Center, 5151 Park Ave. Doors open at 1:30. Wrapping up the schedule are: • July 31 — Allegheny...
Senior core made a difference for Bethel Park girls lacrosse
They were mainstays in the Bethel Park girls lacrosse program for four years. Caitlyn Schultz, Riley Miller and Tori Krapp proved to be near-unstoppable four-year starters for the Black Hawks. “Those three have led this team in every way over the last four years,” coach Becky Luzier said. “Tori was...
Seniors leave championship legacy with Bethel Park baseball program
The seniors on the 2022 Bethel Park championship baseball team enjoyed tremendous success in their varsity careers. The Black Hawks captured back-to-back PIAA titles in 2021-2022 after finishing second and third in WPIAL Class 5A. In 2022, Bethel Park was 14-3 in the regular season, took second place in section...
Baldwin valedictorian credits South Hills Interfaith Movement with helping her navigate education, a new country
“Who you become is way more important than the work you do.” Those words were spoken by Kritika Timsina, valedictorian at Baldwin High School, at graduation in June. “The person you become is more impactful on the world,” Timsina said. “You can be inspired by someone who has grit, and...
Bethel Park’s Vintage Radio Players take listeners back in time
When you listen to them talk, you can just picture it. Just like in the good old days. Members of the Vintage Radio Players re-enact scenes from the time there were no televisions. People gathered around and listened to shows rather than watch them. To picture it, think of those...
Bethel Park-based Keystone Chorus brings old-time tunes to life
In the basement of Hamilton Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park is the sound of music. Familiar songs such as “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” “Under the Boardwalk” and “When I’m Sixty-Four” conjure up memories of tunes reminiscent of the days of barbershop quartets. On this night it’s a group of singers:...
Police say Beechview man filmed teen girl in fitting room at South Hills Village
A Beechview man is accused by Bethel Park police of filming a 14-year-old girl trying on clothing in a fitting room at a store inside South Hills Village, according to a criminal complaint. Police said they found the 30-second video of the girl on a cellphone belonging to Miguel M....
Vegan expo attracts healthy crowd to Monroeville Convention Center
Empty parking spots were difficult to find outside Monroeville Convention Center’s North Hall on the afternoon of July 16, demonstrating that what Amy Cotrill began in the 1990s has come a long way. The occasion was the Original Pittsburgh Vegan Expo and Festival, a multicultural showcase for plant-based food and...
Bethel Park, Scott receive state funds to improve traffic safety
Officials in Scott Township and Bethel Park received some good news from Harrisburg on July 14. Both municipalities are receiving grant money to support traffic signal upgrades through PennDOT’s Green Light-Go funding program. Bethel Park is getting $185,292 for improvements to the traffic signal at Library Road (Route 88) and...
Bethel Park market includes particularly healthy option
With apologies to Popeye, the road to eating healthfully isn’t as smooth as simply gulping some soggy greens. “No one is asking anyone to just drop everything and start eating spinach,” Asanté Bierria said. “That’s not realistic, and that’s not how it should go. You’re putting too much pressure on...
Real estate transactions for week of July 17, 2022
Andrew Shoener sold property at 855 Boulder Drive to Joseph Colonello and Colleen Wojciechowski for $375,000. SFR3-000 LLC sold property at 2883 Cedar St. to Aria Ann Crowel for $232,000. Constance Lappa sold property at 6193 Dalmation Drive to RMAC Trust Ser 2016 CTT for $160,000. Douglas Everhart sold property...
Bethel Park lacrosse coach focuses on players’ mental health
A casual observer simply may see teenage girls playing lacrosse Their coach tends to view a world of possibilities that transcends sports. “This is the future,” Becky Luzier said. “We’re looking at the ability to change every ill that exists in our society on this field right now, because someday...
Bethel Park alumni surprise senior with $10,000 scholarship
A first-time meeting and subsequent conversation between a Bethel Park High School senior and a pair of alumni resulted in the student being offered a $10,000 scholarship. Lily Gaston met Jeffrey and Christine (Hasselberg) Keisling, both 1975 graduates, at a dinner honoring some of the school’s distinguished alumni, held prior...
Project mitigates Thunderwood Drive flooding in Bethel Park
A ribbon-cutting event was held in June to recognize completion of the $1.053 million Thunderwood Drive flood mitigation project in an area of the Bethel Park community substantially impacted by major flooding in 2018. The project consisted of a two-step approach. First, 1,220 lineal feet of new 42-inch storm sewer...
