Faces of the Valley category
Building the Valley: Historic building serves as Vandergrift community gathering center
An almost century-old Vandergrift building that once served youth sports groups has been transformed into a community event space, breathing fresh life into a structure long tied to the borough’s history. Venue at 413, located on Linden Street, opened in January as a two-story rental venue. It already has hosted...
Faces of the Valley: Valley High student-athlete embodies leadership and positive ethos
For Valley High School Advanced Placement English teacher Rachael Link, students like Emmi Diehm give her hope for the future. “She’s the definition of the passion that we all have in this profession,” Link said. “As a member of the human race, knowing that Emmi is quickly exiting her junior...
Building the Valley: Autism support group, Powered by Love, promotes acceptance
Heather Vaughan is often asked why she started her nonprofit, Powered by Love. “The answer is simple,” the South Buffalo resident said. “It’s for my son, RJ.” Vaughan said she dreamed of becoming a mom, but things didn’t turn out exactly the way she imagined. When her son was diagnosed...
Faces of the Valley: Arnold outdoorsman takes on caretaker role for Rachel Carson TrailVideo
Levi Wilson is a trailblazer. No, really. Wilson, 40, of Arnold is responsible for maintaining the hundreds of blazes that guide hikers and runners through the rugged 46.2-mile Rachel Carson Trail. And that’s only one of his responsibilities. A floor manager at Aloma Shim and Manufacturing Co. in Penn Hills...
Building the Valley: Owner of Springdale restaurant builds bonds on ‘Calabrian Girl Tours’
Kathy Marsico never thought she’d end up spending half the year in the Italian countryside as a tour guide. The New Kensington resident worked as a hairdresser and eventually a restaurateur at Ladles in Arnold before she moved it to its present Springdale location. Though she grew up speaking Italian...
Building the Valley: New Kensington’s Catoris Candies celebrates 100 years of treats
In the production room at New Kensington’s Catoris Candies, owner John Gentile flipped through a small, yellowed notepad of candy recipes. Most of the scribbled instructions have been followed since the shop’s opening 100 years ago, he said. Still, Gentile often takes creative liberties in developing new sweets, especially variations...
Tarentum Book Club, the 2nd-oldest in the state, marks 125 years
Members of The Tarentum Book Club — the oldest club in the Alle-Kiski Valley — aren’t surprised people are clamoring to join. “Everyone in the club values it,” member Mary Jane Jacques said. “Whatever committee you’re on, we all do our very best.” As the club marks its 125th anniversary,...
Faces of the Valley: New Kensington Arnold School District secures new head of safety
William Leek Jr. has always wanted to help people. He pursued that goal on a professional level through a series of public service and safety roles. That included a stint in the Marine Corps Reserves, as a police officer with the Rehoboth Beach Police Department for two years and later...
New Kensington gift shop sells quirky, handmade 1-of-a-kind itemsVideo
Racks of quirky totes and custom tumblers now fill a small New Kensington storefront — but two years ago, The Bag Lady began with a single handmade Halloween trick-or-treat bag designed in honor of a deceased loved one’s birthday. Now, The Bag Lady owner Heather Naugle, a Penn Hills resident,...
Building the Valley: Veteran duo takes the wheel at Harrison auto shop
A longtime auto repair shop in Harrison has reopened under new management — and a bit of divine intervention, according to the new owners. Ekas Auto Care along Freeport Road was purchased by Ashley and Ryan Stadelmaier of Freeport, both veterans who served as U.S. Army helicopter technicians. “My husband...
Young Leechburg entrepreneurs take over Boulder Landscape, Excavation and Supply
Be it residential lawn care or an industrial project, folks in the Leechburg and Gilpin area will be seeing some familiar faces as the weather heats up. Leechburg natives Chace Wadsworth, 23, and John Wagner, 24, are cornering the local market in landscaping services. The men have worked together since...
New Kensington-born singer, songwriter, drummer Cam Chambers impacts Pittsburgh music scene
For Cam Chambers, a Pittsburgh-based vocal producer, singer and drummer, music is synonymous with love. “It’s written in love. The intention is to love something — whether it’s yourself, whether it’s a person, whether it’s a moment, and that’s a reminder,” he said of music. “The process of being around...
Former Valley News Dispatch reporter returns to her roots in new contemporary, romantic fiction
When former Valley News Dispatch reporter and editor Patricia Vido started writing her debut novel “For Love of Billie” 10 years ago, she was sure of one detail: its setting in the Alle-Kiski Valley. “That’s the most important piece of a story,” Vido said. “The Alle-Kiski Valley is where I...
From shop class to 3D printing: transforming tech education at Valley High School
It was winter 2002 when Rick Shaner graduated from then-California University of Pennsylvania with a degree in technical education and was out job hunting. “I was thinking, nobody’s going to be hiring now,” Shaner said. “I stopped at Kiski, Burrell and Valley just to get substitute teaching packets.” When he...
New Kensington welcomes ‘bigger & gayer’ Evanly Bakes
New Kensington bakery Evanly Bakes has made a sweet expansion under the slogan “bigger & gayer than ever.” Baker Evan Morgan-Newpher and his business partner, Kate Heller, joined New Kensington Mayor Tom Guzzo on Saturday to cut a red ribbon announcing the new location’s grand opening. Evanly Bakes, now at...
Explore Amish culture at Dutchman Amish Market in Vandergrift
Aundrea “Andie” Martin has always appreciated Amish culture and the products created through Amish practices. Martin, from the West Lebanon neighborhood of Young Township, Indiana County, has embarked on a mission to bring Amish creations to a larger population. She’s doing it through her store, The Dutchman Amish Market in...
Faces of the Valley: O’Hara runner makes Three Rivers Heritage Trail a better place
When Keith Arner committed to running the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2023, he hit the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Millvale regularly. Fast-forward three years, and the O’Hara resident is still running. But now he spends more time on the trail making sure it’s at its best for other walkers and...
Building the Valley: STEM Academy planned for New Kensington
A planned after-school STEM academy in New Kensington aims to put the city on the map. The nonprofit, R&D Impact Foundation plans to open the SparX Academy at 1250 Fifth Ave., said Nicole Roberts, the foundation’s director of program management. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. “It’s going...
‘I’m capable’: Special Olympics athlete Sheena Black to compete in national games
When Sheena Black found out she would be competing in track and field at the Special Olympics USA Games this June in Minneapolis, she couldn’t contain her excitement. After 34 years as a Special Olympics athlete and earning 259 medals, she will have her first chance at running on the...
Faces of the Valley: PR director leaves Allegheny Valley School District after 3 decades
To Jan Zastawniak, it’s a great thing to be a Dynamo. The Springdale alumna and longtime borough resident retired in December from Allegheny Valley School District, where she worked as public relations director for more than 30 years. But Zastawniak was never lacking for other responsibilities at Allegheny Valley. She...
Faces of the Valley: North Apollo man celebrated for 50-year career journey
Gene Burns has guts. At least that’s what his first manager, Don Brewer, at Kiski Valley Water Pollution Control Authority, said when Burns showed up on his doorstep on New Year’s Eve in 1975 asking for an interview. Less than a month later, Burns began what would become a 50-year...
Building the Valley: Veteran-owned 12 Bravo BBQ seeks to spotlight Harrison VFW
Frank Frantz isn’t afraid of a little heat. The South Buffalo resident is becoming known locally for his tangy “Bravo” barbecue sauce and slow-cooked brisket, sold the past few years from a roving food truck. He has joined fellow chef James Palumbi of Saxonburg in opening an indoor version, 12...
Building the Valley: Family creates cozy country charm with Bear Roots cafe in Washington Township
Giggles filled the air at Bear Roots cafe in Washington Township as Chrissy Klingensmith pushed her 1-year-old future granddaughter, Hadley, through the shop in a wheeled office chair. It was a small moment, but one that perfectly captured the family spirit behind the business. The cafe, which opened last March,...
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell teen making difference in local — and even global — politics
Sophia Walsh remembers being told that to become involved in politics, the local level is the best place to start. The Lower Burrell teen is already making her mark. Walsh, 17, was selected to be Lower Burrell’s junior council person, which is a nonvoting role but aims to provide a...
Building the Valley: Secondhand shop for kids ‘fills need’ in Vandergrift
Dylann Sowers says she opened her new storefront in Vandergrift with the community in mind. Kiski Kids Closet, located downtown on Grant Avenue, is a secondhand shop focused on affordable children’s clothing. It opened in mid-December. Sowers, 28, of Parks Township has three young boys of her own, which offered...
