Faces of the Valley category, Page 2
Building the Valley: Fawn’s Eddy Woodworking a family rite of passage
Woodworking isn’t easy. But 78-year-old Larry Eddy makes it look that way. He — and his family — have been turning flat pieces of plywood into 3D art walls at his woodworking shop off Route 908 in Fawn. The interactive, tactile walls are ordered by West Deer-based TFH Sensory Needs...
Faces of the Valley: Tarentum’s Bob Sims, 95, earns title as longest-serving firefighter in the borough
Friends of Bob Sims call him “the War Horse.” To his family, the 95-year-old born and raised in Tarentum is “Pappy.” Last week, Sims earned a new title — the longest-serving firefighter in the Tarentum Volunteer Fire Department, which consists of Highland Hose, Eureka Fire-Rescue and Summit Hose. Sims has...
Building the Valley: New Lower Burrell dance studio aims to build students’ confidence
Tara Crowe remembers being asked why children should sign up for dance lessons. Her answer? For them to have fun, grow and have positive experiences. A lifelong dancer, Crowe hopes to do just that at her new studio, TC Dance Collective, which opened this summer at 3012 Leechburg Road in...
Faces of the Valley: Alyce Olszewski keeps busy for 72 years at Harrison tax agency
As long as Michael McKechnie is Harrison’s tax collector, Alyce Olszewski will be right by his side. After all, she has worked for the McKechnie family for 72 years. Olszewski started working for McKechnie’s father, John, in 1953. She was fresh out of high school, looking for a company that...
Building the Valley: Spokes bike shop is back, this time in Vandergrift
Tim Carson is all about positive energy, good vibes and high vibrations — but most of all, bikes. “The glory of bicycles, for me, (is) it has always been a stress reducer,” he said, standing next to a workbench covered in tools and bike parts. “I always say: Bikes change...
Vinci Winery coming to downtown New Kensington in old-school Italian style
A new establishment in downtown New Kensington brings together three of Sam Iovino’s passions: wine, cigars and food. “I’m old-school Italian. I believe in entertaining,” said Iovino. “I love entertaining and getting people together.” Iovino, 56, of Monroeville plans to open Vinci Winery at 1021 Barnes St. on July 9....
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell musician on her way to Berklee College of Music
Even if you haven’t heard of Elliana Koulouris, if you’ve attended a live event in the Alle-Kiski Valley, you’ve probably heard her voice. The Lower Burrell teenager has made a name for herself over the past six years singing at events, games and festivals, performing in theater, and writing and...
Building the Valley: Yesterday’s Kidz offers top-notch resale items in Tarentum
Joyce McElwain said she’s guaranteed to be in a good mood at work. “When I get here and look at these little clothes, I smile,” said McElwain of Arnold. She opened a children’s consignment shop in Tarentum this month with business partner and friend Lisa Marnell of Apollo. Yesterday’s Kidz...
Faces of the Valley: The Rev. Angelique Edmonds a ‘gifted and spirit-filled’ pastor
From prayer hikes to women’s brunches to painting with parables, the Rev. Angelique Edmonds has used her gifts to help strengthen convictions at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel and its outreach ministry, Roots of Faith in Sharpsburg. Appointed associate pastor in 2021, the Beltzhoover native feels as though...
Building the Valley: New venture from Tony’s Pizza Cafe owner brings fast casual Italian fare to Buffalo Township
Andrea “Tony” Coppola sees his newest restaurant in Buffalo Township as a taste of the future. Healthy ingredients and trendy flavors are hallmarks of Toasted Amo, the Italian sandwich shop he opened last month in Buffalo Plaza. It marks a stark departure from the area’s plentiful fast food joints —...
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell welder, 90, has ‘never worked a day in his life’
If it’s broken, Dale Wolfe tries to fix it. That’s been the 90-year-old’s motto since 1952, when he started welding in the Lower Burrell and New Kensington areas. “I’ve had a great life,” said Wolfe, who now works for his son Kevin at Wolfe Metal Fab Inc. in Braeburn Heights....
Garden council holds annual May Mart plant sale
The Westmoreland Garden Council is holding its 56th annual May Mart plant sale through 1 p.m. Saturday. The sale began Friday on the front lawn of the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, 951 Old Salem Road, and will continue Saturday starting at 9 a.m.. A variety of perennials, annual hanging...
Faces of the Valley: Burrell teen to represent Team USA in Junior Roller Derby World Cup
From birth, Pippa Meyer was pretty much destined to thrive in the sport of roller derby. “Raygun is my middle name, and my derby nickname,” said Meyer, 18, of Lower Burrell, who goes by Pippa Raygun in roller derby circles. “My mom gave me a derby name at birth.” It...
Faces of the Valley: East Deer’s Linda Blackmore keeps Tarentum Easter tradition alive
If it’s the day before Easter, Linda Blackmore will be at Riverview Memorial Park in Tarentum. It’s been that way for 71 years — ever since her parents, Alfred and Shirley Perroz, began organizing the borough’s annual egg hunt. “My parents were part of the (now defunct) Tarentum Moose, and...
Faces of the Valley: Dick Pesci has been cutting meat, making memories at Golden Dawn for 62 years
Dick Pesci jokes that when he starts his car each morning, it already knows where to go. After all, he’s been making the same trip from his Natrona Heights home to Golden Dawn in New Kensington for decades. And the 10-minute commute to get to work by 5 a.m. is...
As head of Aspinwall Neighbors, Sarah Shaffer works to make ‘great place to live even better’
From snow angels to soup delivery to sustainable rain gardens, Aspinwall Neighbors is just what the moniker says — a way to help connect people. “We’re guided by the mission of neighbors helping neighbors to build a thriving community,” said Sarah Shaffer, group president. A senior marketing manager for global...
Faces of the Valley: 12-year-old Harrison boy a model railroad tycoon
A miniature world revolves around 12-year-old Tristan Eberle in the basement of his grandparents’ Harrison home. His train display fills up half the room, and even then, it’s only just enough space for several circular railways, a turntable and dozens of buildings. The citizens of this shrunken town have access...
Faces of the Valley: Hank Commodore’s mission to spread love and kindness
While recognition continues to pile up for Hank Commodore, the reward he cherishes most is seeing the children he’s helped grow into well-rounded adults. Commodore, 76, has received three city proclamations, the most recent from Pittsburgh. He also has proclamations from New Kensington and Ford City for his charitable work....
Faces of the Valley: Lower Burrell boy showcases creativity through art
Mindy White remembers looking at son Toby’s assignment years ago where he had not only written each letter of the alphabet, but also incorporated designs of animals, lizards and dinosaurs within and around them. While the additional designs weren’t part of the assignment, it stood out to her. “Toby has...
Faces of the Valley: Deer Lakes’ Bernie Donovan earns top prize in national poetry contest
Deer Lakes fifth grader Bernie Donovan loves her life — so much so that she wrote a poem to commemorate it. “Dear Future Self” speaks to how perfect the 10-year-old sees her existence as a girl who loves mac and cheese, soccer and her dog, Carter. “I like the way...
Faces of the Valley: Deer Lakes’ Carrson Vioral lives by the motto ‘never give up’
Carrson Vioral likes to keep himself busy. The 18-year-old Deer Lakes senior has found himself immersed in the school’s basketball and bocce teams and plans to join the swim team this winter. He also is involved in the school’s coffee shop and Best Buddies, a club fostering mentorship and leadership...
Faces of the Valley: Volunteering and firefighting is family affair for Lower Burrell woman
Nicole Hereda’s family quite literally is immersed in the Kinloch Volunteer Fire Department in Lower Burrell. Hereda, 39, of Lower Burrell is a safety officer and fundraising chair at the station, located off New York Avenue in the city. Her husband, Ted, is chief, and their sons, T.J. and Josh,...
Faces of the Valley: Long-lost photos bring family history to life for Buffalo Township woman
Charles and Catherine Waggoner were quite the amateur photographers on their homestead in rural Ohio, capturing not only the stiffly posed portraits typical of early 1900s, but somewhat candid moments, too. Using a wooden, boxy Kodak camera that took cartridges about the size of a postcard, the couple produced dozens...
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...
Faces of the Valley: Freeport Scout’s project aims to help feed Leechburg community
Being a Boy Scout is in Keagan Bowser’s DNA. Bowser, a rising senior at Kiski Area High School, has been a Scout since he was 11. His father, Shawn, and older brother, Caleb, were Eagle Scouts, so it was only natural that Keagan would follow in their footsteps and earn...
