Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 140
Sharpsburg taxes hold steady; officials eager for Main Street improvement project
Sharpsburg residents will pay the same real estate taxes to the borough in 2021, despite the lingering pandemic and its economic impacts. Council approved the borough’s $2. 5 million budget, holding the property tax rate steady at 7.5 mills. The owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will again pay...
Yofan’s free throw lifts Fox Chapel over NorwinVideo
Fox Chapel senior Eli Yofan didn’t have one of his typical games Friday. His shot was off, and Norwin’s defense did a good job taking away the driving lanes. But with the game on the line, Yofan came up big. His free throw with 5.2 seconds left lifted Fox Chapel...
Winter lantern festival resounding success for Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy
A glittering field of more than 500 lanterns sent a simple but solid message by the new Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy trying to raise awareness of the borough’s vast green space. “These are the community’s parks,” Councilwoman and Conservancy co-founder Mandy Steele said of the Jan. 8 event at McCahill...
Fox Chapel Area weighing increased in-person instruction for high school, Dorseyville Middle School
Fox Chapel Area School District officials said a decision to increase in-person class time for middle and high school students could come in early February. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said there’s been no alternate guidance from the state regarding older students, despite last week’s recommendation by health and education experts...
Free mobile covid testing site coming to North Park Swimming Pool
A mobile testing site to provide free coronavirus screenings will be set up in the parking lot of the North Park Swimming Pool from 1 to 4 p.m. on Jan. 21. The screenings are being done by Curative, a California-based company that has set up testing sites at more than...
Movie theater to reopen at Pittsburgh Mills
The shuttered movie theaters at the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer will reopen this spring under new management that promises cheaper movie tickets. Mark McSparin, president of Michigan-based GQT Movies, confirmed Thursday that the company is taking over the former Cinemark space. It has a tentative opening date of March...
Former Community Market in O’Hara will reopen as Goldfish Swim School
A long-vacant grocery store in Fox Chapel Plaza is making waves since the arrival of construction crews earlier this month. When the former Community Market spot reopens at the corner of Freeport and Fox Chapel Roads, long gone will be aisles of produce and paper products. In its place will...
The Herald area’s latest coronavirus numbers for Jan. 13
As coronavirus cases continue to surge in Allegheny County and across the country, the communities within The Herald coverage area seeing varying numbers of positive cases and deaths. As of Jan. 13, there have been 244 total cases of the novel coronavirus in Fox Chapel since March, according to the...
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...
Women Leading Women wants to improve personal, professional growth
Can we talk? That’s what two friends from Fox Chapel are encouraging with Women Leading Women, a nonprofit co-founded in 2019 by Fox Chapel residents Dana Hanna and Dr. Jenny Yu. Hanna, 46, and Yu, 43, met at a social event, bonded quickly and set their sights on creating a...
The Herald area real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 10
Aspinwall Patrick Frank sold property at 407 Emerson Ave. to Helena Knapp for $340,000. Etna Ross Morgan Jr. sold property at 288 Butler St. to Romero Development LLC for $127,500. Harmar Edward Zawadzki trustee sold property at 469 Dover Drive to Stephen Sean and Deirdre Ann Ohearn for $429,000. Susan...
Shady Side Academy boys basketball ready to conquer obstacles of season restart
Unlike most teams around Western Pennsylvania, the newly named Shady Side Academy Bulldogs didn’t get an opportunity to start practices on Jan. 4. After taking covid-19 tests that day, the date that teams were permitted to return to practice, the Bulldogs had to wait 48 hours for their results before...
Estimated $2.4 million renovation in progress at Hartwood Acres stablesVideo
About $2.4 million in renovations will convert the former Hartwood Acres stables into a wedding and special events center. The upgrade includes a new $1.4 million slate roof and nearly $1 million in other renovations that will convert what was an equestrian complex built in 1927 for Mary Flinn Lawrence...
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,...
Student news: Food donations, debate winners, kindergarten registration and more
A group of Shady Side Academy Junior and Middle School families organized a “No Hungry Kids!” fundraiser to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in December and raised more than $5,300. The Delfyett, Iannetti, Khalil, Walsh and Zureikat families created a video that was shown during Zoom assemblies at...
Limited offseason workouts impacts winter sports coaches, athletes
The winter sports offseason is when players and teams can use their extra time to improve for the following season. They get together, play in fall leagues, hold open gyms and attend summer team camps in order to become more of a team. The time is important as players learn...
Yofan scores 34 to lead Fox Chapel boys basketball past HempfieldVideo
It didn’t look like Fox Chapel senior Eli Yofan sat around doing nothing the past month. Yofan was in top form Friday at Hempfield, scoring a personal-best 34 points and pulling in 15 rebounds to lead Fox Chapel to an 87-65 victory in the Section 3-6A opener. The season was...
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...
PennDOT postpones Route 28 project until next week due to weather
PennDOT officials said cold weather will delay a Route 28 project designed to add lanes and improve safety near the Highland Park Bridge. Preparatory work such as painting lines and sign installation along the main thoroughfare was expected to begin Wednesday. Officials said those efforts, and subsequent single-lane restrictions, have...
From the piano to the paint, Ellie Schwartzman plays key role for Fox Chapel
Ellie Schwartzman is proficient at playing the piano, having studied and practiced the craft for more than a decade. She takes lessons every week to keep her skills sharp. “My whole family is very musically inclined,” said Schwartzman, a senior at Fox Chapel. “Music was a nice thing to have...
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...
