Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 2
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Dec. 7, 2025
Aspinwall Bryan Fritsch sold property at 1010 River Oaks Drive to River Oaks In Aspinwall Rentals LLC for $311,600. Blawnox Jacob Park sold property at 1025 Woodland Road to Gaowei Zheng and Camille Ng for $242,000. Etna David Manco sold property at 108 Dewey St. to Shannon Wockley for $125,000....
Blawnox officials approve new 5-year deal with public works department
Blawnox officials have approved a new five-year deal with their public works department, solidifying future operations and financial planning. It is one of the longest contracts in recent history and runs Jan. 1 through the end of 2030. The previous contract was three years and set to expire at the...
Blawnox to welcome new borough manager
Blawnox officials have tapped a former West Virginia city project manager and nonprofit leader as their next borough manager. Cory Dennison is set to take the reins from outgoing manager Kathy Ulanowicz on Dec. 5. He has been shadowing the longtime administrator and borough resident since Nov. 3. “I like...
In brief: Choral concert, toy drives and more in Aspinwall area
Choral concert The Fox Chapel Area High School Choral Music Department will present its annual “Sounds of the Season” concert on Dec. 16. The concert will include performances by the Fox Chapel Area High School choral ensembles (the Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, Vulpes Cantantes, and the Men’s Ensemble). Special professional...
O’Hara’s proposed 2026 budget has no tax increase, maintains all programs and services
O’Hara officials plan to hold the line on real estate taxes in next year’s budget. Council and administrators went over the 162-page proposed 2026 spending plan at a special workshop session on Nov. 18. The proposed budget is available for review at the township office and via the administration section...
Sharpsburg VFW Post 709 to host benefit breakfast, flea market
Food and flea markets go together like military veterans and community service. That is what officials at the Sharpsburg Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 709 and resident Chas Smith Jr. believe as they prepare for the second annual benefit breakfast and holiday flea market set for Dec. 14. The bingo...
Crash that killed pedestrian in Aspinwall spurs lawsuit against driver
The daughters of a woman fatally struck by an SUV earlier this year in Aspinwall are suing the driver. Patricia A. Doane, of McDonald and Priscilla Pasikowski, of Shaler, filed the lawsuit as co-executors of their mother’s estate. Judith A. Mierzwa, 83, of Aspinwall, was struck Feb. 5 around 7:08...
Snow much fun in Fox Chapel area
Fox Chapel Area School District residents woke up to a winter wonderland on Dec. 2 as the district held a virtual instruction day for its students. It was the first snow event for the area and more than three inches of snow fell in the Fox Chapel area. The wet,...
Sharpsburg holiday celebration draws a crowd
Sharpsburg’s Guyasuta Square was packed with people anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus. The iconic North Pole couple arrived via horse and carriage at the Allegheny County borough for its tree lighting celebration on Nov. 22. Organizers estimate at least 300 people participated in the holiday kickoff,...
Poland native-turned Pittsburgher credits tennis for his professional and personal success
His moves on the court led a Poland native to a new life in Aspinwall. Filip Rams was 18 and living in Katowice, Poland, when he was offered a very generous tennis scholarship from Temple University in Philadelphia. Rams grew up playing tennis, competing globally, with aspirations of playing professional...
Fox Chapel council approves 4-year contract with police
Fox Chapel officials have approved a new four-year contract with their police department. The borough council unanimously voted in favor of its end of the collective bargaining agreement on Nov. 17. Police approved its part in October. Terms for the contract, which runs through the end of 2029, include 3.2%...
Aspinwall’s proposed 2026 budget contains no tax hike, cuts to programs or services
Aspinwall officials hope to hold the line on real estate taxes in next year’s budget. Proposed revenue and expenses are expected to come to close to $3.9 million. Budget documents project the millage rate will remain 8.36 mills, including 0.5-mill for public safety. One mill generates about $150,000 in revenue....
Brick & Barrel serves up hearty fare with a side of history in Indiana Township
Brick & Barrel co-owner Jeff Brungo wants customers to enjoy more than just a meal when they visit his eatery and bar in the historic Cross Keys Inn in Indiana Township. “There’s history here. We have original bricks from 1850,” Brungo said of the former hotel and stagecoach stop. The...
Restoration labor of love for Aspinwall couple residing in Sauer Buildings Historic District
Newlyweds Chris and Heather Smith are in love with something besides each other — their new “old” house in Aspinwall. The couple bought a historic stone home in the Sauer Buildings Historic District on Center Avenue in the borough. The Smiths were so enthralled with their residence, they chose the...
Sharpsburg, Etna, Millvale ramp up efforts to connect residents with food resources
Leaders in Sharpsburg, Etna and Millvale are ramping up efforts to help people struggling after a government pause of SNAP benefits and an overall increase in grocery costs. A list of food resources was developed to help people in need across the tri-borough area. “We’ve had so many more people...
In brief: Holiday happenings, leaf collection and more in Aspinwall area
Cookie Tour Best of Blawnox will host its annual cookie tour from 1-4 p.m. Dec. 6. The event runs at the same time as the borough’s holiday celebration. There will be an information booth at the monument along Freeport Road with a map to the businesses with cookies. Participating businesses...
Fox Chapel’s proposed 2026 budget contains no tax hike, no cuts to programs or services
Fox Chapel property owners should not expect to pay more in real estate taxes as part of next year’s borough budget. Council unanimously voted on Nov. 17 to advertise its proposed 2026 spending plan, which maintains the tax rate at 2.95 mills. The borough has not raised taxes since 2019,...
Fox Chapel Garden Club artists donate skills to boost horticulture projects across Allegheny County
Cece Miller has a passion for needlepoint. A 40-year hobby, it nurtures her creativity through an endless choice of stitches and threads. “I find it relaxing and I love the finished product,” she said. And at least one of those products goes a long way to help others. Miller is...
Eco-conscious resident finds ‘off-the-grid’ solar success in Aspinwall
Aspinwall resident Steve Paff hasn’t had an electric bill in six years. He followed his keen interest in solar energy and made the decision to install a large, 20-panel solar unit in his backyard in 2019. The ground-mount solar panels were installed in a fixed position and cost around $27,000,...
Christmas in Guyasuta features twinkling hike, zipline under the lights
A twinkling luminary hike is among the newest features at Christmas in Guyasuta, a holiday kickoff for all ages. The longstanding event is a winter-themed festivity hosted at Camp Guyasuta, accessed off 23rd Street in Sharpsburg. The wooded campus owned by Scouting America is glowing with thousands of lights –...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Nov. 23, 2025
Aspinwall Rainbow Point Development LLC sold property at 127 Second St. to Motheral Properties LLC for $418,250. Etna Justin James Kirckwood sold property at 86 Grant Ave. to Michael Saldana for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $87,858). Estate of Patricia McVey sold property at 31 Pine...
O’Hara couple set to open new ‘elevated’ dining experience in Aspinwall’s business district
Two restaurateurs from O’Hara are the husband-and-wife team behind a new, casually chic restaurant and bar opening soon in Aspinwall. Adam and Diana Kucenic are co-owners of Foxhole Tavern, located in the former Tavern in the Wall, known as Sam’s Tavern to locals, at 211 Commercial Ave. Sam’s Tavern operated...
Sharpsburg’s 1st elected Black mayor talks about her deep roots and future plans
A fourth-generation Sharpsburg resident has made political history. Kayla Portis, 40, is the first elected Black mayor to serve the borough nestled along the Allegheny River in Allegheny County. “I feel like it’s long overdue,” she said. “Representation matters.” Portis’s ancestors, former slaves, fled rural South Carolina after the Civil...
In brief: Toy drives, free Thanksgiving dinner and more in Aspinwall area
Aspinwall Neighbors toy drive Aspinwall Neighbors is again teaming up with Play It Forward Pittsburgh to collect, package and deliver toys to local children and families, giving toys a second life and spreading a lot of holiday cheer. Play It Forward Pittsburgh is a regional toy donation effort that collects...
Aspinwall to repurpose old fire station into an emergency shelter
Aspinwall officials plan to repurpose a former fire station into an emergency shelter and community center. When Aspinwall and Sharpsburg volunteer fire departments began to merge in 2022 into what would become Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services, leaders had to choose where to maintain operations and what services would no...
