Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 32
Check out these upcoming programs at the Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg libraries
The Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its Sharpsburg branch offer a variety of programming for visitors of all ages. To view a complete list of offerings, visit coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com. Events at both libraries are listed and can be viewed according to age group and location. Registration is required for most programs as...
Dick’s Sporting Goods construction begins at The Waterworks
The new Dick’s Sporting Goods store at The Waterworks near Aspinwall is expected to open this summer. The new store is located in the shopping center’s former Walmart anchor space. It is unclear what that means for the Dick’s store at the Pittsburgh Mills mall — just nine miles away...
Then and Now: Casile’s Courtesy Corner in Aspinwall still a gem of a location — now for jewelry store
People who travel along Freeport Road in Aspinwall are likely familiar with Chapel Hills Jewelry, the upscale shop at the intersection of Virginia Avenue. It’s been a staple more than three decades, opened by Jack and Tina Tesauro in 1989. Previously, the corner was a mainstay for residents and those...
In brief: Herald area events for the week of Jan. 6, 2025
Free talk to spotlight Hello Neighbor, an outreach for refugees The Fox Chapel Area affiliate of the American Association of University Women will host a free program on Jan. 14 titled “Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Pittsburgh.” The event starts at 10 a.m. and is open to the public. It will...
Fox Chapel grad Kate Friday signs on with expansion Pittsburgh Riveters SC
Kate Friday didn’t want her mental well-being to be defined by success, or failure, surrounding her soccer career. When the Fox Chapel graduate committed to attend Xavier University in Cincinnati, she wanted to find places around her adopted city where she could escape. “I think my favorite place to go...
Sugar Spell Scoops outgrows Sharpsburg spot
Amanda Burk is disappointed to see her sweet times in Sharpsburg potentially coming to an end. The owner of Sugar Spell Scoops, a vegan ice cream spot along North Canal Street, announced the store is closing — with its final hours the first weekend of January. The lease expires Jan....
Indiana Township restaurant issued 15 health code violations
An Italian restaurant in Indiana Township was issued multiple health code violations by the Allegheny County Health Department. Roma Italian Restaurant, located along Indianola Road, was issued 15 violations during an inspection Dec. 18, according to a report from the Health Department. The restaurant could not be reached Tuesday morning....
Families have fun counting birds at Fox Chapel nature reserve
Stacy Ogutu has the eyes of a red-tailed hawk and the quick note-taking skills of an educated song sparrow. Both of those talents were on display as the McCandless youth marked down every bird she and her other family members saw along the paths of Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in...
School district telethons raise more than $200K for charities
Telethons at three Pittsburgh-area school districts raised more than $200,000 for charities this Christmas season. Make-A-Wish was the beneficiary of Plum School District’s long-running telethon and a newer one organized by Penn-Trafford. Penn-Trafford raised about $67,400, while Plum collected about $53,700, according to their teacher organizers. Fox Chapel raised $90,228...
From teen CEO to entrepreneur: Lani Lazzari grows Simple Sugars into skincare powerhouse
Entrepreneur Lani Lazzari continues to stir things up in the skincare world. She was just 11 when she began experimenting with sugar and other all-natural ingredients in an attempt to cure her eczema and other related skin issues in the basement of her parents’ Fox Chapel home. Her mother, Gina...
Indiana Township holds taxes steady; some firefighters will get a break
Indiana Township property owners will not have to pay more in township property taxes in 2025. Some township volunteer firefighters also will receive a tax break as part of a new relief program. Supervisors unanimously voted to pass their estimated $6.5 million 2025 budget. The millage rate remains at 3.47...
Then and Now: From EMS to community library, this Fox Chapel property is always in service
From EMS to community library, the property at 403 Fox Chapel Road has long served residents. The site adjacent to the Fox Chapel Municipal Building was home to Foxwall EMS for years before it was replaced in 2011 by the $6 million Cooper-Siegel Community Library. Foxwall EMS landed a larger...
Leaders of community garden hope to nurture young residents with scholarship program
Organizers of the Sharpsburg Community Garden are hoping to grow a new generation of people with a passion for planting. The garden, situated behind the community library along Main Street, is launching a scholarship program for 2025 through which a newbie can get their hands dirty and harvest crops such...
More than just books: Cooper-Siegel Community Library closes in on funding for $2.5M expansion
Tools, 3D printers and musical instruments probably aren’t what most people associate with libraries. But Cooper-Siegel in Fox Chapel is far from ordinary. The $6 million, 24,000-square-foot facility along Fox Chapel Road has grown its lending libraries, programs and classes to meet the demands of patrons who number nearly 30,000...
15 local seniors among young women presented during 61st annual Medallion Ball
Fifteen seniors from the Fox Chapel Herald coverage area were honored Nov. 29 during the 61st annual Medallion Ball at the Pittsburgh Wyndham Grand Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. The students and their schools are Ainsley Anderson (Fox Chapel), Claire Auffenberg (Fox Chapel), Ridglee Boychuk (Fox Chapel), Emma Callahan (Our Lady...
Living large: Relaxed approach to parenting keeps family of 11 happy and humming in Fox Chapel
Bigger is apparently better for a family of 11 in Fox Chapel. “I always wanted a big family,” said Stephanie Wilkinson, wife and mother to nine biological children she’s raising with her husband, Jim. “I told my mom I wanted at least eight kids.” The Wilkinson children, four boys and...
Blawnox to see no rise in real estate taxes, garbage fees; water/sewage bills will increase
Blawnox property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year. Council unanimously voted Dec. 11 to pass its 2025 budget and maintain the tax rate at 10.85 mills. Garbage collection fees also remained the same. Council raised taxes by 1 mill for the 2023...
No change in Aspinwall’s real estate taxes, sewage fees for 2025
Aspinwall property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year. Council voted 6-0 on Dec. 11 to pass its 2025 budget and maintain the millage rate at 8.36 mills, including 0.5-mill for public safety. Councilman Lou Curcio was absent. One mill generates about $150,000...
Harp and Hound Jewelry brings Celtic-inspired designs to Blawnox
A professional metalsmith and jeweler with more than 22 years of custom jewelry experience has opened a studio in Blawnox. Dan Jacko of Verona opened Harp and Hound Jewelry on Dec. 7 at 238½ Freeport Road, the former site of Marlene Harris Collection. Jacko designs and creates artisan and handcrafted...
Students from Christ the Divine Teacher bring cheer to patients at UPMC St. Margaret
Students from the third and fourth grade classes of Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy visited UPMC St. Margaret on Dec. 4 to help spread holiday cheer. The students decorated the Christmas tree in the hospital’s lobby with handmade ornaments, sang carols and helped to light the tree. The St....
Light Up the Wall in Aspinwall draws huge holiday crowd
An illuminating holiday tradition drew hundreds of people tiny Aspinwall on Dec. 7. The annual Light Up the Wall is one of the largest events organized by the Aspinwall Chamber of Commerce and presented in partnership with the borough. Freezing temperatures did not stop dozens of families across the Fox...
Pittsburgh interior designer to face judge in business fraud case out of Fox Chapel
An interior designer accused of swindling a Fox Chapel woman out of $170,000 is headed to court, the latest in a flurry of legal cases surrounding the embattled Pittsburgh business owner. Lauren Michelle Piasecki, 44, of Pittsburgh’s Stanton Heights neighborhood waived her preliminary hearing Wednesday in a Sharpsburg district court....
Blawnox cookie tour highlights community, business district
Amanda Shirk’s favorite part of the fourth annual Best of Blawnox cookie tour was visiting new borough businesses she didn’t otherwise know about. Complemented by cookies and camaraderie, it wasn’t too shabby of a Saturday afternoon. “I’ve enjoyed finding new business,” said Shirk of Cheswick, while visiting the newly opened...
Blawnox officials celebrate their police officers’ next chapters
Blawnox police Chief Patrick Goodman sat at the main desk of the police station talking with his fellow officers on the first floor of the borough building. Some wearing fully-equipped uniforms and a part-timer in plain clothes. It was a familiar scene since 2019 when Goodman took over the small...
O’Hara property taxes going up about 14%
O’Hara property owners will have to pay about 14% more in real estate taxes as part of the township’s 2025 budget. Council voted 5-2 on Dec. 10 to pass its spending plan and raise the millage rate from 2.1 mills to 2.4 mills. Council Vice President Mike Hamill and Councilman...
