Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 8
Aspinwall Zoning Hearing Board denies variance requests for proposed townhomes at former Methodist church site
An Aspinwall businessman will have to rethink his plans for an old church site after the borough’s zoning hearing board denied variance requests for proposed townhomes. Amena Properties founder Tony Pompeo Jr. hoped to create five townhomes along the 400 block of Center Avenue, where the Community United Methodist Church...
Blawnox marks borough’s 100th anniversary with huge celebration in its community park
Blawnox residents and those from surrounding communities came together in the community park for a celebration a century in the making. The borough marked its 100th anniversary with multiple live acts, various artisans, animals, activities and a drone show on Sept. 20. The most important part of it all was...
Guided hike with rangers at Hartwood Acres Park highlights conservation efforts of women
On a sunny Saturday afternoon in Hartwood Acres Park, a group of hikers followed rangers through wooded trails and grassy meadows to learn about the women who created and maintained the beautiful nature around them — from Rachel Carson’s fight against pesticides to Caren Glotfelty’s work restoring bird habitats. Hikers...
Team Friends announces new chapter, its first out of state, during annual fundraiser
A local nonprofit with four Western Pennsylvania chapters is following the yellow brick road to a new frontier — West Virginia. Supporters of Team Friends gathered Sept. 23 at Narcisi Winery in West Deer for its annual fundraiser. They spent the evening enjoying live music by Acoustic Union, wine tastings,...
In brief: Coat drive, flea market and more in Aspinwall area
Coat drive Fox Families Care is hosting a new and gently used coat and Halloween costume collection through Oct. 15. Donation boxes will be located at the borough building, Lauri Ann West Community Center, Cooper-Siegel Library and local schools. People can also donate jackets, hats and gloves of all sizes...
Fox Chapel proposes WPIAL football alignment based on roster size, win-loss records
Rather than separate football teams by school enrollment, should roster size and win-loss records be considered when the WPIAL creates new conferences? A proposal recently sent to the WPIAL office would do just that. In a plan spearheaded by Fox Chapel athletic director Mike O’Brien that was made public Tuesday,...
Blawnox to expand its memorial brick program to allow non-military recognitions
Blawnox officials are looking to expand a memorial brick program to allow families of non-veterans to honor present and past residents and others with a borough connection. Borough manager Kathy Ulanowicz said folks have been clamoring to create such solid recognition of beloved family members and friends ever since Blawnox...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Sept. 28, 2025
Etna Estate of Harry Joseph Thens sold property at 24 Christler St. to Jeremy and Cristina Fischer for $167,000. Phoenix Real Estate Solutions LLC sold property at 7 Spring St. Ext. to Nichael Burchlaw for $175,000. Fox Chapel Curt Vazquez sold property at 195 N. Grandview Drive to Tanner and...
Authentic pow wow in Indiana Township aims to teach, share, celebrate culture
Vic Alvin stood in full Native American regalia, waiting to perform for a crowd of thousands at the 46th annual Pow Wow at the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Indiana Township. Alvin, 35, has been dancing his whole life. This year was more special because his oldest...
O’Hara police, social worker read to children at township daycare
O’Hara police recently read to children at A Place to Grow Learning Center in the township. Police Superintendent Jay Davis, Deputy Superintendent Pat Goodman and social worker Kayla Somerville met with the estimated 200 youths ages 12 weeks to 5 years old on Sept. 4. It was for the center’s...
Grateful for chance to compete, Shady Side Academy freshman wins big race in Hershey
Josephine Lenart appreciates every opportunity to compete for the Shady Side Academy girls cross country team. While Lenart, a freshman, is short on experience, she is long on perspective. Lenart won for the first time at one of the premier regular-season invitationals, the 19th PIAA Foundation Meet, which is held...
Shady Side Academy girls tennis locked in on WPIAL championship goal
Shady Side Academy sophomore Brooke Henderson can tell the Bulldogs are locked in on winning the WPIAL Class 3A girls team tennis title. The program was already set to have a competitive lineup this season. Once Cassie Lapina, who won a section title at Pine-Richland last season, transferred in, the...
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: Golfers start WPIAL tournament strong
The Fox Chapel boys golf team got off to a strong start during the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A boys individual golf championships at Willowbrook Country Club. Defending PIAA champion Carson Kittsley shot a 6-under par 66 to put himself in first place. Sophomore Baron Bitar shot a...
Fox Chapel girls soccer meeting challenge of new faces in new places in lineup
Caylie Wilkinson, a junior defender for the Fox Chapel girls soccer team, felt like this year’s team was significantly different from the previous two iterations. Wilkinson is the only returning starting defender from the Foxes team that reached the WPIAL Class 3A final last season. With six new starters in...
Overnight traffic stops expected on Route 28
Overnight intermittent traffic stops will take place next week on Route 28 between the Harmar and Fox Chapel exits. PennDOT will be testing its wrong-way detection system at the off-ramps from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. weekdays. Vehicles could be stopped for up to 15 minutes at a time. The...
Secluded Indiana Township estate blends modern upgrades with nature
The address is the first indication of what’s in store for the next owner of an ultra-private, harmonious-with-nature estate in Indiana Township. The long, paved driveway leading up to 121 Hidden Ridge reveals just that, a custom home with a stunning ridge view of rolling fields and woods. The three-bedroom,...
Fox Chapel welcomes new junior council members
A handful of Fox Chapel teens will have a front row seat to observe how their hometown government works. In an expansion of its junior council program, borough officials welcomed four new members on Sept. 15: Fox Chapel Area High School junior Aiden Drucker, Shady Side Academy juniors Anna Grace...
Aspinwall installs innovative, ‘floating’ crosswalk to curb speeding
Aspinwall resident Jeff Rogers and his family spend a lot of time walking from their Center Avenue home to activities, parks, shops and church. He says the town’s walkability is what got his family through the covid lockdown. “It’s a major asset to our community,” said Rogers, who also hits...
Fox Chapel Area School District automated message of students missing school sent in error
Multiple Fox Chapel Area School District parents and guardians received an erroneous automated message that their child was absent from school Wednesday. Officials posted a message about the error on the district’s website and Facebook page. Several parents/guardians expressed their frustrations and concerns about the incident. One called it a...
In brief: Fall leaf collection, blood drive and more in Fox Chapel area
Commission appointment made Fox Chapel council reappointed Carrie Casey to a six-year term on the Park Commission. Term is set to expire Dec. 31, 2031. Leaf collection Fall leaf collection begins in O’Hara on Oct. 13 and runs through Dec. 1. Residents are reminded to rake their leaves within four...
Sober-friendly arts festival in Sharpsburg aims to celebrate recovery
A sober-friendly cultural showcase in Sharpsburg will celebrate the power of creativity in addiction recovery. The Fresh A.I.R. (Art in Recovery) Festival opens Sept. 26, featuring art, writing, music, crafting, poetry, collage, photography, pottery, digital, textile, woodwork and more. “The event is centered around the themes of creativity, joy, resilience...
Trillium Garden Club volunteers beautify Sharpsburg Community Library
Sharpsburg Community Library’s colorful façade is now further enhanced by the selfless efforts of local volunteers known as the Trillium Garden Club. The club, comprised of residents of the Fox Chapel Area School District and beyond, maintains the library’s flowerbeds and landscaping through a well-organized revitalization plan that kicked off...
Faith United’s new prayer ministry takes steps to build community
People are invited to lace up their shoes and hit the pavement through a new prayer ministry at Faith United Methodist Church in Fox Chapel. A monthly prayer walk aims to connect people with the community around them – the ministry rotates between Blawnox, Fox Chapel and Sharpsburg. “We walk...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Sept. 21, 2025
Blawnox John Novak sold property at 222 Second St. to Vakno Realty LLC for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $112,000). Fox Chapel Ty Weis sold property at 230 Foxhurst Drive to Bradford Neff for $1,381,250. Justine Ryan sold property at 114 Hillcrest Road to Christopher Evans...
Defending PIAA champ Carson Kittsley of Fox Chapel makes statement at section tournament
Fox Chapel junior Carson Kittsley, the defending PIAA Class 3A boys golf champion, made an emphatic statement at the Section 7-3A WPIAL qualifier Sept. 17 at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course. Kittsley shot a 6-under par 66 to win medalist honors and become a WPIAL qualifier for the third consecutive year....
