Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 34
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...
Moviemaking magic: Students relish opportunity to craft animated film
Four seventh graders eat their lunch with their eyes focused on a computer screen. Their teacher sits nearby. They are captivated by an animated character named Sam who is in virtual view as Jason Richards, director of information technology for Wonder Media LLC, an animation production company that helps young...
$3 million winning lottery ticket sold at Waterworks Market District
A $3 million lottery ticket was sold Friday at the Giant Eagle Market District in the Waterworks near Aspinwall. The winner purchased a jackpot-winning Lottery Cash 5 ticket, matching all five balls drawn that evening. The Market District store will get a $10,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Nearly...
Luke and Mike’s Frontporch in Aspinwall set to close
After 14 years of “blood, sweat and tears,” an Aspinwall-based restaurateur is calling it quits. “It was time,” said Sheri Rice on Monday of Luke and Mike’s Frontporch, the popular bar and restaurant she co-owns with her ex-husband, Billy Rice. “We did try and make this corner beautiful and try...
Student news: A roundup of accolades
• Four Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the annual Hampton Talbot Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament on Nov. 23. The team of juniors Maya Agarwal and Prachi Behal won fourth place in Parliamentary Debate, junior Priscila Hayetian was awarded fifth place in Informative Speaking, and junior Dylan...
For the 35th year, the Fox Chapel Area School District telethon is raising money for Backpack for Hunger
There are children in the Fox Chapel Area School District who go hungry. Weekends can be times when they don’t have a hot meal. An extended number of days away from school such as the upcoming holiday break can mean even less available food. Their peers are doing something about...
In brief: Herald area events for the week of Dec. 16, 2024
National Art Honor Society wins 3rd in city’s gingerbread contest Members of the National Art Honor Society at Fox Chapel Area High School won third place in the high school category of the City of Pittsburgh’s 22nd annual Gingerbread Display and Competition with their creation titled “Coraline House.” The confection...
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...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions, week of Dec. 15, 2024
Fox Chapel Parker Bartley sold property at 342 Fox Chapel Road to Carolina Pinzon Guzman for $1,025,000. William Brown sold property at 151 Oakhurst Road to et al for $650,000. Steven Edelstein sold property at 118 Rockwood Drive to Steven and Yvonne Gerson for $1,272,500. Hai Tran sold property at...
Fox Chapel girls motivated to reach WPIAL playoffs
Coach Marty Matvey and the Fox Chapel girls basketball coaching staff were one win away from 100 as a staff. Matvey is in his fifth year coaching the Foxes, who started the season 2-2 heading into last Friday’s meeting with Penn Hills in the Section 1-5A opener. He wouldn’t want...
Fox Chapel boys rely on defense to spark strong start
The process of getting ready for the basketball season wasn’t any different for Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar this season. The Foxes were bumped up to Class 6A during this enrollment cycle, but the basic foundation for Fox Chapel’s success remains the same. “It all starts on defense,”...
Local players dot prep school hockey roster at Shady Side Academy
Killian Kissane knew hockey would be different when he chose to play at Shady Side Academy. The Bulldogs, who play a national prep schedule, would require him to be a different player than when he was at Fox Chapel. Kissane had to be more physical if he was going to...
Shady Side Academy boys look to overcome early-season injuries as section play begins
Shady Side Academy boys basketball started 2-4 last season, but rose up and finished 18-9 with an 11-2 conference record, earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs. This season, the Bulldogs started 2-2 and want to push their way toward similar success. To get there, they will have to...
