Shaler Journal category, Page 3
Veterans touched by ceremony, parade at Holy Cross Academy in Ross
A time of reflection, reverence and recognition was part of the annual Veterans Day celebration and parade Nov. 7 at Holy Cross Academy in Ross. “It’s very emotional,” said Dave W. Graver of McCandless, who was visibly moved after coming out of the church service honoring the veterans. Graver served...
Shaler Area program offers educational experience for preschoolers, older students
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. The preschool program at Shaler Area High School is a unique experience. High school students act as the instructors alongside child development...
In brief: Happenings across the Shaler Journal area
Shaler plans Lite Up Night Shaler’s annual Lite Up Night will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at Shaler North Hills Library and Shaler Area Middle School on Mt. Royal Boulevard. There will be a parade on Mt. Royal followed by the tree lighting at 4:45 p.m....
Shaler notebook: 1st playoff victory in almost 40 years inspires girls soccer team
Gabby Alcalde stepped to the line first for the Shaler girls soccer team during its penalty kick shootout with Franklin Regional in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs. Alcalde’s attempt was saved and she agonized over the next few minutes. But the Titans pulled through during what...
Playoff win gives Shaler football something to build on
The Shaler football program laid the foundation for more success in 2026. With a potential seismic change to how the WPIAL schedules football on the horizon, it will be an interesting time for all programs. The Titans closed this season with a 42-10 loss to Pine-Richland in the Class 5A...
Faces of the Valley: Paramedic eager to return to Eureka Fire-Rescue after Middle East deployment
Savanna Scholl’s first stop after returning from deployment in the Middle East was Sheetz. “It was 3 in the morning, and I really missed the food in the U.S.,” she said, laughing. “I got mac-and-cheese bites and a milkshake. It was great.” Scholl, a paramedic at Eureka Fire-Rescue in Tarentum,...
La Vigneta Winery reopens in Winfield — this time as a restaurant
What started in 2011 as a small-scale winemaking operation in the basement of Francesca Howden’s home is now a 175-seat upscale restaurant in Winfield. La Vigneta Winery reopened in late October at the former site of the Cooper Station Restaurant on North Pike Road (Route 356). The winemaker previously operated...
$6M proposed Reserve budget for 2026 carries no property tax increase despite rising costs
No property tax increase is included in Reserve’s proposed $6 million budget for 2026. As proposed, the township’s tax rate would remain 6.47 mills, following a 1-mill increase for 2025. For a property at the township’s $95,000 median value, the annual township property tax bill would remain at about $615....
Cosmetology students at A.W. Beattie Career Center thank veterans with free haircuts
As a thank-you for veterans, cosmetology students at A.W. Beattie Career Center’s training salon provided free haircuts for all members of the military, past and present, on Veterans Day. The training salon, located at the school along Babcock Boulevard, is a full-service salon for students in the cosmetology program. This...
Shaler Area High School’s assistant principal encourages students to pursue their passions
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. Shaler Area High School has seen many new things since the start of the school year. One of the most notable changes...
Inmate identified who died at Allegheny County Jail during ‘medical emergency’
An incarcerated person who died Monday at the Allegheny County Jail has been identified. Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office report released Wednesday evening lists the deceased as Nathan Piernik, 38, of Glenshaw. The cause and manner of his death was not listed. He died after housing-unit staff called a medical...
From rival to viral: Shaler Area, North Hills marching bands unite on shared song from halftime shows
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. It was supposed to be a night of football rivalry: Shaler Area at North Hills on a Friday night. But after the...
Shaler Area senior suffering from kidney failure hopes a donor will be found
Editor’s note: The following story was submitted for the Shaler Area Student Section, a collaboration between TribLive and The Oracle, the student newspaper of Shaler Area High School. For many teenagers, the hardest part of their day is figuring out what to wear or what they will eat for lunch....
Food drive underway to support Shaler Area’s Backpack Initiative
A food drive to support the Backpack Initiative began Tuesday in the Shaler Area School District and will run through Nov. 14. The Shaler Area Backpack Initiative was created in 2014 to help district students in need of weekend food supplies. Each family participating in the program receives a bag...
Only half of Reserve ‘hometown team’ successful in bids for Shaler Area School Board
Two Reserve residents, a Democrat and a Republican, ran together for two seats on the Shaler Area School Board, but only one was successful, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. In Shaler Area’s Region 1, Amy Goldberg, a Democrat who had both party nominations, was running with Republican Ken...
Democratic challenger defeats Shaler Commissioner Mizgorski in Ward 2
The only incumbent Shaler commissioner in a contested race for reelection was defeated Tuesday, according to unofficial Allegheny County election results. With all precincts reporting, Democrat Josh Fleitman defeated Ward 2 Commissioner David Mizgorski. Fleitman, who has lived in Shaler for going on five years, is a district press secretary...
Local artists ‘raccoonize’ creative uses for Rainbow Raccoon Park in Millvale
Artists, performers, DJs and dancers from across Pittsburgh gathered Oct. 18 to welcome Millvale’s tallest resident with a big party. The 12.5-foot-tall, 5,000-pound steel raccoon was installed the week before in Rainbow Raccoon Park, a former junkyard off Route 28. After the long-awaited arrival of the statue, it was up...
Smallsgrass jam session in Millvale brings together bluegrass aficionados of all skill levels
On Wednesday nights in Millvale, the sound of banjos, fiddles and mandolins drifts across the patio outside Mr. Smalls Cafe. That’s where the Smallsgrass Bluegrass Jam has become a weekly tradition, drawing pickers of all ages and skill levels. “It just feels like a group of friends hanging and playing...
3rd annual Diwali celebration shines light on Indian holiday, collects food for local pantries
LED tealights flickered between vibrant garlands and flowers Nov. 2 at the Baierl Family YMCA in Franklin Park. More than 300 guests, many clad in bright saris and kurtas, attended the third annual celebration of Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, hosted by state Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-McCandless. Diwali —...
Shaler downs Kiski Area for 1st playoff victory since 2009
Shaler took advantage of home field in the opening round of the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs, defeating Kiski Area, 28-8, on Friday for its first postseason victory since 2009. “This is unbelievable, it’s everything you work for,” Shaler coach Jim Ryan said. “These kids, the community, these moments are what...
Etna, Reserve to continue talks on regional police force, cite higher cost as a concern
Officials with Etna and Reserve say they need to further explore the possibility of forming a regional police force after a state study found it would cost more to operate than the municipalities’ existing departments. A regional police department with 12 full-time officers would start with an annual budget of...
Mansions at Lake MacLeod in Pine to be featured in Symphony Splendor House Tour
For the first time, palatial mansions in Lake Macleod will welcome guests for an up-close look at these homes dressed for the holidays. Five one-of-a-kind residences in Pine are part of the Symphony Splendor 2025 Holiday House Tour North. Hosted by the Pittsburgh Symphony Association to benefit the Pittsburgh Symphony...
North Hills Community Outreach welcomes donations to help others during SNAP pause
With SNAP benefits on pause, North Hills Community Outreach is stepping up to help the people it serves and is asking the community for assistance. As of Oct. 15, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services announced that SNAP, a supplemental nutrition assistance program, will not be issued because of the...
Kiski Area, Shaler looking to snap lengthy winless droughts in WPIAL playoffs
The Kiski Area football team is hoping to break a long playoff-win drought when it travels to Shaler on Friday for a WPIAL Class 5A first-round game. The Cavaliers have dropped 12 postseason games in a row since defeating Armstrong Central, 29-13, in 1990. First-year Kiski coach Colyn Haugh said...
Lane restrictions scheduled for Route 8 in Shaler, Etna, PennDOT announces
Traffic will be restricted on Route 8 in Shaler and Etna beginning Wednesday and continuing into November, PennDOT announced Tuesday. Single-lane restrictions in both directions on Route 8 between Saxonburg Boulevard and Route 28 are scheduled to start about 9 p.m. Wednesday and continue around the clock through late November....
