Harry Funk stories, Page 2
Bethel Park students entering last school year in 6 district buildings
When students report to Bethel Park schools on Aug. 21 for the first day of classes, it will mark the end of an era as the final year for education at six of the district’s buildings. Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Memorial and William Penn elementary schools are scheduled...
Thomas Jefferson students receive iPads for start of school year
When classes start Aug. 26, Thomas Jefferson High School students will have new iPads. Over the past few years, the West Jefferson Hills School District has distributed Apple-branded tablet computers to its other academic buildings. Supplying ninth through 12th graders completes the transition from Google Chromebooks. Jennifer Kassimer, district director...
Bethel Park hosts 10th annual Camp Invention
In 2016, a Bethel Park teacher offered to direct a program that attracted 74 students during their summer break. This summer marks Laura Huth’s 10th year of leading local programming for Camp Invention, and she welcomed nearly 300 children in two, week-long July sessions at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School. “When...
New nonprofit plans free adaptive football event in Pine
The Michael Mackie Project, a new nonprofit committed to creating inclusive and adaptive experiences for children with disabilities, announces its inaugural community event. MVP: Michael’s Victory Players an Adaptive Football Experience will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 19 at the Pine Athletic Complex, 100 Pine Park...
Whitehall looks to public for guidance on 4.16-acre site’s future
With the former Whitehall Country Club property now owned by the municipality, borough officials are looking to residents for guidance in what to do with the 4.26-acre site off Provost Road. “It really is an opportunity for the borough to develop a site for the public and with the public....
Baldwin-Whitehall names administration building for late superintendent
When Baldwin-Whitehall School District named a stadium for retired superintendent Rosemarie Cibik in the 1980s, then-teenager Michael Faust attended the ceremony with his family. “I remember my sister and I saying, ‘Dad, that’s going to be you someday,’” he said. “And today is that day, and that’s a very meaningful...
Pine-based nonprofit 412 Gives Back raises $9,624 for One Day to Remember
Some want to take their families on vacation. Others ask to have parties or go on shopping sprees. And meeting celebrities is high on the list of requests that the Make-A-Wish Foundation receives from critically ill children around the globe. In fact, Guinness World Records cites wrestler-turned-actor John Cena as...
Bethel Park School District proposes 1.25-mill real estate tax increase
A 1.2515-mill real estate tax increase is included in Bethel Park School District’s 2025-26 proposed final general fund operating budget, as presented at the school board’s May 13 committee meeting. Such an increase would mean that the owner of a property with an assessed value of $155,000, the municipality’s median,...
Challenger defeats Bethel Park Council incumbent, school board member scores both parties’ nominations
An incumbent member of Bethel Park Council lost his seat in Ward 1, according to unofficial Allegheny County primary election results. Diane Ford’s May 20 vote total for the Democratic nomination bested that of current office holder Joseph A. Consolmagno, 296 to 145. No Republican candidate ran in the primary...
No real estate tax increase in Baldwin-Whitehall’s proposed 2025-26 budget
Baldwin-Whitehall School District’s proposed final budget for 2025-26 calls for no increase in the real estate tax rate. The school board unanimously approved the proposed spending plan May 7. A vote on adoption of the final budget, which maintains the rate at 25 mills, is scheduled for June 11. According...
West Jefferson Hills’ preliminary budget reflects real estate tax increase
West Jefferson Hills School District’s 2025-26 preliminary budget, as presented at the school board’s May 13 work session, reflects a real estate tax increase of 1.255 mills. A vote on the $70.327 million spending plan is scheduled for the evening of May 21. With the higher tax rate, the owner...
Baldwin High School dedicates softball field in honor of late coach
A full house at a school board meeting often doesn’t bode well for the folks up front. But to the relief of Baldwin-Whitehall board member Pete Giglione and his colleagues, the residents who packed the place in December 2023 came bearing positives. “When I reviewed the phone-book-sized packet of letters...
Cali Cats Rescue opens Bethel Park location
With regard to fulfilling its mission, Cali Cats Rescue is off to a good start at the nonprofit’s new Bethel Park location. A friendly feline named Lollipop made such a good impression on Benjamin Franklin Elementary School student Mason Stratthaus and his mom, Krystal, that they decided to pursue adoption....
Get to know Bethel Park’s primary election candidates
Editor’s note: Bethel Park Journal is only profiling candidates in contested municipal and school board primary elections. Bethel Park School Board Seven hopefuls are in the race for Bethel Park School Board and all are cross-filed on the ballot: incumbents Buffie Faes, Christina Headley, Sharon Janosik are challenged by the...
Baldwin pool remains closed for 2nd year
Baldwin Borough’s municipal pool will be closed again for 2025. Improvements to the half-century-old aquatic facility were planned for last year. But on two occasions in 2024, bids for the project came in at roughly double the amount budgeted, according to information provided by borough manager Robert Firek. Construction was...
Baldwin-Whitehall proposes bus-driving program for students
For the wheels on the bus to go ’round and ’round, someone needs to start the engine and steer. To the misfortune of school districts across the country, people willing to step up to the task are becoming fewer and further between, causing superintendents — including Baldwin-Whitehall’s Randal Lutz —...
Brentwood, Murrysville residents represent Pa. Women Work on national TVVideo
Say you receive an email from someone claiming to be a producer for an Emmy Award-winning TV program. Your thoughts may be along the same lines as the folks at Pennsylvania Women Work. “Our first reaction was thinking this was spam,” Kristin Ioannou, the nonprofit’s executive director, said about an...
Whitehall’s improved Overlook Park ready for visitors
Once it was, to quote Whitehall’s Neighborhood Parks Master Plan, the “worst-looking park” in the borough. Following a facelift that saw Overlook Park closed for most of 2024, Borough Manager Courtney Wertz can provide this description: “It turned out beautifully.” With new playground equipment stationed atop the safety of a...
K9 for a Day: Bethel Park honors rescue dog seeking adoption
Perhaps the most popular member of a law-enforcement department is the resident police dog. In Bethel Park, an affable pooch named Leo had the opportunity to bask in esteem as an honorary K9 for a Day, complete with his own silver badge. Following his swearing-in at the municipal building by...
Brentwood-based refugee group celebrates International Women’s Day
When it comes to longevity, consider that International Women’s Day has taken place each March 8 for more than a century, dating back to before the 19th Amendment to the Constitution gave American women the right to vote. Celebrating the day is a longtime staple of the Brentwood-based Bhutanese Community...
Inaugural Whitehall Sustainability Fair carries on committee’s mission
The concept of resource conservation isn’t exactly new. Anne Downes, for example, was among a generation of Americans who were pretty much obligated to take a pragmatic approach to life nearly a century ago. “She raised five girls in the Depression, and made all her own bread and made the...
Whitehall historian provides Underground Railroad perspective
In greeting members of a full-house audience, David Thomas set the scene for the evening’s topic, the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania. “Think of your journey here tonight. It’s a little drizzly, a little dark out there,” Thomas, president of the Whitehall Borough Historical Society, said. “Now think of what it...
Jefferson Hills resident prepares for intense swim-bike-run competition
When she has the will, Ebtehal Badawi makes her way. As an artist with a strong desire to promote acceptance and understanding, the Jefferson Hills resident launched an initiative called Pittsburgh Builds Bridges, based around her painting of an arched span adorned with clenched hands of various colors and religious...
Dads, daughters enjoy Ties and Tiaras in Bethel Park
As Bethel Park’s assistant recreation director, Lindsey Sibert spends quite a bit of time planning and organizing community activities. Ties and Tiaras is among her favorites. “It’s one of those events where everybody has a good time,” she said. “These little girls are just so excited to be here, and...
Event benefits Mon River Arts’ inclusive Penguin Project
Plenty of people enjoy time in the limelight. The Penguin Project gives young entertainers an opportunity, no matter what their perceived limitations. A national initiative hosted locally by Mon River Arts, the Penguin Project pairs individuals ages 10 to 21 who have developmental disabilities with peer mentors. “We have participants...
