Harry Funk stories, Page 5
Hampton Restaurant Week: Eat, drink and save money
As they say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Of course, such conventional wisdom applies to women and children, too. “That’s something we’ve heard from our community for a long time, that restaurants are an important part of what they want to see with our business...
Pigeon heroes: Hampton-based Dovecote Missions builds on birds’ heralded tradition
One of the most heralded airborne heroes of World War I didn’t fly a plane. Cher Ami is credited with saving the lives of 194 American soldiers, for which he received the Croix de Guerre from the French government to honor bravery on the battlefield. Not bad for a bird....
Dweezil Zappa carries on musical tradition of father Frank
Listen to a lot of what passes for popular music these days, the repetitive mouth noises droning along to minimalist synthesized sounds. When you’re ready for a change, check out Dweezil Zappa’s band. Accompanying him are genuine, living, breathing musicians: a lead vocalist who excels while alternating between his guitar...
Ross police celebrate promotions, lifesaving efforts
Two Ross police officers were promoted to sergeant during the Aug. 19 meeting of township commissioners, and three other officers were presented with awards for helping to save local residents’ lives. Commissioners unanimously approved the promotions of Matthew Immekus and Peter Chuberko, while Chief Cristyn Zett commended the rapid and...
Backpack Bonanza: West View doctors host return-to-school giveaway
Thanks to a West View institution, plenty of youngsters became better prepared for the start of a new school year. Heyl Family Practice’s first-ever Backpack Bonanza gave students the opportunity to choose from among all kinds of items for the classroom. “For over 75 years we’ve been part of the...
Bethel Park explores Solar for Schools grant possibility
Renovations to Bethel Park’s Independence Middle School include an apparently much-needed new roof. “We’re finding more and more problems, and more urgency to address some of those,” Barry Christenson, school board president, said. For potential help in paying for the project, district officials are considering applying for grants through the...
A good run for Hampton’s 1st Talbot Shuffle
Two girls joined their male counterparts in the culminating race of the inaugural Talbot Shuffle at Hampton’s Fridley Field, and they happened to be sisters. “Are you going to tell them I beat her?” one of them inquired after pulling away near the finish line, nearly 2 miles after they...
Aquinas Academy students promote expressiveness through Paul’s Art
Growing up with an older brother who is autistic proved to be a major inspiration for J.J. Ortiz. “I always saw him doing a lot of drawings. He’d do maybe 50 to 100 sketches a day on pieces of paper,” the Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh senior said. “That’s kind of...
Aquinas Academy students promote expressiveness through Paul’s Art
Growing up with an older brother who is autistic proved to be a major inspiration for J.J. Ortiz. “I always saw him doing a lot of drawings. He’d do maybe 50 to 100 sketches a day on pieces of paper,” the Aquinas Academy of Pittsburgh senior said. “That’s kind of...
Hampton, Deer Lakes mull cooperative wrestling program
Hampton Township and Deer Lakes school districts could be teaming up on the wrestling mat. The school board in Hampton is scheduled to vote Aug. 12 on approving a cooperative program between the districts. Deer Lakes has no wrestling program, but some students are interested in participating in the sport....
Young Hampton poets dazzle in National Garden Clubs contest
When photographed from space, earth looks like a big blue marble. But closer to home, another color of nature is much more prevalent. And these days, it may be the favorite of Hampton student Ruby Heitzenroeder. In her final year at Central Elementary School, she placed first in Pennsylvania and...
Hampton Township School District aims for lower elementary class sizes
To maintain smaller sizes for some elementary-level classes, Hampton Township School District administrators are requesting the hiring of long-term substitutes to teach additional sections. Superintendent Michael Loughead said the number of first graders at all the district’s elementary schools has grown for 2024-25. “We didn’t expect all three, honestly, but...
900-plus volunteers help ensure success of festival in McCandless
You might say that it takes a parish. More specifically, it takes a significant portion of the congregation to pull off St. Aidan Parish’s Summer Festival, which opened July 31 for, coincidentally, its 31st year. “Over this festival week, we need more than 900 volunteerships to be filled, which is...
New Northern Tier Library branch coming to Pine Community Center
Another reason to visit the Pine Community Center is on the way. Northern Tier Regional Library is in the process of establishing a new branch at the multipurpose building, with the grand opening scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 14. “We couldn’t have asked for a better location,”...
Tarentum gardener marks 20 years of lily sale to benefit therapeutic riding in McCandless
Picture yourself in a saddle on horseback, traversing the tranquil surroundings of a wooded area. For Tarentum resident Cindy Bowser, such a scenario once ranked among her favorite activities, and she mentioned one of her favorite places to venture. “Harrison Hills Park is small, but it is gorgeous with that...
Gospel brunch in Pine features reunited ensemble
The reunion concerts continue for a gospel ensemble that once performed at Cleveland’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Praise, Worship and Deliverance traces its roots back to the late 1980s and a tuneful Martin Luther King Jr. remembrance at Penn State New Kensington, where musician Roberta Breninghouse was an...
Ross dry cleaner plans full transition to delivery
A long-standing business soon will be gone, at least from its Ross location. Duro Cleaners has been a McKnight Road fixture since Dwayne Trimble started offering dry-cleaning services, and it continued after O’Hara resident Joe Ferrante became the owner in 2017. “The customers were great. They’ve always been great here....
Teachers at Ross dance school show resilience with cancer recoveries
As the owner of a dance school in Ross, combined with her day job at the time of elementary school principal, Cynthia Zurchin wanted to make sure she could see as clearly as possible. “I had gone for an eye appointment, and I was fully expecting that I was going...
Carnegie resident amplifies philanthropic efforts as Mrs. US Galaxy 2024
You may think of a haircut as not such a big a deal. Carnegie resident Sandahl Taylor begs to differ. “It can really change somebody’s life,” she said. “You can see somebody be able to get a job. It can provide them with hope. And it can simply tell them...
Baldwin Township artist helps launch Vintage Grand Prix with painting of Paul Skenes
Today’s toast of Pittsburgh sports is about to be immortalized in art. Paul Skenes, the rookie who is the first Pirates pitcher in 49 years to start a Major League Baseball All-Star Game, will be the subject of a live acrylic painting by Baldwin Township artist Kait Schoeb at a...
Pittsburgh Vegan Expo hosts summer festival in Bethel Park
By reputation, Pittsburgh seems to be a meat-and-potatoes kind of town. These days, though, plenty of people are sticking with the potatoes and forgoing the meat. And milk and cheese, for that matter. Amy Cottrill, who originated the Pittsburgh Vegan Festival back before very many folks knew what “vegan” meant,...
‘The Place for Smiles’: Brentwood artist’s painting helps celebrate 75 years of Eat’n Park
As an artist with a passion for painting Pittsburgh landmarks, Linda Barnicott had the idea for a 2024 project depicting an iconic restaurant chain. She remembers discussing the possibility with a young man who visited her vendor booth at a holiday market. It turned out that his grandfather had owned...
Monessen native leads 1.4 million Rotarians as international president for 2024-25
California has produced a pair of presidents. If the question pops up on Trivia Night, the answer probably is Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. As it applies to Rotary International, two leaders of the worldwide service organization once belonged to the club in Washington County’s California Borough, which had about...
Volunteers from Richland area continue assistance in W.Va.Video
George Washington may not have slept there, but the Wyoming Hotel lays claim to having hosted the likes of Will Rogers, Sen. John F. Kennedy and George Herman “Babe” Ruth. Visits by such dignitaries speak to the stature of Mullens, W.Va., during a time when the presence of the Virginia...
5K in North Park benefits scholarships for Pine-Richland, Shady Side Academy students
They say you don’t have to be an athlete to sprint, jog or stroll for 3.1 miles. But it helps. Given his prowess on the football field and baseball diamond, Killian Cavanaugh would have had no trouble completing a course of that distance in an event scheduled for July 27...

