JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 31

The Pittsburgh Creche has been blessed. At noon on Friday, Christian Leaders Fellowship, an ecumenical group of local bishops and denominational leaders, held a prayer service. It was the annual dedication of the nativity located in front of U.S. Steel Tower on Grant Street, Downtown. In its 23rd year, it...

This pickle didn’t pop. After the ornament that the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership tried last year to install deflated, there’s a new one to take its place. Thought to be the world’s largest pickle ornament, it was unveiled on Thursday in Downtown Pittsburgh. It is located in EQT Plaza at 625...

Sometimes, just sometimes things we wish would come back, do indeed return. The iconic Kangaroo ride at Kennywood will be back for the 2022 season, the park announced Friday. And it will look shinier and newer – it’s been fully refurbished. “Kangaroo is a one-of-a-kind ride that’s perfect for a...

It’s Light Up Night weekend. There certainly will be plenty of holiday events happening in and around Pittsburgh. Enjoy. Light Up Night The 60th anniversary of Light Up Night is Saturday (yes, it moved from its traditional Friday night). Highlights of the Downtown event, which begins at 4 p.m., include...

They call her the “face mask lady.” When Jacqueline Stebler meets people in the grocery store, at doctor’s offices, the beauty shop, riding on the Access bus, and shopping at the fabric store and the wine and spirits stores, she reaches in her pocket and hands them a face mask....

As skaters glide along the ice, they will encircle a 360-degree immersive tree that lights up and plays music. The 60-foot-high structure is decorated with more than 103,200 lights and thousands of ornaments. The tree has a sophisticated computer programming system. Friday is opening day for the newly-named UPMC Rink...

With unseasonable temperatures climbing to 70 degrees, Wednesday was a perfect day for the unveiling of an ice ball cart. The Carnegie Science Center on Pittsburgh’s North Shore showcased its latest addition — Gus & Yiayia’s Ice Ball Cart — to be added to the Miniature Railroad & Village. The...

The glass creations were inspired by nature. Pittsburgh Glass Center collaborated with Pittsburgh Botanic Garden to fashion art for the garden’s new welcome center in an exhibit called “Second Nature.” Eleven local artists are featured in the display, which will be on-site at the garden center in North Fayette through...

The news traveled faster than a Sidney Crosby slap shot. By game time Tuesday, fans at PPG Paints Arena to watch the Penguins host the Buffalo Sabres had already heard. Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park, is in advanced negotiations to purchase the Penguins....

The Christmas tree in Point State Park, Downtown, will illuminate once again. After last year’s announcement that 2020 would be the final time for the holiday season, a group of citizens started a petition for its return. They got more than 10,000 signatures. Duquesne Light confirmed via email: “Duquesne Light...

Imagine the floor disappearing beneath you and falling into a tube, traveling at 26 feet per second. That will be the experience inside Sandcastle water park’s newest water slide. Bombs Away is scheduled to open in the summer of 2022. The attraction was originally planned for the 2020 season, but...

Judy Haluka is a kid at heart. The Aleppo resident spends hours in toy stores buying items from baby dolls to board games to blocks to trucks. She’s gathering them for a toy store where families in need can shop for the holidays. It’s sponsored by the non-profit Walking the...

If you haven’t started holiday shopping, you might be falling behind. The culprit is supply chain disruptions. This year, more than any in recent memory, it is imperative to get an early start checking off items for those on your naughty-or-nice list, retail analysts say. “Inventory concerns, combined with constantly...

The weekend has arrived. Here are some ways to spend it. Pet expo The Pittsburgh Pet Expo – the largest pet expo on the East Coast – is Friday through Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. The expo includes three days of competitions and adoption opportunities as...

In the 1930s, Frank Donatelli allowed customers to stop in and pick up grocery items they needed from Donatelli’s Italian Food Center on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield – without paying. They could give him money later. “My grandfather started accounts for Italian immigrants,” said his grandson Russell Donatelli. “They paid...

They’ve served us. Now it’s time for us to serve them. The Women of Alle-Kiski Engaging spent two months collecting nonperishable food and personal products to be donated to the Veterans Leadership Program, which helps those who served in the military with everything from housing and career development to wellness...

Adorning the green velvet walls is a selection of paintings and drawings. Encased just steps away are stained glass, silver and crystal objects. Textiles, jewelry and decorative arts also are showcased throughout the rooms. Many of these items have never been exhibited outside of the United Kingdom. They are featured...

It will take two eateries to fill the empty space of “The O.” The beloved Original Hot Dog Shop in the heart of Oakland has been replaced by Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, which started in Wilmington, Del., and is now headquartered in Las Vegas. It opened Monday on Forbes Avenue. Viva...

The Monroeville Convention Center will be filled with good eats once again – inside and outside this year. “Food Truck A Palooza,” a food truck festival, is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Monroeville Convention Center. Food Truck A Palooza is presented by GoodTaste! Pittsburgh, a...

The early bird gets the … turkey? This Thanksgiving season, with people set to gather with family and friends once again, hosts and hostesses want to ensure the main course will be there as well. According to area farmers, customer orders for fresh birds are way ahead of last year....

Maja Pederson got a request from a bride who was in the hospital diagnosed with terminal cancer. Pederson, co-owner of MB Bride & Special Occasion dress boutique in Greensburg with husband Reed, relayed the message to store manager and head buyer Jenn Mason of Washington Township. Mason and her teenage...

Zach Banner isn’t a suit and tie kind of guy. The 6-foot-8, 335-pound offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers prefers a casual look. “Sometimes, simple is better,” said Banner, who wears a size 18 shoe. “A nice pair of jeans and a sweater with some comfortable footwear is how I...

The bar at Monterey Pub in Pittsburgh has a shiny new look. More than 14,000 zinc-coated copper pennies adorn the bar top in a swirl-like design which has been sealed with epoxy and is back again holding beer, wine and cocktails. “The old bar top needed something,” said general manager...

Dr. Benny Weksler is helping patients breathe a little easier. As system chief of thoracic surgery at Allegheny Health Network, the Edgeworth resident leads the lung cancer lobectomy surgery program, which recently was recognized for its work. Lung cancer is by far the leading cause of cancer death among both...

It’s the first weekend of November and daylight saving time ends Sunday. Here are some choices of how to take advantage of that extra hour of sleep. Go for a long run The EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler is at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. More than 3,500 participants from 36 states...