Joyce Hanz stories, Page 41
Multiple Memorial Day tributes planned Monday in Vandergrift, Allegheny Township
A multi-stop morning of patriotic tributes is scheduled in Vandergrift and Allegheny Township on Memorial Day. The Vandergrift Joint Veterans, including the American Legion Post 114, Vandergrift VFW 566 and the Vandergrift Veterans Honor Guard, will host a half-day morning program Monday to honor American veterans who fought and died...
ArtFest organizers seek vendors for daylong summer festival in Vandergrift
Artfest organizers in Vandergrift are planning a bigger-than-ever festival this summer on the heels last year’s success. More than 1,000 folks visited a closed-off Grant Avenue last August, during the daylong festival celebrating all things arts. The annual Artfest is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 31. Chairperson...
TSA Processing partners with ATI to bring new steel jobs to Hyde ParkVideo
New steel jobs have arrived in the Alle-Kiski Valley at a historic foundry in Hyde Park. TSA Processing, based in Houston, opened its sixth processing location in March, inside the hot metal section of the former Hyde Park Foundry. Currently, 13 full-time employees process large coils of steel and other...
2 Alle-Kiski Valley educators win top awards for excellence in education
Students from Julie Erb’s kindergarten class at Martin Elementary School in New Kensington are looking forward to a special party Friday to honor their teacher. Erb is one of two Alle-Kiski Valley educators who received statewide recognition this week for excellence in academics. The Education Partnership named Erb its Elementary...
Shady Side Academy rallies support to build Bulldog statue on Fox Chapel campus
A new STEM-focused, 3-D fundraising project is under way at Shady Side Academy Senior School in Fox Chapel. The Build the Bulldog project is a crowd-sourced, collaborative, global effort where community members and makers work together to design and make a 3-D printed statue of the Shady Side Academy Bulldog....
Family of slain Apollo woman remembers her as one who ‘cared for others’
Following the death of Kelly Steele on Saturday, family members are remembering the Apollo resident as a kind-hearted person and devoted mother and grandmother. “She was loved by many. So many,” said Ean Steele, 23, her son and oldest child. “All she did was love back. I loved her so...
Community Watch meetings to resume in Vandergrift after a 2-year hiatus
Community Watch meetings are returning to Vandergrift. Councilwoman Marilee Kessler announced the news on social media this week. The group cancelled its monthly meetings in 2019 because of winter storms. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the meetings stayed on hiatus. The first monthly meeting this year is...
Women’s Board of Pittsburgh celebrates 30 years at fundraiser
Hundreds of women, and a few men, gathered May 6 at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel to raise funds to benefit children in the Pittsburgh region. The 2022 Women’s Board of Pittsburgh’s Pearl Anniversary fundraiser celebrated 30 years of fund-raising efforts and returned to an in-person event after...
Lily’s restaurant at River Forest reopens, with outdoor dining at golf course
A popular al fresco dining destination is reopening in Allegheny Township. Lily’s, the restaurant at River Forest Country Club overlooking the golf course, is back in business for dinner at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The scenic dining spot closed last summer, at the season’s peak, citing staffing shortages. While located at...
1st graduating class of Fox Chapel Area High School plans 60th reunion
Fox Chapel Area Senior High School was touted as a dream school by the media when it opened in 1961. Sixty years later, members of the very first graduating class, the Class of 1962, are planning their 60th reunion on June 9 at the Fox Chapel Yacht Club. “We’re looking...
Gathering on Grant, a monthly event, brings back Thursday night festivity to Vandergrift
A new monthly community festival is starting in historic Vandergrift this month. Gathering on Grant, a monthly vendor-focused festival, kicks off Thursday, May 19. It will operate through October, from 5 to 8 p.m., every third Thursday, except in July. The event is sponsored by the Vandergrift Business Association, a...
One Song Show Choir Festival offers chance for some Alle-Kiski choirs to show their stuff
Highlands High School hosted musical theater students from four Alle-Kiski Valley school districts April 27 for the annual One Song Show Choir Festival. Highlands, Freeport Area, Springdale and Kiski Area choirs participated. Song performances included “Cruisin for a Bruisin’,” “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” “The Greatest Show,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine...
Vandergrift No. 1 VFD plans parade and community celebration for its 125th anniversary
Vandergrift No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department turns 125 years old this year and organizers plan to host a daylong community celebration. Alexandra Berger, company member and fundraising committee chairperson, said she was motivated to organize a birthday bash for the firefighters of the borough when she did the math and...
Faces of the Valley: Leechburg Area mother’s volunteer work sets shining example
Missy Rowan lives next door to her childhood home in Leechburg and says she has no plans of leaving the borough she once vowed to escape. “My mother always said I’d be the one to move away, and here I am, living in Leechburg,” Rowan said. “When I was preparing...
Casino Theatre in Vandergrift gets new and improved fire escapes
Two structurally deficient and crumbling fire escapes dating to the 1930s have been replaced at Vandergrift’s historic Casino Theatre. Janice Oberdorf, treasurer of the nonprofit Casino Theatre Restoration and Management, said the project took about a year to complete and was long overdue. “It was literally held on to the...
Vandergrift brewery Allusion wins national awards for clever beer-themed marketing
Vandergrift’s only in-house brewery snagged two national awards this week for their marketing efforts in the beer industry. Allusion Brewing Co. won “Best Tap Handle” and “Best Flight Display” at the Craft Beer Marketing Awards, held in Minneapolis on May 4. More than 600 judges voted, with Allusion earning the...
Western Pa. experts weigh in on how to make and where to buy charcuterie
Move over, chips and dip: the charcuterie craze continues to dominate cocktail parties, picnics and gatherings. Charcuterie (pronounced shar-koo-tur-ree) is a French term that goes way back — think 15th century — for using prepared and cooked meat products. Typically arranged on wooden boards, charcuterie combines food and art, resulting...
Pet duck becomes Aspinwall celebrityVideo
An unexpected friendship between a boy and his pet duck is causing a splash in Aspinwall. Steven Hu, 11, is raising a 1-month-old call duckling he named Aspinwall. “I was considering Joe for a name,” Steven said. Aspinwall doesn’t wear a leash and follows Steven around everywhere. The family said...
O’Hara to get flag disposal bin
An Old Glory American flag disposal bin is coming to O’Hara. Not everyone knows how to properly and respectfully retire an unserviceable American flag, but scouts from Cub Pack 678 at Christ the Divine Teacher in Aspinwall are here to help. The Etna American Legion Post 597 has partnered with...
Annual Earth Day fundraiser at Kiski Area South supports endangered animals
Kiski Area South Primary School kindergarteners raised more than $600 for animals at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium in honor of Earth Day. About 60 kindergarteners recently participated in the annual fundraiser that earns money for the zoo’s Adopt-An-Animal program. To date, the school has “adopted” 10 endangered animals....
Gate installed at Allegheny Township’s Finnin Park to deter vandals and nighttime use
A new metal gate designed to thwart vandals and prohibit vehicle access at night has been installed in Finnin Park in Allegheny Township. Township Supervisor James Morabito donated $2,500 for the project, acting on a campaign promise he made last year to numerous constituents. Morabito wrote a personal check for...
Kiski Area students learn baby basics with simulator infants
It’s “Baby on Board” for some Kiski Area High School students. A semester-long elective course offers students an interactive learning environment teaching baby care basics, childcare development and more. They experience firsthand the demands of parenthood, thanks to animatronic “babies” dubbed manikins, said Kiski Area child development teacher Jamie McCluske....
Runners, spectators return to city streets for 2022 Pittsburgh MarathonVideo
Marathon mania was unleashed in Pittsburgh this weekend. The full 26.2-mile race and 13.1-mile half-marathon kicked off about 7 a.m. Sunday under cloudy skies that turned to rainy, soggy conditions about an hour into the race. But that didn’t dampen the spirit of runners. Many said they were thrilled the...
Veggies and vegan dominate new menu at Farmer x Baker in Aspinwall
Diners can expect a new menu at a waterside cafe located in Aspinwall at Allegheny RiverTrail Park. Farmer x Baker, a repurposed shipping container cafe, reopened this month, introducing a vegan and vegetarian menu. Owner and baker/chef Jennifer Urich said the switch to a meat-free menu at the casual eatery...
Nearly 120 Kiski Area students spruce up communities on Day of Caring
More than 100 Key Club students from Kiski Area High School fanned out across communities in the district Friday to volunteer on National Youth Day of Caring. Kiski Area Key Club advisers Terra Shreffler and Nicole Wadsworth organized the annual event. This year, about 117 students provided helping hands at...
