Joyce Hanz stories, Page 42
Free community garden set to bloom in Aspinwall
A new free community garden is coming to Aspinwall. A vacant lot located at 215 Delafield Road, across from UPMC St. Margaret Hospital, is slated to become the Aspinwall Community Garden. Project organizer and Aspinwall resident Amy Lima said use of the lot has been donated by owner Marshall Barbour,...
East Vandergrift working to revitalize long-neglected Kiskiminetas River Park
East Vandergrift officials are moving forward with plans to revitalize Kiskiminetas River Park. The public park, constructed in 1990, is along the banks of the Kiski River at the end of Elm and Kennedy streets. Several years ago, vandals spray-painted over existing security cameras and painted graffiti on the cement...
Vandergrift residents sought for Spring Cleanup on Saturday
Volunteers are needed for Vandergrift’s annual Spring Cleanup, scheduled for Saturday, April 30. The boroughwide community cleanup returns after a two-year hiatus caused by the covid-19 pandemic, said co-organizer and Vandergrift Councilwoman Marilee Kessler. Co-organizers include Vandergrift Police officer Joe Gray, the Vandergrift Improvement Program, Vandergrift Neighborhood Watch, borough officials...
Vandergrift Pool to open this season with new manager
The popular Vandergrift Pool in Allegheny Township will open this season with new leadership. Michelle Terry of Vandergrift has taken over from longtime pool manager Daisha Clayton, who stepped down after being appointed to Vandergrift Council in December. Clayton described Terry as a “great fit” for the pool. “I’ve spent...
Survey gives Vandergrift residents opportunity to weigh in on borough issues, set priorities
Vandergrift officials and volunteers are seeking public input as they work to create a new outdoor community initiative for the borough. The Vandergrift Community Improvement Project (VCIP) is a new group formed this year specifically to finalize and produce a survey for the public to weigh in on what’s important...
New business carteBlanche Home & Design opens in Aspinwall
A new home and design business has opened in Aspinwall. Located at 347 Freeport Road, carteBlanche Home & Design offers decor and home furnishings curated by owner and creative director Rachel Schaffer. Schaffer, 44, was raised in Brookline in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. She earned degrees in French and...
ATI Vandergrift expansion on schedule; more jobs expectedVideo
Construction on the multimillion-dollar expansion project at ATI’s Vandergrift mill is on schedule. Last year, ATI announced plans to invest more than $65 million to shift operations from standard stainless steel to produce specialty steel for a global market, primarily for energy, defense and aerospace. A new bright anneal external...
Student-run ‘Cavalier Closet’ at Kiski Area High School offers free clothing and more
A charitable closet inside Kiski Area High School offers more than just clothes. Staffed by 10 students from the high school’s Life Skills Program, the Cavalier Closet is a free student store offering donated clothing, accessories, shoes and toiletries to any student in need. The closet concept was created in...
Gilpin supervisors vote to overhaul decades-old zoning rules to promote new business
The Gilpin Township supervisors have awarded a contract to Mackin Engineering to overhaul the township’s decades-old zoning ordinances. The supervisors voted 4-0, with Supervisor Linda Alworth absent, to hire the firm April 12 for just under $39,000 for the project. Gilpin has zoning laws, which only allow certain types in...
Fitness fundraiser Spin Your Wheels returns to Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall
A fitness-themed fundraiser offering fun and fellowship returns to Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall April 23. Spin Your Wheels was created in 2015 by Aspinwall resident and attorney Jennifer Evashavik. She bills it as the “fitness party of the year” and hundreds attend. The family-friendly event offers classes for everyone,...
Northern Westmoreland student wins state welding competition, moves on to national
Kiski Area High School junior Grace Wilferd put her knowledge of welding on display to win big at a competition last weekend in Hershey. Wilferd, 16, of Allegheny Township took first place in the welding demonstration competition at the SkillsUSA State and Leadership Conference, held April 6-8. Additionally, she received...
Rotating bathroom schedule at Kiski Area High School reduces student vaping, vandalism
A Kiski Area High School student started an online petition this month calling for all the school’s bathrooms to be open, all of the time. As the petition gathered more signatures, Principal Chad Roland called in the student this week to explain why the school began rotating bathroom closures, starting...
Still-closed playgrounds at Vandergrift parks vex kids and grownups alike
With the playgrounds in Vandergrift’s two parks yet to open this year, some residents are petitioning borough officials to take off the padlocks and let people in. Vandergrift resident and business owner Chloe Kruse created an online petition on Change.org about a month ago, asking borough officials to open the...
Kiski Area winter guard team captures gold medal at world championships
A Kiski Area School District color guard team struck gold during a recent international competition last weekend in Ohio. The 18-member Kiski Area Scholastic Open Winter Guard made history, winning a gold medal in the 2022 WGI (Winter Guard International) World Championships. “We could not be more proud of the...
‘It’s a way of life’: Fox Chapel officer devoted to life and service with police dogs
With the Fox Chapel police, Officer Robert Katich is well regarded for the K-9 program he started 23 years ago. But his renown in the field extends beyond the woodsy suburb. Over the decades, he has become a nationally recognized master dog trainer who has trained more than 1,000 dogs...
Vandergrift’s 3-person chicken committee disbands
Vandergrift’s chicken committee, formed last August by officials proposing changes to the borough’s fowl ordinance, has disbanded. A proposed chicken ordinance was moving forward last September, with plans to amend an ordinance regulating the ownership of backyard chickens in the borough. The three-person chicken committee had included Councilwoman Christine Wilson,...
Kiski Area schools receive food service award from Pittsburgh Food Bank
The lunch ladies at Kiski Area School District are serving up more than just healthy meals. The Kiski Area School District food service department was recognized recently for its efforts in child food-related programs. The department of about 50 employees received a 2021 Child Hunger Hero Award from the Greater...
Fireworks expert enlivens his Indiana Township neighborhood with birthday blasts, more
You could call him Pyro Joe. Joe Veltri has a blast using his love of fireworks to brighten the nights of residents in his Indiana Township neighborhood, known as Park Place. Veltri, 49, began putting on fireworks shows in the neighborhood after virtually everything — including in-person birthday parties —...
Kiski Area School District forms new subcommittee to help with communications, brand improvements
Kiski Area Superintendent Misty Slavic is on a mission to improve communications and brand awareness in the district. Slavic has partnered with the school board to form a new Public Relations Subcommittee with a goal of increasing positivity in the district. “We’re trying to get our community members involved,” Slavic...
Kiski Area students take top prizes in billboard contest to combat distracted driving
Two Kiski Area High School seniors took top spots in this year’s contest to design billboards with messages against distracted driving. Seniors Jack Coleman and Amber Coutch placed first and second, respectively. They were recognized Friday during a ceremony held at the high school. The contest was sponsored by State...
New wedding/event center unveiled in former Buffalo Township landmark restaurant
Monarch Veil, a new multi-venue wedding and event space, is open on the grounds of the former J-Barn Country Inn in Buffalo Township. Dean and Janae McAfee purchased the popular rural restaurant last year and opened for business this month. The J-Barn, once known as Jardine’s, closed in 2018. After...
Sharpsburg night court a success
Sharpsburg Magisterial District Judge Matthew Rudzki made good on one of his campaign promises from last year. Rudzki implemented a night court option for people seeking an alternative to having to miss work or school to attend court. “I have high hopes it will be a successful program,” Rudzki said....
Allegheny Township woman brings animals on the road with mobile barnyard petting zoo
A fifth-generation Allegheny Township farmer is bringing the barnyard to the people with a new business: Quack A Doodle Doo, a mobile barnyard petting zoo. Heather Waltz, born and raised on the family farm founded in 1874, is a self-professed animal lover. The new business takes her farm animals to...
‘Shrek’ comes to life at Kiski Area High School
Kiski Area High School is set to unleash everyone’s favorite ogre and fairy tale creatures with its upcoming production of “Shrek The Musical.” Director Robert Capanna said he wanted to present a fun show this year, especially after two years of covid-related conditions. “We wanted a big, hilarious and fun-for-the-whole-family...
Fire breaks out in Duquesne home; no injuries reported
A fire was reported on the second floor of a two-story home in Pittsburgh’s Duquesne neighborhood Sunday, according to an Allegheny County police dispatcher. Emergency crews responded at about 7 p.m. to the fire at 109 Dell St. There were no injuries, the dispatcher said. The fire is believed to...
