Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 6

Fort Ligonier welcomed artist and painting conservator Michael Mosorjak of Johnstown as speaker at the annual meeting and member reception on April 28. Mosorjak discussed the conservation techniques of British paintings, which comprise most of Fort Ligonier’s collection — many of which he has conserved. When asked if he had...

As a Black, gay, immigrant artist living in the Rust Belt, Gavin Benjamin has contemplated themes of isolation, both personal and for the wider communities of which he is part. The impetus behind his recent exhibit at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, “Break Down and Let It All Out,”...

Gregory Brown was both a hard-nosed journalist and a man of good humor and community spirit. “Greg was always one of those people who was very committed to local news and the news product,” said retired journalist Tom Bickert of Elwood City, who was a fellow editor with Brown at...

The 14,000-square-foot residence in Pittsburgh’s East End known as the Kelly House can comfortably accommodate a party of 100 guests or more. Despite its size, it also has a cozy feel that makes it perfect for family gatherings. Set on a 1.4-acre lot at 1145 Beechwood Blvd., the grand brick...

Back to the beach Award-winning playwright Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical play, “Brighton Beach Memoirs,” will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Geyer Performing Arts Center, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale. The story follows Eugene Jerome, a young teen growing up in 1937 Brooklyn, as...

The Carnegie Museum of Art will once again celebrate summer with its third season of free Inside Out programming. Kicking off June 15, Inside Out will highlight Pittsburgh’s cultural landscape with performances, workshops, gatherings, DJs, art activities, food trucks and local drinks. The series will include nightlife-focused Thursday evenings and...

Mosaic artist Mitzi Hall of Irwin turned down what probably would have been the biggest commission of her career in favor of keeping her creative freedom. A restaurateur in Arizona had seen an image of one of Hall’s mosaic-inlaid guitars online and asked if she could make one for him....

These days, Ten Fox is working seven days a week — but it’s by her own choice. Already the owner of a Unity salon bearing her name, she opened The Vietnamese Kitchen in Hempfield on Jan. 6. “I’m Vietnamese, I grew up eating Vietnamese food, and I always had this...

Talk about work these days, and you’re likely to hear discouraging words like “quiet quitting” and “bare minimum Monday.” “It’s a tough world out there, especially post-covid,” said Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Dan DeBone. He and co-workers offered a warm welcome to upward of 230 attendees from area businesses...

It was a boogie wonderland at Stratigos Banquet Center in North Huntingdon on April 29, as guests shook their groove things at The Lamp Theatre’s Disco Ball Gala. They took a trip back to the ’70s, clad in glitter and gold chains, polyester shirts and platform boots, miniskirts and mustaches....

Leadership is more than just talking, it’s doing. That was the message Executive Director Mitchell Samick gave to attendees at the 14th annual CASA of Westmoreland Leadership Breakfast, held April 28 at Word of Life Church in Hempfield. For CASA, that means providing court-appointed advocates to be a voice in...

Dr. Lisa Issac said she was “honored, humbled, shocked and overjoyed” to receive the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award from Mental Health America of Southwestern PA, but her resume speaks for itself. A Monroeville resident and former chief of medical services at Torrance State Hospital, Issac continues to serve various organizations...

Welcome back Opening day activities are set for 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Historic Hanna’s Town, 809 Forbes Trail Road, Hempfield. The day will include living history displays and demonstrations by Proctor’s Militia I.B.W.C.P. and blacksmithing with Rex Baughman. Penn State Master Gardeners will give naturalist talks in...

Ligonier Valley Free Museum Day will once again highlight the rich history and culture of the Ligonier Valley, with six sites offering free admission, new exhibits, activities and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. “Free Museum Day is a fun way to share the Ligonier Valley’s storied history,...

Seventy-degree days in February and 40-degree days in May. While the weather around these parts has been topsy-turvy of late, there’s one thing that home gardeners can depend on — plant sales will start popping up in May. “As cold as it’s been, people are ready to plant something warm...

When Kim Cady visits a museum, her fascination isn’t just with the objects themselves — it’s with the stories they tell and what those stories reveal about society as a whole. She’s looking forward to telling more of those stories as the new executive director of the Lincoln Highway Heritage...

Jeremiah William McCarthy, chief curator at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art in Greensburg, will serve as awards juror for the 56th annual Art of the State exhibition. Running Sept. 10 to Jan. 4 in The State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, the juried exhibit is a survey of the...

Bernadette Flowers was born ready to take on the world. She was lifting and turning her head before leaving the hospital, rolling over within a week and babbling a blue streak at an early age. “She loved life and gave unconditional love to everyone,” said her mother, Stephanie Apone of...

Westmoreland Walks board members and supporters are passionate about two things, fighting breast cancer — and fashion. The two seemingly disparate interests came together for the organization’s annual Passionately Pink Fashion Show, on April 22 at Westmoreland County Community College in Hempfield. Guests were treated to a parade of the...

A group of area restaurants put their best foods forward for Ligonier Valley Historical Society’s 30th Tastes of the Town, on April 20 in The Barn at Ligonier Valley. Surveying the packed house, Ligonier Borough Mayor Ormond “Butch” Bellas said, “It’s great to get together as a community and enjoy...

“Looking Back While Moving Forward” was the theme for the annual Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP Human Rights Banquet, held April 22 at Greensburg Country Club. It’s a pivotal time in history not just for the organization, but for society itself, said branch President Ruth Tolbert. “We find ourselves in a period of...

Senior students from four disciplines came together to exhibit works from their digital media professional capstone project at Saint Vincent College. Their work is showing through May 5 in the Verostko Center for the Arts on the Unity campus, where an April 19 opening reception drew a large crowd. “Collectively...

Evan Hansen is a lonely, anxious teenager “on the outside always looking in.” A letter he never meant for anyone to see leads to a lie he never meant to tell — offering a chance at friendships and connections he never thought he would have. Whether to continue in the...

Final recital The Friday Evening Music Club of the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra will present its season-finale recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Campana Chapel at the University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg, 150 Finoli Drive, Hempfield. The program will include Roger Cazden on flute with Josie Merlino on piano playing works by...