Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 61

Who doesn’t like receiving a handwritten card or note from a loved one? It’s a special treasure now, as people shelter at home to avoid contracting or spreading covid-19. Monica Yope and Kelly Sanders, owners of the love, Pittsburgh boutiques in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District and Mt. Washington, have found a...

“Technological Textiles: Computing History and Decorative Textiles,” the current exhibit at the Foster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery at Saint Vincent College, has been digitized and is now available for viewing online. The display includes sections on the history of generative art, Joseph Marie Jacquard’s 1801 invention of the Jacquard...

Westmoreland Night of the Stars, the annual showcase of area school musicals, has been postponed. The 24th annual performances were originally scheduled to take place May 6-7 in The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. Organizers have yet to decide whether the showcase can be held at a later date or if...

The Frick Pittsburgh will institute temporary salary reductions in order to rescind many of the temporary staff furloughs announced last week. An announcement says the move was made in response to expected economic stimulus support that will contend with mounting financial losses due to the covid-19 pandemic. “By taking this...

With Peter Cottontail likely under stay-at-home orders just like everyone else, people in Edgewood Borough are planning their own Easter egg hunting fun. Neighbors are being encouraged to decorate paper eggs and place them in windows, on doors or in other places where passersby can see them. Eggs can go...

James Taylor and His All-Star Band have postponed their upcoming tour, including a June 16 date at PPG Paints Arena. The 26-city tour, with special guest Jackson Browne, was scheduled to kick off May 15 in New Orleans. The tour would have featured tracks from “American Standards,” Taylor’s 19th studio...

Did you know there’s a subculture of circus performers living in Pittsburgh? Their story is told in “Pittsburgh Circus,” a new addition to WQED’s Digital Docs series of short documentaries produced for digital distribution. Usually less than 10 minutes long, the videos are available exclusively at wqed.org/digitaldocs. WQED says the...

It started with a live Facebook baking session as a way to connect with some socially distanced friends. Like a yeast dough left untended, it grew and grew and grew. Suddenly, Lucy Pollock, a 97-year-old home baker from Latrobe, became a social media sensation. A couple of weeks ago, Mary...

Coronavirus-related business closures are taking a hefty bite out of area confectioners’ Easter candy sales. With chocolate bunnies, eggs and other seasonal sweets accounting for about half of annual revenue, it’s a situation that could put some companies out of business. “It’s devastating, actually,” said John Mandak, owner of Valos...

Home gardeners can have their questions answered beginning April 1 via the annual garden hotline sponsored by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County. The hotline is a free service offered through the Penn State Extension Office to help Westmoreland County residents with various gardening questions and concerns, including...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has canceled all concerts through May 21, in accordance with recommended “stay-at-home” orders to limit the spread of covid-19. Concerts that have been canceled are: • May 1-3: PNC Pops “Paul Shaffer” • May 5, 6, 12 and 13: Second Grade Schooltime • May 8-10: BNY...

The lives of influential Irish playwrights will be explored in a five-week interactive online webinar series presented by PICT Classic Theatre. “The Irishing of English Theatre” will begin at 2 p.m. Fridays beginning April 3, and will be presented by Alan Stanford, artistic and executive director of the Pittsburgh-based theater...

The name of a prominent musical instrument maker will grace a newly established fellowship in children’s music at the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. A grant from Fred and Dinah Gretsch and their family has endowed The Gretsch Fellow in Children’s Music...

Royal Caribbean is offering a “Cruise With Confidence” plan to passengers already booked on a cruise, or those thinking about booking. The Future Cruise Credit plan allows passengers to cancel bookings on any cruise that embarks through July 31 from any port for credit on a future cruise. Cancellations must...

The Diocese of Greensburg has announced Virtual Holy Week Services to help Catholics in Westmoreland, Armstrong, Indiana and Fayette counties celebrate Easter in their homes. In a statement, Bishop Edward C. Malesic said parishioners should “use the Easter season to stay connected to our faith and be ready to help...

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will launch a web series at 8 p.m.Friday featuring its performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique,” recorded live in May 2016 at the Berlin Philharmonie in Germany. Music Director Manfred Honeck will host; bonus footage will provide Honeck’s insights into the performance. The symphony will remain...

“Cymbeline” has been chosen as the 16th-season production for Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks. The play will run in various parks on Saturday and Sunday afternoons each weekend in September. Early evening shows also are planned for Sept. 11 and 18 at Schenley Plaza in Oakland. The tragedy is set...

The Frick Pittsburgh has extended the closure of its campus and cancellation of programs through June 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Point Breeze historical site and art museum is working to move some scheduled programs online, and will be sharing information as it becomes available. Resources currently available...

The Clarks say they will continue to go live every Saturday night on Facebook “to share their music with all of you during these difficult times.” The sessions begin at 8 p.m. on the band’s Facebook page. Coming next is music and a question-and-answer session with founder and lead vocalist...

The Pittsburgh Irish Festival will livestream a series of Irish music performances on its Facebook page. The Live Stream Irish Music Series is a partnership with the Irish Design Center. This week’s schedule includes: • Wednesday: Mickey Spain, 7 p.m.; and Mike Flaherty, 8 p.m. • Thursday: Katie Grennan (Pittsburgh-born...

Medical professionals treating humans aren’t the only ones having to adjust the way they practice in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Veterinarians have made similar changes in asking pet owners to postpone routine appointments and elective surgeries. They’re also reassuring pet owners that, though animals are the likely original source...