Volunteers sought for spruce-up Saturday at Trafford restaurant

The Trafford Business Association is asking volunteers to lend a hand Saturday morning with a beautification project at a local restaurant that is in transition.

Association President Larry George plans to cut and install cedar boards to put a new face on a chain link fence fronting an unused section of property occupied by Klassy Bar and Grill. Volunteers also will help stain the wood.

“It would close off a space between the restaurant and BirrBatt Printing,” George said of the fence improvement. “It would look nice between the two buildings.”

Anyone interested in helping is asked to contact George at 412-373-2276 and to arrive at 9 a.m. wearing face masks and ready to observe social distancing. Building materials and saws will be on hand, but volunteers are welcome to bring small tools, including brushes.

The restaurant, formerly known as Parente’s, is at 427 Cavitt Ave.

The fence project is the latest in an annual series of summer spruce-up efforts that the association coordinates.

Popularly known as Power Wash and Paint Day, the program seeks to brighten up the town by harnessing volunteer labor to repaint or otherwise improve business facades and other public spaces. Businesses that benefit from a makeover are asked to chip in toward needed materials.

“We try to identify a project we feel will have a decent visual impact on the community,” George said.

Previous projects have included painting the BirrBatt storefront and a wall that displays a community message board and addressing overgrown planters in front of the post office.

The program is in line with the association’s mission to attract and retain businesses.

“Our goals were to revitalize the community and bring in business, and that is slowly happening,” George said, citing a half dozen recent business start-ups.

Klassy owner Sheldon Klasfeld said he is planning to buy materials for the fence project while seeking help of another kind to get the eatery up and running.

The Monroeville businessman, who purchased a liquor license from the closed Rivertowne Pub and Grille in North Huntingdon, originally hoped to reopen the former Parente’s as a multi-faceted dining and entertainment site earlier this year.

“I would have had a live music venue there, a catering operation, a coffee shop and a possible wine-tasting program,” he said. “We were approved to fully open right when the pandemic arrived.”

Klasfeld said he’s now looking for a manager and a possible business partner to come on board.

“I need to get the door open,” he said. “With the pandemic, I’ve had a little detour, but I’m very positive.”