JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 28
97th annual Cinderella Ball celebrated on Father’s Day
For a girl, her father is her first love. On Sunday, that bond was evident as dads and male role models reached out for the hand of the young women they’ve embraced their entire lives at the 97th annual Cinderella Ball — fittingly on Father’s Day. Sixteen debutantes were presented...
Pittsburgh’s Ritual House starts summer with new, lighter dishes
Ritual House, which opened in February in the Union Standard Building in Downtown Pittsburgh, served up a new menu on Wednesday. The plan is to change up the offerings seasonally. Executive chef Edwin Smith and pastry sous chef Zoe Peckich have brought their American cooking styles and modernized dishes with...
Observatory Hill House Tour features 12 homes
Jeremy Lawler was taking down his Christmas tree in February when he noticed two cars pull up and people get out to take pictures in front of his house. “Thinking that was odd, I went outside to see what was going on,” Lawler said. “I spoke to one of the...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 23-25
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Art appreciation The Ohringer gallery in Braddock will host an exhibition featuring the work of artist Cue Perry. It runs Saturday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 640 Braddock Ave. It will be Perry’s first solo exhibition. The works...
Topping it off: Taylor Swift gives hat to Hempfield girl at concertVideo
Cost of two Taylor Swift tickets? $1,800. Watching Taylor Swift give her hat to your daughter? Priceless. “I can’t even believe this happened,” Renata Guarlotti said through a raspy voice after screaming during the Friday night concert. “It was surreal.” The Hempfield woman and her 10-year-old daughter, Katie, had floor...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 16-19
We’ve reached the weekend. Father’s Day is Sunday, and for some it’s a long weekend with Juneteenth on Monday. Here are some ways to spend it if you aren’t attending one of the two sold-out Taylor Swift concerts. Juneteenth The annual Juneteenth celebration is Friday through Monday in Point State...
Greensburg bakery helps celebrate 40th birthday of Children’s Museum
A really big birthday party calls for a really big cake. The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh on the North Side is celebrating 40 years on Monday. The upcoming milestone inspired the museum to reach out to Prantl’s Bakery in Greensburg to create a 6-tier white, chocolate and red velvet cake....
Western Pa. School for the Deaf residence program prepares students for what’s ahead
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on residency at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. Interviews were done with the help of an interpreter. Many students’ last names have been omitted at the request of the Western...
Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf residence program prepares students for what’s aheadVideo
Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on residency at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children. Interviews were done with the help of an interpreter. Many students’ last names have been omitted at the request of the Western...
Artist listens to inner voice through exhibit at Three Rivers Arts Festival
Through the silence, Laurie Shapiro still hears the message. Shapiro, who lives with a genetic condition causing her to progressively go deaf, often listens to her inner world. “I don’t always hear the outside world,” said Shapiro, a Carnegie Mellon University graduate who lives in Los Angeles. “But I hear...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 9-11
We have made it to the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Garden party The Mattress Factory’s annual garden party, a signature-themed fundraiser for the North Side museum, is from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday. The Trash Bash Garden Party is described as “an evening of...
In harmony: Jewish women connect through music
On a recent evening, a group of Jewish women gathered at Chabad of Squirrel Hill to rehearse for an upcoming performance. It didn’t take the women long to learn the finale they will perform at “The Sound of Jewish Music” at 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday at the Katz Performing Arts...
Pittsburgh Film Office and Pittsburgh Public Theater launch training partnership Create PA
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis walked to the podium, mentioned the word “persistence” and looked directly at Dawn M. Keezer. “When you look up that word in the dictionary you will see a picture of Dawn Keezer,” Davis said Wednesday morning inside the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown, referring to the Pittsburgh...
The South Side Historic Home Tour returns with 8 unique spaces
The South Side of Pittsburgh offers a variety of living choices from row houses to repurposed buildings and traditional living spaces. There are lofts and condominiums, some located in a former school and church as well as single-family dwellings and even an Airbnb. Some have a more modern feel while...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: June 2-4
It’s the first weekend of June. Before you leave the house, plan accordingly because there are several big events happening in the city. Here are some ways to spend it. Beers of the Burgh The ninth annual Beers of the Burgh Festival is Saturday at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in...
Pittsburgh Pride celebrates 50 years
This is a milestone weekend for the Pittsburgh LGBTQ+ community. Fifty years ago, 50 members marched from Market Square to Schenley Park in commemoration of the 1969 Stonewall Riots. The date was June 17, 1973. It will always be remembered as Pittsburgh’s first Pride Parade, according to QBurgh, a source...
Blawnox artist hopes sculpture for Three Rivers Arts Festival gets people to hear the conversation
Inside a black tent at the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, you can hear jabbering. The sound is somewhat muffled, but the talking heads seem to be screaming, talking over one another. They are representative of how we think we are really listening to someone, but we have no...
64th annual Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival continues to evolve
If you’re planning on venturing into Downtown Pittsburgh for the Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, it’s best to plan accordingly. The festival coincides with so many happenings Downtown this weekend — from Pittsburgh Pride Revolution: NO FEAR to “The Little Mermaid” in concert at Heinz Hall to concerts from...
Necromancer Brewing Co. to open a second location inside former Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield
A week after Hough’s Taproom in Greenfield closed after 17 years, another establishment will welcome patrons to take a seat at the bar. Necromancer Brewing Co. plans to open its second location in the vacant spot on Greenfield Avenue by Sept. 1. “The owners at Hough’s have passed the torch...
Not child’s play: Dad and his daughter bring the sidewalks to life through colorful chalk art
Concrete is the canvas for the father-daughter duo who creates images done with chalk — reminiscent of the dad’s first drawings for his little girl and her younger sister in the driveway of the family home in North Huntingdon. Colorful characters appear to be smiling or laughing. Some have an...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: May 26-29
It is Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom. Here are some ways to spend it — a three-day weekend for some. Submarine event The Carnegie Science Center will host a Submarine Memorial on USS Requin from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday...
‘On the Rocks’ tells the story of the Primadonna restaurant owner
Joseph “Joe Joe” Costanzo Jr. slept in restaurant booths at his Primadonna Restaurant in McKees Rocks. He missed family events. His wife, Donna Costanzo, said the best way to see him was to work at the restaurant. He knew most diners’ names, greeting them with a hearty hello and a...
Stair climb: Harrison native to showcase images of steps at Oakmont Carnegie Library
Paola Corso is always looking to take the next step. The Harrison native writes about and photographs staircases not only for their beauty, but for their functional use as a journey to get from one place to another. “I am always looking for steps,” said Corso, who lives in Brooklyn,...
Stair climb: Harrison native to showcase images of steps at Oakmont Carnegie Library
Paola Corso is always looking to take the next step. The Harrison native writes about and photographs staircases not only for their beauty, but for their functional use as a journey to get from one place to another. “I am always looking for steps,” said Corso, who lives in Brooklyn,...
Behind the mask: The ‘I’m fine.’ project uncovers mental health issues
Maureen Joyce peeled back the top of one of the plastic containers, revealing clay face masks inside that seemed to be looking back at her. They were decorated in various colors – some bright and bold and others dark and dreary. Sayings are inscribed such as “It’s OK to NOT...

