JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 32
‘Wheel of Yinzer’ game show to feature ‘YaJagoff!’ and ‘Pittsburgh Today Live’
Sarah Aziz promises not to tell anyone. “I am good at keeping a secret,” said Aziz, director of festival management for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, who was invited to host “Wheel of Yinzer,” a live game show modeled on what Pat Sajak and Vanna White have been doing for decades...
Mad Mex in Oakland closes because of staffing challenges, lease situation
Despite being surrounded by thousands of college students, Mad Mex in Oakland could not find enough employees to remain open. After nearly 30 years in business on the corner of Atwood and Bates Streets, the restaurant has closed. “I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, ‘There...
It’s cookies and beer time for Nancy B’s and Allegheny City Brewing
Imagine tasting a sweet humungous Nancy B’s Bakery chocolate chip cookie in a brewed liquid form. That’s right. Nancy B’s Bakery of West Homestead has collaborated with Allegheny City Brewing in the North Side’s Deutschtown neighborhood for a dessert beer for a fourth year — only this time they are...
Pittsburgh’s Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor celebrates its 1923 founding
Here are two scoops. Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor in Pittsburgh’s Strip District is marking the 100th year of its founding. And it’s also no longer for sale. “Klavon’s is a piece of Pittsburgh history, and I feel like not enough people know about it,” said Desiree Hanchar, of Fox Chapel,...
All Saints Convent in Etna transformed into apartment living
The cross details and All Saints name remain on the front of the building, the beloved home to nuns for many years. But, as is protocol for the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh when a religious building is being reposed, anything liturgical, including stained glass with symbols such as a chalice...
With more ways to tip, customers willing to pay it forward
Desiree Singleton recalled her late father, Bill Ringler, having her, her brother and sister figuring out a tip on a bill when the family dined out. “He talked to us about the service we got and how much we should tip,” Singleton said Tuesday inside her business, Harvest Moon Coffee...
World of Wheels showcases classic cars, trucks and motorcycles this weekend in Pittsburgh
Just like expensive pieces of art, more than 300 cars, trucks and motorcycles are displayed on red carpets at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, surrounded by ropes and chains connected to stanchions. Some are adorned with colorful flowers nearby or showcased with their hoods up. Tires are...
Dry January continues to rise in popularity
Six years ago, Jacob Zadnik spent most of the week traveling for work as a consultant. That included eating out most days — and, with that, drinking lots of alcohol. He and his coworkers challenged each other to try Dry January — 31 days of no alcohol. This month is...
Pittsburgh dancer Maria Caruso’s one-woman show to be available on Broadway on Demand
Maria Caruso has never watched herself perform. On Jan. 20, that will all change. She plans to sit down in her Los Angeles, Calif., home with her husband, Alan Russell, and view her one-woman show “Metamorphosis” streaming on Broadway on Demand. And you can, too. For $3.99, the hour performance...
Monroeville couple open Back To The Foodture on 5th near PPG Paints Arena
Joe Giuffre and his son Joey were the first customers. They found a booth near the back and ordered loaded buffalo chicken fries. “The owners are great people, and they are family-oriented,” Joe said about Back To The Foodture on 5th, minutes after it opened on Jan. 2. “It’s a...
Pittsburgh’s Original Oyster House to close through mid-February
Jenn Grippo didn’t want to make this decision without first talking with her employees. The co-owner of The Original Oyster House in Market Square in Downtown Pittsburgh with her mom Renee Grippo (known as Mrs. G) held a meeting with their 10 employees and asked for everyone’s input. The topic:...
A behind-the-scenes look at Cirque du Soleil: CorteoVideo
Catherine Duval and her team were inspecting each piece of clothing and accessory. They were in search of missing buttons, torn fabric or stains, holes or anything out of the ordinary. It’s their mission to make a repair or replace the piece before the show can go on. “If a...
Damar Hamlin’s toy drive prompts donations topping $7 million
A toy drone. A Hot Wheels track. A Mickey Mouse car. To Sierra Giesy’s three sons, these are fun items. To their mom, they represent so much more. The McKees Rocks mother of Alec, 12; Liam, 6; and Nolan, 4, watched her children choose the items with the help of...
Heartache: Murrysville family honors the memory of loved one
When Debbie and Jeff O’Connor walked through the door from an early December trip last year, they immediately saw it. The Christmas tree was in its place in the patio room. “My daughter Caitlin had brought the tree up from downstairs,” Debbie O’Connor said. “She wanted to surprise us, and...
Show time: Local teen equestrian jumping to new heights
Bridget Hickton mounts her beautiful horse, Russell. She leads the animal to the ring. Together they take the jumps so eloquently — it’s almost as if they are flying. “I am an animal person, and I believe you can communicate with pets,” said Hickton, an equestrian. “I love this horse.”...
Dining in the dark coming to Bellevue’s Revival on Lincoln
Darkness can bring other things to light. That’s the thought behind a dining concept called “Pitch Black,” where people are blindfolded and then served a meal. “Blindfolded taste tests are a widely used method which sometimes have proven to trick and heighten our senses and allow us to let go...
Pleasant Hills mother and daughter to compete in national pageant
Minutes after Susan Fancsali was born, she was having trouble breathing. “When her color was looking so bad and her breathing was labored, the nurse wrapped her up with the blanket covering her that I didn’t even get to see her,” her mother, Kim Bennear Fancsali, said. “They told me...
Despite hurdles, these Afghan refugees successfully made transition to living in Pittsburgh area
After three months of living in Pittsburgh, Ahmad Yousofzay yearned to return to his native Afghanistan. He had traveled here with his wife and three children in November 2017. They didn’t know anyone. Communicating with others was difficult. In Afghanistan, Yousofzay was a man of importance. He had worked as...
Pitt law school to help Afghan asylum seekers receive pro bono legal representation
The University of Pittsburgh School of Law is lending a hand to help Afghan refugees secure asylum. The university plans to hire an Asylum Fellow to train and support pro bono attorneys who will work with local organizations in assisting refugees, said Pitt professor Sheila Vélez Martínez. Vélez Martínez is...
A year after fall of Afghanistan, refugees adjust to new life in Pittsburgh
Zainab Amiri arrived in Pittsburgh in September, pregnant and alone. She had no choice, she said, but to leave her native Afghanistan behind. “I was not able to stay in my home (in Afghanistan), and I had to leave everything,” she said via an interpreter as she looked down at...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 29-31
It’s the last weekend in July. Here are some ways to spend it. Beer here Pittsburgh Summer Beer Fest is 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Stage AE on the North Shore. The two-night annual event features craft beers from approximately 200 local, regional and hard-to-find brews, as well as...
‘What was that?’ Building manager, business owners describe parking lot collapse in Penn Hills
Benjamin Bair had just shown an apartment minutes before he heard a crashing sound. “I instantly stopped and was like, ‘what was that?’” said Bair, the building manager for the apartments where the parking garage collapsed on Tuesday evening in Penn Hills along Frankstown Road. “Seconds after … like boom,...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 22-24
It’s the weekend and it’s going to be a hot one with temperatures near or in the 90s. Here are some ways to spend it. Deutschtown Music Festival Three days of music at 40 venues on the North Side — including near PNC Park — begins Friday and goes through...
Baldwin valedictorian credits South Hills Interfaith Movement with helping her navigate education, a new country
“Who you become is way more important than the work you do.” Those words were spoken by Kritika Timsina, valedictorian at Baldwin High School, at graduation in June. “The person you become is more impactful on the world,” Timsina said. “You can be inspired by someone who has grit, and...
Bethel Park’s Vintage Radio Players take listeners back in time
When you listen to them talk, you can just picture it. Just like in the good old days. Members of the Vintage Radio Players re-enact scenes from the time there were no televisions. People gathered around and listened to shows rather than watch them. To picture it, think of those...
