JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 58
Jason Mraz to headline Rock, Reggae & Relief benefit concertVideo
There is hope that live music is coming back in 2021. Rock, Reggae & Relief, a festival benefiting hospitality workers and food insecurity, has announced a lineup of artists. It’s scheduled for Aug. 28. “We feel safe that, by then, most people will have taken the (covid) vaccine, and it’s...
Immaculate Heart of Mary, the venerable Polish Hill church, adorned in Christmas finest for public viewVideo
The Christmas scene inside the massive dome contains 400 feet of garland, 100 bright red poinsettias and over 100 illuminated trees of various sizes. Red bows, wreaths and candles adorn the pews. Music fills the church as volunteers finish decorating for Christmas Masses at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish...
Mt. Lebanon couple donates $1 million to UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital Research Institute
Terri Bone remembered calling the neonatal intensive care unit from her hospital room to check on her newborn daughter. “The nurse told me, ‘she stopped breathing last night, but she is OK,’ ” said Bone. “ ‘Premature babies do that sometimes.’ ” After 10 days in the NICU at what...
Don’t kick it to the curb: Pittsburgh offers Christmas tree recycling
Go green and recycle that Christmas tree. The City of Pittsburgh has five drop-off locations for live trees starting Saturday and running through Jan. 26. The program was started to invite residents to recycle rather than send trees to a landfill, which happens when they are placed at the curb...
Dad creates adventures in a box without leaving Beaver County home
Elliott Cramer was helping move a neighbor’s water heater when he had a revelation. Some might say it was out of the box — or, rather, inside a large cardboard box. “I thought, the cardboard box would make for a perfect rocket ship,” said Cramer, who was assisting a neighbor...
Winners announced in Tarentum holiday window contest
Santa Claus sits in a chair, reading a magazine. Nearby is a Christmas tree adorned with bright bulbs and ornaments, along with colorfully wrapped presents underneath. A string of lights frame the space, and snowflakes decorate the scene. Santa has a couch decorated with fluffy pillows to lounge on. It’s...
Necromancer Brewing set to open in March in Ross
For Ben Butler, the space just felt right. After months of searching for a site for their new brewery, Butler and his business partner Aaron Easler have signed the lease. Look for a March opening of Necromancer Brewing Co. at 2257 Babcock Blvd. in Ross. “I grew up in Ross,...
Last call for sweets: Longtime Homestead bakery Blue Bonnet closing for good on Christmas Eve
The bread will no longer rise at Mantsch Blue Bonnet Bakery after Thursday. The longtime Homestead staple for fresh bread, homemade buns and tasty sweet treats from doughnuts to cakes to cookies is closing on Christmas Eve. “It’s time to retire,” said owner Michael Mantsch, 66, of West Mifflin, who...
Voting still open for People’s Choice award in Pittsburgh’s Gingerbread House Display and Competition
There are 14 more days remaining to vote for the People’s Choice award in the City of Pittsburgh’s Gingerbread House Display and Competition. The recognition is new for the 18th annual event, which went virtual this year because of the pandemic. More than 1,500 votes have been cast for the...
Holiday symbols represent the meanings for the season
They are the universal symbols of the holiday season. Menorahs and dreidels, wreaths and trees, unity cups and bowls of fruit — all integral parts of Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa. While each has its own customs and meanings and ways to celebrate, all three share one thing in common: light....
Pittsburgh CAPA dance students take steps in virtual concert
Kasey Coles pushes the living room couch out of the way. Her studio space is now ready. Such is the life of a senior dance major at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, a creative and performing arts magnet school, Downtown. Pittsburgh Public Schools are stuck in remote learning because of the pandemic....
Pittsburgh ‘Menorah Parade’ lights up the cityVideo
Despite months of pandemic gloom, the lights of Hanukkah shined bright Tuesday evening on Pittsburgh’s East End. More than 75 vehicles illuminated with menorahs drove through the streets, honking horns and yelling “Happy Hanukkah” to the people lining the course. The annual Menorah Parade celebrates Hanukkah, known as the festival...
Pittsburgh Irish Festival instrumental in the virtual ‘An Irish Christmas Concert’
Go green on Wednesday. At 8 p.m. the Association of Irish and Celtic Festivals will host “An Irish Christmas Concert,” with support from the Embassy of Ireland and Irish festivals in the U.S., including the Pittsburgh Irish Festival. The virtual performance will be a livestream event of seven acts from...
Pittsburgh’s Menorah Parade traveling an alternate route
Look for the festive line of vehicles with illuminated menorahs driving through Pittsburgh at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The annual Menorah Parade to celebrate Hanukkah will go on, but with some changes to its destination based on Pennsylvania’s latest covid-19 restrictions. The procession will begin at Rodef Shalom in Shadyside and...
Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive changes game plan because of Wolf’s covid-19 ordersVideo
The plan to distribute toys to 200 families on Friday and 300 on Saturday turned into 500 on the same day. That doesn’t sound like fun, but organizers of the Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive scrambled to make sure bicycles, trucks, dolls, stuffed animals and more get into the...
Regent Square’s Frick Park Tavern on ‘pause’ until spring
Even before Gov. Tom Wolf announced new covid-19 orders on Thursday, Jimmy Brown planned to temporarily close his Regent Square restaurant. “It doesn’t make sense to stay open the way things are,” said Brown, owner of the Frick Park Tavern on Braddock Avenue. “We are a sit-down and enjoy kind...
Downtown Pittsburgh ice rink still open with capacity changes
The Rink at PPG Place in Downtown Pittsburgh plans to stay open, but with capacity changes, in light of Gov. Tom Wolf’s new pandemic restrictions. Outdoor gatherings are limited to 50 people. “The ice rink will be open and abiding by the state requirements,” said Byron Sharp, president of Magic...
Brighton Heights man connects puppeteers to perform virtually during pandemic
Brighton Heights resident Tom Sarver, a nationally recognized artist, created a Virtual Puppetry Residency that connects creative people from around the globe. Their work can been Saturday at the International Puppet Festival, an online show featuring 32 artists. There will be children’s, all-ages and adult shows (may contain adult humor,...
Holiday Market in Downtown Pittsburgh to close in response to Gov. Wolf’s covid orders
The Peoples Gas Holiday Market and Santa Zoom Experience in Market Square are closing Friday night, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership announced. The Merry Market Pop-Up scheduled to open this weekend will not take place. News of the cancellations came after Thursday’s announcement by Gov. Tom Wolf. His orders amid the...
Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive gives new meaning to children’s fun
Miniature cars are lined up ready to roll. Kitchen sets await that first pretend meal. Bicycles sit ready for that ride around the block. And teddy bears and baby dolls long for that much-needed hug. These are some of the items that will be given to children as part of...
Virtual menorah lighting, scaled-back parade set in Pittsburgh to celebrate Hanukkah
Dark times need illumination. At 5 p.m. Thursday, 1,000 homes in the Pittsburgh area will light the first candle on their menorah celebrating the opening of Hanukkah, the festival of lights. They will do it virtually because of the pandemic. “It is so important that people stay connected,” said Adam...
Holiday window display competition in Pittsburgh to support artists, causes
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is adding a twist to holiday window displays with a contest this season. “As a retail store, your window displays are one of the most important marketing tools you have,” said Suzanne Mauro, a Pittsburgh-based retail consultant. “They can make someone passing by, enter your store...
Some Pittsburgh-area restaurant owners have outdoor dining covered amid pandemic
With the colder weather here to stay, many Downtown Pittsburgh restaurants have decided to cover outdoor spaces for continued dining to help accommodate state-mandated capacity requirements. Some outdoor dining structures resemble mini-greenhouses. Others look like plastic domes. Bakersfield Pittsburgh has tents, heaters and picnic-bench seating on Penn Avenue. At Bourbon...
A Daughter’s Promise: An unbreakable bond that withstood the test of a lifetimeVideo
Officials from the Jewish Association on Aging announced last month the Charles Morris Nursing & Rehabilitation Center will close Jan. 12, leaving its remaining 50 residents two months to relocate. Among those residents is Rosie Wyner, who plays a prominent role in this story. The association cited rising costs and...
A daughter’s promise: An unbreakable bond that withstood the test of a lifetime
This is the story of one mother and one daughter bound by an enduring devotion to each other and a lifelong promise to be each other’s protector....
