Joyce Hanz stories, Page 13
Lower Burrell parade fans mix remembrance with funVideo
Patriotism was on full display Monday for the annual Memorial Day parade in Lower Burrell. A bigger-than-ever crowd lined both sides of Leechburg Road to cheer, applaud, wave and honor those military members who lost their lives. “We have no way to truly measure, but that was the most people...
Huge raccoon mural on South Side promotes wildlife advocacy
A Pittsburgh nonprofit is using art to educate the public about wildlife. A mega-sized mural depicting a raccoon amid colorful flowers and butterflies, gazing over East Carson Street in Pittsburgh’s South Side neighborhood, is the most recent creation of street artist and muralist Jeremy M. Raymer. The mural was commissioned...
Golfers still hitting the links, trying to shoot their age, at 86 and 90 years young
Ron Owen of O’Hara is the “spring chicken” when enjoying a round of golf with longtime golfing friends at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. That’s because, at 75, Owen frequently covers 18 holes with his 86- and 90-year-old golf comrades Walter Meloy and Tom Bigley, both formerly of...
Pancake tacos lead the lineup of sweet eats at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift
A random plastic taco holder in Pittsburgh’s Strip District served as inspiration for a quirky, tasty twist on traditional pancakes at G&G Restaurant in Vandergrift. “I just looked at it and thought that would be cool to stick a pancake into,” said G&G co-owner Chris Kakias, creator of a variety...
British descendants of Mary Schenley visit her Pittsburgh legacies
Three descendants of Mary Schenley, the 19th-century Pittsburgh heiress and philanthropist, explored her legacy in a recent visit to Pittsburgh from their home in Britain. Robert Harbord of Oxford and Jeremy Harbord of Wiltshire, brothers who are great-great-grandsons of Mary Schenley, came to Pittsburgh with Robert’s daughter, Georgie Harbord of...
Carnegie family’s Migdale Castle set for public auction
A sprawling British-inspired castle owned by the Carnegie family is up for auction in New York. Migdale Castle, the mansion Pittsburgh-based steel magnate Andrew Carnegie constructed in 1927 for his only daughter Margaret “Midge” Carnegie, is being sold with no reserve. Midge was the sole heiress to Andrew Carnegie’s vast...
Western Pennsylvanians recall treasured advice bestowed by their moms
“Don’t talk with your mouth full.” “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” “I’ll give you something to cry about.” “Because I said so.” There’s no shortage of well-known motherly advice in the parenting universe, and some of those mom-isms end up seared into our memories well beyond childhood. In honor of...
Fungi enthusiasts turn entrepreneurs with Bounty Beneath Mushrooms in Armstrong County
Fungi-loving friends Michael Zaccano and Nicholas Wadding are growing their specialty mushroom business in Armstrong County. They co-own Bounty Beneath Mushrooms, a gourmet mushroom farm housed above ground on the second floor of a former 1800s-era wool factory in Worthington. Zaccano of Springdale and Wadding of Kittanning met at a...
Free Staycation event promotes history and exploration in the Alle-Kiski Valley
Travel can be expensive and, with the Alle-Kiski Valley’s rich history, area residents have plenty of options this summer to enjoy “staycations.” The Allegheny-Kiski Historical Society and Heritage Museum in Tarentum aims to make that easier by laying out the options this weekend at a free event. “Our history can’t...
Hundreds turn out for Sip & Style Fashion Fundraiser to benefit Aspinwall school
Hundreds were drawn to a fashion-filled afternoon May 5 to benefit Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy in Aspinwall. The annual Sip & Style soiree took place at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. Co-chairpersons and friends Lauren Shepherd of Hampton and Jayna Varley-Ifft of Fox Chapel returned as...
New restaurant incubator Frontier Kitchen opens in Sharpsburg
Aspiring business owners with a passion for cooking now have a professional resource in Sharpsburg. Virginia-based Frontier Kitchen is the newest business incubator assisting entrepreneurs in navigating the culinary world. “Our mission is to empower people to achieve their entrepreneurial goals and create strong, sustainable companies,” co-owner and CEO Brenda...
Daycation Destination: Mingle among the koalas of the Cleveland Metroparks ZooVideo
Pittsburgh’s Highland Park neighborhood is home to the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, but a daycation trip to another zoo in Cleveland offers encounters something one can’t visit in Pennsylvania — koalas. Only nine U.S. zoos offer koala exhibits and Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is the closest to Pittsburgh at about two...
New restaurant incubator Frontier Kitchen opens in Sharpsburg
Aspiring business owners with a passion for cooking now have a professional resource in Sharpsburg. Virginia-based Frontier Kitchen is the newest business incubator assisting entrepreneurs in navigating the culinary world. “Our mission is to empower people to achieve their entrepreneurial goals and create strong, sustainable companies,” said co-owner and CEO...
Snyder Mansion-turned-workplace a hit with employees on Pittsburgh’s North Side
It’s not every day a job interview takes place in a historic mansion. But for Logann Woodley of Franklin Park, interviewing inside a sprawling brownstone built for the late Pittsburgh steel and iron magnate William Penn Snyder sealed the deal. Today, it’s the headquarters of Babb, Inc., an insurance broker....
Inspection reports shed no light on what was wrong with Kennywood’s Steel Curtain
No inspection report for the Steel Curtain roller coaster was filed with the state this year before Kennywood Park announced it was closing the popular ride for the 2024 season. The last inspection reports the state received from Kennywood about the Steel Curtain were from April, May and June of...
Where is the last Ponderosa Steakhouse in Pennsylvania?
Employees of Pennsylvania’s last Ponderosa Steakhouse along Route 8 in Butler County are used to customers taking parking lot selfies and making a big fuss over the staying power of this Ponderosa. Server Denise Morin, 58, has worked at the Ponderosa in Center Township for 40 years. It opened in...
Western Pennsylvania restaurant workers dish on dining etiquette
Workers in the food service industry have their plates full navigating menus, taking orders, making drinks, cleaning tables and running food orders — all while keeping customers happy. The restaurant industry generates more than $28 billion in tips annually, according to a 2023 report from Gitnux, which specializes in consumer...
Will TikTok survive in the U.S.? ‘It’s not over till it’s over’
The clock is ticking on the fate of the wildly popular TikTok social media app after the U.S. Senate voted this week in favor of legislation that could potentially result in its ban in the United States, and a local lawmaker and an IT expert have differing opinions on concerns...
Passover begins amid ongoing antisemitism and unrest in Israel
Shari Lowenstein Zatman of O’Hara is entering Passover with a mix of emotions this year. “I definitely feel like we’re observing Passover with a heavier heart this year. ’Let My People Go’ is something we say as part of the holiday and it’s taken on a relevant meaning with our...
Building the Valley: Frankie’s on 2nd finds niche in Leechburg, expands hours, days
Frankie Failla of Springdale Township is retired, but he goes to work every day. Failla owns Frankie’s on 2nd in downtown Leechburg, a classic American diner serving up hearty, homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner specialties. Some of the specialties are from the Italian-influenced Failla, who grew up learning the food...
Beef farmer fulfills dream with opening of Tubmill Creek Provisions in Ligonier
Farm-fresh goodness has arrived at a cafe in downtown Ligonier. John and Kitty Goodish of New Florence have been married for 50 years and opened Tubmill Creek Provisions on March 6 in a historic building dating back to the 1930s. Cafe is really an understatement, as the new business blends...
Riders react to Kennywood’s Steel Curtain closure
Nathan Hough loves going with his two children to Kennywood, but, with the Steel Curtain coaster out of commission this season, he fears the lines for other rides will be even longer. “It was very disappointing to see the Steel Curtain closed for the majority of last season,” Hough said....
Kennywood closes Steel Curtain for entire season
Kennywood’s Steel Curtain roller coaster has been sacked for the season. According to an Instagram post Wednesday, Kennywood said the Steel Curtain — which opened in 2019 — will be closed for the 2024 season. The iconic Western Pennsylvania amusement park opens on Saturday. The flagship Steelers-themed attraction is undergoing...
Fashion show to benefit Aspinwall school while boosting local women-owned businesses
Girls just wanna have fun — and shop. That’s the message organizers are spreading about the 2024 Sip & Style Fashion Fundraiser scheduled for May 5 at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel. Co-organizers — and best friends since their children were 3 — Jayna Varley-Ifft of Fox Chapel...
School districts use technology to curb student vaping on campus
Tim Skoog keeps an unusual collection in his office at Franklin Regional School District. As the district’s director of safety and security, Skoog has confiscated hundreds of e-cigarette cartridges, or vapes, for his “vape graveyard” — a reminder of his efforts to decrease e-cigarette use on campus. “You really don’t...
