Joyce Hanz stories, Page 8
From teen CEO to entrepreneur: Lani Lazzari grows Simple Sugars into skincare powerhouse
Entrepreneur Lani Lazzari continues to stir things up in the skincare world. She was just 11 when she began experimenting with sugar and other all-natural ingredients in an attempt to cure her eczema and other related skin issues in the basement of her parents’ Fox Chapel home. Her mother, Gina...
Living large: Relaxed approach to parenting keeps family of 11 happy and humming in Fox Chapel
Bigger is apparently better for a family of 11 in Fox Chapel. “I always wanted a big family,” said Stephanie Wilkinson, wife and mother to nine biological children she’s raising with her husband, Jim. “I told my mom I wanted at least eight kids.” The Wilkinson children, four boys and...
Harp and Hound Jewelry brings Celtic-inspired designs to Blawnox
A professional metalsmith and jeweler with more than 22 years of custom jewelry experience has opened a studio in Blawnox. Dan Jacko of Verona opened Harp and Hound Jewelry on Dec. 7 at 238½ Freeport Road, the former site of Marlene Harris Collection. Jacko designs and creates artisan and handcrafted...
Edgeworth couple creates community camaraderie with running club
Calling all runners: There’s a new Sewickley-based running club, compliments of a sporty, social married couple living in nearby Edgeworth. Anne and Joel Simpson moved to Edgeworth from New Jersey in 2022 and noticed a lot of solo runners in the Sewickley area but discovered there wasn’t a nearby organized...
Luke and Mike’s Frontporch in Aspinwall set to close
After 14 years of “blood, sweat and tears,” an Aspinwall-based restaurateur is calling it quits. “It was time,” said Sheri Rice on Monday of Luke and Mike’s Frontporch, the popular bar and restaurant she co-owns with her ex-husband, Billy Rice. “We did try and make this corner beautiful and try...
Sewickley Community Center adapts to serve evolving needs
A community center that once welcomed performances by Motown stars — including Diana Ross and the Supremes — continues to evolve to meet the needs of its public. The Sewickley Community Center, originally formed in 1935 as the Sewickley Colored Community Center, remains a steadfast staple center offering a variety...
Hiking Club gains traction at Fox Chapel Area High School
Fresh air and fitness are two primary perks for members of a growing club at Fox Chapel Area High School. The Hiking Club formed in 2021 when Fox Chapel Area High School alumnus Matthew Fiedler completed a 130-mile hike over a 10-day span in Albuquerque, N.M. Fiedler, now 19 and...
Fox Chapel Area High School alumni gather in Lawrenceville for 20th reunion
More than 120 Fox Chapel Area High School alumni took a trip down memory lane Nov. 30 to celebrate the Class of 2004’s 20th reunion. The celebration, co-organzied by Todd Feiler and Darla Shay Whitlock, was held at Lawrence Hall in Lawrenceville. Both deemed the event a great success, with...
Shop Small Saturday a big tradition in Aspinwall
Aspinwall Mayor Joe Noro is a big supporter of a small annual event in Aspinwall. Shop Small Saturday is a longstanding merchant tradition in the historic borough lined with quaint houses, churches, specialty shops, restaurants, bars, cafes and specialty shops. “Small businesses drive the economy in our country,” Noro said....
Construction underway at new riverfront townhome community in O’Hara
A chance meeting by a third-generation home builder from Plum resulted in the newest housing development in O’Hara. Domenic Ricciuti Jr., vice president of Ricciuti Enterprise, broke ground this spring on Miramar Landings, a 38-unit riverfront townhome community at 1 River Road. Located on the former site of Bell Harbor...
Pastor with a passion for history serves marks sixth year serving in Sewickley
Faith was a constant during childhood for the Rev. Ryan Kobert, who is in his sixth year as pastor at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sewickley. His devotion began at a young age growing up O’Hara and attending weekly church services at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Etna. He graduated...
O’Hara kindergartners gobble up special Thanksgiving-themed day
Kindergartners at O’Hara Elementary School gobbled up a special Thanksgiving-themed day Nov. 25, complete with special activities and stories, to celebrate the holiday....
Dorseyville or Whoville? Young thespians delight with ‘Seussical Jr.’ performance
Young thespians at Dorseyville Middle School recently wrapped up their fall musical run of “Seussical Jr.” Director Pamela Fiano chose the whimsical Dr. Seuss-themed musical to mark the theater program’s 20th anniversary. “I chose this show because it has a sweet message and it’s fun,” Fiano said. “It’s about sticking...
Vintage colonial in exclusive Fox Chapel plan melds classic, modern aesthetics
A 95-year-old colonial home boasting an outdoor sport court is on the market in Fox Chapel. Berkshire Hathaway Realtor Julie Rost, a Fox Chapel native, listed 143 North Drive for $2.4 million in October. The home was built in 1929, five years before Fox Chapel was incorporated in 1934 after...
Sewickley-based Custos IQ recognized for excellence in cybersecurity
A Sewickley-based cybersecurity business has been recognized for excellence as a start-up company. Custos IQ was named a 2024 Tech 50 finalist in the start-up company culture category by the Pittsburgh Technology Council from Intersections of Possibility. Co-owners Robert Ragan Jr. and Isabelle Syring work with a small team of...
Fairview students find canine company with Stryker, district’s 3rd therapy dog
Things have gotten a lot more paws-itive at Fairview Elementary School in Indiana Township. And it’s all because of Stryker, the newest therapy dog serving the Fox Chapel Area School District. The 1-year-old mixed breed motivates students to be on their best behavior. At the school store, students can exchange...
Sewickley Academy hosts annual Thanksgiving food drive
Sewickley Academy students and staff were all about giving during the annual Spirit of Community Food Drive hosted on campus from Nov. 4-18. Thanksgiving-themed food items and monies were collected and two vans were loaded Nov. 20 with food and delivered to The Good Samaritan Church and Food Pantry (a...
Neighbor Spotlight: Aspinwall sommelier, former actor, humbled by support amid cancer battle
Longtime sommelier Jerome “Jerry” Metallo of Aspinwall is pouring all of his efforts into the fight of his life. Metallo, 54, was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer this summer. The unexpected news sent shock waves through his mind, body and life that he shares with Cara, his wife of...
Rats provide hands-on instruction opportunities for students at Sewickley Academy
Rats scampering about a classroom is no reason for panic at Sewickley Academy. Instead, it’s embraced and encouraged. The second grade students are provided a hands-on learning opportunity from two sibling resident rodents, Cheeseball and King Bob. The duo resides in a large cage in second grade teacher Karen DiMaio’s...
The return of Pittsbugh’s holiday pop-up bars
Celebrate the season at Downtown Pittsburgh’s newest pop-up holiday bars. The Industrialist Hotel debuted a 1950s retro-themed pop-up holiday cocktail lounge Friday. Visitors mingled and sipped cocktails on its opening night among tons of tinsel, silver, red and pink Christmas trees and holiday light displays — all blended among cozy...
Sewickley Academy student nurtures campus greenhouse after growing hiatus
Emma Ehan of Sewickley is using her green thumb to dig into an ongoing horticultural project at Sewickley Academy. Ehan, a junior, loves to garden and tend to plants and now she’s using her skills to manage and tend to the dozens of plants growing inside the campus greenhouse. “My...
Sewickley artist finds fashion niche with creative clothing line
Marianne Fadden painted every day during the extended covid shutdown — it was her coping mechanism. “I would have gone crazy without painting,” said the retiree and avid painter. “It kept me sane.” A former Westinghouse marketing and communications executive, Fadden left her corporate career to open Creative Dressing By...
Outdoor dog park/bar opens in Pittsburgh’s Strip District
It’s a doggie debut for Pittsburgh. The Dog Penn is a newly opened, off-leash dog park and bar in the Strip District where folks can bring their dogs along for bar-themed fun and fellowship. The concept combines drinking with doggie socializing in a relaxed, controlled setting. Married co-owners Alissa and...
Luxury consignment store focused on handbags opens in Aspinwall
Feroce Luxury Consignment Boutique is the newest business venture for Kelley Costa of Allison Park. Costa, a handbag aficionado, is never caught out-and-about without a beautiful handbag, and she’s on a mission to make owning a quality handbag easier and more budget-friendly. She opened Feroce earlier this month at 405...
PTO volunteer logs more than a decade at Hartwood Elementary School
A familiar volunteer face has graced the halls of Hartwood Elementary School for more than a decade. PTO member Kristen Gulakowski of Indiana Township is in her 10th year of volunteering almost daily to make student life for more than 400 children more enriching, fun and festive. “My kids keep...
