Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 30

Shirley McMarlin
Shirley McMarlin 724-836-5750
Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff, dies at 88
Food Network baking champs to judge The Block Northway’s gingerbread house display
The inaugural holiday gingerbread house display at The Block Northway in Ross has been a sweet surprise for organizers. Not only did it draw more than 65 entries, but it also will be visited by two television baking champions. Pittsburgh-area pastry chefs Daniel Wilson and Marla Mae Harvey, recent winners...
Food Network baking champs to judge The Block Northway’s gingerbread house display
The inaugural holiday gingerbread house display at The Block Northway in Ross has been a sweet surprise for organizers. Not only did it draw more than 65 entries, but it also will be visited by two television baking champions. Pittsburgh-area pastry chefs Daniel Wilson and Marla Mae Harvey, recent winners...
Greensburg Garden Center crafts one-of-a-kind items for holiday sale
You’ve heard of farm-to-table goods, but Greensburg Garden Center members are going yard-to-table for their annual Christmas decor sale. Many of the fresh greens that will be available, along with decorative touches like pine cones and dried flowers that are added to sale items, are sourced from members’ yards. The...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Nov. 26-28
Holiday rock opera The Wizards of Winter super-group will present the holiday rock opera, “The Christmas Dream,” at 4 and 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Lamp Theatre in Irwin. The 11-member ensemble includes former members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow, Trixter and the Ted Nugent...
What is the best time to serve Thanksgiving dinner?
What time will you gather around the table for Thanksgiving dinner? According to a 2018 survey of U.S. consumers, early afternoon is the preferred time to dig in to the turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie. More specifically, 42% of respondents said they’d be sitting down between 1 and 3 p.m....
Talking turkey since 1621: What was on the table at the first Thanksgiving
There is a lot of speculation and misinformation about the menu of the first Thanksgiving dinner, held in 1621 at Plymouth Colony in what is now Massachusetts. Was turkey on the table? “We don’t think so,” according to npr.com. “Turkeys are a possibility, but were not a common food in...
‘AGT’ winner, ventriloquist Terry Fator coming to The Palace 
As a fifth grader working on a Valentine’s Day report, Terry Fator overshot the “Va” books in the school library and ended up at “Ve.” He pulled out a book on ventriloquism and forgot about his assignment. The rest, as they say, is history. An “America’s Got Talent” winner and...
Marie Osmond promises to fill The Palace Theatre with holiday spirit
Marie Osmond is sure to have a busy holiday season, and it has nothing to do with decorating, baking and shopping. The veteran entertainer is looking forward to the debut of her new Lifetime movie, “A Fiancé for Christmas,” premiering at 8 p.m. Dec. 9. Her 17-track album, “Unexpected,” comes...
Dinosaurs will roam Pittsburgh when Jurassic Quest comes to town 
After millions of years, dinosaurs are again roaming North America in Jurassic Quest, an interactive dinosaur attraction coming to Pittsburgh in February. With more than 100 life-like dinosaur replicas, themed rides, live dinosaur shows, interactive science and art activities, a fossil dig, a “Triceratots” soft play area, inflatable attractions, photo...
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ flying into Greensburg’s Palace Theatre
Some stories have a message that is evergreen, so to speak — especially when it comes to Christmas specials. That’s certainly true of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” a story that first came to television in stop-motion, animated form in 1964. “It’s all about accepting people and their differences and realizing...
Phipps Conservatory brings ‘Sparkle and Shine’ to winter flower show
Holiday decorations shine, sunlight on snow sparkles and Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens both sparkles and shines with the return of the winter flower show. “Sparkle and Shine” is the theme for the extravagant “Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden,” running through Jan. 9 at the facility in...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Nov. 19-21
Rockin’ out The Lamp Theatre in Irwin will be rocking hard this weekend with two classic rock tribute shows. Broken Arrow: A Tribute to Neil Young kicks it off at 8 p.m. Friday, playing the rock legend’s softer country rock material and the hard-edge Crazy Horse-era electric tunes — offering...
Sewickley Light Up Night returns with fireworks, food, fun for all
Sewickley Borough will celebrate the holiday season with the Dec. 3 return of Light Up Night, following a 2020 hiatus. Activities are scheduled for 5-9 p.m. in the area of Beaver and Broad streets. “We didn’t have Light Up Night last year because of covid, so we’re excited to bring...
University of Pittsburgh athletic trainer donating kidney to colleague’s 4-year-old son
Mary Beth and Bobby George have searched since May for a living kidney donor for their 4-year-old son, Daniel, who suffers from chronic kidney disease. Little did the Pittsburgh family know how close to home a donor would be found. Mary Beth George is a strength and conditioning coach at...
Shadyside mansion adorned for Pittsburgh Symphony Association holiday tour
Pittsburgh Symphony Association members weren’t hopeful that they would be able to present their Symphony Splendor Holiday House Tour this year. Then, Scott Cavanaugh and Ron Graham offered their Gilded Age Shadyside mansion for the much-anticipated event. “With the current situation, you can understand that homeowners wouldn’t permit hundreds of...
Journey to open 2022 tour in Pittsburgh
Start believin’. Journey is coming back to Pittsburgh. The classic rockers have announced that their Freedom Tour 2022 will open Feb. 22 at PPG Paints Arena. Special guest will be punk rocker Billy Idol. The tour is in support of a new album, “Freedom,” set for release next year on...
Victory Brinker joining Latshaw Pops for Christmas show at The Palace
A Westmoreland County audience will have a chance to see “America’s Got Talent” veteran Victory Brinker live when she joins the Latshaw Pops Orchestra for a holiday concert at The Palace Theatre in Greensburg. “The Sounds of Christmas” is scheduled for 2 p.m. Dec. 5 in the theater. Following the...
New Ligonier bottle shop specializes in area winery, distillery brands
A lot of ideas get tossed around over a few drinks, but most of them don’t survive until the light of day. One that did resulted in Wandering Spirits, a boutique bottle shop that opened Oct. 8 in Ligonier. Owners are Emily and Ty Honhart, who live in nearby Laurel...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: Nov. 12-14
Owl encounter You’ve heard of howling at the moon, but what about “Owling at the Moon”? That’s what will happen from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Powdermill Nature Reserve, 1795 Route 381, Cook Township. Visitors of all ages are invited to the reserve to sip cider and hear stories around a...
Holiday Mart returns to Sewickley’s Sweetwater Center for the Arts
More than 4,000 items from about 70 local and regional artists will be featured in the annual Holiday Mart at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley. And there’s a story behind each one, said Barbara Pontello, the center’s acting executive director. For example, one woodworker sources wood from all...
‘They’re priceless’: Pa. Treasury program reunites unclaimed military medals with veterans, families
More than 500 military medals and memorabilia items — from Legion of Merits to Bronze Stars — sit unclaimed inside the country’s largest working vault in Harrisburg. It is Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity’s mission to return those decorations to their rightful owners. “As a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army...
Latrobe Cabaret Theatre’s Broadway revue is part of global reopening event
Latrobe-based Cabaret Theatre will turn off the ghost light and turn on the stage lights with a post-pandemic reopening production called “All Together Now!” Cabaret is joining with theater companies worldwide to stage the Broadway musical revue, which was offered royalty-free to small companies by the licensing house Music Theatre...
2-day Holiday Mart returns to Westmoreland Museum
Regional artisans will offer an array of gift-giving options at the annual Holiday Mart, set for Friday and Saturday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. The event will feature returning makers and those new to the event, said Dwi Bartlebaugh, the museum shop manager. Merchandise will be set up...
Greensburg Ladies Night Out offers shopping fun for everyone
The Greensburg Business & Professionals Association will make holiday gift-buying easier — or at least more enjoyable — with its Ladies Night Out shopping event on Thursday. The fun kicks off at 5 p.m., with participating stores in downtown and the surrounding area staying open until 9 p.m., offering treats...
Out & About: St. Anne Home supporters count blessings at annual gala
An old hymn says, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.” Supporters of the St. Anne Home are accustomed to doing that yearly at the Harvest of Blessings gala. They were especially grateful to gather Nov. 6 in the Fred Rogers Center at Saint Vincent College for the 25th...


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