Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 57
Fawn Fire Company No. 2 boosts wildfire gear with state grant
Volunteers at Fawn Fire Company No. 2 will be better equipped to fight wildfires thanks to new gear and equipment. Phillip Smozski, fire lieutenant, said the department plans to outfit its utility terrain vehicle with $1,600 in firefighting equipment that includes fire rakes and Indian packs, or portable pump tanks....
Allegheny RiverTrail Park ready to Rock the River
Allegheny RiverTrail Park is getting ready to “Rock the River” one final time before fall with a concert on Sept. 30. Scott, Rob and Greg of longtime Pittsburgh-band, The Clarks, will perform for free at 7 p.m. in the welcome center pavilion. The large, open space provides for excellent acoustics...
Tarentum’s Pasta King gives takeout the royal treatment
Tarentum resident Dale Davis has earned his title as the pasta king. A longtime chef in restaurants across the Pittsburgh region, Davis made the leap to open the soul food takeout eatery Pasta King at 621 E. First Ave. in Tarentum just more than a year ago. “I started way...
Aspinwall Fireman’s Park pavilion eyed for upgrades
People who use Fireman’s Park in Aspinwall will notice significant upgrades in coming months to the site off West Ninth Street. The state awarded the borough a $45,290 grant on Sept. 19 to renovate the park pavilion. “The borough is thrilled to receive the grant to update our beloved Fireman’s...
Polkamaniacs to perform at Harrison Hills: ‘It ain’t your grandpa’s polka’
An eight-piece band in matching blue plaid suits will perform Saturday in Harrison Hills Park, and the musicians have a message for anyone who might attend: “It ain’t your grandpa’s polka.” “We’re a king-size plaidtastic stage show that no audience can resist,” said Michael Devine, a member of the Polkamaniacs....
Tarentum seeking nearly $300,000 in grants for 2 water line projects
Tarentum Council is eyeing more than $300,000 in grants from Allegheny County to improve borough infrastructure. Council last week approved two applications to the county Department of Economic Development for projects along West 11th Avenue and Collins Way. “Ultimately, both projects are about the safety of our residents,” Manager Dwight...
Travel alert: Long-term single-lane restrictions along Route 28 begin this week
More traffic delays are likely along Route 28 beginning Wednesday, when single-lane restrictions take effect near O’Hara and Aspinwall, PennDOT announced. Work will begin at 6 a.m. in the northbound lanes and is expected to be ongoing through mid-October. Restrictions will be in place from Exit 7 (Delafield Avenue off-ramp)...
‘Winter Ready Rams’ seeks coats, hoodies for students in need
Highlands volunteers are seeking to build a community of warm hands and hearts through a coat collection for needy district students. Parent Christina Faltot of Harrison has launched her third annual “Winter Ready Rams” drive, which runs through October. “Knowing even one student will be warmer this winter is enough...
Highlands Middle School offers clubs as way to grab and keep students’ interest
New Highlands Middle School Principal Becky Bragan started the school year with a goal to boost student engagement. So far, she’s crushing it. With support from the district administration, Bragan tweaked the class schedules so students end each day in an advisory period where several times a week they participate...
Highlands High School could be ‘Going Green’ with proposed greenhouse project
By this time next year, Highlands High School students could be getting their hands dirty in the name of sustainable learning. Senior Eli Majocha proposed to the school board on Monday plans for a greenhouse to be constructed on the Pacific Avenue campus, saying the initiative would help tackle health...
Allegheny Valley Hospital promotes healthy eating with first farmer’s market
Allegheny Valley Hospital hosted its first farmer’s market in Harrison on Thursday with a fresh array of veggies, meats and pastries. Hospital officials said the event was aimed at celebrating nearby farmers and bakers because the cafeteria uses locally-sourced items to supply its kitchen. Represented at the market were Old...
Tarentum police investigating Labor Day carjacking
Tarentum police are investigating after a woman told them she was carjacked at gunpoint just before 7 p.m. Sept. 5 along Heuser Way, not far from the Family Dollar store. No one was injured, according to Chief Bill Vakulick. The victim posted to social media about the incident, writing, “You...
Labrador retriever pup, Charlie, could be new staffer at Highlands Middle School
The Highlands Middle School in Harrison could have a new administrative staffer by next week — one with four legs and a wet nose. The school board is considering a proposal for a district therapy dog named Charlie, a 5-month-old Labrador retriever. Charlie belongs to Principal Becky Bragan. “The goal...
Squaw Run stream renamed as Sycamore Run
The federal renaming of a stream that runs through Fox Chapel, Indiana Township and O’Hara is a long-sought triumph for people who battled years against what is now a nationally recognized slur. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Sept. 8 announced that Squaw Run will be called Sycamore Run, striking...
Asbestos uncovered in Tarentum structures set for demolition will increase cost of work
The good news for Tarentum residents is that four hazardous homes and a dilapidated commercial building are expected to be demolished by January. The bad news is that the cost of the demolitions just jumped after asbestos was uncovered in all of them. “It will be costly,” Code Enforcement Officer...
Harrison, ATI and Western PA Conservancy partner to ‘put trees to bed for winter’
Harrison resident Sharon Ellis spent much of Tuesday morning weeding and mulching around the trees that dot the grass outside the Highlands High School football stadium along California Avenue. “Trees are good for the health of the community and it’s important that you take care of them properly,” Ellis said,...
Tarentum police seek help finding woman missing for 2 weeks
Tarentum police are seeking help to find a woman missing for two weeks. Tonya Lynn Sadecky, 43, was last seen when a friend dropped her off in the area of Ninth Avenue and Morgan Street in Brackenridge, Chief Bill Vakulick said. She was last seen before noon on Aug. 28....
History museum celebrates work of late Tarentum artist Rudy Tutka
A late Tarentum artist whose work added flair to the pages of the Valley Daily News in the mid-1900s and later the Valley News Dispatch will be celebrated with an exhibit of his work. Illustrations by Rudy Tutka, who grew up in a home along Ross Street and worked as...
Public art installation to add vibrancy, joy to Aspinwall
A public mural in Aspinwall will tout the best of the borough and is expected to spur similar art projects to boost pride and aesthetics. Spearheaded by the advocacy group, Aspinwall Neighbors, the mural is being painted on the Field Avenue playground pavilion through a series of weekly workshops that...
Help pull plastics, mattresses, toys (and more) from the Allegheny River in Harrison, Tarentum
Cleanups in Tarentum and Harrison’s Natrona neighborhood will happen this weekend as part of a larger effort to pluck litter from the Allegheny River. The monthlong series of events hosted by Allegheny CleanWays focuses on removing debris that has piled up along the riverbanks. Volunteers can ride along on the...
Tarentum festival-goers can vote on design of borough trail
Thousands of people expected to attend the Summit Hose Fall Festival in Tarentum will have a chance to vote on plans for the borough’s riverfront trail. Friends of the Riverfront will be on hand to solicit input on the proposed path. The festival runs tonight, Sept. 8, through Saturday at...
‘Gateway to Natrona’ on tap near kayak launch
The kayak launch along the Allegheny River in Harrison’s Natrona section soon could become an enhanced destination for people seeking shorefront recreation. The Harrison commissioners are hoping to move forward on a project to create a nine-space, paved parking lot at the corner of Sycamore Street and River Avenue, new...
ATI, Harrison partner on beautification project
Volunteers from ATI will join the Harrison tree committee Tuesday to make over a cluster of 27 trees planted years ago near the Highlands baseball fields. About four dozen people will tend to the bald cypress, birch, elm and pine trees that were paid for through a $250,000 grant from...
Discover local flora during 2 ranger-led walks at Harrison Hills Park
Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to take part in two free hikes this month at Harrison Hills Park. Seeds and Spores is scheduled for Sept. 17. Hit the Trail will happen Sept. 25. Hosted by Allegheny County, the hikes are tailored to all skill levels. Park rangers will lead the first,...
Faces of the Valley: Bill Godfrey uses world experience to grow Natrona spirit
Bill Godfrey graduated from Tarentum High School in 1969, earned an art degree from Edinboro University and didn’t set foot in the Alle-Kiski Valley for the next several years. “I wanted to see the world,” said Godfrey, 72. “I was nomadic. I saw the pyramids, the Great Wall of China...
