Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 76

The Sharpsburg Market Garden turned out 190 pounds of free produce last summer, and organizers hope to give away double that amount this year. Green-thumbed volunteers showed up April 18 for a successful day of prep at the site along 13th and Middle streets. “The work day was so satisfying,”...

O’Hara council is seeking a $200,000 state grant to repair a portion of the Squaw Run stream bank that collapsed nearly two years ago. Township Engineer Chuck Steinert said money will be sought from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “There is approximately 60 feet of wall that was...

Glass recycling will be lost in some municipal trash hauling contracts across the Lower Valley but O’Hara, Aspinwall and Blawnox are making sure an alternate service continues for residents. The three communities are banding together to offer a permanent glass recycling dumpster at the O’Hara municipal building. The 22-foot by...

By this time next month, visitors to O’Hara parks might have to leave the area to smoke. Council is considering a ban on all tobacco products in township parks, expanding the current policy that disallows them near the playground areas. The idea was introduced during council’s April 13 meeting, after...

Hampton Community Center is expected to reopen Friday after a brief closure to replace the HVAC system. The cost of the work topped $865,000, Manager Christ Lochner said. The project was a major undertaking since the building spans 51,000 square feet. Contractors from Trinity Automated Solutions in Bridgeville began the...

Hard work has paid off in a major way for Fox Chapel Area High School senior Melina Bradley. The 18-year-old Fox Chapel resident earned a Stamps Scholarship worth more than $160,000 through the University of Pittsburgh. The full-ride award covers four years of tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and...

Weary from a year of pandemic-related isolation, a McKeesport-area woman transformed her anxiety into an inspirational book detailing the good that transpired from a global lockdown. “Twenty Won: an anthology of 21 female entrepreneurs sharing stories of business resilience during the 2020 global crisis,” will launch April 21. It is...

Colorful and oversized illustrated children’s book pages will line the path at Aspinwall Fireman’s Memorial Park thanks to a grant from the Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area. The club awarded $10,000 to Cooper-Siegel Community Library to install a permanent StoryWalk in the park in Upper Aspinwall. There will be...

In what seems a fitting theme for a pandemic year, a cabaret filled with vignettes about survival will replace the traditional spring musical at Fox Chapel Area High School. Students will stream “Songs for a New World,” comprising pre-recorded short pieces about struggles and success, during four shows April 15-18....

Sharpsburg Mayor Matt Rudzki is seeking a higher office which would allow him to serve a wider majority of the Lower Valley. Rudzki, a lifelong Sharpsburg resident and graduate of Fox Chapel Area High School, is seeking election for Magisterial District Judge. The office serves six municipalities that include Aspinwall,...

Four Shaler Area High School seniors were recognized by the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) as some of the top instrumentalists in the state by being selected for its All-State ensembles. They are: • Adam Braughler: Ranked among the best French horn players in the state, Braughler has been a...

Sharpsburg Community Library has come alive with programs since reopening to the public earlier this month. Courtyard programs are hosted almost daily, with topics that target young readers to adults. “Now that the weather is warming up, we’re excited to begin offering some outdoor, in-person programs again,” Manager Sara Mariacher...

A walking trail in the Shaler Area School District has been named in honor of a beloved teacher who passed away earlier in the school year. Kim Baysek-Young, a third grade teacher at Reserve Primary School, will be memorialized with a 0.2-mile path at the school along Lonsdale Street. The...

Zoom fatigue and mild spring weather have combined to thwart a hearty enrollment for the upcoming Fox Chapel Area Adult Education (FCAAE) semester, leaders said. The program, which enjoyed robust fall and winter semesters, is experiencing a significant dropoff with enrollment down about 75% this academic year, Executive Director Sue...

A 155-acre tract of land in Reserve will be protected from development and preserved as natural habitat thanks to a robust capital campaign that raised more than $700,000. Allegheny Land Trust (ALT) announced March 30 that the purchase of Girty’s Woods, a rare forest in an urban setting, was complete....

Aspinwall council is seeking three grants totaling more than $215,000 for townwide upgrades. They include money for trail improvements at Fireman’s Memorial Park, sewer separation along Western Avenue and work at the Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department garage. Work at the park in upper Aspinwall will include replacing the current asphalt...

Residents from Sharpsburg to Pittsburgh’s East End could be connected by a four-mile bike/pedestrian corridor that would provide access to fitness, recreation, shopping and dining in a project that’s expected to cost nearly $14 million. Allegheny Valley Railroad has agreed to sell the Brilliant Line to Aspinwall Riverfront Park. The...

A starry night and a tree-lined walking path combined for a picturesque fundraiser by the Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy. The group ushered in spring with a lantern walk at Riding Meadow Park, the second in a series of four fundraisers to protect green space in Fox Chapel. “It was a...

Big hair, neon clothes and cheesy ’80s songs will converge on stage during Shaler Area High School’s spring production of “The Wedding Singer.” “The show is just a lot of fun, and we could all use that nowadays,” Director Anthony Martello said. Based on the 1998 film starring Adam Sandler,...

Main Street in Sharpsburg will be a little busier today as crowds flock to the Good Friday fish fry hosted by the volunteer fire department. Assistant Chief Mike Daniher said volunteers have nearly 800 pieces of fish ready to drop into the fryers. Slaw, pierogies and fries are chopped, stuffed...

Emergency crews battled a fire in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill section on Friday morning, authorities said. The incident started at about 6 a.m. in the 1500 block of Lowrie Street, which is closed to traffic. EMS, Fire and Police are on scene of a 2-alarm house fire. The 1500 of Lowrie...

Pittsburgh police have safely located a missing elderly man who they said was endangered. Curtis Paschal, 79, was found just about 9:30 a.m. Friday. He had last been seen at about 11:30 p.m. on March 31 in the South Side, according to Public Safety Spokesman Maurice Matthews....

Editor’s note: Neighbor Spotlight is a monthly feature that aims to let our readers learn more about the people in their communities who are working to make them a better place, who have interesting stories to tell or who the community feels deserve “15 minutes of fame.” If you would...