Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 81
Markers installed in O’Hara Community Park to provide glimpse of local historyVideo
The U.S. Army’s 308th Calvary trained on land that now houses O’Hara Community Park. The land, in a nine-parcel estate that totaled 1,923 acres, was later owned by U.S. Senator James Ross. A picnic area known as Ross Grove became Pittsburgh’s entertainment resort, utilized by the H.J. Heinz Company, among...
Hampton offers residents free party on wheels
Hampton is renting out a party-in-a-box, a large one on wheels. A block party trailer is available free to residents who are hosting get-togethers with neighbors. The mobile unit comes with everything needed for a good outdoor party, said Kevin Flannery, director of community services. The township purchased the $15,000...
Patty’s Farm Market remains on market but owner wouldn’t mind reopening
Aspinwall business owner Patty Held is still coming to terms with selling the longtime produce market that she and her late husband, Bernie, built together after first meeting as teens. The well-known entrepreneur is the name behind Patty’s Farm Market, the corner institution that served as an unofficial entrance into...
New pump station in Hampton strategically disguised to look like a home
A new pump station in Hampton might go unnoticed by passersby as it was made to fit in to its residential neighborhood. The Glannon pump station, a $1.75 million project, was constructed to look like a house so as not to be an eyesore in the neighborhood. “Great attention was...
Blawnox Community Garden hosts weekly opportunities to volunteer
Blawnox Community Garden volunteer Ashley Dolhi was filled with excitement after helping to harvest kale from the raised beds that fill the site along Center Avenue. It was the first time that Dolhi of Blawnox got her hands dirty at the weekly work shifts scheduled Wednesdays at the garden. Organizers...
Fire, police and public works vehicles on display at Hampton’s Touch-A-Truck event
Township trucks of all sizes will be on display and open to tour during Hampton’s Touch-A-Truck event. Police cruisers will blare their sirens and fire engines will be available to climb through, thanks to organizers who planned the free event. EMS trucks and public works vehicles also will be on...
Hampton votes to approve masks for younger students
Hampton elementary students, and those in sixth grade at the middle school, will be required to wear masks when classes begin Aug. 26. School board members voted 8-1 on Aug. 9 to approve the district’s health and safety plan, which includes a mask mandate for elementary staff and visitors. The...
Hardie Valley Park to transform with 1,000 lanterns for Candlelit Field Wander event
More than 1,000 candles will be scattered throughout the meadows and trails in Fox Chapel’s Hardie Valley Park for an event billed as immersive and contemplative. Sponsored by the Fox Chapel Parks Conservancy, a Candlelit Field Wander is scheduled for Aug. 27 and will find guests trekking semi-rugged terrain illuminated...
Fox Chapel Area school board approves universal masking
An angry, boisterous crowd marched out of the Fox Chapel Area School Board meeting after members voted to require masks at all grade levels when school returns this month. More than a dozen people booed the board’s decision, decrying universal masking and saying their liberties are being violated. The board...
Fox Chapel Area School District to host covid-19 vaccination clinic
Fox Chapel Area School District will offer a covid-19 vaccination clinic Tuesday, Aug. 10, about two weeks ahead of the first day of school Aug. 24. The Pfizer vaccine will be available to people ages 12 and older during the event at O’Hara Elementary School, 115 Cabin Lane. Sponsored by...
Fox Chapel Area modifies proposed mask plan to include all students
A vote on Monday night by the Fox Chapel Area School Board will determine whether students of all ages will be required to wear masks when school returns Aug. 24. The board is expected to vote on the district’s health and safety plan during a meeting at 7 p.m. The...
Student news: Language honors, dean’s list and college graduations
l Fox Chapel Area resident Joseph Katarincic was among more than 4,000 students from Miami University who received degrees during the in-person spring commencement held May 14-16. Katarincic graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in economics. l Fox Chapel Area resident Lucie Green was named to the dean’s...
Expungement clinic in Sharpsburg aimed at helping nonviolent offenders clear record
People with a nonviolent criminal record can seek an expungement during a free clinic at Sharpsburg Community Library. In partnership with Cresco Labs, the event will provide free on-the-spot legal advice. It is scheduled from 3 to 6 p.m. on Aug. 19 at the library along Main Street. “A nonviolent...
Hampton School Board to vote on masking plan
Hampton elementary students will have to wear masks when school starts later this month, if the school board approves the current proposal during its meeting Monday. The board is expected to approve a health and safety plan during its 7:30 p.m. meeting in the middle school auditorium, 4589 School Drive....
Belle Voci postpones Motown concert amid pandemic concerns
Third time’s a charm for the multi-generational women’s choir Belle Voci, which has postponed it special Motown concert until the 2022-23 season. “Diamond Memories: Celebrating 60 Years of Motown” had been twice-postponed, with the much-hyped event scheduled first in March and most recently penciled in for October. “Although pandemic limitations...
Fox Chapel author’s debut novel tells story of resiliency, self-acceptance
Fox Chapel resident Carolyn Skowron spins a tale of triumph and chips away at the stigma of mental health in her debut novel, “Unbreakable.” A story of acceptance, self-discovery and the value of being “perfectly imperfect,” the book follows Skowron’s struggle with mental health issues and her path to self-improvement....
Hampton envisions ‘even better community’ over the next decade
Trails, land use and the appearance of the Route 8 corridor are among key priorities in Hampton’s newly approved comprehensive plan. Council approved the 10-year package during its meeting July 28, after two years working to collect input from residents. “The goal of the implementable comprehensive plan is how to...
Blawnox’s 1st National Night Out celebration a big hit with residentsVideo
Blawnox native Christa Coban touted the borough’s first-ever National Night Out as an event with a simple goal — to have people mingle with their heroes, she said. The event, hosted Aug. 3 by the Best of Blawnox group at the borough’s Community Park, was transformed with fire engines, police...
O’Hara, Ben Avon women giving Joy Rides to people with limited mobility
Eleven-year-old Hailey Tucker of Penn Hills has multiple disabilities that have rendered her unable to speak. Still, there was no mistaking her excitement over recent bike rides at the Three Rivers Heritage Trail along Pittsburgh’s North Shore. “She gets a great big smile on her face,” said Hailey’s mother, April....
Masking plans draw ire at Fox Chapel Area School Board meeting
Fox Chapel Area students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade could be required to wear masks when they return to school Aug. 24. The school board Monday night was bombarded with pleas from parents who alternately demanded mask-wearing for students and those seeking mask choice. Superintendent Mary Catherine Reljac said, under...
Rabies vaccine baits distributed throughout Allegheny County
Dog owners are encouraged to keep their pets on leashes for at least the next week while Allegheny County distributes rabies vaccines baits across the region, especially in parks. The baiting takes place through Sept. 15. According to Allegheny County’s website, previous baiting sessions have yielded problems with off-leash dogs...
Aspiring scientists can find much to do at Sharpsburg Community Library
Sharpsburg Community Library has transformed its courtyard into a hands-on creative station for summer. Elementary-aged students last week were treated to one-hour mini camps, through Carnegie Science Center, where budding engineers tangled with experiments fit to test their inner Thomas Edison, organizers said. “The kids are learning electrical and structural...
Community Swim Club team caps undefeated season with gold in North Hills league championships
Community Swim Club is making waves in the North Hills Summer Swim League. An undefeated season was capped with a win in the championship meet July 15, ranking them as the top regional team in the Gold Division. It was the first time in more than five years that the...
Hampton Farmers Market offers locally grown, fresh-made goodiesVideo
From behind a cone of hot lamb meat, Magdi Radwan called out to shoppers at the Hampton Farmers Market. “Easy dinner tonight,” Radwan said, of his booth selling mid-Eastern delights such as gyros, hummus and spinach pie. “No fighting to clean the dishes.” Radwan, a chef for 21 years, sells...
Aspinwall Riverfront Park expands, changes name to Allegheny RiverTrail Park
Aspinwall Riverfront Park, the recreational gem off Freeport Road with a fishing dock, dog park and garden-lined trail, has expanded by six acres and has changed its name, officials announced. The site will be called Allegheny RiverTrail Park (ARP), largely because of its vital gateway service to the Three Rivers...
