Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 14
Fox Chapel native Jack Kartsonas agrees to free agent contract with Tampa Bay Rays
Jack Kartsonas did not hear his name called during the MLB Draft on Sunday or Monday, but, soon after, he was ready to put pen to paper. The West Virginia pitcher and Fox Chapel native agreed to a free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Rays after the draft. Kartsonas,...
Fox Chapel area student achievements for the week of July 15, 2025
Shady Side Academy student Evan Xiang competed in the 2025 USA Biolympiad National Finals at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., from June 22 to July 4. “CEE’s USA Biolympiad program encourages excellence in biology education and challenges students and their teachers to reach the gold standard in science,” said Joann...
Sharpsburg Parks and Rec Commission welcomes new members
Sharpsburg’s parks and rec commission recently welcomed two new members. Residents Paul Rouse and Jon Andrascik were sworn in to their volunteer positions by Mayor Kayla Portis earlier this year. Commission terms are four years. Rouse said he moved to the borough from O’Hara about three years ago and wanted...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of July 13, 2025
Aspinwall Margaret McCague sold property at 200 Tenth St. to Christina Celin for $327,500. Etna Phyllis Hernandez sold property at 11 Christler St. to Ashlee Marshall for $200,000. Timothy Wilkin sold property at 90 Hickory St. to Michael Mueller and Stephanie Harrison for $215,000. Tyler Delorenzo sold property at 21-23...
Playing for Riveters makes impact on Fox Chapel graduate Kate Friday
Kate Friday spent much of the Fourth of July looking around with astonishment. But it wasn’t the fireworks that caught her eye. The 19-year-old Fox Chapel graduate and 5-foot-7 midfielder for the Pittsburgh Riveters was swept up in the community’s response to her team. Nearly 4,200 fans attended the Riveters’...
Dedicated senior receiver helps pieces fit into place for Fox Chapel football
Fox Chapel senior Max Melocchi enjoys the pressure that comes with playing quarterback. However, Melocchi is happy to be preparing to play wide receiver and power back for the Foxes in the upcoming season. During a 7-on-7 workout July 9 at Fox Chapel, Melocchi was happy to haul in passes...
In brief: Picnic for the Parks, flea market and more in Aspinwall area
Twilight Picnic for the Parks The Great Lawn at the Hartwood Acres Mansion is the setting for the Allegheny County Parks Foundation’s Twilight Picnic for the Parks from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Aug. 16. Guests will be treated to music by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s String Quartet and a seated dinner and...
Building the Valley: My Garden Floral in Indiana Township celebrates 25 years
Pamela Vrabel was a teenage Springdale Dynamo when she started working at the now-defunct Peterson’s Greenhouse. The high school job in the early 1970s sparked a passion for plants that has led to a 53-year career in the floral industry. “I think I was born with an eye for design,”...
Planting project in Fox Chapel will support stormwater management
Residents are encouraged to get their hands dirty to help complete the transformation of McCahill Park in Fox Chapel. Borough officials will join the nonprofit Western PA Conservancy to host a planting day at the site off of Hemlock Hollow Road. The event will be 9 a.m. to noon July...
Cooper-Siegel, Sharpsburg libraries’ summer reading program underway
The annual Summer Reading Challenge has returned to Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg community libraries and runs through Aug. 9. The program’s goal, which is open to readers of all ages, is to encourage citizens to read, learn and engage with library programming all summer long. This year’s challenge theme is “Color...
Quaker Valley grad named new Allegheny County Bar Association president
Amy (Barrick) Coco never forgot a saying learned from her late Advanced Placement English teacher Shirley Stevens at Quaker Valley High School. “She taught me, ‘specific is terrific,’” said Coco, 57, a 1985 graduate. She recalled several teachers and looked back fondly on her early education during her first day...
Indiana Township cancer survivor raises $700,000 for research while state senate weighs expanded testing access
Astrid Bitzer was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer in 2022 and after 13 biopsies, ultimately decided on a full mastectomy. Though clinically in remission, the Indiana Township woman is hedging her bets to keep the disease at bay. “Cancer is a funny thing,” she said. “What you can be sure...
A-K Valley football teams reap benefits of 7-on-7 practice at Fox Chapel
The Knoch football players had an acronym printed vertically on the back of their uniforms for the Fox Chapel 7-on-7 football practice Wednesday night. Reach your full potential (RYFP) has become the slogan for the Knights, led by veteran first-year coach T.J. Wiley. Wiley said the early response he has...
Sharpsburg Market Garden is a growing opportunity for volunteers
People don’t need to have a green thumb to help out at the Sharpsburg Market Garden. Tucked away near the intersection of Middle and 13th streets is where free fresh vegetables can be found. A handful of volunteers on Friday evenings tend to 25 beds each about 3 feet wide...
Blawnox teen wins full-ride Coolidge Scholarship, only 5 in nation awarded
A rising senior at Fox Chapel Area High School just got a major boost on her career path. Ulyana Kubini, of Blawnox, earned the prestigious Coolidge Scholarship — a full presidential scholarship that covers four years of tuition, room, board and expenses. It can be used to pursue undergraduate studies...
Aspinwall’s 1st movie night delayed by rain
The fear of rain showers threatened the Aspinwall Police Department’s first movie night of the summer on June 20 at Ben Killian Field. As a result, “Inside Out 2” started late, but did play on the big screen for the more than 100 people in attendance. Families were treated to...
Scholarships funded by upcoming 5K help keep light of Pine native Killian Cavanaugh alive
Bella Alampi has learned that time doesn’t necessarily heal wounds, but it can change one’s perspective. This December will mark eight years since Pine native and Shady Side Academy graduate Killian Patrick Cavanaugh died at only 20 years old. He and Alampi had been friends since middle school, and he...
New Fox Chapel pickleball courts come with new rules
Pickleball players on the recently opened public courts at Fox Chapel’s McCahill Park have some fair-play rules to follow. Regulations include no reservations and no saving courts, which are available on a first-come-first-served basis. If other players are waiting, games should end at 11 points (waiving the customary rule of...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of July 6, 2025
Aspinwall Estate of Rita Frances Marsico sold property at 220 Second St. to Juliana Caricato for $359,900. Donald Mazreku sold property at 218 Fourth St. to Jason Clester and Maria Masters for $656,000. Blawnox David Rost sold property at 459 Fountain St. to Grove St. Property LLC for $85,000. Etna...
In brief: Hockey game fundraiser, commission vacancy and more in Aspinwall area
Save the brains The Save The Brains campaign is a fundraiser that benefits the Epidermoid Brain Tumor Society. A hockey game is scheduled for 3-7 p.m. July 20 at Alpha Ice Complex in Harmar. Open teams include 10U, 13U and 14 and up. Pittsburgh Smokehouse food truck will be on...
The 99th Cinderella Ball recognizes 17 debutantes’ volunteerism
At a stylish event inside the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland, 17 young women were celebrated for hundreds of hours of volunteer service. Dressed in white ball gowns and coordinating long gloves, they were honored June 20 at the 99th Cinderella Ball, which is Pittsburgh’s oldest fundraiser and one...
Fox Chapel girls basketball makes most of summer league
Marty Matvey didn’t need to work his contact list to help fill out the Fox Chapel girls basketball summer league. By the end of February, Matvey already had a full list of teams who wanted to get extra work in. The only team Matvey had to find a way to...
Fox Chapel football enjoying productive offseason
The Fox Chapel football team has stayed busy this summer. With all of the other typical summertime commitments — between vacations, other sports leagues and other activities — the Foxes have regularly had more than 50 players for workouts. When the practices for the season begin, coach Dave Leasure anticipates...
Here are 5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: July 4-6
As we look forward to Independence Day weekend, schedules will be packed with barbecues, fireworks and fun. But in between all of the hot dogs and dips in the pool, take some time to see what’s going on in the city. Here are five events to enhance your three-day weekend....
Aspinwall Zoning Hearing Board to receive plans for proposed townhouses at former church site
Plans for five high-end townhouses at a former Methodist Church site in Aspinwall are moving forward. Planning commissioners voted 7-0 June 15 to push the proposed development by Amena Properties founder Tony Pompeo Jr. on to the zoning hearing board. Vice Chairman Robert Scott was absent. The earliest that the...
