JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 42
Volunteers lay wreaths on all 14,500 veterans’ graves in National Cemetery of the Alleghenies
Green wreaths with red bows lay against the white tombstones. As they place the greenery at each of the 14,500 veterans graves at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil, Washington County, this weekend, volunteers will say the deceased’s name. They will take a moment to pause and thank...
Play it Forward Pittsburgh helps families with holiday gifts for their children
Stephanie Badstibner of McKeesport recalled waiting in line overnight to be one of the first moms inside the Play it Forward Pittsburgh Toy Drive. It’s a free toy store where families can peruse thousands of items from cars and trucks to dolls and blocks. The mother of five wanted to...
Braddock’s Brew Gentlemen opens refurbished tap room after lengthy closure
The pandemic caused the initial closure of Brew Gentlemen’s taproom in March 2020. Owners Matt Katase and Asa Foster then decided to take the time to refurbish the indoor space in Braddock. Those enhancements will finally be visible Friday as the popular craft brewery reopens. “It’s been quite a journey,”...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 17-19
We’ve made it to the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Bakery Square for the holidays Walnut Capital, which manages Bakery Square in Larimer, will host a variety of free holiday happenings from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday in the...
Kennywood investing in new look for 125th birthday
The planning has begun. Kennywood is preparing for a really, really big party. The West Mifflin amusement park turns 125 years old on Dec. 18, 2023. And it wants to look its best. Like most celebrations, in order to be ready for the soiree, the park will need time to...
Sewickley Heights’ Wilpen Hall preserved as historic estate
When the doors open to Wilpen Hall, guests walk into a different time and place. “Once inside, you are standing in a living piece of history,” said Martin Maines, Wilpen Hall estate manager. “It is a very special place. Wilpen Hall is a slice of Americana that once existed.” The...
Former WTAE-TV reporter Kelly Brennan releases book about daughter’s medical conditionVideo
This is the story of a little girl in a yellow polka dot dress. Her name is Caroline. Through the powerful words and colorful pictures on the 33 pages of “Caroline’s Infusion Day,” the reader is taken through a day at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Infusion Center in Lawrenceville....
Prantl’s opens a 5th location — on Pittsburgh’s North Side
Prantl’s bakery is expanding — both in location and tasty treats. A fifth shop opened inside the former Priory Fine Pastries on East Ohio Street on Pittsburgh’s North Side. “We hope to carry on the tradition the Priory had in the neighborhood,” said Prantl’s owner Joe Cugliari. “They had a...
McGinnis sisters, who nurtured Pittsburgh with specialty stores, to be recognized in History Center program
They could be called the dynamic three. Sharon McGinnis Young, Bonnie McGinnis Vello and Noreen McGinnis Campbell — the sisters who owned McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores — accomplished more than providing groceries for customers. The McGinnis Sisters were known as leaders in the gourmet and specialty food business. They...
South Fayette art teacher’s students spread holiday messages of love at UPMC Magee
The card has an image of a lamp post illuminated and decorated with a bright red bow and encircled with strands of greenery. Inside there is a holiday greeting: “We wish you a joyous holiday and warmth filled New Year.” On the back is a message: “If my card touched...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend, Dec. 10-12
It’s the weekend. Here are some ways to spend it. Wintergarden event The 10th annual holiday show from 6 to 10 p.m. on Sunday by Jason Kendall Productions will include soul, gospel, rock, folk and blues. The event held inside the Wintergarden at PPG Place, Downtown, benefits the Greater Pittsburgh...
Able the disabled: Personal trainers don’t see physical limitations as limiting
At first sight, wheelchairs, crutches and leg braces might not be associated with exercising. But seeing what the people who use those devices can do might change one’s perspective. They lift weights, skate on sleds and shoot a hockey puck 60 mph. They pound tires with a sledgehammer and drive...
Pittsburgh Festival Opera brings ‘Ho-Ho-Holiday Extravaganza’ to Edgeworth Club
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” Mezzo-Soprano Marianne Cornetti started singing those words when asked about the inspiration of holiday music for her upcoming performance. “I could listen to Christmas music all year long,” said Cornetti, who will be Mrs. Claus at the Ho-Ho-Holiday Extravaganza on Dec. 19...
Plum home has Pittsburgh sinkhole bus decoration in yard
A neighbor alerted Joey Pierce to a growing hole in his front yard. Pierce, in turn, alerted Plum Borough officials. The ground was sinking, which created a huge crater because of a problem with a storm drain. Workers came to his yard and surrounded the hole with bright orange fencing....
Former Tribune-Review reporter Robin Acton publishes first novel
Robin Acton spent more than three decades as a newspaper journalist. The job took her from crime scenes and courtrooms in Western Pennsylvania to the mountains of Idaho, the Arizona desert, the sunny Caribbean, the streets of New York City and the marbled halls of Congress in Washington, D.C. She...
Pittsburgh designer Kiya Tomlin recognized in Oprah’s ‘Favorite Things’
Kiya Tomlin grew up watching “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The crowd drew Tomlin’s attention. “I always marveled at her audience,” said Tomlin, a fashion designer and apparel manufacturer with a studio in Etna. “They were the best dressed. They always had their hair and makeup done. They looked great.” Now,...
World renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has fond memories of Pittsburgh
Pittsburghers embraced Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli on his previous visit to the Steel City. “What I certainly remember is the warm welcome that I received here,” said Bocelli, who will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at PPG Paints Arena. “Many have also spoken enthusiastically about Pittsburgh — its history, imbued...
A secret cookie recipe: An important ingredient isn’t bought, it comes from the heart
Cookies are more than butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, baking powder and flour. There’s another essential ingredient — love. During the Christmas season, these sweet desserts are shared with friends and family. They often are made from grandma’s recipe files, torn and tattered with some illegible writing because of the...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Dec. 3-5
It’s the first weekend in December. Here are some ways to spend it. Andrea Bocelli Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena, Uptown. Music will include material from his latest album, “Believe,” a personal collection of songs, along with a selection of...
Bethel Park teen, a 2-time cancer survivor, committed to keeping his friend’s memory alive
Sean Rovers and Kaylee Kruise met during radiation treatments for brain cancer at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville. They endured many of the same experiences, from IVs and blood tests to operations and pain. It was during their time there the youngsters discovered they shared a birthday —...
It’s probably time to toss those Thanksgiving leftovers
EDITOR’S NOTE: Eyeing those Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge? This story originally posted Nov. 29, 2021, but worth revisiting. If you haven’t eaten the Thanksgiving leftovers yet, it might be too late. Any remaining food from Thursday’s meal should have been consumed by Monday night, experts said. “You should eat...
Choose-and-cut Christmas tree farms are all ‘about creating memories’
It’s open season for Christmas trees. Most Western Pennsylvania tree farms opened for business last week — the day after Thanksgiving being the unofficial kickoff to tree season. This year, demand is expected to continue to climb, but supply could be an issue. A combination of millennials starting families and...
Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor offering free scoops in Pittsburgh’s Strip District
Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Klavon’s Ice Cream Parlor is holding what could be called Free Scoop Saturday. Klavon’s, which opened in Pittsburgh’s Strip District in 1923, is offering a free scoop of ice cream while supplies last from one of its 20 flavors, including seasonal choices such as...
5 things to do in Pittsburgh this weekend: Nov. 26-28
Now that Thanksgiving is over, it’s time to get out and do something after you are done shopping on Black Friday. Here are some choices. Light ‘em up The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s Zoo Lights Drive-Thru in Highland Park opens Friday. Guests stay in their cars as they make...
Comedian Frank Caliendo brings his many voices to Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Frank Caliendo does impressions, not impersonations. The stand-up comedian’s performances include personalities such as Morgan Freeman, Al Pacino, Robin Williams, Robert De Niro; politicians George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump; broadcasters John Madden, Charles Barkley and Jon Gruden; and talk show hosts Dr. Phil, Jay Leno and...
