JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 57
Pittsburgh musicians lift their voices for virtual concerts to save local stages
There will be an encore to the single released earlier this month. Western Pennsylvania musicians recorded “SOS 2020,” a song inspired by the Save Our Stages movement to help struggling music venues. It’s a mixture of rock, punk and heavy metal. Next up on the playlist will be a concert...
Pittsburgh doctor wants pregnant women included in covid vaccine trials
Dr. Kacie Kidd is doing her best to protect her unborn child. The 33-year-old mom-to-be decided to get the covid-19 Pfizer vaccine, despite lack of conclusive research concerning its safety for pregnant women. Kidd, an adolescent medicine fellow at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville, is 26 weeks pregnant....
Point Park University students, alumni featured in Sheetz commercial
Keep an eye out this spring for a Sheetz commercial featuring Point Park University students. A professor in Point Park University’s Conservatory of the Performing Arts, Kiesha Lalama, worked with a production team to cast and choreograph a television commercial for Sheetz convenience stores. “Working with Sheetz was amazing,” said...
Style, fashion play at President Biden’s inauguration
Inauguration Day was a bold and blue day. The new first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday wore an ocean-blue dress by designer Alexandra O’Neill and matching long coat and gloves as she accompanied her husband, President Joe Biden. President Biden donned a blue tie and blue suit and overcoat by...
Back Alley Brewing Co. to be a 1st in Dormont
A group of friends have created a lot of beer behind one of their homes. That location inspired a business. Back Alley Brewing Co. is planned to open in late spring/early summer. It will be the first brewery in Dormont. Four of the five owners live there and a fifth...
Pittsburgh-inspired coffee shop returns to the North Side
Yinz drink coffee? A new brew will be available on March 1 when YINZ Coffee opens for business on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Located inside the former Crazy Mocha at the corner of Federal Street and North Avenue, the shop will serve coffee, tea, hot chocolate and pastries. Owner Ken Zeff,...
Netflix’s ‘Archive 81’ filming in North Side and Downtown Pittsburgh
In November, a random group of visitors walked into The Government Center, an independent record store on Pittsburgh’s North Side, with no interest in making a purchase. “They came in to search out specific locations,” said owner Josh Cozby, referring to film scouts for Netflix’s production company, looking for spaces...
Own a piece of memorabilia from Parkway West Max & Erma’s restaurant
Get something to-go at Max & Erma’s. The restaurant chain is auctioning items from its closed North Fayette location along Parkway West. The locations in Cranberry and Monroeville remain open. People can bid on everything from signs to equipment to a wooden bench at the entrance. A large wooden pirate...
Historic National Opera House in Homewood wants to be heard
Jonnet Solomon wants to hear voices bellow from the stage again. “I want to give people access to music once again,” said Solomon, of Mt. Washington, referring to the National Opera House, formerly known as the National Negro Opera House, in Homewood. The iconic building sits empty at 7101 Apple...
Tarentum’s Manos Gallery to unveil new art exhibit
For Nivedita Eklahare, art is more than a picture. “I love the smell of oil paint,” said Eklahare, a native of India who lives in Richland. “And I love using bright colors, especially in wintertime when the weather is dreary. I do a happy dance when I sell one of...
Netflix seeks background actors for upcoming show shoot in Pittsburgh
Netflix is looking for college-age students in Pittsburgh to be background actors for the upcoming filming of “The Chair.” The six-episode dramedy, written by executive producer and showrunner Amanda Peet, will star Golden Globe-winner Sandra Oh of “Killing Eve” and Emmy-winner Jay Duplass from “Transparent.” The Pittsburgh Film Office said...
Downtown Pittsburgh art gallery Blaqk House won’t let vandalism stop exhibit
You can’t keep art down. As such, Cynthia Kenderson and Nicky Jo Dawson say they will not allow vandalism of their gallery to stop them from showcasing something beautiful. The co-owners of Blaqk House Collections, a Downtown Pittsburgh art gallery, had its windows and a glass door smashed in November....
Pandemic brings importance of pets into focusVideo
People aren’t the only ones in the house affected by the pandemic. The lives of pets are subject to disruption, too. At the start, the change has been good for pets: With many owners working from home, or at least spending more time at home, dogs and cats have welcomed...
5-generation dress shop Carlisle’s Bridal of Pittsburgh set to close its doors
There won’t be a happily-ever-after for this wedding business. After 133 years, Carlisle’s Bridal of Pittsburgh, the oldest bridal shop in the U.S. according to store owner Jan Winner, will close Feb. 28. Winner, the great-great-granddaughter of the founder Sophia Carlisle, said there are many reasons for the end of...
Alcohol is the spirit of Prohibition Pastries
When Eliza Jane Bowman volunteered at a bottling event at East End Brewing Co. in Pittsburgh’s Larimer neighborhood several years ago, she noticed cases of barleywine sitting in the warehouse. Owner Scott Smith said it had gone flat and wasn’t worth anything. She saw a value to it. “I told...
Pittsburgh Restaurant Week serves up safe ways to dine
Let someone else do the cooking. Winter Pittsburgh Restaurant Week offers diners options – from food specials to limited-time-only dishes – all done safely so you can enjoy a meal during a pandemic. Most places will offer the deals now through Jan. 24, and some longer into February. You can...
Pittsburgh rapper Frzy featured on Eat’n Park Smiley cookie
As a little boy, Harvey Daniels’ parents, Brenda and Harvey Daniels, would take him to Eat’n Park in Squirrel Hill. He ordered his favorite — the Mile High Meatloaf — but it was the end of the meal he couldn’t leave without having. “Since I was a kid, I always...
Snap a picture of your dog for chance to be in Biggies Bullies calendar
Have your furry friend strike a pose for a chance to have his or her picture in a calendar. The search is on for 13 dogs to be featured in the 2022 Biggies Bullies pet calendar. The contest begins Monday and is a fundraiser for the organization, which is a...
Meet the person up next for NEXTpittsburgh
John Rhoades isn’t afraid to take paths already traveled. He said the people who ventured along those walkways laid a foundation which he can build on. Rhoades considers not only his ancestors for paving the way but the founder of NEXTpittsburgh and her staff. Rhoades has purchased the online publication...
South Hills Village adds Condado Tacos
Condado Tacos is opening a third location in the area at South Hills Village mall. The expected date is late February or early March. “We are so excited about this newest restaurant,” said Hannah Vlk, brand manager for Condado, based in Columbus, Ohio. “Pittsburgh is a market we love being...
Pittsburgh’s Original Oyster House temporarily closed, donated food to Light of Life
The website and social media pages for the Original Oyster House in Market Square explain the closure: They show a person sitting by the water, holding a rod. “WE’VE GONE FISHING,” reads the message. “CLOSED FOR JAN. 2021.” “You can say we have temporarily closed to regroup,” said owner Jen...
Martorano’s Prime restaurant opens at Rivers Casino PittsburghVideo
Celebrity chef Steve Martorano started out as a child making his grandmother’s meatball and Italian hoagies from the basement of his Philadelphia home. He would go door-to-door selling the sandwiches in South Philly. “They called my grandmother ‘Fat Mary,’ ” said Martorano as he stood inside his fourth restaurant, Martorano’s...
Double duty: Gift cards help businesses, Pittsburgh’s Jewish Community Center
Cathy Reifer and Cheryl Gerson could not bring themselves to ask local, family-owned businesses to make a donation to support an upcoming gala. So they decided to do the opposite. They devised a plan to give money to the businesses through purchasing gift cards. The “Gift Card Give Back” idea...
Pittsburgh bloggers, influencers launch hashtag campaign to support restaurants
This hashtag is intended to be food for thought. Amanda Narcisi, chief editor of BOLD Pittsburgh, a local media outlet, collaborated with bloggers and influencers to create a social media presence to promote area restaurants. Through her blog, podcast, YouTube and social channels, she is urging people to use #mypghtakeout...
History Center, Fort Pitt Museum to reopen following temporary closure
The Senator John Heinz History Center and Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum in the Strip District and the Fort Pitt Museum at Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, will reopen at 10 a.m. on Saturday. They were temporarily closed because of state covid-19 restrictions. “We are excited to welcome back visitors...
