JoAnne Klimovich Harrop stories, Page 6
Jeannette couple doesn’t let U.S. Open put a divot in their wedding plans
Helena and Dylan Jesse will certainly have a story to tell about their wedding day. The couple from Jeannette didn’t allow the craziness of the hundreds of cars and thousands of people traveling along Hulton Road in Oakmont to stall their plans. They went ahead with getting married at 2...
St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale marks 125 years with a full house
St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale celebrated its 125th anniversary on June 1. The day began with a Mass celebrated by Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Bishop David Zubik, along with other clergy. During his homily, Zubik recognized the ancestors who brought the strength and richness of the Croatian...
School for the Blind superintendent retires from education after more than 4 decades
A little free library sits outside Heidi Ondek’s home, and the symbolism of that little wooden box on a stand doesn’t go unnoticed by people who know Ondek, a Sewickley woman who has devoted her life to education. “My children gave me that little library as a Christmas gift,” said...
Betsy Wentz Interior Design expands to new trade showroom in Sewickley
Designer Betsy Wentz is her own newest client with a project that involves moving her business to an entirely new location that is much bigger. “We were running out of space,” said Wentz, surrounded by boxes of tiles and rug samples in her Walnut Street store in Sewickley. “We hired...
For the love of the game: Golf is a huge part of Sewickley Hills’ Carol Semple Thompson’s life
As Carol Semple Thompson sat on a couch inside Oakmont Country Club overlooking the ninth green, she reminisced about the game she’s loved her entire life. She was never in it for the green — she was in it for the greens. “I love this course, and I really loved...
Hosting the U.S. Open is worth the disruption to Oakmont Country Club members
With the U.S. Open coming to Oakmont Country Club next week, members can still schedule tee times for themselves — at other area courses. “The reciprocal courtesies kindly extended to Oakmont members during the U.S. Open allow for plenty of options,” said club member David Hickton, a former U.S. attorney...
Betsy Ann Chocolates helping to create candy props for ‘Hershey’ film
For the past month, Betsy Ann Chocolates has been creating products to be used as props from Hershey chocolate. The well-known West View-based candy company was invited to use Hershey products to fashion chocolate bars that represent what they would have looked like in the late 1800s and early 1900s...
New board reimagines Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce
The Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce is in a new era. The chamber is looking to broaden and strengthen its network by reinventing itself as a hub for business growth and community success, according to its new board of directors. “Local businesses now have a powerful new advocate with the...
Fundraising concert in Bell Acres will benefit Hair Peace Charities
Music is healing for Bonny Diver, and that’s what inspired an upcoming evening of performances by female singers to support other cancer survivors and raise money for Hair Peace Charities, which she founded. The organization helps women and girls in Western Pennsylvania with financial help to buy a wig needed...
Open for business: Restaurants, bars, shops ready for U.S. Open spectators, golfers
Located in Plum, Somma Pizza Restaurant & Sports Bar and Zen Restaurant and Sushi Bar are just a chip shot away from Oakmont Country Club. The establishments are two of many gearing up to welcome an onslaught of golf fans during the upcoming U.S. Open from June 9 to 15...
Fashion forward: Sewickley Academy graduate continues senior project for Dress for Success
When Kendall Sykes was a junior in high school looking for her first job, Elizabeth Sykes took her daughter to Bellwether in Sewickley. The Beaver Street shop features the latest styles from casual to evening wear, jewelry, shoes and home goods. “Over the past three years working at Bellwether, I’ve...
Women’s sports bar Title 9 opens in Pittsburgh’s East End
Friday was officially game day at the Title 9 sports bar. After a few months of pop-up events, the women’s sports bar in East Liberty is open. “Our pop-ups were packed,” said owner Sherree Goldstein. “We wanted to get a feel for how this would be received and we also...
Porcupine Needlepoint Shop in Sewickley a long-standing business
Nancy Schurman will keep you in stitches — she will make you laugh and also teach you how to do some of the finest needlepoint. Owner of one of Sewickley’s oldest businesses, The Porcupine Needlepoint Shop, she guides customers on how to select a hand-painted needlepoint canvas and use tapestry...
Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium welcomes new lion
The lionesses at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium have a male companion. Hondo, an 8-year-old male African lion from the Idaho Falls Zoo, arrived at the zoo in Highland Park to join lionesses Abana and Scarlett. He and the lionesses will alternate being on view in their outdoor habitat. Typically,...
Inaugural Jim Roddey Leadership Awards honor 2 people who Roddey selected himself
Ethan E. Nicholas kept his promise. He learned that from someone who knew about doing what you say you’re going to do — Jim Roddey, the first Allegheny County executive and civic leader. In latter years of Roddey’s life, Nicholas told him that he wanted to create a leadership award...
Liberty Avenue project seeks to perk up key Downtown Pittsburgh corridor
Liberty Avenue needs a new identity. That was the message of the 13th annual Downtown Neighbors Alliance awards dinner Monday at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh. To develop that new identity, DNA is launching the Liberty Avenue Project, working with the city and state to improve a key Downtown corridor. “The...
Allegheny County Police Department mounted horse Henry retires
Police horse Henry attended the G20 Summit, two Super Bowls and two Stanley Cup parades, numerous protests, election gatherings, many Pittsburgh St. Patrick’s Day parades and appearances at Kennywood Park, which was his favorite spot, according to Allegheny County Police Sgt. Jason Donaldson. The 23-year-old, 1,800-pound chestnut-colored Belgian quarter horse...
Sewickley resident determined to have military banners ready for Memorial Day
John Dunn carries an 80-pound ladder throughout the streets of Sewickley to install military banners of veterans. “They deserve the recognition,” said Dunn, 63. “I don’t want people to forget what they’ve done.” Dunn has made it his mission to replace worn or damaged banners and install additional banners. His...
‘Champagne & Chapeaux’: Westmoreland Symphony’s annual soiree for a good cause
Tim Welty bought his daughter Annie Welty her first hat — a sailor style. A former teacher and principal in the Hempfield School District, Welty had wanted his daughter to go into education. But he knew her love was in acting and fine arts, inspired by her mother, Patricia Perrone....
Mt. Washington townhouse on the market for $1.2M
Perched high on Mt. Washington with a front-row seat to Pittsburgh’s skyline, the townhouse at 304 Bigbee St. delivers sweeping views and soaring ceilings, just steps from Grandview Avenue. The three-bedroom with two full and two half bathrooms also boasts hardwood floors and an expansive open floor plan designed for...
Marking a milestone: St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale celebrating 125 years
Mary Theresa Petrich recalled walking from Hatfield Street in Lawrenceville over the 40th Street Bridge and up the hill to St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Croatian Church in Millvale to attend Sunday Mass. “My mother and father had me baptized in that church,” said Petrich, 97, who still lives in Lawrenceville....
Sewickley Academy trio’s project raises money for livestock feed for animals in N.C. affected by Hurricane Helene
During the Christmas holiday break, Maria Sirianni thought the most joyous time of the year wasn’t so joyous for people in North Carolina. They were still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, which struck the mid-South in September, claiming 248 lives and causing widespread damage in seven states. The...
Light of Life Rescue Mission partners with Geno Levi Salon to open styling space for homeless
Geno Levi was 19 years old, doing drugs with no direction in his life. He found himself living in a bathroom at a beauty academy in Washington, Pa. “The owner showed me love,” said Levi, as he shared his story on Tuesday inside Light of Life Ridge Recovery Place on...
2 bladder cancer survivors turn their journey into a lifeline for others
Bill Russell and Jim Rieker are survivors. Both diagnosed with bladder cancer, the men have made it their mission to help others with the disease through the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network, the largest bladder cancer advocacy group in the nation. “When I was diagnosed, I didn’t know about the group,”...
For American Gold Star Mothers, Mother’s Day holds extra meaning
When Kathleen Hanley sits on her red folding chair among the rows of graves that stand tall in freshly manicured green grass at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Cecil, she doesn’t notice the sounds of cars rushing by on the highway or the funeral processions driving through. She’s...
