Joyce Hanz stories, Page 41
Oakmont firefighter remembered for 54 years of steadfast service
William “Billy” Peoples is being remembered by family and friends around Oakmont as a tirelessly dedicated public servant. Peoples served with the Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department for 54 years, 12 of those as chief. “I always remembered him being a firefighter. He didn’t want to miss a call,” said great-niece...
Conny Creek Brewing taps into increased business with brew truck
Members of the Layton family of North Apollo continue to pour their energy into two businesses celebrating suds, food and socializing. Conny Creek Brewing Company, with locations in Allegheny Township and Saxonburg, is a family-friendly brewpub serving craft beers brewed in-house by brewmaster Lee Layton. Layton is a co-owner with...
Kiski Area superintendent hosts new coffee chat to encourage community relations
A new coffee-themed social is brewing in the Kiski Area School District. Kiski Area Superintendent Misty Slavic will host her inaugural “Coffee Chat With the Superintendent” on Friday, June 10. The free gathering kicks off at 9 a.m. All residents of the district are invited to attend. Participants should register...
Fallen soldiers honored throughout Alle-Kiski Valley on Memorial DayVideo
Memorial Day is much more than just parades and picnics. Some people mark the holiday as the unofficial start of summer, while others remember to pay tribute to those who served in the military. In Vandergrift, a multi-stop morning of patriotic tributes kicked off around 7:30 a.m. Monday, hosted by...
Vandergrift officials continue efforts to fight blight in the borough
Vandergrift officials are continuing efforts to fight blight in the borough, but the walls aren’t tumbling down quickly enough for some residents. This year, Vandergrift Council identified five abandoned and/or unsafe properties on Longfellow Street and Washington and Franklin avenues. The borough recently completed the demolition of an abandoned former...
Kiski Area golf fundraiser returns after 2-year hiatus at Willowbrook Country Club
The largest fundraiser benefitting the Kiski Area School District is back. The 14th annual Jeff McAfoose Golf Classic returns July 30 after a two-year absence because of the pandemic. The event kicks off at noon with a lunch at Willowbrook Country Club in Allegheny Township. Tickets are $125 per golfer,...
Neighborhood specialty market expands in Aspinwall
A specialty food store in Aspinwall is expanding with a new casually-themed cafe. Feast on Brilliant, owned by Patti Danforth, is re-branding itself into a “feast gourmet market and eatery,” Danforth said. “The new cafe side is a warm and inviting family space, which we hope appeals to all ages....
Free smoke alarms and installation offered to Vandergrift area residents
Vandergrift fire officials and volunteers are on a mission to spread fire-safety awareness throughout the borough. Vandergrift Volunteer Fire Department Nos. 1 and 2 launched the “Sound The Alarm” campaign, sponsored by the American Red Cross, to provide free installation on June 4 of up to three smoke detectors in...
Autistic student uses art as therapeutic tool
A Fox Chapel Area High School senior is channeling her love of art as a therapeutic tool. Emily Hook, 17, is autistic, but her diagnosis came years after struggling with mental health issues that first surfaced in the third-grade. “I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember,”...
Multiple Memorial Day tributes planned Monday in Vandergrift, Allegheny Township
A multi-stop morning of patriotic tributes is scheduled in Vandergrift and Allegheny Township on Memorial Day. The Vandergrift Joint Veterans, including the American Legion Post 114, Vandergrift VFW 566 and the Vandergrift Veterans Honor Guard, will host a half-day morning program Monday to honor American veterans who fought and died...
ArtFest organizers seek vendors for daylong summer festival in Vandergrift
Artfest organizers in Vandergrift are planning a bigger-than-ever festival this summer on the heels last year’s success. More than 1,000 folks visited a closed-off Grant Avenue last August, during the daylong festival celebrating all things arts. The annual Artfest is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 31. Chairperson...
TSA Processing partners with ATI to bring new steel jobs to Hyde ParkVideo
New steel jobs have arrived in the Alle-Kiski Valley at a historic foundry in Hyde Park. TSA Processing, based in Houston, opened its sixth processing location in March, inside the hot metal section of the former Hyde Park Foundry. Currently, 13 full-time employees process large coils of steel and other...
2 Alle-Kiski Valley educators win top awards for excellence in education
Students from Julie Erb’s kindergarten class at Martin Elementary School in New Kensington are looking forward to a special party Friday to honor their teacher. Erb is one of two Alle-Kiski Valley educators who received statewide recognition this week for excellence in academics. The Education Partnership named Erb its Elementary...
Shady Side Academy rallies support to build Bulldog statue on Fox Chapel campus
A new STEM-focused, 3-D fundraising project is under way at Shady Side Academy Senior School in Fox Chapel. The Build the Bulldog project is a crowd-sourced, collaborative, global effort where community members and makers work together to design and make a 3-D printed statue of the Shady Side Academy Bulldog....
Family of slain Apollo woman remembers her as one who ‘cared for others’
Following the death of Kelly Steele on Saturday, family members are remembering the Apollo resident as a kind-hearted person and devoted mother and grandmother. “She was loved by many. So many,” said Ean Steele, 23, her son and oldest child. “All she did was love back. I loved her so...
Community Watch meetings to resume in Vandergrift after a 2-year hiatus
Community Watch meetings are returning to Vandergrift. Councilwoman Marilee Kessler announced the news on social media this week. The group cancelled its monthly meetings in 2019 because of winter storms. With the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the meetings stayed on hiatus. The first monthly meeting this year is...
Women’s Board of Pittsburgh celebrates 30 years at fundraiser
Hundreds of women, and a few men, gathered May 6 at the Pittsburgh Field Club in Fox Chapel to raise funds to benefit children in the Pittsburgh region. The 2022 Women’s Board of Pittsburgh’s Pearl Anniversary fundraiser celebrated 30 years of fund-raising efforts and returned to an in-person event after...
Lily’s restaurant at River Forest reopens, with outdoor dining at golf course
A popular al fresco dining destination is reopening in Allegheny Township. Lily’s, the restaurant at River Forest Country Club overlooking the golf course, is back in business for dinner at 5 p.m. Tuesday. The scenic dining spot closed last summer, at the season’s peak, citing staffing shortages. While located at...
1st graduating class of Fox Chapel Area High School plans 60th reunion
Fox Chapel Area Senior High School was touted as a dream school by the media when it opened in 1961. Sixty years later, members of the very first graduating class, the Class of 1962, are planning their 60th reunion on June 9 at the Fox Chapel Yacht Club. “We’re looking...
Gathering on Grant, a monthly event, brings back Thursday night festivity to Vandergrift
A new monthly community festival is starting in historic Vandergrift this month. Gathering on Grant, a monthly vendor-focused festival, kicks off Thursday, May 19. It will operate through October, from 5 to 8 p.m., every third Thursday, except in July. The event is sponsored by the Vandergrift Business Association, a...
One Song Show Choir Festival offers chance for some Alle-Kiski choirs to show their stuff
Highlands High School hosted musical theater students from four Alle-Kiski Valley school districts April 27 for the annual One Song Show Choir Festival. Highlands, Freeport Area, Springdale and Kiski Area choirs participated. Song performances included “Cruisin for a Bruisin’,” “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” “The Greatest Show,” “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine...
Vandergrift No. 1 VFD plans parade and community celebration for its 125th anniversary
Vandergrift No. 1 Volunteer Fire Department turns 125 years old this year and organizers plan to host a daylong community celebration. Alexandra Berger, company member and fundraising committee chairperson, said she was motivated to organize a birthday bash for the firefighters of the borough when she did the math and...
Faces of the Valley: Leechburg Area mother’s volunteer work sets shining example
Missy Rowan lives next door to her childhood home in Leechburg and says she has no plans of leaving the borough she once vowed to escape. “My mother always said I’d be the one to move away, and here I am, living in Leechburg,” Rowan said. “When I was preparing...
Casino Theatre in Vandergrift gets new and improved fire escapes
Two structurally deficient and crumbling fire escapes dating to the 1930s have been replaced at Vandergrift’s historic Casino Theatre. Janice Oberdorf, treasurer of the nonprofit Casino Theatre Restoration and Management, said the project took about a year to complete and was long overdue. “It was literally held on to the...
Vandergrift brewery Allusion wins national awards for clever beer-themed marketing
Vandergrift’s only in-house brewery snagged two national awards this week for their marketing efforts in the beer industry. Allusion Brewing Co. won “Best Tap Handle” and “Best Flight Display” at the Craft Beer Marketing Awards, held in Minneapolis on May 4. More than 600 judges voted, with Allusion earning the...
