Tawnya Panizzi stories, Page 59
‘Gateway to Natrona’ on tap near kayak launch
The kayak launch along the Allegheny River in Harrison’s Natrona section soon could become an enhanced destination for people seeking shorefront recreation. The Harrison commissioners are hoping to move forward on a project to create a nine-space, paved parking lot at the corner of Sycamore Street and River Avenue, new...
ATI, Harrison partner on beautification project
Volunteers from ATI will join the Harrison tree committee Tuesday to make over a cluster of 27 trees planted years ago near the Highlands baseball fields. About four dozen people will tend to the bald cypress, birch, elm and pine trees that were paid for through a $250,000 grant from...
Discover local flora during 2 ranger-led walks at Harrison Hills Park
Outdoor enthusiasts are invited to take part in two free hikes this month at Harrison Hills Park. Seeds and Spores is scheduled for Sept. 17. Hit the Trail will happen Sept. 25. Hosted by Allegheny County, the hikes are tailored to all skill levels. Park rangers will lead the first,...
Faces of the Valley: Bill Godfrey uses world experience to grow Natrona spirit
Bill Godfrey graduated from Tarentum High School in 1969, earned an art degree from Edinboro University and didn’t set foot in the Alle-Kiski Valley for the next several years. “I wanted to see the world,” said Godfrey, 72. “I was nomadic. I saw the pyramids, the Great Wall of China...
Brackenridge trail nears final steps for construction
Walkers and bikers could be exercising along a new Brackenridge path by fall. The borough’s section of the larger 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail is in the final stages of pre-construction, according to officials from the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront. “We’ll be putting out bids soon for the section...
Brackenridge proposal to ban street sports equipment appears dead
A proposed Brackenridge ordinance that would ban street sports equipment such as basketball hoops and hockey goals appears to be dead. Council was expected Thursday to discuss the idea, which was spurred by residents’ complaints over traffic obstructions and property damage. “They did not pass the ordinance last night,” borough...
Learn yoga, Italian, history and more through Fox Chapel Area Adult Education
Learn to speak Italian, get the basics of yoga or much, much more during the fall semester at Fox Chapel Area Adult Education. Registration is underway for the newest slate of classes offered by the nonprofit. “We exist to provide adults with access to the Fox Chapel Area School District...
Mosaics unveiled at Natrona trail, complete connection to community park
Eighty-six-year-old Helen Strzesieski grew up on Chestnut Street in Natrona, one block from what is now the community park. She was among those who gathered Wednesday for the reveal of a 13-set mosaic panel installed along the Harrison neighborhood’s newest asset, a 100-foot concrete trail that connects to the Allegheny...
Single-lane restrictions along Route 28 extended through December
Single-lane restrictions on Route 28 in O’Hara and Harmar will be extended for at least three more months. Work that initially was expected to wrap up in mid-September will run through early December. Motorists should allow extra time for travel, PennDOT announced. Traveling northbound, restrictions will be in place from...
Aspinwall’s Christ the Divine kicks off new year
It wouldn’t be the first day of school at Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy without the traditional Popsicles-with-the-principal celebration. Nearly 170 students in kindergarten through eighth grade kicked off the new school year on Aug. 25, ending the day with a sweet treat. School leaders said everyone appeared excited...
Brackenridge focuses on revitalization, eyes 12 blighted structures for demolition
Five ramshackle structures in Brackenridge are expected to be razed this fall, and council is eyeing another seven to follow. It’s the first push in an effort to remove blight, clean the community and lay the groundwork for redevelopment. “It’s going to be fantastic,” Councilman Dino Lopreiato said. “They’ve been...
Brackenridge pursues $600,000 state grant to help foot cost of public works building
A new Brackenridge public works building could break ground by mid-2023 if the borough lands a $600,000 state gambling revenue grant. Council applied for a Local Share Account grant, funded by state gambling tax revenues, but will have to wait a few months before hearing back, engineer Gordon Taylor said....
New Tarentum manager eager to be part of borough’s growth
Tarentum’s new manager, Dwight Boddorf, feels he is joining the borough at the perfect time. “It seems like there’s a good connection between council, businesses and residents, and I want to be part of the growing success,” said Boddorf, 35, who serves as Stowe Township administrator. His first day in...
Former longtime Aspinwall resident Fay Powell is a force behind annual Harvest Fair
Fay Powell has been a long-time contributor to, and consumer of, the Harvest Fair at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church. A church member more than four decades, Powell recalls making mushroom sandwiches and being part of a sewing group that made doll clothes. Since retiring in 2015 as a nurse at...
Fox Chapel Rotary Golf Classic scores big money to help local charities
The Rotary Club of Fox Chapel Area will hit the links for a good cause. Members will host the annual Golf Classic fundraiser with proceeds benefiting two local charities: Aspinwall Meals on Wheels and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. “Both groups have been serving the communities in the...
Small but mighty, Natrona riverfront trail opens
A small but vital trail link recently opened in Natrona to connect the community park with the Allegheny River shoreline. The strip of land — 10 feet wide and 100 feet long — provides a major impact. “It is critical,” said Bill Godfrey, president of the Natrona Comes Together advocacy...
Highlands looks to combat poor student attendance with rewards, repercussions
Highlands High School Principal Laura Burns said students find greater success in the classroom when they attend school regularly. But getting kids to school appears to be a problem. Administrators are fighting to buoy dismal attendance rates at the high school, as data show that only about 70% of the...
Renovations underway at Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel
Cooper-Siegel Community Library created such a buzz when it opened 11 years ago that it lacked ample parking from day one. At long last, the facility along Fox Chapel Road is expanding its parking lot thanks to the purchase of an adjacent property for $350,000 using funds from a bequest...
Original nursing school at Allegheny Valley Hospital set for demolition
Demolition of the nearly century-old former administrative building that abuts Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrison is moving forward. The facility is expected to be razed in early October. The cost of the demolition has not yet been determined, said JoAnne Clobus, strategic communications adviser for Allegheny Health Network. Opened in...
Device distribution slated this week at Highlands
Highlands families can pick up their district-issued Chromebooks and iPads during four separate events over the next week. Devices will be doled out from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 2 to 6 p.m. Thursday and 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 29. The...
Gatto Harley-Davidson moving from Tarentum; watersports, bike sales will remain
A cycle shop that has grown to become a Tarentum institution since opening in 1964 will move part of its operations from the borough. Gatto Cycle Shop announced it will close its Harley-Davidson dealership along East Sixth Avenue. It will merge it with a shop along Glenn Avenue in Shaler,...
Pitt move-in days coincide with high covid levels — masks required indoors
Move-in day at the University of Pittsburgh will mean wearing masks for the estimated 8,000 students lugging their belongings into campus housing starting Saturday. With covid-19 transmission still in the high level in Allegheny County, the university requires masks to be worn indoors, as per CDC guidelines. Face coverings are...
Duquesne man found shot inside vehicle in McKeesport dies
Authorities have identified a man who died after being found shot late Thursday in McKeesport. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office said the victim is Maricco Randolph, 32, of Duquesne. Officers responded just before 10 p.m. to the 600 block of Versailles Avenue, where they found multiple shell casings. A...
Route 28 crossover scheduled near Harmar, O’Hara this weekend
A traffic crossover is scheduled for northbound Route 28 in O’Hara and Harmar this weekend. Motorists should be aware of the restrictions, which will begin at 8 p.m. Friday, PennDOT announced. Paving will continue around-the-clock and should wrap up in time for rush hour at 5 a.m. Monday. Work will...
Kennywood, Idlewild host hiring fairs for Halloween-themed events
Ghouls, goblins and other spooky species — it’s your time to shine. Kennywood and Idlewild are hiring more than 350 new “creatures of the night” to bring — er, life — to the parks’ Halloween-themed events. Phantom Fall Fest at Kennywood and HallowBOO at Idlewild are scheduled to open Sept....
