More Lifestyles category, Page 26
Covid couples can’t catch a break as inflation makes weddings more expensive than ever
DALLAS — In June, Second Rodeo Brewing in Mule Alley in Fort Worth hosted a shotgun wedding for three couples who were sick of covid delays and the increasing cost of planning a wedding. The event included an officiant, live band, cowboys, beer bouquets and wedding guests. Adrian Atilano, 25,...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: July 8-10
Americana classics Session Americana will play classics of American roots music, along with original songs, at the weekly SummerSounds concert, beginning 7 p.m. today at St. Clair Park in downtown Greensburg. The Boston-based folk/rock collective comprises a rotating line-up of singers and multi-instrumentalists who promise a raucous live show. Group...
4 ways parents can help kids have a great summer at camp
For generations of American kids, summer camp has been a familiar rite of passage. They’d get some exercise, maybe learn a new skill, and hopefully build a few new friendships before the lazy days of summer ended. Whatever the camp’s focus might be, kids could mostly count on a predictable...
Unity couple founds nonprofit to provide housing for veterans
Andrew and Shela Gornik always have made a point of thanking veterans for their service. They’ve taught their four children to do the same. “If our kids walked past a veteran, even when they were small, we would tell them, go right back there and say, ‘Thank you for your...
Black-owned cigar lounge opens in Penn Hills
For years, every Tuesday, East Liberty native Sheldon Oliver would meet with a group of his male friends to have a space to be vulnerable, share laughs and talk about life. The small gathering of five men began to grow as people around them would gravitate to their conversations. Three...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: July 1-3
Fair enough The Claridge Fair continues through the weekend at the Bushy Run Soccer Complex, 100 Kuch Lane, Penn Township. Hours will be 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature rides, games for all ages, live music, food, beer and...
Greensburg’s Freedom 5K will follow Five Star Trail, benefit heart research
Running can help support a healthy heart. Those who run in Monday’s 21st Freedom 5K race, beginning and ending at Greensburg’s Lynch Field, will help the hearts of others as well. The annual race, which includes a virtual option, benefits the American Heart Association. Money from sponsorships and entry fees...
The worst hidden travel fees and how to avoid them
With travel prices soaring, customers might be tempted to pick the cheapest base option they find. But the base price of airfare and hotels represents only a fraction of the total costs. A parade of add-on fees await any traveler trying to navigate the checkout process, ballooning the final price....
Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival returns after 2-year hiatus
The long wait is almost over for fans of the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival. Canceled in 2020 and 2021, the festival returns for its 48th year Thursday through Sunday at Twin Lakes Park, east of Greensburg. “It just keeps going and growing, so we’re very happy,” said Diane Shrader,...
How to keep your home cool when it’s hot outside
A recently released summer outlook predicts temps will be higher than average. It’s going to be a hot summer. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) just released its latest outlook predicting that temperatures will be higher than average this summer in most of the country. When it comes to...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: June 24-26
Sounds of soul The SummerSounds concert series will welcome Pittsburgh-based soul singer Billy Price for a show at 7 p.m. Friday in St. Clair Park in downtown Greensburg. A regular on area music stages, Price received a Legends of Pittsburgh Rock ’N Roll Award in 2016. His 2015 recording with...
Housing market slows retreat from rising seas, bigger storms
Chuck and Terry Nowiski lived in their country-style farmhouse with a wrap-around porch for 36 years before it flooded. After hurricanes Matthew and Florence, they said “yes” to the state’s offer to buy their place and tear it down. Nearly three years later, they’re still waiting for the money. What’s...
Father figures: These coaches teach more than skills; they serve as role models for their players
Fathering comes in all forms. For many dads, it means getting involved with their children’s sports activities. But for fathers who go even further and become coaches, they are impacting more than their children’s lives. They are serving as father figures, as role models, for groups of kids. Meet local...
Westmoreland Land Trust nature backpacks are ready to check out at county libraries
Some outdoor lovers like to watch birds, some go wild for flowers and others may enjoy exploring woods and waterways. Resources for any of the above interests now can be checked out, along with books and other media, at Westmoreland County’s public libraries. Westmoreland Nature Backpacks are available for library...
Pittsburgh Symphony tour showcases Shadyside, Squirrel Hill gardens
The inaugural Symphony Splendor Garden and Patio Tour in 2021 only scratched the surface of the beautiful outdoor oases of Shadyside and Squirrel Hill. Tour organizers decided to return to the neighborhoods this year to showcase nine more. They already had a waiting list of willing homeowners from the first...
5 things to do with Dad on Father’s Day
What’s your plan for celebrating Father’s Day? Are you going to gather around the grill — again — for yet another round of burgers and beer? Chances are Dad is as tired of the same-old, same-old as the rest of the family. Here are a few suggestions for getting out...
Night of clean comedy benefits Myasthenia Gravis Association of Western Pa.
Family problems, health problems, fear of aging — they’re topics that most everyone can relate to, but not everyone sees the humor in them. Pittsburgh comedian David Kaye can, and he’ll share his wry observations during Comedy for a Cause on July 16 at Elements in North Huntingdon. “I look...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: June 10-12
Louisiana swamp rock The SummerSounds concert series will host the Honey Island Swamp Band at 7 p.m. Friday in St. Clair Park in downtown Greensburg. The five-piece Louisiana-based outfit plays Southern rock, with echoes of Little Feat, Dr. John, The Allman Brothers and Levon Helm. The band formed in 2005...
Bloomfield maintains traditions in a young, hip scene: A Pittsburgh guide
One of Pittsburgh’s largest neighborhoods, Bloomfield is best known for its Italian-American heritage and history. Despite seeing changes over the last couple of decades, the neighborhood is still home to a good variety of Italian-American staples, even if many of the neighbors are now millennial transplants. This combination provides an...
High prices, low inventory, a new norm for car shoppers
Shopping for a new or used car over the last couple of years has become a more challenging endeavor. Because of the covid-19 pandemic and its after-effects, we’ve had to deal with factory closures, supply chain issues, a worldwide shortage of semiconductor chips, vehicle shortages, price hikes on dealer lots...
Off-grid living beckons more than just hardy pioneer types
Living off-grid conjures images of survivalists in remote places and a rustic, “Little House on the Prairie” lifestyle with chores from morning to night. Yet only a tiny fraction of people living off-grid do it like that, and fewer still live more than an hour from any town. “Living off-grid...
The Revenant: Harini Logan rallies for spelling bee title
OXON HILL, Md. — Harini Logan kept trying to learn from her near-misses in online spelling bees. Recognized for years as one of the best spellers in the English language, she had never taken home a national title. In the biggest bee of them all, she endured a new series...
5 things to do in Westmoreland County: June 3-5
Dance, dance, dance The SHU Dance Academy will present end-of-semester recitals this weekend in the Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center, 100 Harrison Ave., Greensburg. The schedule includes a showcase of solos, duets and trios, 6:30 p.m. Friday; Formal Dancers Division performances, 1 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday; and Young Dancers Division...
Second chance: Unwanted tattoos can be lasered off or covered up
Kimberly Corrigan was never religious growing up and had only been to church twice. But when she was 18, she had a little too much to drink — and got a tattoo of the Virgin Mary on her left forearm. The tattoo would become an eyesore for the now 35-year-old...
Westmoreland County doctor trades in his scrubs for potter’s wheel
It’s not that Dr. Francis DeFabo didn’t love medicine — it’s just that he loved making pottery more. The Unity resident retired in November from his gynecology practice with Athena Women’s Care in South Greensburg. On May 26, he opened fdp studio shop in Pleasant Unity. The shop at 2082...
