Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 10
O’Hara area real estate transactions for the week of Sept. 14, 2025
Etna Michael Motta sold property at 8 Robertson Pl to Elaine Vuksic for $234,900. Harmar William Swaskoski sold property at 116 School Ave. to Max Rayburg and Marissa Baker for $280,000. Indiana Maronda Homes LLC sold property at 3342 Lenox Drive to Thomas Holbrock and Maggie Rachele Duer for $664,030....
Fox Chapel football’s next challenge: Beating a blue blood
Blue blood season is coming up for the Fox Chapel football program. Coach Dave Leasure is excited to see his program measure up to some of the WPIAL Class 5A programs that make up the cream of the crop of the Northeast Conference. The Foxes, which entered a road matchup...
With nod to past, Shady Side Academy boys soccer working to tighten up in future
Ed Ellsworth wants every group of Shady Side Academy boys soccer players to know that they have a strong support system in place. The goal is for the Bulldogs to become part of the pipeline once they move on in life. Ellsworth said Shady Side Academy had 12 alumni drop...
Old Dominion commit Emma DiRocco takes on multiple roles for young Fox Chapel volleyball team
Emma DiRocco feels most comfortable playing middle blocker. The 6-foot-2 senior for the Fox Chapel girls volleyball team is asked to do much more than that. DiRocco is the most experienced player on a Foxes’ roster that is filled with young players. During Fox Chapel’s Section 4-4A opening loss against...
Freshman ace fits right in on Fox Chapel tennis team
Zoey Liu feels fortunate to share a home with the sparring partner she has on the tennis court. Zoey, who is Fox Chapel’s No. 1 singles player as a freshman, will often play with her 11-year-old brother, Luca. “My dad used to hit with us a little bit,” Zoey said....
Infields at the Aspinwall ball fields being improved
The fields at the Aspinwall Recreational Area along Field Avenue are getting an upgrade in time for fall ball. Crews from Mars-based Treesdale Landscaping Company went to work on the infields in both play areas on Sept. 2. Work includes removing humps on the infield edges that roll into the...
Sharpsburg Community Library courtyard to be renovated
Sara Mariacher has a vision of people reading, doing crafts and enjoying each other’s company outdoors. The Sharpsburg Community Library branch manager sees just that in the near future for the courtyard at 1212 Main St. “I’m an idea person,” Mariacher said. “We’ll definitely be incorporating more outdoor activities into...
Sharpsburg awards paving contract, welcomes new public works laborer
Sharpsburg officials plan to spend about $133,000 to repave a pair of roads this fall. Council unanimously voted to award paving contracts to Donora-based El Grande Industries on Aug. 28. Roads to be repaired are Ali Street and Penn Street, from School t0 Ninth streets. Borough Manager Christine DeRunk said...
Shaler Area School District hires business manager from Fox Chapel Area
The Shaler Area School District has a new business manager. During a special voting meeting Wednesday, Sept. 10, the school board approved hiring Kimberly Pawlishak as director of finance and operations for a three-year term beginning on or about Dec. 10. Her salary was set at $140,000. Pawlishak is coming...
In brief: Craft beer crawl, Art in Recovery and more in Aspinwall area
Contract approved Blawnox council voted 6-0 on Aug. 13 to approve a new contract with borough fire marshal John Simmons to do annual fire inspections at businesses, industrial properties and multi-residential properties. Councilwoman Elaine Palmer was absent. Borough manager Kathy Ulanowicz said the terms of the contract are until either...
Fox Chapel Area Adult Education is back with crochet, cocktails and chair yoga
From crochet to pickleball and pottery to guitar, a world of learning opportunities is opening in Fox Chapel — and for these classes, children aren’t the ones headed back to class. Fox Chapel Area Adult Education opened registration on a slew of unique, quirky and traditional courses that will run...
Chris Bason ready to soar with new role at Audubon Society, headquartered in Fox Chapel
After two decades targeting the environmental health of Delaware’s three inland bays, Chris Bason is pivoting his focus to land and birds. Bason is the new executive director of the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania, headquartered at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in Fox Chapel. He began the role Sept. 2,...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Sept. 7, 2025
Aspinwall Estate of William Hansen sold property at 916 Guyasuta Ln to Cullen AG Construction Inc. for $125,000. Etna Frank Muto sold property at 131 Cherry St. to Scott Kramer for $350,000. Ray Ventura sold property at 84 Vilsack St. to Better World Properties LLC for $187,000. Patricia Ann Taylor...
With versatile veteran players, strong work ethic, Fox Chapel football off to solid start
The Fox Chapel football program has prided itself on its versatility since Dave Leasure took over. Max Melocchi and Nathan Johnson were both potential options at quarterback. But both were more focused on finding an opportunity to get on the field than worrying about what position came with that playing...
Amateur boxers get ready to rumble at Fox Chapel fight card
Jose Caraballo wants to find a way to keep amateur boxers busy and interested in pursuing the sport. The owner of the Ray Schafer Boxing Association in Sharpsburg is hoping his September event will provide another chance to give amateurs experience in the ring. The organization is planning to host...
Aspinwall police lead children’s bike ride, watch movies with families
Aspinwall police led children on a bike ride through the borough and mingled with families at a movie night at Ben Killian’s Field on Aug. 15. It was all part of a Party in the Park celebration shortly before the start of the new school year. Mayor Joe Noro said...
Towne Drugs Pharmacy a community fixture in Aspinwall since 1956
As some U.S. pharmacies struggle to stay afloat amid ongoing turmoil in the prescription reimbursement industry, one independent family-owned pharmacy in Aspinwall is dedicated to remaining open. Towne Drugs Pharmacy in Aspinwall is co-owned by father/son pharmacist duo Bob Akanowicz and Jon Akanowicz, both of Hampton. Both men know just...
Aspinwall Tee Ball celebrates end of season with exhibition, fireworks
Aspinwall Tee Ball went into extra innings and celebrated the end of its third season with a bang. Two teams of 3-6-year-olds played a handful of innings before a fireworks display launched from behind the concession stand at the borough ball field on Aug. 22. Coaches then took to the...
Harvest Fair blessed by ‘spirit and support’ of volunteer George McDermott
In his role as a volunteer for the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church Harvest Fair, George McDermott never stops. The Fox Chapel Area alum and Duquesne University junior has lent his time for three years to ready donations for the church’s annual fundraiser. “We are so busy,” volunteer coordinator Fay Powell...
Citing injuries, Shady Side Academy calls off football game vs. Clairton
Citing “an extraordinary rash of significant injuries,” Shady Side Academy has canceled this week’s football game against Clairton. The school on Wednesday announced plans to forfeit, saying nearly 20 of the team’s 40 players were sidelined, “leaving the program unable to field a competitive roster safely.” The WPIAL will consider...
Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic School plans centennial celebration
One hundred years ago in Aspinwall, St. Scholastica School was formed to provide Catholic education to children in the St. Scholastica Parish, which was established in 1895. Now, 100 years later, the name may have changed, but the core mission of providing a traditional Catholic education to area youth remains....
Author Barbara Burstin details legacy of the late Sophie Masloff, Pittsburgh’s 1st female, 1st Jewish mayor
The late Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff was a “character who had character.” That’s according to Barbara Burstin, an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh and author of “Sophie: The Incomparable Mayor Masloff.” The book was released in 2019 through Word Association Publishers in Tarentum. Burstin will detail Masloff’s improbable...
Sharpsburg ministry puts new spin on addiction recovery in effort to heal ‘whole person’
Yoga, finance classes and spiritual mentoring are part of an expanded roster of offerings meant to heal “the whole person” at the Addiction Recovery Ministry in Sharpsburg. “We realize that addiction is physical, mental and spiritual,” said Rosemarie Haas, director of the agency along Ninth Street. “We’re trying to help...
Indiana Township woman launches mobile laundry service in Fox Chapel area
When life gets dirty, Meghan Hughes of Indiana Township is offering to help clean it up. Caroline Quinn, also of Indiana Township, was a busy mom when Hughes provided a laundry lifeline of sorts. “I was overwhelmed with a newborn and needed one less thing on my plate,” Quinn said....
Demolition continues on former Aspinwall church
Demolition of a former Methodist Church in Aspinwall continues with a mix of brick-by-brick removal by hand and heavy machine work. The razing of the house of worship and daycare at 400 Center Ave. has been going on for weeks. The interior was gutted and asbestos removed prior to the...
