Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 31
Despite successes, Fox Chapel boys still working to put together best game
Fox Chapel boys basketball coach Zach Skrinjar is proud of his team for doing two things well this season. The first is watching his players come together as one. “This group has really grown together, built a camaraderie,” Skrinjar said. “We have had a good mix when it comes to...
Then and Now: From farm stand to beer distributor to holistic health center, Aspinwall spot thrives
As mom and pop stores began to populate across the country in the early 1900s, Clover Farms made its name. By 1932, there were more than 150 Clover Farms stores in the Greater Pittsburgh area — with one situated along Commercial Avenue in Aspinwall. Samuel DiGregory and his daughter, Pauline,...
Fox Chapel Area School Board pledges to keep any potential tax hike for 2025-26 within state limits
Fox Chapel Area School District officials have pledged to keep any potential real estate tax hike for the 2025-26 school year to 4% or less. The board voted 8-0 on Jan. 13 to pass a resolution to hold the line on taxes to the Act 1 index — a state...
O’Hara collecting items for California wildfire victims
O’Hara officials have teamed up with the Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Brother’s Brother Foundation to collect supplies for California wildfire victims. The township launched its collection for hygiene kits Jan. 22. The deadline to donate at the municipal building is Feb. 6. Items requested include toothbrushes, feminine hygiene products, flushable wipes and...
Repurposed rails from Brilliant Branch to make line running through Penn Hills, Verona quieter
A more than 2-mile stretch of rail line passing through Penn Hills and Verona is set to quiet down. In the coming months, Allegheny Valley Railroad will pull up track from its soon-to-be abandoned Brilliant Branch and use it along part of the Allegheny Subdivision, which follows the south bank...
Kindergarten registration in Fox Chapel Area School District starts in February
Registration for children who will enter kindergarten in the fall of 2025 in Fox Chapel Area School District is set for March. The district also offers various pre-registration events (including parent/guardian orientations and 2025-2026 kindergarten story times) at the beginning of February. All registration forms will be filled out online....
Fox Chapel area student achievements for the week of Jan. 21, 2025
The plow painted by nine Fox Chapel Area High School students has been named the winner of the Judges’ Pick award in the Pittsburgh region of PennDOT’s Paint the Plow contest. Its design was created by junior Caroline Grimsley. The other students who worked on the project were juniors Ava...
Pollinator gardens permitted in Sharpsburg
Sharpsburg officials have made it a little easier for environmentally friendly residents to not have to pay more green for having a green thumb. Council recently passed an ordinance amending its nuisance vegetation code to permit pollinator gardens. Pollinators are “the engine that run healthy habitats,” according to the U.S....
PennDOT to host virtual meeting on next round of Highland Park Bridge work
The public will get a look at the next phase of improvements to the Highland Park Bridge on Wednesday. PennDOT officials will host a virtual meeting at 5 p.m. to discuss future work plans and traffic restrictions for the project, slated to begin in 2027. The next round of work...
Foxwall EMS meeting, cash bash and more in Fox Chapel area
Foxwall EMS meeting The board of directors of Foxwall EMS invites residents of Fox Chapel and Aspinwall to their annual public meeting at 7 p.m. Jan. 21. The meeting will be held at the station at 749 Hemlock Hollow Road in Fox Chapel. For more information, contact Chief Ben Shopland...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 19, 2025
Aspinwall John Myers sold property at 409 Virginia Ave. to Gary Ray and Zoe Georgia Sternberg trustee for $507,500. Etna Estate of Edward Ricci sold property at 65 Dewey St. to Henan Ren for $115,000. Jennifer Zewe Kimmel sold property at 8 Forsaith St. to KGO LLC for $225,000. NDC...
Fox Chapel notebook: Swimmers setting pool records
The Fox Chapel swim team is full of athletes who are seeking an opportunity to put themselves in the best position to do well at the WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A championships. To that end, the Foxes have seen a number of pool records fall this season. Sarah Pasquella, Josie...
Relay team comes together for Fox Chapel indoor track team
Fox Chapel senior Alyssa Quackenbush knows what happens when a relay team isn’t in sync. She was a member of a Foxes relay team that was disqualified from a race because of issues handing off the baton. During the Tri-State Track Coaches Association No. 2 meet at Edinboro, Quackenbush was...
Fox Chapel hockey sharpening game as playoffs approach
It could be said that the Fox Chapel hockey team had reached a crossroads five games into the season. After suffering back-to-back one-goal losses against Canon-McMillan and Bishop McCort, the Foxes were 3-2 and were about to face always tough and talented Penn-Trafford. “That was the game we come back...
Sharpsburg’s Second Harvest helps refugees settle in to new lives
Settling into a new life can be scary, especially in a foreign land. Second Harvest Community Thrift Store in Sharpsburg is making the transition easier. Through a partnership with Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Hello Neighbor, refugee families are getting a lift creating a new home in the Lower Valley. “With Second Harvest,...
Sharpsburg launches plan for $1 million self-contained energy system
Sharpsburg Mayor Kayla Portis said the new year will usher in a public works project that is expected to be a game-changer for the borough. Allegheny County Health Department has awarded $1 million to Sharpsburg to build a resiliency microgrid, a self-contained independent energy system. Eyed as a series of...
Mediterranean-themed restaurant slated for Aspinwall
An Indiana Township restaurateur is hoping to open a Turkish-themed bar and eatery in a former historic train station in Aspinwall. The former Luke & Mike’s Frontporch permanently closed on Dec. 28 and co-owner Sheri Rice confirmed Jan. 7 the business is under contract with Pittsburgh-based Finike LLC., registered to...
O’Hara resident settles into leadership at Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services
A third-generation volunteer firefighter is continuing a family legacy of public service in Sharpsburg and Aspinwall. Shaler native Mike Daniher is the inaugural chief of Southern Allegheny Valley Emergency Services, or SAVES. The communities of Sharpsburg and Aspinwall merged their fire departments into a new company in 2023 in an...
Cooper-Siegel Community Library, Sharpsburg events for the week of Jan. 16, 2025
The Cooper-Siegel Community Library and its Sharpsburg branch offer a variety of programming for visitors of all ages. To view a complete list of offerings, visit coopersiegel.librarycalendar.com. Events at both libraries are listed and can be viewed according to age group and location. Registration is required for most programs as...
Aspinwall parking study report under review, findings to be released in February
A study designed to find ways to help elevate Aspinwall residents’ and visitors’ parking woes will soon be released. The 140-page report crafted by Walker Consultants was submitted to the borough late last year and is currently under review by borough council. Councilman Mark Chimel, chairman of the planning and...
New look for O’Hara police vehicles helps mark start of Blawnox combined service
The O’Hara Police Department unveiled the new look of its patrol vehicles as the township force begins its first month serving Blawnox. Borough officers became township employees at the start of this year via an intergovernmental agreement to boost manpower and coverage. The department’s five marked vehicles were modified by...
Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week for Jan. 12, 2025
Trib HSSN girls basketball team of the week – Shady Side Academy Bulldogs Coach – Jonna Burke (fourth season at SSA, 30th year overall) Record – 13-0 overall, 6-0 in Section 2-3A #Earned – While the defending WPIAL Class 3A champions returned a lot of talent from their run a...
Fox Chapel area real estate transactions for the week of Jan. 12, 2025
Aspinwall Luca Rutigliano sold property at 123-125 Emerson Ave. to David Segall for $317,000. Blawnox Kara Halin sold property at 604 Carla Drive to Matthew and Bethany Fedutes Henderson for $236,500. Estate of Richard Chene sold property at 277 Freeport Road to Todland James for $220,000. Etna Gregory Hess sold...
With mix of experience, potential, Shady Side Academy swimmers expect exciting season
Shady Side Academy swimming is diving into the season with a veteran boys team and a girls team with a young but promising lineup. Coach Erika Cooper said the preparation for this year has been outstanding. “We have a handful of swimmers that swim with various USA swimming clubs in...
Shady Side Academy girls progressing toward championship goals
There is still much work ahead for the Shady Side Academy girls basketball program. But the Bulldogs have laid a solid foundation that should provide many opportunities as the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs approach. The Bulldogs are off to a 12-0 start and have shown plenty of punch on offense....
