Fox Chapel Herald category, Page 32
Fox Chapel Herald notebook: FC boys basketball surges in section
The Fox Chapel boys basketball team didn’t plan to change its approach when it went up to Class 6A. The Foxes have found success in the WPIAL’s largest class before. The Foxes still have a lot of work to do to claim the Section 1-6A crown, but they have put...
New Castle boys dominate 2nd half, hand Fox Chapel 1st section loss of season
The scoreboard had a tied score at half, yet the game ended under the mercy rule. That disparity showed just how well New Castle played after halftime Friday night. Freshman Kai Cox scored 13 of his game-high 19 points after the break, and the Red Hurricanes used a dominant third...
No. 1 Shady Side Academy impresses in decisive win over No. 2 Greensburg Central Catholic
The No. 1 has been following the Shady Side Academy girls basketball team around this season. No. 1 ranking in the WPIAL. No. 1 ranking in the state. No. 1 defensive scoring average in Class 3A. The defending WPIAL champion Bulldogs are also making a one-game-at-a-time go of things as...
Family ties: Jack and Jill Ball is a cherished tradition throughout generations
In 1981, Judith M. Davenport’s daughter, Allison, was a senior at The Ellis School. Her friends were talking about a local debutante ball where young women make a formal entrance into society. Allison submitted her name but was not invited. So Davenport reached out to other members of Jack and...
Fox Chapel’s 2025 budget includes big investments in public safety
Fox Chapel property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes as part of its 2025 budget. Council unanimously voted Dec. 16 to pass the spending plan and maintain the millage rate at 2.95 mills. The borough has not raised taxes since 2019. No programs or...
Fox Chapel officially designated as a ‘Bird Town’
Fox Chapel is officially being recognized for its environmental efforts, especially pertaining to birds. Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania wildlife habitat educator Nick Stahlman recently presented borough council with a certificate from Bird Town Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Audubon Council as an official Bird Town. Stahlman also presented new Bird...
Zynka Gallery marks 5 years of showcasing art in Sharpsburg
It’s a thrill for Jeff Jarzynka when the glass doors of his Sharpsburg art gallery are ajar and something inside catches the eye of a passerby. “The doors are open wide all summer, and you’ll have kids running up the street who stop and ask, ‘Is this a museum? Can...
Nonprofit founded in 1928 looks to bolster membership, awareness among Fox Chapel-area municipalities
A community-based nonprofit is looking to boost membership and raise awareness throughout the Fox Chapel-area communities it has served for almost 100 years. The District Association of the Fox Chapel Area raises funds that are donated directly back into the communities in the Fox Chapel Area School District — Aspinwall,...
Check out these upcoming programs at the Cooper-Siegel and Sharpsburg libraries
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...
Dick’s Sporting Goods construction begins at The Waterworks
The new Dick’s Sporting Goods store at The Waterworks near Aspinwall is expected to open this summer. The new store is located in the shopping center’s former Walmart anchor space. It is unclear what that means for the Dick’s store at the Pittsburgh Mills mall — just nine miles away...
Then and Now: Casile’s Courtesy Corner in Aspinwall still a gem of a location — now for jewelry store
People who travel along Freeport Road in Aspinwall are likely familiar with Chapel Hills Jewelry, the upscale shop at the intersection of Virginia Avenue. It’s been a staple more than three decades, opened by Jack and Tina Tesauro in 1989. Previously, the corner was a mainstay for residents and those...
In brief: Herald area events for the week of Jan. 6, 2025
Free talk to spotlight Hello Neighbor, an outreach for refugees The Fox Chapel Area affiliate of the American Association of University Women will host a free program on Jan. 14 titled “Hello Neighbor: Welcome to Pittsburgh.” The event starts at 10 a.m. and is open to the public. It will...
Fox Chapel grad Kate Friday signs on with expansion Pittsburgh Riveters SC
Kate Friday didn’t want her mental well-being to be defined by success, or failure, surrounding her soccer career. When the Fox Chapel graduate committed to attend Xavier University in Cincinnati, she wanted to find places around her adopted city where she could escape. “I think my favorite place to go...
Sugar Spell Scoops outgrows Sharpsburg spot
Amanda Burk is disappointed to see her sweet times in Sharpsburg potentially coming to an end. The owner of Sugar Spell Scoops, a vegan ice cream spot along North Canal Street, announced the store is closing — with its final hours the first weekend of January. The lease expires Jan....
Indiana Township restaurant issued 15 health code violations
An Italian restaurant in Indiana Township was issued multiple health code violations by the Allegheny County Health Department. Roma Italian Restaurant, located along Indianola Road, was issued 15 violations during an inspection Dec. 18, according to a report from the Health Department. The restaurant could not be reached Tuesday morning....
Families have fun counting birds at Fox Chapel nature reserve
Stacy Ogutu has the eyes of a red-tailed hawk and the quick note-taking skills of an educated song sparrow. Both of those talents were on display as the McCandless youth marked down every bird she and her other family members saw along the paths of Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve in...
School district telethons raise more than $200K for charities
Telethons at three Pittsburgh-area school districts raised more than $200,000 for charities this Christmas season. Make-A-Wish was the beneficiary of Plum School District’s long-running telethon and a newer one organized by Penn-Trafford. Penn-Trafford raised about $67,400, while Plum collected about $53,700, according to their teacher organizers. Fox Chapel raised $90,228...
From teen CEO to entrepreneur: Lani Lazzari grows Simple Sugars into skincare powerhouse
Entrepreneur Lani Lazzari continues to stir things up in the skincare world. She was just 11 when she began experimenting with sugar and other all-natural ingredients in an attempt to cure her eczema and other related skin issues in the basement of her parents’ Fox Chapel home. Her mother, Gina...
Indiana Township holds taxes steady; some firefighters will get a break
Indiana Township property owners will not have to pay more in township property taxes in 2025. Some township volunteer firefighters also will receive a tax break as part of a new relief program. Supervisors unanimously voted to pass their estimated $6.5 million 2025 budget. The millage rate remains at 3.47...
Then and Now: From EMS to community library, this Fox Chapel property is always in service
From EMS to community library, the property at 403 Fox Chapel Road has long served residents. The site adjacent to the Fox Chapel Municipal Building was home to Foxwall EMS for years before it was replaced in 2011 by the $6 million Cooper-Siegel Community Library. Foxwall EMS landed a larger...
Leaders of community garden hope to nurture young residents with scholarship program
Organizers of the Sharpsburg Community Garden are hoping to grow a new generation of people with a passion for planting. The garden, situated behind the community library along Main Street, is launching a scholarship program for 2025 through which a newbie can get their hands dirty and harvest crops such...
More than just books: Cooper-Siegel Community Library closes in on funding for $2.5M expansion
Tools, 3D printers and musical instruments probably aren’t what most people associate with libraries. But Cooper-Siegel in Fox Chapel is far from ordinary. The $6 million, 24,000-square-foot facility along Fox Chapel Road has grown its lending libraries, programs and classes to meet the demands of patrons who number nearly 30,000...
15 local seniors among young women presented during 61st annual Medallion Ball
Fifteen seniors from the Fox Chapel Herald coverage area were honored Nov. 29 during the 61st annual Medallion Ball at the Pittsburgh Wyndham Grand Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh. The students and their schools are Ainsley Anderson (Fox Chapel), Claire Auffenberg (Fox Chapel), Ridglee Boychuk (Fox Chapel), Emma Callahan (Our Lady...
Living large: Relaxed approach to parenting keeps family of 11 happy and humming in Fox Chapel
Bigger is apparently better for a family of 11 in Fox Chapel. “I always wanted a big family,” said Stephanie Wilkinson, wife and mother to nine biological children she’s raising with her husband, Jim. “I told my mom I wanted at least eight kids.” The Wilkinson children, four boys and...
Blawnox to see no rise in real estate taxes, garbage fees; water/sewage bills will increase
Blawnox property owners will not have to pay more in borough real estate taxes next year. Council unanimously voted Dec. 11 to pass its 2025 budget and maintain the tax rate at 10.85 mills. Garbage collection fees also remained the same. Council raised taxes by 1 mill for the 2023...
