The Almanac - Feb. 25, 2024

‘A simple thing’

Local tradition showcased on national TV

By Katherine Mansfield Staff

When Laura Magone launched a cookie-themed Facebook page in 2015, the business consultant from the Mon Valley never dreamed social media would land her on national TV.

But on Feb. 14, Magone welcomed viewers nationwide into her mother’s kitchen in Monongahela to share Pittsburgh’s unique cookie table tradition, during a Today show segment titled “Inside the tradition of the wedding cookie table.”

“In Pittsburgh, you’ll hear the expression, that ‘We don’t ask, what did the bride wear to the wedding? We ask, how were the cookies?’” Magone told the Today show audience. “The wedding cookie table tradition is all about community.”

Communities of immigrant women, Magone explained, settled in the greater Pittsburgh region and donated their time and talents to fill wedding reception tables with the sweet taste of home. Baking cookies for weddings brought women together and expressed generosity and love to couples starting the next chapter.

“People have this idea that that tradition started during the Depression: People could not afford cakes, so they had cookies instead. I find no ev-

idence to support that,” Magone said. She would know. For the last nearly 10 years, Magone has been “knead” deep in wedding cookie table history. In fact, her Wedding Cookie Table Community Facebook page, which currently has 211,500 members, began as a research project. “I’m a filmmaker. I have created some short and feature length documentaries.

This was the next story that I wanted to tell,” Magone said. “I started the page hoping people would post historic photos or movie footage.

Then I learned it doesn’t exist, for the most part. The research on this subject is very difficult to do, because people didn’t take pictures over the years of their cookie tables.”

The small collection of images depicting women baking and tables spilling over with

pizzelles, kolache and lady locks (the most popular wedding cookie) that Magone was able to compile over the years was submitted to the Today show and appeared as part of the segment, to the delight of those pictured.

“It was a big deal. I know how proud it made my members. I know how proud it made people from this area.

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Upper St. Clair’s Sharma sweet on Cake4Kids

Organization looking for bakers

Ishaan Sharma of Upper St. Clair is on a mission to spread joy one birthday cake at a time.

Along with his mom, Priyanka, he is establishing a Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of Cake4Kids.

“Our mission is to provide birthday cakes to at-risk/underserved youth because we believe everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, deserves such a seemingly simple joy,” Sharma said. “We have already connected with and signed on a few agencies to work with, and are now in the volunteer recruitment process.”

To date, Cake4Kids has partnered with Beverly’s Birthdays, the Bair Foundation and the South Hills Interfaith Movement.

Founded in 2010, Cake4Kids is a national nonprofit with 29 chapters in 17 states that has delivered more than 60,000 cakes to children. The Greater Pittsburgh Chapter is Pennsylvania’s first. Sharma said he learned about Cake4Kids through a family friend. After the high school junior did further research, he learned the organization was accepting new chapter applications.

“So my mom and I submitted one,” he said. “It’s an untapped niche that affects far more people in our area than you could imagine.”

Combining his love of baking and his desire to make a positive impact on the lives of area children, Cake4Kids was a natural fit for Ishaan.

“I’ve loved to bake for several years, and I wanted to see if I could productively extend my passion,” he said. “I’ve been blessed to grow up in the situation that I have, and not everyone is so lucky. Something that most of us take for granted, the joy of just celebrating your birthday, is not as common as I want it to be. I wanted to change that, and I did it in the best way I knew how – cakes.”

Cake4Kids is not the only activity in which Sharma is involved. In addition to baking,

“OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE BIRTHDAY CAKES TO AT-RISK/ UNDERSERVED YOUTH BECAUSE WE BELIEVE EVERYONE, REGARDLESS OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, DESERVES SUCH A SEEMINGLY SIMPLE JOY.” — ISHAAN SHARMA, RESIDENT

he serves as treasurer of the USC Robotics Club, extemporaneous captain within the Speech & Debate team and treasurer of the Technology Student Association.

Currently, Sharma is recruiting volunteer bakers. Volunteers should be age 16 or older with moderate baking experience.

“People who can ice cakes (nothing fancy needed) are preferred, but if you are good at simple cookies/brownies, we can work with that,” he said. “They will have access to a portal where agencies submit requests, and bakers then take up the request, bake, and deliver to the agency.”

Volunteers donate all the ingredients and supplies to bake cakes in their own homes and then deliver them to the partner agencies.

Cupcakes made by

Ishaan Sharma

PHOTOS:

Laura Magone watches her mother, Wanda, shape a batch of biscotti. The pair appeared on the Today show for a segment highlighting the Pittsburgh wedding cookie table tradition.

Bethel Park adds Safe Exchange zone

Make

seems off it probably is.

When using the BPPD Safe Exchange Zone, officers cannot act as official witnesses for the transactions. They will not provide legal advice or settle any civil disputes.

Numbers to remember are: 412-833-2000 or 911 in emergencies or 412-851BPPD (2773); anonymous tip line is 412-851-BPPD (2773), and email address is: crimewatch@bethelpark. net.

A space is reserved in the municipality parking lot for Bethel Park residents to make safe exchanges.

Simple

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My friend from Washington, I put her mom’s wedding photo on it,” Magone said. Her friend called and said, “‘You can’t imagine how many people called my mom.’ They saw her picture, they recognized her. No matter how short of a time somebody’s photo was up there, they got phone calls. It was exciting for everybody.”

Like the many helping hands that lovingly bake dozens and dozens of cookies for local weddings or locally raised brides, it took many hands to prepare Magone for national television. The week leading up to filming was a whirlwind, Mgaone said, because she had to “redd up” her parents’ home – she decorated the kitchen for Valentine’s Day, when the bit aired – and prepare batter. The producers requested trays of both unbaked and baked cookies for before and after shots, and the morning of film day, Magone and friends spent plating cookies for the Today show crew.

“The preparation was extensive,” Magone said.”I didn’t even think about what I was going to wear, pretty much until that morning. We were more focused on the cookies than on what we looked like. It was a fun week, but it was an exhausting week.”

About a dozen bakers from the area, including Ella Gannis, who owns Chatty Cupcakes, baked pastries for the Today show set. Those cookies, displayed beautifully thanks to a table design by Mona D’Ambrosia, a cookie table Facebook member, appeared at the end of the segment.

“This was a community effort,” Magone said. “It was exciting for my bakers to look and see their cookies on national TV.”

Also mentioned on national TV: the Wedding Table Community’s outreach initiatives, including its support of Uvalde, Texas, fol -

lowing the shooting at Robb Elementary School in 2022. The Wedding Cookie Table Community was, like the rest of the country, shocked to hear the news.

“I sat there thinking, was there something that we could do to lift people’s spirits a little bit in the midst of this tragedy?” Magone said. She asked her Facebook followers if anyone lived in Uvalde, and two members responded that they were nearby, in San Antonio. Those two members served as a liaison between the cookie table and Uvalde communities, and helped coordinate the donation of more than 1,200 doz-

en cookies to the Uvalde families, school district, hospital and first responders from the Wedding Cookie Table Community.

“Somebody from the local area actually drove the more fragile cookies – the lady locks, the peaches, the gobs, everything that needed to be refrigerated,” Magone said. “It was a massive project. Just for a minute, we made people smile.”

Every few months, the Facebook community comes together to spread more smiles, contributing to causes big and small.

“Bakers are very generous. Studies have shown that bak-

ing can be therapeutic not only for the person baking, but for the person that you give things to. Our members want to do things for other people. I’ve simply provided the forum,” Magone said. On the forum, members share recipes and baking tips, applaud each other’s talents and marvel at elaborate cookie displays.

“People enjoy coming to the page because it’s a positive, safe place where they can meet other bakers,” Magone said.

Bakers from across the U.S. will meet in person this May, during the annual Cookie Table College, which the Today show plugged last week, to Magone’s surprise. The event, which supports the restoration of the Longwell house in Monongahela, is already so popular that this year, Magone is looking to add a second date, to accommodate all those interested in attending.

Magone said the Today show is the most publicity her cookie table Facebook page has received to date, and she was excited the show featured the Mon Valley so prominently.

“It’s just important to me to showcase my hometown and the good things that have happened here. In our area, we have lived through and survived the industrialization. Whenever the mills went down, people left. As former residents moved across the country, they took the cookie table tradition with them. My Facebook page is one way that people feel that they can stay connected to their roots,” she said.

“There’s an expression, ‘You can’t eat a chocolate chip cookie and be mad.’ I think that’s true. Life isn’t all about money and titles and prestige. A cookie is a simple thing. It’s a simple thing, but cookies really make people happy. They really do. ”

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF LAURA MAGONE

Cathy Neiderberger and several dozens of cookies from Monongahela and surrounding areas arrive safely at NBC studios, 30 Rockefeller Center.

Cookies homemade by Wedding Cookie Table Community members from Monongahela and surrounding areas appear on the Today show Feb. 14. The cookie table display was designed by Mona D’Ambrosia, who owns Mona’s Unique Boutique, LLC, in Johnstown.

Norm and Elaine Marran Madera, center left, were married April 27, 1968, in Washington, and in true Pittsburgh fashion, cookies were the centerpiece, literally, of the reception. Madera’s mother, Evelyn Marran, center, of Cokeburg, baked several thousand cookies for the wedding.

Republicans attempting to remove Vodvarka from GOP primary for U.S. Senate Robinson Township man has run for office multiple times

By Mike Jones Staff writer mjones@observer-reporter.com

The candidacy for an Allegheny County man once again attempting a run for U.S. Senate is in jeopardy after hundreds of signatures on his nominating petitions submitted to get on the Republican primary ballot were challenged in Commonwealth Court.

Three registered Republicans and their attorneys filed paperwork before Tuesday’s deadline to challenge the candidacy of Joseph Vodvarka of Robinson Township in an attempt to get him removed from the ballot for the April 23 primary.

The challenge claims there are multiple defects with Vodvarka’s nominating petitions and is attempting to strike 572 of the 2,439 signatures the candidates and his surrogates accumulated, which would put him below the 2,000 needed to run for U.S. Senate.

In the nearly 2,000-page filing, the challenge mainly claims there were issues with the petition’s circulators and problems with individual signatories, over whether they are not registered to vote, aren’t Republicans or gave incorrect information.

The three objectors are Andrew Ritter Jr. of Camp Hill, Ashley Boop of Lancaster and Richard Tems of Doylestown. Their attorneys who filed the challenge are Walter Zimolong III and James Fitzpatrick III of Villanova. Zimolong did not respond to a phone call seeking comment on the challenge.

Vodvarka could not be reached for comment Wednesday and it was not clear whether he had an attorney.

It’s not known when Commonwealth Court would rule

Joseph Vodvarka

on the challenge to Vodvarka’s candidacy. But if the challenge is successful in removing Vodvarka from the ballot, it would leave only David McCormick on the

THE CHALLENGE CLAIMS THERE ARE MULTIPLE DEFECTS WITH VODVARKA’S NOMINATING PETITIONS AND IS ATTEMPTING TO STRIKE 572 OF THE 2,439 SIGNATURES THE CANDIDATES AND HIS SURROGATES ACCUMULATED.

Republican primary ballot to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in the general election.

Vodvarka, 80, has run for the U.S. Senate several times before and been removed from the ballot on multiple occasions, including in 2010 when he was a Democrat and in 2018

when he was a Republican. Vodvarka campaigned as a Democrat for races in 2012 and again in 2016, when he was initially removed from the ballot only to be restored at the last minute by the state Supreme Court. Afterward, he changed his party affiliation to run as a Republican.

Monday’s council meeting. Frank Kosir and Tom Pirosko voted in favor, while Robert Lewis and Gary Stiegel opposed the agreement. Frank Arcuri abstained, and Allison Shanafelt and Matt Rost were absent.

St. Clair Health has operated an outpatient center at 3928 Washington Road

since 2013. In 2022, Huntington Bank purchased an adjacent property where a bank branch is currently under construction.

“The township ordinance for commercial properties

along Route 19 requires, to the extent that it is feasible, that they be interconnected,” explained Township Manager Paul Lauer in a phone call Thursday. “Where the dispute is, St. Clair Hospital, despite it showing on their original site plan, did not want to see an interconnection with Huntington Bank.” In December 2021, the township had informed St. Clair it was in violation of the zoning ordinance and denied it a building permit to continue developing interior space.

The Peters Township Planning Commission approved Huntington Bank’s site plan in October 2022, which included shared use of St. Clair’s driveway. St. Clair is currently challenging both decisions in Washington County court.

Michael Flanagan, the president and chief executive officer of St. Clair Health, attended Monday’s meeting in support of the settlement.

“We have been requesting this building permit for quite

TRISTA THURSTON/OBSERVER-REPORTER Huntington Bank is under construction adjacent to the St. Clair Health Outpatient Center in Peters Township.

Fundraiser with heart

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Boyce Middle School donated more than $1,704 to the Children’s Home of Pittsburgh through a Valentine’s Day fundraiser. The students delivered a check during the organization’s radiothon in conjunction with iHeart Radio’s BIG 104.7 country radio station. In addition to the donation, students presented cards for the Children’s Home staff and children. School counselor Tonia Autieri and reading specialist Marissa Dyer accompanied the students. Held in conjunction with Random Acts of Kindness Week, the Outreach Committee of Student Council organized the Valentine Gram initiative. In exchange for a donation, the purchaser could send a message along with a POP IT to a Boyce student. The Valentine Grams were delivered Feb. 14 during the homeroom period.

Rejects

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2013. Our plan is to occupy it with primary care, which will then allow us to add some other specialty services to that facility,” Flanagan said. Had the settlement been approved, it would have enabled St. Clair to get its building permit and begin work, while Huntington Bank would need to draw up new plans based around a reconfigured cross-access driveway.

Prior to council voting, Lewis explained his opposition and said he thinks the building permit should come after the plans have been finalized.

Sweet

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“With respect to the very cordial manner in which this evening has been conducted, I have a very long taste with regard to the litigation and the actions and the accusations that have been made at this council and to our township. I will be voting no,” Lewis said.

Lauer said the settlement failing means St. Clair will have to wait for its building permit, but he believes they are close to coming to an agreement.

“The bank is supposed to get back to us by the end of the month with a site plan,”

Lauer said.

He added that all three parties are in agreement to delay further court proceedings while they work out a compromise.

“What I would hope in the next 30 days, maybe 60 days, is that we would have a settlement that would have all parties withdraw from the lawsuit,” Lauer said.

Nicolle

In addition to watching the ceremony and the Pens lose to the LA Kings, 2-1, the Sokolowskis received swag bags as remembrances of the historic Pittsburgh hockey event.

The Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of Cake4Kids’ first volunteer orientation will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on March 6 at the Bridgeville Public Library. For more information, email sharmai@uscstudents.org or visit the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of Cake4Kids online. Ishaan Sharma

sports

PIONEERS

Three wrestlers score silver medals in first

By Eleanor Bailey Almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.net

WPIAL girls championships

Paige Jox of Mt. Lebanon along with Grace O’Korn and Liliana Giulianelli from Peters Township captured silver medals during the inaugural WPIAL Championships for girls wrestling.

The trio along with Upper St. Clair’s Genevieve Hanson and the Mt. Lebanon trio of Sophia Beanner, Ester Ward and Vi Phillips, advanced to the first Southwest Regional to be held March 2 at Canon-McMillan.

The top four finishers in 13 weight classes from 100 to 235 will advance to the first PIAA girls individual wrestling championships set for March 7-9 at the Giant Center in Hershey.

“The goal is to make it to Hershey. It’s everybody’s goal,” said Jox. “It’s why we’ve put in all this work all season. Our hard work has led up to this moment. We want to win.”

Jox sorely wanted to capture a gold medal on Feb. 17 at North Allegheny and become the first female in Mt. Lebanon history to claim a WPIAL title for wrestling.

However, after pinning her first two opponents and scoring a 2-0 decision against Canon-McMillan’s Bailey Emery in the semifinals, Jox dropped a 5-0 decision to Plum’s Saphia Davis in the 124-pound championship match.

“Nobody aims to get silver. I wanted to win but I am pretty proud of myself, especially being part of something first and going down in history,” Jox said.

“All my matches were tough and I am proud that I made it that far. The competition was really good. There were a lot of talented girls here. They all could wrestle.”

Though she started her athletic career as a cheerleader, Jox had wrestling in her blood. Her father, Robert, competed at Chartiers Valley High School and was a WPIAL qualifier. He assists Mt. Lebanon head coach Amanda Toney Lebec. Paige also has a younger sister, Carly, who competes in the sport.

“When I quit cheerleading, my dad said, ‘well, you have to find some sport to do’ so I decided to wrestle because my

sister was doing it. I think it’s great and I hope to help grow the sport.

“I definitely do feel like a pioneer in the sport, especially at Lebo because we have a lot of junior high girls and others competing at younger levels. They all look up to you. The little girls and their moms come up to me and say what an inspiration I am for the sport.”

They may not see the perspiration Jox puts into wrestling. In addition to her daily practices, she lifts weights at home on her own because a strength training program has not been established yet at the high school. She also trains at the South Hills Wrestling Academy and has traveled to Fargo, N.D., to participate in the national championships.

“While I’ve not placed, it’s a great experience and super cool,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity to wrestle against really good girls. They are all super talented.”

Jox is skilled, too. She enters the regional with a 30-4 record, complete with 22 falls. Her record also includes a tech. fall, one major, five regular decisions and one forfeit win. “I like getting pins,” she said. “I don’t like to waste my energy. I want to save it for the bigger matches.”

Lebec was pleased with Jox’s performance throughout the tournament. She was particularly pleased with her final against Davis.

“Paige knew it would be a tough match but one thing she won’t do is back down from a fight,” said the Lebo coach. “Her effort and performance was that of a high-level athlete. She was focused and driven to wrestle her best.

“Paige wants to be the best, she understands the amount of work and commitment that takes,” Lebec continued. “She

SEE

By Eleanor Bailey Almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.net

When the WPIAL hosts its swimming championships

Feb. 29 to March 1 at the University of Pittsburgh Trees Pool, North Allegheny is expected to run away with the team titles as the Lady Tigers have won a league-high 29 titles, 15 of them in a row, and the boys have 16 total, including last year’s crown.

“The NA boys can win a state title, easily,” emphasized Mt. Lebanon head coach Tom Donati. “The NA girls will win,” he also predicted. “They are the favorite but Fox Chap-

el and Seneca Valley will put pressure on them. “NA will dominate because they have so many kids. Even if they don’t win an event, it’s NA, NA, NA after that. They are so deep. Other teams can’t match that . They have numbers.”

So do the Blue Devils. They qualified 28 swimmers for the championships. The problem is most of their contenders are freshmen and sophomores. “We are excited to take so many to WPIALs but both teams are very, very young,” Donati stressed. “It will be a valuable experience for them.

We are going to go there, get better and try to move as many of them onto states.”

Sylvia Roy is a shoo-in for the PIAA championships set for March 13-16 at Kinney Natatorium on the Bucknell University campus in Lewisburg. She is the defending PIAA champion in the 100yard backstroke and a state silver medalist in the 50 freestyle. A junior, she is a four-time district champion, winning those two individual events during her freshman and sophomore seasons.

Roy is a Junior National medalist with a bronze in the

By Eleanor Bailey

The Almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.net

Shaun Davis lived for this moment. The senior scored the game-winning hoop as time expired in Bethel Park’s upset victory, 34-32, against South Fayette in the firstround of the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs.

“Everybody dreams of a buzzer beater in the playoffs,” Davis said. I’m very excited. It’s a big moment.”

After the Lions turned the ball over with 15.6 seconds to play, Davis brought the ball downcourt. After an exchange of passes with Tanner Pfeuffer, Davis took a few dribbles from the left of the top of the arc and drove inside, weaving his way through defenders and to the hoop for the buzzer beater.

“I wanted the shot,” Davis admitted. “I’m not the best of a shooter. I’m all in the paint.

So I did what I am good at and drove to the hoop.”

“Shawn made a great decision,” said BP coach Dante Calabria. “More importantly, he made the bucket.”

Calabria also acknowledged a free throw by Davis with 38.6 seconds to play. It was equally vital as it tied the game at 32.

“Obviously you want to make them both but making the second is harder than making the first one,” Calabria explained. “It took a lot of guts to make that shot.”

It took fortitude and then some for the 11th seeded Black Hawks to topple South Fayette. Not only did the Lions host the contest as the No. 6 seed, they featured one of the WPIAL’s top scorers in Michael Plasko.

Bethel Park used a combination of 1-2-2 and 2-3 zone defenses mixed in with some man-to-man to stymy the South Fayette offense, which averaged 60 points per game and was paced by Plasko’s 25.6 points per game. Plasko was held to five, scoring one hoop and going threefor-six from the free-throw line.

“Shutting (Plasko) down was our game plan,” said Davis. “Defense is what I take pride in. We came to play.”

BP’s exertion pleased Calabria.

“The kids played hard. They got into it,” he said. “All I ask of them is that effort. If we get that effort, win or lose, I am happy.

“Sometimes things happen that you cannot control,” Calabria continued. “But you can always control your effort. As long as we play like that, I will be happy with my kids. We played a gutsy game; had a gutsy finish and came out with the win.”

ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC Shawn Davis shoots over Gino Satira during WPIAL Class 5A playoff action. Davis scored nine points, including the game-winning scores, as Bethel Park edged South Fayette, 34-32, to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the victory, Davis finished with a team-high nine points.

Pfeuffer finished with eight points, including two pivotal 3-pointers. Back-to-back treys by Pfeuffer and Mike Mathias coupled with a Davis bucket provided BP with the game’s biggest lead, 31-25, with 4:56 to play. Nick Brown provided six points but his biggest play came on defense when he forced the South Fayette turnover that set up the heroics by Davis.

Michael Bruckner also provided five points in the victory.

BP falters

Hustle and guts were not enough as Bethel Park dropped a 35-26 decision to Shaler (22-2) in the quarterfinals played Feb. 22 at Mt. Lebanon.

The game was tied, 1616, at halftime and 24-24 after three quarters. Joe Miller buried a three-pointer, affording the Titans a 27-24 lead they would not relinquish. Also in the final frame, Shaler converted eight of 11 free throws to salt away the victory. The Titans were 10 of 15 for the game while the Hawks were 2 for 9 from the line.

Foul trouble threw a wrench into BP’ strategy.

Jack Bruckner fouled out while Shawn Davis, Tanner Pfeuffer, Nick Bown, and Mike Mathias were saddled with four each.

Davis, who picked up his third foul 35 seconds into the third quarter, finished with six points while Brown, Pfeuffer and Mathias all finished with four tallies each. Paul Digbell scored all four of his points in the second stanza, tying the match at 14 with 4:37 left in the first half.

Keegan Smetanka fired in a dozen points to lead the

SEE DAVIS PAGE B2

PHOTOS BY ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC

Natalie Rush, left, of Canon-McMillan and Liliana Giulianelli from Peters Township go head-to-head during 190-pound action. Rush scored a second-period pin to win the weight class during the WPIAL girls wrestling championships.

Paige Jox of Mt. Lebanon focuses on her opponent, Saphia Davis from Plum, during 124-pound championship action in the inaugural WPIAL tournament for girls wrestling.

Matthew Burton of Mt. Lebanon takes a bite of

during 200-yard freestyle action.

Lebo

FROM PAGE B1

200-meter back. A sectional champion, she participated at the U.S. Open last fall. Additionally, the Virginia commit has qualified for the Olympic Trials to be held June 13-23 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“Sylvia is a different beast. Our big gun,” said Donati. “She is one of those kids who are all about ‘what can I do for the team’ rather than concerned about herself. She can do anything.”

For example, after shattering the Upper St. Clair pool record in the 50 free during a section meet earlier this season, Roy won the 100 breaststroke by three seconds. While she also gained a WPIAL cut-time, she seldom, if ever, competes in that race.

“She’s just a great kid and a hard worker,” Donati says. “She has size and strength. Sylvia is one of the better swimmers in the country and a great leader. She’s one of the reasons why I think we surprised a lot of people this year after losing three Division I swimmers last year to graduation.”

The Lebo girls posted a 7-3 record during dual meet competition this winter. Their losses were to USC, Fox Chapel and NA.

The Lebo boys finished 8-2 overall. They lost to NA and USC.

Ryan Frank has developed into a marquee swimmer for the Blue Devils. A senior, who is being courted by Ivy League schools, is expected to

Silver

FROM PAGE B1

understands the time and sacrifice it takes to compete in wrestling, she does extra, says yes to challenges, thinks big, and seeks out competition to improve.”

Three other Lebo grapplers demonstrated improvement. They earned spots on the podium and thus advanced to the regional.

challenge for the gold medal in the 100 breast. Frank enters the WPIAL meet with the fastest time. His mark of 55.98 shattered the Mt. Lebanon pool record set by Josh Matheny. A former USC standout, Matheny currently swims for Indiana University and is vying for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

“When you break a record like that, that’s pretty special,” Donati said. “Ryan had always been a good swimmer but he really started improving this year and having drastic drops in time. He’s grown into a monster and gained a lot of confidence. He could make states in any event besides the 100 back, that’s how athletic he is.

“Ryan’s been a great leader for the boys because we are so flush with sophomores and freshmen,” Donati continued. “Because of that and the fact the boys are really deep, we are right back in it again. A top five team no doubt.”

The Blue Devils are chasing not only NA but USC as well as Central Catholic in the boys’ competition. The WPIAL awards the champion and the runner-up with hardware.

Ellie Reinhart, Kalina Strotmeyer and Kate Mooney are the only senior members among the Lebo girl qualifiers for the district championships. Reinhart, who is being courted by Holy Cross and Fordham, is ranked among the top backstrokers behind Roy. Among the other female qualifiers for Lebo are: Helen and Sarah Albu, Greta Coleman, Lillian Evan, Kathryn Hart, Evelyn Smith, Quinn Thompson and Leah Werzyn.

A junior, Esther Ward finished fourth at 136 pounds while Sophia Beanner, a freshman, and Vi Phillips, a sophomore, scored sixth places at 100 and 170 pounds, respectively.

Meanwhile, O’Korn and Giulianelli matched Jox, taking home silver medals in the WPIAL tournament.

A senior, O’Korn finished runner-up to Norwin’s Josephine Dollman at 142 while Giulianelli, a freshman, placed second at 170 to Na-

Among Lebo’s other male qualifiers are: Matthew Burton, Thomas Harold, Daniel Hartman, Matthew Klepchick, Casper Korwinski, Sangay Lama, Noah Loboda, Everett Meade, Caspian Rebol, Rinzen Sherpa, Anton Skorski, William Thomas, Malcolm Thompson, Thomas Vilardaga and Michael Zhu. Record setter

Malcolm Thompson recently shattered the pool diving record at Upper St. Clair. The Mt. Lebanon junior racked up 281.60 points in a dual meet against the Panthers.

Earlier this season, Thompson, who used to play football, broke the pool record at Mt. Lebanon.

“Malcolm is just a great kid. At every meet, everybody comments on how talented and athletic he is. He can be special here,” said Lebo swim coach Tom Donati.

Thompson was among four local male divers and seven area female competitors participating in the WPIAL championships held Feb. 24 at North Allegheny High School. The top four finishers advanced to the PIAA championships.

USC had three male entrants in Kobe Yuyi, Carter Wells and Carter Richie. The Lady Panthers qualifiers included: Delaney Burnette, Livia Tranquilli and Isabella Meyer, all freshmen.

The other female competitors included: River Hendrych-Bondra from Bethel Park; Peters Township’s Lydia Tuth and Julia Linneman as well as Canon-McMillan’s Emily King.

talie Rush from Canon-McMillan, which claimed three titles and placed 11 wrestlers during the historic tournament.

“Grace and Liliana fought hard against very accomplished opponents,” said PT coach Buck O’Korn. “They’ve both got some work to do to bring a better version of themselves to the next competition. What makes these young ladies special is their awareness and ownership of that challenge.”

Davis FROM PAGE B1

Titans. Brandon Landon followed with nine, six coming in the first frame. Julian Vizzoga gave Shaler a boost off the bench when he buried a pair of 3-pointers in the first frame.

The Titans reached the quarterfinals by edging Chartiers Valley, 73-71, in their playoff opener. In the loss, Jayden Davis led all scorers with 21 points. Julian Semplice (19) and Rudy Morris (12) also finished in double figures for the Colts, who finished 1112 overall.

PT toppled

Upsets were the order of the day in the first round of the WPIAL Class 5A boys basketball playoffs as Kiski (15-7) toppled No. 5 Peters Township, 58-51, at AHN Arena.

The Cavaliers powered their way to victory on the strength of an 11-3 run that snapped a 9-9 first-frame deadlocked. Though the lead swelled to 38-26, PT rallied to within 45-40 with 4:32 to play.

Isaiah Gonzalez sparked Kiski. He finished with a team-high 15 points, several coming off layups and free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.

Noah Thimons followed with 14 markers. He hit three straight 3-pointers to fend off the Indians in the third quarter.

Coach O’Korn noted Giulianelli’s 5-4 semifinal win over Kaylee Dean, who was on the high school national team, as well as his daughter’s overall effort, which included pins in the first two rounds of competition.

“Grace kept her foot on the gas all day and Liliana’s semifinal match was special,” Coach O’Korn said. “Lil took Kaylee into the deep water and came out on top.”

In addition to PT’s two place winners, Giada Pitza-

For Peters Township, which entered the game averaging 73.6 points per game, Cam Mills and Jack Dunbar finished in double figures, scoring 15 and 14 points respectively. The Indians, who finished 17-5 overall, were held to three, 3-point field goals in the game.

6A girls

Chartiers Valley (16-6) defeated Mt. Lebanon, 3426, and advanced to face top-seeded Norwin on Feb. 26 in the semifinals of the WPIAL Class 6A tournament. It was the second time this season the Colts topped the Blue Devils. The victory also avenged last year’s incredible playoff loss. In 2023, CV squandered a 16-point lead and dropped a 47-46 decision to Lebo.

The Lady Colts stretched a 6-0 start into a 17-8 advantage at halftime. Lilah Turnbull, who scored a gamehigh 25 points, fired in 15 of those 17 points.

The only other CV players to score were: Iyla Ozbey (4), Natalia Palumbo (2), Ava Shazer (2) and Ella Cupka (1).

Thanks to eight points from Payton Collins, the Blue Devils closed to within one point, 21-20, before CV regained control, taking a 26-20 lead into the final frame. With 2:32 to play and leading, 29-22, the Lady Colts relied on free throws to seal the victory. For Lebo, which finished the season at 12-11 overall,

rella participated in the WPIAL championships. A junior, she brought over 30 varsity matches into the tournament.

“She has a very bright future,” noted Coach O’Korn. “She wrestled very well and like all my wrestlers, keeps improving. Every week and with each meet, my girls wrestle with a positive attitude and willingness to improve.”

As a freshman, Hanson has a vast ceiling and ample room to hone her skills. She only started wrestling in No-

Collins led with 10 tallies. Clare Cramer and Shea McCarthy followed with six and five markers respectively.

In other quarterfinal action, Peters Township extended its season by beating Pine-Richland, 58-46, while Upper St. Clair (12-11) ended its campaign with a loss to North Allegheny, 44-41. The results set the stage for a semifinal match on Feb. 26 pitting the Lady Indians against the Tigers. The victories also guaranteed the teams a berth in the PIAA tournament.

In helping the Lady Indians improve to 22-1, Natlie Wetzel dropped in 30 points while Gemma Walker tacked on 13 tallies.

For the Lady Panthers the ending was all too familiar as they have lost seven years in a row to NA in the playoffs. USC lost to the Tigers in last year’s WPIAL championship contest.

In the most recent loss on Feb. 22, Meredith Huzjak and Olivia Terlecki finished in double digits with 17 and 11 points respectively.

SF WINS

In Class 5A girls firstround action, South Fayette dispatched Mars, 55-46.

Haylie Lamonde led all scorers with 24 points. Juliette Leroux followed with 14 markers for the Lady Lions, who improved to 15-8 overall and advanced to play Trinity in the quarterfinals. Alexis Cashdollar fired in 14 points for the Planets, who finished 11-11 overall.

vember. Four months later, she stood on the podium as USC’s first female medalist in wrestling. Hanson finished sixth at 142.

“It was really fun and thrilling,” Hanson said to participate in the first-ever WPIAL championships for girls wrestling. “I’m very excited to be moving on.

“It’s been an amazing experience. I am really glad that girls are wrestling and it’s getting more accepted an normalized in the community.”

By Kristin Emery For the Observer-Reporter newsroom@observer-reporter.com

It was a gorgeous early January day with clear, blue skies and crisp temperatures. As I skied over to one of my first runs at Park City Mountain Resort, I saw the slope labeled “Parley’s Park” right beside another one called “Prospector.” Only then did it dawn on me the history behind this winter playground was rooted underground in silver mining.

Park City’s origins lie with a Mormon pioneer named Parley P. Pratt who explored this canyon in Western Utah back in 1848 and was granted a charter to build a toll road through it. Parley’s Park later became Park City, which incorporated in 1884 and sits at an elevation of 6,936 feet about 30 minutes east of Salt Lake City.

The year-round population of around 8,400 residents swells during the winter and spring ski season, and outdoor enthusiasts flock to the mountains during summer months to enjoy mountain biking and to escape higher temperatures in the low country. Park City’s population is growing alongside neighboring Salt Lake City, and with an easy 30-minute highway drive between the two, it’s easy to explore all that Park City has to offer.

Boom to bust to boom again

The silver mining industry put Park City on the map and lasted nearly a century. Once that industry folded in the early 1970s, Park City had to reinvent itself.

The ski industry opened its first lifts back in the 1930s here, but the next step forward came in 1963, when a government loan helped start Treasure Mountain Resort (current day Park City Mountain Resort). Expansion continued through the 1980s and ’90s with the opening of nearby Deer Valley Resort.

But what really propelled Park City into the skiing and boarding spotlight worldwide were the 2002 Winter Olympics. Both Park City Mountain Resort and Deer Valley hosted alpine events, with Utah Olympic Park at the edge of town hosting ski jumping, bobsledding and luge events. That venue still serves as a training facility for those sports, and downtown Main Street turned into a vibrant nighttime scene for dining and entertainment.

Another huge draw for Park City annually is the Sundance Film Festival, which is the largest independent film festival in the U.S. and brings in nearly $80 million to Utah’s economy. Park City in total contributes a yearly average of nearly $530 million

what’s happening

on a career in gardening or a related field such as botany, forestry, horticulture or conservation. Every year the club awards two, $1,500 stipends. Applications will be reviewed by a committee and judged upon goals, character, scholastic records and personal recommendations. Deadline for submissions is April 1. Applications are available from guidance counselors.

COIN CLUB

The South Hilsl Coin Club will meet at 7:30 p.m. March 12 at the Bethel Park Municipal Building located at 5100 West Library Ave. Alexander the Great will be the featured topic and the program will include a 50/50 raffle and children’s prizes. Applications are being accepted for new members. Call 724-9846611 for more information.

CHOIR RUN

The South Hills Children’s Choir’s Soles for Songs 5K race will be held at 9 a.m. April 6. Entry fee is $30 for runners or walkers,= who will traverse the Panhandle Trail starting at Helicon Brewing in Oakdale. Proceeds benefit the choir. Shirts and goodie bags are guaranteed to those who sign up by March 15. Visit shcchoir.org/events.html to register. Email Peggy at solesdirector@gmail.com for further details. solesdirector@gmail.com for further details.

to Utah’s economy as a tourist hotspot and skiing mecca.

Skiing around history

Silver mining continued in Park City until the 1970s, but Park City Consolidated Mines officially entered the ski business in 1963, building the first ski lifts on what was then called Treasure Mountain. Ski slope names today give a fun nod to the city’s rich mining history, but you also see some of that history right beneath your feet.

Skiers and snowboarders at Park City Mountain Resort ski on top of abandoned silver mines while a few of the original buildings and conveyor belts still dot the terrain between mountain peaks and ski runs.

Park City Mountain Resort was purchased by Vail Resorts (which now owns Seven Springs, Hidden Valley and other resorts here in Pennsylvania) back in 2014 and combined it with neighboring Canyons Resort the next year to create the largest lift-served ski resort in the country. Skiers and snowboarders can now explore 7,300 acres of skiable terrain thanks to a gondola that connects the two areas. I skied seven days in a

row during our trip and covered almost every sector across the entire resort, but I still didn’t get to hit all of the slopes.

From mountain to Main Street

One fun way to get from the ski slopes to your accommodations or to the always busy après ski scene in Park City is to ski right into the heart of Main Street. While other resorts feature ski in/ski out condos and slopeside chalets, Park City boasts many places to stay in the heart of the historic Main Street area.

The street is still lined with historic buildings built in the 1800s, and the Town Lift will take you from Main Street to the top of the slopes in just a few steps. At the end of the ski day, just take the aptly named “Quit N Time” slope, and you can ski all the way down to Main Street, step out of your skis, pop off your boots and slip into a spot for a cozy cup of cocoa or après ski cocktail. You’ll find wonderful restaurants along Main Street and on Park Avenue next to it along with dive bars, including the famous, must-visit No Name Saloon, along with art galler-

ies and boutiques. Start at the very top of Main Street for a delicious, cozy dinner at Grappa featuring fresh, rustic Italian fare like Bolognese bianca with a lamb and pork ragu. While Park City’s nightlife is largely centered on historic Main Street, staying in any of its neighborhoods is wonderful and convenient. There’s so much more to do here other than skiing and the city’s free bus line whisks visitors from Deer Valley to Main Street to the Park City base area and over to the main shopping district.

We stayed at Prospector Condos near Prospector Square, which is one of the venues for the Sundance Film Festival. We visited just after the holidays and just before the film festival (which takes place in late January) and found early January to be less crowded and more affordable with just as much snow as later in winter. Grab a delicious steak across the street at Grub Steak or a wood-fired pizza just down the block at Fuego Bistro & Pizzeria.

Getting there

Fly into Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), only 32 miles from Park City via major

highway. We flew on Southwest via Denver on the way out and through Las Vegas on our return. With two free checked bags, that means you can take skis/boots or your snowboard along for free instead of paying to

Call 724-470-6170.

SCHOLARSHIP

The Giant Oaks Garden Club offers scholarships to local students planning

ART SHOW

A spring art show will be held April 5-14 at The Galleria Mall located at 1500 Washington Road in Mt Lebanon.

Show hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m.

Sunday. South Arts Pittsburgh, Whitehall, McMurray Art League, Bethel Park Art League, and Photo Section will be participating. Artwork and photos are framed and ready to hang. Cards and matted prints are also available. Cash, checks or credit cards accepted. Call 412496-4236 or email NIKF4@ aol.com for further details.

ALPHA PHI GRANTS

The Alpha Phi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an honor society for women educators, is accepting applications for its grant-in-aid award. Women who are in their junior or senior year of college, majoring in education, and attending a Western Pennsylvania university or college are eligible to apply. Two grants of $1,500 each will be awarded. Applications are available at alphaphipa.weebly.com and due to the chapter webmaster by April 1. Awards will be made in May 2024.

COLLEGE CLUB

The College Club of Carnegie will meet March 2 at Scoglio’s Restaurant, 661 Andersen Drive, Foster Plaza Building No. 7. Social starts at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch at noon. There will be bingo, auction items and a 50/50 raffle to benefit the club’s scholarship fund. Women with postsecondary degrees can attend. Call 412-279-4458 for further details.

COMEDY NIGHT

A Jewish Comedy Night will be held at 7:30 p.m. March 3 at the Carnegie Stage. Chris

Monty is the featured comedian with David Kaye as the opening act. Tickets are $54 but offered at a discount rate of $45 until Feb. 8. There will be an open bar and hors d’oeuvres. RSVP at www. chabadsh.com/comedy/.

SEMINARS

John McMillan Presbyterian Church, located at 875 Clifton Road in Bethel Park, is offering no-cost seminars from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays beginning Feb. 26. The schedule of seminars will include the solution to the biggest problem in sales and methods to increase sales for the first hour followed by social skills such as training of marriage enrichment, building relationships, eliminating fears of rejection and failure, building self-confidence and self-image, and finding and successfully interviewing for a job. Call 412-600-0518 for further details.

SOUPS ON

The South Hills Elks Lodge No. 2213 gives away free quarts of soup from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays until supplies are gone. Take-out only. The lodge is located at 2789 South Park Road.

WEIGHT LOSS

TOPS (Take Off Pounds

Sensibly) chapter 475, Carnegie, meets every Thursday at Chartiers Lifespan Senior Center, 300 Lincoln Ave. in Carnegie. Weigh-in is at 2 p.m. Class follows from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Contests, programs and exercises are offered. Yearly membership plus tax is $52.43. Monthly dues are $5. Call 412-8187489 for more details.

Horror Realm Con 2024 features cast members from ‘Halloween,’ ‘Cujo’ movies

Horror Realm’s annual convention is returning to the Crowne Plaza Hotel & Suites in Bethel Park Friday through March 3.

Cast members from such movies as “House of 1,000 Corpses,” “Rob Zombie’s Halloween” and the original “Night of the LIving Dead” will be on hand. Also scheduled to appear are the Grimm Life Collective, YouTube content creators who seek out real-life horror locations, famous graves, filming locations and weird roadside attractions.

Three-time WWE women’s champion Melina will be at Horror Realm on Saturday only from 10 a.m, to 4 p.m.

Horror Realm’s film program will feature more than 26 independent short and feature film submissions from more than 15 countries, including the United States, Denmark, Greece and Germany. A special edition of Bad Movie Bingo hosted by Neo Trash Video is included Saturday night. The convention features a large dealer room with vendors selling horror-themed merchandise, including DVDs, posters, jewelry and clothing.

Horror Realm is sponsored in part by Pittsburgh’s Pop Culture Comics. For additional information, go online to www.horrorrealmcon.com.

Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh presents free concert at Westminster Presbyterian Church

The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh will present “Coming Home” at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9.

The program will feature classical and contemporary choral works that evolve over the course of the concert, both musically and thematically. Selections will include works by Felix Mendelssohn and Leonard Bernstein, as well as works by a diverse range of composers, such as Indian-American Reena Esmail and Chicago-based composer Stacy Garrop.

The concert will be conducted by Daniel Singer, the Mendelssohn Choir’s new music director.

“We all look for places where we can feel like we belong, where we have a sense of be-

longing, safety and purpose,” Singer said. “This season, I also came into a new musical home with the Mendelssohn Choir, and the chorus and I are building a new sense of community together. All the pieces fell into place for this to be the perfect theme for this moment.”

Leading up to the concert, the Mendelssohn Choir will feature testimonials from local organizations and community members who have unique insights on the concept of home, showcased on the organization’s Instagram and X/ Twitter pages, to celebrate the diversity of the local community and highlighting what “coming home” means to people all across Pittsburgh. Free tickets are available at eventbrite.com.

TIRES

TRAILER

In LR,DR, and two bedrooms. Huge Master Bedroom with unique corner bench. All natural woodwork, with

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Armand Ferrara 412-997-9701

Jamie Beckinger 724-503-5520

$139,000