‘Saddle Up St. Clair’
Parade, games among activities at annual community day event
By Eleanor Bailey Almanac Sports Editor
ebailey@thealmanac.net
A grand time was had by many during Upper St. Clair’s annual community day celebration.
This year’s theme was “Saddle Up St. Clair,” and residents rode the wave of activities long into the day. Events started with a 5K run and fun walk, dubbed a 1- or 3-mile rodeo.
Brooks Guthridge, 4, was one of the youngest participants, who did the Run For Fun.
“He ran the whole way,” said Jackie Guthridge, who grew up in Upper Clair and attended high school there.
“We love all the fun activities and he especially loves the firemen,” she added as Brooks modeled his newest headgear, a plastic helmet given out at the USCFD booth.
Former USC athlete Michael Pezzone did his share of running on community day. His form of exercise, however, centered around chasing after his children.
“We are hanging out and I’m showing them the old stomping grounds,” said Pezzone, who also played soccer for the Panthers.
“It’s so cool to bring the family back here. It’s bringing back memories of the times when I was a kid going through these programs.”
While awaiting the parade, Leo, Vinny and Rom Pezzone passed the time running the bases on the little league field where their father and his brothers, Anthony and Dominic, played baseball.
All in the family
Bridgeville family served in every branch of military
By Paul Paterra Staff writer ppaterra@observer-reporter.com
Military service is in the blood of the Martincic family of Bridgeville.
“Our family had one or two in each branch of the military,” said Jack Martincic, who served three years in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.
Their history of service dates back to World War II, when Frank Martincic, Jack’s father, served as a machinist in the Merchant Marines.
“My dad was in the engine room on a boat while in the Merchant Marines and thought all of the time about a torpedo hitting,” Jack Martincic said. “Merchant Marine boats were big targets for German U-Boats because they were all loaded with equipment. My dad would say, ‘I was always looking for where the steps were in case a torpedo hit.’” Frank was one of three Martincic brothers to serve in World War II. His brother, Bill, served in the Army Air Corps, and brother, Carl, was a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, flying reconnaissance missions.
Jack’s brother, Dave, was a boilerman in the U.S. Navy, serving on a destroyer in Vietnam, and their brother, Jerry, served in the Coast Guard. Kevin, their nephew, was part of the Marine Corps military police.
“It just kind of happened,” Jack Martincic
COURTESY OF MARCIA MARTINCIC William Martincic served in the Merchant Marines in World War II.
said of his family’s dedication to military service.
Bridgeville, like many communities, has banners featuring their hometown heroes hanging throughout the borough to honor those who have served. Jack Martincic, a 1968 graduate of Chartiers Valley High School, said he was told that his family has the lion’s share. Dave Martincic died at the age of 74 in 2021 after suffering from mesothelioma, likely from fighting a boiler fire on a destroyer in Greece.
Every organization and club from the high school as well as businesses, nonprofits and service groups, such as the fire company, police and EMS, were represented in the parade. They also sponsored fair booths and games throughout the grounds reserved along McLaughlin Run Road for community day.
to help
Waterway safety legislation sought in remembrance of former BP teacher
By Paul Paterra Staff writer ppaterra@observer-reporter.com
In the wake of a fatal kayak accident, Claudia Huber helped draft a bill intended to make the state’s waterways safer for recreation. For Huber, a legislative aide to state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, it’s been a personal undertaking. Her uncle, Jon Gentile, died in a 2022 kayaking accident on the Delaware River In New Hope at the age of 38. His kayak capsized as it encountered a low-head dam. Gentile was an avid outdoorsman and beloved history teacher at Bethel Park High School. Huber, a 2020 graduate of Bethel Park High School, compiled the original draft of the bill during a fel-
to those who use them for recreation. The two have worked together to create House Bill 961.
lowship with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She was an intern with Mihalek at the time of her uncle’s accident and has worked diligently to raise awareness to the dangers that waterways pose
“I had an idea from the day I started applying to draft a waterway safety bill in honor of my uncle,” Huber said. “This was something I thought was a public safety issue. I had never heard of a low-head dam. I never really knew about dams.” A low-head dam is a structure built across a river or stream designed to allow water to flow to its crest. They are often referred to as “drowning machines,” due to the hazardous currents they create, posing a serious threat to swimmers, kayakers and others who use the water for recreation.
PHOTOS: ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
Members of the Upper St. Clair Marching Band parade down McLaughlin Run Road during Upper St. Clair Community Day.
A surprised Colton Zielinski, 7, is sandwiched in between hungry goats and a llama as he feeds the animals at the petting zoo during Upper St. Clair Community Day activities.
Gianni Disora gets a soaking at the Upper St. Clair football team’s dunk tank.
Claudia Huber, center, has been working on legislation
make Pennsylvania waterways safer in honor of her uncle, Jon Gentile. Bethel Park High School students who have been involved in efforts at the school are, from left, Cami Fisher, Samira Gorman, Laura Casaldi and Nora Welch.
PAUL PATERRA/OBSERVER-REPORTER
COURTESY OF BETHEL PARK SCHOOL DISTRICT Jon Gentile was a teacher at Bethel Park High School when he died in a kayaking accident in 2022.
BP teacher participates in STEAM lesson blitz
Patricia Esposito, a teacher in the Bethel Park School District (BPSD), participated in a planning blitz aimed at creating interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) lessons. The Abraham Lincoln Elementary School teacher was among 39 educators from Western Pennsylvania attending the event held at the PPG Paints Arena.
The event focused on integrating the new STEELS science standards for the second and third grades with the dynamic world of ice hockey.
The Pittsburgh Penguins and Children’s Museum set a collaborative tone for the sessions, which had educators working together to brainstorm innovative
lessons that combined the STEELS standards with hockey themes.
During breaks, participants took to the ice, equipped with shoe spikes, sticks, and pucks to showcase their skills.
Esposito said that she looks forward to piloting the lessons developed during the blitz with her students this autumn while also providing feedback to the Children’s Museum.
Top student
In other district news, Ben Campbell was recently named among the Top 100 U.S. High School Students learning German by the American Association of Teachers of German. A junior, Campbell is an honors German IV student.
a 1968 graduate of Chartiers Valley High School, said many of his classmates take part and plan to do so again this year.
“He fought that for six hours,” Jack Martincic said.
“They were in a confined area in the engine room when it blew ... He gave his life to the Navy.” Jack, Jerry and Kevin are the remaining surviving members of the military Martincics. Family members have participated in Memorial Day ceremonies for a number of years. Jack,
“I have a military Jeep, and we’ve done Bridgeville’s Memorial Day parade for about 12 years,” he said. “We’re really proud,” Jack said. “It’s not like everybody went in and we were in the infantry. We’ve had a lot of different things to talk about. We’ve covered a lot of different areas of not just being in the military, but of what you did in the military.”
Saddle
Citizens and students could participate in a Toddler Trot, Hottest Dog Contest, MakeA-Mess games, Community Foundation Duck Race, and Community Bake Off for grades K-8.
Tours were also given of Gilfillan Farms and the Fulton Log House. Activities and reenactments were held at those locations, too.
“It’s family-friendly. A lot of activities for the kids,” said Nate Brindle. He brought his wife, Chelsea, and their children, Brooks and Liliana, to the celebration and added that they “enjoy hanging out at Gilfillan Farm.”
The petting zoo was a favorite, too, for the Brindles as well as the Zielinskis, who have resided in the community for 12 years. As she watched the goats and llamas surround her son, Colton, in their feeding frenzy, Kristy Zielinski said she loves living in Upper St. Clair.
“There is such a sense of helping,” she said. “Especially like during the recent storms, so many families helped each other out. With tough situations, we’re great. I love that.”
Lois Mitchell, Brooks Hoffman and Jake Bingaman love a parade as does Elena Fingers.
While making a mess of oil paints on foil with his two friends, Mitchell said that he was having fun “because of a lot of these activities,” but he was eager for the parade to start.
“My friend’s sister is going to be in the parade and she is going to throw a lot of candy out to us,” Mitchell said.
“That’s the best part.”
Fingers agreed. She has served as a volunteer for community day for four years. The Upper St. Clair High School
senior will attend the University of Pittsburgh in the fall.
“Community day is very exciting. Very fun,” she said. “There are so many booths and the petting zoo is a personal favorite. I love that especially because not only do they bring the animals, they have puppies that people can adopt.
“But the parade is what they all come for and everyone watches it. I have friends who gather all the candy in a pile
and they hand out so much of it to the kids.”
As he watched his son, Austin, slip down a slide in the playground, Ryan Stack said they too were there for the parade. Residents since September, the two were attending their first community day.
“It’s been fun so far and we love the community. The neighborhood we live in is great. There are beautiful facilities here.”
Some of the facilities in the community house businesses. Dr. Brett Crell from Bethel Park recently took over a family dental practice in the Pinebridge Mall, a short walk from where the community day activities were taking place.
In addition to sponsoring a booth, Crell coupled with No Dog Left Behind. The organization saves animals by re-homing them with responsible owners.
“The dental office has an incredible lineage of being active in the community and taking care of people. So this was a great introduction to the community. We wanted friends, staff and patients to make sure we support them and the community.
“It’s great to be part of this wonderful community and to support this amazing organization. USC is a beautiful community. There is so much to do here. For me, it’s been a nice place to land,” added Crell, who grew up outside of Philadelphia. “Home is here now and where I hang my hat.”
Carl Martincic aboard a plane as a U.S. Air Force pilot in World War II.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Patricia Esposito poses with Penguins mascot Iceberg during a break in a recent educator seminar.
PHOTOS: ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
players toss out candy to spectators along the parade route during community day.
Louis Mitchell, Brooks Coffman and Jake Bingaman finger paint with oil on foil during “Make A Mess” activities at Upper St. Clair Community Day.
ABOVE: Members of Crell Family Dentistry teamed up with No Dog Left Behind during Upper St. Clair Community Day events. From left are (front), Jill Thurston and Megan Synder; (back) Dr. Brett Crell, Patricia Quintero Garcia, Tony and Tiffany DeCosmo and Katie McClung.
LEFT: Cheerful children celebrate one of the winning pets in the Hottest Dog Contest held during Upper St. Clair Community Day events.
Children along the parade route rush to collect candy thrown by passing units.
There are 265 low-head dams in Pennsylvania. The Dock Street Dam in Harrisburg alone has claimed about 30 lives.
The bill addresses the dangers of such dams and amends legislation concerning their identification markings. It calls for the compilation of a list of existing dams determined to be run-of-the-river type (a category that includes low-head dams) and eventually have them marked with signs and buoys.
“The biggest component of the bill in its present form would add a database to the (Department of Environmental Protection) website that would create an inventory of these dams,” Huber said. “The list will be compiled and maintained. Once that is available to the public it will be an additional level of information for people to go to. Not only would that inventory be created, but notice will be sent to the owners of the dam to keep them in line with the requirements to own one.”
Run-of-the-river dams are a type of hydroelectric generation system that captures energy from flowing water without the need for large reservoirs. If not properly identified, they can be dangerous.
Mihalek held a press conference in Harrisburg earlier this month to promote the bill, which she is sponsoring.
“We want our residents to know what’s out there and what they can do to protect themselves,” Mihalek said at the press conference. “We have to let our residents know that there are real dangers and sometimes those dangers are hidden from the naked eye.”
Huber attended the press conference with several other members of Gentile’s family, including his wife, Kathy, also a teacher at Bethel Park High School, and son, Giancarlo, 12.
“It was definitely an incredible experience to have everyone out there,” Huber said. “Having all of my family out there and having Giancarlo standing next to me put it in perspective.”
At the press conference, Kathy Gentile talked about “carrying the weight of a story I never thought I’d have to tell.
“My husband was a kind and loving man and his son, Giancarlo’s, hero,” she said. “He should be here with him, playing soccer, fishing for trout and throwing baseballs, but instead we’re left with memories and the ache of a loss that could have and should have been prevented.
“We need these structures properly documented and labeled and eventually destroyed, not hidden waiting to claim another victim,” she said. “I don’t want another family to live with what we now carry every day.”
Gentile has been impressed with her niece’s efforts to secure the legislation.
“This is a nonpartisan issue that everybody can wrap their heads around,” Gentile said. “It’s an issue of saving lives. What’s the cost of inaction, more deaths? The cost of action supersedes the cost of inaction. They’re such simple solutions, but such a huge benefit. I just can’t understand why it’s not being done.”
Gentile also is impressed with the involvement of Bethel Park High School students in raising awareness for water safety.
Physical education class features an annual kayak trip. In conjunction with this year’s trip, students developed a pamphlet addressing waterway safety measures, includ-
ing awareness concerning the dangers of low-head dams.
Fundraisers were held for a scholarship in Jon Gentile’s honor, and students offered messages of support for the bill and talked to some of their colleagues about kayaking safety.
“I feel it’s really important to spread awareness because Mr. Gentile was a very big part of Bethel Park,” said sophomore Nora Welch. “What happened to him is very unfortunate, so being able to prevent that and spread his story and bring awareness is really important. That’s what we’re trying to do here.”
The bill was introduced and referred to the Committee on Game and Fisheries on March 19.
Compatible proposed legislation in which Mihalek and Huber are involved include House Resolutions 177 and 178. HR 177 seeks to recognize April as Low Head Dam Safety Month in Pennsylvania. That resolution remains in committee.
HR 178, which recognizes May as National Water Safety Month in Pennsylvania, passed the state House on May 12. Huber said the resolutions will have to be reintroduced on a yearly basis.
“I pinch myself that this legislation is still out there,” Huber said. “It took years of just realizing what’s the issue and what can I do to learn about it, and what can be done. This has been so important to me as a person but also professionally. It’s unexpected and profound that I’ve gotten to do any of this.”
Alaina Abbato
Rylynn Abbiatici
Andreas Aboud
Gabriel Adcock
Joseph Aker
Corryn Albarano
Aaron Alfer
Annalise Algeo
Dominic Aliucci
Weston Aloise
Michael Alspaugh
Lauren Ament
Quinn Ancosky
Troy Angel
Sam Anthou
Axel Asbury
Estefano Ascencio
Ava Avampato
Jackson Baldassare
✦ Class of 2025 ✦
Gianna Bowlin
Alex Brown
Meghan Doughty
Joshua Drake
Honoring PETERS TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Samantha Brown
Alexander Brozinski
Anna Brunette
Melina Burdelski
Ryan Burrows
Alexander Cada
Mia Cantwell
Miranda Carpellotti
Lainey Caruso Olivia Casciato
Megan Castor
Gabrielle Catalogna
Charlie Cheek
Ally Chen
Eva Cibrone
Angelea Balliard
Dylan Barretto
Eliana Beck
Grace Belcher
Ella Belfiore
Emma Bell
Allison Bentz
Markus Bizyak
Ava Blasey
Chase Bockman
Dominic Bodnar
Abigail Boland
Addison Bondi
Noah Boswell
Kamarya Churney
Delanie Ciprich
Sydney Dressler
Benjamin Dummer
Ella Eiben
Isabella Elm
Lucas Eynon
Giana Fabic
Luke Fagan
Natalie Faingnaert
Olivia Fallon
Jack Fazio
Abigail Ferguson
Cameron Ferguson
Timothy Ferris
Calleigh Fisher
Cavan Fisher
Sabrina Forlini
Serafina Forlini
Nicholas Grant Lilian Graybill
Savannah Griffin
Penelope Growall
Sophia Guna
Elliana Hajnosz
Mackenzie Hall
Griffin Hansberry
Eleanor Harrison
Ava Haspel
Nicholas Haught
Sarah Hazo
Sofia Heil
Carter Helbig
Caden Hensler
Dominic Herisko
Ella Hetrick
Lilian Hetzler
Olivia Hileman
Jayla Karolick
Allie Kaylor
Jeven Kelly
Gavin Kimberling
Camryn Klein
Chloe Klein
Connor Kobeda
Anna Kokoszynski
Kaylee Koraido
Paul Kostanich
Leyla Kostic
Olivia Koucoumaris
Brooke Koutsogiani
Elena Kunz
Marina Kunz
Xavier Kunz
Benjamin Kwiatkowski
Alayna Lacko
Alana Landis
Alican Cizreliogullari
Sabrina Coleman
Liam Connolly
Nicholas Courie
Hannah Crnkovich
Elizabeth Crossan
Dino D’Arrigo
Vincent DeChicchis
Winston Deem
Kyra Delahanty
Kaitlyn Devine
Veronica DiDonato
Bridget DiRenna
Amanda Doty
Lily Fountaine
Carson Franklin
Amanda Funk
Elise Gambill
Michael Garin
Preston Garin
Skyler Gaudio
Matthew Gavorcik
Hannah Ghobrial
Sophia Ghobrial
Cody Gil
Gianlucca Giuliani
Lily Goldbach
Kalli Gonze
Ryan Hillebrand
Carl Hindman
Ian Hindman
Lily Hogan
Isabella Hollander
Lucy Hollingsworth
Talon Hoyt
Austin Hruby
James Humphreys
William Humphreys
Kristen Hyjurick
Wyatt Johnston
Troy Jones
Emma Kail
Sophia Landis
Peyton Laughner
Jennifer Lawson
Olivia Lemley
Makenna Levy Bennett Lewis
Christopher Link
Ian Lockovich
Alejandro Lopez
Avery Lucas
Colton Lusk
Thea Mahramas
Luca Maietta
Raniya Majumdar
Pictured left to right: Penelope Growall - Secretary, Kaitlyn Strine - Vice President, Caden Hensler - Treasurer, Carter Helbig - President
South Fayette Unified Esports Team wins regional title
By Paul Paterra Staff writer ppaterra@observer-reporter.com
South Fayette High School has become known for its championship teams with multiple WPIAL titles in football and girls basketball, along with a state boys basketball title in 2010 and a state girls basketball championship this year. Add another championship to the list – unified esports, whose team members composed of both neurotypical and neurodiverse students (those with special needs) compete using video games.
The new Unified Esports Team Green – made up of Miguel Persechetti, Nathan Snyder, Cole Chichester and Cameron Diehl – recently won the championship of the Eastern United States Region, only the second region in the nation to offer unified esports. Team Green amassed a 7-1 record in Mario Kart before moving on to the postseason to capture the championship by a narrow 2-1 victory.
“That’s the idea of unified – bringing those kids together to be able to work together on these teams,” said Dr. Kevin Maurer, esports program director. “That’s the best part. Seeing the mentorship and peer connection that’s happening that otherwise wouldn’t. Students dealing with any type of disability, we check it at the door and those students are just able to be players of the game just like anyone else. We are so proud of the team. They were one team of 37 unified Mario Kart teams across the Eastern United States Region competing in the Special Olympics League.”
South Fayette is in a league that is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and includes students from Freeport, Fox Chapel, Pittsburgh Public Schools and Beaver. Funding through a Moonshot Grant from the Grable Foundation was integral in starting the program. Moonshot Grants
typically fund research or innovation designed to tackle ambitious and potentially transformative goals.
The team competes in a state-of-the-art esports arena at the high school. Students are involved in the promotion, live-streaming and announcing aspects of the sports. There also is an arena in the middle school.
“In addition to our high school teams and our middle school teams participating in the PIEA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Esports Association), we added a Unified Esports team,” Maurer said. “We are the first teams in Pennsylvania to be competing through the Special Olympics in Unified Sports.”
South Fayette High School has two esports teams. Team White is composed of Cole Froelich, Pranav Mantraratnam, Milan Gupta, JR Wolski and Shivanshu De. Esports is the third unified sport in the district, along with bocce and robotics.
“What’s wonderful about this whole season was that you had students who may never have crossed paths working together on a team,” Maurer said. “Watching the nurturing of the students, who are mentoring each oth-
Paige Malley
Ava Maloni
Parker Mamula
Stella Manhollan
Sofia Manzari
Brett Martin
Sofia Martin
Sylvia Martz
Brooke Mascaro
Nicholas Matson
Anna McAfee
Maura McCabe
Christopher McCay
Carson McCoy
Evan McCullough
Nickolas McCullough
Alexander McGarrity
Ava McIntyre
Darius McMillon
Linsie McNally
Sophia Messerly
Benjamin Miller
Izabella Miller
Zachary Miner
John Mitchell
Robert Mitchell
William Mitchell
Thomasina Moncheck
Olivia Montgomery
Keiran Moorhead
er, the teamwork that goes into it, the sportsmanship, all of those things you see in traditional sports, we observe through this kind of future focus sport.”
Stacey Barth, one of the coaches, spoke with pride about the team’s accomplishments.
“They did such a great job this year, being the first year that we participated in this,” she said. “They really came together as a team. They got along and worked so well together.”
Snyder, a junior, wasn’t even aware of the team when asked by Persechetti to participate.
“I had no real expectations going into this,” he said. “I thought it was something fun to be doing after school and I would meet some new people. We just kept winning. I think we improved over time. … It’s a really rewarding feeling to actually be good at something.”
He’s also benefited from being part of the team.
“Connections, that’s the whole thing,” Snyder said. “I already played a lot of video games as a kid and I feel like I was able to use some of that to make some new friendships. I’ve always been kind of shy in
making connections. Getting thrown into esports, it was kind of awkward. But I feel like I was able to work on communication a lot. I just got to
talk to more people, and I feel like that was one of the most rewarding things esports gave to me.”
Persechetti, 18, agreed.
“I definitely learned to talk with people better and how to communicate with a team,” said the senior. “I also learned how to strategize in order to play better.”
Persechetti took on the role of team leader, making sure teammates were calm in stressful situations and were in the right mindset for the competition.
“He made sure that he was always keeping the rest of the team upbeat, even if they were getting a little down sometimes,” Barth said. “He always got them back on track.”
Persichetti enjoyed the experience and winning a championship.
“Being able to win was pretty gratifying since we were unsure we were going to win while we were playing. It was
pretty close,” Persechetti said. Esports have grown in popularity collegiately, transforming from niche campus clubs into a significant component of college athletics. Scholarships are available at some colleges for esports participants. Class of 2024 seniors Lincoln George and Luke MacIntosh were the first South Fayette players to receive collegiate esports offers and scholarships. Macintosh is now a member of the Robert Morris University esports team.
“In the future we’re looking forward to having even more teams,” Maurer said. “We’re excited to have some all girl teams as well. It matches up with our district vision. We want to look at future focus programs, student-centered and inclusive. This checks a lot of those boxes for us. Our students are gaming and we’re meeting them where they are.”
Ashlyn Morgan Makenzie Morgan Isaac Morris
Haley Mountain
Paige Muehlbauer
Francesco Muscatello
Colin Muza
Travis Namy
Oscar Navarro Coronel
Parker Nave
Andrew Nelson
Cole Newborn
Kelsey Newton
Dominic Morales
Cole Moran
Sophia Nickola
Hugh O’Neill
Emma Oglesby
Catherine Olson
Matthew Opfer
Lauren Opitz
Alexander Parise
Grace Parisi
Andrew Pastor
Kathryn Pazuchanics
Samantha Perich
Michael Perry
Logan Peters
Aaron Peterson
Dalton Phelps
Brennan Phillips
Raymond Piacquadio
Aidan Pirker
Adam Pittman
Giada Pitzarella
Eli Prado
Benjamin Price
Benjamin Price
Dante Pusateri
Audrey Racunas
John Radnor
Daniela Radulovich
Madee Rayburg
Madison Renda
Max Renda
Lauren Rich
Gillian Ringling
John Ripepi
Nathan Rist
Atlas Roberts
Capriana Romano
Mollee Rosak
Anthony Rozzi
Dae’saun Runski
Lydia Ruth
Nickjay Saini
Jessy Sanchez
Addison Pirosko
PETERS TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT Class of 2025
Julia Shadle Kritin Sharma
Heather Sharp Jacquelene Sharp
Nicholas Shuster
Jacob Simko
Avery Siska
Nathan Skroupa
Logan Slepinski
Elise Smerbeck
Adam Smiga
Ethan Smith
Evan Smith
Marek Smith
Ruby Smith
Carly Sohocki
Jared Spiteri
Helen Stelmack
Steele Stenger
Anna Stephenson
Jackson Stocker
Kaitlyn Strine
Zachary Stromock
Maxim Sunderland
Samhitha Santebennur
Mia Sarcone
Madison Saxe
Robert Schafer
Jacob Schlieper
Matthew Scouvart
Abbigail Segal
Sophia Severns
Carynn Suter
Juliana Taylor
Emma Telban
Sean Thelk
Garrett Thomas
Luke Thomas
Ashley Tornatore
Benjamin Tornatore
Victoria Tornatore
Isabella Updyke
Tyler Urbanic
Mickey Vaccarello
Anthony Vasilko
Brooke Vowcheck
Sydnee Walker
Samantha Wall
Ryan Watterson
Owen Weibel
Parker Weiss
Caden Thompson
Natalie Wetzel
Braydon Wiggins
Hannah Williams
Ryan Williams
Seth Williams
Shane Williams
Mackenzie Witmer
Kess Wolfe
Joseph Wolkiewicz
Patrick Xie
Xavier Yackuboskey
Madeline Zagorski
Anna Zhang
Cecillia Zhao
Bennett Ziegler
Alexander Zimmerman
Dylan Zirngibl
Avangelina Tommarello
Eiley Zurich
COURTESY OF THE SOUTH FAYETTE SCHOOL DISTRICT
South Fayette High School’s Team Green won the Eastern United States Region Unified Esports championship. Team members are, from left, Miguel Persichetti, Nathan Snyder, Cole Chichester and Cameron Diehl.
Quiltmaker artfully juxtaposes beauty and tragedy
Pamela Bice considered the temperature quilt she was making, her third as part of a quilter’s group challenge. This one was a colorful visual representation of the high and low temperatures over the first 11 months of 2023.
Every row in the quilt had a block for each day of the month, and each block of fabric corresponded to a 5-degree temperature range indicating the high and low temperature for the day.
“It was just high and low temperatures, and I thought, ‘It needs something more,’” said Bice, a self-taught quilter who has been sewing since seventh grade. Listening to the news, she heard a report of another mass shooting. “So I started to think about using a tem-
perature quilt to document how many mass shootings had occurred.”
“Little did I know how many there would be in 11 months,” Bice said. She titled the quilt “614,” representing the number of mass shootings that occurred during the time period. Her statistics came from the Gun Violence Archive. The archive defines a mass shooting as four or more victims either shot or killed, not including the shooter.
Bice chose childlike, cheerful fabrics for the colors of the temperatures to contrast with the symbolism of the mass shootings. After trying several techniques to represent the shootings, she settled on using a gold grommet punched through the fabric on the days a mass shoot-
ing occurred somewhere in the United States.
She completed the quilt on Dec 22, 2023, just a day before the due date to enter it in the Pittsburgh FiberArts Guild member show held in Erie during 2024. Her quilt was given the Viewer’s Choice award and was accepted into the FiberArts International 2025 show, which begins in June.
“People would look at my quilt, and it’s all bright and shiny because the grommets reflect the light out and there are all of these pretty colors and then they read what it represents and you can see the look in people’s eyes. It’s very sobering,” Bice said.
“We all hear about the shootings that happen at the schools. I think we’ve become
immune to feelings about it because it’s just another shooting that happened and they only talk about the very sensational ones. There was a day, I think in April of 2023, and there were 11 mass shootings on that day throughout the U.S.
“And while I don’t have any solutions or suggestions, I figured the more people that could be made aware of how prevalent the violence is, perhaps it would help us do something about it.”
Subsequently, for each month since she completed the quilt, Bice has kept a running total of additional mass shootings in the United States by adding a grommet to a cylinder for each one. She will either display the grommets in the cylinder or put them on the floor below the quilt at the international show.
The FiberArt International 2025 show is a juried exhibition taking place in Pitts-
burgh at two locations: June 6 to Aug. 30 at Contemporary Craft, 5645 Butler St., and June 20 to Aug. 30 at Brew House Arts, 711 S. 21st Street.
Bice’s quilt will be on display at the Brew House Arts location.
To pursue her fiber arts passion, Bice, a Scott Township resident, took early retirement in 2015 and created Zero Street Arts. She teaches quilting privately and has a weekly group class. She has won awards for her original pieces and has created private commission works, including a Survivors’ quilt for Magee Women’s Hospital. Her works have been shown at Hera Gallery in Rhode Island, Three Rivers Quilt shows, Quilt Company East, Mancuso Hershey Show, FiberArts Guild of Pittsburgh member show at Erie Museum of Art, North Pittsburgh Quilt Show, and at Beaver Valley Piecemakers Show.
Abigail Petras
Abigail Petras of Upper St. Clair has been selected for the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA) Youth Leadership Program. The high school freshman will participate in an eight-day advanced leadership training experience from June 19-27 at the FBI Academy, located on the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va. Petras first heard about the FBI program from her father, Paul, a retired deputy chief of the Mt. Lebanon Police Department. He had attended the FBI National Academy in 2019. To be considered for the program, applicants must be rising high school sophomores or juniors between 14 and 16 years old. Students must demonstrate high academic standards and good citizenship. Sixty-two students are selected annually from the United States and around the world to participate.
Inspired by her dad’s public service, Petras is looking forward to learning how she can impact others.
“I knew that I wanted to learn more about law enforcement, ethics, leadership, helping others, and making a difference in the world,” she said. “My motivation came from my father. I grew up in a law enforcement family, with my father serving as a Mt. Lebanon police officer for 22 years and retiring as their deputy chief.”
The Youth Leadership Program includes extensive classroom study, physical fitness, guest lectures and leadership experiences. The program focuses on issues facing today’s youth, including fundamentals of leadership; fitness, nutrition and resiliency; time management; values and choices; social media & internet survival; managing change; ethical leadership; and more.
At Upper St. Clair High School, Petras competes on the girls’ soccer team and was a member of the ensemble for the school’s recent production of “Mary Poppins.” She participates in the Partners in Health and Cooking with Care clubs. Upper St. Clair is represented by the program’s Western Pennsylvania Chapter. For more information about the FBI National Academy Associates Youth Leadership Program, contact Jason Haberman, Youth Leadership Program coordinator and Mt. Lebanon chief of police, at Jhaberman@ mtlebanon.org.
COURTESY OF DAVID MOLTER
Pamela Bice with her quilt “614” at the Pittsburgh FiberArts member show in Erie in 2024
COURTESY OF PAMELA BICE
Titled “614,” Pamela Bice’s quilt documents the number of mass shootings that occurred in the U.S. over an 11-month period in 2023.
Emily Sinton, Siya Joshi, Angela Zeng and Nina DiMartini combined for first place in the 3200-meter relay during the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships. The South Fayette foursome clocked a winning time of 9:18.66, which was also a new school record.
Golden day
Schumaker, SF dominate at WPIAL track finals
By Eleanor Bailey Almanac Sports Editor
ebailey@thealmanac.net
Gold was the color of the day for South Fayette during the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships held May 14 at Slippery Rock University.
The 3,200-meter team of Emily Sinton, Nina DiMartini, Siya Joshi and Angela Zeng as well as hurdler Delaney Schumaker captured gold medals and qualified for the PIAA state championships to be held May 23-24 at Shippensburg University.
A junior, Schumaker was a two-time winner. She finished first in the 100 meters as well as the 300 intermediate hurdles.
While she ran a “near perfect” race in winning the 100 in 14.45, 0.17 ahead of Norwin’s Brandi Brozeski, Schumaker needed a strong finish to overtake Pine-Richland’s Abby Satina in the final 10 meters.
Schumaker finished in 43.13 seconds, 0.25 seconds ahead of Satina.
“The 100 was close to a perfect race because I was .01 off my personal record,” Schumaker said. “I was happy with my time because I have been consistent.”
Compared to the 100, Schumaker added that the 300 was harder.
“You are tired at the end and you are just trying to get to the finish line,” she said. “The last hurdle is the lid and I got through it. I just kept telling myself that I could do it.”
Schumaker wasn’t so certain, especially after a shaky start.
“I had a couple stutters on the first two hurdles but I focused on my race. I knew
Delaney Schumaker from South Fayette clears the final hurdle in the 300-meter distance to win the WPIAL title. The junior also won at the 100-meter distance to become a two-time champion at the Class 3A track and field championships.
there was good competition so I had to stick with the girls and continue through it.”
For Schumaker, the longer hurdles are a mental game.
“The 100 is super quick.
Very technical,” she said. “If you hit one (a hurdle), it messes up your steps but in the 300 you have time to adjust and recover. You think more in the 300 because there is more time.”
As she raced around the track, Schumaker could not help but think about her older sister.
Melana Schumaker was a WPIAL champion in the pole vault before going on to compete at Youngstown State University. She was in the grandstands watching the competition.
“Melana’s been such an inspiration,” Schumaker said.
“It was so awesome that I got to watch her win WPIALs and now she got to watch me. It’s a super fun experience. Melana was so dedicated and so hard working.
I think I got that from being her little sister.”
Schumaker now has larger aspirations. She plans to make finals at states and perhaps duplicate her efforts from the winter indoor season where she finished fourth in the 60-meter hurdles.
“So, a pretty big goal is to medal outdoors at states, too,” she said. “It’s more exciting because I have two races to do that.”
The 3,200-meter team was thrilled with its victory.
The foursome breezed to victory in 9:18.66, which was six minutes faster than second-place Seneca Valley and
more than seven minutes better than North Allegheny.
“We got second last year so we came back to get first this year,” said DiMartini, who led off the relay, clocking a 2:20.02.
Other top performances submitted by South Fayette athletes included:
■ Micaella Schuler, seventh, 100 meters, 12.83
■ Emily Sinton, fourth, 800 run 2:18.25
■ Siya Joshi, fifth, 800 run 2:19.37
■ Angela Zeng, third, mile 4:59.13
■ Madeline Stock, sixth, mile, 5:17.73
■ Griffin Martin, fourth, 3200 9:23.99
■ Evan Dawson, seventh 1600 4:24.31
■ Jenson Gregorich, second pole vault, 14-06
Mt. Lebanon competes for WPIAL lacrosse titles
By Eleanor Bailey
ebailey@thealmanac.net
With wins against Upper St. Clair and North Allegheny, respectively, the Mt. Lebanon girls and boys lacrosse teams advanced to the WPIAL championships to defend their titles. The Lady Blue Devils were scheduled to play Pine-Richland in the Class 3A final while the Lebo boys challenged Shady Side Academy for their trophy on May 22 at USC stadium.
(Results were unavailable for this edition of The Almanac.)
In their semifinal match played May 19 at Confluence Stadium on the Peters Township Middle School campus in McMurray, the Lady Blue Devils toppled the rival Panthers, 12-9. The win avenged a regular season overtime loss to USC that prevented Lebo from claiming the section banner. The victory also was significant in that twice in the match the Blue Devils opened up commanding leads, 8-2 at halftime and 11-6 with 13:24 remaining in the match.
“We knew it was going to be tough because the last time we
played them they were up 9-4 and lost to them in overtime,” said Lebo skipper Brian Kattan. “I kept reminding them that this happened early. It could happen again.
“The second time was a little more nerve wracking because it was later in the game and they were on a pretty good run there but I was confident that we would not overreact and stay calm and bring it home.”
After Anna Capabres scored her fifth goal of the game to narrow the margin to 11-9,
SEE TITLES PAGE B2
USC’s Tomczyk experiences exhilaration in WPIAL championship
By Eleanor Bailey Almanac Sports Editor
ebailey@thealmanac.net
Exhilaration described Sadie Tomczyk’s mood after she won her second gold medal during the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships.
After winning the 100-meter dash in I2.25 seconds, the Upper St. Clair junior dug deep and edged rival Plum’s Gabrielle Layne for the gold medal in the 200-meter dash. Tomczyk clocked a 25.13 time, a scant 0.10 ahead of Layne.
“It was a close race,” Tomczyk said. “I was really excited and a little bit relieved. Tomczyk expected a “backand-forth” race because she has raced Layne often in outdoor as well as indoor meets. The pair bring out the best in each other.
“I love racing against her,” she said. “When we race against each other, I know we’re both going to run fast times. It’s the excitement of racing her that I like.”
Tomczyk admitted she wasn’t confident of victory.
“I really didn’t think I got it until I looked up and saw it was like by 0.1,” she said.
Tomczyk, however, had faith in her training. In the shorter event, she relies on her speed. The longer race requires stamina and strength. So during the offseason, she lifts and works with Jeff Moyer, the owner of DC Sports Training in Bethel Park.
“Mostly upper body work because the most important part of the race is your arms,” she said. “Especially at the end of the race you are really using your arms.”
In addition to weightlifting, Tomczyk has also dedicated practices to perfecting her explosion out of the blocks.
“I like making sure my starts are good, because that’s something I’ve definitely struggled with too,” she said.
“So just working on those two things, my workouts and staying in shape, have made a difference.
Anna Engleman demonstrates her leaping ability during the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships. The Upper St. Clair senior won the triple jump in 37 feet, 11.75. She also competed in the long jump, finishing 10th overall and the pole vault, coming in 12th position.
“The 200 is a longer race also, and it’s just like, I I feel like the first 100 of my 200 is in the first half of it is definitely my strongest. For me, the 200 is all about maintaining it through to the end, and through the finish, just using my arms. So I try to focus mainly on that and that’s definitely been the difference.” Tomczyk preferred the 200 in her career but this year she has taken a liking to the shorter distance. They’re both equal, she said but the 100, like the 200, requires a bit of tweaking as she heads into the PIAA championships set for May 2324 at Shippensburg University.
“My start,” she said. “I got out kind of slow in the beginning of my final. I had a catch up and I was able to pull away at the end, but I just feel like I just needed to work on my start and get that down better.” At states, Tomczyk hoped to lower her times. She said she’d “definitely love” to go sub 25 again in the 200 and to break 12 seconds in the 100.
“That was my all-time goal this year,” she said. “There
PHOTOS: ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
PHOTOS: ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
Sadie Tomczyk was a two-time gold medalist during the WPIAL Class 3A track and field championships. The Upper St. Clair junior captured first place in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
Quinn Murdoch is mobbed by her teammates after scoring a goal that sealed Mt. Lebanon’s 12-9 win against Upper St. Clair in the WPIAL Class 3A semifinals.
Quinn Murdoch brought it home for the Blue Devils. Her sixth score of the game provided a three-goal cushion while Lebo whittled time off the clock with crisp passing on offense as well as key draw controls after USC’s previous goals by Riley Powell.
“The difference was we took our time on offense and calmed it down,” Kattan said. “We worked the clock but still looked to shoot. We were able to kill the last six minutes or so with some nice offensive plays and by winning those big draws by Quinn and Cali (Green).”
Defense also played a role in Lebo’s success against USC. Freshman Aubrey Betler shadowed Capabres and limited the Pitt commit’s chances. In goal, Nina Crago anchored the defense provided in front of her by Sloane Wilson, Rainiah Turnbull and Chloe Shea.
“Anna is going to get her goals but Aubrey did a tremendous job on her and limited her numbers,” Kattan said.
“Nina was tremendous in goal. We’ve talked two years about being a goldfish and forgetting what happened in the past and she has done a great job of that,” Kattan continued. “If she lets up a goal, she doesn’t let it bother her. She goes and gets the next save. She did a great job as did our other defenders. Sloane, Rainiah and Chloe made some big plays.”
For the boys, Joey Hetz, Keegan Green, Garrett Cramer, Andrew Pinella and Max Prezioso made the big plays during Lebo’s 9-4 win against North Allegheny. With the match tied, 4-4, each scored a goal during the final seven minutes to clinch the victory.
Of the five-goal uprising Lebo head coach Mike Ermer said that “the boys stuck to the plan. They believed in each other.
“We did a great job of sharing the ball,” he added. “We had some upperclassmen step up and make upperclassmen play.”
In addition to his fourth-quarter tally, Hetz had a hat trick in the first half. The senior’s third goal of the game provided a 4-2 advantage before NA scored at the buzzer to end the second quarter.
“Joey is an absolute animal. He’s a warrior. A team leader,” Ermer said. “I don’t think there are enough superlatives that I can throw out there to describe him.”
Ermer also noted the play of Pinella and Mason Prettyman.
“I did not have that one on my bingo card,” Ermer said of Pinella’s tally. “He and Mason have been doing a great job at the face off. They are so selfless. They just want the win.”
Lebo posted the win in part to the goalkeeping of Zach Lynam. A junior, he was voted by the team as its MVP after filling a void caused by an off-season injury to the heir-apparent starter.
“Zach has exceeded expectations,” Ermer said.
“We knew he was going to be good but he’s been great. A 75 save percentage is unheard of in high school lacrosse.”
NOTES: In Class AA boys semifinal action, South Fayette returned to the championship game to face topranked Mars after beating Peters Township, 12-5.
The girls final matchup also featured the Fighting Planets. They faced off against Chartiers Valley, a 10-8 winner against Quaker Valley.
The Class AA finals were scheduled for May 23 at USC stadium. (Results were unavailable for this edition of The Almanac.)
The Upper St. Clair boys lost to Shady Side Academy, 13-8, in the semifinal round of the Class AAA tournament. The Panthers battled NA for third place in the district and a spot in the PIAA tournament.
WPIAL hopes dashed
BP, PT regroup ahead of PIAA tournament
By Eleanor Bailey Almanac Sports Editor ebailey@thealmanac.net
There will be no South Hills teams vying for WPIAL baseball championships this week at EQT Park. However, there is a state title for which to compete as PIAA tournament action commences on June 2.
After winning two games in the District 7 tournament, Bethel Park (18-5) and Peters Township (15-8) qualified for the PIAA Class 5A tournament, but both lost one-run decisions to Pine-Richland, 5-4, and Shaler, 2-1, respectively in the semifinals to prevent further pursuit of a WPIAL crown.
The Black Hawks and Indians will now play each other for state seeding purposes in the WPIAL third–place consolation match (date, time, site).
“The season’s not over,” BP skipper Patrick Zehnder said. “So we still have that. Our number one goal is still within our grasp.
“We’re going for the state title. We earned the right to the big tournament and now, we are going to get ready for it. We’ll forget this game and move on.”
Bethel Park moved into the semifinals with wins against
Franklin Regional, 11-1, and Thomas Jefferson, 5-4.
Against the Panthers, Joey Levis smacked three hits, including a double, out of the No. 9 slot. He also drove in five runs. Noah LeJeune drove in a run and drilled a double. Nick Rillo doubled and reached base twice after being hit by pitches. Eric Miehl tagged a 3-run single.
Dylan Schumacher earned the win on the mound. In five frames, he struck out eight, walked none and scattered five hits. Rillo pitched an inning of relief.
Against the Jaguars, Petras scored the decisive run in the eighth inning. He was hit by a pitch, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt single by Ethan Stanhoff. After LeJeune was intentionally walked, Petras raced home on a wild pitch for BP’s walk-off win.
Petras scored BP’s first run of the game. After he walked and stole second, he moved to third on Stanhoff’s sacrifice then scored on LeJeune’s double.
Against the Rams, BP struck first. Petras reached base on an error, moved to second when Stanhoff was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on LeJeune’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Bruckner’s ground out.
The Hawks tacked on three runs to tie the game, 4-4, in the top of the fourth. After back-to-back base hits by Bruckner and Rillo, Miehl
walked and Jack Bruckner was hit by a pitch for an RBI. Levis drove in a run on a fielder’s choice and Petras tagged an RBI base hit.
Plum,
Pine-Richland scored twice in the first on a two-run single by Jake Waddell and in the third after back-to-back RBI doubles by Sam Heckert and Waddell. The Rams scored the decisive run in the bottom of the fifth on two walks, a hit batsman and a ground ball.
“The team that plays the cleaner game of baseball is going to win, and they’ve played slightly one run cleaner than we did,” Zehnder said.
While Zach Miner displayed a strong arm, striking out five and scattering seven hits, he was matched by Dante Deleonibus. In hurling Shaler to a 2-1 win over the Indians in a semifinal game played at
ets,
Char Valley, Lebo have WPIAL track champions
Domi Crowley from Chartiers Valley as well as Mt. Lebanon’s 4x400 girls relay team captured WPIAL championships and advanced to the PIAA track and field finals held this weekend at Shippensburg University.
In winning the gold medal in the pole vault at the Class 3A finals held at Slippery Rock University, Crowely shattered his own school record. He vaulted 14 feet, 9 inches. Crowley also became the first-ever WPI-
AL pole vault champion from Chartiers Valley.
Meanwhile, Lily Cramer, Lauren Krebs, Lucy Tang and Selma Bajgoric combined to win the mile relay in 3:56.26.
Individually, Cramer and Krebs took third and sixth respectively in the 300 hurdles while Bajgoric collected third and fourth places in the 100and 400-meter dashes.
Other medal winners for the Lebo girls included: Carmella Guillen, fifth, 200 me-
ters; Marisol Montoya, sixth, 800; Maeve McNamee, fifth, 1600; and Kiera Kraemer, third in long jump.
Top finishers for the Lebo boys included: Nicholas Machado, eighth, 400 meters; Patrick Smith, third, javelin; Alex Jospeh, fourth, long jump; and Maxwell Buckner, eighth, pole vault.
Lilly Carlson was CV’s only other medalist. She secured seventh in the discus.
Other top finishers from Al-
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manac area schools included:
■ From Bethel Park – Autumn Flowers, fourth, 100 hurdles and Clancy Orie, fourth in shot put.
■ From Peters Township – Kaitlyn Devin, fourth, high jump; Reston Lehman, fourth, javelin; and Franco Muscatello, seventh, shot put.
■ From South Fayette –Griffin Martin, fourth, 3200; Evan Dawson, seventh, 1600; Jenson Gregorich, second, pole vault.
Deleonibus struck out eight and scattered six hits.
Reese Clarke doubled and scored on a single by Colin Stofik for Peters Township’s one run. The Titans scored twice in the fourth frame on back-toback doubles by Colby McGuire and Troy Leas and a fielder’s choice. McGuire and Leas each had two hits in the game. The Indians advanced to the semifinals with wins against Mars, 7-6, in the quarterfinals and Baldwin, 5-4, in the first round. Against the Fighting Plan-
Jackson Stocker drove in the winning run with a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning. Stocker also smashed a solo home run in the game. Nathan Skroupa tagged a tworun triple for the Indians. Jason Tygard fueled the win over the Highlanders.
ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
Ryan Petras bows his head on second base after a failed stolen base attempt as Tanner Cunningham celebrates getting the final putout to secure Pine-Richland’s win over Bethel Park, 5-4, in the WPIAL Class 5A semifinals.
sights & sounds
A landmark restaurant
Atria’s reopening a testament to its history
By Rick Shrum For the Almanac rshrum@observer-reporter.com
A South Hills dining destination is moving forward by falling back.
Atria’s sits where it always has, at 110 Beverly Road in Mt. Lebanon, off a sharp curve on Beverly and a sharp curve from Banksville Road. But this established establishment has a new identity and feel.
The two-story structure underwent a pervasive renovation, closing after business on Dec. 31 and reopening April 28 as 1930 By Atria’s. The new name is a testament to the year Joe Atria launched the establishment, and to his family, who continued to operate the bar and restaurant until 1997.
A contracting company, assisted by a number of Atria’s employees, did the heavy-duty work at this landmark structure, which has survived two fires and served a fair share of visiting celebrities during its storied history, including Michael Keaton.
Ninety-five years later, the facility remains a family business. It is now owned by Pat and Nancy McDonnell and their son, Patrick, who are striving to instill a Prohibition type of atmosphere for patrons, especially younger crowds. The intent harkens back to 1930, the height of Prohibition in the United States – a wild and often lawless time.
The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, enacted in
1920, banned the production, importation and sale of alcoholic beverages. Yet many saloonkeepers continued to secretly produce, acquire and/or sell alcohol to customers from inside their buildings. Cocktails were a popular choice. Thirteen years later, passage of the 22nd Amendment ended Prohibition.
Perhaps nothing in 1930 By Atria’s epitomizes a Prohibition feel better than the Secret Room and the refinished, oldstyle bar, both a few feet inside the front entrance. The Secret Room, featuring a retro photo of the founder, is designed for small gatherings, where shelves are adorned with numerous high-end bottles of bourbon rising nearly to ceiling level.
1930 By Atria’s pledges to cater to all ages and tastes with food and beverages.
what’s happening
FARM MARKET
The Peters Township farmers market returns to Peterswood Park beginning June 4. Hours of operation are 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays. Vendors with homemade, homegrown or handcrafted products are needed. To apply, contact LMorris@peterstownship.com or call 724-942-5000.
CAMP
Registration for Camp Gan Izzy is being accepted at chabadsh.com/cgi.
The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, June 30, to July 1. Ages 4 to 11 can attend. The Jewish-themed camp offers specialty clubs, swimming, weekly trips, sports, science, baking and crafts. Daily lunch and snacks are provided. Limited scholarships are available.
For more information, email hindy@chabadsh.com or call 412-344-2424.
PT REC
The Peters Township recreation center is offering the following programs:
■ Ice cream social from 6 to 7 p.m. May 28. Ages 6 to 10 can attend. Fee is $5 ($8 nonmembers).
■ Senior Scrabble will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. May 29. A free event, it does require pre-registration. Light refreshments provided. Future Scrabble games are played the fourth Thursday of each month.
■ Dance explorations on Wednesdays beginning June
4. Ages 3 meet from 6 to 6:40 p.m. Ages 4 to 6 meet from 6:50 to 7:30 p.m. Fee is $40 ($60 nonmembers). This introduction to dance combines ballet, jazz and tumbling to develop self-confidence, musicality and body awareness.
Creative writing camp for ■ ages 6 to 12 from 2 to 5 p.m. June 16 to 20 or July 28 to Aug. 1. Register for one or both weeks. Fee is $160 ($240 nonmembers). The camp is recommended for avid readers or first-time writers.
■ Blueberry cooking camps from 1 to 2:30 p.m. beginning in June. A five-day camp runs from June 9 to 15 and will create ocean, beach-themed snacks and drinks. Fee is $175 ($263 nonmembers). A material check of $50 is due on the first day of camp. A threeday camp, running June 30 to July 2, celebrates American classics like French fries, cheese burgers, homemade buns for hotdogs and root beer floats. Fee is $125 ($188 nonmembers) plus $40 materials fee. The baking with Mrs. Blueberry camp runs from July 14-18. Cookies, mini pies, cheesecake bits and cupcakes will be baked. Fee is $175 ($263 nonmembers) plus $50 materials fee.
■ Tiny Tots Gym Time from 1 to 3 p.m. the first and third Friday of every month. Children 5 and under participate in unstructured playtime with a variety of toys, balls and soft play features. Parents must remain on site and
A wide range of cocktails –made from scratch and an attraction to younger patrons – is among the offerings. “We squeeze out every drop of juice in the building,” said Erick Munoz, the executive chef.
Spencer Warren, a Mt. Lebanon High School graduate, is the beverage manager with extensive experience in the field. He also owns and operates The Warren Bar & Burrow in downtown Pittsburgh.
Dining options have been expanded. The staff pledges to keep favored entrees, such as pot roast nachos and wagyu cheddar burger, but has added food and drink offerings, including shareable appetizers.
1930 By Atria’s has three extensive menus covering each day of the week: lunch (Monday through Friday), brunch (Saturday and Sunday) and dinner. Selections
supervise their children. Fee is $5 ($8 nonmembers).
■ Sports summer camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning June 9. Ages 4 to 12 eligible. Half-day camp fee is $165. Full-day fee is $265. Before care and after care are available for additional fees.
■ Summer camps begin as early as June 6. Children up to age 12 can sign up for creative writing, dance, theater, chess and cooking camps. Fees vary.
Visit www.peterstownship. org to register or stop at the recreation center, 700 Meredith Drive. For more details, call 724-942-5000.
COLLEGE CLUB
The College Club of Carnegie will meet June 7 at Gianna Via’s Restaurant, located in the Shoppes at Caste Village off Grove Road in Whitehall. After a social at 11:30 a.m. a luncheon follows at noon. “The Scholar’s Luncheon” will be the theme of the meeting. A 50/50 raffle will take place to benefit the group’s scholarship fund program. Women with a post-secondary education can attend. Call membership chairperson Therese Condit at 412-279-4458 for further information.
REUNION
The St. George Church Preservation Society will host a reunion at 3 p.m. June 1 at Salvatore’s Event Center, 5001 Curry Road. Parishioners, alumni, veterans, Allentown neighbors, family and friends
include steaks, burgers, seafood and salads.
“Everyone comes here for something different,” Munoz said. “Our mission is about serving good food, making customers feel this is their second home and have a good time with other people.”
Early response has been favorable at the Mt. Lebanon site, he said. “Since we’ve been open, it’s been really, really busy.”
Atria’s also has locations in McMurray and Murrysville.
The Mt. Lebanon restaurant has more than a half-dozen rooms, with themes catering to customers. The spaces include the Boxing Room, where photos of pugilists of the past hang, along with the Family Parlor and the Deck.
Longtime patrons may recall walls chock full of sports pictures, some autographed, that were displayed through-
can attend the dinner and enjoy fellowship as well as have a chance to win door prizes and raffles. Seating is limited.
Visit www.SGCP.net for online reservations. Call 412502-5062 or email contact@ SGCPS.net to also sign up or for further details.
CHABAD
A Soup, Wine, Cheese & Shavuot Ted Talk will be held from 8 to 10 p.m. June 1 at the Chabad of the South Hills, 1701 McFarland Road. The series of 10-minute talks will showcase important Jewish ideas. RSVP chabadsh.com/ted
A women’s spring event celebrating the Jewish homeland will be held at 7 p.m. May 28 at the Chabad of the South Hills located at 1700 Bower Hill Road. Nami Friedman will be the featured speaker. The evening celebrates beauty, strength and resilience of the homeland. Guests will learn hands on tips for relaxation and self-care as well as enjoy an array of wine, cheese, and desserts. There will be a raffle and auction. RSVP to Chabadsh.com/spring/.
BP LIBRARY
The Bethel Park Library, located at 5100 W. Library Ave., offers the following this month:
■ Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania’s oldest amusement park at 6:30 p.m. May 29. Jennifer Sopko shares history and stories about Ligonier’s landmark park.
out the bar and dining areas.
Fewer photos adorn the walls now, but the McDonnells still possess the entire collection, which will be preserved.
“We’re digitizing photos of everything here and will put together a huge scrapbook,” Nancy said.
She and her husband purchased the landmark building in 1997 from Nick Atria, son of the founder. “Our parents helped us out,” Nancy said. “We asked Nick if we could keep the name. He knew we wouldn’t
hurt the name. My husband and I want to be good stewards of this restaurant.”
With warmer weather finally arriving, outdoor dining is more of an attraction at 1930 By Atria’s. Although it is adjacent to a busy intersection, the Atria patio is spacious and accommodating.
“When it’s nice outside, it’s the best place to be,” Patrick said.
1930 By Atria’s, by any name, has been a place to be for nearly a century.
■ Art show. Toddlers through teens can participate in displaying all media forms of art. Up to three submissions are needed by May 27. Artwork will be displayed through the summer in the library. Artists can put their items up for auction or have them returned. Proceeds from the auction benefit the library.
Visit bethelparklibrary.org or call 412-835-2207 for more details or to register.
OPEN HOUSE
The Pleasant Hills Arboretum will hold an open house in celebration of its 75th anniversary from noon to 3 p.m. June 1 at 199 W. Bruceton Road.
Tree expert Paul Beck will lead a tour of the trails while ornithologist and former board member Bob Mulvihill will talk about the birds that occupy the local trees. Eagle Scout Matt Grassi will discuss his project. There will also be a tree planting by the middle school students. Additionally, Bartlett tree experts will speak on the condition of the trees in the wooded area. State Rep. Andrew Kuzma will address the importance of the arboretum to the region.
There will be refreshments, activities for children, raffles and events led by Becky Holmes for the Pleasant Hill Library.
Parking is limited; a shuttle will run from the library and Freedom Life Church.
Email grfuller61@verizon.net for further details.
MOBILE FEAST
Food Truck Fridays return to the Peters Township Municipal Complex, located at 610 E. McMurray Road. A variety of food trucks will be available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Pittsburgher Food Truck kicks off the season on June 6. Other summer dates are: June 20, Hibachi Lou; July 11, Cousins Maine Lobster; July 25, Trucking’ Triangles; Aug. 1, Chicks’ N Waffles; Aug. 15, Hummus Pittsburgh.
Visit peterstownship.com or call 724-941-4180 for more details.
BUS TRIP
A one-day bus trip to Cleveland will be offered through the Peters Township recreation department on June 4. Departure is at 7 a.m. Return time is 9 p.m. Fee is $199 and includes transportation, lunch, admissions per itinerary, meal and taxes. The group will visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and tour the grounds of Lakeview Cemetery and Gardens as well as visit the West Side Market. Visit www.peterstownship.com to register or call 724-942-5000 for more details.
WROC EVENTS
The Westminster Recreation and Outreach Center offers a variety of exercise classes and programs at Westminster Presbyterian Church, located at 2040 Washington Road in Upper St. Clair. Visit wroc.westminster-church.org to register or more details or call 412-835-6630.
ABOVE: Patrick McDonnell and his mother, Nancy, own 1930 By Atria’s along with Nancy’s husband, also Patrick. LEFT: In its 95th year of operation, Atria’s has undergone a renovation and a name change.
PHOTOS: RICK SHRUM/FOR THE ALMANAC
The Wolfhope family of Mt. Lebanon recently enjoyed sunshine and Sunday dinner outside 1930 By Atria’s.
JAGUAR 2016 XJR SPORT Black metallic, black leather, 340HP, 3.0L,V6 supercharged, 8-speed automatic, AWD, every option. $18,500 (MSRP - $78,000). 412-831-3445
AUDI
AUDI WASHINGTON
453 Racetrack Road,Washington, PA 866-414-9744
www.audiwashington.com
BUICK
BUDD BAER BUICK
83 Murtland Avenue, Washington, PA 724-249-6047 www.buddbaergm.com
SOLOMON BUICK 1777 McClellandtown Rd, McClellandtown, PA 724-602-4678 solomonautogroup.com
CHEVROLET
BORTZ CHEVROLET
249 Roy E. Furman Hwy. Waynesburg, PA 15370 724-627-6171 www.bortzchevy.com
COLUSSY CHEVROLET
3073 Washington Pk. Bridgeville, PA 15017 412-564-9829 www.colussy.com
SOLOMON CHEVROLET 1777 McClellandtown Rd, McClellandtown, PA 724-602-4678
www.solmonchevy.com
SUN CHEVROLET Route 19, McMurray, PA 724-941-5160 www.sunchevy.com
WASHINGTON CHEVROLET
Intersection of Rt. 19, I-79 & I-70, Exit 19A Washington, PA 724-222-2800 www.washingtonchevy.com
CHRYSLER
SOLOMON CHRYSLER Routes 40 & 43 Brownsville, PA 724-785-8000 www.solomonauto.com
SOLOMON CHRYSLER
Routes 21 7 88 Carmichaels, PA 724-966-2600
www.solomonauto.com
SOUTH HILLS CHRYSLER Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-941-4300
www.southhillsauto.com
DODGE ROTOLO’S DODGE 58 Route 88, North Charleroi, PA 15022 888-269-6183
www.rotolomotors.com
SOLOMON DODGE Routes 21 & 88 Carmichaels, PA 724-966-2600 www.solomonauto.com
SOLOMON DODGE Routes 40 & 43 Brownsville, PA 724-785-8000 www.solomonauto.com
SOUTH HILLS DODGE Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-941-4300
www.southhillsauto.com
FIAT
SOUTH HILLS FIAT Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-941-4300 www.southhillsauto.com
FORD FOX FORD
743 E. High Street, Waynesburg, PA 724-627-3151 www.foxfordwaynesburg.com
SOLOMON FORD Routes 40 & 43 Brownsville, PA 724-785-5500 www.solomonauto.com
STAR LAKE FORD Main St., Burgettstown, PA 724-947-3381 www.starlakeford.com
WASHINGTON FORD 507 Washington Road, Rt. 19, Washington, PA 888-706-6128 www.washingtonford.com
GMC BUDD BAER GMC 83 Murtland Ave. Washington Pa 724-249-6047 www.buddbaergm.com
SOLOMON GMC 1777 McClellandtown Rd, McClellandtown, PA 724-602-4678 solomonautogroup.com
HARLEY DAVIDSON
STEEL CITY HARLEY DAVIDSON 1375 Washington Road, Washington, PA 724-225-7020 www.steelcitymotorcycles.com
#1 COCHRAN
HONDA C. HARPER HONDA 106 Harper Drive Belle Vernon, PA 15012 724-929-8000 Ext. 227 Chuck Calcek www.charperhonda.com
WASHINGTON HONDA Rt. 19, Strabane Square Washington, PA 15301 724-222-2213 www.washhonda.com
HYUNDAI
WASHINGTON HYUNDAI
305 WashingtonRd. Rt. 19 at Strabane Square Washington, PA 724-222-2216 www.washhyundai.com
JEEP
ROTOLO’S JEEP 58 Route 88, North Charleroi, PA 15022 888-269-6183 www.rotolomotors.com
SOLOMON JEEP Routes 21 & 88, Carmichaels, PA 724-966-2600 www.solomonauto.com
SOLOMON JEEP Routes 40 & 43, Brownsville, PA 724-785-8000 www.solomonauto.com
SOUTH HILLS JEEP Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-941-4300 www.southhillsauto.com
KIA
SOUTH HILLS KIA Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-942-3000 www.southhillsauto.com
LINCOLN
SOUTH HILLS LINCOLN Route 19, McMurray, PA 724-941-1600 www.southhillslincoln.net
MAZDA
BUDD BAER MAZDA 83 Murtland Avenue, Washington, PA 724-993-4430 www.buddbaermazda.com
MERCEDES-BENZ
JOHN SISSON MERCEDES-BENZ 470 Washington Road Adjacent to Gabriel’s, 724-206-6000 www.johnsissonmercedes.com
NISSAN
JOHN SISSON NISSAN
470 Washington Road Adjacent to Gabriel’s, Washington, PA 724-223-8600 www.johnssissonnissan.com
RAM
ROTOLO’S RAM 58 Route 88, North Charleroi, PA 15022 888-269-6183 www.rotolomotors.com
SOLOMON RAM Routes 21 & 88 Carmichaels, PA 724-966-2600 www.solomonauto.com
SOLOMON RAM Routes 40 & 43 Brownsville, PA 724-785-8000 www.solomonauto.com
SOUTH HILLS RAM Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-941-4300 www.southhillsauto.com
SUBARU
BUDD BAER SUBARU 71 Murtland Avenue, Washington, PA 724-222-0700 www.buddbaersubaru.com
TOYOTA
SOUTH HILLS TOYOTA 2403 Washington Road Canonsburg, PA 15317 724-743-1144 www.southhillstoyota.com VOLKSWAGEN
THREE RIVERS VOLKSWAGEN 3694 Washington Road, McMurray, PA 724-941-6100 www.3riversvw.com
Pre-owned dealers
PREOWNED MARKETPLACE 150 Racetrack Road Washington, PA 412-349-1794 www.cochran.com
PREMIERE AUTO SALES 667 E. Maiden St., Washington, PA 724-223-0600 www.premiereautosales.com
RT. 18 HOMES AUTO SALES 940 Henderson Ave., Washington, PA 724-225-5308 www.18autosales.com
THREE RIVERS AUTO SALES 30 South Central Avenue Canonsburg, PA 15317 724-338-2923 www.3riversvw.com
TREGEMBO MOTORS I-70 Exit 32B, Bentleyville, PA 724-239-2200 www.tregembomotors.com
WARNE MOTORS INC. 107 East Pike Street Canonsburg, PA 724-746-5956 www.johnwarnemotors.com
