SPRING 2012
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Chartiers Valley
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S TA F F PUBLISHER
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Wayne Dollard MANAGING EDITOR
Marybeth Jeffries m.jeffries@icmags.com REGIONAL EDITORS
Mark Berton [South and West] mark@incommunitymagazines.com Monica L. Haynes [East] m.haynes@incommunitymagazines.com Pamela Palongue [North] p.palongue@incommunitymagazines.com S C H O O L & M U N I C I PA L C O N T E N T C O O R D I N AT O R
Megan Faloni m.faloni@incommunitymagazines.com OFFICE MANAGER
Leo Vighetti leo@incommunitymagazines.com A D P L A C E M E N T C O O R D I N AT O R
Debbie Mountain d.mountain@incommunitymagazines.com GRAPHIC DESIGN
Cassie Brkich Anna Buzzelli Sharon Cobb Susie Doak
Jan McEvoy Joe Milne Tamara Tylenda
WRITERS
Heather Holtschlage Joann Naser Kelly Lotter Gina Salinger Leigh Lyons Judith Schardt Dana McGrath PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jessica DeLuca Brad Lauer
Kathleen Rudolph Gary Yon
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGERS
Derek Bayer Tom Poljak
Tamara Myers
Welcome to the Spring issue of IN Chartiers Valley Magazine! I hope everyone is enjoying the lengthening days as we forge onto summer. And while Spring usually brings more rain to the region than we normally get throughout the rest of the year, I’m glad we’ve had a few days of nice weather to get outside and remember what the snow covered up. We’ve grown once again over the winter, and have shifted some staff around to accommodate that growth. I want to point this out to you because you, the readers, give us most of the great story ideas that you see featured in these pages, and I want you to have the right point of contact so that your story can be heard. The Editor for the South West Region is Mark Berton (mark@incommunitymagazines.com). Please forward your good news to Mark, and he’ll make sure it finds a place in the magazine. If you’re not sure whether you have a good story, give Mark a call at 724.942.0940 and ask! While our editors have re-aligned into better-organized zones, we still want everything in those zones to be 100 percent local to you. We also appreciate your feedback (good and bad) to let us know where we missed the mark and where we hit it out of the park. Lastly, it’s not too soon to start thinking about the rest of the year! I know we just got through the holidays, and are thawing out, but since we’re quarterly, we’re already looking ahead to fall. So if you have events planned and would like to promote them, call or email Mark. If you have an event coming up earlier, let us know so we can send our photographers and document the occasion! Here’s hoping that the start to your year has been a good one! Wayne Dollard
ADVERTISING SALES
Brian Daley Gina D’Alicandro Tina Dollard Karen Fadzen Julie Graf Jason Huffman Lori Jeffries Connie McDaniel Brian McKee Gabriel Negri Aimee Nicolia
Robert Ojeda Ralph Palaski Annette Petrone Vincent Sabatini Jennifer Schaefer Michael Silvert Karen Turkovich RJ Vighetti Nikki Capezio-Watson Sophia Williard
This magazine is carrier route mailed to all district households and businesses. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Copyright 2012. CORRESPONDENCE
Direct all inquiries, comments and press releases to: IN COMMUNITY MAGAZINES
Attn: Editorial 603 E. McMurray Rd. Ph: 724.942.0940 McMurray, PA 15317 Fax: 724.942.0968 www. incommunitymagazines.com Summer content deadline: 5/23/12 Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it.
FROM THE EDITOR While IN Community Magazines is a non-partisan publication, we don’t live in a vacuum. This year is a presidential election year, and striving to keep readers engaged and active in the community is part of our mission statement. We’re not here to endorse anyone, but we are here to remind you that voting is a hard-earned right that we have as Americans. However, many people pass on that right, which is a shame. If you view your vote as insignificant, then you are not only forfeiting your right to be counted, but also your right to be heard. Voting isn’t just about numbers, it’s about opinions as well. Your vote lends your voice to a chorus that decides who should be deciding our foreign and domestic policies, budgeting for specific social programs and who sends our young people into conflicts around the globe. These are critical issues that everyday people have to live with. If your candidate loses, you didn’t lose. The margin of loss sends a strong message to the victor as to whether people agree with their views, or found them to be less appealing. To be part of that process is something that those before us fought for through marches, protests and even death. To sit it out casts aspersions on their efforts and memory. We may not wake up happy on Nov. 7, but we should all be happy that we participated on Nov. 6. The deadline for registering to vote is 30 days prior to the next primary or general election. For more information, go to www.alleghenycounty.us/ elect/registration.aspx. See you at the polls! Mark Berton
Mercer County | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 3
South West Communities Chamber of Commerce
A Regional Chamber Serving the Greater Bridgeville Area, Upper St. Clair and Surrounding Communities
The people, programs and resources you need…Join Today!
Business Resource Center
The South West Communities Chamber of Commerce Business Resource Center is a convenient and affordable site for your next business meeting, presentation, project or conference, and is available to members of the South Hills business community. Located in the Chamber building, the Business Resource Center is a fully equipped facility with state-of-the-art technology to support your business activities, and offers: • WiFi Internet Access • 42” Plasma Display for Audio/Visual Presentations • DVD/VCR Equipment, Plasma Display Connections • Computer Workstation with High-end Printing Station
2012 MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES For increased visibility and company recognition sponsor an upcoming Chamber program, include a banner ad on the Chamber website, or advertise on our digital message board. Marketing levels are available to fit every business budget!
2012 BOARD OF DIRECTORS PAUL BONOSKY President
Achieva/Parc-Way Industries
RICHARD A. KASMER Vice President
• Conference Table and Equipped Kitchen Area
Kasmer Engineering & Surveying
Whether you are an established professional wanting to meet with clients, a business organization or small start-up needing a place to conduct business, or a larger company looking for an off-site venue, we can provide a professional and friendly environment. Call us for additional information.
GEORGE MACINO Treasurer G & S Signs
KELLY HANNA
Corporate Secretary KEYGroup
LISA BAK Homewood Suites by Hilton
WENDY KINGSLAND Visionary Federal Credit Union
MARCY REID Secon Corporation
MATT SERAKOWSKI Township of Upper St. Clair
ED SICKMUND
MyWay Mobile Storage
JOE VERDUCI Brentwood Bank
HELEN WYLIE
990 Washington Pike Bridgeville, PA 15017 Phone: (412) 221-4100 Fax: (412) 257-1210 Email: info@swccoc.org www.swccoc.org 2012 CHAMBER PARTNERS
Development Dimensions International, Inc.
EMERALD VANBUSKIRK Executive Director
BARBARA M. ZINGER Administrative Assistant
Please visit our website at www.swccoc.org
or call
412.221.4100 4 724.942.0940 to advertise
Chartiers Valley
INSIDE
IN Chartiers Valley is a non-partisan community publication dedicated to representing, encouraging and promoting the Chartiers Valley area and its comprising municipalities by focusing on the talents and gifts of the people who live and work here. Our goal is to provide readers with the most informative and professional regional publication in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
IN Chartiers Valley | SPRING 2012 |
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FEATURES
CVSD Class of 2001 Reunion .... | 37 Dining Out Peter’s Place: Serving up Excellence ........ | 41 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Henry Wealth Management ON THE COVER
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The Annual Pink Out event in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure was hosted by Chartiers Valley Senior, Morgan Figura. See story on page 12.
Finding a “Tom Brady-like” Investment Manager ............................................... | 29
Bridgeville Animal Clinic ........... | 35 Fitness Fanatics ........................... | 39 South Hills ENT ............................ | 43 BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Premier Home Design Center .... | 40 6
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COMMUNITY INTERESTS
Chartiers Valley School District ................................................. | 6 Collier to Name Parks Director by March ............................. | 9 Holy Child Receives Donations .................................................. | 11 Pink Out Local High School Senior Organizes Annual Event ..................................... | 12
UPMC Today | Health and Wellness News ..................................... | 21 FEATURES
Botanic Garden Blooms in Size ............................................ | 15 Collier Parks System Upgrading .......................................... | 16 Leaving on Good Terms The Harmony Hospice Foundation Volunteers ............................................ | 30
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 5
Chartiers Valley School District
CHARTIERS VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Aunt Bee’s Hive “Stop, take a deep breath and count to ten,” 100 Primary School students repeated after Aunt Bee, a hand puppet with a beehive hairdo. “One… two…three...” “But what to do if you’re still upset?” Aunt Bee asked the students. “You count to ten again – this time in Spanish.” “Uno…dos…tres…” the students began in unison. This is all part of a lesson that all 37 classes at the Primary School recently learned from High School students and their puppet counterparts. Ten High School students spent the day at the Primary School performing “Aunt Bee’s Hive” – a puppet show that teaches elementary students several skills and strategies they can use to resolve conflict. “Aunt Bee’s Hive” is comprised of nine multicultural people puppets, all with varying personalities and abilities. The puppets promote awareness while helping students develop the skills they need to handle various situations. The conflict resolution piece also relates to Chartiers Valley’s OLWEUS anti-bullying initiative. “Teaching students how to resolve conflict and self-regulate can prevent bullying situations,” explained Mariellen Kerr, the counselor at the Primary School. “I think it’s important to teach students about accountability at a young age,” added Ms. Preet Mann, a school counselor intern at Chartiers Valley. “CV was on the forefront of recognizing that with their elementary guidance program. I’ve already learned so much from working
6 724.942.0940 to advertise
with Dr. Kerr.” In addition to conflict resolution, Aunt Bee performances also cover topics such as cultural and educational diversity. “Mrs. Bee is a great cross age teaching tool,” said Kerr. “The older students are trained in puppetry skills which they use to present the programs.” Following the performance, the High School students conduct reinforcement activities with the younger students in their classrooms. According to Kerr, when an important message comes from somebody students idolize – like High School students – the lesson is more likely to resonate with them. “The Primary School students really look up to the High School students and like interacting with them,” said Kerr. But Aunt Bee’s important lessons don’t end with the performance. Teachers and adults at the Primary School often refer back to the performance and reinforce the lessons. “You can’t teach it once and expect students to remember this, so we constantly refer back to it,” said Kerr. “Teachers have told me that they’ve seen kids using Aunt Bee’s techniques.” Kerr and the Primary School teachers also
use an Aunt Bee weekly bulletin board to help students remember the key messages. The bulletin board is called “Caught Bee-ing Good.” When an adult sees a student doing something extra nice, they get a “Caught Bee-ing Good” sticker and their name goes in a beehive. At the end of the week, Kerr picks three winners. The winners are then recognized for their positive actions and their photos are displayed on the bulletin board. The kids are always proud to be “caught bee-ing good,” which reinforces positive behavior. Even High School students remember Aunt Bee and the “Caught Bee-ing Good” board. “Students love the characters and they really remember them,” said Kerr. “I started this program in 1996. Now some of the first students to know Aunt Bee have told me they remember the program and what they learned.” In fact, some of the students who first saw Aunt Bee are now performing it for the next generation. “It was a lot of hard work and exhausting at times,” said Chartiers Valley senior Angie Scarfone. “But it makes us feel good to perform for the kids.” Senior Bridget Deely agrees. “It’s a lot of fun and really rewarding. We all really enjoy doing it.”
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Chartiers Valley
Bottom Dollar Food donates to Chartiers Valley Schools Bottom Dollar Food opened seven new stores in the Pittsburgh area on Thursday, January 26. As part of their community relations efforts, the discount grocer made a total donation of $2,000 to all four Chartiers Valley Schools. As part of the opening ceremony, the High School and the Middle School both received checks for $500 at the Bridgeville location, while the Intermediate School and Primary School received their $500 checks at the Carnegie location. In addition to the monetary donation, Bottom Dollar Food also has an ongoing program with the schools in their community. The Classroom Connections Program is designed to help us earn educational equipment for our schools. All you have to do is link your Bottom Dollar Food membership card to one of our four schools. You can do this online at www.bottomdollarfoodconnections.com. Click on “Membership Card Registration” and follow the directions. Or you can also email your name, your membership card ID and the name of the school you’d like to support to kdroney@cvsd.net. Don’t have a card? Pick one up at any Bottom Dollar Food customer service counter or online at bottomdollarfood.com. Sign up today to support one of our four schools. Use the codes below to select which school you’d like to support. • Support the High School — use school code 52349 • Support the Middle School — use school code 52348 • Support the Intermediate School — use school code 52325 • Support the Primary School — use school code 52328 The Chartiers Valley school district appreciates Bottom Dollar Food’s generous contribution to our schools and welcomes them to the neighborhood!
Established this year, the Foundation aims to recognize, honor and reward hardworking, successful students and innovative educators for performing well and positively representing their school. In its inaugural year, the Foundation will provide two academic scholarships: 1. The first will be awarded to a Chartiers Valley senior with an exceptional academic record. 2. The second will be awarded to a Chartiers Valley senior who achieved significant academic growth during his or her high school career. The Chartiers Valley class of 2012 is welcome to apply. Applications will be available online by March 1, 2012. Stay tuned for more information.
CHARTIERS VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL RECEIVES $500 GRANT The ExxonMobil Educational Alliance Program gave Chartiers Valley High School a $500 grant to assist with the promotion of math and science. Chartiers Valley would like to thank Tri-State Petroleum and ExxonMobil for their generous support. According to the ExxonMobil Alliance website, “These grants are designed to make learning math and science fun and help schools
purchase items supplemental learning tools such as science lab supplies, iPads, graphing calculators or to fund math and science related field trips. Funded by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Exxon Mobil Educational Alliance is designed to provide retailers with an opportunity to invest in the future of their communities through grants to neighborhood schools.”
Published by the Chartiers Valley School District for the residents Bridgeville Borough, Collier Township, Heidelberg Borough and Scott Township.
Board of Directors
Beth McIntyre, President 412-429-9242 Pamela Poletti, Vice President 412-429-8717 Jeff Choura 412-221-7704 Wendy Huntoon 412-279-5048 Robert Kearney 412-279-0813l) Bridget Kelly 412-319-7934 Debra Rice 412-722-8021 Jamie Stevenson 724-307-3008 Sandra Zeleznik 412-279-2227
Central Administration Brian White, Ed.D Superintendent Yvonne Hawkins, Ed.D Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum Scott Seltzer Asst. Superintendent for School Leadership Nicholas D. Morelli Director of Finance and Support Operations/ Board Secretary Robert Gold Director of Facilities Arthur Turner Asst. Director of Facilities Lynne Dunnick Director of Student Services Michael Mazzeo Director of Transportation Please direct news items or questions to the public relations office at 412.429.2234. Your input is greatly appreciated! Questions regarding taxes should be directed to your municipality: Bridgeville, 412.221.6055; Collier, 412.276.5277; Heidelberg, 412.276.5413; Scott, 412.276.5302. Delinquent tax questions should be directed to Maiello, Brungo and Maiello at 412.242.9615. The Board will hold Workshop and Regular meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month at 7:30 p.m. in the District Assembly Room at the Administrative Offices, 2030 Swallow Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15220. The Board may take action or conduct business for any particular or general purpose at any of these meetings. Additional special or committee meetings will be called and advertised as needed. It is the policy of Chartiers Valley School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, marital or parental status, national origin, age, or handicap in its educational and vocational programs, activities or employment as required by Title IX, Section 504 and Title VI.
CHARTIERS VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Chartiers Valley Education Foundation
Chartiers Valley School District
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 7
Chartiers Valley School District
NEW BUS SIGNS ALERT DRIVERS New signs mounted on every Chartiers Valley School bus provide a gentle reminder to drivers to yield to school buses that are stopped with red lights flashing and in the process of loading and/or unloading students. In 2010 Bridgeville Chief of Police Chad King took the time to create a “Red Light Violations Form” that has been accepted by the other Police Departments that make-up the Chartiers Valley School District. If the school bus driver can obtain a license plate number, description of the vehicle, physical description of the driver and any witnesses who are willing to testify a citation can be issued that carries a 60-day driver’s license suspension, five points on your driving record, and a $250 fine.
PENNSYLVANIA’S SCHOOL BUS STOPPING LAW When you meet or overtake a stopped school bus with red signal lights flashing and stop arm extended, you MUST STOP. When you approach an intersection where a school bus is stopped with red signal lights flashing and stop arm extended, you
MUST STOP. You MUST STOP at least ten (10) feet away from the school bus. You MUST WAIT until the red lights have stopped flashing and the stop arm has been withdrawn before moving. DO NOT MOVE until all the children have reached a place of safety. If In doubt, STOP!
Chartiers Valley Middle School competes in Annual Logic Bowl Chartiers Valley Middle School won two second place awards at the annual Logic Bowl held at Heinz History Center in January.In sixth grade, CV took second place with Alex Bailey, Jonathan Uher, Matt Smith, Kevin Lau, and Matt.Seventh and eighth grade award winners were Sol LaBruna, Ellen Murphy, John Mucha, Baladev Rice, and Brendan Beale. The Logic Bowl tested the students’ knowledge of set theory. They studied union, intersection, null set, subsets, and other concepts to prepare for the competition. “Students who do well at this event, usually do very well in geometry,” said Gifted Program teacher Mike Scheinberg.
CHARTIERS VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT
SADD members to compete in Act Out Loud contest SADD members Heidi Schmidt, Jenna Beck, April Bittner, Ayla Apitsch and Abby Augustyniak-Romano will be competing in the Channel One News-sponsored Act Out Loud contest to promote National Youth Safety Month. The team will be competing against high school students from across the country for $90,000 in cash and prizes, including a grand prize of $10,000 and a private school concert by musical artist Skyler. Teams must participate in three different activities that focus on stronger teen driver safety laws to be eligible for the grand prize. Teams receive points based on school participation and project quality. Points will also be awarded to the teams whose entries are selected in the top 25 for each activity, and additional points will be given to the winner of each activity. ActIvIty 1 - Teams will submit a t-shirt design that focuses on preventing the use of communication devices while driving and include the NYTSM cause ribbon. Voting for the winning design will take place Feb. 24 - 29 on the Act Out Loud Facebook page. The winning school will receive up to 500 t-shirts with the winning design.
ActIvIty 2 - Teams will design and display a creative sign at CVHS or somewhere in our community. The design for this round will focus on passenger restrictions and include the National Youth Traffic Safety Month (NYTSM) cause ribbon. Voting for the winning sign takes place March 23 - 27 on the Act Out Loud Facebook page. ActIvIty 3- Teams will participate and support the Act Out Loud Facebook Yearbook application. Team members will download the Act Out Loud Facebook application on their personal Facebook page and encourage their peers to do the same. The school that generates the largest number of Facebook applications will win this portion of the contest. After all three rounds, the team with the most points will receive the $10,000 grand prize. The winning team will be announced May 16.
CHARTIERS VALLEY ENEWS Chartiers Valley School District is excited to announce that we’re moving to an electronic newsletter in 2012! In addition to being environmentally friendly, the Chartiers 8 724.942.0940 to advertise
Chartiers Valley
Valley eNewsletter will allow us to frequently communicate with you about the many wonderful things happening throughout the district. Stay in the loop! Sign up by
emailing your name and current email address to enewsletter@cvsd.net. If you do not have an email address, please call 412.429.2234 to request a print version.
Collier to Name Parks Director by March By Jonathan Barnes o better serve its growing populace, Collier soon will hire its first Parks and Recreation director. The director will be hired sometime in March and will oversee programming for the township’s four parks and for the two parks currently in the planning stages: the 71-acre Collier Township Park, at the former Charles E. Kelly Support Facility along Nike Site Road; and Little Kelly Park, an 8-acre site off Steen Hollow Road, near the village of Hickman. The new director will also oversee operations at the 5-acre Webb Park, the 2-acre Skvarka Park in Cubbage Hill, the 2-acre Presto Park near Presto village, and the 2-acre Hilltop Park, in Nevillewood. The director will handle management and operations of parks and recreation facilities, community centers, and special events. The new hire will be chosen from more than 70 candidates who applied for the job. Collier Township manager Sal Sirabella said he was surprised there were so many candidates for the position, but it could have something to do with the colleges in the region. “I noticed that both California State University and Slippery Rock University have a degree in Parks and Recreation. That’s just a benefit to this area,” he said. With its 13 square miles only 60 percent developed, Collier Township is poised for a population boom. Its population of 8,000 has grown more than 30 percent in the past decade and township officials expect about the same growth over the next 10 years, according to figures established from the township’s comprehensive plan, completed last year by Pashek & Associates. A new Parks and Recreation director is crucial to meeting the demand that growth will bring. “The new director will plan, organize, and execute community events, and arts and recreation programs for tot-youth, teens, adults and senior citizens,” Sirabella said. The director also will organize summer camps, expanded Christmas programs, and classes including Creative Writing, scrapbooking, and toddler activities.
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The Parks and Recreation director will take over those duties from Bob Caun, director of Planning/Development, who currently oversees the township’s parks system. The Parks director will be working with the board of Parks and Recreation, the board of commissioners and the township manager to implement programming. Collier completed a comprehensive plan for its parks last year, and hiring a parks director was one of the recommendations. The median age of people in Collier is 47 years old. The community currently has few activities geared towards senior citizens, though it has a large percentage of seniors—about 25 percent of its populace. The new parks director will address that need, Sirabella said. Collier currently is working on its comprehensive plan for the community, which is required every 10 years by state law under the Pennsylvania Planning Code. The plan—“Collier 2022”—is being done by Pittsburgh firm EPD. Collier is working on creating a complex that will include office space, a community center and a community gym at Collier Township Park. Those plans are part of the community’s long-term vision, Sirabella said. “You have to build for 10 to 15 years from now, so it makes the space flexible…You look at a facility and say, ‘What’s it going to look like 10 years from now,’” Sirabella said.
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10 724.942.0940 to advertise
Chartiers Valley
Holy Child Receives
Donations By Jonathan Barnes
S
ister Barbara Anne Quinn isn’t totally comfortable asking people for donations, but the principal of Holy Child loves her school so much that she’ll happily ask. In a short email sent in early December to her nephew, Mark Lavelle, she requested help for her school’s technology program. His response was fast—Mark Lavelle emailed her the same day, donating $10,000, and he and his brother John agreed to donate up to $10,000 more if contributors to the school also pitched in as much. “Of course I was just overwhelmed,” Sister Quinn said. “I’m not real good at asking for donations, and when I told Mark, he said, ‘Here’s what I’ll do.’” The donations helped take the small Bridgeville parochial school a bit further in its quest to give its students state-of-the-art technology. Last summer, the school had fiber optic, high-speed internet installed through a grant from Allegheny Intermediate Unit. AIU works with private schools by providing services to them, such as Phase I of Holy Child’s technology plan, which brought the fiber optic
To contribute to Holy Child’s technology program, send donations care of Sister Barbara Anne Quinn, 220 Station Street, Bridgeville, PA, 15017.
cable and high-speed internet. AIU’s consortium technology staff wrote and got the grant for the school. Contributors to the school quickly met the Lavelle’s challenge—contributing $10,000 in short order. The Holy Child chapter of the Knights of Columbus donated $2,000, and the school was able to raise $30,000. “There’s a great effort by a lot of people to bring the world of technology to these sweethearts, so they can continue to do their very best,” Sister Quinn said. “It was so wonderful to see people donating whose kids went here years ago.”
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hase II of Holy Child’s technology program includes professional development of teachers, and online learning classes for students, including virtual field trips. The donations ensure that the school covered all of the fiber optic and maintenance needed to connect the school libraries into the system. The funds will also help the school to add smartboard capability to the classrooms. In the school’s commitment to digital and
face-to-face learning, its eight graders each have been given an I-pad for their math and science classes. Holy Child is currently working on replacing the computers in its computer lab. All of those computers have been recycled and donated by companies, but they run on Windows XP, which will be obsolete in a few years.
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isterQuinn is proud of her small school, which educates 132 students, and of the gifts the students’ parents regularly give to the children through their involvement in the school’s sports programs and through the values they are instilling in their children. She’s also proud of her kin, and the contribution they very generously made to her school. “It was my nephews’ idea. They’re great guys. They value education and what it’s done for them. They’re my nephews and I love them,” Sister Quinn said.
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” t u O k n “Pi l Senior o o h c S h ig H l a c Lo Event l a u n n A s e iz n a Org
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Raising Awareness and Funds for Susan G. Komen for the Cure By Kathy Rudolph Negative stereotypes about teens go out the window when you meet a young person like Morgan Figura. A Chartiers Valley senior, Morgan chose to organize The Annual Pink Out as her senior project. Pink Out is an all-pink event in support of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Morgan’s event, with the help of her family, friends and the C.V. High School staff, raised over $3,500 for the foundation. Susan G. Komen for the Cure was named after Susan G. Komen, who succumbed to breast cancer in 1980. Before she died she asked her sister, Nancy, to raise awareness and help women fight breast cancer. Nancy G. Brinker created the nonprofit foundation in 1982 in honor of her sister. Since then, the foundation “is the global leader of the breast cancer movement, having invested more than $1.9 million,” according to the foundation’s website. It is “dedicated to education and research about causes, treatment and the search for a cure.” The public was invited to make a donation and cheer on the C.V. High School girls basketball team as they played against Thomas Jefferson and then the boys team as they played against Mt. Lebanon. Besides being entertained by the players dressed in pink uniforms and putting the ball through a pink net, guests could purchase a pink T-shirt or pick from the many pretty pink auction baskets. Morgan started to organize the event last summer with the help of her advisor, Jodi Miller, C.V. High School teacher, and Amanda Kainz, her C.V. High School athletic trainer. She submitted her
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t Susan G. Komen To learn more abou visit the website for the Cure, please . at www.komen.org
paperwork for her senior project at the end of her junior year to make sure she would be the Pink Out organizer. “My family and friends have a history of breast cancer; my dad’s aunt, my mom’s friend. I saw the effect that it had on my mom and others and I wanted to do something,” said Morgan, also a C.V. basketball player who played in the game against Thomas Jefferson. “It is something that I feel passionate about. I watched my best friend, Paige Aleski, organize the event when she was a senior and saw how amazing it was and decided that I wanted to do it when I was a senior.” Ms. Miller appreciates Morgan’s efforts. “I have known Morgan since 10th grade,” she said. “Morgan has impressed me with her hard work and determination in making Pink Out fun for students and adults, honoring survivors and raising as much as she can for the Susan G. Komen Foundation.” When planning and executing such a large and important event, you can’t help but learn something, which is the goal of the senior project. “I’ve learned that so many different people in the community are surviving breast cancer that you wouldn’t even know had it,” said Morgan. “I would tell people about the event and they would say that they are breast cancer survivors. I am so inspired by them, to have that kind of strength; I don’t know if I’d have that kind of strength. Every single one of them and their stories are so special.”
1. Morgan and
her advisors for the event, Ms. Amanda Kainz, C.V.H.S. Athletic Trainer and Jodi Miller, C.V.H.S. Teacher 2. Morgan’s grandmother, Mary Lou Kane 3. Rachel Hindmarch and Micaela Redmond 4. Morgan and her best friend, Kristina Coyne 5. Clleen Mutschler, Breast Cancer Survivor and C.V. Primary School Teacher 6. Lesley Kunkel, Chartiers Valley High School Guidance Counselor and daughter, Adrianne 7. Morgan and her mother, Karen Figura 8. Morgan and her brother, JR 9. Morgan’s aunt and cousin, Denise and Nikki Chiodo, and family friend, Melissa Campana
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Participate in a cancer research study What if we could personally participate in research that might help determine factors that cause or prevent cancer? What if our involvement, and that research, ultimately leads to the elimination of cancer as a major health problem for this and future generations? What if we could make it so just one family never has to hear the words “you have cancer”? Residents of the community have an unprecedented opportunity to participate in cancer research this year. Enrollment for the American Cancer Society’s third Cancer Prevention Study will be taking place at the Relay for Life of Mt. Lebanon on Saturday, June 9th, from 1:00 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Mt. Lebanon High School Stadium. The site is one of only two in Western Pennsylvania to sign up for the study. Individuals between the ages of 30 and 65 who have never been diagnosed with cancer and are willing to make a long-term commitment to the study are encouraged to sign up. Those who choose to enroll will complete a brief initial questionnaire and provide a waist measurement and a small blood sample. Participants will periodically be sent a follow-up questionnaire for the next 20 to 30 years. If you aren’t eligible to participate, you can still make a difference by telling everyone you know about Cancer Prevention Study-3. For more information, visit: www.cancer.org/cps3; email: cps3@cancer.org; or call toll-free: 1.888.604.5888.
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Botanic Garden
o o l m B s in Size
By Jonathan Barnes he Pittsburgh Botanic Garden has grown, after being given an additional six acres for the group’s 454-acre garden in Settler’s Cabin Park in Collier and North Fayette. The gift was approved by Allegheny County Council on Jan. 10, and includes an old farmhouse and circa-1890 barn that will be renovated into an office and welcome center. The gift expands the garden to 460 acres. Construction on converting the barn into the Bayer Welcome Center and the circa-1855 farmhouse into office space begins June 1. The project will cost $32 million over 25 years, and have a “soft opening” of its trails by October, said Kitty Vagley, director of development for Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. That opening will include guided tours of the garden’s two miles of trails, which could be extended by another mile by October, Vagley said. “If the public wants to come see the woodland garden trails, we’ll give them a tour,” she said. The new acreage was awarded under an agreement that Pittsburgh Botanic Garden would give the county $225,000 to help it build a new Settler’s Cabin Park maintenance building. The maintenance building currently is on the six acres deeded to the Botanic Garden. Originally part of the homestead of Revolutionary War veteran Isaac Walker, who was prosecuted for being part of the Whiskey Rebellion, the new property was acquired by William and Jane Ewing. Their descendant Edward Ewing Glass deeded the property to the county in 1966. In 1998, Allegheny County gave Pittsburgh Botanic Garden a 99-year lease for $1 per year for the first 454 acres of land. Founded by a group of horticulturists who began meeting informally in the 1980s, in 1991 they incorporated Pittsburgh Botanic Garden as a nonprofit. The group had an assessment of their site done and raised money for a master plan, then
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found in 2004 that the property had serious problems with acid mine drainage. County and state officials agreed to help the nonprofit with remediation if it stuck with the property. Environmental engineers who studied the property recommended a complete remediation of the affected areas, and after the nonprofit obtained mineral rights from the owner, removal of the remaining coal started. Re-mining began on 72 acres in 2010, and could be complete by 2015. The property was deep mined in the 1920s and strip mined in the 1940s, but some coal was left behind, creating the problem with acid mine drainage. Removal of the existing coal will take care of the problem of acid mine drainage going into Chartiers Creek, Vagley said. The purpose of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is to build the region’s first comprehensive outdoor botanic garden. Adjacent to the newly acquired acreage is the Woodland Gardens area, which has been planted with more than 300 native trees and 1,000 native shrubs and perennials. “There should be about 120 native tree species in this area. There were only 30 when we got there. We’re adding the other 90 species and getting rid of non-native species,” Vagley said.
Girl Scouts Receive Recognition Troop Leader Kathy Zinski, Natalie Zinski, Allegheny County Councilman Mike Finnerty, Sravanthi Chintakunta and Emma Trombetta received certificates of recognition from the county for attaining their Silver Awards. Kathy Zinski (troop leader), Natalie Zinski, Allegheny County Councilman Mike Finnerty, Sravanthi Chintakunta and Emma Trombetta. Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 15
Collier Parks System
Upgrading By Jonathan Barnes A county grant and state grant are helping Collier Township move forward with plans to build a large community park and to make improvements to some of its neighborhood parks and its trail system. The township recently was awarded a $150,000 grant from Allegheny County Redevelopment Authority’s Commission Infrastructure Tourism Fund to demolish 10 buildings at the former Charles E. Kelly Support Facility along Nike Site Road. The former Army base will soon be transformed into a 71-acre township park, by far the largest in the township. Collier also was awarded a $105,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, for neighborhood parks improvements. “This $105,000 grant will enable park and recreational improvements to Skvarca Park in the township’s Cubage Hill neighborhood, Webb Park in Rennerdale and to a connector trail that will be constructed between Collier Township Park and the Panhandle Trail,” said Bob Caun, Collier’s Director of Planning and Development. “This project will connect the Panhandle Trail to the Collier Township Park system, allowing visitors to our community who frequent the trail to enjoy the many recreational amenities at our neighborhood parks.” The $150,000 county grant will enable Collier to raze 10 blighted office buildings and barracks at the old Army site, a 71-acre parcel that was turned over to the township last year and which will become Collier Township Park. Township manager Sal Sirabella said the grant is excellent news. “It’s tremendous; it pretty much puts Collier Township on the map. It’s a wonderful opportunity to turn a decommissioned Army facility into a desperately needed park,” Sirabella said. “This grant shows the county is aware of that need.” The cost for the new park will be $8 million. The community has saved $5 million from its operating reserves for creation of the park. Collier Board of Commissioners earmarked $1.4 million in the 2012 capital improvement budget for construction of the park. The Charles E. Kelly Support Facility, also known as the Missile Master Site, was closed by the U.S. Army Realignment Commission in 2005, and the base’s 71.84 acres were given to Collier in September. The Kelly Local Redevelopment Authority, an internal 16 724.942.0940 to advertise
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committee comprised of commissioners and residents, is working with the township’s board of Parks and Recreation to oversee creation of Collier Township Park. The site includes 19 buildings, including a former fitness center that was deemed to expensive to re-use, since its projected renovation cost was $800,000.
“This project will connect the Panhandle Trail to the Collier Township Park system, allowing visitors…to enjoy the many recreational amenities…” Bob Caun, Collier’s Director of Planning and Development At least two of the old buildings will be re-used—the old officer’s club and an office building—which will be joined by another building that will be constructed to form one large structure. The officer’s club will be turned into a community center, and the office building will be classroom and meeting space. The new building which will join the two structures into one large building will be a two-story gym with a track around it. The township’s commissioners chose that plan, rather than renovating the old base’s fitness center, after visiting community parks in several communities in the region.
“The commissioners visited Pine Township’s community park and were very impressed,” Sirabella said. Demolition of the 10 buildings will begin in late February. On the western side of the park site, a colt league baseball field, sledding area and outdoor amphitheater will be built. Two basketball courts and two all-purpose fields also will be constructed, as well as a deck hockey field and two pickle ball fields. That phase of the work should be finished in early 2013. Design work for the gym, offices and community center will begin in February. Construction of those facilities is expected to be completed in early 2014. Residents can view the construction plans for Collier Township Park by visiting the township’s website, at www.collliertwp.net. To help move the plans forward, the board of commissioners will hire the township’s first director of parks and recreation by March. The new director will
develop programming for the new park, as well as for the entire township park system. The work to be done on Skvarca Park will cost $43,400 and include a new half-court basketball court, installation of a rubber play surface under the playground equipment and a construction of a new picnic pavilion. The $42,600 in upgrades to Webb Park will include construction of a new picnic pavilion, installation of a rubber play surface like the one planned for Skvarca Park, and installation of new signage and shared roadway markings to connect Webb Park to the Panhandle Trail. Also, $19,000 will be spent to create a shared roadway connector between Collier Park and the Panhandle Trail, using Nike Site Road and Gregg Station Road. The park improvements and trail connector project will be completed by the end of the summer.
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 17
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Bridgeville Calander of Events BRIDGEVILLE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Fish fry is held every other Friday (2/24, 3/9, 3/23, 4/6) from 4 to 7 p.m. 370 Commercial St. - Bridgeville PA 15017
412.221.1711 - www.bridgevillevfd.com
CARNEGIE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Every Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. (Also Good Friday noon to 7 p.m.) 415 Washington Ave. - Carnegie, PA 15106
412-279-3020 - www.carnegieumc.org
HEIDELBERG VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT A fish fry is held every Friday 4 to 7 p.m. 456 First St. - Carnegie, PA 15106
412.276.5955 - www.heidelbergfire.com
HOLY CHILD CATHOLIC PARISH
Every Friday (except 3/24) 4 to 7 p.m. including Ash Wednesday and Good Friday 212 Station St. - Bridgeville, PA 15017
412.221.5213 - www.holychildparish.org
OUR LADY OF GRACE PARISH
Every Friday during Lent from 4:30 to 7 p.m. (Fish Fry also on Ash Wednesday) 310 Kane Blvd. - Pittsburgh PA 15243
412.200.2694 - www.olgscott.org
OUR LADY OF VICTORY MARONITE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Fish Fry is held every Friday during Lent from 4 to 7:30 p.m. 1000 Lindsay Road - Carnegie, PA 15106
412-278-0841 - www.olov.info
PRESTO VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT Fish Fry is held every other Friday (3/2, 3/16, 3/30) from 3:30 to 7 p.m. 5228 Thoms Run Road – Presto PA 15142
412-221-5677 – www.prestovfd.org
RENNERDALE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT
Fish Fry is held on 3/9 and 3/23 from 4 to 7 p.m. 30 Suburban Ave. – Carnegie PA 15106
412-276-9652 - www.rennerdalevfd.com
Dormont, Brookline, Beechview and Mt. Lebanon St. Bernard Catholic Church in Mt. Lebanon will hold a fish fry every Friday during Lent, except for Good Friday, from 4 to 7:30 p.m. The dinner will be at Clairvaux Hall, at 311 Washington Road in Mt. Lebanon. For details, call 412341-1565.
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St. Catherine of Siena Church in Beechview will hold a fish fry on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent, except for Good Friday, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The dinner will be at McCann Hall, at 1907 Broadway Ave. in Beechview. For details, call 412-531-2135.
Resurrection Church in Brookline will hold a fish fry on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent, except Good Friday, from 4 to 7 p.m. The dinner will be at the Garden Room on Chelton Avenue in Brookline. For details, call 412563-4400 or 412-343-5688.
Bridgeville Library CHECK OUT THESE GREAT PROGRAMS HAPPENING THIS MONTH AT THE LIBRARY! PRESCHOOL STORY TIME TUESDAYS 10:30 AM. Contact: 412-221-3737 to register. Storytime for preschoolers 4-5 years old. Join us for stories, songs and crafts.. Preschool Storytime 1:00 PM. Storytime for preschoolers 4-5 years old. Join us for stories, songs and crafts. Please call 412-2213737 to register.
BABIES AND BOOKS MONDAYS 10:30 AM. Storytime/play group for newborns to 24 months with an adult in attendance. Short stories, songs and finger plays lead into free play time with board books and toys for you and your child to enjoy. Please call 412-221-3737 to register.
AMERICAN GIRL BOOK CLUB MARCH 15
PUPPY TALES
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Girls in 2nd-5th grade are invited to join us for a book club based on the American Girl books. We will meet once a month for crafts, games and activities based on the book we have read. Books are on hold each month at the library. This month’s book is Marie Grace and the Orphans. Dolls are welcome. We will meet the third Monday of each month through May 17. Please call 412-2213737 to register.
COMPUTER BASICS THURSDAYS 6:30-7:30 FRIDAYS 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
One class each week for 4 weeks on basic computer skills. Registration is required. Please call 412-221-3737.
AARP TAX-AIDE FRIDAYS
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM. Kids in grades 1-5 can sign up for a 15 minute reading session with Zeke, a therapy dog who loves a good story. Ideal for kids who need extra reading practice or who just love dogs! Bring your own book or chooose one of ours. Registration is required. Please call 412-221-3737.
HOME SCHOOL / CYBER SCHOOL LUNCH BUNCH MONDAYS 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM. Kids in grades 4-6 are invited to read the books nominated as the top 8 kids’ books of 2011, then bring your lunch and join us Mondays, March 5 - April 16, to discuss the books and do fun activities. Please call 412-221-3737 to register.
Free tax assistance for taxpayers with low and moderate income is available at the library on Fridays, February 17 - April 13, 11am 4pm. By appointment only. Please call the library at 412-2213737 to schedule an appointment.
GUYS READ MARCH 15 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Boys age 8-12 are invited to join us for a new book club just for them! We are reading the Narnia Series. This month we are reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Read the book then join us for games and activities. Books will be on hold at the library. Please call 412-221-3737 to register.
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 19
20 724.942.0940 to advertise
Chartiers Valley
SPRING 2012
Health and Wellness News You Can Use
Let’s Get Physical
What can a daily dose of moderate physical activity do for you? Plenty! As you get older, regular exercise is a key to staying strong, energetic, and healthy. To learn more about the link between fitness and aging, turn to page 3.
© 2012 UPMC
What’s Inside page 2
Need Quick, Convenient Care? Head to UPMC Mercy’s South Side Walk-in Clinic
page 3
Fit at Any Age
page 4
Surviving Allergies: What You Can Do Putting Ergonomics to Work for You
page 5
Brightening Lives With Light
page 6
A Walk to Remember
page 7
A Lasting Legacy of Caring
Need Quick, Convenient Care?
Head to UPMC Mercy’s South SideWalk-in Clinic Open days, evenings, and weekends, it’s the solution of choice for busy patients As a single, working mother of two, Joanne Krapp feels fortunate to have the UPMC Mercy South Side Walk-in Primary Care Clinic available close by. She doesn’t have a car, but the clinic is just a 10-minute bus ride from her Carrick home. “It’s so convenient. You don’t need an appointment, and you’re in and out in no time,” says Joanne. “They treat you like you’re the first patient of the day, no matter what time you go.” Joanne first went to the clinic two years ago when she woke up with a burning rash all over her body. Diagnosed with multiple skin allergies — including sensitivity to various metals — she now takes precautions but periodically experiences allergic reactions. She’s been to the clinic for treatment about a half dozen times in two years.
A board-certified physician is on site at all times, along with nurses and other highly trained staff. Patients of all ages are accepted at the clinic, and walk-ins are welcome. Parking is free and plentiful.
A neighbor you can count on Kelly Sassaman, administrator of UPMC Mercy’s South Side Outpatient Center, says the clinic provides x-rays, sutures, blood work and screening, physical exams, and vaccinations, plus immediate care for such conditions as: • Colds and flu • Sore throats and earaches • Minor cuts and scrapes • Minor broken bones • Sprains and strains The clinic also serves as a primary care provider. Staff can refer patients to specialists, and they can provide a fast track to emergency services at UPMC Mercy, a Level 1 trauma center, she adds.
“I’m often treated by the same people when I go there. For someone like me who has a fear of hospitals, that’s important because it makes me feel very comfortable,” she says.
“We’re not an emergency room, but we handle many conditions,” explains Ms. Sassaman. “We’re meeting the needs of the community. Our neighbors don’t have to cross the river, deal with traffic or parking, or wait in an emergency room for treatment of minor injuries or illness. We can do that here.”
The Walk-in Clinic, located on the second floor of the UPMC Mercy South Side Outpatient Center at 2000 Mary St., is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
Joanne hopes she won’t have to return for treatment anytime soon. “But, if I do, I know I’ll be in good hands,” she says.
Quality care in a comfortable setting
Pain Management and More In addition to the Walk-in Primary Care Clinic, the UPMC Mercy South Side Outpatient Center offers a comprehensive range of outpatient services. The convenient, one-stop location also provides everyday care ranging from EKGs and laboratory work to same-day surgery, as well as pain management services. At the center’s Pain Clinic, specialists work with patients to diagnose the source of chronic pain, and then reduce it using interventional treatments. Specially trained surgeons perform procedures, including injections and radiofrequency ablation.
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“We provide excellent care, and it’s so convenient for our patients. Most people are treated within a half hour,” says Jacqueline Belton, director of the Pain Clinic. The Pain Clinic, located on the ground floor of the outpatient center, is open weekdays from 1 to 5 p.m. To learn more about the UPMC Mercy South Side Outpatient Center and all the services available, visit UPMC.com and click on Hospitals and Facilities.
Fit atAnyAge Comedian George Burns — who lived to be 100 — often advised his audience to “Look to the future, because that’s where you’ll spend the rest of your life.” Vonda Wright, MD — a practicing orthopaedic surgeon at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and a nationally recognized author of several books on active aging and fitness — thinks that’s sound advice. “Nothing is more natural than aging,” she says. “Adults over 40 today are redefining what it means to age. They’re looking ahead — and doing what it takes to stay fit and vital. “With just 30 minutes of daily exercise, you can minimize your risk for 35 common illnesses — including high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes,” says Dr. Wright, who also directs the center’s Performance and Research Initiative for Masters Athletes (PRIMA®), which focuses on maximizing the performance of both elite and recreational athletes over age 40.
Staying fit as you age “As we enter our 40s and 50s, we’re just starting to hit our stride, with the potential for many years of wonderful living ahead of us. A well-balanced exercise plan is a key to maintaining that quality of life as we grow older,” she maintains.
Many say that 50 is the new 30 as today’s mature adults enjoy more active, fitter, and healthier lives than any other generation.
“There’s no age or activity level to prevent any older adult from being active,” explains Dr. Wright. In fact, studies of 90-year-old men doing resistance training on a daily basis showed improvements in their strength and functioning.
Getting started
Starting — and sticking with — a fitness plan initially can be hard, says Dr. Wright. “The first step is to make exercise a part of your daily routine. Schedule it on your calendar, like an appointment,” she advises. “Don’t be a weekend warrior. Instead, try to maintain a moderate activity level throughout the week, and increase your exercise level gradually to reduce your chance of overuse or injury.” She tells her patients to FACE the future with a balanced, total body workout designed to achieve maximum benefits while avoiding injury:
F — Flexibility with daily stretching exercises A — Aerobic cardiovascular exercises every other day, using interval-style training Carry a load (or strength train) to build and maintain muscles in your arms, C — legs, and core (stomach, back, and abdomen) E — Equilibrium and balance through simple exercises like standing on one foot “Whenever possible, mix up activities like running, swimming, cycling, or rowing,” encourages Dr. Wright. “Cross training helps promote total fitness while reducing the chance for injury. Most of all, take that first step!” To learn more about UPMC’s PRIMA program for mature athletes, call 412-432-3651 or visit UPMC.com/SportsMedicine. You’ll find PRIMA listed under Performance in the Our Services section.
Should you see a doctor first? You’re 50 years old and a pack-a-day smoker. You also have high blood pressure, and you haven’t exercised since Ronald Reagan was president. Should you see your doctor before hitting the local gym? “Regular exercise is the best gift you can give yourself. But it’s important to use common sense when getting started,” says Lance Brunton, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at UPMC Mercy who sees patients at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine. If you’re in generally good health and starting off with light to moderate physical activity, an extensive medical workup probably isn’t necessary. “But if you’ve been diagnosed with any medical condition, have been sedentary for some time, or are at risk for potential heart problems, it’s essential to talk to your doctor,” advises Dr. Brunton. “Working together, you and your doctor can create the right exercise plan based on your age, physical condition, family history, and other key factors.” If you’re over the age of 40, visit UPMC.com/Today to take the American College of Sports Medicine’s Physical Activity Readiness Self-Exam.
1-800-533-UPMC
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Health Tips from UPMC Health Plan
Surviving Allergies:
What You Can Do If you dread the approach of spring and the arrival of allergy season, here are a few ways to reduce your sniffling, sneezing, and itchy eyes
What to do If you take medication to control your symptoms, start treatment early — before your seasonal allergies flare up, says BJ Ferguson, MD, director of the Division of Sino-Nasal Disorders and Allergy at UPMC, and a professor of otolaryngology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In western Pennsylvania, tree pollen starts flying around by the end of February or in early March, when it warms up enough for trees to begin budding.
Medications to take Dr. Ferguson recommends starting with an over-thecounter (OTC) medication, preferably a non-sedating antihistamine. She cautions that some products can be sedating or even result in extreme drowsiness that can impair driving. Be sure to read the accompanying instructions or ask your pharmacist about side effects. OTC decongestants can relieve nasal congestion but should only be used on a short-term basis, Dr. Ferguson says. Decongestants can cause significant side effects, such as insomnia, agitation, heart palpitations, and a rise in blood pressure. A saline nasal wash also can help relieve congestion.
When to see a doctor “If you are getting no relief and it is impairing your quality of life, you should see a doctor about more effective alternatives and testing,” says Dr. Ferguson. • A doctor can prescribe medications that can provide effective relief from chronic congestion. • Allergy testing can determine precisely what you are or aren’t allergic to. A new sublingual immunotherapy administered under the tongue is just as effective as allergy shots, and with fewer side effects, says Dr. Ferguson. • Your doctor also can determine if your nasal blockage is caused by inflammation or nasal polyps, a deviated septum, enlarged adenoids, or an infection.
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Putting Ergonomics to Work for You At home and on the job, ergonomics can help you avoid injury and discomfort — and even increase your productivity The goal of ergonomics is to make our places of work as safe, comfortable, and efficient as possible. But let’s not limit its uses to our day jobs! According to the physical therapists at UPMC Mercy, many of the aches and pains people experience can be attributed to ergonomic issues like poor posture, excessive repetitive movement, or improper lifting techniques. They advise applying basic ergonomic principles at work, home, or play to help avoid injury and perform at your best. • Use the right equipment. Make sure the tool fits the job and your body, whether you’re sitting at a desk, vacuuming, riding a bike, or swinging a golf club. • Work at the right height for you. A too-low computer chair or a too-high kitchen counter can wreak havoc on your neck, back, and shoulders. • Avoid contact stress. Wear gloves or use tools designed to reduce pressure on soft tissue to avoid blisters and other skin damage. • Keep items within easy reach. Extend your arms out on each side. Picture an imaginary arc in front of you from left to right. Place the tools or supplies you use most often within that area. • Avoid repetitive movements and working long periods in one position. Alternate tasks and change your body position regularly. Stretch every 20 to 30 minutes. Visit UPMC.com/Today where you can find more ergonomic tips to use at work and at home.
Brightening Lives with Light
Light therapy is proving to be an effective treatment for bipolar depression and other mood disorders Michele Twyman of Penn Hills always dreaded the approach of winter and the holidays. As the days shortened, she grew increasingly tired, sleepy, and depressed. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed — and stay there. “I didn’t enjoy anything — from decorating to shopping. I never felt like celebrating,” says Ms. Twyman, who has a bipolar disorder and has battled depression for more than 30 years. But last Christmas was different. For the first time in years, she decorated, shopped, and made wreaths and centerpieces. “I enjoy the holidays again. I realize now how much I missed being happy about life’s little things,” she says.
New treatment shows bright promise
People with bipolar depression are especially sensitive to changes in outdoor ambient light and the seasons, she explains. The onset of fall and winter can trigger symptoms similar to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), including fatigue, sluggishness, daytime sleepiness, carb cravings, loss of interest, and inability to experience pleasure. Individuals with bipolar depression also may have suicidal thoughts.
How and why it works
“There are few effective treatments for bipolar depression. That’s why we’re exploring novel approaches such as light therapy.” — Dorothy Sit, MD
Ms. Twyman credits her new outlook to an artificial light box provided by Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic (WPIC) of UPMC. Every afternoon, she sits in bright light for about a half hour while reading or planning appointments and activities. It took just a few weeks to feel the effects. She now wakes up feeling more rested and relaxed. She’s also better able to care for her 95-year-old father. “There are few effective treatments for bipolar depression. That’s why we’re exploring novel approaches such as light therapy,” says Dorothy Sit, MD, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, and a researcher at WPIC who is leading an ongoing study in the use of light therapy for treatment of bipolar depression. “Most patients feel better within two weeks of starting it, and continue to improve for up to eight weeks.” According to Dr. Sit, treatment is inexpensive and effective. Patients with seasonal depression require 30 to 60 minutes of daily light therapy while patients with non-seasonal depression need 45 to 60 minutes.
Light therapy replaces lost sunlight exposure and resets the body’s internal clock, or circadian rhythms — important for everyone’s general health, mood, and thinking. That’s why light therapy also can help patients with jet lag, shift workers, and people with sleep disorders.
While light therapy is generally safe, patients with bipolar depression also must be on a mood stabilizer or they’ll be at risk for manic episodes, says Dr. Sit. Other possible side effects include headaches, eyestrain, irritation, agitation, and insomnia. These symptoms normally disappear following adjustments in the time and length of treatment.
Light therapy tips • Check with your doctor or mental health professional to see if light therapy is a good option for you. • Follow your doctor’s advice concerning any special precautions you need to take. • Use light therapy only with guidance from your doctor or mental health provider to minimize possible side effects and maximize benefits. Visit UPMC.com/Today for more information on bipolar depression and the light therapy study. To participate in the study, call 1-800-436-2461. For information on light boxes, visit the Center for Environmental Therapeutics website at cet.org.
1-800-533-UPMC
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AWalk to Remember UPMC Rehabilitation Institute helps make a seemingly impossible wedding dream come true
Megan Dow was an athletic, carefree 27-year-old with so much to look forward to — from her upcoming wedding to a new house and barn. But a freak ATV accident on Memorial Day 2010 changed her life in an instant, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. It took a week for Megan to realize her broken neck and back wouldn’t be a quick fix and another six months to acknowledge that her paralysis might have permanent effects. Despite the diagnosis, the Negley, Ohio, resident was determined to walk down the aisle on her wedding day 16 months later. “What means more to a girl than walking down the aisle at her wedding?” asks Megan, who became engaged just weeks before the accident.
Regaining the life she lost Initially, she couldn’t sit up without help and wore braces to support her back, neck, and legs. “I went from doing everything to not being able to brush my teeth; from being able to throw a bale of hay to not being able to pick up a gallon of milk,” Megan says. An avid outdoorswoman, Megan longed to return to her activities, including horseback riding, camping, volunteering as a 4H Club adviser, and working as an interior designer. “I absolutely loved the life I had before the accident. I had to work to bring these things back into my life,” she says.
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At the UPMC Rehabilitation Institute’s spinal cord injury unit at UPMC Mercy, Megan’s team of specialists put her to work four hours a day, six days a week in an intensive rehabilitation program. Luckily, she had use of her quadriceps, which allowed her to walk with the help of braces and a walker. Slowly, she relearned everyday skills like dressing herself and walking. She also learned new skills, such as transferring to a shower chair from her wheelchair, and did exercises to build her strength. Megan vowed she’d walk without the walker by that Christmas (a goal she met by Thanksgiving) and down the aisle without a cane. A few weeks before her wedding, Megan donned her gown and practiced walking in the gym with her physical therapist.
Walking happily into the future On her wedding day — Oct. 1, 2011 — Megan did walk down the aisle. Among the guests were her UPMC doctor, physical therapist, and occupational therapist. “They’re a huge part of my life and the reason I’m where I am today. They had to be there!” exclaims Megan. “I’m so grateful to everyone at the Rehabilitation Institute. They gave me the tools I needed, and they encouraged and steered me in the right direction.”
Megan and Eric Dow walked down the aisle after exchanging marriage vows on Oct. 1, 2011.
Megan and her husband Eric honeymooned in Cancún, Mexico, where they snorkeled, swam, kayaked, and even explored some ancient ruins. Today, while she still uses a wheelchair and cane, Megan is thankful she can walk up to two hours with just leg braces. She’s also driving again, riding horses, camping, and doing other activities. “It was a miracle. I’m so grateful I can still do what I used to do — I just do them differently,” Megan says. To learn more about UPMC Rehabilitation Institute and its services, visit UPMC.com/RehabInstitute. You’ll also find a link to Megan’s story and those of other patients who’ve benefited from the institute’s specialized care.
A Lasting Legacy of Caring It was 165 years ago that a small band of Irish nuns pioneered the ministry of Catholic health care in Pittsburgh — a spirit of compassionate care that is alive today at UPMC Mercy Catholic health care has a long and rich tradition in the United States, providing care to medically underserved, diverse, and poor communities. In Pittsburgh, that tradition took shape in the work of seven Sisters of Mercy who first came from Ireland in 1843 to care for the poor and sick. In 1847, those remarkable women built the Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, the first Catholic hospital in Pittsburgh. Today, at UPMC Mercy — the last Catholic hospital in Pittsburgh — their legacy of giving reverent, compassionate care of the highest quality to all patients is flourishing. To Sisters of Mercy, their fourth vow — caring for the poor, sick, and uneducated — is as sacred as the vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. “Scripture provides the model we follow,” explains Phyllis Grasser, vice president of mission effectiveness and spiritual care at UPMC Mercy. “The healing ministry of Christ included a commitment to the poor and vulnerable.”
Securing our mission and identity When the Sisters of Mercy began seeking a partner to help secure the hospital’s future, preserving its faith-based mission of care was of vital concern. In 2008, Mercy Hospital merged with UPMC under an agreement that assured that the hospital would retain its Catholic identity and ethics. That agreement was one of the first of its kind in the United States between a Catholic hospital and a secular health system, and has since become a model for others. Partnering with UPMC also put the struggling hospital on solid financial ground and enabled it to upgrade facilities and bring in new specialized programs and advanced technologies, says Ms. Grasser. UPMC Mercy will continue to provide the best and most advanced medical care to the region’s underserved and most vulnerable populations.
“The executive team is very supportive of the mission, and they’ve encouraged us to strengthen UPMC Mercy’s Catholic tradition,” adds Ms. Grasser.
The mission in action Mercy has always been respected for the important role it has played in the lives of people throughout western Pennsylvania. For nearly 170 years, people have trusted the sisters to care for them with respect, regardless of social status or ability to pay. That has not changed, says Ms. Grasser. Since merging with UPMC, the hospital’s charity care has doubled. While some sisters remain actively involved at UPMC Mercy, the staff is comprised mainly of lay people. Although the lay staff come from a variety of religious traditions, they have a deep understanding of and commitment to the hospital’s faith-based mission. With the support and encouragement of the sisters and the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Ms. Grasser is helping to build a generation of lay leaders to carry Mercy’s mission and values into the future. To do that, she and her staff regularly host lay leadership training programs, as well as seminars for all employees that focus on the hospital’s Catholic identity. “The qualities of trust, teamwork, forgiveness, and generosity are at the core of who we are and what we do as people and as care providers,” explains Ms. Grasser. “They bind us to each other and to our patients.” “The mission, vision, and values of Mercy have not changed. Providing quality medical care with respect and reverence for all people is our responsibility — and our legacy,” says Ms. Grasser.
1-800-533-UPMC
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UPMC Mercy
1400 Locust St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219
UPMC Today is published quarterly to provide you with health and wellness information and classes and events available at UPMC. This publication is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice or replace a physician’s medical assessment. Always consult first with your physician about anything related to your personal health.
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Community Open House April 19 5 to 7 p.m.
Finding a “Tom Brady-like” Investment Manager Are there similarities to fantasy football and attempts to ‘beat the market’? By Daniel L. Henry
A
re you a fantasy football fan? This virtual competition enables one to create a team by compiling star players from varying teams. Trades may be made during the season to attempt to bolster ones roster and improve their standings. A critical aspect in fantasy football is to select players that should do well, before they do! I have never indulged in this harmless activity for the simple fact that I cannot bring myself to select and then root for any player whose good performance could undermine my beloved Steelers. For example, I have followed with much interest in 2011, the success of Denver’s polarizing quarterback (QB), Tim Tebow. (Please know, Steeler Nation, that my admiration for Tebow was put on hold during the recent 1-8-12 Steelers playoff loss…to the Broncos!) Most fantasy footballers would have loved to draft all-pro Peyton Manning, QB of the Indianapolis Colts, for their 2011 roster. Yet who could have predicted that a neck injury would sideline him for the entire season, unfortunately, wrecking their fantasy team! Finally to Tom Brady of the New England Patriots (there is an investment principle forthcoming). Up to the 2011 season, he has led his team to three Super Bowl championships thus far, which is the most of any current QB. Surely you would want him as your signal caller for your fantasy team, right? Can fantasy football relate at all to investing? Sure it can, since I believe many investors competitively attempt to “beat the market” using asset managers touting good past performance, with the belief that said managers will continue to do well going forward. Yet the odds seemingly are stacked against the investor choosing an investment manager to generate higher returns through active management (i.e. frequent buying and selling) compared to simply and passively investing into the overall, broad-based markets. In my opinion, fantasy footballers, like fantasy investors, often choose “Tom Brady-like” managers, with past performance that has exceeded market returns for some time period. Yet if and when that manager does not perform well going forward, many fantasy investors shout “boo” and look to replace their once revered manager! To be fair, there will be active money managers who deliver above market performance. The problem is, you cannot predict, nor is there a guarantee, that their ‘winning streak’ will continue on into the future. Statistics show that in any given year, upwards of 2/3 of active managers do not outperform the passive, index benchmarks that they are measured against.* To rely on your ability, much like the fantasy footballer, to select and maneuver among active money managers, thinking that you can consistently “beat the market”, instead of simply pursuing an asset allocation1-based strategy and passive management, which attempts to closely track market returns, then in my opinion, you must also believe: • That financial markets are not efficient and stocks are often mispriced. • That successful, active stock managers exist and will continue to demonstrate their superiority in terms of identifying mispriced stocks and timely buying underpriced and selling overpriced ones. • That you are able to identify these Tom Brady-like managers and/or discover future stars in advance, while also knowing when to trade them. Since the odds are against selecting and switching managers optimally, we adhere to the belief that the foundation and majority of one’s portfolio should
be allocated via a passive, diversified1, long-term strategy. That’s our reality, which we wholeheartedly believe, trumps fantasy! (Please note of course, that this article is intended for general information only. For specific investment advice tailored to your individual situation, I recommend that you consult your financial, legal or tax advisor). * Source: Symmetry, Active vs. Passive Study, 5-17-11 1
Using asset allocation and diversification as part of your investment strategy neither assures nor guarantees
better performance and cannot protect against loss of principal due to changing market conditions. Dan Henry, CLU, is the Vice President of Henry Wealth Management, LLC, an independent financial services firm located at 1370 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA. He offers Securities through, NFP Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. This article was co-authored with Phil Henry, ChFC, CFS, the firms President. Phil offers Securities and InvestmentAdvisory Services through, NFP Securities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. NFP Securities, Inc. is not affiliated with Henry Wealth Management, LLC. Dan may be reached at 412-838-0200 or through email at Dan@ HenryWealth.com. The firm’s website is www.HenryWealth.com. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the authors and may not necessarily reflect those held by NFP Securities, Inc. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendation. NFP Securities, Inc. does not provide legal or tax advice. Using diversification as part of your investment strategy neither assures nor guarantees better performance and cannot protect against loss of principal due to changing market conditions. Past Performance does not guarantee future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is a popular indicator of the stock market based on the average closing prices of 30 active U.S. stocks representative of the overall economy.
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 29
Leaving
On Good Terms
The Harmony Hospice Foundation Volunteers
D
eath is inevitable and a natural part of the human condition. Yet with death taking place all around us, many people are uncomfortable talking about it or interacting with those who are in the dying process. Harmony Hospice Foundation brings together dedicated, trained volunteers who help hospice patients and their families to not only deal with the final months of life, but to enhance those months with positive, meaningful experiences as well. According to Harmony Hospice Foundation Volunteer Coordinator Debbie Scott, a hospice patient is defined as one who is facing life-limiting illness, usually with six months or less of life expected. “We have volunteers who go into facilities and homes all over the south hills, to visit with patients and their families.” These volunteers are called Direct Patient Visitors. Many times the patient themselves may not be alert, but the volunteers are able to visit with the families and help them by being a much needed friend. “Sometimes the patient is in their 80’s or 90’s and they have no friends or immediate family,” adds Scott. The volunteer is able to connect with them by asking openended questions about their interests they have enjoyed such as gardening or cooking. Sometimes the volunteer may read to them or even accompany them to bingo. Just being able to talk with someone and share memories makes all the difference. Another goal of the foundation is to make sure that no one dies alone. When
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a patient reaches the last few hours of life, the volunteers may keep a bedside vigil if no family members are available. Volunteer Mary Hirsh describes what she does as “very rewarding.” Hirsh explains, “I went through a rough time in the 80s and so many people helped me. I never would have made it through those times if I had not had help. This makes me feel that I am in some small way giving back to others.” Hirsh is quick to admit, “It’s not for everyone,” but having witnessed death firsthand, she finds it neither frightening nor depressing. “It’s a natural part of life.” Pet therapy volunteers take dogs to local facilities to visit with patients and their families. The pets are especially helpful for those who do not have families and are an expression of unconditional love.
W
hile direct visits with hospice patients may not be for everyone, many of the volunteers are administrative and help with office duties or carry work home preparing mail-outs. Still other volunteers knit, crochet and quilt for the hospice patients, making covers for catheter bags and quilts specially made for them. “This is so touching for our patients that someone that doesn’t even know them has made something just for them,” says Scott. The volunteers are actually just part of an interdisciplinary team that helps with all the needs of the patient and their family, including RN’s, chaplains, social workers and counselors. “We stay with a patient’s family for 13 months after the passing,” says Scott. We offer ongoing bereavement counseling and have a support group that meets at the Bethel Park Community Center.” Volunteers are required to pass a background check, a two-step tuberculosis test, a drivers license check and training in dealing with
“I went through a rough time in the 80s and so many people helped me. I never would have made it through those times if I had not had help. This makes me feel that I am in some small way giving back to others.” — Volunteer Mary Hirsh hospice patients. Scott often goes to people’s homes or their local library to give training to volunteers so that they do not have to drive into the main office in Carnegie. “We encourage people to volunteer in their own areas, so that they don’t have a long drive to make,” explains Scott.
O
n Nov. 5th, a volunteer appreciation luncheon was held at Peter’s Place in Bridgeville. The theme was “I Made a Difference to That One.” Scott relates the story of a man walking on a beach, surveying the damage after a storm. He notices thousands of starfish lying on the beach that have washed ashore. Up ahead in the distance, he notices a little boy who is throwing the starfish back into the ocean. When he reaches the boy he tells him, “You are wasting your time. There are thousands of starfish, you can’t save them all.” But the boy picks up a
starfish throwing it into the ocean and says, “I made a difference to that one.” All of the volunteers were presented with a small ceramic starfish, symbolic of the difference they are making in each of their patient’s lives and that of their families. “I work with the most wonderful people in the world,” says Scott of her volunteers. If you would like to be a source of comfort to hospice patients and their families, either by home visits or volunteering behind the scenes, please visit their website at www.harmonyhospice.com or contact Debbie Scott, volunteer coordinator at 412.276.4700. In addition to regular volunteers, Harmony Hospice Foundation is also looking for college students to become life-review volunteers by recording the memories and life stories of hospice patients for their families. If you would like to contribute to the foundation, please visit their website and click on “About Us” and then “Make a Gift.”
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 31
St. Anthony’s Parish
Makes Way for New South Fayette Development
By Mark Berton From its first mass in June of 1915, until its closure in 1994, St. Anthony’s Parish’s history has been a long testament to the dedication of Lithuanians in the South Fayette and Bridgeville area. Now, to make way for development of the Star City property and its outlaying parcels, St. Anthony’s is being torn down. Vacant for quite some time, St. Anthony’s ceased services under its own name when it was combined with St. Agatha’s on the other side of Chartiers Creek under the name of Holy Child Parish. The two churches operated independently under the common name, but St. Anthony’s doors were eventually closed for good. On the property stood the church building, the rectory, which was built in 1918, an event hall which also served as CCD for parish youth, and two shrines – one to Our Lady of Fatima and one to St. Anthony. The former was constructed between the church and the rectory in 1956 at a cost of $8,000 and was spearheaded by St. Anthony’s longestserving administrator, Rev. Alexander Ziubrys, who was known to all parishioners as Father Alexander. Ziubrys was a Lithuanian Franciscan who arrived at St. Anthony’s in November of 1949, along with several
Rev. Alexander Ziubrys
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compatriots, to save the church from abandonment due to the failing health of Rev. Aloysius Jurgutis who had presided over the church since 1920. Ziubrys’ first challenge was to eliminate the church’s $12,500 worth of debt, which he did by 1953. Next, he set sights on building the shrine, with its Palla marble statues from Pietra Santa, Italy. By 1959, Ziubrys had constructed the parish hall at a cost of $48,000, purchased an organ for the church at a cost of $3,800, and acquired new pews, floors and a furnace. In 1960, however, all of that prosperity was challenged by the coming of Interstate 79, which threatened the property. Highway planners sought to bisect the church property. Ziubrys sought approval from Bishop John Wright to fight the development and save the church for its 142 families. After a protracted struggle, Ziubrys won out for the parish, and the configuration of the highway seen today was the result. A renovation project in the 1970s resulted in a rededication on June 20, 1972 and the erection of the church’s second shrine inside the bell tower just outside the front doors of the church, where a marble replica of Michelangelo’s Pieta was housed. St. Anthony’s Bazaar, also implemented under Ziubry’s watch, grew famous in the community with the smell of potato pancakes and confectionaries, small games of chance, bingo and lots of activities for the kids. On October 28, 1984, the church’s shrine to St. Anthony was dedicated at the far end of the parking lot. While St. Anthony’s grew and prospered, the Lithuanian Franciscan Fathers who first brought Ziubrys to the parish dwindled, and by 1989, they could no longer maintain the parish, and the Diocese of Pittsburgh assigned priests to staff the church. On June 10, 1990, the parish celebrated its 75th anniversary. Today, its shrines and grounds are gone, but parts of St.
Photos Courtesy Diocese of Pittsburgh and Mark Berton
Anthony will live on as long as there is a Diocese of Pittsburgh. Ken White, Director of the Office for Archives and Records for the Diocese of Pittsburgh said that new parishes, such as Holy Child, which was formed by merging St. Anthony and St. Agatha, usually get first choice on the instruments and equipment of the former parish. “Generally, things like chalices and that, they go to the new parish,” he said. “They have the first call at it. If they don’t need all that, it’s made available for other parishes. Anything sacred in there, and it depends on what the use of the building will be, so if it the building is sold, sacred items would be taken out of there.” Jane Steele in the Diocese’s Office of Property Planning and Development, said that other parts of the parish are salvaged as well. “We have some items that are housed and cared for. We have some new churches and they might need a new station of the cross. We’ve used some windows and put them into the seminary. It depends on the needs of the Diocese,” she said. “We don’t sell things. They’re not avail to the public at large. It’s against Canon Law to sell anything like that.” Steele said that Diocese officials examine the church prior to its closing to take stock of sacred items. “When the church has been walked through, all religious items are to be removed - alters, tabernacles, crucifixes, stations, everything,” she said.
Continued on page 34
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 33
St. Anthony Firsts First baptism: Mary Juska, July 25, 1965 First wedding: Anthony Knabikas and Antoinette Pavoliute First funeral: Joseph Zvirblys, age 2 ½ First confirmations: July 13, 1919 First outdoor mass: June 13, 1989 One vocation: Rev. Jerome Fern, O.F.M., ordained June 14, 1963 Source: Diocese of Pittsburgh
Continued from page 33 “In the end, it’s just a shell of a building. Old liturgical items, old chalices, we’ll collect and those are housed. If it’s something beyond repair, they are disposed of in the proper fashion. You just can’t throw them in the garbage.” Other items, such as the church’s organ are not considered holy items, and could be sold, she said, most commonly to other Christian institutions such as the Anglicans. But no matter how well off its relics are treated, for long-time parishioners like Julia Symsek, the fact that St. Anthony’s is being torn down is a bitter pill to swallow. “I think it’s terrible that they’re tearing it down,” she said. “I can’t believe it. We went to that church for 50 years or more. I think I joined in my 20s. We have a lot of memories from down there. I worked down there in the kitchen for all the bazaars. We had banquets. It was a nice church.”
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INdustry Insight
It’s your
choice,
an ONLINE pharmacy or your LOCAL veterinarian’s office
I
t’s no question that your pet is an important family member, and when our furry friends are under the weather or having health issues they see the doctor just as we do. Many pet owners have a regular veterinarian which they see for annual health exams, vaccines, sick appointments, and also emergencies; and when they do there is often a medication involved. Whether it’s a preventative medication or a medication for an illness, it’s a service of your veterinary office to supply what is needed for the proper care of your pet. Unfortunately a lot of business is lost to online pet pharmacies. While it seems harmless to jump online and order Sparky’s medication, there are several reasons to reconsider your online purchase. Medications purchased from your vet come with a guarantee. It’s not only a guarantee that your pet is receiving proper medication at an appropriate dose, but additionally a guarantee from the manufacturer of the drug in the event that there is a problem. There are occasions where medications need to be stored in controlled environments, in these cases the products that are available at your vet’s office have been properly shipped and stored. Medications also can be customized to your pet and their unique idiosyncrasies. It’s possible to have a prescription compounded into a more palatable oral suspension instead of a pill, or a transdermal medication that you can apply to the inside of the pets’ ear. There are several ways to customize a medication to your pets liking. Working with the staff at your veterinarian’s office will help to find the best options for administering a medication, even to finicky pets. Most clinics will write a prescription for medication at a client’s request. As this creates a liability for the practice, there is also a wavier that must be signed. This wavier protects your vet from being liable for any drugs purchased from an online source. There are several warnings of these drugs coming from over seas, they may be expired, or not stored under proper conditions. The same is true of many of the supplements that your veterinarian may recommend for your pet. These include, but are not limited to: joint supplements, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamins. There currently is no regulatory agency for vitamins and supplements for humans or for animals. This means we must trust the label of the manufacturer as to the quality and actual quantity of the supplement or vitamin. For instance, it is known
that omega 3 fatty acids from farm raised salmon or other types of fish are potentially harmful for humans and pets. Instead, the source of omega 3 fatty acids should be the appropriate fish, like sardines, herring or mackerel. And finally, many people may not realize that the loss of these product sales could cause a clinic to struggle. If clinics are unable to cover their overhead expenses, and compensate their professional and knowledgeable staff that you know and trust, there may not be that clinic down the road that you love so much with the high standards of medicine and care that you have become accustomed to.
This INdustry INsight was written by Dr. Joanna Rubin, VMD. She is the President of the Bridgeville Animal Hospital. Dr. Rubin graduated in 1997 from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. The Bridgeville Animal Hospital is located at 420 Bower Hill Rd. Bridgeville, PA 15017. Call for appointments: 412.220.9400. Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 35
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1 0 0 2 f Class o
CVSD holds 10 year high school reunion CHARTIERS VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2001 REUNION WAS HELD AT THE HEIDELBERG FIRE HALL IN NOVEMBER. Andrea Merrell Lozada planned the reunion which was catered by P.J’s catering in Bridgeville. Seventy-five people attended the reunion, 50 of whom were graduates. Plans are being made for a 15-year reunion; graduates can join the facebook group page “CV Class of 2001” for more information. A DJ played hits from the early 90s to the top hits of today. Sheena Berry Donley created a DVD with pictures from CVHS which was displayed throughout the reunion. Each graduate received a copy of the movie. Work has also started on Mr. Rod’s Scholarship fund so many CV graduates gave money to help support the fund.
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 37
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INdustry Insight
“THERE ARE ONLY TWO OPTIONS REGARDING COMMITMENT. YOU’RE EITHER IN OR OUT. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS LIFE IN BETWEEN.” PAT RILEY
Shared-Time
Personal Training Couples Who Train Together, Maintain Together
By Lisa Troyer Life is busy. It’s challenging enough to carve away time to spend with your significant other, let alone to make time for exercise. Why not kill 2 birds with one stone? Why not make the quality time that you spend with each other doing something that will make you feel healthy, fit and energized? Sharing time with a trainer, via couple’s personal training, could enrich and make your relationship stronger. Exercising together is a fantastic way to enjoy some extra time together and will put you both on the path to a healthier lifestyle. The buddy-system is nothing new to a successful exercise program. Your odds of staying committed to your program increase significantly. And when the buddy-system includes a personal trainer, the odds of being 100% successful are huge. You are now accountable to 2 people. Once you are committed to a couple’s personal training program, establishing fitness as a shared priority becomes a common goal. Whether you’re already active or completely new to exercise, your trainer will develop an exercise program specific for each individual’s needs. Even though you are working out together, a good trainer will tailor the workout appropriately for both of you. Whatever is going on in your life would be taken into account to create a realistic and sustainable plan to ultimately achieve your goals. Research shows that for better or for worse, in sickness and in health – the person that you share your life with has a huge influence on the lifestyle you lead. You will definitely experience an enriched relationship when you support one another’s fitness efforts. Because you are exercising side by side, you will gain a whole new insight into each other’s strengths and weaknesses and you will learn how to offer support. Working out together will increase more than just your fitness levels. You will experience a higher level of relationship satisfaction. You will have something new to talk about, laugh about and to This INdustry INsight was written by Lisa Troyer. Lisa has been in the fitness industry for more than 17 years and is the owner of Fitness Fanatics in the Great Southern Shopping Center. She currently holds four nationally recognized fitness and personal training certifications and can be reached at 412.220.4190, ext. 3 or at fitnessfanatics@verizon.net. Check out www.fitnessfanaticsinc.com for more great fitness tips.
take pride in…together. I certainly do not profess to be a relationship guru in any sense, but I speak from experience from the many couples that I am fortunate enough to work with in my own business. Most of them are quite the competitors, which elevates the fire in their cores and challenges them to push themselves even harder than they would if they were working out on their own. Share this wonderful experience.… reconnect, improve your body image, your mood and your love life. Best of all, “shared-time” training
won’t put a complete strain on your budget as most facilities offer special rates. Certainly a fraction of the cost
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Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 39
Business Spotlight
HOME DESIGN EXPERTISE
EXPERIENCED NC REMODELING MOD LING AND NEW CONSTRUCTION DESIGN THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS
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our first impression of Laura Reid Riggin and Mary Ann Snyder is that these two women know the home design industry. They pride themselves on meeting the needs of their customers without breaking the pocketbook. In fact, Premier Home Design offers style and design that fits all pocketbooks. Collectively they design kitchens and bathrooms for new homes as well as for existing homes. Premier Home Design Center specializes in home design and remodeling, with particular emphasis on kitchens and bathrooms. “It’s a process” said Mary Ann, who along with Laura spend countless hours talking with their customers about their wants and needs and making sure the “mechanics” work to fit those needs. Laura and Mary Ann bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their craft. Part of that knowledge is presenting designs and products so homeowners can get the most enjoyment out of their homes, and that is where Premier excels. They know what will work and what can’t and both are certified Interior designers. “The process is not just conceptual” says Mary Ann. “It starts as a process, almost an interview to determine the lifestyle and needs of their customers.” From there it is hands-on combined with the knowledge that these women have of products and design, all the while with an eye on costs.
Reid Riggin acknowledges that “people are doing a lot more multitasking today” and that indeed lends itself to designing kitchens and bathrooms that accommodate busy lifestyles. “Bathrooms can be as expensive to remodel as kitchens” she said, but working with a qualified designer can be the best step you take when considering either. “Trends come and go” the two acknowledged, but in general terms they help to open up space and use better products and more cost efficient solutions. “We’re very cost conscious with our clients and want them to be happy with our designs at a price they can afford,” Reid Riggin said. “When the project is completed, our customers are thrilled with their choices.” The impression that you will receive when you meet Laura and Mary Ann will be the same as when you leave. For more information, contact Premier Home Design Center at 412-276-5650, or go to www.premierhomedesigncenter.com, to view some of their designs.
536 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 • 412-257-4555 • Hours: M-F 12 noon - 6 p.m. Web Site: www.jmproductions.net • Email: JMProductions@verizon.net
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Peters Place
Serving Up Excellence for Nearly 30 Years
S
ometimes a restaurant has been around for so long, it becomes an institution, and that’s exactly what happened in the case of Peters Place. Started by brothers Bill and Mike Peters more than 25 years ago, Peters Place is a destination restaurant known for its fresh, unique recipes and calm, warm atmosphere. “We’ve always offered good food at a reasonable price,” said Mike Peters. “That’s why we’re still here. We make all our food from scratch with no canned or frozen desserts.” The restaurant’s menu is so good, Peters Place has carved out a niche as the place to go for wedding receptions. “We do more than 50 weddings a year and can hold anywhere from 30 to 300 people in our banquet rooms,” Peters said. “Our wedding packages start at $29.95 per person and include a complete dinner, 4-hour open bar, champagne toasts and custom wedding cake.” If you have your own hall, Peters Place does offsite catering as well. But for everyday lunch and dinner, you can’t go wrong at Peters Place. Open seven days a week at 11 a.m., patrons can get a typical lunch entrée for around $8, and a dinner entrée for around $18. Menu items range from their famous Orange Glazed Salmon, Virginia Spots, Seafood Bisque and Chocolate Mousse Pie, to seasonal favorites such as wintertime Maple Glazed Salmon, Pretzel Crusted Trout, Black and Blue Scallops, and Chicken Ravioli Asiago. “We also do daily specials,” Peters said. “We typically have six lunch specials and six dinner specials every day.” We had the opportunity to sample the Orange Glazed Salmon, which arrived at the table a feast to the eyes as well as the palate. Visually, the pink salmon covered in a thick layer of orange marmalade, was served with a side of fresh, crisp green beans and a strawberry garnish. The salmon was moist, supple and perfectly done. The glaze complemented the salmon and the
green beans for a savory, fruity mix that recalls the fresh bounties of the fall farmers’ markets. To say our chocolate mousse was decadent would be cliché, but very apropos. Fluffy and thick at the same time, the mousse was sweet, but not too sweet, and covered with a blanket of whipped cream streaming with chocolate sauce. This is a dessert that merits a trip to Peters Place on its own. Peters Place and their experienced chefs never hesitate to take on a challenge. So if you like your meal prepared a certain way, just ask and they’ll do their best to accommodate your needs and flavors to your liking. No challenge is too great for their more than 70 years of combined culinary experience. Peters Place is conveniently located at 1199 Washington Pike, just off the I-79 exit before the Great Southern Shopping Center. With plenty of on-site parking, you and your party will never want for a space. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m. weeknights, 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 8 p.m. on Sundays. Peters Place also does off-site catering for showers, anniversaries, corporate events and more. For more information, go to www.Petersplacerestaurant.net, where you can view banquet room design plans, wedding menus and more. Or you can call 412.221.5000 to make reservations, although they are not required. Mt. Lebanon Chartiers Valley || Spring Spring 2012 2012 || incommunitymagazines.com incommunitymagazines.com 37 41
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412.337.0825 cell / 412.344.0500 office janine.dillon@pittsburghmoves.com
1630 Washington Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15241 www.pittsburghmoves.com
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Chartiers Valley
Business Spotlight
SOUTH HILLS ENT
Opens New Location to Improve the
PATIENT EXPERIENCE
I
f you are a patient of South Hills ENT Assn, Practice Administrator Gina Corrigan is confident that you’re going to love their new office. If you’re a prospective patient looking for a well-established Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat) practice, the hope is to thoroughly impress. South Hills ENT Assn moved into the 2000 Oxford Building on January 20, 2012 and began seeing patients there on January 23, 2012. After looking for office space that would serve its patients well, the group voted to move the office to the 2000 Oxford Drive building. The building is more accessible to the patients that South Hills ENT Assn serves and has a warm feel to it. The new office is right off the 2nd floor elevator in the main corridor of the building with windows that bring in lots of natural light. The 2nd floor was recently renovated by St. Clair Hospital as part of their expansion in the building. “We are very excited to be here”, states Karen Molnar, the groups’ Director of Operations. The new location is just right across the street from the old office. The new office offers better accommodations for its patients and staff. The patient waiting area is spacious and inviting. Patients are met with a coffee station and courtesy television, and reception routines have been streamlined for better patient flow and privacy. “We now have a private area where our staff can speak directly with patients in a confidential manner. The patients can answer any pertinent questions at that point without sacrificing privacy. It helps us comply with the HIPAA regulations. Eventually, as we progress to an Electronic Health Record, we plan on utilizing that space for a computer where our patients will be able to access our patient portal,” states Corrigan. The conversion to electronic records is set to occur mid-way through the year. Past the registration desk, the patient areas have been redesigned to improve foot-traffic, so administrative staff isn’t in the way of the doctors, clinicians and patients. The practice has increased its examination rooms by one, adding a fifth, larger room that will serve as a procedure room in the future. The size of the exam rooms was also expanded, all to make the patient experience a positive one. Current patients will be happy to know that the practice brought over its entire staff with them to the new location, and that they’ll still be able to enjoy all of the services the practice has to offer. One of the things that
South Hills ENT Assn prides itself on is customer service. South Hills ENT Assn boasts a “wonderful and caring” staff that takes very good care of its patients. to schedule an appointment or for more information, call 412.831.7570. For a full list of their services, locations, biographies and qualifications of their doctors, go to www.southhillsent.com.
SOUTH HILLS ENT ASSOCIATION HAS FOUR BOARD CERTIFIED OTOLARYNGOLOGISTS – All of the physicians practice General Otolaryngology as well as Head and Neck Surgery. The group practices newer techniques such as Balloon Sinuplasty and the Pillar Procedure. Most recently, BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid.) surgery was introduced to its patients. South Hills ENT Association has 4 Certified Audiologists that perform Hearing Tests for its patients and a second company that is licensed to dispense hearing aids, Medical Hearing Aid Center. Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 43
Scott Township Municipal News Scott Township Library Information: Scott Township Library has something going on for everyone!
Battle of the Books! Tuesday, May 15, 2012. 6:30 pm in the CVIS Cafeteria. Co-Sponsored by Bridgeville and Scott Township Public Libraries.
What is Battle of the Books?
The Battle of the Books is a program designed to encourage reading and give recognition to those who like to read. All team members read from the same list of selected books. They then compete with other teams by answering questions based on the books.
Where & When is the battle?
Where: CVIS Cafeteria. 2030 Swallow Hill Rd., Scott Township, PA 15220 | 412.429.2233 When: Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Team members must arrive by 6:15 pm.
Who may play?
Students in the 4th or 5th grades from Chartiers Valley Intermediate School may compete.
Team Members...
Participants must organize their own teams of five (5). Each team needs and adult manager. (Someone over 18.) Teams may dress alike if they choose!
How to register?
The team must submit the Battle of the Books Registration Form to either Bridgeville or Scott Township Public Library by Monday, April 9th.
Steps to success! n Make a team with 5 of your friends and choose a team name. n Train. Read the list of books provided, plan a strategy.
(Design shirts or costumes if you’d like!) Compete against other teams from your school on Tuesday, May 15, 2012. Win a trophy or certificate for participating.
Questions? Who to contact: KAREN AT BRIDGEVILLE LIBRARY: 412.221.3737 OR SHERRY AT SCOTT TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY: 412.429.5380
LINDSAY ROAD EVERY MONDAY from 4:30 P.M. TO 7:30 P.M.
JUNE 4th THRU AUGUST 27th ALONG WITH FRESH PRODUCE THERE WILL BE BAKE GOODS, SHAVED ICE AND MORE. Located in the parking lot between the tennis courts and small field.
AT SCOTT PARK
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Chartiers Valley
New Vendors Welcome! Call 412-279-4003
551 Trinity d her daughter end Melissa, an fri , jia Pu b Bo n Rotaria
Bethany Church contestants
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e held its th Fayett past fall. u o -S le il e f Bridgev irview Park this year sinc a ry Club o The Rota Chili Cook-off at F , has grown every event for ual 2007 ity staple Fifth Ann which began in commun local restaurants a e t, n m e o v c ges, ed The e as be guest jud on and h ers includ its incepti ll appetites. With ear’s recipe winn ore than 20 y M fa people o es involved, this and Papa Gallo. y delicacy. h h p rc rc s u u the ic Ch and ch sbyterian d up their take on r for the year. re P y n a Beth ffere raise booths o ajor fund different is the Rotary’s m t The even
Band Team
The Rendition Band
Heartburn Band me mbers having fun
Rotarian Pam Tracy bringing the judges more samples from the contestants
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 45
ecotourism
W
Travelling Green Is Easier Than You Think
e all love our vacations when we can get them. But while travelling may mean leaving town for a dream destination, it also means baggage and one the pitfalls that come with it – waste. From “travel-sized” tubes of toothpaste and shampoo bottles to disposable razors and eating utensils, travelers often plan to return home with less than they take in order to make room for souvenirs or to simply lighten their loads., With a little planning, however, one can achieve the same goal while putting less of a burden on the environment. For starters, many discount stores sell empty plastic flip-top containers that are perfect for shampoos and conditioners. Instead of purchasing travel size versions of your favorite products, just get a few of these containers and fill them from products already in your bathroom. Rather than packing disposable razors, consider purchasing an electric razor for travel. Even after years of use, a quality electric razor that’s been properly maintained will still deliver a close shave. If you’re travelling to a major city or tourist destination, public transportation will almost certainly be available. Just like at home, traveling by bus is the most environmentally friendly way of getting around if you can’t walk the distance. Most port authorities in destination cities have routes to all major tourist attractions already in place. If you need a car, many major rental companies have added flex fuel and electric hybrids to their fleets. Upon arriving plan a grocery stop. Buying from a grocery store for snacks and drinks is cheaper than eating every meal out. If you’re on the go, packing a few sandwiches can also save you time, avoiding long lines at lunch and dinner time. Your hotel room most likely will have a refrigerator; why not use it? The grocery store also will save you from the enormous mark-up on food items in hotel lobbies,
For m on e ore infor tradi cotouri mation tio sm plan nal vaca , or nin Thr tio toda ee Riverg, call n y at 7 s Tra 24.26 vel o r 0.534 three visit w 1 river stravww. , el.co m.
restaurants and room service. Dining out can also be a vacation highlight – no need to eat every meal in the room! If you really want to be an eco-tourist, find local restaurants that reflect the culture of your destination. Local cuisine is part of the experience, so treat yourself, and avoid chainrestaurants until you’re back at home. Eating locally also has ecological advantages; smaller restaurants tend to take advantage of locally grown produce, meats and cheeses. By patronizing these mom-and-pop eateries, you’re not only helping to sustain “mom and pop,” you’re helping the local farmers as well. If you’ve chosen an exotic locale, chances are that there are ecotours available. These unique and exhilarating sojourns are planned around responsible tour routes to preserve the local ecology. They typically hire local employees and guides, and will engage local officials to plan operations to minimize negative impacts on the ecology and social structure. Another advantage to ecotours is that they oftentimes allow unprecedented access to the local wildlife, so be sure have your camera ready. The last thing to know about ecotours is that they are educational. Many tours not only point out fauna and wildlife, but will inform you as to what you can do to keep your favorite destination pristine for generations to come. In the end, your vacation is your dream. Whether you’re more comfortable in a hotel room or in a tent in Madagascar, you always have options to minimize your impact during your stay. And by being a conscientious traveler, you also leave the locals with a better opinion of you and the United States as a whole. When it comes to tourism, you’re not just a visitor, you’re an ambassador.
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Chartiers Valley
Heidelberg Borough news and events
What’s Happening this month! COUNCIL HIRES NEW POLICE OFFICER
The Borough Council and Mayor would like to welcome Adam Nida as a new Patrolman within the Heidelberg Police Department. Patrolman Nida replaces Patrolman Helf who left the Department after three years of service to accept a position with the Scott Twp. Police Department. Patrolman Nida will be a great addition to the HPD. He was an officer previously with the McKees Rocks Police Department and has a B.A. from Kent State University in Justice Studies and is a graduate of the Allegheny County Police Academy. We welcome Adam to Heidelberg!!!
HEALTH DEPT. SPONSORS APPLIANCE RECYCLING PROGRAM OFFERS FREE CURBSIDE PICKUP OF REFRIGERANT-CONTAINING APPLIANCES
SAVE THE DATE MARCH H 11
DAYLIGHT SAVIN GS TIME BEGINS Remember to
change the batterie s in your smoke an carbon monoxide de d tectors!!! Borough-wide
MARCH 13 RECREATION COMMIT TE
EM
EETING 6:15PM Input needed on pl anning and organizin g 2012 Community Events All welcome to atte nd and participate! Borough Office Conf erence Room
MARCH 13 MARCH BOROUGH CO UN
Borough Office Conf
CIL WORKSHOP MEETI
erence Room
MARCH 20 MARCH REGULAR VOTI NG
NG 6:30 PM
The Allegheny County Health COUNCIL MEETING 7:0 Department is sponsoring a program that Borough Office Conf 0 PM er en ce Ro om offers free pickup and recycling of refrigerantcontaining appliances which are no longer in use and need to be discarded. The program is available to County residents only and includes refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, water coolers and other household appliances that countywide can call the Appliance Warehouse at 1-888-GO-FREON contain refrigerants. No commercial appliances will be accepted. (1-888-463-7366) and those in the western suburbs are urged to call “Removing refrigerants from these appliances and recycling them Parkway Heating and Air Conditioning at 412-279-6001. is a win-win-win for the economy, the environment and public health,” The western suburbs include Bridgeville, Carnegie, Collier, said County Health Director Dr. Bruce W. Dixon. Coraopolis, Crafton, Crescent, Findlay, Green Tree, Heidelberg, “Recycling such appliances not only cuts down on illegal dumping Ingram, Kennedy, McDonald, McKees Rocks, Moon, Neville, North and saves valuable landfill space, but also prevents the release of Fayette, Oakdale, Pennsbury Village, Robinson, Rosslyn Farms, Scott, refrigerant gases that deplete the ozone layer, which blocks the sun’s South Fayette, Stowe, and Thornburg. ultraviolet rays that increase the risk of skin cancer.” Funded by a $150,000 grant from the County Clean Air Fund, The Appliance Warehouse and Parkway Heating and Air the program aims to recycle at least 3,750 appliances this year. Nearly Conditioning are carrying out the program under contracts with the 8,000 refrigerant-containing appliances were collected and recycled in Health Department. three earlier programs sponsored by the Health Department in 2006, To arrange for curbside pickup of an appliance, residents 2007 and 2009.
Chartiers Valley | Spring 2012 | incommunitymagazines.com 47
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Chartiers Valley
B U S I N ESS D I R EC TO RY Helping Families Make the Right Move! Nevillewood Southwest
Office: 412.276.5000, Ext. 210 Direct: 412.276.5878 TimDowneyJr@howardhanna.com www.TimDowneyJr.com
Tim Downey, Jr. Realtor, RRS Chartiers Valley Sales & Relocation Specialist
Visit Me at Our New Office in Collier Towne Square
GO Lifetime Resident in Chartiers Valley! COLTS
Sweet Bites Cookies for any event!
412.889.3823 www.bestsweetbites.com
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