March 2022
CONNECTING YOU TO THE COMMUNITY FOR 23 YEARS
Passavant Hospital Foundation
A Legacy Through Caring Also... Home Guide | 2022 Summer Camps | Hooked on Fish Trivia
DON’T CHANGE THE WAY THEY LEARN. CHANGE THE WAY THEY’RE TAUGHT.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
March NC Features 24 24 27 29 30
Easter Worship & Lenten Fish Fries March Events Mother Nature Motivates March Ron Eichner Business Spotlight: RPM Woodworks Home Guide
Health & Wellness 9
Cover Story: Passavant Hospital Foundation – A Legacy through Caring 14 Proactive Aging for the Young and Old Belinda Burchick, RPh, BParm 16 Enjoy An Energizing Evening with Herschel Walker, April 28
Kids & Education
18 School Movers & Shakers 19 Summer Camps
Higher Education
22 Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus
NORTHERN CONNECTION P.O. Box 425 Mars, Pa. 16046
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Phone: 724-940-2444 ncmagazine@northernconnectionmag.com www.northernconnectionmag.com President & Publisher
Laura Lyn Arnold Publisher Emeritus & Contributor
Marion Swanson Piotrowski Executive Editor
Janice Lane Palko Managing Editor/Public Relations Coordinator
Paula M. Green Marketing & Account Executive
Mary L. Simpson Design & Production
Kostilnik & Associates Graphics, Inc. Web Master
Swanson Publishing , LLC Core Writers
Belinda Burchick Ron Eichner Paula M. Green Janice Lane Palko
In Every Issue... 4 6 8
Movers & Shakers Mover & Shaker of the Month: Maddie Smithgall Support Our Troops: Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Paula Green 26 Trivia Connection: Hooked on Fish Trivia Paula Green 28 From the Editor: I Know You Are, but What Am I? Janice Lane Palko
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Northern Connection is published twelve times a year by Swanson Publishing, LLC (P.O. Box 425, Mars, PA 16046, 724-940-2444) and is distributed free of charge to the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh. Subscription can be purchased from the publisher at $25 for one year. The mission of the Swanson Publishing, LLC is to connect the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh by publishing the area’s finest community publication, Northern Connection. The publication is dedicated to the people, communities, educational, religious, travel, and recreational needs of the area. The contents of Northern Connection magazine may not be reproduced or copied in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. Northern Connection magazine reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertisements that do not meet the standards of this publication.
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
Movers & Shakers UPMC celebrated the opening of UPMC Primary and Specialty Care in Sewickley with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Fri., Feb. 11. “The opening of UPMC Primary and Specialty Care here in Sewickley is a significant part of our mission to provide our communities with new options for advanced care at UPMC,” said Mark Sevco, president, UPMC Hospitals. “With convenient access to and from Beaver County and UPMC Passavant-McCandless hospital, UPMC Primary and Specialty Care provides a wide range of medical and diagnostic services together under the same roof.” Prairie Coffee, an ecommerce coffee business, held their grand opening February 1. Strictly an online ecommerce store, Prairie Coffee houses 23 blends of coffee. The company is owned by Terry Shiring. For more information, www.Prairie-coffee.com or email shirint77@hotmail.com.
Sign-On
BONUS
Available!
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
MOVER & SHAKER OF THE MONTH
Maddie Smithgall
Former North Hills Woman Hikes 2,653 Miles By Janice Lane Palko
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on’t ever tell Maddie Smithgall to take a hike—she might just take you up on it. Maddie, 28, of White Hall, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail last year. The Pine Richland High School and Syracuse University graduate began the trek with boyfriend, Nick DiNardo, who had previously hiked the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. “Nick had hiked the Appalachian Trail in 2017, and in 2018, we started thinking about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, but then life got in the way, and then COVID hit, so we couldn’t start until 2021,” said Maddie. Like the Appalachian Trial, which runs south to north or vice versa from Springer Mountain in George and travels approximately 2,200 miles ending in Mount Katahdin in Maine, passing through 14 states, the Pacific Crest Trail begins at the Mexican border and traverses 2,653 miles through California, Oregon and Washington to the Canadian border. Maddie and Nick began their hike on April 10, 2021, and finished it on September 22, 2021, more than 150 days later, only taking 20 days off when they logged zero miles for the day. “It was a good time for us to do it,” said Maddie, who is a graduate nursing student at the University of Pittsburgh. “I didn’t have class or a job, so it all worked out.” The Pacific Crest Trail was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1968 and has primitive camping sites scattered along the way, some with fire rings and access to trail foods. “We carried a tent, but we only set it up once while we were hiking through California when it rained. Hiking mid-summer in California made it too hot to sleep inside a tent, so most nights we slept under the stars in our sleeping bags,” said Maddie. “We did set up our tent more while in Washington as it rains so much more, and it was colder at night.” Maddie’s pack weighed approximately 35 pounds, and she did lose some weight during the trek. “There is just no way you can eat enough to maintain your weight when you are moving all day long,” she said. They met other hikers on the trail—some big groups of hikers and some smaller—and they met people from all over the world. One thing that surprised Maddie was the shocking amount of cell phone service she had on the trail. “There was one long stretch of about eight days when we were going through the Sierra Nevada mountains that we had no service,” said Maddie. “It was also pretty remote in Washington near the Canadian border. We were without cell phone service there for about 4-6 days.” “I thought I would miss more than I did,” she said, “but the scenery is so overwhelmingly beautiful that it keeps you engaged. I really liked Oregon. The trail takes you through this volcanic wilderness area, and the mountains are so different out west. At home, our mountains are so old and rounded and covered with trees. In Washington, the Cascades are so majestic and rugged and peaked. It all feels so different from what we are used to on the East Coast.” For an extended version of this story, visit www.northernconnectionmag.com
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SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund By Paula Green
National Vietnam War Veterans Day is celebrated each year in the United States on March 29. Since 1973, this momentous day commemorates veterans and their families’ sacrifices during the Vietnam War.
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t was a war that raged on for 20 years, from 1955 to 1975. The war was fought between the North Vietnamese and the South Vietnamese. The north had the support from the communist allies including the Soviet Union and China, while the south had the support of the west with the United States. The main reason why the U.S. got involved in Vietnam was to try and keep communism from spreading around the world. There were 58,209 U.S. service members that were killed in the Vietnam War. Unfortunately, our own state was faced with numerous casualties as well. It is reported that 3,150 Pennsylvanians perished as a result of the conflict. Although those veterans are gone, they certainly aren’t forgotten. In 2009, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF), in conjunction with the Department of Military Veterans Affairs (DMVA), launched an initiative to honor fallen heroes. First, these two organizations took on a massive search as they began collecting photos of deceased Vietnam 8
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veterans. Then, they placed the pictures on a virtual wall where they could be honored from anywhere around the world. Amazingly, all 3,150 photos of the Pennsylvanian service members who perished during the war are posted on VVMF’s virtual wall, which can be found at vvfm. org. Although, it took ten years for this portfolio to come together, in 2019, the final elusive photo of the U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Matthew Harris Jr., of Philadelphia was added. On November 7, 2021, VVMF began a 3:00 p.m. daily virtual reading of the names of the individuals who died upon that date. The names are read in alphabetical order. These daily readings run on VVMF’s Facebook page, their YouTube channel, and their website at vvmf.org/rotn. The readings will continue to run until November 6. Northern Connection magazine salutes and honors all Vietnam War veterans for their service and dedication to our country. n
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HEALTH & WELLNESS
Proactive Aging for the Young and Old
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here’s aging, then there’s proactive aging. Aging is part of what happens to us as we go through life. The clock keeps ticking and aging progresses. Proactive aging gives us some control on the aging process. We establish our lifestyle through the choices that we make each day, and this can have a positive or negative impact on our older self. We hold the power to age well in many areas. Proactive aging promotes how we feel physically, functionally, cognitively, emotionally, socially, and spiritually despite any medical conditions. Having an action plan is the first step to proactive aging. Having enough health and wealth are two key factors in this planning. Saving enough money is straightforward but living a healthy lifestyle may not be as clear because there are so many choices. Below are the basics and a good start to an action plan toward positive health: • Aging Heart presents with more rigid blood vessels and arteries, which makes your heart work harder, potentially leading to high blood pressure and other cardiovascular conditions. To be Proactive: • Get daily physical activity • Eat a healthy diet
By Belinda Burchick, RPh, BPharm • Don’t smoke • Manage stress with meditation, exercise, or therapy Aging muscles lose strength and flexibility. Aging bones tend to lose density and become brittle. Aging joints lose lubrication. The goal is to increase muscle contraction, to have a positive impact on mobility, flexibility and balance. To be Proactive: • Get daily physical activity • Get the recommended daily allowance of calcium and vitamin D • Don’t smoke • Limit alcoholic beverages Aging brain may have various levels of impact on your memory or thinking skills. To be Proactive: • Get daily physical activity, which increases blood flow to your brain. • Eat a healthy diet • Limit alcoholic beverages, which may lead to memory loss • Get daily mental activity to keep your memory and thinking skills in check • Be social to prevent isolation and loneliness • Treat your high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which are risk factors for cognitive decline
• Don’t smoke Aging eyes begin to lose focus when looking close up and become sensitive to glare. It may be harder to adjust vision going from light to dark. Aging eye lenses can lead to cataracts, clouding your vision. Aging ears can contribute to hearing loss or having difficulty hearing high frequencies or following a conversation with competing noises surrounding you. To be Proactive: • Schedule regular appointments • Use corrective devices if needed, such as glasses and hearing aids • For protection, wear sunglasses or earplugs when necessary You may have noticed a few common themes above for the various areas of the aging body and mind. Be physically active, but go at your own pace. Anything goes, as long as your body is moving. No matter your health and physical abilities, you can gain a lot by staying active. Lack of physical activity also can lead to more visits to the doctor, more hospitalizations, and more use of medicines for a variety of illnesses. Movement is an important part of being proactive in the aging process, as it can improve sleep, balance and emotional health, among other things. Be cognitively active. Challenge yourself on mental activities and games. Eat Healthy. The right foods we consume provide the nutrients that each cell, organ and bodily system need to function optimally. Get Sleep. Consistent neglect of sleep can have numerous negative health implications. Don’t Smoke and drink alcohol only in moderation. Engage socially. Stay in contact with family, friends, and the community. Being engaged in all aspects of life is vital. If you need guidance, find a personal coach to help you design an action plan for proactive aging. They can work with you on movement, cognition, social engagement, spiritual wellness and making healthy choices. They can show you how to make time for these important changes in your life and be your cheerleader during the times when it is hard to sustain these changes. You can’t stop the aging process, but you can make healthy choices that improve your ability to maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle with proactive aging in mind. n Belinda Burchick, RPh, BPharm, has focused her career on geriatric pharmacy and automated dispensing systems to promote patient safety and improve health outcomes. For the last 10 years, she has served as Chief Pharmacy Officer (CPO) for a long-term care pharmacy, servicing the geriatric population in nursing homes, assisted living, independent living, and the senior day programs, such as, Pennsylvania’s LIFE programs and the PACE programs in multiple states. Belinda oversees the pharmacy operations in three pharmacies, located in Denver, Philadelphia and headquarters in Pittsburgh.
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MOVERS & SHAKERS
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Enjoy An Energizing Evening with Herschel Walker, April 28 Enjoy an energizing and inspiring evening as St. Barnabas Charities honors Herschel Walker at the 122nd St. Barnabas Founder’s Day Celebration to be held Thursday, April 28, 2022, at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Twp. Founder’s Day tickets are on sale now and event proceeds support residents and patients who rely upon the Free Care Fund at St. Barnabas.
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erschel Walker will receive the 2022 St. Barnabas Hance Award. The Hance Award was named in honor of St. Barnabas founder Gouverneur Hance, who was inspired to provide medical care for poverty stricken and chronically ill and injured men and boys in 1900. The Hance Award is presented to a person of national acclaim who exemplifies Hance’s ideals of benevolence, patriotism and service to others. Previous Hance awardees include President Gerald Ford, First Lady Barbara Bush, Elsie Hillman, Fred Rogers, Dr. Patch Adams, Rocky Bleier, Debbie Reynolds and many others. Herschel Walker is nationally known for his 15-year NFL career and his outstanding collegiate performance at the University of Georgia, where Walker carved out an equally successful business career. To this he adds the role of mental health awareness advocate. His compassionate, enlightened leadership has earned him the St. Barnabas Hance Award in memory of Gourverneur Hance, whose compassionate leadership led to the founding of St. Barnabas in 1900. In his business endeavors he is President and CEO of H. Walker Enterprises and Renaissance Man Food Services, a certified minority enterprise that supplies poultry, pork and bakery products to the marketplace, custom bedding, solar blinds and draperies to the hospitality industry as well as promotional products. Walker’s book, Breaking Free, tells of the joys and hardships of his childhood leading to his remarkable college and professional career. He is living testimony of the strength of the human spirit and the ability to overcome challenges. The St. Barnabas Founder’s Day Celebration will bring together corporate sponsors, prominent business people and community
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leaders to honor Herschel Walker for his contributions. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, auction and raffles – followed by a dinner celebration. A VIP photo pass is also available to guests. Following the Hance Award presentation, Herschel Walker will deliver a speech inspired by his career. Tickets range from $300 – $475. For event tickets or to purchase books or raffle tickets, call 724-625-3770 or visit stbarnabashealthsystem.com/founders-day. Proceeds benefit the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund, which supports elderly patients and residents who cannot afford their care.
About St. Barnabas
St. Barnabas Health System is Pennsylvania’s largest health care concern of its kind, offering comprehensive, compassionate care for people of all ages. St. Barnabas’ spectrum of care includes three retirement communities, five living assistance facilities, two skilled nursing homes, home care, hospice, and a community outpatient medical and dental center. Our beautiful suburban campuses are located a short drive north of Pittsburgh in Allegheny and Butler Counties and west in Beaver County. Our golf operations, Conley Resort & Golf Club and Suncrest Golf & Grille are located in Butler County. St. Barnabas provides more than $6 million in free care annually, engaging in innovative methods to raise money for its Free Care Fund such as Founder’s Day, Free Care 5K, Rudolph Auto Repair, Furniture at the Firehouse and The General Store. For more information on St. Barnabas visit StBarnabasHealthSystem.com. n
KIDS & EDUCATION
School Movers & Shakers Shady Side Academy Five members of the Shady Side Academy Class of 2022 have been named finalists in the 67th annual National Merit Scholarship Program by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). The SSA finalists are: Braden Crow, Grace Greeno, Jamila Snyder, Prayag Vemulapalli and Anker Zhao.
Fox Chapel Fox Chapel Area High School senior Zoe Lakkis has been named one of the top 300 scholars in the Regeneron Science Talent Search 2022. Zoe is one of only six stuZoe Lakkis dents in the state of Pennsylvania, and one of 300 students from across the nation – as well as from China, Switzerland and Singapore – chosen to receive this designation. Fox Chapel Area School District Chief of School Police/School Safety and Security Coordinator Joseph Kozarian has been named the treasurer of the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).
Mars Area Mars Area School Board has appointed Richard Cornell to serve as a substitute principal at Mars Area High School during the maternity leave of principal Lindsay Rosswog. Dana Petruska, Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Basketball Team head coach, earned her 500th career win with the Lady Planet’s 57-47 victory over the Plum Mustangs on Feb. 8.
Richard Cornell
Dana Petruska
Seneca Valley’s board members have hired Nii Sowa-Doku as Seneca Valley’s Activities/Athletics Assistant Director.
Nii SowaDoku
Seneca Valley’s first-ever Women in Engineering CyberPatriot Team, won the third place, silver tier award during the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Seneca Valley’s team includes Veronica Pimenova, Courtney Beals, Vivian Palmer and Lihini Ranaweera.
Daniel Spear, a graduating senior at Seneca Valley Senior High School, has been named one of more than 5,000 candidates in the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Seneca Valley junior vocalists Allison Alexander and Elizabeth Hixon qualified to participate in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE).
BC3
Joseph Kozarian
A team of four Fox Chapel Area High School freshmen were named first-place winners in the high school division of the Powering Pittsburgh competition. The team members were Etash Jhanji, Arnim Kuchhal, Varad Sant, and Rohit Velankar. O’Hara Elementary fourth grader Tucker Patsey is selling his artwork to raise funds for Backpack for Hunger. Tucker draws and paints on 5x7 canvases; his artwork sells for $10 per painting on Instagram
(art2combathunger). In the first month since the project began, he has already raised $475 for Backpack for Hunger.
Seneca Valley
Tucker Patsey
Members of Mars Area High School’s 2011 Girls Varsity Soccer Team pose for a photo after winning the 2011 PIAA Class 2A Girls Soccer Championship. Two members of Mars Area Middle School Junior High Wrestling Team placed in the M3 Junior High Wrestling Adam Joseph Tournament. Adam Budzilek Zottola Budzilek earned second place overall in the 210-pound weight class. Joseph Zottola finished in third place overall in his weight class.
BC3 Cranberry student and Allegheny County resident Tyler Beegle, is an extra in the upcoming Netflix film The Pale Blue Eye. The movie is set in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, said Beegle, who portrays a cadet. Beegle is a 2010 graduate of Seneca Valley High School.
CCAC The Community College of Allegheny County and Kane Community Living Centers are collaborating on a new CNA (Certified Nursing Aide) training program to help meet the urgent need in the region for CNAs. For information or to apply, contact Bill LaLonde at william.lalonde@alleghenycounty. us or (412) 422.6773.
Saint Joseph High School (Natrona Heights) Principal: Beverly K. Kaniecki (724) 224-5552 www.SaintJosephHS.com
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SUMMER CAMPS 2022
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s the old song says, “There ain’t no cure for the summertime blues.” While there’s no cure for the summer blues, there is one for summertime boredom. And that is summer camp. “I’m bored!” What parent hasn’t heard that from their child in the summer? Summer camp is a time for a child to beat that boredom and expand his or her horizon. Attending camp can be a time to enrich a learning experience, learn a new language, pick up a sport, or just have plain fun. Northern Connection magazine is happy to present our Annual Guide to Summer Camps. n
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SUMMERCAMPS SUMMER CAMPS2022 Co
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Spring & Summer Camps & Programs Guide Feature your camp or program in Northern Connection Magazines monthly Summer Camp Guide. •Feature your camp or program in 2 or more issues and receive a complimentary editorial with photo in our Summer Camp Guide. Reach 60,000+ monthly readers. Magazines are distributed directly into homes and free pick up locations in the northern area of Pittsburgh.
Reserve your spot today! 724-940-2444
info@northernconnectionmag.com www.northernconnectionmag.com
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HIGHER EDUCATION
Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus
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ocated in the North Hills of Pittsburgh, Eden Hall Campus is a nearly 400-acre academic community dedicated to sustainable living and learning through the exploration of sustainable approaches to energy, water and soil, food and agriculture, and air quality and climate. Eden Hall Campus is for everyone – students and neighbors alike. From hosting meetings and food workshops to growing food for Chatham’s dining halls, Eden Hall Campus serves its communities in a variety of ways.
Falk School of Sustainability & Environment
Eden Hall Campus is home to the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment (FSSE), which offers master’s degrees in food studies, sustainability, dual-degree programs that combine those degrees with an MBA, as well as bachelor’s degrees in sustainability, food studies, and environmental science. FSSE programs are hands-on, experiential, and highly collaborative with community partners.
Community workshops
Presented by the Center for Regional Agriculture and Food Transformation (CRAFT), our food workshops offer attendees the opportunity to learn more about culinary aspects that pique their interests. CRAFT workshops are typically offered in a small class format for students to get more hands-on attention. Workshop topics have included bread baking, chocolate molding, sausage making, wine tasting, pie making, dry-curing meats, and more.
K-12 programming
Through K-12 programming and events at Eden Hall Campus, students can explore and participate in a variety of activities that broaden their awareness of the connections between food, energy, nature, science, mathematics, and more. Educators discover how to take those same principles of sustainability into their classrooms and create fun and educational lessons that have broad applicability. Eden Hall’s K-12 team provides educational opportunities that include Grades 4-12 field trips, educator events, campus and overnight programs like our Sustainable Leadership Academy, and more. For more information, visit edenhall.chatham.edu. n
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EASTER WORSHIP & LENT March Events AARP #595 meeting, noon, April 5, Hampton Presbyterian Church, 2842 E Hardies Rd., Gibsonia. Topic “Team Trivia,” fun facts of Pittsburgh with David Hall. Meetings are held the first Tuesdays. For more info, email janet.rushmore@verizon.net.
NA Class OF 1977 45th Reunion, 7-11 p.m., Saturday, August 20, Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh-Cranberry, 910 Sheraton Dr., Mars. For details, email nashclassof1977@gmail.com. To register,https://nashclassof1977.wixsite.com/ reunion.
The Block Northway Student Artwork Showcase runs through March 14, in the South Corridor, Upper Level between Lands’ End and DSW. The exhibition is free & open to the public 10 a.m.- 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday & 10 a.m.6 p.m., Sunday.
North Pittsburgh Quilters Guild Spring Quilt Show, Flowers of Hope, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri & Sat., & 10 a.m.-5 p.m., & noon-4 p.m., Sun, April 22-24, at the Ross Community Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive, Pgh 15237. Admission is $10. For details, visit http://www.npqg.org/.
Cranberry Artists Network show A View from Above or Below, March 4-April 14, Cranberry Township Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Rd, Cranberry.
Northland Library has numerous events scheduled for March. For a completed list, visit www.northlandlibrary.org or call (412) 366-8100.
Folds of Honor Scholarship Applications are available thru Mar. 31. For details, visit foldsofhonor.org/scholarships/. Fox Chapel Area School District kindergarten registration will be held in March. For details visit, https://www.kdgfcasd.com/. Greybrooke Garden Club meeting, 9:30 a.m., Mar. 9, in the Fellowship Hall of Parkwood United Presbyterian Church, 4289 Mt. Royal Blvd, Allison Park. For details, call Karen at (412) 366-2096 or visit www.greybrookegardenclub.org.
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Saint Aidan Parish Over 50 Travel, Soaring Eagle Casino Trip, Sept. 13-16, three nights accommodations. Visit Soaring Eagle & Hollywood Casinos, plus the Henry Ford & Native American Museums. For info, call Lois at (412) 400-4516 or Dave at (412) 719-3172. Sealarks Women’s Group meeting 1:00 p.m., March 9, at Memorial Park Church, 8800 Peebles Rd, Allison Park. Provides Christian fellowship & social activity for women alone – widowed, divorced or never married. All women alone are welcome to attend. For info, call (412) 487-7194.
EN FISH FRIES Seneca Valley kindergarten registration is open. Half-day program w/ transportation provided one way. Children must be five years old on or before Sept. To register visit, https://portal.svsd.net/registration/kindergarten.asp. Shaler Garden Club Plant Sale, 9:00 a.m. to noon, May 7, Kiwanis Park, Wetzel Rd, Glenshaw. For details, go to shalergardenclub.com. Transfer Tuesdays, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m., every Tuesday thru May 17, La Roche University main campus in room 210 in the Wright Library. No registration or appointment necessary. Contact the Graduate Studies & Adult Education Office at (412) 536-1260. UPMC Passavant Hospital Auxiliary Membership Opportunities, are you looking for a stimulating opportunity for social interaction with other dedicated people in support of our community hospitals—UPMC Passavant McCandless and Cranberry? Join the Passavant Hospital Auxiliary’s long tradition of caring. The Auxiliary meets the 2nd Monday of each month, 10 a.m., Sept. through June. New members are welcome. For info, contact Nicole Kaib at (412) 748-6640 or kaibn@upmc.edu. Women’s Business Network has meetings scheduled in March at various times and locations. For a details list, visit www.wbninc.com.
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TRIVIA CONNECTION
Hooked On Fish Trivia By Paula Green
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We must fish our way around this aquatic query since we have angled through some marine facts. So get set to don those thinking caps because it’s time to get a little trivial. 1. This idiom means that you feel out of place. 2. A group of fish swimming together is called a school; what do you call a group of dolphins? 3. Name the little yellow fish in The Little Mermaid that was Ariel’s best friend. 4. This actor portrayed Detective Phil Fish in two TV series – Barney Miller and Fish. 5. A pet fish that is very colorful with long-flowing fins. 6. This TV show ran on NBC from 1964 to 1967; it featured a bottled-nosed dolphin. 7. Name the fish that is the only known creature where the male is the one that becomes pregnant and carries the babies. 8. In this 1988 movie, four people team up on a jewel heist and then double-cross each other. 9. Which Star Trek movie revolved around two humpbacked whales named George & Gracie? 10. This video game was launched in 1991. It features a fearless fish called? 11. A puffer fish called Mrs. Puff is featured in this animated TV show. 12. What is the name of Geppeto’s pet goldfish in Disney’s 1940 animated film Pinocchio? 13. This 1979 comedy was about a struggling professional basketball team called the Pittsburgh Pythons. 14. Jesus fed 5,000 people with five loaves, and how many fish? 15. Name the children’s book that spotlights a fish with shiny foil scales. n Sources: www.factretriever.com/fun-fish-facts, www.listchallenges.com/ fictional-fish, outdoorlife.com, fandango.com, wikipedia.com, https://englishbyday.com/fish-idioms-phrases/, https://www.liveabout.com/oceanand-sea-creature-movies-2107814,
Answers: 1. “A fish out of water” 2. pod 3. Flounder 4. Abe Vigoda 5. beta fish 6. Flipper 7. seahorse 8. A Fish Called Wanda 9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home 10. James Pond 11. SpongeBob SquarePants 12. Cleo 13. The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh 14. two 15. Rainbow Fish
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sh Wednesday arrives on March 2, marking the start of the Lenten season. Along with it being a time of repentance, Christians also often partake in a tasty annual church tradition – Fish Fries. To celebrate, we will spotlight some fishy things. The word “halibut” means “holy flatfish” (hali=holy + butte=flatfish) because it was only eaten on holy days. Halibut is a popular fish that Americans like to consume. Other tasty fish choices include tuna, flounder, salmon, cod, tilapia, perch, trout, bass and catfish. According to the Oxford Dictionary, a fish is – a limbless cold-blooded vertebrate animal with gills and fins, living wholly in water. Some popular animated movies that are fish-themed include Disney films Finding Nemo and its sequel Finding Dory. Another Disney aquatic adventure is The Little Mermaid. In 2004, DreamWorks made a splash with Shark Tale. In 2016, Fishtales was released. It was followed up with Fishtales 2 and Fishtales 3. We laughed with Don Knotts in the 1964 comedy The Incredible Mr. Limpet. In this film, Knotts longs to become a fish; he gets his fishy wish after falling into the water. Likewise, the 2008 musical panorama Ponyo is about a little fish that doesn’t want to stay in the water. Children’s books splashed up some excitement. One favorite is Dr. Seuss’s 1960 tale, One Fish, Two, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Another fun kid’s book is Pout, Pout Fish. Children also enjoy playing the card game Go Fish! There have been fish characters that we have enjoyed on television – Charlie the Tuna was seen frequently in TV commercials for Starkist Tuna. We’ve laughed at Blinky, the three-eyed orange fish on the animated television show The Simpsons. There was the Disney animated program Fish Hooks. The cartoon Jabberjaw showcased a funny, great white shark. Speaking of great whites; who could forget that monstrous aquatic beast in the film Jaws? How about those fish that aren’t actually fish? Starfish and jellyfish are sea creatures. Crayfish/crawfish are freshwater creatures. Silverfish are land creatures. They are not “fish” in the biological sense. Another mighty ocean dweller that falls into that category is a whale. Even though it looks like a gigantic fish, it is really a mammal. The exciting whale stories are Jonah and the Whale, Moby Dick, Orca, Free Willy, and Big Miracle.
FACTS FROM THE FARM
Mother Nature Motivates March
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easons aren’t like a traffic light when one car stops, and then the other goes. It is more like having some spring during winter and winter during spring. If you think that statement is true, hang on for some of the “rest of the story.” March is an exciting month, with spring starting each year between March 19 and 21. A few interesting facts about March are: Women’s History Month shared with National Nutrition Month. March 4 is National Grammar Day, National Son’s Day, and Employee Appreciation Day. March 17 is Saint Patrick’s Day, and March 21 is National Teenager’s Day. As the daylight increases each day, and the days get warmer; there is still a balance to focus on because our silent partner is Mother Nature and always gets her way. If the weather gets too warm too early, fruit trees get pushed and a seasonal or late frost can have a light crop or no crop for the year. It’s the same with vegetable and flower plants; it’s tempting to get a head-start for an earlier harvest of some crops, but the plants can be set back just by planting too early. We often get early warm weather for seven to 10 days, and the soil temperature is rising, which the soil temperature is the pulse of the plant. However, if you get a cold rain or two, all the soil temperature gains are lost; it stuns the plants. For those who like pure maple syrup, March can be the month for maple sap flow. It starts to flow when
By Ron Eichner
daytime temperatures rise above freezing, and nighttime temperatures falling below freezing. The sap moves up into the tree during the warm day and then drops back down on the cold nights. The maple syrup producers have a short season, if it gets too warm, too quickly, and for too long and doesn’t drop below 32° at night. Farming would be easier if we could talk to Mother Nature, but as farmers, we accept that if we get a setback due to weather, we have to hope that the future will be better. We started masking up because of the pandemic in March 2020. Finally, after two years, people are free to navigate their lives and are leaving their masks at home. Our farm market was never closed throughout that period. We welcomed and served our customers with or without masks; it was their choice. Science has been a big part of agriculture. As a farmer, experience tells me that one should be cautious until all the facts are presented. I trust God and the free will to choose. Look at the beginning when Adam and Eve were and the Garden of Eden and were told to trust and see where it got us all. As farmers we have a long history of offering free advice; there are no billable minutes. So, whether it’s family, friends, or customers, you can always go back to the farm to get questions answered, solve a problem or share knowledge. A nutritional tip from the farm is
by God’s design, humans and livestock often lack minerals that cannot stimulate their vitamins. Lacking minerals doesn’t support wellness. Most of our modern agriculture for the last 60 years has exclusively used synthetic fertilizers, and the minerals have been depleted from the soils. Again, by God’s design, livestock utilizes about 65% of their feed’s nutritional value. Then it leaves 35% of the nutrition to nurture the fruit and vegetables as fertilizer to add nutritional values. This is the science that you can truly count on. At our farm market, we have a recipe from a German doctor Dr. Barbara Hendel for an inexpensive way to get 84 minerals and trace elements every day. All you need is an empty pint mason jar and a trip to our farm market for a free recipe using Himalayan crystal salt. Another tip is look up the benefits of NAC/600 mg. It has been one of my go-to everyday tips for years. NAC truly is a golden nugget. I hope you have a Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, and since we are told, we are all Irish on that day, I will be known as Ron O’Really. Diane’s homemade Saint Patrick’s Day cut-out cookies are a hit and a treat to enjoy. If you want nutritionally fortified eggs and seasonal vegetables, you are welcome to stop by Eichner’s Whole Farm and Greenhouses and let us be one of your year-round destinations for 2022 at 285 Richard Road in Wexford and get the “rest of the story.” n
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FROM THE EDITOR
I Know You Are, but What Am I? By Janice Lane Palko
The greatest wisdom consists in knowing one’s own follies. – Madeleine de Souvré
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everal times over my life, my mom referred to an incident that happened when she was a teen, something which captivated the country. On October 19, 1953, entertainer, movie star, radio and television broadcaster, Arthur Godfrey shocked the nation when he fired, live onair, the handsome, young singer Julius La Rosa on his show, Arthur Godfrey Time. La Rosa’s crime? Godfrey, the most powerful man on air, stated in a press conference after the firing that he had let La Rosa go because the young crooner had lost his “humility.” Could you imagine someone being fired today for lacking humility in this age where people are constantly flaunting themselves on social media? My mom often related that incident as a cautionary tale when I was a kid and either I or someone else would become too full of themselves, warning that bad things can happen to the haughty. That story had always stuck with me and always made me wonder exactly what is humility or what it means to be humble? I’ve never had a great handle on what it is, but in researching it, I’ve learned that humility is not being poor or meek or self-effacing. In essence, to be humble is to know your strengths and weaknesses and your place in the order of things. In spiritual circles, it boils down to knowing that you are flawed and not God. I also began to investigate the Godfrey-La Rosa incident and discovered something surprising. Nearly 70 years later, after the Godfrey-La Rosa incident, it’s hard for us who weren’t alive back then to comprehend what a big deal the firing was at the time. Godfrey, who had been a beloved entertainer since the early 1940s, had polished a down-toearth, genial persona and commanded the airwaves, appear28
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ing up to six times a week on nine broadcasts over radio and television. The firing of the popular La Rosa, who was 23 at the time, ignited outrage and made him even more beloved. As a result, Godfrey became the butt of comedians’ jokes and a satire song by singer Ruth Wallis called Dear Mr. Godfrey, which skewered him with lyrics like this: Dear Mr. Godfrey, listen to my plea Hire me and fire me and make a star of me I will be so grateful if it can just be done Hire me and fire me Ed Sullivan, here I come Though La Rosa was painted as lacking humility, the story behind the firing revealed that it was actually Godfrey who was vain, controlling, egotistical and jealous of his young star, who was receiving more fan mail than he. Godfrey never recovered from the firing incident; by the 1960s, he was pretty much a has-been. He died in 1983 at the age of 79. Conversely, La Rosa continued to appear on television for the next several decades, including a 1980 episode of Laverne and Shirley and starring in the 1980s in a recurring role as Reynoldo on the soap opera, Another World, for which he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. He died in 2016 at 86. It has been reported that Godfrey and La Rosa ran into each other on the street in New York City shortly before Godfrey died, and Godfrey hugged La Rosa, who welcomed the opportunity to bury the hatchet. In retrospect, Godfrey must have sensed deep down that he was a small man. Why else would he have cultivated such a welcoming on-air personality? But he must have felt so threatened by the upstart La Rosa, that he projected his flaws onto him. While the Godfrey-La Rosa incident was to a lesser extent about humility, it was more a lesson in human nature. Like that childish comeback, “I know you are, but what am I?” this episode illustrates how we often project onto others that which we despise in ourselves. n
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
RPM Woodworks RPM Woodworks was founded by local artisan Ron McCloskey in 2020. After serving in the U.S. Army, Ron has been a carpenter for nearly 30 years. Even in his spare time, Ron finds ways to build quality custom furniture and home décor.
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e likes how it combines the creativity of custom designs with the familiar medium of wood. For most projects, Ron cuts the wood, planes the wood, dries the wood, builds the molds, and helps his customers select resin colors that work best for them. Aside from growing the tree, he does it all and takes pride in his work. RPM Woodworks products are made with the highest quality elements and with the greatest attention to detail. Drawing inspiration from the rivers, woods, and landscapes in Western Pennsylvania, and from the infinite colors and textures Ron and his wife have seen during their travels, he built furniture and accessories to decorate their home. Soon people were asking him to create pieces in colors and textures that are meaningful to them. “If you are looking for a unique, one-of-a kind, functional work of art, you should definitely contact Ron McCloskey. He uses his creativity and carpentry skills to create beautiful charcuterie boards, cutting boards, desks and, in my case, a small table. Not only is Ron’s carpentry work impeccable, he has mastered the use of resin in his designs. Based on my “limited” specifications, Ron created a side table (with a drawer) made of a slab of walnut (from a tree he cut down) and white resin with metal legs. It is gorgeous and quite the conversation piece. Ron is a perfectionist and takes great pride in his work, and it shows. You won’t be disappointed,” said Bev Ludlum, a customer from Butler. Moreover, with the rise in popularity of charcuterie boards, Ron has kept a pulse on what’s trending and creates unique pieces for each of his customers. The charcuterie boards provide a
unique and natural way to lay out hors d’oeuvres, floral arrangements, and desserts. Each board has a food grade finish and comes with easy care instructions for years of enjoyment. “I was looking for a nice cutting board or serving tray and came across Ron’s work. I requested a specific color and design, and it definitely exceeded expectations. It’s beautiful,” says Heather O’Connor, a satisfied customer in Pflugerville, Texas. RPM Woodworks’ custom furniture is built with care according to dimensions and specifications provided, type of wood and finish desired, and can include colored resin elements. “We asked Ron to design and build a gate for our front porch. Not an easy task to do because we wanted something that would be easy to open/close and to keep the dogs safe while on the porch. Our two requests were that it be on wheels for ease of opening and to incorporate 2 different types/shades of the wood on our porch. He created an incredible gate with everything we requested. He is amazing. He is a perfectionist, and it shows in his work. Also, it was a quick turn-around time and an extremely reasonable price. I would highly recommend RPM Woodworks for any custom woodworking needs,” says Leigh Ducoeur from Pittsburgh. Orders for RPM Woodworks quality custom furniture and home decor can be placed directly through their website: www. rpm-woodworks.com. RPM Woodworks finished products are also sold at So Me Artisan Wares and Jewelry Studio in Allison Park and Two Rivers Oil and Vinegar in Beaver. n www.northernconnectionmag.com | M A R C H 2 0 2 2
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