22 minute read
Farmer’s Market Fun
Summer may be winding down, but it’s the perfect time to visit a farmer’s market for fresh produce. And nothing could be more convenient than stopping by the Upper St. Clair Farmer’s Market, operated by the Rotary Club of Upper St. Clair–Bethel Park (Breakfast).
Located in the Westminster Presbyterian Church parking lot at 2040 Washington Road and open every Thursday from 4–7 p.m., May though September, the market has lots of local vendors, selling everything from fruits and vegetables to fresh baked goods to BBQ and gyros. Live entertainment is featured on many market nights. Numerous families stop to pick up dinner and stock up on fresh local produce and other items for the weekend while visiting with friends and neighbors. Why not join them one week? n
The Upper St. Clair Farmer’s Market operates on Thursday evenings from 4–7 p.m., May through September, in the Westminster Church parking lot.
To the unacquainted, Wingfield Pines may seem like more of a conservation project than a thriving ecosystem. Key to Wingfield’s terrain, and one of the first things that many people learn about the property, is that it is the site of a treatment system for abandoned mine drainage (AMD). The iron-polluted water is passively treated through a series of ponds before being released into Chartiers Creek. In addition to their role in treating AMD, the wetlands of Wingfield Pines foster a diverse ecosystem, one which supports a variety of water birds. Besides wetlands, Wingfield Pines also boasts forest and grassland, which support their share of birds. All in all, Wingfield Pines supports around 198 bird species, of which 149 can be found there during the fall.
In the ponds and marshes, birdwatchers can spot Mallard and Canada Geese almost year-round. Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher are also wetland residents in all seasons. Some common year-round residents of Wingfield Pines’s forested areas include woodpeckers, owls, and Wild Turkey.
The fall migration brings several new waterfowl to Wingfield Pines, including the Pied-Billed Grebe, American Coot, and Blue-Winged Teal. The Solitary Sandpiper is another fall visitor to Wingfield. Other shorebirds like Sora and Least Sandpiper may also be present. An autumn trip through the wetlands of Wingfield Pines may also reveal lingering Tree and Barn Swallows, which are common during the summer months.
All around the green space, there is the possibility of seeing raptors such as Redtailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures. In the fall, Osprey and Sharp-shinned Hawks are also likely to be in the area. Especially in some of the more forested parts of Wingfield Pines, there is a good chance of seeing warblers. During the fall migration, many warbler species pass through Allegheny County on their journey back to their wintering grounds in central and South America. This includes the vibrant Magnolia Warbler and Palm Warbler, which are often sighted at Wingfield Pines. Wingfield Pines already hosts a variety of bird life and offers plenty of birding opportunities during the fall migration. In the coming years, there may be more bird species to see. The once-maintained meadow, which contributed little to the location’s biodiversity, is currently undergoing a transformation into a wetland habitat. An expansion of Wingfield’s already prospering wetland ecosystem could attract even more birds to the area! So, we hope you will keep an eye to the skies to see the changing winged visitors throughout each season and over each year. n
For registration and more information on the above events and more offerings, visit: alleghenylandtrust.org/events
Events Webinar: Fall Wild Edibles September 14, 5–5:45 p.m.
Ages: All Cost: Free Join ALT senior director of education and curriculum Julie for a look at our common backyard edible wild plants. Registration: alleghenylandtrust.org/event/webinar-fallwild-edibles/
Webinar: Science of Spiders October 5, 5–5:45 p.m.
Ages: All Cost: Free Birdwatching at Wingfield Pines Do all spiders build webs, and are those webs really stronger than steel? Learn all about spider facts and fiction, as well as their amazing biology with ALT’s senior director of education and curriculum Julie! Registration: alleghenylandtrust.org/event/webinarscience-of-spiders/
First Friday Hike: Wingfield Walk October 7, 10–11:30 a.m.
Ages: All Cost: $5/person Every first Friday of the month (barring holidays) you can join an ALT environmental educator for a nature walk at one of our properties! October will explore the AMD ponds and wildlife of Wingfield Pines. Hike runs rain or shine; no walk ins are permitted. Tickets: alleghenylandtrust.org/event/first-friday-hikewingfield-walk/
Webinar: Batty for Bats October 26, 5–5:45 p.m.
Ages: All Cost: Free Do all bats use echolocation? What popular adult beverage would not exist without bats? Join ALT senior director of education and curriculum for a talk on some of the biology, myths, and facts about bats. Registration: alleghenylandtrust.org/event/webinarbatty-for-bats/
Green Heron
Horses with Hope at Gilfillan Farm
The staff, volunteers, and herd are happy to be back at Gilfillan Farm for the second year of service in the Upper St. Clair community. As you’ve walked the trail recently, you might have noticed Miracles, Fritz, Rex, Nick, Lil’ Scout, and Rocky grazing in the fields while taking a break from therapeutic riding lessons. Willow and Finn, the myotonic fainting goats are also back this year. If you are visiting the farm, volunteering, or have a child participating in summer camp, these two little goats prove friendly companions to everyone they meet!
Speaking of companions, Horses with Hope is looking for two more well-mannered miniature donkeys or horses to add to the herd for use in the upcoming winterfeeding program and summer camps. Three weeks of summer camp were scheduled again this year and were at capacity with a waiting list. Stay tuned for future program information and please contact Horses with Hope if you know of any minis that would be a good fit! Horses with Hope had many volunteer and project needs this season. The summer months brought about the need for extra volunteers to help with landscaping and trimming. Additional projects were also available for Eagle Scouts. For individuals aged 14 and up, sidewalkers were needed for therapeutic riding lessons. Volunteer as a sidewalker with Horses with Hope to help keep participants safe on and around the horse. Connect with your community by making a difference in the lives of others! Year-round fundraising opportunities are available for individuals and schools. Students and school clubs involved in art departments or service projects can support Horses with Hope with fundraising efforts or create artwork for use as a raffle item at our fundraising events. Save the date and stay tuned for more information on upcoming Horses with Hope events. On Sunday, November 13, get ready for raffles, bowling, and pizza at the annual Horses with Hope bowling fundraiser at the Meadows Lanes. n
The Third Annual Belmont Jewel event on June 11 at St. Clair Country Club was a wonderful evening for all in attendance with cocktails, appetizers, dinner, a variety of games, and a silent auction. Details on next year’s event will be coming soon! —Belmont photos courtesy of Heather Nyapas Photography
Horses grazing
Willow and Finn
For more information on Horses with Hope programs, events, and volunteer opportunities, please visit horseswithhope.org.
This April, TODAY headed south to New Orleans and the “Big Easy” did not disappoint! From the French Quarter to the Garden District, the city’s rich history, varied architecture, and amazing nightlife, music, and cuisine combine to create an unforgettable experience. Among the highlights of the trip were a walking tour of the city, visits to Jackson Square and
St. Louis Cathedral, coffee and beignets at Café Du Monde, and several parade sightings! n
TODAY in New Orleans
Second line is a tradition in brass band parades in New Orleans. The “main line” or “first line” is the main section of the parade, or the members of the actual club with the parading permit as well as the brass band. Those who follow the band just to enjoy the music are called the “second line.”
The Riverwalk starts by the Riverwalk Outlet Collective at Canal St. and runs along the Mississippi river down to the French Quarter area. On your walk you can see barges and cargo ships going down the river. There’s a paddle boat there if you’d like to ride for a fee, and you can usually find people playing music or just sitting in the grass or along the side.
Looming large against the Mississippi River is the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, one of the top museums of its kind in America, with 15,000 sea life creatures, representing nearly 600 species in a state-of-the-art facility.
New Orleans headline entertainer Jeremy Davenport, performing at the Davenport Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton.
The Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis, King of France, also called St. Louis Cathedral, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is the oldest cathedral in continuous use in the U.S. The cathedral was built in 1789 and rebuilt in 1850, and its all-white, Spanish Colonial façade with three black spires is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the South.
Located in front of the St. Louis Cathedral is Jackson Square. Nestled in the center of the French Quarter, the 2.5-acre space welcomes over two-million visitors and locals each year for a variety of events.
Instructions for Traveling with TODAY
Read the following criteria to find out how to submit information. • Clear, close-up digital photo of USC resident(s) holding his or her TODAY magazine. • Attach jpg (at least 300 dpi) and send via email, including required information (see below) in the body of the email. • List name(s) of resident(s), group, and specific photo location, and objective of visit (leisure, volunteer, career, etc.) or stay-athome project. • Include email address or phone number should further contact be necessary. • Email information to usctoday@usctoday.org, with “TODAY” listed in subject line.
Note: Submitted photos and information for this feature section will remain on file for upcoming editions until published.
Bedner Estates
The neighborhood known today as Bedner Estates can be traced back to the 18th century when the first settlers were claiming land in Upper St. Clair. Originally, this area was part of Daniel Carroll’s land patent, which he named “Carrolton.” Surveyed in April 1787 and warranted in October 1789, Carroll, like many of his neighbors, applied on a Virginia certificate. The colonies of Virginia and Pennsylvania disputed the ownership of Southwestern Pennsylvania in the decades preceding Carroll’s claim. Individuals applying for land in the area had to decide which colony, and later state, they should make their application to, based on which state they believed the land belonged to at the time.
After Carroll, the property was owned by members of the Borland family, who built a Greek Revival style house sometime between 1839 and 1849 along what became Cook School Road. In a map from Hopkin’s 1876 Atlas of the County of Allegheny, J. Borland is listed as the owner of this farmland next to neighbors such as Moses Cook and several McMillan family members.
Unlike Cook and McMillan, the Borland family name was not attached to either a school or road. Instead, it is the Bedner family who is associated with the property, now known as Bedner Estates. The Bedner family was the last owner of this farmland prior to the neighborhood’s construction. Bedner’s Farm started with the 1917 purchase of the property from Pittsburgh Coal Company by brothers Stephen and Walter Bedner. The next generation of Bedners continued to farm and expanded the family business to include Bedner’s Farm Market on Bower Hill Road in 1956. As of 2002, the 120-acre Bedner’s Farm was the last working farm in Upper St. Clair. Now, the area along Cook School Road is home to many Upper St. Clair families. n
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Sugarplum 2022
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412-221-4300 1476 Bower Hill Rd Upper St. Clair, PA 15241Looking for a “sweet” way to get a jump on your holiday www.cshopping while supporting local artists? alabrotire.com Promotional Copy The Upper St. Clair League for the Arts invites you to their annual Sugarplum Artisan Market. Now in it’s 46th year, this popular event provides a marketplace of fine art gallery and quality crafts for gift giving and home décor. For six days—November 10–15—the MAC on McLaughlin Run Road becomes a boutique featuring hundreds of one-of-a-kind items, all hand crafted by local artisans. No delivery problems or shortages at Sugarplum! Sugarplum has become a favorite art and craft event in the area and repeat customers and new guests will be excited by the variety and quality of the items available. Event organizers work to offer something for everyone and bring the finest in local craftsmanship. Many returning artists will offer popular selling items as well as showcasing new wares. And each year brings new talent showcasing their artistic skills. In addition to an extensive gallery featuring paintings of all mediums, prints, and photography, there is also pottery, fiber art, stained glass, and fused glass. Also available for sale are hand carved Santas, painted gourds, polymer clay, homemade soaps, jewelry, wreaths, pillows, centerpieces, purses, covered notebooks, 3D Christmas houses, greeting cards, and so much more.
Besides providing this marketplace for artists, each year The Upper St. Clair League for the Arts awards a scholarship to an Upper St. Clair High School student pursuing an artrelated education.
Mark your calendars for this popular event! n
District Receives Donation from USCAA
The Upper St. Clair Athletic Association (USCAA) presented a $7,500 donation to the school district during the district’s March 21 School Board meeting.
Presenting the donation were Rob York, USCAA president, and Erik Lund, USCAA vice-president. Both gentlemen expressed their appreciation for the ongoing partnership between the athletic association and the school district.
The district will determine the best use of USCAA’s donation, which will benefit the most children. Mr. Lund and Mr. York stated that USCAA intends to make an annual donation to the school district.
In its 69th year, USCAA, an all-volunteer organization, has seen exponential growth. The organization currently offers girls and boys basketball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls wrestling, baseball, softball, and tackle and flag football. In total, more than 2,000 participants from ages 5 to 18 compete in USCAA activities. n
Upper St. Clair Different Strokes Tennis League
Upper St. Clair Different Strokes Tennis League is a nonprofit resident group run by a committee of volunteers with the assistance of the USC recreation department. Our purpose is to organize sessions of tennis for Upper St Clair residents of all abilities to play with a variety of partners and opponents of similar level. There are four (4) sign-up sessions per year for different days/times of the week for different game levels: • A spring outdoor session until the end of June (USC season permit required). • A summer outdoor session until the bubbles go up in
October (USC season permit required). • A 14-week fall indoor session from October through mid-
January (USC court fees). • A 14-week winter indoor session from mid-January through mid-April (USC court fees).
All sessions include weekday mornings and evenings for women’s doubles, as well as weekday evenings and weekend day times for men’s doubles. Mixed doubles or men’s and women’s singles games can also be set up if there is enough demand.
Cost of joining our league is $10 for individuals and $16 per couple. If interested, please contact Gina Braun at 412-221-5717 or Gibra5@aol.com. Join anytime! n
Town Hall South is a philanthropic organization dedicated to bringing nationally and internationally acclaimed lecturers to the South Hills of Pittsburgh. Founded in 1969 as an outreach program of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair, Town Hall South continues to function as a selfsustaining entity under the gracious auspices of Westminster Presbyterian Church. Annually, a portion of proceeds is awarded as grants to a wide variety of local organizations in the surrounding community.
This year’s scheduled speakers include:
Dan Rather October 11, 2022
With more than 60 years spent covering the biggest events and news stories of our time, Dan Rather is a living witness to history. During 44 years at CBS, including 24 years as anchor of the CBS Evening News, he interviewed every president since Eisenhower and personally covered history-making events from the Kennedy assassination through Viet Nam, Watergate, Tiananmen Square, the fall of the Berlin Wall, 9/11, and the Iraq Invasion. Rather is a recipient of the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller, What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism, which takes on the toxic political atmosphere and polarized opinions of our time with a hopeful reminder of the core ideals that all Americans share.
Kevin Surace November 15, 2022
Kevin Surace is a Silicon Valley innovator and visionary who focuses on artificial intelligence (“AI”), robotics, and automation and how they will impact our jobs and our future. Named “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Inc. magazine, a “tech pioneer” by the World Economic Forum, and one of the “Top 15 Innovators of the decade” by CNBC, Surace is widely recognized as one of the most influential innovators of our time. With 28 U.S. patents, Surace is responsible for numerous technologies that are commonplace today, such as the first cellular data smartphone and first human-like AI virtual assistant. Surace has also helped to develop, patent, and produce green technologies that reduce energy usage in buildings.
2022-2023 Lecture Series Held on Tuesday Mornings
Dan Rather Oct.11
Kevin Surace Nov. 15
Leon Logothetis Dec. 6
Richard Stengel Feb. 7
Dr. Temple Grandin
Mar. 21
Leon Logothetis December 6, 2022
Leon Logothetis is a global adventurer, motivational speaker, and philanthropist. While working as a broker in London, Logothetis felt uninspired and depressed. He decided to give it all up for life on the road and discovered that anything is possible if you act with kindness and harness the power of human connection. As host of the Netflix series, The Kindness Diaries, Logothetis circumnavigated the globe, relying on the kindness of strangers and giving life changing gifts to unsuspecting good Samaritans. He has visited more than 100 countries and traveled to every continent. He has also written several books, including Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, The Kindness Diaries, and Live, Love, Explore: Discover the Way of the Traveler—A Roadmap to the Life You Were Meant to Live.
Richard Stengel February 7, 2023
As longtime Editor of TIME magazine and former Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Richard Stengel has seen and led the transformation of mainstream media. As a New York Times best-selling author and journalist, Stengel speaks widely on fake news and disinformation, the case for national service, diplomacy, and leadership lessons derived from reporting on the world’s greatest leaders. In his most recent book, Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation and What We Can Do About It, Stengel describes how governments are using and spreading disinformation, largely by way of social media, in an effort to attack democracy and American values, and stresses that we must find a way to combat this ever-growing threat to democracy.
Dr. Temple Grandin March 21, 2023
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world. She was diagnosed with autism in 1950, at a time when her parents were told she should be institutionalized. Dr. Grandin now works as a professor of animal science at Colorado State University and speaks around the world, inspiring and motivating others through her story. She has been featured on NPR and major television programs, including The Today Show, 48 Hours, and 20/20. She has been named on TIME magazine’s annual list of the world’s most influential people, and her life is depicted in the Emmy Award-winning HBO film Temple Grandin. Her current best-selling book on autism is The Way I See It: A Personal Look at Autism and Asperger’s. n
C2CF
Connect 2 Community Foundation High School Club
a “win-win” partnership Community Foundation and C2CF Support Eisenhower Spring Carnival
C2CF members Sarah and Lauren Babbitt and Delaney Wehrle manned the Duck Pond table at the ESC Duck Maestro Paul Fox and the Chick fil-A Cow
CF Trustee Lauren Mathews set up a table at a neighborhood food truck event to sell ducks and CFUSC Panther blankets
CF Trustee Jennifer Dempsey and her son, Colin, selling ducks at the CFUSC booth on Community Day
Great Duck Race
Retrieving the winning ducks! Jamie—first prize winner of an iPad Mia’s duck won her a C&RC gift card
Scholarship Established to “Pay It Forward”
The Community Foundation has had the honor of working with three Upper St. Clair High School graduates who established a scholarship in honor of their parents. Gordon Mathews, CFUSC president was contacted by Mahesh Krishnan and an agreement was set forth. Mahesh and his sisters Savitha and Sheila, would provide funding annually in the amount of $2,500 for scholarships named in honor of their parents Sivaram and Revathi Krishnan. Mahesh shared his father’s story, saying that his parents have always believed that success requires risk-taking and commitment. His father arrived in the United States from India by ship in 1961, landing at Ellis Island with a single suitcase and $25 in his pocket. He received a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Carnegie Mellon University and had a successful career as a scientist and innovator. This journey could not havehappened without several scholarships that he received for his education, his commitment to his family, taking risks and understanding the value of education. Mahesh and his sisters thank the USCHS faculty and staff for providing a strong educational foundation for them, which has enabled them to be successful in their own careers. This scholarship is intended to “pay it forward” since that initial scholarship that was given to Dr. Krishnan. The two recipients of the first Krishnan scholarships are Isabella Marasco and Fiona Wang, who were selected by a panel of high school guidance counselors and trustees from the Community Foundation. They were each awarded a $1,250 scholarship to aid them in achieving their goals to pursue higher education.
Gordon Mathews, Isabella
Marasco, Fiona Wang and
Dr. Timothy Wagner The Krishnan Family
“Spirit of the Community Award” The 2022 recipient of this award is Eva Rankin. CFUSC established this award in 2017 in memory of Mr. John Small, a school district administrator who also served as the first Executive Director of the Foundation. Congratulations to Eva who has truly demonstrated the Spirit of the Community.
Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair Founded 1993 Watch for news about the upcoming Community 30Foundation celebration of thirty years nurturing and supporting ideas, and providing grant monies for projects that bring UNITY to our COMMUNITY. On March 27, 1993, Linda Serene stood on the High School stage thanking the audience for attending the first event sponsored by the Community Foundation. She held up a large cardboard sign designed as a check that read $54,000, the amount raised by patrons who came to hear the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra that evening. Since that time the Foundation has held countless events, and given more than a million dollars to fund hundreds of grants, bringing enrichments to all residents.
