www.twpusc.org/magazine
The official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair
SPRING 2012
Emily Kikta, Upper St. Clair to the New York City Ballet
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Chatham advantages • Experience a distinctive education built upon women’s leadership, environmental awareness, and global understanding • Study on our historic 39-acre Shadyside Campus, minutes from downtown, and at our 388-acre Eden Hall Campus north of Pittsburgh • SAT/ACT optional admissions policy available for first-year students • Nearly 95% of Chatham undergraduate students receive some form of merit or need-based scholarship • All first-year and transfer students are provided with a new 13-inch MacBook Pro laptop computer for use in the classroom and throughout our wireless campus • Most students have the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Chatham in as few as five years from many of our graduate programs • Study abroad almost anywhere in the world during Maymester term, a full term, or a full year
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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
Friendship Village of South Hills is one of only 15% of communities nationwide accredited for quality practices in administration, finance, care and services to residents.
Big thinking for a big world
Step onto something new this spring. Mother Nature is ready to beautify her “home” for spring, and just in time, Rusmur Floors can help you to beautify yours. Visit Rusmur Floors and be amazed at the endless selection of top-quality, name-brand floor coverings for every room in your house. Durable ceramics and vinyl, luxurious hardwoods and laminates, plus an incredible assortment of colorful, stylish carpeting. It’s more proof why Rusmur is the name that’s synonymous with beautiful floors. The Rusmur Floors/Carpet One combo buying power means greater savings, too! Stop by Rusmur today…and add some springtime beauty to your home.
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Gilfillan Farm Open House – Orr Road Sponsored by the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair
Saturday, May 19, 2012 – USC Community Day 12 - 3 PM Stop by the Gilfillan Farm this community day to see me and all of my farm yard friends. There will be plenty to keep you busy. There are guided house tours, horse drawn wagon rides, children’s craft and a farm animal petting zoo. But most importantly you can come see me! Sincerely, Chuck –The Bull
1950 Washington Rd. Pittsburgh PA, 15241 (Please use the Orr Road parking lot) ~ 412- 835-2050 ~ historicalsocietyusc@gmail.com Follow “Historical Society of Upper St. Clair” on Facebook to stay up to date on society events and pictures. 4
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
The official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair Spring 2012
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Volume 18
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Issue 1
Features and Around the Township 14 Triple Play—Upper St. Clair Style
Miracle League, high school, and recreation baseball—there’s a place for all youths.
20 Putting Children’s Bed to Bed Proves Difficult
Jim O’Brien shares a heartwarming family story.
h TODAY
22
it Traveling w
40
USCHS socc
58
The Outdoo
60
An active li
76 St. Lucy’s Medallion Ball 2011
Twenty-five young women from USC among those honored.
78 “Happenings”
Time to get out and enjoy local activities.
80 Profiles on People with a USC Connection
Who made our list?
School District 29 A Fond Farewell
After more than 30 years in the field of education, Dr. John Bornyas retires.
30 Discovering Science
Kids are natural scientists. Read how USC schools bring out the science nature in all of them.
34 Two to Watch
Boyce and Fort Couch Middle Schools celebrate achievement.
er wrap up
37 Bryan’s Choice
A presentation to the freshmen class at USCHS shares a tragic story.
42 Pawprints—A USC PTA Council Highlight
Read about what’s going on at our schools from a PTA perspective.
Township 49 Highlights of the Board of Commissioners Meetings
Our Township is an active one! Find out what’s going on.
50 General Funds Budget Overview
How does 2012 compare to 2011? Review this useful information.
54 USC’s Recreation & Leisure Services Department
Serving all ages, the department has what you’ve been missing!
62 Kids Department @ Your Library
How to keep the little ones happy and learning? Answers are @ your library.
64 Tri-Community South Year in Review
r Classroom
Our local EMS provider shares statistics and information about 2011.
Guides 24 Celebrate YOU! 46 Pinebridge Commons 66 Home Improvement
USC Photo Ops 44 Middle Schools Grand Opening 45 Heinz Field Attracts USC at Football Time 84 Around the Township
brary
Cover 12 The cover of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY features USC’s Emily Kikta who started her journey dancing at The Thomas
Studio of Performing Arts at the age of two. Now a professional ballerina with the New York City Ballet, see pages 12 and 13 for an article about Emily and other Thomas Studio dancers who followed their own journeys to find their dance of life. Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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18 Years of CommunityService
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a not-for-profit community magazine that is dedicated to promoting the Township and School District of Upper St. Clair by recognizing the gifts and contributions of the people who live and work here. This year, we celebrate 18 years of publication.
The official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair Publishers Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole Superintendent of Schools Steering Committee Mark S. Mansfield, Assistant Township Manager Paul K. Fox, School District Representative Editors and Staff Linda M. Dudzinski, Editor-in-Chief Terry Kish, Associate Editor Colleen DeMarco, Office Manager Lynn Dempsey, Senior Advertising Associate Erin Gibson Allen, Advertising Associate Alison Hess, Advertising Associate Dorothy Clark, Graphic Designer Andrew McCreery, Finance Cara McShane, Intern Thank you to our volunteer contributors this issue: Jim Bolas, Joe Bonasso, Cindy Brophy, Chrissy Caragein, Scott Churchill, Kristin Cilli, Sue Clark, Ali Cupelli, Alaina D’Aloiso (YWG), Caren Falascino, Dr. Natalie Furgiuele-Iracki, Matt Henderson, Wayne Herrod, Alison Hess, Tara Kennedy, Lynn Kistler, Erin Lemon, Kate Mayberry, Cara McShane, Jim O’Brien, Laura Reid Riggin, Mary Lynne Spazok, Ginny Stempkowski, Lisa Stout, Kerry Strauch, Tim Wagner, George Watzlaf, Barb Williams, Aimee Guarino Yadouga, and Sara Yerina (YWG) Young Writers Guild (YWG) promotes and encourages young writers in the Upper St. Clair School District to provide articles of interest for this community magazine. Email usctoday@uscsc.k12.pa.us to find out how your student can contribute. The 69th issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a joint publication of the Township and School District of Upper St. Clair. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this magazine, in print or web version, in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the Editor is strictly prohibited. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY 1820 McLaughlin Run Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 Phone: 412-833-1600, extension 2284 Fax: 412-851-2592 Email: usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us Township: 412-831-9000 School District: 412-833-1600 Printed by Herrmann Printing & Litho, Inc. 1709 Douglass Drive • Pittsburgh, PA 15221 412-243-4100 • Fax: 412-731-2268 Design by DMC Design 412-824-7844 • www.dmcdesign.com 6
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
members are, left to right, front row: Lynn Dempsey, Erin Allen, Alison Hess, Colleen DeMarco, and Dorothy Clark; back row: Mark Mansfield, Terry Kish, Paul Fox, Linda Dudzinski, and Andrew McCreery. Missing is Cara McShane.
The 69 th issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY magazine is made possible through the combined resources of the staff and volunteers of the Township and School District of Upper St. Clair. Thanks are extended to the staff and volunteers for their enthusiasm and efforts on this continuing project.
Board of School Directors
Township Board of Commissioners
Rebecca A. Stern, President Barbara L. Bolas, Vice President Amy L. Billerbeck Buffy Z. Hasco Frank J. Kerber Harry F. Kunselman Louis P. Mafrice, Jr. Louis M. Oliverio Angela B. Petersen
Robert W. Orchowski, President, Ward 3 Russell R. Del Re, Vice President, Ward 5 Nicholas J. Seitanakis, Ward 1 Donald P. Rectenwald, Jr., Ward 2 Mark D. Christie, Ward 4 Glenn R. Dandoy, At Large Daniel R. Paoly, At Large
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY steering committee and staff
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a non-partisan Township, School District, and community magazine. Political advertising and political commentary are not accepted. The publishers of this magazine reserve the right to reject advertising or articles inconsistent with the objectives, image, and aesthetic standards of the magazine. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY magazine is published and mailed quarterly to residents and businesses in
Upper St. Clair. Extra copies of the magazine are available at the Township of Upper St. Clair Municipal Building and Township Library. If you did not receive a copy in the mail, please call 412-833-1600, extension 2284.
The next issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY will be the summer 2012 issue and will be published in May 2012. Articles that were submitted but not published in this issue are on file for consideration in upcoming issues. Articles and announcements may be sent to: Editor, UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 or email UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY at usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us. Subscription Information If you know someone living outside the Township who would enjoy receiving UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, please send $12 to cover mailing and handling for the next four issues with name and address, including zip code, to our address listed to the left. Add $10 to cover international mailings.
Summer 2012 edition coming soon for USC Community Day—published early May Article Information
Editor-in-Chief Linda Dudzinski–phone: 412-833-1600, extension 2681
Advertising Information
Office Manager Colleen DeMarco–phone: 412-833-1600, extension 2284, fax: 412-851-2592
Website www.twpusc.org/magazine
Email usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us
For the convenience of smart phone users, visit our website by using TODAY’s QR code shown above. Spring 2012
... meeting your needs TODAY, Tomorrow, and into the Future.
ELPING YOU GET BACK TO EVERYDAY LIFE.
Derrick J. Fluhme, M.D. with his patient Jim Metz
Jim Metz, a retired teacher who works as a substitute school crossing guard in Mt. Lebanon, says 60 years of playing sports, refereeing and umpiring eventually caught up to him, leaving him with overwhelming pain in his knee. Arthropscopic knee surgery temporarily alleviated the pain, but it gradually returned, with a vengeance. That‘s when he turned to St. Clair Hospital
Center for Orthopedics
orthopedic surgeon Derrick J. Fluhme, M.D. to repair his ailing knee and allow Jim to get back to his active lifestyle. Dr. Fluhme is just one of nearly 30 leading orthopedic specialists who practice at St. Clair, where advanced technology, skill and compassion make a difference in the quality of people‘s lives every day.
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412.942.6560
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Derrick J. Fluhme, M.D. was awarded his medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and a fellowship at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, Los Angeles. Dr. Fluhme is a former team physician with a host of Los Angeles-based professional sports teams. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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The official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair
Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole
Matthew R. Serakowski
Hello, spring and hello, citizens of Upper St. Clair, as we welcome you to 2012 and our 69th edition of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, the official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair. To most, spring evokes a sense of purpose to clean up and clean out. It’s interesting how a change of season can inspire and have such profound effects on how we see ourselves and the world around us—New Year’s resolutions and spring cleaning come to mind for this season (see articles on pages 54 and 57, and our Home Improvement Guide articles found on pages 66-73). Let’s talk about footprints, for example. A carbon footprint is defined as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by organizations, events, products, and people. Since the 1990s, there have been increased attempts to reduce one’s carbon footprint, collectively and individually, which arises from ecological concerns for the environment. And while this letter is not intended to provide you the scientific basis on which to draw conclusions, we hope that all of us are interested in a clean, healthy environment in which to live and to pass on to future generations. Now, let’s delve further into our “footprint” definition and personalize it. For as much as we should be kind to our physical environment and our earth, treading lightly in consumption and waste production, the opposite holds true when we consider our involvement in making society better. We encourage you to get involved in your areas of interest and expertise, whether through volunteerism or helping a neighbor in need. One small act can have a much broader impact than you can imagine. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in Upper St. Clair. There are volunteer boards at the Township level, volunteer help is needed at our library, and our schools are always inviting the community through the PTAs to become involved. Please take us up on our invitation to help our community. Sometimes all we need is that little “push” to invigorate our senses and resonate our desire to contribute. Many articles in this issue are dedicated to stories of sharing, helping, and providing for others. Categorically, we are asking you to lower your consumption and dependence on energy sources while raising your awareness and your role in our community—opposite “footprint” definitions, but perfect complements of a contributing citizen in Upper St. Clair! TODAY is doing just that: using recycled paper on which to print its quarterly publication, providing online editions since 2001 (visit www.twpusc.org/magazine), and contributing to USC in many ways (see our winter edition publishers’ letter in TODAY, page 8) to play an important part in our community’s continued advancement. We hope that your year is filled with many different footprints—light and heavy—and that we see you out and about in our community enjoying and taking full advantage of what we have to offer you.
8
Sincerely,
Sincerely,
Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager
Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole Superintendent of Schools
Township of Upper St. Clair 412-831-9000 Fax: 412-831-9882 Website: www.twpusc.org Email: uscadmin@twpusc.org
Upper St. Clair School District 412-833-1600 Fax: 412-833-5535 Website: www.uscsd.k12.pa.us Email: info@uscsd.k12.pa.us
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
Advanced cancer care is closer than you think it is.
David S. Parda, MD, FACP Radiation Oncologist
Moses Raj, MD Medical Oncologist
West Penn Allegheny is improving cancer care through decades of clinical research trials aimed at healing the cancer patients of today and tomorrow. In fact, we have nearly 200 active clinical trials underway. Our team of oncologists battles cancer on all fronts, using some of the most comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services available anywhere. We’re proud that this advanced care may be closer to home than you think. Our regional network of cancer treatment centers spans from Steubenville to Punxsutawney and from Sharon to Somerset – with many locations in between. When doctors lead, better care follows – call 412.DOCTORS (362.8677).
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THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF UPPER ST. CLAIR THANKS to all of the friends who responded to the Annual Solicitation request by making a contribution of at least $18 — that is one dollar for each year the Foundation has been in existence. The pledge made by the Community Foundation in 1993 of “creating a sense of community by enhancing the quality of life for all the people of Upper St. Clair” is strengthened today because of your donation, which is a commitment to being a partner in securing the future of that promise. The generous support of our donors enables the Foundation to continue to return value to Upper St. Clair by investing in the community. For more information on how your donation is helping to enrich the lives of so many in our community, visit our website at www.cfusc.org. IF YOU MEANT TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION IT IS NOT TOO LATE! Send your tax deductible contribution to CFUSC, 2585 Washington Road, Suite 131, Upper St. Clair, PA, 15241, or donate online using a credit card by visiting cfusc.org and clicking on Annual Solicitation.
ARE OUR CHILDREN SAFE IN “CYBERSPACE”? Children benefit from being online, but they are vulnerable targets of crime, bullying, and exploitation. There is a need for parental supervision when our children are exploring the Internet environment. The Community Foundation, the Youth Steering Committee, and the Upper St. Clair School District are joining to provide common-sense advice on how to be sure that our children’s experience in cyberspace is happy, healthy, and productive. Speakers from the FBI “Cyber Squad” will be part of the seminar/presentation. This important presentation will be held in the Upper St. Clair High School LGI (across the lobby from the theatre), at 7:00 PM, Wednesday, March 28, 2012. The Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair will once again sponsor the
Community Day Duck Race
An iPad . . . plus many, many more great prizes will be awarded. Will your duck be a winner?
Community Day is May 19th, 2012, but ducks can be adopted now for the 14th Annual Race by calling 412-831-7182.
FREE FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT The Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair, in partnership with the USC Township and Athletic Association, will sponsor the 3rd annual "Free Family Movie Night." This well-attended event will be held in August, before school resumes, at the C&RC Multi-Purpose Field. Watch for details so that you can enjoy this popular activity!
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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
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USC is Hoppin’ Into a Happy Spring Mary Lynne Spazok The first day of spring 2012 is March 20. This celebrated transition between winter and summer exudes rebirth, renewal, and regrowth. As spring approaches, the axis of the Earth increases its tilt toward the sun and the length of daylight also increases. The hemisphere begins to warm, causing new plant growth to “spring forth,” giving the season its name. This year, the Jewish holiday of Passover is celebrated April 7-13 and the Christian holiday of Easter on April 8. April is National Poetry Month, making it the perfect time to introduce poetry to children! n
Spring Spring makes the world a happy place You see a smile on every face. Flowers come out and birds arrive, Oh, isn’t it grand to be alive? Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts—the Journey Emily Kikta’s journey began at The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts at the tender age of two, where her mom, Patti, is the director of ballet and is celebrating her 25th year at the studio. Throughout her young years, Emily trained, studied, and eventually competed with The Thomas Dance Company. Her summer studies took her to New York City in 2008 where she trained with the School of American Ballet and in 2009 to Chautauqua, New York, at the Chautauqua Institute. In the fall of 2009, Emily applied for and was awarded a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet (SAB), making the hard decision to leave USC, her family, and The Thomas Studio to follow her dream of becoming a professional ballerina. Pouring herself into her studies and dance, she graduated one year early from high school and SAB and began taking academic classes at Fordham University. In October 2010, the New York City Ballet offered Emily an apprenticeship; one year later, at age 18, she received a contract with NYCB. Emily’s opportunities include working with the New York Choreographic Institute’s Christopher Wheldon, Justin Peck, and Peter Martin. She had a featured role in Paul McCartney’s ballet, Ocean’s Kingdom, and has performed in The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Stars and Stripes, Jewels, Western Symphony, Four Seasons, Who Cares, Union Jack, and Danse A Grande Vitesse. This month, she will travel with NYCB to perform in Germany. And at 19, while Emily’s accomplishments We grow dancers… are plentiful, her journey Emily is ready for her “tots” dance is still beginning. class.
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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
“The Journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place.”
Emily Kikta
A New Facility to Grow Dancers The purchase and reconstruction of the warehouse at 111 Washington Avenue in Bridgeville in 2009, fulfilled a dream of Linda Thomas Spencer, and her daughter, Jessica, a 1993 USC graduate and a 2006 USC Halls of Fame recipient, to own a dance studio that has a lot to offer. The Thomas Studio’s 7500-square-foot facility, more than twice the size of the previous studio on Painters Run Road, allows for spacious classrooms (34' x 50'), with 12-foot high ceilings. The facility gives dancers plenty of space to tumble, twirl, and grow! During the purchase and refurbishing process, the U. S. Small Business Administration awarded Linda and her children, Jessica and Damon, The Best Family Owned Business Award in recognition of their outstanding dedication to the business. They also received a $25,000 Energy Efficiency Grant from the Department of Environmental Protection for the energy efficient features they added to update the facility. The journey that Linda began in 1967 as a result of her commitment to dance and to dance instruction continues, helping her students to follow their own eventual and exciting destinations of their dance of life. The Thomas Studio’s state-of-the-art facility is a big step along the way.
Comments from Jillian Londino Like so many graduates of The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts, dancing remains one of the most important aspects of my life. I became a member of the Company in 2004, and from the very beginning was influenced by a group of teachers whose incredible dedication showed me the work ethic necessary to achieve success in life. In high school, it was a rare day if I wasn’t in some kind of dance class or rehearsal. At USCHS, I was a member of the dance team for four years, becoming a captain my senior year. Between my hectic dance schedules, I made time to participate in the high school’s law club and Athletes Taking Action. The thing I most value about The Thomas Studio is their goal to train students to become technically strong dancers in a wide variety of dance genres. My teachers never once pressured me to outscore my competition. During my sophomore year of high school I decided to pursue dance as my major in college, and I worked hard to achieve that goal. The summer before my high school junior year I attended the Pre-College Summer Dance Institute at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. I then auditioned for and was accepted into Point Park University’s Pre-Professional Program, a program that allowed me to take dance classes with the university’s esteemed faculty in the afternoons after attending my high school academic classes in the morning. While being accepted into dance programs at various prestigious universities during my college application process, I decided to pursue dance only as a minor. I am currently a sophomore at The Ohio State University, pursuing a major in strategic communications and minors in dance and professional writing. While I hope to work in the advertising field after graduating from college, I’m still very connected to dance through a student organization called Dance Connection. I serve as the group’s outreach coordinator and, this year, I established a partnership between the organization and an after-school program at The Boys and Girls Club of Columbus. I appreciate every moment that I spent at The Thomas Studio because I know that it helped greatly to make me the determined and hard-working person that I have become. The studio’s staff instilled in me a sense of purpose and showed me that if I work hard the end result will be well worth it. My TSPA family is a part of me and will continue to be for the rest of my life.
Notes from Cecilia Petursson
I danced at The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts for 15 years under the direction of Linda Spencer, Jessica Spencer, Patti Kikta, Lauren Garson, and Angela Essler and learned technical and artistic nuances of dance from wonderful teachers. During my high school years, I was on the USCHS dance team where we performed and competed locally and nationally. I was a captain my senior year. And with little time to spare, I was a member of student council and I was on the honor roll throughout my high school career. I auditioned and was accepted into The Ohio State University’s Department of Dance in 2006, where I also received an academic scholarship. During my first summer as a college student (2007), I participated in dance intensives with Pittsburgh’s Dance Alloy Theater and Steps on Broadway Pre-Professional Program in New York City. Both were challenging and fulfilling experiences where I continued my dance training and education. In the fall of my junior year (2008), I studied dance abroad at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. Not only did I further my education, but I immersed myself in a whole new culture and people.
I graduated from OSU in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors and Distinction Magna Cum Laude, and while my college years allowed me to discover who I am as a dancer and artist, I continue to learn more about myself everyday. After graduation, I moved back to Brisbane to pursue dance. While waiting to obtain a working visa, I acquired my Diploma of Remedial Massage, then also began teaching adult ballet classes. I danced for Brisbane photographers through a project called Dance Photography Exhibition, which culminated in an exhibition in the Judith Wright Centre for Contemporary Arts. And in September 2011, I traveled to Cairns in tropical north Queensland, Australia, for a two-week dance project with resident artist Sarah Collins, where we held community workshops and master classes, as well as performed. Super fun! I expanded my physical training with an aerial course at Vulcana Women’s Circus and can now hold myself upside down, three stories high! I’ve recently moved back to the states to audition for dance companies and I will continue my massage work, which I find extremely rewarding. I’m eager to keep trying new things in life and I am excited for what the future holds for me. No matter what, I know dance will always play an important role.
Remarks from Katherine Roarty
A USCHS ’07 graduate, I started dancing at age eight when my mother enrolled me in a class at The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts. Since then, I’ve not taken off my dancing shoes! As I became increasingly serious about my dance, I joined The Thomas Studio Dance Company and competed regionally and nationally in many different dance genres. In high school I was a captain of the USCHS dance team, head gymnastic instructor at The Thomas Studio, and member of the World Champion American Dance Team. The dedication to dance spilled over to my academic endeavors as well, graduating high school with honors and earning a scholarship to the University of Illinois. I attended the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana and received a BFA in dance and a minor in business. I studied post-modern techniques and performed dance works by Carl Flink, Jennifer Monson, Germaul Barnes, Millicent Johnnie, and Linda Lehovec. Throughout college, I taught dance at a local Illinois dance studio and instructed a non-major dance course through the UICU Dance Department. I was recognized for my choreography and awarded a grant for dance projects, and was selected to be a shadow for the Mark Morris Dance Group for two years. While a leading member of the UICU dance team, I was also a member of the Chi Omega sorority. During college summers, I was a scholarship student at Lou Conte Dance Studio in Chicago, a summer intern at the Broadway Dance Center, and a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey School in New York City, where I studied with the top teachers in two of the nation’s largest dance communities. As an intern at the Broadway Dance Center, I danced for top NYC talent agencies and was offered an internship. I deferred for a year to finish my college degree, and then returned to New York City where I am currently represented by the MSA agency for theatrical, commercial, and other dance opportunities in the New York area. Some fun highlights of my experience as a professional dancer have included a national commercial, Victoria Secret Fashion Show dancer, and back-up dancer for Nikki Minaj. I will continue to pursue my dream that began when I put on my first pair of ballet shoes at age eight. My family supports me and the guidance from my teachers is my fuel for passion. I look forward to my future, as I take a bite out of the Big Apple, one dance step at a time. n
For further information about The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts, call 412-257-2000, contact us at dance@thomasdance.com., or check out our summer dance schedule at www.thomasdance.com. Like us on facebook at www.facebook.com/thomasdance. Spring 2012
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Triple Play—–-Upper St. Clair Style Cara McShane, UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY Intern There are three names that are hard not to notice when it comes to baseball in Upper St. Clair—Casey, Malarkey, and Murray. Sean Casey, a graduate of Upper St. Clair who played for five different major league teams during his highly successful, 12-year MLB career, along with his wife, Mandi, recently christened Casey’s Clubhouse at Boyce Mayview Park. Casey’s Clubhouse is much more than the name implies. It is a baseball field specifically designed for the special needs of children with disabilities. “The idea was to build a field in Upper St. Clair so that special needs kids would have an opportunity to play baseball,” Casey said. After local businesses and people responded generously, the idea became a reality. The Caseys, along with their dedicated group of volunteers “wanted to do something good for these kids.” Sean said that during the entire process he and Mandi “saw how people’s hearts grow.” One important part of the games that will be played at the Miracle Field is the buddy system. Under the buddy system, each special needs player will be paired with a “buddy” to help him or her play the game. There is also an option to volunteer as a family for a single player. Other areas for volunteering include umpires, announcers, coaches, and more. “It’s amazing when you have a vision that you know is going to take so many
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people stepping up… and then, they do,” Casey said. “I have great pride in our community.” On Saturday, May 26, 2012, the Caseys, along with the entire community, will kick off the inaugural season of the Pirates Charities Miracle League. Jerry Malarkey, a guidance counselor at USCHS, is in his 28th season with the Upper St. Clair High School baseball team. This season he hopes to lead the team on a long and successful run through the WPIAL and Pennsylvania state playoffs. Since November, Jerry’s high school players have been subscribing to offseason training. The optional training includes a thorough and intense weightlifting program, core development, and plyometrics. “We like to get the players in the best shape possible before tryouts roll around,” Coach Malarkey said. About 60 students have been attending training, so when tryouts began on Monday, March 5 there was a lot of competition to get on the roster. During tryouts, the coaching staff, which consists of four people (one coach each for the freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity teams, plus one assistant), evaluates each player on speed, strength, knowledge, control, and ability in the position that they try out for. Tryouts run three or four days, but may extend longer if the weather permits the team to get outside. The coaches test players on “situational types of things” and
Spring 2012
Buddy Hall is ready to play.
“look to see whether they have a head for the game.” Since the team has a large number of returning players who will be able to contribute, the coaches will look to fill very specific needs when considering players for the varsity roster. Each coach evaluates each individual player, meeting afterwards to discuss each one as a group. “We put a lot of time into it,” Coach Malarkey said, “and take it very seriously.” On the last day of tryouts, the coaching staff sets the roster. The new team starts practice the very next day and soon begins to play games. The team will travel to North Carolina at the end of March to play in a tournament and for more training. “I fully expect that we will be very competitive in the section,” Coach Malarkey said. “The chances that we can be good are very high, and the players have high expectations.”Although Coach Malarkey expressed optimism, he also emphasized the necessity to take every game with the same mindset and seriousness. “Our section is the most competitive in the WPIAL from top to bottom,” Malarkey said. “Anybody can beat anybody.” When asked who will be the team to beat, Coach Malarkey’s response was “Every team!” Even though Upper St. Clair has some more intense rivalries, Coach Malarkey believes the team “needs to make sure that we approach each of our opponents with the same amount of respect. If you take somebody lightly, the next thing you know you’ve lost that game or you’re
in a tight game that shouldn’t be,” Coach Malarkey said. Before making it to the highly competitive high school level, most of Coach Malarkey’s players start their baseball careers at a young age in the USC recreation program run through the USC Athletic Association. The Murray brothers—Rick, Dave, Jim, John, and Tom—have run the USC recreation baseball program for many years. The youngest Murray brother, Tom, is the current commissioner and has been involved with the rec program for the last 15 years. This season, as in the past, the recreation program will allow children ages six and up to play baseball while having fun and improving their skills and knowledge of the game. Tom, who expects about 630 participants this season, believes it is important “that the majority of our kids are playing recreation.” Within the program, there are seven different age groups that will make up about 53 teams in total. Each team will play an average of 20 to 25 games during the season, which starts mid-April and runs through mid-June. All games are played “in house.” Each year, parents are taking sports to a higher level, which requires more of a commitment. The recreation program, according to Tom, has a philosophy that, “if somebody wants to play, they play.” He said that the program “enables all kids, no matter what their skill level, to play.” The 6/7-year-old and 7/8-year-old teams are in the Training stage, the 9/10-year-old teams are in the Minor League, and the 11/12-year-old teams are in the Major League. Murray said these leagues put “focus on the instructional part of the game.” “We have a tendency to put more of a focus on the recreation program than in other communities,” Tom said. Although the children will learn about the game, he said they also emphasize
that children “have fun and play with their friends.” The 13/14-year-old teams are in the Pony League, the 15/16-year-old teams are in the Colt League, and the 17 through 19-year-old teams are in the Legion League. When players transition to the Pony League, the game becomes more serious. “This is where the game changes and becomes more competitive,” said Tom. Overall, Tom expects a good turnout for the seaUSCHS varsity baseball in action! son. He also believes Sean Casey’s addition of Casey’s Clubhouse will be “a great asset to our program.” “I think it is a great mix with the Miracle League coming in because our philosophy is to let everyone play,” Tom said. “It is such a great opportunity to draw kids that have disabilities to play, as well.” Like many others, Murray said that Casey’s building of the Miracle Field is “beyond what words can express.” n For those who are interested in volunteering in the Miracle League right here in Upper St. Clair, visit www.miracleleaguesouthhills.com. For more information about USCAA, see page 56. Cara McShane, USC TODAY intern, is a junior at Penn State University. USCHS varsity baseball photos courtesy of M&M Photography. Spring 2012
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Chuck’s Big Adventure at Gilfillan Mary Lynne Spazok
Using a portable hydraulic elevated hoof trimming chute, Chuck, the bull, experienced Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride last summer at the Gilfillan Farm. New for Chuck, he experienced a bovine pedicure! The hoof is a complex structure that plays a key role in the animal’s overall health and productivity. Healthy hooves lead to strong animals. A lame bovine experiences pain just like humans do. Therefore, maintaining a rigorous hoof management routine assures animal owners reduced economic loss and increased profitability. Nutrition also plays a key role in hoof health and proper growth rate. By keeping an animal well fed with proper nutrients, including zinc and biotin (water-soluble B vitamin), a good-quality hoof horn and tougher Chuck, before his pedicure feet will result. Cattle do not require extensive trimming if the hoof reChuck, after his pedicure mains balanced and wears down evenly on all walls. The most important practice in caring for the hooves is regular cleaning and Hoof pick tool trimming to restore the natural shape and keep the load bearing surfaces properly proportioned. After all, Chuck is no “skinny minnie!” Trimming schedules can depend on a number of factors. For example, animals that are kept in pasture are less likely to develop painful foot problems. Although one may deduce that animals kept on cement may wear down their feet more quickly, hooves still need to be trimmed frequently because the hard cement is many times more uncomfortable for a misshapen hoof than is a pasture. In addition, the rough surface of the cement can stimulate more blood flow to the hoof, thereby increasing hoof tissue growth. It is a general practice to check and trim hooves (if needed) twice a year. Cleaning requires a tool called a hoof pick. It is used in a Cow Senses toe-to-heel action to dig out matter that has built up on the sole Cows are able to see color. and clefts. This is the best opportunity to inspect the hoof and Cows have almost a 360-degree panoramic vision. sole for foreign object penetration. Disciplined observation of discoloration and discharge by an experienced bovine pedicurCows have a keen sense of smell up to five miles away. ist reduces the chance for potential, perhaps fatal (entire herd), infection. Proper hoof trimming restores the hoof’s natural shape Lifespan to allow the animal’s weight to be evenly distributed and provides Cows can live up to 25 years. for the animal’s contentment. The number of rings on the horns equals the cow’s So there you have it. The head of the herd, the “big kahuna,” approximate age. experienced a tilt-a-whirl bovine spa pedicure! Be sure to visit Chuck at Gilfillan Farm this USC Community Day, Saturday, May Anatomy 19. Remember, Chuck’s always in a happy mooo-d! n
Did You Know?
No two cows have the same pattern or spots. A cow generally weighs between 2000 and 2800 pounds.
What’s in a Name?
An adult male cow is a bull. An adult female is a cow. A young cow is a calf.
Diet
Cows eat corn, hay, barley, beet pulp, grass, and wheat.
What Do Cows Give Humans?
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Cows give humans love, milk, leather, and meat. Milk can be made into other dairy products, including butter, cheese, and yogurt.
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Readers Connect With Alison Hess, TODAY Staff
Advertisers
Each year there are new versions of phones, upgraded computers, and ever-smaller music devices. Communication styles change, too. What once took a phone call or an in-person visit can now be accomplished with an online chat, an email, or visit to a website. Our own upgrade here at the TODAY magazine took place late last year in the form of two new ways to reach our advertisers quickly and easily. The first is through our online version of our publication. We have converted our 2011 issues into a flip book format that allows readers the ability to click through each magazine anytime, anywhere. After clicking the link to our winter 2011 edition, you are taken to a window where the full color magazine is placed in the center. (To try it, go to http://www.twpusc.org/magazine/ pastmags.htm and click the link for Winter 2011.) Arrows, on the right and left, enable viewers to turn the pages as though they were holding the magazine in their own hands. Our readers can choose to turn the pages in numerical order or use the thumbnails underneath to navigate quickly to a specific page they would like to reference or print, or email the link to friends and family. Not only can our readers around the world view our magazine, but most website and email addresses within the magazine are now “live links” that are highlighted in blue when the mouse cursor is on that page. This means that with the click of the mouse, our readers can go directly to an advertiser’s website for more specific information. A click of an email address automatically opens the mail program and creates a new email with the advertiser’s address already in place. Quick and easy! And speaking of quick, we have also included a number of QR codes, or Quick Response codes, in our magazine. Small black squares arranged in a pattern on a white background, QR codes can be scanned with smart phones and take the reader to the advertiser’s website via their phone web browser. Many companies now use QR codes in their advertising, including movie posters, popular grocery store items, and even billboards along busy highways. There are QR code reader applications available for different types of phones, including Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and Nokia, to name a few. Many of them are free, but there are those that have a small fee because of additional features; so it is worthwhile to do a little research before purchasing a QR code reader.
Hands in Time When USC Township residents Diane Hardy Troy, Pat McShane, and Dan Wilhelm established the USC Class of 1975 website this past year, it was to help connect their classmates and to generate interest in a 35-year class reunion. They never expected one response the website would get. In fall 2011, a message to the site was sent from a man in Battleground, Indiana, a small town west of the college town of West Lafayette, home of Purdue University. He was an antiques collector who frequented estate sales and flea markets in and around that area. Recently, he had purchased an “all in” box at an auction. At the bottom of the box was a watch. Inscribed on the watch were the words: U.S.C. W.P.I.A.L. Champions 1975.
The 1975 USCHS WPIAL championship team. One of these players is the rightful owner of the watch found in Battleground, Indiana.
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Not knowing what to make of it, he googled the words and eventually found himself on the USC Class of 1975 website and made the following inquiry: Would you know anything about this watch and would you want to buy it? Reviewing the website inquiry, the three classmates huddled up. Pat and Dan had played on the WPIAL championship team back then and Diane had been a majorette in the marching band. Pat remembered that the year his team won they didn’t get watches… just a pat on the back. Members of the graduating class of 1975 were indeed WPIAL football champions, but their season games were played in 1974. The following year, the Panthers repeated as WPIAL champions and, apparently, were awarded watches for the 1975 WPIAL win. The three classmates decided to “pay it forward”
With the latest TODAY magazine and phone in hand, simply open the phone’s QR code reader application and click the button to scan or take a photo of the code. Some applications signal that they can clearly read the code with a sound or buzz. Once clicked, the code opens the phone web browser and automatically opens our advertiser’s website. We hope that these two new features will connect our readers with our advertisers in new ways in 2012! Let us know what you think of the magazine’s new presentations—the flip book and QR codes—including TODAY’s QR code found in this article and also on page 6, by emailing usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us. We hope these new features keep you connected when you want to be. n
WELCOMING NEW PATIENTS MAGEE WOMENS SPECIALTy SErvICES and purchase the watch from the man in Battleground. He turned out to be the president of West Lafayette Glass Company and had the watch restored. Without knowing to whom the watch belonged, they decided to turn the watch over to the high school for safe keeping and asked that it be placed in the high school’s athletic wing trophy case donated by Rich Serdy. Serdy, a USC resident, was a standout member of that 1975 championship team. Someday that “winning” watch may find its rightful owner, but for now, it is showcased for all to enjoy. With USC boasting exceptional studentathletes in many sports, we extend good wishes to members of all USC sports teams as they aspire to receiving school, team, and personal recognition. Time marches on, and so do the Upper St. Clair Panthers. n If you or someone you know is the owner of the 1975 WPIAL championship watch, contact the USCHS Class of ‘75 at administrator@usc1975.org. Visit www.twpusc.org/magazine and click on “Features” for a complete list of the 1975 USCHS WPIAL football championship team.
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Putting Children’s Bed to Bed Proves Difficult Story and photos by Jim O’Brien
I didn’t want to do it. Of course, that’s my response to most requests my wife, Kathie, continues to challenge me with these days. I am semi-famous and semi-retired, and quite content in our home in Upper St. Clair that we moved into 32 years ago after we returned home from New York. Kathie isn’t content, however, unless I am doing something she deems productive. I’m around the house more these days and she gets antsy if I appear to be relaxing. I love to read newspapers, magazines, and books, and I am happy to watch CNBC for business news and Maria Bartiromo’s brown eyes, and ESPN for the latest sports news and analysis, and “Pardon the Interruption” with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. When Kathie isn’t around, I may sneak in one of the episodes of “Housewives of New Jersey.” When I was a child, my mother’s mantra was “Stay busy and stay out of trouble.” I think she must have whispered this to Kathie before she died. Kathie has kept my mother’s mantra very much alive. President Obama would be wise to name Kathie the director of the Department of Labor. She’d have everyone in this country working in no time, with unemployment near or less than one percent. On this particular day, after I had put up Christmas lights on the pine trees in front of our home at Kathie’s request and was in need of a nap, she suggested that it was time to get rid of the crib we had kept for 37 years. Our youngest granddaughter, Susannah, three and a half, was no longer sleeping in a crib. We didn’t need the crib any more. Margaret, who is seven and a half, had been sleeping in a big bed for years. Kathie assured me we would not be having any more children of our own either. That crib had been in our attic for more than 25 years, placed there when we first moved back to Pittsburgh in 1979 and settled into our home in the Trotwood Hills section of Upper St. Clair. It was put back in action when our daughter, Sarah, had children of her own. Some people, I have since learned, keep those cribs in their attics or garages forever. I think they should be put in glass showcases, like autographed baseballs signed by Bill Mazeroski or Mickey Mantle. I usually approach most tasks Kathie puts on my “to do” list with the same trepidation and sweating that would be more appropriate if she told me to build some pyramids in our backyard. “You’re just lazy,” Kathie complains. When I argue that I have always been ambitious and hustled to make money, she concedes, “You work hard, but only at what you want to do.” That helps to explain Sarah O’Brien in her crib, May 1974 20
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Rebecca O’Brien in her crib, December 1977
why I prefer to be a free-lancer in the writing game. Our older daughter, Sarah, age 38, is a medical doctor in Columbus, Ohio, and our younger daughter, Rebecca, 34, is a senior general manager of a restaurant in southern California. Once, when they were both complaining about having to work a weekend, I said, “I have no sympathy for either of you. I have always worked on weekends.” To which Rebecca shot back, “Yeah, Dad, but you never had a real job.” She had me there! In any case, I never boasted that I was a handyman when I was wooing their mother, Kathleen Churchman of White Oak, who was then in her second year of studies in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh. My father was a machinist at Mesta Machine Company, but we didn’t have a workshop in our home in Hazelwood. For a while, we didn’t even have what you’d call a real bathroom. So he didn’t show me how to fix things in my teen years. I can boast that I have never crawled under a car to check or fix anything or to do an oil change. I have one little box in the basement that contains all the tools I require to do little tasks around the house. I prefer to write and sell another story and use the money to pay someone who knows what they are doing to handle such chores. But Kathie wanted me to get rid of the crib and assured me that I was up to the task. So I got two different screwdrivers and a wrench and went to work to take apart a crib in which our two daughters and our granddaughters had slept peacefully for so many years. The crib was white and wooden and worked fine for all four of its occupants. My wife recalled that we bought it at Kalinsky’s Furniture Store in Hempstead, New York, about five miles from our home in Baldwin, Long Island. Hempstead was also where the Nets and then the Islanders played their games, which was my first beat when I went to work at The New York Post. Our favorite doctor then was Dr. J. I knew a great photographer at Madison Square Garden named George Kalinsky who suggested I check out his family’s store if we needed any children’s furniture. When Kathie recently mentioned Kalinsky’s, which I had forgotten about, all of a sudden I could see the interior of the store and us walking around in it… like it was yesterday. When moving from Miami to New York in the spring of 1970, Kathie and I had been married for three years. We’d made the decision not to have children for at least two more years until I could get established in the newspaper field. It turned out that after we were married six years, we still didn’t have children. And, of course, it was my fault. In truth, it was my fault. So we applied at a New York City private adoption agency and were excited when we learned a few months later that we had been approved and would soon be getting a child of our own. I announced the news to my newspaper friends the next time I covered a game at Madison Square Garden. Kathie and I started preparing two rooms in our home in anticipation of the approaching arrival. I was scraping wallpaper off the walls in one of the rooms one day, high on a stepladder,
when Kathie came into the room and told me she had some good news. She told me she had just learned from her doctor that she was pregnant and due to have a baby in September. I nearly fell off the ladder! I have been reluctant to go up ladders ever since that wonderful high. That’s when we went out and bought some children’s furniture, including the white, wooden crib. I can still see Sarah bouncing up and down in that crib, proudly singing, “Now I know my A, B, Cs.” She was a bit of a showoff. I can also see Rebecca standing and chatting about something or another at the crib’s railing. The crib frames their cherubic faces. So I wasn’t too happy about having to take that crib apart. I am challenged whenever I have a screwdriver or hammer in hand in the first place, but it’s especially difficult when your heart feels heavy. Kathie isn’t sentimental about stuff like that. That makes me nervous, too. I figure the first time I show any weakness or appear the least bit worn-out that I will end up in a cardboard box at the bottom of the driveway on garbage day. That’s Thursday in our neighborhood. Bill Mazeroski says he cries watching certain commercials on TV. I can appreciate that. I recalled that I got weepy when I had to get rid of a barbecue grill, recalling all the good times the family had with cookouts on the side porch. This would be worse, I knew, from the start. I wanted to give the crib to someone who could use it like we did with another bed that belonged to Sarah. The neighbors took that for their Lisa. But Kathie told me that the crib didn’t meet current safety standards—something about the white bars being too far apart—so we couldn’t give it to anyone. I actually took apart the bed in less than a half hour under Kathie’s constant supervision and suggestions on which way to turn the screwdriver. I put everything at the bottom of the driveway. The next morning, I heard the garbage truck pull up to the curb, but I hesitated to go to the window to watch the men remove the white headboards, the ones that had the teeth-marks of our children and grandchildren—a sure sign that they had used it well. I am sure their DNA remains embedded in that bed. I missed seeing the men toss those white headboards and the bedsprings into the belly of that garbage truck. It’s just as well. It would have hurt to see that. Now that crib has joined Jimmy Hoffa in some great landfill in America. Since then, I have checked out Rebecca’s bedroom—it will always be referred to as Rebecca’s bedroom no matter who sleeps there—and it looks empty without that white crib. Worse yet, all the stuffed animals—the life-size lap dogs I bought, and rabbits and baby dolls—are no longer showcased in the crib. They’re on the floor or in the closet. And they have nowhere to sleep. Sarah and her daughters, Margaret and Susannah, were coming for Thanksgiving and I was told that the kids would be sharing Rebecca’s bed, and that Sarah would be sleeping in her own bed in what will always be referred to as Sarah’s room. Christmas is coming and Rebecca will return home from California for that occasion. Our house is more of a home when they are back here, safe and snug in their beds. It will take me a while to reconcile that we don’t need the crib anymore. n
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Traveling with TODAY Eastern European Excursion Includes TODAY
A September trip took six energetic friends to a restored castle in Visegrad, Hungary, during a European excursion. The itinerary included Prague, Czech Republic, Vienna, Austria, and Budapest, Hungary. Stops along the way afforded many sights relating to the royal Hapsburg family and the Austro-Hungarian Empire of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Accompanying the group, TODAY traveled the European trails, as well! n
TODAY Swims Upstream A contingent of USC families whose children are members of Upper St. Clair Swim Club descended upon Cleveland, Ohio, late last fall to attend a swim meet at the University of Cleveland. Sharing the fall 2011 issue of the TODAY magazine are some of the club’s swimmers who enjoyed an evening of camaraderie after a long, exciting day of swims, before bunking down in anticipation of the early morning meet the following day. n
Visiting a restored castle in Visegrad, Hungary are, left to right, front row: Sally Sherfinski, Hedy Pitcairn, Mary Estabrook; back row: Lou Sherfinski, George Pitcairn, Tracy Estabrook
TODAY Travels to Milan Jessica Spazok
During my October business trip, touring Italy’s Cathedral of Milan and Bellagio at Lake Como was a must. Armed with the fall issue of TODAY, my first activity included the Duomo Cathedral. One of the largest churches in the world, it boasts 135 spires and 3400 statues. Commissioned in 1386, it was not completed until the early 1800s. “Sensational!” best describes the lofty experience of the Duomo’s rooftop panorama. Marble terraces amidst white pinnacles afford a breathtaking vista over Milan to the Alps. Walking distance to numerous tourist attractions, the cathedral is at the city center, Piazza del Duomo. Early afternoon included an excursion to Bellagio at picturesque Lake Como, Italy. Wooded mountains, natural springs, impressive rock outcasts, and charming villages abound. The third largest of all the lakes in Italy, it is Europe’s deepest at 1312 feet. The sub-tropical mild climate provides some rain and occasional snow in the winter. Less than an hour from Milan, the ferry enabled me to leisurely enjoy our community magazine. Whether to arrive by auto, bus, train, or ferry, the local water-taxi provides exceptional vistas of quaint villas whose lush gardens boast azaleas, roses, and rainbow lilies. Bellagio exudes old-world charm. Cobblestone lanes boast cozy cafes’ local cuisine of sun-dried Missoltini fish, mouthwatering cheeses, and fragrant provincial wines. Enchanted by the snow-covered Alps and taking pleasure in TODAY while dining by the sparkling azure water of Bellagio at Lake Como is magnifico! n Jessica at Lake Como 22
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Members of the Upper St. Clair Swim Club
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is proud to travel with you, too! Read the following criteria to find out how. • Clear, close-up photo of USC resident(s) holding his or her TODAY magazine. • Digital photo or hard copy 35 accepted. ‣‣ For digital, attach jpg (at least 300 dpi) and send via email, including required information (see below) in the body of the email. ‣‣ For 35 mm, attach post-it to back of hard copy photo, listing the required information (see below). • List name(s) of resident(s), group, and specific photo location. • List objective of visit—leisure, volunteer, career, etc. • Include email address or phone number should further contact be necessary. • Deliver one 35 mm photo with details to the USC Township receptionist in an envelope marked “USC TODAY,” or • Email one digital photo with details to usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us, with “TODAY” listed in subject line.
Note: Submitted photos and information for this feature section will remain on file for upcoming editions until published.
Early Detection and a Picture Worth a Thousand Words Dr. Natalie Furgiuele-Iracki
Early detection of breast cancer depends on sensible awareness, physical exam, and technology. Breast imaging “mainstays” are mammography, sonography, and, more recently, breast MRI. Let us first talk about mammography. Mammography, or mammogram, is still the gold standard. A woman’s first mammogram should be obtained by the time she is 40 and yearly thereafter. Often, the earliest sign of breast cancer is an abnormality found as a result of a mammogram. However, mammography can miss 10-15% of all breast cancers. Therefore a mammogram, as with any medical test, should be considered in conjunction with a physical exam and a patient’s history. Mammography can be uncomfortable because of the intense compression required to flatten the breast tissue for its anatomy to be seen with the least amount of radiation. Radiation exposure from mammography is extremely low. Adverse experiences can include pain, bruising, and chest wall discomfort, but most are temporary in nature. The “over diagnosis” of a problem from screening mammography can range from one to ten percent. Since younger breasts are more difficult to evaluate with mammography, they are also more likely to encounter false positive mammographic findings and require additional imaging. By the same token, mammography imaging has resulted in fewer biopsies overall for women of every age.
Increased breast density and previous breast surgeries can cause the interpretation of the breast image to be more challenging. Mammography, done for “screening”—when a patient is completely without symptoms—is the most common use of this test. A “diagnostic” mammogram is performed when an abnormality has been found through screening or the patient has a symptom, such as a lump, or as follow up from a previous imaging problem. For patients with a first degree relative with a BRCA1or BRCA2 genetic mutation, mammography can start as early as ages 23 to 25. There has been some controversy over when a woman should stop obtaining yearly screening mammography. There was a recommendation that mammography stop at age 74, but these guidelines are in clear opposition to all existing breast cancer guidelines. The American Cancer Society, American College of Radiologists, American College of Surgeons, and American College of Breast Surgeons all agree that there should be no specific age at which a woman should stop “caring for herself” and include breast mammography. My next writing will include a discussion about sonography and MRI. n Dr. Furgiuele-Iracki operates at St. Clair and Mon Valley Hospitals, UPMC South, The Washington Hospital/Tri-State, and RADIANCE Surgery Center. See ad on this page. Spring 2012
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Celebrate YOU!
HAPPY HOUR Monday - Friday 5pm to 7pm 1614 Washington Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241
412-854-4264 www.stonepeppers.com
www.jabjewelry.com
Adams Shoppes, SR 228, Mars, PA Settlers Ridge Center, Robinson Twp., PA
Celebrate Uniqueness With a “Simply Original” Design Joe Bonasso, JAB Jewelry Designs
In today’s disposable culture, few things invoke a sense of significance like a piece of jewelry from a loved one. Whether it is handed down or given to mark a special occasion, the value of jewelry to the recipient is often well beyond the price paid, having special sentimental value. Engagements, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, even sports championships are celebrated with jewelry. With a life full of milestones comes a collection of valuable mementos whether monetary or sentimental. Unfortunately, many of them end up sitting in a drawer getting little wear. With the “tell your story” bead craze, it’s obvious that people want to celebrate their own story. What better way than to have several meaningful pieces of jewelry combined in a single piece crafted just for you? The process of having custom designed jewelry made can be one of the most rewarding and meaningful experiences you can have; it can also be intimidating. The risk of having something made that you won’t love can understandably make you apprehensive. Custom jewelry can mean many different things, and the term is used very loosely within the jewelry industry. In its simplest sense, it is altering an existing manufactured piece to suit the needs of a customer. This is what you see in a lot of web-based jewelers and big box stores, where an existing design is taken and the center stone changed to produce a so-called one-of-a-kind or custom-designed ring. How can something
mass produced bear this title? Shouldn’t something that is “custom made” be just that? It is becoming increasingly rare to find the craftsmanship and attention to detail that used to be standard—a jeweler who can design a piece from start to finish, taking a customer’s personal sentiment into consideration. It is even more rare to find a jeweler who displays these “old world” skills while employing today’s cutting-edge technology, allowing limitless possibilities in design and execution. Today’s jeweler has at his disposal CAD technology, photorealistic rendering, CNC milling, 3-D wax printing, laser welding, and induction casting to ensure precision in the most delicate of details. Though technology helps, the expertise of a skilled craftsman and designer is needed to put it all together. Today’s technology, combined with a jeweler’s years of experience, allows your imagination to run wild as you custom design your piece while putting your mind at ease in its fabrication. A true expert will guide a customer through the design process, letting him have input every step of the way. Whether you are looking for a one-of-a-kind engagement ring, a redesign, or recycling and combining some unused jewelry, stop by JAB Jewelry Designs and allow the design team to craft the piece of jewelry that celebrates you! n See ad for JAB Jewelry Designs on this page.
Sketch•••••••••••••••••••••• Design•••••••••••••••••••••Render••••••••••••••••••••••Wax•••••••••••••••••••••• Casting••••••••• Finished Product
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Celebrate YOU! • First Place, “Where the Locals Eat: The 100 Best Restaurants in the Top 50 Cities” • “City’s Best”, AOL City Guide Reader’s Vote • First Place, Post-Gazette Reader’s Poll • First Place, Tribune-Review Reader’s Survey • First Place, South Hills Record Reader’s Vote • First Place, City Paper’s Reader’s Poll
412-563-3466
30% off any dinner or lunch entree with purchase of another dinner or lunch entree of equal or greater value. Expires: April 30, 2012
USC Mag.
NOT GOOD WITH ANY OTHER OFFER.
Lunch ’til 4 • Dinners • Open Late • Bar • Sandwiches • Open 7 Days
www.amelsrestaurant.net Amel’s Restaurant, McNeilly Road
Spring Birthday Gems
Aimee Guarino Yadouga, Louis Anthony Jewelers The history of the birthstone dates back thousands of years. People began wearing birthstone jewelry in 15th century Poland. Each gemstone is symbolic and representative of a positive emotion. People were encouraged to own all 12 gemstones and wear them during the month when they were considered most powerful. The custom then evolved into wearing one’s own birthstone, which has also modified into a celebratory tradition with new mothers and grandmothers alike donning the birthstone of new additions to their families! In 1912, Jewelers of America defined the modern list of birthstones and this list has remained unchanged. Those born in March wear the stone linked with rapport, the aquamarine. With its calming shade of blue, it is said that wearing this gem ensures a long and happy marriage. Perhaps this is where the bride wearing “something blue” superstition derived. April birthdays are represented by the most coveted of all gemstones, the diamond. Diamonds are often associated with strength and courage and are a symbol of endurance. Emeralds are the birthstone for the month of May. Ancient cultures believed that emeralds could cure eye problems, and the modern translation is the gemstone of clarity. The gift of jewelry often signifies romance, friendship, or simply a token of affection. In addition, wearing the gem linked to one’s birthday is universally associated with good luck and health. Birthstone jewelry encompasses this idea wholly and makes a perfect present for yourself or a loved one anytime of year. n 26
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For a complete list of birthstones, visit www.jewelers.org. See ad for Louis Anthony Jewelers on page 27.
SD Upper St. Clair School District Board of School Directors
Dr. Patrick O’Toole Selected Superintendent of the Year
*Date indicates expiration of term.
The Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators
Rebecca A. Stern President 412-220-0745 2015*
Barbara L. Bolas Vise President 412-833-9841 2015*
Amy L. Billerbeck 412-833-2712 2015*
Buffy Z. Hasco 412-833-5712 2013*
(PASA) has selected Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole, Superintendent of the Upper St. Clair School District, as the 2012 Pennsylvania Superintendent of the Year. Jim Buckheit, PASA’s executive director, stated that Dr. O’Toole’s nomination as Superintendent of the Year “clearly evidenced strong leadership of [your] district and an impressive commitment to the education of every student.” Each candidate for Superintendent of the Year is judged by four criteria: leadership for learning, communication, professionalism, and community involvement. Dr. O’Toole’s administrative career began at Greenville High School in 1988 where he was associDr. Patrick O’Toole ate high school principal. He was appointed principal of Shenango High School in Lawrence County in 1993 and was promoted to superintendent at Shenango Area in 2000. In 2003, he was named superintendent of the South Butler County School District, where he served until his election as superintendent at Upper St. Clair in 2007. A native of Tionesta, Pennsylvania, Dr. O’Toole holds a bachelors degree from Clarion State College. Both his masters and doctorate degrees in educational administration were granted by the University of Pittsburgh. He is the son of Mary O’Toole of Tionesta and the late Michael J. O’Toole, former principal at West Forest High School. Dr. O’Toole resides in Penn Township, Butler County, with his wife, Tracey, a chemistry teacher at Seneca Valley High School, and their son, Patrick Kiernan. n
Many Thanks Frank J. Kerber 412-833-4873 2013*
Harry F. Kunselman 412-851-1115 2013*
Thank you to outgoing Upper St. Clair School Board of Director Louis Piconi, who served on the board from December 2007 through December 2011. His commitment and dedication to the residents and students of Upper St. Clair was outstanding and much appreciated. n
Angelo Named Assistant Principal of the Year Louis P. Mafrice, Jr. 412-851-0622 2013*
Angela B. Petersen 412-831-7182 2015*
Louis M. Oliverio 724-941-4584 2015*
The 2012 regular meetings of the Upper St. Clair Township Board of School Directors are held at 7 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month at the Central Office Board Room, unless otherwise noted. No regular meeting is scheduled for July.
School District Detailed Monthly Calendar
www.uscsd.k12.pa.us.
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Congratulations to Louis Angelo, USCHS assistant principal, for being chosen as 2012 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals (PAESSP). Annually, PAESSP selects one assistant principal who has demonstrated meritorious service to their secondary level school and community to be the recipient of the Robert E. Lavely Award and in turn honored as Pennsylvania’s Assistant Principal of the Year on the Lou Angelo national level. Angelo was nominated for the award by Douglas Kirchner, USCHS social studies curriculum leader. Kirchner’s nomination included Angelo’s development of student leadership academies and their successful impact on the USC School District. Angelo used the concept of the Total Leaders training for the administrative team, focusing on the leadership academies, and also created a leadership academy for students. n
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A Fond Farewell to Dr. Bornyas Each New Year brings new changes, and 2012 is no exception. As we said good-bye to 2011, Upper St. Clair School District also said good-bye to a familiar face at Central Office, Dr. John Bornyas. While most residents are probably familiar with Dr. Bornyas’ role in the recent renovations of the District’s middle schools, his history with Upper St. Clair goes back to the mid-70s. Dr. Bornyas’ association with the District started in the fall of 1976, when he was assigned as a student teacher at the high school with Donald Stoicovy in the Social Studies Department. After three semesters as a fulltime substitute teacher, he was hired as a fulltime teacher at the high school for the 1979-80 school year. During his tenure at the high school, Dr. Bornyas taught ninth, tenth, and 12th grade social studies courses, and tenth and 11th grade English courses. While at the high school, he also held extra-curricular activities positions as assistant swim coach, senior class sponsor and assistant sponsor, St. Clairion sponsor, assistant yearbook sponsor, and house manager for the ’81,’82, and ’83 musicals. In 1986-87, Dr. Bornyas moved to Boyce Middle School and was appointed Middle School Social Studies Curriculum Leader, a position he held until the 199293 school year. At Boyce Middle School, Dr. Bornyas taught sixth grade language arts and social studies. He also served on the Middle Level Conference steering committee that organized and conducted a spring District regional conference for area middle school educators from 1988-1993. In addition to his work with the USC School District, Dr. Bornyas assumed administrative positions in two other Pittsburgh area school districts. In the Fox Chapel Area School District, he worked with an administrative team to open Dorseyville Middle School. In 1997, Dr. Bornyas became the principal of Moon Area Middle School where he implemented over 75 recommendations from a five-year study, resulting in improved programming for the students. In 1999-2000, USC Superintendent William A. Pope rehired Dr. Bornyas to his administrative staff as Director of Middle Level Education/Instructional Principal. Added responsibilities included central office administrator in charge of District-wide
physical plant operations. Dr. Pope called Dr. Bornyas “one of the kindest, hardest working educators I’ve ever been around.” “I have a lot of respect for him,” said Dr. Pope. “He is a really nice person and he loves the kids.” During the 2000-2001 school year, Dr. Bornyas also served as interim principal of Boyce Middle School, and Fort Couch Middle School earned its third U.S. Department of Education Blue Ribbon Award. In 2001, Dr. Bornyas received a $25,000 grant from the Grable Foundation for the District, which was used to support an annual Middle Level Institute that provided middle level educator professional development opportunities for regional educators. The institute operated in the District from 2000 to 2003. Also in 2001, he was appointed Director of Education/Instructional Principal (712), and during the 2003-04 school year, he held this position together with serving as acting co-deputy superintendent. Dr. Bornyas was appointed Director of Programming, Operations and Middle Level Education in 2004, with responsibilities including assessment, transportation, and Title I added to his supervision. During that time, he directed the District’s work on assessment, resulting in the school board policy on assessment and the assessment for and of learning professional staff training program. While Dr. Bornyas held this position, both Boyce and Fort Couch Middle Schools were honored by the Pennsylvania State and National Middle Schools Associations with the Donald Eichhorn Schools to Watch 2008-2011 Award. He also was the District administrator that worked with the K-12 Odyssey of the Mind program. Dr. Bornyas assumed the position of Director of Operations, Community Relations, and Special Projects effective the 2009-10 school year. During Dr. Bornyas’ tenure in this position, he managed the physical plant operations including maintenance, custodial, facilities, and transportation. Dr. Bornyas was the lead administrator responsible for the District’s state of the art Middle Schools Renovation Project, including establishing a comprehensive change order process, receiving High Performance Green Schools Planning Grants for Boyce Spring 2012
Dr. John Bornyas at the Boyce Middle School dedication ceremony this past October
and Fort Couch, submitting numerous PlanCon documents to the Pennsylvania Department of Education for approval, and planning the process for athletic field improvements to Boyce and Fort Couch. In addition, Dr. Bornyas was instrumental in establishing the management of the transportation operations when the bus garage was relocated from Fort Couch Middle School to Cecil Township. Dr. Patricia Dunkis, retired Director of Elementary Education, said that one of Dr. Bornyas’ strengths was his knowledge of the deep, rich history of the USC School District. “John firmly believes in the vision and mission of putting the children first,” said Dr. Dunkis. Dr. Bornyas also established the District’s award-winning eBlast, the monthly full-color electronic newsletter on the District’s website, which replaced the quarterly hard-copy newsletter. The transition to an electronic newsletter generated significant cost savings for the District both in production and postage costs. Dr. Bornyas holds a bachelor of science from the Pennsylvania State University, a master of science in human resource management from LaRoche College, and a master of arts in counseling and doctor of education in administrative policy studies from the University of Pittsburgh. USC Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick O’Toole summed up Dr. Bornyas’ contributions. “Dr. Bornyas has left his mark on the culture of Upper St. Clair as a teacher, curriculum leader, and administrator. He has been instrumental in the leadership of middle level education and the renovation of all six buildings,” he said. n UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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D scover ng Sc ence USCSD Curriculum Leaders Barb Williams, Caren Falascino, and Lynn Kistler
Kids are natural scientists; touching, tasting, and observing as they learn about the world around them. Once they start talking, the questions come: “Why is the sky blue?” “What happened to the dinosaurs?” “How do birds fly?” USC educators teach our students how to answer these and other questions while stimulating student interest for a subject that has become part of daily life.
Elementary The Upper St. Clair elementary science curriculum provides a rich pathway for students to encounter life science, earth science, physical science, and technological experiences through a comprehensive inquiry-based module approach, kindergarten through fourth grade. The standards-based modules used are aligned with the Pennsylvania State Standards for Science and Technology and Environment and Ecology and the Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content for Science and are acquired from ASSET Inc. (Achieving Student Success Through Excellence in Teaching). USC works in partnership with ASSET, providing outstanding professional development for teachers to deepen content knowledge and skills for all elementary students, grades K-4. This educational partnership allows USC to stay current with the best instructional practices related to the way we “do” science in the classroom, the way we “teach” science, and the way the children “think” about science and the world around them. Helping the 21st century learner become scientifically literate is modeled throughout each learning experience, and reflective thinking is promoted through the use of a science notebook. Current curriculum includes Trees and Senses at the kindergarten level. Weather, Solids and Liquids, Organisms, and New Plants, are first grade units. In second grade, the students experience the Life Cycle of Butterflies, Balancing and Weighing, and Changes. Third grade students delve into the Sun, Earth and Moon System, the Human Body, Chemical Tests, and Rocks and Minerals. In fourth grade, students enjoy studying Animal Studies, Land and Water, Motion and Design, and Electric Circuits. Children are taught science using an inquiry-based approach with emphasis on the FERA learning cycle. FERA, the acronym for Focus, Explore, Reflect, and Apply, incorporates four critical elements into hands-on science experiences. The Focus step directs students’ attention to the goal(s) or focus question they will investigate. The Explore step refers to the opportunity students have to manipulate equipment, to attempt an experiment, or to test hypotheses to investigate the answer to their question. In this step students record their observations as data for future lessons. During Reflection, students are asked to think about what their investigation has shown. Often, the teacher will guide students through a discussion of what took place in their explorations as they move toward sense-making. Writing and recording their thinking in their notebook is frequently a part of the Reflect step. Finally, students are asked to Apply what they have learned to solve a problem or create a new question. They do this by drawing conclusions and summarizing or extending their learning through writing, drawing, or demonstrating what they have learned in the lesson. 30
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Fourth grade students conducting experiments as they study electricity and electrical circuits
Another exciting component of the elementary curriculum is the school’s partnership with The Outdoor Classroom in USC. The standards-based Environment and Ecology curriculum experiences have extended from the traditional four-walled classroom to the great outdoors and include field study activities at The Outdoor Classroom’s 475-acre regional natural resource. All elementary-grade students have the opportunity to explore the wetland, the forest, and the meadow natural habitat, linking classroom learning to this community site. By promoting natural curiosity and stewardship of the earth, students develop an appreciation for ecological diversity and responsibility for their role in protecting the environment. Middle School Inquiry-based labs, field experiences, and an emphasis on 21st century skills is the focus of the Upper St. Clair middle school science program. This program includes grades five and six at Boyce and grades seven and eight at Fort Couch. Each of the four years is divided into four nine-week units, with educational topics that are interconnected. At each grade there is a focus on one life science, one physical science, and one earth science unit. Over the course of the four years, the students in middle school cover 16 topics that are aligned to the Pennsylvania State Standards for Science and Technology and Environment and Ecology and the Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content for Science. The Boyce Middle School science program continues to implement an inquiry-based approach that builds on the strong foundation from the elementary schools. The students learn the content of science while at the same time they learn skill and process. The science material is nationally recognized as exemplary curriculum material, including the Science Technology for Children from the Smithsonian (STC) and Full Option Science System (FOSS). The middle school teachers continue to work with ASSET for professional development to deepen content knowledge and skills. The fifth grade science units are Variables (FOSS) (how to set up an experiment and test for a variable), Geology, Chemistry, and Space Science. The space unit is tied in with the Challenger Space Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, where at the completion of the students’ training and study of space, each team goes to the Challenger Center and has the opportunity to fly a mission. The sixth grade science units provide active learning experiences and include Investigating Plants (STC), Weather and Meteorology, Magnets, Motors and Electricity (STC), and Ecosystems and Animals (STC). Some of the experiences include
conducting experiments with plants, setting up controls and variables, and designing and building electrical games. Students attend a three-day, two-night environmental education trip at Deer Valley YMCA Camp. Students learn firsthand about the environment through an interdisciplinary approach, providing a wide variety of experiences. Inquiry-based learning and process skills continue to be emphasized as students progress through the middle school science program at Fort Couch. The curriculum includes lab skills, microscope use, the scientific method, and lab safety. Science objectives and activities are regularly integrated with other content areas, emphasizing reading and writing. The seventh grade units are Scientific Method/Light (STC), Homeostasis (cell, microscopes), Intro to Genetics, and Earth’s Changing Surface and Man’s Impact. By seventh grade, students are expected to set up their own experiments and control variables. This school year, all students will participate in an e-mission from the Challenger Space Center in Wheeling, West Virginia, where they will track a hurricane and monitor a volcano to save the residents of Montserrat. Astronomy, Introduction to Chemistry (Properties of Matter, STC), Introduction to Physics, and Oceanography are the eighth grade units that continue to focus on inquiry and process skills. Mathematical reasoning is given real life significance through the development of formulas to calculate the work done by simple machines and measure chemicals and other objects in the environment. Students also use data to graph information, balance chemical equations, estimate and calculate real distances to the planets and stars, measure the specific gravity of rocks, and calculate buoyancy in salt water solutions. A strong emphasis is placed on lab procedure and safety. At Boyce and Fort Couch students not only learn science, but also experience it first hand and are asked to think like a scientist. The program strives to stimulate and foster student interest and excitement for a subject that has become part of daily living in an expanding technological society. The Upper St. Clair middle school science program allows students to explore science’s impact on the world and prepares them for the 21st century.
ninth grade, chemistry in tenth grade, and physics in 11th grade. For these three core classes, there are multiple levels available to the students, including honors, academic, and conceptual. Currently, only three years of science are required for graduation although many students take an additional science elective during senior year. Some students double-up on science courses taking as many as five, six, or even seven courses during their high school career. These electives include Honors Biology Topics, Forensic Chemistry, and Honors Anatomy and Physiology in addition to AP courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science. Students working on the IB diploma can select from Standard Level Chemistry or Higher Level Physics to meet their science requirements. Lab work and hands-on learning are of high priority in every class. Honors Biology Topic students spend weeks learning the behavior of mice and how to “train” them to compete in the Mouse Olympics. One of the most memorable events for the chemistry students is participating in the annual celebration of Mole Day each October 23 and commemorating the number of objects in one mole (6.02 x 1023). In each of the last three years, the Anatomy class has presented a health fair to the ninth grade students, applying the knowledge learned throughout the year. These types of activities emphasize the point made by junior Taylor Manalo: that the courses are “not simply a series of lectures, but the teachers use many approaches to get the concepts across to the students.” Freya Browne, also a junior, describes her science courses as “very hands-on and [they] give you lots of information. There is always help if you need it, and the teachers strive to make classes fun and engaging.” A highly dedicated group, the high school science department boasts a variety of talented staff, with three teachers holding doctoral degrees in their scientific field, and many other staff who first worked in industry and then made the decision to embrace the teaching profession. It is typical to find teachers working with students both before and after school, in small groups or individually, as student success is of the utmost priority. When the teachers are not working directly with students, they are busy preparing and then dismantling labs, all to provide the best experience possible for the students of Upper St. Clair. When asked if the science courses at the high school are good preparation for college, senior Laura Baumann summed up the program explaining that “they pique interests, and inspire and teach students to take care of the world outside the classroom.” n
High School From Mouse Olympics, to Mole Day, Bio-Blast, Kennywood Physics, and Health Fair, USCHS students are busy and active when it comes to science. Hands-on science is not just a catch-phrase; rather, it is how science is done at the high school. As students reach the high school, each science course teaches a specialty in one aspect of science, unlike the integrated approach taught to students K-8. Each USCHS AP Environmental Science students doing water testing course provides a foundational background to a specific branch of science. Although there is not a mandated progression, most students take biology in
High school student, Sarah Burton, holding two moles in celebration of Mole Day
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Meet New Board Member Louis Oliverio
Louis Oliverio
Elected this fall to the Upper St. Clair Board of School Directors, Louis Oliverio looks forward to confronting the challenges facing the school board and the District. “For many, our schools are a motivating factor for choosing to live in Upper St. Clair,” said Louis, “and the decisions the board makes affect the future of the school system and are of importance to everyone in our community.” A commercial real estate attorney, Louis grew up in Uniontown, where his parents still reside. He and his wife, Natalea, have lived in Upper St. Clair since 2008. The couple has two children: Michael, 3, and Sophia, 1. Louis is a member of the USC Republican Committee, the USC/Bethel Evening Rotary, the executive committee of the Urban Land Institute of Pittsburgh (ULI), and the Economic Development Committee of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP). In his spare time, Louis enjoys collecting antiques, reading, and spending time with his family. n
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USC School Board Member Remembered for Dedication This past December, the Upper St. Clair school community was saddened by the death of Board of School Director Bruce Kerman after an extended illness. Bruce served the District with distinction since his election to office in 2009. “Bruce was a deeply committed board member, father, and husband,” said USC Superintendent Patrick O’Toole. “As a board member, he always did his homework on issues and placed the best interests of the students of USC at the forefront of his decisions.” USC board president Rebecca Stern said, “Bruce was highly respected and his voice will be missed by his colleagues on the board. He Bruce Kerman served his community with intelligence and dignity.” Bruce Kerman is survived by his wife, Amy, and their two daughters, Rebecca and Sarah, both Upper St. Clair students. n
School Director Named Filling the remainder of Bruce Kerman’s term for USC Board of School
Directors is Buffy Hasco. She and her husband, Michael, along with their daughters, Sophie, 16; Emma, 14; and Grace, 12, have called Upper St. Clair home for eight years. “We love it here,” said Buffy. “I grew up in Wexford and we moved around a lot with our careers. Upper St. Clair is a great place to live and raise a family.” An avid school volunteer, Buffy said she applied for the vacancy on the school board because of her strong interest in education. She said she had been thinking about running for school board for a few years, and because of the ages of her children she felt Buffy Hasco the timing was right. “I think it’s important that all demographic segments of the Township are represented on the board,” said Buffy. “When your children are in school, you’re so busy and a lot of people can’t commit the time to serve on the board. With kids at Boyce, Fort Couch, and the high school, I see how the curriculum and technology used in our schools works for families.” With a financial and marketing background, Buffy said she has had responsibilities for budgets, profit/loss scenarios, and strategic planning. She also has experience with non-profits and has had to address budget challenges in those organizations by looking at new funding streams. “It’s a difficult time, because of budget cuts; but also an exciting time because of technology,” said Buffy. When Buffy has time to relax, she likes to run, loves to read, and enjoys film and especially spending time with friends and family. n Spring 2012
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Positive Partnership
Kerry Strauch, Eisenhower Music Teacher At first glance, the partnership between an elementary school and a national hotel chain may seem unlikely. But upon closer examination, it becomes readily apparent that both are committed to providing the best care and service to their clientele and communities. Together, they are able to make a greater impact on the world around them. The year 2011 marks the fourth year of this positive relationship between Eisenhower Elementary School and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Suites Pittsburgh Downtown. The DoubleTree by Hilton has a long reputation of giving back to the community through their “CARE Culture” programs and committees. Their Teaching Kids to CARE® program has been teaching students about the “simple, important lessons and rewards that come from caring about their community, their world and each other,” since 2002. General manager and Upper St. Clair resident Tim Zugger brought this program to the second grade students of Eisenhower, including his daughter Ellie, in the fall of 2008. The second grade students decorated and wrote messages on leaves that were then delivered to the residents of Sunrise Assisted Living. The following year, the students planted spring flowers around school grounds with the help of Pittsburgh DoubleTree donations and volunteers. Eisenhower and the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Suites Pittsburgh Downtown have also partnered on several other projects. Starting in 2009, they combined efforts on their annual food drives during the holidays. The DoubleTree donated collection boxes and decoration materials for the boxes, and their staff members led kick-off assemblies for the students and transported the collected items to the food bank. In April 2011, the DoubleTree Pittsburgh Downtown provided financial and volunteer support for Eisenhower’s annual Rebuilding Together project. Tim Zugger and Eisenhower’s principal Mark Miller agree that the partnership between business and school is a positive one. Not only does it allow the DoubleTree by Hilton to share some of its initiatives and goals while giving back to the community, it provides a wonderful example for the students of Eisenhower. The students learn the importance of helping others in need and recognize that by working together they can achieve more than by working alone. The faculty, staff, and families of Eisenhower would like to thank Tim Zugger, along with Stephanie Masullo, front office manager and president of the CARE Committee, Terri Klingenberg, director of human resources, and the other staff members at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and Suites Pittsburgh Downtown for their support. At the end of each day, Principal Miller consistently reminds the students to “make a positive difference in the lives of others.” The partnership with the Pittsburgh DoubleTree by Hilton has helped make that goal a reality. n Readying boxes of food for the annual food drive
Diane Horvath, GRI, CRS Let my over 25 years of experience go to work for you.
• Top Producer • Member of Top 1% of Realtors Nationwide • Listing and Sales Leader • Relocation Specialist Office: 412-833-3600 ext. 219 Cell: 412-491-6984 Howard Hanna - USC Office 180 Fort Couch Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241
dhorvath@howardhanna.com
www.extendedday.com
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Two to Watch
Boyce and Fort Couch Middle Schools were celebrating this past November as they were redesignated as Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn “Schools to Watch.” On Monday, November 21, the state Schools to Watch committee honored Boyce during a ceremony held in the school’s new theatre, which included performances by the Boyce orchestra, band, chorus, and other student groups. Paul Meck, director of the Pennsylvania Schools to Watch committee, told the assembled teachers, USC School District officials, students, and other attendees that the state team came to Boyce about a year ago to investigate the school’s performance based on 37 criteria. Meck said redesignation is an important mark. There are 21 Schools to Watch in Pennsylvania, with five schools earning redesignation: Boyce, Fort Couch, Lenape, Pine-Richland, and Dubois. Fort Couch‘s redesignation ceremony was held on Tuesday, November 22, with performances by the school’s chorus, band, and cheerleaders. Meck noted that the current Fort Couch students had attended two Schools to Watch.
“We don’t have many Schools to Watch in Pennsylvania, or anywhere in the country, where students have been members of two schools.” Schools to Watch is an initiative launched by the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform in 1999. The National Forum is an alliance of more than 60 educators, researchers, and officers of national associations and foundations dedicated to improving schools for young adolescents across the country. The award is named after Don Eichhorn, an Upper St. Clair School District administrator in the 1960s and 70s. Dr. Eichhorn passed away in 2001, but his wife attended both assemblies. n
Fort Couch cheerleaders
Boyce chorus Boyce principal Karen Brown
Pillars
In addition to being redesignated as a Pennsylvania Don Eichhorn School to Watch, Boyce Middle School announced the three inaugural recipients of the Pillars of Boyce Award: Dr. Donald Eichhorn, Dr. Robert Furman, and Mr. Howard O’Shell. Dr. Eichhorn, a former USC assistant superintendent, organized the first middle school in Pennsylvania and was instrumental in the groundbreaking development of middle school philosophy in the early 60s. A former Boyce principal and expert in middle level education, Dr. Furman worked with Dr. Eichhorn throughout the early years of the middle school movement. Mr. O’Shell developed the award-winning Deer Valley 34
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Environmental Education Experience, which features interdisciplinary learning experiences. All sixth grade students and their parents attend the three-day program each spring. The Pillars of Boyce Award “recognizes and celebrates those persons who have made significant contributions supporting and upholding Boyce as an exemplary middle school.” n
Russ Phillips, Food Services Director Joe Wightkin, Support Services Director
Partner Teams at Boyce
Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company
Managed Services, Managed Better
Boyce Teachers Kristin Cilli, Matt Henderson, Chrissy Caragein, and Tim Wagner This year, Boyce Middle School began the practice of “partner teaming” as part of the School District’s commitment to customizing learning. What is a partner team? Under the leadership of Boyce principal Karen Brown, two academic teaching teams (two math/science teachers and two language arts/social studies teachers) come together to form a four-person partner team. Partner teams meet and plan together, teach together, and group students from four homerooms, rather than just two. Why partner teams? The value of this practice has great benefits for learners. First, the four members of the partner team meet weekly in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) group to discuss the needs of the children on their two shared teams from a variety of perspectives. In order to ensure that the potential of all students is nurtured, teachers discuss what teaching practices may be best to reach a particular student or group of learners and what resources in the school can be accessed to
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SPRING PE R FO R MA NC E Something for Everyone "Peter and the Wolf" "Swan Lake" 2nd Act George Balanchine's " Who Cares?" among other short works April 21 & 22, 7:30 PM Upper St. Clair Theater 1825 McLaughlin Run Rd. $20 Prime Reserved $10 Reserved 724-969-6000 www.pybco.org or info@pybco.org Jean Gedeon Artistic Director
Traditional Team vs. Partner Team approach
engage learners. When students have even more adults in the school that know them well (in this case, the child’s partner team teachers), conversations about what is best for a child are enriched. Next, partner team teachers often teach lessons together or plan multidisciplinary lessons for which all children will benefit. Because teaming and interdisciplinary instruction is already a cornerstone of the middle school experience, teachers of math, for example, are now able to decide—is this lesson best taught with my traditional language arts/social studies teammate or my math counterpart on the partner team? Partner teams provide more options and encourage collaboration. Finally, partner team teachers mix and group children based on the academic needs currently exhibited by students. The flexibility to group learners from across two teams based on their need for remediation, on level instruction, or enrichment is valuable. One example of this is reading instruction based on readiness. A Spring 2012
language arts teacher may find students in her small novel group from across either team, not just her own, to meet the needs of all learners and customize and differentiate instruction to meet those needs. Partner teams have begun to work together to engage students in the following areas: • Novel groups • Interdisciplinary centers • Math stations • Major unit of study introduction • Student collaboration on projects As 21st century learners, Boyce invites its students to collaborate, communicate, and problem solve on a daily basis. Partner teams provide a professional parallel to the habits and dispositions that the teachers hope to engender to students at Boyce Middle School. n UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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USC PSEA/ESP Scholarship
The bus drivers and attendants of Upper St. Clair School District consider transporting your children everyday more than just a job. It is also a way to know and care about the students, some of whom have been driven by the same driver for many years. It is because of that sentiment that the 44 members of the USC PSEA/ESP (Pennsylvania State Education Association/Education Support Profession) established and awarded their first academic scholarship this past spring for the 2010-11 school year. Each scholarship candidate was asked to write an essay pertaining to his or her experience while riding a USC school bus. The winning essay was written by Kristen Free who currently attends Duquesne University. She was presented with a $500 check at the USCHS awards night this past May. We are pleased to share her essay with you: I don’t remember that afternoon very clearly, either because I was too young or that day was slightly traumatic. I was always the last stop in the morning and in the afternoon. I boarded bus 106 in the afternoon after a long day of first grade and sat down in my traditional right front seat. I always liked this seat because this way it was easier to see the driver when we talked, I could see the pictures she had taped up over the dash, and I did not have to cross the road when I got off. As soon as we rounded the corner of Hays we could see the flashing lights of the ambulance and police cars. I immediately knew that the
entire ruckus was there for my grandmother. My grandmother had been ill for some time now, and I was desensitized to all the commotion around having a terminally ill family member. When we reached my house I stood up to leave, not knowing what would be awaiting me inside my house. My driver would not leave until she knew I would be taken care of and that everything was OK. When I finally knew what was going on, I went back outside and told her that I would be OK. Every day after that, she made sure to ask me how my grandmother was doing, even though it was not part of her job description. I really wish I could remember my bus driver’s name, for she truly impacted my life for the better. She showed me how one can go far beyond the call of duty and make an impact on someone’s life. My bus driver
allowed me to have a smooth bridge between my school life and my home life. She was an unexpected source of comfort and support that I could never forget. She taught me how powerful a simple act such as making sure someone gets inside can be. I do not think that this day would be a memorable one for my bus driver, but I will for sure never forget it. Hoping that it will become an annual event, members of the local have once again begun contributing their own money toward funding a second scholarship to be awarded in spring 2012 to a graduating USCHS senior. Charles Nebel, president of USC Education Support Professional explains, “This is one way to show that we have an interest in more than taking the children back and forth to school. We care about them and their future.” More information and application forms are available at the USCSHS guidance office and from the bus drivers. n
Gathering for a photo are some members of USC’s PSEA/ESP.
Baker Gives Back
Kate Mayberry, Baker PTA
Baker School has initiated several new community outreach efforts, supported by the Baker PTA. Baker Gives Back is a series of projects that involve Baker students and their families working together to improve the lives of underserved populations, both locally and globally. In October, Baker students donated a minivan full of books, DVDs and games that were gratefully accepted by a Pittsburgh city school with which Baker school has developed a partnership. In November, Baker students donated over 2000 pounds of food to South Hills Interfaith Ministries (SHIM). A winter clothing drive was held in December, with the cold weather gear donated to the students of their partner school. In January, Baker Gives Back expanded its project efforts globally. On January 20, Baker’s own Christine Hestwood departed on 36
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a mission trip to Haiti. With her, she took two suitcases packed with much needed composition books for school students in Haiti. The money to purchase the composition books was generously donated by Baker families. Each Baker student wrote a greeting, which, with the help of modern technology, was then translated into Creole and affixed to the inside of each composition book, along with the student’s picture. Christine was also able to make this a much more personal project for both the Baker and Haitian children by exchanging videotapes of them singing songs that she had taught them as a way to learn about each other’s cultures. In addition to the students’ involvement, Baker Gives Back has been fortunate to receive enthusiastic support from Baker staff and Baker families as well. Together, Baker’s combined efforts can meaningfully impact our community and our world! n
Bryan’s Choice When Bryan Burch graduated from Upper St. Clair High School in 1999, the future looked bright. Like many of his friends, Bryan started college, but soon decided his real dream was to open a restaurant. So Bryan decided to quit college and work at a restaurant, learning the trade and saving money to open his own place one day. After about a month on his new job working the midnight to 8 a.m. shift, Bryan told his co-workers how tough it was staying awake, and they offered him a drug to help. What Bryan didn’t realize was that his co-workers were heroin addicts, and heroin was the drug they gave him that night. This past October, Bryan’s father Mike Burch detailed the phases of his son’s drug addiction and eventual death of an overdose in 2003 to the USC Mike Burch and Jace Palmer present to High School freshman class. Burch and USCHS USCHS students assistant principal Jace Palmer have been doing this drug awareness program for students for a few years now to try to raise awareness about how heroin addiction is something that can happen in any community. “I want you to know how easy it is to fall into the trap that heroin sets for its users,” said Burch. After showing the students photos of Bryan as he grew up, Burch told the students how Bryan’s life was very similar to theirs. “He played ball in the USC recreation programs, he had lots of friends, he went to the prom,” said Burch. Palmer told the students that in Upper St. Clair, there have been at least a dozen students addicted to heroin, with most of them starting by snorting crushed up pills. “Most of you wouldn’t get addicted trying a beer,” said Palmer, “but with heroin, there is a good chance that most of you would get addicted.” Fear is sometimes a good thing said Palmer, especially if it keeps you from doing something dangerous. It didn’t take long after Bryan started shooting up before he told his parents he was addicted to heroin. Burch said Bryan was in and out of rehab during the next phase of his addiction, going through four rehabs in three states over a two-year period. “The craving never goes away,” said Burch, describing how Bryan’s phone would ring minutes after he got out of rehab with his dealer calling. Bryan would go through rehab, get the drugs out of his system, start a new job, and then relapse. “The drugs take you down,” said Burch, and eventually Bryan couldn’t keep a job. With no money, Bryan had to steal to feed his drug habit. During this phase of his addiction, Burch said he and his wife had Bryan arrested, thinking it would be safer for him in jail than being out on the street. During Bryan’s rehab, he kept journals, and Burch shared Bryan’s last two journal entries with the students. Bryan wrote that “I want to be clean and stay clean but heroin is soooo (expletive) sneaky. It just takes you without you even seeing it coming.” Burch said that when he reads Bryan’s journal, he felt like his son “was in a narrow pit 100 feet deep and all alone facing his demons.” “He was scared, miserable and trapped, and didn’t know how to get out.” Burch said that his son’s final dose of heroin was very strong, and Bryan died instantly with the needle still in him. Burch told the students that the next eight years of their lives are important “because they shape how you live and how you lead your lives. When you’re at the crossroads where somebody offers you a substance to put in your body, I hope a red flag pops up. I hope you remember Bryan. You only get one body,” said Burch. “You only get one chance.” Palmer said Bryan had the same hopes and dreams as many of the students hearing the presentation. “Most addicts,” said Palmer, “are just regular people who made a bad choice, and it spins out of control.” “We don’t want Bryan’s death to be for nothing,” said Palmer. “We don’t want students making Bryan’s choice.” One student commented after the presentation that Bryan “seemed like a normal kid,” while another A student greets Mike Burch commented, “It made me aware that this can happen after the presentation. to anyone.” n Spring 2012
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International Education Week—A World of Art Alaina D’Aloiso
Every year, Upper St. Clair High School holds International Week where students learn about other parts of the world and the benefits of thinking globally. With International Week in mind, USCHS art teacher Mrs. Estelle Luck planned an internationallyoriented lesson for her painting and drawing classes. Each student chose a piece of artwork created by a famous artist from a different country. Next, the students interpreted the
A display of student artwork, celebrated and inspired by USCHS’s International Week
piece that inspired them to develop their own creation. When the projects were finished, students were then asked to research their artist. Each student wrote a short paper about the artist’s life, art style, and any interesting facts. As you can imagine, the students learned a lot of interesting details that they may not have learned without this opportunity. A display of the students’ artwork was set up in the main office throughout the month of December for students and the community to learn from and enjoy. For my project, I selected Van Gogh from the Netherlands as my artist and found a painting of his that I liked and could reproduce. I decided to do an acrylic painting and quickly found that Van Gogh used a very complex painting style, consisting of impassioned, lyrical brushstrokes, and dramatic colors. Although the project turned out to be more of a challenge than I originally thought, I learned a lot. For example, Van Gogh’s long days of painting were actually a major cause of his fits of madness, time in an asylum, and his famous cutting off his ear. Another interesting fact is that although Van Gogh is now a famous artist and produced many paintings throughout his life, he sold only one painting while alive. All the students in Mrs. Luck’s painting and drawing classes were inspired and thoroughly enjoyed this project, and hope it is offered again next year during International Week. n
Alaina, the daughter of Craig and Barbara D’Aloiso, is a junior at USCHS. Young Writers Guild (YWG) is established for the youth in our community, grades 8-12, to share articles of interest with readers of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY. For consideration, send your story to usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us.
Ideas From Ice Time
Ginny Stempkowski, Eisenhower Fourth Grade Teacher Little did Chrissy Sileo, Eisenhower Elementary School’s PTA president, know that her casual conversation with another mom at an ice rink would result in a meaningful partnership for the good of more than 300 school kids. Over the summer, Sileo had heard about a great idea from former Eisenhower PTA president Susan Speer to recycle crayons for needy students. As the friends discussed who could benefit from such supplies, Sileo learned more about Diane Meszaros, a kindergarten teacher at Kelly Elementary School in Wilkinsburg. Diane told Sileo how many of the Kelly School students can’t afford necessary school supplies. “When school starts,” she explained, “each child gets a limited set of school supplies to last the entire year and most do not have access to other supplies from home.” She went on to explain that in the past, each teacher was given an allowance to cover additional supplies for the children, but with the recent budget cuts, the allowances have been eliminated. Considering this need, Sileo decided to take Speer’s crayon idea one giant step further by initiating a school supplies drive at Eisenhower Elementary to benefit the Kelly School kids. “When I suggested to Diane that Eisenhower do a school-wide school supplies collection, she lit up like I was literally giving her a pot of gold!” said Sileo. “She said they would be happy to accept anything we could give.” Since then, Eisenhower school students have enthusiastically donated more than two carloads of school supplies. The donated items include pencils, pens, markers, crayons, paper, and many 38
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other useful items. The donations have also included hats, mittens, socks, and other essentials for the Kelly School students. Better still, while the Eisenhower school supplies drive is a positive practice of kids helping kids, another important partnership blossomed from the drive. Sileo’s contact with the Kelly School principal sparked an interest there to establish Kelly’s own Parent-Teacher Organization. “I met with some parents and staff to outline the main things that would be attainable for them,” the Eisenhower PTA president explained. “I shared information about fundraisers we use, like Boxtops, Campbell’s labels, and Apples for the Students.” Although Kelly School already had some parent programs in place, they never had an official PTO. Sileo smiled as she recalled helping to organize Kelly School’s first PTO meeting where only two parents attended, then seeing more than 15 enthusiastic members attend the second meeting. She added how meaningful it is for her to be a part of this kind of partnership. “I didn’t set out to do this, it just kind of came together on its own,” she said. “They’re really getting it together over there. They’re doing it all!” “Pay it forward” is the term Sileo used to emphasize the importance of helping others so they can do the same for someone down the road. “All we’re trying to do is empower them to help them help themselves, so that they might eventually help someone else,” she said, adding, “If you spend enough time at an ice rink, you come up with some grand ideas!” n
SD Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Did You Know? Hometown High Q Upper St. Clair’s “Hometown High Q” team battled Franklin Regional and Penn Hills on December 17. Team members are seniors Alex LeClaire, Vijay Viswanathan, and team captain Vinay Viswanathan, with back-up team members Ben Zhang, Chenhao Yang, and Jillian Vlah.
History Bowl Congratulations to the Boyce Middle School team of Caroline McDonough, James Boston, Sam Ding, and Miles Friedman for their first place showing in the fifth/six grade division of the 2011-12 Regional History Bowl. The students completed four different challenges throughout the Heinz History Museum. Congratulations to the Fort Couch Middle School team of Christina Park Boyce History Bowl team members, and Nymisha Rameswarapu for comFort Couch History Bowl left to right, are Caroline McDonough, members are, left to right, ing in second place in the seventh/ James Boston, Sam Ding, Christina Park and eighth grade division. and Miles Friedman Nymisha Rameswarapu.
Congratulations to the USCHS Boys Golf Team The USCHS boys’ golf team won the WPIAL Western Regional championship and advanced to the PIAA State championship where they achieved state runner-up, placing second. Team members are Matt Barone, Grant Engel, Pat Jonnet, Pat McDonnell, Tim Novic, Trey Phillips, Thomas Steve, Corey Wilding, and Nelson Zacur.
AMC8 Students at Fort Couch Middle School participated in the AMC8 math competition, a 25-question, 40-minute multiple choice test designed to promote the development and enhancement of problem solving skills for middle school mathematicians. Receiving the top scores were Hunter Lantzman (first place), Zach Christiansen (second place), and Joe Finkel (third place). This year, in addition to testing at Fort Couch, the test was administered to several students at Boyce who have been studying Algebra I. Sahil Doshi, a sixth grader, tied for second place among all the Upper St. Clair seventh and eighth graders who took the test.
Sweet Music Congratulations to USCHS choral students Ellie Blake, Hannah Lane, Daniel Ryave, Carina Tomich, and Morgan Wangler for successfully auditioning for the 2012 PMEA District Chorus Festival, which took place late January at ElizabethForward High School. Brooke Boehmer, Joseph Ardolino, David Dockan, Melody MacLachlin, Nolan Ardolino, and Robert Kaufman were selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District 1 Senior High Orchestra Festival in February at Norwin High School. Melody MacLachlin, John Kulp, Chenhao Yang, Owen Meiman, David Dockan, Brooke Boehmer, Ben Wucher, and Adam Snyder were accepted to the 2011 PMEA District 1 Honors Band. Calcu-Solve at Duquesne University Many USC students entered the 2011 II-VI Foundation Calcu-Solve Competition held this past winter at Duquesne University. Coached by the school’s gifted coordinator, Sue Fleckenstein, Boyce Middle School entered three teams, all which placed in the top ten. Second place team members were Taim Aizooky, Kevin Chen, Sam Ding, and Wyatt Keating; fifth place team members were Ariana Chiu, Nadith Dharmesena, Abigail Wagner, and Sahil Doshi; and ninth place team members were Jack delaParra, Spencer Miller, Kriti Shah, and Matthew White. The USCHS team taking second place for the ninth/tenth grade competition included Tony Wang, Eva Roy, Brinda Doshi, and George Sun. The USCHS team of Chenhao Yang, Ben Zhang, Maya Chandrasekaran, and Vijay Viswanathan took third place in the team competition for the 11th/12th grade category. Boyce students winning individual top honors were Kevin Chen (second place), Sam Ding (fourth place), and Spencer Miller (sixth place). USCHS’sTony Wang won the first place individual award at the ninth/ tenth grade level, while Eva Roy placed third in that division. Chenhao Yang won first place at the 11th/12th grade level, while Ben Zhang won the second place award. Congratulations to all the Calcu-Solve participants and winners!
Kids of Steel The USC School District elementary physical education department is pleased to announce its support for Kids of Steel, an exercise and nutrition program that is designed to promote healthy lifestyle habits in kids. Offered through Giant Eagle, students are being introduced to this program in their physical education classes. More information can be found at the Kids of Steel website.
Math-A-Thon for Make-A-Wish On December 5, Eisenhower Elementary students participated in the Math-A-Thon, a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Students in kindergarten through fourth grade worked to correctly complete as many math fact pages or math activities as possible within a specified period of time. The students invited their families and friends to sponsor them in their efforts. Eisenhower parents also contributed to the success of the event by volunteering in the classrooms to check the students’ work. This year, Eisenhower raised and presented a grand total of $6504 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. Eisenhower has participated in the Make-A-Wish holiday campaign since 1991. Students Clara Senchyshak, Tyler Iams, Jeet Sutreja, Vanessa Rainier, and Sidney Ball represented the school and presented the donation later that month during the WSHH live broadcast at the Mall at Robinson.
Spring 2012
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One Goal—Boys Soccer Scott Churchill
A team has one goal at the beginning of the season—to win a championship. Sometimes that is possible, sometimes that is a dream. For the 2011 USC Panther boys varsity soccer team, it was somewhere in between. With only six seniors returning to the line-up, the team had a long road ahead of them. They chose to take it one goal at a time. One goal at 9:14 of the second overtime against rival Peters Township, Ethan Dysert collected a rebound from a Steve Machi feed and the Panthers beat the Indians 2-1. From that point forward, the Panthers felt their goal of a championship was within reach. It was with the determination, speed, and exceptional skill of Steven Machi flying down the sideline setting up and scoring goals all through the season and playoffs. It was with the tenacious play of Dom Pezzone and the scoring touch of Matt Kiernan that enabled the team to win not only the section and WPIAL titles, but lead the way to the state finals in Hershey. It was with the leadership of Mike Worthy and Jesse Poljak keeping the team focused. It was with the superior stopping performance of goalie Joe Conlon, a newcomer to the varsity team. It was Wes Burdette’s goal from the 50 to beat Canon Mac, and Garrett Blake’s chipping in a goal against Mt. Lebanon.
Celebrating!
It was with the solid play up the middle of Troy Kiernan, Kevin Muck who played with a broken wrist in the final, and the tenacity of John Gurtunca up front. There was a virtually impenetrable wall of defense anchored by Wes Burdette and Mike Worthy, along with the aggressiveness of John Erdman, Garrett Blake, and Hayden Bernhardt. It was with freshmen players, including Robbie Mertz, Shayne
Girls Soccer Enjoyed a Winning Season George Watzlaf
The 2011-12 USC varsity girls soccer team had a fantastic year, one of the best in recent history. Compiling a record of 20 wins, two losses, and one tie with 15 shutouts, they were section champions, WPIAL Class AAA champions, and advanced to the quarterfinals of the PIAA championship. The last time USC won a section was seven years ago; the last time they won a WPIAL championship was nine years ago; and the last time they won 20 games was ten years ago, when the current seniors on the team were in second grade! Soccer is a team sport and the Panthers, with 14 seniors, 8 juniors, one sophomore, and two freshmen, were an extremely balanced and experienced team. Defensive starters included junior goalkeeper Jocelyn Alfera, Receiving a Proclamation from USC Township Commissioner Dandoy (far right) s e n i o r d e f e n d e r s Va l in January are members of the varsity girls Repischak, Kelsey Rogers, soccer team and their coach, Dave Gray. Abbie Schuster, and Kristen Walczak, and freshman defender Sami Lackner. The starting midfield included seniors Abbey DeIuliis, Megan Hindman, Hannah Wilhelm, Katey Woistman, and Hannah Zangara. Starting at forward was junior Carley Bogan. Backing up the starting defense were senior Addie Brown, juniors Emily Elliott and Ashley 40
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Lahr, and freshman goalkeeper Sarah McMurtry. Backups at midfield included senior Colby Foster and juniors Ellie Blake, Ellie DiNardo, Rebekah Walsh, and Sammi Witsberger, and forward backups were seniors Jackie Pion and Meghan Veglia, sophomore Olivia Belack, and freshman Brianna Erdman. Injured for the season and helping to manage the team were senior Natalia Watzlaf and junior Becca DeGregorio. The team scored 73 goals this season and only gave up 12. This is impressive considering that the team plays in one of the toughest sections and has one of the toughest non-section schedules, including Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon, South Park, Gateway, Bethel Park, and Erie McDowell. The Panthers finished the regular season with a 14-2-1 record, with losses against Moon and Peters, and a tie with South Park. Ranked number one by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, USC received a number three seed in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs, with the first playoff game against Oakland Catholic. Perfect soccer weather and a great crowd on hand saw a USC win of 4-0. Next, USC beat Norwin 1-0 in the quarter final. The semifinal WPIAL game against North Allegheny saw the Panthers survive with a 1-0 victory. The WPIAL final pitted USC against Peters Township, a team that handed the Panthers one of its two regular season losses. The Panthers came away with a 3-2 win to be crowned WPIAL champions! The Panthers also qualified for the PIAA championship. But after wins against Penn-Trafford (3-0) and North Allegheny (1-0),
Sibley, Sam Russell, and Dominic Caruso stepping up during the season, doing what was asked of each of them by coaches and peers. It was with the support of injured player Nick Chesko, who regrettably did not get the chance to show his considerable skills, but who was there for every practice and game cheering on the team. It was with the effort of JV players who continued challenging the varsity team while practicing for the playoffs long after their season ended. It was with beating Mt. Lebanon in the pouring rain. It was with beating Peters Township a second time, and then a third time in the WPIAL final. It was traveling two hours to play Erie Cathedral Prep in their backyard. It was with the determination of the team to play 120 minutes of soccer on a cool, damp evening in Indiana and still remain calm and focused through eight penalty kicks. It was with this combined effort that the 2011 USC varsity Panthers took the section, and then the WPIAL title and the runner up trophy at the PIAA final with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss against a Conestoga team ranked tenth in the country. Those that watched these fine athletes and young men hope they will remember these times as well; and remember as they meet challenges in college and beyond, it always starts with one goal. n A great season!
We are the (WPIAL) champions!
the Panthers were eliminated in the quarterfinal game, losing 1-0, just one game short of a trip to Hershey. When asked his thoughts on the season, Coach Dave Gray said, “The team consistently played their game regardless of the competition. Most importantly, they learned how to win.” He went on to say that this was special group of seniors (the Fab 14) because they’d played together for so long and that the team was fun to be around. Coach Gray will have a lot of decisions in the coming year, replacing nine starting players. When asked about the prospect of replacing so many starters, he said, “We are really lucky to have so many good players on varsity and junior varsity, and many of these players are more than capable to step up into our starting lineup.” n Spring 2012
Fort Couch Community Helps Children in Haiti Erin Lemon, Fort Couch French Teacher
The eighth grade French classes at Fort Couch were excited to welcome two guest speakers this past September. Chris Gregory, USC parent, and Chedlin Justinvil, the director of the Yahve Jire Children’s Foundation, both spoke about their work in Haiti. Chris discussed the orphanage and school construction project that he and his colleagues have been working on in Croix-des-Bouquets, a small town outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Last March, they traveled to Haiti to begin building EcoShells. These hurricane, earthquake, and flood proof buildings will be used as classrooms and dormitories for students in the new orphanage and school run by the Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation. On that trip, he also delivered supplies—school supplies, hygiene supplies, and clothing— that were collected and packed by Fort Couch students and teachers last spring. Chedlin spoke to the students about his life in Haiti, including the earthquake, schooling, and the difficulties encountered by the children and orphans in Haiti. He also spoke about the future plans for the orphanage and school, which will house 72 children when it is finished. The school will accommodate those 72 children and many other children from the village. Currently, the orphanage can only house 20 children and teaching classes are held in a tent with a gravel floor. In March 2012, Chris and his team will return to Haiti to continue working with Chedlin and the people of Croix-desBouquets to complete the orphanage and school. The team will also set up a temporary medical clinic while there. The Fort Couch community looks forward to helping the children of Haiti once again. n
Speaking to Fort Couch students are Chris Gregory and Chedlin Justinvil UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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Pawprints... PTA Council
Streams Elementary
Spring is a time of awakening, rebirth, and renewal. At this time, we often come alive to the possibilities within ourselves and others, and this connectedness often reminds us of the value of community. As parents, we are stronger when united in purpose. Like the strands of a web, we are connected, and the strength of our web is dependent on the strength of our community. Reconnect today with your neighborhood, awaken to the possibilities to volunteer at your child’s school, and renew your commitment to being an active part of the Upper St. Clair PTA.
Springtime at Streams is just like it sounds, happy and fun! The school’s PTA is proud to help set the stage for this high-energy time of year. The fever really began in January with a staff appreciation luncheon followed by Cultural Week. The theme this year was based on the 2012 Olympics in London with mock opening ceremonies, a British museum, and some guest speakers who are athletes. The PTA also sponsored assemblies, including “Nellie Bly” presented by the CLO. The annual family ice-skating party and family bingo were great ways to beat the winter doldrums. Open Mike is a popular event, and is held in one of the PTA parent’s homes for each grade level. Dr. Claire Miller, principal at Streams, and one of the grade-level teachers attend and relay information about what the students have been and will be covering in the classroom. The parents then have the opportunity to ask questions. Frequently, some of the best information comes after Dr. Miller and the teacher return to Streams and the parents can compare notes and get to know other parents from their child’s grade. Each grade level also has its own Special Level night. Sponsored by the PTA, this is a free entertaining night that students share with their classmates. Some program favorites are The Bird Guy, Tim Hartman Storytelling, and the fourth-graders have a traditional hoe down where they enjoy square-dancing, line dancing, and even doing the chicken dance. This year, students were asked to support an outreach project by bringing in a new or gently-used stuffed animal to be distributed by first responders to children on the scene of an accident or other emergency situation. One of the favorite events of the school year, Snuggle Up and Read, takes place in March. The Book Swap is held the same week as Snuggle Up and Read and allows students to exchange gently used books for “new” ones. Students, as well as teachers and staff, of Streams are very talented in ways that aren’t always visible in the classroom, and the PTA is thrilled to host a talent show every other year to showcase individual and group performances. The “stars” are looking forward to the April performance. Spring is also a time when PTA organizes a group of volunteers to prepare ASSET Science kits that are used in the District’s curriculum. Springtime at Streams, thanks to the tireless efforts of the school’s parents and teachers, is a great time to showcase the caring and nurturing environment that allows children to bloom and grow.
PTA Council President Rachel Lowden
Baker Elementary
PTA President Aliceson Yates
What a glorious time spring brings to the students at Baker. It’s time to head outside, fill your bucket with vitamin D, and get prepared for the many fun activities planned for the next few months. After a great February, which included the Barnes and Noble annual Read-In and a fabulous Baker Bingo, the Baker community is now preparing for the Variety Show in March and Families and Flapjacks in May. On February 1, the PTA Council took the opportunity to recognize a few outstanding USC School District staff members that have played an important role in supporting the District, its students, and the USC PTA, including Laura Goldner, secretary at Baker Elementary and Mark Miller, principal of Eisenhower Elementary and interim principal of Baker Elementary. Their families were invited to share in this very special ceremony. Baker PTA and its members would like to say “thank you” to these two very special District employees and are honored to work with them.
Eisenhower Elementary PTA President Chrissy Sileo
Spring is in the air and things are blooming at Eisenhower! After the long winter months, the kids and staff are happy for some fresh activities. Kicking off the season was the school’s annual Snuggle Up and Read where the students, along with a special adult, get to snuggle up and listen to a variety of great stories being read by local celebrity readers. Some other great events included the Book Swap, where one kid’s trash becomes somebody else’s treasure, and Staff Appreciation, which is a great week of pampering Eisenhower’s fabulous staff. Scholastic Book Fair, Cultural Arts Day, and the Fourth Level Farewell are all coming up soon, and of course, everyone’s favorite—Field Day—a day of great fun and games followed by a special ice cold treat. Between clearing out those winter blues and the excitement of summer’s arrival, Eisenhower PTA keeps things buzzing for students and staff.
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PTA President Edie Andres
Boyce Middle
PTA President Missy Moore
Construction at Boyce neared completion by the end of 2011. Albeit behind schedule, Boyce never missed a beat due to the set back. During construction, pyrite was found under the old gym floor, which caused the cemented floor to move and “bubble up.” The pyrite needed to be removed, sealed, and filled before the
SD
...A USC PTA Council Highlight new cement could be added. The new cement needed six to eight weeks to cure before the wood floor could be laid. And while the gym could not be used during this renovation process, Boyce’s new turf field that was completed over the summer made for great space for gym class, even if it had rained overnight. Students exercised through dance and had class team performances in December. Students and Township residents alike will enjoy the gym’s new floor, new lighting, new backboards, and new sound system. Listen closely for the sounds of laughter and bouncing balls come spring, as Boyce “bounces back” for spring!
Fort Couch Middle
PTA President Sherri Woomer
Fort Couch has been enjoying an exceptional school year, and was recently redesignated as a Don Eichhorn Schools to Watch awardee for the years 2011-14. Fort Couch remains tied to the community through Reach Out, a December holiday fund raising project. Reach Out began 21 years ago as a means of involving students in sharing with those in our area that are less fortunate and in need. Spearheaded by Fort Couch student council, each student is encouraged to earn and raise money for this true holiday-spirited project which lasts one week. The school’s faculty and PTA supported the students who raised money to provide needy families with Giant Eagle gift cards and supported a charity designated by student council. The students collected new and gently used toys for a day care center in Homestead, where they also delivered the toys. The response to this effort, run by the Fort Couch counseling department, was overwhelmingly positive! Just before winter break Fort Couch students took part in Caught You Being Good, a PTA-sponsored program where the
teachers reward students for their good behavior with prizes. Each year, both students and teachers look forward to this program to be able to give and receive positive feedback for good behavior not just during these two weeks, but throughout the year.
Upper St. Clair High School PTSO President Beth Erlanger
Fall kicked off with a flurry of activities, including sports, arts, and of course, education. The high school is proud to recognize the achievements of its fall sport teams, in particular the boys’ golf and boys’ soccer teams, both reaching state competition. Also making it far into the state championship hunt were football and girls’ soccer. In the arena of the arts, Our Town was the fall play. Quite successful, it was complemented by several vocal and instrumental concerts during the fall months. Several instrumentalists were also recognized for their accomplishments by being accepted into the honors band. Winter sports are nearing completion, making way for the school’s spring sports. How quickly things progress! Spring brings the musical South Pacific to our stage, as well as concerts from the school’s many talented groups. All too soon, graduation and prom will be upon us! With the help of Jace Palmer, USCH assistant principal, and USC resident Mike Burch, a very moving presentation was made at the November PTSO meeting and to the freshman class regarding substance abuse and its consequences. (See “Bryan’s Choice,” page 37.) PTSO meetings continue to be informative, as both administrators and student activity groups present on a monthly basis. Student council also shares information about its activities with the PTSO. n
Reflect on Our Artists Congratulations to all our USC PTA Council Reflections participants and winners who entered the “Diversity Means” competition this school year. The top three entries in each division and arts category advanced to the Allegheny County Regional judging. Honorable Mentions are listed. Entries showing no place automatically advanced due to fewer than four entries in that category. The top three entries from regional judging will advance to judging at the Pennsylvania state level.
Literature–Middle/Junior 1. Breighan Szajnecki, 2. Arushi Kewalvamani, 3. Oceanne Fry, HM. Amna Amin, HM. Aditi Chattepadhyay, HM. Kriti Shah
Dance–Middle/Junior Arushi Kewalvamani
Music–Intermediate Sara Steve
Dance–Intermediate Brianna Lin
Photography–Middle/Junior 1. Anna Zacur, 2. Meghan Haverlack, 3. Paige Keith
Dance–Primary Olivia Gnad Film–Intermediate Ayush Sharma
Literature–Intermediate 1. Jacqueline Lekachman, 2. Chand Vadalia, 3. Alexis Werhle, HM. Timothy Pollack Music–Middle/Junior 1. Ariana Gnad, 2. Robbie Halpner, 3. Geet Punjabi
Specified Photography– Middle/Junior 1, 2., and 3. Michael Haverlack Visual Arts–Middle/Junior 1. Claire Zalla, 2. Gaurav Bhushan, 3. Ariana Gnad Visual Arts–Intermediate 1. Allison Epler, 2. Jack Enterline, 3. Mikhail Skriabin Visual Arts–Primary 1. Eden Ma, 2. Autumn Ma, 3. Alex LeKachman, HM. Lillian Spencer
Photography–Intermediate 1. Matthew Haverlack, 2. Anais Fry, 3. Taha Zafar Spring 2012
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Boyce and Fort Couch Middle Schools Grand Opening—October 22, 2011
Photos by Terry Kish 44
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Having fun at the USC vs. North Allegheny WPIAL Football Playoffs November 25, 2011
Photos by Wayne Herrod Spring 2012
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Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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Township Commissioners Robert W. Orchowski
President, Ward 3 Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-854-1868 2015*
Russell R. Del Re
Vice President, Ward 5 Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-287-9076 2015*
Nicholas J. Seitanakis Ward 1
Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-220-4434 2015*
Donald P. Rectenwald, Jr. Ward 2
Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-833-3328 2013*
Mark D. Christie Ward 4
Day 412-831-9000 2013*
Glenn R. Dandoy At-Large
Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-973-9260 2015*
Daniel R. Paoly At-Large
Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-862-5995 2013*
Gratitude for Years of Service
Thank you to Preston Shimer who served as Township Ward 1 Commissioner from 2004-2011. Mr. Shimer’s hard work and dedication on projects including the Community & Recreation Center and the 2005 Comprehensive Plan, his advocation of LEED principles, and service as chair of the Human Resources and Parks and Recreation Committees will long be remembered for their positive impact on the Township. Boyce Mayview Park amenities and trails also flourished during his tenure. Mr. Shimer will continue his community involvement through his work with the Local Government Academy and his recent board of director appointment to The Outdoor Classroom. Thank you to Mark Hamilton, Township Ward 2 Commissioner, who served from 2010-2011. Mr. Hamilton was steadfast in his views and expressed them with conviction. As chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Mr. Hamilton, through his leadership, provided continual oversight of the Township’s finances including the Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park. n
New First Ward Commissioner Nick Seitanakis
Upper St. Clair Township’s newly elected commissioner of Ward 1 is Nick Seitanakis. Nick and his wife, Kristin, are the proud parents of Michael, 16, and Sarah, 14, both students at Upper St. Clair High School. Also sharing the family’s Morrow Road home is their dog, Cody. A resident of USC since 1998, Nick is an attorney for Co-eXprise Corporation. Nick said he’s always been interested to serve the community, which is why he ran for commissioner. With no specific agenda, he said he wants to look for opportunities to help the community. In addition to serving USC as a commissioner, Nick is a member of the Breakfast Rotary Club, and has been for a number of years. In his rare free moments, Nick enjoys skiing, boating at Deep Creek, and playing soccer on Sundays. n
New Second Ward Commissioner Don Rectenwald, Jr.
Filling the seat vacated by Mark Hamilton is recently appointed 2nd Ward
Commissioner Donald P. Rectenwald, Jr. The president of Rex Glass, Don has been involved with the Township’s Parks and Recreation Committee, including serving as committee chair for several years. When the Ward 2 vacancy occurred, Don felt the timing was right to submit his name for consideration. “I have a little extra time now,” said Don, “and I can serve the community.” Don and his wife, Diane, have three grown daughters: Lindsay, a nutritionist at both West Penn Hospital and the C&RC; Sandra, head basketball coach at Chatham University; and Claire, who works at Rex Glass. Don described his hobbies as “grandkids and golf.” Lindsay and her husband, Michael Schmitz, are the parents of Brenna, Gavin, and Colin; and Don and Diane watch the children several days each week. But Don, an avid golfer, still finds time to hit the links. n 2012 Township of Upper St. Clair Meeting Dates • The Board of Commissioners meets at 7:30 p.m. in the Municipal Building. The regular public meeting is held the first Monday of the month in the Board Meeting Room. The informational and general affairs meeting is held the last Monday of the month in the Board Meeting Room. • The Planning Commission meets the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. • The Parks and Recreation Board meets at the C&RC the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m., no meeting in December. • The Zoning Hearing Board meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 8 p.m. • The Civil Service Board meets as needed.
*Date indicates expiration of term.
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• The Building/Fire Codes Appeals and Advisory Board meets as needed. Spring 2012
Highlights of the Board of Commissioners Meetings September 6, 2011
October 3, 2011
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Visit the Township’s website: www.twpusc.org November 7, 2011
Approximately 110 people attended.
Approximately 80 people attended.
Approximately 11 people attended.
The Board • Adopted Bill No. 5-11 granting Conditional Use Approval to Wesley Spectrum Services for the construction of an educational challenge course. • Adopted Resolution 1529 granting preliminary subdivision approval to Jordan Estates Plan subject to certain conditions. • Continued public hearing re. PLC11-1303–Zoning text amendment to permit mixed use development as a conditional use in the special business district to the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners on October 3, 2011. • Continued public hearing re. PLC11-1302–Zoning text amendment to prohibit the use of electronic message center signs to the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners on October 3, 2011. • Adopted Bill No. 6-11 authorizing the execution of the Cable Franchise Agreement between the Township of Upper St. Clair and Comcast of California/Pennsylvania/Utah/ Washington, Inc. Approval of Contract • Cargill, Inc., North Olmsted, Ohio, 2011 Rock Salt.................................................. $55.83/ton
Proclamations and Recognitions • Commissioner Paoly presented a Proclamation designating October 9-15, 2011, as Fire Prevention Week in Upper St. Clair. Steve Moore, Chief of the Volunteer Fire Department, received the Proclamation. Commissioner Paoly presented each of the following members with Certificates of Appreciation recognizing their years of service: Ray Tomnay–40 years; Russell Rauch–35 years; Thomas Edkins–25 years; Gregory Gerlach–20 years; David Kish–15 years; John Lekse–15 years; Michael Russell–10 years; Joseph Pascarella–10 years; Charles J. Pascarella III–10 years; and Alex Romah–5 years. Township Manager Serakowski thanked the volunteer fire fighters and presented Steve Moore with a check for the Fire Department in the amount of $250,755.61. These monies represent the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Relief Association’s contribution to the fire department and have been received out of the 2011 State assessment. • Commissioner Dandoy presented a Proclamation to Kellan Godfrey of Scout Troop #366 recognizing his attainment of Eagle Scout status for devoting 180.5 hours renovating classrooms at Christ United Methodist Church. • Commissioner Shimer presented a Proclamation to Michael Polens of Scout Troop #366 recognizing his attainment of Eagle Scout status for devoting 140 hours landscaping and improving the appearance of the entrance of Faith Lutheran Church. The Board • Adopted Bill No. 8-11 authorizing and directing the Board of Commissioners to proceed with General Obligation Bonds, Series of 2011, a refinancing of the 2006 Bond. • Adopted Bill No. 7-11 granting Zoning Text Amendment to Permit Mixed Use Development as a Conditional Use in the SB, Special Business District. • Continued public hearing re. PLC11-1302 Amendment to Chapter 130, entitled “Zoning” re. electronic message center signs to the regular meeting of the Board on November 7, 2011. • Tabled consideration of Recommendation re. PLC11-0010Fair Acres PRD Plan-Final approval to the regular meeting of the Board on November 7, 2011. • Authorized the Township Manager to execute Easement Agreement with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Inc., regarding pipeline replacement and relocation project, Boyce Mayview Park, with the noted language change in the Agreement. • Authorized pension fund investment advisory services of PNC Institutional Investments and Valic Financial Advisors.
Proclamations and Recognitions • Commissioner Del Re presented a Proclamation to Karl Thomas Egeland of Scout Troop #366 recognizing his attainment of Eagle Scout rank for renovating a pre-school classroom at Beverly Heights Church. The Board • Adopted Bill No. 10-11 amending Chapter 130 of the Code of the Township entitled “Zoning” to prohibit the use of electronic message center signs in the Township. • Tabled consideration of the Fair Acres PRD plan to the December 5, 2011, regular meeting of the Board. • Adopted Bill No. 11-11 granting Final Subdivision Approval Re. PLC11-0011-Jordan Estates, subject to the modifications and conditions. • Adopted Resolution No. 1532 approving the Planning Module for PLC11-0011-Jordan Estates Final approval. • Continued public hearing re. Proposed 2012 Budget to the December 5, 2011, regular meeting of the Board.
Eagle Scouts Kellan Godfrey and Michael Polens
With his parents and Commissioner Del Re is Eagle Scout Karl Thomas Egeland
December 5, 2011
Approximately 10 people attended.
The Board • Continued public hearing and adopted Bill No. 12-11 re. PLC11-0001-Fair Acres PRD-Final Approval. • Continued public hearing and adopted Bill No. 13-11 re. Vacation Agreement for Glendale Drive Right-of-Way. • Adopted Bill no. 14-11 adopting the 2012 Annual Budget. • Adopted Bill No. 15-11 re. Adoption of investment policy for the Police Pension Plan. • Adopted Bill No. 16-11 re. Adoption of investment policy for the General Employees Pension Plan. • Approved the demolition of the Boyce Mayview Park Barn. • Approved Option C, for the Outdoor Classroom composting toilet loan, 30% discount of the balance of the loan, along with the condition of the facility being properly maintained. Approval of Contracts • Glassmere Fuel Service, Inc., Tarentum, PA, Gasoline and Diesel Fuel w/winterized multiplier for Diesel Additive OPIS Daily Pittsburgh Average Index Plus Fixed Margin on gasoline of $.0548/gallon. OPIS Daily Pittsburgh Average Index Plus Fixed margin on Diesel Fuel of $.0548/gallon and w/winterized multiplier for Diesel....................................Additive of $.0548/gallon. • USDA Wildlife Services, Raleigh, NC, Special Use Culling Permit/Prescribed Activities...........Not to exceed $37,500
Members of the USC VFD receive Proclamations for years of service
All business regarding the operation of the Township is conducted at the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners. Citizens are invited to comment on any Township matter. Complete Board minutes can be found at the Upper St. Clair Township Library or on the website at www.twpusc.org. For more information, call 412-831-9000. Spring 2012
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Department of Finance 2012 Budget Highlights
General Fund Budget Overview In preparation for the 2012 Budget, staff of USC’s Finance Department continued with the streamlined, focused approach established in past years. The use of departmental budget worksheets featuring trend analysis and inflation statistics allows a more accurate prediction of future budgetary expenditures. Department directors are provided the opportunity to respond to the departmental budget worksheets with an acknowledgement of the projections or a justification for a change in budgetary numbers. After preparing any proposed changes, staff meets with the various departments to discuss both operating and capital budget requests. This process yielded a slight decrease in the 2012 Budget Expenditures for the General Fund of (.11%) from the 2011 Budget. Where the Money Comes From The 2012 major operating revenues are real estate and earned income taxes. The balance of operating revenue comprises other taxes and other revenue. Other taxes include real estate transfer, public utilities, sales and use, and local services taxes. Other revenue consists of licenses and permits, fines, fees, rental and service agreements, investment earnings, recreation fees, and other non-tax revenue. General Fund revenues are projected to decrease from 2011 Budget amounts of $18,342,223 to $18,321,224, or (.11%). The decrease in General Fund revenue is mainly due to a net effect of a slight increase in projected collections of real estate tax (.52%), a decrease in projected earned income tax (2.49%), and an increase in projected cable franchise fees (1.15%). Both the real estate tax rate and the earned income tax rate will remain at their current levels of 4.60 mills and 0.80%, respectively. The General Fund is also supplemented by a projected $3,301,625 Fund Balance, or 18.0% of estimated 2012 General Fund revenues.
For more information see www.twpusc.org.
Operating Expenditures Summary For the 2012 Budget, overall General Fund operating expenditures have increased by $83,031, or 0.59% from 2011 Budget amounts. Excluding the changes in the Minimum Municipal Obligations for the Police and Public Works employees (detailed below), all other Township operating expenditures are projected to increase $280,109, or 2.0% from the 2011 Budget. This has occurred through a combination of the following reasons: • Full-time non-contractual personnel salary and wages increases are projected at 2.5%. • Police Officers Contract has a set hourly wage increase of 3.0%. • Public Works Contract has a set hourly wage increase of 3.5%. • Health Insurance costs are budgeted to decrease by 5.8%. • For 2012, the pension Minimum Municipal Obligation (MMO) for the Police is $403,049 and $235,924 for Public Works employees. This is a net decrease of $197,078, or (24%) from 2011. • Although the Workers’ Compensation gross premium has increased by $30,088, or 9%, the total premium has decreased by $71,735, or (15%), due to a decrease of the experience modification factor from 1.491 in 2011 to 1.160 in 2012. The 2012 Budget will maintain the General Fund Balance at a level necessary for the Township to maintain its AA+ Bond Rating. n
Capital Projects Fund
Where the Money Goes The 2012 projected operating expenditures will increase from the 2011 budgeted amount of $13,958,399 to $14,041,430, or 0.59%. The increase of $83,031 is primarily due to personal services increases as noted in the following section. The primary programs of the Township are Public Safety, which include the Police, the Volunteer Fire Department and Animal Control, and Public Works. These programs represent 66.7% of the Operating Budget. The remaining difference of projected revenues over operating expenses of $4,279,794 will be used to fund the Debt Service Costs for 2012 of $1,328,951 and operating transfers of $2,950,843. 50
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The Capital Projects Fund will be funded by an operating transfer from the General Fund and the Fund Balance, which is estimated to be $1,399,313 at the end of 2012, up from the 2011 Budget projection of $1,324,768, or 5.6%.
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Department of Finance
2011 and 2012 General Fund Budget Major Revenue Sources 2011 Budget Real Estate Tax $7,516,404 Earned Income Tax 7,502,000 Local Services Tax 250,000 Real Estate Transfer Tax 800,000 Public Utilities Tax 18,500 Local Option Sales & Use Tax 345,000 Licenses and Permits 124,700 Fees and Fines 440,200 Rental Income 82,400 Investment Earnings 10,000 Service Agreements 200,920 Other Non-Tax Revenue 705,099 Recreation Fees 347,000
General Fund Appropriations by Major Programs
2012 Increase % Budget (Decrease) Change $7,555,157 $38,753 0.52% 7,315,000 (187,000) -2.49% 240,000 (10,000) -4.00% 800,000 - 0.00% 22,000 3,500 18.92% 360,000 134,825 477,200 82,400 5,000 209,887 760,055 359,700
15,000 4.35% 10,125 8.12% 37,000 8.41% - 0.00% (5,000) -50.00% 8,967 4.46% 54,956 7.79% 12,700 3.66%
Total Revenues $18,342,223 $18,321,224 $(20,999) Fund Balance - - - Total Major Revenues $18,342,223 $18,321,224 $(20,999)
-0.11% 0.00% -0.11%
2011 Budget
2012 Budget
Increase % (Decrease) Change
General Government $1,464,830 $1,547,181 $82,351 Public Safety 5,221,086 4,976,386 (244,700) Community Development 611,732 618,982 7,250 Public Works 4,231,273 4,401,085 169,812 Refuse Collection 1,080,000 1,124,400 44,400 Recreation & Leisure Services 467,075 477,200 10,125 Library 774,143 780,806 6,663 Unallocated Insurance Costs 108,260 115,390 7,130 Total Operating Expenditures $13,958,399 $14,041,430 $83,031 Operating Transfers 2,638,349 2,950,843 312,494 Debt Service Payments 1,745,475 1,328,951 (416,524) Sub Total $4,383,824 $4,279,794 $(104,030) Total Appropriations $18,342,223 $18,321,224 $(20,999) Fund Balance - - - Total Major Programs $18,342,223 $18,321,224 $(20,999)
5.62% -4.69% 1.19% 4.01% 4.11% 2.17% 0.86% 6.59% 0.59% 11.84% -23.86% -2.37% -0.11% 0.00% -0.11%
Boyce Mayview Community & Recreation Center (C&RC) Fund
Projected Revenues • Membership Revenue: Membership growth is assumed at a growth rate of 1% based on observed membership trends in 2010 and 2011. Current membership demographics show members are made up of 73% USC residents and 27% non-residents. Assuming a slight increase in membership rates for July 2012, the Township has projected an overall increase of 3% in membership revenue. • General Fund Appropriations: For 2012, the General Fund will appropriate $1,179,236 for debt service costs (see below) associated with the construction of the C&RC building. The General Fund will also contribute $421,502 in additional funds to support the common area operations of the C&RC. • Other Revenue: Facility rental revenue and program revenue have been estimated at $99,200 and $298,500 respectively, for 2012. • Total Memberships: Total annual memberships are projected to reach 2,800 by the budgeted year end 2012. The total percentage of memberships is estimated to be 75% USC residents and 25% non-residents.
Projected Expenditures • Personal Services: Personal services have increased $6,925, or 0.41% from 2011. This is mainly due to an increase in part-time wages associated with an increase in demand for aquatics services. The corresponding revenue for these services has increased to cover the increase in costs. • Contractual Services: Contractual services expenses have increased by $195,338, or 22.7% from 2011. This increase is due to the planned flooring replacements and improvements ($125,000) and an increase in the custodial contract in 2012. • Commodities: Projected to remain flat in 2012. • Distributed Costs: Distributed costs include Information Technology costs and depreciation costs on all equipment. • Capital Transfer: There is an estimated capital transfer of $267,286 to the C&RC Capital Account for future capital funding needs of the C&RC. n
Continued on page 52
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Continued from page 51
Department of Finance
2012 Earned Income and Net Profits Tax Rate Notice The Township of Upper St. Clair and the Upper St. Clair School District hereby give public notice to earned income and net profits taxpayers of the Township of the rate schedule for each taxing body for the year 2012. Earned Income and Net Profits Tax Rate for 2012
For 2012, the Earned Income and Net Profits tax rates of the Township and the School District are 0.80% and 0.50%, respectively, of taxable income as defined by Act 166 of 2002. Thus, the total USC taxpayer’s rate for 2011 is 1.30% and has remained unchanged from 2011. The 2011 Earned Income and Net Profits Remaining Tax Payment Schedule 2012 Date Tax Period April 16 .......... 2011 USC-40 due
This notice reminds all taxpayers that they are responsible for filing all estimates and final returns in a timely manner. If a taxpayer does not receive a 2011 USC-40 form by mail, he or she should contact the Township Tax Office at 412-831-9000. No appeals will be granted to a taxpayer for not receiving this form by mail. Only quarterly tax estimates received in the tax office or postmarked by the appropriate tax period due date will avoid penalty and interest assessments. Also, in accordance with section 3.2.1.5 of the Upper St. Clair Earned Income and Net Profits Tax Ordinance, ninety (90%) percent of a taxpayer’s liability for 2011 must be paid by January 31, 2012, or a taxpayer will be subject to underpayment penalties and interest. This notice also reminds all taxpayers that all 2011 USC-40s will be audited by the Township’s Tax Office through a comparison of data shared by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue. This information is usually shared with the Tax office approximately two years after a return has been filed. Tax notices assessing the additional tax and underpayment penalties and interest will be sent to any taxpayers that have understated their income. 2012 Earned Income and Net Profits Tax Rate Notice and Payment Schedule
The Township of Upper St. Clair and the Upper St. Clair School District hereby give public notice to all earned income and net profits taxpayers of the Township that Act 32 of 2008 now governs the collection and distribution process of the Earned Income Tax in every taxing jurisdiction in Pennsylvania, except for the City of Philadelphia. The Township of Upper St. Clair and the Upper St. Clair School District reside in the newly formed Southwest Allegheny County Tax Collection District. Jordan Tax Service, Inc., whose main offices are located at 102 Rahway Road, McMurray, PA 15317-3349, 52
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has been named the earned income tax collector for all taxing entities within this district. Under Act 32, all employees must register and have withheld by their employer the earned income tax at the rate of the municipality and school district that they reside in. For 2012, the Earned Income and Net Profits tax rates of the Township and the School District are 0.80% and 0.50%, respectively, of taxable income as defined by Act 32 of 2008. Thus, the total USC taxpayer’s rate for 2012 is 1.30%. All unincorporated business owners in Upper St. Clair Township and School District are also taxed upon the net profits from their business at the same aforementioned rate should pay and remit their tax liability quarterly to Jordan Tax Service according to the following schedule for 2012:
Sanitary Sewer Fund
The sewer user fee multiplier rate has been set at 2.19 in 2012, based on a 7% increase from ALCOSAN in 2012 and a collection rate of 97.6%. In 2012, sewer processing fees and EPA Administrative Consent Order expenses are projected at $2,447,589 and $1,350,000, respectively. The projected net assets at the end of 2012 are $1,210,205. n
Date Tax Period April 16, 2012 ....1st quarter, 2012 Tax Estimate due June 15, 2012......2nd quarter, 2012 Tax Estimate due September 16, 2012..... 3rd quarter, 2012 Tax Estimate due January 15, 2013....4th quarter, 2012 Tax Estimate due
2012 Real Estate Tax Notice and Payment Schedule The Township of Upper St. Clair and the Upper St. Clair School District hereby give public notice to real estate taxpayers of the Township of the payment schedule of each taxing body for the year 2012. Township Real Estate Tax Schedule for 2012 2012 Date Tax Period May 1 . .......................................Tax bills mailed May 1–July 2 ............................. 2% discount July 3–August 31 ....................... Face Amount September 1–November 30 ....... 10% penalty December 3 ............................... Lien date As of the date of this notice, the 2012 Township millage rate is 4.60 mills of the assessed valuation of your property. If new reassessment valuations are ordered to be used by Allegheny County, the 2012 millage rate will be adjusted accordingly. School District Real Estate Tax Schedule for 2012 2012 Date Tax Period June 29 ...................................... Tax bills mailed June 29–August 31 .................... 2% discount September 1–October 31 . ......... Face amount November 1–November 30 ....... 10% penalty December 3 ............................... Lien date
The School District will adopt its real estate tax millage rate for the fiscal year 2012-13 at the June 2012 School Board Meeting. This notice reminds taxpayers that they are responsible to see that their property is properly assessed and taxed and to ask for appropriate tax bills if they have not received them by mail. No appeals will be granted due to a taxpayer not receiving a real estate tax bill. Only payments received in the tax office or postmarked by the tax period due date will be given the two percent discount or avoid the ten percent penalty. n Spring 2012
2012 Upper St. Clair Township Sewer User Multiplier Rate The Township of Upper St. Clair gives public notice to all Township sewer users that ALCOSAN has raised the usage fees and service charges 7% for 2012. Although ALCOSAN has raised its fee, the rate used to calculate the Township’s cost reimbursement will remain at 2.19. An example of the impact on an average household is illustrated below. n 2011
2012
Water Usage (gallons) 5,000 Water Usage (gallons) $44.25 ALCOSAN Service Charge 6.19 Total Monthly Bill $50.44
5,000 $47.30 6.62 $53.92
2012 Sewer User Fee Billing and Collection Since July 2005, the Township of Upper St. Clair has contracted with Pennsylvania American Water Company (PAWC) to provide the billing and collection of its monthly sewer user fees as part of the resident’s water bill. The Township was notified in October 2011 that PAWC will no longer collect sewer user fees for the Township beginning October 2012. The Township is currently exploring options for billing and collection. Look for future updates as a part of the UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY magazine, the Township website, and other Township publications. n
T Dedicated Professional Skilled Negotiator Frankie Jo Kunselman —Realtor®—
Upper St. Clair Resident
412.833.3600 ext.222 Cell: 412.551.1161 Office:
Email: frankiejokunselman@howardhanna.com
Howard Hanna - USC Office 180 Fort Couch Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241
USC Community Day Run For Fun Registration Form Name_____________________________________________ Age as of May 19, 2012_____________
Sex____________
Address___________________________________________ Telephone Number_________________________________ Email (optional)____________________________________ The Township of Upper St. Clair is proud to announce the launch of its emergency notification system, USTC Notify. This alert system will allow USC Township to contact you in the case of an emergency and also update you on events, including road closures, power outages, and water main breaks in your area. Each alert message will be approved by USC Township management prior to sending the notification. For your convenience, all white pages information has been entered into USTC Notify. If you have an unlisted number or would like to add additional contact information, follow these simple steps to ensure that you are kept in the know regarding Township activity. Visit https://twpusc.onthealert.com/ and register your contact information. You will have the option to include your cell phone, email address, and also opt for text alerts. n
T-shirt sizes: Child’s Adult’s
qS qM q S q M q L q XL q XXL
$8—Run for Fun and T-shirt, $3—Run for Fun race only Make checks payable to:
Upper St. Clair Community Day Return this form by May 5, 2012 to: Heather Slinger 374 Myrna Drive Upper St. Clair, PA 15241
CONSENT RELEASE FORM: I agree to hold the Township of Upper St. Clair, the Community Day committee and volunteers, and/or any employees thereof harmless and blameless for any accident or injury which may occur while participating in the Run for Fun.
_________________________________ _ ______ Signature
(Parent/Guardian if Under 18 Years of Age)
Spring 2012
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USC Recreation
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Activities Abound!
Annual Easter Egg Hunt The Township’s annual Easter egg hunt will be held Saturday, March 24 (rain date Saturday, March 31) at the three-hole municipal golf course on McLaughlin Run Road. This event is sponsored by the Bethel-Upper St. Clair Evening Rotary Club and the Upper St. Clair High School Interact Club with the assistance of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Services. Games, craft activities, and a chance to visit with the Easter Bunny begin at 10 a.m. with the traditional egg hunt following at 11 a.m. Children should bring their own baskets and parents should bring their cameras! Updated information will be placed on the Township website as necessary. For additional information, call 412-221-1099, extension 655. Arts and Chocolate Spring Spectacular— Save the Date! Saturday, April 21 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
What’s New at the C&RC?
Kettlebell Cardio One of the hottest trends in fitness is incorporating kettlebell exercises into your workout program. Kettlebells are a great way to challenge the body and spark some muscle growth that you may not have seen before. Kettlebell exercises focus on numerous muscle groups all at once, therefore they are effective in cutting fat and boosting a person’s metabolic rate. The C&RC has introduced Instructional Kettlebell Cardio classes and will begin regularly-scheduled Kettlebell Cardio classes in early spring. To learn more or to register, call the C&RC at 412-221-1099. Water Walking The Water Walking class, held in the indoor pool resistance channel, is now also offered on Mondays, 9-9:30 a.m. Spring Swim Lessons Summer is right around the corner. Are you ready? The C&RC offers American Red Cross Learn to Swim lessons for infant to adult. Saturday swim lesson sessions are filling quickly. Register now! To learn more, call 412-221-1099 or visit www.livesmarterplayharder.org. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
The C&RC recently introduced two new classes for senior citizens: the Older Adult Walking Club and the Zumba Gold® class. Both classes are free for USC Silver cardholders as well as C&RC senior members. See details below. Older Adult Walking Club Walk for fitness! Improve your cardiovascular strength and balance; assist with weight control; decrease your risk for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and stroke; fight depression; improve sleep; and have more zest and energy! Walk with friends and make new exercise buddies! The club meets Mondays and Thursdays, 9:15-11 a.m. Also included are a free lunch tote cooler, use of indoor walking track and/or pool resistance channel, club meetings and seminars, coffee and snacks, and socialization. Zumba Gold® Zumba Gold® takes the same exciting Latin and international dance rhythms created in the original Zumba workout and brings them to the active older adult, the beginner participant, and anyone who thinks they can’t dance. Yet, it is also wonderful for the seasoned Zumba participant who wants to improve his or her dance ability or brush-up on technique. Classes are held each Friday, 11 a.m.-noon, in the C&RC Studio Room. Registration is not required for Zumba Gold® if you are a USC Silver cardholder or C&RC senior member.
Participants gave of their time and enjoyed the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service held at the C&RC on January 16.
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What’s New for Seniors at the C&RC?
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How the C&RC Changed My Life
Bryan Mathews, USC resident and C&RC member Q: How many pounds and inches have you lost? A: I have lost 45 pounds and over four inches off my waist in nine months. Q: How has the C&RC helped you with your success? A: I have used the personal training offered at the C&RC. The staff and fitness attendants are always available and have helped with my questions about various exercises. The personal training has kept me accountable and on schedule to ensure that I make it to the gym on a consistent basis. Q: What advice can you share with others about achieving your goal? A: I eat a low calorie diet and exercise four to six times a week. Many fad diets are out there to help you to lose a lot of weight in a very short time. Unfortunately, these diets cause drastic alteration in your diet and usually aren’t sustainable in the long run. Instead of thinking how you can lose weight in the short run, focus on how you can modify your lifestyle to get in shape. If you aren’t happy with your current dietary intake and exercise regimen, then modify one or the other, or both! Bryan before
Bryan after
and Leisure Services You Can Dance Upper St. Clair’s older adults took a waltz down memory lane at a Saturday social held November 5 at the Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park. The afternoon event, co-sponsored by Yes You Can Dance, USA Dance, and United Senior Citizens of Upper St. Clair, featured dancing and performances.
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2012–2013 USC United Senior Citizens Congratulations to the individuals who are serving as officers and board members for the 2012-13 USC United Senior Citizens pictured below.
Officers and board members of the USC United Senior Citizens are, left to right, front row: Lou Cohen, Selma Furst, Liz Jawelak; middle row: Joyce Burke, Barry Ross, Louise Cohen, Diane Atkins; back row: Tom Atkins, Bob Furst, Frank Kohler, Janice Hampton; missing from photo: Florence Dorn, Angie Luksic, Evelyn McDonell, Pat Hare
Resources for Seniors Silver Card
Offered by USC Township to residents age 62 and retired or age 65 with no restrictions. Card admits holder to Municipal three-hole golf course, outdoor tennis facilities, and other activities free of charge. Applications at Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park.
Gold Card
Offered by the USC School District to residents age 62 and older. Card admits holder to School District drama and musical performances, athletic events, and other events free of charge. Applications at School District reception desk at 1820 McLaughlin Run Road.
ACCESS 65 PLUS is a shared-ride transportation service program for senior citizens age 65 and older. Contact Amy Kerman, Upper St. Clair Township older adult coordinator, at 412-221-1099, ext. 603, for information about this program and for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Senior Citizen identification card for the Port Authority Transit (PAT) system.
Bounty’s Baking Contest Winners Congratulations to the winners of the Bounty at Boyce Mayview 2011 baking contest held this past November. Children’s Division (through age 10) 1st place: Helen Ritter–festive pumpkin roll 2nd place (tie): Emily Barrie–apple dumplings, Trinity Murphy–leaf-shaped butternut cookies 3rd place: Ella Neal–apple pie bars Junior Division (age 11-17) 1st place: Becca Swiech–birch log 2nd place: Miles Koziol–pumpkin cheesecake Adult Division 1st place: Abby Pagliai–Jewish apple cake 2nd place: Maria de Torok–apple coffee cake 3rd place: Melissa Ansell–caramel apple crisp
A heartfelt “thank you” to judges Jessica Culicerto Gombar, The Pie Place; Robert Orchowski, president, USC Board of Commissioners; and Ryan McCleaster, assistant director, Recreation and Leisure Services, Township of Upper St. Clair. Thank you also to the following generous patrons of the Bounty at Boyce Mayview, including The Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair, Bethel Presbyterian Church, Dawson’s Orchards, Giant Eagle Market District Village Square, Jim Jenkins Lawn & Garden Center, Knepper Press, Paul’s Orchard, The Pie Place, and Trax Farms, and to our volunteers, too! n Spring 2012
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T USC’s Newest Park is Inspirational Upper St. Clair Veterans Park, a 2011 addition to the Township’s park system, enables visitors to remember those who served for the freedom of others. This outdoor teaching facility located along McLaughlin Run Road, which invites quiet moments to pause and reflect, helps visitors learn from the past. If you have yet to visit this inspirational park, do so at your leisure, but plan to stay awhile. n Upper St. Clair Veterans Park, Inc. is a charitable organization under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. For additional information or to contribute, visit www.uscveteranspark.org. Site photos courtesy of Glenn Prokopovitch.
USC Veterans Park on November 11, 2011, after the ribbon cutting ceremony
USC Veterans Park, January 3, 2012, after a freshly fallen snow
USCAA Sports Update The purpose of the Upper St. Clair Athletic Association (USCAA) is to provide wholesome, extra-curricular, amateur athletic programs for the youth of Upper St. Clair Township. USCAA aims to create excellence through competition and participation and through the development of young male and female players. Emphasis is placed on fair and balanced athletics programs promoting fundamental education of the individual sports while teaching sportsmanship in a team environment. USCAA strives to inspire, encourage, and empower youth through participation in sports. Board members of the USCAA and all coaches of the children’s teams are volunteers. n 56
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Important Dates–Spring and Summer 2012 • Miracle League Field Grand Opening, Saturday, May 26, Boyce Mayview Park • Soccer and Football signups, June 7, 8, 9, C&RC at Boyce Mayview Park • Rec Football practices start Monday, August 6 • Rec Soccer practices start Monday, August 27
2012 USCAA Officers Joe Krolczyk................................. President Jim Wilding...........................Vice President Craig Howie................................. Treasurer Tom Murray.................................. Secretary
Additional information can be found at www.uscaasports.org.
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Recycling Please Do! E-Cycling With winter winding down and the thoughts of the spring season popping up, many of us are considering the task of spring cleaning. This is of particular interest for many who are getting rid of older electronic products that have been sitting around for a while. Some of the kids’ e-toys that have worn out or are becoming old and outdated and placed in the closet may be candidates for USC’s e-waste collection, as well. Refer to your pink 2012 “Trash and Recycling Information” guide for this year’s e-cycling dates. Biweekly Recycling Milk cartons, juice boxes, and other beverage containers have now been added to the list of items being recycled biweekly. Refer to your pink 2012 “Trash and Recycling Information” guide for a complete recycling list under Residential Recycling Collection. Personal Document Destruction The personal document destruction program held this past September was a great success! Residents brought a total of 3352 pounds of documents to be shredded. The Township of USC will continue the program this year. Two Saturdays—May 12 and October 13—document destruction will run in conjunction with the monthly Saturday E-Cycling, with the drop off point at the Township Municipal parking lot near Clair’s Kennel. Cost for the document destruction event remains unchanged from last year—an 11- x 17-inch box is $5, a 17- x 24-inch box is $7, and bulk bags are $0.16 per pound. This is a great opportunity to rid your house of those old tax files that you’ve been saving forever! Approved Document Destruction will be onsite from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. A “certificate of destruction” is provided. n
www.providencepoint.org
A part of USC’s recycling efforts, discarded Christmas trees are recycled by shredding them into chips. The chips are then laid on trails throughout the Township. Spring 2012
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Always Something to See at The Outdoor Classroom
www.TheOutdoorClassroomPA.org
Q: What has 100 legs and lives in the woods? A: 50 third graders on a camping trip!
of the wild.” But inquiry emails to local environmental organizations started a “what if” scenario that led For John Masilunas, new program administrator at The him to a position as a seasonal Outdoor Classroom who hails from McMurray, the answer to facilitator at The Outdoor the question was not the punch line of a joke. It was an integral Classroom. While he dusted part of his teaching career. For 35 years, John taught science and off his backpack and washed math in the Churchill Area School District and Pittsburgh Public out the duck-call, John realSchools. As a young teacher and father of three young children, ized that perhaps “teaching John became involved with his children’s sports and scouting. time” wasn’t over quite yet. Camping with the Boy Scouts led to an epiphany: “If these scouts As his wife will attest, her like camping, my students would like camping, too!” question of “How was work?” Fortunately, John worked for a principal who permitted him now elicits an ear-to-ear grin. to embark on a 15-year series of tent camping trips that allowed “I get to be out in the woods more than two thousand students to experience the outdoors. teaching kids, showing them how Outdoor cooking, fire building, stream studies, macro-invertethe world works. How great is that? brates, and water quality became part of the classroom lexicon And then I get to do it all over again the next day!” That’s the for third to fifth grade students as they experienced a W.I.L.D. response of a happy man! (Wilderness Investigation and Learning by Discovery) adventure. John is generous in sharing the beauty of Boyce Mayview Park John created the W.I.L.D. framework to incorporate many facets with his family and friends. It’s not unusual to find him walking of environmental education into the reading, math, and science with his wife and making his grown children endure a lecture curriculums so that his students always had a “W.I.L.D. time” about multi-flora rose or garlic mustard. Since both of his sons are Eagle Scouts, they are accustomed to his impromptu John helps campers weave recycled grocery bag scientific wanderings, but others feign interest until a sit-upons for the ultimate in summer camp comfort. more palatable subject surfaces! So, if you’re in the vicinity of The Outdoor Classroom, put on your hiking shoes and stretch your legs on the many miles of trails. And while you’re out there, if you see a guy wearing an olive green Indiana Jones hat with a duck call around his neck, stop and say “Hi,” then be prepared to hear about multi-flora rose! The Outdoor Classroom is very happy to welcome John to its small, yet eager, staff and says a heart-felt “Good luck!” to Sara Homol, past program administrator, as she and her new husband embark on their new life journey in Baltimore. n Sara and John listen as campers share “bug stories” along the meadow’s edge.
in class without having to leave the classroom. But tent-building during lunch periods, lessons, and hikes in Frick Park, as well as the study of Carnegie Museum animal specimens assured that the students were ready to lace up their boots when it was time to camp! But, even the most energetic teacher can only tote the backpack for so long. So, after more than three decades of classroom structure, John retired from the Pittsburgh Public Schools in 2009, assuring his wife, Diane, that “he was going to do something else.” Thinking that a part-time job in a bookstore would be the perfect segue to a life of leisure, John never anticipated the “call 58
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Spring 2012
T Upcoming Programs at TOC Be sure to mark your calendar so you can join John, Jessie, and the rest of The Outdoor Classroom staff this spring for some great programs! Sunday, March 25, 2-4 p.m. Talk n Walk: EcoHiking
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Friday, April 6, 8-9 p.m. Moonstruck Hike
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Saturday, April 14, 1-4 p.m. Cub Scout Spring Adventure Day: Weather Friday, April 20, 4:30-6:30 p.m. USC in the Woods
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Sunday, April 29, 8-10 a.m. Talk n Walk: Spring Birding 101
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Sunday, May 6, 9-10 p.m. Moonstruck Hike
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Saturday, May 12, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Spring Migratory Bird Count (Free!)
Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center
Saturday, May 12, 10 a.m.- 1p.m. All About Birds Scout Day Sunday, May 13, 2-4 p.m. Talk n Walk: Spring Wild Edibles Saturday, May 26, 10-11 a.m. Saturdays Outdoors Hike (SOD): Wildflowers M.O.V.E. (May Volunteer Outdoor Expo) Call for date and time. Friday, June 1, 6-8 p.m. PA Amphibians & Reptiles Live Animal Program Sunday, June 3, noon-5 p.m. Boy Scout Merit Badge Workshop: Forestry
ATTENTION UPPER ST. CLAIR RESIDENTS SKATE & SWIM at the MT. LEBANON RECREATION CENTER Open Year Round with Something for Everyone *Learn-to-Skate Classes/ Beginner & Advanced Hockey Clinics Youth Developmental & Adult Hockey Leagues Public Skating Summer Figure Skating School and Figure Skating Sessions Daily Adult Skating & Instructional Programs Speed Skating * Broomball Birthday Party Packages *Individual & Family Season Swim Passes Available Pool Open Noon – 8 P.M. Daily (Beg. June 9)
The April sunshine brings out the reptiles! Eastern garter snakes and rat snakes are common throughout Boyce Mayview Park.
Call the Recreation Center at 412-561-4363 for times and rates Or visit us online at www.mtlebanon.org Spring 2012
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T Adult Department
Monthly Activities (Activities are held in the Library Multipurpose Room, unless otherwise stated.)
Men’s Book Group
First Tuesday of each month 7-8 p.m.
Library Ladies’ Book Group
Fourth Tuesday of each month 7-8 p.m.
Cooks’ Book Group
First Wednesday of each month 7-8 p.m., second floor of the library
Global Issues
Third Wednesday of each month 10-11:30 a.m.
Mystery Reader’s Book Group
Third Thursday of each month 2-3 p.m.
Conversation SalonDiscussion Group
First Friday of each month 10-11:30 a.m.
Yarn Works
Second and fourth Saturday of each month 2-4 p.m., second floor of the library
Have an e-book Reader?
If you are an e-book reader, then the library has books for you! It doesn’t matter if your device is a Kindle, a Nook, an iPad, a Kobo, or another type of reader. If you have a library card, go to the library website, twpusc.org/library, and click on “Downloads.” You’ll be able to search the Digital Catalog through Overdrive and checkout and download books to your personal device. Books can also be downloaded to personal computers and smart phones. Each device has a slightly different set of steps, but for most you download some free software, activate it by registering on the Adobe website, then checkout and download to enjoy your selection. Kindle users need no new software, only an Amazon account. The Digital Catalog is available for all Allegheny County library users. The library consortium recently quadrupled the budget for e-books, so many more titles will be available for check out. The e-copies work just like hand-held books. Only one person can check out one digital copy at a time. When you check out the e-book, you will be given a choice of loan periods of 7, 14, or 21 days. The e-copy is automatically returned when the loan period is over. (You can also return most books “early.”) There are no overdue fines on e-books. Bring in your device and get started with library e-books today! (Downloadable eaudio books are also available in MP3 format.) Staff at the library will be very happy to help you walk through the first steps.
Blu-rays are Here
Blu-ray discs of popular movies are now at the library. These copies are “walk-in” titles, only available in the library, and check out is for the regular one-week-only loan period for movies. Holds cannot be placed on these discs, so they will not be traveling around the county, but will remain right here for you. So, if you have a Blu-ray player, stop by the library to see our new collection of the hottest titles!
Books on Screen at USC!
A book discussion series group, part of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council’s program Read About It, has been meeting at the library monthly since February. Each month, the participants are given their personal copy of the selected title to read and can either view the movie at home or come to the library for a screening. Then, two nights later, Professor John Cantine from the Pittsburgh Filmmakers Association will lead a discussion session: Was the movie really as good as the book? Space is limited, but might be available. Call the library today if you are interested in joining. March 19 and 21—Cider House Rules by John Irving April 23 and 25—Atonement by Ian McEwan May 14 and 16—The Devil Wears Prada by Laura Weisberger
Save the Date for Author Luncheon When: Sunday, April 22, 1 p.m. Featuring: Pitt professor and mystery writer Kathleen George Kathleen George, a professor of theatre at the University of Pittsburgh, is a mystery writer. Her novels are set in Pittsburgh and feature police detective Richard Christie. The Odds was nominated for an Edgar award for best novel of the year by the Mystery Writers of America in 2010. Check out these titles at the library: Taken, Fallen, After Image, The Odds, Hideout, and Pittsburgh Noir.
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Spring 2012
T Adult Department A Look Back at Some Enjoyable Fall Programs Walk & Talk A dedicated group of walkers joined library staff member Jan Aramany each Tuesday morning for a Walk & Talk in one of USC’s area parks. This Wise Walk program was sponsored by the Allegheny County Library Association and Highmark PALS. Watch for the spring schedule.
Upcoming Adult Programs (Programs begin at 7 p.m., unless otherwise listed. Call the library to register.)
Walk & Talk
Holiday Concert A December concert by the Aeolian Winds of Pittsburgh featured holiday favorites and put attendees in a very festive mood.
Thursday, March 22: Solutions for the Sandwich Generation A panel of experts will discuss the services available for your aging loved ones. Bring your questions. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. (6:15 p.m. start time) Monday, April 2: Images of Indian Goddesses: Myths, Meanings, and Models Madhu Wangu, author of Images of Indian Goddesses, will explain the mythical imagery of Indian goddesses. Thursday, May 3: Edible Weed Foraging Faith Starr will lead a discussion about edible foods that grow naturally in woods, parks, meadows, and backyards.
Aeolian Winds
Monday, May 21: Afternoon Spring Tea Sponsored by Five Star Senior Living Advisors (1 p.m. start time) Thursday, May 24: Bill Maudlin: A Life Upfront Todd DePastino, author of Bill Maudlin: A Life Upfront, will provide a biographical account of Maudlin, a beloved and trusted World War II soldier and cartoonist.
Indian Luncheon—an Indian Feast Participants at the December Indian luncheon enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Maneesha Kumar-Cleetus, saw a sari modeled by library staff member Shylu Venkatesh, and watched a beautiful Indian dance performance by Poorwa Godbole and students from Streams Elementary, including Anika Sinha, Antara Cleetus, Ashwini Walavalker, and Ahiri Ghosh.
Monday, June 4: Angels Among Us: Our Guides, Protectors, and Helpers Sister Bernadette Manning, a Sister of Charity and professional counselor, will explore the world of angels and the various ways they guide, help, and protect us in our daily lives. Thursday, June 21: Ben Franklin Jack Puglisi will bring this historical figure to life in this upbeat presentation about Ben Franklin.
Maneesha, serving lunch
Poorwa dancing Spring 2012
Tuesday, June 26: By Fire, By Water Mitchell James Kaplan, author of By Fire, By Water, will discuss his awardwinning book. Set in Spain during the Inquisition, this historical fiction work won a 2011 Independent Publishers Book Award. Join our combined men’s and ladies’ book groups for this session.
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T Kids Department Upcoming Classes
le the Kind rarian, h about Dear Lib c u m so y ing lp m I‘m hear l they he ? ook. Wil N r reader e e tt th e b d a e an m o c ld be t 11-year-o u think? d Paren o y o d Perplexe What
The popular storytime sessions begin the week of March 26 a n d r u n t h ro u g h the week of April The Kids Department offers many 30. Registration is fun classes. Try one! underway. A complete list and all program information can be found at the library or by visiting www.twpusc.org/library.
ed, without an Dear Perplex reader with or t ea gr a time e m co be to spend a lot of Your child can ers, kids have ad tional re en od nv go co e a m co s an e-book or it’ e-reader! To be if rs te at bo m also read th t think it course, you can reading. I don’ f O . u. yo to ce is up y e-book owners book. The choi actice for man pr op, and dr on to m s m ue co in a is e-readers cont of e formats, which ic C pr S e th U s is that ade. The The good new er if they upgr ad re een r te ei d th an n ildren’s nd dow s, including ch parents can ha oks rculating e-book ci d download e-bo w an no t is ou k ry ec ch n Libra ca on ou is Y he link Overdrive. library card. T books, through ter using your r, stop in the pu O m . co ry e ra m ib ho from your .twpusc.org/l w w your w at ge bo pa me k out oks to the library’s ho you how to chec ow sh ill w ff sta e library and th ch shioned, low-te the good old fa e-reader. ve will lo d ho an w ry u ra yo re at the lib he ll As for those of sti e ’r ey th , don’t worry; hand-held book ars to come! ye be for many
Family Storytime Children 2 to 7 years of age with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver Tuesdays at 7 p.m.; dates to be announced. Story Weekends Families with children 2 to 7 years old Spend time at the library and explore a kid-friendly theme through books and activities. Dates and themes to be announced. Babies & Toddlers Children ages 4 to 24 months with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver Mondays at 10 or 11 a.m. Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Twos & Threes Children 2 to 3 ½ years of age with a parent, grandparent, or caregiver Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Wednesdays or Thursdays at 10 or 11 a.m.
Sincerely, an Your Librari Debra Conn,
Library Recognized for Exceptional Service
The Best Practices in Young Adult Service Award was presented to the Upper St. Clair Township Library by the Pennsylvania Library Association at its annual conference in October. The award recognized the library’s Volunteer Readers’ Theater Troupe. This was the first year for this specific best practices award. The troupe was organized for students looking for creative ways to volunteer in their community. Directed by librarians Colleen and Sheri show off the Theater Troupe award Colleen Miles and Sheri Huffman, the volunteers practiced for six weeks and then performed at Friendship Village and Sunrise Senior Living. The troupe performed adapted Shakespearean plays A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest. This winter, the troupe was reorganized and Hamlet and Macbeth were the chosen plays.
Pre-School Storytime Children 3 ½, 4, or 5 years of age who are ready to spend a half hour on their own Thursdays at 1:45 p.m. Fridays at 10 a.m. or 1:45 p.m. Math Mites Kids 4 and 5 years of age who are not yet attending Kindergarten Tuesdays at 1:45 p.m. Science & Math in the Library Children 5 years of age and older who are not yet in first grade Wednesdays at 10 a.m. or 1:45 p.m. Library Explorers: Explore the Earth and Sky Children who are currently in Kindergarten Tuesdays at 10 a.m. or 1:45 p.m. BookTrek: Super Science Fun Children in 1st–4th grades Tuesdays or Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
USC Township Library Hours Monday–Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Outside book and video return available 24/7. Items collected daily at 9 a.m. The library will be closed Sunday, April 8 for Easter.
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Community Development
Flood Protection Flooding and other surface drainage problems can occur well away from a river, lake, or ocean. When you are looking at a property, it is always a good idea to check possible flood hazards. Be aware: • The force of moving water or waves can destroy a building. • Slow moving floodwaters are forceful enough to knock people off their feet or to float a car. • Water-soaked contents, such as carpeting, upholstered furniture, and mattresses often suffer irreparable damage and may have to be disposed of after a flood. • Some items, such as photographs and heirlooms, may never be restored to their original conditions. • Floodwaters are not clean; they carry mud, disease, farm chemicals, road oil, and other noxious substances that are serious health hazards. • The impact of a flood (cleaning up, making repairs, and suffering personal losses) causes great stress to you, your family, and your finances. Township Flood Services Upper St. Clair participates in the Community Rating System, which is a program of providing flood hazard information and services. The first step to protect your home from flood damage is to assess the flood hazard. A complete Flood Protection Library, including flood maps and flood protection references, is available at the Upper St. Clair Township Library. The Department of Planning and Community Development, located in the Municipal Building, can provide more information, such as depth of flooding above a building’s first floor, location of floodplains, past flood problems in the area, and tips on how to select a contractor. For your safety, Upper St. Clair regulates all construction and development in floodplains to ensure that buildings will be protected from flood damage. What You Can Do The Township’s efforts depend on your cooperation and assistance. Here is how you can help: • Do not dump debris of any kind into creeks, ditches, ravines, or streams. Dumping is a violation of Chapter 83 of the Township Code. Even grass clippings and branches accumulate and plug channels, causing danger during rains. • If your property is next to a creek or ditch, keep the banks clear of brush and debris. The Township has a response program to help remove major blockage such as downed trees. • If you see evidence of dumping of debris in creeks or ditches, contact the Public Works Department or the Department of Planning and
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Community Development. • Always check with the Department of Planning and Community Development before you build, alter, grade, or fill on your property. A permit may be needed to ensure that projects do not cause problems on other properties. If you are in a floodplain, special building codes may apply. The Community Development Department personnel will walk you through any application and answer your questions. If you see building or filling without a Township permit posted, contact the Department of Planning and Community Development at 412-831-9000. Flood Insurance If you do not have flood insurance, talk to your insurance agent. Homeowners’ insurance policies typically do not cover damage from floods. However, because the Township of Upper St. Clair participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, local residents can purchase a separate flood insurance policy. The Township has received a lower rating of a seven out of ten, which provides for a 15% reduction in insurance. It is backed by the federal government and is available to all residents, even for property outside of a floodplain. Any property is subject to flooding. Surface water can accumulate from heavy rain, melting snow, a broken water main, or a ruptured swimming pool. Insurance agents may require photographs of the front and back of your house, an elevation certificate (if you are in a floodplain), a completed and signed application, and a check for the first year’s premium. For sample flood insurance applications, visit the Flood Protection Library in the Township Library. Stormwater Information The Township maintains a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit as mandated by the EPA. This program places requirements on stormwater discharges associated with construction activities and discharges for municipal storm sewers. There are projects that the Township has undertaken to protect our streams and waterways from hazardous discharge. Be sure to check the Township’s website on a regular basis for updates on Stormwater Management and Flood Protection and the steps the Township is taking to meet the federal requirements in order to keep Upper St. Clair a safer place to reside. This information is published annually as a part of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System recertification and is also available on the Township website at www.twpusc.org. Spring 2012
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(412) 561-6790 UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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Tri-Community South Year in Review
Tri-Community South EMS (TCS) had 6720 EMS responses for 2011, an increase of 706 calls from 2010. Nonemergency transport calls decreased to 116 for the year, 15 trips fewer than in 2010. Since entering service on December 31, 1977, TCS has answered over 148,000 emergency calls and has done over 21,000 non-emergency transports. In 2011, about 72% of all patients received advanced life support treatment. About 80% of all responses resulted in the transportation of a patient and 80% of all transports were to either St. Clair Hospital or Jefferson Regional Medical Center. About three percent of all calls are referred to mutual aid from surrounding services and about four percent of TCS’s responses are to provide mutual aid to these same services. These percentages are consistent with those from past years. TCS employees and volunteers provided stand-by medical coverage to 422 school district and community gatherings in 2011, totaling over 701 staff-hours. TCS staff members also teach CPR and first aid, totaling in excess of 432 staff-hours in 2011. TCS remains among the busiest community training centers in the American Heart Association’s Northern Atlantic region, with more than 10,000 people trained annually. Every TCS employee is a CPR instructor. Every employee and volunteer of TCS’s staff also puts many hours each year into continuing education; 2011 was no exception. TCS employees accumulated more than 500 hours of con-ed, with each paramedic attending at least the required annual 18 hours of instruction. By requirement, each EMT must attend 24 con-ed hours every two years. Each TCS employee exceeded these requirements, most by a generous margin. This past year, every TCS paramedic was recertified in Pediatric Advanced Life Support and every provider completed an update on Emergency Vehicle Operations. The system’s six ambulances traveled a combined total of 113,660 miles during the year, a decrease of 1402 miles from 2010. At the end of the year, the combined fleet mileage for the ambulances was 265,602. The system’s support vehicle and response vehicle now have a combined fleet mileage of 58,106, making the total fleet mileage 323,708. This is the highest fleet mileage since 2008, and the system is investigating how to best manage replacement of the aging vehicles, considering the current economy. TCS’s full-time staff saw some change in configuration, but the overall number of employees remained the same. One full-time employee was promoted to a supervisory position that had been vacant for five years. The field staff now consists of the director, five supervisors, 19 full-time employees, seven part-time employees, and three volunteers. The TCS staff is stable and experienced, with the average employee having 15 years of service. An administrative and billing office staff of three supports the field operations. Contrary to the trend in EMS, retention of employees has not been a problem for TCS, but with one-third of the full time and supervisory staff at 29 years of service or more, the system is interested in recruiting the next generation of providers. The system completed its triennial Pennsylvania Department of Health licensure inspection on December 15. As in the past, all TCS vehicles, policies, and personnel were found to be in full compliance with all state rules and regulations. TCS will seek to renew its accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS) in 2012. Tri-Community South EMS observed National Emergency Medical Services Week May 15-21 with a mini EMS academy at the Bethel Park EMS base on Progress 64
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Boulevard on May 21. About a half-dozen residents got a chance to experience some of the excitement and some of the intense training that is a part of every EMS provider’s job. The attendees got a brief overview of CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training, handled some of the most commonly used EMS equipment, and rode in an off-duty ambulance to see and feel some of the things that EMTs and paramedics experience every day. For the fourth time in five years, a TCS employee was honored by the Pennsylvania EMS Provider Foundation as a recipient of the Stars of Life award. In 2011, two TCS employees were among the recipients. The awards were presented to director Nora Helfrich and supervisor Kevin Trichtinger at the fifth annual Pennsylvania EMS 9/11 event in Hershey on October 13. The Stars of Life awards are given to EMS providers who particularly exemplify the “efforts and importance of the job our everyday heroes provide to the residents of this Commonwealth.” Nora and Kevin were among the 18 recipients of the award for 2011. State EMS director Joseph Schmeider spent a shift riding with TCS’s crews one day this past May. The visit is one of many the director has made to ambulance services around the Commonwealth. After his visit, Director Schmeider wrote, “Thank you for such a warm welcome. You all were very kind and have such a professional organization with caring staff, it was truly a pleasure, and I will be back.” The system has remained in the forefront in research, education, and community outreach. The Center for Emergency Medicine recognized TCS for having the greatest participation percentage in the Teamwork and Conflict in EMS study last January, and TCS also participated in the Sleep and Fatigue study throughout the year. In June, TCS received a certificate of recognition from Pennsylvania Senator Jim Brewer of the 45th Senate District for its participation in the 2010-11 Mon River Fleet Influenza initiative. TCS was one of 14 agencies recognized for participation in the initiative. The agencies combined to administer over 25,000 influenza vaccines throughout the course of the program. TCS also participated in the regional National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) drill at Pittsburgh International Airport in August. Among the other participants in the drill were the 911Airlift Group of the Air Force Reserve, The PA-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT), the Civil Air Patrol, and about 20 Southwestern Pennsylvania EMS services. For 2011, the system again remained fully self-supporting, with income derived from the annual subscription drive, user fees, and third-party reimbursements, with some equipment purchases supported by the state’s EMSOF program and other grants. No municipal tax monies were used to support the system and TCS received no money from the Local Services Tax levied by municipalities on people employed in the community. This is particularly remarkable, given the poor economy, the continuing rise in system expenses, further cuts in reimbursement by Medicare and other insurers, and the unfortunate and exceptionally low response by the residents to the subscription drive. Please consider renewing your subscription to help turn this trend around. n For more information on Tri-Community South EMS, to register for a CPR class, or for any other questions on emergency medical services, call TCS at 412-831-3710, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or visit http://www.tcsems.org.
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Citizens’ Police Academy Upper St. Clair Police Department graduated 29 citizens who enrolled in the 11th session of the Township’s popular Citizens’ Police Academy. Look to the summer issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY for more information and an application for the next academy coming your way! n
USC Chief of Police Ronald Pardini at graduation with Cheryl and Edward Daniel
Graduates of the 2011 class of the USC Citizens’ Police Academy are, left to right, front row: Greg Tye, Michael Harris, Audrey Koerner, Mary Campbell, Francis Wilson, Vicki Cayuela, Lawrence Wilson; middle row: Barbara Zimmt, Jayna Rubin, Paulette Godla, Kathy Kasunich, Robin Solow, Chuck Poliacek, George Byrd, Lt. John Sakoian; back row: Bryan Tye, Dan Naumann, Sam Rockwell, Jackie Ford, Anna Marie McCann, Barb Galordi, Juan Bravo, Warwick Solow, Barbara McCurrie, Mary Cozma, Edward Daniel, Cheryl Daniel, Sgt. Curtis Gallatin
Sanitary Sewer Backups AND your homeowner’s coverage The Township maintains over 158 miles of underground sewer lines. There is no way to predict when the next sanitary sewer backup will occur. And while only a handful of our residents experience a significant sanitary sewer backup each year, we know that when it does occur, it is a distressing situation. It can be even more devastating if a resident is not insured for losses—losses that can easily run into tens of thousands of dollars. Sewer Backup Insurance Homeowners can alleviate possible sewer-related damage expenses by contacting their property insurance provider to verify that they have sewer backup coverage. Most homeowners’ insurance policies do not automatically include coverage for these occurrences. Given the potential for significant loss, it would be advisable for homeowners served by a public sewer system, particularly those with finished basements, to obtain some level of coverage. Lastly, if you experience a floor drain backup or otherwise suspect a sanitary sewer problem, contact the Township’s Public Works Department immediately at 412-831-9000, extension 271.
A Great Year for Public Access Programming The year 2011 was a banner one for USC Township’s public access television channel, producing over 140 programs including sports, arts, and informational programming. Interestingly, all of the programs are produced by volunteers. Staff of public access television offers training on professional production, equipment, and the use of equipment to produce programming for the channel. Staff also provides the video newspaper (Comcast channel 7 and on Verizon channel 42) to USC residents to inform them about local activities and events. If you would like your group’s information broadcast on the Township’s video newspaper, don’t delay! There is no charge to USC residents and the information is generally publicized for two weeks. Program schedule information can be found at http://sites.google.com/site/uscpublicaccesstelevision. Call 412-831-1030 or email gward@twpusc.org for more information. n Spring 2012
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
www.clarkremodeling.com
A House for Life
Sue Clark, Clark Renovations, Inc. There are steps you can take to enable you to continue independent living with limited mobility or physical challenges. With some basic renovations, you can maintain independence and restore freedom. Aging in place incorporates user friendly products that look good, but are also easy to maintain. Products must be easy to grip or grasp and easy to operate. Here are some ideas to consider. Basic changes–Increase doorway widths to 32 to 36 inches to accommodate walkers and wheelchairs and don’t forget the door at the walk-in closet. You may need to reverse the swing of some doors or even change some to pocket doors. Change door knobs to the lever variety. Consider adding railings to hallways and both sides of the steps. Certainly add an electric chair to get you from floor to floor if this is the biggest drawback in staying in your home. Glue or tack down a wedge shape piece of wood to function as a ramp over high door thresholds and rearrange furniture to allow for a turning radius for wheelchairs. Try to have 30 to 48 inches of clear floor space to maneuver a wheelchair. Definitely remove throw rugs before they live up to their name! Be sure to have working smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers. Outside–Build a ramp to a home’s exterior doors or to the porch. Concrete your walkways for easy maneuverability. Don’t forget to make the mailbox accessible and add more lighting around your house for better visibility. In the bath–Remove the tub and install a five-foot walk-in shower with a seat and low or no thresholds. A tub can always be put back in 66
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once your house sells, but chances are the next buyer will also love the large shower! Change the faucets (kitchen, too) to lever style with “Rite Temp” to prevent scalding. Change taller shower faucets to a hand held with a spray; they are also great for cleaning! Put the faucet on a bar to allow it to slide up for taller bathers or lower when needed. Add grab bars in the shower and toilet area, too. Very popular are “comfort height” commodes, 18 inches high and similar to a standard chair height but so much easier on the knees. Install a towel rack accessible to wheelchair users. Change the vanity to a pedestal or wall hung sink and the floor to non slip materials. In the kitchen–Purchase front control, front access appliances. New “drawer” appliances are easier to access and include dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers. Install a microwave on a shelf you can easily reach. Add some low towel racks. Install lower electric outlets and light switches to 48 inches and add some under-cabinet lights for better visibility. In the refrigerator, put the most used items on the back of the door. Rearrange cabinets putting the most used items in the base cabinets. If you’re changing cabinets entirely, consider sliding doors and drop leaf shelving. Remove the cabinet under the kitchen sink so that a wheelchair can roll directly under the sink. Insulate pipes well to protect legs from hot pipes. Thirty-two-inch-high countertops are recommended. Federal grants may be available for some renovations. Check with the Department of Health and Human Services, HUD, or the Department of Veteran Affairs. n See Clark Renovations, Inc. ad on this page.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
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Spring 2012
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HOME IMPROVEMENT STOUT
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Trends to Consider Lisa Stout, Stout Flooring
Spring is soon to arrive and now is a great time to begin planning that new look for your home or business’ interior. To do so with confidence, here are a few trends and design tips to consider: Wood flooring continues to be the standard request for most remodeling projects. Darker stains such as coffee or espresso colorations and lighter natural tones are most popular since these work well with the modern style cabinetry and furnishings being offered by many manufacturers. For those who seek to use sustainable materials for remodeling projects, cork and bamboo are great ways to bring truly differentiating design to the project. Bamboo is a hearty, hard and easily replenished material and can be finished in dark and light stains. Cork, with its intricate natural pattern design, is a wonderful insulating material that is soft underfoot and extremely durable. While granite and quartz countertops remain very popular with many bath and kitchen renovations, there is a resurgence of tiled countertops, using tumbled stone and glass mosaic tiles to give each surface a unique and textured contrast that is characteristic of using multiple types of materials. Many of the stone surfaces are extremely durable and can even take the heat of a pot removed from the stove and placed directly on the countertop. When the project requires total bath remodeling with new fixtures and hardware, the trend is to get rid of the old built birch or 68
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oak cabinets and replace them with sleek “furniture-like” vanities and storage cabinets. Especially the vanity sinks, where decorative and colorful free standing glass bowls plumbed through the cabinet bring new life to tired and dated styling. Don’t be afraid to mix different types of materials in your bath redesign, actually the more the better! Stone, glass, marble, quartz, wood, textured wall techniques, and a host of other materials can be found to make the most used room in your home a special, one-of-a-kind design. Color is such an important part of our lives. Color trends come and go, but neutrals in various hues are always the standard to use. Neutrals are spiced with color accents in the floor, walls, or countertops. The color trend for 2012 is honeysuckle, predicted by Pantone Color Institute, the leading authority in color trends. While an entire room in this color may not be ideal, it works well as an accent color to enhance the beauty of a neutral pallet choice for your remodeling project. Located in Mt. Lebanon, visit Stout Flooring’s expanded and product-filled showroom, including Kohler and Delta products, to witness for yourself all the wonderful and exciting possibilities and the latest in design to make your special place, very special indeed! n See ad for Stout Flooring on this page.
HOME IMPROVEMENT
www.brooksidelumber.com
Spring 2012
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HOME IMPROVEMENT Stop Topping Trees! Tree topping was considered for years to be the easiest and cheapest way to make mature trees safer and reduce their size. Whether it’s because of tradition or ignorance, millions of trees have been hacked with little or no consideration to their health and structural integrity. People who top trees have yet to recognize that following established industry standards of professionalism while pruning trees can improve the tree’s health, growth, and appearance. What happens when trees are topped? Trees maintain a delicate crown-to-root ratio. Topping removes the crown, upsetting this ratio and limiting the tree’s ability to sustain its own roots, thereby making them more susceptible to insects, disease, and decay. Limbs weakened by decay cannot handle the weight of rapid re-growth. In a few years, if the tree survives, it may become a bigger safety hazard than it was prior to topping. Consumers today are more knowledgeable and increasingly refuse to allow their trees to be topped. Topping should not be confused with proper crown reduction pruning, which will safely reduce a tree’s size and redirect its growth. “Lion’s-tailing” is another practice that severely damages trees, where inner foliage, branches, and limbs of a tree are stripped bare. A lion-tailed tree has the unnatural form of a giant umbrella, with the remaining foliage limited to the ends of the branches. The limbs left on the tree are long and bare except for a characteristic “tuft” of foliage at the end, giving the appearance of a lion’s tail.
Lion’s-tailing shouldn’t be confused with proper thinning, which is the selective removal of branches to decrease weight and wind resistance. Reasons to not top trees: • Leaves large exposed wounds that can’t readily close • Ruins tree structure • Removes too much foliage, disrupting the tree’s energy reserve for future growth • Stimulates vigorous, weakly attached new growth that is prone to breakage • Increases tree maintenance costs Reasons to not “lion’s-tail” trees: • Limbs become weak and prone to breakage • Increased sunlight on the tree’s interior can cause sunscald • Removes too much foliage, disrupting the tree’s energy reserve for future growth • Stimulates vigorous, weakly attached new growth on the tree’s inner portion that is prone to breakage What is the alternative? Professional arborists can make a tree look more attractive while also making it safer and smaller with the appropriate corrective pruning. Pruning encourages growth, improves flower and fruit production, improves plant health, repairs damage, and helps add aesthetic appeal to a tree. n Information adapted from the Tree Care Industry Association. See Arbor Tree Specialists, Inc. ad on this page. Owner Patrick Tolan.
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
Everybody Needs a Happy Place Cathy Davin, Davin Interiors, LLC
Our home is a reflection of how we see ourselves and our families. Home is where we are supported, nurtured, and reenergized. It’s the base from where we go out into the world each day and it’s the haven we return to. Just as you flourish when you take great care of yourself, you will flourish when you take great care of your home. Take a few moments and ask yourself if your home is your best reflection of you and your family. Imagine how you can improve the spaces of your home to better suit your needs and lifestyle. Public Spaces Today, the shared “public” spaces in your home are critically important as the heart of your home. As our families grow and evolve, so these spaces should evolve, too. Public spaces are typically the kitchen and dining areas, and family/game rooms. Take a good look at these rooms. Are they serving your needs or do they need to be refreshed? Let’s consider formal living rooms. A traditional living room is often a large room with great proportions and beautiful windows. If your living room is now being less than used, it may make over quite well. This room can be repurposed by replacing the unused formal furniture with a pool table, a large-screen TV, a computer station, or a home office in this area. You can create a nice transition from the entry hall by adding French doors or other elements. The newly evolved space becomes a focal point for wonderful shared family time in the home. In a game room, you may want to add comfortable seating if your family enjoys movie nights and football
games in front of the TV, or an oversized ottoman or game table with chairs if you gather for board games and puzzles. You’ll love the new family space and your family will love you for it! How about the kitchen? Is the table so cluttered with mail and backpacks that there is no room to sit together and enjoy weekday dinner? If you enjoy setting a beautiful table for holidays, why not set a beautiful table every day? Personal Space It’s also critical for each of us to feel that we have “a place of our own” in the home. Use your imagination if space is limited! You can even create personal office space out of a closet. With bi-fold doors, it allows the “office” to be closed off when entertaining. This option can be very inexpensive to create and allows private space that is functional and beautiful. Carve out a reading nook with a movable screen or divide a den into his and her spaces by strategically placing tall bookcases as a room divider. Find your happy space! Eliminate As human beings, we tend to be pack animals. Just as fashion magazines advise to eliminate what we don’t wear from our closets, why not take a hard look at the “stuff” in our homes? Can you eliminate items from your home that no longer speak to you? Consider memorabilia, decorative accessories, and inherited furniture. How about the outdated electronics, music, and hobbies that no longer interest you? Eliminate and enjoy the space. Just breathe. Ahhh… n See ad for Davin Interiors, LLC on page 4.
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HOME IMPROVEMENT
www.premierhomedesigncenter.com
White—Hot for 2012!
Laura Reid Riggin, Premier Home Design Center White kitchens are popular again. White kitchens were all the rage in the 90s and now they have returned with a vengeance. What could be the reason for the return of this design style? Several thoughts come to my mind. The similarities in the economic state of the country and the return to more traditional values may be a few. Whatever the reasons are, this is an exciting time in kitchen design. Transforming rooms darkened by the heaviness of oak and fruitwoods into bright, cheerful spaces that welcome the family after a long day of work or school is exciting! Many homeowners feel that white is the only choice in kitchen cabinetry. White cabinets have a clean, fresh feel and a classic, timeless look. White kitchens are very versatile as they can range in styles that include traditional, cottage, arts and crafts, contemporary, or transitional. In addition, white kitchens are a perfect backdrop for colorful dinnerware or linens. Because they are neutral, white kitchens can easily be updated with a new wall paint color or accessories. If you are considering selling your home, a white kitchen can be a blank slate for a potential buyer. The turn to white kitchens came during the Victorian period. During this era, families began to spend more time in their kitchens. The materials available at that time lent themselves to white coloring, including porcelain tiles and sinks as well as milk-based paints for cabinetry. The kitchens of today have many additional finishes that weren’t available to the Victorians. Stainless steel continues to be in demand for sinks, appliances, and faucets. Stainless steel, chrome, and copper are all wonderful complements to white. The 72
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combinations of traditional kitchen designs with eclectic interior decorating ideas and colors demonstrate bright, impressive, and very personal kitchen design trends for 2012. White is a range, not a color. There are many shades of white. Cabinets can be a bright white or a soft chiffon tone. White kitchens do not need to be austere feeling. Detail can be added by using a glaze on the cabinets. Don’t use the same shade of white on the walls, cabinets, and ceiling. Instead, select coordinating tones for added depth. Include different textures such as the high gloss of a quartz countertop and the rough finish of a tumbled marble backsplash for additional interest. Warm up the space with the use of a hardwood or porcelain tile floor. Pops of color can be added with a stand mixer, kitchen utensils, artwork, and colorful serving dishes. Proper lighting is crucial in a kitchen with white cabinets. Lighting gives definition and character to a white kitchen. White is so reflective that the room can feel warm or cool, depending on the light source. For example, natural lighting will have a different look than LED lighting. The use of chandeliers in the kitchen is a continuing trend that helps the kitchen interior feel cozier, brighter, and more comfortable. Proper placement of lighting is imperative for effective lighting. A trained kitchen designer will be able to provide a lighting plan to best complement the design style for your new kitchen! n See ad for Premier Home Design Center on this page.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Build or Remodel a Home the Safer, Smarter Way
Cindy Brophy, State Farm® Agent If you’re building a new home, planning to build one, or planning work on your existing home, you’ve probably already thought about some of the construction features you want to include. Did you know there are products available now that may help you avoid the mess and expense of damage to your home in the future? Here are a few ideas: • Impact-resistant roofing offers more protection against impact damage (and in some cases against wind damage) than the ordinary roof. Some insurance companies even offer premium discounts for qualifying impact-resistant roofs. Check with your insurance agent before you buy to be sure the roof you’re considering qualifies for a discount. • Whole-house surge protection is installed either at the electrical service meter or at the service panel. It helps protect your home and contents against power surges that arise outside your home. While you’d still need plug-in surge protectors, whole-house protection may help to reduce your risk of lightning damage. Many electricians can install this protection for you, and if necessary, some power companies will install it at the service meter for a nominal charge on your monthly bill. • Whole-house water leak detection systems may save you the hassle of water damage to your home and contents. These systems shut off the water supply to your home if an inside leak is detected. New research and products to make your home safer or more resistant to damage are always entering the market. It’s easier to add safety items when a home is being built or remodeled, so it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for the items that will help to provide years of safe and comfortable shelter. n See ad for Cindy Brophy, State Farm® agent, on page 46.
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“When I moved to Country Meadows I left home responsibility behind. Here, everything is taken care of for you and your worries are gone.”
Offers Scholarship Have you dreamed of becoming a journalist or are you interested in a career in communications? These exciting career paths offer you an opportunity for a scholarship if you are a 2012 USCHS graduating senior and are anticipating enrolling in a college or university with an undergraduate study in journalism or communications. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, in existence for 18 years and continuing to advance the efforts of the USC community, is once again providing a $500 book scholarship to a deserving USCHS graduate who has an interest in the field of journalism or communications and who has been involved in a local project, including UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, Montage, St. Clairion, Campus News, Clairvoyant, or other video or film project that qualifies for consideration. n
~ Jeanne Wood
Country Meadows resident since 2008
Life gets better.
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Jeanne brought her memories with her to Country Meadows and left homeowner worries behind. Now Jeanne feels spoiled by people serving her dinner, cleaning her apartment, even planning a full social calendar. It gives her the gift of time to do the things she loves most.
3570 Washington Pike, South Fayette 2011 winner Nicholas Buzzeli with USC School District administration
For further information and a scholarship application, contact the USCHS Guidance Office or visit www.twpusc.org/magazine and click on the “Features” subsection from the site’s home page. Completed applications must be returned to the USCHS Guidance Office by Tuesday, May 1, 2012, for consideration. Good luck! 74
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412.257.4581 | CountryMeadows.com A Continuing Care Retirement Community Independent Living | Personal Care | Memory Support Restorative Care | Skilled Nursing | In-Home Services Country Meadows does not discriminate in resident admission on the basis of race, ancestry, religious creed, age, sex, handicap, disability or national origin, provided the resident, in the sole opinion of Country Meadows, can be cared for legally and responsibly.
Spring 2012
Around the Township A Life-Changing Experience Ali Cupelli
As I write this, the day marks the two-year anniversary of Haiti’s 7.0 earthquake on January 12, 2010. This past December, 20 students, including Kira Brown of USC and I, went on a tenday trip to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. For me, this trip was far more life changing than I had expected. Walking out of the tiny airport and loading into vans that took us to the orphanage where we would work for the week caused culture shock. Peeking out of the van’s windows, I saw lots of people aimlessly walking through the streets and hanging out in empty gas stations or other places. Despite this daunting start, once we got to the orphanage we were surrounded by adorable smiles and screams of joy from the children who were eager for the arrival of their new American friends. Their capacity to love and care was overwhelming to me, especially after having learned what these children have been through in their young lives. A big part of our mission was to throw a Christmas party for the kids of the orphanages of the Carrefour District of Port-Au-Prince—about 2500 kids. To describe the party in one
word—chaos! Chaos from children who take nothing for granted and long for simple things like toiletry kits and school kits that we, in this country, take very much for granted. When our group toured the city, which included a stop at the Palace, we saw much desperation and desolation. The Palace is in ruins and trash was lying in the streets. Interestingly, public displays of Christianity were everywhere, including spray painted crosses on buses and buildings. Ali, with her Haitian friend Driving in Haiti was insane. Drivers appeared inconsiderate of any traffic rules. I felt safe in my group, though, with our tour guide and driver. This trip gave me a major dose of reality, but I also take away the positives aspects of Haiti. Its people have forever changed my life. The love for an adorable little Haitian girl and the bond created with my peers have affected me in ways that I never imagined possible. Arriving home to USC seemed surreal because of the stark contrast between our community and Port-Au-Prince. I know that I will never again be able to look at a thriving place like Pittsburgh without also looking back at the developing country of Haiti and knowing how much needs to be done. n Ali Cupelli, the daughter of Alfred and Kristy Cupelli, attends Ohio University.
Haitian orphans, with their American friends
Boyce Road Gardeners This year, Boyce Road Gardeners, the community gardens of Upper St. Clair, mark its 37th growing season. The gardens, which are located off Boyce Road in Boyce Mayview Park, are the oldest in Allegheny County and are strictly organic. Plots are 40 feet by 40 feet and can produce an amazing variety of vegetables, flowers, and herbs. The highlight of the summer is the annual garden fair and picnic, held each year in August. Members have the opportunity to exhibit their best produce for judging in categories ranging from vegetables to canned goods and flower arrangements. There is a separate judging for children’s entries, and all entrants are awarded blue ribbons. Sandy Feather of Penn State Extension, the 2011 judge, will again judge the entries this year. The 2012 gardening season kicks off Wednesday, March 28 with a 7 p.m. meeting in the Upper St. Clair Library meeting room. Open to the public, meetings feature a speaker. Boyce Road Gardeners donate their excess produce to St. Winifred’s Food Bank, an ongoing project of the gardeners. The need for food grows each year, and the food bank now serves almost five hundred families in Upper St. Clair, Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, and Castle Shannon. Vegetables are delivered Wednesdays and Saturdays during the growing season. While Boyce Road Gardener’s plot space is limited, there are usually spaces available on a first come-first served basis. Membership fee is $5 and the 40- by 40-foot plot fee is $15. Weather dependent, the gardens are usually ready to plant mid-April. The gardens close and must be cleared by October 31 of each year. n For more information, contact Jerry Kender at 412-221-3118. Spring 2012
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USC Medallion Ball 2011 Honorees
The St. Lucy Auxiliary philanthropic guild, founded in 1957, recognizes the compassionate commitment of young women who unselfishly serve their community. The 2011 Medallion Ball celebrated 25 honourees from USC, representing Bishop Canevin, Oakland Catholic, Seton-LaSalle, and Upper St. Clair High Schools. Appreciating this ambitious effort, Bishop David Zubik, Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, awards each with the St. Joan of Arc medallion. This event is paramount in providing endowments to the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh (BVRS). Located in Homestead, the BVRS mission is “to reduce the limitations that may result from loss of vision.” St. Lucy’s membership participation affords continued monetary support of this organization, all the while inspiring young women to embrace a lifetime of impassioned charitable service. Congratulations to loving families, loyal friends, and well-wishers whose encouragement sustained this ultimate aspiration. While Pennsylvania’s volunteer merit is estimated at $20.51 an hour, the dedication of these remarkable young women triumphs St. Joan of Arc Volunteers over monetary worth. medallion aren’t paid, not Escorts, listed alphabetically, because they are were Grant Barr, Sam Boliha, Benjamin Dabat, Jr., worthless, but Luke Dennin, Alden English, Steven Fera, Steven Gannon, Robert Harbison, Kevin Hart, Robert because they are Hopkins, Connor Joyce, Matthew Kiernan, Daniel priceless!” McTiernan, Jake Melby, Shane McMurtry, Thomas —Anonymous Murray, Jr., Frank Perryman, Jr., Peter Rigano, Andrew Schmitt, Troy Schoeppner, Joseph Selep, Jonathan Tepe, Andrew Tomiczek, Benjamin Torisky, and Derik Young. Thank you to the generosity of Ron Richards Photography and to USC residents Adriennne English and Denise Raftis. n Alana Coury
Catherine Calhoun
Gabriella DaPra
Abigail DeIuliis
Mariah Doohan
Catherine Engel
Alicia English
Shayla Forse
Colby Foster
Paige Gillen
Alexa Gross
Claire Hardwick
Mary Hornak
Photographs courtesy of Ron Richards Photography
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Bridget Keefe
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Happenings! Dancing With Celebrities
Three Rivers Community Band Festival
Mark your calendars for the fifth annual “Dancing with the Celebrities of Pittsburgh” on Saturday, May 5 at the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh to benefit Catholic Charities Free Health Care Center and the Kiwanis Club of Pittsburgh Foundation. The formal evening of dinner and dance features local celebrities, including USC’s Louis Guarino IV (Geeg), performing a ballroom dance with a local professional instructor. Together with critique and scoring from a celebrity panel of judges, guests in attendance will cast their votes to determine the 2012 winner. The 2012 celebrity emcee for the evening will be Mike Clark, WTAE Evening News anchor. Guests may choose from packages including formal dinner and dancing, or theater seating for the show and social dancing only. While the votes are being tabulated, guests get to hone in on their own ballroom dance skills with a Cha Cha dance lesson. Once the 2012 champion is crowned, open dancing until 11:45 p.m. will conclude the evening’s program. “Dancing with the Celebrities of Pittsburgh” is growing to be one of the hottest events in Pittsburgh. For more information, visit http://www.dancingwiththecelebritiesofpgh.org.
The ninth annual Three Rivers Community Band Festival will bring together three of the best community bands in Western Pennsylvania, plus its festival band. The festival is slated for Saturday, April 14, 2:30-5 p.m. at the spectacular Upper St. Clair Theatre. Doors open at 1:45 p.m. WQED-FM’s Jim Cunningham returns this year’s program host. Admission is free; donations are appreciated. The Three Rivers Community Band Festival is truly a showcase of the many musicallytalented individuals in the region, and the concert promises a medley of music that will appeal to a wide range of musical tastes. Community Band South represents the South Hills communities and is co-directed by Dean Streator, former teacher of instrumental music at Bethel Park High School, and James Bennett, retired director of bands and chairman of Fine Arts from Upper St. Clair School District. Since its premier concert in December 1987 at USCHS, Community Band South has been entertaining audiences throughout the communities from which its membership is drawn, performing an average of 15 shows each year. Also participating is the East Winds Symphonic Band and the Jeannette Community Band. The fourth band will be the “ultimate community band,” made up of musicians from over 30 community bands in Allegheny County and ten other counties in the region. To kick off the event, the 2012 festival band will perform selections under the baton of guest conductor James Gourlay, the new music director of the River City Brass. Festivalgoers are invited to enjoy free light refreshments after the concert and take the opportunity to meet and greet the musicians. For more information, visit www.ewsb.org/festival.
Three Rivers Quilters Host Quilt Show The Three Rivers Quilters Guild will present its 2012 quilt show Thursday through Saturday, March 29-31, at the IBEW Circuit Center, 5 Hot Metal Street on Pittsburgh’s Southside. This colorful show will feature over 100 quilts, including bed, wall, appliqué, and pieced quilts. In addition, there will be quilting demonstrations, a sewing and craft related “granny’s attic,” a snack café, and many vendors with quilt-related items. This year’s show theme is the “Irish Chain,” a tribute to a simple, yet versatile, quilt block design. Hours: Thursday, March 29, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday, March 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, March 31, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost: $7 per person. Special $5 admission– Thursday, 3-7 p.m. For more information about the show and the Three Rivers Quilters Guild, visit www.threeriversquilters.org. Contact Joanne Bergman at 412-831-0741 regarding group discounts or other general information about the show.
Irish Chain quilt 78
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
VITA Offers Free Income Tax Assistance Free income tax assistant is available through Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) at The Bible Chapel, 300 Gallery Drive in McMurray, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, through Tuesday, April 17.(Closed on Good Friday, April 6.) Volunteers will assist taxpayers with federal, Pennsylvania, and local wage tax returns, as well as real estate/rent rebate and PACE applications. Bring W-2s, 1099s, (e.g. interest and dividend statements, social security, and pension statements), totals of itemized deduction (e.g. medical, taxes, charitable), and social security cards for you, your spouse, and your dependents. Also, bring copies of your 2010 federal and state tax returns, real estate tax receipts, and receipts for large purchases, such as a car. For direct deposit of refund, have bank account and routing Spring 2012
numbers available. Bring proof of identification for yourself and your spouse. Walk-ins only. Questions? Call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040. Do not call The Bible Chapel regarding VITA.
Celebrate Local Musical Talent Campus Superstar, a city-wide event celebrating the local musical talent of university students in Pittsburgh within an American Idollike production, is now the largest of its kind in the United States. Now in its sixth year, Campus Superstar takes place at Carnegie Music Hall on Sunday, April 1 at 7 p.m. Last year , more than 1800 community members and college students attended to see which one of the ten finalists would win the $5000 first prize. Each year over 150 students try out for the opportunity to be one of the ten selected finalists. Many of the prior contestants are now featured around the country in musical theater companies and in shows on Broadway. The all star group of judges includes KDKA’s news anchor Ken Rice, Double grammy award winner and jazz vocalist Etta Cox as well as two former Pittsburghers who are now on Broadway. This year, Iris Ranier Dart, author of the best-selling novel and Academy Award winning Beaches will be the artist in residence. Proceeds of Campus Superstar benefit the Hillel Jewish University Center of Pittsburgh. For more information and ticket price, visit www.hilleljuc.org/campussuperstar.
Spring into Summer Arts & Crafts Market Upper St. Clair League for the Arts presents the first annual Spring into Summer Arts & Crafts Market, showcasing original fine art and hand-crafted gifts from local artisans for your home and garden. Friday and Saturday, May 4-5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Upper St Clair Recreation Center, 1770 McLaughlin Run Road (next to USC’s 3-hole golf course)
USC Township Library Book Sale Friends of the Library is holding its annual used book sale May 9-12, according to the following schedule: Preview Night Wednesday, May 9, 5:30-8 p.m. (Friends members–free, Non-members–$5) Regular Book Sale Thursday, May 10, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, May 11, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. $3 Bag Day Saturday, May 12, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Rotary Club of Bethel-St. Clair Jim Bolas, Director and Membership Chairman
In 2012, The Rotary Club of BethelThis year, the club’s 40 members and asSt. Clair is proudly celebrating its 57th year serv- sociates will continue to ring bells for the ing the needs of the South Hills community and Salvation Army, deliver Meals on Wheels to the supporting the good works of Rotary around elderly, support Upper St. Clair students in their the world. Interact Club activities, hold an annual Easter On March 3, the club held its 53rd annual egg hunt for children of all ages, support the Pancake Festival, serving over 2500 meals and building of water wells in Africa, and many other adding to the $1.5 million which has thus far initiatives while developing future leaders and been raised by the event. The proceeds go to helping those less fortunate. community outreach organizations throughout Each year, the club holds a “Tech” award the South Hills. As one avid attendee exclaimed dinner for teachers, parents, and students from “You know spring is coming when Rotary holds Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park schools to its pancake festival!” recognize the outstanding efforts of selected In January, The Rotary Club of Bethel-St. students in the technical and mechanical areas Clair inducted two new Rotarians—Patrick of their education. It is rewarding to see what O’Toole, USC Superintendent of Schools, and simple recognition for accomplishments can do Matthew Serakowski, USC Township Manager— to strengthen the confidence of young people. established leaders in Upper St. Clair. The club awards over $27,000 to future leadAs part of the club’s ers in the South Hill corporate membership community to study program, it proudly overseas for one year. granted associate memSince 1978, 12 students bership to USC School have been selected District personnel Dr. for this award (five Sharon Suritsky, actsince 2004) to travel ing assistant to the to Europe, South and Superintendent for Central America, and Curriculum; Frosina Africa. The club has Left to right are Jim Bolas, Rotary membership Cordisco, director of also sponsored South Business and Finance; chairman; Dr. Patrick O’Toole, USC Superintendent Hills individuals to join of Schools; Matthew Serakowski, USC Township Louis Angelo, USCHS Rotary Group Study Manager; and Bob James, Rotary club president assistant principal; Exchange teams to Joseph DeMar, Fort Couch Middle School travel overseas for four to six weeks to share voprincipal, and Upper St. Clair Township per- cational, educational, and cultural experiences. sonnel Mark Mansfield, assistant Township To date, seven individuals have been selected to manager; Scott Brilhart, director of Community travel to Germany, India, Brazil, Australia, New Development; and August Stache, director of Guinea, and The Netherlands. Finance. Also in January, Susanne Wagner, a Annually, the club holds its Gourmet Dinner realtor from Mt. Lebanon, joined the club as an at Valley Brook Country Club, which is attended associate member. by approximately 200 guests to raise funds for The Rotary Club of Bethel-St. Clair was the Rotary Foundation to help fulfill Rotary’s privileged to raise the American flag at the key objective of ridding the world of polio. November 11, 2011, inaugural dedication of With a continued effort, Rotary will achieve Upper St. Clair’s Veterans Park. Club members this effort in the next several years, with only a donated over $10,000 to help build the park as few countries remaining in which to completely a way to honor South Hills Rotarians who have eradicate this disease. honorably served the United States of America Rotarians hold to a motto of “Service Above in war and peace. Self.” The men and women of Rotary are leaders and individuals are who are either owners, partners, corporate officers, professionals, managers, or community activists who pledge to give back to their communities and improve the quality of life for others. They find Rotary a proven organization by which to do so. Being in the fellowship of the Rotary family is very rewarding. Members of The Rotary Club of Bethel-St. Clair come together weekly at Thursday dinner meetings, 6-7:30 p.m., at St. Clair Country Club. If you have a desire to give back to your community and share with other altruistic individuals in so doing, come Members enjoyed The Rotary Club of to a meeting and check out Rotary. n Bethel-St. Clair’s 31st annual Gourmet Dinner.
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For information, contact membership chairman Jim Bolas at 412-680-5708 or email at bolasjm@cs.com. Spring 2012
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Prof iles
on People with a USC Connection
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Send information to: Editor,
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 or usctoday @ uscsd.k12.pa.us Throughout his lifetime, Jack Mascaro has lived his life true to the basic tenets of philanthropy; he contributes his time, treasure, resources, and expertise to help make life better for others. Recognized and appreciated far and wide for his spirit of generosity, Mascaro’s imprint has had a profound impact on numerous organizations. His legacy at the University of Pittsburgh, for example, will not only be measured in the millions of dollars given, but also for the innovations he has helped foster, including the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at the University of Pittsburgh, a legacy that speaks to his interest in and passion for the environment. His generous support of the National Aviary, which recognizes Mascaro as its first major donor, also reflects his love of nature and his desire to protect it for Jack Mascaro future generations. Listed among other beneficiaries of his generosity are Holy Family Institute, St. Paul’s Monastery, and the Pittsburgh-Italian Scholarship Fund. As founder and chairman of Mascaro Construction, one of the country’s largest general contracting and construction firms, he believes in the value of hard work and setting an example for those around him. As a “servant leader,” he is deeply committed to his family, his faith, and the community.
Shoshana Averbach, current resident of Brooklyn, New York, and graduate of USCHS, earned two masters degrees in the fields of social work from Yeshiva University’s Wurzweiler School of Social Work and in music therapy from New York University. Additionally, she earned accreditation as a healer through the Jewish Association of Spiritual Healers, an international, nondenominational organization of healers. Her multicultural professional background includes over 30 years of geriatric experience as a recreation and music therapist, social worker, a college instructor, high school teacher, and music-therapy consultant and performer in hospice and in over 85 geriatric facilities. Shoshana began writing songs as a form of self-expression and in response to events in her life. Shoshana wishes to CD cover photo, taken by Rina Lyampe at the thank the USCHS English beach in the Sea Gate section of Brooklyn. department and other subject teachers. In Shoshana’s words, “Their devotion and professionalism enabled me to develop critical and analytical writing skills, which have proven to be invaluable in my professional and personal life. I also fondly remember and keep in touch with William Brandtonies, my guidance counselor in ninth and tenth grades, who believed in me and who encouraged me to keep writing poetry as a form of self-expression.” Visit Shoshana’s website at www.healingnotes.com and listen to clips of songs at cdbaby.com/shoshanaaverbach. Copies of her CD are available through the artist or site.
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Emily Summers, a 2010 USCHS graduate who currently attends Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, as a merit scholar majoring in music business, has recently been making waves in the world of Contemporary Christian music. Emily discovered very early on in her life that she loved to sing. When she was 11 years old, she was asked to sing a solo at Central Highlands Community United Methodist Church in Elizabeth. From that point forward, her singing continued. At age 14, Emily picked up the guitar that her father had purchased for her older brother and started to teach herself how to play. Within a few months she was playing guitar and singing and began playing at many different Christian events and venues. Soon thereafter, Emily put pen to paper and began writing her own songs. As she grew older and her faith became deeper, her songs evolved as well. Over the past four years, she has written nearly 50 songs and performed dozens of cover songs, both of a Christian and a secular style. Emily was recently a finalist for the National New Talent Search competition for the Emily Summers Christian Festival Association. Good luck to Emily as she continues on her way to fulfill her artistic dream. To hear some of Emily’s music, visit http://www.wix.com/esummers25/emilysummersmusic.
Eileen Arthurs has lived in Upper St. Clair since 1994, raising three artistic children. Daughter Faye left Pittsburgh at age 15 to study ballet and now dances with the New York City Ballet. Sam, USC class of 2002, works in New York City in the film industry. Ian, USC class of 2004, is a musician in Pittsburgh where he teaches guitar and performs with a number of rock, blues, and jazz bands. This year, Eileen followed her own muse and published her first book, Lorelei’s Family. A culmination of her MFA studies at Carlow University, the novel is a dark and fastpaced story of a middle-aged woman who falls in love with the murderer of her sister. Full of love and heartbreak, loneliness and connection, it is, above all, a story about family. The novel is now available for Kindle and Nook. For a link to Amazon Kindle, further details about Lorelei’s Family, and blogs about everything from “January, Joe-Pa and Icons” to “Why I Already Miss Steve Jobs,” visit Eileen’s website at www.eileenarthurs.com.
Wishes Come True Sara Yerina
“I wish to go to Disney World!”
“I wish for a backyard basketball court!” “I wish to become a famous singer!” “I wish to meet Beyonce!” These are just some of the real wishes made by kids who have life-threatening illnesses. These wishes are made possible by the Make A Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that raises money to grant wishes and seek out kids who can use a little bit of hope in their lives. Not only does a wish dramatically change a child’s life in a positive manner, it gives the child a reason to fight through his or her illness and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Make A Wish was founded in 1980 when Christopher Greicius, a small child with a life-threatening illness, dreamt up the idea to become a police officer. As Christopher’s condition worsened, an officer whom Chris had befriended planned a day for Chris to be a police officer in hopes to make him happier. Chris had the time of his life that day as a police officer; and even though he passed away the very next day, Chris’ family knew he had died happy because his dream had come true. With the support of more than 25,000 volunteers, Make A Wish has one goal in mind: “Wish children of the past, present and future will have an opportunity to share the power of a wish®.” The foundation has a four-step process to granting a wish. The process includes verifying that the child is between the ages of two and a half and 18, determining if the child has a life-threatening condition, having one of the volunteers meet with the child to find the true wish, and creating joy through the child’s wish. Today, the average cost of a wish is $3900. Personally, I have experienced Make A Wish firsthand because one of my siblings was a Wish kid. Because of his wish, my whole family got an amazing opportunity to visit Disney World and stay at Give Kids the World, a village that was set up just for Wish kids. Give Kids the World stays true to its motto:”Where happiness inspires hope.” Every day was magical! As a Wish family within the parks, we were showed extreme kindness and generosity, and my family shared many “once-in-a-lifetime”
experiences. For example, we met actors from various shows backstage, received special passes that sent us to the front of the lines, and had special visits with some of the Disney characters. When we went back to Disney a few years later and saw other Wish kids having the times of their lives, we were reminded of how magical our experience at Disney World had been. There are various ways to help support the Make A Wish Foundation. All of the wishes that occur each day are not possible without donations from people all over the world. Locally, one way to help is to follow the Make A Wish club at USC High School, where I am currently the club’s vice president. Throughout the year, the club holds various fundraisers. Also, in years past, some of the Upper St. Clair schools have set aside certain weeks to raise money for Make A Wish. There are so many ways to help make a wish come true; and even by giving a little, Wish kids receive a lot! Over the years, I’ve heard kids remark that “The Make A Wish children are so lucky and that they can get any wish they want!” But, I realize that Wish kids go through a lot to get to the point of making a wish, and their illnesses are usually hard fought battles. However, after the battle has been fought, happiness and light can shine in a child’s life through love, strength, inspiration, and just a single wish. n
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52% Disney Vacations 28% Gifts/Shopping Sprees 13% Other Travel 6% Celebrity Meetings 1% “I Want To Be …” Most requested Wishes by percentage
Sarah Yerina, a USCHS junior, is the daughter of Dan and Patty Yerina. Young Writers Guild (YWG) is established for the youth in our community, grades 8-12, to share articles of interest with readers of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY. For consideration, send your story to usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us. Spring 2012
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www.pittsburghacupuncture.com UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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Cancer Center Expansion Underway at St. Clair Hospital St. Clair Hospital’s main campus in nearby Mt. Lebanon continues to grow in size and stature as work got underway January 10 on an addition to the UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center. A 1885-square-foot addition to the existing 8000-square-foot center is being built. The new addition primarily involves the construction of a “vault” with 84-inch thick walls to house a second new linear accelerator. Planning began last July and final approvals were reached mid-December. Construction is slated to be completed mid to late summer. Patients of UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center, a joint venture between St. Clair Hospital and UPMC, are already afforded the same diagnosis and treatment expertise available at UPMC’s internationally regarded Hillman Cancer Center, without leaving the local area. Complete cancer care has long been available at St. Clair,” says Robert S. Werner, M.D., a radiation oncologist at UPMC/St. Clair Hospital Cancer Center. “When the renovation and the addition of the new linear accelerator are completed, the center will offer
Architect’s rendering (view from Bower Hill Road)
even more advance services and increased patient access.” A linear accelerator delivers high-energy X-rays to a patient’s tumor with precision and accuracy, destroying cancer cells while sparing the surrounding normal tissue. Image guided radiation therapy, or IGRT, also uses two- and three-dimensional imaging to target radiation treatments to specific parts and organs of the body. The center, which is easily accessible to patients from the fourth floor of the hospital and from the driveway off Bower Hill Road, also offers onsite PET (positron emission tomography)/CT (computed tomography) imaging services. Onsite radiologists use the PET/CT images to pinpoint the location of cancerous activity in the tissue so a biopsy can be performed and proper treatment begun. n
Groundbreaking, January 10, 2012
St. Clair Hospital’s ER— Honored With Awards St. Clair Hospital took a Gold Award at the fourth annual Fine Awards for Teamwork Excellence in Health Care at a reception this past November at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Downtown Pittsburgh. Sponsored by The Fine Foundation and the Jewish Healthcare Foundation (JHF), the Fine Awards were established to reinforce the critical role teamwork plays in health care. St. Clair Hospital won for its entry, “Sustaining Excellence in Patient Flow in the Emergency Department.” The distinguished regional and national selection committee who reviewed the award applications and selected the winners noted that St. Clair has been able to sustain high emergency department patient satisfaction ratings for more than three years, grown the number of people seen by 20%, and brought “door-to-room” time from 82
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
54 minutes to an average of four minutes. Hospital staff has also been able to transfer the lessons learned to several other major improvement projects, including the main outpatient center, a newly designed outpatient Observation Unit, and an inpatient medical/surgical unit that is testing innovations in nursing models and patient care. Three weeks later, Press Ganey Associates named St. Clair Hospital’s Emergency Room a “2011 Success Story Award” winner. This award recognized St. Clair Hospital for demonstrating leadership, implementing organizational change, and improving performance in its ER. The hospital is one of only six organizations across the U.S. to receive the award for patient satisfaction performance. n
Waste Management Provides TOC with Grant Christine Wyke, Waste Management senior recruiter in Western Pennsylvania, recently presented a $10,000 Educational Improvement Tax Credit grant to Rick Jacobs, chairman of the board of The Outdoor Classroom of Pittsburgh located in Upper St. Clair, and Jessica Kester, the organization’s program manager. The grant will help support The Outdoor Classroom environmental field trip programs that are offered to first through seventh grade students in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Waste Management has provided $45,000 in EITC grants to The Outdoor Classroom since 2006 and more than $7.7 million to EITC-eligible programs statewide over the past ten years. n
Teaming Up for Blood Donations StonePepper’s Grill has partnered with Central Blood Bank of Pittsburgh (CBB) to help encourage blood donations. Owners of StonePepper’s Grill, Jeff and Barb Joyce, both lifelong USC residents, were approached by CBB to participate in a new program called “A Dinner and A Movie.” People who donate to various blood drives are rewarded for their efforts with a coupon from StonePepper’s Grill for a free brick oven pizza, burger, or chopped salad. The CBB purchases movie gift certificates to couple with the dinner. StonePepper’s Grill started with this program in July 2010. Total blood donations for 2010 were 288 units which provided blood for 864 people. The program was so successful in increasing donations, that StonePepper’s Grill has continued its involvement. Adding to that in 2011, more than 600 units were donated to help almost 2000 people; and a grand total of 920 free pizzas, burgers, and chopped salads were given out! Jeff and Barb feel fortunate that their business can help people in need of blood. Barb says, “We would like to thank those who have donated blood and encourage people to continue to donate blood whenever they can, regardless of a reward. The reward is helping others.” n See ad for StonePepper’s Grill on page 25.
Smarter
Left to right are Rick Jacobs TOC chairman of the board; Jessica Kester, TOC program manager; and Christine Wyke, Waste Management representative
Live
PlayHarder
COMMUNITY & RECREATION CENTER AT BOYCE MAYVIEW PARK
Become A Member Today and create memories that will last a lifetime.
State-of-the-Art Classes & Programs Kettlebell Cardio Gentle Movement Aquatic Program Dance Karate Yoga Pilates Deep Sea Aerobics Zumba Tai Chi Cooking Studio Painting Cycling River Aerobics Dog Training Adult Boot CampYouth YogaFun, Fitness, Sports and more!
★ ★ ★
Celebrate in Style
★ ★ ★
Business meetings, birthdays, reunions, receptions, corporate events and private parties!
Try Something New! Older Adult Walking Club Little Tigers Karate Fitness Swimming for Kids Yogalates Game & Card Club
Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park 1551 Mayview Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 412.221.1099
www.livesmarterplayharder.org
Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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Did We Spot You—dancing, smiling, volunteering, performing, paying tribute—Around the Township?
Photos by Terry Kish 84
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Spring 2012
Komen Pittsburgh Affiliate Grants RecordBreaking $1.8 Million The Pittsburgh Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® has granted $1.8 million to local organizations for use toward breast cancer education, screening, and treatment initiatives during fiscal year 2012. This is the largest grant made in the history of the Komen Pittsburgh Affiliate and it is the seventh consecutive year the organization will donate more than $1 million locally to the fight against breast cancer. Adagio Health will receive funds for the Mammogram Voucher Program (MVP), which provides women in need with free mammograms and follow-up services. Other grants will support breast education, screening, and treatment initiatives within the Affiliate’s 30-county service area in central and western Pennsylvania. Funds for grants administered by Komen Pittsburgh are generated through year-round fundraising, including the Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure® and individual donations. n The first Komen Pittsburgh Race for the Cure—Komen’s signature event— was held in 1993. It since has become an annual Mother’s Day tradition for thousands of residents from the tri-state area. The Pittsburgh Race is among the top ten of the more than 100 Komen Races around the country. For more information, visit www.komenpittsburgh.org.
General Primary Election—Tuesday, April 24, 2012 Polls Open 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday, March 26, 2012, is Voter Registration Deadline Date.
(Date subject to change pending Pennsylvania legislative action.)
If you have questions regarding the election, registration, or absentee ballots, please call the Allegheny County Elections Department at 412-350-4500 or visit www.twpusc.org. The Township Library and the post office have voter registration forms.
busINESSES
at yourservice
Painting & Restoration ◆ Interior Remodeling Our Name Guarantees Excellence! ◆ Custom Design Mouldings ◆ Wood Repair & Restoration ◆ Wood Staining & Finishing
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412-835-3890
550 Sleepy Hollow Road, Mt. Lebanon, PA 15228
412.563.2858
PRESCHOOL (AGES 2-6) THRU 6TH GRADE OPENINGS AVAILABLE FOR ALL AGES
www.MtLebanonMontessori.org
Jeff C Kennedy
General Contractor
Office: (412) 302-3383
BenChmarK Kennedy ConstruCtion Invest in Something Lasting... BenchmarkKennedyConstruction@Yahoo.com
Please exercise your right to vote!
Fax: (412) 200-2248 829 Somerville Dr. Pgh., PA 15243 Reg#: PA074008
Ward District Polling Place 1
1
Township Building, Library Multi-purpose Room, Ground Floor - McLaughlin Run Road
1
2
Baker Elementary School, Gymnasium Morton Road
1
3
Fort Couch Middle School, Cafeteria (Miranda Drive Entrance) - Fort Couch Road
1
4
Fort Couch Middle School, Cafeteria (Miranda Drive Entrance) - Fort Couch Road
2
1
Fort Couch Middle School, Cafeteria (Miranda Drive Entrance) - Fort Couch Road
2
2
Westminster Presbyterian Church - Washington Road
2
3
Fort Couch Middle School, Cafeteria (Miranda Drive Entrance) - Fort Couch Road
2
4
Fort Couch Middle School, Cafeteria (Miranda Drive Entrance) - Fort Couch Road
3
1
Recreation Center - McLaughlin Run Road
3
2
St. Louise de Marillac School - McMurray Road
3
3
Recreation Center - McLaughlin Run Road
4
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Baker Elementary School, Gymnasium Morton Road
4
2
Boyce Middle School, Gymnasium - Boyce Road
4
3
Boyce Middle School, Gymnasium - Boyce Road
4
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Boyce Middle School, Gymnasium - Boyce Road
5
1
Wesley Spectrum Services, Gymnasium Johnston Road
5
2
Wesley Spectrum Services, Gymnasium Johnston Road
5
3
Boyce Middle School, Gymnasium - Boyce Road
◆ Faux Finishing ◆ Plaster and Dry Wall Repairs ◆ Venetian Plaster
Face Lift
Tara Kennedy, Benchmark Kennedy Construction Every home will eventually need a “face lift.” Does your home need one now? Make the front of your house “pop” with a custom front porch renovation. Grand columns standing on a beautifully paved patio supporting a custom trimmed porch roof and a pendulum light can guide your way. Invite friends and family to see the beauty of your mantel with artistic woodwork framing the glow of the fireplace. Update your kitchen or add a family room to increase the size and value of your home. Step out to a gorgeous deck or sun room to extend the joy of entertaining outside and include the whispers of nature. Gazebos, benches, and lounges can beautifully accessorize your outdoor area for relaxation with family and friends. Enjoy the elegance of designs that will make your home stand apart. Invest in something lasting… your home. Benchmark Kennedy Construction can help! n See ad for Benchmark Kennedy Construction on this page. Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
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Advertiser Index
Spring 2012 www.twpusc.org/magazine
The official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair Advertiser
Page
A. Petrelli & Sons, Inc. .......................................................................... 69 Action Builders . .................................................................................... 71 Affordable Decks and Additions ............................................................ 71 * Amel’s Restaurant .................................................................................. 26 * Angelo Associates, Inc. ......................................................................... 67 * ARAMARK ............................................................................................. 35 Arbor Tree Specialist, Inc........................................................................ 70 Benchmark Kennedy Construction ........................................................ 85 BISTECCA - STEAKHOUSE - WINE BAR ............................................... 24 * Boehmer Heating & Cooling Company ................................................. 73 Brentwood Bank .................................................................................... 11 Brookside Lumber.................................................................................. 69 C.W. Carlson Contractors, Inc. .............................................................. 73 * Calabro Tire & Auto Service .................................................................. 81 * Catalucci Painting & Restoration, Interior & Exterior . ........................... 85 Chatham University ................................................................................. 2 Chinese Acupuncture & Herbs Center, LLC . ......................................... 81
18 Years of CommunityService
Advertiser
Page
* Howard Hanna–Diane Horvath .............................................................. 33 Howard Hanna–Frankie J. Kunselman . ................................................. 53 IAOMO Salon ........................................................................................ 24 JAB Jewelry Designs . ........................................................................... 25 Johnny’s Tire and Auto .......................................................................... 21 * Keller Williams–Sandy and Marshall Goldstein .................................... 37 * Kerr Family and Cosmetic Dentistry ...................................................... 46 Lakeside Primary Care, a practice of The Washington Hospital.............. 15 Learning Express Toys .......................................................................... 26 Liebel, Gary, D.M.D. . ............................................................................ 63 Louis Anthony Jewelers ........................................................................ 27 * Manalo, Larry E., D.M.D. ...................................................................... 47 Mt. Lebanon Montessori School and Academy ..................................... 85 Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center ............................................................. 59 NEWBURY . ...................................................................Front inside cover * Northwood Realty–Bonnie Detwiler and Marlene McNaughton.............. 63 Orthodontics by Dr. Reitz & Dr. Troy ...................................................... 46
As residents of Upper St. Clair, we value the great job UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY magazine does at keeping us informed on the latest happenings in the community. The quality of the magazine, including the engaging content, sends a message consistent with what we look for when choosing a place to advertise our business. —Veronica and Lou Guarino, owners of Louis Anthony Jewelers
* Clark Renovations, Inc. ......................................................................... 66 * Coffey Contracting Company ................................................................ 69 * Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Inc. Corporate . ...............Back outside cover * Coldwell Banker–The South Hills Office . .................88, Back inside cover Coldwell Banker–Lynn Dempsey . ......................................................... 59 Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park...................... .83 Country Meadows Retirement Communities .....................................…74 * Cupelli & Cupelli, Drs. .......................................................................... 37 Davey Tree and Lawn Care .................................................................... 69 Davin Interiors, LLC ................................................................................ 4 * Deckmasters Technologies Incorporated ............................................... 67 “Dirt” Dugan Landscaping, Inc. ............................................................. 73 Extended Day Services .......................................................................... 33 First Church of Christ, Scientist ............................................................ 77 * Friendship Village of South Hills . ........................................................... 2 Furgiuele-Iracki, Natalie, MD ................................................................ 23 Harmony Hospice . ................................................................................ 17 * Hefren-Tillotson, Inc. ............................................................................ 17 Historical Society of Upper St. Clair ........................................................ 4 Howard Hanna–Maureen Cavanaugh .................................................... 79 Howard Hanna–Bob Ellison .................................................................. 77 * Howard Hanna–Susan Highley . ............................................................ 21
Pediatric Dentistry South . ..................................................................... 47 * Piccolina’s Restaurant ........................................................................... 47 * Pinebridge Commons Associates . ........................................................ 46 Pittsburgh Shoulder to Hand Center....................................................... 53 Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company........................................................... 35 Premier Home Design Center ................................................................ 72 Providence Point, a Baptist Homes Society Community . ...................... 57 R&R Masonry Restoration . ................................................................... 73 RE\MAX Premier Group–Susanne Wagner ............................................ 23 * Rusmur Floors ........................................................................................ 3 * St. Clair Hospital ............................................................................... 7, 87 * Scott Bros. Windows and Doors . .......................................................... 67 * Sesame Inn ........................................................................................... 24 South Hills Endoscopy Center . ............................................................... 1 * State Farm Insurance–Cindy Brophy . ................................................... 46 StonePepper’s Grill . .............................................................................. 25 Stout Flooring ....................................................................................... 68 * The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts ........................Front cover, 12, 13 UPMC Magee Specialty Women’s Services ........................................... 19 West Penn Allegheny Health System ....................................................... 9 Yoga Innovations, LLC .......................................................................... 79
Classifieds To place your small business or professional ad in the classified section, send 35 words or less with a check for $75, made payable to the Township of Upper St. Clair, to: UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY magazine, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 86
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Physics Tutor—High School and College David L. Wallach, Retired University Professor Phone: 724-941-9696
Spring 2012
*The above advertisers, who are advertising in this issue, have contributed their support for a minimum of 34 issues. Thank you. Upcoming guides for the Summer 2012 issue include Dining, Home & Garden, and Summer Activities.
... meeting your needs TODAY, Tomorrow, and into the Future
H
EART STRONG
SM
Jeffrey M. Friedel, M.D.
Expert teams and advanced techniques mean superior outcomes. At St. Clair, we treat more heart attack victims with interventional procedures than any other single hospital in southwestern Pennsylvania, with outcomes that far exceed national averages. That’s because we continually invest in people, technology and processes that make our cardiovascular services second to none. Whether it’s an emergency or a scheduled visit, rest assured our cardiologists are prepared to deliver superior treatment and care. It’s at the heart of all we do. 1000 BOWER HILL ROAD
. MT. LEBANON, PENNSYLVANIA 15243 . 412-942-4000 . WWW.STCLAIR.ORG
Jeffrey M. Friedel, M.D. is one of the many highly skilled board-certified cardiologists on staff at St. Clair Hospital. He is Co-Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Director of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department, and is a founding member of the Hospital’s renowned Door-To-Balloon team. Dr. Friedel, who earned his medical degree at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, was one of the first cardiologists in Pittsburgh to offer radial (through the wrist) catheterizations to patients to enhance their comfort and decrease their recovery time. Spring 2012
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
87
C oldwell B anker Noel Bliman
Hope Bassichis
Nancy Beaulieu
Bonnie Byrnes
Eleanor Carpenter
Marie Carpenter
Jay Clemens
Anita Crago
Barbara Cusick
Lynn Dempsey
Janine Dillon
Kathy Enick
Bonnie Frear
John Geisler
Dal Goldstein
Genie Gooding
Leigh Harkreader
Nancy Heffernan
Jack & Joanne Benson Norma Bishop
GLOBAL CONNECTIONS The South Hills Office
1630 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 • (412)833-5405
Real estate seRvices Judy Hlister
Sydnie Jones
Sue Kelso
Kathi Kernan
Jane Krauth
Elaine Krelis
Julie Leslie
Carol Marks
Arlene Murray
Toni Petrucci
Tulla Rakoczy
Kathy Sekeras
Erica Shulsky
Diane Snyder
Mary Torchia
Carmela Viviano
Jim Walsh
Mary Ann Wellener
David Bruckner, Manager
LOCAL TRADITIONS The South Hills Office
1630 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 • (412)833-5405 ©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.
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©2012 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operated by NRT LLC.