SUMMER 2014 UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY by UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY Magazine

Summer 2014 Upper St. Clair is just right for the Brunos and their South Hills family-owned business. www.twpusc.org/magazine/usc-today-home

The official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair

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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

A Baptist Homes Society Community

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20 Years

LOCAL Summer 2014 • Volume 20 • Issue 2 www.twpusc.org/magazine/usc-today-home

Features & Around the Township 10 Community Day 2014— Activities and Events With the theme Saddle Up St. Clair, expect a hootin’ and hollerin’ good time!

16 A Kaleidoscope of Color at Gilfillan Read about the history of the quilt.

21 Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Congressman Tim Murphy sheds light on the nation’s mental health system.

School District 54

•

usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Township 25 Meet… Rex Waller Ward 2 Commissioner, Rex is one to meet.

Not Your Mother’s Marching Band A great high school experience, the suggestion is to “try it.”

32 Recycling, USC Style Recycling, e-cycling, and other ways to be sustainable.

56 Heart of a Hero Fort Couch students bring to life a part of the social studies curriculum—the study of WWII.

58 Going Green Boyce Middle School creates its own recycling program.

66 Did You Know? Arts, athletics, academics… our students do it all!

Guides/ Directories 42 Pinebridge 44 Summer Activities 68 Home & Garden Photo Ops 13 Community Day 2013 22 “Celebrate Our

Summer Spruce Up Vital for Fire Safety

USCVFD suggests to check your home for dangerous conditions or materials.

60 Children for Children

Sewer 101—ALCOSAN and its History

fundraiser

Get answers to questions you’ve been asking.

Schools” Gala

53 USCHS Musical is “All Shook Up”

83 All Things USC!

The Evolution of Little League Sports in USC The USCAA has provided more than 60 years of sports for our Township’s youth.

Cover

The cover of TODAY features the Bruno family of Upper St. Clair, including Bob and Adriene, and their children, Lauren, Joshua, Matthew, Jack, and Ben. Owners of Certified Home Remodelers, the Brunos have underwritten UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY’s summer 2014 cover. See pages 18 and 19 for their story. Front cover and editorial photography courtesy of Allison Evans.

78 Town Hall South Announces 2014-2015 Series With a two-fold purpose, THS sets line up and provides philanthropic service to the community.

Dive into summer fun!

The Outdoor Classroom teaches all ages

Children for Children fundraiser

Pawprints, from a student perspective

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

The award-winning, official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair 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 20 years of publication.

The 78th 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.

Fall 2014 edition deadlines: Articles—June 19 Advertising—June 23

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 Dorothy Clark, Graphic Designer Alison Hess, Marketing Executive Lynn Dempsey, Advertising Executive Neena Jacob-John, Advertising Executive Laura Whitcomb, Advertising Executive

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY steering committee and staff members include Mark Mansfield, Paul Fox, Linda Dudzinski, Terry Kish, Colleen DeMarco,

Dorothy Clark, Alison Hess, Lynn Dempsey, Neena Jacob-John, and Laura Whitcomb

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a non-partisan Town-

The next issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY will be the fall 2014 issue and will be published in August 2014. 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:

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY magazine is published

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

ship, 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. 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. 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 above. Add $10 to cover international mailings.

Editor

1820 McLaughlin Run Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 or email UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY at usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us.

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 Ad file submission: dclark@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Website www.twpusc.org/magazine/usc-today-home Email usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us Board of School Directors Louis P. Mafrice, Jr., President Frank J. Kerber, Vice President Amy L. Billerbeck Barbara L. Bolas Buffy Z. Hasco Harry F. Kunselman Louis M. Oliverio Angela B. Petersen Rebecca A. Stern

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Township Board of Commissioners Robert W. Orchowski, President, Ward 3 Russell R. Del Re, Vice President, Ward 5 Nicholas J. Seitanakis, Ward 1 Rex A. Waller, Ward 2 Mark D. Christie, Ward 4 Glenn R. Dandoy, At Large Daniel R. Paoly, At Large

Summer 2014

Thank you to our volunteer contributors this issue: Cindy Brophy, Jan Conn, Janine Despines, Terri Ellsworth, Carrie Walsh Erderly, Dina Fulmer, Zachary Heckler (YWG), Sarah Hedman, Melanie Hendrix, Heather Holtschlag, Jessica Kester, Jim Meston, Congressman Tim Murphy, Jim O’Brien, Lori O’Brien, Ruthann Omer, Helen Palascak, Dr. Eric Reitz, Debbie Rentschler, Kathy Richardson, Jennifer Roberts, Joseph Rongaus, Ron Sarrick, Mary Lynne Spazok, Richard Till, Dr. Beth Troy, and Marilyn Walsh. 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 78th issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a joint publication of the Township and School District of Upper St. Clair. © Copyright 2014. 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 Knepper Press 2251 Sweeney Drive, Clinton, PA 15026-1818 724-899-4274 Design by DMC Design 412-824-7844 • www.dmcdesign.com

A KICKIN’ 66th SEASON OF PLAYS THE UNDERPANTS ........................................................5/1-17 WHEN WE ARE MARRIED ..........................................5/22-6/7 VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE ...........6/12-28 BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS.......................................7/3-19 DANCING AT LUGHNASA..........................................7/24-8/9 THE FOURSOME..........................................................8/14-30 DOUBT, A Parable .........................................................9/4-20 DIVIDING THE ESTATE...........................................9/25-10/11 LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE ...........................10/16-11/1 THE MIRACLE WORKER ..............................................11/6-22 A TUNA CHRISTMAS ...........................................11/29-12/13

Charlotte’s Web ...............................................6/25-7/12

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THE CAT IN THE HAT .........................................7/16-8/2 JAMES and the GIANT PEACH...............................8/6-23

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Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

A Summer Note from the Publishers Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole

Matthew R. Serakowski

Welcome to the 78 edition of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, our community magazine’s summer issue. Summer is just around the corner in Upper St. Clair and we welcome it for all the fun outdoor activities and relaxation it brings. The Township is gearing up for its own kind of fun this month—Community Day, to be held on Saturday, May 17. The theme is “Saddle Up St. Clair,” so be sure to two-step on down for a hootin’ and hollerin’ good time. A schedule of events and activities for this family-friendly day follows on pages 10-13. Set this day aside to enjoy with others—your family, your friends, your neighbors, your community! th

Community (definition)—A society of people having common rights. While this definition certainly applies to Upper St. Clair, as it does to many other townships, boroughs, villages, and cities across the nation, our community is defined by so much more. The sense of community found in Upper St. Clair is beyond sharing common rights. Take a look at our neighborhoods, our schools, our Township amenities Community Day 2013 and notice the shared sense of belonging, a camaraderie that runs deep. Our citizens take pride of ownership in their homes and in being from here. Current and former residents eagerly answer “I’m from Upper St. Clair,” when asked. As two of the decision makers in the Township and the publishers of this magazine, we are grateful for the citizens, businesses, and employees of Upper St. Clair who make our community such a fine place to live. Summer is a time for sprucing up our surroundings. Read “Summer Spruce Up…” from the USCVFD on page 33 and take some essential homeowner pointers from articles found in the Home & Garden guide on pages 68-73. After whipping your house into summer shape, take the opportunity to relax and check out fun things to do in the Summer Activities guide found on pages 44-49. What better way to relax than in your favorite lounging chair with our community magazine in one hand and a refreshing beverage in the other. Ahhh. As always, we highlight current happenings in the magazine’s Township section (pages 24-41), School District section (pages 50-67), and Around the Township section (pages 74-84). And, as we continue to celebrate 20 years of sharing information with you through our community publication, some of our advertisers offer their congratulatory wishes on page 14. See a list of all our advertisers on page 86. Sound out the last five letters in the word “community.” How appropriate that it reflects Upper St. Clair’s longstanding traditions of collaboration and positive interaction among the residents, businesses, and Township and School District governments. Have a wonderful, fun-filled, and safe summer, whether traveling or staying local. Upper St. Clair residents don’t need to go far to find their sense of community. It’s right here, and we welcome you to enjoy it!

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

TODAY, the award-winning, official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair www.twpusc.org/magazine/usc-today-home

usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us

RANKED AMONG THE 100 TOP

OSPITALS IN THE NATION.

St. Clair Hospital has again been named among the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals.® The annual award — now in its 21st year — ranked nearly 3,000 hospitals based on an objective analysis of patient safety, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and value. St. Clair salutes its outstanding physicians and employees for this prestigious achievement. To learn more about this honor, please visit our website, www.stclair.org.

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M T. L E B A N O N , P E N N SY LVA N I A 1 5 2 4 3

412.942.4000

W W W . S TC L A I R . O R G

USC Community Day Activities Annual

Community Day Schedule

Saturday, May 17, 2014 7:30-9:30 a.m. ............................................... Fair Booth Setup Recreation Center Parking Lot 7:45-8:15 a.m. ..................................Run for Fun Registration High School Stadium—Registration form on page 12 9 a.m. ..................................................................... Run for Fun High School Stadium Entrance (Truxton Drive) 9:30-11 a.m. ......................................... “Hottest Dog” Contest Stage Area—Registration form on page 11 10:45 a.m...................................................Run for Fun Awards Race Tent 11 a.m. ......................................................................... Bake Off Stage Area (See page 11) 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ...............................Clair’s Kennel Open House 11 a.m.-5 p.m.......................................................... Fair Booths Entertainment Stage Area Scavenger Hunt Booth Area 11 a.m.-5 p.m......................................... Middle School Games 11:30 a.m......................................................................... Parade Noon..................... Sand Volleyball (students, grades 11 & 12) Noon-2 p.m.......................................... Pickleball Tournament (students, grades 9 & 10) Basketball Courts Noon-3 p.m................................................... Round Up Station Library Parking Lot Log House Open House and Herb Sale Gilfillan Farm and Homestead Tours Noon-4 p.m...................Pony Hop Derby and Trackless Train Petting Zoo Library Parking Lot Pony Rides Behind Recreation Center Volunteer Fire Dept. Tours Main Station, Route 19 (See pages 12 and 33) 2 p.m......................................................................Toddler Trot Founders’ Field (See page 11) 3 p.m......................................................................... Duck Race McLaughlin Run Creek

Shuttle Bus Parking Shuttle bus service will be available to the Municipal Building every half-hour starting at 10 a.m. from the following locations: • Boyce Middle School • Fort Couch Middle School • Gilfillan Farm • USC High School • Westminster Presbyterian Church • Fire Station Please be advised that permit parking only will be allowed in the Public Works parking lot on Truxton Drive. 10

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

See USC Community Day 2013 photo collage on page 13.

The Run for Fun will begin at 9 a.m. sharp! Complete the registration form found on page 12 to make your “day of” registration quick and easy. The 3.1 mile non-sanctioned race will begin in the lower parking lot at the Upper St. Clair High School stadium. The race is open to runners of all ages. Race day registration is between 7:45 and 8:15 a.m. Awards will be presented at 10:45 a.m. at the Race Tent. Clair’s Kennel will be open 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Get information regarding your pet’s care and licensing. See where runaway pets are temporarily held. Talk with an animal control officer. Middle School Games will run throughout the day. Look for the fun activities! The Log House will be open for tours after the parade. Baked goods will be available for purchase before and during the parade. In addition to the tours, there will be an herb sale, pioneer games, and Knapp’s Battery E re-enactor. The annual Community Day Parade will begin at 11:30 a.m. The parade will follow the route from Truxton Drive, along McLaughlin Run Road to Panther Pass, and up to the high school. Round Up Station will be located in the library parking lot. All ages are welcome to stop by and engage in creative art and science activities, noon-3 p.m. The 1857 Gilfillan Farm House, will be open noon-3 p.m. for tours. The barnyard will be open noon-4 p.m. Activities will include wagon rides, cow milking, sheep sheering, and a baby farm animals petting zoo. See page 15. The Pony Hop Derby and Trackless Train will be operating in the library parking lot, noon-4 p.m. Thanks to patron donations, these activities will be offered free of charge. The Petting Zoo will be located behind the library and will be open noon-4 p.m. Children can visit the animals at no cost. There is a minimal fee for food and milk for the animals. The Duck Race, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair, will start at 3 p.m. Watch for information on adopting your duck or buy your duck at the Community Foundation booth on Community Day. 

Saddle Up St. Clair

USC Community Day

Toddler Trot

Saddle Up!

Upper St Clair Community Day 17th Annual Hottest Dog Contest! Proceeds will benefit Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund

Ages: Twelve months to four years (races grouped by age) Location: Founders’ Field (grassy area–look for the balloons) Race Course: (age-appropriate, short distances) Race time begins: 2 p.m. Register by: 1 p.m.

Pre-registration/Waiver forms available at the Information Booth on Community Day.

This activity is free, but pre-registration is required. Register, then come cheer on your favorite toddler! A USCHS Student Council-sponsored event

Prizes

Date: 05/17/2014 Location: Stage Area

Prizes to the top three dogs in each category!

Time: 9:30 — 11:00AM Pre-register by: 05/15/2014 Could your canine be USC’s:

Cutest Puppy? Best-dressed Dog? Cutest Dog? Most Talented Dog? Dog Most Resembling Its Owner?

All dogs get a reward for participating!

Entry fee: $5.00 All contestants must be residents of USC Owners must provide proof of up-to-date shots record with entry. Entries must be received by 5/15/2014 Entry fee must accompany your entry

For more information or to register call:

412-833-3600 www.howardhanna.com

Diane Horvath 412-491-6984

Mail form and entry fee to:

Diane Horvath 1248 Manor Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15241

Phone: 412-491-6984 Fax: 412-833-2075 Email: dhorvath@howardhanna.com

Dog’s Name ____________________________________ Owner’s Name

Phone__________________________ Email:_______________________

Up-to-date shot record attached: Yes

Summer 2014

Dog’s Breed ____________________________________

Address

Please choose one competition category: Cutest Puppy ___ Best-dressed ___ Cutest Dog ___ Most Talented ___ Dog-owner Lookalike ___ Signature

Date

Signature of parent or guardian if under 18

Date

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

USC Community Day Community Day Run for Fun When: Saturday, May 17, 2014. Race begins at 9 a.m. sharp! Where: Upper St. Clair High School. A 3.1-mile, moderately

hilly course, starting and finishing at Panther Stadium.

Advance Registration (by May 5):

Pre-registered runners should pick up their race packets between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. on the day of the race at the high school track parking lot on Truxton Drive. Day of Registration: $10 the day of the race. Registration will be held at the high school parking lot on Truxton Drive the morning of the race from 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. Please arrive no later than 8 a.m. to allow sufficient time for registration and bring your completed “Day Of” registration form found below for a quicker registration process. No registrations accepted after 8:15 a.m. Awards will be presented at 10:45 a.m. at the Race Tent. First, second, and third place finishers will have times posted at Community Day. Full results and times will be made available. Please check the Township website for future posting. Come run or walk for fun and exercise. Bring the whole family! No pets please! Awards for first, second, and third places will be given in the following age groups. (Please note, this is not a sanctioned race.) MALE • 8 & under • 20 to 29 • 9 to 11 • 30 to 39 • 12 to 14 • 40 to 49 • 15 to 19 • 50 & over

Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department invites you to visit their main station on Washington Road on Community Day immediately after the parade until 4 p.m. Shuttle bus service will be provided.

Tours Demonstrations Activities for the kids

FEMALE • 8 & under • 20 to 29 • 9 to 11 • 30 to 39 • 12 to 14 • 40 to 49 • 15 to 19 • 50 & over

USC Community Day Run For Fun “Day Of” Registration Form No registrations accepted after 8:15 a.m. Name_____________________________________________ Age as of May 17, 2014_____________

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY wishes all USC residents a family-friendly Community Day as we Saddle Up St. Clair!

Sex____________

Address___________________________________________ Telephone Number_________________________________ Email (optional)____________________________________ $10—Day of Registration Make checks payable to:

Upper St. Clair Community Day Bring this completed form with you to “Day Of” registration.

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) UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Date

Summer 2014

We all want to do more for our community. We make informed decisions about what we buy. AND, we support our local community when we can. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is our local magazine, run by USC residents for USC residents. Anything else is from somewhere else. Fair Booths open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Plan to spend the day.

USC Community Day

Here’s To USC’s 2013 Community Day

Saddle Up St. Clair 2014 Volunteers Upper St. Clair School District: Danny Holzer, Director of Student Activities Sheila Lloyd, Assistant Director of Student Activities Student Volunteer Chairs: Overall–Nina Brajovic, Constance Raftis Auxiliary–Jordan Selep, Will Ross Booths–Nina Brajovic, Jordan Selep Entertainment–Jessi Duffner Parade–Keeley Carson, Natalie Hesse Parking Lots–Sarah McMurtry, Julia de la Parra Middle School Games–Ricky Alfera, John Panos, Cullen Murin Publicity–Kylie Fultineer, Makenzie Bayer Run for Fun–Parker Cahn, Sarah Collins Sand Volleyball–Taylor Rongaus, Lisa Smith T-shirts–Taylor Rongaus, Lisa Smith Toddler Trot–Nicole Joyce

Township of Upper St. Clair: Paul Besterman, Director of Recreation and Leisure Services Ryan McCleaster, Assistant Director of Recreation and Leisure Services Lynn Walcoff, Community Programs Coordinator Chaz McCrommon, Asst. Community Programs Coordinator George Kostelich, Director of Public Works Rich Botz, Superintendent of Operations Dave Kutschbach, Superintendent of Projects Douglas Burkholder, Chief of Police Glenn Ward, Upper St. Clair Public Access Television Other USC Groups: Upper St. Clair Historical Society, Gilfillan Homestead and Farm–Rachel Heins Carlson 1830 Log House Association–Kim Guzzi Community-at-Large–Bill Findle, Shari Leckenby, Larry Lehman, Heather Slinger, Kelli Sharkey-Winseck, Janine Gross, and others.

A Community Day wrap-up, including a complete list of all patrons, will appear in the Fall 2014 issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY. We thank our kind and generous patrons for their financial and in-kind support of Community Day 2014! Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

20 Years and Going Strong Thank you to those who make TODAY the informative, interesting, and creative magazine that we all enjoy. We find the magazine and its staff to be truly committed to our community. —Kathy Kranack, Manager, Pinebridge Commons, a 20-year advertiser Twenty years! That’s a generation. Keep up the great work and congratulations TODAY! —Cindy S. Brophy, State Farm Insurance Congratulations to everyone at TODAY. D&M Chiropractic has been very pleased with the magazine and the quality of the work that goes into each issue. We look forward to working with you for many years to come! —Drs. Marc and Deana Micucci and staff at D&M Chiropractic and Therapeutic Rehab TODAY magazine is the prettiest community magazine of all—interesting articles throughout and beautiful ads. I am proud to be an advertiser for the past 20 years. —Susan Highley, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Congratulations to TODAY, a first class magazine with first class advertising support in a first class town—USC! Here’s to your next 20! —Patsy Schaal, Executive Home Maintenance Service Congratulations to the TODAY magazine for 20 years of remarkable service to a community of remarkable people! —Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services We would like to congratulate UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY for 20 excellent years

of community coverage. I would especially like to thank the magazine staff and the contributors who make the magazine the great success that it is. The community is fortunate to have a magazine that keeps us informed and up to date. —Tom DiPasquale, Farmers Insurance

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

When my children were in middle school, I worked on a committee to bring TODAY magazine to the community. TODAY is successful because it keeps our residents informed and it is viewed as being an integral part of bringing us together as neighbors and citizens. Every one of my clients moving to USC receives a copy of this valuable community resource. Congratulations on 20 years. I love UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY! —Maureen Cavanaugh, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services Congratulations and thank you TODAY magazine for providing 20 years of quality publication to the Upper St. Clair community… yesterday, TODAY, and tomorrow! —Orthodontics by Dr. Eric Reitz and Dr. Beth Troy Congratulations from Baptist Homes Society to USC TODAY for proving once again that some things get better with age! Happy 20th anniversary! —Marilyn Walsh, Providence Point, a Baptist Homes Society Community Congratulations USC TODAY. Professional, interesting, informative. Thanks for a great job! —Janine Calabro, Calabro Tire & Auto Service Congratulations TODAY and its staff for 20 years of service to the community and School District. A great magazine, now that is something to celebrate! —Dave Scott, Scott Bros. Windows and Doors

Congratulations to TODAY for 20 years of excellence. An upscale publication delivering great results to our clients. —Krol Media Associates for Jacksons Restaurant-Rotisserie-Bar We would like to extend our warmest wishes as TODAY celebrates a remarkable 20 years of service to the Township of Upper St. Clair. —Cupelli & Cupelli Dentistry Congratulations on 20 years of excellence! A huge thank you to the TODAY staff for your outstanding and creative work! —Patricia Wozniak Henk, Carole Kunkle-Miller, Paula Hopkins I know firsthand about TODAY staff’s dedication to producing a high quality, award-winning publication, one that provides residents with interesting information about our neighbors and our community. That’s why as a realtor, I not only advertise in TODAY, I also make sure that my clients who move into USC know that this is their “go-to” publication for all things Upper St. Clair. I live here, work here, sell here! —Lynn Dempsey, TODAY staff and Coldwell Banker Realtor® Congratulations TODAY on 20 years of enriching the community with the compelling stories and events of our lives. —St. Clair Hospital Congratulations to all of the staff of

TODAY magazine. I worked on the very first

TODAY—an awesome milestone for an awesome magazine! —Nick Hillebrand, Don’s Appliances

issue and I am thrilled at its continued success! —Sandy Goldstein ABR e-Pro, Keller Williams Real Estate

Twenty years! Congratulations to USC TODAY and its staff. It takes a lot of work

As a locally-owned, small business, it has been our distinct pleasure to work with the UPPER ST CLAIR TODAY magazine. Congratulations on 20 years of success in providing a thoughtful community publication. We look forward to working with you for many years to come. —Sarah Kathleen Hedman, Nanny Placement Manager, College Nannies + Tutors of South Hills Pittsburgh

to produce a quality magazine like yours. —Dick Till, Davey Tree & Lawn Care Thank you for the partnership with ARAMARK Food & Facilities Services. We congratulate TODAY on its 20 years of publication and wish you many more! —Kimberly Cooper, Aramark

Summer 2014

Even he needs you to get back to it. TheOrthopedicGroup.com 1145 Bower Hill Road | 412-276-7022

Gilfillan Farm Open House Sponsored by the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair USC Community Day - Saturday, May 17, 2014 House 12-3 PM • Barn Yard 12-4 PM • Scarecrow Unveiling 1 PM 1950 Washington Rd. Pittsburgh PA, 15241 (Please use the Orr Road parking lot)

Guided house tours · horse drawn wagon rides children’s craft · beekeeping demonstrations farm animal petting zoo and more! Help us celebrate Community Day 2014 by submitting your best ideas for our Annual Scarecrow Contest and our next USC Today Magazine Advertisement! For more details on deadlines and prizes, or to submit your ideas, contact the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair 412- 835-2050 · historicalsocietyusc@gmail.com · www.hsusc.org · www.facebook.com/HSUSC Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

A Kaleidoscope of Color at Gilfillan Mary Lynne Spazok

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

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Dazzling daffodils, rainbow roosters, and a kaleidoscope of quilts highlight Gilfillan Farm’s Community Day festivities. On Saturday, May 17, noon until 4 p.m., meet and greet newbie 4-H Blue Ribbon Heifer Max, and tour the house until 3 p.m. where yesteryear quilts will be showcased. Margaret Gilfillan’s favorite quilt was the Rose of Sharon. A beloved motif, its name is cited in the Hebrew Bible and refers to the Tulipa Montana, a bright red wild flower that grows even today on Palestine’s Plains of Sharon. The English adaptation is “rose.” Sewn with future hopes for a good life, cherished quilt patterns often related to the Bible and faith in God. As pioneers migrated to the West, the quilt made the journey folded safely in a trunk. The Rose of Sharon warmly embraced weary travelers with memories of beloved friends and family. Appliqued or pieced, then and now, it is an enviable show piece. Alexander Gilfillan favored a helter-skelter crazy quilt. Primitive quilters used any scrap or remnant available, regardless of its color, design, or fabric type. Worn out clothing, women’s calico dresses, men’s pants and shirts, household linens, and other oddly shaped fabric scraps were fitted and stitched together. The result was a hodgepodge of color with memories associated with each piece. Piecemeal quilts fell out of favor in the early 1900s as America became more industrialized and technology introduced modernism to the home. The Industrial Revolution enhanced the textile industry with the cotton gin, power thread spinners, and jacquard looms. Rich colors and opulent textures adorned a home’s parlor where embroidery skills and fine fabrics were showcased. Chronological as well, quilts often featured bits and pieces of the quilter’s past: a piece of father’s vest, a husband’s tie, lace from a wedding veil, or ribbons commemorating political events. Whether simple or lavish, quilts reflected personal values and the economic conditions of an era. Americans tend to romanticize the life of early pioneers. What dictated a homesteader’s daily routine? Survival! It was grueling and problematic. Shelter was no more than roughly built structures giving little protection from the elements. Fresh food and drinkable water were scarce. With poor diets, sickness knocked often at the pioneer’s door. Keeping the fire going 24/7was paramount to feeding the family and warming the home. The reflection of colonial women quilting before a roaring fire or by candlelight is wistful, but far from the truth. From sunrise to sunset, scorching hot summer days entailed endless outdoor toil, while the frigid, merciless winter months often bequeathed starvation and high rates of mortality. Historian and From Myth to Maturity: the Evolution of Quilt Scholarship author Virginia Gunn

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Left to right are Jan Rodgers and Brenda Applegate

writes “Romanticism has been combined with historical fact as people interpret America’s quilting past. Myths thrive because they reflect dreams, ideals, and values. Folklore continues even when proven inaccurate.” The grit and determination of the American pioneers were impressive. Those who crossed the country to settle in the West faced formidable obstacles including famine, predators, and extended periods of sheer boredom. Entertainment in late 18th and early 19th century America was limited to tales told around the fireplace. Storytellers embellished here and there to motivate weary listeners. Folk legends helped pioneers cope with uncertainty during hard times and inspired the blind ambition needed to conquer the American frontier. Not all quilts guarantee an antique’s road show “wow!” However, for any legacy quilt owner, it is worthwhile to discover its monetary value and social relevance. Because of this idea, the Historical Society of Upper St. Clair invited Brenda Applegate and Jan Rodgers to catalogue the Gilfillan quilt collection. Brenda and Jan are co-directors of The Western Pennsylvania Quilt Documentation Project contributing to the Quilt Index (www.quiltindex.org). Founded in 2009, the project operates under the auspices of the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation. The scope of the undertaking encompasses the ten counties that form Western Pennsylvania. Over 1200 tactile quilts in nine of the counties are documented, while in Greene County a support host is needed to realize an all-inclusive portfolio. Specialized credentials are important when seeking expertise. Brenda Applegate has served as the executive director for the Beaver County Historical Research and Landmarks Foundation for the past 15 years. Her interest in quilting began over 30 years ago with her grandmother’s assistance. Currently, her main interest is in traditional quilt methodology. Brenda earned a B.S. in sociology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Jan Rodgers, an independent textile historian, earned an M.A. from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, in textile history with an emphasis on quilt studies. Sewing and quilting for more than 40 years and serving as a docent at the Carnegie Museum of Art, her personal focus embraces contemporary design. Jan states, “My route to quilt history has taken a completely different course than Brenda’s. One of my great-grandmothers was a seamstress in the

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1890s. Family lore says that after being widowed and with three children, she sewed fancy clothing for the ladies of the night in downtown Pittsburgh. Perhaps it’s that footprint that has drawn me to textiles and fibers. My personal sewing journey began when I couldn’t find a dress for my senior prom. I made one using a Vogue pattern with a 30-foot-long, bias-cut, rolled hem. If that didn’t discourage me, nothing could!” Today, Jan’s current skills include weaving, spinning, quilting, embroidery, smocking, crochet, and lace making. Formal training at the Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, includes Shibori dyeing—a form of binding, stitching, folding, twisting, and compressing—and fiber sculpture. When I began this journey, I assumed it would be a yawn. Rather, I’ve found it to be quite thought-provoking. Just recently, an AOL topic read “Mystery Crazy Quilt May Hold Key to Solving Cold Case Murder,” and on February 1, 2014, The Wall Street Journal showcased quilter Joan Doan of Hamilton, Missouri. Thanks to social media, she has become a contemporary superstar via YouTube. With over one million viewers, some as far away as South Africa, her family’s Missouri Star Quilt Company processes 30,000 orders a month for pre-cut patches and other quilting supplies. “Instant gratification,” states Joan, “is my key to success. I don’t teach people how to be the best quilter; I teach them how to do it the easiest.” Chic textile offerings combined with an unpretentious technique energizes all ages, all skill levels. According to the American Quilters Society, quilting is on the rise, especially because of social media. Ingenuous Internet tutorials are available 24/7 to America’s 21 million-plus quilters. Upper St. Clair resident, retired antique dealer, art glass specialist, and educator Margaret “Peg” Harmon bestowed upon me a hefty cache of 25-year-old Antique Review weeklies. In nearly each issue, Amish quilts were featured for their fine workmanship, with consumer demand resulting in lucrative revenue. It is most curious that the Amish are celebrated for their picture-perfect skill, especially since quilts are not an Amish invention. Forging ahead, an article titled “Susan McCord’s Quilts: A Farmwife’s Legacy” caught my attention. The Henry Ford Museum, known as America’s greatest history attraction, is located in Dearborn, Michigan. It is here that the McCord quilts are hung for their magnificent “domestic life” designs, devoid of machine stitching. Susan found inspiration from the vines, leaves, and petals of her garden. Fabricated over four decades, her ten quilts are a vivid interpretation and include four patch work, three appliqué, and three “turn-of-the-century” crazy quilts. Devoted to schoolteacher and spouse Green McCord, Susan had seven children all the while tending to the homestead’s dairy, poultry, and homeopathic gardens of medicinal plants, barks, and roots.

Two of Susan’s quilts, which she constructed while also sewing children’s clothing, knitting accessories, embroidering bed sheets, and creating (from hair) floral fashion wreaths, are privately owned. From 1870 to 1900, Susan’s flair was expressed in her “Vine,” “Ocean Waves,” and “Turkey Tracks” quilts. Between 1885 and 1905, with a plethora of orphan fabric, three crazy quilts were sewn of fine suiting flannels and dress velvets. Elaborate crewel and silk embroidery handwork elevated the ordinary to opulent! As a farmer’s wife, mundane chores included tending livestock. It was a gloomy, rainy, dank daybreak when Susan was kicked to the ground by a cranky cow. Severe injuries from the kick and an onset of pneumonia ended her life in 1909. Susan McCord will be long remembered as an American whose lifetime achievements of innovation, ingenuity, and resourcefulness reflect a strength of character. Are you a “Downton Abbey” fan? Andover Fabrics now offers the Downton Abbey Women’s Collection quilt fabric by the yard. Licensed colors and patterns are wardrobe exclusives. Are you hesitant to take that first quilting step? Visit the Three Rivers Quilters booth where camaraderie fosters creativity in the textile arts. Members come from diverse walks of life—students, teachers, homemakers, office workers, nurses, world travelers. Quilters delight in the pleasure of creation and the opportunity to share their visions. Rain or shine, stop by Gilfillan Homestead during USC’s Community Day to view the Gilfillan domestic quilt archive, welcome Max, the newest animal to the pasture, and craft a whimsical rooster for good luck. Happiness and hospitality thrive! The Orr Road garden entrance is general parking for all visitors, while handicapped parking is available at the Orr Road upper lot. n

Veterans Park and Flight 427 Memorial

On Saturday May 17, Armed Forces Day, also schedule a visit to the Upper St. Clair Veterans Park on McLaughlin Run Road near the Townships’ municipal building to offer a salute to our military personnel, past and present. The Flight 427 Memorial, adjacent to Claire’s Kennels, is also a “must see” for a peaceful setting for personal reflection.

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Remodel Your Home

With Your Family, Life, and Budget in Mind

Bob Bruno, Owner, Certified Home Remodelers, and Upper St. Clair Resident

Certified Home Remodelers owners and employees, left to right, are Bob Hutzler, Ray Miller, Bob Bruno, Jr., Bob Durbin, Bob Bruno, Sr., Steve Lucas, Barb Bruno, Joe Nascone, and Tom Kilian

Remodel your home with your family, life, and budget in mind. That’s the concept of Certified Home Remodeler’s family-owned business and the advice we share about starting a remodeling project for your home. Father and son owners, Bob Bruno, Sr. and Bob Bruno, Jr., believe that every remodeling project should consider the whole family, including grandparents, the kids, and even the family pet. Items to think about might include how to situate the house for a special needs family member’s maneuverability, where the kids will sit to do homework, or where the dog’s 18

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

bowl is going to be placed. Those are just a few of the questions that Certified Home Remodeler’s design staff will keep in mind when developing and implementing a kitchen remodeling project. And, that’s why we’ve labeled our kitchen design program as “the live-in kitchen.” Let’s face it, the kitchen is the heart of the home. It’s the gathering place for the family—for Sunday dinner, for entertaining friends at the holidays, where the kids do their homework, and for watching our favorite Pens, Pirates, or Steelers games on TV. Summer 2014

Joe Nascone, the company’s design team manager, is a seasoned veteran when it comes to home building and kitchen renovation. He helps homeowners envision the possibilities of creating new living spaces from existing spaces. Joe and his design team first consult with potential clients, taking precise measurements of the space to be redesigned. Next, the team creates full-color, 3D renderings of the project and provides an estimate. The careful pre-planning, design, and visualization process—which takes the team a full work day, or more, to complete—is free of charge. Certified Home Remodelers carries several high-end, quality product lines that are made right here in the United States, including Bertch cabinetry and Cambria quartz countertops. Certified Home Remodelers is owned by a U.S. Army veteran, and the Bruno family is all about “Made in America” and commits to material purchase decisions to reflect the pride

Steve Lucas and Joe Nascone, the design team of Home Remodelers

Basement bar project

Owners of Certified Home Remodelers, Bob, Jr. and Bob, Sr.

in and allegiance to our country. The company’s Carnegie-based in the industry, can do almost any task, but admits to being only showroom displays the latest trends in kitchen and bath design, “perfect” at some aspects of the remodeling job. Some projects and also showcases windows, doors, roofing, and exterior siding. have multiple installation teams for complex renovations. Our Unlike the big box stores, where customers are often left to kitchen installation teams have years of experience in fine carpenfend for themselves regarding ideas and design, the staff and own- try, with our carpenters’ average age around 50. The art of finish ers of Certified Home Remodelers bring more than 100 years of carpentry is not taught in school or learned through the Internet; combined expertise to home remodeling. Referred to as a “turn- it takes years of practice and on-the-job training to learn the skills key” job, we take care of the project from beginning to end. Other necessary for the beautifully-crafted finish carpentry that we offer. remodel companies might have you calling your own plumber For bathroom installations, we use a waterproofing system or electrician to complete certain aspects of the job or they may called Schluter, which both waterproofs and strengthens the tile leave you with little or no warranty at the project’s completion. installation. To keep us up-to-date with emerging product lines in Unlike the impersonal warehouses, our family-owned business the industry, and how to work with them, our stone and tile inprovides its customers with, at a minimum, a ten-year labor and stallers attend yearly classes on design and installation techniques. workmanship warranty in addition to any existing product warOur project management is by far the best around and uses a ranty. Certain product lines carry a full lifetime warranty, such web-based management program that interacts with the homeas the lifetime warranty on Signature windows. Lifetime means owner, the installation team, and the design team. The program just that—no small print to read in the contract and no hidden creates a “nearly flawless” flow of communication between fees. The warranty is good for as long as the homeowner and Certified Home Because of our customers’ you live in your home. Both Certified Remodelers. Homeowners are each Home Remodelers and the window satisfaction, getting referrals given a username and private password manufacturer warranty fully cover the access full details of their project as it through previous clients and to windows for parts and labor should there progresses, showing product selection, be a condition of concern. Even an ac- serving them through multiple scheduling, and a complete history of cidental glass breakage from a stone that all communication for the job. This tool renovations are our best is kicked up by a lawn mower is covered provides the homeowner reassurances sources of business growth. and comfort about the progress of the with absolutely no fee. This full service is completely unheard of from larger companies in the indus- renovation project in their home. try, but is a standard operating procedure with Certified Home Because of our customers’ satisfaction, getting referrals through Remodelers, the Bruno’s family business. previous clients and serving them through multiple renovations The installation department at Certified Home Remodelers is are our best sources of business growth. With quality workmanmade up of specific teams focused on particular projects. Siding ship and attention to detail, Certified Home Remodelers’ family teams only do siding jobs, just as roofing teams only do roof re- business continues to grow right along with the industry. Staying placements. Co-owner Bob Bruno, Sr., with 50 years experience up-to-date with the latest trends and technology, the Bruno family business wants to continue its legacy, and eventually hopes to introduce one or all five family children to the business. You may see a future Certified Home Remodeler owner with the Bruno name on the back of a jersey playing for USC’s home team at one of our township‘s baseball or football fields. Remember, remodel your home with your family, life, and budget in mind. Getting started is easy with Certified Home Remodelers. We have lots of wonderful ideas to share, and we’re here to help you! Give us a call. n Certified Home Remodelers, Inc. 218 E. Main St, Carnegie, PA 15106 412-276-7757 • www.certifiedremodel.com Showroom hours: M-F, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Weekends and evenings by appointment

The Bruno family and staff of Certified Home Remodelers Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Dropping Out of and Back into Line Jim O’Brien

Funerals remind us of other funerals. So it follows that funeral processions remind us of other funeral processions. Like the sadness and tears that accompany both, they tend to back up on us. I saw two funeral processions this past winter, both traveling on Route 19 in the South Hills, that reminded me of earlier funeral processions, one from my youth and the other from January 1992. More recently, I was driving on Banksville Road and traveling to downtown Pittsburgh when I spotted a funeral procession headed in the other direction. I noticed that one of the cars in the middle of the procession had blown a tire. Talk about double trouble. It brought to mind a funeral procession for one of my grandparents back in the mid-50s. We were headed to East Brady, Pennsylvania, about 50 miles northeast of Pittsburgh and along the Allegheny River river, a tortuous demanding trip in those days with lots of hills and narrow winding roads. My family goes a long way to bury our dead. In my family, the burials have always been in East Brady or Wheeling, West Virginia. In my mind, that is my family’s legacy. During this particular procession, I was in the back seat of my Uncle Phil’s car. Phil’s nickname was “Short Cut” because he always took short cuts and usually got lost along the way. A somber sort, I don’t ever remember seeing him smile. He certainly was the perfect chauffeur for a funeral. My older brother, Dan, and I were egging him on, urging him to go faster and to take a short cut, as we traveled in the middle of the funeral procession. His fuse was growing short and so was the rubber on his tires. We started to smell burning rubber. The next thing we knew a tire had blown with a very distinct “bang!” Uncle Phil pulled off the road, fixed the flat, and we rejoined the procession already at the cemetery. That’s really all I remember about that funeral, but it set a precedent for my getting out of line in a procession on the way to the cemetery. No doubt, funerals are serious stuff, but every funeral in my family seems to be followed by an Irish wake. We tend to laugh, as well as cry, at most of our funerals. One extreme or another, I think you need to do both to survive such setbacks. I remember my father’s funeral, for example, when my family first saw my dad laid out in the casket. My mother noted that his hair wasn’t as dark or slicked down as it usually was. My dad used a lot of Vaseline to darken his hair. “Oh, your Dad would die if he saw his hair like that,” my mother remarked. She was serious. We all laughed. In March 1992, I was driving south on Route 19, going from Upper St. Clair to McMurray, to take my lawn mower for its annual checkup to the now closed Sears Service Center, when I came upon a long funeral procession in the left lane. I later spotted them further down on Route 19 at the Forest Lawn Cemetery chapel.

Driving in the right lane, I needed to get in the left lane and make a left turn to get to Sears, but I couldn’t get over because half the procession was still behind me. I had already cut into one too many funeral processions in my past. Enough was enough. Back in January 1992, I was driving the third car in a long funeral procession from a church in Hays—a community situated near West Homestead, made famous by a family of bald eagles who set up a nest there overlooking the Glenwood Bridge. The funeral director had poor directions—as far as I was concerned—and he took a circuitous route that cost us nearly an additional half-hour. The procession was headed from Hays to Wheeling, West Virginia, a 60-mile, one-way trip and much too far to travel in a procession, anyway. We drove through the communities of Baldwin, Whitehall, South Park, and Upper St. Clair. Traveling at no more than 25- to 30-miles-an-hour in a herky-jerky manner and not even half way there, my stomach was churning. I could not handle this routine all the way to Wheeling, I’m sorry. When we reached McLaughlin Run Road near my USC neighborhood and were about to make a left turn onto Route 19, I told my fellow travelers that I was cutting out of the funeral procession. This was another parade where I was out of step, just like in my Army days. My wife, Kathie, and my mother and sister wondered what I was doing. A few minutes from my house, I told them we were going home for a break. Stopping at home, everyone went to the bathroom, grabbed a donut or made a sandwich, picked up a coffee or soft drink, and refreshed ourselves. It took about 20 minutes. We all felt better. When we got back into the car, I told them we would catch up to the funeral procession. They didn’t believe it could be done. Kathie wanted me to take the funeral home’s flag off the hood of my car, but I insisted it stay. “I don’t believe this!” exclaimed my mother. “But, I should be used to it by now,” she said. Just before the West Virginia border, I spotted a funeral procession ahead, moving along at about 40-miles-per-hour in the right lane. I smiled. “OK, just fall in behind them,” my wife advised. “No,” I said, “I’m going back into our original spot. We had the number three position.” So we zoomed along in the left lane. Family and friends who happened to look to the left from their cars in the funeral procession saw us streaming by, our flag fluttering in the wind. They must have thought they were in a Benny Hill movie. I put on my turn signal, waited for an opening, and moved back into my original spot in the procession. It was like we had never left. n Upper St. Clair resident and author Jim O’Brien has written a book on a former Upper St. Clair resident, Steelers’ coach Chuck Noll, called “A Winning Way.” It can be purchased at Amazon.com or at Jim’s website www.jimobriensportsauthor.com.

Book Signing Event

Attend a book signing and meet author Susan Evans, an ovarian cancer patient in remission. Susan talks frankly about her experiences of her treatment and recovery and her ability to keep her sense of humor through it all. A great event for book clubs and a must read for women, join Susan at her book signing of Don’t Write the Obituary Yet, for an evening of wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres at Premier Home Design Center, 20

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Summer 2014

1597 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, Wednesday June 18, 6-8 p.m. The event is sponsored by Dr. Thomas Krivak, Susan Evans, and George Evans, and book sale proceeds go to The Evans-Krivak Gynecological Cancer Research Fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation. RSVP to laura@premierhomedesigncenter.com by June 11 to reserve your admittance. n

Tim Murphy U.S. Congressman for the 18th District of Pennsylvania 2332 Rayburn HOB, Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2301 • Fax: 202-225-1844 504 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 Phone: 412-344-5583 • Fax: 412-429-5092 2040 Frederickson Place, Route 136, Greensburg, PA 15601 Phone: 724-850-7312 • Fax: 724-850-7315 Website: http://murphy.house.gov

Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Congressman Tim Murphy

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, I recently embarked on a detailed review of the nation’s mental-health system. Even with my 30-plus years’ experience as a clinical psychologist, I was profoundly shocked to learn just how archaic and ineffective federal mental-health policy is in our country. Two million patients with serious and persistent mental illnesses go without medical treatment. Why? Because the federal government has never approached serious mental illness as a healthcare issue, directly resulting in growing rates of homelessness and incarceration for the mentally ill over the last 20 years. Sadly, it has also led to numerous tragedies, including 38,000 annual suicides and countless incidents requiring a response from law enforcement. The current approach to mental health can best be described by what it lacks: no integration with primary or physical care; too few psychiatric hospital beds; too few psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers, especially ones who are trained and specialize in treating the seriously mentally ill. The result of my comprehensive review is legislation to fix our broken system. I authored the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act to refocus programs and resources on psychiatric care for patients and families most in need of services but who are currently the least likely to get it. My bill makes sure those with mental illness get care from the healthcare system instead of the criminal justice system. The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act increases the number of mental health providers, outpatient treatment options, and the total number of acute psychiatric beds. Addressing the chronic shortage of psychiatric beds will help patients get well rather than just having their condition stabilized at the ER, only to end up back on the streets, in jail, or the hospital in a few short weeks. The vast majority of individuals with mental illnesses live and thrive in the community, but current legal barriers make it difficult to help patients into treatment. The legislation addresses this dilemma by encouraging states, including Pennsylvania, to adopt “assisted outpatient treatment” (AOT) laws, which ensure mental-health providers target resources to the subset of the seriously mentally ill who have repeat arrests or visits to the hospital emergency room. With AOT, the courts and families make sure loved ones who are severely mentally ill follow through on their treatment plan and get the help they so desperately need. In New York State, participants in the AOT program known as “Kendra’s Law” report having a higher quality of life and less homelessness and substance abuse problems. AOT in New York has reduced costly emergency-room visits and incarceration by 70% amongst the mentally ill. My bill also ties federal dollars to evidence-based medical models of care that have proven results. For example, in a breakthrough treatment project at the National Institute of Mental Health and the University of Pennsylvania called “Recovery After Initial Schizophrenia Episode,” or RAISE, patients receive care almost immediately upon displaying signs of a mental illness. They receive wrap-around services and low-dose medication to help them recognize and manage their condition. This has resulted in better outcomes, fewer ER visits, and an improved quality of life. Sadly, patients wait on average two years after the first signs of psychosis before seeing a doctor. That elapse of time can cause deep and lasting damage to the human brain, making recovery all the more difficult. For far too long, those who need help have been getting it the least, and where there is no help, there is no hope. We can, must, and will take mental illness out of the shadows of ignorance, despair, and neglect and into that bright light of hope. It starts with the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act. I welcome you to visit my website Murphy.house.gov to learn more. n

In his sixth term representing the 18th congressional district encompassing parts of Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, and Greene Counties, Rep. Tim Murphy also serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve Medical Service Corps as a psychologist treating Wounded Warriors with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Prior to serving in Congress, Dr. Murphy, author of “The Angry Child” and “Overcoming Passive-Aggression,” was a practicing psychologist specializing in child and family treatment. Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Jim Bennett, Frank & Melanie Kerber, Jim Bolas

Steve Bulazo, Eloise Stoehr, Dan Erlanger, Gretchen Haggerty, Elaine Megonnell, Pete Voce

Harry & Frankie Jo Kunselman, Nancy & Dino Guarino, Buffy Hasco

Connie Cavrich, Angela Petersen, Joe Cavrich, Tim Wagner, Melanie & Frank Kerber, Amy & Chuck Billerbeck

Bob OʼBrien & Ponny Jahn

Carol Olack, Pam Render, Sheila Lloyd, Karen Momyer, Al Steele, Cindy Storer

John & Shauna Rozzo, Linda & Joe DeMar, Ray & Kristy Berrott, Mark & Rachel Miller

Melissa & Kevin Hughes, Elaine & John Shedd, Frosina Cordisco, Bob Malenfant, Lisa Chiesa

Scott Argiro, USC ʼ87

Mai Yousef, Khattar Aizooky, Hallie Snyder, Ginny Wright, Greg & Trisha Gill

Rex & Deborah Waller, Skip Hudzwma, Ruthann Omer, Russell Del Re, Brigetta Hannah

Jared & Lizz Sadowski, Jill & Chris Shipley, Courtney & Rob Hippert

The 2014 “Celebrate Our Schools “ Gala raised over $60,000 for technology in the USC Schools. Thanks to all who attended. To see more pictures from the event, go to www.cfusc.org 22

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Summer 2014

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra musicians are presenting a series of beneﬁt concerts to raise funds to establish the “PSO Musicians Care” fund. The fund could help bridge school budget cuts by • helping to repair musical instruments, • help pay for buses to get children to Heinz Hall for the PSO’s education concert series and • provide scholarships to young people interested in music as a career. In excess of $10,000 was raised at the Upper St. Clair concert.

The Community Foundation of USC sponsored the PSO MUSICIANS CARE CONCERT Upper St. Clair Theater February 1, 2014

Lorna McGhee, ﬂute soloist, playing Suite No. 2 in b minor

USC Student string quartet playing in the theater lobby

• “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future”John Fitzgerald Kennedy • “Education is not the filling of a bucket, but the lighting of a fire” W.B. Yates • “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything” - Plato • “What a tragedy it would be if we lived in a world where music was not taught to children” General Norman Schwarzkopf

Manfred Honeck, PSO Music Director, addressing the audience

George Vosburgh, trumpet soloist, playing Trumpet Concerto in E-ﬂat Major

Manfred Honeck (center) with symphony personnel and CFUSC trustees

USC Student trombone quartet playing during intermission

COMING EVENTS The 16th Annual Community Day

Duck Race ~ 3 p.m., May 17th ~ Be sure to stop by the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair booth to adopt your duck! Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

T 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

Highlights of the Board of Commissioners’ Meetings January 6, 2014

Approximately 13 people attended.

February 3, 2014

Approximately 45 people attended.

Reorganization of Board of Commissioners • Newly elected Commissioner Rex A. Waller and re-elected Commissioners Mark D. Christie and Daniel R. Paoly were sworn into office as Commissioners of the Township of Upper St. Clair by the Honorable D. Michael Fisher. • Commissioner Orchowski was re-elected President of the Board of Commissioners. • Commissioner Del Re was re-elected Vice President of the Board of Commissioners.

Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-287-9076 2015* Commissioner Seitanakis (left) and members of the USCHS boys soccer team

Nicholas J. Seitanakis Ward 1

Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-220-4434 2015*

Rex A. Waller Ward 2

Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-854-5065 2017*

Mark D. Christie

Left to right are the Honorable D. Michael Fisher, Deborah Waller, and Rex Waller, USC’s newly elected commissioner The Board • Continued Public Hearing Re. PLC13-0022–Goddard School–Unified Conditional Use/Preliminary Land Development Approval to the Regular Board Meeting of February 3, 2014. • Approved the Township Engineer (2014) and the Township Traffic Engineer (2014 and 2015) Fee Schedule. • Approved the reappointment to the following Board:

Ward 4

Board

Name

Term Expires

Day 412-831-9000 2017*

Parks and Recreation Board

Timothy Stouden

12/31/16

Glenn R. Dandoy At-Large

Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-944-3957 2015*

Daniel R. Paoly At-Large

2014 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.

Day 412-831-9000 Evening 412-862-5995 2017*

*Date indicates expiration of term.

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Recognitions • Stacey Reibach, on behalf of State Senator Matt Smith, and Mary Linn Theis, on behalf of State Representative John Maher, presented citations to the team members and coaches of the Upper St. Clair High School Boys’ Soccer Team for their 2013 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAA team championship. • Commissioner Seitanakis presented Proclamations to the team members and coaches of the Upper St. Clair High School Boys’ Soccer Team for their 2013 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAA team championship. • Commissioner Del Re presented Proclamations to the team members and coaches of the Upper St. Clair High School Boys’ Golf Team for their 2013 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAA team championship. • Commissioner Del Re presented a Proclamation to Grant Engel, member of the Upper St. Clair High School Boys’ Golf Team, for capturing the 2013 Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Class AAA individual golf championship title. The Board • Adopted Bill No. 1-14 Re. PLC13-0022 granting Unified Conditional Use/Preliminary Land Development approval to the Goddard School located at 631 Painters Run Road, subject to certain conditions. • Adopted Resolution No. 1576 to establish a public hearing date of Monday, April 7, 2014, on the proposed Zoning Map and Text amendment to Chapter 130 of the Code of the Township entitled “Zoning” to rezone property owned by 1800 Washington Road Associates, LP, located at 1800 Washington Road, identified as Block/Lot Number 319-K350 and 350-K-325 from Special Business District to the newly created Special Business-Mixed Use District and to amend the text of Chapter 130 to establish regulations governing the use of property located within the Special Business-Mixed Use District.

• 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. • The Building/Fire Codes Appeals and Advisory Board meets as needed. • The Library Board meets as needed.

www.twpusc.org 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. Summer 2014

Meet…Rex Waller In this issue, TODAY would like our readers to meet Upper St. Clair’s Ward 2 Commissioner, Rex Waller. Rex is a licensed professional engineer and earned his BS in civil engineering from the University of Missouri. Sales manager for the Conveyor Division of Joy Global, Rex has worked in the mining industry for 32 years. This is Rex’s first experience as an elected official, one that he’s excited to tackle. “I have a great interest in Upper St. Clair; it’s such a great place to live! I want to be part of the overall welfare of the community and part of the leadership team.” Prior to being elected, Rex participated in the Local Government Academy (LGA) of Allegheny County’s course for candidates running for office, as well as attending the commissioners’ meetings to make sure he was informed about the current issues of importance to the Township. Since being sworn in this past January, Rex has attended the LGA course for newly elected officials. While Rex said he has no agenda, he is interested in maintaining Upper St. Clair’s quiet bedroom community structure. He said he is in favor of well thought out, responsible development when it makes good sense for the community. Rex sees the development of the former Consol property as a challenge facing the Township. “We want to make sure we get that right,” he said.

Rex said he’s really looking forward to being part of developing the Township’s ten year plan, and he encourages residents to fill out the survey and get it back to the Township Rex Waller so their input can be considered. “Let your voice be heard,” said Rex. “Our options come from the citizens, and while we can’t do everything that is suggested, we can set priorities based on consensus.” Rex and his wife of 32 years, Deborah, have two grown daughters, Christine and Kimberly, who attended USC schools from kindergarten through high school. Christine lives in West Virginia and works for Mylan Inc., and Kimberly is at the University of Michigan law school on a public interest fellowship. Rex is a member of various professional societies and is a member at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In his leisure time, Rex loves to golf. He and Deborah enjoy hiking in Upper St. Clair’s Boyce Mayview Park and often vacation at places where hiking is available. They also enjoy biking on some of Pittsburgh’s local trails. n

Local Earned Income Taxes

Make Sure Your Local Earned Income Taxes Go to Work for You and for Your Community! Since 2012, employers in Pennsylvania have been required to withhold employees’ local earned income taxes much like state and federal income taxes. Employees are required by law to complete a Residency Certification form (Residency Form) providing name, address, social security number, home municipality, and a six-digit PSD code for the municipality in which the employee resides. Unique PSD codes are assigned to each municipality in Pennsylvania. The completed Residency Form is kept on file by the employer and is used to withhold and distribute the proper tax amount to the tax collector representing the tax collection district in which the employee’s home municipality and school district are located. Errors on the Residency Form result in significant delays in the employee’s taxes arriving at the employee’s home municipality and school district. It is the employee’s responsibility to provide accurate and updated information on his or her Residency Form. Upper St. Clair Municipality/School District is part of the Southwest Allegheny County Tax Collection District and Jordan Tax Service, Inc. (JTS) is the appointed tax collector. Visit www. jordantax.com/Act32 for frequently asked questions and answers specific to taxpayers as well as to view sample forms, including the Residency Certification form and the Annual Final Tax Return form. You can also contact JTS at 412-345-7966 and a customer service representative will assist you. JTS also permits you to file your final return and pay any additional taxes due online.

If you are a resident of Upper St. Clair Township, your PSD Code is 731701. This code must be used on your Residency Form and on your Final Local Earned Income Tax Return which must be filed annually by all taxpayers. Here are some important suggestions to ensure that you comply with your obligations under Pennsylvania’s new Earned Income Tax Collection Law and that your taxes arrive on time to your home municipality and school district: • Check with your employer to ensure that your Residency Form is correct, including your up-to-date home address and PSD code. • Update your Residency Form with your employer if you move your residence and complete a new Residency Form if you change employers. • If you file a Final Return with JTS online, be sure to follow the instructions and mail your form W-2 and any other schedules you or your accountant used for your return to Jordan Tax Service, Inc. at 7100 Baptist Road, Bethel Park, PA 15102. • Use your home PSD code on your final return. Just because your taxes are being withheld does not relieve you from your obligation to file a Final Return. You must file a Final Return each year regardless of whether you owe additional taxes. If you did not file a Final Return for tax year 2012, you must do so. Contact JTS for assistance at 412-345-7966. n Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

From the Director’s Desk of Helen Palascak Ongoing County-Wide Conversation about Public Libraries Libraries are in the middle of an eight-month process of evaluating library service on a county-wide level. Did you know there are 45 independent libraries here, all part of the same network, sharing materials and electronic resources? Yet each is independently governed and funded by varying amounts of local, county, and state money. For the past few months, ongoing discussions have questioned if new ways to structure and fund library service in Allegheny County should be implemented. Questions like these are being considered: • How do we insure a basic level of service to all county residents? • Which services can be delivered more efficiently and be improved by management at the county level? • If decisions are made to consolidate more services, how will these county-wide services be managed and funded? Libraries have a shared commitment to provide the best possible service to their local communities and to assure that all county residents have access to excellent library services. Balancing local interests with the needs of the entire county will be carefully considered throughout this process. All information and reports can be accessed at www.countycitylibraries.org. What do you think about USC Township Library and how it serves our community and our county? Your opinion is valued. Join in the conversation by providing input at the website address above or writing directly to me at palascak@twpusc.org.

Used Books— You Still Need Them! Gladly, we are all in the midst of getting ready for summer. In a week or so you can happily browse the aisles of the annual Friends of the Library Used Book Sale (see dates and times information on page 28.) Why buy books when you can borHelen Palascak row them from the library or read them on your new Nook, or whatever device you are now using to read ebooks? Well, for instance, think hot beach, sand, and glare. Please don’t take our library books or your Nook there! Or to the kitchen… who hasn’t spilled something on a library book? Or on a plane, where it could possibly be left behind. Instead, why not purchase gently-used books at the sale? That way you won’t have to worry if something accidentally happens to them. While you are stocking up on paperbacks to take on vacation or to the beach, don’t forget that you will need satisfying reads for those anticipated cold winter nights which will surely return sooner than we’d like! Squirrel away a few choice titles for those days when it is simply too cold or for when the Internet isn’t working and you just need something to read. I’ll see you at the sale; that’s where I pick up my stash of books! See you soon, Helen Palascak, Director, USC Township Library

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

T Summer Creativity Classes Sign up for the library’s summer creativity classes, held Thursdays in July. July 10–Beading with Anne Oyler July 17–Photography with Vincent Pugliese July 24–Zentangle with Lynne Martinelli July 31–Scrapbooking with Bridget Davidson

Save the Date!

A Tribute to Dean Martin with Bob Morelli What: End of Summer Reading Ice Cream Social When: Thursday, August 7, 7 p.m. Pittsburgh native Bob Morelli is Pittsburgh’s own Dean Martin impersonator. He captures Dean’s vocal style with the look, attitude, and humor that’s guaranteed to Bob Morelli, entertain you. As alDean Martin ways, ice cream treats for impersonator all! Plan to attend.

REwArD Yourself Reading can be a rewarding experience in more ways than one this summer at the USC Township Library. It’s true, reading is its own reward, but during summer reading at the library you have the opportunity to be rewarded for enjoying your favorite pastime—reading! Sign up for the summer reading program and earn reward points good for summer raffles. Just turn in a rating ticket for every book you read or listen to. Gift card drawings will be held weekly throughout July. Registration begins June 16. See you then.

Valentine Tea Zentangle projects completed by library participants in the “Zentangle with Lynne Martinelli” classes

This past February, participants were treated to a lively talk by author Susan Wells about her first book, Dead Love, as they enjoyed tea and assorted goodies. Many gathered for the Valentine Tea

Enjoy library programs? Want the latest library news?

Sign up now to join the library’s email list and get the latest news about upcoming library events and programs. It’s easy! Just click on the link at the bottom of the library homepage from the Township website (www.twpusc.org) to fill out a simple form or cut out this one. You can also stop by any library desk and a staff member will help to sign you up.

Mailing List Sign Up Stay current with the latest news from USC Library!

Friends of the Library Used Book Sale Bargain books for all ages and tastes will be featured at the Friends of the Library Used Book Sale, May 7-10 in the large multi-purpose room near the main entrance of the library. With book prices starting at a mere 50 cents, this opportunity is too good to pass up! Bring the family and stock up on good reading! All proceeds are used to assist the USC Township Library in serving the needs of the community.

First Name_________________________________________ Last Name__________________________________________

Wednesday, May 7–5:30-8 p.m.

Email address_______________________________________

(Preview night: Members free, nonmembers $5)

___ Subscribe to Library Adult Mailing List ___ Subscribe to Library Kids Mailing List 28

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Thursday, May 8–10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, May 9–10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 10–10 a.m.-5 p.m. Bag day: $5/bag

Summer 2014

T Kids & Teens Library Summer Reading Programs

Dear Librarian, I encourage inning to read! How can beg is der gra st fir y M g at home? e Reader him to practice his readin Parent of a First Grad Dear Parent, the more you Reading is like any skill, You’re on the right track. read together ome. Try to make time to bec you ter bet the ce, cti pra ders and easy s a great collection of rea ha y rar lib e Th y. da ry eve happy to help you wledgeable staff who are kno a d an oks bo r pte cha books. and your child find good too easy or too rule: Books should not be ks • Follow the Goldiloc t right. hard. They should be jus to finish easily. rt enough for your reader sho • Books should be offer important of illustrations. Pictures • Books should have lots derstand the story. cues to help the reader un rd. A large ce around the printed wo • Look for lots of white spa kes reading easier. font and white space ma htforward plots, to understand with straig • Stories should be easy ters, and clear settings. easy-to-understand charac gh a series . Reading your way throu • Choose books in series ency. builds confidence and flu continue reading like to encourage you to o als The library would a fun way to share love to be read to and it’s s kid st Mo ld. chi r you to hend complex ders can listen and compre gra st Fir as. ide d an s rie sto own. Kids who are yet able to read on their t no are y the t tha s rie sto support and ding have strong parental rea at l sfu ces suc st mo the their families. spent time reading with Sincerely, ian Debra Conn, Your Librar

Student Volunteers: All students, grades six through 12, who want to volunteer at the library must register for Teen Read, read a minimum of five books, and complete a questionnaire on each book to earn entry to the library’s volunteer roster. Once on the roster, you will receive a monthly email message about upcoming volunteer opportunities. Volunteer hours will fill on a first-come, first-served basis and students will be limited to two volunteer hours per month.

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. The library is closed Saturday, May 17 for Community Day; Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day; and Friday, July 4 for Independence Day. The library is closed summer Sundays, May 25-August 31. Outside book and video return available 24/7.

www.twpusc.org 412-835-5540

Registration for Summer Reading Programs begins Wednesday, June 4. “Check-ins” begin Monday, June 16 and end Thursday, July 31. All library programs are free! You can register for all summer activities at Art in the Park on June 6. Reading Together: Babies, Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Kindergartners Reading Together is designed to help young children learn important language and early reading skills. When you register, you’ll receive the first of six weekly activity booklets. Activities you’ll do with your child include reading library books, learning a rhyme, and playing with a library educational kit. When you’ve completed the activity sheet, return to the library where your child can “check-in” at the summer reading desk. Your child will receive a fun reward, encouragement, and the next activity sheet. Kids Read: School-aged children who’ve completed grades 1 through 4 Our summer reading program is a fun way to encourage your child to spend lots of time reading. Summer reading plays an important role in developing good readers, so make sure your child registers for Kids Read and make sure they read! Participants will receive a reading log to track the library books that they’ve read. When they “report” on their reading, they’ll be given a “special prize drawing” ticket for each book read. They’ll also get weekly coupons for free stuff from local businesses. Teen Read: Kids who’ve completed grades 5 through 11 When you sign up, choose a few books that you think you’ll like. Read 25 to 30 pages of a book. If you like it, keep reading; if you don’t, choose another. The books must be checked out from the Upper St. Clair Township Library. Alternatively, participants with e-readers may use their device to read library books checked out through CLP’s Overdrive. You will complete a questionnaire for each book you read. Return the questionnaire to the library to get credit for reading your book. Each book you complete gives you a chance to win a prize.

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

RECYCLING SCHEDULE—JUNE 2014 (Corrected)

JUNE 2014 W

OOPS! Your Trash & Recycling Information brochure is in error for June. The above calendar correctly lists the recycling collection weeks (shaded in yellow). Mark the changes to your original schedule or tear out this schedule and use it instead of the originally

F 5

S 6

printed June schedule included in the orange Trash & Recycling Information brochure sent to your home this past December. Thank you. Listed correctly above and in the original brochure mailed to each USC household, bolded dates are USC’s normal Wednesday and Thursday trash collection days and the triangle symbol (∆) denotes the Saturday date for monthly electronic collection (E-cycling) at the Township building parking lot. n

Automated recycling provides many benefits for USC community

By using an automated recycle collection system with carts, USC collection is the most cost-effective and producneighborhoods will have a clean, uniform appearance that will enhance our com- tive system, providing quality service and stable munity’s aesthetics. The cart program—provided through Waste Management, USC’s rates to USC residents. n garbage collection company—will be aligned with Upper St. Clair’s sustainability and environmental goals: • All carts are manufactured using upwards of 30% recycled material and have strong structural integrity to avoid excessive cart breakage. • It is more environmentally friendly with carts of the same color that can be used for all materials collected. Additional benefits of automated carts: • Weight capacity. The integrated wheels will make moving the cart easier than ever. • Durability. The carts can withstand up to 50 mph winds and have a reduced likelihood of spilling or tipping. • Size. A larger cart allows you to collect more recyclables in one container, Stay tuned for additional information regarding the eliminating multiple trips to the curb. April 2015 roll out of the automated cart system. • Reduced noise pollution during collection. Questions? Call Ron Sarrick at 412-831-9000, The carts are simple to use. Just wheel the container to the curb or roadside extension 266. and the Waste Management truck’s mechanical arm will do the rest. Automated 30

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Summer 2014

USC Township Purchases Hybrid Car The Township of Upper St. Clair

recently purchased its first hybrid car, a 2014 Ford C-Max Hybrid. An alternative fuel vehicle that runs on electric power, the Ford C-Max Hybrid is a non plug-in vehicle that generates its power from the gas engine or the regenerative braking system. It boasts a state of the art lithiumion battery power supply. While the efficiency of this vehicle depends on individual driver habits, Ford rates the mileage at 43 MPG in the city. The estimated fuel savings based on the vehicle it replaced is significant at almost three times as much. The Ford C-Max Hybrid is replacing a 2003 Ford extended cab with a V8 engine and a full size bed, with an estimated fuel efficiency of about 16 MPG. Comparing carbon footprints of the two vehicles (based on driving each vehicle 40,000 miles), the Ford truck releases 2.56 tons of CO2 compared to the Ford C-Max Hybrid at 0.59 tons of CO2. The Smog and Greenhouse Gas ratings are 7 and 10, respectively, with 10 the highest rating. Buildings/Grounds & Sustainability Administrator Ron Sarrick will be the primary driver of the Ford C-Max Hybrid. n

T COLLABORATIVE DIVORCE

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Patricia Wozniak Henk

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Live Life Your Way

At Asbury Heights, our Living Well at Asbury initiative enables you to live life at your best. Learn more about Asbury Heights at asburyheights.org or call 1-888-424-8404 for more information.

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Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Recycling, USC Style

Ron Sarrick, Buildings/Grounds & Sustainability Administrator I paused for a minute while writing this to recall our cold winter while enjoying the warm winds and seasonal sunshine. With that thought in mind, let’s talk a bit about the Township’s recycling efforts.

E-cycling The Township has been actively doing its part to recycle within the offices, parks, and other building—archived documents destruction, expired batteries, as well as bulbs (both high intensity and fluorescent) are disposed of annually. The latest recycling of these items has generated approximately 350 bulbs, 130 pounds of batteries, 350 pounds of electric ballasts, and 2600 pounds of paper that would have gone to a landfill. Instead, all of these items have gone to a certified plant for recycling. E-cycling paused for the month of February but was back in full force in March and is continuing to move forward in our community. Bring your fluorescent bulbs, batteries, and other electric or electronic equipment to E-cycling the second Saturday of each month. The collection site is located at the USC Township Municipal Building parking lot by the Veterans Monument Park. See the Township’s orange 2014 Trash & Recycling Information guide mailed to all residents for more details. Parks and Recreational Areas Please use the recycling containers in USC’s neighborhood parks. These containers have been placed for your convenience, reinforcing the Township’s commitment to recycling. Recycling containers are located close to our Township’s athletic fields and trails, as well. Do your part to promote the Township’s program by recycling when and how you can.

Retire Old Glory Unserviceable flags continue to fill the bin at the Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park. The leaders and scouts of local Boy Scout Troop 366 provide the retirement service, by which the flags are retired with honor. The next scheduled retirement is Tuesday, June 10 at the recreation building fire circle on McLaughlin Run Road. Please come and join the ceremony, which is open to the public. Document Destruction The Township will be purging files in its annual maintenance of space for outdated documents, as well as responsible document destruction. The paper is shredded and recycled by the Township’s contractor, JVS. Document destruction will be continuing for the community, as well. The scheduled dates for document destruction this year are Saturday, May 10 and Saturday, October 11. The cost has remained the same. Check the Township’s orange 2014 Trash & Recycling Information guide for more details. Rechargeable Battery Disposal The Township accepts batteries that are rechargeable for recycling. A drop off box is located at the USC Library entry lobby. Follow the instructions by bagging the batteries (bag provided) and placing it in the box. All types of rechargeable batteries are accepted and include batteries for phones, cordless tools, flashlights, small toys, and some motorcycle batteries, to name a few. Note: An individual battery must weigh eight pounds or less. To date, the Township has collected just shy of 200 pounds of rechargeable batteries using this drop off method. n

Community Development

Be Aware of the Rules

According to the Township of Upper St. Clair Codes: • Lawns need to be maintained at a maximum height of six inches from April through October.

• Vehicles without current inspection or registration must be stored in a completely enclosed structure.

• Waste receptacles and recycling containers should be placed at the curb line after 6 p.m. the day before collection with removal before midnight the day of collection. • Boats, trailers, campers, and other types of recreational vehicles must be stored in completely enclosed structures. • Garage sale signs are permitted, provided the following regulations are met: » Signs are located only on the lot where the sale takes place. » Signs are displayed only on the day of the sale. » Signs do not exceed nine square feet combined. » Signs are set back a minimum of ten feet from any side lot line. » Signs are to be placed outside the Township right-of-way. Typically, the right-of-way extends a minimum of 13 feet back from the edge of the street or curb. » Signs may not obstruct sidewalks.

• No structure may be placed within the Township right-of-way except for a driveway or mailbox. A structure is any object having a stationary location on or in lots. The Township right-of-way typically extends back 13 feet from the edge of the road. 32

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Summer 2014

• A newspaper tube is permitted provided it is attached to the existing mailbox post. The newspaper tube may not be supported by a separate structure such as a post or column.

• Realtor open house signs are permitted provided the following regulations are met: » One tent- or easel-type sign, not to exceed four square feet. » Sign permitted to be displayed Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. » Sign must be located a minimum of 13 feet back from the edge of the street or curb. » With permission of property owner, open house signs may be placed on a lot other than the one for sale with the same restrictions above. » No open house signs are allowed on Township-owned property.

• Building permits are required for most construction and remodeling projects. Typical projects that require a building permit include, but are not limited to, sheds, garages, swimming pools, decks, additions, retaining walls, driveway pillars, and patio enclosures. Some projects such as patios and driveways require only zoning approval. In all cases, when a building permit or zoning approval is required, a land survey of the property must be submitted as a part of the permit application process. The Township may have a copy of the property survey on file. Please check the Township website at www.twpusc.org for types of projects requiring a permit and the application process. Questions concerning permit requirements can also be directed to the Community Development Department at 412-831-9000, extension 501.

412-831-9000, ext. 501, www.twpusc.org

Summer Spruce Up Vital For Fire Safety

Sprucing up our homes in preparation for summer activities is an annual ritual for many people. After the long winter months and cool spring, we all look forward to warmer weather and carefree summer activities. Summer cleaning can take on another meaning. It’s the ideal time to check our homes and yards for dangerous materials and unsafe conditions and to spend the time to protect our families and our properties. Take a few minutes to plan your safety cleanup day. Check each room in your house, including the attic and basement, and don’t forget the garage, yard, and storage shed. Plan to do several things: Remove Hazards Check and correct things like: • Frayed or damaged appliance cords, wiring, fuses, or breakers. • Piles of rubbish, trash, and yard debris. • Stacks of paper and magazines; place them in the recycle bin. • Water leaks, especially near electrical appliances. • Proper clearance between heating appliances and combustible items. Properly Store Flammable Liquids and Home Chemicals • Make sure gasoline containers and cleaning fluids are well marked and are out of the reach of children and pets. Store these items in a cool, dry place outside the house. • Cleanup work areas. Put away dangerous tools, adhesives, matches, or other work items, out of the reach of children. • Inventory all home and yard chemicals, paints, and poisons. Store them according to their labels. Properly dispose those which are expired, leaking, or look bad. Do not throw them in the trash or down the drain. • Keep all chemicals under lock and key and out of reach of children and pets.

Check Fire Protection and Safety Equipment • Check your smoke detectors. Do it now, while you’re thinking about it. If you need one, but can’t afford to buy one, call the USC Volunteer Fire Department. They will help you. If you need help checking or replacing a smoke detector battery, also call the fire department. Most importantly, make sure your smoke detectors work. • Check fire extinguishers for proper type and placement. • Check that all doors and windows open easily for fast escapes. • Make sure your house’s street number is posted properly and is visible. • Check that you have a working flashlight and battery-powered radio for the approaching storm season, should your electricity go out. Plan Your Escape Route • Sit down with your family and make sure that everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. Review the fire department’s website page about designing a family escape plan. • Make sure you have two ways out of every room and that you have a meeting place outside the house where the whole family will gather. • Practice the escape plan. Even the best laid plans are no good if not practiced. There’s a lot you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your property. In fact, you are the key to your safety. A little time spent on simple common sense prevention will do a lot to make your house a safer place. Members of the USCVFD are here to help. Call them anytime at the non-emergency number (412-835-0660). They will be happy to show you more ways to protect yourself this summer and all year long. n

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USCVFD and Community Day

Come join the Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department at the main fire station on Route 19 across from Gilfillan Farm during Upper St. Clair Community Day on Saturday, May 17. This year, after the fire trucks ride to the end of the parade route, the apparatus and members will return to the main fire station. In celebration of the fire department’s 75 years of serving the community, the firefighters ask that you gather your family and take the shuttle to the fire station for activities and tours. The fire department will have many historical items on display from the past 75 years. Firefighters will be performing various live demonstrations throughout the day and guided tours of the station will be just a few of the many activities that are planned to celebrate 75 years of serving Upper St. Clair Township and its residents. Bring your kids and grandkids to the fire station and get a photo of them sitting in a real fire truck or with Sparky, the Fire Dog. Who knows what other surprises await? We hope to see you at the fire station on Community Day! n

Upper St. Clair Volunteer Fire Department Non-emergency phone: 412-835-0660 Emergency phone: 412-833-7500, or 911 Summer 2014

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www.pittsburghacupuncture.com UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

CPR Training—“Tri” It Tri-Community South EMS (TCS) continues to urge the residents of Bethel Park, South Park, and Upper St. Clair to keep current in lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). In March 2011, the American Heart Association introduced its Guidelines 2010 for CPR. If you haven’t had a CPR training update since then, or if you’ve never been trained in CPR, now would be an excellent time to get the training. The new guidelines emphasize good, continuous chest compressions with minimal interruptions. They recommend continuous compressions, uninterrupted by rescue breathing, for rescuers other than healthcare providers. TCS is participating in the national effort to train the public in Hand Only CPR. See article on page 35. TCS holds training classes every month at its headquarters at 5490 Progress Boulevard in Bethel Park. TCS can teach your group of six or more students at your location or at its headquarters. Discounted rates are available for groups of 20 or more, scouting groups, students, and senior citizens. TCS is a community training center (CTC) of the American Heart Association. TCS ranks annually in the top ten providers of CPR instruction in Pennsylvania and has held the top spot for the past eight years. TCS offers all of the American Heart Association’s training courses, including: • CPR for Family and Friends. A non-credentialed course for the general public, it covers the recognition and emergency treatment techniques for heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, and choking or airway obstruction in adult patients. It also includes recognition and emergency treatment techniques for cardiac and respiratory emergencies in infants and children, and information on injury prevention and cardiac arrest prevention. The adult and infant and child modules can be taught individually or as one course. Each student receives the Family and Friends booklet and a course attendance card. There is no age requirement, prerequisite, or test. Each module takes two hours to complete. The full course is four hours. • Heartsaver CPR. A credentialed course for the general public,

it covers the recognition and emergency treatment techniques for heart attack, cardiac arrest, stroke, and choking or airway obstruction. It also includes recognition and emergency treatment techniques for cardiac and respiratory emergencies in infants and children, and information on injury prevention and cardiac arrest prevention. It includes the use of barrier devices for ventilation of non-breathing patients, and demonstrates, but does not provide training in, the use of the AED. A skills performance is required to earn a card. Students receive a pocket mask with their materials. The course is four hours. • Heartsaver AED. A credentialed course for the general public, particularly those who have access to an AED at home, school, church, organization, or workplace, it covers the material presented in the Heartsaver CPR course, plus the use of the Automated External Defibrillator. A skills performance is required to earn a card. Each student will receive a textbook and pocket mask to keep. The course is four hours. • Heartsaver First Aid. A credentialed course for the general public, it covers information and training in the general principles of first aid, recognition, and emergency treatment techniques for medical emergencies and injury emergencies, and optionally, environmental emergencies and the material from the Heartsaver CPR and Heartsaver AED courses. A textbook and pocket mask are included. A skills performance is required to earn a card. The first aid module is three hours. With the additional CPR and AED modules, it increases to seven hours. • Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers. A credentialed course for professional rescuers and healthcare workers who are required to obtain and maintain CPR credentials as a part of their licensure, certification, or employment requirements, it includes the material from the Heartsaver CPR and Heartsaver AED courses, plus two-rescuer resuscitation, bag-valve-mask ventilation, advanced obstructed airway techniques, and special resuscitation situations. Skills performance and a written exam are required. The textbook is also required. The course is six hours. n

To register for classes and for information on class fees, dates, times, and locations, or for information on recertification classes or the other classes and services, call Tri-Community South EMS at 412-831-3710, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm, or visit http://www.tcsems.org. 34

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

Hands Only CPR What if you were at the mall, at church, at the grocery store, or at a family gathering, and an adult or a teen suddenly collapsed? What would you do? If you believe such a scenario is far-fetched, you are mistaken. According to the American Heart Association’s latest findings, these sudden emergencies occur at the rate of once every 90 seconds in the U.S. Such collapses, usually the result of a cardiac arrest, typically will have no warning signs and the outcomes are usually fatal unless a bystander recognizes the problem and provides immediate assistance. To meet the challenge of these types of emergencies, the American Heart Association has developed a program called “Hands Only CPR.” This program requires just two steps of the would-be rescuer. The first step taken is to ensure that someone calls 911. If no one else is nearby, the rescuer himself must make the call. The second step calls for the rescuer to push both hard and fast in the middle of the collapsed person’s chest. Simply place the heel of one hand in the middle of the chest. Place the other hand on top with the fingers interlaced and begin pushing straight down as hard as possible. Allow the chest to rebound fully after each compression. The recommended rate of compression is between 100 and 105 times per minute. The rescuer can easily remember the rate by going through either “The Alphabet Song” or “Stayin’ Alive” in his or her mind while maintaining compressions to the beat. Because CPR is physically demanding, it is best if one or two others can take over at regular intervals. Exchanges should be made quickly so as not to miss more than two or three compressions. Continue compressions until emergency medical help arrives. Quick action can do much to give someone a chance to survive these sudden emergencies. Tri-Community South EMS offers a variety of CPR and first aid classes at very reasonable rates (see page 34 for a list of classes). n

Highley Dedicated Knowledgeable Accessible Dependable

Susan Highley ABR, CRS, SRES

$140 Million Sales in 23 Years

“Your Real Estate Needs Are My #1 Priority”

412.833.3600 ext 268 Cell: 412.889.1214

www.shighley.howardhanna.com

community wide flea market SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2014 (Rain or Shine) Place: USCHS Stadium Parking Lot Time: 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Sale) Setup beginning at 6:30 a.m.

Space is limited, so sign-up for your space early. Sellers are responsible for providing their own table. Please complete the following form and mail to: _ Upper St. Clair Recreation, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 Name_________________________________________________________________ Address_______________________________________________________________ Telephone_____________________________________________________________ Classes are conducted for special groups, including athletic coaches and scout leaders. If your group would like a demonstration of “Hands Only CPR,” TCS will arrange a class for you. Visit TCS’s website at www.tcs.org or call 412-831-3710 for details.

Number of spaces needed*_ _____________________________________________ *(A space is two parking spaces, 9’ x 18’ each, one for automobile and one for setup.) Fee per space is $12–resident, $17–nonresident. Check should be made payable to Upper St. Clair Recreation. Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

USC Recreation and Leisure Services

www.twpusc.org Dive into Summer Fun at the C&RC!

Let the USC Recreation Department help you celebrate summer with some great activities. Water Safety Day Saturday, May 24 10-11 a.m. Drowning is preventable! Start your summer out the safe way with the C&RC’s Water Safety Day event. Learn some essential information for keeping everyone safe in and around water. Participants will be both in the water and on the deck. Parental participation is strongly encouraged, so bring your suits! Age Requirement: 3 to 13 years old Fee(s): Free Aqua Interval Mondays and Wednesdays 7:15-8 p.m. Beginning June 2, Aqua Interval moves outdoors! Get your heart pumping with a great interval workout in the C&RC’s outdoor leisure pool. Breathe in the fresh outdoor air, soak up some evening sun, and listen to the sound of the water to invigorate the senses. Age Requirement: Adult (age 16 and older) Fee(s): $48 member per session $64 resident non-member per session $80 surrounding community non-member per session

New in Fitness

TRX Suspension Training The Community & Recreation Center is happy to announce the addition of TRX Suspension Training to the group exercise program. The TRX system leverages gravity and your bodyweight to perform hundreds of exercises. You are in control of how much you want to challenge yourself on each exercise. Simply adjust your body position to add or decrease resistance. A workout for all fitness levels, this fast and effective total body workout helps build a strong core and increases muscular endurance. Classes instructed by Megan Foster started in April. Stop in to try a great new class! 36

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

412-221-1099

Save the Date!

The C&RC Outdoor Pool Opens Saturday, May 24 Hours of Operation: MondaySunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. (Shortened hours, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day) Bad weather? No problem! Don’t let it ruin your plans. Move to the C&RC’s indoor pool where you can continue to swim, splash, and slide the day away!

Resources for Seniors Date: Friday, June 20 Time: 11-11:30 a.m. The World’s Largest Swimming Lesson is a promotional event designed to build awareness and generate local and national press attention about the vital importance of teaching kids to swim to help prevent drowning. Last year, The World’s Largest Swim Lesson organization successfully achieved a new Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson. The C&RC was one of 432 facilities to participate in that event. Attend this year’s event at the C&RC and help break last year’s record! Age Requirement: 3-13 years old Fee(s): Free *Registration begins Friday, May 23. Sign in day of event from 10-10:30 a.m. Participants on the pool deck no later than 10:50 a.m.

C&RC Blood Drive

Thursday, June 5 Noon–6 p.m. Be someone’s hero! In fact, you may help as many as three people with just one donation. Approximately 60% of the population is eligible to donate blood, but only five percent do. It feels great to donate! To register, call 412-221-1099. You are eligible to donate blood if you: • Are in good physical health • Weigh at least 110 pounds • Are at least 16 years old • Have not donated whole blood in the past 56 days Summer 2014

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 taken at School District reception desk at 1820 McLaughlin Run Road.

*Silver Card

Offered by USC Township to residents age 62 or older. Card admits holder to the Municipal three-hole golf course, outdoor tennis facilities, Community & Recreation Center specified programs, and other activities designated and sponsored by the Township of Upper St. Clair. Applications are available at the Community & Recreation Center at Boyce Mayview Park.

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.

Contact the Township’s Older Adult Coordinator 412-221-1099

Calling All Youth Triathletes Day/Date: Saturday, July 26 Time: 7:30-9 a.m.* Place: Starting location at C&RC outdoor pool Fee: $25 per athlete (until June 1) $30 per athlete (June 2-30) $35 per athlete (July 1-25) Ages 7, 8, 9 Swim 75 yards (3 pool lengths) Bike 1 mile Run 0.5 mile

Ages 10, 11, 12 Swim 125 yards (5 pool lengths) Bike 2 mile Run 1 mile

*Wave times are given at the pre-race preparation meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, July 25 at the C&RC. Maximum of 100 total participants, athletes must fill out legal waiver prior to participating. All athletes must arrive at the outdoor pool area at the above age group event day registration starting time. No rain date. Helmet and bike are required.

USC Youth Triathlon Registration Form Participant Name (print): _______________________________________________ Age as of July 26: __________ Gender: ____________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________ Phone Number: _______________________________________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________________ T-shirt size: Child S M L (circle one) Adult S M T-shirt size will be honored for those registering before July 2. Remaining t-shirts will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Parent or Guardian Signature_____________________________________________ Make checks payable to: USC Recreation, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 Registration Deadline: July 25 In consideration of the Township of Upper St. Clair granting me permission to engage in recreational activities at Boyce Mayview Park, the above signed does hereby waive, release, save, and hold harmless and indemnify the Township of Upper St. Clair, its employees, agents, and independent contractors for any and all claims for damage or personal injury to me or loss of property which may be caused by any act or failure to act on the part of the Township of Upper St. Clair, its employees, agents, and independent contractors.

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

The Sounds of Nature Written by Pittsburgh SciTech

Executive Experience Students

www.TheOutdoorClassroomPA.org

The Outdoor Classroom has once again paired up with Pittsburgh’s newest STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) magnet school, the Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, to enable 12th grade students to conduct a senior project. The Outdoor Classroom has received a fine group of students from the school, working with them to create another way for Boyce Mayview Park users to interact with nature using technology. Within Pittsburgh SciTech, the project is referred to as an “Executive Experience,” and every senior-year student must complete a project to graduate. The various projects allow students to acquire skills in the field of science while working with local professionals. Six SciTech students were assigned to The Outdoor Classroom in Upper St. Clair for their Executive Experience to get a taste of what Pittsburgh Sci-Tech “Executive Experience” students at The Outdoor Classroom it’s like to be a real field scientist. Anna McKenna (18) has been interested in environmental science and nature from a very young age. Anna plans to attend college in Philadelphia and double major in psychology and women’s studies. Garreth Campbell (17) grew up in an engineering-focused home setting, but when he took a class on ecology it really jump started his interests in the natural sciences. Garreth believes that this program is an opportunity to expand his knowledge of nature and the science behind it. He plans to enroll in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and study media arts and animation. Unlike the other group members, Marchae Thompkins (17) was not into the outdoors growing up as a child. She never thought she would grow to love the outdoors or appreciate nature as much as she does. She believes this project is a great way for her to extend beyond her comfort zone and try something new. Trent Green (17) grew up always enjoying the outdoors. He has participated in various programs throughout Pennsylvania that involved camping and hiking. Devonte Rogers-Sanders (18) grew up watching Animal Planet. His appreciation for animals and wildlife has continued to grow and he loves this current project. Similarly, Taylajuneic (Tay) Robison (18) has always had a tremendous love for nature, science, and life in general. She anticipates that this project will further her gratitude for the environment along with a better understanding of how it works. Tay plans to attend a college or university this coming fall, where she will major in environmental engineering and minor in Spanish. The students have been busy acquainting themselves with Boyce Mayview Park and its extensive trail system. The main goal of the students’ Executive Experience with The Outdoor Classroom is to record the sounds of the local ecosystem in order to help the hearing impaired who come to the park. The students will be recording various sounds as well as constructing a webpage in which the recordings and analysis of the sounds will be placed. The students see this project as hard work, but beneficial to those pursuing careers in environmental science. The benefit to Boyce Mayview Park and to its visitors is obvious. Park visitors can view the student’s webpage and perhaps gain a more complete understanding of the park’s wildlife, thus enhancing their park experience. n

The Outdoor Classroom Community and Family Events May 2014 Spring Migratory Bird Count All About Birds Day SOD Hike: Wildflowers

June 2014 1

Soil & Water Conservation Merit Badge

Moonstruck Full Moon Hike

Outdoor Skills for Babysitters

Fun with Essential Oils for the Whole Family

Campout in the Park

Spring’s Bounty Wild Edibles

Amphibians & Reptiles of Western Pennsylvania

August 2014 23

Geo-Pupping: Geocaching with Your Dog

Medicine Cabinet Makeover

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

Summer Camps 2014

While you’re waiting to experience the SciTech students’ work, you can join The Outdoor Classroom for some great outdoor fun at these upcoming events! Summer camps are now open for registration. • Jr. Naturalists–Habitats (ages 4-6): June 23-27 • Bullfrogs & Pollywogs–Critters (ages 2-4): July 9, 16, 23, 30, and August 6 • Eco-Kids–Feathered Friends (ages 7-10): July 21-25 • Seasonal Science Series–Birds (ages 8-12): July 28-August 1

The Classroom Turns Ten and It Has Grown!

Jessica Kester, Program Manager, The Outdoor Classroom We all know that this past winter was a long, cold one. No more so than for me as I sat alone in the offices at the Classroom with only the passing hiker and my beagle, Jack, to keep me company. You may have heard that our beloved Mr. John stepped down as the program administrator last fall and has re-retired to spend more quality time as a grandfather in Peters Township. Also, at the end of the year, Miss Ashley moved on from tending our Team Tadpole program and is venturing out West in search of her next career move. This left me as the only person in the office this past winter. But fear not, my lonely spell has ended! I am now surrounded by a wonderful staff once again. Not only does the Classroom have a new program administrator, Eva Barinas, but we also gained a new fulltime position—Sr. Program Facilitator—replacing Miss Ashley with longtime staff member Julie Travaglini. The Classroom has now grown to three, yes three, fulltime employees in addition to our part-time education facilitators that you see on our hikes and other programs. What a great way to start out our tenth anniversary year! Let me introduce you to the new fulltime staff. Eva is thrilled to join The Outdoor Classroom. While spending most of her childhood being the “new kid” since her family moved a lot, she found solace in nature. As a child, Eva could be found climbing trees, building forts, or making mud balls to throw at her brother. As an adult, this adoration for the outdoors found her horseback Eva Barinas riding, backpacking in numerous countries, living off the grid in Maine, creating nature-inspired art, and earning her MS degree in ecology from Lesley University in Massachusetts. For the past several years, Eva taught in city schools, a Waldorf school, art-themed summer camps, and nature centers. As The Julie Travaglini Outdoor Classroom’s program administrator, she spends her time on curriculum development, volunteer coordination, and playing outside. She hopes to share her enthusiasm and fascination of our natural spaces with all of you. Eva is in charge of our summer camps, too, so be sure to stop by and speak with her about how much fun your child will have this summer at one of our nature camps! Julie’s mom knew from an early age that her love of the natural world ran deep. From eating dirt and digging up handfuls of earthworms to refusing to leave the zoo, Julie’s passion was always nature. Luckily, her interests and hobbies in the natural world have progressed since then. Julie’s grown up hobbies include hiking, kayaking, reading, traveling, and overall adventuring. Earning a bachelor’s degree in biology and a masters in secondary science education, Julie has had the opportunity to teach at some of the top zoos and arboretums in the country. She first joined The Outdoor Classroom in 2009 as a facilitator and recently took over the role of sr. program facilitator and Team Tadpole leader. She is excited to share her passion for animals and nature with young children, hoping to instill in them the same passion for the wild world that she developed at their age. OK, maybe minus the eating dirt part! Now that I am surrounded by such talented and energetic (and I’ll admit, a little giggly at times) educators, I’m really excited to continue our tenth anniversary here at the Classroom. We have come so far in our mission to connect people with the natural world of Southwestern Pennsylvania. In 2013, we reached nearly 16,000 individuals from ages two through adult during our site-based and on-the-road activities. That’s a 21% increase over 2012 and a large leap from the original 375 participants in 2004, our opening year. This year, we’ll be focusing on three flagship programs. Our Team Tadpole nature programs bring hands-on activities and biofacts like skins and skulls to underserved preschool children. With the generous help of the PNC Grow Up Great program, we were able to reach over 3600 children ages two to six in Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland, Greene, and Beaver Counties in less than 11 months. Our amazing work as part of the Upper St. Clair K-4 School District curriculum continues strong as we finish out the 2013-14 school year. We look forward to the fall programs and the newest group of kindergarten students to begin their five-year journey exploring nature with the Classroom. The newest flagship project has us working with the sixth through eighth grade teachers and students at Harrison Middle School in the Baldwin Whitehall School District as part of their new Wonders of Water (WoW) integrated middle school curriculum, which includes both in-class and field studies for more than 1000 students each school year. I have been fortunate to be a part of the Classroom for the past eight years and I’m looking forward to many more exciting explorations to come. Thank you for all of your support Upper St. Clair, and I look forward to seeing you on the trails! n Summer 2014

TOP PRODUCER

Maureen Cavanaugh

Year after year, home after home, Top Producer, National Sales Excellence, Listing and Sales Leader, Residential Relocation Specialist 30 year USC Resident — I live here and work here... There is no better place!! Just look at my sold listings, the proof is in the performance! Let me put my experience to work for you in getting your most valuable asset sold in the shortest period of time at a price that will be competitive and aggressive. Our award winning schools, state of the art recreation center, access to major highways and a vibrant downtown make Upper St. Clair a great place to call HOME!!

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412-833-3600 ext. 226 mcavanaugh@howardhanna.com

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Park It!

Municipal Park

The Township of Upper St. Clair can fill your summer days with fun and laughter as you and

your family visit its many parks and parklets. Go for an early morning stroll or pack a lunch and stay to play. Feel the evening’s cool breeze as you enjoy the swings, climbing bars, a ball field, or a welcoming bench. You don’t have to travel far to enjoy green space and summer activity. Our Township welcomes you to come and park it!  Township

Fields/Courts

Playground Equipment Play unit and swing set

Miscellaneous

Baker Park 13.82 acres

1 small baseball field, 1 large baseball field, 2 lighted basketball courts, 1 lighted sand surface, volleyball court, 2 tennis courts, 2 lighted bocce courts, 2 pickleball courts

Bike rack, small shelter, water fountain, picnic tables, grass play area, large covered sand play area, natural surface trail head, perimeter trail

Beadling Soccer Field 3.36 acres

soccer field

Boyce Field 1 acre

baseball field

Dugouts, batting cage, bleachers

Boyce Mayview Park 475+ acres

1 baseball field, 1 softball field, 1 football/soccer field 1 Miracle League baseball field

Natural area and wetlands, ten miles of natural surface walking trails, perimeter trail connecting Morton Complex to Baker Park to the active area of Boyce Mayview Park, including The Outdoor Classroom, pavilion (rentable facility), open space, Community & Recreation Center, with its 90,000-square-foot facility featuring indoor/outdoor aquatics, state-of-the-art fitness, group fitness rooms, 1/8 mile walking track, 2 full-size basketball courts, rentable community rooms Natural area

Brookside Park 3.7 acres Byrnwick Park 7.05 acres

1 lighted basketball court, 1 tennis court

Play unit and swing set

Walking track—handicapped accessible, water fountain, walkway lighting, grass play area

Clair Park 2.2 acres

1 basketball court

Play unit with slide and 2 swing sets

Large grass play area, water fountain, small shelter, walkway lighting, splash pad 1.25 mile outer loop wood chip trail with interior trail through meadow

Gilfillan Park 59.57 acres Hays Park 4.21 acres

1 basketball court, 1 tennis court

Play unit and swing set

Asphalt walking trail, splash pad, small shelter, water fountain, grass multi-purpose area

Johnston Park 2.48 acres

1 lighted basketball court (1 full court and 6 baskets), 1 tennis court, 1 lighted hockey court

Play unit and swing set

Walking path, water fountain, walkway lighting

Marmion Field 11.32 acres

1 soccer field, 1 lighted baseball field

Morton Complex 7.5 acres

3 soccer fields, 1 lighted field 2 lighted baseball fields

Play unit above Morton 2 area

2 batting cages, concession building, shelter, dugouts, announcer’s booth, natural surface trail head, perimeter trail

Municipal Park 29.75 acres

10 lighted tennis courts with 6 courts under air structures for winter season, 2 lighted paddle courts, 1 lighted little league baseball field with dugouts, concession stand, picnic shelter, 2 lighted basketball courts, 1 sand volleyball court

Swing set, Seperate 2-5 & 5-12 year old play structures, with synthetic turf safety surface, mega-tower w/ two 10-ft twist tube slides, climbing wall, tot and traditional swings, and Mr. Kilimanjaro climbing rock.

Recreation Center (rentable facility) building with meeting facilities, kitchen, pool table, and restrooms, outdoor horseshoe pits, large picnic shelter, 3-hole golf course, water fountain, batting cages

Shelter and bleachers, 2 water fountains

Natural area

Ravine Park 10.51 acres Trotwood Park 8 acres

1 basketball court, 1 tennis court, multi-purpose field

Play unit and swing set

2 water fountains, shelter, splash pad, walkway lighting

Tustin Park 6.52 acres

1 basketball court

Play unit and swing set

Asphalt/wood chip walking trail around park Visual presentation of military history, benches, lighting

Veterans Park Wiltshire Park 11.2 acres

2 lighted basketball courts, 1 lighted street hockey court

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

1 large sand play area, 1 swing set with 2 infant swings, 1 large play structure

Track ride, merry-go-round, shelter area, Dolphin spray pool, water fountain, walkway lighting, grass play area

Sewers 101

ALCOSAN and Its History

Ruthann L. Omer, P.E., Township Engineer

What is ALCOSAN and why do we need it? In the first “Sewers 101” article, basic sewer knowledge was discussed, including definitions and wet weather knowledge. (See TODAY, Spring 2014 edition, page 64) In this edition, we will cover what happens to wastewater once it enters the system. To review, every private residence, building, or business has a private sewer lateral that connects its plumbing to the Township’s sanitary sewer collector system. The collector system connects to an interceptor sewer/trunk sewer that flows to the ALCOSAN (Allegheny County Sanitary Authority) point of connection, and ultimately to the ALCOSAN treatment plant.

ALCOSAN, What Is It?

“Located along the Ohio River on Pittsburgh’s North side, ALCOSAN provides wastewater treatment services to 83 communities, including the City of Pittsburgh. ALCOSAN’s 59-acre treatment plant is one of the largest wastewater facilities in the Ohio River Valley, processing up to 250 million gallons of wastewater daily. ALCOSAN was created in 1946 under the Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Act and began treating wastewater in 1959. Secondary (biological) treatment processes were added in 1972. ALCOSAN is governed by a seven-member board of directors, including three appointed by the mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, three appointed by the Allegheny County chief executive, and one joint appointment. An executive director reports to the ALCOSAN board. ALCOSAN’s mission is to provide cost-effective, customeroriented, and environmentally-conscious wastewater treatment that protects public health and enhances the use of our natural resources. As a nonprofit agency, ALCOSAN is funded solely by user fees with capital funds raised through the sale of sewer revenue bonds. There are 320,000 residential, commercial, and industrial accounts representing a service population of 900,000.

An environmentally- and technologically-focused organization, ALCOSAN recently completed a $400 million capital improvement project that addressed odor control, treatment capacity, solids handling, and wet weather planning. (“ALCOSAN, About Us” can be retrieved from http:// http://www.alcosan.org/ AboutUs/tabid/54/Default.aspx). The ALCOSAN system was designed and permitted to have over flows. An overflow is used when the sewer system cannot handle the flow and the wastewater is diverted through the overflow pipes directly into a river instead of flowing to the ALCOSAN treatment plant. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered ALCOSAN and the municipalities it serves to reduce or eliminate overflows. Do you want to learn more about ALCOSAN? There is a free, open house on Saturday, September 20, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A funfilled learning day, there will be hands-on environmental exhibits, wastewater treatment plant and laboratory tours, microbiology and watershed life demonstrations, and educational activities for all ages. For more information, visit the ALCOSAN website at www.alcosan.org.

ALCOSAN, Why Do We Need It?

Prior to 1930, the main option for a “collection system” was an outhouse (a structure outside the house with holes or tanks in the ground to collect sewage). Over time, upgrades were made to some residences and businesses, which included laterals that connected to the house which then drained to a creek or stream. Becoming an extremely important environmental issue of the 1930s and 40s, the concept of a central sewage plant came to life. Based on the massive construction that needed to be done to create a private, public, and main line collection system, there was no easy solution. So why do we need ALCOSAN? It’s plain and simple. Given the option of an outhouse, a tank, a stream or creek, or flow to ALCOSAN, everyone would choose ALCOSAN, a central sewage plant! In this issue of TODAY and in the Spring 2014 issue, we’ve discussed topics surrounding Basic Sewer Knowledge, Definitions, Wet Weather Issues, ALCOSAN, What Is It?, and ALCOSAN, Why Do We Need It? Next up in our Fall 2014 issue, we will learn about Consent Order, Feasibility Study, Operation and Maintenance (O & M), and how the Township has stayed and will continue to stay in compliance with regulations. n Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

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McLaughlin Run Road at Lesnett Road •••••••••••••••••

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The Chief Partners

Piccolina’s Restaurant

Design Image Salon, Joe Ruffalo

Pgh. Stone & Waterscapes

Emma’s Market & Deli, Inc.

Questa Petroleum Co.

Peter Gialames & Associates

Randal Agency, Allstate Ins.

Interior Designs/Furnishings

Eric J. Reitz DMD &

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Jennings & Co., CPA

Richardson Family

Jimcor Associates, Inc.

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Suburban Dry Cleaners

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TEC Marketing & Entertainment

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4100 Library Road Castle Shannon, PA 15234

412-343-4100

manalosmiles@aol.com Provider of most major insurances. Day, evening, and weekend appointments available. Graduate of University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine and proud resident of Upper St. Clair.

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

C OMMONS FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Let us make you smile!

T imothy J. K err , D.M.D. R omana P autler K err , D.M.D.

KK 412-257-4250

Pinebridge Commons Suite 207 Chairside Whitening System

kerrdmd.com

. . .O N E S TO P C O N V E N I E N C E 1580 McLaughlin Run Rd Pittsburgh PA 15241

412-257-1150 4000 Waterdam Plaza McMurray PA 15317

PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING, EVALUATION, & MEDIATION SERVICES

Melissa D. Michel, MSCP, NCC, LPC

724-942-4840 Specializing in Treating Mood Disorders, Behavior Disorders, and Complicated Grief in Children/ Adolescents, Couples, and Families

133 West Allegheny Road Imperial PA 15126

724-695-0133

Our primary goal is to give your child positive memories that instill lifelong hygiene habits.

CALL 412-407-2900 FOR A FREE PHONE CONSULTATION OR TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

Provider of Most Major Insurance Plans including Cigna, Aetna, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, and United Healthcare. I also Accept Some Employee Assistance Programs.

Office hours are Monday through Friday. Evening appointments are available.

WWW.MELISSADMICHEL.COM Summer 2014

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Enjoy Summer!

This Summer, Rediscover Reading

Jennifer Roberts, Administrative Director, Extended Day Services As children learn to read in school, they often begin to associate reading with work, not enjoyment. But you can help your child rediscover reading as a way to learn new things and acquire new skills, to associate reading with fun! Turn your child’s reluctance into enthusiasm in the three short months of summer by following these five guidelines: 1. Expand your definition of reading Magazines, comic books, baseball cards, joke books, sports almanac—it all counts as reading. Even kids who don’t like reading have subjects they want to know more about—hockey, alligators, space, or magic, for example. Search for things your children might like to read related to their interests or hobbies. The Guinness Book of World Records is a fun place to start. There’s nothing like a really silly book to convince children that reading can be fun. Let them enjoy titles like Captain Underpants and The Day My Butt Went Psycho without passing judgment. Finally, consider poetry. Kids who hesitate to tackle an entire book may feel a sense of accomplishment 44

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

by finishing a poem. In addition, rhyme is sometimes easier for young children to read and understand. 2. Relax the bedtime rules Make sure your kids read for fun by extending bedtime by half an hour if that time is spent reading in bed! You can even bring your own book or magazine and read in bed with your child. As little as ten minutes of free reading a day can help improve your child’s skills and habits. 3. Combine activities with books With summer comes lots of opportunities for activities, including the zoo, the beach, museums, and amusement parks. Why not also encourage your children to read a book about these activities? If you’re going to a baseball game, suggest that your child read a book about a favorite player beforehand. If your family is planning a camping trip, purchase books about the best camp sites or fun things to do while on the trip. 4. Learn a new skill from books Without a regular school regimen, kids need more activities to fill the hours. Books that teach kids how to make or do something Summer 2014

fun are a great way to get kids reading and keep them occupied. Help children to understand that reading is an activity with a purpose—a way to gather useful information for enjoyable activities such as making paper airplanes, identifying a coin in your collection, or planning and hosting a pool party. 5. Offer special incentives The USC Township Library has a great children’s summer reading program, complete with prizes! (See page 29.) Children are excited to show off all the books they have read. For many children, the excitement of going to the bookstore to purchase a book of their own choosing is also a powerful tool. Finally, encourage children to read books on which movies are based and then rent the movies for family movie nights. By following these five easy suggestions, children can learn that reading is the key to all kinds of fun and exciting summer activities and more! Make this summer an opportunity to help your child rediscover reading. n See ad for Extended Day Servicses on this page.

Enjoy Summer! Outdoor Activities and Seniors, a Perfect Pittsburgh Match Marilyn Walsh, Baptist Homes Society Director of Public Relations

After the winter Pittsburghers experienced, everyone is eager to get outside this summer, including our elderly friends and relatives. Pittsburgh is a senior-friendly place, and even those with health or mobility limitations are able to participate in many of Pittsburgh’s great outdoor activities. With a little thought and pre-planning, they can View from the Allegheny River share in some of Pittsburgh’s best. Dionne Rose, the activity director at Baptist Homes in Mt. Lebanon, is a pro at planning summer events for seniors. She recommends, “Ask about their interests before planning their outings for the summer months. Last summer our residents wanted to go to the Strip District. Our outing included lunch and a wonderful tour with a docent from the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. They loved it!” Here are some other Pittsburgh outing ideas and information that may be useful when bringing along a senior: • Zoo Trip. The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is a wonderful way to spend a day. Don’t let the winding hillside pathway deter you from bringing along your favorite senior citizen. The zoo has a tram that operates daily (weather permitting) from Memorial Day through Labor Day and stops at eight major locations in the park, helping to minimize the amount of walking necessary. The zoo has lightweight adult strollers and ADA compliant facilities available. There are also plenty of shady spots to stop for a short rest and to take in the sights and sounds. • Ball Game. PNC Park is big on seniors. Seniors and anyone who needs special accommodations may request accessible seating. The facility has elevators to get you to every floor and, if requested, you will be provided with a wheelchair for use within the facility. Best of all, there are also senior ticket discounts available. • Botanical Gardens. Pittsburgh has some great gardens that are accessible and offer varied and beautiful greenery. Some also include areas to dine, relax, and enjoy the outdoors. Phipps Conservatory & Gardens is a wonderful place for people of all ages. New indoor and outdoor areas, dining venues, and seasonal shows make Phipps an all-day event that seniors thoroughly enjoy. A lesser known garden is the Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden in Oakland. It is a pastoral representation of the River Jordan. Plants are labeled with biblical verses and are displayed among replicas of ancient farming tools. • Kennywood is more than rides. Don’t be too quick to dismiss a trip to Kennywood for the seniors in your life. The amusement park offers some of the most beautiful gardens and some of the most-loved food in the area. Can you say Potato Patch? With discounted senior tickets and great people-watching opportunities, it’s a proven outing that’s fun for all! • Gateway Clipper Fleet. All aboard! Whether it’s an hour-long sightseeing tour, a three-hour dinner cruise, or other special cruise, there’s nothing like a view of the city from the river. The boats are wheelchair and ADA compliant but, just as the boats vary, so do the amenities (ramps, bathrooms, stairs), so it is wise to call ahead with specific needs before scheduling your cruise. Keep your eye out for senior specials, too. In the past, the Gateway Clipper Fleet has offered free and BOGO fares for seniors on certain days in the summer. Jessica Corey, the activities director at Providence Point notes, “The key to a great outing for seniors is to make sure you take into account their abilities, interests, and limitations. When we go out as a group, we always make sure that our outings are accessible to all, that they offer opportunities to See ad for Providence Point, a Baptist eat, refresh and rest, and that added support is Homes Society Community, on page 2. available, when necessary.” n Summer 2014

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Enjoy Summer! Carnegie Upper St. Clair Bloomfield

412-429-2122 www.pghma.com

We’ve got a lot in store for you this summer!

• Private & Group Music Lessons • Two Cello Fury Rock Camps • Chamber Music Intensive Summer Camp • Greater Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute Give us a call for more details! 412-429-2122 or check out our website www.pghma.com

Music Lasts a Lifetime

Learn the Suzuki Way Carrie Walsh Erderly, Director of Marketing, Pittsburgh Music Academy The Pittsburgh Music Academy bass, piano, guitar, and flute. The program is designed so that (PMA) was founded in 1996 by five musi- students interact with staff twice a week, with one private lesson cians looking to offer a higher quality of and one group lesson. Students are given plenty of opportunities instruction in a student-friendly environment. Over the past 17 to perform, including monthly solo recitals and several group years, PMA has grown to instructing more than 300 students and performances. These performances allow the student to become now has three locations: Carnegie, Bloomfield, and Upper St. Clair. comfortable playing in front of audiences. Music is a strong vePMA is a private music school based upon the philosophy and hicle that enriches our communities, and several times each year teachings of Shinichi Suzuki. The Suzuki method is about the students perform at senior living and retirement homes. way the lessons are presented, not the books that can be found Are you thinking about lessons for yourself or your child? in any music book store. Dr. Suzuki believed that children learn There are several ways to get started with lessons at the Pittsburgh to speak by hearing, repeating, and being praised for imitating Music Academy. Open houses twice a year at the Carnegie locaspeech, and called it the “mother tongue method.” With parents tion allow you to come and observe private and group classes and and teachers working together as a team at lessons and at home, ask questions. At the open houses, you can also get a glimpse of the child will learn to play an instrument. music education classes, including theory, music and movement, Pursuing musical excellence with the Suzuki method develops and choir. It’s best to observe lessons before starting any musical self-esteem and the ability to learn complex mental and physical instrument or class to make sure you like the teacher interaction skills. Music teaches a child discipline, work habits, and a lifelong and you believe it will be a good fit for you or for your child. appreciation of music. When a child learns a musical instrument, PMA’s Pre-Twinkle Camp, held at the school’s Carnegie location, it impacts all aspects of his development. These disciplines en- is a great introduction to learn about an instrument that your hance academic studies. child might be interested to play and for you to learn about the PMA believes that every child can! Every child can learn a school and its philosophy. musical instrument, and through careful teaching and parental Music benefits everyone’s lives, especially a child’s. Music lasts support, become successful in music to enrich all aspects of his a lifetime and is one of the best gifts a parent can give a child. n or her life. PMA’s mission is to provide people of all ages the For answers on how to begin your musical journey, visit PMA’s website at www.pghma.com or call 412-429-2122. See ad on this page. opportunity to make music. PMA teaches violin, viola, cello, 46

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Summer 2014

Enjoy Summer! Camping and Woods Safety for the Whole Family There are lots of things you’ll want to consider before hitting the trail, whether you’re headed out alone or with little ones in tow. Whatever the plan, it’s always best to be informed and safe. Before You Head Into the Wild • Make a checklist. Tents, bedding, clothes, toiletry items, cooking supplies, food and water, and fishing gear are all things you might need. Love the Outdoors has a comprehensive camping checklist that covers all sorts of situations. • Get vaccinated. It can help protect against certain diseases and conditions. Check with your healthcare provider to see if you and your family’s vaccinations are up-to-date. • Pack a first aid kit, including antibiotic wipes and cream, bandages, burn ointment, eye wash, hydrogen peroxide, insect repellent, medical tape, pain relievers, personal medications, scissors, snake bite kit, sterile gauze, sunburn lotion, sunscreen, and tweezers. • Pack and prepare food safely. Store food in waterproof bags or containers and keep in an insulated cooler. When preparing meals, make sure to wash your hands and cooking surfaces, keep raw and cooked foods separate, and heat foods to proper temperatures. • Take plenty of drinking water. Bottled water can be a hassle, but it’s much safer than drinking directly from lakes, rivers, or freshwater streams. If you must use water from a natural body of water, make sure it’s disinfected first. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have valuable information on safe drinking water. Getting Back to Nature Safely • Protect yourself from the sun. Sunscreen, sunglasses, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and a wide-brimmed hat all help to minimize exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. Sunburns can happen quickly, even on overcast days. • Practice fire safety. Make sure to keep your campfire safe. Build your fire away from overhanging tree branches. Make sure it has a metal fire ring or is encircled with rocks. Keep a bucket of water and shovel nearby. Never leave a campfire unattended and be sure to completely extinguish it before you leave.

• Protect against carbon monoxide poisoning. Portable gas stoves, heaters, lanterns, charcoal grills, and other gasburning equipment should never be used inside a tent, camper, or other enclosed shelter. • Beware of insects. While bites and stings from some insects can be harmless, others can lead to serious problems. Apply insect repellent regularly and be sure to follow the directions on the package. • Avoid poisonous plants. Poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac are the most common plants that can be dangerous. Familiarize yourself with them and learn what to do in case you come into contact with them. Never eat wild berries, mushrooms, or other plants. • Never approach wild animals. They can be very unpredictable, territorial, and protective. Do not attempt to feed them and keep your food safely stored away or suspended from a tree. • Practice water safety. Stay out of untreated or contaminated water. Never swim alone. Always wear a life jacket when in a boat or canoe. Children Need Extra Protection • Supervise closely. Make sure they stay within your sight and don’t wander off. Give them each a whistle to wear around their necks to use if lost or in an emergency. • Provide a flashlight. Children love to play with them, and having one can make them feel safer after dark. • Keep them warm. Children get cold faster than adults. Dress them in several layers, which can be peeled off as they get warm and added on as they cool off. • Cover feet at all times. There are lots of things in the wild that can injure unprotected feet. Hiking boots for long walks, swim socks for the water, and flip-flops for the beach are all great options. There’s no reason why you and your family can’t escape the daily routine and head out into the great outdoors for a safe, enjoyable getaway. With a little planning and a little preparation, you’ll be sitting around the campfire in no time. n

Article provided by Cindy Brophy, State Farm® agent. See ad on page 42. Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Enjoy Summer! Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center 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 8)

Call the Recreation Center at 412-561-4363 for times and rates Or visit us online at www.mtlebanon.org

USC Kennywood Day Monday, June 16 Rides open at 11 a.m. ce is Bus ser vi from available er Elementar y Eisenhow

Fun Day Pass

$25

Ticket sales on Friday, May 9 at the following school buildings at the designated times: High School.........................................................7:30 a.m. Eisenhower..........................................................8:15 a.m. Fort Couch..........................................................9:00 a.m. Baker.....................................................................9:45 a.m. Boyce....................................................................9:45 a.m. Streams...............................................................10:30 a.m. St. Louise de Marillac......................................11:00 a.m. Final ticket sales date to be announced for sales at Municipal Building Lobby...............9 a.m.-1 p.m. Payment by cash or money order only. Watch for mailings or contact the School District Central Office at 412-833-1600, extension 2202. 48

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Summer 2014

Benefits of Being an Active Older Adult Lori O’Brien, RN, Director of Health and Wellness, Asbury Heights

Older adults are faced with the inability to perform varying levels of activity, whether because of physical limitations or lifestyle choices. Studies have shown that by keeping our bodies and brains active, we live longer and age healthier. In addition to focusing on the fun in your summer activities, consider some of the benefits of an active lifestyle. Fresh Air and Vitamin D According to a study published in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Environmental Psychology, time spent outdoors makes people feel “more alive.” Being outdoors in fresh air can lead to an increased sense of vitality and energy, which can help boost resiliency to physical illness. With the warm weather here and the long, harsh winter a distant memory, enjoying the sunshine is a great way to get vitamin D. Vitamin D strengthens your immune system, which plays a key role in cancer prevention. It also strengthens bones, while building metabolism and overall good emotional health. Gardening Gardening provides many physical and mental health benefits. If you don’t have the yard for a garden, you can work on a community garden (for example, Boyce Road Gardeners–call 412-221-3118) or join a garden club. For some, the physical nature of gardening may be too strenuous, but even the sight of colorful flowers can be beneficial for stimulating the brain. Gardening can: • Provide exercise and improve mobility and flexibility. • Increase overall fitness and improve motor skills by involving multiple areas of the body with bending, stooping, and reaching. • Help prevent or reduce problems with certain diseases, including osteoporosis. Stay Mobile and Active Mobility is critical to maintaining independence as you age. Moving can assist in stretching muscles and, in turn, improve flexibility. To prevent falls and enhance balance, older adults should perform physical activity three or more days a week for at least 30 minutes a day. The following are some fun, low-impact activities to keep you mobile: Wii™ games, walking, Yoga, stretching, swimming, painting, Tai Chi, and dancing. For a simple exercise to improve bone strength in your ankles, rise onto your toes and hold it for a count of five. Gently lower yourself and repeat. Bone strength is essential in the prevention of fractures and osteoporosis. It is important to maintain bone strength at three specific sites in the body—the wrist, hip and spine. To strengthen your wrists, squeeze a tennis ball ten times a day, holding each squeeze for five seconds. This simple activity will increase bone density within six months. There is strong, scientific evidence indicating that people who are active have a lower risk of heart disease, depression, stroke, some cancers, and dementia. At Asbury Heights, we want you to live life at your best! n

Visit www.asburyheights.org or call 1-888-424-8404 to learn more about the Living Well at Asbury initiative, focused on helping older adults achieve more function and fewer limitations. See ad for Asbury Heights on page 31.

Enjoy Summer! Summer Safety Reminders Sarah Kathleen Hedman, College Nannies+Tutors

School’s almost out for the summer! A safe and enjoyable summer is within reach if you practice a bit of precaution along with the fun. Here are a few favorite summer safety tips: Be bold. With busy outdoor activities like visits to the zoo, playgrounds, and festivals, keeping an eye on a quick toddler or a group of children can be made easier by dressing children in bright, bold, or unusual colors so they are easier to spot in a crowd. The adult or group leader should sport the same color. Also, always know what your children are wearing in case they are separated from you and you need to give a quick description to a store clerk or an event volunteer. Let your child know what color you are wearing, as well. Drink it in. Dehydration is a common summer problem. Don’t leave the house without water and store extra water in a cooler in the car for longer trips; encourage drinking water by example. Certain fruits, including melons, are a great way to sneak in extra liquid, as well. Watch for dehydration headaches, common in children and adults at this time of year. Sun protection. Make a daily ritual of applying sunscreen for children six months and older. Apply liberally first thing in the morning, even before getting dressed, then reapply often and always after swimming. It takes up to 30 minutes for the chemicals in sunscreen to start working, so make sure your children have sunscreen on before they go outside. The lotion type of sunscreen with an SPF of 15+, broad spectrum, is best. To make it fun, apply while standing in front of a mirror and use the sunscreen to make letters or shapes for them to rub in by themselves, then check that they’ve covered all parts, including the scalp, backs of knees, and ears. Don’t forget those tender lips; apply a lip balm with sunscreen protection. Use protection on cloudy days, since most of the sun’s rays pass through clouds even when it’s overcast. Pay special attention when children are playing near sand and water, since these surfaces can reflect up to 85% of the sun’s damaging rays. Finally, choose tightly woven fabrics for your children’s clothing and insist on a hat to better block the sun’s rays.

Standing water. Water that collects in pails, plant pots, or similar containers is a hazard for young children. Always empty pails after using them and keep containers turned upside down so rain water doesn’t collect. A curious toddler can accidentally topple over, head first, into a pail of water and drown. Make sure all water sources are carefully monitored. Turn off outdoor faucets when not supervised or secure with a buttoned spigot. Pool safety. Children should never have unsupervised access to any pool, regardless of depth. The most important rule of pool safety is “never turn your back.” Be sure any pool area near your home is gated. Don’t rely on floaties or other flotation devices for safety. A pool or beach with a lifeguard is not a substitute for a parent or child care supervisor’s continual monitoring. Equipment gets hot! Playground equipment, seat buckles, lawn chairs, and similar type of equipment that are in the direct sun get hot. Little ones can easily get burned, or minimally get an unpleasant surprise, if they come into contact with hot equipment. Test slides, swing chains, car seat buckles, and other equipment or furniture before your child’s use. Keep a towel in the car to cover buckles from direct sun. Little buggers. Check periodically for ant hills, bee hives, and wasp nests. A curious child doesn’t know that these house insects that can sting and itch. Remove these hazards when your child is absent so they don’t gain false security and try to remove them themselves. Speaking of bugs. Bug sprays are now available in wipe form. Perfect for little ones who can be annoyed by the spray and cannot keep their eyes closed for the Summer 2014

application. Consult your physician about DEET and what ages your children can safely use the repellant. Very young toddlers should only use repellant with minimal amounts of DEET (under 12-15%). To the rescue. Assemble a small first aid kit to keep in your stroller, car, or bike sack. Outings can be cut short if an injury cannot be cared for. Useful items include hand disinfectant, band aids, aloe lotion, tweezers, antiseptic, pen and paper, copy of insurance card, rubber bands, wet wipes, extra sunscreen, and insect repellant. Street savvy. Sometimes the most childfriendly neighborhoods don’t produce the most street-savvy children. Practice sidewalk safety and driveway knowledge with your child. Consider that your child may be visiting a friend who lives on a busier street. Head check. Recheck the size, fit, and structure of all sports helmets, and ensure that when using any equipment with wheels, a helmet is properly worn. A helmet involved in a serious fall or accident should likely be replaced. Secure helmet straps and check fit throughout the summer; children grow quickly! Finally, and if age-appropriate, make sure your child knows his full name, phone number, and address. If possible, have him memorize the cell or work number of a parent or family friend, or at least, a parent’s first and last name. Summer is one of our greatest pleasures. Help your greatest assets enjoy it safely by taking precautions as the season gets into full swing! n Each College Nannies+Tutors location is independently owned and operated. See ad on page 85. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Upper St. Clair School District Board of School Directors

Louis P. Mafrice, Jr. President 412-851-0622 2017*

Harry F. Kunselman 412-851-1115 2017*

Frank J. Kerber Vice President 412-833-4873 2017*

Louis M. Oliverio 724-941-4584 2015*

Amy L. Billerbeck 412-833-2712 2015*

Angela B. Petersen 412-831-7182 2015*

*Date indicates expiration of term.

Barbara L. Bolas 412-833-9841 2015*

Buffy Z. Hasco 412-833-5712 2017*

The 2014 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.

Rebecca A. Stern 412-220-0745 *Date indicates expiration of term. 2015*

School District Detailed Monthly Calendar—Visit www.uscsd.k12.pa.us.

Successful 2014 “Celebrate Our Schools” Gala

Hosted by the Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair in partnership with the Upper St. Clair School District, hundreds of people gathered at the “Celebrate Our Schools” gala this past February to raise more than $60,000 for student technology in the classroom. According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick O’Toole, “Classroom technology is paramount to advancing the District’s vision of ‘customizing learning, nurturing potential, and delivering excellence,’ and is essential in fulfilling our mission of providing learning experiences that nurture the uniqueness of each child and promotes happiness and success.” The Community Foundation and the School District would like to thank the more than 350 individuals and corporations that sponsored, attended, and donated to the gala, and especially thank members of the 2014 gala committee for their months of hard work and dedication to this project. Individual Sponsors Gold Amy & Charles Billerbeck Lisa & John Burke Angela & David Petersen Linda & Harry Serene Lawrence & Rebecca Stern Family Foundation

Silver Leanne & Paul Adamo Beth & Dan Erlanger Frosina Cordisco & Bob Malenfant Dina & Jerry Fulmer Sheila & Joe Gorgonio Liz & Dave Hall Buffy & Michael Hasco Shelly & Dan Snyder Brooke & John Tarcson Kathy & Michael Teresi

School District administration and employees gather for a photo at the gala. 50

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Summer 2014

Corporate Sponsors Event Underwriter Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair Platinum Cohen and Grigsby, P.C. Henderson Brothers, Inc. UPMC WorkPartners Victorian Finance LLC Gold Bill Few Associates Chyten Education Services Clark Hill | Thorp Reed Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp Louis Anthony Jewelers PJ Dick–Trumbull– Lindy Paving Scott Argiro TJ&S Tucker Arensberg, P.C.

Silver ARAMARK Educational Services BNY Mellon Corporate Trust Boenning & Scattergood, Inc. Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania Dino Guarino Galleries East Management Services, LP Ferro Pittsburgh Guttman Oil ING Financial Partners Infinity Custom Homes LP Maher Duessel McLean Architects LLC Pittsburgh Dance Center Turnberry Properties Volpatt Construction Bronze Pete Donati & Sons Trane

Upper St. Clair High School Halls Of Fame Mission Statement

To identify and to honor those who have distinguished themselves in academics, the arts, or athletics at the high school, collegiate, or professional level and who, in so doing, have contributed to the pride and prestige of Upper St. Clair High School. A former student must meet the following criteria to be considered for any of the three Halls of Fame: the individual must be a graduate of Upper St. Clair High School, must be away from the high school for at least five years, and must have made a positive contribution during high school as well as significant achievements after leaving USCHS. Students are nominated by members of the high school staff, an Upper St. Clair alumnus, or the Upper St. Clair community. Administrative staff, teachers, and coaches are also eligible. Each Hall of Fame committee will include representatives from the high school staff, alumni, and the community. Nominees must earn a 75% vote of a quorum of the committee. During and after high school, the student could have excelled in one or more of the following:

Arts

• School and Local Awards • District and Regional Awards • • State and National Recognition • Contributions in the Field • • Post Graduate Recognition • Collegiate Recognition • • Professional Accomplishments • • School Service and/or Leadership in Field • • Benefactor of the Arts • Contributions to Society • • Excellent Citizenship •

Academics

Athletics

• Academic Honors • National Merit Recognition • • National Honor Society • Valedictorian •  • Student of the Year • Scholarship Awards • • School Service and/or Leadership •  • Post Graduate Recognition • Collegiate Recognition • • Publication of Work • Professional Accomplishments • • Contributions to Society • Excellent Citizenship •

2014 Halls of Fame Inductee Nomination To nominate a candidate for the 2014 Upper St. Clair High School’s Halls of Fame, use the nomination form found on the Upper St. Clair School District website at www.uscsd.k12.pa.us. Click on the “Information” tab, and then click on “Halls of Fame.” Submit your name, address, and phone number, along with your completed nomination via email to: Lois Mulholland at lmulholland@uscsd.k12.pa.us. For more information, contact Lois at 412-833-1600, ext. 2532.

• High School Awards and Records • • WPIAL or PIAA Champion • Post Season Recognition • • National Recognition • Multiple Sport Consideration • • Post Graduate Recognition • • Collegiate Accomplishments • • Professional Accomplishments • • Leadership Accomplishments •  • Other Hall of Fame Honors • Media Recognition • • Excellent Citizenship •

Support Our 2014 High School Varsity Football Team Cheer on our Panthers in the AAAA South Conference!

Kick-offs Fridays—7:30 p.m. at Panther Stadium September 5

Youth Night USC tackles Peters

September 26 Halls of Fame USC challenges Woodland Hills

USC battles Baldwin

All Nominations Due May 31, 2014. Nomination forms can also be mailed to: Lois Mulholland Assistant Principal’s Office Halls of Fame Committee Upper St. Clair High School 1825 McLaughlin Run Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241

October 3 Homecoming

October 17 Senior Recognition Night (band, cheerleader, football) USC confronts Montour

For additional information regarding the schedule, call USCHS Athletic Office at 412-833-1600, extension 2260 or 2261. Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti Visits High School Janine Despines and Debbie Rentschler, USCHS Librarians

Thanks to Marie Reese, USCHS Social Studies Department aide, Upper St. Clair High School was given the wonderful opportunity to host her brother, Poet Laureate of North Carolina, Joseph Bathanti, on January 23. Melissa Marinaro, the Heinz History Center’s Italian American Collection curator, and Sierra Green, archivist for the Heinz History Center Library and Archives, accompanied Mr. Bathanti. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Bathanti is the professor of creative writing at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, where he is also the writer-in-residence for the university’s Watauga Global Community and director of writing in the field. In addition to a bachelor of arts degree and a masters of arts USCHS student James Joyce (reading a poem) degree in English literature from the University of Pittsburgh, with Joseph Bathanti Bathanti also has a masters of fine arts in creative writing from Warren Wilson College and is the award-winning author of eight books of poetry and several fiction and non-fiction titles. During January 2014, Mr. Bathanti was a visiting professor at Carlow University and the Scholar-in-Residence at the Heinz History Center working with the Italian American Collection. During his time at the history center, he worked with photographs, oral histories, and other documents from Italian Americans who lived in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. He will eventually write about that experience. During his visit at the high school, Bathanti conducted a writer’s workshop with approximately 60 students from various USCHS English classes. Before engaging the students in a writing exercise, he shared his Pittsburgh background and talked about writing. He encouraged students to appreciate their educational experiences, just as his parents encouraged him. He attributes some of his writing success to the fact that once he started writing, he never quit and tries to write something everyday. He told the students that for him, writing poetry is “taking chaotic thoughts and seeing them take order on paper.” He also shared that, “The biggest thing about writing is imagery,” and the representation of the five senses, the visual being the most important. He read his poem “Where I’m From” and then asked students to write about their own lives. At the completion of the workshop, several students read their poems aloud. In another session, approximately 90 students heard Bathanti read poems and discuss their geographical and historical significances. Bathanti spoke movingly of his childhood experiences growing up in Pittsburgh and of the impact his family dynamics had on his entire life. Many of his poems are autobiographical and reflect real events. Bathanti encouraged students to not give up when trying something for the first time. He shared his experiences as a VISTA volunteer in North Carolina, as a teacher, and, finally, as a poet and writer. Initially he said he felt like a “pretender,” not truly comfortable in new roles. However, practice and experience enabled him to eventually succeed and thrive in USCHS English teachers Sean O’Rourke and his various positions. This idea seemed to resonate with his audience as Daniela Buccilli with Joseph Bathanti (center) his audience appeared inspired. n

USC Summer School Expands To customize learning for all students, the Upper St. Clair Summer School program provides students with choices in learning related to content, time, interest, and academic need. Partnering with outside agencies, including Carnegie Mellon University and Invent Now, and using the expertise of USC School District’s own staff allows students many opportunities and choices directed to their interests and needs. High school electives are available to students entering grades nine through 11. Upon successful completion, students will be granted one general elective credit towards graduation requirements for those courses advertised as credited options. 52

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Registration began in April. If registration has not exceeded enrollment capacity, many courses will continue to enroll students up to a week before the course begins. All courses are subject to cancellation based on lack of enrollment. Visit the District’s website at www.uscsd.k12.pa.us and click on the summer school icon under the announcements on the home page, where a description of courses and registration information can be found. It is exciting to know that many students will be able to take advantage of learning opportunities beyond the regular school year. n

This year’s high school musical All Shook Up had theater goers rockin’, rollin’, and laughin’ away the winter blues! Inspired by the music of Elvis Presley and loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the March musical featured hits “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Love Me Tender,” “Hound Dog,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love” and, of course, “All Shook Up.” Congratulations to the performers, musicians, backstage hands, producers, and Angels on another great production for our community to enjoy!

Photos courtesy of Zachary Heckler, USC High School student Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Not Your Mother’s Marching Band Melanie Hendrix

“I remember everyone yelling for me to go long,” says Kabir Khan, a sophomore at Upper St. Clair High School. “So I started running hard and turned, and caught a touchdown pass. Everyone was jumping up and down, shouting my name. I knew then that I had made the right decision.” Junior Julia Pfatteicher shares a different memory. “We were on the top deck of the [USS] Intrepid. It was freezing, so we were huddling together, miserable. But then we looked at each other and just started laughing. We were thinking, how cool is this? We’re on the Intrepid! So we took off our jackets and did our thing.” Pat DeMarco, also a junior, recollects a friendly neighborhood ambush. “Our group raided another one. They were totally unsuspecting,” he recalls, chuckling. “We drove over there with squirt guns and just opened up on them. But they captured one of our guys and we didn’t know it. When we drove away, everyone thought he was in someone else’s car. But they had him. To this day we call him a POW.” Little known fact: the common denominator among Upper St. Clair teenagers and their experiences outrunning defenders, exploring aircraft carriers, and feigning black ops is… marching band. Khan, a trombonist, played the touch football game on a break at band camp the summer before his freshman year. Pfatteicher, a Pantherette, performed on the USS Intrepid as part of a marching band trip to New York City. And DeMarco, a baritone player, executed the squirt gun hijinks during a “section dinner,” which each instrumental group hosts at various homes on football Fridays. That particular Friday, says DeMarco, his low brass comrades invaded the guileless saxophones, with both groups sustaining some losses but gaining a story to tell for the rest of their lives. Welcome to Marching Band 2.0: the Millennial Reboot Edition, designed and populated by the Gen Y crowd that relentlessly seeks new experiences, fluidly multitasks, and refuses to be labeled. “At one time, there was this person known as a ‘band kid,’ but that’s not true anymore,” says Jennifer Kirk, head of USCHS’s counseling department. “Music students are a range of kids. You

Kabir Khan 54

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Pantherettes perform at a football game halftime.

can’t characterize them. We have music kids who are academic juggernauts and ones who are not. We have music kids who have purple hair and ones who are ultra-conservative. We have music kids who are athletes and ones who stick to the arts. They’re a mixed bag in a really good way.” “In marching band, you get to know and understand people that you probably wouldn’t otherwise,” says Pfatteicher, a student artist whose work frequently appears in the high school theater lobby. “And they end up being your friends for a very long time.” Some of the credit for why such diverse kids find each other in marching band belongs to the very thing that parents often bemoan: the Internet. Growing up with unprecedented access to the globe’s entire music inventory, kids in high school today absorbed music into their bloodstreams along with Capri Suns at elementary school birthday parties, neon-colored G2s at middle school soccer games, and caramel macchiatos at the mall. In the past, band appealed primarily to kids who pursued music seriously; now it appeals to the masses. DeMarco, the throwing captain of the winter and spring track teams and a video production whiz, confesses he joined marching band as a music fan and then surprised himself by becoming a bona fide musician. “Just being around people who can play makes you better, even if you’re not trying,” he says. Now adept at the baritone, trombone, and trumpet, DeMarco is a low brass section leader and one of the band’s most vocal ambassadors. “I tell middle schoolers, it’ll make your high school experience better.” “Here’s the deal,” declares senior Connor McCormick, an assistant drum major who recently received a full academic scholarship to St. Vincent College. “Instead of knowing only people in your grade, marching band lets you know people in every grade. You have buds everywhere. They look out for you. And you get to hang out with them every Friday night.” Take a minute to watch the band in the stands on those Friday nights, and you’ll witness the family vibe they exude. Generous with their enthusiasm, they’re among the most ardent Panther football fans in the District. “We really get into it,” says Left to right are Morgan, Connor, and Jenna DeMarco. “You want to have a good time at the game? Sit with us!”

Summer 2014

Members of the drumline perform a stunt

“A lot of middle schoolers might be nervous to do marching band because they think it will be a socially difficult decision,” says senior Robbie Weaver, a drumline captain and swimmer who competes in freestyle events. “I strongly disagree. Some of the best friends you could ever make will be in marching band.” Weaver spearheaded what could be Marching Band 2.0’s logo: the upside-down stunt that the drumline unveiled at the homecoming pep rally. Equal parts strength and swagger, the move requires four members of the drumline: two to hold the quad drum upside down, one to stand facing the drum, and one to hang by his feet from the standing drummer’s shoulders and play by reaching upward with his sticks. “We really worked together as a line to perfect it,” Weaver says. Such collaboration and stage presence gives marching band students an academic boost, says Laura Moeller, an English and creative writing teacher at the high school. “Presenting in front of classrooms becomes second nature to them,” she says. “They already place themselves in front of audiences and perform under pressure, so the classroom isn’t as big a deal to them.” Neither is juggling band with homework, insist band members. “I’ve never heard a kid say, ‘I did so badly on that test today. Marching band didn’t give me a chance to study,’” says McCormick. Moeller puts it in terms more precise. “Marching band students plan ahead,” she says. “They utilize their time rather than merely thinking they have all the time in the world.” The most intense time commitment for marching band members is band camp, which, to hear the kids describe it, is Navy SEAL training on the set of Saturday Night Live. “When you’re there, you’re thinking, wow, I’m having a lot of fun,” says McCormick. “And then you’re thinking, wow, I’m doing a lot of work.” For two weeks every August, band camp promises eight-hour days of rehearsal sprinkled with doses of tomfoolery, and features a disciplined, yet affable, cast of characters. Senior Jenna Ravasio, an assistant drum major who plays varsity lacrosse and runs track, illustrates band camp’s allure. “My freshman year, I was going to play a fall sport, too. I went to all the summer practices for that sport,” she says. “But then I went to band camp, and I loved it so much I didn’t want to split time between the two.” Band members grow even more abuzz when talking about parades. “At parades, people cheer for you like you’re a professional,” says Khan, who plays rec basketball and volunteers at St. Clair Hospital. “It’s amazing to experience that as a high schooler.” Adds Weaver, 2014 “Mini” Band Camp

May 14-16, 3:30-5:30 p.m. USC High School

For information on “Mini” Band Camp” or for other questions, contact Don Pickell, USC Marching Band Director and Music Curriculum Leader, at 412-833-1600, extension 2336.

“Parents are bringing their kids out to see us, and everyone is taking pictures. We’re a part of a special moment for someone else, and that’s cool.” Junior Brianna Spilsbury, who joined marching band just this year, regrets all the moments she missed. To keep her Friday nights open, she originally limited herself to concert band. Eventually a fellow flutist convinced her to try marching band, but Spilsbury figured the other upperclassmen might rebuff her. “I was wrong,” she says. “It was homey from the beginning.” Unlike Spilsbury, freshman Emily Walsh always knew she would play her flute in the marching band, but she, too, joined alone. “I instantly had nine new friends,” she says, referring to the flute section. “And the upperclassmen were so nice. They didn’t care that I was in ninth grade.” Khan thinks back to his own freshman year. Before the touch football game that won him over, he had quietly made up his mind: he would go to band camp because his mother had talked him into it, but he would come home and tell her he was quitting. “Well, when I came home that first day, what I told her instead was that I was excited to go back the next day,” Khan says. “So I tell eighth graders, just try it. It changed me, and I love it!” n

In the Spotlight The end of the school year is traditionally a time for student performers to showcase their talents. Upper St. Clair Music Department welcomes the community to take part in the celebration of our young artists. Below are shows and events this spring that you won’t want to miss! Mark your calendar.

May 8

Elementary Spring Musicals–7:30 p.m. (Baker, Eisenhower, Streams)

Choral Concert–7 p.m. (USCHS Theater)

Community Day Parade (Truxton and McLaughlin Run Roads)

Elementary Band Concert–7 p.m. (USCHS Theater)

Music for a Lifetime Concert w/CBS–7 p.m. (USCHS Theater)

Fort Couch Band Concert–7:30 p.m. (Boyce Theater)

HS Jazz Concert–7 p.m. (USCHS Theater)

String-A-Thon Concert–7 p.m. (Boyce Theater)

HS Wind Ensemble Concert–7 p.m. (USCHS Theater)

June 2

Boyce Band Concert–7 p.m. (Boyce Theater)

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Heart of a Hero

Jan Conn, Fort Couch Social Studies Teacher

A wide variety of “The Heart of a Hero” projects were shared by students during class.

Mr. Weinheimer, a Vietnam Veteran, and Kahil Jackson

Typically during the second nine weeks of school, part of the eighth

grade social studies curriculum is the study of World War II. Students on my teaching team are required to conduct an interview with a war veteran who experienced combat during part or all of his military service. Sometimes the students discover that the veteran they are interviewing was not in combat, and that is OK, too. I enthusiastically suggest that they interview a WWII veteran, knowing that the number of these veterans is dwindling and they will all soon be gone. First, each student must find a veteran to interview, which often means going to his or her church, neighborhood, relatives, parents’ friends, or to a local senior citizen facility, and set up a time for the interview to take place. Next, the student familiarizes himself with the war in which his particular veteran served and develops a list of questions to ask during the interview.

Holly Smith (left) and Cassie Henricks, with their projects

The student then meets with the veteran for the interview and takes notes or records the interview. During the interview, some veterans have become emotional. The students are prepared for displays of emotion since, in class, we have discussed how personally emotional a military experience may have been for military people. After the interview, the students review their notes, transcribing them to clarify what they heard. As a follow up, the students write and mail formal thank you notes to the veterans, which often include a copy of what they created. Each student’s end result explains why his or her veteran is a hero. Some of the completed projects include essays, poems, newspaper items, songs, posters, photo journals, and original artwork. Culminating the assignment, each student presents his or her interview to the class. Many of my students have found this assignment to be one of the best of their school career. One student was so moved

by the experience that she stayed in touch with the veteran she interviewed in eighth grade and completed her tenth grade IB project about the veteran and his life. Many of the students take this opportunity to talk to their grandparents. The interview, usually in question-and-answer style, has opened up dialogue between these two generations and provided for some wonderful one-on-one time between them. I have found that this assignment has positively affected not only the veterans, but the students, as well. Just think how happy those elderly men at Country Meadows are to sit and talk with a young person about a significant time in their lives, a time when they so heroically served their country. This year, one of my students decided on the title “The Heart of a Hero” for his project. So fitting, I am going to ask this student if I can use that title for my class project from now on! n

Jan Conn’s team at Fort Couch, left to right, front row: Ahnna Jones, Isabela Eiriz, Kate Groninger, Mandy Florkowski, Kendra Perera, Cassie Henricks, Allison Epler; back row: Sam Spina, Kennedy Bayer, Joshua Meyer, Patrick Burke, Holly Smith, Abby Matheny 56

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Summer 2014

SD Your Satisfaction is My Goal!

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Let my 25+ years of experience go to work for you! Managed Services, Managed Better

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Future City Nets Winners from Fort Couch Fort Couch’s 14th year participating in the Future

City design and engineering competition has a winning way for USC. With this year’s competition hosting more than 40 schools from around the region, Alex Brufsky, Kevin Chen, and Jacob Lantzman represented Fort Couch’s team of nearly 30 students. Students worked together with teachers Connie Gibson and Tim Wagner. The cross-curricular project began at the beginning of the school year, when students were presented with the issue of what

Shortly after presenting the city on the stage of the Carnegie Music Hall are team representatives, left to right, Alex Brufsky, Jacob Lantzman, and Kevin Chen.

The day before competition, several team members added finishing touches to Ville. From left to right are Hridhay Reddy, Mahima Reddy (high school consultant), Caroline McDonough, Jacob Lantzman, and Kevin Chen.

engineers and city planners might do to solve problems associated with transportation. From city planning, using SimCity software, to writing research and narrative essays, to constructing a city based on a scaled design, students brought their city, Ville de la Mobilité, located in present day Brussels, to life! On January 18, the day of competition, students presented the city to a panel of engineers and earned awards for best land surveying practices and the People’s Choice Award, an award voted by their peer teams for having the best city model. n Summer 2014

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Mathcounts Adds Up for USC

The Mathcounts competition is a national competitive mathematics program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging rounds within a competition. Ten students from Fort Couch Middle School—Kevin Chen, Ariana Chiu, Jack de la Parra, Sam Ding, Sahil Doshi, Theja Duvvuru, Matt Higgs, Wyatt Keating, Spencer Miller, and Kriti Shah—and four students from Boyce Middle School—Jason Choi, Katie Hobart, Zachary Smith, and Braden Yates—represented Upper St. Clair at the competition. The Fort Couch team of Kevin, Ariana, Sam, Fort Couch Mathcounts students, left to right, and Sahil finished in second place. Sam Ding front row: Ariana Chiu, Spencer Miller, Theja and Kevin Chen finished in the top ten individDuvvuru, Kriti Shah, Sam Ding; back row: Fort ual places, with over 170 students competing. Couch enrichment teacher Connie Gibson, Matt Wyatt Keating and Sahil Doshi finished in the Higgs, Kevin Chen, Wyatt Keating, Sahil Doshi, math resource teacher Yasmina Hough. Missing top 20 and Ariana Chiu finished in the top 40. from photo: Jack de la Parra Sam, our top-ranked USC representative in the countdown round, finished fourth overall and continued to the MathCounts state competition in Harrisburg in March. Boyce Mathcounts students, left to right: Zachary Boyce Middle School students Jason, Katie, Zachary, and Braden were the ninth-ranked Smith, Braden Yates, Boyce math resource teacher Kathy Hoedeman, Jason Choi, Katie Hobart team out of 25 teams that competed, and Braden Yates was the 12th-ranked individual overall. n

Going Green

In 2007, Boyce Middle School teachers Justin Gremba and Matthew Dudley and a few Boyce students had a vision to create a recycling program. Since then, the Boyce Green Team has worked feverishly to promote a green effort throughout the school. The Green Team’s mission is to promote recycling at Boyce in celebration of the recently recognized, award-winning “green” building and the incorporation of the concepts of the Deer Valley Program. With more than 60 student members, the Green Team has divided into ten different brigades, providing for ten different areas of recycling that the students are currently collecting or will begin to collect in the near future. Some green accomplishments since inception of the Green Team include: • Paper collection bins in each classroom • Paper recycling dumpster at the school • Plastics, cans, and bottles recycling at the school • Wasted paper collection (printed, used paper to be recycled for scrap) • Gently-used school supplies collection for recycling back to students and teachers at Boyce • Promote green awareness using morning announcements and bulletin board messages • Terra-recycling, which converts items, such as Capri Sun packages, into new items, such as pencil cases One of the ten brigades is involved in research and development. This group of students is responsible for researching new areas for recycling efforts at Boyce. Due to their efforts, Boyce has recently begun collecting ink jet cartridges and will soon be collecting denim and batteries for recycling. Denim too worn to be donated to Goodwill or the Salvation Army will be collected and turned in to a specialized recycling company that converts denim to insulation for houses. 58

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For the past three years, the Boyce Green Team has participated in the Recycle Bowl, a national competition in partnership with Keep America Beautiful. While Boyce has yet to win the competition, the Left to right are Andrew Pudimat, school has received letters of Holton Boehmer, and Matt Torkos commendation for the organization’s efforts. A small group of elected Green Team members serve on the Green Team Council. This subset of students meets monthly and discusses the status of the Green Team’s efforts and its current projects, and develops further ideas that will continue to improve and promote the green efforts at Boyce. An offshoot of the Green Team’s commitment to green, the school’s students, teachers, and administrators will soon be resurrecting the Boyce Garden Club. In hiatus during the school’s construction period, the club is accepting student members who are excited and ready to further beautify the outside of the minimally-landscaped school building and to add to the new, fresh look of the inside of the school, as well. n

Left to right are Bruce Christensen and Teegan Card

Left to right are Quinn Smith, Delaney Card, and Boyce teacher Matthew Dudley

Army Reserve Visits USC Elementary Schools

Kindergarten and first grade students in the Upper St. Clair School District had some very special visitors in their classrooms this past March. Members from the U.S. Army Reserves School Specialist Team were at Baker, Eisenhower, and Streams Elementary Schools to read to the students for “Read Across America” week, a national reading celebration to honor the birthday of Dr. Seuss. At Streams Elementary, Major Karl Maier shared some Dr. Seuss classics with the kindergarten classes and first grade classes and answered questions for the students. Major Maier enjoys visiting the schools and meeting with the students. He said many of them don’t have a lot of exposure to the military and the school visits give the kids a chance to see a different side of the service. Rebecca Smith, Elementary Social Studies At Eisenhower Elementary, students (left to right) Anna Cancilla, Rachel Fibbi, Sarah Curriculum Leader (K-4) Potter, and Bryce Potter dressed up as their for the Upper St. Clair favorite author or character in celebration of School District, and Read Across America week. Streams’ Elementary Resource Teacher, said that Read Across America helps the students Maj. Karl Maier, reading to the kindergarten classes at Streams Elementary to show support for our military and their families and to celebrate as part of Read Across America week the importance of reading in our daily lives. After the visits, students were invited to be part of an event the U.S. Army Reserves was hosting for military kids later in March and April. As part of the event, the military children were presented with letters written to them by students. Smith said students also honored the sacrifices made by military families this April, when they all wore purple to “purple up” for the military child. This past fall, the elementary students partnered with the U.S. Army Reserves School Specialist Team to fill back backs for military kids. n

Capt. Ed Quinn, with a Baker Elementary kindergarten class

Heart Smart

Streams Elementary students and staff donated $4031 to the American Heart Association. During the month of February, students in physical education classes jumped their way to healthy hearts by participating in the 35th anniversary of Jump Rope for Heart. Staff members shared in the effort on National Wear Red Day and made donations to dress casually and Top fundraisers Emily and Molly Powell wore red to help to proudly display their quacky ducks. raise awareness about heart health. n

Streams staff wore red for heart awareness.

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

SD Streams School Children for Children Ten years of making a difference

A simple act can make a difference. With that slogan in mind, the Streams “Children for Children” event took shape ten years ago and has been making a difference ever since. It was the beginning of the 2004-05 school year when a small group of parents approached Streams principal Dr. Claire Miller about developing a childfocused, child-driven charity event. The goal would be simple: familiarize Streams students with children in the world who are in need, and show the students how they can make a difference. The idea was met with great enthusiasm and the first Children for Children event was planned. Children are at the center of this event. Pre-event activities are educationally-focused and include classroom tie-ins to discuss the charity at age appropriate levels. Students are part of the process and donate auction items, including knitted scarves, babysitting services, homemade cookies, yard work, their favorite books, and personally painted pieces of artwork. Students work the event and help to decorate, man the stations, sell tickets, and run games. Teachers, staff, and administrators participate in the event. They are a part of the planning committee, encourage and administer the classroom tie-ins, donate services such as an ice cream outing or a bowling event, plan for items that will be donated by their classrooms, including hand-painted chairs and decorated book bins full of classroom favorites, and help run the event. This year’s Children for Children event benefits Global Links. Started 25 years ago by three women who wanted to take action against two growing problems—medically underserved communities throughout the world and an increasing amount of wasted medical surplus from American hospitals—Global Links was founded as a way to ensure collection of medical surplus and delivery of the surplus to people who do not have the means to provide even the most basic care. S t re a m s ’ C h i l d re n f o r Children is a heart-warming experience for everyone involved, both on the giving and receiving sides. The students who participate are proud of what they’ve learned and how they’ve taken action to help others. n

Past Charities

UNICEF Tsunami Relief, $2000 in 2005 Katrina School Fund, $3000 in 2006 CORE Organ, $6000 in 2007 Dominican Republic Outreach Program, $6000 in 2008 Heifer International, $7289 in 2009 National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple, $6000 in 2010 Casey’s Clubhouse, $9000 in 2011 Charity Water, $8000 in 2012 Jameson’s Army, Grady’s All Stars, The Education Partnership, $6588 in 2013 Global Links, designated charity in 2014 60

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USCHS Organic Chemistry Class Awarded Grant Laura Marks, USCHS organic chemistry teacher, applied for and was awarded a Public Education Leadership Community (PELC) grant in the amount of $1000 from PPG Corporation. PELC grants offer a formalized process for providing financial resources to public schools where employees are involved. Any employee may sponsor a request to the foundation for a grant request of up to $1000 for a project that: • Promotes systemic change • Cannot be paid for with tax dollars • Directly benefits and engages students • Demonstrates results that motivate students to learn • Total project budget is no more than $5000 Anthony Gestrich, an organic chemist from PPG, visited Laura Marks’ first semester organic chemistry class to discuss how organic chemistry plays a role in his daily job duties. During his visit, he performed a demonstration with the chemicals used in transition lenses, which gave the students a real world application of the conjugated alkenes that they had just finished studying. He also brought along PPG patented products to show how products the students use or have used in their lifetime are made possible with organic chemistry. As a result of his visit, Gestrich sponsored the class in the application for the PELC grant. The funds from the grant will be used to take the organic chemistry students to Seton Hill University where

they will use organic chemistry computer software for drawing and visualizing organic molecules, determine the steps involved in designing and implementing the synthesis of organic molecules, and use NMR spectroscopy Laura Marks to characterize organic molecules. Dr. John Cramer, organic chemistry professor at Seton Hill, will host the visit. Dr. Cramer has a Ph.D. in organic chemistry and has been teaching organic chemistry at the college level for 38 years. His research has involved designing active learning laboratory experiments for undergraduate organic laboratory courses to engage the students as a crucial participant in their own learning. The experiments prominently feature the use of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMR) and exemplify the discovery process embodied in the scientific method. n

USC School District Received Grant for School Police Officer

Upper St. Clair School District is one of 81 schools and municipalities in Pennsylvania to receive a grant for a school police officer. Created through legislation authored by Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson) and signed into law last year by Gov. Tom Corbett, the grant program provides funding for programs to address school violence and security. “This $40,000 grant will assist the Upper St. Clair School District in continuing the expansion of our safety and security

measures throughout all of our schools,” stated Dr. Patrick T. O’Toole, Superintendent of Schools. “I commend Ms. Ellie Stoehr, Supervisor of Pupil Personnel; Ms. Sheila Gorgonio, Director of Advancement; Mr. Joe Connors, School District Chief of Police; and Dr. Sharon Suritsky, Assistant Superintendent, for their work in submitting this grant application,” he said. n

Early Economics

Earlier this year, third grade students at Baker Elementary participated in a “mini-mall” experience after they finished a unit on economics. Students from Pam Dillie, Katie Wheeler, Amy O’Korn, and Stacey Templeton’s classes had the opportunity to be producers and consumers as they supplied goods that they thought their classmates would want to purchase with their limited income. Items in the mini-mall included bookmarks, Rainbow Loom bracelets, magnets, soap, pet rocks, and more. The activity coordinated with the students’ study of economics and incorporated many, if not all, economics concepts presented during the unit, including opportunity cost, defining consumers and producers, understanding of limited income, supply and demand, production of quality products, and consumer choice. n Maggie Dowds and Brady Pechart Summer 2014

Andrew Popp and Caroline Krofcheck

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Pawprints... Baker

Eisenhower

Streams

Members of PTA Council thought that it would be interesting to ask students at each school building to tell us what special things are happening or what they like best at their school. It’s always good to hear things “straight from the horse’s mouth.” And while our students may groan and complain about getting up in the morning, it seems as if they do believe USC schools are quite special!

USC High School (USC seniors Mackenzie Rodgers, Jordan Ryan, and Morgan Wangler, and Penn State freshman Hannah Harris, USCHS 2013, believe that the Leadership Academy sets USC apart from other school districts. Below are their individual and collective thoughts on the program). Mackenzie Rodgers: I learned about the Leadership Academy in the summer of 2010, before my freshman year at USCHS. I was interested in the academy, but I was hesitant to join at first because, as a nervous freshman, working with kids four years older than me was slightly intimidating. With a little nudge from my mom and with the idea that the academy would teach me how to successfully work with others while learning the qualities of a leader, I decided to give the academy a try. I am glad I did! By stepping out of my comfort zone, I met new people, participated in fun and engaging activities, and set life-enriching goals for my Personal Leadership Plan. I could not wait to return the following summer. I continued to expand my personal insight during the following three years. Starting as an incoming freshman helped me to use the skills I learned from the academy in my transition from middle to high school. As a high school senior and looking back now, becoming a part of the Leadership Academy was a worthwhile decision that I believe changed the course of what I may have done in my four years of high school. It is safe to say that these four years have been a defining experience for me and have made me a more confident, genuine, and reflective person because of what I learned in the Leadership Academy: “Who you are is how you lead.” Jordan Ryan: In the second phase, the academy focused on visionary and relational leadership. We thought hard about what kind of leader we wanted to be and wrote our own personal taglines. The activities in this phase helped us understand how important it is to relate to others and tying back to the most important foundation of leadership—authenticity. We also learned that having a vision helps lead to succeed. Leaders see their dreams and visualize how to accomplish them. In the third phase, we learned about quality leadership and how to be leaders of service. Our goal was to picture how we were going to make a difference and better a cause we were interested in helping. We spent a day at Challenge by Choice, a local day camp for kids suffering from psychological disorders and spent 62

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a day at the Habitat for Humanity resale shop. These experiences showed us how important it is to keep every person in mind when leading a group. Morgan Wangler: Once we completed phases one through three, we moved on to phase four, which brought in the global aspect of the Leadership Academy. We were the first members to experience phase four, Leadership Academy Belize, a program created by the high school phase four members to teach underprivileged children in a middle school in Belize authentic leadership lessons. After a semester of preparation for the Leadership Academy Belize, which included developing a mission statement for this program, making the lesson plans, acquiring supplies, and finalizing our plans, we were off to this beautiful Latin American country. When we got there, we quickly realized that the beaches are stunning, the food is delicious, and the weather is amazing. Although these things were nice, the biggest, best, and most rewarding part of this trip was working with the students. Seeing our own ideas put into action was incredible. The students were eager to meet us and they loved our activities from day one. They learned all about teamwork, commitment, and reflection. The activities were engaging and very resourceful, since we were limited in what we could bring and what was available for us to use at the school in Belize. On the last day, many of the students expressed to us how much they enjoyed our camp, but that meeting the American students and teachers was one of the best parts of the week. The stories that our students told us have inspired us all. Although these children do not have much materially, they have a lot of love in their hearts. They persevere through hard times, yet have so much joy. I know that the students learned from us, but I believe they taught us just as much, if not more. Completing phase four put everything we learned from phases one through three into action. Saying goodbye to our students and the wonderful country of Belize was very sad, but the memories and bonds we formed during our week-long stay will remain with us for the rest of our lives. Hannah Harris: The Leadership Academy is greatly influential in regard to thinking and planning beyond the high school years. Participation in USCHS’s Leadership Academy exposed us to many different styles and strategies of leadership. Going into college, without any prerequisite as to how to take on the challenges of new classes, new friends, and a new lifestyle, the Leadership Academy has prepared us to take control of who we want to be, and who we hope to become. By traveling to different volunteer sites, the Leadership Academy exposed us to different backgrounds and styles of living. In turn, we are able to understand and tolerate other lifestyles and cultures in the best capacity, making every situation a beneficial and positive experience.

... a USC PTA Council Feature The USC School District will once again offer the Student Leadership Academies this summer. The academies, for students going into grades 4-12, will operate Monday-Friday, July 21-25. More information can be found by visiting www.uscsd.k12.pa.us.

Fort Couch Middle School When you walk into Fort Couch you immediately feel welcomed. The building has great energy and everyone seems truly happy to be there. A recent recipient of the National Blue Ribbon award as well as being on the Schools to Watch list, Fort Couch is a great place to be and there are lots of things to love about this awesome school! Check out what Fort Couch students are saying. • I like the constant and varied use of interesting technology in the classroom.—Connor Halloran, eighth grader • I like how much technology is available. You can stay on top of your classes even when you miss school. I like the school. It is modern and up to date. I also like the four-teacher-team set up. It is nice to have a teacher for each subject.—Zach Wehrle, eighth grader • I like that we are allowed to chew gum and eat lunch as a class in cafeteria. I like cross country and the men’s ensemble and chorus groups.—Tommy O’Brien, seventh grader • I love the freedom! I like walking around and talking to my friends, not having to stand in line or ask for permission (most of the time).—Emma Tarcson, eighth grader • I really like the music program and the musicals. I think the faculty is really nice and helps us learn. The EA program gives us opportunities to learn things we wouldn’t otherwise learn in the regular classroom. I enjoy all of the programs, including Reach Out, the socials, student council, chorus, and clubs, where we have a chance to interact with each other.—Allison Epler, eighth grader • I love that Fort Couch offers after-school sports! I like that I can meet new people and participate in sports that I am not able to do year-round because of my other sport commitments. I also like that we can sit anywhere we want at lunch!—Marley McClintock, seventh grader • I really like that good behavior/hard work is rewarded with advisor (free) time which really motivates me to complete my homework and other things.—Dominic Ivol, eighth grader • I like being able to use the iPad in class. And gym is my favorite activity!—Jamie King, eighth grader • I love how the teachers make their classes fun!—Jason Levy, seventh grader • I like the “team” teaching approach of having multiple teachers for the subjects. It’s prepping us for the high school scenario. Also, I like the fact that we have EA time and clubs in addition to the regular classes. It’s not just school work, it’s also fun.—Isabella Eriz, eighth grader

• Band is fun and we get to play really cool music. The drum set is awesome at jazz. The teachers are really nice and understanding. They make sure you learn. I like the library and all the books. —Jessica Naumann, eighth grader • I like the fun music we learn in chorus. I can’t wait for this year’s musical! I like the EAs where I get to be creative. I like Fort Couch a lot. The teachers are fun!—Nicole Naumann, eighth grader • What’s not to love? The teachers are great, and thanks to Mr. Magliocca, I even love grammar this year! The musicals are fun and band with Way-way (Mr. Wayland) is awesome!—Robbie Halpner, eighth grader • I like the freedom at lunch, also the teachers are great! I like the use of technology in the classrooms, particularly in Mr. Lucas’s math class. Being able to watch videos and learn at your own pace is awesome! It is also nice to be able to log in and learn even if you miss a day of school.—David Sileo, eighth grader • The teachers!—Daniel Speer, eighth grader • The clubs!—Rebecca Speer, seventh grader • I love it all; especially hanging out with my friends!—Samantha Spina, eighth grader • The teachers are great! They are fun and teach us a lot. —Zachary Ioli, seventh grader • I like being a part of the various sports teams. Also, I like the school clubs. Book club is my favorite!—Kennedy Bayer, eighth grader • I like it all!—Alex Strain, eighth grader As you can see, Fort Couch rocks! Thanks for the many reasons—the awesome staff, various activities offered, freedom for the students to make choices, use of technology—that makes Fort Couch a great place for kids to learn! Boyce Middle School When a Boyce student is asked what his or her favorite thing is about Boyce, chances are the first response is, “my team!” It takes a few weeks for incoming fifth graders to adjust from having an elementary school homeroom teacher to the concept of a “team,” but very soon you hear students (and parents of students) identifying themselves by their team. By design, Boyce teachers and staff work very hard to assure that students feel at home and are nurtured socially and academically in their classroom communities. But once their team is firmly established at the top of the list, the feedback from students about what they love about Boyce shows the variety of options students have to individualize their opportunities at school. Lexi Hall, fifth grader, shared, “I really like using technology in class to make learning more fun! Our new art teacher, Mr. Stocke, is also great and art this year was one of my favorite subjects.” Steven Halpner, fifth grader, also noted, “We don’t just learn with paper and pencils, but we do great activities, too! The teachers are really nice, especially Mr. Jackson Continued on page 64 Summer 2014

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who is super funny. And the lunch paninis are so good!” And speaking of lunch, Alexander Jones, fifth grader, contributed, “I like the snack bar in the cafeteria, and Mrs. Yoder makes science and math fun!” Other students noted the great assemblies and special events like the sixth grade dance off, the visit from the Bubba Morning Show for Shine a Light on Bullying, and the March Madness basketball tournament. Several fifth graders chimed in about the fun of Revolutionary War and Civil War Days. Field trips were also among the favorites. Sixth grader Lauren Teresi fondly recalled, “The NASA trip was awesome because you get to pretend to be a member of a launch team. You may even get one of the jobs on the spaceship. We got to Skype with a real astronaut before we applied for specific jobs. I was on the remote team. Now as a sixth grader, I can’t wait to go to Deer Valley!” Many sixth graders excitedly counted down the days to their Deer Valley trips. Students also enjoy their time in specials, clubs, and Chinese instruction. May Higginbotham, sixth grader, wrote, “I like EA, especially FACS. Getting to cook and eat in the middle of the day at school is really fun! I also enjoy developing new friendships with students from the other USC elementary schools now that I’m at Boyce.” Her sister, Katie Higginbotham, also in sixth grade, added, “One activity I enjoy at Boyce is world language. You get to learn about other countries and their cultures and do fun activities like song fest where you get to sing holiday songs for the other language classes.” Sam Dvorin, sixth grader, noted, “I really love the music program at Boyce. The directors are very knowledgeable and experienced. They also make everything fun because they’re energetic. One of my favorite things we do is write our own songs and convert them to Garage Band on the laptops.” Several students also mentioned the options of giving back through student council and Guidance opportunities, including the holiday Friendship Shoeboxes project. As you can see, students at Boyce have more than a few favorite things!

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Summer 2014

Baker Elementary From the moment you walk into Baker, you feel a sense of community. There is a pride that Baker families, faculty, and staff have, not only for the USC School District, but also specifically for Baker. It starts with a welcoming smile to greet you in the school office from secretary Laura Rooney. Often, you will also be greeted by the school’s principal, Pat McClintock-Comeaux. During the winter season’s food drive, Principal McClintockComeaux pledged to dye his hair if the classrooms met a certain challenge. When the challenge was met, purple hair followed! During every school event, the administration, faculty, and staff willingly contribute. It’s truly a pleasure to be a part of the Baker community. There is also a tremendous focus by the faculty and staff at Baker on individualized learning tailored to each student. You know when your child enters school each morning that he or she is getting the very best educational experience with access to technologies and curriculum that is used to maximize the learning potential of every student while making it enjoyable. Lifelong friendships, lifelong learning and skills, life long memories—these are just a few of the things everyone likes about Baker! Streams Elementary Upon the first and every visit thereafter, visitors to Streams can feel the happy, nurturing environment as soon as they walk through the front door. Dr. Claire Miller and her entire staff make everyone feel welcome as they put their hearts and souls into the school. As parents, it’s wonderful to send your children off to school every day and not worry about their physical, emotional, or intellectual safety. We asked some Streams students what they thought about their school and here are some of our favorite responses. • Streams is cool because the teachers are so good. When they teach they make it fun.—Lydia Rhodes, second grader • There’s lots of good friends here.—Brady Lisak, third grader • I like art class. I like how all of the art hangs around the school and you can see everyone’s art projects.—Kara Fisher, third grader • I like Mrs. Woodford. She helps with lunch and recess and lets us use sharpies. I like gym because our gym teacher lets us bowl, and bowling is fun!—Kaamil Jackson, first grader • I like that we go full day and that we can buy our lunches and not have to pack every day.—Luke Fisher, first grader • Streams makes sure there are no bullies. The teachers are really special.—Meredith Rhodes, first grader Whether they’re talking about the teachers, their classes, the special programs and assemblies, or their friends, the students at Streams all express the same general idea: Streams is truly a special place to be!

... a USC PTA Council Feature Eisenhower Elementary School success is measured in so many ways—state tests, student performance, athletic achievement, state and national awards—and the list goes on. All of these indicators are very important and help to monitor the educational services that the USC School District provides its students. USC continues to be a district known for its exceptional educational excellence. To find out what our kids like about Eisenhower, we spent some time in the lunch room asking them what they enjoyed best. Students responded excitedly and without hesitation, and had trouble coming up with just one thing they liked. The most frequent answers were: We have clubs and special activities; we have a great library; I love Mr. Cosgrove; our principal is the best; the teachers are so understanding even when you do something wrong; I love all the nice teachers and staff that care about me; we have a fun teachers vs. staff tournament at the end of the year; every Wednesday is “hump day Wednesday;” and “Fitness Fridays” are the best. These are just a few of the many responses reflecting their love of the school. When speaking to the kids what you realize is that one of the greatest gifts we give to them is not easily measured. It is a wonderful learning environment with a staff that unconditionally cares for them and goes the distance to bring each student to his or her full potential. According to our kids, that is what is great about their school! n

Gotta Robotics Graham Kretschmar and Reese Benonis robotics team, Artificial Intelligence

(AIR) #7058 advanced to state competition in the international robotics program, First Tech Challenge (FTC). Reese and Graham’s team included eight students from Peters Township, and each team had to design, build, and program their own team robot to perform specific functions, both autonomously and controller-driven. At the tournament, the teams competed in a game, in an “alliance” with another randomly selected team, where their robots collaborated and scored points according to specific tasks they had to perform, while at the same time preventing the competing alliance’s robots from accomplishing the same. n

Team members of Artificial Intellegence #7058 Summer 2014

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Did You Know? Did You Know?

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? Published Poets Congratulations to the following USCHS students for having their poetry selected for publication in the Creative Communications Fall Poetry Contest: Megan Fairgrieve for “Boiling Water,” Morgan Hubbard for “Meals to Go Before I Sleep,” Lexi Kennell for “Phat Thai,” Madhumita Mahesh for “The End,” Ben Nadler for “Summer’s Clock,” Caroline Nolf for “Autumn Leaves,” Joe Pateras for “With You,” Jessica Rach for “Repeat,” Alysa Richards for “Pink Bliss,” Ben Stalnaker for “Isolation,” and Claire Stoller for “I Am.”

Reflections Winners Continue to National Level Competition Two Upper St. Clair students moved on to the national level in PTA’s Reflections art competition, “Believe, Dream, Inspire.” Antara Cleetus, a student at Boyce Middle School, placed first at the state level in the Visual Arts–Intermediate Division for “The Third Eye.” Fort Couch student Samuel Reeder placed first at states in the Film–Middle/Junior Division for “Live Your Dream.” Congratulations to Antara and Samuel!

“Soup-er” Effort This past January, members of the USCHS girls’ basketball team traveled to the Jubilee Soup Kitchen for their annual volunteer effort.

All the World’s a Stage Congratulations to the 24 Boyce Middle School students who competed in the 20th annual Shakespeare Monologue and Scene Contest: • Antara Cleetus performing as Kate monologue from Taming of the Shrew • Braden Yates as Launce from Two Gentlemen of Verona • Danny O’Brien as Pyramus from A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Abby Rutowski and Caroline Sandford as Juliet and the Nurse • Vivek Babu and Katie Hobart as Macbeth and Lady Macbeth • Sam Dvorin and Avaneesh Rade as Macbeth’s Malcolm and Macduff • Maxwell Turnwald and Katie McCurrie from A Midsummer Night’s Dream • Maddie Nolen and Harley Robinson as Puck and Fairy • Christian Chiu, Jenny Huo, and Shay McDowell from Macbeth • Emme Wetzel, Sunny Chai, and Rebekah Chikuni as Macbeth witches • Dylan Jenny, A.J. Daley, Callahan Sollie, Rae Burton, and Nick Kalra performing a scene from A Midsummer Night’s Dream These students were sponsored by Diane Ecker and Susan Fleckenstein, Gifted/ Challenge Resource teachers at Boyce. 66

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Talented Teens Congratulations to the following ninth grade students on their recent recognition in The Scholastic Art & Writing competition. The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers identifies students with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The Western Pennsylvania Writing Project at the University of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Arts are the local liaisons to the national competition. • Mahima Reddy: Short Story Silver Key award for Surviving the Gunmetal Skies and Science Fiction/Fantasy Silver Key award for Evolving A Competition • Vicki Wang: Painting Silver Key award for Focus • Claire Zalla: Short Story Gold Key award and American Voices nominee for Polonius Laboratories and dramatic Script Gold Key award for Delia Vicki’s art was on display in an exhibition at La Roche College in February, while Claire’s writing moved on to the national competition. Students were sponsored by USCHS gifted education coordinator Dr. Tim Wagner.

Sweet Music The following students successfully auditioned for the 2014 PMEA Region I Choir Festival: Lindsay Buono, Megan Jones, Morgan Hogenmiller, Hannah Lane, Garret Liebel, Noah Manalo, Benjamin Nadler, Mariya Savinov, Jonathan Summers, Brianna Spilsbury, Michael Unghajer, and Morgan Wangler. Four USCHS students, Megan Jones, Morgan Hogenmiller, Jonathan Summers, and Hannah Lane, received first chair honors. The students are instructed by USCHS choral director Lorraine Milovac. Guest conducting the festival, which took place in February at Blackhawk High School, was Dr. Paul Head, choral activities director at the University of Delaware.

Stellar Spellers Congratulations to the 22 students who participated in the 2014 Baker Elementary School Spelling Bee earlier this year and special congratulations to the top five trophy winners: first place–Eden Ma, second place–Dev Patel, third place–Alyana Childs, fourth place–Anthony DeNoon, and fifth place–Tori Slagle. First place winner Eden Ma was invited to compete in the regional Scripps Spelling Bee held at Children’s Hospital this past March.

Summer 2014

Baker Bully Prevention Program Receives Grant The Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park Rotary Club awarded Baker Elementary $525 to enrich the school’s Olweus Bully Prevention Program. The grant funds initiatives to bridge different grade levels at the school as they pair to play games, read stories, and do activities in an effort to build stronger relationships throughout the building. These initiatives will be led by Baker principal Patrick McClintock-Comeaux and school counselor Kristin Senay Rose and implemented throughout the building by the Baker Buzz Team.

Did You Know? Did You Know? 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? Environmental Club Receives Grants The USCHS Environmental Club, sponsored by school librarian Janine Despines and biology teacher Jack Zebo, received two grants. The club was awarded a $2000 New Voices of Youth Initiative grant from The Pittsburgh Foundation, which will supplement $2500 awarded from the USC Community Foundation this past spring. The grant monies will be used for a Bench Beautification Project at the Arts and Academic entrances of USCHS. Outdoor classroom benches from the renovated Boyce Middle School will be refurbished and installed and recycling containers will be purchased and installed. The Pittsburgh Foundation grant monies will be used to advertise the bench project and to advocate “no idling zones” outside of the school building. The club plans to print and hang posters, make public service announcements, and purchase and install signage for the bench areas, reminding drivers not to idle their car engines.

PMEA News Four students from the USC School District, under the direction of Fort Couch instrumental director Glenn Wayland, were selected to participate in Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Junior High District Band this past February. In addition, Robbie Halpner, an eighth grader at Fort Couch, was selected as a winner in the PMEA 2014 Composition Program for his piece “If Only” for piano and trumpet. He and fellow student James Boston performed the music together and submitted it to be judged. The award for Robbie’s composition was presented at the state PMEA conference in March.

Left to right are Meghan Johnson-clarinet, Jessica Luberto-trumpet, Chris D’Amico-percussion, and James Boston-trumpet

Would You Help? A 16-year-old student from Madrid wants to stay in USC with a USC family during the month of July. The student, Andrea Escorial, wants to improve her English, and her parents do not want her to miss class during the school year. This family would reciprocate and host a USC student at their house in Madrid. If you are interested in hosting, or for more information, contact USCHS language teacher Cephus Moore at 412-833-1600, ext. 2656.

Creative Poets The following Boyce students were selected to have their poems published in the Creative Communication contest: Luke Adelman, Vivek Babu, Tyler Berger, Julia Brubach, Claire Chen, Rebekah Chikuni, Jason Choi, A.J. Daley, Sam Dvorin, Claire Fennell, Katie Hobart, Dylan Jenny, Katie McCurrie, Emma Mertz, Ben Nelson, Harley Robinson, Aleksa Rodic, Anika Sinha, Zachary Smith, Callahan Sollie, Maxwell Turnwald, Emme Wetzel, and Eric Zack.

Haiti Project Year Three Results Thanks to the generosity of Baker Elementary staff and families, Baker will provide schooling to its four La Croix students—twin brothers Nedson Emmanuel and Nelson Emmanuel, and Guerlandie Jean, and Jarline Sandra John for another year. Funds raised were over $1000 and this annual global outreach project is a great opportunity for the Baker students to learn about the bigger world, other cultures, and how to maintain a connection to a particular place and cause.

Summer 2014

Calcu-Solve Olympics Twelve Boyce Middle School students on three teams were invited to compete in the II-VI Calcu-Solve Olympics competition sponsored by the II-VI Foundation, Upper St. Clair School District, Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3, and Duquesne University. The contest was conducted this past February and included the top ten teams and top ten individuals from preliminary competitions held earlier in the school year, with 33 teams and 150 individuals representing 19 school districts from the Grove City Area, AIU 3, and AIU 1. The sixth grade students representing Boyce were Vivek Babu, Claire Chen, Jason Choi, Katie Hobart, Avaneesh Rade, Aleksa Rodic, Riwk Sen, and Braden Yates. Christian Chiu, Harrison Chui, Jonah Murray, and Henry Zou were selected from Boyce’s fifth grade. The team of Jason Choi, Katie Hobart, Jonah Murray, and Braden Yates came in second place and the team of Christian Chiu, Harrison Chui, Avaneesh Rade, and Aleksa Rodic tied for third. Braden Yates and Avaneesh Rade made it into the top ten, with Braden finishing second and Avaneesh finishing eighth.

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Simplicity and Contemporary Design Kitchens and Baths Trends for 2014 Terri Ellsworth, Premier Home Design Center We are well into spring, and we find ourselves into one of the busiest times of year for the kitchen and bath industry. While people contemplate home improvement projects during the winter, in warmer weather months they begin to act upon their ideas and flock to showrooms to start the design and selection process. As homeowners consider a kitchen or bath renovation project, they spend months pouring over magazines, exploring the Internet, and talking with friends who have previously completed a project before they start visiting the city’s plethora of showrooms. They consider removing a wall to expand a kitchens space, adding an addition, converting an extra bedroom into a larger bathroom, taking out a hall closet to gain space in the average 5-by-7-foot or 5-by-8-foot Pittsburgh bath. Some savvy homeowners have done their research and have a pretty good idea of what they want when they arrive at a showroom; others are seeking professional guidance from a kitchen and bath specialist and are unsure as to what they want. Kitchen and bath renovations are the costliest of home remodeling projects and, therefore, many people turn to specialists for information and guidance. Technology influences every facet of our lives and has, likewise, impacted the myriad

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kitchen and bath design possibilities. The kitchen and bath industry is never stagnant when it comes to materials that can be used. Porcelains, for instance, can take on the look of real stone, marble, and glass and are dominating flooring and wall tile selections. They can also take on the look of wood, concrete, and smooth glass. Porcelain finishes can have texture for floor covering friction and practicality or be smooth as glass for a sophisticated, urban look. Other material trends continue to be glass for kitchen backsplashes, and quartz and recycled materials for countertops. Granite remains popular for a more pronounced 3-D aesthetic. Satin nickel finishes for faucets still reign, but polished chrome is gaining ground. Stainless steel is most popular for kitchen sinks, but granite composite—a very durable alternative—is growing in acceptance and use in 2014. Along with porcelain tile for flooring material selection, wood will continue to be heavily requested this year. When it comes to cabinetry for the kitchen, transitional design still rules, but simplicity and contemporary lines are gaining popularity as consumers go for a clean, uncluttered appearance. Heavily embossed and distressed finishes are fading, as are glazes and rustic styles. Of course, when designing a kitchen space, Summer 2014

consider a home’s vintage and style and think of ideas to complement with a similar style, if that’s important to you. A clean contemporary look will not work for some kitchen renovations, especially in Pittsburgh where eclectic and vintage styles of architecture abound. Other kitchen trends look to interchangeable and organizational components to provide customization for kitchen cabinetry, as well as bathroom cabinet storage. Docking and charging stations and flat screen TVs in kitchens are gaining in popularity, as are desks and designated office space. Universal and accessible design features, including easy-maintenance items like touchless faucets, are gaining popularity for the kitchen and bath. In demand are energy-saving appliances and water-efficient faucets which, along with LED lighting, were heavily requested last year. Another recent customer request is to incorporate special places for the family’s pet, including feeding stations and litter box cabinets. As you can see, there is something for everyone today when considering your kitchen or bath renovation. Even the family pet can be a part of the process! n Premier Home Design Center will gladly guide you in transforming and updating your kitchen and/or bath. See ad on this page.

Home & Garden Keeping Identity Thieves at Bay The more business you do and information you share online, the more identity theft becomes a growing threat to your ﬁnancial security. It is helpful to know that there are simple steps you can take to help protect your name, your credit, and your loved ones from identity thieves. Play it Safe Identity theft involves the unauthorized use or attempted use of existing credit cards or accounts, as well as the misuse of personal information to obtain new accounts, get loans, or commit other crimes. Roughly seven percent of all American households—nearly nine million homes nationwide—have experienced an incident of identity theft, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. To help keep your information safe, check monthly statements for credit card, bank, and brokerage accounts carefully, and be sure to get a free annual credit report from one of the three major credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Contact each by phone or mail, or go to https://www.annualcreditreport.com/ cra/order?phone. You should also monitor your email, social networking accounts, and phone bills (both cell and landline), as thieves can “piggyback” on your plans. If you notice something strange when reviewing your credit report or your financial statements—even a charge for just a small amount—call the issuing financial institution immediately and report it. Identity thieves test, or “phish,” stolen account numbers

by running a small charge or debit, often a dollar or less, to make sure the account number is legitimate. Sometimes, account holders don’t notice the transaction or don’t think it’s worthwhile to alert their financial institution—until later when thieves rack up big purchases or drain a bank account. Email and Phone Phishing Email phishing is another common scam. Identity thieves often appear to come from a well-known organization and ask for your personal information—such as a credit card number, Social Security number, account number, user name, or password. In order for Internet criminals to successfully obtain your personal information, they will almost always tell you to click a link that either downloads malware or a virus to your computer or takes you to a different site where your personal information is requested. The emails often have forged or unsecure links (“http:” in the address not ending with an “s” for “secure” in “https”), and express a sense of urgency or negative consequences if you don’t take action. Phone phishing, or telemarketing scams, operate much the same way. Identity thieves call and often use exaggerated or fake prizes or services as bait. These could include travel packages, loans, or investment opportunities, and often have an immediate deadline to claim the prize. The goal is to get people to act on impulse and divulge personal or account information rather than take the time to analyze the situation. Continued on page 84

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Minimizing Storm Damage to Trees and Property Richard Till, C.A.P.D., Certified Arborist, Davey Tree, Lawn & Landscape Care How often do we hear about property damage as a result of a storm? High winds, ice and sleet, heavy, wet snow, freezing rain, and lightning can put tremendous stress on branches, trunks, leaves, and the root systems of the trees on your property. However, with proper tree maintenance, you can significantly reduce the potential hazards that can occur from severe weather. Proper pruning, cabling and bracing, cavity filling, a lightningprotection system, and proper tree selection when planting, are all methods used by arborists to improve the chances of your trees’ survival when weather is an issue. • Proper pruning. Thinning the tree canopy allows wind to blow through the crown, instead of against it, like a sail. Properly pruned trees offer less resistance to high winds and are less likely to suffer breakage or be blown down. The removal of potentially hazardous, dead, or weak branches is an important safety practice. • Cabling and bracing. Strong metal cables and rods are used to relieve the strain that causes structurally weak trees to split and break in severe weather. Whether used in prevention or repair of structural damage to trees, cabling and bracing provides a support system to reduce the potential for fork splitting and branch breakage. • Lightning protection. Lightning can literally “blow a tree apart” or it may only produce a spiraling dead area on the trunk. The installation of a lightning-protection system in your valuable trees can prevent destruction by harmlessly conducting the electrical charge to the ground, bypassing the tree altogether.

• Cavity filling. An open cavity in a tree’s trunk is a weak point in its structural system. Filling a cavity does not provide structural support, but rather offers a flat surface for callus tissue to grow over. Eventually, the continuity of the tree trunk is re-established and the trunk is better able to support the weight of its canopy. Fertilization helps promote the callusing process. A tree with strong, healthy wood is more likely to survive a destructive storm. At times, even healthy trees fail. A tree is classified as high-risk or potentially hazardous if any of the following apply: it has a large, defective area, a high likelihood of that part failing, and a target (persons, pets, or property) is near. Defective areas include roots, trunks, or larger branches. Defects may be the result of construction, sharp V-shaped crotches, dead or broken limbs, and insect and disease activity. Trees that have been “topped” and those damaged during construction are highly prone to decline and become hazardous over time. Not all trees with defects need to be removed. Some defects can be treated to prolong the life of the tree. In addition, not all hazards are visible or obvious. Advanced hazard-tree analysis may be necessary to determine proper treatment. Proper tree care—in conjunction with pest management, proper fertilization, mulching, and watering—can also help to alleviate stress. By pre-scheduling your landscape plants’ inspect-and-treat visits by a certified arborist, you can help maximize the beauty and health of your valuable trees and help protect your property for years to come. n See ad for Davey Tree, Lawn & Landscape Care on this page.

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Summer 2014

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Summertime and the living is easy. Maybe in the movies, but in real life, summertime is filled with project plans and “honey-do” lists. And there is no better time than summer to tackle a big project or get your house ready to put on the market. After one of the worst winters in memory, everyone is going to want to get outside this summer and create a space that can be used for years to come. For example, an outdoor kitchen is one of the hottest additions to any home. Undertaking a multi-faceted project like this can be quite challenging. You might start with a scaled down plan, but quickly realize that you are interested in more enhancements. After choosing your basic needs, you might consider adding a fireplace or a shade structure that can add thousands of dollars to your original project. Your financing option must be able to meet these challenges. With a project that might change and evolve over time, a home equity line of credit is the right way to go. “A home equity line of credit gives you the flexibility to borrow what you need 72

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when you need it up to a maximum limit,” said Vince Cassano, manager of residential and consumer lending at Brentwood Bank. “If you begin a project, you have access to additional funds if you exceed your budget, as most people typically do.” A plan that is more specific in which you are confident won’t change might be more suited to a home equity term loan. “With a home equity term loan, you lock in a rate and have a fixed payment over a scheduled timeframe,” said Joe Verduci, assistant vice president of relationship banking at Brentwood Bank. If instead you are thinking of selling your house and putting it on the market, summer is the perfect time to get work done to make it market-ready and into sales-ready mode. “Using the equity in your home to help you prepare your home for sale is a great way to access interim funding so that you don’t need to touch your savings,” added Cassano. “Make sure your home equity line of credit doesn’t have an early termination fee since the loan has to be paid off at the time of sale. Summer 2014

Brentwood Bank does not charge an early termination fee.” Now that your house is ready for sale, it’s also time to shop for a mortgage for your new home. Cassano and Verduci advise customers to perform due diligence when searching for mortgage lenders and offer these tips: • Work with a local community bank. • Interview and work directly with a lender, not an originator or broker. • Choose a bank that will service your loan for the life of the loan. • Review rates and costs. “If you already have your home equity line of credit with Brentwood Bank, we can expedite your request and work to provide you pre-qualification to help you in your home purchase negotiations,” said Cassano. Summertime is a great time to take on many projects! Just make sure that you have the right financial product and the right lender to ensure that everything goes smoothly. n See ad for Brentwood Bank on page 7.

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What’s Your Coverage? If your homeowner’s insurance policy doesn’t have enough liability coverage and a visitor is injured while visiting your home, you could be left footing a very pricey bill. Liability claims against homeowners are common. Homes have many potential hazards, ranging from slippery floors to pets that bite. If someone gets hurt and files a lawsuit, a standard homeowner’s or renter’s policy will cover legal fees and any judgment against you, but only up to your policy’s limit. An insurance agent can help you choose the proper amount of coverage. A typical homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy includes a minimum of $100,000 for liability; a personal umbrella liability policy will provide you with additional protection. You typically can buy $1 million in umbrella liability coverage for Continued on page 84 Summer 2014

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Around the Township

The Evolution of Little League Sports in USC Jim Meston

When we moved to Upper St. Clair in 1964, two of our boys were at the youngest of ages to start playing Little League sports. We’d been playing catch and hitting a whiffle ball since they could hold a bat. I volunteered to coach their teams. One of my boys also wanted to play football, so I coached that, too. At that time, the Upper St. Clair Athletic Association (USCAA) consisted of a small group of men who administered those two sports. Organized in the late 50s, the Association received no support from the Township. The Association was in charge of raising funds for equipment and caring for the fields. I was invited to join the Association, where we taught basic skills to the players. And while instilling the “do your best” concept, winning was not to be over emphasized. All youngsters were to have equal amounts of playing time. It was a very rewarding experience for coaches, players, and for most parents. Rarely did a parent complain that his child should get more playing time. With fondness, I still remember the men who served on the board when I joined the association: Duke Marmion, Bob Fornear, John Ferentz, Dick Murray, Jack Lynch, Lynn Carson, and Jack Kennedy. Our meetings were events that I looked forward to attending. We schemed on how to raise funds and other organizational issues and then enjoyed debating whatever subjects were topics at the time. All of these men are now deceased, but know that each of them was instrumental in further developing the foundation of Little League sports in Upper St. Clair Township. In honor of Duke Marmion, the field on McLaughlin Run Road was named Marmion Field. Duke and Bob Fornear were the stalwarts of Little League sports in the Township. I think that there should be a Fornear Field dedicated to Bob, but the Municipal Field was renamed “Founders Field” a few years back, which includes all of the early board members. That’s great! I was blessed to play many sports in high school, and I was fortunate to receive a football scholarship to a good university. I played football because I liked it and was blessed with the ability to play well enough to get a scholarship and have my college education paid for, but it is hard work. I believe that unless you really like the sport you are playing and are willing to pay the price of hard work, you should not play. One of the values of Little League, as I see it, is that young boys and girls have an opportunity to explore sports at an early age to see if they have athletic ability and a liking for the sport. They can then explore further participation after Little League. Even if they do not participate beyond Little League, they will have gained knowledge of a sport which will make them a more informed sports fan in the future. Accomplishments, including participation in youth sports, add to one’s sense of self worth and sense of confidence. Every young 74

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Summer 2014

child needs validation to boost a fragile ego at the early uncertain times in his or her life. There are, of course, many other ways to accomplish this beyond sports. Today, the USCAA has profoundly expanded from my time on the board. My former neighbor, Bill Barnard, informs me the board has increased to 25 men and women and includes the following sports: soccer (boys and girls), football, baseball, girls softball, basketball (boys and girls), and wrestling. Bill has been a board member for the past 21 years and served twice as president. That is quite an achievement. Bill told me that the USCAA is very fortunate now to partner with both the Township of Upper St. Clair and the USC School District to effectively manage the youth sports in the Township. He noted that these relationships are significant to the program’s continued success. The goal of the USCAA is not to train its young sports players to become high school players. The USCAA is not a minor league for high school. The goals of the USCAA are to provide young people the opportunities to learn a sport, develop certain skills, learn to compete, and try their best to contribute to the success of his or her team. These goals are also characteristics of what every healthy activity should strive to provide. In many instances, kids who play Little League sports go on to play sports in high school. Little League has helped the high school’s sports programs. Upper St. Clair High School is fortunate to have longstanding, talented coaches who have coached the boys and girls who continue to play sports and have successful, rewarding high school careers. USCHS baseball coach Jerry Malarkey has been coaching baseball at USC since 1977 and has been at the helm as head coach since 1985. USCHS basketball coach Danny Holzer has been head coach since 1995 after several previous coaching assignments. In 1978, when Carl Lindstrom was USC’s athletic director, the head football coach position was open. He remembered what former coach Joe Moore told him. Joe said that the team he feared

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to play most was Uniontown because their coach, Jim Render, did the best job of preparing his teams. Carl and then USC School District superintendent Dr. Niles Norman interviewed and hired Jim in 1978. This past season, Coach Render completed his 35th year as USCHS head football coach. Dr. Norman is quoted as saying “Hiring Jim Render was the best thing I ever did.” I do not personally know Ernie Koontz, but I do know that he has had a long and successful record as the USC girls’ basketball coach. These coaches and others in the District have not only produced WPIAL championships, but have encouraged their players to be student-athletes, as well. They serve as good mentors in that regard. USCHS coaches are not involved with the Little League program. Each functions independently. But it’s obvious that the kids who played Little League and who developed their skills and have a liking for a sport or two want to continue playing in high school. Instilled in them by the USCAA are some basic training and fundamentals. The high school benefits from the Little League programs. Those who choose to play sports are far better for what they have learned at the Little League level. Those who don’t continue to play sports at the high school level realize they are better positioned for other activities. Upper St. Clair is blessed to have so many dedicated men and women organizing sports opportunities for the youth in the community through the USCAA. Further, USC is blessed with dedicated coaches at all levels of play. The discipline acquired when competing at any sports level is, in itself, a valuable life lesson that all children should experience. There are some changes happening in our current sports culture, specifically around the subject of brain concussions. Parents are more apprehensive about their boys playing football. The number of boys participating in youth football has dropped in recent years. The assumed reason centers on the concern of concussions and their possible negative and lasting effects. The potential for concussions exists not only in football, but in other sports, as well. Football helmets help to reduce the consequences of head injuries as a result of impact. The quality and safety of helmets are continually assessed and improved at all levels of football, from youth to professional. In baseball, batting helmets are a guard against bean balls. But with few exceptions, including hockey, other sports do not mandate headgear. The potential for head collisions and concussions, however, remains.

The major incidences of concussions occur in professional football, where players are bigger and stronger. Efforts at that level are being intensified to improve helmet safety features and establish stricter rules to prohibit helmet-to-helmet contact. In talking with USC football coach Jim Render, he noted that the team experienced one concussion last year, but the injuries were mostly of ankles and knees, pretty typical of most years. Jim recently attended a conference where medical experts discussed concussions, among other topics. Numerous medical experts are studying various kinds of brain disorders, including concussions, of which there are many. Today, so much more is known about treating players who concuss. Not long ago, especially in professional football, a player frequently played immediately after a concussion, without proper evaluation and treatment. That’s now been corrected. Jim stated that the consensus of many experts in the field regarding youth, high school, and even college football was that the benefits from football, as well as from all competitive sports, outweigh the risk of injury. It’s quite a dilemma and decision for parents to help their children decide which sports among the many offered they should play. The men and women involved in coaching and serving on the USCAA believe that Little League sports play an important role in a young person’s character development. Yes, there is risk of injury, but there are risks involved in most anything of significance to a person’s growth and development. There’s risk involved when a teenager takes the family car out of the driveway. You hold your breath until they return home and pray for their safety while they are away. There’s risk involved in being on the debate team or trying out for a part in the school play or any other activity that involves competition. We grow to be the adults we are by taking risks and solving problems, learning from our mistakes and failures along the way. It’s a tough call for parents to let go of their child’s hand and let him take a risk. But a risk taken can be a meaningful contributor to a child’s normal development. As parents, the support you can offer your child will give him every opportunity for a positive experience. And while “good old risk” is forever present, know that the many benefits of sports—as well as the outcome and the learning along the way—outweigh the potential for the associated risks that go with it. n Visit www.uscaasports.org to learn more about the Upper St. Clair Athletic Association (USCAA).

USCAA board members, front row, left to right: Bob Kerber, Matt Pollock, Jim Wilding, Jenn Andrejcik, Bill Barnard, Dave McClintock, Jay Sukernek, Phil Tanner; back row: Joe Krolcyzk, Phil Elias, Ed Albert, John Tarcson, Erik Lund, Jeff Conn, Tom Burke, Bill Friday; not pictured: Roseanne Geyer, Glenn Groninger, Jim Meyer, Brett Russell, Brian Seery, Nate Snyder. Photo courtesy of Nancy Barnard. Summer 2014

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A Healthier U(SC)

glycogen,” she said. “Energy gels and chews consist of complex carbohydrates and work by replenishing carbohydrate and glycogen stores that are depleted while Fueling for the Finish Line running, biking, swimming, or other types of calorie Heather Holtschlag burning activities. The complex carbohydrates in these products are easily digested and quickly deliver energy Whether you are a seasoned athlete or to your muscles.” new to the gym, you likely have noticed the Generation UCAN, however, works a bit differently wealth of sports nutrition products that line in that it is a Superstarch, or a complex carbohydrate the shelves at the local sporting goods stores. And maybe you have your go-to favorite or you Deb Doyle, general manager, that stabilizes blood sugar and provides sustained energy Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, levels without spikes and crashes, according to Deb. wondered about all the hype and whether or not near the store’s display “The Superstarch in UCAN is a revolutionary carboyou should make the investment. But do you of sports nutrition products hydrate with no crash, no insulin spike, and is easy on know the science behind them and how they the stomach. It also is available in a protein-enhanced product, compare to each other? According to Deb Doyle, general manager of Upper St. Clair’s which can be used after your activity to speed recovery.” Deb said that these products are designed to be used while Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, there are several varieties of sports nutrition products on the market, including energy gels and chews such as training for an event, as well as before and during the actual event, GU, Honey Stinger, and Sports Beans. The store recently added a and can be taken about every hour. Generation UCAN should be taken prior to the event and will provide one to two hours of new product to its shelves, called Generation UCAN. “These products are designed for endurance athletes in any sustained energy, depending on the effort expended. After that, sport and at any level,” Deb explained. “They are typically used by it can be taken during the actual activity for additional energy participants of longer runs or workouts that last an hour or more.” as needed. Deb recommends to people who are interested in adding these And though these products may be simple enough to take, how they actually work comes down to pure science. Deb explained products to their regimen that they experiment with different that the body relies on carbohydrates as its primary source of products to determine the one that is going to work the best. “This fuel while running or during other physical activities. “The faster should be done while training for the event. Do not wait until the you run, or the harder you workout, the greater the percentage race day to figure out what works or what doesn’t.” she remarked. But, before anyone ingests anything, there are a couple imof fuel that will come from carbohydrates. The problem is that, on average, the body can only store about 90 minutes of muscle portant things to note. The first is that they should always take

Team RobotiX #7060 Wins Awards, Promotes FIRST Team RobotiX #7060, a For Inspiration and Recognition

of Science and Technology (FIRST) Tech Challenge (FTC) team, was the winning alliance in the Lehigh Valley Robotics Regional Tournament against high school teams from five states. In addition, Team RobotiX also won the rookie award for outstanding achievement of a first year team. Members of the team are Matthew Hyatt and Jacob Conte, sixth grade students from Boyce Middle School, who represented Team RobotiX at the competition, and Alex Brufsky, Sahil Doshi, and Kevin Chen, eighth grade students from Fort Couch Middle School. In addition to competing, Team RobotiX represented FIRST at the Carnegie Science Center for Engineer’s Week (2014), showcasing their robot and promoting FIRST robotics programs. FTC is designed for high-schoolers who want to compete headto-head using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete on a 12-foot by 12-foot field in an alliance format against other teams. Robots are built using a TETRIX® platform and use a combination of motors, controllers, wireless communications, metal gears, and sensors, including infrared tracking (IR). Teams are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition, as well as community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments. Before starting Team RobotiX in September 2013, the kids had to learn a new programming language over the summer, 76

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Summer 2014

A judge reviews an app that the boys created for scouting other teams (programming autonomous options, counting blocks, hanging on the bar, spinning the flag, and parking on the ramp).

LabVIEW or ROBOTC, in order to participate in the FTC competition. After analysis of both programs, they decided to learn ROBOTC (http://www.robotc.net). This program is a powerful C-based programming language with a Windows environment for writing and debugging programs, a cross-platform solution that allows students to learn the type of programming used in advanced education and professional applications. It offers free webinars, video tutorials, community forums, detailed help files, and curriculum provided by Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Academy. Since face-to-face summer classes were not available for kids their

the energy gels and chews with water, never by themselves, and never with a sports drink, such as Gatorade. “Without water, energy gels will take longer to digest and enter the bloodstream,” said Deb, “and if you take an energy gel with a sports drink, you run the risk of ingesting too much simple sugar at once. Taken together, a gel and a sports drink could deliver up to 60 grams of pure sugar.” In addition, Deb warned that some products contain caffeine, so if you have an aversion to caffeine, you may want to stay away from those products. Some products, such as Honey Stinger, offer organic products, and Generation UCAN is derived from non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) corn, so if you have a corn allergy, you should steer clear of this product. “The overall benefits of these products include sustained energy, enhanced performance, and bursts of energy at times during training and the actual event when the individual really needs it,” Deb said. The cost of the energy gels and chews range from $1.25 to $2.50. Generation UCAN ranges from $3.25 for a single-serve packet to $25.50 for a six-pack. For more information about the variety of sports nutrition products available or for help determining what types of products may be best for you, call Deb Doyle at Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, located on Upper St. Clair’s North Highland Road, at 412-851-9100. n Have questions about supplements? Maybe you don’t know if you should be taking them or are confused about what’s good and what’s not. Stay tuned for the fall 2014 issue of TODAY when we go to the experts to get your questions answered.

age, they utilized the free online resources and worked independently, as well as with each other, to learn the language. Once the FTC season started, the team invited a variety of guest speakers to their meetings. They learned about fundraising, designing, and building with TETRIX®, and how to construct their engineering notebook. As part of the FTC competition,

Team RobotiX #7060

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teams submitted documentation of their learning through an engineering notebook, which included paper and pencil or CAD designs, photos of their robot as they were building it, and detailed notes for each team meeting that highlighted goals, discussion items, and lessons learned. On the day of the competition, prior to robot matches, each team gives a 15-minute presentation to the judges and answers questions about their learning objectives, community service projects, and goals to promote FIRST. Then, the team submits their engineering notebook for review. At the competition, each match lasts two minutes and 30 seconds, and begins with a 30-second autonomous period followed by a two-minute driver-controlled period. The final 30 seconds of the driver-controlled period is the end game, where each team can score bonus points by completing

specific tasks. After each match, alliance points are tallied and posted. A team’s overall ranking depends on how well its robot works with their alliance partner’s robot. A video of this year’s FTC game can be viewed at http://www.usfirst.org/ roboticsprograms/ftc/game. In addition to robotics, FTC teams learn lifelong entrepreneurial, problem solving, team building, and presentation skills, as well as gracious professionalism. Members of Team RobotiX were fortunate to have wonderful coaches, mentors, guest speakers, and sponsors in order to facilitate their learning this year. They would like to thank the following sponsors for their support: WESCO, Eckert Seamans, Alcoa, Handyman Matters, Rollier’s, 84 Lumber, John’s Towing, Carnegie Mellon University–Heinz College, Robomatter Inc./ROBOTC, and FIRST. n

Team RobotiX is coached by Kim Hyatt, along with mentors Jay Clayton and Mike Dischner. They are looking to grow the team next year and/or help start other FIRST teams in the area (grades K-12). The 501(c)(3), nonprofit paperwork, has been filed and the team’s approval is pending. Contact Kim Hyatt at teamrobotixinc@gmail.com for more information and/or if you would like to help sponsor Team RobotiX. See http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms for information on all of the FIRST programs (Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC, and FRC). Summer 2014

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Town Hall South Announces 2014-2015 Series

Robert Edsel October 7, 2014

Evan Osnos November 11, 2014

John Miller December 2, 2014

The Town Hall South Lecture series presents its 2014-15 line up of speakers. The series explores current and topical issues. Included are the author who researched and wrote the book behind the “Monuments Men” movie; an expert on China; a well-known journalist and security analyst; a humorous presenter of serious science; and charming chef, Jacques Pépin, and his daughter, Claudine, a wine expert. Town Hall South’s 46th season offers speakers chosen for their dynamic styles, relevant topics, and wide reaching appeal. An ardent devotee of art and architecture, Robert Edsel embarked on an impassioned journey to unravel the secrets and heroics of the Monuments Men, the unsung heroes who saved the world’s greatest art and cultural treasures during World War II for the benefit of civilization. In 2009, Edsel published The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. Edsel’s third book, Saving Italy (May 2013), follows the Monuments Men as they struggle to protect and save some of the world’s greatest treasures located in Italy, including works by Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. As you may recall, the blockbuster film, The Monuments Men, written and produced by George Clooney, was released in February. A staff writer at the New Yorker since 2008, Evan Osnos was the magazine’s correspondent in China. His articles have focused on China’s rise to power, chronicling the lives of ordinary citizens in the throes of dramatic change. A specialist in all things relating to Chinese culture and fluent in the language, he is a contributor to This American Life and a correspondent for Frontline/World, a public television series. Previously, he worked as the Beijing bureau chief of the Chicago Tribune, where he contributed to a series that won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. Currently, Osnos is the Washington correspondent at the New Yorker. John Miller was a senior correspondent for CBS News from 2011 until 2013. In this capacity, Miller reported for all CBS News platforms and broadcasts, including CBS This Morning, CBS News with Scott Pelley, and occasionally for 60 Minutes.

David Pogue February 3, 2015

Jacques Pépin March 3, 2015

From 2005 until 2011, John worked across the Intelligence Community with the CIA, NSA, FBI, and other agencies. Miller was recently named NYPD’s counter- terrorism chief. In 2002, Miller co-authored The Cell: Inside the 9/11 Plot and Why the FBI and CIA Failed to Stop It. His diligent investigative reporting during his career earned him nine Emmy Awards, two Peabody Awards, and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. David Pogue was the weekly personal technology columnist for The New York Times for 13 years. In the fall of 2013, he made the move to Yahoo, helping them oversee and expand their consumer technology coverage. With over three million books in print, Pogue is one of the world’s best-selling “how-to” authors, having written or co-written seven books in the For Dummies series. In 1999, he launched his own series of complete, funny computer books called the Missing Manual series. Pogue is a monthly columnist for Scientific American and an Emmy Award-winning technology correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. He is the current host of NOVA ScienceNow in which he offers an edgy take on science as he is immersed in hilarious and dangerous situations. Master chef, author, and educator Jacques Pépin is the “original Iron Chef.” One of America’s best-known chefs, Pépin has published 25 cookbooks and hosted 12 acclaimed public television cooking shows. Pépin has taught at the French Culinary Institute since 1988. He has also shared the spotlight with the iconic Julia Child on the award-winning show Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home. Claudine Pépin has spent a great deal of time in the wine industry, teaching food and wine pairing for both the French Culinary Institute and Sommelier Society in New York. She appears in television and other events with her father, Jacques, and is host of The Zen of Taste, filmed in Hong Kong. Town Hall South has a two-fold purpose: to provide an enrichment program for the community through quality lectures and to provide service in the community through philanthropic gifts to a wide range of local organizations. To that end, Town Hall South has donated $505,388 during its 46 years of existence. All lectures are held at the Upper St. Clair High School Theater on the first Tuesday of October, November, December, February, and March. Tickets are available by series subscription for $145 and can be purchased by visiting the Town Hall South website at www.townhallsouth.org. n

For further information and a subscription form for Town Hall South, visit www.townhallsouth.org or look for a pamphlet at the Upper St. Clair Township Library. 78

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

412-561-5405

info@outreachteen.org

Transitions Dear Outreach, Is there anything I should do to prepare my teen for the transition into college? Concerned Parent Dear Concerned Parent, While administrative tasks may be complete, mental and emotional preparations for college life are likely just beginning. Talking to your teen about upcoming changes is crucial. Encouraging students to discuss their apprehensions will help them feel better prepared for the unexpected. Going off to college can mean staying focused on academics and athletics, and meeting some new friends along the way. Yet when arriving on campus, one can feel overwhelmed and lonely at times. The amount of work required outside of class can be more than expected. Losing touch with close high school friends and the distance from a supportive family can be causes for sadness. Teens can learn skills to help them navigate through college life. Prepare for less structure by developing good time management skills. Have conversations before they leave about how experiencing feelings of loneliness at times is typical. Make a plan for how you both will stay in touch. Talk about how they can meet people by participating in clubs and activities. Also, define the difference between sadness and depression. Explain that it is OK to feel sad, but if it lasts longer than a few weeks and starts impacting their health, grades, and social life, then it is important for him or her to seek help. Be sure your student is aware of how to use the support services his or her school offers, including counseling and tutoring. If you need support, contact Outreach at 412-561-5405 or info@outreachteen.org. n Outreach Teen & Family Services is a nonprofit, confidential counseling service, offering affordable, accessible, and discreet counseling and educational programs to youth and parents.

Traveling with TODAY Michael Burke and Tony DeMarco enjoy sunset at Campo de Fiori, Rome, Italy, showing off the most recent edition of TODAY. Lifelong friends and graduates of USC (class of 2011), they are both in their junior year at Penn State University. Tony, in Rome since January, is studying abroad in the Penn State/Temple University Program, while Michael and three other PSU friends traveled to Rome to enjoy spring break Italian style. n

Michael Burke and Tony DeMarco

Bob Ellison REALTOR®

• Specializing in Upper St. Clair and the South Hills • Knowledgeable and Professional • Serving Buyers and Sellers • Multi Million Dollar Producer Office: 412-833-3600 ext. 246 Cell: 412-552-8290 bobellison@howardhanna.com Howard Hanna - USC Office 180 Fort Couch Road Upper St. Clair, PA 15241

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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is proud to

Pictured, left to right, are Boyce OM team members Alex Mitchell, Shivani Jajoo, Sara Hess, Noelle Pirain, Anoushka Sinha, Owen Mandler, and Maxwell Mandler

Odyssey of the Mind team from Boyce Middle School participated in the regional OM competition this past March at Moon Middle School and shared USC TODAY with other students while waiting to find out the results of the performances. How fun for our community magazine to travel to the “moon” for this exciting event. Four OM teams representing USC placed first at the regional competition and continued on to state competition. Read more about the OM state competition results in the fall 2014 issue of TODAY. n Summer 2014

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 35mm 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.

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UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 or usctoday@uscsd.k12.pa.us

USC resident, Jane Henderson is celebrating her one-year anniversary at Davin Interiors. After creating warm and functional spaces in both residential and commercial design in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York, she is happily designing homes throughout the Pittsburgh area and clients are benefiting from her ability to blend classic with modern, East-Coast style with West -Coast style and everything in between. After ten years in USC’s Pinebridge Commons, Davin Interiors relocated to Uptown Mt. Lebanon in 2013. Whether it’s Jane Henderson full-scale interior design services throughout a newly constructed or existing home, or just up-styling a room, partnering with Davin Interiors will save you time, reduce stress, and ensure beautiful outcomes attuned to your aesthetic values and functional needs. Offering a broader range of services than most interior designers, including full project management, Davin Interiors is extremely valuable for busy professionals who want endto-end support, from initial vision and designs through purchasing, installation, and final touches. Visit www.davininteriors.com.

Bailey Fialkovich, a freshman at USC High School, has been selected to represent the United States in January 2016 at The Cup–Netherlands fastpitch softball tournament. The North American Select Team (NAST) chooses 50 athletes from across the continent who have a dream of playing ball internationally. Bailey, a short stop on the USCHS varsity softball team, is also a member of Pittsburgh Shock, a USSSA fastpitch Bailey Fialkovich travel team. To learn how to help Bailey raise funds for her trip to represent the U.S., visit https://sites.google.com/site/fialkovich2016europecup/.

Rick (Enrique) and Rico Camacho recently competed on Wheel of Fortune’s Family Week, which aired on March 14. The father-son team won their match, netting $26,598 in cash and prizes, including a trip to Jamaica.

Rico and Rick Camacho (photo courtesy of Wheel of Fortune)

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

John L Happel, MD, of Upper St. Clair, directs the first vein center in Pennsylvania to be granted accreditation in Varicose Vein and Superficial Venous Treatment and Management by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC). IAC accreditation means that Happel Laser and Vein Centre has voluntarily undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. Accreditation is granted only John L Happel, MD to those facilities that are found to be providing quality varicose vein care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process, including a detailed review of selected patient procedures. Dr. Happel received his vascular surgery training and vascular surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic. Board certified in both vascular and general surgery, Dr. Happel was the first physician to perform laser surgery for varicose veins in the Pittsburgh area. He is certified in vascular ultrasound interpretation and also is certified in vascular technology and holds both RPVI and RVT degrees from the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers. Dr. Happel served as chief of surgery at UPMC-South Side Hospital, where he also was director of the Peripheral Vascular Laboratory and Wound Healing Center. He serves as assistant clinical professor of surgery at UPMC and has been specializing in vascular surgery and varicose veins since 1985.

Upper St Clair resident Neil Louis Kocon is proud to announce that his business, At Your Door Auto Detailing, opened April 1. After obtaining his undergraduate degree at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he worked as a sales manager and account manager for a Fortune 50 consumer goods company for the past six years. Venturing on his own, Neil is excited with his new business. At Your Door Auto Detailing prides itself in providing the highest level of service to customers, while at the same time providing an additional convenience of servicing cars at the customer’s home or place of employment. Services range from Neil Kocon a simple hand wash and vacuum to waxing and full detail. The company motto, “Treat your car to the best! We bring the water, electricity, and detailing expert to you,” says it all. At Your Door Auto Detailing will be marketing and reaching out to its customers primarily using social media. For a list of services and examples of their work, search At Your Door Auto Detailing on Facebook. See ad on page 85.

New Approach Used to Control Pain after Replacement Surgery Patients undergoing total knee and hip replacements benefit from new pain management technique

St. Clair Hospital orthopedic pain, but causes muscle weakness. This surgeon Brett C. Perricelli, M.D. is using muscle weakness can predispose a patient a new approach to controlling pain after to falls and limits early physical therapy. total hip and knee replacement surgery Once the nerve block wears off, patients rethat helps patients get back on their feet quire narcotic pain medications and suffer faster than before. It can control pain from the aforementioned unpleasant side with less use of narcotics and fewer side effects. There is also risk of injury to the effects. At St. Clair Hospital, Dr. Perricelli nerve when the block is being performed. uses a pain management regimen centered The new approach relies less on nararound multimodal analgesia and local cotics and invasive pain management peri-articular injections (into the surgical techniques (blocks), and instead uses mulsite). It can control pain for up to three tiple short- and long-lasting site-specific Brett C. Perricelli, M.D. days after surgery, with effects that can last pain medicine, combined with low doses much longer into recovery. of oral and IV medications that are gen- nausea, and constipation that you find Pain is a major concern for any pa- tler on the patient and ease the recovery with narcotic pain medications which enter tient undergoing knee or hip replacement process. One drug utilizes bupivacaine, a the blood stream. In Dr. Perricelli’s practice, patients who surgery. The old approach for managing commonly-used pain medicine, which is pain (with narcotics and nerve blocks) encased in bubbles of fat that break down are treated with the new approach are has several drawto slow the release able to walk with assistance on the day of backs. The side of the medicine to surgery. The nerve is not “blocked,” which effects of narcotics control pain over means they can start physical therapy include sedation, three days. Since sooner and get back to their routine faster. grogginess, constithe injections are The length of stay has been decreased, pation and nausea; given at the site narcotic use has been decreased, and range all things that can of pain, patients of motion has been increased. Many of affect the patient don’t experience Dr. Perricelli’s patients do not require any in a negative way. side effects such narcotics throughout the post-operative Nerve blocks as drowsiness, period. n n u m b t h e l e g , Dr. Perricelli, injecting pain medication into the knee of a Dr. Perricelli has offices in St. Clair Hospital’s Outpatient centers in total knee replacement patient at St. Clair Hospital which helps with Bethel Park and Peters Township. He can be reached at 412-283-0260.

St. Clair Hospital Named in Top One Hundred List

Recognized for excellence and efficiency, St. Clair is named as one of 100 top hospitals in U.S. St. Clair Hospital again has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Truven Health Analytics (formerly a division of Thomson Reuters). The Truven Health Analytics annual 100 Top Hospitals study uses objective public data to recognize the best hospitals in the nation. Truven Health’s study identifies the best values in American health care through evaluation of hospitals on measures of clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction and clinical efficiency. The annual study, now in its 20th year, evaluated 3000 acute care hospitals across the country. Hospitals do not apply and winners do not pay to market the honor. Other notable hospitals from across the nation that are 100 Top Hospitals in 2014 include Duke University Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville,

Tennessee, and Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. “Employers and payers are increasingly seeking hospitals that consistently provide demonstrated value—hospitals that deliver higher quality, higher satisfaction, and lower costs,” said Jean Chenoweth, Truven Health Analytics senior vice president, 100 Top Hospitals Program. “The 100 Top Hospitals have been objectively proven to provide high value, and the majority of them have demonstrated year-over-year increased value, as well,” she said. “St. Clair Hospital is honored to be included in this elite group of hospitals,” said Michael J. Flanagan, senior vice president and chief operating officer of St. Clair Hospital. “This award is a reflection of the dedicated work and commitment to excellence shared by our medical staff, employees, and volunteers. And to again Summer 2014

be recognized as a 100 Top Hospital during St. Clair’s 60th anniversary year makes it extra special for everyone.” Based in Michigan, Truven Health is a respected source of information to employers and other buyers of health care information. Truven noted that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as those treated in the award-winning hospitals the following would apply: • More than 165,000 additional lives could be saved. • Nearly 90,000 additional patients could be complication free. • Approximately $5.4 billion could be saved. The winning hospitals are listed in the March 3, 2014, issue of Modern Healthcare magazine. n For more information on St. Clair Hospital, visit www.stclair.org. See ads on pages 9 and 87. UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Local Girl Collects for Kenyan Children

Diana Gurecka collects and cleans donated soccer balls.

Despite being unable to attend a planned mission trip to Kenya this past winter, Boyce student Diana Gurecka collected and cleaned donated soccer balls, and then packed them into a suitcase along with other sports supplies purchased with donated money to be carried to Kenya. In anticipation of the trip, a donation request went out from Diana and her family to USC’s Deerfield community, her neighborhood. The sports equipment and some Pittsburgh Terrible Towels were distributed and enjoyed by the Kenyan children at the school they attend. The school, an oasis, provides a uniform and one meal a day for each child who attends. In many cases, the school-provided meal is the only regular daily meal a child will get. There are no soccer fields or park areas in which to play and the school is surrounded (literally) by a shanty town of three- to five-hundred thousand people

with little, if any, running water or sanitation. Electricity is available sometimes and only in certain areas. Diana and her parents, Dr. Joseph and Helen Gurecka, would like to thank their wonderful Deerfield neighbors and friends who contributed to this small attempt to make a difference in the lives of children who have so little. In the near future, Dr. Gurecka hopes to return to Kenya to expand and equip an infirmary nearby. n

Shanty town surrounding Nairobi, Kenya

Writing Your Story Kathy Richardson There has been something very exciting going on at Westminster Church for nearly a year in a seminar led by celebrated author Jim O’Brien. Initially, Jim’s goal was simply to help people get past the fear of “putting pen to paper.” As he states in the introduction to the class, “There is some talent and skill involved, like how best to tell a story, but everybody has a story to tell.” Little did he know at that point, how right he would be. About 20 people attended the first class, at which we introduced ourselves and explained our reasons for attending the class. Many of the people hoped to write a legacy

for their children and grandchildren. One woman was beginning work on a technical journal and a couple of us wanted to try writing the book that’s been floating around in our heads for years. After Jim’s first two-hour presentation, which included engaging stories from his career, we were given the task of writing our own short story to share with the group in the next class. Several people shared their stories at what was initially supposed to have been the last class, but fortunately for us, Jim said he would not “abandon us” so soon after having awakened our creativity.

Left to right, front row: Marsha Gnagey, Marilyn Lindstrom, Paul Kulp; back row: Jim O’Brien, Jim Barbarino, Art Humphreys, Heather Richardson, Barbara Allwes, Peggy Rigotti, Kathy Richardson 82

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

On the third meeting night, as other people read their stories—some funny, others poignant—it was clear that each person had put a lot of thought into his or her writing assignment. I credit Jim with creating the non-judgmental atmosphere that allowed each person to feel comfortable sharing his or her work with the group. During our most recent class, a woman read her story, which everyone agreed was very well written. It was descriptively detailed, which helped to evoke the images, smells, and sounds of the scenes she was describing. When she finished reading, Jim asked her if anyone had ever told her that she was a good writer. Much to our surprise, her answer was “No.” This is precisely to what Jim was referring when he said “everybody has a story to tell.” People who may never have put pen to paper without Jim’s encouragement are now developing confidence in their abilities and writing wonderful stories. Jim is enthusiastic about helping us to achieve our goals through an experience that he says has gone far beyond his initial expectations. n New writers are welcome to join. Call Kathy Long at Westminster Church— 412-835-6630.

T “Let Jim Roman Buy and Sell your Empire!”

James M. Roman, PhD (ABD), MBA —Realtor®—

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CONCORDIA OF THE SOUTH HILLS A place where everything is close at hand

If you are looking for a place that feels like home, take a look at what Concordia of the South Hills offers and you’ll see what makes us different. Concordia is a CARF accredited Aging Services Network, one of the 100 largest senior care providers in the country. Our highly qualified staff is committed to providing five star H H H H H quality of care to every person we serve, whether it’s retirement living, short-term rehabilitation, personal care or longterm nursing care. These combined services allow those who call Concordia of the South Hills home the opportunity to age in place.

For more information about our different levels of care, call our Director of Admissions at 412-278-1300. 1300 Bower Hill Road • Pittsburgh, PA 15243 • 412-278-1300 www.concordia-southhills.org

All things USC!

... is a dedicated photo feature that captures our residents enjoying activities and events in and around Upper St. Clair.

Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

What’s Your Coverage? Continued from page 73

$150 to $300 per year. Here are five common liability claims that homeowners face. 1. Dog bites. A typical home insurance policy includes liability coverage for damages and injuries caused by you or other members of your household, including pets. Insurers often exclude some dog breeds from their policies because they represent higher risks. The Insurance Information Institute (III) reports that the average dog-bite cost per claim in 2012 was $29,752. If insurance companies determine that a dog breed is dangerous, it can be more costly for the owners to find home coverage, says Peter Foley, vice president for claims administration at the American Insurance Association (AIA). The excluded dogs usually are large and powerful breeds that can cause serious injuries if they attack people. 2. Home accidents. Foley says injury accident claims frequently are filed against homeowners. Even if a person comes onto your property uninvited, such as a door-to-door salesperson, you can be held liable for any injuries they sustain, if you are found to be negligent. Ice and snow that you fail to shovel on your walk, a loose carpet that you failed to warn them about, a loose stairway railing you neglected to repair are all potential claims where you could be held liable. While most home accidents don’t involve liability insurance claims, home mishaps are common, according to the National Security Council. It reported that in 2011, almost 19 million Americans, or one in 17 people, experienced an injury accident in the home that required aid from a medical professional. Like homeowners, renters need liability coverage. Some tenants wrongly assume that only homeowners can be sued for injury accidents. If you reside in the home, you could be held responsible, regardless of ownership. 3. Falling trees. Falling trees are common hazards during snow and ice storms. If you have a tree on your property that falls and damages your neighbor’s house or car, you can be held liable for a home liability claim. If you own a tree that poses a hazard, it’s up to you to trim the branches or have the tree removed. It is not unusual for tree damage claims to cost tens of thousands of dollars, says Rosemary Campbell, vice president of personal lines for Cheney Insurance in Damariscotta, Maine. “You may have an

incident where a tree falls on a car,” she says. “If the car is totaled, it could cost you the full value of the vehicle.” 4. Intoxicated guests. If you host a party and one of your guests becomes intoxicated, you could be held responsible for any harm he or she causes to other people or property. Claims arising from intoxicated guests typically are covered by a standard homeowner’s policy, says Kevin Foley, a New Jersey insurance agent. Typically, homeowner’s and renter’s insurance policies include host liquor liability coverage. Whether you’re hosting an event at your home or at another location, these policies will cover claims arising from someone being served too much alcohol. These laws, known as social host liability laws, vary around the country, but 37 states have adopted them, according to the Illinois Insurance Institute. They allow people injured in car accidents to sue the people or businesses who served liquor to intoxicated drivers. Hiring a professional bartender can help you control how much alcohol your guests consume. 5. Injured domestic workers. If you hire domestic workers to clean your home or care for your lawn, you have the potential for liability claims when they are injured on the job. Some domestic workers have worker’s compensation insurance to cover lost wages and medical payments if they are injured while working in your home. If these workers are hurt on the job, this coverage covers their losses. However, many domestic workers are independent contractors who aren’t required to have worker’s compensation coverage, he adds. If you’re found to be liable for their injuries, your homeowner’s insurance may be required to pay the claim. For example, if a homeowner failed to warn a gardener about a hole in his yard and the gardener stepped into the hole and was injured, the homeowner could be held liable for injuries. Homeowners should also check with insurance agents to determine if local laws require them to purchase worker’s compensation coverage. n Tom DiPasquale, president of Thomas DiPasquale Agency, LLC, runs a Farmers Insurance Agency serving the South Hills area. Tom, his wife, and two daughters are lifelong residents of Pittsburgh and reside in Upper St. Clair. Contact Tom at 412-531-1615 or tdipasquale@farmersagent.com. See ad on page 73.

Keeping Identity Thieves at Bay Continued from page 69

Protecting Your Data All mail and other documents with account numbers or other personal data should be securely discarded or shredded. One of the best ways to protect yourself from “dumpster diving” and mail fraud is to sign up for e-delivery of all your financial information. To reduce or even eliminate nuisance offers, you can opt out of the lists aggregated by credit bureaus, who then sell your name to lenders. Go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call 888-567-8688 to remove your name from these lists. Also, register your home and mobile phone numbers with the National Do Not Call Registry. This won’t stop all unsolicited phone calls, but it will stop most. If your number is on the registry and you still get calls, the caller is likely breaking the law. To add a phone number to the registry, call 888-382-1222 from the phone number you wish to register. 84

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Summer 2014

As for your social media accounts, vigilance is key. The more information you share with the world—say, by posting your birth date to your Facebook profile—the easier you are making it for thieves to find that information. Check your privacy controls and keep checking as they change often. Also, check the information your children are sharing online and the configuration of any file sharing software they’ve installed. They are less likely to be aware of privacy concerns and the consequences of divulging sensitive information. Finally, you should Google yourself periodically to see what type of information about you or your family is publicly available. n UBS Financial Services Inc., its affiliates, and its employees do not provide tax or legal advice. Clients should contact their personal tax and/or legal advisors regarding their particular situation. For more information, visit the UBS website at ubs.com/workingwithus. See ad for USB Financial Services on page 69.

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Need exterior painting done this summer? Help a college student. Through his internship with College Works Painting, USC class of 2012’s John Kyriacopoulos is the person to contact. For a free estimate, call 412-335-5992 or email kopojj10@gmail.com. Summer 2014

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

20 Years

LOCAL Advertiser Index

Summer 2014

www.twpusc.org/magazine/usc-today-home

Advertiser Page A. Petrelli & Sons, Inc. .......................................................................... 70 * ARAMARK ............................................................................................. 57 Arbor Tree Specialist, Inc. ...................................................................... 73 Ardolino’s Pizza ..................................................................................... 47 Asbury Heights ...................................................................................... 31 At Your Door Auto Detailing .................................................................. 85 Bedner’s Farm Market ............................................................................ 71 * Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, The Preferred Realty, Rt. 19 South...3 BISTECCA - STEAKHOUSE - WINE BAR ............................................... 46 Brentwood Bank ...................................................................................... 7 Brookside Lumber ................................................................................. 72 * Calabro Tire & Auto Service .................................................................. 37 Certified Home Remodelers ..........................................Front cover, 18, 19 Chinese Acupuncture & Herbs Center, LLC ........................................... 33 * Coffey Contracting Company ................................................................ 73 * Coldwell Banker Real Estate, Inc. Corporate .................Back outside cover * Coldwell Banker–The South Hills Office..........................Back inside cover Coldwell Banker–Lynn Dempsey ........................................................... 77 Coldwell Banker–James M. Roman........................................................ 83

Advertiser Page Jacksons Restaurant-Rotisserie-Bar ...................................................... 49 * Keller Williams–Sandy and Marshall Goldstein .................................... 33 * Kerr Family and Cosmetic Dentistry ...................................................... 43 La Maison, Chef Garnett Livingston ...................................................... 85 Little Lake Theatre Company ................................................................... 7 * Louis Anthony Jewelers .......................................................................... 5 * Manalo, Larry E., D.M.D. ....................................................................... 42 Michel, Melissa D., LPC ........................................................................ 43 Mt. Lebanon Montessori School and Academy ..................................... 85 Mt. Lebanon Recreation Center ............................................................. 48 Orthodontics by Dr. Reitz & Dr. Troy ...................................................... 42 Patricia Wozniak Henk, Attorney; Carole Kunkle-Miller, Phd.; Paula Hopkins, Attorney.......................... 31 Pediatric Dentistry South ....................................................................... 43 * Piccolina’s Restaurant ........................................................................... 43 * Pinebridge Commons Associates .......................................................... 42 Pittsburgh Music Academy .................................................................... 46 Pittsburgh Youth Ballet Company .......................................................... 47 PNC Investments–Thomas Walker .......................................................... 2

What They Said TODAY magazine is the prettiest community magazine of all—interesting articles throughout and beautiful ads. I am proud to be an advertiser for the past 20 years. —Susan Highley, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services College Nannies+Tutors ........................................................................ 85 Concordia of the South Hills ................................................................ 83 * Cupelli & Cupelli, Drs. .......................................................................... 39 Davey Tree & Lawn Care ........................................................................ 70 * Deckmasters Technologies Incorporated ............................................... 71 Don’s Appliances ...........................................................Front inside cover Extended Day Services .......................................................................... 44 Farmers Insurance–Tom DiPasquale ..................................................... 73 Historical Society of Upper St. Clair ...................................................... 15 * Howard Hanna–Maureen Cavanaugh .................................................... 39 Howard Hanna–Jen Dahlem .................................................................. 85 Howard Hanna–Bob Ellison ................................................................... 79 * Howard Hanna–Susan Highley .............................................................. 35 * Howard Hanna–Diane Horvath .............................................................. 57 JB’s Lawn Maintenance ......................................................................... 85

Port Authority Services........................................................................... 85 Preferred Drapery and Blinds ................................................................ 72 Premier Home Design Center ................................................................ 68 Providence Point, a Baptist Homes Society Community........................... 2 RE/MAX Premier Group–Susanne Wagner ............................................ 37 Safari Dog ............................................................................................. 85 * St. Clair Hospital ............................................................................... 9, 87 * Scott Bros. Windows and Doors ............................................................ 71 * Sesame Inn ........................................................................................... 45 South Hills Endoscopy Center ................................................................. 1 * State Farm Insurance–Cindy Brophy ..................................................... 42 The Orthopedic Group ..................................................................... 15, 88 * The Thomas Studio of Performing Arts ................................................. 44 UBS Financial Services, Inc. ................................................................. 69 Washington Health System .................................................................... 88 * Wellington Real Estate–Patty Thomas & Rebecca Lutz .......................... 21

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY thanks our wonderful advertisers who have supported our publication for 20 years.

We couldn’t do it without you!

*The above advertisers, who are advertising in this issue, have contributed their support for a minimum of 38 issues. Thank you.

Upcoming guides for the Fall 2014 issue include Dining, Education, and Health & Wellness. 86

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

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the official publication of the School District and Township of USC ... and your local connection!

THE NEW CENTER OF YSICIAN CARE IN PETERS

St. Clair Hospital’s Outpatient Center provides access to physicians in many specialties and a full range of diagnostic services, all under one roof. PHYSICIAN DIRECTORY Internal Medicine

Plastic Surgery

Ear/Nose/Throat

Fatigati-Nalin Associates 724.731.0090 Nithin V. Bhandarkar, D.O. Nicholas P. DiTullio, M.D. Mario J. Fatigati, M.D.

Bragdon-Stofman Plastic Group, P.C. 412.572.6164 Robert W. Bragdon, M.D. John P. Brosious, M.D. Guy M. Stofman, M.D.

South Hills E.N.T. Association 412.831.7570 David P. DeMarino, M.D. Brian R. Elford, D.O. Paul Scolieri, M.D. Stephen F. Wawrose, M.D.

Preferred Primary Care Physicians, Inc. 724.941.8877 Stephanie Colodny, M.D. Ashith Mally, M.D. Walter Robison, M.D.

Evron Endocrinology Associates 412.942.7295 Wayne A. Evron, M.D.

OB/GYN

General Surgery

Southwestern Surgical Associates, P.C. 412.466.4121 Antonio J. Ripepi, M.D.

South Hills Pulmonary Associates, Inc. 412.572.6168 Stephen G. Basheda, D.O. Evan R. Restelli, D.O.

Ophthalmology

Thoracic Surgery

Pulmonary Disease

Endocrinology

Advanced Women's Care of Pittsburgh, P.C. 724.941.1866 Stephanie S. Brown, M.D. Patricia J. Bulseco, M.D. Deborah A. Lenart, M.D. Douglas H. MacKay, M.D. Shannon H. McGranahan, M.D., FACOG Kristen E. M. Peske, D.O.

Southwestern PA Pulmonary & Sleep Medicine, LTD 724.222.2577 Charles M. Koliner, M.D.

Maley Thoracic Surgery Associates 412.942.5710 Richard H. Maley, Jr., M.D.

Glaucoma-Cataract Consultants, Inc. 412.572.6121 Patrick Danaher, M.D. Evan B. Dreyer, M.D. Michael A. Mendicino, O.D. James P. Mondzelewski, M.D. Bradley A. Unruh, O.D.

Cardiology

US Heart and Vascular, P.C. 412.429.8840 David Burkey, M.D. Leonard G. Gehl, M.D. James W. Marcucci, M.D. Adil Waheed, D.O. Ryan W. Zuzek, M.D.

Urological Surgery

Sholder and Bordeau Urology 412.572.6194 Kevin P. Bordeau, M.D. Arnold J. Sholder, M.D.

Orthopedics

McMahon Orthopedics & Rehabilitation 412.431.7342 Patrick J. McMahon, M.D.

Colon and Rectal Surgery

South Hills Orthopaedic Surgery Associates 412.283.0260 Derrick J. Fluhme, M.D. Brett C. Perricelli, M.D.

Colorectal Surgical Associates 412.572.6192 Scott A. Holekamp, M.D. Leigh H. Nadler, M.D.

DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES 412.942.8150

Bone Density-Prodigy Advance Mammography-Senographe Essential

ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT CENTER–PETERS

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3928 WASHINGTON ROAD

MCMURRAY, PA 15137

Summer 2014

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412.942.8400

WWW.STCLAIR.ORG

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Family Medicine Center - Cecil

(724) 873-7414

Cardiovascular Care

(724) 225-6500

Foot and Ankle Specialists

(724) 222-5635

OB/GYN Care

(724) 225-3640

Teredesai McCann & Associates

(724) 228-2611

Southwestern Nephrology, Inc.

(724) 228-1303

Southwestern Pennsylvania Eye Center

(724) 228-2982

Diagnostic Center - Cecil (724) 579-1420 (724) 250-4300 (724) 579-1400

Laboratory Ultrasound X-Ray and EKG

whs.org

Pediatric and Adolescent Care - Waterdam OB/GYN Care

(724) 942-5420

Primary Care - Lakeside

(724) 969-1001

Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Therapy Center

(724) 942-6100

Cardiovascular Care

(724) 225-6500

Diagnostic Center - Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Township (724) 250-4300 Ultrasound Bone Density Testing Walk-in X-Ray CT Scan Walk-in Electrocardiogram (EKG) Echocardiogram Walk-in Laboratory Services Mammography (blood and urine testing) MRI Services

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Get back to it! Visit the Sports Medicine and Spine Center. Jose Ramirez-Del Toro, M.D. and Justin Petrolla, M.D. specialize in non operative treatment options for sports and work injuries, arthritic conditions and spine pain. Cutting-edge non-surgical rehabilitation Diagnostic and therapeutic treatments Advanced interventional pain procedures Patient-centered care

1145 Bower Hill Road, Suite 301 412-276-7022 theorthopedicgroup.com Members of The Orthopedic Group

Dr. Ramirez-Del Toro and Dr. Petrolla

Scott L. Baron, M.D.; Thomas F. Brockmeyer, M.D., Ph.D.; William T. DeCarbo, D.P.M.; Mark Hofbauer, D.P.M.; Alexander Kandabarow, M.D.; Richard Mitchell, M.D.; and Ari E. Pressman, M.D.

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2014

(724) 942-6499

Coldwell Banker real estate serviCes

Valerie Akerlow

Hope Bassichis

Jack & Joanne Benson

Noel Bliman

Anita Crago

Barbara Cusick

Lynn Dempsey

John Geisler

Genie Gooding

Leigh Harkreader

Nancy Heffernan

Judy Hlister

Sydnie Jones

Sue Kelso

Kathi Kernan

Jane Krauth

Hedy Krenn

Julie Leslie

Ron Loncharich

Arlene Murray

Tulla Rakoczy

Kathy Sekeras

Mary Torchia

Carmela Viviano

Jim Walsh

Mary Ann Wellener

Maria & Joe Lane, Rebecca Lane Selko

Diane Snyder

Marian McGinley Manager

Global Connections. Local Traditions. The South Hills Office 412-833-5405 • 1630 Washington Rd, Pittsburgh PA 15241

© 2014 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker® and the Coldwell Banker logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

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COLDWELL BANKER www.PittsburghMoves.com Check out these fabulous Upper St. Clair area homes!

Beautiful 2 story entry Tudor. 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, den, loft or 5th bedroom. Master with luxury bath, gourmet cherry kitchen, family room and game room wet bar. Hope Bassichis 412-833-5405

Stunning Colonial revival! Two story entry, exposed hardwoods, 3 fireplaces, 1st floor laundry, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and family room. Den, game room and 3 garages. John Geisler 412-833-5405

Spacious 2 story with equipped island kitchen, family room fireplace, game room, 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Cathedral sunroom with skylights overlooking yard. Jean Seiler & Hope Bassichis 412-833-5405

Spacious custom built 4 bedroom and 2.5 bath Tudor. Sunken family room off equipped kitchen with fireplace. Formal dining room with patio doors leading to deck and yard. Lynn Dempsey 412-833-5405

Elegant Colonial! Governors drive, southern style front porch, updated kitchen, lots of hardwood, 5 bedrooms and 4+1 baths. Den, family room, game room and screened porch. Jim Walsh 412-833-5405

Timeless classic with fabulous family room addition with wet bar. Living room fireplace, banquet size dining room, equipped kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and game room. Maria & Joe Lane 412-833-5405

Fabulously maintained and updated 4 bedroom, 2+2 bath 2 story Colonial. Gourmet kitchen, family room fireplace plus game room wet bar. Large deck overlooks back yard. Leigh Harkreader 412-833-5405

Stunning Tudor with quality and updates throughout! Fourth bedroom has loft access to attic. 2 remodeled baths, family room, den, game room and patio on a cul-de-sac. Noel Bliman 412-833-5405

Spacious Colonial with an open floor plan. Formal living and dining rooms. Family room fireplace, den/loft with skylights, 1st floor laundry and Florida room with roomy deck. Paul Gupta 412-833-5405

Flowing floor plan in this 5 bedroom and 2.5 bath Colonial. Ceramic tile entry, gleaming hardwood, game room and sliding door off family room opens to large deck. Sydnie Jones 412-833-5405

Spacious and bright rooms. Comfortable kitchen with inviting corner window nook, gleaming hardwood, fresh paint, new furnace, tile roof, flagstone porches and double garage. Faith Williard 412-833-5405

Spacious split entry Colonial featuring 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths, family room, game room fireplace and great yard! Walk to play ground and shops. Kathi Kernan 412-833-5405

Peters Township Office 412-831-5555 • 3244 Washington Rd,

McMurray PA 15317 Lovely Cape Cod with updated hardwood, carpet, kitchen, baths and three bedrooms. First floor master, bonus room and deck overlooks pool. Kathi Kernan 412-833-5405

Charming 3 bedroom two story with lots of updates. New kitchen, built-ins and custom trim work. Newer bath, refinished hardwoods and a huge fenced back yard. Carmela Viviano 412-833-5405

South Hills Office 412-833-5405 • 1630 Washington Rd,

Pittsburgh PA 15241

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