June 2012 - Allegheny West Magazine

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As I pondered what to write about this time, the slew of information 

continued to roll into our e-mail inbox -- more golf outings, lots of 

Vacation Bible School announcements, a letter from the Food Pantry, a 

partnership between North Fayette and Donaldson School, the first 

fireworks ever by Findlay for Independence Day, and so, so much 

more. The sheer amount of information that is shared by you, the 

readers, is overwhelming. And that is good. We are blessed to know 

that we are doing our job when so many of you reach out to us to be 

your communicator for our neighborhoods. 

As we wrap up our 13th year and begin year number 14 in August, I 

continue to be thankful for all that our residents, our businesses, and so many others continue 

to do to be such an important part of Allegheny West Magazine. 

As the continued flow of good news keeps coming, we find ourselves challenged to stay 

abreast of everything wonderful that’s happening in our neighborhoods. To help us manage the 

continued flow of information, I am pleased to introduce a new member of our team, Doug 

Hughey. Doug will assist me with whatever we need to stay on top of things so that we can 

continue to share news of the neighborhoods with you. Read more about Doug, below. 

So, keep the good news coming! It’s all good. 

Pat Jennette, Publisher & Editor 

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Doug Hughey, a lifelong resident of the community and a West 

Allegheny alumnus, has joined the Allegheny West Magazine team. He 

begins his new role as Assistant Editor with this issue. 

Doug graduated from West Allegheny High School in 1997. After 

graduation, he attended the University of Pittsburgh, earning his B.A. 

in writing. Doug continued his education at Emerson College in Boston, 

where he received his M.F.A. 

In the past, Doug has been a contributing writer for the Pittsburgh 

Post-Gazette’s Forum and Op-Ed sections. 

He recently relocated from Boston back to Pittsburgh. 

In his new role, Doug will assist the publisher and editor on an ongoing basis with writing 

and editing, and representing the three publications -- Moon, Montour, and West Allegheny -out 

in the community.

“GOOD NEWS ALWAYS, MAILED & DELIVERED FREE, EVERY TIME” 

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FEATURES 

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ABOUT THE COVER 

Board members and library staff closed on the 

purchase of the former Amcom building on Bateman 

Road, which will now become the new home for the 

Western Allegheny Community Library. Not available 

for the photo was board member, Betty Scott. Betty 

donated her time generously as board president for 

over 12 years and was instrumental in the plans to 

move forward with the new library. 

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SPECIAL SECTIONS 

��West Allegheny School 

District Newsletter 

��Airport Authority News 

��WACMA Annual Water Report 

RIGHT: West Allegheny JROTC 

members, front: Briana Bell, 

Amanda Cox, Meghan Boocks; 

and back: Andrew Sheehy, Brad 

Fratangelo, and Nick Hower, 

volunteered to help at the West 

Allegheny School District 

Gold Card Club breakfast. 

COLUMNS 

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MORE INFO 

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TO REACH US 

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PUBLISHING TEAM 

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OUR OTHER PUBLICATIONS 

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As with every issue, your community businesses are the reason for the publication of Allegheny West Magazine. Please support these businesses. Their 

support allows us to mail this magazine, free, into the households of Findlay, North Fayette, Oakdale, Sturgeon, and portions of McDonald as a community 

service. 

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�� meets 

Sundays, 2:30-4:30 p.m., King’s 

Restaurant, Imperial, (724) 796- 

1603. 

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second and fourth Tuesdays 

monthly, 7:30 a.m., Giant Eagle 

Market District, Settlers Ridge, 

(412) 490-2204, www.wbninc.com. 

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�� first 

Tuesday monthly, 7 p.m., 

Findlay Township Municipal 

Building, Clinton, guest speakers 

monthly, (412) 860-4331. 

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��provides a safe 

place and a guide to heal from 

hurts, habits, or hang-ups one is 

facing, to help fill one’s heart with 

the love of Jesus alongside a 

group of people with similar 

experiences, including food 

issues, job loss, divorce, codependency, 

drugs, adultery, 

anxiety, depression, alcohol, 

gambling, abuse, and others, 

Wednesdays, 7-8:30 p.m., 

Crossroads Church, Oakdale, 

E-mail: LHC@crossroadsumc.org, 

(412) 494-9999. 

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��9 a.m.-1 p.m., 

Noblestown United Methodist 

Church, 7313 Noblestown Road 

Oakdale, (724) 639-2755. 

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�� Summer Tennis Program, 

Harry Collins Courts, Heritage 

Park, McDonald, 16 lessons in 

eight weeks taught by High 

school tennis coach/pro, Nick 

Wilson, lessons for ages 5 

through 95 offered Tuesdays and 

Thursdays, plus high school team 

prep class held Wednesdays and 

Fridays. Adult classes, Tuesday 

evenings, $50 for eight 1-1/2 hour 

lessons. All other lessons $40 for 

first child and $10 for additional 

child in family, forms available at 

McDonald Pharmacy, McDonald 

Boro Building, and Heritage 

Library, (724) 926-4617. 

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��7 p.m., Stewart 

Morgan Auditorium, West 

Allegheny High School, Imperial, 

(412) 920-1841. 

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��7 p.m., 

Stewart Morgan Auditorium, 

West Allegheny High School, 

Imperial, (724) 695-8890. 

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for West Allegheny School District 

Middle School and High School 

students wishing to participate in 

interscholastic sports during the 

fall of 2012, June 20, beginning at 

12:30 p.m. All exams will be given 

in the high school nurse’s suite. 

All athletes must have a complete 

physical prior to starting the fall 

sports season. Previous 

physicals. Private physicals 

conducted prior to June 1, 2012, 

will not be accepted for the fall 

season. 

Reservations for a physical can 

be made by contacting the Athletic 

Department, (724) 695-5247. 

Forms are available at the West 

Allegheny High School Main 

Office and Athletic Office and 

online at www.westallegheny 

athletics.com under the “Links/ 

Forms” section. Athletes must 

complete the form prior to the 

physical. The physicals will be 

performed by the school 

physician and are free of charge. 

ABOVE: Garden scene on Walnut Street, Imperial 

PHOTO BY PAT JENNETTE 

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��, West 

Allegheny Middle School, 11:30 

a.m.-2:30 p.m., grades 3-6, 

$125/player covers costs and 

t-shirt, also �� 

��, 9-11 a.m., kindergarten 

through third grade, $75/player 

covers costs and t-shirt, to 

register, Tony Castelluci, (412) 

787-5934. 

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��10 a.m.-2 

p.m., The Mall at Robinson. 

Individuals can drop off 

“e-waste” (computers and 

televisions), cell phones, 

printer/toner cartridges, and 

CFLs at no cost. Nominal 

fees apply to batteries, 

fluorescent tubes and small 

Freon containing appliances, 

(412) 488-7490 ext. 236. 

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�� of 15 private gardens in 

Shadyside and Squirrel Hill to 

benefit the Botanic Garden in 

North Fayette and Collier, bus 

tour includes lunch, (412) 444- 

4464, www.pittsburghbotanic 

garden.org.

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weeklong schedule of 

concerts, rides, games, 

food, and more (724) 926- 

9190, www.mcdonald 

fire.com. 

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��10 a.m.-6 p.m., 

Monroeville Convention 

Center, free admission and 

parking. Bring pets on a 

non-retractable lead with 

proof of current ageappropriate 

immunizations 

(if applicable). Vendors, 

and Banfield Pet Hospitals 

mega-adoption event with 

more than 300 pets 

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�� to benefit the 

Oakdale Boy Scout Troop 248 

cabin rebuilding effort, Friday, 

June 8, Shadow Lakes 

Country Club. Shotgun start at 

10 a.m., festivities end with 

dinner, four-man scramble 

event will include the usual 

games of skill, skins competition, 

and Chinese auction, 

Darrell Williams, (412) 592- 

4407. 

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Saturday, June 9, Rolling 

Green Golf Course, 1 p.m., 

four-person scramble, $75 

per person includes lunch, 

dinner, beer, pop, water, 

available for adoption, 

low-cost immunizations 

and microchipping, www. 

SteelCityPetExpo.com, 

(800) 977-3609. 

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8 p.m., Andrew Carnegie 

Free Library & Music Hall, 

award winning banjo 

artist Steven Moore leads 

a group of accomplished 

young musicians to 

deliver a fantastic music 

mix ranging from 

bluegrass to new grass, 

swing, jazz and more, 

(412) 276-3456 ext 7. 

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�� , Monday, 

June 11, Allegheny Country 

Club, Sewickley, 10 a.m., 

benefits hospital’s 

advancement of medical 

information technology, 

(412) 777-6359. 

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�� , Friday, June 

29, Quicksilver Golf Club, 

McDonald, (412) 736-5783 

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�� Hankey 

Farms Pool, Steubenville 

Pike, 7-10 p.m., for families 

only, no individuals 

admitted, (412) 788-4888. 

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�� 50-Year Reunion, 

(724) 695-3274. 

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Noon – 4 pm, SNPJ Lodge 106, 255 West Allegheny Road, Imperial, Live Entertainment, Food, 

Drinks, 50/50, Level Paved Parking, Door Prizes, Air-Conditioned Clubroom, bikes are welcome. 

�� Featuring American Pie, Cruise Schedule Magnets to the first 30 cars 

�� Featuring Elvis Lives – A Tribute to the King, Dash Plaques to the first 30 cars 

�� Featuring Cool Change, Dash Plaques to the first 30 cars 

�� Featuring Renewed Memories II, Dash Plaques to the first 30 cars 

Contact SNPJ Lodge 106, (724) 695-1411 or e-mail: kevinrichards22@gmail.com. 

prizes. Benefits Sharing and 

Caring nonprofit group that 

supports getting disabled 

vets out of hospitals and 

group homes for a day on the 

Gateway Clipper Fleet, 

Nancy, (412) 496-1475. 

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��, Monday, 

July 2, The Club at 

Nevillewood, Presto, 

practice, 10 a.m.; lunch, 11:30 

a.m.; shotgun start, 12:30 p.m., 

(412) 770-9924. 

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��, benefits the Harry 

Quinn-Ralph Schorr Scholarship 

Fund, Saturday, July 21, 

1 p.m., Riverview Golf Club, 

Elizabeth, (412) 974-2473. 

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��, Monday, August 13, 

Green Oaks Country Club, 

10 a.m. registration, (412) 299- 

2229. 

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Findlay Activities Coming Up 

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Pack up your lawn chairs and come out to 

the beautiful Amphitheater in Clinton Park for 

three evenings of free great music and 

refreshments! All concerts are at 7 p.m. 

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This group of local musicians encourages 

community residents, professionals and 

students to participate in providing quality 

music experiences. The musicians range in 

age from 15- 86 years providing a mixture of 

age and experience. 

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Enjoy the music of local musicians Chuck 

Simon, Ed Herrle, and Jimmy Puskar as they 

entertain us with their classic and country 

rock sounds. You will be sure to be dancing 

in your seat! 

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Back by popular demand, Cahal hails from 

County Cork, Ireland and was the winner of 

Ireland’s National Song Contest with an 

original son entitled “Happy Man.” Enjoy the 

magic of the composer, comedian, and 

storyteller. Check out his website, 

www.cahaldunne.com. 

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For all programs, right, contact 

the Findlay Township Recre- 

ation Department, (724) 695- 

0500, ext. 246 or 

e-mail: 

dlarson@findlaytownship.com. 

For all programs, opposite 

page, contact the North Fayette 

Township Recreation Depart- 

ment at (412) 788-4888 or 

e-mail: rbrozovich@north- 

fayette.com. For Oakdale 

Borough, call (724) 693-9740 

Oakdale Activities Coming Up 

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The annual Fourth of July parade will be 

held on Wednesday, July 4. Lineup begins at 

10 a.m. near the fire department. 

From July 21-28, enjoy the Oakdale Hose 

Company’s annual street carnival. 

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�� - Marada Golf 

Course will offer a special program this 

summer, with no greens fee. Golf cart, if 

needed, is $8. To qualify, participants must be 

Findlay Township residents; must consist of a 

parent and a child under the age of 18 (not an 

adults only activity); must provide proof of 

residency. Call Randy Haffely / PGA Professional 

& Golf Manager, (724) 899-2600 to 

schedule tee time, www.maradagolf.com. 

�� - Six-week program to 

introduce the game to children. Program will 

provide basic instruction, exercise, and 

games. Clinic offers two age groups and 

times. Participants must provide their own 

racquet if possible. Class size is limited; preregistration 

is a must, Wednesdays: June 

13, 20 and 27, July 11, 18 and 25, West 

Allegheny High School tennis courts, ages 4- 

7 from 10:30-11:30 a.m., ages 8-12 from 

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., $32, instructor is David 

Johnston, CPR-USNTA Certified. 

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Instructors will bring these three very popular 

programs to Findlay. Class size is limited; call 

and register, $5 per child and payable that 

day, all three programs will be held on the 

LOWER LEVEL of the Findlay Activity Center, 

310 Main Street, Imperial: 

“HELLO ROBO” - What is a robot and what 

does it do. Pre-schoolers learn as they hear a 

story and interact with some real robots, 

Monday, June 18, 10-11 a.m., ages 3-5 

years. 

“WIZARD” - During this magical camp, 

participants will explore dry ice, glow in the 

dark slime, shrinky dinks, and color changing 

beads, Monday, June 18, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 

p.m,, ages 6-10 years. 

“BUILD IT CAMP” - Participants will test their 

building skills using Lego bricks, K’Nex, and 

electrical circuits. They will try engineering 

feats by creating earthquake proof structures 

and indestructible bridges, Monday, 

July 10, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., ages 6-10 years. 

�� - Thursdays, 

July 12 and August 2, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Join 

us for lunchtime summer cooking classes. 

Please pre-register at least two days before 

class to attend. NO WALK-INS, youth going 

into grades K – 5 in September, 

Findlay Township Activity Center, 310 Main 

Street, Imperial, Upper level. 

�� - Join us 

for an evening of food and fun! Round up the 

Games, entertainment, food, and more will be 

available each evening. The week’s events 

include the Hogs for Hoses motorcycle run on 

July 21 and the Fireman’s Parade on Friday, July 

27 at 7 p.m., (412) 327-7691. 

entire family for some great recreational 

games and activities that will include relay 

races, beach ball volleyball, limbo, and much, 

much more! We will start the evening with a 

picnic style dinner in the Oriole Pavilion. The 

evening will end with a family scavenger 

hunt down in the park fairgrounds and sing 

along music at the amphitheater with former 

West Allegheny teachers Dan Hanczar and 

Cliff Howell. Bring your family and friends for 

a fun outing. Participants MUST make 

reservations NO LATER than Monday, July 

16, Friday, July 20, 6-9 p.m., $15/family (3 or 

more people), $5/person (less than 3 people). 

�� - Western 

Allegheny Community Library and Findlay 

Township join together to bring a program to 

get you outside and moving this summer. 

Rolling and Strolling is a 20-minute walking 

program around Clinton Park for ages 5 and 

under and their caregivers. After the walk, 

enjoy storytime at Rainbow’s End, free, no 

registration needed, Tuesdays, June 12, 

19, and 26, July 3, 10, and 17, August 7 

and 14, 9:30 a.m., meet in the Rainbow’s End 

parking lot. 

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��, Clinton Park 

Community Parking Lot, Saturday, September 

22, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Were you thinking 

about having a garage sale this summer, but 

just too busy to do it? If so, then you will 

definitely want to get in on this event. Rent a 

parking space(s) and bring along everything 

you can sell out of the back of your car or 

truck. Or, bring a table, tarp, etc. for your 

space. One rule is that your vehicle must 

remain in your space and you sell out of it or 

in front of it. All sellers will be able to enter 

the park at 7 a.m. Free coffee will be 

available for sellers in the Falcon Pavilion. 

Call to reserve a spot, (724) 695-0500, $5 

per space, collected on the day of the event. 

Last year over 80 spaces sold. 

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Saturday, September 29, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 

Findlay Township has partnered with 

Macaroni Kid / Robinson and the Western 

Allegheny Community Library to bring a oneof-a-kind 

family event in Clinton Park. 

Donations will be accepted to support the 

Western Allegheny Community Library. All 

sorts of vehicles, including a school bus, fire 

engine, bucket truck, construction truck, and 

more, will be there for the kids to climb on 

and explore. (There will be a NO HORN TIME 

between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. for children 

afraid of fire sirens). Plans are still in the 

works, as there will be lots of other fun 

activities as well as food and drinks. Visit 

these Web sites in September for a schedule 

of activities: Findlay Township, www.findlay 

twp.org; the library, www.westernallegheny 

library.org; or Macaroni Kid, http:// 

robinson.macaroni kid.com.

North Fayette Activities Coming Up 

Three two-week swim lessons sessions 

are being offered starting June 11. Lessons 

are also available on Saturdays beginning 

June 9. The first of two police sponsored 

free family swim nights is slated for Monday, 

July 9 at 7 p.m. Adult and senior citizen 

swims with Silver Sneaker Splash are being 

held Monday through Friday all summer from 

11 a.m. until noon. Summer Scuba Classes 

are set to start Wednesday, June 23 at 6:30 

pm. Pool parties are available for booking on a 

first come first served basis. During Community 

Days, the pool will be open for free on 

Friday, August 3 with the pool staff offering 

kid’s games. On July 13, “The Smurfs” will be 

shown at the Hankey Farms Pool starting at 7 

p.m. with a free family swim. 

Youth Tennis lessons are scheduled to 

begin June 12 with lessons available to 

beginners and intermediates ages 4 through 

17. Dan Print is the instructor. 

The summer playground program started 

June 7 in the township park and Coach 

Cornell’s Summer Baseball Camp is the week 

of June 25. 

North Fayette’s Annual Community Days are 

scheduled for August 3 and 4 at Donaldson 

Community Park with the third annual kick off 

parade on Thursday night, August 2. 

Entertainment this year includes the West 

Hills Symphonic Orchestra, Joe Grushecky 

and the Houserockers, and Donnie Iris 

headlining Friday night, with Southern Detour 

and Sweaty Betty on Saturday night. The 

annual 5K race is scheduled for Saturday 

morning, August 3 for runners, walkers, and 

families. Contact Parks and Recreation to 

participate as a vendor or participate in the 

parade or race. 

North Fayette Senior Citizens have two 

programs available this summer. On Sunday, 

July 8, they will attend the Pirates vs. Giants 

baseball game. Cost is $25 for transportation 

and game ticket. On Friday, July 13, a 

Gateway Clipper Luncheon Cruise is planned 

with a Neil Diamond Tribute. Cost is $47. 

North Fayette Parks and Recreation is once 

again running weekly camps at various times 

during the summer. Themes include Outdoor 

Adventure/Safari week, Luau week, Christmas 

in July week, Sports week, Water week, and 

Carnival week. 

The summer P.A.L.S. program begins on 

Friday, June 8 and meets through July 27 from 

6-7 p.m. at the Donaldson Community Park. 

Their summer pool party is slated for Saturday 

night, July 21 at the Hankey Farms pool 

starting at 7 p.m. These programs are free to 

families with special needs children. 

For more information, costs, and to register 

for any of these programs, contact North 

Fayette Parks and Recreation at (412) 788- 

4888 or (724) 693-3118 or e-mail: 

rbrozovich@north-fayette.com. 

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��Saturday, June 16, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 

Wildflower Reserve Interpretive Center, Route 

30, free 30-minute program to learn about the 

flags of the United States, also flag folding 

guidelines and how to display the flag. 

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Saturday, June 16 and July 21, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 

meet at park office along Route 18, open to all; 

free. Hikes range from 4-6 miles and can be 

physically challenging on hilly terrain. Dress 

appropriately, bring water, snacks, bug spray, 

packed lunch, and rain gear if needed. 

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Sunday, June 24, 2- 5 p.m. Meet at Doak Field 

(call for directions at (724) 899-3611). Free. 

Beginner to skilled artists can practice their 

artistic talents while enjoying the outdoors at 

Raccoon Creek State Park. Any medium is 

welcome, individuals and families; small 

groups call ahead, (724) 899-3611. 

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Saturday, June 30, 10 - 11:30 a.m. Meet at the 

Mineral Springs parking lot on Route 18. 

The historic Frankfort Mineral Springs complex 

was constructed in the early 1800s and 

thrived for nearly 100 years as a popular 

resort, best known for its mineral water, once 

believed to have "healing qualities." The guided 

tour will look back at the people and events 

that shaped the history of this once famous 

area. Free. 

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Wednesday, July 4, 10-12 p.m. and 1-3 p.m and 

Saturday, July 14, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. For ages 9-15. 

Learn how to correctly and safely shoot bows 

and arrows. Certified NADA instructor will teach 

the basic skills, and proper shooting techniques 

needed to safely enjoy the sport of archery. Preregistration 

required on-line or (724) 899-3611 by 

July 2. Cost $5. 

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��Saturday, July 7, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Join the 

Miller Brothers on a guided hike to learn the birds, 

trees, and wildflowers of the park and explore 

meadows, hills, valleys, ridges, lake shore, and 

creek banks. Pre-registration required by July 3 

on-line or (724) 899-3611. Free. 

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10:30 p.m., July 13, Meet at the Wildflower 

Reserve Interpretive Center, Route 30. Venture 

along the dark trails of the Wildflower Reserve to 

hear and see some of the nightlife in the park. 

Bring a flashlight. Free. 

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Saturday, July 14, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Learn the 

basics of reading topographical maps, orienting a 

compass, taking and following a bearing, and 

successfully completing an orienteering course. 

Begin at the basic level, then advance to land 

navigation over varied terrain. Pre-registration 

required online or (724) 899-3611 by July 13. 

Families and individuals only, no groups. 

Compasses provided, $5. 

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Six Students Qualify for National FBLA Competition 

FBLA National qualifiers: (sitting) Aubrey Leasure, Vishmayaa Saravanan, Joseph 

Sible, (standing) Dave Kline, Kristen Rohm, and Josi Sinagoga. 

At the Future Business Leaders of 

America (FBLA) State Leadership Confer- 

ence in Hershey, Pennsylvania, April 15- 

18, 2012, six West Allegheny High School 

Workshops Address Diversity 

Seventh-grade student Alexis Evans takes the microphone to 

respond to a question during a workshop on diversity. 

To help middle school students accept the individual differences of 

others, the District arranged for Executive Director of Curriculum 

Instruction and Professional Development with Pittsburgh Public 

Schools Virginia Hill to present several workshops on Acceptance 

and Diversity for seventh graders on May 9, 2012. 

Using videos and a series of questions designed to raise awareness 

of diversity issues regarding race, gender, culture, social position, 

etc., Hill called on 

the students to 

share their 

personal experiences. 

She 

concluded by 

encouraging the 

students to 

enrich their lives 

by seeking out 

new people who 

are different from 

themselves and 

getting to know 

them. 

Earlier in the 

year, Hill conducted 

diversity 

workshops for 

staff members 

and high school 

students. Plans 

call for extending 

the workshops to 

the elementary 

level in the future. 

students qualified for the FBLA National 

Leadership Conference in San Antonio, 

Texas in June 2012. This is the fourth 

consecutive year the West Allegheny 

Chapter of FBLA has had members 

represent Pennsylvania at the national 

level. National qualifiers are those who 

place either first or second at the state 

level. 

The first-place finishers included the 

marketing team of seniors Josi Sinagoga, 

Dave Kline, and Kristen Rohm. Taking 

second place in business ethics were the 

team of Aubrey Leasure and Vishmayaa 

Saravanan, both sophomores, and in 

desktop application programming, junior 

Joseph Sible. Joseph also placed in four 

open competitive event tests: first place 

in HTML, second place in digital tools, 

fourth place in operating systems, and 

fourth place in Internet. Pam Volakis and 

Julie McGough are the FBLA advisors. 

Auditors Approve 

Federal Programs 

A Federal Programs Audit held on 

April 20, 2012, affirmed that West 

Allegheny’s federal programs are in 

compliance with current statutes, 

regulations, and guidelines released by 

the United States Department of 

Education. 

The reviewer examined documentation 

related to the Title I remedial reading 

program and Title II, Part A, which 

addresses class-size reduction, highly 

qualified teachers, and professional 

development. Besides approving all 

federal program components, the auditor 

was particularly impressed by the Title I 

reading program as he noted the 

parental involvement opportunities, 

professional development provided by 

the district reading specialists, and the 

success of the district’s approach to 

differentiate reading instruction. 

(Editor’s Note: This article was 

provided by Dr. Christine Assetta, 

Assistant to the Superintendent for 

Curriculum and Instruction.) 

��

Medieval Times Set Tone for Summer Math Academy 

Based on the popular series of books by 

Cindy Neuschwander, the new summer 

math academy will transport participants 

to the magical land of Camelot with Sir 

Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter for an 

adventure in math as well as reading and 

writing. Wilson Elementary School will be 

transformed into a medieval castle for the 

two-week program open to all students 

enrolled in kindergarten through fifth 

�� 

grade during the 2011-12 school year who 

registered by April 20, 2012. 

The program will consist of six sessions 

on consecutive Tuesdays, Wednesdays, 

and Thursdays from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. on 

July 10-12 and July 17-19. Activities like 

Facts of the Round Table, Tournament 

Time, The Jester’s Jousts, Rotation Station, 

and Court Calculation will both challenge 

and entertain knights and damsels alike. 

Participants are encouraged to dress in 

medieval garb for a return to the era of lords, 

ladies, and chivalry. 

The $30 cost per session includes snacks 

provided daily. Parents are responsible for 

transportation. Questions about the program 

may be directed to the building principals or 

Dr. Christine Assetta, Assistant to the 

Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. 

Summer Reading Academy for Elementary Students Returns 

Based on the strong response to the 

district’s Summer Reading Academy last 

year, plans call for offering it again this 

June to keep students reading during the 

summer months. Located at the Wilson 

Elementary School building, the program 

will consist of six sessions on consecutive 

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and 

Thursdays on June 19-21, and June 26-28 

from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. Program themes 

include Up in the Sky and Beyond!, 

Animals, Insects, and Reptiles across the 

Globe; Wonders of Mother Nature, and 

Deep Sea Diving. 

Participation is open to all students 

enrolled in kindergarten through fifth 

grade during the 2011-12 school year who 

registered by April 20, 2012. The $30 cost 

per session includes snacks provided daily. 

Parents are responsible for transportation. 

Questions about the program may be 

directed to the building principals or Dr. 

Christine Assetta, Assistant to the Superintendent 

for Curriculum and Instruction. 

Superintendent Discusses Programs, Services, Funding 

Superintendent Dr. John S. DiSanti discusses the district’s successes and challenges 

at one of a series of public meetings. 

The West Allegheny School District 

recently held a series of meetings for 

parents and other community residents 

during which Superintendent, Dr. John 

S. DiSanti presented a program entitled 

“Education in West Allegheny: 

Celebrating Our Successes . . . Facing 

Our Challenges.” Dr. DiSanti met with 

attendees on April 19 at 9:00 a.m. and 7 

p.m. and on April 23 at 1:00 p.m. and 7 

p.m. to provide an overview of the 

district’s programs and services, as well 

Added Safety Measure 

Tip Hotline: 724-695-5235 for reporting concerns 

Education in West Allegheny 

Celebrating Our Successes 

Facing Our Challenges 

as information on the funding crisis that all 

public schools in Pennsylvania are currently 

experiencing. 

Looking at the district’s programs and 

services, Dr. DiSanti shared details on 

increased academic offerings like Advanced-Placement 

courses, Accelerated 

Reading program, Project Lead The Way 

Engineering program, three new courses 

added this year (3-D Animation, Career and 

Personal Success, and Advanced Foods), 

expansion of Edline access to all student 

grades, and Smart School literacy centers. 

Dr. DiSanti also reported that 12 students 

are currently enrolled in West Allegheny’s 

new cyber school option, its Virtual Academy, 

and are doing well. 

In regard to the funding crisis, Dr. DiSanti 

mentioned that Pennsylvania ranks 47th out 

of 50 in the amount of state support 

provided for public education. He also 

listed a number of programs and services 

schools are mandated by the state to 

provide despite the lack of funding to cover 

their cost. These include special education, 

transportation, food service regulations, 

employee pensions, testing, curriculum 

requirements, English-as-a-Second- 

Langauge, prevailing wages for construction, 

technology, text books, and supplies. 

A major challenge in balancing the budget, 

he emphasized, is the flawed funding 

formula for cyber charter school reimbursement, 

which requires school districts to pay 

cyber schools the public school’s per pupil 

cost rather than the actual cost incurred by 

the cyber school to educate the student. 

The presentation and the accompanying 

video “Celebrating West Allegheny 

Success” may be viewed online at 

www.westasd.org.

West Allegheny NJHS Inducts New Members 

The following students were inducted 

into the West Allegheny Middle School 

chapter of the National Junior Honor 

Society (NJHS) on April 27, 2012: 

Eighth Grade: Justin Baker, Maria Capo, 

Hannah Charlton, Janghyen Cho, Kara 

Hamilton, Kassidy Hazel, Daniel Hovanec, 

Lucas Kadlecik, Kaitlyn Kariman, 

Anastasia Kwiatkowsk, Jarrett Parker, Noah 

Trotter, Victoria Volk, Hunter Yurkovich, 

and Zachary Zurcher; Seventh Grade: 

Char-Leigh Bates, Sarah Behr, Amanda 

Beuchat, Sai Bhatte, Kaitlyn Bolton, Tyler 

Boni, Julie Burns, Dannial Cardillo, Victoria 

Costa, Martin Durkin, Rachel Ecoff, Julia 

Falcioni, Sydney Foy, Matthew Gardocki, 

Lorenzo Giacomino, Moira Gibson, Joseph 

Gluzman, Madeline Graham, Madison 

Heidenreich, Nicholas Kadlecik, Nicole 

Kadlecik, Chloe Kehm, Allison Koester, 

Yash Lahoti, Dorissa Large, Marina 

Maropis, Gary McMurtrie, Trent Michaels, 

Danielle Monaco, Gabriella Morton, Kaylee 

Musiol, Ali Perry, Garrett Powell, Gabrielle 

Prevade, Kristen Quasey, Matthew Quinn, 

Nicholas Ross, Hannah Salvucci, Sydney 

Saunders, Joseph Sciulli, Natalie Sciulli, 

Claire Shemon, Daniel Shemon, Christina 

Sible, Victoria St. Claire, Michael Starkman, 

Kayla Wade, Kaylie Wallace, Jessica 

Wasek, Samantha Waters, Alaina White, 

Brooke Wilson, Noah Wilson, and Morgan 

Ziolkowski. 

This honor is reserved for seventh and 

eighth grade students who have maintained 

at least a 3.7 grade point average 

during middle school and who have 

demonstrated the qualities of leadership, 

service, character, and citizenship. Ryan 

Cleary and Debbie Kazar are the staff 

advisors. 

WA Virtual Academy Welcomes Online Learners 

While a number of students have already 

enrolled in the West Allegheny Virtual 

Academy, the district's cyber school, which 

opened last year, new students are welcome 

at any time. With this option, students have 

an opportunity to complete school work 

using online curricula at home while 

allowing them to participate in extracurricular 

activities sponsored by the 

district. Additionally, each Virtual Academy 

high school student who completes all 

program requirements will be awarded a 

West Allegheny High School diploma and 

will be eligible to participate in the gradua- 

District Adds Drug and Alcohol Resource Page to Web Site 

One of the newest enhancements to the 

district Web site at www.westasd.org is a 

Drug and Alcohol Information and Resource 

page for parents. Effective April 

2012, this page is available under Community/Parents, 

which is a quick link on the 

left side of the screen. The Community/ 

Parents link is also a subpage under the 

Pictured are the 2011-12 National Junior Honor Society officers: Alyssa Placha, 

president; Carolyn Stout, vice president; Hunter Evans, secretary; Jessica Crider, 

treasurer; and Alexis Hill, historian. 

tion ceremony. 

The enrollment process is simple. For 

current West Allegheny students, the first 

step is to complete the West Allegheny 

registration form. Cyber school students 

living or returning from outside the district 

must first register with the district before 

enrolling in the West Allegheny Virtual 

Academy. 

Once enrolled, cyber school students are 

free to choose among a number of options 

depending on whether they want full-time 

or part-time involvement, or prefer a 

flexible, self-paced approach as opposed 

Communications tab at the top of the 

page. 

Besides the telephone number for 

the Pennsylvania State Police Hotline 

for reporting underage drinking listed 

at the top of the page, there are links 

to ten Web sites that have current 

information on drugs and alcohol for 

to a more structured environment of 

scheduled live instruction. 

To arrange their schedules, students and 

their families meet with a guidance 

counselor and an administrator. They 

receive their computer equipment and 

learn how to access the program. The 

guidance counselor provides students 

with a Virtual Academy Handbook and 

reviews its contents with them. 

For more information contact Dr. 

Christine Assetta, Assistant to the 

Superintendent for Curriculum and 

Instruction, 724-695-5204. 

prevention as well as intervention and 

treatment. Local, regional, and national 

resources are on the list, including 

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Gateway 

Rehabilitation Center, and the National 

Institute on Drug Abuse. 

��

JROTC Unit Rated Outstanding on Inspection 

The West Allegheny High School 

JROTC unit received a “no findings” 

(outstanding rating) on a mandatory 

Commanding General’s Readiness 

Inspection (CGRI), sponsored by the 

Training and Education Command, 

Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia 

on April 2, 2012. Personnel, administration, 

training, education, and logistics 

were inspected. 

While the entire corps of cadets 

performed superbly, special recognition 

was earned by the following students 

for their leadership: Color Guard: Brad 

Fratangelo (Commander), Nick Hower, 

Meghan Boocks, Nick Mulik, Greg 

Schaefer; Unarmed Drill Commander: 

Science Classes Observe Earth Day with Solar House Project 

High school students Lauren Botwright 

and Sarah Davis demonstrate how the 

house they designed and built uses 

solar energy as a power source. 

Honor Society Pageant Supports Make-A-Wish Foundation 

Jared DiSanti was crowned Mr. West 

Allegheny, and Levi Seifert won the title of 

Mr. Congeniality. 

�� 

West Allegheny JROTC members (front) 

Briana Bell, Amanda Cox, Meghan Boocks, 

(back) Andrew Sheehy, Brad Fratangelo, 

and Nick Hower volunteered to help at the 

Gold Card Club breakfast earlier this year. 

Meghan Boocks, Armed Drill Commander: 

Brad Fratangelo, and Logistics and armory: 

Dan Henry. 

West Allegheny High School students 

in James Hamilton's Honors Physical 

Science class learned about solar energy 

by constructing models of solar houses 

at least one-half meter by one- half meter 

in size as an Earth Day project in April. 

Working in partner pairs, they were 

required to design the inside as well as 

the outside of the house to best accommodate 

the use of solar energy as a 

power source. 

Once the construction process was 

complete, the students used the houses 

to conduct a series of experiments 

The West Allegheny High School 

Chapter of the National Honor Society 

raised $700 for the local Make-A-Wish 

Foundation by sponsoring its tenth 

annual "Mr. West Allegheny" pageant on 

April 20, 2012. West Allegheny High 

School senior Jared DiSanti won the title 

of Mr. West Allegheny, and senior Levi 

Seifert was voted Mr. Congeniality. 

The other contestants included Dylan 

Bongiorni, Evan Story, Dave Kline, and 

Nabeel Haque. Participants were judged in 

a number of categories, including sports/ 

casual wear, formal wear, and talent and 

answered questions during an interview. 

Senior members of the National Honor 

Society Laura Victorelli, Michelle Bartha, 

The unit visited the Marine Corps Base in 

Quantico, Virginia and Washington, DC on 

April 12 to 14, 2012. The trip included a tour 

of the National Museum of the Marine Corps 

and a meal on Marine Corps Base Quantico as 

well as a stop at the USMC War Memorial 

(Iwo Jima statue), and a visit to Kings 

Dominion Amusement Park. 

In the 11 years West Allegheny has offered 

JROTC at the high school, a total of 18 college 

scholarships have been awarded to West 

Allegheny unit members. With community 

service a priority, members volunteer their 

time to help at various events during the year. 

Maj David Botizan and SgtMaj Robert Word 

are the JROTC instructors. 

related to solar energy. They learned about 

the greenhouse effect and how light and 

dark surfaces absorb heat. They also 

studied the impact of solar water collectors, 

reflectors, and insulation. 

The projects were evaluated on a point 

scale for four characteristics: realism, 

neatness, creativity and solid construction. 

Lauren Botwright and Sarah Davis earned a 

perfect score on the construction of their 

solar house by designing and incorporating 

a solar windmill that utilizes wind and solar 

energy. 

Ethan Schweinsberg, Rebecca Will, and 

Emily Murn coordinated the event. Their 

promotional efforts included recruiting the 

prospective contestants, publicizing the 

event, obtaining an emcee to conduct the 

program, and convincing business 

sponsors to provide prizes and a crown for 

the winner. 

Several teachers and aides acted as 

judges using a weighted scoring system 

where entrants were able to earn more 

points in the talent category, for instance, 

than in the sportswear category. MW Tux 

supplied the formal wear for the contestants. 

Suzanne Lambert, biology teacher, is 

the faculty sponsor for the National Honor 

Society.

West Allegheny Foundation Funds Innovative Teaching 

Seniors Create Visual Time Capsules Reflecting Themselves 

Seniors Mary Trax, Amber Cochran, Ashley Gerhart, and 

Mary Blumling use an online resource during English 

class to create a memory/photo book of their lives. 

Pictured in the background is Jennifer Jones, English 

teacher. 

Donaldson students Olivia Crisanti, Jaide Travis, Caden Wingo, 

Victoria Mock, and Dylan Sabo take advantage of the materials 

in the new leveled library. Pictured also are Ruth Bouwers, 

reading specialist, and Tammy Rink, instructional aide. 

West Allegheny High School 

seniors in Jennifer Jones’ English 

class recently created visual time 

capsules in the form of memory 

books reflecting their lives, current 

friends and interests, and future 

hopes and goals. While their 

finished product, a 20-page All 

About Me book, required about a 

week of online work, the project 

actually involved a year-long 

effort. Throughout the year the 

students responded to journal 

writing prompts relating to 

themselves and took photographs 

to illustrate what they wrote. 

New Leveled Library Provides Resource to Match Student Needs 

Donaldson Elementary 

students are benefiting from a 

new reading resource, a leveled 

library, made possible through a 

grant from the West Allegheny 

Foundation. Available to all 

teachers, the new library is 

comprised of book sets 

arranged at a variety of levels to 

match the reading levels of 

students in grades kindergarten 

through fifth grade. 

Used in small-group, guided 

reading lessons, the books are 

designed to help teachers 

strengthen the students’ 

Using the Web site 

www.pephoto.com, they incorporated 

excerpts from the journal 

along with the photos into an 

8.5” x 8.5” bound book. 

The purpose of the project was 

to provide each student with a 

time capsule of their individual 

thoughts and experiences from 

the perspective of their senior 

year to take with them when they 

graduate and look back on in 

future years. The West Allegheny 

Foundation provided the funds 

for this activity through its 

Grants for Teachers program. 

reading skills while building 

their confidence and an 

excitement for reading. 

National Geographic offers 

these books on such nonfiction 

topics as events, 

processes, and objects as well 

as content from the district 

curriculum. Donaldson 

reading specialist Ruth 

Bouwers was awarded 

enough funds to purchase 12 

book sets. Series titles 

include Sun Power, A Nation 

of Immigrants, and Your Great 

State. 

® 

McKee Elementary Fourth Graders Finish as Math 24 Champions 

Three McKee Elementary School students 

took top honors at the Math 24 Championship 

Tournament on March 28, 2012, held at 

Donaldson Elementary School: Cole Lanni 

(first place), Kennedy Reed, (second place), 

and Zac Ziolkowski (third place). Fourth 

grade students at all three elementary 

schools participated in the 24 Challenge® 

program, a tournament-style competition 

based on the Math 24® game. 

As a mental math exercise, the Math 24® 

game requires players, without the use of 

paper, pencils or calculators, to derive the 

answer "24" using each of four given 

numbers only once and applying any 

combination of operations. 

The program consisted of four sessions 

each in the fall and spring and provided 

opportunities for students to practice basic 

math facts and improve their problemsolving 

skills. Students met weekly with 

Horizons teachers Beth Koraido, Ginny 

Belko, and Robert Dowd to learn game 

strategies and sharpen their math skills in 

preparation for the final tournament. 

Math24® Challenge Champions: McKee 

fourth graders Zac Ziolkowski (third 

place), Cole Lanni first place), and 

Kennedy Reed (second place). 

��

West Allegheny Teacher Chosen as Finalist 

for Microsoft’s Partners in Learning U.S. Forum 

West Allegheny High School business 

and computer technology teacher Pamela 

Volakis will be honored by Microsoft 

Corporation for her innovative use of 

technology in the classroom. She has 

been selected as one of 44 educators 

currently from 15 states to showcase the 

creative ways she is integrating technology 

in and beyond the classroom at the 

Microsoft Partners in Learning 2012 U.S. 

Forum. Taking place in Redmond, 

Washington, July 31 and August 1, this 

annual event connects and celebrates the 

nation’s top educators who engage 

students through technology. Microsoft 

will select 56 more finalists in June, for a 

total of 100, who will compete for a chance 

to represent the United States at 

Microsoft’s Global Forum this fall in 

Athens, Greece. 

Volakis was selected for her project, 

Video Highlights McKee’s Strategy for Success 

McKee Elementary School Principal 

Thomas Orr prefaced the viewing of a 

video highlighting McKee’s educational 

offerings at the April 18 School Board 

meeting with an acknowledgment of the 

reasons for McKee’s success—its 

students, staff, and programs along with 

support from the board and administration. 

Entitled the “ABCs of McKee,” the 

presentation featured an alphabetical 

arrangement of some of the things that 

make McKee special, like A for adventurous 

students, B for band, and C for 

chorus. The alphabetical arrangement 

continued with a selection of photo 

Fifth Grade Vocalist Continues to Impress Audiences 

Shane Treloar 

�� 

Fifth grade McKee 

Elementary student 

Shane Treloar 

continues to impress 

audiences with his 

vocal talent. In his 

most recent appearances, 

he was 

featured as guest 

vocalist at the 

titled MATH BINGO, where programming 

students designed a learning game using 

XNA Framework and Microsoft Visual C#. 

As gaming programmers, participants were 

required to collaborate with teachers and 

other students on the project. The next step 

was to complete the planning process, 

problem solve, and implement the game. The 

result was a usable end product that was 

beneficial to other students. 

For 18 years, Volakis has been teaching 

programming and business courses at West 

Allegheny High School. In addition to 

teaching, she is an advisor for FBLA and the 

technology facilitator for the high school 

and has partnered with the University of 

Pittsburgh in the College in High School 

program and Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics 

Department to test teaching programming 

with robots (FINCHES). Prior to teaching, 

This photo of McKee fourth graders 

Anne Koester and Hayden Shipley in 

Deborah Stockhausen’s class appears in 

the “ABCs of McKee” video under Q is 

for questions. 

Johnstown Symphony Orchestra Mother’s 

Day Concert and sang the National Anthem 

for a Pittsburgh Power arena football game at 

the Consol Energy Center and for a Pennsylvania 

Motor Speedway event in Imperial. 

Among Shane’s upcoming bookings is a 

feature role in the June 13 and 14 performances 

of “And the Tony Goes to…” 

presented at West Allegheny High School at 

7:00 p.m. both evenings. The March of 

Volakis was a 

programmer in the 

steel industry. 

“I have a strong 

passion to teach 

students how to 

think critically and 

problem solve, and 

being recognized by 

Microsoft to be 

among the best in 

Pam Volakis 

my field for inspiring 

my students to learn 

through technology 

is a motivational force to continue my 

efforts,” said Volakis. “I am looking forward to 

networking with educators from around the 

country and collaborating with fellow 

educators on new ideas I can bring back to 

my classroom.” 

displays reflecting the importance of the 

library, art, physical fitness, bullying 

prevention, and other programs. Also 

included were snapshots of various 

classroom activities and events along with 

an emphasis on the nurturing relationships 

between students, staff, and volunteers. 

McKee computer facilitator Kim Dawson 

produced the video by first creating a 

PowerPoint presentation, importing the 

slides into MovieMaker, and adding music. 

This video is the fourth in a series of 

presentations showcasing each of the 

district’s five schools. The final presentation 

will feature the high school. 

Dimes has invited him to sing the National 

Anthem for its annual walk on June 10. Both 

the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team and the 

Pittsburgh Steelers football team have also 

scheduled Shane to sing the National 

Anthem. He will entertain fans at the 

baseball game on July 4 and at a regular 

season football game with the date to be 

announced at a later time.

Peer Empowerment Group Emphasizes Positive Change 

High school students involved in the 

Peer to Peer Empowerment Program met 

with groups of seventh graders at the 

middle school on April 16 and 20, 2012, 

for a series of activities designed to 

emphasize the importance of accepting 

and appreciating the differences in 

everyone. The schedule consisted of a 

variety of interactive games, a chat 

session, physical competitions, and 

activities related to social media and 

bullying prevention. 

Besides increasing an awareness of 

bullying behavior, the older students 

discussed and demonstrated ways for 

the younger students to have fun and 

learn something new about their 

classmates. The program focused on 

building leadership and team building 

for the high school students as they 

planned and implemented activities for 

positive change in their school. 

High school students Sydney Mangis and Gabriella Tissue and middle school student 

Chloee Borgialli engage in an activity designed to encourage students to look for the 

good in others. Participants stand in a circle, make a positive comment about someone, 

and then toss a ball of string to that person. 

Students Recognized for Poetry Honoring Jackie Robinson 

Two West Allegheny Middle School 

students were recognized for their 

poetry entries in the Pittsburgh Pirates 

Jackie Robinson Essay and Poetry 

Contest in the seventh- and eighthgrade 

category. Eighth grader Daniel 

Hovanec was awarded a second place, 

and seventh grader Ali Perry was 

selected as a third-place winner. They 

were both honored at PNC Park in a 

special on-field pregame ceremony at 

the April 20, 2012, Pittsburgh Pirates 

baseball game. 

The poems, which focused on the 

character, perseverance, and courage of 

Jackie Robinson who broke the color 

barrier in 1947 as Major League Baseball's 

first black American player, were chosen 

from over 2,700 entries submitted. Both 

winners received complimentary tickets to a 

Pirates baseball game. They also participated 

in a pregame awards banquet with 

Pirates celebrities and won a variety of 

prizes, including a Pirates Promotional 

Package. 

Middle School teachers Debbie Kazar and 

Daniel Hovanec Ali Perry 

Katie Troup encouraged their students to 

enter the contest, which was held as part of 

the observance of February as Black History 

Month. 

Sixth Grade Earthkeepers Program Focuses On Environment 

Sixth graders Brent Mangold, Chris 

Schubert, and Michael Chen construct 

bird houses under the direction of Bob 

Mayo, middle school technology 

education teacher. 

West Allegheny Middle School sixth 

graders participated in an overnight trip to 

Linsly Outdoor Center near Raccoon Creek 

State Park for an environmental program, 

which began on May 1, 2012. Students 

were divided into four groups for trips on 

May 1-2, May 3-4, May 7-8, and May 9-10. 

Entitled Earthkeepers, the program teaches 

and encourages students to become 

stewards of the earth through participation 

in a number of environmental exercises. 

Activities included a study of wildlife 

habitats, an introduction to Native Ameri- 

can customs and crafts, and the construction 

of birdhouses. Other outdoor lessons 

focused on orienteering (using a compass), 

utilizing adaptation and camouflage, and 

simulations of fluctuations in deer and bear 

populations. Students also had an opportunity 

to conduct a stream study and write 

nature poems (haikus) based on their 

observations. 

All sixth grade teachers, along with many 

other middle school staff members, helped 

coordinate this event. 

��

Donaldson Team Wins Battle of the Books Tournament 

On March 27, 2012, the elementary 

libraries hosted the third annual Battle of 

the Books tournament, in which 24 teams 

of fourth and fifth graders competed. 

After 50 initial questions and two tiebreaking 

questions the following 

tournament champions were crowned. 

The first-place team, The Fantastic Five!, 

consisted of Casey Bachowski, Kylie 

Laughery, Loren Perry, Christina Prologo, 

and Sydney Williams, all from 

Donaldson. Second place went to the 

Seriously Spontaneous Stars from 

Wilson: Nick Faulk, Eve Vogt, Alex 

Berhosky, and Renae Roscart. The topscoring 

team from McKee was The Fairy 

Tale Freaks, which included Victoria 

Beuchat, Juliana Dominick, Sydney 

Gatchell, Isabella Merlino, and Carlee 

Monaghan. Elementary librarians Nancy 

Howell, Denise Medwick, and Beth 

Schultz coordinated the competition. 

�� 

The Fantastic Five! team, consisting of Donaldson fifth graders Kylie Laughery, Sydney 

Williams, Casey Bachowski, Christina Prologo, and Loren Perry took first place at the Battle of 

the Books championship tournament. 

Counselors Prepare Fifth Graders for Next Step 

During a session of the Moving On program, Wilson fifth graders 

Dylan Boyza, Dillon Calhoon, and Matt Fischer try to answer a 

Jeopardy-style question to earn points for the boys’ team. 

Besides planning picnics and parties to celebrate the end of their 

elementary years, fifth graders are working with their guidance 

counselors to prepare for the next step in their education--middle 

school. Designed to ease the transition process, the Moving On 

program consists of a series of six sessions during which elementary 

counselors Kristen Tracy (Donaldson), JoAnn Biscan (McKee), and 

Kathryn Taylor (Wilson) meet with the fifth graders. 

During the sessions, life skills that will assist students in the areas 

Considering the answer to their Jeopardy question are girls’ 

team members Kelli Blondsey, Amanda Schlor, Jessica 

Collins, Meghan Gluzman, and Grace Faulk, all Wilson fifth 

grade students. 

of communication, peer pressure, stress, goal setting, accepting 

responsibility, and time management are discussed. 

On May 10, 2012, Wilson students began one of the sessions 

with a Jeopardy-style competition between boys and girls 

designed to provide information on the middle school with 

regard to class periods, scheduling, lockers, locker combinations, 

lunch, etc.

Bananagrams Competition Develops Vocabulary 

McKee fourth graders Cole Lanni, 

Elise Fitsioris, and Matt Lockwich 

emerged as first, second, and third place 

winners, respectively, in a championship 

tournament on May 2, 2012, based 

on the Bananagrams word game. 

Besides sharpening their spelling skills 

and developing vocabulary, participants 

had fun competing with their peers. 

Held after school for fourth graders, the 

program was also designed to build 

student/teacher relationships outside 

the classroom. Participants played weekly 

during April to determine the 12 top scorers 

for the final tournament. 

Bananagrams derives its name from the 

banana-shaped bag that holds the letter 

tiles used to spell interconnecting words 

horizontally or vertically. The winner of 

each hand is the first to use all of his or her 

tiles to form words. McKee fourth-grade 

teachers Susie Dorman, Jan Schade, Deb 

Stockhausen and Bill Welsh coordinated 

the program. 

Bananagrams Word Game Champions: Cole 

Lanni (first place), Elise Fitsioris (second 

place), and Matt Lockwich (third place). 

Wilson Chorus Visit Features Patriotic Songs 

Wearing patriotic colors, members of 

the Wilson fifth-grade chorus visited 

Kindred Hospital and Molinaro Manor 

on May 14, 2012, to sing patriotic songs 

for the patients and residents in honor 

of Memorial Day. Among the musical 

selections were “My Country ‘Tis of 

Thee,” “ Star Spangled Banner,” “ This 

Land is Your Land,” “ God Bless the 

USA,” and “ You’re a Grand Old Flag.” 

During the visit, the chorus members 

had an opportunity to wave and say 

“Hello” to some of the patients and 

residents. The students also made red, 

white, and blue wreaths for them to 

decorate their doors. Joyous Demark, 

Wilson music teacher, coordinated the 

community service activity. 

Wilson chorus members Natasha Yarowenko, Grace Faulk, Cami Petroff, and Meghan 

Gluzman stop at a patient’s room to sing a patriotic song. 

Donaldson Fitness Programs Keep Students Moving 

While students benefited again 

from such traditional physical 

fitness favorites as Track and Field 

Day and Fun in the Sun Day, a 

new program emphasizing fitness 

was launched this year at 

Donaldson called Let’s Move. 

Inspired by Michelle Obama’s 

program of the same name, this 

event was sponsored jointly by 

the physical education staff and 

the PTA. The purpose of the 

program was to demonstrate how 

easy it is to set and achieve a goal 

of 60 minutes of physical exercise 

daily. 

To prepare for the event, Beth 

Bauer, school nurse, presented 

information on nutrition to each 

grade level. Students had an 

opportunity to choose which 

activities they preferred from a 

list that included basketball, 

soccer, four-square, hopscotch, 

jumping rope, capture the flag, 

and many others. Fifteenminute 

yoga sessions were 

also available for each class. 

High school students from the 

National Honor Society helped 

with the activities, which were 

held in the gymnasium, 

playground, and baseball field. 

Donaldson students (front) 

Scott Zanella, Chris Andreetti, 

(back) Adam Chang, Edward 

Zou, and Evan Blunkosky race 

for the finish line on Track 

and Field Day. 

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West Allegheny High School Track, Field Team 

Members Qualify for State Competition, Set Records 

The varsity girls’ and boys’ track and field teams 

competed in the WPIAL Individual finals at Baldwin 

High School on May 17, 2012. The following relay 

teams and individuals qualified for the PIAA finals and 

set new school records in their respective events: Relay 

Teams - girls’ two-mile relay of Emily Pia, Barb Lesko, 

Alexis O’Shea, and Adelle Collins; girls’ 400-meter relay 

of Jen Forse, Kaci Vandergrift, Nia Cheeseboro, and 

Lauren Costa; and girls’ 1600-meter relay of Adelle 

Collins, Nia Cheeseboro, Lauren Costa, and Kaci 

Vandergrift; Individuals – 400-meter run, Kaci 

Vandergrift; and 100-meter hurdles, Lauren Costa. 

Lauren Costa also won the 100-meter dash to become a 

WPIAL champion. At print time the state finals were 

scheduled for May 25 and 26, 2012, at Shippensburg 

University. 

Other WPIAL qualifiers included Nadiya Wahl on the 

girls’ team and Sam Costa, Ethan Schweinsberg, RJ 

Freese, Tom Bruni, Brent Perry, Will Page, Jake Johnson, 

Dylan Bongiorni, Zech Medved, Josh Coury, Zach 

Simmen, and Dustin Windemaker from the boys’ team. 

Several runners also distinguished themselves at the 

qualifying meet on May 9, 2012, at West Mifflin by 

setting new school records. Adelle Collins set a new 

record of 2:19 in the 800-meter run, breaking the record 

set by Melissa Klobchar in 1997. With a time of 9:32, 

the girls’ 3200-meter (two-mile) relay team of Emily Pia, 

Barb Lesko, Alexis O'Shea, and Adelle Collins broke the 

record of 9:45 set in 1997. The track and field coach is 

James Hamilton. 

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400-Meter Relay Team: Jen Forse, Lauren Costa, Nia Cheeseboro, and Kaci 

Vandergrift. 

Two-Mile Relay Team: Barb Lesko, Adelle Collins, Alexis O’Shea, and Emily 

Pia.

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In the fire service we have many catch phrases to remind 

people to keep themselves safe from the dangers of fire. My 

favorite is “Fire Prevention Begins with You.” How true! 

As summer gets cranked up into full swing, here are a few fire 

safety tips to remember. 

�� – Many times around Thanksgiving you hear 

reminders for those who deep fry turkeys to do so away from 

structures like their house, garage, or shed. The same thing 

can be said for outdoor grills. Grills should always be kept as 

far away as possible from any structure. The heat from a grill 

can easily melt vinyl siding and, in the event of a grease fire, 

escaping flames can ignite anything combustible that is 

nearby. 

�� – Open burning laws differ from county to 

county and your municipality may have their own rules pertaining 

to recreational fires; you should consult you local municipality 

and understand the rules beforehand. Here are some 

fast facts from the Allegheny County open burning guidelines. 

You should be burning clean, dry wood or other clean burning 

products. Only use smokeless fuels to ignite the fire. The size 

of the area where the fire will be should not exceed 16 square 

feet and three feet high. Burn at least ten feet from any structure, 

roadway, utility, or property line. Always have some 

method to extinguish the fire nearby. 

�� – The use of many types of fireworks are regulated by 

states and municipalities but even hand held “sparklers” can 

cause injury and start a fire. Use extreme caution when using 

and disposing of any type of fireworks. 

�� – I know, people smoke year round, but many times 

during the summer people may smoke more outside. Use 

caution when discarding smoking products. Be sure smoking 

products are completely extinguished and use an approved 

receptacle when possible. Keeping a used coffee can on the 

porch or next to the house full of old cigarettes is asking for 

trouble. Many apartment buildings and commercial buildings 

use mounds of landscaping mulch to decorate the facility. Never 

throw lit cigarettes or cigars into these mulch piles. They can 

easily begin to smolder and the fire can extend to anything 

combustible nearby. 

Keep these helpful fire safety tips in mind to make this a 

memorable summer for all of the right reasons. The only time we 

want to see you along the road waving at a fire truck would be at 

one of the many community parades. Have a great summer 

everyone and remember, FIRE SAFETY BEGINS WITH YOU! 

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W 

hen four women in the community -- Claudia Wagner and Kate 

Nicholson from North Fayette Township and Cathy Cummings 

and Liz Zamule from Oakdale Borough -- met in 1988 to discuss 

the formation of a community library, WAFEL –the Western Allegheny 

Friends to Enhance the Library—was born. Little did they know what 

the future would hold. Now, their 2,400-square-foot space in the former 

Christian school turned North Fayette Community Center will grow to 

nearly six times that amount - 14,000-square-feet. 

On May 25, the library board and staff officially closed on their new 

location with the purchase of the former Amcom building on Bateman 

Road in North Fayette. 

The new library will be centrally located for the three communities 

that the library serves. It’s just down the road from the Five Points 

intersection in Imperial across from the Route 22-30 ramps, and less 

than one mile from its present location. 

Thus opens a new chapter in the community library’s history. 

“It has taken us quite literally years to bring the dream of a new 

library to fruition,” said Pam Perry, library board president. “What a 

vast difference it will make for this community institution and the 

people it serves.” 

When the Western Allegheny Community Library (WACL) opened in 

1990 to serve three municipalities -- Findlay, North Fayette, and 

Oakdale -- it had a total of 3,400 books in that small space. Over time, 

the book collection grew to 43,000 items. Yet, needs for space grew 

disproportionately, currently using a mere 4,000-square-feet. 

On any given day, library visitors currently see books stacked 

vertically and laterally on top of the shelves. The computer stations are 

cramped together, close to the drafty entrance door. There is no room to 

STORY BY PAT JENNETTE 

PHOTOS BY FRANK VILSACK 

ABOVE: Left, the former Amcom building will now be the new home for the library. Right, library board and staff at the new library entrance door. 

A New Home for . . . 

grow the technology space due to the cramped conditions. In the 

children’s section, little ones struggle to reach books on shelves that are 

six feet high. Library activities are held out in the open due to lack of 

dedicated space, and tutoring takes place in public areas because there are 

no small, private areas available to meet. Library staff trip over each other 

at the check out desk, where patrons lean over an old counter chock full 

of informational materials that have no other place to be displayed. 

This larger facility will provide the space, independence, and accessibility 

so desperately needed to provide services to library patrons. 

Without the support of the supervisors of Findlay, North Fayette, and 

Oakdale, the library wouldn’t have been able to take this step. Findlay 

and North Fayette provided partial funding for the initial purchase. Going 

forward, North Fayette and Findlay will provide $12.66 per capita and 

Oakdale will provide $5.00 per capita. The building’s previous owner, 

DMC Imperial Associates LLC, included a $13,000 gift toward the 

purchase. 

As in prior years, fundraising events are being planned to continue to 

raise the necessary monies for the future. The library has applied for 

several grants in the hopes such funds will be available to help them begin 

renovations. The remaining amount, which includes the balance of the 

mortgage and anticipated costs for renovations, is expected to reach 

$800,000 or more. 

Last year, several of the board members attended a workshop presented 

by the Allegheny County Library Association demonstrating what other 

libraries are doing across the country. It helped to change the board’s 

perspective of what a library could be in the future. 

Marianne Sforza, who has served as head librarian since the library 

opened, and who also attended some of the workshops at the event, said, 

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“Everyone gained so many ideas regarding how libraries have taken the 

concept of growth and learning to create spaces for imaginations to grow 

and ideas to flourish.” 

The staff is excited about the many possibilities in the future. 

Patty Giura, a library board member who chairs public relations, added, 

“We want creativity, excitement, and learning to occur here; there is so 

much potential now. We hope to have areas for such activities as tutoring 

and aerobics and meetings for community groups and organizations. We 

also hope to incorporate a coffee shop.” 

Focusing on the 

theme of 

imaginations, the library developed a 

new Web site (www.westernalleghenylibrary.org) and a new 

logo. To the board, the C on the new logo represents community and 

creativity. 

The “imaginarium” tag on the logo encourages library users to understand 

that their new library will be a space where residents can come not only to 

borrow books and DVDs and e-books and other materials, but also to 

participate in diverse activities that encourage imagination. 

Also on the drawing board are meeting spaces, outdoor areas, child 

appropriate furnishings in a child-inspired space, self-checkout, laptop and 

desktop computers with a media center, and more. 

The board is focused on not just content and collections in the library 

but more importantly, people and interactions. 

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The staff and board encourage residents to offer their ideas for their 

new library. 

“We have a bright, young staff eager to do more and expand upon what 

we already have,” Marianne said. 

Patty noted, “Marianne has done a great job of picking new people 

with energy and fresh ideas going forward.” 

All of the new ideas fit with the library’s current mission statement, 

“to assure that the Western Allegheny Community Library provides the 

resources that bring the world to our communities.” 

Pam, Patty, and Marianne all agreed that, with the future plans and 

this new creative space, the library hopes to create opportunities for 

people to come and experience life...to truly let their imaginations 

grow. 

A timeline has not yet been determined to move into the new space 

because funds need to be raised for the renovation. 

The community campaign to raise funds will begin with the first 

major fundraising event this year-- An Evening…Under Construction 

-- a takeoff on the library’s earlier annual event previously held 

at Clinton Park, called An Evening Under the Stars. This time, 

however, it will be held in the new library building. The event date 

is Friday, August 10 (see details, below). The event will kickoff a 

long-term fundraising drive to help convert the new space 

effectively and successfully, as well as provide funds to help pay 

for the new mortgage. 

Other fundraising events are already underway, including a 

family night at the new location this fall, and a collaboration 

between Findlay Township, the library, and Macaroni Kids-Robinson for 

an event at Clinton Park called “Truck Touch, on Saturday, September 29 

from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Inside the library, patrons can purchase canvas 

tote bags or donate to sponsor a book. Patrons can make a donation 

while sharing their library memories, past or present, through the “Share 

a Memory, Make a Memory” effort. Simply stop by the library check 

out desk, write a memory on one of the provided forms, and include a 

donation. Checks can be written to the WACL, and are tax deductible. 

Credit cards are also accepted at the library. 

Naming rights and sponsorships are also available. For more information, 

call (724) 695-8150, or visit the Web site, 

www.westernalleghenylibrary.org. 

ABOVE: Library board members and staff raise a toast inside the new 

library building after the closing.

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ST. CLAIR HOSPITAL NAMED AMONG TOP 100 

St. Clair Hospital has been named one of the nation’s 100 Top Hospitals by Thomson 

Reuters. 

The Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals study evaluates performance in ten areas, 

including clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, and clinical efficiency. 

Michael J. Flanagan, Senior Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, St. Clair 

Hospital, said, “It is very exciting to have an organization of this stature provide an 

independent, objective assessment of our hospital, confirming the high level of care 

that we provide. And, of course, it is an honor to be included with such nationally 

regarded health care institutions as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Geisinger 

Medical Center, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.” 

Holly Hampe, Chief Quality Officer, St. Clair Hospital, said, “St. Clair Hospital has 

always delivered high quality care to patients we serve. This award is the culmination 

of years of work by our medical staff, employees, and volunteers.” 

To conduct the 100 Top Hospitals study, Thomson Reuters researchers evaluated 

2,886 short-term, acute care, non-federal hospitals. They used public information, 

including Medicare cost reports, Medicare Provider Analysis and Review (MedPAR) 

data, and core measures and patient satisfaction data from the Centers for Medicare 

and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. 

Thomson Reuters noted that if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care 

as those treated in the award-winning hospitals: 

• More than 186,000 additional lives could be saved; 

• Approximately 56,000 additional patients could be complication free; and 

• More than $4.3 billion could be saved. 

The winning hospitals, which do not apply and do not pay to market this honor, are 

listed in the April 16 issue of “Modern Healthcare” magazine. 

BDS STUDENTS TAKE HOME TROPHIES FROM ACCESS BROADWAY 

Karen Prunzik’s Pittsburgh Broadway Stars went home last month with armfuls of 

trophies and medals for their first appearance as a new company at Access Broadway. 

Most notably, the performers took home a platinum award and first place title for their 

Broadway group production, “Baby, That is Rock N Roll” choreographed by Karen 

Prunzik. They also won a high gold and the 

third place title for their tap group number, 

“Sing, Sang, Sung” choreographed by Alyson 

Young. 

Shane Treloar, 11, from West Allegheny, was 

awarded the Mr. Junior Access Broadway of 

Pittsburgh Award. He received a platinum 

award and first place title for his song, “Defying 

Gravity” and for his acting monologue, 

both directed by Lenora Nemetz. He was also 

honored with the special Broadway star award 

for best vocalist. Company 

members and newcomers to the competition 

solo scene, Nicole Fish, 10, from Oakdale, and 

Rylan Kadlecik, 11, from Robinson, both won 

platinums for their song and dance solos 

staged by Lenora Nemetz. Nicole won the first 

PHOTO SUBMITTED 

place title while Rylan placed second. 

Natalie Sciulli, 13, from Oakdale, won a high gold for her first song and dance 

solo, high gold for her tap solo, and high gold for her contemporary solo. Kelsey 

Overbay, 12, from Oakdale, a first time competitor, won a gold for her jazz solo and 

Briana Patterson 11, from Greentree, won a high gold and third place for her tap solo. 

IT’S POLLEN 

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H&K TEAMS WITH FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOR TAKE YOUR CHILD TO WORK DAY EVENT 

PHOTOS BY COREY LUBAS 

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On April 26, North Fayette and Kennedy Volunteer Fire Departments went to H 

& K Equipment Company in North Fayette for the company’s annual ‘Take Your 

Child to Work Day.’ 

Dennis Bowman from KDKA was on site to do a presentation on weather, and 

the fire departments brought their fire trucks and equipment to put on a 

demonstration for about 50 children of H & K employees who came for the day. 

Afterwards, the company hosted a small picnic for the children. 

The team effort of the local fire departments, H & K employees, and others 

resulted in a successful day. 


ABOVE, LEFT: Corey Lubas, a 

volunteer firefighter from the Kennedy 

Township Volunteer Fire Department, 

demonstrates how equipment works on 

the fire truck. 

LEFT: Kennedy firefighters show how 

they use the hoses with water 

pressure to fight a fire. 

WA MEALS ON WHEELS NEEDS HELP WITH DRIVING 

Volunteers are needed to deliver meals one or two times a 

month to local residents who are unable to get out of their homes 

on their own. This flexible, volunteer opportunity can provide an 

excellent way to help others. If you can give a few hours a couple 

of days each month, please call Sue Wise, (724) 693-0844 or Lena 

Cool, (724) 695-2836. 

NORTH FAYETTE’S OLSH SENIOR TO BENEDICTINE 

North Fayette resident and Our Lady of the 

Sacred Heart senior, Brianna Davis, has 

signed a commitment letter to Benedictine 

College, Atchison, Kansas, to accept an 

athletic scholarship to play softball for the 

Ravens. She will major in Nursing at the 

highly acclaimed Mother Theresa Center for 

Nursing and Health. 

CLEARVIEW FCU/PITT SUPPORT PEDIATRICS 

Clearview® Federal Credit Union recently donated $7,480 to 

The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. Clearview once again 

partnered with the Pitt Men’s Basketball Team to offer a special 

“Points for Pediatrics” program. Through this program, 

Clearview made a $40 donation for each three-point basket 

made by a Pitt player during a Pitt Panthers men’s basketball 

game. All proceeds benefited The Children’s Institute of 

Pittsburgh. 

During the 2011-2012 season, the Pitt players made a total of 

187, three-point baskets. Clearview President/CEO Mark 

Brennan recently presented a check totaling $7,480 to Stacey 

Vaccaro, MPM, FACHE, Vice President of Quality and Clinical 

Operations at The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh. To cheer 

on the cause, Pitt’s panther mascot, “Roc,” attended the 

presentation.

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Brandon Glowark is bracing, pulling back 70 

pounds worth of weight by a small loop 

attached to a string on a high tech bow as he 

places a fiber optic sight squarely on a foam 

sheep situated in a thicket at the McDonald 

Sportmen’s Club in McDonald. 

Releasing his grip on the loop sends an ultra 

lightweight, carbon fiber arrow soaring through 

the air at about 300 feet per second, landing it 

squarely in the foam animal’s side with a 

“thunk.” 

“I was shaking so bad,” says Glowark, after 

taking what amounts to be one of the few shots 

the busy West Allegheny senior has managed 

since placing second in the International 

Bowhunting Organization’s Indoor World 

Championship Tournament in Cleveland earlier 

this year. 

There, Glowark scored 400 out of a possible 

440 points with 15 bulls eyes. That performance 

landed him a spot in the upcoming IBO 

Outdoor World Championship and Archery 

Festival at Seven Springs this August. 

But between completing his Eagle Scout and 

senior high school projects, Glowark’s barely 

had time to pick up his bow these past four 

months. And it’s becoming apparent that if 

he’s planning on taking forty shots this August 

at Seven Springs, he’s going to have to spend 

some serious time on the range, building his 

arm strength back up and, above all else, just 

getting comfortable again. 

STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY 

PHOTO BY SARAH KRIZINA 

“It’s all about comfort,” says Glowark, who 

also works as the bow tech at Gander Mountain. 

“You can be out there with a $2,000 bow and 

not be comfortable with it, and I’ll be out there 

with a $500 bow and I’ll beat you every time.” 

It’s not entirely unlike what great jazz 

saxophonist Charlie Parker used to say about 

missing practice, and how after a day, he could 

tell. Two days, his band mates could tell. Three 

days, his audience could. 

But even after that hiatus, Glowark’s also just 

managed a shot that, if this were a competition, 

would have awarded him ten out of eleven 

points; a shot in some ways comparable to a 

birdie in golf. And he’s just done it on the side 

of a hill, leaning slightly, and shooting around 

low hanging branches. 

Bow shooting, as it turns out, is just one small 

part of Glowark’s larger interest in the outdoors 

and in ecology and environmental engineering, all 

of which promises to translate into a career that 

will also help him, of course, keep shooting. 

This fall, he plans to attend Waynesburg 

University to study Environmental Science, and 

already has a leg up thanks to his recent Eagle 

Scout project. 

For that, Glowark worked for well over a year 

on an irrigation and water measurement system 

for the Pittsburgh Botanical Gardens at Settler’s 

Ridge, where he constructed flumes and weirs 

used to measure both acid mine and clean water 

drainage into a pond that the Gardens intends to 

dam. He was directed by Dr. Robert Hedin of 

Hedin Environmental and worked under Dayne 

Crowley, a hydro geologist at MACTEC 

Engineering & Consulting. 

Glowark says Crowley indicated such a 

project might have cost the Gardens around 

$10,000 if it had been contracted through a firm. 

Instead, says Glowark, who secured materials 

for the project through Lowes and Home Depot, 

“It didn’t cost [the Gardens] a penny and it 

didn’t cost me a penny.” 

At the same time Glowark was working 

on that project, he was also trying to get 

archery into his high school gym class 

as part of his senior project. Since 

2010, Glowark has been trying to 

get more of his fellow students 

interested in the sport through 

the archery club he founded 

there. 

Budget cuts ultimately 

stymied his proposal, but 

thanks to HIS efforts, the 

club has garnered solid 

interest among at least 

about a dozen students, 

and no doubt will attract 

more in the future. 

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ABOVE: The West Allegheny Class of 1957 held its 55th class reunion last month. Pictured, bottom 

row: Darla Avery Manski, Fran Shagas, Sandy Rosenberger Morrow, Betty Plance Mason, Divida 

Christmas Kocuba, Margie Groom Tichgelaar, Donna Moore Hennen, Judy Manzini Zierden; middle 

row: Erma Saveikis Dodd, Darlene Conn Corcoran, Mary Louise Strazisar Hill, Charlene Meacci 

Yezeski, Doris Kennedy Pichi, Lorraine Ceyrolles Miller, Judy Beitsinger Bolind, Earl Shoup, Janice 

Darabant Kowal, Joy Lee Campbell Snatchko, Rosalie Haines Lawson, Mary Katherine Schramm 

Pittman, Ted Zierden; top row: Jim Britton, Ray DeFade, John Miller, Paul Dufour, Gilbert Conn, 

Franklin Rice, Jim McElhaney, Augie Sandman, George Heitzenrater. PHOTO BY POLK PHOTOGRAPHY 

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WA SENIOR AWARDED 

FOUR-YEAR ROTC SCHOLARSHIP 

Brad Fratangelo, West Allegheny High 

School senior, has been awarded a fouryear 

Army ROTC Scholarship at Penn 

State - University Park issued by U. S. 

Army Cadet Command. Scholarship 

winners are 

selected by 

Cadet 

Command on 

the basis of 

academic and 

leadership 

excellence. 

Upon 

graduation 

from Penn State, Brad will be commissioned 

as a second lieutenant in the U.S. 

Army and anticipates serving on active 

duty. 

Brad has been involved in JROTC at 

West Allegheny, participating in Color 

Guard (most recently as Commander), and 

Rifle Team and Drill Team, and holds the 

rank of Cadet Lieutenant Colonel. 

In addition to his JROTC honors, Brad 

placed sixth in the state in Congress at the 

Forensics State Championships held at 

Susquehanna University in March. 

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ABOVE: Joy Van Norman 

with Ugandan students and 

their new books. 

Arden and Joy Van Norman of Imperial, celebrated their 76th 

and 82nd birthdays, respectively, on a two-month mission trip to 

Uganda, East Africa during the months of November and 

December, 2011. 

This was their sixth mission trip. Previously, they have been 

on trips to Africa and the Honduras and Joy has been to 

Jamaica for mission work. This time they traveled to the remote 

village of Nyamarwa, which has no electricity or running water. 

It was a 25-mile muddy journey on unkempt roads to get to the 

nearest town. 

After a short week at Uganda Christian University to attend a 

graduation service for a student they sponsored, Joy and Arden 

trekked through rain drenched muddy roads to the Kibbuse 

Foundation Vocation School located in Nyamarwa. Their goal 

was to encourage the teachers and graduates by providing 

sewing machines and tool kits to help them earn a living. 

Joy also went into the bush by four-wheel drive or on the back 

of a motorcycle, hiking on foot to check on her women’s microfinance 

program she started in 2006. There are now 84 women 

involved and the program is still growing. The micro-finance 

program has been helped by SOWHOPE, a women’s humanitarian 

organization that contributed $6,000. Seed money also 

helped the women in the program start a donut business. 

RIGHT: Ugandan people 

enjoy some of the books and 

tools that were provided 

through the efforts of Arden 

Van Norman, right, and his 

wife, Joy. 

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Arden is a retired carpentry teacher from Parkway West Career 

and Technology Center. Joy worked as a registered nurse for 25 

years. What’s more remarkable is that Joy is a two-time cancer 

survivor. In 1995 she conquered breast cancer, and in 2008 she 

lost part of her lung to the disease. 

Said Arden, “She is living proof that ‘love is stronger than 

death.’ ” 

Both Joy and Arden’s love of Kibbuse students and villagers 

has again triumphed over age, fear of flying, fear of tropical 

diseases, and intimidation aroused by the current international 

distress. Yet, says Arden, they are true “adventurers for the 

Lord” and hope their their journeys inspire others. 

Arden and Joy finance their own transportation and lodging. 

And they are thankful for the friends, relatives, and church 

members that help finance the projects. 

Brothers Brother provided 543 new books to start a village 

library. World Vision found room on a container vessel for 

shipping the books to Uganda Christian University where the 

Kibbuse school truck picked them up and delivered them 120 

miles away to the village of Nyamarwa. 

In addition, other donations helped the village by allowing a 

new church roof to be built, providing for 15 sewing machines 

for the tailoring class, and 15 toolkits for graduating carpenters, 

masons, and mechanics. 

Funds allowed students to purchase materials and build three 

bookcases for the new books, ten deacon benches for the 

Kibbuse Foundation, and a luggage rack for the school pickup 

truck. 

Arden said,”Ugandan people deeply appreciate what God and 

contributors have done to help them live a more productive 

life.” 

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PHOTO BY JJ 


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5K RACE BENEFITED 

WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT 

West Allegheny High School seniors Barb Lesko and Meghan Boocks, 

pictured above, coordinated a successful 5K Run/2 Mile Walk in April 

to benefit the Wounded Warrior Project, a foundation providing aid to injured service 

members. Despite inclement weather, it was a successful turnout, with 102 participants. 

The event also served as the girls’ senior project. Thanks to all who participated in this 

event. 

SCOUTS CELEBRATE EARTH DAY WITH TREE PLANTING 

To celebrate Earth Day 2012, on April 22 in North Fayette, over 40 volunteers from Cub 

Scout Pack 848, Girl Scout Troop 50432, and Daisy Troop 56108 partnered with North 

Fayette Parks and Recreation to plant 75 white pine trees and 20 dogwood trees at 

Donaldson Community Park. Parks and Recreation groundskeeper Shaun Leslie spraypainted 

spots on the ground in various locations around the park to indicate where 

parents and kids should dig out holes for planting. 

The same group of volunteers is hoping to come together later this summer to plant 

milkweed seeds to establish a monarch butterfly sanctuary in the park and help replenish 

the once-thriving native habitat. Since monarchs lay their eggs only on milkweed (and is 

the only plant that monarch caterpillars eat), it's essential to the survival of the butterfly 

species that milkweed be available and plentiful. 

A special thank you to Chris Kiss, Liz Parker, Linda Pottle, Shaun Leslie, and Bob 

Brozovich for organizing this successful event.

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BY JEFF MYERS 

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This information is provided courtesy of Jeff Myers, agency owner, Myers Insurance and Financial Services, Inc. Contact him at (412) 787-0710 or by email, 

jeffmyers@allstate.com 

Learning Curves is provided as a service to advertisers of Allegheny West Magazine to share educational and/or informational knowledge with the readership. 

To inquire, call (724) 695-3968. 

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BY DR. ROBERT 

LUTHER, JR. DMD 

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This information is provided courtesy of Dr. Robert Luther, Jr., Laser Dentistry, (412) 788-6300, www.pittsburghlaserdentist.com 


To inquire, call (724) 695-3968. 

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ABOVE: Environmental sign winners,first row, Noah Kumpfmiller, Madison 

Johnson, Emily Fullard, Alexis Fleet, and Casey Bachowski; second row, 

Jaide Travis, Dannielle Telles, Stacia Shaytar, Kacey Pristas, Loren Perry, 

Danielle Miller; last row, Patricia Nolan, Donaldson principal; Claire March, 

Donaldson art teacher; J.R. Mangan, North Fayette Township supervisor; 

and Bob Grimm, North Fayette Township manager. 

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ABOVE: The 120th Anniversary Committee has been meeting to plan a variety of community celebrations this summer and fall. Pictured, back row: 

Jack Ewing, author of Oakdale’s history book; Tom Potts, councilman; Russ Campbell, former long-time councilman and co-chairman of Oakdale’s 

120th History Update; Luke Navickas, Oakdale Hose Company president; Huck Gamble, council president; Ryan Locke, volunteer; Theresa Locke, 

Chinese Auction chairperson; Mark Maximovich, councilman; Jonathan DeBor, councilman; and Bud Sturgeon, councilman; front row: Carol Potts, 

Spaghetti Dinner chairperson; Kelly Rohbeck, borough secretary; Virginia Campbell, JoAnn Shaw; Michele Franchek, volunteers; Kathy Stipanovich, 

Oakdale business owners representative; and Michele Merlino, former assistant borough secretary. PHOTO BY JANE TALLON 

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PHOTOS BY G. PAUL DeBOR 

ABOVE, TOP LEFT: Maura DeBor hands out programs on Memorial Day in Oakdale; BOTTOM LEFT: The VFW Post 7070 marches in the annual 

Memorial Day Parade in Oakdale. 

ABOVE, RIGHT: Lifelong Imperial resident Bill Thomas, a World War II veteran, is flanked by Bill Gamble and Anthony Saveikis. He was the guest 

speaker at this year’s Memorial Day Parade and Celebration in Oakdale. The 88-year-old was part of the 707th Bomb Squadron, flying 35 

missions as a flight engineer and gunner. During World War II his missions took him all over Europe, with his last mission on Christmas Day in 

1945. He was honored during his military career with the Air Medal, Mechanic Medal, and Gunnery Medal for his service. Bill earned his high 

school diploma 55 years after joining the military. He is a 66-year volunteer for the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department. 

Marching the streets of Oakdale on a warm Memorial Day morning were antique cars and convertibles, the West Allegheny High School Band, 

youth groups, scouts, Oakdale and surrounding volunteer fire departments, and more. As is Oakdale tradition, this fitting event honored America 

and its veterans with the Pledge of Allegiance, and “God Bless America” sung by 11-year-old Shane Treloar. Tom Monari, commander of the 

American Legion Post 171, and Keith Colledge, commander of the VFW Post 7070, spoke. World War II veteran Bill Thomas was guest speaker. 

Honoree Rosetta Eglar, herself a World War II veteran, was given the honor of presenting the memorial wreath at the memorial in the heart of town. 

Pete Longstreth, also a World War II veteran, presented the flag. 

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ABOVE: The first class of the West Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame was inducted at an awards banquet last month at the Cornerstone at Tonidale. 

Pictured, left to right, Coach Bob Palko of the 2001 State Championship football team that was inducted; Dave Chappell; Ben Karcz, Lauren Shaffer; 

Jim Hamilton; Ray Perko; Mrs. Edward Sarachine; Mrs. Dennis Cornell; and Steve Sarachine. Edward Sarachine and Dennis Cornell were inducted 

posthumously for their contributions to West Allegheny athletics. Proceeds from the affair benefit the P.A.L.S. organization, a North Fayette Township 

Parks and Recreation initiative providing programs and events for special needs residents in the community. 

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In the mid-1900s in this part of Allegheny County, farming and mining were the two main sources of income. At that time, 

the Federal Government provided some food product for families who needed assistance. It was the unofficial start of the 

West Allegheny Food Pantry. 

In the mid-70s the Food Pantry was established with distributions at Valley Presbyterian Church in Imperial. After some 

time, the Pantry moved to what was Hope Lutheran Church (now Resurrection Lutheran) in Hankey Farms, but returned for 

a short time to Valley Presbyterian. Because of the increasing need within the area, residents appealed to North Fayette 

Township for space in what is the North Fayette Community Center on Steubenville Pike. From 1987 to now, the Pantry has 

had bi-monthly distributions. In 2001, the number of families/households utilizing the Pantry were between 50 and 65, 

depending on the time of the year. Currently, it is between 150 to 185, again, depending on the time of year. 

At one point it was decided the Pantry needed a source of income to help purchase product for distribution and operating 

expenses. That was the beginning of the West Allegheny Thrift Store. Currently, the operation of the Thrift Store is 

overseen by Carol Messner and her loyal “army” of volunteers. 

The West Allegheny Food Pantry and Thrift Store are located at 520 Route 30, Imperial and the phone number for both is 

(724) 695-1305. The Thrift Store is a major source of income for the Pantry. It “covers” the rent and utility payments. The 

Thrift Store is open to the general public on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (except on holidays) and offers gently used 

items such as clothing for all ages and all sizes, small household items, books, and a variety of gift items. 

However, costs of purchasing product continues to rise and we are countering the increases somewhat because of continued 

product donations within programs like SCOUTING FOR FOOD and the annual POST OFFICE FOOD COLLECTION 

and from individual and business donations. Below is information as to when donations can be dropped off. And, since the 

Pantry is a service oriented facility, programs like READ IT FORWARD (encouraging kids to 12th grade age to read) and the 

“Notebook of Info” for housing, utilities, and other needs within this area of western Pennsylvania started. There are plans 

for other service oriented programs in the future. Why? Because the Food Pantry and Thrift Store are here to help. 

If you’d like to donate books for the READ IT FORWARD Project, they can be dropped off at the above times. Please mark 

bags “READ IT FORWARD.” Volunteerism is also a donation to consider. Giving of your time and energy and talent is 

important for the continued operation of the Food Pantry and Thrift Store. Keep your eyes (and ears) open for future 

announcements. Monetary donations can be mailed to the above given address. 

A REMINDER: VOLUNTEERS DO ALL OF THE WORK AT THE PANTRY AND THRIFT STORE. NO ONE, INCLUDING 

THE COORDINATORS OF THE PANTRY AND THE THRIFT STORE, ARE PAID IN ANY WAY FOR SERVICES REN- 

DERED. In other words – NEIGHBORS CARING FOR NEIGHBORS. YOU do it so well. 

Geri Hermann 

Coordinator – West Allegheny Food Pantry 

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DHL EMPLOYEES DELIVER “GO GREEN” 

On April 25, Donaldson Elementary School welcomed DHL 

clerical employees June McGarvey and Cheryl Gamble from the 

Pittsburgh (PIT) service center. They provided 150 packets of 

wildflower seeds for the students to plant along the school 

grounds that border a municipal park. 

Additionally, the team provided DHL-branded “goodies” to 

students including DHL language decoders for the teachers to 

use with students learning a foreign language. 

WA ALUMNUS IS GUEST SPEAKER 

ABOVE: Dr. Carson with Akshay Hari. 

Akshay Hari, a West Allegheny alumnus, Class of 2009, was 

invited to address the 229 recipients of the Carson Scholarship 

presented by the Pittsburgh Carson Scholarship Foundation at a 

banquet in April in downtown Pittsburgh. 

A Carson scholar alumnus, Akshay was awarded the Carson 

Scholarship in 2008 and 2009 for his academic achievement in high 

school. The Carson Scholarship Foundation also awarded a 

plaque to West Allegheny High School to honor him as the first 

scholar from the school district. 

He is presently a junior in the Swanson School of Engineering at 

the University of Pittsburgh. 

CORNELL DEDICATES SCOREBOARD TO MADONNA 

A new Cornell School District baseball scoreboard in memory 

of Ryan Madonna was dedicated to him in April. 

Ryan was the Cornell High School Class of 1999 valedictorian, 

a former assistant baseball coach, and a substitute teacher at 

Cornell before he was hired as a math teacher in the West 

Allegheny School District. Ryan died in a tragic accident in 

2007. 

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LEFT: Grandchildren of DHL 

clerical employee Peg Cosnek -- 

Joey and Michael Cosnek -- with 

Donaldson Elementary science 

teacher Bob DeMario. 

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE 

SUBMITTED 

UNDER-8 BOYS’ TEAM SEASON: 23-0 

Brent Dragisich and Tracy Pustover coach an indoor under 8 

boys soccer team named the Superstrikers that performed very 

well this past indoor season. The team record was 23-0. They 

played at Sportrak in Sewickley from October, 2011 until April, 

2012. All of the youths on the team are from the West Allegheny 

School District. 

ABOVE: Back row - Joseph Pustover, Jaxon Ervin, Liam Scheider, Tyler 

Rosborough, Richie Hurey, Trevor Day, and Will Douglas; front row - 

Johnny Dragisich, Mason Day, Parker Brown, Chris Morrison, and 

Keegan Amos. Not available for the photo were Christian Brady and 

Anthony Patitucci. 

OLYMPIC DAY INVOLVED MANY 

It was a day of Olympic proportions when West Allegheny High 

School hosted Olympic Day at the Joe DeMichela Stadium last 

month. 

The annual event brought together special needs student athletes 

from nine area schools. 

West Allegheny students from the cheerleading team, softball, 

football, basketball, track, and other teams lent their time to 

volunteer for this annual event. The West Allegheny High School 

show choir sang the National Anthem and the JROTC presented 

the colors to open the day’s events. 

Joining alumnus Jesse Lakes, right, and senior Justin Schreiber, 

front center, were some of the West Allegheny High School student 

volunteers.

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BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM HOSTED BY IMPERIAL CHURCH 

Church of the Living Christ in Imperial hosted this year’s Baccalaureate services for the 

West Allegheny High School Class of 2012 on May 20. 

Pastor Brian Henry noted that more than 250 people attended to support the service, 

which is held annually to bless the seniors as they begin a new chapter in their lives after 

graduation. The area churches rotate the service each year. 

Afterwards, everyone enjoyed refreshments in the church fellowship hall. Additionally, 

the West Allegheny Ministerium will present a scholarship to a graduating student who 

is pursuing a qualified ministry vocation. 

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This information is provided courtesy of Robinson Chiropractic, (412) 706-7129, www.myrobinsonchiropractic.com 

BY LESLIE BURNS, D.C. 

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To inquire, call (724) 695-3968.

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SUMMER HOURS: 10 a.m. 

No Sunday School

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TOP: On April 18, Fatigati/Nalin Associates enjoyed their 

official ribbon cutting ceremony with chamber ambassadors. 

BOTTOM: Chamber ambassadors joined Sir Speedy 

for their official ribbon cutting ceremony on April 24. 

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PINEWOOD DERBY’S 

NEW TRACK A HIT 

Cub Scout Pack 848 of Oakdale 

had a terrific time in January at 

the annual Pinewood Derby 

Event. The new track sponsored 

by the West Allegheny Foundation 

made the day a huge 

success. The old track was barely 

usable. There were inconsistencies 

in the timing system, and the 

track needed to be jerry-rigged 

every year to get it to be satisfactory. 

Scott Zanella, submaster for 

the pack, stated, “Thanks to the 

West Allegheny Foundation’s 

grant for the new track, the set up 

was so easy and the races went 

off without a hitch.” 

As an activity with their 

parents, the boys turned a block 

of wood into a car of their own 

design to race against the other 

boys’ cars. The event was held at 

PTI. There were 42 racers and 

they ran a total of 84 races.

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Debby Perry was a blogger, a stay-at-home 

mother of three daughters now ages 3, 5, 

and 8, who wanted to write. 

The McDonald area woman soon 

discovered Macaroni Kids, a national online 

e-newsletter with more than 400 publisher 

moms nationwide. 

In recognition of her outstanding work, 

the 36-year-old mom was honored as the 

2012 Publisher Mom of the Year. The honor 

celebrates her efforts to establish a presence 

for Macaroni Kid in the Pittsburgh region. 

She started with Macaroni Kid Robinson 

which covers the airport west region. With 

the help of sisters Kim Inkenhaus of 

Robinson and Chris LaGrosse of North 

Fayette, they have grown the local 

e-newsletter to three more publications -- 

North Hills, Cranberry, and Pittsburgh. The 

newsletters, which are e-mailed to 

subscribers and posted online, share news, events, familybased 

activities, and more from the local neighborhoods. 

According to the Macaroni Kids organization, the Publisher 

Mom of the Year recognizes that individual whose work, 

newsletter, and community focus best reflects the spirit and 

mission of Macaroni Kid. 

“Debby epitomizes all that is great about Macaroni Kid. She 

works tirelessly to deliver enriching weekly content to the 

community. She has built a robust subscriber list, and is a 

tremendous collaborator. And she has used her Macaroni Kid 

platform to enrich her community in so many ways. Publisher 

Moms like Debby are what Macaroni Kid 

is all about,” explains Joyce Shulman, 

Chief Macaroni Mom. 

“When I became Pittsburgh’s first 

Macaroni Kid Publisher Mom, I had no 

idea the blessings that it would bestow 

upon my life. Macaroni Kid has provided 

an outlet for me and a vehicle for my 

partners and I to touch the lives of so 

many in our community. We believe in 

Macaroni Kid’s core value that ‘business 

is personal’ and my partners and I look 

forward to continuing our connection and 

commitment to the community. I am 

thankful every day for the friends, the 

camaraderie, and the vision that Macaroni 

Kid has brought to my life,” Debby 

concludes. 

In recognition of all she gives to her 

family, her community, and Macaroni Kid, 

the company and its Publisher-Mom-of-the-Year sponsor, 

Travaasa Austin (http://travaasa.com), will treat Debby and a 

friend to an incredible six-day retreat. 

“We know that no one works harder than parents, but most 

don’t get the chance to take a break and play,” said Tim 

Thuell, General Manager of Travaasa Austin. “That’s why we 

are thrilled to welcome the Publisher of the Year for a visit to 

our new brand of experiential resorts. We are, at heart, a 

summer camp for grown-ups: where it’s also OK to put your 

feet up and relax.” 

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Scan the QR code, left, with your 

smart phone to visit our Web site 

and read all of our issues on 

line! We also have the contact 

information for all of our current 

advertisers, with hotlinks directly 

to their Web sites. 

More ways we provide value for 

your reading and shopping needs. 

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Parkway West Career and Technology Center students won 

multiple events at the Pennsylvania SkillsUSA competition in 

Hershey. Junior Derek D’Amore and senior Seattle Buhite, both of 

West Allegheny; David Ball, Shelby Gill, and Rachel Zolkiewicz, 

seniors at Montour; and James Latimer, senior at Sto-Rox; all placed 

first in their events on April 19. The students’ professional skills, 

honed and polished in their Parkway programs, were judged on both 

written and performance tests. Derek D’Amore won the Collision 

Repair Technology competition, Seattle Buhite won the Health 

Occupations Portfolio event, and James Latimer, David Ball, Shelby 

Gill, and Rachel Zolkiewicz won the Entrepreneurship team 

competition for the second year in a row. These students are eligible 

to participate in the national championships, held in Kansas City, 

Missouri, in June. 

In all, 19 Parkway students competed. Also placing in the 

competition were Moon Area student Jesse Straffon, who placed 

second in Automotive Refinishing, and Carlynton student Alexandra 

Barnes, who place third in Cosmetology. 

Parkway students earning the opportunity to compete at the state 

level by placing first during regional competitions were: Adam Hosie, 

Alexander Schenken, Elizabeth Revuelta, Rachel Sailor, Elizabeth 

Burke, Marty Davis, Steve Lengyel, Emily McConkey, Trevor Urban, 

Jessica Barton, and Nathan Bateman. 

SkillsUSA is a national nonprofit student organization that serves 

students enrolled in career and technical education programs 

nationwide. 

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Open House is scheduled for Wednesday, June 27, from 

6 to 8 p.m., for students starting classes in July. Tour labs, talk to 

students and instructors, check out on-campus housing. It's not 

too late to apply and start classes this summer. Family and friends 

welcome. To RSVP, visit www.pti.edu/openhouse.

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ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS, ORGANIZATION, PRODUCT, OR SERVICE HERE! Just $115 for a black and white 

business card, or $125 for a business card in color. No contract required. For more information, call (724) 695-3968. 

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BY SIGNS AND WONDERS

COUPONS 

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(18) Centerpieces, 

Rattan Fans, Teal Table 

Overlays, 

Silk Bridal Party Bouquets, 

Paper Lanterns, Large & 

Small 

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NON-PROFIT GROUPS! 

We offer a significant discount off of advertising rates (call for details). 

It’s one way we help you get your message out to the entire community affordably! CALL: 

724.695.3968 or e-mail: �� 

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PERSONAL 

It is rare, a love note from my husband. 

I framed one, and it is on my desk. Not 

such a rare occurance at the Hansford’s. 

Love got them through some difficult 

health issues. Ted always leaves Linda a 

love note somewhere before he goes off to 

work on his Little Debbie delivery route, 

delivering cakes and pastries. 

Ted takes his lunch to work. Every day 

he has a banana, like no other banana. He 

reads his banana, a daily reminder of 

Linda’s love. Yes, she writes Ted banana 

love notes. 

Ted’s sense of humor can be read on his 

Little Debbie truck’s license plate: 

CAKEJOB. He gifted their son with a 

specialty license plate but did not tell him 

about it. Son, Bobby, also drives a Little 

Debbie truck. Weeks later, Bobby’s friend 

commented on the license plate. Bobby 

stopped his truck, got out to look at his 

own new license plate. Dad’s humor was 

attached. It reads: CAKEJOB2. 

“A turtle travels only when it sticks its 

neck out” -- Korean Folk Saying 

Known to his Virginia Hills neighbors as 

Turtle Dave, he walks with his girl, Riley. 

His girl is an African Spur Thigh 

Tortoise. He is David, a landscaper and 

turtle rescuer. 

Rumor has it that David walks Riley on 

a leash. It’s true. A disgruntled former 

neighbor tried to force David to use a 

leash when walking his turtle. After all, he 

had to have his dog on a leash. The 

neighbor took the matter to the Parks 

Board and then to the township and 

became more disgruntled when Riley 

received a leash exemption. 

David’s rescue mission began 11 years 

ago. A friend needed a home for her 

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Happiness is internal, but it shows.... 

tortoise, because she was going off to college 

to become a veterinarian. 

David says, “She was a gift,” a two and a 

half pound gift. Riley is a vegetarian, loves 

bananas, tomatoes and strawberries. Today 

she is about 70 pounds and will get even 

bigger, mostly shell weight. 

She meanders around in the yard after 

David returns home from working with TLC 

Landscaping. 

When she is ready, their walk begins. 

They live at the top of the hill. She leads the 

way down the hill, does not stop at the stop 

sign, makes a right, walks to the grate over 

the road drain where she slowly looks down 

into the drain every evening. Then she is 

ready to head back up the hill. She does 

make slow short detours. David reminds 

her, “I’m keeping an eye on you.” He tells 

her, “The middle of the road, that’s for 

cars.” 

But David is aware, “Riley is 13 now and 

thirteen-year-olds don’t always listen to 

their dads.” 

She has her own room which she shares 

with one turtle. Each room, with the 

exception of David’s bedroom, is home to a 

By 

Erma Dodd 

North Fayette Township 

resident 

turtle or two, a total of eight aquatic 

turtles. Each one a gift or……was David a 

gift to each one? 

David is not sure what the difference is 

between a turtle and a tortoise, but he does 

know “Riley takes offense at ‘turtle.’ She 

knows she is a tortoise.” 

“Turtles can get noisy, especially Mag. 

She rearranges the rocks (furniture) in her 

aquarium often.” David has named some of 

the turtles. Once he gives them a name, he 

will not give them away. Mag is short for 

“Magical.” 

Riley loves the heat. Africa is hot. So she’s 

lovin’ 90 degree weather and loves to walk 

in the heat. She yawns, and burps loudly. 

She clears her throat, “like a truck driver.” 

Winters she will sleep on the register. David 

covers her at night with one of his warmest 

tee shirts and tells her “Good Night.” 

David enjoys “hilly billy” music, but after 

awhile Riley will leave the room. David’s 

home bears a yellow sign, a gift from a park 

employee, that reads “Turtle Crossing.” 

David adds, “We have good neighbors.” 

That includes Colby, the dog next door, 

Riley’s watchdog and friend. Colby’s bark 

changes if Riley strays too far. 

When asked, “Do you love her?” He 

answers, “Not more than my mother, but 

she’s like the love of my life.” 

Lessons learned from Riley,” Patience. I 

thought I did have patience until I met her. I 

have learned to relax, think, take a 

moment,”…. enjoy a simple moment. 

With this publicity, David hopes Riley’s 

newfound fame does not go to her head. 

“She already thinks she is Queen of 

Virginia Hills.”

Jennette Communications Group 

15 Walnut Street, Suite 101 

Imperial, PA 15126-1226 

IN OUR 

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Publishing in the 

Airport Area 

PRSRT STD 

U.S. Postage 

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PITTSBURGH PA 

PERMIT NO. 5605

June 2012 - Allegheny West Magazine

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