Pittsburgh Patrika January 2022

The Pittsburgh Patrika, Vol. 27 No 2, January 2022

Vol. 27, No 2 January 2022

www.pittsburghpatrika.com

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APRIL 12, 2022 • 7:30 PM

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The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora

Vol. 27 No. 2, January 2022

www.pittsburghpatrika.com

4006 Holiday Park Drive, Murrysville, PA 15668

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com

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Highlights in this issue... ... ...

Page

Pittsburgh Airport’s $1.4 Billion New Airport Terminal

By Kollengode S. Venkataraman ......................................2

Dr. Raman Venkataramanan: A Portrait in Humility

By Manjari Kulkarni.................................................... 10

Wall Street to Onesies: Pallavi Golla’s Journey in Enterprise

By Aire Reese .......................................................... 13

Recalling My Own Aquatic Skills Growing Up in

My Village in Gujarat

By Harilal Patel......................................................... 15

Pitt Students Indian Classical Dance Program in February

Raises Funds for A Good Cause

By Stuti Iyer and Roma Usgoankar.................................. 16

Cynically Sublime — The Power of Wealth

By Kollengode S Venkataraman...................................... 18

“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World!”

By Kollengode S Venkataraman ..................................... 20

On the cover: An aerial view of the architect’s rendition of Pittsburgh

International Airport’s terminal after its $1.4 billion, 4-year modernization.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the project was at the construction site

on Thursday, October 14, 2021. Acknowledgments: Gensler + HDR in

association with luis vidal + architects Lead story in this issue. •

3


The Quarterly Magazine (Jan, Apr, Jul, and Oct) for the Indian Diaspora

Vol. 27 No. 2 January 2022

Phone/Fax: (724) 327 0953 e-mail: ThePatrika@aol.com

Pittsburgh Airport Breaks Ground for

$1.4 Billion New Airport Terminal

By Kollengode S Venkataraman

The Pittsburgh International Airport, owned and managed by the Allegheny

County Airport Authority (ACAA), is getting a much-needed

modernization. On Thursday October 14, 2021, ACAA formally broke

ground at the construction site for a new terminal. County Executive Rich

Fitzgerald, the ACAA’s CEO Christina Cassotis,

its chairman David Minnotte, and Pittsburgh’s

Mayor Bill Peduto, among others,

addressed a gathering of over 300 people -- the

region’s elected officials, business and labor

leaders, contractors, and invited guests.

One point in Fitzgerald’s speech was

encouraging: after losing population for the

last six decades, Allegheny County’s population

increased in the 2020 census. It is now

1,250,000, up by 2.2% (or 27,000), compared

Mr. Rich Fitzgerald, County

Executive, Allegheny County,

addressing the gathering.

to the 2010 census. And the county population

is more diverse (24% in 2020 compared

to 18% in 2010), and younger, the features

recognized as catalysts for growth.

The current layout of Land- and Air-side Terminals with 75 gates in

four concourses, and a 0.5 mile-long connecting train, is too unwieldy,

too old (opened in 1992) and too costly for upkeep for the 170-plus daily

flights today. At its peak two decades ago, the airport handled nearly 700

daily flights with 20 million passengers/year passing through its gates.

The new terminal will meet its current and future needs; will reduce

operating costs and carbon footprints; will give better ambience for departing

passengers from check-in, security through boarding; and for arriving

passengers from landing, baggage claim through leaving the airport.

How we ended up with 75 gates in four concourses: In the 1980s,

with US Airways’ hub expanding at the Pittsburgh airport, the number

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of passengers passing through its gates increased rapidly. Most were

transit passengers changing flights to reach

their final destinations. So, the then stateof-the-art

terminal with 75 gates in four

concourses was built in 1992 to meet the

airline’s demands.

Then the 9/11 disaster in 2001 devastated

the airline industry. Meanwhile, US Airways

was expanding its

presence in Philadelphia.

When

Mr. Bill Peduto, Pittsburgh’s

mayor speaks at the event

U S A i r w a y s

closed its PIT

hub (and moved

to Philadelphia),

the volume of passengers at the Pittsburgh

airport plummeted to just over 6 million per

year. Over 15,000 jobs vanished in the region.

This devastated the airport’s operations and the

region’s image, even as we were struggling to

recover from the steel industry’s death here in the 1970s.

6

Ms. Christina Cassotis, CEO.

Allegheny County Airport Authority

at the podium.


Ironically, we learned the same bitter lesson twice: overdependence on

steel devastated the region when the Mighty Steel died in the 1970s,

and over dependence on US Airways (accounting for over 85% of flights

at its peak at PIT) devastated the airport when it closed its hub here.

Besides, before shutting down its hub, the bad faith in which US

Airways had negotiated with our region’s elected officials and airport

officials left deep scars. So, not many at ACAA and among our elected

officials wanted the airport again to become a big hub for another air carrier.

Twice bitten, thrice shy. So, seeking regional taxes to fund airport

modernization was just out of question.

Then came Nature’s boon in the form of Marcellus shale found in abundance

in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and eastern Ohio. The shale

lying between 5000 to 8000 feet underground is a source for natural gas,

a clean energy fuel for domestic & industrial use and electric power generation

— it has the smallest carbon footprint and no solid waste products

such as fly ash, as with coal. Radio talk show hosts boast that natural gas

for Pennsylvania is what is petroleum is for Saudi Arabia.

Over 9000 acres of land around the airport belong to ACAA. The

airport allowed a local gas company to drill 45 gas wells in its land to

generate revenue for the next several decades. With the natural gas running

five generators and 10,000 solar panels already installed, the airport’s

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microgrid generates 20 MW of power while its needs are only 14 MW.

(source: www.tinyurl.com/Microgrid-at-PIT).

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh region slowly has redefined itself in terms of

financial service companies, higher education, innovative technologies

(robotics and AI), as an incubator

for startups, and healthcare industries.

Along the way, the Pittsburgh airport too

grew. From barely 70 daily flights after

the US Airways shut down to over 170

daily flights today; from just over 6 million

passengers/year at its nadir to over

9 million passengers/year now; from just

under 10 air carriers to 17 air carriers at

PIT now with more nonstop flights to

more cities. The airport’s freight handling

too has increased over the years. Mr. David Minnotte Chairman,

Deciding not to seek funds from local Allegheny County Airport Authority at

taxes, ACAA took the plunge to modernize

the airport terminal with its own resources. The work started as early

the podium.

as 2017, but the 2020 Covid pandemic stalled the work.

With the fear of the Covid-19 receding, the 4-year, $1.4 billion

modernization project has started. Its main features as detailed by

Messrs. Fitzgerald, Cassottis, and Minnotte in their speeches are:

1. The project is funded without local taxes. The businesses that use the

airport — the airlines who use the airport (landing fees and gate rentals),

the concession shops at the terminal, and passengers using the facility will

bear the cost. The funds will be raised through bonds issued by ACAA on

its own strength. (Note: For the same reason, if the modernization results

in a resurgence of the airport’s fortunes generating good net incomes year

after year, one wonders whether ACAA will be obligated to fund projects

outside the airport — such as a light rail transit from the airport to the city.

8


Limited edition prints for charity

The Road Less Travelled by Mukesh Prajapati (at age 14)

Friends of Aseema is offering stunning limited-edition

and other prints of original artwork by the children and alumni

of Aseema. All net proceeds go to Aseema to serve its

humanitarian mission.

Friends of Aseema is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit

dedicated to supporting the Aseema Charitable Trust

of Mumbai. For more than 20 years, Aseema has

been providing high-quality, secular, values-based

education and medical care to street and slum

children in Mumbai and remote tribal regions.

See and learn more at

friendsofaseema.org

The official registration and financial information of Friends of Aseema, Inc., may be obtained from

the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999.

Registration does not imply endorsement.

Follow Friends of Aseema on social media

9


Ceremonial ground breaking by VIPs in business suits digging dirt using shiny shovels.

And passengers will see increases in parking fees and charges for food

and drinks at the airport — as in airports in New York, Chicago...)

2. The land-side terminal and the People Mover train will be gone (see

the picture on the cover page), and the air-side terminal will be refurbished

with new check-in counters and a baggage handling facility and passenger

pick-up systems.

3. The modernization is for the region’s current and future travel

needs, and not for making the airport a big hub for another air carrier.

(Bad experience with US Airways and the good olde grandmotherly advice

not to put all your eggs in one basket).

4. The existing concourses will be retained and refurbished, but with

fewer gates with better ambience. More concession stands and shorter

times for passengers to reach departure gates and retrieving baggage on

arrival.

5. A multilevel parking lot walkable from the baggage claim area.

6. State-of-the-art design using natural light, fresh air, attractive ambience,

open space, and for mass transit, taxis and passenger pickup… …

7. Recycling 75% of the demolition debris from the existing structures

(such as concrete slabs) and re-using them for construction.

8. Childcare services during construction on site for the hundreds of

men and women working there. Workplace safety from the get-go.

9. Over 14,000 direct/indirect jobs created by contractors and subcontractors

with taxes in millions of dollars feeding into local governments.

In 2025, we will be in for a grand dedication ceremony for a stunningly

ultramodern reincarnated airport terminal. And also be ready

for higher charges for all services such as parking fees, baggage carts,

and all concessionaires at the airport terminal. •

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11


Dr. Raman Venkataramanan: A Portrait in Humility

By Manjari Kulkarni, Upper St Clair, PA

Manjari Kulkarni was born and raised in Pittsburgh. She practices orthodontics

in the South Hills and lives with her family in Upper St Clair.

Almost daily, the mild-mannered professor of Tamil

origin crossed my path as we began our days at the

University of Pittsburgh’s Salk Hall, the location of the

Pharmacy and Dental Schools. On several occasions, as we

rode the elevator, Dr. Venkat (whom my parents endearingly

call “the Pharmacy Venkat”) shared with me several life lessons,

as he would with his own pharmacy students. Little did I know that this

quiet professor who I would often see smiling behind the lens of a camera

at big parties in social gatherings, is a hero among us.

Dr. Raman Venkataramanan is Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences at

the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. He received his B.Pharm

from the University of Madras and M.Pharm from BITS, Pilani, India; and

Ph.D. from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.

After a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Washington, he

joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1980 as faculty. The adage “Luck

favors the prepared,” applies to Dr. Venkat perfectly. In 1982 he was approached

to work with the world-renowned transplant surgeon, Dr. Thomas

Starzl, to conduct clinical research on anti-rejection drugs for liver transplants.

Cyclosporine was the most researched drug for anti-rejection then,

and the biggest challenge in organ

transplants was solving the problem

of the rejection of the transplanted

organ by the recipient’s body.

Venkat vividly recalls Dr.

Dr. Starzl visiting him in his

office, holding a small bottle of a

chemical he had learned about at a

conference in Japan. He asked Dr.

Venkat if he knew what this bottle

held. Dr. Venkat knew this was a

preliminary chemical studied as a

possible anti-rejection drug for liver

transplants. After this meeting, Dr.

Starzl recruited Dr. Venkat to be a

lead researcher on this product. The

chemical, at that time, was called FK-

12

Dr. Venkat with Dr. Thomas Starzl, the surgeon

who pioneered liver transplants.


900506. Dr. Venkat and his colleagues studied its use in small and large

animal transplant models. Eventually, the chemical, called FK-506, became

known as Tacrolimus, the primary immunosuppressive drug currently

used in liver as well as other transplants. It is one of the few drugs to

get the quickest FDA approval due to the efforts of Dr. Venkat and his

colleagues. This work made Pittsburgh a leader in organ transplants. Dr.

Venkat considers himself blessed that he directly worked with patients to

see how his efforts were helping transplant patients. Along the way, Dr.

Venkat also published nearly 400 research papers.

In October 2021, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

(AAPS) honored Dr Venkat with its prestigious Distinguished Service

Award, appreciating his lifetime

service as a member of AAPS. This

was for him the culmination of a

string of recognition he received

from his peers. Details here: www.

tinyurl.com/VenkataramananPeer-

Recognition

Inspired by his grandparents, Dr.

Venkat chose healthcare as his career

calling. Unable get into medical

13

Dr. Venkat with his wife Padma, who he

acknowledges as the “brainy one.”


They love travel. At Iguazu Falls, Brazil.

college in Tamil Nadu, India despite his

academic excellence, he chose pharmacy

as an alternative. His greatest interest has

been teaching and he is passionate about

sharing what he has learned from his

countless mentors and personal heroes.

Outside of pharmacy teaching and

research, Dr. Venkat teaches Sanskrit

he learned from Shri Rajagopala Iyer in

India (and later getting it refreshed in

Jyotsna Kalavar’s classes here) to kids at

the Chinmaya Mission,

Dr. Venkat, again with humility, describes

his wife Padma as “the brainy

one,” who is always learning and changing to keep herself sharp. He says,

“I never could have had any success without Padma’s support.”

Dr. Venkat, reflecting on turning 70 recently, quotes from Vivekachoodamani

attributed to Adi Sankara, “जन्तूनां नरजन्म दुर्लभम्,” Jantunaam

narajanma durlabham, “Being born as a human among the living is rare.”

And he adds with a smile. “And then, being able to do what we are passionate

about is a bonus.” Who can disagree with that? •

HOW WE

Throughout Middle School,

students venture into the world

of coding, programming and

robotics, using resources like

our 1:1 iPad program, LEGO ®

robotics kits and Tinkercad ®

software to better understand

the languages and designs that

support the latest technology.

INNOVATE

How will you encourage

your child to become

an innovator?

BECAUSE “HOW” MATTERS

PK-12 • Four Campuses

VISIT OPPORTUNITIES

SHADYSIDEACADEMY.ORG/VISIT

14


From Wall Street to Onesies: Pallavi Golla’s

Entrepreneurial Journey

by Aire Reese, Pittsburgh, PA

Pallavi Golla relaxing in her home with her sons

Vyan, Kalyan, and her dog Bodie.

15

When Pallavi Golla had her first son, Vyan, in 2015 she never thought

her own problems as a first-time mother would be the start of a

business venture. Pallavi was

born and raised in the Franklin

Park neighborhood of

Pittsburgh. After graduating

from Sewickley Academy,

she attended NYU Stern

School of Business majoring

in Finance and went on to

work in hedge funds for many

years before attending business

school in California.

After returning to Pittsburgh,

Pallavi and her husband

Mukul Patil started their

family with their first son. She

enjoyed taking Vyan on walks in a stroller but noticed that while she stayed

dry in her activewear leggings and T-shirts, he would get hot and sweaty

in cotton baby clothes. Their time was cut short because he would get heat

rash. At night, traditional sleepwear would make him sweaty and fussy.

Pallavi started to wonder whether the same fabric used in adult activewear

could be used to make better baby clothing. She quickly realized that

technical synthetic fabrics for adults were laced with harmful chemicals

that would not be safe for small children. “There were adult companies

pushing the limits on fabric technology,” says Pallavi. “But for children,

there wasn’t anything new or innovative.”

Today, Golla is the founder of Lark Adventurewear, a premium e-

commerce brand that makes clothes for children, and also for adults

now, from a proprietary and sustainable Softek bamboo knit. The touch &

feel of this fabric is something you must experience personally. It is buttery

soft, temperature-regulating, UPF 50 sun-safe, and made to last.

Every product Pallavi and her team design is laser-focused on the following:

functionality that makes life easier for parents and more comfortable

for kids. And her customers have taken notice.

Since its founding in 2017, Lark Adventurewear has gained a loyal

following on social media with over 60,000 followers and a passionate


customer base extending from size

3-months through adult 3XL. Her company

was featured in Vogue India, Inc

Magazine and Forbes. But Golla is more

interested in what her customers say.

Hearing stories about a child having less

eczema symptoms, a 6-year-old sleeping

better through nights in Lark PJs,

or providing the “best joggers I’ve ever

had” to a tired mother is the feedback

that keeps her working harder.

W

Kids in Lark Adventurewear’s clothes.

hat once started in the spare

bedroom of her home as she packed orders with her two small

children has blossomed into a fast-growing e-commerce business with

a warehouse in Central PA. Lark is on track to triple its year-over-year

sales in 2021.

While the road to success hasn’t been smooth, Pallavi says “I’m

continually learning and trying to make better products for my customers.

The best advice I can give anyone interested in pursuing a business

idea or creating something new is to enjoy trying, failing, growing, and

experimenting to learn what works.” •

16


Recalling My Own Aquatic Skills Growing Up

in My Village in Gujarat

By Harilal Patel, Monroeville, PA

Editor’s note: Mr. Harilal Patel, a long-time and successful entrepreneur in our area, is

also active in the Pittsburgh Gujarati Samaj and the Hindu-Jain Temple. In 1978 he displayed

his aquatic skills at the Three River Regatta by swimming across the Allegheny River from

the North Side to Point State Park.

The story in the last issue on our instincts to

display our skills in front of the public brought

memories of my own younger days. Like Todittalai

Vizhuttandinaar recalling the aquatic skills of his

young days in his 2000-year old Tamil poem, I too

remember my own younger days growing up in Valam,

a large village with a long history, in Mehsana

District, 50 miles north of Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

We had — and still have — a large talaab (lake) approximately 0.7

mile wide when it is full after the monsoon, with water 50 feet

deep at several spots. One side of the lake had four large ghats for people

to bathe. The opposite side was for buffaloes, cows, goats, and camels

for their water needs. Around the talaab, we had a hospital, and rows of

jamun, mango, and tamarind trees. And three temples.

Summertime drew us to the talaab, not just for bathing, but also for

displaying our swimming skills. Competition among us was keen. Holding

our breath

and staying under

water for the

longest period

was a game we

reveled in. The

daring among us

swam to the deepest

spots. Like

the Tamil poet

Vizhuttandinaar,

we would reach the bottom of the talaab and come out with a fistful of

gravel as proof that we had reached the bottom.

During August-September the village celebrated a festival with over 100

skilled swimmers carrying, while swimming, a palki (palanquin) with

the deity (Krishna) across the talaab, with hundreds of villagers admiringly

watching from the banks. The event ended with people carrying the palki

in a procession into the village while chanting Bhajans. •

17


On Saturday February 19, 2022 — By the Students of Pitt

A Competitive Indian Classical Dance Program

Raising Funds for A Good Cause

By Stuthi Iyer and Roma Usgoankar, Dhirana, Pittsburgh

Dhirana is Pittsburgh’s premier competitive Indian classical dance

event, hosted annually by students from the University of Pittsburgh. It

is the only nationally recognized competitive program

featuring Indian classical dance styles such

as Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Odissi.

Every year, eight collegiate Indian classical dance

teams from across the nation are invited to compete

in the Dhirana event. World-renowned judges,

who are dance teachers or practicing artistes (often both) and committed

to preserving the tradition of these ancient art forms, evaluate the teams

on nritta (intricate footwork), mudras (hand gestures), abhinaya (facial

expressions), and other aspects of the dance. Every year, hundreds of

people come and enjoy this spectacular program, immersing themselves

in the ancient Indian story-telling tradition.

After hosting Laasya 2012, Nrityamala, the host team, created Dhirana

with your support and the enthusiastic involvement of students to foster

interest in Indian classical dances and raise funds for a Pittsburgh charity.

All proceeds from ticket and food sales at Dhirana go to the Birmingham

Free Clinic located in the South Side in Pittsburgh.

The Birmingham Free Clinic provides for the uninsured communitybased

collaborative critical medical care with compassion and dignity.

The services offered at

the clinic include cardiology,

free eye care through

Guerrilla Eye Service,

ear nose and throat, dermatology,

pediatrics,

smoking cessation, diabetes,

and gynecology.

The clinic depends on

volunteer teams of physicians,

pharmacists, and

nurses. In a single year,

the clinic provides treatment

to more than 3,000

The winners of the 2020 Trophy — Penn State University. patients, and the number

18


is only increasing,

and they

need all the help

they can get.

During the

C O V I D - 1 9

pandemic, with

increased job

insecurity and

unemployment,

more and more

people depend

Dhirana Board Members at the Birmingham Free Clinic (2020)

on the clinic for

their medical care. Dhirana is pleased to announce that over the past TEN

years, we have donated $105,000 to the Birmingham Free Clinic, which

has funded a 12-lead EKG device for the clinic, covered medication costs

for patients, provided a consistent source of income for the Clinic’s annual

budget, and most importantly, positively impacted the lives of thousands

in the Pittsburgh area.

This year, we are striving to make our show bigger and better than ever.

To put on a show of this magnitude, we depend on your generosity

Fresh whole fish from all over the world

delivered everyday to

Wholey's Market

Please visit us in the Strip

where we will be happy

to assist you.

Or order online at your convenience.

We will hand-select your order with the greatest care.

19

Open seven days a week

1711 Penn Ave.

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

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All the participants at the end of the program (2019).

and support to cover the $16,500 expenses. We have been supported for

the past decade by the Srinivasa Prasad International Foundation for the

Performing Arts (SPIFPA). Please support our efforts by reaching out

to Dhirana’s Sponsorship Chairs, Stuthi Iyer and Roma Usgoankar,

at dhirana.sponsorship@gmail.com, and take a look at our Sponsorship

Packet at shorturl.at/pzMW2.

We hope that you will join us on Saturday February 19th, 2022, at

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Please follow us on Facebook or

stay updated at dhirana.com for ticket sales and updates! •

Cynically Sublime — The Power of Wealth

Almost instinctively, people in all societies at all times throughout history

have pursued wealth, often single-mindedly. We cannot blame them, for

this is how some of the great minds cynically looked at wealth:

• He who has wealth is deemed noble, a scholar, proficient in the

scriptures, discerner of tastes, an eloquent speaker, and attractive

to even look at. All qualities are dependent on wealth.

• Wealth is class, wealth is beauty, wealth is learning, wealth is fame,

What can those deprived of wealth aspire to?

• Good qualities are attained by wealth, not wealth by good qualities.

The wealthy ones are served by the ones with good qualities, not

the other way around.

• The old, the famous, the learned, the skilled, the valorous, the ones

well-versed in the scriptures, poets, noble men, all look at the wealthy

and declare, “May you be victorious. May you live long!”

• The poor are loathed in their own homes. The rich have affectionate

relatives even in the other worlds.

Can you guess who is the author for each of the above? E-mail thepatrika@aol.com

for the answer. — By KSV •

20


During Vijayadasami (the 10th and the concluding day of the Navaratri

in October 2021), the Pittsburgh Chinmaya Mission organized the traditional

aksharabhyasam, initiating the 4 to 6 year-olds to their long journey

— 20 or more years — in studies and education. Pandit Dharmateja

Nagalingam at the Mission is helping parents with children on their laps

to write Om Vaagdevyai namah or Om Namasshivaya or Om Narayanaya

on slates using chalk pieces while reciting Sanskrit hymns. •

Typical Aksharabhyasam ceremony

at the famous Mookambika

Temple where the presiding

Devi is worshipped as Saraswati,

Lakshmi and Parashakti. The

temple is situated close to Mangaluru

in Karnataka, India. Here

parents or family elders initiate

their kids to writing on rice paddy

spread on brass plates using turmeric

root as pencils. A detailed

article here:

www.tinyurl.com/aksharabhyasam-MookambikeTmpl

•

21


“It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World!”

On November 6, Air Arabia Maroc’s flight 3O437 from Casablanca,

Morocco (departure 5:00 PM local time), was headed to Istanbul, Turkey,

a 4½ hour flight. Over one hour into the flight, the plane declared a medical

emergency and was diverted to land on the island of Palma belonging

to Spain because a passenger was asking for medical assistance.

On landing at Palma de Mallorca, the Spanish police said the patient

appeared to be in a diabetic coma and was rushed to the local hospital with

Palma de

Mallorca

Istanbul

Casablanca

his companion. The Moroccan air traveler, it appears, feigned the medical

emergency to divert the flight, ostensibly to enter Europe, because, at the

hospital, doctors found the man to be in normal health. Besides, the police

said, the person accompanying the patient fled as soon as they arrived at

the hospital. Meanwhile, as the plane was parked on the tarmac, after some

time, twenty-one passengers jumped out of the plane trying to flee the

airport. Twelve of them, who spoke French, were arrested, and the others

escaped. The supposedly “sick” man was later arrested for “helping with

illegal immigration and violating Spanish immigration laws.” All except

one among the 20-plus people in this episode were Moroccans.

Police suspect this was a novel and “unprecedented” way for people

wanting to enter Europe illegally. They are investigating whether “the

whole episode was an orchestrated event or an isolated freak incident.”

The investigation is continuing.

A Spanish law enforcement official said, “Those who fled will be

prosecuted for non-compliance with aviation safety rules and illegal entry

into Spanish territory, and will be deported to their country of origin.”

None of them applied for political asylum. — By K S Venkataraman

Details here: www.tinyurl.com/Ppl-Flee-MedEmrgncy. •

22


SEWICKLEY ACADEMY

FOR WHO YOU ARE.

FOR WHO YOU WILL BECOME.

WHO WILL

THEY BECOME?

As students navigate their way through

each grade, we seek to instill confidence,

promote creativity, and provide the

encouragement they need to

defy expectations.

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

23

Pre-K – Grade 12 • 315 Academy Avenue, Sewickley, PA 15143 • 412-741-2230 • sewickley.org


• 4½-hour Open Bar with 2 Specialty Non-alcoholic

Drinks

• Champagne or Sparkling Cider Toast

• Fresh Floral Centerpiece

• Chiavari Chair, Floor-length Linens and Napkins

in Your Choice of Color

• Custom Wedding Cake

• Fresh Fruit Display & Coffee Station

• Complimentary Parking for All Guests on the

Night of the event

• Complimentary Bridal Suites on the Night of the

Event

• Kitchen Use, China, Silver, Glassware, & Servers

For more information or setting up an appointment, contact

us at 724.889.6035 or 24 email kaela.krise@hyatt.com

Pittsburgh Patrika January 2022

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