SUMMER 2024 UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Summer 2024 Guides

Summer Activities

Home & Garden

Community Day ’24

Panthers in Paradise

twpusc.org/usctoday

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

The Howard Hanna Upper St. Clair Office is

ready to help with all of your real estate needs!

180 Fort Couch Rd, Upper St. Clair, Pa 15241 - 412-833-3600

Robbins Bobbitt

Associate Broker

Bonnie Bagay

Del Burrell

Jim Clark

Kerrie Constantini

Lauren Ganoe

Janet Hensler

Diane Horvath

Frankie Kunselman

Chris Longenecker

Marie Mageras

Kathy McCloskey

Renee Ringer

Shannon Rosenberry

Jen Schalk

Beth Thomas

Suzy Voss

Jane York

Jody Yurcich

Izzy Zehner

David Limauro, M.D. • Mark Cedar, D.O. • Nicholas Bellicini, D.O. • Xuong Lu, M.D. • Jungmin Leo Lee, M.D. • Lisa Oliva, D.O. • Theresa Schuerle, D.O. • Bridger Clarke, M.D.

SOUTH HILLS ENDOSCOPY CENTER

Located at 2589 Boyce Plaza Road in Upper St. Clair

IS A STATE-OF-THE-ART FULL CARE ENDOSCOPY FACILITY PROVIDING BOTH

COLONOSCOPY AND UPPER ENDOSCOPY SCREENINGS AND SERVICES

South Hills Endoscopy Center is an independently owned and operated endoscopy center,

which may lower your out of pocket health care costs.

“Screening for colorectal cancer can save your life.”

You are eligible for a screening colonoscopy at age 45.

Check with your insurance to confirm coverage.

• We treat acid reflux, heartburn, ulcers, diarrhea, liver & pancreas disease, fecal

incontinence, change in bowel habits and hemorrhoids

• Physicians on staff at St. Clair Hospital and UPMC Mercy Hospital

• “Compassionate, personalized Anesthesia Care”

Most insurance carriers accepted

Call today 412.232.8104

2589 Boyce Plaza Road

Upper St. Clair, PA 15241

412-838-0400

2589 Boyce Plaza Road


412-838-0400 412-232-8104

100 Stoops Drive, Suite 280

Monongahela, PA 15063

724-565-5164

Summer 2024 • Volume 30 • Issue 2

twpusc.org/usctoday • usctoday@usctoday.org

22 Community Day 2024

Features &

Around the

Township

8 Stars and Stripes Forever

9 Bonefish Bonding

12 The Rest of the Story

72 Community Foundation of

Upper St. Clair

School District

51 Cake4Kids

56 A Decade of Innovation

57 STEAM/STEM News

60 Pawprints

Guides/Directories

50 Financial Reality Fair

64 Sweet Hearts

Township

25 Trash and Recycling Info

28 Get Outdoors! A List of USC’s

Parks

35 USC Needs Your Input

36 Summer Fire Safety Tips

19 Pinebridge Commons

42 Summer Activities

65 Home & Garden

78 Clubs and Organizations

79 Serving USC

Photo Ops

32 United Senior Citizens

55 “Newsies”

76 Egg Hunt

The summer cover of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

highlights the Township’s Community Day

celebration. To learn about what is planned for

Community Day 2024, see pages 22–24.

Cover photos courtesy of AnneMarie Kopach

and Alex Pepke.

69 USCTDP Celebrates 40th Anniversary

You can purchase a TODAY cover!

Contact usctoday@usctoday.org for

specifications and rates.

2 UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY Summer 2024

We are honored to have our outstanding physicians recognized as

TOP DOCTORS 2024

Rami M. Ausi, MD

Tatyana P. Barsouk, MD

Stephen G. Basheda, DO

Bridget K. Beier, DO

Nicholas A. Bellicini, DO

Kevin P. Bordeau, MD

Stephanie S. Brown, MD

Raye J. Budway, MD

Daniel E. Buerger, MD

Camille M. Buonocore, MD

David J. Burkey, MD

David B. Catalane, MD

Mark A. Cedar, DO

Frank A. Civitarese, DO

Louis A. Civitarese, DO

Lori L. Cherup, MD

Robert J. Chiu, MD

Bridger Clarke, MD

M. Sabina Daroski, MD

Wayne A. Evron, MD

Mario J. Fatigati, MD

Elizabeth J. Froelich, MD

John P. Girod, DO

Amy A. Gosling, MD

Peter M. Grondziowski, MD

Maxim Hammer, MD

Michelle Harvison, MD

David J. Helfrich, MD

Scott A. Holekamp, MD

Andy C. Kiser, MD

Deborah A. Lenart, MD

David L. Limauro, MD

Jeffrey C. Liu, MD

Xuong Lu, MD

Jay A. Lutins, MD

James H. MacDougall, MD

Douglas H. MacKay, MD

Richard H. Maley, MD

Ashith Mally, MD

Christopher M. Manning, MD

Leo R. McCafferty, MD

Robert E. McMichael, DO

Leigh H. Nadler, MD

Lisa A. Oliva, DO

Amelia A. Pare, MD

Jeffrey A. Perri, MD

Brett C. Perricelli, MD

Kristen Peske, DO

Matthew G. Pesacreta, MD

Christopher Pray, MD

Raman S. Purighalla, MD

Robert C. Rankin, MD

Patrick G. Reilly, MD

Christie G. Regula, MD

Vincent E. Reyes, MD

Antonio M. Riccelli, MD

Edward J. Ruane, MD

Theresa Schuerle, DO

Robert N. Shogry, MD

Arthur P. Signorella, MD

Felicia E. Snead, MD

Michael J. Speca, DO

Arthur D. Thomas, MD

Nestor D. Tomycz, MD

Amy B. Turner, DO

Samuel Urick, DO

Justin J. Vujevich, MD

Jason G. Whalen, MD

Paul M. Willis, MD

Ryan W. Zuzek, MD

stclair.org

Publishers

Matthew R. Serakowski, Township Manager

Dr. John T. Rozzo, Superintendent of Schools

The award-winning, official publication of the

School District and Township of Upper St. Clair

Fall 2024 edition includes

Educational Resources and

Health & Wellness guides.

Deadlines:

Articles – June 20

Advertising – June 24

Website: twpusc.org/usctoday

Email: usctoday@usctoday.org

@usctoday

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a not-for-profit

community magazine dedicated to promoting

the Township and School District of

Upper St. Clair by recognizing the gifts

and contributions of the people who live

and work here. This year marks 30 years

of our publication.

The 118th issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR

TODAY magazine is made possible through

the combined resources of the staff and volunteers

of the Township and School District

of Upper St. Clair. Thanks are extended to

the staff and volunteers for their enthusiasm

and efforts on this continuing project.

Steering Committee

Mark S. Mansfield, Assistant Township Manager

Paul K. Fox, School District Representative

Editors and Staff

Terry Kish, Editor-in-Chief

Alex Pepke, Township Associate Editor

AnneMarie Kopach, School District

Associate Editor

Sarah Beitler, Office Manager,

Marketing & Advertising Executive

Colleen DeMarco, Advertising Executive

Kerry Turner, Advertising Executive

Dorothy Clark, Graphic Designer

Student Interns

Caleb Guarino

Miriam Gutensohn

Mark Mansfield Paul Fox Terry Kish Alex Pepke AnneMarie Kopach Sarah Beitler Colleen DeMarco Kerry Turner Dorothy Clark

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a non-partisan

Township, School District and community

magazine. Political advertising and political

commentary are not accepted. The publishers

of this magazine reserve the right to reject

advertising or articles inconsistent with the

objectives, image and aesthetic standards of

the magazine.

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is published and

mailed quarterly to residents and businesses in

Upper St. Clair Township. Extra copies of the

magazine are available at the Township of

Upper St. Clair Municipal Building and

Township Library. If you did not receive a copy

in the mail, call 412-851-2851.

Subscription Information

If you know someone living outside the

Township who would enjoy receiving our community’s

official magazine, please send a $12

check payable to UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY,

to cover mailing and handling for the next four

issues, with their name and address, including

zip code, to UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, 1820

McLaughlin Run Road, USC, PA 15241. Add

$10 to cover international mailing.

The next issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY will

be the fall 2024 issue and will be published in August

2024. Articles that were submitted but not published

in this issue are on file for consideration in upcoming

issues.

Articles and announcements may be sent to:

Editor

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

1820 McLaughlin Run Road


or email UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY at

usctoday@usctoday.org

Article Information

Editor-in-Chief Terry Kish

phone: 412-286-1214

Advertising Information

Office Manager Sarah Beitler

phone: 412-286-1363

fax: 412-851-2592

Ad file submission: dclark@usctoday.org

Board of School Directors

Township Board of Commissioners

Jennifer A. Schnore, President

Daniel R. Paoly, President, At Large

Dr. Danielle Wetzel, Vice President Dante R. Plutko, Jr., Vice President, Ward 1

Barbara L. Bolas Pamela L. Enck, Ward 2

Dr. Daphna Gans Jason H. Graves, Ward 3

Kelly P. Hanna Todd D. Burlingame, Ward 4

Justin Lamber Ronald J. Pardini, Ward 5

Michael R. Mascaro

Richard I. Thomas, At Large

Angela B. Petersen

Hallie H. Snyder

Thank you to our volunteer contributors this issue:

Firas Abdelahad, Judge Ronald Arnoni, John Barsotti,

Mary Birks, Jim Bolas, Mia Moran-Cooper, Kristen

Culp, Carolyn Jones Friedrich, Emily Humes, Mike

Isbir, Chris Gmiter, Caleb Guarino (intern & YWG),

Miriam Gutensohn (intern & YWG), Ted Hale,

Cassandra Hrvatin, Lauren Iannacchione, Jay Lynch,

Geoff and Christine McQueen, Rep. Natalie Mihalek,

Rep. Dan Miller, Charissa Moses, Jim Render, Haley

Roberts, Joyce Soung, Mary Lynne Spazok, Tina Vojtko

and Tom Yochum.

Young Writers Guild (YWG) promotes and encourages

young writers in the Upper St. Clair School District,

grades 8–12, to provide articles and artwork of

interest for our community magazine. Email

usctoday@usctoday.org to find out how your student

can contribute.

The 118th issue of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY is a

joint publication of the Township and School

District of Upper St. Clair.

Reproduction of this magazine, in print or web

version, in whole or in part, without the expressed

written consent of the Editor, is strictly prohibited.

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY



Phone: 412-851-2851

Fax: 412-851-2592

Email: usctoday@usctoday.org

Township : 412-831-9000

School District: 412-833-1600

Printed by Freeport Press

2127 Reiser Ave. SE, New Philadelphia, OH 44663

Design by DMC Design, 412-824-7844

Copyright © 1994–2024. All rights reserved.


A Million Reasons

to Make the Move

Friendship Village of South Hills is devoted to

building you a brighter future, which is why

we’re investing millions of dollars to introduce

exciting new apartment designs while revamping

our community spaces and health center. Our

renovations offer endless opportunities to learn,

grow, and enjoy a maintenance-free lifestyle

bursting with excitement, as well as an unparalleled

caliber of future care, should you ever need it.

Call 724.686.1102 or visit

friendshipvillagepa.com to be

among the first to see our progress.

Rendering of our upcoming

Atrium renovation.

1290 Boyce Road | Upper St. Clair, PA 15241

AL ID #450770 | SNF ID #320102

Summer 2024 UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY 5

A Summer Note From the Publishers

Matthew R. Serakowski

Dr. John T. Rozzo

USC TODAY is ready to welcome summer! Included in this issue is the line-up for

the 2024 Community Day celebration, scheduled for Saturday, May 18. For many, this

annual get-together marks the unofficial start of summer; so, plan to stop by and enjoy

a day with friends and neighbors.

With the return of longer days and warmer weather, it’s time to get outdoors and

enjoy Upper St. Clair’s wonderful parks. Turn to page 28 for the complete list and make

it a point to visit at least one this year. Also found in the Township section of this issue

are articles about the many programs offered at both the Library and C&RC, as well

as tips from the Volunteer Fire Department on ways to stay safe while enjoying your

outdoor activities.

Upper St. Clair students learned how expensive life can be at a Financial Reality

Fair earlier this year. See page 50 to find out more about their experience. In addition

to numerous articles about student accomplishments, the School District section also

includes the PTC Arts in USC winners and a photo collage from the high school musical.

TODAY’s talented volunteer writers continue to provide entertaining and informative

articles, with topics in this issue ranging from facts about the American flag, to the

growth of Nike and the development of the Nike-air products, to the going rates for

the Tooth Fairy. Flip to page eight to start reading!

Did you know that the Community & Recreation Center has been in operation for

15 years (page 33), that the Upper St. Clair Tennis Development Program (USCTDP)

recently celebrated its 40th anniversary (page 69) and 50 years ago, a group of local artists

founded the Upper St. Clair League for the Arts (page 75)? TODAY offers congratulations

to these groups as they celebrate serving our community in so many different ways.

Speaking of anniversaries, TODAY staff members, with the assistance of Miss

Colleen and the library staff, will be hosting a party on Wednesday, June 5 at 5 p.m. to

mark the magazine’s 30th anniversary! Turn to page 37 for details — and stop by and

join in the fun!

Take advantage of this wonderful season. We’ll see you in the fall.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

Matthew R. Serakowski

Township Manager

Dr. John T. Rozzo

Superintendent of Schools

twpusc.org/usctoday | usctoday@usctoday.org


Dr. Manjari Kulkarni

Orthodontist

Located in the heart of the South Hills!

Specializing in customized care for

the whole family!

Call or text us today to set up your consultation!

Remember the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all

children see an orthodontist by age 7!

Get ready to travel

Howard Hanna

Upper St. Clair Office

Cell 412-327-2194

Office 412-833-3600

Email amandanasman@howardhanna.com

www.amandanasman.howardhanna.com

Calabro Tire &

Auto Service

(412) 221-4300

www.calabrotire.com

1476 Bower Hill Rd.

Start your trip with a maintenance check

Tires | Oil | Inspection | Brakes | Alignment

All maintenance and repair services

Family Owned Since 1941

Hours of Operation: Mon–Fri 8:00am–5:00pm; Sat 8am–noon


Stars and

Stripes

Forever

Mary Lynne Spazok

A symbol of liberty, justice, national purpose and love of

country: the American flag signifies the power and glory of our

nation. The greatest example of united patriotism: Sept. 11, 2001.

Despite tragedy and despair, American loyalty generated an intense

wave of steadfast solidarity. Anything in red, white and blue was

heavily sought. But, 23 years later, has the spirit of patriotic pageantry

faded?

Honored in homes and businesses from sea to shining sea, flag

history chronicles America. The colors are symbolic; red symbolizes

hardiness and valor, white symbolizes purity and innocence

and blue represents vigilance, perseverance and justice. In 1787,

the American ship Columbia Rediviva proudly flew the flag while

circumnavigating the globe. Explorer Robert Peary sited a flag at the

North Pole in 1909. The World War II Pulitzer Prize-winning photo

of six Marines raising the U.S. flag over the Japanese island of Iwo

Jima on Feb. 23, 1945, is legendary. And who can forget the 1969

flag planting where no human had gone before during the Apollo 11

mission to the moon? This iconic emblem has endured war and

heartache, as well as great joy and triumph.

From festive parades to fireworks and fanfare, decorative stars

and stripes infuse energy into any decor. No outdoor flag pole?

Consider a small garden flag. Options include wreaths, banners,

bunting and “swoopers” that wave and flutter in the wind. For

youngsters, painting a reclaimed wood pallet awards kids a sense

of confidence and pride. With Memorial Day, Flag Day and July 4th

just around the corner, shop the dollar store early. Children will

delight in choosing one or more creative activities meant for wearing,

sharing or displaying. Buying

a new flag? Embroidered or screen

print dyed, consider 100% USA

home grown, home sewn!

True or false? A flag with fewer

than 50 stars should not be flown.

False. Any American flag that

was officially documented during

its era is deemed active. World


history propels the pursuit of unique

memorabilia. Interest in political

symbols or inheriting an antique

flag poses a fascinating journey. Anthology

blends artistic design, along

with the documentation of the birth

and growth of a nation. Acquisition

requires in-depth research, verification

of authenticity, fabric stability

and conservation. Very old or rare

American flags have most likely

succumbed to the rigors of time, requiring the preservation of its

incorporated materials, like fringe, embroidery and fabric. If restoration

is necessary, a textile conservationist is paramount. Acquisitions

can be pricey, but flags and banners are thought-provoking artifacts

that reflect our country’s pivotal moments.

Are you aware that The Americanism Commission of the

American Legion declares that it is acceptable to wear clothing that

has an image of the American flag? For example, the iconic Polo

Ralph Lauren American Flag Sweater, made in the USA, embodies

RL’s long-standing love of all-American style. Known for luxury

designs, Lauren, born in the Bronx, has never forgotten his humble

beginnings. His loyal reverence includes a $13 million endowment

to the Smithsonian Museum for ongoing conservation of the

original Star-Spangled Banner. That banner under The Flag Act

of 1777 unified our young country with 13 stars (states) and 13

stripes (colonies). In 1989, the original version of the now classic

emblem sweater featured RL initials instead of stars. According to

the American Legion Flag Code, you are not breaking the law by

wearing clothing bearing a flag design: “People are simply expressing

their patriotism and love of country by wearing an article of clothing

that happens to be red, white and blue with stars and stripes. There

is nothing illegal about the wearing or use of these items.” Celebrate

with appropriate attire or flag-themed jewelry. Myth dispelled, but

any intentional disrespect or desecration of an authentic American

flag is a breach of etiquette.

In 1987, “The Stars and Stripes Forever” by John Phillip Sousa,

was declared the National March of the U.S. A master at stirring

patriotic feelings, George M. Cohan’s Star-Spangled Salute to Music

featured a rousing orchestration of the Sousa march that electrified

audiences to a standing ovation. There are so many ways to honor

those who sacrificed to preserve liberty since Revolutionary times.

Whether flying “Old Glory” or showcasing a whimsical display, may

the flag of the United

States of America fly

high evermore.

Last but not least,

“Never forget the power

of the American spirit.”

(George M. Cohan,

American entertainer,

playwright and

Congressional Gold

Medal awardee.) n

Flags may be flown until tattered, torn, faded or unserviceable. Established

locally in 2009, the “Retire Old Glory” initiative is a way for residents to

retire their worn American flag properly by depositing at the collection bin

at the USC Community & Recreation Center.

Learn more at vfw.org/community/flag-etiquette.

Jay Lynch

When I was one of the baby boom

kids growing up in USC’s Washington

Terrace, it seemed that every parent, priest

and teacher knew each other and were

united in a benevolent conspiracy to both

support us and keep us “in line.” Boys in

our neighborhood knew that if one of us

was caught doing something wrong, news

of the bad deed would spread like wildfire

through the older generation’s grapevine.

If one of us was caught swearing in the

afternoon, we’d all be sucking on bars

of soap before nightfall. During confession

at St. Thomas More Church, Father

Lonnigan’s first response to a transgression

was always, “Alone or with others?”

Our parents’ generation was clearly

in charge, but we learned to prevent the

wrath of authority — and protect our

freedom — by sticking together. Our most

effective tool was covering for each other.

When my buddy shattered his mother’s

favorite vase while demonstrating a head

stand in their living room, I told her that

their dog whacked it off the coffee table

with his tail. (She eventually got wise to

the “Smokey did it” defense.)

As we aged, our generational bonding

increased beyond the neighborhood,

thanks to the social media of the day —

black and white TVs, transistor radios and

vinyl records. Watching “Laugh In,” “The

Smothers Brothers” and “Mod Squad”

showed us that fellow teens across the

nation shared our tastes in music, dress

and hairstyle. As a result, no introduction

was necessary when we met a bellbottomwearing

fellow boomer. A smile and a

peace sign ensured instant

friendship.

Fast forward to

today, and our retirement-age

generation

still sticks together.

So, it should

have come as no

surprise when a

fellow boomer

bailed me out of

an embarrassing

situation in a

local restaurant

parking lot.

Waiting for the return of the seat scout

My wife and I frequently have dinner

at the Bonefish Grill bar, where service

is quick and adult beverages are handy.

Reservations aren’t available for bar seats,

so our strategy is to have my wife, Katie,

drive us to the entrance and wait while I

run inside to check availability. However,

our last visit included an unusual twist.

When I was in the restaurant, scoping for

bar seats, Katie had to move from the curb

to make room for a handicapped guest. She

decided to slowly circle the property and

return to the entrance.

Meanwhile, I discovered that no seats

were available and walked outside, ready

to hop back into the car and head to another

dinner spot. But our white Lexus

SUV wasn’t at the curb; it was in a nearby

parking place, idling, with the lights on. I

thought it was odd that Katie had decided

to park the car, but I took it in stride. I

walked to the car, opened the passenger

door, climbed inside and mumbled, “We

need to go elsewhere,” as I struggled with

the suddenly ill-fitting seat belt.

To my surprise, a male voice said, “Hi,

there.”

I was face-to-face with a man my age

in the driver’s seat. I was astonished. A

number of thoughts ran through my mind.

What happened to Katie? Is the old fellow a

carjacker? If so, why would he have parked

her car? I didn’t have pepper spray, and I

knew that a low impact fist fight between

old men would look pitiful when the police

arrived. But, since he was a fellow boomer,

I thought I might be able to calmly talk him

out of our car.

Our initial exchange might win an

award from Captain Obvious. I said,

“You’re not my wife!” and he replied,

“You’re not my wife, either!”

We stared at each other for a few seconds

while we both gathered our thoughts.

I asked, “Why are you in our car?” and

he said, “Why are you in our car?”

The lightbulb went on in my head,

and I said, “I’ll bet we both own a white

Lexus SUV!”

He responded, “I think you’re right. I

was about to give you my best punch in

the gut, but arthritis makes my punches

feel like mosquito bites.”

His humor made the conversation more

relaxed, and I asked, “Why are you parked

here with the car running?” He said, “I’m

waiting for my wife. She’s looking for seats

at the bar.”

I replied, “Small world, that’s what I’m

doing. My wife is waiting for me, so I better

go. Sorry about invading your privacy.” His

response confirmed that fellow boomers

had bonded. He said, “Peace, brother.”

As I turned to leave, his wife opened

the car door. When she asked him why I

was in her seat, he said, “He’s a buddy from

way back in the 60s. We had a nice chat.”

It wasn’t quite a “Smokey did it” excuse,

but it sure was effective. I apologized to

his wife and headed to the “other” white

SUV at the entrance curb. I climbed into

the car and reported that there were no

seats at the bar.

As we drove off to another restaurant,

Katie asked, “See anyone you know?”

I replied, “Sure did. An old friend. He

has a car just like ours!”

Wisely disinterested, she said, “That’s

nice,” and drove on.

I’ll bet this kind of mistake happens all

the time in retirement communities, where

couples drive golf carts everywhere. If

boomer husbands get into the wrong cart,

neither couple likely notices for hours or

even days. Both spouses likely think they’re

getting an upgrade. n


The Great Gapsby

Tom Yochum

My eldest daughter is in kindergarten.

She’s had a wonderful year and appears to be

hitting most academic and social milestones

alongside her peers. As one of the younger kids

in her class, however, she’s lagging in one key area: tooth loss. Not

the unfortunate variety that affords periodontists second homes in

Hilton Head, but the exciting kind that’s accompanied by fanfare

and financial reward. And, while it is striking how many health

and lifestyle issues are currently shared by my children and parents,

that is fodder for a future article. My daughter’s concerns,

however, are imminent: her stubbornly solid baby teeth have

become a source of constant consternation.

Frannie’s dinner table recall is often vague on the drudgery

and minutiae of such unimportant daily details as what she ate,

something she learned or anything she did over the course of eight

hours. “I don’t remember, Daaaaad!” And, yet, she could easily

rattle off a current tooth count for any of her classmates. Names,

dates and Social Security numbers of kids who have new holes

in their smiles are seared into her memory. We often can’t get a

single syllable regarding the latest “Letter of the Week,” but we’re

treated to the Gappysburg Address on evenings when someone’s

lost a tooth at school. If they used dental plates to teach “new”

math, she’d be enrolled in calculus next year.

Much to her chagrin, however, one number she is intimately

familiar with is zero. The exact number of times the Tooth Fairy

has paid us a visit. Paid being the operative word, of course. From

her detailed classroom reports and in talking to our friends, the

Tooth Fairy has done its part in keeping pace with inflation. Five,

10 and 20 dollar bills left behind for measly bicuspids! In the days

of yore (the early ‘90s), my siblings and I had a palm-sized pillow

with a small pocket to hold a missing tooth, which we’d dutifully

tuck under our own pillow on those fateful nights. We’d awaken

to find our beautiful, slightly bloodied molars replaced with some

combination of change. It never occurred to the tooth-pillow

design team (and certainly not my parents) that the fang-sized

pocket would need to be large enough to accommodate bills. Even

with larger pockets, though, this miniature relic would likely be

relegated to the past. Now six-year-olds can simply rise to the

gentle ping of a Venmo notification,

alerting them to a small fortune that’s

been deposited overnight.

In this context, Frannie’s obsession

makes much more sense. She’s concerned

about keeping pace financially,

not biologically. Her friends look a pintsize

gang of hockey enforcers, but their

piggy banks are overflowing. When I

heard the going rates, I have to admit

that even I considered gnawing on a few

Milk Duds to cover the mortgage. Alas,

in parenthood you find yourself on the

other side of the tooth pillow. And that

realization had me terrified and grinding

my teeth during sleepless nights.

My wife and I had a whole new reason

Less spending ...

to want to keep our kids young…and wearing mouth guards!

A household ban on taffy and contact sports would only

delay the inevitable, however.

With two young kids,

we were looking at 40

lump-sum payouts over

next few years. How to

prepare? I met with our

financial advisor who said

he’d look into a teacher

discount program. In the

meantime, he suggested

a few early withdrawal

options on my 401k. My

wife helpfully imagined a

No gaps yet!

profitable future in which

the Hair Fairy visited me each night to compensate us for my

thinning scalp. Maybe I would repurpose the old tooth pillow.

I could probably stuff six or seven follicles in there every night.

Searching for answers, and loose change in the couch, a solution

hit me like a famed bolt of lightning. Perusing my daughter’s

schoolwork, I spotted some papers about the Founding Fathers. I

took special interest in a childhood favorite, Benjamin Franklin.

And there, among some of his wisest aphorisms, was the key to my

kite-sized financial worries: “A penny saved is a penny earned.”

That was it! We didn’t have to sell the house, or our plasma! We

just needed to tighten the old belt. Cancel Spring Break. Tell the

kids Disney was closed, indefinitely. The Yochums were prepping

for the Summer of Austerity!

The girls were already enrolled in spring sports and summer

camps had been paid for, but we’d cut back on the extras. All the

frivolous expenditures, like leaving the house, that really add up

when you have young kids. This would be good for them and our

bottom line. Plenty of American luminaries were shaped by the

Great Depression. And what local grandparent didn’t have a gumband

drawer or save tinfoil to reuse later? Besides, this was one

season on a shoestring budget, not a decade of boiling shoelaces.

I began to note our weekly outings (i.e., extravagances!)

and decided we’d try less expensive alternatives. I’ve outlined

a few of my attempts below, in a format that parents of a certain

age can appreciate. You might recall such lists,

staples of turn-of-the-century pop-culture magazines,

wherein fashions and trends were divided into stark

camps: In or Out, Hot or Not. As we’ve graduated from

People to Parenting, my homage is a rundown that

... means more saving!


Working to keep those teeth for as long as possible

provides you with two clear options for upcoming family activities:

Steep or Cheap!

Steep: In early spring, we’d planned to spend an idle Saturday

with the girls at an indoor trampoline park. Many such places

have sprouted up recently in Pittsburgh, offering a weather-proof

experience that will leave kids absolutely exhausted by the ride

home. Yet the promise of early bedtimes comes with a cost. For

an average family to buy a few 90-minutes passes, including new

jump socks to replace the ones you purchased last time but forgot,

you’re barely through the door before the price tag is bouncing

near $100. Add in some arcade games and a visit to the snack bar

to round out your afternoon. The kids will sleep well that night,

but you won’t because the creditors keep calling.

Cheap: At first, the girls were excited when I said we’d be making

our own trampoline park at home. It had been a rain-soaked

week and the ground was particularly spongy. We splashed around

for a bit and then I got out some of those lawn aeration tools with

handles and the kids were practically on pogo sticks. They howled,

with what I imagine was delight, when I told them they’d get the

full 90 minutes, just like Sky Zone. Before our time was even up,

the girls were exhausted…and nearly three quarters of the yard

was set for reseeding. Instead of the arcade, we whacked actual

moles in the backyard and the snack bar was replaced by turns

drinking from the hose. Who said frugality isn’t fun? Total: $0.

Steep: The following weekend, the girls wanted to see the

new Pixar movie at the Galleria. Even accounting for the military

rucksack of illicit foodstuffs we’d normally sneak into the theater,

a night at the movies is no longer an inexpensive endeavor. The

shrewd tycoons at AMC know their audience and you’re now made

to purchase tickets directly in front of the Wonka-laden display

cases. Risking their vulnerable chompers near the Raisinets and

Swedish Fish was too much of a temptation. Besides, we can watch

almost anything at home on one of our half-dozen streaming services.

I’m so glad we decided to save money by canceling cable!

Cheap: Candy and credit cards were verboten, but the girls

still wanted to go to the Galleria to “play.” This consisted of

myriad trips up and down the elevator and escalators; sitting in

the massage chairs without turning them on; touching all the

cars and hoping they didn’t have alarms; and being asked to leave

Williams Sonoma. We even went to the toy store, which might

seem risky in light of the grand plan, but I’ve found that you can

always use an upcoming holiday as an excuse to forgo buying just

about anything kids ask for. That day, they manhandled roughly

a thousand toys at Learning Express, begging for each one with

increasing intensity, as my wife and I calmly replied “put it on your

list for the Easter Bunny.” Now, in our house the Easter Bunny

doesn’t actually get a list, nor bestow extravagant gifts, but they’d

forget all that when enjoying their ADA-approved sugar-free gum

and mushed bananas on Easter morning. Heck, if the Galleria’s

coin fountain was still operational, we could have ended the day

with a profit!

Steep: This final one is evergreen, not simply for those seasons

of pinching pennies. Regular trips with your small children (and/

or wife) to Target, “just to pick up a few things.” Not possible.

I challenge any parent to enter that store, while accompanied

by minors, and leave for under $100. Had I known about this

phenomenon before starting a family, I would have invested in

Target stock. In that alternate reality, my kids’ Tooth Fairy would

be less New Deal and more New Money: raining cash on them in

exchange for each tiny tusk that fell from their gold-plated grills.

Cheap: Literally anything else you can do together. Disney

cruises. European vacations. Becoming a Taylor Swift groupie and

following her to multiple tour stops. Avoid the harsh red homing

beacon off 19 and financial freedom follows. We told our kids

that Target was closed for renovations in April and we’re now a

three-income family: my salary, my wife’s, and no Target charge

bill. Bullseye!

The occasional fiscal fasting really does work, whether you’re

saving for a string of white pearls…or a set of pearly whites. It’s

almost summer and our plan has been largely successful. We’ve

put ourselves in a good spot to at least finance Frannie’s two front

teeth. With compound interest, and some Fixodent, we might

just make it yet. n

SHANNON GALLAGHER

Associate Broker

Phone: 412-741-2200

Mobile: 412-335-1712

Local. Trusted.

Experienced.

Your Home’s Perfect Match.

shannongallagher@howardhanna.com


Coach’s

Corner

The Rest of the Story

Coach Jim Render

I am going to assume that many of

you have watched the movie “Air” or have

read about the film regarding the rise of

the Nike Corporation, and specifically,

the development of the air system in basketball

shoes. The film stars Matt Damon

as Western Pennsylvania native Sonny

Vaccaro and director Ben Affleck as Nike

founder Phil Knight. Viola Davis also appears

as Michael Jordan’s mother, Deloris.

Like many Hollywood productions, they

stretch the truth and embellish the facts to

make the film more entertaining. First of

all, the blond Matt Damon is not chubby,

nor does he portray a very Italian-looking

man like Mr. Vaccaro.

Sonny, who I spoke with in California

while doing research for this article, was

the son of a Pennsylvania coal miner and a

small-time basketball coach. In the ’70s he

founded the Dapper Dan Round Ball Classic,

played at the former Pittsburgh Civic

Arena. It was the first national game for

the best high school players in the country.

Google research reports that nothing

happens in basketball that isn’t touched, in

some way, by a shoe company; and Sonny

Vaccaro (of Nike) is as responsible for that

development as any single individual in

history. “Air,” the movie, very accurately

depicts Sonny as the one who convinces

Phil Knight to give Michael Jordan all the

Paul with a mock-up of the original Air Jordan

shoe that was presented to Michael Jordan when

he visited Nike.

promotional money, rather than spread it

around to multiple NBA players. Jordan,

however, was still in college at North

Carolina, and had yet to play for the

Chicago Bulls. It was Vaccaro’s insistence

that they also develop a shoe in the Bull’s

colors (red, black and white) and to name

the shoes after Michael. Phil Knight finally

gave the approval to go forward, and the

rise of the Nike corporation began. For

the record, Sonny Vaccaro did not show

up in North Carolina, unannounced, at

the Jordan’s household as per the movie.

However, he did convince Mrs. Jordan to

bring her family to Oregon to meet with

Phil Knight and get the first look at the

shoe being developed that would be called

“Air Jordan.”

Movies and documentaries never have

enough “time” to tell the complete story.

For example, in the film “Air,” they only

covered the personalities of Phil Knight,

the Jordan family, Sonny Vaccaro and a

cast of characters that included sports

agents and various Nike employees who

worked on designs and colors. Remember,

Nike was at first a company that wanted to

make and improve running shoes. Before

it was Nike, the company was called Blue

Ribbon Sports and was headquartered in

Exeter, N.H. It is my intention to tell you

the complete story.

Paul holding one of the original Nike Air

system shoes produced.

Aileen Mathews was a very good friend

of mine who served on the Upper St. Clair

school board at the time I was hired in

1979. She and her husband, Gordon, had

a winter home in Bonita Springs, Fla. They

had many friends and acquaintances in

the USC community, as well as in Florida.

She introduced me to one of those good

friends who lived in their same Bonita Bay

neighborhood. Her friend is one of the

most interesting men I have ever met. His

name is Paul Mitchell (not the hair product

person). Without him, the rise of the Nike

corporation would not have happened so

quickly, with or without Michael Jordan.

The movie never mentions the most key

element of the Jordan shoe — air and

gas. This is the point where Paul Mitchell

becomes a very important person in the

development of Nike and its trademark

athletic shoes.

Paul Mitchell graduated from the

University of Kansas in 1962, with a degree

in mechanical engineering. His first job

was with Eastman Kodak, before serving

two years with the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers. He received the U.S. Army

Commendation Medal for Outstanding

Military Service and achieved the rank of

first lieutenant. Following his service to the

army, he worked for several corporations

in the Fort Smith, Ark., area.

In 1970, he was offered a position as

engineering manager at Tetra Plastics, near

St. Louis. In 1980, Tetra began working

with Nike to develop uniquely engineered

cushioning systems for their Air line of

shoes. In 1988, Paul was promoted to

president and COO of Tetra and assumed

general management responsibilities. In

1991, Mitchell negotiated the sale of Tetra

Plastics to Nike and was named the

president of the new IHM (in-house

manufacturing). By this time, Nike had left

New Hampshire and was headquartered

in their 400-acre campus in Beaverton,

Ore. Phil Knight paid $43 million for

Tetra Plastics, and the contract stipulated

that Mitchell (and his wife, Nancy)

move to Oregon and work for Nike.


Paul and Jim in February 2024

When I visited with Paul recently in

Florida, he chuckled when he related the

story of telling Mr. Knight that he got a

bargain in the deal. Paul told him if this

company goes where you want it to go,

$43 million won’t seem like much. In 2024,

Phil Knight and Michael Jordan are both

billionaires. I guess Paul Mitchell knew

what he was talking about in 1991.

To make this a legitimate and fair evaluation

about the growth of Nike, there is

one more person who was a major player

in the success of the Air system in their

shoes. His name is Frank Rudy, a native of

Cleveland and a graduate of Case Institute

of Technology, which is now Case Western

Reserve University. As an aeronautical

engineer, he is credited with inventing the

air sole in 1978. He was not an employee

of Nike, but had the ideas for air products.

He did not have the materials, such as

polyurethane, to actually make the air for

the shoes, which is the reason there was

a collaboration between Paul Mitchell of

Tetra Plastics and Frank Rudy of Nike.

When the air shoes were finally in successful

production, Rudy wrote to Mitchell:

“You, Paul, represent the otherwise

missing ingredient, relative to Polymer processing

technology and innovativeness…

that has been the essential foundation

responsible for phenomenal success of the

Nike-air products. You, Paul, have truly

done a fantastic job.”

(signed) Your lifelong friend — Frank

Rudy (2-27-95)

Paul was a big part of over a dozen

patents under his name that were eventually

the backbone of Nike Air systems.

One patent filed in October 1995 read, in

part: “The cushioning devices maintain

the internal inflatant pressure for extended

periods of time by employing a phenomenon

referred to in the industry as diffusion

pumping, ideally, the cushioning devices of

the present invention can be permanently

inflated with gases

such as nitrogen or

air.”

— Nike, Inc. and

Tetra Plastics, Inc.

Paul H Mitchell. Approved.

February 3,

1998

The Nike story

is an American treasure.

Paul Mitchell is an American treasure.

I wish you could sit and talk with him as

I have had the pleasure to do when I am

in Florida; our breakfast talks have been

memorable. My friend Beano Cook used to

say, “Forget the games, the stories are better.”

He has a point, and he might be right!

A final story is timely and blends well

with this article for TODAY. A set of six

individual Air Jordan sneakers worn by

Michael Jordan during his NBA finals sold

for $6.7 million at an auction in New York

City this past February. With taxes and

service fees, the total price was $8 million.

This set a new global auction record

for game-worn shoes according to Brahm

Wachter, head of Modern Collectables for

the auction house, Sotheby’s. Each of the

six shoes was signed by Jordan.

Nike Air shoe with the cushioning device in the sole that can be permanently

inflated with gases such as nitrogen or air.

My daughter-in-law, Zoe Jackson, the

wife of my son Eric, works for Sotheby’s

and had a part in the auction. She actually

recruited the winning bidder to participate.

Ironically, he was given the bid paddle

number 23 for the contest. The always-prepared

Zoe provided a bottle of champagne

to toast the winning participants. For the

record, Eric was not the winning bidder,

nor was he in the auction. On another side

note, Jordan’s 1998 NBA finals opening

game jersey still holds the world record for

any game-worn sports memorabilia having

fetched $10.1 million in September 2022.

I would like to conclude by borrowing

the words of the late great ABC newscaster,

Paul Harvey: “And now you know the rest

of the story! Good day.” n

Joint replacement

before breakfast

and home

before dinner.

whs.org/ortho


A Story of Hope, Community and Care

Charissa Lauren

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is

as though everything is a miracle.” — Albert Einstein

Snowstorms are a perfect representation of both beautiful

intensity and delicacy. The brittle cold of the snow reminds

us that life comes in seasons. Just as there is winter in our life,

there is soon to be spring. There will be bad, and difficult, and

sadness and pain, but there will also be beauty, joy, peace and love.

In the spring of 2023, my husband

and I were planning a fresh

start in Georgia after a long period

of grief that really strained us. In

experiences of uncertainty and

regret, sometimes the answers we

seek in life come through in definite

ways. As if being redirected,

our plans changed overnight when

I found out that I was expecting

the rainbow I hoped for: a chance

at a bigger family. But not just one

baby — two! Two beautiful girls.

Our winter was ending and our

spring, our second chance, was

beginning. With a family expanding to six, we chose to stay in

Upper St. Clair and I turned to the community for support. I was

greeted with open arms by local twin-mom group, South Hills

of Pittsburgh Mothers of Multiples, that connected me to many

“twin” moms and helped me navigate the pregnancy experience.

Our little rainbow surprises touched those around us. I think

everyone could see the beauty of second chances.

I watched as the community checked in to help and support

us. Surrounded by love, our neighbors, along with friends from

church and mom groups, were so quick to lend a hand in helping

us prepare for twins. Filling our nursery with all the necessities, I

couldn’t help but feel gratitude for those who supported our next

chapter and our decision to stay in Upper St. Clair even more.

When it came time for decisions on medical care, I knew I had

a lot to consider. From the moment I found out I was expecting

twins, I was informed of the risks — low birth weights, pre-term

labor, preeclampsia — and it all seemed overwhelming. Though

twin pregnancies are considered “high risk,” I had such a positive

prior experience at St. Clair Health that I chose to go there.

Having had experiences in larger hospitals, I’ve always valued St.

Clair’s ability to pay more attention to detail and offer a calmer

environment to expectant mothers.

I was confident in my team at Zubritzky Christy, knowing

that in the event the babies arrived pre-term, I would be sent

downtown to a level three NICU. I was overseen by the highrisk

maternal fetal medicine team and we kept up with weekly

non-stress tests, growth scans and doppler tests towards the end.

When one twin was found to be a tad growth restricted, my team

took the extra precautions to monitor me very closely, making

me confident in my decision.

Choosing to stay in our neighborhood was the best decision we

could have made. We will always have a getaway in Georgia, but

our hope was found in the roots we have planted here. That hope

lies in our neighbors, our schools, our friends and our exceptional

medical care. Family is

the greatest gift of all and

there is no better place to

raise a family, especially a

big family, than in Upper

St. Clair.

After discovering

I was having twins, I

learned that the last time

twins were conceived in

my family was six generations

back. Perhaps

it is genetics; maybe it

is my own little miracle.

Whatever the reason,

my family was given the

chance to come together

in hope, teaching us that

without the winters in

life, we can’t truly appreciate

the springs. n

Photography by Annelise Marie Herring

Navy & Pearls Events,

USC mom-owned business

Charissa is a national writer and PR agency owner. She and her

husband, Joel, a cyber security practice director, reside near St. Clair

Country Club with their four children, all under the age of five.

SPRING 2024 BULB SALE

Support the growth of Robotics in Upper St Clair

by ordering quality flower bulbs that ship right to you!

Bulbs are sourced from

Dutch Mill Bulbs and are

located right here in PA.

The company has a

Guaranteed to Grow

Policy and have been

selling bulbs for over

60 years.

This fundraiser ends

May 28, 2024

We will offer a Fall Bulb

Fundraiser starting in July

with different varieties

such as Daffodils, Tulips,

Bluebells and Hyacinth.

Learn more about

USC Robotics at:

www.uscrobotics.org


How Structural Engineers Play a Role

with Your Residence Structure

Firas Abdelahad, P.E., Upper St. Clair Resident

Principal, Pittsburgh Design & Engineering Services LLC

In the dynamic world of real

estate, structural engineers often become

essential during transactions, either due

to a note in a home inspection report or

a concern from the buyer. If the property

was structurally modified by a previous

owner or investor, the role of the structural

engineer becomes crucial. They

play a vital role in assisting homeowners,

buyers, sellers and lenders in navigating

the complexities of the housing market.

Here is a look into the contributions of

structural engineers and how their expertise

safeguards your investment.

A structural engineer is a paid consultant

and doesn’t offer free quotes because

they aren’t the person who will be performing

the job, if any work is needed. A

structural engineer is not a salesperson

trying to sell you a product.

It is important to note that per the

code of ethics for engineers, “Engineers

shall not request, propose, or accept a

commission on a contingent basis under

circumstances in which their judgement

may be compromised.”

Before you sign on the dotted line,

structural engineers can provide a structural

condition evaluation of a property’s

integrity. They assess the foundation,

identify potential issues with load-bearing

walls or beams and their trained eye can

uncover hidden problems that might escape

the untrained eye. This pre-purchase

inspection offers buyers peace of mind,

ensuring they are making an informed

decision about the condition of their

future home.

For sellers looking to maximize the

value of their property, engaging a structural

engineer can be a strategic move,

especially if they plan a renovation to improve

the value involving some structural

modifications or if they notice any slight

concerns. By addressing and rectifying

structural issues beforehand, sellers can

present a home in much better condition,

potentially increasing its market value

or, at least, not reducing its value due

to flagged issues in the home inspection

report. This proactive approach can also

expedite the selling process, as buyers are

more likely to be attracted to a property

with a clean bill of structural health.

Lenders, too, benefit from the expertise

of structural engineers. Before

approving a mortgage, financial institutions

often require an evaluation of the

property’s structural soundness, especially

if they notice sagging, cracks or other

issues in the basement structure. This

not only protects the lender’s investment,

but also ensures that homeowners are not

burdened with unexpected repair costs

shortly after purchasing the property.

Homeowners planning renovations

or expansions can avoid costly mistakes

by consulting with a structural engineer.

These professionals can provide guidance

on the feasibility of proposed changes,

ensuring that they comply with building

code standards and maintain the

structural integrity of the home. This collaboration

ensures that the homeowner’s

vision is realized without compromising

the overall stability of the property.

While structural engineers may not

always take center stage in the real estate

narrative, their contributions are often

critical. From pre-purchase inspections to

aiding sellers in presenting their homes

at their best and providing lenders with

confidence, these experts play a vital role

in ensuring that the foundations of our

homes are sound, preventing unexpected

costly repairs. When you hire a reputable,

competent and experienced structural

engineer, you are hiring a professional to

provide you with advice without selling

you a product. n

P.E., professional engineer, is a licensure for

engineers granted by a state or jurisdiction

after meeting specific education, experience

and examination requirements. A licensed

professional engineer is authorized to

practice engineering and is often responsible

for ensuring the safety, reliability and

efficiency of engineering projects. The P.E.

designation signifies a commitment to

high ethical standards and a demonstrated

ability to meet the rigorous qualifications

set by the licensing board or authority.

Selling

Pittsburgh

for Over 35 Years

I’m pleased to announce

my new affiliation with

Piatt Sotheby’s

International Realty!

Patty Meers

REAL ESTATE ADVISOR

ASSOCIATE BROKER

412.398.5181 (M)

412.822.6700 (O)

pmeers@piattsir.com

Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty

100 Siena Drive, Suite 240, Pittsburgh, PA 15241

Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.


State Representative

Natalie Mihalek

40th Legislative District

1121 Boyce Road, Suite 2200A

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15241

Information is Key to

Avoiding Food Allergy Emergencies

State Rep. Natalie Mihalek

724-942-2045

www.repmihalek.com

Facebook.com/RepMihalek

Whether positive or negative,

some conversations leave an

impression on your soul.

But there are few conversations that leave their imprint more

than meeting someone who lost a son or daughter.

And for the few years I have had the honor to serve in the

House of Representatives, one conversation stands out in particular

for me: a mother named Kathy Briden from Pittsburgh’s

North Hills.

“When your child hits their 20s, you think ‘we’re in the clear,

we made it, they can do, care and manage for themselves,’” Kathy

told me at a recent press conference regarding food allergies and

food safety. “But to lose him in his 20s? It still doesn’t make sense.”

Kathy’s son, Matthew, was diagnosed with a severe peanut

allergy when he was two years old.

According to the nonprofit organization Food Allergy Research

and Education (FARE), 33 million Americans live with lifethreatening

food allergies, and a food allergy sends a patient to the

emergency room every 10 seconds. In fact, food allergic reactions

result in 30,000 emergency room visits, 2000 hospitalizations and

150 deaths across the United States each year.

Shockingly, the prevalence of food allergies in children increased

by 50% between 1997 and 2011. Between 1997 and 2008,

the prevalence of peanut or tree nut allergy appears to have more

than tripled in U.S. children. At this point, one in 13 children has

a life-threatening food allergy and the number of new diagnoses

is rising.

My family is fortunate enough that none of us suffer from a

food allergy. But my children’s active social lives mean a lot of

visitors, and it is a common occurrence that a parent would make

certain I understand what their son or daughter can or cannot eat.

But Matthew was 28 years old and knew very well what he

could and could not eat. For much of his life, he routinely carried

two EpiPens.

The incident occurred in 2022, shortly after Matthew, a graduate

from the University of Massachusetts, returned to Western

Pennsylvania. He was at a restaurant on a first date, and as soon

as he didn’t feel well, he gave himself an EpiPen and went home.

State Representative

Dan Miller

Office of the House Democratic

Majority Whip

Harrisburg Office

121 Main Capitol, Harrisburg, PA 17120

(717) 783-1850

Digital ID is Coming —

and Pennsylvania Needs to be Ready

Mt. Lebanon Office

650 Washington Road, Suite 102

Pittsburgh, PA 15234

(412) 343-3870

These days it seems like

more people are using their phones

for a variety of daily life activities.

And more and more often, smartphones are essentially replacing

physical wallets as people link their payments, insurance and

other important documents or services to their digital wallets.

I believe it is time for Pennsylvania to meet people where they

are and embrace mobile technology and digital records by creating

a mobile ID program. This goes beyond mere convenience, but

would create in our commonwealth a secure, privacy-protecting

and easy-to-use technology that would serve as a companion of

a physical ID.

This is a point worth stressing — a mobile ID would not

replace a physical ID card in all instances or uses, but would be

an option for those who want to take advantage of it. Nor would

this simply be a photo of your existing state ID — a mobile ID

works through an app on your smartphone to verify and protect

your ID digitally.

Several other states already have or are developing a mobile

ID program in one form or another. In some states, like

Maryland, these IDs are being implemented through existing

Apple and Google digital wallet applications, much like a credit

card. The Maryland program has reportedly been quite popular

among residents, with almost 200,000 residents enrolled since it

started in May 2022, per news reports.

In a sign of acceptance, the TSA announced in June of 2023

that it was partnering with Maryland and Google to allow

Maryland mobile ID to be used at selected TSA airport security

checkpoints as part of its PreCheck program.

As more states and the federal government embrace this

technology, Pennsylvania needs to move now so that we are not

left behind. My legislation would bring this technology to our

commonwealth in a manner that ensures Pennsylvania follows

best practices and standards.

If we are going to offer a mobile ID, then I firmly believe we

must do so with the best and most secure technology available.

Security must be a primary consideration when choosing a mobile

ID product or service.


A few hours later, still feeling ill, he gave himself another EpiPen and went to

the hospital. He passed away roughly 30 minutes after arrival.

The press conference mentioned earlier in this article was to highlight legislation

that I have been working on with Rep. Arvind Venkat (D-Allegheny). It very

much could have made a difference for Matthew.

The legislation is House Bill 1869. It was approved 24–1 by the House Agriculture

and Rural Affairs Committee this past February and can now be considered

by the full House.

If enacted, it would require the Department of Health to create a poster about

food allergies and for restaurants to display this information in food preparation

areas. In addition, the bill would direct restaurants to include language on their

menus that reminds customers to advise restaurant staff of their relevant food

allergies.

In speaking with medical professionals, we are learning more about the root

cause of food allergies. By knowing their origin and causes, we may then develop

scientific means to avoid food allergy emergencies before they occur.

Until then, we must rely on education and information to prevent such tragedies.

Having earned bipartisan attention, House Bill 1869 aims to make that

information readily available.

While working on this legislation, I used FARE’s website, foodallergy.org,

where an abundance of information and resources about living with food allergies

is available. If you or someone you love has food allergies, please consider

reviewing this site. n

In March, the House

Transportation Committee held

a hearing on mobile IDs and

heard from experts from the

Pennsylvania Department of

Transportation and Pennsylvania

State Police on the potential

benefits of this technology, as

well as concerns they and other

legislators may have.

This hearing was the first

step in the long legislative process

to approving digital IDs for

use in Pennsylvania, and my

office is committed to working

with experts and other lawmakers

to ensure that we have the

most robust and secure program

possible.

A mobile ID program is one

way that Pennsylvania state

government can and should be

aggressively pursuing innovation.

Not merely for the sake

of innovation or change, but

to meet people where they are

and to improve access to state

services or programs. n

Fourth of July

Fireworks

Upper St. Clair and South Fayette are

teaming up again this year to present

Fourth of July fireworks!

Celebrate Independence Day with a

joint fireworks display launched from

Fairview Park, located at 129 Greenwood

Dr., South Fayette.

The free display can be viewed from

Fairview Park (parking is very limited

inside the park), as well as at various

areas around the Township, including the

Community & Recreation Center. Parking

is available at the C&RC, located at 1551

Mayview Rd.

Fireworks will begin at dusk (approximately

9:30 p.m.).

The Gold Team’s

Let

Experience

for You!

Work

Each office is owned and operated independently


RONALD A. ARNONI, DISTRICT JUDGE

District Court 05-2-20

Office: 412-835-1661

Fax: 412-835-4060

Hiras Professional Building

2414 Lytle Rd #200

Bethel Park, PA 15102

Outstanding Citizen Award

The Outstanding Citizen

Award is an award meant for an individual

who demonstrates excellent

community leadership, makes significant

contributions to their community and shows generosity

and unselfishness through their actions.

On Feb. 28, 2024, Judge Arnoni held the ceremony for the

2023 Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award. This ceremony was

a little different than those in previous years. Instead of nominating

one individual, Judge Arnoni recognized the Public Service

Safety employees: police, fire and EMS. Upper St. Clair Police

Chief Jon Wharton, Bethel Park Police Chief Dave Arnold, Bethel

Park Fire Chief David Gerber and Upper St. Clair firefighter Drew

Gerlach appeared to accept the acknowledgement and award for

their daily commitment to providing safety to our communities.

Along with Jessica Elder, Judge Arnoni wishes to bring attention

to the local heroes and Public Service Safety employees

who help keep our communities safe. On one instance on Jan.

1, 2024, a dog named Nash escaped his collar and went missing.

The amazing citizens of both Upper St. Clair and Bethel Park did

what they could to help in locating Nash, allowing the use of

their yards as feeding stations, as well as camera and trap set-up

stations. Bethel Park’s Evey True Value Hardware allowed the use

of their sewage cameras, Sue from USC Public Works continuously

printed out pipe maps for certain requested areas, Ardolino’s

Pizza took flyers out on their deliveries and Marty Griffin from

KDKA provided a live interview.

The final piece of this rescue mission was a K9 search and rescue

dog, Belle, and her partner, Joe Hartung, from the Bethel Park

Volunteer Fire Company. Jessica had helped in other rescue missions,

but had never been able to find a search dog. Joe Hartung

saw via Facebook their need for

a rescue dog and reached out.

Although the outcome was not

what everyone had hoped for,

the family was brought closure.

Having the two communities

pull together and combine their

resources was truly amazing.

“The definition of a community

can’t be put into words, but

is an action of love and support

from pure strangers who have

now become extended family.

From our hearts to each and all of yours, we thank you,” said

Jessica Elder.

In terms of our police, fire and EMS, we truly cannot comprehend

the circumstances in which they find themselves on an

almost daily basis. Our first responders’ jobs require them to put

themselves in harm’s way to save others. Often our first interaction

with a police officer, firefighter or EMT may be on the worst

day of our lives, such as being rescued from a burning building,

being rushed to a hospital for a life-threatening accident or illness

or arriving at your home for a domestic call. Their bravery

has far-reaching effects, not only impacting the victims, but also

their family and friends.

Of course, we appreciate what they do when we need them,

but we should appreciate their service every day. They also carry

out small acts of kindness, such as helping a stranded motorist

or assisting a senior citizen, etc.

“Our first responders make our communities a great place to

live and work, and I salute them,” says Judge Arnoni. n

(l/r) Bethel Park Fire Chief Dave Gerber, Bethel Park Police Chief Dave Arnold, Judge Ron Arnoni, Upper St. Clair Police Chief Jon Wharton,

Upper St. Clair firefighter Drew Gerlach


PINEBRIDGE COMMONS

“Quality Dentistry with a

Gentle Touch

& the Personalized

Service that YOU Deserve!”

General Dentist and Prosthodontic Specialist

NEWLY RENOVATED • STATE-OF-THE-ART

Pinebridge Dental • Upper St. Clair

412-221-2221

www.manalosmiles.com

88 Dental • Castle Shannon

412-343-4100

manalosmiles@aol.com

PINEBRIDGE

COMMONS

AHN Pediatrics

All American Bistro

Baywood Consulting, LTD

Cardinal Endocrinology

Design Image Salon

Emerick Financial Planning

Emma’s Kafe & Deli

Estetyka

Gallagher Wealth Management

Peter Gialames & Associates

Interior Designs/Furnishings

by Mary Kay Chaffee

Timothy Kerr, DMD &

Romana Pautler Kerr, DMD

Larry E. Manalo, DMD

Melissa D. Michel, LPC

Pediatric Dentistry South

Cindy Brophy, State Farm Ins.

Suburban Dry Cleaners

Travel Leaders, Kiernan Ent.

Dr. Brett Crell and Dr. Beth Troy

Orthodontics

Whole Plants Health, LLC

Xcoal Energy Resources

McLaughlin Run Road

at

Lesnett Road

pinebridgecommons.com

Leasing Opportunity

Baker Young

Corporation

412.227.1400

FAMILY AND COSMETIC DENTISTRY

Let us

make you

smile!

Timothy J. Kerr, D.M.D.

Romana Pautler Kerr, D.M.D.

K

412-257-4250

Pinebridge Commons Suite 207

kerrdmd.com

K

Chairside

Whitening

System


Township

Commissioners

Township Administration

Daniel R. Paoly

President

At Large

Day 412-831-9000

Evening 412-862-5995

2025*

Dante R. Plutko Jr.

Vice President

Ward 1

Matthew R.

Serakowski

Township Manager

Mark S. Mansfield

Asst. Township Manager &

Director of Administration

Mark P. Romito

Director of Finance

Adam A. Benigni

Director of Planning &

Community Development

Day 412-831-9000

Evening 412-389-5187

2027*

Pamela L. Enck

Ward 2

Ed Poljak

Director of Information

Technology

George Kostelich, Jr.

Director of Public Works

Christian Gmiter

Director of Library

Paul Besterman

Director of Recreation &

Leisure Services

Day 412-831-9000

2025*

Jason H. Graves

Ward 3

Public

Safety

Day 412-831-9000

2027*

Todd D. Burlingame

Ward 4

Day 412-831-9000

2025*

Ronald J. Pardini

Ward 5

Day 412-831-9000

Evening 724-941-1199

2027*

Richard I. Thomas

At Large

Day 412-831-9000

2027*

*Date indicates expiration of term.

All business regarding the operation of the Township is conducted

at the regular meetings of the Board of Commissioners.

Citizens are invited to comment on any Township matter.

Complete board minutes can be found on the website at

twpusc.org. For more information, call 412-831-9000.

Jonathan Wharton

Chief of Police

Administrator

Extension

Matthew R. Serakowski......................... 2160

Township Manager

Mark S. Mansfield.................................. 2190

Asst. Township Manager & Director of

Administration

Jonathan Wharton.................................. 2380

Chief of Police

Mark P. Romito....................................... 2180

Director of Finance

Adam A. Benigni..................................... 5010

Director of Planning & Community Development

Ed Poljak.........................................................

Director of Information Technology

George Kostelich, Jr................................ 2710

Director of Public Works

Christian Gmiter.................................... 2470

Director of Library

Paul Besterman....................................... 6250

Director of Recreation & Leisure Services

Ted Hale

Fire Chief

Keith Morse

Chief of Tri-Community South

EMS

To reach Township personnel, call 412-831-9000 and follow the automated directions.

Other Services

Police

Administration...........................412-833-1113

Tri-Community South EMS

Administration...........................412-831-3710

USC Volunteer Fire Department

Administration...........................412-835-0660

Animal Control.........................412-833-7500

Community &

Recreation Center...................412-221-1099

Cable 7.......................................412-831-1030

Emergency–

Police, Fire, EMS....................412-833-7500

Check out the Township’s website

twpusc.org

Follow the Township of

Upper St. Clair on social

media for the latest news

and announcements.

2024 Township of Upper St. Clair Meeting Dates

• The Board of Commissioners meets at 7:30 p.m. The regular public meeting is held the first Monday of the month.

The informational and general affairs meeting is held the last Monday of the month.

• The Planning Commission meets the third Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

• The Parks and Recreation Board meets the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m. at the C&RC;

no meeting in December.

• The Zoning Hearing Board meets the fourth Wednesday of the month at 8 p.m.

• The Civil Service Board meets as needed.

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

• The Library Board meets as needed.

Meetings are held in the Municipal Building’s board room, unless otherwise indicated. Meeting locations are subject

to change; refer to the Township website at twpusc.org for more information.


Highlights of the Board of Commissioners’ Meetings

Jan. 2, 2024

Approximately nine people attended.

Reorganization of Board of Commissioners

• Newly elected Commissioner Jason H. Graves and

re-elected Commissioners Ronald J. Pardini, Dante

R. Plutko, Jr. and Richard I. Thomas were sworn into

office as Commissioners of the Township of Upper

St. Clair by the Honorable Ronald A. Arnoni.

• Commissioner Paoly was elected President of the

Board of Commissioners.

• Commissioner Plutko was elected Vice President of

the Board of Commissioners.

The Board

• Closed the Public Hearing Re. PLC23-0009 —

St. Clair Country Club Golf Building — Unified

Conditional Use/Preliminary and Final Land

Development Approval.

• Adopted Bill No. 1-24 Re. PLC23-0009 — St. Clair

Country Club Golf Building — Unified Conditional

Use/Preliminary and Final Land Development

Approval.

• Continued Public Hearing PLC23-1303 — Zoning

Text Amendment to Chapter 130 of the Township

Code Entitled “Zoning” to Amend the Standards

and Criteria for Mini-Warehouses in the RM

Restricted Light Industrial District to the Board of

Commissioners’ Regular Meeting on Feb. 5, 2024.

• Adopted Bill No. 2-24 Re. PLC23-0012 —

McMurray Road Subdivision Plan — Preliminary/

Final Subdivision Approval.

• Approved the 2024–2025 Township Traffic Engineer

Fee Schedule.

• Adopted Bill No. 3-24 Re. 2024 Bond Issue

Parameters Ordinance.

Approval of Contracts:

• Reed Oil, Inc...........................................OPIS Daily

89 Octane Gasoline, Diesel Pittsburgh Average

New Castle, Pa.

Index Plus Fixed

Fuel and Winterized Diesel Margin of between

Fuel Additive $.0700 and $.0400

on each gallon of

89 Octane Gasoline

depending on order quantity,

a Fixed Margin Price for Diesel Fuel

of $.0700 and $.0500, depending on

order quantity, on each gallon and

$.0300 on Winterized Diesel Fuel

additive on each gallon of Diesel Fuel.

Feb. 5, 2024

Approximately seven people attended.

The Board

• Continued Public Hearing Re. PLC23-1303 —

Zoning Text Amendment to Chapter 130 of the

Township Code Entitled “Zoning” to Amend the

Standards and Criteria for Mini-Warehouses in the

RM Restricted Light Industrial District to the Board

of Commissioners’ Regular Meeting on March 4,

2024.

• Approved the 2024–2025 Township Engineer Fee

Schedule.


Public Works Vehicles

• C. Harper Commercial Truck Center....$103,245.00

Three (3) 2024 Chevrolet Colorado

Pick-Up Trucks @ $34,415.00 each

• Hill International Trucks NA LLC........$118,284.00

One (1) 2025 International

HV507 Cab & Chassis

• Hill International Trucks NA LLC........$115,784.00

One (1) 2025 International

HV507 Cab & Chassis

• Laurel Ford..........................................$116,440.00

Two (2) 2024 Ford F600

Super Duty 4x4 Regular Cab & Chassis

Trucks @ $58,220.00 each

• Laurel Ford............................................$60,150.00

One (1) 2024 Ford F550 4x4

Cab & Chassis

Tri-Community South Vehicles

• Pfund Superior Sales Co., Inc...............$559,140.00

Three (3) 2023 Ford F-450

4x4 Ambulance Prep Chassis

(remounts) @ $186,380.00 each

Morton Fields Complex

• Cast & Baker Corporation.................$4,482,365.25

Contract 1 — Site Construction

• DiMarco Construction

Contract 2 — Building Construction

Base Bid $1,721,434.00

• Alternate #2 (Pavilion No. 1) 175,000.00

• Alternate #3 (Pavilion No. 2) 153,000.00

Total for Contract 2.............................$2,049,434.00

• First American Industries....................$392,300.00

Contract 4 — Plumbing Construction

• East West Manufacturing Company.......$75,000.00

Contract 5 — HVAC Construction

• Gateway Engineers...............................$320,000.00

Construction Administration

and Inspection Services

Public Works Projects

• Robinson Pipe Cleaning Company....$1,436,300.00

2024 Sanitary Sewer Video Inspection

• General Recreation, Inc..........................$70,240.00

Baker Park Playground Renovation

March 4, 2024

Approximately seven people attended.

The Board

• Closed Public Hearing Re. PLC23-1303 — Zoning

Text Amendment to Chapter 130 of the Township

Code Entitled “Zoning” to Amend the Standards and

Criteria for Mini-Warehouses in the RM Restricted

Light Industrial District.

• Failed to Adopt Bill No. 4-24 Re. PLC23-1303 —

Zoning Text Amendment to Chapter 130 of the

Township Code Entitled “Zoning” to Amend the

Standards and Criteria for Mini-Warehouses in the

RM Restricted Light Industrial District.

• Adopted Resolution No. 1758 Re. Approval for

a Grant Application through the Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources Community

Conservation Program for the Old Farm Road Trail

Project.

• Adopted Resolution No. 1759 Authorizing the

Disposal of Various Township Records in Accordance

with the Municipal Records Retention and

Disposition Schedule Referenced in Chapter 11.7. of

the Township Code.

• Authorized the Purchase of Fire Apparatus.

• Approved the following Appointments and

Reappointments to the Municipal Authority Board:

Municipal Authority Board – Five-year term

Kenneth L. Brown

Mark D. Christie

Karen M. McElhinny

Charles E. Mertz, Jr.


• Stephenson Equipment, Inc.................$143,418.00

Two (2) 9’ Aluminum Dump Body Upfits

• Stephenson Equipment, Inc.................$105,378.00

One (1) 10’6” Aluminum Dump Body Upfit

• Mele & Mele & Sons, Inc., ...............$2,397,891.28

2024 Annual Street Resurfacing with:

Alternate #1 – Municipal Building Parking Lots

Alternate #2 – Baker Park Basketball Courts and

Paths

• Russell Standard Corp., .........................$39,000.00

2024 Street Crack Sealing

Stay up-to-date

with all the news

and reminders

around USC!

Sign up for the

Township’s email

list by scanning

the QR code.


Community Day ’24

Planned Activities

Community Day 2024 kicks off on Saturday, May 18, at 10

a.m. at the USC Veterans Park.

Get messy with the library’s Make a Mess activities! Stop by

Municipal Park between 11 a.m.–4 p.m. and try a variety of art

activity stations.

The annual Community Day Parade will begin at

11:30 a.m. The parade will follow the route from Truxton Drive,

along McLaughlin Run Road to Panther Pass and up to the high

school.

The 1830 Log House will be open from noon–3 p.m. for a

variety of activities including Knap’s Battery re-enactors.

Gilfillan Farm will be open noon–4 p.m. Come learn about

the Farm! Horses with Hope, the USC Historical Society and

the USCHS Interact Club will be there, too.

The Petting Zoo will be operating from 12:30–4 p.m. These

activities will be offered free of charge, other than a minimal fee

for food and milk for the animals.

Head out to the Volunteer Fire Department’s main station on

Route 19 from noon–4 p.m. to get a look at the trucks, equipment

and more.

The Toddler Trot starts at 12:30 p.m. Stop by Founders’ Field

to watch the cutest race in town!

The Duck Race, sponsored by the Community Foundation

of Upper St. Clair, will start at 3 p.m. Adopt your duck at the

Foundation’s pre-sale or stop by their booth before the race.

Special thanks to:

Upper St. Clair School District:

Brooke Tarcson, Student Activities

Student Volunteer Chairs:

Overall: Dan Seewald, Reilly Caslin

Entertainment: Greg Boughner, Ava Casciato

Parade: Lucia Miles, Joe Donnelly

Publicity: Ella Zegarelli

Parking: Shubham Patel, Ethan Jooste

Information Table: Evie Sullivan

T-Shirts: Emma Hicks

Theme Activity: Reilly Caslin

Toddler Trot: Dan Seewald, Trevor McClintock-Comeaux

and Freshman Student Council

Township of Upper St. Clair:

Department of Recreation and Leisure Services

Public Works Department

USC Police Department

USC Volunteer Fire Department

Alex Pepke, USC Communications Coordinator

Mitchell Montani, USC Public Access Coordinator

Other USC Groups:

Tri-Community South EMS

Upper St. Clair Historical Society, Gilfillan Homestead

and Farm: Rachel Carlson

1830 Log House Association: Kim Guzzi

Community-at-Large Volunteers

Schedule

Saturday, May 18

8 a.m. .............................................. Community Fair Setup

McLaughlin Run Activity Center (MAC) Parking Lot

10 a.m. ................................................... Kick-off Ceremony

USC Veterans Park

11 a.m.–4 p.m. ................................. Community Fair Area

11 a.m.–4 p.m. ............................... Make a Mess Activities

Municipal Park

11:30 a.m. .................................................................. Parade

Noon .................................................. Hottest Dog Contest

Stage Area — Pre–registration form on page 23

Noon–3 p.m................................... Log House Open House

Noon–4 p.m.................................. Gilfillan Farm Activities

Gilfillan Farm area

Volunteer Fire Department Tours

Main Station, Route 19 (See page 24)

12:30 p.m. .........................................................Toddler Trot

Founder’s Field

12:30–4 p.m. ...................................................... Petting Zoo

Municipal Field

1:30 p.m. ................. Baking Contest Winners Announced

McLaughlin Run Activity Center (MAC) —

Pre-registration form on page 23

1–4 p.m.......................................................... Entertainment

Stage Area

3 p.m.................................................................... Duck Race

McLaughlin Run

Shuttle Bus Parking

Shuttle bus service will be available to and from the Municipal

Building, Gilfillan Farm and the Fire Station starting at 10 a.m.

and looping from the following locations:

• Eisenhower Elementary

• Fort Couch Middle School

• USC High School

Permit parking only will be allowed in the Public Works parking

lot on Truxton Drive. Parking is available at the USC High

School, Eisenhower Elementary and Fort Couch Middle School.


Panthers in Paradise

USC Community Day

Saturday, May 18

• 3 Categories: Favorite Book, Movie…or

Bakers’ choice!

• Entries must be 100% edible* but will be

judged only on appearance (*no plastic parts)

• Prizes Awarded:

Best in Show - $50

By Category:

• 1 st place: $35

• 2 nd place: $20

• 3 rd place: $10

• Pre-registration required by May 10

• Open to all residents K-8 grade

Sponsored by the Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park Rotary, Breakfast Club

www.uscbprotary.org

USC Community Day Saturday, May 18

• 3 Categories: Favorite Book, Movie…or your choice!

• Entries must be 100% edible* but will be judged only

on appearance (*no plastic parts)

• Winner announced post parade

• Prizes awarded:

• Best in Show: $50!

• By Category:

o 1 st place: $35

o 2 nd place: $20

o 3 rd place: $10

• Pre-registration is required by May 10

• Open to all residents K-8 grade

• Cakes to be dropped off between 5-5:30 on May 17 at

McLaughlin Run Activity Center (1770 McLaughlin Run Road)

------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------

-

Name:____________________________________________________________________

Address:__________________________________________________________________

Phone Number:__________________ Email:__________________________________

Age: ______________________

Grade:__________________________________

Cake Category: Favorite Movie ❑ Favorite Book ❑ My Choice ❑

Mail registration form no later than May 10 to:

Leigh Harkreader

505 Clair Drive

USC, PA 15241

Email registration information to moxkirk@live.com or for questions,

text/call Mary @ 412-805-5522

Sponsored by the Upper St. Clair-Bethel Park Rotary, Breakfast Club

www.uscbprotary.org

Details

When: May 18, 2024

Where: Main Stage

Time: 12-1pm

$5 registration fee

All dogs get a treat for registering!

3 wa register

2024 Upper St. Clair Community Day

Htest Dog Ctest

Rules

• Must be USC resident.

• Owners must provide proof of

up to date shot records upon entry.

• Pets must be leashed.

• You can register at the event.

1) Scan the QR code to register online

2) Email this form to Robbinsbobbitt@howardhanna.com

3) Drop completed registration form off at either of the following:

• Howard Hanna Real Estate Services | 180 Ft. Couch Road, USC 15241

• Upper ST. Clair Library | 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, USC 15241

Name

Address

Phone

Email

Dog’s name

Dog’s Breed

Dog’s age

Benefiting Children’s Hospital Free Care Fund

Signature

Parent/Guardian

if under 18


Community Day ‘24

Check the School District (uscsd.k12.pa.us)

and Township (twpusc.org/communityday) websites for the

most up-to-date information on Community Day, including

events and activities, times and registration information.

A Community Day wrap-up, including a complete

list of all patrons, will appear in the Fall 2024 issue

of UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY. We thank our kind

and generous patrons for their financial and in-kind

support of Community Day 2024!


Be sure to get a sweet treat at the Upper St. Clair United Senior Citizens’

Community Day bake sale by visiting the MAC.

USC Community Development

Know the Rules

According to the Township of Upper St. Clair

Codes:

• Lawns need to be maintained at a maximum

height of six inches from April through

October.

• Vehicles without current inspection or registration

must be stored in a completely enclosed

structure.

• Waste receptacles and recycling containers

should be placed at the curb line after 6 p.m.

the day before collection, with removal before

midnight the day of collection.

• Boats, trailers, campers and other types of recreational

vehicles must be stored in completely

enclosed structures.

• Garage sale signs are permitted, provided the

following regulations are met:

» Signs are located only on the lot where the

sale takes place.

» Signs are displayed only on the day of the

sale.

» Signs do not exceed nine square feet

combined.

» Signs are set back a minimum of 10 feet from

any side lot line.

» Signs are to be placed outside the Township

right-of-way. Typically, the right-of-way

extends a minimum of 13 feet back from

the edge of the street or curb.

» Signs may not obstruct sidewalks.

• No structure may be placed within the

Township right-of-way, except for a driveway

or mailbox. A structure is any object having a

stationary location on or in lots. The Township

right-of-way typically extends back 13 feet

from the edge of the road.

• A newspaper tube is permitted, provided it

is attached to the existing mailbox post. The

newspaper tube may not be supported by a

separate structure, such as a post or column.

• Realtor open house signs are permitted, provided

the following regulations are met:

» One tent- or easel-type sign, not to exceed

four square feet.

» Sign permitted to be displayed Saturday and

Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

» Sign must be located a minimum of 13 feet

back from the edge of the street or curb.

» With permission of property owner, open

house signs may be placed on a lot other

than the one for sale with the same restrictions

above.

» No open house signs are allowed on

Township-owned property.

• Stormwater management permits are required

as of Jan. 7, 2019, for all residential small projects

proposing additional earth disturbance

Questions? Call 412-831-9000, ext. 5010, or visit twpusc.org.

or impervious area greater than 400 square

feet. These requirements apply to both new

development and redevelopment. Stormwater

management permits must be obtained before

the submission of a building permit.

• Building permits are required for most construction

and remodeling projects. Typical

projects that require a building permit include,

but are not limited to, sheds, garages, swimming

pools, decks, additions, retaining walls,

driveway pillars and patio enclosures. Some

projects, such as patios and driveways, require

only zoning approval. In all cases, when a

building permit or zoning approval is required,

a land survey of the property must be submitted

as a part of the permit application process.

The Township may have a copy of the property

survey on file.

• Any tree that is dead or diseased is considered

a hazardous tree and needs to be removed in

a safe manner in order to prevent potentially

fatal accidents from occuring.

Check the Township website at twpusc.org for

types of projects requiring a permit and the

application process. Questions concerning

permit requirements can also be directed to

the Community Development Department at

412-831-9000, extension 5010.

What Can and Cannot Be Recycled?

DO

Recycle:

DO NOT

Recycle:

• Aluminum and

steel cans

• Cardboard (must

be placed in cart)

• Paper (magazines,

junk mail, paper

bags, office paper)

• Plastic bags

• No food or liquid

• Plastic packaging,

bubble wrap or

aluminum foil

• Glass bottles

and jars

What About Plastic?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

PETE

HDPE

PVC

LDPE

PP

PS

OTHER

Polyethylene

Terephthalate

soft drink

bottles,

mineral water,

fruit juice

container,

cooking oil

High-Density

Polyethylene

milk jugs,

cleaning

agents,

laundry

detergents,

bleaching

agents,

shampoo

bottles,

washing and

shower soaps

Polyvinyl

Chloride

trays for

sweets, fruit,

plastic

packaging

(bubble foil)

and food foils

to wrap the

foodstuff

Low-Density

Polyethylene

crushed

bottles,

shopping

bags,

highlyresistant

sacks

and most of

the wrappings

Polypropylene

furniture,

consumers,

luggage, toys

as well as

bumpers,

lining and

external

borders of the

cars

Polystyrene

toys,

hard packing,

refrigerator

trays,

cosmetic bags,

costume

jewelry,

CD cases,

vending cups

Other

Plastics,

Including

Acrylic,

Polycarbonate,

Polylactic

Fibers, Nylon,

Fiberglass

As a reminder, the Township has entered into a new trash and recycling contract with Waste Management, effective

at the beginning of this year. As part of the new contract, all trash and recycling must be placed inside the

carts. For a full list of recyclable and non-recyclable items, visit wm.com/recycleright. For more information on

the Township’s trash and recycling guidelines, visit its website using the QR code to the left.


S M T W T F S

S M T W T F S

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

2024 5 6 CALENDAR

7 8 9 10 11

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Red bold numbers - Designated trash day

21 22Red 23bold 24 numbers, 25 26 27

yellow 19 highlight 20 21 box 22 - 23Designated 24 25 trash 16 17 & recycling 18 19 20 day

21 22

28 29 Green 30

highlighted box - Observed 26 27 28 holiday, 29 30 one 31day delay 23 for 24 trash 25& 26 recycling

27 28

Blue outlined boxed numbers - Designated bulk item 30collection day

29

January

July

February

August

September

March

S M T W T F S

S M T W T F S

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3

1 2 3 4 5 16 27

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

38 49 10 5 11 6 12 7 13 8 14 9

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

10 15 11 16 12 17 13 18 14 19 15 20 16 21

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

17 22 18 23 19 24 20 25 21 26 22 27 23 28

28 29 30 31

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

24 29 25 30 26 27 28 29 30

THERE IS NO CURBSIDE COLLECTION 31 FOR THE

October

April

November

May

December

June

FOLLOWING ITEMS:

• S Building/construction M T W T F materials

S

S M T W T F S

S M T W T F S

1 21 32 43 54 65

1 2 13 24

1 2

• Household hazardous waste – refer to page 4 for collection dates

3 4 5 6 1

7

76 or Allegheny 87 98 10 9 County 11 10 12 11 website

13 12

35 46 57 68 79 10 8 11

9

2 8 3 9 10 4 11 5 12 6 13 7 14 8

• 14 13 Automobile 15 14 16 15 17 16 parts/tires

18 17 19 18 20 19

10 12 11 13 12 14 13 15 14 16 15 17 16 18

15 9 10 16 11 17 12 18 13 19 14 20 15

21

• 21 20 Ashes, 22 21 23 22 dirt, 24 23 rocks, 25 24 stones, 26 25 27 26

edging, 17 19 18 20 tree 19 21 stumps

20 22 21 23 22 24 23 25

16 22 17 23 18 24 19 25 20 26 21 27 22

28

• 28 27 Electronic 29 28 30 29 items 30 31

– refer to e-cycling 24 26 25 27 collection 26 28 27 29 28 30 dates 29 31

on 30

page 23 294

24 30 25 31 26 27 28 29

• Appliances containing freon

July

S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 2 3

TO DUMPSTER

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

14 15 16 17 18 19 20

1 2 3 4

August

THE ALTERNATIVE

RENTALS!

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

21 22 23 24 25 26 27 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

28 29 30 31

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

30

September

S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

5

October

November

December

The Bagster ® bag is Waste Management’s easiest cleanup solution for remodeling projects,

S moving M Tpreparation, W T landscaping F S and S home/garage M T W cleanup. T F S S M T W T F S

The bags 1 are 2 simple 3 to 4 set 5up and strong enough to hold up 1 to 23,300 lbs. 1 of 2debris 3 or 4waste. 5 It’s 6 7

the right size for renovations or home projects that don’t require a full-size dumpster.

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

Bagster ® bags can be purchased at Home Depot, Lowes, and various hardware stores.

13 14 15 16 17 18 19 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

For details and pricing information, contact Waste Management at 1.877.789.2247 or online at

20 thebagster.com.

21 22 23 24 25 26 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

27 28 29 30 31

RESTRICTIONS 24 25 26 27 28 APPLY 29 30 29 30 31


Pictured below are the trash and recycling carts

Extra trash carts purchased through

2024 Trash–Recycling

As a reminder, all trash and recycling must be placed inside your carts.

Bulk item pickup will be on the second full week of each month.

Pool Permits

Necessary

Holiday Collection

Holiday

Memorial Day Week

July 4th Week

Collection Date

Thursday, May 30, for regular Wednesday collection and

Friday, May 31 for regular Thursday collection

Wednesday, July 3, for regular Wednesday collection and

Friday, July 5 for regular Thursday collection

RECYCLE RIGHT

Special Collections and Drop Off Events

E-Cycling (Electronics Recycling)

Saturday — May 11, June 8, July 13 and Aug. 10

10 a.m.–2 p.m.

C&RC, 1551 Mayview Road

E-cycling is the recycling of electronic equipment, anything with a cord

including large electric appliances. One television per vehicle per collection

accepted. There is a $25 charge for appliances containing refrigerant.

No non-electronics in wooden cabinets such as organs and pianos. No

personal items such as curling irons, shavers, vacuum cleaners, carpet

scrubbers, smoke detectors, batteries, etc.

Yard Waste Drop Off (Paper Bags)

Saturday — May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug. 10

10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Boyce Compost Site, Boyce Road

Yard waste drop-off includes leaves, plants, garden residue, chipped shrubbery,

tree trimmings and leaf/grass clipping mixture. Yard waste is to be in

compostable paper bags. Limbs are to be bundled and no longer than 48

inches and three inches in diameter.

Glass Recycling (an alternative to curbside recycling)

Village Square Mall, 5000 Oxford Drive, Bethel Park

(upper level in the parking lot)

Individuals can drop off glass bottles, jars and jugs of all colors

(no sorting required).

Sponsored by the Township of Upper St. Clair, Borough of Dormont,

Municipality of Bethel Park and Municipality of Mt. Lebanon in partnership

with Oxford.

Refer to twpusc.org for specific information and/or possible changes.

Swimming pools deeper than two

feet in the Township of Upper St. Clair

require a permit, or in many cases, two

permits.

A building permit is required for the

construction or installation of any swimming

pool that can hold a depth of 24

inches or more of water. This includes

permanent in-ground, above-ground and

storable/temporary pools. Any pool that

contains a filter system, heater or electrical

lighting requires a second electrical

permit.

In order to prevent children from

gaining uncontrolled access to the pool,

a barrier must be constructed. The height

of the barrier or fence must be at least

48 inches above grade. A successful pool

barrier prevents children from getting

over, under or through it and protects

their safety. n

For more information,

visit twpusc.org/buildingpermits.


Get Outdoors!

USC’s parks provide many choices

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

family visit its many parks and parklets. Go for an early morning stroll or pack a lunch and stay to play.

Feel the evening’s cool breeze as you enjoy the swings, climbing bars, a ball field or a welcoming bench.

You don’t have to travel far to enjoy green space and summer activity. Visit twpusc.org/recreationcenter

for more information about all our Township parks.

Baker Park

13.82 acres

Site Fields/Courts Playground Equipment Miscellaneous

Beadling Soccer Field

3.36 acres

Boyce Field

1 acre

Boyce Mayview Park

475+ acres

Brookside Park

3.7 acres

Byrnwick Park

7.05 acres

Clair Park

2.2 acres

Gilfillan Park

59.57 acres

Hays Park

4.21 acres

Johnston Park

2.48 acres

Marmion Field

11.32 acres

Morton Complex

7.5 acres

Municipal Park

29.75 acres

Ravine Park

10.51 acres

Trotwood Park

8 acres

Tustin Park

6.52 acres

Veterans Park

Wiltshire Park

11.2 acres

1 small baseball field,

2 lighted basketball courts (pickleball

lines added, bring your own net)

1 lighted sand surface volleyball court,

2 lighted tennis courts (pickleball

lines added), 2 lighted bocce courts

soccer field

baseball field

1 baseball field (rentable),

1 baseball/softball field (rentable),

Multi-purpose field (rentable),

1 Miracle League baseball field,

All fields have sports lighting

1 lighted basketball court,

1 tennis/pickleball court


Play unit and swing set

*Under construction. New playground and

shelter for 2024.

The Clubhouse at Boyce Mayview is the allinclusive,

custom-themed playground adjacent

to the Miracle League Field for kids of all ages

and abilities, featuring tower slides, ball glove

tube slides, replica Clemente Bridge, water

misting tree and misting fountain, piano and a

NEOS 360 electronic aerobic game


Small shelter, water fountain, picnic tables,

grass play area, large covered sand play area,

natural surface trail head, perimeter trail, extra

pickleball courts at the basketball courts (must

bring your own net)

Dugouts, batting cage, bleachers

Natural area and wetlands, ten miles of natural

surface walking trails, expanding perimeter trail

along eastern portion of the park, including a

pavilion with public restrooms (rentable facility),

open space, Community & Recreation Center,

with its 90,000-square-foot facility featuring

indoor/outdoor aquatics, state-of-the-art fitness,

group fitness rooms, 1/8 mile walking track, 2 fullsize

basketball courts, rentable community rooms,

restrooms at the Miracle League/Clubhouse

playground, shelter at Miracle League field,

baseball field concession building, Boyce Gardens

(rentable through Boyce Road Garden Club)

Natural area

Walking track, water fountain,

walkway lighting, grass play area

1 basketball court Play unit with slide and swing set Splash pad, cozy dome climber w/rubber safety

surface, shelter, water fountain, LED walkway

lighting

1 basketball court,


1 lighted basketball court,

1 tennis/pickleball court,

1 lighted hockey court with goals

1 soccer field,

1 lighted baseball field

3 soccer fields, 1 lighted field,

2 lighted baseball fields

10 lighted tennis courts with 6 courts

under air structures for winter season,

2 lighted paddle courts, 1 lighted little

league baseball field with dugouts,

concession stand, picnic shelter,

2 lighted basketball courts,

1 sand volleyball court

1 basketball court,




Play unit

*Under Construction in 2024.

New sports complex to be open in 2025.

Swing set, separate play structures for 2–5

and 5–12 year-olds, with synthetic turf

safety surface, mega-tower w/two ten-foot

twist tube slides, climbing wall, tot and

traditional swings and Mt. Kilimanjaro

climbing rock


1.25 mile outer loop wood chip trail with

interior trail through meadow

Asphalt walking trail, splash pad, small shelter,

water fountain, grass multi-purpose area

Walking path, water fountain,

walkway lighting

Shelter and bleachers,

2 water fountains

2 batting cages, concession /restroom building,

shelter, dugouts, announcer’s booth, natural

surface trail head, perimeter trail

McLaughlin Run Activity Center (MAC) (rentable

facility) building with meeting facilities,

kitchen, and restrooms, fire circle, large picnic

shelter, 3-hole golf course, water fountain, batting

cages, rain garden educational/picnic site

Natural area

2 water fountains, shelter, splash pad,

walkway lighting, grass play area

1 basketball court Play unit and swing set Asphalt/wood chip walking trail around park

2 lighted basketball courts,

1 lighted street hockey court with

goals

Poured-in-place rubber and synthetic turf

safety surface playground built in the hillside,

which includes horizontal net climber, cable

bridges, roller slide, double deck tower with

slides, Omni spinner, swings with infant

seats, a sand play area and frog splash pad

Visual presentation of military history,

benches, lighting

Restrooms, pavilion, seating area, grass play

area, walkway lighting, water fountain

Take a walk in the park! This trail map can also be found on the

Township website at twpusc.org under the Parks & Fields tab.


USC Recreation and

twpusc.org

The most up-to-date details and registration information

for recreation programs can be found at

twpusc.org/recreationcenter.

Questions? Call 412-221-1099


Leisure Services

412-221-1099

Become a member at the Community & Recreation Center!

3-Month & Annual Contracts

Senior, Adult, Youth and Family Memberships Available

Questions? Contact the membership department at 412-221-1099 Ext. 6220


USC Recreation and

Upper St. Clair

United Senior Citizens

The Upper St. Clair United Senior Citizens

had a full schedule of activities this past spring! From

celebrating Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day to food

tastings and entertainment from some of the cast of the

USCHS musical “Newsies,” slowing down is not part of

their agenda.

If you’re age 55 or older and retired, consider

joining the group, which meets most Wednesdays at the

McLaughlin Run Activity Center (MAC), located at 1770

McLaughlin Run Rd. (Spouses of eligible members may

also join, even if under the age of 55). Informal activities

begin at 10 a.m., with members holding a brief business

meeting at noon, followed by lunch. In addition, there

are various outings throughout the year. n

Love was in the air on

Valentine’s Day!

Celebrating Rina’s

85th birthday

Learning about a total solar eclipse

with Larry McHenry

A St. Patrick’s Day party with

entertainment from Craig Zinger

Gail Griffith gave a fun presentation about

Pittsburgh inventors and inventions.

Members of the “Newsies” cast gave a private

performance for the group.

USC Township Silver Card

The Township Silver Card is free and available to

residents ages 62 and older. To obtain a Silver Card

and receive access to a select number of group

exercise classes, USC’s three-hole golf course,

as well as a complimentary summer tennis permit,

visit the Community and Recreation Center, 1551

Mayview Road.

Silver card applications are available 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.,

Monday–Friday. A valid photo ID showing USC

residency is required upon application. Residents

who acquired their Silver Card prior to 2019 are

encouraged to re-apply for and receive a new,

updated card.

USCSD Gold Card

Upper St. Clair residents who are age 62

or older are eligible to receive a Gold Card,

entitling them to free admission to plays and

musicals, as well as regular season home

athletic events and activities sponsored by

the USC School District. WPIAL and PIAA

playoff games are not eligible for free or

discounted admission.

To obtain a Gold Card, visit the high school

main office at 1825 McLaughlin Run Road.

For more information, contact Nancy Dunn

at 412-833-1600, ext. 2236, or email

ndunn@uscsd.k12.pa.us.

ACCESS Paratransit

and Pittsburgh Regional

Transit Senior Citizen

Connect Card

Applications for the Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Senior Citizen Connect Card and the ACCESS

65 Plus Coordinated, Shared-Ride Paratransit

Service are available at the C&RC. Applications

must be made in person at the C&RC during

business hours, Monday–Friday. Proof of age

(65) is required at the time of application.

For additional information about any older adult programming, contact the community programs department at 412-221-1099.


Leisure Services

15 Years of the

Community & Recreation Center

It’s hard to believe, but it has already

been 15 years since the Community

& Recreation Center opened.

In the summer of 2009, after more than

five years of planning and preparation, the

C&RC opened up its doors to the public.

Since then, there have been thousands of

programs, hundreds of thousands of people

in and out of the facility and more memorable

moments than could be counted —

and none of that would have been possible

without the work of staff members, volunteers,

Township officials and residents

throughout the past 15 years.

In addition to running and operating the

building itself, the Recreation Department

needed to grow, resulting in the hiring of

12 new full-time and 75 new part-time

Recreation staff members in the first year.

Paul Besterman, the director of recreation

and leisure services, guided the development

and growth of the employees who

worked with him and the C&RC itself.

Including Paul, staff members who

have been around since the opening of the

C&RC are Chris Biswick, Storm Foreman,

Amy Kerman, Melissa Lindberg and Lynn

Walcoff. Hundreds of staff members have

played a role in the C&RC’s operation and

growth, many of whom still work there

today. When the Township decided to build

the C&RC, it was viewed as a 100-year

commitment, and every current and former

staff member, volunteer and visitor have

made it what it is now — a hub of health,

wellness, recreation and fitness for Upper

St. Clair and surrounding communities.

Storm, Amy and Lynn have all lived in

USC for a long time, and as staff members

and residents, they each have unique perspectives

as to how the C&RC has impacted

the community.

“From its inception, the C&RC was

destined to change our community for

the better,” said Lynn. “I, along with other

residents, members and guests, value the

recreational and wellness opportunities

and activities provided. At the C&RC, we

continue to strive each day to achieve our

goal of making a difference in the lives of

everyone who walks through our doors.”

“I have seen so many positive moments

at the C&RC since it opened, from

the youth all the way to the seniors,” said

Storm. “I find it amazing to see the different

uses for different people. One of our

members has become such a regular that

we call him the Mayor of the C&RC. This is

kind of a home-away-from-home for him.”

“The C&RC has added a feeling of community,

and I have been honored to see it

from both perspectives, as a resident and

an employee,” said Amy. “People want to

move here because Upper St. Clair offers

it all — a great place to live, a great school

district and a place to belong.”

There was an initial learning curve, but

the C&RC is now a well-oiled machine

that welcomed a record 291,501 visitors in

2023. And despite membership levels being

at an all-time high, the staff is still finding

ways to improve the space, expand offerings

and give members what they desire.

Many of the first part-time employees

were teenagers and college students who

needed a summer job or a way to make

some extra money. That’s still true today;

much of the present-day staff is made up

of high schoolers, college students and

even retirees.

But those first employees and visitors

from 15 years ago haven’t disappeared.

Now, they come back with kids of their

own — signing them up for swim lessons,

dropping them off at Camp St. Clair and

helping them get their first job.

Additional current staff members

who helped transform the C&RC from

an idea to a key feature in Upper St.

Clair include Township Manager Matt

Serakowski, Assistant Township Manager

Mark Mansfield, Director of Information

Technology Ed Poljak and Buildings and

Grounds Administrator Jeremy Lemley. The

support from the Board of Commissioners

cannot be overlooked either. Building this

facility was a risk, but the Board followed

through on its commitment to provide

the community with a top-class facility

to improve the quality of life in Upper St.

Clair, and it continues to follow through

on that commitment today.

There’s no telling what the C&RC

will look like in the next 15 years. There

are curveballs sometimes, like when the

COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench into

the whole world’s plans. But the Recreation

Department not only survived, it continued

to thrive during and after the pandemic

— and it came out the other side even

stronger.

Fifteen years from now, the passion,

commitment and dedication of the

Township and Recreation staff will still be

there, and there will be even more memories

and accomplishments of which to be

proud. n


“ I know I want

to avoid a nursing

home. What

other choices

do I have?”

An Envisage membership

makes it possible to

age independently and

successfully in the place

you call home —today

and tomorrow.

www.Envisage.org

412.605.4197

➤

SCAN

W I T H

YOUR

PHONE

Learn more about

the smart way to

age at home.

InCommFoxChapel_Envisage_Feb24_7.5x4.875_QR_fc.indd 1

1/25/24 4:19 PM

USC Street Resurfacing 2024

Below are the Upper St. Clair streets scheduled to be resurfaced during the 2024 season. Visit the Township website

at twpusc.org for up-to-date information for possible changes.

Street Name Termini From/To Street Name Termini From/To

Berkshire Drive Old Washington Road to

Southern Hilands Drive

Lattidome Drive Shenandoah Drive to

Morton Road

Brookhaven Lane Rosssmoor Drive to Paving Line Monterey Drive Corteland Drive to Terminus

Cedarvue Drive Thomtree Drive to Pinetree Drive Old Lesnett Road Lesnett Road to Lesnett Road

Clair Drive

Meadowcrest Drive to Terminus Oxford Place Lambeth Drive to Cul-de-sac

Corteland Drive Edgewood Drive to

Patton Drive Keifer Drive to Terminus

Oaklawn Drive

Polaris Circle Mayview Road to Cul-de-sac

Cremona Drive Wiltshire Drive to

Amesbury Drive

Rossmoor Drive 263 Rossmoor Drive to

Corteland Drive

Eton Drive

Lambeth Drive to Cramden Drive Taper Drive

Cook School Road to

Fairgreen Drive Boyce Road to Pinetree Drive

Second Tilton Drive

Fairway Circle Country Club Drive to Cul-de-sac Thames Place Lambeth Drive to Cul-de-sac

Hollydale Drive Laredo Drive to Township Line

Upper St. Clair Drive McMillan Road to Cul-de-sac

Keifer Drive Patton Drive to Paving Line

Wiltshire Drive Lambeth Drive to Cremona Drive

Kent Drive

Murdstone Road to Cul-de-sac

York Drive

Lambeth Drive to Bershire Drive

Lambeth Drive Wiltshire Drive to Berkshire Drive

Lambeth Drive Ext. Washington Road to

Old Washington Road


USC Needs Your Input

Upper St. Clair is currently in the process of updating

its comprehensive plan, adopted in 2015, and the Township

would appreciate your feedback. A comprehensive plan is

a strategic and visionary document that outlines goals and

policies related to land use, transportation, housing, economic

development, parks and recreation and more. It serves as

a guiding framework for decision-making and ensures that

future development and redevelopment aligns with community

values and needs.

As part of this process, the Township has launched a public

survey to gather input from residents and stakeholders. The

survey will be open until Friday, June 7, 2024. Scan the QR

code to respond to the survey, which should take no more

than eight to 10 minutes to complete.

Additionally, members of the community will have another

opportunity to provide feedback on the comprehensive plan

at Community Day on May 18. The comprehensive plan

consultants will have a table and activity for residents to

participate in and provide input.

Jonette Shanahan

REAL ESTATE AGENT & CERTIFIED HOME STAGER

Elevate

the sale

of your

home

to new

heights.

Your input is vital in

shaping the future of

Upper St. Clair!

412.407.5720 office

412.606.7785 cell

jonetterealestate@gmail.com

Township Opens New Flex

Space and Study Rooms

CPR Classes

In case you missed it, the Township opened its

new flex space and study rooms in February. The flex space

is located on the third floor of the library and includes five

separate study rooms, plus one large meeting room. The

study rooms have seating for up to four people, while the

meeting room can fit up to six.

The study rooms and meeting rooms require reservation

through the library’s LibCal website. To use the study rooms,

visitors will need a valid Allegheny County library card. You

can sign up for a library card at the USC library.

The flex space, which features a lounge area and additional

tables and seating, will be used for certain programs

and events. Visitors are welcome to enjoy this space without

reservation. n

Be prepared for the emergencies in your life and

neighborhood! Tri-Community South EMS offers

CPR classes on the first Tuesday of every month.

Classes are held at 6 p.m. at its headquarters at

5490 Progress Boulevard in Bethel Park.

For more information, call Natalie at Tri-Community South EMS at

412-831-3710 or visit the TCS website at tcsems.org.


DEPARTMENT OF FIRE PROTECTION

Summer Fire Safety Tips

According to the United States Fire

Administration, the summer season is one

of the most dangerous times of the year for

injuries and fatalities related to fires. Summer

should be a time for fun in the sun,

but with high temperatures, high expectations

of good times and sometimes lower

inhibitions, emergencies can happen. With

that being said, here are some key summer

safety tips to consider and embrace.

Outdoor Cooking

Grilling is a favorite summer activity.

Here is a list of items to consider when

doing so:

• Remain at least 10 feet away from all

structures

• When starting your grill, be sure to

leave it open

• Never leave any operating or hot grill

unattended

• Keep all grills clean and grease-free

• Thoroughly wet down used charcoal

briquettes after they have cooled and

dispose in an approved receptacle away

from your house or other structures

• In the event of a fire, use an extinguisher

• Grilling areas should be a kid- and petfree

zone

Fire Pits and Heaters

While summers are usually hot, the

nights can sometimes be a little chilly. Fire

pits and heaters for the patio often serve as

a great solution to the cool temperatures,

but they also pose a fire risk. To remain safe

when using a fire pit or heater, be sure to:

• Keep fire pits at least 10 feet away from

structures

• Never leave a fire pit or heater unattended

• Avoid using a fire pit or heater if it is

windy

• Avoid placing fire pits and heaters

on flammable surfaces or near trees

and shrubs, including low hanging

branches

Gasoline and Other Flammable Liquids

• Store gasoline and other flammables

in approved containers in cool, dark

environments OUTSIDE of your home

or basement

• Never refill lawn mowers or other

gasoline-powered equipment while in

operation or hot

• Keep flammable liquids away from

sources of ignition

Open Burning

Opening burning may only be conducted

in accordance with Allegheny

County Health Department XXI:215.50

“Open Burning.”

a. No material other than clean wood,

propane or natural gas may be open

burned EXCEPT for:

i. Commercially available fire logs,

paraffin logs or wood pellets

ii. Paper or commercial smokeless

fire starters in order to start a fire

iii. Charcoal for the preparation of

food only

b. Fires may be no larger than 3’ wide

by 3’ long by 2’ high

c. Fires must be at least 25 feet from

any structure and 15 feet from your

lot line. Fires in approved containers

may be located no closer than 15 feet

from any structure.

d. An approved container should have a

screen to provide a spark arrester.

e. Wood burning activities are prohibited

on Air Quality Action days

f. Burning may be prohibited if considered

a nuisance, based on the

following criteria:

i. The severity of the amount of

pollutants

ii. The duration or frequency or

open burning

iii. The topography of the surroundings

iv. The meteorological conditions

v. Must have a spark resistor over

top of the fire

vi. Must have an operable water

hose or fire extinguisher present

Heat Safety

Heat related illnesses and deaths can

happen during any kind of activity, particularly

outdoor activities. Three primary

heat related illnesses are:

Heat Cramps

The combination of rising body temperature

and a loss of electrolytes through

sweat. Signs and symptoms are:

• Feeling your muscles tighten and

harden

• Clammy skin

• Heavy sweating

• Tiredness or weakness

Heat Exhaustion

When the body loses excessive water

and salt, usually due to sweating, heat exhaustion

can occur. Signs and symptoms

include:

• Pale, ashen or moist skin

• Muscle cramps

• Fatigue, weakness or exhaustion

• Nausea or vomiting

Heat Stroke

Seek medical help immediately if someone

is suffering from heat stroke. Some

signs include:

• Body temperature above 103 degrees

• Skin that is flushed, dry and hot to the

touch; sweating has usually stopped

• Headache, dizziness, confusion or

other signs of altered mental status

• Convulsions or unresponsiveness

Upper St. Clair Volunteer

Fire Department Citizens

Fire Academy

If you have ever considered becoming

a firefighter, consider joining the

USCVFD Citizens Fire Academy. It is a

perfect look into the job of a firefighter,

including simulations, demonstrations

and real-world scenarios. This is a

seven-week program with classes on

Thursday evenings at the main fire

station located at 2001 Washington

Rd. The final class will be on a Saturday

and it will be a live burn at an approved

burn building. Registration is open to

all Upper St. Clair residents and/or

business owners over the age of 18.

Participants will receive personal

protective equipment to wear and

will participate in real-life hands-on

activities such as operating a hose

line, climb ladders, using the jaws of

life for auto extrication, performing

forcible entry on a door, searching an

area with a thermal imaging camera

and the chance to extinguish a live fire.

The academy will begin in early

September. For more information or

to register for the academy, visit the

volunteer fire department website at

uscvfd.com or stop by the station any

Wednesday evening.


YEARS

Anniversary Celebration

EVERYONE’S INVITED

When Wednesday, June 5

Time 5:00–6:30

Where Third Floor of USC Library

Who Free and Open to All

Details

Drinks and snacks provided

Giveaways and prizes for children

Art contest for all kids

pre-k through high school

Meet TODAY’s staff, Miss Colleen

and other Library staff

Everybody needs

a friend — be ours.

Scan the QR code

for more information

about the Friends of the

Library of USC.


From the Director’s Desk

Chris Gmiter, Library Director

The recent “Director’s Desk” columns in

this publication have been taken up with talk

of the future and the (now completed!) renovations

of the library. With that being said, if

you haven’t checked out the new Library space, please visit

any time and take a look.

I recently found a trove of library photo albums and scrap

books that span the years of roughly 1970 to 1985. I want

to share some of the photos with you all, both for a jog down

memory lane and as a depiction of the library’s space as it grew

into what it is now.

The man pictured here is Mr. George Grumbaugh, formerly

of Bartley Road. George’s significance to the library is extremely

noteworthy, as he was the first recipient of an Upper

The library scenes in

this photo collage may

look familiar to you, as the

library in its entirety occupied

what is now the Adult Fiction

area until the 1986 expansion of the

Municipal Building.

St. Clair Township Library card. Mr.

Grumbaugh’s card number was “1.”

When word got out that Mr.

Grumbaugh and his wife were retiring to

Florida in 1978, he was featured in a local news publication.

Mr. Grumbaugh humbly stated that being the first USC Library

cardholder was “no big deal” and that “(he) heard a new library

had just opened up the street and decided to take a look.”

This was when the library was located at the intersection of

Washington Road and Highland Road in the Mitchell’s Corner

Shopping Center.

Today, the library currently has approximately 11,000 USC

residents listed as borrowers, so Mr. Grumbaugh was the first

of many.

Let’s look at some photos

from past library celebrations:

The National Library Week banner

from 1977 is seen in the photo below.

Here we see a musical

storytime for kids from

the mid-’70s.

A crowd at the July 16, 1978, Friends of

the Library Book Sale, which was held in

the Municipal Building lobby, is the photo

shown below.

A pillar decorated with a depiction

of Uncle Sam commemorating the

Bicentennial was found in one of

the photo albums, as well.

In this photo, we have a depiction of the

library’s reference desk in 1975.

The library still carries an

abundance of audiovisual

materials in the form of DVDs

and audiobooks, but check out our

record collection from the 1970s.

And lastly, we have a flyer

advertising for the 1978

Summer Reading Club. It

seems to be based on a certain

film which takes place in a

galaxy far, far away.

This concludes our historical journey for this issue. I hope that you enjoyed reading it

as much as I enjoyed searchng the archives for this story. Until next issue!

— Chris


Kids Library


Gangs and Outlaws of

Western Pennsylvania

In-Person Event

Wednesday, May 15

6:30–8 p.m.

Join author and historian

Thomas White

as he explores Western

Pennsylvania’s criminal

history. Hear the

stories of the Flathead

Gang and the first armored car robbery,

Pittsburgh’s first bank heist and

Glenn and Irene — the area’s own

Bonnie and Clyde. Learn about the notorious

Cooley Gang who terrified Fayette

County in the 1890s, the escape of the

Biddle Boys and many other tales of the

region’s dark side.

Storyteller Alan Irving

In-Person Event

Wednesday, May 22

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join professional Storyteller Alan Irvine

for an evening full of fantastic stories.

Alan is well-known for his knowledge of

history and folk tales and has led various

local walking tours and appeared at various

libraries, schools and events, including the

Three Rivers Storytelling Festival and the

National Storytellers Conference.

USC Township Library Hours

Monday: 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

Tuesday: 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

Wednesday: 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

Thursday: 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m.

Friday: 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

Saturday: 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.

The library will be closed :

Saturday, May 18 for Community Day,

Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day and

Tuesday, July 4 for the Fourth of July.

Outside book and video return available 24/7

Library hours are subject to change;

please call or visit the library’s website

for hours of operation.

412-835-5540

twpusc.org/library

Adult Programs

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place

in the library multi-purpose room.

The Truth About Skincare:

How to Nourish Your Skin from

the Inside and Out

In-Person Event

Wednesday, May 29

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join Dr. Kreizenbeck from Horvath

Dermatology to learn how to nourish your

skin from the inside out. Dr. Kreizenbeck

has been practicing in the South Hills since

2014. She practices medical, cosmetic and

surgical dermatology.

Crafting Hour

In-Person Event

June 4 | July 2 | Aug. 6

4:30–6:30 p.m.

Calling all knitters, crocheters, embroiderers

and fiber artists of every kind! Come

join our stitching circle! We share advice

and inspiration, chat with new friends

and work on our projects in a supportive

group setting.

Disney Vacation

In-Person Event

Wednesday, June 5: 6:30–7:30 p.m. OR

Thursday, June 6: 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Join Kim and Eric Lancy to explore the

ins and outs of a Disney vacation with local,

experienced travel advisors. There are

two time slots for this program.

Board Game Night for Adults

In-Person Event

June 6 | July 11 | Aug. 1

4:30–6:30 p.m.

Looking for some fun? Join the Upper

St. Clair Library for a board game night!

Whether you’re looking to play an old

favorite or try something new, we’re open

to almost anything. Everyone is welcome,

regardless of skill level, so don’t worry if

you don’t know many games — we all

help each other out. The game selection

is based on the attendees’ interests and the

availability of board and card games. Feel

free to come and go as you please.

Game nights will be held from 4:30–

6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every

month. You can bring your games to share

or choose from the library’s collection.

Grab your friends and come to the library

for a night of board games!

Author Visit & Signing with

Anna Harsh

In-Person Event

Wednesday, June 12

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join Anna Harsh, founder and director

of Allegro Dance Company and author of

La Danza-Conflict, Passion and Healing as

she speaks about her passion for dance,

Italian heritage and adventures throughout

Italy. Experience firsthand authentic

dances, traditions, history and culture.

Coffee and biscotti will be served.

Jazz Concert with M&M Music

In-Person Event

Saturday, June 15

1–2 p.m.

Join Upper St Clair Township Library

and M&M Music school, along with

some of the finest jazz musicians in all of

Pittsburgh. Joseph Seman (sax), Michael

Bernabe (piano), Denzel Chismar-Oliver

(bass) and Jason Washington Jr. (drums)

will be playing a mix of modern and classic

jazz selections.


Adult Programs

Create Your Own Backyard

Wildlife Habitat

In-Person Event

Wednesday, June 19

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join award-winning bird photographer

Doris Dumrauf for an educational and

entertaining presentation about the simple

steps required to create a backyard wildlife

habitat for birds and insects.

Belly Dance Workshop

In-Person Event

Wednesday, June 26

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Belly dance is an ancient dance from

many countries, which has traveled and

spread all over the world. This workshop

will present belly dance for everybody, introducing

a brief history, demo and dance

class. All are welcome — no experience

necessary. Instructor Amethyst began belly

dancing in 1997 and is certified by Ansuya

Rathor (original member of Bellydance

Superstars), having earned her certification

in Florida and California.

What Made George Washington Great?

In-Person Event

Wednesday, July 3

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Todd DePastino will talk about

our country’s founding father, George

Washington, a man who didn’t like to

reveal his private life; preferring to be remembered

as the white marble “Father of

the Country,” the man on the dollar bill.

But Washington was as fascinating as the

other founders and, unlike the others, his

greatness relied not on special talents or

abilities, but rather his character.

This event takes place on the third floor

of the library.

Everything You Always Wanted to

Know About Dementia, but Were

Afraid to Ask

In-Person Event

Wednesday, July 10

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join Jamie Bennett for this presentation

about dementia and who it affects. Do you

find it difficult at times to communicate

with your loved one or find yourself getting

frustrated? Jamie will talk about effective

communication skills. Learn about the

disease process and what to expect. Jamie

will discuss navigating the healthcare system

and what insurance covers regarding

placement options. Community resources

for in-home services will be covered.

Jamie has worked for Amedisys

Hospice for the past six years, helping

patients and families receive the gift of hospice

and understand the Medicare Benefit,

as well as presenting education seminars to

caregivers, families and providing support

groups in the area.

Common Birds of

Western Pennsylvania

In-Person Event

Wednesday, July 17

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join award-winning bird photographer

and author Doris Dumrauf for a presentation

about common backyard birds. Learn

fascinating details about their personalities,

habitats and food preferences.

Holistic Reflexology for Good Health

& Preventative Medicine

In-Person Event

Thursday, July 18

5:30–6:30 p.m.

Join in for an informative evening

about Holistic Medicine and Prevention.

Dorit Brauer began her Holistic Medicine

Career in the US at the Center of Integrative

Medicine before joining the team of Dr.

David Servan-Schreiber at UPMC.

Holistic Reflexology is covered by

health insurance in Europe and Israel,

and physicians write referrals. It is well

integrated into the health care system, and

scientific research studies document the

positive benefits. This presentation teaches

simple techniques to improve health and

prevent disease. It begins with a relaxing

Sound Bath Meditation. The soothing

sound of Quartz Crystal Singing Bowls,

which induce alpha wave level activity of

the brain, balance the brain’s hemispheres

and resonate within every cell of the body,

creating health, balance and harmony.

Introduction into Nature Photography

In-Person Event

Wednesday, July 31

6:30–7:30 p.m.

Join award-winning nature photographer

Doris Dumrauf for an introduction

to nature photography. Learn how to improve

your skills by developing an eye for

subjects, focusing attention on them and

studying their environment.

Jazz Concert with M&M Music

In-Person Event

Saturday, Aug. 10

1–2 p.m.

Join M&M Music for a fun vocal performance

by Martina Bernabe singing a mix

of pop, musical theatre and jazz selections.

Try-It Tuesday

Try-It Tuesday, with local artist Judé

Ernest, is a regular monthly USC

Library in-person adult art program.

Limited to 15 participants. If you are

unable to make it, please cancel ahead

of time to allow for waitlisted participants.

A $5 donation is suggested.

These events take place in the library

multi-purpose room.

Try-It Tuesday: Beautiful Flower

Painting Techniques

In-Person Event

Wednesday, July 9

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

In this program, you will explore the

joy and magic of acrylic painting with

special tools and materials. Participants

will be introduced to several unexpected

and readily available tools and learn

to use them while painting flowers with

acrylic paints.

Try-It Tuesday: Beaded Trinket

Bowls

In-Person Event

Tuesday, Aug. 13

11:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Learn to create a practical, yet whimsical,

embellished felt trinket bowl from

felt, embroidery thread and beads. You

will learn how to make a pattern, then

cut, bead, hand sew and form a trinket

bowl of your own making.


SUMMER ACTIVITY

Join us this summer!

Ballet camps for children

of all ages and levels—as low as $40!

Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh

4100 Library Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15234

412-343-9333

www.balletacademypgh.com

info@balletacademypgh.com

Serving the USC community for 8 years

Everyone and Anyone

can learn to ride a bicycle safely

at a county park near you.

You can too!

Register for 2024

private and family lessons at:

Learn3Ride.com


SUMMER ACTIVITY

Summer Sparks: Igniting Connections Through Family Adventures!

Haley Roberts, Administrative Coordinator, Extended Day Services

As the warm breeze of summer beckons, it’s the perfect

time to deepen bonds and create lasting memories through shared

family adventures. Here are some simple, yet impactful, ways families

can connect while exploring some local places of interest.

Nature walks in the Laurel Highlands. Take a day trip to witness

the stunning natural landscapes of the Laurel Highlands and embark

on leisurely nature walks with your children. Explore trails at

Ohiopyle State Park, Forbes State Forest or Laurel Hill State Park.

Encourage your children to observe wildlife, listen to bird songs

and feel the earth beneath their feet.

Farm visits and U-Pick adventures. Support local farmers and cultivate

a connection to the land by visiting nearby farms. Spend a

day picking fresh berries at Trax Farms in Finleyville or exploring

Simmons Farm in McMurray. Engage your children in conversations

about where their food comes from and the importance of

sustainable agriculture.

Cultural excursions in Pittsburgh. Immerse your family in the

rich cultural heritage of Pittsburgh by visiting museums, art galleries

and historical sites. Explore exhibits at the Carnegie Museums

of Art and Natural History, take a ride on the incline for panoramic

views of the city or stroll through the vibrant neighborhoods of

Lawrenceville and the Strip District.

Outdoor movie nights under the stars. Create magical evenings

filled with starlit skies and family-friendly films by hosting outdoor

movie nights in your backyard. Set up a projector, spread out

blankets and pillows and snuggle up together as you enjoy some

children-friendly classics.

Campfire cooking and storytelling.

Gather around the

campfire for evenings filled

with storytelling, laughter

and delicious campfire

cuisine. Roast marshmallows

for s’mores, grill hot dogs

on a stick and share tales of

adventure and imagination.

Encourage your children to express themselves through storytelling

and creativity.

River adventures on the Allegheny. Beat the summer heat by

embarking on river adventures along the Allegheny River. Rent

kayaks or canoes from local outfitters like Kayak Pittsburgh and

paddle along scenic waterways. Take breaks to explore riverbanks

and take in the views.

Community gardening and planting projects. Foster a love for

gardening and environmental stewardship by participating in community

gardening initiatives or starting your own planting projects

at home. Visit local community gardens or cultivate your own

vegetable patch filled with tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

By engaging in summer adventures, families can strengthen connections,

foster empathy and create cherished memories that will last

a lifetime. Let this summer be a time of exploration, growth and joy

for you and your children in the beauty and vibrancy of our region. n

See ad for Extended Day Services on page 42.

MT. LEBANON

RECREATION CENTER

SKATE at the

MT. LEBANON RECREATION CENTER

Open Year Round with Something for Everyone

All natural ingredients, no artificial dyes

Free local delivery to Upper St. Clair residents

Family owned Upper St. Clair business

Learn-to-Skate Classes

Beginner & Advanced Hockey Clinics

Hockey Leagues

Youth Developmental

Middle School

Varsity

Adult

Public Skating

Summer Development Skating School

Adult Skating & Instructional Programs

Broomball

Summer Camps

412-561-4363 mtlebanon.org

Sensory

Dough &

Activities

wedontplaydough.com

@wedontplaydough

Use promo code USCTODAY10 for 10% off


SUMMER ACTIVITY

Give your child the gift of knowledge and fun this summer. Enroll them in our

coding camps today and watch them soar to new heights in the world of technology!

Visit our website to learn more and secure your spot.

Enroll Now! • Game Development • Python • Robotics

mcmurray.thecoderschool.com

724.299.8005

3901 Washington Road, Suite 206, Canonsburg

L A U G H T E R

I M A G I N A T I O N

G R O W T H

F R I E N D S H I P

M A G I C

Hello

Memory Support

at Providence Point

Dancing

412-489-3565

500 Providence Point Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA 15243

BaptistSeniorFamily.org

4 1 2 - 2 5 7 - 2 0 0 0

W W W . T H O M A S D A N C E . C O M

fall registration opening soon


Horses with Hope Returns to Gilfillan Farm

The month of May marks the

much-anticipated return of the Horses

with Hope herd to the scenic pastures of

Gilfillan Farm for another exciting year!

Alongside its renowned therapeutic

riding services, this season offers

equine-assisted learning programs, four

weeks of summer camp, collaborative

initiatives with local schools and opportunities

for participants, volunteers

and supporters.

As equine programming resumes

at Gilfillan Farm, Horses with Hope

extends an invitation for program volunteers

and certified instructors to join its

growing team. Volunteers play a pivotal

role in ensuring the safety and quality of

the program, fostering personal growth

and fulfillment for participants. No prior

experience is necessary, schedules are

flexible and individuals aged 14 and

over are welcome to make a difference.

For more information on volunteering

opportunities, visit horseswithhope.org/

volunteer. For those with a current PATH

Intl., CECTH or CHA certification, or

those willing to pursue certification,

consider joining the Horses with Hope

instructor team. n

Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 8, as

the Fifth Annual Belmont Jewel gallops into the

St. Clair Country Club. Don your finest derby

attire, complete with hats for a spirited hat

contest and enjoy an evening of festive fun!

Complimentary cocktails and appetizers begin

at 5 p.m. Watch the 156th Belmont Stakes Run

for the Carnations and try your luck at games,

silent auction items and raffles before enjoying

dinner and music.

Tickets are $150 per person or $1250 for a table

of 10 guests. For more information or to secure

your tickets, visit hwhbelmontjewel2024.

eventbrite.com. Don’t miss the opportunity to

showcase your business through event sponsorship,

while making a meaningful impact on

the local community. Four levels of sponsorship

are available with benefits including ads

in the event program and banner signage.

Join in the spirit of giving back at the Highmark

Walk on Saturday, June 22, starting from the

Stage AE parking lot on the North Shore. This

family-friendly event, accessible to strollers

and wheelchairs, offers a morning of fun for all

ages. Make it a day of fun — create

a team of friends and “neigh-bors”

for a larger impact! Follow the

registration link on the Horses with

Hope website at horseswithhope.

org/events. One hundred percent of

funds raised by Horses with Hope

registrants will directly benefit participants

and programs, enriching

the lives of individuals in the community

with emotional, physical and

cognitive needs through evidencebased

equine-assisted activities.

For more details on programming,

events and avenues for support,

visit horseswithhope.org.


Ted, Peters Township

Proud Grandfather

Amateur Astronomer

Aortic Stenosis Survivor

WHERE YOU'RE

MORE THAN

A PATIENT

Scan here to

learn more about

Ted’s story.

stclair.org

A Restless Heart Among the Stars

Ted Wolsko, 81, spent his childhood daydreaming about

anything and everything to do with airplanes and the stars they

chased — and every spare minute gazing.

“We lived really close to the Allegheny County Airport. My

dad would take me to watch, and I just fell in love a little bit

more with each takeoff and landing,” he says. “That’s where my

fascination with space began.”

“How lucky was I that my very first job was at the

Westinghouse Astronuclear Laboratory working on Project

NERVA and the man-to-Mars mission,” Ted says. He raised

three children with his wife of six decades, Connie, as his career

spanned from the space program to programming and even human

resources consulting.

Though he officially retired in 2001, he remained active in

the community with part-time roles at the Peters Township

Recreation Center and Clayton Engineering in Bridgeville. As the

years passed, Ted could feel himself really slowing down.

“I just chalked it up to getting older, and, like a lot of men my

age, I ignored some things I was experiencing when it came to

my health,” he says. “I wouldn’t admit that I had a problem, but

Connie could see it — even though I would try to hide it from

her. It got to the point where I had to sit down for 10 minutes

after walking to the mailbox, and she knew I had to do something

about it.”

Ted’s disease, aortic stenosis, occurs when the valve between

the lower left heart chamber and the body’s main artery (aorta)

narrows, restricting its ability to open all the way. A progressive

ailment, severe cases of aortic stenosis — and the resulting reduction

of blood flow — can lead to death without treatment.

Andy C. Kiser, MD, Physician-in-Chief of Cardiovascular

Services at St. Clair Health, had a clear message for Ted — one

that extends to anyone who might be experiencing symptoms

associated with heart disease.

“Don’t ignore the signs. If you’re feeling specific shortness

of breath or discomfort, or you just don’t have the same energy

anymore, the time to act is now,” he says.

After an echocardiogram confirmed the need for additional

testing, Dr. Kiser and the multidisciplinary valve clinic team at

St. Clair Health evaluated Ted further.

“One of the great things about St. Clair Health is that everything

you need is right under one roof — your cardiothoracic

surgeons, interventional cardiologists, anesthesiologists and radiologists

are all working together in the same place,” Dr. Kiser says.

“And we have a clinical liaison that helps you navigate every step.”

In short order, the team recommended a transcatheter aortic

valve replacement (TAVR) for Ted, which entails using a catheter

to replace the diseased heart valve with a new, man-made valve

through a very small incision in the leg.

According to Dr. Kiser, “The benefits are tremendous. You want

to be home, back to the things you love to do with the people

you love to do them with as soon as possible, and that’s what the

TAVR is designed to deliver.”

According to Ted, “It was amazing — and immediate. I felt

normal again and almost

couldn’t believe it — I could

breathe again. And I went

home the very next day!”

Ted was so enthused after

his TAVR that he asked

Dr. Kiser what he could

possibly do to thank him

and the team for their efforts.

He actually offered to

Dr. Andy Kiser

cut his grass — that’s how

good Ted felt.

“There are so many extremely dedicated and caring people at

St. Clair who do an unbelievable job,” he says. “And I’m extremely

grateful of everything they’ve done for me and my family.” n

St. Clair Health offers world-class medical advancements that can

make a world of difference — with minimal interruption to your life.

To learn more about TAVR at St. Clair Health, visit stclair.org/tavr/.

See ad on page 46.

FRIDAY, JULY 19

St. Clair Country Club

Tickets On

Sale Now

Foundation


Board of

School Directors

Jennifer A. Schnore

President

jschnore@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2025*

Barbara L. Bolas

bbolas@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2027*

Upper St. Clair School District

Dr. Danielle Z. Wetzel

Vice President

dwetzel@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2025*

Dr. Daphna Gans

dgans@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2025*

uscsd.k12.pa.us

@USCSchools

To reach personnel, call 412-833-1600, and follow the automated directions.

Administrator Secretary/Email Address Extension

Dr. John Rozzo...........................................................Sarah MacDonald.................................... 2218


smacdonald@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Dr. Amy Pfender.........................................................Mary Beth Harkleroad............................. 2214

Deputy Superintendent

mharkleroad@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Dr. Lou Angelo ..........................................................langelo@uscsd.k12.pa.us........................... 2272

Director of Operations & Facilities

Ray Berrott.................................................................rberrott@uscsd.k12.pa.us.......................... 2059

Director of Technology

Sean Bryson ...............................................................sbryson@uscsd.k12.pa.us.......................... 2560

Chief of School Police

Dr. Judy Bulazo .........................................................Mary Beth Harkleroad............................. 2214

Director of Curriculum and Professional Development mharkleroad@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Scott Burchill ............................................................Dawn Machi ............................................ 2220

Director of Business and Finance

dmachi@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Ray Carson, Jr............................................................Sarah MacDonald.................................... 2218

Senior Director of Operations & Administrative Services smacdonald@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Dr. Cassandra Doggrell ............................................Julie Karabinos......................................... 2116

Director of Special Education

jkarabinos@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Danny Holzer...............................................................Kimberly Valeriano.................................... 2260

Director of Athletics

kvaleriano@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Dr. Lauren Madia ........................................................Terri Lott .................................................. 2283

Director of Pupil Services

tlott@uscsd.k12.pa.us

Jonn Mansfield ............................................................jmansfield@uscsd.k12.pa.us ..................... 3450

Director of Transportation

Tina Vojtko ................................................................tvojtko@uscsd.k12.pa.us........................... 2215

Communications Specialist

Bradley Wilson ..........................................................bwilson@uscsd.k12.pa.us.......................... 3318

Director of Strategic Initiatives

School District Central Office Administration

Kelly P. Hanna

khanna01@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2027*

Justin Lamber

jlamber@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2027*

Dr. John Rozzo


Dr. Amy Pfender

Deputy Superintendent

Michael R. Mascaro

mmascaro@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2025*

Hallie H. Snyder

hsnyder@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2027*

*Date indicates expiration of term.

Angela B. Petersen

apetersen@uscsd.k12.pa.us

2027*

The list of the Upper

St. Clair Board of School

Directors 2023-2024 meeting

dates is available on

the District’s website:

uscsd.k12.pa.us/schoolboard.

Meetings typically begin at

7 p.m. in the district administration

building.

Upper St. Clair School District Annual Notices

The required annual notices to parents of children who reside

in the Upper St. Clair School District are available online. Visit

the district website at uscsd.k12.pa.us. Click on Information and

then select Compliance Notifications to view required state and

federal notices and information.

Scott Burchill

Director of Business and Finance

Dr. Judy Bulazo

Director of Curriculum and

Professional Development

Dr. Timothy Wagner

High School Principal

Dr. Daniel Beck

High School Assistant Principal

Cara Senger

High School Assistant Principal

Ray Carson, Jr.

Senior Director of Operations

& Administrative Services

Dr. Cassandra Doggrell

Director of Special Education

Dr. Lou Angelo

Director of Operations & Facilities

Dr. Lauren Madia

Director of Pupil Services

School District Building Administration

Erin Peterson

Fort Couch Middle School Principal

Gordon Mathews

Fort Couch Assistant Principal

Dr. Daniel O’Rourke

Boyce Middle School Principal

Dr. Christine Mussomeli

Boyce Assistant Principal

Ray Berrott

Director of Technology

Bradley Wilson

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Dr. Patrick McClintock-Comeaux

Baker Elementary School Principal

Mark Miller

Eisenhower Elementary

School Principal/Supervisor of

Elementary Education

Dr. Lindsay Klousnitzer

Streams Elementary School Principal


Bolas Recognized for Service

Barbara Bolas, a 36-year member of the Upper St. Clair

Board of School Directors, was recognized by the Pennsylvania

School Boards Association (PSBA) and

its Honor Roll of School Board Service.

Since 1983, PSBA has been recognizing

school board members who earn

“honor roll” status upon completing

eight years of service and then again

at every four-year increment.

Lena Hanna, PSBA’s Western

Pennsylvania member outreach manager,

praised Bolas and her years of

dedicated service to students, the

Upper St. Clair community and public

education.

Last fall, Bolas was honored

with the 2023 William Howard Day

Award from the Pennsylvania Public

Education Foundation. The award

recognizes outstanding contributions

to public education.

Bolas was first elected to the school

board in 1985. She served four terms as

president and five as vice president. In

2001, she was elected president of PSBA. She served as a National

School Boards Association board member from 2001–2010 and

was the national association’s president

in 2008–2009.

A leader in public education at the

local, state and national levels, Bolas

has been recognized for her service and

advocacy. In 2022, she was honored

with the Voice of Advocacy Award

from the Western Pennsylvania Forum

of School Superintendents. She is also

a recipient of the Pennsylvania School

Boards Association’s Chief Executive

Officer’s Distinguished Service Pin,

which recognizes its members, staff and

education advocates for their extraordinary

service and work on behalf of the

association.

Bolas holds a bachelor’s degree in

education from the State University of

New York. She and her husband, Jim,

are the parents of two Upper St. Clair

High School graduates. n

Barbara Bolas

Dr. Wagner Named Penguins MVP

Dr. Timothy Wagner, Upper

St. Clair High School principal,

has been named a 2024 Pittsburgh

Penguins MVP (Most Valuable

Principal). He was among 15

Allegheny County building

administrators being commended,

who were recognized at a

Penguins hockey game this past

March.

“Dr. Wagner was selected

among an extensive pool of nominations,

which is a testament to

Tim Wagner

his outstanding leadership in advancing teaching and learning,

his commitment to excellence and his dedication to the success

of all learners within the Upper St. Clair school community,”

said Dr. Jill Jacoby, Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) assistant

executive director of teaching and learning.

The MVP program was sponsored by the Pittsburgh Penguins,

the Grable Foundation and the AIU. The 15 MVPs received two

tickets to the Penguins game, a customized Pens jersey and a

$1000 donation for their respective school.

A member of the Upper St. Clair School District staff since

2007, Dr. Wagner joined the USCHS administration in 2015 as the

associate principal for program planning and innovation. He was

named the school’s principal in 2019. In May 2023, Dr. Wagner

was selected as Pennsylvania’s 2023 Principal of the Year. n

Support Our 2024

High School Varsity Football Team

Cheer on our Panthers!

Kick-offs Fridays, 7 p.m.

at Panther Stadium for five home games

August 23

USC tackles Mt. Lebanon

(Senior Rec)

September 6

USC battles Franklin Regional

(New Family Dinner)

September 27

USC takes on Peters Twp.

(Homecoming)

October 18

USC challenges Moon

(Halls of Fame —

event on Oct. 17)

October 25

USC faces Baldwin

(Youth Night)

For additional information regarding the schedule,

including special activities, call the USCHS Athletic Office at

412-833-1600, extension 2260 or 2261, or visit the district

website at uscsd.k12.pa.us..


Financial Reality Fair

“I was blown away to learn how expensive life is,” said

Nate Stohl, USCHS junior.

Upper St. Clair High School, in partnership with Clearview

Federal Credit Union, offered a Financial Reality Fair for the

school’s 350 juniors this past February. The Financial Reality Fair

provides students with a hands-on budgeting simulation designed

to gain practical knowledge and awareness of personal financial

management in a one-day, ‘real world’ environment.

The event was coordinated by Jared Nicholson, USCHS math

teacher, who also teaches a semester-long Financial Literacy

course and a College in High School (CHS) Financial Accounting

course through Robert Morris University. Parent volunteers helped

to staff the many booths and tables throughout the day.

Prior to the event, students were asked to research the cost of

a college they were interested in attending, as well as a specific

career. These two data points helped determine a monthly student

loan payment amount, as well as a realistic starting salary.

“Using Google Sheets, taxes were automatically calculated and

students could see what their monthly take home pay would be

based upon that salary,” said Nicholson. “The program was educational,

fun, interactive and customizable for students so they

could really get an idea of what their future lifestyle and financial

success might look like.”

It’s that broader view of life beyond high school and college

that resonated with junior Ryan LaRocco.

“The event makes me think about life beyond school,” said

Ryan. “Right now, I feel so focused on my classes for next year

and applying to colleges, but this event has broadened my scope

of what my life will look like when finally working and has made

me think ahead, too.”

Held in the school’s small gym, students had approximately

90 minutes to budget their monthly expenses to make ends meet,

while accounting for housing, insurance, cell phone, transportation,

food and other essentials.

“At one table, students would decide which type of home

they wanted to live in and find the monthly cost of that home.

Another table enabled them to pick a car and car insurance,” said

Nicholson. “After students visited each table and totaled their

monthly expenses, they met with a financial advisor to see how

much money they had left over each month and discuss what they

could do with that leftover money — invest more, save for short/

long term goals, pay off high interest debt, donate, etc. If they did

not have leftover money, they had to visit the ‘part-time job’ table.”

As a parent volunteer, Denny Albertini enjoyed being part of

helping students learn what kinds of life decisions they will face

in the future.

“I worked the housing options table, and I loved talking with

the students as they considered the balance of freedom, amenities

and expense,” said Albertini. “I think many students gained a better

appreciation for how expensive housing can be. Many weren’t

too pleased with the concept of a security deposit!”

Parent volunteer Gina Swanson helped students with their

monthly food budget. Students were tasked with deciding how

often they would prepare their own meals vs. eating in restaurants.

“They all wanted to save money by cooking their own meals,

but most admitted that they don’t know how to cook much other

than eggs or ramen. Additionally, the thought of having to shop

for groceries or clean their kitchens didn’t occur to them, especially

after working all day,” said Swanson. “Some of the students

admitted a fondness for daily Starbucks, Dunkin, Chipotle or

DoorDash — and when I asked them to add up how much they

spent in a week, there was often a sense of disbelief.”

The cost of groceries was a bit of a shock for many students.

“One student admitted he had no idea that it would cost so

much — even at the lowest level of the suggested budget,” said

Swanson. “One of my favorite comments came from a student

who wondered how difficult it must be to feed an entire family,

not just one person.”

Students were challenged to find creative solutions to make

ends meet.

“While most students had sticker shock about their food

budget, there were some creative suggestions to stretch their

budget, including eating at their part-time restaurant job, getting

a job where there is an employee cafeteria — where prices would

probably be lower, sharing meals with friends (so they didn’t have

to cook every day) and visiting their parents more often in the

hopes of mom cooking (I endorsed this idea!),” said Swanson.

The event inspired junior Ava Kasper to want to start better

understanding the importance of saving and budgeting.

“It was eye-opening how fast expenses add up and how important

it is to prioritize what expenses are necessary for you

and which ones are not,” said Ava. “It was helpful to be put in a

situation where we have to think about what we want to spend

more on versus what we can spend less on. There were also expenses

I have never thought about, like how expensive pets are.”

For junior Carly Shontz, the most challenging aspect was the

decision-making.


“When picking the type of car I want to drive, I didn’t know

if I should get a used/new car or what size car to get,” said Carly.

“I realized how important the decision is because the price range

was so different, while also considering other payments/costs.”

After students had budgeted for their essentials, they had

the option to explore and purchase other goods and services,

including pet ownership, hair/nails/spa treatments, gym/fitness

memberships and charitable donations.

“Knowing that I am close to being an adult is scary, but I

feel a lot more knowledgeable and ready,” said Carly. “I know

the basic things that I need to pay for and remember when I am

dealing with money (that I would not have known about prior

to this). I also liked how there were booths for recreational/

fun things like nails, pets and gym memberships! It was nice

to know what the regular costs were for these not-so-important

parts of life. They can add up fast!”

For many students, the event was eye-opening. Most had

never considered the monthly cost of living independently.

“The Financial Reality Fair helped me learn more about

balancing different expenses that I will have to worry about in

the future,” said junior Emma Toosi. “It also made me realize

the costs of certain things. I did not realize some expenses cost

so much. I’ve never thought about the cost of furniture, but

after this experience I was shocked by how expensive it was.”

To keep the simulation as realistic as possible, students were

required to visit and spin the “Wheel of Reality” to receive one

of life’s surprises. Students would suddenly have to factor in the

unexpected cost of car repairs, a stolen credit card, a dropped

phone or doctor visit or benefit from selling an item on eBay, a

bonus at work or a tax refund.

Nicholson finds that grade 11 is a great time to delve more

deeply into budgeting in order to have a lasting impact.

“Juniors are a good grade to do this with because they are

starting to get part-time jobs, drive, pay for gas, etc.,” said

Nicholson. “Teaching students important financial habits while

young can help set them up for better futures since they will

know how to responsibly manage their finances and make

financially sound choices from a young age.”

Parent volunteers agree that the fair experience was beneficial

for students.

“The kids definitely understood the idea that they needed

to look at their overall spending and try to keep everything in

balance,” said Swanson. “They realized they may need to make

sacrifices in some areas to make room in the budget for others.

Additionally, there is not one ‘right’ way to construct the budget,

but they need to tailor it to their own specific circumstances.” n

Cake4Kids

An Upper St. Clair High

School junior is on a mission to

spread joy one birthday cake at a

time. Ishaan Sharma, along with his

mom (Priyanka Sharma), is establishing

a Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of

Cake4Kids.

“Our mission is to provide birthday

cakes to at-risk/underserved Ishaan Sharma

youth because we believe everyone, regardless of socioeconomic

status, deserves such a seemingly simple joy,” said

Ishaan. “We have already connected with and signed on a few

agencies to work with, and are now in the volunteer recruitment

process.”

To date, Cake4Kids has partnered with Beverly’s Birthdays,

the Bair Foundation and the South Hills Interfaith Movement.

Founded in 2010, Cake4Kids is a national nonprofit with 29

chapters in 17 states that has delivered more than 60,000 cakes

to children. The Greater Pittsburgh Chapter is Pennsylvania’s

first.

“I learned about Cake4Kids through a family friend. After

researching the organization a bit more, I saw that they were

accepting new chapter applications, so my mom and I submitted

one,” said Ishaan. “It’s an untapped niche that affects far more

people in our area than you could imagine.”

Combining his love of baking and his desire to make a

positive impact on the lives of area children, Cake4Kids was a

natural fit for Ishaan.

“I’ve loved to bake for several years, and I wanted to see if

I could productively extend my passion,” he said. “I’ve been

blessed to grow up in the situation that I have, and not everyone

is so lucky. Something that most of us take for granted, the joy

of just celebrating your birthday, is not as common as I want

it to be. I wanted to change that, and I did it in the best way I

knew how — cakes.”

In addition to baking, Ishaan takes an active leadership role

in several activities at USCHS. He serves as treasurer of the USC

Robotics Club, extemporaneous captain of the Speech & Debate

team and treasurer of the Technology Student Association.

Ishaan and Mrs. Sharma are currently recruiting volunteer

bakers who are age 16 or older and have moderate baking experience.

Volunteers donate all the ingredients and supplies to

bake cakes in their own homes and then deliver them to the

partner agencies.

“People who can ice cakes

(nothing fancy needed) are

preferred, but if you are good

at simple cookies/brownies,

we can work with that,” he

said. “They will have access to

a portal where agencies submit

requests, and bakers then take

up the request, bake and deliver

to the agency.” n

For more information, email Ishaan at sharmai@uscstudents.org or

visit the Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of Cake4Kids online.


Fort Couch Finishes Fifth at International Future City Competition

This past February, students from Fort Couch Middle

School placed fifth at the international DiscoverE 2024 Future

City ® Competition, which was held in Washington, D.C. Eighth

graders Felix Chen, Rory Wilson and Claire Birmingham, along

with faculty advisor Jason O’Roark, gifted and accelerated math

teacher, represented the team.

Fort Couch Future City team

Forty-six teams from across the United States and China

competed in the event.

“Getting in the top five is a big deal….that’s where the prizes

start,” said O’Roark. “We have a big trophy in my classroom and

the team won $750 for the school’s STEM program.”

Since last fall, middle school students in 37 U.S. regions, as

well as teams from all over the world, have imagined, designed and

built cities for DiscoverE’s 2023-2024 Future City Competition.

This year’s theme, Electrify Your Future, challenged students to

imagine and design future cities that are fully electric and powered

by clean, green and renewable energy sources.

Odyssey of the Mind Spontaneous Fun Day

“The kids did a great job presenting at nationals and answering

questions from panels of engineers,” said O’Roark. “This is

the best anyone from the Pittsburgh region has done since 2004.”

More than 35 Fort Couch students worked throughout the

fall to transform the current city of San Antonio, Chile, located

just west of Santiago on the coast, into “Tierra Fuerza” (roughly

Spanish for earth power). Students who worked on the project

included eighth graders Aadhya Agrawal, Aanya Agrawal, Maria

Alfredson Themudo, Sam An, Claire Birmingham, Taro Carr, Felix

Chen, Malo Dubreil, Ahana Mendhi, Grace Nasman, Michaela

Pacella, Cynthia Shen, Suhavi Singh, Hope Waldron, John

Whitman, Rory Wilson and Joey Wyse; and seventh graders James

Conner, Isabella Dastur, Claire Dietiker, Lindsey Fitzgerald, Finley

Garvey, Darsh Kakkad, Aadi Kaushik, Lindsay Krofcheck, Will

Kreizenbeck, Theodora Lagonis, Owen Maher, Kate McClintock-

Comeaux, Clara McLean, Mira Murthy, Avik Pandey, Seth Pedretti,

Daniel Smith, Arya Zevallos and Maddy Zevallos.

The Fort Couch Middle School team earned the opportunity

to compete at the international event by placing first at the 2024

Pittsburgh Regional Future City Competition this past January.

This marked the second year in a row that Fort Couch won the

regional competition. n

Fort Couch team at International Competition

This past February, two Boyce Middle School teams

earned first and second place respectively, at the Western

Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind Spontaneous Fun Day.

The USC Mushroom Frogs, a team of fifth graders, earned first

place in Division 1 (grades 2–5). Coached by Katherine Zesch and

Amber Rowlands, team members include Lila Dressel, Ava Fingal,

Kyri Link, Emma Marquez, Frannie Rapport and Liv Zesch. The

sixth-grade team, USC RatSplat, earned second place in Division

2 (grades 6–8). Team members include Lydia Calkins, Caroline

Fingal, Drew Holzer, Keira

Mycoff and Jacob Reinford. The

team is coached by Josh Mycoff

and John Reinford.

Nine of Upper St. Clair’s 23

Odyssey of the Mind teams attended

the event.

Spontaneous Fun Day is an

Odyssey of the Mind competition

where teams from the Western

Pennsylvania region gather

to test their problem-solving

Team Mushroom Frogs

skills before heading to the regional tournament in March. At

Fun Day, teams are given several problems to solve spontaneously

or “on the spot” with no prior knowledge of the problem

before entering the room. Spontaneous problems are either verbal,

verbal hands-on or hands-on in nature. Verbal problems require

a spoken response. Verbal hands-on problems involve a physical

solution with a spoken response. Hands-on problems are purely

constructive, requiring the team to build or create their problem

solution. Scores are given for creativity, teamwork and other

measurable parameters.

Odyssey of the Mind is an

international STEAM program

that fosters creative problemsolving

skills, teamwork and

ownership in students from

grades K through 12. For more

information about Odyssey of

the Mind in Upper St. Clair,

visit uscootm.com or email uscootm@gmail.com.

See related

OM article on page 57. n

Team RatSplat


PMEA News

Upper St. Clair High School musicians have earned recognition

through the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA).

Four Named to PMEA Ensembles

Senior Gabe Pacella, who plays trumpet, was named to the

PMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble and performed this past April. Gabe

is the first Upper St. Clair student in several years to successfully

audition for this All-State ensemble.

In addition, Maria Khila (baritone saxophone), Carlee Santel

(trumpet) and Lauren Tenney (clarinet) represented Upper St.

Clair in the PMEA Region 1 Band this past February. Students

auditioned for the Region I Band during the PMEA District 1 Band

Festival held this January.

(l/r) Gabe Pacella, Maria Khila, Carlee Santel and Lauren Tenney

Six Qualify for PMEA Region Choir

This past March, Upper St. Clair High School students Greg

Boughner, Elliot Bruno, Reese Copenhaver, Phoebe Glunt, Adam

Levine and Isabel Vilensky participated in the PMEA Region 1

Choir.

The students, who auditioned for the Region I Choir during

the PMEA District 1 Chorus Festival this January, are led by Laura

Surguine, choir director and drama teacher.

Three Selected for PMEA District Orchestra

Percussionist Isaac Bernstein, along with violinists Miriam

Gutensohn and Daniel Tung were selected for the PMEA All-State

orchestra and performed with them this April in Erie, Pa. The USC

orchestra students are led by Karen Chisholm, orchestra director.

Two Named to All-State Band

Representing Upper St. Clair with the PMEA All-State Band

were junior Carlee Santel, trumpet, and senior Lauren Tenney,

clarinet. The USCHS students, who performed at the PMEA

All-State Festival this April, are led by Dr. John Seybert, performing

arts curriculum leader and director of high school bands.

Isaac Bernstein Miriam Gutensohn Daniel Tung

PMEA is a statewide nonprofit organization of more than 4,500

members, dedicated to promoting the musical development of all

Pennsylvanians. The organization promotes and supports quality

music education, learning and performance, as well as promoting and

supporting music education in schools and communities. PMEA is

affiliated with The National Association for Music Education.

Carlee Santel

USCHS Literary Arts Magazine Earns First Place

Montage, a student-produced literary

arts magazine at USCHS, recently earned first

place recognition in the annual Scholastic

Yearbook, Magazine and Newspaper Contest,

sponsored by the American Scholastic Press

Association.

The 2022–23 staff who produced the

award-winning publication included Lisa

Choreklieva, editor-in-chief, Ujal Gautam,

literary editor, Aarav Patil, marketing director,

Vincent Watson, art editor, and Rohit

Satttuluri, Mana Barimani and Opal Miller,

design editors. English teacher Daniela Buccilli

serves as faculty adviser.

“Lisa planned and executed a minimalist

design for the issue,” said Buccilli. “As a student

who lived in Russia and Ukraine, with family

still in Ukraine, she wanted to create an issue

that spoke quietly of the seriousness of our

times. She was inspired by the illustrations in

the poetry collection Milk and Honey.”

The annual contest provides feedback on

page design, story layout, graphics, headlining,

cover design, advertising placement, photography

and other publication elements. Each

school yearbook and magazine is scored on a

point system and is awarded first, second or

third place in its classification.

Lauren Tenney

“We are so proud of all

those associated with last

year’s Montage,” said Dr.

Timothy Wagner, USCHS

principal. “The USCHS

literary magazine has a

tradition of excellence,

and I’m so pleased that

our students continue to

benefit from the internal

satisfaction of creative ventures and the external

accolades on work well-done.” n

The 2023–24 issue of Montage is anticipated to

be available this month.


Fairchild Challenge

Boyce students earned second place in the Fairchild

Challenge at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. Sixth

graders Somi Valancius, Rebecca Zahalsky, Sara Alhajhusain,

YuRui Lin, Sarah Staub, Kenzie Petrick, Brayden Wong and

Praachi Sreeram competed in the middle school division of the

Visual Arts & Writing Challenge — Harmony in Hues: Mural for

Climate Justice.

Led by gifted education teacher Sherri Garvey, the Boyce students

were tasked with creating a model mural that represents a

climate/environmental issue in their community, its impact and

some solutions. The middle school students focused their efforts

on air pollution from vehicle and lawn emissions.

“Lawn equipment emissions may not be the first thing one

would think of when considering the culprits of air pollution,”

the Boyce students wrote. “However, gas-powered lawn equipment

in Allegheny County generated more than 100,000 tons of

air and climate pollution in 2020 — as much as more than one

million cars. The analysis ranks the county among the worst in

Pennsylvania and nationally, in this category.”

As proposed solutions, the students recommended converting

to electric lawn equipment, as well as updating Pennsylvania’s

Vehicle Emissions and Inspection and Maintenance Program,

which was last revised nearly 20 years ago.

“All of the Fairchild Challenges involve learning about environmental

science and demonstrating that knowledge through

writing and art,” said Garvey. “I appreciate the interdisciplinary

Inline Hockey Teams Earn Gold

Upper St. Clair Inline Hockey recently won championships

at both the high school and middle school levels. The

teams compete in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Roller Hockey

League (PIRHL).

High school varsity players include Isaac

Bernstein (leader in scoring and assists

USC Inline Hocky team — High School Champions

(l/r) Somi Valancius, Sarah Staub, Sara Alhajhusain, Praachi Sreeram,

Kenzie Petrick, YuRui Lin and Brayden Wong

approach to learning and the opportunity to combine art and

science.”

The students’ winning artwork was on display throughout

February in the Center for Sustainable Landscapes Gallery at

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland.

This marked the first year that Boyce students participated

in the Fairchild Challenge, a free, multidisciplinary, standardsbased

environmental education outreach program for high school,

middle school and elementary school students. The Challenge

invites students to investigate the thorniest environmental issues,

devise imaginative and effective responses to these issues and take

action to address them. The Fairchild Challenge was designed and

initiated by Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables,

Florida and adopted by Phipps as a satellite partner in 2008. n

Middle School Champs

for the varsity division), Caleb Guarino (second in scoring and

assists), Cohen Marx, Chase MacDougall, Claire Manalo, Jack

Bavaro, Jeffrey Hurst, Alex Coleman, Yuhong Shi, Zac Starr and

Kristen Albertini (goalie).

The team’s head

coach is Eric Bernstein

and assistant coach is

Matt Guarino.

Varsity had a 15–3

record in the regular

season and 3–0 in

playoffs.

The Upper St. Clair

middle school team

prevailed in the championship

three-game

series against North

Allegheny, and in the final

third game brought home the gold. Team members include Abe

Scobel, Austin Michulka, Brenton Wilson, Cade Otto, Charlie

Senske, Charlie Young, Elliott Anderson, James Conner, Matthew

Campagna, Matthew Hendrych, Rocco Mastramico, Ryan Duda

and Tanner Evans (lead scorer in the middle school division).

The middle school team is led by head coaches Leon Young and

Todd Evans and assistant coach Isaac Bernstein. n

For more information, visit USCinlinehockey.com. Sign-ups/team

placements will be held June 2 and August 18. Visit their booth at

Community Day for more information.


The audience was tapping their feet and humming along with

the students on stage during Upper St. Clair High School’s 2024 spring

musical, “Newsies.”

Based on the classic 1992 Disney film of the same name, “Newsies”

was even bigger and brighter on stage! With a humorous and heartfelt

book by Harvey Fierstein and an energized and engaging score by icons

Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, “Newsies” was an inspiring, family-friendly show. Key numbers

included the show-stopping “Seize the Day,” power ballad “Santa Fe” and fun songs like “Watch

What Happens,” “That’s Rich” and “the Bottom Line.”

This year’s show was directed by Dr. Stephen Torquato, USCHS social studies teacher. He and

the show’s creative team selected “Newsies” for its large cast and upbeat message. Nearly 130 students

were involved with this year’s musical production, including

on stage, on the crew or in the orchestra pit. Students also had the

opportunity to take on leadership roles that included student director,

student stage manager, student producer and dance captains. n

Photos courtesy of

John Barsotti


STEAM

A Decade of Innovation

Six teams of USCHS students presented their work to a panel of

professionals from EAFab Corp as part of the Honors STEAM Innovation

& Consulting course. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the course

that tasks students with solving real-world challenges faced by organizations

and corporations.

Throughout the last decade, Upper St. Clair students have worked with

engineers and other executives from companies that have included EAFab,

Eaton Corp, All Clad Metalcrafters LLC, Universal Electric, OZ Enterprises

and Tom Brown, Inc. The course was developed by Fred Peskorski, technology

education teacher, in collaboration with colleagues Brian Garlick

and Tom Isaac from South Fayette High School, both of whom have since

retired from teaching.

“My favorite part about this course is seeing the maturation of the students

as they go from largely theoretical learning to actual problem-solving,

while working with professionals,” said Peskorski. “It’s also very interesting

to see the diverse set of problems that our corporate partners bring to us

each year.”

The problems are varied in scope and often require students to explore

new subject areas that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to

learn about. Most recently, each student team was presented with a specific

challenge to research and develop solutions for EAFab. Problems ranged

from developing an automated inventory process to designing storage racks

that can securely hold pipes and other supplies with a weight capacity of

up to 1500 pounds.

This set of presentations marked the first time that students have used

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to accomplish their goal.

“Like most teachers, I have some reservations about the appropriate use

of AI,” said Peskorski. “But, like so many disruptive technologies that have

come before, I think it’s best to find a way to responsibly incorporate it into

our courses when applicable.”

Students Henry Ginsburg, Amanda Aidar and Luke Ralyea were tasked

with developing an app or algorithm to more efficiently use pipe resources,

ultimately reducing waste and saving money. Creating the algorithm required

significant coding. By leveraging AI, the students were able to work beyond

their skill level in order to achieve their goal.

“The students used AI to help them solve their problem,” said Peskorski.

“It was a very interactive experience that taught them how to use AI effectively,

while also learning about the code writing process itself.”

Using AI to help write the code required some trial and error, which

provided a great lesson in prompt optimization. By refining the text of their

AI request, they could achieve more accurate results.

“As long as students are open about how they leverage its use to find the

best possible solution for our partners, I applaud the effort,” said Peskorski.

“In many cases, these young students will be able to open the eyes of some

of their older corporate counterparts to the potential of AI.”

One of the benefits of this course is that students get to learn about a

variety of types and sizes of industries.

“They have experience working with relatively small local companies

to international multi-billion-dollar companies,” said Peskorski. “In each

case, our students tour the manufacturing facilities, as well as the front office

spaces. It can only be beneficial for them to see both the similarities of

these companies but also the different challenges that they face.”

The Honors STEAM Innovation & Consulting students will be working

with Eaton Corp and then All-Clad to finish the semester. Peskorski is

confident that this course helps prepare students for life beyond high school.

“If correspondence from former students is any indication, they will go

on to college and industry a step ahead of most of their peers no matter

what the major or occupation,” he said. “I am fortunate to have formed

STEM

lasting relationships with many of my former STEAM

students and without exception, they all found great

value in having taken this course.”

Over the last decade, the course has impacted hundreds

of USCHS graduates.

“It’s always a treat when I receive a random email

from a former student thanking me for the experiences

that they had in this class,” said Peskorski. “I don’t

know that students truly appreciate how special this

class is until after they finish and have time to reflect

on it.” n

EAFab Corp Challenges

Inventory Management

Lucas Bishop, Vatsal Kalra and Reilly Caslin

Revamp and automate EAFab Corp inventory process

that communicates with the purchasing department.

Radius Gauge

Stephen Meyer, Yog Trivedi and Rohit Sattuluri

Design and build a “fits-right-every-time” gauge setup

to check the radius of rolled pipe.

Storage Rack

Susan Liu, Marco Carone and Jacob Artnak

Design storage racks for manufacturing area that can

securely hold pipes, plates, round bar, flat bar and

angles.

Rendered 3D Environment

Aarti Vishwakarma, Hunter Maher and

Stepan Engelman

Design and render shop environments that can be

used to showcase future engineering projects.

Welding Awareness Campaign

Autumn Ma, JD Tenney and Vir Kamat

Create a community involvement program for AWS

Welding Month to boost EAFab’s presence in the

industry.

Pipe Nesting

Henry Ginsburg, Luke Ralyea and Amanda Aidar

Develop an app or algorithm for pipe nesting that accounts

for pipe drops to ultimately reduce waste.

Any corporations or organizations that may be interested

in partnering with the Honors STEAM Innovation &

Consulting course should contact Fred Peskorski at

fpeskorski@uscsd.k12.pa.us.


STEAM

Fort Couch Team Qualifies for

State STEM Competition

Fort Couch students placed first in the 6–8 division of the

regional STEM Design Challenge this March. The eighth-grade team

of John Whitman, Joey Wyse, Sam An and Felix Chen now advances

to the state-level competition in Harrisburg.

The Boyce sixth-grade team of Michael Clarke, Sarah Staub,

Brayden Wong and Rebecca Zahalsky placed second, and the Fort

Couch seventh-grade team of Claire Dietiker, Theodora Lagonis, Sunny

Liu, Lindsey Fitzgerald and Mira Murthy placed fourth.

The students were coached by gifted/accelerated math teachers

Jason O’Roark, at Fort Couch, and Kimberly Bartolacci, at Boyce.

Sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific and run by the Allegheny

Intermediate Unit, the STEM Design Challenge encourages students to

apply STEM skills using K’Nex products to design and build a structure

that accomplishes the given goal. n

STEM

Fort Couch Reaches Science Bowl

Final Four

Fort Couch students Maria Alfredson Themudo, Claire Dietiker,

Avik Pandey, Cynthia Shen and Lyman Thomson made the final four

at the Western Pennsylvania Science Bowl (WPSB) this past March.

By reaching the final four, the Fort Couch team earned $300 for the

school’s science program and small awards for each team member. The

team was coached by Jason O’Roark, gifted education and accelerated

math teacher. n

Eight Teams Advance to Odyssey of the Mind State Finals

Eight Upper St. Clair teams finished

in the top three of their respective divisions

at the Western Pennsylvania Odyssey of the

Mind Regional Tournament which were held

this past April.

Division 1 (grades 3–5)

First Place: Eisenhower,

Performance Problem

Team members: Kara Mercer, Amelia Wilkinson,

Isidora Lukic, Abigail Elders, Zomorrod

Zalloum, Henry Wazenegger and Colton

Lenhart. Coaches: Stefani Wilkinson and Jelena

Lukic

Second Place: Streams, Vehicle Problem

Team members: Julia Ross, Ellie Finnegan,

Roman Duffy, Emily Michalak, Quin Thorp, Ben

Caesar and Cole Hirzel. Coaches: Brett Duffy

and Nadine Michalak

Second Place: Boyce, Balsa Problem

Team members: Marcelina Enos, Penelope

Collins, Avery Metcalf, Elliot Sams, Penny

Weinberg, Kendall Zielinski and Lula Griffin.

Coaches: Sarah Sams and Jake Collins


First Place: Boyce, Technical Problem

Team members: Keira Mycoff, Jacob Reinford,

Caroline Fingal, Drew Holzer and Lydia Calkins.

Coaches: John Reinford and Josh Mycoff

Second Place: Fort Couch Middle School,

Performance Problem

Team members: Seth Pedretti, Enoch Katru,

Violet McLeod, Austin Szpara, Luciana Putorti

and Scarlett Burgess. Coaches: Kyle Burgess

and Kristy Szpara

Third Place: Boyce, Technical Problem

Team members: Emma Mycoff, Savannah

Comiski, Matthew Campagna, Em Brooks,

Evelyn Dolan, Eleanor Wilkinson and Luka

Beric. Coaches: Denise Campagna and Stefani

Wilkinson

Third Place: Fort Couch,

Performance Problem

Team members: Daphne Collins, Thea

Scheuerle, Parker Sams, Sam An, Ashwin

Vasudevan and Nigel Bailey. Coaches: Sarah

Sams and Jake Collins


First Place (tied): USCHS,

Performance Problem

Team members: Kurt Baran, Geneva Eisinger,

Lauren Ginsburg, Chloe Faist, Preston McLeod,

Ian Putorti and Daniyal Badaruddin. Coaches:

Dawn Predmore and Nate Eisinger

Each team of students worked together for

five months to solve a “long-term” problem in

one of five chosen categories: vehicle, technical,

classics, balsa or performance. At the tournament,

teams were given eight minutes to present

their solutions to a panel of judges and were

required to provide supporting paperwork,

including a budget breakdown of their work.

Teams were also required to solve one

“spontaneous” problem that was given to

them on the spot. Combined scores in both

categories (long-term and spontaneous), along

with additional points for style, provided the

tournament results.

Odyssey of the Mind is an international

STEAM program that fosters creative problemsolving

skills, teamwork and ownership in

students from kindergarten through grade 12.

One of the trademarks of the program is its

“no outside assistance” philosophy. All ideas,

scripts, props, solutions and paperwork are

generated by the team members with no input

from coaches, parents or teachers.

For more information about Odyssey of the

Mind in Upper St. Clair, visit uscootm.com or

email uscootm@gmail.com. See related OM

article on page 52. n


The Final Buzzer

Caleb Guarino, TODAY Intern

This past March at the Peterson Events Center, the USCHS

boys’ basketball team won its second WPIAL championship in a

span of four years. After a long, hard-fought season, the Panthers

pursued an impressive playoff run led by senior shooting guard

Chris Ito and junior center Tyler Robbins. A tough mentality and

overall grit, taught by head coach Danny Holzer, assistant coach

Gavin Williams and staff, gave the team the opportunity to write

their names in history.

The No. 3-seeded Panthers narrowly defeated the No. 6-seeded

Butler Tornadoes in the opening round. In a back-and-forth thriller,

the Panthers clawed their way back from a five-point deficit

at the half to advance to the second round. Ito had an impressive

19 points in the second half to ensure a St. Clair victory. “I didn’t

want it to be my last game,” Ito recalled. “We worked too hard

for it to end there.” Robbins would contribute an additional 20 to

the score to help push the team to the second round of playoffs.

In the semi-final matchup, the Panthers defeated the No.

2-seeded Central Catholic Vikings in dominant fashion, leading

the entire game. Relentless pressure from Robbins, including six

blocks and 19 rebounds, helped limit the Vikings to 46 points.

When asked about his role on the court, Robbins answered,

“I just try to contribute [to the team] in any way I possibly can.

Whether it’s scoring points, rebounding, blocking shots or finding

the open guy to make a pass…I’m just making sure we can win.”

On the offensive side, Ito would have another outstanding

performance, racking up a game-high 17 points, along with five

assists and four steals.

Senior shooting guard

Brett Meinert added

an additional 14

points to the final

score. Teamwork,

determination and

dominance bought

the Panthers a ticket

to the final for a shot

to win the championship.

Dominant play from the towering 6'-9" Robbins would continue

in the class 6A WPIAL championship game against the

Baldwin Highlanders. The Panthers started swiftly with a win in

the opening tip-off, resulting in the first score of the game, an

easy lay-up from Robbins. Efficient and effective ball movement

later in the half led to a game-defining dunk from 6'-6" junior

Kaamil Jackson. His effort set the tone as the Panthers raced to

an eight-point lead before the end of the first half. All the hard

work and determination throughout the season paid off with a

final score of 64 to 41 in favor of Upper St. Clair. Robbins led

the Panthers with 22 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots.

Meinert added 19 points to the Panthers score by knocking down

three of Upper St. Clair’s four three-point buckets.

It all led to this — “the final buzzer” — Robbins’ favorite moment

and what the team had been striving for all season “when

we crowned ourselves champions.” n

State Technology Conference Qualifiers

Upper St. Clair High School students garnered several

top finishes at the Region 6 Technology Student Association

(TSA) competition this past January. Led by technology education

teacher Seth Williams, the following students qualified to

compete in the state-level competition:

First Place

Ian Dvorin, Coding

Komel Nulwala, Computer-Aided Design/Engineering

Komel Nulwala, Extemporaneous Presentation

Second Place

Maddie Kovacs, Computer-Aided Design/Architecture

Aaryan Kumar, Computer-Aided Design/Engineering

Isabel Vilensky, Extemporaneous Presentation

Medha Misra, Pennsylvania — Logo Design

Third Place

Ishaan Sharma, Computer-Aided Design/Engineering

Ishaan Sharma, Extemporaneous Presentation

Eighth Place

Isabel Vilensky, Technology Bowl — Written

Thirteenth Place

Abhi Kanani, Technology Bowl — Written

TSA was started by industrial arts teachers who wanted to

provide opportunities for their students to be recognized for their

accomplishments and was originally the American Industrial Arts

Student Association (AIASA). n


Five Crowned School Spelling Bee Champs

Adelyn Stockton Eli Karambelkar Alexander Li Luka Beric Raana Parchuri

Five Upper St. Clair students were crowned their school’s

spelling bee champion, qualifying for the preliminary round of the

74th annual Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee. Adelyn Stockton

(Baker), Eli Karambelkar (Eisenhower), Alexander Li (Streams),

Luka Beric (Boyce) and Raana Parchuri (Fort Couch) advanced

to an online test of vocabulary and spelling.

In March, the top 15 spellers from the preliminary round

moved on to the final in-person event held at Point Park

University-Pittsburgh Playhouse.

The school-level spelling bees, open to all students in grades

4–8, were sponsored by the Baker PTA, Eisenhower PTO, Streams

PTO, Boyce PTO and Fort Couch PTSO.

The Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee is open to students

through grade eight from a 27-county region. The winner of the

Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee will have the opportunity to

compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which will take

place in May 2024 in the Washington, D.C. area.

Eighth grader Raana Parchuri, two-time Fort Couch Spelling

Bee Champion, won the Western Pennsylvania Spelling Bee in

2023 and finished as a quarterfinalist at the Scripps National

Spelling Bee. He also won the regional competition in 2020 as a

fourth grader and finished second as a fifth grader in 2021.

Following are the school-level results.

Baker (grade 4)

1st place: Adelyn Stockton, in the 25th round with the winning

word “lavish”

2nd place: Seetha Muthiah

3rd place: Priyal Baskota

4th place: Shan Odari

5th place: Henry Niesz

Eisenhower (grade 4)

1st place: Eli Karambelkar, in the 25th round with the winning

word “Vaseline”

2nd place: Miriam Wynne

3rd place: Sahn-Barnabas Poczos

4th place: Eva Sai

5th place: Vanshika Vaishnavi Ande

Streams (grade 4)

1st place: Alexander Li, in the 21st round with the winning

word “forearms”

2nd place: Jonathan Lucas

3rd place: Keerthan Inampudi

4th place: Declan Petrick

5th place: JJ Weaver

Boyce

1st place: Luka Beric, in the 23rd round with the winning

word “pragmatic”

2nd place: Ivan Yanov

3rd place: Sailee Kumar

4th place: Nitya Nagireddy

5th place: Naisha Agarwal

Fort Couch

1st place: Raana Parchuri, in the 17th round with the winning

word “ anthropomorphic”

2nd place: Ahana Mendhi

3rd place: Arjun Kairi

4th place: Mahi Thacker

5th place: Divya Singh

Senior Named 2024 Coca-Cola Scholar

Upper St. Clair High School senior Isaac Bernstein was named a 2024 Coca-Cola

Scholar, one of 150 high school seniors from throughout the nation who received a $20,000

college scholarship.

In 2023, Isaac was selected as an 18 Under Eighteen honoree by the Junior Achievement

of Western Pennsylvania for his efforts to support the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food

Bank. Visit his website platesforpitt.org for the latest on those efforts. As a 2023 High School

Diplomat, he participated in a 10-day cultural enrichment experience in Japan last summer.

Isaac has served as a peer tutor throughout high school and is an accomplished percussionist.

In addition, he is a member of National Honor Society and the World Affairs Club.

The full list of 2024 Coca-Cola Scholars is available online at coca-colascholars.org. n

Isaac Bernstein


PTC

Pawprints...

Arts in USC

Upper St. Clair Parent Teacher Council’s Arts in

USC committee invited students in grades kindergarten

through 12 to submit their best “My Happy

Place” inspired artwork, and the students’ response

was overwhelming! The artwork was on display this

past February at the high school.

Baker

Kindergarten

1st place: Eleanor Cashman, “Hugging”

2nd place: Aaron Lee, “My Happy Place”

3rd place: Daniel Rovner,

“My Family and Me at the Beach”

First Grade

1st place: Sofia Elhajj, “I’m Happy When

I Take Care of My Garden”

2nd place: Emmi Kolenda,

“A Good Pool Day”

3rd place: Palmiro Nicolella,

“The Home”

Second Grade

1st place: Medha Roy,

“Sunny Sancastle Smiles”

2nd place: Vihaan Shedbalkar,

“My Happy Place”

3rd place: Donald Jones,

“The Rainbow Water Park”

Third Grade

1st place: Zehra Kahveci, “My Happy

Place is Anywhere I Can Be with My

Family”

2nd place: Evelyn Hall,

“Equestrian Center”

3rd place: Ellie Turow, “Mickey and

Minnie Watching Fireworks”

Fourth Grade

1st place: Fejasi Madhekar,

“Candy Land Coaster”

2nd place: Louisa Gelacek,

“Summer at the Lake”

3rd place: Claire McClusey,

“Dusk with My Cats”

Eisenhower

Kindergarten

1st place: Luna Beric,

“My happy place — My Dinoworld”

2nd place: Bekham Regan, “Free”

3rd place: Charlie Matarazzo,

“On the Way to Cape May”

First Grade

1st place: Mark Abdelahad,

“Beach Paradise”

2nd place: Tillie Tortorice,

“Castaway Bay Day”

3rd place: Sloane Collins, “Candyland”

Second Grade

1st place: Ruyter Kane,

“The Multicolor Dog”

2nd place: Carli Schroeder

3rd place: John Polena, “My Ocean”

Third Grade

1st place: Mishra Laavannya,

“Night Falls and Water Flows”

2nd place: Ava Qin, “Sundown”

3rd place: Sofia Yudelson

Fourth Grade

1st place: Trisha Jaiswal,


2nd place: Veer Bhargava,

“With Animals”

3rd place: Ava Yarbilova

Streams

Kindergarten

1st place: Evelina Kroz,

“My Happy Place is Saint Kitts”

2nd place: Layth Alsahlani,

“My Home is the Best Place Ever”

3rd place: Mason Weiler,

“The Epcot Ball”


... a USC Parent Teacher Council Feature

PTC

First Grade

1st place: Rishaan Kature,

“My Home: My Happy Place”

2nd place: Eamon McCune,

“Beach-Tendo Switch”

3rd place: Mehransh Singh Ubhi,

“My Happy Place — My School Bus”

Second Grade

1st place: Sharma Shuhag, “Cartoon

Land or Dream Land. It’s My Happy

Land”

2nd place: Vivienne Scalise,

“Under Sea Games”

3rd place: Max Izvorean,


Third Grade

1st place: Maxwell Senge,

“Forest Meets the Sea”

2nd place: Layla Pantano,

“Traveling Makes Me Happy”

3rd place: Olivia Donina,

“Beach at Sunset”

Fourth Grade

1st place: Bella Viaud,

“The Land of Mythical Creatures”

2nd place: Zamia Madokhirova,

“Love at First Sight”

3rd place: Kaden O’Rourke,

“Two Places at Once”

Boyce

Fifth Grade

1st place: Marie Irvine,

“Nature is My Home”

2nd place: Annie Overmyer,

“Beyond the Horizon”

3rd place: Saylor Lilia,

“Palmetto Paradise”

Sixth Grade

1st place: Rehana Rai, “Night City”

2nd place: Arianna Carter

3rd place: Keller Friday,

“My Calming Keys”

Fort Couch

1st place: Divya Singh (grade 7),

“The Sound of Happiness”

2nd place: Arjun Kairi (grade 7),

“My Dream House”

3rd place: Heer Patel (grade 8),

“Mountains”

High School

1st place: Addison Haerr (grade 11),

“Memories Lost in Space”

2nd place: Jackson Leco (grade 11),

“Jurassic Jam”

3rd place: Caden Sarkett (grade 10),

“Free Space”

Upper St. Clair

School District

Calendar

2024–2025

Aug 20 Grades 1–12 First Day of

School

Aug 22 Kindergarten First Day of

School

Sep 2 No School–Labor Day

Oct 25 No School–Teacher

In-service

Nov 1 No School–Teacher

In-service

Nov 4–5 No School–Teacher

In-service

Nov 27–29 No School–Thanksgiving

Recess

Dec 20 Half Day/Early Dismissal

Dec 23–31 No School–Winter Recess

Jan 1 No School–Winter Recess

Jan 20 No School–Teacher

In-service

Feb 17 No School–Teacher

In-service

Mar 28 No School–Teacher

In-service

Apr 14–18 No School–Spring Recess

May 20 No School–Teacher

In-service

May 26 No School–Memorial Day

Jun 5 High School

Commencement

Jun 6 Last Day of School for

Students–Half Day/

Early Dismissal

Jun 9 Teacher In-service


America Bowl

Two Upper St. Clair middle school teams captured the top

spots in the 6–8 division of the America Bowl history competition

this past February.

Finishing first was a team of Fort Couch eighth graders —

Malo Dubreil, Raana Parchuri, John Whitman and Joey Wyse.

Boyce sixth graders Luka Beric, Eamon Castrodale, Mateo Lin

and Ivan Yanov placed second.

Thirty teams representing schools from throughout the

region competed in the annual event, which is organized by

the Baldwin-Whitehall School District. The America Bowl

challenges students in grades 3–5 and 6–8 to answer both team

and individual questions within six categories: Pittsburgh History,

States, U.S. Presidents, Things to See in America, Early America

and Government.

Students were coached by gifted education teachers Thomas

Yochum, Fort Couch and Sherri Garvey, Boyce.

German Day Nets Awards

Upper St. Clair High School world language students

earned a first place and two third place finishes at the

24th annual Three Rivers German Day

competition this past March.

Henna Palosuo won first place

in the highly-competitive drawing

competition. Luis Quiroga-Castaneda

won third place in the proverb poster

category. Represented by J.D. Tenney, Sal

Crawford, Sophie Einfeldt, Kaia Petrick

and Nikhita Thakuria, the Upper St. Clair

culture bowl team placed third among

Henna Palosuo

the 10 participating schools. The students were led by

Jacob Reis, world language teacher.

“In the culture bowl trivia competition, students were

asked questions in German relating to topics of history,

culture, geography, language and art,” said Reis. “Students

had 30 seconds to confer, then had to answer out loud,

again in German. This is only the second time Upper St.

Clair has placed in this competition.”

In total, 26 USCHS students attended the annual

German Day competition. Every year, approximately

400 students from middle and high schools throughout

Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia compete in

linguistic, artistic and performance-based competitions.

Fort Couch students Malo Dubreil,

Raana Parchuri, John Whitman

and Joey Wyse

Boyce students Luka Beric,

Eamon Castrodale, Mateo Lin

and Ivan Yanov

Sibling Duo Advances to Shakespeare Finals

Two Upper St. Clair students were

named finalists in the 30th Annual

Shakespeare Monologue & Scene Contest

at the Pittsburgh Public Theater. Siblings

Kaaveri Patil (Hamlet) and Aarav Patil

(Polonius) performed their scene from

“Hamlet” in the Showcase of Finalists this

past February at the O’Reilly Theater in

downtown Pittsburgh.

Kaaveri Patil

Kaaveri, a seventh grader at Fort Couch,

was a winner in last year’s Lower Division

Monologues for her portrayal of Helena

from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Aarav

is a senior at the High School.

Upper St. Clair participants earning

Honorable Mention were:

• Boyce: Eleanor Wilkinson (Phoebe),

“As You Like It”

Aarav Patil

• USCHS: Reese Copenhaver, “Romeo & Juliet”

• USCHS: Zahra Hossain (Murderer 2), Sara Gillespie

(Murderer 1) and Noshi Dabas (Clarence), “Richard III”

Preparation for the Shakespeare contest began in late-October.

Students worked with Thomas Yochum and Sherri Garvey, gifted/

enrichment teachers, to review, select and understand their scenes

and monologues.

Valentine Grams Raise Money for Children’s Home

Boyce Middle School raised more than $1704 for the

Children’s Home of Pittsburgh through a Valentine’s Day

fundraiser.

Boyce students delivered the donation in person during

the organization’s radiothon in conjunction with iHeart

Radio’s BIG 104.7 country radio station on Feb. 14, 2024.

In addition to the donation, students presented Valentine’s

Day cards for the Children’s Home staff and children. The

students were accompanied by school counselor Tonia

Autieri and reading specialist Marissa Dyer.

Held in conjunction with Random Acts of Kindness

Week, the Outreach Committee of Student Council

organized the Valentine Gram initiative. In exchange for

a donation, friends and family members could send a

Valentine message along with a POP IT to a Boyce student.

The Valentine Grams were delivered to students during

homeroom on Feb. 14.


Health Professionals Prep

Fourteen USCHS students were selected for the Health Professionals Prep

(HPP) program at the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences.

Participants for the 2024 spring season include seniors Ryan Arya and Anna

Lao; juniors Edith Alford, Lexi Cwiklinski, Samuel Hajdu, Ryan LaRocco, Esha

Lathia, Elise Parrish and Anushka Sharma; and sophomores Anoushka Barve,

Valentin Cannic, Roha Pandya, Andrea Rodriguez and Adriana Rodriguez.

The HPP is an academy for high school students that provides exposure to

careers in the health sciences. Students met in person every Wednesday, from

January through early April. Participants rotated in two-week blocks between

each school of the health sciences, including dentistry, health and rehabilitation

sciences, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health.

Students interactions included career awareness and exploration, clinical

experience, student mentoring, academic experience, reflection, observation

and influential conversations, academic planning and student success skills.

HPP is an initiative of the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health

Sciences and affiliated hospitals and clinical sites of UPMC.

#HaveYouHeard?

Heard?

Students Shine at Asia Challenge

This past February, three teams of Upper St. Clair High School students

earned recognition at the fourth annual Asia Challenge at the University of

Pittsburgh.

• Roshan Mishra and Rohan Mehta: Outstanding Position Paper (Republic of

Korea, Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Committee)

• Jamie Barret and Hayley Zeringue: Outstanding Position Paper (Japan,

Sustainable Cities and Communities Committee)

• Max Gresh and Will Whitman: Honorable Mention Delegation (Republic

of Korea, Sustainable Cities and Communities Committee)

More than 100 local students representing over a dozen schools participated

in the event. Students were led by Thomas Yochum, gifted education coordinator.

Sponsored by Pitt’s Asian Studies Center, the goal of Asia Challenge is to

provide high school students the opportunity to learn about the history, politics,

economics and cultures of Asia and the surrounding region through a handson

simulation. Playing the roles of delegates to the United Nations Economic

and Social Commission

for Asia and the Pacific

(ESCAP), students

engaged in debate

and negotiations over

pressing issues impacting

Asia, the Pacific region

and the world.

Fort Couch Musicians Place First in Music

Competition

For the third year in a row, Arjun Kairi, a

Fort Couch seventh grader, placed first in the

Crescendo International Music Competition

held this past January at Carnegie Hall in New

York City. Arjun, age 12, first began his flute

studies at The Pittsburgh Music Academy at

age three. He currently participates in seventh

grade band at Fort Couch, under the direction

of Jacob Schuster.

Fort Couch seventh grade

student, Aanya Jha, age 12,

performed in the Crescendo

International Music

Competition at Carnegie

Hall in February. This marks

her second first place honor

in the competition. Aanya

began playing the guitar

at age seven and currently

participates in orchestra

at Fort Couch under the

direction of Karen Chisholm.

Crescendo International

Music Competition is a

youth music competition

Arjun Kairi

Aanya Jha

held annually since 2007. Its mission is to inspire

individuals to pursue their passion for music

through involvement in competitions, master

classes and other educational programs. The

Crescendo International Music Competition

is open to students ages 4–24. Competition

is open to junior, intermediate and advanced

levels for all instrumentalists, vocalists, duets

and chamber orchestra.

Japanese Contest

This past March, USCHS world language

students earned top finishes in three of the six

categories of the annual High School Japanese

Speech Contest. In the Poster division, Hudson

Healy placed first, Kaia Petrick took second and

Ojasi Madhekar placed third. Chihiro Brentzel

took top honors in Beginner Level Speech,

followed by Maxen Thomas in second place. In

Intermediate Level Speech, Dhruv Dileep was

first, with Evie Ellenberger taking second place.

Students competed in one of five Japanese

speech levels, including Beginner, Intermediate,

Advanced, Advanced Plus and Heritage. New

and non-language students competed in the

poster contest. In total, 11 students competed

in the contest. Students were led by Chie

Ramsey, USCHS world language teacher.


A Look Back at USCHS

Miriam Guttensohn, TODAY Intern

It is certainly fair to say that high school has changed a

lot since the first issue of USC TODAY was published 30 years ago

in 1994. Being a high school student in those fresh and funky mid

90s meant navigating a world before smartphones and social media,

where students engaged in face-to-face interactions and stayed

connected through landline phones or passing notes in class. In

the 1990s and even early 2000s, computers and technology like

smart whiteboards only existed in certain classrooms. Of the many

changes that have rolled in since the 90s, some are more obvious

than others. The teaching methods today allow students to play a

more active role in their learning. Inquiry and project-based learning

help students remain engaged in their lesson plans and explore

new material with curiosity and problem-solving.

In 1994, high schoolers enjoyed diverse fashion and music

trends. Fashion was heavily influenced by popular TV shows like

“Friends” and “Beverly Hills 90210,” with preppy, grunge and hiphop

styles dominating the school hallways. Iconic, award-winning

films, including “Forrest Gump,” “Pulp Fiction” and “The Lion

King” were also released during this year. The music of this era

was dominated by the rise of hip-hop, alternative rock and pop

sensations like TLC, Nirvana and Mariah Carey, and students often

shared mixtapes filled with their favorite songs.

Academically, students relied on encyclopedias and library trips

for research. Writing research papers meant spending hours at the

computer lab with floppy disks to save documents. Group projects

were usually coordinated through phone calls and in-person meetings.

Upper St. Clair High School had 1241 enrolled students in

1994 who faced many academic challenges that still exist today, like

choosing colleges, improving SAT scores and getting As on chemistry

tests. As memorialized

by Kristin Costanzo in the

Clairvoyant, the USCHS

yearbook of 1994, “The

work never let up. It was

challenging to get good

grades, while also trying

to enjoy the year.” This statement feels equally true for students

in 2024.

Similar to today, extracurricular activities played a significant

role in high school life in the mid-90s. Sports, drama clubs and

school dances were popular activities for working together toward

common goals and spending time with friends. In sports, students

at the high school were focused on winning the section, achieving

their personal bests and excelling on the field. Longtime followers

of the USCHS swimming program will remember freestyler

Merel Hommen, a WPIAL and PIAA champion who graduated

from USCHS in 1994. She retired from the program with three

longstanding school records.

Starting in the fall of 1993, Upper St. Clair Public Access

Television produced a series of campus news videos in collaboration

with the high school, featuring the homecoming events of

1994, including an immense bonfire, homecoming parade, football

game against Uniontown, the announcement of the homecoming

court and scenes from the homecoming dance with its theme “A

Night in Paris.”

Looking back on high school in 1994, it is interesting to see how

some things have evolved, while others remain unaltered. Thirty

years into the future, it will be exciting to remember life in 2024. n

Sweet Hearts

Assisted living residents at Friendship

Village of South Hills enjoyed Valentine’s Day in a

heartwarming way: they opened Valentine’s Day cards

specially crafted by the children from Baker Elementary

and Boyce Middle School.

The principal of Baker, Dr. Patrick McClintock-

Comeaux, working in conjunction with Kara Krebs,

Katie March and the club committee members of “Baker

Gives Back,” provide Valentine’s cards to

Friendship Village residents annually.

Amy Homer and the fifth grade “Comet Team” from Boyce also

contribute cards on an annual basis.

In celebration of the club’s efforts and the spirit of Valentine’s

Day, Friendship Village of South

Hills hosted a Sweetheart Luncheon

for residents. During this event,

residents experienced the joy of

opening the heartfelt cards while

also enjoying a delicious lunch

prepared by the community’s skilled chefs.

The organizers of the intergenerational program, Jessica Bickar, Director

of Assisted Living and Memory Care, along with Casandra Hrvatin,

Community Outreach Coordinator, have shared, “The card sharing and opening

from the students from Upper St. Clair is one of our favorite days during

the year. Our residents feel the love and support from our community each

year, which brings smiles to all of us.” n


HOME & GARDEN

“Scott Bros. comes highly recommended

in the Upper St. Clair area.”

SCOTT BROS.

Windows and Doors

Call us today for FREE estimate

724.745.2376

www.scottbroswindows.com

Your Trusted Tree

Care Professionals

We’ve got your canopy covered.

Tree and Shrub Pruning | Tree and Shrub Planting &

Installation | Plant Health Care Monitoring Programs |

Insect & Disease Prevention and Management

The Davey Tree Expert Company

davey.com

S Pittsburgh | (724) 734-2407


HOME & GARDEN

DRAINAGE EXPERTS!

FRENCH DRAINS • DRAIN PIPES • WATERPROOFING • GRADING • RE-SEEDING

GET OUR

2ND OPINION

CALL US BEFORE YOU

INSTALL AN INTERIOR

FRENCH DRAIN!

12 MONTHS 0% FINANCING

We offer alternatives to interior French drains and we do not destroy your basement!

Rather than pumping waterout of your basement, our goal is to keep water out of your

home in the first place.

UNIQUE DRIVEWAYS

DIFFICULT EXCAVATION

COMPLICATED

RETAINING WALLS

412-751-4359

www.isbirconstruction.com

You can trust in the value of

Mike Isbir’s 30+ years of

experience & Civil Engineering Degree

to design and execute your project.

PA003327

See Our

Google Reviews!


HOME & GARDEN

WEST PENN

LANDSCAPING

Try Our High

Quality Mulch

(Long Lasting &

Color Fade Resistant)

ACCEPTING NEW LAWN

MOWING CUSTOMERS

Proper Grading Around Your House

Mike Isbir

ISBIR

CONSTRUCTION LANDSCAPE

DRIVEWAY SEALING

& CRACK FILLING

Why should the soil around your house be sloped

away from your house? So that water runs away from your

foundation!

When concrete, lawn areas or mulch beds are too flat

or are sloped toward the home, water will run toward

the foundation and/or form puddles around the house.

The water can penetrate the foundation and cause water

damage and/or mold growth. Water can quickly and permanently

damage a finished basement or sensitive items

stored in a basement.

Wet soil under the foundation can also cause home

settlement and foundation cracks. This can lead to doors

and windows that will not open and drywall cracking on

the inside of the house.

These basic drainage principles also apply to downspout

drain pipes. They should all be directed far away

from the home and not drain near the foundation.

All downspouts should be properly connected to a

drain pipe with consistent slope away from the home.

They should end (or daylight) above ground in an

area that will not allow them to freeze and close in the

wintertime. n

Contact Mike Isbir of Isbir Construction & Landscape Corp. at

412-751-4359 for more information about drain pipes, grading or drainage.

His firm specializes in drainage and waterproofing. See ad on page 66.

LANDSCAPING

SERVICES

Remodeling

Renovation

Handyman Services

guyforthejob.com

(412) 329-8123

@guyshomeimprovements

Mention this ad for 10% off

PA173681

WEST PENN LANDSCAPING

412-287-0728

MUST PRESENT COUPON AT TIME OF

BID. ONE COUPON PER JOB, PER YEAR.

NOT VALID ON LAWN MOWING OR

SPRING/FALL CLEANUPS. EXPIRES 7/31/24


412-287-0728






412-287-0728





Family owned

Upper St. Clair

buisness


HOME & GARDEN

USCTDP 40th Anniversary

The Upper St. Clair Tennis Development Program

(USCTDP) celebrated its 40th anniversary this past year,

marking four decades of inspiring tennis players — from

children to professionals. The USCTDP’s staff members bring

hundreds of years of combined knowledge and experience to

the court, and the organization offers programs for kids as

young as four years old, competitive players enhancing their

skills and adults looking to stay active.

The USCTDP was founded in 1983 by a handful of people

who wanted to create a tennis development program that

would instill self-esteem, confidence, a strong work ethic,

mental toughness and sportsmanship into tennis players.

After four decades, the USCTDP now looks forward to the

next 40 years of inspiring tennis players and serving the

community. n


#MBCDreamHome

www.mcqueenbuildingcompany.com

Your Insider Guide to Navigating a

Home Renovation

Geoff and Christine McQueen

Have you ever driven past a new house under construction

and thought how remarkable it is that a collection of

two-by-fours, bricks and pipes can be put together into a beautiful

home where someone will live?

Building a new home is a big undertaking. But here’s something

that might surprise you: in some ways, it’s actually much simpler

than a renovation.

A new build is a wonderfully straightforward thing. Everything

has been cut exactly to size at the same time. Each piece is fresh

and level and new. There’s a lot of work to be done, but very few

surprises.

Each renovation, though, is a unique animal. As you can

imagine, we often wish we had X-ray vision. Sadly, we don’t. We

can’t see the plumbing and wiring inside the walls of your home.

We can’t know exactly how much your home has settled in the

years (or decades, or in some cases, the century) since it was built.

So, adding a perfectly square and level addition onto it can be

a complicated job.

We also weren’t there when your house was built, so we can’t

know all the choices the original builder made. And we weren’t

present over the years when small upgrades and cosmetic renovations

were done by professionals or by a previous owner.

Tons of puzzles can arise during a renovation that no one

could anticipate. And while popular renovation shows on HGTV

and Magnolia Network have gotten a lot of homeowners excited

about renovating, those shows have also skewed people’s sense

of how labor-intensive a real renovation can be.

When months of work get edited down into 30-minute episodes

with all the tedious, frustrating moments cut out, it’s easy

to assume renovations are relatively predictable and even the

biggest speed bumps can easily be navigated.

Sometimes even savvy homeowners are surprised to realize

just how much those reality TV shows differ from actual reality.

But here’s the good news: for us and our team, that’s actually

the fun part. We absolutely love to tackle challenges and solve

the unique puzzles that your house might present. If a roadblock

appears, we’re determined to find a way around it.

So, what do you need to know as a homeowner embarking

on a renovation?

• As the planning process begins, know that your house may

pose unique challenges, and it’s not possible for a builder to

forecast everything that might arise. (It’s wise to be skeptical

if someone tells you they know for sure.)

• Rely on a builder with decades of experience, so that they have

the knowledge and expertise to work through your particular

renovation and solve any challenges that may arise. You’re not

just hiring a builder for what they can do; you’re hiring them

for their years of mastery.

• From HVAC and electrical to plumbing and carpentry and

every specialty in between, make sure your builder works with

a great team of subcontractors. We’re glad to have a whole village

we can call on, because subcontractors are like specialists

diagnosing and addressing the unique needs of your house.

• Some companies simply say “no” to complicated requests,

because it’s easier than tackling a challenge. Look for a team

with a can-do attitude who will dream up tailor-made solutions

to your requests. At McQueen Building Company, we’ve

added an entire division to build custom cabinetry, so that we

can design literally anything our clients need. There’s always

a way to say “yes,” if your contractor is willing to be creative.

In the end, you hire a really good contractor not to ensure

you’ll never have a problem, but to ensure they’ll know exactly

what to do if puzzles have to be solved. If they’re experienced and

skillful, they can conduct the orchestra of subcontractors who will

bring your unique renovation to life and they will find solutions

to any challenge with your budget in mind. n

Photography: Erin Kelly

To learn more, visit mcqueenbuildingcompany.com or visit their social

channels to view their latest projects. See their ad on the previous page.


The

Great Duck Race

2024

CFUSC Proudly

Introduces

Artie

The “Official Mascot” for

The Great Duck Race

Racing Ducks

may be adopted at the

Community Foundation

Booth on Community Day.

The ducks are in training with

Coach Artie and are already lining up for the

race at 3 p.m. on Community Day

Saturday, May 18.

Adopt a Duck

1 for $5

6 for $25

15 for $50

Adoptions will begin on April 1.

The list of great prizes can be

found at cfusc.org.

Recent CFUSC Grants Make a Difference in Our Community

Story Walk at C&RC

Digital Art Monitor at the High School


R

o

b C

o l

t u

i b

c

s

Focus on Health and Safety:

Walkers, Runners and Drivers, Oh My!

During the pandemic, pedestrians really picked up the pace with healthy exercise and

activity. Since most people had no place to go, there was less car traffic. Now that drivers

are back on the road, it seems that they are in such a hurry! It is incumbent on every

pedestrian to be aware of their surroundings and proactively avoid dangers. Drivers should

exercise good judgement about posted speed limits and stop signs, realizing that they have

been erected for everyone’s safety.

With all of the visual stimuli drivers have to deal with, distracted driving can put pedestrians at extreme risk.

Drivers need to be cognizant of warnings signs, construction zones, school zones, incident management, railroad

crossings, one-way streets, no U-turn signs, street identifiers, route markers, lane signs for exits and the list goes on.

Official signage has been developed and is consistent nationally. There is a Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

(MUTCD) which can be viewed online at mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov.

Pedestrians also need to use common sense and think about safety at all times. It is strongly recommended that if

there is a sidewalk, you should use it. However, if there is none, you must always walk or run on the left side of the

road facing oncoming traffic. It is suggested that you make eye contact with drivers and never assume that they will see

you. day or night, wear a reflective vest or belt and carry a flashlight in the dark, particularly if there are no street lights.

Always use crosswalks where they are painted on the road and understand that

while drivers must yield to pedestrians, whether or not there are crosswalks,

a person is no match for a three-ton vehicle. In combination with eyesight,

hearing is of the utmost importance when walking or running in any area

where cars may be travelling, so leave the earbuds and headsets at home, and

keep the cellphone for emergency purposes only, refraining from conversations

and texting while exercising outdoors.

Stranger danger is also a safety consideration. Being alert and aware at

all times makes you less vulnerable. If anyone stops their car to ask for directions, maintain a wide distance from the

car. Carry a cell phone so you can call for help or report any unusual activities or occurences. Make sure you carry

identification. It is best to exercise in familiar areas and when you approach your own home, have your door key ready.

If you think you are being followed, change direction and move toward people. It is also important to inform a family

member or friend where and when you are going out and when you plan to return. Avoid secluded areas and vary your

time and routine to prevent the setting of a pattern that may be observed by strangers. It is also a wise practice to be

observant, spot the location of alternative safe places when you do not know the area and make a mental note of the

comings and goings of others when you are walking or running in an unfamiliar place.

Finally, set a good example for the youth of our community by driving the speed limit, stopping at stop signs and

refraining from the use of any item that takes your attention away from safe driving. Walkers and runners, be proactive

about your safety. Everyone be alert out there!

OFFICIAL CFUSC PANTHER BLANKET

The Community Foundation of Upper St. Clair

(CFUSC) has been investing in residents and their ideas

for three decades. The Trustees are volunteers who care

about keeping our community strong. They give their

time to enrich our community by supporting activities

and events, establishing partnerships and awarding

grants in defined focus areas of Arts, Health and STEM.

To defray the operating expenses, the CFUSC sells

these amazing spirit blankets. These double-ply, soft,

plushy blankets are washable and show the Panther

mascot and the CFUSC logo. They can be ordered at

cfusc.org/shop and will be hand-delivered to your home

within two days by a CFUSC Trustee.


Instructions for Traveling with TODAY

Read the following criteria to find out how to submit information.

• Clear, close-up digital photo of USC resident(s) holding his or her TODAY

magazine.

• Attach jpg (at least 300 dpi) and send via email, including required information

(see below) in the body of the email.

• List name(s) of resident(s), group and specific photo location, and objective of

visit (leisure, volunteer, career, etc.) or stay-at-home project.

• Include email address or phone number should further contact be necessary.

• Email information to usctoday@usctoday.org, with “TODAY” listed in subject line.

Note: Submitted photos and information for this feature section will

remain on file for upcoming editions until published.

TODAY traveled northeast

this spring to get a photo

of Uncle Sam’s grave in

Troy, N.Y.

Heading south to Florida, TODAY was spotted

at a Pittsburgh Pirates spring training game at

LECOM Field.

Emotional Intelligence

Mary Birks, Outreach Teen & Family Services Executive Director

In our ever-changing, fast-paced, technology-based

society, we face a new set of challenges with communication and

how we connect to our world. Over the last decade, a shift has

taken place in how we relate to and socialize with one another.

From the advent of cell phones, computers and social media,

there are so many portals to connect with our friends and family;

but are we using them to communicate effectively? Teenagers

most naturally come to mind when discussing this topic, but our

younger kids are affected by communication skills, as well. How

do we accomplish effective communication as parents, educators,

counselors and mentors?

One way is to demonstrate positive behaviors, by accessing

our emotional intelligence, or EQ (emotional quotient). EQ skills

help us remove barriers to success by providing a “road map” with

tangible skills that we can turn to when making difficult decisions.

There are five facets of emotional intelligence:

1. Self-awareness gives us a great advantage because it allows

us to step back and change our ways to adapt to new surroundings.

We can become more self-aware by practicing

mindfulness, which paces our thoughts, feelings and actions

through the lens of forgiveness, non-judgment, non-striving,

compassion and acceptance.

2. Self-regulation means not being swept away by our feelings

and reacting out of anger, fear or frustration. It’s being

aware of our emotional state and asking ourselves, “Is this

emotion serving me?” It’s recognizing how we feel and being

able to let it go.

3. Motivation is what we think of when working towards

a long-term goal but, believe it or not, motivation is not

always sustainable over time. We can remain motivated by

thinking of how achieving a certain goal will change our

life. Ask yourself, “What will life feel like and look like


when I achieve this goal?” This can add necessary drive to

get to the finish line.

4. Empathy is more than being friendly or kind to others.

Empathy also gives us an opportunity to show up as our best

selves by imagining what it might be like to see the world

through the eyes of someone else, which is especially helpful

when we don’t agree with a person. Practicing empathy

ensures you will learn from an experience, no matter what

happens in the end.

5. Social skills are most often thought of as a means to make

friends and become popular, but there’s so much more to

them than that. They help individuals learn the art of good

eye contact, to understand facial expressions and to use the

appropriate tone of voice to match your intention. They’re

about building rapport and influencing people, not with

what you have or own, but through your genuine compassion

and concern.

Practicing the skills of emotional intelligence allows life to

unfold in a much richer way by making the most of our opportunities

for growth and change! n

Outreach is celebrating 50 years of providing mental health counseling

and wellness programs, positively impacting children, teens and

families. If anyone in your family is experiencing a decline in their

mental health, Outreach can help. Outreach offers a variety of services

for children and young adults ages 5–21, along with their parents and

families, including individual, group, family and parenting sessions.

Outreach does not offer crisis services or response and does not have

evening and weekend on-call coverage. In an emergency, go to your

local emergency room or call RESOLVE at 1-888-796-8226.

Format Focus — a History Lesson

Did you know that the original Polaroid camera, called the Land

camera after inventor Edwin Land, was first commercially available in

1948? It produced a black and white photograph as well as a negative

that could be used to make additional copies.

The later versions of Polaroid cameras,

popular from the 1970s onward,

produced a single-color image like the

one pictured here. Preserving these

photographs is a priority because they

Polaroid photograph taken in

Melrose Cemetery

Happy 50th Art-versary

In 1974, postcard stamps were eight cents, leisure suits were in style, Jell-O

salads were the rage, as were popular American handcrafts including stenciling, painting

on velvet and needlework. It was also the year that a group of local artists founded

the Upper St. Clair League for the Arts (USCLA) and hosted the first-ever Sugarplum

Shop in the lobby of the Upper St. Clair Township building.

Trends in arts and crafts

have come and gone over the

past 50 years, but the USCLA

has endured, now calling its annual

sale the Sugarplum Artisan

Marketplace. Held over six days

at the MAC on McLaughlin Run

Road, you will have plenty of

time to browse at your leisure,

just not in a leisure suit!

While you won’t find any

velvet paintings, this juried sale

USCLA founders (l/r): Wence Dolegowski, Alice Murphy, Faith

Dolegowski, Rebecca Hand, Lisa Subler (USCLA Archives)

does feature a large gallery room

showcasing original paintings in

various mediums and styles, as

well as prints and photography. A second room hosts a boutique filled with local craftsmanship,

both trendy and traditional, including glass art, pottery, jewelry, woodcraft,

fiber art, papercraft and much more.

In addition to providing a showcase opportunity for local artisans, the USCLA

awards college scholarships for Upper St. Clair residents who are graduating from

high school and are majoring in art-related field. n

Call for Artists:

The USCLA is always scouting for new talent in the township.

Interested residents should send an email inquiry to

USCLA41@gmail.com or stop by the USCLA booth on Community

Day for membership information and applications for participation

in this year’s Sugarplum. The USCLA will also offer free bags

children can use to collect parade candy.

A variety of Polaroid camera models, including a Polaroid Land Model 104

are the only copies. Adding to preservation concerns for these color Polaroids is the fact that these

instant color prints present stability issues. One way to make sure these images survive for future

generations is to digitize them and then carefully store the originals.

Past Historical Society of Upper St. Clair president Jean Brown took a series of Polaroid photographs

of headstones and monuments in Melrose and Bethel cemeteries. The collection is now part of the

Historical Society of Upper St. Clair archives. These cemeteries, which are the final resting places of

many notable Upper St. Clair residents, are a useful source of information when conducting genealogical

research. Websites like FindAGrave.com can be helpful tools for finding similar photos and information

from cemeteries around the world. n

Save the Dates!

Article courtesy of Carolyn Jones-Friedrich,

historian, Historical Society of Upper St. Clair.

Visions of Sugarplums (l/r): Christen Palumbo, Julie

Agar, Joyce Phillips, Joan Newman (USCLA Archives)

This year’s Sugarplum Artisan Marketplace sale is set for

Thursday, Nov. 7 through Tuesday, Nov.12. First-time shoppers will

be impressed with the quantity of unique, one-of-a-kind handcrafted

gifts and fine art. Repeat customers, who have made this local

tradition a success for 50 years, should watch their mailbox for a

postcard reminder with a 53-cent stamp!


Happenings!

Flea Market

The Laboure Ladies Guild of St. Catherine Laboure Parish

will hold its annual flea market, “Timeless Treasures,”

9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Friday, July 19, and 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on

Saturday, July 20, in the LeGras Parish Center (lower level),

320 McMurray Rd.

Sale items will include gently-used children’s clothing

to size 6, toys, jewelry, decorative items, knick-knacks,

kitchen items, holiday decorations, linens, tools, books,

some furniture and a boutique offering better quality

items. Due to fire restrictions, strollers are not permitted

inside the center.

USC Kennywood Day

The annual Upper St. Clair School District Kennywood Day is

Monday, June 13. Discounted tickets must be purchased online

at kennywood.com. Use “USC” as the promo code. Tickets

purchased online using the promo code are $35.99 each. Please

note that a $4 processing fee per ticket (maximum $10), and

a $1 amusement tax will be added to each ticket. There is no

limit on the number of tickets that can be purchased.

USCHS Class Reunion

Upper St. Clair’s Class of 1974 is marking its 50th anniversary

with a reunion this Sept. 27–29. Tentative plans

for the weekend include an Upper St. Clair football game

on Friday, Sept. 27, followed by a meet and greet with fun,

games and prizes at Primanti Brothers in Mt. Lebanon.

On Saturday, Sept. 28, tours of USCHS and other activities

are planned during the day, followed by an evening

of dinner and dancing at St. Clair Country Club. The

weekend concludes on Sunday, Sept. 29, with brunch at

The Porch at Siena.

A block of rooms has been secured at the Crowne Plaza

Suites, 164 Fort Couch Rd., for a special rate. To book

online, use the link: Upper St. Clair Class of 74 Room

Reservations. To book via phone, call 412-833-5300, dial

1 for reservations, and use U74 for the

block code.

For more information, email

uschs74reunion@gmail.com.

Upper St. Clair Rotary Farmer’s Market

The USC Farmer’s Market, sponsored by the Rotary Club

of Upper St. Clair–Bethel Park, Breakfast Club, is in full

swing again this year. Every Thursday 4–7 p.m., May–

September, stop by the south parking lot of Westminster

Church on Route 19 for some great finds and wonderful

food selections. Vendors from 2023, as well as some new

exciting options, await.

Golf League

Women’s Golf Association of Mt. Lebanon invites all area

women to join the group every Tuesday morning, now

through September. Membership is open to all skill levels.

For more information, contact Sharon Ackerman at

412-480-3319.

Eggs-cellent Day

The sun was shining for the Township’s annual

Egg Hunt, held this past March at the McLaughlin Run

Activity Center (MAC).

More than 500 children registered for this popular event,

which is sponsored by the Bethel St. Clair Evening Rotary

Club, with the help of the USCHS and BPHS Interact clubs.

Prior to the hunt itself, children enjoyed

various activities, including

face-painting, coloring and crafts,

planting seeds and visiting with the

Easter Bunny.

Thanks to the Recreation

Department staff, the USC Public

Works staff and the USC Police

Department who made it possible

for the egg hunt to run smoothly

and safely. n


Profiles

of people with a USC connection

Know of a resident to profile? Send information to: Editor,

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241 or

usctoday@usctoday.org

Tammy Singleton-English was elected to serve as

chair of the South Hills Networking Committee for the

Solo and Small Firm Practitioners section of the Allegheny

County Bar Association.

She also serves as treasurer for the Estate Planning

Council of Pittsburgh, which is a professional organization

for attorneys, CPAs, financial planners and bankers/

trust officers who engage in estate planning, probate

(estate administration) and tax matters for their clients.

Tammy Singleton-English is an estate planning attorney,

CPA and the founder/owner of Singleton-English Law

Offices, which is located in the South Hills of Pittsburgh

and focuses on tax, estate planning and estate administration

(probate) matters.

In Memoriam

Two men with ties to the Upper St.

Clair School District passed away this

past January.

Robert Furman began his career

teaching at Bentworth School District

before spending the majority of his

career in the Upper St. Clair School

District as teacher, principal and deputy

superintendent. While with the District,

Robert Furman

he became a pivotal leader in middle

level education, a topic on which he became a national speaker

and noted author. Bob would go on to design the Principal

Certification Program at Duquesne University, where he served

as director of educational administration.

This past January, the Public Relations Society of

America (PRSA) Pittsburgh inducted Frank Schiffman

into the Renaissance Hall of Fame.

The award honored Schiffman’s 46-year career in marketing

and communications in the commodity chemicals

and water treatment products industries, including his

current role as the business manager/director of marketing

for Westlake Water Solutions.

The Renaissance Hall of Fame Award salutes a senior

public relations professional who has made significant

and lasting contributions to the advancement of public

relations in the Pittsburgh region. The award is chosen

by members of PRSA Pittsburgh.

Samuel Douglass served

the District as its solicitor for 28

years. Sam’s law practice focused

on corporate real estate and mineral

law at the law firms of Rose

Schmidt Hasley and DiSalle, and

Rothman Gordon. In 1979, he

envisioned the creation of an educational

organization focusing on

Sam Douglass

mineral law in the eastern half of

the United States, and ultimately co-founded and served as the

first president of that organization, the Energy and Mineral Law

Foundation (formerly Eastern Mineral Law Foundation). n

Photos courtesy of Jim Bolas


LOCAL CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS DIRECTORY

1830 Log House Association

Kimberly Guzzi, President ..................................... 412-851-0570

American Assoc. of University Women ........................ aauw.org

Bethel-St. Clair Evening Rotary Club

Jim Bolas ............................................................... 412-606-9328

Bolasjim@gmail.com

Boyce Road Gardeners

Phyllis Kender, Registrar ....................................... 412-221-3118

Brookside Woman’s Club

Jaque Balzarini............................................ jbalzar@comcast.net

Civil Air Patrol

Glenn Ward .......................................................... 412-221-0846

Community Foundation of USC

Justin Schmidt, President....................................... 412-440-8464

www.cfusc.org

Different Strokes Tennis League

Gina Braun ............................................................ 412-221-5717

Friends of the Library............................................. 412-835-5540

Friends of the Montour Trail in Bethel Park

Julian Wolfe....................................... president@montourtrail.org

Girl Scouts of USC

Betsy Wilson .......................................................... 412-398-5582

robinson.betsy@gmail.com

Historical Society of Upper St. Clair

Rachel Carlson ..................................................... 412-835-2050

president@hsusc.org

League of Women Voters ........................................... lwvpgh.org

Lifespan

Kim Rollinson .............................................. 412-464-1300, x127

Odyssey of the Mind (www.uscootm.com)

Laura Murtough ..................................................... 412-478-1736

uscootm@gmail.com

Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics “PEAQ”

Megan Whiteford ................................................... 412-498-1608

info@peaqpgh.org

South Hills Chamber of Commerce

www.shchamber.org .............................................. 412-306-8090

South Hills Interfaith Movement (SHIM) .............. 412-854-9120

JCC Pittsburgh ....................................................... 412-278-1975

jccpgh.org

South Hills Junior Orchestra

Janet Vukotich ....................................................... 412-341-5160

South Hills Kennel Club

Ray Harrington ...................................................... 412-999-0195

Southwest Communities Chamber of Commerce

Mandi Pryor, Executive Director ............................ 412-221-4100

southwestcommunitieschamber.org

mandi@southwestcommunitieschamber.org

Spencer Family YMCA

Nathan Prenzlow .................................................. 412-833-5600

Trotwood Manor West Association

trotwoodmanorwest@gmail.com

United Senior Citizens of USC

Lynn Walcoff................................................. 412-221-1099, x655

USC Athletic Association (www.uscaasports.org)

Rob York, President, USCAA ...........feedback@uscaasports.org

Rec Baseball (Spring)......................................... Nelson Crichton

Rich West

Travel Baseball (Summer)..................................... Bret Stutzman

Mike McKenzie

Boys Basketball (Winter)........................................ Jay Sukernek

Girls Basketball (Winter)......................................... Mike Barnard

Amr El Nokali

Football Tackle & Flag (Fall/Spring)..................... Bryan Mathews

Softball (Fall/Spring)................................................... Ryan Pope

Rec Soccer (Fall).......................................................... Bill Friday

Travel Soccer (Fall/Spring)....................................... Steve Gibbs

Mike Ressler

Wrestling (Winter)..................................................... Adam Smith

USC Band Parents

(www.uscbpa.org)..................................uscbpaofficers@gmail.com

USC-Bethel Park Breakfast Rotary Club

Sally Morrison ....................................................... 412-951-7543

sallydmorrison@gmail.com

USC Boy Scouts of America

Mike Wherry (Troop 366) ........................................ 412-953-5791

Tom O’Brien (Troop 4 )............................................ 412-854-3153

USC Citizens for Land Stewardship (www.usccls.org)

Jen Dalke .............................................................. 412-760-0801

USC Democratic Committee

Allyson Feldman,Chair.................uscdemcommittee@gmail.com

Andrew Zahalsky, Vice Chair

USC High School Parent/Teacher/Student Organization (PTSO)

Leria Miles..............................PTSOpresident.uschs@gmail.com

USC Hockey Club ................................ president@uschockey.org

USC League for the Arts (USCLA)

Vi Laux ................................................................... 412-523-1855

USC Library ............................................................ 412-835-5540

USC Newcomer’s Club

(www.uscnewcomers.org) ........... uscnewcomersexec@gmail.com

USC Parent Teacher Council (PTC)

Pamela Scureman, President ..... USCPTCpresident@gmail.com

USC Republican Committee

Andrew Baldasare ................................................ 412-559-9228

USC Robotics Club

Tracy Smith ............................................. tsmith@uscsd.k12.pa.us

USC Volunteer Firefighters

Greg Gerlach, President ...............................412-835-0660, x100

president@uscvfd.org

Woman’s Club of Upper St. Clair

Linda Altopiedi, Secretary ...................................... 412-260-5610

Call the UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY office at 412-851-2851, or email usctoday@usctoday.org

if your club or organization’s information needs to be updated, added to or deleted from our list. Thank you.

For an online version of this directory, visit twpusc.org/usctoday and click on USC TODAY Features from the home page.


Alliance Church of Upper St. Clair

2510 Old Washington Road —412-835-4775

Berean Fellowship Church

300 Rockfield Circle, Scott Township—412-220-4673

Beth-El Congregation Of South Hills

1900 Cochran Road, Mt. Lebanon—412-561-1168

Bethany Lutheran Church

5303 Madison Avenue, Bethel Park—412-835-9221

Bethany Presbyterian Church

740 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville—412-221-5132

Bethel Presbyterian Church

2999 Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park—412-835-0405

Beverly Heights Presbyterian Church

1207 Washington Road—412-561-5100

Bower Hill Community Church

70 Moffett Street, Mt. Lebanon—412-561-4114

Brightwood Christian Church

5044 West Library Avenue, Bethel Park—412-835-6703

Center Presbyterian Church

255 Center Church Road, McMurray—724-941-9050

Chabad of the South Hills

1701 McFarland Road, Pittsburgh—412-344-2424

Christ Community Church of the South Hills

100 Warwick Drive, Bethel Park—412-519-4097

Christ Church

44 Highland Road, Bethel Park—412-835-6621

Congregation Ahavath Achim (The Carnegie Shul)

500 Chestnut Street, Carnegie—412-279-1566

Corpus Christi Parish

212 Station Street, Bridgeville—412-221-5213

Crossroads Church

1120 Boyce Road—412-494-9999

Faith Lutheran Church of Upper St. Clair

80 Bartley Road—412-835-4590

First Bethel United Methodist Church

5901 Library Road, Bethel Park—412-835-0700

Good Shepherd Church

110 Hays Road—724-941-9418 (office), 412-523-

2964

North Way Christian Community Robinson

1050 Campbells Run Road, Carnegie—724-935-6800

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox

123 Gilkeson Road, Mt. Lebanon—412-833-3355

John McMillan Presbyterian Church

875 Clifton Road, Bethel Park—412-833-4704

Mt. Lebanon Christian Church

367 Cedar Blvd., Mt. Lebanon—412-531-8554

Mt. Lebanon Evangelical Presbyterian Church

255 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon—412-531-3387

New Day Assembly of God

701 Circle Drive—724-941-1661

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (ELCA)

105 Gateshead Drive, McMurray—724-941-7467

Peace Lutheran Church

107 Carol Drive, McMurray—724-941-9441

Peters Creek United Presbyterian Church

250 Brookwood Road, Peters Twp.—724-942-3635

Unless otherwise listed, the organization

is located in Upper St. Clair Township.

SERVING UPPER ST. CLAIR

Churches and Synagogues

Resurrection Parish

St. John Capistran Campus

1610 McMillan Road—412-221-6275

St. Thomas More Campus

126 Fort Couch Road—412-833-0031

Ruthfred Lutheran Church

3401 South Park Rd., Bethel Park —412-835-7140

St. David’s Episcopal Church

905 E. McMurray Road, Peters Twp.—724-941-4060

St. George Orthodox Church

3230 Washington Pike, Bridgeville—412-221-2277

St. Gregory Byzantine Catholic Church

2005 Mohawk Road—412-835-7800

St. Catherine Laboure Roman Catholic Church

St. Joan of Arc Campus

6470 Library Road, South Park—412-833-2400

St. Louise de Marillac Campus

320 McMurray Road—412-833-1010

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church


South Hills Assembly


South Hills Church of the Nazarene


South Hills Community Baptist Church

2400 Old Washington Road—412-833-1313

South Hills Interfaith Movement

5301 Park Avenue, Bethel Park—412-854-9120

Temple Emanuel

1250 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh—412-279-7600

The Bible Chapel

300 Gallery Drive, McMurray—724-941-8990

The Unitarian Universalist

Church of the South Hills (aka Sunnyhill)


Westminster Presbyterian Church


Day Care (Children)


2999 Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park

412-835-0441


Kings School Kids


Kid Biz, LLC

3540 Washington Road, McMurray—724-941-4172

KinderCare Learning Center


KinderCare of McMurray

118 Wilhaven Drive, McMurray—724-941-4579

KinderCare of Mt. Lebanon

1610 N. Highland Road, Mt. Lebanon

412-531-1953

The Goddard School

655 Painters Run Road —412-564-3600

Westminster Child Development Center


Day Care (Adult)

Prime Time Adult Care, Inc.

Alzheimer Day Care

44 Highland Road, Bethel Park—412-835-6661

Elizabeth Seton Center

1900 Pioneer Avenue, Brookline—412-561-8400

Nursery Schools

Ave Maria Academy

Preschool to 8 th Grade

Bethel Park Campus

134 Fort Couch Road—412-833-1412

Mt. Lebanon Campus

401 Washington Rd—412-341-5444

Bethany Presbyterian Church

740 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville—412-206-0166

Beth-El Nursery School




Beverly Heights Christian Preschool


Christ Church Nursery School

44 Highland Road—412-854-4310


Kings School Kids


Goddard School

825 Painters Run Road —412-564-3600

John McMillan Preschool


Kingdom Kids Nursery School


Montessori Children’s Schoolhouse

1782 Mayview Rd., Bridgeville—412-257-9717

Mt. Lebanon Montessori

70 Moffett Street, Mt. Lebanon—412-563-2858

Mushroom Family Learning Center


Noah’s Ark Preschool-Our Redeemer Lutheran

105 Gateshead Drive, McMurray—724-942-6699

Ruthfred Lutheran Nursery School

3401 South Park Road, Bethel Park—412-835-7140

St. David’s Early Learning Center

905 E. McMurray Road, Peters Twp.—724-413-8285

St. Louise de Marillac

Preschool to 8 th Grade

310 McMurray Road—412-835-0600

St. Paul’s Episcopal Nursery

1066 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon

412-531-2644

South Hills JCC Early Childhood Development Center

345 Kane Boulevard, Pittsburgh—412-278-1975

Temple Emanuel

1250 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh—412-279-7600

Westminster Nursery School


If we’ve overlooked your information,

have incorrect information, or if you would like

your Upper St. Clair facility to be represented in

our magazine with an article, please write to:

Editor, UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY,

1820 McLaughlin Run Road,


or email usctoday@usctoday.org.

For an online version of Serving Upper St. Clair,

visit twpusc.org/usctoday

and scroll down the home page

to find it under the

USC TODAY Features section.


Summer 2024

* Affordable Decks & Additions LLC ........................................................ 69

* Arbor Tree Specialists Inc. ..................................................................... 66

Ardolino’s ............................................................................................... 5

Ballet Academy of Pittsburgh ............................................................... 42

* Calabro Tire and Auto Service ................................................................. 7

* Coldwell Banker South Hills Office ....................................................OBC

* Coldwell Banker – Lynn Dempsey ........................................................ 67

Compass – Jonette Shanahan .............................................................. 35

* Davey Tree ............................................................................................ 65

Envisage / Presbyterian Seniorcare Network ....................................... 34

* Extended Day Services ......................................................................... 42

Friendship Village .................................................................................. 5

* George Girty Landscape Design ........................................................... 65

Guy’s Home Improvements ................................................................. 67

Howard Hanna – Shannon Gallagher .................................................. 11

Advertiser Index

twpusc.org/usctoday

KSG Orthodontics .................................................................................. 7

Learn3ride ............................................................................................ 42

* Manalo DMD, Larry E. ........................................................................... 19

McQueen Building Company............................................................... 70

Mt. Lebanon Awning............................................................................. 69

* Mt. Lebanon Recreation ....................................................................... 43

Phelps Nursery ..................................................................................... 68

Piatt Sotheby’s Intl. Realty – Patty Meers .............................................. 15

* Pinebridge Commons ......................................................................... 19

* Providence Point/Baptist Senior Family ............................................... 44

Re/Max Select Realty – Amanda Walton .............................................. 44

Really Dough ....................................................................................... 43

* Rusmur Floors .................................................................................... IBC

* Scott Bros Windows & Doors ............................................................... 65

* South Hills Endoscopy Center ................................................................ 1

TODAY thanks our advertisers for their support of our community magazine!

Please consider using their services whenever you are able.

Howard Hanna – Amanda Nasman ........................................................ 7

* Howard Hanna – USC Office................................................................ IFC

Isbir Construction & Landscaping Corp. .............................................. 66

Joseph Hegedus LPC ........................................................................... 17

Kathy’s Music LLC ................................................................................. 42

* Keller Williams – Sandy Goldstein ....................................................... 17

* St. Clair Health ................................................................................. 3, 46

* State Farm Insurance – Cindy Brophy .................................................. 19

The Coder School ................................................................................. 44

* Thomas Dance Studio .......................................................................... 44

* Washington Health Systems ................................................................ 13

West Penn Landscaping ....................................................................... 67

* Kerr Dentistry ....................................................................................... 19

Let

guide you in 2024 with

great ad placement.

Upcoming fall guides include

Educational Resources and

Health & Wellness

Place your ad

in our community’s go-to publication.

Contact 412-851-2851.

*The above advertisers, who are advertising in this issue,

have contributed their financial support for a

minimum of 50 issues.

YEARS

412-851-2851 | usctoday@usctoday.org | twpusc.org/usctoday

UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY, the award-winning, official publication of the School District and Township of Upper St. Clair




Presort STD

US Postage PAID

Permit # 206

Pittsburgh PA

WE MOVE

UPPER ST. CLAIR

Casey Caudill

Peters Township Office

Lynn Dempsey

South Hills Office

Brittany Fichter

South Hills Office

John Geisler

South Hills Office

Sheryl Kyle

South Hills Office

Bonnie Loya


TURN UP THE HEAT

ON YOUR HOME

SEARCH

Monica Mahla


Rachel Mazzie

South Hills Office

Carol McCarthy

South Hills Office

Dora Rudick

South Hills Office

Summer is the perfect time

to find your dream home

– a place where every

day feels like a vacation.

Contact us today, and let’s

get started!

South Hills 1630 Washington Road | Pittsburgh PA 15241 | 412.833.5405

ColdwellBankerHomes.com/southhills

Peters Township 3244 Washington Road | McMurray, PA 15317 | 724.942.1200

ColdwellBankerHomes.com/peterstownship

NMLS ID 1598647

Affiliated real estate agents are independent contractor sales associates, not employees. ©2024 Coldwell Banker. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are trademarks of

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. The Coldwell Banker® System is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are

independently owned and operated. The Coldwell Banker System fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. 24H1VJ_PIT_3/24

SUMMER 2024 UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY

Transform your PDFs into Flipbooks and boost your revenue!

Delete template?

Save as template ?