FREE Direct Mail Community Publication Allegheny West M agazine Montour School District News Page 21 Serving Ingram, Kennedy, Pennsbury, Robinson, Thornburg and Montour School District One of 4 Editions Serving 16 Airport Area Communities www.awmagazine.com Volume 16, Number 99 July/August 2020 Montour Editionclearviewfcu.org/everywhere Access Everywhere At home. On the go. July/August 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • July/August 2020 P. O. Box 220, McDonald, PA 15057 Phone: 724.673.3161 E-Mail: info@awmagazine.com www.awmagazine.com WE PROUDLY SPONSOR AND SUPPORT: A variety of community, school, and nonprofit organizations in our coverage areas of Cornell, Moon, Montour, and West Allegheny. We are committed to recycling our used and leftover products. We encourage our readers to be responsible and dispose of this magazine when finished enjoying it. Consider passing it along to someone else, or placing it in your neighborhood recycling bins. Thank you in advance for doing your part for our earth. Hughey Publications, LLC also publishes the Moon edition of Allegheny West Magazine, the Cornell edition of Allegheny West Magazine and the West Allegheny edition of Allegheny West Magazine. MEMBER “GOOD NEWS ALWAYS, MAILED & DELIVERED FREE, EVERY TIME” Allegheny West Magazine - Montour, is an all positive, good news publication mailed free into the homes and businesses of the Montour School District communities of Robinson, Kennedy, Ingram, Pennsbury, and Thornburg to connect communities, promote people, heighten awareness about the richness of the airport region, and build pride in the western suburbs of Allegheny County. Allegheny West Magazine Now in Our 21 st Year Proudly Serving the Airport Area PUBLISHER AND EDITOR Doug Hughey WRITERS Jill Bordo Pat Jennette GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Kizina WEBMASTER www.ddswebdesign.com CONTRIBUTORS Pam Iovino Anita Kulik Joe Kulik FOUNDING PUBLISHER Pat Jennette Dear Readers, Thank you for picking up our July Montour edition of Allegheny West Magazine. I hope you are continuing to stay safe and well as you enjoy the summer weather. Once again this month, much of our content has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a good news magazine, however, we’re bringing you stories about the positive ways that locals are continuing to respond to this crisis. For example, on page 24, we’re bringing you a special section on Montour’s recent graduation ceremony. The district arranged this special ceremony around both the weather and the pandemic. For hours, educators welcomed students back to the high school campus to be recognized and receive their diplomas. In this month’s newsletter as well, you will find important information regarding school in the fall on page 21 and a rundown of capital improvement projects on page 22. Also this month, we’re bringing you important and useful information from our elected officials and columnists. On page 34, our publisher emeritus Pat Jennette has put together a special section on camping during the COVID-19 era. Look for our next issue in September, when we’ll be bringing you our special back-to-school edition. Until then, please continue to be safe and well. From the Publisher Allegheny West Magazine-Montour Edition is published in January, March, May, July, September, and November, six issues a year, Hughey Publications, LLC, P. O. Box 220, McDonald PA 15057. Mailed and distributed free to residents and businesses in the Montour School District. Extra copies available at municipal offices, schools, libraries, stores, advertisers, hotels, and businesses. Available by mail subscription for $15 annually. Story ideas welcomed. Community events and announcements from non-profit groups must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publishing date. Announcements are limited to 30 words and must include a contact phone number. Reproduction of any artwork, photographs, or copy prepared by Allegheny West Magazine is strictly prohibited without written consent of Hughey Publications LLC. Copyright 1999-2020 Allegheny West Magazine. All rights reserved. Views and opinions expressed by contributors and/or advertisers are the responsibility of the contributors and not those of the publisher of Allegheny West Magazine. Doug Hughey, Publisher/Editor Montour Edition July/August 2020 ~ Volume 16, Number 99 ABOUT THE COVER Columns { }Contents - Locally Sourced - Around your Town - Chamberlink - Perspectives - Legislative Update - Robinson Township Historical Society - On the Horizon - Firebeat - Robinson Township Library 8 11 14 14 18 33 37 38 Bk. Cvr. 11 21 24 34 - - - - Ashley Marina on her “America’s Got Talent” appearance Montour School District Newsletter Congratulations Montour Class of 2020! Camping is still king Montour hosted a special graduation ceremony June 4 outside of the high school. TOP LEFT: Mark Hutter, Board of School Directors President; Dr. Christopher Stone, Superintendent of Schools; Dr. Justin Aglio, Director of K-4 Academic Achievement and K-12 Innovation; and Dr. Jason Burik, High School Principal of Academic and Student Affairs, applauded students as they received their diplomas. TOP RIGHT: Teachers Audra Wilson, Tiffany O’Shea, Linda Weaver and Samantha Kantz cheer on students along with Donna Udvarhelyi from the athletics department. BOTTOM LEFT: Todd Price, High School Principal, escorts Emma Dischner from her car so she can receive her diploma. BOTTOM MIDDLE: Nathan Del Santo prepares to receive his diploma. BOTTOM RIGHT: Susan Betten walks to receive her diploma. For more, see page 24. PHOTOS BY DOUG HUGHEY | DESIGN BY SARAH HUGHEYJuly/August 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 5Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health Heritage welcomes HHS Secretary Alex Azar Heritage Valley Health System welcomed Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to its Beaver County campus on May 29. During the visit, Azar toured the hospital’s orthopedic wing and met with hospital leadership, including president and CEO Norm Mitry and board members. Azar also met with members of the Allegheny County Conference on Community Development and Beaver County Commissioners to discuss the needs of local governments, healthcare facilities and other regional employers as the country begins to reopen. During remarks to the press, Azar first thanked the hospital’s front-line workers who have continued treating patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He then discussed the importance of reopening hospitals for preventative health screenings and elective procedures. “Here at Heritage Valley, we’ve heard about a particularly concerning aspect of this crisis - how measures that we needed to slow the spread of the virus may actually be impacting our health, including drops in important healthcare services,” Azar said. Azar pointed out that, at the start of the crisis, the federal government asked hospitals like Heritage to cease conducting elective procedures so as to conserve personal protective equipment and prioritize treating patients infected with COVID-19. With those restrictions now relaxed, Azar expressed concern that people have not been getting the healthcare that they need. “We have to balance the health risks of the virus against the health risks of foregoing all of this necessary medical care, as well as the health risks of social isolation and the economic downturn,” said Azar. “The right way to think about reopening isn’t health versus the economy. It’s health versus health.” Particularly concerning to the Health and Human Services secretary were the number of Medicare-funded procedures conducted in western Pennsylvania over the past couple of months. Azar said vital cancer screenings were down 90 to 95 percent between March and April, as were a number of other procedures. “Some weeks in April our data shows zero knee replacements paid for by Medicare across the entire Pittsburgh area, when pre-pandemic there were roughly 50 per week,” said Azar. “These numbers have begun to recover in May but they are still down significantly from what they were pre- pandemic.” On the other hand, Azar said that Medicare funded upwards of 5,000 telehealth visits with primary care physicians per week in April, whereas prior to the pandemic there were none. Azar said the Trump administration has been actively facilitating this arrangement, which allows patients to communicate with their physicians remotely. “We’ve been proud to support that with higher amounts of payment and regulatory flexibility,” said Azar. However, total PCP visits were still down by about half, the secretary said. Like all hospitals in Pennsylvania, Heritage Valley Health System has been working with the state to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its patients during the COVID-19 crisis. The hospital has been taking additional screening measures when admitting patients, including temperature checks. With restrictions now relaxed on screenings and elective surgeries, the hospital is urging patients to reach out to their PCP and to receive the care they need, whether it be cancer screenings, MRIs or elective surgeries. “The COVID-19 pandemic led many individuals to delay necessary healthcare services. Now that we are moving into the green phase of re-opening, we want people to know that Heritage Valley hospitals, Medical Neighborhoods, ConvenientCare clinics, Physician practices, outpatient rehab sites and other services are open and ready to serve you,” said Norm Mitry, president and CEO, Heritage Valley Health System. “We’ve taken additional measures to ensure patients are safe at all our locations. There’s no need to delay care any longer.” Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar speaks at Heritage Valley Health System in Beaver County on May 28. 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • July/August 2020Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health July/August 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 7%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced Kennedy Garden Club raffle winners announced The raffle associated with the Kennedy Garden Club’s annual plant sale was postponed this year due to the coronavirus. The raffle was, however, held June 13 at 10 a.m. at Fairhaven Park. A video can be viewed at the Kennedy Garden Club Facebook page. The winners were: 1st Prize - Pine cone fire pit with accessories - Sherry Taylor 2nd Prize - Butterfly bench, pillows and side table - Sherry Fleiner 3rd Prize - Gift basket with local merchant gift certificates - Ariel Langmann 4th Prize - Two decorated door wreaths with local merchant gift certificates - Nick Radoucis 5th Prize - Bird bath - Beth Tuszynski 6th Prize - Floral print by Nancy Kelly - Gwen Stokes 7th Prize - Yankee Candle Basket - Cil Bucek 8th Prize - Hanging Flower Basket and Stand - Loretta Vergenes 9th Prize - Patriotic basket donated by Anita Kulik - April Serakowski Kennedy dek hockey rink work reaches completion On June 19, the Kennedy Township Dek Hockey League completed the upgrading and resurfacing of their rink at Fairhaven Park. The upgrade was made possible through the hard work and dedication of the league’s two former league commissioners, Chad Bernotas and Jim Hoffman, as well as players and families who have invested in this wonderful league. For the past seven years, Bernotas and Hoffman - along with the help of many coaches, referees, volunteers, players, and families - have grown the league from approximately 75 players to over 275 players. The Kennedy Township Dek Hockey League plans to resume play for the fall season beginning in early September. Registration will open in early July and close mid-August. The league is open to ages 5 through 18. Register at KTDHL.com. Local scholarship winners announced Local organizations and scholarship funds announced the names of graduating Montour seniors who had received awards earlier this year. In addition to the following, a full list of Montour students who received local scholarship awards is listed in this month’s special graduation section contained in the official Montour School District newsletter on page 31. Alina’s Light Scholarship The Alina’s Light scholarship is usually awarded to two students each year in loving memory of Montour alumna Alina Sheykhet. The scholarship is awarded to students who share the same passion for the performing arts as Sheykhet did. The fund also awards money to organizations confronting domestic violence and those that benefit animals and children. Typically, the scholarship awards two students $2,000 each. Due to the pandemic affecting the community, however, the board decided to award all nine recipients $500 scholarship awards apiece. Recipients of the award this year are Susan Betten, Geno Asque Jr., Samantha Nelson, Eric Jozwiak, Arina Dillinger, Elizabeth Ziwikl, Nini Curcione, Johanna Tirone and Paige Degori. Alina’s Light wishes all of these students the best of luck on their next journey. The Second Annual Alina’s Light Walk and Run for Love will take place Oct. 4 at Settlers Cabin Park. To sign up for the 5k walk/run, or to learn more about Alina’s Light, visit Alinaslight.com. Nucci-Finny Scholarship It is with great pride that the Chiarelli and Finnegan families announced the winners of the 2020 Nucci-Finny Scholarship as George Padezanin and Bria Washington. Padezanin was a member of the National Honor Society and a four-year letterman on Montour’s varsity football team. He was also recognized all four years of his high school career as an all- conference player. Padezanin will attend Lehigh University on a full athletic scholarship for football. He plans to study civil engineering. Padezanin is the son of Marty and Kim Padezanin of Kennedy Township. Bria Washington was the president of her senior class. She served as a member of the Superintendent’s Liaison Committee and was active in seven clubs at Montour High School, where she also formed her own club called MHS For The Children. Washington plans to attend Grand Canyon University and major in sociology with a concentration in global work. It is her desire to perform humanitarian work and travel. Washington is the daughter of Tracy and Jacqueline Washington. The Chiarelli and Finnegan families welcome Bria and George to their scholarship family and wish them much love, luck and happiness as they continue their educations at the collegiate level. Kennedy Garden Club Scholarship The Kennedy Garden Club Scholarship Committee chose Eugene (Geno) Asque Jr. of Kennedy Township as this year’s scholarship winner. Asque plans to attend West Virginia University this fall and study music. He hopes to one day become a teacher. Bria Washington and George Padezanin were named the winners of this year’s Nucci- Finny Scholarship. Eugene (Geno) Asque Jr. The dek hockey rink at Fairhaven Park has been resurfaced and updated in plenty of time for the fall season. CONTENT SUBMITTED This plaque was installed at Montour High School in order to honor the memory of Alina Sheykhet. 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • July/August 2020%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced With the COVID-19 pandemic there have been many changes to the day- to-day operations of businesses, not the least of which includes a visit to the veterinarian. Nearly all veterinary hospitals are no longer allowing clients entry into their facilities due to safety precautions related to the virus. This is particularly difficult for families taking their pets that are either sick or dying. Thankfully, some hospitals are making special exceptions when performing euthanasia, but even then there are certain restrictions for family members. It is impossible to predict how soon or to what extent these safety procedures will continue at veterinary hospitals. The service that Dr. Ferris and his team at Peaceful Goodbyes provide to owners with dying pets alleviates some of the heartache and stress of a trip to the veterinary facility. The thought of saying goodbye to their beloved pet on a cold stainless steel table in unfamiliar surroundings with strange smells and noises is one that many owners would prefer to avoid. In 2016, after 20 years of ownership, Dr. Ferris sold his veterinary practice in Burgettstown (Hilltop Animal Hospital) and started Peaceful Goodbyes, which offers pet euthanasia in the privacy of one’s own home. Dr. Ferris is continuing to offer in- home euthanasia throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and taking the necessary precautions to protect against the spread of the virus during house calls. There are no time constraints with a typical house call and pet owners are given as much time as needed to say their goodbyes. Dr. Ferris will bring a veterinary technician with him and, after the pet has passed, provide cremation options, if requested. When individual cremation is preferred, he will personally transport the pet to the crematorium and, a few days later, return the cremains to the family in a beautiful wooden urn with engraved nameplate and a clay paw print keepsake. Peaceful Goodbyes is not an emergency service, but Ferris is generally available seven days a week until 7 p.m. Dr. Ferris will also, if requested, visit with the family prior to a scheduled euthanasia to meet the pet, assess the patient, and try to answer the many questions concerning their loved one’s failing health. There is no fee or obligation when a client requests this introductory visit. Dr. Ferris says the response he’s gotten over the past couple of years has been overwhelming. He’s posted a number of testimonials to his website at: www.peacefulgoodbyes. comtestimonial.html. Among them are recollections of how grateful pet owners were not to have put their dying pet through the stress, anxiety and pain of one final visit to the veterinary clinic. Area veterinarian continuing to help pet owners through euthanasia process during COVID-19 pandemic In part due to the numerous referrals from families that Peaceful Goodbyes has helped in the past, Dr. Ferris has found an increased interest and use of his services. The territory that he covers has expanded greatly in the past year, and it is not uncommon for him to get requests from the Wheeling and Pittsburgh areas. Due to this increased demand, Dr. Ferris is proud to announce the addition of Dr. Bryn Kreider to his dedicated veterinary team. Dr. Kreider is an associate veterinarian at VCA Five Points Animal Hospital and will be doing house calls on a limited basis when Dr. Ferris is unavailable. Her passion, kindness and empathy for families struggling with end of life issues for their pets make her a perfect addition to the Peaceful Goodbyes team. Dr. Ferris is currently making house calls throughout Allegheny, Beaver and Washington counties, as well as part of Ohio and West Virginia. For more information, visit peacefulgoodbyes.com or text/call (412) 671-3773. If unavailable to take your call, Dr. Ferris prefers you send a text message over leaving a voicemail. Dr. Mark Ferris CONTENT SUBMITTED July/August 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 9Next >