PLUS: Community members lend talents and resources during COVID-19 crisis A fighter jet once crashed in Robinson 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 98 May/June 2020 Montour Edition2 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 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 May Montour edition of Allegheny West Magazine. I hope this message finds you well and safe during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history. This month, we’re bringing you a number of informational columns and good news stories about how locals are responding to the crisis. On page 8, read about how people in the community have been retooling their talents and resources to help their neighbors and people working on the front lines of the crisis. Then, starting on page 16, we’re bringing lots of news from area schools, including the latest Montour School District newsletter. A number of these stories focus on how schools have been transitioning to distance learning. We’re also bringing you a special section on day trip ideas. After being cooped up the past couple of months, we thought our readers would enjoy this special section. We’ve assembled a list of area destinations with an eye on safety and social distancing. Read more, starting on page 32. Look for our next edition in July when, hopefully, we’ll know more about where our area stands in regards to this crisis. For many of us, simply not knowing has been the worst part. In the meantime, please stay safe. 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 These are just some of the destinations listed in our Day Trips guide this month. Pictured are (from left, clockwise): sailing at Moraine State Park; Hollow Oak Land Trust trails; and the Egypt Valley Wildlife Area. PHOTOS SUBMITTED COVER DESIGN BY SARAH KIZINA Montour Edition May/June 2020 ~ Volume 16, Number 98 ABOUT THE COVER Columns { }Contents - Around Your Town - Chamberlink - Perspectives - Legislative Update - Your Schools - Robinson Township Library - Robinson Township Hist. Soc. - Firebeat 8 10 12 14 16 19 31 38 8 21 31 32 - - - - Community members lend talents and resources during COVID-19 crisis Montour School District Newsletter A fighter jet once crashed in Robinson Day Trips! Your cure for cabin feverMay/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 5Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health Coronavirus Update Information brought to you by Heritage Valley Health System What is coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses, which can cause the common cold to serious respiratory illness. The 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new virus that causes respiratory illness in people and can spread from person-to-person. This virus was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan, China. What are the symptoms? The symptoms of COVID-19 include – cough, fever, shortness of breath. The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. How can coronavirus spread? •Through the air by coughing or sneezing; •Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; •Touching an object or surface with the virus on it; •Occasionally, fecal contamination How to protect yourself? •Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. •Practice social distancing, stay at home and when needing to go out, stay approximately 6 feet away from others •Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow; do not use your hands! •Clean surfaces frequently, including countertops, light switches, cell phones, and other frequently touched items. •Stay at home if you are sick. When should I see a doctor? If you are currently having mild respiratory symptoms such as fever, and/or cough or shortness of breath, have traveled or have had contact with a person who has a confirmed case of coronavirus in the last 14 days please contact your primary care physician (PCP) office by phone. The physician office staff will help assess your condition and will be able to recommend next steps. Patients with a non-Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group provider can be tested for COVID-19. These patients should call one of our ConvenientCare sites near them to be evaluated for a COVID-19 testing. The provider at ConvenientCare will do a telephone/telehealth visit with the patient and determine if testing is indicated. ConvenientCare Phone Numbers •Calcutta: 724-773-1995 •Chippewa: 724-770-7999 •Ellwood City: 724-773-4681, opt. 1 •Robinson Twp: 724-773-8950 If you do not have a PCP, please call one of our ConvenientCare locations. The office staff will help assess your condition and will be able to recommend next steps. Please do not come to the ConvenientCare with the above symptoms unless directed to do so by the staff. You can also contact the PA Department of Health at 1-877-724-3258 or reference information from the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/) Heritage Valley Offers Scheduled COVID-19 Testing To better serve the community during this coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Heritage Valley Health System is offering COVID-19 drive-through testing at two locations. •Heritage Valley Center Township Medical Neighborhood 79 Wagner Road, Monaca, PA, behind the Beaver Valley Mall Mon., Wed. & Fri., 8:00 am to 4:30 pm •Heritage Valley Moon Township Medical Neighborhood 935 Thorn Run Road, Moon Twp. Tues. & Thurs., 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Testing is only available for patients who have an authorized order from their Heritage Valley provider in advance of arriving at the testing site. Patients must be at least 12 years old to have testing done at the drive-through sites. Appointments are scheduled through Heritage Valley Scheduling at 1-800-721-6237. Appointments are scheduled every 5 minutes. Patients are able to drive up to the testing site and remain in their car while clinical staff collect the nasal test sample. A photo ID is required. Results of the test will be available 3-4 days after collection. After having samples taken, individuals are strongly encouraged to self-quarantine at home until the test results are received. The individual’s Primary Care Physician will contact them with results. HeritageValley.org Download our App May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 7CAround Your Town Around Your Town Up until March of this year, Montour High School student Jocelyn Paulin had been spending her weekends working as an assistant sewing instructor at Cut and Sew Studio in East Liberty. Jocelyn, who has been sewing since third grade, was teaching children between the ages of 6 and 12. Come mid-March, however, Jocelyn wasn’t teaching anymore. Instead, just like a lot of people across the country, she was biding her time at home in order to slow the spread of COVID-19. Jocelyn, though, quickly realized she had a particular skill set that had become invaluable, particularly to people who don’t have the luxury of sitting at home during the crisis. When she heard about people in Georgia making covers for facemasks that have been in short supply since the start of the crisis, she approached her boss at Cut and Sew with an idea to make masks for first responders. That led to the creation of Mask Makers Pittsburgh. With the help of her sister, Juliana, Jocelyn has also been making masks for first responders in her immediate community. Thus far, she’s made almost 60 masks for Kennedy’s emergency management coordinator to distribute and another 13 for the Stowe Township Police Department. After Gov. Tom Wolf issued guidance instructing all state residents to wear masks, she sewed another 20 for a company that needed them for its employees. To date, she’s donated about 150 masks. She says she still has plenty of orders to fill, however, and that she’s prioritizing ones for first responders who, like many people, were caught off guard by the surge in demand at the start of the crisis. She’s also worried about her stockpile of materials and likely would have already run out if not for Clearview Federal Credit donating 150 shirts to aid her efforts. The shirts were left over from various promotional efforts and are now the primary material that she’s using. Still, she’s worried about other supplies. “I don’t think I’ve ever run out of thread on a spool before starting this project,” she says. She’s also running out of elastic. “It seems it is sold out everywhere,” she says. “It has been difficult to obtain more materials as a whole.” Jocelyn isn’t alone in her efforts. She’s just one of many people across the area and country who are diverting their talents and resources to help however they can during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not far from where Jocelyn lives in Kennedy Township, Ty Miley helped her 91-year-old mother, Sis, assemble about 60 masks toward the start of the crisis. They donated most of the masks to essential workers and friends. Ty says they would have made more but that they, too, ran out of elastic. Sis grew up during the Great Depression, when many people had to make the things they needed themselves. She made her masks out of scraps from past projects, including Halloween costumes, table runners and more. She even made a Dale Earnhardt Jr. mask for her son, Matt. The Mileys operate Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial. In the West Allegheny community, middle school student Lucca Blumling sewed masks made out of diaper material wrapped in superhero cloth print shortly after her school closed. Blumling made the masks for essential workers such as doctors, nurses, hospital transportation teams, EMS teams, grocery store employees and others. She says she chose superhero prints because the people she was making them for are “the real super heroes!” She says she also wanted to honor her great grandmother, who taught her to sew. “I was inspired to make these masks when I heard of the shortage because I spent most of the month of December in the hospital with my great grandmother after her stroke,” she says. “I witnessed first hand exactly how hard [hospital workers] worked.” In Coroapolis, Bella Bambino Cellos started producing hand sanitizer, which has been in short supply since the crisis started. The business donated bottles to local police departments, including Stowe and Kennedy, and are now also selling the bottles to the general public at www.bbcello.com. According to the business’ website, they are donating as much hand sanitizer as possible to first responders, healthcare workers and public servants. In addition to the donations mentioned, Kennedy Township police chief Anthony Bruni says that his department has also received face masks and cookies from local scout troops, along with coffee from Giant Eagle. Bruni says the department appreciates all of the donations it has gotten, as personal protective equipment in particular became hard to source as soon as the crisis escalated. “The demand went up so fast that we couldn’t stockpile basic supplies fast enough,” he says. “We’re very fortunate to have the supplies that we do.” He also said, though, that he hopes people will consider medical workers and themselves before donating to police. As a side note, he cautioned residents to be aware of scams during this time, as criminals often attempt to prey on people who are in vulnerable situations. Community members lend talents and resources during crisis STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY PHOTOS SUBMITTED TOP: Montour High School student Jocelyn Paulin has sewn about 150 masks for frontline workers. MIDDLE: Sis Miley, 91, of Kennedy Township, sewed and donated about 60 masks for workers and friends. BOTTOM: West Allegheny Middle School student Lucca Blumling made masks for those working in essential services. 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2020CAround Your Town Around Your Town “If you’re donating money,” he said, “be sure to verify who you are donating to.” In addition to donating t-shirts to help Jocelyn continue making masks, Clearview Federal Credit Union donated $8,000 to various food pantries and Meals on Wheels programs around the Pittsburgh area, including to the West Hills Food Pantry, the Archangel Gabriel Food Pantry and the Focus on Renewal Food Pantry. The credit union has also been purchasing thousands of dollars worth of take-out to feed frontline workers and support local restaurants. The credit union has been purchasing gourmet donuts from Peace, Love, and Little Donuts in Robinson and Beaver and sending them to West Hills Rehab in Moon Township, Senior Living at The Willows in Kennedy Township, and Brighton Rehab and UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, both in Beaver. Clearview has also been purchasing pizzas from shops around Pittsburgh and delivering them to area frontline workers. Clearview even donated $1,000 to the organization Off Their Plate, which sends 10 meals to healthcare workers in the Pittsburgh area for every $100 donated. Clearview also donated $10,000 to the The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Emergency Care Fund and, on April 24, credit union employees raised another $3,717 for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank. In total, the effort raised $4,357, or enough to purchase 15,000 meals. It was the largest amount ever raised in a single day by Clearview employees. At the same time, in Coraopolis, the Coraopolis Food Pantry continued to operate, with volunteers delivering food curbside. Food pantry volunteers have been handing out hundreds of bags filled with essential food products at its bi-monthly distributions. Volunteers Kelly Willard and Crystal Stadnik have also been working to ensure that 50 children each week receive a five- pound bag of food through the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation’s Snack Pack program. At Montour School District, the Nutrition Group has continued providing meals each day to students who need them. For more on those efforts, see page 22. Clearview FCU employees helped raise $4,357 for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank in a single day. It’s just one of a number of community efforts undertaken by the credit union to assist during the COVID-19 pandemic. May/June 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 9Next >