< PreviousCAround Your Town Around Your Town It takes a lot of work to create a hit summer song, but Moon Area alumna Bailey Taylor had plenty of inspiration from friends and family while creating a single that captures the memories of the warmest time of the year. Releasing her first single under the artist name BayTay, “Not a Worry” is Taylor’s first song released on streaming platforms. The singer and songwriter has previously performed at venues including the Shaker Woods Festival, the “For the Love of Music!” festival and her own graduation in 2018, but this song was her first step onto the worldwide stage. “I love seeing everyone’s videos of them jamming out to it on the beach, at the pool or in the car,” said Taylor. “It has been so neat hearing about how much people relate to it and how, to many, it takes them back to their younger summer days.” The song was produced with the help of producer Andrew Manzardo and Bailey’s cousin, B.C. Taylor. The trio’s work paid off, with the single receiving praise on social media and being streamed over 5,000 times on Spotify. In addition to the single’s release on streaming platforms, Taylor also released a music video for “Not A Worry” that features open-air truck rides and floating in the pool. The video is a reflection of Taylor’s own circle of friends, with the project being filmed and directed by a friend of the family. “All the laughs and love you see in the video is all genuine, because of the life-long relationships I have with every single person you see,” said Taylor. “I had my sisters, parents, boyfriend, friends, childhood best friends and neighbors be a part of it, along with my cousin’s girlfriend who directed and filmed the entire video. It was so much fun and so special to have all of my loved ones involved in my first music video with me and is something I will honestly cherish forever.” While she is still celebrating the success of her first release with her family and friends, Taylor won’t be slowing down or taking a rest. More songs from BayTay are on the way, especially with the songwriter stuck inside. Despite the pandemic, her creative energy is still flowing. “I am planning to release a new single every couple months, with my next one being in September/October if everything goes as planned,” said Taylor. “Times are so uncertain right now, so we are playing it day by day and keeping our fingers crossed. I’m really excited to continue this journey and release more music that I hope people can relate to and love.” Just like a lot of high school seniors who graduated this past spring, Maleena Dominick missed out on a lot of things her predecessors enjoyed after schools were shut down due to COVID-19. For Dominick, who was an active member of the chorus at Moon Area High School, the worst part was not getting to perform in those big recitals that usually take place in the spring. “I am extremely passionate about singing and having to miss out on these opportunities that I was looking forward to was difficult,” she says. Dominick, though, managed to turn lemons into lemonade. With the help of her mom, photographer Sharon Dominick, Maleena put together a music video based on an original song she’d written called “Don’t Forget Me” and submitted it to the Hall of Personal Expression contest sponsored by Robbie’s Hope, which seeks to address teen suicide and depression. The theme was “Living in a COVID World.” In the video, which can be viewed on YouTube, Maleena sings while wearing her Moon Area graduation cap and gown. The video features other mementos from her senior year as well, including pictures of her friends, a pamphlet from the school’s December chorus concert and a news article about schools being closed. It also has a nice twist at the end. The video won in the music category. That success turned out to be the first in a couple of big triumphs for the young singer and songwriter during an otherwise rocky year. In July, Maleena released her first album, “Bruises to Prove It,” which is comprised of six original songs. She also filmed a video with her mom for the track “On the Run” that she’s posted to YouTube. The video’s boxing rink setting plays on the “bruises” theme and refers to all those emotional bumps one gets as a teenager. “The inspiration behind each and every song on my album is based on my emotions and experiences growing up and going through my teen years,” she says about the album. “Whether it be not knowing what life has to offer, going through a first heartbreak, or discovering who I am, every song on this album has a very personal meaning to me.” Maleena’s mom once again lent her photography skills for the album artwork, but that’s not the only way she’s contributed. Maleena says her mom has been a big supporter of her over the years as she’s developed her talents. The same can be said of her dad, musician Chip Dominick. The father-daughter duo are even in a band together called Chip and Charge Ups. Maleena says her dad has been a major influence on her music and that, without him, she could have never finished the album. Maleena’s dad can be heard on a few of the tracks performing guitar licks. Another musical mentor of Maleena’s who contributed to the album was Liz Berlin of Rusted Root fame. Maleena says Berlin helped with some harmonies on the album’s first track, “I Can’t Find You.” Meelana met Berlin through a music camp that Berlin runs. “She is a great mentor for young musicians, as well as just a wonderful person all around,” says Maleena. Currently, Chip and Charge Ups are scheduled to play at the Hard Rock Café on Sept. 26. Maleena is also planning to live stream some performances through her Facebook page @MusicByMaleena. Maleena Dominick releases new albumBailey Taylor releases new single STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY STORY BY GARRET ROBERTS Maleena Dominick PHOTO BY SHARON DOMINICK PHOTOGRAPHY Bailey Taylor PHOTO SUBMITTED 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • September/October 2020CAround Your Town Around Your Town The war memorial outside Keith-Holmes VFW Post 402 in downtown Coraopolis has long been one of the best-known landmarks in the borough. Since 1973, it has stood at the corner of 5th Avenue and Mulberry Street as a tribute to the veterans who have served this country through all of its major conflicts since World War I. Earlier this year, the memorial went through a major reconstruction project that entailed replacing almost all of its monuments honoring those conflicts with new granite monuments. The World War I monument was also refurbished and another monument added with the poem “In Flanders Fields” etched into it. As well, two benches were installed honoring the organizations and auxiliaries that utilize the post along with two additional monuments with bronze emblems of all six branches of the military. New pavers were also installed throughout the memorial. An official dedication of the reconstructed memorial had been scheduled to take place Sept. 12 but is now being rescheduled. Lt. Col. Bryan O’Neill, commander of the 146th Air Refueling Squadron, is to serve as the event’s keynote speaker. Keith-Holmes VFW Post 402 quartermaster John Radcliff says that, thus far, the response to the project has been overwhelming. Though the post circulated some very nice conceptual renderings of the memorial earlier this year, he says the real thing has left a much more dramatic impression on those who have visited it in person. “Even though we had the concept art, people just didn’t get it,” he says. Radcliff says the project was a number of years in the making. “It really goes back two or three years now where we had a lot of our older members from Korea and World War II saying, ‘Look, it’s falling apart, we need to repair it,’” says Radcliff. He says one post member, Lou Gilberti, who served in the Korean War, even solicited donations for repairs in his obituary. The reconstruction project thus fixed many of the problems that time and weather had inflicted on the old memorial. A number of efforts have also helped offset the cost. The post has, at the time of this writing, sold 148 etched pavers to help raise funds for the project. A merger with another post also helped to put it in a good enough financial position to take on the project. “We’ve had a lot of donations and dedication,” says Radcliff. “But if it wasn’t for the Don Campbell post over in Sewickley merging with us last year, we wouldn’t have had the money to complete it.” Local companies that have made the project possible include Inches Nursery, Dragun’s Landscaping Supply and Riverside Builders Supply. Picture This On Granite provided the project’s granite monuments while Polar Engraving has been etching the pavers. In all, Radcliff says the project cost around $100,000. In the long term, though, he says the project will actually save the post money, as it was estimated repairs to the existing monument could have run as much as $10,000 every five years. The project also allowed the post to make the entire monument level and therefore wheelchair-accessible. To make the old monument ADA- accessible would have required constructing a new wheelchair ramp. One part of the memorial that isn’t new is its World War I monument and the iconic doughboy statue that sits atop it. Instead, both the base and the statue were refurbished. First, the statue was removed and cracks in the base repaired. The base was also covered in rubberized material to protect it from the elements. The statue was then hoisted back into place in June. Part of the restoration of the statue entailed recasting its bayonet, which Radcliff says the post determined was not original to the statue. Originally cast in 1921, the statue sat for a time outside of the high school, where it was photographed in 1935. That photo indicates that the statue did not have its bayonet even then. Radcliff says that when it was moved to the post in 2008, a replacement bayonet was installed, but it was cast in a different material than the statue. Keith-Holmes VFW Post 402 is continuing to raise funds to cover the cost of the memorial and maintain it. Funds also help support the post’s various philanthropic efforts that assist veterans. To donate or purchase a paver, visit vfw402.org. Coraopolis war memorial reaches completion STORY AND PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEY The war memorial in front of Keith-Holmes VFW Post 402 has been rebuilt and will be rededicated in a ceremony Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. September/October 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 11CAround Your Town Around Your Town STORY BY PAT JENNETTE PHOTOS SUBMITTED It is often said that the only thing constant in life is change. For three airport area siblings who collectively invested 137 years of their lives - their entire careers - with the airline industry, nothing could be truer. Bill, Joe and Pat Czyzewicz have successfully landed on the doorstep of their next life phase after retiring from what was once Allegheny Airlines, and is now American Airlines, within months of each other. Their stories could fill a book about an ever-changing airline that has defined Pittsburgh’s aviation industry for nearly 80 years. Back in the 1970s, Allegheny Airlines defined Greater Pittsburgh International Airport. In 1992, a massive $1 billion rebuilding and expansion of the airport was completed so it could become a major hub for what was now US Airways. Through numerous mergers and changes, that airline has since folded into American Airlines. Fortunately for the Czyzewiczs, their story has a silver lining. The timing of their retirement worked well in light of American Airlines’ announcement Aug. 25 that it would furlough another 19,000 employees and downsize due to COVID-19. The Czyzewiczs’ collective tenures working for one company for so many years reflects a days-gone-by reality that is now the exception rather than the norm. Not only did the Czyzewiczs remain in the same company for their entire careers, they also survived four mergers, two bankruptcies and the downgrading of Pittsburgh as a major aviation hub after USAir shifted its operations. When Moon Township resident Bill Czyzewicz, the oldest, went to work at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport after graduating from Montour High School in 1972, he followed in the footsteps of his late father, Bill Sr., who was already a longtime employee of what was then Allegheny Airlines. Bill Sr. retired in 1990 as a production supervisor after 25 years with the company. Bill Jr. started in the mail room. He eventually moved up to catering and then lead baggage agent. He recalls, “I’ve always been in love with aviation and thought my future would be secure in Pittsburgh.” “After six years and earning an associate degree at Penn Technical Institute, I was promoted to a mechanic in the instrument shop where I overhauled, tested, and calibrated various aircraft cockpit instruments,” he recalls. He further secured his niche seven years later. As Allegheny Airlines was in the process of becoming USAir, he obtained his federal airframe and powerplant license. Over the next nine years, Bill overhauled jet engines, auxiliary power units and associated components. He also tested the latter two. The remainder of his 48-year career involved overhauling entire aircraft, primarily Boeing 737s and Airbus narrow body aircraft. His brother, Joe, also a Moon resident, did not plan on pursuing an airline career. Yet upon graduating from Montour in 1974, he stepped into his brother’s position as a mail clerk. He transferred to reservations in 1977 then became a flight attendant in 1979. Says Joe, “I enjoyed being a flight attendant until I retired in May with 46 years of service. The airline provided many opportunities for my life and I am very grateful for that.” Among those opportunities was extensive traveling, making friends with many people industry-wide, and meeting his late partner, Del, who was also a flight attendant. As Joe established seniority within the system, his travels took him to international locations that most could only dream of seeing. Joe’s work ethic earned him the coveted Flight Attendant of the Year award in 1998. He also served as the uniform union representative for the Pittsburgh base. This month, Pat, who is also a Montour alumna, will close out her 43-year career with the airline. She currently lives in Hopewell. “During high school, I did want to eventually work at the airline,” she says. “I was only 17 when I graduated (in 1975), so I worked at an insurance company for almost a year. My father heard of a temporary position at Allegheny Airlines where I could work in the hopes of getting into Allegheny long term. I worked as a temp in 1976 and was hired full-time in 1977.” She moved within the company frequently as her positions and responsibilities changed throughout the airline’s mergers, bankruptcies and changes. She oversaw maintenance training schedules for mechanics and simulator scheduling for pilots. By the 1990s, she had moved into management as a crew-scheduling trainer. While working full time, Pat pursued a Bachelor of Science in information technology through CCAC and Carlow College. This propelled her into positions as a systems strategies analyst and technical analyst, which entailed supporting the desktop hardware for the US Airways 24/7 operations center. When US Airways outsourced its IT department, she found herself working as a technical consultant until the airline moved her into the IT security group. She played a key role in the transition when Mid-Atlantic Airlines migrated within US Airways. When the merger between America West and US Airways occurred in 2005, Pat was promoted to senior IT manager. As such, she supported applications for the operations center and express carriers at the new Moon Township Operations Control Center. Three area siblings retire from lifelong airline careers Bill, Pat and Joe Czyzewicz recently retired from American Airlines after a combined 137 years with the company. 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • September/October 2020CAround Your Town Around Your Town In 2013, Pat explains, “The merger between US Airways and American began. The Moon Township Operations Control Center was being closed and a new center was being built in Dallas, Texas. I was offered a position as director of IT at the Integrated Operations Center overseeing the IT support of the two existing Operation Control Centers while participating in the IT oversight of the new DFW Operations Center, which opened in 2015.” For the next six years, she commuted between Pittsburgh and Dallas, overseeing applications and IT support for the new building. Pat recalls, “One of the hardest and saddest outcomes of all these struggling airlines and mergers was how it impacted Pittsburgh’s airport and its passengers. Our new airport took a real hit as part of the America West merger when it was downgraded from a hub city. To see so many airlines and flights being pulled out and our airport so empty was extremely hard.” Bill echoed Pat’s feelings. “During my years there, I experienced mergers with Mohawk Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, PSA, America West Airlines and finally American Airlines,” he says. “That meant we had more aircraft to work on. The events of 9/11 changed the entire industry, too. I had to sweat out two bankruptcies and the consolidation of the airlines.” One can only imagine the conversation around the dinner table when the three of them, with their father, would discuss the industry during its deregulation, bankruptcies, fuel increases, mergers and 9/11. Each sibling’s perspective reflected their positions within the company. “My brothers both come from labor positions and my father and I were back office management, so we at times looked at things very differently and could generate some interesting family discussions,” Pat says. She adds, “One thing remained the same between all of us - how we were brought up. My father taught us to give 150%, be hardworking blue-collar workers and stick it out long term.” The late Bill Sr.’s work ethic not only played out through his airline career. In the 1950s, he established a very well-respected appliance repair business, Bill’s Electric Service, that served the airport region for most of his life. Bill Jr. learned the business before he was a teenager and continued to carry it on after his father’s passing in 2001. With his retirement from the airline looming, Bill Jr. soon decided to retire from the appliance business, too. As a family fully engaged with the industry, they also saw the value of working for an airline that made them feel like family. As Pat reflects, “Allegheny and US Airways were much smaller companies and more like a family. You knew everyone and had a history with everyone. American Airlines was larger, a mixture of TWA, American West, US Airways, legacy AA, and others – so initially I knew only the employees that stayed on from US Airways.” On the plus side, she adds, “With American being so large there were more opportunities to move around within positions and locations. I now have great friends in Phoenix and Dallas.” As they enter the retirement phase of their lives, each expressed gratitude for the opportunities they have had throughout their careers. Despite job shuffling, benefit losses, downsizing and more, they were able to use their skills and talents to benefit a major industry in the region. Pat notes, “Many great people lost their jobs and benefits, took pay cuts, lost vacation time and seniority. We were fortunate to keep our jobs, even though we were each impacted differently.” Bill recalls, “I stayed a mechanic during the whole time, but due to closures and outsourcing of internal shops, got moved around and my type of work changed.” “Although I remained as a flight attendant in Pittsburgh, my base closed. I had to commute from Philadelphia as the airlines changed,” Joe says. When not on the clock, both Bill and Joe also volunteered with the company. Joe participated in air shows for USAir. He also got involved in special projects such as a volunteer group called Do Crew. According to the American Airlines website, the Do Crew is made up of American team members and retiree volunteers who participate in community-based projects that benefit a variety of nonprofit organizations. This magazine interviewed Bill for a story that appeared in the September 2017 Moon edition about his long-time involvement coordinating the PIT Maintenance Base car cruise. That story can be read at awmagazine.com under the archives tab. “It’s an annual day of employee appreciation that lets our employees, retirees, and friends bring their antique and classic cars to the hangar for a day of fun, music, and raising money for a designated charity,” he explains. He also volunteered for 14 years as coordinator of the USAir Show Team. “Myself, my family, and about 20 other volunteers would take an aircraft to an airshow somewhere in the U.S. and teach people about the industry and what we did,” he notes. Bill says he credits his late father for his family’s work ethic that inspired their tenacity during a struggling time in airline history. For now, he says he plans to enjoy his antique car - a 1964 Galaxy 500 - along with some golf while getting a few home projects done. He also plans to travel around the country to see his grandchildren with his wife, Patty. “It’s been a great phase in my life and, God willing, I plan to enjoy the fruits of my labor,” he says. Patty plans to enjoy a new home she is having built in Center Township, as well as to take time to enjoy her family and travel. After four decades in the skies flying around the world, Joe’s sentiments reflect a different desire. “I’ve traveled the world, but Dorothy was right, there’s no place like home!” he says. Joe Czyzewicz returns from his final flight as a flight attendant in May. The medallion below commemorates when Allegheny Airlines became USAir. September/October 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 13Western Pennsylvania and Allegheny County have been adapting and responding aggressively to the spread on the Covid-19 virus. Specifically, contact tracing, masking and quarantines for residents who have encountered someone who has tested positive for the virus have helped slow sustained community spread. Yes, we are “Opening Pennsylvania” and we all are excited to be going back to work but the plans to proceed with returning to work still require caution. Nationally, we see that when communities reopen without carefully putting proper safety measures in place - such as social distancing, universal masking, and other public health guidance - a spike in cases, stay- at-home orders and closures often ensue. Here at the PAACC, we are working in tandem with Team PA, PA DOT, the Department of Community and Economic Development and the PA administration on guidance for businesses, local municipalities, employees and customers with the goal of guiding a safe reopening process for all. The “Green” phase eases most restrictions with the continued suspension of the stay-at-home and business closure orders. This allows the economy to reopen while continuing to prioritize public health. I am continually amazed and encouraged by the creativity and exuberance displayed by our members as they have encouraged each other to work together during our reopening. An example is Pittsburgh Works Together, which is a new collaborative venture between business and labor that the chamber is helping to facilitate. This mix of blue-collar manufacturing, research and development within our technology community will be directed and managed by our good friend from the Builders Guild, Jeff Nobers. It will be chaired by Tom Melcher, Business Manager for the Greater Pittsburgh Building Trades Council, and Morgan O’Brien, former President and COO of Peoples Gas. Their mission is to advocate for an all-inclusive economic future that recognizes the vital roles of both traditional and emerging industries. As your Chamber of Commerce, we will do everything possible to help guide our members and our community. We are stronger and just as, if not more, vibrant and economically sound than any other business community throughout Western Pennsylvania where people work, live and connect. Welcome New Members! Advance Auto Parts ConnectiveRX DiBella’s Old Fashioned Subs Favored Wellness Counseling & Consulting, LLC Honeycomb KamaChee LLC dba Hand & Stone Massage & Facial Spa McKeever, Varga & Senko Pittsburgh Works Together Right Light Media September 2020 Milestone Anniversaries 25 years Choices Pregnancy Services ChamberChoice 20 years Consolidated Communications 15 years DoubleTree by Hilton Pittsburgh Airport 5 years USMC – Company K, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines USMC – Military Police Company B Dick Kernick Service Center USMC – 4th Med BN, Surgical Company Alpha 14 • Allegheny West Magazine • September/October 2020This veteran-owned painting company is thriving by putting customers first STORY AND PHOTOS SUBMITTED The way Dave Sams of Moon Township sees it, everyone needs a painter at some point. It’s just that they don’t always know who to call. Dave can’t blame them. While weathered exteriors, banged-up walls and remodels are things anyone who’s ever owned a business or home has dealt with, finding the right contractor who will deliver both quality work and great customer service isn’t easy. Dave has been striving to deliver both to his customers ever since he started his own painting company, Brush: A Professional Painting Company, two years ago. He knows that’s what customers want when they call him, even if it’s not always what they expect. It’s part of the reason that Dave and his crew of six full-time painters have been so busy lately. They’ve been tackling residential and small commercial jobs across Allegheny County and even into Beaver and Butler. The company never takes a deposit and offers some of the best rates around. They pride themselves on working hard to deliver quality work, while Dave himself operates on a philosophy of treating people well, no matter if they’re a customer or a new employee. It’s something Dave says he learned from his father, who also owned his own painting business. Dave got started in the trade while working under his dad in high school. “Everything I do, I hear my dad’s voice giving me advice,” he says. Dave enlisted in the military right out of high school and attended college for a brief time before returning to the trade he knows best. He worked for a couple of other painting companies for a few years before his fiancé, Jamie, of Kennedy Township, encouraged him to strike out on his own. He lost his father a few months ago and now the couple is carrying on Dave’s dad’s legacy by running the business the way Dave knows his dad would want. With invaluable assistance from his mother, sister (who works on his crew) and in-laws, Dave says the business has become a true family affair. Brush: A Professional Painting Company, is available for both residential and small commercial work. Call them at (412) 627-0884 for a free estimate. Follow them on Facebook: @ brushpaintingcompany. Dave Sams (far right) and his fiance, Jamie, operate Brush: A Professional Painting Company with their crew. Brush is available for both interior and exterior jobs. September/October 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 15y > Learning Curves Learning Curves Understand what you own – Do you understand what types of stocks and bonds you own? Going through your holdings can help you realize the level of diversification you have. If you see that your portfolio is well thought out, with complimentary parts and appropriate risks given your time horizon and goals, that can be reassuring. If you find that you are overly concentrated in certain investments, you can go ahead and address that thoughtfully. Ramp up your savings – Now is a great time to make sure you are using your money wisely. You may be able to generate new savings by refinancing your mortgage, switching cable companies, shopping for energy providers, finding a better health plan or simply putting away a set amount monthly. Even a modest sum, consistently invested, can turn out to be significant over the long term. If you are not saving every month, pick a dollar amount - no matter how small - and set up an automatic draw to an investment account. Simplify your financial life – One effective way to deal with uncertainty is to make it easier to keep track of your accounts. Do you have miscellaneous money floating around - perhaps an old workplace plan or a brokerage account with a small balance? Consider consolidating these into your main set of accounts. Old savings bonds, stock certificates or that drawer full of change could all add up and be put to better uses. By decluttering your finances and eliminating unnecessary accounts, you can better analyze your financial position and maybe even speed up your tax filing. Talk to someone you trust – This can be your financial advisor or a friend or relative with investment experience and knowledge. What do they suggest doing? Simply looking for advice online may lead you to information overload. Try speaking about your fears. You may find that just articulating your thoughts and concerns makes you feel better and more confident about the road ahead. While times of volatility can be upsetting, managing one’s financial life reasonably and systematically can lead to much better outcomes than knee-jerk reactions or a neglectful approach. Not confident in your financial plan and investments after the COVID-19 market sell off? Looking for help to get organized? Amy and Brad can be contacted for a no-obligation retirement planning and investment review. Call them at (412) 633-1741 or email Amy.Riley@hefren.com. Learn more about their webinars at www.hefren.com/seminars. Investing checklist: weathering the stock market storm SUBMITTED BY BRAD COLVIN AND AMY RILEY, FINANCIAL ADVISORS, HEFREN-TILLOTSON Brad Colvin Amy Riley When markets are moving rapidly up and down, you may feel torn between jumping ship or trying to hibernate. Selling out is usually tricky and sometimes disastrous. So what else can one do besides putting on blinders? Here are four proactive moves to take when your portfolio is making you nervous: 16 • Allegheny West Magazine • September/October 2020y > Learning Curves Learning Curves Michele P. Conti is an estate planning and elder law attorney. Conti attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Oxford University and Duquesne University School of Law. She received her LL.M. in taxation from Villanova University. She can be reached at (724) 784-0239 or michele@contilawpgh.com. BY MICHELE P. CONTI While counseling my clients, I’ve often heard of the one “bad seed” beneficiary who won’t be happy with their share of assets upon my client’s passing. My clients have asked what we can do to protect their estate and other beneficiaries from any possible contest created by these individuals. It’s sad, but there’s always one who doesn’t abide by the old adage: “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” As planning attorneys, we always try to incorporate every protection for our clients but, at the end of the day, anyone can challenge anything if they have enough money behind them. When we receive a call regarding a will challenge, the belief is that the will does not match the testator’s actual intent or that the will is otherwise invalid. This means that there was undue influence, forgery, fraud or lack of testamentary capacity. If one of these proves true, we must file a formal objection and will challenge petition. It is imperative that the procedures are all followed or else crucial issues may later be barred. What everyone needs to understand is that this process is time consuming. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s costly. A will contest is not for the faint of heart. It is litigation, which means that there will be monthly costs, hearings and more that you must endure. While there is no magic figure for the cost of litigation, it’s dependent upon the facts and parties involved. It could total $10,000 after six months or it could take more than a year and exceed $50,000. While the judge may order that some of your costs are covered by the estate, this is not something that should be expected. However, not just anyone can bring a challenge. In order to get past the first hurdle, a person must have “standing,” i.e. a party of interest. Another way to look at it is if the will is deemed invalid and thrown out, will you be financially better off? If so, you have standing. Keep in mind that if a will is thrown out and an older will exists, the older will may be adhered to unless Pennsylvania rules of Intestacy take precedence. Claiming that the will does not reflect the testator’s intent isn’t enough, though. We must also prove one of the following, or a combination: undue influence, duress or coercion, fraud, forgery, lack of capacity, or a superseded will. Undue influence is when a person used a position of power to influence the decedent to change the will to benefit the person with power in a way that the decedent would not have otherwise done. Duress arises when the testator’s belief in a threat causes them to make a will change favoring the threatening person that they would otherwise not make. Fraud is when a beneficiary knowingly uses false statements that cause the testator to change the will to benefit the beneficiary. Forgery means being able to prove someone other than the testator signed the will. Lack of capacity is when someone believes the testator was not of sound mind when signing the will. You do not have forever to contest a will. There is a statute of limitations, even after the will has been probated. A contest is different than a caveat. A caveat is just a minor first step. A caveat occurs prior to the will being probated, which will prevent the Register of Wills from probating a will until notifying the caveator. If, after review, the caveator decides to pursue a will contest, then the formal procedures must be followed so that nothing is forfeited throughout litigation. The benefit of a caveat is that the Register of Wills will appoint a neutral party to act as the administrator during the challenge. The downside is the cost associated with any litigation in front of the court. Sometimes people rely on the forfeiture clause or in terrorem clause of the will, which stipulates that if a beneficiary challenges a will, they are excluded from the will. Though Pennsylvania recognizes such clauses, the court will not enforce them if they find probable cause for a challenge. The issue becomes one of concern if this clause is added to a will that excludes the challenger. If this is the case, then the challenger has nothing to lose by bringing a challenge. If you are concerned about a future beneficiary causing problems, call us to make sure that your estate is protected from any unnecessary litigation. Will your beneficiary challenge your will?!? September/October 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 17y > Learning Curves Learning Curves DEB GRAY As I prepared to write this article, I focused on what has changed for most of us since the middle of March. In many cases, it can be just about everything: work, family, church, school, daycare, shopping, eating, exercise, and, I could go on. With change comes learning and sometimes relearning. My work team spent many hours on upskilling while we were working from home. We have a solid process to help others, job seekers and employers alike. However, how we executed that process required a lot of tweaking and customization. I would like to ask you to focus on what you learned throughout the last four to five months. How does your newfound or newly admitted learning affect you and your family? If your work situation is different and uncertain, how do you navigate a job search? My guidance is straightforward: • Be true to yourself - acknowledge what you’ve learned and what has changed • Do not look for “right” answers; look for “YOUR” answers • Allow yourself the time to explore options that will match your changing world As Simon Sinek would say: What can you do? How can you do it? But most importantly, WHY do you want to do it? Finding your WHY is as critical as it ever was, and sometimes it’s a difficult question to answer as we work through a job search. Allow our recruiters to talk with you and ask you the hard questions about your skills, experience, passion, and what industries or companies you want to be a part of. Allow us to help you soul search and mentally prepare to share your WHY with a potential new employer. Your resume may be a litany of your work history, skills and experience, BUT does it tell a story about you? The goal of the resume is to help you get an interview and be able to share your WHY with the hiring manager. So, let’s talk about “finishing.” I love the book “FINISH” by Jon Acuff. This book is an easy read and it will help you understand that a job search is a journey like any other goal you set for yourself. To quote Acuff, “The start does matter. The beginning is significant. The first few steps are critical, but they aren’t the most important.” Acuff talks about how perfectionism gets in the way of finishing. He talks about cutting goals in half to make them realistic, about choosing what to bomb, about simplifying your goal, and recognizing that there are real ways to keep going. I suggest that by finding helpers for your job search or career change, and maybe reading Acuff’s book, you will feel more comfortable about one of life’s most difficult changes. Bottom line: at Express, we help people and we customize what we do to meet YOUR needs. We’ve been here since 2007 and have a team of recruiters and specialists who spend quality time with you to help you find a match for your WHY. Call us at (412) 494-2000 or visit ExpressPros.com. BY DEB GRAY EXPRESS EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONALS PITTSBURGH WEST On a job search journey? Ask yourself these questions Join us in September and October! We’ll be announcing our next webinar topics soon! Stay tuned and register at PAACC.com or call us at (412) 494-2000. Visit us online at ExpressPros.com. How Express helps employers and job seekers Whether your journey is that of an employer or a job seeker, Express Employment Professionals is here to help by providing everything from recruiting services to a comprehensive offering of online tools and resources. Through our website, Expresspros. com/wpittsburghpa, you can tap into a number of helpful resources, including ExpressLearn, Job Genius, Job Journey, and more! We invite you to check out some of our most recent blog posts and articles that provide valuable job search and workforce development information: “Finding a Job in the Second Half of 2020” from our Job Genius blog http://blog.expresspros.com/ movinonup/2020/07/finding-a-job-in-the- second-half-of-2020.html “Building Employee Loyalty” https://www.expresspros.com/ uploadedFiles/Franchise_Sites/ US_Franchise_Sites/Pennsylvania/ PittsburghWest/Content/Newsroom/5-26- 2020-Building-Employee-Loyalty.pdf In addition to the Express Employment Professional tools, Express is also honored to be part of the Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce’s “It’s All About the People” series, which offers free webinars each month. On July 23, the topic was: “Managing Anxiety in an Environment of COVID-19 Uncertainty.” On Aug. 20, we covered: “Finding the Right Candidates and Finding the Right Job Match: What is Different in Today’s Work Environment?” Our next webinar topic for September will be announced soon. Let our team help you “finish” a successful job search! 18 • Allegheny West Magazine • September/October 2020September/October 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 19Next >