M agazine West Allegheny Edition Volume 21, Issue 125 April/May 2020 FREE Direct Mail Community Publication Allegheny West Serving Findlay, North Fayette, Oakdale, Sturgeon and McDonald in the West Allegheny School District One of 4 editions serving 17 airport area communities www.awmagazine.com West Allegheny School District Official Newsletter Inside Page 29 WA’s Austin Hendrick, in perspective VFD members honored for 20 years of service Patio homes: the new trend in single-level living ALSO INSIDE:Doing what they do best so you can too. Gerson B. Florez, M.D. Orthopedic Surgery, Hand & Upper Extremity Richard J. Mitchell, M.D. Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine William T. DeCarbo, DPM Foot & Ankle Surgery Shaka M. Walker, M.D. Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Leading experts in their field, St. Clair Orthopedics Associates physicians provide a full range of orthopedic services, including fracture care, sports medicine, total joint replacement, hand and upper extremity surgery, spine surgery, and foot and ankle surgery. They help patients ease pain, restore range of motion and return to normal activities. St. Clair Orthopedic Associates has offices conveniently located to serve you in Mt. Lebanon and Peters Township. TWO CONVENIENT OFFICES MT. LEBANON St. Clair Hospital Professional Office Building 1050 Bower Hill Road Suite 105 Pittsburgh, PA 15243 PETERS TOWNSHIP St. Clair Hospital Outpatient Center 3928 Washington Road Suite 270 McMurray, PA 15317 412.942.SCOA (7262) | STCLAIR.ORG/SCOASee banking in a whole new light. clearviewfcu.org Insured by NCUA #BetterLife April/May 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • April/May 2020 West Allegheny Edition ~ April/May 2020 Volume 21, No. 125 Locally Sourced Your Schools Legislative Update Chamberlink Perspectives Around Your Town On the Horizon WACL Penned by Erma 8 11 16 18 20 22 42 44 46 { } Contents - - - - - 20 21 22 29 38 Columns WA’s Austin Hendrick, in perspective VFD members honored for 20 years of service West Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2020 WA Today - April/May 2020 Patio homes: the new trend in single-level living Dear Readers, Thank you for picking up our April West Allegheny edition. I hope this message finds you well and safe during this unprecedented time in our nation’s history. As we all are coping with the COVID-19 pandemic as best we can, I hope this magazine provides you with a bit of respite. While we’re bringing you some informational columns and good news about how locals are responding to the crisis, the bulk of this issue is dedicated to other things that have been going on in the community. I hope this edition serves as a reminder that our community will eventually return to normal. On page 22, we’re bringing you our annual special section on the latest West Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame selections and, starting on page 29, we’re bringing you the latest WA Today newsletter from West Allegheny School District. On page 8, check out a rundown of news from our readers and, on page 38, read about how local developers are tackling a new trend in single-level living. Look for our next edition in June when, hopefully, we’ll be on the other side of this crisis and looking forward to the summer months. In the meantime, please stay safe. Doug Hughey, Publisher/Editor From the Publisher Allegheny West Magazine-West Allegheny Edition is published in February, April, June, August, October, and December, six issues a year, Hughey Publications, LLC, P. O. Box 220, McDonald, PA 15057. Mailed and distributed free to residents and businesses in Findlay, North Fayette, Oakdale, Sturgeon, a portion of McDonald, and adjacent areas. 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. 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 left- over 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 Montour edition of Allegheny West Magazine. MEMBER “GOOD NEWS ALWAYS, MAILED & DELIVERED FREE, EVERY TIME” Allegheny West Magazine - West Allegheny, is an all positive, good news publication mailed free into the homes and businesses of the West Allegheny School District communities of Findlay, North Fayette, Oakdale, Sturgeon and McDonald 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 Will Gladden GRAPHIC DESIGN Sarah Kizina WEBMASTER www.ddswebdesign.com CONTRIBUTORS Erma Dodd FOUNDING PUBLISHER Pat Jennette - - - - - - - - - The newest inductees into the West Allegheny Athletic Hall of Fame are (from top, clockwise): CJ Davis (PHOTO COURTESY PITT ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS); the 2007 and 2008 West Allegheny boys baseball teams; Zak Sinclair (PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS); Dr. Korin Wengryn (PHOTO COURTESY WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN ATHLETICS); the 2008 and 2009 West Allegheny girls volleyball teams (PHOTOS SUBMITTED); and Michelle Walker (PHOTO COURTESY PITT ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS). For more, see page 22. ABOUT THE COVERApril/May 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 5Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health Dr. Lauren Ayersman, D.O. joined the Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group Family Practice in Robinson on March 1. She joins Dr. Denise Wegrzynowicz and Dr. Melissa Kashlan at the practice, which is located in the Heritage Valley Robinson Township Medical Neighborhood. Ayersman obtained her doctor of osteopathic medicine from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her residency at the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown. Before joining Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group, Ayersman practiced at Mon-Vale Primary Care Practice in Finleyville, where she was the medical director of the practice from 2015 through 2018. She is also a member of the American Osteopathic Association, the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. Ayersman is accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call (412) 749-6920. Dr. Ayersman joins Family Practice - RobinsonDr. Shah joins Primary Care West Heritage welcomes new physicians Dr. Kehkeshan Shah Dr. Kehkeshan Shah is joining Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group Primary Care West, the practice of Dr. Bradley Heiple and Dr. Melissa Rau. Shah will begin seeing patients in April 2020 at the practice’s new location at 6521 Steubenville Pike in Robinson Township, next to Staples. Shah obtained her medical degree at the State University of New York, Upstate Medical University. She completed her residency in family medicine at UPMC St. Margaret in Aspinwall. Before joining Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group, Shah was a staff physician at the North Side Christian Health Center in Pittsburgh, where she provided comprehensive family medicine care at two locations. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Shah is accepting new patients. To make an appointment, call (724) 773-5890. Dr. Lauren Ayersman 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • April/May 2020Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health April/May 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 7%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced Area native wins national fishing competition Imperial native Nathan Quince and his fishing partner Cody Neal finished fourth in the nation at the FLW College National Fishing Championship in Florida this past February. This was the pair’s fourth straight year representing Slippery Rock University at the competition. By placing fourth, the team earned a bid to compete at the BFL All-American Tournament, which is currently scheduled to take place at Lake Hartwell in South Carolina at the end of April. Quince attended Bishop Canevin High School and grew up in Imperial, where he participated each year in Findlay Township’s annual youth fishing derby at Leopold Lake (see page 42 for this year’s derby information). He started fishing at the age of 2 and perfected his craft at area fishing spots along the Montour Trail and at Raccoon Creek State Park. He is the son of Debbie and Mike Quince. Nathan Quince (right) and his fishing partner Cody Neal show off their winning catches. Donovan Kumpfmiller Local youth stands out in skiing competitions West Allegheny sixth-grader Donovan Kumpfmiller finished fourth overall at the Maryland State Skiing Championship at Wisp Resort in March. Donovan, who lives in Findlay Township, races for the Deep Creek Winter Sports team out of Wisp. The competition consisted of a number of events, including slalom and giant slalom. Donovan’s team races in the PARA Derby, which is made up of 14 teams with skiers from Pennsylvania and Maryland. PARA is part of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association, which makes up the U.S. Olympic team. Just a week prior to the Maryland championship, PARA held its invite-only qualification race at Roundtop Mountain Resort, where Donovan competed and came away with two top- 20 finishes. This marked Donovan’s first year in the derby. Last year, in his first year of eligibility, he missed qualifying by just five points. 911th airmen mobilized in support of COVID-19 efforts in New York City Approximately 10 members of the 911th Airlift Wing with medical experience were mobilized to support COVID-19 efforts April 5. The airmen departed for Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst, New Jersey, where they joined members from more than 25 U.S. Air Force Reserve units to form a team of more than 125 airmen. Those personnel then transited to New York City to assist local medical teams and first responders. Airmen were transported by a C-17 Globemaster III assigned to the 911th Airlift Wing. The same aircraft, piloted by 911th Airlift Wing Commander Col. John F. Robinson, also picked up airmen from other locations to join the team. “The Air Force’s number one priority is to take care of Americans, Airmen, and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Robinson. “Our Steel Airmen are qualified and ready to assist our fellow Americans and to provide medical support to local authorities on the front lines.” The mobilization followed an executive order signed by President Donald J. Trump on March 27 authorizing the Secretary of Defense to call members of the Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve and National Guard to active duty. 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • April/May 2020%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced CONTENT SUBMITTED Local law firm now offering wills, powers of attorney and living wills remotely Attorney Lynn Emerson of BusinessLegal, PC in Oakdale has developed a method to have wills, powers of attorney and living wills drafted and executed remotely. The process can be completed from the safety of one’s own home. The current COVID-19 pandemic has made having these planning documents in order imperative. Since many people may become incapacitated by the virus, a power of attorney is important to provide a trusted family member with the ability to manage one’s affairs should they become ill. To obtain a free information kit on preparing critical estate planning documents from home, call Emerson at (412) 257- 2617 or e-mail Lynn.Emerson@businesslegal.net. Requests can also be mailed to: BusinessLegal, 5021 Noblestown Road, Oakdale, PA 15071. Be prepared. Be proactive. Be safe. Locals make masks for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic Even before Gov. Tom Wolf issued new guidelines asking Pennsylvanians to start wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19, some locals were already making them for people on the front lines of the current pandemic. With her school closed, West Allegheny Middle School student Lucca Blumling sewed masks made out of diaper material wrapped in superhero cloth print. She says she found the specs for the masks online. Though not as effective as the N95 masks, Blumling made the masks for essential workers amidst the nationwide shortage of N95 masks. She donated the masks to doctors, nurses, hospital transportation teams, EMS teams, grocery store employees and others. “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.” She says she chose superhero prints because the people she’s donated them to are “the real super heroes!” She says she also wanted to honor her great grandmother, who was the one who taught her to sew. At the same time, Ty Miley helped her 91-year-old mother, Sis, assemble about 60 masks, most of which they donated to essential workers and friends. Ty says they would have made more if not for running out of elastic. Sis grew up during the Great Depression, when many people had to make the things they needed themselves. Her masks are made out of scraps from past projects, including Halloween costumes, table runners and more. She even made a Dale Earnhardt Jr. mask for Matt. The Mileys operate Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway in Imperial. The CDC is recommending everyone wear masks in settings where social distancing is difficult. For instructions on how to make a mask using household materials, visit www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting- sick/cloth-face-cover.html. ABOVE: Lucca Blumling holds a number of protective masks that she’s been making for those working in essential services. BELOW: Crew members from a medical airlift team pose for a picture while wearing Lucca’s masks. BELOW: Sis Miley, 91, sewed about 60 masks which she then donated. Lynn Emerson, Esq. BusinessLegal, PC April/May 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 9Next >