M agazine West Allegheny Edition Volume 21, Issue 126 June/July 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 30 Could this local dog trainer help re-open the country? Oakdale pays tribute to Dickie Ackman Judge Saveikis appears on Court TV Parkway leads tech schools’ transition to online learning PLUSDoing 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/SCOA1 Open a new checking account Get started today at clearviewfcu.org/500 1. A). To receive the $200 bonus: Open a Basic or Simple checking account, make a recurring deposit of $500 or more within the first 60 days of account opening, and sign up for eStatements. You’ll receive your bonus once the criteria are met. B). To receive the $300 bonus: Open an Absolute Checking® account, make a recurring deposit of $500 or more within the first 60 days of account opening, and sign up for eStatements.You’ll receive your bonus once the criteria are met. C). To receive the additional $100 bonus: Open one of the above checking accounts AND open a Clearview Savings OR Money Market OR a Certificate with a 12 month or greater term within 7 business days of checking account opening, and deposit a total of $15,000 or more in new money. Must maintain a $15,000 average daily balance for 90 days. You’ll receive your bonus after the 90 day period is over. D). Get an automatic additional $100 bonus on the anniversary date of your checking account opening, as long as you maintain a recurring electronic deposit of at least $500 or more.The bonus(es) will be reported to the IRS for tax purposes. Offer ends July 18, 2020. Use promo code: switch Offer is only valid for new members age 18 and older with a savings account and Basic, Simple, or Absolute Checking account. This offer is available online. You may take advantage of this offer at a financial center by appointment only. ONLINE OFFER June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 2020 West Allegheny Edition ~ June/July 2020 Volume 21, No. 125 Locally Sourced Around Your Town Chamberlink Legislative Update Perspectives Your Schools Penned by Erma WACL 8 12 17 20 22 26 44 46 { } Contents - - - - - - 12 14 16 26 30 34 Columns Could this local dog trainer help re-open the country? Oakdale pays tribute to Dickie Ackman Judge Saveikis appears on Court TV Parkway leads tech schools’ transition to online learning WA Today | June/July Congrats WA Class of 2020! Day Trips and camping: Your cure for cabin fever Dear Readers, Thank you for picking up our June West Allegheny edition of Allegheny West Magazine. I hope this message finds you well and safe during this difficult time. Despite the significant challenges facing all of us during the COVID-19 pandemic, I continue to be impressed by our community’s response to it. For instance, West Allegheny still found a way to celebrate its graduating seniors despite social distancing guidelines. See the district’s special section dedicated to graduating seniors, starting on page 29. Meanwhile, businesses and individuals are continuing to find ways to help those who need it. One local business might even be able to help open the country. Read more about its efforts on page 12. Our schools have also been relying on innovative methods in order to continue educating students. Parkway West Career and Technology Center is even leading the state when it comes to educating trade students online. Read more on page 24. Bringing our readers good news stories like these is nothing new but, given the circumstances, they are more relevant than ever. Be sure to look for our next edition in August, when we’ll be looking ahead to the new school year and hopefully will have made even more headway in our response to this crisis. 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 - - - - - - - - Check out how WA’s class of 2020 celebrated graduation on page 30 and explore day trips around the area starting on page 34. DESIGN BY SARAH KIZINA. ABOUT THE COVERJune/July 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 state 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. Community residents in the Heritage Valley Beaver and Heritage Valley Sewickley service areas who are pursuing an education in a health care career field are invited to apply for scholarships for various amounts that are funded and awarded by the medical staffs of each hospital campus. The Heritage Valley Beaver and Heritage Valley Sewickley medical staffs support Beaver County and northwest Allegheny County residents in their pursuit of a health care profession. Applicants may be in their senior year of high school, high school graduates, or current post-secondary students (ex. nursing school, undergraduate university, medical school, etc.). Students must provide proof of matriculation or current enrollment in order to receive any scholarship monies. A committee of Heritage Valley Medical Staff physicians at each hospital reviews applications. Scholarship selection is based upon financial need, academic achievement, involvement in school and community activities, work and volunteer experience, and plans for a career in a medical field. Applications must be received by June 30, 2020. Scholarships will be awarded by July 31, 2020. To download a scholarship application, please visit the Heritage Valley website at www.heritagevalley.org/pages/heritage-valley- medical-staffs-scholarship. Heritage offering scholarships to healthcare students 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 2020Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 7%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced We hope you are all doing well and staying safe! Our Workcamp partner, Group Mission Trips, has been monitoring the latest news and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and various state government agencies on how to mitigate this pandemic. We recognize there is too much unknown risk and we have an important role to keep as many people healthy and safe as possible. After much prayer and consideration, we regret to inform you that: West Allegheny Workcamp is postponed until 2021 We are heartbroken for how this decision impacts our registered participants, our volunteers (who have poured their hearts into preparing this season) and our residents who applied! We trust in a God, who is good and has plans greater than we can imagine. We have faith that something truly amazing is brewing for West Allegheny Workcamp in 2021. This is a huge deal. We have never had to do anything like this. We have been waiting until the last possible moment to make this difficult decision, but we know everyone needs to make plans for the summer. Thank you for your patience. We never imagined that this would ever happen. As you reflect on the previous thoughts, please know that we want to serve those who have applied next year! We assume that those who have applied are willing to postpone their project(s) until 2021. All 2020 applications that were already received will be considered for 2021. If you know that your project(s) must be completed before summer 2021, please let us know so we can remove it from our list. Otherwise, we will assume that all the work we have scoped is still good. We may need to schedule a brief visit to review any specific details. Thank you so much for being so loyal, flexible and understanding. If you have any questions, you can reach us at WAW@HeroesSupportingHeroes.org or at (412) 235-1737. You can also send mail to: Heroes Supporting Heroes, 7313 Noblestown Road, Oakdale, PA 15071. Stay safe! Donald Steward Program Manager | Heroes Supporting Heroes Scouts and VFW members place flags at Robinson’s Run Cemetery Members of Girl Scout Troops 52540 and 52057 assisted the American Legion by placing 525 flags at the grave sites of veterans interred at Robinson’s Run Cemetery on May 13. A few days prior, on May 9, members of the McDonald VFD also placed flags at the graves of deceased firefighters. Both efforts came just days before a break in the weather that prompted those with loved ones interred at the cemetery to plant flowers and spruce up grave sites. Members of Boy Scout Troop 1392 then followed up on those efforts by placing their own flags at the cemetery on May 23, just a couple of days prior to Memorial Day. Members of Girl Scout Troops 52540 and 52057 (at left) placed flags at Robinson’s Run Cemetery in May, as did members of Boy Scout Troop 1392 (pictured below). All of the troops are based in McDonald. An open letter from West Allegheny Workcamp CONTENT SUBMITTED 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • June/July 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 June/July 2020 • www.awmagazine.com • 9Next >