INSIDE! Official Newsletter Page 11 Coraopolis Youth Creations gets new home Congratulations Cornell Class of 2021! Plus: get our list of Summer happenings and more right on your phone with our app Serving Coraopolis and Neville Island communities of Cornell School District. One of four editions serving 17 airport area communities. Cornell Edition Volume 3, Number 11 Summer 2021 www.awmagazine.com FREE Direct Mail Community Publication Allegheny West M agazineLearn more at clearviewfcu.org/live Introducing Clearview Live Bank here, there, anywhere. ® 2 • Allegheny West Magazine • Summer 2021Cornell Edition Summer 2021 ~ Volume 3, Number 11 Columns { } Contents Locally Sourced - Chamberlink - Around Your Town - 6 8 10 - - - - - 6 10 11 16 25 Coraopolis Community Development Corporation Update Coraopolis Youth Creations gets new home Cornell Today Congratulations Cornell Class of 2021! Summer Fun Guide Allegheny West Magazine-Cornell Edition is published in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer, four issues a year, Hughey Publications, LLC, P. O. Box 220, McDonald, PA 15057. Mailed and distributed free to residents and businesses in Coraopolis, Neville Island and Cornell 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 1999-2021 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 West Allegheny Edition of Allegheny West Magazine, the Montour Edition of Allegheny West Magazine, and the Moon Edition of Alleghney West Magazine. MEMBER Allegheny West Magazine - Cornell Edition, is an all positive, good news publication mailed free into the homes and businesses of the Cornell School District communities of Coraopolis and Neville Island 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 Doug Hughey Jill Bordo Pat Jennette Jocelyn Grecko Sarah Kizina www.ddswebdesign.com Pat Jennette Dear Readers, Thank you for picking up our June Cornell edition. I’m very happy that, once again, we’re able to bring you our Summer Fun Guide this month. Last year, we couldn’t bring you this guide as we’d done in years past due to many events being cancelled because of COVID-19. The fact that we can bring you our rundown of summer events this year, however, is an encouraging sign that we’re on the path to getting past this pandemic. Read more, starting on page 25. Starting on page 11, get caught up on all the end-of-year happenings at Cornell School District. Then, on page 10, read about the planned reopening of Coraopolis Youth Creations, which will be located on 4th Avenue. We’re also bringing you the latest from Heritage Valley Health System on page 4 and a rundown of community updates on pages 6 and 7. Look for our next edition in August, when we’ll be getting ready to go back to school. In the meantime, have a great summer. Doug Hughey, Publisher/Editor From the Publisher Summer 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 3Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health 4 • Allegheny West Magazine • Summer 2021 Heritage Valley Beaver announced it has been recognized as a Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award recipient. This distinction places Heritage Valley Beaver among the top 10% of all short-term acute care hospitals reporting patient safety data as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers. From 2017 through 2019, there were 190,273 potentially preventable patient safety events among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals. If all hospitals, as a group, performed similarly to hospitals performing better than expected on each of 13 Patient Safety Indicators evaluated by Healthgrades, on average, 106,052 patient safety events could have been avoided. “Enhancing and ensuring patient safety is a priority of all our physicians, nurses and other clinical staff,” said Amy McBrien, MSN, RN, Vice President and Chief Quality/ Safety Officer, Heritage Valley Health System. “The achievement of Heritage Valley Beaver reaching the top 10% in the nation for patient safety is the result of commitment and dedication by our employees to deliver the highest quality care to the communities we serve.” During the 2017 to 2019 time frame, four patient safety indicators accounted for 72% of all patient safety events (collapsed lung, hip fracture due to an in-hospital fall, pressure or bedsores and catheter-related bloodstream infections). “The importance of hospital quality is now at the forefront of consumers’ minds, especially as we continue to navigate COVID-19. We congratulate the recipients of the Healthgrades 2021 Patient Safety Excellence Award for their ongoing commitment to upholding the highest quality standards for their patients and communities,” said Brad Bowman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Healthgrades. Heritage Valley Sewickley announced that it has achieved the Healthgrades 2021 Outstanding Patient Experience Award. This distinction places Heritage Valley Sewickley among the top 10% of hospitals nationwide for patient experience, according to Healthgrades, the leading marketplace that connects patients and providers. For this annual analysis, Healthgrades evaluated 3,297 hospitals that submitted at least 100 patient experience surveys to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, covering admissions from January 2019 to December 2019. Of those hospitals evaluated, 417 hospitals outperformed their peers - based on their patients’ responses - to achieve this award. “Heritage Valley Sewickley’s recognition by Healthgrades as among the top 10% of U.S. Hospitals for outstanding patient experience is a result of the Health System’s commitment to exceptional care,” said Linda Homyk, MSN, BSN, RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Heritage Valley Health System. “Heritage Valley’s Board of Directors, physicians, and employees are committed to delivering the highest quality care while providing the best possible patient experience. Our staff strive to communicate to patients and their families in a way that they feel important and valued while receiving their individual care.” Healthgrades evaluates performance by applying a scoring methodology to 10 patient experience measures, using data collected from a 29-question survey of the hospital’s own patients. The survey questions focus on patients’ perspectives of their care in the hospital. “One of the areas with nearly 100% consistent patient experience ratings is the Heritage Valley Sewickley Maternal Child Health Unit. The department continues to provide years of safe, quality mom and baby care to families in our community. The staff is dedicated to families having an exceptional experience while beginning or expanding their family. Their scores consistently rank in the 99th percentile,” added Homyk. “We are transitioning in a new OB physician group to our Sewickley Campus led by Dr. Rebecca Welch. With that change, however, the patient and family experience has not waivered and the nursing staff continues to provide an outstanding birthing experience and place our patients as a top priority.” Heritage Valley Beaver and Sewickley Hospitals recognized by Healthgrades Heritage Valley Beaver achieves Healthgrades 2021 Excellence Award Heritage Valley Sewickley recognized among top 10% of U.S. hospitals for outstanding patient experience Heritage Valley Beaver was named a recipient of the Healthgrades 2021 Excellence Award. Heritage Valley Sewickley was named a recipient of the Healthgrades 2021 Outstanding Patient Experience Award. Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health Summer 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 5 On May 6, the Heritage Valley Kennedy School of Nursing held a graduation for the Class of 2021. The hybrid ceremony was held in the Josephine Roseta Auditorium on the Heritage Valley Kennedy campus and broadcast via Zoom. Valerie Gaydosh, MSN, RN, Director of the School of Nursing, welcomed students and online guests while Norm Mitry, President and CEO, Heritage Valley Health System, delivered the keynote address. Class valedictorian Jan Craig and class officer Carlton Brown delivered heartfelt remarks to their peers. Students were presented with a pin from faculty member Rita Ciccone, MSN, RN and a diploma from Heritage Valley Chief Nursing Officer and Vice President of Patient Care Services Linda Homyk, MSN, RN. Heritage Valley Health System’s Board of Directors and Senior Leadership congratulate the graduates of the Class of 2021. Senior Living with a Caring Tradition Independent Living, Personal Care and Memory Care View a Virtual Tour at HeritageValley.org! 412.331.6139 Learn more at WillowsSeniorLiving.com Heritage Valley Kennedy School of Nursing graduates Class of 2021 This year’s Heritage Valley Kennedy School of Nursing graduates were honored May 6. The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available for individuals ages 12 and up by appointment at Heritage Valley Health System ConvenientCare locations in Center and Robinson Townships. Vaccine appointments are available between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Those interested in receiving a vaccine are asked to register online at HeritageValley.org or to call (724) 770-7555 for an appointment. Appointments are required. Walk-in times are not available. Heritage Valley ConvenientCare Robinson Township 2201 Park Manor Blvd., Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15205 Heritage Valley ConvenientCare Center Township 79 Wagner Road, Suite 200 Monaca, PA 15061 ConvenientCare offering COVID-19 vaccines in Center and Robinson Townships%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced Coraopolis Community Development Corporation update CONTENT SUBMITTED Community garden On May 15, community garden gardeners officially opened up their plots by planting fruits and vegetables that they will care for and maintain all season long. The CCDC is grateful to the churches, community groups, businesses and individuals who have volunteered their time this summer to grow produce that will supplement the Coraopolis Food Pantry and be shared with community members through pop-up gardens. Allegheny Land Trust also once again tilled the garden. Coraopolis Train Station roof completed Renovations to the Coraopolis Train Station are continuing to move forward with the goal of transforming the historic downtown building into a mixed-use community space. Recently, the station got a new roof, thanks to Miller Thomas Gyekis. The project will be entering its next phase of work, which involves installing the first phase of permanent utilities, including water, sewer, gas and electric lines. The work will involve digging trenches, installing pipe, installing electric panels, storm water piping, and power infrastructure. Estimated time to complete this work is three months from when construction starts. Miller Thomas Gyekis recently installed the train station’s new roof. Events On April 24, volunteers gathered at River Front Park to do some spring cleaning around town for the first CoryCares Community Clean-up event of 2021. More than 60 volunteers collected 63 bags of litter and debris. Lennon Smith Souleret Engineering generously served as presenting sponsor for CoryCares. Coraopolis Borough and its Shade Tree Commission, Coraopolis Police Department, Coraopolis Memorial Library, and Coraopolis Community Development Corporation work together on these events - making it a true community partnership. Local business T. Salvie Photography kindly provided photography and videography for the day. The Second Saturdays concert series has also returned for a second year. Live music and food trucks will take over Mill Street in downtown Coraopolis on July 10 and Aug. 14. Coraopolis Food Pantry Here are the food pantry’s 2021 statistics from January through mid-May: As the school year comes to an end, the CCDC is happy to announce that it will continue its snack pack program for the Mooncrest Neighborhood Program over the summer! The CCDC is currently looking for volunteers to help pack snack packs over the summer and drivers for the food pantry delivery program. If you are interested, please contact Hannah Lapiska at hannahlapiska@corycdc.org. Follow us on Facebook @CCDC24 for updates. If you are in need of assistance, please contact info@corycdc.org or (412) 329- 8247. Volunteer gardeners plant the community garden . State Rep. Anita Kulik joins volunteers to do some spring cleaning at River Front Park on April 24. Food Pantry: • People served: 4,780 • Families served: 1,515 • Volunteers: 320 Snack Pack Program • Children served: 117 each week • Snack packs served: 2,574 • Volunteers: 88 Read and share stories from Allegheny West Magazine! Current and back issues can be read at AWMagazine.com. Copy the URL from individual pages and then share via email and on social media. 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • Summer 2021lLegislative Update Legislative Update BY RAY MCCUTCHEON, CORAOPOLIS BOROUGH MANAGER Sidewalk updates The Borough of Coraopolis has contracted with Avelli Construction for sidewalk replacement, installation of ADA ramps and replacement of the curb line along the eastern side of Main Street from 6th Avenue to Kable Way. The cost of the project is $257,000 and the borough shall be reimbursed by Columbia Gas for the portion of the sidewalks that were disrupted for new gas line installation. There are future plans to repave Main Street in this area and also the curb line and sidewalk on the western side of the road. Stairway replacement Borough council approved a $216,000 project to replace the concrete stairway between Hiland Avenue and Edgewood Avenue at Ferree Street. The stairway will also have a bicycle runnel, which allows a cyclist to walk their bicycle along the steps. The borough will utilize a Multimodal Transportation Fund Grant of $157,000 to help fund the project. Main Street waterline replacement CWSA also applied for a $250,000 Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund Grant to replace the waterline on Main Street from 6th Avenue to Neely Heights Avenue. The authority will also rehabilitate the existing sanitary sewers located on Main Street. The authority is working with Coraopolis Borough as the borough is proposing reconstruction of the roadway in that area. Automated red light The borough was awarded an Automated Red Light Enforcement Grant in June of 2020 for the replacement of the traffic signals at 4th Avenue and Mill Street. The estimated total project cost is $205,500 and the ARLE Grant will cover 100% of the cost. State Rep. Anita Kulik State Rep. Anita Kulik represents Pennsylvania’s 45th District. Her office is located at 1350 Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis. She can be reached at (412) 264-4260. Visit her online at www.pahouse.com/Kulik. Most anniversaries are met with either great joy or reverence. Others are even met with sorrow. Marking milestones in our lives and society is commonplace, whether those milestones are good or bad. We know that there are things we want to remember and there are things that we should never forget. On Sept. 11, 2021, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. There have only been a few instances where we have suffered a foreign attack on our nation’s soil. For many of us, the 9/11 attacks were the first time we witnessed such a national emergency. Not too many of us can recall the last world war or the many sacrifices people made on the battlefield and on the home front. Both events brought us together mostly because of the seriousness of the situations and our sense of patriotism. Those who have come before us were willing to sacrifice, doing without or doing with rationing. For a long time, there was no sense of “normal.” We have now marked the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been a year since our homes, towns, states, nation - and the entire world - shut down. No place on Earth was left untouched by the virus. To be truthful, most of us never saw this lasting as long as it has, and it is truly hard to believe that it has been over one year. But we are surely seeing that light of hope that the end is near. Vaccines are plentiful now, but we cannot expect vaccinations to definitively end the virus. We must continue to heed the advice of medical experts. We should get vaccinated and we should continue all the safe practices that have saved so many lives. It is also time to start looking back on how we handled the pandemic. Whether on a personal, family or government level, it is always good to review and build on our experiences. The Legislature has continued its efforts to address concerns surrounding the pandemic. I recently joined my colleagues in passing a bill out of the House that would make sure that our loved ones in longterm care have a family member designated as a caregiver in times of emergency declarations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, residents in long-term care facilities were shut off from their family and loved ones. While this was understandable at the beginning of the pandemic when we were trying to figure things out, the prolonged absence of family connections has seriously affected everyone involved. Being left without family visits has left so many with physical and mental health problems. If this bill passes into law, a resident will have at least one person from their family act as a caregiver with access to the facility. Many other changes will be debated as we fine tune our methods of handling emergencies. This will more than likely not be the last pandemic our world will face. For whatever emergency, pandemic or other issue we face, we must realize that the lessons we learn now will certainly help those who face the next one. Surely mistakes were made, but a lot of good and correct decisions were also made - whether how we handled our personal lives, our family situations, our businesses, or even our government. The good things we did, and the missteps we made, will act as lessons for our future. Borough of Coraopolis updates We’d like to hear from you! Allegheny West Magazine accepts submissions of community news and nonprofit events. Have something you’d like to share? Email us at info@awmagazine.com or call 724.673.3161. Summer 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 7June 2021 Milestone Anniversaries Welcome New Members! Berkshire Hathaway Home Services The Preferred Realty – The Gina Cuccaro Team Fox Pest Control-Pittsburgh Manning & Napier Momentum – The Business Growth Agency NaVoba Open Systems Pittsburgh Sani-Products Worldwide Inc. 25 years Moon Veterinary Hospital, PC 20 years Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering, Inc. 15 years Partners for Quality Foundation, Inc. 10 years Honorable Mary P. Murray, Superior Court Judge Robinson Self Storage 5 years Wyndham Garden Pittsburgh Airport D&GG Marketing Communications and Advertising MediaQuest Key Leadership 850 Beaver Grade Rd. Suite 101 Moon Twp., PA 15108 412-264-6270 | paacc.com #PAACC Follow Us!! Plan Your Next Getaway! No membership required! For more information about any of our trips or to register, please call Michelle Kreutzer at 412-203-0257 or mkreutzer@paacc.com. Best of the AmalfiCoast & Rome Includes: RT Air from PIT, hotels, Meals, Day Trips, Local English Speaking Guides, Transportation, and so much more! March 15 - 22, 2022 | Early Bird Pricing- $3,199 Looking for Conference space? No Membership Required! The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce is offering conference space to accomodate up to 24 people. Ask us about our conference spaces that include: For more information or to book, please contact Michelle Kreutzer at info@paacc.com or 412-264-6270. •Free wifi •Free Parking •Free Room Setup •Projector/ Screenbeam for presentations •No Membership Required •Conference Phone •ADA Accessible •Caterer’s Kitchen •Dry Erase Board •Smoke-Free Facility 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • Summer 2021Chamber Link Chamber Link Between sky-rocketing drug prices, climbing copays and increasing deductibles, patients are paying more in out-of- pocket costs than ever before. As the burden of healthcare shifts to the consumer, over 250 million Americans - whether they are insured, under-insured or uninsured - are affected by the price of prescription medications in the U.S. every year. The Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce has historically found ways to offer valuable cost-saving services to assist our members. Now, thanks to a new partnership with Clever RX, the chamber is offering a prescription drug cost-reduction program to anyone in the airport corridor who would like to utilize it. This free-of-charge plan was built to empower and engage healthcare professionals with the goal of driving down prescription drug costs, and it’s already making a difference. Clever RX is on a mission to increase patient prescription compliance, reduce claims and improve the overall health and wealth of Americans. It allows the user, regardless of health plan, to search for their prescription at the lowest price, the closest location, and/or at their preferred pharmacy. Clever RX CEO and founder Jim Prendergast says, “We are on a mission to educate the millions of Americans in need that there is a better, more affordable way to access your prescription medications. You aren’t stuck going to the same pharmacy and paying an outrageous price. You have options just by changing your consumer behavior.” To help get these prescription savings options into consumers’ hands, Clever RX offers its Clever RX app and website to users for free via partners throughout the U.S. With over 55,000 FDA-approved medications, of which 40% are under $10, the user simply searches for their prescription and shows the voucher to the pharmacist. Clever RX is accepted at over 80,000 pharmacies nationwide. The voucher can be shown directly in the app, texted to a phone, emailed, or printed. Beating the average health plan 80% of the time, consumers using Clever RX are saving thousands of dollars each year. Clever RX is also one of the very few pharmacy savings programs that aid in the nation’s fight against the opioid epidemic. Clever RX complies with the Drug Utilization Review for strict Opioid Safety edits. Clever RX and the PAACC believe in sharing the savings forward. This program can be shared with friends, family, and more. One share with three people can lead to another three people and, before you know it, they’ve reached over 250 million Americans in need. If you are interested in participating in this free-of-charge, non-insurance related program, call us at (412) 264-6270. We will be glad to send you a membership card today. What do you have to lose? New partnership passes along prescription drug savings to airport community BY CHRIS HECK, CEO, PAACC Summer 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 9Next >