< Previous40 • Allegheny West Magazine • February/March 2021 Tina Chiodo Owner, Designs by Tina Tina Wade Chiodo grew up as the youngest of seven children in a tight-knit Oakdale family with a large local network of friends and community acquaintances. As a result, when Chiodo was starting her own hair salon, she knew it had to be located in the West Allegheny community. Tina’s Hair Designs, an eight- chair salon located in the Point View plaza on Steubenville Pike, recently celebrated its 31st anniversary. Chiodo attributes much of her business’s success to the help and support of many in the community, adding that the connectivity she witnessed in her formative years has also inspired her to support other small businesses in the area. Chiodo employs nine stylists who are licensed and trained in the latest styling and coloring techniques for women, men and children. Also on staff are five assistants, a wedding coordinator and a makeup artist. After three decades, Chiodo still exudes passion for her profession. “There is limitless excitement to making people feel and look better than they did when they first sat in your chair,” she says. Chiodo strives to provide a flexible and positive workplace environment and to be personally available around the clock to help with any issues that arise in the salon. One of her proudest professional achievements has been creating a balance between work and home for her employees. She believes that Tina’s Hair Designs is a pleasant place to work because employees have the freedom and ability to spend time with their families and enjoy life outside of the salon. Chiodo attended Parkway West Vocational School as well as Pivot Point International Hair Academy. A specialist in both cuts and color, she has also served as a color educator with Baco Color. The salon owner strives to impact the airport economy by giving local cosmetology graduates the opportunity to become established in the industry. In a 31-year period, Chiodo has hired more than 30 students from her alma mater, which is now Parkway West Career and Technology Center. As one of the industries forced to temporarily shut down in 2020 during the height of the pandemic, Chiodo lost sleep, weight and emotional stability over the consequences to her employees and customers. “It was so very scary,” she says. “I had so much fear knowing that all of my employees depended on me to get the salon up and running in a safe environment.” She credits being able to stay the course to the support of her husband, who is also her business partner, and family. Chiodo admitted to the challenges of being a female business owner while juggling motherhood, community involvement and family obligations. She believes that “surrounding yourself with good human beings in your business is the key to success.” Chiodo also calls a shift in attitude between small business owners over the past few years a “breath of fresh air.” Using social media groups and casual “think tanks” to share the daily struggles and triumphs of running a business provides comfort and guidance, she stated. The ability to “share and not compete” is a welcome change for small business owners, said Chiodo, adding “we now have the ability to reach out to one another with instant feedback.” According to Angela Garcia, executive director of the Greentree nonprofit Global Links, the word “waste” is a five-letter word that is not used or spoken of at the nonprofit company. Nor is it printed in any of its communications. “We don’t use the word waste because everything we do is geared at preventing it,” says Garcia. The 18-employee nonprofit was founded in 1989 and maintains a long list of humanitarian projects, including disaster recovery. However, Global Links’ primary agenda has two fairly simple goals: 1) annually preventing 300 tons of local surplus medical equipment from going unused and causing environmental damage in a landfill, and 2) redirecting this surplus equipment for use to areas of the region and world with less resources. Garcia took the baton from the Global Links director and co-founder Kathleen Hower two-and-a-half years ago. She started working alongside Hoover in 2000. Global Links is a local organization that was founded by Hower and two other women from Pittsburgh. Garcia says the organization got its start after those women witnessed the worldwide disparity in quality healthcare and came to the realization that no one was addressing medical surplus in clinical settings. Garcia herself was no stranger to the global disparity in healthcare. Prior to joining Global Links, she worked in senior care in Belgium, Mexico, and the U.S. She was distressed by the reality of low-income seniors who could not afford basic medical and hygiene supplies. When anyone is deprived of incontinence items or mobility aids, said Garcia, that person’s quality of life declines to the point of isolation because embarrassment and fear keep them from leaving the home. Numerous U.S. residents also often go without healthcare items, says Garcia, because personal care supplies such as shampoo, toothpaste, and incontinence supplies are not covered by insurance or government assistance programs. Through two main programs, Global Links helps redirect a portion of the staggering amount of clinical surplus generated in this country. Before COVID-19, 3,000 to 4,000 people volunteered every week sorting and packaging supplies donated to the Angela Garcia CEO, Global LinksFebruary/March 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 41 “Blue Bag program” by regional hospitals and healthcare facilities. A second program recovers larger unneeded medical items such as stretchers, exam tables, and IV poles, as well as commercial office furniture from companies that are downsizing. Office chairs and lunchroom tables can be put to use in a developing country’s hospital waiting areas, nursing stations or cafeterias, said Garcia. Garcia is particularly proud of the local impact Global Links had during this year’s pandemic. In a normal year, the organization redirects unused medical items to roughly 30 recipient organizations in southwestern Pennsylvania. That figure increased to 400 between March and December. An “amazing model of collaboration” stated Garcia, expanded the manufacturing and distribution of masks, face shields, gloves and other personal protective equipment to safety net organizations and nonprofits. “COVID gave us the opportunity to respond to a disaster here,” said Garcia. Figures indicate that in six western Pennsylvania counties, Global Links impacted 402 agencies, 600 childcare centers and 152 schools by providing $2.3 million in total protective supplies. Garcia has been named a Cribs for Kids Woman of Achievement and a “40 under 40” winner by PUMP and Pittsburgh Magazine. Recently, she accepted the Green Building Alliance’s Emerald Award for Global Links in recognition of the organization’s direct relief to local communities. When asked if there are challenges to being a female in a leadership role, Garcia replies, “I can’t even answer that…I hate gender stereotyping! When you put people first and value individual talents, gender shouldn’t matter at all.” JoAnn Janoski Co-Founder, Janoski’s Farm When JoAnn Janoski married her husband, Sonny Janoski, in 1962, his family had just bought a 65-acre farm along Route 30 in Findlay Township. Originally from Mt. Lebanon, the Janoskis were a family of farmers who had started to feel penned in by increased development and thus decided to move their operations. After marrying, Sonny and JoAnn rented a house from Sonny’s brother and part of a John Deere supplier across from the family’s farm. The couple sold vegetables both there and at a farmers’ market in Pittsburgh’s North Side. In 1966, they built a house on the farm along Route 30 and a small farm stand adjacent to it. Things only grew from there. Today, Janoski’s Farm and Greenhouse is a sprawling operation with numerous greenhouses, a large farm market, a bakery, a garden center, a gift shop and more, all located where Sonny and JoAnn first started their small vegetable stand. Until last year, the operation also included a restaurant across the street. The Janoskis sold that restaurant last June. At times, the family has employed upwards of 50 people and they operate numerous other farms across the area. “We’ve come a long way” is the way JoAnn puts it. Over the years, she says Sonny’s ideas were what drove the business’ expansion and that they got many of those ideas from visiting other farm markets on Sunday evenings. All the while, their own stand was open seven days a week. Once Sonny got an idea in his head, she says, “It was like, here we go.” Through it all, JoAnn held just about every essential role in the operation, from bookkeeper to sales person, as she helped grow the family venture. Things weren’t easy in the beginning, however. JoAnn recalls how her husband had to work other jobs during the winter months and that they’d kick their season off by selling strawberries until they had vegetables to sell. JoAnn also recalls making three trips each week to a farmers’ market on the North Side to sell produce, all while raising four children. “You think back now and wonder, ‘How did I do it?’” she says. “But you get through.” She says building greenhouses made a big difference. “We kept building more greenhouses so we were doing well,” she recalls, “and my husband’s sisters came out and helped us transplant the plants. We also sold a lot of hanging baskets. Mainly I did the selling.” The operation continues to be a family-run business, with eight family members - including children, spouses and grand children - all helping to run the farm, which is now owned by JoAnn’s son Michael and his wife, Patty. Since Sonny passed away in 2015, they’ve continued carrying on what he and JoAnn started 60 years ago. Most recently, in 2018, the business added a 6,000 square-foot expansion to its farm market. Though it couldn’t hold its Wine Festival due to COVID-19 this year, it did host its annual Pumpkinland Festival. During the pandemic, it has continued to provide shoppers with a source of fresh, local produce, baked goods, meat and other food items. It’s also providing a local alternative to the larger supermarkets. Though JoAnn has relinquished some of her duties these days, she still handles the business’ banking. Between that, her 13 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren, her family continues to keep her busy.Remember When? Remember When? N In the early 1940s, as the U.S. was still in throes of World War II, America was facing a labor shortage. One way that the government sought to fill jobs left open by the millions of American service members sent overseas was by using German POWs. During the war, more than 370,000 German POWs were transported to over 600 camps across the U.S. Under rules set by the Geneva Convention, these prisoners could be put to work and thus forced to man vital industries. Among those assigned to care for recuperating Nazi soldiers at those camps were African American nurses. It sounds almost like a cruel joke by today’s standards, but at the time caring for German POWs was one of just two assignments that black nurses accepted into the Army Nurse Corps could hope to obtain. The other was an assignment to a segregated black base. Those black nurses were also among a rarified number chosen to serve. Of the 9,000 black nurses who applied during those wartime years, just 500 were selected. With 59,000 white nurses serving, those black nurses thus made up just a little over 0.8% of the entire corps. Among them was B. Louise Boddie Dawson, who was recruited in 1944 while working at Freedman Hospital in Washington, D.C. Louise trained at Fort Huachuca in Arizona and was then sent to Camp Papago Park - a German POW camp - also in Arizona. After a tour there, she was assigned to Camp Callan in California, where she served as a psychiatric nurse. In nursing school, Louise had studied neuropsychiatry, a precursor to modern day neuroscience and psychiatry. She was thus likely tasked with treating soldiers suffering from what was then termed combat stress reaction, which would later become known as post-traumatic stress disorder. While training at Fort Huachuca, Louise met a second lieutenant by the name of Emmett C. Dawson Jr. A Findlay Vocational School graduate, Emmett grew up on a farm that skirted the line between Beaver County and Allegheny County, near where Robinson Township in Washington County, Independence Township in Beaver County, and Findlay Township in Allegheny County all meet. Emmett held a degree in agricultural education from Penn State College and had been a member of the ROTC there. When the war broke out, he was splitting his time between helping his parents raise chickens on their farm and working at a Standard Steel plant inspecting bumpers in Coraopolis. Emmett’s father, Emmett Chamberlain Dawson Sr., was the son of a former slave. In the 1920s, he purchased the land where Emmett grew up and the family operated their farm. In addition to farming, Emmett Sr. also worked as a chauffeur for the Bell Family, which ran a sprawling farm where Pittsburgh International Airport is now located. His daughter, Felicia Dawson-Batcha, recalls that her grandfather had a barn near the corner of Bigger Road and Clinton Frankfort Road. She says her grandmother, Jesse Dawson, was a talented seamstress who sewed for the Bells and other affluent Pittsburgh families. According to a piece written upon Emmett’s passing by Gorman Armstrong, a friend of the Dawsons, Emmett Sr. and Jesse ran a restaurant on Route 30 not far from Raccoon Creek State Park. Emmett helped his family raise broiler chickens that his parents served at their restaurant and sold to customers in Pittsburgh. Armstrong writes that the restaurant was known in particular for its excellent chicken sandwiches and pies. Felicia says that, after graduating college, her father had attempted to get a teaching position at Findlay Vocational School. She says he also applied to dental school at the University of Michigan and the University of Pittsburgh. He was denied each of those opportunities. Despite serving in the ROTC, he’d also been denied the same commission his white peers had received upon graduating, according to Armstrong. As such, when he entered the military in 1942, he had to attend officer’s training school in order to achieve the rank of second lieutenant. He was then assigned to command a military police unit at Fort Huachuca, where he met Louise. After the war, Emmett and Louise reconnected in Washington, D.C., where Louise was again working at Freedman Hospital. According to Armstrong, she was researching tuberculosis. A romance ensued between the two, with Emmett making frequent trips to see her. Armstrong recounts that, upon proposing, Louise asked him why he wanted to get married. Armstrong writes, “He replied that marriage would save time and money. The Maryland police kept giving him expensive [tickets] for speeding.” Emmett and Louise were married on the Dawson homestead in 1949 by Rev. Sam Neal from Hebron Presbyterian Church. While Emmett was working on constructing a house on the farm, he and Louise moved into an apartment in Sewickley, near where Louise was working at Sewickley Valley Hospital. When the Korean War broke out, however, Emmett was assigned to Augsburg, Germany, where he commanded an Army transportation company. Louise and their daughter, Norma, joined him in 1952. Twins Felicia and Frances were born not long afterward on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day. Emmett and Louise Dawson STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY PHOTOS SUBMITTED Emmett C. Dawson Jr. and B. Louise Boddie met while serving their country during World War II. Here, Emmett is pictured after graduating officer’s training school and Louise is pictured after graduating from Freedman’s Hospital School of Nursing at Howard University. The couple later settled in the Clinton area on a farm that Emmett’s father bought in the 1920s. Jesse Dawson is pictured at the family restaurant in this picture taken in the 1950s. 42 • Allegheny West Magazine • February/March 2021 Following the war, the family moved to numerous Army bases around the world, from Japan to Washington, D.C. During that time, Emmett’s fathered passed away. In the late 1950s, his mother closed up the restaurant they’d run together. Emmett and Louise returned to the area and moved into the house Emmett had built on the family farm. Louise went on to become the head nurse at Dixmont State Hospital in Sewickley. She even went back to school in the 1970s to study psychology. A severe car accident delayed her studies but she eventually returned and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1983 at the age of 64 from LaRoche College. Emmett, meanwhile, continued to serve as a career Army officer, earning the rank of lieutenant colonel and the Army Commendation Medal. Though he wasn’t deployed again overseas, he did serve throughout the Vietnam War in Washington, D.C. He retired in 1971. Back in Clinton, he and Louise became longtime members of Hebron Presbyterian Church. Emmett was an elder and the church’s assistant treasurer for 17 years. Felicia says her mother was involved with the youth program there into her 90s. Emmett also remained a devoted Nittany Lion and made frequent trips to Penn State to watch his team play. He passed away in 1995. Despite the many obstacles thrown in their way, the Dawsons achieved a great deal during their lifetimes. Much of the discrimination they faced may seem antiquated by today’s standards, but at the time it was a way of life. Felicia says her parents had a saying for the obstacles they encountered. “My parents always said, ‘When a roadblock is put in your way, you find another route to follow,’” she says. It’s that same attitude of hard work and determination that Felicia says her parents passed on to her and her sisters, all of whom became accomplished professionals. Felicia went into the laboratory medicine field and became a technical support representative for a pharmaceutical company. Norma, meanwhile, earned a law degree while Frances followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a nurse. The Dawsons’ only grandchild, Kimberly Anne Batcha, is now a marriage and family therapist. From a young age, Louise had to overcome many challenges. The youngest of 11 children, her father passed away in 1918 from the Spanish flu. That left her single mother to care for their large family. Louise’s mother taught school during the day and ran the family farm with her children in the evening. When Louise’s mother fell ill, she was raised by her aunt. When she passed away, Louise, 8, was sent to live with her sister in River Rouge, Michigan by her mother. Louise earned her nursing degree from Freedman Nursing School and served in the Army as a second lieutenant. She was awarded the American Campaign Medal and World War II Victory Medal. When she passed away in May of 2018 at the age of 99, she and Emmett both received military honors from the Beaver County Special Unit at her funeral. As she was declining, the The Beaver County Times wrote a piece about Louise that captured the attention of Congressman Keith Rothfus. The representative recognized Louise shortly after on the chamber floor, saying, in part, “Louise led an exemplary life of hard work and service to others. She instilled this work ethic in her daughters, telling them, ‘You never fail until you quit.’” The clip can be viewed on YouTube by searching for “B. Louise Boddie Dawson.” February/March 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 43STORIES BY ERMA DODD PHOTO SUBMITTED Stall door message Sultan was everyone’s favorite horse here on our farm, Champion Ridge. He was big but gentle. Every morning, my husband, Chuck, or I would feed the horses. One summer day, the horses had been in the fenced- in riding ring overnight. When morning came, I filled their feeding bins and water buckets, then threw hay in their stalls. They would spend the hot day out of the sun, inside the barn. Then, when it was time, we would bring the horses into the barn, one at a time. I’d open the gate to the riding ring, grab hold of the horse’s halter, take the horse out, turn back and lock the gate. Then off to the barn we’d go. On this particular day, the first couple of horses were good, but Sultan was not his gentle, easy-going self. When I opened the ring gate, I took hold of Sultan’s halter and he reared his head as if trying to get away from me. It was hard to control him as I turned to lock the gate. Sultan was defying me, throwing his head up and back, and his legs wanting to freeze then stomp any way but where he needed to go. It was not at all how he normally behaved and it was all I could do to hold onto the halter and try to gain control. The whole way to the barn, he fought me. He was bad, very bad, and I was mad. I got madder and madder. When we got to the barn, the door to his stall was open. I got him in and slammed the stall door shut. As the door slammed, I had an “ah-ha” moment. This had become a huge lesson on anger. This whole “lesson learned” scene happened about 30 years ago. At the time, I was having a really hard and bad time accepting what I felt. I felt betrayed by friends. For years, our church’s Christian Critters Youth groups had gone on two-day retreats to our little cottage at Yough Lake to go swimming, boating, tubing and water skiing. Then, about sundown, “quiet time” began. We’d sing, read scripture, give a message for the youth and have prayer time. During this retreat’s quiet time, I told the youth about a young man I had met. Mike was 20 years old. While at work, he was in a bad auto accident that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. He had some movement in his arms. Due to a bad head injury, he could barely speak. His high school sweetheart broke off their relationship. Mike did not want to live that way. The young teens were asked if they would like to write to Mike with words of encouragement, and they did. At church that Sunday, I got to share news of the retreat and tell Mike’s story, which had led to the heartfelt letters the Christian Critters wrote and I read at church. Then the letters were given to Mike’s parents to read to him. It was evident the letters were as touching to his mom and dad as to Mike. Our church always endorsed the retreats and a second retreat was coming up for the younger Critters. Then I received a call and was told that session had met and that they’d decided to withdraw their endorsement of retreats. Why? Because “suicide” had been talked about at “quiet time.” I didn’t feel this was true. Instead, I’d spoke of Mike “not wanting to live.” I was crushed and became very angry. It was wrong, and two of my friends did apologize, but for weeks I was angry. Had Sultan sensed my anger? Then, standing at Sultan’s stall door, it hit me. I got the message I needed so badly. That message was, “You have to take your anger and put it into its own stall. Then you have to slam the door. Leave your anger in its stall. It does not mean the anger is not real. It will not be in control of you. It is no longer tearing you apart. It is no longer hurting or winning. Let it go. You can begin to think like you thought before the happening. Forgive and, in time, the hurt will heal. Mine did. I’m still grateful for the ah-ha moment and amazed how His lesson came through a much-loved horse. Thanks, Sultan - you played your role perfectly. Not All Bad It was a cold December day. Robert and family returned home. The kitchen window was open. “Something is wrong,” he thought. He closed the window and, as he looked around the house, he found the answer. They had been robbed. They found mess after mess and more and more things missing - but this robber was a little bit considerate. Two rolls of toilet tissue were stolen. One roll remained, untouched. This is a true story. Danielle Dodd sits atop gentle Sultan. “Try to be a Rainbow in someone’s cloud, in someone’s rain.” ~ Dr Maya Angelou 44 • Allegheny West Magazine • February/March 2021Our Advertisers Your community businesses are the reason for the publication of Allegheny West Magazine. Please support these businesses. Their support allows us to mail this magazine, free, into the households of Findlay, North Fayette, Oakdale, Sturgeon, and portions of McDonald as a community service. Advanced Dentistry, p. 5, 412.788.6300, advanceddentistry412.com Allegheny County, p. 5, www.alleghenycounty.us Allegheny West Eye Care, p. 13, 724.695.3371, www.alleghenywesteyecare.com American Renal Associates, p. 16, 412.331.2423, www.americanrenal.com Bill Few Associates, p. 19, 412.630.6041 Business Legal, p. 9, 724.693.0588, www.businesslegal.net Clearview FCU, p. 9, 800.926.0003, clearviewfcu.org Clinton United Presbyterian Church, p. 8, Preschool: 412.719.8519 Conti Law, p. 18, 724.784.0239, contilawpgh.com Csonka Heating and Cooling, p. 3, 724.926.3125 Davey Tree, p. 5, 724.746.8852, www.davey.com DDS Web Design, p. 41, 412.965.0688, www.ddswebdesign.com DiSanti, Dr. Judy, DMD., p. 22, 412.264.6229, www.coraopolisdentist.com Express Employment Professionals, p. 23 412.494.2000, expresspros.com EyeGotcha, p. 17, 412.331.9696, eyegotcha.net Findlay Township Parks and Rec., p. 25, 724.695.0500, www.findlaytwp.org Findlay Township Republican Comm., p. 25, 412.860.4331 First Steps Pediatrics, p. 26, 412.788.1999, www.fspkids.com Genesis Church, p. 43, 724.512.5562, www.genesischurchlife.com Heritage Valley Medical Group, p. 6-7, bk. cover, 412.749.6934, www.heritagevalley.org Herrick Compassionate Funeral Service, p. 19, 724.695.7332 HRV Conformance Verification Associates, Inc., p. 39, 412.299.2000, www.hrvinc.com Imperial Tax, p. 3, 724.695.7354, www.imperialtaxandaccounting.com Jim Meyers and Son Plumbing, p. 11 412.787.7805, MeyersPlumbingPittsburgh.com. JTM Tax, p. 44, 412.480.2446, www. martintax.com Ed Kandrack – Berkshire Hathaway, p. 45, 833.PGH.SOLD K. Morris Landscape Design, p. 13, 724.693.8663, www. kmorrislandscapedesign.com Kumon Math and Reading Center, p. 23, 412.790.6100, kumon.com/robinson- township Fred E. Liechti, Attorney, p. 45, 412.787.5280 McCracken Driving School p. 22, mccrackendrivingschool.com Tom Meyers Plumbing, p. 9, 724.693.2880, www.tommeyersplumbing.com Moody Funeral Home, p. 43, 724.695.0411 My Laundromat, p. 43, 724.227.0513 Oakdale Foot and Ankle, p. 43, 412.787.8380, www.oakdalepodiatrist.com Pandolfo Bendik, p. 46, 412.788.1335, www.pandolfbendik.com Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, p. 12, 412.264.6270, www.paacc.com Play Academy, p. 26, 412.299.0616, www.play-academy.org Pustover Financial Services, p. 26, 724.695.8885, www.pustoverfinancial.com Renaissance Home Care, p. 35, 412.563.5055, Rhomecare.com Robinson’s Run Cemetery, p. 15, 724.926.8511, www.RobinsonsRunCemetery.org Rock Mulch and More, p. 24, 724.796.1558, www.rockmulchandmore.com John G. Rohm, DMD, p. 19, 724.695.2100 SNPJ Lodge 106 Club, p. 21, 724.695.1411, www.snpjimperialpa.com Self Storage North Fayette, p. 21, 724.695.8875, SelfStorageNF.com St. Clair Hospital, p. Inside Front Cover, 412.942.4000, stclair.org Steubenville Pike Auto, p. 13, 412.787.9800, www.steubenvillepike.com Thomas-Little Funeral Svc., p. 26, 724.926.2800, www.thomas-littlefuneralservice.com Today’s Hair, p. 9, 724.695.0478 West Allegheny School District, p. 27-30, 724.695.3422, www.westasd.org Marketplace Ads Findlay Parks and Rec. All events take place at the Findlay Township Activity Center in Imperial, unless otherwise indicated. Call (724) 695-0500 to register or with questions. Pirate and Princess Party, Feb. 20, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., see page 24. Crochet for a Cause, Thursdays, Jan. 28, Feb. 25, March 25, April 15, 29, May 20, June 10, 24, 6:30-8 p.m., create chemo caps, preemie caps and 6”x6” squares that will be placed together for lap blankets, donated to local area hospitals, no experience necessary. Friday Morning Bingo, Feb. 26, March 26, April 30, May 28, June 25, doors open 9 a.m., bingo starts 10 a.m., $10/packet, coffee/water and light snacks provided, $1 coverall jackpots, dabbers available to purchase, call in event of inclement weather. Annual Indoor Flea Market, March 6, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., two levels of 60+ tables $10/table for sellers, call to reserve. Self Defense Class for Women, March 9, 11, 7-9 p.m., pre-teen to adult, free, bring pillow and wear comfortable clothing. Our Honey Bees and Why We Need Them, March 20, 10:30 a.m.-noon, see page 24. Annual Easter Egg Hunt, March 27, 11 a.m., 810 Rt. 30, see page 24. Community Tire Collection Program, April 24, 9 a.m.-noon, Findlay Township Public Works (1058 Clinton Road), $3 up to 18” off rim, $5 up to 18” on rim, $5 over 18” off rim (SUV & light truck), $25 tractor trailer up to 22.5” (no rims accepted), $25 farm tractor rear up to 75 lbs., $40 farm tractor rear 75 to 150 lbs., $75 farm tractor rear over 150 lbs. Spring Community Cleanup, April 24, 9 a.m.-noon, meet at activity center, community hours for youth groups and high school students, all volunteers welcome, call to volunteer, bags/gloves/ vests provided. Computer and Appliance Recycling, call for dates, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., items accepted subject to change, one TV per vehicle, $20 fee for Freon appliances, accepted only during event. Yoga for Beginners and Beyond, Fridays, 6:30-7:30 p.m., $5/class. Senior Yoga and Qi Gong, Mondays, 2p.m., Thursdays, 11:30 a.m., free for seniors. Imperial LifeSpan Grab ‘n Go Lunches, Wednesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m., $1.50, (724) 218-1669 to order. On the Horizon February/March 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 45% New in Town New in Town In 2012, Jason Bendik left a job in the tax division at the public accounting firm Alpern Rosenthal in Pittsburgh in order to partner with a small tax office in Robinson Township. The business, which is located along Beaver Grade Road, became known as Pandolfo Bendik and, for the past eight years, the work Bendik has done there is exactly the kind he’s always wanted. “I wanted to work with more smaller business types versus public accounting,” says Bendik. “It’s a win-win and a much better fit for my personality because I get to interact with clients a lot more.” Late last year, Bendik took over as president of the tax office, which Thomas Pandolfo originally founded in the mid-1980s. Moving ahead, he’s looking forward to continuing in much the same manner, by working with small business owners and individuals on both their tax preparation and financial planning. It’s an interesting time for financial experts, as COVID-19 has upended the financial outlook of many small businesses and individuals. Bendik has been helping many of his own clients weather that storm as they juggle payroll, PPP forgiveness, taxes and a myriad of other challenges posed by the pandemic. While COVID-19 has created significant hardships for many, there are also many programs being made available to help individuals and small businesses through the crisis. For Bendik, the challenge has involved not just navigating these programs, but also examining each client’s individual situation so they don’t encounter any unpleasant tax surprises that could arise as a result. “This year, your income was supposed to be so much a quarter, but then COVID hit and it fluctuates,” says Bendik. “So, we want to make sure you don’t have any big tax surprises, so we formulate some tax planning ideas for you.” He says looking at each client’s individual situation is critical. “Every tax situation is unique,” he says. “Their industry may change, so you have to look at each person on an individual basis.” In addition to a year-end personal review, he also strongly suggests any small businesses conduct quarterly reviews, particularly now. Another significant advantage that Bendik, who is a CPA, offers to clients that a traditional tax office doesn’t is counseling on their investments. Based on an individual’s particular tax situation, it might make sense to alter their investment strategy to limit their tax liability and take advantage of the right savings and investment programs. That strategy can change over time as laws and circumstances change, so it’s critical to work with someone who is knowledgeable in the field. “For instance, savings accounts aren’t paying anything right now, so we might want to look at an unqualified account such as an investment account, or something that has the potential to appreciate over so many years that we can sell,” he says. “Then we might have a large gain so we want to put so much aside for taxes.” Over the years, Bendik has also helped many people start small businesses. It’s a big leap for anyone considering trading a steady paycheck for a shot at working for themselves. “I always say, ‘Ok, let’s put pen to paper. What are you projecting for your revenue and what do you think you’ll have in expenses?’ I can come back and say, ‘Have you accounted for this, or this liability exposure.’ I don’t want to just pat them on the back,” he says. “I want to give it to them right between the eyes.” Part of planning to operate a small business may also involve opening a retirement account. “Being self-employed, you may not have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, but options are out there for the self-employed,” he says. “We can provide some of those retirement planning options and incorporate the retirement plan with the tax aspects of it,” he says. “By contributing to a tax retirement plan, you’re putting money into retirement and paying less to the IRS. That’s what everyone wants to do. We want to put money in your pocket rather than the government’s. We individualize your target portfolio based on many factors, including time needed for funds and other financial aspects related to your overall picture.” Bendik is a self-described big-time Penguins fan. He grew up in the area and graduated from West Allegheny High School in 2004. He then attended Clarion University, where he majored in education but then decided to shift into tax accounting as a result of his interest in business. “I’ve always had a knack for entrepreneurship,” he says. “I always wanted to kind of see things one way and break them down.” Bendik now lives in the McDonald area with his wife, Brittany, sons, Jameson and Chase, and dog, Max. Pandolfo Bendik partner takes over as president STORY SUBMITTED Pandolfo Bendik is located at 24 Beaver Grade Road in Robinson Township, across from Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Call them at (412) 788-1335. Jason Bendik can be reached at jbendik@ pandolfoassociates.com. Visit them online at www.pandolfobendik.com. About Jason Bendik, CPA and independent investment advisor • Worked in public accounting for over 10 years. • Graduated from West Allegheny (2003) and Clarion University (2007). • Pittsburgh Penguins season ticket holder and avid fan. •Wife says he golfs too much. Tax Tips for 2020: • Call your accountant now (or call us at 412.788.1335 if you need one) to ask about anything new you should prepare for your 2020 filing. • Organize - Start a folder for all tax-related documents so you have everything together by mid- February. • Prepare - Review your latest paystub or any outside 1099/subcontractor work and compare it to last year. If major differences are shown, you will need a plan to prepare for any added liability you may incur. Did you buy a new house? Sell one? Open an investment account or purchase a rental property? Did you start a side business? You should gather and provide any related documents to your accountant. 46 • Allegheny West Magazine • February/March 2021PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID PITTSBURGH PA PERMIT NO. 5605 Hughey Publications, LLC P.O. Box 220 McDonald, PA 15057 Now in Our 22 nd Year Proudly Serving the Airport Area Allegheny West MagazineNext >