West Ridge opens new Awaken Youth Center Local scouts improve area trails Marathoner honors memory of longtime area first responder West Allegheny shows support for community members battling cancer Findlay hires new parks and recreation coordinator Pittsburgh Botanic Garden unveils new art exhibits Pittsburgh Technical College teams to offer life-changing career training M agazine West Allegheny Edition Volume 23, Issue 134 October/November 2021 FREE Direct Mail Community Publication One of 4 editions serving 17 airport area communities www.awmagazine.com West Allegheny School District Official Newsletter Inside Page 39 Allegheny West October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021 P. O. Box 220, McDonald, PA 15057 Phone: 724.673.3161 E-Mail: info@awmagazine.com www.awmagazine.com Doug Hughey Pat Jennette Garrett Roberts Sarah Kizina www.ddswebdesign.com Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce, Findlay Township, North Fayette Township Oakdale Borough, McDonald Borough, West Allegheny School District, Western Allegheny Community Library, Erma Dodd Pat Jennette 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 leftover 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 Montour Edition of Allegheny West Magazine, and the Cornell Edition of Allegheny West Magazine. Allegheny West Magazine MEMBER @AlleghenyWest Allegheny West Magazine - West Allegheny Edition, 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. A scarecrow guards a field of freshly picked pumpkins at Janoski’s Farm in Clinton. Janoski’s is once again hosting its Pumpkinland festivities in October. For more on that and other fun fall things to do around the area, see page 42. PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEYWest Ridge opens new Awaken Youth Center Local scouts improve area trails Marathoner honors memory of longtime area first responder West A shows support for community members battling cancer Findlay hires new parks and recreation coordinator Pittsburgh Botanic Garden unveils new exhibits Pittsburgh Technical College teams to offer life-changing career training WA Today Fall flowers bloom at Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in this photo taken in 2019. For upcoming PBG programs, see this month’s On the Horizon section on page 44. Read about some recent art exhibits at PBG on page 26. PHOTO BY SARAH KIZINA October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 5 ABOUT THE COVER West Allegheny Edition ~ October/November 2021 Volume 23, No. 134 { } Contents - - - - - - - - 16 18 20 22 24 26 36 39 8 13 16 30 32 44 45 46 - Locally Sourced - Pittsburgh Airport Area Chamber of Commerce - Around Your Town - Legislative Update - Your Schools - On the Horizon - Library Programs - Penned by Erma Sections Dear Readers, Thank you for picking up our October West Allegheny edition. This month, we’re bringing you a couple of stories about some community members who have been going through some difficult times as of late. In each instance, however, an outpouring of support from the community has both helped these individuals and demonstrated the caring spirit of those who live here. First, on page 22, we catch up with two members of the West Allegheny school community who are battling cancer. Community members, however, have gone above and beyond, raising tens of thousands of dollars to help support them in their fight. Then, on page 20, read how a local marathoner dedicated a race she recently took part in to the memory an area first responder. In so doing, she joined a groundswell of individuals who have showed his family members just how appreciative they are of his service. On page 16, we check out West Ridge Christian Church’s new Awaken Youth Center to see the dramatic transformation its building has gone under over the past few years. Starting on page 18, we also look at some new projects undertaken by local scouts who have helped improve area trails. Given that many of these trails are maintained largely by volunteers, we are fortunate for their selfless work on these projects. At the end of September, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden opened some additional acreage with a unique art installation. Read more about that on page 26. Then read how Pittsburgh Technical College is working to provide career training to disadvantaged individuals on page 36. On page 24, we also get acquainted with Findlay Township’s newest parks and recreation coordinator. As things have slowly been returning to normal, we’ve been reintegrating events back into the magazine. In this month’s On the Horizon section on page 44, check out some fun happenings taking place this fall and a few holiday events as well. Look for our next edition at the beginning of December. In the meantime, I hope you will continue to stay safe and healthy. Doug Hughey, Publisher/Editor From the PublisherHeritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley is oering drive-through f lu vaccines, by appointment only, for those patients 12 years and older at the locations and times listed below: Mondays & Wednesdays: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm 935 Thorn Run Road - Moon Township, PA 15108 Tuesdays & Thursdays: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm 2 PearTree Way - Beaver, PA 15009 Call 724-770-7555 to schedule an appointment or visit heritagevalley.org. Drive - Through Flu Vaccines Available! 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021Heritage Valley Health Heritage Valley Health TOP, LEFT TO RIGHT: Doctors with the Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine are (back row) Nicholas Tapyrik, MD, Blake Choplin, MD, Jeffrey Erukhimov, MD, (front row) Katherine Chin, MD, Susan Weber, MD and Matthew Woodske, MD. Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine welcomes Blake Choplin, M.D. and Katherine Chin, M.D. to the practice. They join Jeffrey A. Erukhimov, M.D., Nicholas Tapyrik, M.D., Susan L. Weber, M.D. and Matthew Woodske, M.D. in the practice located on the first floor of Heritage Valley Beaver hospital, 1000 Dutch Ridge Road in Beaver. The practice opened a new office Aug. 16 at Heritage Valley Sewickley hospital, 701 Broad Street in Sewickley. Before joining Heritage Valley Health System, Dr. Choplin earned his medical degree from the Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University Hospital and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Chin earned her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pittsburgh prior to joining Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group. She completed her residency in categorical internal medicine with UPMC Medical Education in Pittsburgh and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Choplin and Dr. Chin are accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment at the Beaver office, call (724) 773- 6403. For an appointment at the Sewickley office, call (412) 749-7160. Heritage Valley Multispecialty Group welcomes two new pulmonologists October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 7%Locally SourcedLocally Sourced On Aug. 2, St. Columbkille held its 27th Annual Rich Ivcic Golf Outing at the Moon Golf Club. The event generated over $9,000 dollars and all proceeds were distributed equally among the McDonald Food Pantry, the West Allegheny Food Pantry and the Burgettstown Food Pantry. The outing was blessed with great food, weather and people, but the blessings didn’t stop there, as the donations raised will help feed area families in need. The event would not have been possible if not for Holy Name Society golf committee members Art Hilgart, Mike Barnes, Scott Zanella, Micky Papa, Alex Wahl, Bob Teachout, Scott Macher and Dana Reimer. They, along with the event sponsors, volunteers and golfers ensured that the outing was once again a great success. In today’s environment amidst COVID-19, needs are greater than ever, and all of these participants ensured that the event surpassed expectations. The 28th Annual Rich Ivcic Golf Outing will take place Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, and will once again be held at the Moon Golf Club. Visit stisidorethefarmer.org for more information. St. Columbkille’s 27th Annual Rich Ivcic Golf Outing raises over $9,000 for area food pantries On Sept. 15, St. Columbkille Holy Name Society members presented representatives from several area food pantries with donations raised from the 27th Annual Rich Ivcic Golf Outing. Here, Mike Barnes presents Mary Jordan of the McDonald Food Pantry with a check; Tim Offerman of the West Allegheny Food Pantry receives a check from Father Zack Galiyas; and Beth Engel of the Burgettstown Food Pantry receives a check from Scott Zanella and Mike Quince. Marilyn Stevens recently became the new pastor at McDonald United Methodist Church. She brings with her substantial international and national experience. She has been active in church building in Honduras, Central America, and Paraguay, South America. Stevens has not always been a pastor. She previously worked in human resources and business. She projects her commercial background and experiences while preaching at the pulpit and through her personal interactions. Stevens has been a member of the Houston United Methodist Church for 51 years and has done work as outreach chairman, finance chairman, administrative council member, Sunday school teacher, Bible school teacher, choir member, liturgist and certified lay servant. In Honduras, she helped build a new church and, in Paraguay, she joined a group performing repairs on church structures. She has also organized and taught sewing to persons of all ages. Stevens says she is delighted in her new opportunity to serve as pastor at McDonald UMC, and adds that she is blessed to meet such a loving and caring congregation that are so willing to help her. Stevens has two sons, Greg and Ryan, who is married to Samantha, and a grandson named Beckett. Among the happy congregation expressing joy at her availability are Harry and Carol Moore, who said they are anxious to hear her play her mountain dulcimer, which she learned to play while on mission trips. Visitors are welcome to meet her and consider joining the McDonald UMC at 232 Lincoln Avenue. Stevens replaces Pastor Thom Buonomo of Beaver, who returned home to a local church that lost its pastor. Stevens earned her degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Her motto is, “God wants you to listen and respond to his mission. For only to you he has given.” John Lenkey is a member of the McDonald UMC congregation. He can be reached at tmjfixer@gmail.com or by calling (412) 471- 1212. McDonald UMC gets new pastor Marilyn Stevens SUBMITTED BY JOHN LENKEY STORY SUBMITTED 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • October/November 2021 October/November 2021 • www.awmagazine.com • 9Next >