< PreviousCAround Your Town Around Your Town At one time, Dennis Mullenix of Sturgeon had no trouble climbing the steps outside of his home. Then he fell and hurt his back. “I had three vertebrae out, they were gone,” he said. “I was paralyzed for over a year.” A retired West Allegheny school bus driver, Mullenix spent another two years in assisted living until he was able to return home. At that point, climbing the steps outside of his home became a problem. That concerned his friends Kathy and Bob Wilkinson, who stepped up to help Mullenix with transportation, grocery shopping and other chores. Kathy, though, said she became increasingly concerned about his lack of mobility and fearful that he was going to fall. So, when she happened across an application for West Allegheny Workcamp printed in Allegheny West Magazine last year, she tore it out and submitted it, requesting a ramp be built for Mullenix. This past June, about a dozen volunteers from the workcamp constructed a 30-foot ramp outside Mullenix’s home. Now, he can leave his house on his own again and is even walking on it each day as he continues to regain his mobility. “I love it,” Mullenix said as a crew was finishing the work. He wore a t-shirt that read “#WACares” from a different, school-related initiative. “I was out today. First day in a long time.” Mullenix was one of 24 area homeowners who benefitted from similar efforts in June, all of which were performed by volunteers with West Allegheny Workcamp. First started in 2014 through a partnership between the local nonprofit Heroes Supporting Heroes and Group Mission Trips, the faith-based initiative has been held every two years in the West Allegheny community. For a week, volunteer participants from other parts of the country tackle a variety of small and medium-sized construction projects for area homeowners who are unable to do the work themselves. Each camp participant also pays $500 to take part. Those funds help cover the cost of food and other personal expenses associated with the camp. Donations the camp receives help cover the costs for construction materials. Homeowners don’t pay anything. Each year, West Allegheny School District has also allowed the camp to use one of its school buildings so participants have a place to sleep, shower and sit down for a couple of meals each day. This year was no different, as the district allowed campers to stay at Donaldson Elementary School. Workcamp organizer Jeff Lutz says a portion of the funds that campers paid once again went toward reimbursing the district for costs associated with utilizing the building. So, just why would someone pay $500 to travel across the country, sleep on a classroom floor and work on someone else’s house who they’ve never met? “I just love the feeling of helping people and being in God’s hands and going out into the community and making change,” was the way Maddie, a 17-year-old workcamp participant from Omaha, Nebraska put it. “That way you can see for sure that you’re making a difference.” Maddie was one of 130 participants at this year’s workcamp, and one of 25 people who came to the camp from Rejoice Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Ryan Troxel, another member of the group from Rejoice Lutheran, says they fundraised to cover the cost of the camp and to charter a bus. A high school shop teacher back home, Troxel said they had a few site-seeing stops lined up on their trip as well. Throughout the week, while Maddie and her group built new front steps and a landing for a homeowner on Enlow Road in Imperial, Troxel and his group constructed two new sets of steps for another homeowner off Gregg Lane. Workcamp organizer John Kreutzman says those coming to the camp in groups are typically split up based on skill level and so they work with others who they don’t know. “It gives them a chance to meet other people they’re not familiar with and to share their faith,” Kreutzman says. Sarah Chromack, who owns the home where Maddie’s group was working, says her old steps were treacherous and that she never would have been able to do the work herself. Marie Robertson, who owns the home where Troxel’s group worked, says she had already fallen once while trying to navigate her old steps. She walks with a cane, suffers from a lung-related condition and has trouble walking on uneven ground, she said. A couple of miles away in Virginia Hills neighborhood, homeowner Beth Cannon got a fresh coat of paint on her home thanks to workcamp volunteers. In Redwood Estates, volunteers built a wheelchair ramp for Steven Searle, a military veteran who has trouble walking and had been climbing his front steps sideways. Kreutzman says Searle was one of nine military veterans who were assisted by workcamp efforts this year. At another home in the same development, volunteers built a set of steps for Marsha McLean, whose husband is having trouble walking and is undergoing rehabilitation, she said. The volunteers also installed new skirting around her home and painted. “It looks terrific,” she said of the work. “I love it.” Workcamp volunteers also replaced decking on the existing ramp at The Rock community center in Oakdale and donated non- perishables to area food pantries. The next West Allegheny Workcamp is tentatively slated to return in 2025. Applications will be made available next year and will also be printed in Allegheny West Magazine. Work that can be completed by the workcamp includes painting and light construction projects. For more, visit www.heroessupportingheroes.org. West Allegheny Workcamp returns for fifth year STORY AND PHOTOS BY DOUG HUGHEY ABOVE: West Allegheny Workcamp volunteers take a break from building a set of steps for a homeowner in Imperial. They’re pictured with the homeowner’s grandsons. BELOW: Volunteers pose for a picture with Marsha McLean outside her home, where they built steps, painted siding and installed new skirting. 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • August/September 2023August/September 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 11CAround Your Town Around Your Town Local teen secures national hurdling title STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY PHOTO SUBMITTED 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • August/September 2023 Findlay Township resident and graduating Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School senior Antonio Votour was expecting to do well this past track season. A four-year hurdler representing his school as an individual athlete, Votour capped off his outdoor season last year by winning a WPIAL title in the 110-meter event and advancing to the state meet. As he entered this year’s indoor track season, which takes place in the winter prior to the outdoor season, he knew big things could be in store. He had no idea. In February, Votour won the 60-meter event at the TSTCA indoor championships at Edinboro University after he ran a time of 8.38 seconds. He then advanced to the AA PIAA statewide indoor track meet, where he placed second overall and earned all-state honors. From there, he traveled to the New Balance Nationals in Boston, where he reached the semifinals, and then set his sites on the Adidas Indoor Track Nationals in Virginia Beach. There, he found himself going up against some of the fastest high school hurdlers in the country. “I’m used to going to small meets in Edinboro or Youngstown, and that indoor facility was massive,” he says. “Everyone was really strong. At that point, I wasn’t even focusing on placing. I just wanted to get the experience and get a better place.” In the preliminary race, though, Votour shaved almost an entire half second off his TSTCA championships time and was the only hurdler to finish in under eight seconds. At that point, Votour says he knew he had a shot at a national title but that he still needed to keep his head if he was going to win. In the finals, he ran ever so slightly slower, at 8.02, but that was still good enough to win the race and take home a national title. “Going into finals, I wasn’t even sure I’d win because everyone was so fast,” says Votour. “So, I knew I really had to push that. Crossing the finish line and knowing I’d just won nationals and was top ranked in the nation, that was one of the moments of realization when I thought, ‘Wow, this is really crazy.’” He also won a second national title in the 55-meter event with a time of 7.51. With the spring season ahead, though, Votour wasn’t finished. In May, at the end of the outdoor season, Votour defended his AA WPIAL title in the 110-meter event by running a 14.30 at the WPIAL championships. That time beat a 23-year-old WPIAL record and advanced him once again to the AA PIAA outdoor track and field meet in Shippensburg. There, he knocked about three-quarters of a second off his time from last year by running a 14.28, which set a new school record in the event and won him a state title. It was an outcome Votour’s personal coach of four years, Roger Kowal, had predicted as the two started training during the preseason last summer. “I told him at the start of the season, I’m going to run you to death and you’re going to be a state champion,” says Kowal. “He laughed.” A retired police officer, Kowal has coached teams at several schools across the western suburbs, but these days only works one-on-one with student athletes at the high school and college levels. He doesn’t charge for his time, he says. Instead, he does it for the personal satisfaction, but will only take on athletes with the right work ethic and grades. He says he felt Votour fit that bill after the two met for the first time four years ago. Kowal says that in between last season and this one, Votour managed to shave an entire second off his 110-meter hurdle time. While that might not sound like a lot, it makes a world of difference in the sport. “Antonio ran a 15 flat last year at the state meet,” says Kowal. “And he went from 15 flat to 14.2, which is really good. In the 60-meter, he went from an 8.7 to 7.9. That’s almost unheard-of. If you’re running 7.9, you’re in the top of the country.” Kowal estimates he’s coached at least 15 WPIAL champions over the years. He had yet to coach an athlete to a state or national title until this season, he says. Next season, Votour will be running for the High Point University track team under an athletic scholarship. He plans to study biology and pre-dentistry. A division-one school, High Point competes in the Big South Conference. Votour says he’s already in the midst of preseason training and will begin hurdling in the fall. Votour is just the second individual OLSH athlete to win a state championship in OLSH history. Haley Hamilton won the first in 2019 in cross country. Antonio Votour (left) celebrates winning the 60- and 55-meter hurdle events at the Adidas Indoor Track Nationals in March. He’s pictured with Olympian and 2022 World Indoor hurdle champion Grant Holloway.y > Learning Curves Learning Curves Strength is the single most important physical attribute that an athlete can possess, as it is the precursor to all other forms of athleticism. Adopting a ground-based, functional strength-training program utilizing upper and lower-body compound movements is the key to athletic success. The biggest challenge with strength and power training is that all the fantastic benefits we associate with it from a scientific standpoint (i.e., increases in force production, speed of muscle contractions, inter-muscular coordination, enhanced ground- reaction time, etc.) are reversible. That means all the hard work and performance gains an athlete makes during the off- or pre- season can go away when this type of training is not maintained for prolonged periods. This often takes both parents and athletes by surprise. Surely, all that practice and hard work would go a long way toward enhancing fitness, right? The truth is that those who avoid in- season training will be weaker, slower and more prone to injury as the regular season progresses. This is because regular-season practices are oftentimes not physically intense enough to maintain big fitness or strength gains made before the season begins. During the regular season, head coaches have a tendency to focus more on tactics, plays and improving all the areas of need highlighted in the previous week’s game rather than maintaining fitness and strength gains. A basketball coach unhappy with their team’s rebounding performance might dedicate a practice to box-out drills and technique. A football coach might spend a practice walking through plays at a moderate pace to “iron out the kinks.” Go to any team practice in-season, and chances are that you are going to witness a significant amount of standing around, talking, and direction from the coach, with much less time dedicated to all- out scrimmages or drills that simulate game-day conditions, when compared to pre-season activity. Scientific evidence So, what is the outcome of this rather apparent paradox? What happens if an athlete is no longer strength and power training while simultaneously experiencing even less fitness training within a typical in-season practice? Several studies have examined just that. One study on elite male rugby and football players in 2013 found that strength levels tend to decrease after three weeks when no form of strength activity is maintained. That same study showed the decay rates of strength parameters for youth athletes can show an even more marked difference, especially for those who have not yet hit their growth spurt. According to researchers, these athletes lost more strength and forgot it even quicker than their peers who had already hit their growth spurt. The good news is that there are some practical solutions that athletes can undertake to mitigate these adverse effects. A 2017 study conducted on male handball players found that, in as little as two sessions per week, athletes were able to maintain their performance gains. Another study in 1993 found that, so long as the intensity was kept high, athletes (in this case rowers) were able to maintain their performance gains in as little as one session per week. Why training for athletes shouldn’t stop once the sports season starts CONTENT SUBMITTED BY D1 TRAINING PITTSBURGH WEST One hour per week is all it takes Our experience - and the experience of athletes who train with us - is that just one hour per week is all it takes for an athlete to maintain all the performance gains they made in the off- or pre-season. This works out well for the student who is already practicing four times per week while also juggling school, extracurriculars, and a host of other responsibilities during the school year. This also helps them retain their strength improvements after the end of the season. This effectively accelerates their performance at a rate greater than their peers. For us, there is no substitute for in-season training for athletes and coaches who are serious about taking team and individual performances to the next level. The D1 Training approach At D1 Training, we believe in training the entire body as a unit in order to produce an optimal human response to performance. We don’t follow gimmicks or fads. We utilize trusted and proven training techniques to build the world’s best athletes and deliver them in age-appropriate programs under the direction of our expert coaches. Nothing at D1 is random. Every workout and every day follows a strategic eight-week training cycle that is meticulously planned and backed by sports science. With one- on-one personal training, small group training, team training, and class membership training, D1 offers a range of options to help every athlete meet their goal. Consistent training, along with proper nutrition and sleep, will keep an athlete performing at their best throughout the season. At all times, our number one goal is to provide proper training for the specific athlete in front of us. D1 Training Coach Peter Fisher,CSCS, encourages athletes to view their training not just as a means to be better at their sport but to build a physical and mental habit that will stick with them long after their competitive playing days are over. The idea of training evolves from sports performance into being physically and mentally resilient in life and building these skills at a young age leads to greater competency in movements, development in self-esteem and self- efficacy, and an interest that will stay with athletes forever. D1 Training Pittsburgh West is located at 6522 Steubenville Pike, next to Golf Galaxy, in Robinson Township. Call them at (412) 775- 3953 or visit them online at www.d1training/Pittsburgh-West. August/September 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 13August/September 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 15y > Learning Curves Learning Curves Michele P. Conti is an estate planning and elder law attorney. She is also the owner of Conti Law, a concierge law firm. Conti attended Allegheny College in Meadville, Oxford University and Duquesne University School of Law. She received her LL.M. in taxation from Villanova University. She can be reached at (724) 784-0239 or at michele@contilawpgh.com. Time and time again, the same scenario rears its ugly head: estate planning was put off until it was too late and, upon the first spouse’s passing, the surviving spouse learns that all isn’t well in their world. Titling of your assets is imperative. Just because you’re married does not mean that you will inherit your spouse’s assets upon death, especially when it comes to real estate. One of the hardest parts of my job is being the bearer of bad news. At least twice a year I am forced to explain to a grieving spouse that, because her husband died without a will, and with the real estate in his sole name, the property not only must pass through probate but also will be distributed through Pennsylvania’s intestacy law. I am met with stunned silence, then disbelief followed by anger and outrage. “You mean to tell me that my house isn’t MINE?!” Of course, the outcome depends on the circumstances and family dynamic. Pennsylvania Intestacy law tells us who inherits our assets in the event we die without a will. Are we survived by a spouse? Children? Are the children a product of your relationship with your spouse or from a former relationship? All of these things matter, but one thing that doesn’t is whether you had a relationship with your family members before you died. No argument will be effective to disinherit Johnny even though he hasn’t been in your life for 20 years. It sounds so simple, but it’s truly important. Check the way each of your assets are titled, such Do you know what will be yours when your spouse passes? as individually owned, jointly owned and beneficiary designations (primary and contingent). Keep in mind that real estate can be owned in various ways. Don’t assume it’s properly titled or that beneficiary designations carried over by your bank are being merged with another. The designation forms must be reviewed and updated to ensure that the person you wish to receive the funds is accurately identified. Many of the change forms can be found online. Remember, when you are leaving an asset to someone who is collecting governmental benefits (Social Security, Medicaid, VA) or if the beneficiary has a trust or is a minor, the appropriate verbiage must be used when identifying them and their trusts. In an ideal world, we would all sit down with an estate planning professional to confirm all of our wishes are in writing, titling is properly done and the verbiage of our beneficiary designations are accurate. BY MICHELLE CONTI 16 • Allegheny West Magazine • August/September 2023August/September 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 17% New in Town New in Town Currently, 5% of the world has a measurable degree of hearing impairment. Due to increased risks to our ears, the World Health Organization projects those figures will only increase, and that by 2050 one in every 10 people will have disabling hearing loss. Hearing loss can occur for a multitude of reasons. For some, it’s the inevitable result of aging coupled with genetics. High levels of hazardous noise can also be a direct cause. Damage to the inner workings of the ear can be to blame as well. But did you know that hearing problems can also be indicative of underlying health conditions, such as poor circulation, diabetes or an autoimmune disorder? “That’s why it’s so important to get regular hearing tests,” says audiologist Dr. Jaclyn (Schnelle) Charie, owner of Hearing AuD in Moon Township. An audiologist is a healthcare professional who identifies, assesses and manages disorders of hearing, balance and other neural systems. Charie goes on to say “a baseline hearing test and annual screenings can not only help monitor deterioration in your hearing, which can be gradual, but the tests also help us spot bigger problems if they arise.” A Moon Township native and current Clinton resident, Charie holds a doctorate in audiology from the University of Pittsburgh and is an Ohio University alumna. During her years working in otology with veterans at the VA and for a leading hearing aid manufacturer, she’s studied a wide range of hearing loss cases. Many of these cases could be treated by an experienced professional utilizing sophisticated technology. Others were the result of more serious health conditions. In either case, it was important that these patients received regular hearing tests to monitor their condition. “Hearing loss has also been associated with cognitive decline, depression and an increased risk of falls,” says Charie. She also shares that hearing loss can be extremely isolating, which discourages many from socializing. Beyond negatively impacting quality of life, hearing loss can lead to the development of overall feelings of loneliness and depression. Charie adds that recent studies have determined hearing loss is the most modifiable risk factor for developing cognitive impairment. That’s why the sooner hearing loss is identified and treated, the better. Charie shares that “95% of those with hearing loss can benefit from the use of hearing aids.” Over the years, Charie has developed a careful and measured approach to treating hearing problems, and her years in the hearing aid industry have attuned her to the latest technologies. Charie says she opened Hearing AuD with one goal in mind: to improve the quality of life of those with hearing impairment. “My diverse clinical experiences have shaped my ‘NO one size fits all’ philosophy on hearing healthcare,” she says. “They’ve helped me develop a realistic approach to managing hearing loss. This involves meeting patients where they are in their hearing journey. Whether that is simply counseling patients who may be in denial of their hearing problems or finding outside-the- box solutions for someone who has been wearing hearing aids for years, Hearing AuD can help.” Charie says she is committed to bringing unparalleled hearing care to those who matter most - her patients and their families. When choosing what hearing aid is right for each patient, there are many choices. Charie points out that the landscape of hearing devices has changed rapidly over the past year, which can lead to better outcomes for many patients, including those who haven’t explored other options in some time. “There is an abundance of information on hearing care these days,” she says. “When trying to compare options, it can be nearly impossible to compare apples to apples.” Hearing AuD, however, can help cut down on the confusion by being an informative and transparent resource. The practice offers prescription hearing aids, over-the-counter devices, personal listening devices, tinnitus management and hearing protection. When treating patients, Charie enjoys creating lasting relationships. She gets to know them, their lifestyles and their goals. She then completes a comprehensive hearing evaluation. For those who feel ready, and would best be treated with amplification, Charie also offers a COMPLIMENTARY, IN-HOME RISK FREE trial. Patients can use the devices in their own home for two weeks before deciding whether to keep them. For those who already have hearing aids, she can provide cleanings, troubleshooting, fitting support and second opinions. “We work with all major hearing aid manufacturers,” says Charie. For those who have trouble leaving their homes, Charie can even come to them. “We also offer mobile service by request,” she says. Learn more about Hearing AuD at www.hearingaud.com. For appointments, call or text (412) 231-9265, or stop by the office at 890 Beaver Grade Road (second floor) in Moon Township. New local audiology practice assisting those with hearing loss CONTENT SUBMITTED Audiologist Dr. Jaclyn (Schnelle) Charie (above) of Clinton recently opened her practice Hearing AuD in her hometown of Moon Township. The practice’s lobby and sound booth are pictured below. 18 • Allegheny West Magazine • August/September 2023% New in Town New in Town Last year, Dr. Michelle L. Wertelet, optometrist, opened an eyecare practice with the goal of providing quality eyecare to patients of all ages. The practice, Focus on Eyecare, is located at 1005 Beaver Grade Road in Moon Township, right across from the township municipal building. Focus on Eyecare is currently taking new patients. Over the past 17 years, Dr. Wertelet has specialized in treating pediatric patients. Now, she is treating patients of all ages. From children struggling in school due to myopia, to seniors whose quality of life has been diminished by glaucoma, Dr. Wertelet works with patients to find the best treatments and vision assistance available. “I opened Focus on Eyecare so I can spend time with my patients and get to know their visual and ocular health needs,” she says. “Our goal is to provide care for the whole family, with a special focus on pediatric patients.” Focus on Eyecare provides diagnosis, treatment and management for a wide variety of diseases and disorders of the eye. They offer both comprehensive examinations and contact lens examinations. For those needing prescription eyewear, the practice can make glasses in-house the same day, provided the proper lenses are in stock. The practice stocks a selection of designer eyewear that provides the perfect fit, and style, for every face. To make scheduling easy and efficient, patients can book appointments online through the practice’s website or even communicate via text message. Patients can also order contact lenses directly through the practice’s website. Dr. Wertelet’s practice offers some services that are not available at all optometry practices. For children who are struggling with reading, the practice offers a special reading acceleration program, or RAP. The program, which trains the eyes to make accurate eye movements, has been shown to help children improve reading speed, fluency and comprehension in as little as six weeks. “The eyes make small (saccadic) eye movements while reading,” says Dr. Wertelet. “If saccadic movements are inaccurate, reading fluency and comprehension can be decreased. RAP helps fix this problem.” Another service the practice provides is management of myopia (nearsightedness). Once identified, Focus on Eyecare not only tracks a child’s myopia, but also employs a number of techniques that have been shown to slow its progression. These include Orthokeratology, which involves using specialty contact lenses that temporarily reshape the cornea, and low-dose atropine drops. Focus on Eyecare also utilizes MiSight One Day lenses, which is FDA approved for myopia management. To monitor a child’s myopia, the practice keeps measures of the axial length and refraction of the eye. “Using these strategies, we can slow the change in prescription by up to 70% for some patients,” says Dr. Wertelet. In order to provide the best possible care, Focus on Eyecare also utilizes the latest technologies, including optomap retinal imaging and a digital phoropter, which allows the practice to efficiently evaluate different prescriptions. Other technologies the practice provides include corneal topography and dry eye evaluations. For those bothered by the common “puff of air” glaucoma test, the practice has other ways of testing for glaucoma. Dr. Wertelet graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2005 and completed her residency in pediatrics and binocular vision at University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry. As an assistant professor at UAB, she taught future eye doctors and participated in clinical research. She has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry since 2007 and practiced in Western Pennsylvania for 15 years. Dr. Wertelet is a diplomate of the American Board of Optometry and passed the first-ever board certification test offered to optometrists in 2011. She is also a current board member and past president of the Western Pennsylvania Optometric Society. Dr. Wertelet continues to serve on many committees through the American Board of Optometry. Dr. Wertelet lives with her husband and two young sons in Robinson Township, where she is a regular coach and volunteer at Archangel Gabriel School. Focus on Eyecare is located at 1005 Beaver Grade Road, Suite G10, in Moon Township. For more, visit www.focusoneyecare. com or call (412) 308-9111. New optometry practice for all ages opens in Moon CONTENT SUBMITTED Dr. Michelle L. Wertelet is pictured at her optometry practice, Focus on Eyecare, in Moon Township. “We offer proven strategies that have been shown to slow the change in prescription by up to 70% for some pediatric patients with myopia.” ~ Dr. Michelle L. Wertelet, Owner, Focus on Eyecare August/September 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 19Next >