Mover & Shaker of the Month Robert Morris University Women’s Ice Hockey Team Click here for article

Click here for Spotlight on Schools | St. Barnabas Hance Award

Thiele Manufacturing, LLC, located in Windber announced the addition of new productions lines to its 220,000 square foot manufacturing facility. 

Representatives from the Butler Co. Association for the Blind accepted a check for $9,200 from the Cranberry Township Lions Club.  The total donations to the association from the Cranberry Lions in the past year are $14,910. < Butler Co. Assoc. for the Blind representatives, l to r: Dee Noblit; Megan Grenek; Stephanie Zinkham, Association Director; and Michael Doerfler, Cranberry Lions Club President

UPMC Passavant welcomed Masankho Banda (right), a performing artist and internationally recognized peace builder, to their campus on Feb. 20 as part of their Black History Month celebration.

Leslie Osche was awarded the fourth annual Women of Legacy Award presented by the Butler Health System Foundation.

The Diabetes Management Center at Butler Memorial Hospital has been awarded continued Recognition from the American Diabetes Association for its education services.

Valencia Presbyterian Church has appointed Angie Gillis to the position of director of Children’s Ministries.

The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh opened the Mercy Hearing & Balance Center under the medical direction of Moises A. Arriaga, MD, FACS, Todd A. Hillman, MD, and Douglas A. Chen, MD, FACS. 

The Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh, announced the addition of Kodi K. Azari, MD, FACS, as chief, Division of Hand Surgery.

Parkvale Bank’s board of directors elected James E. Mastroianni, left, assistant vice president, coinciding with his new position as branch administrator.

St. Barnabas Health System announces its Employees of the Month for February: Patricia Baker, Debra Casselberry, Kathy Drayer, Anthony Fink and Mary Lou Jason.

The board of trustees of St. Barnabas Medical Center Inc. has been re-elected.  They are: William Knox, Karen Tabacchi, James D. Kling and Douglas W. Day.

Trustees for the Kean Theatre Inc. have been re-elected.  Serving as trustees are: Richard Kaminsky, Nanci L. Case, Jerry Johnston, James D. Turco, Jud Stewart and Thomas Madden.

Trustees for The Arbors at St. Barnabas Inc. have been re-elected.  The trustees are: Robert Pfischner, Karen Tabacchi, Karen Russell and Rep. Mike Turzai.

Elaine Rodman, Coldwell Banker North Hills office, was awarded the REALTOR Active in Politics Award at the Realtors association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh Installation/Awards Banquet.

Hardin Moren, left, a resident at the YMCA Home in Butler, had his wished grant by Twilight Wish Foundation.  He received a Super Bowl football signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers, a personalized photo of Ben Roethlisberger, a video, Steeler cap, t-shirt and other collectibles.

Mary Ann Miller, a veteran local public relations and marketing executive, has launched Mary Ann Miller Communications.

Attorneys Roger Wise and Jeanine Fonner announced the formation of the Wexford law firm of Roger Wise & Associates, LLC, located near the Wexford Exit of Interstate 79.

The Webb Law Firm named three of its current patent attorneys to its 2007 Management Committee: David C. Hanson, Kirk M. Miles and John W. McIlvaine III.  It also promoted two patent attorneys to the position of officer: James G. Porcelli and Christian E. Schuster.

CM IT Solutions of Wexford has acquired Computer Café of Cranberry as part of an effort to better provide outsourced IT services to small business and residential users in the North Hills.

Patrick Sentner, SIOR of NAI Pittsburgh Commercial, received a nomination for the NAI Global Vision Award.  Sentner has represented clients in over 80 markets worldwide. 

Filter and Associates LLC has opened a second office on Pittsburgh’s South Side in the historic Slovak Building located at 2333 East Carson Street.

CPA Anthony J. Dodds has joined Malin, Berquist and Company, LLP, a Pittsburgh “Top 10” CPA firm, as director of its Public Company Services.

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Mover & Shaker of the Month Robert Morris University Women’s Ice Hockey Team

There were several pucks dropped at this year’s College Hockey America tournament in March, but the ball certainly wasn’t dropped when it came to raising money for The Glimmer of Hope. “This season we had a league initiative to raise funds for our campaign called the Skate for the Cure,” said Nate Handrahan, head coach of the Robert Morris University Women’s Ice Hockey team.  “Each team executed their own campaign to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.  The season ends with a playoff tournament, which is held at a different school every year.  The host school gets to select the recipient of the league donation,” Handrahan explained.  This year the RMU Women’s Ice Hockey team hosted the tournament and selected the Glimmer of Hope Foundation as its recipient.  Cara Morey, a coach with RMU Women’s Ice Hockey team and wife of Steeler Sean Morey, recommended that Diana Napper, founder of the Glimmer Hope, meet with Handrahan.  “When I met with Nate and the team, I was astounded at how amazing these women were, and I’m very grateful for their support,” Napper said. The Steelers for several years have supported the Glimmer of Hope, which raises money for breast cancer research.  Steeler Alan Faneca and his wife, Julie, are very supportive of the Glimmer of Hope, and Julie had the honors of dropping the ceremonial first puck when Robert Morris played the University of Wisconsin. Although only in their second year of competition, the RMU team raised approximately $5,300 for the Glimmer of Hope.  “I am extremely grateful to Nate Handrahan for choosing Glimmer of Hope,” Napper said. For more information on the Glimmer of Hope, visit the Web site: www.glimmerofhopepin.org.  To learn more about the Women’s Hockey Program at Robert Morris University, visit:  www.rmu.edu. Back to top

Spotlight on Schools

La Roche professor Paul LeBlanc, Ph.D., had his book Marx, Lenin and the Revolutionary Experience: Studies of Communism and Radicalism in the Age of Globalization published by Routledge.

Three Seneca Valley Middle School students, Victoria Roenigk, Abby Myers and Tyler Boozel were honored by the Cranberry Township Lions Club for their commitment to service, academic effort and overall initiative.  < Lion club member and S.V. foreign language teacher Janet Konig; Tyler Boozel; Lions Club president, Michael Doerfler; Victoria Roenigk; and S.V. Middle School counselor Bob Magerko.

The following Providence Heights Alpha School students were awarded first place winners in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Sciences Region 7 competition: Danielle Kumpf, Sarah Very, Natalie Nash, Megan Schoming, Emily Smith, Greg Ott, and Anna Kohler took second place.

Providence Heights Alpha School’s Chess Team won the First Place School Trophy in the K-9 Under 1000 Section at the Pennsylvania State Scholastic Chess championships.

Dorseyville Middle School was awarded a $2,500 Best Buy Teach Award.

Target awarded Richland Elementary music teacher Jill Linsz with a $1,000 grant.

The Fox Chapel Area School District received a $28,235 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. 

A team of Fox Chapel Area High School seniors tied for first place in its division in the 2007 Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Science Bowl.  The team members were: Kevin Boyd, Andrew Krieger, Bassem Mikhael (captain), and Juliette Power.

Eight Fox Chapel Area High School students won first places in the regional TSA (Technology Student Association) competition.  They are: Aaron Zaffuto, Mikhail Attaar, Michael Cravotta, Frank Csech, Agustin Lopez, Anirudh Malkani, Casey Domski and Molly Joyce.

Elise Liu, a senior at Fox Chapel Area High School won first place and qualified to participate in Lincoln-Douglas Debate at the Pennsylvania High School Speech League State Tournament.  Additionally, Jason Vartikar-McCullough and Molly Ford placed fourth and Katelyn Muenck placed fifth.

Three Fox Chapel Area High School students were named winners in the District 10 level of judging for the 2006-2007 National PTA Reflections Contest: Sarah Boyd, Molly Joyce and Stephen Mohn.

Eleven Fox Chapel Area High School seniors have been designated as National Merit Finalists in the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program conducted by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation: Samuel Bakkila, Kevin Boyd, Stephen Dickel, Thomas Hu, Andrew Krieger, Elise Liu, Bassem Mikhael, Ethan Minogue, Juliette Power, Robert Schwartz, and Michael Tracht.

Three North Hills School District teachers are among the 100 honorees in the annual Teachers of Excellence awards, sponsored by the Teacher Excellence Center.  Karen Bordt, Doris Stupka, and Areta Kalogeras, were selected from more than 5,000 nominations representing 81 school districts throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.

Five North Hills students earned first place distinction in the 2007 Regional Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science competition and will compete at the state competition in May at Penn State University: Gabe Laurent, Julianna Gmys, Regina Sencak, Amanda Joos, and Christine Weaver.

Six members of the North Hills Forensic Team have qualified to compete in the annual Grand National Tournament: Christine Sadar, Caitlin Snyder, Jeff Ciak, Elizabeth Parisi, Emily Plazek and Katie McMahon.

Three North Allegheny Middle School students: Joey Zou, Jake Adzema and Harry Song have earned a Certificate of Honor for Carson Middle School by their performance in the Mathematical Association of America’s mathematics competitions.

Four Ingomar Middle School students earned a Second Place Team Trophy at the 2007 Pittsburgh scholastic Chess Championship: Benjamin Peters, Richard Gayler, Kevin Mo and Neal Krishna.

Two North Allegheny High School students: Elena Stark and Li Xu are being honored as Distinguished Finalists in the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

The following North Allegheny High School seniors have been named finalists in the National Merit® Scholarship program: Ryan Bennett, William Christie, Erin Dauson, Katelyn Masiuk, Emily Rosenzweig, Sameer Shroff, Siyuan Tu, and Harrison Turner.

North Allegheny High School students Anna Shelow and Joshua Waynick have earned placement in the MENC All-Eastern Honors Band. 

The North Allegheny Tiger Rowers team won 18 medals: 5 gold, 4 silver and 9 bronze during the Rowing High school championships.  They also captured 10 other 4th through 6th place finishes.  NA swept all three medals in the Women’s Novice event.

Three North Allegheny High School students Selina Gao, Ross Holtgraver and Eric Meinert have been published in the Senior High School Writer, a national newspaper published by Writer Publications.

North Allegheny High School junior Yilu Zhang had an original cartoon published in Rostrum, a national debate magazine.

The North Allegheny School District announced the following teachers have been recognized in the 2005-2006 edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers®.Karen Berner-Michaels of Franklin Elementary, Cecilia Clemente of Peebles Elementary, and Mary Beth Rieck of McKnight Elementary.

The North Allegheny School District announced that Tracey Cima, a teacher at Ingomar Middle School, will be featured in the 2006/2007 National Honor Roll’s Outstanding American Teachers publication.

The Teacher Excellence Center announced that five Pine-Richland teachers are among the 100 top teachers of 2006-2007.  Shelley Byers, Anne Haught, Deb Walters, Susan Frantz and Jeff Byko were named honorees.

Pine-Richland Middle School seventh grader Annie Milano earned third place in the Creative Communications Essay Contest and is published in its anthology.

Pine-Richland Middle School eighth grader Matt Humenick has been named the winner of Senator Jane Orie’s “There Ought to Be a Law Contest.”

Pine-Richland Middle School eighth grader Sam Szewcow earned first place in an essay contest sponsored by the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Kathleen Giegel, a teacher in the Pine-Richland School District, had her poetry exhibited at Enrico’s Taza D’oro and Expresso Bar during “Poe ~ Art 2007.”

Ryan Nelson, a junior at Pine-Richland High School, met with Rep. Jason Altmire while participating in the National Young Leaders conference in Washington, D.C.

The Pine-Richland School District has selected the Connect-ED® service from The NTI Group, Inc. (NTI) to provide school principals and administrators the ability to reach all parents in the district, within minutes, through a single phone call.

St. Joseph High School freshman Richard Vaerewyck placed in several categories at the Pennsylvania State Rabbit Breeder’s Association Annual Convention.

Twenty-one students representing St. Joseph High School received awards at the 73rd Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science Regional 7 meeting: Frank Borland, Lauren Brock, Nathan Catalano, Colleen Fisher, Dana Golembiewski, Louis Greco, Karlee Gustafson, Angelica Matta, Jessica Orlowski, Matthew Orlowski, Mallory Pavilonis, Caitlin Schratz, Ariel Schroeder, Stephanie Shetler, Chris Sparacino, Jill Szwed, Kevin Voller, Alison Pavilonis, Kristen Pelczar, Erin Rapsinski and Sarah Straub.

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