Mover & Shaker of the Month Justin and Kristin Schell Ross Township Residents “Elorapalooza Participants” Click here for article

Click for Spotlight on Schools and Business Spotlight: Rug Decor

Local eye doctor, Dr. Robert Prazer, has opened Wexford Developmental Academy Preschool to address the common difficulties of all children.  Licensed by the Pennsylvania Board of Education, Wexford Developmental Academy Preschool is designed to meet the unique needs of 3, 4 and 5-year old children.  For information, call Judy at (724) 799-8313 or email jhvostal@zoominternet.net or visit their website at www.wdacademy.org.

Gateway Rehabilitation Center won a Golden Triangle Award of Honor from the International Association of Business Communications (IABC) Pittsburgh Chapter for its 2007 Annual Report.

Gateway Rehabilitation Center was named a 2008 MarCom Gold Winner for its 2007 Annual Report.

Gateway Rehabilitation Center’s Community Corrections program in Braddock was reaccredited by the American Correctional Association (ACA) and received a perfect score on both mandatory and non-mandatory performance based standards for residential services.

Dr. Fred Sherman will be honored for his services to The Children’s Home of Pittsburgh & Lemieux Family Center at its annual charity gala.  Dr. Sherman has been on the board of directors for The Children’s Home for the past 19 years, and has been an active member of the Executive Committee and president of the medical staff since 1997.

Judy E. Eakin, the executive director at HEARTH, was named the Business Woman of the Year by the Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce.  Bryan Hinds of Koehler, Hinds & Associates, LLC was honored as Business Man of the Year.  Additionally, Chris Kail of Legend Financial Advisors received the Emerging Business Man of the Year award, and Erika Schuster of OMEGA Federal Credit Union was named the Emerging Business Woman of the Year.

Jerry Drozynski, of the HEARTH Board of Directors, recently received the “Home is Where the Heart Is” Business Leader Award from Community Human Services.

Orion Adult Day Services announced that Elena Marsico has been appointed to the position of program coordinator.  Marsico has a BA Degree in Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education.  She has been working in the social services field with children and adults for the past 28 years.

U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) presented Accipiter Systems, Inc., with a check for $1.2 million.  The funds will be used to continue its development of a high bandwidth, energy efficient communications system for the U.S. Army.

1st Watch, LLC in association with The Cook Law Group, P.C. announced the formation of the downtown Pittsburgh office.  Robert J. Steckler was named president, Kathleen A. Tibbott was appointed to the position of vice president and J. Bradley Usher was named account executive.  1st Watch, LLC is a privacy law compliance and information security company.

Spadafora’s Bar & Restaurant, located at 3932 Route 8 in Allison Park, is now serving Sunday breakfast and weekday lunches.  For information, call (412) 486-1800 or www.spadaforas.net.

The Buhl Foundation and Massey Charitable Trust have made commitments totaling $8 million to The Pittsburgh Promise, the program to help students and families of Pittsburgh Public Schools plan, prepare and pay for education beyond high school. 

Celtic Healthcare has been honored as #2 in the Large Company category in the 2008 “Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania.”

Celtic Charities held its 3rd Annual Golf Classic at Butler Country Club in October to benefit the PA Vent Camp.  Celtic Charities is a 501c(3) non-profit organization, dedicated to serving those in need and giving back.

David H. Perlmutter, MD, scientific director and physician-in-chief at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of Pittsburgh of UPMC, has been elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine (IOM).

Butler Memorial Hospital and Butler Health System announced the following new appointments – Nancy McKee has been named director of behavior health services.  Amy Hammonds has accepted the appointment of clinical manager of behavioral health services.  Ruthane Durso has been named the supervisor of outpatient drug and alcohol services.

Butler Health System announced the opening of the new Heart & Vascular Center of Butler Memorial Hospital.

Sunder R. Rao, M.D., F.A.C.C. has joined Butler Health System’s Cardiovascular Consultants practice.  He joins Dean Wolz, M.D., F.A.C.C. and Jamil Mohsin, M.D., F.A.C.C. in providing patient care for Butler Memorial Hospital’s growing heart and vascular service line.

The Center for Clinical Advancement at Butler Memorial Hospital (BHM) opened its doors this summer.  The new facility focuses on advancing care and professional development.

St. Barnabas Health System announced its Employees of the Month for October.  They are: Rebecca Charles, Mike Demmel, Kathleen DiGiacomo and Margot Kreutzer.

The First Annual Family Safe Fun Fair hosted by The Pennsylvania Shotokan Karate Club was held in October at the Double Tree Hotel in Moon Township.  The event was a huge success with over 250 in attendance, including the Pirate Parrot. [photos right]

Habitat for Humanity of Beaver County in partnership with Pittsburgh Habitat for Humanity recently dedicated their 35th home to a single mom in Leetsdale.

Cubellis announced that Thomas Baglivo, AIA, NCARB, has been appointed by GSA’s Commissioner of Public Buildings to serve on its National Register of Peer Professionals for the Design Excellence Program

Several local residents competed in the Organization of Competitive Bodybuilders (OCB) Battle for the Swords, which was held at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh International Airport in Moon Township.  The winners were: Cheryl Szarmach, Danauta Fox, Tammy Ambrose and Kyle Walter.

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Mover & Shaker of the Month Justin and Kristin Schell Ross Township Residents “Elorapalooza Participants”

By Paula Green By Paula Green Planning your wedding is usually an exciting time, but it can also be a lot of work.  It is no wonder that sometimes newlyweds breathe a sigh of relief when the “big day” is over and they can look forward to a relaxing honeymoon. Well, one Ross Township couple planned their wedding, which took place on Sept. 20, but instead of jetting off to an adventurous location afterwards, they chose to do something admirable and selfless.  Justin and Kristin Schell postponed their honeymoon so that they could participate in the fundraising event, “Elorapalooza,” held on Sept. 21, the day after their nuptials. This was the third year for the 5K /1 Mile Run/Walk Event held annually in North Park.  The Elorapalooza event was created to raise funds in memory of a 7th grade North Allegheny School District student, Elora Geier.  Sadly, Elora lost her courageous battle with leukemia on Apr. 29, 2006.  Her parents, Dan and Leslie Geier of McCandless Township, began the fundraiser in Sept. 2006.  Although Justin and Kristin never met Elora, they are active participants in the fundraiser.  Justin knows first hand what it is like to battle cancer.  At the age of 12, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.  They are members of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training®.   This organization is the world’s largest sports training program. Justin serves as a mentor for Team in Training as does Dan Geier.  It was through Dan that the Schells learned about Elorapalooza.  During the September fundraising event, the Schells sported bride and groom T-shirts.  Additionally, the blushing bride donned a special crown while the groom wore a top hat.  The 5K race featured a water stop, where the happy newlyweds were provided with champagne to toast their marriage. Justin and Kristin were finally able to take their honeymoon in October.   They went to Las Vegas, followed by a trip to San Francisco.  “We went to San Francisco because one of the ladies I mentor in Team in Training was running in a women’s race for Nike.  We wanted to surprise the Team in Training crew by paying them a visit.  Kristin and I were at the airport at the same time the team was there.  The employees of Southwest Airlines were kind enough to hide us behind their counter so that we could pop out and surprise them.  The Team in Training event in San Francisco was the highlight of our honeymoon,” Justin said. Now that Justin and Kristin have settled into married life in Ross Township, they both plan on continuing their hard work with Team in Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  They also look forward to participating in the fourth annual Elorapalooza fundraiser when it takes place next fall at North Park. Back to top

Spotlight on Schools

The Fox Chapel Area High School Marching Band won first place at a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association (PIMBA) competition held at East Allegheny High School and also one that was held at Gateway High School.  The band captured both first place titles in the Class A category.

A total of 97 Fox Chapel Area High School 2008-09 seniors and 2008 graduates have been named Advanced Placement (AP) Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level AP examinations taken in May 2008.

The members of the Fox Chapel Crew Club competed at the Speakmon Memorial Regatta in Columbus, OH on Oct. 25.  The Fox Chapel team finished in the top half of the pack in four of the events.

Three Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the McDowell and Mercyhurst Lake Erie International Speech and Debate Tournament.  The honored students were: Leslie Weaver, Katelyn Muenck and Philip McGrath.

Fox Chapel Area High School senior Patrick Ross has been selected to participate in the second round of the International German Olympiad.

A team of Fox Chapel Area High School students placed at the 12th Annual University of Pittsburgh Model United Nations (UN) Conference.  Team members were: Reid Goldberg, Cassady Rosenblum, Guy Aridor, Philip McGrath, Katelyn Muenck and Maxwell Kondziolka.

Fifteen Fox Chapel Area High School students were selected to participate in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) District One Honors String Orchestra.  The chosen students include: Stephanie Bonaroti, Jacob Hirsch, Derek Swiger, Meicheng Wang, Alexander Constantino, Madeline Docimo, Salem Hilal, Jay Jung, Lukas Schieffarth, Loleta Lee, James McCullough, Caitlin Shneider, Andrew Taba, Angelia Wang and Zhihong Xu.

Fox Chapel Area High School senior Akansh Murthy was named a regional finalist in the 2008 prestigious Siemans Competition in Math, Science and Technology.

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association named North Hills High School a 2007-08 Sportsmanship Award winner.

The College Board announced that 61 North Hills Senior High School students earned the designation of AP Scholar ~ including two National AP scholars.

Six North Hills Senior High students were selected to the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 1 Honors Band and Orchestra.  Those chosen were: Katie Urich, Jenna Veverka, Sharon Yee, Laurette Werner, Becca Pugh and Emily Winkler.

North Hills Senior High School principal, Patrick Mannarino, left, was honored with the 2008 Online Course Designer Award by blendedschools.net.  He received the award at the organization’s annual statewide conference on Oct. 23 in State College.

North Allegheny Senior High School has been recognized for the second year in a row as one the nations “top 100 schools” in speech and debate activities by the National Forensic League.  NA ranked 68 out of 2,700 schools nationwide.

The North Allegheny School District announced that Kendra Calhoun has been selected as a Semifinalist in the 2009 National Achievement® Scholarship Program, an academic competition for Black American high school students.  Additionally, Ayorinde Adegbesan has been named an Outstanding Participant in the 2009 National Achievement® Scholarship Program.

North Allegheny High School Music Department chair, Bob Tozier, was named a 2008 Pennsylvania Keystone Technology Integrator.

The North Allegheny Senior High School Honors Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educator’s Association (PMEA) All-State Conference that will be held in Valley Forge, PA, on Apr. 22-25.

Thirteen North Allegheny Senior and Intermediate High School students were selected by audition for the 2008 PMEA District 1 Honors Jazz Ensemble.  These students are: Nick Amoscato, Ian Preston, Sean Vins, Maria Muncsh, Derek Bluemling, Kelsey Steele, Brianna Amoscato, Lucas Ashby, Lauren Eisenreich, Chris Rudzinskas, Sam Vins, Evan Swihart and Dante Denillo.

Fourteen North Allegheny High School students were selected for the 2008 PMEA District 1 Honors Band and will perform at the Carnegie Music Hall.  They are: Rachel Minto, Alyssa Shaw, Eliana Rabinowitz, Nick Amoscato, Ian Preston, Kelsey Steele, Julie Wu, Steve Bergman, Helen McHugh, Janny Liu, Aaron Borrebach, Zach Shaw, Evan Swihart and Caleb Goncz.

Five graduates from the Seneca Valley Class of 2008 were named AP Scholar Award recipients in recognition of their exceptional achievement on College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Exams.  Adam Dobson, Kirsten Guckes, Whitney Mayer and Christine Reubi were all named scholar winners and Melanie Francis was named a scholar with honor.

Allyson Dietrich, a Seneca Valley senior, sang her way into the second place finish of “Pittsburgh’s Most Talented Teen contest” hosted by the Greater Harmony Chorus of Pittsburgh, a part of the Sweet Adelines International.  The contest was held on Oct. 25 in Pittsburgh.

Hance Elementary in the Pine-Richland School District collected $3,000 for diabetes research.  The school held the “Seventh Annual School Walk” in support of the American Diabetes Association.  Students in first through third grades had the opportunity to participate in the walk.

The National Forensics League awarded Pine-Richland High School with the NFL Leading Chapter Award in the Pittsburgh District.

The Pennsylvania Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development is honoring Dr. Billie Rondinelli, assistant superintendent/secondary of Pine-Richland School District, with the prestigious 2008 PASCD Supervision and Curriculum Development Award.

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Business Spotlight — Rug Decor

By Janice Lane Palko

Have you ever watched one of those cable home decorating shows and marveled at how the decorators seemed to know exactly what type of area rug to use to set off and tie together the whole decorating effect? Have you ever wondered where you could find such beautiful rugs for your home? You can find answers to both of those questions at Rug Decor of Cranberry. Located at 1686 Route 228, Rug Decor was previously located for 13 years at the Grove City Outlets. They relocated to the Route 228 site this past May and offer an outstanding selection of area rugs.

According to Brandy Rouse, the store manager, they have more than 1,200 area rugs in stock. Rug Decor offers rugs styles from contemporary to traditional and even some fun styles like those based on Andy Warhol designs. They carry synthetic to high-end wool rugs and named brands such as Karastan and Nourison 2000, everything from machine made to woven to hand-knotted types.

The staff at Rug Decor can offer decorating tips, advise on the best type of rug for your particular decorating concern, and answer technical questions such as do you need a pad for under your rug? While the large supply of in-stock rugs will most likely satisfy your decorating taste, Rug Decor can order rugs in other sizes and colors. Special orders usually take two weeks to fulfill.

Rug Decor lends rugs for up to 48 hours so that customers can take them home to see if they like the rug. Rug Decor provides excellent customer service and free shipping on all orders. Area rugs protect floors, add color and give your home that pulled-together look. For more information on Rug Decor, stop by their showroom. They are open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Visit the website at www.rugdecor.com or call 724-591-5160 to learn more about how Rug Decor can give your living area that designer look.

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