Go ahead. Take a guess: Where in the Canon-McMillan Patch was this photo taken? Leave a guess in the comments section below. The first person to answer correctly gets bragging rights! Editor's Note: Remember, if you have a picture you think can stump fellow Canon-McMillan Patch readers, send it to amanda.gillooly@patch.com or text it to 724-510-5659.
by J.C. CiesielskiPittsburgh is a land of extroverts when it comes to cheering on their sports teams. One in 10 'Burghers have at least one piece of sports memorabilia in their home. That statistic is completely made up, but it certainly seems reasonable and most likely true. Screams and cries of adulation or defamation spew like a broken water main toward teams and televisions alike. When it comes to sports, Pittsburgh knows what it likes and goes to great lengths to show it. So where's the declaration of love when it comes to concerts?On Monday I attended the performance of a man on my …
By Valerie Weil Wednesday, Jan. 23 holds some special interest for me. No, not because it’s National Pie Day (but that does have a spot in my heart), beacuse Jan. 23 is John Hancock's birthday. What other day would be more befitting for the Americans to claim as National Handwriting Day! Remember, it was John Hancock, the former friend of King George III, who signed the Declaration of Independence with a large, flourishing signature so that the far-sighted King of England would be sure to see it even without glasses. Well, if you're going to commit treason in the colonies, you may as …
By Faye Klein The term, "an old married couple" is mostly thrown around with a tinge of sarcasm to describe and dismiss the crusty edged veneer that seems to have grown between or around the target couple, but I'll wager that the vast majority of people in the world secretly would not mind being there someday. After so much time together people, most pretense has ceased—one half stops laughing at the repetitious stale jokes, then stops excusing themselves for burping out loud and both give in to expanding waistlines. But under all that exterior stuff is almost always a deep, loyal and …
By Susan Seibel It's the first day of winter. All I can say is, “Persephone, could you please get yourself back home to your momma?” Sure, meteorologists can tell you that the Earth has seasons because of the tilt of its axis while it orbits the sun, but that’s so impersonal. Give me someone I can talk to about this miserable state of affairs, because surely there must be someone in charge of this. And so thought the Ancient Greeks. One of the most well-known myths that has survived nearly 3,000 years is that of Persephone and her mother, Demeter—a pair of goddesses credited with causing …
By Sherry Sacco, of North Strabane Township I have one question: Why is it that smokers are banned from nearly every establishment on the face of the earth, but retailers are allowed to spew their essence of perfumes throughout the malls? Every time that I go to the mall and walk by certain stores (and they know who they are) I have to cover my nose and mouth so that I do not have to inhale their putrid scents. And still, I almost choke, I get an instant headache, I have a hard time taking my next breath, and I literally want to throw up. I find myself reaching for my inhaler so that I can …
So, despite the typical over-hyping of weather events by the media, this pending storm is apparently the real deal, and it will impact our area. I will leave the actual weather stuff to the weather experts, but we have gotten lots of good information from local utility companies worth sharing in preparation for the storm. With anticipated widespread power outages, mobile devices will be the best way to communicate problems. If there is a problem that needs attention (trees and power lines down, etc.) and you are unable to get in touch with the right person, send me an email at jwhite@pahouse.…
By David M. Sanko Executive Director, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Pennsylvania’s pension funding problem didn’t happen overnight, and you can’t fix it overnight. Recently, there’s been a lot of buzz about pension reform, and rightfully so. Pennsylvania is on the fast track to a crisis. The commonwealth’s pension programs for some 800,000 state workers and public school teachers are in the hole to the tune of $40 billion, a figure that’s expected to climb to $65 billion by 2021 if lawmakers don’t do something soon. Hastened by Gov. Tom Corbett, the General Assembly …
Recently, the Pennsylvania Department of Education issued its formal report noting which schools had made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the previous year (2012). Although the press covered this report for traditional public schools, the coverage of the performance of Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools was lacking. Since cyber charter schools are funded entirely through the same tax dollars as our public schools, an analysis of their results is appropriate.In summary, the performance of the cyber charter schools in Pennsylvania has been a disaster. Of the 12 cyber charter schools that …
This Monday, Sept. 3, we celebrate Labor Day. For many, it is the symbolic end of the summer season, but it is important to remember and reflect on its true meaning. Labor Day is a day intended to honor and respect the working men and women of our country—past, present and future. It truly is a paradox in this struggling economy, where a person must be grateful for any opportunity to go to work but equally as grateful for time away. So my hope is that everyone is able to spend the day relaxing and enjoying the company of friends and family. I cannot stress clearly enough the fact that …
With school right around the corner, it is time for students (and parents) to start getting ready for the new school year! The new school year officially starts on Monday, Aug. 27 for students in the Canon-McMillan School District. Here are seven tips to help you get started off to a great school year:1. Nutrition: With the hustle and bustle of today’s students’ lives, a solid nutritional base is more important than ever. This starts with a healthy breakfast. Some students may go four hours from the point they walk in the building before eating lunch. A balanced breakfast will give them the …
I can still hear my sandwich, apple and thermos rattling around in that blue, plastic lunch box I brought to school each day in elementary school. The food would be making a deep clunking sounds as I carried my Snoopy lunch box with my little backpack slung across my shoulders. Ka-clunck, ka-clunk, ka-clunck. My elementary school in Mt. Lebanon, just a couple blocks from the house, didn’t serve hot food, so we packed our lunches each day or walked up to the now defunct Chicago’s Pizzeria when we were old enough. The only thing I did buy each day was a half-pint of milk. But by the time we …
By Faye Klein I grew up in Pittsburgh with sidewalks and neighborhoods that had little local grocery stores and bars. I am accustomed to the neighbor proximity of row houses and single-family dwellings that only had one bathroom. Currently a resident of Peters Township, I appreciate the walking trail, a lower tax rate and a big back yard, but I am a little embarrassed to say that I know very few of my neighbors and I mostly blame that on the lack of sidewalks rather than my lack of social graces. Most of the people I meet are during my regular dog walks on the trail where I will wave hello to…
By Faye Klein It has been a bumpy road to spring. As some more chilly temps visit us, we are quick to forget the unprecedented warmth that came before this face-slap back to reality. The astonishing arrival of real spring, (practically summer) weather—right on the dot of the calendar-pin-pointed, vernal equinox—lifted spirits, brightened attitudes and brought the pasty and pale outdoors for some vitamin D and emergency lawn work. While most people begin to think of daffodils and dandelions; barbecues and bumblebees, my annual spring and most preoccupying thought is whether or not I am going …
By Amiee Smith I think I speak for all Pitt students when I say: Enough is enough! The recent threats on our campus have each and every one of us on guard. As a fifth-year student here, I’ve experienced a lot of strange things—strange things that would never happen in my little ole town of Muse. I was in Oakland for many celebrations that we thought entitled us to flood Fifth Avenue to celebrate—Super Bowl victories, Backyard Brawl victories, and Obama becoming our new president. Let’s just put it this way: If there is something to celebrate, Pitt students will celebrate! I was also here for …
By Richard L. Barnes While driving though the southeast on our way to Florida recently, my wife, Pa, and I marveled at the invasive green alien plant that seems to be consuming the roadsides. A quick Internet search revealed that the plant’s name is Kudzu and it now covers more than seven million acres of the deep south. Residents say that the vine grows so quickly it will cover anything that isn’t moving. They often refer to Kudzu as the “Mile-A-Minute Vine,” the “Foot-A-Night Vine,” and “The Vine That Ate The South.” Some folks think it is a native plant, but it actually took a lot of hard…
By Greg Taranto Today’s teens are experiencing more sleep deprivation than ever and the culprit can be the very device that you are using to read this article. According to the Mayo Clinic, today’s students are faced with more stimuli than ever with more than 90 percent reporting sleeping less than the recommended 9-10 hours of sleep needed for healthy child development.It is not unusual to have a conversation with a student and find out that they were up until 11 p.m., midnight or even later on a school night! They are consumed by a nightly digital barrage stimulating every neuron in their …
By Faye Kennedy What fun we had! As has often happened in the past, it snowed and the snow continued to pile up throughout the day but it could not stop us from our annual swap party. I shoveled the driveway twice to make sure I could get there as this is an event not to be missed. No, we weren't spouse swapping, so I am sure to lose any man reading this article at this very point. We were swapping our stuff. The stuff—all those things that we have been saving and holding onto but not using. The stuff filling closets, garages and attics. Too good to pitch. Not quite ready for the Salvation …
February is Library Lovers' Month, and showing your love of the Frank Sarris Public Library is as easy as one, two, three! 1. Select a paper book or heart donation sheet at either circulation desk. 2. Give the heart and your donation to a staff member—funding is always needed for programs and purchases and every donation helps. 3. Receive the gratitude of your community library There are many more ways to show your love of the Library: Join the Friends of the Library. The first meeting of 2012 is scheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 8. Donate time—share your knowledge by volunteering to shelve books, …
By Faye Kennedy A lot of people did get an iphone no doubt, and right now they are all busily tapping, swiping, calling, texting, clicking, viewing and downloading apps to the exclusion of all other earthly stimuli in the form of family, friends, the great outdoors and just about everything else we all did before its debut. I never wanted an iPhone. I was perfectly content with my cheapo cell phone with its $19 subscription plan that slept in my car and was designated for emergency uses only. The only person who knew my cell phone number was my husband. I used it so rarely that when he did …
