First meeting is 10:30 a.m. this Saturday at the Laughlin Library in Ambridge. If you would like to share your ideas or be inspired with new ideas for your own yard, you're invited to attend!
Did you know there is an Ambridge Area Garden Club?
First meeting is 10:30 a.m. this Saturday at the Laughlin Library in Ambridge. If you would like to share your ideas or be inspired with new ideas for your own yard, you're invited to attend! By Larissa Dudkiewicz Ambridge Area teachers and administrators braved 39-degree water for a good cause. On Saturday, a team of 32 participants from the school district took the plunge in the Beaver River as part of the second annual Beaver County Polar Bear Plunge. Lauren Freeman, spokeswoman, said the local group's size was a record for the plunge, which attracted about 350 participants this year, up from around 125 last year. Each participant was required to raise $50 or more in pledges to join in the Polar Bear Plunge at Bridgewater Landings Marina. More than $50,000 was raised this year compared to $18,000 last year. Funds go to support the Pennsylvania Special Olympics. “It’s for the kids,” said Freeman, who teaches fourth grade special education. Freeman said the Special Olympics sponsors more than 20,000 individuals with special needs each year. All five buildings in Ambridge competed by raising funds for the plunge from Dec. 19 to Friday, Jan. 10. Highland Elementary School was declared the winner of the competition, raising a total of $1,336. As part of the drive, Highland Principal Nicholas Tisak offered to go into the water up to his knees if his building raised $75, up to his waist for $150 and up to his shoulders for $250. Freeman said the homerooms raised $564, ensuring Tisak would have to take the full plunge. Jackie Smithhammer led as Ambridge Area team captain. Like Ambridge Connection on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Have a story you'd like to share? Email connect@ambridgeconnection.com. By Larissa Dudkiewicz Brenda Pucci was upset to learn her Baden home had been burglarized. She made the discovery Wednesday after her 11-year-old son complained of his cell phone missing. She soon found an iPad had also disappeared, along with brand-new Nike Elite socks. “If he wouldn’t have had his cellphone, I wouldn’t have noticed anything missing,” said Pucci of Mellon Avenue. Baden Police said it’s the fourth confirmed home burglary within the past two months, and the recent crime activity has put many residents on edge. More than 20 people attended a Neighborhood Crime Watch meeting in Baden Thursday night, anxious to discuss the burglaries that police say began happening just after Thanksgiving. Baden Police Sgt. David Alvarez said the homes that have been targeted are concentrated in the borough’s south side. None of the homes showed signs of forced entry, leading police to believe thieves are targeting unsecured properties. Alvarez assured residents that police are saturating the area with patrols, and working hard on their behalf. “We have an idea of where the source is coming from,” he said. Margie Lease, co-chairwoman of the neighborhood watch group, passed out fliers to warn residents. Lease said she was startled on Wednesday night when a stranger unexpectedly knocked on her door. She didn’t answer, but took note as a tall, thin white male in jeans and a black hooded jacket turned and headed off down the street. She immediately called the police. Lease said the male had a scruffy face and didn’t appear to be a kid. “He was maybe in his 30s,” she said. Pucci said her door was unlocked for her son to get in after school, which presented an opportunity for someone to slip in. She was able to track her son’s cell phone to a Wolfe Street address in using the phone finder. She said the phone and iPad were recovered, but the socks are still missing. Alvarez said police plan to charge two juveniles with receiving stolen property, but don’t have enough evidence to file burglary charges. He asked residents to remain diligent and to report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. “I’m a firm believer that everybody gets caught eventually. We get them one way or another,” he said. Baden Neighborhood Watch Margie Lease and Richard Gallagher started the Baden Neighborhood Watch group in June 2011, after Lease said she became fed up with having her car broken into. In addition to reporting suspicious activity, the co-chairs offered other home security tips, advising residents to look out for a neighbor’s mail or newspapers piling up, and to take notice of elderly shut-ins who haven’t been seen over a period of days. The group meets at 7 p.m. every second Thursday of the month in the community room at the municipal building, 149 State St. To report suspicious activity, call the Baden Police Department at 724-869-2813. Baden Residents: There will be a Baden Neighborhood Watch meeting tonight at 7 PM at the Municipal Building in the Community Room (downstairs next to the police station).
Local Girl Scouts started the cookie season off right with a Cookie Kickoff Rally Wednesday night. Leaders try to really motivate and energize the girls for the Cookie Program. At the rally the older scouts ran stations where the younger girls got a chance to taste the cookies, learn about safety rules and selling tips, see the recognitions, learn the value of setting goals and most importantly, get excited about selling cookies. What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie ? Imagine a knock on your door a weekend before Christmas from a few strangers wanting to give you presents for all of your children and enough food for Christmas dinner and more. You never entered a contest or even filled out any applications asking for help. A group of 25 individuals and over 10 Harmony Township businesses donated to the Project Holiday Dreams program to make a Christmas to remember for 28 families and 52 children . The program continues to grow each year starting 5 years ago with 5 families. Photos courtesy of Project Holiday Dreams Project Holiday Dreams started as a memory that was shared from Harmony Township Chairman Glenn Angus to his son, Jeremy Angus back during the Christmas season in 2009. Glenn shared a memory how years ago the Harmony Township Commissioners used to do something for the under privileged families in the township each holiday season. Through discussion between Glenn and his son as to how they could bring this type of program back to life, they decided to begin it as a family charity that holiday season. The Angus family has decided to continue organizing and donating to this program for all the years since. The difference is now the others involved truly are what make the program what it is not the Angus family. "We are just the organizers for what has turned into to a much larger effort" said Jeremy Angus. This program has grown since then into a program that is funded through many donors from businesses to individuals looking to help and is done annually. The families are picked through the cooperation of the Ambridge Area School District. The program has grown from servicing only Harmony Township families to servicing families throughout the entire school district. The families are then screened several times by those in the district who interact with the students each day. Jeremy added "We then attempt to learn as much information about the students from their supervisors in order to ease shopping." The program give toys and food to each family. Each packaged is individually wrapped for each child. They often put in a gift for the parents or a gift that the entire family can share and enjoy also. On delivery night, four trucks head out to deliver to the homes of the families with a team of volunteers in each one. The transportation is provided by Harmony Township. The team assembles at the home of the Angus family for what often turns into a small Christmas gathering, to load up the trucks and head out at 6PM on delivery night. For 2013, two different trips to Giant Eagle and a four hour trip to Walmart later,t he shopping was finally complete. The amazing part is while they are shopping for the goods with several full carts, are the individuals shopping or the managers of the store who come over offering help, donations or anything that they can. Jeremy shared "That is the humbling part of the shopping process. Hearing the stories of the families in which we deliver too make the program all the better. A lot of our donors join for delivery and can see first hand what their donation is doing to impact the families, that is very important to us, but even more important to them. " Tonight at midnight listen live to SS. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy on KDKA Radio KDKA 1020. Father Micheal Polosky said this is the first time the church has been featured also this is the first time that a Ukrainian Catholic Church Christmas Eve Divine Liturgy has been on KDKA. This event is sponsored by Mr. John Dioguardi, owner of Rome Monuments. Over the past year and half the church has been preparing for this service and formed a choir for this reason. Mrs. Lisa Hladio, a professional musician, put together the 24 member choir and will serve as the choir director. Father Polosky invites all to Christmas Day Divine Liturgy which will begin at 10 am on December 25th at the SS. Peter & Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church located at 404 6th Street, Ambridge , Pa 15005 ( 6th and Melrose). Toys for Tots for Beaver County is managed in a donated space on Merchant Street in Ambridge. Under the direction of Linda McKenzie , of Economy, this past weekend 800 families was able to receive 4 to 5 toys per child. Linda volunteered for 5 years before she took on the new role as the coordinator. She started working in September and worked with 15 to 20 volunteers to collect and process all of the toys from over 160 drop off points throughout Beaver County. Included in the volunteers are her family members husband John and children Cody 21, Kory 11, and Jessie 16. When asked how many hours she puts towards Toys for Tots and she laughed while saying endless hours. Volunteer John Shee, from Freedom, has been involved with Toys for Toys Beaver County for four years and says it takes about 2 weeks to bag the toys and he tries to give the kids what they like. Jessica Littlejohn a recipient for the second time with toys for tots said " I am very appreciative , I just moved out of public housing and started paying for all of my utilities ." A friend in line with Jessica adds " She is getting on her feet. Help with the little things like toys for her kids makes a huge difference in her children lives. " In all, 2000 children will be helped this season. New Hope Community Church invites you to their 6th annual New Hope youth Christmas program tonight at 7 p.m. located at 592 Beaver Road. Pastor Rick Thornhill says the Christmas services begin tonight and invites you to watch the youth again Sunday morning at 1030 followed by a Christmas message.
Christmas tree sales started with 200 trees and now down to the last 4. Ken Kowalsky, Scoutmaster Troop 498, personally has been handling the tree sells for about 17 years. John Kleemook and Barry Eggers along with the Boy Scouts all the donate time to help this annual event happen.
Troop 498 have been around for 85 years and currently meet at the Ambridge Legion. The funds raised will to help the Boy Scouts go camping and attend events. If interested in purchasing one of the last four trees you can find them at Ambridge Regional Center located at 2225 Duss Avenue until 9 p.m. or until the last tree is sold. |
AC TEAMAlan Freed Archives
March 2023
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