< PreviousCAround Your Town Around Your Town 10 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2022 When you hear the expression “time flies,” believe it. Rege’s Barber Shop in Ingram is celebrating its five-year anniversary. In May of 2017, the shop opened its doors with two barbers. Fast forward five years to 2022, and the shop now has a total of four barbers. Owner Rege Leger, a 2007 Montour graduate, and his barbers take their time with each customer as they practice their art. The age range of their customers varies from children who need booster seats to older gentlemen. The shop offers quality services at a fair price. The shop also offers hair products for sale so customers can have that just-cut look every day. Customers can now use the Booksy app to make their appointments at Rege’s. The app allows users to choose their barber, along with their desired date, time and type of service. The free app can be downloaded from the Apple or Google app store. The shop also welcomes walk-ins. Stop in and help Rege and the rest of the shop’s barbers celebrate this important milestone. Rege’s Barber Shop celebrating five-year anniversary CONTENT SUBMITTED TOP RIGHT: Rege Leger (pictured second from right), owner of Rege’s Barber Shop in Ingram, is pictured with fellow barbers Kelly Hahn, Carlos Hernandez and Cody Sheets. RIGHT: Rege’s has a comfortable waiting area but those who prefer not to wait can also book an appointment with their favorite barber right on the Booksy app. FAR RIGHT: Barber chairs wait for the next customer at Rege’s.CAround Your Town Around Your Town May/June 2022 • www.awmagazine.com • 11 Over the past 10 years, a system of trails in the Montour Woods Conservation area has become popular with area hikers and mountain bikers. Located in the steep ravine along Hassam Road, the rugged, scenic trails meander through thickly forested parts of Robinson and Moon townships all the way to Moon Park. One section in the 10-mile train system follows a pristine stretch of a stream called Meeks Run that supports 20 species of fish. Another passes a small cave and vernal pools supporting frog species. The system also has some serious elevation gain leading up to its ridges. Along the border of Moon and Robinson townships, the trail system comes very close to the Montour Trail. At shallow parts of Montour Run, it has even been possible to cross over between the two trails, but not without getting wet or with some serious difficulty. When the water is high, crossing the stream can be downright dangerous or impossible. Traversing the two trail systems just got a lot easier, however, thanks to a new footbridge that was completed earlier this year. The 210-foot bridge passes over Montour Run, connecting the Montour Trail near Mile 1.5 with what’s known as the Cave Trail in the Montour Woods Conservation Area. The bridge provides plenty of additional options for trail users who can now travel easily between the two trail systems. “This bridge has been a real missing link for people using the Montour Trail who would like to get into the woods,” says Sean Brady, executive director of Hollow Oak Land Trust, which owns the Montour Woods Conservation Area. Brady says the project has been in the works since 2017 and was no small feat to get constructed. It was made possible thanks to grants from the Pennsylvania DCNR, the Allegheny Regional Asset District and the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County. Both the Montour Trail Council and the Forest Grove Sportsmen Association also provided necessary easements, Brady says. He says actual construction took about a year. The bridge features ramps at either end to make access easier for those with bikes. It sits at the end of a spur that branches off the Montour Trail near Hassam Road. In addition to providing ease of access, the bridge also opens up additional parking for Hollow Oak trails along Hassam Road. Currently, the only other trailhead on the road sits halfway up the hill and can fill up quickly. Those who would like to jump on the Hollow Oak trails will thus now be able to park along the Montour Trail near where it intersects with Hassam Road. In addition to those parking areas, there are several other trailheads, but in other locations. One sits at the end of Nike Road and another is at the end of Downing Drive, closer to Moon Park. A map with trails and trailheads can be viewed at hollowoak.org. Brady says that, eventually, Hollow Oak’s goal is to create a loop that will take people along Hollow Oak trails all the way from the footbridge to Mile 3.5 of the Montour Trail. Along the way, trailgoers will pass through Hollow Oak’s Trout Run Conservation Area near the intersection of Montour Run Road and Beaver Grade Road before going back onto the Montour Trail. The loop will follow Hollow Oak trails for about seven miles and the Montour Trail for about three miles. Brady says he has already witnessed increased trail usage thanks to the new footbridge and expects that to grow once the greenway loop is completed. For now, there are a number interesting hikes from the footbridge, including a three-mile hike to Moon Park and another to the old Nike missile site in Moon Township. Hollow Oak acquired that property in December. Coming up, Hollow Oak is planning an official ribbon cutting to celebrate the bridge’s completion May 26 at 10 a.m. followed by a community event in June. Follow them on Facebook for the latest or visit hollowoak.org. HOLT opens new foot bridge from Montour Trail STORY BY DOUG HUGHEY PHOTO SUBMITTED Hollow Oak Land Trust opened this new footbridge earlier this year. It connects the Montour Trail with trails in the Montour Woods Conservation Area. CAround Your Town Around Your Town 12 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2022 Valley Electric, a locally owned and operated electrical contractor based in Imperial, is searching to immediately hire an electrician. A good candidate will have the following: • 3-5 years’ worth of experience in electrical maintenance • A positive attitude • Strong customer service skills • An ability to work well with others • A valid driver’s license • Ability to pass drug test. The new hire will join a 25-year-old company employing a dedicated and valued team of 22 employees. Those interested can forward a resume to hc@valleyelectriccompany.com or call (724) 695-8810. Help wanted: local contracting company looking to hire electrician CONTENT SUBMITTED Residents of Thornburg Borough in Robinson Township are organizing a capital campaign to help update the borough’s community center and playground area. The goal of the Thornburg Capital Campaign is to raise $250,000, or 10% of the expected $2.5 million cost, by July 4 in order to jumpstart the renovations this year. Along with fundraising, the capital campaign is also actively seeking grants from the state. Hopes are that former Thornburg residents and school students will become aware of the renovation plans and make a donation. Thornburg’s historic community center building was designed by architects Press Dowler and Samuel McClarren. The mission-style building opened in 1910 as a one-room schoolhouse for grades one through eight. It expanded in both 1912 and 1922. Classrooms operated there until 1971. The building is now a multipurpose community center for the borough and is one of the locations for the Crafton Children’s Corner, which offers child-care programs. The building and playground serve the borough in many ways. The library is full of wonderful books donated by former and current residents. Scout and Indian Guide troops have met there. It is the polling place for elections and the monthly meeting place for Thornburgh Borough Council. The Thornburg Village Players stage their performances there. Adult education events, the annual Columbus Day Dinner, yoga and tai chi classes are held in the auditorium. The playground is enjoyed by many children, and the Thornburg Community Club sponsors events such as an Election Day Bake Sale, Movies in the Park, Easter Egg Hunt, Memorial Day Picnic, an annual Chili Cook-Off and invited speakers. The improvements are part of a master plan developed by The Design Alliance Architects with input from stakeholders, including elected borough officials, representatives from the Thornburg Village Players and the Thornburg Community Club, and interested borough residents. The master plan was completed in May of 2021 and council has accepted the master plan as a road map for implementation of improvements prioritized based on urgency and funds availability. There are three phases to the proposed project: upgrade mechanical systems throughout the community center, install public restrooms on the lower level, and construct an enclosed corridor to access them. Upgraded mechanicals will provide improved ventilation and energy efficient heating/cooling throughout the building, helping the preschool retain the teachers and students currently working in a facility that lacks air conditioning. Public restrooms will provide a vital service to borough residents who visit the building to vote or attend council meetings or social events. The design of the connecting corridor will allow neighborhood children and their families to access restrooms from the park and playground while maintaining security for the preschool. The corridor will also provide universal accessibility for an aging population to all lower-level rooms through ramps that address a three-foot change in elevation. All borough residents and visitors will benefit every day. For more, and to donate, visit: 2022capitalcampaign.wixsite. com/thornburgneedsyou. Thornburg establishes capital campaign program to update community center and playground, asking for donations CONTENT SUBMITTEDMay/June 2022 • www.awmagazine.com • 13 % New in Town New in Town Just like a lot of people, Rachel Thacker of Findlay Township found herself with a lot of extra free time on her hands in March of 2020. A physical therapist by trade, Rachel had just come off of maternity leave and only been back to work for three weeks when COVID-19 shut down the country. To consume some of her extra free time, Rachel threw herself into baking, which has always been a creative outlet for her. In between caring for her two young daughters, Lily and Kenzie, she experimented with making various breads, cookies and cakes. She started sharing these treats with neighbors and friends. Initially, she only asked for feedback in return. Rachel says she’s long had a knack for baking. She’s been doing it since her 20s and, for years, she’d even batted around the idea of opening up her own bakery. She’d put off the idea as the family moved from state to state following her husband’s work. Now that they were settled in Clinton and homebound due to the pandemic, she decided to pursue the project and formulate some new ideas. These included several different types of bundt cake recipes. Her first bundt was a rum cake and, after she got tired of cooking traditional banana bread loafs, she tried baking a banana bundt cake. Soon after, she came across a pan for making mini bundts. The niche idea opened up a whole new world of possibilities. “I started turning every cake, breakfast treat and dessert into mini-bundts,” she says, “and people loved them because they were an individual treat and great for sharing.” As Rachel’s mini-bundts grew in popularity, she and her husband decided that if she was going to scale her idea into a business they would need a commercial kitchen. With family time in mind, they converted part of their basement into a fully functioning commercial kitchen and received health department approval. That gave her the ability to bake in larger quantities and with no limitations. Thus, L&K Bundt Shop, which is named after her daughters, was born! Soon, Rachel was marketing her mini-bundt cakes on social media. People would buy a dozen and share them with friends and family. Then those contacts started reaching out to her with their own orders. She started taking most of her orders through Facebook Messenger and email. She’s continuing to take orders via those means, by phone and on her website, LKBundtshop.com. L&K Bundt Shop’s current rotation of flavors include red velvet, chocolate ganache, chocolate chip, lemon, fun fetti, banana bread, apple, blueberry lemon and cinnamon roll. The menu also includes two gluten- free options each month that rotate seasonally. In addition, she creates a bundt of the month. Flavors have included pistachio, carrot cake and strawberry lemonade. She posts them on Facebook and gives away some to a lucky follower each month! Rachel also offers shipping on her mini and large bundt cakes to anywhere in the U.S. The mini bundt cakes have become very popular at an array of events, from birthday parties to weddings, baby showers and office get-togethers. They’re also perfect for marketing and fundraisers. “Everyone gets their own personal bundt cake and there’s no need to cut anything, plus it’s a change from traditional cupcakes,” she says. Rachel has created partnerships with other local small businesses to sell her mini-bundt cakes, including Anchor and Anvil in Coraopolis and the Four Twelve Project in Moon Township. She’s looking to grow her business by connecting with more local businesses and farmers’ markets. To find out more and to order, visit LKBundtShop.com. Reach out to Rachel directly via email at lkbundtshop@outlook.com or on Facebook Messenger. Follow L&K Bundt Shop on Facebook to watch for their latest news, events and next flavor of the month. L&K Bundt Shop serves up sweet treats LEFT: Rachel Thacker, owner of L&K Bundt Shop, is pictured in her kitchen with a batch of her blueberry mini-bundts. RIGHT (from top): Rachel’s regular rotation of flavors include chocolate ganache, chocolate chip and red velvet cake. STORY SUBMITTED PHOTOS BY JAIME FAVRO PHOTOGRAPHY1XFirebeatFirebeat 14 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2022 BY JOE KULIK First responders are here to help. In an emergency, you want to know that you can dial 9-1-1 and that your local police, ambulance service and/or fire department will be there when you need them. Sometimes, though, immediate action must be taken by the person at the incident scene. Crucial seconds are passing as you are seeing an emergency unfold right before your eyes. Maybe there is a fire and you have a fire extinguisher. Maybe you are trapped upstairs but had safety ladders installed at the windows to allow for a quick and safe escape. Last year, a local mother was faced with a crisis. She was cooking dinner when her son began choking on a plastic bottle cap. This young woman had been CPR/first aid certified several times and knew she had to act. She could not see the obstruction. There was no time to call and then wait for first responders. She proceeded to do “back blows” on her child, but without success. No matter what she tried, she could not dislodge the obstruction. Fortunately, she had the presence to use a device she had in her home. She and her husband had obtained a suction device, known as LifeVac. She laid him down and used the device to successfully remove the obstruction, undoubtedly saving his life. You may have seen her story before. It has been shown on various news stations and television shows, and received millions of views on social media. This is just an example of how it is beneficial to have the proper tools at your home in case of any emergency. Whether it be a fire extinguisher, a portable AED or a LifeVac device, your ability to have and use such items can prevent a tragedy. Unfortunately, as you can imagine, choking and suffocation as a result of an obstruction is one of the leading causes of injury and death for small children. Whether you had this happen to you, or were there to see it happen to someone else, it is a truly frightening situation. As a first responder, I am grateful that this young mother, Brittany Massie Weir, has made it her mission to try to help others. She has worked tirelessly to promote the use of this device and has donated many units to local agencies. As of the time I am writing this article, she has already donated these devices to the Kennedy Township Police Department and the Kennedy Township fire company. She has also donated this device to the Montour School District, Archangel Gabriel Preschool and Childcare Center, the Archangel Gabriel Elementary School and Central Diner. Knowing that this device can help people of all ages, she has donated units to entities such as Just Like Home Daycare Center and Cambridge Pointe Senior Living. Indeed, the reality is that choking on an obstruction can affect anyone, of any age, at any time. For some, especially those with disabilities, the Heimlich Maneuver or a “back blow” procedure is not always successful. A device like the LifeVac may indeed make the crucial difference between life and death. It is wonderful when people step up to help others. You can obtain more information about the LifeVac at their website, and you can even support Weir’s efforts to donate the LifeVac device to various entities by referencing code BW10 if you do order the device. This also saves you 10% and raises money to pay for devices that are donated by the Weir family. A potential life saver Brittany Massie Weir (second from right) presents Drew Hopay (far right) of the Kennedy Township VFC with a LifeVac device. They are pictured with Arthur Lih, founder and CEO of LifeVac, and Laura Bonelli, LifeVac director of marketing. A diagram shows the operation of the LifeVac.May/June 2022 • www.awmagazine.com • 15 y > Learning Curves Learning Curves BY MICHELE P. CONTI 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. All too often, I consult with clients who had a parent who passed away who had remarried but hadn’t made the prerequisite arrangements for their estate. This essentially leaves two different families with the task of sorting through what passes to whom. Questions like, “Why wouldn’t they have done this before they died?” or “Why didn’t they think about this before they died?” or “Shouldn’t this have been handled when they remarried?” aren’t uncommon. In these situations, the mystery as to why those arrangements weren’t made remains largely unsolved. I’m sure the decedent’s intention was for everyone to get along and continue to live in harmony when they passed, but in reality that is seldom the outcome. Is the expectation for the second spouse to treat the decedent’s children as their own? Is it the decedent’s intention for the spouse to ask their kids for an allowance? The most common estate planning mistakes, especially when dealing with a blended family, include the procrastination of doing what needs to be done. For instance, did you update your beneficiary designations? No grieving widow wants to hear that your previous spouse is still the beneficiary of your IRA or life insurance policy. If you intended for your children to receive your life insurance rather than your spouse for tax reasons, make sure that you actually complete and submit the change of beneficiary forms. Though changing your beneficiary on financial documents will avoid leaving the balance to your ex, your will determines much of who gets the rest of the assets you and your spouse accumulated during your lifetimes. You probably don’t want your ex to get your home, either. A common misunderstanding is when the will directs the beneficiary and when an asset directs the beneficiary. A specific beneficiary designation trumps your will every day. Therefore, if you have your spouse as your primary beneficiary and your children as the contingent beneficiaries, so long as a beneficiary is living from your designations, then this asset falls outside the terms of the will. Typically, people direct that their surviving spouse gets all of their assets when they die, and only upon the death of the second spouse will the remaining assets be divided evenly among all of the children. This assumes, of course, next year, or in 20 years, everyone will still be getting along AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, that your spouse won’t write a new will that leaves out your side of the family. Will it happen to you? No one knows the future but after 20 years of practice, nothing surprises me. If a will can be changed after a spouse’s death, what other options do you have? To ensure that the children of each spouse ultimately are treated fairly, trusts are often used. You can leave some or all of your assets in a trust that can support your spouse during his or her life. Then, at your spouse’s death, the trust controls who receives the remaining assets. In other words, you can ensure that your children will benefit at your spouse’s death. If your spouse remarries, this strategy protects the assets from passing to a new spouse and their children. If a trust is used, advice regarding the choice of trustee is key. There are other considerations as well. For example, you should consider the relative ages of the spouses. If you leave all of your assets in a trust for a spouse who is much younger than you, your children would not receive any benefit until the spouse’s death, which may not occur for many years. You might consider directing a portion of your assets to your children at your death. On the other hand, if you plan to leave your estate entirely to your children (and not benefit your spouse at all), an agreement clearly waiving spousal rights is needed. Careful consideration of your goals and communication with your spouse is key. People often have good intentions. Consulting with an experienced and skilled estate planning attorney can help you ensure your intentions to provide for your blended family are met and avoid inadvertent conflict. Blended families can become…MESSY!16 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2022 y > Learning CurvesLearning Curves BY GEORGE HESS, PT, DPT, COMT HESS PHYSICAL THERAPY Do you find your shoulders are aching at the end of the day or when you have to lift your arms? Whether your pain is from an old injury or just from moving all day long, try these simple techniques to feel better and stronger. Three ways to beat achy shoulders Try these simple actions to improve the health of your shoulders and alleviate that nagging ache or sharp pain for good: Keep your shoulders aligned by doing postural exercises The number one reason for repetitive injury and pain in the shoulders is poor posture. With prolonged slouching, the shoulders protrude forward, changing the mechanics of the way your shoulders move. This weakens your rotator cuff and shoulder blade (scapula) muscles. It also predisposes you to injury. Strengthen your rotator cuff muscles By keeping your rotator cuff muscles strong, you help guide your shoulder joints throughout the day, lessening the chance of injury and inflammation. Try this simple exercise. Lie on your side with your top arm straight up toward the ceiling. Now, slowly lower the arm down toward your hip, but not all the way. Then bring your arm back up to the ceiling. Repeat this 10 to 15 times for two sets every other day. Stay within a pain-free range of movement. Stop if you have any pain. Talk with one of our therapists if you have any questions. Improve your scapula stability The scapula (shoulder blade) is a part of your whole shoulder complex. It has many different muscles attached to it that are pulling at just the right time for proper shoulder movement. Every time you reach, pick up or pull, you use your scapula. Improve the stability of them by performing scapula exercises. Try this simple exercise. Stand with your back against a wall and gently try to pinch your shoulder blades together while keeping your arms relaxed. Perform this exercise for 10 to 15 repetitions, holding each contraction for five seconds. 1. 2. 3. Why your shoulders hurt Your shoulders are the most complicated joints in your body and one of the most easily injured. They have to move through an incredible 180 degrees of motion while maintaining stability and strength. Some of the most important muscles in the shoulder are actually the smallest. The rotator cuff is a series of four muscles that form a cuff around the shoulder (glenohumeral) joint. Though they are small, they are vital to guiding the shoulder as the joint moves. When these muscles are weak or injured, the head of the humerus bone can jam up into the socket of the shoulder blade, causing inflammation and pain. This information provided courtesy of George Hess DPT, COMT. He is the owner of and a physical therapist at Hess Physical Therapy. He is also the author of the book “Back To Normal.” He can be reached at his Kennedy location at 566 Pine Hollow Road, Mckees Rocks, 15136, at (412) 771-1055 or at his Crafton location at 37 Foster Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15205, at (412) 458-3445. Email him at George@hesspt.com.18 • Allegheny West Magazine • May/June 2022lLegislative Update Legislative Update May/June 2022 • www.awmagazine.com • 19 State Rep. Anita Kulik State Rep. Anita Kulik represents Pennsylvania’s 45th District. Her office is located at 1350 Fifth Avenue in Coraopolis. She can be reached at (412) 264-4260. Visit her online at www.pahouse.com/ Kulik. When we think of political division, we generally think in terms of party lines: Republican versus Democrat versus Independent, or liberal versus conservative. However, when it comes to party politics, more often than not a lot of issues fall on middle ground and compromises are reached. Sometimes, though, disagreements occur on regional lines, where geography can cause divides. Pennsylvania finds itself divided along such lines, usually by the Philadelphia/Southeast region, the Pittsburgh/Southwest region, and what is referred to as the big “T” in the middle of the state. Pennsylvania is designated as a Commonwealth. There is no real distinction between a Commonwealth and a state, other than in name. There really are no political or legal differences in relation to any other state in the country. However, there perhaps is a difference in our underlying philosophy. Simply stated, a Commonwealth means providing for the common good, or the “common wealth,” of all the people. It is an ideal that we should strive to achieve, no matter what form of “political division” may exist. However, there are many times when it does not feel as though things in Pennsylvania are being done for the common good, or fairly, for that matter. One issue that seems to loom is fair funding for different regions of Pennsylvania. Historically, there has been a belief that the bulk of available funding goes to Philadelphia and the eastern part of the Commonwealth. One only need take a drive on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to see profound differences in the roadway. Drive through the “double tunnels” in the central part of the state, and you see smooth roadways with substantial retaining walls and even sound barriers. Every year there are debates on the budget, but while the budget may be agreed to, how the monies are spread from the east to the west never seems as fair as it ought to be. This year, as with the past couple of years, Pennsylvania has received a great amount of funds from the federal government and generated its own significant revenues. However, the argument remains that the wealth is not spread evenly across the Commonwealth. During a recent session in Harrisburg, members from the House and Senate who represent the southwest regions met with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and officials from the 10 western counties to discuss the issue of fair funding. It was a bipartisan meeting, with members joining together to discuss funding matters. The southwestern region of Pennsylvania makes up 20% of the population and brings in 20% of its revenues. Yet, on average, we receive only about 11% of available funds. Each year, legislators from our region, whether Democrat or Republican, fight to get funding to our region. This debate and discussion is increasingly important as we are in the final stages of adopting our budget. No doubt, there are infrastructure problems, educational problems and other matters of concern across Pennsylvania. In our region, we have issues that may not properly be considered by officials from other parts of the state. Landslide problems that we experience throughout our area don’t impact the flatter areas in Eastern Pennsylvania. Our topography also creates issues for our roadways that are not faced in the flat areas out East. Similarly, our topography impacts sewer and water lines, along with other buried infrastructure that is not seen and too often ignored until a serious problem arises. Similarly, our school districts are different, with the western part of the state having many more smaller districts. These smaller districts face substantial financial burdens, and the current funding formulas do not properly address the economic issues of these districts. Our local districts cannot impose higher tax burdens on their residents, particularly on many of our senior citizens with fixed incomes. There are funds available for the benefit of the “common good.” I, and all my colleagues, have agreed that we will continue to work from all parts of the Commonwealth to assure that our schools, roadways, and programs are given proper consideration and funding. Over the next month, during the many budget debates and “political” arguments, we will present all of our government leaders with the opportunity to show that they act for all the residents of Pennsylvania. Our fair share of funding Next >