Cornell varsity fall sports preview: page 26 PLUS: Coraopolis Community Development Update Coraopolis NAACP branch makes strides in third year Local teen secures national hurdling title Fall Festivals and Late Summer Happenings Page 15 Serving Coraopolis and Neville Island communities of Cornell School District. One of four editions serving 17 airport area communities. Cornell Edition Summer 2023 www.awmagazine.com FREE Direct Mail Community Publication Allegheny West M agazine INSIDE! Official Newsletter Page 19Fall 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 34 • Allegheny West Magazine • Summer 2023 Allegheny West Magazine-Cornell Edition is published in Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer, four issues a year, Hughey Publications, LLC, P. O. Box 220, McDonald, PA 15057. Mailed and distributed free to residents and businesses in Coraopolis, Neville Island and Cornell School District. Extra copies available at municipal offices, schools, libraries, stores, advertisers, hotels, and businesses. Available by mail subscription for $15 annually. Story ideas welcomed. Community events and announcements from non-profit groups must be received by the 15th of the month prior to publishing date. Announcements are limited to 30 words and must include a contact phone number. Reproduction of any artwork, photographs, or copy prepared by Allegheny West Magazine is strictly prohibited without written consent of Hughey Publications LLC. Copyright 1999-2021 Allegheny West Magazine. All rights reserved. Views and opinions expressed by contributors and/or advertisers are the responsibility of the contributors and not those of the publisher of Allegheny West Magazine. P. O. Box 220, McDonald, PA 15057 Phone: 724.673.3161 E-Mail: info@awmagazine.com www.awmagazine.com WE PROUDLY SPONSOR AND SUPPORT: A variety of community, school, and nonprofit organizations in our coverage areas of Cornell, Moon, Montour, and West Allegheny. We are committed to recycling our used and left- over products. We encourage our readers to be responsible and dispose of this magazine when finished enjoying it. Consider passing it along to someone else, or placing it in your neighborhood recycling bins. Thank you in advance for doing your part for our earth. Hughey Publications, LLC also publishes the West Allegheny Edition of Allegheny West Magazine, the Montour Edition of Allegheny West Magazine, and the Moon Edition of Alleghney West Magazine. MEMBER Allegheny West Magazine - Cornell Edition, is an all positive, good news publication mailed free into the homes and businesses of the Cornell School District communities of Coraopolis and Neville Island to connect communities, promote people, heighten awareness about the richness of the airport region, and build pride in the western suburbs of Allegheny County. Allegheny West Magazine Doug Hughey Pat Jennette Sarah Kizina www.ddswebdesign.com Pat Jennette Cornell Edition Fall 2023 ABOUT THE COVER { } Contents Coraopolis Community Development Update Coraopolis NAACP branch makes strides in third year Local teen secures national hurdling title Fall Festivals and Late Summer Happenings Tear-Out Cornell Athletic and Academic Calendars Cornell Today Varsity Fall Sports Preview Legislative Update The seniors leading this year’s Cornell Raiders football team are (back row) Kenya Tench, CJ Jackson, Phil Barker, Dre Newton, Larry Lee, (front row) Geoffrey Collington and Julian Cordice. Read a preview of both the football and volleyball teams in this month’s varsity sports preview on pages 26-27. Schedules for the two teams are listed on the tear-out calendar printed on the centerfold. PHOTO BY DOUG HUGHEY - - - - - - - - 8 10 12 15 16 19 26 28 Dear Readers, Thank you for picking up our August Cornell issue of Allegheny West Magazine. I hope you’re having a great summer and are just about ready to head back to school. To help everyone prepare, we’re once again bringing you our tear-out school calendars on our centerfold. Be sure to pull this out and stick it to your refrigerator or bulletin board as a handy reference in the months to come. On one side, you’ll find academic and fall sports schedules for Cornell School District. On the other, you’ll find a listing of upcoming area fall festivals and late summer happenings. On page 8, read an update on the latest efforts by the Coraopolis Community Development Foundation, including news on its new building. Then on page 10, read about the Coraopolis NAACP’s recent Freedom Fund Banquet and those who were honored there. On page 12, read about a local teen who won a national hurdling title earlier this year. Starting on page 19, get caught up on the latest happenings at Cornell School District, including a welcome back letter from Dr. Aaron Thomas, superintendent, on page 20, and our fall sports preview starting on page 26. Look for our next edition in December. Until then, I hope you have a great first half of the school year. From the Publisher Doug Hughey, Publisher/EditorFall 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 5Heritage Valley Health System 6 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2023 NEW to Robinson Township Medical Neighborhood Conveniently located at: 2201 Park Manor Blvd., Robinson Town Centre Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-CT scanning is now available at the Heritage Valley Robinson Township Medical Neighborhood. A PET-CT scan is an imaging test that produces multidimensional color images of your organs and tissues. These scans not only show what an organ looks like, but also how it is functioning. The test uses a small amount of a safe, injectable radioactive liquid known as a tracer. Your healthcare provider may order a PET-CT scan to check for signs of: • Cancer • Coronary artery disease, heart attack or other heart problems • Brain disorders, such as brain tumors, epilepsy, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease A Radiologist with specialized training in PET-CT scans will review your images and send a report to your healthcare provider. We are pleased to announce that Rheumatologist Dr. Baowei Tang is now seeing patients on Thursdays in the Robinson Township Medical Neighborhood. Dr. Tang will be available on Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Dr. Tang is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and certified in Rheumatology Muscular Skeletal Ultrasound by the American College of Rheumatology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. Dr. Tang completed his Rheumatology fellowship training at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in 2007, and his Internal Medicine residency at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in 2005. He received his medical degree from Southeastern University Medical School in Nanjing, China. Dr. Tang’s practice interests include complicated autoimmune diseases, inflammatory arthritis/ myositis, and general rheumatologic conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, polymyalgia rheumatica, vasculitis, scleroderma, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis). He specializes in muscular skeletal ultrasound, which improves early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory diseases. Positron Emission Tomography (PET)-CT Scans Rheumatology Care To schedule an appointment with Dr. Tang, please call (724) 773-1928. Dr. Tang’s office in the Robinson Township Medical Neighborhood is located in Suite 100. To schedule your PET-CT scan, please call (866) 251-0710.Heritage Valley Health System Fall 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 7CAround Your Town Around Your Town 8 • Allegheny West Magazine • Fall 2023 Coraopolis Community Development update CONTENT SUBMITTED BY CORAOPOLIS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORP. Upcoming Coraopolis events Coraopolis Fall Festival, Oct. 14, 11 a,m.-3 p.m., Downtown Coraopolis. Join us at our yearly Fall Festival for craft vendors, food trucks, pumpkin painting and more! Stay tuned and follow us on social media for more details to come. Annual Chili Cook-off Nov. 5, 2-5 p,m., Cobblehaus Brewery. Save the date for our Annual Chili Cook-off to benefit the Coraopolis Food Pantry. Enter your own prize chili or come to eat and watch the competition. Tickets and additional event details coming soon. Facebook: Coraopolis Community Development www.facebook.com/CCDC247/ Instagram: @coraopoliscdc The CCDC is moving The CCDC has purchased the Volante building at 923 5th Avenue in downtown Coraopolis and will be moving its operations into the new building soon. The building will serve as a one-stop- shop for the CCDC’s offices and services, including the Coraopolis Food Pantry, Weekend Snack Pack Program, Cory’s Closet and more. The CCDC worked with Wesbanco and realtor Leah Wulster to secure the property. The CCDC, however, could not have reached this point in its evolution were it not for its supporters over the years. As the CCDC moves into its new home, it plans to continue its mission of working toward the equitable growth and revitalization of Coraopolis by providing residents with tools leading to self-sufficiency, continuing to grow the town’s business district, and improving the overall quality of life in the community. This was made possible through Pennsylvania’s Department of Community & Economic Development Neighborhood Assistance Program with support from Dollar Bank, Highmark, Huntington Bank, and Northwest Bank. Food Pantry June 2023: People served: 1055 Families served: 405 Volunteers: 62 Families delivered to: 192 Families driving through: 213 Snack Pack June 2023: Children served: 100 Packs distributed: 100 Volunteers: 6 Volunteers needed The CCDC is looking for volunteers for the following positions: Delivery Drivers: Must utilize their own vehicles, have car insurance and be able to lift more than 25 pounds. 10 a.m. on Sundays (twice monthly) Service Prep: Pack grocery bags for distributions. 9-11:30 a.m. on Sundays (twice monthly) Food Distribution: Distribute food into cars as they drive up. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Sundays (twice monthly) Stocking Shelves: Help to stock food pantry shelves. Must be able to lift 25 pounds. Fridays before Sunday pantry services 8-10 a.m. (twice monthly) Businesses interested in “adopting” a week of the Snack Pack program, running a cereal collection for the food pantry or volunteering should email Amy at amycavicchia@corycdc.org. Tag-A-Bag Weekend Snack Pack Campaign The Snack Pack program is an extension of the food pantry that was developed in partnership with Cornell School District, which has a 72% poverty rate among its families. In community-eligible school districts, students are eligible to receive subsidized breakfast, lunch and dinner during the school week. The Snack Pack program is an aspect of the food pantry’s work that provides an additional way to reach children and families in need of food assistance, especially during out-of-school time on the weekends and during the summer months. The 2023-2024 school year will be the CCDC’s fifth year running the Snack Pack program. This school year, the CCDC is launching a fundraising campaign for the first time to support the program. Each snack pack costs $6.25, so for $225, a child will have snacks for the entire school year. The CCDC’s goal is to sponsor 200 children for the 2023-2024 school year. Interested in sponsoring a child by Tagging a Bag and helping to end student hunger in the community? Visit www.corycdc.org. Steve Fetsick (left) of Wesbanco assisted the CCDC with acquiring their new location at 923 5th Avenue. He is pictured with CCDC Director Randon Willard (center) and Amy Cavicchia, CCDC director of programs and community engagement.CAround Your Town Around Your Town Fall 2023 • www.awmagazine.com • 9 Read and share content online at: awmagazine.com. Follow Allegheny West Magazine on Facebook and Instagram. Coraopolis Borough Manager Ray McCutcheon received the Pennsylvania State Association of Borough’s 2022 Distinguished Service Award at the 111th Pennsylvania State Association of Borough’s Annual State Conference in Hershey on June 6. The award selection committee is comprised of municipal government leaders and experts. These individuals understand the ins and outs of the job, challenges faced, and meaningfulness of accomplishments, especially given the size and resources of the Coraopolis municipality. Under McCutcheon’s leadership and management, 2022 was a successful year for Coraopolis as it lays the foundation for great years ahead, in particular through many incremental grants awarded. Coraopolis is experiencing a period of revitalization, development and renaissance for the betterment of the community. This work does not happen overnight or in the spotlight, but rather over the course of many years of consistent dedication and hard work, ultimately setting up the community for success. Beyond 2022 accomplishments, Ray has established long- standing relationships with local cross-functional partners, service providers, corporations and state/local elected officials, as well as worked diligently over many years to chip away at longer term initiatives like: • Land acquisition for Riverfront Park • Reduction of blight through grant-funded demolition projects • Reduction of outstanding loans and balances • Establishment of a Shade Tree Commission • Optimized banking institutions to earn thousands more dollars per month versus the previous institution • Efficient upkeep and maintenance of working capital, fleet of public works, police, and fire departments Through McCutcheon’s leadership, strong financial acumen and budget management, the borough is entering its ninth consecutive year without a tax rate increase. Coraopolis FICS Grants The CCDC is part of the Neighborhood Partnership Program through the Department of Community and Economic Development. A six-year grant awarded through the program allows the CCDC to invest in improvements to the Downtown Business District thanks to partnerships with Dollar Bank, Northwest Bank, Huntington Bank and Highmark Health. Each year, the CCDC awards eight Façade Improvement Grants of $2,500 to Coraopolis businesses. This year, the CCDC received 17 applications from local businesses. A review committee made up of CCDC board members, community leaders and Neighborhood Partnership Program partners chose eight businesses to receive awards. Those businesses are as follows: Applications for the 2024 Façade Improvement Grant will be available in the spring of 2024. CCDC staff were not involved in the decision making process of awarding the Façade Improvement Grant. Aero Tech Designs Barto’s Lounge Doney’s Notary Pentek, Inc. Project Angels Boutique Recognition Awards and Trophies Tootsies Diner Triple Crown Training CCDC Director Randon Willard presents Triple Crown Training (above) and Barto’s Lounge (below) with checks awarded through the Facade Improvement Program. Coraopolis manager receives statewide award CONTENT SUBMITTED Coraopolis Borough Manager Ray McCutcheon is pictured with his wife, Lesa McCutcheon, and the 2022 Distinguished Service Award. Upcoming Food Pantry Distribution Dates: Aug. 20, Sept. 3, 17 • 12-2 p.m. 1108 4th Ave., Coraopolis (412) 329-8247 • info@corycdc.comNext >