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Pennsylvania Bridgesis published online at

www.pabridges.comand in print formatsix times a year

e-mail:[email protected]

All Rights Reserved©

BBBBRRRRIIIIDDDDGGGGEEEESSSSPPee nn nn ss yy ll vv aa nn ii aa Most professional writers, myself

included, toil away at some sort of"day job" in order to pay thebills and put food on thetable. When I'm not sit-ting at the editing desk,by day you can findme in the classroom,teaching English andpublic speaking. Onthe first day of class,I like to lead studentsthrough an ice breakeractivity to help us allget better acquainted.

Timons Esaias, one ofmy professors at Seton HillUniversity, taught me avaluable lesson aboutreaching students: offerthem an incentive. Toentice my students to open up aboutthemselves, I give each of them a smallbag of mixed candies and ask them toanswer a question about themselves foreach piece. For example, if your bagcontains a "fun size" Milky Way bar,you have to say a few words aboutyour dream career. In the spirit of fair-ness and cooperation, I keep a bag, andfor each piece of candy I reveal something about myself.

This semester, I drew a Milky Wayfrom the bag of goodies and had toshare with the class what my dreamcareer would be. It took me only sec-onds to respond.

"I'm doing it," I said. "What's next?"Yes, I often joke on social media

about leading a rock star life but I'mdead serious. About five years ago, Imade an important decision about life.I was going to stop trying to pleaseeveryone, and I was going to do exact-ly what I wanted to do, when I wantedto do it. Life's simply too short to dootherwise. I've never regretted that decision.

Truth be told, I am doing exactlywhat I've always wanted to do, and that

is to reach people. Occupy space intheir brains, make them

think, and reach themwith my words,

whether they'rewritten on a chalkboard orhere in thepages ofPennsylvaniaBridges.

Speakingof, this edi-

tion's pages are filled with sto-

ries about peoplewho've decided

what they wantout of life is toreach people, tomake a significant

contribution to the lives of their family,friends and communities.

As I said, I love my work, but puttingtogether this issue was even more aweinspiring than usual. I witnessed volun-teers coming together to assemble bagsof food for needy children who other-wise would go hungry on the week-ends. I saw a near mountain of back-packs filled to the brim with itemsintended to bring comfort to childrenand youth in distress. I heard about aminister and beloved community leaderwhose community is rallying aroundhim while he struggles with healthissues. I read about an arts organizationreceiving a grant to help fund theirefforts to bring art to underfundedschools. And we're only up to page 14!

My aim with this edition, as withevery issue, is to reach my audienceand report to you on all the fantasticarts, entertainment, education andlifestyle news happening in our region.Here's hoping I was successful.

Until next time,Carla E. Anderton

Pennsylvania Bridges - We believe media should uplift and inspire. - www.pabridges.com2

Good Eats Ministry......................p. 3Woo Hoo to a New You................p. 4Hall Down Under open................p. 5The Entertainment Chuckwagon:Back to Back to the Future...........p. 6Tips for Snow Shoveling...............p. 7B. T. Gilligan: Valentine’s Day.....p. 8Brave Miss World screening........p. 8Area hospital to promote hearthealth awareness in February......p. 9On the stage at W&J....................p. 9WashArts receives $200K grant forRural Arts Collaborative............p. 10On the stage at Stage Right!......p. 10Disney on Ice coming to town....p. 11New Kids on the Block tour........p. 11Concert to benefit minister........p. 12Phantom at Benedum Center.....p. 13Foster Friends reports...............p. 14Rich history of Jozart & DollarGeneral building........................p. 15Evidence Dance Company to takestage at Byham Theater.............p. 16At State Theatre for the Arts.....p. 16On the stage at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg.............................p. 17An Evening with Neil deGrasseTyson at Benedum Center..........p. 18Exploring the Paranormal.........p. 18Billy Price coming to Jozart......p. 19On stage at Cal U......................p. 19Hip hop artist DERAJ at CaliforniaUnited Methodist Church...........p. 20Coming to Jozart CFTA.............p. 21Minecraft: The 2 Billion DollarVideo Game................................p. 22Local artist displays work online tooverwhelming response..............p. 23

On the cover: The Billy Price Band,pictured on the front of this edition,will take the stage at Jozart Centerfor the Arts on March 14 at 8 p.m. For advance tickets, call 724-938-9730 or email to [email protected] don’t want to miss this sure to bethrilling show from an area legend!Photo courtesy of Billy Price.

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“Oh, no, honey, I can’t read little things like letters.

I read big things like men.”Sojourner Truth

American Abolitionist

In this Issue-------------------

Pennsylvania Bridges is...Carla E. Anderton, Editor-in-ChiefHayley Martin, Staff WriterChuck Brutz, Staff WriterReanna Roberts, Staff WriterTima Davis, Intern/Photographer

Contributors: Amy Capiross, NoahChurchel, Cass Currie, Allen Free,Connie Gore, B.T. Gilligan, BeckyDavid Keck & Dave Zuchowski

Have a story idea? Do you like to write?

Want to share an original photo?Get in touch with us at

(724) 769-0123e-mail: [email protected]

We’re also on Facebookwww.facebook.com/pennsylvaniabridges

Aww, thanks... We love you, too!Pennsylvania Bridges is distributed to

schools, libraries, colleges and univer-sities, community centers, organiza-tions and better businesses throughoutWashington, Fayette, Greene andWestmoreland counties in south-western Pennsylvania.

With a circulation of over 5,500, weestimate at least 10,000 pairs of eyeswill view each edition.

We’re also online at pabridges.com,

where we continuously update our sitewith the latest in arts, entertainment,education and lifestyle news.

If you or your organization wouldlike to obtain copies of PennsylvaniaBridges, email [email protected] your address to be added to ourdistribution list.

For information on advertising, call724-769-0123 or email us [email protected] for a rate sheetand more details.

I love you guys! Where can I find more?

All material contained in this issueis the property of PennsylvaniaBridges and may not be reprinted,reproduced or redistributed withoutour express written permission.

***Important Notice***

Each One, Reach One

Photo courtesy of Amy Capiross

WWii nn tt ee rr 2200 11 55

By Carla E. Anderton & Allen Free

Did you know six percent of childrenin Washington County go without foodon the weekends? They literally don'teat from the time they're served lunchat school on Friday until Mondaymorning when breakfast is served. Andit's not just families in WashingtonCounty who are starving two or moredays a week.

"Hunger is a world-wide epidemic,"said Reverend B.T. Gilligan, pastor atCalifornia United Methodist Church.But, he added, there's actually enoughfood to go around.

"Distribution is the real problem," he explained.

Gilligan, along with members of hischurch, was appalled by the aforemen-tioned statistic and decided to takeaction beginning in their community.Spearheaded by Sheila Chambers,church members initiated a project tohelp combat hunger called the GoodEats Ministry for children enrolled inCalifornia Area School District.

The aim of the Good Eats Ministry isvery simple but the project is alreadymaking a big impact in the lives of areachildren. The packs were first distrib-uted last year on December 23 and willcontinue to be given away every week.Every week, volunteers gather onThursday afternoons at 4:30 p.m. atCalifornia United Methodist Churchwhere they compile packs of enoughfood to see a child through the week-end. If there's no school on Friday,packs are assembled on Wednesdays at4:30 p.m. for Thursday morning distri-bution. The packs are transported toCalifornia Area Elementary School

where they're placed in students' lock-ers while they're in class to help protecttheir privacy.

Each pack includes "shelf stable"food that can be easily prepared in themicrowave by a Kindergarten age childas well as high protein items such asbreakfast bars and grab and go optionslike Pop-Tarts. "Shelf stable" foods areitems that don't require refrigeration.

For now, the project serves studentsin Kindergarten and first grade andtheir siblings. Letters were sent fromthe school district to Kindergartenersand first graders currently enrolled inthe free/reduced lunch program givingthem the option of receiving weeklypacks of food to see them through the weekend.

Asked about the high sugar and sodi-um content of some of the foods givenaway, Gilligan admitted not all of theitems in the packs were necessarilyhealthy choices.

"It's a trade off," he said. "Some foodis better than no food." That's a senti-ment it's difficult to argue with.

Using monetary donations, food forthe packs is purchased through theWashington County Food Bank for 21cents a pound. Donations may be madepayable to "Good Eats Ministry" andsent to or dropped off at CaliforniaUnited Methodist Church. The churchis located at 227 Third Street in

California. Donations of shelf stablefood items are also welcome.

Potential donors wishing to drop offchecks, cash or food items at thechurch are urged to call 724-938-2270in advance to make sure someone isthere to open the door.

In addition to feeding hungry chil-dren, the project aims to lower the rateof students dropping out of highschool. According to Gilligan, statistics show when students go hungry at home, they often performpoorly in school. Frustrated by theiracademic progress, many drop out ofschool altogether.

Gilligan said the Good Eats Ministryis a natural project for the church thatbegan after members completed a studyof Mike Slaughter's Change the World:Recovering the Mission and Message of Jesus.

"Jesus tells us to care for the lost andthe least," Gilligan said. By feeding thehungry, the Good Eats Ministry aims todo exactly as Jesus suggested.

The Good Eats Ministry will continuethroughout the school year and plansare in motion to offer a hot lunch pro-gram for area students a few days aweek during the summer months.

For more information, contact thechurch or like them on Facebook.

Pennsylvania Bridges is a free publication bridging communities inFayette, Greene, Washington andWestmoreland counties. We featureprofiles and articles about individu-als and groups contributing to theadvancement of the arts, education,healthcare, wellness, technologyand other avenues of interest to ourreaders.

Pennsylvania Bridges is regularlyupdated online and is printed everyother month beginning October2014. Each edition of the publica-tion includes fresh and original sto-ries about area personalities andevents of note as well as event list-ings. We welcome your story ideasvia email and event listings.

We adhere to the philosophy thatmedia should be both inspirationaland thought provoking. We sub-scribe to the belief that mediashould be easy to access and share.We routinely use social media todistribute news and updates andinvite our readers to share us withtheir networks. Our site’s interfaceis designed with this aim in mind.

We welcome your input. Havequestions, comments or angryexhortations? Email us! We want tohear your voice.

“Care for the least and the lost.”

Stay Connected To the arts & more...

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Volunteers smile for our cameras after a Good Eats Ministry food packing

All hands on deck to help feed hungry kids!


Woo Hoo to a New You!

While it may be grueling to reachambitious goals of weight loss or exer-cise, starting from within and achievinghappiness may be the key to long-termsuccess. To help people find theirhappy place, Zumba, the global fitnessbrand known for bringing joy into mil-lions of lives, has teamed up with posi-tive psychology, life coaching andnutrition experts Tal Ben-Shahar, MarciShimoff, and Dr. Mark Hyman, to cre-ate a happiness movement that willenhance satisfaction in all areas ofone's life.

Tal Ben-Shahar, former Harvard lec-turer, Being Happy and Choose theLife You Want, says to seek outmoments of enjoyment: "it's importantto set aside time throughout the weekfor activities that provide you withpleasure and meaning, like Zumba®classes, which may also positivelychange your attitude toward life, selfand others. Zumba classes include hap-piness movements - actions thatenhance the feeling or emotions thatare associated with them to helpincrease your mood."

And he's right-studies have found thatheart-pumping, endorphin-boostingworkouts elevate happiness and thatmore physically active people report

greater general feelings of excitementand enthusiasm than less active people.

Zumba has taken this concept a stepfurther by combining dance with fit-ness to create the perfect happiness for-mula. "We also know that dancing,among many things, reduces stress,diminishes depression and liberatespeople with feelings of pure joy," saidAlberto Perlman, CEO of Zumba. "Infact, our tagline 'Let It Move You,' is aphrase that draws out the passion andenhances the happiness that moves younot only physically but also emotional-ly-so that the feeling stays with youlong after the Zumba® workout is completed."

To fuel your soul, you also have tofuel your body-and nutrition plays animportant role in this process. Dr. MarkHyman, physician, says, "Focusing onfoods that steady blood sugar levels,also promotes the production of sero-tonin, your happy mood hormone.Optimal amounts of these foods canreduce your risk of depression, promotecalmness, and leave you feeling yourbest." Dr. Hyman recommends foodsrich in vitamin B6 such as avocadosand spinach and omega-3 fatty acidsincluding walnuts and wild caught fish.

Join the movement at zumba.com.

In the California area, certified Zumba instructor Lynne Hayes Langley, pictured here with some ofher regular students, offers classes on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays at 6 p.m. and on Mondaysand Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the Young Men’s Club on Edwards Street. Whatever your fitness goals,Lynne and Company promise to help you Woo Hoo to a New You!

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Story by Dave Zuchowski

Local residents don’t have to go allthe way to Australia to go DownUnder. They can simply get in their carand drive to Dunlevy.

A new entertainment venue calledHall Down Under staged its’ first con-cert on November 21 with four bands.They included Doctor Nasty and theMountain Men, Hear Tonight, DifferentPlaces in Space and guitarist JoshGilotty accompanied by vocalist andflutist, Stevie Nemetz. More concertsare now on the horizon.

The Hall Down Under, an entertain-ment space where patrons can sit onbenches and chairs set around tables,occupies the lower level of Mariner’sHall, which gets its name from itsproximity to the river and its location at13 Wharf Street. The upper floor is ahall rented out for parties, weddings,business meetings and banquets.

Owners Brian and Mary Beth Shortbought what was once the formerGaribaldi Hall in 1995, then staged fleamarkets on the lower level whilereserving the upper floor for banquetsand similar events.

"At the time, I was looking for aninvestment and something to do," saidMr. Short, a resident of California. "Ithink I must have temporarily lost mymind when I bought it."

Finding it hard to operate the business

while, at the same time working as aminer for CONSOL Energy at theEnlow Fork Mine, he couldn’t give theDunlevy business his full attention.Things changed for the better in 2012when he retired after 25 years on the job.

Trying to make the business a bitmore successful, he launched a firstfloor renovation project last spring. Asa result Hall Down Under is now operating with a newly built stage, afresh paint job and a high quality soundand light system.

"Our major goal is to give youngbands in the area a place to play," Mr.Short said. "Our son, Izaac, plays guitarand sings with Doctor Nasty and theMountain Men, and my wife and I seethe challenges he and his band face get-ting started. To be successful, youngbands have a lot more to learn than justplaying an instrument. They also haveto develop stage presence and learnhow to set up and tear down at a venuethat’s featuring several bands in oneevening. We’re hoping that Hall DownUnder will give them the valuablelearning experiences they need."

Izaac’s rock band has already playedin places like the Rex Theater and theSmiling Moose on Pittsburgh’s SouthSide and at the Night Gallery inLawrenceville. The young guitaristwrites many of his own songs and triesto avoid playing cover songs. The band

has its own Facebook page and also haspostings on YouTube.

On January 24, Hall Down Understaged a public open house that fea-tured the music of The Jades and foodprepared by Bruno’s and Sons ofCharleroi. During the full-to-capacityopen house, the Shorts also gave awaya gift basket and T-shirts emblazonedwith their business logo.

"At the moment, we plan to start offconservatively with a band or two eachmonth," Mr. Short said. "In mid-February, we’re planning on havingtwo bands come in, but eventually wantto add performance artists such ascomedians to the schedule."

Upcoming events will be posted onHall Down Under’s Facebook page,and the owners will also post fliersaround the area.

"The bands will also be responsiblefor advertising their concerts, which ispart of their learning process," Mr.Short said.

Admission to the concerts will usually cost $5, and some events willbe BYOB while others will be alcoholfree. Food such as hot dogs, tacos,sloppy joes, chips and soft drinks areavailable for purchase from the conces-sion kitchen. The Shorts expect to drawaudiences from all over the Mon Valleyas well as students from nearbyCalifornia University of Pennsylvania.

At the moment, Mr. Short handles the

maintenance, scheduling and securityduties of the business while his wife, aregistered nurse who works in the ITunit at the Donnell House atWashington Hospital, handles advertis-ing and the sound and light systems.The couple is also exploring the idea ofhaving student interns from Cal U.come in to learn how to operate thesound and light systems.

Patrons can also rent the upper hallfor banquets, weddings, business meet-ings and parties. While the hall has anoperating kitchen, renters have to eitherbring in food they prepare elsewhere orhire a caterer.

"We recommend Bruno and Sons ofCharleroi, which we stumbled on oneday while looking for a place to eat,"Mr. Short said. "We liked the place so much, we asked them to cater ourrecent open house, for which they prepared a beautiful array of hors d’ouevres."

The rental fee for the hall is deter-mined by the size of the event. A wed-ding, for instance, will cost more than aretirement party, and the minimum feeis $150 for a small event such as abusiness meeting.

"If we have something going ondownstairs, naturally we won’t bookthe banquet hall for the same day," Mr.Short said.

For more information, phone: 412-445-7086.

Hall Down Under ready to rock and roll

The Hall Down Under, an entertainment space where patrons can sit on benches and chairs set around tables, occupies the lower level of Mariner’s Hall.

Patrons can also rent the upper hall for banquets, weddings, business meetings and parties. The rental fee for the hall is determined by the size of the event.

Story by Chuck Brutz

In previous articles, we've talkedabout average, run of the mill topics,like a giant marshmallow man out todestroy the universe, or a horde of evillittle green monsters attacking a smalltown on Christmas Eve. But now, sus-pend your disbelief and take a trip backin time, back to 1985 - with brief stopovers in 1955, 1989 and 2015. So staywith us dear reader, or it could cause atime paradox, unravel the space timecontinuum and destroy the universe.Celebrate the 30th anniversary of thefilm classic, Back to The Future.

In the early 80s, screenwriters BobGale and Robert Zemeckis had a toughtime making a go of it in Hollywood.Previously, the duo had written twofilms, the 1978 Beatlemania comedy IWanna Hold Your Hand and 1980'sUsed Cars - starring Kurt Russell - nei-ther of which been a box office suc-cess. They'd also written the screenplayfor the 1979 war comedy 1941, direct-ed by Steven Spielberg, then famousfor hits such as Jaws and CloseEncounters of the Third Kind. 1941was a flop, labeled by critics asSpielberg's Christmas turkey.

While visiting his parents, Gale wassorting through boxes in the basementand, to his surprise, discovered hisfather had been president of his gradu-ating class. Gale wondered, “If I hadgone to school with my father, wouldhe and I have been friends?” Galepitched the concept to Zemeckis, andthe duo decided to make the screenplaya time travel story.

In a nutshell: local crackpot scientistDoc Brown invents a time machine inwhich his friend and protégé 17-year-old Marty McFly accidentally travelsfrom the 1980s to the 1950s, where heinadvertently interferes with his par-ents' first meeting, thus potentiallyaltering the course of history and jeopardizing his own existence.

If they don't meet and fall in love,Marty will cease to be, so he finds him-self playing matchmaker between hisparents. This scenario is complicatedby his teenage mother developing acrush on him, who she believes to ateenager named Calvin Klein.

Originally, Doc's time machine wasoriginally going to be an old refrigera-tor, but Zemeckis and Gale decided to

use a carinstead. Theirlogic was ifyou're goingto have a timemachine, itshould bemobile. Theychose theDeLorean forits resem-blance to aflying saucer.

They fin-ished an earlydraft of thescript in 1981 but found the projecthard to get off the ground. It wasturned down by most of the major stu-dios for being not being risqué enoughlike other popular comedies at the time,such as National Lampoon’s AnimalHouse, Fast Times at Ridgemont Highor Porky's. Disney rejected it as beingnot family friendly since the plotinvolved a teenage mom developing a crush on her son.

In 1983, Michael Douglas hiredZemeckis to direct the action adven-ture comedy, Romancing the Stone. Abox office hit upon its 1984 release, thefilm's success helped Zemeckis securea deal with Universal Pictures to direct what would become Back to the Future.

Actor Michael J. Fox, a star on the hitTV series Family Ties was Zemeckisand Gale's first choice to play Marty,but weren't originally able to cast himbecause his TV shooting schedulewould conflict with Back To TheFuture's. Eric Stoltz (Mask) was cast inthe role instead. Much of the film wasshot with Stoltz, but Zemeckis still felthe wasn't right for the part, and let himgo. Zemeckis and Gale came to a com-promise with Family Ties creator andproducer Gary David Goldberg thatenabled Fox to star in both both FamilyTies and Back to the Future.

Fox worked on Family Ties duringthe day, while most of his scenes inBack to the Future were shot at night.Best known for his role on Taxi,Christopher Lloyd was cast as DocBrown after John Lithgow passed onthe role.

The film broke new ground by usingthe same actors to play Marty's parentsat the ages of 47 and 17, a move made

possible by the magic of make-up. Atthe time, both Fox and Lea Thompson -who played Marty's mother - were both23, and Crispin Clover - Marty's father- was actually 20.

Fun fact: Glover guest starred on asecond season episode of Family Tiesas a friend of Fox's character, Alex.

Released in July 1985, Back to theFuture was the number one film foreight straight weeks. Would Marty andDoc have future adventures ahead?Only time would tell.

At the ending of Back to the Future,Doc whisks Marty and Marty's girl-friend Jennifer away in a flyingDeLorean to the future to save theiroffspring. Because the film's creatorswere unsure if it would be a hit or not,they'd written the ending as a joke,with our heroes more or less riding offinto the sunset. The "to be continued"tag at the end of the film was not addeduntil the VHS release of the film in1986. Upon the film's huge success,Universal Studios wanted a sequel.

Released in November 1989, in Backto the Future II, Marty, Doc, andMarty's girlfriend Jennifer time trav-eled from 1985 to the year 2015.

In the movie, filmmakers made bothextreme and pedestrian predictionsabout what life would be like in theyear 2015. Now that we’ve arrived,what did they get wrong and what didthey get right? See facing page for mytake on this!

In 1990, Back to the Future III landedin theaters. A fun but forgettable film,it failed to generate the sucesss of its’ predecessors.

The Entertainment Chuckwagon: Back to Back to the Future


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Now that we've actually arrived in2015, what did predictions did themovie Back to the Future get right, andwhat did they get wrong?

On the "correct" list, Miami now hasa baseball team. At the time, Floridadidn't have a Major League baseballteam but now has two, the FloridaMarlins and the Tampa Bay Rays.

Video conferencing also came to be,as well as video advertising replacingmany regular billboards. If you go toSunoco, you can watch gas station TVwhile you fill up. Nostalgia themedrestaurants exist (such as Café 80's featured in Part II), we have advancedvideo game technology and we canwatch multiple television channelssimultaneously.

What was not correct? They failed topredict cell phone technology. In thefilm's version of 2015, pay phones are

still everywhere like in the 80s. NewPontiacs no longer roll off the assem-bly line as the company has beendefunct since 2010. We don't yet havehoverboards or flying cars.

In the DVD documentary for Back tothe Future, screenwriter Bob Gale saidhe and others of his generation hadbeen promised flying cars by the1980s. Disappointed that failed tomaterialize, he put flying cars in hisversion of the future 2015. He also stat-ed the filmmakers didn't want to depictthe future as a bleak, depressing placeas in many science fiction movies.

"We wanted to show a future that wasa nice place," Gale said.

"If there was anything wrong with it,it was the people living there, not the technology."


Backpacks galore, each filled with care, were donated to Foster Friends of Washington County.More details about this fantastic effort on page 14.

BBaabbyy.. .. ..ii tt ’’ss ccoo llddoouuttss iiddee!!

While most people recognize thatsnow shoveling is very hard work,and can put severe stress on yourheart, fewer people recognize thestress and strain that it places on yourback. Snow shoveling can placeexcessive stress on spinal structures.

Here are tips to help you avoid such problems:

Tip # 1 If you experience pain of any kind, stop immediately and seek assistance.

Tip # 2 Be sure that your shovelhas a curved handle, as this enablesyou to keep your back straighterwhen shoveling.

Obtain a shovel with an appropriatelength handle. The length is correctwhen you can slightly bend yourknees, flex your back 10 degrees orless, and hold the shovel comfortablyin your hands.

A plastic shovel blade will general-ly be lighter than a metal one, thusputting less strain on your spine.

Sometimes, a smaller blade is betterthan a larger blade.

Tip # 3 Push the snow, do not liftit. Pushing puts far less strain on thespine than lifting.

Tip # 4 Be sure your muscles are warm before you start shoveling.Cold, tight muscles are more likely to sprain or strain than warm, relaxed muscles.

Tip # 5 When you grip the shovel,make sure your hands are at least 12

inches apart.By creating distance

between your hands, you increaseyour leverage and reduce the strainon your body.

Tip # 6 The American Academy ofOrthopaedic Surgeons recommends:

"If you must lift the snow, lift itproperly. Squat with your legs apart,knees bent and back straight. Liftwith your legs. Do not bend at the waist.

Scoop small amounts of snow intothe shovel and walk to where youwant to dump it. Holding a shovel ofsnow with your arms outstretchedputs too much weight on your spine.

Never remove deep snow all atonce; do it piecemeal. Shovel an inchor two; then take another inch off.

Rest and repeat if necessary."

Tip # 7 Never throw snow overyour shoulder.

Tip # 8 Remember that wet snowcan be very heavy. One full shovelload can weigh as much as 25 pounds.

Tip # 9 Pace yourself by taking fre-quent breaks to gently stretch yourback, arms and legs.

Tip #10 Consider buying a snow-blower. When used correctly, a snow-blower will put far less strain on yourback than snow shoveling.

Sadly, Hoverboards never progressed past the toy phase. What else did Back to the Future get surprisingly wrong? What did the film eerily predict? Chuck Brutz elaborates.

Tips for Safe Snow Shoveling

It's 2015? What do you mean we're in the future?

Stay safe and be careful out there!

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By Rev. B.T. Gilligan

Greetings! As this is my firstarticle for PennsylvaniaBridges, I thought I would takea moment to introduce myself.My name is B.T. Gilligan and Iam the pastor at CaliforniaUnited Methodist Church. Istarted here last July so I amfairly new to this beautifultown. My family and I are stilltrying to learn our way aroundtown and all the people's names. Wecame from a small town near GroveCity. I can't believe how fast time hasgone and how quickly we have gottento nearly Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day always brings backmemories of those terrible junior highawkward years and the even more awk-ward junior high dances. I don't knowif you are familiar with them but theyare the stuff of nightmares. I rememberone particularly horrible junior highdance that I attended. While there, Isaw the girl who was my math classcrush, not to be confused with myEnglish class crush or my science class

crush. After anhour of tryingto work up thecourage, I final-ly asked her todance. At myrequest shepromptly burstinto tears andran into thegirls' restroomwhere she hiduntil the dance

was over. I had extended myself andrisked everything and I got crushed. Itwas horrible. I still have nightmaresabout this event.

This is what love is. When we are inlove with a person we have put our-selves in a place where we risk beinghurt by another person. When we lovewe extend ourselves in such a way thatwe might get crushed. If we never riskour pain for another, we aren't reallyexperiencing love. When we say we arein love with someone, we are sayingthat we have opened ourselves up tothem and they are free to respond ornot. Their response, or lack of one,

does not make our love any less real.Love is not less valid because the otherperson does not respond. In fact, this ishow we know what love is, when weput ourselves in a position where wemight get hurt so that others can expe-rience the love you have for them.

This is what it is with Jesus. At thecross, Jesus died because of His greatlove for the entire world. Jesus did itknowing some may not respond andthat some may even reject Him. At thecross Jesus extended Himself to allpeople, no matter what. The love Jesusshowed at the cross is not dependent onanyone's response and is still validregardless of what we have done. Some of us may have said yes, somemay have said no, still others may haveburst into tears and ran to the bath-room. Either way the love extended isstill there waiting, waiting for you and for me, available to you no matter what.

At CUMC, we say it this way: "Nomatter what you did, when you did it,who you did it to, with, for, because of,or how many times you have done it,God's not angry with you. God is inlove with you and has made Himselfavailable to you through Jesus."

So then may you know that just asyou risk pain and heartache when youlove another person, so has Jesus riskedit all for you and the whole world.

Services are held at CUMC onSundays at 10:45 a.m.

Valentine’s Day and the promise of unconditional love

The Student Activities Office, alongwith the Blackburn Center, is proud topresent a screening of Brave MissWorld on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. in theFounders Hall Amphitheater. Thescreening is free and open to the public.

The 2014 Emmy nominated film fol-lows the story of Israeli beauty queenLinor Abargil, who was abducted andraped in Milan, Italy two monthsbefore being crowned Miss World in1998. Ten years later, she’s ready totalk about it – and to encourage othersto speak out. Now a globe-trotting vic-tims’ advocate, Linor encourages othersto stand against sexual violence by put-ting an end to their silence. She travels

to speak with teens in South Africa,where girls are statistically more likelyto be raped than educated. She visitsU.S. college campuses where womendescribe a campus culture that fails totake assaults seriously. From rape crisiscenters worldwide, to Hollywood’s liv-ing rooms, Linor is met with emotionalsupport, but the advocacy work causesher own trauma to resurface.

Representatives from the BlackburnCenter will be available with resourcesand representatives from PittsburghAction Against Rape (PAAR) will leada post-film discussion.

The screening was made possiblethrough a program by JFilm, ThePittsburgh Jewish Film Forum.

WCCC to present free screening of “Brave Miss World”

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While heart disease is both preventa-ble and controllable, it remains theleading cause of death for men andwomen in the United States. Howhealthy is your heart and your lifestyle?

The three hospitals in WashingtonCounty will again team up duringNational Heart Month (February) for acounty-wide education and awarenesseffort for women and men called “GoRed, Washington County.”

Canonsburg Hospital, MonongahelaValley Hospital (MVH) andWashington Health System (WHS) willeach host events at their respectivefacilities on Thursday, Feb. 26, at vari-ous times. Offerings include speakers,educational demonstrations, giveawaysand more.

At Canonsburg Hospital, these GoRed events will be held from 4-6:30p.m. in the McNary Conference Center,100 Medical Blvd, Canonsburg, 15317:

4-6:30 p.m. Screenings for bloodpressure and BMI by CanonsburgHospital nursing staff; and chiropracticchair massage, with posture and func-tional movement screenings done byTyson Swigart, D.C. and staff,Southpointe Chiropractic and Fitness.

4:30 p.m. “Women and HeartDisease: What You Need to Know,”Travis Wilson, M.D., cardiologist,Canonsburg Hospital, Allegheny HealthNetwork.

5 p.m. T’ai Ch’i for Stress Relief andHealth, talk and demonstration byGurney Bolster, MA of T’ai C’hi forHealth, and students.

5:30 p.m. “Nutrition for a HealthyHeart,” Mark Davis, RD, LDN, nutri-tionist, Jefferson Hospital, AlleghenyHealth Network.

6 p.m. “Small Changes, Big Resultsfor Your Health,” Margie Webb, RN,LMT, owner of “Ahh..A Massage,”McMurray, Pa.

All attending the Canonsburg Go Redevent will be eligible to win an iPad®Mini, donated by TownView Healthand Rehab. Winner need not be present.

For any donation of $5 and up madeto the American Heart Association,Washington County, CanonsburgHospital will be giving away a limitednumber of red fleece gloves or head-bands as a thank you.

At Monongahela Valley Hospital,these events will be held at the

Anthony M.LombardiEducationConference Centeron the hospitalcampus, 1163Country Club Rd.,Monongahela:

3-4:30 p.m. Freeblood pressurescreenings andstroke risk assessments.

3:30 p.m. HeartHealthy CookingDemonstration byMVH ExecutiveChef PhoebeDiBello, andClinical NutritionManager MichelePfarr, RD, LDN,with samplesafterward.

4:30 p.m.Innovations inMedicine talk onstroke byNeurologist PushpaKumari, M.D.

6 p.m. Keynotespeaker: Craig Wolfley, 12-year veteranof the NFL, former Pittsburgh Steeler,martial arts instructor, former sumocompetitor, and TV and radio personality.

MVH will also have healthy refresh-ments, free giveaways and a raffle.Seating is limited; must RSVP forMVH events by calling, 724-258-1333.Staff at MVH will sell Go RedWashington County gloves and head-bands during the event.

Washington Health System (WHS)events will be held Feb. 24 and 26 atthe hospital’s Wilfred R. CameronWellness Center, 240 Wellness Way,Washington, PA 15301.

Tuesday, Feb. 24, 5-8 p.m.,Washington GO RED Girls Night Outat Spa Harmony. Enjoy a mini spa daywhile raising money for a good cause.Choose three mini spa services: mas-sage, reflexology, facials, manicures orpedicures. Cost is $30 per person.RSVP by Feb. 18, or to purchase aticket for your sweetheart, call 724-250-5238.

Feb. 26, Go Red Washington Health

System (WHS) events at Wilfred R.Cameron Wellness Center:

6-10 a.m. Free screenings for the first100, only $10/per person after that.Must RSVP to 724-250-5210 and mustfast for 12 hours prior to the test; takemedications as normal and drink plentyof water.

9-10 a.m. Heart Smart Decisionspanel discussion with cardiologist, dietitian and exercise physiologist.

5:30-6:30 p.m. Heart Healthy MiniStations, 10-15 minute mini hearthealthy sessions on a variety of topicsincluding fitness, nutrition and stressmanagement.

6:30-8:30 p.m. Zumbathon. Minimum$5 donation with free gift for all whodonate. All donations will be sent to theAmerican Heart Association (AHA).Basket raffles. Tickets are a $5 dona-tion. All proceeds go to AHA.

Washington will also sell Go Red T-shirts and paper hearts in February andhospital staff will involve employeeswith a pie-in-the-doctor’s-face contestand an Employee Heart Educationevent with games and prizes.


Hospitals promote heart health awareness

For Canonsburg Hospital’s Go Red event, Gurney Bolster, MA of T’ai C’hifor Health (front, center), and her students will give a talk and

demonstration at 5 p.m. in the McNary Conference Center100 Medical Boulevard, Canonsburg, Pa.

Oscar® Nominated Short Subjects"Oscar" is a trademark of theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts andSciences.Live Action: Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m.Animated: Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Back for the fifth time, ourpopular Oscar® NominatedShort Subjects spans two nightsleading up to the broadcast ofthe popular Academy Awards onFebruary 22. Come out and walkour red carpet in your awards-season finest, enjoy the shortfilms, and root for your favoritenominees on Sunday!

The ticket price (or season tick-et package) includes tickets forboth nights. Individual ticketswill be available at the door foreach night, but at the full ticketprice.

Winter Tales XIIIWritten/Directed by W&J community membersFeb. 26-28 at 7:30 p.m.

The ever popular Winter Talesreturns for an evening of shortone-act plays (ten minute plays,actually) drawn from originalscripts submitted by members ofthe W&J community, includingstudents, alumni, faculty, admin-istration and staff.

It is a fast-moving and diverse(sometimes very adult) entertain-ment from fresh voices. OurThirteenth Year!

All shows take place at:The Olin Fine Arts Center

285 E. Wheeling StreetWashington, Pennsylvania

Parking is free for patrons.

W & J Box Office724-223-OLIN

www.washjeff.org

OOnn tthhee SSttaaggeeat W&J University


The Claude Worthington BenedumFoundation recently approved a$200,000 grant to the WashingtonCommunity Arts and Cultural Center(Wash Arts) for the formation of aRural Arts Collaborative (RAC) inSouthwest Pennsylvania. Wash Artswill serve as the convener and fiduciarymanager of the grant. Three arts organi-zations were selected to receive fund-ing from this grant including WashArts-Washington, PA, Fayette CountyCultural Trust-Connellsville, PA andthe Monon Center- Greensboro, PA.Funds will be used to implement thisproject in Washington, Fayette andGreene Counties.

With the assistance of theIntermediate Unit 1, this project will beable to identify a roster of localTeaching Artists in all three counties,and coordinate placement of thoseartists in classrooms and out of school settings.

Rueben Brock, chair of the Board ofDirectors stated: "The BenedumFoundation has positioned Wash Arts tobe a catalyst for change in the artscommunity in rural Southwestern PA.Through their generosity, we will beable to impact the arts in education innot only Washington County, butFayette and Greene Counties as wellwhere there is a notable absence of artsprograms in schools. The Board and Ithank the Benedum Foundationimmensely for believing in our abilityto be a conduit for this great project."

Because of the location of each of the

three arts organizations, Wash Arts willbe able to work with more school dis-tricts and administrators and introducethem to the concept, while at the sametime, form a collaborative group oflocal Teaching Artists representing allthree counties.

Jim Denova, V.P. of the BenedumFoundation said: "This project is at theheart of what Benedum is pleased tofund - those things that impact the artsin education for children. Ultimately aswe know through research and statis-tics, participation in arts education pro-grams improves cognitive developmentand learning skills across the board forthose who are exposed. We are excitedto see Wash Arts become the regional

voice for this initiative."The Claude

Worthington BenedumFoundation is dedicatedto encouraging humandevelopment in WestVirginia andSouthwestern PAthrough strategicallyplaced charitableresources. Over theyears, the Foundationhas authorized grants ofover $410,000,000.

This is an 18 monthproject which beginsthis January with plan-ning and working withthe school districts toplace teaching artists in

several school districts within the threecounties by the start of school year2015-16 in September.

Becky Keck, Director of Wash Artswas thrilled at the news and stated: "Asan active Teaching Artist, I have seenfirst-hand the immediate and lastingimpressions that Arts Integration hasmade in both the classroom and com-munity; bringing concepts in science,engineering, arts and technology to lifein the hands of our children.”

“I could not be more thrilled with thisopportunity on both a personal and pro-fession level. The children of thesethree counties deserve this experience,and our team will work hard to makethis a reality," she added.

Wash Arts receives $200,000 grant

Art education programs are a vital part of ensuringour children’s success, now and in the future.For more information about classes & events

at Wash Arts, visit washarts.org.

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Preview by Hayley Martin

Disney on Ice: Princesses and Heroeswill skate into CONSOL Energy CenterMarch 4-8 for nine magical shows.

Disney on Ice has become aPittsburgh spring staple, bringing our most beloved Disney tales to lifeincluding their most recent megahit, Frozen.

This year's show will feature a bevyof Disney princesses. Watch Arielstruggle to overcome Ursula's spell inhopes of reclaiming her true love, Eric.Prince Phillip will race time to battleeveryone's favorite purple dragon,Maleficent, and awaken his SleepingBeauty. In addition to these iconiccharacters, the show will also featureAladdin's Jasmine and Aladdin,Frozen's Elsa, Anna and Olaf,Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast'sBelle, Snow White, Rapunzel, andTiana from The Princess and the Frog.

Little ones and adults alike will be inawe of the amazing flips and tricks thecast will perform on thin metal blades.Every year, the leaps get higher and thetricks more fantastic. You won't want to blink and risk missing even a millisecond of the action.

As in recent years, the March produc-tion will feature characters from bothcontemporary and classic Disney films.With such a large and varied cast,you're certain to see one of your

favorite cast members come to life onthe ice.

Disney on Ice is a magical experiencefor all ages but, for kids, it's like takinga trip to Disney without having to leave Pittsburgh.

Every year the skaters' beautiful cos-tumes grow even more spectacular.Though their outfits are modified tooptimize safety, you'll be left wonder-ing how these talented performers canstill skate with such grace and preci-sion in their elaborate costumes.

If you've never been to a Disney onIce performance, you can check outvideos of the show here:disneyonice.com/princesses-and-heroes. These videos work well as"teasers" for kids leading up to the event.

Great seats are still available for allshows. Tickets can be purchased at theBox Office at Consol Energy Center,all Ticketmaster Locations, includingselect Giant Eagle Locations and byphone at 1-800-745-3000. For moreinformation: consolenergycenter.com.

Disney on Ice skates into CONSOL Center

New Kids On The Block announcedTHE MAIN EVENT, a summer head-lining tour featuring very specialguests, Grammy Award winning andmulti-platinum selling artists TLC and Nelly.

Social media has been abuzz eversince the official reveal with no signsof slowing down.

"We always have something specialup our sleeves," said NKOTB memberDonnie Wahlberg. "Our fans keep ask-ing us to come back out on the road,and we want to keep giving them whatthey want! We wanted to make sure itwas something new and fresh and funand totally worthwhile for all of oursupporters year after year. This year,we are making it THE MAIN EVENT.And we promise, it will be THE TICKET of the summer."

With all-new and top-notch produc-tion elements, this tour is sure to be theultimate summer concert ticket aspromised. The highlights will include a360-degree stage "in the round." Withno obstructions, the stage set up willoffer optimal viewing. The bands haveworked hard on the show and stagingconcept to make sure that everyone inthe house has a part of the action, upclose and center.

"We are thrilled to be able to join popicons NKTOB and Nelly on tour. Weare equally excited to be back on theroad connecting with our fans in suchhuge arenas," said TLC.

Please visit www.NKOTB.com,www.livenation.com or www.ticket-master.com for up to date information.

New Kids On The Block totake stage at CONSOL Center

Read these stories and others at:

pabridges.comContinuously updated with the arts, education, entertainment & lifestyle news you deserve

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After years of helping the community,the Rev. Doug Quail of DaisytownBible Fellowship Church is getting ahelping hand from those he's servedand supported.

Quail needs a liver transplant andpresently is being processed for thelife-saving list. He suffers from non-alcoholic cirrhosis.

West Brownsville American LegionPost 940 and Quail's family andfriends, including the BentworthMinisterium Community Choir, aresponsoring a benefit Feb. 15. "AConcert for Doug" will be held from 2p.m. to 6 p.m. in the legion at 800Middle Street.

Three bands and a comedian aredonating their talents and time for theevent in recognition of Quail's ardentsupport last summer of the Power ofMusic concerts, held primarily at theAmerican Legion post.

Appearing will be bands Knob Road,Shannon & the Merger and The Jakob'sFerry Stragglers along with comedianShane Dolan.

Tickets are $15 per person, whichincludes a spaghetti dinner. Proceedswill be used to defray Quail's medical expenses.

Quail, a Daisytown native, camedown with a serious diabetic infectiontwo days after Christmas. The 47-year-old was flown into UPMC inPittsburgh, where he learned his condi-tion had reached the point that he need-ed a liver transplant.

Quail is locally known for his RKPossum puppet ministry, appearing atVacation Bible Schools, festivals andchurch events.

Each year, he and his wife, Peggy,host "Chicken on the Grounds," a freemeal for area residents at the church hefounded eight years ago. They alsoopen the doors of their church eachmonth for a free community dinner.Other times, he will dip into his pocketto provide food baskets to needy resi-dents in his hometown.

As part of his ministry to others, hemakes hospital visits throughout thePittsburgh and Mon Valley regions and

substitutes for other ministers who areon vacation or ill.

"He's a community guy. He alwayswants to help," says Annette Buffer ofBrownsville, leader of the BentworthMinisterium Community Choir, whichrepresents 14 churches in Washingtonand Fayette counties.

Last fall, Quail burned the mortgagefor Daisytown Bible FellowshipChurch at 442 Pike Run Rd.,California, a shuttered Catholic churchthat he acquired in 2007 from theDiocese of Pittsburgh. The ordainedminister is a graduate of the DouglasSchool of Business (now DouglasEducation Center) and California AreaHigh School. Prior to going into theministry, he worked 20 years atInterstate Paper Supply Co. in Roscoe.

Tickets will be sold at the legion dooror in advance through Buffer at [email protected]. The fund-raising committee also includes Davidand Bobbi Hixon and Donna Antol, allof California,; Gary Antol (The Jakob’sFerry Stragglers) of Stockdale; andSueAnne Antonucci of Daisytown.

Concert to benefit Daisytown minister

Reverend Doug Quail of Daisytown BibleFellowship Church, pictured here with his

beloved family pet

There are five stages of normal griefthat were first proposed by ElisabethKübler-Ross in her 1969 book On Deathand Dying. In our bereavement, wespend different lengths of time workingthrough each step and express eachstage with different levels of intensity.Many people do not experience thestages in the order listed below, which isokay.

Denial and Isolation: The first reac-tion to learning of terminal illness ordeath of a cherished loved one is todeny the reality of the situation. Weblock out the words and hide from thefacts. This is a temporary response.

Anger: The intense emotion isdeflected from our vulnerable core, redi-rected and expressed instead as anger.The anger may be aimed at inanimateobjects, complete strangers, friends orfamily. Anger may be directed at ourdying or deceased loved one. We feelguilty for being angry, and this makes usmore angry.

Bargaining: The normal reaction tofeelings of helplessness and vulnerabili-ty is often a need to regain control.Secretly, we may make a deal with ahigher power in an attempt to postponethe inevitable. This is a weaker line ofdefense to protect us from the painfulreality.

Depression: Two types of depressionare associated with mourning. The firstone is a reaction to practical implica-tions relating to the loss. We worry that,in our grief, we have spent less timewith others that depend on us. We mayneed a bit of helpful cooperation and afew kind words. The second type ofdepression is more subtle and, in asense, perhaps more private.

Acceptance: Reaching this stage ofmourning is a gift not afforded to every-one. Death may be sudden and unex-pected or we may never see beyond ouranger or denial. This phase is marked bywithdrawal and calm.

Coping with loss is a deeply personaland singular experience.

Mariscotti Funeral Home323 Fourth Street

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(724) 322-0500 - CellAnthony Mariscotti, Supervisor

The Five Stages of Grief


Preview by Hayley Martin

When a tour bring with it 20 trucks ofeffects, over 200 speakers, 85 movinglights, 10 tons of scenery and one chandelier, you know you're in for aseriously spectacular show. ThePhantom of the Opera tourdoesn't disappoint.

CameronMackintosh's newproduction ofAndrew LloydWebber's timelessclassic, ThePhantom of theOpera tour is partof brand new NorthAmerican production.

"We were able to cre-ate a new concept withthe new director who isreally about the theaterof the show," saidJacquelynne Fontaine, who playsCarlotta Guidicelli. "It's the same showyou love with a fresh take."

According to Fontaine, this production is really inspiring and amodern take on the classic show.Featuring stunning costumes by Tonyaward-winning designer MariaBjörnson, the production boasts spec-tacular special effects, including thelegendary chandelier.

"This show has some really amazingcostumes," Fontaine said. "My openingdress is like 40 pounds and takes threepeople to get me into it for the show."

Fans will be moved by iconic songssuch as "Music of the Night," "All IAsk of You" and "Masquerade" which

is performed by a cast and orchestra of52 - making this production one of thelargest shows currently on tour.

"You meet so many awesome peoplebecause you're always on the road,"said Fontaine. "You develop

into a family with the cast and crew."

The show follows a dis-figured musical genius

living in secret in aParis Opera House,who terrorizes theopera company forthe benefit of hisyoung protégée,Christine, with whom

falls madly in love. Carlotta (Fontaine) is

the opera company's primadonna and sees Christine as a

threat to her career. "Carlotta is an Italian

opera diva who'sworked hard to become a primadonna," Fontaine said. "Everythinggoes wrong and she acts like a truediva would. I love her power and com-plete authority. She's not afraid of any-one. I try to take after her sometimes,but she's a little too assertive."

Catch The Phantom of the Opera atthe Benedum Center, 655 Penn Avenue,Feb. 18-March 1. A perfect postValentine's Day treat for your sweet-heart, tickets start at just $34. Fansattending opening night are also wel-come to attend the pre-show talk to getthe inside scoop on Broadway shows.

For information, call 412-456-6666 or visit www.trustsarts.org.

The cast of Phantom of the Opera appear onstage together during this fantastic number

“Phantom” to take stage at Benedum Center

Multi-platinum and GrammyAward-winning singer and song-writer Sarah McLachlan will per-form March 11 at 8 p.m. at theBenedum Center. McLachlan's "ShineOn Tour", which launched last June,has visited over 40 cities in NorthAmerica to widespread criticalacclaim. Tickets are available atwww.TrustArts.org, by calling 412-456-6666, or in person at TheaterSquare Box Office, 655 Penn Avenue.

Brit Floyd's Space & Time WorldTour 2015 will perform at 8 p.m. onFriday, March 13 and Saturday, March14, at the Benedum Center.Celebrating five decades of PinkFloyd, from their creation in 1965 rightthrough to the release of their brandnew album, The Endless River, thisamazing new show includes perform-ances from all Pink Floyd's biggestselling albums plus a host of otherPink Floyd musical surprises.

Tickets ($37.25-57.25) are on salenow at TrustArts.org, by calling 412-456-6666, or in person at the Box Office at Theater Square, 655Penn Avenue.

Singer Jacquelynne Fontaine

Thanks to Lindsay Hull for the following update!

The idea for Foster Friends ofWashington County and the care packdrive took spark just beforeThanksgiving 2014. Ashley DeWitt andI read a blog about a group collectingback packs for foster children inAllegheny County and wanted to par-ticipate in the drive but wished thepacks could be given to children in ourown neighborhoods. Realizing maybewe could if we just asked, we contactedWashington County CYS and got thegreen light to donate our packs and anyother we could collect as well. With thego ahead from CYS, Ashley and I cre-ated a Facebook group and started post-ing fliers and inviting everyone weknew to join the cause. In the fourweek period from the concept's incep-tion until the official care pack "dona-tion week" support wildly exceeded ourexpectations, collecting more than 200care packs for children in foster care!

Often children are removed from theirliving situation with nothing but theclothes on their back and a trash bag ofmiscellaneous items. The purpose ofthe care pack is to give children whoare in a situation completely out oftheir control something that can bringthem comfort and that they truly cancall their own. Putting together a pack

is no easy task; they take time, money,and thought. Each pack is age and gen-der specific so it can be "grab and go"for the caseworker. Packs were collect-ed for children ages newborn to eight-een years and are a back pack or duffelbag containing at minimum pajamas, ablanket, toothbrush and toothpaste,body wash, a book and a toy. Manypacks donated contained heart-feltextras such as journals.

Word of mouth regarding our drivespread quickly and packs, monetaryand gift card donations began to comein right away. Foster Friends would liketo recognize the following people orbusinesses who donated $100 or more:Hollowood Heating Inc. (California,PA), CentiMark Corporation(Canonsburg), California Army NavySurplus (California), and DouglasEducation Center's Jeffrey D. Imbrescia(Monessen). All monetary donationswere used to finish any incompletepacks and to create additional packs.Foster Friends also had several individ-uals and businesses that went the extramile and donated fifteen or more carepacks. These came from Mandy Leeand Lee Supply (Charleroi, PA),Alyson Hollowood and MOPS ofCalvary Baptist (Washington), JessicaFritch and the Charleroi High Schoolfaculty and students, and the membersof the Mon Valley YMCA. We would

also like to thank Janae Layhue andHugs for the Holidays who generouslydonated forty-five Build-A-Bears to beincluded in care packs. Finally, FosterFriends of Washington County wouldlike to thank the businesses who servedas our donation locations: City Motors,LifePoint Church Workshop,Moschetta's Performing Arts Center inWaynesburg and Fredericktown,Hollowood Heating Inc., and the MonValley YMCA.

Ashley and I are humbled by the gen-

erosity shown by all who participatedin our drive in any way. We truly can'tbelieve the response we received insuch a short period of time. We plan tomake the care pack drive an annualevent and are open to organizing addi-tional drives throughout the year tomeet other needs of children in fostercare. Foster Friends of WashingtonCounty can be contacted at [email protected].

Donations can be made at:www.gofundme.com/fosterfriends.


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By Chuck Brutz

In the past few years, California,Pennsylvania has lost several historicstructures including The Savage Hoteland The Hollywood Theatre. With somuch history rapidly disappearing, it'scomforting to realize one of the town'sarchitectural wonders will turn the big1-1-1 this year.

In 1904, the building now home toDollar General and Jozart Center for the Arts was constructed. Owned by Jones and Laughlin Company, the building housed The PittsburghMercantile department store.

Nicknamed "The Company Store" byresidents, The Pittsburgh Mercantilewas described in a 1914 advertisementas "the best equipped and most moderndepartment store in the MonongahelaValley, carrying the best quality mer-chandise at the fairest prices."

"It was an all-purpose store whichcarried clothes and food," said PatCowen, Secretary for the CaliforniaArea Historical Society. "All the coalminers and their families shopped thereand paid in Scrip, a form of credit atthe time."

In 1949, a new tenant occupied thebuilding, G.C. Murphy's departmentstore. Changes to the exterior includedthe addition of an awningand gold letters spelling outG.C. Murphy Co. 5 & 10store. Colorful displaysfilled the windows.

The store had hardwoodfloors and two floors ofgoods. Where DollarGeneral now sits was actu-ally the store's second floor,while items such as toysand hardware could befound on the lower level.The space now occupied byJozart Center for the Artswas used only for storage.

Murphy's remained thebuilding's principal occu-pant until 1985 when, due to economicrealities and the changing of the times,all of the area stores bearing the nameof Murphy's closed.

The building wouldn't stay empty forlong, however. In 1986, Ernie Milleropened a hardware store there. He'dpreviously occupied space across thestreet, now the site of Campy's Pizza.

He used the ground and lower levelswhile keeping the upstairs as storagespace. Miller stayed in the buildinguntil 1986.

In 1999, another five and dime storeopened for business in the building,Dollar General.

A year later, artists and entrepreneursJoe "Bish" Morosky and Jay Parodamoved into the second floor of thebuilding and opened Jozart Studios, agathering place for musicians andartists. They also used the space tooperate a graphic design business, mak-ing signs and business cards amongother items. Several of the signs yousee in the California area were createdby the talented duo.

In 2009, Morosky reminisced aboutthe condition of the building when heand Paroda first began occupying theupstairs space.

"There were holes cut in the floorevery eighteen feet, about a foot wide,and almost the length of the building,"Morosky said. "They had apparentlyinsulated the ceiling downstairs throughthe floor and the wood was gone, so wepulled up the floor boards where ouroffices are and used those to repair thestudio floor."

"There was no access to the secondfloor except through Dollar General

until we had a lock put on the sidedoor," Morosky said. "There was noelectricity, water or sewage, plumbingand the windows were all caulkedshut. We built the offices and the wallbehind the stage to separate the studiofrom the downstairs heating and air unit."

Over the course of the next ten years,

Morosky andParoda continuedto improve theupstairs space.They addedoffices, a fullyequipped stagewith a sound andlight system, a"coffee shop" areawhere they offeredexotic coffee andtea blends andplenty of comfort-able seating forpeople to gather.And gather theysurely did.

The first regular"event" held atJozart Studios wasa weekly open micnight, hosted byPeter Wright. This event would endure- and flourish - for the decade JozartStudios occupied the upstairs space.More than a few generations of musi-cians and performers would find theirvoice on the Jozart stage.

Other events included concerts suchas performances by local favorite Dave Pahanish.

Jozart Studios would also host a num-ber of other significant eventsincluding several visual artsexhibits, two California AreaCultural Arts Expositions, joint-ly produced by the local schooldistrict and Liberty Rose, Inc., aperformance by the AmericanWind Symphony, the Peer AmidArts Experience - a weeklyvenue for poets and musiciansthat ran from 2002-2003 - andthe Absu horror film festivalfeaturing John Russo, whereFred Vogel (Toetag) firstscreened the horror classicAugust Underground.

64 Crayons, a bookstore andwriters/theatrical group, would

share space with Jozart Studios formany years, during which the stagewas the scene of several plays andother theatrical performances.

In 2010, Paroda and Morosky decidedto shutter Jozart Studios, but their spiritand vision inspired a group of their reg-ular patrons to keep the place open. Aboard of directors was elected from a

group of volunteers and a non-profitwas formed, Jozart Center for the Arts.

"We still offer many of the sameevents Jozart Studios did," said CarlaAnderton, president of the board since2010. "We're still the same place, in thesame space. I like to think we've builtupon their wonderful legacy andexpanded our offerings. We now have amonthly Wine and Line that's very pop-ular, for example, and we're proud tohost talented musicians like Billy Price,Tony Janflone, Jr., and The Jakob'sFerry Stragglers. And Dave Pahanishstill plays here, to the delight of many."

The building still boasts many relicsfrom its' storied past. The large win-dows of Jozart Center for the Arts areoriginal to the structure. The pillarsinside Dollar General are also remnantsof the early 20th century. If you lookclosely at the Dollar General sign outfront, you can still see part of a fadedlabel that reads "Ernie" on the left anda faded "Murphy Co." is visible as well.

"One of the things I love most aboutthis place is its' rich history," Andertonsaid. "There are people who suspect itmight be haunted, and I wouldn't besurprised. I've got a lot of memories ofJozart from the past 15 fifteen years. Ican only imagine what stories could betold about the people who were in thisbuilding's during its' first 95 years of existence."

Historic California building current site of vibrant arts scene


The windows on the second floor of the building are original.

An interior shot of The Pittsburgh Mercantile

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presentsthe poignant and contemporary chore-ography of Ronald K. Brown/Evidenceon Saturday, February 7 at 8:00pm.This performance will take place at theByham Theater, located at 101 SixthStreet, downtown Pittsburgh. The pres-entation is part of the 2014-15Pittsburgh Dance Council season.

Ronald K. Brown masterfully threadselements of African, modern, ballet andsocial styles, elevating dance as amedium to communicate the humanexperience. Brown's signature vision offorging contemporary choreographyrooted in the beauty of traditionalAfrican forms and rhythms is executedin the extraordinary work The Subtle

One, set to the music of jazz musiciansJason Moran and Tarus Mateen.

Brown transcends the human struggleand aspirations for connection betweenspiritual beings and mortals. In OnEarth Together, Stevie Wonder's musicdeepens Brown's exploration of loveand compassion and features dancersfrom the Pittsburgh community work-ing alongside dancers from Evidence.

Ronald K. Brown blends African,modern, ballet and social dance stylesto tell stories that illuminate fundamen-tal aspects of the human experience.

Founded and based in Brooklyn, NewYork in 1985, EVIDENCE, A DANCECOMPANY focuses on the seamlessfusion of traditional African dance withcontemporary choreography and spo-ken word. This work provides a uniqueview of human struggles, tragedies, andtriumphs. Brown uses movement as away to reinforce the importance ofcommunity in African American cul-ture and to acquaint audiences with thebeauty of traditional African forms andrhythms. He is an advocate for thegrowth of dance and is instrumental inencouraging young dancers to choreo-graph and to develop careers in dance.

Tickets ($19.00 - $55.00) may be pur-chased at the Box Office at TheaterSquare, 655 Penn Avenue, online atTrustArts.org, or by calling (412) 456-6666. To purchase 10 or more grouptickets, call 412-471-6930.

“Evidence” to take stage at the Byham Theater


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February 28 at 8 p.m.ABBA is the greatest pop group of alltime! Their legacy will live forever. Theshow Mama Mia brought new genera-tions to enjoy the music of ABBA andnow you can experience the musicLIVE. Arrival From Sweden is one of theworld's most popular ABBA tributebands. Endorsed by ABBA and Universalrecords, Arrival of Sweden is the closestyou ever will get to seeing ABBA today!

State Theatre Center for the Arts

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March 28 at 8 p.m.The Great Gatsby is now brought to thestage by Montana Repertory Theatre.Known for its compelling productions ofgreat American stories that penetrate tothe core of human experience, thetroupe's Gatsby will convince you thatSimon Levy's masterful adaptation cap-tures, perhaps better than all movies ofvarying artistic merit, the elusive magicof Fitzgerald's slim novel. It's all here: thebeautiful people, the decadence, the ide-alism--and the darkest fate.

Revisit the scene of a century plus year old crime...

TTTThhhheeee HHHHeeeeaaaarrrr tttt AAAAbbbbssss eeeennnn ttttCarla E. Anderton

Written by an expert on the infamous 19th century murders,THE HEART ABSENT is a tale of Jack the Ripper in love.

Curious about Jack? Visit theheartabsent.com

"It's MY FAIR LADY...Gone horribly,

Tragically wrong."

14-year-old James Nemo spent mostof his youth motherless and under thethumb of a father who hates him. Theseinjustices he quickly forgets, however, inthe arms of a beautiful young prostitutenamed Nelly. Reality conspires againstthe young lovers, and James is left, aloneand angry, to confront the truth behindhis mother's abandonment.

Twenty years pass. James, now arespected artist, meets Mary Jane Kelly,an Irish prostitute who bears more thana passing resemblance to Nelly.Convinced his redemption lies in her,James slowly ensnares her into his everdarkening world. His passion for herescalates to a frenzy, amidst the back-drop of Victorian London in the heydayof Jack the Ripper, and threatens toconsume them both.

What Others Say AboutTHE HEART ABSENT“Reminiscent of other great

works such as Bram Stoker’sDracula or Robert Louis

Stevenson’s Strange Case ofDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

Author Ron ShannonThe Hedgerows of June

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For tickets, call The Palace Theater 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

A Band Called HonaleeFeb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.

Jay & The Americans& The Brooklyn Bridge

Feb. 14 at 8 p.m.Josh Turner

Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m.Westmoreland Symphony

American MastersFeb. 21 at 7:30 p.m.

The Pink Floyd ExperienceFeb. 22 at 7 p.m.

River City BrassCeltic Connections

March 7 at 7:30 p.m.Westmoreland Symphony

Beethoven’s EroicaMarch 14 at 7:30 p.m.

Blue Oyster CultMarch 21 at 8 p.m.


Tedeschi Trucks BandThursday, Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m.

Michael BoltonSunday, March 15

7:30 p.m.

Jefferson StarshipFriday, March 6 at 8 p.m.

Heritage Center Museum

69 Market Street in Brownsville

724-785-9331

[email protected]

Find us on Facebook

Frank L. Melega Art Museum

Telling the storyof Americanathrough the

perspective ofBrownsville during theWestward

Expansion & theIndustrial Era

Preserving theartworks of

Frank L. Melegafor all to enjoy

Exhibiting new &established artists

throughout theyear to promoteunique talents

---HOURS---Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun 1-4 p.m.

Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation

art, culture & history

Centrally located in Historic Downtown Brownsville

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An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson


ForYour

Health

REDSTONE PHARMACY322 Third Street, California

724-938-2395

HOURS OF OPERATIONMon-Fri 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

---PProtect Your Kidneys---The kidneys filter about 200

quarts of blood a day, removingwater products from the circula-tory system and sending them tothe urinary bladder. Thesewastes would cause harm if theyremained in the blood, so keeping the kidneys healthy is essential.

People with diabetes are atrisk for kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease affectsthan 30% of Type 1 diabetics andabout 10% of Type 2 diabetics.

Men are at 50% greater riskthan women, and blacks havethree to four times the risk of whites.

Most diabetic patients whohave kidney disease also haveproblems with their eyes. So, ifyour doctor diagnoses kidneydisease, be sure to have a com-plete eye examination.

To protect your kidneys:Maintain tight glucose controlWork with your doctor to keep

your blood pressure normalKeep your weight under controlBecause frequent use of some

painkillers may harm the kidneys, ask your doctor or phar-macist before taking them.

If you have diabetes, be sure tohave your kidney functionchecked every six to 12 months.

For more information about diabetes...

...ask your pharmacist!

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trustannounces an evening with Americanastrophysicist, author and science com-municator Neil deGrasse Tyson onThursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. at theBenedum Center. This event is present-ed by Bill Blumenreich Presents.

Neil deGrasse Tyson was born andraised in New York City where he waseducated in public schools through hisgraduation from the Bronx High Schoolof Science. Tyson continued on to earnhis BA in Physics from Harvard and hisPhD in Astrophysics from Columbia.Dr. Tyson's professional research inter-ests are broad, but include star forma-tion, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies,and the structure of our Milky Way.

In addition to dozens of professionalpublications, Dr. Tyson has written, andcontinues to write for the public. Tysonwas a monthly essayist for NaturalHistory magazine under the titleUniverse. Also, among Tyson's tenbooks, is his memoir The Sky is Not theLimit: Adventures of an UrbanAstrophysicist; and Origins: FourteenBillion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-

written with Donald Goldsmith.Origins is the companion book to thePBS-NOVA 4-part mini-series Origins,in which Tyson served as on-camera host.

In March 2014, Tyson served asExecutive Editor and on camera Host& Narrator for Cosmos: A SpaceTimeOdyssey, the 21st century reboot ofCarl Sagan's landmark television series.Cosmos was nominated for 13 Emmy Awards, including Out-standing Documentary.

Dr. Tyson is the recipient of eighteenhonorary doctorates and the NASADistinguished Public Service Medal,the highest award given by NASA to anon-government citizen. His contribu-tions to the public appreciation of thecosmos have been recognized by theInternational Astronomical Union intheir official naming of asteroid "13123 Tyson."

Dr. Tyson is the fifth head of theworld-renowned Hayden Planetariumin New York City and the first occu-pant of its Frederick P. RoseDirectorship. He is also a research

associate of the Department ofAstrophysics at the American Museumof Natural History. For more informa-tion: haydenplanetarium.org/tyson.

Tickets ($34.25-$77.25) are availableat TrustArts.org, by calling 412-456-6666, or in person at Theater SquareBox Office, 655 Penn Avenue.

Area "UFOlogist" Stan Gordon'sinterest in the science of "UFOlogy"was first sparked in 1959 when he wasa child of ten and he's been researchingUFOs ever since. The first case thatcaught his attention was when a largefireball was spotted in Kecksburg inWestmoreland County. The officialreport from the government dismissedthe fireball as being merely a brightmeter but eyewitness accounts reportseeing military personnel remove evi-dence from the scene.

Gordon's fascination with UFOs con-tinued into adulthood and in 1969, heset up a hotline for UFO sightings. Ayear later, in 1970, he formed a localUFO research group, the WestmorelandCounty UFO Study Group. An eclecticgroup, members included engineers,scientists and former military intelli-gence personnel who would respondwithin minutes to hours to reportedsightings. The group gained popularitywith police and the media.

In addition to his work as aUFOlogist, Gordon also investigatessightings of Bigfoot, which occur fre-

quently in westernPennsylvania. Hesuggests there maybe a correlationbetween Bigfootsightings and UFOsightings as theyoften occur withindays of each otherin the same loca-tion. There havebeen reports of a"large, hairy creature" seen carrying a globeshaped light.

Wherever UFOsightings andreports of Bigfootoccur in the region,Gordon is often on the scene, investi-gating these strange phenomena.

If you feel you have seen somethingthat cannot be explained, contact StanGordon via his hotline at 724-838-7768or by email at [email protected].

For more information, visit stangor-don.info or look up his books and

DVDs on Amazon. This article was based on a podcast

interview conducted by my group, theMon Valley Paranormal ResearchSociety. The full broadcast can beheard at:

blogtalkradio.com/mvprs/2014/02/23/profoundly-paranormal-with-mvprs

Exploring the Paranormal with Reanna Roberts

Cal U Department ofTheatre & Dance

Dept. of Theatre & Dance Box Office: 724-938-5943


The Billy Price Band to appear at Jozart Center for the Arts

“Proof”Blaney TheatreFebruary 26-28

Pulitzer Prize &Tony Award Winning“Love@1stPlight”

Blaney TheatreApril 2-4

For adult audiences“Urinetown”

Mainstage TheatreApril 23-25

Called “Funny & Honest”

Billy Price has been entertainingaudiences since performing inPittsburgh, PA with the Rhythm Kingsin the early 1970s. Price's popularityand longevity in his adopted hometownand elsewhere isn't hard to explain. AsGeoffrey Himes of the WashingtonPost has written, "Unlike so manyblues revivalists, Price is not an imitation of better singers--he's the real thing."

Price formed The Billy Price Band in1990. Members of the Billy Price Bandare Steve Delach (guitar), TomValentine (bass), Dave Dodd (drums),Jimmy Britton (keyboards), and EricDeFade (tenor sax).

Billy Price first attracted nationalattention during his three-year associa-tion with guitarist Roy Buchanan. Priceis the vocalist on two of Buchanan'sLPs, That's What I'm Here For andLivestock. With Buchanan, Price touredthe U.S. andCanada, playingsuch venues asCarnegie Hall inNew York, theNewport JazzFestival, the Roxyand the Troubadourin Los Angeles, andthe Spectrum inPhiladelphia. Priceassembled BillyPrice and the Keystone Rhythm Bandin 1977. Before their breakup in 1990,the band recorded four criticallyacclaimed LPs and developed a reputa-tion as one of the most exciting touringbands in the U.S.

In April 1997, Billy Price releasedThe Soul Collection, which featured aduet by Price and his friend and mentorOtis Clay on Clay's "That's How It Is,"as well as background vocals by veter-an Chicago vocalists Theresa Davis,Robin Robinson, and Dianne Madison.

In Living Blues (September/October1997), Bill Dahl called The SoulCollection "an inspired stroll throughthe glorious history of soul music[invested with] uncommon passion andauthenticity." In the April 25, 1997 edi-

tion of the Washington Post, MikeJoyce called The Soul Collection "an R& B homage full of revealing and com-pelling performances...Price is a terrifi-cally expressive soul singer," says

Joyce, "one whoconveys both thepain and the pleas-ure in these choice songs."

Can I ChangeMy Mind on GreenDolphin Recordswas produced inLos Angeles byJerry "SwampDogg" Williams.

Since its release in December 1999,Can I Change My Mind has receivedcritical acclaim from publicationsthroughout the world: A sure-fire win-ner! (Ray Ellis, Juke Blues) ...willplease all fans of modern soul and soulblues (Peter R. Aschoff, Living Blues)...the most imaginative and entertainingrecord in Billy Price's 30-year musicalcareer (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) Price'sexpressive abilities define the term"deep soul" (Pittsburgh City Paper).

Billy Price released a double CD,Sworn Testimony: The Billy Price BandLive, in July 2002.

In July 2003, the Billy Price Bandgave a critically acclaimed perform-ance at the Belgium Rhythm & BluesFestival in Billy Price's first-ever

appearance in Europe. A DVD of theconcert, entitled Funky...Funky Soul!!!was released in late 2003.

Billy Price's next recording (June2006) was East End Avenue onBonedog Records, featuring the BillyPrice Band on a set of 13 original newsongs, including five songs co-writtenby Price with Jon Tiven.

In November 2007, Billy touredFrance with Fred Chapellier(MySpace). Billy sings "A Nickel and aNail" on Chapellier's CD, A Tribute toRoy Buchanan, and Price, the BillyPrice Band, and Chapellier collaborat-ed on Night Work, released in March2009 on DixieFrog Records and featur-ing a cameo lead vocal from Otis Clayon Al Green's "Love and Happiness."In Blues Revue (Oct/Nov 2009), HalHorowitz wrote, "Price is a terrificvocalist who deserves to be a biggerstar," and called Night Work "a thrillingcollaboration that...should delightlovers of soul or blues." Live on Stage,a CD and DVD of Price's 2009 tour inFrance with Chapellier and his band,was released in May 2010.

Price's 13th album, Strong, featuringthe Billy Price Band, was released inMay 2013 on DixieFrog Records, with guest appearances by MonsterMike Welch, Fred Chapellier, andMark Stutso and Mark Wenner of The Nighthawks.

Saturday, March 14--Show starts at 8 p.m.--

Doors open at 7:30 p.m.BYOB for over 21 with ID

Advance $15/$20 at the doorcall 724-938-9730 or

e-mail [email protected]

Your source for advancednutrition through the

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California United Methodist Church227 Third Street, California, Pennsylvania

(Across from Dairy Queen)(724) 938-2270

[email protected]

March 27 at 8 p.m.

Tickets $5 or $2 with student ID

Christian and Gospel recording artist Deraj

is an alternative hip hop artist, producer and

multimedia designer known for his eclectic

taste, thoughtful and candid lyricism

& his unique musical approach.

featuring...BB.. CCooooppeerr

facebook.com/calmethodist

Twitter @californiaumc

“Bringing forth a new sound into the hip hop community.”


Commentary by Noah Churchel

Is the title misleading? Maybe a little.In actuality, Microsoft paid 2.5 billion -with a capital B - to acquire the popularcomputer game, Minecraft, but thatisn't as catchy so I used the after taxesvalue of two billion. It seems amazingthat $500 million dollars is consideredsplitting hairs, but this is reality.

This is what happens when a largecorporation like Microsoft sees an ice-berg on the horizon.

For the unindicted, Minecraft is agame based on a block world. Eachblock is 1x1x1 meter - or a little over ayard - and is programmed to be infinite.When a player walks, sails, flies orteleports, part of a greater world is gen-erated using a mathematical algorithmcontrolled by a player chosen number.

Now we have an idea of how thisblocky world is created, what do peo-ple do there and why on earth wouldMicrosoft spend two billion dollars toown it? The reason is rather elusive.Minecraft is a "sandbox game" - mean-ing there's no winning or losing.There's no counter, no clock to beat,and you don't get to enter your initialswhen you hit a high score.

During the game's daytime, playersbuild, farm and gather resources tobuild a shelter for the purpose of keep-ing very basic, almost primitiveHalloween monsters at bay.

For the past four of the game's fiveyear old life, enthusiasts havemodified parts and pieces to giveMinecraft more of a point and/orpurpose. Ways for players toacquire and trade items and earncurrency lent the game morecomplexity. More importantly,Minecraft players have bondedtogether to form a community,and there's tremendous demandfor collaborative play. For manyadults, Minecraft is a real timeversion of Monopoly.

Take each of those transactionsand multiply it by hundreds ofthousands of items. And it's a truecapitalist society. If Player X fig-

ures out a way to streamline theprocess of creating an item or gamewidget, he can sell it to Player Y.Player Y can turn around and resell it,but Player X will still sell more in his"store" because he charges less. This isonly one iteration of a game created bytech savvy adults "plugged into"Minecraft. And there are thousands ofenthusiasts, each producing thousandsof potential modifications ranging fromways to process ore - another funda-mental aspect of the game - to produc-ing Dorothyesque tornadoes and creat-ing magical worlds complete withwands and potions.

Let's get back to the math. Take allthose "micro-transactions" and multiplyit by an ever growing community oftruly dedicated players and program-mers.18,298,531 people have pur-

chased this game to date. Over 12,000people bought a copy of Minecraftgame in the last 24 hours.

Having said that, the main reasonMicrosoft was willing to spend overtwo billion dollars to acquire Minecraftis that the game is written in Java, aprogramming language Microsoft does-n't own and the structure of whichMicrosoft doesn't resemble. Now lookat it from Microsoft's perspective. If thebest and brightest of our children's par-ents buy this game for them and theylearn how to modify it, you've soon gotan entire generation hooked on a prod-uct Microsoft doesn't control. It was acrazy little programming festival, ifyou will, they watched develop andgrow in their own backyard.

Minecraft's owner, in an attempt toavoid litigation from zealous game

modifiers now demanding theirshare of the lucrative pie, decidedto sell the company. I assumesharp-mouthed millennial Java pro-grammers were considered a dollarfigure by Microsoft's legal depart-ment.

In short, Microsoft realized kidslearning the Pepsi of programmingat a young age was not good fortheir Coca-Cola product line, andthe way to prevent this looming disaster was to spend the hefty sumof $2.5 billion to acquire Minecraft.

Minecraft: The $2 Billion Video Game


For more information, call 724-938-9730 or email [email protected]

(724) 263-9969(724) 938-3477 [email protected]

Music for All Occasions

Weddings - Birthdays - Anniversaries

Class Reunions - Picnics - Dances

DJ Jon Difilippo, Owner

Over 10 Years of Experience!

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Quality, All Occasion Photography

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724-600-9543

Daniel C. McKay, Sr.Daniel C. McKay, Sr.

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Wine & LineTues, Feb. 17

Tues, March 176:30 p.m.Cost $22

Includes all materialsAll ages welcome

Tarot D (The Didactic Tarot)Artist Jeffrey Donato

April 10-17Friday, April 10

Opening Reception 5 p.m.Come meet the artist!

Free to the public

The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers

March 13 at 8 p.m.Doors open 7:30 p.m.

Tickets $12 at the doorBYOB for over 21 w/ID

The Billy Price BandMarch 14 at 8 p.m.

Doors open 7:30 p.m.Tickets $15 in advance

$20 at the doorBYOB for over 21 w/ID

An Extraordinary Arts Experience in an Unique & Historic Atmosphere

Center for the ArtsJJoozzaarr tt

By Carla E. Anderton & Allen Free

When California resident RosemaryCapanna started posting photos onsocial media of oil paintings she'd cre-ated using a palette knife, she neverexpected such a tremendous response.

"I started posting the paintings for thefeedback and the reaction was verypositive. I have very supportivefriends," Capanna said. She added theirsupport has been both "motivationaland inspiring."

Capanna, an accomplishedgraphic/web designer by trade, said shefirst became interested in art as a youngchild, a spark further ignited by artteachers who encouraged her in herearly pursuits. As a teen, she designedposters for church and youth groups. AtCalifornia State College, she took apottery course and was further drivento follow her passion for visual arts.But it wasn't until fairly recently sherevealed her love of and talent for oilpainting to others.

"I've always been into creativethings," she said, but largely limited her

creativity to avenues like graphicdesign, which she enjoys but calledone-dimensional. "For years, I paintedin secret," she said.

Capanna's technique of applying oilpaint to canvas via palette knife is quite unique.

"It's a faster way to paint. It's moreimmediate," she said about the process.

The result is a vibrant mix of whatshe terms "impressionism and abstract"which is fitting considering she countsVanGogh among her artistic influences.

In addition to the Masters, she drawsinspiration from looking at family pho-tos and is fascinated by history. She'sspent extensive time researching herown genealogy, in particular her richItalian heritage. That research proved toher she hails from a creative family.

A proud California native, she saidshe is also inspired by looking at pho-tos of her hometown, then and now.

Capanna said she prefer to paint inthe morning when the light is better buthas learned to adapt to gloomy, darkdays by using a sunlight.

Speaking of gloomy, dark days,Capanna, an ener-getic and lively per-sonality whoseaccomplishmentsinclude organizing aCommunity Watchgroup and a bid formayor, explained itwas a fairly recentdiagnosis ofMeniere's Diseasethat motivated herreturn to the painting studio.

It's difficult toremain dismal look-ing at Capanna's col-orful paintings.Simple yet brilliantlyhued, their subjectsinclude nature and landscapes.

Though shelaunched a web siteto display and poten-tially sell her paint-ings, it's all aboutthe art for her, no commerce.

"I'm more interest-ed in the process,"

she said, though she's

open to taking com-missions and hassold a few paintingssince first revealingher work online.

Above all,Capanna said she'sdriven to paintbecause of the medi-um's expressive andtherapeutic nature.

"I love to expressmyself, and I just getsuch a sense ofpeace when I'mpainting," she said.

To view Capanna'swork, visit her site:

artonmalden.com

Read these stories & others at

ppppaaaabbbbrrrr iiiiddddggggeeeessss .... ccccoooommmmContinuously updated with the arts, education, entertainment & lifestyle news you deserve


“I just get such a sense of peace when I’m painting.”

Top right: “Alice’s Cannas” - Based on a photo of Alice Harris’s farm

Bottom right: “Poppies”

Pictured above: “Dia’s Dahlia”

TThhaannkkss ffoorr rreeaadd iinngg!!

---Next Print Edition April 3---Send your story ideas and event

listings to [email protected] March 20 for inclusion.

DD ee ll ll aa aa nn dd LL ii ll aa MM ee ee tt tt hh ee MM oo nn oo nn gg aa hh ee ll aa MM ee rr mm aa ii dd

Della and Lila Meet the Monongahela Mermaid is thefirst in a series of books for children that explores thethemes of nature, conservation, family, community service, and helping others.

Throughout the text children are introduced to researchpatterns in the forms of charts, maps, and footnotes.Beginning concepts of biology, geography, and environmental science are also presented.

A beloved local landscape provides the backdrop forthis story about two sisters, Della and Lila, whobefriend a mermaid in trouble.

With special assistance provided by Brianne & Lila Mitchell

Learn more at dellaandlila.comor facebook.com/dellaandlila

Written by Della Mitchell

& Illustrated by Sian Bowman

CC oo mm ii nn gg SS oo oo nn !!As the increasing mistreatment of the

Monongahela River persists, Marina the Mermaidturns to two little girls, Della and Lila, to help hersave her home. Della and Lila rally their family andfriends and form a summer long campaign to raiseawareness about pollution and ecological damages inthe Monongahela River.

The girls and their friends work very hard to try andsave Marina's home. But, will they be able to do it?

Find out what happens when Della and Lila worktogether with their family, friends, and community to help save our river.

pabridgeswinter2015final

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