WHAT’ S NEWS IN FOX CHAPEL AREA
STATE LAWMAKERS INVESTIGATE PROLONGED POWER OUTAGES AFTER APRIL STORM
On May 21, Rep. Mandy Steele and the House Majority Policy Committee held a hearing in O’ Hara Township to examine the lengthy power outages that followed the April 29 storm, which knocked out electricity for more than 750,000 households in Allegheny County and surrounding areas. With some residents left without power for up to 15 days, lawmakers questioned energy providers Duquesne Light and FirstEnergy about delayed response times and communication gaps.
“ This wasn’ t just inconvenient— it was a life-or-death situation for some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Steele, who is also pushing for studies on burying power lines and protecting consumers from price gouging during emergencies.
The hearing featured testimony from utility executives and legal experts and sought ways to improve infrastructure resilience and crisis response in future storms. Committee Chair Ryan Bizzarro emphasized the importance of better planning and partnerships, noting the public safety risks that continue long after storms end.
AAUW PRESENTS WINNERS OF 2025 CAREER LAUNCHING AWARD
The Fox Chapel Area Affiliate of the American Association of University Women announced winners of its 2025 Career Launching Award. The award provides financial assistance to a recent female graduate of the Community College of Allegheny County( CCAC) who is about to begin her career or continue her education.
To be eligible for the award, students must be at least 28 years old with a GPA of 3.5 or above. The grant of $ 2,000 that accompanies each award carries no restrictions and may be used for anything that advances the awardee’ s academic or professional goals.
This year’ s winners are:
ASPINWALL NEIGHBORS AWARDS GRANT FOR PEDESTRIAN FLAG SAFETY PROJECT
Aspinwall Neighbors recently awarded local resident Ian Winner a Community Grant to launch a pedestrian flag initiative aimed at improving crosswalk safety throughout the borough. Inspired by a similar program he saw in Rhode Island, Winner proposed installing bright-orange pedestrian flags at four high-traffic crosswalks. Pedestrians will carry a flag while crossing and return it to a receptacle on the opposite side, increasing their visibility to drivers.
The three-month pilot program began in May with installations along Brilliant Avenue, following a preview at the Fox Chapel Area School District and area police departments’ Community Safety, Health and Wellness Event on April 26. Winner is working with the Borough of Aspinwall and its Public Safety Committee to ensure that the project complements existing traffic-calming efforts.
“ This pilot is about making it safer for kids to get to their bus stops and for families to navigate town,” said Winner. Aspinwall Neighbors continues to accept grant applications from community members with ideas to enhance the borough. Learn more at aspinwallneighbors. org.
Sara Sabri, from White Oak, PA. Sara graduated at the end of the spring term with an Associate in Science degree. Since one of AAUW’ s primary missions is to advance gender equity, Sara’ s pursuit of a career in cybersecurity, a field in which women are significantly underrepresented, made her a strong candidate. She will use the grant to pursue industry-specific certifications that are required to advance in the field of cybersecurity.
Yvonne Rodriguez, from Meriden, Connecticut. Yvonne earned her Associate in Science degree in Court Reporting. The AAUW review committee was impressed with her academic accomplishments and her commitment to help other female students once she’ s established in her career.
Yvonne plans to use the funds to purchase professional equipment court reporters must pay for themselves.
The two winners of the Career Launching Awards were recognized at the organization’ s Annual Awards Meeting and Luncheon at the Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church on May 13. Accompanying the students was Kristina Zuccarelli, manager of scholarships and alumni affairs for the CCAC Educational Foundation. Zuccarelli was instrumental in helping CCAC and the Fox Chapel Area Affiliate of the AAUW forge a partnership this year to allow female students from CCAC to be eligible for the Career Launching Awards.
BIRD TOWN PENNSYLVANIA
Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania is expanding Bird Town into our region. The society is working with municipalities to promote bird- friendly communities, enhance habitat with native plants, reduce threats to birds, and create a positive environmental impact. Bird Town Pennsylvania is a welcoming, engaging, and inclusive program. Learn more at aswp. org. n
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