Celebrating the Season with Holiday in the Hills
The Borough of Jefferson Hills came alive on December 2nd , 2023 , as the community gathered for the much-anticipated second annual “ Holiday in the Hills ” event . Organized by Mayor Carrie McCaffrey , the holiday season kicked off with perfect weather , festive fun , and holiday cheer . With the help of the Jefferson Hills Recreation Board , the event featured an array of activities for all ages .
Throughout the day , attendees had the opportunity to get their faces painted or venture outside for the Touch-A-Truck event provided by the Borough Public Works Department . Other festivities included unique holiday shopping from local vendors and delicious offerings from Bull River Taco , PGH Crepe , and Liquid Vibes . Live entertainment was provided by the Thomas Jefferson High School ( TJHS ) Band who performed holiday classics . Jefferson Hills Public Library organized a Rudolph-themed ornament craft for younger attendees . In addition , the library held two story times with Mrs . Claus as well as hosted a visit from Santa . Families had the opportunity to capture the magic with a photo alongside Santa , Courtesy of 2nd II None Productions .
The evening concluded with the first-ever community-wide Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony . Mayor McCaffery delivered a brief speech before attendees participated in a five-second countdown in front of the tree located at the entrance of the Borough building . With the assistance of Community Relations Coordinator Caitlin Moyer Dinardo and Santa himself , the tree switch was flipped while the TJHS Band filled the air with holiday music .
The “ Holiday in the Hills ” event has become a cherished favorite in Jefferson Hills . Special thanks to Mike Volpe and the Public Works Department for the event preparation and the Touch-A-Truck event ; the Borough of Jefferson Hills Recreation Board for lending helping hands ; the creative contributions of TJHS students who provided Winter Wonderland artwork and music ; the emergency services teams for bringing their trucks and equipment ; the vendors and food trucks ; and , most importantly , to all who attended . We are excited to reconnect with familiar faces this December and extend an invitation to those absent this past year .
One Man ’ s Trash Becomes Another Man ’ s Treasure By D . C . Morinello , West Jefferson Hills Historical Society
On St . Patrick ’ s Day in 1936 , Pittsburgh experienced its most devastating flood in its history , leaving behind tons of silt and rubble that demanded an immense cleanup effort . The challenge was clear : “ What to do with the aftermath ?” The answer seemed to lie in Cochran Mill , a shared area between Jefferson and Snowden . Men and machines began to load gondola train cars with flood debris , transporting the sludge along tracks parallel to Cochran Mill Road to a hillside that became the designated dumping ground . Area residents disparaged this new waste depository by referring to it as “ The Dump .” However , local teenagers found a treasure trove of sellable items buried in the sediment .
In 1936 , money remained scarce due to the Great Depression . Five Jefferson Township teens — Bill Mattes , Ed Mattes , Bob Mattes , Norman Felix , and Victor Resnik — watched with fascination as interesting and sometimes valuable rubble was tossed into the dump . Resourceful young men that they were , each found an opportunity to make pocket money during the hard times by sifting through the muck in search of copper , brass , aluminum , scrap iron , silverware , and coins .
The boys soon became known to the crane operator who removed debris from the train cars and tossed it into the dump . If he saw anything worthwhile , he would blow a whistle to alert them and then dump the valuable “ junk ” in a spot where the young entrepreneurs would have easier access to it . After the boys gathered up their newfound treasure , they would hide it under bushes on the nearby Curry family farm . Later they would retrieve it to sell to Willie Pauline , a local junk dealer .
As spring turned to summer , the size of the dump grew , but so did the money in the pockets of the scavenging teens . Each boy accumulated enough money to purchase a new pair of shoes , buy a ticket for the school picnic at Olympia Park , and still have extra pocket money to spend at the picnic .
The 1936 St . Patrick ’ s Day Flood will long be remembered for the vast destruction and suffering it visited upon Pittsburgh residents . However , for a group of young Jefferson residents , a silver lining emerged , proving that even in the darkest times , resourcefulness and initiative can lead to unexpected opportunities .
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