Delmont, Butler, and East Liverpool are
participating and have received a wish
list of items needed by the shelters. Due
to recent flooding at the Beaver County
Humane Society, cash donations will also
be accepted at the Hopewell, Chippewa,
and Center financial centers in order to
provide extra assistance.
WEST MIFFLIN VFW
POST HONORS FOUR
CADETS AT AIR FORCE
JROTC BANQUET
West Mifflin Veterans of Foreign
Wars Post 914 Intrepid lauded four Air
Force JROTC cadets for outstanding
achievement and exceptional leadership
during the 15th Annual Military Ball
Banquet at the Westwood Golf Club. The
awardees are part of a long line of more
than 1,500 cadets that have gone through
the program over the last 15 years.
Earning top honors this year were Cadet
Chief Master Sgt. Renee Salapa, Cadet
Senior Airman Riley Munsie, Cadet Senior
Airman Ryan Smoley, and Cadet Senior
Airman Ashley McCalla. All are students
at West Mifflin Area High School. The four
cadets were each presented a medal and a
certificate by VFW Post 914.
Post Quartermaster and Youth
Activities Chairman Gary Ruston reflected
on how the veterans organization has been
proud to be part of the community’s Air
Force JROTC program since 2004.
Students began registering for the West
Mifflin Air Force JROTC program in
February 2004. At that time, the school
was one of six sites in the United States
chosen to participate. The West Mifflin Air
Force JROTC currently has more than 130
active cadets in its ranks.
There from the beginning was retired
Senior Master Sgt. Oreste DiCerbo, who,
VFW West Mifflin Post 914 Intrepid
recognized four outstanding cadets during
the 15th Annual Air Force Junior Reserve
Officers Training Corps Banquet at the
Westwood Golf Club. Receiving awards from
the post were Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Renee
Salapa, Cadet Senior Airman Riley Munsie,
Cadet Senior Airman Ryan Smoley, and Cadet
Senior Airman Ashley McCalla from West
Mifflin Area High School. Pictured also are
Post 914 Commander Jake Bradich, left, and
Quartermaster Gary Ruston.
Air Force JROTC Aerospace Science Instructor
Maj. Scott R. Harbula, right, and Senior
Master Sgt. Oreste DiCerbo help mark 15
years of success at West Mifflin Area High
School.
as non-commissioned officer in charge,
oversees the day-to-day operations of the
program.
West Mifflin alum, and Senior
Aerospace Science Instructor of the Air
Force JROTC program, Maj. Scott R.
Harbula, also credits the groundswell
of community support for the cadets’
accomplishments.
“Everybody appreciates the strength
of military tradition and values that this
program brings to the school and the
community,” said Harbula, who, along
with his father, Robert Harbula, is a life
member of VFW Post 914. “As someone
who has served and whose family has
strong roots here, I’m very pleased that the
borough and school board both recognize
as well as add to this success.”
ANIMAL CHARITIES
IN SOUTHWESTERN
PA BENEFIT FROM
CLEARVIEW’S
COMMUNITY GIVING
PROGRAM
Clearview Federal Credit Union
has announced the selection of several
animal charities and shelters located near
financial centers in southwestern PA as
the benefactors of its Community Giving
Program for the first quarter of 2019.
The animal shelters benefiting from
the program include the Beaver County
Humane Society, Action for Animals
Humane Society, Two Ladies and Four
Paws Rescue, Animal Protectors, Steel
City Rescue, Butler Humane Society,
Animal Friends, and the Hancock County
Shelter.
Financial centers in Chippewa, Center,
Hopewell, Latrobe, Lower Burrell,
TOWN HALL SOUTH
SPEAKERS SERIES
Are you looking for intellectual growth
and cultural stimulation through national
and international acclaimed speakers that
inspire, educate, inform and enlarge one’s
world? Subscribe to Town Hall South,
which began in 1969 and features five
lectures that are held in the Upper St. Clair
High School Theatre from 10:10-11:10
a.m. For the 2019-2020 season, the array
of speakers will include:
• October 1: Lou Holtz, legendary
football coach, ESPN sports analyst
and renowned motivational speaker
• November 5: Beth Macy, award-
winning journalist with a focus on
social problems including the opioid
crisis
• December 3: Alan Zwiebel, Emmy
Award-winning comedy writer
including for “Saturday Night Live”
• February 4: Vijay Gupta, violinist/
educator/mental health advocate
• March 17: Lynsey Addario, Pulitzer
Prize-winning photojournalist,
focused on War, Injustice, Resilience
and Humanity.
In addition to the formal lecture, an
optional luncheon at St. Clair Country
Club is held immediately following, and
the speaker is available to answer
questions posed by the luncheon
audience—which frequently leads to a
very candid exchange! Tickets for the
2019-2020 season are sold as a series only
and can be purchased by visiting the
website at townhallsouth.org. n
WEST MIFFLIN
❘
SUMMER 2019
9