Noon, Mon. Rotary Club, Hills Restaurant

4-5:30PM, Nookworms Teen Book Club, Mon. Area Library

5:30-6:30, Color Me Happy, Monongahela Area Library

7PM, Boy Scouts Troop 1448, 1st Christian

11AM Wii Club Monongahela Area Library

(also on14 & 21 July)

3-6PM, Farmer’s Market

7PM, Friday Night Praise, First United Methodist Church

Fiddle Group at Little City Coffee

7:30PM, “Hollywood Nights”

(tribute to Bob Seeger), Aquatorium

11AM, Story Time, Monongahela Area Library

5:30PM, Writer’s Group, Monongahela Area (also 19 July)

7-10PM, Solid Gold Oldies Dance, American Legion, Dunkirk

10AM, Sewing Class, 1st U. Methodist Ch.

7:30PM, “Hot Blooded”

(tribute to Foreigner), Aquatorium

Vacation Bible School begins at Gospel Alliance Church

(Rt. 51, Rostraver Twp.) (runs through 21 July)

7:30PM, “Any Way You Want It”

(tribute to Journey), Aquatorium

7:30PM, 7 Bridges”

(Ultimate Eagles Tribute),

Aquatorium

11AM Wii Club

Monongahela Area Library

3-6PM, Farmer’s Market

5-6PM, Boy Scouts Troop 1352, St. Damien’s

6PM, Coffee with Stooges at Little City Coffee

1PM, Mad Science of Pittsburgh Presents “Building with Simple

Machines,” Monongahela Area Library

2-4 PM, “Pittsburgh

Big Bands Legends, “ Chess Park Gazebo,

sponsored by the Mon Valley Academy

for the Arts / Twin Coaches Orchestra Project

A

Noon, Mon. Rotary Club, Hills Restaurant,

District Governor Steve Arnowitz visits

1PM, Book Bites, Mon. Area Library

4PM, Nookworms, Mon. Area Library

5:30-6:30, Color Me Happy, Mon. Area Library

11AM, Story Time, Monongahela Area

Library

1PM, Science Center’s “Build-It,” Mon. Area Library

6-7PM, Keep Cursive Current!, Monongahela Area Library

7-10PM, Solid Gold Oldies Dance, American Legion, Dunkirk

11AM, Kids’ Summer Reading Program, Mon. Area Library

11AM, Coffee & Chess, Little City Coffee

7PM, Monongahela

City Council

Noon, Chamber of Commerce, Hospital

1AM, Story Time at the Library

5:30-6:30PM, K’nex Club, Monongahela Area Library

7-10PM, Country Dance, American Legion, Dunkirk

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 22

23 30

24 31

25 26 27 28 29

Vacation Bible School begins at First

United Methodist (runs through 14 July)

11AM, Story Time, Monongahela Area

Library

5:30-6:30PM, K’nex Club, Monongahela Area Library

7PM, Vocal Few at Little City Coffee (tickets available online)

7-10PM, Country Dance, American Legion, Dunkirk

6:30PM, Monongahela- Donora Lions Club,

Donora Meeting

7PM, MARC (General Meeting) 1st Presbyterian Sun-

day School Parlor

Vacation Bible School begins at Church of Jesus Christ (Sixth

Street) (runs through 19July)

11AM, Kids’ Summer Reading Program,

Monongahela Area Library

Copies of calendar available at: Sparkles by Shell — 246 W. Main St., Monongahela Area Chamber of Commerce Office — 212 W. Main St., Rabe’s Trading Post — 210 Fourth St., or by emailing a request to mainstreet15063@gmail.com

11-5, Wii Club at Monongahela

Area Library

6PM, Nintendo Night. Little City Coffee

Check out our “Monongahela Main

Street Program” Page on Facebook

& “Like Us” if you do (Please!)

SuggestionSuggestionSuggestion:::

Schedule future Aug. events: for the 4th or final Sunday,

or the final Monday.

Noon, Mon. Rotary Club, Hills Restaurant

1PM, Science Center’s “Build-It,” Mon. Area Library

4PM, Nookworms, Mon. Area Library

5:30-6:30, Color Me Happy, Monongahela Area Library

Noon, Mon. Rotary

Club, Hills Restaurant

5:30-6:30, Color Me Happy,

Monongahela Area Library

,

3-6PM, Farmer’s Market First Christian Church

Bible School begins (runs through 16 July)

6PM, Game Night, Little City Coffee

5PM-11PM, St. Damien’s Summerfest, St. Damien’s Parish Park, Performance:

“The NuTones,” 7-10:30PM

6:30PM, Monongahela- Donora Lions Club,

Meeting at Hoot Owls

Independence Day

5-11PM, Fourth of July

Fireworks Extravaganza,

Aquatorium

11AM, Kids’ Summer Reading Program,

Monongahela Area Library

11AM, Coffee & Chess, Little City Coffee

5PM-11PM, St. Damien’s

Summerfest, at Parish Park,

George St. & Graham St. (near Park Ave. & W. Main)

Performance: “The Pittsburgh Bel Airs” 7-10:30PM

7:30PM, “Confederate Railroad,” Aquatorium

There are 75 events listed on this month’s calendar, of which 66 are in July & in

Monongahela. That’s a lot of reasons to come into town.

2 Photo by Terry A. Necciai

1PM, Monongahela Rotary Club Rubber Ducky Race

(Rescheduled from 24 June)

5PM-7PM: “Andy Gregg Country Combo,” Palmer Park, Donora,

sponsored by the Monongahela-Donora Lions Club

“Save The Dates” AUGUST

CHAMBER EVENTS

2 August - Kennywood Day

28 August- Golf Outing, South Hills Country Club

“For a Thriving Downtown

and a Fully Engaged Community”

THE MONONGAHELA MAIN STREET

PROGRAM

“Save The Dates”

UPCOMING MARC EVENTS

18 Sept - MARC Town Hall Meeting, Mon. Fire Hall

30 Sept - “On Your Marc” 5 K Race

Members of the Sugar Run Band, formed by a group of Ringgold High School students, mainly seniors, are relaxing with a few friends who have joined them after performing the first set at the first Chess Park concert of the season on June 4th. The band opened for the Wally Ginger Orchestra. The performance was part of the Twin Coaches Orchestra Project, a program of the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts. (The band is exploring a possible name change, to reflect their Rock-and-Roll genre, but we like the rooted-ness of being named for well-known valley in Nottingham Township.)

“Save The Dates”

AUGUST CHAMBER EVENTS

7 October - Fall Fleatique on the Mon

2 August - MACC Golf Outing, South Hills Country Club

“Save The Dates”

AUGUST EVENT

11-13 August - Praise and Worship in the Park

Interdenominational Faith Festival and Church Service

In Chess Park

July 2 0 1 7

Check out the “Monongahela Main Street Program” Facebook Page, and “Like Us” (if you do).

Officers/Members of the Monongahela Main Street Program President: Dan Tregembo Vice President: Tobias Provan Secretary: Paula Pro Treasurer: Christopher Grilli City Representative: Ken Kulak At-Large Bd. Members: Anthony Bottino, Randall Rodriguez, Dorothea Pemberton, Scott Frederick, and Margaret Brown. Executive Director: Terry Necciai

(continued from the from the calendar side)

Each month, so far, the Wall Calendar side of this publication has featured some kind of glass or trim or some other aspect of the windows of historic buildings. This month, we are featuring a “window” into our future, a photograph of a group of young musicians, the Sugar Run Band. The group performed at Chess Park, as the opening act for the first show of the 2017 Chess Park summer series of the Mon Valley Academy of the Arts/Twin Coaches Project. In the photo, the group is relaxing after finishing their set, but we know that at least some of them are set to do great things in or for this community.

What a great community we have! Lots of amazing things are going on in Monongahela these days.

In an earlier edition of Calliopica, we mentioned our community’s connections to the resort community of Chautauqua, New York. Many years ago, I was friends with Charles Emmett Ross and his wife, Grace. Charley was part owner of the Daily Republican for several decades before the paper was sold to a conglomerate. The Daily also owned newspapers in Canonsburg, Waynesburg, and maybe one or two other places prior to the time of the sale. Before they married, Charley’s wife, Grace, had worked at the Canonsburg Notes. However, if I remember correctly, they met at Chautauqua where they both worked for the Chautauquan Daily, a summer-only newspaper, which they helped to write and publish during their annual summer visits. Charley told me one time that it was really important for anyone visiting Chautauqua to pick up the Chautauquan Daily, each and every day while visiting, “because there’s always something ‘doing,’ each and every day, somewhere on the Chautauqua grounds.” Although only about 400 people live there in the winter, Chautauqua is physically about the same size as Monongahela, with a population that swells to a larger size than ours during the three-month-long summer season. Life there revolves around an amphitheater, a few other outdoor performance spaces, a town square, a waterfront where boats can dock, a diner, a couple of ice creams places, and about five restaurants (not as many of them as you might expect), plus a post office, a library, a dozen churches, an antique shop or two, and a bookstore, not to mention a few small-town-size hotels and traditionally, a large number of boarding houses. ...As well as an endless string of musical events, arts and crafts shows, classes in music, art, and drama, worship services at about twelve churches, and lecture-oriented meetings. Apart from the book store and lodging facilities, we are almost “there,” ...almost as up-and-running with tourist activities and events, something always “doing,” diverse things to keep us busy practically each and every day of every month. Charlie and Grace Ross were big advocates that our community needed to have a downtown “repository,” i.e., a museum. Our museum was created shortly after Grace died, and some events like Christmas in the Park followed, after which the Historical Society members began publishing things about the deep-seated history of the community. Perhaps it was on this base that so many more community activities and institutions have come into being since then. In response to all the endless activities that are happening here, our Main Street Program felt we needed something like a calendar and newsletter to keep it all “in view.” Hence, Calliopica and the Monongahela Main Street Monthly Wall Calendar. So: — Enjoy. The people who make plans around here, from about two dozen different organizations, have lined up a heck of a summer season for us all to take in.

Twin Coaches Project Monthly Concerts at the Gazebo The remaining programs at the Chess Park Gazebo by the Twin Coaches Orchestra Project of the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts are: 2 July - 2PM, Frank Podroskey’s Pittsburgh Big Bands Legends 6 August - 2PM, The Andy Gregg Band 3 September - 2PM, The Frank Podroskey Band and The Andy Gregg Band, plus a Special Guest Artist

The remaining shows at the Aquatorium this summer: 1 July - “Any Way You Want It” (tribute to Journey) 8 July -“Hollywood Nights” (tribute to Bob Seeger) 15 July - “Confederate Railroad” 22 July - “Hot Blooded” (tribute to Foreigner) 29 July - “7 Bridges” (Ultimate Eagles Tribute) 5 August - “Real Diamonds” (tribute to Neil Diamond) 12 August - “Second Helping” (salute to Lynrd Skynrd) 19 August - “Green River Band” (tribute to John Fogerty and Creedance Clearwater Revival) 26 August - “No Bad Juju” (final show of the season) All shows begin at 7:30PM at the Aquatorium

Sixth Annual St. Damien’s Summerfest Don’t forget St. Damien’s Somerfest this month at the Parish

Park adjoining Dierkens Pharmacy, on Friday, July 14th and Saturday, July 15th, open from 5PM to 11PM each evening. The activities include performances: “The NuTones,” at 7-10:30PM, on Friday, and “The Pittsburgh Bel Airs” (Classics and Doo-wop), at 7-10:30PM, on Saturday. There will be mass at the park at 4PM Saturday evening. Bingo begins at 5:30 each evening.

Palmer Park Concerts Shows in July at Palmer Park, Donora, on Sundays, sponsored by the Monongahela-Donora Lions Club: 9 July - 5PM-7PM: “Andy Gregg Country Combo.” 23 July - July 23rd, 5PM-7PM: “Wally Ginger’s Orchestra.”

Farmer’s Market Every Friday Afternoon Don’t forget the Farmers’ Market, 3PM-6PM, each Friday until the end of September, on Seventh Street, between Chess Park and Bethel AME Church. There will be music most weeks, with Dr. Chuck Stewart performing about every other week. It’s also a social activity for many of us. This year’s participants include: Harden Farm, Simmons Farm, and Triple B Farm, Sam’s Gyros, Aunt Kim’s Jellies, James, & Relishes, Eternally Yours Gourmet Popcorn, Goodie Two Shoes English Tea Room Scones, Holy Basil Not Your Typical Produce, Jimmy’s Italian Ice & Gelato, Lions Club Brooms, Little City Coffee, Mon Valley Hospital, Plum Run Winery, the Fudge Guy, Hippos Haluski, Boogieb BBQ, and Country Hammer Moonshine. This year’s sponsors are The Big Fish Contracting Co., Chaney’s Natural Day Spa, Mon Valley Hospital, Ashcraft Storage, Behanna Auto & Tire, Italian Village Pizza, Lenzi’s Service Station, and Monongahela Animal Hospital.

We Have Some Beautiful New Stores on West Main Street We have some beautiful new (or almost new) storefront businesses in town. If you haven’t visited these yet, please consider doing so. For example, Extravaganza Events and Rentals (Gina Hollingsworth), 400 West Main - They rent all the things you need for an outdoor event like a wedding (OK, they’ve been there over a year now, but the shop they are run-ning is beautiful), Grimm’s Alternative Styles (formerly Dorothea’s Boutique, now operated by Heidi McCleary) 219 West Main, Angel’s Secret Flowers (Amber Staffen) 424 West Main, Uncommonly Bella (Bonnie Brand and Holly Biagini), 168 West Main - A boutique shop with clothing and many other items (former location of The Vintage Valley), BXStudio The Beauty Expert (Mandee Kozar and associates) 216 Second Street (a hair and makeup salon, specializing in bridal hair couture), Main Street Barber & Supply (Gavin Varley), 105 West Main , a barbershop with room for events, Looking Glass (Bekah Merrill) & Simply Photos (Shannon Moncini), a shared photography studio, 208 Second Street. All of those listed exhibit good design, good display of merchandise, an up-to-date approach to retailing or service, and a keen eye for aesthetics. They are worthy of the summer visitors and new residents who have been showing up in town, and they are good models for things to come as a new generation thinks about operating businesses in our city.

Changes Still Unfolding in a Few Businesses Hot off the presses: The former Elaine’s Salon is now Cryslynn’s Hair Creations, owned by Cryslynn Merten. The former Ann Smith’s A Little Off the Top barbershop is now LDS House of Shaves, owned by Laura DeMidio.

Marsupials, Zebras and Bears, Oh My! So..., you’re in Monongahela, and you’d like to buy a kangaroo, a black bear, part of a zebra, part of a water buffalo, and part of a bison. Where’s a fellow to go? Rabe’s Trading Post, of course.

Main Street Program Bunting Project The Monongahela Main Street Program has undertaken a project to get red-white-and-blue bunting into the store windows for the patriotic holidays. About 10 locations have bunting in the windows as a result of this initiative.

Monongahela Facade Project Grants So Far The Monongahela Facade Grant Program has now approved four projects, of which two are already finished. Project #1, for the Gamble-Ruschak Building (424 West Main Street, Angel’s Secret Flowers), and Project #2, for the Anton-Cole Building (208-216 Second Street), which was completed in June. Project #3, for the Peters Restaurant-Kevech Building (200-202 West Main Street), will begin soon, and Project #4, for the Collins-Stasko Building (211 Second Street), will also begin soon. The Ruschak project involved stripping paint from the brick facade in the upper stories and painting trim. The Kevech project involves replacing a broken window and re-roofing a wooden overhang, as well as painting The Cole project involved installing new lighting and then painting, and the Stasko project involves restoring a transom and removing signs and other non-historic details as well as painting.

Chess Park and the Fountain The fountain has been removed from Chess Park as of June 27th. The fountain was placed there several years ago by the Monongahela Rotary Club. We see this as a time to look forward to an even better future. The issues the City cited in removing the recent fountain were maintenance needs including a need for frequent cleaning to remove leaves, a new state requirement for an expensive backflow valve, and a concern about mosquitoes after the water was shut off recently. The Monongahela Main Street Program has asked the City to work with us on an updated plan for landscaping and maintenance at the park based on maintaining the character that remains of

the original 1920 design. More on this as things unfold.

In Sympathy We would like to extend our sympathy to the family of Gina Hollingsworth of Extravaganza Rentals. Gina’s brother, Lou DePretis passed away unexpectedly in June. Also, our sympathy to Heidi Tetsch McCreary of Grimm’s Alternative Style whose uncle George passed away unexpectedly in late June.

Military Banners along West Main Street West Main Street is now lined with photographs of men and women who served in the United States military, a project spearheaded by the VFW with the assistance of the city street crew. The banners are up each year, roughly from Memorial Day to Veterans Day (or you might say from Primary Election Day to General Election Day). As we did last year, we have been collecting information about which banner has been put up where this year (the city puts them up, but not at any specific locations, and no one had been making a list to help those are having trouble finding the banner depicting their family member. We are doing this as a service to our community. We will run the names as space is available in this publication over the summer.

Dry Run Road at Chess going toward West Main Street: Patrick P. Hearn / Samuel Crawford / John J. Hearn / O.L. “Doc” Merusi / John H. Hull / Clyde A. Henry

West Main Street going upriver from Dry Run Road to 12th Street on the uphill side Henry J. Taddeo / Joseph A. Andrick / Jack C. Ward / Lee C. Ward / Frank John Saroglia / Albert A. Vaccaro / Robert “Bill” Boyd / Eugene J. Delattre / Victor Mele / Edward T. Burzynski / Gerald W. Vitale / Dominic A. Vitale / Robert Pelissero / Caylee Miller / Antonio Ferdinando / Domenick Ferdinando / John Gulick / Francis J. Dutch / Daniel J. Gust / Michael Moffit / Paul W. Nelson, Sr. / Francis M. “Sonny” Mangino / Oscar N. Simmen, Jr. / Robert E. Lee / Amos A. Coppi / Donald F. Anthony / Charles Beganics / George (Jo Jo) Herman / Ray C. Irwin / Robert Posi / John A. Neill / Frank “Hot Dog” Ketcher

[Twelfth Street intersection] Joseph Gregorini / Harry E. Watson / Guido Gregorini / Vincent Bartolotta / William B. Polonoli / Chase DeSantis / Alex J. Passarello / George E. Leyda

[Eleventh Street intersection] Michael E. Hudak / Antonio LaScala / John P. (Skip) Kerr / Joseph Albert Spence, Jr. / Antonio Salvatore Inserra / Spartico Mancinelli / Richard E. Inserra / Charles Ingram / Joseph H. Stoner / Clarence G. Ashcraft / Sturgis A. Gillingham / Anthony D. “Willie” Eusepi

[Tenth Street intersection] Metro Yevcinez / John W. Gibson / Leah R. Byers / Ronald E. Hatfield / David M. Weaver / John Yevcinez / John P. Weaver / William G. Thompson

[Ninth Street intersection] Carl Spaziani / Delbert R. Schuster / Frank DeRosa / Thomas Edwin Baxter / Albert J. Conte / Armond Bartolotta / Albert C. Buralli / Leo A. Bartolotta / William A. Bartolotta / John Dora, Jr. / Albert Bartolotta / Nello Franceschi

[Eighth Street intersection] Charles A. Wadsworth / Norman W. Mellinger / Joseph Sholtis / Joseph J. Benney / Albert F. Magone / Aldo Bartolotta / Oswald Benedetti / Catherine A. O'Neil / Ernest Minetti / Albert Miller / Paul A. Baxter / Frank Hillman / Robert L. Hufford / James P. Durinsky / Alexander Roman / William “Bill” Hays

[Seventh Street intersection] John L. Kelley / Howard Fynes / James William Baxter / John DeSantis / Valentine Synkowski (KIA – i.e., Killed in Action) / Victor Gregorini (KIA) / Peter William Bickford (KIA) / Victor Gregorini (KIA) / Joseph E. Anthony (KIA) / Kenneth L. Hillman (KIA) / Leonard M. Armstrong (KIA) / Dennis P. Day (KIA) / Marshall J. Dallo (KIA) / Phillip H. Ap-polonia / Christopher Parnella / Joseph H. Appolonia

[West Alley intersection] Alan R. Hupchick / Charles F. Evans, Jr. / James W. Pro / George “Bill” Coder / Michael Petrosky / Ronald L. Morris / George Petrosky / Bryan Ellsworth

[Sixth Street intersection] Edward J. Venanzi / Mike Smith / Albert E. Mendola / Alexander M. Smith / Elmer G. Tuttle / Patsy (Willie) Caprio / Stephen Plauchak / Ronald Hollowood / James P. (Butch) Villotti / Jack A. Cole, Jr. / Clyde Porter / Joseph “Sarge” Gaidos / John N. DeJuliis / Salvatore “Sam” Dipaola / Robert J. Ellenberger / Harry L. Cummings

Banners on the river side of West Main Street from the Fifth Street intersection, downriver toward Dry Run Road Walter “Eddie” Choker / David D. Frye / John A. Biddle / Ernest Merusi / James F. Bagnell / Anthony Bottino / D. “Red” Previtali / James “Bud” Rhodes / Elgin T. David / Alton Eckert / Gary L. David / Ron Richardson / Robert W. Margoni / Michael Botsko / Alex Poroda / Martin Botsko / James C. Richardson / Charles Roger Walters / Charles Lomago, Sr. / Clyde Anthony Sutherland

[Sixth Street intersection] Robert Tubby Day / Robert J. White / James D. Day / Michael Opat / Charles C. Jones / Bill King / Charles “Bud” Shurgott / Charles D. Rose

[West Alley intersection] Medio Eusepi / William Gottselig / Patsy Buono / James W. Baxter / George H. Johnson / Harry Kelly / Edward F. Johnson / Daniel “Babo” Flint / George Kovalak / John J. Masterann / Owen A. Burns / George L. Eckert, Jr.

[Seventh Street intersection] C. Kenneth Kirby, Jr. / George Withers / Raymond Babiak / Charles Bruni / Eugene Bartolotta / Guido Serraglia / Bernard X. Balliard / Bruno V. Ambrose / James S. Stewart / Paul R. Thorp / Daniel J. Timko / Henry Venanzi, Sr. / Paul V. Yohe / William Morris, Jr. / Ted A. Brown / James M. Hands / Richard Parks / Peter Roman / Fran Parks / Lawrence T. Golashewski

[8th Street intersection] [See next month’s edition for 8th-12th]

“For a Thriving Downtown and a Fully Engaged Community”

The whispers of a steamboat organ playing somewhere The whispers of a steamboat organ playing somewhere around the corner, not far from Main Street….around the corner, not far from Main Street…. CALLIOPICACALLIOPICA

by Terry A. Necciai, RA, Preservation Architect / Architectural Historian (703) 731- 6266 Vol. 4, No.7Vol. 4, No.7Vol. 4, No.7

$2 Donation

Suggested