The Progress News 2023 Year in Review – part 2

Picking up from last week, here is a look back at some of the events that happened in The Progress News reading area in 2023. We are now starting with April.

• Virginia Henderson celebrated her 100 year on April 15, 2023. Virginia is the mother of Bonnie McQuiston , Jim Henderson, Dianna Coffman and Vicki Crowther.

• Michael Mills was named Emlenton’s Police Chief.

• ­­ARCA presented the internationally acclaimed Alexander String Quartet. The quartet returned by popular demand to Foxburg’s Lincoln Hall on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 2:00 PM – truly world class music making right here in the Allegheny River Valley.

• Roy Engelbrecht’s photography exhibit opened the Red Brick Gallery and Gift Shop’s 2023 season with stunning architectural and landscape photographs on April 14th.

• The Clarion County Friends of NRA hosted their annual fundraiser banquet on Saturday, April 15, at the Reminisce Banquet Hall in Emlenton.

• Seneca Rocks Audubon Society and Foxburg Free Library held a free nature program — “Our Local Woodpeckers” – on Saturday, April 22, at Lincoln Hall, above the Foxburg Free Library.

• The Allegheny Grille in Foxburg announces the construction of their new timber peg framed banquet facility was nearly complete. Along with the banquet facility, the surrounding grounds of the restaurant were also transformed along with new waterfalls.

• The Clarion County Board of Commissioners held a celebration of the county’s 9-1-1 service call center on April 13, 2023. The celebration was also an open house for the county’s new call center headquartered in Shippenville, PA at 160 Amsler Ave. There were honored guests, awards presented, tours of the new facility and a fly-in by the STAT MedEvac Helicopter.

• Allegheny Canby Lodge presents a donation to Camo Cares. Brother Gary Bowser, Worshipful Master of Parker Allegheny Canby Lodge No. 521 Free and Accepted Masons, had the pleasure of presenting a $1000 check to Kirk Byerley and Brother Kevin Chaff of Camo Cares.

• Jefferson-Clarion Head Start, Inc. celebrates “The Week Of The Young Child”, held April 17 - 21, 2023. The purpose of the week was to inform the public about early childhood programs and to recognize that all young children need and deserve high-quality early learning experiences that prepare them for success in school and life.

• The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) awarded just over $4 million in grant and low-interest loan funds to two projects in Venango County to go toward improving water quality. In order to prevent water outages and increase reliability of service, Clintonville Borough Sewer and Water Authority received $3.16 million to install a new 100,000-gallon water tank as the current tank is at the end of its life span. (85% grant 15% loan). Sandycreek Township, Venango County, was awarded a $904,600 loan to go toward pump station improvements.

• The Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) has awarded more than $3.4 million in funding for projects in Armstrong County. Cowanshannock Township Municipal Authority has been awarded $2,724,000 in funding (a low-interest loan of nearly $1.44 million and a grant of nearly $1.29 million) to make needed wastewater treatment plant improvements. A grant of $742,947 has been awarded to the Municipal Authority of Buffalo Township located in Butler County, to replace lead water lines in the Borough of Freeport in Armstrong County.

• The ORA announces its 2023 Historic Preservation Award winners. They were: Vintage Wings, Inc. for the Reconstruction of the Beach City Baby; Carole Hall for Preservation Education/Initiative; Deep Harbour Properties for the Enhancement of the Lamberton Building in Franklin; PennDOT and PA DCNR for the Messerall Bridge in the Structure Category; Gregory Rock & Aimé Sposato Rock for the Reconstruction of the Rocsato Conservatory of Music at Hillhurst in Titusville; Chris and Jenn Morrison for their Enhancement of the Former Salvation Army Building in Franklin; Reconstruction of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Oil City; and Robert Billingsley and Carolee Michener for Historic Appreciation of the World War I Memorial in Franklin.

From April 2023: Members of the Ford V8 Club pose for a picture outside of Check’s Radio Museum.

• The Early Ford V8 Club (pic. above) visited Pat & Mel Checks Radio Museum in Karns City, PA. The 3000 radios displayed and the setting along the Allegheny River was enjoyed by all. The Check Radio Museum opened in 1999. The museum is located at 660 Hillville Road

• A-C Valley H.S.’ 2023 Prom King & Queen were crowned. Landon Chalmers, king and Alexis Ruckdeschel, queen.

• Grace Barlett, a junior at Allegheny-Clarion Valley High School, was one of 72 students selected for the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences (PGSS). The Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Sciences (PGSS) is a summer enrichment program in mathematics, computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology for rising high school seniors throughout the state of Pennsylvania.

• The Perry Township Historical Society started its 2023 season on Saturday, May 27, with an event at the old two-room school in West Freedom. New exhibits were featured with genealogy information on over 225 township families, new photo displays, and old maps. A “Meet and Greet with Miss Beadle”, from Little House was held. There were Civil War sentries, a poodle skirt teen, and a World War II soldier.

• Karns City H.S. crowns their 2023 Prom King and Queen, Caleb Sapp, King and Paige Dodd, Queen.

• The Chicora Elementary Fifth Grade performed a Living Museum at the Chicora Elementary Festival of Learning. Students chose a person from history that they wanted to learn more about. They created a costume that was tailored to the likeness of that historical person, as well as wrote a biographical speech to present as if they were that person.

• The Parker City Volunteer Fire Department presented Ethel Scott from the Parker V.F.D. an insignia coat in recognition of her service to the fire company. Ethel, soon after, turned ninety-five and still volunteers her time baking.

• The 2023 Charity Ball king and queen are crowned. Sheila & Bob Morrison, were the 2023 Charity Ball King and Queen.

• Union School District Announces Valedictorian and Salutatorian and for the Class of 2023Union School District Announces Valedictorian and Salutatorian and for the Class of 2023, Katie Gezik, Valedictorian and Holly Murray, Salutatorian.

• Central Electric Cooperative announced its 2023 Good Neighbor Scholarship winners. The winners were: Katelyn Bauer (North Clarion H.S.), Ava Formaini (Armstrong H.S.), Anna Gribik (Clarion Area H.S.), Ryleigh Henry (Franklin Area H.S.), Mackenzie Karnes (Cranberry Area H.S.), Brooke Lassinger (Seton Hill University), Shilo Lenhart (Keystone Hi.S.), McKayla McGuire (Redbank ValleyH.S.), Ellabay Perry (Cranberry Area H.S.), and Natalie Ribar (Franklin Regional H.S.).

• The Monongahela Melee kicked off its 3 day automotive rally on June 2, from Foxburg. This “classic car” rally covers 125 miles from Foxburg, through scenic Cook Forest to Bradford, St. Mary’s to Kittanning. Money was donated to the School for the Blind or for the Deaf.

More next week!