St. Ferdinand Parish Annual Family Festival

(via email)

Come to the grand St. Ferdinand Parish Annual Family Festival and gigantic White Elephant Sale @ St. Ferdinand Church, 2535 Rochester Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066.

When: August 7-8-9
Time: Friday 6-11 PM; Saturday 5-11 PM; Sunday 3-10 PM.

Come share in the fun.
* Take chances on numerous raffles and games
* Play at Kiddieland or ride a train
* Play poker or bingo
* Shop at the gigantic White Elephant Tent
* And more!

Concession foods sold all during the festival.
* Buffet dinners served daily
* Friday 4-8 PM - Italian Buffet
* Saturday 4-8 PM - Chicken BBQ
* Sunday 1-8 PM - Turkey or Ham Dinner.

For more information see www.stferd.org or call the rectory during regular business hours at 724-776-2888.

Oak Tree Place update

First Cracker Barrel dropped out, now Golden Corral has walked away. Starbucks has also said "no thanks" after they decided to slow expansion. What's left? From the Post-Gazette:

Building permits for a Mexican restaurant, Chipotle, and an Aspen Dental office are about to be issued by the township. Also in the queue are Sawa Japanese Steakhouse and Five Guys Burger and Fries.

Construction should begin in a few weeks.

Oak Tree Place restaurants set

The Post-Gazette has a short article on the restaurants planned for the new Oak Tree Place on Rt 19. Since Cracker Barrel has backed out yet again, the lineup changed a bit. (The original plan had Cracker Barrel and another Starbucks.)

• Sawa Japanese Steakhouse -- There's another location in Monroeville. The township has already approved a liquor license transfer.


• Chipotle -- The national burrito chain that will give Moe's a run.


• Golden Corral -- The family steakhouse with a buffet.

Barista battle in Cranberry

Coming this weekend to the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry will be "For the Love of Coffee," a regional barista competition. From the Trib:

Coffee aficionados can get their fix of caffeine and watch the best cafe baristas in the East this weekend at two simultaneous coffee competitions in "For the Love of Coffee," presented by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. The competitors will ply their skills Friday through Sunday at the Pittsburgh Marriott North, Cranberry, in either the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic Regional Barista Competitions. Local baristas participate in the Mid-Atlantic competition. Attendees also can browse an accompanying trade show.

About 60 baristas will compete in the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic competitions. The finals for both regions will be Sunday. Winners from each region will be awarded all-expenses-paid trips to compete in the national competition later this year in Portland, Ore.

In 15 minutes, each barista will brew 12 specialty beverages -- four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature drinks -- using music, choreography and patter.

"It is very entertaining," Wethli says. "It's very theatrical."

It may be fun for the audience, but competitors will perform before four "sensory judges" who will watch the barista and taste the coffees; two technical judges who will evaluate how the competitor used the machines and the size of the drinks; and a head judge, who will preside over all.

In addition to making the coffees with precision and flair, baristas will tell the audience where the coffee beans came from, whether from a small village in Mexico or the slopes of a mountain in Sumatra.

The competition runs 11am to 5pm Friday through Saturday this weekend. Admission is free. The schedule of events (in pdf form) can be found here.

Summit at Cranberry falls through

Not a huge surprise, but the 80 acre, 650,000 square foot Simon Property Group project has been shelved because of a lack of funding for Rt 228 improvements. From the Post-Gazette:

One of the biggest proposed retail ventures in the region may be dead, the apparent result of a stalemate between the developer and the state Department of Transportation.

After more than seven years of planning, Simon Property Group of Indianapolis has notified local, county and state officials that the firm has decided to "withdraw from development activity" and spend no more money on the project that was to have brought a sprawling mix of retail, office and residential development to an 80-acre tract at Route 228 and Interstate 79 in Cranberry.

Joseph Dubovi III, district executive for PennDOT's District 10, said the agency is not surprised by Simon's decision and is moving forward on plans for incremental improvements to Route 228 instead of the broader plans the agency had demanded if the Simon mall plan would have advanced.

Johnny's Lunch

The hot dog chain Johnny's Lunch will be opening its first Pittsburgh-area location in Cranberry. From the Pittsburgh Business Times...

The Toledo-based company decided two years ago to expand the 70-year-old business by opening franchises outside of New York. The company claims more than 1,200 locations in development, with an area representative ready to open the Pittsburgh region’s first location in Cranberry Township. Gary Smith, a medical device marketing professional, plans to open a Johnny’s Lunch in Cranberry Commons on Route 228 by early spring.

Johnny’s serves its own proprietary hot dogs along with a special sauce. While its selection of dogs are sold with Chicago, Wisconsin, New Jersey and New York-style toppings, the menu also includes burgers, grilled chicken, soups and salads, along with milk shakes and soft drinks.

St. Ferdinand Parish's New Year's Eve Party

St. Ferdinand Parish is hosting a New Year's Eve fundraiser and holiday event at the Cranberry Marriott. The party is partially tax deductible and includes:

• 1 hour complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres


• 3 course sit-down dinner


• Champagne toast


• DJ, dancing, big screen TV

Discounted hotel rooms at the Marriott are available as well. For more information, see the St. Ferdinand Parish website or the party poster (pdf).

Cranberry gets new cardboard compactor

Thanks to the state Department of Environmental Protection, the two cardboard recycling containers behind the Cranberry Township Municipal Center were replaced with a new commercial-strength solar-powered cardboard compactor. From the Township's website:

“We get 1,200 pounds a week in the cardboard containers behind the Municipal Center,” according to Cranberry Environmental Programs Coordinator Lorin Meeder. “They fill up instantly. If we empty them out on Friday, they’re full by Sunday – even overflowing at certain times of the year. We didn’t want to keep putting out more containers. What we needed instead was some way to compact them to reduce the volume, reduce the number of trips, reduce the amount of fuel used – to reduce the whole carbon footprint.”

The free, self-service cardboard recycling compactor is available to residents 24/7. Even when the solar collector isn’t getting enough light to charge its batteries, the compactor will still run with help from standard power lines.

There are also rules, which are posted on the front of the unit. “You have to break the boxes down to get them inside the slot,” Meeder said. “We don’t want Styrofoam or packing material. That should go in the garbage. And we don’t want people leaving trash around.”

A surveillance camera will monitor the compactor’s use.

Philly Pretzel Factory

Coming to the old Marble Slab Creamery location (by Target) will be the Philly Pretzel Factory. They are a 10 year old soft pretzel franchise with more than 150 locations on the east coast.

Missing any Halloween decorations?

You may not be the only one. A local woman faces charges for stealing "truckloads" of Halloween decorations from Cranberry and Seven Fields.

Police say a local woman took truckloads of Halloween decorations and potted plants from a number of residents' homes in the Cranberry Township and Seven Fields areas over the last few weeks.

Cranberry Township police responding to a call of a minivan driving with its lights off on Waterview Drive last Friday night, found a vehicle matching its description speeding on a nearby road.

After a brief chase, officers stopped the vehicle on Rochester Road. According to police, the 44-year-old woman's minivan was filled with Halloween decorations and potted plants.

A search of the woman's house revealed "several truckloads" of decorations and flower pots.

The woman, who has not been identified, is facing charges. The investigation, however, is still ongoing.

In the meantime, Cranberry Township Police say anyone who had items stolen can pick them up at the police station after identifying them.

As for the woman's motivation, Cranberry Township's Public Safety Director Jeff Schueler says she apparently just wanted to decorate for Halloween.

Scaled-back 228 plan shot down

With a $20 million difference between current funding and what's needed for the full Route 228 plan, Cranberry Township scaled back the proposal. PennDOT has now said that plan is unacceptable.

"Plan B is not acceptable right now to the department,'' said Joseph P. Dubovi III, department executive of Indiana-based PennDOT District 10, during a meeting at the Marriott on Route 228.

Facing a funding shortfall of between $20 and $24 million, Cranberry officials recently asked PennDOT for approval of a "plan B" approach that shaves several key components of the project that already had been approved by PennDOT. The township contends that the plan, though less than ideal, would be sufficient to handle transportation needs for 10 years and would salvage the $65 million that already has been committed to the road project.

The decision could mean that Simon Property Group of Indianapolis withdraws its plans for a 650,000-square-foot development of retail, residential and office space. The complex has been targeted for the north side of Route 228 at Interstate 79. The company had pulled together from a variety of sources a $65 million funding package for the road project, leaving a $20 million to $24 million gap.

PennDOT, which has allocated about $24 million in state money to the project, expects the funding gap to be closed by local and private investment.

The local chamber of commerce said it will mount an all-out lobbying effort to persuade the state either to close the funding gap or allow the scaled-back plans to proceed.

A fly-over

As noted in this news item from the Cranberry Township website, a new water mixing unit will be lifted into place by a Sikorsky S-58 helicopter. Also known as the Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw, the helicopter was originally designed more than fifty years ago by Sikorsky for the US Navy for anti-submarine warfare. The aircraft was used by the Coast Guard and the Marines during Vietnam.

Executive Helicopter and Pittsburgh Air Crane Service has some great photos on their website of the aircraft in use. If you find yourself in the area at noon this Saturday and have an interest in this sort of thing, it may be worth checking out.

At noon this Saturday, October 4, a Sikorsky S-58 helicopter from Pittsburgh Air Crane Service will lift a new fresh water mixing unit from the base to the top of Cranberry’s West Water storage tower. The mixing system includes two pieces, each about 10 foot long, with the largest piece weighing in at about 700 lbs.

For safety sake, the Air Crane Service does not want spectators around the tank, but you can watch the operation from outside the immediate area. The lift is expected to take less than 30 minutes. The helicopter will not land in the area of the tank nor will it ever fly lower than 100 feet.

Road development updates

In an effort to save the Rt 228 Project and the new Simon Property Group mall, Cranberry Township has resubmitted a scaled down proposal for upgrades to Rt 228. A $20 million gap in funds have created a risk that the mall project will be abandoned taking the entire Rt 228 Project with it. From the Post-Gazette:

The current proposal is to [focus] improvements between Route 19 on the west and Castle Creek East Drive in Seven Fields on the east. The eastern terminus in the original plan would have been Myoma Road, farther east, in Adams. Also, Route 228 would be widened only between Franklin Road and Castle Creek, instead of adding through-lanes in each direction throughout the project area. In addition, construction of a loop road from Route 228 to southbound Interstate 79 would be delayed.

Those cutbacks would translate to a fully funded status for the remaining $65 million worth of work, including intersection improvements along the corridor, elimination of the tapering of the road east of Franklin, and construction of an overpass ramp from I-79 to the Simon development, as well as a ramp from westbound Route 228 to northbound I-79.

On the western side of Rt 19 is the Freedom Road bottleneck. To address the problems with that corridor, a public forum will be held to discuss the issues. Again, from the Post-Gazette:

There are two primary concerns: Those who own residential and business property immediately adjacent to Freedom Road want the land to be rezoned to a more intensive and economically valuable commercial use. Those who own residential property just beyond that are fearful of being next door to an even busier commercial corridor with no buffer between them.

A public meeting will be scheduled to seek input from property owners in the vicinity, and separate meetings will be set for the three study committees. Ultimately, their recommendations would be presented to the township's planning advisory committee, then forwarded to the township supervisors. No dates are set.

[Township planner John Trant Jr.] said all options will be on the table, from the extreme of a four-lane expressway to a roadway flanked by sidewalks and bike lanes. "It's all up for discussion,'' he said.

The Planet Pulse

Opening October 15th and filling the old Dollar Wave next to Best Buy will be The Planet Pulse, a fashion and style shop. Not too much information there, though they do have a mailing list and an information email.

Cranberry dog park ready to open

The long-awaited Cranberry dog park is set to open this week. Here are some details from the Post-Gazette from yesterday:

The grand opening of the Rotary Dog Park, just off Route 19 on a 4-acre site adjacent to the township's Community Park, is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The dog park will be double gated so dogs can't get out when another enters. It will contain one area for small dogs and two areas for larger dogs to romp and play unleashed. The two larger areas will be used on a rotation to give grass time to grow and recover from use.

A new 60-space parking lot was built so dog owners won't have to take their pets through Community Park.

[Park organizer Liz] Wiegand said there has been talk of building an obstacle course in the park for puppies and the volunteer group hopes to hold several fund raisers each year to help pay for upkeep.

The group's first big event planned after the grand opening will happen in October, Ms. Wiegand said.

Doggie-Palooza will be a chance for vendors of dog products to show off their wares while dog owners can gather at the park to enjoy a day of socializing and fun, Ms. Wiegand said.

Now that the park is built, it's up to the community to take care of it, she said.

While there will be receptacles for dog waste, the park will not be monitored and visitors will be expected to clean up after their own pets.

St. Ferdinand Family Festival

I received a reminder about St. Ferdinand's 2008 Family Festival this weekend. Take the family for the White Elephant Sale, raffles, food, Bingo, games, train and Kiddieland.

2008 St. Ferdinand Family Festival
Friday, August 8, 6:00 - 11:00 pm
Saturday, August 9, 5:00 -11:00 pm
Sunday, August 10, 3:00 - 10:00 pm

Dinners
Friday 4:30 - 8:00 pm - Italian Buffet
Saturday 4:00 - 8:00 pm - Chicken BBQ
Sunday 1:00 - 8:00 pm - Turkey or Ham dinner

Volunteer information can be found here.

Salsarita's closes

Salsarita's has shut its doors for good. Not sure when it happened, but a sign on the door says the location in the Cranberry Commons (by Target) is closed. Their website still lists the location, but the lack of a liquor license and the proximity to both On The Border and Moe's may have done them in. Along with Hereford & Hops, that's the second restaurant along restaurant row that has closed in the past couple months.

Hotel to replace Hereford & Hops

The vacant Hereford & Hops building along 228 won't be around much longer. The Pittsburgh Business Times reports that a firm has bought the building and land and will replace it with a hotel.

A newly created firm called Templar Development LLC has an agreement to buy the former restaurant’s building and six acres along Route 228. It plans to develop a four-story, 129-room Cambria Suites limited-service hotel.

Templar is paying between $4 million and $5 million for the property, said Mark Veon, a vice president of leasing with the Downtown-based company.

Hereford & Hops filed for bankruptcy protection last December and eventually closed this past May.

Cranberry goes dark

Friday at noon, Cranberry was struck with a rather large power outage that affected residential and commercial buildings as well as traffic lights. The culprit turned out to be a blown transformer on Rochester Road. KDKA has more:

Utility crews are working to restore electricity to customers affected by a major power outage in the Cranberry area.

While overnight storms downed tree limbs and power lines across the area, leaving thousands of people without power, this latest outage doesn't appear to be weather-related.

Officials tell KDKA that a blown transformer at a substation on Rochester Road is apparently to blame for this widespread outage.

The power was restored about 30 minutes later.

Super Suppers closing

Cranberry's Super Suppers location will be closing at the end of the month. The business sent out the following email to clients in the area. Super Suppers is a service that lets you prepare home-cooked meals ahead of time.

Due to circumstances beyond our Control, we will be closing our Cranberry Super Suppers Store on June 30.. This has been a very difficult decision--but one that had to be made!

My staff will be making a large variety of meals to use our canned goods and other ingredients so the Grab-n-Go Freezer will be full of delicious meals while supplies last!

June 17 thru 21 we will offer the monthly menu for pickup or make your own while supplies last for these items. - Noon til 6 PM. Saturday Noon til 4PM. Call if you wish to assemble your own meals so we are ready for you!

June 23 thru 30 - Grab N Go Only Noon til 4 pm or 6 PM while supplies last. Meals prices at $10 per Regular size. We may also have some kitchen tools and dry goods available to purchase during that week.

I have enjoyed working with each of you as customers and friends!

There are many other Super Supper Locations. Three close locations are Monroeville, Erie, and Boardman Ohio. In addition there is an Independent Meal Assembly business, Mary Lees Meals in Wexford by Soergel's that you can look into -- www.maryleesmeals.com