Category: default || By jt3y

A little tidbit of information about Indiana, Pa., birthplace of Jimmy Stewart (in case you haven't heard that in the last 20 minutes): The Indiana County Transit Authority is called "IndiGO" (get it?) but the buses are painted red and white. Shouldn't they be --- I don't know, indigo?

Anyway, I've been in Indiana a few times recently for the first time in my life. Indiana County is a pleasant piece of Pennsylvania, and Indiana Borough is a charming little town.

I do find one thing curious about the downtown area, which is home to the headquarters of two large, publicly-traded banks --- First Commonweath and S&T --- as well as the Indiana County Courthouse and (of course) Indiana University of Pennsylvania. The main street in Indiana is a wide state highway with parking and turning lanes. And yet the only retailer in Indiana that seems to be successful is whomever is selling the "Going Out of Business" signs.

It seems like practically every other storefront along Philadelphia Avenue in Indiana is vacant, or is getting ready to close. A few restaurants and coffee shops are hanging on --- I suspect mainly to serve the local office workers --- but the rest of the business district is on a slow slide to oblivion.

If Indiana Borough can't keep a business district going with a captive audience of college students and white-collar office workers, what hope is there for McKeesport or Homestead? And what's killing the downtown businesses in Indiana? Indiana Mall is not exactly a new phenomenon.

Any of you Almanac readers who're graduates of IUP (home of the Indians ... er, I mean the "Crimson Hawks"), feel free to chime in with your theories. I'm not sure I understand it.

. . .

Anyway, while in Indiana last week, I had a very pleasant visit with local attorney Joseph Mack, who introduced me to the Rev. George Hnatko, founder and executive director of the Eastern Orthodox Foundation.

An independent, non-profit foundation affiliated with the Eastern Orthodox Church ,it recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and operates a nursing home and camp for indigents, the elderly and homeless of Western Pennsylvania.

In addition to its 200-acre property in Penn Run, Indiana County, which includes a dormitory and an assisted living facility, the foundation also runs a personal care home in the former Homestead Hospital on West Street in Homestead.

Father Hnatko says that the EOF is also partnering with Turtle Creek Valley MH/MR to offer services to Steel Valley residents at that site. You don't have to be a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church to use their services, either, and they don't seem to proslytise, though the foundation is run along Eastern Catholic principles and there are on-site chapels.

The EOF depends largely on contributions and donations to provide services, and Mack jokes that it loses "about a quarter of a million dollars a year," meaning that's about what staff members need to raise every year. Donations of cash or property to EOF are tax-deductible, so visit their website and learn how you can help.

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Also in my travels, I caught up with an old friend and Serra High classmate, Karl Puskaric, who's running the antique store at the Elizabeth Township end of the Boston Bridge. (It's the red-brick building with all of the signs on it, next to the bike trail.)

The antique store is only one of many enterprises run by Karl, who must be the hardest-working man in show business. Most of the items are from estates that he's purchased over the years, so there's plenty of Mon-Yough area items, along with glassware, tools, photos, books, kitchen utensils, furniture --- just about everything you can imagine.

And as someone who's visited more than a few "junque" shops in my time, I'd have to say Karl's is about the best-organized I've ever seen (it's very easy to browse, because he's actually got things labeled and sorted), and his prices seem very reasonable. Check it out Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays if you're in the Elizabeth Township or Versailles area.

Tell him I sent you and maybe he'll give you something ... a punch in the nose, I don't know.

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“McKeesport Appreciation Day”: Everyday is "McKeesport Appreciation Day" at Tube City Online, but this Sunday is "McKeesport Appreciation Day" in the Municipality of Monroeville. To coin another phrase, I am not making this up.

According to the Post-Gazette, the mayor of Monroeville wants to honor the city for hosting the first Kennedy-Nixon debate back in 1947 at the Penn-McKee Hotel. Thanks for the nice thoughts, Mr. Mayor, but don't throw flowers—send cash.

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Trivia Question: What was the name of the drugstore that used to be in the building at the corner of Smithfield Street and the Boston Bridge before Karl and his family bought it? And what was the name of the physician who long had his office in that same building? Put your answers in the comments if you remember. If no one gets it, I'll answer the question next week.

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To Do This Weekend: Whistle a happy tune, young lovers, where ever you are, 'cause Serra Catholic High School, 200 Hershey Drive, presents "The King and I" tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Call (412) 751-2020 ... Pure Gold plays the Palisades, Fifth Avenue at Water Street, at 8 p.m. Saturday. Call (412) 678-6979.