Community
Couple join challenge; Pound for Pound contest helps food warehouse
SHENANGO VALLEY — Joe and Hope Dalessandro, a Sharpsville couple, decided they were going to get in shape over the summer, but a few weeks ago, they found out about a way they could get in shape, and help stock a local food pantry.
The Pound for Pound Challenge is a national competition that asks people to pledge to lose a certain amount of weight, and donates an amount of food to a local food pantry that is equal to that pledge.
The Dalessandros pledge to lose 15 pounds each, and in return, the Community Food Warehouse in Farrell will get 30 pounds of food.
So they got a membership to the YMCA in Hermitage so they could have regular access to exercise equipment, and advice from a physical trainer.
“We wanted to have a sense of community,” Mrs. Dalessandro said, saying they wanted to be around people who had similar goals, so they could encourage each other.
“You can have a treadmill at your house,” Dalessandro said, but it just wouldn’t be the same.
The couple also sought the advice of a nutritionist.
“We decided exercise wasn’t enough; we needed to have good nutrition,” Mrs. Dalessandro said. “We met with a dietitian.”
It was from that dietitian that they found out about the Pound for Pound Challenge.
“We thought, since we were doing this anyway, why not do it to help someone else?” Mrs. Dalessandro said.
Why did they both decide on 15 pounds? Neither would be considered over-weight, so they said they wanted they could actually achieve.
“If you set goals, you want to set something realistic,” Dalessandro said.
“Our weight loss goal had to be doable,” Mrs. Dalessandro said. “We didn’t want to go the extreme.”
They start their day with a cardiovascular workout to increase their endurance, jogging on the treadmills for 30 minutes, riding a stationary bike for five minutes, and then moving on the weight machines, focusing on upper body and leg strength.
“We have a wood-burning stove,” Dalessandro said. “Carrying the wood up and down the stairs, I used to get out of breath; now I don’t.”
Mrs. Dalessandro said she’s also seen the benefits of their healthier lifestyle.
“When I would walk up and down the steps I used to feel really tired, but now I don’t feel anything,” she said. “We pastor at (The Abundant Life World Outreach Center in Sharpsville), and we wanted to have the endurance and stamina to conduct our ministry.”
Other than pasturing, Mrs. Dalessandro is retired, but Mr. Dalessandro still teaches a driver’s education class.
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Teaching with technology
Technology in the classroom is always changing and one Greenville teacher has spent the last three summers learning new skills through a program limited to a select few.
Jan Abernethy, a fifth-grade teacher at East Elementary School, was one of 75 teachers nationwide chosen to attend the Discovery Educator Network Summer Institute, which is held at a different location each year.
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Actors visit Camelot
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Annual senior fair is Friday in Sharon
State Rep. Mark Longietti will hold his fourth annual free Senior and Health Education Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Sharon American Legion, 1395 E. State St., Sharon.
The fair will feature farmers market coupons, free health screenings, about 50 vendors, door prizes and free information and services.
For more information, call 724-981-4655. -
Dolata carves time for local fest
Walter Dolata shows and sells his wood carvings at arts festivals — sometimes large ones — in New York, Maryland and Ohio.
But he always makes time for the arts festival in his back yard: the Hermitage Arts Festival, which runs this weekend at Rodney White Olympic Park.
“I like it,” said Dolata, who lives in Hermitage. “It’s a local festival. It’s a nice little festival.”
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Farmers market vouchers for seniors available
Mercer County Area Agency on Aging Inc. is again offering the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program to eligible Mercer County Seniors.
This program is made possible through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Food Distribution.
The purpose of this program is to encourage older adults to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables produced by local growers.
Eligible seniors can pick up vouchers at locations in Greenville, Grove City, Mercer, Sandy Lake/Stoneboro and the Shenango Valley . -
Victorian Weekend begins Friday evening
Step back into a gentler era during the 22nd annual Victorian Weekend Festival, planned for Friday through Sunday on the historic Mercer County Courthouse Square.
The weekend begins with “A Victorian Concert” by the Mercer Community Band at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the bandstand on the east side of the county courthouse; the warmup concert starts at 6.
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Girl Scouting gold goes to RHS grad
Lorrie Lehman, daughter of Dave and Rosemary Lehman of Reynolds and sister of Tommy, was recently awarded the Girl Scout Gold Award from Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania.
The Gold Award recognizes leadership, hard work and service to the community and for exemplifying the ideals of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Only five percent of Girl Scouts nationwide earn this recognition annually.
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Public invited to annual Farm Safety Day
Our annual Mercer County Farm Safety Day will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Leslie N. Firth Learning Center, home of Mercer County Cooperative Extension, and the adjacent 4-H Park, 483 N. Perry Highway, 1 1/2 miles north of Mercer in Coolspring Township.
Our staff, along with event sponsor, the Agricultural Health and Rural Safety Advisory Committee, invite you and your family to attend and actively participate in a full day of safety demonstrations and open dialog on an issue which affects us all. Our goals are to make rural residents more conscience of common hazards, risky behaviors, and cultural traditions which often contribute to farm and rural accidents.
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Urban League offers outdoor movie series
It’s been decades since movies have been shown on a big screen in Farrell.
The Shenango Valley Urban League is changing that this summer, with its “Films in the Square” series, to be held Friday nights at Veterans Square.
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Fourth of July activities
There's no lack of Independence Day celebrations planned in the area.
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Teaching with technology
