Just in time for your holiday travel, two service plazas on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and two on the Ohio Turnpike have reopened.
The South Midway plaza on the eastbound turnpike at mile 147 in Bedford County (pictured) was the 14th Pennsylvania service plaza to be rebuilt since 2007, and the stately exterior style of the 72-year-old plaza was preserved.
“We’ve preserved the charm and appeal of the South Midway facility with a historically sensitive reconstruction. The facade looks identical to its ancestor. But the restored South Midway is more spacious with amenities such as a food court, more food selections, contemporary restroom facilities and some unique features that pay homage to its origins,” said turnpike chief operating officer Craig Shuey.
The plaza has a display of service plaza memorabilia; restored wood-and-copper fireplaces; photos of old service plazas; and large-screen monitors playing a video of the turnpike’s history (we’re guessing there’s not much about indictments). A piece of concrete from the original turnpike in 1940 is on display outside the main entrance.
Concessionaires are Starbucks, Auntie Anne’s pretzels, Steak ‘n Shake, Sbarro and a Sunoco A-Plus Mini-Mart.
Farther east, the Highspire Service Plaza at milepost 250 eastbound in Dauphin County reopened May 15. Both plazas had closed Sept. 4, 2012.
With the completion of South Midway and Highspire, only three service plazas have yet to be reconstructed: North Midway in Bedford County and Peter J. Camiel and Valley Forge both in Chester County. The plan is to close North Midway in September 2014 and to reopen it in May 2015. The Camiel service plaza will remain open during staged renovations which will begin this September and should be completed in December 2015. Reconstruction of the Valley Forge service plaza will be coordinated with a turnpike widening project in that area and is expected to begin in March 2014.
On the Ohio Turnpike, the twin plazas not far from the Pennsylvania state line finally reopened this week after 2 1/2 years of reconstruction. Completion was delayed when the original contractor, Pittsburgh-based Reginella Construction, was booted off the project for failure to perform, according to the Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
The westbound Mahoning Valley and eastbound Glacier Hills plazas at mile 237 have Panera Bread restaurants and Sunoco A-Plus convenience stores, expanded restrooms including a family restroom, larger fueling areas, a truckers’ lounge with showers and washer-dryer and vending machines. Dairy Queen Grill and Chill is scheduled to open there next month.
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The Gateway Clipper will christen the latest addition to its fleet, the Three Rivers Queen, at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the docks at Station Square. The boat is described as a 110-foot-long and 32-foot-wide all-steel classic paddle wheel-style passenger boat with three decks. It can accommodate 250 passengers for dinner or 338 for sightseeing and features a calliope.
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The Post-Gazette today looks at local companies and local mommy bloggers working to find sponsorship opportunities.
Public relations agencies now incorporate blogs into their overall marketing plans for clients; networks of bloggers help identify the most appropriate ones to recruit for those marketing efforts; and then bloggers, aware of the value they bring to the deal, consider how they want to be rewarded.
Five years ago, paying a blogger wasn't something that came up often, said Caroline Friedman, senior associate at Burson-Marsteller. Now, she said, many more are responding to promotional inquiries with explanations of the rates that they charge for their time and access to their reader base.
This old school is not an anomaly in the city, where we have more and more of them not being used. This one sits largely unseen, behind the vacant Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church on Larimer Avenue in East Liberty.
If you’re out that way on Saturday, you can watch the Explorer’s Club doing “roof” repairs. Roof as in steeple. So they’ll be dangling from ropes.
The school, the church and the rectory have all been vacant for a long time and have suffered degrading abuse by vandals and thieves. East Liberty Development Inc. is conducting a feasibility study to help Kenneth Stevenson, the owner — a pastor and former charter school director — decide on the best reuse.
Meanwhile, people further abuse the site by using the parking lot between the church and school as a dump site.
Even though we’re on the national radar as an up-and-coming-back city, Pittsburgh has an awful lot of evolving to do.
First, we have to grab these yokels and trashheads up by the collar and shake them into some sensibility about pride and respect, for themselves and others. In other words, as a city, we must begin a strict campaign and enforcement measures to stop the abuse of dumping and litter in its tracks. Fine the hell out of these people. Catch them. Chastise them. Make them visit Portland. Introduce them to Boris Weinstein. Whatever it takes.
This behavior is disgusting, degrading and embarrassing.
Second: We have to get some great minds together to figure out what to do with all the buildings that sit vacant. Something other than what we’re doing now. I don’t know what that is. But we have a ton of blight and the national spotlight is on us. We’re expecting to keep growing.
-The Ottawa Citizen's recap. “Probably not. I mean, with their depth and power play right now, it doesn’t look too good for us.” - Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson's response when asked if his team still has a chance to win the series.
-The Associated Press' recap. ''It was a matter of, 'We are going to have to fire anything and everything we can at this guy to get one by him.''' - Dan Bylsma on Senators goaltender Craig Anderson.
-The Penguins became the third team in the AHL's 77 year history to come back and win from a 3-0 series deficit. The joined the 1960 Rochester Americans and 1989 Adirondack Red Wings in doing so.
-The Penguins will face the Syracuse Crunch in the Eastern Conference final. The schedule:
Game 1 – Saturday, May 25 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 p.m. Game 2 – Sunday, May 26 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 p.m. Game 3 – Wednesda, May 29 – Syracuse at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05 p.m. Game 4 – Friday, May 31 – Syracuse at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05 p.m. *-Game 5 – Saturday, June 1 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 p.m. *-Game 6 – Monday, June 3 – Syracuse at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, 7:05 p.m. *-Game 7 – Wednesday, June 5 – Wilkes-Barre/Scranton at Syracuse, 7 p.m.
-Happy 72nd birthday to former Penguins forward Bryan Hextall, Jr. (right) Acquired in the 1969 offseason in a trade which sent Paul Andrea, John Arbour and Andy Bathgate to Vancouver of the WHL, Hextall, a member of one of hockey's great families, spent parts of five seasons with the Penguins. His first full season in Pittsburgh saw him help the Penguins reach the postseason for the first time in franchise history as he appeared in 66 games and recorded 31 points. During those playoffs, he appeared in 10 games and recorded one assist. In 1970-71, Hextall's saw action in 76 games and recorded 48 points. Hextall appeared in 78 games during 1971-72 and contributed 20 goals and 44 points while leading the team with five game-winning goals. He appeared in four postseason games that spring and recorded two assists. During 1972-73, Hextall played in 78 games and scored a career-high 54 points. After 37 games and nine points in 1973-74, Hextall was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Flames. The son of Rangers hall-of-Famer Bryan Hextall, Sr. and father of a future Penguins rival, Flyers goaltender Ron Hextall, Bryan Hextall, Jr. appeared in 335 games for the Penguins and scored 186 points, 38th most in franchise history. In 14 postseason games, Hextall recorded three assists.
-Happy 47th birthday to former Penguins forward Gary Roberts. Acquired at the 2007 trade deadline in a deal which sent Noah Welch to the Panthers, Roberts spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins. After scoring 13 points in 19 regular season games to finish the 2006-07 season, Roberts recorded four points in five postseason games. In 2007-08, Roberts appeared in only 38 games and scored 15 points due to various injuries. He recovered in time to appear in 11 postseason games and recorded four points as the Penguins advanced to the Stanely Cup final for the first time in 16 years. In the 2008 offseason, the rights to Roberts and Ryan Malone were traded to the Lightning in exchange for a draft pick. One of the most popular players in recent team history, Roberts appeared in 57 games for the Penguins and recorded 28 points. In 16 postseason games, Roberts recorded eight points.
Northwest Division
-The Canucks fired head coach Alain Vigneault as well as his assistants Rick Bowness and Newell Brown. In seven seasons, Vignuealt led the Canucks to a regular season record of 313-170-57, six Northwest Division titles, two President's Trophy titles and one Stanley Cup final appearance.
-Former Sharks/Wild/Thrashers/Islanders/Senators/Ducks/Oilers defenseman Andy "The Expert" Sutton officially announced his retirement. In 15 seasons, Sutton appeared in 676 games and scored 150 points. Penguins fans might remember him best for a run-in with a Pittsburgh reporter during the 2010 postseason after he delivered a hit which injured Penguins defenseman Jordan Leopold:
(Photos: Penguins/Senators-Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press, Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images and Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press; Hossa-Bruce Bennett/Getty Images; Hextall-Penguins Hockey Cards)
“We’ve preserved the charm and appeal of the South Midway facility with a historically sensitive reconstruction. The facade looks identical to its ancestor. But the restored South Midway is more spacious with amenities such as a food court, more food selections, contemporary restroom facilities and some unique features that pay homage to its origins,” said turnpike chief operating officer Craig Shuey.
-The Penguins became the third team in the AHL's 77 year history 
-As a member of the 2010 Flyers team which did it against the Bruins, Rangers forward Darroll Powe 
-Happy 72nd birthday to former Penguins forward 