Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: Kudos to Connor Basinger and the Connellsville hockey team. Basinger, a freshman, sparkled in his first varsity game by recording a hat trick in the Falcons’ 4-2 victory over Central Valley at CFS Bank Arena in Rostraver Township last Thursday. Basinger’s first goal was unassisted and tied the score at the 5:47 mark of the first period after Connellsville had fallen behind 1-0. The promising young player added a second goal just over three minutes later on an assist from Nolan Wojnar that put the Falcons ahead to stay. Basinger put in his third goal to notch his hat trick at 10:17 of the second period to give Connellsville a 4-1 lead and the Falcons hung on from there. Falcons goaltender Nick Daniels-Nimick made 19 saves.
Cheers: 84 Lumber deserves a shout-out for helping people in need. Partnering with Structural Building Components Association, the North Strabane Township-based company erected a 3,000-square-foot, two-story duplex on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of the Innovative Housing Showcase, an annual event hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Built in four days and fully framed in under 12 hours by an eight-man crew from 84 Lumber – which also provided many of the materials – the entire duplex was built with prefabricated components, an undertaking that underscores the benefits of building faster, affordably and more sustainably. The company acknowledged that “several trusted industry partners” also supplied products and monetary contributions. After being displayed at the National Mall, the building was deconstructed and taken to Staunton, Va., where it was donated to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that assists families in need. One of its units will serve as a basement house for a family of seven, and the other will be matched with another family. 84 Lumber provided the labor to reinstall and frame the home.
Cheers: With an abundance of cautious optimism, we recently reported the return of a local father who was being held at an ICE detention facility in Clearfield County. Jesus Teran, 35, a member of St. Oscar Romero Parish in Washington County, was reunited with his wife and two children after spending nearly three months at Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg. Teran, who came to the United States to escape Venezuela’s brutal dictatorship and economic collapse, and has been in the country under Temporary Protected Status (TPS), was apprehended July 8 while reporting for a scheduled check-in at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Pittsburgh. Without notice, Teran, who was working as a carpenter’s apprentice in the area, was released from ICE custody Sept. 30. His future, however, remains unknown. Erenia Karamcheti, a social worker at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church in Meadow Lands and family friend, said, “He’s not out of the woods” as he awaits his day in court. “We will keep on praying and will continue to fight, and we pray that everything works out for him.”
Cheers: Thanks to the generosity of a Washington family, the community has been able to enjoy the gift of good health for the past 25 years. And last week, Nan Cameron, now 99, celebrated the silver anniversary of Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center by donating $125,000 to the facility. The wellness center, located on Wellness Way near Route 19 in South Strabane Township, opened Oct 1, 2000. Wilfred R. Cameron, who is now deceased, and his wife, Nan, longtime Washington business and community leaders, donated $5 million toward the project. “This contribution continues our family’s legacy of giving back,” Nan Cameron told those gathered for the anniversary celebration. “It’s about making sure the center remains a welcoming and supportive space for everyone in our community.” The money will be used to freshen the locker rooms and main entrance restrooms.