the almanac A P R I L 19, 2026
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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HIRZEL COMPLETES The making of America’s USC’S‘TOUGHEST RACE’ first president Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of 12 weekly stories focusing on America’s 250th birthday, as told through the lens of our communities and the role many of the places we call home played in shaping the nation before, during and after the Revolutionary War. This week we begin in Winchester, Va., more than a quarter-century prior to the revolution — a time when colonists’ loyalty to the monarchy remained high — where a young George Washington began to emerge as a leader. That experience in Winchester — and also throughout the western front as a surveyor and then a military commander — helped lay the groundwork for the man that would help shape a nation.
By Brian Brehm
The Winchester Star
WINCHESTER, Va. — Before he was the father of our country, before he led Continental Army soldiers across an icy Delaware River, before he inherited his family’s Mount Vernon estate in Northern Virginia, America’s future first president was just a kid named George. It wasn’t until a young George Washington came to Winchester, Va., that he started to become the man whose face would one day adorn the $1 bill. Washington was born on Feb. 22, 1732, at Popes Creek Plantation (now Wakefield) near Colonial Beach, Va.,
George Washington, 1772
and moved with his family to Ferry Farm near Fredericksburg, Va., when he was 3 years old. When his father, Augustine Washington, died in 1743, an 11-year-old George inherited Ferry Farm while his older half-brother, Lawrence Washington, inherited a family estate near Alexandria, Va., called Mount Vernon. Lawrence and George became particularly close over the next few years, and the older brother, along with his in-laws in the prominent
Fairfax family in nearby Belvoir, Va., wanted to ensure he would have the skills to succeed in life. In 1748, the head of the Fairfax family, Thomas, Sixth Lord Fairfax of Cameron, invited a 16-year-old George Washington to join a surveying expedition of Virginia’s Northern Shenandoah Valley, which was part of Fairfax’s approximately 5 million-acre Northern Neck Proprietary. Washington agreed and arrived in Frederick Town, Va., on March
16, 1748, marking the start of the most formative decade of his life. Washington spent the next three years surveying Frederick Town — which, in February 1752, changed its name to Winchester — and surrounding land parcels owned by the Sixth Lord Fairfax. He also visited Barbados with his brother in 1751 in an effort to help Lawrence Washington overcome tuberculosis, but Lawrence succumbed to his illness on July 26, 1752. Also in 1752, George Washington joined the Virginia Militia with the rank of major and established his base of operations in Winchester. Meanwhile, France and Great Britain were competing for territory in the Ohio River Valley. Virginia Lt. Gov. Robert Dinwiddie sent Washington to western Pennsylvania in late 1753 to demand that French forces leave the Ohio Valley. When the French refused, Washington launched a surprise attack on May 28, 1754, that killed 10 French soldiers and marked the start of the French and Indian War. The Battle of Jumonville Glen happened near what today is Uniontown, Pa., at that time part of the Ohio Country. Following the skirmish, Washington and his men hastily built Fort Necessity in nearby Farmington, Pa. On July 3, 1754, French and SEE AMERICA PAGE A2
Plaid proud ebailey@thealmanac.net
Scottish or not, there was something for everyone that attended Pittsburgh Tartan Day on April 11 at Bethel Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park. The free annual event, which celebrates Scotland’s declaration of independence from England’s territorial claims, featured entertainment from bagpipers, fiddlers, dancers, workshops, vendors, raffles, gifts and, of course, traditional Scottish fare from meat and shepherd’s pies to biscuits, scones and Fern cakes. “We’ve actually already sold out of our fern cakes, which is unbelievable,” said Pam Maniet, who is the chairperson of the Tartan Day celebration. “This is one of the biggest crowds I’ve seen.” Fiona McGrath particularly enjoyed one of the newest attractions. Westie Rescue of Pennsylvania was one of two new exhibitors. The other was Britsburgh, an organization that promotes British history, culture and traditions. The Westie Rescue is a nonprofit organization that helps rescue West Highland
Terriers connect with foster families for adoptions. “They’re just lovely dogs,” said McGrath, who is Scottish and has been a Tartan Day committee member for years. McGrath enjoyed the popularity of this year’s Tartan Day, which in part recognized the church that hosts the event, because like the country, it’s celebrating its 250th anniversary. The church was founded by a Scottish minister. “Because of the cooler weather this morning, we had a bit of a slow start but things really have peaked. The energy level has really picked up and people have been very enthusiastic. I’ve talked to a lot of first-time visitors and that’s always a positive to have new people attending the event.” Cheryle Gasiorowski from Mt. Lebanon and her friends, Janice Schmac from Bridgeville and Carrie Sukal from Brentwood, attended Tartan Day for the first time. They were among the first arrivals when the doors opened at 10 a.m. The event ended at 4:30 p.m. Gasiorowski, who has Scottish roots, purchased a scarf from the tartan store
LOCATION Opening Day a hit with Bethel Park Baseball PAGE A6 What’s happening, B3
Classifieds, B5
A marathon in the high desert of New Mexico tests even the most seasoned endurance athletes. The terrain is unforgiving – a grueling mix of pavement, dusty dirt trails, and the infamous sand pit, a 2- to 3-mile stretch of beachlike sand that saps strength with every step. For competitors in the Heavy Division, the challenge intensifies: Each participant must carry a rucksack weighing at least 35 pounds for the entire course. It’s no surprise that Men’s Health has called the Bataan Memorial Death March the “toughest race in America.” This year’s event, held March 21 at White Sands Missile Range, drew more than 6,000 participants from across the country, many of them active-duty and reserve military per-
By Brad Hundt
bhundt@observer-reporter.com
ELEANOR BAILEY
Jeff Bissell models one of his Scottish kilt outfits during Tartan Day celebrations. At age 78, he started to take pipe lessons. He said his goal is to wear his most formal attire called a Prince Charlie and play “Amazing Grace” and the “Flower of Scotland” at the gravesite of Maxwell McCachren, who was responsible for saving many lives during SEE TARTAN PAGE A3 the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
SPORTS Leroux named Almanac MVP PAGE B2
Becomes youngest to finish Bataan Memorial Death March in Heavy Division
sonnel. Only about 20% chose to compete in the Heavy Division. Among them was Juliette Hirzel. The 14-yearold Upper St. Clair native became the youngest person in the event’s 37-year history to complete the Heavy Division. To avoid disqualification, Hirzel carried a pack weighing exactly 40 pounds – nearly 38% of her body weight. An eighth-grader at Fort Couch Middle School, Hirzel is no stranger to the event. Three years ago, she completed the march in the Light Division, which does not require carrying weight. During the 2023 opening ceremony, she met former prisoner of war Valdemar DeHerrera, the last known surviving member of the Battle of Bataan. SEE BATAAN PAGE A2
Carnegie library to remember Chernobyl on its 40th anniversary
Tartan Day a celebration of all things Scottish By Eleanor Bailey
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Juliette Hirzel of Upper St. Clair competed in the marathon with nearly 6,000 participants, including active duty and reserve military personnel.
In what was then the western edge of the Soviet Union, personnel at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant were carrying out a routine safety test in the early hours of April 26, 1986, when there was an unexpected power surge in one of the reactors. It exploded, killing two engineers and severely injuring two others. That result would have been bad enough, but the impact of the disaster at Chernobyl was long-lasting and severe. Other workers at the power plant later died as a result of radiation exposure, at least 70,000 people living in the vicinity of Chernobyl were
evacuated, and the industrial city that surrounded it became a ghost town. All told, it’s believed that thousands of people later died as a result of cancers linked to the radiation that escaped from the destroyed reactor. It’s believed to have cost upwards of $700 billion, and became a potent symbol of Soviet dysfunction just five years before the USSR crumbled. Almost 40 years to the day after Chernobyl became a household word around the world, the Andrew Carnegie Free Library and Music Hall in Carnegie is hosting a remembrance of the disaster on Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Chernobyl 40 Years Later: SEE 40TH PAGE A2
SIGHTS & SOUNDS ‘Buddies at Ballfield’ a hit at Bethel Park PAGE B3 Real estate transactions, A5
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