the almanac D E C E M B E R 21, 2025
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
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Seasonal sentiments ELEANOR BAILEY PHOTOS
Elizabeth Osiphchky expresses mixed emotions regarding the holiday season. On one hand, she demonstrates apprehension about approaching Santa Claus and shyly intimates her wish list. On the other hand, she enthusiastically embraces the Grinch. The Almanac hopes our readers experience the wonders of the season.
Oh, Christmas tree! Spike in cost of artificial trees may send some to local farms By Jon Andreassi
jandreassi@observer-reporter.com
Wide-ranging tariffs implemented by the current presidential administration may be hitting homes in an unexpected way this holiday season: the Christmas tree. Specifically artificial trees, which are most often imported from overseas. That’s according to the American Christmas Tree Association (ACTA), which was created by Mac Harmon, who is also the founder and CEO of Balsam Hill, which sells artificial trees. Harmon has told multiple media outlets that artificial trees are 10 to 15% more expensive this year. Is that leading more people to purchase real trees, grown locally, this Christmas? “For us, it’s hard to tell just yet. We were slammed opening day … Probably COURTESY OF LONE OAK TREE FARM FILE PHOTO one of the busiest days we’ve ever had at our farm,” said Beth Ann Bossio, whose A tree on the back of a tractor at Lone Henry Nutbrown at Nutbrown’s Christfamily owns Quarter Pine Tree Farm in Oak Tree Farm. mas Tree Farm in Collier Township Smithfield. While Bossio could not say for certain Quarter Pine Tree Farm has not raised $75,” she said. if that volume was due to artificial trees prices in a couple of years. Henry Nutbrown, the owner of Nutbeing more expensive, she noted that “Our average tree at our farm costs brown’s Christmas Tree Farm in Collier Township, also reported that he has seen an uptick in sales this year. According to Nutbrown, the second Saturday after Thanksgiving is typically their busiest day of the season. “I would say we’re selling more trees. Not 50% more, but maybe 10% more,” Nutbrown said. Again, it is difficult to say if this is due to the effects of tariffs on artificial trees. “We just have a lot of repeat customers, and word of mouth. People who get a tree here will tell their friends where they got their tree. We get out clients that way,” Nutbrown said. Nutbrown also points out that due to the nature of artificial trees, people who already own one may not even be in the market for a new tree. “One thing about the artificial tree is they can keep it from year to year. If you COURTESY OF QUARTER PINE TREE FARM Quarter Pine Tree Farm in Smithfield hasn’t raised prices in a couple of years.
LOCATION P.T. resident goes all out for Christmas PAGE A6 What’s happening, B3
SEE TREE PAGE A2
SPORTS DiLucia headlines All-Star list PAGE B1 Classifieds, B4
COURTESY OF MT. LEBANON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Students at Foster Elementary School play Mini Mahjer in the Matt’s Maker Space at Foster Elementary School.
Mini Mahjer Mt. Lebanon native creates new version of ancient game A board game co-created by a Mt. Lebanon native designed to teach kids how to play the game of American Mahjong has made its way to Oprah’s Favorite Things 2025 list and into the Matt’s Maker Space at Foster Elementary School. Mini Mahjer was created in 2024 by former kindergarten teacher Marian Brisch, now living in Dallas, and her business partner Kristin Erwin, also from Dallas. For a time this summer, the game was sold out. The game of Mahjong originated in China and the Americanized version of the game continues to gain popularity. The game of strategy is won by drawing and discarding tiles to match with the lines of the patterns on the National Mahjong League Card, released each year in the spring. Tiles contain one of three suits along with shapes, allowing for tile combinations that number in the
thousands. The “mini” in the Mini Mahjer refers to the complexity of the game. “The hardest part of learning Mahjong is the complicated card,” Brisch said, which has about 70 lines of patterns on the national card. “But when you learn all of the different combinations you can make in those different lines, it typically amounts to like 1,600 playable hands.” For more simplicity, Brisch, drawing on her experience in the kindergarten classroom as a teacher, and Erwin created a colorful, age-appropriate game that allows kids (ages 6 and up) to make the critical thinking decisions themselves and gain the confidence and skill to advance to the next level. The creators, who have both been American Mahjong instructors, designed the game with fewer options, lowering the number of tiles from 14 SEE MINI PAGE A2