South Hills celebrates America with parades and fanfare
Red, white and blue and a hot dog too. All that peppered the celebration of America’s 250th birthday during the recent Fourth of July weekend.
In Brentwood the festivities kicked off with a Battle of the Barrel between neighboring fire companies. Sprinkled between a 3.1-mile road race that attracted 2,507 registered runners and a spectacular fireworks display was the borough’s parade. Started in 1912, the route snaked 1.6 miles through the community along its main artery, Brownsville Road.
In addition to the usual fire trucks, antique cars, marching bands, dance units, floats and dignitaries, this year’s cavalcade featured mascots such as the Pirate Parrot and Beary H. Bonds from the Pittsburgh-based media outlet oneBURGH as well as weatherman Jeff Verszyla, formerly of WTAE-TV.
However, the citizens of the community were the main attraction. As part of the nation’s anniversary celebration, the next generation of the borough, its youth and families, carried the mantle as parade marshals. Decked in specially designed T-shirts for the event, hundreds led the way after the Allegheny County sheriff’s department carried the colors of the American flag and Pennsylvania state banner.
“Emotional,” said Julie Kienzle of the celebration. “I’m so proud (to be an American) and hope for good things for our country.”
Kienzle was one of the estimated 30,000 visitors who descended upon the Brentwood community for its annual Fourth of July celebration. Kienzle arrived early because relatives participated in the 43rd annual Firecracker 5K Run and watched from the curbside with Claire Glenn and Paige Kulasa from Mt. Lebanon.
While Kienzle spent the rest of the day nursing her husband, who recently had hip surgery, she suggested the girls still had fun things to do.
“Like watching the parade,” Paige said. “The best part is the candy.”
Despite being saddled with a foot cast because she broke her ankle inside her bouncy house at home, Claire added she was going to watch the fireworks in the evening.
“They’re great,” she said.
Hot dogs made the event even better and more complete.
During the Brentwood Fourth of July festivities, Debbie Campbell and her crew from the Presbyterian Church served up free hot dogs and hamburgers as well as cold drinks. For more than 10 years, the church has offered these treats as an “outreach” to the community. The church also participates in the parade and helps with a float that collects canned goods and donations for the local food pantry.
Campbell is another proud American.
“It’s a great country. I love it,” she said. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Nowhere else would one see a hot dog running on Brownsville Road but save for the Fourth of July. Brandon Lorkovic did just that.
Despite temperatures at race time in the 80s, Lorkovic donned a hot dog costume and the 22-year-old harrier covered the 3.1-mile course in 23.44.
“Since it was the 250th anniversary (of the country’s birthday), I thought I might as well do something fun. I had the costume so I decided to wear it. Plus, I told people I would. So I had to.”
Lorkovic admitted it was a tad warm. “Really hot,” he said. “The first half of the race wasn’t too bad, and then turning around, that was the hard part.”
The easy part was picking the costume for obvious reasons. “A hot dog is an American thing,” he said.
Plus, Lorkovic said, “They have that hot dog eating contest every year. I absolutely loved that guy who wins every year,” he added.
Joey Chestnut, indeed, won again. He captured his 18th career title at the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest. He consumed 66 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes during the competition held July 4 in Coney Island, N.Y.
“I can’t even eat a fraction of what he can,” Lorkovic said. “I’d probably get down a good seven or eight if I tried really hard.”
As for condiments, Lorkovic picks ketchup. “Heinz especially,” he said. “It has to be Heinz.”
For Michelle Bittel of Peters Township, the Fourth of July must be celebrated in Brentwood. Her brother, Jeff Healy and his wife, Karen, have owned a home on Brownsville Road since 2011.
Healy, 63, is a lifelong Brentwood resident. He annually hosts a Fourth of July gathering that attracts upwards of 50 guests from Jefferson and Pleasant Hills to Greensburg and beyond Philadelphia.
Bittel lived in the borough until she was 28 then relocated to Washington County where she raised her family. Her three children, Mike, Jack and Stephanie, competed in baseball and basketball at Peters Township High School and all are currently living in the Bridgeville area.
Coming back home to Brentwood to celebrate the Fourth of July is so special for Bittel that tears well up in her eyes.
“I feel like I could cry,” she said, waving her hand close to her face. “All the memories of growing up on Brentwood Avenue where the fire trucks lined up on our street for the parade. The running races at the stadium and the swimming races at the pool. It’s just such a strong sense of tradition. You come here and you feel like you’re home.”
Regardless of what birthday it is for the United States, America is home too for Bittel.
“Absolutely, absolutely,” she emphasized. “I’m proud to be American. I love our country. God bless the USA.”
Of course, the Rev. John Skirtich believes God is an integral part of America’s history. He is a Catholic priest serving as pastor at Our Lady of Hope Parish, which operates four churches, two of them located in Bethel Park.
Skirtich grew up in Brentwood and the Fourth of July is considered Reunion Day for former residents. “We all reconnect on the Fourth. So it’s kind of all things mixed in one.”
Because it was the 250th birthday of the country, Skirtich said he’d been reading and reflecting upon the nation’s history. For him, it’s become clear how important Pittsburgh was in pre-war times.
“I knew to a certain extent how things like Washington’s trips here, the changing of the fort’s at The Point and how pivotal Pittsburgh really played a part in the history of the birth of our country. That makes me proud.”
As a Catholic priest he said that he’s always praying for unity for everybody and that he remembers on this anniversary that “we are one nation under God” and recalled that religious freedom was one of the basic reasons why people first came to these shores. “It’s enshrined in our Constitution, and I think sometimes that’s under threat these days, or at least misunderstood.
“Even though people have different religious backgrounds, and some have no religion at all, we respect everybody’s faith and everybody’s point of view. But to say one nation under God helps us remind us that we have a creator and that we owe all of our ultimate freedom and our ultimate liberty to Him.”
Maria Visconti was one of the youngest to take advantage of the freedoms the country affords its citizens. She walked the entire 3.1-mile course waving an American flag to spectators during the running race.
“I wanted to finish strong and I wanted to be brave when I finished,” she said. “For freedom and because I love America, I did it.”
Denise and Tom Visconit reiterated their daughter’s pride upon completing her first race.
“We are so proud of Maria and we love America. Land of the free. Home of the brave,” they said.