Sewickley Herald

              A Gateway Publications N. -v»|; ij.er
Sewickley
Vol. 93 No. 5
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Serving Aleppo, Bell Acres, Edgeworth, Glenfield, Haysville, Leet *
leetsdale, Osborne, Sewickley, Sewickley MeigliJs, Sewickley Hills
Wednesday, January 31, 1996
Stwicklty
Academy's
Connor
uniquo ritual Mtorotho bis swim moot every year. To find out what that ritual is, see page 19.
50 Cents
INSIDE
Lifestyles
• This man will be the guest speaker at a town meeting on Saturday at the Y. the forum will address drug use in the local teen community.
Page 13
Voices
• The election year is in full swing with President Bill Clinton probably facing Sen. Bob Dole, local politiciansgivetheiropin-ion of Clinton's chances.
Page* 7
School News
• Another edition of Quaker Valley Junior High School's "APieceof the Press" hits the streets ©f Sewickle/s Village in this week's newspaper.
Paga IS
lord News. .. .,,	......2-5
Opinion			6
People		....9 10
Religion		
«> M nKIQtMM* *•*♦»«• ♦«*»!		18
Real Estate			22
	...	23
lyKiArpiKBltdk Staff writer
It was 1982 when Tony and Norma Raso; after 27 years in the grocery business, decided to change Hie family business.'
With two sons headed for
college, and small-town
groceries going the way of the' horse and buggy,-the Raso’s believed pizza would provide their family with a more solid future.'
Today, as owners of the thriving Tony .R’s Pizza on Nevin Avenue in SewicMey, the Raso’s are confident they did the right thins. tod they’re customers seem to agree.
The Raso’s will celebrate 41 years of business in Sewickley this March, 14 of those making pizza and other Italian dc- ' lights, -	.
“We have customers who have been with ussince the day we opened,” says Mrs. Raso. “We’ve survived be-
lt IS all In the family at Tony R's on Nevin Avenue. The Raso's (from left: Norma, Tony and
fiftartt) are celebrating 41 years'asa small business in Sewickley. photo by Ed Gaiicte
cause we never changed our
product. That's beemour •	:	and Mark, to face the same
success.”	iute.
Bruno and Theresa Raso,	So armed with a hand-
Tony’s parents, first came to writtenmenu, Aunt Jennie’s Sewickley from Ambridge	meatballs, Norma’s special
whenRaso was only 15. They sauce, Tony’sfresh sausage opened their grocery store, —	and absriutriy no advertising,
Tony’s Market, in the current they opened the doors, building of Tony R’s, in 1944.	The new name, Tony R’s,
When Norma and Tony mar- would come from Tony and the ried in 1955, they took ovfer the other three Raso’s, sons store.	Anthony	and	Mark,	and wife
The decision to convert the Norma. ^	,
tiny grocery to a pizza shop	For three days, the Raso’s
came as the Raso’s watched	had an open house, letting
neighborhood children coming customers try their products back from college and being and hoping word would unable to find jobs, They did	spread,
not want their sons, Anthony	Sure enough, those early
customers liked what they order in your own kitchen, tasted, andspread the word. ... . During-oar'visit, son Mark In the first couple of weeks, Raso, who is the man who puts customers were spilling out of the pizzas together, is making the shop and waiting an hour	a pizza in the shape of a
to an hour and hall for pizzas. Steeler helmet.
Some things never change.	“Wait til you see this,” Raso
Mrs. Raso insists that even says to waiting customer Tony in today's fast-paced world, Bisesi. “You’re gonna be in customers are Willing to wait Steeler heaven.” an hour or more for a Tony	“I’ve also started putting
R’spizza.	my Super Bowl predictions on
And oncf you’ve spent a the inside of the box,” he says couple of minutes watching smiling. He completes his and listening to the antics	creation by adding a scrawling
behind the counter, you realize “Go Steelers” in green marker
waiting an hour might not be —---------------;------——;---------
so bad.	(
It’s like waiting for your	SEE PIZZA PAGE 2
▼ FLOOD OF '96
Local residents still cleaning up
I| Bwn Kite* Staff writer
The Ohio liver lias swallowed its water back, but it has left mud and debris be-
hind for Sewickley Valley residents to clean up after the Flood of‘96 last week.
Osborne had 23 houses flooded, including two that had water on the first floor.
“We’re making progress,” saidMaryLouSuDivan, Osborne secretary. Mrs. Sullivan said OEbome residents have fillediO dumpsters wife flood debris.
AnnKipilo, Glenfieldbdrough
secretary, said her house was more severely flooded than during the 19® flood. “At least we knew that Agnes was coming.,.this flood was a surprise,” Ms. Kipilo said.
Hurricane Agnes flooded the Kipilo house nearly to the first floor, while tiro flood waters of 1996 were 26 inches shy.
The worst flood in Pittshurgh’shistoryoccurredm
1936. During thatflood, water reached the second story in manyhomesinHaysviHoBor-ough.
The backyard of Glenfield resident David Peace is still. pretty muddy from flood waters last week. “I still have a little bit of work left in my basement, butmyfurnacoand other appliances are working,” said Peace.
CALL THE SEWICKLEY HERALD WITH YOUR NEWS TIPS AT 741-8200 OR FAX THEM TO 741-5904