The Miniature Parade of Trees Returns to the Shopping District

Just Miniature Scale is pleased to announce the Sixth Annual Miniature Parade of Trees. This display of creatively designed miniature Christmas Trees has become a downtown tradition and a favorite of residents and visitors. Judy Mizikar, owner of Just Miniature Scale, noted several trees are sponsored by local businesses and individuals. “They look forward to seeing their tree after our designer is finished. We try to create a tree that represents the firm or the interest of the owner”.


In 2005, Judy Mizikar started the Miniature Parade of Trees in her downtown store as a way to further enjoy the Christmas season. Mizikar added she the event provides an opportunity to give something to the Greensburg community after a year of customers supporting her business. “For years I had followed the Tribune Review's Holiday campaign, Operation Santa Claus, in the newspaper. I chose to use the display funds to support it because it provides something directly to our area”.

The Miniature Parade of Trees has been written up in two National Miniature Magazines and has been recognized as an example of using miniatures in creative ways. Trees come from all over the United States to support this event. The Parade has risen over $13,500 in the past five years in support of the Tribune Review’s Operation Santa Claus. This long standing charity provides holiday groceries and children’s gifts to needy families in our area. Many people have traveled to downtown Greensburg to marvel at this miniature display of amazing 6 inch tall, creatively decorated trees.

The miniature Christmas Trees will be on display November 13th to December 17th in the storefront window of Just Miniature Scale. The store is located in Greensburg’s Shopping District at the corner of South Pennsylvania Avenue and West Pittsburgh Street.

To learn more about the event and the process to sponsor a tree, the following description provides basic information. Just Miniature Scale will provide a 6 inch tall artificial tree to any and all who would like to decorate one. The trees are on display at the shop for several weeks. Each tree has a donation cup for the public to ‘vote’ for their favorite design and a silent auction bid sheet! During the November 13th opening reception, Just Miniature Scale kicks-off the silent auction for the purchase of the trees. On December 17th, the staff determines the final winning bid for the tree and notifies the recipient. “The Annual Miniature Parade of Trees is the event sponsored by my shop that I am most proud. It has brought back the spirit of Christmas by bringing friends, family, customers and community members together in an effort to improve others' holidays. The diminutive trees are 'big' in spirit!” added Mizikar.

There are a few ways a sponsor can help with the Miniature Parade of Trees.

1. An individual, family or business can decorate a tree for the display.

2. An individual, family or business can sponsor a tree that a talented “elf” will create for a $100.00 donation. Themes can be suggested, but not always possible in miniature. The sponsor’s name will be posted with the tree.

3. An individual, family or business can contribute an enhancement gift such as memorabilia or items of interest. In the past, autographed items, event tickets, gift cards, DVD’s, and more have been added to a tree.

Spooky Halloween Activities for all Ages in Greensburg

Halloween is creeping around the corner and its time to buy bulk candy, decide on the perfect costume and pick what scary event to attend. Costume parties, haunted houses, ghost stories, and corn mazes are just a few ideas of things to do this Halloween Weekend. While Greensburg businesses and organizations have scheduled events and specials, make a point to consider other options in the area. The following events are only a few happening in or around Greensburg this weekend. Visit the ThinkGreensburg BLOG to learn the complete list of Halloween events.

Date: Oct 24-31
Event: The Valley of Terror.
Time: 7:30 to 10pm
Location: Adjacent to Westmoreland Fairgrounds
*Visitors can choose from Haunted Hayride, Haunted Maze/Trail and the Haunted Farm.

Date: Oct 28
Event: Wine Dinner for Women
Time: 7pm
Location: The Supper Club at Greensburg Train Station
*Attendees can experience the Organic Wines of Redwood Valley, California’s Lolonis Winery. Call 724-691-0536 or visit www.supperclubgreensburg.com to reserve a space.

Date: Oct 29 and 31
Event: Rocky Horror Picture Show presented by Stage Right
Time: 8pm & Midnight
Location: Davis Shopping Center, East Pittsburgh Street
*Call 724-832-7464 to order tickets.

Date: Oct 30
Event: Annual Halloween Party at Rialto Café
Time: 7 to 2pm
Location: Rialto Café
*Drink specials and costume contest for attendees.

Date: Oct 30
Event: The Parkwood Inn Halloween Party
Time: 7 to Midnight
Location: The Parkwood Inn
*Drink specials, music by DJ team Silver Hat Productions and costume contest for attendees.

Date: Oct 31
Event: Whisker Walk sponsored by Westmoreland County Humane Society
Time: 1pm with registration required
Location: Twin Lakes Park
*Dress your pets and kids in Halloween Attire for a great afternoon of fun and fundraising. Call 724-837-3779 or email hswcgbg@aol.com to register your pet.

Date: Oct 31
Event: City of Greensburg Halloween Parade
Time: 5:15pm line-up with the parade starting at 5:30pm
Location: Lynch Field Park.
*Greensburg’s Annual Halloween Parade will take place at Lynch Field. Bagged Treats will be distributed to all children in costume at the end of the parade. This event is sponsored by the City of Greensburg Recreation Department. Call 724-834-4880 for more details.
Date: Oct 31
Event: City of Greensburg Annual Trick-or-Treat
Time: 6 to 10pm
*Location: Neighborhoods of Greensburg.

Greensburg Holiday Parade - Register Today!

Register to Participate in the Greensburg Holiday Parade

The City of Greensburg Recreation Department is seeking businesses, organizations and clubs to participate in the 2010 Holiday Parade.  The Parade is scheduled for Saturday, November 20th and will start at noon.  Spaces are limited as a total of 83 participants filled the 2009 Holiday Parade.  Interested businesses should contact the Recreation Department at 724-834-4880 soon to reserve a space.  There is no fee to register a float or group.

Parade participants have the option to be as creative or as simple as they desire.  Previous participants have created a float while others walk as a group or ride in a classic car.  A favorite of the children lining the parade route is the candy passed out by the participants.   

 Every resident knows the Holiday Parade is the start of a month long schedule of downtown activities and events.  The parade is a good time for families and friends with many making it part of their family tradition.  The size of the crowd can exceed 9,000 people along the parade route if the weather is beautiful.  Regardless, this community event is a great way to be seen by the residents of Greater Greensburg area.

Nov 5th is the Deadline to Apply for Energy Efficiency Grants

The PA Department of Environmental Protection is seeking applications for the 2010 Small Business Advantage Grants program.  This grant program is intended to help companies fund energy efficiency and pollution prevention retro-fit projects.  Applications need to be submitted by November 5, 2010.  Eligible businesses are less than 100 employees and located in Pennsylvania with proposed projects that can save at least 25 percent in energy or pollution-related expenses per year.  The awards are a maximum of $7,500 and up to 50 percent matching grants. 

The full application is available at the DEP web site. The DEP first launched the grant program in 2004 and has awarded funds to approximately 1,000 Pennsylvania businesses.   The following list is a sampling of retro-fit projects in the region receiving Small Business Advantage Grants from the DEP.

• High-efficiency restaurant equipment to conserve energy.
• High-efficiency washing machines to conserve energy, water and decrease wastewater.
• Architectural insulation to conserve energy.
• Upgraded lighting with individual motion sensors to control new fixtures to conserve energy.

Eligible projects would install equipment that promotes energy efficiency or pollution prevention, adopt processes that reduce energy consumption, reduce consumption of raw materials, increase the reuse of raw materials on-site, or reduce the production of waste. Some examples of eligible projects are: Energy efficient lighting, high efficiency furnaces, boilers and air conditioning units, insulation/air sealing, energy efficient refrigeration, waste recycling systems or solvent recovery systems. ENERGY STAR rating is required if the equipment being installed is part of the project.

Greensburg Entrepreneur Continues Tradition of Neighborhood Barber.

When Becky Swiger purchased Zippi’s Barbershop, she not only maintained operation of a significant neighborhood business, but she also maintained the social fabric of Greensburg.


Swiger is the owner of Beck’s Classic Men’s Cuts located on West Otterman Street. Swiger started her career in 1987 cutting and styling hair at a salon in Pittsburgh. Since then, she has worked in a wide array of shops from a high end salon in South Carolina to a local barbershop known as Richards Barbershop in Greensburg.

“When I started at Richards, it opened my eyes to a whole other way of doing hair. Barbering is a more precise and well defined way of cutting hair. I found that I really enjoyed this aspect of being a barber” noted Swiger when asked about her experience. After gaining an appreciation for the craft, Swiger further refined her skills working in various barber shops before the next impact on her career. Swiger introduced herself to a barber named Carlo Zippi.

Carlo Zippi owned Zippi’s Barbershop which was a landmark in the Ludwick neighborhood of Greensburg. “Zippi was very well known and praised around the community” says Swiger. When Zippi decided to retire he chose Swiger to continue the trade in his shop. “I feel so lucky and blessed and thank him silently every day”.

The shop is located between downtown and Route 30 at 622 West Otterman Street at the corner of Jefferson

Avenue. Swiger’s customers are from every age group, however, a large portion of the clientele are from a generation familiar with a classic locally owned barbershop. Swiger’s customers want to walk into a barbershop that offers the same fifties and sixties era ambiance that is special and hard to replicate. They remember patronizing the local shops with their father or grandfather and the personal experiences and stories shared. Beck’s Classic Men’s Cuts strives to maintain the atmosphere created by Zippi. When younger clients come in the shop, they realize that there is a certain atmosphere that only can be found in a neighborhood store. Swiger noted “While a haircut is a service that should be done quickly, I try to make it very distinctive and unique for each client”.

Tradition in a community such as Greensburg should be praised and supported since it is the foundation of our City. Locally owned shops like Beck’s Classic Men’s Cuts have had an influence not just in the area, but also the people who inhabit it. “The best thing about taking over the business is that I feel I am part of this community and part of the American tradition of small business ownership that focuses on personal attention and quality service. Having the opportunity to blend myself into the local history of the area and becoming a Greensburg business owner have become the most fulfilling parts of my life”.

When discussing the history of Greensburg, it is very common for local businesses to be the focal point of the story. It is hard to imagine Greensburg not containing a more entertaining and informative source of local news than a barber.

Store hours are Tuesday thru Friday from 9 to 5 and Saturdays from 9 to 2. Beck’s is a walk in business. Please call 724-467-0289 if you need a hair cut.

Greensburg - More Than a College Town

Let me begin by saying I’m not the typical college student. I just haven’t had the average college experience. For one, I’m a transfer student. After graduating high school in 2006, I spent my first year of college at another institution, before transferring to Greensburg’s Seton Hill University in 2007. Once enrolled at SHU, I spent my first year commuting 35 minutes from Blairsville and then moved into an off-campus apartment in Greensburg.

Potentially, my less-than-average college experience could be something to lament over. Transferring, commuting and living off-campus have definitely posed barriers to the campus assimilation and friend-making processes. Slowly but surely, though, I overcame these barriers and carved my own college niche. In whatever euphemism you want to use, I’ve enjoyed dancing to my own tune, traveling my own path, building my own bridge – whatever – throughout my college years. And I think Greensburg played a large part in that experience.

Greensburg is a college town without being a “college town.” It is home to not only SHU, but to PITT at Greensburg and Triangle Tech, and Westmoreland County Community College is in nearby Youngwood. Given its proximity to so many schools, Greensburg has its fair share of college-friendly bars, restaurants, coffee shops, tanning salons and tattoo shops. These businesses certainly affirm Greensburg’s college identity, and moreover, they establish that identity an important, vital aspect of the City. But what I found refreshing as an nontraditional student is that Greensburg isn’t completely defined by these elements. The true heart and soul of the City, I think, extends beyond the college scene and incorporates the interests of several ages, backgrounds and walks-of-life.

In retrospect, I guess I’ve just been an nontraditional college kid living in an nontraditional college town – and it’s been a perfect match for me. But don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with the typical, average or traditional. In my college experience, though, things just haven’t gone that way.

Then again, what or who is really traditional or average? We’re all just people, all different, unique and definitely un-average in our own way. My time in Greensburg, at Seton Hill, has solidified that perspective in me. And ultimately, Greensburg’s inclusive, eclectic nature has not only helped me make the most of the past three years, it has given me a place to call home as a young adult.

Mother-Daughter Day in Greensburg

At 22, I find myself at a transitional stage with my mom. We’re almost to that point where I’m old enough for us to be friends, but I’m not quite old enough to have outgrown her authoritative, parental dynamic. Luckily, as a resident of Greensburg, I’m living in a city that’s diverse enough to bring us together for a night.

Recently, my mom and I got together for dinner and a show at the Palace Theatre. We caught the April 17th performance of Close Enough for Jazz, by the River City Brass Band. Jazz isn’t always my genre of choice, but I have been known to find WDUQ Jazz on my car radio from time to time (okay, actually it’s a programmed favorite). As for mom, she loves jazz. And although I may not be as devoted a fan as she, we both loved the show – it was phenomenal. The guest conductor – Steve Hawk, from Slippery Rock University – was amazing, a truly talented musician. He performed as well as conducted, and his line-up of tunes kept the pace of the show up-beat and entertaining, even participatory at points. The songs they played mixed traditional jazz with WWII era swing and big-band.

Before the show, we had dinner at one of Greensburg’s newest restaurants, One Eleven. Neither of us had been there before, but I had heard that reservations were a must. And now, after having dined there, I can see why. Both our meals were delicious. We each ordered fish specials, a grilled marlin for me and Sicilian tuna with pasta for mom. And we splurged a little too, each ordering the crab bisque, a glass of wine and a post-meal cup of coffee. Portions were more than generous, so if you try out One Eleven, be sure to come with an appetite and don’t forget your doggy bag!

After our meal, we enjoyed the short walk from the restaurant to the theatre. It was a little chilly, but a well-lit and pleasant walk, none-the-less. It had been only my second time to the Palace, and the quality of the show exceeded my expectations. Like my mom kept saying, it was a show worthy of Heinz Hall, for half the price!

So with Mother’s Day approaching this weekend, I hope everyone will consider treating mom to a day or night out in Greensburg!

P.S. – If you're in need of a gift, River City Brass is back at the Palace on Saturday, May 8 for Cirque du Brass Band!