Letter
Very rarely do I wish to go back to my teenage years, and I have absolutely no regrets with the gown I wore at my wedding. But, upon entering Zelenski’s Bridal & Prom Shoppe in Charleroi for the cover shoot of this issue, well, I was like a kid in a candy store. I wanted to try on all of the dresses!
Having graduated high school in 1999, I can’t even say that our prom styles were bad. They were sleek, form-fitting and dare I say, cute. They didn’t have poufy sleeves or ruffles and lace like the styles in the years prior. But today’s dresses are simply gorgeous. The wedding gowns that were on mannequins and forms were just amazing. Again, I love my wedding dress, but I have to say, things have come a long way in seven short years!
Zelenski’s owner Judy Lucas took over the stunning shop from her mother when she retired, a fitting passing of the baton, seeing as multiple generations of brides have worn dresses from Zelenski’s to walk down the aisle. Lucas and her staff are like family, as well. Judging by the interactions between the ladies on this cover – Lucas, Sarah Stark and Jennifer Vinsick – they are as close as family. The ladies shared laughs, concerns over poses and backgrounds, outfit choices and shoes. And the end result was stunning – just like the end results they get when helping out brides, pageant hopefuls or prom-goers. Writer Kristin Emery tells the Zelenski’s story on page 18.
P.S.: My mom, a Charleroi native, got her wedding dress at Zelenski’s back in 1979.
One of my favorite things about putting this magazine together every other month is highlighting the traditions of the Mon Valley. On page 14, there’s another passing-the-baton story, this one of John & Kathryn Lunt. The Lunts took over the Mon Valley Home Show in 2016 following the passing of Leo “Buddy” Rach. They told staff writer Karen Mansfield that they feel an obligation to Rach to continue to produce a “top-notch” home show each spring. This year’s show takes place April 6-8 at the Rostraver Ice Garden, and with two years already under their belts, I’m confident that the Lunts’ aspiration to honor Rach with another great event will be a success.
Back in Charleroi, there’s another story of hope, and you can read it on page 22. Staff writer Scott Beveridge profiles CityReach Church Pastor Gregg Anders and his mission to help as many people as possible achieve home ownership. His nonprofit, The Home Growth Project, has been instrumental in rehabbing blighted properties and getting families into the rehabbed, affordable homes.
Finally, in last issue’s letter, I wrote about mystery photos of days gone by gracing the back page of the magazine. A last-minute production issue forced that page to be pulled, so we put the photos on our Facebook page to try and glean information. We only received feedback on one of them, and that, along with two other mystery photos, is on page 30. If you think you know where or when they were taken, drop me a line at kgreen@observer-reporter.com, and we will publish the information in the next issue.
Until next time,