The bald eagle has come back.

Most often sighted on the seal of the United States, the bird all but disappeared from Pennsylvania three decades ago. For the first time in as long as anyone can remember, a pair of eagles nested in Allegheny County last year.

“Normally [bald eagles] nest in secluded, wooded areas, however, they are becoming acclimated to human activity and nesting closer to us,” Tammy Colt, the state’s southwest regional wildlife diversity biologist, said.

As recently as 1980, Pennsylvania had only three nesting pairs of bald eagles. Through a reintroduction program instituted by the state Game Commission in 1983, Pennsylvania had 217 nests statewide last year, producing 204 eaglets.

Though the bald eagle is most commonly found in more northern areas of the state, Colt said over the past decade they are starting to make more appearances around Pittsburgh.

"Independence" the bald eagle, shows off his ability to pick up sticks and put them in a nest during a rehearsal for the Flitezone shows at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh. (Heidi Murrin | Tribune-Review)

As the eagles return, humans need to know how and whether to interact with them, experts said. Although the bald eagle is no longer listed as an endangered species, they are still considered threatened in the state and protected under the Game and Wildlife Code.

In cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the National Aviary recently hosted “Eagle Awareness Days” to reach out and educate the public about the bald eagle resurgence in the community. As part of its new monthly lecture series, the aviary introduced the program celebrating the bald eagle.

Gary Fujak, a wildlife conservation officer for western Allegheny County, said the agency has received more calls about bald eagle sightings over the past few years.

“Bald eagles can often be seen along the rivers in the winter months during their migration,” Wildlife Management Supervisor Samara Trusso said. “What is more uncommon is to see them establishing nests in this area during warmer months.”

Two years ago, Fujak got a report that two eagles had nested in Crescent Township.

“The nest is on private property, but the Game Commission has entered into a voluntary agreement with the landowner to protect the eagles’ habitat,” Fujak said.

Trusso said the Game Commission is not aware of any issues the nest has caused for the landowner. She said they have been very welcoming to the new addition on their property.

Fujak, as well as others from the Game Commission, monitor the site of the nest. Last spring, the pair had one eaglet. Fujak said the eaglet left the nest around July 4th: “It was very patriotic.”

After the eaglet left, the nest was abandoned but Fujak said he hopes the pair will return in the spring. The Game Commission has been working recently to keep up the condition of the abandoned nest, which is approximately six feet wide.

“The nests can get to be as big as a Volkswagen,” Fujak said. “We’re just making sure that no substantial damage caused by weather or other elements will keep the pair from returning.”

There have been several recent sightings in Beaver County as well as reports of bald eagle activity near the Sewickley Bridge.

“We’ve received word there have been sightings of a pair in the area of the nest,” Fujak said. “I’m very optimistic they’ll come back. They may even have two eggs this year.”

The game commission doesn’t advertise the location of the nest because human activity could cause the eagles to abandon the nest completely.

“It’s very important to keep human disturbances to a minimum,” Fujak said. “However, in Allegheny County, it’s difficult to have an eagle’s nest without human activity.”

In May of 2011 the Game Commission produced the Bald Eagle Management Plan.

“Our main goal is to improve public education and outreach,” Colt said. “If more eagles are moving into our area, it’s important that the public know what they can do to help the population continue to thrive.”

Trusso said supporting a clean habitat and clean waterways is the best way the public can help the eagle population continue to expand. It is also important to report any sightings of nests or injured eagles to the Game Commission.

“Bald eagles are very subject to leaving areas,” Trusso said. “Don’t harass them. One of the most helpful things the public can do is just to keep their distance.”

Alexis Cash hopes to perform in front of large playhouses and on movie screens around the world – but for now she’s excited about an upcoming part that will put her in front of just one person at a time.

The Point Park University sophomore acting major has signed up to participate in a new program in which actors will portray renters to look for discrimination among landlords.

“We’re going after (the landlords) and trying to make sure they’re being straight with everybody, and not discriminating,” Cash said.

The Fair Housing Project acting gig is just one of the avante guard ways that members of Point Park’s Experimental Theater Project (ETP) is challenging the boundaries of traditional performances, organizers said. The group most recently did a 24-hour play festival that featured a series of performances produced by students. They also are working on a production tied to a book drive, as well as others that will bring actors into the streets.

The Fair Housing Project came about when a young woman was looking for a place to live in the Pittsburgh area, organizers said. After finding a potential apartment, she spoke to the landlord on the phone and set up an appointment. Upon meeting the landlord, he immediately told her he could not rent to her.

When she asked why, he simply said it was because she was black. The young woman wanted to file a complaint but had no evidence.

The Fair Housing Project created a program that would send volunteers on “tests” to see if landlords are abiding by the fair housing regulations or discriminating against potential residents. They are now turning to local students for volunteers.

Meghan Ginley, president of ETP, is looking to take on the task of finding volunteers with the help of her club. The senior acting major at Point Park said she was contacted by Kaleigh Behe of the Fair Housing Project.

“[This collaboration] will be worthwhile,” Ginley said.

Behe told Ginley they were looking for student groups and groups of actors. Considering ETP fit the bill, she decided to jump at the opportunity for a “real-life acting job.”

The Fair Housing Project has been using, and looking for, volunteers to participate in the tests.

“I checked it out and it was legit,” said Ginley. She emailed members of ETP informing them of the upcoming project and got a great response.

Grant Haralson, a junior musical theater student, said he was interested in participating in this program. He has been a member of ETP since he was a freshman. “(This project) involves going on tours of apartments and asking the landlords certain questions,” Haralson explained.

While sophomore acting major Tess DeStefano is not participating in this collaboration, she still sees it as an excellent idea. “I think theater will help open people’s eyes to this issue and stop discrimination,” she said.

There are training sessions for the tours, and Ginley has one planned for a date in the near future. Once a volunteer passes the test, they are ready to go on a test run.

Two or more students of different races or ethnicities will be sent to the same place on different occasions. They will take notes and send them into the Fair Housing Project for evaluation.

“I hope we don’t find anybody who is discriminating, because they could lose their jobs,” Cash said. “But I hope to catch people if they are (discriminating).”

This written evidence is then used when and if someone is taken to court for violating regulations of the Fair Housing Project. For each test, volunteers will receive a stipend of $50.

Ginley already has about eight students interested in the project and is looking for more participants. She and DeStefano said they hope to use their talents and connections with ETP to bring awareness to issues such as discrimination.

DeStefano says she is excited for what is ahead: “We have more people involved to create inspirational work.”

A dimly lit room has its walls painted a golden color with a light blue design circling the space. Cushions are placed on the floor for seating. The projector in the center of the room displays a video on the ceiling.

This is no action-packed video. Viewers watch as a camera is placed below tufts of green grass with a blue sky viewable between the spaces. A camel bends down slowly to eat the grass above the camera. The entirety of this room is just one sample of the art created for the “Sites of Passage” exhibit.

“Sites of Passage” is a satellite exhibit in conjunction with The Mattress Factory museum on the North Side. The exhibit located at 1414 Monterey St. opened on Sept. 9. Marked by the then current revolution in Egypt and the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, it is a collection of pieces from a larger project, the “Firefly Tunnel Project,” started by co-curator Tavia La Follette.

“The Firefly Tunnels are metaphorical passageways for the exchange of ideas through the language of Performance Art,” said La Follette, as she described the project on The Mattress Factory’s website. “One can think of them as an Underground Railroad that crosses the borders of language, a system of tunnels [aided by the Internet] that doesn’t believe in the barriers of countries or the obstruction of segregated tongues.”

The first of these tunnels was created between artists in the U.S. and Egypt.

The project’s website hosts a place that allows artists from both countries to upload their work and allow it to be edited by other artists, or to leave it protected to remain as it is.

An invitation to a three-week workshop in Cairo, Egypt gave Holly Thuma, a Pittsburgh artist, the chance to work along side Egyptian artists and learn a new culture for the first time.

Thuma traveled to Egypt in late February of this year, just after the revolution. She thought that first checking into the country was a little intense, but once the group started meeting people the feeling was completely different.

“Once we were there, we were very welcomed,” said Thuma, during a phone interview on Dec. 9. “They were so happy to see Americans.”

The experience gave the group an opportunity to view Egypt from the eyes of an insider. Thuma and the other American artists were always with the Egyptians artists they worked with; they didn’t stay any nights in fancy hotels. Both groups were able to just talk and discuss their home lives and families.

“It is an entirely different way to see a country,” said Thuma.

Thuma recalled the most significant part of the workshop was making art with people that had been in Tahrir Square. The group built a giant puppet modeled after a statue in Cairo called the “Mother of Egypt.” Her white dress was adorned with the names of those who died in Tahrir Square and a symbol of one hand. “One hand on Egypt” was a phrase used during the revolution. It represented the idea of the coming together of all the people in Egypt.

“There was a sense of euphoria about accomplishing this thing,” said Thuma. “It was just amazing to me. They are so young and full of hope and joy and everything for their country.”

Jennie Snyder, a professor at the Community College of Allegheny County, viewed the exhibit as “very visually arresting and beautiful.”

Snyder initially brought students from her Art Appreciation class to the main part of the Mattress Factory Dec. 2, but was directed to the satellite exhibit. She had no idea what the purpose of the exhibit was.

“I saw a lot of parallels,” said the 46-year-old Carrick resident. “We took our cue from Egypt and their uprising.”

“Sites of Passage” pulls together two distant countries that are not normally related. The project’s art blurs the lines of the different cultures, religions and languages and focuses on the similarities that are found between two places.

As a TV screen flashes between images of police brutality in Pittsburgh and Egypt, the viewer quickly realizes the two aren’t so different after all.

The participants in the project plan to eventually create a network of tunnels between various countries to allow for more dialogue through their art.

“Sites of Passage” will be hosting a tour led by La Follette on Dec. 17 at 1 p.m. and the exhibit will be open until Feb. 12, 2012. Admittance to the museum is free to all Point Park University students with their IDs.

Abie Abraham, 98, worked in the jungles after World War II attempting to find the bodies of fallen comrades and elicited the moniker “The Ghost of Bataan.”

His walls are papered with awards, citations, plaques, and certificates from presidents, politicians, clubs, church groups, and schools. Throw him a birthday party and some 300 people – including his friend Rocky Bleier – turn out his Connoquenessing Township farm to celebrate.

From Left to Right: Abie Abraham, Army veteran, Josh Hudson, Navy veteran, William Schlobohm, Air Force Veteran. Submitted photo. Contact Amanda Wilcznski at 724-282-5583.

But Abraham isn’t resting on his laurels. He still volunteers at the Butler Veterans Administration Medical Center, where he has been helping out since 1988. Even though he uses oxygen and can navigate the halls only with a wheelchair, Abraham tries to help younger veterans when he can.

“I show them where to go,” he said. “I talk with them. What else is there to do? I help the guys if I can.”

The World War II hero, who earned two silver stars, a bronze star, and a purple heart, still has the humility and desire to help the young men coming back after service in Iraq and Afghanistan. Abrahama has volunteered more than 36,000 hours of service over the past 23 years, said Sean Nelson, Acting Director, VA Butler Healthcare.

“Abie, at 98 years old, still supports other veterans,” Nelson said. “He is a true

Abie Abraham, 1950

American Hero.”

And many younger veterans say they appreciate his sage advice.

Josh Hudson, 41, a retired Navy combat photographer, said Abraham’s life story sets a strong example. The two men met when Hudson was serving as Navy public affairs officer during Major League Baseball’s 2006 All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, where Hudson was honored. It would have been hard, Hudson said, to have endured the Bataan Death March and three years in prison camps and stay in the military.

“Most people would give it up,” Hudson said. “When you talk about a veteran, he is someone you can look up to.  He has the ‘can do’ spirit.”
Air Force veteran William Scholohm, 29, of Butler, served in Turkey providing logistics support for the F-16 engine and at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. He said he looks to Abraham for his stories.

“I got to know him from working here and from what I had read in the papers,” Schlobohm said. “He is a nice guy with a lot of information to offer. “

Over the years, Abraham made sure every vet walking in the front door of the Medical Center felt welcome, got a cup of coffee, and knew where to go to get the services.  For years, when he wasn’t at the door he could be found in the canteen talking with other vets.  Due to Abraham’s infirmity, he can only hold court from the recliner in his hospital room on the fourth floor or from his wheelchair.

“I try to teach them, tell them not to be nervous, because they are here,” he said. “You are on solid ground now.”

Abraham’s personal travails began unexpectedly in December 1941 with the sound of squealing tires interrupting a quiet day at home in Manila where he was stationed. When Abraham went to investigate the ruckus, he was met by another soldier who breathlessly told him of the bombing of Pearl Harbor hours before. As he and his pal raced back to the base, they spotted Japanese planes and soon bombs were falling.

“The Americans were put on ships to go across (Manila Bay) to Bataan Peninsula,” Abraham said. “The Japanese were bombing us.”

They took constant fire for five months trying to delay the advance of the Japanese.  The Americans were cut off from all supplies and support troops  and were eventually captured as the U.S. toiled around the clock to rebuild its fleet.

A tank and soldiers herded the Americans to the main road where they joined thousands of troops who were captured hours earlier. The Bataan Death March began at Mariveles on the southern tip of the peninsula. Abraham said the captives marched with thousands of Japanese troops and tanks.

“Some of our boys were hit by trucks or tanks, clubbed, bayoneted or shot,” Abraham recalled.

He said they had been walking in the heat and one boy rushed for a drink in a stream and was beheaded. They were only permitted to drink stagnant or tainted water and that lead to disease.

Abie Abraham

He said they marched north for six days to San Fernando where they were packed into freight train cars. “Some men died standing up,” he said.

When they got off that train, Abraham and the Americans slogged another 8 miles to a former Filipino base, Camp O’Donnell.

“The march was just the beginning of it,” Abraham said. Many died in the prison camps and digging graves became routine. He was moved to a second prison camp at Cabanatuan where he met some boys from WesternPennsylvania and they talked about home. Those boys and several thousand others died. Abraham kept notes of where the fallen were buried.

He recalled one September day when they heard a buzzing sound that grew loud. American planes were flying overhead. Within a month, the planes were hitting the airfields and the Japanese retreated and ended the war of Bataan and Corregidor.

Abraham was reunited with his family in Manila. His daughters had been sent into the mountains with Filipino friends and his wife was held at an internment camp. Abraham awaited his orders to return home. They did not come. Instead, he received orders to meet with Gen. Douglas MacArthur.  He told Abraham he needed someone from the Bataan Death March and prison camps to disinter the bodies of fallen Americans so they could receive proper burial.

As he began this gruesome task, Abraham earned the title “The Ghost of Bataan.” He spent 2 ½ years in the jungles and prison camps exhuming bodies.

“The Ghost of Bataan  is also the title of his first book. Abraham worked from his memory, referring to milk can labels he had scrolled on. He interrogated Japanese soldiers, and he got maps of burial pits and graves from survivors.

“For more than two years, I did my best,” Abraham said of his attempt to bring the fallen Americans home.

He said now he doesn’t want to think about it.  “I want to think about something nice, like my wife or family,” Abraham said. He said he is on the board at the VA Medical Center and still wants to help if he can.

“Whenever I think of what all Abie went through – his service and sacrifice to our country — I know how blessed I am to have had the opportunity to meet him,” Nelson said. “Abie is an American hero, and loved by anyone who has the opportunity to meet him. He is an inspiration to everyone here at VA Butler Healthcare.”

6 p.m. More donuts than voters might be found at the West View polling locations but campaigners and volunteers aren’t discouraged.

The aroma of sugar coated pastries and coffee floats in the air, reinforcing the need volunteers have for caffeine when faced with a long voting day. At the West View Senior Citizen Tower, Carolyn Wolf, 67, is the Judge of Elections as well as a resident. Wolf who is originally from Beaver says it has been a slow day but is excited about the 15 seniors living in the building that came downstairs to vote. “More seniors from the building voted this year but less people from the community voted, she recalled.

At around 6 p.m. 147 people had voted at the senior citizen living facility which is a little lower than the 197 that voted at West View Elementary School.

Judge of Elections at Westview Elementary, Alice Aguglia, 67, has been volunteering since 1992 and is committed to the community. “I’m disappointed that not more people came in to vote,” she said.

Alison Kilmartin, 34, of Westview is competing with four candidates for three seats on West View’s Borough Council. Kilmartin says she has been running around all day putting up signs and shaking the hands of voters. “I don’t think there are any huge problems with the community besides the sidewalks, I just love it and want to be a part of improving it,” Kilmartin said.

3:29 p.m. At Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church, campaign volunteers stood outside, ready to open the doors for anyone coming in to vote in the mid-afternoon.

Inside, elections officials say the turnout so far was above average.

“It’s been heavier than normal,” said Majority Clerk Lou Kammermeier, 57, of Dormont.

Shortly after 3 P.M., 110 people had voted in District 2, 78 had voted in District 7, and 73 had voted in District 8. Officials cited a number of reasons for higher voter turnout, including recent turmoil in Dormont Council.

The recent decision by Keystone Oaks School Board to consolidate the district’s elementary schools was also cited as a possible reason for more voters coming to the polls.

12:31 p.m.: Voters were lined up waiting for the polls to open at the 3,100-voter Denison precinct at SonRise Church in Unity this morning.

By 11 a.m., about 300 people had voted.

“It comes in spurts, but it’s been good,” said minority inspector Fran Gigliotti.

Among the voters were Mike and Laura Anthony, who said they vote in every election regardless of the races or the weather.

“We’re always here,” said Laura Anthony, 65. “It’s such a privilege, so that’s why we’re here. We’re happy to come and vote.”

Voters also were finding their way to Hempfield Township’s No. 2 Alwine precinct despite its recent move to the North Hempfield Fire Department.

About 236 of the 2,500 voters in that precinct had cast ballots by 11:30.

“We’re about where I figured we would be,” said judge of elections Ted Short.

11:57 a.m.: Poll workers at the Carbon Fire Hall in Hempfield Township said they have seen a steady stream of people through the morning and expect that pace to remain consistent throughout the rest of the day.

A voter takes a card from a campaigner who is supporting their local candidate at the Carbon Fire Hall.

Campaigners wait for voters at the Greensburg YMCA Annex

As of late morning, 156 people had voted, which is more than in the same timeframe for the spring primary, poll workers said. The district has 2,500 people registered to vote.

At the Greensburg YMCA Annex, poll workers said they have seen less people come through the door than expected. Of 3,006 registered voters, only 81 had appeared. Still, poll workers said they have seen a steady trickle of people and haven’t gone five minutes without someone coming in to vote.

At both venues, campaign workers are waiting for voters to arrive in order to sway undecided voters toward their candidates. Both places expect the flow of people to pick up around suppertime when voters get off work.

10:56 a.m.: Calls are sparse this morning at Allegheny County Elections Court, Downtown.

However, Common Pleas Judge Paul F. Lutty ordered the removal of signs from Robinson polling places that endorsed a slate of candidates for township supervisors and school board members.

The signs, paid for by former candidates, lacked the required disclaimer and specificity stating who paid for them, the judge ruled. Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to remove the signs.

10:47 a.m.: The Westmoreland County Election Bureau reports that voter turnout is slow but steady this morning.

No problems developed at the polls in 306 precincts, other than minor problems with more than 820 touch-screen computers used by voters to cast their ballots, said bureau Director James Montini.

“Everything is going smoothly and the turnout seems to be what we expected,” he said.

Montini had predicted a 35 percent turnout, a 7 percent increase over four years ago, when turnout was dampened by cold, rainy weather.

In Sunset Valley Elementary School in North Huntingdon, poll workers described turnout as typical for an off-year election. By about 9 a.m., about 70 out of 1,600 voters had cast ballots.

The Norwin School District is closed today, so many voters were accompanied by their children.

9:55 a.m.: Seventeen people had voted at one of the districts within Shadyside Honda in Bloomfield by about 9 a.m. Poll workers expected about 150 of the 561 registered voters to cast a ballot today.

Friendship resident Dave Rohlfing said that while the Pittsburgh library tax — the Carnegie Library is asking for a 0.25-mill increase to generate $3.25 million annually — was important to him, he voted because “it’s just what you do.”

“Local elections are important because they have more of an effect on day-to-day life sometimes than national elections,” Rohlfing, 30, said.

8:45 a.m.: Only one man was waiting for the polls to open in Middlesex Township, Butler County, this morning. The chill did not deter Harold Griffin, 85, who was clad in a leather jacket that matched his motorcycle in the lot.

“I vote every election,” he said.

The primary issue discussed by workers and the few voters who filtered into the polling place  was the disposition of the township supervisor’s seat held by Mark Vincent, who is on the ballot but relocating to Florida.

Some workers speculated that write-in votes could decide the seat, but the matter was quickly addressed by election judge Karin Callithen.

“If Mark Vincent wins, the supervisors will appoint someone to fill his seat,” she said.

Callithen said that county election officials are expecting about a 30 percent turnout, but anticipated Middlesex would be higher, around 40 percent.

“We are usually a little higher than the projections,” Callithen said. “We have good voters in Middlesex who turn out.”

There is also a countywide vote for Butler County commissioner on the ballot.

7:45 a.m.: At the Linden Elementary School in Point Breeze, Claire Staples, 63, wasn’t optimistic about voter turnout.

“There’s a large number of people who only vote in presidential elections and

When the polls opened at the south precinct of Middlesex Twp, no voters were present.

its getting worse. Its sad,” said the Democratic committeewoman from Squirrel Hill. “The distaste for government seems to be part of the plan. People get discouraged.”

However, Louisa Fitzgerald of Squirrel Hill was beaming this morning as she cast her first-ever vote.

“It was nerve-wracking, exciting. I was registered on my 18th birthday,” said the daughter of Allegheny County executive candidate Rich Fitzgerald. “I’m excited to see what happens. I was so glad I got to cast my first vote.”

Harold Griffin, 85 waited for the polls to open at the North Precinct of Middlesex Twp., Butler County.

Voting machines stand ready.

Reporters Adam Cagle, Colleen Ferguson, Emily Myers, Darlene Natale and Ed Neuhaus of the Point Park News Service contributed to this story. View it on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review site.

While many voting precincts across Pennsylvania are reporting low turnout this general election day, poll workers in Peters said a referendum that would ban Marcellus shale drilling in the township is attracting a surge of voter interest.

Residents are voting on a referendum that would essentially make all natural gas extraction activity illegal — and supersede all state and federal laws. A petition drive put the measure on the ballot in the Washington County community despite concerns of township officials that such a law would be illegal and result in expensive legal challenges.

Peters’s A1 and A2 districts are on track for about a 40 percent voter turnout than for the spring Primary Election, poll worker Ed Rich, 69, said.

“In the Spring primary, we had 138 all day — we’re already at 250,” poll worker John Anglian, 72, said by mid-afternoon.

Peters resident Jim Comer, 52, said he voted “no” to the ballot referendum, saying it’s not practical.

“I think they’re (the township board of supervisors) going to get sued over it,” he said. “It’s messy and complicated…but there are enough protections in place, too.”

Fifty-year resident Frank Longwill, 86, voted “yes,” saying it’s the board’s duty to protect clean water, the environment, and property values.

Residents in favor of a “yes” vote banning all drilling activity in Peters Township are appealing to the township’s “home rule” status, which means that the township can create its own laws that are not exclusively regulated by the state or federal government. As written on the ballot, the charter amendment would:

• Prohibit…(extraction) of natural gas in Peters Township, from installing pipelines and compressor stations…(and any gas development)

• Invalidate permits, licenses, privileges or charters issued by the state or federal agencies inconsistent with the amendment;

• Deny corporations engaged in extraction…rights guaranteed under state and federal constitutions.

The referendum is believed to be the first of its kind, and the legal complications that would ensue if it passes are likely to be lengthy.

“Our position is that it’s illegal,” Peters Township Councilmember Dave Ball, 70, said.

Either way, poll worker Laura Zuloaga, 44, said “the referendum is getting people out…the weather today is helping, too.”

This story is featured on the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review site.

Every Sunday, Holly Wagner scours her local newspaper and searches the Internet looking for manufacturers’ coupons that could potentially save hundreds of dollars each month on her family’s grocery bill.

Wagner, a stay-at-home mother of three, discovered the value of redeeming coupons after watching the TLC show “Extreme Couponing,” which focuses on the art and science of couponing at the grocery store as a way to save money.

“Right after I saw the premiere of Extreme Couponing I knew that I could do it if I put the time in,” Wagner, 30, a food consultant from Plum, said. “I started doing matchups for Giant Eagle and used an empty food pantry to help store extra food in my house. Last month, my biggest haul was getting $600 worth of groceries for $150.”

Nationally, coupon clippers like Wagner have taken over checkout lines at grocery stores in record numbers, earning record savings.  Shoppers said they like couponing as a way to cope with the economic downturn, which has caused many families to do more with less.

Wagner said she shares her savings with family and friends and those in need.

“I would say half of what I buy at the store is donated or given to friends and family, and the other half we live off,” Wagner said. “Things have been tight for our family in the past three months, and we have lived off $100 a month in groceries utilizing what is in our stockpile.”

Wagner’s couponing obsession has rubbed off on her 27-year-old sister, Carly Darling Bouch.

“I started couponing to save money after I was married to my husband for just about six months,” Bouch, 27, an office manager from North Versailles, said. “It started to become to the point of extreme when my sister starting helping me to understand the deals and how to score big in the grocery stores.”

Shoppers look through coupons for extreme discounts. Photo by Barry Reeger, Tribune-Review.

Bouch doesn’t just keep the deals to herself though. She uses her skills at couponing for charitable means as well. She not only helps family members save money but also provides much needed merchandise to those who are feeling the effects of the economy.

“My stockpile usually sits in a closet but recently a family friend’s daughter needed supplies like razors, toothpaste and cereal for college so I was able to give some to her,” Bouch said. “I also supplied a needy family that I worked with in the past as well.”

Another extreme couponer, Andria Alexander, has turned her expertise into a profitable business.

This energetic wife and stay-at-home mom from McCandless does not just scour newspaper clippings and internet websites for her own savings. The 34-year-old created simplyfrugalliving.com, an online instructional website for people interested in saving money.  She has also created classes to teach individuals a way to feed their families on a low budget.

“I offered my first Extreme Couponing class in March of this year,” Alexander said. “I had several people asking me to share my tips and I decided to try offering them in a class setting.”

Her class, “Extreme Couponing,” which Alexander offers twice a month had just 16 attendees in her first session. Since then she said she has taught 10 classes with an average attendance of 50 people and presently has over 500 alumni in the Pittsburgh area.

Alexander’s advice for potential couponers: “Start collecting the Sunday paper coupon inserts, set a weekly budget, find the stores that offer double coupons and only buy the things you need.”

Of course, not everyone is so excited about shoppers redeeming dozens of coupons for dozens of products at the checkout line. Wegmans, a popular grocery store chain in Erie, is among the many grocery shops that are tweaking their policies to prevent savvy shoppers from ruining the store’s supply for other customers.

One local grocery chain, Giant Eagle, unveiled a new coupon policy a few weeks ago to help respond to the increase in redeeming coupons. The store’s new policy limits the number of coupons per day per item and doesn’t permit stacking of electronic or photocopied coupons with manufacturers’ coupons.

“It’s a tough economy, and I see coupons as one way that families can fight to make sure that dollars stretch further than they thought possible,” Alexander said. “This sure has been true for our family.”

Christina Kapaun lives in Munich, Germany, but she still keeps Pittsburgh close to her heart.

When she saw a contest posted on the “Jewelry N’at” Twitter page, she quickly entered – and won – a custom-made pendant to show her penchant for the Steel City. A hockey fan, she owns two Jewelry N’at pendants – one inscribed with “Pens” and the other displaying the city skyline and Clemente Bridge.

“They are made of high quality material and are wonderfully handcrafted,” Kapaun, 37, wrote in an email. “I love extraordinary stuff that is made by people’s hands and not coming out of machines in masses.”

Jewelry N’at owner Sharon Massey sent this pendant to Munich, Germany, to Christina Kapaun, the winner of a custom Jewelry N'at giveaway. The skyline is copper with a black patina on a darkened brass background and a shiny yellow brass bridge in the foreground. The pendant hangs on a long gold-plated chain.

The Internet has opened Jewelry N’at owner Sharon Massey’s business to an international market, but with that comes more competition. To continue to make a profit, small business owners who sell handcrafted items, like Massey, are debating whether to embrace mechanization or stick with the touch of individuality that customers like Kapaun admire.

Massey, who has a master’s degree in metal design, naturally creates all of her jewelry from metal, especially sterling silver. Since sawing and soldering is tedious, she is considering switching to the process of laser cutting, which would follow a pre-made design and allow products to be identical. The quickness of this process would lead to a greater quantity of items at cheaper prices, and she is hoping to release an under-$50 line soon.

While she has had success selling in four Pittsburgh-based consignment shops and online at etsy.com, she admitted she isn’t “making very much money,” which has made her rethink the way she creates jewelry.

For one, the rising cost of silver has complicated her business. Silver nearly doubled to $40 per ounce last month, but Massey was hesitant to raise the prices of her jewelry, which she generally prefers to keep under $100 per item. On her Etsy account, a pair of earrings shaped from sheet metal to look like the silhouette of a man’s “playoff beard” sells for $45, and a “Yinz” pendant made from sterling silver with a gold-plated chain costs $76.

For now, Massey has decided to stick to her craft: She aims to provide affordable jewelry, even if that translates to less profit.

“The jewelry world is really small, so I know pretty much every jeweler in town, and I don’t think anybody could do what I’m doing for the prices I’m (setting),” Massey said.

She is hoping the price of silver will stabilize soon, but said she will make necessary adjustments in the meantime, such as using less silver and more gold-plated materials, as well as recycling her own silver scraps.

Massey works at the Society for Contemporary Craft in the Strip District, and in addition to teaching metalsmithing classes and directing a gallery, Massey spends about 10 to 12 hours per week creating Jewelry N’at products. She said her business has its “ups and downs” but that it “reflects the rest of the retail business.”

Massey is a member of the group Steel Town Etsy, which allows artists from Western Pennsylvania to promote one another’s work. A “Pittsburgh” search in Etsy’s jewelry section yields nearly 500 results from different businesses, so individuality is essential to success.

“It’s definitely really important to come up with something that you feel strongly about, that’s very unique and that nobody else can copy,” Massey said of her advice to up-and-coming jewelers. “And be prepared to work really hard.”

One or two custom orders are sent to Massey each week. Recently a customer wanted her to incorporate a black-and-gold taco into an original piece of jewelry.

Jewelry N’at is marketed mostly with social media, through Twitter and Facebook, which allows international customers to discover her products. And because the city is so “saturated” with Pittsburgh merchandise, out-of-state customers provide the most business.

Despite the pressure of operating a handcraft business, Massey said she believes she will always have loyal customers, like Kapaun, who appreciate her products for their quality, quirkiness and Pittsburgh flair.

“I love the designs,” Kapaun wrote. “They are beautiful, created with lots of small, but awesome details and often come along with a certain sense of local humor.”

It looks like the scene from Gilligan’s Island in which the professor rigged a bicycle that washed ashore to create electricity.

The Occupy Pittsburgh activists aren’t stranded castaways but they do frequently have someone pedaling a bike to generate electricity for their tiny island in the sea of Downtown skyscrapers. Deep-cell batteries are connected to the bike and, separately, to a solar panel.

“People take turns riding the bike to keep things running, “ said Jeff Cech, an Occupy Pittsburgh member from California, Pa. “It powers the interactive media, social media and website updates.”

Alternative energy like the bike and a solar panel are part of the green theme that is associated with the Occupy Movement. The camp of activists has tapped into a growing experimental field for generating electric power in places that are typically off the grid.

“If you ride the bike for an hour, you get 5 hours of laptop usage,” said Nigel Parry, 43, a web designer and publicist as well as an Occupy Pittsburgh volunteer. He said cell phone charging requires a minimal draw, and thus a shorter ride.

Though the resounding messages from the movement are economic and reflect disdain for Wall Street greed and the need for campaign finance reform, some members of Occupy Pittsburgh stress the need to implement a national alternative energy solution. Occupy is creating a small-scale alternative energy effort at their encampment at Mellon Green at the corner of Grant and 6th Ave with the help of a local company ZeroFossil.

The Munhall company provided the Juice Box: a solar panel and dynamo bike set-up. Through its website, ZeroFossil.com, the company sells power generation systems that utilize free energy including sun, wind, water, and human power without the need for any fossil fuels.

The bike at Occupy Pittsburgh can generate up to 250 watts of power, though most riders only generate about 175 watts.

The solar panel also can produce up to 250 watts an hour but because it is located in the shadow of the BNY Building it is only working at 10 – 15 % of capacity. The group is devising a plan to move the solar panel around to get the most exposure throughout the day.

“My goal was sustainability – trying to develop a product that was affordable and sustainable to get away from fossil fuels,” said Steven Kovacik, the president of ZeroFossil.

Kovacik, who studied engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, started production of his electric-generation systems three months ago.

“I had a dream and saved up all my nickels and dimes to start this,” Kovacik said of ZeroFossil.

Kovacik has hit on a popular concept with his poratble system. Many companies including Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, and Costco offer solar and alternative energy systems for camping and tailgating.

A Utah company called Humless was conceived from a frustrating camping trip that entrepreneur Glen Jakins took into a redwood forest. A neighboring camper ran a generator for hours that destroyed his peace. Its Roadrunner is a lithium-based generator plus a solar panel that starts at about $695. Humless offers accessories including batteries, speakers, headphones, and even a hand crank option that can generate 35 watts of power.

Kovacik’s company offers two platforms. The Juice Box, being used by Occupy Pittsburgh, was designed for camping or tailgating.  The solar panel and battery unit is $1,500 and the bikerator  accessory is an additional $500.  It can be used for AC, DC, or USB power.

The second platform offered by ZeroFossil is the Integrator which is designed for home or office power.  It is a “Plug and Play” solar format for $5,000 that will accept accessories to utilize wind, hydroelectric, and human power.

“Occupy (Pittsburgh) is the perfect arena,” Kovacik said about the Juice Box. “It is in the right hands.”

In what resembles a circus training camp, several spandex-clad women swing through the air on trapeze, leaping at every encouraging, “Up, up!” from the instructor. At Fullbody Fitness Club in Brentwood, Pa., the “Fit to Fly” exercise class has its participants soaring to new heights.

Darieth Chisolm, owner of the Fullbody Fitness Club in Brentwood, works out. Photo by Heidi Murrin, Tribune-Review.

“You get the sensation of flying and that’s the fun part about it,” said Fullbody owner and WPXI Channel 11 news anchor Darieth Chisolm.

Like many fitness center owners across the nation, Chisolm recognizes that group classes should be fun and unique. In order to keep participants coming back, that often means pushing the envelope for better, bolder classes.

When Chisolm learned about the JUKARI Fit to Fly and Fit to Flex classes, the creative result of a partnership between Reebok and Cirque du Soleil, it immediately piqued her interest. She knew she wanted “to put this all together under one roof” in Pittsburgh, so she hired instructors to teach these high-energy classes when Fullbody opened in September.

Fit to Fly incorporates both cardio, with moves like the Cha Cha, and strength building, such as pull-ups on the fly set – a trapeze-like apparatus – for an extra arm workout. With Fit to Flex, participants use a stretching band to achieve a full body sculpting workout.

Fullbody members can also get wrapped up in silk dance or Patvan yoga, where they might practice scaling up a colorful strand of silk, or hang upside down – suspended in midair – with a move called the butterfly.

Most of the participants taking these classes are beginners, but since there is a performance element to these aerial classes, Chisolm hopes some students will transform their fitness routine into an acrobatic career.

“I’m totally excited about it,” Chisolm said. “I dream of the day when we’ll look at someone and say, whether it’s on the Olympics or on Cirque du Soleil, that they started at Fullbody.”

Instructor Erin Carey performs several moves on a lyra at the Fullbody Fitness Club in Brentwood. Photo by Heidi Murrin, Tribune-Review.

While other studios may not be going airborne just yet, many are offering innovative classes to lure in members. Wexford-based studio You Rock Fitness has started offering “piloxing,” a hybrid between Pilates and boxing, which kicks Jazzercise classes to the curb.

“It’s different, and they really like that,” said Amy Moreland, You Rock Fitness owner and piloxing instructor. “You go from a high intensity, down to a lower intensity, so you’re punching, you’re kicking, then you slow it down and focus on the toning of legs and arms. You get a break, and then you come back for more.”

Piloxing incorporates signature toning Pilates moves and combines it with the fat-burning kicks and punches boxing is known for, all while participants wear weighted gloves for an additional arm workout.

Moreland, 34, of Wexford, is just one fitness instructor who has been captivated by celebrity trainer Viveca Jensen’s fast-paced workout program. Along with celebrity clients like Haylie and Hilary Duff, piloxing is quickly spreading to fitness studios worldwide.

She said the class was so popular that she decided to drop her toning and Pilates classes because piloxing encompasses “the best of both worlds.”

“I’ve had requests now to add it more and replace some of my other classes,” she said.

With constant pressure to supply cutting-edge fitness classes, Moreland is always looking for the next big thing. One of the programs she plans to introduce to her studio next month ­– for the first time in Pittsburgh – is RIPPED, which stands for resistance, intervals, power, plyometrics, endurance and diet.

Alex Isaly, 40, who is originally from Cranberry, co-founded RIPPED in July 2008 with Terry Shorter, from Claremont, Calif. With the mantra “one stop body shock,” Isaly said RIPPED is an “overall wellness program,” which sets it apart from other workouts.

The 50-minute workout is broken up into five segments, each lasting six to nine minutes, and combines major elements from different workouts into one, muscle-building, calorie-burning program.

Resistance movements are done with a set of dumbbells to work the smaller muscle groups, like the biceps and triceps, and interval movements get the heart pumping with high intensity cardio.

From there, the power portion focuses on bigger muscle groups like the chest and glutes, and then agility movements inspired by sports training are incorporated into the plyometrics component.

To wrap up the workout, mixed martial arts moves like kicking and boxing help strengthen endurance.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s choreographed to music, but it’s simple choreography,” Isaly said.

Instructor Pam Kamensky (left) and Diane Sippel (white top) work out at the Fullbody Fitness Club in Brentwood. Photo by Heidi Murrin, Tribune-Review.

Participants are encouraged to do the RIPPED workout two to three times per week, and they will burn between 750 and 1,000 calories each session. While many workout programs are geared toward fitness gurus, Isaly and Shorter designed RIPPED to be open to all levels of experience, from beginners to bodybuilders.

“We’ve developed a program that anybody from any fitness level to any age can do,” Isaly said, adding that modified version of movements are offered to cater to the needs of each individual.

The last component of the “fitness formula” is diet, where tips are offered on the website to help stabilize blood sugar and lead a healthy lifestyle.

Since training began for RIPPED instructors in January 2010, over 3,000 instructors have received certification in 48 states, in more than 1,000 clubs across the country, as well as in Mexico, Canada and Germany.

“The fitness community has really embraced the program, and we’re very humbled by how quickly it’s taken a strong interest,” Isaly said.

Whether it’s for the blend of cardio and toning in piloxing, the calorie-burning formula of RIPPED or the trapeze thrills of Fit to Fly, everyone is looking for one simple, essential component in a fitness class: enjoyment.

“They just come with a desire to get into shape or do something fun, or maybe they’re bored with their current workout,” Chisolm said. “They want something entirely different.”