Jul 3, 2018 3 min read

You are holding in your hands the fourth annual Nostalgia Issue of South Hills Living. Year after year, this issue remains one of my favorite projects to work on – beginning at the brainstorming phase and continuing through the completed layouts. From the old photos to stories of simpler times, the folks featured in this issue remind us of our childhood, of our glory days, of when MTV played music videos.

On the cover is Paul Petroskey, aka “Weird Paul.” He’s been vlogging (video-blogging) since the 1980s, before vlogging was a thing. Before “Wayne’s World,” Weird Paul was documenting his McDonald’s breakfasts, his dad getting angry and even a phone call to his 1985 self. The Bethel Park native has filled countless VHS tapes with his musings, and when the internet and YouTube took off, he didn’t adapt his technology. No, he kept right on using VHS to record his antics, taking the extra step to convert them and upload them to YouTube. The results are gritty, ’80s-vibe videos. Petroskey has garnered national attention with his craft, becoming the subject of a documentary. Check out digital media editor Justin Channell’s piece on page 10, and make sure to give the story a peek online to check out some of Petroskey’s videos.

Almanac sports editor Eleanor Bailey caught up with members of Bethel Park High School’s state championship team of 1988. Members of the team came home and had a 30th reunion in the spring – even their assistant coach, Taylor Meister, who is now 80 years old, was in attendance. The 1988 team gave some pointers to the 2018 team, in addition to reminiscing. On page 22, you’ll read a story aptly titled “Glory Days,” and you can also find out where they are now.

Pieces on the lost art of blacksmithing (page 14), swing music and bicycling through the South Hills (page 16) and the Whiskey Rebellion (page 21) round out this issue. Of course, make a point to turn to page 28 for the latest installment of Harry’s Adventures – he tried water skiing on the Monongahela River. You want to read this, trust me.

For me, nothing screams nostalgia like long summer days and hot summer nights. I have fond memories of catching lightning bugs with my Pap, riding my bike all over the Canonsburg area, swimming, and reading all summer long. Something as simple as the smell of the night air or a bolt of lightening takes me right back to age 11.

Until next time,