Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania • Page 25

Dec 31 2007 PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2008 WWW.POST-GAZETTE.COM C-5 Dance MVPs graced the stages DANCE, FROM PAGE C-1 This contingent of twentysome- things created a year long series at Construction Junction, filled with video, graphic and visual art, dance, music and much more that made us sit up and take notice. They already have plans to take the company in a new direction, a great sign for a flourishing dance scene. IF I HAD A HAMMER Attack Peter Kope enjoys the nuts and bolts of dance, but he enjoys the real ones, too. Attack is noted for its custom scenic designs and this year they constructed a bar room for not complete with a lobby, angled stage and flat-screen televisions. Next Kope and wife Michele de la Reza will be tackling the vertical space of the New Hazlett Theater this month in a collaboration with noted Japanese composer Somei Satoh.

TEAM SPIRIT Sometimes the backstage perspective is just as good as the view from the auditorium. Nowhere is that more apparent than at What may be the most telling is how the company dancers collect in the wings, offering applause and admiration for their colleagues. Company member Makoto Ono held tissues and water for Sugarplum Fairy Erin Halloran between her solos at one recent performance. That sense of mutual support is paying off for the company in terms of confidence and technical assurance. Jane Vranish can be reached at Mara Rago Gwen Hunter Ritchie showed her resilience on and off the stage.

Keep conniving hands off assets and ID We are at our end. Our mother, who is widowed and 78 is now in a nursing home. Our younger brother has been a leech for as long as we remember, even when Dad was alive. For years, he would guilt our parents, and then Mom, into giving him cash, taking out loans for him (which they paid) or maxing out their credit cards for him. Like most of us, Mom still receives lots of pre-approved credit card offerings even though she has very limited income and few assets left, thanks to our brother, who is living in house he says, because he just lost another job.

We are very concerned that he may try to steal her identity by signing for her on one of these pre-approved mail offerings and go hog wild on the Internet with a new card that no one can verify is actually my mom using it. Are there any resources you know of to prevent this from happening? The first order of business, it would seem, would be to go to the post office and change your mailing address to your home. This would stop the flow of mail to her house immediately. If the post office will not accept a power of attorney (assuming you have one), ask your mother to sign for forms. Second, if you go on the Internet to www.optoutprescreen.com, there are links that will allow you to write to each credit bureau and have the pre-approved mailing halted.

At the same time, you can also inform the credit bureaus to place a on your credit report. We also suggest that you take her license, state ID card and Social Security card and keep them safe in your possession. Lastly, order a free credit report for your mother each year, beginning now, at www. annualcreditreport.com, and make sure your brother knows that using your identity could result in criminal charges that you intend to prosecute. My father has dementia, and Mom takes care of him at home.

Of late, he has become extremely aggressive with her, which is cause for concern because Dad has a collection of 20 or more guns that he has started to clean every day. Mom and I have tried to redirect him without success, and he will sit for hours cleaning his shotguns, pistols and rifles. We know that if we try to remove the guns from the house, he will miss them. He picks arguments with Mom about the smallest things, and she is concerned that he may well hurt her because he also keeps large amounts of ammunition at home. We asked his doctor what to do but have not gotten a satisfactory response.

Any ideas about a potentially explosive situation? Assuming you and Mom can get Dad out of the house, we believe the best way to approach this situation is to find a gunsmith who will come to the house while Dad is not there and remove the firing mechanisms or firing pins from all of his weapons. Or, better still, if you can get Dad to come to your house for a few days over the holidays, see if you can make arrangements with a gunsmith to do the same task at a gun store. Under these conditions, your fixation on weapons does not seem to be appropriate. Jan Warner is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and has been practicing law for more than 30 years. Jan Collins is editor of the Business and Economic Review published by the University of South Carolina and a special correspondent for The Economist.

You can learn more information about elder care law and write to the authors on www.nextsteps.net. next steps JAN WARNER and JAN COLLINS FOR THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS OF YOUR LIFE To place your announcement, call 412-263-1236, e-mail or visit the Post-Gazette lobby to meet with our Celebrations consultant. SCOBBO JOSEPH and BERNICE Joseph and Bernice (Schimborski) Scobbo, of Crown, (formerly of Shaler), celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on December 30, 2007, at Restaurant, Bloomfield. Joe and Bernice were married at St. Joseph Church in Mt.

Oliver on December 30, 1947. They are the parents of Joseph Jr. (Louise) of Palm Coast, Judy (Bill) DeLowry of Hilliards, Bernice (Tom) Howell of Gibsonia; and the late Marie (Roy) Steinsdoerfer. They also have six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Joe is a retired bricklayer and Bernice is a retired crossing guard.

Please send well wishes to: P.O. Box 18, Rt. 66, Crown, PA 16220. Joe and Bernice A NNIVERSARIES PILCH WALT and DOROTHY Celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on December 2, 2007. They were married December 2, 1967, at Guardian Angels Church (formerly in the West End.) They are the parents of Lisa Platania, Lori Conway, Tom Pilch, and Greg Pilch, and the proud grandparents of eight grandchildren.

The couple's anniversary was celebrated at a Mass at St. Margaret's in Moon Township on December 22, 2007. Thank you for being wonderful parents and grandparents! Love, Your Family BIRTHDAYS TAYLOR RENAE TORTOREA Our baby peanut had her first birthday on New Eve! Love, Mommy, Daddy Grandparents A NNIVERSARIES A NNIVERSARIES FEINBERG NORMAN and PHYLLIS Norman and Phyllis Feinberg Taylor Allderdice High School Sweethearts Married on January 2nd, 1944. She loves gardening and baking He loves the stock market and sports Two halves that together become complete. Ever Mine, Ever Thine, Ever For Each Other! Happy 64th Anniversary, Mom and Dad Grandma and Grandpa Phyllis and Norm.

We Love You Always! David and Deb, Iris and Myron, Eddie Josh and Jen, Becky, Amy and Dan, Amanda, Kara and Amora NOWTHEN ENGAGEMENTS ENGAGEMENTS MAST and HARRIS Norman Mast and Janet Strahosky, of Avalon, happily announce the engagement of their daughter, Naomi Mast, to Dorian Harris, son of the late Norman Williamson and Audrey Harris-Smith, of West Mifflin. Naomi works for Achieva as a respite care provider while pursuing a diploma as a registered nurse at CCAC. Dorian is a graduate of Westinghouse High School and currently works as a franchise owner. The couple lives in Forest Hills and has been together for seven years. An August wedding is planned in Pittsburgh.

Naomi and Dorian HUGHES and HARTZ Lauren Hughes and James Hartz Jr. were united in marriage at Holy Spirit Church, West Mifflin on July 28, 2007, with a reception following at The Crowne Plaza Hotel. Parents of the couple are Tim and Cheryl Hughes, of West Mifflin, and James and Joann Hartz of Greentree. Maid of honor was Shannon Hughes and bridesmaids included Jaclyn Whitfield, Danielle Rossman, Jamie Beglinger, and Stephanie McCausland. Best man was Jason Hartz and groomsmen included Jason Whitfield, Norbert Schwartzmiller, Derek Evan, and Jason Cischke.

Lauren is a research coordinator in the Adolescent Medicine Dept. at Hospital and Jim is a customer service trainer for Verizon Wireless.They honeymooned in the Bahamas and reside in Scott Township. Mr. and Mrs. Hartz EVELYN McPHERSON Eveyln is celebrating her 100th birthday today January 1, 2008.

She was born on January 1, 1908. Evelyn was married to Clayton McPherson and they had a son, Richard. Evelyn has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She has touched so many peoples lives with her kindness and humor. She has always been a hard worker.

Her family would like to wish her a very Happy 100th Birthday! We love you! BIRTHDAYS JULIA MUNNS JULIA CELEBRATES 100 YEARS! Congratulations and best wishes to our most wonderful mother and grandmother on her one-hundredth birthday to be celebrated January 4, 2008, with family and friends. Ad Multos Anni! Love, Tommy, Joan, Joyce Justin Julia BIRTHDAYS BIRTHDAYS SHARON LYNN DAERR CAIN 60 Years Young! Love, Me Sharon STRAZZA and WOODARD Mr. Mrs. J. William and Patricia Strazza proudly announce the engagement of their daughter, Maura to Branden S.

Woodard, son of Mr. Mrs. Stewart and Monica Woodard, of Lawrenceville, Ga. Maura is an engineer at Crown Castle and a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh. She also owns and operates Arte di Strazza Designs.

Branden is a graduate of Robert Morris University, a veteran of the U.S. Marine and is also employed at Crown Castle as a structural analyst. A 2008 spring wedding is planned. Branden and Maura ENGAGEMENTS BERESNYAK and DAVIES Mary Jane Beresnyak, of West Mifflin, and Richard C. Davies, of Flamborough, England, are pleased to announce their engagement.

The bride-to-be retired from Recorder of Deeds in Pittsburgh and the prospective groom-to-be retired from the Royal Air Force, England. Wedding date and details are incomplete at this time. Mary Jane and Richard ENGAGEMENTS WEDDINGS BIRTHDAYS.