Hits & Misses

Congratulations and a big thank you to the organizers and volunteers who staged last night’s Merry & Bright holiday celebration in Monongahela. As usual, the volunteers and organizers found a way to usher in the holiday season and lift people’s spirits. If you missed that event, you can head to McKeesport today for the 60th annual Salute to Santa parade, which is also a spectacular event. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. on Fifth Avenue. On Sunday, Light up the Night will be held at North Belle Vernon Community Bank Park, 702 Graham St., North Belle Vernon, starting at 6 p.m. And, Stockdale will host its second annual Stockdale Sparkles holiday event at 5 p.m. Sunday. It takes a lot of hard work by dedicated volunteers and organizers to hold these events — let’s show our support. We’re disappointed to hear another business is closing in the Mon Valley. It was recently announced that the City Mission Thrift Store in Rostraver Township will close today. While we haven’t heard an official confirmation from company leaders, employees at the Monongahela City Mission said they were informed that location will be closing, soon, too. It’s hard enough to know you’ll be losing your job, but right before the holidays makes it an extra tough pill to swallow. It’s also a loss for the many people who shopped at the stores in search of a good bargain, or maybe because they couldn’t afford to shop anywhere else as prices seemingly continue to skyrocket on everything.