Turkey, Dogs & a Plaza Comeback: The A-K Valley Stories You Can't Ignore!

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New owners, free meals, local eats, fresh turkeys, dog adventures & more — your valley update is here! 🐾🦃

Allie K.

Nov 10, 2026

New Ownership Brings Fresh Hope for Heights Plaza

Heights Plaza has a new owner, bringing fresh hope for a shopping center that once served as a busy local retail destination.

HCG Properties says it plans to work with existing tenants, address property needs and market the complex to additional businesses.

Residents are hoping for convenient grocery shopping, more stores and places to gather, with nearby Harrison Hi-Rise residents among those who could benefit.

Free Thanksgiving Meals in Lower Burrell: Reserve by November 13

Reserve by Friday evening, November 13: Compassion Network is offering free Thanksgiving meals for carryout only.

Pickup is Thanksgiving Day, November 26, from noon to 1 pm in the parking lot behind Bethel United Methodist Church, 150 Alder Street, Lower Burrell.

Find text, email, Facebook and church phone reservation options, and include your name, phone number and meal count.

Trivia Question❓

Which U.S. president officially moved Thanksgiving one week earlier in 1939, sparking nationwide controversy by trying to lengthen the Christmas shopping season?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter

A Day in Freeport: Local Flavor, River Views and Small-Town Finds

Make a day of Freeport with coffee at 1833 Coffee and Tea Co., a visit to Vivian’s Bakehouse and a look at longtime local business Scott’s Scuba Service.

Add a riverfront walk or trail outing, then explore dining and music options downtown.

Seasonal highlights include Thanksgiving bakery pickups and a November 19 performance listing at Liberty Corner Tavern.

Interesting Facts

Thanksgiving is older and stranger than most people realize. Here are some details that tend to get lost between the stuffing and the pie:

The turkey-pardon tradition is surprisingly recent: Although the White House has received turkeys as gifts since the 1870s, the formal presidential "pardon" ceremony only became an annual, official tradition under George H. W. Bush in 1989 — meaning it has existed for fewer decades than most living Americans assume.
Sarah Josepha Hale lobbied for 36 years: The woman most responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday was not a politician but a magazine editor. Hale — who also wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb" — campaigned relentlessly from 1827 until Abraham Lincoln finally proclaimed the holiday in 1863.
The 1621 feast likely featured no turkey: Contemporary accounts from colonist Edward Winslow describe wild fowl and venison at the harvest gathering, but historians note the "fowl" was most probably ducks or geese, not the bird now synonymous with the day.
Tv dinners were born from Thanksgiving leftovers: In 1953, Swanson badly overestimated how many frozen turkeys Americans would buy for the holiday, leaving 260 tons unsold. A salesman suggested portioning the surplus onto aluminum trays with sides — and the TV dinner was invented almost entirely by accident.

Order a Fresh Thanksgiving Turkey from Pounds’ Turkey Farm

Planning a fresh turkey for Thanksgiving? Pounds’ Turkey Farm & Market near Leechburg is taking holiday orders by phone.

Choose a whole turkey or breast and ask about homemade stuffing, cranberry sauce and gluten-free turkey gravy.

Find current prices, ordering details and Thanksgiving-week pickup hours for November 23–25.

Jilly’s Cafe became a familiar stop at the Lower Burrell Farmers Market during the 2026 season.

Now, weekend pop-ups are keeping the food truck connected with customers around town.

Meet owner Jill Sheerer and learn how a restaurant venture in Alabama, an unexpected reunion with her original truck and a return to family brought Jilly’s home to Lower Burrell.

My Pups Bus Brings Dog-Day Adventures to the A-K Valley

A mini school bus based in New Kensington is taking local dogs on adventures that include park visits, new friends and pup cups.

My Pups Bus offers three-hour outings with pickup and drop-off, plus free rides for selected dogs from Animal Protectors of Allegheny Valley.

Learn about the service area, pricing, Tuesday schedule and how to book a ride.

This week’s Valley Tails Spotlight features Roscoe, a gentle three-year-old hound, and Tiny, an affectionate eleven-year-old cat.

Both are looking for homes through Paws Across Pittsburgh, a volunteer-run, foster-based rescue in Springdale.

Meet the pets, follow their adoption links and learn how fostering, volunteering or donating can help.

💡 Answer to Trivia Question:

Franklin D. Roosevelt