Resident, eatery receive accolades
CRANBERRY TWP — The Cranberry Alliance, made up of community leaders from its Four Pillars, on Thursday afternoon honored a longtime resident and a family owned restaurant for their contributions to the community and for helping to shape both its past and future.
The annual picnic featured the 2012 Community Service Award Citizen of the Year honoree Frank Petrone and Business of the Year, the Freedom Square Diner.
THE CHAMBER of Commerce also awarded four student scholarships at the fourth annual Four Pillars of Cranberry Township luncheon at the Cranberry Highlands Golf Course clubhouse.
The Cranberry Alliance's Four Pillars is a group of community leaders from four areas — businesses, churches, government and nonprofit/civic organizations — who meet quarterly to talk about how to improve business, the community and the quality of life in the township.
The luncheon kicks off the three-day Cranberry Community Days, which runs through Saturday and is hosted by the Cranberry Township Community Chest.
“I always joked that Frank was the person that named Cranberry, Cranberry,” said Bruce Mazzoni, a township supervisor, the Community Chest treasurer and a member of the Four Pillars. “Frank loves Cranberry, and for over 50 years, he has been a great ambassador.”
When Petrone, 89, moved to Cranberry in 1960, most people referred to it by its post office, Mars.
It was largely unpopulated with just one major housing development and only light commercial development. Petrone could see that with Cranberry having its own exit on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and plans for Interstate 79 that its rural quality would change. So, he joined the planning commission and became involved in shaping his community's growth.
In 1975, he was elected president of the Cranberry Rotary Club and was one of its founding members.
Today, Petrone is still an active member of the service organization. One of his signature projects was the formation of Cranberry's original Community Chest.
In 1976, he was elected to the township board of supervisors on which he served for six years.
Petrone joined the Post Office Commission, advocating for a post office to carry the name of Cranberry Township. It took 15 years, but Cranberry got its post office.
“Cranberry Township is the kind of community I want to live in,” said Petrone, accepting his honor.
“I am very humbled and extremely proud to receive the recognition I received today.”
Freedom Square Diner, which opened in the Freedom Square shopping plaza in 2008, is owned and operated by Tom Cross.
Susan Balla, executive director of THE CHAMBER, said Cross and the Freedom Square Diner in its four years has “become part of the fabric of the community.”
Cross and former partner Ray Carrabbia had a history of donating to charities during the 30 years they operated a restaurant in Crafton, Allegheny County.
When they opened Freedom square Diner, they applied the same approach to raising funds on behalf of Gleaner's Food Bank, for which the restaurant and its employees have collected thousands of dollars at Christmas.
In addition, the diner has supported Cranberry's volunteer fire company members and their families, donating Christmas meals and children's gifts to volunteers and supported the Cranberry CUP (Community Uniting People).
Cross said he couldn't be more humbled to be mentioned in the same breath as the previous years' honorees.
THE CHAMBER also handed out three scholarships to students Nicole Ford, Kelly Gagnon and Mikayla Pollaci, and Allegent Community Federal Credit Union handed out the North Allegheny Scholarship to Matthew Goda.
