Water Damage Restoration in Bethel Park, PA

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In the wake of a fatal kayak accident, Claudia Huber helped draft a bill intended to make the state’s waterways safer for recreation.

For Huber, a legislative aide to state Rep. Natalie Mihalek, it’s been a personal undertaking. Her uncle, Jon Gentile, died in a 2022 kayaking accident on the Delaware River in New Hope at the age of 38. His kayak capsized as it encountered a low-head dam.

Gentile was an avid outdoorsman and beloved history teacher at Bethel Park High School. Huber, a 2020 graduate of Bethel Park High School, compiled the original draft of the bill during a fellowship with the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. She was an intern with Mihalek at the time of her uncle’s accident and has worked diligently to raise awareness to the dangers that waterways pose to those who use them for recreation. The two have worked together to create House Bill 961.

“I had an idea from the day I started applying to draft a waterway safety bill in honor of my uncle,” Huber said. “This was something I thought was a public safety issue. I had never heard of a low-head dam. I never really knew about dams.”

A low-head dam is a structure built across a river or stream designed to allow water to flow to its crest. They are often referred to as “drowning machines,” due to the hazardous currents they create, posing a serious threat to swimmers, kayakers and others who use the water for recreation.

There are 265 low-head dams in Pennsylvania. The Dock Street Dam in Harrisburg alone has claimed about 30 lives.

The bill addresses the dangers of such dams and amends legislation concerning their identification markings. It calls for the compilation of a list of existing dams determined to be run-of-the-river type (a category that includes low-head dams) and eventually have them marked with signs and buoys.

“The biggest component of the bill in its present form would add a database to the (Department of Environmental Protection) website that would create an inventory of these dams,” Huber said. “The list will be compiled and maintained. Once that is available to the public it will be an additional level of information for people to go to. Not only would that inventory be created, but notice will be sent to the owners of the dam to keep them in line with the requirements to own one.”

Run-of-the-river dams are a type of hydroelectric generation system that captures energy from flowing water without the need for large reservoirs. If not properly identified, they can be dangerous.

Mihalek held a press conference in Harrisburg earlier this month to promote the bill, which she is sponsoring.

“We want our residents to know what’s out there and what they can do to protect themselves,” Mihalek said at the press conference. “We have to let our residents know that there are real dangers and sometimes those dangers are hidden from the naked eye.”

Huber attended the press conference with several other members of Gentile’s family, including his wife, Kathy, also a teacher at Bethel Park High School, and son, Giancarlo, 12.

“It was definitely an incredible experience to have everyone out there,” Huber said. “Having all of my family out there and having Giancarlo standing next to me put it in perspective.”

At the press conference, Kathy Gentile talked about “carrying the weight of a story I never thought I’d have to tell.

“My husband was a kind and loving man and his son, Giancarlo’s, hero,” she said. “He should be here with him, playing soccer, fishing for trout and throwing baseballs, but instead we’re left with memories and the ache of a loss that could have and should have been prevented.

“We need these structures properly documented and labeled and eventually destroyed, not hidden waiting to claim another victim,” she said. “I don’t want another family to live with what we now carry every day.”

Gentile has been impressed with her niece’s efforts to secure the legislation.

“This is a nonpartisan issue that everybody can wrap their heads around,” Gentile said. “It’s an issue of saving lives. What’s the cost of inaction, more deaths? The cost of action supersedes the cost of inaction. They’re such simple solutions, but such a huge benefit. I just can’t understand why it’s not being done.”

Gentile also is impressed with the involvement of Bethel Park High School students in raising awareness for water safety.

Physical education class features an annual kayak trip. In conjunction with this year’s trip, students developed a pamphlet addressing waterway safety measures, including awareness concerning the dangers of low-head dams.

Fundraisers were held for a scholarship in Jon Gentile’s honor, and students offered messages of support for the bill and talked to some of their colleagues about kayaking safety.

“I feel it’s really important to spread awareness because Mr. Gentile was a very big part of Bethel Park,” said sophomore Nora Welch. “What happened to him is very unfortunate, so being able to prevent that and spread his story and bring awareness is really important. That’s what we’re trying to do here.”

The bill was introduced and referred to the Committee on Game and Fisheries on March 19.

Compatible proposed legislation in which Mihalek and Huber are involved include House Resolutions 177 and 178. HR 177 seeks to recognize April as Low Head Dam Safety Month in Pennsylvania. That resolution remains in committee.

HR 178, which recognizes May as National Water Safety Month in Pennsylvania, passed the state House on May 12. Huber said the resolutions will have to be reintroduced on a yearly basis.

“I pinch myself that this legislation is still out there,” Huber said. “It took years of just realizing what’s the issue and what can I do to learn about it, and what can be done. This has been so important to me as a person but also professionally. It’s unexpected and profound that I’ve gotten to do any of this.”

Data Skrive

We have an exciting high school game in Upper St. Clair, PA on Wednesday, May 14 (beginning at 6:50 p.m. ET), with Bethel Park High School hosting Franklin Regional High School.

How to watch Franklin Reg. vs. Bethel Park baseball

Franklin Reg. and Bethel Park will hit the diamond on Wednesday, May 14, at 6:50 p.m. ET. Don't miss out on any of the action with NFHS Network.

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BETHEL PARK, Pa. —

The Bethel Park Shopping Center is under new ownership after a multimillion-dollar purchase by Walmart earlier this month.

“The plaza’s been the same for as long as I can remember. I’ve lived here my whole life,” said shopper Amy Morrow.

According to the Allegheny County real estate portal, Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust bought the 21-acre property on May 5 for $39.6 million. The total is even more than the $34 million Walmart paid for Monroeville Mall.

“My guess is that Giant Eagle is out,” shopper Walter Winnowski speculated. “I hear everyone complains that Walmart doesn’t have any cold items.”

Though it's unclear what the purchase means for the shopping center, a spokesperson for Walmart said there are no plans to expand the store.

Walmart spokesman Mark Rickel told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4, “Walmart wants to continue to operate in Bethel Park and purchasing the store provided the best opportunity to continue serving our customers in the long-term.”

“It would be great if we could have a full-size Walmart, instead of having to bounce back and forth between Giant Eagle and Walmart,” Morrow said.

While Walmart is ruling out an expansion now, shoppers said they would like to see the store’s grocery section grow in the future since options are limited without a refrigerated area.

“I would like for them to have the refrigerated section, so I don’t have to go across to Giant Eagle,” said Marika Fernandez, who was shopping Tuesday.

A spokesperson for Giant Eagle responded to our inquiry with the following statement.

“The Bethel Park Giant Eagle has proudly served the community for more than 50 years. The store’s talented Team Members have established strong connections with its customers, making the Giant Eagle a trusted neighborhood resource. We are excited to have a lease agreement in place at this location for another 30 years, ensuring we will continue to meet the needs of the Bethel Park community.”