Community springs a surprise on its longtime sign-maker.
Marianne Muraska usually knows everything that’s going on in her neighborhood, but this event surprised her.
She was attending the unveiling of a new digital sign in front of Pittsburgh Langley K-8 in Sheraden, a neighborhood she has lived in nearly all her life.
That spot between brick columns previously held a traditional bulletin board, which she faithfully updated for 20 years with colorful posters announcing upcoming events.
But for folks driving through the busy intersection at Hillsboro Street and Sheraden Boulevard, it was impossible to read the flyers, especially in the evening.
A group of members of the Kiwanis Club of Sheraden and the Sheraden Community Council (there is a lot of overlap) came together to debut a more modern sign at an event on July 20. So they had Ms. Muraska push the button to light it up.
The sign displayed “Muraska Community Message Board.” The groups had dedicated it in her honor after decades of service to the neighborhood and the city both as a volunteer and as a teacher in Pittsburgh Public Schools.
“Overwhelmed and humbled,” she said of the gesture. “A lot of these people volunteer and do a lot for the community. It’s just not a oneman, one-woman show.”
The idea for the electronic sign came from Aimee Wysocki, a Sheraden mother involved in Kiwanis and the Community Council as well as Sheraden Neighbors, a grassroots trash cleanup group.
Ms. Wysocki’s son is home-schooled, and she realized she didn’t hear about the events coming up for children and families in the neighborhood. She noted that when the Jasmine Nyree Campus, an education and community center, had handed out turkeys last year, the police had to get involved to knock on doors and tell people the birds were available.
Joining the community council, Ms. Wysocki advocated for a more visible LED sign that could be easily updated and keep many more residents in the loop.
Shawn Smith, immediate past president of the Kiwanis Club and the lieutenant governor for the region for Kiwanis, helped the club apply for a community development block grant, which it received. He installed and programmed the sign.
Several folks assembled for the dedication ceremony with food and music. Mr. Smith gave a short speech, and once the surprise was out, he said the sign will have a plaque commemorating the day and Ms. Muraska’s efforts.
“It was just natural that we named it after Marianne because it’s just all the work she does for us,” Mr. Smith said. “We’ll be out at random restaurants or out shopping, and people will come up to her and say, ‘Ms. Muraska, you helped me out in this year, in 197-whatever.’ There’s something special there. We had to honor her.”
Pittsburgh City Council President Theresa KailSmith was on hand to commemorate the occasion. The city proclamation recounted Ms. Muraska’s life of service as a math tutor at Holy Innocence High School; her devotion to her church as a Eucharistic minister, cantor and lector at St. Vincent de Paul Church and as a Eucharistic minister at Holy Innocence; and as a teacher at several very different schools throughout Pittsburgh for 34 years until her retirement in 2012.
Ms. Kail-Smith also mentioned her countless hours of service as a member and now secretary of the Kiwanis Club. For these reasons, Ms. Kail Smith said, the city council declared July 20, 2021, as Marianne Muraska Day in Pittsburgh.
“A proclamation is not enough space for everything you’ve done for this community,” Ms. Kail-Smith said, noting that Ms. Muraska had donated to her sister during the pandemic and provided valuable notes as secretary.
Debra James Bailey, vice president of the Sheraden Community Council, took the mic and said a former student was inspired by Ms. Muraska to become a teacher.
“This woman, ever since I moved to Sheraden, has been so nice to me,” Ms. Bailey said. “She treats everyone how we all wish someone would treat us.”
After the ceremony, Ms. Muraska talked about the importance of the sign and spreading the word about upcoming events.
“We try to advertise everything that’s good in the community,” Ms. Muraska said. “It’s not just holiday events but safety and health. We have partnerships with the police and all of those service providers who help our community. Anything to help children and families come together and feel more sense of responsibility for where we live and service to others.”
She credited her work as a teacher and remaining active in the community as key to making friends and connections along the way to help others. For example, she said a woman she had never met contacted her and dropped off six boxes of brand-new winter hats, gloves and scarves for children.
“I guess people know me, and I know them,” she said. “It’s really a wonderful honor.”
Ms. Muraska said her parents instilled in her a passion for giving back. Her mother, Olga, also had a day in the city dedicated to her for work she did with other local advocates to get a senior communitycenter built.
She referred to service as “a unique calling” and said she was not looking to be recognized. She noted that the pandemic restricted the activities of the Kiwanis Club, but it did not stop them.
“We couldn’t meet as a club, but our people helped out with Meals on Wheels, taking people to doctor’s appointments, picking up groceries for those who didn’t want to go out to do their own shopping or prescriptions,” she said. “It’s just what we do.”