Threadbare Cider wins Best in Show at PA Farm Show

Threadbare Cider, a Northside cider and mead maker, won Best in Show at the 2025 Pennsylvania Farm Show Cider Competition.

In addition, the cider maker took home Best Overall Cider for 2025 with their Farmhouse Cider drink, and received a gold medal in the “Modern Dry” category.

“We are proud that hard work and dedication to the craft have elevated Farmhouse Cider to become a world-class brand,” said Brian Bolzan, head cider maker at Threadbare, in a press release. “Threadbare Cider extends its gratitude to the Pennsylvania Farm Show for its support of the state’s thriving cider industry, highlighting the passion, skill, and innovation driving Pennsylvania’s cider industry forward.”

Threadbare’s cider house is located at 1291 Spring Garden Ave., and can be contacted at (412) 322-5100. Threadbare’s website is threadbarecider.com.

City of Asylum announces new director

City of Asylum, which is known for providing housing for international writers exiled from their home countries, announced in a recent press release the replacement of its now-former chair of board of directors and founder Henry Reese with Kevin McKeegan, the former chair of City of Asylum’s Governance Committee.

McKeegan, who has been on City of Asylum’s board since 2022, joined the organization in 2011, providing legal services for the zoning of the organization’s Alphabet Reading Garden and Alphabet City. He was elected to the role of chair on Jan. 14. Diane Samuels, City of Asylum’s co-founder, will also step down.

Both Reese and co-founder Diane Samuels will stay on City of Asylum’s board. No reason was given for their departure from their past roles.

In a prepared statement, Reese said that the change in leadership will only serve as a benefit to the organization.

“Our writer sanctuary is the largest it has ever been, with seven writers-in-residence,” Reese said. “Audiences at Alphabet City have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Finances are in good shape.”

Caro Llewellyn, City of Asylum’s executive director, thanked Reese and Samuels for their commitment to the organization’s mission and the impact it has had on both the writers and the Northside as a whole.

“So many artists take to our stage and talk about how special City of Asylum is and how much it means to them both personally and professionally,” Llewellyn said. “Henry and Diane’s vision to offer hospitality to artists and the broader community began in their home and has grown to be known around the world as something truly unique.”

Cancer screening clinic to be held on Feb. 8

Allegheny General Hospital, located at 320 E. North Ave., will host a cancer screening clinic on Feb. 8.

Registration for the clinic, which is open to both Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and non-AHN patients, is open. Appointments can be made by calling (412) 359-6665. The clinic is available for patients both with and without insurance.

Patients may receive up to seven screenings. Available screenings include:

• Breast cancer (ages 40-74)
• Cervical cancer (ages 21-65)
• Colorectal cancer (ages 45-75)
• Head and neck cancers (ages 18+)
• Lung cancer (ages 50-80 with a history of cigarette smoking)
• Prostate cancer (ages 45-75)
• Skin cancer (ages 18+)

For more information, visit ahn.org