BY MARK FRAZEE

WASHINGTON, Pa. — As the co-owner of several local independent grocery stores, Jeff Duritza has seen first-hand the sudden ebb and flow when it comes to supplying public demands with basic necessities during a pandemic.

From increased demand to decreased supply, Duritza along with other members of the supermarket supply chain in Western Pennsylvania and beyond have had to adapt to the changing global situation as a result of COVID-19, while at the same time ensuring the safety of both customers and employees.

“Any cleaning product — soap, sanitizers, laundry detergent — have all been very difficult to come by,” Duritza said, who co-owns several Shop ‘n Save and Foodland stores across the region. “(It was hard to get) frozen foods — the proteins, such as Tyson frozen chicken, bread dough — as well as regular bread from the vendors. That first week and a half, we were out of bread and milk every day.”

Duritza said that bread and milk supplies have mostly returned to normal, so while his stores are still selling more of these items, they’re better able to keep the shelves stocked.

As for toilet paper and paper products, Duritza said he has tried to get creative in keeping an adequate supply on his shelves, including ordering from different brands outside of his regular suppliers.

But despite this proactive measure, he said he still has not received a notification when these orders will be delivered.

Other vendors, such as the Coca-Cola Co., have reduced their portfolio to focus on core brands, while excluding some of their less popular offerings, such as diet root beer.

Duritza said there have not been any major disruptions there, however, because Coca-Cola is still manufacturing roughly 80 percent of their products.

He has also been keeping a close eye on trends in his stores between various departments. Sales in the “add-on” departments such as deli, bakery and floral have been lower. Duritza said he believes customers have been focusing on “the essentials” while shopping.

And while some items have been fine — such as lunchmeat and cheeses —others have been difficult to keep stocked, such as peanut butter, jelly, pastas and sauces.

In other areas, Duritza said customers and grocery chains may not have seen the worst of supply issues just yet. One of these areas is canned vegetables.

“Canned vegetables have been bad. Typically, when they harvest (the vegetables), they’ll pack them,” Duritza explained. “Going into the summer, before they pack, you probably won’t even be able to find a canned vegetable in the store, because they pack them once a year and keep them in warehouses.”

But perhaps the largest area of worry for Duritza is meeting demands in the meat department.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced some major meat packing plants to temporarily cease operations, including those operated by meat producers Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods.

“We’re hoping to see a little bit of price drops, but now they’re closing some plants, so that’s going to put more pressure that it may go the other way. We’ll see what happens over the next few weeks,” Duritza said.

Brian Weiss knows these challenges all too well. He is the treasurer of the local Albert’s Meat Packing Co.

“The influx of business at the supermarket put stress on the supply chain, (especially) the market fluctuations of the materials going up in price, and then down in price, and then back up in price. It’s all supply and demand related,” Weiss said.

Weiss said the nature of the demand for meat products has also changed. While packing plants have lost a lot of business from restaurants forced to close as a result of the pandemic, more people are cooking at home, so the demand at supermarkets has increased.

What has resulted was a redistribution of supplies — something that has helped grocery store operators such as Duritza.

“A lot of folks are eating at home. Everybody’s cooking, and our sales have been good because of that,” Duritza said.

While Weiss said he believes that increased demand and less supply of meat products will likely result in higher prices, he does not believe U.S. customers will see much of an impact on pork supplies.

“I think there’s going to be an adequate supply, because the United States exports one-third of their pork products, and I don’t think they’re doing that now,” Weiss said. “Those plants are going to come back online — they’re not going to shut those plants down —  because those hogs don’t get smaller.”

This comes as Tyson Foods Board Chairman John Tyson on Sunday in The New York Times warned that “millions of animals — chickens, pigs, and cattle — will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities.”

Tyson also said in the release that the “food supply chain is breaking.”

On April 28, President Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to help ensure an adequate meat supply in the country by ordering many plants, with additional guidance, to remain open.

Despite fears of disruptions in national food supply chains, Duritza said he remains cautiously optimistic.

“Now we’re kind of back in business (with meat). There’s not many promotions because it is still somewhat difficult to get the product, but the product has gone up in cost, so people aren’t buying quite as fast as they were,” Duritza said.

Meanwhile, Weiss said it remains a balancing act back at the plant for operators, who must balance the needs of livestock — which grow and must be cared for — with ensuring the safety needs of employees.

“We take precautions at the plant,” Weiss said. “We take temperatures before people enter the building, we ask questions if they feel well, because we want to protect our workforce.”

Weiss said his facility has been fortunate because Western Pennsylvania hasn’t become a hot spot and employees’ work has remained relatively uninterrupted. But as the economy reopens, he said it will be essential for people to continue to follow recommendations from health officials to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

At the store, Duritza agreed that safety of both customers and employees remains a top priority.

“We’ve had to do a lot more in-cleaning and sanitizing,” Duritza said. “The company that we use for that has come in to make sure people 100% know what to do — what products to use — and to make sure we’re sanitizing effectively and limiting any type of exposure to the coronavirus.”

Duritza also said that his stores have brought in a new, stronger cleaning product to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, Duritza hopes customers understand they can assist as well with their shopping behaviors.

“People not panic-buying helps us,” he said. “Eventually, the manufactures are going to make (the products); it just is going to take time to get them back in the system.”

While nurses and doctors are getting lots of well-deserved attention for their heroic efforts on the front lines of the coronavirus, there are many unsung heroes in Allegheny County and beyond—including pharmacy workers and grocery store cashiers.

For these men and women, once overlooked jobs have become important and essential.

On April 15, Dr. Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania’s Secretary of the Department of Health, issued an order requiring employees at essential businesses to wear face masks. The order went into effect 8 p.m., April 19.

“This order will ensure continuity across all life-sustaining businesses and will further our efforts to protect the health and safety of all Pennsylvanians,” Levine said during a press conference announcing the order. “Together, we can all help mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”

And for some essential employees, these measures are a small relief as they go about their business to keep everyone else healthy and well-fed.

* * * * *

What started out as a part-time job for high school senior and Giant Eagle cashier, Logan Marsalko, has turned into a high-risk, life-essential position during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marsalko said he began working at the North Huntingdon Giant Eagle two years ago in hopes of earning extra money while balancing school work and sports. Now, he is one of the only high school students left in the very place people are told to avoid during the national pandemic.

“Work has changed a lot since this pandemic started, both with the customers and the store itself,” Marsalko said. “Our stock has taken a huge hit. With the customers, many are keeping their distance and wearing protective equipment.”

Long before the state ordered businesses to take safety precautions, Giant Eagle started implementing different strategies to maximize safety for customers and employees alike.

“Throughout the day, there is someone in the lobby cleaning the carts and baskets as people finish using them,” Marsalko said. “One of the biggest things is the addition of plexiglass screens between the cashier and the customer.”

Other additions to safety include the mandatory wearing of gloves for any team member involved directly with people, and markers in each check-out lane indicating the 6-foot social distancing buffer people are urged to keep between themselves.

Additionally, Giant Eagle has changed its policy to allow employees to take non-paid leave without repercussions. Although Marsalko considered this option, he decided to stay after conversations with his parents.

“At the start, Logan’s dad and I decided we would allow it because Logan really wanted to keep working and we didn’t have any cases in our county at the time,” said his mother, Tina Marsalko. “On one end, I’m so proud of him for wanting to help during this time, but the other part of me worries a lot about him contracting the virus.”

Logan’s decision to continue to work during the pandemic was not easy: Especially after there was a COVID-19 scare in the North Huntingdon Giant Eagle location.

In a statement, Giant Eagle confirmed that five different stores have had infected team members, including North Huntingdon. The case in North Huntingdon came from the Pharmacy, and since has been thoroughly sanitized. The employee was last in the store on March 17.

“Since I found out that a member got the virus, I have been more cautious in my every day work,” Logan said. “It is very hard (to keep distance) in the grocery store setting where direct interaction is needed.”

His mother feels the same way, but still has her doubts.

“I’ve talked to other parents and get varying feedback,” Tina said. “I do take some comfort in everything Giant Eagle has done to protect the workers; however, that doesn’t take away the worry. We continue to monitor the situation daily.”

* * * * *

Joshua Reccelle, also a high school senior, has taken a different approach when it comes to his job as a Giant Eagle cashier.

After COVID-19 began to spread in Pennsylvania, Reccelle opted to stop working at Giant Eagle and began to quarantine himself.

It was a difficult decision for Reccelle and his family.

“My last day at Giant Eagle was on March 19,” Reccelle said. “That week was really hectic and busy, but shortly after, the hysteria died down a bit. I came home that day and my mom told me that I couldn’t continue to work because of the virus.”

Reccelle initially wasn’t very worried about the coronavirus and felt that working with an older coworker would be safer, but his mother felt differently.

“I was concerned from the very beginning, but Josh kept saying it was fine,” said his mother, Carla Reccelle. “I said to myself, ‘as soon as there’s a case in Westmoreland County I’m making him quit.’ It was a super tough decision, but I felt most comfortable this way.”

* * * * *

When mass hysteria over COVID-19 first broke out, Kayla Polakovic, a 19-year-old University of Pittsburgh pharmacy student felt it firsthand.

Polakovic, who works at the West Mifflin Giant Eagle in the pharmacy department, remembers walking into work with little knowledge of how her day would go.

“The hysteria has since died down, but in the beginning, all the panic our patients were in was the hardest,” said Polakovic. “The media kept advocating for people to stock up on their medication. There was a craze of people trying to get more medication than their insurance would pay for at once, and then getting angry at the pharmacists, despite us having no control over the insurance policies.”

She said customers were in such hysteria that they were taking were their frustrations out on the pharmacists. Stress escalated everyone’s interactions.

“It does not bother me when people get angry because this is something beyond my control and I know they just need someone to be mad at sometimes,” Polakovic said.

At first, many customers—and pharmacists alike—wondered how the pharmacy would go on after non-essential businesses were shuttered.

Since then, Polakovic said everyone is learning to adapt.

“We have plexiglass up to separate ourselves from the patients. Although, many customers still stick their heads around the plexiglass to speak to us. We also sanitize our stations every hour, but most of us do it more often than that as long as we have time to,” Polakovic said. “I personally use hand sanitizer constantly. My hands are turning red and dry because of doing so.”

She said that staff is also allowed to wear gloves and masks. It’s becoming the “new normal.”

And slowly, the hysteria has died down.

“People’s scripts are normally for a month supply, but a lot of people had their doctors call in new scripts for prescriptions for a three months supplies,” she said. “As a result, people are currently stocked up on their medications.”

Polakovic said some customers are so glued to news channels that sometimes it leads to panic—rather than helpful information.

Polakovic recalled an incident where a customer called them asking: ‘Are you guys still open? I saw a breaking news story that someone coughed at Giant Eagle.’

“There are just so many people talking about the virus, but most of them are not qualified. I just feel like there is a lot of confusion, but at the same time it is idealistic to expect anything else. People just need to realize which sources are reliable,” she said.

And while the future of COVID-19 remains up in the air, Polakovic said she does not see much changing at the pharmacy any time soon.

With a dollar pay raise and casual clothes now allowed to be worn to work, she said things have slowed down a little.

People are taking quarantine more seriously.

And her advice is simple:

“There is no reason to come to the pharmacy no matter how many people are sick, unless we have a medication to treat it or a vaccine to prevent it. We will just continue to take the extra precautions while doing everything else that has changed due to this pandemic,” she said.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FACE MASKS IN PA:

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Dr. Rachel Levine, Secretary of the Department of Health, issued an order on April 15, 2020 requiring employees at essential businesses to wear face masks. The order went into effect 8 p.m., Sunday, April 19. The measure also requires customers to wear masks in public, unless they have medical reasons not to wear one.

According to the governor’s office, the order also established protocols to help employees maintain a social distance during work, including:

• Provide masks for employees to wear during their shift and make it mandatory to wear them while at the work site. (Masks are not required when employees are on break time.)
• Employers may approve masks obtained or made by employees in accordance with this guidance.
• Stagger work start/stop times for employees when practical to prevent gatherings of large groups entering or leaving the premises at the same time.
• Provide sufficient space for employees to have breaks and meals while maintaining a social distance of 6 feet apart.
• Conduct meetings and training virtually. (If a meeting must be held in person, limit it to the fewest number of employees possible and not to exceed 10 employees at one time and maintain a social distance of 6 feet.)
• Prohibit non-essential visitors from entering the premises of the business; and
• Ensure all employees who do not speak English as their first language are aware of procedures by communicating the changes, either orally or in writing, in their native or preferred language.

BY GABRIELLA DIPIETRO

OAKMONT, Pa. – When Nina Komaniak opened her little coffee shop in November, she had no idea that just four short months later, she would be shutting down the town’s newest and hottest hangout.

Not because of anything the Oakmont native had done. In fact, her first four months in business had exceeded her greatest expectations.

But she still had to shutter Moonbeam Café in March, after a global pandemic prompted small and large non-essential businesses across the commonwealth — and the country — to temporarily close.

And as the coronavirus continues to spread and Pennsylvania’s stay-at-home orders linger on, Komaniak said she is feeling the impact of it all.

“There really has been nothing more humbling than owning a business in your hometown, and I can’t think of any other town I’d want to open a café in,” Komaniak said. “The people here really believe in me and want to see me succeed. It makes me happy knowing I get to do what I love, and by doing that I am also adding a little bit of extra charm to this great town.”

Prior to opening Moonbeam, Komaniak worked in several Pittsburgh’s cafes and visited many others, but she always left feeling like there wasn’t a place that had both great specialty coffee and exceptional service.

In addition to offering free Wi- Fi and comfortable seating, Komaniak guarantees each customer quality coffee, sweet treats and service with a smile.

“Our goal is to educate people on the specialty coffee world and also maintain a comfortable and friendly environment for our customers,” Komaniak said.

Everyone is always welcome at Moonbeam, according to customer and friend Alex Pietragallo.

“Every time I go in, there are always friendly faces, great coffee, tea and good conversation,” Pietragallo said. “Nina knows her customers and is always there to lend an ear when someone needs it.”

For Komaniak, Moonbeam is a reflection of her as a businesswoman.

“We provide an experience unlike other places because we guarantee you will have one of the best coffees in Pittsburgh, along with a fantastic space to enjoy it in,” she said. “Every little piece of my café has a thought behind it… it really is a reflection of me.”

But when the COVID-19 outbreak began in western Pennsylvania, Komaniak said she had to make some hard decisions.

“(W)e initially decided to be carry-out only. Despite not being fully-functioning, it was pretty successful… but it was a challenge, though,” Komaniak said. “People really love that one-on-one kind of connection we give to our customers.”

As the situation progressed and all nonessential businesses were asked to voluntarily close, Komaniak decided it would be best to cease operations and closed on March 20. She felt the need to close not only because she wanted to protect her customers but also her family.

Three days later, Gov. Tom Wolf issued a stay-at-home order for Allegheny County, which has since expanded to statewide.

“Temporarily closing Moonbeam Café really broke my heart,” Komaniak said. “However, I know it is for the greater good of my community’s health and safety, and I can’t wait to get back to our normal operations!”

And Komaniak isn’t alone. Small businessowners across Oakmont and the state have had to do the same.

“It is so important that we continue to support our local businesses during this outbreak. The economic repercussions could be devastating to our community,” the Oakmont Chamber of Commerce stated in a release on its website.

To help keep the public informed among the many closures, the chamber has also posted a list on their website to help residents keep track of which locally owned businesses remain open and how others have modified their operations.

With Moonbeam closed, Komaniak said she has no source of income. This has become her biggest concern.

“When I was doing carry-out only, many generous customers left small donations, and I am beyond grateful for such a great community that wants to see Moonbeam come through all of this,” Komaniak said. “Now, I have been spending a lot of time seeking grants that I am eligible for but taking out another loan is the last option I hope to exhaust.”

She noted that a lot of small business owners are dealing with concerns—especially if they already have a small business loan.

“I can’t imagine having another loan to worry about,” she said.

Although Moonbeam Café is closed for business, Komaniak said she is still staying in touch with her customers virtually.

With more time on her hands, Komaniak said she has upped her presence on social media, posting to check in with followers and asking how they are doing.

She has also teamed up with Sylvia Maxwell of Oakmont’s Baptiste Power Yoga Pittsburgh to host weekly chats with customers called “Coffee Talk” via Zoom. There, Komaniak and Maxwell are able to interact with customers, promote other businesses in the community and uplift each other up every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

“This crisis has allowed us the opportunity to become creative with how we continue to foster interpersonal connection,” said Maxwell. “Coffee Talk . . . has brought audiences from Oakmont and beyond to share in meaningful conversation. We find this intentional time together, though virtually, to be so grounding.”

This time of quarantine and social distancing, while not good for business, has allowed Komaniak to reconnect with her family and focus on what matters most to her.

“I am a big believer in practicing gratitude and mindfulness and seeking meaning in times like this is crucial. I think this stay-at-home order really is a blessing in disguise,” Komaniak explained. “I don’t see this happening again for a very long time, so I hope people are using this time to really reflect on who they are and connect with the ones they love most.”

And while Komaniak hopes that once this pandemic ends the world is a kinder, selfless and less greedy place, she also hopes that the community comes together and shops small — including at Moonbeam Café.

“It is never going to be a more important time to shop local than after all of this blows over, and I think people will find that our town has a lot to offer if they plan on eating out or shopping local,” she said.

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY MARK FRAZEE

WASHINGTON, PA –– The city of Washington and its roughly 13,000 residents in southwestern Pennsylvania are facing many of the issues once-thriving former steel towns face: a declining population and a need to revitalize.

The city’s main corridor on Main Street is home to a steadily increasing number of vacant and often condemned properties. Many of the surrounding businesses have moved to the outskirts of town, making this section of town relatively quiet.

That’s on a normal day.

But these are not normal days.

As the country is forced to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has mandated a stay-at-home order for Washington County, extended Monday through April 30. Life in Washington has changed in a way that is, for many, hard to describe.

In this virtual tour through town, readers can take a look at life in the city during the pandemic.

* Please note: All images were captured while maintaining the recommended social distancing guidelines. Therefore, some images may have a lower quality.