Murrysville area: Christmas tea fundraiser, spooky stroll, more
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Woman’s club to host Christmas tea
The Murrysville Woman’s Club will host a Christmas Tea at noon, Nov. 13 at the Lamplighter Restaurant, 6566 William Penn Highway in Delmont.
A fruit cup, scones, tea sandwiches, quiche, cookies and tea will be served. A Chinese auction with a variety of baskets will take place.
All proceeds will benefit local fire companies.
Tickets are $30 and are available by calling 412-760-5809 or from a club member.
Mother of Sorrows series will focus on mourning
The ongoing “Boomers and Beyond” speaker series at Mother of Sorrows Church will present “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn… Really?” on Oct. 12.
It will feature speaker Rev. Msgr. James Gaston, who will share reflections on our understanding and misunderstanding about grief.
It will be at 11:30 a.m. at the church’s social hall, 4202 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Participants should bring a bag lunch. Beverages will be provided.
Homecoming bonfire set for Oct. 7
The annual Franklin Regional Homecoming bonfire will take place from 5:30-8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 7 at Franklin Regional Senior High School, 3200 School Road in Murrysville.
The evening includes food and beverages for sale, student clubs providing information about their activities, and performances by the Panther Marching Band and FR Cheer Squad.
The homecoming football game will take place Friday, Oct. 8 against Woodland Hills at 7 p.m. at Panther Stadium.
Republican committee to meet
The Murrysville Export Republican Committee will meet at 7 p.m., Oct. 7 at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Street. The meeting is open to all registered Republicans from Murrysville and Export.
For more, call 724-327-9593.
AAUW speaker will discuss women’s suffrage movement
The Murrysville branch of the American Association of University Women will welcome guest speaker Judy Sutton to its Oct. 14 meeting.
Sutton is a docent and ambassador for the Heinz History Center and the Historical Society of Mt. Lebanon. She will discuss the early days of women’s suffrage in the U.S., and the women who organized and promoted the movement in Pittsburgh.
It will be at 11:30 a.m. at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Street. Attendees are asked to dress in white, the color worn by suffragists who protested for the right to vote. Masks will be required.
For more, see Murrysville-PA.aauw.net.
Art league meeting will feature painting demonstration
The East Suburban Artists League will welcome Marci Mason as the featured presenter for its Oct. 7 Zoom meeting, where attendees can choose to watch or paint along with the artist.
Mason will demonstrate techniques for making two-dimensional objects on the canvas come to life in a three-dimensional way.
The meeting will be at 7 p.m. For more information, or to register, call 412-373-0711 or see ESALart.org.
Panther Stadium to close briefly on Oct. 7
Franklin Regional’s Panther Stadium will close to the public on Oct. 7, from noon to 4 p.m. for a special student activity.
The stadium will reopen after 4 p.m.
‘Spooky Stroll Through Time’ set for Oct. 23
The Emmanuel Reformed Church of the United Church of Christ in Murrysville will mark the month of Halloween by hearkening back to the congregation’s largely German heritage with “A Spooky Stroll Through Time” on Oct. 23.
Historical interpreters from the congregation and community will tell the story of the German immigrants who settled the area, including a guided graveyard walk followed by a sit-down German meal of sauerbraten, potato salad and dessert at 6:30 p.m.
The cost for the tour and dinner is $20, and reservations are required by calling 724-327-3050.
The church is at 3618 Hills Church Road in Murrysville.
Upcoming meetings
The following public meetings will be held in the Star’s coverage area:
• Delmont council, 7 p.m., Oct. 12 at the borough building, 77 Greensburg St.
Election registration deadline looms
The deadline to register to vote in the Nov. 2 election is Oct. 18.
Registered voters have until Oct. 26 to apply for a mail-in or absentee ballot. The county must receive those ballots by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
For more information on how to register to vote, check your voter status or other election-relation information, visit www.vote.pa.gov.
Commissioner plans virtual town-hall meeting series
Westmoreland County Commissioner Doug Chew plans to start a series of virtual “town hall” meetings to engage more county residents with local government.
“Our county’s public meetings are in the middle of the day, when a large fraction of the public can’t attend,” Chew said.
The first meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 on the Zoom platform.
Chew said the day and time of the meetings will shift “so residents with any work schedule will eventually have a time that is suitable for them.”
Each town hall will start with Chew highlighting one aspect of county government, followed by a discussion session. Guidelines will be published before the meeting so attendees know what is expected for a lively and civil discussion.
The topic for the first meeting is “Why is it important to check your voter registration in 2021?”
“I have a passion for delivering information and helping people understand what is going on,” Chew said. “I’m looking forward to starting these and meeting my neighbors.”
Red Cross says blood, platelet shortage persists in region
A drop in blood donor turnout has resulted in the lowest post-summer blood inventory level in six years, the American Red Cross office in Pittsburgh announced. As covid-19 cases increased in August, donations dropped by about 10%.
Donors of all blood types — especially type O — and platelet donors are encouraged to make an appointment to donate. The Red Cross needs to collect an additional 10,000 blood products each week over the next month to end the emergency shortage in order to meet hospital and patient needs, the organization said.
Nationally, types O positive and O negative blood — the types most needed by hospitals — dropped to less than a half-day supply at times over the last month. The Red Cross prefers to have a five-day supply on hand.
Appointments can be made through the Red Cross Blood Donor App, by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (733-2767).
Upcoming blood drives in Westmoreland County include:
• Oct. 8: Noon-4:30 p.m., Export Italian American Club, 5930 Kennedy Ave., Export
• Oct. 13: Noon-6 p.m., Greensburg Blood Donation Center, 351 Harvey Ave.
• Oct. 14: 11 a.m 4:30 p.m., Murrysville Education Center, 6707 Mellon Road
• Oct. 15: 12:30-5:30 p.m., North Huntingdon Town House, 11279 Center Highway
PennDOT holds statewide survey
Through Oct. 26, PennDOT is accepting construction and maintenance services feedback through an online survey.
The 20-question survey can be accessed at www.surveymonkey.com/r/2021PDConstruction. Survey questions pertain to how residents receive PennDOT roadway information, whether they use the state’s 511PA traveler information services, whether they feel PennDOT meets or exceeds expectations in construction and maintenance activities and past experiences with reporting concerns to PennDOT, among other things.
“Through collaborative efforts, we maintain our transportation network while also planning and executing statewide transportation improvements,” PennDOT Secretary Yassmin Gramian said. “This survey will help us understand needs measure public expectations and identify educational opportunities.”