In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Aug. 19, 2024

Penn Hills accepting applications for police officer

The Penn Hills Police Department is looking to hire a new police officer.

To be eligible, applicants must be a U.S. citizen and at least 21 years old, have a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license, have no felony or serious misdemeanor convictions and have a high school diploma or GED. Tattoos are not permitted on the head, hands, face or neck; any discriminatory or offensive tattoos are prohibited.

Notarized applications must be received no later than 4 p.m. Aug. 29. All education and veteran’s preference documentation must be present at the time of the application’s filing.

Details about the position and applications are available online at https://pennhillspa.gov/employment and at the Penn Hills Municipal Building, 102 Duff Road.

Hiring is contingent on a physical agility test, written exam, oral exam, background investigation, polygraph, psychological examination, physical examination and a drug screen.

The 2024 salaries for the Penn Hills Police Department is $77,139.51 for a Police Officer 1 and $18.543 per hour for a cadet while attending a police academy.

Free flea market held Sundays

Looking to declutter?

The Steel Goat Marketplace, 200 Jefferson Road, invites residents to participate in and attend its Outdoor Flea Market from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday.

Setup from 9:30 to 11 a.m. is free of fees and hassle — community members can just show up and start selling.

The business also offers more than 100 specialty vendors, crafters and artisans inside.

Donations, volunteers sought for bag drive

Penn Hills native Jessica Gentile is bringing back her annual school supplies drive after a two-year hiatus.

The collection will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Aug. 23 at Firestone Complete Auto Care, 397 Mall Circle Drive, Monroeville.

Gentile, now of Baldwin, is seeking pencils, crayons, book bags, glue sticks, scissors, markers and notebooks to distribute to students in the Gateway and surrounding school districts, including Penn Hills. Volunteers also are needed.

Donations can be dropped off at the Firestone where the event is being held or the location at 3775 William Penn Highway. Monetary donations can be sent via PayPal to jess_layla@yahoo.com.

Each child gets one book bag stuffed with supplies on a first-come, first-served basis. In addition to supply giveaways, the event will include face painting, food and raffles.

For details, contact Gentile at jess_layla@yahoo.com.

Get in your last splishes of the season

The splash pad at Turner-Friendship Park, 1340 Hunter Road, is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily through Sept. 2, Labor Day.

Pooches, too: Annual dip set at county parks, including Boyce

Pooches in the Pool, the annual end-of-summer celebration sponsored by the Allegheny County Parks Department, will be from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 2 at the pools of Boyce Park, North Park and Settlers Cabin Park.

South Park is not included this year due to the installation of a new pool liner.

Tickets are $20 per dog for Allegheny County residents, and each dog can be accompanied by up to two guardians.

Only one dog per guardian will be permitted.

Additional guardians and guests are $5 per person, payable at the gate for entry.

All dogs must wear current tags displaying up-to-date vaccinations before entrance. Electronic or paper proof of vaccinations also can be presented to staff upon entering the facility.

To purchase tickets, visit alleghenycounty.us/Events-directory/Parks/Pooches-in-the-Pool and click on the respective park under “Buy Tickets.”

PALS to resume meetups Sept. 4

The Plum Area Ladies Society will have its first meeting of the new season at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 4 at the Plum Community Center.

The speaker will be Missy Counahan. She will share a PowerPoint presentation of Twilight Make a Wish, an organization that grants wishes to seniors.

The monthly service project will be to donate money to help the Twilight organization fulfill some of those wishes.

Donations of paper goods and cash for the Plum Food Pantry also will be accepted.

Annual dues of $25 may be paid at the meeting. The theme for the Friendship Basket is “Anything Goes.”

For the Ladies Day Out, PALS members are invited to attend Karaoke Night from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 11 with DJ Jim Barnett at the Plum Community Center. Members are encouraged to bring snacks and drinks.

The women’s club is open to residents of Plum, Penn Hills, Monroeville and the surrounding communities.

Newcomers are welcome to attend a monthly meeting, which are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, September through April, at the Plum Community Center.

For details, call Mary Lou at 724-327-8265.

Volunteers needed to install smoke alarms

According to the American Red Cross, house fires claim seven lives every day in the U.S.

As part of its Sound the Alarm effort, the organization is seeking volunteers to help install smoke alarms from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 in Penn Hills, Plum, Oakmont and Verona.

Volunteers are invited to start the day at 10 a.m. with state Rep. Joe McAndrew and firefighters at Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department No. 7, 125 Universal Road, for a free cookout. Participants then will be given the smoke alarms and a small list of pre-registered homes.

No experience is necessary. The American Red Cross will provide training. Participants are advised to wear closed-toe shoes. Tools will be provided or you can bring your own.

To sign up for the event, visit tinyurl.com/n2xeepjp online.

Anyone still in need of a smoke alarm is encouraged to call the American Red Cross at 412-263-5278.

Movies planned in Penn Hills parks

The Penn Hills Parks and Recreation Department is winding down the summer with two showings of family-friendly movies.

“Kung Fu Panda 4” will be shown Friday, Aug. 23, in Penn Hills Park, and “The Garfield Movie” will be shown Friday, Sept. 13, in Friendship Park.

Both movies are rated PG and will begin at dusk.

There will be free admission and snacks.

Flutist to perform Caribbean sounds at library

Flutist Gemma Stemley is scheduled to perform music from the Caribbean region from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 31 at Penn Hills Library.

Selections will cover calypso, reggae and soca — (so)ul of (ca)lypso.

Stemley, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, will teach audience members about the differences in the rhythmic sounds of the music of Harry Belafonte, who was credited with popularizing calypso in the U.S.

She also will share the history of the steel pan and Native American flute.

Registration is required and can be made by calling 412-775-4700 or visiting pennhillslibrary.org and clicking on the events list.

Assistance available for veterans, spouses

State Rep. Joe McAndrew’s office, 77 Universal Road, Suite 1, in Penn Hills provides free assistance to veterans and their spouses from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every month.

A veteran service officer from the American Legion will be on hand to help with a variety of needs, including compensation and pension claims, education benefits, enrollment in the VA health care system, burial and survivor benefits, state benefits, and obtaining military personnel and medical records.

There are limited appointments available for August. To make an appointment, call 412-793-2448.

McAndrew’s 32nd District covers Oakmont, Penn Hills, Plum and Verona.

Free clothing available

Mt. Hope Community Church, 12106 Frankstown Road, operates a free Clothesline to people in need from 10 a.m. to noon every Thursday.

Parking is available behind the church, and there is a bus stop nearby at Frankstown Road and Parkridge Drive.

Clothing for women, men and children of all ages is available, as well as some shoes and accessories.

Bags are provided, but visitors also are encouraged to bring their own.

The church also is accepting and loaning gently used children’s books.

For details, call 412-793-0227 or visit mthopepcusa.org/youth-ministries.

Disability celebration planned in Schenley Plaza

Disability Pride PA is partnering with the Pittsburgh disability community for its third annual Disability Pride celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 at Schenley Plaza, 4100 Forbes Ave.

The event, which is free and open to the public, celebrates the 34th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

There will be entertainment, giveaways, activities, advocacy, resource tables and a variety of vendors and food trucks.

The festivities will begin at 11 a.m. with stage performances and a parade around Schenley Plaza. The keynote speaker will be disability rights leader Josie Badger.

Stage performances include comedian Gab Bonesso, musicians Ryan Gilfillian and Friends of Tom Band, children’s entertainer Miss Cassidy Creates and poetry from the Live/Ability project.

There also will be accessible games and activities sponsored by the Ryan Shazier Fund and a sensory-friendly space sponsored by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The National ADA Disability Caravan will be on-site with voting information and story collecting.

To register or volunteer for the event, visit tinyurl.com/PGHVolunteer.

Anyone who needs disability accommodations, including a tactile ASL interpreter, are encouraged to register in advance at tinyurl.com/dppgh2024.

Masks are encouraged.

For details, visit disabilitypridepa.org/dp-pgh.

Station seeks firefighters, junior members

The Verona Volunteer Fire Company is accepting applictions for active firefighters as well as junior members 16 and 17 years of age.

Interested individuals can stop by the fire station, 465 Parker St., from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Mondays.

Training is provided through the Allegheny County Fire Academy.

Verona Farmers Market sets up Thursdays

Verona’s seasonal farmers market has kicked off into full swing. Hosted every Thursday until Nov. 21, each market features a list of local vendors.

For special announcements about the market, visit the Verona Farmers Market Facebook page.

Association of University People seeks members

The Association of University People (AUP) invites singles 50 and older, who are four-year college graduates, to join them for activities and to meet new people.

Activities include monthly dinners, social gatherings, concerts, meeting up at local wineries and day trips. Those interested can attend three activities as guests before joining.

For details or to become an AUP member, call 412-353-9088 or email aupsingles@gmail.com.

Group offers support for weight loss

All are welcome to join the men and women at Oakmont TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) who are learning how to lose weight.

With in-person meetings, rewards, support and encouragement, we gain knowledge of healthy eating and exercise.

You may visit with no obligation Tuesdays at 5:45 p.m. at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1261 Pennsylvania Ave. in Oakmont. Weigh-in is private followed by a brief business meeting, sharing time, and educational program all ending by 7:15.

There is well-lit parking, wheelchair accessibility and security. For details, call 412-828-3854 or e-mail jmjkwj@gmail.com.