In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Feb. 24, 2025

Municipality seeks paving bids

Penn Hills is seeking bids for its 2025 road work program.

Between paving and associated work, the chosen contractor would cover about 54,400 square yards.

Sealed proposals are due by 10:30 a.m. March 26.

A mandatory prebid meeting is planned for 1:30 p.m. March 11. Contractors must attend the prebid meeting to be eligible to bid on the contract.

Open Enrollment Day set for pre-K program

The PA Pre-K Counts Program is hosting an Open Enrollment Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 7 at Penn Hills High School, 309 Collins Drive.

PA Pre-K Counts, a free program that provides high-quality early education in Pennsylvania, is funded by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.

While the program is held at the high school, it is not sponsored by the school district.

Families with children ages 3 to 5 who meet the income eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply. A family of four can make up to $93,600 annually to qualify for the program.

During Open Enrollment Day, families will be able to meet teachers and staff, ask questions and complete the application process.

Documents needed to complete application include the child’s birth certificate; proof of family income such as pay stubs, W-2 forms, 1040 tax forms and determination letters; and the child’s immunization record. All required documents must be submitted for the application to be processed.

For details, call 724-437-2590.

Ronald McDonald Care Mobile to make pit stop

The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile is stopping by the community from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 14 at Penn Hills Family Care Connection, 10 Duff Road.

The mobile clinic, a state-of-the-art pediatric primary care center on wheels, is a collaboration between UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Pittsburgh and Morgantown.

Registration will close at 1:30 p.m. that day.

Pediatricians, nurses, nurse practitioners and respiratory therapists from Children’s Hospital will provide medical care to children at no out-of-pocket cost. Services provided include immunizations, routine physical exams, sick child visits, vision screenings, adolescent and young adult health care, referrals for specialty care and assistance with WIC (Women, Infants & Children) forms.

For questions, additional information or to view the full list of services provided, call 412-352-1059 or visit chp.edu/our-services/mobile-medical-clinic.

Entries welcome for student poetry contest

The Ligonier Valley Writers is accepting entries for its 34th annual student poetry contest.

Students in grades four through 12 who live in Western Pennsylvania are welcome to enter. Cash prizes are awarded in each of nine categories for first, second and third place. There are no entry fees.

Submissions must be emailed by March 11. For entry forms and rules, visit LVWonline.org.

St. Patrick’s Bingo to benefit Rotary

The Penn Hills Rotary is hosting a St. Patrick’s Bingo on March 8 at Universal Banquet Hall, 2240 Main St.

Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Early bird bingo will start at 6:15 p.m., followed by regular bingo at 7.

Tickets cost $25 and include six cards for each game and soft drinks. Early bird games, extra cards and tickets for special games and the 50-50 will be available for purchase during the event. Beer, wine and light snacks will be available for purchase.

Tickets can be in advance online at visit pennhillsrotary.org/purchase or at the door.

Proceeds will benefit Penn Hills Rotary charities.

Red Cross seeks volunteers in rural areas of Pa.

The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania is in need of volunteers in rural communities.

Volunteers are needed to:

• Respond to disasters. Help families after a home fire or other disaster by providing emotional support, emergency financial assistance and information to help families begin to recover.

• Help donors at blood drives. Engage with blood donors by greeting them at blood drives, helping them to register, answering questions, providing information and assisting them at the refreshments table.

• Support community education and outreach. Attend events and activities to raise awareness around home fire safety and emergency preparedness.

In 2024, more than 3,400 volunteers supported the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. These volunteers provided care and comfort to families after more than 1,500 local disasters such as home fires and floods. In addition, volunteers supported more than 5,000 local blood drives to help ensure patients had access to lifesaving blood.

To learn more and to volunteer, visit redcross.org/GPAvolunteer.

History Center, Fort Pitt Museum offering free admission for kids

Admission to the Senator John Heinz History Center and Fort Pitt Museum will be free for children 17 and younger during Black History Month and Women’s History Month, thanks to support from community partners UPMC and UPMC Health Plan.

Throughout February and March, youngsters will get free general admission to the Smithsonian-affiliated History Center, which includes the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, and the Fort Pitt Museum, located in historic Point State Park. Regular admission applies for all adult visitors and groups.

At the History Center, families can explore six floors of award-winning exhibitions and interactive learning spaces. Visitors can:

• Spiral down a 12-foot Liberty Tube slide in the Great Hall and design pop art, construct bridges and more in the interactive Discovery Place exhibition.

• Explore the Neighborhood of Make-Believe featuring the original set and puppets in the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood exhibition.

• Exercise their minds and bodies while climbing the UPMC SmartSteps, the world’s only history exhibition in a stairwell. Punch a stamp card on all six floors to win a free Heinz pickle pin.

• Land a space rover on the surface of the Moon inside the Apollo 11 section of “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation.”

• Throw a touchdown pass to legendary Steelers and score the winning goal for the Penguins inside the two-floor Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.

At the Fort Pitt Museum, families can explore the history and culture of American Indian tribes who once called Western Pennsylvania home through a new exhibit titled “Homelands: Native Nations of Allegheny.”

Created in collaboration with federally recognized Delaware, Seneca, Seneca-Cayuga and Shawnee tribes, the exhibit illuminates the past, present and future of the region’s Native tribes with rare artifacts and new scholarship.

The History Center and Fort Pitt Museum are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For details, visit heinzhistorycenter.org.

Church events open to community

Monroeville Church of the Brethen, 481 Center Road in Monroeville, is pleased to introduce Pastor Oyango Burney as its interim pastor. Burney recently accepted the position, and he brings a wealth of experience and a passion for serving others.

The congregation also is inviting members of the community and surrounding areas, including Penn Hills, to join a variety of events:

• The church operates a prayer hotline and welcomes requests. If you need prayer and don’t know where to turn, the congregation wants to help and will pray for you. To submit a request, call the church at 412-372-4165.

• A weekly Bible study class meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday.

• Free coffee and doughnuts are served from 10 to 11 a.m. every Sunday.

• A blood drive conducted by the American Red Cross is planned from noon to 5 p.m. April 11 at the church. To make an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-Red-Cross (1-800-733-2767).

For details about any of the events, visit monroevillecob.com, email monroeville.brethern@gmail.com or call 412-372-4165.

2-day psychic fair set for March

The 3 Rivers Psychic Fair is planning its first two-day expo from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 8 and 9 at the Comfort Inn, 699 Rodi Road, in Penn Hills.

The fair, whose mission is to connect, heal and educate, takes place three times a year. The next fairs will be July 19 and Nov. 8.

On hand will be psychic, intuitive and medium readers, as well as Reiki, energy and holistic healers. A variety of products will be available for purchase. Workshops will cover manifesting, authenticity and telepathy.

Admission is $5 at the door by cash or credit card, or payment can be made in advance online.

There also will be a 50-50 raffle. Raffle tickets are three chances for $5, eight for $10 or 13 for $15. The winner does not need to be present.

Everyone who brings two nonperishable food items will be entered into a drawing for a gift basket.

For details and to purchase admission tickets, visit 3riverspf.com. To view a list of enrolled vendors, visit facebook.com/3RiversPsychicFair.

Lyme Art Contest open to youngsters

Pennsylvania is a leading state for Lyme disease, and children are at a higher risk of being bitten.

To promote learning about tickborne diseases, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is seeking submissions from students in grades 1-6 for its 2025 Lyme Art Contest.

Students can submit a poster or video showing how to avoid exposure to ticks, how to check for them or remove them and what signs of disease to look for using information posted under Tick Diseases on the pa.gov website.

Videos should be under 30 seconds, and posters should be no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches.

Entries will be judged in one of three groups: grades 1-2, grades 3-4 and grades 5-6. Only one entry is allowed per child.

The deadline for submissions is March 14.

Entries can be emailed to radhlymecontest@pa.gov or mailed to Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, c/o Lyme Poster Contest, 625 Forster St. 9th floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701.

Finalists will be notified by email by May.

For a complete list of rules, visit https://tinyurl.com/rc935ffc.

Nominees sought for Community Champions initiative

WQED, in partnership with Giant Eagle, recently announced the third season of its Community Champions initiative — a collaboration that celebrates and supports local people and nonprofit organizations that are doing good in their communities.

This year, the initiative is taking a new approach by asking community members to nominate nonprofit organizations that are making a difference.

From these nominations, one organization will be selected as the 2025 Community Champion and will be featured in a video profile airing in June.

Nominations will be accepted until March 16.

In past seasons, WQED and Giant Eagle selected a monthly champion that was then featured in an inspiring video profile. Community Champions has showcased 10 organizations in diverse areas of focus, including health care, food insecurity, sustainability, and accessibility and supportive services.

The 2024 Community Champion, Best Buddies, a local nonprofit that aims to end the isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, exemplifies the core tenets of the initiative.

“Whenever I tell people that I work for Best Buddies, they automatically go, ‘Thank you so much for doing this,’ ” said Samantha Mildner, Western Pennsylvania Area director for Best Buddies. “Everybody should be including people with disabilities. And I just happen to love what I do. I’m so lucky that I get to create friendships for a living.”

To ecnourage everyone’s participation in nominating, WQED is showcasing a different past Champion each week on its social channels.

To nominate an organization, visit wqed.org/champions.

Driving course open to 55 and older

Seniors for Safe Driving is offering an upcoming course for motorists 55 and older from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. March 11 at the Penn Hills Senior Center, 147 Jefferson Road.

The PennDOT-approved course is an opportunity for older motorists to refresh their driving skills and their knowledge of the rules of the road.

There is no testing or behind-the-wheel driving. Participants who complete the course can receive a three-year discount of no less that 5% on their auto insurance.

Course highlights include one’s health and driving performance; effects of medication and alcohol on driving; yielding and intersections; strategies for safe passing and managing one’s speed; keeping up with vehicle technology; preventive ways to reduce driver distractions;, proper use of safety belts, air bags and anti-lock brakes; defensive driving tactics and sharing the road; dealing with aggressive drivers and road rage situations; and the latest information on traffic laws and regulations.

The cost is $17.

To register for a class, call 800-559-4880 or 724-283-0245 or go online at SeniorsForSafeDriving.com.

Heating assistance available to low-income households

Thousands of eligible customers miss out on bill assistance by not applying for federal grants. With the winter season approaching, many income-eligible customers remain unaware of programs that can significantly reduce their energy bill.

Peoples Natural Gas, an essential utilities company, encourages its customers to take advantage of available resources to help offset winter heating costs.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), is now open for the 2024-25 heating season. LIHEAP is a federally funded assistance program that provides grants to eligible low-income households to help pay for heating costs. Grants start at $200 and may be higher based on income and the number of people living in the home.

To qualify for a LIHEAP grant, customers must have a total gross household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Customers do not have to be on public assistance or have an unpaid heating bill. LIHEAP is open to renters and homeowners. To learn more about the income limits and to apply, visit https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs.html, click on Services in the menu and search for LIHEAP.

In addition to LIHEAP, Peoples offers programs to help make energy-saving home improvements that reduce long-term costs. If you or someone you know needs assistance, call 1-800-400-WARM (9276) or visit peoples-gas.com/help to learn more.

Seed swap set for March

Area gardeners are invited to the 13th annual Seed Swap, which is held in collaboration with Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Grow Pittsburgh and Phipps Conservatory.

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 8 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Main Branch, 4400 Forbes Ave., in Oakland.

The event will feature seed stories, conversations with gardening experts, hands-on activities for children and teens, and a selection of free seeds for the public.

Free workshops will include Seed Saving Basics, Seed Starting and Organic Gardening Basics.

Gardeners are encouraged to bring their own untreated, non-GMO seeds to share. Attendees also can pick up seeds donated by local gardeners, farmers and seed companies. A new batch of seeds will be released every half-hour, and guests who bring seeds will be eligible to enter a raffle of fun items from Phipps Conservatory, Grow Pittsburgh and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.

Registration is encouraged but not required.

To register, visit 2025 Celebration of Seeds on EventBrite at https://tinyurl.com/3hsyau7c.

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.

Station 225 seeks junior firefighters

Station 225 of the Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Department is accepting applications for its new Junior Firefighter Program.

The program is open to 16- and 17-year-olds.

For details or to apply, call the station at 412-731-2222, email pennhillsvfd225@gmail.com or stop by the station from 7 to 9 p.m. any Tuesday.

In 2024, Station 225, located at 2997 Robinson Blvd., responded to 600 calls. The department encourages members of the community to join in its lifesaving efforts.

Verona 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.

Free books available monthly for kids through age 5

Children who reside in the 15235 ZIP code are eligible to receive free books every month until their 5th birthday through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in conjunction with Reading Ready Pittsburgh.

The program, which aims to inspire a love of reading, is open to all children within the city of Pittsburgh and 18 ZIP codes in the Mon Valley area.

Each month, a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child’s name directly to your home. The first book is always the classic “The Little Engine That Could.”

For details about the program and to enroll your child, visit readingreadypittsburgh.org/DPIL.

Cub Scout Pack 817 seeks members

Cub Scout Pack 817 is looking for new members.

Boys and girls in grades K-5 are welcome to see what the fun is all about. Pack 817 meets from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday, September through May, at the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Department, 5806 Verona Road.

Cub Scouts offers members many opportunities to try new things, provide service to others, build confidence, develop leadership skills and make new friends.

Members of Pack 817 participate in pinewood derby races, crafts and cooking, Cubmobile challenges, rocket launches, camping and more. There also are summer activities.

For more information about Pack 817, contact Cubmaster Randy Ford at 412-852-5840 or pack817.verona@gmail.com.

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.