YBMKQ center plans open house

The Young Black Motivated Kings and Queens: De’Avry A. Thomas Community Center, 7300 Ridgeview Ave., is planning an open house at 6:30 p.m. March 20.

Attendees are invited to connect, learn and be part of building a thriving community together.

Visitors will be able to tour the space, explore the center’s various activities and programs, and discover what the center has in store.

Founder and CEO Kahlil Darden will be on hand to answer questions.

Refreshments will be served.

Reservations are requested and can be made online at YBMKQ.org.

Workshop to explore centering prayer

Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish is sponsoring a Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 20.

The workshop will include a continental breakfast from 8:30 to 9 a.m., centering prayer experiences, discussion of the book “Open Heart, Open Mind” by Father Thomas Keating and follow-up sessions.

Registration is $20 and is payable in advance or at the door. Reservations are required by April 17.

Checks should be made payable to Christ the Divine Shepherd Parish, in care of Irene Swackhammer, 200 Stotler Road, Penn Hills, PA 15235.

For details or to make a reservation, call 412-977-2721 or email irenes_2001@yahoo.com.

Venue changed for Class of 1974 reunion

The Penn Hills High School Class of 1974 will have its 50th reunion at 6 p.m. June 8 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The venue changed from the Monroeville DoubleTree, which recently announced its closure.

The cost is $65. The gathering will include appetizers, food stations, dessert, nonalcoholic beverages, a photo booth and a DJ. There will be a cash bar.

To make a reservation, visit Penn Hills Class of 1974 on Facebook, email PHHS74Reunion@gmail.com or contact Deborah (Tedesco) Gathagan at dgathagan@verizon.net.

PA Pre-K Counts accepting applications in March

PA Pre-K Counts, a program of the Private Industry Council of Westmoreland/Fayette Inc., will begin taking applications in March for its locations throughout Allegheny, Beaver, Fayette and Westmoreland counties for the 2023-24 school year.

PA Pre-K Counts, offered at no cost to qualifying families, provides high-quality pre-kindergarten education for 3- and 4-year-olds living in Pennsylvania funded by the Office of Child Development and Early Learning.

An Open Registration Day is planned from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 22 at Penn Hills High School, 309 Collins Drive.

This will be an opportunity to meet teachers and other staff, tour the classrooms and playgrounds, ask questions and fill out an application. Classes are five days a week for six hours each day, and children are served healthy and nutritious meals and snacks through the Child and Adult Care Food Program while attending class.

To participate in the program, children must be at risk of school failure because of income, cultural or special-needs issues. Children also must meet the income eligibility guidelines of at or below 300% of the federal poverty level for their family size.

Volunteer opportunities in the classroom and family engagement events allow parents to learn more about how to be involved in their child’s learning and development.

To complete an application, call the PA Pre-K Counts office at 724-437-2590 or go online at www.privateindustrycouncil.com.

Stamp/postcard show on tap

The Wilkinsburg Stamp Club will hold its 74th annual stamp and postcard show in April at the Holiday Park Fire Hall in Plum.

The show will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 12 and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 13.

Dealers will provide a variety of items and will be available to appraise collections.

Admission and parking are free.

For information, visit wilkinsburgstampbluc.com.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets Tuesday evenings

The local chapter of TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a support group to help those struggling with weight loss, meets Tuesday evenings at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1261 Pennsylvania Ave., in Oakmont. Meetings begin with a private weigh-in between 5:45 and 6:10 p.m.

Anyone interested in joining can attend a meeting and decide if TOPS is right for them. For details, call 412-828-3854 or email jmjkwj@gmail.com.

Utility customers report scam calls

Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority is warning customers about an uptick in calls and texts from scammers impersonating the utility provider.

Scammers are asking customers to call a phone number to pay their bills and avoid delinquency or shut-offs. This false number shares an area code with the authority’s payment provider, which accepts payments over the phone, making these scams more difficult to detect, a WPJWA spokesperson said.

But there is one surefire way to detect a scam: WPJWA does not text or call to inform customers about unpaid bills. Instead, notices are sent by letter or, for customers who have opted in, by email.

WPJWA became aware of the issue after customers called them directly. Customers who encounter scams are encouraged to contact customer service at 412-243-62000 or custserv@wpjwa.com.

Car show benefit set for April

The Steel City Chapter of the Heavy Hitters Car Club will host an April 21 car show at the Boyce Park Wave Pool.

It will be from noon to 5 p.m. at 740 Old Frankstown Road in Plum, with special guest host and former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Louis Lipps.

The entry fee is $10 and the event will include food, music, a 50-50 and basket raffles along with awards in seven categories.

Proceeds will benefit Tiny Cause, a nonprofit dog rescue shelter in Vandergrift. For details, visit SCheavyhitters.com.

Registration open for softball

Registration is underway for the Penn Hills Girls Softball Association’s spring season through March 15.

Five teams are forming: 8 and under (coach pitch), $85; 10 and under, 12 and under, 15 and under, and 18 and under, each $125. All ages are as of Sept. 1, 2023.

The 8-and-under team includes the option of a refundable concession fee of $30 for family members who help out at the concession stand; all other teams include the option of a $40 refundable concession fee.

Registration includes a full uniform. Games for the spring season start at the end of April.

For new players, a copy of a birth certificate is required and can be emailed to phgsapghpa@gmail.com.

Tickets available for purse bash

The Penn Hills Girls Softball Association is organizing a purse bash from noon to 3 p.m. March 16 at Penn Hills Fire Hall No. 7, 125 Universal Road.

Tickets, which are $50 in advance or $60 at the door, include admission to the event, food, wine, beer, nonalcoholic beverages and multiple chances to win designer handbags. Participants must be 21 or older to attend.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the first raffle starts at noon. Winners will be drawn every 15 minutes. Ticket-holders do not need to be present to win.

Additional raffles will be available, including ones for “pick of the table,” 50-50, auction baskets, a mystery bundle and lottery tree.

Space is limited to 250 people, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of reserved tables for up to eight guests is available for an additional $50.

For details or to purchase a ticket or reserve a table, call Marquitta Gray at 412-877-2301, Robin Brown at 412-443-5600 and Tiera Hempfiled at 412-225-9218.

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