In brief: Herald area events for the week of Feb. 12, 2024

Presentation to spotlight Project Lifesaver

Fox Chapel Area senior Sophia Gass and her sister, Sadie, will present information about a free tracking program, Project Lifesaver, for family members caring for a loved one with memory loss or other cognitive impairments who are prone to wandering away.

Their presentation, in partnership with Officer Scott Bailey of the Aspinwall Police Department, will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 19 in the Aspinwall Borough Building, 217 Commercial Ave.

The Gass sisters will share information about a free tracking service sponsored by District Attorney Stephen A Zappala Jr. that is available to all residents of Allegheny County.

Project Lifesaver is a program offered by law enforcement and other emergency responders in 41 states. It uses proven radio technology and specially trained search-and-rescue teams to find citizens enrolled in the program when they become lost.

Blawnox seeks applications for military banner program

Blawnox is accepting applications for its Hometown Hero Banner Program.

It is designed to recognize and honor residents who served or are serving in the nation’s armed forces.

Each banner will honor a specific service person and will include their name, branch of service, medals of valor and a photo if provided.

The hometown hero must be a current or previous resident of the borough.

An immediate family member of a current or previous serviceman or woman of Blawnox also will suffice. Banners will be displayed on Freeport Road from Memorial Day to Veterans Day to honor and celebrate their dedication to our country.

There is no official deadline to submit an application.

However, it must be submitted by the end of March at the latest if the family wants the banner up for Memorial Day.

There is a $110 application fee.

Forms and details are available on the borough website at blawnox.com.

Food pantry open Feb. 23

Blawnox’s food pantry will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 23 at the borough building, 376 Freeport Road.

No residency or proof of income is required.

People can drop off donations to the panty from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Items in demand include canned meats, tomato sauce, laundry detergent and dish soap.

For details, call 412-828-4141.

Tax collector appointed

Brian Laing, husband of Sharpsburg Council President Adrianne Laing, recently was appointed borough tax collector.

The councilwoman abstained from the vote Jan. 25.

Brian Laing was sworn in by Mayor Brittany Reno shortly after council accepted the resignation of elected tax collector Pat Hyatt at that meeting.

The appointment is to fill a two-year seat.

Borough officials said Brian Laing’s role is ceremonial, and Jordan Tax Service handles the actual tax collection.

Council meetings planned

• Fox Chapel Council will meet at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at the borough building, 401 Fox Chapel Road.

• Sharpsburg Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the borough building, 1611 Main St.

Volunteers sought to fill vacancies on boards

Fox Chapel has spots available on its planning commission, park commission, zoning hearing board, construction board of appeals and more.

Applications and details about the vacancies can be found on the borough website at fox-chapel.pa.us.

Interested residents should submit an application and resume to Shawn M. Peterson at speterson@fox-chapel.pa.us.

FBLA collecting shoes in wearable condition

Members of Fox Chapel Area High School’s Future Business Leaders of America are conducting a shoe drive through March 22.

Gently used or new shoes are being accepted and will be donated to people worldwide who do not have access to shoes.

Acceptable donations include new and gently used cleats, boots, sneakers, baby shoes, sandals and Crocs. Do not inlcude any shoes that are torn, missing heels or dirty.

Shoes can be dropped off in a bin labeled “FBLA Shoe Fundraiser” outside the main office of the high school during regular hours Mondays through Fridays.

Children invited to free Disney-themed string concert

Members of the Fox Chapel Area High School string orchestra will present a free Disney-themed concert from 9:45 a.m. to noon Feb. 17 at O’Hara Elementary School, 115 Cabin Lane.

The concert is geared toward children in preschool through second grade, but children of all ages are welcome.

The high schoolers plan to dress as their favorite Disney characters, and the young audience members are encouraged to dress up as their favorites, too.

There will be an opportunity to learn about and try out the instruments after the concert, as well as a craft-making station.

Dress rehearsal of spring musical open to senior citizens

Senior citizens 60 and older who reside in the Fox Chapel Area School District are invited to attend the spring musical dress rehearsal of “The Little Mermaid” at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in the high school auditorium, 611 Field Club Road, O’Hara.

The event is free, but reservations are required.

Refreshments will be served before the performance at 3 p.m. in the auditorium lobby.

To make a reservation, call 412-967-2410.

Students to stage ‘The Little Mermaid’; meet-and-greet planned for kids

Fox Chapel Area students will present “The Little Mermaid” at 7 p.m. Feb. 29, March 1 and 2 and 2 p.m. March 3 in the high school auditorium, 611 Field Club Road, in O’Hara.

Tickets are $13, and all seats are reserved.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.showtix4u.com/events/fcahsmusical; a convenience fee will be applied. They also will be sold at the door pending availability. Tickets are nonrefundable and can not be exchanged for other performances.

Additionally, the performers will have a Meet and Greet in the Grotto for children 8 and younger from 10 to 11:15 a.m. Feb. 24 in the high school cafeteria.

The special event will include autographs from the performers, face painting, crafts and a sing-along with Ariel and King Triton.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets are $10 each, and only 100 tickets will be sold. Tickets can be purchased at at www.showtix4u.com/events/fcahsmusical.

About 140 students are involved in this year’s production, including the cast, crew and live pit orchestra.

Blawnox firefighters partner with coffee shop for fundraiser

The Blawnox Volunteer Fire Company is partnering with The Black Canary, a coffee and ice cream shop, for its February fundraiser.

The Black Canary created a special drink, the Freeport Flyer Mocha, in honor of the fire company’s new rescue vehicle that went into service in 2023. For every drink sold during the month of February at its Blawnox location, $1 will be donated to the fire company.

The specialty drink features smoked mocha infused with cinnamon and topped with torched marshmallows and cinnamon.

The Black Canary is located at 276 Freeport Road. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays. The shop is closed on Sundays.

Orders can be made in person, online at pittsburgh.theblackcanaryorder.com or by calling 724-614-9823.

In-person story times set for prospective kindergartners

All four elementary schools in the Fox Chapel Area School District are hosting in-person story times for incoming 2024-25 kindergarten students and their parents and guardians.

The program is for prospective students who will turn 5 on or by Sept. 1, 2024. The story times will help the youngsters become acquainted with their respective elementary schools and kindergarten teachers. Parents and guardians will gain valuable information about school readiness and registration. Everyone is encouraged attend all three sessions. The remaining sessions include:

• Fairview Elementary School: 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 15, March 13 and April 17;

• Hartwood Elementary School: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. March 13 and April 17;

• Kerr Elementary School: 2 to 3 p.m. Feb. 15, March 13 and April 16;

• O’Hara Elementary School (last names A-L): 2 to 3 p.m. March 19 and April 18;

• O’Hara Elementary School (last names M-Z): 2 to 3 p.m. March 20 and April 19.

Pre-registration is requested. For details and to register for the story times, visit https://www.kdgfcasd.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.

Pre-kindergarten program in 6th year

Applications for the Fox Chapel Area School District’s pre-kindergarten program for the 2024-25 school year are being accepted through April 5.

This will be the sixth year for the program, which is housed at Kerr Elementary School in O’Hara. It is open to youngsters across the district who turn 4 on or before Sept. 1, 2024.

The pre-kindergarten program will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and will consist of a 4-year-old classroom with 20 students. Eligibility requirements, application forms and details about the program are available on the district’s website at prek.fcasd.edu.

All students must be fully toilet-trained and able to use the bathroom without adult assistance. Parents and guardians must be able to provide transportation to and from school.

The program requires a five-day-a-week commitment, and a child could be withdrawn from the program after 10 absences.

Students are eligible for the program based on their family’s income, which must be below the 300% poverty level for the size of the family.

Enrollment forms — including the pre-kindergarten program application, income verification form and the commitment form — are available at prek.fcasd.edu.

All three forms and proof of income (a copy of one’s most recent W-2 or three current pay stubs) should be sent to Fox Chapel Area School District Pre-Kindergarten Program, c/o Dr. Ashley Constantine, 611 Field Club Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238.

For questions, contact Constantine, executive director of elementary education and instruction, at 412-967-2455 or ashley_constantine@fcasd.edu.

Pre-registration for kindergarten underway

The Fox Chapel Area School District will hold kindergarten registration for the fall semester in March.

The district offers various pre-registration events, including parent/guardian orientations and 2024-25 kindergarten story times, beginning in February. Details about all of events are available at https://www.kdgfcasd.com/.

All registration forms must be filled out online. Parents and guardians can go to http://register.fcasd.edu to begin the registration process.

Once the online forms are complete, parents/guardians will attend the school’s registration day, at a specific time, with their supporting documents. Orientation meetings to acquaint parents/guardians with the kindergarten program and registration process are scheduled in February.

Children must be 5 on or before Sept. 1, 2024, to be admitted to kindergarten for the 2024-25 school year.

A certificate of birth date, immunization records, two proofs of residency and a photo ID must be presented for registration.

A child will not be officially registered in the school until all of the items are presented.

Here is the schedule for in-person new kindergarten parent orientation meetings and kindergarten registration; parents and guardians will choose a specific registration time once they complete the online registration for their respective school:

Fairview Elementary School

• Registration: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. March 6

• The school is at 738 Dorseyville Road in Indiana Township. The phone number is 412-963-9315.

Hartwood Elementary School

• Registration: 8 to 11 a.m. and 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. March 7

• The school is at 3730 Saxonburg Blvd. in Indiana Township. The phone number is 412-767-5396.

Kerr Elementary School

• Registration: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 5

• The school is at 341 Kittanning Pike in O’Hara. The phone number is 412-781-4105.

O’Hara Elementary School

• Registration: 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. March 8

• The school is at 115 Cabin Lane in O’Hara. The phone number is 412-963-0333.

In addition, districtwide registration sessions for all elementary schools will be held in March for those unable to attend the individual school registration dates/times.

Registration for all incoming kindergartners will be 4 to 6 p.m. March 5 at Kerr Elementary School and 4 to 6 p.m. March 7 at O’Hara Elementary School.

Incoming kindergarten families also are encouraged to sign up for the story times hosted by their elementary school.

To sign up and to learn more about programs for incoming kindergartners, visit https://www.kdgfcasd.com/.

Rotary scholarships available to high school seniors

Applications are being sought for the Bob Williams Rotary Memorial Scholarship Program for the 2023-24 academic year.

Eight need-based scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded.

High school seniors in Allegheny County are eligible to apply, as are vocational students, GED students and those attending parochial, charter and private schools.

Students must have a 2.5 or higher grade-point average and must complete an essay highlighting their community/school service.

Complete application and criteria materials are available on the Rotary District 7305 website or from area high school counselors.

Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 29.