Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com.
Community center to host blood drive
The Murrysville Recreation Department will host a Feb. 19 blood drive in partnership with the American Red Cross.
It will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Avenue. Donors between now and Feb. 28 will receive a $15 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice.
To schedule a donor appointment, see RedCrossBlood.org.
Woman’s club meeting
The Murrysville Woman’s Club will hold its monthly meeting at 11:15 a.m. Feb. 20. It will be at Atria’s, 4869 William Penn Highway in Murrysville.
The guest speaker with be consumer advocate Mary Bach.
If you are interested in attending or joining the club, call 412-720-8372.
Seed swap
The Delmont Public Library will host its annual seed swap from 11 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Feb. 15 at the library, 75 School Street in Delmont.
Join the Master Gardeners of Westmoreland County, bring your seeds, meet fellow gardeners and leave with something new to grow.
No registration is required. For more, call 724-468-5329.
AAUW hosts Chernobyl book author
The American Association of University Women will host Michael Haritan, best-selling author of “Chernobyl: Aftermath of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster,” at their Feb. 13 meeting.
It will be at 10 a.m. at the Murrysville Public Library, 4130 Sardis Road in Murrysville.
Haritan is a Pittsburgh-based photographer who has received numerous national and international awards. He documented the Chernobyl disaster in 2016 and 2018.
For more, email MurrysvilleAAUW@gmail.com.
Free tax preparation
AARP is currently taking appointments to help area residents prepare and file their 2024 taxes.
Appointments are required in advance for sessions that will take place Feb. 21 and 28, March 14 and 28, and April 11 at the Murrysville Community Center, 3091 Carson Avenue in Murrysville.
No walk-up services will be offered. To make an appointment and for more information about who qualifies, call 724-374-8176.
GOP hosts candidate meet, petition event
The Murrysville Export Republican Committee will host an evening to meet candidates running for local office on Feb. 20.
The meet, where candidates will also circulate petitions to appear on the May 20 primary election ballot, will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at the Italian American Club, 5930 Kennedy Avenue in Export.
All registered Republicans are invited to attend.
Applications accepted for community grants
The Community Foundation of Murrysville, Export and Delmont is taking applications for its 2025 community grant program.
The foundation encourages creativity and initiative by funding local residents’ ideas for enriching community life through sustainable activities.
Grants in the range of several hundred dollars will be awarded to organizations demonstrating a need for small sums to make a significant, long-term positive impact.
The deadline for applications is March 15. To receive an application, email rcook109@gmail.com.
‘Human Heart and God’ at ‘Boomers & Beyond’
The Mother of Sorrows “Boomers & Beyond” series will welcome featured speaker Tom Octave to its Feb. 11 meeting.
Octave is the director of sacred music for the Diocese of Greensburg and music director at Mother of Sorrows Church in Murrysville. His presentation, “Getting to the Heart of the Story: The Human Heart and the Heart of God,” will delve into the text of Pope Francis’ recent encyclical letter, “Delixit Nos,” exploring the practical implications of his message.
It will be at noon at the church, 4202 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. There is no cost to attend. Attendees may bring a bag lunch and a friend.
Food dehydration presentation
The co-founder and executive director of Healthy Seminarians-Healthy Church will discuss food dehydration at a Feb. 8 meeting of Plant-Based Pittsburgh at the Murrysville Community Library.
It will be at 1 p.m. at the library, 4130 Sardis Road in Murrysville, with Rev. Karen H. Webster as the featured speaker, discussing why and how to dehydrate foods. Attendees will have a chance to taste the results.
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For more, see PlantBasedPittsburgh.com.
Space program at community center
The Murrysville Recreation Department will host “Mad Science: Space Phenomena” from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 14 at the Murrysville Community Center at 3091 Carson Avenue.
Franklin Regional students do not have school on Feb. 14.
The program is for children in kindergarten through fifth grade, who will explore the events that take place in the night sky. They will also create their own impact craters and observe model meteors falling through a model atmosphere.
The program cost is $45 per child. Register at MurrysvillePArecreation.com by clicking on “Program Registration.”
For more, call 724-327-2100, ext. 131 or ext. 115.
AUP inviting new members
The Association of University People (AUP) invites singles 50-plus, 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, day trips and Scrabble.
Those interested can attend three activities as guests before joining.
To obtain more information about AUP or become an AUP member, call and leave a message at 412-353-9088 or email AUPsingles@gmail.com.
Hot Chocolate Hikes
The Murrysville Recreation Department will host a Feb. 14 Hot Chocolate Hike this winter.
It will take place at 10 a.m. at the Kellman Nature Reserve on Kellman Drive in Murrysville.
The hike is free, but registration is encouraged by calling 724-327-2100, ext. 131, or visit MurrysvillePArecreation.com — click on the program registration link.