In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Sept. 16, 2024

Meeting to offer update on VOPP trail

Friends of the Riverfront is organizing a public meeting to provide an update on the VOPP trail from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 10 at Oakmont Carnegie Library, 700 Allegheny River Blvd.

The VOPP Trail Connector will stretch from the Allegheny riverfront in Verona and connect Oakmont, Penn Hills along Plum Creek to Boyce Park in Plum — hence the VOPP name.

In 2022, Friends of the Riverfront worked with Penn Hills to raise funding to complete the design and engineering work for the 14-mile trail project. That work is being conducted by TranSystems through December.

According to the Friends of the Riverfront website, the first phase of design and engineering was completed in early 2023 and focused on the section in Verona and Oakmont. Survey and drone work is being completed on the remaining trail corridor to identify logical segments of the trail.

School district organizing 2-day job expo

The Penn Hills School District is hosting a two-day job expo in an effort to hire morespecial education teachers, paraprofessionals and instructional aides.

The sessions will be held at Linton Middle School from noon to 2 p.m. Sept. 19 and from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 23.

Interviews will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis, and qualified candidates may be hired on the spot. Candidates who are interested but unable to attend can email humres@phsd.org.

Interested parties can register online at tinyurl.com/3mbpjemu.

Residents invited to join Garbage Olympics on Sept. 21

American Legion Post 351, 4491 Verona Road, is encouraging Penn Hills residents to participate in the citywide 2024 Garbage Olympics from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 21.

The Garbage Olympics, started in 2017, is a friendly competition to see which neighborhood in the Pittsburgh area can pick up the most trash.

In 2021, Penn Hills placed first out of 46 participating neighborhoods. In 2022, Penn Hills placed third.

Since its inception, the event has grown from five East End neighborhoods to more than half the neighborhoods across the Pittsburgh region.

To participate, visit pghgo.org to join an existing neighborhood team. Participants also can just show up at the American Legion.

Everyone should arrive prepared to clean up.

A closing ceremony will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. at Velum Fermentation, 2120 Jane St., in Pittsburgh’s South Side.

Prizes are awarded for the most trash collected, largest item, weirdest item and most spirit.

Spooky Night at the Races to benefit Rosedale firefighters

The Rosedale Civic Association is organizing a Spooky Night at the Races fundraiser for the Rosedale Volunteer Fire Department from 6 to 10 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Oakmont Elks, 101 Washington Ave.

Costumes are optional, but there will be a $50 prize for the best costume.

The cost is $15 per person and includes a buffet dinner.

Doors open at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 5 and the start of races at 6. There will be a cash bar.

Proceeds will be used to purchase personal protective equipment for Rosedale firefighters.

To purchase a ticket, send an email to rosedalecivicassociation222@gmail.com.

Author to talk about new book, which features Penn Hills

Penn Hills Library, 1037 Stotler Road, will present a talk with Benjamin Herold, author of “Disillusioned: Five Families and the Unraveling of America’s Suburbs,” from 6 to 7 p.m. Sept. 23.

Herold will discuss his new book, which explores “how hope, history and racial denial collide in the suburbs and their schools.” Penn Hills is one of the main communities featured in the book.

He also will share his writing process and research, with a specific focus on Penn Hills.

Registration is required and seats are limited.

The event, which is for adults, also will be live-streamed for anyone who wishes to join virtually; you must register to receive a link.

To register, call the library at 412-775-4700 or visit pennhillslibrary.org and click on the event.

A complete list of programs for all ages, from birth through adult, is available on the library’s website.

Love Your Library Month fundraiser underway

September is Love Your Library Month.

People are encouraged to donate to Penn Hills Library in person; via mail at 1037 Stotler Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235; or online through the Allegheny County Library Association link at https://aclalibraries.org/explore/library-finder/penn-hills/.

All donations will be partially matched and are tax deductible.

Fall craft festival set; vendors sought

Plum Mason Lodge 799 will host its second annual fall craft festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 5 at the lodge, 9521 Saltsburg Road in Plum.

There is no cost to attend.

For details about vendor spaces, call 412-916-5835 or email mrdarts@verizon.net.

The event will take place rain or shine.

Insurance fair planned at senior center

Penn Hills is hosting a health insurance fair for seniors from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Penn Hills Senior Service Center, 147 Jefferson Road.

Anyone 60 and older is invited.

Representatives from Humana, UPMC, Highmark, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Cigna Healthcare and WellCare Health Plans will be in attendance to help seniors decide whether to change providers.

Phyllis Paciulli, director of the senior center, emphasized that this event will be strictly informational and insurance focused. Medicare open enrollment doesn’t start until Oct. 15, and it runs through Dec. 7.

“It is not going to be an in-home service, hospice, assisted living, nursing home type of thing,” Paciulli said. “And the vendors know they’re not allowed to sell during that time.”

Seniors also will be able to book a private room at the center to meet with insurance representatives between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays from Oct. 23 to Dec. 4.

For additional details, call 412-244-3400 or 412-244-3407.

Free replacement event planned for those with peeling license plates

State Reps. Joe McAndrew, D-Penn Hills, and La’Tasha D. Mayes, D-24th District, are hosting a free peeling license plate replacement event from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 28 at Petra Ministries Church, near U-Pull-&-Pay, at 235 Eastgate Drive in Penn Hills.

Local police officers and legislative team members will assist motorists in submitting PennDOT paperwork to replace illegible license plates.

Motorists with illegible plates face a $100 fine, according to Section 1332 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code.

Participants must bring their current vehicle registration to this event.

Note: Replacement plates will not be issued during the event but will be available for pickup once the paperwork is processed. The new license plate will have a new number. Vanity plates cannot be accommodated at this event.

For questions about this event or other state services available at McAndrew’s office, call 412-793-2448 or email RepMcAndrew@PAHouse.net.

Workshop to teach folks how to make fire cider

The Steel Goat Marketplace, 200 Jefferson Road, is hosting a Fire Cider Craft & Sip event for adults by Saging Space Holistic Wellness from 4 to 6 p.m. Sept. 29.

Participants will craft a quart-sized batch of their own fire cider to help boost their wellness through the fall and winter seasons.

Fire cider is an herbal remedy that some say provides immune-boosting properties and can help fend off colds and the flu. The spicy tonic typically is made with a variety of medicinal herbs, warming spices and apple cider vinegar.

The event will cover the tonic’s history and showcase traditional recipes. There will be samples, take-home resources, tastings and the opportunity to meet other herbal enthusiasts.

The cost to participate is $35, and space is limited.

All materials will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their favorite cutting board and/or sharp knife.

For details and to register, visit steelgoatmarket.com.

Hard-to-recycle events set for fall

The Pennsylvania Resources Council is sponsoring its final hard-to-recycle collections for the year in partnership with the Allegheny County Health Department:

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 28: Settlers Cabin Park, Wave Pool parking lot, 600 Ridge Road, Robinson, PA 15205

• 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 5: Next Tier Connect @ Pittsburgh East, 4350 Northern Pike, Monroeville, PA 15146

A participant fee of $5 per vehicle covers the unlimited disposal of cellphone and home phones, computer towers and peripheral equipment (keyboards, laptops, mice, etc.), copiers and scanners, expanded polystyrene packaging material, microwave ovens, video game consoles, DVD players, VCRs and stereos.

For a per-item fee, individuals can recycle televisions ($35) and computer monitors ($20), printers ($5), fluorescent tubes ($2 per 4-foot tube), small Freon appliances such as window AC units and dehumidifiers ($10 each) and car tires ($12 with rims and $5 without rims).

For a complete list of accepted items, visit prc.org/workshops-collection-events/collection-events/hard-to-recycle-items or call 412-488-7490.

Participants must register in advance at prc.org/CollectionEvents; space is limited.

Class of 1984 to gather in November

The Penn Hills High School Class of 1984 is celebrating its 40th reunion in November.

Members are invited to mark the occasion from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, at the Comfort Inn & Suites RIDC, 180 Gamma Drive in O’Hara.

The cost is $58 per person and includes a buffet dinner and two drink tickets.

The itinerary includes cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7, dancing until 11 and a karaoke afterparty from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the hotel bar.

Tickets can be purchased via Venmo at https://venmo.com/u/Kristy-McGowan-1 through Kristy (McGill) McGowan.

For attendees who prefer to stay at the hotel, a block of rooms with king-size beds have been reserved for $87 a night. The hotel offers free breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, and has an indoor heated pool that’s open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. To reserve a room, call the hotel at 412-963-0600 and ask for the Penn Hills High School 40th reunion rate.

For questions, email ph84reunion@gmail.com or visit the Penn Hills Class of 1984 Facebook page.

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.

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.

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.