Milltown Road closed through January for slide repair
Part of Milltown Road in Penn Hills will be closed through late January while crews repair two slides along the road.
The closure between Hulton Road and Newfield Drive was scheduled to start at 7 a.m. Dec. 2, PennDOT announced.
Nearly 5,300 vehicles travel the road daily, according to PennDOT.
The posted detour is about 4.3 miles long. From north of the closure:
• From Milltown Road, turn right onto Hulton Road;
• Turn left onto Saltsburg Road;
• Turn left onto Leechburg Road;
• Follow Leechburg Road back to Milltown Road.
From south of the closure, the detour is the same in the opposite direction.
Plum AARP meeting, luncheon on tap
Plum AARP will celebrate Christmas at its meeting and luncheon buffet at 11:30 a.m. Dec. 10 at Palmieri’s Restaurant.
The entertainment will be Kathy Zang, who will perform Christmas songs.
Plum AARP is a social organization open to residents of Plum, Penn Hills, Monroeville and the surrounding communities.
Newcomers are welcome at regular monthly meetings, which are held at noon on the second Tuesday of each month, except June, at Unity Community Church.
For details, call Mary Lou Spohn-Meyers at 724-327-8265.
Holiday cheer in works for municipality
Penn Hills Parks & Recreation is planning a variety of holiday events for the community:
• Holiday Lights Cruise: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Penn Hills Government Center, 102 Duff Road. There will be a drive-thru lights display and a visit from Santa. Treat bags will be provided, but registration is required. To register, call 412-798-2147. Attendees are encouraged to bring an unopened and unwrapped toy donation for a chance to win a $100 gift card.
• Letters to Santa: Drop off your letters through Dec. 19 at Penn Hills Library. You also can mail them to 102 Duff Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or email them to santa@pennhillspa.gov. Please include a return address.
• Lunch With Santa, two sessions: 11 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Rolling Hills Church, 120 Gernert Drive. Join us for a visit from Santa, arts and crafts and a pizza lunch. Space is limited. To register, call 412-798-2147.
• Christmas Lights Display Contest: To enter your home, call 412-798-2147 or email jscaglione@pennhillspa.gov. Judging will take place Dec. 17-19. Prizes will be awarded for the best decorated home.
Evening with Grinch open to families
Steel Goat Marketplace, 200 Jefferson Road, is hosting a free evening of holiday festivities with the Grinch from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6.
Families are invited to participate in photos with the Grinch, a scavenger hunt for a chance to win prizes, holiday treats, craft stations and more.
Reservations are requested.
To make a reservation, visit steelgoatmarket.com/project/grinch-at-the-goat.
Pizza luncheon planned with Santa
If the Grinch is too much of a holiday grump, swing by the Steel Goat Marketplace, 220 Jefferson Road, and meet Santa from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 7.
Families are invited to a Slice With Santa, featuring pizza, holiday crafts, letters to Santa and photos with the jolly old elf.
The event is free, but donations are appreciated.
Reservations are requested so Santa can bring enough pizza.
To make a reservation, visit steelgoatmarket.com/project/slice-with-santa.
Break out your ugliest sweater for Rotary bingo fundraiser
The Penn Hills Rotary is planning its annual Ugly Sweater Bingo on Dec. 6 at Universal Banquet Hall, 2240 Main St. in Penn Hills.
Doors open at 6 p.m., and bingo will start at 7.
Prizes will be awarded for the best — ahem, worst — dressed.
Tickets are $25 each and can be reserved in advance at pennhillsrotary.org/purchase or at the door.
Tickets include six cards for each game, soft drinks and cookies. Extra cards, tickets for special games and a 50-50 will be available for purchase during the event.
Beer, wine and light snacks also will be available to purchase.
Everyone who brings a donation of pet supplies to benefit a local animal shelter will receive a free bingo card.
Supplies sought include any brand of dog or cat food, pet toys, creamy peanut butter (without xylitol), canned pumpkin, canned chicken and uncooked white rice.
Rosedale to host Breakfast With Santa on Dec. 7
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The Rosedale Volunteer Fire Department and Rosedale Civic Association are sponsoring a Breakfast With Santa from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 7 at the station, 5806 Verona Road.
The cost is $5 per person and free for kids 12 and younger.
Library highlights upcoming offerings
The Penn Hills Library, 1037 Stotler Road, offers a variety of programs for all ages. Note the library is closed on Thanksgiving Day. For a complete list of offerings, visit pennhillslibrary.org. To register for any of the following programs, visit the website and click on the events tab to view an interactive calendar. Here are some upcoming highlights:
CHILDREN
• Winter Family Storytime (birth to age 5): 10:30 to 11 a.m. Dec. 9. Families are invited to gather for fun stories, songs and books. Siblings are welcome.
• Fandom Art … Squishmallow Painting (ages 6-11): 5 to 5:45 p.m. Dec. 12. This month’s art project will be painting Squishmallows. Registration is required.
• Squonking in the Library … Part 2 (ages 6-11): 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 16. Squonkers Lindsay Herring and Mia Taylor will dive into the world or Rube Goldberg machines. Participants will learn how to harness the flow of energy using everyday objects to create quirky, complex contraptions with chain reactions. Registration is required.
• STEAM Lab … Confetti Cannons (ages 6-11): 5 to 5:45 p.m. Dec. 19. Participants will build and their own confetti cannons, just in time for New Year’s Eve. Registration is required.
TEENS (grades 6-12)
• Holiday Party: 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 6. Join us after hours to kick off the holiday season with food, a White Elephant gift exchange and more.
• Mini Terra-cotta Gingerbread Houses: 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 11. Decorate mini terra-cotta pots to look like gingerbread houses.
• Last-Minute Gifts: 5:30 p.m. Dec. 17. Don’t know what to get your loved ones? Stop by and help use up our leftover craft supplies to make one-of-a-kind gifts.
ADULTS
• Penn Hills Painters’ Meetup: 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 10. Bring your supplies and work on your own paintings in the company and encouragement of others.
• Renaissance City Choir: 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 12. Join us for a lively holiday concert performed by Pittsburgh’s LGBTQIA choir.
• Graphic Novel Book Club: 11 a.m. to noon Dec. 14. Open to fans of graphic novels and to folks who want to give the books a try. The December selection is “Four Gathered on Christmas Eve” by Eric Powell, whose work continues the Victorian tradition of telling ghost stories on Christmas Eve. A limited number of copies are available at the front desk.
• Accessible Crafts … Tiny Pine Cone Trees: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 18. This craft program is open to patrons of all abilities. No registration is required. Mark your calendars: The Dec. 18 craft will be tiny pine cone trees.
ALL AGES
•Holiday Bell Choir:6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 5. A bell choir will perform some holiday classics. Registration is required.
• Bald Eagle and Family: 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 9. The plant manager of U.S. Steel’s Irvine Plant in West Mifflin will present a talk about the bald eagles that have nested at the plant for the past few years. He will discuss their nesting habits and share news about their fledglings. All ages are welcome to learn about our national bird. Registration is required.
•Kwanzaa Celebration:1 to 2 p.m. Dec. 14. Celebrate Kwanzaa with Yamoussa Camara and Camara Drum and Dance, who will present an afternoon of West African music and dance from Guinea. Registration is required.
Fall/winter activities planned for children
Penn Hills Parks & Recreation has a few more events for kids on its fall and winter schedule.
Space is limited for the following events, and registration is required.
All events take place at Rolling Hills Church, 120 Gernert Drive.
• Kids Painting and Craft: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11
• Kids in the Kitchen: 10 to 11 a.m. Dec. 14
To register, call the recreation department at 412-798-2147.
Holiday bingo boasts $1,000 jackpot
Penn Hills Volunteer Fire Company No. 7 is teaming up with Life Changing Service Dogs for Veterans for a Christmas Bingo with a $1,000 jackpot Dec. 7 at the station, 125 Universal Road.
Doors will open at 4 p.m. and bingo starts at 5:30.
Tickts are $20 and include six cards per game, with 20 regular games. Special bingo games will be sold separately.
Anyone who brings an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots will receive a bingo card for an exclusive game.
There will be a 50-50 and other raffles. Food and drinks will be available for purchase, and alcohol will be available to guests 21 and older with a photo ID.
Tickets must be purchased for entry.
To purchase tickets, call 412-247-1892 or visit the station’s website at phvfd227.store and click on the bingo link.
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Firefighters selling 2025 lottery calendars
The Rosedale and North Bessemer volunteer fire departments are selling 2025 lottery calendars.
The calendars are $30 each and have winners every night.
They make excellent holiday gifts.
For details on how to purchase, call the Rosedale station’s nonemergency number at 412-793-1224 or North Bessemer’s at 412-793-1840.
Gently used, new toys available for families in need
Play It Forward Pittsburgh is a gently used children’s toy drive that helps families struggling to provide toys for their children during the holiday season.
Now in its 14th year, it collects gently used or new toys, games, electronics, sports equipment, bicycles and movies (DVDs only) and offers them for free to families in need.
Recipients must sign up to get on the list to receive items. They can choose from a prepackaged holiday box filled by volunteers based on the family’s wishlist or choose to shop in person with a designated time slot. Sign ups, which are on a first-come, first-served based, began Nov. 18 and can be done online by clicking the link at http://www.playitforwardpittsburgh.com/receive-toys.html.
The organization strives to provide a maximum of three items per child. The total toy limit per family is 15 items, one big ticket item if available and one new toy if available. Recipients must wear a face mask when picking up items. Recipients also must be able to transport the items without volunteer assistance from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15222; recipients can bring other people with them to help carry items.
Holiday boxes will be available for pick-up from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 13; shopping in person will take place Dec. 14 in a designated time slot. Pick-up and shopping both take place at the convention center.
Holiday market and mingle event set Dec. 14
The Hebron Community Center, 10460 Frankstown Road, is organizing a Very Merry Market & Mingle from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 14.
The community is invited to puruse a variety of vendors offering handmade crafts, gifts and festive items for the holiday season.
There also will be food trucks and live entertainment.
Vendors, food trucks and entertainers who would like to partner with the Hebron Community Center are encouraged to register at online at https://tinyurl.com/ybu5s6hc.
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.
Garden club fundraiser to feature bluegrass band
The Penn Hebron Garden Club, 237 Jefferson Road, is hosting a fundraiser evening of bluegrass featuring the Sweaty Already String Band from 8 to 10 p.m. Dec. 6.
Snacks will be available for purchase. Patrons 21 and older are invited bring their own alcohol.
Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, if available. To purchase a ticket, stop by any Wednesday night Penn Hills Coffeehouse event at the club or contact Lisa Martinez at jkittyroo@gmail.com or Howard Davidson at bachblue@aol.com.
The site has limited parking; once that lot is full, additional parking is available at the nearby Penn Hills Senior Center.
Food pantry open second Saturdays
The Young Black Motivated Kings & Queens: De’Avry A. Thomas Community Center offers a free food pantry from 9:30 a.m. to noon every second Saturday of the month at the center, 7300 Ridgeview Ave.
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The next distribution will be Dec. 14.
The pantry, in remembrance of Cynthia Stotts, serves anyone in need of assistance, such as families facing food insecurity, individuals experiencing financial hardship, seniors on fixed incomes and students in need.
In addition to free food distribution, the center offers confidential services, volunteer opportunities and referrals to additional community resources.
To help the center’s mission, people are encouraged to volunteer their time or skills, spread the word about the pantry and support the center through monetary contributions.
For details, contact Keonna Rawlings, food pantry manager, at keonna@ybmkq.org.
For more information about the community-based organization, visit ybmkq.org.
Blood donors sought
The American Red Cross and Vitalant are encouraging prospective blood donors to step up as colder weather sets in.
Donations of all blood types are crucial year-round, especially type O, the most frequently transfused blood type. O-negative blood can be given to patients of any blood type, while O-positive can help most patients.
To find a Red Cross location near you and to learn more about blood donation, including eligibility information, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
As an incentive through Dec. 8, the Red Cross is offering two pairs of custom “Friends” socks for those who donate, while supplies last, in partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. It’s been 30 years since the iconic show first aired, and the Red Cross is asking donors to gather their friends and make a blood or platelet donation. For details, visit RedCrossBlood.org/Friends.
Vitalant, which operates about 115 donation centers nationwide, is thanking donors who give blood, platelets or plasma through Dec. 20 with a $10 gift card as part of its Donor Rewards Program. Donors also will be entered for a chance to win one of five $5,000 gift cards.
Vitalant’s Pittsburgh Fox Chapel Donation Center at One Alexander Center, Suite 207, 2585 Freeport Road, also has several collection dates: 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6-8, 13-15, 17 and 20 and noon to 7 p.m. Dec. 10 and 17.
To make an appointment and find other locations, visit vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant app or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).
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.
Municipal, school district meetings viewable online
Want to stay informed about the municipality and school district you live in and the decisions made by people you elect to office?
Both entities livestream their meetings online.
• Penn Hills Council livestreams its monthly meetings on YouTube @PennHills TVONLINE. Past livestreams of meetings also are available to view. Check them out at youtube.com/@PennHillsTVONLINE/featured.
• The Penn Hills School District livestreams monthly meetings on its website at www.phsd.org/school-board/live-stream-and-video-archive. Past meetings also are available. Among the videos are the school board’s regular public voting meetings, HR/Policy and Finance Committee meetings, and Athletic Advisory, Safety/Buildings & Grounds and Curriculum Committee meetings.
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.