Spread the love for Valentine’s Day
The Shaler North Hills Library, 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd., once again is looking to brighten Valentine’s Day for local senior citizens.
Everyone is encouraged to participate in Valentines for Seniors, which has distributed more than 6,120 valentines since 2021.
To help, make a valentine without glitter or candy, place each valentine — one per bag — in a plastic baggie (in a size of your choosing: sandwich, quart or gallon), and drop them off at the library through Feb. 10.
You can sign your valentine or not.
The library will deliver them to elderly residents and facilities by Feb. 14.
Applicants sought for Shaler police force
The Shaler Township Police Department is looking to hire a police officer.
Applicants must be 21 or older, a U.S. citizen, possess a valid Pennsylvania driver’s license and meet all state and federal requirements to be a police officer.
For additional requirements and to apply, visit policeapp.com/Entry-Level-Shaler-Township-PA-Police-Officer-Jobs/4271/. The deadline to apply is by noon Feb. 3.
The $35 application fee will be refunded to each applicant who takes the agility test.
A physical agility test will be held at 9 a.m. Feb. 5 and Feb. 8 at the Shaler Area Titan Stadium, 1800 Mt. Royal Blvd. The written exam, for those who pass the agility test, will follow immediately afterward on both days at the Shaler Township Municipal Building, 300 Wetzel Road.
Other mandatory components include an oral examination, a background check, medical and psychological exams, and a polygraph test.
For details, call the township office at 412-486-9700.
Pantry seeks items
The Bread of Life Food Pantry in Etna is in need of a variety of items.
Winter food needs that are in short supply include dish detergent, small coffee, brownie/cake mix, laundry detergent, apple juice, orange juice, tomato juice, Jello, Irish Spring or Dove soap, jelly, jars or cans of gravy and broth, small bottles of vegetable oil, crackers, baby food and diapers in sizes 5 or 6.
Dog and cat food also is needed.
Donations can be dropped off from 2 to 4 p.m. Mondays and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the All Saints School satellite site at 19 Dewey St.
For details about the pantry, visit breadoflifeetna.org or call 412-781-3056.
Section of Prospect Avenue now closed
Shaler commissioners voted unanimously on Jan. 14 to temporarily close the central section of Prospect Avenue during a commissioners meeting.
The narrow street located in Shaler’s 7th Ward near Etna and Sharpsburg has become a “public safety issue” after a previous landslide and recent snowfall, according to Solicitor Anna Jewart.
The street can only be accessed via Commerce Street or Highland Avenue. The houses abutting the central portion of the short avenue currently are vacant, Jewart said.
Appointments made in Millvale
Millvale Council voted unanimously to appoint its members and others to borough commissions and local posts during its Jan. 13 meeting.
• Pat Knierm will serve as the chairperson for the borough Vacancy Board for a one-year term.
• Joe Kypta will serve on the Educational Services Agency for a three-year term.
• Melissa Mason will serve on the Zoning Hearing Board for a three-year term.
• Paul Bossung Jr. will serve on the Tree Committee for a three-year term.
• Emily Potoczny will serve a one-year term on the Bike and Pedestrian Committee. Michael Potoczny will serve a two-year term. Joshua Mullenite will serve a three-year term. Arianna Aguilar will serve a four-year term.
• Denise Rudar will serve on the Bird Town Committee for a seven-year term. Council questioned whether birds lived that long.
• Bob Vita will serve on the Building and Fire Board of Appeals for a five-year term.
• Brian Spoales will serve as Millvale’s representative to the Allegheny County Boroughs Association for a one-year term. James Machajewski will serve as his alternate.
• Al Atkinson will serve as the delegate to the North Hills Council of Governments for a one-year term. Machajewski will serve as his alternate.
• Spoales will serve as the delegate to the Millvale Community Development Corporation for a one-year term.
• Machajewski will serve as the delegate to the Tri-COG Land Bank for a one-year term. Eddie Figas will serve as his alternate.
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• Sherri Cavanaugh will serve as the delegate to the Allegheny North Tax Collection Committee for a one-year term. Figas will serve as her alternate.
• Jorge Lima will serve on the Planning Commission for a four-year term.
• Karl Cavanaugh will serve on the Civil Service Commission for a six-year term.
Shaler fills board posts
Shaler Township also filled vacancies and made appointments to local commissions and boards during its Jan. 14 meeting.
• Patrick Murray will serve on the Civil Service Commission for a six-year term.
• Gregory Greiff will serve on the township Planning Commission for a four-year term.
• John Rihn will serve as the Planning Commission’s Fire Liaison for a four-year term.
• Rihn also will serve as Shaler’s Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for a four-year term.
• David Shutter, Kathryn Dougherty, Christine Wagner and Donna Mastandrea will serve on the Shaler North Hills Library Board for three-year terms.
• Edmund Olszewski will serve on the EMS Board.
• James Young and Jerry Schwedler will serve on the Zoning Hearing Board.
County offering free radon test kits
January is National Radon Action Month, and the Allegheny County Health Department’s Housing and Community Environment Program is providing more than 900 free radon test kits for residents.
Across the state, 40% of homes are believed to have elevated radon levels, a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes into homes from the ground. When breathed in, the radioactive particles move around in a person’s lungs and cause radiation damage to cells.
With an estimated 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year, radon is the second leading cause of the illness.
The gas is completely undetectable by smell, taste, sight or feel, which makes the use of a test kit crucial to identifying the hazard. Testing regularly is the only reliable way to know whether radon is present in one’s home.
The test is for informational and awareness purposes only, as ACHD does not regulate indoor radon levels.
Tests can be picked up from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at the Housing and Community Environment office, 3190 Sassafras Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Kits are limited to one per household and will be availabe while supplies last. Call ahead at 412-350-4046 to inquire about availability.
The easy-to-follow instructions include the address the test should be shipped to after it is run to be analyzed by a laboratory for results.
With the results of the test, residents will be able to make an informed decision on how best to protect their lung health. According to the EPA, remediation for radon, done by a certified contractor, should be completed at 4pCi/L or higher, but it is recommended for results as low as 2pCi/L.
The presence or absence of radon in one home of a neighborhood does not indicate the levels in other homes nearby, even right next door. To learn more about radon, residents are encouraged to visit the program’s new radon webpage.
In addition, the Pennsylvania DEP has an educational webpage on radon that includes a list of certified radon mitigation companies and a feature to search for the average radon test data within Pennsylvania by ZIP code.