Blawnox dog catcher

Blawnox council recently approved a new two-year contract starting in January with dog catcher Hoffman Kennels.

The contract maintains the current costs of $125 per month and $120 per emergency call out.

The business has served Blawnox for at least 10 years.

‘A Christmas Carol’ reading

Sharpsburg Community Library will host a live reading of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol” 5-7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at 1212 Main St.

The program is free, but registration is required. Call 412-781-0783 for more information about library programs.

Pantry open

Blawnox Food Pantry will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 19.

The pantry was recently moved to the first floor of the borough building, 376 Freeport Road. No proof of residency or income is required.

Call 412-828-4141 for more information.

FCASD annual telethon

Fox Chapel Area School District students will broadcast their 36th annual telethon at 1 p.m. Dec. 23. The telethon will raise money for the local organization Fox Families Care and involve students from all six schools in the Fox Chapel Area School District (Fairview, Hartwood, Kerr, and O’Hara elementaries; Dorseyville Middle School; and Fox Chapel Area High School). Student, teacher, parent and community representatives will participate in the telethon benefiting Fox Families Care by making donations during the event. The public is also invited to make donations online at foxfamiliescare.org/donatenow.

The telethon will be streamed on the Swift Fox Media YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/@SwiftFoxMedia, and viewers can watch it anytime after it airs at 1 p.m. Dec. 23. A telethon kickoff video is now available on the Swift Fox Media YouTube channel.

The telethon is coordinated by the Fox Chapel Area High School Fox Leadership Council and the high school’s video production students, who plan and produce the event.

Fox Families Care is an organization that works to bridge the gap between the needs and resources of children and families in the Fox Chapel Area School District. The group invests in the needs of local children and works directly with the district in conjunction with other strategic community partners.

The students in the Fox Chapel Area School District have donated $1,278,496 to various local and regional charities through their annual telethon over the last 35 years. Last year’s telethon for Backpack for Hunger raised $90,228. Backpack for Hunger is a local volunteer organization that provides weekend food for students in the Fox Chapel Area School District.

Christmas bird count

The Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania’s 126th annual Christmas Bird Count is set for Dec. 27 at Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve.

The CBC is the world’s longest-running citizen science project. People of all ages and birding experience levels count birds that they see on the count date, then the data is compiled and used to measure changes in the environment and in bird populations. This wealth of information paints a clear picture of bird distribution and abundance while aiding in the understanding of the urgency of bird conservation.

Participation is free and prior experience is not necessary – new birdwatchers can be teamed up with experienced birdwatchers. Find CBC training classes on ASWP’s website on the events calendar at aswp.org. Kids’ Christmas Bird Count programs are also available.

For more information, contact Brian Shema at 412-963-6100 or bshema@aswp.prg.

Light recycling

O’Hara is partnering once again with Michael Brothers to recycle holiday lights to benefit Project Bundle-up.

People can drop off the lights from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at the township office, 325 Fox Chapel Road.

Collection runs through Feb. 15.

Christmas concert

Get in the mood for Christmas withThe True Meaning of Christmas: A Concert of Carols, Anthems, and Readings on Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. in Saint Joseph Church, 342 Dorseyville Road. Christ the King Parish’s Choir will perform traditional carols along with uplifting readings to help prepare you for the arrival of the Christ Child.  

For more information, call 412-963-8885 ext. 110.

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