In brief: Happenings across the Pine Creek Journal area

Trick-or-treating times

Here are the trick-or-treating times for Pine and Richland.

Residents who plan to participate are asked to leave their porch lights on.

• Pine: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31

• Richland: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31

Olive Branch plans holiday open house

The Olive Branch Fair Trade Shop will host its annual holiday open house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 1.

The store is in Fairview Plaza, 11160 Perry Highway, Pine.

Visitors are welcome to peruse unique fair trade gifts as well as items made by volunteers to support local mission projects. Those who attend will receive a coupon for a 20% discount on one fair trade item.

Door prizes and refreshments also will be part of the festive day.

For details about the store, visit olivebranchwexford.org.

OES announces 8th annual holiday craft show

The Norwood Herrington Chapter No. 356 Order of the Eastern Star will hold its eighth annual Holiday Craft & Vendor Show from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Greater Pittsburgh Masonic Center, 3579 Masonic Way (off Cemetery Lane), Ross.

Admission is free.

Everyone is welcome to start their holiday shopping with offerings from local vendors, including handcrafted items, unique gifts, sweets, jewelry, decor and apparel.

There also will be a large basket auction of items from the vendors at the show.

Mold testing finds concerns at high school, Hance

The annual fungal assessment of Pine-Richland schools in August before the start of the school year found concerns in two rooms at the district’s high school and one room at Hance Elementary, according to Intertek-PSI’s report to the district.

A total of 54 samples, 47 indoors and seven outside, were collected and analyzed. Elevated levels were found in rooms 23 and 24 at the high school, where suspected mold was seen, and in room 136 at Hance, the firm’s letter states.

After cleaning and remediation, the rooms were tested again, finding significantly reduced levels. Those efforts included removing carpet at the high school.

Richland schedules leaf pickup dates

Richland Township has announced its fall leaf pickup dates.

For residents whose Vogel collection day is Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, your leaf collections will be on Oct. 15, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3.

For residents whose Vogel collection day is Thursday or Friday, your leaf collections will be on Oct. 17, Nov. 7 and Dec. 5.

This service is provided to reduce the impact of leaves on the municipal stormwater system, streams and wetlands.

Here are the rules:

• All bags must be curbside before 6 a.m. on the day of pickup;

• All leaves, garden residue and cuttings must be in biodegradable paper bags;

• Bags should weigh under 40 pounds;

• Tree trimmings — no larger than 3 inches in diameter and smaller than 48 inches in length — must be tied or bound into manageable bundles.

Garden club members to learn about possums

The Ingomar Garden Club will hold its next meeting Nov. 5 at Northmont Church, 8169 Perry Highway, McCandless.

The 10:30 a.m. business meeting will be followed by a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. and a program about possums.

Julie Travaglini, senior director of education and curriculum at the Allegheny Land Trust, will present “Awesome Opossums: Is It Possum or Opossum?” She will speak about the intriguing biology and ecological importance of the often-overlooked opossum.

Prospective members are welcome.

For details, visit ingomargardenclub.com.

Comic Book Show coming up in November

The Pittsburgh Comic Book Show is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 23 at Crowne Plaza Hotel, 164 Fort Couch Road, Bethel Park.

Special guests include Bob McCloud, co-creator of “The New Mutants”; Mike DeCarlo, legendary inker for “Batman” and DC Comics; and Tom DeFalco, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1987-1994.

There will be more than 85 vendor tables, tens of thousands of comic back issues and the opportunity to trade paperbacks, slabs and rare and key issues.

General admission is $10, plus a 25-cent ticket service fee when purchased online. Tickets also will be sold at the door or can be purchased at Pop Culture Comics’ two locations — 1105 Mt. Royal Blvd. in Shaler and 3029 Sussex Ave. in Baldwin Township.

The show is free for children 12 and younger, first responders and military members (show military ID at the door).

For details and to purchase tickets, visit pittsburghcomicbookshow.com.

CCAC schedules fall event for community

CCAC’s North Campus, 8701 Perry Highway in McCandless, is hosting a Fall Community Day from 4 to 7 p.m. Nov. 5.

Everyone is welcome to join local community organizations, friends and neighbors for crafts, live music, food, games and more.

Complimentary light refreshments will be available.

For details about CCAC’s fall events schedule, visit ccac.edu/ccac-events/index.php.

Public welcome to Northern Regional’s police board meetings

The Northern Regional Police Department — serving Bradford Woods, Marshall, Pine and Richland — is reminding residents of its scheduled Joint Police Board meetings, which take place at 7 p.m. at the Pine Community Center, 100 Pine Park Drive:

• Oct. 22

• Nov. 20

• Dec. 18

The Northern Regional Police Department’s schedule of events can be found online at nrpolice.com by clicking on Event Calendar under the About Us tab in the menu.

If a meeting is changed, it will be updated accordingly. Residents also are encouraged to follow the department on Facebook.

Outreach collecting items for Thanksgiving dinner

North Hills Community Outreach is collecting items to provide a complete Thanksgiving dinner to families in need through Nov. 9.

Everyone can help by donating any or all of the following goods:

• Large box of stuffing mix

• Large box of instant mashed potatoes

• 15-ounce can of cranberry sauce or yams

• 16-ounce cans of vegetables

• Any dessert mix

• Box of corn muffin or biscuit mix

• Package of turkey gravy mix

• Package of napkins

• Grocery certificate for $25 or more (to purchase a turkey)

• Canvas shopping bag

Donations can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays at any of NHCO’s three offices — its main office at 1975 Ferguson Road, Hampton; the second floor of the Millvale Community Center, 416 Lincoln Ave.; and Greenstone Methodist Church, 939 California Ave., Avalon. Items also can be dropped off from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 1 at the Hampton location.

Next up will be the Holiday Toy Collection, which takes place from Nov. 9-Dec. 8. Last year, 821 children received new toys, games and other gifts for the holidays. For a list of suggested items to donate and a link to NHCO’s Amazon wish list, visit nhco.org/sharing-project-donations.

Free vaccine clinic set for pets of veterans, service members

Animal Friends is honoring our nation’s heroes through its Animal Friends for Veterans program with a free vaccine clinic for the pets of veterans and current service members.

The event will take place on Pittsburgh’s North Side from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 30 in the ALCO Parking Red Lot 7C, 630 Scotland Ave.

No appointment is necessary, and proof of military status will be required. In addition to free vaccines, attendees can receive complimentary pet food and supplies while supplies last.

The clinic will provide vaccinations for dogs and cats, including:

• Rabies

• FVRCP (cats)

• DHPP and Leptospirosis (dogs)

Additional services also will be available:

• Microchips: $11

• Flea and tick treatments: Seresto collars ($55-$65) and topical treatments ($8-$10)

The event site is accessible by train and bus to Allegheny Station (a 10-minute walk) and by bus to the General Robinson Street Parking Garage (a three-minute walk).

Animal Friends is dedicated to supporting veterans and service members through accessible and compassionate pet care.

For details about the Animal Friends for Veterans program, visit ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org.

To have your news or event listed, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com.