In brief: Happenings from the North Allegheny area

53rd seedling sale under way for spring

The North Area Environmental Council is planning its 53rd annual seedling sale.

The sale offers a variety of noninvasive plants and trees to add to the beauty and natural habitat of one’s backyard and the ecological health of the region.

The following seedlings, sold in sets of two, are available: American common persimmon, black walnut, Eastern white pine, Northern bayberry, Northern catalpa, shagbark hickory and yellow buckeye. Blue rug juniper, a creeping evergreen, also is available.

The NAEC is partnering with North Park’s Latodami Nature Center to offer Lawn to Nature kits, which include wildflower seeds.

To learn more about the sale, the organization and to place an order, visit naecwpa.org.

The deadline to place seedling orders is April 7; the deadline for Lawn to Nature kits is April 1. Pickup for both items will be from 9 a.m. to noon April 26 at the Latodami Nature Center Barn, 575 Brown Road, in North Park.

Sign installation work to cause restrictions on McKnight Road

PennDOT is conducting sign installation work through early April in both directions of McKnight Road in Pittsburgh, Ross and McCandless, weather permitting. The work will begin March 4.

Single-lane restrictions will occur from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekday in both directions of McKnight Road between Venture Street and Perrymont Road.

The sign installation work is part of the $26.99 million McKnight Road improvement project. It will include bridge and culvert preservation; milling and paving; base repairs; drainage upgrades and repairs; pipe cleaning; guide rail, signal and ADA ramp upgrades; waterline replacement; concrete mountable curb replacement; and new signage and pavement markings between Venture Street and Perrymont Road, including the Babcock Boulevard/Evergreen Road ramps.

Before work ends, restrictions also will include a 12-day closure of the Nelson Run Road interchange, two weekend closures at the Venture Street intersection and several overnight ramp closures for paving operations and structure repairs. The prime contractor is Lindy Paving Inc.

To keep motorists informed as the work progresses, PennDOT has created an email distribution list for McKnight Road traffic advisories and construction updates. To enroll, send your email address to nhaney@pa.gov and include “Subscribe — McKnight Road” in the subject line.

McCandless extends parks survey deadline

McCandless officials have extended the deadline for residents to complete the Parks Master Plan Questionnaire, which aims to help shape the future of the town’s parks and recreational programming.

The deadline to complete the survey is now March 31. The survey is available online at townofmccandless.org. Paper copies are available by request at Town Hall, 9955 Grubbs Road.

The master plan aims to help guide future decisions on park development, connectivity and community programming.

Store to donate 20% of purchases to Dress for Success

The Kendra Scott store at Ross Park Mall is marking International Women’s Day with a fundraiser from 2 to 4 p.m. March 8 to benefit Dress for Success Pittsburgh.

Mention at check out that you are shopping for Dress for Success Pittsburgh, and 20% of your purchase will go back to the organization.

Dress for Success Pittsburgh empowers women who are entering and returning to the workforce throughout the region by providing professional attire and programs to inspire confidence, with the goal of helping women realize their full potential and achieve financial independence.

For those unable to stop by the store, purchases can be made online using the code GIVEBACK-ITBGW from noon March 7 through noon March 9.

Tickets available for Founder’s Day event

St. Barnabas Charities will host comedian Jimmy Failla at its annual Founder’s Day Celebration on April 16 at the Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry.

Tickets, ranging from $300 to $500, are available for purchase. Proceeds support residents and patients in need who rely on the St. Barnabas Free Care Fund.

Failla will receive the 2025 St. Barnabas Hance Award. The Hance Award is named in honor of St. Barnabas founder Gouverneur Hance, who was inspired to provide medical care for poverty-stricken and chronically ill and injured men and boys in 1900.

The Hance Award is presented to a person of national acclaim who exemplifies Hance’s ideals of benevolence, patriotism and service to others. Previous Hance awardees include Elsie Hillman, Fred Rogers, President Gerald Ford, Rocky Bleier and Debbie Reynolds.

Failla, a New York City cab driver turned professional stand-up comedian, has appeared more than 500 times on various FOX television shows. His first comedy special, “State of the Union,” currently is streaming on Amazon Prime. His nationally syndicated talk radio show, “FOX Across America With Jimmy Failla,” launched in March 2020 on 27 radio stations and now can be heard on more than 150 stations across the country.

Failla also is the author of “Cancel Culture Dictionary: An A to Z Guide to Winning the War of Fun.”

The Founder’s Day Celebration will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception, auction and raffles, followed by dinner at 7:30. A VIP photo pass and book signing also is available to guests. Following the Hance Award presentation, Failla will deliver a speech.

For tickets, call 724-625-3770 or visit stbarnabashealthsystem.com/founders-day/.

AAUW to present Gateway to Equity Award

The American Association of University Women’s North Hills Pittsburgh branch will present its Gateway to Equity Award to Samantha Salopek on March 19 at La Roche University as part of its Women’s History Month Program.

The Gateway to Equity Award honors an individual, group or organization that promotes the AAUW mission of equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy or research. It celebrates International Women’s Day, which is held annually on March 8.

In 2009, following in the shoes of her parents and feeling called to serve, Salopek enlisted in the Air Force. During her military service, she began to better understand the subtle inequities women and other marginalized groups experience.

Salopek strives to create a more equitable and inclusive world through professional and volunteer efforts, including serving on the leadership team for Pittsburgh for CEDAW, a local branch of Cities for CEDAW, which recently advocated for the re-establishment of the Pittsburgh Gender Equity Commission. Pittsburgh for CEDAW works to promote gender equity policies across Allegheny County.

Salopek serves as the communications specialist at Pennsylvania Women Work, a Pittsburgh-based workforce development nonprofit focused on accessing economic and professional opportunities for job-seeking women and individuals.

The AAUW, with its nationwide network of more than 52,000 members and thousands of donors, 700 branches and nearly 450 college/university institutional partners, has been a leading advocate of equity for women and girls since 1881.

For AAUW North Hills Pittsburgh membership information, visit aauwnorthhillspgh.org.

Community help sought to tidy up rain gardens, roadsides

McCandless’ Environmental Advisory Committee is seeking the community’s help with two spring projects.

The committee needs volunteers from 9 a.m. to noon March 29 to tidy up the town’s rain gardens at 830 Aufman Lane.

The gardens, originally installed in 2010, reduce the amount of rainwater runoff into Pine Creek, preventing flooding and providing a natural space for native flora and fauna.

Over the years, invasive plants have taken up residence, and help is needed to remove them as well as provide other routine maintenance.

The EAC will provide water, snacks, gloves and simple garden tools for the project.

Participants are encouraged to bring a water bottle, insect repellant, sunscreen, labeled personal tools and their cellphone, particularly for the Plant Net app. Everyone should wear closed-toe footwear, hats and sunglasses.

The committee also seeks volunteers for its spring roadside cleanup from 8:30 a.m. to noon April 12. The rain date will be 8:30 a.m. April 26.

Anyone who would like to participate as a “litter getter” should meet at 8:30 a.m. at the Department of Public Works garage.

The day will kick off with a welcome, instructions and assignments. Trash bags, safety vests, gloves and snacks will be supplied.

To register online for either event, visit townofmccandless.org or email eac@townofmccandless.org.

Special-needs dances planned

Registration is open for upcoming special-needs dances hosted by the Recreation Alliance of North Pittsburgh.

Ages 8 and older and all abilities are welcome. Music will be at a lower volume for the first hour of each dance for those who might be more sensitive to louder volumes.

The cost is $5 per dance. Light refreshments will be provided.

• The St. Patrick’s Day dance is planned from 6 to 8 p.m. March 14 at the Pine Community Center, 100 Pine Park Drive, Pine. To volunteer, email Pete Geis at pgeis@twp.pine.pa.us.

• The Spring Fling will be from 6 to 8 p.m. April 26 at the Cranberry Township Municipal Building, 2525 Rochester Drive.

• The Summer Kick-Off dance will be from 6 to 8 p.m. May 23 at the Elias Fry Barn in Knob Hill Community Park, 415 Knob Road in Marshall.

To register, visit ranp.recdesk.com/community/program.

Pavilion rentals now open

McCandless has two pavilions available for rent: one each in Wall and Devlin parks.

Rentals for residents, which cost $75, opened March 1 online.

For nonresidents, rentals will open March 15, and the cost is $100.

The pavilions are available from April 1 through Oct. 31 and include electricity and restrooms.

To rent a pavilion, visit townofmccandless.org.

For questions, contact the parks and recreation department from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at 412-364-0616, ext. 124.

Northern Regional seeks police officers

The Northern Regional Police Department is hiring.

Officers serve Bradford Woods, Marshall, Pine and Richland in Allegheny County and Seven Fields in Butler County.

The deadline to register for the upcoming police entrance exam is March 21. The written exam and physical agility test will take place March 24 at Pine-Richland High School Stadium, 700 Warrendale Road, Pine.

The department offers 12-hour shifts with every other weekend off. Starting pay for 2025 is $73,ooo, and lateral transfer pay is $84,000 for those with three-plus years of experience.

For details and to apply, visit nrpolice.com/employment.

For questions, email Capt. Matthew Blough at mblough@nrpolice.com.

Entries welcome for student poetry contest

The Ligonier Valley Writers is accepting entries for its 34th annual student poetry contest.

Students in grades four through 12 who live in Western Pennsylvania are welcome to enter. Cash prizes are awarded in each of nine categories for first, second and third place. There are no entry fees.

Submissions must be emailed by March 11. For entry forms and rules, visit LVWonline.org.

Late Nite Catechism event to benefit Vincentian care fund

Vincentian is hosting a night of laughs with Late Nite Catechism from 6 to 9 p.m. April 11 in the auditorium of St. Vincent Hall, the former St. Louise Convent, 8200 McKnight Road, McCandless.

The interactive show is part catechism class, part stand-up routine. “Sister” will take you back to the days of Latin Mass, meatless Fridays and the crack of a ruler across your knuckles.

Doors open at 6 p.m., and the show will start at 6:30. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tickets for just the show are $7o each or $87 with the fish fry add-on.

The fish fry will be served from 4:30 to 6 p.m. downstairs in the Unconventional Kitchen Banquet Hall. The meal includes baked or breaded fish, with or without a bun; a choice of two sides: cole slaw, mac and cheese or hush puppies; a drink; and dessert.

Proceeds benefit Vincentian’s uncompensated care fund for older adults.

To purchase tickets, visit vincentian.us.

Registration under way for Senior Softball League

Registration is open for the Northern Allegheny County Senior Softball League (NACSSL).

This competitive, slow pitch league has two divisions: 50 and older for the silver division and 62 and older for the gold division.

Tryout evaluations are held March through April.

Games are played May through August primarily at the North Park Senior Ballfield Complex at the Lodge in North Park.

To sign up or for more details, visit NACSSL.com or email nacssl@yahoo.com.

Lecture to discuss role of Pittsburgh robots in moon exploration

Registration currently is open for the Heritage and Cultural Center’s first lecture of the year from 7 to 9 p.m. March 20 at the center, 830 Aufman Lane in Wexford.

“Pittsburgh to the Moon,” presented by the Moonshot Museum, will explore how Pittsburgh robots are leading the way back to the moon.

The event, part of the HCC’s Third Thursday Lecture series, is open to all ages.

This event is free, but you must have an account to register. For registration and how to make an account, visit secure.rec1.com/PA/mccandless-pa/catalog.

Donations are appreciated to help support HCC’s programming.

Seating is limited to the first 40 registrants.

Red Cross seeks volunteers in rural areas of Pa.

The American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania is in need of volunteers in rural communities.

Volunteers are needed to:

• Respond to disasters. Help families after a home fire or other disaster by providing emotional support, emergency financial assistance and information to help families begin to recover.

• Help donors at blood drives. Engage with blood donors by greeting them at blood drives, helping them to register, answering questions, providing information and assisting them at the refreshments table.

• Support community education and outreach. Attend events and activities to raise awareness around home fire safety and emergency preparedness.

In 2024, more than 3,400 volunteers supported the American Red Cross of Greater Pennsylvania. These volunteers provided care and comfort to families after more than 1,500 local disasters such as home fires and floods. In addition, volunteers supported more than 5,000 local blood drives to help ensure patients had access to lifesaving blood.

To learn more and to volunteer, visit redcross.org/GPAvolunteer.

Lyme Art Contest open to youngsters

Pennsylvania is a leading state for Lyme disease, and children are at a higher risk of being bitten.

To promote learning about tickborne diseases, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is seeking submissions from students in grades 1-6 for its 2025 Lyme Art Contest.

Students can submit a poster or video showing how to avoid exposure to ticks, how to check for them or remove them and what signs of disease to look for using information posted under Tick Diseases on the pa.gov website.

Videos should be under 30 seconds, and posters should be no larger than 11 inches by 17 inches.

Entries will be judged in one of three groups: grades 1-2, grades 3-4 and grades 5-6. Only one entry is allowed per child.

The deadline for submissions is March 14.

Entries can be emailed to radhlymecontest@pa.gov or mailed to Department of Health, Bureau of Epidemiology, c/o Lyme Poster Contest, 625 Forster St. 9th floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0701.

Finalists will be notified by email by May.

For a complete list of rules, visit https://tinyurl.com/rc935ffc.

History Center, Fort Pitt Museum offering free admission for kids

Admission to the Senator John Heinz History Center and Fort Pitt Museum will be free for children 17 and younger during Black History Month and Women’s History Month, thanks to support from community partners UPMC and UPMC Health Plan.

Throughout February and March, youngsters will get free general admission to the Smithsonian-affiliated History Center, which includes the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum, and the Fort Pitt Museum, located in historic Point State Park. Regular admission applies for all adult visitors and groups.

At the History Center, families can explore six floors of award-winning exhibitions and interactive learning spaces. Visitors can:

• Spiral down a 12-foot Liberty Tube slide in the Great Hall and design pop art, construct bridges and more in the interactive Discovery Place exhibition.

• Explore the Neighborhood of Make-Believe featuring the original set and puppets in the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood exhibition.

• Exercise their minds and bodies while climbing the UPMC SmartSteps, the world’s only history exhibition in a stairwell. Punch a stamp card on all six floors to win a free Heinz pickle pin.

• Land a space rover on the surface of the Moon inside the Apollo 11 section of “Pittsburgh: A Tradition of Innovation.”

• Throw a touchdown pass to legendary Steelers and score the winning goal for the Penguins inside the two-floor Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum.

At the Fort Pitt Museum, families can explore the history and culture of American Indian tribes who once called Western Pennsylvania home through a new exhibit titled “Homelands: Native Nations of Allegheny.”

Created in collaboration with federally recognized Delaware, Seneca, Seneca-Cayuga and Shawnee tribes, the exhibit illuminates the past, present and future of the region’s Native tribes with rare artifacts and new scholarship.

The History Center and Fort Pitt Museum are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For details, visit heinzhistorycenter.org.

Free tax help available through AARP Foundation

Beginning Feb. 1 and continuing through April 14, the AARP Foundation will provide free tax assistance and preparation in Allegheny County through its Tax-Aide program.

Tax-Aide is the nation’s largest nationwide volunteer-based free tax preparation service. In 2024, the nearly 2 million taxpayers who used its services received more than $1 billion in income tax refunds.

Volunteers are trained and certified by the IRS each year to ensure they understand the latest changes to the U.S. and Pennsylvania Tax Code. The program e-files individual Federal, Pennsylvania and local EIT income tax returns and makes sure its clients claim the tax refund, credits and deductions earned.

Income tax returns will be prepared during one visit by appointment only, generally lasting an hour to 75 minutes. Walk-ins cannot be accommodated.

Here is list of nearby sites, schedules and contact information to make an appointment:

• Shaler Undercliff Volunteer Fire Department, 700 Mt. Royal Blvd.: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through April 14; contact state Sen. Lindsey Williams’ office at 412-364-0469 (there is no Tax-Aide contact number at the fire station).

• Ross Municipal Building, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 10; contact state Sen. Lindsey Williams’ office at 412-364-0469 (there is no Tax-Aide contact number at the center).

• State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer’s office, 5500 Brooktree Road, Suite 100, Wexford: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays through April 14; contact Shaffer’s office at 412-369-2230.

• State Rep. Jeremy Shaffer’s office, 4375 Gibsonia Road, West Deer: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through April 10; contact Shaffer’s office at 412-369-2230.

More information, including an update on tax code changes affecting 2024 tax returns and documents needed for return preparation, can be found online at taxaide-pittsburgh.com.

For questions about the Allegheny County AARP Tax-Aide program, contact Stephen Cohen, Tax-Aide district coordinator, at taxaide.pittsburgh@gmail.com or 412-421-3999.

For details about the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, visit aarpfoundation.org/taxaide or call 1-888-AARPNOW (1-888-227-7669).