Monroeville area happenings, week of Feb. 27, 2023

First responder expo

Monroeville Convention Center will host the annual Monroeville Fire & EMS Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 4 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 5 at 209 Mall Blvd.

The expo is an opportunity for local departments and related equipment and services vendors to showcase their wares and network.

Admission is $6 each day. Children ages 10 and younger get in free.

Sponsors include Glick Fire Equipment, Kaza Fire Equipment, Keystone Fire Apparatus and Precision Fire Apparatus.

Other scheduled participants include Monroeville Fire Departments, Metro Fire Department Rehab Unit, Mobile Health Services, PA Association of Hazardous Materials Technicians, PA State Animal Response Team, Steel City Scuba and Subzero Ice Cream.

Visit monroevillefireandems show.com for more information.

Learn to eat healthfully

Monroeville Public Library will host Suzanne Mitchell of Forbes Hospital’s Healthy Food Center for a healthy eating seminar from 2-3 p.m. March 3 at 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd.

Mitchell will focus on the importance of nutrition and how to eat right on a budget.

The library also will host a teen afterschool program from 2:30-6 p.m. March 6, with video games, a virtual reality console, movies, music, art, free snacks and more. The program is open to students in seventh through 12th grades.

Storytime at the library is scheduled for 10:30-11:30 a.m. March 7. The program is geared for children ages 5 and younger with their parent/caregiver. The goal is to promote early literacy through stories, songs, rhymes and creative activities.

Library programs are free, and no registration is required. More information about library events is available at www.monroevillelibrary.org or by calling 412-372-0500.

Ballet company presents ‘Facets’

Bodiography Contemporary Ballet Company will present “Facets” at 7 p.m. March 3 and 4 and 2 p.m. March 5 at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty.

The program of contemporary dance features a collection of former Monroeville resident Maria Caruso’s most acclaimed ballets, in addition to a premiere work by principal company artist Isaac Ray, and is under the artistic direction of Lauren Suflita Skrabalak. Bodiography artists will highlight Caruso’s 2013 requiem, “Lux Aeterna”; 2016 pointe work, “Parabola”; and 2022 creation of Italy’s ARB Dance Company, “Beyond Boundaries.”

Tickets are $20. For more information, visit www.kelly- strayhorn.org/events/bodio graphys-facets.

International Women meet

The Rejoice Ensemble, led by Nancy Xlao, will be the featured guests at the March 3 meeting of the International Women group. It will be at 9 a.m. at Cross Roads Presbyterian Church, 2310 Haymaker Road in Monroeville.

The ensemble performs using traditional Chinese musical instruments. All women in the community are invited to join, whether foreign- or American-born.

For more information, email margaretjdavies@gmail.com.

Library presents ‘How to Make Beer’

Monroeville Public Library will offer an evening of casual conversation discussing the basics of beer and homebrewing from 6 to 8:30 on March 10.

Conversation will cover equipment and ingredients, keeping a clean space, temperature, time, fermentation and what to expect when you’re expecting beer. Homebrewing questions will be collected in advance from registered participants to be discussed during the event.

Host Jim Wise, who has over 25 years of experience brewing beer, will be leading the discussion. Preregister at www.monroevillelibrary.org.

Submit entries for Teen Film Festival

Monroeville Public Library announces its first-ever Teen Film Festival. Submissions are open to anyone in the Pittsburgh area in seventh through 12th grades. Students can submit either a three- to five-page script or a three- to five-minute movie.

Benny Kuster, the teen librarian, is available to answer questions and provide resources on how to get started. Prizes will be awarded to each category based on votes from judges from the local filmmaking community.

The deadline to submit is March 17. A festival showcasing all entries will take place at 1 p.m. March 25, and will be free and open to the public.

Contact Kuster at 412-372-0500, ext. 117, or kusterb@monroevillelibrary.org for more information.

Senior driver courses offered

Seniors For Safe Driving is offering senior citizen driver improvement courses to help motorists understand how aging affects driving abilities and prove insight about navigating today’s roads.

The PennDOT-approved courses are designed for drivers age 55 and older, and include no testing or behind-the-wheel driving. As mandated by Pennsylvania law, those who complete the courses receive a multi-year discount on auto insurance.

Upcoming courses include:

• Penn Hills Senior Center, 147 Jefferson Road, 12: 30 to 4:30 p.m. March 14.

• Forbes Hospital Learning Room #1, 2570 Haymaker Road, Monroeville, 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 24.

To register for a class, call 1-800-559-4880 or 724-283-0245, or visit www.seniorsfor safedriving.com.

Gateway kindergarten registration open

Kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year is open for Gateway School District children.

If your child is 5 or will be turning 5 before Sept. 1, 2023 visit www.gatewayk12.org/ resources/parent-resources/registration for more information or call Cindy at 412-373-5705.

Upcoming dates:

• April 27 — Kindergarten Fun Nights will be held at 6 p.m. at Cleveland Steward, Evergreen, Ramsey and University Park elementary schools. Students must be enrolled to attend.

• May 18-19 and 22-23— pre-arranged kindergarten screenings at neighborhood elementary schools from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., by appointment only.