In brief: Penn Hills and Verona area happenings, week of Jan. 29, 2024

PALS lines up several events for February

The Plum Area Ladies Society (PALS) will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7.

The guest speaker will be a representative from Jeremiah’s Place, which provides child care for low-income families. The service project will be to donate money, laundry supplies (free and clear laundry detergent), dryer sheets and cleaning supplies such as disinfectant sprays and wipes for the child care center.

A second service project will be to host a Valentine ice cream social for residents of Concordia Ridgewood and distribute homemade valentines to them on Feb. 10.

The organization’s Ladies Day Out will meet Feb. 12 at Zen’s Chinese Restaurant to celebrate Chinese New Year. Signups will be available at the meeting.

PALS will have its annual banquet from 2 to 5 p.m. May 4 at Pugliano’s. The theme will be Kentucky Derby, and the cost is $30. Payment can be made at the meeting.

PALS, a service and social club, is open to women from Plum, Penn Hills, Monroeville and the surrounding communities. Newcomers are welcome at the monthly meetings, which are held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of each month, September through April, at the Plum Community Center.

For details, call Mary Lou at 724-327-8265.

Ash Wednesday service planned

Mt. Hope Community Presbyterian Church, 12106 Frankstown Road, is inviting its Penn Hills friends and neighbors to attend the annual Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m. Feb. 14.

Ashes will be distributed and Holy Communion will be celebrated.

The church also is hosting Lenten Luncheons each Sunday during Lent following the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Soup will be served.

All are welcome to join the Sunday services and luncheons each week.

Psychic fair set at Penn Hills hotel

The 3 Rivers Psychic Fair, featuring more than 55 vendors, will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Comfort Inn, 699 Rodi Road.

The fair takes place four times a year throughout the Pittsburgh region. It offers psychic, intuitive and medium readings, as well as reiki and energy healers and holistic products.

Workshops will tackle a variety of topics, including manifesting, authenticity and telepathy.

The mission of the fair is to connect, heal and educate and to help people expand their minds, learn about their bodies and kindle their inner flames. Admission is $5. There will be a 50-50.

For details, visit www.3riverspf.com. To view a lineup of readers and vendors, visit www.facebook.com/3Rivers PsychicFair.

Scholarship applications sought

Trib Total Media’s Scholarship for Diversity in Media, created in 2020, is open to minorities as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Program.

Eligible applicants must be current high school seniors planning to attend an accredited four-year college or university with a major in journalism, English writing or communications.

Scholarship recipients each will receive up to $30,000 in scholarship funds awarded in annual installments of up to $7,500. The recipient also will receive a summer internship at Trib Total Media and, upon graduation, an offer for full-time employment.

The students will be required to remain in the approved course of study through graduation and complete summer internships with Trib Total Media each year of the program.

Interested applicants can apply at tribtotalmedia.com. The deadline to apply is Feb. 14.

“When you’re graduating college, you don’t know the kind of company you might be accepting a position with and what the job will look like,” said Trib Total Media President and CEO Jennifer Bertetto. “Here you get a very realistic job preview so there are no surprises.”

Rotary scholarships available to high school seniors

Applications are being sought for the Bob Williams Rotary Memorial Scholarship Program for the 2023-24 academic year.

Eight need-based scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded.

High school seniors in Allegheny County are eligible to apply, as are vocational students, GED students and those attending parochial, charter and private schools.

Students must have a 2.5 or higher grade-point average and must complete an essay highlighting their community/school service.

Complete application and criteria materials are available on the Rotary District 7305 website or from area high school counselors.

Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 29.

Registration open for softball

Registration is underway for the Penn Hills Girls Softball Association’s spring season through March 15. Those who register by Jan. 31 receive a 20% discount.

Five teams are forming: 8 and under (coach pitch), $85; 10 and under, 12 and under, 15 and under, and 18 and under, each $125. All ages are as of Sept. 1, 2023.

The 8-and-under team includes the option of a refundable concession fee of $30 for family members who help out at the concession stand; all other teams include the option of a $40 refundable concession fee.

Registration includes a full uniform. Open gym practices begin in February. Games for the spring season start at the end of April.

For new players, a copy of a birth certificate is required and can be emailed to phgsapghpa@gmail.com. Early bird registration is being accepted through Jan. 31. To receive the 20% discount, use EARLYBIRD when registering online at http://phsoftball.com.

Tickets available for purse bash

The Penn Hills Girls Softball Association is organizing a purse bash from noon to 3 p.m. March 16 at Penn Hills Fire Hall No. 7, 125 Universal Road.

Tickets, which are $50 in advance or $60 at the door, include admission to the event, food, wine, beer, nonalcoholic beverages and multiple chances to win designer handbags. Participants must be 21 or older to attend.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m., and the first raffle starts at noon. Winners will be drawn every 15 minutes. Ticket-holders do not need to be present to win.

Additional raffles will be available, including ones for “pick of the table,” 50-50, auction baskets, a mystery bundle and lottery tree.

Space is limited to 250 people, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. A limited number of reserved tables for up to eight guests is available for an additional $50.

For details or to purchase a ticket or reserve a table, call Marquitta Gray at 412-877-2301, Robin Brown at 412-443-5600 and Tiera Hempfiled at 412-225-9218.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly meets Tuesday evenings

The Oakmont TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) chapter, a support group to help those struggling with weight loss, meets Tuesday evenings at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1261 Pennsylvania Ave. in Oakmont. Meetings begin with a private weigh-in between 5:45 and 6:10 p.m.

Anyone interested in joining can attend a meeting and decide if TOPS is right for them. For details, call 412-828-3854 or email jmjkwj@gmail.com.