In brief: Plum, Oakmont area events, week of Jan. 29, 2024

Oakmont gets grant toward previously purchased EV pickup

Oakmont Councilwoman Jamie Leonardi shared that the borough recently received a $7,500 Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant through the Department of Environmental Protection.

The grant comes after the borough had purchased a 2022 Ford 150 Lightning light-duty electric truck in May.

During a push for an electric vehicle initiative, borough officials decided to use a bond to purchase the $86,000 truck in time for the installation of six electricity-dispensing ports in the Third Avenue lot at Riverside Park.

The truck is used by the parks department superintendent during daylight hours Monday through Friday to help maintain and care for the borough’s parks, trails, and playgrounds, including the 40-acre Dark Hollow Woods, Leonardi said.

“While the initial expense for the Lightning was greater than purchasing a conventional vehicle replacement, we felt that the long-term benefits were clear – emissions reduction, operational cost savings, noise reduction and enhanced public awareness of electric vehicles,” Leonardi said in the funding application.

Ladies society sets February meeting

The Plum Area Ladies Society (PALS) will hold its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 7. The 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 February Ladies Day out will be to meet at Zen’s Chinese Restaurant to celebrate Chinese New Year on Feb. 12. Sign-up will be available at the meeting.

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

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

For more information, call Mary Lou at 724-327-8265.

Plum library to host history talk

Robert O. Stakeley of the Senator John Heinz History Center will present a talk entitled “The History of Kaufmann’s Department Store: Everything Under the Sun,” at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 29 at the Plum Borough Community Library.

The presentation will include many never-before-seen images and archival materials. Individuals are invited to bring with them mementos from Kaufmann’s.

Registration is required at plumlibrary.org.

Trib Total Media scholarship applications open

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.”

Plum Republicans to host petition signing

The Plum Borough Republican Committee will host a petition signing from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1 at Shooti’s Bar and Grille, 100 Boyce Park Drive.

Republican petitions will be available for offices including president, U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania 12th Congressional District, and state attorney general, auditor general and treasurer.

Free pizza and soft drinks will be served.

For more information, call 724-787-8673 or email sdschlauch@gmail.com.

Scholarships available for 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.

TOPS meetings on tap

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.

There is a brief business meeting and sharing of the participants’ week and offering of support for one another. A program follows to educate participants on the benefits of healthy eating and exercise.

The organization’s Oakmont chapter has been meeting weekly for nearly 60 years.

Anyone interested in joining the group can attend a meeting and decide if TOPS is right for them. For more information, call 412-828-3854 or e-mail jmjkwj@gmail.com.

Winter parking reminder for Plum residents

Plum is reminding residents to refrain from parking vehicles on snow-covered streets.

Regulated by a borough ordinance, the borough says the measure helps snow removal teams work efficiently and ensures safer road conditions.

Blowing and shoveling snow onto borough streets is also prohibited.

The borough’s primary objective during the winter season is to provide for safe travel for emergency services, education and commerce during adverse weather conditions. More information on snow removal is available on the borough’s website at plumboro.com/public-works/pages/snow-removal.