Shaler seeking police officer candidates

Shaler is now hiring police officers.

Applications are due by March 25. Physical agility tests will be held at 9 a.m. March 28 or March 30 at Shaler Area Titan Stadium. Those who pass the test will then take a written examination at the township building.

Candidates must be at least 21 years of age by the application deadline, U.S. citizens and meet all state and federal police officer requirements. A valid Pennsylvania driver’s license is required at the time of application and must be maintained while employed.

A high school diploma or equivalent degree is required, along with 60 college credits from an accredited school, or two years of full-time police experience within the past five years or four years of honorable service in the U.S. armed forces.

Starting salary is $75,242, and the top patrol salary is $105,975. A $22 hourly cadet rate, with health care, is paid while attending the police academy.

Application forms and more information are available online at policeapp.com. For details, call 412-486-9700.

Shaler to trial run multipurpose sports court at Vienna Woods parklet

Shaler will use the Vienna Woods parklet on Danube Drive to test interest in a multiuse sports facility.

At their Feb. 10 meeting, commissioners approved paying Pioneer Paving and Athleta Sports Courts $33,195 for work at the parklet, which will include resurfacing of the basketball court and walkway to the parklet and application of a multi-sport court including basketball, four square and hopscotch.

The work is expected to be done in the spring, but it must cure for 45 days before the court surface can be applied, township Manager Judy Kording said.

Kording said this is the first township park to receive the multisport court surface, a recommendation from the township’s parks and recreation plan. The township will assess its use and may elect to use it in other parks.

Shaler Area agrees to property tax hike limit

The Shaler Area School District will limit any property tax increase for the 2026-27 school year to its state-mandated inflation limit.

The school board voted 8-0 at its Jan. 21 meeting to not raise taxes by more than the district’s Act 1 index, which is 4.2%. Board member Robert Cessar was absent.

Shaler Area’s limit is higher than the statewide base of 3.5%.

The district’s $102.2 million 2025-26 school year budget carried no tax increase, after a maximum 4.9% increase had been proposed. That required balancing it with about $2.6 million from the district’s reserves, and scaling back building projects at the district’s middle school.

Lions Club plans spring dance

The Elfinwild Lions Club is hosting a Spring Oldies Dance for adults from 7:30 to 11 p.m. March 21 in St. Ursula Church’s hall, 3945 Kirk Ave., Hampton.

The cost is $25 per person and includes a light buffet, beer, pop and water.

The event is BYOB.

To purchase tickets, call 412-487-1888 or stop by the Shaler North Hills Library.

Join Reserve manager for coffee

Reserve’s coffee and doughnuts meet-up with Manager Jan Kowalski is back for 2026.

An announcement about each session will be posted online the week the meeting. All sessions begin at 9 a.m. in the Reserve Fire Department’s Mt. Troy Ballroom, 33 Lonsdale St.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Here is a list of upcoming meetings and their special guests: Feb. 27, featuring Bryan O’Black, superintendent of Shaler Area School District; March 27, featuring on-site assistance with filing your property tax/rent rebate of up to $1,000 from 2025; and May 1, featuring state Sen. Wayne D. Fontana, D-Brookline.

Additional meetings throughout the year will take place on May 29, June 26, July 31, Aug. 28, Oct. 2 and Oct. 30. Check the township’s website and social media closer to these dates for the special topics and guests.

Comfort food on menu for next free Community Meal

This winter, everyone is welcome to warm up with comfort food and fellowship at a free Community Meal from 5 to 7 p.m. March 2 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 1719 Mt. Royal Blvd., in Shaler.

The menu will include baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, a vegetable, rolls and desserts.

Free meals are served on the first Monday of each month at the church.

The next one after March will be from 5 to 7 p.m. April 6.

For details, visit www.belc.org or call the church office at 412-486-0550.

Mark your calendars for garden club’s 72nd plant sale

The Shaler Garden Club is hosting its 72nd annual plant s from 9 a.m. to noon May 2 in Kiwanis Park, 300 Wetzel Road.

A large selection of native plants and hardy perennials will be available at bargain prices, along with herbs, vegetables, houseplants, bulbs, hanging baskets and pretty potted arrangements perfect for Mother’s Day gifts.

A basket raffle and bake sale will add to the festivities. Cash or credit cards will be accepted. The event will take place rain or shine.

All proceeds benefit the community projects and philanthropic donations of the Shaler Garden Club.

For details, visit shalergardenclub.com.

Garden club to explore hibernation

“Nature’s Early Risers” will be the topic of Longvue Acres Garden Club’s program on Feb. 24.

Allegheny Land Trust’s education associate, Sara Klingensmith, will explain why some animals wake up from hibernation earlier than others and what the benefits are to nature’s lightest sleepers.

The program will begin at 7:45 p.m. in Northmont United Presbyterian Church, 8169 Perry Highway, McCandless.

Programs take place on the fourth Tuesday of each month and are free and open to the public.

For details, email longvueacresgardenclub1950@gmail.com.

Workshop to address ending hunger

The annual Southwest Pennsylvania Bread for the World Team is hosting its 2026 Hunger Advocacy Workshop, “Rising to the Challenge,” from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 at the Kearns Spirituality Center, 9000 Babcock Blvd., McCandless.

Hosted by the Sisters of Divine Providence, the workshop is free to attend and open to representatives from area churches.

With food insecurity on the rise and federal and global nutrition programs at risk, attendees will learn how Christians can rise to the challenge of ending hunger in their neighborhoods, across the commonwealth, in our country and around the world.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding will discuss the impact of HR 1 (“the Big, Beautiful Bill”) on hunger in the state. The Rev. Heather Taylor, managing director of Bread for the World, will share the organization’s strategies for advocacy and key legislative priorities.

A panel of local experts will explore the shape of hunger in our own neighborhoods, with presentations by Lisa Scales, president and CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank; Ann Sanders, director of Public Benefits Policy & Programs at Just Harvest; and Dawn Plummer, director of the Pennsylvania Food Policy Council.

Registration starts at 9 a.m., and the workshop will conclude at 1 p.m. with an optional free lunch to follow.

To register, visit bit.ly/bread2026.

La Roche’s Literary Society offers free talk with author

The La Roche University Literary Society invites the community a free presentation at 7 p.m. in the Ryan Room of the Zappala Campus Center on La Roche’s campus, 9000 Babcock Blvd., McCandless.

On March 27, writer and poet Bethany Jarmul will present “A Literary Life: Cultivating Curiosity Amidst the Chaos,” a reflective exploration of why literature and curiosity matter in a world full of noise and distraction.

Drawing on her experiences as an Appalachian author whose writing has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, Jarmul’s talk will invite audiences to consider how reading, writing and creative inquiry can sustain meaning and insight amid life’s uncertainties. In her acclaimed work — including the poetry collection “Lightning Is a Mother” — she blends lyrical observation with thoughtful engagement on identity, place and the transformative power of literary imagination.

The Literary Society, initiated at La Roche in the early 1980s, serves as a forum for scholarship and discussion on literature and related issues. Its presentations continue the Society’s tradition of offering opportunities for dialogue, learning and inspiration.

For details, contact Sister Rita Yeasted at 412-536-1216 or rita.yeasted@laroche.edu.

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