Towns

Brookline

Volunteers are needed to pick up litter from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to mark the third annual Brookline Earth Day Clean-up.

Those interested should contact Keith Knecht at 412-391-6036 or 412-561-4482.

Volunteers will meet at the United Presbyterian Church, 1036 Brookline Blvd.

Castle Shannon

The Volunteer Fire Department has received a federal grant of more than $68,000 as part of the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program.

U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy presented the check to Fire Chief Bill Reffner and firefighters during a weekly Bingo Night at the fire hall last week.

The money will be used to buy gear, including coats, boots and helmets, to make the department compliant with new regulations.

The grant also will be used to replace air bottles for firefighters' self-contained breathing apparatus and to buy four computers.

There are 40 active members in the department who respond to about 360 calls each year. They are responsible for calls in both Castle Shannon and Baldwin Township.

A grant of more than $110,000 was delivered by Mr. Murphy last week to Kirwin Heights in Collier for volunteer firefighters there.

The 35 volunteers that make up that department respond to more than 850 calls a year for an area of seven square miles where more than 30,000 people live.

Mt. Lebanon

The municipality will celebrate Arbor Day on April 27 with a noon ceremony at the parking lot on Beadling Road, across from Markham Elementary School.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has honored the town with a Tree City USA designation.

Mt. Lebanon's Department of Forestry will present the award to the town at the ceremony.

It's the first year Mt. Lebanon has received the honorary title.

Upper St. Clair

The fourth annual Community Band Festival will be held from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on May 6 in Upper St. Clair High School Theatre.

The festival is a showcase for local musicians and performances touch a variety of musical tastes.

Performing will be Community Band South, East Winds Symphonic Band, the North Suburban Symphonic Band, the Somerset County Community Band and the West Hills Symphonic Band.

Admission is free. For more call 724-327-4874 or visit www.ewsb.org/festival.

Schools

Mt. Lebanon

By an 8-0 vote, the school board approved a proposed final budget Monday night that will retain the current tax rate.

The $70,890,733 budget will hold taxes at the current rate, 23.56 mills.

Finance Director Janice Klein said a public forum on the budget will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the high school library.

Final adoption of the budget is scheduled for May 21.