Commissioners, on June 3, tabled action on bids received for the Armstrong Park trail project pending further review. All three bids opened at the meeting exceeded the estimated $85,000 cost of the project, with the lowest bid exceeding it by almost $15,000.

Engineer Glenn Jonnet said a state grant will provide $68,000 for the project to construct a one-mile walking trail and install lighting, with the township to fund the remaining $17,000.

Officials could accept the low bid and cover the extra cost or they could reject the bids and re-bid the project. Some action is expected next month.

• More than 100 families living on Donaldson Road and Sussex Avenue will be mailed surveys as part of a grant application process necessary to obtain funding for relining 1,000 feet of sanitary sewer line.

"We need the residents' responses to get the grant," secretary Mary McGinley said.

The survey seeks to determine income levels and number of family members. The township hopes to obtain a county Community Development Block Grant that would fund 65 percent of the estimated $70,000 cost with the township paying the difference.

• In response to complaints raised by several residents at the meeting about noisy neighbors and other nuisance situations, police Chief Terry O'Brien promised his department would make a concerted effort to investigate these matters.

He added that residents making complaints must be willing to appear and testify at a magistrate's hearing if citations are issued.

• Township officials are expected to approve hiring a new part-time police officer next month, pending the candidate's successful completion of physical and psychological tests. The officer will fill a vacancy created by a recent resignation.

The department has five full-time and two part-time officers.

Think you can sing? If so, consider heading out to next week's St. Thomas More Parish festival, which will feature a nightly "Do You Want to Be a Wedding Singer?" competition.

The second annual MoreFest will be from 6 to 11 p.m. June 18 through June 21 on the parish grounds, 126 Fort Couch Road, Bethel Park, with a traditional ethnic wedding reception theme each evening.

On each of the first three days, from 7 to 8 p.m., 10 local singers will take to the stage--a la American Idol--to sing a song or two for the crowd. The audience will vote, not with Idol-like text messages, but with money. The singer raising the most money-votes in his or her respective jar each night will compete in the Grand Finale on Saturday. The grand prize winner will take half of his or her respective cash pot; the remaining funds will go to the church.

Saturday night will also feature a junior competition for children younger than 16.

The festival includes food, ethnic entertainment, games and carnival rides for all ages. The midway this year will also include a special kiddie land.

For more, call 412-833-0031.

The 16th annual "Carrick Goes Gardening" contest, sponsored by Carrick Community Council and the Carrick Business Association, is under way.

The entry deadline is June 28. Entry forms are available at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Carrick branch; Hess Floral Shop, 2601 Brownsville Road; and the office of state Rep. Harry Readshaw, 1917 Brownsville Road. Forms also can be obtained by sending e-mail to mwoshner1@verizon.net or by calling 412-884-3834.

The contest will recognize the gardening efforts of residents, churches and businesses. Any hillside, patio or porch is a potential garden site. A judge will visit each garden between July 5-20. Gardeners do not have to be present.

Awards will be presented Sept. 10 during a Carrick Community Council meeting at Concord School, 2350 Brownsville Road.

For more information, call 412-884-9299.

At a meeting Monday, Mayor Donald Baumgarten honored four students for winning an essay contest through the DARE program. Receiving recognition were fifth graders Nole Markel, Brittany Bolla, Anna Neville and Brittany Fabbio.

• The mayor also recognized Chadd Shaffer with an award for community service. Chadd is a student at Keystone Oaks high school and has dedicated over 450 hours of service to the community.

• Recognized for efforts on Public Safety Day were Sgt. David Lane, Brian Brannon and Dan Collins.

• Residents complained about uncut grass in the borough. Council expressed its intent to continue to enforce zoning ordinances on the issue.

• Councilwoman Jean O'Malley said renovations to the public library were complete, with a new teen section.

• Council voted to approve the acquisition of a second K9 officer for police. The town has maintained two K9s until the retirement of Zato last year. The dogs are used to search narcotics, weapons and for officer safety.

Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.'s office donated $4,000.00 for the training of the new K9.

Dog handler will be officer James Fleckenstein.

• Chief Lane raised concerns that utility companies cutting into the streets in the borough are not repaving streets curb-to-curb as required by code. Borough manager Tom Hartswick will investigate.

Council will need to make some adjustments in the 2008 budget to pay a $37,500 fine to the Pleasant Hills Sewer Authority.

The fine was assessed when the borough failed to execute a contract for the disconnection of existing properties from sewer lines during the period February 2006 through December 2007.

These properties are slated to be re-connected to sewage lines that flow to the Clairton Treatment Plant.

Several council members noted that they felt blindsided by the fine which occurred under the watch of a previous council.

After the public meeting, council met privately to determine the reason for the delay.

A "Lady's Day Out" at the SouthSide Works on Saturday will benefit Hekima Place, a Kenyan boarding school for girls orphaned by AIDS and other poverty-related issues in Africa and founded by former Mt. Lebanon resident Kate Fletcher.

Tickets for the day will cost $35 and will include lunch at Tusca Restaurant, (with one cocktail included) and then your choice of any movie playing at the SouthSide Works Cinema between 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Participants also will have the chance to win prizes and bid on silent auction items and will receive shopping discounts to some of the stores at the site. For tickets, call 412-481-1880.

Mrs. Fletcher is currently on her annual summer fundraising trip to the Pittsburgh area to raise money for her mission that houses about 50 girls. She will be speaking at all Masses on Sunday at St. Louise De Marillac church in Upper St. Clair.

• Commissioners voted, 5-0, Monday night to approve Seton-LaSalle's plans to improve athletic facilities at the high school along McNeilly Road.

The property is zoned R-2, Single-family Residential District but the vote grants Seton-LaSalle a conditional use of the property. The board also approved a land development plan that would include a new artificial turf field, field lighting, bleachers, a scoreboard, utility shed and field house with concession stand.

• The board granted final approval for a KinderCare Learning Center to be build at 1610 Highland Road, behind the Chick-Fil-A restaurant on Route 19. An existing single-family home will be demolished to make way for the 10,000-square foot center.

• The board also debated the merits of broadcasting its meetings. It was decided municipal manager Steve Feller would study the costs, but any decision was put off to a future date.

Get your spoons and bibs ready: Strawberry season is here!

Trax Farms, on Route 88 in Union, Washington County, will hold its 2008 Strawberry Festival from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Both days are filled with treats as well as activities for the kids, such as pony rides, a petting zoo, Rainbow Express train ride and more.

The farm also offers other events; for more information, call 412-835-3246 or visit www.triplebfarms.com.

Softball, entertainment, children's activities and a dunk tank will be among the activities during the annual spring fling tomorrow through Sunday at the North Strabane Municipal Park on Route 519.

The free event will begin at 6 p.m. tomorrow with a charity softball game to benefit the Women's Shelter. Local softball players, committee members and township staff will play the staff of ARC Human Services. Cell phones, non-perishable food items and monetary donations will be accepted.

The opening ceremony at 11:30 a.m. Saturday will feature the presentation of community awards and recognitions followed by performances by The Girls (noon to 4), Billy Price (6:16-7:45), and Glen Pavone & the Cyclones (8:15 to close). On Sunday, the Chris Higbee Project will be at 2 p.m.

For children, there will be a kids corner and teen mania area open from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 Sunday. Wristbands will cost $5. Also, there will be an inflatable amusements for children, face painting, crafts, a clown with balloon art and tattoos, a scavenger hunt, petting zoo, train, games and a fishing hole.

There will be a Father's Day raffle for a $100 home improvement gift card, an essay and drawing contest with winners announced at 11:45 a.m. Saturday, children fun run at 4:30 p.m. Saturday (cost $5), recognition of Canon Mac Youth soccer players at 6 p.m. Saturday, local dancers and disc golf demonstrations.

Also, the event will feature a dunk tank, home and garden attractions, a good court, information booth by police and safety services, wing-eating contest, mascots, radio stations and Life Flight.

A fireworks show will be presented at dusk Saturday.

Although the district's revised preliminary 2008-09 budget of $59.2 million could result in a one mill decrease in the present 24.61 tax rate, a budget review committee asked school directors last week to retain the present rate.

Paul Hayhurst, one of the five members of the citizen-based committee, said the committee "strongly recommends the school district retain the millage rate, as we believe 2008-09 will be a time of operational and educational change as Dr. [Lawrence] Korchnak implements his vision for the district."

In the report, the committee cited concerns about the rising cost of fuel and food, the expiration of the current teachers' agreement next June, the resolution of employee health care contribution and retirement funding issues, the need for better cost-benefit analysis in approving projects and the possibility a millage decrease could adversely affect state funding.

"In these uncertain times, the long-term financial stability of the district needs to be ensured before short-term millage decreases are enacted, otherwise even larger millage increases in the near future are a distinct possibility," Mr. Hayhurst said.

Directors are expected to vote on the proposed budget at the June 18 meeting.

• The board directed the superintendent to conduct a districtwide transportation survey in an effort to reduce the district's $6 million transportation budget. The survey, to be sent in letter or by e-mail, will determine how many students drive or are driven to school so bus routes can be reduced or eliminated.

• The district is considering adoption of an online payment program for cafeteria operations. Superintendent Korchnak said parents could more easily maintain and review their child's accounts.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers Footballers basketball team emerged victorious in a game against the faculty and staff of the Baldwin-Whitehall Fighting Highlanders on May 17 in the Baldwin High School gym.

Faculty and staff from all district schools and the administration were represented in the game. The game was hosted by Paynter Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, with all district Parent Teacher Student Associations participating.

The district is still testing its ALERTNOW notification service to keep parents informed in case of breaking news.

Alerts for weather situations and other urgent situations can be handled through the system, which, for now, can notify families via automated telephone calls. Email alerts will be tested in the fall. ALERTNOW is capable of making 12,000 phone calls a minute.

The Mt. Lebanon Foundation for Education Board of Directors awarded $13,500 for seven new teacher educational program requests in Mt. Lebanon School District, and doubled the funding extended for two previously announced Winter Grants.

For the 2007-08 school year, the Foundation has provided nearly $27,000 in funding for 14 educational programs and invested another $5,000 in its endowment. The majority of grants are funded through the Pennsylvania Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, where a business may offset its corporate tax dollars when it makes a financial commitment to a qualified educational improvement organization.

EITC Program projects awarded funds for 2007-08 include: Japanese Festival, at Mt. Lebanon High School; Logic Games at Jefferson Middle School, scientific data collection handheld devices, high school; and expansion of both foreign language distance learning and chamber music instruction at the high school. Four non-EITC projects, supported through the Foundation's general funds, are teacher training on the TI-Nspire graphing calculators at the high school; Cool Down Room at Washington Elementary School, Guitar Ensemble at Mellon Middle School and reading support materials for parents, at Markham Elementary.

For a complete list of grants, visit www.mlfe.org.

The district is one of six winners of Speaker of the House Dennis M. O'Brien's 2008 Golden Apple Awards for Education Innovation.

McKeesport won the award based on parental involvement. The program is designed to highlight and recognize unique and ground-breaking education programs in Pennsylvania's public schools.

Local lawmakers, parents, students and school administrators took part in an award ceremony with the other recipients from across the state Monday at the state Capitol.

For more, visit www.goldenappleawards.com.

Residents are invited to attend two June 17 meetings involving middle school renovation.

At 5:30 p.m., interviews for construction management services will be conducted at the high school nutrition center.

At 7:30, a special school board meeting will involve discussion of construction management service proposals. Architect Dave McLean will give a presentation regarding the middle school educational specifications committee report and project status.