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AROUND WESTMORELAND COUNTY
Taste of Westmoreland next week
The 21st Annual Taste of Westmoreland, sponsored by Congregation Emanu-El Israel, is set for 6 p.m. March 16 in Chambers Hall at the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg campus.
More than 1,000 are expected to taste specialties from some 20 restaurants and caterers of Westmoreland County.
The event will include door prizes, an auction and raffles. Anyone bringing canned or nonperishables for the Westmoreland County Food Bank will receive a free ticket for the auction.
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door and $10 for age 12 and younger. Tickets can be bought at the congregation's office at 222 N. Main St., Greensburg, or at local businesses.
For a list of those businesses and other details: www.tasteofwestmoreland.com or 724-834-0560.
CHURCHILL
Curbside recycling to begin April 1
Churchill officials have launched a website to help prepare residents for a curbside recycling program slated to begin April 1.
The borough also has planned two seminars dubbed "Trash Talk" to educate residents about the automated single-stream recycling.
Residents will not have to sort their recyclables - paper, glass, plastic and cardboard can all be tossed into one wheeled blue bin.
The website - churchillrecycles.org - has information about the bin, the benefits of recycling, fees associated with the program, a recycling calendar and a street list.
The seminars are scheduled from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday and from 3 to 4:30 p.m. March 17. Both will be held in the Yagle Room of the borough building, 2300 William Penn Highway.
EAST ALLEGHENY SCHOOLS
Plans for Castle discussed
John Graf, owner of The Priory, a historic hotel and banquet facility on the North Side, hopes to buy the former Westinghouse Castle building in Wilmerding and transform it into a hotel, banquet hall and restaurant, superintendent Roger D'Emidio and director Roxanne Eichler said Monday at the school board workshop.
Mrs. Eichler said Mr. Graf provided materials to the board and administrators about his plans and met with the superintendent, district business manager Toni Valicenti and Mrs. Eichler, who is president of the East Allegheny Business Association.
"The board is so delighted there are interested persons who will bring quality commercial uses like a banquet hall and hotel to Wilmerding and the school district and revitalize the area," Mrs. Eichler said.
• The board Monday discussed a proposed $2.75 million contract with Constellation New Energy of Pittsburgh, which district administrators have recommended the board approve for work at district schools.
The contract is for Constellation to install lighting and plumbing fixtures to conserve water and electricity, including energy-efficient lights; water-conserving toilets, urinals and faucet aerators; new air conditioning and heating control systems; and insulation for hot water pipes. The company also would upgrade 72 high school unit ventilators to have direct digital controls.
In addition, it would replace the water heaters for the high school physical education rooms and install a condensing heater and pool heat exchanger to warm the high school pool; a semi-automated pool cover; two unit heaters; and other equipment for the high school natatorium. It also would upgrade boiler and ventilator trap fittings at Green Valley Primary School.
The board is scheduled to vote on the contract and a related PNC Bank financing measure Monday.
• Directors also are considering video camera upgrades that would allow a security guard to view all district buildings from one desk.
They discussed two proposals from ASCC of Cranberry to improve security. The company proposed moving existing analog cameras to eliminate blind spots under them and installing 18 interior and seven exterior Internet protocol, or IP, cameras at Logan Middle School for $41,139.
ASCC also proposed installing new intercom systems at the high school and Green Valley Primary School and panic buttons at all three district schools for $52,500.
Ms. Valicenti said the board is expected to vote on these proposals in April or May.
MURRYSVILLE
Town gets grant for recycling
Murrysville has been awarded a $77,476 grant to support its automated curbside recycling program.
Cherie Weber, the municipality's executive assistant and designated recycling coordinator, said the money will be used to buy a corrugated cardboard compactor to be used by residents and small local businesses.
Educational outreach and a supply of wheeled carts for the curbside program also will be funded by the grant.
"The automated program consists of the residents placing wheeled recycling carts at curbside and having a specially designed truck with an 'arm' clamp down over the cart and flip it over into the truck," Ms. Weber said. "All recycling is single-stream, which means everything goes directly into the wheeled cart ... no separating."
Since the program's inception in October 2012, recycling tonnage in Murrysville has increased by 60 percent.
An additional grant of $17,322 was awarded to the municipality as part of the Act 101 Recycling Performance Grant for 2010. For the year, 2,158 tons of residential and commercial materials were recycled by the community.
NORWIN SCHOOLS
Freshman class to hold fundraiser
The Norwin High School freshman class will host "A Knight Of Comedy" at 8 p.m. Friday in the high school cafeteria. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
The program - featuring magician Doc Dixon, comedian Matt Wohlfarth and master of ceremonies David Kaye - will generate funds to help pay for freshman events and to be used by the Norwin Class of 2016 throughout high school.
For more information: Tim Lloyd at tlloyd@norwinsd.org.
SHADYSIDE
Orchid show blooms next weekend
The Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania will hold its annual free orchid show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 23 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 24 at the Phipps Garden Center, 1059 Shady Ave.
The theme is "An Orchid Obsession," and visitors will see hundreds of orchids in full bloom.
The show includes exhibits, educational seminars, plant raffles and sales.
Details: www.oswp.org.
First Published March 7, 2013 7:52 am
