WHAT’ S NEWS IN SHALER AREA
PYCO SUMMER CAMPS 2025
The Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra( PYCO) invites young musicians to spend their summer making music, learning new skills and forming friendships at one of three summer camps:
• Band & Symphony Orchestra Camp( June 16-20, ages 10-14): For string, woodwind, brass and percussion students.
• Jazz Camp( July 14-18, ages 13-18): Open to all band instruments, piano, guitar, bass and drums.
• Chamber Music Camp( July 21-25, ages 13 and up): For strings, woodwind, brass, harp and piano students.
All camps meet daily from 9 a. m. to 2 p. m. at the PYCO School of Music in Wexford and conclude with a student concert.
Don’ t miss out on these fun, rewarding programs! For more information and to register, visit pyco. org or contact info @ pyco. org.
CELEBRATE WITH THE SHALER GARDEN CLUB THIS SUMMER
The Shaler Garden Club invites you to participate in two exciting programs this summer!
First, enjoy a day of inspiration at the 17th Annual Great Gardens Tour on Sunday, July 13, from 11 a. m. to 4 p. m. Explore five beautiful gardens while supporting the Shaler North Hills Library. Tickets are $ 20 in advance or $ 25 the day of the tour, available at the library or online.
Gardeners can also show off their green thumbs by entering the Shaler Great Local Gardens Contest. Submit five photos and a description of your garden to the library by July 1 for a chance to win and possibly be featured in a future tour!
Winners will be announced at the Shaler Garden Club meeting on July 22.
For more information, visit shalergardenclub. com or shalerlibrary. org.
VENKAT ANNOUNCES STATE GRANTS FOR LOCAL FIRE & EMS COMPANIES
State Rep. Arvind Venkat recently announced that the Office of the State Fire Commissioner awarded nearly $ 160,000 in funding to fire and EMS companies in the 30th Legislative District.
“ Just as the men and women of our local emergency services keep us safe, we must do the exact same for them. These dollars will help provide them with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively,” Venkat said.“ As a physician-legislator, I will continue to advocate for state support for our heroic first responders.”
The grant recipients are:
• Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company Inc.: $ 14,385.41
• Franklin Park Volunteer Fire Company No. 1: $ 13,094.35
• Hampton Township Volunteer Fire Department 1: $ 12,448.81
• Highland Firemans Association: $ 15,030.95
• Ingomar Volunteer Fire Company No. 2: $ 12,458
• McCandless Franklin Park Ambulance Authority: $ 15,000
• Ohio Township Volunteer Fire Company of Allegheny County: $ 13,739.88
• Peebles District Volunteer Fire Company: $ 16,322.02
• Ross West View EMS Authority: $ 31,322.02( for fire and EMS services)
• Shaler-Hampton Area Emergency Medical Services: $ 15,000
The Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program is available for volunteer and career fire companies, emergency medical services and rescue squads.
Eligible projects include facility upgrades, equipment, debt reduction, training and certification, education and public outreach and recruitment and retention efforts. Additionally, fire companies were permitted to apply for construction savings accounts for the purposes of new facility construction.
LAND CONSERVATION SUCCESS: DEER CREEK PROJECT COMPLETED
At the end of March, Allegheny Land Trust( ALT) finalized the 266-acre Deer Creek Conservation Project in Indiana Township, securing vital green space adjacent to Emmerling Community Park.
The land, which includes a mile of the Rachel Carson Trail, was immediately transferred to the Pennsylvania Game Commission( PGC) for permanent conservation and public access.
This milestone expands Emmerling Community Park into a 325-acre greenway, enhancing local biodiversity, protecting water quality in the stocked Deer Creek, and contributing to clean air by sequestering over a million pounds of carbon annually.
“ This land will now be protected for generations to come,” said ALT Interim CEO Emilie Rzotkiewicz. The PGC will manage the area as state game lands, balancing wildlife preservation with outdoor recreation.
The project was made possible through support from community members, local officials, and groups like the Rachel Carson Trails Conservancy.“ We’ re grateful for this achievement and look forward to the trail’ s continued value,” said the conservancy’ s vice president, Steve Mentzer.
PGC crews will soon improve public access with new boundary markers and parking areas, ensuring that more people can enjoy this preserved natural space. ■
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