IN West Mifflin Spring 2016 | Page 10

in the Payment of the scholarship will be made directly to the winners the day of the competition. For applications and information, contact Toni Kvederis, Competition Chairman, 412.220.3080. Deadline for applications is April 15. LOOP What’s news in West Mifflin JOIN THE 2016 GREAT AMERICAN CLEANUP OF PA THROUGH MAY 31 The 2016 Great American Cleanup of PA began March 1 and runs through May 31. During this period, registered events can get trash bags, gloves and safety vests from PennDOT district offices, as supplies last. Events include litter cleanups, illegal dump cleanups, beautification projects, special collections and educational events. As part of this event, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association will sponsor “Let’s Pick It Up PA” – every day from April 16 to May 9. During the Pick It Up PA days, registered events will be able to take the trash collected during their cleanup to participating landfills for reduced or free disposal. ANNOUNCEMENT OF KEYNOTES MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION Auditions in the $8,000 Keynotes Music Scholarship Competition will be held on May 21 in the Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theater. The number of contestants is limited to 20. The competition is available to music students of exceptional talent who are residents of Allegheny and Washington counties. Instrumentalists must be under 26 years of age by June 1, 2016. Voice students must be under 30. Contestants must be full-time music majors currently enrolled in a music school or in the music department of a college or university. Graduating high school students are eligible if they have been accepted for admission and will enroll as full-time music majors in the fall of 2016. 8 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | West Mifflin PEOPLES GAS REMINDS CUSTOMERS ABOUT CARBON MONOXIDE SAFETY Free Carbon Monoxide Detection is Available to Qualified Residents as Part of 11-County Program As people in southwestern Pennsylvania were reminded to “spring ahead” to Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 13, many local fire departments remind residents to change the batteries in their home smoke alarms. Peoples is taking this timely opportunity to also remind people about the importance of carbon monoxide detectors and the potential dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless and potentially dangerous gas produced when fuel is burned without enough air for complete combustion. The flame in gas appliances should be blue, possibly with flecks of orange. If the flame is mostly yellow, it indicates that the gas is not burning properly and is giving off carbon monoxide. During cold weather months, as buildings remain closed and fuel is burned for heating, inefficient combustion and poor ventilation can lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide inside. Carbon monoxide can also be emitted by space heaters and automobile engines. In large amounts, the gas can cause headaches, unconsciousness, brain damage and even death. Carbon monoxide can be detected with a simple home monitor that plugs into a standard wall outlet. It’s important, also, for people to recognize the signs and symptoms of potential carbon monoxide poisoning, to know what to do if they occur, and to learn how to prevent this dangerous hazard. n