Murrysville area: Bonsai workshop, hospice discussion, used book sale and more

Sep. 28—Email news briefs and event listings to pvarine@triblive.com.

Bonsai tree workshop

The Murrysville Community Library, Murrysville Garden Club and municipal recreation department will present "The Ancient Art of Bonsai," about bonsai tree cultivation, at 6 p.m. Oct. 16.

Murrysville resident Dave Metzgar will discuss the history of the art form, what constitutes a bonsai tree and will show examples of his work.

It will be at the library, 4130 Sardis Road.

There is no cost to attend. Register by calling 724-327-2100, ext. 131 or 724-327-1102. For more, see MurrysvilleLibrary.org.

Donations for used book sale

The Murrysville American Association of University Women is accepting donations for its annual used book sale.

The actual sale will take place Nov. 9-11, but association members and Murrysville Community Library officials are collecting used items through Nov. 7 at the library, 4130 Sardis Road.

Items to donate include fiction, non-fiction and children's books, as well as jigsaw puzzles (no missing pieces).

Encyclopedias, manuals, textbooks, and musty or moldy books will not be accepted.

For more, call 724-327-1102.

AAUW speaker battled Mafia in Ohio

The Murrysville American Association of University Women will present guest speaker and former Mahoning County District Attorney Paul Gains.

Gains, who retired in 2022, was elected to office in Mahoning County, Ohio, in 1996. Shortly before taking office, he was the target of a Mafia hit on Christmas Eve that left him with two bullet wounds. Gains would go on to recover and spend the next 26 years fighting corruption and Mafia influence. An investigation that began shortly after Gains took office led to the federal convictions of more than 70 people including mobsters, elected officials, the county sheriff, former county prosecutor, judges and other law enforcement officials.

There is no cost to attend. Gains' presentation will be at 10 a.m. Oct. 12 in the TechNook at the Murrysville Community Library, 4130 Sardis Road.

Book club marks Domestic Violence Awareness Month

The Blackburn Center in Greensburg will host a new book club, "Turning Pages," which will meet at 6 p.m. Oct. 10.

In recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the October book will be Colleen Hoover's "It Ends With Us."

A book discussion will take place at The Headkeeper, 618 South Main Street in Greensburg.

Registration is preferred but not required by calling 724-837-9540, ext. 124.

'Boomers & Beyond' host hospice discussion

Grief counselor and social worker Shari Taylor and Mother of Sorrows Pastoral Associate Nancy Matteuzzi will present "Comfort Care Choices" at the next "Boomers & Beyond" lecture series.

Taylor, who has been a social worker for two decades at Heartland Hospice, will discuss hospice myths, the hospice philosophy of care and the choices available for those who require it.

Matteuzzi is board-certified as a professional chaplain through the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. She will discuss the emotional toll that hospice decisions can take and how Catholic theology can offer guidance and comfort.

The presentation is at noon at Mother of Sorrows Social Hall, 4202 Old William Penn Highway in Murrysville. Doors open at 11:30 a.m. and there is no cost to attend. Participants can bring a bag lunch. Beverages are provided.

Int'l Women meeting

The International Women group will welcome speaker Andrea Jackson presenting "Chocolate as Medicine" at their next meeting, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 6.

Jackson will discuss chocolate's various uses through history.

All women are invited to attend. It will be at Cross Roads Presbyterian Church, 2310 Haymaker Road in Monroeville.

The church's "Mother's Day Out" babysitting program is currently suspended.

Moms in Prayer luncheon

The Moms in Prayer group of Murrysville will host an informational luncheon at noon on Oct. 5 to provide more information about the organization.

The luncheon will be at First Presbyterian Church, 3202 North Hills Road in Murrysville. RSVP to 724-325-1166. The group meets regularly at the church on Thursdays at 1:15 p.m.

For more, see MomsinPrayer.org.

Registration open for Delmont cyclo-cross race

The Delmont Visionary Committee will host its second annual "Hammer the Hills of Delmont" cyclo-cross race.

It will be at 9 a.m. Nov. 11 at Shields Farm. The race is a challenging course with wooded trails, grass, steep hills, rough surfaces and obstacles. Races will take place across a variety of age categories. Registration is $5 for children 10 and under, $20 for the "juniors" men's and women's division (ages 9-18) and $40 for adult divisions.

Register online at Bikereg.com/62339. Admission is free for spectators. The event is sanctioned by USA Cycling. Proceeds will benefit the committee's work to make Delmont more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly.

For more, call 724-689-5292 or email delmontvisionarycommittee@gmail.com.

Live music

—Ginny's Neighborhood Pizza, 5549 Old William Penn Hwy., Murrysville: JS Projects, 6 p.m. Sept. 23.

—SchoolHouse Tavern, 2001 Main St., Claridge (Penn Township): 8th Street Rox, 8 p.m. Oct. 21

—Red Barn Winery, 475 Manor Rd., Salem: Billy Postle, 6 p.m. Oct. 6; Joey Brucker, 6 p.m. Oct. 7; Endless Thirst, 6 p.m. Oct. 14; Open bluegrass jam, 6 p.m. Oct. 19; Dennis Crawford, 6 p.m. Oct. 21; Halloween Barnyard Bash with live music, costume contest and more, 6-10 p.m. Oct. 28

—Joey's the Edge, 5904 Washington Ave., Export: Weekly Tuesday jam session with host Kenny Blake, 8-11 p.m.

CROP Hunger Walk set

The 44th annual Murrysville CROP Hunger Walk will take place Oct. 8, and this year will take place along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail.

Sign-in will begin at 1 p.m., and the walk will be at 1:30 p.m. Last year's walk raised nearly $11,400, the highest annual total to date.

A fourth of the money raised through walk donations stays in Murrysville, and will be divided between Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church's Loaves & Fishes food pantry, and two local food distribution centers for the Westmoreland County Food Bank.

The 3.5-mile walk will start and finish by the shelter at Duff Park, 4500 School Road South in Murrysville.

For more on walking, sponsoring a walker or donating, call 724-327-0061. Register online at CropHungerWalk.org/murrysvillepa.

For more, email delmontpilgrimage@gmail.com.

'Trick or Treat on the Trail'

Murrysville Recreation officials are seeking vendors to sign up for the department's annual "Trick or Treat on the Trail" event, set for Oct. 28 along the Westmoreland Heritage Trail.

Businesses and organizations can sign up to distribute candy to participants. The department's goal is 50 vendors.

To register, or for more information, see MurrysvillePArecreation.com/186/Events, call 724-327-2100, ext. 131 or email momrecreation@murrysville.com.

Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .