Nominations for the 2004 Arthur St. Clair Historic Preservation Award are due by Sept. 1 to the Westmoreland County Historical Society.
The award honors the major general, an early Ligonier Valley resident who figured strongly in the founding of the county. The officer in the Continental Army in the American Revolution also served as president of Congress under the Articles of Confederation and as the first governor general of the Northwest Territory.
This year's awards will be presented at a program on Oct. 12 at Mountain View Inn, Unity Township.
Nominations can be mailed to the society at 41 W. Otterman St., Suite 310, Greensburg PA 15601, faxed to 724-836-2702 or e-mailed to history@starofthewest.org . Address to James V. Steeley.
Following the countywide nomination process, a committee will select awardees.
Funds for firefighters
The Shafton Volunteer Fire Co. in North Huntingdon Township has been awarded a $112,500 grant, and the Level Green Fire Department in Penn Township will receive $51,750, both from the Department of Homeland Security.
Shafton will use the money toward the purchase of a new pumper. Level Green will buy personal protective equipment for firefighters.
Shafton's new truck will replace an obsolete 1968 model, fire Chief Rick Walker said. The truck, expected to cost between $150,000 and $200,000, will include onboard computers and communication systems. Firefighters will be able to direct the spray of water from an enclosed cab, reducing their exposure in a chemical fire, Walker said. It will take six months to one year for the truck to be delivered once it has been ordered from the manufacturer, the chief said.
The Shafton VFD also received a $15,000 state grant this year that Walker said is being used to pay down debt on an existing truck.
Level Green Fire Chief Buss Barkefelt said his department will use the grant to outfit 25 firefighters from "helmets to boots" in bunker suits and a jumpsuit that can be used in warmer weather. Supplying a protective jacket, boots, helmet and pants for one firefighter costs the department about $2,000, he said.
The fire department must come up with 10 percent of the cost of the bunker suits through various fund-raisers, Barkefelt added.
Fitting memorial
Hempfield Township will pay tribute to a former employee when it opens a regulation soccer field later this month.
Leggett Field, in Swede Hill Park, off Willow Crossing Road, will be dedicated at 4 p.m. Aug. 31. The ceremony will be followed by a boys high school soccer game pitting Hempfield Area against Franklin Regional.
The field is named in memory of Laurence Robert Leggett, former superintendent of sports, who died of cancer in December 2001. He was 48 years old.
Leggett is credited with guiding the township's soccer program, which began more than 20 years ago. Hundreds of children now participate.
Marlene Capretti, of the township's parks and recreation department, said Hempfield Area was selected to play the first game on the field because one of Leggett's sons, Jacob, is on the team.
By the book
The Delmont Public Library is getting some help from the Greensburg Salem School District, whose school board approved a donation of $100 for the library.
Greensburg Salem students are permitted free use of the 16,000-volume collection housed in the basement of Delmont's borough building -- a condition for making the donation. Students in Delmont attend either Greensburg Salem or Franklin Regional schools.
The board agreed to give the Delmont library the same amount of money it donates to the Salem Township Public Library in Slickville.
It's alarming
Students at Greensburg Salem High School will be seeing new security and fire alarm systems when they return to classes.
The district's school board recently awarded a $25,750 contract to Morocco Electric Inc., of Somerset, for a security system, and a $78,000 contract to Allegheny City Electric Inc., of Pittsburgh, for a security closed-circuit television system.
A $145,280 contract for a fire-alarm system was awarded to Electrical Associates Inc., of Carnegie.
The school district had rejected previous bids for the projects and saved about $25,000 by rebidding the work.
Renovations ahead?
The Greensburg Salem School District is considering replacing the windows and roofs at two elementary schools.
The school board has hired Foreman Architect/Engineers Inc., of Manheim, to conduct feasibility studies to determine what capital improvements are needed.
Officials have discussed replacing windows and roofs at the Robert F. Nicely Elementary School, in Greensburg , and the James H. Metzgar Elementary School, in Salem Township . The cost of replacing the windows with smaller ones, and using bricks to fill the void, has been estimated at between $250,000 and $350,000 per building.
In addition, Seton Hill University has expressed an interest in using the district's Offutt Field as the home field for its football team's inaugural season next year.
The district and Seton Hill might need to upgrade the field and the field house if it were used for college football. Money for any projects likely would come from a previous school district bond issue.
Watch out for walkers
Motorists in West Newton have a visual reminder to watch for pedestrians at borough crosswalks.
Borough officials have installed 3-foot-tall "yield" signs in the middle of the road at two intersections. A pair of signs has been installed at the intersection of West Main Street and Collinsburg Road; two others are at the intersection of East Main and Water streets.
