Hampton Township’s property tax rate will not rise next year. Council voted 4-0 at a meeting Wednesday to approve the 2002 budget of $6.7 million. Councilman Don Wolfe was absent. The budget will keep the township’s tax rate at 2.1 mills. With that rate, the owner of a home appraised at $100,000 will pay $210 in property taxes to the township for 2002. North Allegheny schools Ingomar Middle School received a $17,070 School Performance Funding award from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The school received the award as a result of improved performance on the 2001 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment. Schools were eligible for the awards based on improved performance in achievement and effort. Achievement is measured by performance on the PSSA. Effort is measured by a school’s attendance rates. To qualify for an achievement improvement award, a school’s 2001 PSSA average reading and math scores had to be at least 50 points higher than its baseline score. Ingomar Middle School’s combined math and reading scores increased by 70 points. To qualify for an effort improvement award, a school’s 2000-01 attendance rate had to be at least 0.75 percent higher than its baseline rate. Beaver County The Community College of Beaver County’s Beaver Technology Education Center and Job Training for Beaver County will offer free computer training to workers in Beaver County. Through a grant from Job Training for Beaver County, the Beaver Technology Education Center will provide certification for as many as 10 students from Beaver, Washington and Greene counties to be trained as office support assistants. To qualify, individuals must be employed at an entry-level position. Students who complete the training then will be in a position to improve their status or salary within their current company or seek new employment. Students will learn keyboarding skills, Windows 98, Microsoft Word 2000, Microsoft Excel and other computer-related skills. Classes will meet one night per week for six months. The grant will cover the tuition costs for each student. Job Training for Beaver County is in the CareerLink office in Beaver Falls. Those who would like to apply for training first must register with CareerLink. For details and eligibility requirements, call Pat at CareerLink at (724) 728-4860, Ext. 221. Fox Chapel Area schools The eighth annual Fox Chapel Area Chess Championship will be from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Jan. 12 at O’Hara Elementary School, 115 Cabin Lane, O’Hara Township. The tournament is open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade in all six schools in the Fox Chapel Area School District and Christ the Divine Teacher Academy, Fox Chapel Country Day School, Transfiguration School, Shady Side Academy Middle School and Shady Side Academy Senior School. All participating students will play four games using Swiss system pairings, meaning that when a student wins, he or she will get more challenging opponents. When a student loses, he or she will get easier opponents. Forty minutes will be allotted for each game, with results of unfinished games being judged by Chessmaster Jerry Meyers. All entrants will receive an official chess rating – a measure of current chess strength – from the United States Chess Federation. Trophies and ribbons will be awarded as prizes. A team trophy will be awarded to the top elementary school. The top girl in each section also will get a ribbon. Participants must pre-register. The fee for participating is $13 for USCF members, $26 for non-USCF members 14 and younger and $33 for non-USCF members 15 and older. A $5 late fee will be charged for entries postmarked after Saturday. For details, call Jerry Meyers at (412) 422-1770. There also is an entry form online at the Pittsburgh Chess Club’s Web site at http://trfn.clpgh.org/pcc/fox2002.htm . Region Butler County commissioners have approved the acquisition of a $4.5 million tax anticipation note from Citizens National Bank of Evans City. The county will pay 2.9 percent interest. Tax anticipation notes typically are borrowed by the county so it can cover expenses early in the year, when revenue from taxes usually are low, county officials said. Nine banks submitted quotes, and Citizens National Bank was the lowest interest rate, officials said. Commissioners approved the borrowing during a meeting Wednesday. Moraine State Park The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Moraine State Park, will allow late season archery hunting from Wednesday to Jan. 12 on the normally “closed to hunting area” at Pleasant Valley Day Use Area on the South Shore of the park. Hunting is being allowed to help maintain the park’s deer population in balance with the ecosystem of the Pleasant Valley Day Use Area. When the deer population is out of balance with the park land, it affects the wildlife and contributes to the elimination of plant species and the destruction of habitats for birds and other animals, officials said. Hunters are urged to use caution in the Pleasant Valley Day Use Area. Safety zones and “No Hunting Areas” will be strictly enforced. Hunters must have identification, a current Pennsylvania hunting license, an archery tag and valid buck and antlerless tags. All Pennsylvania Game Commission rules and regulations will apply. Those who wish to hunt in the Pleasant Valley Day Use Area must stop at the park office to pick up a copy of the special hunting regulations. Each participant in the hunt must sign the hunting roster: name, age, address, phone number and back tag number. The South Shore Pleasant Valley gate will open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. daily. The upper exit gate will remain open until 5:15 p.m. For details, call (724) 368-8811. Butler The Butler Kiwanis Club will sponsor an American Red Cross blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Butler Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 249, 429 W. Jefferson St. Blood donors of all types are needed. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh at least 105 pounds and be in generally good health. Winfield Township A representative from state Rep. Guy A. Travaglio’s office will be available to answer questions and provide assistance to residents from 11 a.m. to noon Thursday at the Winfield Township Municipal Building, Brose Road. Travaglio, a Butler Democrat, said the satellite office hours provide increased access to services offered through his main office in Butler, such as information on Pennsylvania Department of Transportation issues, applications for financial aid for higher education or an opportunity to discuss any issue relating to state government. Travaglio’s main office is at 138 E. Jefferson St., Butler, and is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The phone number is (724) 283-5852.

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