Local craftsmen join effort to build dollhouse

Local craftsmen joineffort to build dollhouse
SHARON, Pa. -- A group of local craftsmen is donating time and skills to build an oversized doll house for Mercer County Association for the Retarded. It's taking shape at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America Local 268 union hall on Brooklyn Street.
Sam Shilling, business agent for the union, said the Mercer County Building & amp; Construction Trades Council put up the $520 needed to buy materials and carpenters are donating more than $6,500 worth of their time to build the house.
The intricate construction will include panels that swing or lift open to allow access to all of the rooms inside.
Mercer County Association for the Retarded will raffle it off as a fund-rising activity, Shilling said.
Checking car seats
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Child car seats will be checked for structural soundness and proper installation from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Pennsylvania State Police Barracks on Wilmington Road. People are asked to bring their vehicle owner's manual, child car seat, instructions, some towels and the child.
Seniors' driving course
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- The AAA Seniors for Safe Driving course will be offered Nov. 25 and 26 at the Shenango Valley Senior Community Center, 220 N. Buhl Farm Drive. The class fee is $12 and class will run from 8:30 a.m. to noon each day. Pennsylvania drivers over the age of 55 who take the course can get a 5-percent discount on their car insurance. No road test or classroom test is involved.
To enroll, call (800) 559-4880.
Applications for grants
ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. -- State Rep. Frank LaGrotta of Ellwood City, D-10th, says applications are being accepted for 2003 Environmental Stewardship and Watershed Protection grants.
Funding is available for projects such as flood protection, recycling, source-water protection, storage tank cleanup, pollution prevention, energy efficiency and the Growing Greener program, LaGrotta said.
Contact LaGrotta's office at (717) 787-7865 for more information about the grant application process.
Also, for more information on Department of Environmental Protection's Growing Greener grant fairs, visit www.state.pa.us online and type in Growing Greener in the Pa. Keyword box.
Reality Checkpoint
YOUNGSTOWN -- A presentation of Reality Checkpoint, a free program for teens and parents designed to create awareness and prevent injuries and fatalities caused by motor vehicle crashes, is from 5:45 to 9 p.m. Nov. 18 at St. Elizabeth Health Center's Finnegan Auditorium.
Reality Checkpoint, developed by local diversion programs, law enforcement and courts, is a factual and graphic program designed to show teens the reality of car crashes and drinking and driving, including such topics as going to court and jail, the anatomy of a crash, what happens at the hospital and the coroner's notification.
Crime victims' forum
YOUNGSTOWN -- A forum for victims of crime will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14 at New Beginnings Outreach Ministries, 322 Wick Ave.
Panelists will answer questions in an effort to help the community become better informed about the challenges faced by victims as they navigate the criminal justice system. Panelists include city and county officials, victims advocates and representatives of crisis and counseling services.