Eight Avonworth High School students are among this year's winners of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, which since 1923 have recognized the vision, ingenuity, and talent of young artists and provided opportunities for creative teens to be celebrated. Students across America submitted 255,000 original works during the 2014 program year.

By NANCY WHYTE

By donating their time, energy and talents, volunteers play an important role at a variety of local organizations. At the Avalon Library, volunteers perform various duties in assisting the library staff, helping patrons, and in fund-raising activities.

Two of the Avalon Library’s volunteers are particularly well-known to library director Rania Sullivan -- her parents. Both Linda and Andrew Halcoussis enjoy spending numerous hours each year volunteering at the library.

Imagine a home library with over 25,000 volumes of books and dozens of periodicals, with many more available on-line in any one of several computers located in what probably was a front parlor or in a few of the upstairs bedrooms.

Shakespeare's oft-quoted, "What's in a name?" has taken on new significance at Avonworth High School/Middle School where the library no longer is a library, but a "Collaboration Center," instead.

As high school principal Dr. Kenneth Lockette explained, "The library name change was to emphasize how the space was to be utilized. Most people perceive libraries as quiet places where a librarian says, "Shush" when one walks in. We wanted the name to reflect the idea of student collaboration, where there is brainstorming, planning and activity."

Imagine having five local art galleries all in one building, all at the same time. The Warhol, Carnegie Museum of Art, the Mattress Factory, the ToonSeum and the Pittsburgh Glass Center will arrive at Avonworth next Tuesday, April 22, with an opening reception beginning at 6 p.m.

It's never too early to teach kids the benefits of healthy eating, but it's not too often that the kids show the grown-ups some yummy recipes that are easy to prepare, that kids like and that are (of course) healthy.

Every year, hundreds of choral students from the Pittsburgh area compete for positions in both District Chorus and the St. Barnabas Kean Quest. Having six students involved in these activities represents quite an accomplishment for any school, but especially for a smaller one, such as Northgate High School.

If the Olympics host synchronized swimming as a summer event, why not host synchronized skating as a winter event?

No answer to that, although many organizations and individuals are working to make it happen in South Korea in 2018.

And even though (for now) she has no real aspirations of being on the first U. S. team, Avonworth senior Sarah Kelly, 17, believes, "It should be a sport just as other synchronized sports are. Synchro takes a lot of dedication, work, and effort, and it is very entertaining to watch."

The brass bucket beside Mary Helene Fader's comfy chair in her sunroom holds copies of "Archaeology" magazine, Wellesley College publications, issues of "The New York Times." Many friends and relatives may not recognize the Mary Helene reference, and so she will be referred to throughout this story as Diz, the nickname bestowed upon her by her sister many years ago, the name that has stayed with her throughout her life.

When Melinda Ward, formerly of Emsworth, signed on for a trip that would take her to Palestine and Israel, she knew it was not going to be a vacation similar to trips that religious pilgrims make to sites in the Holy Land.

A youth counselor at Holy Family Institute, Melinda, 25, was one of 23 delegates making the journey organized by the Washington-based Interfaith Peace Builders (IFPB), with other travelers joining her from across the United States.

Skinny Pete's Kitchen or, as the menu prefers to call the restaurant, "A unique luncheon and gourmet food destination," opened in Avalon last February, with a menu heavy on comfort foods served in an intimate and comfortable setting.

Neither of the co-owners, Tina Grindeland and Danielle Mashuda, lives in Avalon, but, as Tina said, "We knew the area from when we grew up. We had friends here, and we like the community."

North Hills Community Outreach has announced the launch of its 2013-14 "Sharing Winter Warmth" campaign, an effort to provide disadvantaged families and individuals (such as vulnerable seniors, widows/widowers, and people with disabilities) with necessities such as heat and food during the holiday season.

Last year the Sharing Winter Warmth campaign provided $50 in certificates toward food and utilities to 583 North Hills families in need.