Community Corner

Plum Borough Volunteers, Group Honored

Plum Council publicly recognized the achievements of volunteers in the community.

Plum Council has recognized several volunteers in the borough for their achievements. They are:

Plum High School Air Force JROTC

Plum Mayor Rich Hrivnak recognized Chief Terry Speer and members of the Plum Air Force JROTC for their work in the community. Hrivnak said the 278 participants in the school district have helped with countless service projects, including the annual Sugar Plum Days in the borough during the holidays. The JROTC also opens each regular council meeting by presenting the colors. Hrivnak said the members of JROTC put "service before self."

Polly Schmeck, Plum Borough Community Library Trustee

Schmeck, who is a trustee of the Plum Borough Community Library, has completed her final days as a library board member. However, Councilman Keith Nowalk said she's left her footprints all over town. Schmeck fought for Plum to have a library for 40 years and started a mobile book service for the town before the library came to be. She also was a member of many booster organizations; she sold Christmas trees to fundraise for the schools; and she's volunteered with the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, the Plum Senior Center, Sugar Plum Days and the Allegheny County Foothills Society.

"I've always said there's no place like Plum Borough," an emotional Schmeck said. "Let's all remember that."

Chris Cooley, Serving Other Souls

Cooley has organized the Miles of Smiles 5K races for the late Sunny Carney, a Plum resident who had carcinoid cancer. The 2012 race was held a day after Sunny's death and also benefitted the families of Plum resident Lorri Nixon, who has leukemia, and Kristin Croyle, a late Murrysville resident who died of pancreatic cancer.

Cooley said Serving Other Souls has raised $40,000 for several organizations. He said Nixon and Carney donated to the organization even though they needed the help.

"That makes me dig in harder to help other people," he said.

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