NEIGHBORS

June 27, 2009 Last Updated: June 27, 2009 02:45 PM Neighbours

Donna Reeder of Soroptimist International of Butler County presents a Community Service Grant for $750 to Joanne Hartle, Lifesteps program operations officer, for the group's work with the Just Us Girls event.

Lifesteps was awarded a $750 Community Service Grant from Soroptimist International of Butler County in support of Lifesteps' event "Just Us Girls."The funds will help to provide the women and girls at the Meadow Brook Housing Complex with a self-esteem building program Aug. 11. Mothers and daughters who reside at Meadow Brook will have fun and nurture their relationship, while experiencing personal discovery and growth activities provided in collaboration with the Western Pennsylvania Girl Scout Council and Family Pathways.

Lifesteps' newest early education center in Jackson Township received Star 1 ratings from Pennsylvania's Keystone STARS program.The program is an initiative of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning to improve, support and recognizes the continuous efforts of early learning programs statewide.The Jackson Township EEC received its Star 1 rating as a result of quality benchmarks in staff qualifications and professional development, early learning, partnerships with families and communities, as well as leadership and management.———

Samuel Shondelmyer of Mars was honored June 5 as one of PepsiCo's top sales performers worldwide with induction into the PepsiCo President's Ring of Honor.Shondelmyer, who has been with Frito-Lay for 11 years, is among the less than 0.25 percent of PepsiCo's 85,000-member global sales force who wins this honor each year."No one deserves this honor more than Samuel," said Joe Ferrick, zone sales leader for Pittsburgh, Frito-Lay North America. "His dedication, hard work and commitment to the Pittsburgh team and his customers can only be summed up in one word — excellent."———The winners at the Butler Duplicate Bridge Club on June 18 were:First: Clem Rosenberger and Don Toy. Tying for second were: Ray Kramer and Alan Martin and Tom Richard and Alex Bealles.———

Thomas Winkler's essay on local government was selected as the winner of a contest sponsored by the Butler Township Board of Commissioners.The contest was part of local government week at Butler High School.Winkler read his essay at the June 1 public meeting and spent the day with the township manger and local officials.The township awarded him with a gift certificate for textbooks at Penn State University, where Winkler will study civil engineering this fall.