Upcoming Events
Halloween Costume Drive with North Hills Community
Outreach
Ross or Harrison Township Offices of Senator Lindsey M.
Williams, September 1 - October 6, 2023
We are
partnering with North
Hills Community Outreach to collect new and gently used Halloween
costumes for kids in the community. Get into the spooky spirit early
by finding the perfect costume for a child in need - everything from
scary to sweet will be accepted!
Drop off your new or
gently used Halloween costumes between now and October 6th at one of
our Distinct Offices:
Ross Township Office
5000 McKnight
Rd
Pittsburgh PA 15237
(412) 364-0469
Monday-Friday
9-5pm
Harrison Township Office
1826 Union Ave.
Natrona
Heights, PA 15065
(724) 224-2131
Monday-Thursday 9-5pm
North Hills Community Outreach will distribute the costumes at their
Coat
Shop, a free winter coat event held on October 14, 21 and 28.
Thank you in advance for your donations!
Fall Senior Fair
Ross Municipal Building, Thursday,
October 26, 2023, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Come
meet
Rep. Emily Kinkead, Senator Lindsey Williams, and their staff at
the fall Senior Resource Fair. It will be held at the Ross Municipal
Building on Thursday, October 26th from 10 am - 12 pm.
This FREE event includes a vaccine clinic, expired and unused
medication disposal drop off, health screenings, information on
benefits and services for seniors and caregivers, light refreshments,
and much more! Staff from our offices will also be available to
process Port Authority Senior ConnectCards and help with Pennsylvania
Treasury Unclaimed Property searches. Hope to see you there!
Good
News
Garfield
Community Farm Tour
In early September, I had
a chance to tour the Garfield
Community Farm and learn more about their mission to increase
access to fresh produce, bring learning and growing opportunities to
urban families, and to restore land through agriculture. The Farm is
doing amazing work through their local Farmers Market, classes, and
work with native and sustainable planting.
I was proud to be
joined by Rep.
Summer Lee, the Climate
Action Campaign, the Three Rivers Agricultural Land Initiative,
and members of the community at this event.
Read more at Garfield
Community Farm hosts environmental justice event | 90.5 WESA.
Outdoor
Recreation & Conservation Expo
On
September 15th we had the pleasure of attending Rep.
Mandy Steele’s Outdoor Recreation and Conservation Expo! It
was a cool crisp fall day, perfect for sharing information on all the
recreational opportunities and conservation efforts in the region.
Thank you to all of the vendors and Rep. Mandy Steele for providing
our constituents with this fun and informative event!
West View
Elementary School Renovation
On
September 15th, I was delighted to tour and see the progress made on
West
View Elementary’s renovation project. The project includes
not only a new facade for the 1925 building but also increases in its
overall sustainability and energy efficiency with all-new utilities,
windows, and even a “green” roof covered with live plants.
Amazingly, instruction has been uninterrupted by the construction. I
can’t wait to see the completed project which is slated for 2025
- the building’s 100th anniversary!
Etna
Community Care Fair
The Etna Community Care
Fair on Saturday, September 16th was a success! We had some great
conversations with attendees and fellow vendors alike.In addition to
the resources inside, children were also able to get a close up look
inside of an ambulance, fire truck, and police car!
School
Safety Corridors
Children and teenagers
need caring adults in and outside their school building. I was excited
last Tuesday to join my colleague Senator
Sharif Street and Councilman
Kenyatta Johnson in advocating for statewide funding for School
Safety Corridors that will provide much-needed support for students
across Pennsylvania during their route to and from school.
Legislative Update
Basic Education Funding Commission -
Meeting #4
Last week I traveled to Lancaster
for the fourth Basic Education Funding Commission (BEFC) meeting to
hear testimonies on equity and the perspectives of teachers, local
school districts, and the community. Testifiers included
representatives from the Pennsylvania Policy Center, Research for
Action, Teach Plus, POWER Interfaith, local educators, and
administrators from the School District of Lancaster.
You can
watch the BEFC meetings and read the testimony submitted by testifiers
on my website:
Basic Education Funding Commission - Senator Lindsey Williams
I’m looking forward to my hearing on October 11, 2023 in
Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh Public School’s Westinghouse Academy.
My hearing will discuss the impacts of Career and Technical Education,
early childhood education, special education, and the need for
additional student support within a school building. Tune in to my Facebook
page on October 11, 2023 at 10 AM to watch.
VAEP
Committee Advances Type 3 Urban Search and Rescue Team for Allegheny
County
Last Wednesday, the Senate Veterans
Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee (VAEP) advanced
legislation that will create a Type 3 Urban Search and Rescue Team in
Allegheny County. Last month, we had heard testimony on how important
it is to have these resources available in case of an emergency--
because minutes matter.
This legislation will now go to the
full Senate for consideration.
Order 4
FREE COVID-19 Tests and Find a Vaccine!
The
Biden Administration reopened the USPS site for all US households to
order four more FREE COVID tests on Monday and orders will begin
shipping out next week!
To order the tests, visit www.covid.gov/tests
or call 1-800-232-0233. If you still have tests at home that have
expired, visit the FDA's
website to see if the expiration dates have been extended before
you throw them away. The FDA site also has information on the many
different types of tests in circulation.
Looking for the
updated COVID-19, flu, or RSV vaccine? Vist the Biden
Administration’s locator website: Vaccines.gov
- Find COVID?19 vaccine locations near you or call 1-800-232-0233
(TTY 1-888-720-7489).
If you have issues placing your test
order online or with the vaccine locator, call one of our offices and
we will happily assist you: 412-364-0469 (Ross), or 724-224-2131
(Harrison).
Nationwide Emergency Alert Test
October 4th
On
Wednesday, October 4th at 2:20pm,
FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency and the
Federal Communications Commission will conduct a nationwide
emergency alert test. Alarm alerts will be sent to all TVs, radios,
and wireless phones for two minutes. The purpose of the test is to
ensure that systems are operational if and when an emergency happens.
Remember it is a test, and only a test!
For more information
go to
Emergency Alert System | FEMA.gov.
2023 Safe2Say
Something Poster Contest – 7th Grade
1st Place
Daniella
B.
North Hills Middle
School
Pittsburgh
2023 Safe2Say
Something Poster Contest – 7th Grade
3rd Place
Alaina Weaver
North Hills
Middle School
Pittsburgh
Safe2Say Something
Week
It is “Safe2Say Something
Week” and we are helping raise awareness of Pennsylvania’s
own Safe2Say
Something Anonymous Reporting System, administered by the Pennsylvania
Office of Attorney General.
Every year there are millions
of youth who hurt themselves or others through verbal, physical, and
digital means. These behaviors can cause young people to experience
emotional trauma and physical injury, mental health or wellness
issues, stress or anxiety, and/or feelings of being unsafe. Too often
the outcome results in self-harm, suicide or homicide. Here in
Pennsylvania, 21% of high school students are bullied on school
property every year.
The Safe2Say Something program teaches
youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals from
individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and empowers
them to “say something” anonymously before it is too late.
Here’s how it works:
- Youth and adults can submit
an anonymous tip report through the
Safe2SaySomething system app, website, or 24/7 crisis telephone
hotline:
- Crisis center reviews, assesses and
processes all submissions.
- Crisis center sends all
submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement (if
needed) within seconds for intervention.
- School
officials and law enforcement (if needed) act to investigate, assess,
and intervene with help BEFORE the individual gets to the point of
hurting themselves or others.
- If needed, crisis center may
contact tipster anonymously through the app.
To learn
more about the program and to access the reporting system go to Home
- Safe2Say Something (safe2saypa.org).
East
Liberty Family Health Care Center Job Fair!
East
Liberty Family Health Care Center is hosting a Job Fair on
Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at their new
Lincoln-Lemington site located at 7157 Mary Peck Bond Place,
Pittsburgh PA 15206. You could be a part of a caring team that cares
for the community! To register and/or apply prior to the job fair go
to Job
Fair - East Liberty Family Health Care Center (elfhcc.com).
Park
‘til Dark and Pour at the Park Events
North Park, Saturday, October 14,
2023, 7:30am - 8:30pm
It’s that time of
year again! Park ‘til Dark and Pour at the Park,
Allegheny County Parks Foundation’s annual FREE day of
outdoor activities and evening fundraiser featuring regional brews and
bites. All proceeds from the fundraiser benefit our beloved county
parks. Activity slots and tickets to Pour at the Park go fast, so
register today!
Park 'til Dark runs from 9 am – 5 pm and
offers something for everyone:
- Tree Planting with your
Park Rangers
- Fall Foliage Hike with Latodami
Naturalists
- Family Fishing with PA Fish & Boat
Commission
- Walk & Learn: North Park Arboretum Tour with
kid's crafts
- Mushroom Exploration with the Western PA
Mushroom Club
- Archery with L.L. Bean
- Love the Loop
- how many times & how many ways can we go around the loop?!
- Guided Meditation with Dr. Barry Kerzin, Personal Physician to
the Dalai Lama
Pour at the Park is from 5:30 pm –
8:30 pm and includes:
- Beer, Wine, Cider, Spirits, Wine
and Beverage Tastings
- Family friendly event with children's
activities led by Coach Dave
- Live Music by NASH.V.ILL
featuring Byron Nash and Jacquea Mae
- Food samples from local
restaurants
- Aviva Brick Oven
- Porky's
-
Doce Taqueria
- ShadoBeni
- Churn Ice Cream
-
A stainless steel tasting cup
Registration opened
August 28th and is required for both events. For more information and
to register click HERE.
Harrison Township Pumpkin
Fest
Guardian Angels Parish, Saturday,
October 14, 2023,, 12 PM - 2 PM
Don’t
miss Harrison
Township’s Pumpkin Fest! Resident’s children get a
free pumpkin, decorating kit, and could win a prize for their
costume.
Creatures of the Night
2023
Join the Audubon
Society of Western Pennsylvania for Creatures of the Night, their
non-scary and family-friendly trek through one of their three
reserves. We are lucky enough to have their Beechwood Farms Nature
Preserve right here in Senate District 38! You’ll meet creatures
who share their stories of life under the moonlight - and you'll get
some treats, too!
Learn more and register here: Family
Friendly Outdoor Halloween in Pittsburgh (aswp.org).
Visit a
Local Farm this Fall
It finally feels like
fall is here and if you’re looking for a pumpkin, mums, corn
stalks, some fresh apples, or just a fun day trip you have your choice
of three local farms in Senate District 38! Click on the links below
for locations and hours.
As always, please
feel free to reach out with any questions you may have by phone
at 412-364-0469 (Ross
Office), 724-224-2131 (Harrison
Office) or by email at [email protected].
My staff will return your call/email within 24 hours
(Monday-Friday).
Senator Lindsey Williams
