Upcoming
Events
Free
Paper Shredding Event with Rep. Lindsay Powell
Kiwanis Park, 1 Meyer Road,
Pittsburgh, PA 15223
April 27, 2024 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00
a.m.
Have you been cleaning out your old
paperwork? Dispose of your personal documents safely and securely at
my *free* paper shredding event with Rep. Lindsay Powell on Saturday,
April 27 from 9:00 am until 11:00 am at Kiwanis Park in
Shaler!
Each car can shred up to two bankers boxes of
paper (for reference a bankers box is about the size of a microwave).
Please remove all metal fasteners other than staples before the
event!
Shredding will be performed on site. You should bring
papers that contain personal information, such as your social security
number, medical information, credit card or banking information, or
other personally identifying information.
Monthly Office Hours at the Kingsley
Center
Friday, May 3, 2023, from 10:00 AM -
3:00 PM
My office provides monthly office
hours on the first Friday of every month at the Kingsley Association!
Stop by between 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM to meet with a Constituent
Relations Specialist and access all of the services that our District
Office provides:
- Property Tax Rent Rebates
-
Senior Photo Connect Cards
- PennDOT Forms
-
Connection to Resources
- Unclaimed Property Searches
- Voter Registration
- Free Notary Services*
- And
much more!
*please call ahead if you need notary
services
Senior Social
Pittsburgh Mills Mall, 590 Pittsburgh
Mills Circle, Tarentum, PA 15084
Thursday, May 23, Noon - 3:00
p.m.
We’re hosting a Senior Social! This
isn’t your parents’ senior fair– come ready to meet
new people and learn new things.
Vintage Center for
Active Adults will be there to provide Digital Navigation Services and
support for your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
The PA
Department of Banking and Securities will be playing Fraud Bingo, a
fun and easy way to learn how to keep yourself and your loved ones
safe from frauds and scams.
We’ll also have music,
games, and refreshments to enjoy!
We hope to see you at our
Senior Social on Thursday, May 23 from Noon until 3:00 pm at
Pittsburgh Mills Mall!
Good News
2024
Governor’s Awards for Local Government
Excellence
Congratulations to Brackenridge and
Tarentum
Borough and the Township of Pine for receiving a 2024 Governor's
Awards for Local Government Excellence!
Pine received an Award
in Environmental Wellness Initiatives for working with residents to
develop and implement an environmental stewardship plan that maximizes
the use of state funding. Their strategy has been so successful that
it has been copied in other areas, such as Parks and Open Space
planning, land development management, maintenance operations,
education, programming, and event planning.
Tarentum and
Brackenridge received an Award in Intergovernmental Cooperation for
their work to combine their local police forces and develop a
multi-community communication platform, while still maintaining the
identity of both Boroughs. The need to share services stemmed from the
tragic death in the line of duty of Chief McIntire in January 2023.
But Brackenridge and Tarentum have worked together to ensure public
safety and their work will serve as a model to communities across the
state.
Scouting
365– Making A Difference in Our Communities Every
Day
Last Friday I had the chance to speak with
the Boy Scouts of America, Laurel Highlands Council at their Scouting
365 Breakfast. I was grateful for the chance to talk about how scouts
have the chance to make a difference in their community every day-- in
big and little ways-- by seeing what is needed and helping others.
House Game
and Fisheries Hearing on Abandoned and Derelict
Vessels
Last Friday, I joined the House Game
and Fisheries Committee here in Pittsburgh for a hearing on the
dangers posed by Abandoned and Derelict Vessels (ADVs). This is a
complex issue because there are many reasons that a boat could be
abandoned, but retrieving these vessels can be difficult and
dangerous. The need to address this issue became extremely clear as an
ADV floated past us on the river during the hearing.
These
ADVs create environmental hazards as they leach chemicals into the
waterways. They also pose physical hazards to other boaters. It can be
costly and dangerous to remove the vessels from the waterways. We need
to do more in the legislature to support the Fish and Boat Commission
in their efforts to prevent these boats from becoming abandoned and
derelict in the first place, and also to give them the resources they
need so they can remove ADVs from the waterways safely.
Early
Saturday morning, over twenty barges broke free in high waters and
floated down the river, causing catastrophic damage to a private dock
and snarling traffic as they passed under bridges. While these barges
weren’t technically ADVs, they gave a clear example of the
danger that unmanned boats pose to our entire region.
Thank
you to Rep. Anita Kulik, Chair of the House Game and Fisheries
Committee, for hosting this hearing and to the PA Fish and Boat
Commission for their expertise.
You can watch the
full hearing here: Pennsylvania
House Democratic Caucus | Live Stream Game and Fisheries
Committee.
Carnegie
Science Center’s Titanic Exhibit
I was
lucky enough to see Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the
Carnegie
Science Center before it closed on April 15th, the anniversary of
the famous ship's sinking.
Titanic was the most popular
traveling exhibition at the Science Center in over a decade and after
seeing it for myself, I understand why! More than a display, the
exhibition was an immersive narrative experience that led visitors
through the journey of passengers on board through life-size
recreations of different parts of the ship and countless relics from
passengers and crew—educational and moving storytelling.
While the exhibit is now closed, The Science Behind Pixar is coming
next, news that will help your heart go on!
Legislative Update
Sexual
Assault Awareness
I'm proud to join my
colleagues, Senators Tina Tartaglione, Camera Bartolotta, Amanda
Cappelletti, Judy Schwank, Maria Collett, Carolyn Comitta, Katie Muth,
and Lisa Boscola in recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness
Month.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource
Center (NSVRC), nearly 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men in the United
States are victims of rape. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are much
more likely to report having been sexually assaulted during their
lifetime than heterosexual, cisgender individuals. For example, 47% of
transgender people report having been sexually assaulted at some point
in their lives. More than 90% of individuals with a developmental
delay or disability will be sexually assaulted at least once in their
lifetime.
Despite these shocking numbers, for every 100 rape
and sexual assault victimizations of teenage girls and women reported
to the police, only 18 lead to an arrest.
Senator Muth
and I are also recognizing April as Military Sexual Trauma (MST)
Awareness Month. According to VA statistics,1 in 3 women and 1 in 50
men report that they experienced sexual harrassment or sexual assault
during military service when asked by their VA health care provider.
MST can occur at any time or place during military service —
while on or off duty and on or off base. The psychological impact of
the assault and resulting trauma can push survivors out of the service
and lead to tremendous difficulty readjusting to their civilian
lives.
If this year is anything like previous years, my
resolution with Senator Muth recognizing April as MST Awareness Month
is unlikely to pass. There has been a frustrating unwillingness to
name the problem of Military Sexual Assault from the Senate floor
since 2019, as if this will somehow make it go away. But we will
continue to name this trauma and work to help the victims of MST.
It is clear that Sexual Assault impacts the lives of thousands of
people across the United States every day. If you or a loved one need
resources in the Pittsburgh area, please contact:
Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR)
Web:
https://paar.net
(private browsing and quick escape available)
Online Chat
available.
Call/text: 1-866-363-7273
Crisis Center
North
https://www.crisiscenternorth.org/
(quick escape available)
Call: 412-364-5556
Text:
1-877-522-6093
Resolve Crisis
Services
Walk-in Crisis Center:
333
North Braddock Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Call 24-hours:
1-888-796-8226
Election
Day is Tuesday, April 23rd!
The 2024 Primary
Election is this Tuesday, April 23rd! Whether you ordered a mail-in
ballot or plan to vote in-person, your vote is your voice. Make sure
you have a plan to complete the voting process before Election Day
deadlines so your voice is heard!
In-Person
Voting
All 1,324 polling places in Allegheny
County and polling places across Pennsylvania will be open on April 23
for in person voting from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8
p.m. will be allowed to vote. To verify your polling place go to
Polling Place Information (pa.gov).
There are more than 50
polling places in Allegheny County that have changed since the last
election including four in Senate District 38. Note - voters affected
by polling place changes received a postcard advising them of the new
location. New locations will also be posted on former sites on
Election Day. You can check the graphic below for polling place
location changes in Senate District 38.
Mail-in Ballot Voting
Reminders
If you are voting by mail, read the
instructions you receive with your ballot carefully!
After completing your ballot, you must seal it in the inner secrecy
envelope that indicates "official election ballot." Do not
make any marks on the inner secrecy envelope. Your ballot
must be enclosed and sealed in the inner secrecy envelope that
indicates "official election ballot" or it will not be counted.
Seal the inner secrecy envelope in the pre-addressed outer return
envelope. Complete the voter’s declaration on the outside of the
outer return envelope with the date and your
signature. If you do not complete the declaration on the
return envelope your ballot will not be counted.
You must mail or drop off your ballot in time to be
received by the Elections Division downtown by 8 p.m., Tuesday,
November 7th. Postmarks do not count!
Note: If you are unable to deliver your own ballot, complete an authorization
form to turn in a ballot on behalf of someone who physically is unable
to return their own ballot.
When the Elections
Division receives your mail-in ballot, you will receive an email
notification.
Complete instructions for completing mail-in
ballots are available
here.
Ballot Return Sites Available Downtown
and at Additional Allegheny County Locations
The Primary Election is on Tuesday, April 23rd. Once you've completed
your mail-in or absentee ballot, if you prefer to turn it in person
you have two options:
- visit one of the several secure
and staffed ballot return sites in Senate District 38 (see graphic
above) this weekend. Hours: Saturday, April 20, 9am - 5pm or Sunday,
April 21, 11 am - 7 pm.
- visit the Allegheny County Elections
Division’s secure and staffed ballot return counter in the lobby
of the City County Building. Hours: see graphic above.
An important reminder: each voter may only return their
own ballot unless they have a completed authorization
form to turn in a ballot on behalf of
someone who is physically unable to return their own
ballot.
Election staff will be accepting only
completed mail-in and absentee ballots, enclosed in a signed and dated
declaration envelope. If you made errors on or misplaced your security
or declaration envelope, you must go downtown where staff can replace
them.
If you make an error on your ballot, or have
not received one you already applied for, the Elections Division can
reissue your ballot during regular business hours, M-F 8:30 a.m. -
4:30 p.m.
Mail Ballot Voters Can Change to In
Person Voting
If you applied for a mail-in
ballot but changed your mind and wish to vote in person on April 23,
simply bring your mail-in ballot and all envelopes to your polling
place. You will give your mail-in ballot and envelopes to the Judge of
Elections to be voided at your polling place which will enable you to
vote in person.
However, if you forget to bring your mail-in
ballot and envelopes with you so that it can be voided, you will then
be given a provisional ballot to complete at your polling location.
This ballot will only be counted after it has been verified that your
mail-in ballot has not been received by the Elections Board.
New
Program Pays Student Teachers
If you are
planning to be a student teacher in 2024-25 there is a new program
that compensates you for those 12 weeks of teaching!
The
2024-25 PA Student Teacher Support Program offers $10,000 stipends to
student teachers who will be in the classroom during the 2024-25
school year. You have to apply to get the stipend and applications are
open now at
PA Student Teacher Support Program (pheaa.org).
PennDOT
Hiring Event
The Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation is hosting an onsite hiring event, Tuesday, April
23rd, from 11 am to 5 pm at their Allegheny County office
located at 51 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. The Commonwealth
of PA offers a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, sick and
annual leave from day one, and many more perks.
Applicants
should be prepared for on the spot interviews and conditional job
offers. Applicants need two forms of ID.
All open positions
are available online for those who are unable to attend the event and
can be viewed at:
If you
have any specific questions, please email [email protected].
Allegheny Cleanways Street
Cleanup
Meet at Liberty Green Park, 100
Larimer Ave, Pittsburgh, 9 am - 11 am
Give back to
your community by coming out Saturday, April 27th to help Allegheny
Cleanways, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, and local community
members tidy up the streets of Historic East End neighborhoods. Clean
streets keep our watersheds clean!
Free breakfast
and clean-up supplies provided. Register in advance for the event at
Volunteer
Opportunities - ALLEGHENY CLEANWAYS or use the QR Code in the
graphic above. Please register each person separately and thank you
for volunteering your time!
For questions contact either Ross
Marcinizyn at [email protected],
412-475-5247 or Holly Bomba at [email protected]
or 412-260-0840.
Tarentum, Brackenridge, and Harrison
Earth Day Clean Up!
Looking for a fun Earth
Day volunteer activity? Consider joining the Borough of Tarentum,
Brackenridge Borough, and Harrison Township for a multi-municipal Earth
Day Clean-Up on Sunday April 28th from 9:45 am - 1
pm! Come anytime to one of the three locations to grab some
supplies and get started beautifying the parks and public spaces for
the spring season:
- Brackenridge Memorial Park
Pavilion
- Tarentum Snack Shack Pavilion
- Harrison
Municipal Building
This is a fantastic opportunity to
enjoy the outdoors, meet your neighbors, and take pride in your
communities.
Afterwards you can celebrate your amazing
work at the Volunteer Appreciation Lunch which is being held at the
Tarentum Snack Shack Pavilion.
All ages are welcome! If you
love your town, care about the environment, or just need some
community service hours this is the event for you.
For more
information or to volunteer, contact the following individuals:
- Tarentum: Carrie at (724) 448-1470
- Brackenridge:
Dino at (412) 609-3969
- Harrison: Gary at (412) 977-8687
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
