Upcoming
Events
August
Community Days
Come on out to Aspinwall Big
Night Out and East Deer’s Summer Celebration next month to enjoy
the food and fun. While you are there, stop by my table. I will be
there with members of my staff to hear what is important to you and to
provide information and state resources to the
community.
Congressman
Deluzio Veterans Resource Fair
Tuesday, August 13, 5-7pm, West View
VFW, 386 Perry Hwy, West View
We will
also be at Congressman Chris Deluzio’s Veterans Resource Fair
next month. Come by our table if you need information or help with
Pennsylvania resources. We look forward to meeting you!
Good News
Update on
Urban Agriculture
I attended an informative
luncheon at Rep. Emily Kinkead and Sec. of Agriculture Russell
Redding’s 2024 Seeds in the City event last Tuesday. We heard an
update on urban agriculture and farming from the Secretary and urban
agriculture stakeholders from across Pennsylvania. Urban agriculture
has a bright future in this Commonwealth!
Deer Creek
Conservation Project Hike with Allegheny Land
Trust
I was pleased to start my Friday
morning last week with a hike up the Rachel Carson Trail alongside the
Allegheny Land Trust at the site of their proposed Deer Creek
Conservation Project. The Trust is hoping to acquire almost 300 acres
of forest adjacent to Emmerling Community Park in Indiana Township.
Protecting this significant parcel of land not only preserves the
natural character of the community but also fosters environmental
resiliency and offers enhanced recreational opportunities for township
residents and visitors. I’m supportive of this proposal and hope
to see the funding come to fruition for our community to continue to
enjoy.
To learn more about the project go to: Deer
Creek Conservation Project - Allegheny Land Trust.
Larimer
Alive
Our team had a fun time at
‘Larimer Alive!’ on Saturday! Larimer’s community
day had a lot of resource organization booths, a bounce house for the
children, great food, cold drinks, music, and a beautiful fashion
show. It was great to talk with residents about their concerns and
ideas for the future of this wonderful neighborhood.
Legislative Update
Sharpsburg
Awarded $10M for Entrance to Allegheny Riverfront
Project
This week I joined State
Representative Mandy Steele (HD-33), and County Executive Sara
Innamorato to announce Business in our Sites (BiOS) Funding
benefitting the Borough of Sharpsburg to make the final improvements
to the 19th street entrance to the site of the Allegheny Riverfront
Project. The Department of Community and Economic Development awarded
a $4,000,000 grant and a $6,000,000
loan at this week’s meeting.
This
initiative represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to
dramatically transform and reclaim the waterfront brownfield site
known as Allegheny Shores for the benefit of Sharpsburg Borough and
its surrounding communities. The overall project aims to mitigate the
community’s largest transportation barrier - the Conemaugh Line
– a railway owned by Norfolk-Southern, which has for over a
century divided the Borough and isolated its residents from the
Allegheny River, a key natural and historic resource.
“This project is about more than just infrastructure; it's about
reclaiming and revitalizing our riverfront to serve as a hub of
economic, recreational, and environmental prosperity for generations
to come,” Senator Williams said. “I look
forward to catalyzed economic development, enhanced quality of life,
and the creation of a vibrant, mixed-use destination that respects the
area's rich industrial history while paving the way for a sustainable
future.
“I continue to strongly support the Riverfront
47 project in Sharpsburg,” Rep. Steele said,
“and I am so pleased to announce this latest round of funding
through the Business in our Sites Fund. This important revitalization
of a brownfield site has regional implications throughout the
Allegheny Valley, and it is exactly the kind of project that we need
to encourage in our small riverfront communities.”
“I’m delighted that Sharpsburg is receiving $10 million in
new funding from the state,” County Executive Innamorato
said. “This project represents an important investment
in Sharpsburg not just today but for generations. Reclaiming the
waterfront will benefit Sharpsburg and surrounding communities by
connecting them to nature and their neighbors, and I want to thank
everyone involved in making this BiOS Funding a reality.”
“We extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Lindsey Williams
and State Representative Mandy Steele for their leadership and
unwavering advocacy in securing the BIOS funds for the redevelopment
of our Borough's waterfront,” Christine
DeRunk, Manager of Sharpsburg
said. “This critical funding will enable essential site
work, setting the stage for a revitalized waterfront that will
significantly boost economic growth and improve the quality of life
for our residents. Their unwavering commitment to our community has
been pivotal in advancing this transformative initiative.”
“On behalf of the entire Mosites team and our partners at
Sharpsburg borough, I wish to express profound gratitude for the
unwavering support and visionary leadership provided by Senator
Williams, Representative Steele, and the Shapiro
administration,” the developer of the project, Steven
Mosites Jr., president of The Mosites Co. Inc., said.
“This strategic investment symbolizes years of
successful public-private collaboration, propelling us further in the
development of this remarkable, untapped waterfront property.
Ultimately, it’s a resounding victory for the borough, its
residents, and a significant boon for the entire region.”
Grant
Applications Open for Free Laptops!
Libraries,
nonprofits, and community institutions have an exciting new FREE
laptops grant opportunity! The Pennsylvania Department of Community
and Economic Development and the Pennsylvania Broadband Development
Authority are accepting applications now for the
Digital Connectivity Technology Program.
- Eligible
projects under this program include the acquisition of laptop devices
that facilitates broadband internet access and promotes digital
literacy and skills training.
- The minimum grant amount for
any grant is 20 devices. The maximum grant amount for any grant is 200
devices.
- Application deadline: Monday, August
19th.
Learn more at
COVID-19 ARPA Digital Connectivity Technology Program - PA Department
of Community & Economic Development.
Lifeline
Program Provides Discounted Internet Service!
Since the end of the federal Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in
April, the
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has encouraged former ACP
customers to explore other options for affordable internet service
like the
Lifeline program and customer assistance programs from providers.
Don’t pay too much for internet service or go without if you
don’t have to!
See graphic above for information on the
Lifeline program which offers up to $9.25 off phone or internet bills
for income eligible households.You can also contact your Internet
Service Provider and ask what customer assistance programs they
participate in and if you qualify.
For more information
go to:
PUC Encourages Former Affordable Connectivity Program Customers to
Seek Other Assistance Options to Access the Internet | PA
PUC.
Survey
on Purchasing Antlerless Deer Licenses
Pennsylvania hunters, the Pennsylvania
Game Commission (PCG) needs your feedback on their antlerless
deer license buying experience this summer.
To share your
license-buying experience with the PGC, go to www.pgc.pa.gov
and click on the red “Provide feedback on your antlerless deer
license-buying experience” button. Hunters will be asked to
respond to a few questions and will be offered the opportunity to
provide any additional comments. Participation is confidential, as no
identifying questions will be asked. Your responses will help improve
the online license purchasing experience. Thank you!
Explore
PA Outdoors Event
The Pennsylvania
Game Commission and Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources invite you to
their 2024 Explore PA Outdoors event! This FREE event will be a
Pitttsburgh’s beautiful Point State Park on Saturday, August 3rd
from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn
about and try all the outdoor activities Pennsylvania’s natural
areas have to offer. Partner organizations, rangers, and game
commissioners will give demonstrations and let attendees try
activities like archery, hunting, fishing, boating, hiking, biking,
bird watching, and more!
For complete information on this
event and the seminar schedule go to Explore
PA Outdoors.
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
