2022 Events Review

We highlighted our Harrison Hills Park D38 Parks Tour Event in last week’s 2022 Events Review.  This week we are revisiting our 2022 Small Business Resource Fair!

Event Feature - Small Business Resource Fair in Highland Park

We hosted a Small Business Resource Fair on August 10, 2022 at the Union Project, located at the nexus of the Highland Park, Morningside, and East Liberty neighborhoods. This was our first time hosting an event for business owners and it was a great success! Everyone who attended said they found new information on a variety of business challenges from the wide array of resource organizations we invited.  

• Honeycomb Credit
• Innovation Works Inc.
• Bridgeway Capital Inc.
• The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
• Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh
• Innovation Works
• Steel Valley Authority, Kiva Pittsburgh
• Riverside Center for Innovation
• Center for Women's Entrepreneurship (CWE)
• The University of Pittsburgh Small Business Development Center

Small businesses are the engine of local economies and supporting them is one of our highest priorities. Thank you to organizations who came to support our entrepreneurs and who made this event worthwhile!

Legislative Update

District 38 Redevelopment Grant Awards

This week I announced that six local projects have been awarded a total of $9.5 million in grant funding through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP). 

These Redevelopment Grants are extremely competitive statewide. Each of these projects will take this capital investment and turn into a benefit to the surrounding community by creating jobs, renovating blighted and unused properties, and expanding existing programs that do so much good in our neighborhoods. I was proud to advocate for these projects and I can’t wait to see the return on these investments.

• The Kingsley Association in East Liberty will receive $500,000 to renovate and restore their pool area, including replacement of the HVAC, pump systems, and roof in that section of the building.  
• East Liberty Development Inc. will receive $1 million for the renovation of the Saints Peter and Paul Event Center. Plans for renovations include demolition of the old school building and site development, as well as the installation of new roofing, lighting, flooring, and mechanicals in the former church. 
• Maitri Holdings will receive $1 million for the expansion of their existing medical cannabis cultivation facility. 
• R & Z Harrison Properties will receive $1 million for site preparation activities, including grading, construction of a culvert, installation of utilities, and highway improvements. 
• Pittsburgh Glass Center will receive $1 million for renovations and expansions to the existing facility, including adding a fabrication lab, expanding and redesigning retail space, and adding flexible classroom space. 
• Riverfront 47 will receive $5 million for the Allegheny Shores site preparation and revitalization project that will transform a 1.5-mile brownfield site into a mixed-use development along the Allegheny River in O’Hara Township and Sharpsburg.  

RACP funding is awarded to projects that focus on the acquisition and construction of regional economic, cultural, civic, recreational, and historical improvement projects. These projects should either increase or maintain current levels of employment, tax revenue, or other measures of economic activity. 

District 38 School Grant Awards

This month $190 million in PCCD School Safety and Security Grants were awarded to school districts across Pennsylvania, including $95 million for student mental health. For the 2022-23 school year, this grant program is being administered with the express purpose of funding projects that directly impact both physical security enhancements and mental health initiatives, with separate funding available for both.

The School Mental Health Grant program is based on SB1285, the “Grant to Support Students’ Mental Health” legislation I introduced alongside Senator Jim Brewster, which was later incorporated into the 2022-23 School Code. This program allocates $95 million, half of the total PCCD School Safety and Security Grant funding, to improve access to mental health supports for students.

Funding student mental health initiatives in this year’s school code was a top priority for me. Students and teachers are telling us that there is an unprecedented mental health crisis in our schools. Providing funding that can address that crisis head on is a huge win for our students, our schools, and our communities. Seeing this funding being distributed to districts and put to use to help our students is extremely exciting.

Districts can use this funding on specific mental health services, resources, training and supports for students, staff, and faculty. This list of allowable activities was expanded this year and includes:

• Developing curriculum that addresses risk assessment, violence prevention, mental health early intervention, or self-care and suicide awareness and prevention;
• Implementing violence prevention programs that address risk factors including mental health early intervention, self-care, bullying, and suicide awareness and prevention;
• Providing counseling services for students, either through hiring counselors or expanding contracts with outside mental health providers that provide support to students in the school setting;
• Staff training programs on positive behavior supports, de-escalation, and trauma-informed treatment;
• Training and compensation for certified school counselors, social workers and school psychologists;
• Screening students for adverse childhood experiences and providing of trauma-informed counseling services as necessary based on the results of screenings;
• Increasing student and employee access to quality trauma support services and behavioral health care;
• Expanding telemedicine delivery of school-based mental health services;
•  Creating and expanding intervention frameworks;
• Training that focuses on identifying signs and signals of anxiety, depression, suicide or self-harm in students and best practices for seeking appropriate mental health assistance;
• Providing, increasing, or enhancing partnerships with nonprofits and libraries for out-of-school programming for at-risk school-aged students;
• Coordinating with local and county mental heath services and programs for employees and students;
• Providing online programs, educational materials, and applications to provide supplemental mental health services to students.

While this grant funding is administered statewide, school districts within the 38th district receiving funding are:

Progress on Blight

Headed to the Governor’s desk are a package of bills I supported aimed at fighting blight. Last March I joined my House and Senate colleagues in hosting a Policy Hearing on the needed changes to abandoned and blighted properties. So many of our local municipalities struggle with cost-effective ways to manage blighted properties in a way that both improves the safety and appearance of their neighborhoods and moves these properties off the delinquent tax rolls. I am thrilled to see some meaningful changes becoming law.

Good News

New Western PA Urban Search and Rescue Team

On October 12, I joined Mayor Ed Gainey, Senator Jay Costa, and PA State Rep. Natalie Mihalek to celebrate the introduction of the new Urban Search and Rescue team in Western Pennsylvania.

Fortunately, after the collapse of the Fern Hollow Bridge, search and rescue wasn't necessary. But if it had been needed, the nearest team capable of this sort of effort is based in Philadelphia, which means that lives could have been lost in the hours it would have taken search and rescue to arrive on the scene. In these situations, seconds mean the difference between life and death.

I'm committed to ensuring that all of our first responders are fully funded so that they can do their jobs safely and professionally and I'm proud to support this new Urban Search and Rescue Team.

https://www.wpxi.com/.../penn.../GLBPBZB3NVECFKYGK6G5VTYJXA/

Hard-To-Read License Plate Event in Ross Township

Thank you so much to the Shaler Township Police Department, the Ross Township Police Department, and the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for helping out with our Hard to Read License Plate Replacement Event on October 13th! We were able to provide a one-stop shop for constituents to have their forms completed for their free license plate replacement.

Couldn't make the event? No problem! Contact our office at [email protected] or by phone at 412-364-0469 (Ross) or 724-224-2131 (Natrona Heights) to get the necessary forms and instructions on how to obtain a free license plate replacement for your vehicle!

Wexford Eagle Scouts Honored

Congratulations to Matthew Carper, Anthony Joseph King, and Nicholas Paul King of Boy Scouts Troop #344 of Wexford for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and thank you for inviting me to celebrate with you and your families last week.

Sheldon Park Fall Festival

We had a great time at Sheldon Park's neighborhood Fall Festival last weekend in Harrison Township! The kiddos had great costumes and everyone had a great time enjoying food, friendship, games, and pumpkins!

Heinz History Center Meeting in Harrisburg

This week my staff met with the President and CEO of the Heinz History Center, Andy Masich, to discuss the Center's future plans, receive a mini history lesson, and practice our jazz hands!

Humane Society Meeting in Harrisburg

I was honored to meet Libre and members of the Humane Society of the United States this week in Harrisburg to discuss how we can do even more to protect animals here in Pennsylvania.

Libre is the inspiration for "Libre's Law", which was passed in 2017 and limits the amount of time that dogs can be tethered outdoors, especially in extreme cold and heat. It also requires that they have water and shade available to them.

Our pets are part of the family and I'm proud to support legislation that protects them.

PA Preferred Lunch with Highlands Middle School

I had the absolute pleasure of visiting Highlands School District Middle School on Thursday to celebrate PA Preferred Days and National Farm to School Month. We had a “Root for Potatoes” lunch featuring delicious loaded smashed potatoes from Sterman Masser, Inc. Potato Farms and sweet potato pie, as well as samples from Turner Dairy Farms. Thank you to Highlands’ food service coordinator, administrators, teachers, and staff who hosted me today and to all the students for brightening my week!

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