Upcoming Events

McCandless Annual Night Out Against Crime
McCandless Town Hall, Tuesday, August 2nd, 5-8pm

The Town of McCandless Police Department will be hosting their annual Night Out Against Crime on August 2nd this year from 5-8 pm at McCandless Town Hall. Kids and families will have the chance to tour an ambulance and fire trucks, watch the local fire departments compete in the barrel challenge, meet K-9 Officer Joy, and much more!

Bloomfield-Garfield First Friday
Friday, August 5th, 5-10 pm, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation

We will be joining in the fun at the Bloomfield-Garfield Neighborhood First Friday celebration on Friday, August 5th from 5-10 PM at the Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation, 113 N. Pacific Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15224. Meet Senator Williams and our staff, ask any questions about state resources, and pick up some information about upcoming events and programs at our table while you enjoy the excellent food, music, and vendors!

Etna Community Day
Saturday, August 6th, 12-4 PM, Etna Community Pool

We will be celebrating with The Etna Neighborhood Association at the Borough of Etna’s Community Day on Saturday, August 2nd, 2022, 12-4PM. Come out with the family to enjoy the free swimming, games, DJ, basket raffle, 50/50, Bingo, and stop by our table to talk with Senator Williams. Our staff will be there with information about state programs and resources. See you there!

Sharpsburg Community Opioid Overdose Response Training
Saturday, August 6th, 2 PM, Roots of Faith

Join Senator Williams and Representative Sara Innamorato at Onala Recovery Center’s Overdose Response Training at Roots of Faith, 800 Main St. in Sharpsburg on August 6th at 2 pm! The event is free and open to anyone over 18. This training involves education, discussion, and hands-on training. Participants will go home with free Narcan, a training certificate, and all the necessary skills to save the life of someone experiencing an overdose. The training will also include rescue breathing instruction. Walk-ins are welcome or participants can pre-register at www.onala.org.

Small Business Resource Fair
Wednesday, August 10th at The Union Project, 10 AM - 1 PM

Attention small business owners! We are hosting a Small Business Fair on Wednesday, August 10th from 10am-1pm at the Union Project at 801 N. Negley Ave. This event is for both new and established small business owners who are looking for more opportunities to help them grow and succeed!

Featuring:

Department of Community and Economic Development
University of Pittsburgh SBDC
Bridgeway Capital, Inc.
URA of Pittsburgh/Invest PGH
Innovation Works, Inc.
Honeycomb Credit
Keva Loans
The Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence
And more!

Register online at SmallBusinessFair2022 - Senator Lindsey Williams. Register over the phone at 412-364-0469 or 724-224-2131.

For information on attending as a vendor, please email [email protected].

Free Shredding Event
Lauri Ann West Community Center, O'Hara Townshipm Saturday, August 13, 10 AM - 1 PM

Protect your identity by shredding your sensitive paper documents at the free shredding event we are hosting! The event will be held at the Lauri Ann West Community Center, 1220 Powers Run Rd in O’Hara Township on Saturday, August 13 from 10 am – 1 pm (or until the truck is full). Shredding will be performed on site and is limited to 2 boxes per car. This is paper only shredding – please remove all metal fasteners other than staples. No books or binders, please!

Legislative Update

3rd Anniversary of the PA GI Bill!

On Tuesday we celebrated 3 years of the Pennsylvania GI Bill with members of the Pennsylvania National Guard,Governor Tom Wolf, Rep. Scott Conklin, and Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi. I was so proud to be the prime sponsor of this legislation and it will always be incredibly special to me because it was the first piece of legislation that I had signed into law-- plus, it was a bipartisan effort that was passed unanimously in both the House and Senate that is pro-working families and pro-education. Not bad for my first bill!

Hearing stories from families like the Rivera-Coias and the hundreds of others who are using the PA GI Bill to achieve their dreams always makes my heart happy. Legislation like this is what made me want to become a Senator.

I cannot think of a better way to thank our Guard Members and their families for their incredible sacrifices than to invest in them in their education. Because when we invest in education, we invest in their futures and the futures of ALL Pennsylvanians.

Thank you to all of our Guard Members and families. I’m proud to have been a part of this program. I can’t wait to see the amazing legacy these students will create.

Gov. Wolf highlights PA G.I. Bill at University Park (wearecentralpa.com)

Good News

Ross Township Fishing Tournament!

We had a wonderful morning last Saturday for the 25th annual Ross Township Fishing Tournament! Thank you to the Ross Township Police Department and Ross Township Parks & Recreation Department for all your work in making this event happen.

East Liberty 40th Anniversary Community Health Fair

We celebrated the 40th anniversary of the East Liberty Family Health Care Center this weekend by doing what they do best-- giving back to the community! Thank you for putting together this health fair for the neighborhood and for inviting us to join you!

D38 Staff Paddle Trip to Sycamore Island

Three of our PA Senate District 38 staffers had a unique in-district adventure! They participated in 3 Rivers Outdoor Company’s first inaugural Paddlesports Weekend. The group waited out Saturday afternoon’s severe storms, then kayaked two miles from Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park to camp on Sycamore Island off Blawnox.

Sycamore Island is a 14-acre public conservation area preserved by Allegheny Land Trust. The island is only accessible by boat. Sycamore Island was the site of the Harbor Isle Boat Club in the late 1960s. After being abandoned, nature has reclaimed the island.

Now, the island is a refuge for birds, turtles, pollinator insects, riparian plants, and mushrooms. Silver maples, black willows, American sycamores, and eastern cottonwoods shade the island. On the trip, the group spotted blue herons fishing, turkey vultures perched in the trees, and fish jumping out of the river.

After the perfect camping dinner of hot dogs and s’mores, the group enjoyed a rain-free night camping on the island.

Post-paddle Birthday Breakfast

We were thrilled for a sunny, cool Sunday morning to celebrate staff member Caiden’s 30thbirthday. Iced coffee and “veg party loaded potatoes” were our brunch favorites at Farmer x Baker in Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park.

Sycamore Island Mushroom Hunt this Saturday!

You may be interested in your own trip to Sycamore Island after reading about our staff trip in the last section. It just so happens that the Allegheny Land Trust, the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club and Allegheny Cleanways are hosting a Sycamore Island Mushroom Hunt this Saturday, July 30, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PMfor $25.

For more information and to register go to Mushroom Hunt: Sycamore Island - Allegheny Land Trust.

Tarentum/East Deer and Cheswick Riverfront Trail Projects Need Your Feedback!

Friends of the Riverfront is collecting community feedback for two new trail projects in the Allegheny Valley: Tarentum/East Deer and Cheswick. These surveys are key to developing a community trail that reflects what everyone wants.

The public engagement process for these projects is ongoing and there will be plenty of opportunities for continued input, so stay tuned!

Friends of the Riverfront Volunteer Opportunities!

Activity on the Three Rivers Heritage and Water Trails is going strong and there are still plenty of opportunities to help this summer! Join Friends of the Riverfront in maintaining safe, clean, and accessible trails for everyone.

Trail Tuesdays: regular weekly trail care opportunity from 9:30 am - 11:30 am.
- Trail Tuesday - Evening Edition: from 5:30pm – 7:30pm, August 30.
Public Trail Care Saturdays: register to help with specific beautification projects along the trail from 9:30 am - 11:30 am, July 30 and August 27.
Trail care on your own time: sign up for a free litter kit to help collect litter and trash along the trail on your schedule. Kits have the tools you need to safely clean-up our riverfronts. Report your hours and be part of a “virtual crew” working together to keep our community clean. Register for a Litter Kit here.

To inspire you, we included the pictures above from one group’s recent effort at the SouthSide Riverfront Park WaterTrail. They cleared overgrowth and invasives which made a big difference!

To sign up for a cleanup event or to get your free litter kit go to Volunteer | Friends of the Riverfront. You can also call 412-488-0212 or [email protected]. Thanks to volunteers like you, our river trails will look good all season!

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is Live!

As of July 16th, Pennsylvanians experiencing a mental health crisis now only need to remember three numbers to access help: 9-8-8. The new number makes access to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline easier and still connects callers with trained counselors who can help. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal, substance use, and other mental health crises call or text 988. Learn more at 988 National Mental Health Crisis Line (pa.gov).

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