Friendship Community Group - A Pittsburgh Neighborhood

Do you need to testify VIRTUALLY at the August 26th PPS Public Hearing? (This month is IN PERSON only)

Use (and share) this sample VIRTUAL ACCOMMODATION REQUEST to testify virtually at the PPS Public Hearing.
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Subject: REQUEST FOR REASONABLE VIRTUAL ACCOMMODATION, PPS PUBLIC HEARING, AUGUST 26, 2024

To:
Gene Walker, PPS Board President, [email protected]
Dr. Wayne Walters, PPS Superintendent, [email protected]

Cc:
All Board Members, [email protected]

On July 17, 2024, PPS notified us that they eliminated the option to testify virtually at the Public Hearing, in place from November 2023. For the first time in 9 months, and on the first day of school, the only option for parents, guardians, staff to testify at the August 26, 2024 Public Hearing is in person at the Board of Education building in Oakland at 6pm.

The PA Sunshine Act (Open Meetings Law) applies to the Pittsburgh Public School Board and states, “The Sunshine Act gives the public the right to comment on issues "that are or may be before the board." Agencies must provide a reasonable opportunity for residents and/or taxpayers to comment on an issue before a decision takes place.”

I am not able to testify in person and am requesting a reasonable accommodation to testify virtually at the August 26, 2024 PPS Public Hearing.

Additionally, I urge the PPS School Board to maintain the Hybrid Public Hearing. By eliminating the virtual option (a decision made behind closed doors with no public discussion), PPS has created an unnecessary hardship for residents and taxpayers in violation of the PA Sunshine Act.
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Public Hearing procedures and form to sign up to testify at the public hearing: https://www.pghschools.org/about/board-of-directors/public-hearing-procedures

Sunshine Act: https://www.openrecords.pa.gov/SunshineAct.cfm

After our 8 year run, we are closing our doors on September 21st as Spork. With many memories, ups and downs, and many celebrations, it is a bitter sweet goodbye. We are so thankful for all of the staff over the years that gave us their best. The hardwork and dedication did not go unnoticed. With years of developing skill sets, diligently studying, and hours of research and development, we are confident to open a concept we have always dreamt of: One by Spork. We pride ourselves in not just being a “good meal” but rather providing a special experience to each guest. We can’t wait to show you what we have in store. None of this is possible without the years of support for the public! Join us to celebrate the send off of Spork as we know it. Keep your eye out in the coming weeks after our closure for the launch of One. Let’s do this!

You're never too old or too young to learn how to ride a bike! Bike Pittsburgh, POGOH and CitiParks - Pittsburgh Parks & Recreation are hosting one last Learn 2 Ride on August 16. Stop by to practice in the park, try an Adaptive POGOH bike or join an instructor-led group class.

📆: Friday, August 16, 4-7 pm
📍: Bud Harris Cycling Track (1401 Washington Blvd)
ℹ️: https://ow.ly/8Iym50SIAi0

Short commute alert!

Silver Eye Center for Photography promotes the power of contemporary photography as a fine art medium by creating original exhibitions, unique educational programming, and a space for artists to learn, create, and connect through our digital lab and education center, The Lab @ Silver Eye. They currently seek a Director of Development and Communications to work closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement strategies for individual donor engagement and communications and marketing for the organization. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eyh2uGf6

Short commute alert!

Are you looking for a new opportunity in the community? Stop in at the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation Employment Center on Wednesday, September 11th from 10:00am – 1:00pm to meet with Nicole Walach, the Human Resources Manager of The Children’s Home, to learn more about the job opportunities we have to offer.

The Employment Center is located right down the street from The Children’s Home in Bloomfield Garfield. We look forward to seeing you there!

Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation

We’re extending our School Supply and Backpack drive since we aren’t turning them in till Tuesday and Wednesday ❤️ So sorry if we missed anyone at yesterday with your donations of backpacks 🥹 We can take donations at our warehouse tomorrow or funds through our Venmo. If you’d like to support. Weve gotten sooo many backpacks and lunch bags we purchased- will share our bounty before we take them to the two organizations we’re working with ❤️

Also if anyone knows of any other organizations who can use them let us know! We can try to support more folks with them if we can! Thanks for the support yall.

Working on an article about saving the Montessori School building for the September issue of the Bloomfield-Garfield Bulletin, and look at this treasure trove of old photos from the school that we came across!

(Click the Friendship Elementary School page below to see more)

1964 3_Amigos

Bonus feature at the Community Yard Sale today: come meet Skeeter the Tortoise at the corner of Friendship and S. Aiken Avenues!

It’s a beautiful day to grab a coffee and shop the Friendship Yard Sale! ☀️

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Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority offering credit for rain barrel installations PWSA customers can get a $40 credit on their bill for installing a rain barrel to assist with storm runoff.

Artists and creatives, join us on Wednesday, August 28, at Emerald City for Field Sessions!

This event is part social mixer and part information session for artists and creatives who are interested in working in the public realm.

This event will be held from 5:30 - 7:30 PM and is free to attend; advance registration is required. Refreshments will be provided. For more info and to register, please visit: https://shiftworkspgh.org/event/field-sessions-2024/

Weekend Special! Grab a chicken salad sandwich after you peruse the Friendship Park Yard Sale this weekend!!

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Any of our Yard Sale sellers feeling this today? 🤣

It's going to be a BEAUTIFUL day for our Community Yard Sale tomorrow! 🌞

Are you a seller who is busy prepping your stuff? Check out this list of helpful hints to ensure you get top sales! https://www.ramseysolutions.com/saving/garage-sale-tips

TLDR:
- Provide copies of your Venmo and/or PayPal QR codes to offer multiple, easy ways to pay
- Be ready with a variety of bills to make change easily
- Organize your stuff by category, and make sure it looks neat and inviting
- Put as much as you can up on tables and put clothes on hangers so people can more easily see and reach
- Price EVERY item, or group same priced items together in bins! No one wants to guess how much you might personally value something (i.e. "make me an offer")

Best Tips for Having a Successful Garage Sale Want to make some serious extra money this month? You’ve come to the right place. These tips are the golden ticket for hosting a successful garage sale.

Pittsburgh school leaders say $15M grant will help make buildings energy efficient School officials say doing so could help them lower building costs amid reductions in tax revenue and deteriorating building conditions.

If you haven’t heard Councilman Mosley’s new record, “Bringing ‘88 Back”, you should check it out! Available now on your favorite streaming platform. We’re lucky to have such a multi-talented city representative in our corner!

It was an incredible experience to partner with Barrel and Flow Fest, District 9’s own Two Frays Brewery and my amazingly talented brother Anire Mosley to create a special brew for the biggest Black beer fest in the world.

Montessori and Woolslair are 2 of the top 3 schools that would require the most renovation costs, meaning they’re at high risk of being closed down as PPS looks to consolidate their buildings.

Send an email to [email protected] if you’d like to be added to the “Save Pgh Montessori” email list. If not the program within the school itself, Friendship needs to loudly advocate to at least maintain this beautiful, historic building for a purpose that serves the community in lieu of a developer snapping it up for condos and surface parking.

PPS records show 90% of buildings need costly renovations as district weighs school closures The district is using the Facilities Condition Index to assess the quality of its buildings and to determine potential school closures.

Neighborhood E-Waste Collection-District 8 Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC) has partnered with the City of Pittsburgh to bring electronic waste recycling to neighborhoods.

🎉 It's that time of year again!

For the twelfth year running, Pittsburgh Public Schools and our amazing community partners are gearing up to get families ready for the first day of school. Join us at , our back-to-school bash, on August 19 from 11 AM to 3 PM at Acrisure Stadium.

This fun-filled event offers two ways to participate:
1. In-Person: Acrisure Fed Ex Great Hall, 100 Art Rooney Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

2. Drive-Thru: Gold Lot 1A, General Robinson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Come snag free stuffed book bags, food, haircuts, hairstyles, manicures, shoes, socks, and more!

Huge thanks to our fantastic sponsors: Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC, WAMO 107.3 93.7 The Fan, 100.7 Star, Comcast, The PT Services Group, Mount Ararat Church Pittsburgh, PA, Dreamz Hair Salon/ Cafe Asè, City of Pittsburgh, 100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA, The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern Pennsylvania, UPMC, The Cameron Heyward Foundation, Why Not You Foundation, and Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh.

Register by visiting https://pghboe.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bf7qtz2gBOCuvP0

Let’s kick off the school year in style!

The 2024 Friendship Yard Sale Map is now available!

Download your copy here: www.friendship-pgh.org/yardsale

Printed copies will also be available day-of at:
- Baum Grove, 400 Roup Ave.
- Friendship Perk 'n' Brew, 300 S. Pacific Ave.
- The Octopus Garden, 135 S. Aiken Ave.

Sellers-- if you're willing to print a few off, it's always great to have some copies of this map on hand too, in case people ask!

Household Chemical Collection Event in Allegheny County at Boyce Park PRC is the Commonwealth's oldest environmental nonprofit preventing pollution and conserving environmental resources for future generations.

🌳🏙️ Urban Trees: Essential for Vibrant Cities 🌳🏙️Urban trees are more than just greenery – they're vital for our cities' health and beauty. From cleaning the air to providing shade and tranquility, trees enrich our lives in countless ways. Let's keep our cities green and thriving by planting and preserving urban trees!
Picture: Milan 🙂🌳

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