Mayor Brittany Reno

I first met Father Michael Decewicz early into my time in Sharpsburg. I was nervous to meet him, as I was pretty new in town and also wasn’t a religiously involved person. Within the first minute of meeting Father Mike, you know that he was warm, caring, sharp and incisive, surprisingly playful and wry, and so, so funny. Because he shared openly, with reflection and without shame, about his own struggles in life, everywhere he went he created an atmosphere of non-judgment and a space safe for people to be vulnerable without fear of castigation.

I’d seen him a couple times this past year because even after he shepherded his beautiful effort of love and faith, Addiction Recovery Ministry, up the street from Sharpsburg to its home in Harmar, he was still a familiar face in the community and someone who didn’t just seem to know everyone, he also cared, very clearly, about everyone. He didn’t just want to help individuals—and he helped many, countless many individuals in very obvious and tangible ways, as well as in more subtle and supportive and quiet ways—he wanted to help heal our systems so that fewer people and families ever got caught up in the grasp of substance use disorder at all.

This man is a hero. He never seemed to miss a community resource fair or an opportunity to extend a kind word of empathy and encouragement. When he saw challenges and problems, he didn’t cast stones; rather, he invited others to roll up their sleeves and become part of finding and implementing the solution.

What an honor to have known and shared conversations and community with this quiet, fierce, humble, and very caring giant of a person, a heart, and a spirit. Rest easy and we’ll carry on your work with love, Father Mike.

[Photo: The card Father Mike sent shortly after I was elected as mayor, which I was extra surprised and touched to receive after not having bumped into each other in quite a while. Transcription in the comments.]

Thanks so much to all of the wonderful people who came out to plant trees this year! Together with the donated support of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Tree Pittsburgh, and Sharpsburg Neighborhood Organization, we planted 25 new street trees, which help with:

• Holding stormwater to reduce our flooding risk
• Cleaning the air to help reduce pollution and reduce cardiovascular health emergencies
• Improving mental health for people in the area
• Providing shade, which helps reduce the "urban heat island" effect that is so prevalent here in Sharpsburg, ultimately saving people money and reducing pollution from air conditioning (read more about that below)
• Slowing speeding traffic and keeping people walking outside safely and more frequently (which is super important in a town where nearly a quarter of households don't have a car!).

Dollar for dollar, trees are one of the single best infrastructure investments we can make here in Sharpsburg to get the most bang for our buck given our simultaneous challenges with flooding, safe walking, access to mental health care, and air pollution. Currently, outside of the City of Pittsburgh, Sharpsburg has one of the sparsest shade tree canopies in all of Allegheny County, but you can be part of the small group of locals working to change that.

If you'd like to get involved with the Sharpsburg Shade Tree Commission or Environmental Advisory Commission to help expand their impact, please reach out to me!

Thank you all for your understanding as we work behind the scenes to deal with Waste Management's handling of the new can rollout. Please continue to check the Borough website for the most up-to-date information that we have. And please be patient with our small team of Borough staff who are working diligently to communicate these issues to (and get decisive, reliable answers from) Waste Management.

Garbage Updates from the Borough:

"Waste Management (WM) began delivering garbage cans today (3/15/2023). This is a week ahead of schedule. We are aware that there was a botched rollout on the part of WM with the mailing of the postcards for households that would like a garbage can that is smaller or larger than the default 64-gallon can.

You will be able to switch out the 64-gallon can for the size that you want if that is your preference. The Borough staff asks for your patience as we work through this because it will be Borough staff that will be switching out the garbage cans. Before we can switch out cans, WM will need to deliver the extra cans to us. This has not happened yet.

Please, if the wrong size can was delivered to your house, call the admin office at 412-781-0546 and let us know the following: Your name, address, the size of can that you did want (35 gallon or 96 gallon). Be advised that if you are looking for additional garbage cans, those will be purchased directly from WM and not the Borough. The Borough is not involved in selling additional garbage cans. Thank you for your patience."

WASTE MANAGEMENT CAN ROLLOUT - EARLY Waste Management (WM) began delivering garbage cans today (3/15/2023). This is a week ahead of schedule. We are aware that there was a botched rollout on the part of WM with the mailing of the postcards for households that would like a garbage can that is smaller or larger than the default 64-gallon...

There are so many fun things going on all weekend here in Sharpsburg! Make some time to pop down to the business district and Camp Guyasuta to support and enjoy our special local businesses, artists, and nonprofit organizations!

What a wonderful day in Sharpsburg! Stop by the Linden Gym today (Friday, 10/7, from 4-8 pm) or tomorrow (Saturday, 10/8, from 1-6 pm) for FREE brand new and gently used winter coats and other winter clothes for the whole family!

Here's the incredible Roots of Faith team with their sweet group of volunteers getting ready for the big shopping spree to begin! Thanks to everyone who's making this awesome event possible!

There's still time today (Friday, 10/7, until 5 pm) to stop down at the borough building to chat with a bunch of our local resource providers at the wonderful community resource event organized by our fantastic police social work interns!

Thanks to all the partners and residents who've stopped down already to say hi! Let us know when and where you'd like to see us pop up next.

Please join me in congratulating our own Ed Aurin on his well-deserved retirement today after 42 YEARS (!) with the Borough of Sharpsburg Department of Public Works!

Eddie began his service with the Borough in 1980 and has been a key part of many critical projects that you see today around town. Always there with a smile and a helping hand, Eddie has been a tremendous asset for all of us here in Sharpsburg, both through good times and tough times. We are all so grateful to Eddie for his decades of hard work and dedication to our community and residents, and today he was honored with a mayoral proclamation.

Thanks Eddie--and enjoy sleeping in on Monday! 💙

The Sharpsburg Police Department is excited to welcome two new master's-level social work interns to the Borough! Social workers can help provide more comprehensive social service support to our residents in need, which at the same time reduces the burden put on our police officers. I'm happy to have supported the effort to bring Mary and Kirsten on board with the leadership of Borough Council Vice President Karen Pilarski Pastor and Chief Tom Stelitano.

All of council and the police department have been supportive of this effort, which complements the efforts of local organizations Sharpsburg Community Library, Roots of Faith, and North Hills Community Outreach to also bring aboard social workers and social work interns over the past year in service to our community members.

"Sharpsburg residents who want to learn more about the interns and inquire about their services can email [email protected] or [email protected]."

Slippery Rock University master's students start social worker internships in Sharpsburg Addressing issues of domestic violence, drug use, homelessness, food insecurity and hording are just some of the ways two Slippery Rock University social worker interns plan to make an impact in Sharpsburg. Master’s degree students Mary Bauer of Richland Township and Kirsten Giovengo of Ohio T...

Stop by Kennedy Park tonight from 5-8 pm to support our wonderful local Sharpsburg-Aspinwall Rotary Club, chat with your neighbors, and (of course) enjoy some delicious hotdogs, pierogies, funnel cakes, and fried dough!

📰Take the Sharpsburg Borough Newsletter Survey here! 💭 https://forms.gle/NLUqbT8JNjBGBUbP8

The Sharpsburg Borough council and mayor are looking to improve communication between the local government, residents, community groups, and small business owners.

To help us gauge in which formats people would like to receive this newsletter, as well as what content people would like to see, please fill out this form and share it with other Sharpsburg community members you know.

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Thank you for being a part of this community!

Sharpsburg Borough Quarterly Newsletter Survey The Sharpsburg Borough council and mayor are looking to improve communication between the local government, residents, community groups, and small business owners. To help us gauge in which formats people would like to receive this newsletter, as well as what content people would like to see, please...

We are blessed to be able to help our Sharpsburg residents (and surrounding area residents) through our partnership with North Hills Community Outreach! We do rent rebates, liheap, dollar energy, liheap crisis, housing, emergency food, social security, senior food boxes, and so much more!

The Watson Institute and its wonderful programs, students, teachers, other professionals, and parents are such an incredible asset for our community! I can't thank them enough for having us visit, meet some of the students, and check out the school. Sharpsburg is so fortunate to have these folks here.

Every day should be Memorial Day in one way or another. So many of the freedoms and privileges we enjoy every day are afforded to us through the bravery of Veterans who gave it all in service to the dream of a country where people from all walks of life are free to pursue happiness, wellbeing, and fulfillment free from discrimination and tyranny.

In honor of those we've lost who fought for those ideals, and their fellow service members who follow them, let us collectively give serious pause and consideration to the grave decisions that bring our country into armed conflict. Let us support Veterans, their families, and all people in this country with accessible, affordable health care, including mental health care, and stable, quality, affordable housing so that we all can realize that dream. And let us remember that every day, we all can do small things to honor their memory through acts of kindness, caring, and sacrifice.

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