Mt. Lebanon Kids Health & Safety Fair To Be Held October 31

State Rep. Matt Smith, D-Allegheny, and Allegheny County Councilman Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park, will host the 2009 Mt. Lebanon Kids Health & Safety Fair from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31 in Mt. Lebanon’s Public Safety Center, 555 Washington Road.

The fair immediately follows Mt. Lebanon’s annual Pumpkin Patch Parade, which will begin at 11 a.m. in the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery adjacent to the public safety building.

Link: www.yoursouthhills.com/blog/mt-lebanon-kids-health-safety-fair-be-held-october-31

County Will Appeal Ruling On Sex Offenders

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato this afternoon said the county will appeal a federal court ruling that struck down an ordinance banning sex offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a child care facility, recreational facility, community center, public park or school.

U.S. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster said the ordinance, which was introduced and unanimously approved by County Council in October 2007, undermined state law. The ordinance, which was initially sponsored by County Councilman Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park, was challenged last year by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of six sex offenders.

Link: www.postgazette.com/pg/09083/957951-100.stm

Smith And Gastgeb Hosting Drug And Alcohol Awareness Event

From Representative Matt's Smith's office:

I'd like to invite you and anyone else who'd be interested to attend a drug and alcohol prevention and awareness event I'm hosting next month with Allegheny County Councilman Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park, and several local officials.

The event will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 12 at Mt. Lebanon High School’s auditorium, 7 Horsman Drive in Mt. Lebanon. This event is open to the public.

We've arranged for several speakers from the county Health Department and local groups such as the Mt. Lebanon Police Department, and a question-and-answer period will follow their presentations. We'll also have several resource tables from the county, state and teen outreach organizations.

Councilman Gastgeb and I are hosting the event along with Dr. Bruce Dixon, director of the Allegheny County Health Department, and Pat Valentine, deputy director of the Allegheny County Department of Health and Human Services.

Residency Restrictions For Sex Offenders Popular, But Ineffective

County Councilman Vince Gastgeb and Mt. Lebanon resident Kathy Graziano are mentioned in this article from today's Post-Gazette:

The decision by Mr. Gastgeb to write the local law was influenced by listening to many parents in Mt. Lebanon speak at community meetings. They were outraged last year to learn that a convicted sex offender was living near Howe Elementary School in the Sunset Hills neighborhood.

Last week, parents there continued to support the residency restriction law. "It would be very difficult to have a whole lot of sympathy for sex offenders at all, having three children," said Kathy Graziano, who lives in the community.

One of the reasons she feels so strongly about the restriction is that the Mt. Lebanon School District does not have a busing system. Many students walk to and from school, she said, which makes them more vulnerable. "There were children passing his residence at any time of the day," Ms. Graziano said. "We don't have buses . . . or designated adults that would be one more set of eyes."

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/08300/922948-85.stm

Candidates Against Using Drink Tax For Transit

Both candidates for Allegheny County Council in District 5 have said imposing a new alcoholic drink tax to pay for transit is a bad idea.

The drink tax -- 10 percent on alcohol served in bars and restaurants in Allegheny County -- is part of a two-pronged approach to provide a dedicated funding stream of about $30 million to fund mass transit in the region. The other source would be a $2 daily tax on car rentals.

"It seems like kind of an odd fit," said Barbara D. Logan, a Mt. Lebanon commissioner who is the Democratic nominee challenging Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07298/828188-55.stm

Link 2: www.gastgeb.com

Link 3: www.loganforcountycouncil.com

Upcoming Kids Safety Fair

A "Kids Safety Fair" will held at the Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Building on Washington Road Saturday following the annual Halloween parade, which starts at 10 a.m.

The safety fair, sponsored by County Councilman Vince Gastgeb and the Mt. Lebanon Police Department, will provide information on various safety issues concerning children and on crime prevention and health and nutrition.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07298/828199-55.stm

County Bans Sex Offenders From Living Too Close To Schools, Parks

Allegheny County Council yesterday passed a law prohibiting registered sexual offenders from living within 2,500 feet of a school or child care center, public park or playground.

Council unanimously approved the ordinance that was introduced in June by Councilman Vince Gastgeb, R-Bethel Park, after a group of Mt. Lebanon residents, angered to learn that a registered sex offender was living near an elementary school in the Sunset Hills neighborhood, pressed for more restrictions.

Link: www.post-gazette.com/pg/07297/827964-85.stm