- test-neighbhorhood@test.highlandparkpa.com

[Highland Park] Fw: Important School Board Hearing
by Harold Love 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Hi! - At the last Pittsburgh Public School Board Education Committee Meeting, the PPS Health Curriculum Review Committee recommended that the School Board adopt a comprehensive sexuality education curriculum for the district. Currently there is no consistent health or sex-ed curriculum or policy guiding instruction for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, so information differs school to school, classroom to classroom. In some of our schools students are taught medically accurate age appropriate information and at others students are taught "abstinence only" and are given very limited information about their own bodies and how to make responsible and safe choices to prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections. To ensure that all of our students have equitable access to science based, age appropriate, comprehensive information regarding how to stay healthy and strong into adulthood, the board asked the Health Curriculum Committee to review national data and research on best practices regarding health and sexuality educational models. The Health Curriculum Committee consisted of parents, teachers, principles, physical education teachers, and district administrators, and health professionals. After several months of investigation and work, the committee came up with its recommendation to the Board to adopt a comprehensive K-12 health curriculum to include a comprehensive approach to sexuality education. I am enclosing the full presentation that was made to the board. The presentation document cites a great deal of the compelling research which demonstrates that comprehensive sex-ed programs have been proven to decrease sexual activity and unsafe behaviors, while abstinence only programs have not. In addition, because abstinence only programs only discuss sex in the context of heterosexual marriage, they leave many teens (and their parents) alienated from the process and excluded from receiving information about how to develop safe and respectful sexual and intimate relationships in GLBT and in non-marriage based heterosexual relationships. Comprehensive programs are more comprehensive and inclusive in language and information, and the curriculum are based on scientific data and fact (not moral judgment) so that all of our children are informed with equitable information to make safe and responsible choices. IMPORTANT! - There is a School Board Public Hearing scheduled on Monday February 16, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the District office located at Conference Room A 341 S. Bellefield Avenue (Oakland). We hope that you will sign up as a speaker to make public comments in support of the adoption of this policy and that you will encourage others to do so as well (especially those that have children attending a PPS school). It is imperative that the School Board hear that there is ample and enthusiastic support from district parents and constituents on this topic. WE NEED YOUR VOICES AS PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PROCESS!!!!!!!!!! If you also would send an email, letter, or place a personal call to your school board member on this topic that would also be very helpful. To speak at a Public Hearing you must be a Pittsburgh city resident. Please call the Superintendent's Office at 412-622-3600 to ask for your name to be included on the speakers list no later than noon on the day of the Public Hearing (Feb. 16). *Additional information about the Public Hearing* - Location: Conference Room A, Administration Building, 341 S. Bellefield Avenue (Oakland) - Contact Information: Contact: Superintendent's Office Email: superintendentoffice(a)pghboe.net Phone: 412-622-3600 If you have any questions, please let me know.

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[Highland Park] [Fwd: Bioneers Monday]
by Maureen Copeland 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

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[Highland Park] Street Trees
by Nancy Levine-Arnold 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Dear Neighbors I have been walking around our neiborhood recently and have noticed a lot of empty tree holes in the sidewalks (including in front of my house). This is a shame, since the trees make our neiborhood beautiful, clean the air and keep our houses cool in the summer. I have been communicating with some one in the Department of City Planning about the possiblity of getting some trees planted. This is possible if I can find enough people interested to plant between 10 and 100 trees. The trees and the planting are free. Most of the tree holes will need to be enlarged, this could be free. Even if you don't have a tree hole and are interested, it is possible to get a hole(s) cut. If you are interested in getting one or more trees please let me know. If you are interested in helping me organize this, let me know that too. If you would like to know more about how this works, click on the link below, or cut and paste it into your browser: http://www.paconserve.org/216/treevitalize Nancy Arnold Junk mail invades our privacy and clogs our mailboxes, it also claims 100 million trees a year--significantly contributing to climate change. The Junk Mail Effect equals the emissions of nine millions cars, the total emissions of seven U.S. states combined, or the emissions equal to heating nearly 13 million homes for the winter. To get rid of some of yours, go to www.dmachoice.org and opt out of catalogues and credit card offers. Want to do more? Check out www.forestethics.org

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[Highland Park] car vandals on Winterton
by Martha Riecks 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Just thought I'd post this as an FYI to don't forget to lock your cars - and don't leave valuables in them even when you do. Our car, parked directly in front of our house on Winterton St., was gone through last night.The only thing they found to take was some spare change & a small container of quarters for parking meters. I think they wanted the CDs, as they had gone through the cases, but could not get to them as they were in the audio system. I called the Zone 5 police station non-emergency number, but they said they can't make any record of it that way and that if I want to actually report it as an incident, I should call 911 when I get home from work tonight (?). I'm think our car was accidentially left unlocked - I was carrying groceries in yesterday afternoon and I probably either didn't hit the lock button securly or didn't shut the door all the way. I'll get better about double-checking that now, and figure with spring approaching it would be good to share this reminder with everyone. Best, Martha Riecks

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[Highland Park] upcoming cooking class schedule
by Dorothy Tague 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Please visit www.chopwoktalk.com<http://www.chopwoktalk.com/> for the menu selections for the following classes: Classes are a 3 hour 'hands-on' class where you will make 6 dishes...$55.00 per class Dim Sum (all appetizers) 2/16 & 2/23 (one opening) Asian Vegetarian 2/19 & 2/26 (two openings) Sushi 2/210 & 2/27 (two openings) Moroccan 3/6 (three openings) Vietnamese 3/9,3/16, & 3/23 Greek Appetizers & Desserts 3/13 Dorothy 412-362-0679

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[Highland Park] sleeper sofa and barcalounger for sale
by Dorothy Tague 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Matching Drexel/Heritage queen size sleeper sofa and reclining chair with light wicker sides. Fabric is a light off white with a very small design. Excellent condition but needs to be cleaned. $300.00 Paul Tague 412-303-2574

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[Highland Park] Multifunction Entertainment Center for Sale
by Stefanie Moser 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

FOR SALE: Multifunction Entertainment Center, by Decor Connections, engineered for an easy assembly, constructed for durability.In original box, instructions included$77.77If interested, please contact Beverly Dixon dixon(a)pghfilmmakers.org _________________________________________________________________ Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_allup_explore_022009

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[Highland Park] Re: car break-ins
by Valerie Sweeney 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

Just FYI: my van was entered Monday night. Around 730pm. No damage. For once I was sorta grateful I was distracted and dumb enough to have not locked it. Just some copied CDs and a pack of gum were taken. Because my quick-witted neighbor saw the kids and called the police, the perpetrators were caught. But not arrested. Because they were 8, 8, and 10. Apparently they live near me, my neighbor recognized them. The cops said they would call the parents to come pick up the boys at the station. But seriously, folks? If the parents are letting their 8 year olds run around the neighborhood in the dark on a school night? I am not holding out much hope for that mattering. Just thought that with the recent uptick in car break-ins, it might help to know what else you should keep your eyes open for.

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[Highland Park] Looking for an electrician
by isobel storch 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

I am looking for a registered electrician to do what should be a relatively small job in my home. Any recommendations?

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[Highland Park] Go Forth into the World
by Bruce Robison 11 Feb '09

11 Feb '09

St. Andrew's Adult Programs Announcement Our Winter/Spring 2009 Adult Programs series, "Go Forth into the World," continues this Sunday afternoon, February 15, in Brooks Hall at 4 p.m. Our speaker will be Venerable Jean Chess, Deacon of St. Andrew's Parish and Archdeacon of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (TEC). The theme of the series focuses on conversational and personal explorations of how the beliefs and values rooted in our identity as Christian people shape and affect the concerns of our "everyday" life--at work or school, in our homes and families. We continue to look at questions of vocation and ethics and interpersonal relationships . . . the daily "stuff" of who we are and what we do. Hope all will be able to mark calendars now and plan to attend this opening event in our series. The program at 4 p.m. will be followed at 5 p.m. with a "sherry hour" reception hosted by the Adult Programs Committee. St. Andrew's is located at 5801 Hampton Street, Pittsburgh 15206. BruceR http://www.standrewspgh.org http://revbmrobison.blogspot.com/

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