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| The Latest News from Your State Representative |
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| Please do not reply to this e-mail, as I am unable to respond to messages sent to this address. You can contact me directly at vgaydos@pahousegop.com or here. |
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As we end one year and begin another, I hope everyone enjoyed a happy, healthy holiday season surrounded by friends and family. May 2022 be a positive and prosperous year for all.
Recently, I participated with my colleagues from the House Majority Policy Committee at a hearing in Wexford to hear testimony on state legislative redistricting.
In the newly proposed maps, the Pennsylvania Legislative Reapportionment Commission’s (LRC) preliminary map splits Moon Township and the Quaker Valley into three different state House districts. Allan Bross, Moon Township supervisor, spoke about the importance of keeping Moon Township’s community centers in the same district with the community it serves. Written testimony was provided by George Shannon, mayor of Sewickley, requesting that all 11 boroughs and municipalities in Quaker Valley also remain whole.
Please watch as I made comments and asked questions to the testifiers at the hearing by clicking here.
As I fully support, communities should define their government and not the other way around. Communities for us mean shared public services like water, sewer, police, fire and school districts. Or simply where people live, work, play, or worship together. Thus, your involvement in the legislative redistricting process is critically important to help the commission know best what unites us, not what divides us. And to let them know that maps should be about people, not politics.
To ensure that our communities to remain together in one House district, please be sure to voice your opinion here.
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Sincerely,
Valerie Gaydos |
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Gaydos Announces State Grants in Our Area
Rep. Gaydos is pleased to announce state grants in our community under the Community Conservation Partnerships Program.
Coraopolis Borough received $306,500 to be used in the development of Riverfront Park. The work will include construction of an amphitheater, gazebo, comfort facility and internal loop trail; installation of play equipment with required safety surfacing, fencing, lighting and utilities; and ADA access, landscaping and other related site improvements.
Ohio Township received $250,000 to rehabilitate and further develop Ohio Township Community Park. The project will include construction of pavilions, basketball court, pedestrian walkway, parking area and stormwater management measures; installation of fencing; and ADA access and landscaping.
Allegheny Land Trust received a $508,200 grant toward the acquisition of approximately 68 acres in Sewickley Hills Borough and Ohio Township, for open space and passive recreation.
The grants are administered by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and were created to promote conservation and recreation-focused projects and programs. They are awarded to municipalities and authorized nonprofit organizations for recreation, park and conservation projects.
These include the rehabilitation and new development of parks and recreation facilities (development projects); acquisition of land for active or passive park and conservation purposes (acquisition projects); and planning for feasibility studies, trails studies, conservation plans, site development planning, and comprehensive recreation, greenway and open space planning.
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106th PA Farm Show Opens Saturday
The 106th Pennsylvania Farm Show is set to begin Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. This year’s theme is “Harvesting More.”
After an all-virtual show in 2021, the event returns to its traditional in-person format but will also continue some of the virtual experiences that allowed Pennsylvanians to participate in the Farm Show in new ways.
The food court will continue to be a popular destination with new offerings including pierogies, shredded portabella mushrooms, veggie burgers and corn dogs, beef jerky snacks and more. New things to do include a canine spectacular, Bethlehem’s National Museum of Industrial History, a “So You Wanna Be a Farmer” section and an Urban Gardening feature. For a full rundown of new foods and features this year, click here.
This is the largest indoor farm show in the nation and the many exhibits prove how PENNSYLVANIA PRODUCTS RULE.
Some of Rep. Gaydos’ favorites at the Farm Show include seeing 100 varieties of chickens, watching the 4-H kids show the animals they so proudly worked with all year, and she loves maple sugar cotton candy!
For a preview of this year’s Farm Show, click here.
Admission to the show is free, but parking is $15 per vehicle. Shuttle service is provided.
The show runs through Saturday, Jan. 15. More information is available at www.farmshow.pa.gov.
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Gaydos reminds Constituents Be on Alert for Unemployment Fraud
The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) has detected an escalation in fraudsters’ attempts to steal unemployment compensation benefits through increasingly aggressive and sophisticated schemes. An examination is under way to determine the source of these attacks and the precise methods fraudsters are using to intercept legitimate UC payments.
Pennsylvania’s system for filing UC claims uses numerous fraud-detection measures, including virtual identity verification vendor ID.me to verify the identities of all new unemployment applicants. Multi-factor authentication, a two-step process that will add an extra layer of protection, will be added for claimants.
Individuals can report suspected unemployment fraud by visiting the UC Benefits website and click on “Report Fraud” at the bottom of the page to complete and submit the identity theft form. Do not log in. To report identity theft fraud related to the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program, please click here. To report fraud by phone, call the PA Fraud Hotline at 1-800-692-7469.
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January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month
Rep. Gaydos continues to be a strong supporter against Human trafficking. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, and sadly, Pennsylvania ranks ninth for the most reported cases according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
It is a crime that harms adults and children of all ages and demographics. Through force, fraud and coercion, traffickers push their victims into demeaning forms of abuse, including domestic servitude and commercial sexual exploitation. These crimes often remain hidden because victims are reluctant to seek help for a variety of reasons, including language barriers, fear of traffickers and law enforcement, and lack of trust.
Gaydos sponsored House Bill 1147, legislation that would better protect the victims of human trafficking. The bill, which was signed into law by the governor, would expand the list of sexual offenses that require offenders to attend and participate in a Department of Corrections program of counseling and therapy designed for incarcerated sex offenders.
To help bring awareness to the public about the crime and prevent more people from becoming victims, January has been designated National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month and Tuesday, Jan. 11, is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
If you are a victim of human trafficking in need of help, or you suspect that someone else is a victim:
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Call 911 if you are in immediate danger. |
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Call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. |
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Text the letters "Befree" or the numbers 233733 to reach the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. |
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Contact the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape (PCAR) at 1-800-692-7445. |
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How to Save on Utility Bills this Winter
With colder winter weather on the way, the Department of Environmental Protection and Public Utility Commission are offering tips for Pennsylvania residents to save money on utility bills by winterizing their homes. Home winterization can keep homes warmer while using less energy and costing less money.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average Pennsylvania family consumes more than 10,000 kWh of electricity annually and spends more than $2,000 per year on energy bills. Half the energy consumed in homes is for space heating. Fortunately, homeowners can take small steps to make their home safe and more efficient.
To learn about those energy-saving tips,
click here.
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New Water Assistance Program for Qualified Low-Income Residents
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) is now accepting applications for the new Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), which will help Pennsylvanians with low incomes maintain access to drinking and wastewater services.
The program is available to families who have past due water bills, had their service terminated, or received a notice indicating that their service will be terminated in the next 60 days.
Households can receive LIHWAP grants for both drinking water service and wastewater service. Grants are issued directly to water service providers, and families must meet income requirements. For example, in order for a single person to be eligible, the maximum income is $19,320. The limit for a household of two is $26,130 and for four the limit is $39,750.
For more information about the program and how to apply, click here.
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| Office Locations |
| District Office: |
| 1005 Beaver Grade Road, Suite 106, Moon Township, PA 15108 | Phone: (412) 262-3780, Fax: (412) 262-3783 |
| Capitol Office: |
| Room 428, Irvis Office Building, House Box 202044, Harrisburg PA 17120-2044 | Phone: (717) 787-6651 | |
| Email: vgaydos@pahousegop.com |
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