Category: News || By Staff Report

Discounted Kennywood Passes Coming: The Consortium for Public Education, 410 Ninth St., Downtown, will be selling passes to Kennywood Park for $18, or about half the usual rate, a spokeswoman said.

The Consortium prefers that payments be made in cash, and asks buyers to pick up the passes at its office in the former YWCA building. An additional surcharge will be applied for weekend use in July or August.

Supplies are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, call (412) 678-9215.

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Free 'Green' Shopping Bags: With Earth Day coming up on April 22, state Rep. Marc Gergely is offering constituents reusable, cloth shopping bags.

"Many of us will remember the old shopping bags from Balsamo's Market that people loved to reuse for other shopping trips, and these bags are similar," the White Oak Democrat says.

The chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, Gergely says hunters and fishermen have a particular interest in reducing the use of plastic grocery bags.

"Plastic bags can pose an environmental risk because they take decades to break down in our landfills and some end up as litter in our rivers and streams," he says. "Using more cloth bags will help keep plastic bags out of our rivers and forests where the bags pose a risk to wildlife."

Gergely says he has 500 bags available at his office at 1540 Lincoln Way. Call (412) 664-0035.

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Basketball Game Benefits Children's Hospital: Penn State's campus in McKeesport will host a charity basketball game to benefit the Children's Miracle Network.

The tilt between personalities from "Kiss FM" WKST-FM (96.1) and employees of Pittsburgh-area Best Buy stores will be held at 8 p.m. April 11 at the Wunderley Gymnasium, 4000 University Drive on the Greater Allegheny Campus.

Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $5 and will be sold on the night of the event.

The Children's Miracle Network raises funds for research and education at pediatric hospitals nationwide, including Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in Lawrenceville.

More details can be found at the WKST website.

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Child Abuse Prevention Effort Launched: Allegheny County has partnered with UPMC Mercy Hospital and Family Resources of Pennsylvania to raise awareness of child abuse.

County Executive Dan Onorato made the announcement Thursday at a press conference proclaiming April "Child Abuse Prevention Month."

Spokesman Kevin Evanto says the partnership between the county's Department of Human Services, Family Resources and A Child's Place at Mercy carries the slogan "Be a Difference in a Child's Life."

The campaign --- which will include announcements on radio and TV and posters on Port Authority buses --- suggests ways that residents can offer advice and understanding to parents and other guardians.

It also asks residents to report incidents of suspected abuse.

"We have all seen parents become overwhelmed or stressed by a child's behavior," says Walter Smith Jr., executive director of Family Resources. "Most of us want to help, but aren't sure how. Try connecting with the parent and offer some support. And when a child is unsafe, don't ignore the situation."

Family Resources has a free parenting hotline at 1-800-641-4546 where trained volunteers offer confidential advice, he says.

Suspected child abuse can be reported anonymously to the Department of Human Services at (412) 473-2000, a spokesman says.

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