the almanac M AY 19, 2024
SOUTH HILLS COMMUNITY NEWS
a thealmanac.net
facebook.com/SouthHillsAlmanac
@shillsalmanac
General Assembly passes bill banning cellphone use while driving By Jon Andreassi Staff writer
jandreassi@observer-reporter.com
Pennsylvania lawmakers are hoping to tamp down on distracted drivers by tightening restrictions on handheld cellphone use while on the road. On May 8, the General Assembly passed Senate Bill 37, which makes it illegal to talk on a cellphone when behind the wheel. Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to sign the bill. Per the text of the bill, drivers found to be in violation will be fined $50. Pennsylvanians have at least two years to prepare for the change. The METROCREATIVE law will not take effect for 12 Gov. Josh Shapiro is expected to sign a bill that will make months. For the first year the talking on a cellphone while driving illegal. law is enforced, drivers will
AAA’S ADVICE IS FOR DRIVERS TO TURN OFF CELLPHONES OR PLACE ON DO-NOT-DISTURB, AND TO LIMIT ANY OTHER POTENTIAL DISTRACTIONS. only be issued a warning. Theresa Podguski, the director of legislative affairs for AAA East Central, said the organization has advocated for similar legislation in other states. According to Podguski, the distractions caused by cellphone use “makes it an inherently dangerous activity.” “We believe that there are potential benefits to these handheld cellphone bans,” Podguski said.
Podguski says with SB 37, it can now be a primary offense, as police will be able to pull over drivers who are visibly holding a phone to their ears. Data provided by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts shows that distracted driving citations dropped 60% between 2018 and 2022. In Washington County, 83 citations were issued in 2018, and 18 in 2022.
Fayette County also saw a decrease, from 33 to 21. Using software like Apple’s CarPlay to make hands-free phone calls will still be allowed after the law takes effect. However, Podguski says AAA still advises against this. “Hands-free is not riskfree,” Podguski said. AAA’s advice is for drivers to turn off cellphones or place on do-not-disturb, and to limit any other potential distractions. Podguski said even changing the radio station presents a risk. “Anything that takes the motorist’s attention away from the road can have deadly consequences,” Podguski said.
Winkler discusses life, work in Town Hall South lecture By Brad Hundt Staff writer
bhundt@observer-reporter.com
PHOTOS: ELEANOR BAILEY/THE ALMANAC
Paying tribute Bethel Park High School band members play patriotic tunes during last year’s Memorial Day parade.
South Hills to remember and honor veterans on Memorial Day “Remember and honor” is the theme of this year’s Memorial Day celebration in Bethel Park. Richard G. Jewell will be doing both as the longtime resident and keynote speaker on May 27. Activities commence with the morning memorial ceremony at 7:55 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Plaza, located in front of the municipal building at 5100 Library Ave. Coffee and donuts will be available in council chambers at 7:30 a.m. A parade follows at 9 a.m. and ends at the cemetery on Bethel Church Road, where a military service will be held. A luncheon for veterans follows at noon at the Bethel Park Community Center. “This program has become a cherished tradition for our community,” said Bethel Park Council President John Oakes. It certainly has been for Jewell. He moved to Bethel
Veterans march down the main street during the Bethel Park Memorial Day parade last year.
Park in 1956 with his mother, father and brother, Paul, who passed away less than two years ago. Since his childhood home was located some 100 yards from the cemetery, Jewell attended every Memorial Day parade every year, except for the
UPPER ST. CLAIR Nine students recognized for art, writing PAGE A2 What’s happening, B3
two when he served in the Army. The high school band members who were in 12th grade in that first parade, Jewell noted, would be 85 years old now. “So I feel like me being the speaker this year is a full-circle moment,” Jewell added.
Jewell’s speech, which will include references to Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Duty, Honor and Country oration given in 1962 at West Point, will focus on the true meaning of the holiday. SEE TRIBUTE PAGE A2
SPORTS USC girls power way into WPIAL lacrosse tournament PAGE B1 Real estate transactions, A6
UPPER ST. CLAIR – It may be a bit of a cliche, but Henry Winkler’s life does represent a genuine triumph over adversity. The actor, who will be 79 in October, managed to become one of the most recognizable actors in the world in the 1970s by playing Fonzie on the beloved ABC-TV series “Happy Days,” despite a childhood marked by poor grades in school and a lack of support from German-emigre parents who had hoped he would follow his father into the wood trade. “I’ve always wanted to be an actor,” Winkler told an audience at Upper St. Clair High School May 10. “We were always born to do something. … Reading was hard, writing was hard, math was out of the question.” Winkler pointed out that “there are many talented human beings” in the bottom third of any graduating class, and “we can’t always look to the top.” Winkler recounted in a talk that wrapped up the Town Hall South 2023-24 lecture series how he managed to scrape his way into Emerson College in Boston and then the Yale School of Drama before heading to Hollywood – “the only ‘wood’ I was interested in,” he said – and catapulted to fame as a 1950s greaser in a leather jacket and a heart of gold on “Happy Days.” This happened despite his agent warning that “it would be hard to sell you.” When it comes to acting, Winkler explained, “There is no right, there is no wrong. It’s you, filling time and space with your imagination.” And though Winkler is perhaps best known for his “Happy Days” tenure, he’s had a busy career outside the leather jacket. He’s produced and directed movies and television series and was involved in the development of the ABC-TV series “MacGyver.” He also has remained busy on the other side of the camera, appearing in such series as “Arrested Development,”
Henry Winkler
“Parks and Recreation,” and “Barry,” the latter of which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award in the category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. “I’ve had a remarkable career I was told I would never have,” Winkler said. The New York native also has been a prolific writer over the last 13 years, co-writing almost 40 children’s novels and two memoirs, one of which explored his love of fly fishing. In 2023, Winkler published the autobiography, “Being Henry…The Fonz and Beyond.” Shortly after Winkler broke into the world’s consciousness as Fonzie, he was diagnosed as dyslexic, and in the years since has been an advocate for children, particularly those with learning disabilities. In 2011, he was made an honorary Officer of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his work with children. “Our children are not extensions of who we are,” Winkler said. “They are not there to make us look good. They are individuals with their own destiny.” He added, “A heard child is a powerful child.” Winkler’s talk not only wrapped up the 2023-24 Town Hall South series, but brought the curtain down on Town Hall South altogether. Organizers announced in November that the series would be ending due to declining subscriptions and increased costs. They have indicated lectures could eventually continue, but in another format. The series was first launched in 1969 by Westminster Presbyterian Church. Guests over the years have included such luminaries as Walter Cronkite, Anthony Bourdain and Ralph Nader.
SIGHTS & SOUNDS Liberty Pole Spirits honored by SBA PAGE B3 Classifieds, B4-6