S.A.F.E. Lebo (Stop Addiction for Everyone)

Commissioner Kelly Fraasch and School Board Director Josephine Posti, co-chairs of S.A.F.E. Lebo.

Commissioner Kelly Fraasch and School Board Director Josephine Posti, co-chairs of S.A.F.E. Lebo.

September 26, 2013

S.A.F.E (Stop Addiction for Everyone) Lebo task force is a coalition of Pittsburgh-area organizations dedicated to educating people in Mt. Lebanon and nearby communities about the dangers of prescription drug abuse; sharing resources for help, and providing a year-round opportunity to safely dispose of un-used or expired prescription medications.

In early 2013, Mt. Lebanon Commissioner Kelly Fraasch and Mt. Lebanon School Director Josephine Posti organized the first meeting of what would become the S.A.F.E (Stop Addiction for Everyone) Lebo task force. Over the past year, six Mt Lebanon residents ranging in age from 20 to 50 had died of opiod overdoses, prompting an urgency to raise community awareness of a national problem that was hitting home. The group of professionals that convened expressed specific concern about the increasing abuse of prescription medication—often the gateway to heroin addiction—by teenagers and adults.

Please take advantage of the 24-hour, free unused and expired medication drop-off sponsored by PA American Water at the Mt. Lebanon Public Safety Center, 555 Washington Road.

Learn more about S.A.F.E. Lebo

Click here to watch the S.A.F.E. Lebo News Conference

http://mtlsd.org/district/HeadlineArticle.asp?HLP_ID=1342&HL_ID=1474#1474

Timmy's 2009 Drug and Alcohol Task Force

Earlier this week, I filed a Right To Know for the "recommendations made by Dr. Steinhauer’s task force created November 2009 regarding student drug and alcohol use as reported by Peter Berg at the December 21, 2009 Regular Board Meeting." * Fortunately, the District chose to grant my request in a timely manner. Below is the two page report.

2009 Drug and Alcohol Task Force Report

Back in February, I penned the following post. Our kids are dying As a result of that post, Kelly Fraasch took on this serious issue and together with Josephine Posti, formed a drug task force.

Recently, I sent an email to the school board with the tragic news of another young person's death, this time too close to home. The only school board member to respond was Scott Goldman. Scott, I want to publicly thank you.  You are a class act.

Timmy, keep up with the bathroom photos and renovation tours.  Daniel Pink must be so proud.



*Meeting minutes have not been posted since February 2013. Here is another example of incompetence within the District. The staff must be swamped by the stack of pizza receipts.

This is soooooo cool! UPDATED

The Mt. Lebanon Commission meetings are available for viewing online 24 hours a day!  Here is the link to archived commission meetings. http://mtlebanon.org/index.aspx?NID=2151

Remember how I was suggesting that everyone watch or listen to our magistrate's report on the drug task force?  Here it is. http://mtlebanon.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=15 On the right hand side, click on the agenda item and it will take you to that portion of the meeting.

Happy days are here!

Update: March 28, 2013 12:35 PM  Municipal video link available here for the pool presentation.  Click on Agenda Item number three.

Mt. Lebanon pool renovations made public The Almanac
Mt. Lebanon Swim Center upgrade may cost $3.3 million Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Lebolife Blogs News

District Magistrate Blaise Larotonda wrote his first piece, early to serve, a story about Mt. Lebanon Sunrise Rotary. I hope he follows up with a post recapping his review from last night's Commission Discussion Session of Mt. Lebanon's drug issue and a summary of the task force efforts. I plan to provide a link to the podcast of his report, something that every parent in Mt. Lebanon should not miss.

The list of volunteer bloggers is growing. Today's article, across the pond was submitted by James Cannon Sr. Mr. Cannon, father of Josephine Posti and James Cannon Jr., is an international marketing consultant.

Six Mt. Lebanon Overdose Deaths in One Year

KDKA's Mary Robb Jackson reported yesterday that Mt. Lebanon had five heroin overdose deaths and one methadone overdose from March 1, 2012 - March 1, 2013. Mt. Lebanon Officials Fighting Growing Heroin Problem

Kelly Fraasch interview

Commissioner Fraasch, thank you for moving forward as you describe in your blog post, Keep Going Strong!  In spite of resistance you received from two fellow commissioners, you are a true leader.

Keep going strong.

Our kids are dying

Recently during Citizen Comments, I made an observation about Commission meetings.  Month after month, I sit through discussions about turf and deer. People have come up to the podium and would exclaim, "Our kids have no place to play toddler soccer.  We must have turf." or "Will it take a death to get you people to do something about these deer?" How many deaths does it take for Mt. Lebanon to do something about the drug problem here?

Mt. Lebanon has a heroin problem. We live in a community where all the fundraisers for Outreach revolve around alcohol. We had discussions here about how some parents think it is perfectly acceptable to bring alcohol to ball games. Parents encourage their children to go to Under 21 Clubs instead of supporting the School District's decision to enforce Snowball guidelines. We have Blaise's infamous "21 Club."  In the Municipal budget, $12,000 has been set aside to count deer, yet how much has been allocated to drug enforcement?

One "anonymous" commenter here announced that we need to eradicate the deer. Every single one. I believe we need to eradicate the drug dealers. They have moved into Mt. Lebanon and our kids are dying. Yes, folks, drug dealers are right here in this Norman Rockwell painting.

Upon news of recent drug overdoses, I called my children just to hear their voices. When I told my son about the bad heroin that has hit Mt. Lebanon, he said that there is no such thing as good heroin. It is heroin.  My daughter reminded me of classmates who died from drug overdoses.  This has been going on for years.

I continued at the podium to say that the commissioners have ongoing discussions about Sports Advisory Boards and Joint Maintenance Agreements. I asked them when they were going to take off their blinders and look around. When will we have a Drug Advisory Board? I asked if we could take Kristen Linfante's $12,000 budgeted deer survey and put it towards drug enforcement.

Whatever Mt. Lebanon has been doing, it isn't working. Our kids are dying. Thankfully, Kelly Fraasch has stepped up (again) to take on this mission. As the newly appointed school board liaison, Kelly met with Josephine Posti, the commission liaison, to discuss the drug problem in Mt. Lebanon. In her latest post, The concerns about drug use in Mt. Lebanon, Kelly shares how the Municipality and School District will join forces to form a drug task force to "send a message to the street that Mt. Lebanon is no longer open for business" as Josephine mentioned in her report last night to the school board.

I want to thank Kelly for taking on this serious issue and bringing it to the School District.  Finally, the discussion is getting away from sports, turf, and deer. I also want to thank the School District for working with the Commission.  In my mind, this is the number one issue in Mt. Lebanon.