On today’s episode of The Confluence:
City Council has passed a budget for next year, it awaits the mayor’s approval
(0:00 - 6:59)
Pittsburgh City Council passed a $825 million budget for 2023. It’s now before Mayor Ed Gainey for his signature. The budget is largely similar to the one Gainey proposed in November, however, the council made some changes.
“Council decided to cut a few proposed new positions in order to give non-union employees a raise next year. And they shuffled around some departments that Mayor Gainey had proposed move under the mayor's office, including the city's cable bureau,” says WESA city government reporter Kiley Koscinski. “Council decided to keep that under the Department of Innovation and performance.”
There’s also a $2.5 million allocation to create a “bridge asset management trust fund,” and Koscinski says the city plans to hire a bridge asset manager in the next year within the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure.
Stories Like Me bookstore seeks to bring books that act as ‘mirrors and windows’ to children and young adults
(7:07 - 13:57)
A new bookstore has joined Pittsburgh’s spate of independent options after launching as an online store. The mission of the brick-and-mortar shop Stories Like Me is to source and share books for young adults and children that are inclusive and diverse of all backgrounds and upbringings.
Co-founder and education specialist Elsie Campbell says the shop’s principal founder, Helen Campbell, heard in a training that books can be windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors, giving readers tools for empathy, to see themselves and others in stories.
“We believe that representation is so, so important — coming up, growing up, you know, finding stories that look like you, that sound like you,” says Campbell. “It's also important for kids to be exposed to stories that are different from them so they can learn to be respectful, empathetic beings.”
Campbell says a few books they’re recommending these days are “Bodies Are Cool,” about respecting all types of bodies, and “All Out,” which is a short story collection about queer teens through the ages.
In the new year, Campbell says Stories Like Us is hoping to host educator nights and child psychologist nights to give local professionals access to their content, and plans to partner with more local organizations.
Kevin Gavin’s all-request holiday music show is a 46-year-long tradition
(14:06 - 17:08)
For the last 45 years, Confluence host Kevin Gavin has been hosting a special show for the holidays here on WESA, formerly on WDUQ. His all-request holiday music show will be taking place tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Gavin says the tradition began when his boss at WDUQ told him he wanted a Christmas music show on the station.
“This was long before those 24-7 Christmas music stations that came along later,” says Gavin. “I said, ‘Well, we've got about two dozen, maybe 30 vinyl LP's in the music library that are Christmas. That's what they're going to get.’”
While playing songs, listeners began calling the station with requests, which soon made the show the all-request event it is now.
You can listen to the show tomorrow on 90.5 WESA or online at wesa.fm.
Having conversations about finances can help avoid financial problems that could be associated with dementia development
(17:14 - 22:30)
Diseases like Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia make money management extremely difficult. One of the best things people can do to prepare is speak openly with their loved ones about their finances and possible cognitive decline.
90.5 WESA’s Sarah Boden looks at how to have these hard and sometimes scary conversations.
The Confluence, where the news comes together, is 90.5 WESA’s daily news program. Tune in Monday to Thursday at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. to hear newsmakers and innovators take an in-depth look at stories important to the Pittsburgh region. Find more episodes of The Confluence here or wherever you get your podcasts.
