👻 Pittsburgh scary movies & local snack pairings

🎒 Final Proposal for PPS School Closures

Consultants presented their final recommendations for overhauling Pittsburgh Public Schools, including closing 14 schools, restructuring grade levels, and phasing out most magnet elementary schools. The school board will hold public hearings before taking a final vote. [PublicSource / 90.5 WESA]

• ➡️ Why is PPS considering school closures? [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

🎡 Ohio River ‘Esplanade’ Plan Gets Review

Developers laid out their $740 million plan to transform riverfront property in Chateau with a giant Ferris wheel, an apartment building, restaurants and shops, an outdoor amphitheater, and walkways and bike paths. The Pittsburgh Planning Commission will vote on the proposal in November. [90.5 WESA]

🏗️ Casa San José Gets New Community Center

The Latino resource center is building its first permanent home in Beechview, a neighborhood with one of the city’s largest Latino populations. The $6.3 million community center will offer case management, English classes, youth programs, mental health support, and advocacy. [City Paper]

• ➡️ Why is Pittsburgh’s immigration court in a tiny office with no attorneys? [🎧 City Cast Pittsburgh]

As soon as the weather starts to turn chilly, I feel relief. I love fall for the same reasons — the gorgeous foliage, fun activities, and delicious seasonal treats — as everyone else. But what I really look forward to is opening the windows to let the cool breeze in, pairing my shorts with a hoodie, and earlier sunsets. Exploring is so much easier when it’s cooler out, so my daughter and I took advantage of a brisk fall afternoon to visit Ohiopyle State Park last October.

Our more than hour-long drive to Ohiopyle State Park, one mid-October afternoon, gave us a small glimpse of the autumn beauty that awaited us. Color popped from some of the trees, many of which had yet to change from their vibrant shades of green, along the turnpike, leaving me a little worried that we might be too early for leaf peeping. That worry evaporated as we pulled into the spacious parking lot, overlooking breathtaking fall colors and just a short stroll from Ohiopyle Falls. (Even when we’ve visited the park during busy times, we never had trouble finding parking in the lot or along the road.)

Read the full article to discover Ohiopyle’s waterfalls and scenic trails.