The Northside Chronicle, Pittsburgh - November 2022

The Northside Chronicle

Catching up with the new principals

By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

While teachers are the school person nel students most often interact with, prin cipals also play a vital role in the education of students. Pittsburgh Public Schools in the Northside received three new principals this year, each representing a possible change in direction for their respective schools.

The Chronicle caught up with these new principals, asking them to introduce them selves to the wider community and also to talk about how their first few months in office have gone, as well as their vision for the future.

Carl Watson - Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-8

Carl Watson is no stranger to Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-8. He’s served as a teacher there and even as vice principal, though he’s spent the last four years at Perry Traditional Academy.

As such, when he got the opportunity to become Morrow’s full-time principal, it felt like something special.

“I feel like I’m back home,” Watson said.

A graduate of the Pittsburgh Public Schools system himself, Watson grew up as a “proud resident of Manchester,” as he put it.

See

Designs for Davis Avenue pedestrian bridge shown off, city collects feedback

By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

Riverview Park fans got their first look at the final design for the planned Davis Ave nue pedestrian bridge during a virtual public meeting on Sept. 29.

The bridge will replace a former vehic ular bridge which was demolished in 2009 and connected Brighton Heights to River view Park.

While city officials did take public feedback from attendees at the meeting, the designs shown represent most of how the bridge will look overall once finished. Should all go according to plan, construction of the bridge is planned to begin in the spring of 2023, and likely finish in the fall of 2023, according to Ryan Whittington, design team

project manager with HNTB Corporation, which is working with the city on the project.

The bridge will continue from Davis Avenue and cross over Woods Run Avenue, connecting to the paved trail system that runs throughout the park. As mentioned, the bridge will be pedestrian in nature, allowing for people walking or riding bicycles, but not for motorists.

The planned bridge will have a 12-foot wide pathway for people to cross, and will be designed to look like weathered steel. Lights will be installed along the bride’s rail ings, ones which will illuminate the bridge path but not spillover onto homes beneath the crossing.

Whittington explained that pieces of the bridge will be built off-site for better

quality control. These prefabricated pieces will then be delivered to the bridge site and lifted into place.

The existing stone abutments from the vehicular bridge will remain, as Whitting ton said inspections found they were sturdy enough to be reused.

“We were happy to report they could indeed carry the loading of a new bridge,” he said.

Improvements will also be made to Da vis Avenue and the park loop on either side of the bridge to accommodate the new struc ture. The width of the road approaching the bridge, for example, will be narrowed, and plants will be added to create a “gateway

Community

of Pittsburgh’s Historic Northside

This unusually large spotted lanternfly was among the many participants in the Spring Hill Civic League’s Halloween Parade and Fall Festival on Oct. 21. The outfit based on the invasive insect won most creative costume at the festival. Turn to page 20 for more pictures from the event.

Photo by Sean P. Ray

Photo by Sean P. Ray Carl Watson is Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-8’s new principal. He is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Public Schools system.

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DISCLAIMER: The viewpoints and opinions of the writers and contributors that appear in the Northside Chronicle do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints, opinions, beliefs or positions of the Northside Chronicle’s publishers, editors, staff and/or affiliates. The Northside Chronicle is not affiliated with any formal political, social, religious, educational or philosophical organization or party of any kind. The materials comprising the Northside Chronicle are provided by various organizations, community groups, advertisers, entities, writers and contributors and are provided as a service to the readers of the Northside Chronicle on an “as-is” basis for informational purposes only. The Northside Chronicle assumes no responsibility for any copyright infringement, errors or omissions in these materials and expressly disclaims any representations or warranties, express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose regarding the correctness, accuracy, completeness, timeliness and reliability of the information provided. The Northside Chronicle is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance upon such information. Reference herein to any commercial product, process or service does not constitute or imply endorsement or favoring by the Northside Chronicle. © The Northside Chronicle 2022

Community Meetings

After Care/Prison Ministry Support

Mondays, 6-7 p.m.

Allegheny Center Alliance Church 801 Union Place, first floor 412.321.4333 ext. 397

Allegheny City Central Association 2nd Monday, monthly Call for more details - 412.465.0192

Allegheny West Civic Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Calvary United Methodist Church Now via Zoom | 412.323.8884

Brighton Heights Citizens Federation 2nd Thursday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. John Morrow Elementary School 412.690.0918

Brightwood Civic Group 1st Tuesday, monthly, 6 p.m. Pressley Ridge, 2611 Stayton St. 412.732.8152

Brightwood Community Emergency Response Shelter 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6 p.m. 3219 Central Ave.

California-Kirkbride Blockwatch 3rd Thursday, monthly, 7 p.m. 1601 Brighton Rd., 3rd floor

California-Kirkbride Neighbors 2nd Thursday, monthly, 7 p.m. 1601 Brighton Rd., 3rd floor Now via Zoom 412.758.3898

Charles Street Area Council

1st Monday, monthly, call for times Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. Now via Zoom 412.886.6786

Community Alliance of Spring Garden/ East Deutschtown

2nd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Fuhrer Building of St. Michael’s Church 412.228.0376

Deutschtown New Hope Council 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Community Center, 623 Suismon St.

East Allegheny Community Council

2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Call for more details 412.321.1204

Fineview & Perry Hilltop Citizens Councils 4th Tuesday, monthly, 6-8 p.m. Contact for location info@ourfuturehilltop.org 412-238-7528

Mexican War Streets Society 3rd Monday, bi-monthly, 6:30 p.m. 1400 Buena Vista St. 412.323.9030

Manchester Citizens Corporation

Quarterly meetings, call for times MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. 412.323.1743

Manchester Public Safety Meeting Quarterly meetings, call for times Northside Leadership Conference 412.323.1743

Northside Rotary Club

Every Friday, noon Cardello Building, 2nd Floor

NS Coalition for Fair Housing Board 2nd Monday, monthly, 6 p.m. 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5527

NS Coalition for Fair Housing Members Monthly, call for times 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5521

Northside Leadership Conference 1st Wednesday, monthly, 6 p.m. MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. Now via Zoom Call to confirm - 412.231.4714

North Side Lions Club

2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly, noon Max’s Allegheny Tavern 412-366-8512

North Side Public Safety Council

1st Thursday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Propel Health Center In person & via Zoom zone1psc@gmail.com

Northside Toastmasters

2nd & 4th Tuesday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Allegheny 1230 Federal St. northsidetoast@gmail.com 412.204.6018

Observatory Hill, Inc. 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Byzantine Seminary, 3605 Perrysville Ave. 412.736.2489 http://www.observatoryhill.net

The Promise Group

Every other Tuesday, 6 p.m. Western Pa. Humane Society 412.321.1019

Troy Hill Citizens

June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14, Dec. 9., 6 p.m. Most Holy Name School Hall 1515 Tinsbury St. 412.321.2852

Spring Hill Civic League March 7, May 2, Sept. 12, Oct. 3, & Nov. 7 7 p.m, Location TBD (either Spring Hill Elementary School or via Zoom) contact@shcl.org

Summer Hill Citizens Committee 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. WPXI Television Station Community Room

Opinion: Riverview Park: How one park’s ecosystem — and maybe its legacy — is eroding away

By Mark Kramer | Contributor

*Editor’s note: The following is an opin ion piece submitted by local writer Mark Kramer. The piece was originally part of Pittsburgh’s Art in the Parks program, and is republished here with permission.

Once, while I was in college, I heard a talk on finding your purpose in life. This was during a Christian campus ministry meeting in an auditorium with a couple hundred other people. I was an angsty 20-year-old seeking direction and maybe even answers to the big ger questions of life, so I was all ears. (I’m still seeking, and still a bit angsty, but now more into questions than answers …)

The speaker, a tall, charismatic white guy in his 30s, described meeting a research er who’d dedicated the better part of his career to studying earthworm poop — cul tivating it, gathering it, deconstructing it, mapping its composition, and so on. Shaking his head, the speaker asked the crowd of col lege students if they could think of anything less worthy of their lives than this slimy little invertebrate’s feces. He went on to insist that God had a much more significant plan for them than what this researcher was pursuing.

He didn’t elaborate on the worm poop work or give it much context. I don’t know what the research entailed, but the speak er’s dismissiveness never sat well with me. I wasn’t comfortable assuming the scientist’s

work couldn’t be significant or contribute in some way to human understanding, even progress, much less the progress of other spe cies or the environment.

Instead, the speaker championed more high-minded “spiritual” labors in formal ministry.

The dissonance I felt that day stuck with me, and it has come to mind periodically ever since. Now, nearly three decades later, I’m encountering earthworm poop in spades: I’ve learned that poop left by invasive snake worms in Pittsburgh’s Riverview Park is con

tributing to the collapse of entire ecosystems there. Turns out that research into worm poop could be a matter of life or death for species competing to survive in Riverview, one of the city’s five major parks.

Municipal leaders, park staff, residents and many others have tried to address this and other problems plaguing Riverview, in cluding erosion, collapsing infrastructure and other invasive species. Even artists, through the city’s Art in Parks program, are getting in volved. Sans façon, an international art prac tice comprised of Tristan Surtees and Charles

Blanc, and collaborator Steve Gurysh are implementing a series of interwoven projects that will help us engage with the park, plant native species and envision a future in which the park’s ecosystem has been restored. But those worms — along with certain other spe cies of flora and fauna here — have gone so unchecked that they’re posing an existential threat to Riverview.

Stop just about anywhere along the trails crisscrossing the park’s 259 acres, and you’ll see worm poop. A lot of it. Invasive snake worms—known variously as Asian jumping worms, Alabama jumpers, or “crazy worms” because of the way they flop and flip around — have taken over.

According to Pittsburgh Parks Conser vancy staff, these worms were discovered in the United States in the 1930s or 1940s, likely arriving as stowaways with non-native ornamental plantings, though it wasn’t until the last few decades that they’ve become a major domestic concern.

Contrary to popular belief, a prolifera tion of worms isn’t always good for soil — especially in forests — and snake worms are a growing scourge. These smooth and glossy worms grow up to 8 inches in length. They reproduce asexually and multiply rapidly, laying as many as 60 cocoons per clutch and producing up to two generations within a calendar year. All those worms eat an unfair

A deer is spotted through the trees at Riverview Park.

Photo by Nancy Schaefer | Riverview Park Ranger

Land ho! New art installation brings a lighthouse to Troy Hill

Photo by Lauren Stauffer

The entrance to a lighthouse built as part of a new art installation, called ‘Darkhouse Lighthouse’ in Troy Hill sits in the basement of a dilapidated row house.

By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

Sailors in the Pittsburgh area can breathe easy, as a newly installed lighthouse in Troy Hill will help to ensure no ships crash upon rocks during a foggy day.

Of course, it may be a few million years before any boats have the chance to sail the waters of a sunken Pittsburgh.

The idea of building something sev eral millennia in preparation for when it will actually be used is one of the central themes of a new art installation called “Darkhouse Lighthouse,” located at 1913 Tours St. in Troy Hill.

As the name implies, the exhibit does indeed feature a full-sized lighthouse, with a working, rotating light beacon on top, and a well-furnished room for future lighthouse keepers to stay in. However, despite what some may think, spotting the lighthouse is currently pretty difficult.

That’s because the lighthouse was constructed directly in the middle of a dilapidated row house which was dam aged by a fire many years ago. From the outside, just about the only parts of the lighthouse that are visible are a weath er vane located on the roof and a coneshaped marker in the backyard.

The installation is the brainchild of married artists Lenka Clayton and Phil lip Andrew Lewis, and is the third entry in a series of permanent artwork com missioned by Troy Hill Art Houses. The series began in 2013 with the opening of a work titled “La Hütte Royal.” A fourth and final house is planned tentatively for spring of 2024.

Clayton and Lewis have several oth er artistic features in Pittsburgh, includ ing an art gallery that is always closed called “Galley Closed,” and “Historic Sight,” an 8-foot-tall bronze plaque de

tailing a building’s history all the way to 600 million years ago and extending into the future.

Lewis explained that a major aspect of “Darkhouse Lighthouse” is differ ent perceptions of time. While building a lighthouse 382 miles away from the nearest ocean may seem absurd, Clayton said the area where the lighthouse stands was once an ocean 600 million years ago and may become so again millions of years from now.

“The lighthouse is here in anticipation of the ocean coming back,” Lewis said.

While visitors can certainly climb up the lighthouse and look out its windows, most of what they’re going to see is the interior of the house around it. That is the “Darkhouse” part of the installation’s title.

Repairs were made to make sure the structure was stable after the fire, but some of the damage has been left or recreations made to reference the fire. The back of the home, for example, is covered in black sid ing to resemble scorched wood.

The four rooms that visitors can look into from the lighthouse’s second floor are each made to resemble different weather conditions. One has fog filling it, while another has a breeze blowing through it. These rooms will further look different depending on what time of day visitors see it, as windows to the outside provide a different lighting experience.

“It’s designed to be able to be viewed multiple times,” Clayton said.

The artist pair looked at many exam ples of lighthouses in constructing their own, though it is not based on any single lighthouse in particular. The interior is filled with many archaic tools and devic es, such as a typewriter, to contribute to

District 1 News: Councilman Wilson

Hello voters!

It’s that wonderful time of the year where we exercise our right to fairly and democratically elect our leaders. I urge you all to take part in this process and in this column, I am going to provide some information to help make it easy for you to vote on the Northside this Election Day — Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

First, if you are using a mail-in bal lot, we have been made aware that some ballots were sent with an outer envelope that did not include a space to sign and date your voter declaration on the back. This is an issue the county has been working to resolve. If you are one of the few to receive such an outer envelope, the solution is easy. Simply and clearly sign and date anywhere on the back of the outer envelope.

Second, you may be unsure what to do if you have received your mail-in bal lot but want to vote in person. No wor ries! That is a pretty common question my office has been getting, and here’s what you’ll do. Bring your ballot, the secrecy envelope and the outer envelope to your poll. There, you can surrender all of these materials and vote in-person. If you receive your ballot late and cannot

get it in the mail by Saturday, Nov. 5 and cannot take it down to the Alleghe ny County Election Division Office (see paragraph after next) we recommend that you vote in person (see next para graph).

Third, you may be wondering: What should I do if I’ve requested my mail-in ballot but have not received it yet? Be patient. The County is processing thou sands of mail-in requests and it may take a few weeks. On the off chance you do not receive your ballot, you will need to head to your poll and vote in person. There, request a PROVISIONAL BAL LOT. Know that you are legally allowed to vote at your poll that day, so do not take “No” for an answer from any poll workers. If you need to, call the Penn sylvania Department of State’s Official Election Day Hotline at 1-877-8683772. Casting a provisional ballot is es sential because it will ensure that your vote will be counted in Allegheny Coun ty’s final tally.

Fourth, please note that you can not drop off your mail-in ballot at your poll. You have to mail it or drop it off downtown in the lobby of the Alleghe ny County Elections Division Office at

Councilman Wilson discusses the up coming election and the proper proce dure for the many ways people can cast their ballots.

542 Forbes Ave. (Pittsburgh, PA 15219). The lobby is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be open during the weekend prior to the election, on Nov. 5 and on Nov. 6. On Election Day, the lobby will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

If you’re going to mail your ballot back, just know that it has to be received by the Elections Division by 8 p.m. on Nov. 8. If it arrives later than that with a post mark, it may not be counted. Send it back immediately to be better safe than sorry. For this reason, I recommend that you do not mail your ballot back on Election Day or the day before, but instead drop it off downtown.

Finally, if you need a ride to your poll on Election Day, B-PEP is partner ing with VEEEM to give rides to the polls. Contact them at (412) 434-0919, (412) 212-8775 or email them at bpep. pittsburgh@gmail.com, and they will give you a ride. Also, Lyft will be pro viding 50 percent off rides to the polls on election day.

Now that we have that all cleared up, I’ll see you at the ballot box!

If you have any thoughts about any of these updates, please feel free to call us at (412) 255-2135, email us at dis trict1@pittsburghpa.gov, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. We look forward to hearing from you. n

BOBBY WILSON COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT 1

Photo courtesy the Office of Councilman Wilson

At the end of November, my first term as a state representative will officially be over. And what a first term it has been!

From navigating the challenges of a global pandemic to responding to the overturn ing of Roe v. Wade, the dull moments of the 2021-22 legislative session were few and far between to say the least.

Despite the difficulties of working within a state legislature that is and has been controlled by a Republican majori ty for nearly three decades, I’m proud of what my colleagues and I were able to achieve over the last two years.

Perhaps the biggest highlight from my first term is the passage of the 2022-23 state budget, which started a Pennsylva nia child care tax credit program, invested $250 million in the construction of more affordable housing and provided a historic increase of approximately $54.7 million in funding for public schools in Allegh eny County. Additionally, every school district in Pennsylvania will receive $100,000 plus $15 per student for mental health initiatives, and $100,000 plus $15 per student for school safety resources. These investments in our public schools will help ensure that our future leaders receive a high-quality education in a safe and supportive learning environment.

One of my proudest legislative ac complishments of my first term was suc cessfully amending H.B. 1393, a bill to decriminalize the possession and use of fentanyl test strips. With my amendment, the language “for personal use” was re

moved from the bill, so that individuals and community/health care organizations working to minimize overdoses can use and distribute test strips without fear of reprisal. To save the most lives, it is vi tal that we make it as easy as possible for the greatest amount of people to detect fentanyl, and this bill as amended will do exactly that.

During this legislative session, I also had the pleasure of working alongside Sen. Lindsey Williams to author and pass a bill to create the Chief Vernon Moses Memorial Highway in honor of Ross Township’s first police chief and the only officer killed in the line of duty throughout the department’s 100-year history. It was a great honor to welcome Chief Joseph Ley and other officers to the Capitol and witness them receive a standing ovation in the House chamber in recognition of the outstanding service their department has provided for now more than a century.

But I didn’t spend my entire first term in Harrisburg — I spent a great deal of it right here in District 20 with all of you at community days, document shredding events, farmers’ markets, blood drives and many other exciting events through out our community. Earlier this year, my staff and I held our inaugural Series on

Women’s Empowerment — which began with three virtual livestreams and culmi nated in a Women’s Resource Fair at the Ross Community Center. The series was a tremendous success.

One of the biggest projects that I con tinue to work on is establishing a landslide insurance fund. My legislation to help so many people struggling with the impacts of landslides in our region, and across Pennsylvania, has not moved this session but I have been working behind the scenes to build more support and it continues to be one of my highest priorities.

Regardless of what lies ahead of or behind us, I am working hard every day for all the amazing people in our com munity. It has been an honor and a priv ilege to represent our corner of Alleghe ny County in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. I would like to thank ev eryone in the 20th Legislative District for allowing me the opportunity to be your voice in Harrisburg.

As always, please reach out to me if you have questions or need assistance with any state-related matter by calling my office, at (412) 321-5523, or emailing me, at RepKinkead@pahouse.net. My team and I are here to help you! n

Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Kinkead

Proud to put people first in Pittsburgh and beyond

Hello to my Northside neighbors! I’m eager to share with all of you some of the im portant work I’ve been doing in Harrisburg and here at home.

I recently introduced legislation, H.B. 2839, which would be a modernized version of the Small Business Incubators Act. Local businesses are integral to fostering a strong economy. Getting such a venture up and run ning, however, can be extremely challenging from a cost perspective alone. The bill I’ve in troduced would provide up to $20 million in grants and loans for small businesses in Penn sylvania. Every single person deserves to live the American dream, and it’s my sincere hope that these funds would go a long way to doing just that.

I also voted yes on H.B. 1178 that passed the House recently. The legislation would provide grants, totaling $2.5 million, to the education and overall welfare of our common wealth’s volunteer firefighters and EMS work ers. I successfully fought to get this legislation passed in the House, so volunteers who faith fully serve our communities here in Alleghe ny County would have more available funds to pursue a quality education.

My colleagues and I helped pass a histor ic budget this past summer too, and I want to share two of its important attributes.

I voted to increase education funding by

$79 million, and Pittsburgh Public Schools benefitted two-fold. The district received $300,000 in PA Pre-K Counts grants and $2.56 million in grants from the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program. Early ed ucation is vital to the development of our chil

dren, so I’m excited to see this investment in our future generation materialize.

The Whole-Home Repairs Program was also created. The $125 million allocated to the program provides funds, in the form of grants, to citizens who need assistance with home maintenance, whether it is structural, energy-related or to accommodate a disabili ty. These dollars will go a long way towards helping many Northsiders and others I have the privilege to represent with the upkeep of their residences.

I joined several of my colleagues on a House Labor & Industry subcommittee re cently to discuss ways the state could enhance our workforce and assist those who experi ence various barriers to entry. Issues with our unemployment compensation process were addressed as well. Everyone who meets the qualifications for a given position should be able to compete on an even playing field with their fellow job seekers. No exclusions.

In terms of local infrastructure, I’m pleased to share that the Commonwealth Fi nance Authority, under the Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program, awarded a $92,000 grant to Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy for a rehabilitation project of the West Park’s North Promenade. The project’s goal is to restore the path to how it appeared back in 1935. Along with the removal of unnecessary paths and ex

cess pavement, new energy-efficient lighting will complement the period benches set to be installed.

I spoke at the Brother’s Brother Founda tion’s dedication of a solar panel array on the roof of their building and six public parking spaces. The foundation has already done such tremendous humanitarian work all around the world by installing similar units for clinics and hospitals. Harnessing and implementing the use of solar power is a huge step towards eventual energy independence. More impor tantly, it’s a monumental step towards dulling the pain of climate change whose effects have already been felt all across the globe.

I also toured the Andy Warhol Museum and got the chance to talk about the museum’s Pop District initiative. The initiative is an expansion of the museum itself and features space for live performances, related events, public art initiatives, and youth-based work force development opportunities. Our young people should have every opportunity to foster their creativities and, hopefully, their efforts will lead to the creation of many sustaining jobs and internships through the program.

Don’t forget to make your voice heard on Nov. 8 and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! n

Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Abney

In his debut Chronicle column, Rep. Aeiron Abney discusses the impact of his recent legislative activities.

From Gina Grone - Executive Director, Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce

The Northside North Shore Cham ber serves the business community in and around the Northside and has been doing so since 1897. We currently have 250 member businesses, and we serve them by promoting, connecting and sup porting.

Here are some of our recent activi ties and updates.

Members

Renewed Members: The follow ing seven companies or organizations renewed their membership in the past month: Babb, Inc., Hayden Sales & Ser vice, Humane Animal Rescue, Huszar, Junior Achievement, Smorey Giger Law, Wagsburgh.

New Members: We were pleased to welcome the following 11 companies or organizations as new members in the past month: April Suto — REALTOR — Coldwell Banker, Ashleigh Mitchell Real Estate — Coldwell Banker, CDI Printing, Dollar Bank, Dress for Suc cess Pittsburgh, FSA Consulting, Green Light Wireless, Grossman Yanak & Ford, Healthy Ride PGH (POGOH), LGG Cre ative Art, Off the Floor Pittsburgh.

Chamber Update: Sept. 2022

Northside Opportunities Panel

On Sept. 28 at a Pittsburgh Business Times event, Executive Director Gina Grone served on a panel to discuss the business out look for the Northside. The other panelists were William Gatti, founder, president and CEO of Trek Development Group and Lucas Piatt, CEO of Piatt Companies.

The event — titled “Corridors of Op portunity” — was attended by more than 250 people from the business and econom ic development communities. The panelists highlighted the work that is being done to bring new developments and resources to the Northside. Piatt provided updates on the Esplanade project planned for Chateau and Gatti discussed Trek’s work on the Garden Theater development and Allegheny Dwell ings. Grone provided the small business and community perspective, discussing the chamber’s workforce development program (NorthSideWorks!), planned tourism initia tives and public safety work.

Golf Outing

The chamber’s 24th Annual Charity Golf Outing was on Sept. 26. This year’s event was at Chartiers Country Club and was enjoyed by more than 100 golfers representing chamber member companies. The support of spon sors, auction donors, golfers and volunteers all helped the event to be a great success!

Each year, most of the money raised from

The panelists at the Sept. 28 Pittsburgh Business Times Corridors of Opportunity event are, from left, William Gatti, President and CEO, TREK Development Group Inc., Gina Grone, Executive Director, Northside North Shore Chamber of Com merce, and Lucas B. Piatt, CEO, Piatt Companies.

the raffles and auctions is donated to a worthy Northside non-profit selected by the chamber’s board of directors. The 2022 charity beneficia ry was the Foundation of HOPE, an interfaith non-profit in the Northside with the mission of “empowering people impacted by the crimi nal justice system to renew their faith, rebuild their lives, and restore positive relationships.” Learn more about their work on their website

at foundationofhope.org.

The Northside North Shore Chamber prides itself on being approachable and genu ine as we promote, connect, and support our members. Learn more today at our website northsidechamberofcommerce.com, contact ing us at (412) 231-6500 or info@northside chamberofcommerce.com, or stopping into our office on Middle Street in Deutschtown. n

MARCH 11, 2017

An interactive exhibit

– JANUARY

Gauge height, distance, mass and time using traditional and not-so-traditional tools and units at this new interactive exhibit. Learn the language of measurement and work with others to become a measuring wizard!

Contributed photo

Officials confident bridge funding will remain during budgeting talks

Screenshot by Sean P. Ray

This screenshot from the presentation by Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure shows roughly what the Davis Avenue Bridge will look like once com plete. The presenters did note that the bike lanes will likely not run along the edges with pedestrians in the middle as shown, but otherwise the design is mostly accurate.

From Meeting, Page 1

to the park and slow down cars, ac cording to Lisa Dugan, landscape architect with UpStudio Landscapes LLC.

For the Davis Avenue approach, Dugan said Japanese Lilac Trees will be planted. Other plants that will be added in the areas around the bridge on the Davis Avenue side include Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, Purple de Oro Daylilly and Silvery Sun proof Liriope. Dugan said these are “durable plants” that will fill the space in well.

Trees on the Riverview Park side of the bridge will include Common Serviceberry, Allegheny Serviceberry, Mountain Silverbell and American Hophornbeam. Non-tree plants will include Little Bluestem, Virginia Wildrye, Echinacea purpurea, Bottlebrush Grass, Par tridge Pea, Blackeyed Susan and Oxeye Sun flower. Dugan said these plants were picked due in part to being “deer-resistant.”

Following the presentation, the bridge officials listened to questions and comments from attendees. Suggestions included the addition of litter and recycling cans on both sides of the bridge, an idea to put in a stone obelisk similar to the ones that other entranc es to the park have and other such ideas.

Concerns were also shared about who will care for the plants added with the bridge, as well as several residents questioning how sure the funding for the bridge was. The De partment of Public Works is set to take care of the landscaping on the park side, while care for the trees on the Brighton Heights side will fall to an environmental non-profit called Tree Pittsburgh.

Speaking to the Chronicle in October, af ter Mayor Ed Gainey released his preliminary

budget, Zachary Workman, the project man ager for the city on the bridge construction and a member of the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, expressed confidence in the bridge’s funding being secured.

Workman said the mayor’s budget in cludes $3.75 million of American Rescue Plan money for the bridge, which should see it to completion. While the budget will have to go through city council first, Workman said he was confident the funding would “make it through any edits and be approved in the year.”

Emily Bourne, a communications spe cialist with the city, also agreed with the as sessment.

“The fact that the remaining funds are accounted for in this draft budget indicates the priority for the mayor’s office,” Bourne said. “And it’s a massive priority for Council man (Bobby) Wilson and his district.”

In regards to the feedback the city re ceived from the meeting, Workman said the design team is looking into the full extent of the landscaping and ensuring it will be main tained for years to come. Workman said Tree Pittsburgh has been “fairly accountable” over the years and he did not think people should worry over the trees not receiving proper at tention from them.

He also said the installation of gar bage and recycling bins is being looked at, as well as the stone obelisks other park entrances have.

The slideshow which was given at the presentation can be found online at engage. pittsburghpa.gov/davis-avenue-bridge. There is also a link to the public art part of the proj ect, which is still in development and open to feedback from the public. n

Principals share their vision for future of schools

He attended Manchester Elementary School, moving on to Columbus Traditional Academy and then Langley High School.

He first became interested in education as a career when he learned about the Teaching is Caring program at then-Carlow College, now referred to as Carlow University. The program was seeking more Black men to get involved in teaching, and Watson’s parents both encour aged him to pursue it.

It turned out to be a life-changing decision. Watson has spent 21 years in education, includ ing teaching at Woolslair Elementary School, King PreK-8 and his aforementioned times at Morrow and Perry.

While initially serving as a teacher, Wat son decided to join school administration be cause he wanted to be able to focus on all kids at his school, and serve as a role model for each of them.

“I wanted to have more control on the decisions that were being made for the kids,” Watson said. “I wanted to make a suggestion and be heard. I wanted to have a better effect on the kids.”

His vision for the school is an ambitious one. He wants to turn Pittsburgh Morrow into a staple school of the Northside, one that all children living in the area want to attend, rather than having to wake up early and go to a school across town.

He even wants to see the school expand beyond the Northside in terms of its attendance.

“My goal is to eventually have it here where we are attracting kids from all over the city,” he said. “I would love to turn this school into a neighborhood magnet school.”

Just as his parents were the one to inspire him to get into education, so too do they have an impact on how he goes about his job. Wat son mentioned that the way his father raised him is how he learned to treat kids.

“I treat the children here like I treat my children at home, and it’s been working so far,” he said.

Due to his past history at Morrow, Wat son already knows many of his colleagues at the school and several of the families who send students there. In fact, due to having previous ly taught first grade at the school, some of his current seventh and eighth grade students were former pupils of his when he was a teacher.

For Watson, the best parts of education is the knowledge that what he’s doing will positively affect the future, and seeing the ex act point when a child has fully learned what they’re being taught.

“I love that moment when a child realizes they learned something,” he said. “That smile, that ‘Yes, I did it!’”

Michael BarbonePittsburgh Allegheny K-5

Originally hailing from New Jersey, living just outside the boundaries of New York City, Michael Barbone came to Pittsburgh when he

Photo by Sean P. Ray

Michael Barbone is the new principal for Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5.

decided to attend Duquesne University to pur sue his dream of becoming a music teacher.

Now he’s taken that dream one step fur ther and stepped into the role of principal at Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5 located right next to the National Aviary in Central Northside.

Barbone said he became motivated to start working for Pittsburgh Public Schools in 2011 while at Duquesne. He student taught at Beechwood and Whittier elementary schools and, after graduation, became a substitute for Pittsburgh Public Schools right out of college.

He was soon able to land a full time posi tion teaching at Miller African-Centered Acad emy, located in the Hill District. While he cer tainly enjoyed his time as a music teacher there, it also opened his eyes to the wider ways he could be involved in his students’ educations.

“Being a music teacher and a special teacher, you get to work with every single stu dent in the building, and work with all the staff and all the families,” he said. “That motivated me to pursue administration.”

Under the guidance of Dr. Margaret Stark es, Miller’s principal, he became an acting principal and later assistant principal, gaining his first experience in working administration. Eventually, the opportunity arose to become a full principal in his own right, and he took it.

For Barbone, education is one of the most vital fields someone can commit themselves toward doing.

“It’s so important that I feel like it’s a service worth dedicating your life towards,” he said.

So far he’s been enjoying himself in the role of principal, even as his workload has be come quite significant. He described his first few weeks in office as “certainly busy” and “non-stop.”

Barbone’s musical background actually plays a significant role in his new position.

“We have such a strong music program here (at

with phenomenal teach ers and support from the community and families, and I really want to make sure” it continues, he said.

One thing he’s especially keen on is mak

Shop Small Guide

Top

Left

Bottom

The Northside Chronicle’s Shop Small Guide 2022

kets sell farm-fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheese, and baked goods, plus flowers, small gifts and gardening items. For more information, call 412-255-2493 or search weekly vendors at https://pittsburghpa.gov/ events/northside-market

Refucilo Winery

907 Western Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15233

412-251-0231 | www.refucilo.wine

Enjoy the taste of hand-crafted wines this holiday season. Stop in-store to speak with a wine specialist or purchase at our online shop. Shipping and pick-up are available. Our selection of wines are made from the finest vineyard in Argentina and will make the perfect gift for the wine-lover in your family.

Allegheny City Brewing

507 Foreland Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Instagram: @alleghenycitybrewing www.alleghenycitybrewing.com

Craft brewery in the heart of Historic Deutschtown. Wide selection of beers on tap and to-go. Outdoor and indoor seating. Open six days a week. Regularly scheduled food trucks on site. Gift certificates and merchandise are available for the craft beer lover in your family.

National Aviary

700 Arch Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Monday-Sunday 10 am – 5 pm 412-258-9445 | www.aviary.org

Celebrate the season while highlighting a Northside favorite’s history with a copy of the National Aviary’s 70th anniversary book of colorful photos and interesting stories. Add on a stocking stuffer ornament. Purchase online at aviary.org or onsite.

EYV Restaurant

424 East Ohio Street, Pittsburgh Pa 15212 Instagram: @eyv_restaurant www.eyvrestaurant.com

EYV is a vegetable forward restaurant locat ed in Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown Neighbor hood focusing on making vegetables the center of the plate with meats & seafood playing a supporting role while utilizing the bounty of Western Pennsylvania & East Ohio Farms whenever possible.

5 Points Merchants Group (5PM)

Embracing all Neighborhoods North info@5pmgroupobh.org

https://www.5pmgroupobh.org

412-303-5661

Annual Holiday Light up Festival, Dec 2; parking lot at Perrysville & Mairdale Aves.

Come see Santa, carolers, make a craft, 50/50, mingle with neighbors & much more. Promote your business or show off your creativity by donating to our Chinese auction. Call for details, to volunteer, or participate.

The Farmer’s Daughter Flowers

502 E Ohio St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

412.231.1238

www.thefarmersdaughterflowers.com

Full service floral shop and botanically inspired gift shop filled with curiosities.

Come visit us at our new shopfront across the street from our previous location!

Pre-order your Christmas Wreath, now shipping!

Commonplace Coffee

1501 Buena Vista St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-932-2433

https://commonplacecoffee.com/mws/ Founded in 2003, Commonplace Coffee operates a roastery and four communi ty-based coffeehouses in Pittsburgh. Com monplace offers handcrafted coffee and pastries in a neighborhood atmosphere. Commonplace provides cafe consultation, wholesale coffee, equipment, service, and training to a diverse cross-section of busi nesses looking to start a coffee program.

Venture Outdoors

Director of DEI Full time – $60k

The Government Center

715 East Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

(412)208-3262

thegovernmentcenter.com

Huge selection of new and used LPs, 45s, CDs and Cassettes, with live concerts week ly. Check out our new Bar and Espresso cafe! Open seven days a week.

Create and maintain the organization’s DEI strategy, assist program managers to expand a culture of belonging externally and create and implement staff, board and volunteer trainings, as well as internal council for DEI efforts. Apply at: https:// www.ventureoutdoors.org/about/employ ment-opportunities/

City of Pittsburgh Northside Farmers’ Market

Allegheny Commons Park, East Ohio St. & Cedar Ave. on Fridays from 3 - 7 PM. Farmers’ Markets opened May 20, 2022 and run through November 18, 2022. All mar

Four Points Brewing

919 Western Avenue

www.fourpointsbrewing.com

A local craft brewery taproom in the heart of Allegheny West. We offer a variety of beer styles on draft and cans to-go. Open Wednesday thru Sunday, with our regular Happy Hour on Thursday evenings. Join us this holiday season for a pint and round of pinball! Follow us on Instagram @four pointsbrewing for events and fun happen ings.

EYV Restaurant

424 E Ohio St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 www.eyvrestaurant.com

City of Asylum Bookstore

@ Alphabet City

40 W. North Avenue, 15212

412-435-1112

https://www.cityofasylumbooks.org/

In the heart of the Northside, City of Asylum Bookstore offers quality literature for all ages from around the world. Open daily from 12-6pm or shop or shop on our website: www.cityofasylumbooks.org

Alan D. Perry, Founder & President Licensed in PA, Ohio & Arizona 1429 Juniata St. Pittsburgh PA. 15233 perryinsurance@yahoo.com https://alanperry.1dental.net/ Health Insurance Enrollment is open from November 1, 2022 - January 15, 2023. Don’t buy insurance until you call us! Broker for: Affordable Care Act (SHOP) and (Market place), Highmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield, UPMC, Illinois Mutual, Aflac, Allianz, Disability, Long Term Care, and much more. We have programs for everyone from Senior Citizens, Truck Drivers, Police, Fire Dept., Self-employed, and all other pro fessions. Call 412-583-2784 to speak with someone today!

said Kim Melvin, global leader of mar keting, Sensormatic Solutions. “This year, shoppers are using the very same tools they once turned to for health and safety reasons to make the experience more convenient and affordable.”

Sixty-four percent of respondents cited convenience as their top reason for using buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS) or curbside pickup this holiday season, while 37% are leveraging these options to access online-exclusive deals. Shoppers are also blurring the lines between the digital and physical shopping experiences, using their phones while in stores to read product reviews, access coupons, check on product availability and conduct other research -27% use their phones to supplement their shopping experience every time they shop in-store and an additional 31% do so most of the time they shop in-store.

“While the majority of shoppers feel very comfortable making their holiday purchases in-store this year, factors like price, product availability and convenience are at the top of everyone’s minds,” said Melvin. “A combination of traditional brick-and-mortar visits and alternative shopping methods, such as BOPIS and curbside pickup, are helping consumers take these factors into consideration as they complete their holiday wish lists.”

As part of its mission to solve complex retail challenges, Sensormatic Solutions is providing its top strategies to improve your holiday shopping experience:

Local Artist Workshop: Cue Perry

November 2 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

CLP - Allegheny 1230 Federal St. www.carnegielibrary.org

Pittsburgh based artist and arts educator

Cue Perry will lead this workshop for tweens and teens centered on the under standing that there is no wrong way to cre ate art. Participants will focus on express ing themselves through their creations. All supplies will be provided.

What Will Holiday Shopping Look Like This Year?

(StatePoint) If it feels like the holiday season is getting longer and more reliant on technology every year, you’re not imagining it.

According to the Sensormatic Solutions 2022 U.S. Holiday Consumer Sentiment Survey, 52% of respondents already started or plan to start their holiday shopping before November, and pre-Labor Day holiday shopping more than dou bled over 2021. That said, the top busiest shopping days in the United States are all expected between Black Friday and the day after Christmas.

• If staying within your seasonal budget is a priority for you or you harbor supply chain concerns, consider leveraging shopping holidays such as Black Friday. Doing so can help ensure product availabil ity, and thanks to holiday promotions, help you secure reasonable pricing on needed items.

• One of the most frustrating aspects of holiday shopping is not finding what you need on store shelves. Using alternative shopping methods such as BO PIS and curbside pickup can offer greater convenience and help ensure that when you visit a store, you won’t leave empty-handed.

For more holiday shopping tips and insights, visit sensormatic.com.

Though this holiday season may resemble the last few years in many ways, shoppers’ motivations for going digital have changed. Having a game plan can help you score great deals and find what you need.

Subscribe to the One & Only Northside Newspaper

The Northside Chronicle is dedi cated to covering Northside’s news and committed to providing a free, monthly publication for neighbors.

Purchasing a subscription for di rect-mail delivery to your home ensures you’ll always have the news while insuring these pages have a foundation of readers to continue printing the stories that matter.

Now until December 2022 our Annual Subscriptions remain at $45 for 12 issues

Consider subscribing today to secure the $45 subscription rate for the year by using the form on Page 2 of this newspaper to pay by check or go on line to pay by credit or debit card at: https://www.thenorthsidechronicle. com/subscriptions/

According to Linn’s Stamp News (est. 1928), the Postal Regulatory Commission approved the USPS to adjust rates twice per year, January and July, through the calendar year of 2024. The first adjustment happened on July 10, 2022.

MF Shop at the Mattress Factory

500 Sampsonia Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-3169 | mfshop.org

Find delightful products ranging from art books and local artisan jewelry to hand made greeting cards and funky home décor. The ever-changing inventory mirrors the playful and interactive nature of the artworks on display and often features work from exhibiting artists. Visit the MF Shop during regular Museum hours. Admission not required to shop.

Whether shoppers are making a list and checking it twice as early in the season as possible or waiting until the last minute, they are also likely to be thinking all the ways to shop, including integrating digital options with a traditional brick-andmortar experience, both which offer key consumer benefits.

“The past couple years have fun damentally changed the way we celebrate the holidays, starting with how we shop,”

Perry Insurance Group

Photo (c) DavidPrado - stock.adobe

New Perry principal re-adjusting to highschool setting

ing sure the

off this year without a hitch.

at the school

As for whether he has his eyes set high er, perhaps as a superintendent, Barbone has a definite answer to that question.

“No, absolutely not,” he said. “I can de finitively say no to that. I’m really excited to set my roots here.”

Molly O’Malley-ArguetaPerry Traditional Academy

Unlike Watson and Barbone, Molly O’Malley-Argueta is not new to the job of be ing a principal, though she is new to the school she’s overseeing this year.

She previously served as the principal at Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5 for the past 12 years.

Before that, she was an assistant principal at the former Peabody High School and Brashear High School, and got her start in education teaching at Oliver High School.

Returning to a high school setting after working in an elementary school for over a de cade is something O’Malley-Argueta is trying to get used to in her new position. On top of that is the challenge of getting to know all of her new students across all grade levels, some thing she takes very seriously.

“I think walking into the school and not knowing the students’ names, that bugs me,” she said.

For O’Malley-Argueta, making sure her school has a conducive environment for learn ing is her number one task. She hopes to serve as both a support for both students and teach ers, that goal being the thing that made her get interested in serving in administration.

“I think my philosophy is fairly simple,”

she said. “When a school is safe and welcom ing and structured and there’s high expecta tions, all students can learn at a high level.”

It’s not all seriousness for O’Malley-Ar gueta though. She said students like to joke with her about the fact she wears high-heels when walking into the school, but usually abandons them for something more comfort able once she’s actually working. She also forgoes coffee for Diet Coke as her drink of choice.

Still, O’Malley-Argueta has big plans for the school. She, working with teacher Aaron Taylor, is hoping to revive the Perry Acade my band, something the school hasn’t had for many years.

O’Malley-Argueta said what she most enjoys about education is the chance to put her own creative touch on a school, and make it a place everyone wants to go to.

“I like the students,” she said. “I like just being around students, I like taking a school and making it our own.” n

Photo by Sean P. Ray

Molly O’Malley-Argueta is the new principal of Perry Traditional Academy.

Deer, invasive worms playing havoc with Riverview’s ecosystem

share of the park’s leaf litter, leaving behind piles and piles of dry, pebble-like casings that don’t replenish the soil or en courage plant growth. Instead, the casings wash away easily during rainstorms, leading to erosion.

And Riverview Park has serious erosion problems, caused in part by a lack of understory holding the soil in place, as well as natural factors such as a steep topography, shal low soils covering shale rock and the park’s numerous natural springs. As erosion causes tree roots to become exposed, larg er, older trees lose their grip and topple into ravines. Take a drive along the park’s winding roads and you’ll see this loss of tree canopy, as well as sinking pavement and guardrails slid ing down hillsides. Meanwhile, layers of organic humus are washing into the city’s already overwhelmed sewage system. So, all those snake worms and all that worm poop are making matters much worse.

To be fair, snake worms aren’t the only species adversely affecting Riverview. It just so happens that snake worms also like to eat deer poop, and these days there’s a lot of deer poop to be had. By one count, Riverview hosts five times more white-tailed deer than the park can support. Each of those deer can eat up to 12 pounds of plant matter in a day. Though native to the region, deer no longer have natural predators in the area, such as mountain lions, bears and wolves, that might otherwise stabilize the population.

Invasive plant species also contribute to the park’s lack of understory. When those large legacy trees do fall, leaving a gap in the canopy, garlic mustard, Japanese knotweed and oriental bittersweet, among other invasives, compete for that exposed sunlight. These plants run roughshod over entire sec tions of forest. Deer gladly feed on native plants such as trilli

um and Canada Mayflower, but they tend to avoid invasives. Additionally, the invasive Norway maple is replacing many of those lost trees and taking over swaths of the park, unchecked.

Together, these species have created an ecosystem that’s increasingly homogeneous, self- destructive and, ultimately, unsustainable.

As the forest floor coverage, saplings and shrubs die off, so do the ways they support biodiversity and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. This essential plant life sustains polli nators, prevents erosion and provides food and nutrients for creatures in each link of the food chain, including many spe cies of insects, mammals and birds. Lose native species and biodiversity and that chain breaks, resulting in an imbalanced ecosystem and, in turn, causing Riverview Park to be racked with mudslides and crumbling roads. Additionally, the park loses some of its ability to efficiently provide us with clean air and water. And none of this — the deteriorating infrastructure, the lack of species diversity, the masses of writhing worms — is appealing to park visitors looking to enjoy a robust forest and its inhabitants.

The effects of these imbalances extend well beyond the park’s ecosystem or visitors’ interests in pleasant, pretty spac es. The city and county have had to invest funds to repair these washouts; in late 2020, the mayor’s office announced that an Allegheny Regional Asset District (ARAD) capital fund would dedicate $1.8 million to manage landslides in River view Park. Worms and worm poop, deer and their proclivity for devouring just about anything in their path, and the need to get invasive species under some semblance of control have all become a fiscal burden.

Meanwhile, there’s an estimated $400 million worth of backlogged repairs in need of attention throughout Pitts burgh’s park system.

Various agencies and organizations have been working to eradicate invasive plants by cutting invasive woody vines out of trees, planting trees that deer find unappealing and protect ing sapling bark with plastic tubes or mesh guards. Friends of Riverview Park, a coalition of residents supporting change in the park, is proposing the installation of meadows designed to encourage the growth of native species. The Pittsburgh Wa ter & Sewer Authority (PWSA) has been spearheading the Woods Run Stormwater Project to mitigate erosion problems, using green stormwater infrastructure such as rain gardens and tree plantings to stave off stormwater runoff. They’ve also made plans for deer exclosures (fenced areas) that would en able sections of the park to reestablish plant life. But these efforts aren’t, over the long-term, going to adequately restore the park’s species imbalance and loss of understory.

Currently, city and park staff — and land managers and scientists in general — have no system for managing or eradi cating snake worms. As for deer, Civil & Environmental Con sultants, an environmental consultancy working with PWSA, has recommended culling the deer herd. Some townships have done so using sharpshooters in controlled kills or through ster ilization programs. Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) officers have offered to help create a special bow hunting dis trict in the park or adjacent wooded areas. Proposals for deer culling can lead to contentious public debate (just ask leaders and residents in Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair townships), but it does happen successfully in some places. The borough of Fox Chapel, just north of Pittsburgh, has cut the number of deer-related automobile crashes there by 80 percent since their management program began in 1993. Sharpshooters and archery hunters took 158 deer in Fox Chapel during the 2020–2021 hunting season. In Philadelphia, a controlled kill pro

Worms, Page 18

Working lighthouse beacon hidden by attic

the differing perceptions of time theme.

“There’s a feeling of recent history, human’s relationship to the sea, and the ancient history when the ocean was here and the future when it comes back,” said Clayton.

The rotating light beacon on top actually works, and is specifically a fourth order Fresnel lens. If it weren’t surrounded by an attic, the beacon could potentially be seen for miles depending on weather conditions, the artists said. For now, however, the beams pass over wooden walls.

The oceanic theme further extends to the backyard of the home, where an orange, conical marker is situated. The

marker is made to be a sister-marker to a similar one located in Cornwall, En gland, which is Clayton’s hometown.

The grass of the backyard is Little Bluestem, a native species to Pennsylva nia which, when it is mature, has a blu ish-green coloration resembling ocean water.

Walking through “Darkhouse Light house” is a one-way trip, as visitors cannot return to previous rooms once they’ve moved on. As such, they are en couraged to spend as much time as they want in each part.

Admission to “Darkhouse Light house” is free, but reservations need to be made ahead of time. Visits can be scheduled by going to troyhillarthouses. com/darkhouselighthouse. n

Park’s woes not given enough attention

gram has reportedly sent up to 8,600 pounds of deer meat to food banks in just one year.

The problem is, news about worm poop, over-grazing deer and other invasives isn’t really news. For a few decades now, local journalists have been megaphoning concerns about deer as a nuisance (such as here in 2006 and here more than ten years later). Snake worms have received less attention (here and here), but they’ve been known to be a prob lem for decades now, not only here in Pitts burgh but in forests throughout the country.

We need to do a better job talking about — and continuing to research — topics like worm poop and controlling the deer popula tion and managing invasive plants. These top ics aren’t sexy (just ask that speaker I heard in college) and can seem much less urgent than other pressing matters in our city and region. But our parks are the city’s largest, most es tablished, and arguably most important forms of green infrastructure. They’re good for the environment, good for peoples’ health and good for the local economy. Without hard conversations about how to control deer and allocate resources and research that will deal with snake worms and other invasives, we’ll lose more trees, erosion will continue and more infrastructure will crumble. An off-kil ter ecosystem will only become more and more difficult to bring into balance.

Much has already been done to improve or restore Riverview Park, from the $2.3 mil lion transformation of a Department of Public Works dumping site into a soccer field, to the 2008 restoration of the ornate Chapel Shel ter, to the ongoing upkeep of the Allegheny

Observatory, including current repairs to the largest of the astronomical research center’s domes, which holds the country’s third larg est refracting telescope. The Department of Public Works is in the process of relocating some of its structures from the southern part of Riverview Park, while the Grand Avenue entrance is slated to be redesigned to make that part of the park more attractive and ac cessible.

The city’s Art in Parks program is also part of this effort. Artists Sans façon and Steve Gurysh’s interwoven projects include map ping and marking “witness” trees that were present at the park’s 1894 founding, creating a wooden, carved monument to these trees, hosting drawing classes and planting na tive seedlings throughout the park. Over the course of more than a year, the artists attended community meetings, walked Riverview with park staff and developed these plans in col laboration with city staff and local residents. Their efforts celebrate the park’s heritage and raise awareness of the park’s value for local residents and visitors, while working to im prove the health of its ecosystem.

It’s arguable that this land — originally occupied by the Delaware, Shawnee and Sen eca people — has never been so out of bal ance, the ecosystem so out of whack, and the stewardship so inadequate. But capital proj ects and art integration can help us more ef fectively steward these 259 acres once known as Watson Farm—help improve the ecosys tem and make the park more accessible. They can also inspire more earnest conversations about how we can keep invasive species in check and create a healthier, more balanced Riverview Park.. n

By Nils Hanczar

Northside Real Estate Transfers

Allegheny City Central

Estate of Barbara Ann Zack to A & B Equity Group LLC at 1223 Veto St. for $218,000.

Derfler Investments LLC to Shikha Goel and Kunal Mehendra Thacker at 1609 Buena Vista St. for $639,187.

Alexis Franks to Edward Francis and Maureen Zalewski Regnier at 1221 Palo Alto St. for $610,000.

Richard Mennen to John Schaub at 1236 Resaca Pl for $355,000.

Derfler Investments LLC to Daniel and Kimberly Kuhlman at 1611 Buena Vista St. for $657,637.

Kelly Bolen to Carol Vernon at 1504 Federal St. for $382,500.

Stables Develop L.P. to BG 284 Properties LLC at 840 W North Ave. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $7,116,182).

Harvey Klein to Pittsburgh City Housing Authority at 1206 Arch St. Apt A1 for $143,333.

Jonathan Klein to Pittsburgh City Housing Authority at 1206 Arch St. Unit A2 for $143,333.

Johnathan Klein to Pittsburgh City Housing Authority at 1206 Arch St. Unit A3 for $143,333.

Harvey Klein to Pittsburgh City Housing Authority at 1204 Arch St. Unit B1 for $143,333.

Harvey Klein to Pittsburgh City Housing Authority at 1204 Arch St. Unit B2 for $143,333.

Harvey Klein to Pittsburgh City Housing Authority at 1204 Arch St. Unit B3 for $143,333.

Brighton Heights

Benjamin Reiser to Mark and Melissa Yancey at 3886 Brighton Road for $200,000.

Jerold Bruce to Linda Johnston at 3914 Drexel Road for $130,000. AIH LLC to Steven Mitts at 3510 Massachusetts Ave. for $219,500.

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to James Himber at Fairlee St., vacant lot 0075-F-00045-0000-00 for $3,936.

Robert Nash Jr. to Dollar Bank Federal Savings Bank at 1418 Reuben St. for $34,000 by sheriff’s deed.

Michale John Flickinger to James Marcus Dropcho Ranii and Sarah Lemanski at 3553 Gerber Ave. for $385,000.

Estate of Jack Obrien to Brett and Janna Bavar at 3457 Mcclure Ave. for $89,795.

California-Kirkbride

Northside Properties R&S LLC to Northside Properties Residences III at Brighton Pl for $2,500.

Charles Street Valley

Nico Homes Inc. to Sequoia Management LLC at 2604 Kenn St. for $51,600 by sheriff’s deed. Brick Structures Inc. to Henry Rivera at 856 Brightridge St. for $124,900.

East Deutschtown

Community Alliance Spring Garden East to Erik and Kalina Kath at 900 Chestnut St. for $25,000.

Kevin Kraft to David Patrick Chimento at 930 Peralta St. for $295,000. Alaina Investment Co. LLC to Natalia Doroshenko at 827 Vista St. for $235,000. Pittsburgh City to Nathaniel Riley at Suismon St., vacant lot 0024-J-00378-0000-00 for $1,599. Keith Olander to Gordon Scott Morrissey Jr. and Chrystal Ann Morrissey at 814 Wettach St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $88,314).

Fineview

Ryan Winter to Ryan Winter at 310 Marsonia St. for $58,794.

Historic Deutschtown

Mark Skosnik to Robert Beecher and Amber Baker at 526 Avery St. for $475,000.

Michael Gregory to Rhonda Pastrana trustee at 509 Avery St. for $399,900. Aaron Auber to Al Blanco Holdings LLC at 518-520 E Ohio St. for $625,000. Historic Deutschtown Development Corp. to Neelam Real Estate LLC at 632 E Ohio St. for $295,000.

Manchester

Michael Parker to Rebecca Kritschil at 1210 Sheffield St. for $257,000.

Michael Stewart to Zachary and Lindsay Milke at 1410 Juniata St. for $400,000.

Manchester Row House Renaissance LLC to Perla Corrigan at 1316 Lake St. for $180,000.

Manchester Row House Renaissance LLC to Shayonna Herring at 1122 Warlo St. for $135,000.

Manchester Row House Renaissance LLC to Issaiah Faulk at 1126 Warlo St. for $130,000.

Marshall-Shadeland

Patrick O’Reilly to Janice Lorenz at 1026-1/2 Grand Ave. for $20,000.

Dwayne Matthews to Adam Neil Chizmar at 1508 Superior Ave. for $195,000.

James Antal to William Schneider at 1224 Woodland Ave. for $90,000.

Edgar Edward Schmiedlin to Jeremy William Murphy at 901 Woods Run Ave. for $140,000.

Gerald Marshman to SOMA International Ministries Inc. at 2820 Shadeland Ave. for $15,000.

North Shore

Alcoa Inc. to Isabella Pic LLC at 201 Isabella St. for $43,562,500.

Observatory Hill

Freedom Realty & Rentals LLC to Universal Entropy LLC at 3805-3809 Baytree St. for $420,000. Lorrie Collins to BST PGH 2 LLC at 3951 Perrysville Ave. for $60,000.

John Young IV to Ian Lewis and Casey Bender at 3801 Baytree St. for $310,000.

Christin Calamari to Cheyenne Bunnell at 3943 Evergreen Road for $190,000.

Will Groves to Jonathan Atwood and Jacokson Fox Bender at 3733 Perrysville Ave. for $175,000.

Perry Hilltop

Chai Pryor to TOV Realty Holdings LLC at 753 Chautauqua Ct for $76,000.

Jerome Roberts to Mustapha Mustapha and Bashira Mustapha Muhammad at 56 Kenwood Ave. for $115,000.

Spring Garden

Eastern Investing Solutions LLC to Jaron Drake at 2502 Spring Garden Ave. for $139,000. Slake LLC to Janna Natali at 1024 High St. for $120,000.

Summer Hill

Keith Younger to 3532 Sirius Holdings LLC at 3532 Sirius St. for $350,000.

Estate of Dorothy Haas to Chukwudi Kingsley Ikechukwu at 4481 Morefield St. for $125,000.

Troy Hill

Gloria Cobb to Upendo Tookas at 1823 Rialto St. for $80,000.

Pittsburgh City to Jeffrey and Melanie Fletcher at Province St., vacant lot 0024-G-00279-0000-00 for $18,400.

Michelle Juran to 1535 Lowrie St. LLC at 1535-1537 Lowrie St. for $615,000.

Ryan Brown to Andrew and Tracy Gross at 31 Waterfront Drive for $575,000.

Estate of James Lyons to Christian Farina and Emily June Lyons at 1628 Harpster St. for $50,000.

Thomas Hartman to Dale Vaughn and Elizabeth Menzel at 2029 Veronica St. for $168,000.

Ask An Attorney

By Matthew D. Gailey, Gailey Law Group

As a practicing trial attorney, it is vi tal to have a working understanding of all types of tort law. Torts, civil wrongs other than a breach of contract, form the basis for most civil lawsuits. It is also important to understand what types of Defendants can be sued and who is immune from lawsuit. The most common type of entity that is im mune from lawsuit is the government.

Government officials, generally speak ing, cannot be sued for actions when those actions are done within the scope of their duties. The General Assembly can waive this sovereign immunity if they wish to do so and allow government employees to be sued. One of the main acts that allows for certain types of lawsuits to take place can be found in the Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act.

The Political Subdivision Tort Claims Act allows several exceptions to sover eign immunity. Among these exceptions

is cases related to vehicle liability (car accidents), medical professional liability, care custody or control of personal prop erty, Dangerous conditions on real estate, highways and sidewalks, potholes or other dangerous conditions, care custody or con trol of animals, liquor store sales, national guard activities, toxoids and vaccines, and sexual abuse.

In short, there are several ways that a person can sue the government. If a gov ernment employee causes physical harm to you during the course of their duties, then you will generally have a potentially viable lawsuit. Unfortunately, you generally can not sue the government for doing foolish things in other areas as they are immune. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call.

Northside Cafe

Garden

Government

the

Best Northside Brunch Spot

Bier’s Pub

Modern Cafe

Monterey Pub

Max’s Allegheny Tavern

40 North

Best Northside Lunch Spot

Allegheny Sandwich Shoppe

Subbas Asian Restaurant

Legends Eatery

Don’s Diner

Peppi’s o Modern Cafe o Max’s Allegheny Tavern o Bistro To Go

Best Northside Dinner Spot o Siempre Algo o 40 North o Pauline’s Caribbean Soul Cuisine o Subbas Asian Restaurant o Fig and Ash o Max’s Allegheny Tavern o Legends Eatery

Best Northside Sweet Treats o Happy Day Dessert Factory o Gus & Yiayia’s

Best Northside Craft Drink o Siempre Algo o Leo. a public house o Monk’s Bar o Refucillo Winery o Penn Brewery

Best Northside Brewery o Allegheny City Brewery o

Northside

Mike’s

Northside Venue

Elks

Government

Allegheny City

Northside

New Hazlett

City of Asylum

City

Andy

Northside

Official Rules/Disclaimers: Read ers have ability to submit unlimited num ber of votes for ‘Best of’ Award Contest from November 22, 2022. Submissions may be submitted online or by post-mail. Use this page to vote by checking the business’s box in each category. Post-mail your entry to: The Northside Chronicle, c/o Reader’s Choice Awards, 3925 Perrys ville Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15214. Online voter forms can be obtained by becoming a subscriber to The Northside Chronicle’s free weekly e-newsletter on the website at www.nschronicle.com or by following @nschronicle on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Deadline to vote for the Best Northside Small Business; Annual Reader’s Choice Awards is Friday, November 22, 2022 at 5:00PM. There are no drawings/winnings for voters in this contest. Small businesses entered into Award Contest are organized by category and listed in order of first nomination entry. Nominations of closed, moved, or unidentifiable businesses were excluded, including businesses that were verified to be located outside of area (15212, 15214, 15233), non-fit for category nominated in, or verified. Northside businesses with the most votes in each category will win an honorary title of “Best of Northside” title and bragging rights. Winners will be revealed in the December 2022 issue of The Northside Chronicle and on our website.

Northside

Don’s Diner