July 19, 2023 - Pittsburgh City Paper

Necromancer Brewing reclaims forgotten beers for forgotten people

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JULY 19-26, 2023 // VOL. 32 ISSUE 29

Editor-in-Chief ALI TRACHTA

Director of Advertising RACHEL WINNER

Director of Operations KEVIN SHEPHERD

News Editor JAMIE WIGGAN

A&E Editor AMANDA WALTZ

Art Director LUCY CHEN

Graphic Designer JEFF SCHRECKENGOST

Sales Representatives SIERRA CLARY, MARIA STILLITANO

Digital Coordinator MORGAN BIDDLE

Marketing Coordinator LEE HOOD

Circulation Manager JEFF ENGBARTH

Contributors KAHMEELA ADAMS-FRIEDSON, REGE BEHE, LYNN CULLEN, MEG ST-ESPRIT, MATT PETRAS, JORDANA ROSENFELD, JORDAN SNOWDEN

Editorial Intern AUGUST STEPHENS

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GENERAL POLICIES: Contents

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COVER ILLUSTRATION: MARGARET BERRY

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA

CP

PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM

CP PHOTO: LUCY CHEN Necromancer Brewing Co.

NEW BREWS, OLD WAYS

Necromancer Brewing Co. turns to the past for forward-looking inspiration

BY OWEN GABBEY // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

BABCOCK BOULEVARD doesn’t necessarily strike the eye as somewhere worthy of a history lesson. Known mostly for its modern chains and as one of Pittsburgh’s many roads where the speed limit is just a state of mind, it could easily be remembered for nothing more. But dig beneath the surface a little and you’ll find a road that was renovated in the early 1900s to match the explosive population growth that sprang up from the Harmony Line, a trolley connecting Pittsburgh with remote industrial hubs like Butler and New Castle.

It’s this kind of detail, updating the rich texture of something long forgotten into something new and vibrant, that fuels everything Necromancer Brewing Co. does. The Ross Township brewery, only open for two years, has quickly become one of Pittsburgh’s most exciting and unique spots, simultaneously resurrecting beer styles that have been forgotten while ushering in people who have been cast aside in the craft beer industry.

Co-founder Ben Butler always had a vision, but never thought that his brewery would come to represent something larger than itself. The aims were simple: make really cool beer, with really good people.

“I was studying for my Ciccerone, and

there was this whole category on historical beers,” he tells Pittsburgh City Paper during a conversation that includes head brewer Lauren Hughes. “I didn’t want to just open a brewery willy-nilly, I wanted to be driven by some sort of vision. And I thought it would be cool to focus on all of these dead beer styles.”

NECROMANCER BREWING CO.

2257 Babcock Blvd., Ross Township. necromancer.beer

For Butler, it started as a passion in homebrewing, nurtured by working in web design for more and more breweries. In a parallel universe, Hughes was cutting her teeth in every corner of the Pittsburgh brewing scene.

“I homebrewed for probably 15, 20 years. I’ve worked everywhere … I worked at Sun King, I got a brewing job, then I eventually became the assistant head brewer at Penn Brewery,” she says.

It was two kindred spirits, driven by making something new out of something old. They just didn’t know it yet.

When Butler decided to finally pull the trigger and start his own brewery, he had some ideas.

Then an introduction from Andrew

Witchey, founder of Dancing Gnome, brought Hughes into the picture. Call it fate, call it divine intervention from the craft beer gods, but the connection was strong and immediate.

“I was stoked,” Hughes tells City Paper. “I remember the first time Ben and I talked about it, it got me excited. It gets monotonous to brew the same 10 beers over and over again, so the research aspect really appealed to me. I don’t like putting stuff to bed, so I liked tweaking recipes and processes.”

She isn’t kidding. Necromancer has already brewed over 200 beers, an absurd number for a brewery of its size. The real unique ones come from their Resurrection Series, the beer styles they bring back from the dead. These have included a Rotbier, a red beer brewed exclusively with Barley; a Merseburger, a black hoppy ale that is from 18th-century Saxonburg; and a Biere d’ete, a historic light, French summer ale.

The Necromancer concept formed quickly, the name coming from the poetic (resurrecting dead styles of beer) and the practical (it was available). Picking a location proved a more difficult task, though. After scouring sites all across the city, it seems fitting, that they ended up on Babcock, with its history of reviving again and again.

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH Lauren Hughes, head brewer

“Just come drink the beer”

The story of Necromancer isn’t just one of dead beer styles and a brewery making waves. It’s a story of true commitment to its values, and proudly stating that craft beer is a space for everyone — a claim that has been hard to make through the industry’s history. And it wasn’t an ideal that was born out of opportunity, or a cynical idea of what could attract a different audience segment. Hughes is a member of the LGBTQ community, and she and Butler felt it should be a central tenet of Necromancer from the start.

“It’s our way of saying we don’t care who you are, just come drink the beer,” Hughes says. “There’s a lot of folks in that community who feel like they can’t go out anywhere without feeling weird or not accepted, and I think it’s another way of

having them feel like we can just sit there and have a beer.”

It’s one thing to voice bold commitments on press releases or Instagram captions. It’s entirely another to say it directly in the face of those who want to oppose it.

Last year, Necromancer ended up in a public controversy after an employee from Grist House made derogatory comments towards Nina Santiago, a Necromancer associate brewer who was wearing a “Queer AF” shirt at a beer festival.

“It’s like, you know who Necromancer is,” Butler says. “If you see a Necromancer employee wearing a queer-forward shirt, you should shut the fuck up and move on. You can be as clear and transparent

about your values, and those people still feel uncomfortable.” And that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Last month, in response to the controversy over transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney partnering with Bud Light and the ensuing outrage, Necromancer brewed a light lager called Even Gayer, with branding that looked suspiciously like an aforementioned national brand. The beer got picked up on social media by some of the right and the wrong people, and all of the sudden, Necromancer found itself at the center of the beer world. (As far as the beer goes, Hughes, Butler, and I drained a pitcher of it during our conversation and it was a fantastic example of a light lager).

Their initial Instagram post drew 157

CP PHOTO: PAT CAVANAGH Lauren Hughes, head brewer

comments, and a Facebook post racked up 4,700. Many of the big beer influencers in the industry picked it up, generally to point and laugh at all the homophobes trying to find the next place to cancel despite claiming opposition to cancel culture.

For Butler and Hughes, it was amusing, but also real life, with all the exhaustion and mental taxation that comes with being the ones to deal with it.

“We were excited about it internally, but I don’t think any of us were prepared for the press, both good and bad,” Hughes says. “Ben especially, not being from the community, would message me daily like ‘Oh, my God.’ But we were also really happy with the positive. That was one of the fastest beers we ever sold out of, from day one. It’s one of the beers I’m most proud of.”

Crucially, none of this shook Necromancer off their core values. If anything, it solidified them, strengthened by the majority of their crowd who feel safe and loved in their taproom and uninterested in the vocal minority who felt otherwise. Necromancer does a Queer Beer Club. They do frequent drag shows at the brewery. And most importantly, in their eyes, they have a code of conduct that has been clearly established at the brewery from the start.

Butler says any brewers can similarly create a welcoming environment regardless of their identity and affiliation.

“You can take the straightest, whitest brewery you can find, and how do you prevent incidents from happening, both internally and externally? You have a code of conduct, and you talk to those people about what your values are.”

CP PHOTO: LUCY CHEN

George Schenk, bartender, pours a brew at Necromancer Brewing Co.

“IF YOU SEE A NECROMANCER EMPLOYEE WEARING A QUEER-FORWARD SHIRT, YOU SHOULD SHUT THE FUCK UP AND MOVE ON. YOU CAN BE AS CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT ABOUT YOUR VALUES, AND THOSE PEOPLE STILL FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE.

Growing the vision

A respect for the community’s history married with a passion for making it better and more welcoming has been a central theme at Necromancer, and it’s only continuing into the future. Necromancer recently announced that they have acquired the iconic Greenfield pub, Hough’s, and will turn that into a secondary location, something more akin to a neighborhood brewpub than a typical taproom space. To Butler and Hughes, it represents a next step, the ability to extend their product, their passion, and their sense of community to more people, and to keep the tradition of a Pittsburgh institution alive.

“We wanted another location that was another neighborhood, British-style pub, and I walked in and I was like ‘I want this. I need this,’” Butler says.

Hughes says her own experience with the location brings additional meaning, “Hough’s used to be the craft beer mecca. When I first moved to Pittsburgh, I used to go there for tap takeovers. So when Ben was looking for a bar, it was a little bit personal.”

More than anything, Necromancer is tactile. The beer, the experience, the people behind it, it all feels lived in. It doesn’t judge, it doesn’t have preconceived notions of who you are, what you’re looking for, or why you’ve come to Necromancer to find it. It simply provides you with kind people, a warm environment, and some well-made beer that you’re probably not going to find in many other places. It’s a community under the purple lights of the taproom, and the skeleton drawings that populate its walls. •

THE BEER, THE EXPERIENCE, THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT, IT ALL FEELS LIVED IN. IT DOESN’T JUDGE, IT DOESN’T HAVE PRECONCEIVED NOTIONS OF WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, OR WHY YOU’VE COME TO NECROMANCER TO FIND IT.

Michael Gates and Toby Vann share a drink at Necromancer Brewing Co.

BREWS YOU CAN USE

These awesome breweries are good for more than just beer

BY MEG ST-ESPRIT // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

THERE ARE FEW THINGS more summery than a lazy evening at a brewery — live music, food trucks, cute dogs, and kids running around, and seating geared towards conversation and relaxation.

Pittsburgh is home to dozens of breweries. The official Pittsburgh Brewery

Guide lists 42, but folks count as many as 50 within Allegheny County alone. The city’s surrounding counties are also rife with great spots to grab a pint with friends and family. While it’s impossible to highlight the best traits of every brew spot, we’ve rounded up just a few to help you plan an epic summer evening.

BEST BREWERY TO BRING YOUR KIDS TO Big Sewickley Creek Brewery

2030 Big Sewickley Creek Rd., Sewickley sewickleybrewery.com

If you’re in the mood for a night out and either want to or need to take your little ones, check out Big Sewickley Creek Brewery. Pack the kids a change of clothes and some Crocs, because this brewery is right along the “crick.” Brothers Marc and Chris Gignac chose the location because the proximity to nature and space to run around creates just the vibe they were looking for. With food trucks, live music, and trivia nights, there’s always a reason to stop by, and the whole family will have a ball.

BEST BREWERY FOR MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Strange Roots

Various locations strangerootsbeer.com

If you want to bring your dog to the brew house (or pet other people’s dogs), Strange Roots is a great place to go. With three Pittsburgh locations — Millvale, Gibsonia, and New Kensington — there is a Strange Roots near you, we promise. Each location has a dedicated partnership with a different local kitchen to ensure good eats while your pup socializes in their generous outdoor space. Millvale features Pittsburgh Sandwich Society, Taqueria El Pastorcito slings delicious eats in Gibsonia, and Common Oven Pizza Co. slices up handmade pies in New Ken.

CP PHOTO: PAM SMITH Strange Roots

BEST SPOTS WITH NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTIONS

Two Frays Brewery

5113 Penn Ave., Garfield Twofraysbrewery.com

The Open Road

600 E Warrington Ave., Allentown openroadbarpgh.com

If you’re sober, the designated driver, or just taking a booze break, there are two great options to check out. Two Frays Brewery in Garfield features traditional alcoholic brews along with their NA West Coast IPA — making it a great choice when just some members of your party are teetotaling. The Open Road in Allentown features nonalcoholic beers, wines, and spirits from a variety of different breweries, wineries, and distilleries.

BEST BREWERY FOR OUTDOOR DRINKING

Spoonwood Brewing Co.

5981 Baptist Rd., Bethel Park spoonwoodbrewing.com

If it’s a gorgeous day or evening, and sitting inside just won’t do, check out Spoonwood Brewing Co., which has outdoor seating in droves. Their Bethel Park restaurant is lined with glass garage doors that open onto a spacious patio and an expansive yard for pups, kids, and general lounging. Their woodfired oven serves up crowd pleasers all day long including smoked meat with homemade cornbread, mac n’ cheese, and pizzas. They’ve got a brunch menu, too, for the morning drinkers.

BEST BREWERY FOR GETTING YOUR GRUB ON Cinderlands Warehouse

2601 Smallman St., Strip District cinderlands.com

If you’re thirsty and hungry, check out Cinderlands Warehouse in the Strip District. Overseen by head brewer Paul Schneider and executive chef Joe Kiefer, a 400-lb smoker and 3,000 square foot kitchen crank out irresistible meat, baked goods, and more. The warehouse can easily fit 350 diners without feeling cramped, so it’s a great place for a group meetup, too. They’ve got two other locations in Lawrenceville and Wexford, as well — Lawrenceville serves up Belgian pub food and Wexford offers grab-and-go options prepared at their other locations.

CP PHOTOS: JARED WICKERHAM (top) Haluski and smoked tri tips are shown with a Tracks Again Unfiltered Pilsner beer at the Cinderlands Warehouse

(left) Executive chef, Joe Heifer at Cinderlands

CP PHOTO: PAM SMITH Two Frays Brewery

FOR LIVE MUSIC

Trace Brewing

4312 Main St., Bloomfield tracebloomfield.com

If you’re in the mood for some tunes, stop by Trace Brewing in Bloomfield for a constant lineup of diverse and varied artists. Musical acts range from a TaylorFest — four bands covering Swift’s greatest hits — to Slappers N Bangers, who spin the best of rap, hip-hop, and R & B. They also have art classes, trivia nights, and a paid vocational program for those interested in becoming a brewer. While there’s no kitchen, a lineup of food trucks means you won’t be hungry.

BEST BREWERY FOR COLD WEATHER

Grist House Craft Brewery

10 E Sherman St., Millvale gristhouse.com

If you’re looking to sit outside on a chilly night, there are multiple options, but one stellar choice is Grist House Craft Brewery in Millvale. When the temps drop, their massive outdoor space features fire pits and heaters to sit around while trying their in-house brews. There’s always a food truck on site, and kids and pups are welcome, too.

BEST BREWERY FOR SHOWING OFF Church

Brew Works

3525 Liberty Ave., Lawrenceville churchbrew.com

If you have out of town guests, take them to Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville. It’s a local classic that checks all the boxes for the true Yinzer experience — beer, a converted church, and pierogies. They’ve also got seafood, mac n’ cheese, and generous salads. Their brew list includes IPAs, pilsners, and saisons as well as a long list of fun cocktails and mocktails — and a killer dessert menu.

Before heading out for a night of brewskies and bites, check each brewery’s social media for updates — they’ll tell you what food trucks, bands, or events are happening as well as what’s new on tap. Cheers, Pittsburgh! •

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM Church Brew Works

PHOTO: JULIE KAHLBAUGH / TRACE BREWING Trace Brewing

Msions department, where I was hired as a temp in 2011 to input mindless data and help prepare for “the biggest logistical operation” in the company’s history, which never happened.

I was 18 at the time, still living in my hometown of Manchester, England. What I remember best from that twomonth stint is long Metro rides into town, and taking advantage of the mandatory 10-minute smoking breaks guaranteed to all employees regardless of their inhaling habits since 2007 the UK government banned cigarettes indoors. Another perk: often on Fridays, we would march along to the local watering hole for a staff-wide boozy social hour and sink several pints before returning to the office to close out the working week.

beer while on assignment is likely at least to raise an eyebrow, or perhaps even elicit a subtle scolding. (Not that it stops me, as my editor points out.)

Other gentle cues also hinted that drinking — even in respectable contexts — involves at least some kind of reluctant dance with debauchery. Pittsburgh’s many cinder block bars punctured only by closed doors and opaque windows, for instance, form an imposing divide between the drinkers inside and the sober majority outside. Pennsylvania’s complex liquor laws, meanwhile, make it harder logistically to buy alcohol than firearms, and they require you to be three years older.

Social scientists have studied these customs, drawing lines between “open”

alcohol consumption mainly as a moral issue, fostering an uneasy relationship that encourages alcoholism and other dysfunctional habits. Mediterranean cultures, where wine consumption over lunch or even breakfast is unremarkable, don’t have the same associations between alcohol and drunkenness, nor do they, on the whole, conceive of drinking alcohol as a distinct activity, the scholarship says.

“In societies with a more ambiguous and uneasy relationship with alcohol, where drinking is a moral ‘issue’ … drinking-places are more likely to be enclosed, insular, even secretive environments, with solid walls and doors, frosted windows and substantial screens or partitions, ensuring that the activities of

the Social Issues Research Center.

On the other hand, “Societies in which alcohol is traditionally an accepted, unremarkable and morally neutral element of everyday life … tend to favour [SIC] ‘uninhibited’, highly visible drinking-places, with large windows and open spaces, such that customers and facilities are clearly displayed. … The drinking-place extends physically into the environment, overlaps and merges with the everyday world, just as “the consumption of alcohol is [as] integrated into common behaviours [SIC] as sleeping or eating.”

(I should pause here to note the irony of a Brit daring to critique another country’s drinking culture. I concede that my people have at least

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA Americans celebrate the end of prohibition in a bar in Paris in 1933

Maybe we can read too much into architecture and other cultural symbolism, but America’s ambivalent relationship with alcohol is unequivocally documented, at least historically, in the 13-year experiment in teetotalism that perhaps did more to glorify the mobster aesthetic than curb drinking appetites.

Prohibition ended in 1933 with a near unanimous sense that it was a policy disaster, but it still feels as though much of that temperance spirit lives on, not least in Pittsburgh.

At its conclusion, historians note, teetotalism remained a popular position, even if the law was sapped of support.

“It wasn’t even that everyone’s attitude toward alcohol changed,” Leslie A. Przybylek, a senior curator at the Heinz History Center, tells Pittsburgh City Paper

Instead, Przybylek says, it was a broad recognition that the nationwide ban incited violence and corruption and also eroded trust in government.

“They came around to seeing that you couldn’t make it a national law,” she adds.

Shortly after prohibition was repealed, a number of municipalities in Allegheny County affirmed their teetotal preferences by passing their own laws restricting alcohol sales. Across the state and country, other towns did the same.

“Once prohibition proved to be such an abysmal experience, the whole thing just became a free for all, and it’s been

an exhibit on prohibition in Pittsburgh in 2018.

“That is all a direct legacy of prohibition.”

Even today, seven communities in Allegheny County are considered at least partially dry by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, while across the state, that number rises to 681.

When a few booze lovers in Bellevue first attempted to turn the town “wet” in 2011, the referendum tallied more opposition than supporters. Four years later, they pushed it through with the help of a more organized campaign, but the move still evoked strong resistance from many who associated alcohol sales with trouble.

Now, the small borough has a microbrewery and a couple of licensed restaurants that have contributed to an impressive revival of its main street, Lincoln Avenue.

Przybylek says the craft brewing explosion has encouraged a generation of younger drinkers to appreciate taste and texture over a drink’s alcoholic efficacy.

As I sipped an ale last night inside Lincoln Avenue Brewing — a converted fire station with floor-to-ceiling windows and a swathe of outside seating — I suspected she may be right.

And I didn’t even feel a smidge of guilt. •

BOOK ON TAPES

Armed with rare recordings, an Allman Brothers aficionado writes a second book about the band

BY REGE BEHE // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

WHEN IT WAS SUGGESTED that Alan Paul write another book about the Allman Brothers, he scoffed at the idea. The Squirrel Hill native had penned what many consider to be the definitive history of the band, One Way Out , published in 2014.

But a friend and editor, Brad Tolinski, insisted there were more stories to tell, specifically about the period between 1971-1976, arguably the band’s most creative and productive era. Paul decided to give it a try.

Then came a rare gift: a cache of cassette tapes from Kirk West, a photographer and an Allman Brothers’ insider. Tapes that had been recorded in the 1980s by West, interviewing band members and friends, some of them dead. Tapes that hadn’t been heard for almost four decades.

ALAN PAUL BOOK

TALK & SIGNING

7 p.m., July 27. Cinderlands Warehouse. 2601 Smallman Street, Strip District. cinderlands.com

“I was already writing the book before Kirk offered me the tapes,” says Paul, who appears July 27 at Cinderlands in the Strip District to promote his new book Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers and the Inside Story of the Album That Defined the ‘70s (St. Martin’s Press). “But they became so essential, and central to what the book was. … The book still would have been good, but these tapes gave it so much more depth.”

Paul admits he was moved by again hearing the voices of Gregg Allman, Butch Trucks, and Red Dog, a longtime band roadie. And he was especially gratified listening to them talking to West, who was Paul’s entrée into the world of the

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALAN PAUL Author Alan Paul

Allmans and helped him understand the importance of the band.

“Kirk liked my work, we collaborated on a couple of things, and it opened up all these doors,” Paul says, adding that “[Kirk] had a real desire to have the tapes utilized. He’s tickled by this whole thing.”

The audio version of Brothers & Sisters features clips from some of the interviews conducted in the 1980s.

“You hear Kirk’s voice, and he’s really, really happy that these tapes, that have been moldering in his desk, are seeing the light of day,” Paul says. “It’s really a mutually beneficial thing.”

Brothers and Sisters recounts many of the band’s highlights from the era, notably tours with the Grateful Dead (especially the 1973 concert in Watkins Glen, New York, that attracted over 600,000) and its support of Jimmy Carter’s presidential bid. There also are plenty of low points — disputes within the band, the deaths of guitarist Duane Allman and bassist Berry Oakey (both within a year, both victims of motorcycle accidents), and substance

Why I Walk: It’s Good for Mental Health!

By Emily Shimko, EdD, CSCS, ACSM-EP-(Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Certified Exercise Physiologist) Assistant Professor of Health Sciences, La Roche University and AFSP Western PA Chapter Board Secretary/ volunteer and walk committee member

Thewarmer weather has finally arrived (for Pittsburgh, anyway!) and it’s a great time to get outside and walk!

The physical-health benefits of walking are rather well-known: walking improves heart health, can decrease excess weight, and improves bone and muscle health. But did you know that walking (and exercise in general) can also be good for your mental health? At the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, we are about making mental health a priority, so I am sharing another way to improve mental health and cope with the stresses of everyday life and then some.

abuse issues.

Gregg Allman, who died in 2017, especially seemed to be prone to controversy, whether it was because of his marriage to Cher or his attempts to confront substance abuse in rehab.

But Paul found one instance where Gregg Allman found a bit of respite from his troubles. While at a rehab facility in Buffalo, New York, Allman received letters from a group of students from St. Canisius High, a boy’s private prep school, asking him to visit their campus.

Not only did Gregg Allman respond, but in a scene that reads like it’s from a Cameron Crowe movie, he also recruited a band of local musicians and performed there.

“I was delighted to have found that story,” says Paul, who gleaned a lot of information about the event through a 2017 story in the Buffalo News by Sean Kirst. “And I was excited that in the last chapter of this second book about the Allman Brothers that I’ve written, I was able to come up with something new.” •

Research has shown that being physically active can lower feelings of depression and anxiety. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (2018) state that both acute and regular participation in physical activity can reduce state and trait anxiety in adults. There is also strong evidence that physical activity reduces the risk of developing depression or the symptoms of depression. A brisk walk for 30-60 minutes can improve your mood and overall quality of being. The great thing about walking as a mode of physical activity is that you can do it just about anywhere: outside, inside (no treadmill? Find a mall or shopping center), and you can walk alone or with friends and family. Walking with others comes with benefits of increased socialization (also good for mental health), motivation and accountability, safety, and it can be more fun and a good time to catch up with others.

For suicide loss survivors, there is emerging, research on the use of walking as a method to cope with grief (Derksen, 2016). Even though more research is needed, I see walking as a promising coping mechanism. Walking has little risk of harm in many individuals; and may be worth a try if you are grieving or wanting to promote your own mental health. However, if you are experiencing severe depressive symptoms or having difficulty managing your own grief from loss, the assistance of a mental health professional should be sought.

All of this means that participating in one of AFSP’s Out of the Darkness Walks makes sense to advocate for mental wellness, literally one step at a time. The good news is you can start now and walk your way to longer distances and improved health. Try 10 minutes at a time to start and keep adding more. You can reap some of the physical health benefits in these smaller bouts and build your endurance in a safe manner.

one: Walking and grief an intervention study. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1906672641).

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2018). Brain health. In Physical Activity Guidelines Scientific Report (chapter 3). Retrieved from https://health.gov.paguidelines/second-edition/report.asp

Lace up those shoes and get walking: your body and mind will thank you!! Register today for the Pittsburgh Out of the Darkness Walk on September 9

If you are in crisis, please call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or call 911. Contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.

“... I WAS EXCITED THAT IN THE LAST CHAPTER OF THIS SECOND BOOK ABOUT THE ALLMAN BROTHERS THAT I’VE WRITTEN, I WAS ABLE TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW.”

COVER: COURTESY OF ST.

MARTIN'S PRESS

GREAT AMERICAN BANANA SPLITBCELEBRATION ANANA CELEBRATION

INDIE BOOKSTORE SPOTLIGHT

New releases at City Books

BY ALI TRACHTA // ALI@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

So to Speak by Terrance Hayes

(Penguin Random House)

This National Book Award winner’s seventh collection of poetry is said by its publisher to “explore how we see ourselves and our world, mapping the strange and lyrical grammar of thinking and feeling.”

Small Worlds

by Caleb Azumah Nelson

(Viking)

Music and dance are lifeblood for Stephen in this book, which takes place over the course of three summers in both South London and Ghana. But eventually the music disappears, and everything changes.

Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic by Emily Monosson

(W.W. Norton & Company)

This highly anticipated nonfiction read from a member of the Ronin Institute for Independent Scholarship is described by its publisher as “a prescient warning about the mysterious and deadly world of fungi—and how to avert further loss across species, including our own.”

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moren-Garcia

(Del Ray)

This bestselling author is out with a new novel described by its publisher as “a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film — and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.”

Crook Manifesto: A Novel by Colson Whitehead

(Doubleday)

This two-time Pulitzer Prize winning author takes us to 1970s Harlem in this dark but humorous tale of a beleaguered city.

The Deep Sky: A Novel by Yume Kitasei

(Flatiron Books)

This author’s debut novel begins at the precipice of Earth’s environmental collapse. When a team of 80 people assemble to save it, that plan is thwarted by a lethal bomb, and the sole survivor becomes the main suspect. •

PITTSBURGH NEWS

Clairton Coke Works fined, jail autopsies ruled public

JAIL AUTOPSIES ORDERED

ENIVORNMENT COKE WORKS FINED

.S. STEEL’S Clairton Coke Works has again been fined by the Allegheny County Health Department for violating the conditions of its operating permit.

ALLEGHENY

COUNTY has been ordered to release the autopsy report of a man who died in jail following nearly three years of legal wrangling with a local reporter.

Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court determined in a 6-1 vote last week that the county had unlawfully denied Brittany Hailer access to the report, and that the Court of Common Pleas had incorrectly ruled in the county’s favor following an appeal in December 2021.

Hailer, director of the Pittsburgh Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, first sought the record in late 2020, when she learned of Daniel Pastorek’s death in the Allegheny County Jail and was unable to determine the circumstances surrounding it. Hailler filed a public records request, which was granted by the state’s Office of Open Records, but which county officials then appealed in the Court of Common Pleas.

A county spokesperson last week told Pittsburgh City Paper that officials were still deciding whether to launch a further appeal. •

An enforcement order issued July 11 calls on the steel giant to cough up $301,275 for nearly 500 non-compliant inspections the department claims were logged between July and September of 2022.

AN ENFORCEMENT ORDER

The Clairton facility produces nearly 5 million tons of coal each year, making it one of Allegheny County’s most potent polluters. The steel conglomerate and the health department have repeatedly fought over the details of regulation and enforcement provisions.

Six-figure fines similar to last week’s were also levied against the coke plant during the previous two quarters.

A spokesperson for U.S. Steel told City Paper the company disputes the health department’s methods and will appeal the order. •

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM Clairton Coke Works

CP PHOTO: JARED WICKERHAM Allegheny County Jail

ISSUED JULY 11 CALLS ON THE STEEL GIANT TO COUGH UP $301,275

SEVEN DAYS IN PITTSBURGH

BY CP STAFF

THU., JULY 20

EVENT • WEST MIFFLIN

Western Pennsylvania Slovak Day. 12:30 p.m. Kennywood. 4800 Kennywood Blvd., West Mifflin. $25. fcsu.com/events

MUSIC • OAKMONT

Joey McIntyre. 8:00 p.m. Oaks Theater. 310 Allegheny River Boulevard, Oakmont. $45-$85. theoakstheater.com

MUSIC • DOWNTOWN

Spring into Summer: Copland’s Appalachian Spring. 7 p.m. O’Reilly Theater. 621 Penn Avenue, Downtown. $25-$50. pittsburghsymphony.org

FRI., JULY 21

FESTIVAL • DOWNTOWN

Picklesburgh. Noon. Continues through July 23. Boulevard of the Allies, between Stanwix. and Smithfield Streets Free. picklesburgh.com

LIT • OAKMONT

Sujata Massey - The Mistress of Bhatia House. 6:30 p.m. Mystery Lovers Bookshop. 514 Allegheny River Blvd., Oakmont. $25. mysterylovers.com

CONVENTION • DOWNTOWN

Join 10,000+ anime enthusiasts by attending Tekko at David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Tekko, Pennsylvania’s largest anime convention, has attracted voice actors, cosplayers, and artisans to Downtown for the past 15 years. Attendees can dig into the action with workshops, music, anime-inspired fashions, an Escape Room, and a Formal Ball. Continues through July 23. David L. Lawrence Convention Center. 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd., Downtown. $70-$150. tekko.us

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

Say She She with Zinnia’s Garden and Abby Jeanne 8 p.m. Spirit. 242 51st Street, Lawrenceville. $18 in Advance, $20 at the Door. 21+. spiritpgh.com

FILM • OAKLAND

Binge the latest animated shorts at Short Short Fest, two days of cartoons and cosplay at Schenley Plaza. Beyond enjoying the films, there’s a chance to meet artists, draw on the community art wall, and play Super Smash Bros. You might even win a drawing tablet. 9 p.m. Continues through July 22. Schenley Plaza. 4100 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. barnhousecollective.com/ssf

SAT., JULY 22

MUSIC • MONROEVILLE

Summer Jam Cookout. 11 a.m. Tall Trees Amphitheater. 2447 Tilbrook Avenue, Monroeville. Free. facebook.com/ DreamzofMusic/events

PARTY • NORTH SIDE

Night in the Tropics 6 p.m. for VIP and Sponsor Guests. 7 p.m. for General Admission. National Aviary. 700 Arch St., North Side. $95-$155. aviary.org/visit

JULYSUN., 23

COMEDY • FRIENDSHIP

The Screening Room 8 p.m. Steel City Improv. 5950 Ellsworth Ave., Friendship. $10. steelcityimprov.com

PARTY • EAST LIBERTY

Dance your way through the night at House Party - A Benefit For Kelly Strayhorn Theater. “Inspired by the theatrics of Studio 54 and the iconic fashion of the Met Gala,” their website reads, “House Party brings the mood with an immersive atmosphere and live performance.” Featured artists include taylor knight and anna thompson of slowdanger, Cornelius Henke III, Scott Andrew, and DJ, producer, and educator David Shoemaker. 7 p.m Immersive VIP Reception. 9 p.m. Dance Party. Kelly Strayhorn Theater. 5941 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $50-$250. kelly-strayhorn.org/events/houseparty

MARKET • NEW KENSINGTON

New Ken’s Sizzling Summer Night. 4 p.m. Voodoo Brewing. 956 5th Ave., New Kensington. Free. All Ages. instagram.com/voodoonewken

PHOTO: COURTESY OF ELEKTRA ENTERTAINMENT

Fitz and the Tantrums with Rett Madison at Hartwood Ares Amphitheater

SUN., JULY 23

MUSIC • NORTH SIDE

LURK, Public Opinion, Rex Tycoon, Sleeping Witch & Saturn. 8 p.m. Government Center. 715 East St., North Side. $12 advanced. $15 at the door. thegovernmentcenter.com/events

MARKET • WILKINSBURG

The Indie Mart. 11 a.m. Workshop PGH. 321 Penn Ave., Wilkinsburg. Free. workshop-pgh.square.site/classes

MUSIC • ALLISON PARK

Fitz and the Tantrums with Rett Madison 7:30 p.m. Hartwood Acres Amphitheater. 3700 Farmshow Dr., South Park. Free. alleghenycounty.us/special-events/ summer-concerts.aspx

MON., JULY 24

ART • OAKLAND

Imprinting in Their Time: Japanese Printmakers, 1912–2022 exhibits a collection of 20th century Japanese prints in the heart of Oakland. This collection from the Carnegie Museum of Art features their extensive collection and pieces from other private

Japanese Printmakers, 1912–2022 at Carnegie Museum of Art

collections. Find artwork by Yoshida Hiroshi, Munakata Shiko, Kawase Hasui, and Saito Kiyoshi, as well as new work from Hamanishi Katsunori and Morimura Ray. Continues through May 12, 2024. Carnegie Museum of Art. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free with admission. carnegieart.org/ exhibition/imprinting-in-their-time

TUE., JULY 25

MUSIC • GARFIELD

Michael Cera Palin with overtheweather and Morning Dew. 7 p.m. The Mr. Roboto Project. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $12 Advanced, $15 at the Door. therobotoproject.com

THEATER • DOWNTOWN

Once on This Island. 7:30 p.m. Continues through July 30. Benedum Center. 719 Liberty Ave., Downtown. $29-$81. pittsburghclo.culturaldistrict.org

WED., JULY 26

MUSIC • SOUTH SIDE

Pool Kids with Sydney Sprague and Chase Petra 8 p.m. Club Cafe. 56 South 12th St., South Side. $16. opusoneproductions.com

MARKET PLACE

ESTATE NOTICE

ESTATE OF BALDAUF, GEORGE C., DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA GEORGE C. BALDAUF, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 022207851 of 2022.David Baldauf, Adm. 628 Industry St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201. Or to Michelle D Smith, Esq. Murray, Hogue, & Lannis, attorneys. 3400 Gulf Tower, 707 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

HELP WANTED

MANAGER SOFTWARE ENGINEERING, AUTHORING TOOLS

Manage & lead development of authoring tools & manage day-to-day activities of small team softw engrs. Hands-on developer designing, developing, & testing software projects from start to finish. Collaborate w/various product stakeholders to develop a unified content creation & experimentation strategy for authoring & learning tools. F/T B.S. (Foreign Equivalent of U.S. Bachelor’s degree accepted) in Comp Sci, Comp Applications, Info Syst, Comp Eng, or directly related field & 5 yrs of progressive exp in a directly related occupation such as softw dev in which the required exp was gained. Alt, will accept a master’s degree (Foreign Equivalent of U.S. Master’s degree accepted) in Comp Sci, Comp Applications, Info Syst, Comp Eng, or directly related field & 3 yrs of exp in a directly related occupation such as softw dev in which the required exp was gained. 3 yrs of softw eng exp w/ progression of increasing scope & complexity of wk; 3 yrs of exp in agile methodologies; 3 yrs of exp multi-product, multi-application dev env; 3 yrs of wk exp/tech adeptness w/: Object-oriented architecture, design, & implementation such as .Net framework, C#, C++; SQL & Automated testing frameworks such as Nunit; 1 yr of exp w/NoSQL. Employer will accept applicants w/any suitable combination of education, training or exp. Wage: $117,957.00 - $148,500.00 per year. May wk remotely anywhere in the continental U.S.; Carnegie Learning, Inc., 501 Grant Street, Suite 1075, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-4447

Email Resume: Carnegie Learning, Inc., P&C Mngr, kschuette@carnegielearning.com

HELP WANTED

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Design, develop, & test software projects throughout the software development lifecycle. Lead teams organizing & facilitating project planning, daily standup meetings, reviews, retrospectives, sprint & release planning, demos, & other agile project-related meetings. F/T B.S. (Foreign Equivalent of a U.S. Bach degree accepted) in Comp Sci, Comp Applications, Info Syst, Comp Eng, or related field & 5 yrs prog exp in directly related occup such softw dev. Alt, will accept master’s degree (Foreign Equivalent of a U.S. Master’s degree accepted) in Comp Sci, Comp Applications, Info Syst, Comp Eng, or related field & 3 yrs exp in directly related occupation such as softw dev. 3 yrs Exp softw design patterns; 3 yrs exp. agile methodologies; 3 yrs exp. multi-product, multi-application dev env Exp & tech adeptness in object-oriented architecture, design, & implementation; Must know through 3 yrs wk exp. - JAVA/J2EE & RESTful Web Services; TypeScript, Angular, AngularJS, JavaScript, jQuery, Canvas, HTML5, CSS, JSON, Dynamic construction/alteration of SVG, Version control tools like Git, CI/CD tool - Jenkins preferred. Wage: $117,957.00 - $136,537.50 per year. May wk remotely anywhere in the continental U.S.; Carnegie Learning, Inc., 501 Grant St, Ste 1075, Pittsburgh, PA 15219-4447.

Email Resume: Carnegie Learning, Inc., P& C Mngr, kschuette@carnegielearning.com

HELP WANTED

Seeking for a Personal Caregiver Job requires Assist with personal care tasks such as light housekeeping, bathing, dressing, shopping, and grooming

Salary : $30 per hour

Job Type: Part-time Contact me at Brewer ( betsyciprianio@gmail.com )

PUBLIC NOTICE

A petition for Involuntary Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle has been filed by Wain Maszkiewicz, Case No. GD-23-7849 for a 1999 Isuzu Amigo, Vin# 4S2PN57W9X4302502. A hearing is scheduled on August 1st, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. before the Civil Division Motions Judge of Allegheny County.

OR

CREDIT REPAIR

Denied Credit?? Work to Repair Your Credit Report With The Trusted Leader in Credit Repair. Call Lexington Law for a FREE credit report summary & credit repair consultation. 855-620-9426. John C. Heath, Attorney at Law, PLLC, dba Lexington Law Firm. (AAN CAN)

PUBLIC NOTICE

A petition for Involuntary Transfer of Ownership of a Vehicle has been filed by Dennis Hart, owner of Golden Hook Roadside Assistance, Case No. GD-233255 for an 2013 Dodge Charger, Plate #LHK935, Vin# 2C3CDXGJ4DH648181.

A hearing is scheduled on August 4th, 2023 at 9:15 a.m. before the Civil Division Motions Judge of Allegheny County.

EXT. 113

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THE GREATEST

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

ACROSS

1.  It sucks a lot, for short

4.  The Used singer McCracken

8.  Old cellphones, e.g.

14.  Carrier that provides chopsticks with their in-flight meals

15.  Fired

16.  ___ media

17.  Evening apparel

18.  Nazarene region sandwich served with bacon?

20.  Promises to return?

22.  Twelve cans of beer

23.  Sephora rival

24.  Good and evil visits?

28.  Bean town?

29.  “Let’s go, pardner!”

33.  DIY video, e.g.

35.  E.T.’s race?

38.  “Anytime you ___ ready” 39.  Mideast leaders 40.  Boat’s pronoun 41.  What’s used to print enhanced driver’s licenses? 44.  Group belief

Lettuce or cheddar 47.  Indonesian meat soup 48.  LSD that will kill you? 54.  Help out

57.  Green in the office

58.  “Let me summarize that article for you”

59.  Prominent armor?

63.  “The Greatest,” and what’s been added to this puzzle’s theme answers

64.  Romantic request

65.  Never repeated

66.  Take in

67.  Christ the Redeemer, e.g.

68.  Air Max company

69.  Sch. group that pulls a major prank

DOWN

1.  Intellectually wanting

2.  Pear variety

3.  Gear for lounging

4.  “Single or double?” item

5.  Track bet

6.  Race for a team

7.  Keurig : K-Cup :: Tassimo : ___

8.  Hurricane’s path dir. 9.

26.  Caustic soaps

27.  “Steal My Sunshine” one-hit wonders who are probably due for the nostalgia circuit around now

30.  Is unbelievably rude

31.  Arthur ___ Award for Courage (ESPY)

32.  Hone

33.  Like trying to lick one’s own elbow, e.g.

34.  Cookie sometimes served deep fried

35.  Tours friend 36.  Horror actress Shaye

37.  Bother

39.  Make a long story short, e.g.

42.  Ultra-liberal 43.  Either blank

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15206 August 2, 2023 at 1:45 PM. 1035 Charmaine Moore, 1037 Joyce Davison. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 141 N Braddock Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15208, August 2, 2023, 11:00AM Taylor Henderson 1064, Brittany Bridges 3004, Ellektra Rowland 4018, DeAnna Rainey 6055 The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005 E Entry Drive Pittsburgh PA 15216, August 2, 2023 at 11:30 AM. Jaquayla Coffey 3101, Kayla Johnson 8124. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at 110 Kisow Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on August 2nd, 2023 at 11:15 am. Jose Sanchez 167, Jared Smith 273, Charles Faulk 298. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd, Pittsburgh PA 15226 August 2, 2023, at 1:15 PM. 2130 Mustafa Bey, 4025 Evett Lucky, 4117 Erin McMcanus, 4189 Chris Zimmerman. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E Carson St, Pittsburgh PA 15203 on August 2, 2023 at 12:15 PM. Unit 1001 David Palladino, Unit 1054 Brendan Quay, Unit 166 Lady Carpenter LLC, Unit 2032 Sarah Medina, Unit 2090 Afiya Thompson, Unit 3070 Carol Thompson, Unit 4158 Jazmynn Palmer, and Unit 4171 Mikayla Lodato. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Rd. Bridgeville, PA 15017. August 2, 2023 at 12:30 PM. Tina Scalise 1040, Teah banrjee 2110. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 902 Brinton Rd Pittsburgh, Pa 15221. August 2nd, 2023, at 11:30am. Samuel Miller 1072, Vonda Harris 1115, Johnisha Jackson 3003, Maia Wood 3147, Yaz Anthony 3224. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS