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Zone 3 Council turns focus on to Reporter area neighborhoods South Inside This Week’s South • Pittsburgh Pittsburgh
By Margaret L. Smykla Contributing Writer “Us – the Zone 3 Neighborhoods!” was the focus of the June 23 Zoom meeting of the Zone 3 Public Safety Council (Z3PSC). Residents of neighborhoods who were in atten@ sopghreporter.com dance were asked to report on the good things occurring Mt. Oliver in their areas, what has been The Mt. Oliver Vetaccomplished, and to ask for erans’ Banner Program help, if needed. is moving forward with For Allentown, Sebastian several applications for Foltz of the Hilltop Allibanners already received. ance reported the spring Al@ sopghreporter.com lentown Night Market, feaPittsburgh turing crafters, live perforUsing the interactive mances, food/beverage venweb portal, engage.pitts- dors, and more went well. burghpa.gov/stormwater, The annual Beltzhoover the Pittsburgh commu- Community Day will be nity can plot the location held July 16-17 at the top of stormwater issues like of McKinley Park, 900 Delbasement backups, over- mont Ave. land flooding, and mainteIn Knoxville, Sharlee Elnance concerns on a map. lison reported the Knox@ sopghreporter.com ville Community Council is working with the Hilltop AlSouth Side South Side Communi- liance. There are discussions ty Council will present about properties through the 11 hidden gardens on its sheriff’s sale to rehab. Mayor Ed Gainey will do 2022 Garden Tour. Join a walk-thru in Knoxville in the garden tour on Sunday, mid-August. July 10 from 11:00 a.m. to A “Knox Watch” has be4:00 p.m. gun that targets problem See Page 4 properties, and is patterned South Side after the “South Watch” Approaching the mid- initiative in the South Side way point of 2022, Penn- developed by the South sylvania Resources Coun- Side Community Council cil has shattered its glass (SSCC). recycling record by colIn Mt. Oliver City/St. lecting 420 tons in the first Clair, Patty Stewart reportsix months of the year. ed that National Night Out @ sopghreporter.com (NNO) will be held on Aug. Knoxville 2 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at A Knoxville Junior the corner of Fisher St. and High all-year reunion for Mountain Ave. There will students and teachers will be beverages and cupcakes. be held on July 9 at the The annual national event American Serbian Club, is designed to advance the 2524 Sarah Street. importance of neighbor@ sopghreporter.com hood unity and community-public safety relationships, and will be held localClassified Ads.............. Page 2 ly in various neighborhoods Zoning Board................ Online as porch gatherings, block Or check them out at: parties, festivals, and more. The Mt. Oliver City/St. www.sopghreporter.com Clair event is registered The Birmingham Foundation’s Board of Directors has announced Michelle Figlar as the third executive director of the 25-year-old independent community-focused foundation.
through the city. The deadline is July 22 for block watches to register their neighborhood’s NNO event with the city’s Dept. of Public Safety to receive resources for their celebrations. Public safety personnel can also be scheduled to stop by. The address is: pittsburghpa.gov/national-night-out . In the South Side Flats, Barbara Rudiak reported the SSCC Garden Tour will be held on July 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Goatfest, featuring vendors, entertainment, and more, will be held on July 30 at the Arlington ball field. The purpose of the goats is to eat invasive species and vines. South Watch meetings are held on the second Wednesdays. Its focus is problem properties and more. Ms. Rudiak said more than 400 properties have been dealt with over the years. Next, Candice Gonzalez, of the South Side Chamber of Commerce, reported OpenStreetsPGH was held on May 29, with over 12,000 attendees. The event closed streets to car traffic and opened them to children, pedestrians, dog walkers, bikers, and others from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She also said the June 14 town hall meeting with Mayor Gainey to address violence in a six-block stretch of the Flats drew at least 175 attendees and over 240 on Zoom. “It’s encouraging,” she said. The annual South Side Golf Classic will be held on Aug. 1 at South Hills Country Club in Whitehall. In more Beltzhoover news, city Councilman Bruce Kraus said city council declared June 22 to be “Connie Wellons Day” on her 90th birthday. Wellons Way was unContinued on Page 2
NeighborWorks has $2,500 grants to assist first-time homebuyers in Zip Code 15210. The Hilltop Alliance will be holding a home buying workshop for prospective owners in the area. Learn more on Page 4. Photo by Sebastian Foltz/Hilltop Alliance
Fresh Fridays returns to ‘shopper” style free produce distribution Friday, July 8 Fresh Fridays on the Hilltop, the free monthly produce distribution of the Hilltop Alliance, will resume an in-person “shopper” style on July 8 at the St. John Vianney Church parking lot at Climax and Allen streets in Allentown Beginning July 8, the distribution will no longer be pre-boxed, direct to car for participants and will return to the receiving line method used prior to COVID-19. Additional volunteers are needed to help prepare the food for distribution. Families in Pittsburgh Zip Code areas of 15203, 15210, 15211 and Carrick residents in 15227 are eligible for up to 40 pounds of selected fresh produce and other food items during the distribution. Registration still isn’t required and income limits don’t apply. “The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, who we source the food from, is no longer providing the preboxed option so we are returning to the shopper style of selecting which food items they are interested in receiving,” said Aaron Sukenik, executive director of the Hilltop Alliance, “It reduces waste by not having people
take something they don’t want or won’t eat and allows them to try other things they may not be familiar with.” Distribution will begin about 3:30 p.m. Those coming for the produce are advised not to arrive before 3 p.m. – arriving early does not mean early service. Participants are urged to bring their own bags and/or shopping carts to take their food home. Those driving may park briefly nearby in the gravel lot next door on Allen Street.
For more information or to volunteer, contact Jeph Martin at the Hilltop Alliance, 412-586-5807 ext. 3. Fresh Fridays on the Hilltop is sponsored by the Hilltop Alliance, Brashear Association, and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank with support from PNC Bank, Dollar Bank, UPMC Health Plan, PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development and Birmingham Foundation.
Mt. Oliver Cuts, a pilot program for senior citizens, disabled and veterans to help with keeping the grass cut on their property is now underway. The program can take up to 20 owner-occupied residents of the borough on a first-come first-served basis with five properties already registered. The pilot program uses an outside contractor to do the grass cutting. Currently, the borough uses a contractor to maintain vacant lots and uses the same contractor for the
Mt. Oliver Cuts Program. The pilot program extends to the beginning of October with lawns being cut every other week. Borough Manager Rick Hopkinson said residents already participating in the program have been pleased with the work of the contractor. The cost of the program for 20 residents is about the same as the hiring of one part-time temporary summer employee. The borough didn’t have plans to hire a seasonal employee Continued on Page 4
Mt. Oliver Cuts is offering grass cutting for boro seniors
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TUESDAY, JULY 5, 2022
Zone 3 safety council turns focus on to area neighborhoods
Continued from Page 1 veiled in honor of Connie and Sherman Wellons. The new name replaces Freeland St. Mayor Gainey was also present to honor Ms. Wellons for her years of volunteer service to the community. In reports, Safer Together coordinator Ian Reynolds said in light of Ormsby Park issues, a police officer will drive by. More trash cans are coming to Corey Field. Regarding parking, a pathway will be open for emergencies. With game scheduling, there will be tweaks, and there will also be police officers, and leagues will have their own security. Permits for fields are free. An attendee commented she has seen youngsters beaten in parking lots after football games there. Mr. Reynolds also announced the 2022 Sports Event Funding Program is accepting submissions through July 15. Also, the 2022 STOP the Violence grant application process is open through July 5. In his report, Zone 3 Commander John Fisher said the zone has the busiest call volume for service in the city. There have been 10 homicides in the zone to date, with the most recent being the prior Friday. He also reported the last two weekends have been a little quieter in the South Side with more plainclothes officers patrolling the parking lots and more. The commander said the Health Department was asked to step in regarding a store on Warrington Ave. that is a trouble spot. There are also problems with three abandoned properties on Zara St. in which inhabitants may be engaged in drug dealing. To a complaint about shots fired nightly in Arlington, Commander Fisher said he is looking into it.
Regarding swimming pools’ safety, Mr. Kraus said a “much broader and deeper conversation is taking place about swimming pools’ safety this summer.” An attendee said she recently witnessed an altercation with shots fired at Ormsby Pool. She was surrounded by gunmen as she was trying to save the children. “It was terrifying,” she said. She identified one of the gunmen, and fears he will come after her. She now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and will likely move elsewhere with her family. To a question about the shooters, the commander said they have their names, but the names cannot be released as they are minors. To a question if there would be security at Ormsby Park when a movie was scheduled to be shown nearby the following week, Commander Fisher said he would post an officer or put it on the patrol list. Next, an attendee questioned the median strip PennDOT recently installed. She said an ambulance tried to get through the 2400 block and had great difficulty. Mr. Kraus said PennDOT’s East Carson St. project is intended to improve safety. He said he could have PennDOT at the next meeting to talk about these issues. Next, an attendee said the follow-up meeting to the June 14 town hall to discuss public safety on East Carson St. had a good mix of residents and business owners. His concern is that no local government officials were there. Mr. Kraus said he received no invitation to attend, either from the organizers or the Mayor’s office. An attendee said the 10 a.m. meeting was announced at the town hall meeting.
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“There was a nice blend of business owners and residents and others very active in the community. “Multiple groups are working to make things happen,” she said. Mr. Kraus said city officials “wish to be collaborators in this, too.” Ms. Rudiak said there are no recommendations at this
time. How to move forward was the issue, she said. In his report, CeaseFirePA Western Pennsylvania manager Josh Fleitman said the U.S. Senate is moving to pass a gun safety bill, which would be its first in 30 years. “It only catches up the country to where Pennsylvania already is,” he said. CeaseFirePA is the larg-
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DAYCARE WORKERS — (2) Part time 3-4 days a week. 412481-6536 7/5 LOOKING FOR A HELPER — Doing rental property maintenance; painting; general clean-up; general labor, some physical. 3 days a week, 6-8 hrs. ATTENTION — If you worked a day, flexible. $15 hr., paid daily. at BOILER TUBE COMPANY 412-417-2433. 7/5 OF AMERICA, McKees Rocks, PA between 1965-1975, please contact Asbestos Investigator • Cleaning Services Sherry Day at (231) 625-2734 CHRISTIAN CLEANING or sherry@SLDinvestigations. SERVICES — Wall washing, com. We are looking for people house cleaning, venetian blind who worked with our deceased cleaning, furniture cleaning & client. 7/12 polishing, painting. 412-781• Autos, Trucks 5989. 8/30 WINDOW/GUTTER CLEANING — Residential, Commercial, average home outside $25, free estimates, references. Fully insured. 412461-6268, cell 412-606-1697. 8/30
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est and longest-serving antigun violence group in Pennsylvania. He also reported the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York gun law that placed restrictions on carrying a concealed handgun. On the state level, Mr. Fleitman said we should call legislative leadership in Harrisburg about gun violence prevention. Among those to contact are President Pro Tempore Sen. Jake Corman and majority leader Sen. Kim Ward. Also, Speaker of the
House Rep. Bryan Cutler and majority leader Rep. Kerry A. Benninghoff. Next, state Rep. Jessica Benham said she will not stop trying to push for votes, such as for safe storage and straw purchasing, the latter referring to someone buying a firearm for someone else who cannot pass the background check. There will be no Z3PSC meeting in August. In September, it will be announced if future meetings will be hybrid or in-person only.
Concord Presbyterian Church, 1907 Brownsville Road, is planning a series of Flea Markets through October 2022. The Flea Markets, on July 8, August 13, September 10 and October 8, will be held indoors and outside from 9
a.m. to 3 p.m., weather permitting Spots are available for $10 and tables for $15 up to two weeks before each Flea Market. For more information, contact the church at 412882-1141.
Concord flea markets
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PAGE FOUR
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Hilltop first-time home buyers may qualify for $2,500 grant assistance
South Side Park’s 5th annual free Goat Fest takes place on Saturday, July 30 at the Arlington Baseball Field behind the Arlington Fire Station. Parking is at 21st and Josephine streets with a shuttle running from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to the entrance off Arlington Avenue. Live music, food trucks, a giant slide for kids, a petting zoo, a wide selection of crafters/artisans and a new game “Escape Goat” plus lots more are all waiting for you.
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Home buying can be a daunting process. The traditional idea of needing a large down payment can scare off prospective homebuyers. But Jarid Shipley of NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania – a local nonprofit offering free homebuyer assistance and counseling services – says it shouldn’t be. “The idea that you need large down payment to buy a house is a myth. If that is what is stopping you from considering a home, consider a home,” he said. As part of an effort to help first-time homebuyers, NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania, a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development certified
Mt. Oliver Cuts Continued from Page 1
this summer. The program is modeled after the City Cuts program and could be “tweaked” with volunteers, if needed. To qualify, property owners must be at least 62 years of age, have a physical disability or be a military veteran. Only owner-occupied
Fresh Fridays on the Hilltop
Friday, July 8 FREE Monthly Fresh Produce Give-A-Way
For Hilltop Residents in 15203, 15210, 15211 & 15227*
Friday, July 8
3:30p.m. — While Supplies Last
2nd Fridays in Allentown at 3:30 p.m. — Rain or Shine
homes in the borough are eligible because property owners are responsible for grass maintenance. Those applying for the program must also attest they don’t have available resources for grass cutting including financial resources or help from local family or friends. To apply for the program, pick up an application at the Mt. Oliver Borough Building, 150 Brownsville Road or download one from https://bit. ly/3NsKfgR
agency, recently announced a $2,500 grant program for first-time homebuyers to assist with down payment and closing costs. “That $2,500 dollars could make or break a home buying decision,” Mr. Shipley said. He advised that with the rising cost of renting, the mortgage payment on a home may not be significantly different than the cost of rent. A number of these grants are still available to residents living in 15210 neighborhoods. “If you are a first-time homebuyer in 15210, contacting NeighborWorks staff is a no-brainer,” said Aaron Sukenik, executive director of the Hilltop Alliance. “Once an interested homebuyer begins working with them, their staff will also help you identify whatever other grants and loan you might be eligible for.” In partnership with the Hilltop Alliance, NeighborWorks Western Pennsylvania will be offering its next homebuyer workshop on Saturday, July 23, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Mt. Oliver Volunteer Fire Company fire hall at 120 Brownsville Road. The workshop is designed to assist and educate potential homebuyers on the buying process. It will cover what a buyer should know
South Side Garden Tour will feature 11 hidden gardents
South Side Community Council will present 11 hidden gardens on its 2022 Garden Tour. From large gardens with water features to tiny pockets of flowery wonder, these gardens will enchant all comers. Join the garden tour on Sunday, July 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Pick up tour guidelines at 18th and E. Carson streets. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 day of event and may be purchased in advance from the South Side Community Council or on the same day at 18th & Carson. Visit southsidecommunitycouncil.org/garden-tour/ for more information.
about purchasing a home, from credit checks to closing. The free workshop features presentations from a home ownership counselor, loan officer, real estate agent, home inspector, and home insurance representative, along with information about financing options, the grant program and other home buying assistance. In addition to the grant opportunity NeighborWorks offers down payment loan programs which offer no interest 5-year or 10-year terms to further assist in covering the cost of a down payment along with a traditional home mortgage. “You’re going to walk away with some really good information and a timeline on how to buy a house,” said Anne Schwan, senior housing counselor for NeighborWorks. Look for more information on the workshop and home buying program on the NeighborWorks website, neighborworkswpa.org, and NeighborWorks and Hilltop Alliance Social Media. Registration for the next workshop can be found on the NeighborWorks website, neighborworkswpa.org. For any questions, NeighborWorks can be reached at 412-281-9773
Knoxville Jr. High all-year reunion A Knoxville Junior High all-year reunion for students and teachers will be held on July 9 at the American Serbian Club, 2524 Sarah Street. The event will feature Scorpions Pgh All White Party with Hubbs Groove, DJ Mike the Punisher. Tickets are $25 in advance, $30 at the door, and are available at Eventbrite and Dorsey’s, 412-292-1753, 412721-6007 or 412-586-4550. Cash only, cash bar.
St. John Vianney Church Parking Lot 823 Climax Street Returning to Receiving Line Pick-Up No Longer Pre-Boxed Shopping Carts & Bags Recommended! Parking in Allen St. Gravel Lot While Picking Up Produce
• No Registration Required! • Masks Required *Households in 15203, 15210, 15211 ZIP Codes & Carrick Residents in 15227
For More Information, Contact:
Hilltop Alliance, 412.586.5807 ext. 3 Sponsored By: Hilltop Alliance, Brashear Association, & the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank Supported By: PNC Bank, Dollar Bank, UPMC Health Plan, PA Dept. of Community & Economic Development & Birmingham Foundation
2323 East Carson Street • South Side 412-431-1029
A recent nationwide survey found 80 percent of Americans “believe funeral prearrangement is a good idea.” Let us help you begin Pre-Planning call 412-431-1029 Kevin Moder, Supervisor