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www.newpittsburghcourier.com Vol. 112 No. 24
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JUNE 16-22, 2021
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New Duquesne Light CEO an inspiration for Black youth by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Kevin Walker, as he tells it, didn’t see too much prosperity growing up in parts of Southeast Washington, D.C. and Maryland. He said that no one in his family had a college degree, or owned their own home, or had a big-time job to brag about that was bringing in the big bucks. Kevin Walker said he never knew his biological father; his mother had him KEVIN WALKER, formerly Duquesne Light’s Chief Operating Officer, was named when she was President and Chief Executive Officer on June 1. He’s the first African American to 16 years old. hold the title of DLC President and CEO.
Five years later, his mother got married to a man who, in effect, became his father. The two parents had a spiritual, Christian background, and they, along with Walker’s grandparents, always cheered for the young Walker to shoot for the moon. “‘We can’t help you, but we want you to do better, get out there, find people that are willing to invest in you,’” Walker recalled his parents telling him. “And I did that.” It’s safe to say that Walker overcame the odds. He said it himself. “If you think about the influences on my life at the time, it wasn’t necessarily a path out of the hood that I could see around me,” he told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview,
June 10. He did well in high school, Oxon Hill High School, in Prince George’s County, Md. Academically and in athletics. He was captain of both the football and wrestling teams. Like a sponge, he soaked up positive knowledge and advice from guidance counselors, teachers, even from the parents of his friends who were steadily giving advice. After high school, he entered the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where Walker realized that “I was pretty much similar to all the other folks around there, they weren’t any better or worse than I was.” Today, he’s the first African American and first person of color to hold the
position of President and CEO of Duquesne Light Company. Chances are good that, if you’re reading this article in the Pittsburgh area, you’re one of Walker’s 600,000 customers. As you’re reading this article, chances are good that Walker is strategizing how to keep Duquesne Light at the forefront of energy innovation, which has an unspoken benefit to the Pittsburgh region. Or, Walker could be holding a meeting right now making sure that his company is leading the way in having a diverse workforce — who knows, you could be the next hire at Duquesne Light. Walker told the Courier SEE DUQUESENE LIGHT A2
Marlin Woods announces candidacy for mayor of Pittsburgh East Liberty resident will run as an Independent in November election by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
Marlin Woods is big on authenticity. He’s big on being exactly who he is. He’s an author, motivational speaker and is big on serving others. It just so happened that those he has served, those he has helped over the years with his words and actions have called on him to serve the entire City of Pittsburgh, as mayor. “Ultimately, I never had a choice. When you recog-
nize that you don’t have a choice, now that responsibility becomes your creed,” Woods said. The East Liberty resident, married with four children, officially announced his candidacy for mayor of Pittsburgh before friends, family and supporters at the Highland Park Reservoir, June 10. He is running as an Independent, as State Rep. Ed Gainey, another African American man, has wrapped up the SEE WOODS A4
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MARLIN WOODS, right, with his wife, Jessica Brooks-Woods, announcing his candidacy for mayor of the City of Pittsburgh at the Highland Park Reservoir, June 10. (Photo by Rob Taylor Jr.)
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New Duquesne Light CEO Kevin Walker an inspiration for Black youth DUQUESNE LIGHT FROM A1
he understands the “value proposition for attracting and retaining diverse people in the company. I don’t have to think about it intellectually; I’ve experienced it and I can feel it.” Walker, who was named President and CEO on June 1 by the Board of Directors of Duquesne Light Holdings, LLC, said it hasn’t sunk in yet that he’s at the top of Duquesne Light’s mountain. “I think it will settle in over time,” he told the Courier. “I do recognize the magnitude of the accomplishment of what’s happened with me moving into this role.” He was quick to recognize others who have blazed the trails for him to eventually get this type of position, such as Victor Roque, an African American man who became Duquesne Light’s general counsel in 1994, then became president of Duquesne Light and executive vice president of Duquesne Light Holdings, LLC, in the ear-
ly 2000s. Dianna Green also was a powerful force for Duquesne Light—an African American woman who had risen to senior vice president in the ‘90s and was a leader in Pittsburgh’s Black community. “I didn’t get here by myself and I know that I’m standing on the shoulder of giants,” Walker said. Walker said he feels a huge responsibility to the African American community. But he said he’s used to it. “I went to West Point where there’s not a lot of African Americans that went there...not only was I representing myself, I was representing the African American community in an environment that was super challenging and quite frankly, people were looking at you under a microscope. Can you really compete, perform, lead in a way that we’re expecting you to...” Being at West Point, in the state of New York, was a “game-changer” for Walker. “It showed me that I could do more” than what
may have been presented to him earlier in life, he said. Walker was in the military for six and a half years, the last year deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Desert Storm. After leaving the Army, he attained a position at Commonwealth Edison, a public utility company more commonly known as ComEd, in New York City in 1991. He’s been in the industry ever since. Prior to joining Duquesne Light as chief operating officer in April 2020, he served as senior vice president of customer and operations services and nuclear decommissioning at Southern California Edison. In that role, he oversaw customer experience for more than five million accounts. Walker also has held chief operations officer-level positions at both Iberdrola and American Electric Power. In the year-plus that Walker had served as Duquesne Light’s COO, the DLC Board of Direc-
tors saw that Walker had the makings of a CEO. “If you want to be perceived as a CEO and you’re the COO, operate like that,” Walker told the Courier. “I acted in a way a CEO would.”
is that CEOs are more outward-facing, and set the company up for success long-term. “They paint the vision, are able to articulate and bring people along on where you’re trying to go and are able to interface
“Believe that you can do more and be more, and then look for people who see the same thing that you see in yourself, because they’ll invest in you and help you get to what you’re trying to accomplish.” “Kevin has played an integral role at DLC over the past year in helping to navigate the complexities of the COVID pandemic,” said Joseph Guyaux, chairman of the Duquesne Light Board of Directors, in a statement. “We have been impressed with Kevin’s business acumen, vision of the energy future and commitment to supporting employees, customers and the communities we serve.” The primary difference between a CEO and COO
with external stakeholders in a way that they become supportive of what you’re trying to accomplish,” Walker said. Now, he is that person, leading Duquesne Light into what he calls an exciting future of innovation and creativity. But there’s more to it than that for Walker, who holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from West Point Academy and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania. There’s an exciting future for Duquesne Light in propelling qualified African American individuals into prominent positions with the company. Walker and his team are committed to it. He told the Courier he’s also committed to the younger generation—those who may have come from his similar humble beginnings, growing up “poor,” as he described in his own words. “Believe that you can be and do better than you may even see around you,” Walker said as inspiration for younger people. “I think we can strain ourselves in what we see; I can only do this much, I can only aspire to be these things but I cant do more...unleash your full potential. Believe that you can do more and be more, and then look for people who see the same thing that you see in yourself, because they’ll invest in you and help you get to what you’re trying to accomplish.”
Steel City Kickers ready for the summer season to begin
STEEL CITY KICKERS COMMITTEE MEMBERS, in the left photo, and in the right photo, it’s the team photo. The season gets underway on June 20 at Arsenal Field in Lawrenceville.
by Ashley G. Woodson For New Pittsburgh Courier
The Steel City Kickers initially started off as “Off The Chain Divas” the first year. President, Eesha Sheard, from Atlanta, created the league. She did not like the direction the league was going and created the Steel City Kick-
ers. The first game started in the summer of 2015 with five teams. Sheard did a lot of recruiting from all over Pittsburgh. Even though social media was popular at the time, word of mouth was how information created a buzz around the city. Unfortunately, Sheard passed away in 2016 and her friends Mylia Jackson, Barbara Moore and Jef-
frey O’Kelly continued the league after her death. Jeffrey O’Kelly, from North Versailles, was there with Sheard when it all began. “Our league has had many accomplishments over the years. We were involved with Executive Director, Darrelle Porter, of the Ozanam/Ammon Recreation Center and Executive Director, Sean Gibson, of the Josh Gibson Foundation just to name a
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few. Having my son as one of my assistant coaches is also a major accomplishment,” said O’Kelly. The first year of the league took off quickly and by the second year everyone wanted to be a part of the Steel City Kickers. “Women were excited to be a part of the league because it is a childhood game with great memories for all. The first we continued the league of honor of Eesha and the second year we started implementing rules and guidelines because the league grew that fast,” Moore said.
Jackson became the president of the league recently and has a different vision for the Steel City Kickers. “I want to start a Health and Wellness piece and start empowering women within the community to embrace their health. The purpose and passion have grown over the years and now it’s time for us to shine,” said Jackson. Moore went to Wilkinsburg High School and came from a tight-knit community where everything was family-oriented. “Everything we did was done within our Wilkins-
burg community because we were a small community. The biggest part about Wilkinsburg is that there were no bars in the neighborhood. Our community was more educational, and we were not influenced by any negative outside forces,” Moore said. Marquice “Quice” Woodson and Kelli Jackson play for the Steel City Kickers. Woodson plays for the Renegades and Jackson plays for the Diva Dolls. Each member had very positive things to say about the league and how it has impacted their lives. “I’m older now but I still love playing kickball and I’ve always played sports when I was younger in high school. Being a part of the league is a great opportunity for me to bond and be around other positive women. It also allows me to get some exercise in and take better care of myself. I also love the comradery with everyone at the league,” said Woodson. Kelli Jackson is a gym teacher and former athlete who loves being a part of the league. “It’s a great way to connect with other women and keeping in shape. Most of the women that play on all of the teams are former athletes and have an admiration for being a part of the league,” said Jackson. Now in season number five, it all gets underway for the Steel City Kickers beginning June 20 at Arsenal Field in Lawrenceville. Game times are between 2 and 6 p.m. The Steel City Kickers play in the Adult Women’s Kickball League of Western Pa. The league has 10 teams total.
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This Week In Black History A Courier Staple JUNE 16
1822—This was the rumored start date of the Denmark Vesey-led slave revolt in the Charleston, S.C., area. Vesey, a former slave who had bought his freedom, had organized what is still believed to be the largest and most comprehensive slave revolt in American history. Aware of how “house slaves” tended to be loyal to their slave masters, Vesey had given strict orders that none were to be included in the plot. But so many Blacks (both slave and free) were involved that word eventually leaked out and just as Vesey feared, a house slave told the authorities. Military forces were moved into the city and scores were arrested. Thirty-five Blacks, including Vesey, were hanged. [There is some historical debate as to whether June 16 was the actual start date for the rebellion. There is some authority that July 14 was to be the start date. But what is clear is that military forces moved into the city on June 16 to put down the planned revolt.] 1969—The United States Supreme Court rules that the suspension of Harlem Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. from the U.S. House of Representatives on alleged corruption charges was unconstitutional. Powell, who had first won election to Congress in 1945, was returned to the House but without his seniority. Powell had been one of the most powerful men in Congress. He had fought civil rights battles in New York and had followed his father as pastor of the city’s influential Abyssinian Baptist Church. He often told Blacks “Mass action is the most powerful force on earth.” He also frequently reminded his supporters to “Keep the faith, baby.”
JUNE 17
1775—Blacks fight in two of the major battles of America’s war of independence from England—the battles of Bunker Hill and Breeds Hill. Two of the most outstanding soldiers were Peter Salem and Salem Poor. 1871—James Weldon Johnson is born in Jacksonville, Fla. Johnson is clearly one of the most multi-talented men in Black American history. He was a poet, writer, lawyer, diplomat and civil rights activist. Johnson was one of the leading figures in the Black cultural revolution of the 1920s known as the Harlem Renaissance. He was the first African-American admitted to the Florida bar to practice law. He was the first Black executive of the NAACP. He served as one of the first Black diplomats to Latin America and he is co-author of the “Black” National Anthem—“Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.” He died in an automobile accident in 1938. 1928—The “Godfather of Soul” James Brown was born on this day in Pulaski, Tenn. He was also referred to as “Soul Brother Number One” and “Mr. Dynamic” for his sensational dancing. Brown died in December of 2006. 1948—Actress Phylicia Rashad is born on this day in Houston, Texas. Rashad is best known for her role as Bill Cosby’s wife in the once highly popular NBC television series, “The Cosby Show.”
JUNE 18
1941—Labor and civil rights leader A. Phillip Randolph initially rejects a plea by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to call off the first-ever Black-organized March on Washington designed to protest unfair employment practices by the military and the defense industry. The march was planned by Randolph, Bayard Rustin and A.J. Muste—all relatively unsung heroes of the early civil rights movement. The march was not cancelled until Roosevelt signed the Fair Employment Act. Ironically, more than 20 years later, Randolph would be one of the principal figures helping Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. organize his historic 1963 March on Washington. 1968—The United States Supreme Court bans racial discrimination in the sale and rental of housing. The decision came in a case known as Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co. The court used as its precedent the Civil Rights Act of 1866 to state that housing discrimination by either the government or private industry was unconstitutional. 2010—A study gains widespread publicity indicating that a growing number of Black males are abandoning Black females when it comes to marriage. The report, analyzing data from 2008, found that 22 percent of Black male newlyweds married a woman who was not Black. Meanwhile, 9 percent of Black female newlyweds married a man who was not Black. The study was compiled the Pew research Center and based on data from the Census Bureau’s “American Community Survey.” The actual report
had been released in early June.
JUNE 19
1865—The Juneteenth Celebration begins. June 19, 1865 marks the day that many Blacks actually became free, especially those in Texas. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation technically freed all slaves in 1863, slavery actually continued in Texas until the end of the Civil War. It was not until June 19, 1865 that many slaves learned they had been freed. They called the day of freedom “Juneteenth.” It is normally marked with picnics, barbecues and commemorations. In 1980, the day became an official holiday in Texas. 2009—The U.S. Congress issues a formal apology to Black Americans for the slavery of their ancestors. The resolution acknowledged the “fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws” which followed slavery. However, the resolution specificly rejected paying Blacks reparations for past, discrimination, mistreatment and brutality.
JUNE 20
1871—The first anti-Ku Klux Klan trials begin in Oxford, Miss. The trials were part of an effort begun by President Ulysses S. Grant to crush the Klan, which was populated by defeated Confederate soldiers from the Civil War and which was becoming increasingly powerful throughout the South. In Mississippi, White doctors, lawyers and even ministers were indicted for violating Black rights and conspiring against the U.S. government. More than 900 were indicted in Mississippi and 243 convicted. Similar trials took place throughout the South—most notably in South Carolina and North Carolina. Grant’s efforts succeeded in crushing the terrorist organization and it would not rise again until 1915.
JUNE 21
1832—Joseph Haynes Rainey, the first African American to serve in the United States House of Representatives, is born in Georgetown, S.C. He was elected in 1870 from the state of South Carolina. He served five terms in Congress and died in 1887. In 2005, a portrait of Rainey was finally hung in the U.S. Capitol Building. 1859—Henry O. Tanner, the first African American painter to achieve international acclaim, is born in Pittsburgh, Pa, to a middle class Black family. His most notable work was “The Banjo Lesson,” which he painted in 1893. Tanner would later teach at Clark University in Atlanta, Ga. Tanner was considered a formalist—meaning his paintings tended to be beautiful depictions of reality. He died in May 1937. 1915—The United States Supreme Court declares in the Guinn v. United States case that “grandfather clauses” in many Southern state constitutions and laws were illegal. The case grew out of the practice, common in the South, of setting up stringent requirements in order to prevent Blacks (former slaves) from voting. But in order to ensure that Whites could vote, the laws exempted them from the difficult requirements by asserting that anyone (or his grandfather) who could vote prior to 1867 did not have to meet the tough standards. Since virtually no Blacks could vote prior to 1867, “grandfather clauses” had the effect of denying Blacks the right to vote. 1964—Three civil rights workers (Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner) disappear near Philadelphia, Miss., and are later found murdered. Seven Ku Klux Klan members, opposed to a Black voting rights campaign, were indicted for the killings, but none served more than six years in prison. The incident became one of the major sparks to the then young Civil Rights Movement. Justice for the three was finally completed in June 2005 when the leader of the group of Klansmen—Edgar Ray “The Preacher” Killen—was convicted of their murders. Ironically, Killen was convicted on June 21, 2005—41 years to the day that Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner were killed.
JUNE 22
1863—The War Department establishes the Bureau of Colored Troops and began to aggressively recruit Blacks for the Civil War. The Black troops would play a major role in turning the tide of battle against the rebellious Southern slave states. 1959—Benjamin O. Davis Jr. becomes the first African American general in the U.S. Air Force. His father, Benjamin O. Davis Sr., had been the first Black general in the U.S. Army.
JUNE 16-22, 2021
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Marlin Woods announces candidacy for mayor of Pittsburgh
MARLIN WOODS, left, will run as an Independent for mayor of Pittsburgh in the November general election. Also pictured is Jessica Brooks-Woods, Marlin Woods’ wife. (Photos by Courier photographer Rob Taylor Jr.)
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Democratic nomination. The general election is in November; it’s unclear if retired Pittsburgh Police Officer Tony Moreno, who is a registered Democrat, will run in the November election on the Republican ticket. Will Parker, another African American man, announced earlier in the spring that he would run in the general election as an Independent.
Woods, 48, dressed dapper as usual, said that he had been preparing for this day since 2017. “This isn’t new. This isn’t a decision that was made by any political activity that’s happened recently, or by social unrest, or by COVID-19. The community came to me when I was minding my business, enjoying what I was doing, and said, ‘You need to take a real hard look at this.’ And so I did. Different people
from across the region said, ‘It’s on you.’” Woods continued: “So then I had to pray real hard and cry real hard and talk to my wife real loud...until I said, ‘Yes,’ with tears in my eyes to this responsibility back in 2017.” In April, Woods was honored as a New Pittsburgh Courier “Man of Excellence” for the Class of 2021. He is executive chairman of BenefitsPLUS, an advisory
MARLIN WOODS greets a supporter during his campaign announcement event at the Highland Park Reservoir, June 10.
board of professional healthcare and benefits decision-makers that discover health and welfare benefits innova-
tions, products and services. His bio also stated that he has 20 years of sales leadership experience, and coaches pub-
lic speaking techniques to sales professionals across the country. “There’s something SEE WOODS A5
ARTESHA FISHER, left, of Penn Hills, supports Marlin Woods to be the next mayor of Pittsburgh. “His leadership skills are immaculate,” she said of Woods.
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that a spouse can only see, and I have had the pleasure of being his wife for 10 years,” said Jessica Brooks-Woods, during the June 10 outdoor announcement. “This is a man who prays every day for his children, he wakes up at 5:30 in the morning before everyone gets up and...he prays over me. He kisses the kids every single night... he’s the drop-off, he’s the pick-up from school; he’s an active father. I would not be where I am today in my career without his support.” Brooks-Woods called Marlin Woods a “servant leader” who is going to fight for the people of Pittsburgh, the city she said he loves. “This is the man that you will have hope in, will believe in, and will know that he is the right one for this city,” she said. Woods told the Courier that he was not running a campaign “against Ed Gainey;” rather he is running “for the people” of Pittsburgh. Woods believes that it’s not up to him to tell the people how to live their lives; it’s best to let the people tell him what they want and need, and then “we can create customizable solutions for every household,” which will create prosperity “for generations to come.”
MARLIN WOODS, right, will run as an Independent for mayor of Pittsburgh in the November general election. (Photos by Courier photographer Rob Taylor Jr.) “Tell me what are your aspirations. What your progress looks like, so we can start building springboards,” Woods told the crowd. “This is how we ascend. This is how we evolve. One individual at a time.” Woods said he wants to jumpstart small businesses in Pittsburgh. A number of African Americans in Pittsburgh are small business owners; some were in the crowd. “Small business is the fabric of this region and without it we have no Pittsburgh,” Woods said. Woods also said the primary responsibility of the Mayor’s Office is to create a community where an ecosystem of
MICHE MOORE AND AHKEMA EVANS, supporters of Marlin Woods to be the next mayor of Pittsburgh.
You won’t find a better personal finance columnist in Pittsburgh than The Courier’s
DAMON CARR. (See Page B1. )
solutions can occur. That is done by bringing members of the community together and having a discussion on what people truly want. But the community must first have faith in the leader of the city to feel as though they can truly express their real feelings on how Pittsburgh can become a city for all. “Leadership is the resounding opportunity in this region,” Woods said. “It’s the resounding opportunity in government. It’s the resounding opportunity in community. In order to have community, you’ve got to have effective leadership. Leadership isn’t the picture of someone that’s
awarded the scepter of authority. Leadership is literally the responsibility to service. And service simply means to raise the standard of quality for someone else.” Woods said he’s ready to serve the people of Pittsburgh. “I stand here humble, thankful and grateful before friends, family, team members, supporters, people I don’t even know....I thank God for the preparation that it took.”
DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT NUMBER 21TG04 (GENERAL TRADES) BUILDING ENVELOPE PACKAGE AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ELECTRONIC BIDS & BID OPENING PROCEDURE: Electronic Bids will be received by the Allegheny County Airport Authority until 1:00 P.M. prevailing local time, JULY 28, 2021. Due to COVID-19 precautions, the ACAA is modifying its typical bid opening process; the formal bid opening procedure will be conducted virtually – any/all firms submitting a Bid to the ACAA will be given special access to view the opening event. Once bidding is closed, any/all firms submitting a bid will be issued an Invitation (via email) to access the formal bid opening event via a live webcast. Bidders will also be notified of the results via an email within (24) hours of the Bid Opening event. ACCESS TO BID PACAKGE DOCUMENTS: ALL BIDDERS shall be required to provide a completed formal Bid Document Request application in order to purchase bidding documents for any/all of the above listed Project Numbers. No bidding documents will be issued prior to the Authority’s Construction Manager having a copy of a fully completed Request Application. Bid Document Request Applications can be obtained by sending a Request to the following email address: TMPBids@flypittsburgh.com On the Subject Line, include the following: “Bid Documents Request – 21TG04 (Building Envelope)”. Once a bidder’s request has been received, provided it is complete, and provided the requesting party is not barred from bidding the work, the CM will provide access for the bidder to access and download the bid documents through Building Connected, a web-based bid management platform. A PREBID CONFERENCE – Wednesday, June 23, 2021 – 11:00 AM (Bidders are strongly encouraged to review the plans prior to the meeting.) The meeting will be a Microsoft Teams Meeting. To join the meeting the following number can be called (877) 286-5733 - United States (Toll-Free) – Conference ID 111 552 271#. Please email TMPBids@flypittsburgh.com to receive the link to join by computer. Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not permit any Bidders to tour the site. In lieu thereof, the Construction Management Team (CM) will conduct a Virtual Prebid Meeting. In addition to addressing administration issues, a video tour of the work areas will be provided. Specific details on how interested Bidders can view this broadcast will be provided as part of the Bid Documents via Building Connected. Note that no questions can be asked during this Prebid Meeting. Any/all questions must be issued to the CM as an “RFI”. There will be no site visits – photographs of the site will be included in the contract documents or issued via addendum. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFIs) Any/all questions related to this project must be made in writing to the CM. RFIs are to be sent to the CM via the Building Connected website. BID SUBMISSION Proposals must be made on the Authority’s forms and in accordance with the Plans and Specifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’. Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not be accepting any hard copy bids for this Project. Accordingly, Electronic Bids are the only form that the ACAA will accept. While the Instructions to Bidders will provide more details, for an Electronic Bid to be accepted it must be sent through Building Connected and it must be received by no later than the established Bid Date and Time deadline. OTHER ISSUES Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages as determined by the General Wage Determinations issued under the Davis-Bacon and related Acts must be paid on these projects. This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program) (PAUCP). Firms must be certified prior to award of contract. A searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PAUCP web site: https://paucp. dbesystem.com/ The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents, visit www.flypittsburgh.com under ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or www.pittransformed.com – Opportunities – Business Opportunities. ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY
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United Rays Corvette Club…The legacy continues! :10—My apologies and correction goes out to the legendary United Rays Corvette Club. In a past article, I mistakenly misrepresented the status of the club. Established in 1977, the United Rays Corvette Club still maintains its current membership status, separate from the newly-established Elite Corvette Club. United Rays will continue to display a positive influence in the Pittsburgh community and their love for America’s sports car…the corvette! :09—I am not quite sure how some of you dedicated Steeler fans don’t get this. Just flash back to the bench photo with Big Ben in pain and agony. Champions just don’t go out like that. At least not if they can help it. Here are the
reasons you don’t burn the Terrible Towel for 2021-22. 1) Ben will come back with a proven and stronger surgically repaired arm. 2) Alabama running back and soon-to-be Steeler All-Pro Najee Harris is the real deal. He not only solves the running back problem, but now the defense has to respect the run which opens up the passing game. 3) Last year’s league-leading defense is back in tack with Devin Bush at middle linebacker, Joe Haden healthy again at left corner, pro Cameron Heyward at right defensive end and the man that should have been defensive player of the year, T.J. Watt. :08—Time to get down and dirty…Steeler training camp starts July 21, and remember, they square off with the “Dallas
Cryboys” in this year’s Hall of Fame game Aug. 5. :07—For the record, I’ve got the Steelers winning
bucks who want LeBron to be the G.O.A.T, the real G.O.A.T. would have taken Chris Paul’s and Devin
Overtime
Bill Neal the AFC North and Ben goes out in a blaze of glory at the Super Bowl…OK, get back to me on that last part! :06—If you couldn’t see it before, here’s the difference. For you young
Booker’s heart and would have scored 60 if needed in game six against the Phoenix Suns…or 65…or 70… you get it! Now LeBron’s out the playoffs, and the Suns are in the Western Conference Finals.
:05—That being said, I’ve got Utah winning the NBA West and for as much as I wish, “The Greek Freak” could live up to his MVP standing and lead the Milwaukee Bucks to glory. But alas, there is too much fire power in Brooklyn. The Nets will win the East with or without James Harden cause Kevin Durant is that good! :04—Sorry Sixers fans… they’re close but they need another superstar to work with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. :03—OK, look at it this way. If the Pirates had a 20-game pitching ace and at least two possible 15game winners, your Bucs would be 39 and 23 instead of 23 and 39. Hey, just trying to brighten up your day. :02—Simone Biles is
clearly the gymnastics G.O.A.T. But where she truly mesmerizes the world is with her unbelievable, infectious smile, humility and grace, and more than anything, her courage. Just watch her performance in slow motion and be amazed! :01—The G.O.A.T. of all G.O.A.T.s left this world too soon. Muhammad Ali, “The Greatest of All-Time”, died five years ago on June 3, 2016. Do yourself a favor, pull up “The Thrilla in Manila” where both Ali and Joe Frazier said they were prepared to die in the ring. Easily, the greatest fight ever! Then for a chaser, watch “The Champ” shock George Foreman and shake up the world with an eight-round knockout. Ali! Ali! Ali! :00—GAME OVER.
A ‘Tale of Two...Teams’ In the Steel City, one team consistently wins. The other one consistently plays mind tricks on its fans. by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier
On March 10, 2019, I wrote an article titled: “Pirates ownership needs to spend more money to win more.” It is now June 16, 2021, and the Bucs’ ownership must have deleted that memo because they damn sure haven’t addressed any of that commentary’s main points. In the column I pointed out that: “(2019) Spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates had begun. The Pirates have docked their ship of hope and now are looking at an ancient fading treasure map: trying desperately to find a hidden treasure chest filled with promising young, unproven and questionable talent, along with a stabilizing stash of veteran talent. Have the Pirates hit upon a secret with their bargain basement play-
er acquisition approach? Have they stumbled upon the mother lode or are they destined to dig up a chest filled with fool’s gold?” Well, fast forward to now, and the only fools that are giving up gold are the misguided faithful of the Pirates that continue season after season to plop down their hard-earned money patronizing a team that will never be consistent at anything but losing as long as their ownership consistently searches for dollars instead of sailing in search of victories and credibility. The Pirates battleship appears to be permanently stranded claiming a permanent berth at the “dock of losing.” The Pirate ship now serves as cannon fodder for the rest of the MLB teams that are headed toward the destination of victories and championships. The hull and rudder of the vessel has been irrepara-
bly damaged navigating in the treacherous waters of competition. The masts and sails have been ripped from their foundation by the treacherous winds of change. Pirates owner Bob Nutting had the audacity to say the following a few years ago: “I really respect and appreciate the concerns that the fans have. But I also want them to know that internally, we believe we are moving forward on a good path. There is a lot to be excited about in 2019.” There is not really any way to spin that malarkey because any true Bucs fan knows that is a crock of garbage. The Pirates owners jumped ship long ago, abandoning their ship and trading it in for a tiny red caboose that they hitched to the back of the MLB money train. If there are any lingering fans that
doubt this analogy, all they have to do is watch a Pirates game, on television or in person. That daunting experience will surely prove to them how much “respect” Bob Nutting has for the fans. Let’s begin the Pittsburgh Steelers segment of this column by comparing the won-loss records of both franchises during the last five years. Since 2016, the Pirates’ season records: 2016 (78-83); 2017 (75-87); 2018 (82-79); 2019 (69-93); 2020 (19-41). Again, in the 2020 season, your Pittsburgh Pirates were 19-41 and dead last in their division, finishing a full 15 games out of first place in a 60-game season. How can a team finish 15 games out in a 60-game season? On the other hand, the Steelers are an entirely different story. Their wonloss record the past five years: 2016 (11-5), AFC North Champions; 2017 (13-3), AFC North Champions; 2018 (9-6-1); 2019 (8-8); 2020 (12-4), AFC
North Champions. The Steelers haven’t finished under .500 since 2003, yet many sports fans here insisted that Steelers management be hung out to dry because they didn’t fire coach Mike Tomlin. Those same “diehard fans” have not chosen to petition Major League Baseball, the EEOC or any other organization with regards to forcing an ownership change of the Pirates. The City of Pittsburgh must file an “anti-trust” suit, zoot suit or any other suit that they can find to end the misery of the lowly Pirates ownership, after the Pirates have continued to crap all over the town. For the past three years, the Steelers and Art Rooney II have kept the faith and paid an injured and questionable starting QB Ben Roethlisberger at a salary far above his fair-market rate in spite of simultaneously having the noose of salary cap woes around their neck. They paid an injured player former line-
backer Ryan Shazier a salary when he was injured and physically unable to perform. In comparison, the Pirates refused to pay players that were performing at a high level for them, like Gerrit Cole, Starling Marte and Andrew McCutchen. The Steelers brought back one player that they allowed to get away (QB Josh Dobbs), and signed another player that the Washington Football Team gave away (QB Dwayne Haskins): all the while making the moves so that the “men of steel” would continue to remain competitive. The motives and the goals of the Steelers will always and forever be to win football games. The motives and goals of the Pirates ownership seems to be winning the marketing and spin games. Truth be told, there is no “tale of two cities;” there can only be one truth and one reality; winning and losing.
STARLING MARTE, one of the standout players to be traded by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
RELIGION/METRO
Freedom House 2.0 training program celebrates latest graduates
JUNE 16-22, 2021
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Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 10:30 A.M. www.sbtmparishpgh.com
East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 Now offering in-person services, with limited capacity and required pre-registration through the website, and virtual services!! Worship Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church Summer worship.......10:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.
UPMC Health Plan recently held their second graduation ceremony for their Freedom House 2.0 training program. Both the training and ceremony took place at Hosanna House in Wilkinsburg and included a cohort of 10 students. The program allows individuals to jumpstart a health career in as little as 10 weeks and includes paid training and mentorship. Four of the graduates have already been offered employment with UPMC. The next Freedom House cohort begins in September at the Urban League of Pittsburgh in Duquesne. Graduates pictured are, from top left: Lorin Demun, Jonathan Moss, Trevon Epps, Brandon McQuade, Kenneth Hickey; and bottom row, from left: Keivonne Williams, Rayquel Pack, Asia Strader, Deshay Allen, Khadiyjah Cook.
For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We want to feature positive youth from our Pittsburgh church community. Please mail their bio and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or email us: religion@newpittsburghcourier. com
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“Blessed is the Man that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law does he mediate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his lead also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.” - Psalm 1:1-6 REV. WALKER SAYS: A Godly Man is blessed by God because he delights himself in the Word of God and not what the world is saying. Can I get an Amen, Fathers! (Rev. A. Marie Walker is servant pastor of St. John Baptist Church.)
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BUSINESS JUNE 16-22, 2021
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PROPERTY IS POWER: How to get your offer accepted in seller’s market (Michigan Chronicle)—Purchasing a home is a huge deal for most people. Not much is more satisfying than signing your name on the dotted line and then having the keys to our new home placed in your hands. But when it is a seller’s, market signing on the dotted line may feel like it’s a whirlwind away. No matter where you are in the country, it’s a hot seller’s market. The question now becomes how to land your dream home with the best offer. A seller’s market means there are more buyers than there are homes for sale. You’ve prepared yourself and are ready to buy your home, but you may have noticed that there are not as many “For Sale” signs in the neighborhoods you would like to live in. The reason is countrywide the number of homes on the market compared to previous years is low. The sellers-market trend is making it more ANTHONY O. KELLUM difficult for people who are ready to buy. You’re probably wondering, “What can I do?” Well, there are a few things you can do when inventory levels are low and it is considered a seller’s market, which is exactly where we find ourselves today. Well priced homes in desirable locations are attracting multiple offers in fact, these homes are selling at asking price and above. To successfully compete in this type of housing market you can do the following, make the best most compelling offer possible. If you can offer the right price, have a flexible move-in date, and offer other perks you will increase your chances of beating out the offers of others. Below are more tips to help you succeed in a seller’s market. • Make your offer as clean as possible. A clean offer means it is not contingent on the sale of another properSEE SELLERS MARKET B2
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Rental and mortgage scams continue by Neighborhood Works America For New Pittsburgh Courier
(BlackPressUSA)—As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, millions wonder when it will end. The traumas of a pandemic go much further than the obvious health implications of countless Americans. For many, the threat of homelessness is also top of mind as the end of federal foreclosure and eviction moratoriums will happen eventually. The economic and financial impact of COVID-19 has made housing security even more uncertain for many Americans. With forbearance relief programs ending and up to 21 percent of renters at risk of eviction, many families are seeking solutions and finding themselves at risk of being taken advantage of through questionable programs and unscrupulous lenders. In response to consumer need, NeighborWorks America, a nonprofit that creates opportunities for people to live
in affordable homes and provides homeowners and renters financial counseling and coaching, is working to help protect consumers against foreclosure and eviction scams by giving consumers the resources they need to find trusted help and report illegal activity to authorities. NeighborWorks has launched www. StopHomeScams.org to provide consumers with knowledge to defend themselves against home scams. “We want to emphasize how important it is for consumers to know the signs of a housing scam and quickly report any scam activities,” said Marietta Rodriguez, president and chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. “The Stop Home Scams campaign makes it easier for homeowners and renters in distress to protect themselves and help shut down scammers.” Since the pandemic’s inception, authorities have seen an increase in housing scam activity targeting homeowners and renters particularly among seniors, low- to moderate-income families, and
communities of color. One of the best ways that consumers can protect themselves is by knowing the warning signs. Five of the most common warning signs that indicate you may be dealing with a scammer include: 1. A company/person asks for a fee in advance. 2. A company/person promises they can stop a foreclosure or eviction. 3. A company/person advises you to stop paying your mortgage lender or landlord and pay them instead. 4. A company/person claims to be a part of a reputable agency. 5. A company/person asks for identifiable, personal or financial information. Visit www.StopHomeScams. org to find more educational resources and necessary tips to help recognize and report a housing scam. Knowing how to spot a scam before it happens is your best defense.
Black business registrations increase during COVID pandemic by Lauren Victoria Burke For New Pittsburgh Courier
(BlackPressUSA)—Several states have shown that the number of registered businesses has “more than doubled” according to analysis by the New York Times. In the month after the CARES Act was passed by Congress in March 2020, business registrations increased by 60 percent. Though the economic downturn caused by the COVID pandemic is likely to damage entrepreneurship and put many small businesses in a financial hole or out of business entirely, there are signs that many have turned to creating businesses after losing employment elsewhere. Andre Perry, a Brookings Institution fellow, told the Times that some of the surge in Black business registrations could be a signal of personal economic trouble. “This is more about survival than it is
about wealth creation. There’s lots of people who have lost their jobs and lost their businesses. People are starting to realize that side hustles are businesses,” Perry said. Additionally, Google Trends data reported an “uptick in searches related to Black-owned businesses” in June of last year during the start of the pandemic. According to Google Trends data, searches for “How to find black owned businesses in your area” saw a 300 percent spike and searches for “Black owned restaurants near me” tripled. An app that is a guide to Black owned restaurants, called EatOkra, witnessed a 4,450 percent increase in downloads of new users in May 2020. Many believe that activism after the murder of George Floyd coupled with the COVID19 pandemic spurred manny to think about economic activism and Black owned businesses.
(Lauren Victoria Burke is an independent journalist for NNPA.)
GOOGLE TRENDS DATA reported an “uptick in searches related to Black-owned businesses” in June of last year during the start of the pandemic. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA)
How they created Little Africa (Black Wall Street) On June 1, 2021, we recently recognized and honored the 100-year anniversary of what was billed as Tulsa’s Race Riot —now commonly referred to as the Tulsa Race Massacre. During this massacre, White mobs unleashed violence and destruction against Black people, Black-owned residential and business property, Black churches, Black schools, and ultimately Black wealth. It has been reported that over 300 people died, most of whom were Black. Over 1,000 people were injured. More than 1,000 homes and 300 businesses were destroyed. Also destroyed in this massacre were schools, churches, and hospitals. More than 10,000 people were left homeless. Approximately 35 acres of commercial and residential property was destroyed. Total property value lost during this time which includes houses, commercial buildings, personal belongings and cash would be valued at approximately $200 million in today’s dollars. This loss and devastation have never been recovered. During this time, they cleverly used the terms “Race Riot” to illustrate the event as opposed to “Race Massacre.” Doing so allowed insurance companies to deny all claims for property damage—except one. One White shop owner was given compensation for guns taken from his shop. I became fascinated with the story surrounding Black Wall Street. I literally watched over 15 documentaries and read countless articles on the subject. What
gravitated me wasn’t the massacre itself but how did Black people, only one generation removed from slavery, obtain the education, resources, and know-how to develop a prosperous thriving community against all odds including Jim Crow segregation laws? Let me be more specific. How did these Black people create the wealthiest Black community in America, Greenwood, in 1921, the North Side of Tulsa? This was a prosperous community, exclusively Black. In this community there were Black owned banks, grocery stores, movie theaters, pharmacies, restaurants, churches, law offices, hospitals, hotels, newspaper publishing, barber shops, hair salons, a bus company, taxi services, photography shops, shoeshine parlors, auto mechanic shops, schools, and a business college. During this time, Greenwood was known to have more millionaires living there than the entire United States combined. There were only two airports in the state of Oklahoma. One of the airports was to house the six private airplanes owned by Greenwood’s Black oil tycoons. The minimum wage and living standard of those living in Greenwood far exceeded that of the average White citizen in Tulsa. Much is said about what happened
leading up to the massacre. Very little is mentioned regarding how did Black people create this thriving community that was the darling of Black people and the envy of White people? To gather some insight on how this community was built, I had to delve into the background of a few prominent people including OW Gurley, JB Stratford, AC Jackson, AJ Smitherman, and John and Loula Williams: OW Gurley: He’s the Godfather of Greenwood. He was self-educated and married to his childhood sweetheart, Emma. He worked as a teacher, postal worker, and school principal. He also owned and operated a general store in the community. He sold his property and store and moved to Tulsa. There he purchased 40 acres of land. He initially built a grocery store and a rooming house on a road, which eventually became named Greenwood Ave. He then subdivided his land into residential and commercial lots. He set out to sell the land exclusively to Black people. He believed Black people had a better chance of economic progress if they pooled their resources, worked together, and supported each other’s businesses. He provided loans to other startup business owners and founded several other businesses of his own.
JB Stradford: JB was married to Augusta. He was the son of a slave whose given slave name was Caesar. The daughter of the slave owner taught Caesar to read. Caesar read about the Emancipation Proclamation and petitioned his slave owner to free him. His slave owner eventually freed him. JB was Caesar’s first-born. Caesar taught his family how to read and executed a plan to liberate his family from slavery. JB improved on his father’s legacy by becoming an Indiana University trained attorney. His interest was in social justice, racial solidarity, and real estate development. He first launched a hotel in Alexandria, Indiana in 1899. When that hotel went out of business, JB began to look for other business opportunities. He moved to Greenwood and became an informal business partner with OW Gurley. The two invested in land, built rental homes and sold and rented exclusively to Black people. JB amassed a sizable fortune which was mainly in real estate including his home, a bubbling hotel, 24 rental and rooming houses, apartment buildings, pool halls, shoeshine parlors and bathhouses. Space will not allow me to delve into other noteworthy people who helped establish Little Africa. I’ll give a brief summary here. Other notables and influential figures included AC Jackson, the internationally acclaimed surgeon. He was the most well-known person gunned SEE LITTLE AFRICA B2
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JUNE 16-22, 2021
How to get your offer accepted in seller’s market SELLERS MARKET FROM B1
ty or have other financial constraints. It should also be free of seller concessions (things a buyer asks for outside of the offer price for example: closing costs.) • Avoid asking for personal items. Loving their sparkly chandelier that is listed on the exclusions list? Don’t ask for it. You really like their awesome patio furniture? Forget it? Your offer may be very similar in price to another offer that is not asking for the personal items of the seller. Asking for excluded items could weaken your offer. • Offer an escalation clause. This is a provision added to the contract stating that the buyer will escalate their offer above the highest sales price submitted. The buyer’s contract price is automatically escalated without the need to resubmit a new contract or amend an existing one. This clause usually has a maximum escalation amount. • Offer a Leaseback. A leaseback allows the seller to lease the property form the buyer after the closing. This can be a risky since some deals fall through before closing, to move out of a primary residence before the transaction has been funded and completed. This allows the seller to sell their home and then move out afterward, eliminating the risk. • Offer more earnest money. Earnest money is offered with a sales contract to help the seller justify taking their house off the market. It’s a way of proving that the buyer “earnestly” wants to purchase the property beyond the contract alone. • Offer to pay the seller’s moving expenses. If you are making an offer in a competitive home that is occupied, consider offering monetary value to help pay for the seller’s moving expenses. This is a unique strategy that is not very common, which makes it more effective. • Waive the inspection contingency. The inspection is stressful for sellers because they have no control over the home inspector’s competency. Ten different inspectors could have ten different results. Some offers will waive the inspection process to increase their contracts chances of being accepted. This is also risky and requires a lot of research to fully understand. The bottom line is the more you know about what the seller wants, the more likely you are to develop an offer the seller. It can be discouraging getting multiple offers rejected in a seller’s market. But by making a few adjustments to your offer you can get your offer accepted. “You cannot afford to live in potential for the rest of your life, at some point, you have to unleash the potential and make your move.”
BUSINESS
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Garfield Lemonius in new leadership role The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Garfield Lemonius, M.F.A., has been appointed Acting Dean and Artistic Director of the Conservatory of Performing Arts and Artistic Director of the Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University. Lemonius previously served as Chair of the Department of Dance. “Garfield brings an exceptional level of leadership and vision to the role of Dean and Artistic Director of the Conservatory,” said Point Park University president Paul Hennigan. “His strong background in arts and entertainment and his
GARFIELD LEMONIUS
student-centered approach to learning and performance make him the ideal leader for this critical role.” A native of Jamaica and
Canada, Lemonius’s career includes performing in film, with contemporary companies and in solo guest works across the U.S. Canada and Europe. At Point Park University, Lemonius has been responsible for ushering in innovative dance and academic programming. He established a virtual speaker series during the pandemic to help connect students with thought leaders in the dance field, and most recently, led an effort to partner with Minding the Gap, a Pittsburgh-based, non-profit organization dedicated to helping improve dancers’
mental health and access to services. “I’m honored and humbled by this appointment and the support the University leadership has shown me and I’m privileged to work with the exceptional Playhouse staff and faculty,” said Lemonius in a statement. “My goal is to ensure that the Pittsburgh Playhouse continues to support the academic mission of the University, provide our students with exceptional performing opportunities, and present Pittsburgh audiences with compelling, entertaining, and innovative productions.”
Opening doors for Black businesses by Bob Marshall For New Pittsburgh Courier
(BlackPressUSA)—Today, an estimated forty-one percent of Black-owned busi-
nesses have been affected by COVID-19 and as many as thirty-five percent of African American business owners have been unable to access credit to keep their doors open. Basically, this means Black-owned small businesses are closing their doors at twice the rate of the industry average, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. And that is not acceptable. As the National Small Business Development Leader at Wells Fargo, my team and I are focused on solving the unique problems that Black business owners face, so we can help shift the landscape to better equity and prosperity. While there are many factors involved, Black businesses are often smaller in terms of number of employees, payroll and startup capital, and they may not have established banking relationships. This makes them much more susceptible to economic downturns and challenges. What we at Wells Fargo strive to provide is greater access to credit and innovations so these businesses can stay resilient and be prepared to stage a comeback in this pandemic.
One example of this is Wells Fargo’s Open for Business Fund, a roughly $420 million small business recovery effort. This includes grants to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and organizations that provide technical training and longer-term resiliency programs to entrepreneurs. These organizations play a vital role in helping business owners, especially diverse and women business owners, to access capital and resources to support their continued recovery. The first phase of the Open for Business Fund allocated $250 million to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) to extend capital to small businesses, and the CDFIs can typically leverage this philanthropic capital at a rate of 3 to 1. That’s a big impact. In fact, eighty-four percent of funding is projected to reach racially and ethnically diverse small business owners. We estimate that the Open for Business Fund is already protecting more than 75,000 jobs and we hope to make an even more substantial impact with the funds remaining. In addition, just prior to
the beginning of the pandemic in March, Wells Fargo announced pledge to invest up to $50 million in Black-owned Banks. Just this past February, it was also announced that this would include equity investments in six African American minority deposit institutions (MDIs). Supporting diverse-owned businesses is more important than ever and it is critical that we and other lenders continue to identify more ways to sustainably create access to capital for the start-up, operation, and growth of these small businesses, especially in our underserved communities. I’m proud to work with my colleagues at Wells Fargo as we help to close the gap in access to credit for Black-owned businesses. If you or someone you know needs tools and guidance to keep their small business door open, we’re here to help. Learn more at smallbusinessresources.wf.com (Bob Marshall is the National Business Development Executive with Wells Fargo Bank for the Small Business Development Group.)
How they created Little Africa LITTLE AFRICA FROM B1
was the most well-known person gunned down and killed during the massacre. Also killed was AJ Smitherman, an attorney and Editor and Publisher of one of the first Black Daily Newspapers, Tulsa Star, and John and Loula Williams, the owners of several businesses including Dreamland Theaters. Key factors I observed as I read these stories regarding how Little Africa was built: • Education: Be it informal or formal education. Learning how to read and becoming educated is what Black people believed would bring them both equality and equity. • Hard-Working: Black people were extremely industrious. They worked sunup to sundown, often working multiple jobs. • Save Money: They would often work doing domestic jobs for White people to save money to start their own businesses.
• Multiple streams of income: All of the nobles mentioned had multiple streams of income, be it multiple businesses, multiple income producing properties, or a combination of both. • Willingness to help each other: There were no crabs in the barrel mentality during this time. • Reinvested in the community: They were constantly seeking ways to improve and expand the community. They also consistently ran ads inspiring other Black people from other states to come and live in an environment created by Black people for Black people • Black Patronage: It was primarily the Jim Crow laws of the time but what really allowed Black people and Black businesses to thrive in Little Africa is the fact that Black people supported Black Business by spending their hard-earned dollars exclusively in the Black community. It was given the name
“Black Wall Street” by Booker T. Washington, after he visited the town and observed the bustling community. However, White people called it Little Africa. I find it interesting that then and now, when we as Black people observe something that we consider to be good or great, we compare it to a White establishment. Yet, White people compared it to Africa. Knowing a little bit of Africa’s rich history, I prefer Little Africa. Lastly, even after the destruction of Little Africa, Black people rebuilt this Dreamland in Greenwood in the 1940s. Only this time, desegregation was law. This allowed Blacks to spend their dollars amongst the larger White community. Without Black People supporting Black businesses as they did in the past, the newly developed Greenwood didn’t thrive.
(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412-216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
JUNE 16-22, 2021
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Lives are depending on it
Guest Editorial
Pennsylvania does not need an election audit Three Pennsylvania Republican lawmakers were in Arizona recently to check out that state’s Senate GOP partisan audit of the 2020 election In Arizona, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has promoted election conspiracies is overseeing a hand recount of 2.1 million ballots from Maricopa County. Trump and his allies claimed without evidence last year that his Arizona loss was marred by fraud. The Arizona Senate GOP used its subpoena power to get access to all ballots, counting machines and hard drives full of election data in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix and 60 percent of Arizona’s voters. The audit is being led by Cyber Ninjas, a small consulting firm with no prior election experience for a hand recount and analysis of vote-counting machines and data. The effort will not change President Joe Biden’s victory. But it’s become a model for Republicans in other states hoping to turn up evidence supporting conspiracy theories. Pennsylvania Sens. Doug Mastriano and Cris Dush and Rep. Rob Kauffman were among the 64 Republican legislators who signed a letter asking the state’s congressional delegation to object to Pennsylvania’s Electoral College votes being cast for Joe Biden. Several conservative extremists have visited Phoenix to promote the audit, including U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz and Enrique Tarrio, leader of the Proud Boys extremist group. “It’s my belief that Arizona will be the launch pad for election audits and election integrity efforts all over this great country,” Gaetz said. The GOP lawmakers are now calling for Pennsylvania to conduct an Arizona-style audit of the 2020 presidential election, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Asked by a reporter if he wants to see the Arizona audit replicated in Pennsylvania, Dush said, “Without question. Absolutely.” Philadelphia City Commissioner Al Schmidt (R) said on CNN’s “New Day” it was right to call out the Arizona audit for aiming to “reach a partisan political conclusion.” “I know how important audits are. But what is going on in Arizona is not an audit. It is funded by partisan political benefactors, it is directed by partisan political operatives to reach a partisan political conclusion, which is ... not an audit,” Schmidt said. Fortunately, the GOP lawmakers will have trouble getting anything through Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, who dismissed their trip to Arizona as an “effort to discredit the integrity of our elections” and “an insult to our county election workers and to Pennsylvania voters.” Despite some baseless allegations from state Republican lawmakers, no county election board, prosecutor or state official has raised a concern over any sort of widespread election fraud in November’s election in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania does not need an Arizona-style partisan election audit based on conspiracy theories. (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
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TriceEdney Wire.com—The postponed and rescheduled 2020 Olympic Games are only a few weeks away. If the Japanese and International Olympic Committees can manage a COVID-safe environment, I welcome them. I consider this event to be one of the purest forms of athletic competition. Participants train and compete fairly in a test of physical prowess. If you will, imagine yourself as a participant in the finals of the 100-meter dash. When you arrive at the starting area, you find the starting block in your lane 18 meters behind those of your competitors. The race begins with little to no hope of you overcoming the disadvantage imposed upon you. In real life, that is the type of disadvantage imposed upon the average American woman. PayScale, a compensation research organization, asserts that, in 2021, the average American woman earns 82 cents for every dollar earned by the average American male, 18 cents less! To raise awareness of this disparity, Equal Pay Day is observed. It is the day to which the average woman must work in a new year to achieve earning parity with the average male’s earnings for the past year. In 2021, Equal Pay Day was March 24th. This date is calculated without regard to experience or job type. The Gender Pay Gap has long been the subject of contention and debate. Few will debate its existence, but there is significant disagreement as to the cause. Some will argue that the career related choices of
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary women and the stereotypical obligations of “womanhood” (homemaker, wife, and motherhood) reduce their “time on the clock” and, therefore, their resulting income. Others contend that, historically and contemporarily, the work and performance of women has been under-valued, and, among other reasons, employers have routinely practiced the payment of lower wages in women-dominated career fields. I support the latter position. Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, throughout their careers women continue to earn less than men do, and this disparity occurs as early as one year out of college. Christianne M. Corbett, a senior researcher at the American Association of University Women co-authored a study entitled “Graduating to a Pay Gap.” For college graduates, her research demonstrated that, after factoring variables such as college major, occupation, and number of hours worked, women’s pay was 82 percent of their male counterparts’ pay one year after graduation. In this study, on average, men earned nearly $8,000 more than women did one year after
graduating. Unfortunately, these “averages” do not reflect the pay disparities that are inherent when factoring racial and ethnic differences. According to PayScale, women of color fall victim to an even greater Gender Pay Gap than that of the average. One does not have to be an Einstein to understand the impact of this pay disparity on single-mothers and double-income families. If circumstances were not bad enough, COVID-19 has had a disparate, negative impact on women. Almost daily, we learn from the media that the greatest impact of this pandemic has been on women and it’s not difficult to understand that those starting farther back in the race suffer the most. A review of the facts of this systemic discrimination are instructional, but information alone cannot effect change. As with any other form of discrimination, change can only occur with major impetus initiated by the discriminator or those with the power to direct necessary change. In this case, employers must assess and monitor their policies and practices to assure compliance with genuine anti-discrimination goals. In the absence of enlightenment by employers, legislators must be open to the review and modernization of existing laws and policies. Both must work to increase transparency in compensation practices for the identification and remedy of disparities. Lives depend on it! (Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women.)
Juneteenth is an opportunity to confront the nation’s ‘hard history’ (TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Slavery is hard history. It is hard to comprehend the inhumanity that defined it. It is hard to discuss the violence that sustained it. It is hard to teach the ideology of white supremacy that justified it. And it is hard to learn about those who abided it. We the people have a deep-seated aversion to hard history because we are uncomfortable with the implications it raises about the past as well as the present … We enjoy thinking about Thomas Jefferson proclaiming, ‘All men are created equal.’ But we are deeply troubled by the prospect of the enslaved woman Sally Hemings, who bore him six children, declaring, ‘Me too.’”—Hasan Kwame Jeffries When I was a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, I accompanied my parents on a trip to the West African Nation of Senegal. As part of our journey, we took a ferry to Gorée, a tiny island about a mile from Dakar’s main harbor. The haunting images of the slave trade we encountered there left a lifetime impression. “Soon, we came upon a large stone structure,” My mother, Sybil Haydel Morial, wrote in her memoir, Witness to Change. “The remains of what appeared to be shackles were embedded in the floor. For nearly three centuries, men, women and children were brought forcibly to this island and sold to European and American slave traders. The tour guide explained that the slaves were corralled and held until the next slave ship arrives. On the far side of the building, was a large opening onto the Atlantic. The slaves were taken along a short gangplank into the hold of the ship. The guide called it ‘the Door of No Return,’ as those African people would
Marc H. Morial
To Be Equal never see their homeland again.” As the nation prepares to observe Juneteenth, the celebration of the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States, we are engaged in a bitter battle over the teaching of history, particularly the acknowledgment of White supremacy’s role in shaping our laws and institutions. My great-great-grandparents, Victor Theophile Haydel and Marie Celeste Becnel, were born on the Whitney Plantation, 50 miles east of New Orleans. Victor’s mother, Anna, arrived on the plantation sometime between 1820 and 1853. She was “purchased to be the ‘pet’ of her infertile owner,” journalist Daja Henry wrote in the New Orleans Tribune. “After she got too big to play with, she was tossed among the other enslaved; and like many other enslaved women, she was raped by White men. In Anna’s case, it was the plantation owner’s brother, Antoine Haydel.” Marie Celeste’s mother, Francoise, also had been raped by a member of the owner’s family, Florestan Becnel. When the last Haydel family member to own the plantation died in 1860, Anna and Victor were listed as part of an inventory of her estate. Victor was valued at 800 piastres—the Cajun word for dollars—and Anna at 100
piestres. As Juneteenth approaches, I am reminded of the words of Dr. Ibrahima Seck, a Senegalese historian who traced the Haydel family’s history: “The best way to honor the memories of Anna, Victor and Celeste, is to let the world know the hardship they went through and the injustice of being considered chattel for many years with a price imposed on each of them. In doing so, much respect would also be paid to those who sacrificed their lives in the defense of freedom and civil rights in this country and beyond.” Unfortunately, stories like Anna’s are rarely taught in American schools. Slavery is treated “like a dot on a timeline,” according to Maureen Costello, director of the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance program. An investigation by the SPLC, Teaching Hard History, revealed an alarming ignorance among high school seniors. Only 8 percent could identify slavery as the central cause of the Civil War. Two-thirds didn’t know that it took a constitutional amendment to formally end slavery. Fewer than one in four could correctly identify how provisions in the Constitution gave advantages to slaveholders. This is no way to honor the memories of Anna, Victor and Celeste, or the millions who were kidnapped, enslaved, brutalized and oppressed. We cannot build a stable home on a broken foundation. As the SPLC study’s authors concluded, “Teaching about slavery is hard. It requires often-difficult conversations about race and a deep understanding of American history. Learning about slavery is essential if we are ever to come to grips with the racial differences that continue to divide our nation.”
The GOP Senate, the filibuster and racism The American people need to realize that the real issue in the United States Senate is not the “Filibuster” but racism. Former President Obama clearly stated this in his recent interview with Anderson Cooper of CNN. The fact that the U.S. Senator Joe Manchin is meeting or has met with national Civil Rights leaders as if he is interested in what they have to say, is no more than a media stunt in an attempt to soften the blow of his racist attitude concerning the filibuster. Yes. It is racist to see that you are one of the two people in the U.S. Senate attempting to re-institutionalize “Jim Crow” segregation through supporting the filibuster which would require 10 Republican votes in the Senate instead of a simple majority, which could allow passage. Every time the American people hear the term “Filibuster”, the word “Racist” should be inserted in its place. Those members of the Senate who support the filibuster over debate and legislative consideration of the public policy issues facing this great nation, should be labeled for the racists they are. When one considers the 22 states
John Warren
Commentary that have already passed voter suppression laws, which eliminate hours and locations for polling places, that require voter identification cards for those with the greatest issues of getting such cards, like our Black and Latino seniors who have already been voting since the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and the very fact that the John Lewis “For the People Act” would render null and void the voter suppression acts now in all of 47 states, it becomes clear that the whole idea is to prevent people of color from voting so that we do not have a repeat of the Black voter victories in Georgia that placed a Black and a Jew in the U.S. Senate. Donald Trump has become the sym-
bol of the Republican Party because he gives body and voice to the fears that old school Whites have about the “browning” of America. The same wave of righteous indignation that swept America after the “murder” of George Floyd and that placed Joseph Biden and Kamala Harris in the Presidency, should be continued with all the same passion. “We The People” must demand the abolishment of the “filibuster” and the racism it represents. It is not a part of our Constitution. We must remain a nation of laws and not outdated racist tradition. Joe Manchin and your Democratic colleague, Kyrsten Sinema, your actions support the racist behavior of the Republican Senate and the Republican Party which is leading this national attack on blocking legislation that supports all of America and people of color in particular. Let’s not waste more precious time on the Republicans. Let’s get rid of the filibuster now by any means necessary. The future depends on it.
(Dr. John E. Warren is Publisher of The Voice & Viewpoint)
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Pride Month means Black Pride, too (TriceEdneyWire.com)—June is Pride Month, commemorating the violent police raid on the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, when GLBTQ activists fought abusive police officers who beat gay men, lesbians, and those who cross-dressed. So-called law enforcement also participated in blackmail and extortion against those who were closeted. It took 50 years, until June 2019, for the New York City police commissioner to apologize for the raid. While the GLBTQIA community has increased visibility and acceptance, there is also the putrid and hateful resistance to the very existence of this community. In a tiny Texas town, a bakery that offered Rainbow cookies in honor of Pride Month faced a detestable backlash when a patron who ordered five dozen cookies, a sizeable order for a small family-run bakery, canceled their order (having not paid for it) because they felt that a Facebook recognition of Pride month was “gay propaganda.” (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/06/09/ pride-month-rainbow-bakery-customer/). In Jacksonville, Florida, a planned bridge lighting in honor of Pride Month was threatened, some say over intergovernmental jurisdictional issues, while others say it was simple homophobia. In a Washington, DC suburb, a teacher says he violates his religion to refer to young people by their preferred pronouns. He was fired, and he sues saying that it violates his faith for him to be courteous and compassionate to others. The court agrees with him, and he is headed back to the classroom, intolerant as ever. These are incidents that have bub-
Julianne Malveaux
News Analysis bled into the national consciousness, but there are others that go unreported. The bottom line is that hate—racism, homophobia, and more—thrives in our nation, and few are prepared to stop it. Police violence is at the root of Pride Month, just as it is at the foundation of the Black Lives Matter Movement. The Movement for Black Lives has been firmly and fiercely supportive of GLBTQIA rights, especially sensitive to the rights of trans people, focusing on the trans women who are exponentially more likely to be murdered than others. But with police violence as the common root of two vital movements, why is there so little visible collaboration between those communities). Gay pride is Black pride, too. Let’s call the roll of Black GBLTQIA leaders and thinkers—Bayard Rustin, Pauli Murray, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, so many others. And let’s look at hate and hate crime from an intersectional perspective and solutions from that same place. Pride Month has to be about Black Pride, too, about embracing all LGBTQIA identities. After all, as we experience major demographic shifts, the population, and the electorate, are increasingly diverse. We need to see the intersectional in our commemorations, celebration, and more. And we need to be vocal about our opposition to hate and hateful behavior no matter how it is directed. For example, in an ideal world, the NAACP would have bought some Juneteenth cookies (and maybe they still will) from the Confections bakery in Lufkin, Texas. Our task is not to respond to each hateful incident but to build a movement that rejects hate. And our mission is to do it “at a time such as this” when the haters empower many who are fearful of inevitable change. Now is a time for a mass movement against racism, homophobia, sexism, and hate. It begins when we know our histories and share them. It starts when we acknowledge that Gay Pride Month is about Black Pride, too, that Women’s History is not White Women’s History, Native American History is not a footnote, and hatred is contemptuous. The carte blanche that so-called “officers of the law” have to terrorize communities they don’t like is especially contemptuous. The same way they bullied gay folks in the 1950s and 60s is the same way they terrorize Black communities today. Building on Stonewall’s history, the GLBTQIA communities should be some of the most vital voices supporting the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. Dr. Dorothy Irene Height was fond of speaking of collective strength. She would say, if I tap you with my finger, you may never feel it, but if my fingers turn into a fist and I tap you then, you’ll feel it. If Black folks and LGBTQIA folks join with others, perhaps we can stop the hate. The folks who patronized Celebrations Bakery in the face of hate put a firewall between ugly and love. They are the fist Dr. Height referenced. Are we part of the fist? (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC based economist and author. Juliannemalveaux.com.)
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Critical Race Theory had a serious problem—until now During the last two decades of the 20th century, two academic movements emerged out of the Black intelligentsia; Afrocentricity and Critical Race Theory. Afrocentricity was a historical movement that claimed the great achievements of Western Civilization originated in Africa. They also claimed Eurocentric scholarship suppressed Africa’s contributions to humanity in order to maintain White supremacy. Critical Race Theory developed within legal studies. CRT scholars questioned the “very foundation of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law.” Then CRT branched out into other fields – education, political science, ethnic studies, and so forth. The textbook, “Critical Race Theory: An Introduction,” also stated: “Unlike some other academic disciplines, Critical Race Theory contains an activist dimension. It not only tries to understand our social situation (how society organizes itself along racial lines and hierarchies), but to change it.” By the mid-1990s Afrocentric scholarship was mainstreaming while CRT remained in academic obscurity. Then in 1996 Mary Lefkowitz published, “Not Out of Africa: How Afrocentrism Became an Excuse to Teach Myth as History.” Lefkowitz’s book demonstrated how the historical claims of Afrocentric scholars contradicted the historical evidence. Needless to say, Lefkowitz’s book was controversial. The book created a national debate concerning the merits of Afrocentric scholarship. This debate should have been welcomed by Afrocentric scholars because it gave them an opportunity to present their
J. Pharoah Doss
Check It Out case to a national audience and prove their historical claims were correct. Unfortunately, the Afrocentric scholars chose not to match evidence with evidence. They chose to dismiss Lefkowitz as a racist. By taking that route, it gave the Afrocentric scholars the national opportunity to defend their work from racist attacks instead of defending the merits of their historical claims. Lefkowitz expected this tactic from the Afrocentric scholars, but she didn’t expect to hear what some of her White colleagues told her in private. They basically told Lefkowitz they dismissed Afrocentricity as serious scholarship, but the myths they created were therapeutic for Black people living in an oppressive society, and Lefkowitz should have left Afrocentricity alone. While Afrocentricity was receiving all of this attention, Critical Race Theory was still in obscurity. Legal scholar Martha Minow once stated, to be taken seriously in the business of scholarship means becoming the subject of sustained criticism, if such criticism is not forthcoming, those new to the field will tend to assume it is flawed or marginal. By the 1990s CRT scholars published over a dozen books, published over 200 papers in academic journals, and hosted several conferences, but CRT was not taken seriously by the mainstream. During this time Critical
Race Theorists took issue with being ignored. In 1998 one sympathetic professor stated a “systematic and comprehensive public review” of CRT was long overdue, and CRT should not be evaded; it should be challenged. CRT remained unchallenged for decades, but its activist dimension conducted a long march to incorporate CRT inside American institutions through diversity training programs and K-12 curriculums. Now, the vast majority of Americans never heard of CRT until President Trump’s 2020 executive order that removed CRT from federal training programs. Incidentally, all of the opponents of Trump, who never heard of CRT or ignored it all of this time, suddenly championed CRT in order to cite Trump’s executive order as another example of his racism. Obviously, this type of second-hand partisan support does nothing to promote the merits of CRT, but the Critical Race Theorist didn’t take issue with those supporting CRT in order to denounce Trump because CRT was finally taken seriously. Trump eventually lost the presidency, President Biden overturned Trump’s ban on CRT, and, now, Republican legislators across the country are creating legislation to prevent CRT from being taught in their respective schools, and Democrats are denouncing the Republican state legislators while defending CRT. Unfortunately, these brand new Democratic defenders of CRT are only doing so in order to paint the Republicans as racist, but in reality, they view CRT the same way Lefkowitz’s colleagues viewed Afrocentricity in private. CRT hasn’t been challenged until now, but it still has a “serious” problem because who exactly is taking CRT seriously?
Black churches have moral authority to defend the Black vote During the civil rights movement’s struggle against discrimination and voter suppression in Jim Crow America, the Black Church was a source of refuge and resolve. Today, a new wave of voter suppression laws is targeting Black voters, and new generations of Black clergy are bringing their moral authority to a campaign to defend the Black vote. We need these prophetic voices. The new Jim Crow doesn’t look exactly like the old Jim Crow, but it is grounded in the same assault on the dignity, humanity, and citizenship rights of Black Americans. We need our communities’ truth-tellers to speak out. Because the new Jim Crow is grounded in layers of lies. The Big Lie told by former President Donald Trump and his supporters is that he won the 2020 election, but had his victory stolen by corrupt election officials and Black and brown people casting fraudulent votes. The existence of widespread voter fraud is itself a lie. It has been debunked over and over again. But Republicans in dozens of states are using that lie to justify new restrictive voting rules. They claim to be protecting “election integrity” but they are really trying to make it harder for some Black and brown people to cast a ballot and have it counted. Right-wing lawmakers feel free to impose discriminatory voting rules thanks to another lie—this one told by John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the United States. He justified the decision of a conservative majority of the Court in 2013 to abolish a key enforcement mechanism of the Voting Rights Act by saying in effect that racial discrimination in voting was a thing of the past. States from across the old Confederacy proved him wrong, by acting to impose
Ben Jealous
Commentary new restrictions on registration and voting. Some went into effect just hours after the Supreme Court gave them the green light. That was bad enough. But the right wing’s voter suppression machinery really kicked into high gear after the 2020 election. Republican lawmakers saw that Black voter turnout helped President Joe Biden win key battleground states. And they vowed not to let that happen again. Republican lawmakers’ strategy for holding onto power is not to reach out to Black voters, but to shut them out. But we won’t be shut out. We will push Congress to pass the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, two laws that are needed to overturn the new Jim Crow laws and prevent future restrictions on voting. The late Rep. John Lewis told us in his farewell message last year that if we don’t use our right to vote, it can be taken from us. This year we are seeing new efforts to take the vote from us because we voted. We can’t let politicians turn us around. At People For the American Way, we are investing more resources in our Defend the Black Vote project. We are sounding the alarm about disenfranchisement. And we are building our capacity to
reach, educate, and mobilize even more Black voters than we did in 2020 through digital media, paid advertising, and an ambitious peer-to-peer texting program. And we will continue to be inspired by the vision and leadership of Black clergy like the Rev. Timothy McDonald, who launched the African American Ministers Leadership Council and its Souls to the Polls movement more than 20 years ago. When Georgia Republicans tried to shut down Souls to the Polls by banning early voting on Sundays, Rev. McDonald called them out as “the Klan in three-piece suits.” Rev. McDonald’s righteous truth-telling shamed Georgia Republicans into dropping that part of their voter suppression plan. But the rest of it became law—including the infamous ban on groups providing water to people forced to wait in long voting lines. Voting rights activists have gone to court to challenge the Georgia law and others like it. Organizers will do everything possible to help Black voters overcome any new obstacles that have been put between them and the ballot box. And the Black church will once again give voice to the aspirations of our people, drawing on a long tradition of prophetic witness against injustice combined with strategic organizing on behalf of freedom and equality. “We endured slavery, Jim Crow and lynching by being creative and strategic,” Rev. McDonald told CNN. “We’re going to use their own tools and throw them back at them. We have to beat them at their own game.” Preach! (Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and People For the American Way Foundation.)
Pulitzer Board issues special citation to Darnella Frazier, teen who recorded George Floyd’s murder (NNPA)—Add Pulitzer Prize to the list of awards and recognition bestowed upon Darnella Frazier, the teen who bravely videotaped the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The Pulitzer Prize board issued a special citation to Darnella, who is now 18. “For courageously recording the murder of George Floyd, a video that spurred protests against police brutality around the world, highlighting the crucial role of citizens in journalists’ quest for truth and justice,” the Pulitzer Board wrote. For her efforts, Darnella is also receiving the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s (NNPA) highest journalism award and a monetary scholarship at the NNPA’s annual convention, which begins on Wednesday, June 23. NNPA is the trade association of the hundreds of African American-owned newspapers and media companies that comprise the Black Press of America. NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin
Stacy Brown
Commentary F. Chavis, Jr., applauded Darnella and called her a “freedom fighter” who ensured justice was finally done in the case of a police officer killing an unarmed African American. “We salute this brave young woman, who had the courage to keep on filming even as the officers tried to intimidate her,” Dr. Chavis stated. Floyd family Attorney Benjamin Crump told the Black Press that there would be no civil settlement or a trial and conviction of former officer Derek Chauvin had it not been for Darnella’s actions.
“It was Darnella Frazier who stepped up,” Crump asserted. Officials in Minneapolis reached a record $27 million civil settlement with Floyd’s family, and Chauvin faces as much as 40 years in prison when he’s sentenced on June 25. “We wouldn’t have any of that without Darnella Frazier taking that video,” Crump reiterated. The video was the most damning piece of evidence during Chauvin’s trial, and Darnella took the witness stand and offered powerful testimony to back up the recording. “Even though this was a traumatic life-changing experience for me, I’m proud of myself,” Frazier wrote in an Instagram post on the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s murder. “If it weren’t for my video, the world wouldn’t have known the truth.” “My video didn’t save George Floyd,” she added, “but it put his murderer away and off the streets.”
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TRANSIT POLICE OFFICER Port Authority is seeking full-time Transit Police cers. A Transit Police Officer is responsible for ensuring the safety of Port Authority customers, staff and property throughout the areas it serves. Officers must enforce all local, state and federal laws on and around our transit system. Essential Functions: •Acts in accordance with rules, regulations, and procedures as a sworn police officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. •Knows all areas of Allegheny County and is able to respond to those areas in a timely manner. •Be present at daily roll call, as required, properly uniformed and equipped; receive orders, details, etc.; proceed to assignment by the most direct route immediately following roll call. •Investigate all suspicious persons and activity within sector as pertains to Port Authority. Job requirements include: •High School Diploma or GED. •Valid PA Driver’s License. Current Act certification or candidate must successfully pass the Act certification test prior to an interview. •Successful completion of administered written Police Officer e am. •Successful completion of administered fitness e am. •Basic clerical skills. •Ability to observe and analyze situations objectively and respond appropriately. •Ability to handle emotionally charged situations. •Ability to act quickly and calmly in emergency situations. •Professional and effective communication skills to include: •Ability to communicate orally and in writing in a clear and concise manner. •Ability to understand and execute oral and written instructions. •Successfully complete/maintain the following required training: early firearm qualifications with a department authori ed firearm. •Maintain Basic First Aid and CPR/ AED Certification. •Yearly mandatory in-service training. ob specific training, as required. •Ability to work various shifts, pass days, weekends/holidays, as required. •This a Safety-Sensitive position subject to all testing provisions under the Drug and Alcohol Policy, including random drug and alcohol testing. The person selected for this position may be required to be tested prior to being awarded the job.
ORACLE APPLICATION DEVELOPER The University of Pittsburgh seeks an Oracle Application Developer to work in Pittsburgh to participate in all aspects of Oracle E-Bu s ines s S uit e a n d C l o u d development. Will also analyze end user needs and develop specifications documenting solutions to their requests as well as develop logically sound programming specifications and programs. Applicants should send a cover letter, CV, and salary requirements to join.pitt.edu. Apply at https://join.pitt.edu. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets. INTAKE CONCIERGE AND MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST POSITIONS Sisters Place faithfully provides opportunities for families and individuals to overcome poverty and homelessness through empowerment, housing, wellness, personal and professional advancement services. We currently are looking to fill two positions. PART-TIME INTAKE CONCIERGE as the first point of contact for clients, constituents, and guests at Sisters Place. Provides a range of resources and referral options. This job involves tasks such as welcoming guests in, making referrals, providing recommendations to collaborative organizations and other community resources, and triaging the intake of clients for Sisters Place services. Working with the public with a welcoming and friendly demeanor and great attention to detail. PART-TIME MAINTENANCE SPECIALIST to complete daily maintenance work orders as assigned by the Facilities and Operations Manager. Position involves physical labor and maintenance work. Requires client engagement and education. Traditional and on-call hours. Visit https://www.sistersplace. org/job-postings/ BOROUGH OF WILKINSBURG JOB POSTING/CLASSIFIED ADS JUNIOR CIRCULATION CLERK CHILDREN’S LIBRARY DEPARTMENT Wilkinsburg Borough (EOE), a local government sector in Allegheny County, has a career opportunity for the position of Junior Circulation Clerk in the Children’s Library Department. A complete job description and application are available at the Borough web site, www.wilkinsburgpa.gov. Applications and resumes should be received no later than June 30th 2021 at 4:00 p.m. in person at Borough Offices, Ross Ave. Wilkinsburg, PA or email at info@wilkinsburgpa.gov. John Antinori, Borough Manager SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking a CLASSROOM PARAEDUCATOR for the 2021-2022 school year Complete job description is available at: www.southfayette.org Please e-mail your application to SFAPPLY@Southfayette.org Place in the subject line last name, first name, position Deadline: 4:00 P.M., June 17,2021, or until position is lled EOE SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking MULTIPLE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS for the 2021-2022 school year. SUBSTITUTE STEAM CLASSROOM TEACHER GRADES 3-5 deadline 4:00 PM, June 18, 2021 ONE YEAR PERMANENT SUBSTITUTE CLASSROOM TEACHER-GRADE 3 deadline 4:00 PM, June 21, 2021 SUBSTITUTE CLASSROOM TEACHER-GRADE 5 deadline 4:00 PM, June 23, 2021 Complete job descriptions and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org EOE
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We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter and resume to: Amy Giammanco Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AGiammanco@portauthority.org EOE SOUTH HILLS AREA COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS NOTICE OF EXAMINATION FOR THE POSITION OF ENTRY LEVEL POLICE OFFICER Applications to take the test for the position of entry level police officer are being accepted on behalf of the following Municipalities or their Civil Service Commissions: Baldwin Township Municipality of Bethel Park Castle Shannon Borough Dormont Borough Heidelberg Borough Moon Township Peters Township Upper St. Clair Township est Mi flin Borough until 5:00 PM on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, at the offices of the South Hills Area Council of Governments (SHACOG), Old Greentree Road, Carnegie, PA , 412-429-1130. A single application to take the test and a single testing process will be utilized by the listed municipalities. All appointments, if any, will be made by the individual municipalities. Information concerning minimum eligibility requirements for each police department is contained in the application package. Applications and instructions are available at the SHACOG office, at the SHACOG website (www.shacog.com), and at the Police Departments of the listed municipalities. Completed applications are to be returned with a nonrefundable fee of $50.00 only to the SHACOG office. A physical agility test is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, August 7, 2021, with a written test to follow in the afternoon of that same day for those who pass the physical agility test. The listed municipalities are equal opportunity employers. Stanley Louis Gorski Executive Director SHACOG
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FIRE APPARATUS OPERATOR/ DESK OFFICER BOROUGH OF DORMONT FIRE DEPARTMENT The Borough of Dormont Fire Department is a local fire department which provides fire protection and life safety services to the residents of the Borough of Dormont and mutual aid to our surrounding communities. The Borough of Dormont Fire Department is currently seeking applications for the position of Fire pparatus perator esk cer, a paid, full-time position within the Department. ualified candidates for the position of Fire Apparatus Operator/Desk Officer shall have the following minimum qualifications: •High school diploma or equivalent, US Citizen and twenty-one (21) years of age at the time of application •A minimum of three (3) years of fire suppression experience •Emergency Vehicle Operator’s Course (EVOC) Certification •Valid Drivers license and the ability to obtain a PA Class B Commercial Driver’s License within 6 months of hire •Experience driving a Quint and/or Pumper preferred IFSAC or Pro Board Firefighter I Certification •Hazardous Materials Operations Certification issued within one (1) year of hire NI S , , ICSThe successful candidate must be able to pass a pre-employment criminal background check, medical examination, and physical testing appropriate for the position. Candidate must live within miles of the Dormont Fire Department located at illsdale Ave Pittsburgh PA , by the end of their second year of employment. The annual salary for this position is $44,871 with an e cellent benefit program. If there are any questions, please contact Chief Mat Davis davis@boro.dormont.pa.us Interested candidates should submit a completed application for employment (available at www.boro.dormont. pa.us) along with documentation of the minimum qualifications to
Estate of VICTOR J. SURMA, Deceased of Bridgeville, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-04378, Kathy A. Surma, E ecutor, arigold Court, Bridgeville, PA , or to AUBREY H. GLOVER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
Borough of Dormont Fire Department Attn: Borough Manager – Fire pparatus cer Position 1444 Hillsdale Avenue Dormont, PA Closing Date: Tuesday, July 6, 2021 at 4:00 PM REAL ESTATE House for Sale
HOME FOR SALE 2633 Brackenridge St Pgh Pa 15219 2Br 1Br row house Living/Dining/ Kitchen and Sun Room with washer dryer hook up in basement. Asking $60,000 Call 412-883-9337 LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate of MAGER ELY SR., Deceased of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 022104230 of 2021, Betty Turner, E tr., Iowa Street, Pittsburgh, PA, . isa Ely, E tr., Terrence Street, Pittsburgh, PA Estate of EDWARD A. BRENNAN SR., Deceased of South Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-2104096, Edward A. Brennan, Jr. Executor, Sherwood Court, Burlington, WI , or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of MS. CLAUDIA THERESA PAVLISKA, Deceased of 717 Montour Street, Coraopolis, PA , Estate No. 02-21-04238, Mr. Michael Pavliska, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the a ce o Ma . eldman 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108 Estate of MS. SHIRLEY A. PATTERSON, Deceased of Parkhurst Street, Pittsburgh, PA , Estate No. 02-21-04242, Ms. Gayle A. Price, Ardmore Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA , E ecutri , c/o Max C. Feldman, s uire and the a ce o Ma . eldman 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
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Estate of CHARLES E. HORST, Deceased of Moon Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, (formerly of Orrville, OH) Estate No. 02-2104621, arcy . Andrews, E ecutor, arue Drive, Coraopolis, PA , or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017
LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices FICTITIOUS NAMES Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of the Fictitious Names Act of Pennsylvania that an application for registration of a fictitious name was filed with the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for the conduct of a business under the fictitious name of SOULPLUSMIND, with its principal office or place of business at Old Perry wy, We ford, PA . The names and addresses of all persons who are parties to the registration are: Dennis P. Corolina at 10099 Old Perry Hwy, Wexford, PA 15090.
America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS (“FONSI/RROF”) June 16, 2021 City of Pittsburgh Office of anagement Budget Community Development Division City County Building Grant Street, Room Pittsburgh, PA 412-255-2211 These notices shall satisfy two separate but related procedural requirements for activities to be undertaken by the City of Pittsburgh, and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS On or about July 2, 2021 the City of Pittsburgh (“City”) will authorize the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (“HACP”), and the City to submit a request to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to release of the following federal funds to undertake a rental housing development known as Stanton-Highland Apartments: (a) HACP Moving to Work funds under the 1937 Act as modified by the 1996 and 1999 Consolidated Appropriations Act; and (b) Section Project Based oucher (“PBV”) program under the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 as modi ed by the ousing pportunity Through Moderni ation ct o . The release of the aforementioned funds will be for the purposes of developing Stanton-Highland Apartments ( N. ighland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA ) which includes rehabilitation of the former Hawthorn building, a three-story building originally build in the s. This development encompasses a total of 23 units with PBV subsidy to assist low income households. The proposed project will include the renovation of 23 residential units in one building and the construction of a community room and entrance vestibule in the interior courtyard. The developer is ACTION-Housing. The existing conditions, character, feature and resources of the project area are not e pected to change as a result of this project. The gap-financing cost to be funded with Moving to Work Funds is approximately $1,800,000. The total projected cost of the activity is approximately $2,800,000. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT The City of Pittsburgh has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR). The ERR will be made available to the public for review either electronically or by U.S. mail. Please submit your request by U.S. mail to City of Pittsburgh, Office of anagement and Budget, Grant St, City County Building Room , Pittsburgh, Pa or by email to Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov. PUBLIC COMMENTS Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to: Whitney Finnstrom City of Pittsburgh ce o Management and Budget Community Development Division 414 Grant St Room 501 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-255-2211 OR Whitney.Finnstrom@pittsburghpa.gov All comments received by July 1, 2021, will be considered by the City of Pittsburgh prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing. ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION The City of Pittsburgh certifies to HUD that William Peduto in his capacity as Mayor, City of Pittsburgh, consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Urban Redevelopment Authority and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh to use funding sources (a) through (e) identified under Request for Release of Funds above. OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Pittsburgh certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not e ecuted by the Certifying Officer of the City of Pittsburgh (b) the City of Pittsburgh has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to the UD Field Office of Public ousing in Pittsburgh at PittsburghPIH.ER@hud.gov or (412) 644-6932 and Community Planning and Development Division to Mr. Phillip McKeough, at Phillip.E.McKeough@hud.gov or (412) 644-5846. Potential objectors should contact the HUD Field Office of Public Housing in Pittsburgh via email to verify the actual last day of the objection period. William Peduto Mayor City of Pittsburgh
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CLASSIFIEDS
JUNE 16-22, 2021
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Bids/Proposals
Bids/Proposals
PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on August 2, 2021 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566- 5117 prior to arriving at this location – all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 pm via teleconference at (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award. Carrier Transmission Systems Replacement Project CONTRACT NO. SYS-21-01 Rebid The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all labor, materials, equipment, tools, supervision and incidental items necessary to replace the Carrier Transmission System (CTS) backbone in order to improve the reliability of communications throughout the Authority’s light rail system. The current CTS is approaching the end of its useful life. The scope includes the following: CTS Network Equipment, Power Systems, Signal Systems, Fiber Optic Cable Plant, Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS), Control Systems, odifications to Authority s Rail Traffic Operations (RTO) HMI Software and Hardware and related work. Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after June 16, 2021 at Authority s offices at the following address (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals): Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527 Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on compact disk upon payment of $15.00 per sheet. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH), payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County.” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods. This Project may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and/or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Authority, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, require that certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts for this Project. If aid is required to involve DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority s Director of Employee Relations and OEO at (412) 566-5262. The Bidder’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions: Procedural uestions Regarding Bidding Cindy Denner – Authority cdenner@portauthority.org (412) 566-5117 All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to: Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Attn: Cindy Denner email: CDenner@Portauthority.org In addition, the Bidder’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid: 09:00 AM June 28, 2021
Pre-Bid Conference will be conducted via telephone conference at: Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786 (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended)
08:00 AM to 02:00 PM June 29, 2021
Pre-Bid Site Tour Contractors to meet at: PAAC South Hills Village (OCC Room 108) 1000 Village Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15241 All participants must provide and wear safety vests and appropriate footwear. All participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Tours will be conducted in limited group sizes and in the order of which bidders sign in at the site. Transportation is not provided. (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended)
1:30 p.m. August 2, 2021
Bids Due Purchasing and Materials Management Department Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at the Heinz 57 location - all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Bids submitted via Fed Ex, UPS, USPS or other carrier are subject to the noti cation re uirements indicated above Bid Opening will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. via teleconference at: Toll free phone number 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786
Authority reserves the right to reject any or all Bids COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!
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COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO! COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!
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LEGAL ADVERTISING
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Bids/Proposals
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Bids/Proposals
DOCUMENT 00030-AA ADVERTISEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT NUMBER 21TG03 (GENERAL TRADES) CURTAIN WALL PACKAGE AT PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ELECTRONIC BIDS & BID OPENING PROCEDURE: Electronic Bids will be received by the Allegheny County Airport Authority until 1:00 P.M. prevailing local time, JULY 28, 2021. Due to COVID-19 precautions, the ACAA is modifying its typical bid opening process; the formal bid opening procedure will be conducted virtually – any/all firms submitting a Bid to the ACAA will be given special access to view the opening event. Once bidding is closed, any/all firms submitting a bid will be issued an Invitation (via email) to access the formal bid opening event via a live webcast. Bidders will also be notified of the results via an email within (24) hours of the Bid Opening event. ACCESS TO BID PACAKGE DOCUMENTS: ALL BIDDERS shall be required to provide a completed formal Bid Document Request application in order to purchase bidding documents for any/all of the above listed Project Numbers. No bidding documents will be issued prior to the Authority’s Construction Manager having a copy of a ully completed e uest pplication. Bid Document Request Applications can be obtained by sending a Request to the following email address: TMPBids@flypittsburgh.com n the ubject ine include the ollo ing Bid ocuments e uest 21TG03 (Curtain Wall)”. Once a bidder’s request has been received, provided it is complete, and provided the requesting party is not barred from bidding the work, the CM will provide access for the bidder to access and download the bid documents through Building Connected, a web-based bid management platform. A PREBID CONFERENCE – Wednesday, June 23, 2021 – 11:00 AM (Bidders are strongly encouraged to review the plans prior to the meeting.) The meeting will be a Microsoft Teams Meeting. To join the meeting the following number can be called (877) 286-5733 - United States (Tollree on erence . Please email TMPBids@flypittsburgh.com to receive the link to join by computer. Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not permit any Bidders to tour the site. In lieu thereof, the Construction Management Team (CM) will conduct a Virtual Prebid Meeting. In addition to addressing administration issues, a video tour of the work areas will be provided. Specific details on how interested Bidders can view this broadcast will be provided as part of the Bid Documents via Building Connected. Note that no questions can be asked during this Prebid Meeting. Any/all questions must be issued to the CM as an “RFI”. There will be no site visits – photographs of the site will be included in the contract documents or issued via addendum. REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION (RFIs) Any/all questions related to this project must be made in writing to the CM. RFIs are to be sent to the CM via the Building Connected website. BID SUBMISSION Proposals must be made on the Authority’s forms and in accordance with the Plans and Specifications and the “Instructions to Bidders”’. Due to COVID-19 precautions, ACAA will not be accepting any hard copy bids for this Project. Accordingly, Electronic Bids are the only form that the ACAA will accept. While the Instructions to Bidders will provide more details, for an Electronic Bid to be accepted it must be sent through Building Connected and it must be received by no later than the established Bid Date and Time deadline. OTHER ISSUES Attention is called to the fact that not less than the minimum salaries and wages as determined by the General Wage Determinations issued under the Davis-Bacon and related Acts must be paid on these projects. This project has DBE participation goals; DBE firms must be certified with the Pennsylvania Unified Certification Program) (PAUCP). Firms must be certified prior to award of contract. A searchable database of DBE firms can be found on the PAUCP web site: https://paucp.dbesystem.com/ The Airport Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids or waive any informalities in the bidding. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of sixty [60] days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. To view a complete advertisement, which is also included in the bidding documents, visit .flypittsburgh.com under ACAA Corporate – Business Opportunities or www.pittransformed.com – Opportunities – Business Opportunities. ALLEGHENY COUNTY AIRPORT AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES AREA AGENCY ON AGING PUBLIC HEARING, JUNE 25, 2021 PITTSBURGH – The Advisory Council of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging (AAA) will hold a public hearing on Friday, June 25, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. The purpose of the hearing is to solicit public comment on the 2021-2022 Budget Prospectus. Due to the health and safety risks associated with public gatherings during this time, the public hearing will be conducted via Zoom and teleconference. The Zoom meeting will feature closed captioning as well as live American Sign Language Interpretation. To receive the Zoom meeting invitation or a call-in number and conference ID for this event, contact Matt Beall by email at Matthew.Beall@alleghenycounty.us or telephone at 412-865-7179. If you wish to give testimony at the public hearing, you may pre-register for an assigned 5-minute time slot by contacting Matt Beall. The hearing is also an opportunity for older adults, caregivers, and other interested individuals to ask questions and offer comments on aging services in general. All oral or written comments will be recorded in the official proceedings of the hearing. The week of the public hearing, the budget prospectus will be posted on the DHS website www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/ plansbudgets.aspx. To request a copy, contact Matt Beall by email or telephone. Written testimony will be accepted before and after the hearing. All testimony must be received no later than Monday, June 28, 2020, by email to Matt Beall, or mailed to the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, 2100 Wharton Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 on the following: BID PROPOSAL NO. 1087 Armored Car Service Due date: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Thursday, June 24, 2021. Any proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The Community College of llegheny ounty is an rmative ction ual mployment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/ Disadvantaged owned businesses. For more information, contact Joseph Pugliano at jpugliano@ccac.edu
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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR OCCUPIED AND COMMON AREA PAINTING AUTHORITY-WIDE IFB#300-24-21 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Occupied and Common Area Painting Authority-Wide IFB#300-24-21 The documents will be available no later than June 14, 2021 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 AM on July 8, 2021. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on July 8, 2021 in the lobby of Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA . Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA . Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org. Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Mr. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on June 28, 2021 at 9:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 914 8387 7289 Passcode: 576444 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation. Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh
HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE PRE-QUALIFICATION TESTING FOR CONTRACT NO. 1742 The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) is issuing an invitation to Polymer Manufacturers interested in participating in Pre- ualification Testing for Contract No. 1742, Furnish and Deliver Polymer for Centrifuge Dewatering System. Bid documents for Contract No. 1742 will be issued by invitation only to those manufacturers who successfully complete the Pre-Qualification Testing. The successful bidder for Contract No. 1742 shall be awarded a one-year polymer supply contract. Pre- ualification Testing shall take place in ALCOSAN’s Laboratory facilities at 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233 only during the period of June 14, 2021 through June 24, 2021. Polymer Manufacturers interested in participating in this Pre- ualification Testing shall submit a letter of intent to participate to Elizabeth A. Joyce, Project Engineer, by e mail at Beth.Joyce@alcosan.org by no later than 4:30 P.M. EST on June 22, 2022. ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Proposals or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to the successful bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority or women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible. The Polymer Pre-Qualification document is available upon request at the Engineering office of the Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. To request a copy of this document, or for any questions regarding the Pre-Qualification documents or testing requirements, please contact Elizabeth A. Joyce, Project Engineer, at Beth.Joyce@alcosan.org, or by phone (412) 734 8719. ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Kimberly Kennedy, P.E. Director, Engineering and Construction