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IT’S OFFICIAL—AND HE’S ONE OF OUR OWN
Famed Courier sportswriter Bill Nunn inducted into the Hall of Fame BILL NUNN was celebrated at the Pro Football Hall of Fame this past weekend, Aug. 5-8. A photo of his Hall of Fame bust is at right. (Photos courtesy Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Seven years after his passing, Steelers scout finally crosses the NFL Hall of Fame goal line by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier
It was a hot miserable Thursday evening in midJune. My late wife, Mamie, and I exited a cab after arriving at the nowclosed CJ’s parking lot in the Strip. Mamie, who was
always, shall we say, a bit “frugal,” handed the cabbie a crisp, clean one dollar bill and continued fumbling around in her purse for change. I whispered in her ear: “Please, go ahead, I’ll take care of the tip.” Earlier that day, I had spoken with Mr. Bill Nunn
and he said that he and “Mr. Ducky,” his friend since the days that fire and water were discovered, were going to the Roger Humphries jam session. Mr. Nunn asked me, “Are you going to sing?” I said yes. He said: “Well, as hot as it is, don’t forget to sing,
CYDNEY AND ‘PAPA’
‘Summertime.’” It was one of his favorites. Bill Nunn Jr. was truly a “renaissance man.” He had a complex persona that consisted of many layers. He was truly a man of dignity and class and he inherited these traits genetically and generationally.
Bill Nunn Jr. was formally inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame during the league’s celebration weekend from Aug. 5-8. However, he was immortalized in the eyes of many African Americans long before that ceremony finally occurred. His journey toward
greatness began on Sept. 30, 1924, when he was born, and ended on May 6, 2014. His father, William G. Nunn Sr., began paving “Junior’s” road to stardom when he became the managing editor of the PittsSEE BILL NUNN A2
Duquesne Light makes public its first DEI report Percentage of employees ‘of color’ a work in progress, company says by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer
CYDNEY NUNN, granddaughter of Bill Nunn, standing next to Nunn’s bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony on Aug. 8. “This is an incredible accomplishment, and our family is just so proud and happy that this phenomenal work that my grandfather did is finally being recognized,” Cydney said. “He was such a humble man, never one to toot his own horn. I’m glad we get to toot it for him.”
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How many companies are just “going through the motions” and “not holding themselves accountable” when it comes to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion these days? “Roughly 80 percent,” according to a report, “Elevating Equity: The Real Story of Diversity and Inclusion,” cited in a recent article from SHRM, or the Society for Human Resource Management, a professional HR membership association. But the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Duquesne Light, one of the largest and most recognizable companies in the Pittsburgh region, is trying its hardest to make DE&I a priority, and not be part of that
“80 percent.” Duquesne Light on July 20 made public its first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report, 17 pages of information that spells out exactly what the utility company is doing to increase its total number of Black (and other people of color) employees, while assuring current employees that their voices will be heard by upper management. “We just want to make sure that people know that we’re in this together and that we do believe in Diversity, Equity and specifically Inclusion,” Sara Oliver-Carter, DLC’s chief diversity officer, told the Courier in an exclusive interview, July 21. “At the end of the day... if we have great people working for DLC, which we do, then those great
people can translate all that value and innovation that they’re feeling to our customers that then support our communities.” In addition to naming Kevin Walker as its first Black president and CEO of the company in June, three Business Employee Resource Groups have been formed in the past year, including the African American group, “B.R.I.D.G.E.,” which stands for Building Respect, Inclusion and Diversity by focusing on the Growth of Employee Excellence and Engagement. The group has 70 members, and is growing, Duquesne Light said. “B.R.I.D.G.E. has been on this extraordinary journey,” Oliver-Carter said, including holding SEE DUQUESNE LIGHT A4
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Najee Harris and Alex Highsmith are highlights of Steelers training camp Najee Harris has the potential to be the next great running back in a long line of running backs to wear the Black and Gold. The offensive line has holes, but they have the potential to congeal during the later part of the season. The secondary is clearly the weak link of the defense, particularly the cornerback position. Linebacker Alex Highsmith has the ability to fill the shoes of Bud Dupree, who departed this offseason in free agency to the Tennessee Titans. Drops by the wide receivers are still an issue. These are what my eyes have shown me so far as I’ve attended training camp and witnessed the first preseason game of the season last Thursday, Aug. 5, the Hall of Fame Game for the Steelers
against the Cowboys. Harris has been a shining star so far during training camp with the ability to run with speed and he runs violently. Harris is listed at 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, but teammates say that he is closer to 240. I observed a run at a recent practice that displays all the skills you need as an NFL running back. Harris took the handoff from Mason Rudolph, got met three yards in the backfield by Cameron Hayward, made a couple of defenders behind the line of scrimmage miss and willed himself to a five-yard gain. As for the Aug. 5 game, he rushed for 22 yards on seven carries, but he displayed the ability to hit the right hole and run north and south with three runs of over five yards behind a young offensive line. As for the offensive line, the
unit that lost four starters from last year’s team looked better in the first preseason game than I saw in practice recently; probably because they were not lining up
ny McFarland Jr. and Kalen Ballage, whose four-yard touchdown gave the Steelers a 6-3 lead in the third quarter against Dallas. What was more impressive—the line
Commentary
Brandon Walker against Heyward, Stephon Tuitt and T.J Watt. The line, which started a rookie at left tackle (Dan Moore Jr.) and at center (Kendrick Green) held their blocks in the running game for Harris, Antho-
only allowed one sack and that was more of a mistake by quarterback Josh Dobbs than to the offensive line. Offensive lines need continuity and repetition to succeed, and offensive line coach
Adrian Klemm will need to find his best five players to complement the young, talented skill players in Matt Canada’s offense. One player that I was impressed with in camp and on Aug. 5 was second-year edge rusher Highsmith. The Charlotte product has been unlockable at times during camp and on Aug. 5 recorded a sack of Garrett Gilbert in the red zone on the first drive of the game that forced a field goal. On the second drive, Highsmith stuffed Rico Dowdle for a two-yard loss. The Steelers recorded four sacks overall against Dallas. However, there were instances that they gave up chunk plays from Gilbert and Cooper Rush. The Steelers gave up 174 yards passing, 13 first downs, and allowed the Cowboys to convert over 50 percent of third-
down conversions. One last thing that the Steelers need to improve is cutting down on the dropped passes, notably Chase Claypool’s drop on the second drive of the game, and James Washington’s drop on a drive near the end of the first half. Dropped passes played a critical role in the slump at the end of last season and they don’t have as much room for error this season with question marks along other areas of the offense. The Steelers had some good moments and things they need to work on just like every other team in the league after a week of camp and one preseason game, and we will see how they fare as time goes along and their next preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles Thursday night, Aug. 12.
COURIER PHOTOGRAPHER BRIAN COOK SR. was in Canton, Ohio, for the Aug. 5. contest between Pittsburgh and Dallas, a 16-3 Steelers win. In the left photo, it’s Steelers rookie running back Najee Harris, and in the right photo, Steeler Nation welcomes their team onto the field.
Famed Courier sportswriter Bill Nunn in HOF BILL NUNN FROM A1
burgh Courier during the 1940s with “Junior” closely following in his footsteps. I was around Bill Nunn Jr. more privately than
publicly than most people because privacy was the hallmark of his personality. He was a very private man that valued his privacy and if me or anyone else violated that one rule,
well...see you later, alligator. One of my best stories about him was when he was one of the features writers at the Pittsburgh Courier. He was penning an anonymous roaming about town column. When certain activities were published in the Courier, the people involved could not figure out where the leaks were coming from. That was classic Bill Nunn Jr. When the Pittsburgh Steelers hired him first as a part-time scout in 1967 and eventually as a full time scout in 1969, those opportunities readjusted his career “GPS” on the road toward greatness.
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Once I asked him how he felt being the main catalyst of Black colleges having African American players on the rosters of NFL teams. He replied: “It was the ability of the players that determined whether their college careers were going to be extended or not.” That was classic Bill Nunn Jr. I also asked him about any other circumstances that helped change the culture and racial makeup of the NFL. He simply said: “Sam ‘Bam’ Cunningham.” He didn’t elaborate; most of the time you had to figure it out. Bill Nunn had the luxury of finding obscure athletes at invisible colleges and put them under the glaring spotlight of the NFL, providing a chance for them to be successful. After Sam “Bam” Cunning-
ham ran over Bear Bryant and the University of Alabama and their all-White roster in September 1970, it was not by accident that White colleges and universities began integrating at a much faster rate the following year. This, however, depleted the reservoir of talent destined to enroll and play at HBCUs. Dan Rooney hired Bill Nunn Jr. as a trusted talent evaluator. Chuck Noll molded those players into champions and future NFL Hall-of-Famers. Donnie Shell, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame this past weekend, as well, played collegiately at South Carolina State University, a Black college. Bill Nunn knew all about him. Next thing you knew, Shell was a Steeler, a four-time Super Bowl winner, and Shell, in an interview with
Steelers.com, gave credit where credit was due. “The 1974 roster, there were 10 HBCU members and three are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Mel Blount (Southern), Donnie Shell, and John Stallworth (Alabama A&M). There is one gentleman who was pretty much responsible for how that went down, and that was Bill Nunn,” Shell said. Nunn also brought Steelers L.C. Greenwood, Ernie Holmes, Dwight White, Frank Lewis and Joe Gilliam to the team. Nunn, whose titles at the Courier included sportswriter, sports editor and managing editor, would compile a list of the best players in America who played at Black colleges, called the Courier’s “Black College All-American Team.” Simply put, no one knew the talent at Black colleges on the football field better than Bill Nunn Jr. The legendary Steelers owner, Dan Rooney, and the legendary Steelers head coach, Chuck Noll, were deservedly honored in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and 1993, respectively. Both were alive to unveil their own busts. They did their job. But year after year, the people that make the decisions and vote who gets into the Hall of Fame consistently fumbled the ball, because when Bill Nunn Jr. was alive, he also did his job. It’s a shame that Mr. Nunn didn’t get the chance to unveil his own bust. But alas, as of Aug. 8, 2021, seven years after his death, we can officially say it—Bill Nunn Jr. is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Duquesne Light makes public its first DEI report Percentage of employees ‘of color’ a work in progress, company says DUQUESNE LIGHT FROM A1
the company’s first Juneteenth celebration and getting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day to be recognized as an “official holiday” for the company. Also, “we have brought in some senior leaders like Evan Frazier (of The Advanced Leadership Institute) to talk about what mentorship and leadership look like.” The group also brought in Kelauni Cook, CEO of Black Tech Nation, to discuss how more African Americans can get involved with Artificial Intelligence and other new technology advances. In February, the group published a special-edition company newsletter to raise awareness and highlight opportunities to observe Black History Month in the workplace and community. And members of B.R.I.D.G.E. have helped clean-up efforts in the predominantly-Black Homewood neighborhood, specifically during Juneteenth. The report shed light on other areas, too, such as what Duquesne Light spent on “Diverse Suppliers,” something that local Black community leaders constantly pressure companies and governments to utilize more. The amount spent increased from 3.2 percent in 2019 to 5.3 percent in 2020. Also last year, the company obtained corporate memberships to five
local and regional chambers/councils, including the Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council. “These partnerships are essential for not only identifying diverse suppliers, but also for certifying them to ensure they are qualified and aligned with our business needs,” the Duquesne Light report read. When it came to the total number of current employees at DLC classified as “People of Color,” its report read that there are 14 percent, although the report also showed that there are “21 percent” total classified as “People of Color” in the two counties DLC serves, Allegheny and Beaver. The report did note that just because there are 21 percent classified as “People of Color” in those counties doesn’t mean that there is a “labor availability” of 21 percent. Any way it’s sliced, Oliver-Carter admitted that there is a significant gap between the two numbers, 14 and 21 percent. “I’m glad to see that number (14 percent),” Oliver-Carter told the Courier. “There’s always been a thought in utilities that there aren’t people of color. There really are. What that says to me is that we have a good start on it, but we could do a little bit better. That’s what our
theme is, we’re ‘building a table together.’ We’re a little bit new at this. I’m going to admit that. And so, we’re kind of finding our way. So, we’re going to be working towards continuing to build a diverse pipeline, continuing to ensure that everybody has equity in the process and also just introducing new pathways to recruit people into Duquesne Light, into the utility space.” Oliver-Carter said Duquesne Light is working with students at the mostly-Black Nazareth Prep Catholic high school, introducing them to the utility industry, and DLC is looking to work with more schools on that initiative. Overall, Oliver-Carter told the Courier, she’s working to assure that people don’t look at working at Duquesne Light as just “climbing up poles...There are other spaces within a utility where people could have life-changing employment.” Oliver-Carter added: “We’re building this table together. We’re excited about the opportunity to present to the community and our customers our journey in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and we’re looking forward to continuing the conversation.”
SARA OLIVER-CARTER, DLC CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER
“We’re building this table together. We’re excited about the opportunity to present to the community and our customers our journey in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and we’re looking forward to continuing the conversation.” SARA OLIVER-CARTER
New start date for PPS students: Sept. 8 Parents, you’ll have to break the news to little Johnny and Erica that there’s going to be an even longer wait for them to go back to school. Pittsburgh Public Schools announced on Aug. 10 that it was pushing the start date for all students in the
district to Sept. 8. Classes were originally scheduled to begin on Aug. 25. Though the proposed new start date of Sept. 8 needs approval by the school board, there are no indications the board wouldn’t approve the new date, the Courier has learned.
Had the schools opened on Aug. 25, the district would have faced almost 6,000 students without transportation. The district has brought on two outside bus companies along with the Port Authority to hopefully eliminate the seat shortage by Day 1.
“These are some difficult decisions we are going through right now based on our current state and the current context we’re in right now,” Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, Ed.D., said. “It’s not ideal times. We’re trying to make sure that we get as many students into school as we can.” - Rob Taylor Jr.
“It’s not ideal times. We’re trying to make sure that we get as many students into school as we can.”
ANTHONY HAMLET, ED.D., superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools. (Photo courtesy PublicSource)
HEALTH
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Take Charge Of Your Health Today. Be Informed. Be Involved.
Prehospital and EMS Health Care
ESTHER L. BUSH
Emergency Preparedness This month’s Take Charge of Your Health topic is emergency preparedness. Emergencies and social determinants of health are on our minds—particularly as we continue to move through a pandemic that has greatly affected Black individuals and families. Black folks around the Pittsburgh region experience health disparities, limiting life expectancy and the chance to thrive. Disparities include higher rates of cancers, heart disease and maternal/infant mortality. These conditions lay the foundations for emergencies, like strokes and heart attacks. Social, economic and environmental circumstances help shape people’s health and likelihood of experiencing emergencies. Systemic oppression has only cemented disparities in our communities. For example, a 2019 State Equity in PA report (https://www.health.pa.gov/ topics/Documents/Health%20 Equity/The%20State%20of%20 Health%20Equity%20in%20 PA%20Report%20FINAL.pdf) states that Black workers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania work as much as white workers but face poverty at nearly four times the rate of white people. We know that poverty, food insecurity, housing, transportation and proximity to environmental concerns affect mental and physical health outcomes. Community resources and connections are critical in facing disparities. It is essential that we allow for pathways to be carved between health institutions and our communities. Prehospital care, as it is defined in this month’s Take Charge of Your Health page by researcher and provider Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH, includes in-home and in-community medicine. When in-home and in-community health care providers (like some EMS personnel) help identify and address health concerns in the Black community, that may help in stopping disease progression. Readers who are involved with community clinics or resource centers, consider inviting health care providers and researchers to your spaces. By submitting a request to the newly launched Clinical and Translational Science Institute Speaker’s Bureau, they can learn more about the people you serve. The speaker’s bureau is a chance to share people’s lived experiences with those who make health decisions. Email ctsi7@pitt.edu for more information. Being prepared for a medical emergency—even as we tackle health disparities—is within our reach. UPMC offers CPR and first aid courses, including those geared toward parents and caregivers to be prepared for child-related emergencies. More information can be found by calling the community education office at 412-692-7105. The Allegheny County Health Department website (www.alleghenycounty.us/Health-Department) lists locations and steps to accessing Naloxone or Narcan, a medicine that works to reverse opioid overdose symptoms. Narcan is available at most pharmacies, even without a doctor’s prescription. The number of incidences of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS, and other sleep-related emergencies can be reduced by ensuring babies sleep on their back. Calling 2-1-1 for support on safe sleep for infants connects you to resources like hellobabypgh.org for a checklist to reduce risks. Other ways to take charge of your health include connecting with us at the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh to achieve educational and financial success goals through our Opportunity Broker program, health programming, family support centers and housing assistance. For more information, call the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh at 412-227-4802.
Most of us think of emergency medical services (EMS) as calling 911 after a health event that requires emergency care and/or transport to the nearest hospital. Calling 911 in such a scenario is only one part of EMS; it is also an entire health system and public health service itself, says Sylvia Owusu-Ansah, MD, MPH, assistant professor of pediatrics and of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. As director of prehospital and EMS care for UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Dr. Owusu-Ansah makes sure that EMS personnel know how to take care of children in emergency situations. EMS personnel are trained to treat any age level and are essential to public health and safety. However, Dr. Owusu-Ansah says only about 7-13% of out-of-hospital calls are for pediatric patients. Of those children, data show that very few are extremely sick or need immediate care. “When EMS personnel do have to provide care for children, it can cause a lot of anxiety,” says Dr. Owusu-Ansah. “Their pediatric care skills may be rusty because they’ve had few encounters with children beyond their initial simulation training. Also, it’s also a vulnerable population and may remind them of loved ones who are children.” Caring for children is not the same as caring for adults. Children’s bodies are not yet the same as adults’. Children specifically need to be given medication
DR. OWUSU-ANSAH
based on weight, and, in the case of trauma, EMS personnel immediately focus on different areas of children’s bodies than adults’. Training EMS personnel with up-todate skills and helping them feel comfortable to take care of children is vital. Dr. Owusu-Ansah and colleagues also look at ways to prevent children from having to be admitted to the hospital. One such research area is asthma. Researchers know that certain patients with asthma are more likely to be admitted to the hospital and in the intensive care unit (ICU). Social determinants of health—like systemic racism, educational opportunities, income level, food insecurity, access to housing, etc.—influence hospital
admissions. Dr. Owusu-Ansah is conducting a study to see whether there is a racial disparity in out-of-hospital treatment of asthma. If there is, doctors can target those children ahead of time. “We have data from in hospital and emergency room care that shows African Americans are more likely to be hospitalized and to die from asthma,” she says. “Those who have been admitted before, who have been in the ICU or have been intubated and put on a ventilator are at higher risk of being hospitalized or, worse, dying. So, if data show disparities in out-of-hospital asthma treatment, let’s be proactive. If there are patients who frequently call 911 for asthma, let’s be more aggressive in getting
them the medication they need before they get to a hospital.” Dr. Owusu-Ansah is part of a pioneering field of research—studying racial disparities in prehospital care, the results of which may help to curtail eventual hospitalizations or disease progression. For example, she says studies have shown that African Americans are less likely to receive pain medication in general. In the out-of-hospital environment, not treating pain appropriately can eventually affect a spectrum of health issues, including disease processes, stroke recognition and care and cardiac arrest. As medical director for Pittsburgh EMS, Dr. Owusu-Ansah creates curriculum for and helps train EMS personnel in pediatric advanced life
support. She has brought innovative change to the Pediatric Assessment Triangle, a quick way to assess in an out-of-hospital environment whether a child is needs immediate medical treatment. She has also integrated information about social determinants of health into curriculum and other information—like how to tell when a person of color looks blue from lack of oxygen or is pale (because those pictures aren’t usually included in training textbooks). A growing part of prehospital care includes in-home care. Paramedics, instead of traditional caregivers like nurses, are going into the home to provide care, which is known as community paramedicine. In many areas, paramedics can give immunizations through mobile health care. During the COVID pandemic, Dr. Owusu-Ansah says EMS personnel have been going to homes to do follow-up checks on issues like people’s oxygen, getting vital signs and referring people to hospitals for more care. Community paramedicine can also be used to help in the opioid epidemic, for stroke care and cardiac care. All in all, Dr. Owusu-Ansah says she and other researchers and physicians are trying to help people live healthier lives—not just when they get sick or have an emergency. “We’re trying to provide the best evidence-based care to people outside of the hospital as much as we try to do inside of the hospital,” says Dr. Owusu-Ansah.
Freedom House 2.0 prepares high risk youths and non-traditional students for health careers As much as we now depend on EMS and prehospital care, there was a time when such lifesaving services did not exist. The only responders—often police—had no medical training or equipment and would often place people in the back seat of a car and race them to the hospital. But this lack of formal prehospital care also meant that police would not serve every neighborhood equally. Communities of color were often left with no help at all during emergencies. To fill that gap in equitable prehospital care, community activists and University of Pittsburgh physicians created Freedom House, a paramedic training and prehospital services program for underserved communities (for more details about the original Freedom House, visit https://www. pittmed.health.pitt.edu/ Fe b _ 2 0 0 4 / a t t e n d i n g. pdf). In a further effort to help the community, Freedom House specifically recruited people who were unemployed. From 1968-75, Freedom House became a thriving EMS service in the City of Pittsburgh, pioneering a model for many EMS programs across the country. In 1975, the City of Pittsburgh ended its contract with Freedom House only to create its own EMS, which still exists. Despite the original Freedom House para-
GRADUATES—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. 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. The program allows individuals to jumpstart a health career in as little as 10 weeks and includes paid training and mentorship.
medics’ years of expertise in prehospital services, only some of them were hired for the new EMS program. While the EMS system in Allegheny County has evolved dramatically in the past 50 years, it is ready for a transformation to meet the current demands of its patients. According to studies and discussions with providers and medical directors from across the country, the portion of modern EMS calls for true life- or limb-threatening medical emergencies is, at most, 20% of the call
volume. Yet 100% of current training is focused on managing these medical emergencies. The other 80% of calls to 911 represent emergencies of different natures; they are emergencies that are not likely to be resolved by taking the person to an emergency department. These calls represent a wide variety of other psychosocial needs, including poorly managed chronic medical and mental health conditions and myriad social-determinants-of-health concerns. Today’s EMS pro-
viders are not trained to assess or intervene with these kinds of needs. In 2020, UPMC and UPMC Health Plan began Freedom House 2.0. With expertise from Pitt’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences’ Department of Emergency Medicine, the 10-week program includes cohorts of high-risk youths, people recently unemployed because of the COVID pandemic and other nontraditional students. They take part in an innovative curriculum that includes employ-
ment skills, an emergency medical technician (EMT) course, community paramedic and resiliency training. Successful graduates are guaranteed an interview with UPMC and other job placement support. As of this summer, two cohorts have graduated from the program (https:// newpittsburghcourier. com/2021/06/21/freedom-house-2-0-training-program-celebrates-latest-graduates/). Another cohort will begin training in fall 2021.
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10 years strong
JAKIM DONALDSON’S P.R.O.M.I.S.E. BASKETBALL CAMP, IN ITS 10TH YEAR, held at A Giving Heart Community Center, South Side, Aug. 4-6. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
Basketball pro Jakim Donaldson’s camp gives local youth the opportunity to learn hoops, teamwork and unity JAKIM DONALDSON, in red shirt, playing basketball with the youth....
MR. JONES GOES FOR THE SHOT...
ROBERT, 10, AND WAYNE, 9
RELIGION/METRO
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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.
YOUTH RECEIVE CERTIFICATES at the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Basketball Camp, held Aug. 4-6, at A Giving Heart Community Center, South Side. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)
Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community! 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
CERTIFICATES FOR THE YOUTH who attended the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Camp...
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THE P.R.O.M.I.S.E. BASKETBALL CAMP 2021
“A New commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” - St. John 13:34-35 REV. WALKER SAYS: The Answer will come from 1 John 4:20, If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he say that he loves God whom he has not seen? (Rev. A. Marie Walker is servant pastor of St. John Baptist Church.)
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National civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Bob Hilliard uncovering widespread racism in banking by Stacy M. Brown for New Pittsburgh Courier
NNPA NEWSWIRE— NEW YORK, N.Y.—Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump of Ben Crump Law and Bob Hilliard of Hilliard Martinez Gonzales announced today that they are reviewing a host of cases of racial profiling and discrimination in banking, suggesting a widespread pattern by multiple financial institutions. “We’re uncovering unjustifiable, blatant discrimination against Black Americans by a number of major financial institutions,” said attorney Ben Crump. “If this year has revealed anything, it’s that Black Americans are too often treated like second class citizens in America. We won’t stand for that any longer. We will hold these institutions accountable for their racist actions and get justice for employees or customers who have been wrongly terminated, discriminated against, or profiled.” Crump and Hilliard are reviewing bank discrimination cases in venues across the country. Together, they also represent hundreds of plain-
“IN REVIEWING THESE CASES against several financial institutions, we have uncovered a terrible pattern of racism against people of color,” said Attorney Bob Hilliard. “I’m honored to work alongside Ben Crump to correct these injustices and hold these institutions accountable.” tiffs who were victimized by pharmaceutical giant Gilead’s actions to withhold a safer HIV drug so it could maximize profits from a drug with potential to damage patients’ bones and kidneys. “In reviewing these cases against several financial institutions, we have uncovered a terrible pattern of racism against people of color,”
said Hilliard. “I’m honored to work alongside Ben Crump to correct these injustices and hold these institutions accountable.” Among the behaviors uncovered were these: • A client and a few colleagues went to a well-known bank branch in California to cash checks they had received from their employer that day.
The checks were drawn from an account at that bank. The bank employees refused to cash the checks, insisting that they were fraudulent. Client asked the teller to verify the check, and she was simply told “no.” Without verifying the checks, the bank employees called the police who soon arrived at the bank and de-
tained the client, her daughter, and her other colleagues. After a long period of time, the checks were verified and cashed. The client was in fear for her safety as she watched the police handcuff her daughter and other colleagues all because she was attempting to make a simple bank transaction. • In June of 2020, a client
went to a well-known bank branch in Georgia to deposit a check. Client was wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. The Caucasian teller at the bank told our client “All lives matter” and refused to deposit his check. The client didn’t create a scene, he just calmly left the bank after being discriminated against and denied services. • A client who owns 18 popular fast-food franchises with great financial scores and sales was denied a $12 million business loan by a wellknown bank even though he knows White franchise owners who have stores with worse financials who have been granted loans of this type. Representatives from the fast-food corporation reached out to the bank to give their approval and recommendation that he be approved for the loan. The bank denied the loan for pretextual reasons, adding to the difficulty of being a Black business owner. • A client who received a notice from the bank saying they owe the balance of their mortgage in 90 days, or the bank will foreclose on their house—without any just cause and with several more years remaining on the loan.
Majestic Lane named Chief Equity Officer of the Allegheny Conference The Allegheny Conference on Community Development announced on Aug. 10 that Majestic Lane will be the organization’s new Chief Equity Officer, effective October 18, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned. Lane will provide strategic leadership for the Conference’s efforts to support inclusive growth and economic racial equity in the 10-county Pittsburgh region. “We’re excited to welcome Majestic aboard to advance the Conference’s commitment to creating a
welcoming and more inclusive region where all people thrive. We look forward to working with him to execute the plan developed by the Conference’s Racial Equity Committee, co-chaired by Bill Strickland, founder and executive chairman, Manchester Bidwell Corporation, and Grant Oliphant, president, The Heinz Endowments. This work includes improving the economic outcomes of the region’s Black population by focusing on economic mobility, building up communities and combating structural racism,” said Laura
MAJESTIC LANE Shapira Karet, chair of the Allegheny Conference and president and CEO of Giant Eagle, Inc., in a statement. “The experience and expertise that Majestic brings
to bear, along with his dedicated focus, will enhance existing efforts across the Conference’s agenda to improve equity in our region, including the attraction and
retention of diverse talent; advancement of racial equity through policy and advocacy; and the measurement and communication of the region’s progress across a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion metrics. I’m thrilled to have him join my senior management team,” said Stefani Pashman, Allegheny Conference CEO, in a statement. “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to lead the Conference’s initiatives to improve racial inclusion in our region and to work closely with the Conference team and regional leaders.
The region has much potential but there’s also a lot of work to be done to assure that there are opportunities for all here,” Lane said, in a statement. Since 2018, Lane has served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Equity Officer for City of Pittsburgh Mayor William Peduto. Before joining the city, Lane worked extensively in community engagement in the areas of public education and community development. He attended the University of Pittsburgh and lives in North Point Breeze.
Saving and investing is a plan, not a product I’m often asked questions such as, “What’s a good stock to pick?” or, “How is the stock market doing?” These questions are generally followed up with statements such as, “I don’t invest because I know very little about stocks”or “I don’t invest because I’m afraid I will lose all of my hard-earned money.” These are legitimate concerns. One should know however that America has the largest, richest economy in the world. Although it’s true that any investment you make is subject to risk that involves a possible loss of the money invested, a balanced mix of investment products will help to offset potential losses. When you look at saving and investing from a product perspective such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, money market accounts, saving accounts, CDs, exchange traded funds, options, real estate, commodities, etc., it can be overwhelming and confusing. Saving and investing is not as difficult as it seems. Time horizon defines if you’re saving or investing. More on that later. There are essentially two basic choices to saving and investing. Investing, where you become a lender to someone, namely savings accounts, certificates of deposits, bonds, cash value life insurance and fixed annuities. Investing, where you become an owner of something, namely stocks, real estate, precious metals, farmland, oil and crypto currency, gas syndication, etc. Your concentration on saving and investing should be on your goals and objectives. Why am I saving or investing? The financial product you select will be used as a means to accomplish your goals. This will make your saving and investment experience easier to understand and more fulfilling. If you come across anyone touting a particular investment product as a good investment without understanding your goals and objectives, I advise you to run because they have their own best interest at heart,
not yours. Saving and investing is the process of sacrificing something today so that you can have more of something at a later time. For example, you deposit $200 per paycheck into a savings account to purchase a couch that costs $2,000. In this example you sacrificed money that could have been used for something else in your quest to save enough money to make a future purchase—a couch. The savings account in this example was used as a tool to reach your goal. The above illustration, as simple and as common as it may appear, is the foundation from which all saving and investment decisions should be made. Too often, we tend to make saving and investment decisions because that’s what someone told us to do or because we heard that someone else made a lot of money in the stock market. Conversely, many of us tend not to make saving or investment decisions because someone told us not to or because we heard that someone lost their shirt in the stock market. Our decision to save or invest money in a particular vehicle should stem from our goals and objectives. We should ask ourselves questions such as: What is my objective? How much money do I need to accumulate to meet my objective? What is the time horizon? How much can I afford to save or invest per week/month/year? How much of a risk am I willing to take? How much do I anticipate earning on my savings and investment? Answering these questions will not only help you form a plan, it will ultimately help you select the best financial products (tools) you will use to accomplish your goal. Below are
some of the primary reasons people save and/ or invest money: • Emergency—rainy days, unexpected events, unexpected expenses • Contingency—future expenses that are due quarterly or annually such as insurance or taxes • Large purchases—any item costing over $1,000 • Vacation—paid-for vacations are the best way to travel; otherwise the vacation follows you home in the name of bills • Car—enough to cover the cost for a down payment and closing cost, oftentimes to purchase the car in cash • Home—enough to cover the cost for a down payment and closing cost, sometimes to purchase the house in cash • Children’s college education—it will be great if you start life without student loans • Capital Sum to start a business—not everyone borrows to start a business • Retirement—these years are supposed to be golden • Wealth—some people plan to become millionaires The greater the potential earnings or rate of return being offered, the greater the potential risk. Investing by lending is a more safe and conservative style of investing. Investing by owning is a more aggressive approach. The risk is greater when you invest by owning—so are the potential earnings. Investing in its truest and safest definition is a plan wherein you’re making a long-term commitment (five years or more). You have to be both willing and in a position to forgo using the
invested money for a minimum of five years. This will allow your money to grow—more importantly, withstand the ups and downs of the stock market. You should only utilize stock mutual funds, EFT funds, index funds, and other ownership investments only when you are investing long-term. Whenever you are making short-term investments (under five years), consider investing by lending types of investments, such as money market accounts, savings accounts, CDs, and bonds. Money market and saving accounts are also known as cash-equivalent accounts because you can easily convert money into cash. Are you saving or investing money if you’re saving for a car that you plan to purchase in the next three years? You’re saving money because the time horizon is less than five years. This means you’ll use a conservative liquid account such as a saving account, money market account or certificate of deposit. Are you saving or investing money if you’re saving for retirement that’s 15 years away? You’re investing this money because it’s greater than 15 years away. As a result, you can use more aggressive financial products such as stock funds, EFT funds or index funds. Furthermore, because this money is earmarked for retirement, you can utilize tax advantage vehicles such as Individual Retirement Accounts or 401(k) plans. It’s important to start your saving and investment strategy with the end goal in mind by breaking down and prioritizing your goals and objectives. As you begin to define your goals and objectives, you will begin to understand how to utilize the various savings and investment products and vehicles as a means to best benefit you and your family.
(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)
BUSINESS
B2 AUGUST 11-17, 2021
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Black-owned businesses look to the FDA to protect them by Ron Busby For New Pittsburgh Courier
NNPA NEWSWIRE— What many of us have dreamed about for the past year may be turning into reality. Almost half of the nation has been fully vaccinated, the CDC has announced businesses can reopen along with lifted mask guidance, and the glimmer of hope is shining brighter each day. However, as we cling onto this hope and adjust to what many are calling the “new normal,” we must not forget what we have learned and what practices we must bring into this next chapter with us. The reality for many Black communities, especially Black-owned businesses, is that they must continue to rely on lawmakers and regulators to protect them from virus spread and outbreak. A year ago, in a quick fix reaction to the pandemic, the FDA released emergency guidance that lowered the standards for germ-fighting products like hand sanitizer in order to get more on the market. This led to an ongoing wave of hand sanitizers that both smell horrible and seem to do virtually nothing. Now, a year later, city streets are refilling, businesses are starting to operate at full capacity, and we have a more reliable supply of hand sanitizer. Yet, businesses are still providing questionable products, and we are even seeing reports of products with toxic carcinogens steadily pop up. With this in mind, I look to lawmakers and regulators to resolve this issue. As we come out of this emergency, it’s time
NOT ONLY ARE BLACK PEOPLE more likely to contract and die from COVID-19, but because of systemic inequities, Black-owned businesses more likely to lack sufficient resources needed to stay afloat and protect their customers. (Photo: iStockphoto / NNPA) for the FDA to withdraw the temporary guidance, and for Congress to use its power of oversight to ensure these toxic products
are off the market for good. We want to provide our patrons and employees with a safe experience; however, we are not public
RON BUSBY, PRESIDENT & CEO, U.S. BLACK CHAMBERS, INC. LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
health officials. Clear and consistent guidance from those in power is vital to deciphering what hand sanitizer products are safe and effective, where they should be positioned in our stores/offices/etc. Because as is the case with many issues in this country, it is no surprise that the Black community has been hit the hardest by the ripple effects of COVID-19. As the Presi-
dent of the Black Chamber of Commerce, it is my responsibility to advocate for the 310,000 U.S. Blackowned businesses we represent. With reports of hand sanitizer products containing high levels of methanol, benzene and other toxins, how can these employees, customers and business owners feel safe? Not only are Black people more likely to contract and die from COVID-19,
but because of systemic inequities, Black-owned businesses more likely to lack sufficient resources needed to stay afloat and protect their customers. This shows that while safer, more effective products may be available again, without clear guidance and access, there is a barrier to entry for them to arrive at small, often Black-owned, businesses. The latest census shows that 28 percent of U.S. businesses are Blackowned. The U.S. economy relies on their success and health, and we will not see them flourish if they continue to be ignored. The FDA fought to get more hand sanitizers on the market when we needed it most, but now we must deal with the unintended consequences that came along with it and rescind the emergency guidelines. I hope that along with the FDA, lawmakers, especially those on the Congressional Black Caucus, are as concerned about this as I am and will use their power to stop it. Black business owners have enough on their shoulders. They do not need to worry about the toxicity of hand sanitizer products they put out to protect their patrons, but instead should feel confident that they have the support of regulatory bodies to keep them safe.
(Ron Busby is President & CEO, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.)
Rihanna tops $1 billion in net worth by Stacy M. Brown for New Pittsburgh Courier
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFBs) FOR DIRECT OPPORTUNITIES CENTER REHAB PROJECT AMP-39 HACP CONTRACT NO. 600-25-21 THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive sealed bids for the Direct Opportunities Center Rehabilitation Project, AMP-39 The construction work is estimated to begin in December of 2021. Bid Documents will be available on or about Monday, August 2, 2021 and may be obtained from the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s webpage, www.hacp.org. Bidders may register on the website and download the bid documents free of charge. Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement A Virtual Pre-Bid Conference will be held on Tuesday August 10, 2021 at 10:15am virtually at the following link: Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/95003056319?pwd=eE9oMVZsVTd6U1pHUHlyS0huSU9RQT09 Meeting ID: 950 0305 6319 Passcode: 519442 One tap mobile +13126266799,,95003056319#,,,,*519442# US (Chicago) +19292056099,,95003056319#,,,,*519442# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) Meeting ID: 950 0305 6319 Passcode: 519442 Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abgMfoukRE An In-Person Pre-Bid Site Visit will be held on Tuesday Aug 10, 2021 at 2:00pm and 3:00 p.m. : Direct Opportunites Center, 1205 Liverpool Street, Pittsburgh PA 15233 Bidders shall come prepared to review all aspects of the construction site necessary to prepare a bid. Bids will be received at: The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on September 9, 2021 at the HACP Procurement Department, 100 Ross Street, Suite 200, Pittsburgh PA 15219 Attn: Kim Detrick, Chief Procurement Officer. Due to COVID, the bid opening on September 9, 2021 at 10:00AM will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/93279648797?pwd=S21VS2c1S1FFSkJnQmVHV3BYNUJmQT09 Copies of bid documents are not available for in person pickup. Bid Documents, including the Bid Forms, Project Manual, and Drawings, may be obtained from the Business Opportunities Section of the HACP website, www.hacp.org. Prospective Bidders may register as a vendor on the website and download the documents free of charge. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person on September 9, 2021 from 8:00 AM until the closing of 10:00 AM on September 9, 2021. Bids may still be submitted electronically at the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/request/fB3o1uRV6C26ARXznk1d and can still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH reserves the right to waive any informality in, or reject any and all bids. No bid shall be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days subsequent to the opening of bids without the consent of the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity requirements for Federally Assisted Construction Contracts. The Contractor must ensure that employees and applicants for employment are not discriminated against because of race, color, religion, sexual preference, handicap or national origin. HACP has revised its website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFP documentation. THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH STRONGLY ENCOURAGES CERTIFIED MINORITY-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO RESPOND TO THE SOLICITATION. Additional information may be obtained by contacting Kim Detrick, Director of Procurement at (412) 456-5116 Opt 1. 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.
(NNPA)—You can call her Ri-Ri, wear her Savage X lingerie or Fenty perfume. And Rihanna wouldn’t mind. But the pop superstar and business mogul probably doesn’t mind anyone calling her a billionaire. According to Forbes magazine, the 33-yearold Barbadian beauty has achieved billionaire status. With an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion, the Grammy winner now counts as the wealthiest female musician globally. The “Work” singer only trails Oprah Winfrey as the world’s richest entertainer. “A lot of women felt there were no lines out there that catered to their skin tone. It was light, medium, medium-dark, dark,” Shannon Coyne, co-founder of consumer products consultancy Bluestock Advisors, told Forbes. “We all know that’s not reality. She was one of the
RIHANNA first brands that came out and said, ‘I want to speak to all of those different people.’” Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, the tantalizing
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1747 TEMPORARY PRIMARY DISINFECTION Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1747–Temporary Primary Disinfection shall be received at the Engineering Department office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 2:00 P.M., Prevailing Time, Tuesday September 14, 2021 and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held via a video conference call on Thursday, August 19, 2021 at 10:00 A.M., Prevailing Time. ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible. Contract Documents may be examined and obtained at the Engineering office of the Authority. A non-refundable fee of One hundred dollars ($100) (no cash or credit cards will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents received. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of 10% of the Bid Price. Contract documents must be purchased directly from ALCOSAN to qualify as an eligible bidder. Any questions regarding the Technical Aspects of the Project should be directed to Dustin Copenhaver via email to Dustin.Copenhaver@alcosan.org Any questions regarding the Purchase of Contract Documents should be directed to Kathleen P. Uniatowski, ALCOSAN, via email to contract.clerks@alcosan.org . The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality in any bid and to accept any bid should it be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so. ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Kimberly Kennedy, P.E. Director of Engineering and Construction
starlet delivered hit after hit with songs like “Umbrella,” “Rude Boy,” and “Diamonds.” With well over 100 million social media followers, Rihanna’s fans have pleaded with their idol to deliver new music. But with her Fenty and Savage X Fenty business white-hot, Rihanna appears to have settled in as an entrepreneur and business magnate. Cutting deals with Puma in 2014, Dior in 2016, Fenty Beauty in 2017, Savage X Fenty in 2018, and Fenty Skin in 2020, Rihanna kept her business-focused. Forbes writer Madeline Berg described Rihanna’s rise this way: “When Robyn Fenty, known to the world as Rihanna, launched Fenty Beauty in 2017, she sought to create a cosmetics company that made “women everywhere (feel) included.” A perhaps unintended consequence: The beauty line has helped her enter one of the world’s most exclusive ranks: Billionaire.” Berge concluded by providing commentary from Coyne, the consultant. “She is creating a brand outside of herself. It’s not just about Rihanna. Even if you don’t like her music, she’s created a real style in the fashion and beauty space.” (Stacy M. Brown is NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent>)
OPINION
NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
AUGUST 11-17, 2021
B3
Scott vs. Taney
Guest Editorial
Simone Biles shows the power of ‘no’ It was the “no” that shook not only the sports world, but several people’s minds. The United States’ ever-winning, enthusiastic and innovative gymnast Simone Biles said “no” to competing in several Olympic events in Tokyo, drawing the ire of many around the world. Critics want to call Biles—who decided to pull out of the team and all-around finals competitions—a quitter and a “national embarrassment.” Texas Deputy Attorney General Aaron Reitz took to Twitter last Tuesday, discussing the 1996 event when gymnast Kerri Strugg competed while injured. “Contrast this with our selfish, childish national embarrassment, Simone Biles.” Other critics included Piers Morgan, who wrote an op-ed piece for the Daily Mail, calling Biles a letdown to her country, teammates and fans. “Sorry, Simone Biles, but there’s nothing heroic or brave about quitting because you’re not having ‘fun,’” Morgan wrote. “I preferred the old Simone that would do whatever it took to win.” Even though she came back to take a bronze medal in the balance beam Tuesday, Biles has already won five medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics—four gold medals and one bronze. The 24-year-old also has 13 golds for gymnastics in the world championships. Her “fun” has already brought our nation much pride. Psychologist Keisha Mack said, “Saying ‘no’ is a complete sentence,” and Biles is far from alone in using it. Biles’ withdrawal from competition came after Naomi Osaka’s loss in the Olympic tennis tournament. The four-time Grand Slam winner withdrew from the French Open this spring after she sought to protect her mental health and resist sports officials’ requirements to attend news conferences filled with negative questions. Biles has been the face of the Games in the media; talking about her sexual abuse at the hands of a former USA Gymnastics team doctor, Larry Nassar; and trying to manage her sponsor obligations—all while preparing for the Olympics. But Biles, Osaka and others have been vocal about putting their mental health first and the expectations of others, second. There have also been instances of athletes stepping back in the NBA and WNBA after police shootings that have taken a mental toll. And Biles’ fellow Olympian, hammer thrower Gwen Berry, raised her fist in protest before she competed this week. No is simple, yet powerful and transformative. Biles and other top athletes have shown that. The rush of support prompted Biles to tweet: “The outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before.” How wild for this accomplished athlete seen as the best in her sport and nicknamed the GOAT for Greatest Of All Time to ever think she could not have a positive identity outside of gymnastics. Every athlete in the Olympic Games carries national hopes and the pressure is palpable. “I truly do feel that I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times,” Biles wrote on her Facebook page before heading into the Games. She still used her “no” and not only protected her mind and body but empowered others to do the same. After winning her bronze medal August 3, Biles said in an interview: “Put your mental health first. That’s more important than any other medal you could win.” (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)
Founded 1910
Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm
Rob Taylor Jr.
Jeff Marion
Office Manager
Managing Editor
Circulation Consultant
John. H. Sengstacke
Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—When presented without context, the name Roger Brooke Taney means little to most contemporary Americans. Taney was born in Calvert County Maryland, very close to Washington, DC. He was an attorney, served in the Executive and Judicial Branches of the US government, was a member of the Democratic Party, and is infamous, as the US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, for authoring the equally infamous Dred Scott decision. To provide context, in addition to being the Chief Justice of SCOTUS, Taney was pro-slavery and a southern sympathizer during the Civil War. His legacy of racism would live for over a hundred years. Some, like me, say that his legacy yet lives on. Taney’s decision held that no Black, free or enslaved, had ever enjoyed the rights of citizenship under the Constitution. He argued that Blacks were “regarded as beings of an inferior order, altogether unfit to associate with the White race ... and so far inferior, that they had no rights which the White man was bound to respect.” I would argue that, consciously or not, his decision is ingrained in the psyche of White America and is used as justification for all forms of racial discrimination. I submit that the current pattern of race-based voter suppression is rooted in the same mindset that Taney used to reach his decision. Counting the number of jellybeans in a jar or guessing the number of bubbles
Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
Commentary released by a bar of soap were mere indicators of the respect accorded to the rights of Blacks. After 1965, as long as African Americans and other people of color offered no real threat to the power and authority of the White establishment, they could “play” the game of voting. Ultimately, the usefulness of gerrymandering as a control against the demands for equal rights began to erode. We now see an unapologetic, full-blown racist attack on the voting rights of people of color and a perversion of the democratic principles fundamental to this nation. They understand that we have learned to effectively use the most powerful tool in any democracy. Thursday, July 29, 2021, was my chosen day to get arrested. I stood in protest for the restoration of voter rights established under the For the People Act and the John Lewis Act. Inaction is unacceptable!!! Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Dr. Johnetta Cole (NCNW President), Faya Rose Toure (Alabama), Arlene Holt (AFL-CIO), Jarrett
Sawyer (Morehouse University), and I were arrested for, allegedly, blocking the entrance to the Hart Senate Building. When given the option to pay a fine or request a court date, I chose the latter. The Federal Magistrate will hear my concerns on November 24, 2021. Considering the struggles of the past, this experience was relatively uneventful. There were no batons. There were no fire hoses. There were no horses or dogs. There was a sense of urgency! We all knew that action could not be deferred for a later date. We all know that for the sake of survival we must mobilize in greater and increasing numbers. We have no time to waste!! On August 3, 1857, the same year as the Dred Scott Decision, Frederick Douglass delivered what some consider to be his greatest speech. From that speech came the words, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress… Who would be free, themselves must strike the blow. He continued, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both.” (Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of the National Congress of Black Women)
To protect democracy, we have to fix the Supreme Court (TriceEdneyWire.com)—It’s been six months since the Biden-Harris administration began, ushering in an era of hope after four bitter and disheartening years. We have much to celebrate. At the same time, there are ways in which our future is wavering on a knife’s edge: will we fulfill the promise of a more inclusive democracy, or be dragged backwards by the same forces that tried to reverse the presidential election on January 6? Will our federal government step up to protect voting rights, or will more and more states suppress them? Can we protect and expand health care? I am proud of the commitment of advocates who are pushing the Biden-Harris administration and the new leadership in Congress to be their best. But there is another critically important step we have to take if we want voting rights, or health care, or workers’ rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, or any of the rights we are fighting for to survive. We have to fix our Supreme Court. For decades now, the same far-right forces that are fighting justice and equal rights for all our citizens have been working to pack our federal courts. Their crowning achievement has been the capture of the Supreme Court, now dominated by ultraconservatives. The Supreme Court has dealt devastating blows to the Voting Rights Act. It has made it easier for companies to violate the rights of working people. It opened our elections to unlimited spending by corporate interests. And it is undermining health and safety regulations. This matters greatly because even as we welcome the opportunities for
Ben Jealous
Commentary change that we voted for in electing the Biden-Harris administration and Democratic leadership in Congress, there is a real risk that laws passed now—for progress that real people want—could be eviscerated by a farright Supreme Court. We can’t let that happen. Fortunately, there are solutions on the table. President Biden has formed a Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the United States to study ideas for reforming the Court. They include a first-ever code of ethics for Supreme Court justices—a good idea in any era. They also include proposals that would address the unique moment we are in now, when the Court has been so politicized and distorted by partisan interests. One idea is to set term limits for justices. Another is to add more seats to the Court, which would have a direct impact in easing the current crisis of a “captured Court.” There will be lively debate over these proposals, including pushback from traditionalists who think we should not mess with the makeup of the Court. But the number of seats on the Court has been changed before—not once, but half a dozen times. It’s also important to remember that we didn’t get here though a
traditional or normal course of events. The current Court makeup was achieved by cynical political machinations of Mitch McConnell, the former Senate Majority Leader. McConnell refused to hold hearings for President Obama’s SCOTUS nominee Merrick Garland, thereby stealing the seat for Neil Gorsuch. He did this on the flimsy pretext that it was too close to a presidential election. Then, proving conclusively that he has no shame, McConnell forced through Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation for the late Justice Ginsburg’s seat even though voting had already begun in the next presidential election. So there are clear wrongs to be remedied. The Roberts Supreme Court is losing the confidence of the American people, if it hasn’t lost it already. In its current form it is becoming a political body incapable of protecting the rights of all, interested only in those of the privileged and powerful. And that means Supreme Court reform needs to be an integral part of our campaigns for justice and equity on all fronts. We are fighting too hard for justice to see progress wrecked on the shoals of a rock-solid conservative Court. Let’s raise our voices for term limits and more Supreme Court seats at the same time we’re calling for the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Equality Act, immigration reform, reproductive rights, health care and fair pay. Let’s not trust our future to a captured Court. (Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way.)
The vaccine, the mask, and our children First let us say the vaccine saves lives. The life of the person vaccinated and the lives of those they come in contact with. The low deaths, if not no deaths, of those vaccinated should be proof for the doubters. Second, masks save lives as evidenced by the statistical non spread among those wearing masks covering their mouth and nose. This is a scientific fact well documented. The combination of vaccines and masks save lives. The virus is not political, only its victims. This brings us to the issue of our children. All our children are victims without our intervention. We can not give them a vaccine, but we can give them masks and
John E. Warren
Commentary we know the masks work against the virus. Question: Why put the children at risk with our own personal issues? If the masks work and children are given the opportunity to understand why it’s necessary, then we save little lives and that’s more important than party politics over
the virus. Until the vaccine is approved for children, masks should be a requirement and the priority should be saving the lives of our children as well as ourselves. Finally, all elements of government, federal, state, county and local as well as businesses should require the vaccine and those who object have a right to file lawsuits to sell the issue. The lives of our children are more important than litigation. Let’s take the vaccine, wear the masks and live. Too many lives have already been lost due to foolishness over vaccines and masks. Let’s get real serious about the vaccine, the masks, and our children.
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Who’s the GOP kidding with its see-we’re-notracist stunts? First, it was Juneteenth. Now it’s Willie O’Ree. Let’s take both and then try to see what the GOP is up to. Remember seeming from nowhere all fifty GOP senators enthusiastically signed off on legislation that made Juneteenth an official national holiday. That’s the day that slaves in Texas got word and celebrated emancipation. The GOP senators back patted themselves as if to say, see we’re not the bigots that Blacks, Hispanics, and the Democrats relentlessly rip us for being. Now there’s its latest stunt. All fifty GOP senators again made it unanimous and awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to former NHL hockey player Willie O’Ree. O’Ree was the first Black to break the color barrier in the NHL with the Boston Bruins in 1958. And as with Jackie Robinson O’Ree caught Holy hell, there were the usual boos and taunts from fans and players. To again whine that the party is wrongly miscast as racist villains. Now six decades plus later the GOP senators reach way back into time and suddenly discover that O’Ree deserved one of the nation’s highest civilian awards for the hell that he caught as a player and for his pioneering role for Blacks in the sport. Again, the GOP can whine that the party is wrongly miscast as racist villains. It’s thrilling that Juneteenth gets the recognition it deserves and becomes another reminder of America’s horrific and shameful racial history that some at least are finally coming to face up to and reckon with. It’s
Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Commentary equally thrilling that O’Ree is getting the much-deserved honor and is still alive, at age 85, to receive the award and for his family and friends to bask in the glow. But sandwiched in between the GOP’s approval of the Juneteenth federal holiday and the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal to O’Ree was the bold declaration from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that not one Republican senator would support HR1. The bill would expand protections on voting rights that are under ferocious assault from GOP governors and GOP-controlled state legislatures with their wave of blatant voter suppression laws. The ploys are the thinnest of disguised racially motivated ploys to scrub as many Black and Hispanic voters as possible from the polls. This is not an unfamiliar tact by the GOP. That is to make and back pat itself for claiming not to be racist. And assuring that there is absolutely no racial animus or intent in any of its political or legislative stances on issues that even remotely touch on racial or social justice. Trump set the template for this shell game when he was called out in June 2018 for making hideous, over-the-top, outrageous racist cracks about Nigeria and Haiti. A flustered Trump loudly declared “I am not a racist.” He didn’t stop at that and piled on with the declaration that he was probably the least racist person around. It was just talk, and bluster, no more. This is exactly what the GOP has made into a studied art on the issue of race. The GOP leaders now will quickly denounce a GOP leader for using the N-word or making racially derisive cracks. In recent years, the GOP has loudly distanced itself from the likes of the hard right, loose cannons such as Ted Nugent, and Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy for their offensive remarks about Blacks. In 2012, the GOP even went on a bit of a noisy campaign against racism when then-Republican National Committee chair Reince Priebus unveiled a hundred-plus-page blueprint last year on how to dispel the public’s image of the GOP as a haven for unreconstructed bigots and professional Obama haters. A centerpiece of that campaign was to call on the party to immediately blast anyone in or affiliated with the GOP who pops off about minorities or gays. The GOP’s overt racial name-callers and baiters are the softest of soft targets, and it’s easy to make examples of when they go off the racial deep end. A swift and seemingly indignant rebuke of them makes good PR copy. They serve to burnish the image of the GOP as a party that will not tolerate bigotry and is no longer afraid to call out those who spew it. Yet the hard political reality remains that the party’s race-baiters will not suddenly disappear. They certainly didn’t on January 6 when tens of thousands of them stormed the Capitol Building for Trump. Many according to Black Capitol Police officers said they were reviled with racial epithets from the Trump mob. GOP House leaders doubled down by flatly refusing to appoint members to the select committee investigating the riot. And even worse have refused to utter a peep of condemnation of the Trump fueled insurrection in the Congressional Record. So, conjuring up a dramatic, but largely symbolic gesture such as backing the Juneteenth holiday and the medal for O’Ree hardly signals a Damascus Road epiphany for the GOP on race. As McConnell made abundantly clear on every big-ticket, crucial, public policy issue such as firm protections for voting rights, the GOP, is still and will remain the same old race malignant GOP (Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.)
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Is the devil you know better than the one you don’t? Last week’s column centered around the latest Gallup poll that said, “Positive ratings of relations between Black and White Americans are at their lowest point in more than two decades.” I asked if pessimism was warranted about the future of race relations in America because a writer from the USA Today implied pessimism was a foregone conclusion, but I gave a reason for optimism. Unfortunately, optimism about the future of race relations in America is considered naïve. So, what does a pessimistic future look like? Two men named Charles tackled this question. One issued a warning, the other a manifesto. Charles Murray, the controversial social scientist who co-authored the notorious Bell Curve in the 1990s, was recently interviewed about his new book, “Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America.” Murray stated, the centrality of the American creed, which is all men are created equal and individuals should be judged by the content of their character, is under assault by ill-liberal extremes. Those extremes have repudiated the American creed by demanding that the state prioritize groups over individuals because certain groups have been systemically discriminated against and others have been systemically advantaged. Therefore, the state must use its power to create equal outcomes. Murray wrote, “Blacks, constituting 13 percent of the population, are telling Whites, 60 percent of the population, that they are racist, bad people, the cause of Black problems, and they had better change their ways or else. Right or wrong,
J. Pharoah Doss
Check It Out that rhetoric has been guaranteed to produce backlash by some portion of the 60 percent against the 13 percent.” Murray told the interviewer to imagine if there was an aggressive push to end systemic racism once and for all in employment. And federal policy forced employers to hire Blacks and Latinos commensurate to their percentages of the population. Employers that felt the federal policy threatened their ability to control their own affairs would simply solve their problem by relocating to red states with so few Blacks and Latinos that the federal policy would no longer be applicable. Then there will be a massive “White flight” from urban centers to red states. Murray warned that scenario would disintegrate America’s motto “E Pluribus Unum” and end America’s “multi-cultural” experiment, as we know it. Now, New York Times columnist, Charles Blow, has proposed a solution to the problem in his new book, “The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto.” Blow began by retelling the story of the Great Migration; from 1916 to 1970 millions of African Americans fled the Jim Crow South to relocate in cities in the North and West.
However, Blow asked his readers to imagine if the Great Migration never happened and Black people remained in the South until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It’s possible, Blow explained, that African Americans, due to being the majority, would have dominated the politics of the deep South and could have controlled or been the driving force behind electing as many as twelve U.S. Senators. Therefore, Blow proposed a second Great Migration, but in reverse. Blow wants as many Black descendants of the Great Migration and as many Black people who are not descendants of American slavery to return to the South and do so with “moral and political intentionality.” According to Blow, 44 percent of Black people in America live outside the South, and if just half of them moved back to the South and were strategically arrayed, it would be enough to make Black people the largest racial group in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Blow boasted, this contiguous band of Black Power would upend America’s political calculus. Both men named Charles presented a future that will redefine the term “Jim Crow 2.0.” That’s why optimism about the future of race relations in America is the only option. Unfortunately, some people are pessimistic enough to welcome these scenarios, but it would be wise for these pessimists to remember an old joke. A pessimist once told an optimist, “It can’t get no worse than this.” And the optimist replied, “Oh, yes it can.”
Black women and the pay gap— we do what we have to do (TriceEdneyWire.com)—It takes Black women until August 3, or 19 months, to earn what a White man earns in a year. Most years, Pay Equity Day happens in March (this year on March 24), when ALL women must work to make as much as White men. Ain’t I a woman, though. It takes me five months to catch up with White women. Too often, this fact is ignored, but this year, the National Council of Negro Women and others are reminding the nation that Black Women’s Pay Equity Day is as important as any other recognition of pay inequities. There is a level at which this is acutely personal to me. My mom, Proteone Marie Alexandria Malveaux, made her transition on June 17 and was funeralized on July 24. She was a phenomenal woman, and she was, always, a worker. Although she had studied music and had an undergraduate and graduate degree in social work, she was also a teacher, professor, entrepreneur, and legal assistant. I’ve talked about all these things when I talk about my mother, but I rarely talk about the several years she spent as a postal clerk and what I learned from that. My parents had one of those “rocky road” divorces that involved intense disputes about money. We couldn’t live on what Mom earned as a teacher (remember, in the early 1960s, teachers, mostly women, had earnings considered “supplemental income,” especially if they were married). So she got a better paying job at the post office (as filmmaker Robert Townsend said, “there is always work at the post office”). Working at the post office stretched her (and me, as her eldest) in all kinds of ways. Her shift required her to leave the house before day in the morning, 4 or 5. I woke up to lock the door was “in
Julianne Malveaux
News Analysis charge” until all five of us got out of the door. I didn’t mind. I had quiet time in the house to myself, occasionally I snooped through mom’s papers, and I might fry myself up some potatoes before the others got up for their cereal. Still, I can’t forget how hard mom struggled to pass the postal exam. Back before computers and scanners, postal clerks had to connect an address with a zip code. Many people didn’t put their zip code on their mail, but the clerks had to know it and pass a test to show it. We spent some evenings drilling Mom on addresses and zip codes, over and over again, until she passed with a score high enough to earn a raise. When I was in my 20s and studying women and work, Proteone told me that she could say a few things about work. She shared about working as a maid with a family with a rather handsy patriarch and how she had to duck and dodge his advances, going so far as to fake passing out when he got too close. And she told me about working as a postal worker. Do you remember, she said? And I did. I remembered the early mornings of awakening, of the smell of her coffee tickling my nose. I remembered being told to “behave” as I locked the door. Years later, I asked her how she did it. “It was hard,” she said. “It would
have been harder to see my children go without.” We never missed a meal or an educational opportunity. We might have missed some toys, but you can’t miss what you can’t measure. We had an exceptional childhood because my mom did her best to support us, running us all over the city on the bus because she didn’t drive, enrolling us in cultural activities, and (sometimes) supporting our political involvement. Dr. Dorothy Irene Height often said that “Black women don’t do what we want to do; we do what we have to do.” I think of my Mama, a Mississippi-raised middle-class hat and glove-wearing diva working in the post office so that my siblings and I could eat, and I think of the many ways that Black Women’s Pay Equity Day is so meaningful. Too many Black have earned too little for working too hard and so much. Too many Black women have experienced not only unequal pay but also unequal and unreasonable working conditions. And we have been forced to work to facilitate other women’s ability to work. For example, 40 percent of the certified nurse’s assistants (CNAs) during covid were Black and Brown. Their work made life easier for others, but it was rarely recognized. Instead, it was insistently expected. We, Black women, do what we have to do to support our families and the nation. Maybe we can get some recognition for it, especially this August 3. (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author, founder of Economic Education, and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University at Los Angeles. Contact her through juliannemalveaux.com or Julianne.Malveaux@ calstatela.edu.)
Professor Clingman warns Black folks to stop being ‘putty’ (TriceEdneyWire.com)—One of the most knowledge-expanding, challenging columnists, especially in the arena of collective economics, is Prof. James Clingman. Though illness has prevented him from continuing his valuable column, Blackonomics, one can still learn much from reading his past columns, many of which are included in his mustread book, “Black Money Matters.” I recently reread one of them entitled, “Blacks are Today’s Putty People,” which was first published in 2015. It includes the following: “We are such a pliable people and the dominate society knows that all to well. We will jump on any superfluous issue the media presents to us and neglect the substantive ones. We are like putty in the hands of folks about whom we complain….” Those he noted includes “…disingenuous politicians, greedy retailers, pompous preachers posing as everything but real preachers and surreptitious interlopers….”
A. Peter Bailey
Reality Check Professor Clingman also warns that “As we continue to major in the minor, constantly allowing ourselves to be dragged down into nonsensical and nonproductive discussions and held hostage by talking head puppets on TV, the world is moving forward at a very fast pace. Our people are being killed at an alarming rate, not only by cops and fanatics but also by other Black folks.” Many, if not most, may believe that Professor Clingman is overstating his position, but it cannot be denied that we as a people are not nearly focused enough on
the most effective and productive ways to promote and protect our group interests in the arenas of health, economics, culture, education, technology, politics and communications. In each of those arenas we should have talented and committed Black folks who will keep us on top of things in his or her arena. And it should be national. There is a sizeable number of Black folks working in these arenas in local areas. They should be thanked for their vision and much needed efforts but our need in 2021 is a national organization that oversees the activities in the aforementioned arenas. If we do this we will definitely avoid being putty in the hands of others. There is absolutely no reason for a group of people who have tenaciously dealt with what we and our ancestors have had to deal with in this country to be putty in anyone’s hands. That’s why we should pay close attention and act on the warning given to us by Professor Clingman.
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TRAC SERVICES FOR FAMILIES has provided adoption, foster care, in-home, and outpatient services and education to the Southwestern PA area for over 40 years. We are now looking to fill everal po ition including recruiters, caseworkers, case aides, and more. For more information please go to tracpgh. com/employment-opportunities/ 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 po ition . PART-TIME INTAKE CONCIERGE a the fir t 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/ APPLICATION ANALYST IV The United States Steel Corporation is seeking an Application Analyst IV to join our Digital Technologies Team located at our Pittsburgh Service Center in Pittsburgh, PA. The Analyst will be responsible for developing, testing, deploying, and supporting our Hyperion Enterprise Pe rfo r m anc e M ana g e me n t software used for planning and forecasting at U. S. Steel. Apply at: www.ussteel.com/uss/portal/ home/careers/jobopportunities NEUROLOGIST (IONM MONITORING- FACULTY) University of Pittsburgh Physicians located at U. S. Steel Tower, 57th Floor, 600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, seeks a Neurologist (IONM Monitoring-Faculty) to provide oversight and interpretation of intra-operative neuro monitoring, as well as preoperative studies and other indicated neuro physiologic monitoring as requested, and re pon ible for notification of the attending changes/abnormalities in neuromonitoring findings.at 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, 5230 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 1 5 2 3 2 , 3 4 5 9 F i f t h Av e . , Pittsburgh, PA 15213, and 930 Chatham Park Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15220. Applicant must have medical degree or foreign equivalent, must have completed a Residency in eurology, mu t be board certified in Neurology, and must have a valid Pennsylvania Medical License. Requires travel to worksites within 15 miles. Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc. com and enter 210002PQ in the “Search Keyword/Job ID” field and click Go. EOE/Disability/Veteran.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE POSITION OF POLICE OFFICER - ALTOONA POLICE DEPARTMENT Application for Police Officer with the City of Altoona can be obtained from the Human Resources Department of City Hall Monday through Friday between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30. For additional information and application requirements, please visit the “Employment Opportunities” Quick Link on the City’s website at www.altoonapa.gov. Completed applications must be received in the Human Resources Department no later than Noon on Friday, September 10, 2021. Human Resources Department 1301 12th Street, Suite 301 Altoona, PA 16601 The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITY LIAISON Port Authority is seeking a Government & Community Liaison to serve as a liai on with elected official and community organizations for local municipalities. Works to advance Port Authority’s local municipal priorities and to improve community relations. Essential Functions: •Represents Port Authority’s interest before the local municipalities as well as other government agencies, school districts, community and transit groups. Serves as liaison between the Authority and elected official and their taff for con tituent issues relative to Port Authority and public transportation, engaging other Port Authority divisions and departments as necessary. •Analyzes local proposals and community concerns for impact on the Authority and prepares summaries for review. Researches and monitors policies, actions and regulations affecting public agencies, school districts, transit operators, transportation planning and development activities. Flags potential issues related to transportation; recommends follow-up activities. •Develops a municipal program for the CEO to improve communications and relation hip with local official and communities. Identifies opportunities and recognizes potential public concerns. •Works with PAAC divisions and departments to provide input on municipal matters and community requests. Drafts correspondence and communications regarding projects, community outreach, inquiries, etc. to advance the mission of the Authority. Job requirements include: •BA/BS degree in Political Science, Communication, Urban Planning, Political Science or directly related field from an accredited chool. •Minimum of five (5) years of experience in federal, state or county legislative activities and policy development, or transit management experience. •Experience working with community outreach efforts and activities. •Experience working with governmental official , community leader and businesses. • Effe c ti v e a n d professi onal communication skills. •Valid PA driver ’s license. •Ability to coordinate various complex work assignments on short notice. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. •Must be willing to take on duties outside of regular business hours. Preferred attributes: •Public transit experience.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. ntere ted candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Alex Kumnik Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AKumnik@portauthority.org EOE
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SERVICE ANALYST Port Authority is seeking a Service Analyst to collect, enter, maintain, manage, analyze, interpret, and distribute data and information from a wide variety of internal and external sources for long range planning, transit service, and transit amenities. Recommend opportunities to improve system productivity and performance. Develop and present oral, written, and graphic presentations that convey complex data in an accessible and understandable manner. Develop new ways of reporting and sharing data that help encourage transparency and innovation in planning and collaboration with other divisions and agencies. Essential Functions: •Analyzes Port Authority’s transit system to inform service decision-making, including origin-destination analysis, ridership patterns, transfer behavior, and proj ected ri dershi p from expanding service. •Maintains, analyzes, and integrates large data sets from various sources, including, but not limited to Automatic Passenger Counters, fare boxes, ticket vending machines, rider surveys, cheduled ervice, and field urvey . Maintains and regularly updates assets and data layers in the Authority’s GIS program. •Implements and maintains a data warehousing system to facilitate management and dissemination of various ridership, productivity, and other performance indicators on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis •Collaborates with various departments operating, finance and other area of the organization to address a multitude of complex data and operational issues. Job requirements include: •BA/BS Degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Public Administration or Policy, Planning, or directly related field from an accredited school and two (2) years of experience in data analysis or related field. Directly related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. or •Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration or Policy, Planning, Information Sy tem , or related field from an accredited school. •A working knowledge of geographic information systems (GIS) to visualize, question, analyze, interpret, and understand data to reveal relationships, patterns, and trends. •Basic ability to write simple SQL queries to analyze large datasets. •Ability to work independently. •Ability to work through complex problems. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word and Excel. •Professional and effective communication skills. •Excellent interpersonal skills. •Valid PA driver’s license or ability to obtain one. Preferred attributes: •Knowledge of the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s transit system. •Knowledge of tools such as Tableau, Python, to manage and analyze large datasets. •An understanding of SQL indexes or SQL optimization.
TRANSIT SCHEDULER Port Authority is seeking a Transit Scheduler to support the development and production of efficient operating schedules, production and dissemination of timetables and designing of service to m eet t he needs of Por t Authority and the public. Coordinates activities with division personnel. Assists with community outreach to support service planning initiatives. Accomplishes activities that support the department’s and organization’s Long-Range, Strategic, and Tactical Plans. Essential Functions: •Uses HASTUS to develop cost-efficient operation scenarios to support service change recommendations. Supports transit scheduling, routing design and service change activities. Reviews, evaluates, and makes schedule changes to ensure service and schedules are effective and efficient. Responsible for cost effective scheduling of service which includes ensuring the schedules are within budget. Supports activities related to Port Authority’s ongoing plans and programs. •Performs the trip building, blocking, run cutting, and other transit scheduling related activities to produce an efficient, effective, and e uitable service plan. Develops, prepares and disseminates operating schedules in accordance with provisions of contract agreement; supervises implementation of schedule changes. Accomplishes the production and distribution of picking materials. Oversees the design, production and distribution of public timetables and other customer information materials related to service. Job requirements include: •Two (2) years of Scheduling, Planning, Transit Operations, Business, or directly related work. •Strong analytical skills and attention to detail. •Strong work ethic with ability to multi-task. •Strong decision-making and innovative problem-solving skills. •Strong organizational and analytical skills are essential. The ability to gather data and prepare clear and concise reports, to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others and to work independently. •Demonstrates considerable initiative. •Proactive and achievement driven. •Excellent collaboration skills with both internal and external clients. •Knowledge of research and statistical theories and methods. •Ability to work independently and in a team environment. •Ability to prioritize multiple complex projects. •Knowledge and familiarity with computer systems and database applications. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word and Excel. •Valid PA driver’s license must be obtained within 90 days of starting the position. Preferred attributes: •Knowledge in transit scheduling software preferably HASTUS or other transit scheduling software is highly desirable. •Knowledge of trip building, blocking, and run cutting.
ASSISTANT MANAGER OF FACILITIES SYSTEMS Port Authority is seeking an Assistant Manager of Facilities Systems to be responsible for coordinating Facilities Systems activities for the Facilities Systems Department and directly supervise the Facilities Systems first level supervisors. Oversees the Facilities Systems Department in the absence of the Facilities Systems Manager. Essential Functions: •Directs Facilities Systems supervisors in the performance of their work. •Assists in all other Facilities Systems department supervisory responsibilities and coordinates functions with other Facilities and Port Authority personnel. •Coordinates the training and qualification of supervisors and hourly employees on the use of related equipment, and proper maintenance and repair procedures as required. •Communicates with individuals throughout the system to assess the support needed from the Facilities Systems department. Job requirements include: •High School Diploma or G.E.D. •Associate Degree in a technical discipline from an accredited school. Directly related experience may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis. inimum of five (5) years directly related experience in any one of the Facilities Building Systems areas (carpentry, plumbing, equipment repair, electrical or HVAC). •Minimum of three (3) years supervisory experience. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Excel and Word. •Willingness and ability to work any shift and pass days. •Responds to work related problems on a 24 hour a day basis. Preferred attributes: •Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Access and PeopleSoft.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. ntere ted candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Missy Ramsey Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 MRamsey@portauthority.org EOE
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We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. ntere ted candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Robyn Taylor Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 RTaylor@portauthority.org EOE SOFTWARE ENGINEER SENIOR UPMC Presbyterian S h a d y s i d e seeks multiple Software Engineers – Senior to work in Pittsburgh, PA (Allegheny County). Responsible for development, maintenance and systems administration of UPMC Health Plan’s applications, including the MC400 software system. Master’s degree or equivalent in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology or related field, plu two (2) years of software development, software engineering, analysis, or related experience, including one (1) year of experience analyzing user needs and providing solutions/estimates; designing and developing applications; testing software applications; correcting errors and/or bugs; working with DB2 databases; and utilizing the following tools and technologies: AS/400, RPGLE/RPG ILE, CLLE, RPG-Free/Free Format, and X-Analysis. In lieu of Master’s degree plus two (2) years of experience, will accept Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in one of the noted field , plu five (5) years of progressive SW development, SW engineering, analysis, or related experience, including one (1) year of experience in the specific experiences a pecified above. elecommuting permissible. Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc.com and enter 210002M3 in the “Search Keyword/Job ID” field and click Go. EOE/Disability/Veteran.
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AUGUST 11-17, 2021
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Help Wanted
Help Wanted
SENIOR PROJECT ENGINEER Port Authority is seeking a Senior Project Engineer to be responsible for managing engineering and construction activities related to Authority structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, bus-ways, light rail transit system, and related infrastructure. Ensures projects adhere to the scope, budget, and schedule as well as interfaces with consultants, contractors, community and internal and external stakeholder representatives. Ensure all phases of the project are performed in accordance with Quality Control and Quality Assurance procedures and achieve the needs of Port Authority’s operation and maintenance functions. Essential Functions: •Responsible to direct project activities necessary to implement the design, construction, and turnover of assigned capital projects within budget, scope and schedule in a quality manner. Directs project activities to ensure work is performed to acceptable levels in areas, such as: •Ensuring Contract Documents meet intended needs of Port Authority and outside agency requirements and standards. •Constructability and cost-effectiveness. •Coordination of activities, including railroad, utility, real estate, environmental, community, municipal, governmental agencies, Port Authority operation and maintenance, training, and turnover. •Minimizing impacts to Port Authority operations and maintenance functions and maintain the safety of the public and Port Authority employees. •Timely completion of the work within budget and complying with contract requirements. •Compliance with applicable codes. •Site staging, mobilization, accessibility, and sequence of construction and safety Job requirements include: •BS Degree, Major in Civil Engineering or related engineering field from an accredited chool. •Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in managing projects, including design and construction of job-related work. •Professional and effective communication skills. •Valid PA driver’s license. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows Preferred attributes: •Registered Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the ability to obtain such registration through reciprocity within one year of appointment or Certification a a Project Management Professional (PMP) from nationally recognized registration entity.
PROJECT ENGINEER Port Authority is seeking a Project Engineer to be responsible for managing engineering and construction activities related to Authority structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, bus-ways, light rail transit system, and related infrastructure. Ensures projects adhere to the scope, budget, and schedule as well as interfaces with consultants, contractors, operating, community and external stakeholder representatives Essential Functions: •Performs all project management functions necessary to implement the design, construction and closeout of funded capital projects in adherence to established scope, schedule, budget and quality metrics. Provides support for state of good repair programs related to structures, facilities, buildings, bridges, tunnels, subways, roadways, bus-ways and light rail transit system. •Responsible to review drawings, pecification and contract provi ion for compliance with Authority and outside agency requirements and standards in the preparation of construction and procurement contract documents. Provides necessary review/ comments to ensure project scope and Authority standards are met. •Provides project and construction management over ight for field in pection , review of field de ign changes, resolving technical problems and methods regarding codes, permits, and municipal construction requirements as applied to maintenance, facility modification, and repair or reconstruction projects. Assists in obtaining permits, as needed. Job requirements include: •BS Degree, in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related technical major from an accredited school. A two-year degree in a related technical field and directly related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis. •Minimum of three (3) years of experience in progressive responsibility for projects in design and/or construction work. •Professional and effective communications skills. •Valid PA driver’s license. •Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. Preferred attributes: •Experience/education in construction, maintenance and/or construction management. •Registered Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or the ability to obtain such registration through reciprocity within one year of appointment.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. ntere ted candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Robyn Taylor Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 RTaylor@portauthority.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
Estate of MARGARET MASSIMINO A/K/A MARGARET E. MASSIMINO, Deceased of Bridgeville Rocks, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-05321, Paul Massimino, Executor, 663 Gregg Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of ALINE ELLEN SOUKUP, Deceased of Castle Shannon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Estate No. 02-21-05823,Judy Stevenson, Administrator, 1017 Woodridge Drive Cannonsburg, PA 15317 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017 Estate of GENEVIEVE CLARK CATON, No. 022105052 Date of Death: 06/08/2021 PNC Bank, National Association Attn: Sharon L Whitney, VP 300 Fifth Ave, FL 31 Pittsburgh, PA 15222 And/or: Heidi Rai Stewart, Esq. Houston Harbaugh Three Gateway Center, 22nd Floor 401 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 NOTICE n the Court of Common Plea of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Orphans Court Division. Estate of SHIRLEY M. WILLIAMS, deceased. Case No. 02-11-00642. Notice is hereby given that on July 1, 2021, a petition wa filed by Keanna Holliday to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Shirley M. Williams, deceased, in the real estate located at 1352 Ridgway St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 and to determine that fee simple title is in Keanna Holliday. f no ob ection to the Petition are filed within thirty (30) days, Keanna Holliday will seek an Order of Court adjudging that Decedent’s title to said real estate lies in her.
NOTICE
n the Court of Common Plea of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Orphans Court Division. Estate of THOMASENA B. SEALS, deceased, Case No. 02-97-00142. Notice is hereby given that on August 4, 2021, a petition wa filed by Shirley A. Seals to terminate the interests of the heirs and devisees of Thomasena B. Seals, deceased, in the real estate located at 1519 Brighton Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 (Parcel 23-J-2) and to determine that fee simple title is in Shirley A. Seals. f no ob ection to the Petition are filed within thirty (30) days, Shirley A. Seals will seek an Order of Court adjudging that Decedent’s title to said real estate lies in her.
We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. ntere ted candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Robyn Taylor Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 RTaylor@portauthority.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Name Change
IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA GD 21-6531 IN RE: PETITION OF Fredia Dolores Fields a/k/a Fredia Dolores Graham a/k/a Fredia Dolores Evans a/k/a Dolores Fredia Evans to change name to Fredia Deloris Evans To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order or said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the Third day of September, 2021, at 9:30 a.m., as the time, and the Motions Room, City-County Building as the place for a hearing, where and when all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for. LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance obby, 3 South Bellefield Avenue, Pitt burgh, Pa., 15213, on September 7, 2021, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Pittsburgh Grandview PreK-5 Window/Curtainwall Replacement and Masonry Restoration General, Mechanical, Electrical, and Asbestos Abatement Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on August 2, 2021 at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.
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LEGAL ADVERTISING
LEGAL ADVERTISING
LEGAL ADVERTISING
Legal Notices
Legal Notices
Bids/Proposals
NOTICE OF CONDEMNATION IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA IN RE: THE CONDEMNATION BY THE COUNTY OF ALLEGHENY OF A CERTAIN PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED IN HAMPTON TOWNSHIP OWNED BY DOROTHY W. WA S L O R E Q U I R E D T O PRESERVE STILLHOUSE RUN STRUCTURE NO. 1 CASE NO: GD 21- 8354 Estimated Just Compensation: $6,200.00 TO: DOROTHY W. WASLO TAKE NOTICE that a Declaration of aking wa filed July 22, 2021 at the above referenced docket number. Name of Condemnee: Dorothy W. Waslo Name & Address of Condemnor: Allegheny County, (“County”) 101 Courthou e, 3 rant St., Pitt burgh, PA . Authorizing Statute(s). Article , and of the Allegheny County ome ule Charter, Article , 0 .0 and 03.0 of the Allegheny County Admini trative Code and the Act of 3 uly , P. . 3, Art. , 0 , et e . Authorizing Ordinance. Ordinance No. 05-21-OR, enacted April 13, 2021. he ordinance may be e amined at the office of Condemnor, noted above. Condemnation Description. The purpose of this condemnation is to acquire certain property, designated in the Allegheny County Department of Real Estate as 717-D-18, for the purpose of preserving the Stillhouse Run Structure No. 1, located at County Road No. 2105-00 (Duncan Avenue in Hampton Township, County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Statement of Condemnation. Condemnee’s property identified on the Viewer’s Plan marked as Exhibit B to the Declaration of Taking, attached hereof, has been condemned as of July 22, 2021. The title acquired by the County is a fee simple interest, including all interests of every record owner thereof or any party claiming an interest therein, in the area labeled “Required Right-of Way” and an easement interest in the area labeled “Temporary Construction Easement” on Exhibit B. Plans showing the property condemned may be inspected in Condemnor’s office noted above and are al o lodged of record in the Allegheny County Department of Real Estate, at Plans-Misc. Volume 186, Page 52. Just compensation for the condemnation is secured by the County’s power of taxation, which is deemed pledged as security for the payment of damages as, shall be determined by law. Challenging the Condemnation. f Condemnee wi he to challenge the power or the right of County to appropriate the condemned property, the sufficiency of the ecurity, the procedure followed by County or the Declaration of aking, the Condemnee mu t file preliminary ob ection within 30 days after being served with Notice of Condemnation. Howard M. Louik Attorney for Condemnor LEGAL ADVERTISING
LEGAL ADVERTISING
Bids/Proposals
Bids/Proposals
LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 21-12 Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) is requesting proposals for the performance of the following service (“Contract Services”): MANAGED CARE PROGRAM SERVICES The work under the proposed Agreement consists of program development and implantation services, treatment facilities services, on-site medical case management ervice , re ource ca e management ervice , field medical and vocational case management services, claims management/program support services and litigation support services. The Agreement will be for a 5-year period with the option to extend the term of the Agreement up to 2 additional years at the sole discretion of Authority. A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be available on or after August 5, 2021 and can be obtained by registering at the Port Authority ebusiness website: http://ebusiness.portauthority.org and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under the ebusiness category(ies) of PSMC – Pro Workers Comp/Medical Management, and PSMCM – Pro Med/Voc Case Management for this RFP. Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued by Port Authority. f you have pecific ue tion regarding thi RFP, please contact Catherine Terrill at (412) 566-5188 or via email cterrill@PortAuthority.org. An nformation eeting for intere ted partie will be held at 9:30 a.m., prevailing time, August 17, 2021 via Microsoft Teams video conference and/or conference call to answer any questions regarding this RFP. To join by Microsoft Team video conference: • https://bit.ly/RFP21-12_Info_Mtg To join by Microsoft Teams call-in number: • (412) 927-0245 United State, Pittsburgh (Toll) • Conference ID: 158 017 365# Electronic proposals must be both received, and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department through Authority’s Ebusiness website at or before 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, September 7, 2021, at http://ebusiness.portauthority.org. Proposals received or time stamped by a Purchasing and Materials Management Department representative through Authority’s Ebusiness website after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award. Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein. This Contract Services may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The proposal process and the performance of the requested services will be in accordance with guidelines and regulations of the FTA “Third Party Contracting Guidelines”, FTA Circular 4220.1F, as amended, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Port Authority of Allegheny County, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, a amended, implement po itive affirmative action procedure to en ure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal fund , if any, provided under or for the propo ed Agreement. n thi regard, all recipient or contractor hall take all nece ary and rea onable tep in accordance with 9 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBEs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services. Port Authority of Allegheny County, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, al o re uire that certified Diver e Bu ine e , (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and ubcontract for, the Contract Service . n thi regard, all Propo er , and the Contractor, 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 and subcontracts for, the Contract Services. Further, proposers and the Contractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts or subcontracts for these Contract Services Port Authority of Allegheny County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.
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OFFICIAL BID NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 c aughlin un oad, pper St. Clair, PA , Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, August 24, 2021 and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Township Building at the same address for the following: JANITORIAL AND CLEANING SERVICES For the Municipal Building, Public Works Building, Recreation Center, Tennis Administration Building, all located on c aughlin un oad, Main Fire Station on Washington Road, and the Morton Road Fire Substation on Morton Road Please refer to https://www.twpusc.org/business/ bid_information.php, for details r egar ding specif icat ions and Bidding requirements. Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager OFFICIAL BID NOTICE TOWNSHIP OF UPPER ST. CLAIR Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 c aughlin un oad, pper St. Clair, PA , Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, August 24, 2021 and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Township Building at the same address for the following: MANHOLE TO MANHOLE LINING CONTRACT Please refer to https://www.twpusc.org/business/ bid_information.php, for details r egar ding specif icat ions and Bidding requirements. Matthew R. Serakowski Township Manager LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT INVITATION FOR BID CONTRACT NO. ACHA-1654, TREE REMOVAL & TRIMMING SERVICES The Allegheny County Housing Authority is requesting Bids from ualified Contractor to provide Tree Removal & Trimming Services throughout ACHA jurisdiction. nvitation for Bid and Contract Document are on file and may be obtained at no charge from the Allegheny County Housing Authority, 301 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks, PA 15136, or by contacting Guy Phillips @ gphillips@achsng.com, 412-402-2435. A non-mandatory pre-bid conference will be held in the Authority’s Boardroom on Wednesday, August 25, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. Bid submittals are due no later than 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 21, 2021 at 301 Chartiers Ave., Mckees Rocks, PA 15136. The Authority encourages responses from §3 business concerns, small firm , minority firm and firm that have not previously performed work for the ACHA. The Allegheny County Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any and all submissions. ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Frank Aggazio, Executive Director
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412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations:
Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication
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