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Pittsburgh Courier NEW

Transparency still an issue in police involved shootings VOL. 107, NO. 50

Published Weekly

Two Sections

$1.00

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

When the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association recommended not releasing the names of police officers involved in shootings two weeks ago, it was a shock to many, especially since the announcement came just days after Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed HB1538, legislation that would have required hiding the names.

But Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala quickly reassured the public that he would not be following that recommendation, and in fact, he never has.

“It is a recommendation—it’s not binding,” he said. “I don’t see by what reason

URA approves more funds for Arena site

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Jim Ferlo thinks the Pittsburgh Penguins are stalling development of the 28-acre former Civic Arena site. So when his fellow Urban Redevelopment Authority board members were asked to approve spending another $250,000 on site environmental work, Ferlo made an alternate suggestion— seize the property.

“Personally, I feel we should pull the plug on the Penguins. I don’t see them ever developing this site,” said the former state senator. “I think they’re making SEE URA A5

that would not be something of interest to the public. We will not be bound by it. I have an obligation to advise the public in matters of public significance.”

Other recommendations the association made included securing the scene of a shooting for the independent agency; using the most current technology to process it; keeping the officers involved, as well as witnesses, separated prior to and during interviews about the incident; and, providing officers counseling and union representation.

And though the recommendation on withholding officers involved in shootings

“How is he (Zappala) independent when he’s referred to as the top law enforcement officer— how is he separate? They have to work together—police collect evidence, give testimony.

Why would we expect him to prosecute those individuals he needs to make his case?”

BRANDI FISHER Executive Director Alliance for Police Accountability BRANDI FISHER

Hamlet fills 5 key vacancies

by Merecedes J. Howze For New Pittsburgh Courier

chief human resources officer, overseeing student achievement initiatives, and implementing talent management and professional development best practices for the district’s nearly 1,000 employees.

“Being here with Pittsburgh Public Schools affords me the opportunity to implement Dr. Hamlet’s vi-

(Pittsburgh Public Schools)—Anthony Hamlet, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, had five cabinet positions to fill when he was appointed as the school district’s top official in July. All vacancies, which were the result of pre-planned retirements, SEE HAMLET A5 are now filled, following a nationwide search to recruit the best candidates.

One of those appointees is Brooklyn, N.Y., native, Milton Walters, who was hired as the Chief of Human Resources. Before his current post, Walters served the Youngstown City School District in SEEMA ANGELA Ohio as its assistant RAMJI ALLIE superintendent and

SEE TRANSPARENCY A4

Allegheny County seeking residents for Violence Prevention Board

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

MILTON WALTERS

DAVID MAY-STEIN

ANTHONY ANDERSON

For nearly 20 years, Dr. Cyril Wecht, Rashad Byrdsong and others have advocated for government agencies to treat community violence and its associated trauma as a public health issue akin to an outbreak of flu or measles.

Now, the Allegheny County Health Department is doing just that—and it is asking for the community’s help in shaping its approach by asking 25 residents to constitute its Violence Prevention Community Advisory Board.

“Gun violence and its aftermath is a public health problem disproportionately impacting some of our communities, and it requires a community approach to solve,” SEE COUNTY A4

Bridgeway Capital gets $1M for Homewood development

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

MORE THAN METAPHOR—Bridgeway Capital will use a $1million to employ community contractors to not only revitalize the 150,000-sq.-ft. Susquehanna Street building, but also the Homewood neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Sen. Jay Costa.)

CANDI CASTLEBERRY SINGLETON Celebrity Host

Pittsburgh Courier NEW

To subscribe, call 412-481-8302 ext. 134 or FAX 412-481-1360

It may not be occurring with the fanfare and pace of development in East Liberty, but with new for-sale, rental and senior housing being constructed, its neighborhood “cluster” development plan complete, and development dollars beginning to flow, Homewood is slowly rising from the ashes of neglect.

One of the agents of this phoenix-like revitalization is Bridgeway Capital, which has not only invested in brick-andmortar projects throughout

Pittsburgh’s Black communities, but also in the residents—hiring Black owned firms to do as much of the work as is possible.

Last week it announced it would do even more of that in Homewood—$1 million more— as it continues the custom build out of the massive former Westinghouse building at 7800 Susquehanna Street, thanks to a state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant.

Bridgeway President and CEO Mark Peterson thanked state Sen. Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, and state Rep. Ed Gainey, D-East Liberty, for their assistance and

For Sponsorship or Ticket information, call 412-481-8302, ext. 136

support in obtaining the grant.

“The 7800 Susquehanna Street (project) has created new jobs and economic opportunity for Homewood. This new $1 million grant allows us to expand and build out custom spaces for more small manufacturers and job training organizations,” he said.

“We greatly appreciate the RACP program and Sen. Costa’s and Rep. Gainey’s support in bringing much needed new investment to Homewood.”

“I’m so pleased to join with Rep. Gainey to bring these critical SEE BRIDGEWAY A5

DARIETH CHISOLM Inspirational Speaker

Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick says

Our priority is the improvement of opportunities for Blacks Forum B5

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INTERNATIONAL

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

This Week In Black History

Week of Dec. 14-20, 2015 December 14 1799—The first President of the United States George Washington dies. In his will the “founding father” stipulated that his slaves shall be freed upon the death of his wife Martha. Washington was a wealthy Virginian who supported slavery but did not want to see it expanded. In this regard, he signed the notorious Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 but also signed legislation barring the expansion of slavery into the Northwest Territories. Upon her death, Martha Washington also freed the slaves she owned. One Washington slave is known to have escaped and was never recaptured. His name was Ona Judge Staines.

1915—Jack Johnson, perhaps the most controversial Black boxer in American history, wins the heavy weight championship. He fought at least 114 matches winning most of them.

JACK JOHNSON One biographer described Johnson as a man who “lived life his way.” But his outspokenness and affairs with White women ran him afoul of the racist authorities of the day. He was jailed for nearly a year in 1913 on trumped up charges.

He fought his last match in 1928. After boxing he became a sensation on Broadway PROTESTS CONTINUE—Protesters march against government corruption, on the 53rd anniversary of in the play “Great White Hope.” Born in Galveston, Texas, Johnson (full name Arthur John Johnson) died in Raleigh, N.C., as a result of an automobile accident. For reasons Kenya’s independence, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Monday, Dec. 12. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) which remain unclear, President Obama has delayed granting Johnson a pardon on his 1913 conviction even though the measure has little opposition.

December 15 1864—One of the most decisive battles of the Civil War begins on this day with Black troops helping to crush one of the South’s finest armies at the Battle of Nashville. In a bid to stop the advances of the Union Army under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, rebel Gen. John Bell Hood led the powerful Army of Tennessee to Nashville to cut off Sherman’s supply lines. After two weeks of positioning and waiting for a break in the cold weather, the Union side finally decided to hurl the 13th United States Colored Troops at the NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) Army of Tennessee. Although suffering massive casu— Kenya’s president on alties, the Black troops broke through the Confederate Monday criticized the Inlines in a matter of hours. The victory helped to seal the ternational Criminal Court South’s fate and bring an end to the Civil War the very as “not impartial,” saying next year. his government “will give 1934—Maggie Lena Walker dies on this day at age serious thought” to its 69. She had become perhaps the most powerful Black membership of the court. female businesswoman and social activist in America.

In a speech during Born to former slaves who themselves became activists celebrations marking 53 for Black betterment, Walker at the tender age of 14 years since Kenya became joined the Independent Grand United Order of St. Luke independent, President in Richmond, Va. She would help transform the Order Uhuru Kenyatta said he and led it to become a premier Black self-help group. At believed he would win its height, the Order had 50,000 members, 1500 local a second term next year MAGGIE LENA WALKER chapters, and a multi-purpose financial complex. Under despite what he called “diWalker, the Order started a newspaper–the St. Luke Herald and a bank—the St. Luke visive politicians, external powers, the ICC or paid PRESIDENT SPEAKS—Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta delivers Penny Savings Bank. Indeed, the bank was the only Black Richmond bank to survive protesters.” his speech to the nation during the 53rd Jamhuri Day Celebrations the Great Depression bringing other banks under its wing and becoming the Consoli(Independence Day) at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Monday, Dec. 12. dated Bank and Trust Company.

Kenyatta was elected in December 16 2013 as he and his running (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi) 1859—The last known slave ship, The Clotilde, lands in Mobile, Ala., with a carmate, William Ruto, faced go of 110 to 160 Africans. The importation of Africans as slaves had been illegal in criminal charges at the America since 1808. But the law was poorly enforced.

ICC over their alleged roles However, fearing possible arrest by federal authorities, in post-election violence in owners burned the Clotilde and attempted to scatter the 2007-2008. slaves. But a group managed to escape and succeeded in The charges against Kenestablishing a village near Mobile known as “Africatown.” yatta were withdrawn in The last known survivor of this group was Cudjo Lewis 2014 while the case against (African name Kossula).

Ruto was terminated earliDecember 17 er this year.

1663—Queen Nzingha of Angola dies at the age of “In our pursuit of a more 82. Known as the Warrior Princess of Matamba, Queen stable and just order, we Nzingha gained legendary fame for her resistance to are champions of global Portuguese attempts to colonize the interior of Africa. institutions grounded in She also battled the Dutch slave trade. Leading a tribal fairness and respect for group known as the Jugas, she is generally credited with national sovereignty,” Kenyatta said Monday.

COLOUR GUARD—Kenyan Navy personnel take part in the troop- leading the stiffest resistance to early European colonial“The Kenyan cases at the ing of the colour parade, during the 53rd Jamhuri Day Celebrations ism and imperialism.

1939—Eddie Kendricks is born in Union Springs, International Criminal (Independence Day) at Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi, Monday, Dec. 12,. (AP Photo/Khalil Senosi) Ala. Kendricks was the lead singer for the Temptations Court have ended but the NOBLE SISSLE during the group’s heyday. experience has given us 1975—Pioneer Jazz lyricist Noble Sissle dies considered that step. Twice, cause to observe that this South Africa, Burundi and on this day in 1975. He was one-half of the famous team of Sissle and Blake (Eubie our parliament has passed Gambia have announced institution has become a tool of global power politics motions to withdraw. We plans to withdraw from The Blake). Sissle wrote the lyrics and sang the songs while Blake composed and played the music. Sissle died at his home in Tampa, Fla. He was 86. have sought the changes and not the justice it was Hague-based court.

December 18 that will align the ICC built to dispense.”

Meanwhile, Kenyan po1865—Congress passes the 13th Amendment to the Constitution officially to respect national sovHe added: “We have lice fired tear gas on Monabolishing slavery in America. The actual ratification of the Amendment had been ereignty. Those changes started to see many more day to disperse a protest have not been forthcoming. march against government completed on Dec. 6. Reconstruction began and legendary abolitionist Frederick Dougnations openly recognizlass considered retiring to a farm after urging the nation to insure Black voting rights.

We will therefore need to ing that the ICC is not corruption.

But a February 1866 meeting with President Andrew give serious thought to our impartial. Some have The march was part of Johnson shocked him out of retirement. Johnson told membership.” withdrawn. Others have a protest movement by the Douglass delegation that he intended to support the activists who want the interests of Southern Whites and would oppose giving government to do more to voting rights to the ex-slaves. Johnson’s racism led to a stem what they charge is radicalized Congress passing pro-Black legislation over rampant graft within the his vetoes. administration.

1917—Performer Ossie Davis is born Raiford ChatPolice arrested at least man Davis on this day in Cogdell, Ga. Davis was probthree protesters in the ably Black America’s best example of a combination capital, Nairobi, when they entertainer and political activist. In addition to his stage broke up the demonstraand movie careers, Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee, were tion. The group later redeeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Davis was united at another location a key speaker at the funerals of both Malcolm X and Dr. and resumed the march.

Martin Luther King Jr. He died Feb. 4, 2005 of natural Kenya is considered to causes while in Miami Beach, Fla. be among the world’s most 1971—National Black political leader Rev. Jesse corrupt countries, ranking OSSIE DAVIS and RUBY DEE Jackson founds Operation PUSH (People United to 139 out of 168 countries in Save Humanity) in Chicago. Breaking with some of the a 2015 index by Transparolder civil rights organizations, Jackson declared that the modern problems facing ency International Blacks “are economic so the solution and goal must be economic.”

1996—The Oakland, Calif., school board shocks the nation and angers much of the THE educational establishment by recognizing “Ebonics” (Black NEW PITTSBURGH English) as a separate language and not a dialect or slang.

COURIER December 19 1875—The man who would become recognized as the “Father PUBLISHING COMPANY of Black History,” Carter Godwin Woodson, is born on this day Publication No.: USPS 381940 in New Canton, Buckingham County, Va. Woodson founded the Washington, D.C.,-based Association for the Study of Afro-Amer315 East Carson Street ican Life and History. He wrote hundreds of articles about Black Pittsburgh, PA 15219 history and published several books with the most widely circulated being “The Negro in Our History” and launched the inforPhone: 412-481-8302 mation celebration now known as Black History Month. His faFax: 412-481-1360 mous warning to African-Americans about the need to know and study Black history was, “Those who have no record of what their CARTER G. WOODSON The forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes New Pittsburgh Courier from the teaching of biography and history.” Woodson died suddenly on April 3, 1950.

1891—One of the pioneers of Black Catholicism, Charles Randolph Uncles, was is published weekly ordained the first African-American priest in America on this day in Baltimore, Md. 1910—Two of the nation’s leading Black newspapers were founded on this day: the periodicals Pittsburgh Courier and the Norfolk Journal and Guide. The Pittsburgh Courier paid at Pittsburgh, Pa. would become the nation’s largest circulation Black-oriented newspaper after Robert PRICE $1.00 Lee Vann became editor & publisher. The Norfolk Journal and Guide evolved from a fraternal order publication known as the Lodge Journal and Guide.

1930—Perhaps the nation’s leading Black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, is officially (Payable in advance) incorporated. The sorority was actually founded in 1913 by 22 coeds at Howard Uni6 Months.....$25 versity in Washington, D.C. One of the first public acts by the group was to participate in a demonstration in March 1913 demanding that women be given the right to vote.

1 Year....$45 December 20 2 Years...&85 1860—Believing the November election of Abraham Lincoln would bring the end of slavery; on this day in 1860 South Carolina becomes the first Southern state to 9 Month School Rate $35 secede from the Union. Other states hold conventions and by the time Lincoln takes on March 4, 1861, seven Southern states had seceded to form the Confederacy.

POSTMASTER: Send office The secessions lay the foundation for the start of the Civil War. In 1865, the victory of address changes to: the North brings an end to slavery but not before over 600,000 people had been killed.

1988—Max Robinson, the first Black co-anchor of a nightly network news program New Pittsburgh Courier (ABC’s World News Tonight), dies in Washington, D.C., of complications due to AIDS. The 49-year-old Robinson was officially thought to be straight. It was never publicly 315 East Carson Street explained how he contracted the deadly disease. Robinson’s given name was Maxie Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Cleveland Robinson Jr.

Kenya president: International Criminal Court not impartial

NATIONAL

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

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What’s ahead for Michelle Obama? Figuring out what comes next

by Darlene Superville Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP)— It’ll be one of the most watched mid-life career changes in recent memory.

What does Michelle Obama do next?

After eight years as a high-profile advocate against childhood obesity, a sought-after talk show guest, a Democratic power player and a style maven, the first lady will have her pick of options when she leaves the White House next month.

Just as the first lady’s role is undefined, with each woman molding it to her personality, interests and comfort level, there is no script for what comes after the first lady finishes the job.

In this June 6, file photo, first lady Michelle Obama, joined by school children from In this Dec. 1 photo, first lady Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama watch The widowed Jacqueline across the country, harvest the White House Kitchen Garden at the White House in musical performances at the 2016 National Christmas Tree lighting ceremony near Kennedy remarried and the White House. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) became a New York book editor. Laura Bush conObama had cited the increased demands official residence of Vice President-elect series of campaign speeches criticizing tinues her advocacy for literacy, women of the campaign for leaving the board of Mike Pence.

The home is large enough Republican Donald Trump, now the in Afghanistan and preservation isIllinois-based TreeHouse Foods Inc. to be a hub of social activity, but it’s far president-elect, as unsuitable for the sues. Hillary Clinton launched her own “It will be fun to see what she actually from clear whether Mrs. Obama will nation’s highest office.

Her friend, media political career with her bid for the U.S. does,” said Kimberly Archer, head of the become Washington’s new power hostess. mogul Oprah Winfrey, said the first Senate, even before her family left the Washington office of Russell Reynolds Ex-presidents tend to keep a low profile lady will be “one of the most in-demand White House.

Associates, an executive search and in the first year or so after they leave speakers” as a result of her convention Here’s a look at what Mrs. Obama is assessment firm. “Wherever she does deoffice. performance.

“That speaking fee just likely to do, or not do, when at 53 years cide to focus, I would say, ‘Lucky them.’”

The Obamas also still own a home in quadrupled,” Winfrey joked during an old she becomes a private citizen again LIKELY WON’T DO: Chicago. interview with The Associated Press. on Jan. 20.

RUN FOR PUBLIC OFFICE STICK WITH HER INITIATIVES Clinton earned millions of dollars LIKELY TO DO: Both the president and first lady Mrs. Obama has said she’ll stay engiving paid speeches after she stepped R&R repeatedly have said she will not run for gaged in public service and will keep down as secretary of state. Laura Bush President Barack Obama says he’s president—despite pressure from Demworking on the issues she focused also keeps a robust public speaking taking her on a “really nice vacation, beocrats wowed by her campaign speeches on during her tenure. They included schedule. cause she deserves it. She’s been putting challenging Trump. childhood obesity and education for girls HOST A TELEVISION TALK SHOW up with me for quite some time.” (TwenObama has said she doesn’t have around the world.

Mrs. Obama has demonstrated a knack ty-four years of marriage, to be exact.) “the patience or the inclination” to be a “I’ve always felt very alive using my for talk-show banter, and an ease in WRITE A MEMOIR candidate and is “too sensible to want to gifts and talents to help other people. I front of the TV cameras. She co-hosted Practically all first ladies do. As the be in politics.” Mrs. Obama said “No, no. sleep better at night. I’m happier,” she “The View” before the 2008 election and first Black woman in the role and as Not going to do it,” when asked earlier told Vogue for an interview in the fashrecently co-hosted Ellen DeGeneres’ someone who has said little publicthis year about following in her husion magazine’s December issue. “So we’ll hourlong gabfest. Roy Ashton, head of ly about her private life in the White band’s footsteps. look back at the issues that I’ve been television at the Gersh Agency in Los House, book publishers would offer RESUME PRACTICING LAW working on. The question is: How do I Angeles, says Mrs. Obama would be a to pay millions for the rights to Mrs. Mrs. Obama, a Harvard law school engage in those issues from a new plat“no-brainer” to have a show of her own.

Obama’s insider account. Clinton got an graduate, practiced at a Chicago firm form? I can’t say right now, because we “She could pick up where Oprah left $8 million advance for her 2003 memoir, but abandoned a legal career after the can’t spend that much time really doing off, or something else,” Ashton said. “I “Living History.” deaths of her father and a close friend. the hard work of vetting offers or ideas think Michelle Obama has a ton to say.”

SET UP HER FAMILY’S NEW HOME She entered public service, working or options because we’re still closing SERVE ON CORPORATE BOARDS Breaking from post-presidential tradifor the city of Chicago and running an things out here.”

She has some experience with corpotion, the Obamas plan to stay in WashAmeriCorps service program before COULD DO: rate America, but she’ll want to choose ington so their 15-year-old daughter, she joined the University of Chicago JOIN SPEAKER’S CIRCUIT carefully. Mrs. Obama resigned from the Sasha, can finish high school. Presidents Medical Center as a vice president for Mrs. Obama put her oratory on display board of a food supplier for Wal-Mart usually leave Washington when they community and external affairs. It was with a well-received speech on opening Stores Inc. in 2007, shortly after her husleave office, but the Obamas are rentthe last paid position she held before night of the 2016 Democratic Nationband announced his presidential bid. He ing a home in the wealthy Kalorama become first lady. al Convention. She followed up with a had been a critic of the retail giant. Mrs. neighborhood, near what will be the

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DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

METRO

‘The Best of the Batch’—Who will have bragging rights?

Community Calendar Community Holiday Party DEC. 15—In collaboration with African Americans for Good Government, state Rep. Ed Gainey will host his 4th Annual Holiday Party, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Homewood Coliseum, 7310 Frankstown Ave. The event will feature food, music and prizes.

Blood Drive

GAME OF POOL—Charlie Batch plays pool with several different people at the Charlie Batch fundraiser for the Charlie Batch Foundation. (Photos by J. L Martello)

DEC. 16 to 31—The Red Cross urges eligible donors to give the lifesaving gift of a blood donation in December, a time when donations decline but the needs of patients remain steady. Donors of all blood types are needed this holiday season to help ensure a sufficient supply for hospital patients. For the nearest location, or to make an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800733-2767.

Violence Prevention Recruitment ONGOING—The Allegheny County Department of Health is recruiting 25 individuals to serve on its new Violence Prevention Community Advisory Board. The board will assist ACHD in developing public health approaches, data-driven strategies and collaborations to best serve the residents in the areas with the highest activity of gun violence. Members are being recruited from a wide range of backgrounds, including workforce development, government, media, social services as well as community residents who are committed to addressing the issue. To learn more, visit online at http://www.achd.net/commhe alth/advisoryboard.html.

CHARLIE BATCH plays games hosts the event and signs autographs.

Allegheny county seeks residents for Violence Prevention Board CONTINUED FROM A1

said Dr. Karen Hacker, Director of the Allegheny County Health Department. “It is critically important to engage community members as members of the Advisory Board to help craft the solutions.”

The department wants people with as broad a range of backgrounds as possible—business, media, community advocate, government, social services, etc. But all should be committed to addressing the issue of community violence.

As opposed to a law-enforcement approach, a public health approach focuses on populations and communities rather than individuals, and on prevention rather than intervention.

It takes a system approach and necessitates engagement across a broad group of stakeholders. In essence, such an approach assumes that street violence is similar to an infectious disease outbreak and that it can be prevented if the contributing risk factors are understood. That approach then allows for intervention with culturallyappropriate, evidencebased strategies.

While this is a countywide initiative, the department is particularly seeking applicants from communities hardest hit by gun violence.

McKeesport Councilwoman V. Fawn WalkerMontgomery serves on of those communities and is very interested in the initiative.

“We’re hit hard by gun violence. I’ve spoke to Rashad about the public health approach over the years, and I’m definitely interested in this,” she said.

“I work in social services helping families deal with violence, and at this point I’ll support anything that can do something about it.”

Byrdsong, founder and CEO of the Community Empowerment Association, said he’s please the conversations he’s had with county leaders over the years about taking this approach yielded this result.

“I spoke with the director and their going through the process of putting this board together—now they just have to get it right,” he said.

“This approach has established science behind it.

There’s been a lot of research, but hasn’t been prioritized until now. But this violence is systemic in nature and has multiple causes. It will take all hands on deck to stop it.”

In 2014, the homicide rate in the United States was 4.5 per 100,000, while the rate in Allegheny County was 8.5 per 100,000. The homicide rate in Allegheny County in 2015 was 9.3 per 100,000.

The department said it has carefully selected evidence-based program strategies that demonstrate measurable effects on violence, which allow for action now. To learn more about the advisory board, and to apply visit http://www.achd.net/comm health/advisoryboard.html or call call 412-247-7969.

Transparency stillissue in police shootings

LOCAL CELEBERTIES—Many local celeberties came out and played games with everyone who wanted to play as WPXI’s Brittney McGraw plays table tennis.

CONTINUED FROM A1

would seem to fly in the face of the move toward more government transparency, the association also recommended that in no cases should an officer’s department investigate such a shooting, that the inquiry be done by an outside agency. Not surprisingly, the association recommended district attorneys be that agency.

That too has been policy in Allegheny County, and was formalized—at least in Pittsburgh—by a 2002 agreement between Zappala and Pittsburgh police that made the district attorney’s office the chief investigating agency for officer-involved shootings. It included protocols such as alerting the office immediately upon such an incident and providing unlimited access to the scene.

However, as activists like Alliance for Police Accountability Executive Director Brandi Fisher and Black Political Empowerment Project Chair Tim Stevens have noted previously, the district attorney’s office is not independent enough.

Fisher, whose organization led a rally in Harrisburg against passing HB1538, and petitioned Wolf to veto it, said the district attorney is not separate from the police.

“How is he (Zappala) independent when he’s referred to as the top law enforcement officer—how is he separate? They have to work together—police collect evidence, give testimony,” she said. “Why would we expect him to prosecute those individuals he needs to make his case?”

She also said that relationship brings with it political pressures because the dis-

trict attorney is elected.

“The (Fraternal Order of Police) is a very powerful political union and the fact that (Zappala) is elected brings politics into the situation. Mayors succumb to those pressures, there’s no way to say district attorneys are independent,” she said. “I think the state police would be a more independent agency—if we had to choose, the state police might be better—but then you’re back to police policing police—and I don’t think that’s a good idea, ever.”

Westmoreland County District Attorney John Peck said they use the state police to investigate officer-involved incidents, though his office is involved, and takes over following a coroner’s inquest.

The Allegheny County Coroner’s inquests were discontinued when Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey Manning ended a political battle between Zappala and then Coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht over which office could file criminal charges.

Stevens said he would go even higher than the state police in seeking independence. His organization has long pressed for a “Jonny Gammage Law’ which would have the state attorney general investigate officer involved deaths.

Gammage, a 31-year-old Black man died of “positional asphyxiation” after being stopped by Baldwin police in 1995.

Then District Attorney Bob Colville charged the three officers involved. The proceedings ended when Judge David Cashman declared a mistrial after prejudicial comment were made on the stand by Dr. Cyril Wecht.

Holiday Project ONGOING through DEC. 20—The Allegheny County Department of Human Services’ Holiday Project is again collecting new, unwrapped gifts for children and youth who receive services through the DHS Office of Children, Youth and Families. While all donation are appreciated, there is a specific need for: warm winter clothing for ages 0-18 months; board games for all ages; puzzles for all ages, sporting goods, dolls and action figures, and creative kits for school ages children. Donations are being accepted at three downtown locations: the Allegehny County Courthouse, the Human Services building and the City County Federal Credit Union. Opportunities to receive and fulfill a child’s wish list are also available. To request a child’s name and wish list and/or for more information about this process, please contact the Event and Donations Team at 412-350-3428.

Oral History Session DEC. 17—Writer Cody McDevitt, brings his search for descendants of the African Americans expelled from Johnstown’s Rosedale neighborhood by the mayor in 1923 to the Homewood Branch of the Carnegie Library at 1:30 p.m. McDevitt who is writing a book on the incident and its aftermath , hopes to interview descendants for the oral history portion of his project. He can be reached at at 412-651-6882, or they can email me at codymcdevitt@gmail.com.

Holiday Cruises DEC. 30—The Gateway Clipper fleet will host two Princess Balls boarding at 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., inviting all “little princesses” to celebrate the New Year aboard a Pittsburgh riverboat. Call 412-355-7580 for more information and prices.

New Year’s Eve Dec. 31—The Gateway Clipper fleet will host three New Year’s Eve events: a Dinner Cruise, A Dance Cruise, and an Hors D’Ouevres & Dance Cruise. Call 412-3557580 for more information and prices.

KISS 2016 Goodbye Bash & Cadillac Giveaway DEC. 31—The Rivers Casino will host a KISS 2016 Goodbye bash from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets are $50 and available at riverscasino.com.

There will also be a drawing for a 2017 Cadillac Escalade. at 1:30 a.m.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

METRO

Bridgeway Capital gets $1M for development

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URA approves more funds for Arena site CONTINUED FROM A1

RASHAD BYRDSONG

ED GAINEY CONTINUED FROM A1

grant funds back to Homewood,” Costa said. “Homewood is a growing, thriving community that has so much potential.

This project opens the door to new opportunities for businesses and industrial partners to expand their operations. New business ventures mean new job opportunities for residents. What more could we ask for?”

The building, which sat idle for years, houses 150,000 square feet of space spread over five floors. Each of these 30,000square-foot floors either has been, or will be rewired, framed, dry walled and painted, and subdivided to fit the lessees’ needs.

And, as the New Pittsburgh Courier previously reported, all the work has been supervised by Rashad Byrdsong’s Homewood-based Ma’at Construction firm, which Bridgeway hired as the general contractor for the project in 2014.

Not only has this allowed Byrdsong to hire additional African American tradesmen and crews like electrical contractor Louis McCullough, it affords students of the construction training program he runs though the Community Empowerment Association the chance to get hands-on experience.

Bridgeway gets it, he said.

“This is true empowerment; when you’re able to build your own organizations and institutions and businesses,” said Byrdsong. “Now, these kids out here will see people who look like them working and contributing, and rebuilding and beautifying their community. Instead of takers, they’ll see makers—they’ll be makers.”

Adam Kenney, director of Bridgeway’s Craft Business Accelerator, said the building is currently about two-thirds filled with tenants. The grant will help refit the remaining third, which includes half of the first floor and the entire fifth floor.

Board elects leadership at its organization meeting PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh School Board has elected officers for the 2017 fiscal year at this it’s board organization meeting. Regina B. Holley, Phd, was elected president. Silvia Wilson was elected as first-vice president and Moira Kaleida was elected second-vice president. The board also elected Superintendent Anthony Hamlet as secretary of the board, along with three assistant secretaries and a school treasurer.

“I am thankful to my board colleagues for this vote of confidence to continue our efforts to improve academic outcomes for all students,” said Holley.

“I look forward to advancing the work we have begun with Dr. Hamlet to transform the Pittsburgh Public Schools and create a student-centered culture.”

Holley was first elected to represent District 2 in 2011 and elected board president last year.

A resident of Highland Park, Holley is a long-time educator and school leader, who retired in 2010 after 35 years with the Pittsburgh Public Schools. In addition to her role as president, Holley serves as

REGINA HOLLEY the Council of Urban Boards of Education representative and Title I Liaison. She has also chaired the board’s Education, Charter and District Sustainability Committees.

Wilson was first elected to the board to represent District 1 in 2013. Prior to serving as the assistant to the president of the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers (PFT), Wilson served as secretary of the PFT executive board since 1979.

Wilson previously taught elementary school throughout the Pittsburgh Public Schools for 26 years. For more than 20 years, she was an active

volunteer with community youth baseball and football organizations. Additionally, Wilson serves on the ALCOSAN board as the joint city-county appointee. Previously serving as chair of the Personnel Committee, chair of the Communication & Marketing/Public Information committee, Wilson currently serves as chair of the Education Committee, District 8 (PIAA) Representative and board museum liaison.

Kaleida was first elected to represent District 6 in 2015. Kaleida currently serves as chair of the board’s Government Relations committee. A lifelong resident of the City of Pittsburgh, Kaleida is a graduate of the Pittsburgh Public Schools.

After graduating from Brashear High School, she attended Penn State University where she received a degree in Social Studies and Citizenship Education. She currently serves on the boards of BREW on Broadway and ICAN of Southwestern PA. She is also a mentor for Nurture PA, and resides in Beechview with her husband and their two children.

Hamlet fills 5 key vacancies CONTINUED FROM A1

sion and provide a world-class, diverse workforce,” said Walters.

With 4,000 employees, Walters’ first order of business is to look, listen, and assess the state of hiring and retaining qualified staff for Pittsburgh Public Schools. He also plans to take this time getting to know the human resources team.

“Our recruitment efforts to ensure high-quality staff will go coast to coast.

We not only want teachers to come to Pittsburgh Public Schools, but we want them to stay.”

Since joining the team, Walters has already started a meticulous effort to attract minority professionals, specifically teachers. Now, within the district’s career section of the website is a tab titled “Teachers of Color,” a page to better support minority applicants. Walters’ team will also reach out to historically Black colleges and universities for recruitment purposes.

Another area of recruitment for the human resources department are substitute teachers. The department is currently working on ways to attract retirees, veterans, and those interested in being a fulltime teacher to apply.

Walters wants to adopt an automated system where principals can identify

teacher call offs, track those call offs and identify patterns of teacher absenteeism.

“Real time data tells us that student academic achievement is directly connected to having a consistent teacher in the classroom,” said Walters. “We want every staff member to possess the necessary tools and materials to do their jobs efficiently and effectively.”

Walters’ background is “a combination of corporate, K-12 and higher education experience.” He was an adjunct professor in North Carolina and Maryland, teaching legal compliance, human resources, diversity and leadership, among other subjects.

Walters led operations and human resources training and development for nonand for-profit entities in New York City.

In addition to several educational leadership-based professional certifications, Walters received his Doctorate of Business Administration from Argosy University and is currently pursuing a second doctorate in Educational Leadership from Morehead State University.

The other four appointments include Angela Allie, executive director of the Office of Equity; Chief Academic Officer Seema Ramji; Chief of School Performance David May-Stein; and Deputy Superintendent Anthony Anderson.

too much money parking cars there every day.”

Instead of the authority paying for environmental analyses, it should use it as leverage to seize the development rights from the Penguins. Failing that, he suggested, it should use eminent domain.

“I don’t see (development) happening,” he said. “I don’t see any way for it to happen with the Penguins involved.”

Though the board voted 4-1 to approve a $250,000 contract with KU Resources Inc. to conduct an environmental and geochemical review of the upper portion of the site— which, because it is designated for residential development, must meet stricter requirements— members Danny Lavelle, Pittsburgh councilman, and Cheryl Hall-Russell, Hill House president and CEO, also expressed frustration with the pace of development.

Hall-Russell said this was one of the first development projects she learned of when she moved here more than five years ago, and she’s still waiting.

Board chair Kevin Acklin said the vote wasn’t a referendum on the Penguins, but for an action that would be needed regardless of ownership.

He said the Penguins are making progress. And though the team has paid

DANIEL LAVELLE

CHERYL HALL-RUSSELL

$225,000 for extensions to the development timeline for the residential portion of the development, some of the delay is due to factors it doesn’t control, such as the lost of anchor tenant U.S. Steel, a complaint about the development’s percentage of low-income units filed with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the more detailed environmental analysis.

“I’ve seen the commitment by this team,” he said.

“We’re not there yet. It’s a large site and there are a lot of complexities to it. But we have been working diligently with the community and the Penguins to advance development.”

Lavelle said the deal had to be made.

“If we don’t front the money, there’s no guarantee

the site ever gets done,” he said.

The remaining votes at the Dec. 8 meeting were far less contentious. The board authorized several actions needed to apply for tax credits and to float a bond to finance the construction of 65 mixed-income housing units for the $25 million first phase of the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s Allegheny Dwellings community.

The board also approved receipt of a $1 million state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant awarded to Bridgeway Capital for use in its continued build out of custom leased space for artist, tradesmen and light manufacturing in the former Westinghouse building at 7800 Susquehanna St., in Homewood.

ENTERTAINER New Pittsburgh Courier

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DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Cover To Cover

‘Game Changers’

by Terri Schlichenmeyer For New Pittsburgh Courier

You can’t bear to look at the score.

Whatever it is, it’s going to be close. Both sides are playing well today, and they’re all very talented.

Your team might win. They might lose. Or, as in the new book “Game Changers”

by Molly Schiot, they might alter the way the whole thing’s played.

Growing up, Schiot says, “I thought only men could be champions.” Most popular sports-themed movies indicated as much; so did TV before cable. Few tales of women in sports were widely known, so Schiot, a Hollywood director, searched until she found a “treasure trove of images” that “inspired me to pull theses stories out of the dark.”

Take the story of Alice Marble.

Marble was a Grand Slam championship tennis winner many times over, but her “post-tennis life” was equally remarkable: shortly after losing both her husband and her baby, Marble became a spy for the Allies during World War II. Althea Gibson was the first tennis player to break the color barrier at the U.S.

Open. But did you know that there were a lot of African American women who fought on the courts before her: Ruth Harris, Lillian Hardy, Alfreda Jackson, Clementine Redmond…?

Of course, this book includes athletes like Billy Jean King, Babe Didrikson Zaharaias, Nadia Comaneci, Renée Richards, and Diana Nyad. You’ve heard about them, but you may not know that Olympian Abby Hoffman masqueraded as a boy when she was 9 years old, in order to play hockey in Canada. You may not know about the abuse the first female pro-baseball umpire got during ump school, the jeers the first female Boston Marathon runner endured, or the record snatched from Kitty O’Neil. You might have seen an in-your-face move by skater Surya Bonaly, but you don’t know what bullfighter Conchita Cintrón did, or that Negro League baseballer Toni Stone cheekily befriended prostitutes while on the road. Because of what an autopsy revealed, you might not know about Stella Walsh at all. And there’s a chance that many of these women couldn’t have reached their goals or made history without the efforts of Bernice Sandler and Edith Green.

Wow, are there a lot of surprises inside “Game Changers.”

Even rabid sports fans will find something new hiding here, in part because author Schiot includes mini-chapters on women athletes in a huge variety of sports. Fans will find everything from the archery to zooming race cars, balls to boats, journalism, hiking, climbing, skating, and coaching. (“Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History” by Molly Schiot, c.2016, Simon & Schuster, $25/$34, Canada, 310 pages.)

THE CRUCIFIXION—Disciples watch as Jesus hangs from the cross.

Yahweh RYSE presents ‘Even Me’—the crucifixion of Jesus

by Paige K. Mitchell For New Pittsburgh Courier

Yahweh RYSE presented an on-stage production entitled “Even Me” to hundreds on Dec. 2 at the Byham Theater. The original production walked the audience through the captivating crucifixion story of Jesus Christ, but through the eyes of a child.

Yahweh RYSE Founder, Creative Director and Show Coordinator Jordan Welch said, “This was a one night only production! A production I am sure touched lives and inspired many this holiday season.”

The production was comprised of 100 youth (ages 5-18) from throughout the Pittsburgh area. The holiday play was an event made for the entire family LEARNING ABOUT CHRIST—Some of the young people at the play. to enjoy.

“Amazing Production! I felt like I was on Broadway in NYC. Thank you, Yahweh RYSE, young ladies and gentleman, children, parents, musicians, and volunteers. Thank you, Pittsburgh’s own,” said attendee Cookie Parker.

Bernard Bloom, the director of production at the Byham, said, “(It was) so nice working with you, Jordan, and you’re talented company! Welcome to the Byham Theater family.”

Families, community leaders, and people from different neighborhoods and churches filled the venue in support of the production.

A SCENE FROM THE PLAY, ‘EVEN ME.’ “I enjoyed hearing the

sounds of Jordan Welch.

One of the best singers and song writers of this generation,” Julian Hunt said.

Welch said, “I received so many words that melted my heart. It’s not easy being a rookie among professionals but yet they welcomed us with amazing open arms, and took great care of us.

Thank you Lord! Was truly a night to remember.”

The play was not only designed to show the story of Christ, but also to bring the youth closer to knowing Christ.

“This is exactly what Yahweh RYSE is for––to provide new opportunities and make dreams come true for the younger generations, and bring them closer to Christ for themselves.

This is why I’ll never stop,” Welch said.

The fall 2016 Advancing Black Arts awards

Nearly $308,000 to support art and cultural programs PITTSBURGH—The Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh grants program, a partnership of The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Heinz Endowments, has awarded nearly $308,000 in grants to 18 artists and arts organizations.

Since its inception in 2010, the program has invested about $4 million to support contemporary artists making art rooted in the Black experience, past and present. It is the only grant-making program in the region explicitly dedicated to supporting the elimination of racial disparities within the larger arts sector.

Grantees for the fall grant cycle come from various disciplines and include artist Mukwae Wabei Siyolwe, who will present her work, “Wade in the Water,” at the Carnegie Museum of Art; the Society for Contemporary Craft, which will host a residency with Richmond-based craft artist Sonya Clark; and mu-

sician Jordan Taylor of Tracksploitation, who will produce a series of short films to complement the group’s first extended play album.

Launched as a partnership between the two foundations, the program is designed to support artistic risk-taking, outreach programming, career opportunities for artists and strategies to promote organizational growth. Awards include funding for individual artists, residencies and unrestricted operating grants.

A four-member panel reviewed all submissions.

Panelists were vocalist and educator Anqwenique Wingfield, theatre production manager and photographer Eric A. Smith, dancer and arts manager Erin Perry, and visual artist Gavin Benjamin. The panel reviewed 54 applications for consideration in this fall’s program.

Funding is highly competitive: Twice a year, a

panel of arts experts and community representatives reviews submissions and makes funding recommendations to foundation staff. The Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh program received a total of 102 applications this year and awarded 36 grants totaling $577,365 in the spring and fall cycles. Applications for the spring cycle are due Feb. 27, 2017. Guidelines and application information are available online at http:// pittsburghfoundation.org/ advancing_black_arts.

Grants to individual artists totaling $108,885 were awarded to: •Michael David Battle, $10,000, to support the creation of “Dear Michael,” a memoir collection and visual installation project.

•Sean Beauford, $14,800, to support curation of the photography exhibition, “Our East Liberty.”

•Stephanie Boddie, SEE AWARDS A7

ERIN PERRY is the executive director of Legacy Arts Project, Inc., an arts organization with the mission to preserve the history and traditions of African art as represented throughout the diaspora through education, instruction and interaction. As a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business, she applies her academic training within a community setting, utilizing art as a tool for transformation both individually and collectively. Perry has been an active contributor to Legacy Arts since 2005, participating as a member of the dance ensemble until present day. With an extensive background in education, Perry has impacted children and adults from Wilkinsburg to Taiwan, teaching classes in En-

glish, Math, Photography and Movement. She is also a founding member of the Nefertiti Alliance, an association of African American women founded on the principles of self-care and the preservation of cultural capital.

As a mother of two growing boys and a 6-monthold daughter, her focus continues to be grounded in the uplifting of humanity through knowledge of self.

ARTS & CULTURE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

December All Levels Bellydance

DEC. 14—Join Jameena Bellydance for this dynamic twohour class consisting of drills and combinations, modified to meet all levels. This class is perfect for beginners, and includes special challenges for the advanced dancer. All Levels Bellydance also includes conditioning and stretching exercises that are necessary to maintain your desired fitness level. Styles include: Contemporary Egyptian and Greek belly dance; Egyptian Folkloric; Shaabi; Greek Line Dancing, and more! To register for class visit jemeenabellydance. com/learn

Fifth Anniversary

DEC. 15-17—James Street Gastropub and Speakeasy is proud to announce its fifth year in operation under ownership of the Saftner family! James Street would like to welcome both our loyal patrons and new-comers for a celebration weekend filled with great live music, burlesque and the very popular, and always fun, Drag Brunch! The featured entertainers will be the Dan Bubien Band and Roger Humphries Jam Session on Thursday;The Blues Orphans and John Petrucelli Big Band on Friday; and the Tony Campbell Jam Session, Jimmy Adler Band and Sleigh: A Burlesque Christmas on Saturday.

North Way Christmas Movie Night

DEC. 17–North Way Christian Community and the Kelly Strayhorn Theater will present its Movie Night with a screening of a classic, family-friendly Christmas film. The movie will begin at 2 p.m., and there will be yummy treats on hand as well. For questions and info please contact jmathieu@ northway.org.

Tropical New Year’s Eve

DEC. 31—Wallace’s TapRoom of Hotel Indigo, 123 Highland Ave., Pittsburgh East Liberty presents its Tropical New Year’s Eve celebration featuring The Flow Band, the reggae jam rock band from the island of Pittsburgh from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Guests will feast on complimentary Caribbean style passed finger food & a complimentary Champagne Toast and party favors at midnight. The Flow band will be rocking the house from 9–12:30 a.m. The restaurant will be open for those that want to come for dinner prior to the evening event. For more information or reservation call 412665-0555.

Film Technician Certificate

JANUARY—The Community College of Allegheny County will offer a Film Technician Certificate program at its South Campus, beginning in January 2017, that will train students for in-demand careers with family sustaining wages. Through a combination of core and specialty classes, students will develop the skills to complete the certificate, gain on-set movie or TV experience and qualify to work in the industry on film, television, concerts and sporting events as crew. For more information about the CCAC Film Technician Certificate program, contact George Jaber, CCAC Theater professor and department head at gjaber@ ccac.edu or call 412-469-6219.

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

A7

The fall 2016 Advancing Black Arts awards

Nearly $308,000 to support art and cultural programs CONTINUED FROM A6

Migration to Black Lives $15,000, to support the Matter.”

•Curtis Reaves, $15,000, multimedia and oral history project, “Unfinished to support the production Business: From the Great of a 30-year retrospective GAVIN BENJAMIN is a multifaceted artist with backgrounds encompassing commercial photography, painting, printmaking, and interior and product design. Born in Guyana and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., he received his bachelor’s from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and was drawn to experiment with many mediums. His current work focuses on his longtime interest in flowers, still lifes, landscapes, portraits and collage mixed with courtly painting traditions; a mashup of sorts.

Benjamin’s various fine art works, home accessories and designs have been featured in numerous national and regional publications, including City Magazine, Clear Magazine, Interior Design magazine (ICFF Picks, Spring Market Tabloid), New Glass Review, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, V magazine and The Washington Post.

ERIC A. SMITH started his artistic career in photography and theatre production. He has worked with the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company, New Hazlett Theater, Bricolage Production Company and many others, learning everything from stage management to sound and light design; from directing to producing; from company management to managing director. He is founder of CREW Productions, LLC., which works with artists on bringing their visions and works to digital media

through video and photography.

ANQWENIQUE WINGFIELD is an extremely versatile vocalist and educator specializing in opera, classical music, jazz and soul. She is the founder and director of Pittsburgh-based artist collective Groove Aesthetic and studio manager of BOOM Concepts: BOOM Studios//Hilltop.

In 2014, contemporary jazz band KINETIC (led by Dr. Joe Sheehan) released its debut album, “World of Wonder;” Wingfield is the lead vocalist. She was named as one of Whirl Magazine’s 13 Under 30 in 2015 and one of the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Fab 40 under 40 in 2013.

Wingfield has shared her talents and experience with many young singers and musicians in the Pittsburgh area, and was recently hired as the education director of Opera Theater Pittsburgh.

of work titled, “Moments in Time.”

•Ramon Riley, $10,000, to support the development of a new body of work.

•Mukwae Wabei Siyolwe, $15,000, to support the development of the multimedia artwork, “Wade in the Water.”

•Jordan Taylor, $14,085, to support the creation of a series of high-concept short films connected to the music of the duo, Tracksploitation.

•Gregory S. Williams, $15,000, to support the creation of the documentary, “Selfies from The Hill.”

Grants for artist residencies totaling $9,000 were made to:

•Society for Contemporary Craft, $9,000, to support an artist residency with Sonya Clark with a solo exhibition including more than 30 works.

Unrestricted and operating grants totaling $190,000 were made to: •1Hood Media, $25,000, for 2017 unrestricted support.

•Afro-American Music Institute, $25,000, for 2017 operating support.

•Balafon West African Dance Ensemble, $15,000, for 2017 unrestricted support.

•Harambee Ujima Arts & Cultural Association, $15,000, for 2017 unrestricted support.

•Hill Dance Academy Theatre, $35,000, for 2017 operating support.

•Legacy Arts Project, $20,000, for 2017 operating support.

•New Horizon Theater, Inc. , $25,000, for 2017 operating support.

•Sembene: The Film & Arts Festival, $15,000, for 2017 unrestricted support.

•Shona Sharif African Dance and Drum Ensemble, $15,000, for 2017 unrestricted support.

Pictured are the Advancing Black Arts in Pittsburgh 2016 Cycle 2 Panelists Perry, Benjamin, Smith and Wingfield.

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DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

RELIGION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Mass Sunday 9:00 A.M. & 12:00 P.M. Sunday (Gospel Choir Mass) 12:00 P.M. www.stbtmchurch.org

METROPOLITAN BAPTIST CHURCH 22 Sampsonia Street, Northside Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-2554 FAX 412-231-6395 Rev. Lacy F. Richardson, Ph.D., Pastor Church School.................................9:30 A.M. Worship Service.................8:00 & 10:45 A.M. Bible Study/ Prayer Wednesday...................6:30/7:30 P.M. www.metropolitanbaptistchurch.com metropolitanbaptist2224@gmail.com

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Dr. Randy Bush, Senior Pastor 412-441-3800 116 S. Highland Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206

www.cathedralofhope.com

REV. DR. JAMES SIMMS, former pastor and guest speaker. (Photos by J.L. Martello)

St. Paul Baptist celebrates 115 years

Journey Worship........8:45 a.m.

Sanctuary Worship........11 a.m.

St. Paul Baptist Church’s 115th Church Anniversary celebration, which took place in November, honored its past and present pastors. Speakers for the two-day event were former

To have your church included in the Praise & Worship section contact Ashley Johnson at 412-481-8302 ext. 128 for ad rates.

Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext.

128.

REV. MARCO TINOR, the current pastor, concluded the two-day event with a Word from God.

pastor Rev. Dr. James E. Simms and current pastor Rev. Marco A. Tinor. Parrish Davenport & the Family and Friends Choir were the celebration’s special guests.

SINGING GOD’S PRAISES—Many sing and praised the Lord during the service.

VENDA MILLENDER—Soloist

THE ST. PAUL BAPTIST CHURCH CHOIR

JEAN NICKLOS DOUGLAS was one of many honored for her more than 50 years of service to the church.

Church Circuit We are looking to feature our positive youth in the church communities. You can e-mail, fax or mail their bios and photo to:

HONOREES—Many were honored for 50 plus years of service to the church, including Carol Robinson Moore, left, and Richard Nickols.

Sundays at Macedonia

host its holiday services. They are: •Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. will be candlelight services.

•Christmas Day, Dec. 25, at 10 a.m., there will be a combined traditional/contemporary service.

•New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2017, at 10 a.m., there will be a combined traditional/contemporary service. For more information, go to www.beulahpresby.org.

Christmas Concert

Operation Critical

CORPORATE SUNDAYS— Come out and join Macedonia Baptist Church, 17 Cochran St., Duquesne, for Corporate Sundays Prayer at 9:30 a.m. Reverend Archie D. Perrin Jr is the senior pastor. Come out pray, praise, meditate and be blessed by God. Also join them for Sunday School and bring any children. Sunday morning service is at 10:45 a.m. Van service is available.

DEC. 17—Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 37 Meade Ave., Bellevue, will present a Christmas Concert at 5 p.m. The concert will feature the combined choirs. The theme is “Come Let Us Adore Him.” A free-will offering will be collected.

New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Fax: 412-481-1360

Christmas Party

DEC. 18—The Narrow Way International Ministries COGIC, 615 Taft Ave., Pittsburgh, will host its annual Christmas Party at 4 p.m.

email: ajohnson@newpittsburghcourier.com

Christmas with Beulah

TRUSTEES—From left: Robert Wright, Carol Moore, Elizabeth Beckhom, Carolyn Peterson, Stephen Morgan and Eartha Sewell.

DEC. 24-JAN. 1—Beulah Presbyterian Church, 2500 McCrady Road, Churchill, will

JAN 14—The Bethel AME Church, 2438 Woodlawn Dr., Monroeville, Outreach Ministry presents its Operation Critical-Destination Unity XV at 3 p.m. It is our prayer that as we begin a new phase of rebuilding this ministry that you not only join us, but continue to pray and partner in Operation Critical–Destination Unity–Spiritual Surgery–United in Christ Jesus.

(All announcements, events and press releases must be sent 2 weeks in advance with contact phone number and email address to newsroom@newpittsburghcourier.com.)

PEOPLE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

A9

Living fearlessly:

LIRIS CROSSE—Explaining how to step out away from fear.

ORGANIZERS—From left: Marti Williams, Renee Aldrich and emcee Tiffany Roberson. (Photos by Jackie McDonald)

Lessons learned at Softer Side Seminars’ empowerment event

by Nikki Coffee

was facilitated by Latifa Miller. The panel members For New Pittsburgh Courier were Kenya Alford, Denele Area women, young and Biggs, LaRae Everett, Tifmature, were given valu- fany Huff and Bonita Penn. able tools for overcoming Keynote speaker, interfears so that they can focus on pursuing dreams and bettering their lives during the ninth annual Softer Side Seminars’ Woman to Woman program, last month at the Hill House Kaufman Auditorium.

Over 80 participants turned out for the day-long event and learned how to live fearlessly. Highlights of the day were a presentation by Softer Side Seminars Founder Renee P. Aldrich around the theme “Getting Past Our Fears to get to our Destiny” and a panel discussion on “Facing Our Fears Head On,” which

“would never be a model.”

Crosse proudly states her dress size as 14 and fabulous. She has subsequently gone on to be one of the faces of the new national

to basics. Crosse says, “Remember when you were a little girl you believed you could do anything? Tap into that energy, tap into how you used to just run and

only African American female football coach. She outlined fear as something one doesn’t know––the unexpected. She said living fearlessly does not mean

THE PANEL CREW—Seated, from left: Marti Williams, Bonita Penn, Denele Biggs, Kenya Alford, Tiffany Huff and LaRae Everett. Standing, from left: Renee Aldrich, Tiffany Roberson and Latifa Miller.

JAY ORIOLE Poet

national plus size model/ actress Liris Crosse spoke of overcoming fear and not allowing uncharted territory hold one back from their dreams.

Sharing that while her parents’ desire was that she attend college, she wanted to get into modeling which meant a move from her home in Baltimore, M.D., to New York City. She said, “I didn’t want to live life with the woulda, shoulda, coulda feeling, so I went to New York nervous, but determined.”

She didn’t let her size stop her even though she received a lot of negative sentiments, including that she

Ashley Stewart spring campaign. She also has been featured in the films “Baby Boy” and “The Best Man.” She urged listeners to take negative vibes from others and use them to create greatness.

Additionally, she warned the audience to watch what one feeds into their spirit, saying, “If you feed yourself an entertainment diet of ‘Love and Hip Hop’ or debased music, and get caught up in a lot of drama, you are not building your foundation solidly. It is like letting termites eat away at your purpose and your destiny.”

It’s all about getting back

play, and how it felt when you had no cares. You can start today. You can say, ‘My life changed during the Woman to Woman symposium.’ You can reboot your life now, today. Make a change today, step out of your fears today.”

Another highlight was a special presenter for teens who were in attendance, Felicia Mycyk, a former Pittsburgh Passion quarterback and the regions

living recklessly. Mycyk, also a marketing strategist and Moon Area School District track coach, cautioned against the YOLO (you only live once) mentality. She warned young women when faced with the pressures of premature sexual intimacies to stop and think about the decision they are making. “With the YOLO mentality, you may reason to go for it because you may not be here tomorrow, but

chances are you will and you may end up pregnant or worse, end up with a disease,” she said. She went on to say that the YOLO thinking is a lie. “Everything you do in your day-to-day life, glorifies God. Do you want to live for today, for instant gratification or live for tomorrow?”

Mycyk says it was determination that got her on the playing field and kept her going while she evolved into the person she is today.

She said she decided not to be defeated and not to be like everyone else.

“I’m me,” she said, “don’t let fear control you. If you let fear get the best of you, you have not allowed God to work in your life.”

Aldrich said she is honored to touch the lives of women and help them move past their fears to reach their full potential.

Her motivational program, sponsored by Highmark, The Poise Foundation, McAuley Ministries Foundation and Marriott Pittsburgh City Center, is held annually for primarily female audiences.

While the event is 9 years old, Softer Side Seminars is 13. “One thing I have learned over the past nine years is that the message of Softer Side Seminars does not get old and there is always an audience for it,” Aldrich said.

“There are women of all ages, who are ready to re-create how they see themselves. Our goal at Softer Side Seminars is to help in providing the tools to do this.”

A10

PEOPLE

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Young Black male starts business while working on master’s degree

by Paige K. Mitchell For New Pittsburgh Courier

After attending Seton Hill, North Carolina A&T and Penn State, Titus Morris received his bachelor’s degree in Business and is currently in school pursuing a master’s in Business Administration.

A 24-year-old Black male born and raised on the North Side, and a Perry High School graduate, Morris is praised as a city success story. He is a property owner and the CEO of Dannie Marie’s Service Coordinators by TLM LLC. “My motivation is for the generations to come.

I want to leave something behind that will make sure my kids are going to be okay, my grandkids are going to be okay, and so on, and so forth. I want to feel like I did something here, and really make an impact. That’s what keeps me going, and gets me out of bed each day,” Morris said.

The losses of both his sister and brother are also two key reasons why it’s important for Morris to be all he can be.

Dannie Marie’s, which is named as a tribute to Morris’ late sister, is a company dedicated to providing exceptional, family-focused support while preventing nursing home admission by assisting clients with the best at-home services possible to fit their needs.

The company exists to support coordination, pre-

vention of n u r s i n g home admission, personal care a s s i s t a n c e, durable medical equipment,assistive t e ch n o l o g y, transportation, discharge planning, and personal emergency response systems.

“Juggling two businesses and school takes a lot of time out of my schedule, but in my spare time I also like to volunteer and mentor youth within my community because it’s not all about success and money,” Morris said. “Success, to me, is being able to impact the community by encouraging them and exposing them to what is often seen as impossible. I want one of these young men to look at me, and say ‘oh, that’s the guy down the street, he did that,’ I want that to happen.”

Morris just officially started Dannie Marie’s Service Coordinators in July and has already achieved working with numbers of consumers.

“You don’t want to be a should of, could of, would of.

Whatever you want to do, or wherever you see yourself, go out here and strive for

TITUS MORRIS it,” he said.

“Yes, it takes time because there is no such thing as a get rich quick scheme, but I promise you it will be so worth it. My personal motto in life is to be hungry and humble. Get hungry and go get it,” he said.

Morris he is humbled to be where he is today.

“In the times we live in today, I’m honored for this opportunity and I think we are in a time where its crucial for positive Black males to be highlighted in the media for other reasons outside of drugs, street violence, racial stereotyping, and the list goes on and on,” he said. “So it’s truly an honor. I would not be the man that I am today if it wasn’t for my mother and father. Those are my main guys.”

FAMILY SUPPORT—Titus Morris, center, is surrounded by his family members who support him with his business ventures and as he works on his master’s degree. (Photos by Paige Mitchell)

Pittsburgh native serves in Pearl Harbor 75 years after attack that led U.S. into WWII

by Petty Officer 2nd Class Dominique Shelton Navy Office of Community Outreach

U.S. Navy—As the nation paused last week to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred 75 years ago on Dec. 7, 1941, the occasion had a special meaning for a Pittsburgh native who is serving in the U.S. Navy in the very location that drew the United States into World War II. Seaman Seanlou Gilmore, a 2014 McKeesport graduate, is assigned to the Navy’s U.S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters. According to Navy officials, the U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean. The U.S. Pacific Fleet consists of approximately 200 ships/ submarines, nearly 1,100 aircraft, and more than 140,000 sailors and civilians.

Gilmore is responsible for performing administrative and clerical work that deals with protocol, naval instructions, evaluations, fitness reports, naval messages, telephone calls and mail.

“I like being able to help people,” said Gilmore. “Being the one that people rely on when they need things done and giving back gives me a sense of pride.”

Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the gateway to the Pacific

in defense circles, means that Gilmore is serving in a part of the world—the Pacific—that is taking on new importance in America’s national defense strategy.

Pearl Harbor, itself, is home to more than 19,000 U.S. Navy sailors, 11 surface ships, 19 nuclear-powered submarines and 19 aircraft.

SEAMAN SEANLOU GILMORE Although the world has changed greatly in the past 75 years, the Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades, and for good reason, Navy officials say. The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world's population, many of the world's largest and smallest economies, several of the world's largest militaries and many U.S. allies.

LIFESTYLES New Pittsburgh Courier

Clairton business offers good service and quality products B2

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Classifieds Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing B6, B7

B

Debbie Norrell

Lifestyles Report Been there done that

Where have I been lately that I have not been before? Actually, quite a few places and it seems like it all happened over one weekend. Before I get to my most recent weekend trip, I want to let you know about the Holiday Market in Homewood.

When I initially saw the advertisement for the Holiday Market I was excited.

Immediately, I thought about the holiday bazaar that Connie Portis used to have at the Homewood Coliseum, the first year was wonderful. That was around the time when everyone was excited about Black art and Afrocentric items.

Last Thursday I stopped at the Holiday Market that is inside of “four repurposed shipping containers” at the corner of Frankstown Avenue and Oakwood Street. Now that I have looked at their schedule, this was actually the first night. I expect a lot for a first night of any operation. There was food for sale in one container and someone was “spitting” poetry in another, the other two appeared to be empty. You may be asking yourself, “Debbie what kind of containers are these?” Well, it looks like a car that would be on a train or something that someone could make a tiny house out of. It is a rectangular box. I hope that this venture improves before the Holiday Market ends. It is a good idea, but I think it needs a little help.

Have you been to the Everyday Café on Homewood Avenue? I stopped at the cafe on my way to work recently. The Everyday Café is operated by the Bible Center Church.

I love the atmosphere of the café. They do not accept cash for safety reasons and they are open from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. I would like to see them hire someone to stand near the busway and let people know they are there.

This is a great addition to Homewood Avenue, it is next door to Ahmad Sandidge Photography. If you are in the area please stop by.

The weekend after Thanksgiving I went to Washington, D.C. I was hoping I would be able to visit the new African American Museum, but no luck. I had not seen the MLK Monument in person so that was a treat as was the African Museum.

I stayed at a lovely hotel on M Street, the St. Gregory. Our suite was spacious and well appointed.

We could actually walk to the White House from our location. While I was in town I went to Ben’s Chili Bowl. This is supposed to be a very popular restaurant. I had the beef hotdogs; they were good, but not over the top. So now that I have been to Ben’s there is no need to go back.

The one thing I found interesting about this most recent trip to D.C. was the stage and media stands for the inauguration are in the process of being built.

They seem much smaller in person, but it was exciting to see. I’ve made a list of new restaurants to try.

Watch this space for the review.

(Email the columnist at debbienorrell@aol.com)

WELCOME—Carla Adams and Carol Brackett

THE PATTERSONS—Bridgett and K. Chase (Photos by Debbie Norrell)

by Debbie Norrell Lifestyles Editor

GETTING OUR SHOP ON—Natalie Tyler and Samantha Saunders

More than 400 guests showed up and showed out for the 2016 AKA Fall Fantasy on Nov. 12, at the St. John’s Cathedral Center, in Homestead. This year’s theme was “Steel, Silk and Pearls.”

The Alpha Alpha Omega Chapter once again hosted this annual event with TeeJay the Deejay making a repeat performance. Teejay kept the crowd on their feet the entire evening. Some ladies shopped with vendor Sharon Butler of Cleveland, Ohio, while others mixed and mingled with friends and sorors. The proceeds from this fundraiser is expected to benefit AAO community programs.

Alpha Kappa Alpha members will implement International Community Service Days annually to highlight the organization’s collective impact in program target areas: •Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service (January) •Pink Goes Red for Heart Health Day (February) •1908 Playgrounds Mobilization Day (May) •The Longest Day™ Alzheimer’s Support Activities (June) •Mental Health Awareness Day (July) •Childhood Hunger Awareness Day (October) Chapter President Monica LaMar, Phd, says, “I am certain that 2016 and 2017 year promises to be more exciting and eventful for our sisterhood. We will embark upon another year of providing ‘service to all mankind.’ We continue to be dedicated to youth, health promotion, strengthening our families, environmental ownership, and making a global impact as is evident on our local, regional and international levels.”

WHAT A FALL FANTASY—Monica LaMar, the chapter president.

GLAMOUR GIRLS—Mamar Gelaye and Peggy Harris

THE WEEMS—Malinda and James

WRENNA WATSON AND BOB ALLEN

SISTER-IN-LAWS AND SORORS—Crystal McCormick and Kelly McCormick

THE RANKINS—Robert and Jamy

TEEJAY THE DEEJAY

THE FALL FANTASY COMMITTEE

New Pittsburgh Courier

BUSINESS

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DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Gift cards aren’t gifts

by Liz Weston For New Pittsburgh Courier

If it’s the thought that counts, then gift cards don’t count much at all.

They’re popular, granted. Six out of 10 people responding to National Retail Federation surveys this year said they wanted to receive gift cards for the holidays, and more than half said they planned to give them.

The rest of us may think of gift cards as a cop-out. Gift cards are what you give when you don’t have a clue what makes the recipient tick and can’t trouble yourself to find out.

OK, that’s not totally fair. Gift cards may seem like the only reasonable solution when you’re dealing with, say, the ever-changing whims of your teenage nieces and nephews. But why bother with plastic? Just give ’em cash. Cash gets spent. A big chunk of what’s sunk on gift cards — about $1 billion per year, according to market research firm CEB — remains unspent.

Ill-considered gifts are an even bigger waste of money, of course. Everybody has stories of epic fails: The etiquette book (extra points if it’s from your mother-in-law).

The box of chocolates to someone who’s allergic, on a diet or both. Getting back the gift you gave to the oblivious person the year before.

Good gifts can be all over the map as well, but they share a similar trait. They universally say, “I get you.”

Giving good gifts can be incredibly hard. It takes time, energy and some sleuthing.

You have to stop thinking about yourself—what you want, what you think the recipient should have or be or do—and LIZ WESTON think in depth about the other person: How do they like to spend their time?

What are they passionate about? What would make their lives easier or more fun? It’s an exercise in empathy that takes us out of ourselves and brings us closer to the people we love.

The ultimate gifts are the ones that are unexpected.

They’re something the recipients wouldn’t think of or buy for themselves. They can surprise and delight.

This is why “gift guides” that magazines and websites like to feature are ultimately disappointing. There’s no one-size-fits-all good gift. The shiny chef’s knife that would be nirvana for a budding cook would be a horrible gift for someone who stores books in the oven.

On the other hand, who would think an old, battered lunchbox would be a good gift? Yet a friend of mine counts that as one of her best. Her husband searched thrift stores, vintage shops and auction sites for months to find the lunch pail she loved, and lost, in childhood.

Money just complicates matters. Do we budget or splurge? For the thrifty, getting a great deal on an awesome gift is the holygrail. Too often, though, the bargain isn’t awesome, and the awesome is no bargain.

I’m not great at gift-giving, but I’m trying to get better.

I’m learning to splurge more often, because I’d rather delight the people I love than fritter money away on other stuff that brings less joy. I also pay attention to the people around me who are good givers. Here’s what they have in common: •They listen and take notes. Some of the best giftgivers keep a running list of ideas in a notebook or on their smartphone.

•They consult. Friends and loved ones can be a great source of ideas, plus they can let you know what the recipient already has.

•They don’t wait for Black Friday. It’s more likely to stumble across a great gift the other 11 months of the year.

•They don’t just give stuff. Experiences bring more happiness than possessions, research shows.

•They fail sometimes. Selecting a gift means taking a risk, and no one gets it right every time.

Early in our marriage, my husband, who normally is an excellent gift-giver, gave me a waffle iron. I hadn’t even fully unwrapped the present before I blurted out, “We’re going to nip this in the bud.” (A note to spouses everywhere: Don’t give anything with a plug unless it’s been specifically requested. Even then, think twice.)

SEE GIFT B3

For more than two decades…

WHAT A TEAM—Sister and brother, Genea and Eric Webb match an outfit for one of their long time clients.(Photos by Diane I. Daniels)

Clairton business offers good service and quality products

by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier

At this time of year when the season is filled with holiday celebrations and family gatherings; sister and brother team Genea and Eric Webb are focused on making sure that everyone is fashionably dressed for their affair of choice.

For over 20 years the family owned business, Selections by Genea and Eric at 534 Miller Ave. in Clairton has been providing a varied clientele throughout the Mon Valley with what the duo consider an eclectic selection of clothing and accessories.

The store was established in1993 by the duos mother, Hannah who wanted to take her love of all things fashionable to the general public.

“Mom’s first business venture was a beauty salon on North State Street in 1968,” said Eric pointing out that she was the first Black woman back then to do so.

In 1980 she purchased the Miller Street property and opened Salon de Elegance.

“Clients came from all over the area, Penn Hills, Pittsburgh and Monessen for my Mom’s one of a kind hair styles,” said Genea. “She even did one of Mr. Rodger’s Neighborhood’s receptionist’s hair.”

Thinking back, Eric recalls that his Mom was a nurse’s aide for a while and attended a Beauty School located in the Hill District on Centre Avenue. “She also

liked to draw and loved people,” he said. After an accident that prohibited her from working as a beautician at the capacity she was accustom to Eric said the shop closed for about a

Genea says traveled all over the country finding unique and eye-catching items.

Today, Genea, Eric and Richard work hard to keep their mother and wife’s vi-

mentioned smiling that his Dad takes pride in matching hats with suits for customers.

Admiring their mother’s work ethics and passion, Genea says they continue to

KEEPING THE LEGACY ALIVE—Surrounded by merchandise, Eric Webb, co-owner of Selections by Genea and Eric holds an advertisement for a previous Fashions for a Cure event displaying all the owners of the family business, decade and reopened as a resale shop. Later her efforts focused on the clothing store with a market in African attire. By the request of her customers wanting a wider selection of clothing, Genea said Selections by Genea and Eric expanded to a family owned and operated clothing boutique.

Their father Richard along with the rest of the family

sion alive. Hannah passed away Dec. 28, 2014. Following her desires, a wide array of clothing and accessories in all sizes for women and men are sold at the store. Items include church suits, dresses and jackets, skirt and paints sets, leather, suede, fur and faux fur, men’s suits along with hats, ties, belts and cufflinks. Looking around, Eric

provide excellent customer service and attention to each customer that enters the store, “We have a lot of long time repeat customers because we believe in building relationships and knowing their style and likes and dislikes.” Concurring with Genea’s comment Cassie A. LeMon of Pleasant Hills a SEE CLAIRTON B3

Black unemployment rate falls to 8.1 percent in November

by Freddie Allen For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—The Black unemployment rate improved from 8.6 percent in October to 8.1 percent in November, according to the latest jobs report from the Labor Department.

The White unemployment rate ticked down from 4.2 percent in October to 4.1 percent in November, likely because White workers dropped out of the labor market. The labor force participation rate for White workers, which is the share of workers either employed or looking for jobs, continued a ECONOMY MOVING FORWARD—Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said that the numbers from the latest jobs report show that our economy continues to move forward from the worst eco- threemonth nomic crisis in a generation. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA) slide

and was 62.7 percent in November.

Meanwhile, the labor force participation rate for Black workers edged up slightly from 61.8 percent in October to 61.9 percent in November and the employmentpopulation ratio, or the share of Blacks that have jobs compared to the total population, also took steps in the right direction, increasing from 56.5 percent in October to 56.9 percent in November.

Black men over 20 years old showed the most gains among the adult worker groups in November, but they were also in the biggest hole. The unemployment rate for Black men improved from 8.7 percent in October to 7.7 percent in November. The share of Black men who held jobs also increased from 61.7 percent to 62.3 percent.

The unemployment rate for Black men was still higher than the jobless rate for White men, White women, and Black women.

Last month, the jobless rate for White men fell below 4 percent to 3.9 percent, but the labor force participation rate also

ticked down from 71.9 percent in October to 71.7 percent in November.

Employment prospects for Black women over 20 years old showed small gains in November. The labor force participation rate for Black women increased from 62.3 percent to 62.6 percent and the employment-population ratio also increased from 57.9 percent to 58.2 percent. The jobless rate for Black women was 7.1 percent in November, unchanged since October.

The unemployment rate for White women over 20 years old also decreased from 3.8 percent in October to 3.7 percent in November and the share of White women that held jobs slipped from 55.3 percent in October and 55.2 percent in November.

The Labor Department reported that the national unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent in November, and the economy added 178,000 jobs in November.

“In November, 1.9 million persons were SEE UNEMPLOYMENT B3

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

BUSINESS BUSINESS CALENDAR CALENDAR

SBA WomenOwned Business Registration DEC. 21—The Pittsburgh District office of the U.S. Small Business Administration will host its monthly hands-on workshop for 8(a) HUBZone and Womenowned certification programs, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at its Pittsburgh offices, 411 Seventh Avenue Suite 1450. Attendees can review the requirements and application process with the staff specialists. The workshop is free, but registration is required.

For more information, call 412-395-6560.

State Trooper Applications ONGOING through DEC. 31—The Pennsylvania State Police are asking interested women and minorities to join those applying for the next cadet class of state troopers. To be eligible for written examinations scheduled for February 2017, interested parties must submit their applications by December 31, 2016.To view a complete list of prerequisites, to contact a recruiter, or to submit an application, visit www.PATrooper.com.

Cadets earn $1200 biweekly during training.

The starting salary for a new trooper is $58,962 per year along with excellent health care benefits.

Early Registration DEC. 31—Deadline for early registration for INPEX, the region’s largest invention showcase, JUNE 13-15 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Those registering by the deadline will be eligible to win up to three free nights at the Drury Hotel adjacent to the convention center during the expo. For more information, contact Rachel Rushlander at rrushlander@inpex.com or call 888-544-6739 ext.

4124

Business Energy Efficiency Grants THROUGH APRIL 15—The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has to $1,000,000 of grant funding available in the 13th year of the Commonwealth’s Small Business Advantage Grant Program for small businesses that adopt or acquire equipment or processes that promote pollution prevention and/or energy efficiency projects. Applicants must be a forprofit corporation, limited liability corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship or other legal entity with 100 or fewer full-time employees. Businesses can apply for 50 percent matching funds of up to $9,500 to adopt or acquire energy-efficient or pollution-prevention equipment or procedures. Funding is eligible for those costs incurred between July 25, 2016 and June 30, 2017. For more information, contact the Small Business Ombudsman’s Office at 717-772-5160.

B3

Black unemployment rate falls in November

Year End Celebration DEC. 14—The Eastern Minority Supplier Development Council will host its 2106 Year End Celebration, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Station Square. Review 2016 successes, get an overview of 2017 programming, and network with corporate decision makers and fellow MBEs. Wilson Group President and CEO Derrick Wilson will give the keynote address. The event includes dinner and a cash bar.

Tickets are $50. To register, call 412-391-4423 or visit EMSDC.org.

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

BUSINESS

CONTINUED FROM C1

WINS AWARD—Wells Fargo Home Lending won the Diversity and Inclusion Award at a recent summit hosted by the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.

Wells Fargo awarded for their work in minority communities

by Sarafina Wright For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—After weeks of bad press, Wells Fargo received an award acknowledging their efforts to diversify homeownership.

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) presented Wells Fargo Home Lending with their inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Award on Thursday, Nov. 17 during its third annual Summit on Diversity and Inclusion at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. Franklin Codel, the executive vice president of Wells Fargo’s Home Mortgage division said that sustainable homeownership stands near and dear to his heart.

“The last couple of weeks hasn’t been good for Wells Fargo, we have to acknowledge that” Codel said. “It means a lot to be recognized in this way. We do it because it’s the right thing to do for our community and customers.”

“All of you know that homeownership is very important to individuals, communities and the country,” he said. “There is no doubt in my mind that homeownership is still the way to build wealth for families.”

Codel claimed that Wells Fargo Home Lending success comes from going into communities and dispelling myths about what it takes to own a home.

“The myths that are out there are very, very real,” he said. “Very often we find that the belief is that you have to have perfect credit, a 20 percent down payment and a much higher income.”

Because of prevailing myths, there are entire populations across the country specifically in majority minority neighborhoods where homeownership doesn’t exist.

“If the family experience is not grounded in homeownership, then people from that family will need assistance,” Codel said.

According to the MBA, Wells Fargo Home Lending has developed and sustained broad comprehensive strategies over the past several years to make sustainable homeownership possible for lowto-moderate and minority customers.

Since 2012, Wells Fargo provided nearly $302 million in down payment assistance and program support through LIFT programs, educating thousands of potential homeowners and revitalizing communities, while helping to create homeowners.

In May, the company launched yourFirst Mortgage, a new, low down payment

home loan program that reduces the complexity and barriers of payment options.

Also this year, Wells Fargo Home Lending received USDA recognition as a “Champion of Rural Housing.”

“We’ve held events in marketplaces such as Baltimore, Los Angeles, where we go out in communities and share with them how they can own a home,” Codel said.

“Over 12,000 people have taken advantage of our down payment assistance program, and they all say I had no idea I could own a home.”

Wells Fargo Home Lending also partnered with the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals on a 10-year, $125 billion commitment to lend to Hispanic households for the purpose of buying a home, and a $10 million pledge by the Wells Fargo Foundation in support of financial education and counseling for Hispanic homebuyers.

“These awards recognize the importance of embracing a diverse and inclusive real estate finance industry,” Rodrigo Lopez, the chairman of the MBA said. “We received an overwhelming amount of submissions to our inaugural awards, and faced a difficult challenge in selecting from a strong pool of applicants.”

The awards are designed to recognize MBA member companies that have developed innovative ways to foster diversity and inclusion in the industry. Ballard Spahr and SunTrust Mortgage won awards for Organizational Diversity and Inclusion and The PrivateBank, Trust Company and Wells Fargo took home awards for Market Outreach Strategies.

“From enacting sound public policy to promoting positive workplace practices, MBA strives to set the right tone for the industry,” Lopez said. “As the leading voice for real estate finance, we want to take this opportunity to celebrate our member companies for their work and dedication in supporting a key industry initiative—diversity and inclusion, as it pertains to hiring, lending and outreach.”

Codel claimed that along with giving $125 billion to the Hispanic community, Wells Fargo Home Lending will add lending commitments in other minority communities.

Codel continued: “It’s not about lowering the bar for homeownership, but raising people up.”

(The Washington Informer is a member publication of the National Newspaper Publishers Association. Learn more about becoming a member at www.nnpa.org.)

Gift cards aren’t gifts CONTINUED FROM C1

Speaking of specific requests, those of us who aren’t great gift-givers still have one great option: wish lists. We don’t get the thrill of the out-of-the-park hit, but at least we listened.

What if the other person really wants gift cards? By all means, give them. But

we shouldn’t give up on trying to find real gifts for the people we love. We’re better for having made the effort.

(This column was provided to The Associated Press by the personal finance website NerdWallet.)

(Liz Weston is a certified financial planner and columnist at NerdWallet.

Email: lweston@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @lizweston.)

Clairton business offers good service and quality products CONTINUED FROM C1

former Clairton resident said she has been shopping at the store for many years.

“They carry fabulous and quality clothing,” said the retired Pittsburgh Public School teacher. Other noted customers include the Rev. Judith Moore of Greater Allen AME Church and television and radio personality Chris Moore.

Located in the heart of Clairton’s business district, the store is located 45 minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh.

One other legacy Genea and Eric plan to continue from their mother is the Fashions for a Cure Charity. Established in 2005, the fashion-centered event raised money for the Hillman Cancer Center’s Patience Assistance Program.

“We know a lot of people effected by cancer,” said Genea mentioning her grandmother, and aunt as well as her mother who had breast cancer. “We hope to do something in the spring when our new inventory comes in.”

In the meantime, Eric says their goal

is to fulfill the customer’s needs for the holiday. Understanding their market, he says they offer a rack of one of a kind clothing for $59 and up until Christmas Eve they will offer a buy one item at regular price and 50 percent off the second item. Aiming to increase their customer base, he says he also wants to uplift the community.

“We have been here a long time and are a part of this community. My Dad is 70 years old and a U.S. Army Veteran, I graduated from Clairton High School and my sister is a graduate of Point Park University and has a journalism career here. We are invested.”

Selections by Genea and Eric is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. and on Mondays and Tuesdays by appointment. Any holiday special orders Genea says should be placed as soon as possible to be receive by the holiday by calling the store at 412-233-7242. Eric also suggests that using their Facebook page is just as convenient.

marginally attached to the labor force, up by 215,000 from a year earlier,” the Labor Department report said. “These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.”

In a post on EPI.org, the website for the Economic Policy Institute Elise Gould, senior economist for EPI, wrote that the national unemployment rate declined, “largely because of a drop in labor force participation.”

Gould also noted that even though wage growth is now faster than it was in the first five-plus years of the recovery, when it averaged two percent, “It doesn’t reflect full employment wage growth, or even the wage growth we experienced before the Great Recession hit — by no means a full employment economy.”

In 2016, the economy has added about 180,000 jobs per month. Last year, the monthly average was 229,000 jobs.

In a statement about the report, the Republican National Committee (RNC) noted that the manufacturing sector lost 4,000 jobs in November.

“The 4,000 manufacturing jobs that disappeared last month come on top of the over 300,000 that have been lost under President Obama, more proof that President-elect Donald Trump’s efforts to stand up for the American worker is the commitment our coun-

try needs right now,” said RNC Co-Chair Sharon Day, in the statement. “This election showed that millions of Americans don’t trust Democrats to create good jobs and opportunity, and President-elect Trump’s determination to save 1,000 jobs in Indiana is just a preview of his agenda of prosperity for all.

Day continued: “Even before taking office, President-elect Trump has proven that protecting and creating jobs will be among his highest priorities as president, and Americans who have spent years struggling under President Obama can look forward to a brighter future for themselves and their families.”

The Carrier jobs that President-elect Trump took credit for saving come with strings attached. Reuters reported that, “Indiana state officials have agreed to give United Technologies Corp $7 million worth of tax breaks to encourage the company to keep at least 1,069 jobs at its Carrier unit in Indianapolis.”

Carrier still plans to send about 1,300 jobs to Mexico.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) also offered his take on the Labor Department’s report.

Scott said that the numbers show that our economy continues to move forward from the worst economic crisis in a generation.

“There is no doubt we have made great strides the last eight years, but our commitment to creating a more balanced and fair economy remains a priority,” said Scott.

(Freddie Allen is NNPA Newswire Managing Editor)

B4

OPINION

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

The two faces of Christmas

Guest Editorial

Trump’s questionable choice to lead HUD Doctor Ben Carson, a retired neurosurgeon, was an early endorser of President-elect Donald Trump after ending his own presidential bid.

So it would not be surprising to see Trump appoint Carson to a position in his administration. Appointing Carson, an African American conservative, to a cabinet position has several benefits to Trump, including rewarding a loyal ally and diversifying his cabinet.

Carson would appear to be a good choice for U.S. Surgeon General in the Trump administration or some other position related to his experience in health care.

But Trump tapped Carson Dec. 5 to become secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities,” Trump said in a statement last Monday morning. “We have talked at length about my urban renewal agenda and our message of economic revival, very much including our inner cities.”

“Ben shares my optimism about the future of our country and is part of ensuring that this is a presidency representing all Americans,” he added. “He is a tough competitor and never gives up.”

Carson spent part of his childhood in public housing, which appears to be the extent of his qualifications to run HUD. Carson has no experience in government or running a large bureaucracy. He has no expertise in housing policy.

Yet, he will oversee an agency with a $47 billion budget and oversee programs that provide vouchers and other rental assistance for five million low-income families, fights urban blight and helps struggling homeowners stave off foreclosures.

HUD is the federal agency responsible for overseeing the Section 8 housing voucher program and the Federal Housing Administration, which helps people with homeownership. The majority of the funding for the Philadelphia Housing Authority, which is a $385 million budget for fiscal year 2017, is federal and comes directly from HUD. About $1.5 million comes from state and local grants and about $24 million from tenant rent revenue.

Along with his lack of experience in housing, Carson is bringing to the job a philosophical opposition to government programs that encourage what he calls “dependency” and engage in “social engineering.”

In fact, weeks ago, Carson seemed reluctant to join the administration. Carson aide Armstrong Williams was quoted as saying his longtime friend did not want to get in over his head.

“Doctor Carson feels he has no government experience; he’s never run a federal agency,” Williams told The Hill, which covers the federal government.

House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is right when she says that Carson had no credentials for the job and was a “disconcerting and disturbingly unqualified choice.” She said the country deserves someone with “relevant experience to protect the rights of homeowners and renters.”

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

Founded 1910

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Allison Palm

Ulish Carter

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

Of all the holidays, Christmas is the most popular in America, and probably in the world; it’s also one of the most controversial. Non-Christians probably celebrate Christmas more than Christians, which causes it to impact the economy more than any other holiday. Christmas means different things to different people.

To Christians who follow the doctrines of the Bible, Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. God loved us so much that He gave his only begotten son so that we all may be saved. But if His son had not been born of the flesh, He could not have sacrificed his life.

No one knows the exact date Jesus was born of the flesh on earth; the Bible doesn’t say, but the Bible describes the circumstances of why He was born and what led to His birth.

So we know from the Bible that He was born and why He was born, we just weren’t given the exact date. So Christians came up with the date of Dec. 25, so that we could celebrate and let people know about the mighty love of God. Why the exact time wasn’t given is not known, either. But a whole lot of non-believers and so-called Christian scholars waste our time debating the subjects of when He was born and why we shouldn’t celebrate Christmas, instead of why He was born.

Practicing Christians give gifts on Christmas as a token of, or in demonstration of, our appreciation for God

Ulish Carter

Just Sayin’ giving His son as a sacrifice for the salvation of all mankind. So the giving of gifts is an illustration to our children and other loved ones of our love for them as God loved us as his children.

However, the problem is that even those of us who call ourselves Christians have taken Jesus and God out of Christmas. We don’t give in the name of Jesus, nor do we mention anything about the Bible, God or Jesus during our celebration of food, toys and other gifts.

This has become very much true for most of this country. Our kids don’t know anything about Jesus, but they know about Santa Claus. They think it’s Santa Claus who bought them all the toys and gifts. Even though the family gathers for Christmas, something is missing if the birth of Christ is not a part of the conversation.

The other part of Christmas is the economic side. Having worked retail for 12 years, I understand just how important Christmas is to America’s economy. Many, if not most, re-

tail stores’ and outlets’ net profits for the year are determined by the Christmas season. Not just the sale of goods, but the employment. Most people think of Christmas as a lot of part-time jobs, but that is not the case. Many of the full-time positions are filled by people who were hired as part-time holiday help, while less productive people are replaced.

Yes, I know most people over spend during the Christmas season, which has led to many people hating to see Christmas because of the debt they incur trying to buy kids and loved ones more than they can afford, which leads to debt they have to dig out of until the next Christmas.

Maybe if we were more about giving than receiving, we wouldn’t hate Christmas so much. Maybe if we explained the reason for the season more clearly to our children, we wouldn’t have to dig so deep into our pockets to satisfy them.

Instead, they would know that some big, fat White man isn’t coming to give them free toys and goodies; but that mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandpa and grandma are the ones buying these gifts because God loved them enough to bless them with life, so they are giving back to show their love for Him and their kids by celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ through gift giving.

Merry Christmas!!!

(Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.)

Blacks need to stop drinking the Fool-Aid “Negroes…sometimes choose their own leaders but unfortunately they are too often the wrong kind. Negroes do not readily follow persons with constructive programs. Almost any sort of exciting appeal or trivial matter presented to them may receive immediate attention…and liberal support.” —Carter G. Woodson The term “drinking the Kool-Aid” has been taken to a new level among many of our people. In many circles, we have gotten so intellectually lazy that we will believe just about anything from anyone, that is, as long as we don’t have to do anything except trumpet a utopian message, and if we never have to sacrifice for the collective benefit of one another. The Kool-Aid cliché, as far as I am concerned, has now become “Fool-Aid,” and Black folks are gulping it down by the barrel.

There are so-called Black leaders who, despite their unseemly tactics, their portrayals of themselves as “honest” brokers, and their shadowy deal-making and sellout prowess, seem to be exempt from exposure by our people. While Black folks have always had to deal with these scoundrels, we have been reluctant to call them out—to expose them for what they really are.

On the other hand, we have leaders among us who are totally dedicated to the collective economic advancement of African Americans. These are the ones who are usually sacrificed by Black people—thrown out because they are a threat to the establishment or because they are “too Black.” That frightens some people and, sadly, we play into that fear by participating in the demise of the very people who would help pull us out of our economic problems.

We willingly drink the Fool-Aid

James Clingman

Commentary of those who are only interested in themselves, only to end up in the same place or even further behind than we were before we took the first sip. That must change. But it won’t change simply because it ought to change; it will only change when we change our behavior and our penchant for choosing the “wrong kind” of leader.

I have seen folks stroll through our communities and be held up as paragons of Black liberation, all while filling their pockets with the ‘filthy lucre’ from their sell-out deals with the powers that be. They have their hands in every deal, every program, every transaction, and every scenario that involves Black people, making certain that they will be the first in line to be paid. They rob the community and blame that same community for not moving forward. How can we move forward with crooks like these among us?

Many people, Black, White, and otherwise have drunk the Fool-Aid of folks like Jim Jones in Guyana; David Koresh in Waco, Texas; Marshall Applewhite in San Diego (Hale Bopp Comet); Warren Jeffs in Eldorado, Texas (Yearning for Zion Ranch); and many other cult figures. We have been mesmerized and captivated by individual preachers, politicians, and leaders who have absolutely no interest in anything other than their own

selfish interests and advancement— usually economic.

So, while the drinking the Kool-Aid cliché has become sort of comical and caricature-oriented in its connotation, drinking the Fool-Aid gives a much more enlightened description of the dangers that lurk in actualizing the phrase.

I contend that Black folks are far too intelligent to be reduced to a bunch of voluntary Fool-Aid drinkers, lapping up every word spoken by anyone, without doing our homework and making sure that what they say is true and illustrated by their subsequent actions. In other words, don’t believe everything you hear or read on the Internet. Don’t be a sycophant for a shyster or a puppet for a prevaricator. Hold their feet to the fire after they speak, and use your own discernment to ascertain the wealth of their words—or the lack thereof As Woodson intimated, Black folks have authentic leaders who have “constructive programs,” but who are seldom followed. Unfortunately, we have more folks drinking the Fool-Aid of hucksters than we have those who refuse it or at least read the label before they are willing to take a drink, but to borrow a verse from Matthew 7:13 “…For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”

Think for yourself, and be willing to accept the consequences thereof.

Fool-Aid may taste good, but it will make you very sick.

(James Clingman is the nation’s most prolific writer on economic empowerment for Black people. His latest book, “Black Dollars Matter! Teach Your Dollars How to Make More Sense,” is available on his website, Blackonomics.com.)

Carson will lead HUD with compassion

by Armstrong Williams (NNPA)—In recent days, the media has been abuzz with speculation over cabinet appointments within the incoming President-elect Donald Trump administration. Specifically, much talk has focused on Dr. Ben Carson and his announcement that he was not interested in serving in a cabinet post.

Observers have tried to read the tea leaves and read into some underlying story as to how Carson arrived at this decision and what it signals. However, they are missing the point.

I have known Carson and his family for 25 years. This is a man who possesses remarkable vision. He imagined possibilities in his chosen field of medicine and then made them a reality.

He was the youngest chief of pediatric neurosurgery in the United States at the age of 33 when appointed at Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1984. He has served on the boards of major companies like Costco and Kellogg, received more than 60 honorary doctorate degrees, numerous national merit citations, and was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008. And yet, arguably the most important trait that makes Carson a fantastic appointee for the cabinet position of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is his compassion.

Carson believes that whenever there is a concentration of people with a lot of poverty, it doesn’t matter what their race is. A multitude of

conflict and the types of trouble we have seen over the past decade will continue if we aren’t able to carry out the mission of HUD. HUD’s mission to create “strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all…improving the quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination.”

In recent years, Carson was called to serve, and he accepted the call by running for the presidency. He would have made an outstanding president, but it was not to be. Part of what makes him so unique is his vision for what this country can achieve and how it can be shaped to reach its full potential.

Growing up in inner city Detroit and Boston, Carson has seen a lot of trauma and has spent a significant amount of time in neighborhoods with various problems. He has also spent time reflecting on the Obama Administration’s HUD rule designed to “desegregate” housing by withholding funds from communities that fail to further their projects “affirmatively further” fair housing. He has written: “The new rule would not only condition the grant of HUD funds to municipalities on building affordable housing as is the case today, but would require that such affordable housing is built primarily in wealthier neighborhoods with few current minority residents and that the new homes be aggressively marketed to minorities.

In practice, the rule would fundamentally change the nature of some

communities from primarily single-family to largely apartment-based areas by encouraging municipalities to strike down housing ordinances that have no overtly (or even intended) discriminatory purpose—including race-neutral zoning restrictions on lot sizes and limits on multi-unit dwellings, all in the name of promoting diversity.”

Carson will continue to possess that vision and work toward its realization.

Running an agency of the government is a management challenge that requires incredible organizational skills and expertise. The President entrusts his cabinet officials with enormous responsibility and looks to them to master the details and muster the men and women who work within their agencies to accomplish the objectives at hand.

I have no doubt that Carson would have met and exceeded any challenge set before him and done a fantastic job. However, it’s important to keep in mind that you can hire management, but not vision. It’s a unique attribute that people either possess or not.

In the end, Carson will work tirelessly on behalf of the American people, including those in our rural and urban communities to assure that all Americans have affordable, safe and quality homes.

(Armstrong Williams is manager/sole owner of Howard Stirk Holdings I & II Broadcast Television Stations and the 2016 Multicultural Media Broadcast Owner of the year.)

FORUM

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Will White workers accept Donald Trump’s billionaire cabinet picks?

(NNPA)—When Donald Trump was running for President, he specifically targeted the “White working class,” telling them that he’d prevent their jobs from leaving the country, that he’d bring back manufacturing jobs, and that he’d revive the oil and steel industries. He hasn’t taken office yet, but he has already celebrated the fact that Carrier, a furnace manufacturer in Indianapolis, Indiana, has agreed to keep jobs in the United States, even though they had earlier announced that they would have moved jobs to Mexico.

The Carrier deal that Trump has been crowing about is so deceptive, that some business writers describe it as a scam and a union leader accused Trump of lying his hind parts off. Trump says he saved over a thousand jobs, but the real number may be closer to 730. Carrier will still relocate more than 500 jobs to Mexico, and they had already planned to keep about 300 jobs in the United States. So Trump may have “saved” 400 jobs, not 800 or a thousand, and Indiana Governor Mike Pence had to give up $7 million in tax benefits to keep the jobs here. Trump and Pence have also signaled that they are

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary willing to play “let’s make a deal” on a case by case basis to keep jobs in the United States, instead of using public policy to encourage the development of U.S. jobs and to limit the mobility of capital. And, Carrier is still closing another Indiana plant, but there has been no intervention for that closure.

Now, Mr. Trump has indicated that Andrew F. Puzder is his choice for Secretary of Labor. Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurant Holdings, a company that franchises Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. fast food outlets, has opposed minimum wage increases, worker protections, paid sick leave, and the Affordable Care Act. He has said that he welcomes automation in the restaurant industry, because machines are “always polite…never take a vacation, never show up late, there’s never a slip and fall or an age, sex, or race discrimination case.” While the Department of Labor has been the advocate for workers, Mr. Puzder seems to be an advocate for worker exploitation.

Okay, y’all working-class White folks, those of you who voted for Mr. Trump, are you ready to swallow a bitter pill? Because Mr. Trump has shown you, yet again, what he thinks of you. The historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote about President Abraham Lincoln’s “Team of Rivals.” What Mr. Trump seems to have assembled is a team of war-mongering generals and bombastic billionaires. The Puzder appointment, then, is consistent with Mr. Trump’s philosophy, but it is inconsistent with the notion that the Labor Department should be an advocate for workers, and should regulate labor markets and enforce labor legislation.

The minimum wage was stuck at $5.15 an hour for 10 years before it was increased in 2007. Then, Congress approved a three-step increase, raising the wage to $5.85 an hour in July 2007, then $6.55 an hour in 2008, finally increasing to $7.25 an hour in 2009. It has been stuck there ever since. President Obama has recommended an increase of the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, less than the $15 an hour that many activists are advocating through the Fight for Fifteen. Puzder does not think the minimum wage should be more than $9 an hour. He also opposes Obama Administration efforts to give overtime pay to more workers.

It would be crass to say that Puzder purchased his position, but it is important to note that he contributed more than $300,000 to the Trump campaign. His nomination is consistent with that of Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt, a climate change denier, to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Just as Pruitt has no intention of protecting the environment, prioritizing energy production over environmental protection, Puzder has no intention of advocating for or protecting workers.

Lots of people who voted for Mr. Trump swear they aren’t racists and say they simply voted for “change.”

If Mr. Trump and Mr. Puzder have their way, they’ll get chump change for hourly pay. Is that the change they want to believe in?

(Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist. For more info visitwww.juliannemalveaux.com.)

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

B5

Our priority is the improvement Raynard Jackson of opportunities for Blacks Commentary For more than 80 were awarded or bid years too many of Louis ‘Hop’ Kendrick there was a mention us have stood, sat, of Blacks being parlooked, and remained ticipants? The tragsilent about the conedy currently is that ditions in Pittsburgh those who allegedly that relegated Black represent the Black citizens to being less communities have than first class citiallowed Blacks to be zens. replaced with other Those of the curminorities. rent generation may not remember the There are unbelievable sums of money acts of discrimination their parents and being spent for years that focus on rehagrandparents were confronted with in bilitation for those who are arrested, those Pittsburgh and across Allegheny County. with drug problems, young males dropping In fact too many of us don’t focus enough out of high school, and for those who have on the multitude of negative acts they difficulty in school. There is apparently no face everyday. I was reading a column in genuine interest in the prevention of the the daily newspaper and it was making negative problems that have such a devasreference to a program that was focusing tating effect on our Black families. on Black Lives Matter. It bought to mind I heard on the radio on Dec. 12 that there the overwhelming importance of you and are 13 million vacant jobs in America. It is I collectively working together to ensure not enough to sign legislation that states that those who sit in the seat of power be that even if your job application says you compelled by any means possible to pro- have a record your application would be vide Black persons with opportunities to considered? share in the business opportunities that I have written for the last three years White citizens are provided with every- about the almost complete absence of day. Those Blacks that we have elect- Black contractors and employees in the ed are almost completely silent when it East End. However if you ride through comes to demanding from their political the Hill District and look at the building masters that Blacks receive their rightful ongoing on Erin Street, Bedford Avenue, shares.

Webster Avenue, Trent Street, and Perry Pittsburgh City Council is consumed Street there is a total absence of Black with legislation to help pets namely dogs, workers in a neighborhood where the unbicycle riders, improve the quality of life employment rate is at a record high. It is for the gay community, legislation to help extremely difficult to really have a Merry the transgender community, and council Christmas when Daddy or Mama doesn’t currently is seeking to negate any discrim- have a decent job. ination against women.

Yes we live in a city that really could be There has been no mention by Whites or described as a dual city. Some described it Blacks on Pittsburgh City Council about as the most livable city and others as the the great demand for a meaningful M/B/E state of Pennsylvania’s city with the most program. It appears that when Phil Petite hate crimes.

(Louis “Hop” Kendrick is a contributor to the New died the program died with him. Do you remember when Government contracts Pittsburgh Courier.)

To Tell The Truth

Why is it hard to convict a police officer of murder?

Why is it hard to footage the prosecuconvict a police officer J. Pharoah Doss tion asked, “So would of murder? you agree that at this The answers are time he is not armed simple, they’re just and he’s running hard to accept. away from you?”

On duty a police ofSlager said, “At ficer can make a rapthe time I would say id decision and use no, but after watchdeadly force, but that ing the video, yes.” doesn’t mean the trigThen Slager revealed ger was pulled with intentions to commit during the shooting he didn’t know his tasa crime. The absence of malicious intent er was behind him. reduces murder to manslaughter.

The video footage also contained what Sometimes, in high profile cases, the pros- happened after the shooting. ecution charged murder when they should Slager retrieved his taser and placed it have charged manslaughter. A lot of times near Scott’s body. During his testimony the prosecution can’t secure a conviction Slager said he must have dropped it by due to insufficient evidence, but in the trial Scott because he didn’t remember doing it. of Michael Slager, the former police officer The prosecution met its burden of proof. who shot Walter Scott multiple times in But the ultimate reason why it’s hard to his back, the prosecution had overwhelm- convict a police officer of murder is because ing evidence for a conviction. the police profession has a built in benefit Michael Slager’s defense said Slager and of the doubt with some jurors.

Walter Scott scuffled over Slager’s TasThe jury foreman stated, when the jury er and Slager feared for his life, but the received the initial charges of murder, shooting didn’t occur during the scuffle, they decided that wasn’t something Slager it happened while Walter Scott ran away did. The jury acknowledged Slager did do without the taser. something, but based on the law he didn’t The prosecution had witnesses from the commit murder because there was nothing police department. These officers were malicious. With the manslaughter charge asked about their training. One explained the foreman said the jurors had a lot of there are six levels of force they are al- questions. The final breakdown of the jury lowed to use and the sixth is deadly force. was 10-2 in favor of voluntary manslaughDuring cross-examination, another offi- ter. cer was asked if they were trained to shoot The foreman said, “The two individuals people in the back while running away. were not willing to compromise or look at This officer stated he would be justified de- any more evidence.” So the judge declared pending on the situation because officers a mistrial. are trained to end the threat.

The foreman concluded, we can read But the prosecution had video footage of books and watch all these law shows, but this particular situation. we don’t have a good understanding of the It appeared Slager immediately applied law. the sixth level of force when there was a Trials don’t determine justice they detercomfortable distance of 15 to 20 feet be- mine whether or not the accused is guilty tween the two men. That meant the de- of the charges, and in the end all particifense had to convince the jury that “run- pants hope justice was served, and if it’s a ning away” was a serious enough threat to mistrial the case will be tried again.

Slager’s life that he was justified to leap There’s an old saying justice delayed is five preliminary levels of force to the most justice denied. lethal.

Hopefully, in this case, justice will only be The defense didn’t even try. denied for the short time period it has been Michael Slager was put on the stand to delayed.

(J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the New Pittsdefend himself. Slager told the 911 dispatch, “Shots fired…Subject down…He burgh Courier. He blogs at jpharoahdoss@blogspot. took my taser.” After reviewing the ideo com)

Commentary

Democrats in U.S. Congress fail at diversity

(NNPA)—The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “One of the shameful tragedies [of our nation] is that eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is one of the most segregated hours, if not the most segregated hour in Christian America.”

King referred to the segregation within American churches on Sunday mornings.

I would say that the most segregated place in America is the Democratic Party, especially when it comes to Blacks holding senior-level staff jobs.

According to The Gallup Organization, Blacks make up 22 percent of the Democratic Party and Hispanics 13 percent.

For decades, Blacks have been the most loyal voting bloc within the Democratic Party, but as Obama has proven, when it’s time to reward that loyalty, Blacks are often forgotten.

The Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies did a fascinating study on this issue last year. The Joint Center used to be the premiere Black think tank in the U.S., until they decided to become a radical liberal group and tool of the Democratic National Committee.

The report is titled, “Racial Diversity Among Top Senate Staff,” conducted by James R. Jones. This is one of the most explosive, damning reports of the Democratic Party’s racism I have ever read.

Some of the highlights of the report are: •Although people of color make up over 36 percent of the U.S. population and over 28 percent of the citizen voting-age population, they represent only 7.1 percent of top Senate staffers. Of the 336 top Senate staffers, our analysis finds evidence of only 24 staffers of color (12 Asian-Americans, 7 Latinos, 3 African-Americans, and 2 Native-Americans). African-Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, but only 0.9 percent of top Senate staffers and Latinos make up over 16 percent of the U.S. population, but only 2.1 percent of top Senate staffers.

•African Americans represent from 17 to almost 38 percent of the population in ten states (Ala., Del., Ga., La., Md., Miss., N.C., S.C., Tenn., and Va.), yet hold only 1.7 percent of the total top staff positions in the U.S. Senate offices of these states (one position in S.C.).

•Top Democratic Senate staff members are much less diverse than the Democratic voting base. While those who self-identified as Democrats nationwide were 22 percent African-American and 13 percent Latino, top Democratic U.S. Senate staff as a group is 0.7 percent African-American and 2.0 percent Latino. There is no African-American chief of staff, legislative director, or communications director in the Washington, D.C. personal office of any Democratic Senator, according to the Joint Center’s 2015 study.

According to table 3 of this same report, “While people of color make up approximately 37 percent of those who identify as Democrats, they account for 8.1 percent of top Democratic Senate staff. In comparison, people of color make up 9 percent of those who identify as Republicans and 6.7 percent of top Republican Senate staff, the Republicans’ percentage of key staffers of color is closer to the share of their party’s voters who are people of color.”

In other words, a far left, radical Democratic group, The Joint Center, admits that the Republican Party has more diversity among their Senate staffers than their Democratic counterparts as a percentage of their makeup in their respective parties.

Why has the mainstream media not reported on this fact? They report on the fact the Democrats have little to no diversity on Senate staffs, but they never take the next step and say that the Republicans are doing a far better job than the Democrats, because to do so would undercut the liberals constant argument that Republicans are racist.

So, if the Republicans are racist, as Democrats constantly allege, what does that make the Democrats? One of their own radical liberal think tanks has now provided empirical data that shows Republicans are more diverse.

Isn’t it amazing that the only U.S. Senator that has a Black chief of staff is South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, who is Black. New Jersey Senator, Corey Booker, the only other Black Senator, doesn’t think enough of his own community to hire a Black for this position, but yet he constantly lectures others about the lack of diversity. How ironic!

So, to all my Black Democratic friends, why do you continue to work for a party that doesn’t reward your loyalty?

(Raynard Jackson is founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future, a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org.)

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

B6

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

Computer/IT: Confluence Technologies, Inc. seeks Solution Architect to work in Pittsburgh, PA. Create & maintain the architectrl specificatns of technlgy software prdcts & ensure the success of the prdct by designg & dvlpng the foundatns on which value can be realizd. Degree & commensurate expernce requird.

For details & to apply visit https:// confluence.applytojob.com

Computer/IT: Compunetix, Inc. seeks Sr Web Applications Test Engineer to work in Monroeville, PA. Rsrch, dsgn, dvlp & execute tests for GUI, Web & API-basd applictns using advncd methodolgs & technlgs.

Masters dgr (or forgn equiv) in Electrical Engnrng, Comp. Sci., or relatd field & 1 yr of exp in a relatd occuptn. Work exp or acad courswrk must incl: web-based applictn testng, large scale stress testng, riskbasd testng, functnl testng, blackbx testng, whitebox testng, telecom testng (SIP & PSTN) & bulk call generatn; C#, C++, Java & Perl dvlpmt, test script automatn, netwrk admin & configuratn mngmnt systms such as ClearCase, ClearQuest; Agile testng, automatn script dvlpmnt, dbase systms, server virtualizatn, digital signal procssrs, netwrk switches & emulators. Email resume to Bbrennan@compunetix.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

MEETING

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh’s Board of Commissioners will hold its monthly meeting on DECEMBER 15, 2016; the HACP Board of Commissioners meeting will be held at 10:30 A.M @ 200 Ross Street, 13th Floor Wherrett Room, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Meetings

Meetings

CITIZEN POLICE REVIEW BOARD 2017 MEETING DATES AND HOST NEIGHBORHOODS

The following calendar maintains the tradition of meeting at 6:00 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every calendar month except as noted. The several meetings proposed for Council Chambers attempt to respond to the public recommendation that meeting at a centralized location may encourage increased public attendance.

All Meetings Scheduled to Begin at 6:00 p.m.

Date Neighborhood Address January 24, 2017 Council Chambers 510 City-County Building

414 Grant Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

(412) 255-2142-office February 28, 2017 Council Chambers 510 City-County Building

Pittsburgh, PA 15219 March 28, 2017 South Side Market Building 12th & Bingham

Pittsburgh, PA 15203

(412) 488-8404 (Z3) Council Chambers 510 City-County Building April 25, 2017

Pittsburgh, PA 15219 May 23, 2017 The First United 50 Stratmore Avenue

Presbyterian Church Pittsburgh, PA 15205

of Crafton Heights (412) 921-6153 (Z6) June 27, 2017 North Side Senior Center Allegheny Square

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

(412) 323-7239 (Z1) July 25, 2017 Council Chambers 510 City-County Building

Pittsburgh, PA 15219 August, 2017 -Combined with SeptemberSeptember 26, 2017 Council Chambers 510 City-County Building

Pittsburgh, PA 15219 October 24, 2017 Union Project 801 N. Negley Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15206

(412) 363-4550 (Z5) November, 2017 - Combined with December December 5, 2017 Council Chambers 510 City-County Building

Pittsburgh, PA 15219 (The public will be notified of any change of date or location through media publication.)

For Further Information: 412-765-8023 Confidential TipLine: 412-255-CPRB LEGAL ADVERTISING

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Legal Notices

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ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1666

Estate of MS. STELLA TULENKO, deceased, of 2734 Volta Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Estate No. 02-12-05934. Mr. Ronald Tulenko, 450 Elizabeth Street, McKees Rocks, PA 15136, Co-Executor, and Mr. William Tulenko, 2734 Volta Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, c/o Max Feldman, Attorney At Law, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108.

Estate of DOROTHY REHTORIK, deceased of Bellevue, Pennsylvania No. 02-16-04524.

Lorraine Rehtorik, Co-Administrator, 18 Greenwood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 or to: Sandra Carioto, Co-Administrator, 922 McCoy Road, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 or to: Todd T. Jordon, Esquire, Tener, Van Kirk, Wolf & Moore, P.C., One Oxford Centre, Suite 2100, 301 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Estate of DAVID H. DUNLAP, of Indiana Township, PA, No.: 02-16-06280, Debra R. McFadden, Administratrix, 516 Kellingwood Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15238. R.M. Entwisle, III, Atty., 125 1st Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129

Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1666 CCTV INSPECTION, REGIONALIZATION CONTRACT THREE shall be received at the office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 10:00 A.M., Prevailing Time, Thursday, January 5, 2017, and then shall be publicly opened and Read. A Pre-Bid Meeting will be held at the Authority’s Plant in the Main O&M Building Room 106, on Monday, December 19, 2016 at 10:00 A.M., Prevailing Time. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory.

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 office of the Authority. A non- refundable fee of $100 (no cash will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents. 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.

Bidders are encouraged to obtain a copy of the Bid Documents, if they have not already done so, from the Clerk’s Office, 2nd Floor ALCOSAN O&M Building, either before or following the Pre-Bid Meeting.

Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed in writing and submitted by fax to Mr. Michael Lichte, ALCOSAN at (412) 734-6209.

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 Jan M. Oliver Director, Regional Conveyance December 12, 2016

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO!

SONNY BOY

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LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR NEW RHVAC UNIT FOR 201 KIRKPATRICK STREET REBID IFB# 300-49-16 Rebid

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR Legislative & Regulatory Monitoring and Consulting Services RFP# 125-52-16

ALLIES & ROSS MANAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ) FOR GENERAL CONTRACTOR FOR OCCUPIED REHABILITATION RFQ #2016-17

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): NEW RHVAC UNIT FOR 201 KIRKPATRICK STREET REBID IFB# 300-49-16 Rebid The documents will be available no later than December 5, 2016 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 11:00 a.m. on December 27, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP. org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116 Opt 1 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Thursday, December 15, 2016 11:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP’s has revised their website.

As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 (412.237.3020) on the following items: Bid Proposal 987 – Repair HVAC at Science Building (Phase II) – Allegheny Campus A mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 16, 2016. The assembly point will be front entrance to the KLI Science Building, top of Legacy Way off of Ridge, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Proposals will be received at the Purchasing Department until 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Thursday, December 22, 2016.

The CCAC Purchasing Department is now publishing all bids via the CCAC website at https://www.ccac. edu/Bid-RFP_Opportunities.aspx.

It will be each vendor’s responsibility to monitor the bid activity within the given website (“Bid and RFP Opportunities”) and ensure compliance with all applicable bid documents inclusive of any issued addenda. Failure to incorporate any applicable addenda in the final submittal may result in the rejection of your bid.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Legislative & Regulatory Monitoring and Consulting Services RFP# 125-52-16 The documents will be available no later than December 12, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 1:00 P.M., January 5, 2017 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 2nd Floor, Suite 200 100 Ross Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 December 28, 2016 1:00 P.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION Of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Room 251, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on January 3, 2017, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for the following: Pgh. Allderdice H. S. Replace Electrical Distribution System Electrical Prime Exterior Envelope Evaluation – Bid Package 2 Various Locations General and Asbestos Primes Maintenance of Fire Extinguishers and Hoses Various Locations General Prime Pgh. Minadeo Pre K-5 Roof Replacement General and Plumbing Primes Pgh. Student Achievement Ctr. Roof Replacement General and Plumbing Primes Pgh. Student Achievement Ctr. Façade Restoration Project (Masonry Repairs and Windows) General and Asbestos Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on December 5, 2016 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.

Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporation (ARMDC), the nonprofit real estate development instrumentality of The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), hereby request responses from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): General Contractor for Occupied Rehabilitation RFP #2016-17 The documents will be available no later than December 12, 2016 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until 10:00 A.M., January 19, 2017 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested may obtain information from: Mr. Kim Detrick – Procurement Director/Contracting Officer Procurement Department Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116, Option 1 or by visiting the Business Opportunities section of www.hacp.org A pre proposal meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 200 Ross Street, 9th Fl. Board Room Pittsburgh, PA 15219 January 5, 2017 11:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh President & CEO, Allies & Ross Management and Development Corporatioin

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.

America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com Deadline/Closing/ Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, and cancellations: Friday noon preceding Wednesday publication

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

CLASSIFIEDS

Bids/Proposals

Sealed Bids for CONTRACT 1662, SEWER IMPROVEMENTS CONTRACT shall be received at the office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 2:00p.m., Prevailing Time, Friday, January 6, 2017, and then shall be publicly opened and read. A Pre? Bid Meeting will be held at the Authority’s Plant in the O&M Building Conference Room 106, on Tuesday, December 20, 2016 at 10:00 a.m., Prevailing Time. Attendance at this meeting is mandatory.

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 office of the Authority. A non- refundable fee of $100 (no cash will be accepted) will be charged for each set of Contract Documents. 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.

Any questions regarding the Contract Documents should be directed in writing or by fax to Mr. Michael Lichte, P.E., ALCOSAN at (412) 734-6209.

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 Jan M. Oliver Director, Regional Conveyance December 12, 2016

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR INSTALLATION OF ROLL-IN OR WALK-IN SHOWERS AUTHORITY WIDE REBID IFB# 300-47-16 Rebid

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): INSTALLATION OF ROLL-IN OR WALK-IN SHOWERS AUTHORITY WIDE REBID IFB# 300-47-16 Rebid The documents will be available no later than December 5, 2016 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 a.m. on December 27, 2016 at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at which time they will be opened and read aloud.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP. org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to: Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5116 Opt 1 A pre bid meeting will be held: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Thursday, December 15, 2016 10:00 A.M. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP’s has revised their website.

As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO!

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7-11 818 N. DUQUESNE BLVD GIANT EAGLE #6379 420 EAST WATERFRONT DR GIANT EAGLE—MCKEESPORT MRS. JAN 3812 O’NEILL BLVD With God all things are possible.

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Soul Readers

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SONNY BOY

LEGAL ADVERTISING

ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL NOTICE CONTRACT NO. 1662

DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

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SPORTS New Pittsburgh Courier

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DECEMBER 14-20, 2016

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

by Aubrey Bruce For New Pittsburgh Courier

I wrote this column on Monday, Dec. 12. The reason that the date is significant to me is that there is an old saying that goes something like this: “what goes around comes around” or in the case that I am about to argue before you, again, and again.

In 2015, the New England Patriots may have possibly used “other methods” of cheating in an effort to manipulate the post season competition pool across the NFL: besides their usual methods of deflating footballs, videotaping practices of their opponents and questionable in-game substitution practices, ya know, mundane stuff like that.

However, there may be other devious and hard to detect methods that may

Inside Conditions…Yellow bellies have been utilized from Patriots “apparatus of deceit” to aid “Belicheat Inc.” in adding another tainted Lombardi to their dark asterisk laden trophy case, insuring that a few of Benedict Arnold’s descendants’ remained as the “cocks of the walk in the NFL.” Remember in times past if a man was caught stealing a horse or horses, or gambling with a marked deck of cards or a loaded pair of dice he was usually murdered on the spot. He could not bargain to have his life spared by promising to give up a draft choice or two or pay a paltry fine. Victims demanded to extract their pound of flesh immediately as to insure that the violator would not ever repeat the same behavior. Is there nothing that the Patriots organization won’t do to

AUBREY BRUCE win?

The late Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders used to say, “Just win baby.” Could the motto of Robert Kraft the owner of the Patriots be? “Just cheat baby.” Nick O’Malley wrote this on masslive. com on Dec. 27, 2015.

“With a chance to lock

up home field advantage through the NFL playoffs on the line, the New England Patriots dropped a hard-fought overtime game against the New York Jets on Sunday. The win gives the Jets a major boost in the AFC playoff picture, especially given the Pittsburgh Steelers’ surprising loss to the Baltimore Ravens. To some, Sunday’s loss wasn’t an example of the Jets rising up with a big win, it was Bill Belichick playing mind games with the rest of the NFL. That’s right: Some fans are claiming the Patriots lost on purpose to manipulate playoff positioning.

So how strong is the belief? [The following is] a quick roundup of [fans] who are convinced they’re onto something here, and that Belichick is playing

some sort of 3D cosmic chess while everyone else is playing checkers (or something like that). Yeah right. “Belichick is playing some sort of 3D cosmic chess while everyone else is playing checkers.” Why does everyone insist on giving this sports pseudo-demigod and his player’s accolades and awards for doing dark sh-t? Just the thought of any skulduggery originating from the Boston camp makes me almost want to take off my collar and lose my religion. I am telling you, if the Patriots lose to the Ravens on Monday night, the excuse for the loss that they are going to use over and over is that New England did not have their full complement of starting players. I may be wrong, (which is not strange) but if I can be right 50 percent

of the time I will be happy.

However, if New England wins, Bill Belichick will again be hailed as the “genius above all sports geniuses” sitting on his throne up in Valhalla, with Tom Brady and Robert Kraft sitting on his right and left side with celestial airbags positioned in a convenient arc around them just in case lightning or the hammer of Thor makes an attempt to strike one or all of them. Are the NFL marketing gurus again burning the midnight oil, or will the players decide who will ultimately hoist the NFL championship trophy above their heads?

(Aubrey Bruce is the Senior Sports Columnist for the New Pittsburgh Courier, he can be reached at: abruce@newpittsburghcourier.com or 412-5836741. Follow him on Twitter@ ultrascribe.)

Steelers’ playoff fate in their hands

by Ulish Carter Courier Staff Writer

With the Baltimore Ravens 30-23 loss at the hands of the New England Patriots the Steelers playoff fate is in their hands.

The Steelers at 8-5 are on top of the AFC North Division with just three games left. One of those three games is with Baltimore, 7-6, at home, and the other two are with division rivals the Cincinnati Bengals, 5-7-1 and the Cleveland Browns 0-13.

The Steelers road the back of Le’Veon Bell for a record 236 yards rushing on 38 carries and another 62 yards receiving to smash another Steelers record for total yards at 298.

The Steelers face the struggling Bengals next at Heinz Field in what should be no holds barred contest

with Cincinnati trying to stage one of the biggest upsets of the season that could possibly hurt Pittsburgh playoffs hopes. But Baltimore will have to beat the up and down Philadelphia Eagles (5-8) in Baltimore. The Eagles upset the Steelers earlier in the season.

If both teams are victorious they will meet in the biggest game of the season in a winner takes all, maybe, game. If the Ravens win they will be in first place by virtue of winning both head to head games. Then the only way the Steelers could win would be for the Ravens to lose their final game against the Bengals. So Cincinnati is in position to determine who represents the AFC North Division even though it will not be them. Well, it could LE’VEON BELL RECORD SETTING GAME—Ben Roethlisberger (7) hands off to Le’Vean Bell (26) against be but that’s not likely. the Buffalo Bills. (AP Photos)

COACH MIKE TOMLIN

by Bill Neal For New Pittsburgh Courier

:10—I’m not at the game.

The game is in Buffalo. I’m not going to Buffalo. It’s cold and snowing in Buffalo. That Buffalo cold and snow is way different than this Pittsburgh cold and snow. Anyway, I’m at my spot and you’re on a need to know basis where that is. When I need ya to know, I’ll tell ya! But I am warm.

Hoorah! :09—Bitter with the sweet. Good and evil.

Rough and tough. Joy and pain (That one’s Frankie Beverly…just makin’ sure you’re paying attention.)

Call it what you want, but that’s what your Pittsburgh Steelers have to continue to get back to.

They’re on the way and thanks in part to the re-

turn of James “Silverback” Harrison to the starting line-up. Enough of the platooning, let’s deliver that shock and awe!!! :08—Speaking of delivering the pain, and I’m sure what I’m about to say has been said a thousand times over, or maybe not, but if I’m the Steeler offensive coach, I’d incorporate a weekly dose of Mike Webster, John Kolb, Larry Brown, Sam Davis, Moon Mullen and Randy Grossman into the daily Steelers diet. Hey, however they got four rings…let’s do that. :07—Hats off to “Braddock Roy,” he who doubles as an “administrative aid” to the President of the “Know It All Club” Eddie Jefferies. He picked up my fumble and saved a possible turnover. Yes, I forgot to put Sweetness

with promising young wide receiver but so far this season no one has broken loose out of the pack to be that consistent second or third receiver.

Bell has rushed for 100 yards in the previous four games accumulating 620 yards in those four games. He has established himself as the best receiving running back in the league as well as one of the top 5 rushing backs in the league.

Now all is needed is for Big Ben to get his game back together and take advantage of all his weapons. The Steelers can not only make the playoffs but they have just as much chance of winning it all as any team. And that include the New England Patriots.

The Steelers final game will be against the winless Browns, who will probably still be winless while playing all out to prevent being the first winless season in years.

What if they pulled it off?

The Steelers defense looked better than it has all season against the Buffalo Bills in their 27-20 victory, even overcoming three interceptions by Ben Roethlisberger.

Ryan Shazier, who is emerging as an All Pro, is teaming with James Harrison, and Lawrence Timmons to form one of the better defensive units in the NFL. The young defensive backs have looked very impressive in the last two games.

With the emergence of Ladarius Green at tight end the Steelers may have that second go to receiver they so desperately need to compliment Antonio Brown.

The Steelers are loaded RYAN SHAZIER—Up and coming youngster.

Overtime

BILL NEAL in last week’s top running backs of all time. So plant Walter Payton firmly in at #3 behind the great Jim Brown and Gayle Sayers and take out whoever you want. What can I say. I’ve

had concussions! :06—Speaking of the President, no, not Donald Trump, the real President, y’all keep askin’ me how Eddie’s doing when you see me in the streets.

Hey!!!!! Get up off your “fat and nasty” and go see. You know you should have been there. Yes you do…yes you do…shut up, yes you do! (Call me if you want his number. I’ll clear it with “Braddock Roy”!) :05—I told you McCutchen wasn’t going anywhere.

I think the Pirate brass felt the public pressure. I mean the people can only take so much. Every now and then “you’ve got to give the people what they want.” (The O’Jays in case you forgot…and I know you did!) :04—You continue to

stay focused on your Steelers and what knucklehead move the Pirates might make that you’re not seeing “Sid the Kid” dominating hockey once again. You’re living in a very special sports town boys and girls. I hope you appreciate it. :03—Oh, back to James Harrison. Wonder why he can do what he do at age 38? First man in the weight room, last man to leave and then there’s this . . .100 pound dumbbell curls. That’s one in each hand sparky! :02—You all know I bleed blue and gold. Hey, I did work there. But alas, I can’t help but think it’s gonna be a tough run in the ACC. I know, it’s a nice thought to have Jamel Artis as your point guard, but…# 1 point guards have

a “natural thing” about not an them. It’s everyday thing. #2 it does take away from what he does best. It just does, and #3 how does a major university not have an all-star point guard good to go! I’m just askin’! :01—Saturday, Jan. 7 will be the 2nd Annual Western PA Humanitarian Awards honoring those who help change the world. “Heal the World…Make it a Better Place” is the theme.

Achieving Greatness Inc. is looking for volunteers, sales reps and sponsors.

Give me a call if you want to make some Christmas money. Also, still looking for people who want to join the Pittsburgh City League Hall of Fame Inductions Committee. Call 412-6284856. ~ GAME OVER ~