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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

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State board votes to recommend pardon for Corry Sanders

A BOLD LEADER WITH A BOLD VISION

by Christian Morrow

to recommend a pardon for Sanders because of the exCourier Staff Writer emplary life of hard work In January 2016, Allegh- and community service eny County District Attor- he’s led since his release in 1997—and ney Stephen on Sept. 11, Zappala they did— wrote Corunanimousry Sanders ly. Only Gov. to inform Tom Wolf’s him that signature even though remains to he’d won a make it offiseat on the cial.

McKeesport “That (ZapCouncil the pala’s letter) previous Nocaught their vember, he eye,” Sandcould not be ers told the sworn-in beCORRY SANDERS New Pittscause he had (Photo courtesy WPXI-TV) burgh Coupleaded no contest to drug charges 23 rier in a Sept. 16 interview.

“Mr. Zappala didn’t know years earlier.

Earlier this month he me at the time, but he got to wrote another letter urgSEE SANDERS A7 ing the state pardon board

JANINE WOODS, outside the main YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh building, Downtown. (Photo by J.L. Martello)

Janine Woods is the new CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh YWCA

by Christian Morrow

greater rate than White example. women…I’m working on “He hired a lot of the Tusthe planning of those ini- kegee Airmen when they When YWCA Greater tiatives, as many as sev- got out of the war, and he Pittsburgh’s new CEO Ja- en to 10 new initiatives, brought the Urban League nine Woods started in July, based on board approval of to Kansas,” she said. “There she said she had the goal of shaking 100 hands in 100 days.

“They brought me here to make a differWell, she’s shaken 120 hands in 60 days, and she’s ence and to speak up and that is what I’m not stopping there. going to do. That’s what I’ve always done.”

“I came here for the opportunity to be able to make a Janine Woods difference in the lives of YWCA Greater Pittsburgh CEO women, and women of color, to be able to address racial and gender equity needs course, and making sure it’s were six kids and we were in this market,” Woods aligned with the strategic all involved in the movement very early.” told the New Pittsburgh plan.”

She comes by her advocaShe was also involved in Courier in an exclusive interview, Sept. 16. “Gender cy, naturally. Her father, the Kansas politics very early, pay issues, Black women first Black engineer hired working on Bob Dole’s sensuffering from a socio-eco- by Boeing, was a civil rights ate campaign when she was nomic point of view at a leader in Kansas. He led by 12, and later on Dan GlickCourier Staff Writer

man’s congressional campaign. She went on to intern in both of their offices in Washington, D.C. before realizing it wasn’t for her. She worked for Ford’s Parts and Service division in Texas—she’d learned how to change brakes when she was 11—was in the pharmaceutical industry, and then with Kodak in Rochester, N.Y., where things took another turn.

“Kodak was a great company; they had a program that rotated me through various divisions; the last one was corporate giving, working with 501c3s in SEE WOODS A4

George Melvin Walker dies at age 80 Was first Black mayor elected in Beaver County

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

George Melvin Walker, who enjoyed long careers in the steel industry and as a rehabilitation counselor, and still managed to fit in being elected as Beaver County’s first African American mayor, died Sept.

4 after an extended illness.

He was 80.

When asked what kind of guy he was, his daughter, Lorraine Walker, said that SEE WALKER A5

GEORGE MELVIN WALKER

AFRICAN AMERICANS PREPARING FOR THE C-SUITE

Executive Leadership Academy recruiting for second cohort

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Two years ago, The Advanced Leadership Initiative was still just an idea in Evan Frazier’s head. Two months ago, its Executive Leadership Academy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business graduated its first class—and those 23 African American executives and managers are a big step closer to the C-Suite.

The idea—to build a pipeline of African American executives who could become CEOs or attain C-Suite Level positions at corporations in the Pittsburgh region—is now a reality.

“It’s exciting to see the dream come to fruition,” said Frazier, VP of community affairs for Highmark Health. “But this is just the beginning. Hopefully, it

DINA CLARK

GEORGE ROBINSON

will build momentum and bring real impact—we know it’s been impactful for those who went through it.”

Robert Young, TALI managing director, said the impact was felt by some cohort members even before they “went through it.”

“Many in the cohort saw promotions during the course of the program,” he told the New Pitts-

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burgh Courier. “So it shows there are African American executives that are on that pathway to the C-Suite and that this Academy is making that path more direct.”

Dina Clark, head of diversity and inclusion for Covestro LLC, was one of those in the first cohort and said the experience was “amazing.”

“The TALI executive program

provided an unbelievable opportunity for executive support and coaching, as well as world-class educational experiences,” she said.

“It was unlike any leadership experience I’ve had. The most important part of the experience for me was making priceless connections to other members of the cohort, which I continue to cherish.”

The first Academy class, announced in January, underwent eight two-day sessions which totaled more than 120 hours of instruction from renowned academic and industry experts. EVAN FRAZIER is co-founder of The Advanced Leadership Initiative, which sponsors the Executive SEE C-SUITE A5 Leadership Academy. (Photos by Brian Cook Sr.)

J. Pharoah Doss asks

What is 9/11 to descendants of slaves?

Forum B6 Forum B6

A2

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

INTERNATIONAL

Ghana’s first president predicted Black-on-Black troubles in Africa (TriceEdneyWire.com/GIN)—Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, warned as far back as the 1960s that political independence from European colonial oppressors without economic independence was a recipe for disaster.

Nkrumah, who authored “The struggle continues,” Class Struggle in Africa” and “Neo-colonialism—the last stage of imperialism,” among others, was deeply aware of the threats faced by the new states and the ploys of their former oppressors.

“No single part of Africa can be safe, or free to develop fully and independently, while any part remains unliberated,” he wrote.

Nkrumah’s words are resounding today as anti-foreign fever is pitting African against African in Cape Town. Some 600 Nigerians are taking airlifts home after their shops and properties came under attack. More than 100,000 Nigerians are estimated to live in South Africa.

Foreign workers in South Africa—the continent’s second-largest economy after Nigeria—are often victims of anti-immigrant sentiment in a nation where almost a third of people are unemployed. The attacks on foreign stores began a day after South African truckers started a nationwide strike on Sunday to protest the employment of foreign drivers, reports the BBC. They blocked roads and torched foreign-driven vehicles mainly in the south-western KwaZulu-Natal province.

Police say five people have been killed, 420 people arrested and hundreds of shops destroyed.

In the book “Class Struggle in Africa,” Nkrumah observed that where unemployment is high, worker anger is often channeled against the “alien” workers who are blamed for the scarcity of jobs, the shortage of houses, rising prices and so on.

Today, after 25 years of democracy, South Africa remains the most economically unequal country in the world, according to the World Bank. If anything, the rainbow nation is even more divided now than it

KWAME NKRUMAH was in 1994.

Previously disadvantaged South Africans hold fewer assets, have fewer skills, earn lower wages, and are still more likely to be unemployed, a 2018 World Bank report on poverty and inequality in South Africa found.

Such disparities are unlikely to be helped, however, by policies advanced by Defense and Military Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. “What we see here is criminality, criminals that decide that they are going to take advantage of the challenges that South Africa is facing,” she said in an interview with 702 radio. “Law-enforcement agencies should be called upon now to do their work.”

Fires engulfing West Africa exceeded those of Brazil (TriceEdneyWire.com/ GIN)—While all eyes were on the fast-moving flames in the Brazilian Amazon recently, satellite data showed a record 6,902 blazes in Angola, according to Weather Source.

Angola’s fires compare to 3,395 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 2,127 in Brazil. It’s not an uncommon phenomenon for Central Africa.

According to NASA, which operates the Aqua satellite, over 67,000 fires were reported in a one-week period in June last year, as farmers employed slash and burn agriculture to clear land for crops.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the leaders of the G7— Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US—were releasing $22 million to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest.

“The forest is also burning in sub-Saharan Africa” he tweeted and added that he was “considering the possibility of launching a similar initiative” in sub-Saharan African.

The Congo Basin forest is commonly referred to as the “second green lung” of the planet after the Amazon.

The forests cover an area of 3.3 million square kilometers in several countries, including about a third in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the rest in Gabon, Congo, Cameroon and Central Africa.

Just like the Amazon, the forests of the Congo Basin absorb tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) in trees and peat marshes—seen by experts as a key way to combat cli-

mate change. They are also sanctuaries for endangered species. But these fires may not compare with those of Brazil, some experts say.

“Fire is quite a regular thing in Africa. It’s part of a cycle, people in the dry season set fire to bush rather than to dense, moist rainforest,” said Philippe Verbelen, a Greenpeace forest campaigner working on the Congo Basin.

Guillaume Lescuyer, a central African expert at the French agricultural research and development centre CIRAD, also said the fires seen in NASA images were mostly burning outside the rainforest.,” Kelley said.

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This Week In Black History

Week of September 18-24 September 18 1850—Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Law as part of the Compromise of 1850. The Compromise was essentially a vain attempt to reconcile differences between the slave states of the South and the free states of the North as to whether Midwest states would be slave or free. The law basically required Free states to help slave states capture escaped slaves.

1895—Booker T. Washington delivered his famous (or infamous) “Atlanta Compromise” speech in which he promotes Black economic betterment at the expense of civil and political rights. The speech endeared him to Whites opposed to the social integration of Blacks, but it angered progressive Blacks, including scholar W.E.B. DuBOOKER T. WASHINGTON Bois, who began to portray Washington as an “Uncle Tom.” 1980—Cuban cosmonaut Arnoldo Tamayo becomes the first Black person to fly on a space mission. He flew on a space craft from the then-Soviet Union.

September 19 1865—Atlanta University is founded in Atlanta, Ga. It was one of many educational institutions established during the Reconstruction period after the Civil War to educate former slaves.

1931—Soul singer Brook Benton, born Benjamin FrankARNOLDO TAMAYO lin Peay, was born this day in Lugoff, S.C. He has more than 50 billboard chart hits as an artist including “A Rainy Night in Georgia,” “It’s Just A Matter Of Time” and “Endlessly.”

1981—An estimated 400,000 people from various labor and civil rights organizations rally in Washington, D.C., to protest the domestic policies of President Ronald Reagan.

His policies were viewed by the demonstrating groups as anti-Black and opposed to the best interests of working-class people.

September 20 1664—Maryland enacts the nation’s first “Anti-AmalgaBROOK BENTON mation Law.” It specifically outlawed marriages between Black men and White women. Soon, several other colonies followed the Maryland example. It would not be until the 1960s that U.S. Supreme Court in the famous Loving v. Virginia case declared all such laws un-Constitutional. And even though it was not being enforced, it was not until 2000 MILDRED AND RICHARD LOVING that Alabama officially became the last state to strike from the books its law banning interracial marriages.

1830—The first National Negro Convention of Free Men meets in Philadelphia, Pa. Among a wide range of items on the agenda was a resolution encouraging free Blacks to boycott the purchase of items produced by slave labor. African Methodist Episcopal Church founder Richard Allen was elected president of the convention. Despite the fact that Allen had founded the AME Church, the name of the convention also reflected an attempt by free Blacks to reduce identification with Africa. At the time, most slaves and many free Blacks tended to refer to themselves as “Africans.”

1958—A deranged woman stabs then-rapidly emerging civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. during a book signing ceremony at a Harlem, N.Y., department CAST OF “THE COSBY SHOW” store. Rumors circulated that the stabbing was part of a government conspiracy against King but no evidence was ever produced to support the theory.

1984—“The Cosby Show,” starring comedian and activist Bill Cosby, debuts on NBC Television. It becomes one of the nation’s highest rated television series and was widely praised by civil rights activists because of its generally positive portrayal of a Black middle-class family.

September 21 1872—John Henry Conyers becomes the first Black student at the U.S. Naval Academy. However, racism and often violent harassment forced him to leave the academy before he was able to graduate.

1905—The Atlanta Life Insurance Co. is established in Atlanta, Ga., and becomes one of the largest insurance companies in America serving a predominantly AfriJOHN CONYERS can-American clientele.

1984—Gen. Colin Powell becomes the first African American named as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. As the nation’s top military leader, Powell was praised by some Blacks as a role model while he was criticized for supporting what critics considered the government’s war-mongering policies. His generally positive reputation was damaged by his speaking before the United Nations and providing misinformation in 2003 in support of the Bush administration’s war in Iraq.

September 22 1863—Mary Church Terrell is born on this day in 1863. She became one of the nation’s leadGEN. COLIN POWELL ing activists advocating greater education for Blacks and women. She was the first Black person to sit on the Washington, D.C., school board and played a major role in desegregating that city’s restaurants.

1961—The Interstate Commerce Commission officially prohibits segregation in buses traveling in interstate commerce. It also banned segregated terminal facilities even though the ruling was largely ignored in many Southern states. But during the mid-1960s civil rights activists would frequently cite the ruling as they integrated facilities throughout the South.

MARY CHURCH TERRELL September 23 1926—Legendary jazz great John Coltrane is born on this day in Hamlet, N.C. He is generally credited with reshaping modern Jazz and setting a pattern which would be followed by generations of Jazz saxophonists.

1930—Singer-performer Ray Charles is born on this day in Albany, Ga. September 24 1957—President Dwight Eisenhower orders federal troops into Little Rock, Ark., JOHN COLTRANE to prevent angry Whites from interfering with the integration of the city’s Central High School by nine Black students. The confrontation was one of the most dramatic during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. Governor Orval Faubus had vowed to go to jail to block the court ordered desegregation of the school claiming that Whites would be destroyed RAY CHARLES if they integrated with Blacks.

But the confrontation settled the issue of whether states had to obey orders issued by federal courts.

1965—President Lyndon Johnson issues what is generally considered the nation’s first affirmative action order—Executive Order #11246. It required companies receiving federal construction contracts to ensure equality in the hiring of minorities. Despite a disastrous war in Vietnam that would eventually force his resignation, the Southern-born Johnson generally supported a host of legislative and executive efforts LITTLE ROCK NINE beneficial to Blacks.

NATIONAL

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

A3

Backlash sinks magazine cover deemed racist by many

by Erica R. Williams

reporting by Contemporary Media and other Memphis For New Pittsburgh Courier news outlets on my background, activism, and val(NNPA)—Memphis ues. The caricature (remmagazine has pulled its iniscent of Jim Crow era September issue after recartoons historically used ceiving backlash for what to demean and demoralize some have called a racist African Americans) printed cover. in the September issue of The magazine featured Memphis Magazine is both caricatures of three mayinsulting and hurtful and oral candidates—Shelby represents a false view County Commissioner of how I am seen by my Tami Sawyer, incumbent Mayor Jim Strickland and community.”

Sawyer also took issue former Mayor Dr. Willie W. with the article that acHerenton.

But it’s the illustration of companied the illustration, calling it an attempt to District 7 Commissioner support her opponent.

Sawyer that garnered the “The writing by Jackson most criticism.

Baker and imagery used After the cover was to support advances racial released, several people narratives, reflects clear on social media pointed bias against women and fingers at the local magaBlack people, and is simply zine’s characterization of irresponsible. While I am Sawyer, calling it racist and offensive. Recently the portrayed as outlandish, company issued an apology militant, confrontationin a column posted on their al, and combative, my opponent is portrayed as website titled, “We Failed thoughtful and cautious.

Memphis.”

We will not stand for the “Being a print publicacontinued willful misreption, a certain number of resentation of and attacks copies already exist in the on my womanhood and world. We have, however, halted newsstand distribu- candidacy.”

While caricatures are oftion of the September issue to as many retail locations ten used in political satire and are meant to exaggeras possible,” said Anna ate the subject’s features, Traverse, chief executive many drawings featuring officer of Contemporary Media, the parent company Black women have sparked controversy as critics argue of Memphis magazine.

“I took the step as soon as that they feed into negative stereotypes.

Ms. Sawyer and I spoke on The cover art comes from Friday afternoon,” Traverse wrote. “By now, we all know longtime contributor to Memphis magazine, Chris what the cover looked like Ellis who has defended and what effects it has his illustration while also had, the image has been criticizing Sawyer. On removed from this website and will never go back up.” Facebook he referred to the mayoral contender Before the apology, and as “the black female who almost immediately after was monstrously obese.” the cover was released, Sawyer issued a statement He also added that he had submitted several versions regarding the depiction.

“I’m shocked, disappoint- to the magazine’s editor, art director and publisher ed, and disgusted by the who approved his work. egregious mischaracteri(Special to The New Tri-State zation of my personhood Defender) and continued inaccurate

TAMRON HALL, former NBC Today Show anchor, is now the host of her own daytime talk show, which premiered Sept. 9.

The Tamron Hall Show debuts

by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. For New Pittsburgh Courier

(NNPA)—America’s news sweetheart Tamron Hall is back with a self-titled daytime talk show The Tamron Hall Show. Following Hall’s controversial yet celebrated 2017 exit from the Today Show after being curbed in favor of White news anchor Megyn Kelly, Hall returns to television as a talk show host on her terms.

In addition to Hall’s professional life, a lot has also changed in her personal life since the abrupt Today and MSNBC exit. The award-winning journalist is now married and a mother of a son, which she discussed at the “Journey to My Wildest Dreams” Toyota sponsored luncheon at the 2019 NABJ national convention held in Miami.

Hall discussed how motherhood has changed her life, the confidence required to be in the news business and the challenges faced by Blacks in general and Black women specifically on the often-complicated journey to success.

Hall reiterated the importance of having a seat at the table and being ready when the opportunity presents itself. “There was a window, a

sliver of opportunity and I took it,” says Hall. “I knew I had to shoot my shot,” says the Texas native. Indeed, Hall shot her shot, landing on her feet with a daytime talk show in a market that is crowded but ripe for a voice like Hall’s.

Hall’s return to daytime pits her against another one of America’s sweethearts, Grammy award-winning singer Kelly Clarkson who is also launching a self-titled talk show on the same day on NBC no less.

Clarkson is the season one winner of American Idol and has served as a judge on the wildly popular NBC reality show The Voice.

Hall will also be wading into territory currently occupied by Wendy Williams, Rachel Ray, and the ladies of The View and The Talk among others. Hall created this talk show to bring people together and to give them an opportunity to share their “authentic journey.”

One of the ways Hall is shaping her show is by insisting the makeup of the crew reflect her audience.

Despite having veteran executive producer Bill Geddie at the helm, Hall insisted that more women be hired because she wants to empower people like her—a self-described

country girl from Luling, Texas who has made it to the upper echelons of television and news.

Although creating and hosting a daytime talk show is new to Hall, working in front of and behind the camera is not. Hall hosted the Discovery ID series Deadline Crime with Tamron Hall, a weekly series which takes at deep dive into crimes, including unsolved crimes.

Motivated by the unsolved murder of her sister Renate, Hall lead an investigative team of journalists working together to find out what happened and why, to victims throughout the country for three seasons.

Hall’s talk show will differ greatly but will offer in-depth discussions about important topics in addition to traditional daytime lifestyle segments. Hall believes television has the power to help people share their “authentic journey” and wants people to talk about their lives and inspire others in the process.

The Tamron Hall Show debuts on 9/9/19. Check local listings for channel and time information.

(Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D. is NNPA Newswire Entertainment and Culture Editor)

A4

METRO

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

A BOLD LEADER WITH A BOLD VISION

(Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

Janine Woods is the new CEO of the Greater Pittsburgh YWCA WOODS FROM A1

Atlanta,” she said. “I went back and said that’s what I want to do for Kodak. They said they needed me in Rochester, so I quit—a good job, in my 20s and went to Atlanta with no job. I started working with nonprofits from the ground up and learned everything—writing grants, creating boards, developing strategic plans.

I learned from mentors who’d done it for 40 years.”

While there, she also worked for LaFace Records.

“Yeah, Babyface, L.A. Reid, Goodie Mob—we had Usher

when he was 14,” she said.

“And of course, we had Toni Braxton. She was nice.”

With such a varied career in the political, nonprofit and corporate worlds, how does that play with her new position in Pittsburgh?

“I think it is an asset because this is not easy work,” she said. “This is challenging work, 24-houra-day work. This is not a 9-to-5 job. This is a calling, and this is mission-driven work so, in that sense, I’m a missionary.”

Woods said she is working on a legislative agenda to show lawmakers what is at the top of the Y’s list in terms of advocacy and issues. She said while other nonprofits may be addressing some of those issues, and may end up partnering with the Y, that will not always be the case.

“The Y is a leader. This is a leading organization, so we need to lead,” she said.

“No one, in my opinion, can do it better than the women of the YWCA because we have 150 years in this market. So I think there are those who can do it as well

of addressing challenging issues, and no fear of stepping out front and saying I’ll do it first—because it has to be done.”

She said the Y works with “not the prettiest people in our society”—the downtrodden, mentally ill, homeless, women who work the street.

“We have to help them, too. They have needs. They suffer from domestic violence, STDs, high unemployment, stress,” she said.

“So are there initiatives to address those needs? Do we see them? I see them.

I want them to know I see them, I hear them.”

Woods said she’ll be making her presentation to the board on her initiatives in a few weeks.

“I’m excited about these initiatives—I hope the board is,” she said. “They’re bold. People will be like, ‘Whoa.’ But what would Jesus do? He would want us to help. If the board approves it, we’re going to rock and roll with a very bold strategy—controversial, I’m sure.

Might make some folks feel some kind of way. But they

as us, but no one who can do it better. We have to be brave enough to lead—and I’m brave enough to lead.

I have no fear of leadership and of trying innovative things. I have no fear

didn’t bring me here to sit down and be quiet and be shy. They brought me here to make a difference and to speak up and that is what I’m going to do. That’s what I’ve always done.”

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019 A5

PREPARING FOR THE C-SUITE Executive Leadership Academy recruiting for second cohort

George Melvin Walker dies at age 80 Was first Black mayor elected in Beaver County

WALKER FROM A1

NICHELLE HUGHLEY, vice president, retail lending strategy and planning for PNC Bank, was one of 23 graduates of the first Executive Leadership Academy cohort, presented by The Advanced Leadership Initiative. (Photo by Courier photographer Brian Cook Sr.) C-SUITE FROM A1

Young and Frazier both gave credit for the program’s success to the enthusiasm of the cohort participants. That, combined with Tepper’s expertise and those of the program’s corporate mentors and executive coaches, led to what Young called “an overwhelming success.”

“That’s what sets it apart,” Young said. “The Tepper School allows us to be nimble, reactive to needs. And with the executive mentorship and executive coaching, the cohort was able to take technical information, use mentors as sounding boards and then implement it in the workplace.

So there was an immediate return on investment. So

we’re looking to carry that momentum into the 2020 cohort. We’re in the tail end of the recruiting process because the application deadline is Oct. 1. They start in January.”

The target applicant, Frazier said, is an African American at the vice president or senior manager level within their organization, with 10 years of professional experience, looking to advance.

“These are people who have senior roles and a lot of promise that we can help develop,” he said. “In the first cohort not only were there promotions, but people came out feeling more confident as leaders within their organizations, and in their ability to direct their

careers. I’m very optimistic about building the pipeline of African American executive talent in the region. It’s fun, it’s a lot of hard work, but it’s important for the community and the region at-large.”

There is a $10,000 fee for each member to take part in the Academy, which on the corporate side is usually paid by the employer— showing they are invested in the participant’s success.

Those coming from other sectors may have had some of the fee covered by participating foundations.

Young said the buzz about the Academy is very positive, and helpful in recruiting the next cohort.

“Because of the momentum of the program over the

last 12 months, we’ve seen a lot of interest from companies,” he said. “They’ve reached out to us, or to Tepper directly. It’s fantastic.”

In addition to Clark, the graduates of the first cohort were: Jessica L. Brooks; Angela N. Campbell; Alexis L. Clipper; Dr. Latika Davis-Jones; Marlon L. Ferguson; Eric L. Holmes; Nichelle Hughley; Lance Hyde; Robert A. James; Steffanie J. Jasper; Dr. Mashekia Jones-Slack; Taafoi S. Kamara; Robert L. Littles; Tynina Lucas; A. Kelly McCormick; Tracie Oliver McCormick; George E. Robinson II; Regina L. Scott; Martin Timothy Shephard; Michael D. Thomas; Pamela Jenee Wilbon; Vann L. Williams.

when his second wife became too ill to travel while they were visiting her daughter in California, he would commute to see her.

Until he, too, became too ill to travel.

“He worked full-time at Gateway right up until he got sick—he was always about work,” she said.

“He was about God, family, work—and after that, sports and music.”

A lifetime resident of Rochester, and a former U.S. Marine reservist, George Walker began working in the steel industry right out of high school at PB&I Industries in 1955 and remained there until the industry collapsed in 1986.

He then transitioned into counseling, first with Drug & Alcohol Services in Vanport, then with Gateway Rehab in Center Township, working there until his retirement in 2016. Lorraine Walker said he was an engaging speaker, and those who knew him or heard him at meetings knew of his “Walkerisms.” He even had one about public speaking, she said: “Keep it bright, bold and brief.”

“Another one was, ‘there is no costlier tax than the listening tax—because if you don’t listen, you will pay more in the end,’” she said.

“And of course, ‘love God with all your heart.’”

But his life was also about service beyond the needs of those fighting addiction.

He did that through his long association with the Baptist church as moderator for the Allegheny Union Baptist Association, as

president of the Ministers Layman Alliance of Beaver County, and as a chairman of the Deacon’s Board at the Second Baptist Church of Rochester. He also did it through politics.

“About the biggest thing he did as mayor was getting a roundabout put in to replace that horrible intersection where Pa. (routes) 18, 65 and 68 all came together in Rochester—people would drive miles out of the way to avoid it,” said Lorraine Walker. “But what he really did was create a pathway for other Blacks, like Dwan Walker over in Aliquippa. It was a big deal for us when he (George Walker) became the first Black mayor in the county.

It showed people that if he could do it, others could too.

He was a trailblazer.”

George Walker was elected to the borough council in 1986. In 2005, he was appointed mayor of Rochester when the previous mayor could no longer serve. He was then elected mayor in 2007 and served two consecutive terms.

He is survived by two daughters, Lorraine G. Walker of Rochester, and Joy Walker Napper (Alfred Napper) of Baltimore; sister, Florence Cuspard-Lott of Bridgewater; stepdaughters, LaRhonda Smith of Van Nuys, California and Cherise Smith (Rick Earl) of Denver, Colorado; two grandchildren one step-grandson.

His funeral service was held Sept. 10 at Second Baptist and he was interred at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park with full military honors.

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128.

THE ITALIAN GOSPEL CONNECTION CHOIR

by Jacquelyn McDonald For New Pittsburgh Courier

TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEXT CHURCH EVENT! We want to place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar!

Send info to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219 Or Email us! religion@ newpittsburgh courier.com

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

REVEREND TRINI MASSIE

PASTOR KIM LANKFORD

Eastminster Presbyterian Church, 250 North Highland Ave., East Liberty, became the place to be on Aug. 13 as the Gospel Connection Choir of Italy presented their cross-cultural Gospel experience. The highly anticipated free event was greeted with much enthusiasm as indicated by the standing-room-only crowd that came to hear them sing. The 40 or so choir members who crossed the pond to the United States were a modest representation of an aggregation that boasts a count of 400 and were welcomed by Eastminster Senior Pastor Paul Roberts. This phenomenal group of singers are known to embrace the artistry of many famous Black American Gospel recording artists who regularly tour and perform throughout Italy. The exchange has produced a unique contemporary sound that is enhancing the expression of worship services in America and Europe.

Pittsburghers also offered exuberant applauses for facilitator and event sponsor, Pastor Keith Moncrief of Kingdom Light Ministries International, who introduced the performances of his assistant pastor, wife and Gospel recording psalmist, Lady Deborah Moncrief, as well as the energetic Mount Ararat Baptist Church music director and event sponsor, Rev. Trini Massie, the soulful Gospel recording vocalist Zanetta Wingfield, Oasis Ministries Incorporated Pastor Kim Lankford, American Idol finalist Rev. Adam Brock and the incomparable Eastminster music staff director, event sponsor and hostess, Rev. Nicole Porter. All have continuously shared in the Mediterranean coastline Gospel tours and have hopes of a return visit from their Italian Gospel music partners.

Church Circuit ANTIOCH BAPTIST PASTORAL ANNIVERSARY

SEPTEMBER 22—Antioch Baptist Church, 332 Elizabeth Street, Sewickley, will celebrate their 8th Pastoral Anniversary with Rev. Travis C. Coon and family at 10:45 a.m. Guest speaker for the service will be Elder Leonard Carson, Church of the Living God, Midland.

Dinner will be served after service and all are welcome. Call 412741-7688 for details.

SECOND BAPTIST MALE CHORUS CONCERT

OCTOBER 13—The senior and junior usher boards at Second Baptist Church, 108 West 12th Ave., Homestead, invite all to come and fellowship with them at 4 p.m. at the church. The theme is: “Make a Joyful Noise Unto The Lord With Song and Dance,” featuring the Second Baptist Church Male Chorus in concert. For more information, call 412-461-8235.

MT. OLIVE 120TH CHURCH ANNIVERSARY

OCTOBER 13—All are Invited to come and celebrate Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Coraopolis’ 120th Church Anniversary. Mt. Olive is located at 1201 Hiland Ave. The theme is: “Celebrating Our Legacy—Embracing Our Destiny” (Luke 6:48). Guest preachers will be Rev. Dr. Winston C. Ridley Jr., Greater First Baptist Church, Washington, D.C. (11 a.m.) and Rev. Derrick Knox, Covenant Heritage Bible Church, Wilmington, Del. (4 p.m.) There will also be a Pre-Anniversary Old-Time Religion Concert on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. For more information, call 412-264-3125.

To place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar, Send info to: New Pittsburgh Courier, 315 E. Carson St., Pittsburgh PA 15219 or Email us! religion@newpittsburghcourier.com

PASTOR KEITH MONCRIEF

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019 A7

State board votes to CAN THE STEELERS TURN THINGS AROUND? recommend pardon for Corry Sanders

SANDERS FROM A1

know me as more than just a name on a piece of paper.

When he learned about everything I was doing in the community, he told me to stay patient and that he’d like to work with me.”

And if that irony weren’t poetic enough, Sanders now works for the D.A.’s office as a member of the Mon Valley Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Com-

CORRY SANDERS (Photo courtesy WPXI-TV) mission and as a community specialist for Center for Victims. And of course, he still operates his barber shop, his touchstone to the community and to the youth he works to help better themselves.

“All you have to do is learn a person, and you can teach from that,” he said. “Now I’m at the Center for Victims and I’m advocating for people on all levels. I had to take about 45 different tests to do this—I had to learn about trauma, about stress, and I help people look at things through a different lens.”

Sanders said that if it

weren’t for his past, his mistakes and ups and downs, he probably couldn’t do what he has done.

“Sometimes you pray for God to take away something that’s going wrong.

But what you really have to pray for is the strength to endure it,” he said. “Because once you’ve gotten through it, around it or over it, you are stronger for it, mentally, physically and spiritually.”

So, does that mean Sanders will try to reclaim his McKeesport Council seat?

“Oh yeah, I’ll run again—110 percent,” he said. “The attorney for the pardon board recommended I do that, so did the members. They said I should go and claim what was taken from me. To hear that from them was very powerful.”

But Sanders told the Courier that because of the help and support he’s received and the people he’s met, he’s looking beyond a Council seat.

“There are so many,” he said. “The Lt. Governor (John Fetterman) was one of my earliest supporters when he was Braddock mayor (he now sits on the pardon board), my pastor Dr. William Curtis, Tracey McCants Lewis when she was at Duquesne University Law School, Judge Dwayne Woodruff and his wife, Joy, Judge Joe Williams, state Reps. Austin Davis, Ed Gainey and Jake Wheatley, police, U.S. Marshals. I even got support from Philadelphia and (Washington) D.C. God has protected me and surrounded me with protection. It’s been quite a journey.”

As to what he’s looking at

Mark Barron is off to the races after recovering a fumble in the Sept.

15 game against the Seattle Seahawks. But in the end, the Seahawks won at Heinz Field, 28-26, and dropped the now Ben Roethlisberger-less Steelers to 0-2 on the season. For more Courier Steelers coverage, See Pages B7-B8. (Photo by Courier photographer Brian Cook Sr.) politically beyond regaining his Council seat, Sanders was cryptic.

“I’m chewing on some things right now—taking giant baby steps,” he said.

“I’ll let you know. But this is way bigger than a McKeesport thing.”

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

2-YEAR-OLD SERENITY WILSON feeds ice cream to her mom, Jakeena Wilson, at A Soulful Taste of the Burgh, held at Market Square, Downtown, Sept. 1. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

BRITTNEY RUSSELL, with daughter, Iyauna, from Homewood.

FAMILY TIME at A Soulful Taste of the Burgh. Included in this photo are 10-year-old Isaiah Love, 8-year-old Armani Gasbarro, and 6-year-old Jianni Scott.

MARGO DOSS, B. MARSHALL

THE CAMPBELLS, enjoying the fries and chicken…

PPS SUPERINTENDENT ANTHONY HAMLET, EDD, RETIRED PITT DEAN OF SOCIAL WORK LARRY DAVIS

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

METRO

THE WATTS FAMILY, from Ohio, at A Soulful Taste of the Burgh, Sept. 1, at Market Square, Downtown.

Market Square, Downtown Pittsburgh—Sept. 1, 2019

Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello

DOM JAMES, from Homewood, representing Ms. Sandy’s Kitchen…

RICHARD BROWN, from the Hill District, representing Grandma Jones…

GABBY ALVAREZ dances to the music…

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

NYKIA TILLMAN, with daughter, Danielle.

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LIFESTYLES New Pittsburgh Courier

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Debbie Norrell

Lifestyles Report

One of five

Have you heard the latest? The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is one of the five best art galleries in Pittsburgh. The numbers have been crunched using Yelp data and some other figures that are being kept secret to determine the best of the best. Here are the results: Randyland, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Space, Wood Street Galleries and DAY OF HEALING COMMITTEE—Dr. Rhonda Taliaferro, Westlynn Davis, Dottie Debow, Anita Edwards, Lynne Hayes-Freeland, Lula Hortma, Toni S. Kendrick and Denyse Littles-Cullens August Wilson African American Cultural Center.

I have a confession to make...I’ve only been to AWAACC but now that I see this list and I have more free time I am going to visit the rest. I paid a Church prayed for healing and visit recently to the August by Debbie Norrell Dr. Wayne Walters, assistant Wilson Center and I’m hop- Lifestyles Editor superintendent of Pittsburgh ing you will do the same. I In light of all that is occurring in the Public Schools, prayed for safe am often surprised when I United States and around the world, Alschools. Prayer for the nation talk to people and find they was conducted by Dr. Lamar have never been to the Au- pha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated observed an International Day of Prayer Lee, pastor of St. Mark AME gust Wilson Center.

Zion Church. Rev. Lee prayed A new exhibition opened where members worshipped together as a sign of solidarity and made intercessions for a healing over the land and on Sept.13 and will run unto heal the land of violence, til Dec. 15. The exhibit fea- for peace in this world and covering for their sisterhood and the work they perdrugs and alcohol. The day of tures the art of Ben Jones prayer concluded with a prayer and the exhibit is titled “Re- form in service to all mankind.

The Alpha Alpha Omega Chapter of Alfor hope, unity and thanksgivsurgence—Rise Again: The ing conducted by Rev. Torrey Art of Ben Jones.” Also fea- pha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. held their International Day of Prayer on Aug. 25 O. Johnson, Priest In Charge of tured is “Amani Lewis: SubThe Church of the Holy Cross. jective Nature.” This is the at Second Baptist Church of Penn Hills where Rev. McMahan L. Gray is the pastor.

The International Day of Prayer first solo show for Lewis. committee included: Westlynn Several other artists are in- The afternoon service was dedicated to Davis, Dottie Debow, Dr. Anita cluded in this show: Murjoni prayer for the community and the prayers Edwards, Lynne Hayes-FreeMerriweather, Jo Nanajian, were delivered by community leaders and ministers.

State Rep. Ed Gainey prayed land, Lula Hortman, Toni S. KenPearson Chambers, Campdrick, Denyse Littles-Cullens bell Jackson, Josef Isaiah for the police and the betterment of community relations.

Ola Flowers of RAPHA and Dr. Rhonda Taliaferro—AKA and Donald Lewis.

PRAYER FOR WOMEN—Ola Flowers (Photos by Debbie Norrell) Chapter president.

Prior to the September Ministries of Apostolic Faith, Inc. prayed for women opening I had an opporand Rev. Dr. tunity to meet Ben Jones James H. during a media preview.

Harris, pastor It is always exciting to of St. James meet the artist and find AME Church, out what they are thinking prayed for and how they work. Jones men.

Rev. is from Jersey City and is Harris said considered one of the most real men don’t significant African Amerimind praycan artists of this century. ing. Minister His work derives from his Lora Hubinterest in social justice, bard of Mt. the spiritual, the enviArarat Bapronment, and humanity. tist Church Jones has a great interest prayed for in Cuba, where he is well families, she known and has had sevsaid parents PRAYER FOR MEN—Dr. James Harris eral major exhibits. Jones should be couhas made over 90 visits to rageous and learn to Cuba since the 1970s, and say no. Not only were is noted by the Granma people lifted up in International of Havana, prayer, Sarah SumptCuba as one of the most PRAYER FOR STATE OF THE NATION—Dr. Lamar Lee er of Carrone Baptist important African American artists of his generation. He explained the layers of his work and why you see certain things in each piece. I think the entire exhibit is a must-see.

I was really impressed with the work of Murjoni Merriweather. On display is a series titled “Golden” and also several ceramic busts that are accented with gold jewelry or gold teeth. Each piece by each artist tells a story. Here are three dates for you to make note of: Oct. 29, from 6 to 8 p.m., Jazz listening session and artist talk. Nov. 19, PRAYER FOR HOPE, UNITY AND THANKSGIVING—Rev. CHURCH HOSTS—Rev. McMahan L. Gray and Tometta 6-8 p.m., join Amani Lewis PRAYER FOR SAFE SCHOOLS—Wayne Walters Torrey Johnson Gray and Murjoni Merriweather, co-founders of Clr’D (pronounced colored) artist collective, along with members Campbell Jackson, Washington, D.C. mixed media artist and Jo Nanajian, Boston-based artist for a panel discussion. This will be moderated by Jessica Lanay, art writer and critic. On Dec. 15 from 2-4 p.m., a last look and a panel discussion and closing reception. Join Ben Jones and Amani Lewis for a lively conversation with Q&A moderated by Kilolo Luckett, Curator of Visual Arts.

All events are free and open to the public.

AWAACC is located at 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown.

AKA International Day of Prayer

(Email Debbie at norrell@aol.com.)

debbie

PRAYER FOR HEALING—Sarah Sumpter

PRAYER FOR FAMILIES—Minister Lora Hubbard

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

OLDER PEOPLE, ACTIVE LIFESTYLES

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

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Planning to retire on your 65th birthday? We didn’t think so (BPT)—The traditional notion of retirement—a switch from full-time work to full-time leisure—is becoming a thing of the past for millions of Americans.

In fact, according to a recent UnitedHealthcare survey (conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of UnitedHealthcare) of 1,000 nationally representative Americans 62 and older, 24 percent of those who did retire chose to re-enter the workforce.Delaying retirement or returning to work may influence your Medicare decisions. Here are some points to keep in mind if you plan to continue working past your 65th birthday or return to work.

Why enroll in Medicare at 65?

Timing matters when it comes to signing up for Medicare. If you’re about to turn 65, you have a seven-month window called an Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). That includes the month of your birthday, the three months before and the three months after.

If your 65th birthday is

on June 15, your IEP starts March 1 and ends Sept. 30.

If you don’t have health insurance through your employer, your IEP is the time to figure out which Medicare coverage would work best for you.

If you have coverage through your employer and plan to keep working, check with your HR department or benefits administrator to see how Medicare might work with your employer coverage. Many sign up for Medicare Part A at age 65 either way since most get it without paying a monthly premium.

How Social Security benefits can affect your Medicare enrollment If you already receive Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you’ll be automatically enrolled in Original Medicare (Parts A and B), and your Medicare card will arrive before your 65th birthday.

Your Part B premium will be automatically deducted from your Social Security payments. If you don’t want Medicare Part B, no-

tify Medicare to opt out.

Many wait to claim Social Security until their 66th birthday or later to increase their monthly payments. If you fall into this group but still want Medicare coverage when you turn 65, it’s up to you to enroll because it won’t happen automatically.

Penalties for delaying Medicare enrollment If you’re planning to work beyond 65, you may be able to wait until you

That’s because Medicare imposes a permanent late enrollment penalty that will increase your monthly premium if you later decide to sign up for a Part D plan. You must be enrolled in Part A and/or Part B of Medicare before you can enroll in Part D. When you retire or lose your employer coverage, you’ll be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). You can enroll in Parts A and/or B for up to eight months after the month you retire or your employer health plan coverage ends, retire to enroll in Medicare. whichever comes first.

But if you delay beyond For many, that’s the right eight months, you could choice, as their employer pay more for your Part B coverage is more robust.

But consider your prescrip- premium—for as long as you have Part B. tion drug coverage, and For each year you delay when you’re ready to retire, be aware of the enrollment enrollment in Part B, an windows to avoid penalties. extra 10 percent is added to your premium.

If your employer plan Want Medicare Advandoesn’t offer prescription tage or Part D when you drug coverage, or if the retire? Your enrollment coverage isn’t as good as window is shorter.

Medicare, consider enrollWhen people sign up ing in a Medicare Part D for Medicare, many also prescription drug plan.

choose to enroll in a private Medicare plan—either a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C).

Many Medicare Advantage plans provide additional benefits beyond those of Original Medicare (Parts A and B), such as dental, hearing and vision coverage. Most plans also bundle in prescription drug coverage and fitness or gym programs.

But the window to sign up for these plans is shorter than for Part B—only two months. To avoid a lapse in coverage, time your enrollment accordingly.

The bottom line Just because you delay your retirement doesn’t mean you should delay your Medicare enrollment.

Talk to your HR or benefits coordinator at work to get personalized advice based on your needs.

(Visit Medicare.gov or www.ssa. gov for more information.)

(You can find additional resources on MedicareMadeClear. com.)

Good health for men often depends on wellness awareness and early screenings (BPT)—The statistics for men’s health are alarming. For men, life expectancy is 76.3 years; for women, it’s 81.2 years. The Kaiser Family Foundation points out that nearly 71 percent of men are at risk of being overweight or obese, compared to 59 percent for women. Far more women than men are likely to go to a physician office visit, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

These statistics may be worrisome for men and their loved ones, but many of the health risks men

face can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle and getting recommended and timely preventive health screenings.

“It’s important for men to take charge of their health,” said Dr. Chad E. Bittner, a chief medical officer of OptumCare. “And there are a number of things men can do to get and stay healthy.”

Bittner offers the following tips to help men improve their health and well-being: Physical activity: Regardless of gender, Bittner said he gives people

the same general health advice, although men often need more reminders. One

focus area for patients is physical activity. Regular physical activity can con-

trol weight, reduce risks of developing heart disease and some cancers, and can improve overall mental health and mood.

Nutrition: Another important priority is nutrition. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, and limit foods and drinks high in sugar, salt, saturated fat and alcohol.

He points out other important reminders for men: Sunscreen: Don’t overlook the importance of using sunscreen. Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States.

Prescriptions: All patients need to work with their doctors to get a full understanding of the purpose and side effects of the prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and supplements they take.

Depression: It’s important for men and those close to them to be aware of the warning signs for depression.

If you or the men in your life are not making positive health choices, now is the perfect time to take charge of (your health.

(More information is available at optumcare.com/menshealth.)

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

BUSINESS New Pittsburgh Courier

Merecedes J. Williams says new movie ‘Hustlers’ is a must-see Metro B5

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Classifieds

Find what you need from jobs to cars to housing B4-B5

B

PROPERTY IS POWER When is it a good time to buy property?

by Anthony O. Kellum For New Pittsburgh Courier

“Owning a home is a keystone of wealth… both financial affluence and emotional security.”—Suze Orman There are several factors to think about when considering whether it’s a good time to buy or not. One way to tell if the right time is now is to look at the stock market. This does not mean you need to be an expert, but the stock market does reflect earning expectations 6–24 months in advance. You can investigate and look at sectors where your location has a lot of exposure. For example, Detroit remains known as the “Motor City” and “Motown,” however it is gradually expanding into other industries/technologies such as biotechnology, nanotechnology information technology and hydrogen fuel development.

Not to mention its proximity to Windsor, Canada.

Stocks are fast to correct especially compared to real estate, which is slow to correct and usually takes time for everyone to realize the real estate market is weakening. And, by then assets, cash, basically dries up and there is a huge crash. But if the stock market is correcting then it’s time to pay closer attention to investments/ property purchases that you are interested in with confidence.

Other important categories that ANTHONY O. KELLUM factor into deciding if “now” is the right time to buy are market factors and your personal life factors.

Market factors are things like interest rates (the lower the rate, the lower your monthly payment) and whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market. A buyer’s market is great for a buyer, there are a lot of homes for sale and sellers are usually willing to drop the price or make other concessions in order to make their home more attractive to sell. In a seller’s market, the home sellers have the advantage. Usually there are fewer homes available, and typically there are multiple buyers interested in their property and owners can demand the highest price available.

The personal life factors that may play a role in the timing in your home buying decision include: Your financial situation: •How is your credit score?

•Do you have the income to qualify for the loan you want?

•Do you have money saved for the down payment?

•Can you afford the other home expensSEE PROPERTY B2

A HAPPY HOMEOWNER—Dreaming of becoming a homeowner, former Homewood resident Gerald McClendon stands in front of his completely renovated house in East Liberty. Also pictured is part of a home that volunteers continue to rehab.

Exciting time for Enright Court residents ELDI impactful in providing more affordable housing in East Liberty

by Diane I. Daniels For New Pittsburgh Courier

At a time in Pittsburgh when affordable housing is reported to be of short supply, the summer of 2019 was an exciting time for residents of Enright Court.

It was particularly exciting and a milestone for 56-year-old Gerald McClendon.

“I have always wanted to own a home,” he proclaimed.

On June 21, his dream became a reality when he moved into a completely rehabilitated three-bedroom townhouse in an enclave where townhomes are situated at the gateway of East Liberty.

After years of neglect and now under the leadership of East Liberty Development Inc., the development of 100 units originally designed almost 50 years ago to provide affordable homeownership is being revitalized with the assistance of many other cohorts. Original partners included: the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh; Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh; Federal Home Loan Bank; and First Commonwealth Bank.

Involved with the project since 2016, Maelene Myers, ELDI executive director, is excited about what’s occurring in Enright Court. Myers stressed at a June ceremony the importance of public and private sectors, nonprofit organizations,

MAELENE MYERS, executive director of East Liberty Development Inc., expresses gratitude to volunteers that participated in a “Blitz Build” in Enright Court, which consisted of rehabbing homes for current residents and new homeowners. (Photos by Diane I. Daniels) residents and volunteers working together.

Over 50 volunteers inclusive of adults and teenagers participated in a “Blitz Build” in Enright Court consisting of participants from an organization from

Maryland. The week of activities was organized by ELDI and DreamBuilders.

Established in 2002, DreamBuilders is an all-volunteer, faith-based organization leading national and international work trips, plus workdays in Maryland helping build and repair homes for people in need.

Throughout the seven day Blitz Build, ELDI representatives said seven units were worked on simultaneously. Work consisted of cleanouts and demolitions, new doors, windows and siding, new gutters, drywall, and landscaping. A new fence was also installed at the entrance of the development. According to Myers, the Blitz Build is part of a longer-term effort ELDI is making with Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh to benefit 26 homes within the development.

“These types of projects never seem to amaze me. The kind of impact and the difference that can be made when a group of committed folks unite and put their hearts and minds together,” said John Connor, a national grant writer based in West Virginia. Connor wrote the ELDI grant proposal and has penned grants for other neighborhood and community development organizations in Pittsburgh.

Mary Hester, an affordable homeownSEE ENRIGHT B2

Joan Johnson remembered Farewell to the co-founder of Johnson Products Company

by Sally King For New Pittsburgh Courier

A fashionista before the term was popularized, Joan Henderson Johnson was a stylish woman whose image was frequently found on the social pages of Chicago publications. Joan Johnson died Sept. 6 at age 89.

Johnson was best known as a Chicago businesswoman. She, with her husband George, founded in 1954 what would become a global enterprise, the Johnson Products Company.

Headquartered in its heyday in Chicago at 85th and Lafayette Avenue, near the Dan Ryan Expressway, Johnson Products Company with George and Joan Johnson at the helm, parlayed a $250 investment into a multi-million dollar company.

Johnson Products Company became the first Black-owned company to be publicly traded on the American Stock Exchange.

Chicago born and raised, Joan

JOAN JOHNSON Johnson lent her business acumen to several area entities.

She was invited to sit on the women’s boards of both the University of Chicago and Northwestern University and also

the board of the Museum of Contemporary Art, serving the boards from 1975 to the present. Philanthropically, she privately supported several other organizations, among them notfor-profit, service-based Links, Inc. In an exclusive interview with the Crusader, George Johnson and his son Eric Johnson shared how he and his wife were involved early on with the Civil Rights movement in Chicago.

In 1966 George, who was chairman of Independence Bank at the time, encountered a young Jesse Jackson Sr. speaking on the Quadrangle at the University of Chicago.

George Johnson was so taken with the young man that with his wife Joan’s approval, he in-

STORE SHELVES WERE PACKED with Johnson Products as sales skyrocketed. troduced him to the bank’s Executive Committee. Thereafter the Johnsons and the Executive Committee supported Jackson, financially and otherwise, in his Operation Breadbasket endeavors.

More civil rights connections followed as the tentacles of the enterprising couple’s thriving business operation reached from Chicago to across the nation. Ultra Sheen, Afro Sheen, and other ethnic brands became household names, as well known as the

names of prominent civil rights spokespersons.

Joan and George developed a relationship with rising civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When King announced his appointment of Jackson as head of Operation Breadbasket, the announcement took place in 1966 in the cafeteria at Johnson Products Company.

At King’s first visit to JPC on SEE JOHNSON B2

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

BUSINESS

Joan Johnson Traveling? You can still access remembered Social Security online resources JOHNSON FROM B1

Lafayette Avenue, he looked around at the manufacturing facility, the office suites and the impressive staff and remarked, “now, this is Black power.”

When Independence Bank executive committee members co-signed a $140,000 loan to King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) at the Johnsons’ recommendation, King told them it was the “most he had received” at the time.

Joan Johnson’s influence in the growth and development of Johnson Products Company began early in the company’s history. In the beginning it was she who did the books and developed the practices and protocols that kept the company running smoothly.

Working as a team, Joan was the inside person.

George Johnson says that it was because he “had a valuable and trusted ally inside,” that he was able to work the outside, generating sales and distribution leads.

A woman who wore many hats, Joan put her business sense to use as a “fashionista.” Her son Eric says it was “her perfect taste” that caused the Congressional Black Caucus to welcome her creation of a fashion show for the Caucus in the early 80s.

The Caucus’ runway exploded with high profile fashion from designers such as Galliano and Pucci. The advent of such high-end fashion was new for the Black community.

Considered the family matriarch, son Eric noted that his mother “had a unique and personal involvement with each family member.” He said that “if asked each person would tell a different story about who Joan Johnson was, but you would know they were all talking about the same person.”

Mrs. Johnson is survived by her husband George; sons Eric, John, and George Jr.; and daughter Joan; she had 10 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Services for Joan Johnson were held September 13 at Trinity United Church of Christ.

(This story first appeared in The Chicago Crusader.)

by Tom Winschel For New Pittsburgh Courier

Now that the weather is beginning to warm, you might be planning a vacation or trip. Social Security is here for you when you’re traveling, whether it’s just a state away or when you’re overseas.

Our online services page directs you to a wide variety of useful links at www.socialsecurity.gov/onlineservices/.

Through our online services, you can: •Apply for Social Security benefits •Get your Social Security Statement •Request a replacement Social Security card •Appeal a decision •Find out if you qualify for benefits •Some of these features require you to have a my Social Security account, which is something everyone should have no matter what stage they are at in their working life.

And if you receive Social Security bene-

fits or Medicare, you can create or log in to your personal my Social Security account to: •Get your benefit verification letter (includes Medicare and SSI) •Check your information, benefits, and earnings record •Change your address and telephone number •Start or change your direct deposit •Request a replacement Medicare card •Get a replacement SSA-1099 or SSA1042S for tax season •Report your wages if you work and receive Disability Insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Create a my Social Security account today at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount/ to take advantage of these easy-to-use features. Also, share our online services page with friends and family, who might not know how easy and secure our website is.

(Tom Winschel is Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Good time to buy property PROPERTY FROM B1

es that come with home ownership?

Lifestyle you desire: •Do you have the time to maintain your home?

•How soon do you want to buy a home?

•Do you plan to move again soon for work or school?

•Is the size of your family changing?

Factors ranging from interest rates to determining if you want to stay in the same city play a role in the timing of your

buying decision.

There are many avenues you may travel when deciding on the right time to buy so the best approach is to buy a home when you can afford it. One thing is certain and that is the real estate market is cyclical, don’t attempt to predict interest rates or home values, if you are ready and can afford it, the best time to buy your home is now.

(Anthony O. Kellum, speaker, author and TV host is President of Kellum Mortgage, LLC.)

Exciting time for residents ENRIGHT FROM B1

ership specialist at ELDI and the principal of Life Venture Real Estate Solutions, focuses on the homeownership end of the project. Hester helps oversee a three-way partnership between ELDI, Life Venture Real Estate Solutions and Circles Greater Pittsburgh (headed by Tammy Thompson), in which the goal is to prepare potential buyers for homeownership in Enright Court where prices range between $120,000 to $150,000 based on unit size.

“The URA provides a subsidy of up to $30,000 per unit for qualified buyers with conditions,” Hester explained.

Outlining the three-way collaboration, she said ELDI has the inventory of homes for sale; Circles provides homeownership training to prepare future homebuyers; and Life Venture Real Estate Solutions makes the sale possible. Two other partners in the process, the URA and the Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh, provides subsidies to achieve affordability.

Hester, passionate about what she does, says the three-point mission of Life Venture Real Estate Solutions is to inform homebuyers of real estate opportunities providing access to available resources, subsidies and the education necessary to become an informed homebuyer. Also, to provide community outreach to underserved stakeholders in the communities in which they live and to work closely

with partnering organizations to build relationships and strong stable communities.

With the belief that no one should live in poverty, and if given the right tools and support, economic stability can be achieved, the mission of Circles Greater Pittsburgh is to inspire and equip Pittsburgh area families and communities to resolve poverty and thrive. As a result, Thompson’s organization provides a comprehensive homeownership program that guides individuals through the journey of homeownership, named the Developing Ownership Opportunities for Residents Homeownership Education Program. The 10-week program addresses specific needs of first-time homebuyers and the challenges and barriers they may face.

“The D.O.O.R. classes were helpful for me,” said McClendon. “As a matter of fact, working with ELDI through the process has been a rewarding experience.”

Because of Enright Court’s easy access to the Port Authority Transit Center, Target, Bakery Square and other amenities in East Liberty, he views the area as soon becoming one of the hottest communities in Pittsburgh, if it’s not already.

“There are a few other communities in the area similar to Enright Court like Park Hill Drive in East Hills,” said Myers.

“Our goal through continued partnerships is to go into the areas and create the same type of rehabilitation efforts.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

BUSINESS CALENDAR Business Startup Workshop

SEPT. 19—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host First Step: Business Essentials, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh 15282.

This interactive workshop is designed to help new entrepreneurs and business startups to understand the first step of starting a new business. Topics covered include Business Structure and Formation, Fictitious Name Registration, Insurance, Environmental Concerns, Financing Options, Taxation Requirements, Major Components of the Business Plan, and Financial Statements & Projections. Cost: $25. For more information, call 412-396-5884.

Chamber PowerBreakfast

SEPT. 20—The African American Chamber of Commerce returns from a two-month summer break with a presentation by California University of Pennsylvania President Geraldine Jones, 7:30 a.m. at the Rivers Club, Oxford Center, 301 Grant St., Pittsburgh 15219.

Jones will give an overview of the university and of potential business opportunities for chamber members. Cost: $20 for members, $30 for non-members. Call 412-392-0610 for more information.

Ready for web training?

SEPT. 26—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host Building a Small Business Website: From A to Z, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh 15282. Building a website has now become an essential step for businesses to increase their sales. Chris Vendilli from ProFromGo will cover: Cost-effective tools to make a website stand out; Major factors in estimating costs and the timeline to building a website; Differences between agency, freelancer and online website builders; Factors that can improve the process while keeping costs down, and Recommended tools and resources. Cost $35. Call 412-396-5884 for more information.

Alternate Business Funding Workshop

OCT. 2—The Chatham University Women’s Business Center, The Diversity Business Resource Center and the Women’s Business Enterprise Council PA-DE-sNJ will host Think Beyond The Bank— Alternative Funding For Your Small Business, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at CoLab18, 100 South Commons, Pittsburgh, 15212. Hear presentations from and network with representatives of funders including Kiva Pittsburgh, Urban Redevelopment Authority, The Progress Fund, Bridgeway Capital, Honeycomb Credit, Idea Foundry, and the Hebrew Free Loan Association Pittsburgh. Light refreshments will be served. The event is free, but registration—which does not open until mid-September—is required. Call Kate Booker at 412365-1448 for more information.

Business Growth Seminar

OCT. 10—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will host Proven Strategies for Business Growth, 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh 15282. Local businesses that have grown using these marketing and finance tools to enter new markets and expand in current ones. Learn how to finance your growth and increase sales through exporting, government procurement, and digital marketing including social media. Speakers include: Andreas Beck, Beyond Spots & Dots; Jim Boltz, North Allegheny Chamber of Commerce; Ryan Lockhart, The 504 Company; Rich Longo, Duquesne University SBDC; Ed Nemeth, Southwestern PA Commission; David Pinkosky, Pittsburgh District Office, US SBA; Johnna Pro, Department of Community & Economic Development; Brent Rondon, Duquesne University SBDC; Heather Thomas, Huntington Bank, and Art Tintori, Catalyst Connection.

The workshop is free. Call 412-396-5884 for more information.

E-commerce Workshop

OCT. 15—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will present E-commerce: Ramping up in a competitive landscape, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh 15282. The seminar will present the fundamentals on how to save time and money while establishing and growing sales via e-commerce. Among the topics: Ecommerce Platforms of Choice: Shopify and WooCommerce; Shipping & Drop Shipping; Taxes; Search Engine Optimization; Pay Per Click Marketing, and Social Media Marketing. Cost $35. Call 412-396-1633 for more information.

Start-up Training Event

OCT. 22—The Duquesne University Small Business Development Center will present First Step: Business Essentials, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., 108 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh 15282. The workshop will cover the basic needs for starting entrepreneurs, including: business structure and formation; insurance; environmental concerns; taxation requirements and more. Cost $25. Call412-3961633 for more information.

Certification Webinar

The Chatham University Women’s Business Center will present Certification & Beyond—The Advantages of Certification For Your Woman Owned Business. Learn the basics of certification and its benefits for small businesses. The online session will be led by Joanne Peterson and Marian Neilson of Abator’s Get Diversity Certified. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Call Mitra Saeidi at 412-365-1448 for more information.

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

B3

How Russia exploits White supremacy in the U.S.

Guest Editorial

Bahamians need aid, not insulting U.S. disdain One week after Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas, the death toll is over 50 people and expected to rise dramatically.

The most powerful storm to strike the Caribbean island-nation has left death and destruction stretching across the once pristine landscape.

Bahamian officials have declined to speculate on how many individuals remain uncounted after the Category 5 hurricane trudged through with 185 mph winds and surging floodwaters. But Duane Sands, the country’s health minister, says there is “likely to be a significant and unimaginable toll.”

Teams are focused on getting food, water, shelter and clothing to thousands of people throughout the 700-plus archipelago, said Sands.

The Bahamian people need humanitarian aid from the United States and other countries. What they don’t need are the insults and cruelty that coming from President Donald Trump and his administration.

Officials said more than 100 Bahamians who hoped to evacuate to Florida after Hurricane Dorian but didn’t have visas were kicked off a ferry because operators failed to coordinate the mission with authorities.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that the agency requested the company coordinate the evacuation with U.S. and Bahamian governments to pre-screen passengers before they departed Freeport. But the company failed to do so.

Bahamians need a visa to travel to the U.S. unless they are pre-screened by U.S. Customs officers at one of the two main Bahamian airports.

The U.S. agents also can arrange special pre-screening for passengers departing from ports.

However, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio said those on the Balearia Caribbean ferry decided to depart Sunday instead of waiting for the required clearance.

Rubio and Florida’s other U.S. senator, Rick Scott, both Republicans, asked the Trump administration to waive visa requirements for Bahamian storm victims with relatives in the U.S., but Trump indicated that he wanted to keep strict vetting in place because of “people going to the Bahamas that weren’t supposed to be there.”

The Spanish ferry company apologized to the 119 passengers who could not be taken to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Trump gave no indication Monday that he was considering lifting requirements for Bahamian storm evacuees. Trump said stringent vetting should continue for those traveling to the U.S. “We have to be very careful. Everybody needs totally proper documentation,” Trump said. “I don’t want to allow people that weren’t supposed to be in the Bahamas to come into the United States, including some very bad people and some very bad gang members and some very, very bad drug dealers.”

His remarks are offensive, as the president offered no evidence that the evacuees are gang members and drug dealers.

This is a humanitarian crisis. Unnecessary delays will only lead to more deaths.

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

Founded 1910

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

Rob Taylor Jr.

Jeff Marion

Office Manager

Managing Editor

Circulation Consultant

John. H. Sengstacke

Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—It is almost amusing to see, hear and read how the U.S. press, politicians and academicians weep and wail, moan and groan and huff and puff about Russia’s attempt to take propagandistic advantage of the White supremacy that has been a pivotal force in this country’s life for the past 400 years.

What Russia is doing is nothing new. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, American presidents responded to White supremacist attacks on Black people mainly because the Russians were using such attacks as something to be exploited during the so-called Cold War. If there wasn’t/isn’t White supremacy, the Russians wouldn’t have anything to exploit. Civil and human rights changes are not the result of changes in attitude of White supremacists but result from foreign policy needs.

For instance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower reluctantly nationalized the Arkansas National Guard to protect the Little Rock Nine who were being attacked by White supremacist opponents of the desegregation of Little Rock’s Central High School.

He reportedly acted only after photos of the attacks were published in a Russian newspaper.

President John F. Kennedy did the

A. Peter Bailey

Commentary same when Black youngsters in Birmingham, Alabama were attacked by White supremacists. Like Eisenhower, he said the federal government had no legal right to intervene. Both eventually and reluctantly took action because of foreign policy propaganda needs.

President Lyndon Johnson also signed the civil rights bills of 1964 and 1965 because of concerns about Russia using White supremacy attacks as a propaganda weapon against the self-proclaimed “Leader of the Free World.”

Black leaders such as Brother Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were well aware of the U.S. government’s fear that its opponents would use the race issue against the United States. That’s why Brother Malcolm was developing plans to have the U.S. condemned by the

United Nations Commission on Human Rights for being “either unable or unwilling to protect the lives and property of Black people.” That’s also why Dr. King, in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, spoke of the Civil Rights Movement as being similar to the liberation movements in Africa and Asia.

Even the more conservative NAACP and Urban League leaders were aware, though they would never say so publicly, that U.S. foreign policy propaganda considerations were a plus factor in the battle against overt promoters and defenders of White supremacy. This will be the case as long as the U.S. proclaims itself as a bastion of equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, while at the same time most Whites still believe that they should be the dominant force in the national and international arenas.

Finally, it must be stated that the Russians are not exploiting America’s race issue for moral or humane reasons. They believe just as strongly as their fellow European-descended counter parts in America that Whites are superior to all other people. Their disagreement with the U.S. is basically over which group of Whites should be top dog.

What does a just America look like?

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Sometimes I allow myself to imagine a world with justice for all—not just in words, but by deeds. Before I go around the world with what I would like to see I want the best there is for everybody no matter where they live.

Maybe to some what I wish for seems far-fetched, and is if we’re not willing to work for something better for all.

Here’s what I think a just America would look like.

First, we should always refuse to return hate with hate, but always be concerned about every human being’s well-being. In a just America, all of us would have a livable wage. We’d always have a high-quality health plan that prevents illnesses rather than a mediocre and unnecessarily high priced one that only treats us after we’re sick when the prices of health care make us even sicker when we see the bill!

In a just America, all of our children would have access to a high quality and useable education. Everyone would live in a safe and comfortable home they can afford.

We’d be able to vote without wondering if our votes would count without having computer breakdowns as happened when I ran for office or hearing that the Russians were allowed to manipulate our vote. We could register to vote at will having assurance our names wouldn’t be wiped off the rolls without just cause to enable

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary

our own.

We would never feel the need to use White people as our standard for what we should be.

Once we have prepared ourselves for a job or a business, we would walk out of an interview with confidence we’d have a fair chance at getting the job or if in business, we would walk out of the bank where applied for a loan feeling confident we would get it if we had filled all of the requirements that others are asked to fill.

Once we apply for a school or university admission, we could be confident that we would be admitted on our merits—especially when our merits exceed those of our competitors and not because our parents could afford to buy a slot for admission.

In a just America, non-white children would see themselves in the people on the news with the good they are doing on a regular basis. They would hear the stories of people who look like them when they, too, are accomplishing great things.

As the late Barbara Jordan once said, “What the people want is very simple. They want an America as good as its promise.” Black people are still waiting for America to make real that promise, and when that happens, we’d have a just America.

someone else to win when we actually received the greatest number of votes.

I’m sure Secretary Hillary Clinton would back me up on that, as would Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum. I might even add Beto O’Rourke as another recent example.

In a just America, racism would disappear and would never be rewarded. We’d have a Commission on the Elimination of Racism. Another Commission that actually mandates reparations for Black people and our community would go a long way toward proving America has suddenly become fair and just to all.

There’re a few things we’d need to do, too. We’d spend our money only with those who respect us and not those who oppress us. We’d spend most of our money with our own people, and when we own the businesses, we would pay our people fair wages, (Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is national presand charge our people fair prices. In return, we who do business with our ident of the National Congress of Black Womown, we’d treat those businesses as en, Inc.)

Letter To The Editor

Food stamp cuts amid escalating inequality: Is this the America we want?

Dear Editor: In late July, President Trump launched a frontal assault on the nation’s cornerstone food assistance program: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Trump’s Department of Agriculture announced their plan to terminate broad-based categorical eligibility, which would end states’ ability to let the food insecure who are just above the federal poverty line access food assistance, stripping states’ autonomy to determine their own economic needs.

In the context of rampant and growing income inequality, terminating categorical eligibility will yank food assistance from 3.1 million Americans with a demonstrated need—16,000 in Allegheny County—cutting the number of vulnerable Americans currently receiving food stamps by 11 percent. The change would have a huge impact on “near-poor” working families who rely on food stamps to help put food on the table. A full 70 percent of households that would be booted off of SNAP in Pennsylvania include a senior or an individual with a disability. Nationally, a half million children would lose access to free school meals, despite well-documented evidence that hungry children can’t learn.

This proposed plan will take us backwards to a burdensome and costly process that imposes an asset test on all SNAP applicants, which discourages or penalizes recipients from saving. An asset test requires people to jump through humiliating hoops just to receive the average support of $4/day for individuals and just $16/ month for many seniors. Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services estimates that eliminating the asset test has saved the department $2.2 million a year in administrative costs.

A majority of Americans believe that

food is a basic human right that the government should protect. Our nation’s food stamp program (SNAP), the roots of which began 80 years ago under President Roosevelt, is still rightfully thought of as an entitlement. The Department of Agriculture is pursuing this policy change despite widespread public opposition and Congress’ clear rejection of such a measure in the 2018 Farm Bill.

The relentless attacks on America’s poor occur at a time when rich corporations continue to be subsidized for the low wages they pay. Take as an example Walmart. The Waltons earn $4 million every hour while paying their workers poverty wages, forcing them to rely on food stamps and other public assistance programs (funded by taxpayers, including those same employees) in order to make ends meet. In fact, Walmart/Sam’s Club workers are the largest group of employees receiving food stamps in Pennsylvania with 5,388 on the program as of September 2017. McDonalds came in second with 2,063 employees receiving SNAP benefits.

These aren’t exceptions; they signal what’s become the shameful norm. In the mid-1960s, CEO pay was about 20 times the average worker’s pay; by 2018, that ratio skyrocketed to 278 to 1. This signals that something is desperately wrong in America. And the solution is clearly not to make the destitute even more so or to make life more difficult for the working poor.

The social safety net was meant to provide support for individuals who fell on hard times or who were unable to provide for themselves. But with worker wages largely stagnant since the 1970s, low-wage workers increasingly rely on the safety net to close the gap between their pay and ever-rising costs of living. The best way to cut reliance on food stamps is

not to start dismantling the program but to require employers to pay a living wage. According to MIT, a mother with two children would need to earn $28.06 to have a living wage in Pittsburgh -- to afford housing, child care, food, health care costs and transportation. Under current SNAP policy, she would likely be ineligible for food stamps at anything above $17/hr. Under Trump’s rule change, if that mother earns $14/hour and gets a raise to $15, she will have to forfeit the family’s food stamps (making her worse off financially after her raise) and her children’s free school meals. She’ll be one of the 3.1 million who “earn too much” to get food assistance, though still food insecure.

Just Harvest has been collecting comments from those—workers, seniors, and people with disabilities— who would be impacted by the SNAP rule change. One woman wrote: As the gap between the rich and the poor grows and the middle disappears, our country loses any sense of the generosity, grace, and community that could make it a special place to live.

She’s right. In protecting food stamps and tackling the real evil of inequality, we can restore what comprises the best of our nation. The greatness of America depends on it.

If you want to stop this rule from going into effect, as we do, there is still time to submit a public comment. Before September 23, submit your unique comment to the federal registry viawww.justharvest.org/protectSNAP Emily Cleath, Dawn Plummer and Diana Polson

(Emily Cleath is Communications Coordinator at Just Harvest; Dawn Plummer is Director of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council; Diana Polson is a Policy Analyst at the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.)

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

B4

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

HELP WANTED

MANAGER – EXPANSION AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Experienced carpenter wanted to build/repair an outside deck and stairs at a Hill District property. 302331-5833

MANAGER OF ACCESSIBILITY AND PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

Responsible for forging relationships with accessibility partners, developing curriculum and facilitating engagement programs. Full description and to apply: https://bit.ly/2kuF9Jx COMPUTER/IT: Argo AI, LLC seeks Software Engineer II (multiple openings) to work in Pittsburgh, PA to architect & implement cutting edge algorithms & software for autonomous vehicle sensors, including cameras and LiDAR. Degree & commensurate exp. req’d. Apply online at www. argo.ai/join-us/#j1854010 SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT

HIGH SCHOOL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Complete job description is available at: www.southfayette.org South Fayette Twp. School District 3680 Old Oakdale Road McDonald, PA 15057 Deadline: September 27, 2019 or Until Position is Filled EOE

COMMUNITY RELATIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS COORDINATOR-OFFICE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY COUNCIL

The Office of Allegheny County Council is accepting applications for the position of Community Relations & Special Projects Coordinator until Friday, October 4, 2019 at 4:30 PM. Starting Salary is $3,125 per month per month and preferred qualifications include: Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Public Administration, Political Science, Business or a related field; strong communication and writing skills; and proficiency in Microsoft Office.

For additional application requirements and job description check our website at https://alleghenycounty.us/ careers/index.aspx

FIRE DEPARTMENT CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE POSITION OF FIREFIGHTER FOR THE ALTOONA FIRE DEPARTMENT Applications for Firefighter for the City of Altoona can be obtained from the Human Resources Office in City Hall between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M., Monday through Friday, or by visiting www.altoonapa.gov, beginning Tuesday, September 3, 2019. Completed applications must be received in the Human Resources Department no later than NOON ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2019: Human Resources Department – Altoona City Hall 1301 12th Street, Suite 301 Altoona, PA 16601-3491 Individuals on the previous eligibility list must reapply to be considered for employment; as previous applications and eligibility lists are void.

REQUIREMENTS: •Must pass a Physical Agility Test to be held in Altoona on Saturday, October 26, 2019 and Sunday, October 27, 2019.

•Must pass a Written Civil Service Test to be held in Altoona on Saturday, November 2, 2019, with a score of 70% or better.

•Must be a United States citizen.

•Must be at least 18 years of age at time of application.

•Must have a valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License.

• Must be a high school graduate or possess a GED equivalent.

•Must be physically and mentally fit to perform the essential duties of a firefighter as determined by successfully completing the physical agility test and physical examination.

•Must become a resident of the City of Altoona within six (6) months of date of employment and must remain a resident of the City during the tenure of employment.

Applications must be complete, written legibly, signed and notarized.

Completed applications must include: •Copy of valid Driver’s License •Copy of Birth Certificate or appropriate proof of age •Copy of Social Security Card or proof of U.S. Citizenship or Naturalization •Copy of High School Diploma or GED •Copy of DD214 (if applicable). Veteran’s Preference will be applied to the final score of eligible candidates •Notarized Verification Form •Signed General Consent Form •Check or Money Order in the amount of $25.00 made payable to the “City of Altoona” The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Port Authority is seeking a Manager – Expansion and Special Programs to be responsible for the engineering, construction, and project delivery of expansion and special programs projects. Serves as project manager of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project through project delivery. Provides support on other capital improvement, maintenance, and state of good repair Authority projects.

Essential Functions: •Oversees and manages all staffing, technical and control (such as budgets, schedules, reporting, quality assurance) required to implement and complete expansion, special program, and capital projects, including but not limited to Bus Rapid Transit. Performs all project management functions necessary to implement the design, construction and closeout of funded capital projects within established scope, schedule, budget and quality metrics. Provides guidance and assistance to Port Authority personnel on project issues and activities pertaining to assigned capital projects.

•Directly responsible for and supervises the daily activities of assigned staff; provides day to day guidance and oversees various project design disciplines, provides oversight to staff managing projects and performing field inspections, reviews field design changes, resolves technical problems and methods regarding building codes, structural codes, permit procedures, and municipal construction requirements.

Evaluates staff performance, performs necessary administrative tasks and develops staff’s technical and interpersonal skills.

•Develops scopes of work for design and construction management firms and provides oversight and management of firms on assigned projects.

Job requirements include: •BS Degree in Civil Engineering or a related engineering field.

•Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in design and/ or construction management of infrastructure, roadway, highway, or transit projects; i.e. managing capital projects and professional service contracts, quality control, dispute resolution, financial and schedule control. Six (6) of the ten (10) years must be in a project lead role.

•Three (3) years in a management supervisory role.

•Professional and effective communication skills.

•Valid PA driver’s license.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows.

Preferred attributes: •Registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

•Demonstrated ability in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point.

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Missy Ramsey Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 MRamsey@portauthority.org EOE LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of MARY LOIS GALLAGHER, Deceased, of Pittsburgh, NO. 021904715 OF 2019. Mary Eileen Gallagher Adm. Or to c/o Jacqueline H. Brangard, Esquire, Scolieri Law Group, P.C., 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

NOTICE

AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to replace and install antennas and associated supporting equipment at a centerline height of 49-feet on the rooftop of an existing building located at 200 Cowan Street, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (N 40° 25’ 40.6”; W 80° 00’ 36.4”). AT&T Mobility, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures or objects significant in American History, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Comments pertaining specifically to historic resources may be sent to Environmental Corporation of America, ATTN: Dina Bazzill, 1375 Union hill Industrial Court, Suite A, Alpharetta, Georgia 30004. Ms. Bazzill can be reached at (770) 6672040 ext. 111. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. T4401b/TMM

SONNY BOY

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4 1 2

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LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT Port Authority of Allegheny County REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 19-07

Port Authority of Allegheny County is requesting proposals for the performance of the following service(“Contract Services”): LONG RANGE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING SERVICES The work under the proposed Agreement consists of planning, modeling, and public outreach services to gather data and community input for a long range plan which will provide an action-oriented strategy for making major investments and changes to service within the Authority’s system.

A copy of the RFP will be available on or after September 12, 2019, and can be obtained by registering at the Port Authority ebusiness website: http://ebusiness.portauthority. org and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under the ebusiness category of ENGPLAN – Eng. Planning/ Studies for this RFP. Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued by Port Authority. If you have specific questions regarding this RFP, please contact Catherine Terrill at (412) 566-5188.

An Information Meeting for interested parties will be held at 1:30 p.m., prevailing time, September 27, 2019 in the Fifth Floor Board Room of Port Authority of Allegheny County’s downtown offices, 345 Sixth Avenue to answer any questions regarding this RFP. A call-in number has been set up for the Information Meeting. The dial-in information is as follows: •Toll Free Number: 1-866-602-6731 •Conference ID #: 3648880# Hard copy proposals must be both delivered to, and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, October 14, 2019, at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department, Port Authority of Allegheny County, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527. Proposals received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award.

Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein.

This Contract Services may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The proposal process and the performance of the requested services will be in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Port Authority of Allegheny County, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, require that certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, these Contract Services. In this regard, all Proposers, and Contractor, shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services.

Further, proposers and the Contractor shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts or subcontracts for these Contract Services.

Port Authority of Allegheny County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

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

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT Port Authority of Allegheny County REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL NO. 19-06

Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) is requesting proposals for the performance of the following service: CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES The Construction Management Services (Contract Services) under the proposed agreements will be in the categories of (A) Bridges, Heavy, & Highway; (B) Garages & Facility; and (C) Rail & Systems. The required Contract Services include, but are not limited to: construction contract administration, construction compliance with contract documents, construction reports and progress meetings, construction inspection, construction quality assurance & control, construction coordination and communication with project stakeholders.

Authority intends to enter into agreements with pools of up to two (2) firms for each of the above-identified categories that can be called upon on an as-needed basis. While it is currently Authority’s intention to enter into agreements with pools of up to two (2) firms per category, this number may be adjusted up or down, at Authority’s sole discretion, based upon the number of proposals received and Authority’s evaluation of same in relation to its construction management services needs in the above-identified categories. Proposals may be submitted to provide Contract Services in one or more of the identified categories. The required Contract Services will be issued on a work order basis as they are approved to proceed by Authority.

The agreements will be for a three (3) year period with the option to extend their terms up to two additional years at the sole discretion of Authority.

A copy of the Request for Proposal (RFP) will be available on or after September 18, 2019, and can be obtained by registering at the Port Authority ebusiness website: https://www.portauthority.org/business-center/procurement/bidder-registration/ and following the directions listed on the website. Please note that Proposers must register under one or more of the following ebusiness categories for this RFP: ENGINEERING Engineering ENGCM Engineering – Construction Management ENGENV Engineering – Environmental ENGGAE Engineering – General Architectural/Engineering ENGINS Engineering – Construction Inspection ENGPM Engineering – Project Management ENGSC Engineering – Systems/Communications Proposers may also register in other categories for any future RFPs issued

by Port Authority. If you have specific questions regarding this RFP, please contact Jeff Faddis at (412) 566-5315.

An Information Meeting for interested parties will be held at 9:00 a.m. prevailing time, September 26, 2019 in the Fifth Floor Board Room of Port Authority of Allegheny County’s downtown offices, 345 Sixth Avenue to answer any questions regarding this RFP. A call-in number has been set up for the Information Meeting. The dial-in information is as follows: •Toll Free Number: 1-866-602-6731 •Conference ID #: 3648880# Hard copy proposals must be both delivered to, and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before 2:00 p.m., prevailing time, October 30 2019, at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department, Port Authority of Allegheny County, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527. Proposals received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of proposals shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for award. Each Proposer shall be solely responsible for assuring that its proposal is timely received and time stamped in accordance with the requirements herein. Please note that a sealed Summary of Costs should NOT be submitted with the hard copy of the Proposal, but will be submitted at a later date as requested by Port Authority.

This Contract Services may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). The proposal process and the performance of the requested services will be in accordance with guidelines and regulations of the FTA “Third Party Contracting Guidelines”, FTA Circular 4220.1F, as amended, and all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

Port Authority of Allegheny County, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, as amended, implements positive affirmative action procedures to ensure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal funds, if any, provided under or for the proposed Agreement. In this regard, all recipients or contractors shall take all necessary and reasonable steps in accordance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBEs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services.

Port Authority of Allegheny County, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, also requires that certified Diverse Businesses, (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontract for, the Contract Services. In this regard, all Proposers, and the Contractor, shall make good faith efforts, in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for, and perform contracts and subcontracts for, the Contract Services.

Further, proposers and the Contractor shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sex, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts or subcontracts for these Contract Services Port Authority of Allegheny County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals.

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time October 1, 2019 and will be opened at the same hour for the purchase of the following equipment and supplies: CALCULATORS General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Office of the Purchasing Agent, Service Center, 1305 Muriel Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pgh schools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links.

The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of NORMAN E. SMILNYAK, Deceased of Oakdale, Alllegheny County, Pennsylvania, No. 02-19-05551. Laurie Lee Corrigan, Executrix, 2303 Elm Drive, Oakdale, PA 15071 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty., BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017.

Estate of MR. JOHN MCALLISTER a/k/a JOHN RODGERS MCALLISTER, Deceased, of 576 Glenfield Road, Sewickley, PA 15143.

Estate No. 02-19-05378 Ms. Patricia Moyles, 576 Glenfield Road, Sewickley, PA 15143, Administrator, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108.

CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

CLASSIFIEDS/METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

LEGAL ADVERTISING

LEGAL ADVERTISING

Bids/Proposals

Bids/Proposals

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

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

Electronic Proposals will be received online at the Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority. org).

Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on September 30, 2019 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day, at Port Authority’s Heinz location (345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527), for the following: Electronic Proposal Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org) B19-08-57A Automatic Trip Stop Detecting Unit Antennas - LRV B19-08-58A Environmental Sampling, Testing & reporting B19-08-60A rock Salt - Bulk No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held on each of the above items at 10:00am September 11, 2019 at Port Authority’s Heinz location (345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA). Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the Port Authority within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening.

These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing.

Port Authority of Allegheny County hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The Board of Port Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR ELEVATOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE AUTHORITY WIDE REBID IFB#300-38-19-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): Elevator Repair and Maintenance Authority Wide The documents will be available no later than September 16, 2019 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 2:00 P.M. on October 4, 2019 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 inquires should be directed to: Mr. 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 15219 September 26, 2019 2:00 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.

COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on October 1, 2019, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for: Pgh. Langley K-8 Corridor Ceilings and Lights, and Classroom Ceilings and Lights (Deduct Alternate) General, Electrical and Asbestos Abatement Primes Pgh. Greenfield K-8 Replace Electrical Distribution System General and Electrical Primes Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on September 3, 2019 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.

SONNY BOY

‘Hustlers’ is one of the year’s best films Took in $33.2 million in its opening weekend

by Merecedes J. Williams For New Pittsburgh Courier

When exotic dancing just doesn’t cut it for four NYC women, they concoct a plan of their INVITATION FOR BIDS own to make some quick cash in Sealed bids for the Slippery Rock “Hustlers.”

Borough Sidewalk-curb cut ProjBased on a true story, Destiny ect will be received in the office (Constance Wu), with only a GED of Benjamin Holland, BUTLER in hand, works the Wall Street COUNTY CONTROLLER, FLOOR 5, COUNTY GOVERNMENT scene to make a better life for her CENTER, 124 WEST DIAMOND and her family.

Your favorite actresses, as well STREET, whose mailing address is P.O.BOX 1208, BUTLER, PA as your favorite musicians, are 16003, on or before 2:00pm, Octo- in “Hustlers.” The seven-member 1, 2019. All Bids must be plain- ber cast comprises of sexy, eager ly marked “Bid – Slippery Rock women who demand attention.

Borough Sidewalk-curb cut Proj- Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, ect” on the outside of the envelope. Lili Reinhart, Keke Palmer, Julia All bids will be publicly opened and read at the Public Meeting of Stiles, Cardi B., and Lizzo are a the Butler County Board of Com- diverse melting pot celebrating missioners on October 2, 2019 every kind of woman.

“Hustlers” begs the questions: at 10:00am, in the Commissioner Public Meeting Room located on Is J-Lo too old to be playing a Floor 1 of the County Government stripper? Or am I just a hater?

Center, Butler, PA 16001.

If my body is impeccable like Bids will be received for the follow- that when I am 50, I guess I ing: would be stripping or at least Slippery Rock Borough Sidewalk-curb cut Project according playing a stripper in a major to the specifications in the bid pack- motion picture, too. Yup, I’m a hater! age.

The former “In living Color” Fly Documents can be purchased for the nonrefundable fee of $50.00 for one Girl (remember that? Yep, J-Lo hard copy set of contract documents. was one of the Fly Girls on the All checks shall be made payable to show) has seen her fair share of “Gateway Engineers”. Bidders must big-screen flops. But, “Hustlers” purchase the Contract Documents redeemed J-Lo for all of her thefrom “Gateway Engineers” to be eliatrical transgressions. She was gible to bid this project.

Project documents can be picked up at Gateway Engineers Office located at 201 S. Main Street, Suite 200, Butler, PA 16001. The main contact for the project is Robert Maher who can be reached at 412409-2334.

Each proposal shall be accompanied by a bidder’s bond, or certified check or cashier’s check, in favor of the County of Butler, in the amount of not less than ten percent. The County of Butler reserves the right to waive any informality in and to accept or reject any and all bids or any part of any bid. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days.

Prevailing wages established under the Davis-Bacon Act will apply to this contract. The contract documents contain requirements addressing prevailing labor wage rates, labor standards, nondiscrimination in hiring practices, goal for minority and female participation, MBE and WBE participation, participation by Section 3 residents and businesses and related matters.

BOARD OF BUTLER COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Leslie Osche, Chairman Kim Geyer Kevin Boozel Attest: Lori Altman Director of Human Resources/ Chief Clerk

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Merecedes on…

Movies fierce, daring, and downright divine.

“Hustlers” was everything I thought it would be; satisfying and sidesplitting. It’s not your traditional chick flick, either. Men will enjoy the glory of the flesh-revealing scene, while the boys will gawk at the cast’s provocative moves.

I am going to fall in line and agree that “Hustlers” is one of the year’s best films. In its opening weekend, it made $33.2 million at the box office.

The title of “hustler” and “moth-

er,” in my opinion, are one in the same. This film reminds you that as a mother you have to be a hustler; juggling many jobs, wearing many hats, and getting things done by any means necessary.

The things you’ll do as a mother you wouldn’t dare as kid-less bachelorette.

That’s what made “Hustlers” so relatable. We, as mothers, might not break the law or jump on a pole, but we have done some unspeakable, sacrificial things for the sake of our children. Every mother is a hustler.

On Wednesday, Sept. 11, Movie Scene Queen and Wiz Khalifa’s mother, Peachie Wimbush-Polk, rolled out the red carpet for more than 200 local female hustlers at an advance screening at the Homestead Waterfront.

“I saw myself in every one of these women. Life as a boss babe is no crystal staircase. ‘Hustlers’ was the fun that I didn’t know I needed,” said Wimbush-Polk.

“Everybody needs a Ramona (Jennifer Lopez) in their life.

J-Lo brought so much depth to her character.”

Attendees included stylist Shawna Solomon, sunglasses maven Shawnecca Reed, selfhelp author Maisha Howze, and the ladies from the Girl Running Sh__ podcast.

“Hustlers” is in theaters now.

Are you a current Courier subscriber?

If so, then we have the perfect deal for you!

We appreciate your commitment to the Courier and Pittsburgh’s African American Community. We’d like to offer you a special rate to extend your current Courier subscription.

Call our own Brenda Hill at 412-481-8302, ext. 134, to extend your current subscription for 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 6 months ($20), 1 year ($35), or 2 years ($65). Be sure to Classifieds tell Brenda the code word for 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 the discounted rates: E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com “SUBSCRIBER SPECIAL” Deadline/Closing/ This special is open only Cancellation Schedule for copy, corrections, to our current Courier suband cancellations: Friday noon preceding scribers until Sept. 27, 2019.

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

We must not Flying While Black: Stop Congress from raising air travel taxes normalize poverty and inequity Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. (TriceEdneyWire.com)—When the income and poverty data were released on September 10, the commentary touted the progress that the data reflected. The poverty rate dropped by half a percentage point, down to 11.8 percent.

For the first time, the poverty rate is lower than it was in 2007, before the beginning of the Great Recession. But wages only rose significantly among Asian Americans, and the poverty rates, by demographics, were 8.1 percent for Whites, 20.8 percent for African Americans, 17.6 percent for Hispanics, and 10.1 percent for Asian Americans.

When we celebrate the drop in the poverty rate, we normalize the fact that African Americans have a much higher poverty rate than Whites do. In simply acknowledging the poverty rate drop, without focusing on the much higher poverty rate of African Americans, we imply that high African American poverty rates are acceptable. They are not. There should be no discussion of poverty rates without an acknowledgment that economic recovery has been extremely uneven, and the distribution of poverty is uneven as well.

It is important to note that if we bemoan high poverty rates, we must acknowledge the progress that comes with lower ones. Things are indeed “better” at the microeconomic level, and better in the aggregate. “Better” for who, we might ask. When we talk about poverty prevention, it is essential to acknowledge that some communities need

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary more help than others do, which is why we should consider targeted programs.

Unfortunately, too many assert that we can’t have “Black” programs in a multicultural society. But if Black people experience more poverty, they need more help.

While the poverty rate dropped the proportion of people without health insurance or access to health care rose. In 2017, 7.9 percent of all people had no health insurance. By 2018, in just one year, the number jumped to 8.5 percent. At least 27.5 million Americans have no health insurance. That number is deceptive because many who have health insurance cannot afford their copayments and so only visit medical professionals when their situation is dire.

While the health data must be nuanced to reveal that the situation is worse than the numbers suggest, the simple increase in the number of folks without health insurance is alarming. If some legislators have their way, even more people will lack access to health insurance, and with the stagnant incomes revealed from the income and poverty data, increasing numbers will be unable to manage their copayments.

Similarly, celebrations about the historic low in the Black unemployment rate tend to normalize the fact that Black people experience proportionately more unemployment than others.

When the unemployment rate numbers were released on the first Friday of September, the overall rate was 3.7 percent; while the overall rate for Black folks was 5.5 percent, and 4.4 percent for Black women. While acknowledging this historic low, it is essential to note that the overall Black rate remains twice as high as the White rate. Bragging about the lower rate without acknowledging the unemployment rate gap suggests that Black folks are supposed to have higher unemployment rates than others.

There are lots of problems with the unemployment rate, especially around participate rates that suggest that some are dropping out of the labor force.

The unemployment rate data, just like the income and poverty data, also show stagnant wages. Too many are working, but not making a living wage, as the poverty data suggest. The minimum wage has not increased in a decade, and while many cities and states have higher minimum wages, the majority do not.

The South, particularly, has been resistant to increasing wages. The South is also the region of the country with the highest poverty rate.

Our nation’s policy conversation too often normalizes African American economic disadvantage. When an 11.8 percent poverty rate is reported, and the Black unemployment rate is not, it implies that the 20.8 percent rate (one in five Black people) is not a matter of concern. When a 5.5 percent “historic low” unemployment rate is reported, but the unemployment rate gap is not, it implies that there is supposed to be an unemployment rate gap and Black people are supposed to have higher unemployment rates than whites.

We cannot normalize inequality by only partly reporting on reality. Even as we report on economic progress, we must also report on the uneven ways growth affects Black communities.

(Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist.)

NNPA NEWSWIRE—Working families in the African American community and beyond have a hard-enough time keeping up with daily expenses. Every mortgage payment, car payment, trip to the grocery store, stop at the gas station, or utility bill that shows up in the mail is a reminder of how expensive it is to afford basic needs. Now, lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have introduced legislation that threatens to add one more expense to that list.

On Capitol Hill, some lawmakers are championing what is essentially a regressive tax on airline passengers that would raise the cost of flying—painfully, on working families. If successful, the tax hike would burden African American travelers with significant additional fees on top of what is already required. Lawmakers who support the increase insist that the money will be spent on infrastructure improvement projects at airports. But, if our communities can no longer afford to fly, this becomes a moot point.

The tax, known as the passenger facility charge, is a locally enforced but federally authorized fee that every passenger must pay at U.S. commercial airports. Nearly every airport in America charges it. The fee is currently set at $4.50 per person per leg of a trip. Legislation has been introduced that would remove that cap, allowing airports to charge any amount they want.

Some have proposed raising the PFC to $8.50, nearly doubling the current tax. That would add a significant cost for all American families. Under that proposal, a family of four on a connecting flight would pay nearly $150 in this tax alone—a tax that is layered on top of the price of the ticket itself.

Such a substantial increase could be the deciding factor between that family taking this vacation or staying home.

Fortunately, largely due to the recent surge of low-cost flights from many airlines, air travel has become a more obtainable luxury, remaining largely affordable for working people, whether in rural America, the suburbs or the inner cities. While still a relatively expensive proposition, air travel to get away on a vacation, or to visit far-away family and friends, without the proposed new tax, is still within reach for many individuals on tight family budgets. The near-dou-

bling of the PFC tax will likely place air travel out of reach for many. And the reason for this hike is absurd.

The argument for the hike is that the additional money will pay for much-needed infrastructure improvement projects at airports nationwide. But here is the problem: America’s airports don’t need the extra money. Airport revenues are already growing strongly.

Since the year 2000, airports have enjoyed revenue increases of 87 percent, without the cost of flights rising meaningfully. This growth drastically outpaces the actual cost of flying, even after factoring for inflation.

In addition, over the last decade, more than $165 billion in federal aid has been directed to airports for improvement projects at America’s largest 30 airports alone. More than that, the so-called Aviation Trust Fund is expected to reach nearly $8 billion by the end of 2019.

And this summer alone, the Federal Aviation Administration has awarded hundreds of millions in renovation grants to airports across America earmarked for infrastructure improvements. It’s also worth keeping in mind that air travel and tourism are now at or nearing all-time highs, meaning that airports are collecting more in PFC taxes than they know what to do with.

By contrast, the income of working Americans has been stagnant for years. Considering that airports are more profitable now than ever before, it is disappointing that they, with the backing of politicians in Washington, are now coming to average Americans and asking them to shoulder the cost.

America’s airports are well-positioned to continue to fund infrastructure improvement projects without needlessly reaching into the pockets of America’s working families and robbing them of one of the few affordable luxuries available to them. Congress must stand up for working people and refuse this tax increase.

Economic progress in America should empower African Americans and others. We in the Black Press of America will not be silent on this issue.

Commentary

(Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. is president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) representing the Black Press of America. He can be reached at dr.bchavis@nnpa.org.)

What is 9/11 to descendants of slaves?

When I was a country coming child, two dates together as one J. Pharoah Doss had patriotic people during the significance to aftermath. But I the American wondered, since public —July 4 2019 is the year (1776) Indepenof the alternative narrative, were dence Day, and there gatherings Dec. 7 (1941) the of people listenJapanese attack ing to a reading on Pearl Harbor. that expressed a During my adolescence, when Dec. 7 approached, different 9/11 story?

If so, what were they reading?

I began to hear more about Japanese Probably a section from Ta-Nehisi internment camps in the United States than I did about the Japanese Coates’ book, “Between the World and Me.” Coates describes his 9/11 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, story. Coates wrote, “I suppose everyand I also heard America committed crimes against humanity by dropping one who was in New York that day atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Na- has a story. Here’s mine. I stood on gasaki. But I had a suspicion I wasn’t the roof of an apartment building… taking in the sight—great plumes of told this for my enlightenment. It smoke covered Manhattan Island. was told to diminish Dec. 7which I Everyone knew someone who knew felt was unnecessary because narrasomeone who was missing. But looktives can co-exist without replacing ing out upon the ruins of America, each other. my heart was cold…The officer who Right before the 4th of July 2019, killed Prince Jones (a college classa Time Magazine essay stated, to some people, celebrations of American mate of Coates that was killed by the police), like all the officers who independence are reminders of the regard us so warily, was the sword country’s hypocrisy on the matter of freedom (therefore) alternative Fourth of the American citizenry…I was out of sync with the city. I kept thinkof July commemoratives across the ing about how southern Manhattan United States often draw attention had always been Ground Zero for to a different side of that story with us. They auctioned our bodies down readings of the famous speech by Frederick Douglass: What to the slave there, in that same devastated, and rightly named, financial district… is the 4th of July? But, what’s really Bin Laden was not the first man to the priority of the alternative combring terror to that section of the city. memoratives, to draw attention to a different story or to diminish Indepen- I never forgot that. Neither should you. In the days after, I watched the dence Day? In August the New York Times Mag- ridiculous pageantry of flags, the maazine published the 1619 project. This chismo of firemen, the overwrought project was to observe the 400th anni- slogans. Damn it all. Prince Jones was dead. And hell upon those who versary of 20 enslaved Africans that tell us to be twice as good and shoot arrived at the British colony of Virginia, and the project’s expressed aim us no matter…I could see no difference between the officers who killed was to reframe the country’s history, Prince Jones and the police who died, to understand that 1619 was Ameror the firefighters who died. They ica’s true founding, not July 4, 1776.

(In the recent Democratic presidential were not human to me. Black, White, debate this assertion was repeated by or whatever, they were the menaces of nature; they were the fire, the comcandidate Beto O’Rourke.) et, the storm, which could—with no In 2019 the alternative narrative justification—shatter my body.” of the American founding has gone If these alternative 9/11 gatherings mainstream. exist, they’re not mainstream, but Last week was the 18th anniverthe section from Coates’ book already sary of 9/11. In the 21st century is. What does that mean? Nothing— 9/11 has replaced Dec. 7 in patriotyet. ic significance. 9/11 anniversaries (J. Pharoah Doss is a contributor to the New always honor the heroic efforts of the Pittsburgh Courier.) first responders and celebrates the

Check It Out

Harry C. Alford & Kay DeBow

Beyond the Rhetoric

Afghanistan is not worth it Our latest Trist in Afghanistan has lasted over 19 years. It is long overdue for us to face one solid fact: No one conquers and rules Afghanistan.

This area of the world is a continuous state of war, havoc and mass confusion. Confusion is the key word here. There is no one religion that rules, no conquering nation that remains, no major tribe or race of people. It is just there and will continue to be one ongoing mass of confusion and change of temporary leadership.

Britain maintained one of the greatest empires the world has known. However, its attempt to rule what is now Afghanistan was a disaster.

Here is how Wikipedia explains the disaster: “The First Anglo-Afghan War (also known by the British as the Disaster in Afghanistan) was fought between the British East India Company and the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1839 to 1842. Initially, the British successfully intervened in a succession dispute between emir Dost Mohammad (Barakzai) and former emir Shah Shoah (Duran), whom they installed upon conquering Kabul in August 1839. The main British Indian and Sikh force occupying Kabul along with their camp followers, having endured harsh winters as well, was almost annihilated while retreating in January 1842. The British then sent an Army of Retribution to Kabul to avenge their defeat, and having demolished parts of the capital and recovered prisoners they left Afghanistan altogether by the end of the year. Dost Mohamed returned from exile in India to resume his rule.

It was one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between Britain and Russia.”

That was when Britain maintained one of the finest military operations in world history. They could not handle Afghanistan. Let’s go back further than that. All the way to Alexander the Great and his great Greek Empire. It was here where he met the beginning of his demise.

This is how Wikipedia explains it: “Alexander the Great invaded what is today Afghanistan in 330 BC as part of war against Persia. Comprising the easternmost satrapies of Persia, Afghanistan provided some challenging battles in his conquest of the remaining lands of Persia.

Renamed Bactria, and settled with his Ionian veterans, Alexander began his invasion of India from what is now Jalalabad, attacking the Indus River basin through the Khyber Pass. Several cities in Afghanistan are named for Alexander, including Alexandria Arachises, now called Kandahar (a contraction of Kandahar). Following the death of Alexander and the partition of his kingdom, the Province of Bactria was under the rule of Alexander’s former general, Seleucids, who now formed the Seleucid Dynasty, with its capital in Babylon. But the Greek Soldiers in Bactria, based on the remoteness of their territory, declared independence, defeated Seleucid armies sent to reconquer them, and founded the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom, which lasted for more than three centuries in Afghanistan, and western India. This Greek Kingdom called Bactria carried on Greek culture while completely cut off from Europe for three centuries. One of the cities, Ai-Khanoum was excavated in 1970s, showing a complete Greek city with an acropolis, amphitheater, temples, and numerous statues. Greeks of Bactria transmitted the art of sculpting human likeness to India and the Far East. Bactrian King Menander I converted to Buddhism after staging multiple theological and philosophical debates between his Greek priests and Indian Buddhist monks. Menander I is remembered in Buddhist Sutras as “King Melinda of the Yunani.” The Ionian origin of the Greek veterans who settled Bactria is remembered to this day by the Afghan word for Greeks, which is “Ionian.” Bactrian Greeks left a legacy of coinage, architecture, and Buddhist art, which comprised the Gandara culture, esp. all East Asia to this day. The last Greek Kingdom in Afghanistan was conquered by the Kushan invaders in the first century AD, a full three centuries after Alexander. But Greek language continued to be used by the Kushans in their coinage for the next several centuries.”

Even one of the greatest generals of all time, Genghis Khan, could not put Afghanistan into his “quiver” of victories. When he led his fierce army of Mongols from Manchuria to the “gates” of Europe, he found one “hiccup” he could not overcome. He selected to bypass what is now Afghanistan and continue with his conquest.

So, it was with great surprise that the Soviet Union, a “Johnny come lately” in terms of aspiring empires decided to invade Afghanistan in 1980. One of the most feared nations on earth came to its knees and eventually retreated.

That was the beginning of the end for the Union of Soviet Socialists Republics. It was just another one that “bit the dust” trying to do what many empires before have failed to do.

Afghanistan should be considered a continuous, changing State in a free for all and controlled by no one party or government. A big variable in all of this is the Taliban tribe. The Taliban are roaming Nomads and answer to no one. They have no set geography which they live in and no other government it will cooperate with. A strong warring group which answers to no other power on earth.

It is silly for us to think that we can sue for peace or even demand it in this strange quarter of the world. Let us pull out. After nineteen years we should know by now. If not, let’s review the last couple of thousands of years to come up with one conclusion. Afghanistan is a “no win game”.

Bring our troops home. It is not worth it.

(Harry C. Alford is the co-founder, president/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Kay DeBow is the co-founder, executive vice president of the Chamber.)

SPORTS New Pittsburgh Courier

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

So far, a disappointment Steelers must figure out a way to turn season around after 0-2 start and losing Roethlisberger for season Photos by Courier photographer Brian Cook Sr.

DONTE MONCRIEF dropped another pass in the Sept. 15 game against the Seahawks, resulting in an interception, contributing to the Steelers’ 28-26 loss.

STEELERS RECEIVER JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER stiff-arms Seattle’s Tre Flowers.

RUSSELL WILSON, wearing Number 3, showed why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, in Seattle’s 28-26 win over the Steelers, Sept. 15.

Let’s hope the Steelers don’t become a San Francisco ‘treat’ Pittsburgh is about to face a 49ers team that’s 2-0, Sept. 22 The Seattle Seahawks swooped into Heinz Field as scavengers looking to feast on the carcass of a Pittsburgh Steelers football team that almost seemed to be left for dead after they were mauled on the previous Sunday by the New England Patriots at

The air was sort of collectively let out when Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger suffered a right elbow injury sometime during the second quarter and did not return to play in the second half. Roethlisberger completed 8-of-15 passes for 75 yards before he left

Inside Conditions

Aubrey Bruce Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

OK, the Seahawks were not the same as the dreaded Patriots but in the end, Pittsburgh remained unable to get the job done, falling to Seattle, 28-26, on Sept. 15. The Steelers were again outperformed in every area and seemed to still be just a bit out of sync.

the game; he also had a 67.4 passer rating. His longest completed pass was 15 yards. Enter backup QB Mason Rudolph. Rudolph was 12-of-19 for 112 yards with 2 touchdowns, one pick, and a passer rating of 92.4. His longest pass was 45 yards. Rudolph also seemed to inject some enthusiasm into what ap-

peared to be at that point a very listless offense. But again, just as in the season-opener, the Steelers offense left the defense on the field far too long and the defense of the Steelers seemed sluggish and almost unable to respond and stop Seattle from running out the clock. However, a bright spot in the Steelers’ defensive performance was rookie linebacker Devin Bush. Late in the fourth quarter, defensive back Mike Hilton caused a fumble and Bush scooped up the loose ball and ran it back and was tackled just shy of the end zone.

At that point Seahawks QB Russell Wilson, who had not done much as far as rushing all day, gouged the Steelers with his feet for two straight first downs, leaving the Steelers with no timeouts, sealing the win for Seattle.

The Steelers seemed to be aware of Wilson’s “strategic” running, especially in the fourth quarter, but like many other defenses in the NFL, they still were unable to stop him. Steelers linebacker Mark Barron said: “We knew that in the fourth quarter Russ (Wilson) likes to take it over and keep the ball in his hands. That’s on the rush, simple as that.”

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin expressed a similar opinion about the rush as well when he was asked whether a spy was assigned to shadow Wil-

THE STEELERS’ JAMES CONNER rushed for 33 yards on 11 attempts and a first-half touchdown, Sept.

15, in the 28-26 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. son when he ran and converted on the crucial first down to allow Seattle to run out the clock. “It was a five-man rush on the play that you’re talking about; the significant play, the third down play. We brought five because of his mobility, so to minimize escape lanes. I would imagine one or more guys had their shots at him.

We didn’t get it done.”

Even though Rudolph had a decent second half in relief of the injured Roethlisberger, Tomlin did not seem to be in the mood to toss around accolades, especially since the Steelers were ultimately defeat-

ed. When he was asked to evaluate the performance of Rudolph, he simply said: “None of us did enough to win, so I am not ready to comb through it in those ways. I like some of the things that he displayed.

His communication, his grit, but we have to find a way to win a football game and we weren’t able to do that today.”

The Steelers, with an 0-2 record, now have to travel to face the 49ers in San Francisco. Let’s hope that they don’t become a San Francisco treat. *** Just sayin’…with all of the raw talent, especially

at wide receiver, there are a ton of folks that were whistling while skipping past the graveyard that held the tombstone of Antonio Brown’s tenure as a Pittsburgh Steeler. However, he has been a New England Patriot for less than a week but on Sunday, Sept.

15, the Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins, 43-0.

Brown caught four passes for 56 yards and a TD. Brown will probably never qualify for sainthood or the priesthood but boy can he freakin’ play football. His career in Pittsburgh might have come to a screeching halt but he is still rockin’ ‘n’ rollin’.

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SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

IT’S MASON’S TEAM NOW 24-year-old Mason Rudolph will be the Steelers’ starting quarterback for the rest of the 2019 season

MASON RUDOLPH threw two touchdowns in a back-up effort, Sept. 15, against the Seahawks. He’s now the starter for the rest of the season after Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury earlier in the game. (Photo by Courier photographer Brian Cook Sr.)

Steelers on the verge of 2019 disaster After an 0-2 start, the Steelers season is on the verge of being over before it ever really began.

After a dud against the New England Patriots,

looks like he’s ready for his first-ever start. He went 12-for-19 for 112 yards and two touchdowns in the second half against the Seahawks, Sept. 15. The

Commentary

Mike Pelaia followed by a disappointing home-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Sept. 15, the Steelers find themselves in a must-win position when they travel to San Francisco in Week 3, Sunday, Sept. 22.

To make matters worse, they’ll have to do so while battling injuries to Ben Roethlisberger, James Conner, Vince Williams and Sean Davis. We know now that Big Ben is out for the year with elbow surgery, so Mason Rudolph at least

only interception he threw wasn’t his fault—Donte Moncrief let a ball slip right out of his hands.

Through two games, it appears Moncrief was a bad signing and one that is now costing the Steelers games. In order for the Steelers to beat the 49ers this upcoming Sunday, they’ll need a legitimate number two receiver to help out JuJu Smith-Schuster, much like Smith-Schuster used to help Antonio Brown. The

Steelers thought they had that No. 2 guy in Moncrief.

But through two games, that experiment has failed and they must move on from him. They cannot afford an 0-2 record to turn into a three-game season-opening slide. I think it’s James Washington time. What better way to help out Rudolph than to pair him up with Washington, his favorite college receiver from their days at Oklahoma State and one he threw to quite often in the preseason.

Speaking of preseason, after having watched two pitiful performances by most of the Steelers starters, it was hard to miss the fact that starters like Roethlisberger, Conner and a few others have been struggling to get going while, when called upon, Rudolph, Jaylen Samuels and even rookie Benny Snell are outperforming them. It has to make people wonder, like it makes me wonder, if the fact that those starters didn’t play much at all in the preseason has anything to do with both rustiness and not being in football shape.

Hence the poor play and now injuries.

Mike Tomlin and his staff may need to look at that next summer when they come into camp hoping to make the playoffs for the first time in a few years.

Oops, did I say that out loud? Yeah, the Steelers don’t appear to be headed towards anything this season.

To make matters worse, the coaching staff has been seriously out-strategized two times in two weeks. Randy Fichtner looks lost as a coordinator, consistently calling plays that don’t fit the flow of the game. The only time the plays work are when Roethlisberger runs a no-huddle and that’s out of the question now.

And as far as the defense goes, Keith Butler shouldn’t have a job. There isn’t another way to put it. The guy has had several seasons now to right this ship and it hasn’t happened. This supposedly-improved 2019 Steelers defense isn’t any good. The secondary, once again, is lacking. They have talent, they don’t have coaching.

Like Tom Brady, Russell Wilson shredded that defense with pinpoint precision. They can’t come up with the right play call on third down and they are unable to sustain a pass rush through the entirety of a football game when the opposition makes adjustments and Butler doesn’t.

It’s obvious the Steelers brass saw this problem, so they went out and acquired talented safety Minkah Fitzpatrick from the Dolphins a few days ago—for the Steelers’ first-round pick in 2020. A steep price for the Steelers to pay, but they feel it’s worth it to help shore up the defense.

As the Steelers travel to San Francisco this upcoming week, things look bleak. Jimmy Garappolo may not be Brady or Wilson but he’s certainly more than capable of picking apart this Steelers secondary, especially if the front seven can’t get to him.

Kyle Shanahan is an offensive mastermind and he will have his team prepared and able to make adjustments. Taking his

offensive game-planning skills against Butler’s, the edge goes to Shanahan every time.

The Steelers will have to come out with heavy pressure on defense, contain the run and keep Garappolo in the pocket. If the safeties blow their assignments, as they have most of this season, it’s another loss for the Steelers.

In addition to the defense, the offense needs to run the football, especially with Rudolph playing. He looked good for one half but there’s now film on him out there for teams to study. It won’t be as smooth-looking when teams have time to prepare. I think Samuels and Snell can carry the load if Conner is unable to go, but I also think this all adds up to another Steelers loss this coming weekend.

They came into 2019 with high hopes but as they limp across the country to play a 2-0 49ers team with the season virtually on the line, they don’t appear ready to take on anyone at the moment. I think the 49ers will win, 31-20.

What goes around…comes around! :10—What goes around… comes around! That’s one of many old sayings that got to be an old saying because they’re true. And as it relates to Antonio Brown, nothing could be more true! #1. A.B. dogs the Steeler players, coach and ownership to get out of town. #2. Throws a TV out a hotel window (allegedly) that could have killed somebody. #3 “Plays” the brass in Oakland to get out of Raider

against one of the topranked Penn State Nittany Lions in a game that Pitt should have won…means I was right yet again. Pickett is a D-1 talent and proved it. Now don’t get it twisted, he’s not the second coming of Dan Marino but he’ll do. :08—Here’s the parts you can’t blame on Pickett. #1.

They brought in a new offensive coordinator, Mark Whipple, and the offensive calls are still predictable.

Overtime

Bill Neal duty. #4. BTW, and I know you forgot about this… shows up three hours late for a personal appearance at Children’s Hospital here in Pittsburgh. Children’s Hospital? C’mon man! #5.

And now accusations of sexual assault and rape.

Must remember… what goes around comes around! :09—First, this about Pitt football. Someone, who will remain nameless (Kevin Cameron), said without hesitation on our sports talk show, “Soul Take—Champions Live,” that Kenny Pickett, the Pitt quarterback, was not a Divison I quarterback.

Wellllll, apparently if you throw for 300-plus yards

#2. Fourth-and-1 one the 1-yard-line, down seven and you kick a field goal in what might be the last state brawl in the for-see-able future?

And he missed the kick anyway! C’mon…C’mon…C’mon Man!!! #3. Your defense has arrived. Find a running game. 24 yards all day ain’t gonna cut it. #4. Just curious, do you have a tight end? #5. You will never, never, never-ever see Jackie Sherill holding hands in prayer mold hoping for a victory. Fellas… where’s the Panther in ya? I am just saying. :07—Speaking of what up.

Let’s talk Steelers. Same question, you’re fourthand-1 on the one with what’s supposed to be the best

SAFETY TERRELL EDMUNDS breaks up a pass during the Steelers/Seahawks game, Sept. 15. (Photo by Courier photographer Brian Cook Sr.) O-Line in football and you can’t get one yard. Here’s an extra c’mon man for you. :06—That being said, and in an attempt to stop the bleeding…Hey Pittsburgh, do you have a tight end? I thought Bush was brought in to stop the slants across the middle. And on the offense…why are you not starting James Washington at wide receiver? :05—Hustler, Hustler,

Hustler! If you need more information than that about J-Lo’s new movie you need to stop going to the movies. I give it 99 basketballs (Jennifer call me back, please). :04—If you know of a City League athlete that would be considered “Best of the Best” call their name in— 412-628-4856. The Pittsburgh City League Hall of Fame Inductions are com-

ing up Saturday, Nov. 2. :03—This just in. Your Pirates are now mathematically, officially eliminated from the playoffs. (and not a moment too soon.) :02—OK...Look…You all know I am an equal opportunity man…and if you had seen me at Slippery Rock University back in the day, you would know how true that is (big smile). Anyway, all that being said,

can’t we find a small, tight, shifty, swift, elusive, really fast, Black guy to run back kicks? Nothing personal to the word, “no dis” to Ryan Switzer, but, it’s kind of our thing…I am just saying!

OK, alright I take it back, I am sorry. :01—Be that as it may, you still have to vote Trump out of office regardless of my semi-racist comments. :00—GAME OVER.

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

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SWEAT PANTS DANCE 3

With Tickets For Kids Charities PNC PARK’S LEFT FIELD LOUNGE was the site for Tickets For Kids Charities’ Sweat Pants Dance 3. It was a chance to dance, have fun, and celebrate the kids who benefit from the many events they can attend free of charge thanks to generous donors and organizations in the Greater Pittsburgh area. The event was held, Sept. 12. (Photos by Courier photographer Jacquelyn McDonald)

SWEAT PANTS DANCE 3 HOST COMMITTEE MEMBERS—Morton Stanfield, with Dollar Bank; Jackie JASON RILEY, executive director of Tickets For Kids Charities, and Jackie Dixon, with the Allegheny Dixon, with the Allegheny Regional Asset District; Rev. Glenn Grayson, with the Center that CARES. Regional Asset District.

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SEPTEMBER 18-24, 2019

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION—PITTSBURGH

Power of Laughter Health Workshop & Comedy Luncheon

COMEDIAN DAMON WILLIAMS, at the American Heart Association’s Power of Laughter Health Workshop & Comedy Luncheon, at the Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel, Downtown, Sept. 7. (Photos by Courier photographer J.L. Martello)

Sept. 7, 2019 Fairmont Pittsburgh Hotel, Downtown

JESSICA BROOKS, MARLIN WOODS

MARCIA MARTIN, DAMON WILLIAMS

EMCEE, LYNNE HAYES-FREELAND

EVENT CHAIR, MARCIA MARTIN

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEB BANKS AND BOARD MEMBER, BRUCE BENDA

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