New Pittsburgh Courier - November 21, 2018 Edition

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Vol. 109 No. 47

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NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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Byrdsong: There’s a lack of African Americans on city construction sites

INSIDE

Raheem files suit vs. City of Pittsburgh

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Pittsburgh’s Equal Opportunity Review Commission (EORC) is supposed to look at city contracting to see that Minority, Women and Disadvantaged-Business Enterprises are included in city employment contracts.

School Choice Guide 2018

Special Section

But during a Nov. 13 public hearing before City Council, Community Empowerment Association President and CEO Rashad Byrdsong said that isn’t happening to the degree it should. Among those who agreed was Justin Laing—chairman of the EORC. “One reason is that, currently,

‘Tickets For Kids’ opens a world of opportunities

we only review the city and the Housing Authority (of the City of Pittsburgh) contracts,” he said.

“We don’t have the (Urban Redevelopment Authority), Water & Sewer Authority, Parking Authority or the Office of Management and Budget. Section 177a (of the city code) says we are supposed to review them all.”

Laing said though the law tasks the EORC with monitoring compliance—and imposing sanctions for non-compliance—it doesn’t

RASHAD BYRDSONG

KHALID RAHEEM

have the resources or data to determine whether MWDBEs are being utilized at the rates claimed.

“The mayor isn’t enforcing it,” said Laing. “We’re not asking for a new law, just enforcement of SEE RAHEEM A4

Cain Hayes is new Gateway Health CEO

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

by Christian Morrow

Imagine growing up in Pittsburgh and never being able to go to the zoo, or to the museum, or to a Pirates game. That’s the norm for many low-income and at-risk kids. But for nearly 25 years, “Tickets for Kids” has been making that norm the exception by providing about 70,000 tickets a year to local community groups serving disadvantaged kids, all free of charge.

“Some people think of it as a one-off, just going to a game, but it’s about social engagement and opportunities that kids don’t feel are open to them,” said Executive Director Jason Riley, in an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier. “We hear stories that would blow your mind about how they are experiencing things, and how new worlds they never imagined are now open to them.”

The concept was born in 1994 when the charity’s founder, Susan Weiner, was at a basketball game in the old Civic Arena and noticed the empty seats.

“She said, ‘I know there are kids here in the Hill that have never even been in this build-

Courier Staff Writer

For Cain Hayes, it appears the third time in Pittsburgh really is the charm.

He started his insurance career in Pittsburgh with financial investment management and insurance company Principal right after college in 1991, met and married his wife here, then relocated in 1997, returned in 2001, only to leave again in 2006.

Now he’s back again—but this time, he returns as the new CEO of Gateway Health. He officially takes over next week. In an exclusive interview with the New Pittsburgh Courier, Hayes said he’s very excited to be a part of a “fantastic organization” and he plans to be a hands-on leader and visible in the community.

“I’d say my style is roll-up-your-sleeves and get involved,” he said.

“First, I will be working closely with staff to determine what our key strengths and opportunities are and working to capitalize on them. Certainly we want what I call purposeful growth, but more important than that is ensuring that we deliver for the members we have—solutions and tools to help our members and the community at-large to stay healthy and improve their lives.”

Hayes said he plans on doing a lot of community engagement and will be doing “listening tours” to hear from external stakeholders.

“I’m a big believer in spending time in the community,” he said. “One of the advantages we have as an organization is we’re based in PittsSEE HAYES A5

SEE TICKETS A5

‘Respect women, especially women of color’ Homewood’s Will Feagins Jr. creates documentary, ‘The Possibility of Her’

by Merecedes J. Williams For New Pittsburgh Courier

‘THE POSSIBILITY OF HER’ is available at www.wfjrfilms.com.

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Homewood native Will Feagins Jr. graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1993, “only to end up working at Pizza Hut.” Several jobs and a decade and a half later, Feagins secured a full-time graphic designer job in 2008, and the following year he relocated to Atlanta with his employer.

“The move to Atlanta helped my career by forcing me to start over as far as my network and to reinvent myself. I was primarily doing graphic design work before I relocated and was just starting to get back into videography,” said Feagins, 47.

It was in Atlanta where he officially started wfjrFILMS. In 2014, when Feagins was creating a documentary about independent male hip-hop artists, he re-

ceived a lot of feedback from women about not bring heard. So, he created “The Possibility of Her.” “‘The Possibility of Her’ was my way of saying I was listening and showing my support for women of color,” he said.

The Pittsburgh Westinghouse graduate sat down with 12 women “who are actively involved in non-traditional careers or passions.” This 86-minute documentary is a powerful compilation of female testimony, the hurdle and hustle of working women of color. Initially released in 2017, “The Possibility of Her” is a learning experience for all genders, embodying the meaning of inclusivity.

From a tattoo artist to a firefighter, this documentary burns a beautiful spotlight on the power and passion that a woman possesses. Each woman, with their own different paths and professions, still has

Raynard Jackson says

Election 2018: Off to the racists Forum B6

WILL FEAGINS JR. one thing in common—a sense of accomplishment despite the forces against them. Whereas many might believe that the color of their skin would be the biggest deterrent, it’s actually SEE FEAGINS A4

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INTERNATIONAL

More women in poor countries use contraception, says report

by Ignatius Ssuuna and Rodney Muhumuza Associated Press Writers

KIGALI, Rwanda (AP)— More women and girls in poor countries are using modern contraception, signifying progress in efforts to involve women in family planning, according to a report released Monday.

The number of women and girls using contraceptives in 69 of the world’s poorest countries surpassed 317 million in 2018, representing 46 million more users than in 2012, said the report by Family Planning 2020, a U.N.-backed global advocacy group working to promote rights-based family planning.

Access to modern contraception helped prevent over 119 million unintended pregnancies and averted 20 million unsafe abortions between July 2017 and July 2018, although populations continue to soar across Africa and other low income countries, the report said.

“The best way to overcome this challenge of rapid population growth is by giving women and girls (the) opportunity to decide how many children they want to have,” Beth Schlachter, executive director of Family Planning 2020, told The Associated Press.

The mix of contraceptive methods has improved significantly in 20 of the surveyed countries, “meaning that more women are able to find the short-term, long-acting, emergency, or permanent method that suits their needs and preferences,” the report said.

But even as millions of poor women use contraceptives, millions more who want to delay or prevent pregnancy are still unable to access it, often due to lack of information, the report said, citing perceived health side-effects and social disap-

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

This Week In Black History

Week of November 21-27 November 21 1865—Shaw University is founded in Raleigh, N.C. While virtually all historically Black colleges and universities were established after the Civil War, Shaw can rightfully claim to be the first established in the South.

November 22 1865—The Mississippi legislature enacts the first “Black Codes” aimed at controlling the former slaves.

These laws, many of which other Southern states adopted, were so restrictive that they amounted to the re-enslavement of Blacks. In line with the view that much of racism has an economic basis, Blacks were specifically banned from owning farmland. Some of the “Black Codes” were eliminated during Reconstruction, but many actually remained on the law books until the Civil Rights T. THOMAS FORTUNE Movement of the 1960s.

1884—Militant Black journalist and rights advocate T. Thomas Fortune starts the FAMILY PLANNING—In this Sept. 26, 2017 file photo, health work- New York Freeman, which later became the New York Age. He was born in Mariana, er Sylvia Marettah Katende displays reproductive health products Fla., in 1856 and died in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1928. Fortune was easily one of the most and information at a family planning exhibition in Kampala, Uganda. driven and influential Black journalists in American history.

(AP Photo/Stephen Wandera, File) 1884—The Philadelphia Tribune is founded by Christopher J. Perry.

1930—The Nation of Islam is founded in Detroit, Mich. A lot of controversy proval as deterrents. growing population is not surrounds the founding. But the general view is that the NOI was founded by Wallace Under Family Planning backed by substantial ris- Fard Muhammad and Elijah Muhammad was his immediate successor. The Nation 2020, which grew out of a es in family incomes and of Islam reached its height during the days of Min. Malcolm X advocating self-respect summit on family planning the development of public and economic development. It is currently headed by Min. Louis Farrakhan. held in London in 2012, do- infrastructure, there are 1963—The 35th president of the United States John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas, Texas, sending shock waves throughout the nation and the world. Black were especially hard hit because many had come to view Kennedy as the “The best way to overcome this challenge of Americans first modern anti-racist, pro-Black president. Conspiracy theories still abound which reject the official version of who killed him and why. rapid population growth is by giving women and November 23 girls (the) opportunity to decide how many chil1897—Self-educated engineer Andrew J. Beard is awarded a patent (#594,059) for an automatic railroad dren they want to have,” car coupling device—the Jenny Coupler. Prior to this BETH SCHLACHTER, Family Planning 2020 device rail cars were joined manually and hundreds of workers lost fingers, hands and arms. Beard eventually nors have pledged millions concerns that a population sold rights to his invention for $50,000. of dollars to bring contra- boom may deepen poverty 1980—More than 1,000 Blacks from 25 states gathered ception to 120 million more levels for many Africans. in Philadelphia, Pa., and formed the National Black women and girls in develOver the years, family Independent Political Party. However, the lack of oping countries by the year planning has often been funding and Black voter allegiance to the Democratic 2020. difficult to sell in heavily Party doomed the effort.

Many of the 69 countries paternalistic sub-Saharan November 24 surveyed for the report Africa, with the matter 1865—Mississippi enacts another set of “Black SCOTT JOPLIN are in sub-Saharan Africa, becoming controversial as Codes” designed to control and virtually re-enslave the which is witnessing a pop- some African leaders chal- recently freed slaves. The racist laws made it illegal for Blacks to be called for jury ulation boom even as other lenge the view that a grow- duty, testify against a White person in court, own guns, attend White schools, or own parts of the world see drop- ing population is bad for the farmland. Several other Southern states immediately attempted to imitate the Misping birth rates. Over half world’s poorest continent. sissippi laws. Reconstruction slowed the implementation of the “Black Codes.” But of the global population Ugandan President Yow- when Reconstruction ended around 1877, the codes were growth between now and eri Museveni insists Africa re-instituted.

2050 will take place in Af- needs more people, and has 1868—Scott Joplin is born in Texarkana, Texas. rica, according to U.N. fig- lambasted what he calls Joplin becomes skilled at the piano and with composures. “the shrill cries of NGOs ing music. As a result of these skills and his energy, he According to the new re- about population control.” becomes one of the leading founders of a music genre port, contraceptive use is In February President known as “Ragtime,” which was one of the most popular growing fastest in Africa, John Magufuli of Tanza- types of music in America for at least 20 years. The most even though the region’s nia encouraged polygamy, popular “Ragtime” tune was Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” of fertility rates remain high. citing the 10 million more 1897. Sadly, the talented Joplin died in a New York City The most recent U.N. glob- women than men in his asylum at the age of 49. al population report esti- country in advising men to November 25 mates Africa’s fertility rate marry “two or more wives” 1841—The 35 survivors of the Amistad Mutiny return to be 5.1 births per woman. to reduce the number of sin- to Africa. On July 2, 1839, slaves, led by Joseph Cinque, Because the region’s gle women. killed the captain of the Cuban slave ship Amistad, took control and ordered the crew to sail back to Africa. The ship, however, was seized by a U.S. ship. The government wanted to try the slaves for murder. None other than former President John Quincy Adams decided to repreLUTHER “BILL” BOJANGLES sent the rebel Blacks. In a surprise decision for its time, ROBINSON a judge ruled that the slaves had been kidnapped and had a right to use violence to free themselves. On this day in 1841, the survivors were allowed to return to Africa.

1949—Luther “Bill” (Bojangles) Robinson dies in New York City. The famed dancer was born on May 25, 1878 in Richmond, Va. Initially, he gained fame on the nightclub circuit performing in musical comedies. Later, he became the toast of Broadway and then Hollywood appearing in 14 motion pictures. He is credited with taking an early style of Black dance called “buck dancing” and turning it into what we know today as tap dancing.

Amazingly, the energetic Robinson died of a chronic heart condition.

1955—The Interstate Commerce Commission bans segregation on buses and in waiting rooms involved in interstate travel.

November 26 1873—Macon B. Allen is elected a judge in Charleston, S.C. Allen holds the distinction of being America’s SOJOURNER TRUTH first Black lawyer having been admitted to the bar in Massachusetts on March 5, 1845. During Reconstruction he decided to aid the former slaves in the South by moving to South Carolina and running for judge.

1883—Sojourner Truth dies at her home in Battle Creek, Mich. Truth was a major figure in the abolition movement fighting long and hard to bring an end to the dreaded institution. After slavery, she became a major voice for Black rights and women’s right to vote.

1895—The National Negro Medical Association is founded. It is now called the National Medical Association and has a membership including 25,000 doctors and health care providers.

1938—Grammy Award-winning singer Tina Turner is born Annie Mae Bullock in Nutbush, Tenn.

She (along with her husband, Ike) reaches THE stardom among R&B NEW PITTSBURGH music lovers. But after COURIER a divorce, she restyles PUBLISHING COMPANY herself and captures an even broader audience.

1970—Benjamin O. Publication No.: USPS 381940 Davis Sr., the nation’s 315 East Carson Street first Black general, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 dies at his home in Chicago.

Phone: 412-481-8302 1970—Charles TINA TURNER Fax: 412-481-1360 Gordone receives the Pulitzer Prize for his play “No Place To Be Somebody.”

The November 27 New Pittsburgh Courier 1895—Novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas [Jr. or fils] dies in France. He was the son of the much more is published weekly famous Alexandre Dumas [Sr.] who authored such works as “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count De Monte periodicals Cristo.” However, “junior” was also an accomplished paid at Pittsburgh, Pa. novelist with his most famous work being “La Dame Aux PRICE $1.00 Camelias.” When confronted with French racism, Dumas is frequently quoted as telling his detractors, “My father was a Creole, his (Payable in advance) father a Negro, and 6 Months.....$25 his father a monkey.

My family, it seems, 1 Year....$45 begins where yours 2 Years...$85 left off.”

1942—Rock musi9 Month School Rate $35 cian Jimi Hendrix is in Seattle, Wash.

POSTMASTER: Send born Hendrix is considered address changes to: one of the greatest guitarists to have ever New Pittsburgh Courier played. Unfortunately, he died of a drug 315 East Carson Street overdose while on tour Pittsburgh, PA 15219 JIMI HENDRIX in Europe.

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NATIONAL

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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Is the FBI underreporting the surge in hate crimes?

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Correspondent

(NNPA)—The FBI has released it’s 2017 hate crimes statistics which revealed a 17 percent increase in incidents since 2016. In 2017 there were 8,493 victims and 6,307 known offenders. By comparison there were 7,509 victims and 5,727 known offenders in 2016, according to the data.

“This report is a call to action—and we will heed that call,” Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said in a statement. “The Department of Justice’s top priority is to reduce violent crime in America, and hate crimes are violent crimes.”

The report contrasts with the prior year when there were 6,036 single-bias incidents, or occurrences where the perpetrator has one bias against a community or group. By comparison, in 2017, there were 7,106 single-bias incidents reported.

According to the FBI, “58.1 percent were motivated by a race/ethnicity/ancestry bias, 22.0 percent were prompted by religious bias, 15.9 percent resulted from sexual-orientation bias and 1.7 percent were motivated by gender-identity bias.”

“This [report] is shocking and requires Congress’s full attention,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said in a statement.

“Shouldn’t this urgent crisis be the subject of the first post-recess Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today, instead of ramming through more Trump judges?

Our lives are at stake,” Johnson said.

Also, some organizations are skeptical of the FBI statistics and say underreporting remains a significant problem in its annual survey.

In a statement, the Arab American Institute (AAI) expressed concern and disappointment with the release of the 2017 hate crime statistics.

The organization claims that the data contained some glaring omissions, including three of the most severe acts of bias-motivated violence committed last year. And while career officials at the Department of Justice continue to demonstrate a commitment to serving communities and preventing hate crime, officials at the AAI said they remain dissatisfied with the response from this administration.

Of 34 reportable bias motivation categories, all but five reported an increase in 2017. With 2,013 incidents reported, “Anti-Black or African American” bias accounted for nearly half of all crimes motivated by race or ethnicity, which rose 18 percent according to the FBI data, while “Anti-American Indian or Alaska Na-

tive,” “Anti-Multiple Races, Group,” and what is reported in the FBI’s statistics.

“Anti-Hispanic or Latino” hate crimes all Crimes motivated by disability, genincreased over 20 percent (251, 180, and der, and gender identity, which are more 427 incidents, respectively). “Anti-Arab” recent additions to the data collections hate crime, which was reintroduced into and generally produce smaller annual the data collections in 201 after the cattotals, were significantly affected by these egory became “invalid” in 1996 and was discrepancies. eliminated in 2001, increased 100 percent For example, the Kentucky State Police last year, with 102 incidents reported. reported 41 gender-motivated hate crime As for crimes motivated by religion, incidents in official state-level statistics, which increased 23 percent in 2017, “Anwhereas only 46 incidents were reported ti-Jewish” hate crime surged 37 percent, nationwide according to the FBI data. repreAside senting a from these majority “The scourge of hate crime continues to harm discrepwith 938 ancies, incidents communities in cities and states across the additional reported. of country. The FBI data confirms the reality we all aspects After the 2017 increasing know: hate is increasing in America.” feder67 percent al data MAYA BERRY, executive director, Arab American suggest in 2015 and 19 Institute significant percent in underre2016, “Anporting, ti-Islamic (Muslim)” hate crime decreased the most striking of which being the in 2017 but remained well above historiomission of three of the most severe acts cal averages with 273 incidents reported. of bias-motivated violence committed last Based on state-level hate crime statisyear, AAI officials said. tics reported through the Uniform Crime According to FBI statistics, the city of Reporting (UCR) system, which the FBI Olathe, Kansas, reported no hate crimes, also uses to publish its annual report, the and statewide, zero hate crime murder AAI was expecting an increase of crimes were reported in 2017. motivated by sexual orientation in 2017 But on Feb. 22, Srinivas Kuchibhotstatistics. la was shot to death in an Olathe bar While an increase was reported in the because of his perceived national origin, federal data, it was less significant than according to the AAI. expected, the organization noted in a The shooter, Adam Purinton, who also statement. wounded Kuchibhotla’s friend Alok Analysis from AAI shows that in multiMadasani and another man named Ian ple states, official state-level data reportGrillot, was convicted on federal hate ed a greater number of incidents than crime charges. Similarly, neither the May

26 fatal stabbing of Ricky John Best and Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche aboard a train in Portland, Ore., nor the Aug. 12 killing of Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Va., is reflected in the federal data.

Further, over 300 jurisdictions representing populations of at least 50,000 people reported zero hate crimes in 2017.

Of these jurisdictions, 78 represent populations of at least 100,000, and research from AAI found evidence of no fewer than 10 additional major jurisdictions that did not even participate in the data collections.

The largest jurisdiction to report zero hate crimes in 2017 was the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which represents a population of over 1.6 million and is one of the nation’s largest police departments in terms of population served.

The entire state of Nevada had only three agencies submit incident reports last year, with just five incidents reported statewide.

Not including Hawaii, which does not participate in the national hate crime statistics program, 11 additional states had fewer than 10 agencies submit incident reports in 2017.

“The reported increase in the FBI’s hate crime statistics warrants concern, as do the discrepancies between state and federal hate crime data, the omission of several high-profile hate crime incidents, and the limited rate of hate crime reporting in some major jurisdictions,” AAI officials said.

“The scourge of hate crime continues to harm communities in cities and states across the country. The FBI data confirms the reality we all know: hate is increasing in America,” said Maya Berry, the executive director of the AAI. “The FBI data, in what is missing from it, also demonstrates the hate crime reporting system we have in place is falling to respond adequately to hate crime, and thus inform fully the policy remedies we must make to improve our response to hate,” Berry said.

Berry continued: “While we remain grateful to the career professionals at the DOJ, it is clear the Trump Administration has largely abdicated from the stated federal interest of eradicating bias-motivated violence, and the president’s rhetoric has at times appeared to exacerbate its spread. With respect to the recent data release, AAI is disappointed that despite our request, the administration made no attempt to coordinate an event with stakeholders and officials to discuss the annual FBI statistics, as was customary during previous administrations.”

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METRO

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Byrdsong: There’s a lack of African Americans on city construction sites Raheem files suit vs. City of Pittsburgh

so people (from the community) could be there.”

The actual council presence was almost as sparse as the attendance, with Bruce Kraus and Rev. Ricky Burgess leaving early for other business, and Anthony Coghill, Darlene Harris, Theresa Kail-Smith and Corey O’Connor absent entirely. Only R. Daniel Lavelle, Deb Gross and

Erika Strassburger stayed throughout.

Khalid Raheem, founder of the New Afrikan Independence Party, testified that he walked out of his North Side home a few weeks back and saw a crew about to do street work.

“There were three trucks, all the drivers were White men, and the crew doing

the flagging work were all White women,” he said.

“This is in Manchester, which has a sizeable Black population—but no representation on that job.”

After checking with the city controller’s office and finding out the contractor was Folino Construction of Oakmont—the same firm that received millions to handle part of the lead

water line replacement— Raheem filed a lawsuit against the city. response from contractors, “I don’t have a hearing RAHEEM FROM A1 tradesmen and community date yet, but it’s filed,” he the current law.” said. “I am also asking for Byrdsong said the city members.

“They sent me a letter an injunction stopping all has been reluctant to speak city contracts the EORC is on the issue, and though granting me the hearing supposed to have jurisdicCity Council did grant his date, Nov. 2. I got it on Nov. tion over. Not just construcpetition for a public hear- 5. The hearing was Nov. tion, but professional sering, the scheduling for it 13—at 1:30 in the aftervices, too. Except for safety gave him very little time noon,” he said. “We had rereasons, I’m asking for that to organize a coordinated quested it be in the evening to be halted and payments halted until they can be examined to determine if best practices were followed with respect to hiring minorities and women.”

Byrdsong said he will continue to push for a meeting with city and authority representatives in Homewood.

“We all know that there is a history of racial inequality in Pittsburgh that still exists today. The social indicators in all categories: education, housing, employment, mental and physical health, African Americans are at the bottom the social ladder,” he said.

“The process to address this in the realm of construction employment began with the legislation and the creation of the EORC. But since its creation,” Byrdsong told the New Pittsburgh Courier, “what movement has been made towards decreasing the disparity rate of African Americans’ employment in WILL FEAGINS JR. interviewed African American women, shown above and below, from a variety of backgrounds for his new documentary, “The Possibility of Her.” Feagins, the construction industry a Homewood native, graduated from Westinghouse High School. in Pittsburgh?”

Homewood’s Will Feagins Jr. creates documentary, ‘The Possibility of Her’

FEAGINS FROM A1

a battle of the sexes in their male-dominated fields.

“The Possibility of Her” is an eclectic array of beautiful women with interesting, compelling stories. I saw a little bit of myself in every subject, and it was easy to identify with their truths.

As fact sheets scattered throughout the documentary about the record-breaking number of Black female entrepreneurs, the first Black female tattoo artist, and more, it was concrete evidence that Black women are continuing to dominate.

It is important for little Black girls in Pittsburgh to see “The Possibility of Her.” It promotes positivity, self-confidence, and self-esteem. The documentary is also a conversational piece. I watched it with my 12-year-old and she had a lot of questions. Answering her questions and having a

healthy conversation about “The Possibility of Her” is exactly why its imagery is so important.

For anyone who plans to watch “The Possibility of Her,” Feagins wants viewers to take away just two things: “respect women, especially women of color, and not be dismissive of their dreams, goals, and aspirations.”

The documentary has been screened at 11 film festivals and won four awards: Silver Award Winner at the 2018 Spotlight Documentary Awards; Third Place for “Best Documentary Feature” for the 2018 Black Laurel Films Awards; Best Documentary at the 2018 Content Creators of Atlanta Awards; and Third-Place “Documentary Feature” fat the 2018 Capital City Black Film Festival.

“The Possibility of Her” is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray, and can be purchased at www.wfjrfilms.com.

For anyone who plans to watch “The Possibility of Her,” Will Feagins Jr. wants viewers to take away just two things: “respect women, especially women of color, and not be dismissive of their dreams, goals, and aspirations.”

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

METRO

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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‘Tickets For Kids’ opens a world of opportunities TICKETS FROM A1

ing, and that those tickets are just sitting in drawers all around the city,’ and she decided to do something about it,” said Riley.

In 2016, Tickets for Kids merged with a nearly identical nonprofit in Minneapolis, and now operates in 41 states. In 2017, it distributed $6.6 million worth of tickets.

“We have an inventory for, and work with, every ticketed venue in the region,” said Riley. “So we have about 400 active nonprofit partners in Allegheny County and groups from outside coming into Pittsburgh as well. We’ve had some travel as far as New York City to see events.”

Tickets for Kids works by partnering with the groups serving the underserved kids. They fill out an application, go through a vetting and orientation process, and once approved, can re-

quest tickets to sporting events, plays, concerts, museums, the aviary, movies and more.

For venues, producers, and teams who want to provide such enrichment to disadvantaged youth— or who simply want to “fill the house,” but don’t know reach interested groups, Tickets for Kids is in invaluable partner because it has already vetted hundreds of them.

“Corporations often donate their suites at events, which is really great for kids with challenges or who are on the autism spectrum and need a safer space,” said Riley. “The Science Center, the Zoo; they donate to us because they don’t have the time to vet some groups. We provide that service.”

Tickets for Kids is primarily funded by corporate and foundation gifts and by individuals. It also receives a small grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the

Arts, and beginning last year, it also began receiving a small contribution from the Allegheny County Regional Asset District. It also holds an annual “friendraiser.”

Jackie Dixon, Regional Asset District (RAD) board member and retired Giant Eagle executive called this year’s event, Sweat Pants Dance 2, “stellar.”

“The party is a way to thank the organizations, individuals, volunteers and staff that help TFK in its mission to get tickets to kids who otherwise would not have these opportunities,” she told the Courier.

“The majority of these kids are of color. It is important that the Black community is aware of these kids and the opportunities afforded them by organizations with hearts.”

Sweat Pants 2 was held Sept. 27 at the Left Field Lounge inside PNC Park.

Riley said he just finalized

Cain Hayes is new Gateway Health CEO HAYES FROM A1

burgh. Our mission for 25 years has been to improve the lives of our members and their communities. We should invest in, and be visible in the community, and that’s something you will see from me.”

While doing all that, Hayes said he will still have to “connect the wires every day” running the company.

“My role as CEO is to set up the vision and strategy and put in place the processes and people to deliver on that,” he said. “A big part of that is shaping the culture of the organization. As management guru Peter Drucker said years ago, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast.’

There are certain things only a CEO can do.”

On a related note, Hayes said there is something more important that healthcare—health.

“I have a passion around addressing social determinants of health,” he said.

“In this country we focus more than healthcare than health. That’s maybe 20 percent of the issue. The other 80 percent is things like zip code, access to healthy food, genetics. We need to address those determinants that lead to the gaps we see, the higher incidence of chronic conditions in ethnic and racial minorities.”

Hayes joins Gateway Health from Blue Cross

and Blue Shield of Minnesota where he served as president and COO of the Health Business. Prior to joining Blue Cross, he was president of National Accounts, president of the Mid-Atlantic region and president of the Government-sector and Labor division for Aetna.

Now in its 26th year, Gateway Health is a nationally-ranked managed care organization that focuses on providing the best possible health care to a growing number of Medicaid and Medicare members.

The Pittsburgh-based provider offers Medicaid and/ or Medicare services across seven states.

SWEAT PANTS 2—Youth from all over the Pittsburgh area, including many African American youth, benefit from “Tickets For Kids,” an organization that gives low-income youth an opportunity to attend many different events for free. (Photo by Jacquelyn McDonald) a partnership agreement with an organization in New York City, which gives them access to marketing companies based there. It’s all about new partners and serving more kids.

“Summer concerts, we’re getting more and more of those opportunities,” he said. “Promoters talk to each other. And one bigname recording artist— who I’m not allowed to

identify—used us to give away 12,000 tickets at a recent show, and the management company for that tour is recommending us to its other artists. So, it’s never boring.”

FROGANG STUDENTS SEE ‘BLACK SPARTA’

LAYON GRAY’S play, “Black Sparta,” was performed Nov. 9-11 at The Kelly Strayhorn Theater, and students from the local empowerment organization FroGang were in attendance. “Black Sparta” was presented by New Horizon Theater.

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NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

ENTERTAINER

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Pitt’s Jazz Seminar Concert cured the blues

ANDY BEY

REGINALD VEAL

J.D. ALLEN

48th annual event occurred Nov. 3 at Carnegie Music Hall

by C. Denise Johnson

Seminar and Concert was guided by seminar stalwart participant Terri Lyne CarThe aftermath of the Tree rington serving as interim of Life synagogue massacre director. She assembled a left a city in shock and grief. stellar group of musicians: With a recent Friday eve- J.D. Allen on saxophone, ning’s weather reflecting vocalist Andy Bey, Joey Dethe overall mood outside of Francesco on organ, Orrin the Carnegie Music Hall in Evans on piano, Billy Hart Oakland, the 48th annual on drums, Ingrid Jensen Pitt Jazz Concert provided and Sean Jones on trumpet, Tineke Postma on trumpet, a respite from mourning.

Pitt’s jazz studies program Reginal Veal on bass and sustained two substantial Mark Whitfield on guitar.

The program for this Nov. losses when program director Geri Allen passed last 3 evening was a salute to year, and the death of the jazz centenarians Hank PITT’S JAZZ CONCERT—From left: Andy Bey, Ingrid Jensen, Sean Jones, Tineka Postma, J.D. Allen. (Photos by Courier photographer founder of Pitt’s Jazz de- Jones, Marian McPartland, J.L. Martello) partment, Nathan Davis, Jimmy Rowles, Howard in April. This year’s Jazz McGhee, Joe Williams, Ed- die Jefferson, Arnette Cobb, Jimmy Blanton, and Sir Charles Thompson featuring their music.

The ensemble started things off up-tempo with a rousing introduction that featured Andy Bey scatting in his unique style of inflection, timing and swag.

Throughout the evening the artists were featured in various configurations, with Hart & Veal as the rhythm section providing a platform for others to improvise. J.D. Allen and Ingrid Jensen displayed contrasting styles on saxophone with Allen playing with his signature finesse in contrast with Jensen’s driving statements (you could see when she was in “the zone” as she bent her right leg in the air to hit “that” note).

Although the audience was familiar with Sean ANDY BEY receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from Pitt Chanceller Patrick Gallagher.

Jones, Tineke Postma was an unexpected delight in organ and then some. His versity of Pittsburgh Jazz expect when you hear a her delivery, bright and interplay with Mark Whit- Seminar and Concert Com- brother on bass, hence the fast or slow and understat- field on guitar was a treat mittee’s Lifetime Achieve- nickname, Swingdoom. ed. Jones blew sparks from as they pushed one another ment Award to the elder It was then time for the his instrument and Post- to higher and unexpected statesman of the stage, drummer to “get some” as ma kept him on his toes planes. If Whitfield weren’t Andy Bey. In his low-key he went off on his drumkit, in their call-response duet; so ebullient in his delivery elegant way, Bey respond- dancing on the high-hat TINEKE POSTMA she is no slouch. Orrin Ev- as he displayed a continual ed with a gorgeous turn and extracting fierce and ans’ keyboard alternated smile due to the comradery on piano to accompany his fiery beats with sticks and from standards to flashes of between musicians, his vi- equally eloquent voice. hands. If you looked really Monk-seque-improvisation. brant teal guitar would be As is tradition, the back- closely, you’d see smoke as Joey DeFrancesco deliv- a distraction; it wasn’t. ground players had their he ratcheted up the ante.

Chancellor Patrick Gal- time in the spotlight: Regered everything you’d exThis Jazz Concert was a pect from a Hammond B3 lagher presented the Uni- inald Veal, ever rock-steady pleasant and delightful anon the upright, displayed tidote to the sad preceding his virtuosity on the bass of the week; when you relax by stretch to hit unbeliev- and let the music move you, able high notes on the fret you find yourself more conboard, alternating to that tent and responsive to the righteous thunder you good things in life.

For New Pittsburgh Courier

MARK WHITFIELD

PEOPLE

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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A Dance For Life

by B. Denise Hawkins For New Pittsburgh Courier

On a recent Saturday night at a community center in Homewood, it didn’t matter to a group of young ladies that the fall night felt more like winter. They were on the red carpet in stunning, white ball gowns and teardrop necklaces that sparkled. They were about to make their entrance.

For 17 teen girls with dainty corsages on the wrists, the chance to be presented, show off their etiquette skills and hair styles and waltz in a room bursting with pride and the beaming smiles of family, caregivers, case workers and community members, was worth the wait.

Three months earlier these young ladies began their journey together in A Dance for Life, the long running rite of passage program sponsored

by A Second Chance Inc. (ASCI), a leading provider of services and supports for kinship care families—relatives raising relatives— for nearly 25 years. After school, in ASCI’s Rhonda D. Wright Family Center, agency staff, community leaders and volunteers gather with teens for workshops and host discussions about some of the things that confront these girls every day—from finding the help that they need to thrive, navigating life and learning at school, staying safe and being responsible on social media, and what it means to be a strong woman of color. Lessons on leadership and etiquette remain among the program’s hallmarks, as are frank discussions on perseverance on the way to success, being respectful and asking for the same, and that it is OK to say no and mean it. For the program’s founder, these are topics too important to leave to chance.

The agency’s signature program marked 21 years on Nov. 10. ASCI President and CEO Sharon McDaniel, MPA, Ed.D., created A Dance for Life to help change the tide in young lives, especially those affiliated with the agency that she founded, and who are growing up like she did in kinship-foster care.

As a practice, McDaniel says, ASCI represents an intersection where neighbors, family and community members work in partnership to support youth in their care. Over the years, touching the lives of young ladies in A Dance for Life, as well as their young male escorts, has also meant harnessing the power and support of constant partners like the Allegheny County Office of Children, Youth, and Families, as well as local churches, philanthropies, child advocacy organizations, and providers.

“I named the program A Dance for Life as a metaphor for all the dances in life that our young ladies will encounter; whether it is feeling left out, experiencing a breakup with their very first boyfriend, not getting a good grade on a test after they studied hard, or having conflict at home with their grandmas,” says McDaniel. “These are the kind of experiences that create that dance. Our hope is that the cultural enrichment opportunities, workshops and nurturing we offer through A Dance for

Life will help propel them to navigate their young lives with resolve, grace, confidence, and strength,” adds McDaniel, who was raised by caring adults who were like family.

For Davida Penn, A Dance for Life had a hand in nurturing her life. Even now, for this married mother of a 4-week old son, the time that she spent in the program as a teen can always feel close. Penn, now 26, held on to the evening gowns the program provided; four in all—one for each year she spent as a debutante. It doesn’t matter that they no longer fit, Penn says they are reminders of a special program that helped her and so many young Black girls in Pittsburgh to “feel good about themselves.” So far for Penn, such wisdom has lasted a lifetime.

“I was a good student, focused and into basketball, but I had a hard time opening up and talking to people,” says Penn, who still remembers the advice of program staff to stand tall and look people in the eye when speaking.

Every year, sitting down at an elegant dinner at a local hotel or restaurant is what participants like Penn are treated to in A Dance for Life. These settings are where the young ladies hone their table manners and etiquette skills before their big evening at the grand ball.

“These were such beneficial skills to learn. For some of us, these were things that we didn’t get to learn at home or at school,” says Penn, whose framed portraits from the grand ball decorate her home office, along with the collection of event programs that she treasures.

As a coach at a residential program and drop-in-center for youth in Pittsburgh, Penn says she is grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward. Even on the job, she shares some of the same wisdom and guidance that she received as a teen in A Dance for Life.

Jaslyn Cuff, 24, is another A Dance for Life alumni. A full-time job working with youth and a couple of part-time jobs keeps her on the go, but most years, Cuff makes time to return to A Dance for Life to pitch in where she is needed.

“The times have changed and the challenges the girls face now are a little different from what they were when I was in A Dance for Life, but I come back as often as I can to share my story and to tell them how much the program meant to me. What the girls are learning may not make sense to them now, but it will later,” says Cuff.

Korie Christian Moreland was 15 when she participated in A Dance for Life, but she spent her youth—from birth to age 21, in kinship-foster care.

For Moreland, 26, the program provided a glimpse into a whole new world.

“A lot of us gained cultural skills and learned to waltz. We didn’t hear any hip-hop,” adds Moreland, who is a social worker and advocate for youth in foster care. “And for some of us, A Dance for Life meant being pampered and getting our hair done in a salon for the first time.”

At this year’s Nov. 10 event, the young ladies were in the driver’s seat— they chose the gown that

A program that propels young women to ‘navigate their young lives with resolve, grace, confidence, and strength’ they wore to the grand ball, and planned the evening’s events, which included a first-ever talent show, said

Doreen Thomas, a former ASCI staffer who has coordinated A Dance for Life for nearly two decades.

Working with the girls and program, she says, is a passion.

“I love A Dance for Life.

I love the young people.

I’ve watched many of them grow up as they return year after year to be debutantes or to volunteer. And I love hearing how they are

passing on what they have learned from being with us, whether it’s knowing what fork or knife to use when they sit down for dinner, respecting themselves and others, staying focused on their goals, or about feeling comfortable with who they are.”

F R O M T H EN, T O NO W

FOR KORIE CHRISTIAN MORELAND, the high school teen in the left photo who grew up in kinship-foster care, being a debutante in the A Dance for Life program gave her a glimpse into a world that she didn’t know and taught her important life lessons. Today, at 26 years old, Moreland, in the right photo, is an advocate for youth and a social worker.

LIFESTYLES New Pittsburgh Courier

A8

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

Debbie Norrell

Lifestyles Report

It’s a miracle Early in the morning or late at night depending on how you look at it you have probably run across an infomercial for “Miracle Spring Water.” The people who have used the water to either drink or perhaps sprinkle on their bills have been “blessed” with good fortune. Every time I see the commercial I wonder what is in the water and how much money these people have been paid for their testimony.

Yes, I am not a believer in the water but do believe in the power of making things happen by positive thinking and actions. The promise of getting something merely by drinking the water reminds me of the Wizard of Oz. People want to pay off their bills, they want to pay off their mortgage or get approved for a house or a car so they drink the water and all of a sudden it happens.

I wonder, did they do anything after drinking the water? Did they improve their credit score so the house and the car actually became obtainable when before it was not? So you had the power all along, all it took was for you to believe and the water helped you to believe in your own abilities.

Let’s get back to the water. So what do you get when you order Miracle Spring Water? Reportedly the water is sent by mail in a small plastic envelope, is purported to attract wealth and eliminate debt, according to Peter Popoff, a German-American televangelist and self-proclaimed faith healer. The Miracle Spring Water is delivered along with a form letter that includes a request for money. Just as I thought, you have to give to get. Popoff and his ministry have been exposed for fraud numerous times since the 1980s. The ministry, located in Upland, Calif., broadcasts infomercials on several local stations and national networks BET, Discovery and TLC. No wonder I see this so often—BET is one of my go-to channels.

The more I read about this water the more I can’t understand how people can be so gullible. I have found articles that say hundreds of thousands of dollars comes in a day’s time. I’m sure many people cannot afford to “donate” money like this. The new miracle water commercials feature a new minister with an accent.

Why are people mesmerized by people with an accent? But the message is the same—send your money for the water and you will be debt-free and rich. The only people who are getting rich are the people selling the water.

This type of scam is so annoying to me. How do people fall for this and give their money away.

Please do your research and read about these late night salesmen. According to an investigation

by ABC’s 20/20, Popoff had gone bankrupt but then revitalized a scam business hawking fake “Miracle Spring Water”.

IRS documents reveal his ministry rakes in more than $20 million per year, which enables the Popoffs to live a lavish lifestyle.

He must be drinking the water every day.

(Email Debbie at debbienorrell@aol.com.)

AAWSB PRESIDENT—Peggy Tate (photos by Debbie Norrell)

DAIS GUESTS—Sharon Greene, Marlisa Goldsmith and Lytia Brock

AAWSB Holds 19th Annual Prayer Brunch

by Debbie Norrell Lifestyles Editor

MOVING PERFORMANCE—Tonya Carrington

There is nothing like getting together with hundreds of ladies and a few gents for a hardy breakfast. Combine that with music by Calvin Stemley, a performance by Tonya Carrington and a moving message from Rev. Doctor Lori D. Spears and you have another successful African American Women’s Speakers Bureau (AAWSB) Prayer Brunch. On Oct. 20, AAWSB held their nineteenth prayer brunch at the Monroeville Convention Center.

AAWSB began in 1994 when a group of women from the African American Cancer Awareness Coalition came together. The AAWSB is committed to increasing breast cancer awareness, early detection of breast cancer and elimination of health care disparities among African American women. Marlisa Goldsmith, anchor/ reporter at WPXI-TV, was a delightful mistress of ceremonies and effortlessly kept the program moving. Program participants

FOUNDING MEMBER—Shirlee Lucas with Toni Rumble and Victoria Goins included: Lytia S. Brock, Minister Phyllis Johnson, Sharon Greene, Helen Wilkins, Toni Roberts, Valerie Myles, Cynthia Howard, Laghretta White, Rev. Gail Harris, Tracy Tuner, Deacon Shirlee Lucas, and Peggy Tate.

Mark your calendars for next year’s prayer brunch, Nov. 9, 2019. A great day of vendors, prayer and fellowship.

SPEAKER OF THE HOUR—Rev. Dr. Lori D. Spears

MUSIC TO DINE TO—Calvin Stemley

AAWSB VICE PRESIDENT—Cheryl Evans and Barbara Lewis

AAWSB MEMBERS—Dolores Farley, Toni Roberts and Cynthia Howard

RELIGION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018 A9

Honoring the women who are 90 years young

Praise & Worship ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH Crawford & Centre Ave. Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Mass Sunday 10:00 A.M. & 12:00 P.M. www.stbtmchurch.org

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

www.cathedralofhope.com Worship on Sunday: Journey Worship........8:45 a.m.

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

Taize Prayer Service (Wed.) 7 p.m.

Curious about Quakerism?

THE AARP HONORED PITTSBURGH WOMEN who are at least 90 years old during an event at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Nov. 13. Honorees standing from left are: Marion Scott, 90, Jane Snowden Willis, 93, Ann Harris, 94, and Lucille Thorton, 92. Honorees sitting from left are: Athea Skelton, 93, Anna Saunders, 100, and Martha Hunt, 92.

(Photos by J.L. Martello)

You Are Welcome at our Meetings for Worship Sundays at 10:30 a.m.

Pittsburgh Friends Meeting 4836 Ellsworth Avenue http://www.quaker.org/legacy/pghpamm

Seminary at the Tabernacle 43 Belvedere St., Crafton, PA 15205 Sept. 10, 2018-May 16, 2019 Sr. Pastor Tony Armstead, MDiv Christian Leadership School (CLS) a Four-year Program currently offering Four non-credited courses in four years.

Teaching includes Doctorate and Master of Divinity Teachers.

When: Fluctuates Mon. or Thurs., 6:308:30pm Cost: $75 per class, plus any required books Contact: Rev. Marjorie Davis, Ph.D. 412335-2832

New Destiny CME Church 114 North Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212 412-231-7882 Rev. Kornelus Neal, pastor The Rt. Rev. Marvin Thomas Sr., presiding bishop Sunday School....................................9 A.M. Morning Worship Service............11:00 A.M.

HONOREE JANE SNOWDEN WILLIS HONOREE MARTHA HUNT

Join our growing Praise and Worship Church Community!

For rate information, call 412481-8302, ext.

128.

HONOREE MARION SCOTT

HONOREE ANN HARRIS

HONOREE LUCILLE THORTON

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

Send info to:

The Courier is THE VOICE of Black Pittsburgh.

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

A10

PEOPLE

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Launch Your ‘Level Up!’

Teresa says your new year begins now, in November

by Teresa Renee Hunt For New Pittsburgh Courier

I’ll never forget the day when a friend said to me, “Girl, you’re acting brand new!”

For sure, I wanted to fire back at her, but just as quickly as I felt the “girl let me tell you about yourself ” words about to roll off my tongue, I let her words resonate with me and I decided to respond in a new way. After all, she did recognize that there had been a change in me. Now don’t get me wrong, I know “acting brand new” isn’t necessarily a compliment, and when the term was used heavily a few years ago, it was really a way to throw shade, but today I dare to shine a new perspective on the phrase and affirm that change is indeed positive.

Too often, whether overtly

or subliminally, we can tear people down when they are trying to “level up.” Acting differently, choosing to do things like you’ve never done them before, and displaying new characteristics is not a sign of believing you’re better than others, but instead, it’s a sign of blossoming and personal growth.

At this time, it’s November, and we are well into the fourth quarter of the year.

In between the hustle and bustle of the fast-approaching holiday season, this is also the time when people are mapping out their new plans. Reflection is high on our priority list because we realize that in less than 2 months, we will be ushering in the new year. Business plans are underway, vacations are being planned, and personal development goals are being slated for 2019. While casting your

vision and creating plans is great, I challenge you to remember that the personal goals you have for yourself can start now. You can launch into your level up season today and your new year can start now. Change is not the result of a new year, but it’s the result of a renewed mind. It’s time to shift your mindset and embrace the truth about acting brand new. Your lifestyle should reflect new habits when you level up. Your circle may very well change when you shift from merely existing to living. The places you go will change when you commit to growing and bettering yourself. Change is the direct result of your personal evolution and you don’t have to wait until January to make a new resolution.

Here’s how you can level up and C.H.A.N.G.E. your

life right now: C—CONDUCT a review of your life. Continue engaging in and pursuing only those things which are compatible with your purpose and your mission.

Chip away that which is hindering your progress.

H—HONE in on your natural abilities, expertise, and skills. Be committed to developing your gifts so that you can increase your impact and your income.

A—ABOLISH negative thoughts around the concept of acting brand new and leveling up. Accept the fact that you are allowed to change. Give yourself permission to think differently, act differently, and be different, too! The world doesn’t need another copy, we need you!

N—NO more waiting!

Go on and put in the work needed to make your hopes,

“The next time somebody dares to say, ‘Girl, you’re acting brand new,’ simply smile, take the compliment, and know that you’re doing something right. They’re not throwing shade, they are actually seeing your light!”

TERESA RENEE HUNT dreams, and vision your reality. Having a renewed mindset is great, but faith without works is dead. Get moving! Kick fear to the curb, go get your blessing, and go live the abundant life God said is yours!

G—GUARD your peace. If you truly want to level up and experience new outcomes in all areas of your life, you must protect yourself from the perils that try to knock you off track as you aim to change. Establish mental, physical, financial, spiritual, and emotional goals as well as boundaries.

E—EXPECT! Your harvest and outcomes will only be as great as your expectation. It’s your hope, expectation, and faith that will fuel every step mentioned above

and keep you pursuing your new goals. As you are dedicated to your own personal development, expect that your life will level up!

So, the next time somebody dares to say, “Girl, you’re acting brand new,” simply smile, take the compliment, and know that you’re doing something right. They’re not throwing shade, they are actually seeing your light!

(Teresa Renee Hunt is a Pittsburgh-based Life-Makeover Strategist, Motivational Speaker, and Educator who empowers her audience to live with intention, make purposeful decisions, and overcome personal hindrances so they can experience the reality of their dreams. Follow her on Facebook by searching “Teresa Renee Hunt” or at teresareneehunt.com.)

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Kelleman highlights internal Port Authority changes at PowerBreakfast

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

Port Authority of Allegheny County CEO Katherine Kelleman ran a little late for her remarks to the African American Chamber of Commerce’s November Powerbreakfast meeting, Nov. 16, but it was fortuitous because it allowed her Director of Purchasing, Anthony Trona, to give members a brief rundown of the ways small businesses can do business with the authority.

The two primary points he stressed were for business owners to get on the authority’s email list so they are notified when bids go out in their areas of expertise. Those packages also contain a related calendar—he said attending the pre-bid meeting is important because all the potential prime contrac-

tors are there—and they need minority subcontractors to meet the Authority’s MWDBE requirements.

“That way you can meet all the players and they can meet you,” he told the audience. “And not all of these jobs are huge, so there’s nothing to stop you from bidding for those packages as a prime if you want.”

Kelleman had by then arrived and took to the podium, thanking everyone for their patience.

“Since I’ve been here, I been out in the community a lot, speaking about service,” she said. “I thought today, I talk about some of the things we’re doing internally to improve things—unless you want me to talk about bus routes.”

The biggest changes will POWERBREAKFAST SPEAKER—African American Chamber Presicome via personnel. That dent and CEO Doris Carson Williams and Port Authority of Alleghewas evidenced by Inez Co- ny County CEO Katherine Kelleman. (Photo by J.L. Martello) lon, a 15-year veteran of the

personnel department, who was just recently promoted to chief human resources officer—and she will be overseeing some significant changes in hiring policy.

“We get thousands of applications for jobs. In the past part of narrowing that number down to a number you can interview was to take any with a felony conviction and toss them out,” she said. “Beginning in January, the Port Authority will ban the box. So you embezzled a bunch of money?

Well, maybe there’s no spot for you in finance, but you can probably drive a bus.”

Also in January, Kelleman said the authority will no longer ask applicants their salary history.

“You’ve done your homework, you know what the salary range for the position is. What you made before doesn’t matter,” she said.

She’s also looking at in-

Getting ahead in the gig economy

Bound to fail

HOME OFFICE—In this Friday, Nov. 2 photo, Courtney Jackson poses in her home office in Valrico, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)

Poor choices can ruin business partnerships

by Joyce M. Rosenberg Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP)—Nearly a year after Courtney Jackson launched her clothing business, she took on a partner to help manage the company’s growth. A month into the partnership, something was wrong.

Jackson’s partner was supposed to handle half the company’s workload, but that didn’t happen. So, Jackson began taking on more of the responsibilities. When Jackson tried to discuss the division of

work, “she was a little defensive at first, and asked me to be patient.” The situation didn’t improve, and they agreed to part at the end of last year, just three months after the partnership began. But under their partnership agreement, drawn up without an attorney, dividing the company’s assets would have weakened it financially. The partners decided to close, and Jackson lost her company.

The failure of a partnership often brings hard lessons for company owners. Problems often start when prospective partners don’t think through all the ramifi-

creasing salaries for people who haven’t seen a bump in pay since the service reduction in 2007 even though ridership has recovered.

Finally, she said, the authority will have a new CFO in January—that’s another part of the personnel changes.

“The C-suite needs to be a little more reflective of the community the authority serves,” she said.

And as far as serving the community goes—Deborah Skilling, the lone person who’s done community outreach for the authority, across its entire footprint for years, is getting an assistant.

“We aren’t working on all these service improvements for the guy in the tie who might use us a couple times a week. We’re doing this for the single mom who uses us to get to work and get her kids from school.”

cations of what they’re doing—including whether they’ll be a good fit. They may not be clear on their expectations for each other, and how they’ll resolve conflicts.

And they may not consider the legal consequences of how they set up their partnership, and how difficult it might be to unwind it; rather than hire an attorney, they write their own agreement that can be problematic when the relationship turns sour.

Jackson’s experience taught her that SEE FAIL B2

Are you your own boss? A growing portion of the working population is now part of what’s called the “gig economy,” people who make a living doing freelance or contract work and who don’t have one full-time employer. The Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) offers these tips on how to navigate this way of working.

Consider the advantages Working as an independent contractor or in a similar situation has many benefits, including the ability to set your own hours, choose the assignments you want, and possibly increase your income, depending on how much work you’re willing or able to take on. It can be a boon for those who need flexibility in their lives due to personal obligations or who relish the chance to run their own show or take on new opportunities.

Prepare for income uncertainty You should be aware, however, of the risks and challenges that the gig economy poses for workers. Most importantly, it can be difficult to accurately estimate how much you will make, especially as you get started. Your income may fluctuate unpredictably, making it tough at times to make ends meet. To offset this risk, build up an emergency fund equal to six months or more of expenses before you leave a staff job or early on in your freelance career. That way you’ll be able to pay your bills during lean times. Make a realistic budget and stick to it. If you’re stretched one month, find ways to cut back. You can dip into your emergency fund if absolutely necessary, but be sure to replenish it as soon as possible so that the money is there when you need it.

Factor in the cost of benefits When you’re budgeting for life as an independent contractor, don’t forget the cost of health insurance and retirement fund contributions. While an employer might have covered some or all of these expenses in the past, you will now have to foot the bill alone. The price may be significant.

Also, remember that there will be no more SEE AHEAD B2

Tips for reducing the risk of trouble during a company party

B2

BUSINESS

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

Bound to fail FAIL FROM B1

she needed to be more strategic in her business decisions. And in choosing a partner—Jackson had met hers through a mutual acquaintance.

“You need to make sure you know the person well enough to know what their strengths are and their weaknesses,” says Jackson, who lost her enthusiasm for retailing after the company closed. She now is the sole owner of an information technology company in Tampa, Florida.

Owners are so caught up in the idea of finding a partner to get investment money, help and expertise that they don’t do the kind of due diligence they would do before hiring an employee, says Michael Howard, a management professor at Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School.

“What will happen when you grow? What’s your process for resolving problems? How should we manage this project? If you ask these kind of questions, it could reveal a lot of problems in advance,” Howard says.

While partnering with strangers has potential pitfalls, so does going into business with friends.

“It’s important to have trust and strong social ties, but if maintaining them comes at the loss of business success, that’s not really appropriate,” Howard says.

Partners also need to be sure they share the same goals for the business, or at least understand what their differences are.

“You need to talk up front about what your expectations are, for long term, short term, two-year and fiveyear picture,” says Sandy Jap, a marketing professor at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School who has done research into partner selection. She suggests owners talk to other people who have worked with their prospective partners, in much the same way they’d check a job candidate’s references.

Lisa Shepherd needed cash to help her marketing business grow, so she gave three employees equity stakes.

Within two years, the deal went bad as the four owners argued over whether to reinvest earnings into the business or distribute the profits among the partners. They also disagreed about workloads—“each person thought that he or she was working incredibly hard, while the others weren’t,” says Shepherd, owner of The Mezzanine Group, based in Toronto.

One point of contention came as the partners who did the day-to-day work accused Shepherd of going out for lunch too often rather than working although those meetings led to new business.

“My work was outside the company, networking, opening doors,” Shepherd says. They thought, ‘she’s having a grand old time and not doing any work.’”

Shepherd did have an attorney draw up a partnership agreement at the start, ultimately the “best business decision ever, worth its weight in gold,” because it took just two months to end the partnership. Since she held a 55 percent stake, Shepherd was able to buy her partners out and retain ownership. Still, she says, “it was emotionally devastating. I had thought that everything would go well and having partners in the business would be utopia.”

Today Shepherd is a sole proprietor. She has a profit-sharing plan for her general manager but doesn’t plan to bring on another partner.

Even when a partnership is long-lived, there can be hard lessons—among them, facing the fact that the partnership doesn’t work anymore.

“You need to get good at saying goodbye when the value in the relationship does end,” says Jap, the Emory professor. A breakup may be necessary even if the company is successful.

Antonio Argibay’s partnership lasted more than 30 years, but during its last decade, the partners no longer agreed about the direction the architectural firm should take. But breaking up was difficult.

“It was always, things are too tough, there’s a downturn, or things are going great. It was never the right time,” says Argibay, now the sole proprietor of New Yorkbased Meridian Design Associates.

Finally, in 2013, they decided Argibay should buy his partner out, but it still took six months for them and their attorneys to work out the details. One problem was the fact the partners had a 50-50 split. “There’s no way to break a tie. Someone has to withdraw, win or lose,” Agibay says.

His takeaway from his partnership: “Without a clear, shared vision, the business was not going to survive.”

(Follow Joyce Rosenberg at www.twitter.com/JoyceMRosenberg .

Her work can be found here: https://apnews.com/search/joyce%20 rosenberg)

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

CFPB neglects duty to Getting ahead in enforce Military Lending Act the gig economy

by Charlene Crowell

veterans. Instead of continuing its inclusion of MLA in CFPB superviFor New Pittsburgh Courier sory examinations, earlier this year Although predatory lending often Mick Mulvaney, CFPB’s Acting Diconjures up images of an economical- rector claimed that the agency has ly blighted Urban America, seldom no such legal authority. does the image of an enlisted man In reaction, a bipartisan continor woman come to mind. But just as gent of 33 state attorneys general check cashing stores, along payday (AGs) directly expressed their conand auto title loan shops focus on cerns regarding CFPB’s abdication communities of color, America’s mil- of duty to the armed services. Repitary is also a frequent target. resenting coast-to-coast diversity For years and near military instal- in geography as well as economies lations across the country, a profu- were AGs who wrote on behalf of sion of predatory lenders plied their consumers from New England’s Verwares, capturing our service men mont, to the mid-Atlantic’s North and women into the same web of Carolina, the Midwest heartland of debt trap loans that ensnared Black Illinois and Ohio, the Deep South’s and Latino civilians.

Mississippi, westward to Colorado’s By 2006, a Department of Defense Rocky Mountain, and the most pop(DoD) report that delved into preda- ulous state, California. tory lending practices against the na“[W]e are perplexed by reports tion’s armed services shared how the indicating that the CFPB has definancial stress wrought affected mili- termined that it needs further stattary readiness. The report shared how utory authority in order to conduct predatory lending resulted in multiple examinations for MLA violations,” negative effects. From “undermining wrote the AGs. “We are also disaptroop readiness” and morale, to even pointed to learn that CFPB did not the revocation of security clearances consult the Defense Department in essential to military operations. developing its new examination polIn part the report stated, “Most of icy, even though Congress specified the predatory business models take that the Defense Department—not advantage of borrower’s inability to the CFPB—is the primary federal pay the loan in full when due and agency responsible for interpreting encourage extensions through re- the MLA.” financing and loan flipping. These “By eliminating the proactive exrefinances often include additional amination of compliance to correct high fees and little or no payment of problems before they affect service principal.” members, however, your proposal In reaction, to the DoD report, will limit the CFPB’s protection of Congress enacted with bipartisan service members to reactive enforcesupport the Military Lending Act ment when service members submit (MLA). Drawing from the report’s complaints,” added the AGs. recommendations, new military Nor were governmental officials protections assured: a 36 percent the only ones to speak up in defense interest cap for all costs associated of the MLA. with lending; included both military The CFA, an association of nonprofmembers and their families; and it interests that together have used banned extensions of payday and a combination of education, research auto title loans, or other types of and advocacy to protect consumers predatory credit. since 1968, released a report that By 2010 the enactment of the challenges CFPB to “Protect Those Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Who Protect America.” Written by and Consumer Protection Act, the Christopher L. Peterson, CFA’s Dinewly-created Consumer Financial rector of Financial Services, it reProtection Bureau (CFPB) gave the jects Mulvaney’s interpretation, and nation for the first time, a full-time itemizes specific directives and reconsumer cop on the block, dedicat- quirements that together pose a leed to financial fairness over a wide gal argument that would be difficult range of services and products. In to deny or disprove.

2012, the National Defense Authori“For some inexplicable reason, the zation Act authorized the CFPB to Trump Administration is directing enforce the MLA. That legislative the CFPB to overlook illegal, usumove enabled CFPB to use its au- rious lending to our troops within thority to protect service members. supervisory exams,” said Peterson.

Soon thereafter, veterans, mili- “America’s military families deserve tary members, and their families the protection from predatory lending took more than 72,000 lending offered by the Military Landing Act— complaints to the direct attention not to be abandoned by the CFPB.” of the CFPB. Under the leadership Veterans are also expressing their of the Bureau’s first director, CFPB own heartfelt concerns about the returned more than $130 million to unexpected reversal of consumer the military community. protection. Melissa Bryant, a memFor several years, the CFPB con- ber of the Iraq and Afghanistan Vetducted proactive supervision to verify erans also spoke up. that financial companies were honor“We know that service members ing their obligations under the MLA— are four times more likely to be tarto not rip off our troops. Furthermore, geted by predatory lenders and are the MLA itself was strengthened by in desperate need of stringent overDoD policy, which closed loopholes sight and protection measures from that lenders had been exploiting to rip fraud,” said Bryant. “If you need furoff our service members. ther proof, just look down the main Despite this multi-year drumbeat drag of any street leading into a of consumer concern at the federal military post, full of payday lenders level, this year the current Acting and car dealerships who prey upon Director of the CFPB recoiled from young troops with little or no credit, Dodd-Frank’s statutory duty to but a steady paycheck to spend.”

AHEAD FROM B1

paid vacations or other paid time off.

To maintain a steady income, you may have to blur the lines between work and downtime.

Get Your Taxes in Order Companies withhold and submit income tax payments for their workers, but when you’re independent you must pay your own estimated federal and state taxes once a quarter. Figuring out how much you owe each quarter involves calculating what you’ve earned, assessing any deductions you might have against that income, and determining how much you need to pay to cover income taxes as well as any Social Security and Medicare taxes that are also due. To ensure you’ll be able to cover your tax bill each quarter, set up your own withholding system by which you set aside tax money from each check you receive for work you’ve done. Your CPA can help you calculate your estimated payments and plan how to save for them.

Make New Connections Working on your own can isolate you from the kinds of social or business connections that are typical in a more traditional work environment.

Possible solutions include creating a networking group made up of other independent workers in your field or using coworking spaces that offer shared office areas for use by freelancers.

Your CPA Can Help No matter what your employment situation, your local CPA can offer the tax and financial planning advice you need to make the most of your hard-earned income. Turn to him or her for all your financial questions.

To find a CPA in your area or for more financial tips, visit www.picpa. org/moneyandlife.

BUSINESS CALENDAR Training Event

NOV. 28—The Duquesne University Small Business Center will offer a workshop on Using QuickBooks online version, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., 603 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pgh. 15282. Representatives from Dennis Piper & Associates P.C., will provide a product overview including navigation, recording transactions, and reporting.

Cost: $49. Call 412-396-6233 for more information.

Financial Statements Workshop

DEC. 5—The Duquesne University Small Business Center presents Get Behind the Numbers and Increase P , . .

12 . . 1 Rockwell Hall, 600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh 15282. This hands-on workshop takes a step-by step approach inin i n n n i n n n and balance sheet. A representative from Wilke & Associates will offer clear examples for using these statements to make informed decisions, identify ni n i i nancial goals. Cost: $49. Call 412-3966233 for more information.

Edmunds: How to not go broke when buying your first car

by Matt Jones Edmunds

A diligent first-time car buyer will spend hours checking out competing vehicles, test-driving, and choosing must-have car features. Then comes the decision to buy a new car or used one, or to lease. In short, if you’re the typical first-time car shopper, you have a lot of research to do.

But many first-time buyers overlook what may be the most critical part of car buying: factoring in the total cost of the car.

Those costs blindsided Justin Perez, a recent college grad who lives in Boulder, Colorado. He’d purchased his first used car and had done everything by the book: researching the vehicle, its history and even the reputation of the selling dealer. After negotiating a significant discount on the price and making a sizable down payment, he arrived at a monthly payment of $340. To him, that would be the bulk of his total monthly spending for the car.

But he didn’t appreciate just how much car ownership was going to cost him. Between the payment and other car expenses, including an insurance bill that was steeper than he’d planned on, he was averaging nearly $700 per month.

“I expected to pay some amount over the payment, but I had no idea it was going to be this much,” Perez said. He got a second job as a Lyft driver to make up the difference.

HOW MUCH DOES A CAR REALLY COST? To fully understand the costs of buying a car, here’s a look at the monthly estimated fuel, upkeep, repair and insurance charges a driver can expect to pay in the first three years of owning a Honda Accord, a perennial top-seller.

Standard taxes and fees are part of this equation. We determined these ownership costs using the Edmunds True Cost to Own (TCO) tool. The prices for the used, new and leased Honda Accord are based on Edmunds’ analysis of 13,500 transactions that took place over the summer of 2018.

New: The average monthly payment for a 2018 Honda Accord purchased this summer was $494. Once the ownership expenses are included, that monthly tab increases to $728 over the assumed three-year period.

Used: The average transaction price for a used 2015 Honda Accord bought this summer was about $16,300, with an average payment of $340 per month. Add in all expected operating costs, such as gas, insurance, routine

maintenance and repairs, and the monthly cost balloons to $670.

Leased: The current average monthly lease payment for a 2018 Honda Accord is $353.

Bundle that payment with the ownership costs and the all-in monthly cost is about $596.

It’s bad enough to confront these extra costs during car shopping. It’s much worse if the realization comes after a car deal is done—and can’t be undone.

The following tips can spare you a budget scramble or even avert financial disaster if the car is ultimately too much to handle and your lender repossesses it.

PLAN ON SPENDING TWICE YOUR MONTHLY PAYMENT If you’ve budgeted $250 for the car payment, plan instead on $500 to cover it and the ownership costs. This is crucial if you’re a young buyer facing high insurance rates, if you’ve chosen a used vehicle that is out of warranty, or if you’ve selected a new or used car that gets poor gas mileage.

MAKE A CHECKLIST For each car you’re considering, answer these cost questions: Routine maintenance: What kind of services will this vehicle require?

How often will they come up and

what will they cost? You can often find the owners’ manuals on the carmakers’ websites. They have schedules of recommended maintenance. Once you know what’s required, call a few dealerships or independent car service centers to get price estimates.

Significant expenses: How much will it cost to replace a set of tires or brakes? What about other costly parts that might wear out?

Fuel costs: How many miles do you plan to drive, and how much will you have to spend on fuel monthly? Could your budget withstand a spike in gas prices?

Fueleconomy.gov has a fuel savings calculator that can help you plan for the long term.

Insurance: Talk to an insurance agent or get a quote online. Be sure to ask about discounts for which you might qualify.

BEWARE OF BUDGET CREEP It might seem that you could spare just a few more dollars each month for a car payment, but resist the urge to stretch your budget. Even with the best planning, it can be hard to gauge just how much your car costs to run until you’ve lived with it for a while. Leave yourself some breathing room.

EDMUNDS SAYS: Seasoned owners know that a car payment is only the beginning of the overall costs of vehicle ownership. First-time buyers should research ownership costs while shopping so they can make that first vehicle a dream car, not a nightmare on wheels.

(This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. Matt Jones is a senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.)

OPINION

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018 B3

A revealing look at the immigration controversy

Guest Editorial

Protect Mueller investigation President Donald Trump has pushed out Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the country’s chief law enforcement officer, raising concerns that the president could attempt to shut down the special counsel’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Sessions was forced to resign Nov. 7 after enduring more than a year of blistering personal attacks from Trump over his recusal from the Russia investigation.

Sessions told the president in a one-page letter that he was submitting his resignation “at your request.”

The resignation was not a complete surprise.

The president has relentlessly attacked Sessions, even though he was the first U.S. senator to endorse him and despite the fact that the attorney general’s priorities including his hawkish immigration enforcement policies largely mirrored the president’s.

Sessions was not a good attorney general.

Sessions’ crime-fighting agenda marked a return to failed drug war tactics that unduly hurt minorities and the poor.

He was also too eager to do Trump’s bidding.

Sessions, for instance, fired one of the president’s primary antagonists, former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, just before he was to have retired. Trump hailed the move as a “great day for democracy.”

Despite his acquiescence to Trump and hard-line conservative policies, Sessions never found himself back in favor with the president.

Trump publicly called Sessions weak and beleaguered. Leaked reports said Trump privately called the attorney general, a former senator from Alabama, “a dumb Southerner.”

Sessions acknowledged previously undisclosed meetings with the Russian ambassador and citing his work as a campaign aide, recused himself from the Russia investigation in March 2017.

Trump was furious over Sessions’ recusal and said that he would have never selected him if he had known the attorney general would recuse himself.

Trump wanted a loyalist and lackey as attorney general, not someone who would recuse himself from the Russia investigation.

The recusal left the investigation in the hands of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein appointed Robert Mueller as special counsel two months later after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey.

Trump waited to move against Sessions until after the midterm election and after Republican senators who had publicly backed Sessions had signaled a willingness to consider a new attorney general.

The Mueller investigation should examine whether Trump’s personal attack on Sessions and his forced resignation is part of a broader effort to obstruct justice and hamper or halt the probe.

Trump has consistently showed his blatant disregard for the Mueller investigation.

Trump announced in a tweet that he was naming Sessions’ chief of staff, Matthew Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney from Iowa, as acting attorney general.

Whitaker had mused publicly about how a Sessions replacement might reduce Mueller’s budget “so low that his investigation grinds to almost a halt.” He wrote in a September 2017 column that Mueller had “come up to a red line in the Russia 2016 election-meddling investigation that he is dangerously close to crossing,” after CNN reported that the special counsel could be looking into Trump and his associates’ financial ties to Russia.

Lawmakers should demand that Whitaker recuse himself from any involvement in the Mueller probe.

Trump’s decision to move against Sessions and possible interference in the Russia investigation will test the resolve of Democrats and the reluctance of Republicans to challenge him.

In April, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to approve a bipartisan bill to protect Mueller from interference. In September, House Republicans stymied an effort by their Democratic counterparts to force a vote on legislation that would offer Mueller protection from Trump.

The legislation said that Mueller could be removed only “for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause, including violation of policies of the Department of Justice.”

Congress must take action to ensure that the Department of Justice safeguards the integrity of the Mueller investigation.

(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)—Anyone who is shocked or surprised by the current immigration battles in Europe and the United States must not have read a 2016 column in the New York Post newspaper written by Ralph Peters. They also must be unaware of the 1916 book, The Passing of the Great Race, by Madison Grant.

Peters, who was a military analyst for Fox News, noted in his column titled the ‘Eurobia’ myth, that “The notion that continental Europeans, who are world-champion haters, will let the impoverished Muslim immigrants they confine to ghettos take over their societies and extend the caliphate from the Amalfi Coast to Amsterdam has it exactly wrong. The endangered species isn’t the ‘peace-loving Europeans tolling in his or her welfare state, but the continent’s Muslim immigrant and their multi-generational descendants—who were foolish enough to imagine that Europeans would share their toys… Don’t let Europe’s current round of playing pacifist dress-up fool you. This is the continent that perfected genocide and ethnic cleansing… The historical patterns are clear: When Europeans feel sufficiently threatened… They don’t just react, they overreact with stunning ferocity. One of their more humane (and frequently employed techniques) has been ethnic cleansing.”

By changing Europeans to Americans and Muslims to Latinos, one will see what President Trump and his Trumpettes are all about when it comes to immigration.

The irony is that many of the Trumpettes would have been rejected by Grant, who was a first-class White Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) supremacist. In his book, he divided Eu-

A. Peter Bailey

Commentary

in the birth rate of native Americans because the poorer classes of Colonial stock will not bring children into the world to compete in the labor market with the Slovak, the Italian, the Syrian and the Jew…” Grant was especially outraged and disgusted with what was happening in New York City, his hometown, as shown in the following: “The man of old stock is being crowded out of many country districts by these foreigners, just as he is today being literally driven off the streets of New York City by the swarms of Polish Jews. These immigrants adopt the language of the native American; they wear his clothes; they steal his name; and they are beginning to take his women…”

Basically, Grant’s words are very similar to what President Trump is saying today about Latinos and other immigrant who aren’t coming from Norway. And the irony is that many of the decedents of those immigrants so bitterly denounced by Grant are now vigorous, ranting Trumpettes.

Finally, two personal observations on the so-called immigration crisis.

The first is that it is impossible to smuggle 12 million people into the United States. If that many people come in, someone is allowing them to cross the border, most likely to provide a passive, captive labor force for the agricultural and construction industries. Secondly, I will always believe until concretely proven otherwise that the so-called caravan launched in Honduras about two weeks before the mid-term elections was set up by Trump supporters.

ropeans into three “races”—Nordics, Alpines and Mediterranean. To say that he was disgusted by the quality of the Europeans pouring into the United States in the late 1890s and early 1900s is an understatement.

The following is a small sampling of his repulsion over the incoming immigrants: “These new immigrants were no longer exclusively members of the Nordic race as were the earlier ones…The transportation lines advertised America as a land flowing with milk and honey, and the European governments took the opportunity to unload upon careless, wealthy and hospitable America the sweepings from their jails and asylums. The result was that the new immigrants…contained a large and increasing number of the weak, the broken and the mentally crippled of all races drawn from the lowest stratum of the Mediterranean basin and the Balkans, together with hordes of the wretched, submerged populations of the Polish ghettos… The American taxed himself to sanitize and educate these poor helots, and as soon as they could speak English, encouraged them to enter into the po(A. Peter Bailey, whose latest book is Witlitical life, first of the municipalities nessing Brother Malcolm X, the Master and then of the nation. The result is Teacher, can be reached at apeterb@verizon. showing plainly in the rapid decline net.)

America has come to this (TriceEdneyWire.com)—Recently we learned of boys in Wisconsin throwing Nazi salutes and flashing white power signs. This is disturbing. Who taught them to do this? Did they learn it at home or school? Did they pick it up from the chaos in our nation? I wonder if students even know what the salute means.

I wonder how their parents and teachers reacted. Obviously, the salute was planned. It defies imagination to believe so many boys just happened to throw the salute at the same time.

Apparently, what they did was okay with the photographer, school administration (until recently) and the parents from whom I’ve heard no public comment.

The school district issued the following statement following a public outcry, but surely they had seen the photograph previously.

“The photo of students posted to #BarabooProud is not reflective of the educational values and beliefs of the School District of Baraboo. We are investigating and will pursue any and all available and appropriate actions, including legal, to address.”

I wouldn’t call that statement sufficient to address such a serious case, so I’m left to believe America really has come to this. As much as many of us tried to believe America is better than this, we’ve been greatly disappointed to learn that all of our efforts, things really aren’t getting better. It’s like

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary

wars. Either they don’t care or they don’t know what they were doing.

I’m told as many as 20,000 people from Wisconsin died fighting confederate powers and confederate powers during the Civil War and World War II. Many of them are buried in Wisconsin and other places in the U.S. and the World. Instead of honoring their sacrifice, these high school students have totally disrespected them.

They must be taught the history of this country and who did what to allow them to live as they live today.

Adults are responsible for teaching these boys what these hateful symbols mean. They run counter to what so many gave to keep us safe and be fair to all citizens.

Our hopes were so high when we witnessed the young people’s “March for Our Lives,” and their show of respect for all without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin or gender. These boys in Wisconsin, the neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, sending bombs to leaders, bombing the synagogue in Pittsburgh, recent shootings in a California Bar, shooting of the Black man and woman in Kentucky, hate filled tweets and language of #45—all of these minimize our progress in America. It’s time for us to realize that America is in danger of having to admit that we’re not who our country’s documents say we are.

what my ancestors often said: “We take a step forward, and two steps back.”

This isn’t the only disgusting incident that’s been made public from the same school. There was an incident in 2012 where students from Baraboo found it okay to fly Confederate flags claiming it was to honor the death of a friend! We’ve certainly seen our share of pickup trucks running around with Confederate flags and guns in the windows of trucks representing an “in your face” act of racism. This isn’t just by high school boys. These are adults to whom these boys must look for appropriate behavior. So, whatever is wrong with these boys, they learned it from adults who never taught their children the sacrifices some of their ancestors made to perfect our union for all of its citizens. They had to fight within and outside our country to protect us and to save our nation from destruction.

My ancestors, as well as the ances- (Dr. E. Faye Williams is national president tors of these boys, died in various of the National Congress of Black Women.)

Does Democratic takeover of the House mean the ACA is safe?

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“I’m signing it for 11-year-old Marcelas Owens, who’s also here. Marcelas lost his mom to an illness. And she didn’t have insurance and couldn’t afford the care that she needed. So in her memory he has told her story across America so that no other children have to go through what his family has experienced … We are a nation that faces its challenges and accepts its responsibilities. We are a nation that does what is hard. What is necessary. What is right. Here, in this country, we shape our own destiny. That is what we do. That is who we are. That is what makes us the United States of America.” President Barack Obama, March 23, 2010, on signing the Affordable Care Act The Affordable Care Act of 2010, also known as “Obamacare,” is one of the most consequential acts of Congress in the 21st Century, especially for African Americans. The ACA slashed the Black uninsured rate by 40 percent. According to the National Urban League’s annual report on the social and economic status of African Americans, State of Black America, racial health disparities began to narrow as a result of the law.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to repeal the ACA more than 50 times since 2011, only to have the repeal blocked by the Senate. While the Administration may have succeeded in chipping away at the law through executive action, the Democratic take-

Marc H. Morial

To Be Equal over of the House at least will put an end to attempts at full repeal.

The 2018 midterm campaign season saw candidates across the political spectrum campaigning on promises to retain the ACA’s provisions barring insurers from denying coverage to people with preexisting conditions or charging sick people more. Even candidates who previously voted to repeal the ACA adopted the rhetoric.

Voters in Idaho, Nebraska and Utah even passed ballot initiatives that will expand Medicaid to more than 330,000 low-income adults, an option made possible by the Affordable Care Act. Recent polling and the results of the election make it clear: the vast majority of Americans support the ACA and rely on its protections. And the incoming Congress has vowed to strengthen it.

To be sure, there is work to be done.

The very first executive order issued by the current Administration was a vague directive to “to waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay the

implementation of any provision or requirement of the Affordable Care Act” that imposes a cost, fee or “regulatory burden.”

Since then, the Administration and the Congress have taken dozens of steps to sabotage the law, the most significant being the repeal of the individual mandate requiring most Americans to carry health insurance.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the repeal is estimated to leave 13 million more Americans uninsured by 2027, and to cause premiums to spike 10 percent. A pending lawsuit by 20 states, with support from the Administration, challenges provisions of the Affordable Care Act, including the protections for people with pre-existing conditions.

Reversing this sabotage must be a top priority for the incoming Congress. The individual mandate, which is a key factor in keeping premiums affordable, must be restored.

Prescription drug prices remain too high.

One of the Urban League Movement’s core goals is that every American has access to quality and affordable health care solutions. It’s why we fought so hard for the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and why we continue to fight so hard to protect it. A majority of the members of the 116th Congress, which convenes in January, have vowed to protect it, too, and we will hold them to that promise.

CLASSIFIED New Pittsburgh Courier

B4

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

www.newpittsburghcourier.com

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Help Wanted

Help Wanted

APPLICATION DEVELOPER LEAD – SIEBEL

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER PRINCIPAL

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. seeks an Application Developer Lead-Seibel in Pittsburgh, PA. Responsible for supporting an enterprise Siebel CRM application staffed by a large team comprised of application managers, technical project leaders, data architects, business analysts and software engineers.

As part of a team, this role will be required to perform following duties: (1) modify the Siebel User interface in i n i n , script, Open UI, perform data architect responsibilities (on a rotating basis). Work on projects of various sizes and complexity in a “virtual team” structure; (2) work on integrating Siebel CRM application using various integration technologies such as, database views, Siebel EIM, Siebel EAI Integrations that includes Inbound/Outbound Web Services, HTTP, SOAP and MQ Series Integration, Siebel EAI datamaps, Siebel EBC and VBC, Siebel API’s, and Siebel Integration with mobile and handheld devices (iOS and Android); (3) perform software development activities using technologies in i n tions, escript, Task Based UI, Open UI, unix shell scripting, Javascript, jquery, XML, WSDL, and PM/PR customizations; (4) work on Siebel A i n n n , fl icies, Siebel Server administration, fl ini i n , ployment and migrations from one environment to another, including managing server components, FDR , n 2 5 f n n jectives for assigned projects, and translate business requirements in i , i i n process designs, including working with internal or external personnel, peers or management; and (6) perform gap analysis and identify technology components needed to support business, including full technical knowledge of all phases of applications systems analysis and programming, and providing end user consulting and support on all information technology.

Bachelor’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in MIS, Computer Science or Electrical Engineering plus three years of experience in a lead software development position for Siebel CRM applications is required. Will accept three- or four-year degrees.

Additional requirements include: (1) three years of experience with Oracle Siebel CRM development, Siebel Tools, eScript, Javascript and Jquery, Open UI, Siebel EIM, and Siebel EAI Integrations (Inbound/ Outbound Web Services, HTTP, SOAP and MQ Series Integration), Siebel EAI Datamaps, Siebel EBC and VBC, and Siebel API’s; (2) experience with Siebel data model and column mapping/extending, SQL spooling and tracing; (3) experience with SQL, DB2 database, DB triggers, Batch EIM jobs, Siebel upgrade, Siebel Assignment manager, Siebel server administration, n fl ini i n n (4) experience with HTML and CSS, M , PM P i i n , and unix shell scripting.

40 hours/week, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Interested individuals apply online at www.pnc.com using keyword 305737BR. PNC provides equal n ni i persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other categories protected by law.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

PUBLIC HEARING

The Zoning Hearing Board will be holding a public hearing on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 at 6:30 PM to consider the Variance Application submitted by Bro Mix LLC requesting a variance to build a Car Dealership at the property address of 1001 Duquesne Boulevard, Duquesne, Pa. 15110 (Lot & Block 304-B-270).

The variances are being requested under Article IX, Section 908, Article III, and Section 301(A)2 of the City of Duquesne Zoning Ordinances.

Said meeting will be held at City of Duquesne Council Chambers located at 12 S. Second Street, Duquesne, Pa. 15110 LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of STEINACHER, URSULA H., Deceased of Reserve Township, No. 06713 of 2018. Andrew J. Steinacher, 319 Buffalo RD., Evans City, PA 16033 Admin. or to Michael J. Saldamarco, Esq., Ste. 100, 908 Perry HWY., Pittsburgh, PA 15229 Estate of MARY ELLEN LUCHOK, Deceased of Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania No. 02-18-006723. Christopher J. Luchok, Executor, 1427 Mohican Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15228 or to TODD A. FULLER, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC, 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. seeks a Software Developer Principal in Pittsburgh, PA. Spei i in i f in Software Engineer work on JavaEE platforms and web application technologies including Network Load Balancers, Web Servers, Messaging, LDAP, and Single Sign-on; (ii) sizing, scoping and estimating development efforts for projects; (iii) proposing and creating high level, detailed design documents for consumption by a development team; (iv) providing overall technical leadership for medium and large scale development efforts to ensure project success while meeting target dates and budgeted resource estimates; (v) orchestrating day to day development activities for developers and technology service partners including daily development/scrum checkpoints and escalation of roadblocks to management team; (vi) presenting and making technical recommendations to PNC management and internal/external service partners; and (vii) providing innovative approach to apply modern principles, methodologies and tools to advance business initiatives and capabilities.

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering plus 5 years of experience in an application developer lead role. Experience required with the following: (i) Java, J2EE; (ii) Web services (Soap, Rest); (iii) Spring Framework; (iv) database design, development and integration using Oracle; (v) UI experience with HTML, JSP and CSS3; (vi) jQuery and AngularJS; (vii) websphere or weblogic; (viii) Maven and Jenkins, and (ix) waterfall and agile project methodologies.

40 hours/week, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Interested individuals apply online at www.pnc.com using keyword 305747BR. PNC provides equal n ni i persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other categories protected by law.

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Business Corporation Notice is hereby given A i f n i n i the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for a business corporation which has been incorporated under the provisions of the Business Corporation Law of 1988. The name of the corporation is Gallina and Sons Inc.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM (SECTION 8) WAITING LIST OPENING

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) will be accepting pre-applications for our Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list. We will be accepting pre-applications online ONLY at www.hacp. org from: Monday, December 10, 2018 (8:00 a.m.) through Sunday, December 23, 2018 (11:59 p.m.)

Pre-applications can only be submitted online from any computer, laptop or smartphone with internet access. Applicants can apply any time during the time period listed above. All applications successfully submitted will be taken. Placement on the waiting list will be determined by a random lottery system. Since ALL pre-applications will be placed on the waiting list, it makes no ifference if o are the rst or last person to submit a pre-application.

No pre-applications will be accepted before 8:00 a.m., Monday, December 10, 2018, or after 11:59 p.m. Sunday, December 23, 2018.

Printed pre-applications will not be available at any HACP properties or of ces Note: There is no fee to apply. DO NOT pay anyone and/or any website to apply for you.

If you do not have a computer or internet access, it is available at all Allegheny County public libraries and HACP will provide limited computer/ internet access at the following locations: A P n f , 1 Ross St., 4th Floor, 15219 (Monday-Friday, 9-4)* •Bedford Hope Center, 2305 Bedford Ave., 15219 (Monday-Friday, 8-12 and 2-4)* •Development and Opportunities Center, 1205 Liverpool St., 15233 (Monday-Friday, 11-4)* •These locations will not be available on Friday, December 21, 2018.

Additional information is available by visiting our website at www.hacp.org For those that are deaf or hard of hearing, you can also contact HACP at TDD: 412-201-5384.

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CITY OF PITTSBURGH DEPARTMENT OF MOBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA REQUEST FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES STATEMENTS OF INTEREST (SOI)

f f i f PA M M A ASTRUCTURE OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH will receive Statements of n n i i n f i n f n ini tion and construction inspection services until 4:00 p.m., on December 14, 2018, for the following: CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES FOR THE SMALL GRANTS PROJECTS CITY OF PITTSBURGH, ALLEGHENY COUNTY DMI PROJECT NO. 18001, 16502, 06711, AND 17404 MPMS NO. 104469, 107056, 107442, 107443 South Side Neighborhood Streets Project consists of a new bicycle and pedestrian route from the 10th Street Bridge to the Hot Metal Bridge. Work will include installation of shared lane markings, associated signage, and speed humps throughout the corridor, and installation of a concrete bicycle/ pedestrian ramp and lighting under the Birmingham Bridge.

Gap to the Point Project consists of a new two-way cycle track on Stanwix Street from Third Avenue to Penn Avenue and a two-way cycle track on Penn Avenue from Stanwix Street to Commonwealth Place. Work will include installation of bicycle lane markings and associated signage, and a raised bike lane and transit bulbs (concrete and asphalt work) and minor signal upgrades.

Washington Boulevard Trail Project consists of a new shared bicycle/pedestrian trail from the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Negley Run Boulevard to the parking area of the existing cycling track south of Allegheny River Boulevard. Work will include minor grading, concrete construction, asphalt mill and overlay, installation of pavement markings and associated signage, and landscaping work (removal of trees and planting of new trees).

Allegheny Circle Phase 2 Project n i f i n i n i cation, signage and pavement markings installation, ADA curb ramps upgrades, curb construction and inlet/catch basins relocation may be required.

Manhole, vault, and valve covers will need adjusted.

A full description of services and general requirements for submissions can be found on PennDOT’s ECMS web site: http://www.dot14.state.pa.us/ECMS/ GO TO SOLICITATIONS – CONSULTANTS – ADVERTISEMENTS – SMALL GRANTS PROJECTS – CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION & CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES OR L00222 All candidates must be a current registered Business Partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and must read and acknowledge “General Consultant Candidate Requirements and Information for City of Pittsburgh Sponsored Federally Funded Transportation Projects” by including a statement in the Statement of Interest. See advertisement on ECMS. Consultant teams must comply with Section 177A.02 Equal Employment Opportunity Practice and Goals of the City of Pittsburgh, Code of Ordinances. i i in i n n i n f in the professional services.

The anticipated Notice to Proceed is May 15, 2019.

All questions and answers are required to go through ECMS’s “Questions and Responses” Forum.

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NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

f Pi , f fM n n n i in f i n n i i n in i n for the FY 2020 Consolidated Annual Action Plan, the FY 2020-2024 Five Year Consolidated Plan, the FY 2020 Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER), the Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice, and to provide additional planning, technical and implementation services for the next one (1) to three (3) year period assuming funds are available for these services. This additional work would include, but will not be limited to: preparation of the following two (2) years of Consolidated Annual Action Plans and Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation i n in if in i ii f n n i i n providing advice and assistance in meeting citizen participation requirements; providing advice and assistance in the implementation of program activities, including compliance with Federal and state regulations; providing advice and technical assistance with the implementation of the CDBG, HOME, ESG, and HOPWA Programs, including lead based paint requirements and related performance reports; providing advice and assistance in the preparation of Section 108 Loan Guarantee applications; and providing advice on other sources of funding for housing, community development and economic development programs, including assistance in the preparation of applications for additional funds.

The following criteria will be used to evaluate all proposals: •Completeness of proposal/objectives project met or exceeded 0-35 pts.

•Experience of consultant with similar projects 0-15 pts.

•Experience of project manager or other staff 0-15 pts.

•Prior satisfactory experience in working with the City 0-10 pts.

•Total project cost, rate schedule, cost allocation 0-20 pts.

•Small business, Minority/Women participation 0-5 pts.

TOTAL 100 pts.

A detailed Scope of Work, Proposal Format, and Evaluation Criteria has been prepared for this RFP. Consultants who are interested in submitting a proposal should contact the following for the complete packet of materials: Mr. Jerry Cafardi Program Manager for Community Development it of itts r h f ce of Mana e ent an et 200 Ross Street, 2nd Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Phone: (412) 255-2211; Email: jerry.cafardi@pittsburghpa.gov i f fM n n n no later than 4:00 P.M. prevailing time on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 i f Pi , f f M n n n , 1 n Street, Room 502, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Please note that postmark dates do not meet the deadline.

A i i i n i i n i , color, religion, ancestry, and national origin, place of birth, sex, age, disability, non-job-related handicap, or sexual orientation in the award of a contract. Minority business enterprises are encouraged to respond. The City of Pittsburgh is an equal opportunity agency.

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

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Business Corporation Notice is hereby given A i f n i n i the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, for a professional business corporation which has been incorporated under the provisions of the Business Corporation Law of 1988. The name of the i ni i f , P. .

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation, a 501(c)(3) corporation, on behalf of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), is requesting Technical Proposals and Price Proposals (together, the Proposal package) for the preparation of a Regional Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Strategic Action Plan. The selectf i i SPC with completing a planning study with recommendations that i n f n gional approach to TDM strategies that integrate those strategies into the region’s transportation planning processes.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released by SPC on November 19, 2018. Copies may be downloaded from the SPC Website (www.spcregion.org) or may be obtained from SPC by written, e-mail, or fax request to: Regional TDM Strategic Action Plan Consultant Services RFP Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation Two Chatham Center, Suite 500 112 Washington Place Pittsburgh, PA 15219-3451 FAX: 412.391.9160 E-mail: tklevan@spcregion.org Proposal Packages are due at the above address by 4:00 PM, prevailing time, on Friday, December 21, 2018.

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Sealed bid proposals are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 (412.237.3020) on the following items: Bid Proposal No. 1035 – Film/ Video Electrical Construction South Campus For Bid 1035, a mandatory prebid meeting and site-visitation will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27, 2018. The assembly point will be South Campus security desk, around right side of complex, 1750 Clairton Rd., West Mifflin, PA 15122.

Due date for Bid 1035: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 Bid Proposal No. 1036 – Upgrade Emergency Generator/UPS South Campus For Bid 1036, a mandatory prebid meeting and site-visitation will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 5, 2018. The assembly point will be South Campus security desk, around right side of complex, 1750 Clairton Rd., West Mifflin, PA 15122.

Bid Proposal No. 1037 – Upgrade Emergency Generator/UPS – West Hills Center For Bid 1037, a mandatory prebid meeting and site-visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, December 6, 2018. The assembly point will be CCAC West Hills Center main entrance (around left side of building), 1000 McKee Rd., Oakdale, PA 15071.

Due date for Bids 1036 and 1037: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 The CCAC Purchasing Department publishes all bids and RFPs via the CCAC website at https://www.ccac. edu/Bid-RFP_Opportunities.aspx.

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

Failure to incorporate any applicable n in n i result in the rejection of your bid.

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

The Community College of Aln n i n Af i Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS THE PITTSBURGH WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT

PA A n A f in i i i n, i i f f P n , Pi n A i , 12 P nn A ., n , Pi , PA 15222, n i 2 PM P i in i 11 2 1 . i i in n f n in P AP n f in fi n i i nin in f i n i .

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) Municipal Advisory Services PWSA PROJECT NO. PWSA113 Pi n Authority (PWSA) is seeking prof i M ni i A i i P nn .

A i i in n i i i i n n in n in n i procurement@pgh2o.com. i n f i i i n, i i n i i .A i n in i i i ni f i n i n, . n i i , i i tsimpson@pgh2o.co , no later than December 4, 2018 at 4:00 p.m. in i . n i . n n i n f n n i i in in f i , , i i n, f n , , n i n i in.

A i i i f n f i f f nin f i .

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HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR PLUMBING SERVICE FOR FORCED ACCOUNTS FOR 24 UNITS IN NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS (LABOR ONLY) IFB#300-37-18

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request f i i n i i f i in f in i PLUMBING SERVICE FOR FORCED ACCOUNTS FOR 24 UNITS IN NORTHVIEW HEIGHTS (LABOR ONLY) IFB#300-37-18 n i i n later than November 19, 2018 n i n , i i n i 11:00 A.M. on December 7, 2018 i i i i n 1 2n , i 2 , Pi , PA 1521 , i i i n n .

P i in i i in in n in n f i i i nf in Opportunities page of www.HACP. org. i n in i iKim 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 i in i Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Dept.

100 Ross Street 2nd. Fl. Ste. 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Thursday, November 29, 2018 11:00 A.M The Housing Authority of the City of Pi n n i in i in n i n n in n i n i i i i n.

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THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH (CITY), THE URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF PITTSBURGH (URA), AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH (HACP) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) FOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR 420 BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES RFP#125-39-18

i , n A i f Pi A, n in Authority of the City of Pittsburgh A P i , i , A, n A P f n , f i i ni i f i in f in i PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR 420 BOULEVARD OF THE ALLIES RFP #125-39-18 n i i n n , 2 1 n i n , i i n i 12:00 PM on December 4, 2018 i i i i n 2 1 , Pi , PA 1521 .

P i in i i in in n in n f i i i n f A website at www.ura.org.

A i n in i P i n i n P i P f .

A i in i 420 Boulevard of the Allies Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Monday November 26, 2018 at 10:30 AM P P n n A i , i . n , 21, 1 . i f Pi i , n n A i f Pi A, n in Authority of the City of Pittsburgh A P n n iin i in n i n n in n i n i i i i n. n

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

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INVITATION FOR BIDS

i i n i i n n f f f ni in n i n f i n n in n ni n i f f in ni n P i 2 1 122 in f f i ni n i n i in f ni i i n i i i i . . i i 2 15 n A n i 2 1, Pi , PA 1521 . n i i f AM PM, innin 11 21 2 1 . i i n n f n i i nf f 5 . . f f n nin n i n .

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2 i n i i i n f i i i A f 1 n f ni 1 1. i 11 25 ii i n f Min i in n i i 121 ii i n f in n i in i n i i n5 f ii i n A f 1 n A i n i i iii A f1 A n n M P n , 1 1, i f f 1 n Min i n 2 n in n i n A n n in n 12, in f f5 n n n in . f ii n i n , n n i , i 12 5 1 2 nreis@hilldistrict. org

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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

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i i f ni fA n n , A n A n , Pi PA 152 12.2 . 2 n f in i RFP 3113 – Travel Agency Services 2:00 P.M. P i in Time on Monday, December 10, 2018 A P in n i i n P i CCAC website at https://www.ccac. edu/Bid-RFP_Opportunities.aspx. i n n i ii ni i i i i in i n i i n P ni i n n i n i i i n in i f n i n . i in n i n in n i in i n f i . f i n n i .

The Community College of Aln n i n Af i A i n n ni n n i f Min i i n n in .

A ini i n i in , 251, 1 A n , Pi , P ., 1521 , n December 4, 2018, n i 2 P.M., i in i f Pittsburgh Arsenal Classroom Ceilings and Lights General, Electrical and Asbestos Primes P M n n in i i f n November 12, 2018 M n i n 12 , 12 M n , Pi , P ., 1521 n A.M. n P.M. f P M nn i n n f n .

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

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

Will the real Antonio Brown please stand up?

The man—like many of us—seems to be a contradiction

by Lee Kann

For New Pittsburgh Courier

Normally, I do not indulge in such colloquy as the life and times of so and so, or him or her, or those and them. And rarely do I ponder on the coming and goings of an athlete. There is a multitude of people at this broadsheet and elsewhere more adept and in the know than I. But in the realm of wonderment, where I usually dwell, I keep asking myself...who is the real Antonio Brown?

I’ve seen the early side of him, speaking in hushed tones...in a space of tranquility, if you will.

Recently, it’s been replaced with an appetite for glister and glam.

Here in the press box, I see the same friendly faces game after game, and I hear the hub-bub and chit-chat about 30 year-old Antonio Tavaris Brown of Miami, Florida. Often sitting next to me is “Bo” from Youngstown. Bobo (as I call him), a scout for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, is as astounded as I at the arresting aptitude of Antonio Brown. We have been interviewing Brown postgame since he came to the land of Steel as a lowly sixthround draft pick out of Central Michigan. Taken 195th overall in 2010, I’m not sure there was a whole lot of Steeler expectation of the guy. Of course, New England drafting Tom Brady 199th in the sixth round in 2000 did not seem overwhelmingly urgent, either.

As Brown emerged from rookie punt returner to doyen wide receiver—doing the things that seemingly only Brown can do— Bobo and I looked at each other in utter amazement. There were no exclamatory exchanges needed other than widened eyes and two words...“Friggin’ Brown” (I’m paraphrasing here).

You know the A.B. story...the intense tunnel-vision, one-handed catches, speed after the catch, toe-tapping touchdowns. In this early time, A.B. seemed to be a humble and quiet man. His interview responses were thoughtful and subdued...almost Polamalu-like. There were no diamond studded earrings and tennis shoes, no Rolls-Royce and fur coat, no glittering sport coats, no “look at me,” no “you guys just want to ask me questions to get a rise out of me.” There was a warmth, which I think all media types found endearing. In today’s world, a more modest Antonio Brown seems nowhere to be found. In fact, in a GQ Magazine interview, Brown put it this way... “I got all the drip.”

More on “the drip” later in the broadcast.

Playing NFL pro football at any level is an accomplishment.

Playing it at A.B.’s level is, well, at another level. When any human can play on such an elite plane in life, in any endeavor, it takes a particular mindset.

There is no “I think I can,” or “I should be able to,” or “I’ll give it my best,” or “I will try.” There is only.. “I will.” Period! You try playing the game of life at that level. Go ahead. I’ll wait...

Yes, it’s beyond difficult. It takes a special command of the body, the mind and the spirit. It takes a drive most of us never experience. No one works harder at his craft than this man, Antonio Brown, and it takes a certain bravado to get it done. But which bravado? The Deion Sanders “look at me” kind, or the Terrell Owens “it’s all about me” kind?

Tom Brady does not have this type of bravado, nor did Hines Ward or Lynn Swann.

Lately, when Brown performs his wizardry, Bobo turns my way and mouths those three syllables...

“Frig-gin’ Brown,” (to paraphrase).

Lately, I find myself mouthing back only two... “Frig Brown,” (to paraphrase again). Why? Because, unfairly or not, it’s easy to gather evidence and find culpability with those who seemingly have it all and yet still act out in various recalcitrant ways.

With an ascension in Brown’s talents and accomplishments comes an escalation in his notoriety. And with that comes a glaring spotlight and fierce scrutiny. “Antonio Brown now gets a lot of notoriety,” says Antonio Brown in GQ. “A lot of people watching him, a lot of news, a lot of expectations.”

“It can be hard as a targeted player in the NFL,” he continues in the interview, along with his multi-page fashionista layout, sporting $950 Botegga Veneta pants, a $4,800 Prada coat and a $1,700 Paul Smith suit—all in hard-to-deny colors—along with his rippled bare torso as an accessory to all he dons.

According to A.B., “It’s hard to express yourself in the right way.” (I wonder if throwing furniture out the window is the right way to express yourself?) But Brown continues...“You just can’t say anything about my name and then show up thinking it’s cool.

You gotta put some respect on it.”

To that one, Forrest Gump might say, “respect is as respect does.”

(I’m paraphrasing here).

As for “the drip,” that’s having the right combination of smile, swag and smell. He tells it this way in GQ...“the first time they see you smile, they gotta know you mean business. Second, you gotta have the right smell for the drip. When they first meet you, they’re gonna get that fragrance (Chanel). Then you gotta get the fit. You can’t have no basic fit, but the different fit. When you got all that, you ‘bout to drip. I got all the drip.”

Antonio Brown drips with craft and talent. And with the A.B. brand now going global, with 2.5 million Instagrammers and 1.2 million Twits (Twitter followers),

the humble Brown seems long gone. So who is he now? According to Brown himself, “Being my best self every day, being a good leader, being a good father figure, being a better boyfriend. But it’s kind of hard to keep it in my pants.”

Is driving 100 mph on McKnight Road in the middle of the afternoon being the best self you can be?

That’s what Ross Township police probably asked the speedy running Brown when they busted him for speedy motoring prior to Thursday night’s (Nov. 8) Steeler thrashing of the Carolina Panthers.

Is hanging out publicly—and privately—with model Jena Frumes, while in a live-in relationship with Chelsie Kyriss, the mother of your children, being a better boyfriend? Yes, it’s kind of hard keeping it in his pants.

Is performing sexually-suggestive TD celebrations, that your kids emulate at home, being a good father figure? The NFL busted Brown “$$$ large” for that one.

Is throwing bottles and water jugs on the sidelines, and chairs and other furniture off a 14-story balcony, being a good leader? Miami police apparently don’t think so, nor do Brown’s SoBe neighbors and landlord. And since Brown offered to pay for damages and then was sued for unpaid damages, my guess is that the court and landlord concur.

The man—like many of us— seems to be a contradiction.

He shows off his mansion with glee (one of three in Miami and Pittsburgh) that has its own synagogue. “I have a lot of Jewish friends,” he confesses on YouTube, “and a synagogue is where you bless up.”

Brown says he’s “a simple guy” but then dresses like Liberace. He breaks out a particular sneaker from his enlarged footwear collection...maybe a Gucci, a Balenciaga, a Louis Vuitton, a Chris Paul, or a classic Air Jordan...to make a pregame statement to an opposing secondary player. Yep, it’s all about “the drip.” “Don’t just exist, live,” declares Brown by tweet. A.B. has no issue showing off his skills, his swag, his salary, or his copious lifestyle.

There have been many persons who played or are playing life at an elite level, and did or do so with great humility. Actor Jimmy Stewart did, as does his reincarnated self, Tom Hanks. Mahatma Gandhi sure did, as did Mother Teresa. Sidney Crosby absolutely does. Steeler Hall of Famers John Stallworth, Franco Harris, Rocky Bleier and Jerome Bettis all had it. And future Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu was dripping with humility. Antonio Brown just has “the drip.”

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “the best is, as the best does.” So I beg the question...will the best Antonio Brown please stand up?

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NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

Democrats must address voting irregularities (TriceEdneyWire.com)—In the days after midterm election day, Nov. 6, you could not turn on a television or even have a conversation without hearing about aspects of voter suppression, voting irregularities, or merely extreme voting inconvenience. The lines were long, according to most reports, with too few voting booths at too many places. I waited forty-five minutes in the rain and watched several people walk away in frustration, or because they had to get to work.

My wait was short compared to those who said they waited hours in line because their polling place had too few voting booths or nonworking voting booths. At Morehouse College in Atlanta, polls stayed open until 10 p.m. because the polling station ran out of paper ballots. The voting space near Clark Atlanta University had mostly nonworking voting booths until 5 p.m. when new ones were delivered. At a Michigan polling place, the poll workers and voters were on time, but voting booths were locked in a closet no one had access to!

As I write this, ballots are still being counted in Florida and Georgia, and seven Congressional districts remain undecided. Georgia was nothing but shenanigans, with “Secretary of State” Brian Kemp manipulating voter registration and more as soon as he realized that the amazing Stacey Abrams was a formidable candidate. He seems to have targeted African American voters with the voter registrations he did not accept because of trivial “exact match” law. Of 53,000 registrations denied, it was estimated that 80 percent were African American.

Florida has been a hot monkey mess since 2000, and while Gov. Rick Scott (R) is complaining now, he could have done lots of things to ensure a clean vote, including providing more re-

Julianne Malveaux

Commentary sources for voting operations in the state’s most populous counties, Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties. All of these had challenges getting recounts submitted on time, and because Broward County submitted their results a scant two minutes late, their recount (which includes absentee, military, and other ballots) will not be added to vote totals. Instead, their original voter count will stand. We don’t know how many additional votes have been disregarded, but we must understand that with additional resources, Broward might have submitted on time.

We have to be better than this! While our “democracy” is weighed against people who live on the margins, who don’t have driver’s licenses, who don’t vote regularly, who move frequently, we ought to be focused on ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to vote. Other countries do it almost effortlessly. In South African, the polls are open for three days, and these days are national holidays with most businesses and schools closed. An indelible hand stamp allows everyone to vote and prevents fraud. Why can’t we do the same things in these United States?

As we move toward the 2020 election, many Democrats are focused on who ought to be their choice of a Presidential candidate. They might be better served if they focused on the laws that make it difficult for people to vote, ranging from laws that allow Secretaries of State to purge the voting rolls, laws that make registering difficult, and more. Who determines what hours polls are open? Why not 24 hours instead of the scant 12 or 13 (usually 7am to 8 pm) presently available? Why not allow people to vote over two or three days?

The 2013 Supreme Court decision in the Shelby case allowed some targeted jurisdictions (mostly, but not exclusively in the South) to make changes in voting rules without clearing them with the Justice Department. Sections 4(b) and 5 of the Voting Rights Act prohibited changes that adjusting voting districts or taking other acts to disadvantage part of the voting population. In response to the changes in the Voting Rights Act, dozens of states passed voter suppression laws, requiring more voter ID, restricting the student right to vote where they matriculate, and more. The 116th Congress that will be seated in January 2019 ought to deal with voting rights and voter access as their first order of business.

Whoever is selected as Speaker of the House, be it Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi or another leader must convene hearings to catalog the many voting irregularities that took place during this election. The Speaker must work with organizations like the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, the NAACP, and others, to draft omnibus legislation that deals with the many aspects of voter suppression that were experienced in 2018. The Congress must appropriate enough funds to provide jurisdictions with working polling booths and enough poll workers. And the Justice Department must observe elections, especially in places like Florida, for fairness.

We send poll watchers all over the world to ensure that elections are fair. Why don’t we have a national poll-watchers corps to review ballots here at home? The reports of irregularities are staggering. Voter manipulation is an issue that must be addressed.

Former DNC Chairman Donna Brazile has called for restoring Section Five of the Voting Rights Act, but that’s not enough! The entire voting enterprise needs to be comprehensively examined, and the possibility of voter suppression needs to be drastically reduced. And, to be sure, Republicans will start talking about nearly non-existent voter fraud. We can investigate so-called fraud, as well. But if Democrats want free and fair elections, they need to make them a legislative priority. If they fail to address this issue, they don’t deserve to win the Presidency in 2020!

(Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist.)

FORUM

Democrats need a plan that goes beyond responding to Trump’s outrage of the day (TriceEdneyfears of a fake Wire.com)— “invasion” of Jesse Jackson Sr. With majority immigrants, control in yet most the House of Americans Representacontinue tives, Demto believe ocrats have immigrants an enormous are more opportunity beneficial to -- and face a America than distinct peril. The opportunity is to costly. Comprehensive immigration lay out in hearings and in legislareform should be on the table, with tion a long-overdue change agenda the first easy steps to protect the for America. The peril is they’ll get DACA children—the children of caught responding to President undocumented workers raised here Trump’s outrage a day, focus on who know no other country—and pursuing his corruption, his taxes, to end the grotesque policy of puthis payoffs, his fulminations and ting babies in cages separated from unending lies. The latter fixates their parents. Criminal justice the media. The former serves the reform—there was once a biparAmerican people. tisan accord on ending imprisonNo doubt, Democrats have to de- ment of non-violent offenders and fend the democracy, ensure that on reforming discriminatory police Trump is not able to obstruct the practices—is long overdue. investigation of Russian interThe repeated mass shootings ference. Democrats, however, should, at the very least, allow the have to walk and chew gum at revival of the ban on the sale of the same time, and that requires semi-automatic assault weapons laying down a clear agenda for that were designed for military change. use. Americans elected Trump to The needs for reform are apparshake things up, after he promised ent. Democrats gained popular that he would be the champion favor running on extending and of working people. Then he larddefending health care and on deed tax cuts on the rich, creating mocracy reform, including reviving deficits that Republicans use to the Voting Rights Act, curbing big justify cuts in Social Security and money in politics, automatic voter Medicare. registration, ending gerrymanHe turned his administration dering and a rollback of the voter over to Wall Street executives and suppression techniques that have corporate lobbyists. They did not spread across the country. deregulate, then re-rigged the The reform manifesto is far rules to favor their entrenched broader than that. Democrats interests. With fires and floods should stand for raising worker wracking America, Trump cast wages— a $15 minimum wage, doubt on the overwhelming scienmandatory overtime for those tific consensus that climate change earning $70,000 or less, labor law is caused by humans. With mass reform to protect workers right to shootings horrifying the nation, organize. A major investment in a Trump sided with the gun lobby to Green New Deal, generating good block reforms. jobs while moving rapidly to meet With wages still stagnant, Trump the threat posed by catastrophic opposed lifting the minimum wage climate change and modernizing and his Supreme Court nominee our decrepit infrastructure, needs provided the deciding vote to gut to be detailed and pushed. Student unions for teachers, nurses, police loan debt continues to hit new officers and other public employrecords, even though enrollment in ees. Americans did not elect Demcolleges has dropped. ocrats to harass Donald Trump A good public education from personally. They elected them to pre-K through college or advanced hold his administration accounttraining should be available to able to law and to push for reforms every child in America. Democrats that will address the challenges need a plan for reviving the imthey face in their lives. poverished ghettos and barrios of Yes, Democratic reforms will urban America and the devastated likely be blocked by a Republican small towns and red-lined regions Senate or vetoed by the president. of rural America. Simple steps for But they can show Americans building equal justice for all are that there is an alternative, if only also needed.

Trump and the Republican Senate Trump campaigned by rousing would get out of the way.

Commentary

Fake news or post-truth news?

Since 2004 to define fake Oxford Dic- J. Pharaoh Doss didn’t, but Mertionary has riam-Webster announced its had a historical word of the reason for their year. The word interchange. selected is supM e r r i posed to sum a m - We b s t e r up the “ethos, claimed the mood, or preterm “fake occupation of news” isn’t new. that particular year,” but the word It’s been around since the 1890s. of the year is also supposed to have In 1891 the Buffalo Commercial lasting potential for cultural signif- stated, the public does not desire distortions of facts and enlargeicance.

In 2016 I hoped Oxford Dictionary ments of incidents; and it certainchose “fake news” as its word of the ly has no genuine appetite for fake year. I wanted Oxford to define news.

Merriam-Webster also explained, “fake news” for me because I didn’t think the adjective—fake—fit the one reason fake news is such a reterm. The word “fake” is defined cent addition to our vocabulary is as not genuine, the example the that the word “fake” is also fairly dictionary gave was “fake design- young. Fake was little used as an er clothes.” In the fashion world a adjective prior to the late 18th cen“fake design” is also called a knock- tury.

So, what adjective was used beoff.

Does knockoff news make sense? fore the 1890s?

According to Merriam-Webster Of course not, news can only be accurate or inaccurate. To me the the common term was false news.

That provided some clarity until term “fake news” applied to The Daily Show on Comedy Central, it was announced that the 2016 because it opened with a pretend Oxford Dictionary word of the year news segment. But the public was was post-truth. Post-truth is dein on the joke, just like a buyer is fined as relating to circumstances aware that he or she purchased a in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion knockoff.

Unfortunately, Oxford Dictionary than appeals to emotion and perdidn’t select “fake news” for its word sonal belief.

Truth is defined as in accordance of the year, but I got what I was looking for when Merriam-Webster with fact or reality, or, a fact or beDictionary explained why the term lief, that is accepted as true. Post“fake news” wouldn’t enter their truth claims the second definition.

Earlier I said news could only dictionary anytime soon.

The technical reason was fake be accurate or inaccurate, and if a news is a self-explanatory com- news report is not in accordance pound noun—a combination of with fact or reality then the Merritwo distinct words, both well- am-Webster Dictionary would call known, which when used in it false/fake news. But if the news combination yielded an easily reports a fact, accepted to be true, understood meaning. Then Merri- and the accepted fact isn’t in accoram-Webster clarified, “Fake news dance with reality, is this false/fake is, simply, news (material report- news or is the news post-truth?

Oxford Dictionary’s 2018 word of ed in a newspaper or news periodical or on a newscast) that is fake. the year was toxic.

That’s a good adjective for post(false, counterfeit)” Here, the Merriam-Webster Dic- truth.

(J. Pharaoh Doss is a contributor to the tionary interchanged fake and false when the other dictionary I used New Pittsburgh Courier.)

Check It Out

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Raynard Jackson

Commentary

Election 2018: Off to the racists

The sky is blue, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, Hillary Clinton lost to Obama, Black Democrats lose to White Republicans because of racism and voter suppression, yada, yada, yada.

Just as sure as the above truisms are absolute, so can you count on liberals using the race card after every election that doesn’t go their way.

Every time a Black Democrat candidate loses to a white candidate, the liberal media, especially those who are Black, fall back to their default position: racism and voter suppression!

One need to look no further than the Florida and Georgia governors’ races to see exhibit A & B. The Democrats nominated current Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum in Florida and former Georgia state representative Stacy Abrams in Georgia to be their standard bearers.

Both candidates were radical, leftist, socialist candidates who won their party’s respective primaries, beating out more mainstream candidates within their parties. They won their primaries, not because they were better candidates, but because they each faced a very crowded primary field; thus, the vote was split into very narrow constituencies where a small plurality of the vote handed them a giant victory.

But, in all honesty, Gillum and Abrams both ran incredibly impressive, well-organized general election campaigns.

They both lost, not because of racism and voter suppression; but because their Republican opponents, former Congressman Ron DeSantis of Florida and former Georgia secretary of state Brian Kemp, got more votes than them!

Liberals find it IMPOSSIBLE to admit to such a simple fact. I call this the Hillary principle, as in Hillary Clinton. Like the liberal media trying to explain away electoral defeat of Democrats, she is incapable of admitting that her loss had everything to do with her candidacy; not extraneous factors like gender, sexism, media bias, etc.

In a similar manner, radical Black so-called journalists and liberal Black media pundits’ default position is RACISM and VOTER SUPPRESSION, with absolutely no evidence to prove their case; but a lie that is oft repeated becomes the truth.

Who are some of these radical Black fake journalists?

Well, just a short list that comes immediately to mind are: Roland Martin, Joe Madison, Karen Hunter, Laura Coates, Marc Hill, Al Sharpton, Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, Joy Reid, Jason Johnson, just to name a few of the more dangerous liberal puppets.

They do more damage to the Black community than anyone with a white hood over their faces (that will be the subject of a future column).

They are incapable of giving Black folks analysis, but rather simply read from Democrat talking points that they are told to read.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I served as senior advisor to Congressman Ron DeSantis’ successful campaign for governor of Florida. I have known DeSantis since he came to Congress back in 2012.

Congressman DeSantis called me right after he won the primary and told me that he was very serious about making inroads in the Black community in his race for governor and asked me to come to Florida and make things happen in the Black community.

He then authorized and empowered me to do what was necessary to get him the results he wanted. The last pre-election poll I saw showed us polling at 2 percent of the Black community. According to CNN’s exit polls from election day, DeSantis actually received 14 percent of the Black vote!!! That is why Gillum lost his bid to become Florida’s first elected Black governor; his loss had nothing to do with racism or voter suppression.

Enough Black voters in Florida didn’t agree with Gillum’s position of supporting amnesty for those illegally residing in Florida; they rejected his call to increase taxes on small businesses by 40 percent; they rejected his call for a single-payer health care system; and they totally rejected his wanting to end Florida’s school voucher program which disproportionately benefited low income Black families.

Listening to these radical Black quasi-journalists, you wouldn’t have known that the people of Florida rejected Gillum’s platform, NOT his race!

When radical journalist Roland Martin found out that I was working with Congressman DeSantis, he sent this email to me: “You are advising him? Oh, he’s guaranteed to lose now!!! LOL.” Yes, he and most liberals, think Blacks are too stupid to make a rational choice when it comes to how they vote.

14 percent of Blacks in Florida over-wrote their strong desire to make history by electing the first Black governor in Florida’s history; and decided that a person’s policies were more important than one’s skin color. I often tell Republicans that Blacks may not be able to help you win an election; but we sure in hell can help you lose one.

DeSantis deserved to win the governor’s race in Florida and should be held up as an example of what can be done when a candidate gets serious about the Black vote. Yes, the final vote was much too close for my liking, less than 1 percent margin of victory, but a win is a win.

(Raynard Jackson is president and CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC.)

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The Future Begins Here!

School Choice Guide — New Pittsburgh Courier • November 21-27, 2018

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NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

STRONGER THAN HATE

GLOBAL MINDS INITIATIVE, an international organization that aims to address cultural intolerance and create peaceful dialogues, and has a club at Allderdice High School, held an event at the school, Oct. 30, to show support for the Tree of Life synagogue shooting victims. (Photos by Allderdice student Paul Kim)

Allderdice High School students ban together following the Tree of Life synagogue shooting that claimed the lives of 11 people

by Gianna Griffin For New Pittsburgh Courier

On the morning of Oct. 27, a lone gunman walked into the Tree of Life synagogue, located on the corner of Shady and Wilkins avenues in Squirrel Hill. The alleged shooter, Robert Bowers, killed 11 people aged 54-97, and injured six.

The Tree of Life massacre was one of the worst attacks on the Jewish American community in U.S. history, as well as being yet another mass shooting that American life has become synonymous with.

Squirrel Hill is a vibrant Jewish community, one of the most wellknown for its culture in the United States.

Moreover, the community is one of the most welcoming; many homes and local businesses display signs that read the

words, “No matter where you’re from, we’re happy to have you as our neighbor” in multiple languages.

The attack began shortly after 9:45 a.m., when Bowers charged into the Saturday morning service. Police arrived on the scene around 10 a.m. and entered the building to find victims’ lifeless bodies and survivors hiding in fear. After a brief exchange of gunfire, Bowers surrendered.

Bowers now faces 29 federal charges, including ones that could result in the death penalty.

Just one mile down Shady Avenue from Tree of Life is Allderdice High School, the largest high school in the Pittsburgh Public Schools district with more than 1,400 students. It’s one of the more diverse student bodies in the district, and many students live

very close to Tree of Life.

Kenny Hardin, a senior defensive end who stars on Allderdice’s football team, was at the school preparing for his team’s City League championship game against

Westinghouse, when he received a text message from his mother.

The unthinkable was happening—automatic gunfire was being heard by the Hardin family, who lives right across

the street from Tree of Life.

“My family’s locked in the basement because the gun brawl was happening in front of my porch, literally in front of my house,” Kenny Hardin said in a text message that morning (Kenny Hardin provided the text message to the New Pittsburgh Courier). “There are police in my house sniping from my window.”

The football game was postponed until Oct. 30.

Meanwhile, Allderdice students quickly responded to the shooting with community-based action.

Just hours after the last shot was fired, a group of students began to plan. Among these students were Marina Godley-Fisher, Rebecca Glickman and Emily Pressman, all seniors at Allderdice who are of the

Jewish faith. Meeting at a local coffee shop, the young women planned a vigil in the heart of Squirrel Hill, on the corner of Forbes and Murray, to be held that night.

Godley-Fisher spoke to the New Pittsburgh Courier about how the violence had erupted a mere 500 feet from her home.

“I watched my street turn into a crime scene,” Godley-Fisher said. “Until 5:30 (p.m.) we made calls, confirmed speakers, asked businesses to donate candles, and found a microphone and speakers. Some of the higher people in the Jewish community wanted to wait, and didn’t support a meeting that day.

I don’t know if we knew at that point, but something was telling us that we had to be together, as SEE ALLDERDICE PAGE 3

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

ALLDERDICE FROM PAGE 2

a community, that night.”

The vigil, which began at 6 p.m., held over 1,000 people as the young leaders sang traditional Havdalah songs (which are sung at the end of Sabbath) and gave powerful speeches that comforted the sobbing crowd.

A light rain began to fall as the students concluded their speeches.

Then, a woman, who did not want to be identified, made the perfect comparison of the rainfall to the emotions felt by so many on this fateful day: “The tears that were had by all of Pittsburgh today.”

The community support did not end with

GIANNA GRIFFIN

SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

the weekend. Dr. James McCoy, the principal at Allderdice who is beginning his second year at the school, made daily announcements in the week following the shooting, notifying students of the grief counselors that were available.

Gun violence is not a foreign subject to students at Allderdice. A week before the Tree of Life shooting, the school held an active-shooter drill, called ALICE (Alert Lockdown Inform Counter Evacuate), where the students were met with a simulation of a school shooter.

Global Minds Initiative, an international nonprofit organization and club at Allderdice that aims to address cultural intolerance and create peaceful dialogues that support young immigrants, released the following statement on social media after the shooting: “Although our hearts were shattered on Saturday, we will not allow the anti-Semitic violence and hatred tear us

down. In times marked so heavily by hate and intolerance, we must rise up, keep our heads high, and persevere. We call for healing and a continuation of the love that makes Squirrel Hill and Pittsburgh welcoming and loving. We call for mourning and remembrance of the 11 beautiful souls that we lost.”

Global Minds was founded in Pittsburgh by Peyton Klein, now a junior at Allderdice. Klein is directly connected to Tree of Life; she worked at the front desk, buzzing people in for nearly two years, starting in 2015.

Her organization held an event at Allderdice on Oct. 30, where over 100 students met to write letters to politicians and the victims’ families, and created posters. There was also a moment of silence where students held 13 roses, 11 for the victims of the Tree of Life attack and two for the African Americans who were murdered at a

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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ALLDERDICE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS who attended the Global Minds Initiative event at the school, Oct. 30. (Photo by Allderdice student Paul Kim) Kroger supermarket just outside of Louisville, Ky., the week prior.

Students at Allderdice are calling for an end to gun violence. In 2017, the FBI reported 8,437 hate crimes in the U.S., up 54 percent from 2014.

Some students believe the increased hatred is a

result of President Donald Trump’s own hate speech that acts as a catalyst for violence.

The shooting at Tree of Life was a horrific event in a long-continued cycle of American violence, terrorism, and hatred.

Despite this, people can find comfort in the love

and support seen in the next generation. Allderdice High School is a microcosm of urban American youth who support one another despite socioeconomic differences.

(Gianna Griffin, a senior at Allderdice High School, is a New Pittsburgh Courier intern.)

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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Latonya Salley-Sharif expands athletics at Nazareth Prep The region’s only African American woman director of athletics at a co-ed independent school Though no longer a classroom teacher, Latonya Salley-Sharif, M.Ed., can often be found walking the halls of Nazareth Prep, connecting with the students she serves as Director of Athletics at the independent, Catholic high school. She also is an advisor to seniors where she supports their post-secondary planning.

Since assuming the position three years ago, just a year after the school opened, she has worked to ensure that the athletics department offers enriching opportunities for all students.

As the only African American woman in charge of athletics at a coed independent school in the region, Salley-Sharif is a pathbreaker, and she’s

made sure that her department is as well. While most other schools of its size have small athletics departments or none at all, Nazareth Prep now offers students a substantial and growing variety of ways to experience the benefits of team sports.

When Salley-Sharif arrived, the school had three sports and four teams.

Now it boasts eight sports and 10 teams.

Nazareth Prep’s current athletic offerings, which adhere to a nocut, all-play policy, consist of cross country (boys and girls), golf, football (through a cooperative sponsorship with Cornell High School), basketball (boys and girls), cheerleading, bowling (boys and girls) and baseball.

Under Salley-Sharif ’s leadership, the school has also become a member of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) and

the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL).

A former Division I scholar-athlete and coach, Salley-Sharif aims to connect the student-athletes at Nazareth Prep with opportunities in collegiate sports. “In our first graduating class, we had two students who now play collegiate football, and because of their athletic participation and ability to maintain our high academic standards, they earned financial support,” she says.

She also notes that the school currently has two players who compete in Division III football and that the boys’ basketball team made the WPIAL playoffs within two years of joining the league.

There have been subtler victories as well. Salley-Sharif points out that introducing bowling has brought football players, golfers and students who would never consider

themselves “athletic” together in support of one another—and that support has blossomed into friendship.

“The students of Nazareth Prep have found a common ground in athletics and have taken the time to appreciate the person in the corner of the classroom working alone as much as they appreciate the threesport athlete.”

As the athletics program continues to grow, Salley-Sharif is working toward increased participation, especially among girls. She also hopes to enhance support for student-athletes striving to participate in, and receive financial aid for, collegiate sports.

Additionally, she would like to build connections between athletics and the school’s physical education and fitness curriculum, to encourage a lifelong enthusiasm for healthful physical activ-

LATONYA SALLEY-SHARIF ity among all Nazareth Prep students.

“I’m dedicated to building a legacy of confidence, a legacy of overcoming, a legacy of loving who you

are and fully accepting people for who they are,” Salley-Sharif says.

Enrollment for the 2019/20 school year is now open.

Shady Side Academy—more than a century of excellence

by Christian Morrow Courier Staff Writer

For nearly 150 years, Shady Side Academy has provided one of the

best private independent primary educational options not just in Pittsburgh, but in the country. These days, its reach is even broad-

Founded 1910

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor The New Pittsburgh Courier acknowledges graphic designer Kathleen Yocum and advertising coordinaor Ashley Johnson for their contributions to the Courier’s 2018 School Choice Guide.

er, boasting a current enrollment that includes 1,035 students from nine states and nine countries.

And if those students are interested in science—they’ve come to the right place, because in May, the venerable institution opened its newest facility: the $11-million, state-of-theart McIlroy Center for Science and Innovation.

As Communications Director Jen Roupe explained, when they say state-of-the-art, they are not exaggerating. This building houses equipment that some colleges don’t have. Mass spectrometer? Got it; Gas chromatograph? Not a problem. 3D printers?

Got them, too.

“We also have a Nuclear Magnetic Resonance imaging machine, PCR genetic sequencing equip-

ment, and a scanning electron microscope,” she said. “It’s been transformational. And the ‘old’ science space is being turned into a tech hub with robotics and computer labs. It’s all very exciting.”

Shady Side offers a holistically balanced educational experience designed to nurture academic, physical and emotional development.

Athletically, the school fields 30 varsity teams in 17 sports. Its arts curriculum is intertwined through all levels of learning with 100 percent participation in the visual and performing arts.

With its first-class facilities and four campuses spread across 189 acres, Shady Side looks more like a small private college than a K-12. And because it is a boarding

school, as well as daily-attendance academy, offering a traditional liberal-arts, college preparatory curriculum, it feels like a college—and it costs like one.

While tuition can reach more than $30,000 per year for senior school students, Shady Side offers an array of financial services including merit scholarships, alumni tuition grants and need-based financial aid. Overall, Roupe said, 30 percent of the school’s students receive some form of financial aid.

Shady Side is also one of the founding private school members of FAME, the Fund for the Advancement of Minorities through Education, which provides needbased scholarships to African American students who would like to attend one of its participating

independent schools.

During the 2017-2018 school year, 15 FAME scholars were enrolled at Shady Side.

“We are proud to be one of the founding members of FAME,” said Roupe. “Our FAME scholars add tremendously to our community.”

The school is also proud of its alumni, most of whom have contributed significantly to the current $31-million capital campaign.

Among those in Shady Side’s 7,000-member strong alumni association are a Nobel Prize-winning doctor, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, a Tony Award-winning actor, a U.S. Cabinet secretary and a NASA astronaut.

The school also boasts a 100-percent college matriculation rate.

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SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

NOVEMBER 21-27, 2018

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New undergraduate research course being offered at Penn State Greater Allegheny MCKEESPORT—Penn State Greater Allegheny, located in McKeesport, Pa., is investing in the next generation of researchers.

Penn State Greater Allegheny professors Megan Nagel, associate professor of chemistry, and Kristal Tucker, assistant professor of biology, are helping to make this happen by bringing course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) to campus.

CUREs have been earning increased attention in higher education, as the experience allows large numbers of students to reap the benefits of an authentic research experience.

Nagel and Tucker are interested in working with undergraduates in the laboratory, and after discussing the ways their research interests could intersect, they began to develop their own

interdisciplinary coursebased research model.

Nagel and Tucker want to move away from the typical “cookbook” experiments with this program, instead they want to be more open and individualized with the research for their students.

“In a ‘cookbook’ experiment, the question being explored is generally the same for every student in the class, provided by the instructor, and has a known and predictable outcome. True science does not work like that,” stated Nagel. “While we will be guiding students, they will be developing their own research questions, those that have not been explored, and don’t yet have an answer.”

In general, projects in their new course will allow students to gain true research experience by isolating or modifying chemical compounds, testing these compounds on

a medically relevant cell line, and then monitoring any resultant changes in cellular morphology.

Traditionally, undergraduate research experiences are offered to top-performing upperclassmen. Nagel and Tucker are using the CURE approach to extend the benefits of a research experience to a wider audience.

Their vision is to serve as many interested students as their space can support, building a collaborative community of young researchers.

“One way that freshmen and sophomores, a group of students heavily represented on our campus, would benefit from a research experience is by observing how skills acquired in foundational STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes such as math, chemistry, physics and biology are

used on a daily basis and how they fit into the bigger picture,” said Tucker.

“With a new appreciation for the foundational STEM classes, we hope to inspire more students to pursue STEM fields.”

Providing Undergraduate research opportunities allow students, whether a first-year freshman or a graduating senior, the advance-

ment in understanding the processes of conducting their own research.

“Binta Barry, a senior from Philadelphia, and Armani Isaac, a freshman from McKeesport, in the Biobehavioral Health Program at Greater Allegheny, are using tissue culture and fluorescence microscopy to investigate mechanisms by which hyperglycemia

can increase the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease,” stated Tucker.

“Our Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience is providing students like Binta and Armani the opportunity to conduct hypothesis driven research, learn useful experimental techniques, and develop valuable presentation skills.”

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SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

Propel schools redefine school, defy expectations Propel Schools has been transforming the lives of children through innovative, student-centered learning for more than 15 years. When Propel first opened its doors in the basement of a former Homestead hospital in 2003, our founders were on a mission to operate high-performing public schools and providing a choice to families who might not otherwise have options for their children. Since that time, Propel Schools has grown to serve 4,000 students in 13 schools throughout Allegheny County.

We believe all children deserve the opportunity to succeed, despite the challenges they face.

That’s why we provide each student with resources and embedded support that might otherwise be inaccessible to them—and why we pursue highly qualified staff to build vibrant teaching communities. We nurture our educators professionally through targeted guidance and support.

We go beyond the typical public school experience and we are proud to join with families as a cooperative, trusted partner that guides chil-

dren toward a brighter tomorrow, academically, emotionally and socially.

Propel gives students in grades K-12 the support they need to thrive in school and beyond.

Supports include a personalized learning environment, access to cutting-edge technology and smaller class sizes.

A caring and committed team of educators, who are passionate about education and social justice, supports each Propel student’s journey. Every Propel student is exposed to wide range of memorable and meaningful experiences in our schools and in the community at large.

Students are inspired, find their self-identity and build strong bonds with their peers through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math), which is integrated into all classrooms. Educators across different core subjects work together to plan and teach projects that build on students’ interests while encouraging them to explore new subjects. This STEAM integration is an essential part of students’ K-12 classroom experience as they learn to apply technology through partner-

STUDENT-FOCUSED LEARNING—Propel Schools gives students in grades K-12 the support they need to thrive in school and beyond. ships with more than 40 local professional organizations.

Propel embraces the power of creativity in helping students to build confidence and find their place and passion in an increasingly complex world. Propel’s Creative Arts Program brings professionals in the fields of musical theater, dance, martial arts, media and physical education into our classrooms. We strive to provide diverse programming to close the experience gap by exposing our students to a variety of experiences.

All 6-12 grade students have the opportunity to participate in Propel Athletics depending on grade level. Students may compete in basket-

ball, volleyball, track and field, cheerleading and bowling.

Overcoming obstacles is the expectation at Propel Schools, and our students’ success reminds us every day why we do what we do.

Brenden Jones, a recent graduate of Propel Andrew Street High School, is in his freshman year at Northwestern University near Chicago.

The Homestead native became inspired by his 9th-grade civics teacher and started actively planning for his steps after high school graduation. His hard work was rewarded when he became one of only 300 students in the nation to be awarded the highly selective Gates Scholar-

ship, a full scholarship with the intent of helping outstanding minority students who come from low-income backgrounds realize their maximum potential.

“My teachers taught me that I could go as far as I wanted to,” Jones said. “I wanted to learn and that’s what got me to where I am now.”

Our Beyond Propel program works to increase postsecondary success by scheduling college visits, assisting with application submissions and connecting students to mentors.

Additional things you should know about Propel Schools: •Currently, our schools are: Andrew Street High School in Munhall; Brad-

TECHNOLOGY IS EVERYWHERE—Technology is a part of ART AND NUMBERS—Symmetry was the topic of discussion in this class as students fold learning in all Propel Schools classrooms. construction paper in half.

dock Hills Elementary (K-5), Braddock Hills Middle (6-8), and Braddock Hills High School; East (K-8) in Turtle Creek, Hazelwood (K-7); Homestead (K-8), McKeesport (K-8); Montour Elementary (K-5), Montour Middle (6-8), and Montour High School in Kennedy Township; Northside (K-8); and Pitcairn (K-8) •Our award winning afterschool programs are free to Propel families.

Afterschool is more than just a safe place. It offers academic enrichment opportunities and includes snacks and/or dinner •Propel’s school year begins mid-August and ends late June. The longer school day and school year allows more time for instruction and student/educator engagement •Propel has a student uniform dress code to support its Culture of Dignity and minimize distractions •Families of new kindergarten students must attend registration, and later, kindergarten screening. These sessions are intended to assess students’ strengths and growth areas to prepare families for the Propel experience Propel Schools is a network of public, charter schools that are open to all families who live within Allegheny County. Previous academic achievement, demographics and income level are not considered in our lottery-based enrollment process. We are currently accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year at www.propelschools. org/apply. The names of all students who apply before Dec. 31 will be entered into the January lottery drawing. Families who are not selected in the lottery, or who apply after Dec. 31, will be placed on the waiting list.

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CCAC offers free education, training PPS cites gains in achievement, while acknowledging ‘work ahead’ for in-demand STEM careers

The Community College of Allegheny County is providing education and training that leads to well-paying jobs in STEM fields—all at no cost to students. The BioMaS (Biotechnology, Math & Sciences) Workforce Collaborative program enables students to earn a Certificate or Associate of Science in Biotechnology, or an Associate of Science in Teacher Education Middle Level & Secondary with Math or Science Specialization in preparation for transfer to a four-year institution.

Nearly 80 percent of the graduates of the program are successfully entering the workforce or are transferring to four-year universities to earn a bachelor’s degree.

To date, the collaborative has served 52 stu-

dents with scholarships and wrap-around services since the spring of 2016. Several of the graduates have gone on to four-year universities to complete their bachelor’s degree, and others have secured positions in the biotechnology field at institutions such as Duquesne University, UPMC Critical Care Medicine, Dermpath Diagnostics and Cook MyoSite. Additionally, several students who earned an Associate of Science in Teacher Education Middle Level & Secondary have gone on to earn bachelor’s degrees and now have teaching positions.

The fact that there is no cost to students is not the only benefit—the program is very hands on, and the students learn solid lab skills that

serve them well throughout their career. And the demand is growing for skilled biotechnologists, such as CCAC graduate Tamika Macon.

“The BioMaS program was beneficial to me because it supplied me with the support I needed to be successful in a field in which I was unfamiliar,” said Macon, production supervisor at Cook MyoSite. The BioMaS scholarship covers tuition and fees for up to 65 credits of CCAC credit courses; up to $450 for books per term; a paid internship for Biotechnology majors; additional cost-of-attendance items on an as-needed basis; and a monthly bus pass.

by Dr. Anthony Hamlet Superintendent, PPS

Pittsburgh Public Schools stands in the midst of a transformational period that seeks significant improvement in our district through thoughtful, strategic initiatives aimed at addressing achievement disparities among our students. To reach this goal, we have implemented fundamental structural changes to the way we approach education. As with any effort requiring change, the road has not always been easy—but most worthwhile endeavors rarely are.

Today, PPS offers 21 magnet programs that let students focus their interests, and 15 career/tech(For more information on nical education programs CCAC’s BioMaS Workforce give students a head start Collaborative program, visit: on their careers. The lottery application period for ccac.edu/BioMaS.)

the 2019-20 school year is going on now through Nov. 30.

Some other highlights worth noting include: Strategic partnerships: Corporate and community partners have enhanced educational opportunities for PPS students, such as an $11,000 donation of bicycle desks to elementary-age children at Pittsburgh Weil by UnitedHealthcare in October and Sprint’s 1Million Project, which gave 630 high school students a free mobile device and free Wi-Fi service.

Achievement gaps: We have made progress in the achievement gap for African American students, more of whom are graduating from high school. More third-grade students are reading at grade level today compared to three years ago.

With the introduction of positive behavior interventions and supports and restorative practices, suspension rates are down 35 percent compared to three years ago.

Greater transparency: the State of the District report (pghschools.org/stateofthedistrict) marks the first time PPS has shared a report that includes not only district-level results, but also graduation rates, detailed suspension information, and budget information.

Our administration, board, principals, teachers, and school staff continue our focus on providing the best possible education for every student. While we take pride in what we have accomplished to date, we also acknowledge the work to come while eagerly anticipating the milestones ahead.

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New Pittsburgh Courier list of schools DISTRICT INFORMATION Allegheny Valley School District Communities Served: Cheswick and Springdale Boroughs, Harmar and Springdale Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.avsdweb.org/ Avonworth School District Communities Served: Ben Avon, Ben Avon Heights and Emsworth Boroughs, Kilbuck and Ohio Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.avonworth.k12. pa.us Baldwin-Whitehall School District Communities Served: Baldwin and Whitehall Boroughs and Baldwin Township Levels: K-12 http://www.bwschools.net Bethel Park School District Communities Served: Municipality of Bethel Park Levels: K-12 http://www.bpsd.org Brentwood Borough School District Communities Served: Brentwood Borough Levels: K-12 http://www.bb-sd.com Carlynton School District Communities Served: Carnegie, Crafton and Rosslyn Farms Boroughs Levels: K-12 http://www.carlynton.k12.pa.us Chartiers Valley School District Communities Served: Bridgeville and Heidelberg Boroughs, Collier and Scott Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.cvsd.net Clairton City School District Communities Served: Clairton City Levels: K-12 http://www.ccsdbears.org Cornell School District Communities Served: Coraopolis Borough and Neville Township Levels: K-12 http://www.cornell.k12.pa.us Deer Lakes School District Communities Served: East Deer, Frazer and West Deer Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.deerlakes.net

Duquesne City School District Communities Served: Duquesne City Levels: K-6 http://www.dukecitysd.org East Allegheny School District Communities Served: East McKeesport, Wall and Wilmerding Boroughs; North Versailles Township Levels: K-12 http://www.eawildcats.net Elizabeth Forward School District Communities Served: Elizabeth Borough, Elizabeth and Forward Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.efsd.net Fox Chapel Area School District Communities Served: Aspinwall, Blawnox, Fox Chapel and Sharpsburg Boroughs; Indiana and O’Hara Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.fcasd.edu Gateway School District

Communities Served: Municipality of Monroeville and Pitcairn Borough Levels: K-12 http://www.gatewayk12.org Hampton Township School District Communities Served: Hampton Township Levels: K-12 http://www.ht-sd.org Highlands School District Communities Served: Brackenridge and Tarentum Boroughs, Harrison and Fawn Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.goldenrams.com Keystone Oaks School District Communities Served: Castle Shannon, Dormont, Green Tree Boroughs Levels: K-12 Enrollment: 1,880 http://www.kosd.org McKeesport Area School District Communities Served: Dravosburg, Versailles and White Oak Boroughs;

City of McKeesport; and South Versailles Township Levels: K-12 http://www.mckasd.net Montour School District Communities Served: Ingram, Pennsbury and Thornburg Boroughs; Kennedy and RobinsonTownships Levels: K-12 http://www.montourschools. com Moon Area School District Communities Served: Moon and Cresent Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.moonarea.net Mt. Lebanon School District Communities Served: Mt. Lebanon Levels: K-12 http://www.mtlsd.org North Allegheny School District Communities Served: Bradford Woods and Franklin Park Boroughs, Marshall Township and Town of McCandless Levels: K-12 http://www.northallegheny.org

North Hills School District Communities Served: West View Borough and Ross Township Levels: K-12 http://www.nhsd.net Northgate School District Communities Served: Avalon and Bellevue Boroughs Levels: K-12 http://www.northgate.k12.pa.us Penn Hills School District Communities Served: Municipality of Penn Hills Levels: K-12 http://www.phsd.k12.pa.us Pine-Richland School District Communities Served: Pine and Richland Townships Levels: K - 12 http://www.pinerichland.org Pittsburgh Public Schools Communities Served: City of Pittsburgh Levels: K-12 www.pps.k12.pa.us Plum Borough School DisSEE LIST PAGE 9

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trict Communities Served: Plum Borough Levels: K-12 http://www.pbsd.k12.pa.us Quaker Valley School District Communities Served: Bell A , , n , Haysville, Leetsdale, Osborne, Sewickley, Sewickley Heights and Sewickley Hills Boroughs; Aleppo and Leet Townships Levels: K-12 http://www.qvsd.org Riverview School District Communities Served: Oakmont and Verona Boroughs Levels: K-12 http://www.rsd.k12.pa.us Shaler Area School District Communities Served: Etna and Millvale Boroughs, Reserve and Shaler Townships, Glenshaw Levels: K-12 http://www.sasd.k12.pa.us South Allegheny School District Communities Served: Glassport, Liberty, Lincoln and Port Vue Boroughs Levels: K-12 http://www.southallegheny.org

SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

South Fayette Township School District Communities Served: South Fayette Township Levels: K-12 http://www.southfayette.org South Park School District Communities Served: South Park Township Levels: K-12 http://www.sparksd.org Steel Valley School District Communities Served: Homestead, Munhall and West Homestead Boroughs Levels: K-12 http://steelvalleysd.org Sto-Rox School District Communities Served: McKees Rocks Borough and Stowe Township Levels: K-12 http://www.srsd.k12.pa.us Upper St. Clair School District Communities Served: Upper St. Clair Township Levels: K-12 http://www.uscsd.k12.pa.us West Allegheny School District Communities Served: Findlay and North Fayette Townships, Oakdale Borough Levels: K-12

http://www.westasd.org/ West Jefferson Hills School District Communities Served: Jefferson, Pleasant Hills and West Elizabeth Boroughs Levels: K-12 http://www.wjhsd.net West Mifflin Area School District Communities Served: West Mifflin n i Levels: K-12 http://www.wmasd.org Wilkinsburg School District Communities Served: Wilkinsburg Levels: Pre-K-6 http://www.wilkinsburgschools. org/ Woodland Hills School District Communities Served: Braddock, Braddock Hills, Chalfant, Churchill, East Pittsburgh, Edgewood, Forest Hills, North Braddock, Rankin, Swissvale and Turtle Creek Boroughs; and Wilkins Township Levels: K-12 http://www.whsd.net NON-PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROGRAM PAROCHIAL

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& PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private Schools—Eastern Area Beulah Christian Preschool Grades: P-K 2500 McCrady Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15235 Phone: 412-242-4424 CCAC Boyce CDC Grades: Pre K-K 595 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA. 15146 Phone: 724-325-6677 Christ Lutheran School Grades: Pre - 3 -8 400 Barclay Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15221 Phone: 412-271-7173 East Catholic Grades: K-8 2001 Ardmore Boulevard, Pittsburgh, PA. 15221 Phone: 412-351-5403 Faith Christian School Grades: K-12 801 Thompson Street, Turtle Creek, PA. 15145 Phone: 412-825-7455 Greater Works Academy Grades: K-12 301 College Park Drive, Monroeville, PA. 15146 Phone: 724-327-6500 Learning Tree, The V Grades: K

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2566 Haymaker Road, Monroeville, PA. 15146 Phone: 412-372-2744 North American Martyrs School Grades: K-6 2526 Haymaker Road, Monroeville, PA. 15146 Phone: 412-373-0889 Pittsburgh Urban Christian Grades: K-8 809 Center Street, Pittsburgh, PA. 15221 Phone: 412-244-1779 Praise Christian Academy Grades: K-8 245 Foster Road, North Versailles, PA. 15137 Phone: 412-829-0400 Redeemer Lutheran Grades: Pre - 6 700 Idaho Ave, Verona, PA. 15147 Phone: 412-828-9323 Shady Side Academy (Junior School) Grades: PK-5 400 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 152213215 Phone: 412-473-4400 St. Bartholomew School Grades: Pre -8 SEE LIST PAGE 10

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111 Erhardt Drive, Pittsburgh, PA. 15235 Phone: 412-242-2511 St. Bernadette School Grades: Pre- K -8 245 Azalea Drive, Monroeville, PA. 15146 Phone: 412-372-7255 St. Joseph School Grades: K-8 825 Second Avenue, Verona, PA. 15147 Phone: 412-828-7213 Sister Thea Bowman Catholic Academy Grades: K-8 721 Rebecca Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15221 Phone: 412-242-3515 Trinity Christian School Grades: K-12 299 Ridge Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15221 Phone: 412-242-8886 Private Schools––Northern Area Aquinas Academy Grades: K-12 2308 West Hardies Road, Gibsonia, PA. 15044 Phone: 724-444-0722 Assumption School Grades: K- 8 35 North Jackson Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15202 Phone: 412-761-788 Blessed Sacrament School Grades: K-8 800 Montana Avenue, Natrona Heights, PA. 15065 Phone: 724-226-2345 CCAC North Child Development Center Grades: P-K 8701 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA. 15237 Phone: 412-369-3722 Cheswick Christian School Grades: Pre - 12 1407 Pittsburgh Street, Cheswick, PA. 15024 Phone: 724-274-4846 Christ the Divine Teacher Catholic Academy Grades: 1-8 205 Brilliant Street, Pittsburgh, PA. 15215 Phone: 412-781-7927 Community Child Development Center Grades: P-K K 400 Center Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15215 Phone: 412-781-2204 Eden Christian Academy-B Grades: P-8 206 Seibert Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15237 Phone: 412-364-8055 Eden Christian Academy-W Grades: Pre-5

SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

12121 Perry Highway, Wexford, PA. 15090 Phone: 724-935-9301 Fox Chapel Country Day Grades: PK-5 620 Squaw Run Road East, Pittsburgh, PA. 15238 Phone: 412-963-8644 Montessori Centre Academy 1014 William Flynn Highway, Glenshaw, PA. 15116 Phone: 412-486-6239 Montessori Children’s Community Grades: Pre - 6 474 Chadwick Street, Sewickley, PA. 15143 Phone: 412-741-8982 Mt. Alvernia High School Grades: 9-12 146 Hawthorne Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15209 Phone: 412-821-3858 Mt. Nazareth Center Grades: P-K 285 Bellevue Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15229 Phone: 412-931-9761 North Pittsburgh Child’s House 5031 Oakview Drive, Gibsonia, PA. 15044 Phone: 724-444-0480 Providence Heights Alpha School Grades: 1-8 9000 Babcock Boulevard, Allison Park, PA. 15101 Phone: 412-366-4455 Royal Oak Nursery 4413 Mt. Royal Boulevard, Allison Park, PA. 15101 Phone: 412-487-1668 Sewickley Academy Grades: Pre -K-12 315 Academy Avenue, Sewickley, PA. 15143 Phone: 412-741-2230 Shady Side Academy (Middle School) Grades: 6-8 500 Squaw Run Road East, Pittsburgh, PA. 15238 Phone: 412-968-3100 Shady Side Academy (Senior School) Grades: 9-12 423 Fox Chapel Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15238 Phone: 412-968-3000 St. Alexis School Grades: P-K, 1-8 10090 Old Perry Highway RD#1, Wexford, PA. 15090 Phone: 724-935-3940 St. Alphonsus School Grades: K -8 201 Church Road, Wexford, PA. 15090 Phone: 724-935-1152 St. Bonaventure School Grades: pre -K- 8

2001 Mt. Royal Boulevard, Glenshaw, PA. 15116 Phone: 412-486-2608 St. James School Grades: K-8 201 Broad Street, Sewickley, PA. 15143 Phone: 412-741-5540 St. Joseph High School Grades: 9-12 800 Montana, Natrona, PA. 15065 Phone: 724-224-5552 St. Mary School Grades: Pre -K-8 2510 Middle Road, Glenshaw, PA. 15116 Phone: 412-486-7611 St. Sebastian School Grades: K-8 307 Siebert Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15237 Phone: 412-364-7171 St. Teresa of Avila School Grades: Pre K -8 800 Avila Court, Pittsburgh, PA. 15237 Phone: 412-367-9001 St. Ursula School Grades: Pre - K- 8 3937 Kirk Avenue, Allison Park, PA. 15101 Phone: 412-486-5511 The Glen Montessori Grades: P-K 500 Huntingdon Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15202 Phone: 412-766-3815 TLC Child Development Center 8801 Peebles Road, Allison Park, PA. 15101 Phone: 412-635-0785 UPMC The Children’s House 9100 Babcock Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA. 15237 Phone: 412-367-6879 Vincentian Academy Grades: 9-12 Peebles & McKnight Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15237 Phone: 412-364-1616 Western Pa Montessori Grades: P-K 2379 Wyland Avenue, Allison Park, PA. 15101 Phone: 412-487-2700 Winchester Thurston North Campus Grades: K-5 4225 Middle Road, Allison Park, PA. 15101 Phone: 412-486-8341 PRIVATE SCHOOLS— SOUTH AREA ABC’s for Children 1630 Greentree Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15220 Phone: 412-344-4422 Calvary Baptist Church Grades: Pre- K

NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER

120 Anborn Drive, West Mifflin, PA. 15122 Phone: 412-461-6211 Hillcrest Christian School Grades: Pre -K- 8 2500 Bethel Church Road, Bethel Park, PA. 15102 Phone: 412-854-4040 Holy Trinity School Grades: Pre- K 1-8 5720 Steubenville Pike, McKees Rocks, PA. 15136-1311 Phone: 412-787-2656 Jubilee Christian Grades: K-6 255 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15216 Phone: 412-561-5917 Mon Yough Catholic School Grades: P-8 1640 Fawcett Avenue, McKeesport, PA. 15131 Phone: 412-672-2360 Montessori Early Childhood Grades: P-K 2400 Old Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15241 Phone: 412-881-1566 Mt. Lebanon Montessori Grades: Pre - K -6 550 Sleepy Hollow Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15228 Phone: 412-563-2858 Serra High School Grades: 9-12 200 Hershey Drive, McKeesport, PA. 15132-7400 Phone: 412-751-2020 Seton-LaSalle High School Grades: 9-12 1000 McNeilly Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15226 Phone: 412-561-3583 St. Agnes School Grades: Pre-K -8 653 St. Agnes Lane, West Mifflin, PA. 15122 Phone: 412-466-6238 St. Anne School Grades: K-8 4040 Willow Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15234 Phone: 412-561-7720 St. Bernard School Grades: K-8 401 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15216 Phone: 412-341-5444 St. Elizabeth School Grades: P-8 Grove Place, Pittsburgh, PA. 15236 Phone: 412-881-2958 St. Gabriel School Grades: K-8 5200 Greenridge Drive, Pittsburgh, PA. 15236 Phone: 412-882-3353 St. John the Baptist School Grades: K-8 418 Unity-Center Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15239

Phone: 412-793-0555 St. Louise deMarillac School Grades: K - 8 310 McMurray Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15241 Phone: 412-835-0600 St. Margaret School Grades: 1-8 915 Alice Street, Pittsburgh, PA. 15220 Phone: 412-922-4765 St. Sylvester School Grades: Pre - K- 3 - 8 30 West Willock Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15227 Phone: 412-882-9900 St. Therese School Grades: Pre - K- 8 3 St. Therese Court, Munhall, PA. 15120 Phone: 412-462-8163 St. Thomas More School Grades: Pre - 8 134 Fort Couch Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15241 Phone: 412-833-1412 Three Hierarchs East Orthodox Grades: Pre-3 123 Gilkeson Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15228 Phone: 412-851-7279 Walnut Grove Christian Academy Grades: K-7 44 Adams Avenue, West Mifflin, PA. 15122 Phone: 412-469-3280 Wesley Academy Grades: 6-12 243 Johnston Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15241 Phone: 412-833-6444 Wilson Christian Academy Grades: Pre -K-12 1900 Clairton Road, West Mifflin, PA. 15122 Phone: 412-466-1919 Private Schools-West Area Carol Leone CC & Development Center 551 Thorn Run Road, Coraopolis, PA. 15108 Phone: 412-264-0633 Crafton Children’s Center Grades: P-K 600 Hamilton Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15205 Phone: 412-561-5502 Holy Child Catholic School Grades: Pre-K-8 220 Station Street, Bridgeville, PA. 15017 Phone: 412-221-4720 Noah’s Ark Grades: K 405 Frederick Avenue, Sewickley, PA. 15143 Phone: 412-741-5231 Our Lady of Grace School Grades: P-8 SEE LIST PAGE 11

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1734 Bower Hill Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15243 Phone: 412-279-6611 Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School Grades: 9-12 1504 Woodcrest Avenue, Coraopolis, PA. 15108 Phone: 412-264-5140 Pumpkin Patch Preschool Grades: Pre -K 601 Flaugherty Run Road, Coraopolis, PA. 15108 Phone: 412-269-0525 Rhema Christian School Grades: Pre- K -8 1301 Coraopolis Heights Road, Moon Township, PA. 15108 Phone: 412-269-9555 Robinson Township Christian Grades: Pre - 12 77 Phillips Lane, McKees Rocks, PA. 15136 Phone: 412-787-5919 St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School Grades: K-8 316 Third Avenue, Carnegie, PA. 15106 Phone: 412-276-4366 St. Malachy School Grades: Pre -K-8

SCHOOL CHOICE GUIDE 2018

343 Forest Grove Road, Coraopolis, PA. 15108 Phone: 412-771-4545 St. Philip School Grades: Pre - K-8 50 West Crafton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15205 Phone: 412-928-2742 PRIVATE SCHOOLS— CITY AREA Bishop Canevin High School Grades: 9-12 2700 Morange Road, Pittsburgh, PA. 15205 Phone: 412-208-3400 Central Catholic High School Grades: 9-12 4720 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15213 Phone: 412-208-3400 The Ellis School Grades: Pre-K-12 6425 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15206 Phone:412-661-5992 Falk School Laboratory School Grades: K-8 4060 Aliquippa Street, Pittsburgh, PA. 15261 Phone: 412-624-8020 Oakland Catholic Grades: 9-12 144 North Craig Street, Pitts-

burgh, PA. 15213 Phone: 412-682-6633 Winchester Thurston School Grades: Pre-K-12 555 Moorewood Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15213 Phone:412-578-7500 CHARTER SCHOOLS Academy Charter School Levels: 9-12 www.theacademyschools.com City Charter High School Levels: 9-12 www.cityhigh.org Environmental Charter School Levels: K-6 https://ecspgh.org Manchester Academic Charter School Levels: K-8 www.Macsk8.org Neighborhood Academy Charter School Levels: 6-12 www.theneighborhoodacademy.org Propel Charter School Levels: K-12 www.propelschools.org Urban Academy of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School Levels: K-5 www.urbanacademypgh.org

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Urban Pathways K-5 Charter School Levels: K-5 www.upcsk5.net Urban Pathways 6-12 Charter School Levels: 6-12 www.upcs.net CYBER SCHOOLS 21st Century Cyber Charter School Levels: 6-12 www.21cccs.org Achievement House Cyber Charter School Levels: 7-12 www.achievementcharter.com ACT Academy Cyber Charter School Levels: 9-12 www.actacademy.org Agora Cyber Charter School Levels: K-12 https://agora.org Aspira Bilingual Cyber Charter School Levels: K-12 www.aspirapa.org/abccs Central PA Digital Learning Foundation Charter School Levels: K-12 www.cpdlf.org Commonwealth Connections Academy Charter School

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Levels: K-12 https://ccaeducate.me Esperanza Cyber Charter School Levels: K-12 www.esperanzacyber.com Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School Levels: K-12 www.pacyber.org Pennsylvania Distance Learning Charter School Levels: K-12 www.padistance.org Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School Levels: K-12 www.palcs.org Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School Levels: K-12 www.pavcsk12.org SusQ-Cyber Charter School Levels: 9-12 www.susqcyber.org (This list was compiled with information from the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit, the Pennsylvania Department of Education, metrokids.com, noodle. com and the Popular Pittsburgh Websites. This is not a comprehensive listing.)

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