Volume 31 No. 4
April 2015
East Ohio Street Project to include bike lanes
Penn Brewery’s ‘Ladies of Lager’ By Brady Langmann
Take a trip to the furthest edge of Northside, and you’ll find a 19th-century marvel of sorts greeting you in Troy Hill, towering red walls, cobblestone roads, and wide gates inviting you inside. This is the home of the Penn Brewery, which is regularly packed with beer-loving Pittsbur-
Pashek Associates bike lane concept plans that are included in the project. / Photo by Justin Criado By Justin Criado PennDOT held a public meeting Wednesday, March 4 at the Priory hotel in Historic Deutschtown to discuss its East Ohio Street project. The project, which will go to bid in May, will focus on the 800 block of East Ohio Street, Madison Avenue, East Street, including nearby Route 79 and 28 ramps. One big improvement included in the project is the addition of exclusive bicycle and pedestrian lanes, which the Northside Leadership Conference’s Bike/ Ped committee helped develop.
“We had quite a bit of public outreach and involvement getting us to this point. We worked very closely with the Northside Leadership Conference and its Bicycle/Pedestrian Committee,” Dan Cessna, PennDOT’s District 11 executive, said. “The result of all this effort is something we hope you find very appealing. It’s a very nice enhancement we believe to your community.” The five-foot lanes will be along each side of the 800 block of East Ohio Street from the intersection of Chestnut and East Ohio Streets in East Deutschtown to the
intersection of East Ohio and East Streets in Historic Deutschtown, including under the I-79 overpass. There will also be a two-foot buffer between the bike and traffic lanes, according to submitted plans. “This stretch will now become a safe connection from the neighborhood to the North Shore Trail, the 16th St. Bridge, and on to the Strip District and Penn Avenue Bike Lanes,” Nick Ross, NS Bike/Ped committee chairman, explained to the Northside Chronicle while plans were still in the works. See Bikes, Page 10
See Lager, Page 9
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THE NORTHSIDE CHRONICLE 922 Middle St. • Pittsburgh, PA 15212
April 2015
Community Meetings To have your community meeting included, email editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com After Jail & Prison Ministry Support Group Mondays, 6-7 p.n. Allegheny Center Alliance Church 412.321.4333 ext. 127 801 Union Place, first floor
Managing Editor Justin Criado editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com Advertising Manager Jena Ruszkiewicz advertising@thenorthsidechronicle.com www.thenorthsidechronicle.com Phone 412-321-3919 • Fax 412-321-1447 Mail Subscriptions are available at a rate of $35.00 per year. Distribution: 8,000 copies 2015 Advertising Rates: SIZE Black & White Color 1/8 page $56 $68 1/4 page $118 $157 1/2 page $229 $295 Full page $452 $585 Back Page $616 Center Spread $965 Discounts of up to 20% off rate card price for multiple-insertion contracts DISCLAIMER: The viewpoints and opinions of the writers and contributors that appear in the Northside Chronicle do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints, opinions, beliefs or positions of the Northside Chronicle’s publishers, editors, staff and/or affiliates. The Northside Chronicle is not affiliated with any formal political, social, religious, educational or philosophical organization or party of any kind. The materials comprising the Northside Chronicle are provided by various organizations, community groups, advertisers, entities, writers and contributors and are provided as a service to the readers of the Northside Chronicle on an “as-is” basis for informational purposes only. The Northside Chronicle assumes no responsibility for any copyright infringement, errors or omissions in these materials and expressly disclaims any representations or warranties, express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose regarding the correctness, accuracy, completeness, timeliness and reliability of the information provided. The Northside Chronicle is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance upon such information. Reference herein to any commercial product, process or service does not constitute or imply endorsement or favoring by the Northside Chronicle. © The Northside Chronicle 2014
Allegheny West Civic Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Calvary United Methodist Church 412.323.8884 Brighton Heights Citizens Federation 2nd Thursday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Morrow Elementary School 412.734.0233 Brightwood Civic Group 3rd Tuesday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Pressley Ridge, 2611 Stayton St. 412.732.8152 Brightwood Community Emergency Response Shelter 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6 p.m. 3219 Central Ave. California-Kirkbride Blockwatch 3rd Thursday, monthly, 7 p.m. 1601 Brighton Rd., 3rd floor California-Kirkbride Neighbors 2nd Thursday, monthly, 7 p.m. 1601 Brighton Rd., 3rd floor 412.758.3898
412.323.9030 Manchester Citizens Corporation Quarterly meetings, call for times MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. 412.323.1743 Manchester Public Safety Meeting Quarterly meetings, call for times Northside Leadership Conference 412.323.1743 Northside Rotary Club Every Friday, noon Cardello Building, 2nd Floor Northside Coalition for Fair Housing Board 2nd Monday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5527 Northside Coalition for Fair Housing Membership Monthly, call for times 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5521 Northside Leadership Conference Call for times 4 Allegheny Center, Suite 601 412.330.2559 North Side Lions Club 2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly, noon Max’s Allegheny Tavern
Central Northside Neighborhood Council
2nd Monday, monthly, 7 p.m. Allegheny Traditional Academy 412.231.7742
North Side Public Safety Council 1st Thursday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Northside Leadership Conference 412.330.2559
Charles Street Area Council 1st Monday, monthly, call for times Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. 412.321.5567
Observatory Hill, Inc. 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Byzantine Seminary, 3605 Perrysville Ave. 412.231.2887
Community Alliance of Spring Garden/ East Deutschtown 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Fuhrer Building of St. Michael’s Church 412.977.1979
Perry Hilltop Citizens’ Council 4th Monday, monthly, 6 p.m. Triangle Tech,1940 Perrysville Ave. perryhilltop@gmail.com 412.223.7144
Deutschtown New Hope Council 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Community Center, 623 Suismon St.
The Promise Group Every other Tuesday, 6 p.m. Western Pa. Humane Society 412.321.1019
East Allegheny Community Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Bistro to Go 412.321.1204 Fineview Citizens Council 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 7 p.m. 21 Lanark St.
412.231.0330 Mexican War Streets Society 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. AUU Church, Resaca Pl. and North Ave.
Troy Hill Citizens Council Second Tuesday of the month , 7 p.m. 1619 Lowrie St. 412.321.2852 Spring Hill Civic League March 2nd, May 4th, Sept. 14th, Oct. 5th, Nov. 2nd. 7 p.m., Spring Hill Elementary School contact@shcl.org Summer Hill Citizens Committee
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Former Steelers quarterback stresses the importance of healthy living at fair
Photo by Aaron Dobler
Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch (center) talked about the importance of a healthy lifestyle. By Aaron Dobler The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Allegheny in Central Northside hosted the 2015 Health and Wellness Fair Saturday, Feb. 28. The event was the culmination of the library’s Black History Month celebration, and included representatives from Pittsburgh-based health organizations and an inspirational talk by former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch. Batch is now an author, philanthropist and media personality, and his presentation “The Importance of Fitness” challenged and motivated attendees to develop their mental and physical health. “Sports and education go hand-in-hand,” Batch said. Batch was born and raised in Homestead, Pa. and when he graduated from Steel Valley high school, he was the first of his family to do so. He worked hard to achieve his goal of playing professional football and recognized that his football career gave him a valuable opportunity to help others. “I had help, so I’m here to help along the way,” he said. His Best of the Batch Foundation offers a variety of programs and scholarships to improve communities and help individual students achieve their goals. “Dreams are nothing more than
plans waiting for action,” Batch said. During the Best of the Batch program, Batch asks students what they want to achieve and then helps them develop a plan to reach their goals. Graduating high school is the first and most important step, but he also actively helps students apply and enroll in higher education programs. “We always stress the importance of an education and having something to fall back on,” he said. Even after achieving his own dream of playing football in the NFL, Batch continues to develop and grow his physical and philanthropic projects. About five years ago, he created a vision board to help him identify his own goals, asking himself: “What do I want to do outside of football, and how do I get there?” When he isn’t speaking or helping students, Batch can be found at the pool adding laps and shaving seconds off his workout. Batch also spoke of the importance of proper nutrition to mental and physical development. In school, he routinely skipped breakfast but noticed his energy levels lagging throughout the day. He became conscious of what he was eating and drinking, and he experimented until he found a diet that kept his energy levels up. Gabbi Bucci, a library clerk for
Photo by Aaron Dobler
Former Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch (left) outlined his workout routine in regards to staying active. Carnegie Library of PittsburghAllegheny, was also on-hand as a representative of the Aging Institute of UPMC to provide information for caregivers and for the elderly entering later-life stages. “I want them to know about the resources that not only the Aging Institute has, but also the resources we have here at the library,” Bucci said. She added that it is important for the library to host events like the Health and Wellness Fair because it is a focal point of the community, and the library’s goal is to match patrons with the information that they need. Cecelia Ware was at the Health and Wellness Fair to discuss the benefits of Tai Chi and encourage visitors to register for the weekly class that she teaches at the library. “Tai Chi is good for your physical health and your mental health,” Ware said. “It’s a stress reliever, and it helps with balance, strength and endurance. Anyone can do Tai Chi.” People interested in participating in the class can call the library or visit its website to sign up. Pharmacy residents Sean McGonigle and Ben Rosati represented Allegheny General Health Network and provided attendees with free blood pressure tests and consultations.
“It’s always important to know your health information,” said Rosati. “Hypertension puts people at risk for strokes, heart attacks and other long-term problems.” McGonigle added: “We have a lot of information and handouts about why it’s important to control your blood pressure and methods of controlling it.” They also talked about the importance of taking medications correctly, and how to properly dispose of old medications. Nearly 50 percent of patients struggle with non-adherence to their medications, and they believe that education is the solution. “A lot of times, patients don’t know what they’re on their medications for, and that can be a problem because if you don’t know what you’re taking or why you’re taking it, you’re not going to take it,” Rosati said. The Health and Wellness Fair made the clear point that fitness has both physical and mental components and that success requires long-term commitment and short-term, achievable goals. Batch’s most important lesson is to “be ready.” This means holding yourself to a high standard, putting in the hard work and doing daily what other people only do occasionally. Aaron is a community contributor.
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Garden Theater sign to be restored, reinstalled By Justin Criado The Urban Redevelopment Authority approved a motion to apply for a Buhl Foundation grant March 12 as it works with the Allegheny Center Central Association to restore the Garden Theater’s vertical “GARDEN” sign, which was taken down over a year ago and put in to storage during the building’s façade restoration. The Buhl grant will be for up to $25,000 as the URA would match the grant amount, up to $100,000, from tax increment financing funds, according to reports.The total cost of the restoration and reinstallation could cost upwards of $130,000, according to ACCA president Andrew Wickesburg. Development of the Garden Theater on West North Av-
enue in Central Northside came to a stand-still last year when Domenic Branduzzi, chef-owner of Piccolo Forno in Lawrenceville, pulled out after intending to open a new Italian restaurant. There is currently no tenant, while plans for the building itself are unclear, but Wickesburg explained that he thinks the sign restoration will help restore faith in the project. “That sign is symbolic for the whole Northside,” Wickesburg said. “I think it will restore hope in the Garden Theater block.” A timeline was not immediately available, but Wickesburg said it could take at least a year as proper funds are acquired in full before restoration and implementation can start.
* Deutschtown Music Festival fundraiser April 11 at the Warhol Museum. Tickets available at deutschtownmusicfestival.org. Live music and special Wigle Whiskey cocktail hour. 7 p.m. VIP / 8 p.m. GA. All proceeds benefit fest.
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Troy Hill author creates exciting, new world in book By Aaron Dobler Cheryl Suchacek of Troy Hill spends her days crunching numbers as a revenue auditor at Rivers Casino, but by night she has been hard at work with her debut novel “Strands of Sollus” (Dorrance Publishing). Cheryl is not new to being published --she has had poetry printed in several anthologies--but “Strands of Sollus” is her first attempt at a full-length novel. Writing a novel is difficult enough, but because Cheryl writes in the fantasy genre, she has taken on the additional challenge of creating and populating an entire world complete with its own mythology and history. “The world of Sollus itself took me over a year to develop and another year to write the story,” Cheryl says. “Then a year in production.
This has been a long time building.” “Strands of Sollus” follows the characters Myst and Lotus as they try to recover a stolen magical sword, but they quickly discover that there is a much larger and more dangerous plot behind the theft, and the very fate of Sollus could be at stake. Cheryl does most of her writing in her computer room where she works in close proximity to her husband, Ed, who created the cover art for the book and other visual art from the world of Sollus, which can be found on the website. The website also includes trailers that promote the book and a store where people can buy copies of the book and other items like handmade chainmail bookmarks. The Suchaceks are avid tabletop and online gamers, which has given them a lot of practice in creating characters that inter-
act with unusual environments. “We have a lot of years of gaming between us to draw on for seeing how characters react. Myst and Lotus both started out as characters that I would run,” Cheryl said. “Over the years, they’ve evolved. “I start with a location, and I want them to get here. What happens in between is because I’ve developed the characters to such an extent that I know how they’re going to react. My characters drive the story more than I do.” Ed added: “They went from simple characters on a piece of paper to characters that almost live and breathe on their own. They’re believable. They have desires. They have wants,” Ed said. What sets “Strands of Sollus” apart from other fantasy novels is an erotic element that Cheryl describes as “R-rated.” “It’s an epic fantasy, but it def-
Photo courtesy of the Suchaceks
Cheryl and Ed Suchacek of Troy Hill have created a new dimension in Cheryl’s debut book “Strands of Sollus.” Ed helped create and illustrate book and character art.
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Nyman, Cindrich guide historic brewery forward
From Lager, Page 1 of like starting a business all over again, or restarting. That was my ghers and out-of-towners alike. personal interest. I’m a career marSince Linda Nyman and Sandy keter. When I heard about the opCindrich took over the business six portunity to regenerate this beloved years ago, it has become a center consumer brand, I jumped at that.” for great Pittsburgh beer, tasty food Since then, the duo, dubbed and an atmosphere that you’d be the “ladies of lager,” have rehard-pressed to find anywhere else. stored Penn Brewery to the In 2009, Nyman and Cindrich’s award-winning juggernaut it used husbands, who worked at a soft- to be. Penn Brewery annually ware company together, were look- wins honors at nationwide craft ing for a new office space when beer contests, which often feathey came across the 150-year-old tures thousands of other beers. Penn Brewery building. When the Part of this success is due to women saw that the building was how the women have retained the for sale, they immediately saw an brewery’s unique historical characexciting opportunity to revamp ter, yet changed to meet the needs of the historic brewery, which was modern-day craft beer enthusiasts. then nearing bankruptcy. Nyman’s “That was one of the key isbackground in marketing, along sues, deciding what we keep of with Cindrich’s experience with the old versus what do we need to project management, made them retain. We kept quite a bit of the more than capable for the task. old,” Nyman said. “This brew“We didn’t actively look for it, ery was established as a Gerit sort of found us,” Nyman said. man-style brewery, a lager-style Cindrich added: “It was sort brewery, and that heritage is very
Linda Nyman (left) and Sandy Cindrich
important. While all of that held true, the landscape of the craft beer category was changing.” Partly because of their countrywide popularity, Cindrich says that about half of their customers come from out-of-town. Though, if you’re from Pittsburgh, don’t worry, the restaurant constantly updates its menu and beer offerings to keep things fresh for its steady customers. Notably, the Penn Brewery offers a “Euro-Pittsburgh” cuisine, which honors Pittsburgh’s diverse population, from German Reuben sandwiches to Polish pierogis. “This is such a Pittsburgh landmark. I really wanted the food to
also reflect sort of that European immigrant heritage,” Nyman said. “I like that because it speaks not just to our heritage as a German brewery, but as a Pittsburgh ethnic brewery. And I like to think that sets our menu apart a bit from other breweries, and certainly from other restaurants in Pittsburgh.” Judging by the overflowing crowds at their signature events, Oktoberfest and June’s Microbrewers Fest, Nyman and Cindrich have further cemented the Penn Brewery as one of Pittsburgh’s top restaurants and breweries in their six years at the helm. Langmann is a student writer.
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Exclusive NS bike lanes
Photo by Justin Criado
Community members view PennDOT’s plans for new bike lanes as part of the East Ohio Street project March 4.
ary bike route, according to the From Bikes, Page 1 Bike Pittsburgh map, and will be “This a major commitment upgraded to an on-street route from the state that will go a long way once the construction is complete. After a developer is selected, in making the 800 block safer and more appealing in order to support construction is tentatively set to ongoing redevelopment efforts.” begin in June of this year as the Pashek Associates on 619 East project is split in to two phases. The first phase will include Ohio Street provided the bike lane concept plans that are included in road work along East Street, the project, and landscape architect Madison Avenue and I-79 on John Buerkle believes this is a huge ramp, while the second phase step in connecting the Northside will focus on East Ohio and safely with other parts of the city. Chestnut Streets, including the “This is a very important bike lanes, and Route 28 ramps. The timeline for completion is piece of the puzzle,” Buerkle said. The NS Bike/Ped committee Oct. 2016. While construction is worked closely with PennDOT underway there will be alternate throughout the process and its input routes along E. North and Cedar was instrumental, if not crucial, in Avenues in addition to one-lane having the new bike lanes adopted. traffic on the roadways of focus. “I would like to thank the great For a full view of the prowork of the Northside Bike/Ped Committee on these lanes, and posed plans and the full East Ohio PennDOT for being receptive to Street project slideshow presentatheir input. The lanes would fur- tion see the March 5 story on the ther mark East Ohio Street as a Northside Chronicle website titled safe and thriving corridor for resi- “PennDOT announces bike lane dents and businesses alike, and be plans, construction timeline for East Ohio St. project.” a perfect addition to historic East Deutschtown as well as our growing The full presentation regardbike infrastructure citywide,” Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement. ing the East Ohio Street projectcan can also be viewed on the At the moment the current PennDOT website. stretch along the 800 block of East Ohio Street is listed as a caution-
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Hearts in the Park set for May By Kristin Douty Allegheny General Hospital needs Northsiders of all ages to join the fight against heart disease at their 12th Annual Hearts in the Park Walk on May 9. Every spring, AGH’s Cardiovascular Institute hosts a twomile walk in Allegheny Commons Park, located directly across from the hospital. All event proceeds help fund research that aims to prevent and cure heart disease. Senior Manager for the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Lori Dernus has organized the event for the past 12 years. Dernus recalls the early years of the Hearts in the Park Walk. “(When the walk started), only 80 people participated in the event,” Dernus recalled. “The event has really grown.”
The event is held in memory of its founder and AGH cardiovascular surgeon, James A. Magovern, M.D. “The walk is really about Magovern’s vision to bring children, adults and the elderly together to learn about heart disease,” Dernus said. Participants are provided with free, healthy snacks and water, blood pressure screenings and chair massages, courtesy of the hospital’s Healthy Heart Expo. The event also features educational booths where participants can learn about maintaining a hearthealthy lifestyle not matter the age. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m. Door prizes are available to the first participants to arrive, provided by the Pittsburgh Zoo and the National Aviary. To register, visit the event website at www.heartsinthepark.org.
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Home improvent starts with You
New world offers new opportunities for writer
in love is necessary in living out our truth. Even those seasons when When I first learned that this you do not feel like you are receivmonth’s print edition of the North- ing the love you feel you need or side Chronicle would feature the desire, take that time to give love. annual Homebuyer & Home Im- It will eventually come back to you. provement Guide, I immediately Exercise – Walking, stretchbegan to think about you, me, us and how we are improving our ing, and just a little exercise will homes; our overall being. Our increase your energy and improve spiritual houses are valuable in- your mood. Everyone is not able ternal organs, our mind, and our to jump on a treadmill and run 30 souls. Therefore, we must be sure minutes or able to keep up in a highthat we are consistently caring for, paced aerobics class, but each of us attending to and improving them. are able to do a little something to I can be honest in saying there get the heart and muscles pumping. have been seasons in my life that I Excitement – Try something have not always taken the best care of mine. However, I have always new! Get out of your same-old strived to improve myself in some routine. Until you are no lonform or fashion along the way. As ger living you are able to introI have approached a place dur- duce your senses to new expeing my journey where nurturing riences. Taste something new, my being, my home is a priority, see something different, smell I would like to share an important new scents, feel new textures, life philosophy I have adopted, and listen to something you have SLEEP. Now, while doctors say never heard before. Get excited! getting eight hours of sleep a night Peace – There is nothing more is important, I’m not exactly referring to slumber, but Silence, valuable than peace of mind. ExLove, Exercise, Excitement, cluding chaos, confusion, and and Peace. Those are ingredients drama from your immediate surin my recipe for a healthy life. rounding can add years to your life. Filling your being with things that Silence – In a world where bring stress and worry not only has we are constantly bombarded and mental consequences but physical inundated with noise such as tele- ones, too. Many illnesses are rootvision, phones, computers, other ed in stress. Preserve your peace. people’s thoughts and opinions, it As you began to look at areas is vitally important to sometimes just shut it all down. Many times, of your brick-and-mortar l home the minute we have a free mo- that you would like to improve this ment we pick up the remote, grab season, don’t forget to look at your the phone, turn on the computer true home, yourself. You may find or distract ourselves with external your own spices to add to the recipe, influences. We cannot hear what mine includes my spiritual practicour own minds and bodies are tell- es like prayer and scripture reading, ing us if we are constantly turned but find a one that works for you. on. Take some time for silence. Now, I’ll leave you with a quote: Love – We are all designed to “A person who never made a love and to be loved. Surrounding mistake, never tried anything ourselves with experiences, relanew.” – Albert Einstein tionships, and interactions centered
Characters from Cheryl Suchacek’s first book “Strands of Sallus” From Strands, Page 7 would make a good role-playnitely has an erotic twist to it, and ing game or film. Cheryl would a little bit of mystery,” she said. even welcome other authors in Friends and neighbors who to write stories that take place in know her as a mother and soon-to- her world the way that large-scale be grandmother have initially been fantasy series like “Forgotten surprised by the content, but they Realms” and “Dragonlance” have. have also been clamoring for her to “Strands of Sollus” is availfinish the second book of the series. able through Dorrance PublishCheryl assures her readers that ing, amazon.com barnesandnoble. the erotic content will continue com and more. It is available in throughout the series and adds: both print and e-book formats. “It’s woven into the story in a way Since its publication in March that makes sense. It actually has a 2014, it has gone out of stock meaning in the book as to how and twice on amazon.com, and it why it happens. It’s integral to it.” has received mostly five-star reCheryl expects the series to views from readers and no reconsist of five books, with each views lower than four stars. book unlocking and exploring a While Cheryl has the world new area of the map. “Strands of Sollus on her mind, her feet of Sollus” limits most of its ac- are firmly planted in Pittsburgh. tion to a single island, but oth- Cheryl is currently contacter areas are alluded to as well. ing local bookstores to sched“I haven’t even hit the main- ule author events and signings. land yet, so I’ve got a lot of ground “I want to keep it local,” she to cover in book two,” Cheryl said. said. “Everything I’ve done has Cheryl is also working on been through a local company, a short story that serves as a from the business cards to the fliers prequel that covers one of the to the publisher. I want it to sucmain character’s younger years. ceed, and I want to keep it Pitts“I created a huge playground,” burgh-based. Family ties and home she explained. “It’s definitely are important to us, and home is something I can see going a lot fur- always going to be in this area.” ther than I had originally thought.” In addition to the books and Aaron Dobler is a community the website, the Cheryl and Ed contributor. believe that the world of Sollus
By Ayeshah Bulls
Photo courtesy of the Suchaceks
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Northsiders define city farming with chicken coops, bees
By Aaron Dobler Jana Thompson, an urban farming advocate and Mexican War Streets resident, led a discussion about raising chickens, bees and goats within city limits on March 7 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh-Allegheny in Central Northside. Discussion topics included proposed changes to the Urban Agriculture Zoning Code and how to build and maintain a secure coop. The Planning Commission will be discussing the amendments to the zoning code related to urban agriculture at a hearing on March 24 at 2:00 p.m. at 200 Ross Street. The hearing is open to the public. If passed, the proposed new Urban Agriculture Zoning Code would allow residents with a total property of 2,000 square feet, which includes most properties in the Mexican War Streets, to have up to five chickens or ducks. This is up from three chickens or ducks under the existing code. Beehives are still two hives per 2,000 square feet, and they must be placed at least 10 feet from any neighboring property line. Hives are permitted in side yards, backyards and rooftops as long as specific height and flyway requirements are met. “The big change is that on a 2,000-square-foot lot, you are allowed to have two miniature goats,” Thompson explained. The proposed code stipulates that residents are permitted exactly two dehorned, adult female or neutered male goats. No single miniature goats are allowed, and goats and poultry cannot be kept on the same 2,000-square-foot property. For each additional 1,000 square feet of property, residents are permitted an additional chicken or duck. At 10,000 square feet, poultry and goats are permitted on the same property. Properties must be kept clean and odor-free, and feed must be kept
inside in a rodent-proof container. Also, roosters are not permitted. People are required to submit an over-the-counter permit request and to obtain permission for these activities through the City of Pittsburgh’s Zoning Division. Under the existing code, the cost of the permit is $275, but the proposed code would lower it to $70. Residents will also need to obtain zoning and occupancy permits and provide a site plan that includes locations of coops and hives to prove that they are within setback requirements. Thompson feels that the cost is still too high, but recognizes that it is a way for the city to ensure that the animals are being kept legally. “We had tried to do it more like a dog license,” she said, “where you pay $10 every year, and they could send you a little tag and you could nail it to your coop.” Thompson describes herself as a standard-bearer for operating within the system because she managed to do it legally in the Mexican War Streets without receiving complaints from her neighbors. “Everybody was very supportive,” she said of the community. Legal and bureaucratic threats are the first obstacles someone looking to get into urban farming will encounter, but they will not be the last. In regards to predators, chickens, eggs and feed are all fair game to raccoons, dogs and hawks. Thompson has not had much trouble with predators, but the rubber seal around the outer-door of her coop has been gnawed on, she said. “You’re going to have a lot of predator pressure because everyone wants to eat your birds,” Thompson said. “Thinking like a predator and being prepared to defend them is your biggest responsibility.” Thompson explained that there are primarily two kinds of coops: standard and tractor. Standard coops resem-
Jana Thompson of Central Northside / Photo by Aaron Dobler ble a small shed or dog house. They provide the best security but take up the most space and are permanent fixtures. The alternative is the “chicken tractor,” which consists of an enclosed portion and a wire portion. Its lightweight design allows the coop to be dragged to different locations in the yard. “Those chickens are like a tractor. They will chew everything up. They will destroy any living thing, flora or fauna, inside that area and turn it into a brown patch of dirt,” Thompson said. This kind of coop requires more space, provides less security and requires more skill on the part of the keeper to ensure that the coop is moved to ideal locations and is always up to code. Besides getting together in person to discuss matters of urban farming, community members come together to offer advice and support each other online and on social media. For people starting out, Thompson said that anything related to coop design, food issues, breed choices and medical problems can be found in online communities where experienced urban farmers are available to answer questions. But there are some issues that the farmer has to decide for him or herself before acquiring any animals. Unlike dogs and cats, chickens have not been elevated to pet status, so they have different legal requirements and play different roles in family life. Some people keep them sole-
ly for food, but for others the chickens become a member of the family. For most people, the chickens will fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. Chickens have a pre-set amount of eggs that they can lay and deciding what to do with the chicken after that time can be difficult for some people. “It’s perfectly fine to keep it as a pet,” Thompson said. “It’s very important that you decide what you want to do, and it’s okay to change your mind.” Jana Thompson keeps them for the fertilizer. Chicken manure helps to complete the nitrogen carbon cycle in her garden. For her, the eggs are just a bonus. Cindy Berkowitz lives on the Northside and shares a coop with a friend. They split the cost, the labor and the eggs. “We do it for eggs,” Berkowitz said. “The egg quality is fantastic. Mostly I do it so I know where my eggs are coming from. Mine are organic, and I can feed them what I want.” Thompson also keeps bees on her property that help to pollinate a two-mile radius including Riverview Park, the South Side and Downtown. Locally, they help the community gardens on the Northside and the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh’s Food City Project. “Because our bees are away from agriculture where all of the poisons are, our bees are healthier,” she said. “We are the bastion of safety. Urban bees are much healthier than agricultural bees.”
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Troy Hill garden spaces look to expand, grow this season
Photo by Sabrina Romano
Lenore Dittrich Zotter shares her plans for the Lookout Street garden in Troy Hill March 26 By Sabrina Romano Lenore Dittrich Zotter is on a mission to beautify Troy Hill by planting gardens throughout the community. Zotter, the Troy Hill Citizen, Inc. (THC) beautification committee garden coordinator, held this year’s first THC garden meeting Thursday, March 26 at the Grace Lutheran Church on 911 Howard St. Currently, the community has five gardens operated by THC; Troy Hill Citizens Park, Tours/ Sundeman garden, Elbow Street garden, Straubs/Ley Path, and Lookout Street garden. This spring, Zotter wants to revamp the community’s largest vegetable garden on Lookout St. THC applied for a Love Your Block grant through the city but did not receive one, and are now asking for the community’s support. Only three years old, the Lookout Street garden is a half-acre in size and holds 19, 4x8-foot planting beds, according to Zotter.
Last year, maintaining the garden was a community effort, but volunteers taking care of the garden dwindled in the middle of the season. This year, Zotter wants each gardener to maintain and grow their own garden bed. Residents do not have to pay a fee to grow vegetables in the garden. Zotter plans to hold monthly meetings to keep the volunteer effort organized this year. Nancy Noszka, THC’s community development consultant, attended the garden meeting. “There is great opportunity with the size of this garden and the soil and it’s more or less about mobilizing people. So (the meeting) is really trying to mobilize people around the garden and taking ownership of it,” Nozska said. Noszka said they have all the materials to plant the garden, but need more volunteers to start growing it. Already, GTECH Strategies donated a split-rail fence, among other materials for the Lookout St. garden.
“They have made Troy Hill their home and from their native country, they are farmers,” Noska explained. “Grow Pittsburgh has come to us and said, ‘hey, let’s see if we can take this edible garden and introduce it to Burmese families and possibly give them a plot to integrate them into the community and make them feel a little bit more part of the community.’ ” Not only will these community gardens bring the community together while making the neighborhood greener, they also serve to help feed the community residents. “The garden on Lookout Street started from the city. It had a program toward communities that were considered to be a food desert where we didn’t have access to a grocery store or a farmer’s market within walking distance. That is the city lot, so they let us use the lot,” Zotter explained. “They gave us all the wood for the raised beds, filled them with soil, and gave us the plants when we began that garden.” Last year, Zotter and the other Lookout Street gardeners gave many of the vegetables they grew to community residents. Pastor Anne Miller Smith of Grace Lutheran Church will be a volunteer gardener at the garden as she was last year. “If nothing else they offer, among other things, a sense of space that many places don’t offer,” Smith said. “This is a place where people can connect with one another without having to make sure their house is dusted. This is a running space for little feet.” Zotter will be organizing another garden committee meeting scheduled for April 23, which all residents are welcome to join. THC is also having its 10th annual plant swap on May 17.
As far as a timeline, Zotter wants volunteers to start planting as soon as they can. “We should have our peas in already. I guess as soon as people pick beds tonight. Now, you can plant peas, lettuce, and spinach.” Zotter would like the vegetable garden to set an example for the children who live in the community. “There is a playground right next to it. We are hoping it will be a good example for kids to come down there and see something constructive going on in their community,” Zotter said. Although the city did not provide a grant, it’s still supporting THC spruce up the community. Noszka organized the effort between the community and the city. For the first time, Pittsburgh water and sewage authority gave THC access to an underground tap, which will help water the Lookout Street garden. Sabrina Romano is a student Noszka hopes to get the Bur- intern from Pitt. mese refugees that live in Troy Hill to participate in planting as well.
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YINZ! COMICS By Nils Balls
Pirates Home Opener April 13 vs. Detroit @ 1:35 p.m.
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Allegheny Center Title Services Inc. et al. to FAROS ACA RE LLC at 100 S. Commons for $10 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $48,691,390). Brighton Heights Ming Leung to Thomas Novak at 3420 Fleming Ave. for $20,000. Brendan Yeckley to LaTrenda Leonard at 3369 Harbison St. for $109,000. Daryl Patterson Jr. to Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. trustee at 3450 Fleming Ave. for $2,281 by sheriff’s deed. Steven Bolar III et al. to Steven Hunt and Amanda Martinez at 102 Flora St. for $80,500. Michael Annichine to Novastar C L.P. at 3641 Massachusetts Ave. for $1,711 by sheriff’s deed. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to David Weems at 3544 Brighton Road aka 3544-3546 for $31,000. Rebecca Sentner to Gabrial Angel Figueroa Jr. and Molly Figueroa at 1104 Cornell St. for $116,000. Thomas Kunsak to Thomas Monroe and Sharon Gilder at 3547 Massachusetts
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Ave. for $27,500 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $51,040). Pittsburgh City to Alisa Eyerman at 3125 Oxfield St. for $6,900. Michael Ross to Converge Real Estate LLC at 908 Reiss St. for $10,000 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $75,680) by sheriff’s deed. Estate of Nicholas Krill to Wiley Properties LLC at 1734 Verner Ave. for $20,000. Adam Frew to Aurora Smith at 3515 Campus St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $35,750). Ollie Fleet to Fleming Partn. L.P. at 3615 Fleming Ave. for $93,000. Brightwood Theresa Donnelly aka Kittel to Federal National Mortgage Assn. at 1313-1315 Malden St. for $2,475 by sheriff’s deed. John Hoskinsk to Huntington National Bank at 1136 Woodland Ave. for $3,535 by sheriff’s deed. Veterans Administration to Regaire Investments LLC at 1326 Oakhill St. for $23,900. Steven McClary to Sovanna Properties
North 1 L.P. at 2809 Stayton St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $65,230). Wells Fargo Bank NA to Deutsch & Assoc. LLC at 1410 Woodland Ave. for $30,000. Francis Juracko to Kevin Chung at 934 Grand Ave. for $2,000. William Macaulay to William Alexander Properties LLC at 3004 Stayton St. for $269,000. California-Kirkbride Douglas Carey to Tristan Strauss at 1320 Stranmore St. for $12,500. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to Aruba Holdings LLC Jeffrey Winters at 1936 Sedgwick St. for $7,500. Central Northside Erin Stoner to Kathryn Sullivan at 1220 Sherman Ave. for $194,000. Marsha Kelley to West North Development Group L.P. at 506-508 W. North Ave. for $485,000. WCC Promotions LLC to Stephen Cheek at 1523 Buena Vista St. for $155,000. Pittsburgh City to Amy Tooley at 1409 Sherman Ave. for $2,100.
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East Deutschtown Michael Gestrich to PineRE Holdings L.P. at 840 Spring Garden Ave. for $60,000. Insight Realty LLC to Junwei Li and Xijie Guan at 814 Blossom Way for $24,000. Historic Deutschtown Frederick Pent Jr. to October Real Estate Holdings LLC at 608 Suismon St. for $45,000. Frederick Konrad Pfennig to Green Rust LLC at 600 Foreland St. for $100,000. Matthew Niemi to Robert Lindh at 1008 Middle St. for $233,000. Frederick Konrad Pfennig to October Real Estate Holdings LLC at 812 Middle St. for $45,000. Alfred DePasquale to Samuel Kriegler at 515 Thropp St. for $150,000. Manchester Jacqueline White to Patrick Ieraci at 1309 Pennsylvania Ave. for $84,500. Cain Hayes to Kathleen Diskin at 1423 N. Franklin St. for $135,000. Pittsburgh City to Significance 3251 Inc. at 1433-1435 Sheffield St. for $8,900. Karen Elizabeth Lawson to US Bank NA trustee at 1420 N. Franklin St. for $1,871
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by sheriff’s deed. MCC MCS LLC to Columbus Square Assoc. Model Home 3 L.P. at 1252 Juniata St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $17,600). Pittsburgh City to Peter Barner at 1420 Liverpool St. for $6,000. Commonwealth PA Dept Transportation to Pittsburgh School District at Page St. and Faulsey Way (7-B-245) for $20,001. James Dunn to Breck Craig at 1441 Sheffield St. for $65,000. Northview Heights Estate of Daniel Sorbo to Terry Lynn and Neil Pegues at 218 Essen St. for $33,000. Observatory Hill LSF8 Master Participation Trust to Joel and Amy Lindsey at 3735 Baytree St. for $40,500. Patricia Golla to Marcus and Melinda Pollock at 3716 East St. for $99,000. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to James and Celeste Rhodes at 4054 Vinceton St. for $28,000. Gene Sutton Jr. to Sarah Bauer and Alberto Almarza at 308 Dunlap St. for $92,900. BAT Holdings 2 LLC to Anthony
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Spagnolo at 3751 Baytree St. for $10 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $38,390). Ryan Jones to Joshua and Ann Saunders Siebert at 301 Richey Ave. for $204,800. D & B Investments LLC to Oakglade Realty Capital Partn. L.P. at 4031 Vinceton St. for $42,500. Amy Donachy to Oakglade Realty Capital Partn. L.P. at 2 Bonvue St. for $128,000. Amy Donachy to Oakglade Realty Capital Partn. L.P. at 6-8 Bonvue St. for $89,000. Anna Mae Koskey to Allen Miller and Barbara Arroyo at 621 Dornestic St. for $100,000. US Bank Trust NA trustee to Steven Gresswell at 3813 East St. for $45,000. Janice Smith to Joyce Chen at 4042 Perrysville Ave. for $14,500 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $129,140) by sheriff’s deed. Perry Hilltop Gwendolyn Quarles to Malanzo Davis and Ayanna Lee Davis at 504-506 Norman St. for $2,500. Mecca Smarr to Industrial Ecology Enterprises Inc. at 430 Bark St. for $11,200 by sheriff’s deed.
Linda Cain to Regina Deloria and Nicholas Nicolaides at 2518 Maple Ave. for $32,000. Cheryl Vasser et al. to US Bank NA trustee at 306 Kennedy Ave. for $3,452 by sheriff’s deed. US Bank NA trustee to Perry Hilltop Citizens Council Inc. at 1661 Perrysville Ave. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $35,750). CPI Housing Fund LLC to Novacore LLC at 249 Kennedy Ave. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $21,890). Investment Property Group LLC to Jason Sauer at 258 Kennedy Ave. for $23,000. Spring Garden Sandra Nagel Buchanich to Angela Confer at 2520 Spring Garden Ave. for $25,000. Spring Hill Breanne Coleman to Peter Albrethsen at 1116 Haslage Ave. for $52,000. Pittsburgh City to James Jackson at 1 Kenzig Ave. for $1,800. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to Ira Lewis and Twayne Pritchell at 1910 Rhine St. for $10,119.
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James Stapel to James Rizzo at Haslage Ave. (24-A-338) for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $5,610). Summer Hill Estate of Mary Henry to Cord Cullen and Jennie Crespo at 411 Ivory Ave. for $105,000. John Lewis to William Holko at 4429 Evergreen Road for $119,900. REV Properties LLC to Jeff and Debra Mitchell at 4456 Highridge St. for $35,000. Paul Lutz to Heather Rupert and Anthony Panza at 4641 Mt. Troy Road Ext. for $180,000. Maria Midock to Daniel Savage at 4468 Highridge St. for $42,500. Troy Hill John Puhac to James Tyree at 2050 Liedertafel Way for $55,000. David O’Hara to Wells Fargo Bank NA at 1142 Goettman St. for $2,139 by sheriff’s deed. Estate of Anna Szukics to Katherine Ickes at 1822 Ley St. for $59,900. Denise Dzvonick to Aaron Bubenheim at 2136 Lowrie St. for $13,000.
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Education on the Northside
Perry senior recognized during Center for Victims annual celebration
Photo by Justin Criado
Perry high school senior Thomas Graham at the Center for Victims 10th annual Peace It Together celebration March 12. By Justin Criado Pittsburgh’s Center for Victims held the 10th annual Peace It Together celebration Thursday, March 12 at the Priory hotel in Historic Deutschtown. In all, 16 men, women and organizations were recognized for their work in promoting peace and ending violence in Allegheny County. The award recipients included Art Rooney II of the Pittsburgh Steelers; Roberto Clemente, Jr. of RBJ Global Impact; and actress/activist Keshia Knight Pulliam, who best known for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable on the sitcom The Cosby Show in the late 1980s and early 90s, for their roles in the center’s Men Ending Violence (MEN) Challenge & Pledge, which filmed a commercial last year that has aired on WPXI. Rooney, Clemente and Pulliam were unable to attend the event,
according to persons that accepted the awards on their behalves. Perry high school senior Thomas Graham was a part of the MEN challenge commercial, which was designed to help engage more men in the center’s violence prevention programs and speak out about violence against women and girls. “I basically stand up for everybody who won’t stand up for themselves or what they believe in,” said Graham, a Troy Hill native. “Some people don’t think it’s right or not cool enough, it doesn’t matter to me.” Graham is the president of Perry’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) program, and is an advocate for younger people to get involved with such issues. “It goes way further than just domestic abuse. It deals with drunk driving and drugs and everything,” Graham said. “I stand for trying to make decisions about life
The Northside Chronicle Education page is sponsored by:
Photo by Justin Criado
Pittsburgh’s Center for Victims held the 10th annual Peace It Together celebration March 12 at the Priory hotel in Historic Deutschtown. and trying to make things better.” Diane Dahm, the director of prevention education and outreach at the center, said Graham has helped spread awareness about the center and domestic abuse issues throughout Perry and has gotten other students to join him. “Thomas has been a leader at Perry high school and he’s dedicated to bringing students together about speaking out against violence,” Dahm said. “I think it’s great because Thomas is a well-liked student at Perry. People know who he is and he’s able to recruit others so it becomes acceptable to talk about these issues.” Dr. Rahmon Hart of Manchester also received an award for his work as a community organizer with the Iota Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and Rivers Casino, where he is the director of community relations. “I just want to really recognize
the Center for Victims and all they do. They have basically positioned me to accept this award,” Hart said. “I’m only standing here because of those two organizations and all the hard work of everyone involved.” The United States Steel Corporation, Castle Shannon Police Department, and Dr. Elizabeth Miller of Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh-UPMC were also recognized, amongst others.
For more information about the Center for Victims and its iniatives, including high school programs and counseling visit the official website at centerforvictims.org. To learn about the MEN Challenge initiative and to watch the video please visit menchallenge.org. A 24-hour crisis line is also available at 1-866-644-2882.
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