The Northside Chronicle, Pittsburgh - January 2023

The Northside Chronicle

Northside filled with holiday spirit

Northsider turns board gaming hobby into business

By

A Year in Review: Taking a look back at The Chronicle’s biggest stories of 2022

By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

Welcome to 2023, Northside!

With the coming of January, another year has passed. And what a year it has been! Here at the Northside Chronicle, we got a new office and a new managing editor.

In the spirit of seeing 2022 off, we’re taking a look back at the most popular Northside Chronicle articles from the past year, on a month-by-month basis. We’ll start in January 2022 and continue through December, recounting both the good times and bad. See how many stories you remember reading.

January:

Local father-son duo tell the story of famous Northside engineer

Just about everyone knows of the popular amusement park attraction known as the Ferris wheel. What fewer people probably know is that the inventor of that ride, George Ferris, was a Northsider at one point.

Digging into Ferris’ history was a feature story in January for the Chronicle as

P. Ray | Managing Editor

Tabletop games are going through something of a golden age currently. In recent years, more than 4,000 board games were published yearly by multiple smaller companies, according to a Dec. 17, 2022, article by National Public Radio (NPR).

And at least one Northsider is getting involved.

Brighton Heights resident Adam Hnatkovich is one of the co-founders of Tunnel Monster Collective, a Pittsburgh company that designs tabletop games. Hnatkovich founded the company alongside Dave Knee, Ian Darwin and Leo Kowalski.

The business was officially founded in 2019, and initially had an office in Brighton Heights, though it is currently located in Pittsburgh’s West End neighborhood. However, the origins of Tunnel Monster go much farther back.

Hnatkovich, Knee and Kowalski all grew up together in northern Cambria County, Pennsylvania, attending Cambria Heights High School.

“Dave and Leo have obnoxiously See Games, Page 15

The Community Newspaper of Pittsburgh’s Historic Northside

Troy Hill resident Erin Anderson and her daughter Olive Bracken, age 2, place ornaments on the Troy Hill Christmas tree during the Troy Hill Holiday Tree Lighting on Dec. 4. The event was one among many ways Northsiders celebrated the holidays this year. Turn to pages 10 and 11 to see more holiday photos from across the Northside.

Photo by Sean P. Ray

Sean

Photo by Sean P. Ray

A copy of ‘Regenerate!’ by the Pittsburgh business Tunnel Monster Collective is displayed. Tunnel Monster collective was co-founded by Adam Hnatkovich, a Brighton Heights resident.

Chronicle file photo

Pete Geissler, right, wrote a book with his son Jeff, left, about George Ferris, the inventor of the Ferris wheel.

THE NORTHSIDE CHRONICLE

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3925 Perrysville Ave. • Pittsburgh, PA 152124 Phone 412-321-3919 • Fax 412-321-1447

Sean P. Ray, Managing Editor: editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com

S. Lauren Stauffer, Business Manager: advertising@thenorthsidechronicle.com

Cheryl Casciola, Contributing Editor.

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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 2023

Community Meetings

After Care/Prison Ministry Support

Mondays, 6-7 p.m.

Allegheny Center Alliance Church 801 Union Place, first floor 412.321.4333 ext. 397

Allegheny City Central Association 2nd Monday, monthly Call for more details - 412.465.0192

Allegheny West Civic Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Calvary United Methodist Church Now via Zoom | 412.323.8884

Brighton Heights Citizens Federation 2nd Thursday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. John Morrow Elementary School 412.690.0918

Brightwood Civic Group 1st Tuesday, monthly, 6 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 Now via Zoom 412.758.3898

Charles Street Area Council 1st Monday, monthly, call for times Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. Now via Zoom 412.886.6786

Community Alliance of Spring Garden/ East Deutschtown 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Fuhrer Building of St. Michael’s Church 412.228.0376

Deutschtown New Hope Council 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Community Center, 623 Suismon St.

East Allegheny Community Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Call for more details 412.321.1204

Fineview & Perry Hilltop Citizens Councils

4th Tuesday, monthly, 6-8 p.m. Contact for location info@ourfuturehilltop.org 412-238-7528

Mexican War Streets Society 3rd Monday, bi-monthly, 6:30 p.m. 1400 Buena Vista St. 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

NS Coalition for Fair Housing Board

2nd Monday, monthly, 6 p.m. 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5527

NS Coalition for Fair Housing Members Monthly, call for times 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5521

Northside Leadership Conference

1st Wednesday, monthly, 6 p.m. MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. Now via Zoom Call to confirm - 412.231.4714

North Side Lions Club

2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly, noon Max’s Allegheny Tavern 412-366-8512

North Side Public Safety Council

1st Thursday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Propel Health Center In person & via Zoom zone1psc@gmail.com

Northside Toastmasters

2nd & 4th Tuesday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Allegheny 1230 Federal St. northsidetoast@gmail.com 412.204.6018

Observatory Hill, Inc. 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Byzantine Seminary, 3605 Perrysville Ave. 412.736.2489 http://www.observatoryhill.net

The Promise Group

Every other Tuesday, 6 p.m. Western Pa. Humane Society 412.321.1019

Troy Hill Citizens

June 10, Aug. 12, Oct. 14, Dec. 9., 6 p.m. Most Holy Name School Hall 1515 Tinsbury St. 412.321.2852

Spring Hill Civic League March 7, May 2, Sept. 12, Oct. 3, & Nov. 7 7 p.m, Location TBD (either Spring Hill Elementary School or via Zoom) contact@shcl.org

Summer Hill Citizens Committee 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. WPXI Television Station Community Room

If this is a gift, please write the name of the recipient’s information on the form and include your phone number with your check or money order. Mail the form with your $45 payment to The Northside Chronicle at 3925 Perrysville Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15214.

The Northside Chronicle announces photography contest

By Sean P. Ray | Managing Editor

Love photography? Want a way to see your work appear in an official publication? Well now The Northside Chronicle is giving you that chance.

With the coming of the new year, The Northside Chronicle is launching the first of what we hope to be a series of photography contests to run in the paper. We’ll be accepting photos now and running through March 22 for the contest, with the winning photo appearing in our April edition.

However, we’re not looking for just any photograph. Each photographer contest will have a specific theme. This can be something specific or more vague, and photos.

Winning photos will be picked by how best they fit the theme, as well as their aesthetic qualities. So be creative and get your artistic drive going to come up with the best photo possible.

For our first contest, the theme will be “Family Traditions.” Whether this is a holiday gathering, a game played within the family or even a certain recipe passed down through the generations, all are good ideas for submissions.

Photos should also be accompanied with a caption explaining what is going on in the photo and how it fits with the theme. The photographer can also explain why they picked this particular example for their entry and how they took

the photo.

The photo accompanying this article is an example of a picture which matches our theme.

Photos can be edited for aspects such as coloration, brightness or other visual details such as that. For example, a black and white photo could be submitted.

However, editing should not be used to add additional details or effects in. So that means no Photoshopping someone in who was not actually there for the photo.

Anyone interested can submit their photos to editor@thenorthsidechronicle. com. As mentioned, the winning photo will appear in the paper, while runners-up will be put on our website and social media in a photo gallery.

Those participating should submit only one photograph per contest.

The contest is limited only to current and former Northside residents. Contestants should include which Northside neighborhood they currently or formerly lived in when submitting their entry.

This contest can be a great way for an aspiring photographer to get their work out there and gain some exposure. Even if photography is only a hobby, having your work appear in a newspaper makes for a memorable story and a great clipping stuck on the refrigerator.

Our hope at The Northside Chron -

year. However, for us to move forward with these contests, we need to see interest in our first one.

So please, if you have even the slightest interest in taking part, we encourage you to participate. Don’t worry if you can’t think of something right away, as you have until March to get your picture in.

We’ll continue running details for submitting to the contest in the February and March issues. If the first contest is a success, the second contest will be announced in April.

So get to snapping some photographs, Northside. This is your big chance to show off those camera skills and appear in the newspaper. n

The Northside Chronicle’s Subscription Drive

As we enter the new year, The Chronicle asks you to subscribe, resubscribe, or purchase a gift subscription for the print newspaper. We will also be launching a new way to become a supporting digital subscriber in the coming months for those who enjoy getting their Northside news on their personal devices.

Our subscription drive goal in 2023 is 200 new print subscriptions. This will allow the Chronicle to participate in bulk mailing through the USPS while continuing to hand-deliver free copies to our newspaper boxes, businesses, and community spaces.

Yes, the paper and digital versions are still free to pick up, but your print subscription helps us budget for printing and digital publishing costs. This year is especially important because the cost of printing and shipping has gone up several times as well as digital software and services required to maintain an online archive for Northside’s posterity.

Subscriptions are $45 per year for 12 issues. Print subscriptions are currently hand-packed and then mailed through the US postal service. The digital

version can be accessed at: www.thenorthsidechronicle.com.

A convenient pay portal is online at the above website under Subscriptions, or you can send a check with the subscription form on page 2 to: “The Northside Chronicle” at 3925 Perrysville Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15214

Some of you may be familiar with online transaction convenience fees. Currently, it will cost an additional $2.14 to pay online for your subscription. To mail a check through the US postal service, their convenience fee will cost a 63 cent stamp after January 22, 2023 plus an envelope, likely totaling less than a dollar in expense.

The Northside Chronicle community newspaper, founded in 1985 by residents, continues publishing with the same vision and purpose of uplifting neighbor’s voices while covering the developments that shape the landscape of the Northside’s present and future.

We appreciate your consideration to support Northside’s one and only newspaper with a subscription this year.

The Yurkovich family gathers outside after their long standing tradition of receiving extended family who travels by bus, house-to-house, delivering Christmas carols and other favorite tunes for relatives on Christmas Eve morning. Affectionately known as Vincovats, it’s also the name of a beer siblings Matt and Amy brew at their Northside small business, Allegheny City Brewing.

Photo by Lauren Stauffer

Olympic boxing and historic escapes among most popular stories

From Review, Page 1

we spoke with local writer Pete Geissler and his son Jeff. The pair had written a book titled “The Rise and Fall of George Ferris: Love, Deceit, and The Wheel,” delving into Ferris’ background with a first-person narrative written from the perspective of the inventor himself.

According to the Geisslers, Ferris lived at 1318 Arch St., and stayed in Pittsburgh for around 12 years, working as an engineer.

Pete himself is a Northsider, and lives a half mile away from where Ferris lived. Pete formerly was a professor of professional writing at Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne universities, and now works as a freelance writer. It was Jeff, however, who pitched the idea of doing a book on Ferris.

February: Local boxer secures spot on Team USA

February’s most popular story was a relatively short one, but with a big impact for Pittsburgh.

Michael “Spoonie” James, a boxer from Pittsburgh, won the Junior Men’s

176-pound division, securing him a position in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

James is the junior team captain for Downtown’s 3rd Avenue Boxing team. He was joined at the competition by other teammates, such as Senior Team Captain Delbert “Sonny” Taylor, of Historic Deutschtown, and Keon Kyte, Misael “Beanie” Barrasso, Nazir “Bones” Deviner and Quentin Jackson. Taylor advanced to the quarter finals in the competition, and was ranked sixth in the country in the Elite Men’s 76 kg. Division at the time of The Chronicle’s

March: The Great Escapes: Infamous getaway stories from Pittsburgh’s Northside

On Sept. 25, 2021, the sea eagle Kodiak escaped from the National Aviary. His escape led to a bird-hunt which lasted until Oct. 3, during which time the Aviary was closed to focus on recovery operations.

During his escape, he was spotted all over the Northside and was eventually re-

article.

Chronicle file photo by Jared Latchaw Kodiak the sea eagle is spotted on Pennsylvania Avenue. The bird escaped from the National Aviary on Sept. 25, 2021, leading to an eight-day search before he was recaptured. His story inspired The Chronicle to tell of other famous escape attempts.

District 1 News: Councilman Wilson

New council bill will discharge Pittsburgher medical debt

Hello everyone,

At the start of this new year, I’m excited to share details about recently passed legislation that I introduced a few weeks ago to City Council. This legislation states that the City of Pittsburgh will enter into an agreement with national nonprofit RIP Medical Debt (RIPMD) to purchase and discharge eligible health care debt owed by Pittsburghers.

At the end of December, Pittsburgh City Council approved to allocate $1 million dollars from the City’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) Trust Fund to RIPMD, a New Yorkbased 501(c)(3) which has relieved more than $7 billion in debt for more than 4.2 million individuals and families nationwide in the last eight years.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 58% of debts recorded in collections were for a medical bill. This makes health care debt the most common form of debt on consumer credit records and the leading cause of personal bankruptcy in the United States of America.

Many Pittsburghers with health care debt are uninsured or underinsured and are experiencing financial hardship in the wake of COVID-19. In addition, black and brown communities in Pittsburgh have been disproportionately impacted both financially and medically by COVID-19 and resulting health care debts.

RIPMD purchases large portfolios of qualifying medical debt, belonging to those four times or below the federal poverty level or whose debt is 5% or more of their income. It makes these purchases directly from healthcare providers like hospitals for pennies on the dollar and then, instead of attempting to collect the debt, forgives it.

In Pittsburgh, we have calculated that this allocation of $1 million will permit it to purchase and discharge an estimated $115 million of health care debt owed by about 24,000 Pittsburghers. Providing relief at this scale, where $1 can discharge up to $115 of burdensome medical debt, is plain common sense. Coming out of a global pandemic, Pittsburghers deserve such direct relief.

I am proud that this legislation has passed, which will make Pittsburgh a national leader in reducing the burden of medical debt on our citizens.

Also, at the end of 2022, Pittsburgh City Council passed the City of Pittsburgh’s 2023 operating and capital budgets. In addition to the projects noted in last month’s column, my colleagues on council and I funded additional capital projects in the Northside, all stemming from the parks tax revenues.

In Allegheny Commons, I allocated $800,000 to the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy to invest in the second phase of the North Promenade project. I also allocated $150,000

for planning and design to improve Allegheny Commons East. In Spring Garden, I allocated $200,000 to improve Michael Flynn Memorial Field and create a trail connecting this neighborhood park to Spring Hill Park. In Brighton Heights, I allocated $150,000 to purchase and install an electronic scoreboard and dasher system at the Marmaduke Park dek hockey rink.

Finally, as we start this new year, I would like to welcome new neighborhoods to City Council District 1. Following the decennial census, the passage of a new Reapportionment Plan for City Council districts in Pittsburgh last summer led to the creation of new maps for each City Council district.

The goal of this reapportionment plan was to ensure that each council member has as close to an equal number of constituents as possible. This is based on the principle that the voting power of each citizen should be equal to that of any other citizen under the “one person, one vote” standard.

Additionally, though it was not always feasible, Council made a strong effort to avoid splitting any city neighborhoods and to unify formerly divided neighborhoods when drawing these new district maps. In that spirit, council worked hard to bring the entire Central Northside into my district.

District 1 will also now jump across the Allegheny River and encompass most of downtown Pittsburgh as well as the entire Strip District. If you would like to explore the new Council District map in effect now, please visit gis.pittsburghpa.gov/pghcouncil/.

If you have any questions or concerns, call us at (412) 255-2135, email us at district1@ pittsburghpa.gov, or find us on Facebook and Twitter. My staff and I are looking forward to serving all of you in this new year! n

Photo courtesy the Office of Councilman Wilson A recently-passed piece of legislation will see Pittsburgh enter into an agreement with the nonprofit RIP Medical Debt.

Rep. Kinkead criticizes delay in special elections

While Donald Trump is no longer in power, the effects of his baseless attacks on our democracy still permeate throughout the entire Republican party, especially in Pennsylvania’s state legislature.

Election denialism has become a trademark of the Harrisburg Republican playbook. And now in response to the 2022 election results, Republican Leader Rep. Bryan Cutler and other Republicans, who requested that Pennsylvania’s 2020 electoral votes not be certified, are once again moving to override the will of voters — this time in Allegheny County — in order to seize control of the state House.

On Election Day, Democrats won 102 seats to Republicans’ 101 in the state House, giving Democrats a majority for the first time in 12 years. But current control of the House majority is complicated because three seats that Democrats won in Allegheny County will not be filled until special elections are held.

Those three seats are currently vacant because Austin Davis was elected lieutenant governor, Summer Lee to Congress and Tony DeLuca sadly passed away.

However, those districts are by not now under Republican control. In fact, House Democrats are still staffing those districts and serving those constituents. Yet, Republicans claim that as a result of these vacancies, they are entitled to retain the majority until after the

next primary election — May 16, 2023.

Cutler is seeking to disenfranchise nearly 200,000 voters in those three Allegheny County districts by filing lawsuits and taking other actions to delay the already-scheduled special elections.

Voters in Allegheny County and through-

out Pennsylvania delivered a clear message at the polls: they want nothing to do with GOP extremist policies and their devious approach to government. Through these attempts to delay the special elections, Cutler is trying to deny Allegheny County voters their right to representation in Harrisburg and force all Pennsylvanians to endure several more months of an illegitimate Republican majority.

Voters in the three districts now up for special election chose a Democrat to represent them and their interests, thereby delivering a Democratic majority.

Forcing such a majority on Pennsylvania usurps the will of our voters. The people of McKeesport, Braddock, Penn Hills and other Allegheny County communities have the same right to representation as voters represented by Republicans.

The state House must be restored to its full complement as soon as possible to ensure that all Allegheny County residents have a voice in Harrisburg and so that lawmakers can get to work for the people of Pennsylvania. That means holding special elections on the earliest possible date — Feb. 7. Instead, Cutler is attempting to schedule two of the three special elections on May 16, the latest possible date they could be held.

And let’s be clear, by moving to maximize the amount of time these Allegheny County residents go without representation in

Harrisburg.

So what happens next, and when will the special elections actually be held? That’s a very difficult question to answer right now, but there will surely to be a lot of fighting about it over the next month in Harrisburg. At the time of this writing, Cutler’s lawsuits are currently pending before the Commonwealth Court and no matter who wins at that level, they are certain to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.

We will be devoting time and resources that should be spent improving the lives of Pennsylvanians to bicker over a hopeless power grab by the GOP. Because, fundamentally, whether these special elections happen earlier or later, a Democratic majority will control the state House this session. All that these efforts do is delay our ability to have a functional government.

I want to stress that it does not have to be this way if Republicans would allow these special elections to proceed, as scheduled, on Feb. 7, rather than denying representation to almost 200,000 of our Allegheny County friends and neighbors for an additional three months.

Every Pennsylvanian has a right to representation — and the will of the people must be respected.

My staff and I continue to be here to help you with any state-related matter. Reach out to my office at (412) 321-5523 or email RepKinkead@pahouse.net if you need help. n

Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Kinkead Rep. Kinkead voices her criticism for plans to hold two of three special elections at the latest possible date.

District 19 News: State Rep. Abney

Hello, Northsiders! I hope all of you had a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year! I’m eager to share with you some of the important work I’ve been doing in Harrisburg and here at home.

First, however, I want to let everyone know that my district office has moved. As of Jan. 3, the first day of the new legislative year, we will be located at 730 James St. To mark the occasion, my staff and I will be holding an open house at our new location from 10 a.m. to noon on Jan. 21. It’s great to be on the Northside, and I look forward to seeing everyone and finding out how I can help with all your state government-related questions and concerns.

Speaking of the new legislative year, I’d like to reflect on some of the previous year’s biggest measures my colleagues and I on both sides of the aisle helped to secure. These will have innumerable positive impacts on all commonwealth residents.

We secured $120 million in funding for a new Whole-Home Repairs Program. County governments and nonprofit entities authorized by them can now apply for funding, and by January, individuals will be able to apply. The residents whom I’m proud to serve and those across the commonwealth are one step closer to being able to afford to make the repairs and renovations their houses need to ensure the safety and well-being of themselves and their families.

Another new crucial program we created was the Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Program. A total of $25 million was allocated to benefit all working families with children in day care who already qualify for the federal child care tax credit. The state credit of 30% of the federally approved expense will remove a heavy burden from families already struggling to make ends meet, especially with inflation just be -

ginning to ease.

Education was another sector that benefited tremendously from our collective efforts. Early education, in particular, will benefit from $60 million toward Pre-K Counts, and $19 million will support Head Start Supplemental Assistance. I’m so pleased to see this investment in our future generations and hope they go on to make their unique mark on our society.

I’m also excited to announce that a total of $27 million in state grants was awarded to Allegheny County in December courtesy of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency. These dollars will go a long way toward helping survivors of violent crime and making the people and communities I’m proud to represent safer and more secure.

Thank you, stay warm during these winter months, and I look forward to seeing and talking with you soon. n

Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Abney Rep. Abney looks back on some of the biggest accomplishments he and his colleagues achieved in the past year.

The Northside North Shore Chamber serves the business community in and around the Northside and has been doing so since 1897.

Here are some of our recent activities and updates.

Members

Renewed members: The following eight companies or organizations renewed their membership in the past month: Affolder Insurance, Clarise Fearn Enterprises, J Francis Company, Leone Electric, PJ Dick, Refucilo Wine, Teutonia Männerchor and The Warhol

New members: We were pleased to welcome the following 10 companies or organizations as new members in the past month: IMG Energy Solutions, Lockhart Tire, Momentum Café, Momentum – The Growth Agency, North Star Consulting, Northside Animal Hospital, NuHomes Capital Management, Pittsburgh Higher Ground Ministries, POGOH (Healthy Ride) and Spring Hill Suites — North Shore

“Road To 400” growth plan

After growing significantly over the past several years, the Northside North Shore Chamber is undergoing further expansion in the coming year. The number of chamber members increased by 170% over the past four

years to the current roster of 270 dues-paying companies and organizations. In 2023, plans are in place to grow to 400 members!

A larger chamber means more funding to employ more staff and thus do more programming. What does this mean for businesses and the Northside community?

l Promote — More opportunities to promote our members through social media and traditional marketing

l Connect — Increased connections at our smaller networking events (about twice monthly) as well as our larger signature events

l Support — Leading key conversations that affect the whole Northside, such as workforce development, public safety, and tourism

To see our current 270 members, view our online directory at northsidechamberofcommerce.com, then click the “Find a Member” option.

If you’re interested to learn more about our plans, reach out to the chamber office.

Holiday Gala

After a two-year break, the chamber was pleased to bring back a holiday tradition. At the 2022 Annual Holiday Gala, more than 200 Northside employees, residents and friends gathered to celebrate the season. The event took place on Dec. 1, 2022, at The Priory’s Grand Hall.

The event was a success due to the generous support of dozens of sponsors, auction donors, and volunteers, as well as the chamber’s

board of directors and event committee.

Attendees were able to participate in a silent auction and ticketed raffles, have fun at a professional photo booth, make or take screen-printed favors from The Warhol and dance the night away!

Funds raised from the gala support the chamber’s community-focused work in workforce development, public safety, and

tourism. There was also an opportunity at the event to present a $1,500 check to Foundation of Hope, the charity beneficiary from the 2022 golf outing.

Learn more about the Chamber at northsidechamberofcommerce.com, contacting us at (412) 231-6500 or info@northsidechamberofcommerce.com, or stopping into our office on Middle Street in Deutschtown. n

From Gina Grone - Executive Director, Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce

Contributed photo

Attendees enjoy the 2022 Annual Holiday Gala on Dec. 1, 2022, at The Priory’s Grand Hall.

Dirt Doctors’ growth after COVID was May’s most popular article

covered in Pine Township. In the spirit of this grand caper, the Chronicle’s most popular article in March focused on Kodiak and other grand escape stories from the Northside’s history.

These tales ranged from a plot to drill out of the historic Western Penitentiary to free a man who shot Henry Clay Frick, to five police horses escaping their stables in the Northside.

There was even a story of another person digging a hole out of Western Penitentiary, one which was more successful than the first. However, the prisoners may have broken out of jail, but they did not escape the long arm of the law, and were all eventually recaptured.

Whatever the level of success, the popularity of this story proved the Northside loves a good escape attempt.

April: In memoriam: Matthew Onyshko

April’s most popular story ended up being a dour note for the Northside, as it memorialized City of Pittsburgh firefighter and Brighton Heights resident Matthew Onyshko, who passed away on March 6.

Onyshko had worked at the Historic Deutschtown Firehouse for around 16 years. He was also noted for filing a 2013 lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regarding concussions he allegedly experienced during his time as a linebacker for the California University of Pittsburgh from 2000 to 2003.

Onyshko said his concussions led him to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,

otherwise known as ALS. His bringing attention to the issue led him to appear twice on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where he recounted his experience with the condition and how his fellow firefighters helped cover his work shifts after his diagnosis so he could still receive paychecks and benefits.

May: How Dirt Doctors survived and thrived through the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic was a difficult time for many businesses. Many were forced to temporarily close to meet health guidelines, with employees getting furloughed and regular customers staying home.

In May, however, the Chronicle looked at a case where the opposite occurred. Dirt Doctors Cleaning Services managed to come out of the pandemic not just still standing, but growing.

Founded by partners Tim Maloney and Scott Gossic in 1998, the business began primarily focusing on residential cleaning, with commercial cleaning services not starting until 2006, after Gossic had left the business.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many of Dirt Doctors’ residential customers discontinued their service, and were slow to return. By the summer of 2020, the business was down around 60% in terms of residential clients.

Faced with a crisis, Maloney made the decision to focus on maintaining the relationships with the clients Dirt Doctors still had, putting a pause on growth to maintain the status quo.

However, he also saw significant growth in the number of commercial clients toward the end of 2021. When he spoke to the Chronicle, Maloney said 80% of Dirt Doctors’ clients were commercial, and only 20% residential, with an eye toward growing further in the future.

June: Makeshift community bike repair project building steam in Pitts

burgh’s Northside

Chronicle file photo

Matthew Onyshko was a Brighton Heights resident and Pittsburgh firefighter. He helped bring attention to the condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Pittsburgh Born & Bread 2110 Brighton Road. (412) 231-7555

Mon. Tues. Thurs. Friday 8am - 4pm Saturday 8am - 2pm Closed Sunday & Wednesday

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Riding bikes in the summer is a common and popular pastime. As such, it seems very appropriate that the most popular article for the first month of summer was all about bikes, or at least how to repair them.

In June, The Chronicle featured Makeshift, a community bike project which focuses on the art of bicycle repair and do-it-

With 24 full-time RNs on staff, Pennsylvania Elks Home Service Program supports and promotes the independence of individuals with developmental disabilities by providing advocacy services in their home environment.

Despite the pandemic, our nurses continued to serve 3,500 Pennsylvania households across every county by making 14,458 visits, both in-person (pre-pandemic) and virtual, throughout 2020. Of those, 377 were in support of families right here in Allegheny County.

The program’s annual operating expenses total $1.4m, half of which is provided entirely by fundraising efforts and donations from local Elks Lodges, with the remainder covered by grants secured by program staff.

Donations to help support this valuable service may be made via https://paelkshomeservice.org/give/ or through Allegheny Elks Lodge. Please join us in keeping this wonderful program thriving for another 50+ years.

Open Studio at the YMC

Northside Business Briefs: January 2023

Bicycle Heaven flooded, GoFundMe launched

Bicycle Heaven Museum & Bike Shop, the Northside’s free antique bike museum, was flooded on Christmas Eve, leading to widespread damage and many antique items lost.

Craig Morrow, owner of Bicycle Heaven, told The Chronicle that he believes the main pipe for the building’s sprinkler system broke under the floor of the museum.

“The whole first floor got flooded, and that’s probably seven rooms and a basement,” Morrow said.

The flood damaged the museum’s carpet and display cases, as well as several antique bike items which were kept in boxes, among other damages.

As a result of the flood the museum is currently closed and Morrow is not sure when it will be able to reopen. He said depending on the extent of needed repairs, it could take “months.”

“It was just devastating,” Morrow said of discovering the flood. “I mean the water was just pouring out the door.”

While Morrow said he has insurance for the museum, he anticipates many of the damaged antique items will not be covered. He said many of the pieces were bought several years ago and he does not have receipts for many of them.

The museum has launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for the damages. As of Dec. 28, 2022, the page raised more than $4,000 of a $100,000 goal.

Morrow said the money raised will go toward cleaning materials, dehumidifiers and replacing damaged items.

The GoFundMe page can be reached online at gofundme.com/f/bicycle-heaven-museum-flooded-devastating-damaged.

Subba Asian Restaurant

moves to new location

Subba Asian Restaurant, which was pre-

viously located at the corner of Cedar Avenue and East Ohio Street, has moved spaces to a new locale, though one not very far from where it used to be.

Subba is now located at 422 E. Ohio St., having reopened there on Dec. 5, 2022.

According to Matt Hicks, who owns the property alongside his wife Julie through their company East Ohio Capital LLC, he had worked out a deal with the owner of the restaurant, the titular Subba, to change locales.

“Subba was an existing tenant on the second floor of 400-402 E. Ohio St. when we bought the property,” Matt told The Chronicle in an email. “It was in bad shape, too large for him and his rent was under market rate.”

Matt said the deal would see the restaurant pay a “moderate increase in rent” in exchange for a smaller space, but one on the first floor and with some accompanying renovations done. Matt said Julie did the interior design for

in the Children’s Museum at 10 Children’s Way, Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Contributed photo Water saturates the ground at Bicycle Heaven.

Photo by Sean P. Ray

The redesigned front of Subba Asian Restaurant is shown alongside the upcoming EYV restaurant.

2022 saw major Northsider accomplishments

yourself projects.

“Our motto is ‘making it better than it was,’” Makeshift founder Aryn Gaslowitz told The Chronicle.

Started in 2016 in Perry Hilltop, the group shares bike tools, teaches basic bike maintenance and offers donation-based repair services. They moved to a pop-up at the Northside Farmers Market in Allegheny Commons Park in 2019, and eventually to a garage space at Hip at the Flashlight Factory in Allegheny West.

Gaslowitz was inspired to start the group after volunteering at Free Ride, a collective of bike enthusiasts in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze area. She wanted to provide a place for Northsiders to get their bikes repaired that was closer to home.

“Having more bikes on the road makes it safer for everyone,” Gaslowitz said. “Comfort on the road as bicyclists is key.”

July: First in-person CCAC graduation since 2019 held at Heinz Field

In-person graduations were one of the many public events which fell victim to the COVID-19 pandemic, with many of them moved to remote methods in order to recreate one of the most important times in a student’s life.

After a two-year hiatus, the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) was able to revive this tradition, holding its commencement ceremony on May 19 at then-Heinz Field.

The event saw 2,858 candidates for graduation, receiving diplomas across nearly 150 programs.

In addition, a separate nursing pinning ceremony was held at the field involving 334 nursing program graduates.

August: Northsider recognized for outstanding work in animal welfare

In 2021, cat declawing was banned in the City of Pittsburgh, in part thanks to the work of Tara Czekaj of Brighton Heights. In 2022, she was recognized for her effort, receiving The Humane Society of the United States Pennsylvania Humane Policy Leader of the Year award.

An animal rights activist, Czekaj meets with local,

state and federal leaders to get them to pass laws protecting many kinds of animals.

“The act of declawing is actually an amputation,” Czekaj told The Chronicle. “A lot of people don’t realize that. They think it’s a nail removal or trim.”

The declawing ban was introduced by Pittsburgh City Councilman Bobby Wilson, who represents the Northside, and was passed unanimously by council. It made Pittsburgh the first Pennsylvanian city to ban the practice of declawing, though the city of Allentown has since joined in the ban.

Czekaj said receiving the award was a total surprise to her. However, even with the accomplishment, she said there was still more legislation in the works and more to be done to protect animals.

September: Corey Carrington takes on new job managing art, culture

As part of The Chronicle’s series, Northsiders on the Move, we spoke with Corey Carrington on his new position as Cultural and Main Street Manager for the Hill Com-

munity Development Corporation.

As it turns out, you readers were just as interested in Carrington’s new job as we were.

Carrington’s position means he is in charge of managing the artistic and cultural initiatives in the Hill District, specifically along Centre Avenue.

“Basically I’m doing art-based community development in the central Centre Avenue corridor,” Carrington said.

As one of Pittsburgh’s historically Black neighborhoods, the Hill District has a long history with many cultural developments, such as the displacement caused by the construction of the Civic Arena for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Carrington said the job appealed to him due to his prior interest in community development and politics. He saw it as a way to channel his artistic talents “into something bigger than art.”

“If we embrace the diversity that is in Pittsburgh and we give the resources to the right people and connect people to the right opportunities, I believe that Pittsburgh can and will be truly a city that’s livable for all people,” he said.

FOR SALE: Permanently Affordable Homes on Bonvue Street

Up to $40,000 in downpayment assistance is available for each of two upcoming Bonvue Street homes, priced at only $184,000!

Two charming, fully-renovated permanently affordable homes are nestled in the historic Observatory Hill neighborhood, on a quiet street near scenic Riverview Park

These huge homes have incredibly generous layouts with high ceilings, 1st floor powder room, 2nd floor full bath, a brand new, spacious kitchen, large living room and dining room, and 3 to 4 big bedrooms upstairs.

PU OT $ 40KASSIS TANCE ELBA

The community land trust model ensures that if/when the owner moves on and sells their home, they will sell it to another low-to-moderate income household, which allows the seller to build wealth and the community to remain affordable

City of Bridges Community Land Trust envisions diverse communities where people thrive, build wealth, establish roots, and foster community ties without risk of displacement.

Chronicle file photo

Members of the Makeshift community bike project work on their bikes at a Northside Farmers’ Market during summer of last year. The group was founded by Spring Hill resident Aryn Gaslowitz.

Happy Holidays from the Northside

Observatory Hill’s Annual Holiday Light Up

Brighton Heights Let’s Get Lit Decorated House Tour

TOP: Brighton Heights once again held the community’s annual Let’s Get Lit Decorated House Tour, which tasks residents with creating spectacular holiday displays to impress their neighbors. The event is organized by local realtor Danielle Graham Robinson, who said she started the contest as an alternative to the neighborhood’s Bright The Night event, which was cancelled because of the pandemic. The house pictured above, 3641 Brighton Road, won Overall Favorite for the contest.

TOP RIGHT: This house, 3500 McClure Ave., won Favorite Neighborhood Attraction. BOTTOM RIGHT: This house, 1417 Beckham St., claimed the Griswold Award.

Photos by Lauren Stauffer

LEFT: Observatory Hill’s Annual Holiday Light Up Festival took place on Dec. 2, 2022. Families gathered for games, raffles, food, hot chocolate and pictures with Santa. The event was provided by the 5 Points Merchant Group of Observatory Hill. RIGHT: Pamela Stewart, with her family, pose at her Mary Kay booth with unique gifts and beauty products.

Photos by Danielle Graham Robinson

Troy Hill Holiday Tree Lighting

Fineview & Perry Hilltop Brunch with Santa Mexican War Streets Holiday Decorating Contest

Contributed photos

TOP: Event organizers of the Fineview & Perry Hilltop Citizens Councils’ Brunch With Santa get their picture with Santa himself. The event was held on Dec. 17, 2022, at Pittsburgh Higher Ground Ministry. Attendees had the chance to get a picture with Santa Claus, eat food and see a prepared Christmas village.

RIGHT: Another part of the festivities was a variety of holiday-themed children’s activities. Organizers wore festive hats and other accessories for the event and many Christmas decorations were put up to bring some holiday cheer.

TOP LEFT: The Mexican War Street Society organized a holiday decorating contest from Dec. 4. 2022, through Dec. 11, 2022. The event was mainly organized by the society’s event chair, Daniel Haas, with the assistance of other board members. The pictured building, 512 W. North Ave., took first place in the contest. The house’s display was titled ‘Sparkling Holiday Splendor on the Park.’ BOTTOM LEFT: This dinosaur-themed display, at 323 Jacksonia St., took second place in the contest. The display was given the very punny title of ‘DINOEL.’ TOP: The third place display was located at 512 Armandale St. It was titled ‘Kitschy Christmas.’

Photos by Sean P. Ray

LEFT: Troy Hill residents gather to decorate the community Christmas tree, located near the Troy Hill World War I Memorial. The event was organized by Troy Hill Citizens Inc., and hot chocolate and cookies were served. RIGHT: The tree was planted just before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Troy Hill Citizens Board Member Abby Vanim, and serves as the community’s permanent Christmas tree.

Contributed photos

New principals, grant funds close out Year in Review

October: 5 Northside

Halloween events

Our readers seem to really enjoy getting into the Halloween spirit, as our most popular article for the spookiest month of the year was a list of several fun events for the holiday.

Whether it was Fright Nights at Anderson Manor or the Halloween parades in Brighton Heights and Spring Hill, Northsiders were interested in every opportunity they could get to wear costumes, visit haunted houses or listen to ghost stories.

Well don’t fret dear readers. We here at The Chronicle love Halloween too, so expect more of these kinds of articles in the future.

November: Catching up with the new principals

The 2022-23 school year saw some big changes for Pittsburgh Public Schools on the Northside. Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-8, Pittsburgh Allegheny K-5 and Perry Traditional Academy all received new principals.

In November, we spoke with these new principals, delving into their backgrounds and plans for the future.

Carl Watson, Pittsburgh Morrow’s new principal, discussed his goal of turn-

Tom

ing his school into a “neighborhood magnet school,” one that would draw kids from all over the city. Meanwhile, Michael Barbone revealed how his background as a music teacher was especially important to becoming principal of Pittsburgh Allegheny, as the school has a “strong music program.”

The final principal, Molly O’Malley-Argueta, was the only one who had been a principal beforehand, previously serving at Pittsburgh Allegheny for 12 years. Having to meet a whole new group of students was one of her biggest challenges in the new role.

“I think walking into the school and not knowing the students’ names, that bugs me,” she told The Chronicle.

December: Northside benefits from RACP funds

Finishing out the year was some good news for the Northside, as many local projects benefitted from Pennsylvania’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP).

The grants, administered by the Pennsylvania Office of the Budget, ranged from $500,000 to $10 million in local funding, helping groups like the Allegheny YMCA, The National Aviary and the Urban Impact Foundation, among many others.

The Allegheny YMCA is eyeing to use their $2 million grant to help out with

Carl Watson became the new principal of PIttsburgh Morrow PreK-8 in 2022. He was among three new principals for Northside’s public schools.

a major “top to bottom renovation” of their 97-year-old building, according to Carolyn Grady, chief development officer for the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh.

The largest project awarded in the Northside was a $10 million grant to Piatt Companies for their Esplanade devel-

INVITATION TO BID HVAC SYSTEM REPLACEMENT

North Side Partnership Project (NPP) is currently soliciting competitive proposals in order to facilitate the replacement of the current Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in operation at the historic McNaugher School at 261 O Maple Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15214.

Scope of Work

10 lb Ground Beef, 3 lb Wieners, 5 lb Chicken Legs, 2 Slices of Ham (center cut), 2 lb Sirloin Steak, 1 Slab Spare Ribs or Meatloaf, 3 lb Center Cut Chuck Roast, 2 lb Round Steak, 3 lb Box of Beef Patties, 1 Whole Cut up Chicken, 1 lb Boiled Ham, 2 lb Center Cut Pork Chops, 3 lb Country Style Spare Ribs, 3 lb Chuck Steaks, 2 lb Box Sliced Bacon.

5 lb Ground Beef, 2 lb Wieners, 2 lb Pork Chops, 1 lb Ham Salad, 3 lb Cut Up Fryer, 2 lb Box Sliced Bacon, 1 lb Tiny Link Sausage, 1 lb American Cheese, 1 lb Kielbasa, 1 lb Boiled Ham, 4 lb Chicken Legs, 2 lb Round Steak, 3 lb Country Style Spare Ribs, 2 lb Sirloin Steak, 3 lb Box of Beef Patties + 1 FREE 2 liter of pop

3 lb Ground Beef, 1 lb Wieners, 3 lb Chicken Legs, 1 lb Ham Salad, 2 lb Sirloin Steak, 2 lb Box Sliced Bacon, 1 lb Tiny Link Sausage, 1 lb American Cheese, 3 lb Cut Up Fryer, 1 lb Pressed Ham, 2 lb Pork Steak, 2 lb Chuck Steak, 1 lb Kielbasa, 3 lb country Style Ribs, + 1 dozen eggs FREE (3 substitutions allowed.)

The mechanical drawings, specifications and submittals for the system at the McNaugher School have been developed by citySTUDIO. They are available, plus additional project information, by contacting: English Burton I enqlishnppvp@qmail.com 1412403-2303, or Dana Lance I carterassociatesllc@gmajLcom I 412623-9633

Evaluation Criteria

NPP will be evaluating prospective proposals based upon the following criteria:

• Qualifications and experience of the applicant, including appropriate licensing and suitable references.

• Applicant’s ability to provide the requested services in reasonable time.

• Minimize the level of

• Competitive pricing

opment, a planned riverfront recreational complex which will include bringing a Ferris wheel to the Northside.

With that the Year in Review comes to an end. With a new year comes new stories to tell. Let’s find out which ones prove to be the most popular in the year 2023. n

Workplace Disruption

The RFP will be posted on our website, https:// npppittsburqh.org/ , posted in local newspapers and can be downloaded directly from there beginning on December 23, 2022 through January 31, 2023.

Please contact English Burton at (412) 403-2303 or via the email englishnppvp@gmail.com with any questions related to this request for services.

NPP encourages certified minority-owned, veteran-owned, and woman-owned subcontractors, diverse and/or small businesses, and supplier participation. Awardee will be required to comply with NPP’s Community Benefit Agreement (CBA). We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Chronicle file photo

Game business got start through online message board

From Games, Page 1

known each other their entire lives,” Hnatkovich joked in an interview with The Chronicle.

Hnatkovich came to know Knee and Kowalski through an online message board called Dragon World Federation where people would role-play as professional wrestlers.

Roleplaying is a type of entertainment where people create characters and, together with others, make a story. It is most commonly associated with the game “Dungeons & Dragons,” and there have been numerous other roleplaying games over the years such as “Call of Cthulhu” or “Vampire: The Masquerade.”

Hnatkovich was the photography editor for the student paper at the time, and decided to do a piece about the message board. This led him to meet Kowalski, who was one of the leaders of Dragon World Federation, and that eventually developed into a lasting friendship.

In college, the three friends began playing “Dungeons & Dragons” together, and later settled upon the idea of making their own roleplaying game called “CAST.”

“It was a very slow process,” Hnatkovich said of making the game. “Over the next 10 or 12 years, we slowly chewed away at this thing and it became its own roleplaying system.”

Kowalski told The Chronicle that work on CAST was not an everyday project for the friends or at least not initially. However, around 2017, when Darwin joined the team, it started to become “more serious” and developed into something that could “legitimately

be released.”

As fate would have it, however, a new opportunity presented itself to the four. In the summer of 2020,

joy creativity curiosity kindness

after Tunnel Monster Collective officially became a company and expanded into board games as well as

Photo by Sean P. Ray

Hnatkovich sits alongside a Tunnel Monster Collective banner and a copy of ‘Regenerate!’

See Tunnel Monster, Page ?

Industrial Arts Workshop’s no-cost teen welding program teaches much more than metalworking

By Juliet Martinez | The Homepage

*Editor’s note: This story is published in partnership with the Pittsburgh Community Newspaper Network (PCNN). It was originally printed in The Homepage, the hyperlocal community newspaper serving Greater Hazelwood, Glen Hazel, New Homewood, the 31st Ward and The Run. It has been lightly edited for style and clarity.

On a metal divider in the Industrial Arts Workshop studio in Hazelwood, someone has written in chalk, “Just for today, I will be kind and compassionate to myself and others. I am grateful for today. I am enough.”

Industrial Arts Workshop (IAW) teaches welding to teens, but their program goes far beyond introducing young people to a potentially lucrative career in the trades. Executive Director Tim Kaulen, told The Homepage on a recent visit to the studio at 5434 Herbert Way that their approach comprises three core elements: technical skills, soft skills and mindfulness.

A systematic approach

In the past year, Mr. Kaulen has expanded the teaching and administrative staff at IAW and adopted a welding curriculum that leads students through a series of welds taught on industry standards. They can track their progress, and if they are hired or seeking further training, they can say exactly what they know how to do.

This systematic approach is working for 16-year-old Leila Garcia of Reserve Township, who joined the afterschool program last fall. Mr. Kaulen said she has been burning through the curriculum, mastering skill after skill. She told The Homepage in November that attending the program gives her an ego boost.

“I’ll turn around in my booth and have like seven people watching me,” she said. “And they’ll all be like, ‘who taught you how to weld?’ I’ve only been doing it for four weeks and I’ve gotten super good at it. There’s things I’m still

struggling with... But I’m getting better.”

Learning to create together

That atmosphere of encouragement comes out of the code of conduct the students created and agreed on together.

“We asked the students what they thought they needed to work in a safe, interesting space,” Mr. Kaulen said. The students made suggestions and then voted on the ones they felt were most valuable; that became a contract they all signed. It includes values like supporting one another, being safe and respecting each other.

“That style of discussion and exchange is really one of the attributes that help the students come together as a

team,” Mr. Kaulen said. "It's what they do together and the support they create for one another.”

Summer welding bootcamp students further developed their ability to work as a team when they collaborated with peers from the Center of Life KRUNK music program and the Ambassadors for Social Justice to design and create a public sculpture piece. The process involved discussions, drawing and prototyping of several concepts that emerged. The concept for the final sculpture, Hands of Unity, came from 15-year-old Anthony Minniefield of Hazelwood. He said the idea came to him from watching the process itself unfold.

“I looked around and saw us all working together, coming from all different cuts of the cloth of Pittsburgh,

so I just thought about... we’re unified, working all together,” he said. “So that’s the Hands of Unity.”

The hands are framed with rebar and covered with different shaped pieces of metal. Mr. Minniefield said each shape is unique, like the people who collaborated on the project.

Mr. Minniefield is one of several summer welding bootcamp students who continued coming to the studio in the fall. Mr. Kaulen said the more experienced students like to help the beginners. One of them, Andrew Rejametova, joined as a student in 2018. After high school he went to college, but he felt it was not a good fit. So he obtained a community college welding certification and is now one of the instructors.

Photo by Murphy Moschetta

Hannah George, 15, of Mt. Lebanon, gears up for an afternoon of welding.

Tunnel Monster aims for first commercial release

working on CAST, the group was approached by the non-profit Land Art Generator, which is based out of Seattle.

Land Art Generator is an organization focused on advancing renewable energies in the face of climate change, according to its website. The non-profit wanted Tunnel Monster Collective to design a board game based around that theme for its 2020 Land Art Generator initiative, also known as LAGi. The 2020 LAGi was based around Fly Ranch, an area in Nevada owned by the Burning Man Project as an agricultural site with regenerative cycles for food, water, air and other factors.

The four took to the task with gusto, and out of it came their first finished tabletop game “Regenerate!,” which tasks players with creating an ecologically-friendly city in the desert while dealing with negative effects caused by climate change.

Hnatkovich said the group was inspired by the board game “Pandemic,” which he called the “gold standard” for cooperative board games. As such, the game was based around “reinforcing the idea that to succeed if we want to build communities in these challenging places, like the desert, we need to cooperate together,” he said.

Knee echoed the sentiments, saying the intent of the game was to teach people that the way to overcome challenges presented by climate change is by coming together and utilizing everyone’s strengths.

“Regenerate!” had 500 copies printed, the majority of which were given away. Tunnel Monster Collective currently has around 30 copies, which they

are offering to give away to any teachers or professors who request them as a way to teach students about climate change.

The group also made another educational game, currently being printed, called “Kleingarten,” which will be used for an event in Germany called BUGA 2023, which is a national garden show. “Kleingarten” focuses on sustainable horticulture, and Tunnel Monster Collective worked with the group Land Art Generator to make the game.

However, Tunnel Monster Collective isn’t all educational games, and the group has several projects in the works for eventual commercial release. In fact, they plan to have their first commercial board game come out this spring called “Chef’s Table,” which is also a cooperative game, though this time putting players in the role of restaurant chefs.

Tunnel Monster is hoping to print around 100 copies and have it available in March or April, both through their website and at Pittsburgh-area game stores like Games Unlimited and Game Masters.

“It’s a boutique game, it’s a very niche game,” Hnatkovich said. “Not everybody is going to want to pretend to be a line cook, so we might not sell 500 copies for the first couple years, but I think eventually it has enough legs we can get enough momentum to do something bigger.”

Other examples of games the company is working on is “Petty Novelist.”

“The idea is that players are all struggling authors who essentially get duped into spending a few days in a haunted hotel to try and write a novel,” Knee said.

Hnatkovich said one of the strengths of Tunnel Monster Collective is that each member is interested in different types of games, giving them a varied set of tastes. In fact, their office is filled with shelves of many different games, and they have dedicated areas to play them in. Hnatkovich said his personal favorite game is “Hero Quest,” while Knee listed the games “Secret Hitler” and “That Time You Killed Me” as his favorites.

As for living on the Northside, Hnatkovich said he enjoys the neighborhood a lot, enjoying the relative quietness and the calm offered by nearby Riverview Park.

“I grew up in a small town,” he said. “So it feels like a small town, even though you’re part of a much larger city.”

Beyond just being where Tunnel Monster Collective is headquartered, Pittsburgh also contributed to the business in another way: Its name.

Originally the business was going to be called Trickshot Games, but the founders discovered quickly that there was a game in development with a very similar title. As such, they decided to switch, and go with something disctinctly Pittsburgh.

Hnatkovich said Tunnel Monster refers to the tendency of people in Pittsburgh to slow down before entering a tunnel, as if they’re afraid of some kind of monster being inside.

He even said he sees the potential in making a game around the concept. He said he could see a dungeon adventure game, though one based around Pittsburgh tunnels rather than a medieval setting.

For more information on Tunnel Monster Collective, visit their website at tunnelmonster.games. n

Photo by Sean P. Ray

Tunnel Monster Collective’s upcoming game, ‘Chef’s Table,’ tasks players with serving as line cooks in a restaraunt. The game is set to be Tunnel Monster Collective’s first commercial release.

From Tunnel Monster,

Allegheny West Brighton Heights Brightwood Calbride Central Northside Charles Street East Allegheny Fineview Manchester Northview Heights Observatory Hill Perry Hilltop Spring Garden Spring Hill Summer Hill Troy Hill

Applications also available at www.pittsburghnorthside.com

NORTHSIDE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 2023 SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Purpose of Scholarship: To recognize and award high school seniors who volunteer their time to improve the Northside community.

Eligibility for Scholarship: ANY Northside resident in the 12th grade, who performs volunteer service in their community and who is attending a college or training program after high school.

Award: $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. Candidates will be recruited through neighborhood groups and high schools, both private and public. The individuals must reside on the Northside, but they need not attend a Northside high school.

Awardees: Will be selected by the NSLC Dinner Committee, which is made up of representatives of the neighborhoods and participating sponsors. The number of scholarships will be determined by sponsor commitments.

Criteria for Selection: The student should prepare an essay of 500 words or less, which describe his or her volunteer activities and future educational plans. In reviewing the student essays, the Committee will take into account spelling and grammar and their overall volunteerism. Consequently, students applying for a scholarship should check their spelling and grammar. Students are encouraged to use the spell check on their computer, and/or to have a teacher, parent or friend review their essay. On the application form, the applicant should include their name, address, phone number, school, and neighborhood in which they reside. Your name, gender or reference to race should not appear on your essay. Also, include a copy of your high school academic records.

Letters of Reference: Two letters of reference are required. Your school principal, guidance counselor, or teacher should submit one letter. The second should be a letter from someone who is familiar with your volunteer activities (not a family member).

Applications: All applications must be submitted by Friday, March 31, 2023

Additional Requirements:

Upon selection of an award, you must provide proof of enrollment with a college or technical/vocational school. You or a parent must also attend the Annual Dinner event and receive your scholarship in person.

Mail to: Northside Leadership Conference Scholarship Committee

Attn: Kelly MacKay 120 Parkhurst Street– 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Industrial

Breathe before you weld

Another instructor, James Byron, brings more years of experience to the studio. He emphasizes mindfulness in his teaching.

“Welding is a kind of meditation,” he said. “You’re focusing on this one point, you know, just a molten puddle in the dark, and all your thoughts are kind of concentrating, so it already is a meditation.”

The veteran welder started his career at 15 and taught at Triangle Tech, but a motorcycle accident in 2019 forced him to change directions. Now he takes art classes at Slippery Rock University and teaches a new generation of metalworkers.

“Before I have them weld pretty much anything anytime, we take a deep breath,” he said. “It helps with a lot more than just welding.”

IAW students tested both their mindfulness and technical skills when they participated in a competition sponsored by the Pennsylvania Talent Pipeline Project on Nov. 29. Hannah George, a 14-year-old from Mt. Lebanon, said she relied heavily on the mindfulness

techniques she has learned at IAW, especially when she was presented with blueprints she did not know how to read.

“I hadn’t really worked with blueprints before, so they were a little scary,” she recalled. “But then I kind of just focused, I calmed down and I was able to read them. They were easy to read, just a little new to me.”

Mr. Byron said he tries to teach the students self-compassion instead of self-esteem. I noticed that several students were practicing self-compassion after the competition. I had talked to them beforehand, and they were optimistic about winning. When none of them brought home a prize, they were philosophical rather than dejected.

“I made a few mistakes, of course, because it was my first time,” Ms. George said, adding, “It was fun!”

As the community forming around IAW grows, it is bringing art, design, skill-building, teamwork and mindfulness together in a way that enriches students’ lives whether they continue with a career in metalwork or not. As instructor Mr. Byron said with a grin, “We don’t just teach welding.”

Students aged 14 to 18 can apply for the IAW spring afterschool welding program at iawpgh.org by Jan. 25. The program is free of charge. n

Photo by Murphy Moschetta Leila Garcia, 16, of Reserve Township, during a break from learning new welding techniques.

By Nils Hanczar

Looking for an opportunity to serve your community?

The Northside Chronicle is now taking spring internship applications for college students interested in journalism and photojournalism. High school seniors are also encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should email editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com or mail a resume and cover letter with three writing or photo samples to:

The Northside Chronicle 3925 Perrysville Avenue. Pittsburgh, PA 15214

FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER WANTED

The Northside Chronicle is seeking photojournalists for a series of grant-funded photo projects from January through July 2023. Northside residence is not required, but Northsiders will be given extra consideration when it comes to the hiring process.

Students in high school or college seeking to build a portfolio are also encouraged to apply.

Please send your resume and a minimum of 3 samples of past work to editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com. We are looking to bring someone on board in January, so apply quickly.

Northside Real Estate Transfers

Allegheny City Central

HTA Federal North MOB LLC to NR Federal North LLC at 1307 Federal St. for $82,000,000.

Creative Solutions Invests LLC to JEK 4 Investments LLC at 1424 Boyle St. for $69,900.

Pittsburgh Property Guy H2 L.P. to Silver Blue Sea Enterprises LLC at 1437 Sandusky St. for $110,000.

Quinn Frank Construction Corp. to Frank and Laura Quinn at 1525 Saturn Way for $30,000.

Quinn Frank Construction Corp. to Frank and Sarah Quinn at 1527 Saturn Way for $30,000.

Gillian McTiernan to Shuning Huang at 1202 Resaca Pl for $435,000.

Frank Quinn Construction Corp. to Frank and Michael Quinn at 1531 Saturn Way for $20,000.

Nicholas Ross to Chris and Nada Wheelock at 1238 Monterey St. for $367,500.

Christian Vagley to Traffic Effect LLC at 1313 Reddour St. for $39,900.

Mary Jayne Nick to Anastas Stoyanovsky at 220 Alpine Ave. for $375,000.

North Side Assoc. to James Lawrence and Andrea Fridley at 112 Hemlock St. for $249,900.

Bruce Atchison to House Advancements LLC at 1428 Loraine St. for $160,000.

Allegheny West

828 W North Ave Assoc. L.P. to 810 W North Ave Assoc. L.P. et al. at Jabok Way for $11,190.

Behar Fingal Migliozzi Holdings LLC to Western Wellness Real Estate LLC at 830 Western Ave. for $425,000.

Brighton Heights

Evan Fitzpatrick to Kelsey Lewis at 3655 Harbison Ave. for $245,000.

Carrie Miles to Gregory Guckert II at 3954 Kleber St. for $220,000.

Patrick Finnegan to MLM Holdings LLC at 4005-4007 California Ave. for $134,000.

Christopher Guzzy to Matthew James and Lauren Marie Dovey at 4062 Cambronne St. for $177,000.

Timothy Myers to Nathan Deron and Brooke Gwin at 200 Richbarn Road for $312,000.

Michael Sahayda to Elizabeth Jenkins at 1125 Termon Ave. for $170,000.

1831 Kleber Club LLC to Curtis Bell at 1831 Kleber St. for $340,000.

Alyssa Drobka to Carl Huelsman and Emily Jensen at 3946 Kleber St. for $350,000.

Trista Yerks to Kyle Thomas and Mallory Breon Kasinec at 1419 Benton Ave. for $250,000.

Floyd Kirk to Adam Walter at 3416 California Ave. for $220,000.

PNC Bank NA to Haven Home Builders LLC at 1536 Cooper Ave. for $231,000.

Regis Paul McManus Jr. to Keith Kochert and Vidha Chansonria at 1133 Davis Ave. for $197,200.

Addison Henc to Evan Spillar and Scalehn Rettman at 3142 McClure Ave. for $175,000.

Ronald Shirey to Christine Matuszewski at 3220 McClure Ave. for $25,000.

California-Kirkbride

850 PA Ave LLC to Northside Properties Residences 1 LLC at Brighton Pl for $2,500.

Central Northside

Jeremy Moore to Adam Przybyszewski at 603 N Taylor Ave. for $475,000.

Charles Street Valley

DSVSPV1 LLC to Devora Torres at 2618 Leland St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $52,595).

East Deutschtown

Philip Nollen to James Moore at 846 Peralta St. for $113,000.

Historic Deutschtown

Andy Kosmach trustee to Andy Kosmach trustee at 504 E North Ave. for $238,000.

Andy Kosmach trustee to Anthony Cafardi at 504 E North Ave. for $238,000.

Andy Kosmach trustee to Andy Kosmach trustee at 506 E North Ave. for $25,000.

Manchester

Phoebe Buchanan to Triple DS Estate LLC at 1222 N Franklin St. for $60,000.

Fifth Ave Property Group LLC to 1411 W North Ave PA LLC at 1411 W North Ave. for $185,900.

Quinn Frank Construction Corp. to Frank and Laura Quinn at 1443 W North Ave. for $30,000.

Wyst Investments LLC to Kindred Properties 2 LLC at 1415 Sedgwick St. for $200,000.

Manchester Row House Renaissance LLC to Brandi Lee at 1124 Warlo St. for $130,000.

Manchester Row House Renaissance LLC to Travis Aaron and Brenda Hostetler at 1318 Lake St. for $185,000.

Marshall-Shadeland

Y & Q Management Inc. to Team Resolution LLC at 908-910 Smithton Ave. for $85,000.

Damiean Williams to Laquieta Little at 1267 Hodgkiss St. for $210,000.

Leslie McDermott to Wakur and Brianna McDermott at 1242 Ingham St. for $165,000.

Y & Q Management Inc. to Fengyu Sun at 2623 Stayton St. for $10,000.

Kyros Media Ventures Inc. to 1238 Superior Ave PA LLC at 1238 Superior Ave. for $70,000.

Amalfi Portfolios Ltd. to Oscar Valentin Martinez at 2612 California Ave. for $55,000.

Amlfi Portfolios Ltd. to Kaibao Chen and Ximei Peng at 1512 Superior Ave. for $71,000.

Estate of Joy Goldstrom to Kimberly Freeman at 3019 Vensel Way for $47,109.

Observatory Hill

Travis Wanner to Paul Coleman Eskridge II at 105 Dunlap St. for $222,000.

Mark Smith to Kathryn Abebe at 3657 Perrysville Ave. for $432,000.

Elaine Jasso to Mikes Housing LLC at 3827-3829 Perrysville Ave. for $105,000.

Nehemiah Homes LLC to Brittany Neurohr at 3782 East St. for $128,000.

Anthony Aulicino trustee to Robert and Jennifer Cherry at 61 Riverview Ave. for $590,000.

Citizens Bank PA to Antwan Powels at 3019 Viola St. for $34,900.

Daniel Dennehy to Evan Dismukes at 57 Waldorf St. for $305,000.

Perry Hilltop

Phillip Coffin III to All About You Realty LLC at 715 Chautauqua Court for $6,320.

SFR 3 000 LLC to PRF 100 LLC at 125 Hawkins Ave. for $43,500.

MZE2008 LLC to Hiland Park Capital LLC at 217-225 Luray St. for $260,000.

Kenneth Yale to Ketur Shah at 711 Chautauqua Ct for $65,000.

Dayna Furgiuele to Mister Jason LLC at 425 Burgess St. for $37,023.

Pittsburgh City to Dennis Wik at Chester Ave. for $19,557.

David William Abt to Jonathan Yost and Kendra Anick at 129 Marshall Ave. for $325,000.

Spring Hill

Rose Anne Weigand to Jianguo and Ying Zhu at 1713 Rhine St. for $42,500.

Christopher Stygar to Lequeu Development LLC at Fall Way, vacant lot 0047-G-00250-0000-00, for $20,000.

Estate of Ronald Parson to Pamela Meadows at 1820 Spring Garden Ave. for $26,000 by sheriff’s deed.

Summer Hill

Michael Thomas Trombly to Honey Bee Home 2 LLC at 110-112 Van Buren St. for $300,500.

Michael Welday to Nolan and Brittany Overby at 4101 Franklin Road for $259,900.

Ricardo Londono to Richard Anthony Rossini and Brianna Lee Crane at 4442 Rodenbaugh Ave. for $200,000.

Troy Hill

Collin Brady to Collin and Kezia Marie Brady at 1145 Goettman St. for $10,000.

Heisel Long LLC to Nathaniel Pavlot at 1620 Harpster St. for $360,000.

Andrew Siegfried to GPG Howley LLC at 1811-1815 Niggel St. for $275,000.

Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority to 1800 River Parcel LLC at 1470 River Ave. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $777,778).

Amir Balson trustee to Jon Lombardini at 2129 Straubs Ln for $155,000.

David Cherevka to AKK Holdings LLC at 2051 Veronica St. for $130,000.

Ashlee Zillmer to Asher Jones and Seth King at 1356 Herman St. for $222,000.

More property transfers

Ask An Attorney

By Matthew D. Gailey, Gailey Law Group

Happy New Year to all of the Northside Chronicle Readers. This month’s submission will focus in on new laws that have already taken effect or will become effective in the new year.

• Tougher DUI Penalties: Deana’s Law was named for an individual killed by a repeat DUI offender. This law increased the penalties for repeat DUI offenders. It is now a third-degree felony with up to seven years in prison for an offender’s third DUI. Now a fourth DUI will result in a second-degree felony with up to ten years in prison.

• License Plate Restrictions Eased: It is now legal for drivers to use license plate frames if the frame minimally outlines the plate and the license plate number and state name remain visible.

• Fentanyl Test Strips are now legal: It is no longer a criminal act to possess fentanyl test strips, which were previously classified as drug paraphernalia. These strips will allow individuals to test drugs to see if they contain fentanyl. Fentanyl was involved with 78% of statewide overdoses in 2021. Critics argue that the legalization of these test strips will embolden drug abuse.

• Removing Snow/Ice from Cars is Mandatory: Drivers are now required to remove snow/ice from their vehicles prior to

driving. Penalties can range from $200 to $1,500 per offense.

• Firework use prohibited: Fireworks may not be used between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. except from July 2-4 and December 31. Minimum fine for violation of the new law is $500.

Jan. 2023 Northisde Business Briefs continued

From Briefs, Page 10

the new space.

The renovations ended up costing more than anticipated due to supply chain disruptions, but Matt said the restaurant’s rent was not increased as a result.

In addition to the new Subba Asian Restaurant, another restaurant is moving in to East Ohio Street. In fact, it’s located just next door.

EYV, which stands for “Eat Your Veggies,” is opening at 424 East Ohio St. According to the restaurant’s Facebook page, they would start taking reservations for dinner starting Dec. 30, 2022, which was before the press deadline for The Chronicle’s January issue. Matt said a grand opening planned for later in January when EYV closed on its liquor license.

EYV is a “veggie forward” eatery, according to its website. That means it mainly focuses on vegetables for its meals, though meat and seafood are also on the menu.

Moon rock added to Science Center

Mars exhibit

Just a little under a month since it was first unveiled to the public, the Carnegie Science Center has made a big alteration to its “Mars: The Next Giant Leap” exhibit with the addition of a genuine Moon rock.

Lunar Sample 15499, as the outer space rock is called, was loaned to the Science Center from the NASA Johnson Space Center for a five-year, renewable term. The rock, which is held in a secure case, debuted at the Science Center on Dec. 14.

sion, which was the fourth human landing on the Moon, from the top of a meter-sized boulder on the rim of Dune Crater in 1971.

Notably this gave the rock a connection to Pittsburgh before it even got here.

“One of the astronauts on that mission was actually born right here in PIttsburgh,” Marcus Hershaw, senior director of museum experiences, told reporters. “So that makes it a really special piece to have here at the Carnegie Science Center.”

That Pittsburgh-born astronaut specifically was James Irwin, who served as the lunar module pilot for the mission.

Hershaw said it was a “very competitive process” for the Science Center to get the loan of the Moon rock, and called it “tremendous” that they were approved for it. Hershaw said he was unaware of any other museums outside of Houston Space Center and Kennedy Space Center to have both a Moon rock and a Mars rock, putting the Carnegie Science Center among a rare few.

City of Asylum becomes sole owner of Masonic Temple Building

City of Asylum, the Northside organization which shelters endangered writers and artists, has become the sole owner of the Masonic Temple Building.

According to a Dec. 1 press release from the organization, City of Asylum first began rehabilitating the building in September 2015 as part of a program to revitalize abandoned Northside buildings for City of Asylum programs.

The building re-opened as Alphabet City in December 2016, and houses the group’s offices, public programs and bookstore, as well as 40 North Bar & Restaurant.

In the release, City of Asylum said its development of the building led to more than $20 million of additional redevelopment, including to the adjacent Garden Theater tract and the former Knights of Malta building.

One of the ways the group funded the renovations was by creating a “parallel support organization to own and manage the building for a period of” seven years, according to the release, in order to qualify for New Markets and Historic Tax Credits. This was done with PNC Bank and the Pittsburgh Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

With the partnership having reached its seventh year, it was dissolved and City of Asylum became the sole owner on Nov. 28, according to the release.

City of Asylum Board Chair Anne Lackner said in the release that “The City of Asylum Board and staff are really proud of the outcome” in regards to the revitalization of the building.

Northsider overseeing free pain relief program

legheny Health Network (AHN) to reduce pain in patients at West Penn Institute for Pain Medicine.

The Empowered Relief Program is an “evidence-based intervention that has been found to effectively reduce” various kinds of pain, according to an August press release from AHN.

The program received funding through an anonymous sponsor. It is offered at no cost to patients.

“The short-term and long-term impact of this expansion of Empowered Relief will be significant for patients at West Penn Hospital as well as the broader Allegheny Health Network,” Flaherty is quoted as saying in the release. “As the Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Institute at AHN continues to advance, we can deliver evidence-based mental health services that are accessible, affordable and offer behavioral health pain medicine equivalent to pharmaceutical-based treatments.” n

The rock weighs 74.224 grams. It was collected by members of the Apollo 15 mis-

Dr. Leah Flaherty, a Northside resident, is overseeing a grant-funded program by Al-

Photo by Sean P. Ray

The Science Center’s moon rock sits on a pedestal inside of a display case.

Photo by Sean P. Ray

The Masonic Temple Building is located at 40 W. North Ave.