July 2018 Est. 1985
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The Northside Chronicle
Volume 34 Issue 7 - FREE -
Meet Deutschtown Music Fest “Dream Team” Co-founders Cody Walters and Ben Soltesz reflect on how event took off By Chloe Burkart It all began when Cody Walters, co-founder of the Deutschtown Music Festival (DMF), noticed a vacant lot behind his home. He and his wife have lived in the Northside since 2009. He wanted to transform the lot into a cross between a garden and a place to park but initially thought it was owned by the City of Pittsburgh. As he began to delve deeper, he learned it was owned by the East Allegheny Community Council (EACC). Walters pitched his idea for the lot to the council, but was turned down: they thought the space would
serve more purpose as another house. This experience motivated Walters. It wasn’t long after when he found himself elected as a member of the board at EACC. He served on the board for five years before obtaining his current position as Main Street Director at the Northside Leadership Conference (NSLC). While on the board, he worked on events and programs, orchestrating holiday parties and selling advertisements. “I was really good at throwing parties when I was
19,” Walters said with a chuckle. This party planning turned out to be crucial experience when he went on to organize what would become the Deutschtown Music Festival. “I told people I was from Deutschtown and they had no idea what the h--- I was talking about,” said Walters. But DMF helped put Deutschtown on the map. The first Deutschtown Music Festival wasn’t a festival at all. At least it wasn’t intended to be. In 2011, still a member of the EACC board,
Protests for Antwon Rose Jr. reach the Northside Story and Photos By Sarah Gross Protesters continue to confront the people and police of Greater Pittsburgh demanding justice for the death of Antwon Rose Jr. On Friday, June 22, outside of PNC Park, a protest for Rose was held during a Pirates game with the intent to stop traffic. Over 400 protestors were counted, all working to block
See DMF, Pg 6
INSIDE
-PGH Lesbian Correspondents, Pg 5 STORIES, COLUMNS, -City of Asylum Photos, Page 9 FEATURES & MORE -Education, Page 22
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See Protesters, Pg 17
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