The Northside Chronicle
July 2020 Est. 1985
Volume 36 Issue 7 - FREE -
The Community Newspaper of Pittsburgh’s Historic Northside
Defund the police: What does it mean and can it work? By Jazmine Ramsey In the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and the nationwide protests against police brutality (Pittsburgh has been protesting for four weeks straight), there is a question that has been hanging around the air for quite some time. Can Americans survive without law enforcement and are they better off without it? One solution that has been brought to the table: defund the police. What does “defund the police” mean exactly? It means to redirect funds from police departments to other government agencies in a local municipality. Activists and academics have been arguing for years that reforming a broken system will not be enough. In order to make the Black and Brown communities feel safer, it may be necessary to abolish the system and start from scratch. Some supporters want to redirect some of the funds from police departments to other areas, such as school and social services. Others view this as an initial step to disband the police and create a different model of public safety altogether. Both viewpoints present an idea that can change the way public safety works. Richard Garland, assistant professor of public health at the University of Pittsburgh, director of the Violence Prevention Initiative in the Center for Health Equity, and an activist, was a supporter of the black liberation group MOVE. He was incarcerated when police dropped a bomb on MOVE’s rowhouse in West Philadelphia back in 1985. Eleven people died and 250 people were left homeless. Despite this, Garland does not believe defunding the police is the answer. “Am I a proponent of… looking out for our own community by policing our own community? There’s a certain eleSee Police, Page 9
INSIDE
Photo courtesy of Little Sisters of the Poor
Little Sisters of the Poor residents Kay Canyock (second from left), 100, and Mary Sahayda (front right), 103, celebrate their birthdays with a special vehicle parade outside of their nursing home. The parade included decorated cars full of their family members, the nursing home's staff and volunteers, and a bagpiper. Full story on Page 3.
Juneteenth in the Northside A presentation was held at the Avery College historical marker on East Ohio Street as part of Stop the Violence Pittsburgh's virtual Juneteenth Freedom Day Walk.
By NSC Staff
Photo courtesy of the Allegheny City Society
Charles Avery, founder of Avery College, believed education could improve America's race relations.
- 'New Normal' Business Operations, Page 8
STORIES, COLUMNS, - The Culture Guide, Page 12 FEATURES & MORE - Mindfulness to Prevent Violence, Page 14
A presentation was held on Friday, June 19 by Rev. Dr. Johnnie Monroe, former Pittsburgh Presbytery Northside pastor, to highlight the history of Avery College on the Northside. Avery College, founded in 1849 by Pittsburgh abolitionist Charles Avery, provided African Americans with a free liberal arts education including the subjects of science, literature, and languages. Avery believed that education could improve race relations in America. Monroe’s presentation on Avery College was a part of a greater celebra-
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tion: a virtual Juneteenth Freedom Day Walk, presented by Stop the Violence Pittsburgh. Attendees ‘made the rounds’ to various historical markers throughout Pittsburgh to learn about the city’s African American history. Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19, commemorates the effective end to slavery in the U.S. It’s already declared an official holiday in many states throughout the U.S., but this year, with the continued momentum of the Black Lives Matter movement, there’s been a robust push to declare it a national one. n
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District 19 News: Rep. Wheatley
Many protests and rallies have been held in our area and across the state and nation for several weeks, demanding justice and accountability and an end to systemic racism that has – for far too long – discriminated against our Black and Brown brothers and sisters. Early this month, I joined my fellow Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus col-
Photo courtesy of the Office of Rep. Wheatley
State Rep. Jake Wheatley represents Pittsburgh's 19th District. In this month's column, he discusses legislative justice and reform as it pertains to police procedures and police-community relations. leagues in taking over the rostrum in the House chamber and we spoke directly to the people. We wanted to let them know we hear their calls for justice and reform loud and clear. In addition, we also wanted to ensure House leadership knew that enough is enough. While what we did was certainly unprecedented, it was sorely needed. For more than
18 months, my colleagues and I have been waiting for action on several measures focused on streamlining police procedures, including improving police-community relations and criminal justice reform. At the end of that day, we were assured by leadership that those bills would be acted upon, which may include a special session in the House. Bottom line: The brutality, racism, and hatred directed toward people of color must stop. The institutions that support systemic racism must also be held accountable and changes must be made. We know that our communities have been hurting for decades. We also know that the legislature can take swift action to respond and end the status quo. To that end, our package of bills to do just that would: • Modify definitions in statute for the use of deadly force. • Reform interdepartmental police hiring by requiring law enforcement agencies to keep detailed personnel records surrounding an officer leaving a job. • Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate any incident of deadly use of force involving a law enforcement officer. • Reform the certification and decertification process for police officers. • Address arbitration regarding matters of discipline for police. I want each of you to continue to hold my colleagues and me accountable – keep putting the pressure on us to do more. You deserve real systemic changes, not just symbolic gestures. It’s imperative we must act and respond, and that is my promise to you. Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have via email at repwheatley@pahouse.net or call The People’s Office at 412-471-7760. n
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July 2020
Community Meetings After Jail & Prison Ministry Support Mondays, 6-7 p.m. Allegheny Center Alliance Church 412.321.4333 ext. 127 801 Union Place, first floor
Manchester Citizens Corporation Quarterly meetings, call for times MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. 412.323.1743
Allegheny West Civic Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Calvary United Methodist Church 412.323.8884
Manchester Public Safety Meeting Quarterly meetings, call for times Northside Leadership Conference 412.323.1743
Brighton Heights Citizens Federation 2nd Thursday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Morrow Elementary School 412.734.0233
Northside Rotary Club Every Friday, noon Cardello Building, 2nd Floor
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 412.758.3898
NS Coalition for Fair Housing Board 2nd Monday, monthly, 6:30 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 Call to confirm 1st Wednesday, monthly, 6 p.m. MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. 412.231.4714 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. 1319 Allegheny Ave. 1st floor meeting room 412.231.4714 ext. 201
Charles Street Area Council 1st Monday, monthly, call for times Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. 412.321.5567
Northside Toastmasters 2nd & 4th Thursdays, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Carnegie Library, 1230 Federal St. 412-204-6018
Community Alliance of Spring Garden/ East Deutschtown 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Fuhrer Building of St. Michael’s Church 412.228.0376
Observatory Hill, Inc. 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Byzantine Seminary, 3605 Perrysville Ave. 412.231.2887
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. Arnold’s Tea 412.321.1204 Fineview & Perry Hilltop Citizens Councils 4th Tuesday, monthly, 6 p.m. Contact for location info@ourfuturehilltop.org 412-238-7528 Mexican War Streets Society 3rd Monday, bi-monthly, 6:30-7 p.m. 1400 Buena Vista St. 412.323.9030
The Promise Group Every other Tuesday, 6 p.m. Western Pa. Humane Society 412.321.1019 Troy Hill Citizens Feb. 12, April 8, 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 2, May 4, Sept. 14, Oct. 5, Nov. 2 6 p.m, Spring Hill Elementary School auditorium, contact@shcl.org Summer Hill Citizens Committee 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. WPXI Television Station community room
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 2019
The Northside Chronicle
July 2020
Northside Public Safety Bulletin: July 2020 Fireworks are legal in Pittsburgh. As of October of 2017, Pennsylvania legalized “Class C” or “Consumer Grade” legal fireworks that include firecrackers, Roman candles, bottle rockets and similar fireworks that contain a maximum of 50 milligrams of explosive material. M-80s, M-100s, and cherry bombs are illegal. We’ve heard of many complaints about fireworks going off in our Northside neighborhoods beginning late evening into the morning hours and they have become an
determine what direction they are coming from when reporting them to the 911 dispatcher. The police department is monitoring and keeping track of the hot spots in the Northside neighborhoods, although note that when officers answer a call and the fireworks have already been ignited, it’s virtually impossible for them to determine who
Photos courtesy of the North Side Public Safety Council
Fireworks found in the 200 block of East Ohio Street and in Allegheny Commons Park, in the 700 block of Cedar Avenue. annoyance and a grievance for many of us that have jobs, children, and pets. The Zone 1 Police Department suggests for you to call 911 when you hear them going off in your neighborhood and if you can, try to
actually lit them. However, if they answer a call and find someone with more fireworks that have not been ignited they then have the legal right to go through their fireworks and confiscate ones that are deemed illegal.
The ShotSpotter does differentiate between gun shots fired and fireworks. This seems to be a trend happening around our country in different cities with all similarities, starting at the beginning of June in the late evening into the morning hours and is terrifying our pets, dogs especially, as their ears are so sensitive. New York City had as many of 12,500 911 calls on fireworks in the first 20 days of June. What can you do? Call 911 as first stated, talk with your fellow neighbors, and try to determine what part of your neighborhood they are being ignited in. Much of the time, you can see the leftovers of where they were left off, this way you can work collectively with your neighbors.You can also refer to any surveillance cameras in your neighborhood that may be able to pick up the culprits. Also note that sparklers are a top reason for visiting the emergency room. The North Side Public Safety Council (NSPSC) meeting will be canceled for the month of July due to the COVID-19 pandemic because social distancing in a closed area can be a bit challenging to keep everyone safe from this virus. As always, please look after one another, especially those that are elderly, disabled, or less fortunate. David Stacy is the president of NSPSC. Reach him and NSPSC with your questions or concerns by email at zone1psc@gmail. com or by phone at 412-321-0295. n
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Parade celebrates birthdays of two Northside nursing home residents By NSC Staff A birthday celebration “like no other” was recently held for two residents of Little Sisters of the Poor with 203 years of life between them. On June 17, Kay Canyock and Mary Sahayda, who turned 100 and 103 years old respectively, were celebrated with a birthday parade of vehicles full of family, friends, and volunteers in the parking lot and front circle of the Brighton Heights nursing home on Benton Avenue. The parade was led by a police escort and nursing home residents were lined up in the front circle to wave. Canyock, a Little Sisters resident for seven years, was born Kay Searle in 1920 See Sisters, Page 5
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District 1 News: Councilman Wilson Hello everyone, Throughout this novel coronavirus pandemic, my office is hearing stories from businesses struggling to keep their
Photo courtesy of the Office of Councilman Wilson
Councilman Bobby Wilson represents the City of Pittsburgh's District 1. His office reached out to partners at Cityview Church, the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, the University of Pittsburgh, Office Depot, and the Housing Authority to collaborate on providing 400 households with care packages. doors open, parents concerned about their children’s educations, and Northsiders awaiting their unemployment checks. My office has been looking to help in any way that we can. Even in regular times, paper products and cleaning supplies are vital for folks in need. Moreover, such products cannot be purchased with an EBT card nor are they distributed by food pantries. So, we reached out to our partners at Cityview Church, the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, the University of Pittsburgh, Office Depot, and the Housing Authority. With their help and collaboration, we were able to provide a care package to over 400 households at Arch Courts Senior Housing, Pressley Street High Rise, and Northview Heights High Rise. We wanted to take this moment to profusely thank each and
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July 2020
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every Northsider who donated to this drive. We especially want to thank Pastor Leann Younger of Cityview Church for collecting all these donations and organizing their distribution at Arch Court and Pressley. Thank you to all the Housing Authority employees and residents that worked with us to coordinate and distribute these essential items. Thank you to our partners at the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, the University of Pittsburgh, and Office Depot for stepping up and helping us meet these essential needs of our neighbors in these three communities. I recognize that such donations pale in comparison to the dire need that the pandemic has brought to the Northside, but our hearts are full right now because we got to witness and participate in the extraordinary generosity and neighborliness of my Council District. I hope you have a relaxing and enjoyable Fourth of July this summer. I certainly know that if your kids are anything like mine, you should take them to Marmaduke Playground in Brighton Heights this summer, where they can enjoy running through the sprinkler that has been turned back on at the spray park. But in all seriousness, every Fourth of July we celebrate the fact that we live in a free country that protects and enshrines our rights as citizens and human beings. However you PERSONAL INJURY | AUTO ACCIDENTS | MEDICAL MALPRACTICE choose to enjoy your Fourth of July during this summer of social distancing, I hope we SLIP, TRIP & FALLS | CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS | EMPLOYER VIOLATIONS can all take a moment to reflect on the hard conversations we need to have and the hard work we need to do to make sure that our Top 50 Attorneys in Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Magazine laws and our government work fairly and eqTop Attorneys in Pennsylvania | Best Lawyers in America by uitably for everyone. In the meantime, please feel free to Pittsburgh Magazine | Pittsburgh Best Lawyers | Best Lawyers in contact my office if you have any quesAmerica | National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys (NAOPIA) | tions, concerns, or stories. You can call my office at (412) 255-2135, email us at The American Society of Legal Advocates | Pennsylvania Rising Stars district1@pittsburghpa.gov, or find us on by Philadelphia Super Lawyers | Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We look forward to hearing from all of you. Happy Fourth of July! BOBBY WILSON COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT 1 n
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July 2020
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District 6 News: Councilman Lavelle In the last edition of the Northside Chronicle, I highlighted legislative efforts by my office that declared racism a public health crisis in the City of Pittsburgh, as well as a bill that established the COVID-19 Racial Equity Task Force, aimed at addressing the disproportionate effects of the pandemic on the city’s African American citizens. National events since then have only served to further highlight the pervasiveness of racism in our social and political institutions. It is a fact that African Americans are two-and-a-half times more likely to be killed by a police officer than white people. We must reform policing practices and policies which far too often result in the deaths of unarmed African Americans. The best way to improve public safety is not just additional police officers but rather by increasing the community’s confidence in the police. To that end, together with Councilman Burgess, we introduced four pieces of legislation aimed at reforming the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. They include: • Establishing a Hiring Freeze in the Bureau of Police: This legislation will defund the Police Recruit and FirstYear Police Officer line items in the Bureau’s 2020 Budget. • Requiring the Demilitarization of the Police: This legislation bans the purchase of surplus U.S. military equipment and weapons by the
Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. • Establishing a Duty to Intervene: This legislation requires ALL police officers to step in and stop other police officers from using illegal or unnecessary force or any other violation of a person’s constitutional right. It also requires those officers to immediately report the incident to whoever in the chain of command it is necessary to report. • Establishing STOP THE VIOLENCE Fund: This legislation requires the city to dedicate dollars, equal to 10% of the Police Budget, annually for funding evidence-based violence prevention social service programs. During these times, it is critically important that we not only acknowledge the voices of those marching in the streets but also provide a legislative platform for them to directly engage in the governance and policing of our city. The idea that more policing can solve a broad range of community problems is misguided. What our communities need, particularly communities of color, is more direct investment in things like affordable housing, better education, counseling for trauma and addiction, youth development, workforce development, and public transit. We cannot ignore the outcry, both here in Pittsburgh and around the country about the unjust deaths of unarmed
African Americans like Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. We must implement fundamental police reforms and significantly fund evidence-based violence
Women honor 203 collective years of life between them From Sisters, Page 3
Photo courtesy of the Councilman
Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle represents the City of Pittsburgh's District 6. n reduction and social service programs. It is time to have an open and inclusive conversation about the future of policing in this country and here in Pittsburgh. These first four pieces of legislation will begin that essential conversation. n
in Bristol, England. She was delivered via home birth because of the short supply of doctors available at that time who were mostly tending to soldiers wounded in World War I. During World War II, she remembers wearing a green jumpsuit to work various jobs in the Women’s Land Army. She met her husband, Joseph Canyock, in Bristol as he was healing there after being wounded in France. After he married her, Joseph returned to the U.S. It took Canyock three years to get a visa and join him in Pittsburgh, where they raised a large family. Sahayda, resident for two years, was born in 1917 and grew up in the Northside. She’s a hard worker who spent time as a private housekeeper, and had three children with her husband Michael. Her pierogies, especially the cabbage and cottage cheese ones, are famous at St. George Parish, the church she attended, and she helped to make them even with limited eyesight at the age of 95. Sahayda is an avid bingo player and has her bingo card memorized. n
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The Northside Chronicle
District 20 News: Rep. Ravenstahl As always, I hope you are reading this in good health. Over the last several months, we have worked to successfully flatten the
Photo courtesy of the office of Rep. Ravenstahl
State Rep. Adam Ravenstahl represents the 20th Legislative District in Allegheny County. curve in Pennsylvania. Our actions — and the difficult decisions we have all
had to make, have unequivocally saved lives and slowed the spread of this deadly virus. However, as we watch events unfold in Texas and Florida, we are reminded that this pandemic is not over, and that we must remain vigilant. That starts with wearing a mask when out in public. This simple step has been proven to slow the virus and save lives. Also over the last several weeks, we have watched as thousands have taken to the streets in our region — and in towns and cities across our state and nation to demand change, to call for equality. Before we broke for the summer, the House voted unanimously on two bills that would increase training for police officers, and strengthen hiring practices. This was a good first step, but we must continue to work for a better Pennsylvania, one in which everyone, regardless of race, gender, color or creed is treated equally and fairly, and every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential. The road is long, but we will get there, working together. As always, if I can help you with any state-related matter, please reach out to my office. You can find contact and other information at www.RepARavenstahl.com. Be well, stay safe, Adam n
July 2020
Annual NSLC Awards Dinner canceled, scholarships still presented By Ashlee Green The 37th Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner of the Northside Leadership Conference (NSLC), originally scheduled for June 18, has been canceled, but scholarships will still be awarded to Northside high school graduates. NSLC will award seven $1,000 scholarships to graduates who are planning to further their education. Throughout its history, NSLC has awarded more than $282,000 in scholarship funds. “We’ll be back in 2021,” said NSLC Board President Jamie Younger. “This year, we just want everyone to be safe.” This year’s scholarship awardees are: Ava Cook of Fineview, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Art School; Eric Ford of Summer Hill, Vincentian Academy; Madison Travaglino of Observatory Hill, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Art School; Marie Kaminski of Northview Heights, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Art School; Mikeiya Bennett of Central Northside, Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Art School; Emma Heil of Observatory Hill, Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy; Nuriya Mada of Northview Heights, Pittsburgh
Taylor Alderdice High School. Sponsors of the 2020 scholarships are Faros Properties, WesBanco, and
Photo by Ashlee Green
The 2019 NSLC Scholarship and Awards Dinner, which honors volunteers and accomplishments in the community, took place at the Priory Grand Hall. Dollar Bank. Annual sponsors are Alco Parking, Allegheny General Hospital / Allegheny Health Network, First National Bank, Highmark, Huntington Bank, Key Bank, Northwest Savings Bank, Peoples Gas, PNC Bank, Rivers Casino, SSB Bank, and the Stella Kalaris Scholarship Fund. n
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July 2020
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Troubled times like this call for visionary leadership. And while we often look to and lean on our civic and other professional leaders to guide us through tough times, occasionally even those leaders find themselves without the experience or wisdom to know what to do next. This is where we come in. By we, I mean all of us. As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the need for creative community leadership increases. We can choose to be Monday morning quarterbacks with a continuously growing slate of critiques about what should have or could have been done, or we can step into the arena and look for our opportunity to lead. There’s a great story in the Hebrew Scriptures about a warrior named Gideon tasked with leading his people out of a troubling situation. The lessons in the ancient story speak to us today. First, Gideon, who doubts his ability as a leader, is charged by a messenger from God to use the gifts he has, no matter how small he thinks those gifts are. The word ‘leadership’ often scares people. But in our neighborhoods, leadership just means doing what we do best for the good of others. Gideon’s second charge was to tear down the statue of an idol called Baal, a symbol of his people placing their trust in the wrong thing. We don’t usually talk about tearing down idols unless we’re in a religious service, but we can talk about where we as neighbors are placing our trust. With respect to COVID-19 and the social unrest resulting from the death of George Floyd, we need to return to putting our trust in each other in order to build a Northside community that works for everyone and not just a few of us. The finale of this story involves Gideon stepping way out of his comfort zone to ultimately lead his people out of the trouble they were in. This is our call as Northside neighbors: to step out of our comfort zones and help each other thrive. It might be shopping for a senior, or helping a family who is struggling to manage childcare and work. It might be developing a creative, physically dis-
tant way to tutor a neighborhood kid, or it might be as simple as growing flowers to share beauty with your neighbors during this stressful time. The story of Gideon
Photo courtesy of Pastor Leeann Younger
This month, Pastor Leeann Younger of Cityview Church shares the story of a warrior named Gideon from the Hebrew Scriptures, and highlights the importance of visionary leadership in troubling times. invites us to share our gifts to help our neighbors, to place our trust in each other, and to step out of our comfort zones for the sake of our community. If you follow Gideon’s path, you are likely to find yourself on an adventure that will surprise you and your neighbors. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, because these extraordinary times call for visionary leadership. It’s exactly what we all need to give and receive from each other right now. Pastor Leeann Younger Cityview Church n
Looking for an opportunity to serve your community? The Northside Chronicle is now taking fall 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 922 Middle St. Pittsburgh, PA 15212
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The Northside Chronicle
ALCOSAN launches new effort to assist low-income households By Katia Faroun For those struggling to pay their bills during the pandemic, Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, known as ALCOSAN, is offering assistance to low-income households with its Clean Water Assistance Fund. The wastewater treatment plant has partnered with Dollar Energy Fund, Inc. to administer funds to low-income individuals and families residing in any of the 83 municipalities the company services. Those who qualify for the program will receive $34 credited to their sewage treatment bills every three months, whether they are billed monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly. The grant, which reserves $1 million for eligible residents, was approved by ALCOSAN’s Board of Directors in 2016. The funds are credited to individuals’ accounts by the agency that bills them for their sewage treatment, such as Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority (PWSA) or Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority. In order to qualify for assistance, individuals and households must meet certain monthly and yearly income guidelines set
by the Federal Government, beginning at a monthly income of up to $1,595 or an annual income of up to $19,140 for households of one member. Applicants can view their eligibility on ALCOSAN’s website. Formed in 1946, ALCOSAN has operated from its 3300 Preble Ave. location in the Northside for the past 60 years. The company provides wastewater treatment to residential, commercial, and industrial customers throughout the Pittsburgh region, maintaining approximately 90 miles of interceptor sewers. Within its 83 municipalities, 900,000 individuals rely on the company’s services, including customers from McCandless down to Upper St. Clair neighborhoods. Households interested in applying for the Clean Water Assistance Fund can find applications at Dollar Energy agencies or can call Dollar Energy at 1-888-282-6816. ALCOSAN’s website also provides a list of agencies that households can call to make an appointment to apply for the fund. Applicants are required to provide a copy of their water or sewage treatment bill, proof of their monthly household income, and a social security number. n
July 2020
Safety protocols a must, customers say, for local business success in 'new normal' times By NSC Staff The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed everyone out of their normal routines, but a recent survey conducted by the Northside North Shore Chamber of Com-
erations. Businesses and consumers are adopting new habits and behaviors, some of which could continue for the foreseeable future, perhaps even permanently. “Business owners and managers are
Chart courtesy of the Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce
A survey conducted by the Chamber in June shows the value customers place on various safety protocols as businesses reopen to 'new normal' operations. merce offers some insight into the safety protocols that customers value as businesses reopen to ‘new normal’ op-
making really tough decisions about how See Chamber, Page 15
Most Valuable Student Scholarship Competition • Applicants need not be related to a member of The 2021 Most Valuable Student (MVS) application will open on August the Elks. • High school graduates are not eligible to apply. 5, 2020. The MVS scholarship contest • Male and female students compete separately. is open to any high school senior who is a US Citizen. Applicants will be Applications for the 2021 contest will judged on scholarship, leadership, and be available online starting August financial need. 5, 2020. The 2021 MVS application deadline is November 15, 2020. The Elks National Foundation will award 500 four-year scholarships to Visit the website for applications: the highest-rated applicants in the 2021 competition. Who is eligible to apply: www.elks.org/scholars/scholar-
ships/MVS.cfm
• Any high school senior who is a citizen of the United States on the date their application is signed. Permanent legal resident status does not qualify.
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The Northside Chronicle
July 2020
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ment in our community that—it’s never gonna do the things that they supposed to do,” Garland said. “So you need to be able to have something in place to be able to keep the community going and there’s no threats and violence. I think the hardest job in America is police and the public school teacher.” Norman Conti, associate professor of sociology at Duquesne University, has led the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program in Pittsburgh since 2007. He helped start the
“If people feel that way and that’s shared amongst people in the neighborhood, then you’ll have less crime there to begin with,” said Conti. “What happens is, communities, when they lose that or they never have that, that’s when you get a high crime rate. That’s when you have the police come in and we have the police deal with things.” Conti continued: “What we ask the police to do is impossible. No one can do it. No matter what happens with the police, you have communities that can come together and deal with their problems and there’s a
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Photo courtesy of Professor Norman Conti
Professor Norman Conti (front row holding pennant) with one of his Inside-Out Police Training cohorts. Conti, associate professor of sociology at Duquesne University, has led the exchange program since 2007. Elsinore Bennu Think Tank for Restorative Justice program. The Inside Out program allows university students to take courses in correctional settings with prisoners and encourages both the students and the imprisoned participants to see each other in a different light. For example, students refer to imprisoned participants as “inside students” while the students are referred to as “outside students.” Changing the labeling allowed both groups to see each other as individuals instead of negative stereotypes. Conti used the teachings of Inside-Out to form Think Tank. Instead of students interacting with prisoners, though, police officers are doing it. “I thought, wouldn’t it be something to take police recruits to do that?” said Conti. “I’ve been studying police since I went to college, but when I went to graduate school, I did a dissertation on police training. I’ve been writing about police training ever since. It was a natural idea to combine the two.” Like Garland, Conti does not believe disbanding the police is the answer to changing public safety. What keeps neighborhoods safest, he said, is their sense of community, where residents have an attitude of “I don’t just live here, but this is my neighborhood.”
role in the police for that.” He believes that when people say “defund the police,” what they really mean is to reallocate resources: “... If the city’s putting 50% of their money into the police fold, what if you took 10% of that and put it into something else and got a better result? People have to make decisions like that all the time in their lives and you definitely have to make decisions like that with cities.” In an act to help build a positive relationship between police and minority communities, especially the Black community, a proposition has been proposed for the City of Pittsburgh. Northside Councilman R. Daniel Lavelle and Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess are co-sponsoring bills for police reform. Recently, Mayor William Peduto has named the Pittsburgh Community Task Force on Police Reform. The Task Force is made up of people from different backgrounds who will serve as the voices of Pittsburgh’s diverse communities. They will review police policies, police-community relations, and safety in communities. Members of the task force will also offer recommendations and implementation plans to the mayor. While forming the task force is a start, talk of defunding the police still hangs in the air. n
The Northside Chronicle
Page 10
July 2020
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The Northside Chronicle
July 2020
Page 11
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The Northside Chronicle
Page 12
July 2020
Northside Culture Guide: The Covid-19 Edition Since 2016, The Northside Chronicle has compiled a special Culture Guide showcasing the variety of institutional, and independent, cultural assets, historical traditions and landmarks in addition to annual community events that happen on the Northside during summer months. With the Covid-19 pandemic statewide shutdowns, many events were cancelled in advance as local government, organizations, and businesses waited for clarity of the situation. By June 5th, Allegheny County was elevated to the Governor's outlined Green Phase just in time for all Pennsyvanilan's traditions and rights, such as high school graduations and primary day. Northsiders showed up and showed out within the safety guidelines set forth months ago. Photos by Lauren Stauffer
High School graduation, a ceremony of surprises
Many seniors look forward to prom and graduation as a rite of passage from high school. Pittsburgh Public School canceled prom while later leaving individual high schools to decided how to address the tradition of receiving diplomas. On June 15th, Perry Traditional Academy students were signed up for time slots to pick-up diplomas with a socially distant photobooth for photos. After the last time slot, a group of grads with their families held a "no-contact" car parade down to Riverview Park. On the Friday before, Olivia C. Hall's family surprised her at home with many "familiar" faces of the proud Slippery Rock bound graduate on cardboard cut-outs for their own style of photoshoot. "She has been looking forward to prom since she was young," said Olivia's mother, Deirdre Hall, "I wanted to make sure this would be special for her."
Northside's Primary polls
reduced to two sites, mail-in ballots
On Tuesday, June 2nd the Pennsylvania Primary was altered by the current guidelines and reduced to two polling stations, Perry Traditional Academy and Manchester Elementary School. Allegheny County campaigned directly to registered voters to use mail-in ballots by sending out applications weeks prior. Both of Northside's State Representatives, District 19- Jake Wheatley and District 20- Adam Ravenstahl, were facing new incumbents.
Church Pastor hopes Historic Landmark, now collapsed, can become an open meditation space
Pastor Tillman, of the Christian Fellowship Center and the Church of God in Christ, stands in front of the city's emergency demoltion of their Historic Landmark. The church, located on McClure Ave., collapsed on June 8t, 2020 after delays in roof repairs which succuombed during a seasonal storm.
Avery College Historic Marker part of Juneteenth
Virtual Freedom Walk
Northsiders meet on East Ohio St. Friday, June 19th for the virtual Freedom Walk hosted by the Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Celebration group. Avery College was dedicated to African American education from 1849 - 1873. It was later demolished for the construction of Rt 279.
Markets every Friday at 3:00pm *Dates Subject to Change*. Free items such as hygiene kits (including masks, hand sanitizer, etc.), health resources, and athome activities will be distributed. Normal programming of healthcare providers and organizations will resume once restrictions are lifted.
Northside businesses begin to re-open with new safety protocols, operations
Start walking to find history, nature, and farmer markets
By Emily Owsiany While things in the Northside may be different than usual, residents are still able to enjoy the rich cultural history of the Northside through different activities like walking tours. It is a great way to stay healthy while appreciating the history of neighborhoods like Mexican War Streets, Manchester, Observatory Hill and more! The City Steps are another great way to stay healthy and enjoy a beautiful view of the City. The Mexican War Streets were developed during the 1840s by General William Robinson. He named the development across from Allegheny Commons after places and people from the MexicanAmerican War. Another great area to explore is Riverview Park, home to Allegheny Observatory, created in 1894. Riverview Park has an extensive network of trails for bikers, hikers, runners, and walkers! The wooded trail keeps residents cool in the shade. The historic picnic shelter is a great area to learn more about the Presbyterian church that was once there and enjoy quality time with friends and family. For a healthy workout and a great view, climb the Middle Street City Steps or the Fineview City Steps. Each Fall since 2013, Fineview Citizens Council hosts a Step Challenge to raise money for beautification efforts for the neighborhood. This challenge happens on some of Pittsburgh's steepest steps, which lead to a beautiful view of the City. It is super important to stay healthy during this time both mentally and physically. Clear your head and work out while climbing the city steps! Another way to enjoy the cultural history of the Northside is by visiting Allegheny Commons Park, the oldest park in Pittsburgh. Many events take place at the park including the Northside Farmers Market. There is everything from fresh produce vendors, fresh baked goods, and A Place to Start, the Northside Leadership Conference and Allegheny General Hospital Partnership’s health and wellness program. Each Summer, A Place to Start is at the Farmers
Rockwell Hair Designs, located in Nova Place, re-opened on June 5th with the State's Green Phase guildelines of 50% capacity, face masks and additional cleaning guidelines. Johnny Angel's Ginchy Stuff & Museum, in Chateau, re-opens with a social distancing outside party on Friday, June 26th.
Northside Community Development Fund presents new state grant available for small businesses, virutally
Gina Grone, Exectuive Director of the Northside | Northshore Chamber of Commerce held a Zoom information session with Mark Masterson, Executive Director of the Northside Community Development Fund (NSCDF) on Thursday, June 25th. The COVID-19 Relief Pennsylvania Small Business Assistance Grant Program is expected to launch the first round of applications on June 30, 2020 and remain open for 10 business days. NSCDF is one of 17 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) in Pennsylvania administering grant funds to small businesses on the Northside who were impacted by COVID-19. More information on eligibility requirements and ongoing application round details, visit nscdfund.org
July 2020
The Northside Chronicle
From the Archive: July 2000
Page 13
A look at former annual events twenty years ago on the Northside.
Image courtesy of and created by Northside Leadership Conference, updated 6/16/2020 and 6/26/2020
The Northside Chronicle
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Emily Kinkead’s quest for affordable housing, police reform in the Northside By Emery Malachowski Emily Kinkead won the Democratic primary against incumbent Adam Ravenstahl, making her the Democratic Candidate for the Pennsylvanian House of Representatives District 20. Kinkead reportedly had 55% of the vote while Ravenstahl had 45%, with 97% of precincts reporting. Kinkead, along with State Representative Summer Lee, 30th State House Dem-
Photo courtesy of Emily Kinkead
Emily Kinkead is the new Democratic candidate for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 20.
ocratic Candidate Lissa Geiger Shulman, and Jessica Benham of the 36th State House District, are only some of the progressive women who have been recently chosen over more moderate candidates in Allegheny’s Democratic primaries. Kinkead sees this as a demonstration of how Pittsburgh is “hungry for change.” Kinkead, a Brighton Heights resident, spoke with The Northside Chronicle on June 11 about promoting diverse neighborhoods, increasing low-income housing, and addressing racism in the criminal justice system. She says that there is a “continual feeling in the Northside that we don’t get what we put into things. We pay our taxes and we do what we’re supposed to do, and the investments that we make in our region through our tax dollars doesn’t come back to us in any way.” Kinkead is optimistic that Democrats “are returning to old school democratic values of the FDR era where we take care of everybody and we support everybody. We can ask for more of our government, we can ask for more of our leaders. We can fight for real change other than playing defense.” Kinkead hopes to work with community groups in the Northside, who she says are adept at advocating for their neighbor-
hoods and identifying their needs. One of the needs she wants to address is increasing affordable housing. Kinkead’s methods include expanding Pittsburgh’s inclusionary zoning, which requires new developments to include both affordable and low-income housing, and to create “intentionally mixed-income neighborhoods.” Diversity, she says, reduces the isolation of low-income neighborhoods. She says this isolation makes it easier for elected officials to ignore residents’ needs, and increases the risk of those neighborhoods not having access to resources other neighborhoods might, such as good transportation options or adequate funding for schools. She points to Northview Heights as an example of a neighborhood providing adequate housing for low-income Pittsburghers, but becoming isolated and a “community unto itself.” A lack of diversity in neighborhoods, Kinkead notes, also allows us to miss the chance to grow greater empathy for those unlike us economically or racially. She says that Pittsburgh is “a very segregated city, and we need to build understanding and cross boundaries and borders.” Kinkead would also like to set up an additional fee for those who buy market-price houses in the Northside for the first five years of their residence. This fee would contribute to neighborhood funds that would allow residents to make structural repairs to their homes, such as fixing roofs, which do not always increase the resale value of the house but are still necessary, and which predatory developers take advantage of by reporting ordinance violations. This is particularly to facilitate the flow of funds from people flipping houses in the Northside toward long-term residents. Apart from infrastructure and housing, Kinkead wants to fight segregation by achieving “not just equal but equitable investment” in schools that “have been traditionally left behind, and bringing them up to be at least on par with the schools that have had the most advantages.” She notes that this has been emphasized by the COVID-19 pandemic and the necessity to conduct remote learning, which she says is easier for more wealthy neighborhoods, whose schools have the funding to ensure that every student has the technology they need. In regards to Pittsburgh’s recent protests against police brutality, Kinkead believes that it is “well past time that we addressed the absolute disparity in our system, in every aspect of our system.” She says that we will need “all hands on deck” See Kinkead, Page 15
July 2020
Virtual groundbreaking sets rehab of Commons' North Promenade in motion By Jazmine Ramsey If you are curious about the City of Pittsburgh’s plans for the Northside’s historic Allegheny Commons Park North Promenade, the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy has spilled the beans. On June 25, the Conservancy, along with Allegheny Commons Initiative, the City of Pittsburgh and the Northside Leadership Conference (NSLC), hosted a virtual groundbreaking via Facebook Live to celebrate the rehabilitation of the North Promenade in Allegheny Commons Park. Park historian Susan Rademacher gave an overview of Allegheny Commons Park and its North Promenade and capital projects manager Brandon Riley talked about planned project improvements. The Conservancy is planning to rebuild the Promenade path by furnishing it with benches and energy-efficient lighting. The excess pavement will be removed, and the connecting paths will be adjusted to line up with intersections. This will allow people to walk easily into the park and along the Promenade. Trees will be planted in the gaps along the Promenade, and low medians will be planted to alert and prevent drivers from entering the park. The North
Promenade is intended to be an area where pedestrians can stroll. However, according to the Conservancy’s capital projects manager Brandon Riley, there is a possibility it will be open for people to host special events in the future. The North Promenade will be split into two projects: The first one will extend to Federal Street from the Northeast Fountain. It is expected to be completed in 2020. The second one will focus on the stretch from Federal Street to the George Washington Monument. Fundraising for the second project is currently in progress. Once both projects are completed, the North Promenade will feature a 15-foot-wide walkway. As of now, one portion of the Parks Conservancy’s long-range Master Plan, the Northeast Fountain, has been completed, which took place last summer. Maintenance crews will plant 100 new trees along the Promenade, mark park entrances with railings made from historical pipes, and install 30 new benches. Other additions include newly paved sidewalks along McCabe Field, 29 new energy-efficient LED pedestrian lights along the length of the Promenade, and a new concrete base for the Hartzell Memorial. The project is expected to be completed by November 2020. n
Mindfulness: An unconventional tool in violence prevention By Mario Cosentino This is the second article in a series on mindfulness.
Photo via University of Pittsburgh
Richard Garland, assistant professor of public health at the University of Pittsburgh, believes that violence, like disease, can spread through exposure.
Northside native Taili Thompson has been impacted by violence his entire life, which is a trend that started before he was even born. He says his grandmother Pauline Thompson was murdered in 1965 on Ridge Avenue over a dispute between her and a white homeowner who didn’t want to be neighbors with Thompson, a Black woman. Three decades later on Jan. 1, 1997, Thompson’s brother was shot and killed in front of his childhood home on Jacksonia Street. Thompson, now a resident of Observatory Hill, subscribes to the disease model of violence: the idea that it can be spread through exposure. His fear was that he could meet a similar fate. At the time of his brother’s death, he had already begun to be involved with some of the ‘negative activities’ in his community and was serving time for smuggling heroin. Thanks to two men named Richard, Thompson’s life was changed and he found See Mindfulness, Page 23
The Northside Chronicle
July 2020
YINZBURGH! COMICS By Nils Hanczar
Kinkead: "[It is] not worth harming people to protect property." From Kinkead, Page 14 to address systemic racism, including police, legislators, judges, and lawyers, and that they should be trained in anti-racism tactics. Kinkead wants to require independent citizens commissions to review police misconduct, as well as require the state to con-
Photo courtesy of Cityview Church
Kinkead and campaign manager, Schuyler Sheaffer, volunteering at Cityview Church.
duct “real-time” data collection on the impact of criminal justice policies on people of color.
Page 15
She believes the police shouldn’t be expected to deal with mental health crises or drug abuse issues, and instead should be focused on our “most serious crimes.” She also wants to address policies in schools like truancy, which currently requires parents to go to a criminal court. She believes it should be the purview of social services and that we should be “supporting families, not punishing them” and addressing the root causes of why students are not attending school. In response to the protests themselves, Kinkead says that “50 years of studies have shown that if you put police in riot gear on the street monitoring a peaceful protest, you are far more likely to end up with a violent protest. Just the presence of police in gear that anticipates an escalation to violence can lead to an escalation to violence.” She would instead like to shift to legal observers, who would call in the police if situations got “out of hand.” She believes that protestors should not be allowed to hurt other people, but notes that property damage is a different situation. She says that we should acknowledge that most businesses have insurance to cover property damage, and it is “not worth harming people to protect property.” n
Visit our website: www.thenorthsidechronicle.com for news about Northside real estate, events, & more.
Grone to business owners: "Capitalize on the renewed commitment to localism." From Chamber, Page 8 to best operate their business.” said Gina Grone, executive director of the Chamber. The Chamber, in support of the Northside business community, conducted a survey in June to highlight consumer activity and preferences that would help businesses to effectively respond to customers. Full survey results, which go beyond those outlined in this article, are available to members of the Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce. “The results of this survey can provide some localized insight about how to keep and gain customers by understanding what is most important to them and how expectations and preferences have changed.” The survey was completed by 184 people that either live in, work in, or regularly visit the Northside. It focused on three areas: how various safety protocols affect consumers’ likelihood of patronizing a business; whether or not factors such as ownership, hiring practices, and ease of ordering have become more important to consumers; and consumer activities to gauge comfort level, short-term, and sustained change. Key findings The bottom line: Safety protocols lead to increased visits. Respondents were asked how various safety protocols affected their likelihood of visiting a business. More than
75% of respondents indicated, for most of the protocols listed, that they were “far more likely” or “somewhat more likely” to visit if the protocol was in place. This finding is corroborated by a finding that 76% of respondents are less likely to visit if employees are not wearing masks and 83% are less likely to visit if the business has posted safety measures, but is not adhering to or enforcing them. Small business support The survey also asked respondents about their activities and attitudes toward small or locally owned businesses: It’s clear that people want to keep supporting them. Forty-nine percent of respondents reported shopping at locally owned retailers (online or in-person) more now than compared to before the pandemic. Sixty percent of consumers anticipate that they will shop more at locally owned businesses after the pandemic compared to before. One question asked consumers how the importance of a business being locally owned had changed compared to before the pandemic: 57% of respondents said that it was “far more important than before” and 30% of respondents said that it was “somewhat more important.” Answers indicate a sustained commitment to supporting small business. Changes in activities Respondents were asked how they anticipate their activities changing after the
pandemic compared to before the pandemic, to uncover long-term or permanent behavior changes. Some of the notable findings were as follows:
Photo by Ashlee Green
Gina Grone, executive director of the Northside North Shore Chamber of Commerce, pictured at the 2019 Chamber Holiday Gala at Rivers Casino. • • • • •
Video chat (personal) – 33% will do this more after the pandemic than before Video chat (professional) – 36% will do this more after the pandemic than before Telemedicine (physical) – 28% will do this more after the pandemic than before Restaurant takeout – 22% will do this more after the pandemic than before Shopping at locally owned businesses
(in-person or online) – 60% will do this more after the pandemic than before • Shopping at big-box or chain stores (in-person or online) – 49% will do this less after the pandemic than before Takeaways for business owners When asked how business owners might use the survey’s findings, Grone gave the following suggestions: • Capitalize on the renewed commitment to localism. Emphasize local ownership in promotions and signage, express extra appreciation for regular customers, and think about creative ways to reward local customers. • Understand that consumers are taking safety protocols very seriously. Customers who see safety being taken seriously are much more apt to return. More importantly, a customer whose expectations for safety are not met can result in permanently lost business. • With some of the changes in activity anticipated to be permanent, think about the products and services that you offer now or could offer in the near future that would meet the needs of the changing market. The Chamber’s survey was sponsored by Wesbanco. Gift certificates from Penn Brewery and Priory Fine Pastries were donated and given to 10 randomly drawn survey respondents. n
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The Northside Chronicle
July 2020
Northside accountant remembered as devoted community helper, friend By Katia Faroun The life of the party. Passionate about people. A team player and a leader. A life saver. This is how friends and family describe Ed Staiger, a Northside resident of 50 years and active member of the community. He was involved in the Northside Elks Club, Teutonia Männerchor, the Masons, the Democratic Party, and was the president of the Northside chapter of Parents Without Partners (PWP). His love for people and his dedication to helping them made him unforgettable for those whose lives he impacted. Staiger, who would’ve been 79 in March, died on December 27, 2019. He left behind him a community changed by his devotion to helping the people in it and bringing a smile to their faces. “He was very passionate about people,” Greg White, a friend of Staiger’s, wrote in a letter to The Northside Chronicle. “Part of his nature was to help people in all walks of life.” One of the staples of Staiger’s life was his involvement with PWP. An international nonprofit devoted to the welfare and interests of single parents and their children, Staiger found help from the organization during his divorce, and stuck with it to help others, including White. Staiger and White met in 1992, when the organization held meetings at the
Northside Elks Club. White was going through his own divorce at the time, and Staiger quickly became his best friend. “He was there as a friend, someone to talk to. He shared his stories, so I related to him. He related to me,” White said. Founded in 1957 in New York City, PWP provides single parents with an environment of support, friendship, and the exchange of parenting techniques. The organization offers educational, family, and social activities for members and their children. Since Staiger and White’s involvement, the Northside chapter of the organization has dissolved, but left behind a local chapter in Monroeville. At PWP, Staiger was known for being a jokester. He never failed to make people laugh, from his constant jokes and quips to his roles in numerous skits. White shared that once at an old restaurant with friends, Staiger’s chair slipped and he fell with his head landing on a bench. From the floor, he immediately quipped, “Well, who ordered John the Baptist?” Staiger also loved to dress up. Aside from his usual suit and hat with the staple boutonniere on his left lapel, Staiger was known for impersonating Dolly Parton; he performed in front of the PWP group, wig and all, and had some runs as the organization’s Santa Claus. “He loved to perform. All 270 pounds of him — he would dress in a bikini and lip sync the songs and dance in front of
the people there in the Elks Club … people were just rolling in the aisle,” White recalled. Staiger was dedicated to helping people in the Northside. He lived above his accounting business, called Staiger Accounting, and would do taxes for free
Photo courtesy of Jan Lang
Ed Staiger, longtime Northsider and former president of the Northside chapter of Parents Without Partners, would've been 79 in March. for those who couldn’t afford to pay him. He would also receive visitors from Light of Life Rescue Mission who would stop by his office to chat, and would give
them food or money if they needed it. “People on the street would be stopping him,” White said. “He just knew everybody in the Northside.” Staiger has three daughters who live in the Pittsburgh area. He was able to visit them on occasional Sundays for dinner, when he could see his eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He never met his ninth great-grandchild, who was born at the end of May. Staiger spent the last few days of his life with his daughters, living in the home of Jan Lang, his eldest. He spent his last Christmas with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, dressed as Santa, before passing away two days later. Staiger’s friends and family planned on having a celebration of life on his birthday, March 31, but the COVID-19 outbreak forced them to postpone the event indefinitely. His loved ones have arranged for people close to him to purchase memorial stones made with Staiger’s ashes, with all proceeds going to the Light of Life Rescue Mission. “We wanted to give everyone the chance to say goodbye or keep a piece of Ed with them forever,” Lang said. Donations can be made to the Light of Life Rescue Mission in memory of Ed Staiger. Requests for a memorial stone can be sent to ashestostonememorials@gmail. com. n
July 2020
The Northside Chronicle
Page 17
Has your business suffered losses or addditional expenses due to effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic?
We’re Here to Help PA Coronavirus Small Business Assistance Program The Northside Community Development Fund is one of the 17 Community Development Fund Institutions that make up the PA CDFI Network and will be administering the $225M Coronavirus Small Business Assistance Program announced by Governor Wolf. The program will provide grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000 to small businesses that have been economically impacted by COVID-19. Applications are now open through July 14th will be reviewed for the first round of funding. Applications not selected for funding will be automatically moved to the second window – there is no need to apply more than once. Three additional grant rounds will be announced thereafter.
To apply today, visit our website nscdfund.org EQUAL CREDIT OPPORTUNITY The Federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act prohibits creditors from discriminating against credit applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age (provided that the applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contact); because all or part of the applicant’s income derives from any public assistance program; or because the applicant has in good faith exercised any right under the Consumer Credit Protection Act. The Federal Trade Commission, Equal Credit Opportunity, room 500, 633 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20580.
Register for ongoing updates as they become available at NSCDFUND.ORG
For questions or additional information: Richard Newell, Loan Officer 412-322-0290 ext. 101 newell@nscdfund.org Miauna Connor, Loan Officer 412-322-0290 ext. 103 connor@nscdfund.org
Financing Northside Small Businesses since 2000 | 922 Middle Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 | t: 412-322-0290 | www.nscdfund.org
The Northside Chronicle
Page 18
July 2020
Ask An Attorney By Matthew D. Gailey, Gailey Law Group This month's article will focus on Driving Under the Influence Law. On May 20, 2020, the Pennsylvania Superior Court in Commonwealth v. Chichkin 202 Pa.Super. 121 found that a certain portion of the DUI law was unconstitutional. The court held that acceptance into an ARD program can not be used as a prior conviction for sentencing purposes when dealing with subsequent DUI offenses. This ruling would be better understood with more explanation. ARD is an acronym that stands for Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition. First time non-violent offenders who committed a DUI offense are often placed in the ARD program. If defendants successfully completed the pre-trial diversionary program, then they would not have a criminal record, avoid jail, and also have a briefer driver's license suspension. Essentially, the slate is wiped clean if you complete the program. However, the DUI law had treated defendants who are charged with a subsequent DUI differently than the remainder of the PA criminal code. The DUI law stat-
ed that acceptance into an ARD program would constitute a prior conviction if a person committed a subsequent DUI. This portion of the law allowed the Commonwealth to skip a trial on the first DUI charge and maintain that a person was convicted of a DUI even when they were not, as the person was admitted to the pretrial diversionary ARD program. The Superior Court held this practice as unconstitutional as it violates both the Defendant's procedural and substantive due process rights. Naturally, the Commonwealth has attempted to circumvent this adverse ruling by mandating that folks newly admitted to the ARD program must sign a stipulation giving away these newly acquired rights guaranteed by the Chichkin case. These stipulations will be the subject of litigation in the future, but for now, Defendants who commit a subsequent DUI after already completing ARD in the past will be subject to less severe penalties than they would have been prior to the important Chichkin decision.
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Northside Real Estate Transfers Brighton Heights
Marshall-Shadeland
Marlex Properties LLC to Donald Ray Locke at 3427 Brighton Road for $170,500.
William Dever to Amber Imam at 10 Courtright St. for $37,000.
Mark Stahlsmith to Stephen Kuhn and Elizabeth Mominee at 3827 Mcclure Ave. for $175,000.
William Dever to Amber Imam at 12 Courtright St. for $37,000.
Diane Marie Willard to Marlex Properties LLC, 4080 Cambronne St., $21,226 by sheriff’s deed.
Jeffrey Chulack to Khin OO and Aye Aye at 1426 Dickson St. for $110,000.
Andrew Kuftic to John Basinger at 3500 McClure Ave. for $212,500.
Gethsemane Place LLC to Faith Housing Development LLC at 3426 Shadeland Ave. for $96,500.
Cara Gaetano to Nancy Reis at 920 Reiss St. for $177,000.
Morgan D & S Housing LLC to 1809 Termon LLC at 3245 Rothpletz St. for $37,000.
John Betton to Olmectec One LLC at 1801 Termon Ave. for $134,901.
North Shore
Estate of Chris. Marquardt to Chris. Marquardt, Kara Volk, 3918 Mcclure Ave., $202,000.
Timber Court Partners to Borborygmus LLC at 127 Anderson St. for $5,505,900.
California-Kirkbride
Foley Property Partners to Borborygmus LLC at Isabella St., $184,100.
Robert Minsterman to Latoya Johnson at 1114-1/2 Success St. for $45,000.
Osterling Business Partners to Borborygmus LLC at 228 Isabella St. for $230,000.
Urban Gardener Inc. to Mark Zifchock and Claire Fox at Brighton Road, $44,640.
Timber Court Partners to Borborygmus LLC at E General Robinson St. for $80,000.
Urban Gardener Inc. to Taube LLC at 1901 Brighton Road for $100,360.
Observatory Hill
Estate of Iris English to Richard Carothers at 2005 N Charles St. for $30,000.
Terry L. Meehan trustee to Darren M. Diederich, Kathryn A. Schreffler at 330 Dunlap St., $115,700.
Charles Street Valley
Milton Allen to Daniel and Angela Twum at 4055 Perrysville Ave. for $120,000.
William Swazuk to Todd Meyer at 1937 N Charles St. for $245,000.
Graham Street Partn. LLC to Greenfield Holding LLC at 260 Watson Blvd. for $315,000.
East Deutschtown
Bernadette Hairston Rosser to Jesse Perkins at 261 Watson Blvd. for $13,000.
Kurt Schaefers to Pehri Faulkner at 818 Suismon St. for $210,000.
Perry Hilltop
Historic Deutschtown
US Bank NA trustee to Intissar LLC at 544 W Burgess St. for $5,200.
Jerry Miller to AMD Construction & Development LLC at 836-838 Suismon St. for $40,000.
NCRC Hsg Rehab Fund LLC to Jane Christ, Kathryn Rothenhoefer, 133 Hawkins Ave., $153,500.
Mary Armstrong to Katherine Susanne Tarara at 514 Cedar Ave. for $325,000.
Spring Garden
501 Properties LLC to 435 Property LLC at 435 E Ohio St. for $202,500.
Charles Rodger to Springdale Garden Storage LLC at 1425 Firth St. for $30,000.
Manchester
Spring Hill
Manchester Citizens Corp. to 15233 Properties LLC at 1421 Nixon St. for $50,000.
Melissa McCart to Yona Harvey at 923 Yetta Ave. for $100,000.
Summer Hill TW Holdings 15 LLC to Angelica Pietranton at 3547 Sirius St. for $153,250. Chelsi N Riordan Rhoades to Wm R. Polichio, Jessica E. Hain, 4520 Valley Vw St., $180,000. Estate of Jacqueline Downing to James and Charity Dean at 257 Chapin St. for $20,000.
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July 2020
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July 2020
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Page 21
Composting can offset pandemic-related food waste By Katia Faroun The COVID-19 pandemic has brought Americans face-to-face with a health crisis, economic recession, and the highest unemployment rates seen in years, but it’s also spurred a lesser known dilemma—and it comes straight from our kitchens. According to the Food and Drug Administration, about 30 to 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. goes to waste, making food waste the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills across the nation. The Pennsylvania Waste Industry Association reports that in the state alone, food waste makes up just over 12% of residential waste, suggesting an annual 1 million tons of food waste that are redirected to Pennsylvania landfills. This waste represents tons of food that could have nourished hungry families, and also wasted labor hours and water and energy put into the making, packaging, and distributing of the food. Households are responsible for the largest portion of all food waste, and with more people eating at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, the amount of food going wasted has increased. One of the biggest challenges with this shift in eating habits during the pandemic is the effect it’s put on the supply chain, according to Stacy Albin, an environmental program coordinator with the Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC). With the unavailability of typical food sources, individuals are opting to purchase food from grocery stores, leaving distributors with an overabundance of food. “That’s why you see people changing their habits—whether it’s out of fear or the simple need for it. People are shopping more at grocery stores because restaurants, work, and other outlets are unavailable,” Albin says. Crops spoil and aren’t even harvested by farmers whose customers, such as schools and corporate cafeterias, have remained shut down during the pandemic. Restaurants offering take-out or delivery are likely to produce more food waste as they adjust to an overall lower demand. Grocery stores are seeing an increase in demand, while wholesale food distributors have seen a sharp drop. “It’s a link between demand going up on the residential-individual grocery store side of things versus wholesale farms shipping further down the supply chain to commercial businesses that distribute the
food from there,” Albin says. On a consumer level, many shoppers panicking over the outbreak have resorted to buying items in bulk: not just toilet paper, but also food that spoils before it can be consumed. Additionally, leftovers from home-cooked meals and take-out are
need. The majority of foods picked up by volunteers are fresh, such as meat, dairy, and bread, and are delivered to nonprofits that provide those who are hungry with nourishment, preventing the food from going to waste. 412 Food Rescue uses an app called Food Rescue Hero that alerts
England said. Despite the benefits of states and organizations making commitments to curb food waste, changes are most needed in the kitchens of homes, where the majority of food in the U.S. is wasted. Households have access to multiple ways of decreasing their food waste, including changes to how they acquire food and efforts that can be made in their own backyards. Community gardening allows multiple households to grow and harvest their own produce in a collective area, granting communities the opportunity to create their own sources of fresh produce. Northside residents have a handful of community gardens available to them. Places like Ballfield Farm in Perry Hilltop, the East Commons Community Garden at Allegheny Commons, and Food City in East Deutschtown offer Northside residents the opportunity to grow fresh produce in a community setting during the summer months, with a membership fee as the only cost. Grow Pittsburgh offers a map of community gardens throughout the area on their website for individuals interested in their options. Residents can also take action within their own homes. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture encourages households to be more mindful of how they Photo via Pikist purchase, use, and preserve foods in their More people are eating at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and food waste, kitchens. Some practical tips for shopping which already makes up over 12% of Pennsylvania’s residential waste, is on the rise. include: add the quantities you want next to each item on grocery lists and stick to that Actions like composting and community gardening can help you combat it. number and only buy bulk items of food adding to the amount of food picked up at volunteers of available food to rescue. that doesn’t spoil. The Department of Agthe curb. In the Northside, the sports stadi- riculture also recommends freezing foods States and organizations have tak- ums’ close proximity to residential areas like fruits, meats, and bread to prevent en action to help prevent further food makes for a diverse presence of donors, them from spoiling, or using produce past waste during this time. At the end of such as popular chain restaurants and local its prime to make smoothies, baked goods, April, the Pennsylvania Department of eateries. 412 Food Rescue partners with or soups. Environmental Protection (DEP) made more than 25 Northside donors and distribTo prevent food scraps from going to a grant available to nonprofit organiza- utors, including companies such as PNC waste, residents can turn unusable produce tions that provides assistance in managing Park and Giant Eagle and nonprofits such into compost. By combining vegetable and food to redirect it from the waste stream. as Light of Life and Bethany House Acad- fruit scraps with raw material such as paper, More recently, Pennsylvania has ad- emy. grass clippings, and shredded cardboard, opted an FDA policy that allows bulk In order to respond to donor shutdowns individuals can create their own compost items purchased by commercial kitchens and a rise in food insecurity since the start material that can nourish garden soil. Atto be sold in local grocery stores, accord- of the pandemic, 412 Food Rescue has home composters are encouraged to coming to KDKA. Organizations across the started delivering bags and boxes of pro- bine one part green matter—including food country, including Pittsburgh’s 412 Food duce door to door and hosting food distri- scraps—with three parts brown matter, or Rescue, have reorganized their strategies to butions across the Pittsburgh area, accord- raw material, in a designated area that reaccommodate food insecure individuals by ing to Jennifer England, the organization’s ceives sunshine and rain. delivering rescued food to their homes. senior program director. For more information on how to limit 412 Food Rescue partners with “We’ve really had to shuffle our mod- food waste, visit prc.org/webinars to regisretailers and nonprofits to redistrib- el a little bit and a lot of what we’re doing ter for PRC webinars on composting and ute safe, yet unsellable food to those in is responding to the needs that are rising,” waste reduction. n
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BAD NEWS! 37th Annual NSLC Awards Dinner CANCELED! GOOD NEWS! 7 Northside kids get $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS! ___________
Putting 350 Northsiders and partners together in one room is usually a highlight of the year on Northside, but that wasn’t safe this year. So our Annual Dinner was canceled. But we could NOT disappoint our Northside kids who are graduating high school and continuing their education. With support from our sponsors, even without the event, we raised enough to give scholarships to ALL SEVEN KIDS who applied!
July 2020
July 2020
The Northside Chronicle
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King: "When you're mindful, your fear responses are less likely to be activated." From Mindfulness, Page 14 a purpose in preventing the same violence that he was exposed to as a child. The first one was Richard Garland. Now assistant professor of public health at the University of Pittsburgh and director of the Violence Prevention Initiative in the Center for Health Equity who headed the former One Vision One Life, Garland was hired to do violence prevention work in Pittsburgh in the early 2000s. His approach, too, was based around the disease model of violence. Garland’s solution was to help people affected by violence in rebuilding their communities. Thompson was one of the individuals Garland helped. “At the time I was still involved with the activities that I was involved with, but I felt like this was an opportunity for me to do something different, take a chance, hoping to repair some of the damage I may have done in my community,” said Thompson. Thompson became heavily involved in violence prevention and for a time, served as the manager for the Office of Violence Prevention in the Allegheny County Health Department. His work was centered around changing community norms regarding violence. The second one, Dr. Richard King, met Thompson at a Kiwanis meeting in Squirrel Hill. King, the founder of Mindful Pittsburgh, was an advocate for mindfulness and saw this as an opportunity to implement it. King presented his thoughts to Thompson, but Thompson wasn’t interested. “I think I circled back three times in 18 months. Every six months I’d come back,” said King. King was persistent in sending Thompson material and research on mindfulness, and over time he started to understand the significance of what King was showing him. Years later Thompson now practices mindfulness every day, and admits that it changed his life. “Prior to practicing it, I could never be present,” Thompson said. “You could be in a meeting and all you’re processing is what you did before you got to that meeting and what you got to do when you leave that meeting. You’re always trying to multitask.” Thompson believed in this concept to the point that he began to implement mindfulness in his meetings with police chiefs and other county officials to help everyone stay focused. While many of the individuals had the same initial response Thompson had, they slowly bought into it and found their meetings to be more productive by starting with a few minutes of mindfulness practice. According to King, however, implementing mindfulness on a larger scale for violence prevention has not been as easy. While there is no current program that pre-
vents violence, King believes that the science is there: According to an article in Psychology Today, training in mindfulness can even help elite military forces with cognitive tasks such as sustained attention and working memory. “When you’re mindful, your fear re-
Photo courtesy of Pexels
Thompson advocates for teaching mindfulness in both community settings and police trainings.
sponses are less likely to be activated, they’re less likely to be intense, and they're more likely to recover faster,” said King. With the help of Thompson, King started an eight-week workshop on mindfulness on the Northside at the Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church. These meetings catered mostly to adults, and King and Thompson soon realized to stop the spread of violence they would have to reach children at an early age. Thompson believes that this is a significant part of changing community norms and breaking the stigma around mental health. “Just being able to teach younger generations that have been exposed to this disease, mindfulness will have their actual brains developed differently and they’ll end up processing things differently,” said Thompson. This is a challenge to previously held views on violence prevention that usually point to increased spending on the police as the solution. Thompson would like to see mindfulness implemented in police training in the future, but for now he thinks that the money spent on such training will be better utilized going back into the communities. “I think it's definitely a tool of training that will be important, a tool that can be used, but right now the community really wants some of those dollars to go towards community activities [and] community resources,” said Thompson. Thompson’s ideas are untraditional, but after doing things the same way for a long time, he thinks it’s time to challenge the typical ways of going about violence prevention. “If we aren’t open for new solutions then it makes it difficult to get new results.”n
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July 2020