Volume 27 No. 7 July 2011
A trip to remember
W. Ohio Bridge plan, park use rile residents By Jeanette Lee
Photo by Cortney Seltman A group of French students from Oliver High School traveled to Guadeloupe to meet their pen-pals. From left to right, Antonio Blackwell, Ammad Allen, Curtis Brown, Andre Williams and Shawn Kenney celebrate at a monument to the end of slavery. See news brief on page 4.
West Penn, Highmark announce affiliation By Jeanette Lee The West Penn Allegheny Health System and Highmark, Inc. are now partners in an effort to provide more affordable and accessible medical care for the community, officials said. The affiliation, announced June 28, means that Highmark will make a $475 million commitment to the WPAHS, of which Allegheny General Hospital on North Avenue is a part. Highmark announced that it would provide $50 million immediately, to strengthen the medical services at several WPAHS
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hospitals. According to Kelly Sorice, the vice president of public relations at WPAHS, some of that money will fund “operational needs at particular hospitals, especially AGH. The partnership is good news for AGH.” Another $75 million will go towards funding scholarships for medical students at Drexel University and other schools affiliated with WPAHS. The Drexel medical school is partnered with Allegheny General Hospital. The recently announced
See West Penn, page 19
-News briefs 4 STORIES, COLUMNS, -Urban chicken farming 7 FEATURES & MORE -Going Green 12
The city’s plans to raise the W. Ohio Street Bridge and more firmly enforce permitting regulations has recently made Allegheny Commons Park a flashpoint for contentious debate. At a public hearing on June 14, the city presented its recommendations to raise the W. Ohio Street Bridge to allow double-stacked trains to run through, but leave other bridges on the same track at a lower height. City officials said that the W. Ohio Street Bridge and the now defunct Ridge Avenue Bridge required immediate action to ensure the safety of pedestrians and motorists. They presented five alternatives for the W. Ohio Street Bridge: • Rehabilitate the bridge in place without raising it; • Lower the railroad tracks and rehabilitate the bridge; • Rehabilitate the bridge offsite at a higher clearance; • Replace the bridge entirely at a higher clearance; • Do nothing. The Ridge Avenue Bridge will be removed completely and will not be replaced. Though the city presented five alternatives for the W. Ohio Bridge, they eliminated three of those options without input from the community because they were not “prudent” or “feasible.” This decision was reflected on the comment forms that the city distributed to members of the audience. On the form, residents were
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given a list of all five alternatives and asked to indicate which one they preferred for the W. Ohio Street Bridge. However, the form also stated that three of these alternatives had been thrown out. Councilwoman Darlene Harris pointed out this discrepancy to the project director, who conceded that residents had the right to choose from all five of the alternatives despite what was stated on the comment forms. City consultants estimate that lowering the tracks would cost between $20 and $29 million and take longer to complete than the other options would. They have $5 million for the project, 80 percent of which is federal funding. City officials said their options were limited by standards set by the Public Utility Commission, which has ordered that the new W. Ohio Street bridge — which currently has a 19 foot clearance — meet a 22 foot clearance to allow Norfolk-Southern Railroad’s double-stacked trains to go through. However, the city is not currently planning to renovate a series of lower bridges along the same set of tracks. Norfolk-Southern owns the railroad tracks that run through the park. No one from the railroad attended the meeting. When members of the audience questioned the practicality of raising one bridge to accommodate taller trains, but leaving the other bridges untouched, Assistant Public Works
See Bridges, page 18
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The Northside Chronicle
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THE NORTHSIDE CHRONICLE 922 Middle St. • Pittsburgh, PA 15212
July 2011
Community Meetings To have your community meeting included, email editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com Allegheny West Civic Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Calvary United Methodist Church 412.323.8884
Manchester Citizens Corporation Quarterly meetings, call for times MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. 412.323.1743
Brighton Heights Citizens Federation 2nd Thursday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Morrow Elementary School 412.734.0233
Manchester Public Safety Meeting Quarterly meetings, call for times Northside Leadership Conference 412.323.1743
Managing Editor Kelly Thomas E-mail: managinged@thenorthsidechronicle.com
Brightwood Civic Group 3rd Tuesday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Pressley Ridge, 2611 Stayton St. 412.732.8152
Northside Rotary Club Every Friday, noon Cardello Building, 2nd Floor
Advertising Manager Kaitlin Balmert E-mail: advertising@thenorthsidechronicle.com
Brightwood Community Emergency Response Shelter 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6 p.m. 3219 Central Ave.
www.thenorthsidechronicle.com Phone 412-321-3919 • Fax 412-321-1447 Mail Subscriptions are available at a rate of $30 per year.
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 Central Northside Neighborhood Council
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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 2011
2nd Monday, monthly, 7 p.m. Allegheny Traditional Academy 412.231.7742
Charles Street Area Council 1st Monday, monthly, call for times Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. 412.321.5567 Community Alliance of Spring Garden/ East Deutschtown 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Fuhrer Building of St. Michael’s Church 412.977.1979 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. Bistro Annex 412.321.1204 Ex-offender Aftercare Support Group Saturdays, 4-5:30 p.m. Allegheny Center Alliance Church 801 Union Place Fineview Citizens Council 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Reformed Presbyterian Home Pennsylvania Ave. 412.231.0330 Mexican War Streets Society 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. AUU Church, Resaca Pl. and North Ave. 412.323.9030
Northside Coalition for Fair Housing Board 2nd Monday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5527 Northside Coalition for Fair Housing Membership Monthly, call for times 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5521 Northside Leadership Conference Call for times 4 Allegheny Center, Suite 601 412.330.2559 North Side Lions Club 2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly, noon Max’s Allegheny Tavern North Side Public Safety Council 1st Thursday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Northside Leadership Conference 412.330.2559 Observatory Hill, Inc. 3rd Wednesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Byzantine Seminary, 3605 Perrysville Ave. 412.231.2887 Perry Hilltop Citizens’ Council 4th Monday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Angel’s Place, 2605 Norwood St. 412.321.4632 The Promise Group Every other Tuesday, 6 p.m. Western Pa. Humane Society 412.321.1019 Troy Hill Citizens Council Sept. 15, Dec. 15 North Catholic High School 412-321-2852 Spring Hill Civic League Sept. 12, Oct. 3 and Nov. 1 Spring Hill Elementary School contact@shcl.org Summer Hill Citizens Committee 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. WPXI Television Station community room
July 2011
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Urban Garden party draws record 1,400 guests By Jeanette Lee The Mattress Factory opened its doors to more than 1,400 people clad in everything from evening dresses to loincloths for its 14th Urban Garden Party on June 17. They were greeted by a Marilyn Monroe look-alike, complete with wavy blond hair and white dress, who sashayed effortlessly through the crowd on 4-foot-high stilts. She and the costumed partygoers looked right at home amongst equally festive silver streamers and white paper lanterns that adorned the museum and contributed to the theme of the evening, “From Hollywood to Paradise.” The Urban Garden Party is an annual celebration and fundraiser for the Mattress Factory, a unique and beloved Pittsburgh institution since 1977. Tickets ranged from $90 for general admission to $200 for V.I.P. and were sold out for the second consecutive year. The V.I.P. party started at 6 p.m.
Photo by John Altdorfer The Mattress Factory’s 14th Urban Garden Party, “From Hollywood to Paradise”, was equal to any New York City party, said one attendee. with catering from All In Good Taste swing band from Pittsburgh. Productions and fruity cocktails from They also vied for the distinction Bossa Nova. The main event began at of Best Dressed, an award which 7 p.m. ultimately went to a 1940’s sailor The party guests danced to music couple, Gracie Schwartz and Daniel from AndrewAndrew, a D.J. duo from Hillard from Pittsburgh. New York, and Dr. Zoot, a 7-man neo In keeping with the evening’s theme
was a silent auction of artwork from local artists who either used the idea of the Oscar Awards or incorporated a model of one in their piece. Public Relations and Marketing Manager Lindsay O’Leary said that social media and early planning were important factors in making the event such a success in the past few years. The Garden Party Committee not only used a combination of blog posts, Twitter and Facebook to spread the word, but began planning the party 51 weeks in advance. Most of the money that the Mattress Factory raises from the party comes from sponsors, but ticket sales and the silent auction also help. “[Last year] we raised more than 10 percent of our annual budget on this one night,” said O’Leary. Sponsors also donated food, entertainment and decorations, including free massages from Massage Envy in Squirrel Hill and
See Urban Garden, page 16
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The Northside Chronicle
July 2011
News Briefs Students meet Guadeloupian pen-pals Five Oliver High School seniors on June 15 set out for Guadeloupe, a French-speaking territory in the Caribbean, with their French 3 teacher, Jake Seltman. In Guadeloupe, they climbed a volcano, went kayaking and finally got to meet the pen-pals with whom they’ve corresponded for a year. What’s more, the students raised all of the money for the trip themselves: a total of $14,750. “This is my first time out of the country,” Ammad Allen said. “[We will be] experiencing a new culture. It’s our chance to test our skills and the language.” After some sight-seeing and a kayak-tour, the group geared up for their weekend with their pen-pals and their host families, where they stayed for the remainder of the trip. Other activities planned for the students and their host families included a trip to Beach Ste Anne (Bourg), a visit to a local school in Ste Anne and an excursion to Basse Terre where they hiked up a volcano. AGH launches mission against HIV Since January, Allegheny General Hospital has made it its mission to screen every patient in its Emergency Department for HIV. The initiative is part of a joint and ongoing effort between the hospital and the Pennsylvania Expanded HIV Testing Initiative to incorporate routine HIV screening into clinical care. Thus far, Allegheny General has tested 114 people and found no positive cases of HIV. Patients can decline the test. If the hospital does find an HIV positive patient with inadequate insurance, that patient may be able to get specialized treatment at the Positive Health Clinic at Allegheny General. According to Positive Health Clinic Manager Mary Gallagher, HIV treatment costs in the “ballpark” of around $2,100 per month. Early detection of the disease can decrease that cost.
The screening, also called a reactive test, consists of an oral swab and makes results available within 20 minutes. If the screening comes back positive, more blood work is necessary to confirm the results. June 5th marked the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the HIV virus and AIDS, but in the last 10 years cases of HIV in the United States have not decreased. The initiative at Allegheny General is part of a nation-wide effort to change that. “Many people do not identify HIV as a health risk and do not seek testing … [and] very few primary care practices routinely test for HIV,” said Gallagher. “For these reasons, many individuals are HIV positive for many years before they are tested, and have unknowingly infected others.” Error on Port Authority route 16 Brighton schedule There is an error on the 16 Brighton timetable in which all Saturday, Sunday and holiday departure times listed are incorrect. All weekday departure times are accurate. The corrected version of the 1617-19L timetable is posted at www. PortAuthority.org. Please note that riders may continue to use timetables dated 3/27/2011 as the scheduled departure times are still valid. However, school day only trips noted with “S” will not operate. On Saturdays, route 16 operates every 30 minutes between the first arrival/departure in Downtown Pittsburgh at 5:30 a.m. and the last arrival/departure at 1 a.m. On Sundays and holidays, route 16 operates every 30 minutes between the first arrival/departure in Downtown at 6:30 a.m. and the last arrival/departure at midnight. Also note that the 19L schedule in the printed brochure dated 6/12/2011 is also incorrect -- the 1617-19L schedule at PortAuthority. org shows the correct information. Contact Port Authority Customer Service at 412-442-2000 or visit www.PortAuthority.org and transitpgh.blogspot.com.
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July 2011
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Massive collection leads to a bike lover’s paradise By Kelsey Shea
Photo by Kelsea Shea Rare bikes cover every inch of floor, wall and ceiling space at Bicycle Heaven on the North Shore.
For 25 years Craig Morrow collected old bikes. He started with Schwinn Stingrays from the ’60s and ’70s, but as the years went on, his collection expanded. Eventually, he ended up with two houses and multiple garages full of nearly every sort of antique bike on the market. Now after years of collecting and three months of hard work, Morrow is putting his massive collection on display in his new Northside bike shop and museum, Bicycle Heaven, which had its grand opening July 2. Located off the North Shore bike trail in the RJ Casey Industrial Park, Bicycle Heaven will serve as a repair and rental shop and a unique stop on the trail for bike enthusiasts to check out the history of two-wheeled transportation in Pittsburgh. Bikes will be available to rent or buy, but admission to the museum is free. Morrow said he picked up his massive collection “anywhere from garage sales to bike shows,” but
one thing most of his bikes have in common is that they were found and bought in the area. “I guess I’m a bit of a bike hoarder,” Morrow said, but noted that in the 9,000 square foot space he and his bikes now occupy, there’s finally room for them to all be seen. With 1 percent of Pittsburghers commuting to and from work on bikes daily, and plenty more recreationally biking, he hopes to appeal to a large demographic. “A couple of other cities have bike museums, so I thought Pittsburgh should too,” Morrow said. He said the idea for a bicycle shop and museum hybrid was a long time in the works. Before the shop had a physical space, Morrow sold, bought and traded his many antique bike parts and bikes all over the world using the eBay user name bicycleheaven. “People would say, ‘You’ve got all these great bikes, but no one can even see them,’ which gave me the idea for this,” he said.
Morrow also rents some of his classic bikes to movie sets. His bikes can be seen in “A Beautiful Mind” and in this summer’s “Super 8.” Inside the shop, about 2,000 antique bikes and thousands of bike parts line the walls of the renovated industrial space. In the center of the shop are two rows of Schwinn Stingrays, the bikes Morrow originally collected. With high handlebars, a small frame and trademark colors like “Flamboyant Lime” and “Kool Orange,” the Stingrays are easily distinguishable. Morrow owns 130 of them — each valued between $800 and $5,000 dollars each. On the wall hang four curvy and futuristic-looking bikes called Bowden Spacelanders, which are the highlight of Morrow’s collection. The Spacelanders were designed in 1948 and were the first bikes to be made of fiberglass. Originally marketed as “the bike of the future”
See Bikes, page 17
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The Northside Chronicle
July 2011
Northsider envisions new kind of college By Jeanette Lee After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in literature, Brightwood resident Timothy Cook realized that he lacked basic skills in self-sufficiency, such as growing and building. That realization inspired him to start his own version of a four year college, called The Saxifrage School, which was temporarily headquartered in a vacant pub on Federal Street. The pub, formerly Firewaters and nicknamed The General Will, was an appropriate temporary headquarters and classroom for The Saxifrage School, which won’t have its own campus but intends to hold classes in vacant or underutilized spaces in one of three areas: the lower Northside, East End or Millvale. The Saxifrage School plans to open in 2014 with at least 500 enrolled students. Between then and now, Cook and his team will need to raise $2 million, choose an appropriate permanent location for
their headquarters, hire faculty and pursue accreditation. The Saxifrage School gets its name from “A Sort of A Song” by William Carlos Williams, the last lines of which read: “(No ideas / but in things) Invent! / Saxifrage is my flower that splits / the rocks.” Unlike traditional four year colleges, The Saxifrage School will require its students to pursue both a technical and academic major and learn Spanish, which is “the most practical and, perhaps, the simplest” language to learn. “The thing that’s special about the model is that it tries to offer this balance between more vocational technical skills and traditional liberal arts academic-type programs. So every student at The Saxifrage School will study both of those things. They’ll graduate with two majors,” Cook said. “We’re really excited about the possibility of having someone study and work in computer science [for example] but also
have this humanities background. A poet-computer programmer, if you will.” Tuition is $5,000 per year with an additional $1,500 per year administrative fee, which is well below the average cost of traditional higher education. According to College Board, the average tuition for a four-year public college is $7,605, while the average private college tuition is $27,293. The Saxifrage School can offer lower rates to students because it won’t be operating its own cafeteria, bookstore or dorms, but will use resources within the chosen neighborhood. “A lot of our hope for this model is not only that it will be a good collegiate institution but that it will also encourage economic development and spur growth for small businesses,” said Cook. Cook and his team are exploring their options for either independent or umbrella accreditation with a pre-existing university in the
area. According to Cook, they plan to organize a curriculum well in advance to meet accreditation requirements. In terms of admissions, the team will focus less on SAT scores and GPAs, and more on the student’s “independent initiative.” “It would have to be someone who has a drive. They don’t have to know exactly what they want to do with themselves, but they need to know they want to do something,” Cook said. Though Cook said that the specific program offerings are still up for debate, the school currently plans to offer technical majors in organic agriculture, building construction and design and computer science. On the academic side, it will offer majors in world literature and writing; philosophy and religion; and policy and economy. The General Will served not only as the headquarters of The Saxifrage
See Saxifrage, page 16
July 2011
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For some, urban farming doesn’t stop at veggies By Jeanette Lee You don’t have to live on a farm to have fresh eggs for breakfast. Pittsburgh’s first-ever Urban Chicken Coop Tour on June 12 included three Northside residences that invited tour-goers to get a taste of urban agriculture. Called Chicks-in-the-Hood, the event was organized not only to give people a chance to see real examples of urban farming, but also to raise money for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s Urban Agriculture Programs. At the Spring Hill stop, Nancy Chubb and Pete McQuillin showcased six chickens and 10 chicks. “I’m truly addicted,” said Chubb, who began raising chickens a year ago. She got her inspiration from reading “Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer,” which she recommends to anyone interested in urban agriculture. “They lay delicious eggs. They’re much better than store-bought eggs,”
said Chubb, explaining how eggs from the store have been cleaned of the protective coating that prevents oxygen from entering the shell. “They really shouldn’t be washed until right before you eat them,” she said. Raising chickens in the city isn’t without its challenges, though. Despite efforts to secure their coop, Chubb and McQuillin recently lost 12 chickens to a dog attack. Other common predators include weasels, raccoons, foxes and hawks. The chickens are also susceptible to diseases and infections such as chicken lice, scaly leg mites and bumblefoot, a foot infection. “It is an ongoing thing,” Chubb said. She avoids high veterinary expenses by referring to resources on the Internet to diagnose and treat the illnesses. In the Central Northside, Jana and Bruce Thompson keep two hens. According to Jana, it costs about $10 to $15 to buy a large bag of food for her chickens that lasts “a while,” while the chickens themselves cost about $10 each.
Photo by Jeanette Lee Fineview resident Melissa Gallagher shows off one of her Silkie hens on the 2011 Chicks-in-the-Hood urban chicken coup tour. She collects about 10 to 12 eggs an effective fertilizer for her plants. In Fineview, Melissa and John every week, but that isn’t the main Gallagher keep six hens behind their reason she decided to raise chickens. Thompson is also an avid historic home in Heathside Cottage. gardener and wanted to “complete [the] nitrogen cycle” for her garden. See Chickens, page 21 She said that chicken droppings are
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June 2011 Chronicle Blog Highlights For full stories go to www.thenorthsidechronicle.com/blog The Northside Chronicle Blog is updated daily with photos, event previews, interviews, videos and more. Don’t forget to subscribe to the blog, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter! Weekly News Roundup Each Friday The Chronicle posts links to Northside news stories from other local media outlets. Weekly Events Listings Each Thursday the The Chronicle highlights a few of the weekend happenings in your neighborhood.
June 8 As part of our duty to keep Northsiders informed, The Chronicle posts housing court cases as we are made aware of them. June 7 A group of 12 volunteers from Dominion spent a day planting a flower garden in Allegheny Commons Park at the corner of Cedar and North avenues. June 6 Brightwood Civic Group offered a “hard hat” tour of a renovation in progress at 1407 Woodland Ave.
Angry? Perturbed? Fired up? Annoyed? Irate? Slighted? Send us a letter to the editor! email editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com Or snail mail to 922 Middle St., Pittsburgh, PA 15212
July 2011
Church finds new home By Kelly Thomas After a devastating fire in 2009 that destroyed its building and the death of a co-pastor in 2010, the Northside Institutional Church of God held its first worship service on June 19 in its new home on North Avenue and stands renewed in its mission and beliefs. In April, Northside Church of God purchased the former Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 302 W. North Ave. for slightly less than $1 million, according to the Allegheny County real estate assessment website. After extensive renovations that included the removal of the crosses that adorned the building’s façade, Pastor Lola Thorpe and her congregation dedicated the building on June 18. “I felt like a parent with children without a home,” Thorpe said. “This particular church was a blessing to us. The timing was perfect.” The church’s original plan after the fire was to rebuild a bigger and better church in order to expand its ministry and reach more people. The question on everyone’s mind, Thorpe said, is “What changed?” With the passing of her husband after a long illness and the economic situation driving up prices, when the opportunity to purchase the Greek Orthodox Church came along Thorpe couldn’t turn it down. Because of the extensive renovations, Thorpe is not sure purchasing the church wound up costing them less, but believes it all equals out in the end. In addition to
façade improvements, they installed a new pulpit and new carpet in the sanctuary and an audio/visual system. “Our type of worship is so much different” than the Greek Orthodox system, Thorpe said. The only thing the new building doesn’t have that the building plans did was a gym. Everything else is bigger than planned, though, Thorpe said. The church now has a dining room that seats 450 people, six classrooms and a 26,000 square foot sanctuary, compared to their plans of seating for 200, four classrooms and a 20,000 square foot sanctuary. But more importantly, the church has a home. The past two years have “been a total walk of faith,” Thorpe said. “The journey was difficult but we received our reward.” For now, Thorpe said the church has no plans for the land it owns on California Avenue. At some point in the near future, they will revisit it and decide whether to sell or keep and develop it. Even without a permanent home for two years and the slow decline of their pastor, the congregation remained strong, Thorpe said. “I’m so glad we had people that are dedicated to ministry. They banded together. We prayed and prayed.” Now, in a new neighborhood, Thorpe said she hopes to see new faces in the pews as time goes on. “We’re here to serve the community,” she said.
July 2011
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NSLC honors 4 life-long volunteers at dinner By Kelly Thomas The Northside Leadership Conference honored a variety of graduating high school seniors, neighborhood volunteers and local businesses at its 28th Annual Scholarship and Awards Dinner June 9. In his opening remarks, NSLC Executive Director Mark Fatla compared Northside neighborhoods and volunteers to musicians and instruments in keeping with the night’s theme, “Northside is making beautiful music.” “When these varied instruments join together, we have something greater than any one person, than any one neighborhood. Then, working together as the Northside, we truly make beautiful music!” he said. Local musicians, including Brewer’s Row, the Ortner-Roberts Duo, Muddy Kreek Blues Band, The Blues Orphans and many others, donated music for a CD sale. Four women won lifetime
achievement awards for their hard work in their neighborhoods: Dolores Swartworth and Margaret Eldridge from Fineview, Josephine Harding from Brightwood/Brighton Heights and Martha Pasula from Deutschtown. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Allegheny Branch won the Northside Service Provider Award. Musical legend Johnny Angel was unable to MC the event because of a last minute scheduling conflict, so WPXI meteorologist Kevin Benson filled in to keep the crowd chuckling. Corporate sponsors for the event include Allegheny General Hospital, Equitable Gas, First Niagara Bank, Huntington Bank, Rivers Casino, Wilbur Smith Associates, ESB Bank, First National Bank, H.J. Heinz Company, Pittsburgh Mercy Health Systems and Rotary Club of Pittsburgh’s Northside. Many of the same companies, plus a few others, underwrote scholarship and laptop awards for the students. Laptop Awards (presented
Photo by Loni McCartney Council President Darlene Harris (right) presents proclamations to lifetime achievement awardees (L to R) Josephine Harding of Brightwood, Dolores Swartworth and Margaret Eldridge of Fineview and Martha Pasula of Deutschtown. by Rotary Club of Pittsburgh’s •Mercedes Velasquez, Central Northside) Northside, Perry High School •Andrew Buchman, Spring Hill, •Jennifer Hodder, Brighton North Catholic High School Heights, Perry High School •Charles Soergel, Summer Hill, •Kayla Morgan, Brighton City Charter High School Heights, Perry High School •Aleisha Starkey, Central See NSLC Dinner, page 26 Northside, Perry High School
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The Northside Chronicle
July 2011
Light of Life shares mission with Nside By Ashley Goodsell Between new community outreach programs, building renovations and a new executive director, Light of Life Rescue Mission has kept busy. Light of Life is a faith-based ministry that has operated in the Central Northside since 1952 that “provides food, shelter and life-saving programs for the poor, homeless and addicted.” It serves between 900 and 1,000 people per year. Mission staff recently highlighted new programs, renovations and the new executive director at a “Lunch and Learn” on June 9 in the main mission building on E. North Avenue. Light of Life Public Relations Manager Beth Healey said that the program managers explained the five programs the mission provides, and that the Lunch and Learn seminar was simply to inform the Northside community about what Light of Life can do for them or others in the Northside. “Our mission is to help save and transform lives,” Healey said. “What we do is help empower the poor and the homeless, men, women, and children to be able to achieve healthy living along with education and career goals.” Healey said that in addition to Light of Life staff, about 10 people attended the meeting, including legislative assistants from the offices of state senators Jay Costa and Bob Casey, from the offices of state representatives Jake Wheatley, Chelsea Wagner and Mike Turzai, from the office of City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak and County Councilwoman Barbara Danko. “People were interested in poverty and homeless issues. The demographics in the Northside were also of high interest because the unemployment rate is high.” Craig Schweiger, who will take office as the new executive director the week of July 11, attended the meeting as well. Schweiger will
replace current Executive Director David Bugher, who, after more than eight years with the mission, is stepping down to attend a mission trip in Jacksonville, Fl. “During this time he accomplished many remarkable goals,” Healey said, “such as paying off the mission’s debts, increasing revenues, adding four new programs, renovating space and expanding the women and children’s program to accommodate 30 families. When he started, it only served 15 families.” As a donor to the program for many years, Schweiger developed a good relationship with Bugher, setting him up for an opportunity with Light of Life. “I shared with him a desire to help them with two things,” Schweiger said. “The facility, and the challenge of addressing the facilities that they had, and secondly, I've always had a heart for housing in Pittsburgh's Northside.” Schweiger's main prerogative right now is getting to know the staff and the program. He addressed the entire staff on June 14. He was not prepared to discuss his goals for the mission at this point. “My take was that the folks were interested in knowing more about us,” Schweiger said about the Lunch and Learn. “I also felt that for the most part, the guests were surprised in all of the areas besides feeding and housing others in the emergency situation.” Over the past four years, Light of Life has instituted four new programs to the original homelessness outreach program. One of these programs includes an outreach program that provides meals for the Northside. Events include barbecues and Steelers tailgating parties that are open to “everyone and anyone,” according to Healey. The other four programs were instituted to help people with longterm education and recovery. These programs highlight the
See Light of Life, page 18
The Northside Chronicle
July 2011
“Senior” Prom a hit
Photo by Margaret Singer
On June 17 the seniors who particiapte in LIFE Pittsburgh, an organization that provides services to allow them to live on their own, donned their finest clothes for the “Senior” Prom. Entertainer Trina Janura (right) sung dance favorites and birthday girl Selma Scott (center) enjoyed the spotlight as prom queen.
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July 2011
Letter to the Editor
Use sun power to dry your clothes and conserve energy By Joseph Reznik With summer in full swing, this is the time to take advantage of the immense amount of solar energy that reaches the earth every day. Taking advantage of this renewable and sustainable resource will save energy and money and will reduce your carbon footprint. This resource is so large that the amount of solar energy absorbed by the earth in an hour is equivalent to all the energy used in the world during one year. The easiest change you can make is to hang your laundry out to dry on a clothes line. This was a very common practice until recently and if you look at historic pictures of the city, you can tell what day of the week a picture was taken if there was laundry hanging out to dry because Mondays were washing day. With the invention of dryers though, this tradition has gone by the wayside. While some communities and home-owner associations have prohibited individuals from drying their clothes outdoors, Pittsburgh doesn’t have any ordinances banning the practice, so we should all take advantage. The clothes dryer is the second most consumptive appliance in your house (next to the water heater). Each load of laundry that is hung out to dry saves between 2,000 to 5,000
watts of energy or about 6 percent of household energy. If everyone in Pittsburgh hung their clothes out to dry, that 6 percent savings would run all the households in the North Shore, Allegheny West, Allegheny Center, Deutschtown, Central Northside, Fineview, CaliforniaKirkbride and Brighton Heights. Since most appliances get their electricity from utilities that run on fossil fuels, any reduction in dryer use in turn reduces the region’s carbon footprint and helps to meet the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan to reduce its greenhouse emissions 20 percent by 2023. Additional savings come from the reduced wear and tear on the clothes, allowing them to last longer. The final clincher: No dryer sheet will give you the fresh scent of laundry hung out to dry (but it will give you all of the chemicals needed to produce these sheets). And if it rains and you need to get something dry, you can still do a few things to let the dryer run more efficiently. Clean the lint filter, dry clothing of equal weights together (jeans with jeans, lightweight cotton with lightweight cotton, etc.) and making sure your dryer vent is unblocked. Email Joseph at greenmanpgh@ gmail.com.
His grandmother remembers happier times at the Garden Theater My grandmother used to take the streetcar from Brighton Heights to the Garden Theater for Saturday matinees. She was a teenager in the 1940s when a dime would get you a double feature, cartoons and newsreels. The theater originally opened in 1915, and even thirty years after it opened its doors, it was known as the happening place to see the best movies. Nana remembers taking the trolley with her girlfriends on a Saturday afternoon down to the Northside. They weren’t allowed to go with boys, or to see grown-up movies, although there might have been exceptions in the Irish Catholic household for Jimmy Cagney or Maureen O’Hara pictures.
Her friends would bring picnic lunches to West Commons Park, near the deer statue and climb the bridge to watch trains or gaze at the hazy downtown skyline. On sunny days, they would spend their return streetcar fare on pop and games at the American Legion and walk back up the hill. I’m writing this for the folks who remember classier times on the Garden Theater Block, and long to see such a grand old theater restored. And also for the young folks, who have never had a local movie theater that they could venture out to for weekend adventures and create their own Hollywood memories. -Nils Hanczar, Central Northside
Letters to the Editor of no more than 250 words should be emailed to editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com. All letters must be signed and include a phone number. We reserve the right to edit all letters for grammar, brevity and clarity, and to refuse publication of letters for any reason.
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CLP seeks property tax hike signatures. According to www. ourlibraryourfuture.com, the library The Carnegie Library of hopes to collect 9,000 signatures by Pittsburgh launched a campaign mid-July. June 8 to put a referendum on the In addition to a signature, the November 2011 ballot for a special petition asks for a name and address. property tax that If the name cannot would be dedicated be matched to the solely to the library. ith the given address, or if The initiative, the signer is not a city called Our Library, tax e can resident and registered Our Future, calls for voter the signature will look at bet a 0.25 mill tax on all be kicked out. taxable real estate in If the referendum ter hours Pittsburgh. A mill is does make it to the equivalent to a tenth and more ser November ballot, it of a penny. will need 51 percent of vices If the initiative is the electorate vote to successful, that would -Carlton Stout, be approved. mean that Pittsburgh Currently, the Allegheny Library Carnegie Library of home owners would pay an extra $25 per Branch Manager Pittsburgh receives year for every $100,000 $40,000 from the City of property value. of Pittsburgh every For the library, year for 19 branches. that would mean an extra $3 million Most of the library’s funding comes a year. from the Regional Asset District To get on the ballot, the library See Library, page 18 will need to collect a total of 3,000
By Jeanette Lee
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College will MF bash rocks open in 2014 From Urban Garden, page 3 From Saxifrage, page 6 School, but also as a month-long exhibit for artist Glenn Loughran, who creates art works that disrupt public spaces. Saxifrage partnered with the Mattress Factory to exhibit Loughran’s work as part of a larger exhibit called Squatter Sovereignty. The exhibit and the lease on the building ended in June, and the school is now seeking another temporary location in Millvale. In the near future, Cook and his team hope to consecutively establish three more temporary headquarters in each of the neighborhoods that they are considering for a permanent location. They are actively pursuing a new temporary headquarters in the Northside for next spring. Jeanette Lee is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University studying Professional Writing and Investigative Journalism.
an approximately 6-foot-tall ice sculpture of an Oscar Award from Yes, We Cater. “I love [the Garden Party],” said Sherry Jo Matt from Wexford, elegantly dressed for the occasion with satiny black gloves and a fancy hat from Martha’s Vineyard. “I’ve lived in New York, Philly and Dallas and this is on par with anything in those cities.” “You don’t feel like you’re in Pittsburgh. It’s just amazing,” said Jared Sadowski, who also attended the Garden Party last year. The Urban Garden Party had unprecedented success this year and the committee is already thinking about next year’s bash. “The biggest thing that we have to worry about is not doing the same thing twice. We want to stay fresh,” O’Leary said. Jeanette Lee is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University studying Professional Writing and Journalism.
The Northside Chronicle
July 2011
New museum shows rare, unique bikes From Bikes, page 5 more than 60 years ago, the Bowdens are the rarest bikes in Morrow’s collection. “There are 38 known to exist, and I have 13 of them,” Morrow said. Morrow’s collection of Stingrays and Bowden Spacelanders are both the largest in the world of their kind. Other bikes in the museum go back much further than the Space Age, like the museum’s oldest bike — Morrow’s 1862 Bone Shaker. The entire bike, including the frame, handlebars and even the wheels are made out of wood. “That’s why they call it a bone shaker,” Morrow said. When asked which bike Morrow uses when he rides, he shrugs and laughs. “Any one I want, I guess.”
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Book explores Wetzel family tragedy By Margaret Singer On a fateful night in March 1975, the lives of internationally recognized martial arts instructor Willy Wetzel and his son, Roy, changed forever. “In Self Defense” by current Brighton Heights resident and lifelong Northsider Sam Nicotero tells the tragic story of a man killed by the hands of his own son in Beaver County. Nicotero weaves this story together with a combination of court documents and the first-hand reporting he did shortly after the incident. At less than 300 pages, the book takes the reader on a journey through Willy’s life as a middle aged fighter until his untimely death and the subsequent criminal trial that found Roy Wetzel at the center of media attention. An Indonesian immigrant to the United States in the 1950s, Willy
set up one of the first martial arts instruction schools in the country. His school combined the various techniques he had learned over the years and resulted in a hybrid form he called Poekoelan Tjimindie Chuan Fa. Nearly two-thirds of the book chronicles the internal family struggles the Wetzeles faced as Willy and Roy’s relationship, although never good from the start, almost completely disintegrates in the months leading up to that fateful springtime evening when an argument over an income tax form escalated into a deadly struggle. The drama increases rapidly as Nicotero recounts testimony from key witnesses and Roy himself, from one of the most debated trials of its time. With an ending worthy of a Hollywood production, the story would be unbelievable were it not based on actual events.
Though the raw content and facts of this incredible story help maintain reader interest from beginning to end, at times the numerous grammatical errors are distracting. Also distracting are the changes in point of view throughout. The prologue begins with Willy guiding us through the night he was killed. Then, the book switches to an omnipotent narrator until the last chapter which has Roy expressing his feelings about the result of the trial and his future. Nevertheless, this compelling story is worth a read if for no other reason than to see how complicated relationships have the potential to end badly. In this book, there are no clear-cut winners. All involved lost something the day Willy died. This book is available in print ($15) at the Heinz History Center, Eides Entertainment, Penguin Bookshop in Sewickley or as an e-book ($9.99) on Amazon.com.
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Residents want railroad Future bright Library seeks sustainable for shelter tracks to be lowered officer, and liaison for the advisory council of the Federal Highway Director Patrick Hasset said that the Administration, as well as the Public Utility Commission intended PennDOT District 11 design director. A nearby section of Allegheny to raise the other bridges within the Commons Park was also a topic time span of a few decades, although of hot debate in February, when no concrete plan had yet been formed. Not one Northsider who spoke residents filed a petition for a hearing up at the hearing was in favor of to address the way park permits are the city’s recommendation to either issued and enforced. The members of the Northside rehabilitate the West Ohio Street Bridge and raise it, or replace the Oldtimers, a community group that holds its annual Unity Day event in bridge entirely and raise it. The audience expressed concerns the park, were particularly upset by that a raised bridge might ruin the the petition because they believed that historical landscape of the park and they were being singled out for being a mostly black organization. that construction Since then, would cause many of There needs to Councilman Daniel the mature London plane trees near the be a perspective Lavelle has engaged in conversation with tracks to die. that takes into community group The options that representatives and the account all the garnered the most Allegheny Commons applause from the bridges that this Initiative to discuss ways audience involved railroad goes to resolve that conflict. lowering the railroad This summer, and rehabilitating under. rather than changing the bridge, or doing nothing until a more -John Canning park rules, Lavelle said that the city intends to comprehensive plan Northsider enforce the existing rules was formed. more firmly. Part of that “Would you do strategy will involve communicating that to your house? Would you say the rules more clearly to community ‘I’m going to look at the fireplace, but not at the roof ’?” asked Northside groups and alerting residents to planned events well ahead of time. resident Francis Barbush. “We’re trying to get notice out “There needs to be a perspective that takes into account all the bridges to community groups earlier about that this railroad goes under,” said what will actually be occurring in the Northside historian John Canning. park. We’re also trying to streamline “The only solution that I can see is to the rules in the park so that there is no misunderstanding,” Lavelle said. lower the tracks.” “We want to make sure everybody “Showing the project manager the understands the rules.” money without considering the full In addition to clarifying park adverse impact is simply contrary to regulations for the community, Lavelle federal statue and regulations,” said said that the city is considering other lawyer Glenn Olcerst in an online neighborhood forum, Chat Northside. ways to reduce noise and maintain the At the hearing, Olcerst served a quality of Allegheny Commons Park. “The council had a noise task letter providing Notice of Defects in the process to Hassett, Councilwoman Harris force put in place recently and and Councilman Lavelle’s representative. we’re studying noise level issues According to Olcerst, the Notice from a larger city perspective,” he of Defects has been sent to the said. “Noise velocity in the parks is administrator, federal preservation something that we’ll be looking at.”
From Bridges, page 1
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From Light of Life, page 10 areas of general curriculum training, developing a career path, addiction recovery counseling, parenting skills, family stabilization and devastation counseling for the youth. “People come to us in a state of brokenness and hopelessness,” Healey said. “Our recovery programs empower them to overcome dire circumstances and achieve their highest potential spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically — in other words, experience true life transformation.” The mission also recently renovated its three buildings that are used for their staff and programs to make them more available to members of the programs. Light of Life owns three properties on the Northside: the mission building located on East North Avenue, a building on Western Avenue that houses the men's and women's programming and office workers, and an apartment building on East Street that serves as the men's extended care facility. “The future is really bright,” Schweiger said. “There are a lot of things that have set the stage. The organization is really shining. As far as in the community, I'm seeing great results and a lot of people in Pittsburgh support Light of Life, it’s exciting to know that I am in the middle of something that means a lot to a lot of people.”
funding source
From Library, page 13
and the state, but “every year, it gets smaller and smaller,” said Allegheny Branch Manager Carlton Stout. Last summer, the library experienced a funding crisis that threatened to close some neighborhood branches. The library ultimately decided to cut spending and hours instead, but the issue revealed how serious the problem had become. “If you support your community, help us out,” said Stout. “We can look at better hours and more services.” Despite continued funding cuts, “We are very financially responsible,” he added. The campaign kicked off at the Main branch in the morning and continued in the evening at the Allegheny branch with food and activities for all who attended. The event was organized and managed by the Friends of the CLP Allegheny, which currently has about 80 members who helped advocate and fundraise. Before the event at Allegheny, Stout said he hoped to see at least 50 people. At the end of the evening, the seven volunteers at Allegheny had collected about 60 signatures. Jeanette Lee is a graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University studying Professional Writing and Investigative Journalism.
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The Northside Chronicle
WPAHS to stay open to all From West Penn, page 1
Temple University medical program will be located at 4 Allegheny Center on the Northside, Sorice said. The remaining $350 million will be available to the WPAHS “if needed,” according to Kenneth Melani, president and CEO of Highmark. “This system is designed to focus on the patient and outcomes,” said Melani. “We will make our system available to any insurer including UPMC.” As part of the transition, Dr. Christopher Olivia will leave his position as the president and CEO of West Penn Allegheny and assist Highmark in completing the transaction. WPAHS’ Executive Vice President Dianne Dismukes will replace him. “As of this morning (June 28), both boards of directors have unanimously approved an affiliation,” said Dr. J. Robert Baum, chairman of the board of directors at Highmark. “I’d like to stress that it was unanimous and that there was a lot of passion.” David McClenahan, West Penn Allegheny’s chairman of the board, called it an “historic transaction.” “We have a large, well-run, nonprofit, community-minded health insurer that is coming together with a hospital system that has been a part of this community for more than 150 years,” McClenahan said. WPAHS’ media contact, Dan Laurent said that “they do not anticipate layoffs, and in many programs, they may be expanding staff.” However, he also said that the process for establishing an official agreement has only just begun, and that it is “very premature to speculate on these issues.” McClenahan said the WPAHS has been “starved for capital” and would have been forced to close the West Penn Hospital in the East End without help from Highmark. “We wanted to find a capital partner that shared the values that we had, that cares about the patients as much as our physicians. And Highmark is indeed such an organization,” he said. The partnership between Highmark and West Penn was especially appropriate, he said,
because Highmark’s mission lined up “exceedingly well” to the mission of WPAHS, and both organizations are Pittsburgh-based. Olivia, who was present at the briefing, echoed those sentiments. “We’re in a marketplace that is high cost, high volume, and that is very problematic for the people in Pittsburgh,” Olivia said. “We cannot be competitive without a capital partner and also an insurance partner. We are very fortunate in that Highmark brings both those resources to the table.” In closing, WPAHS’ Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tony Farah expressed his hopes that the transaction between Highmark and West Penn Allegheny would help them move away from a “volumedriven mentality” and focus on the patient and outcome. “This partnership will result in an enviable physician organization. To anyone who wants a healthy, transparent, innovative environment, we have a home for you here,” Farah said.
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Roosters not welcome in city morning but some city people might not like it,” George acknowledged, referring Melissa grew up on a farm and has to a city zoning regulation that prohibits residents from keeping roosters. kept chickens since she was 10. “Clearly, there is a lot of interest She recommends raising chickens to anyone who is “health conscious” amongst people about backyard and wants the peace of mind that chicken farming and we were kind of comes with knowing that their eggs surprised at how well-received [the tour] was,” Noble come from chickens said. She added that that are well-exercised they are talking and fed a diet free of about holding the steroids. tour next year as According to well. Chicken Coop Tour According to event guru Jody Noble, urban agriculture Chicks-in-the-Hood regulations in the attracted between zoning code, the 300 to 350 poultry enthusiasts to the city, Photo by Jeanette Lee City of Pittsburgh allows residents to not including children. Different kinds of chickens keep three chickens Richard George, produce different eggs. per 2,000 square feet who drove to of property and one Pittsburgh from his farm in West Virginia with his wife to additional chicken for each additional see how urban farming differed from 1,000 square feet. Roosters are not allowed, and all feed must be kept in a rural farming, was one of them. “I love the sound of roosters in the rodent-proof container.
From Chickens, page 7
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Allegheny West Janet Trebac to Bosstree at 925-927 Western Ave. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $362,616). J. Andrew Wolfinger to Vincent Neiswonger at 804 Beech Ave. for $195,000. Brighton Heights and Brightwood Kondaur Capital Corp. to James Bowley and Shelby Trapp at 3120 Brighton Road for $7,000. Estate of Ernestine Bennett to Kimberly Bennett Henley et al. and Shayna Bennett at 3463 McClure Ave. for $47,000. Sixto Housing Quality Services Inc. to Canterbury Investment Group LLC at1368 Oak Hill St. for $4,000. Realty Choice Investments LLC to Tsury and Yafit Azulay at 1514 Orchlee St.for $53,000. Frank Balestrieri to Anthony Vallecorsa and Amber Edmunds at 104 Richbarn Road for $63,830. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to Deanna Dean and Judith Sepich at 1527 1/2 Davis Ave. for $19,500. John Furman to Socorro Holdings LLC at 3640 Massachusetts Ave. for $44,000. Andrew Salamacha to David Hoss at 1542 Hubbard St. for $20,000. Evelyn Harris to William Joseph Foster at 2038 Stonelea St. for $68,000. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Matthew McGarrity at 1821 Davis Ave. for $7,000. Paul Stafura Jr. to Ruth Roebuck at 3363 Harbison St. for $126,000. Estate of Mark Boscardin to Veterans Administration at 3967 Kleber St. for $1,670 by sheriff ’s deed. US Bank NA trustee to Guido Cubellis at 1162 Marshall Ave. for $34,000. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to Imag Properties LLC at 3263 Richardson Ave.
July 2011
for $5,500. Stephen Plizga to Barrgrove Ventures LLC at 1536 Woodland Ave. for $28,000. Joshua Ademek trustee to Green House 1 LLC at 3132 Shadeland Ave. for $23,900. HSBC Bank USA NA trustee to Mom Haven 14 L.P. at 2805 Stayton St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $64,148). Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Douglas and Jessica Baker at 1211 Superior Ave. for $22,000. S & G Holdings 2004 LLC to Pit Properties LLC at 3259 Bainton St. for $60,000. Tony Cuda to Randy Meckler at 902 Woods Run Ave. for $45,500. Central Northside Todd Tupis to Vincent Vines at 502 Armandale St. for $209,900. Pittsburgh City to Central Northside Neighborhood Council at 105 Jacksonia St. for $1,300. James Sherbondy to Gregory and Heather Bednarek at 408 Jacksonia St. for $249,485. Lori Sperling et al. to Jennifer Hursh at 1315 Arch St. for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $181,424). James Lawrence to ESIIC Investments LLC at 1502 Boyle St. for $23,000. William Bistolas to Brian Rose at 1430 Sandusky St. for $119,000. Central Northside Neighborhood Council to Sean Madden at 1325 Reddour St. for $6,000. Harry Selevos to William Barron at 1108 Federal St. for $1,505 by sheriff ’s deed. Prudential Relocation Inc. to Adam Bodenmiller and Adrienne Maimone at 404 N. Taylor Ave. for $207,000. Kimble Hicks LLC to Julia Lynn Calder at 1212 Sherman Ave. for $155,900. Estate of Ann Marie Maresh to GLX Properties 1 LLC at 1316 Sherman Ave. for $41,000.
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Deutschtown and East Deutschtown Delford Britton to Evan Alexander Leja at 1215 Linden Place for $69,000. Harriett Koedel to Erin Guay at 624 Suismon St. for $149,000. James Koskey to Pino Assoc. L.P. at 832 Tripoli St. for $21,500. Manchester Catholic Charities Diocese Pittsburgh In to Manchester Housing Development LLC at 1404 Juniata St. for $325,000. Karl Riley to Amtrust REO 1 LLC at 1415 Sedgwick St. for $3,107 by sheriff ’s deed. Observatory Hill and Perry Hilltop Realty Choice Investment LLC to Erez Anker at 121 Bonvue St. for $35,000. Lance Dobrowski to US Bank NA trustee at 414 Hawkins Ave. for $2,089 by sheriff ’s deed. HSBC Bank USA NA trustee to Vernon Bebout at 3458 Perrysville Ave. for $9,600. Chester Malesky Jr. to Shelly Evans at 3815 Perrysville Ave. for $143,750. Kimberly Schlosky to Dominick Riccitelli Jr. at 4218 Perrysville Ave. for $106,000. Robert Moser to Vincent Graziani at 4016 Franklin Road for $51,000. John Zelinka to Mayreau Property Investments LLC at 41 Waldorf St. for $8,000. Robert James Duermeyer to Brianna Allen at 4152 Perrysville Ave. for $68,000. Kenneth Nichols et al. to Stephen and Melissa Johnston at 4025 Portman St. for $42,900. Larry Lobster International LLC to DDT Properties LLC at 2713 Norwood Ave. for $27,000. Citibank NA trustee to Keith Jacobson and June Wright at 603 Danbury St. for $8,150. US Bank NA trustee to REO Distribution LLC at 32 Kenwood Ave. for $3,002 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $29,000) by sheriff ’s deed. Robert Johnston to US Bank NA trustee at 104 Milroy St. for $6,096 by sheriff ’s
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deed. Edward Sweeney to Adam and Jennifer Rittenhouse Puhak at 3007 Norwood Ave. for $164,000. Pittsburgh City Housing Authority to Gustavo Vasquez and Emily Suarez at 211 W. Burgess St. for $12,500. Spring Hill, Summer Hill and Troy Hill Todd Meyer to James and Julie Linn at 1102 Haslage Ave. for $58,500. Nexhome Inc. to Susanne Forquer and James Dunn III at 2125 Rockledge St. for $79,900. Estate of Robert Vance Jr. to Stephen Branden and Stephen Van Oss at 2157 Harbor St. for $41,500. P. Phillip Bollenbacher to Peter McQuillin and Nancy Chubb at 1704 Hunnell St. for $20,000. Carol Strafalace to Cynthia and Ian Green at 1502 Hetzel St. for $45,000. Bank America NA trustee to EH Pooled 311 L.P. at 940 South Side Ave. for $10,046. Douglas Joyce to Julieanna Martin at 3705 Colby St. for $101,000. Estate of Alma Pavlik to Justin Zell at 1934 Ley St. for $30,000. Estate of Catherine Stidle to Patrick Duffey at 1921 Ley St. for $74,900. Troy Hill Property LLC to Old Dairy Building LLC at 1356 Lowrie St. for $65,000. Estate of Grace Heid to Janet Hirt at 2105 Straubs Lane for $21,500. Richard Lore to Adam Smith and Laura Stuart Smith at 1626 Harpster St. for $39,800. Charles Shomo to Brands Capital Corp. at 1533-1535 Hoff St. for $30,000. Pittsburgh View Real Estate LLC to Candace Kristin Firestone at 2110 Liedertafel Way for $29,000. Real Estate Transactions provided by <RealSTATs>. Contact <RealSTATs> at 412-381-3880 or visit www.RealSTATs.net.
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From the office of State Rep. Jake Wheatley, Jr.
Property tax/rent rebate deadline extended The deadline to apply for Pennsylvania's Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program has been extended until Dec. 31, 2011. The program provides rebates of up to $650 on property taxes or rent paid in 2010 to those who qualify. To be eligible, an applicant must be: •65 or older; •A widow or widower who is 50 or older; •A person with a permanent disability who is 18 or older. The total household income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 a year for renters. If a homeowner or renter receives Social Security payments, half of that money will be excluded. Those who applied before the original June 30 deadline will begin to receive their rebates after July 1. The status of pending applications can be checked by visiting www. revenue.state.pa.us or by calling 1-888-PATAXES.
To obtain a Property Tax/Rent Rebate application, please visit www. revenue.state.pa.us or contact my office, which can also assist you in filling out the form. I would also like to remind everyone that, each month, I provide mobile office hours for North Side residents to access state services and information. The mobile office hours are held the last Wednesday of each month from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Allegheny City Room at the Carnegie Library Allegheny Branch, 1230 Federal St. A notary public is available during these hours, by appointment only. Other state services my office can help you with include PACE/ PACENET prescription-drug cards for seniors and the Children's Health Insurance Program, which provides free or low-cost insurance. My main office is also available to help you. The People's Office is located on the first floor of 2015-2017 Centre Ave.; the telephone number is 412-471-7760.
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From the office of State Rep. Chelsa Wagner
PAT board reform advances I am pleased that my proposal to reform the composition of the board of directors of the Port Authority of Allegheny County was approved overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives on June 7. Reforming the PAT board has been a priority for me since I was first elected in 2006, and the repeated fare increases and service cuts riders have experienced illustrate the need for these changes to occur as soon as possible. Currently, all members of the PAT board are appointed by the county executive. This has resulted in a lack of diversity of viewpoints on the board that is unhealthy for any organization and especially one on which so many of our residents depend. My proposal, contained in House Bill 1304, would expand the board to 11 members including five appointed by state government leaders. A majority of members would continue to be appointed by the county, and all members would have to be county residents. As board members are
unpaid, so the cost of expanding the board would be minimal. In recent years, state government has routinely provided more than 60 percent of PAT’s funding. It has been difficult for the state to hold PAT accountable for its use of this funding without a voice on the board. The new board members would add checks and balances to PAT’s decision-making. As we seek more efficient and transparent use of existing funds, I and other legislators also continue to work toward a sustainable funding formula for transit that will allow us to restore and expand service. State leaders are unlikely to agree to more funding without a voice in how it is used, which makes this reform essential to the future of transit in our region. I urge the state Senate to take action on this proposal quickly so that elected officials and riders alike can have greater faith in the Port Authority’s decisions.
July 2011
Dinner honors young and old From NSLC Dinner, page 9 Scholarship Awards •Kayla Clem, Brighton Heights, CAPA High School •Noel Peterson, Brighton Heights, CAPA High School •Andrew Buchman, Spring Hill, North Catholic High School •John Daigle, Fineview, Central Catholic High School •Rachel Volkman, Observatory Hill, Perry High School •Christine Schell, Troy Hill, Perry High School •Erin Masterson, Observatory Hill, Vincentian Academy •Megan Smith, Brighton Heights, Vincentian Academy •Matthew Murdock, Brighton Heights, CAPA High School •Alex McCartan, Observatory Hill, Alderdice High School •Nubia Williams, Brightwood, Schenley High School Neighborhood and Business Awards •Allegheny General Hospital:
Patrick Boyle •Allegheny West Civic Council: Timothy Zinn •Brighton Heights Citizens Federation: Emmanuel Christian Church •Brightwood Civic Group: John Moore •Central Northside Neighborhood Council: Kirk Burkley •Charles Street Area Council: James Edward White •Community Alliance of East Deutschtown/Spring Garden: Ruth Ann Dailey •East Allegheny Community Council: Bob Baumbach •Fineview Citizens Council: Melissa Gallagher •Manchester Citizens Corporation: Deborah BlackwellBattle •Observatory Hill, Inc.: Peg Perlik •Spring Hill Civic League: Eileen Back •Summer Hill Citizens Committee: Ray Carter (WPXI TV) •Troy Hill Citizens: Janet Koch
July 2011
The Northside Chronicle
The Game Page Last Month’s Puzzle Solutions First published in a U.S. puzzle magazine in 1979, Sudoku caught on in Japan in 1986, and became internationally famous in 2005. The aim of Sudoku is to enter a number from 1 through 9 in each space on a 9×9 grid made up of 3×3 subgrids (called “regions”). Some of the numbers have already been given. You may not use the same number twice in a single row, column, or region of the grid. Completing the puzzle requires patience and logical ability.
Crossword puzzles provided by www. bestcrosswords.com / Used with permission.
Chronicle Crossword Across 1- Conductor Dorati; 6- Mountain spinach; 11- Cockpit abbr.; 14- Fluff, as bangs; 15- Grieved; 16- “Seinfeld” uncle; 17- Stingy; 19- Holiday start; 20- Capp and Capone; 21- Corner; 22- Dealer in cloth; 24- Juror; 25- Nor’s partner; 26- Coalescence; 30- Chew the scenery; 31- VCR button; 32- Electric fish; 36- Campaigned; 37- Erased; 41- Digit of the foot; 42- Change for a five; 44- Bind; 45- Delight; 47- Inflammation of the brain; 51- 11- or 12-year-old, e.g.; 54- Assist, often in a criminal act; 55- Fix beforehand; 56Drink greedily; 57- Philosopher ___-tzu; 60- Actor Vigoda; 61- Tending to devastate; 64- Convert into leather; 65- Commerce; 66- Flavor; 67- Chemical ending; 68- Western; 69- Clear the board; Down 1- ___ boy!; 2- Singer Sedaka; 3- License plates; 4- Baseball bat wood; 5Literate; 6- Willows; 7- Ascended, flower; 8- Illustrative craft; 9- Belief; 10- Characterized by abundance of moisture; 11- First letter of the Hebrew alphabet; 12- Embankment; 13- ___ is human; 18- At liberty; 23- To ___ (perfectly); 24- Agt.’s take; 25- Depilatory brand; 26- Atlantic mackerel; 27Arabian sultanate; 28- Nada; 29- Crawl; 33- Coup d’___; 34- Monetary unit of Lesotho; 35- Goes out with; 38- And so forth; 39- Legal claim; 40- Emissary; 43- Goes down; 46- Blotto; 48- Must; 49- Heavy rope for mooring; 50- Slightly; 51- Flood; 52- Living in a city; 53- Designer Geoffrey; 56- “No Ordinary Love” singer; 57- One of the Simpsons; 58- Formicary residents; 59- Arch type; 62- Large container; 63- Paving material;
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Sudoku