Volume 29 No. 10
October 2013
Spring Garden redesigns community’s gateway By Kelsey Shea
The Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown has re imagined the gateway to the two communities. The drawing above would be the view of the redesigned gateway that motorists coming from the 16th Street Bridge would see. Drawings provided by CASGED and Moore Design.
A plan to improve the safety and aesthetic appeal of the gateway to Spring Garden and East Deutschtown has evolved to a master plan for the two Northside neighborhoods. Consultants from Moore Design and Evoque Architecture and Planning presented the final plan for the revitalization of the area surrounding the intersections of Chestnut Street, East Ohio Street and Troy Hill Road at the monthly Community Alliance of Spring Garden and East Deutschtown meeting. “Not many communities have the land and space for this kind of project,” said Evoque Principal Jeff Wetzel, who said that the open space and landmarks in the area were unique strengths of the project. After months of working with the community, consultants
have identified and prioritized three main objectives for the area – installing crosswalks, widening sidewalks and installing a monument and parklet at the entrance of the two neighborhoods. Other installments like new bus stops, tree streetscapes and new bike lanes are also being discussed as part of the final master plan, but are as not one of the top three priorities. CASGED wants see crosswalks and widened walkways at Troy Hill Road and East Ohio Street where they intersect Chestnut Street to increase pedestrian safety in a high-risk area. CASGED has had two meetings with PennDOT, who they believe have similar objectives for the space and are willing to work with the community group.
See CASGED, page 5
City may complete Riverview Foreland row house saved Soccer Field by end of the month By Lindsay Allen exist. By Kelsey Shea Observatory Hill could have the soccer field it’s been waiting for more than 10 years by the end of this month. The City has evened the ground, installed lights and built a retaining wall and bathrooms at the site of the future Riverview Soccer Field on Mairdale Avenue. If all goes well, the City will have an official ribbon cutting by the end of October. “We really want to make a splash,” said Pittsburgh Director of Operations Duane Ashley, who
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wants to celebrate the completion of the long-awaited project with some style. The project to build a soccer field and recreation center behind Perry High School began in 2003 after a study showed that there were too few soccer fields within City limits. After an official ground breaking ceremony in October 2010, the project faced complications due to industrial waste deposit on the field’s site.
See Soccer, page 7
-Pirates impact NS 6 STORIES, COLUMNS, -German heritage celebration 9 FEATURES & MORE -California Markets 13
Despite the rot, dirt and mold, when New Yorker Sarah Sims Erwin stepped into the row homes at 406 and 408 Foreland Ave., she knew it was the place for her. “When I first walked in, I took two steps into that house, and I loved it. Even with the previous renters’ possessions that had been sitting there rotting… I was like, ‘I love this place,’” said Erwin. Sarah Sims Erwin and her husband Dominick DeGennaro are the couple who Deutschtown preservationists thought did not
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The Foreland row house is likely the oldest home in Historic Deutschtown, but years of neglect and problem landlords left the house in severe disrepair by the time October Development owner Al DePasquale bought it in 2007 along with 17 other dilapidated homes in the neighborhood. Most of the 17 other homes have been renovated and sold by October Development, but the Foreland house was only 13.5 feet wide and full of mold and rotting
See Foreland, page 3
-The Chronicle’s Daily Blog -Weekly real estate transfers WWW.THENORTHSIDE CHRONICLE.COM -Event flyers and photos
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THE NORTHSIDE CHRONICLE 922 Middle St. • Pittsburgh, PA 15212
October 2013
Community Meetings Allegheny West Civic Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7:30 p.m. Calvary United Methodist Church 412.323.8884 Brighton Heights Citizens Federation 2nd Thursday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Morrow Elementary School 412.734.0233
Managing Editor Kelsey Shea editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com Advertising Manager Jena Ruszkiewicz advertising@thenorthsidechronicle.com www.thenorthsidechronicle.com Phone 412-321-3919 • Fax 412-321-1447 Mail Subscriptions are available at a rate of $35.00 per year. Distribution: 8,000 copies 2013 Advertising Rates: SIZE Black & White Color 1/8 page $56 $68 1/4 page $118 $157 1/2 page $229 $295 Full page $452 $585 Back Page $616 Center Spread $965 Discounts of up to 20% off rate card price for multiple-insertion contracts DISCLAIMER: The viewpoints and opinions of the writers and contributors that appear in the Northside Chronicle do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints, opinions, beliefs or positions of the Northside Chronicle’s publishers, editors, staff and/or affiliates. The Northside Chronicle is not affiliated with any formal political, social, religious, educational or philosophical organization or party of any kind. The materials comprising the Northside Chronicle are provided by various organizations, community groups, advertisers, entities, writers and contributors and are provided as a service to the readers of the Northside Chronicle on an “as-is” basis for informational purposes only. The Northside Chronicle assumes no responsibility for any copyright infringement, errors or omissions in these materials and expressly disclaims any representations or warranties, express or implied, including, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose regarding the correctness, accuracy, completeness, timeliness and reliability of the information provided. The Northside Chronicle is not responsible for damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance upon such information. Reference herein to any commercial product, process or service does not constitute or imply endorsement or favoring by the Northside Chronicle. © The Northside Chronicle 2008
Brightwood Civic Group 3rd Tuesday, bi-monthly, 7 p.m. Pressley Ridge, 2611 Stayton St. 412.732.8152 Brightwood Community Emergency Response Shelter 3rd Thursday, monthly, 6 p.m. 3219 Central Ave. California-Kirkbride Blockwatch 3rd Thursday, monthly, 7 p.m. 1601 Brighton Rd., 3rd floor California-Kirkbride Neighbors 2nd Thursday, monthly, 7 p.m. 1601 Brighton Rd., 3rd floor 412.758.3898 Central Northside Neighborhood Council
Quarterly meetings, call for times MCC Center, 1319 Allegheny Ave. 412.323.1743 Manchester Public Safety Meeting Quarterly meetings, call for times Northside Leadership Conference 412.323.1743 Northside Rotary Club Every Friday, noon Cardello Building, 2nd Floor Northside Coalition for Fair Housing Board 2nd Monday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5527 Northside Coalition for Fair Housing Membership Monthly, call for times 1821 Brighton Rd. 412.321.5521 Northside Leadership Conference Call for times 4 Allegheny Center, Suite 601 412.330.2559
2nd Monday, monthly, 7 p.m. Allegheny Traditional Academy 412.231.7742
North Side Lions Club 2nd and 4th Tuesday, monthly, noon Max’s Allegheny Tavern
Charles Street Area Council 1st Monday, monthly, call for times Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N. Charles St. 412.321.5567
North Side Public Safety Council 1st Thursday, monthly, 5:30 p.m. Northside Leadership Conference 412.330.2559
Community Alliance of Spring Garden/ East Deutschtown 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. Fuhrer Building of St. Michael’s Church 412.977.1979
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.
Perry Hilltop Citizens’ Council 4th Monday, monthly, 6 p.m. Triangle Tech,1940 Perrysville Ave. perryhilltop@gmail.com 412-223-7144
East Allegheny Community Council 2nd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. Bistro to Go 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.
Upper Rooms at Reformed Presbyterian Home
Perrysville Ave. 412.231.0330
Mexican War Streets Society 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 7 p.m. AUU Church, Resaca Pl. and North Ave. 412.323.9030 Manchester Citizens Corporation
The Promise Group Every other Tuesday, 6 p.m. Western Pa. Humane Society 412.321.1019 Troy Hill Citizens Council Second Tuesday of the month , 7 p.m. 1619 Lowrie St. 412-321-2852 Spring Hill Civic League May 7, Sept. 10, Oct. 1. Nov. 5 7 p.m., Spring Hill Elementary School contact@shcl.org Summer Hill Citizens Committee 3rd Tuesday, monthly, 6:30 p.m. WPXI Television Station community room
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Buyer saves oldest home in Historic Deutschtown
Photo by Kelsey Shea The Foreland Avenue property has been stripped of its green siding.
From Foreland, page 1 wood. It was a difficult sell, so DePasquale applied for a demolition permit from the city. At the outcry of neighbors and the East Allegheny Community
Council who wanted to save the home, DePasquale gave neighbors 90 days to find a buyer. EACC found Erwin and her husband, and DePasquale sold the building at a loss to accommodate the community’s wishes.
Erwin, a native Pittsburgher who has been living in New York for almost 17 years, purchased the house with her husband, a native New Yorker, in May of this year. The New York City couple is use to small spaces and seemed to be the perfect fit for the adjoined houses, one of which they plan on living in, the other renting out. “When my husband and I move to Pittsburgh, we’re going to double our space,” said Erwin. “It was our first home, so we were willing to start small.” To many residents, the thought of restoring a home that even accomplished contractors and architects are not willing to renovate would seem daunting. Erwin credits her role as a first-time homeowner and her close friendship with contractor Page Thomas with giving her the confidence to purchase the property. “Here’s the thing, ignorance
is bliss. I’ve never owned a house before, so I’ve never had that experience that the previous owner had – he has a lifetime’s worth of experience,” said Erwin. Once her contractor started taking away the rotting wood, the strong structure and well-built quality of the houses became evident, characteristics unique to old homes. The structure of the house is not the only quality Erwin finds exciting about Foreland Street. The vivacity of the community is another aspect that attracted her to the Northside, including cultural hotspots like Artists Image Resource print studio, the Mattress Factory and The Warhol Museum. “I think it’s fantastic that it is part of the Historic District,” said Erwin. “There’s such a clustering of really cool cultural activities to do on the Northside. I thought this
See Foreland, page 4
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Public Safety The Northside Public Safety Council would like to remind residents that as the weather cools down, it’s a great time to check household heaters to prevent fire and CO2 emissions. “With the seasons changing and the cold weather approaches, now would be a good time to check the safety & function of your furnace and be ready for the season ahead of us,” said Northside Public Safety Council President David Stacy. On the Northside in April, there were approximately 498 incidents were reported, which led to approximately 210 arrests. The Northside Public Safety Council is a nonprofit corporation composed of community leaders, businesses, government officials
the Housing Authority, property owners and the Zone 1 Pittsburgh Police. The Northside Public Safety Committee meets the first Thursday of each month at 5:30 p.m. on the mezzanine level of The Northside Leadership Conference’s offices at 4 Allegheny Center. All are welcome. A useful resource for the community is the Zone 1 website at www. communitysafety. pittsburghpa.gov. For questions or concerns regarding crime or police presence, contact the Zone 1 Community Relations Officer, Forrest Hodges at forrest.hodges@ pittsburghpa.gov.
Foreland row houses from 1800s saved From Foreland, page 3 was the right neighborhood for me and my friends who were going to come visit me. I definitely wanted to live over there but I didn’t necessarily know which of the neighborhoods I’d end up in.” When the opportunity arose in the form of 406 and 408 Foreland, Erwin jumped at the opportunity to live in Deutschtown, and to live in a new Pittsburgh than she remembers from her past. “We really are psyched to be part of the community. We are thrilled that there is a Deutschtown
Music Festival on our block,” said Erwin. “Being a Pittsburgh native, I feel like I understand Pittsburghers a little bit because I lived there for 29 years. I think Pittsburgh has changed. From what I know about Pittsburgh, sometimes people were closed new ideas, closed to things that were unique and different, but maybe it’s a new Pittsburgh. Just the fact that there is a music festival on my block – I can’t tell you how excited I am. I can’t wait to live there.” Lindsay Allen studies at the University
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Big plans for Troy Hill Road, Chestnut Street
Drawings of the proposed master plan for the gateway of Spring Hill and East Deutschtown provided by CASGED and Moore Design.
From CASGED, page 1 The master plan also includes a parklet with a dramatic, 40-foot monument installed in the area between Troy Hill Road and Route
28.
The parklet would extend up Troy Hill Road and will include bio swells to help manage rain water and a helix-shaped walkway
leading up the pedestrian bridge and Penn Brewery, where they plan to build a new parking lot. “We love the plan. It’s beautiful,” said Nancy Noszka,
CASGED communication consultant. Community members believe that this project will increase awareness of the strengths of the neighborhoods, primarily their proximity to downtown Pittsburgh. “This process has unearthed the vitality of our neighborhood and how lucky we are to live here,” said Tom Pierce, development committee chair of CASGED. The community group hopes to complete the project in phases, and the next step for the project will be having a targeted fundraising plan. CASGED has raised roughly $100,000 for this project, but has not come up with a final project cost. Noszka assured community members that “it’s not as much as people think.” “There are a lot of steps that need to happen between now and when we start construction,” said Noszka. “Right now, what we really want people to do is to look at the plan.”
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Pirates’ success boosts Northside businesses A winning season has brought a record number of people to the Northside.
By Mark Powell The Pittsburgh Pirates success has brought baseball fever back to the Steel City, bringing fans to bars and restaurants all over the Northside to watch their beloved Buccos. The last 20 years have been miserable for Pirate fans across the
Photo by Kelsey Shea city. The team hasn’t had a winning record since the 1992 season, which ended in a playoff defeat. Even as the city commissioned a new ballpark in 2001, Northside restaurants and bars weren’t benefiting from the Pirates this late in the season. The last few years have brought early season hope to local residents, but only to fall in a late season collapse.
This year the Pirates got off to another fast start. Fans seemingly waited for their collapse late this season, but it never came. The Pirates cinched their playoff spot September 23, and brought an end to the negativity that has surrounded the team for more than two decades. Local restaurants and bars in the Northside have seen a benefit in the Pirates’ successful season. “We’ve had customers come in and ask to put the game on,” said Modern Café owner Irene Zotis. “And we’re not even that close to the stadium.” The chains near the ballpark will always benefit from Pirates’ sellouts. Modern Café is an original establishment and is located almost a mile from PNC Park on the Northside. It is still a popular spot for locals to catch their favorite teams on the Northside. The Pirates’ winning ways have brought Yinzers out to the ballpark in record numbers. The Pirates
surpassed their season attendance record with 2,256,862 people flocking to PNC Park. Increased attendance numbers have had a big impact on beer distributors such as Penn Brewery. “It’s done great for our beer sales at PNC Park, as well as helped our beer sales at restaurants around the park that serve our beer,” said Penn Brewery CEO Sandy Cindrich. Penn Brewery is a Pittsburgh company located in Troy Hill. Their beer is distributed in and around PNC Park. A potential deep playoff run should also help restaurants in the area. Playoff games are almost always sellouts, and those that can’t get tickets will try to be as close to the action as they can. The Pirates will play in the Wild Card play-in game, which will take place on October 1 in Pittsburgh. Assuming the Pirates win that game, they would play their next opponent in a best-of-seven series.
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Field nears completion
From Soccer, page 1 The community center that was planned to accompany the field has been put on hold, due to changing mayoral administration. Though the City installed a small building at the site to provide storage and bathroom facilities. According to Ashley, the last major tasks include a final fine grading of the field surface and the installation of sports netting and
Photo by Kelsey Shea turf for the field. The carpet is scheduled to be delivered the first week of October and will take roughly 10 days to install. Some landscaping and maintenance work around the field has yet to be completed as well. The parking lot needs to be paved, the plaza area needs to be developed and a nearby pond needs to be drained.
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Historic Deutschtown celebrates German heritage
Photos by Kelsey Shea
By Kelsey Shea Neighbors in Historic Deutschtown kicked off a weekend-long celebration of German heritage with signs, singing and strudel. On Friday, Sept.13, Deutchtown residents celebrated a new installation of public art that highlights Deutschtown’s German heritage. Representatives from the Northside Leadership Conference, the East Allegheny Community Council and the Deutschtown Merchants Association cut the ribbon on a new tile map installed in July at the corner of Cedar Avenue and East Ohio Street. The map is the first installment of the Deutschtown
Heritage Project and will be followed by brochures and corresponding building makers on historic structures. “Public art is so important in our communities,” said Emily Leone Honhart, business development director at the NSLC. “This is a great start.” A Swiss singing group complete with an accordion accompaniment performed, and Priory Fine Pastries donated homemade traditional apple strudel. The next morning, Deutschtown held a German Auto Show in East Park at 9:30 a.m. followed by an 11 a.m. parade down East Ohio Street. Teutonia Mannechor hosted a luncheon at noon.
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Pirates visit Spring Hill K-5
Photos courtesy Helen Hill.
legend’s wife, Vera Clemente, and her two sons. “It was an amazing day,” On September 17, students celebrating Roberto Clemente Day said Spring Hill Principal Todd Van Horn, who said that even and Spring Hill K-5 Elementary were surprised by an unexpected teachers and administrators were appearance by Pittsburgh Pirates given the news at the last minute. players and the late baseball
By Kelsey Shea
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California Markets wrap up after final festival
California Avenue hosted markets and street fairs throughout the summer. (Photo courtesy PGHRetail).
By Lindsay Allen Crowds gathered in Brighton Heights from the Northside and across Pittsburgh on September 14 for the last of the California Markets summer series. Stephanie Stauffer, organizer of the event series and founder of PGH Retail, did not know what to expect of the markets idea from the outset.
“We didn’t really know what was going to happen,” said Stauffer. “Before, when I started looking around, working with the BHCF (Brighton Heights Citizens Federation) for this grant project, (the business quarter of California Avenue) was half empty vacant retail lots.” As the summer progressed and each market, occurring the second
Saturdays of June, July, August and September, grew more people to the area, Stauffer saw a positive change in the community. “By the time we got to July, it was up to 89 percent capacity. There’s only one vacant storefront at this moment. Three different stores opened to the public,” said Stauffer. “It was kind of dual purpose: to draw attention to Brighton Heights and to the city in general and to bring people in that might not have been there and to also bring our community out.” Overall, she thinks the markets succeeded with engaging the community and is impressed with the turnout. “We got a really great turn out in the beginning, and then as the summer went on, we were definitely competing with other markets and other events happening at the same time, so it was a bit of a learning curve,” said Stauffer. “We got a lot of our community out, but it was a little tougher reaching out to other folks from outside the community involved because there were so many other different things that were going on.”
Each month’s market had its own theme: an artful crosswalk and wine tasting in June, a barbecue cook-off and homemade beer brew-off in July, a puppet and drum parade in August, and a fashion show and family pageant in September. “Each month had its own engagement because each was directed at different markets,” said Stauffer. The success of July’s home brewoff inspired organizers to host a fifth market on the evening of October 12 with an Oktoberfest theme. Brighton Heights can also expect another line-up of events at the California Markets next summer, and Stauffer is eager to cater to the community’s suggestions. “We would like to have more input to see what we can do differently. It’s all about our community,” said Stauffer. “I think we were really successful in bringing our own community out and drawing attention to our community and our local businesses, and it has also brought people from outside the community who really enjoyed being there and want to come back.”
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Columbus Square enters third phase of construction
Photos by Kelsey Shea
By Kelsey Shea Investors and community members gathered at 1207 Columbus Ave. Sept. 25 for an open house to celebrate the completion of Phase Two of the Columbus Square housing development. Manchester’s Columbus Square project is one of the most ambitious and successful housing developments on the Northside. The 31-home development is done in collaboration with Manchester Citizen’s Corporation and Fourth River Development and looks to offer the best of both city and suburban living.
It is funded by the state, PNC Bank, the Northside Community Development Fund and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The first phase of Columbus Square included five new homes and was completed in 2012. The second included an additional four, which were completed this summer. Developers at Fourth River are looking forward to the start of the third phase. “We continue to have daily inquiries and are anxiously awaiting the start of phase 3,” said Fourth River Development’s Sally Flinn.
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City of Asylum holds ninth annual jazz concert
Oliver Lake for the crowd gathered between Sherman and Monterey streets. (Photo courtesy Renee Rosensteel).
By Lindsay Allen More than 600 Pittsburgh residents filled a street-block of Sampsonia Way to experience the Jazz-Poetry Concert hosted by City of Asylum/Pittsburgh (COA/P) Saturday evening. The outdoor event was held in the Central Northside between
Sherman and Monterey streets and was the ninth annual concert of COA/P, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Henry Reese and Diane Samuels that is dedicated to providing sanctuary to exiled and persecuted writers from around the world. “This event is a way of celebrating free speech and creative, artistic freedom of expression,
which is something that, in this country, we take for granted,” said Elizabeth Baisley, marketing and communications manager of COA/P. “The concert is a way of drawing attention to that fundamental right.” This year’s featured performer was Joy Harjo, a Native American poet and musician, marking her first appearance at the concert. Harjo, a native to the Mvskoke/ Creek Nation, is an award-winning poet, writer and saxophone player. Her performance included original music and poetry. “Joy was certainly a highlight of the event, and there was a lot of anticipation around her performance,” said Baisley. "She’s a very talented musician and poet.” Cecile Shellman, COA/P’s project manager, and Silvia Duarte, editor of COA/P’s publication Sampsonia Way Magazine, emceed the event. Oliver Lake, a jazz saxophonist, curated the concert, as he has since the concert's first year. The concert also featured performances by several of COA/P’s current and former exiled writersin-residence, including Khet Mar of Burma, Israel Centeno of Venezuela,
Yaghoub Yadali of Iran, Wang Jiaxin of China, and Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo of Cuba. This year’s Jazz-Poetry Concert welcomed its first singer, Dee Alexander, who was accompanied by her bassist Harrison Bankhead, drummer Ernie Adams and pianist Miguel de la Cerna. “Another highlight of the concert which was unique to this year was the collaboration between the magician Paul Gertner and the poetry of Ariel Dorfman, a ChileanArgentinean poet who now lives in the United States,” said Baisley. “Paul choreographed his magic act around Ariel reading his poetry.” As COA/P is a small organization, it relies on numerous volunteers from across Pittsburgh to help in setting up the concert. “The support of our community here in the Northside is tremendously important, and one of the most wonderful things to us as a community organization is knowing that we can rely on the people in our community to support us,” said Baisley. Lindsay Allen studies at the University of Pittsburgh and hails from Eastern PA.
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The Healing Space with Ayeshah A. Bulls
Now is the time
Hi Beautiful People! As we enter into this autumn season I have one question – How are you doing? Autumn is a very special time of the year as it represents transition. Transition from what is, to what needs to die in the winter, to new growth in the spring. What things do you have in your life in this season that you need to let go, let die this winter in order for new growth in the Spring? Now is the time to reflect on this as we enter the fall season. Time to let some leaves fall….. We all have “things” in our spirit, mind and body that negatively impact our ability to live our best lives. Now is the time to do a diagnostic check of ourselves to see what is working and what is not working. Every year we have to have our vehicles inspected for this purpose, why not do it for ourselves? Get our sticker that says you are good for the next year! Now is the time to do a spiritual, mental and physical assessment of our lives to see what is working and what is not working. Are you in touch with your spirit and all of the important messages it may be sending to you? If not, you may need to make a conscious effort to surround yourself in environments and relationships that give attention to your spirit; for your spirit/ soul provides the energy/fuel that motivates your thinking and behaviors. Check your spiritual energy. How are you mentally? Do you find that your thinking is dominated with more negative thoughts than
positive ones? Now is the time to examine what is influencing your thinking; unhealthy dialogues or conversations; inappropriate music, distorted movies and T.V. shows. All of these things plant seeds in your mind that can disconnect you from reality into a world of confusion and stress. Check your mental influences. Last but definitely not least, how are you physically? How is your body doing? How are you feeling? Our wonderful, intricately made bodies are our main indicators that something is off. Are you more tired than usual? You are possibly eating more foods that deplete you of energy versus providing energy or that we can use a little more exercise. Being consistently tired could also be an indicator of depression or stress. Our physical bodies can tell us when something is off mentally and spiritually. Therefore, giving attention to our bodies is vital to all aspects of our existence. Are you seeing all the connections? Schedule a physical today. Now is the time to give attention to your body. Our beings are one – spirit, mind, and body. Now is the time for me to encourage everyone to perform a self diagnostic check this autumn season, so that we can assure that we are letting the right leaves to fall and keeping the ones that are best for us. Winter is dead; spring is crazy; summer is cheerful and autumn is wise! ~Mehmet Murat ildan
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From the office of State Sen. Wayne Fontana
Property Tax Elimination Legislation
Every year, more than $10 billion is collected in school property taxes in Pennsylvania. However, the state has been unsuccessful in waging the property tax debate for decades. One thing most people can agree on is that something needs to be done to eliminate the current outdated, archaic and unfair system that Commonwealth uses. Last year, over 117,000 reassessment appeals were filed by property owners in Allegheny County which overloaded the appeals system and created a backlog. Although the appeals filed in 2013 have been nowhere near the numbers of last year, citizens continue to demand a change. In addition, a court ordered reassessment has revealed that the current process is subjective,
confusing, and amounts to a very costly mandate. Allegheny County’s government is a unique institution because we have what is known as a “Home Rule Charter.� This was established through a May 1998 referendum that grants the voters of Allegheny County the ability to control the structure and operations of the county government through the voting process. After years of debating the various options, I have determined that the best option for the assessment situation is to apply the Home Rule Charter if our local government cannot determine a long-term solution. I have once again introduced Senate Bill 418 (SB 418) which would authorize Allegheny County Council to eliminate property assessments through an ordinance. An ordinance of this manner will prohibit Allegheny County as well as any political subdivision, like municipalities or schools districts, within the county from imposing a property tax. If County Council does not adopt the ordinance because they do not want to cast a vote or because they lack a
majority vote, the County Council, or the voters of Allegheny County, will have the ability to propose the ordinance through a public referendum. If Allegheny County Council or a voter referendum elects to eliminate a property tax, revenue for the county, municipality and school services received under a property tax must be funded through others means. SB 418 addresses this issue through granting the county, and each municipality and school district the ability to collect an earned income tax, personal income tax, sales tax, fee per square foot on real property or any other tax authorized under the Local Tax Enabling Act, or combination of to make up this lost revenue. I have put mechanisms in my legislation to prevent the municipalities from implementing drastic tax increases for these services rendered. The governing bodies of the municipalities will be prohibited from increasing the tax to raise no more than the amount of revenue collected from the property taxes in the year in which the prohibition was imposed. In the
future, increases in the rate of any tax or fee would require a majority vote by the governing body. Many bills have been introduced in Harrisburg that would eliminate property taxes through various means and I am a co-sponsor to several of these pieces of legislation. However, the residents of Allegheny County, myself included, are growing impatient with the lack of movement of real property tax reform. I represent the people of Allegheny County and I believe in the Home Rule Charter. SB 418 gives residents the opportunity to allow their voices to be heard through a referendum. This measure will also provide the vehicle necessary to grant each municipality a say in how they are governed and the flexibility needed for the local government and school districts to work together to find a solution to address the seriousness of the property tax issue within the County until other legislation can pass statewide. Senator Wayne D. Fontana 42nd Senatorial District www.senatorfontana.com
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Allegheny West
Allegheny West Development Corp. to Hard Lofts LLC at 1112 Galveston Ave. for $115,000.
Brighton Heights
Tara Robinson to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. at 802 Brighton Woods Road for $1,554 by sheriff ’s deed. William Wessner III to William and Jill Glausier at 1825 Chellis St. for $134,900. Estate of Salvatore Guarino to Kathleen Dutzik at 1205 Etola St. for $85,000. James Weller et al. to Scott and Pamela Sierzega at 180 Richbarn Road for $94,900. David Jay to Emmanuel Efuwape at 1805 Termon Ave. for $75,000. Brianna Olson to Tyler and Michelle Vaughn at 2056 Termon Ave. for $139,900. AA Holdings 2005 LLC to Kyle and Melissa Barry at 3834 Brighton Road for $64,900.
Mark Milligan to Charles Gasper at 3544 California Ave. for $32,400. Barry Swartzwelder to Addison Henc at 3142 McClure Ave. for $72,500. Thomas Owens Jr. to AG Real Estate LLC at 3706 Brighton Road for $26,000. Marla Blagg to Mark Puzas Jr. at 3519 Gerber Ave. for $130,000. Michael Moore et al. to Wendy Hildreth at 3843 Hiawatha St. for $88,000. Brian Shirey to Justin Meyers at 1203 San Pedro St. for $114,200. EL Concept LLC to Family Enterprises LLC at 1444 Davis Ave. for $7,500. Richard Graham et al. to Benjamin Rocke at 1802 Morrell St. for $159,000. Dana Scotti to LandAt Properties LLC at 3701 Parviss St. for $100,000. Michael Joseph Murgi to Colin and Emily Doerge at 1835 Viruth St. for $107,900.
Brightwood
EH Pooled 810 L.P. to Eddial Lugo at 1134 Ridgeland Drive for $11,000. HS Holdings LLC to Kenneth Brumm Jr. at 1529 Eckert St. for $30,000. Marsha Garver to Kelly Hall at 848 Grand Ave. for $23,000. Corine Abrams to Ylonda Nickell and Annie Cole at 1401 Evandale Road for $65,000. Bayview Loan Servicing LLC to Oakglade Realty Capital Partn. L.P. at 1110 Ingham St. for $36,900. JPMorgan Chase Bank NA to Raul Leong at 2654 Woodland Ave. for $6,050. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to William Dever at 1525 Woodland Ave. for $15,000.
Central Northside
Dale Davis to Patrick Dexter at 113 Alpine Ave. for $43,000. Lawrence Fisher to Patrick and Stephanie Johnston at 1512 Garfield Ave. for $285,000. Anthony Durler to MJH Real Estate
October 2013
LLC at 1318 Sherman Ave. for $50,000. US Bank NA trustee to Kaitlin and Todd Meyer at 1604 Brighton Road for $23,500.
Manchester
Estate of Maxine Dean to Ivor Hill at 1309 Liverpool St. for $60,000. Steel City Housing Solutions LLC to Family Heirloom LLC at 1212 Middle St. for $23,500. Richard Pettifer to Richard Prescott at 1204 Linden Place for $1 (state deed transfer stamps indicate a value of $68,500). Tonya Bonner to Andrew Powell and Michelle Nathani at 1245 Sheffield St. for $104,000. VCGY 10 LLC to Erica Anne Frick and Nicholas Robert Griffith at 1422 Page St. for $149,900. Estate of Tillie Janicki to Mehrenbek Inc. at 1415 Sheffield St. for $45,000.
Observatory Hill
Federal National Mortgage Assn. to
October 2013
Keystone Interactive Service Inc. at 4029 Franklin Road for $14,003. Nicholas Torquato to Sareeta Sims at 27 Montana St. for $119,000. Housing & Urban Development to Realty Choice Investments LLC at 3865 Perrysville Ave. for $26,400. Steven Yannelli to Ryan Jones and Lyndsey O’Polka at 301 Richey Ave. for $179,000. Sylvia Bavarsad to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. at 302 Venture St. for $3,547 by sheriff ’s deed. Estate of John Zawacki to Pennsylvania Conference Assn. Seventh Day at 4023 Evergreen Road for $84,500. AA Holdings 2005 LLC to Kyle and Melissa Barry at 4000 Franklin Road for $69,900. Realty Choice Investments LLC to Dan Seeman at 4041 Vinceton St. for $78,000. Joseph Bentley to Emmanuel Taylor at 120 Bonvue St. for $14,000. Orange River Properties Ltd. to Realty Choice Investments LLC at 215
The Northside Chronicle
Bonvue St. for $19,000. Jeremy Powers to Chelsea Mills at 3807 Portman St. for $59,000. Grace Homes LLC to Realty Choice Investments LLC at 4041 Vinceton St. for $14,500.
Perry Hilltop
Estate of Edward Johnson to James and Wanda Bivins at 516 Chester Ave. for $13,000. Albert Dorsch to Federal National Mortgage Assn. at 230 Mayfield Ave. for $1,608 by sheriff ’s deed. August Lewandowski Jr. to Nathan Potts and Tricia Henning at 3024 Norwood Ave. for $125,100. Lisa Allen trustee to Oakglade Realty Capital Partn. L.P. at 2434 Hazelton St. for $19,000. Wilmington Trust Co. trustee to Kaja Holdings LLC at 420 Marshall Ave. for $8,100. Estate of George Dearth to Oakglade Realty Capital Partn. L.P. at 2328 Wurzell Ave. for $30,000.
Page 25
Spring Hill
Peter Ilskensmeier to Brianna Moskal at 2147 Harbor St. for $48,000. Dennis Bourbeau et al. to Samuel Armfield at 1019 Norris St. for $78,500. AA Holdings 2005 LLC to Kyle and Melissa Barry at 1922 Rockledge St. for $59,900. James Ferris to Charles Walker at 1104 Fabyan St. for $6,000. Joan Russell trustee to Courtenay Harms at 2115 Rockledge St. for $242,000.
Summer Hill
Terence Oliver Parham to Christopher Richard and Sara Eizabeth Booz at 3528 Sirius St. for $80,000. Greenbriar Investment Co. LLC to Timothy Kelly at 4455 Valley View St. for $85,000. Bradd Celidonia to Jody Dailey at 4471 Highridge St. for $115,500. Christina Miller to Roger and Beth George at 4444 Scherling St. for $105,000.
Troy Hill
Orange River Properties Ltd. to Realty Choice Investments LLC at 1328 Lowrie St. for $19,000. Kandy Schmidt to Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. at 2034 Eggers St. for $1,618 by sheriff ’s deed. Sharon Kenny to Edward Gallagher Jr. at 1703 Lowrie St. for $82,500. William Hesidence to New Hope Now Solutions LLC at 1353 Truax Way for $4,500. Federal National Mortgage Assn. to Michael Simpson at 1107 Brabec St. for $9,000. Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to Christine Lynne LLC at 1440 Lowrie St. for $32,000. Rashard Jamal Mendenhall to Gwyneth Gaul at 50 Waterfront Drive for $364,000. Northside property transfers provided by <RealSTATs>. Contact <RealSTATs> at 412-381-3880 or visit www.RealSTATs.net.
October 2013
The Northside Chronicle
Page 26
Education on the Northside NS Walk for Education NS Rotary donates supplies to Allegheny Middle School
By Lindsay Allen Parents and students from several Pittsburgh schools kicked off the new school year by marched through Northside to celebrate their teachers and schools and draw attention to changes they would like to see throughout the city’s school system. The walk was organized by the newly formed education advocacy group Jehoshabeath Eli on Saturday, August 24 to commend teachers for devoting their time to educating the youth. “We wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all the teachers on the Northside, who have a tough job, and also to thank the staff and students, because some students go to school under crazy circumstances,” said Jehoshabeath Eli founder andNorthside resident Terri Lee. The theme of the walk was, “We love our Northside schools, but we have work to do,” and participants were vocal about the changes they would like to see in Pittsburgh’s education system. Students listed more financial support for extracurricular activities, more parent support in motivating their children’s success and more tutors as their top priorities. Lee
believes that an increase in resources By Mark Powell understands the hardships that come is the key to the success of Pittsburgh with teaching in an urban school, school students. The Northside Rotary and the and want to give teachers the tools “We really need more technology Lion’s Club made a joint donation necessary to mold young minds. to get our schools up to par, so the The school was chosen because of $1,000 in school supplies to a students will be able to compete in the it was next in the rotation of yearly local middle school. global society,” Lee said. donations by the Northside Rotary. The Rotary donated folders, Incorporating two children’s icons The Northside Rotary will also into the walk, students, parents and binders, paper, crayons, markers, host its semiannual Spaghetti Dinner residents started their trek at Buhl pencils and pens to Allegheny on October 17th from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Community Park across from the Middle School in Allegheny Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh at 9 Square. at the Cavalry United Methodist a.m. Around 50 people in total, some Church. “Our motto is service above carrying handmade posters with their sales,” said Rotary member With funds raised from the schools’ names, walked to the Fred Michael Delie. “We are trying to dinner, the rotary will also donates Rogers statue on the North Shore reach out to young kids and give dictionaries to Northside third and back, completing their two-mile graders and Kindles to high school them the tools they need to be journey in about two hours. seniors at the Northside Leadership successful.” In addition to thanking faculty and Conference’s annual awards banquet. Both the Northside Rotary students, the walk was held to unite all Pittsburgh’s Northside Rotary Pittsburgh schools in hopes of them and Lion’s Club have a history meets every Friday at noon in the of making donations in the operating as one unit. North Shore Café on the second Lee describes the turnout as a community, many of which are “great blend” of students throughout education based. The rotary also floor of the Cardello Building. Pittsburgh, as attendees hailed has a scholarship and mentor Mark Powell is an aspiring journalist from Allegheny High School, students from local schools. and currently a Junior at the University of Pittsburgh Perry High School, Pittsburgh Delie said the Rotary Schiller Elementary School, Spring Hill Elementary School, Grandview Elementary School and Barack Obama About Academy of International Studies, The Northside Chronicle Education page is a new addition to our paper. whose students led the way with their Through it, we aim to better inform Northside residents about education news and marching band. options available in our neighborhoods. Lindsay Allen studies at the University of Pittsburgh and hails from Eastern Pa.
The Northside Chronicle Education page is sponsored by:
The Page is sponsored by Columbia Gas, though sponsors have no weight or input on stories or events. The articles and events on the page are purely editorial content developed by the Northside Chronicle Staff.
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October 2013
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