August 6, 2025 - Pittsburgh City Paper by Pittsburgh City Paper

SINCE 1991 JAUG. 6-13, 2025

OPINION: PITTSBURGH LETS HISTORY ROT

A “dead hand” grips the city’s process for saving and restoring aging landmarks

BY: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

PHOTO: COURTESY OF KTK PUBLICITY

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

COVER PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

OPINION: PITTSBURGH LETS HISTORY ROT

A “dead hand” grips the city’s process for saving and restoring aging landmarks

BY: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

Donny’s Place should have become Pittsburgh’s first LGBTQ historic landmark. The building houses a cornucopia of historically significant stories inside an unassuming container that itself is historically significant. The effort to designate Donny’s Place a City of Pittsburgh historic site should have been an

easy case to make, and it likely would have been in any other city.

But this is Pittsburgh. Here, the nomination died after being shot down by the Historic Review Commission and the Planning Commission. The City Council voted July 22 to deny the designation and

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

An April fire gutted part of Uptown’s Tito-Mecca-Zizza House. The house and garage behind it became designated a historic site in 2022. In 2023, the HRC voted to approve demolishing the garage and former beer distributorship where Rolling Rock beer was first sold.

ended one of the most contested historic preservation bids in city history.

Pittsburgh once exemplified cutting-edge historic preservation practice. In the 1960s, local preservationists forged what historian John Sprinkle dubbed the “The Pittsburgh Approach.” It was a pragmatic and collaborative method that treated historic properties as renewable resources, not artworks in distressed neighborhoods threatened by urban renewal.

Today, that creativity and sophistication have been lost. Pittsburgh’s preservationists now are a mostly ineffective and unsophisticated group of city planners and volunteer preservation advocates. The Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation, founded in 1964 and hailed as Pittsburgh Approach innovators, has evolved into a real estate and tourism business. PHLF avoids cases where property owners object to historic designation.

“As a matter of our own policy, we don’t support third party nominations of buildings, i.e. nomination without the owner’s consent. We don’t believe in it,” a PHLF spokesperson wrote in a 2021 email.

As a local preservation professional, I had a front row seat for two of the city’s most combative historic designation bid (in 1999, and again in 2022): the Pittsburgh Wool Company and the Tito-Mecca-Zizza House, a former racketeer’s Uptown home designated historic in 2022. As a journalist, I covered the Donny’s Place nomination from its first community Pittsburgh’s law has conflict of

OPINION: PITTSBURGH LETS HISTORY ROT, CONTINUES ON PG. 6

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

After flames from an April fire broke through the roof of the Tito-Mecca-Zizza House, the historic building’s interior remained open to the elements.

interest built into it. It allows sitting HRC members to nominate properties for designation and then participate in the deliberations and vote on them. Commissioner Matthew Falcone, president of Preservation Pittsburgh and the HRC’s resident preservation expert, has done so more than 30 times, including for the home where he lives and the synagogue where he was congregation president at the time of its nomination and subsequent designation.

Pittsburgh has benefitted from generous historic preservation grants offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the city gets a special seat at the table in federally funded or licensed projects that require compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act. To maintain its CLG status, Pittsburgh’s HRC members must get a minimum amount of annual training to maintain the city’s certification. The HRC gets some training, but

“PITTSBURGH HAS TWO OPTIONS AS I SEE THEM: REPEAL ITS PRESERVATION LAW OR SUBSTANTIALLY AMEND IT TO BRING IT INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.”

Falcone began recusing himself from cases with Preservation Pittsburgh involvement after the Tito-Mecca-Zizza House designation. He recused himself from the Donny’s Place case.

As a Certified Local Government (CLG),

it’s not as much as the guidelines require, and the subject matter sometimes diverges from what the SHPO has recommended as training topics.

In 2022, the SHPO recommended that the HRC develop “a consistent, mandatory

The Pittsburgh Wool Company eminent domain and historic preservation case made headlines around the country in 1999. Pittsburgh City Paper featured the story on its July 14, 1999 cover.

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN Façade of the former Donny’s Place bar in Polish Hill, with signs from Donny’s Place predecessor, the Norreh Social Club, still visible.

training policy for HRC members and staff,” according to Pennsylvania Deputy State Historic Preservation officer, Andrea MacDonald. Specific areas recommended for HRC training included Pittsburgh’s preservation law (Chapter 11), historic property designation, and conducting of public meetings. The HRC, in 2024, according to SHPO records, “expressed interest in future training on history of Point State Park, archaeology, and acceptable sustainable materials.”

MacDonald also told Pittsburgh City Paper that the city has missed its training benchmarks multiple times since 2020. Some of that, she wrote in response to emailed questions, was due to the COVID pandemic.

Pittsburgh City Planning Department assistant director Kevin Kunak confirmed MacDonald’s information about HRC training. “Covid disrupted our educational efforts. We are currently revamping our program to include webinars, in-person training, and conferences,” Kunak replied in response to emailed questions from City Paper. “Annual training is mandatory for HRC Commissioners. Training is usually ‘preservation

adjacent’ and focus[es] on maintaining Commissioner’s professional accreditations,” Kunak said. “City Planning offers free preservation webinars to City staff and Commissioners through its membership in the National Association of Preservation Commissions (NAPC).”

I think that lack of training and expertise likely contributed to why the Donny’s Place nomination failed. City historic preservation planner Sarah Quinn, in her staff reports for the nomination, simply reused text from the landmark nomination. She provided no additional research, context, nor analysis for the HRC and Planning Commission.

That surprised Donny’s Place nominator Lizzie Anderson and Carnegie Mellon University historian Harrison Apple. The HRC cited a lack of information on Pittsburgh gay bars as a major reason for not recommending designation for Donny’s Place. My coverage of key sites in Pittsburgh queer culture for local newsrooms draws heavily on research by local and nationally renowned experts in LGBTQ history and historic preservation. I have written about Lucky’s,

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

Signs affixed to Donny’s Place façade connect the popular LGBTQ gathering place to the earlier private club founded there in 1957. Two of then-property owner John Fiorucci’s brothers were Norreh Social Club officers.

the Pittsburgh Eagle , Travelers Social Club, and other notable queer bars that once made Pittsburgh “Gay America’s best kept secret.” Apple’s work always was close at hand.

“I think that there is extant evidence that that bar made a dramatic impact on the history of LG T life in Pittsburgh and, by definition, made an indelible mark on the city of Pittsburgh,” Apple said after the City Council recommended denying the designation.

Quinn similarly handled the Tito-MeccaZizza House nomination. Instead of going beyond the pages I wrote, Quinn simply cut and pasted large blocks from the 120-page nomination into her staff reports. uinn also managed to erase women’s and Black history from her presentation of the case to the HRC and Planning Commission, despite being cornerstones in the nomination that I wrote.

Donny’s Place regulars from the 1970s and earlier (as well as patrons of the bars' former days as the Norreh Social Club) recognized the building from its heyday as a familiar

neighborhood bar and later, queer gathering spot. Some of them said as much even as they testified in hearings while opposing the nomination. But as with the Tito-MeccaZizza House case, HRC members confused the concept of integrity — a building’s capacity to convey why it’s historically significant with the building’s condition.

All the HRC could see in Donny’s Place was a dilapidated, fire damaged eyesore.

Preservation Pittsburgh, which helped the nominators complete the application, and which testified in hearings to support it, likewise failed to provide any expertise. One reason some HRC members gave for not supporting the nomination was that it represented a slice of Pittsburgh history that was too recent, and that owner Thinnes was not historically significant. Had Preservation Pittsburgh (and the nominators) gone deeper into the property’s history and its connection to neighboring 1228 Herron Ave. (also owned by Thinnes and physically connected

to the bar at 1226 Herron Ave.), they would have found connections to wider Pittsburgh history through prior owner John Fiorucci, an in uential former bo er, bar owner, city alderman, and police magistrate.

“Donny’s Place address listed on the historic nomination application was 1226 Herron Avenue — this address was based on all the research, archival materials, and computer searches that list 1226 Herron as the address for Donny’s in the public and popular sense,” Preservation Pittsburgh’s Melissa McSwigan wrote in response to emailed questions from CP

Some historians have written about “the dead hand of the past” in historic preservation practice. The concept suggest contemporary public policy decisions are gripped by a figurative dead hand that holds things li e historic properties unchanged in perpetuity. Writing about the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission in 2001, a group of legal scholars wrote, “The Commission on

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

After demolishing the Pittsburgh Wool Company, the H.J. Heinz Co. built this metal warehouse along the Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN

The Pittsburgh Wool Company on River Avenue in 1997

the one hand is the dead hand that prevents development and economic viability.”

The dead hand in Pittsburgh functions similarly, but with a few twists.

After the HRC voted in 2023 to approve demolishing the Uptown garage (and later beer distributorship), where bootlegger Joe Tito stored his fleet of liquor transporting trucks, and where Rolling Rock beer was first sold, I reached out to city preservation planners asking for information on how to de-designate the landmark.

“There is no guidance in our ordinance,” Quinn replied. The law has just one mention of de-designation, in a section covering time limits imposed on resubmitting proposed designations. “The Historic Review Commission shall not consider a proposed amendment or rescission of designation within one (1) year of its previous designation,” the law reads.

When a fire gutted Tito’s former house, I asked Kunak how to begin the rescission process. After consulting with the city’s Law Department, Kunak replied that a new application for designation was required: “Our recommendation is the rescission process should generally follow the historic nomination process.” That process includes DAM and HRC, Planning Commission, and City Council hearings.

Pittsburgh’s roster of designated historic sites is a lot like the Hotel California: you can check out, but you can never leave.

Pittsburgh’s preservation dead hand and its questionably trained regulatory regime impact the city in ways many residents may not realize. They make consequential decisions affecting more than old buildings.

“Individuals who participate in local preservation programs, both as volunteers and staff, are often tasked with making important decisions about projects and properties in their communities,” read SHPO CLG guidelines approved in 2018. “Given the significance of these responsibilities and the impacts they can have on property owners and the community, it is important for decision-makers to be knowledgeable about best practices and current issues in preservation, design, and community development.”

Though well-intentioned, Pittsburgh’s preservation law may be doing more harm than good to the city. Its stewards may be stunting development by embracing what Landmarks Illinois president Bonnie McDonald dubbed the “culture of preciousness.” It’s a focus on subjective standards that prioritize pretty old buildings instead of the people and events with which they are associated.

“The culture of preciousness values integrity over significance,” McDonald wrote. “If we are truly about saving places and their stories, significance must be considered independent of integrity.”

Instead of returning to the Pittsburgh Approach and embracing new preservation best practices, Pittsburgh’s HRC has the city’s history firmly in the grip of a dead hand. As the Donny’s Place, Tito-Mecca-Zizza House, and Pittsburgh Wool Company cases show, the city’s history is being lost, along with opportunities to craft solutions that protect Pittsburgh’s invaluable heritage and encourage development that benefits the city. Pittsburgh has two options as I see them: repeal its preservation law or substantially amend it to bring it into the 21st century. •

ALL-NATURAL BOYCOTT

The East End Food Co-op’s union wants to divest the grocer from Israeli products amid ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank

BY: JORDANA ROSENFELD // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

The East End Food Co-op union is pushing for a vote on whether the co-op should stop stocking Israeli products.

While the Co-ops Against Genocide campaign has identified just six Israeli-sourced products on co-op shelves, including tahini, Dead Sea bath salts, gluten-free ice cream cones, an olive oil branded as “Extra Peaceful,” and off-season bell peppers, organizers believe a decision to boycott Israeli products would be an important symbolic move that might prompt other co-ops to do the same.

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON East End Food Co-Op

e’re hoping that this can cause a ripple effect with other co ops and other retail stores to really loo into your products and see where they come from, shop steward rit Geist tells Pittsburgh City Paper

A statement on the co op’s website says the organi ation will create … [a]n ethical and resilient food infrastructure.” Campaign organi ers argue that this principle is compromised by selling Israeli products.

a or human rights organi ations, in Israel and worldwide, have called the ongoing Israeli assault on Ga a a “genocide” and charac teri e Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied est an and Ga a as “apartheid.”

In uly 202 , the co op union, U Local , voted to endorse the Palestinian led oycott, ivestment, and Sanctions ( S) move ment, a global nonviolent protest effort to apply economic pres sure on Israel to end its occupation of the est an (including ast erusalem), the Ga a Strip, and the Golan Heights, grant full e uality to Palestinian citi ens of Israel, and promote a right of return for Palestinian refugees.

“IT’S GOING BACK TO OUR UNION’S MAIN MANTRA, WHICH IS THAT AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL.”

The Co ops gainst Genocide campaign hopes to turn their endorsement into policy by submitting a petition to the ast nd ood Co op oard of irectors re uesting that the membership be allowed to vote on the uestion of a boycott of Israeli goods.

Co op bylaws specify that members (also called member owners) may call for a member wide meeting, which can include a referen dum vote, by gathering at least 00 member signatures. s of this summer, the co op has more than ,000 active member owners, and the petition has gathered more than 00 signatures. Geist said that they hope that the petition and any subse uent vote on the issue will empower members to ta e a more active role in the co op’s governance.

The campaign has elicited a very mi ed reaction so far from co op customers and members, according to Geist.

So many people are than ful, and they’re happy to see that ind of e posure for the pro Palestinian cause, Geist says. It ind of creates more solidarity, more community. I thin a lot more people feel comfortable shopping at the co op, honestly, because they feel li e their wor ers are ma ing a difference.

Some self identified pro Israel co op members disagree, telling the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle that they feel offended by co op wor ers wearing symbols of Palestinian liberation at wor and have encouraged others not to patroni e the store.

Geist says some co op customers have responded in negative ways to union members’ pro Palestine T shirts and pins, including by offering what they consider to be bigoted opinions about Palestinians. hile wor ing as a cashier, Geist was wearing a t shirt that said Palestine will be free. They says a customer came through their line and said, I dated a iddle astern person once, and they don’t li e women. Geist says that union members try to view these conversa tions as opportunities to educate people and challenge prejudice.

This summer, opposition to the petition took on a darker tone, however, when individuals opposed to the union’s efforts began calling for violence toward a union organi er.

Iris Powell, a member of the union’s Palestine Solidarity Committee, has received public death threats as a result of their participation in the campaign. This summer, stic ers were posted in the il insburg area featuring a picture of Powell ta en without their nowledge and the caption nd ntisemtism sic ill our Local Racist. Union members have made an effort to remove the stic ers and have issued a statement condemning the threats.

It’s scary. It’s weird. It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating, Powell says of the e perience. They do not plan to abandon their solidarity efforts.

Powell notes, however, that a boycott of Israeli products would be unprecedented.

One thing that we are up against in terms of the boycott is that the ast nd ood Co op hasn’t participated in any ind of boycott before, Powell says. The ast nd Co op oard of irectors did not respond to a re uest for comment. board member told The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle in September 202 that the board is not interested in ta ing a stance on world affairs.

General anager Tyler ulp told the Chronicle in an email that our mission is to serve the local community, regardless of identity or affiliation. The con ict between Israel and Palestine has been considered by the board and management and while we find violence and suffering reprehensible, as a business C has purposely refrained from supporting or denouncing re uests to boycott Israeli products.

The union’s Palestine Solidarity Committee hopes to be able to present their petition to the board as soon as this fall.

I thin that overall, this initiative is worth it, because it’s going bac to our union’s, and all unions’, main mantra, which is that an in ury to one is an in ury to all, Geist says. Thin ing about that from the perspective of wor ers in Palestine, who are being stripped of everything and being denied their humanity, means we need to show up for them and support them like we would any other union member in our shop or in someone else’s shop.

eather and capacity permitting, Co ops gainst Genocide petitioners will be collecting member signatures outside of the ast nd ood Co op on ednesday mornings (appro imately 0 a.m. to 2 p.m.) throughout ugust. •

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON East End Foo Co-Op

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Pittsburgh Police o icers stand facing protesters outside of the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University on July 15, 2025.

QUESTIONS LINGER ON “ COP CITY ”

The project is in limbo as a contractor comes under scrutiny, but city leaders broadly agree on the need for improved public safety facilities

BY: GAVIN PETRONE // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM

On a mid-July afternoon in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood, at the crest of Highland Drive and pinched between a U.S. Army Reserve Center and the Southwestern Veterans Center, is a sprawling fence guarding a complex some worry could become Pittsburgh’s “Cop City.”

The fence, marked distinctly by several signs that read “No Trespassing,” covers the entire roughly 70-acre perimeter of the old Veterans Administration Hospital, where, in 2019, former Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto proposed reconfiguring it into a center for all things public safety.

The hospital was purchased by Peduto’s administration from the GSA in 2021 — at the behest of both FEMA and the DOJ — for $1.

Peduto had hoped to move many of public safety’s training and administrative facilities, namely the Zone 5 police station and city fire headquarters, out of FEMA-designated floodplains. His proposal also included a new regional police training center and special deployment headquarters.

And while Mayor Ed Gainey’s administration axed plans for those aforementioned police facilities after he was sworn in in 2021,

the hospital site itself has yet to change — ground has not been broken, and a master plan has not yet been approved.

“We don’t know how we might want to repurpose the facilities, or what they may end up being,” Pittsburgh City Councilor Deb Gross tells Pittsburgh City Paper, adding that her con stituents have proposed a multitude of uses for the site outside of public safety, from an indoor community swimming pool to a public baseball field.

But Gross acknowledges that might not be possible, due to the contract signed between the GSA and Peduto allotting use for the space to public safety. She argues a different agree ment could’ve been made by Peduto, perhaps with an agency such as HUD, to allow the site to be developed for a different purpose such as housing.

Still, Gross says she believes that an agree ment can be reached to use the site as both a police and community asset.

“It’s very clear in that contract that, if we don’t do a public safety training and emergency response center, that the federal government takes back the site,” Gross says. “So how do we do both things? How do we avoid militarized

training for our city police force? How do we provide assets that the public is asking for … and then also satisfy the terms of the contract? I think that’s the challenge for most of us.”

Ownership could be transferred back to the federal government if a master plan is not agreed upon by June 2026.

ICE facility.

Henningson Durham & Richardson (HDR), a planning firm previously contracted by the Gainey administration to repair the collapsed Fern Hollow Bridge in 2022, won council’s bid to create the master plan for the public safety facility for $1.8 million.

“IF WE DON’T DO A PUBLIC SAFETY TRAINING AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTER, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TAKES BACK THE SITE.”

Gross and Pittsburgh Deputy Mayor Jake Pawlak express concern about handing the facility back over to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. They’ve both said in council meetings that Trump’s administration could potentially renovate the hospital into an

Gross wrote a letter to the Gainey administration opposing HDR’s bid, citing a Vice article documenting the firm’s history of activist surveillance and alleged astroturfing in Arizona. Its STRATA surveillance tool is self-described on HDR’s website as a tool that “exposes the

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

The former Veterans Affairs hospital complex in Highland Park

truth of the human experience through comprehensive analysis from a technical and empathic lens.” HDR previously employed it to gather data on the social media accounts of activists opposed to its developments.

HDR referred all comments to the City, and did not respond to any further requests for comment from City Paper.

“That is not what we want to see here in Pittsburgh,” Gross tells CP. “We are here, especially as the city council, to hear and to represent and be the voices of our constituents; not to suppress those voices.”

Pawlak tells CP that HDR’s STRATA service was not requested as part of its contract to develop a master plan for the training center.

“[STRATA] wasn’t something on our radar,” Pawlak says. “We put out a pretty cut and dried proposal for design services.”

In an emailed response, Pittsburgh City

Councilor Anthony Coghill says he is interested in how HDR’s background was missed in the city’s procurement process. Coghill, who chairs the council’s Public Safety Committee, has been a staunch supporter of the development.

“The facilities we use now don’t fulfill our needs,” he tells CP, “and this training center is a rare opportunity to ensure that future generations of first responders are able to be trained in adequate facilities.”

Those facilities are also a concern for Gross, whose constituents have long complained about noise pollution from an outdoor shooting range in Highland Park.

“It sounds like warfare,” Gross says. “It’s actually really awful to hear.”

The issue of the outdoor range is towards the top of the list of concerns for Gross, she says, adding that she is completely behind finding a site for an indoor range

in Highland Park.

Highland Park Community Council (HPCC), a community organization for the neighborhood, chronicles a live calendar that lists dates and times when residents should anticipate hearing gunfire from the range. HPCC did not ’s request for comment.

Citing constituent concerns that the new public safety center could potentially solve, Pawlak agrees that an indoor range is needed to replace the outdoor site, adding that lead from bullets fired at the range could have negative environmental impacts.

The true environmental and monetary cost of a new public safety center won’t be clear until a master plan for the site is complete. Gross estimates it could be as high as $200 million, but the city’s capital budget cur$86 million to the project. She declined to speculate on whether or not the center would be built.

City Council deferred a vote to have HDR draw up plans from July to September after Gross’ letter, and substantial public feedback, but Coghill remains optimistic about the future

“These things take time and money,” he says, “and proper master planning will help us to identify realistic timelines.”

Pawlak says the city desperately needs the facilities. But he also acknowledges that the Gainey administration’s time overseeing the development is running short, with Democratic mayoral nominee Corey O’Connor likely taking office in January. (O’Connor was unavailable to speak to CP regarding the public safety center by press time.)

“We’re trying to get the phase that’s within our control across the finish line to keep the process moving forward,” Pawlak says. “Ultimately, other people are going to make the next set of decisions about its future.” •

Gavin Petrone is a student at Point Park University and one of 10 Pittsburgh Media Partnership summer interns.

AFTER THE FLOOD

In a time of increasing natural disasters, Pittsburgh mutual aid organizers are stepping up

BY: RACHEL WILKINSON // RWILKINSON

The night of June 14, catastrophic floods swept through the northern panhandle of West Virginia about 50 miles west of Pittsburgh. A powerful storm brought up to four inches of rain in 40 minutes, flooding the city of Wheeling along the Ohio River and deluging smaller communities near the West Virginia-Ohio border. On U.S. Route 40, also known as National Road, streams overflowed, swamping homes and businesses. By Monday, Ohio County officials confirmed nine deaths, declaring the flood the largest mass casualty event the county had seen.

In Pittsburgh, over Father’s Day weekend and amidst No Kings Day protests, news of the flooding scarcely broke through, Nicky D., part of the mutual aid group Pittsburgh Disaster Solidarity, tells Pittsburgh City Paper

“Almost nobody outside of my mutual aid service even knows that this happened, and we’re like an hour away,” Nicky says. “It’s been overlooked at this point.”

supply drives to the area. Pittsburghers donated flood clean-up supplies including rags, shovels, boots, and dehumidifiers, and Disaster Solidarity delivered them to OVMA.

“WE ALL NEED HELP, AND THE MORE WE NORMALIZE HELPING AND BEING HELPED, IT STARTS TO SHIFT SOCIETY.”

Along with Steel City Organizing Radical Community Health (SCORCH ), a Pittsburgh street medic collective, Nicky and Pittsburgh Disaster Solidarity connected with the Greater Wheeling-based Ohio Valley Mutual Aid (OVMA) and began organizing

After weeks of collection, the group put out a call for volunteers to travel from Pittsburgh to West Virginia twice a month to aid with clean-up and site damage assessment.

“My experience of Wheeling [is] the general public seems to be very positive in how this

Tyell Eleam and Shannon Jenkins set up with the Autonomous Body Shop on July 26, 2025.

Ohio Valley Mutual Aid group has sort of stepped up,” Nicky says.

Pittsburgh Disaster Solidarity officially formed after Hurricane Helene, the devastating tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic damage across the Southeastern U.S. and killed at least 250 people in September 2024. Pittsburgh volunteers including Nicky went to aid recovery efforts in Asheville, N.C., which sits 300 miles inland from the Atlantic coast and didn’t anticipate severe storm damage.

“I don’t really have words to describe what I saw down there, but there were whole towns that were devastated,” Nicky recalls. He was also struck by the government’s less-thanurgent response.

“Seeing these big water tankers just being guarded by the military, just sitting there — you know, people did not have water for a very long time,” he tells City Paper

Witnessing the devastation alongside lagging official recovery efforts, Nicky and a group of eight to 10 volunteers decided to make Pittsburgh Disaster Solidarity permanent. Emily Manno, a nurse who also works with Food Not Bombs, and Karl Koerner, an environmental engineer, also saw the ongoing need.

Mutual aid — a form of reciprocal exchange where networks and communities share resources — has become a buzzword since the pandemic, Nicky says, even as it can still be misunderstood.

“There have been groups of marginalized people doing [this] forever,” Nicky says. “They just didn’t call it mutual aid.”

Nicky also co-created the Our Streets Collective, which works to build a network of care for people facing homelessness and addiction, and sometimes, “it’s just seen as a charity for people that have less, when, in my opinion, that’s not really it all,” he explains. “We’re also trying to empower them to not feel like this is a power imbalance ... We all need help, and the more we normalize helping and being helped, it starts to shift society.”

In West Virginia, though Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency and requested a major disaster declaration, which would bring federal disaster assistance through FEMA, President Trump didn’t approve the request until five weeks later, on July 23.

Nicky says with federal support largely absent, “it really looked like a little bit of county and state disaster cleanup, [but] it was mostly just people in the community coming out to help their neighbors.”

After moving past the initial disaster, efforts

have shifted to mucking out homes, removing debris, and remediating mold. The Pittsburgh group is still looking for volunteers and accepting food, clothing, and supply donations.

“Regardless of what people might think, FEMA is going to be less and less effective, and that’s going to trickle down to the state, the county, the city, and there will be less money and resources for disaster relief and a whole host of other issues,” Nicky says.

Pittsburgh Disaster Solidarity believes the mutual aid model will become more necessary in a time of increasing natural disasters.

One reason the West Virginia floods fell out of the news cycle, Nicky believes, is they came during a summer where flash flood warnings were issued in the Pittsburgh area at their highest frequency in over 20 years — and only weeks before deadly flooding in Central Texas, and torrential rainfall in the mid-Atlantic that submerged New York City subway stations.

Pittsburghers recently had their own brush with extreme weather during the severe thunderstorm on April 29. After the storm passed, Disaster Solidarity “reactivated” to bring portable power stations to those without electricity, allowing them to charge cell phones, keep food refrigerated longer, and meet medical needs.

“We’re square into climate collapse,” Nicky says, also repeating Pittsburgh Disaster Solidarity’s credo. “We are all living in the

disaster that is capitalism.”

Looking toward medium- or longer-term goals, the group, Nicky says, is hoping to shift from a reactive to more proactive model. This includes building out a regional network of mutual aid organizations and creating a Pittsburgh “cache” of resources that would already be on hand during a disaster.

Disaster Solidarity is also hoping to build capacity with more local volunteers. For those wanting to get involved, an oft-repeated line among mutual aid organizations is the first step is getting to know your neighbors.

“Anybody, like anybody , can do mutual aid,” Nicky says.

Along with OVMA, Disaster Solidarity recently tabled at Pittsburgh’s Really Really Free Market, something of a hybrid between a mutual aid hub and a neighborhood yard sale. Pittsburghers — including one with a pet snake in tow — stopped by the table to pick up free medical supplies and hear about the groups’ work. One person hadn’t heard about the West Virginia floods.

Koerner also offered to charge devices on a solar-powered portable power station, the same one used after Pittsburgh’s April storm. In the first hour, Disaster Solidarity’s sign-up sheet began to fill.

“You know, it’s Pittsburgh,” Koerner tells CP “We want to help our neighbors.” •

CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON

Isaiah Johnson holds his Ball Python, Jade, at the Really Really Free Market in Larimer on July 26, 2025.

THU., AUG. 7

MUSIC/FESTIVAL •

MULTIPLE LOCATIONS

The Pittsburgh music scene stands in solidarity with immigrants during a four-day festival. Casa San José presents All Together Now, an event featuring 25 bands across 12 venues, including Spirit, Golden Age Beer Company, Original Pittsburgh Winery, and others. All ticket sales will directly benefit The Collaborative for Immigrant Impact’s pooled fund dedicated to “supporting programs that serve and uplift immigrants and refugees throughout the region.” Showtimes vary. Continues through Sun., Aug. 10. Multiple locations. $20-30. alltogetherpgh.com

PARTY • ASPINWALL

Aspinwall’s Big Night Out. 6-9 p.m.

Aspinwall Recreational Baseball Fields. Field Avenue, Aspinwall. Free. All ages. aspinwallneighbors.org

THEATER • CARNEGIE

Kinetic Theater presents Hangmen. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., Aug. 24. Carnegie Stage. 25 West Main St., Carnegie. $25-55. kinetictheatre.org

FRI., AUG. 8

CONVENTION • MONROEVILLE

Steel City Con 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Continues through Sun., Aug. 10. Monroeville Convention and Events Center. 209 Mall Plaza Blvd., Monroeville. Tickets start at $37. steelcitycon.com

PARTY • NORTH SIDE

Northside Arts Block Party. 2 p.m. New Hazlett Theater. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. Free. All ages. newhazletttheater.org

IN PITTSBURGH AUG.

9 SAT., AUG. 9

MARKET • HILL DISTRICT

Steel City Spooky Market. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Frankie Pace Park. 901 Centre Ave., Hill District. Free. steelcityspookymarket.com

MUSIC

• ALLENTOWN

Diapers and Destruction Baby Shower Show with Ancient Torture, Ultimatum, and Bandits. 5-9 p.m. Shred Shed. 732 E. Warrington Ave., Allentown. Free. Vegan potluck included. instagram.com/shred_shed_pgh

PARTY • STRIP DISTRICT

The 30+ Party 6 p.m. Doors at 4:30 p.m. City Winery. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. $12-35. 21 and over. citywinery.com/pittsburgh

MUSIC • NORTH SHORE

The Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse with Friko. 6 p.m. Stage AE. 400 North Shore Dr., North Shore. $78-279. promowestlive.com

THEATER • HILL DISTRICT

Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company presents Fences. 7 p.m. Continues through Sat., Sept. 6. August Wilson House. 1727 Bedford Ave., Hill District. $45. pghplaywrights.org

FILM • HAZELWOOD

Movie Night on the Lawn: The Wild Robot 6:30 p.m. Mill 19. 4501 Lytle St., Hazelwood. Free. RSVP required. All ages. hazelwoodlocal.com

MUSIC • CREIGHTON

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts with Winger 7 p.m. Doors at 5 p.m. Iron City Stage. 150 Ferry St., Creighton. $75-150, free for kids under 3. All ages. pittsburghbrewing.com

DANCE • DOWNTOWN

fireWALL Dance Theater presents The Envelope 7 p.m. Continues through Sat., Aug. 9. Greer Cabaret Theater. 655 Penn Ave., Downtown. $40.71. trustarts.org

PODCAST • MCKEES ROCKS

Ear Hustle Live 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Roxian Theatre. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. $45-46. roxiantheatre.com/shows

SAT., AUG.9

TALK • BLOOMFIELD

The Legacy of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: Then and Now 7-8:30 p.m. White Whale Bookstore. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. Registration required. Livestream available. All ages. whitewhalebookstore.com/events

PHOTO: BLAKE STUDDARD

The Flaming Lips at Stage AE

SUN., AUG. 10

FESTIVAL • ALLENTOWN

Hilltop County Fair with Enjoy Wrestling

11 a.m. Bottlerocket Social Hall. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown and the RE360 Warehouse. 100 Asteroid Way, Allentown. Free. All ages. bottlerocketpgh.com

LIT • OAKLAND

Get in, bookworms; it’s time for the Summer Reading Extravaganza at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The family-friendly event marks the end of the library’s citywide summer reading challenge, which resulted in over 80,000 books being read and logged, with an afternoon of music, food, and fun. Experience the Moonshot Museum mobile planetarium, meet a feathered friend from the National Aviary, and see an immersive performance by Squonk, along with many other activities. 12-5 p.m. 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. All ages. carnegielibrary.org

MUSIC • MILLVALE

The Dwarves with Burn Kit and The Cheats

8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $26.50 in advance, $28.40 at the door. mrsmalls.com

MON., AUG. 11

MUSIC • MILLVALE

Brennan Edwards with Vinny Palese. 7 p.m. Poetry Lounge. 313 North Ave., Millvale. $10. poetrymillvale.com

AUG.10

TUE., AUG. 12

PARTY • ALLENTOWN

In the not-too-distant future … Alternate Histories will celebrate 15 years in operation with a special Mystery Science Theater 3000 screening and event. Atomic Cinema and Bottlerocket Social Hall invite fans to enjoy birthday cake, drinks, trivia, free swag, and a DJ set. Stick around for a surprise “cheesy movie” in honor of the cult TV series about a man and two robots forced to watch the worst films ever made. 7:30 p.m. 1226 Arlington Ave., Allentown. Free. RSVP required. alternatehistories.com

MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE

The Garcia Project: The Days Between Summer Tour. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Thunderbird Music Hall. 4053 Butler St., Lawrenceville. $33.26 in advance, $39.17 at the door. thunderbirdmusichall.com

WED., AUG. 13

ART/TALK • DOWNTOWN

Form, Abstraction and Spirituality in Black Art 6-8 p.m. August Wilson African American Center. 980 Liberty Ave., Downtown. Free. RSVP required. awaacc.org

MUSIC • NORTH SIDE

Fib, Gaadge, James Castle, and Gina Gory. 7 p.m. The Government Center. 715 East St., North Side. $10. thegovernmentcenter.com

PHOTO: DAVID S RUBIN Squonk, part of the Summer Reading Extravaganza at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

MARKET PLACE

PUBLIC AUCTION

Public notice is hereby given that property placed in storage by the following persons at the following locations will be sold via public sale to satisfy Guardian Storage liens for unpaid rent and other charges. Bidding for property of persons renting space at the following locations will be held online at www.Storageauctions.com ending on August 19, 2025 at 12:00 pm, and day to day thereafter until sold at which time a high bidder will be determined.

350 Old Haymaker Road, Monroeville, Pa 14146: Unit #1224 Benjamin Brown, Unit #2507 Jausha Blakey

1002 E. Waterfront Dr., Munhall, Pa 15120: Unit #2118 Anthony Ahmed, Unit #3204 Brittany Brinson, Unit #3207 Daja McGuire, Unit #3613 Trevon Jones-Rice, Unit #3702 Darien Morton, Unit #3715 Malique Dees, Unit #3737 Robert Konish 1390 Old Freeport Rd., Pittsburgh, Pa 15238: Unit #3410 Elaine Holzapfel 14200 Route 30, North Huntingdon, Pa 15642: Unit#2029 Donna Kinchloe 4711 William Penn Highway, Monroeville, PA 15146: Unit #12033 Teyara Mack, Unit #12307 Laverne J Jaramillo, Unit #12525 Marshall Pollard, Unit #12621 Chris Harris, Unit #13510 Natasha Jones, Unit #23111 Desirae Johnson, Unit #23401 DeAnna Wright 1028 Ridge Road, Tarentum, Pa 15084: Unit #31905 Lisa Gramz, Unit #31919 Sherrie Oravitz, Unit #41323 Alexander Snyder, Unit #41520 Elizabeth Sinchak 901 Brinton Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15221: Unit #11308 Jacquelyn Jenkins, Unit #12307 Shateria Collier, Unit #12308 Justina Harrison, Unit #3114 Roseann Ballard, Unit #3115 Ophelia Clue, Unit #3318 Raven Jones, Unit #8201 Okeyta Scott 5873 Centre Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206: Unit #303 Kimberly Saylor, Unit #4810 Breonna Smith, Unit #7408 James Thornton 750 South Millvale Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Unit #310 Ray Morgan, Unit #4308 Kathleen Duncan, Unit #5106 James Fuller, Unit #6508 Andrea Mickens

2839 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222: Unit #2303 Joseph Logan, Unit #3702 Dennis Marron, Unit #4106 Mechele Hayes, Unit #4207 Anna Fisher, Unit #6102 Helen Lu y, Unit #6103 Chardea Jackson, Unit #6608 Karen Williams 1599 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017: Unit #52706 Milton Nance

1300 Lebanon Church Road, West Mi lin, PA 15236: Unit #13408 Frankie Vega, Unit #13412 Victoria Uhme

401 Coraopolis Road, Coraopolis, PA 15108: Unit #12831 Faith Ette, Unit #12833 Brittany L Hartwell, Unit #13612 Helene Thomas, Unit #13836 Davinity Blackshear, Unit #21023 Demetrius Cotton

7452 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237: Unit #1305 Carey Andrew’jaja, Unit #1615 Monica Matvey

4750 William Flynn Highway, Allison Park PA 15101: Unit #32112 Davis & Davis Gourmet Foods, Ken Davis, Unit #41106 Davis & Davis Gourmet Foods, Ken Davis, Unit #41107 Davis & Davis Gourmet Foods, Ken Davis

2670 Washington Rd, Canonsburg, PA 15317: Unit #1616 Kim Baughman, Unit #3426 Katie Fowler

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s Lien at the location indicated: 3200 Park Manor Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 on August 20, 2025 at 1:00pm. Mathias Johansson 1073, Anna Bauman 2038, Steven Justice 2238, Aaliyah Alston 3159, Adam Mondine 7015. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 110 Kisow Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15205 August 20, 2025 at 11:15AM.

Shanneil Hall - 27. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.

Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 6400 Hamilton Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15206. August, 20, 2025 at 1:45 PM. Ason Brown-5036. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.

Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 700 E Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203. August 20, 2025 at 12:15 PM. 150 Lauren Mrazik, 3053 Christian Ghilani, 4091 Chante Logan. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.

Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 880 Saw Mill Run Blvd Pittsburgh, PA 15226, August 20, 2025, at 1:15 PM. George Edmunds 1506, Scott Radke 3095, Paul Sadzih 3166. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 902 Brinton Road Pittsburgh, PA 15221 on August 20, 2025 at 11:30 am. Clifton Chapin 1153, Julian Nutter 1189, Donald Scott 2072, Kathleen Fraiser 2175, Dominique Chrisler 2199, Devon Caldwell 2205 and Adetra Young 2251. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com.

Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction.

Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1212 Madison Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 on 8/20/2025 at 1:30 pm for 118 Christine Wallace, 138 Mary Banks, and 2037 Cheyday Dixon. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 141 N Braddock Ave, Pittsburgh PA, 15208 on August 20th, 2025 at 11:00 AM. 1188A Michael White, 2042 Marvin Young, 2114A Paula Webb, 2171A Tamilla Crable, 2266A Viviona Boyd, L039 Taliyah Scott, L040 Chawna Manghan, M022 Paul Frye. The auction will be listed and advertised on www. storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property. PUBLIC

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage, on behalf of itself or its a iliates, Life Storage or Storage Express, will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 1005 E Entry Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15216 on 8/20/2025 at 11:30 AM. Justin Bush 5103, Janaye Poslik 5137. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures. com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PUBLIC AUCTION

Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell the contents of leased spaces to satisfy Extra Space’s lien at the location indicated: 111 Hickory Grade Road, Bridgeville, PA 15017, Aug 20, 2025 at 12:30pm. Josh Carter 1078, Walter Thomas 1206, Timothy Spiegel 3266. The auction will be listed and advertised on www.storagetreasures.com. Purchases must be made with cash only and paid at the above referenced facility in order to complete the transaction. Extra Space Storage may refuse any bid and may rescind any purchase up until the winning bidder takes possession of the personal property.

PERSONALS

White male, 56, health conscious, non-smoker, non-drinker. I’m very caring, talkative and loving. I enjoy oldies, nature, animal-lover. The simple things in life make me happy. Desire a girl with similar interest. 412-781-5989, best time 7p.m.-8:30p.m.

PERSONALS

A happy guy who loves good food, great conversation, and even better company — just looking for someone who enjoys the same interests! Give me a call at 412-313-4320 —and if I miss your call, leave a message and I’ll get back to you soon!

NAME CHANGE

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: NO. GD-25-7225, In re petition of Melissa McCain, parents and Legal Guardians of Kasiya Ta’rael Hutcherson for change of name to Kasiya Rose McCain. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 13th day of August, 2025, at 9:30 a.m, as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for

HELP WANTED SUPPLY CHAIN EXCELLENCE AND SUPPORT

LANXESS Corp. seeks a Supply Chain Excellence and Support in Pittsburgh, PA to investigate and resolve issues related to OTC (order to cash) process (i.e. blocked freight orders, automatic delivery creation). Wrk frm home up to 3 days/week. BS in Business, Logistics, Supply Chain Mgmt or rel field, 5 yrs exp and special skills reqd. To apply send resume to deena.sterry@ lanxess.com

NAME CHANGE

Now Hiring

Pittsburgh City Paper help you hire! Every month, over 400,000 people visit pghcitypaper.com for news, entertainment, and job listings.

New jobs are posted every Sunday online and in our Tuesday City Pigeon e-newsletter.

NO SKIPS

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

PUBLIC NOTICE

City of Pittsburgh - Public Meeting

West Carson Street Bridge Project

The City of Pittsburgh invites you to attend a public meeting to discuss plans for the West Carson Street Bridge Project At this event, the project team will provide an update on the status of the bridge design, plans for maintenance and protection of tra ic during construction, and the next steps. The project team will also be available to answer questions.

Additional project information is available at: https://engage.pittsburghpa.gov/west-carson-st-bridge

MEETING DETAILS

Wednesday, August 6, 2025 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM 200 Tabor Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15204

For more information, please contact: Erin Cowen, PE, Project Manager City of Pittsburgh, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure Erin.Cowen@pittsburghpa.gov

The meeting facility is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition, if you or an individual with whom you are familiar does not speak English as their primary language and who has a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English desires to participate in this meeting or if you require special assistance to attend and/or participate in this meeting or need additional information please contact the number above.

IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: NO. GD-25-6731, In re petition of Barbara Brusco, for change of name to Donna Barbara Brusco. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 20th day of August, 2025, at 9:30 a.m, as the time and the Motions Room, City-County Building, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the place for a hearing, when and where all persons may show cause, if any they have, why said name should not be changed as prayed for Contact T’yanna McIntyre at tmcintyre@pghcitypaper.com to advertise your job listing in City Paper.

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

ACROSS

1 Go up and down

Meal with leftovers, likely

Memo phrase

Author Huxley

Still life fruit

Smelly bad habit?

Hoka rival

“That’s a ___!”

Canada’s capital?

Sinusitis MD

Draw a conclusion at Studio 54?

56 Reef wriggler

57 Sunlit period

58 Raised to the third power

62 Out of town

64 What pianist Amos’s kids’ kids call her?

68 Fashioned

69 “That was nasty!”

70 Streaming devices

71 Right away 72 Go through 73 Hurricane’s center

DOWN

Submit sealed proposals to the Facilities Department, Pittsburgh Public Schools Service Center, 1305 Muriel Street, Pittsburgh PA 15203 until 2:00 p.m. D/EST on 15 August 2025 for:

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS REQUEST FOR

(RFQ) FOR ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR 2026-2027 A/E ON-CALL SERVICES

RFQ/P is available at the Pittsburgh Public Schools website, https://www.pghschools.org/community/ business-opportunities/rfps or by email request to LFornataro1@pghschools.org, at no charge.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS

Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on Tuesday, August 19, 2025, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

CENTRAL OPERATIONS BUILDING

• Chilled Water Plant Upgrades

• Mechanical, Electrical, and General Primes

Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, at Modern Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M.

The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.

We are an equal rights and opportunity school district.

29 Button on a Square reader

32 Actress Mindy 33 Plane-talking agcy.

34 Bars for tars 36 FDR’s dog 38 Feel the ___ 40 Team leader whose time expires every 60 minutes?

44 The Lion King character who sings “Shadowland” 45 Initial advice for busybodies

Mining finds

Below ground playground piece? of myrtle 15 Visible 18 Tease gently 22 Blunder bigtime 25 Sectional alternative 26 Bracelet ornament

1 Fishhook feature 2 City east of Santa Barbara 3 Collision sound 4 Writing that repurposes established characters

5 Chess rating letters

6 Rightly or wrongly: Abbr. 7 ___-disant

8 Stanley of the Hunger Games movies 9 Bitter brew 10 Swearing-o phrase 11 Wilson of The O ice 12 Muse depicted wearing a wreath