ABIGDILL
More than just a food festival, Picklesburgh invokes history, absurdity, and belonging
BY: AAKANKSHA AGARWAL
PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
ARTWORK: COURTESY OF DAVE WACHTER
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
OUT OF ORDER
Broken elevators and taped-over windows at the City-County Building reflect neglect and a lack of clarity about who must maintain the aging structure
BY: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
There’s an illustrated sign mounted above the call button for a bank of three elevators inside the lobby of the City-County Building’s Grant Street entrance. Titled “City-County Elevators,” the sign describes how the bronze elevator doors depict, in bas-relief art, the story of earlier Allegheny County and City of Pittsburgh government offices. Beneath the sign, there’s an empty vitrine blocking access to the historic elevators because they’ve been out of order for a very long time. Even the sign is broken: the word bronze is misspelled.
The City-County Building is where residents get marriage licenses and file wills. It also houses the Pittsburgh City Council, the mayor’s office, the Allegheny County Law Library, and courtrooms. Inoperative and unreliable elevators vex visitors and people who work in the building, especially those who need to access the ninth floor law library and Allegheny County Department of Human Relations.
Half of the elevators in the nine-story building, completed in 1917, don’t work. Only two elevators reach that floor on the Grant Street side of the building: one has been out of service for more than a year, and the other frequently breaks down. On the Ross Street side of the building, a bank of three elevators has been out of service for as long as 10 years, according to Pittsburgh Deputy Mayor and Office of Management and Budget Director Jake Pawlak.
The inoperative elevators are a symptom of larger problems the building has with its mechanical systems and management. An agreement signed in 1915 divvies up responsibilities for maintenance and repair between the city and the county. There are inoperative windows, some of them with broken panes held together with duct tape. One court clerk not authorized to speak with the press compares the sound of the air conditioner in their office to the sound made by the steam engine powering the boat in the movie The African Queen Pittsburgh City Paper requested a copy of the original intergovernmental agreement. The city declined to provide a copy without completion of a Rightto-Know Law request, which triggered a 30-day waiting period. Allegheny County spokesperson Abigail Gardner said she was unable to get a copy from the County Manager’s office, and she also suggested completing a RTKL request to “trigger a wider search.”
From the outside, the landmark building, which became a City of Pittsburgh historic site in 2020, looks like an architectural gem. Its lobby has been used as a Hollywood film set, and it’s where the city and county hold receptions and mount exhibits, like this year’s Black History Month celebration.
Just don’t look too closely at the windows and brace yourself for a hike up
CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
In early June, visitors and people who worked in the City-County Building could only get to the ninth floor by taking an elevator to the eighth floor and walking upstairs to reach their destination. Allegheny County Law Library staff printed the signs themselves.
some stairs if you’re headed down to Grant Street.
SPLINTERED GOVERNMENTS AND A BROKEN BUILDING
Discussions about constructing a joint city hall and county administrative building began in earnest in 1909. In 1912 and 1913, the city and the county executed contracts describing each entity’s obligations in constructing the building, from acquiring the land where it was built to hiring the architect to design it and the contractors to build it. Before construction could begin, then - Pa. Gov. Martin Brumbaugh had to sign legislation authorizing the city and county to work jointly in constructing, maintaining, and operating the new building.
“We have shared maintenance responsibilities that are governed by an agreement that’s as old as the building,” Pawlak explains. “It’s been a headache for decades.” City Council records show that the original 1915 agreement has been amended at least once, in 1956.
As the building was nearing completion, some residents suggested that the City-County Building become a model for combining city and county governments. “It stands for union, which means greater force, yet less cost in maintaining it,” Pittsburgh Post editors wrote in 1916. “This building, as pointed out by way of suggesting a remedy, is an attempt to economize in money and convenience by having two of these governments or taxing powers act in concert.”
“THE ELEVATOR FELT LIKE IT WAS COMPLETELY DROPPING, AND IT BOUNCED UP TWICE.”
Several attempts to merge city and county governments have failed since the early 20 th century. In 1929, Allegheny County voters rejected a ballot initiative to create a federated City of Pittsburgh. The proposal would have unified all of Allegheny County’s municipalities to cut costs and increase efficiencies to deliver services, according to a 1929 academic analysis.
More recently, in 2008, the RAND Corporation published a report that noted “Allegheny County has the dubious distinction
CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN
of being among the most fragmented counties in the United States in terms of governmental units.” That fragmentation results in decreased efficiencies countywide and “conflicting, overlapping, or internally inconsistent” policies, according to the RAND study.
Short of consolidating all of Allegheny County’s 130 municipalities, Pennsylvania law allows second-class cities and counties like Pittsburgh and Allegheny County to form joint authorities to manage shared infrastructure, including auditoriums and transit systems, wrote the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations in a 1992 report.
The 1956 amendment to the joint city-county agreement covering the City-County Building addressed changes to the Allegheny County Health Department and its shared sixth floor space with the city’s public health agency. The 1956 agreement made Allegheny County “responsible for the maintenance, operation and care of the corridors on the sixth floor.”
The City of Pittsburgh has digitized many City Council records, including ordinances and minute books, which are available online. Contracts related to the City-County Building appear in those records. Allegheny County, which has struggled to preserve and curate its historical records since the 1980s, has no comparable archives.
County spokesperson Gardner said it was challenging to locate accurate information about who was responsible for maintenance and repairs inside the City-County Building. At one point, in response to questions about the building, Gardner emailed, “My understanding is the City is responsible for maintenance in that building.” Gardner corrected her earlier statement after speaking with city officials.
“It is not straightforward,” Gardner wrote.
Democratic Pittsburgh Mayoral nominee Corey O’Connor, whose experiences in the City-County Building date back to his childhood, when his father, Bob O’Connor, served as a city council member and then mayor, says, “there were a lot of stories” about the building’s shortcomings.
“The day of my dad’s swearing in, we came through the back elevators on Ross Street, and we get into the elevator, and there were a lot of us in the elevator trying to get up to the mayor’s office for the swearing-in ceremony,” O’Connor remembers. “The elevator just didn’t even move, and then the doors flung open, and we all got out.”
O’Connor recalls another episode that happened about seven years ago. “I was leaving a council meeting,” he says. “The elevator felt like it was completely dropping, and it bounced up twice, and I was stuck there for a few minutes.”
The presumptive mayor’s recollections and the building’s current conditions underscore an old problem: the county and the city have done a lousy job maintaining the City-County Building. In 1996, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporters found broken windows, broken plumbing fixtures, peeling paint, and malfunctioning HVAC systems.
Reporters returned two years later and found little had changed, citing “no public elevators … installed in the northwest corner of the building … graffiti, trash, and broken plumbing fixtures.” A 1998 PostGazette headline described the building as a “neglected landmark.”
NEW FURNITURE, OLD ELEVATORS
In 2023, the City Council budgeted money to repair City-County Building elevators. “We were in the process of assessing what repairs would be necessary and developing a budget for that work,” Pawlak says. City Council allocated money without understanding the scope of the problem, Pawlak explains. “That allocation was not based on any assessment of the condition of the elevators or the amount of funding that they needed. It was simply the amount of money that was in another line item that council was rating. So they picked an arbitrary amount of money and dedicated it to those elevators.”
Funds allocated for elevator repairs in the City-County Building were shifted to buy furniture for the new 412 Boulevard of the Allies building, which houses the city’s Planning Department and other agencies.
Repairing the broken City-County Building elevators is o the table for now, says Pawlak. Instead, there is a plan to replace them.
“I don’t have a timeline for that. The existing elevator mechanisms are very, very old,” says Pawlak. “We’re in the process of working with an elevator company to design and fabricate those elevators and install new systems.”
The City-County Building is a vital part of local government, and O'Connor emphasizes that public spaces need to be accessible to all visitors and to people who work in the building. “This is where we do the city’s municipal business,” says O’Connor. “Things have to be fixed in a quick manner.” •
CP PHOTO: DAVID S. ROTENSTEIN Signage outside the City-County Building elevators.
A BIG DILL
More than just a food festival, Picklesburgh invokes history, absurdity, and belonging
BY: AAKANKSHA AGARWAL // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Each July, for three gloriously briny days (this year from Fri., July 11–S un., July 13), Downtown Pittsburgh smells like dill and deep‑fry. The Rachel Carson Bridge shuts down to traffic and fills with pickle hats, green glitter, food vendors, and the unmistakable shadow of a 35‑foot inflatable Heinz pickle overhead. You’re more likely to spot someone sipping pickle juice from a Solo cup than drinking water, as the city leans all the way into one of its most beloved flavor profiles: absurd.
It’s this blend of spectacle and silliness that first won over Nick Rogers.
“Picklesburgh was my introduction to Pittsburgh,” Rogers, a teaching assistant profes sor of sociology at the University of Pittsburgh, tells Pittsburgh City Paper . “I was downtown, apartment hunting, and this giant inflatable pickle was floating over a bridge. I thought, well, this is a city that knows exactly who it is.”
Rogers is also a former food festival founder in Arkansas, a deep thinker about the meaning
“THIS GIANT INFLATABLE PICKLE WAS FLOATING OVER A BRIDGE. I THOUGHT, WELL, THIS IS A CITY THAT KNOWS EXACTLY WHO IT IS.”
of collective joy, and, as it turns out, a sucker for brine. His delight at stumbling into Picklesburgh was both personal and anthropological. “It instantly endeared the city to me,” he says. “Picklesburgh felt familiar and at home. It told me this was a place that values community and has a sense of humor about itself.”
Since that moment, Picklesburgh has only grown more audacious. Now in its 10th year, Picklesburgh has morphed from a quirky food fest into a civic phenomenon, drawing over 250,000 people to Downtown last year alone — a nearly 1,000% increase since its 2015 debut. Every summer, fans return for pickle-flavored beer, deep-fried pickles, pickleback shots, and the city’s favorite inflatable mascot, hovering above the crowd like a patron saint of Pittsburgh eccentricity. Vendors hawk dill pickle doughnuts, spicy kimchi, and jars of achaar from South Asian grandmas. There’s live music, face painting, and the infamous pickle juice drinking contest, to name a few activities.
The pickle juice contest has been a staple since the very beginning. TikTok star Jalen Franco set the all-time record during the 2022 Picklesburgh pickle-juice-chugging contest. He guzzled an entire quart-sized jar of pickle juice in just 4.5 seconds, earning him the title of “Mayor of Picklesburgh.”
“That was my very first time in Pittsburgh,” ranco tells City Paper. “And there’s something very special about the energy of the city and its people. The fact that this massive festival takes over the heart of Downtown, celebrating something as oddly specific as pickles, right along a beautiful river, and somehow it all just works.”
Franco was invited to compete in the 2022 Picklesburgh pickle juice chugging contest by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership after his online videos of chugging went viral during the pandemic. “I had never chugged pickle juice before, and honestly didn’t even know pickle festivals were a thing, but I was all in.” His entry into the competition turned out to be a cultural moment of its own. Within three hours of posting his win, his TikTok video had over 12 million views. “By the end of the night, it was sitting at 18 million.”
That night, the internet wasn’t the only place buzzing. He and his friend, who flew out from Albuquerque to film him, were recognized on the streets of Pittsburgh. “Over the next week, the video climbed past 24 million views, and clips of it were reposted everywhere — Barstool [Sports], ESPN, House of Highlights, SportsCenter — totaling more than 100 million additional views,” he says
As for a comeback? “I’d say I left my mark on Picklesburgh. But if someone ever breaks my record … you might just see me back.”
BRINY BUSINESS
Picklesburgh has also woven its way into business plans. While the crowd is chugging, crunching, and selfie-snapping, Picklesburgh vendors are hustling behind the scenes.
The Pittsburgh Pickle Company launched in 2015, the same year Picklesburgh debuted, and has been a fixture at the festival ever since. “They needed a local pickle company to represent, and we just happened to be there,” co-founder John Patterson tells CP. The company grew alongside the event, transitioning from serving deep-fried pickles at The BeerHive, their Strip District bar, to selling thousands of $5 burgers topped with house pickles at their bustling booth. “We sold around 4,000 hamburgers,” Patterson says. “They were one of the cheapest items at the festival, and people loved them.”
Still, even after a decade, Patterson admits his view of the event is mostly one from inside the booth. “I’ve been at Picklesburgh for 10 years and haven’t really seen Picklesburgh. Our booth is crazy busy, although this year we have extra help, so maybe we’ll get to try some weird stu out,” he says.
And if he does, he knows what to expect: the weird is welcome.
“One year, we got creative and made a dessert that still gets talked about,” Patterson says. “It had graham crackers, vanilla pudding, and our sweet cinnamon pickles. It ended up tasting like apple pie.” They called it a pickle parfait. “Very bizarre, but also very delicious.”
For all the pickleback shots and viral moments, Rogers believes Picklesburgh is doing something deeper.
“ ncountering the event in my first few days let me know, if it wasn’t already obvious, the degree to which Pittsburgh is a proud city,” he says. “A city that strives for a sense of collective identity … a city where maintaining social ties across divisions like class and background and race is important. And so that made me feel a lot of fondness for Pittsburgh right from the beginning.”
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Ashton Burgers prepares to compete in the Olympickles on July 20, 2024.
As a sociologist, Rogers has studied how communities build and maintain identity through shared rituals and food. “Food has always been a way to craft an identity. Individual people and also for collectives,” he explained. “The phenomenon of comfort food, for example, reminds us who we are, where we came from. That same sort of magic can take place at scale at the community level or the city level.”
That’s exactly what he saw in Picklesburgh.
Rogers points to other cultures where food isn’t just sustenance, but identity. In Central America, for example, the descendents of ancient Mayans refer to themselves as the people of corn, defining themselves by their culture's love for and dependence on the food staple.
He brings up Iceland too, where eating hákarl (fermented shark) is a point of pride. “It reminds them that we are a unique people that do a unique thing. And other cultures not only don’t do this thing, but probably wouldn’t want to do this thing. And that makes us unique.”
In Pittsburgh, Rogers suggests, that identity marker might just be the pickle. Not long after moving to the city, Rogers posed a deceptively simple question to his undergraduate students: What is Pittsburgh food? They turned it into a full-on research project, surveying locals, interviewing chefs, and digging through restaurant menus in search of an answer.
“Pickles were the third-most frequently mentioned food item,” Rogers says, “Behind pierogies and putting French fries on things.”
The results revealed a bit of a split. On one side were the usual suspects: pierogies, pickles, and sausage. On the other was a growing desire among newer immigrant communities to see Pittsburgh’s food identity expand to include more global influences.
Still, pickles just kept showing up.
“One thing you’ll see is that Pittsburgh people love pickles,” Rogers says. “And they think of them as, you know, a central part of Pittsburgh cuisine.”
The clincher? When the team asked residents what they’d serve as a four-course Pittsburgh meal to someone visiting the city for the first time, guess what made the menu as the hors d’oeuvre? Pickles.
PICKLE VS. DIY
When we think of pickles, especially with the Heinz name so prominently involved in the festival, Rogers says, “what we think of is more these mass market industrial products.”
But that’s only part of the story.
“Despite that surface-level industrial connotation, the act of pickling something is sort of quintessentially a do-it-yourself, at-home act,” Rogers says. “In a time when more people are starting to be thoughtful about where their food comes from, pickling things is like baking bread. It’s an entry-level activity that can introduce people to the joy of preparing their own food.”
Emily Ruby, a curator at the Heinz History Center, sees the same thing.
“There has been a recent resurgence of interest in home pickling,” Ruby tells CP . “People got into it again during the pandemic, like they did with bread baking.”
Pickling, after all, long predates Heinz. It arrived in Pittsburgh in the trunks of immigrants from Polish ogórki kiszone (fermented dill pickles) to German sauerkraut to Italian giardiniera. But the rise of Heinz changed everything. Founded in 1869, the company became one of the largest food producers in the world and helped create the very idea of a national food brand.
“Heinz’s genius was to create products that were trustworthy and convenient,” Ruby explains. “That shift from home preservation to store-bought
“PICKLESBURGH IS ABOUT COLLECTIVE SILLINESS. IT’S ABOUT JOY.”
goods coincided with a broader move from local barter to national brands. By the 1860s and beyond, you could buy Heinz in California just like in Pittsburgh. That was revolutionary.”
Even the branding was ahead of its time. The pickle pin, launched at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, became more than a giveaway — it was cultural currency.
“It started as a collectible charm and became one of the most successful marketing tools ever,” Ruby says.
Factory tours at Heinz, once a rite of passage for Pittsburgh kids, ended in the 1970s. But the hometown pride hasn’t faded.
“Even though Heinz isn’t really here anymore, people still take pride in it starting here,” Ruby says. “The festival is a way to keep that alive.”
Which is why, even under the shadow of the Heinz banner, Picklesburgh makes room for something else. There are tiny booths run by first-time entrepreneurs with hand-labeled jars of turmeric carrots or ramp pickles. Some come from family recipes. Some are pure TikTok whimsy.
At its core, Picklesburgh is two things at once: a celebration of Pittsburgh’s food industry legacy and a test kitchen for the next generation. It’s a place where fermenters, home cooks, chefs, and small-batch artisans all push beyond the Heinz jar.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Jackie Honkus carries a bundle of pickle balloons during Picklesburgh on July 20, 2024.
WHY WE NEED SILLY FESTIVALS
Of course, not everyone thinks so hard about Picklesburgh, and that’s kind of the point.
“It’s not solemn like a church revival. It’s not antagonistic like a football game,” says Rogers. “Picklesburgh is about collective silliness. It’s about joy.”
And in a post-pandemic world, Rogers says that joy matters more than ever. “Coming out of COVID, I think there was a hunger for pure, frivolous, public fun. Picklesburgh exploded in popularity. People needed a reason to laugh and gather. We all needed a release valve.”
The festival’s 10th anniversary is leaning into that release. This year, it’s going bolder, weirder, and brighter than ever. The newest addition — dubbed “Pickle Riding” — is sponsored by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Flyspace Productions, with support from Pella Windows and Doors. The attraction invites brave riders to “ride the dill and show your skill” as they cling to a bucking gherkin similar to a mechanical bull, near PPG Plaza.
There’s also a limited-edition anniversary T-shirt, designed in collabora tion with Pittsburgh-based Clockwise, featuring the iconic floating pickle balloon set against the city skyline.
The festival has officially outgrown its footprint. Organizers are already brainstorming how to handle the surging crowds in years ahead. But even as it grows, Picklesburgh hasn’t lost what makes it matter.
“One of the oldest ideas in sociology comes from French sociologist Émile Durkheim, who says that the survival and success of a society depends upon members of that society feeling a sense of solidarity with each other,” Rogers explains. “For Durkheim, who talked a lot about this in the context of why societies need religion, he talked about the importance of these solidarity rituals.”
Picklesburgh may not be a tent revival, but it’s still a ritual. And a sur prisingly powerful one.
It brings people together through what Durkheim called "collective effervescence" — the shared joy of doing something ridiculous, side by side.
“It’s kind of a public absurdity,” Rogers says. “But that absurdity reminds us of who we are. It connects us. Everything about Picklesburgh signals that this is not something we’re supposed to take too seriously. It is some thing where we just reflect on shared enjoyment, whether it’s the big inflatable pickle, the pickle juice drinking contest, or the fact that so many of the vendors are selling foods that we probably wouldn’t want to eat as a daily occurrence.”
And yet, for one weekend a year, we do.
THE PICKLE AS PITTSBURGH’S COMPASS
For a city still finding its footing post-industry, post-pandemic, postmodern everything, Picklesburgh is more than a party.
“At the individual level, we call it an identity crisis,” Rogers says. “That can happen to cities, too. And for better or worse, Pittsburgh is in one of those periods of transition.”
That transition isn’t always easy to pin down. Pittsburgh is no longer the blue-collar food town it once was, but it hasn’t fully become the cosmopolitan melting pot it’s inching toward either. It’s in-between.
And somehow, a pickle holds it all together.
“It reconnects us to who we’ve been,” Rogers says, “and maybe helps focus us on who we’d like to be. Whether that’s incorporating playfulness and whimsy into who we are, or reclaiming do-it-yourself foodways. When people feel disconnected, festivals like Picklesburgh remind them they still belong. That their city has flavor. And that they’re part of it.”
Picklesburgh is, in essence, not just about brine. It’s about belonging. •
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Thousands of people gather in Market Square for Picklesburgh festivities including the Olympickle games.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Contestants eat pickles as fast as they can during the Olympickle games on July 20, 2024.
ALTA VIA – MARKET SQUARE
2 PPG PLACE, #150
• Cheese and Charcuterie with Giardiniera
• Pasta Salad with Pickled Veggies
• Dirty Pickle Martini
THE BERG CHICKEN AND PIZZA
4 PPG PLACE, #150
• Chicken Pickle Pizza
• Chicken Pickle Sandwich
• Fried Pickle Spears w/ Ranch
• Pickle Vanilla Milkshake
7-13
Your favorite pre-Picklesburgh event has returned, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever! With 23+ restaurants and retailers participating, bringing you a cornucopia of pickle-themed foods, drinks, gifts and goods – it’s enough to satisfy every pickle passion!
CON ALMA
613 PENN AVE.
• Samba Song-pickled papaya margarita
• Smoke Town-pickled tomatillo martini
• Pickled Sangrita
HEINZ HEALEY’S
160 FIFTH AVE.
• Pickle-print bucket hat
• T-Shirt: “Well paint me green and call me a pickle”
• Socks: “I’m kind of a Big Dill”
MEDI’S ON MARKET
431 MARKET ST.
• Pickled Pita
• Pickled Hummus
• Fried Pickles
PIZZAIOLO PRIMO
Buy a pickle themed product or pickle menu item from these participating businesses and receive a: FREE HEINZ PICKLE PIN [WHILE SUPPLIES LAST]
8 MARKET SQ.
• Pickle Pizza
• Fried pickle spears
• Dill 75 (cocktail)
SPACE BAR
22 MARKET SQ.
• Airglow Martini: W/Dillinfused Wodka Vodka
EMERSON’S
435 MARKET ST.
• Pickles & Popcorn
• The Big Dill Cocktail
• The Brinemaker
HOWL AT THE MOON
125 7TH ST.
• In My Pickle Era Martini
• Poppin’ Pickle Shot
• Pickle Stickers
THE ORIGINAL OYSTER HOUSE
20 MARKET SQ.
• Pickleback Shot
• Spicy Bloody Mary with Gherkin and Shrimp
• Oyster Po’Boy with fried pickle chips
REDBEARD’S ON SIXTH
144 6TH ST.
• Pickled Sorbet
• Dill Void: W/Wigle Eau de pickle
• Red Dwarf Shot: W/House Harissa Pickle Brine
• Pickled Corkscrew Pickle, w/Cheese on a Stick
• Pickleback Bourbon Smash
• Nachos & Cheese w/ Pickle infused Salsa
WHISKEY B’S
5 MARKET SQ.
• Pickle popper smash burger
• Dill me later cocktail
• 10th Anniversary
Picklesburgh T-Shirt rew
CAFÉ MOMENTUM
268 FORBES AVE.
•
FORBES TAVERN
310 FORBES AVE.
•
•
• Pickle
• Pickle Margarita
242 FORBES AVE.
• Pickle-Rita
• Fried Pickles
•
THE YARD GASTROPUB
• Pickle Fries
NORTH SIDE NOURISHMENT
Freeman Family Farm & Greenhouse keeps growing despite gentrification and loss of federal grants
BY: ATIYA IRVIN-MITCHELL // INFO@PGHCITYPAPER.COM
Lisa Freeman says that Freeman Family Farm & Greenhouse, a Manchester-based urban farm and grocery store, exists to make sure people are taken care of. Sometimes that means granting community members access to the solar-powered public charging station, but most of the time, Freeman’s time is occupied running a grocery store where the price tag on all the fruits and vegetables inside is whatever the customers think they should pay.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Lisa Freeman, owner of the Freeman Family Farm & Greenhouse
Although, as one might imagine, some of the store’s members live within the neighborhood. Freeman tells Pittsburgh City Paper that, from Tuesday to Saturday, she gets her share of visitors from all over the county, hailing from places such as Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, the South Side, and the West End. Still, Freeman has resolved to never let ZIP Code or income deter her from feeding the people who seek out the Freeman Family Farm.
would become the Manchester Growing Together Farm became beloved by children and adults alike, so much so that it gained the praise of then-Mayor Luke Ravenstahl. Unfortunately, Freeman says, as time went on and demographics changed around the North Side community, members took from the garden without giving back.
“We ended it after five years, because the community began to gentrify, and they came in with an assumed right to come and
“EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE CLEAN, FRESH PRODUCE.”
“We have 19 communities that make up the North Side, but we don’t turn anybody away. So people come here and meet. No one leaves hungry, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually [because] we nurture them entirely,” Freeman says.
While Freeman Family Farm has only been open since March 2025, Freeman explains that the mission of Freeman Family Farm began in 2009 when she and her family moved to Manchester. Back then, Freeman, a social worker by trade, was a PTA member tasked with starting a garden for the neighborhood kids. What
take from the Children’s Garden and let their dogs pee in the beds with no respect or knowledge of what the garden represented for the community,” Freeman says. “They had no involvement and did not want, as neighbors, to participate in the garden. They only wanted the things that the herbs that the garden provided, not a relationship with the community.”
Still, even after the end of the garden, Freeman’s desire to garden remained, and as far as she’s concerned, became a lifeline in 2014 when her late husband, Wallace Sapp, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. During
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Freeman Family Farm Store greenhouse at 1426 Juniata St.
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Freeman Family Farm Store greenhouse at 1426 Juniata St.
that time, Freeman was attending Manchester’s Bidwell Training Center to learn to cook the produce she’d continued growing on her own. Initially, doctors weren’t optimistic about Sapp’s diagnosis, but Freeman says clean eating, the practice of eating primarily unprocessed and unrefined foods, improved his health and gave him more time. Although her husband has since passed away, she still believes strongly in the benefits of clean eating, which is why customers can find apples, tomatoes, and strawberries among the supplies in her store, but never any candy or junk food.
“Eating clean can give you a better quality of life,” Freeman says. “Everybody should have the right to have clean, fresh produce, especially when you’re living in a food desert. That’s how we came up with that model. We want our residents to live longer and healthier lives.”
In the time that Freeman Family Farm has been open, Freeman says she’s gotten an extremely positive response from the community, but her journey
hasn’t been without its struggles. Freeman’s decision to purchase the warehouse on Juniata Street in Manchester led to tension between her and the Manchester Citizens Corporation, which had di erent ideas for the property, culminating in a lengthy court battle and Freeman penning a book named after an exchange between herself and a board member titled We Don’t Want a F*cking Farm on Our Street
Looking back on the experience, Freeman feels that the neighborhood needs fresh food more than erris wheels and laments that local elected officials appear more beholden to the desires of developers than the needs of their constituents.
“It’s been going on for too long, and our public politicians are forgetting who they really work for,” Freeman says. “They’re giving all their time and interest and things to developers, instead of listening and channeling the needs of their constituents, there’s no balance between a ordable housing and the right to feed people who are poor.”
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON Taneisha Bruice purchases produce from Chelsea Freeman at the Freeman Family Farm Store on June 18, 2025.
Another recent struggle has come in the form of the current presidential administration. While Freeman Family Farm collaborates with the likes of Chatham University and other urban farms, in terms of funding, it relies on grants from Neighborhood Allies, along with the federal and local governments. Previously, Freeman was relying on a USDA grant to enable her to hire employees, but DOG cuts have paused those plans indefinitely.
“ e had a 100,000 grant to o er employment to residents in this community, but that funding was frozen,” Freeman says. “Typically, funding that has been frozen just disappears, unless that’s challenged in court … I’m not really hopeful that we’ll see that return.”
Despite living in uncertain times, Freeman says, the goal moving forward is to continue caring for the community.
“Freeman Family Farm is here to make sure the residents, the most vulnerable residents in our community, are taken care of. That includes the elderly people with cancer, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and [the] pregnant mommies,” Freeman says. “We want all residents from everywhere to live healthy and long lives.” •
CP PHOTO: MARS JOHNSON
Lisa Freeman, owner of the Freeman Family Farm & Greenhouse
COMICS CONTENDER
Pittsburgh comic book artist Dave Wachter earned a prestigious Eisner Award nomination for his work on Uncanny Valley
BY: MATT PETRAS
When the massive storm that knocked out power across the Pittsburgh area hit at the end of April, local comic book artist Dave Wachter’s home in Forest Hills joined the list. To meet his deadlines, he visited the Oakland Panera Bread and the main branch of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to draw his digital artwork on his iPad. Most urgently, he needed to draw the last issue of his hit comic book series, Uncanny Valley
“I had my power strip with three batteries charging, plus my phone and my iPad there, and basically finished up the book from those locations,” Wachter tells Pittsburgh City Paper. “And then, I’d pick up my wife, and we’d come home to a dark house lit by weird lanterns and try to deal with that.”
A few weeks later, Wachter learned Uncanny Valley, his first original property in about a decade, penned by comic writer Tony Fleecs, nabbed a Best New Series nod from the prestigious Eisner Awards.
PHOTO: ARTWORK COURTESY OF DAVE WACHTER Uncanny Valley by Dave Wachter and Tony Fleecs
The Eisner Awards, named after pioneering cartoonist Will Eisner and touted as “the comic book industry’s highest honor,” nominated Uncanny Valley , a creator-owned series published by BOOM! Studios, alongside heavy hitters such as Absolute Batman, a beloved reboot that sold like hotcakes. Known best for his years-long run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles , Wachter has spent the last few years focusing on Marvel Comics projects such as Punisher and Iron First: Heart of the Dragon
and Wachter joked that he’d then just be drawing “the boring parts” anyway. Eventually, Fleecs asked if he could draw the whole book, and Wachter agreed.
now?’” Fleecs tells City Paper. “I don’t care about Ninja Turtles or Godzilla; I like Dave for Dave, and I want to see him try new things and do di erent things. That’s the stu that gets me charged up.”
Wachter described their working relationship as the best part of illustrating Uncanny Valley “To be able to work on something that I think is so good, and to work with somebody who I like and I admire their work, I just feel like we’ve created something I’m truly, extremely proud of," Wachter says. "And so much of that is the combination of our talents and our personalities and how we work together.”
Fleecs has developed a strong fan base in the comics world for his writing on two Image Comics series with similar premises as Uncanny Valley. One, Stray Dogs, follows cute dogs that get wrapped up in a disturbing serial killer plot, and the other, Feral, reimagines the zombie apocalypse genre with cats. So, Uncanny Valley appeals easily to his fans. Many in Wachter’s existing fan base have an affinity for the large properties he works on, but he’s received a warm response from readers.
“I’ve had people tell me that this book means a lot to them, and they’re loving it and enjoying it and sharing it with their kids and stu like that,” Wachter says. “That’s a thrill with something that’s a creator-owned book, and you get a response. Being that we’re the real authors of it. So it’s not me coming in and doing a few issues of something else. They see us as responsible for the creation of it.”
Ahead of the awards ceremony in San Diego on Fri., July 25, Fleecs and Wachter maintain a light, jokey attitude about their chances.
“We’re the big one,” Wachter says, eliciting laughter from Fleecs. “Everyone knows Batman is an underdog.”
“A lot of people have been saying we’re the one to beat, for sure,” Fleecs adds. •
“I’M NOT COMING UP WITH A CARTOON STYLE OF MY OWN, WHICH CAN ACTUALLY BE VERY DIFFICULT. I’M EMULATING HANNA-BARBERA AND DISNEY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.”
Fleecs, Wachter’s longtime friend who is based on the West Coast, created and developed the story for Uncanny Valley. It follows a 12-yearold boy with strange powers whose world merges with cartoons after meeting his grandfather, a short, gun-toting guy reminiscent of Yosemite Sam. He originally envisioned writing the series for two artists, one who specialized in realistic artwork and another in cartoony work, but that proved a hard sell for the publisher. He had Wachter in mind for the more realistic visuals,
“I knew I could figure it out … I mostly draw realistic, but I know that I can draw cartoony stu , especially since it became a matter of research, because I’m emulating styles,” Wachter says. “I’m not coming up with a cartoon style of my own, which can actually be very difficult. I’m emulating Hanna-Barbera and Disney and stu like that.”
Rare for the mainstream comic book industry, Wachter does every aspect of the art himself rather than working with an inker and colorist. His work on the book looks distinct from his recent Marvel work, with softer colors and fewer high-octane, violent action scenes. Fleecs loved Wachter’s work on the series.
“I hope that I’ll be the guy that Dave wants to come back to, like, ‘What are we doing this time hat sort of di erent thing are we doing
THU., JULY 10
ART • POINT BREEZE
Drawings for Puzzles: Paul Mullins and Imin Yeh 12-6 p.m. Continues through Sat., July 26. Bottom Feeder Books. 415 Gettysburg St., North Side. Free. bottomfeederbooks.com
LIT • BLOOMFIELD
Book Launch: I Have Not Considered Consequences: Short Stories by Sherrie Flick with Sarah Shotland. 7-8 p.m. White Whale Bookstore. 4754 Liberty Ave., Bloomfield. Free. RSVP required. Livestream available. whitewhalebookstore.com/events
FRI., JULY 11
THEME PARK • LIGONIER
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Weekend
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 13. Idlewild and SoakZone. 2580 U.S. 30, Ligonier. Ticket prices vary. idlewild.com
FESTIVAL • DOWNTOWN
Picklesburgh. Times vary. Continues through Sun., July 13. Multiple locations, Downtown. Free. All ages. picklesburgh.com
PARTY • NORTH SIDE
Night in the Tropics: Evening in Paradise. 5-11 p.m. National Aviary. 700 Arch St., North Side. $110, $169 VIP. 21 and over. aviary.org
THEATER • BELLEVUE
The Pittsburgh Savoyards presents The Woman in White. 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sat., July 26. The Margaret Partee Performing Arts Center. 523 Lincoln Ave., Bellevue. $15. pittsburghsavoyards.org
DANCE • NORTH SIDE
Texture Contemporary Ballet presents Infinite Abundance 7:30 p.m. Continues through Sun., July 13. New Hazlett Theater. Six Allegheny Square East, North Side. $25-40. textureballet.org
COMEDY • DORMONT
IN PITTSBURGH JULY 12
SAT., JULY 12
OUTDOORS • HIGHLAND PARK
Pittsburgh Lets Go Fishing presents Family Fishing Fun 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Lake Carnegie. Lake Dr., Highland Park. Free for kids 5-15 with a parent or guardian. Registration required. pittsburghparks.org/lake-carnegie
Bougie Bitch Comedy: A Night of Standup Comedy. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. VFW Dormont. 3014 W. Liberty Ave., Dormont. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. instagram. com/parking.pad
PHOTO: RACHEL HARMAN
Texture Contemporary Ballet presents Infinite Abundance at New Hazlett Theater
MUSIC • HOMESTEAD
Hotter Than July: A Free Celebration of Stevie Wonder. 12-9 p.m. Golden Age Beer. 337 E. Eighth Ave., Homestead. Free. RSVP required. alternatehistories.com
PARTY • HOMESTEAD
Southern Tier Pittsburgh Summer Block Party. 1-11 p.m. Southern Tier. 316 N. Shore Dr., North Shore. Free. pittsburgh.stbcbeer.com
FILM • ALLENTOWN
Subcinema highlights an indie cult classic with a screening of Lizzie Borden’s Born in Flames at Little Giant. The 1983 mockumentary follows an alternate reality where feminist radicals fight sexism, racism, and economic disparity in a post-revolution, supposedly utopian United States. Don’t miss what the Criterion Collection calls a “blistering rallying cry issued loud, clear, and unapologetically queer.” 8:30 p.m. Doors at 8 p.m. Little Giant. 100 Asteroid Way, Allentown. Free. BYOB. subcinema.org/upcoming
SCIENCE • NORTH SIDE
Buhl Planetarium and Observatory SkyWatch 9-11 p.m. Carnegie Science Center. One Allegheny Ave., North Side. $10-12. carnegiesciencecenter.org
TALK • DOWNTOWN
Speaker Saturday: Natural History on the American Frontier. 1-3 p.m. Fort Pitt Museum. 601 Commonwealth Pl., Downtown. Included with regular admission. heinzhistorycenter.org
FILM • NORTH SIDE
Summer Film Screening: Artifacts + Afterlives 8-10 p.m. Mattress Factory. 509 Jacksonia St., North Side. $10, free for members. mattress.org
SUN., JULY 13
ZOO • HIGHLAND PARK
International Shark and Ray Awareness Day. 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. One Wild Pl., Highland Park. Included with regular admission. All ages. pittsburghzoo.org
THEATER • DOWNTOWN
The Screwtape Letters 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Byham Theater. 101 Sixth St., Downtown. $76.50-115.60. trustarts.org
PHOTO: COURTESY OF BUSCRATES
Buscrates, part of Hotter Than July: A Free Celebration of Stevie Wonder at Golden Age Beer
WED., JULY16
MON., JULY 14
AUTO • SHADYSIDE
Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Walnut Street Invitational Car Show 5-9 p.m. 5442 Walnut St., Shadyside. Free. pvgp.org
MUSIC • STRIP DISTRICT
Mekons with Johnny Dowd 7:30 p.m. Doors at 6 p.m. City Winery. 1627 Smallman St., Strip District. $40-55. citywinery.com/pittsburgh
TUE., JULY 15
MUSIC • MILLVALE
Ezra Furman with The Ophelias
8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Mr. Smalls Theatre. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $9.03-33.45. mrsmalls.com
THEATER •
HOMESTEAD
Puppets meet cabaret when We Wiggle Dolls takes the stage at Glitterbox Theater. The Brooklyn-based company will present short performances by several puppeteers, including Puppet Pants Productions, MR KY WHY, and Jeremy Quentin. Local acts will also get the spotlight during this touring puppet slam showcase. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. 210 W. Eighth Ave., Homestead. $15. theglitterboxtheater.com
WED., JULY 16
MUSIC • MCKEES ROCKS
Yelawolf: 45 Tour 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. Roxian Theatre. 425 Chartiers Ave., McKees Rocks. $34-103. roxiantheatre.com/shows
MUSIC • LAWRENCEVILLE
Son Rompe Pera has gone from Mexico City to bringing its energetic shows and multicultural sound to cities throughout the U.S. Formed in 2017 by the Gama brothers, the now five-piece group — widely described as the world’s only “garage-cumbia-marimbapunk band” — has garnered attention for its revolutionary take on traditional music. Pittsburgh audiences will experience this emerging act when it takes the stage at Spirit. 8 p.m. Doors at 7 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $20 in advance, $25 at the door. 21 and over. spiritpgh.com
LYNN CULLEN LIVE
PHOTO: COURTESY OF JANUS FILMS
Flames at Little Giant
SERVICES
MARKET PLACE
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!
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.
Now Hiring
Piano with Kate Virtual lessons $30/half hour. 10 years of experience, excellent references. Have experience teaching ages 4-adult! Email kate.oczypok@gmail.com for more info!
HELP WANTED
CLINICAL MANAGER
Master’s req. $96554/yr App: Eye Medicine & Surgery, 4627 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
ESTATE NOTICE
ESTATE OF TORLIDAS, THEODORE
A/K/A TORLIDAS, THEODORE ANGELO, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 022504277 of 2025.
Iphigenia Torlidas and Maria Reina Extr. 5821 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232.
SERVICES
Buying old watches, broken or not, custom jewelry, coins, old silverware, gris walls pans, Call Mark 814-520-5670
Struggling With Your Private Student Loan Payment? New relief programs can reduce your payments. Learn your options. Good credit not necessary. Call the Helpline 888-670-5631 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm Eastern) (AAN CAN)
ESTATE NOTICE
ESTATE OF WENNERSTEN, DONALD, A, DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 022403207 of 2024. Lisa Wennersten Extr. 406 Caruthers Lane, N. Huntingdon, PA 15642 or to Panza Legal Services (Atty. Kari Panza). 454 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA, 15229
PUBLIC NOTICE
Notice is hereby given by Thomas C Kunkel DMD, PC a Pennsylvania business corporation that said corporation is winding up its a airs in the manner prescribed by section 1975 of the Business Corporation Law of 1988, so that its corporate existence shall cease upon the filing of Articles of Dissolution in the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
FINANCIAL
LEGAL
DECEASED OF PITTSBURGH, PA No. 03960 of 2025. Wendy Solomon Extr. 5645 Hempstead Rd #4, Pittsburgh, PA 15217
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: NO. GD-25-4880, In re petition of Leah Marie Taylor, change of name to Leah Ana Maria Rivas Rojas. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the Wednesday, July 16th, 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.
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: NO. GD-25-004210, In re petition of Je rey Ronald Muha, Jr., for change of name to Je rey O’Neill Murtha. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 16th day of July, 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. Robb D. Bunde, Esquire, Attorney for the Petitioner. 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. 412-391-4330
NAME CHANGE
IN The Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania: NO. GD-25-005088, In re petition of Monica and Aiden Ari, a minor child for change of name to Monica Atif and Aiden Atif. To all persons interested: Notice is hereby given that an order of said Court authorized the filing of said petition and fixed the 23rd day of July, 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. Rob D. Bunde, Esquire, Attorney for Petitioner. 223 Fourth Avenue, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. 412-391-4330
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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, July 22, 2025, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:
CENTRAL OPERATIONS BUILDING
• Chilled Water Plant Upgrades • Mechanical and Electrical Primes
Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on Tuesday, July 1, 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.
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE OF CONDEMNATION
In the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania In Re: Condemnation of Property Located in Findlay Township & North Fayette Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania owned by the Estate of Jacob (Johnson) Johnston and the Unknown Heirs of Jacob (Johnson) Johnston, for the purpose of tunnel maintenance associated with recreational purposes: GD 25-6895 Jacob (Johnson) Johnston and the Unknown Heirs of Jacob (Johnson) Johnston (“Condemnee”), 22.82 acres of land with no tax parcel identification number, estimated just compensation: $26,000.00.
TO: Jacob (Johnson) Johnston and the Unknown Heirs of Jacob (Johnson) Johnston, their heirs, successors or assigns:
Take notice that Declaration of Taking was filed June 23, 2025 at the above referenced general docket number.
Name and Address of Condemner: Findlay Township (“Township”), a Second Class Township, whose address is 1271 Route 30, Clinton, PA 15026.
Authorizing Statute(s): Pennsylvania Eminent Domain Code, as amended, 26 Pa. C.S.A. § 101 et seq. and the Pennsylvania Second Class Township Code 53 P.S. § 68401 et seq.
Authorizing Resolutions: Resolution No. 2025-11 approved on June 11, 2025 by the Board of Supervisors of Findlay Township (“Findlay Resolution”). The Findlay Resolution may be examined at the Offices of Condemner, noted above. Resolution No. 62-25 approved on May 21, 2025 by the Board of Supervisors of the Township of North Fayette (“Fayette Resolution”). The Fayette Resolution may be examined at the Offices of North Fayette Township located at 400 North Branch Road, Oakdale, Pennsylvania 15071.
Condemnation Description: The purpose of this condemnation is to acquire property for the purpose of tunnel maintenance associated with recreational purposes. Statement of the Condemnation: Condemnee’s property identified on the Survey marked as Exhibit “B” to the Declaration of Taking, filed at the above referenced general docket number, has been condemned as of June 23, 2025. The title acquired by the Township is a fee simple interest. The Survey showing the property condemned may be inspected in Condemner’s offices noted above and is also lodged of record in the Allegheny County Department of Real Estate, at Instrument Number 2025-15923. Just compensation for the condemnation is secured by the Township’s power of taxation, which is deemed pledged as security of the payment of damages as, shall be determined by law.
Challenging the Condemnation: If Condemnee wishes to challenge the power or the right of County to appropriate the condemned property, the sufficiency of the security, the procedures followed by County or the Declaration of Taking, the Condemnee must file preliminary objections within 30 days after the date of publication of this Notice.
Nathan M.
Sainovich
Attorney for Condemner
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 July 22, 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 #3121 Flo Johnson
1002 E. Waterfront Dr., Munhall, Pa 15120: Unit #1229 Tasha-Shacara Hefflin, Unit #1421 Morgan Dawson, Unit #1521 Tasha-Shacara Hefflin, Unit #2205 Courtney Sloan, Unit #3503 Carl P Tipton, Unit #3702 Darien Morton, Unit #3733 Tonia Andrus, Unit #3741 Robert Konish, Unit #3760 Timothy Curton, Unit #3811 Robert Konish, Unit #3908 Robert Konish 1390 Old Freeport Rd., Pittsburgh, Pa 15238: Unit #3107 Jonathan Deal, GW Master LLC, Unit #3131 Jonathan Deal, GW Master LLC 14200 Route 30, North Huntingdon, Pa 15642: Unit # 1015 Teresa Calabro, Unit #1136 William Costello, Unit #3309 Jack Davis, Unit #3515 Joe Divald 4711 William Penn Highway, Monroeville, PA 15146: Unit #12109 Adam Berkeley, Unit #12807 Chris Harris, Unit ##22620 Keith Edmonds, Unit #23503 Bradley McCurdy 1028 Ridge Road, Tarentum, Pa 15084: Unit 31505 Elizabeth Gasper, Unit #31516 Zane Webster, Unit #31710 Samara Cowles, Unit #41117 Darob Wright, Unit #41213 Pamela Poston, Unit #41217 Edward Davis, Unit #41312 Jennifer Gravelle 901 Brinton Road, Pittsburgh, Pa 15221: Unit #10114 Lolita Chrisler, Unit #12109 Shadonna Bentley, Unit #12117 Aneetra Grant, Unit #3317 Stefanie Stephens, Unit #3402 Shala Weatherspoon, Unit #52052 Terel Lewis, Unit #7115 Mica Dawkins, Unit #9209 Eboni Harp, Unit #9414 Kristan Peacock 5873 Centre Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15206: Unit #2311 Jamai Mcclary, Unit #4410 Jayrue Lemon, Unit #8207 June Seale (OuddaDaLoup), Unit #8306 David Nilsson
750 South Millvale Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213: Unit #236 D’angelo Hayes, Unit #246 Raymond Hansen
2839 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222: Unit #5012 Natalie Nelson, Unit #6902 Marcus Robinson 1599 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017: Unit #3102 Chelsea Christy, Unit #52210 Samantha Carlisi, Unit #52702 Sam Baldigowski
1300 Lebanon Church Road, West Mifflin, PA 15236: Unit #14404 Jerry Pratt
401 Coraopolis Road, Coraopolis, PA 15108: Unit #12112 Deron Alexander, Unit #12810 Brody Connor, Unit #22224 Preston M Tortorich, Unit #22404 Allison Yates 1067 Milford Drive, Bethel Park, PA 15102: Unit #23932 Morgen Pencille
7452 McKnight Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15237: Unit #711 Jason Terrell
2670 Washington Rd, Canonsburg, PA 15317: Unit #2120 Nicholas A Catalano, Unit #3505 Ray Christie
SHOWS WITH AN “M-E”
BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY // BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM
ACROSS
1. Wheels with teeth
5. The Dark at the Top of the Stairs playwright
9. TV cook Pinkman 14. Fisher of Hollywood
15. Last name of The Incredibles family
16. Nebraska city where the 1999 movie Election takes place
17. Autobiographical title for one who teleports?
19. Guadalajara greetings
20. Thirst (for) 21. Outfit for many a Disney princess 23. Previously, in poetry 24. Mind-blowing flower cluster?
28. Oriental tie
29. Actor Linn of Happy’s Place
30. Defeat decisively
34. “My turn!”
37. Elphaba’s younger sister in Wicked
41. Quark-plusantiquark particles that devolve into total chaos?
44. Some SAT prep, for short
45. Past time?
46. Seating section
47. Templeton of Charlotte’s Web
49. Enjoy the barbecue, say
51. Hefty reward for a perennial negative Nancy?
59. Employ 60. Nabokov’s negative
61. Like a nerd
63. Guitar goddess Bonnie 65. Humiliate grandma?
68. Six Degrees of Kevin ___
69. Wing
70. US dept. created in the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis
71. Adam of Severance
72. Desktop feature
73. “The ___ is silence” (Hamlet’s last words)
DOWN
1. Austin Limits
2. Ice Cube’s real first name
3. Flash of light
4. Popular hummus brand 5. Bitter brew 6. Hanoi
Hilton setting
7. An Allman brother 8. Slip of the tongue 9. Wrestler who stars in the HBO Max
Peacemaker
Punk variant
Oregon’s capital
Stock unit
“___ on Down
the Road”
18. Carmaker Ferrari
22. Fighting chance?
25. Nile wader
26. Longtime Shatner costar
27. Put forth, as effort
30. Licensing org.?
31. ___ Speedwagon
32. The Trojans of the NCAA
33. Tabletop game piece
35. Area 51 craft
36. Skin-removing tool
38. Class with a lab: Abbr.
39. ___/her
40. Firth of Clyde port
42. Sports show whose last episode was Game 6 of the 2025 Eastern
Conference finals
43. Type of tide
48. Day-care diversion
50. “Not a joke!”
51. Commuters’ towns, for short 52. Dune actor Oscar ___
53. Company with a spokesgecko
54. Inter Miami CF star
55. Standard
56. Word with ear or peace
57. Duo with the 1993 hit “Hey Mr. D.J.”
58. German article
62. Section of a section
64. Small amount
66. Hubbub
67. “___ aren’t necessities. They’re luxuries” (Cher)
