News Around the Neighborhood

Letter from the President – January 2016

Happy New Year, Everyone! I’m one of those people who makes, and occasionally even keeps, New Year’s resolutions, so I thought I would share a couple of the resolutions I made for this year. But before I do that, I do want to take a minute to send out a huge thank you to everyone who did such an amazing job on the Tour. Trish, along with Gloria & Carrie were really able to recruit and organize an amazing amount of support for the tour. I’m tempted to just list out everyone who helped but I’m pretty sure that it would take up the entire newsletter. I’m not sure folks realize that over 100 volunteers participate in the tour every year! For a neighborhood of somewhere around 300 people that just boggles my mind. We’ve been working with some of the other neighborhoods on how to support each other’s efforts and when people ask us how we manage to pull ours off I always end up saying “Have wonderful, great, amazing neighbors!” Not sure how useful that advice actually is, but frankly it’s the truth. Please join us for a Tour wrap up discussion before Tuesday’s membership meeting (7:00pm) so we can run through what worked really well and any ideas for things we want to try differently next year. Back to the resolutions. This is it, this is the year! WE ARE GOING TO FINISH REVISING THE BYLAWS! There I said it, you all heard me. Feel free to stop me on the street and ask me how the bylaws are coming along. I promise not to deluge you with the minutiae of current best practices around conflicts of interest for Board of Directors for nonprofits. (Unless you really want to know…) A couple of more areas we also want to address are things like defining more clearly eligibility for voting memberships and the accountability and management of funds. If you’re interested in our current Bylaws they are posted on our site. Gloria, Jim and Bob M. have also put in a lot of effort on this project which will hopefully end soon. Also, the grant for the Buhl Foundation came through, so you’ll start hearing a lot more from Martha and I about how we can improve quality of life. I have some other goals: sell all the real estate! Organize the filing in the office! But the bylaws and the Buhl grant will be my main focus for this year. Stay tuned to hear more from new and returning Committee chairs for their plans as well. Finally, I hope to see you all at the first meeting of the new year. We’ll have presentations from the folks who are purchasing the Stables (yay!) about their plans for it, as well as our annual update from Calvary. We’ll also be welcoming the new Board members and thanking Board members who are rolling off the Board or changing positions. Hope to see you all there! Catherine Serventi President, AWCC

Above & Beyond

If there’s anything that embodies Above & Beyond in service to the neighborhood it’s serving on the AWCC Board. I wanted to take some time to acknowledge the contributions of folks who are rolling off the AWCC Board. Their voices and experience will be missed even as we welcome new Board members with new perspectives. We won’t miss them too much, though, since we’ll still, hopefully, be hearing lots from them at the monthly membership meetings and in our “virtual” neighborhood.

Jim Wallace has a strict policy of no more than two years of being on the Board without a break, and I was lucky enough to get to work with him during an ON period as Housing and Planning chair. Housing & Planning is a huge job and we really relied on Jim’s encyclopedic knowledge of all the players and pieces in the Northside real estate game. He’s also a pro at keeping the AWCC Facebook page (and this website) stocked with an amazing array of historic photos and stories to keep us all inspired.

On the other hand, I’m not sure Mary Callison has had a break from the Board in over a decade. She managed everything from Property to Membership and lots of stuff in between. She’s also the architect and caretaker of the gorgeous parklet on the corner of Western and Brighton. Whenever the flowers there make you smile you can send a restful thought in Mary’s direction. She’s earned it.

Trish Burton jumped in and took over one of the most rigorous jobs in the neighborhood, Ways and Means, and the spectacular House and Wine tours were the result. She’s an important voice of calm and kindness during passionate debates as well, which I will miss even more than her lemon flavored treats.

Fran Barbush has been with the neighborhood from the very beginning (well not the 1860 beginning … more like the beginning of modern incarnation of Allegheny West as we know it). In between cranking out newsletter like clockwork, she’s always willing to step up and save a lampost (or 4) or hold a government official accountable for a “too easy” answer with the credibility of long experience to back it up.

I also want to acknowledge the willingness of current board members Gloria Rayman, John DeSantis and Anne Gilligan to take on new positions on the Board and Michael Shealey and Bob Griewahn to continue their excellent work in their current roles.

Join City of Asylum for a Reading on January 20th

Mario Bellatin

The Large Glass: Three Autobiographies

Translated by David ShookThe Large Glass

In The Large Glass, celebrated Mexican author Mario Bellatin examines his most complicated subject: Himself. Featuring three different autobiographies, The Large Glass challenges the challenging project of autobiography itself—how can any writer account for himself in a way that is dignified yet honest? Intimate yet public? Like the Duchamp sculpture from which it takes its name, Bellatin’s The Large Glass plays with the artifice of the autobiographical genre, while at the same time celebrating the importance of the stories we tell about ourselves. The Large Glass further solidifies Mario Bellatin as one of Latin America’s most important living writers.

Plus…a unique opportunity!

Meet the translator and publisher, along with the author.
Joining Mario Bellatin at the reading will be David Shook, translator of The Large Glass. David is also the Founding Editor of Phoneme Media, a publishing house in San Francisco.

Join us for an evening with Mario Bellatin

Wednesday, January 20th
330 Sampsonia Way
7:00 pm: Reception
7:30 pm: Presentation and Questions
8:30 pm Dessert and Informal Discussion

[ebor_button style=”alizarin” url=”http://cityofasylum.org/event/salon-reading-mario-bellatin/”] Make Free Reservations [/ebor_button]


 
Mario BellatinMario Bellatin was born in Mexico and grew up in Peru. He has over 40 books published that have been translated into 15 languages. He was the winner of the Xavier Villaurrutia, Mazatlan, The Barbara Gitiings Literature Award, Antonin Artaud Awards and this year the José María Arguedas Award.

In 2012, he was the curator of Documenta 13, Kassel. Among his most important projects, besides writing, are the Dynamic School of Writers, The Hundred Thousand Books of Bellatin,the film Bola Negra and the CD Juarez Musical.

From 18 Neighborhoods to One Northside

Watch the video: Seeding change on Pittsburgh’s Northside, Neighbor-to-Neighbor


In support of One Northside in 2015, The Sprout Fund catalyzed 48 community-based Neighbor-to-Neighbor projects led by Northside neighborhood residents.

With activities ranging from repairing city steps, planting trees, and starting community gardens to beekeeping lessons, parenting workshops, and job readiness coaching, each project added to the critical mass of positive change emerging on the Northside.

Thank you for being part of the shared vision for Pittsburgh’s Northside.


The Sprout Fund offers catalytic grants and other forms of support in partnership with the Buhl Foundation and in support of One Northside.

[ebor_button style=”orange” url=”http://www.sproutfund.org/one-northside-program/?mc_cid=4e2957a881&mc_eid=2b20a06007″] Learn more at sproutfund.org/northside [/ebor_button]

Free Tickets for Northsiders: Billy Harper Sextet

Billy Harper Sextet

Presented by Kente Arts Alliance
Saturday, December 12 | 8PM

While constantly evolving from the influential sound of previous Jazz generations, Billy Harper has been careful to carve out his own sound rather than retrace that of music’s past, and in the process has consciously and continuously pushed the bounds and momentum of music forward.

You’re Invited

Thanks to the generous support of the Buhl Foundation, Northside residents and workers are invited to attend this performance for free. A limited number of tickets are available online, so reserve your seat today.

[ebor_button style=”blue” url=”https://www.eventbrite.com/e/northside-billy-harper-sextet-tickets-19865418000″] December 12 at 8:00 pm [/ebor_button]

Free Tickets for Northsiders: Loving Black

Loving Black

Part of the New Hazlett CSA Performance Series
Thursday, December 10 | 8PM

For generations, black masculinity has been defined along a narrow spectrum. Loving Black redefines black male identity through vulnerability and love. This hour-long theatrical experience combines music and dance as it spans genres as varied as jazz, classical, and hip hop, and captures the diverse black experience in the United States.

This performance is appropriate for high school age students but will involve adult language and mature themes of sexuality, race relations, and love.

You’re Invited

Thanks to the generous support of the Buhl Foundation, Northside residents and workers are invited to attend this performance for free. A limited number of tickets are available online, so reserve your seat today.

[ebor_button style=”pumpkin” url=”https://www.eventbrite.com/e/northside-loving-black-tickets-19865394931″] December 10 at 8:00 pm [/ebor_button]

Letter from the President – December 2015

So we have a decision to make. If everyone could put down the House Tour decorations for a minute, Councilwoman Harris has asked for the Civic Council to weigh in on the new proposed food truck legislation. You can read the proposed legislation here that loosens restrictions on food trucks. It’s a hard question and there are legitimate concerns on both sides that need to be considered before the neighborhood takes a position. The Board has been checking in with residents and business owners on Western (the trucks will still only be allowed on non-residential streets), to understand their concerns, but for the Civic Council to take a formal position we need to have a vote. I would encourage everyone who feels strongly either way to please come to the membership meeting on Tuesday to contribute to the discussion. We’ll do our best to keep the conversation focused so folks can go back to their house tour projects in a reasonable amount of time. If you’re interested in the subject and want to read up on the subject here are some resources on the topic:

…and, if you really want to go all out, here’s a dissertation about food trucks in North Carolina:

  • An Empirical Study of the Emergence and Policy Implications of the Food Truck Industry in the Research Triangle Regionhttps://goo.gl/UJgKlw

Speaking of interesting studies, a bunch of folks in the neighborhood ended up at a conferences about Historic Preservation in Pittsburgh put together by the City.  I’m super glad I decided to burn some vacation days to attend, since my commitment to Historic Preservation was why I wanted to live in Allegheny West in the first place. As much as I’m a cheerleader for the Historic Review Commission and the preservation guidelines, even I was surprised how clear the positive economic impacts for things like property values and even employment that the rules have.  The Historic Review Commission has posted the study they commission for Pittsburgh.

I also have been to a Complete Streets meeting, a Zoning Board workshop, and a talk by Mayor Fetterman from Braddock about urban renewal. Let that be a warning to anyone who ends up next to me at the cheese table during the House Tour Volunteer party. I’ve been in historic preservation and urban planning nerd heaven lately.

On behalf of the Tour Committee I want to thank the incredible amount of people who have dedicated literally hundreds of hours to make this tour a success! We’ve all been overwhelmed by how willing folks have been to step up. I can’t wait for the tour and the volunteer party…)

Catherine Serventi
President, AWCC

The 2016 AWCC Executive Committee

As proposed by the nominating committee (elected November 2015 immediately following the Board election):

President – Cathy Serventi
Vice President – Timothy Zinn
Secretary – Dan Adam
Treasurer – Bob Griewahn
Ways & Means – Carrie Doyle
Membership – Scott Mosser
Housing & Planning – Gloria Rayman
Communications – Sarah Beck Sweeney
Property – Ann Gilligan
Sgt. at Arms – John DeSantis
Friend of Allegheny West / Public Space – Michael Shealey

2016 AWCC Nominating Committee
Tim Zinn – Chair
Eleanor Coleman
Cathy Serventi
Gloria Rayman
Elaine Stone

Alternates: John DeSantis, Scott Mosser

The 2015 Old Allegheny Victorian Christmas House Tour

We Still Need Your Help

The 2015 tour will be on Friday, December 11th from 5:00-8:00 pm, and Saturday, December 12th from 10:00 am-8:00 pm. Tour tickets are now $35 and Train Museum tickets are now $15.

Ticket Sales

Continue to encourage friends, relatives and coworkers to attend the tour. To purchase tickets, or for more details, check our website.

Training for Tour Guides and Train Guides

All guides are asked to make every effort to attend a training session—there are 4 new houses on the tour this year!

Tour Guides

Wednesday, 12/9 from 6:00-7:00 pm at Calvary UMC (Beech Avenue entrance)
or
Thursday, 12/10 from 6:00-7:00 pm at Calvary UMC

Train Guides

Wednesday, 12/9 at 7:30-8:30 pm at Holmes Hall, (719 Brighton Road)

Greens “Bunching” and Street Decorating

We will be decorating the streets on Saturday, December 5th, starting at 9:00 am. Volunteers will be bunching greens to create the lamppost swags in the Serventi/Wilson garage on Dounton Way. This is a fun way to get in the holiday spirit—and we can finish quickly with 20 volunteers.

Clean-up

Also on Saturday, December 5th, join your neighbors and pick up litter and leaves around the neighborhood (and in front of your house!) If each of us fills just one bag, our streets will be clean!

Cookies for Party

Please contact Trish Burton if you can bake two dozen cookies for the volunteer party.

More Ways to Help!

There are many opportunities to volunteer. During the tour, be a greeter at Calvary, a tour guide, a house sitter for a homeowner on tour, a conductor at the train museum or be ready to help tour houses with salting and shoveling should we get snow that weekend. Or, help with the volunteer party or set up the luminaria. If each of us helps in just one way, then our neighbors don’t have to do all the work to make this, our biggest fundraiser (that pays for all of our fun events, as well as preservation activities), successful. AND, you get to attend the party!

Volunteer Party

All volunteers are invited to our Holiday Party. This year, Carol Gomrick and Brett Kempf at 940 W North Avenue will host on Saturday, December 12th, beginning at 9:00 pm. This will be a “seventh” house for volunteers to get to see, and it’s a gem! To help with party, please contact Carrie Doyle at (412) 337-6020.