News Around the Neighborhood
AWCC Tree Decorating & Lighting Ceremony
On what would have been the first night of the Victorian Christmas House tour, join us instead to celebrate the lighting of the AWCC 2020 Christmas Tree!
WHERE: Southeast corner of Galveston and Western Avenues
WHEN: Friday, December 11th, 6:00 pm
Note: If you are planning to join the tree-lighting in person, please wear a mask and stay socially distanced.
Join the live broadcast via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89969724081?pwd=dGFWNTRaalpJZThHNjBWQmswenNYQT09
Meeting ID: 899 6972 4081 Passcode: 979088
Saturday, December 5th 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
We’re requesting donations to light and decorate the tree
Please bring donations of Christmas lights and tree ornaments to 910 Maolis Way.
Encouraged: Light strings, non-breakable ornaments, homemade ornaments, ribbons, tree topper
Sunday, December 6th 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
The Committee will put up and secure the tree, and start stringing lights and adding decorations.
Monday – Thursday, December 7th-10th, 2020
Additional decorations can be placed in the marked box near the Christmas tree at Western Ave and Galveston.
Thanksgiving Isn’t Over Yet
Submitted by Trish Burton
I’d like to extend thanks to the following people who have made our neighborhood a little bit prettier, cleaner and greener in a year when we needed all that and more.
Business District Basket Sponsors: Allegheny Sandwich, AWCC, Ethelyn Daniel, Elsen Associates, Gilligan Sorbet, Keane George/Allegheny Realty, Giorgio’s Place, Sally Graubarth, Bob Griewahn, Martha Helmreich, Nonie & Bob Knaus, Pat, Bob, & Sarah Mistick, Modern Cafe, Gary & Bonnie Otto, Pittsburgh Home & Garden, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, Q Development, Refucilo Winery, John & Carole Robert, Dr. Dan Strinkoski, Eileen & Bill Swazuk, Ashley Webb, Katie & Zoufalik, and the Burton Family
Parklet Gardeners: Thanks to the group that has helped to clean, shop, plant, weed, water… and pull it all out and bag it until next season: Holly Pultz, Sally Graubarth, Carole Malakoff, Nonie Knaus, Katie Zoufalik, Diane & Tony Caruso, and Emilio Leonardo.
Litter Picker-Uppers: We no longer need to have “clean up days” because of the weekly, under-the-radar efforts of Dr Dan Strinkoski and Sue and Frank Remcheck, who use leaf blowers and grabbers to keep our streets and sidewalks tidy!
Plant Donors: Thanks again to Casey O’Connor and Rubab Jafry for (again) donating many hostas so that more tree wells on Western Avenue are planted and the Parklet grouping continues to expand! Thanks also to John Burton for donating several shrubs to fill in some gaps in the Parklet.
. . . and, last but not least, thanks to residents like Tim Zinn and Mike Douglas, Tom and Mary Ann Cola, T. Rankin/State Farm, and The Bloom Brigade who plant and tend lovely tree well gardens along Western . . . and all who plant window boxes and urns throughout AW!
The Greenspace/Friends of Allegheny West Committee looks forward to continuing this work in 2021. Please let us know if you’d like to be a part of the group!
Support Allegheny West Businesses on Small Business Saturday
Remember to come out and support your local Allegheny West businesses on Small Business Saturday. This year, it will be Saturday, November 28. To learn more and see a video featuring Northside Businesses, visit Northside Shop Small at: bit.ly/northsideshopsmall.
Follow along at @northsideshopsmall on Instagram and Facebook
Jazz @ Home with Off Minor & Tom Wendt
Off Minor Jazz Series Presents
Way Out West
Sunday, November 22nd
6:00 pm
Dear Friends,
This Sunday evening, with an eye towards keeping everyone safe and well, Off Minor Jazz heads back online and revisits some fan favorites from the archives. But with that signature Off Minor twist, of course.
On Sunday November 22nd, we’ll re-air Way Out West, a concert tribute to the ground breaking Sonny Rollins album. In this album Sonny introduced his “strolling” technique: solo saxophone over bass and drums, without a piano. This intimate, pared-down ensemble became the go-to format for future jazz groups. This concert honors Sonny and the heyday of mid-century jazz.
We’ll also spend time at home with drummer & curator Tom Wendt, with his signature behind-the-scenes commentary. Tom revisits the performance and reflects on the ensemble’s chemistry and their one-night-only improvisations. It’s a rare thing for musicians to recap a live set, and this program is like watching the concert alongside Tom. His knowledge of jazz history shines in this program, as he walks us through just what makes Sonny Rollins and this album so unique.
This concert is like watching a movie with director’s commentary. But it’s better because you get to groove along and watch local artists show off their talent. I think it’s a joyful way to spend a Sunday evening in lockdown, or any Sunday evening! I hope you’ll join me online.
Warmly,
Abby Lembersky
Director of Programs
Reel Q Presents Nowhere at City of Asylum
Nowhere
Monday, November 23rd
7:00 pm
Adrian and Sebastian live an openly gay life in New York as Immigrants. When Sebastian’s visa is rejected, the two must decide whether to return to Colombia where they face rejection and persecution for their sexual orientation or do whatever is necessary to stay in the United States. Nowhere places its characters within the context of the difficult immigration situation in the US while examining the resulting sense of homelessness and lack of belonging.
The evening includes a talkback with the film’s director and 2 lead actors.
Run time: 120 minutes including talkback
LatinX & Proud! Reading Series Returns
LatinX & Proud! Reading Series
With poets Casandra López and Angela Velez,
musician FeralCat, and surprise host Eloisa Amezcua
Tuesday, November 17
7:00 PM
Our LatinX & Proud! Reading Series is celebrating its first birthday, and one year of empowering local and national Latinx authors and performers. In honor of the occasion, we’ve created a powerhouse lineup of poetry and music and we hope you’ll join the festivities!
This event is in proud partnership with Casa San Jose-Pittsburgh and PEN America’s DREAMing Out Loud project—a series of tuition-free writing workshops for young, undocumented students to amplify the voices of many living in this country who are marginalized because of their immigration status.
¡Ven a celebrar con nosotros! (Come celebrate with us!)
Celebrating Elena Ferrante
A Ferrante Fête
Conversation with translator Ann Goldstein
and publisher Michael Reynolds
Tuesday, November 10
6:00 pm
Elena Ferrante — the nom de plume of an anonymous Italian writer — was named one of TIME Magazine‘s most influential people in 2016 and is frequently touted as a future Nobel Prize-winner. The author of the acclaimed My Brilliant Friend, recently adapted for an HBO series, Elena Ferrante has become one of the world’s most read and beloved writers — and yet, know one knows her true identity.
Fans of Elena Ferrante are also, unknowingly or not, fans of her English translator Ann Goldstein. So, in celebration of the most recent novel, the NY Times best selling The Lying Life of Adults, Ann Goldstein and Michael Reynolds join us in conversation. They will discuss Ferrante’s collection, and the difficulties and rewards of interpreting literature of English-speaking readers. This program is like a masterclass in Elena Ferrante from the two people responsible for bringing her work to the US.
The Lying Life of Adults is a gripping, totally unforgettable novel about the transition from childhood to adolescence to adulthood. It is a gorgeous book and we hope you join us on Tuesday evening to dig in.
Letter from the President – November 2020
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”
– John F. Kennedy
Impossibly, here we are in November with the holiday season on the horizon. The year 2020 has already delivered a lot of tumult, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up. I truly hope that, despite the challenges and uneasiness around us, that everyone is able to find some moments of calm, much to be thankful for, and many joyful celebrations over the remaining weeks of this year.
The Allegheny West Civic Council has had to adapt to the events of 2020 – conducting virtual meetings, cancelling the summer Wine and Garden Tour and the Victorian Christmas House Tour, as well as our neighborhood picnics on Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. The business of AWCC, however, continues largely uninterrupted and I would like to stop and thank a few people who have made that possible:
- Karen Beer edits and then manages the printing and distribution of the Allegheny West Gazette every month.
- Trish Burton compiles the e-Newsletter and delivers it weekly to our inboxes, sometimes more when necessary. Trish also made sure the flower baskets on Western Ave were hung, watered, and paid for this past summer.
- Cathy Serventi, as AWCC Treasurer, makes sure our bills are paid on time and our accounts are in order.
- Sara Beck Sweeney posts pictures on the AWCC Instagram account (@alleghenywest_pgh). Also, as Sergeant-at-Arms, Sara will be Chief Judge of AWCC Elections.
Karen, Trish, Cathy and Sara join a long line of Allegheny West women who give of their precious time to get things done with no drama or fanfare. If you see them around, say thanks! (At a safe social distance of course.)
Iris and Desmond Adams also deserve a big thank you for making a positive difference in our lives. Every Wednesday since April they have hosted a Zoom Dance Party, picking a theme matched with 15 minutes of music. They sing and dance, and make us forget everything we’re worried about – anyone who has joined and danced along understands what a gift that 15 minutes is. (Their parents, Dan and Gretchen, might also deserve a thank you for pulling this off every week!)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, and because being thankful makes us happy, we will take some time at the November 10th Membership Meeting to say thanks. Everyone is encouraged to think of something someone in the neighborhood has done that deserves a thank-you and share it with the rest of us.
Finally, (finally!) the Allegheny West Civic Council Election is on Tuesday, November 10th. An overview of the voting process and the plan to communicate voting updates is outlined in this issue of the Gazette. Please participate in the vote and join the Membership call on the 10th to hear the election results. Note, because of the election, the meeting starts at 8:00 pm instead of 7:30 pm.
Ann Gilligan
President, AWCC
AWCC Informational Meeting – November 10, 2020
Via Zoom (details)
Tuesday, November 10th at 7:45 pm
- 7:45 – Gather, Say Hello
- 8:00 – Update: City of Pittsburgh, Mayor’s Office
- 8:10 – Update: Councilman Wilson’s Office
- 8:20 – Update: Representative Wheatley’s Office
- 8:25 – Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
- 8:30 – AWCC Election Results
- 8:40 – CCAC Institutional Master Plan
- 9:00 – Light of Life Update
- 9:15 – Treasurer’s Report
- 9:20 – Thanks!
- 9:40 – Conclude
The Nominating Committee’s Slate of Officers for 2021
President: Bob Griewahn
Vice President: Carole Gomrick
Treasurer: Aaron Bryan
Corresponding Secretary: Michael Shealey
Sergeant-at-Arms: Colleen Storm
Property Committee: Fran Barbush
Friends of Allegheny West: Trish Burton
Communications Secretary: Cathy Serventi
Officers and Committees Serving a Second Term
Membership Committee: Timothy Zinn
Ways and Means Committee: John DeSantis
Housing and Planning Committee: Robin Zoufalik
Updated: Ballot Additions
Membership: Mitchell Schwartz has been nominated by Elaine Stone to run against Timothy Zinn
Ways and Means: Elaine Stone has been nominated by Mitchell Schwartz to run against John DeSantis
Housing & Planning: Jim Wallace has been nominated by Timothy Zinn to run against Robin Zoufalik