News Around the Neighborhood
Spring Choral Concert @ Calvary Churb
Letter from the President – June 2018
So what are you doing on Tuesday evening?
Join your neighbors on Tuesday, June 12th at 7:30 pm at Calvary Church for the June meeting of the Allegheny West Civic Council. Each month this is where we make decisions about our neighborhood – decisions that in ways both small and large will affect you. And we always have a good time socializing and enjoying refreshments.
Everyone is welcome – second Tuesday of each month, 7:30 p, in the Calvary Church social hall, corner of Beech and Allegheny Avenues (use the Beech Avenue entrance). The meeting is usually over by 9:00 p,. It’s also a great way for newer folks to meet your neighbors and get involved! We hope to see you on Tuesday evening!
AWCC Membership Meeting Agenda – June 12, 2018
Calvary United Methodist Church, 971 Beech Ave
Tuesday, June 12th at 7:30 pm
- Visitors
- Councilwoman Harris’s Office
- Mayor Peduto’s Office
- Representative Wheatley’s Office
- Zone One Police
- Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
- New Neighbors & Guests
- Minutes
- Treasurer’s Report
- Membership
- Volunteers for 4th of July Picnic
- Ways and Means
- 2018 Wine & Garden Tour (June 22 and 23, Signature Event)
- 2018 Alleys, Axles & Ales (September 29)
- Friends of Allegheny West
- Clean Up
- Flower Baskets
- Property
- Housing and Planning
- Allegheny Center Master Action Plan
- Parking and Traffic
- North Avenue Lighting
- Western Avenue Revitalization, Electric
- Western Avenue Proposals: former Shamrock letter of support
- Light of Life Ridge Avenue Project
- Expansion of Historic District
- Historic District Enforcement Issues (old cases)
- Comprehensive Guidelines for New Construction on Vacant Sites
- Airbnb Issues/Impacts on AW
- Railroad Bridge Replacements, Double Stack Train Impacts
- Allegheny Center Master Plan
- North Shore Impacts
- Northside Leadership Conference
- Other Business (Old & New)
Mark Your Calendars
Please save the date: June 26th 5:00 – 8:00 pm (location TBD) for the first public information sharing session about the North Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and Allegheny Commons Pedestrian Bridge work. This meeting will be hosted by Norfolk Southern Railroad and the City of Pittsburgh. More details to come. Follow up at https://www.pittsburghparks.org. For the time being save the date and share with your neighbors!
Fourth Annual Allegheny West Art Show
Submitted by Dennis Bergevin
The 4th annual Allegheny West Art Show and Sale was a resounding success thanks to all the artists, neighbors and friends who attended. A whopping $1,800+ was raised through generous donations and raffle ticket sales of donated artwork benefitting the Allegheny YMCA children’s Summer Day Camp program. Over 200 folks packed the art-filled space of the former Hipwell Flashlight Factory, graciously hosted again this year by owners Elaine Stone and Mitchell Schwartz.
Music, magnanimously mastered by DJ Dan Adam, delightfully accented the Friday evening opening party. Generous funds provided by Joe and Linda Iannotta, Holly Van Dine, and the AWCC, along with delicious food donated by the Allegheny Sandwich Shop – as well as neighbors and friends – helped make it a true community event.
Much gratitude goes to F. L. Haus Co. for donating the printing of the posters designed by the talented duo, Greg Coll and Doris Short. Many thanks to all who gave their time and expertise including Sara Beck Sweeney, Holly Pultz, Chris Siewers, Jonathan Steinhauser, Nicki Perfetti, Ritsu Shimizu, Barb Magee, Doug Schreck, Glenn Olcerst, Eleanor Coleman, Hillary Moser, and Ann Gilligan.
Allegheny West Neighbors of the Year: Doris Short & Greg Coll
Allegheny West Civic Council proudly announces our 2018 Neighbors of the Year, Doris Short and Greg Coll.
Doris and Greg started volunteering for neighborhood events even before living in Allegheny West. In 2012 they met some future neighbors who invited them to one of the Allegheny West house tours. Before long, they were designing the tour booklets, serving as tour guides and roasting corn at the annual picnic!
After taking the Allegheny West Christmas House Tour the couple decided they wanted to live in the neighborhood. They say that they were very impressed with the homes on the tour as well as the historical knowledge of the homeowners and tour guide. They patiently waited for the right house to become available and, in 2015, moved into their home on W North Avenue. The first year after moving in, their home was on the Christmas Tour.
Doris teaches Graphic Design and Greg owns his own Creative Design business, Greg Coll Design. They are now the go-to team for most Allegheny West publications, including tour programs, tour guides, logos, posters and postcards. They also generously work to provide photography and solicit advertisers for the tour programs.
Greg and Doris are very interested in history in general and Pittsburgh history in particular. Doris’ artwork, which pays tribute to Allegheny West Notable Women – Gertrude Stein, Mary Roberts Rinehart and Mary Cassatt, was accepted to the 2017 Three Rivers Arts Festival’s Juried Visual Art Exhibition.
Greg created Christmas ornaments featuring significant historical Pittsburgh residents for their Christmas tree (a big hit with tour-goers!)
In fast order Doris and Greg have become an integral part of Allegheny West, donating their time, talent and generous spirit to positively impact the neighborhood. They will be honored at the Northside Leadership Council’s annual dinner on June 14, at the Priory Grand Hall. For more information on how to obtain tickets to this event, visit the NSLC’s website: http://www.pittsburghnorthside.com/.
Alleys, Axles and Ales
The next meeting of the Alleys, Axles, and Ales tour will be Monday, June 11th at 844 N Lincoln Avenue at 7:00 pm. If you would like to volunteer, you are able to sign up at http://goo.gl/gVBCBg or email Cecile Canales at ccanales2@comcast.net. Volunteers are needed to direct traffic, to help at the Cars ’n Coffee table, to deliver and pick up kegs and ice, to make chili and cornbread for the after party and to set up and clean up at the after party. Please speak with garage/car owner before signing up to volunteer at a garage/beer stop. The tour is scheduled to be held September 29th from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm. Cars’ coffee will be from 9:00 am to 11:00 am.
Alleys, Axles & Ales Meeting Agenda: June 11th
- Ticket Sales
- Garages and Cars
- Cars ’n Coffee
- Breweries
- Promotions and Advertising
- Volunteers
- After Party
A meeting of the Beer Selection Committee for the Alleys, Axles, and Ales tour will be held Monday, June 18th at 844 N Lincoln Avenue at 7:00 pm.
Beer Selection Committee Meeting Agenda: June 18th
- Garages and Beer stops
- Selection of Beers and Breweries
- Program Write-ups
- Volunteers
Wine Tour Clean Up Reminder
Tour-goers will be walking through our neighborhood the weekend of June 22nd – 23rd, traveling along Brighton Road, N Lincoln Avenue, Galveston Avenue, North Avenue, Beech and Allegheny Avenues, as well as Rope Way.
Please begin now to pull weeds in front of your property and to fill a bag or two with trash, old leaves and other “street” debris along the tour route so that we can put our best face forward. Should you need trash bags or gloves, please contact Trish Burton, (412) 523-9402 or tdburton3@gmail.com.
Also, if you intend to plant flower boxes or urns in front of your property, please consider doing so before the tour so that our guests have a lovely walk between host houses. Thanks in advance for helping to beautify Allegheny West!
Thanks to Babb Employees!
Once again, a group of Babb employees devoted their “Day of Caring” to Allegheny West, helping Diane Caruso, Cathy Serventi and Trish Burton at the Parklet at Brighton Road and Western Avenue, pulling (many!) weeds, mulching and transplanting perennials, planting all of those zinnias, begonias and sweet potato vines. Several also helped to weed and mulch tree wells in the 800 block of Western Avenue, in addition to picking up litter. Thanks, too, to Carole Malakoff and Eleanor Coleman for donating annuals and perennials to the Parklet.
We could not have accomplished what we did without you. Thank you!
Bangladesh in Art and Words
Displacement & Belonging:
Ali Asgar and Tuhin Das
Thursday, June 28th
8:00 pm
Join Bangladeshi transdisciplinary artist and cultural producer Ali Asgar, and City of Asylum exiled writer-in-residence Tuhin Das as they discuss their experiences leaving Bangladesh, living in the US as displaced artists, and how displacement has affected their creative work.
Ali will present their current project No One Home, a work constructed around the concept of human interactivity, displacement, trauma, and queer identity. The key intention of this interactive performance piece is to find the meaning of home and belonging.
Tuhin will read an excerpt from his forthcoming poetry manuscript. The discussion will be followed by an audience Q&A. The event will be presented in Bengali, with simultaneous interpretation into English.
The event is presented in collaboration with PEN America and the Artists at Risk Connection (ARC).
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