News Around the Neighborhood
Discounted Tickets for Northsiders
New Hazlett Theater September 23 | 8PM
Rick Sebak, John Fetterman, DS Kinsel, LaKeisha Wolf, Tami Dixon and Carl Kurlander take to the New Hazlett stage to share true stories from and inspired by Pittsburgh. Patrick Jordan hosts this unforgettable evening.Northsiders can reserve their tickets for only $15
Discount Code: GetThere [ebor_button style=”pumpkin” url=”https://www.showclix.com/event/thereFromHere”] Reserve Your Seats Now [/ebor_button]Allegheny Commons Volunteer Event
Hey Friends!
We are still looking for more volunteers for next week’s Allegheny Commons Volunteer Event! We will be doing some weeding, mulching and litter pick up from 5:00-7:00 pm on Thursday, September 22nd. Come out, even if it’s just for 20 minutes and join us!
We only have 3 folks signed up thus far, I am looking for at least 15! Register here.
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions! Thanks and SEE YOU IN THE PARK =)
Erin Tobin
Community Outreach Coordinator
Jazz Poetry Month Begins This Week…
Jazz Poetry Month
Week One Featured Musicians:
Oliver Lake
Hamiet Bluiett
Roger Humphries
and The World Saxophone Quartet
Due to a delay in opening Alphabet City, this weekend’s concerts will be held in our Alphabet City Tent at 318 Sampsonia Way.
Week One of Jazz Poetry Month Has Sax to the Max!
Jazz Poetry Month begins this week with a stellar line-up of distinguished musicians and sax-driven jazz performances. If you love the cool sounds of the saxophone at its best, this is a week not to be missed!
Jazz Poetry Month begins this Thursday, September 15th with a concert featuring legendary jazz great, saxophonist Oliver Lake as he debuts new and original poetry and jazz!
On Friday, September 16th, see hometown favorite drummer Roger Humphries share the stage with renowned baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bliuett. Hamiet has been itching to share the stage with Roger ever since he saw Roger play three unique sets during the 2007’s Jazz Poetry concert. This year, the two talents finally take the stage together at last!
Round off your weekend on Saturday, September 17th with international jazz sensations, The World Saxophone Quartet. Oliver Lake and Hamiet Bluiett unite with saxophonists David Murray and Bruce Williams for a mind-blowing union of talents.
Make your weekend sax-tacular!
[ebor_button style=”pomegranate” url=”http://www.alphabetcity.org”] View Upcoming Events and RSVP for Free Tickets [/ebor_button]
Letter from the President – September 2016
I always think of the summer time as a busy time in the neighborhood: there always so many fun and interesting things to choose from I never feel like I have enough time even with the extra daylight hours. But looking through this month’s Gazette (and the blessedly small) space left for the President’s message, I realize that there’s no such thing as quiet time around here. Not only are we in the middle of two(!) tours, but work has started on the photo/video House History project headed by Doris, Greg, Nick and Natasha; we’re moving forward on implementing the plans that came out the of the Buhl Foundation grant; lots of decisions need to be made about the parklet garden before we put it to bed for the season; and Gloria and Housing & Planning are dragging the Western Ave. project (kicking & screaming) into completion. Projects like these are opportunities for you to put your own stamp on the future direction the neighborhood; whether you’re the more social type or are happier hiding behind a keyboard (like I am right now!). We always get a better outcome when we have lots of people willing to apply their own various expertise to any given problem that we need to solve. Please (PLEASE) reach out to the various people who have stuck their neck out and taken the lead on these projects and offer your time and talent.
Catherine Serventi
President, AWCC
AWCC Membership Meeting Agenda – September 13, 2016
Calvary United Methodist Church, 971 Beech Ave
Tuesday, September 13th at 7:30pm
- Visitor: Carnegie Science Center
- Visitors: City of Pittsburgh
- New Neighbors
- Minutes
- Treasurer’s Report & Finalize Budget
- Bylaws
- Housing and Planning Updates
- Western Ave
- Light of Light
- AWDC Updates: 928 Western
- Property: 806 Western Improvements
- Ways and Means
- Final report about the Wine Tour
- Christmas Tour
- Friends
- Cleanups!
- Membership Events
- Mixer: Friday, September 16 at Peppi’s
- Alleys, Axles and Ales
- Committee Q&A
Above & Beyond
A quick shout out to the UPMC IT department who I came across mulching the Western PA Conservancy garden that is managed locally by Trish and Holly. Also, as the summer comes to an end, thanks to Scott and all the folks helping him make the summer picnics, one of the longest running traditions in the neighborhood, a success. It takes a ton folks chipping in for things like set-up, clean-up, drink runs and BBQ transport to pull those off. Thanks to everyone who lent a hand.
Host a (Free)Lending Library Box
Little Free Libraries (LFL) are “take a book, return a book” gathering places where neighbors share their favorite literature and stories. In its most basic form, a LFL is a box full of books where anyone may stop by and pick up a book (or two) and bring back another book to share. The One Northside Education Strategy Team — consisting of Northside community members — wanted to develop a project that demonstrates that the Northside is a community where reading and writing are valued by children, youth and adults. The LFL project was designed to demonstrate this spirit.
The LFL project is underway with students at Pittsburgh Brashear and Pittsburgh Perry building and decorating LFLs. We are now ready to donate these LFLs to one pilot site in each of our 18 Northside neighborhoods in hopes of cross-community engagement and easier book access. If you host a library you’ll be responsible for:
- Maintenance/repairs to Little Free Libraries
- Installation of Library
If you’re interested in hosting a box, please contact Tad Wissel at tad@slbradio.org or Debra Smallwood at debra.smallwood0163@gmail.com.
Note: Tad did check with the HRC and Zoning and as long as the libraries aren’t attached to a house or fence, zoning and permitting consider them a mailbox so they don’t require any special permitting etc.
Proposed Amendment to the AWCC Constitution and Bylaws
Below please find the proposed amendment to the AWCC Constitution and Bylaws from the July 12, 2016 AWCC meeting.
First paragraph of Duties of Officers should be changed to read (changes highlighted in bold):
“The President shall preside at all meetings of the Council and Executive Committee, and shall be ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
HeThe President may appoint special committees, and shall perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office. The President along with the Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget for presentation at the June meeting for the fiscal year beginning in July. The budget will be voted on at the July membership meeting.”
Implementation: According to Article XII Bylaws, the amendment may be adopted upon presentation in writing of the proposed change at one regular meeting, and the publication in the Allegheny West Gazette, and a ⅔ vote concurring at the next regular meeting (September 13, 2016 at 7:30 pm).
Allegheny West Rejuvenation Plan
Submitted by Gloria Rayman
A new ad hoc committee is being formed by the Allegheny West Civic Council to focus on four areas of improvement across the entire neighborhood: street trees and sidewalks; lighting; traffic calming on W North Avenue and Brighton Road; and the Mary Cassatt Garden (the garden area in the on-ramp to the Fort Duquesne Bridge).
A preliminary study was conducted based on input from neighbors starting with a public meeting conducted last September by Pashek & Associates, a landscape architecture firm located on East Ohio Street and the designers of the Western Avenue Renewed streetscape improvement project. The plan has been reviewed and discussed (at times with great emotion) for almost a year at various Civic Council meetings and the AWCC Housing & Planning committee meetings.
At the July AWCC membership meeting, five motions were voted upon in order to continue this valuable planning process that will hopefully allow us to have “shovel ready” projects — projects that have been discussed, options researched, funding researched, with preliminary membership approval — so that when funding does become available, we are ready to go. Funds can be made available from various sources very quickly with very little notice given and very little time to respond so it’s of the utmost importance that we have our projects ready to go when the money is available.
There are still lots of details to line up for each part of the plan! Participation from neighbors on every block is strongly encouraged — don’t let these decisions up to your neighbors without your input (we all know how that works…). Seriously, if you’ve ever had a thought about how to make your neighborhood a little better but didn’t want to jump in with both feet, this is the project for you. Your opinions and expertise are needed to make this a reality that works for the whole neighborhood. We’re looking for neighbors to take part in this process.
And you don’t have to participate in all four areas of the plan — if you want to help craft the plan for new trees and sidewalk repairs throughout the neighborhood but don’t care about the rest of the options — no problem! I’ll be sure you get invited to the tree and sidewalk meetings. The only stipulation is that you actually live or work in the neighborhood — you don’t have to be a property owner to participate. Or even a member of the Civic Council. So if you would to be a part of this exciting new plan, please email me (glowalks@comcast.net) and I’ll send you out the preliminary study for your review. If you have any specific areas of interest and want to let me know that I’ll slot you onto the subcommittee of your choice.
House History Project Ready to Be Viewed Online
Submitted by Nick Smerker
The Neighborhood History section of alleghenywest.org is finally online! The first 20 house histories that were graciously shared by our neighbors were digitized by Pitt’s Archives Service Center in early summer and work to turn them into web-friendly, interactive features on each home wrapped up just a few days ago. It’s possible now to view the histories by street and to delve into information about historical owners by family. We’ve also had each of the properties photographed from the street by Chris Siewers, so it’ll be easy for visitors to identify homes they are interested in on the fly.
Next steps will include shoring up the last of the linked supplementary materials, adding photos and other non-text materials from the histories and getting interior and detail shots of the homes.
Also still to come: this entire cache of histories will be joining the Historic Pittsburgh site when it re-launches this Fall. Thanks so much to everyone who’s shared their house history. If you have one and would like to get involved with the project, feel free to email webmaster@allegehenywest.org or stop by the council office!