Category Archive: News Wire Services
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Pittsburgh City Council Approves Bill to Inventory War Monuments
Wednesday, June 16, 2010Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh’s public works, planning and parks and recreation departments must inventory war monuments in the city and develop a 10-year maintenance plan under legislation given final approval Tuesday by Pittsburgh City Council.
Council also passed bills creating a trust fund for war monument maintenance citywide and earmarking $20,000 from Council President Darlene Harris’ discretionary funds to repair a Troy Hill monument run over by a minivan in February.
Mrs. Harris, who sponsored the bills, said she saw a need to improve memorial care because little has been done so far to repair the Troy Hill landmark.
City officials have said the restoration of that monument has been delayed by legal and insurance issues involving the minivan driver. Under Mrs. Harris’ legislation, any money recouped from that case will be used to maintain other memorials on the North Side.
The trust fund will hold money the city budgets or receives to care for war monuments citywide. Under an amendment Mrs. Harris offered at the meeting, the fund also will hold money used to repair monuments to “citizen soldiers,” such as police and other public-safety servants.
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Hill District to Rediscover Itself Via ‘Greenprint’
Wednesday, June 16, 2010By Meredith Skrzypczak, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteHill District residents gathered on a street corner Tuesday as a banner hung above with the words “the village, the woods” written around a picture of the neighborhood.
Plans for community projects that will preserve and sustain the natural and built-up landscape of the Hill were unveiled before the crowd.
Some of those Hill District Greenprint projects include creating a new entrance to Cliffside Park on Cliff Street and a public plaza from Centre Avenue to Kirkpatrick and Centre and Heldman; and cleaning and repairing city steps so residents can move about easily within and outside of the neighborhood.
Terri Baltimore, vice president of neighborhood development for the Hill House Association, said residents of the Hill District should be “rejoicing.”
“A lot of us that live and work in the Hill know the beauty of the neighborhood.”
Phyllis Jackson, 53, has lived on the Hill most of her life and said the projects will bring a new sense of pride to the community.
“We’re trying to put value back in the land,” said Walter Hood, principal of Hood Design and lead consultant for the Hill District Greenprint initiative.
Mr. Wood, who called the Hill one of the greenest pieces of landscape in Pittsburgh, is working with the existing landscape and developing projects that will sustain and transform it.
A Hill District resident for most of her life, Renee Pritchett, 60, said it helps to see the plans. And while there is still work to be done, she said she’s excited that residents can finally start looking ahead with hope for the community.
“Because of outside (negative) influences, it was hard to capture the hope that this brings,” she said. “That has been negated now.”
The project offers an environmentally friendly agenda that will also spark development, said Denys Candy, community development consultant and co-founder of Find the Rivers!, a group that works to develop green spaces in the neighborhood. Most of the projects will hopefully begin within months, he said.
Ms. Jackson said the projects are long overdue, but is happy efforts are finally getting under way.
“We’re doing something today.”
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Community Groups Seek Input on City Spending
Wednesday, June 16, 2010By Joe Smydo, Pittsburgh Post-GazetteAbout two dozen Pittsburgh residents and community leaders showed up at the City-County Building this morning to demand more public input and other changes to the city’s capital budget process.
Many attended a press conference by Councilman Ricky Burgess, who has introduced bills to ensure that more city dollars are spent in poor neighborhoods and to ensure that community groups get a bigger say in which projects get funded.
Community groups are the “ground troops,” Mr. Burgess said. “They are in the best position to tell us what the needs are.”
Black Political Empowerment Project and North Side Coalition For Fair Housing said they supported Mr. Burgess’ legislation.
Ronell Guy, coalition executive director, said North Side neighborhoods aren’t getting their fair share of city and federal investment dollars, even as other neighborhoods thrive.
“There’s no way we can keep up with the limited resources that we have,” she said.
Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak also has introduced legislation to refine the capital planning process and give the public greater input.
Aggie Brose, deputy director of Bloomfield-Garfield Corp., said she’s pleased that two council members are “singing the same song.”
Both council members’ legislation will be discussed at council’s standing committee meeting today.
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Brookline School’s Garden Nurtures Students’ Senses
By Jodi Weigand
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Wednesday, June 16, 2010Pioneer school in Brookline on Tuesday formally dedicated one of the area’s first sensory gardens located at a public school.
The gardens provide people with intellectual and developmental disabilities a range of sounds, sights, textures and smells. Pioneer serves about 75 children and adults ages 5 to 21 with rare disabilities and special medical needs.
“What an important prototype this is going to become for our entire region,” said Judy Wagner, senior director of the community garden and green space program for the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which helped design the garden. “This is a very special example of how greenery can really improve the lives of everyone.”
Pioneer’s garden, on about an acre of land in the school’s backyard, has textured plants and brightly colored, fragrant blooms. It features a fountain, hummingbird feeders, swings and benches. Still to be installed are vine canopies over some of the walkways, outdoor musical instruments and raised planters for students to use. A $100,000 grant from the Edith L. Tress Charitable Trust funded the gardens.
“Students will be able to grow fruits and vegetables, and we’ll harvest those for (a course called) activities of daily living, where they learn how to cook and shop and store food,” said Principal Sylbia Kunst. “Our teachers will develop lessons using different parts of the sensory garden.”
Chris Hutchin of Carrick said she’s glad her son Jimi, 14, who has attended the school since 2000, will get to spend more time outdoors.
“A big part of the kids’ growth is being outside,” she said.
When designing the garden, Pioneer officials and the architect sought input from organizations such as the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children and Allegheny Valley School, which both have sensory gardens.
“They can encourage imagination or stress release (or) if someone needs to have more stimulation because they’re lethargic,” said Carol Erzen, director of training and staff development at Allegheny Valley School, which provides therapeutic programs to adults and children with disabilities. “It’s a place to truly enjoy nature.”
Kunst said having a secure, handicapped accessible garden at Pioneer will provide more learning opportunities.
“This is another way for our kids to be involved,” she said.
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Fund Set Up to Pay for Pittsburgh Monument Maintenance
By Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Last updated: 1:33 pmPittsburgh City Council today approved setting up a trust fund to bankroll maintenance to monuments and war memorials in the North Side.
Establishing the account was part of several bills introduced last week by Council President Darlene Harris after people and veterans groups complained that many of the markers had fallen into disrepair.
Harris set aside $40,000 from money left in a 2001 account for projects in her district and money originally dispersed in 1996 for community development for her district.
Council also approved a measure charging the city’s Public Works, Parks and Recreation and City Planning departments to prepare an inventory of the war monuments and memorials throughout the city in order to create a 10-year maintenance plan to be included in the 2011 capital budget.
There are more than a dozen monuments and war memorials in Harris’ district of 13 neighborhoods and more than 60 citywide.
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Fountains, Graffiti Wall Suggested for Mellon Park Overhaul
By Adam Brandolph
PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Tuesday, June 15, 2010Water fountains, more seating, new sidewalks and a graffiti wall were some of the ideas mentioned Monday night as residents met with city officials and community leaders to plan for a major overhaul of Mellon Park in Shadyside.
Despite recently completed work and projects in the planning stage, the meeting at the Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside brought together interested parties in a single setting for the first time since the original plan was completed in 2002.
“We know this is a park for Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and Point Breeze. … But it’s also a park for Homewood, East Liberty, East Pittsburgh … and people who get off buses to enjoy this park,” said City Councilman Bill Peduto.
The 35-acre park was bequeathed to the city by the Mellon family estate. Its location at the intersection of Penn and Fifth avenues makes the park easily accessible by public transportation.
Recent upgrades include new lighting and a public art installation. Work is nearly complete on a wall garden, and officials spoke last night of new restrooms and a spray park for children.
“Designing a process for a master plan depends on what you want to get out of it,” Susan Radermacher, curator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, told about 60 people at the meeting. “Always, it should start looking at the history of the place, how it’s being used today and what we’d like to see moving forward.”
Residents voiced concern over noise from the park and limited parking.
“I really hope they can take advantage of all the beauty and the great location of the park,” said Marie Schnitzer of Shadyside. “It’s a wonderful community asset and I think residents not only have plenty of suggestions, but probably the answers.”
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Scottdale Revitalization Committee Studying Designs for Borough Signs
By Rachel R. Basinger
FOR THE DAILY COURIER
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Last updated: 7:10 amThe Scottdale Town Center Revitalization Committee is studying the prospect of designing signs for the downtown area of the borough that will help direct visitors as well as provide historic information.
Jim Pallygus, chairman of the board of directors for the STCRC, told council Monday the committee was hoping to put about $3,900 toward the purchase of street signs, historical signs and possibly other types of signs throughout the borough.
“I was hoping we could get permission to begin designing some of the signs, such as the logo, the font, the size, etc., and then when we have something concrete we would bring it back to you for your input or recommendation,” Pallygus said.
Councilman Andy Pinskey presented a motion that requests the STCRC committee work with members of council’s public services committee and then come back to council with recommendations.
In other business Monday, council appointed Michael Mlay to the Parks and Recreation Commission. Pinskey voted against the appointment. Mlay will finish the term of Scott Miller, who recently resigned. The term expires May 1, 2011.
Mlay said he and his wife moved to Scottdale in 2008. He is a high school teacher in Greene County, and his wife is a teacher in the Ligonier Valley School District. He said they moved to the borough because it was a central location to both districts.
“We looked at all the different local communities, and what drew us to Scottdale was the parks,” he said. “There are so many that are so close, and they’re all so beautiful and so nice.”
Because this is now his home, Mlay said he and his wife plan to stay here and want to begin getting involved and setting down roots.
Resident Duane Huffman also had sent the borough a letter of interest about filling the vacancy, but he was not present at the meeting.
Because he was not in attendance to talk about his interest in the position, the majority of council voted to fill the spot with Mlay.
Pinskey said he voted no because Huffman didn’t have the opportunity to talk to council.
Because of the death of Mayor Chuck King’s wife, Nellie King, on Sunday, members of council recessed the meeting after public comment so they could visit the funeral home to give their condolences.
The meeting was recessed at 6:45 p.m.
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Thousands to Take to Ohio’s Banks Saturday for River Sweep
By Rossilynne Skena
VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Monday, June 14, 2010Pat Walters grew up on the Allegheny River. She remembers a time when she swam the river every day.
As the public has become more aware of the river’s dangers, however, people don’t do that anymore.
Still, Walters is passionate about the river and about keeping it clean. She is secretary of Natrona Comes Together Association and organizer of Natrona’s river sweep.
On Saturday, she’ll be one of thousands of volunteers to participate in River Sweep. Volunteers will descend the banks of the Ohio River and its tributaries, spanning six states to the Ohio River’s end in Illinois, said Betsy Mallison, the state’s River Sweep coordinator. The Ohio River Sweep program began in 1989.
Over the years, Walters has noticed an improvement in the riverfront. Volunteers are keeping it clean, and they’re not finding tires, toilets, bicycles and shopping carts along the riverbank anymore.
Mallison said water quality has improved, fish have come back and more people are using the river.
But even today, she said, trash is left behind by people using the rivers and by contractors.
“While we’ve seem river conditions drastically improve over those 20 years,” Mallison said, “we still need to do some work out on the rivers and their banks.”
This year at the Natrona site, volunteers will paint guardrails, cut grass and pull weeds, Walters said. Volunteers with the Natrona Comes Together Association have already planted about a dozen wooden planters of flowers and shrubbery, she said.
Dennis Hawley, president of the Crooked Creek Watershed Association, said he’s found everything from car fenders to couches in his 10 years taking part in river sweep. His area covers Crooked Creek, a tributary of the Allegheny River, which is, in turn, a tributary of the Ohio River.
John Linkes, director of the Kiskiminetas Watershed and Roaring Run Watershed, said he began volunteering in 1999, after realizing how illegal dumping contaminated local waterways and well water. In his time volunteering, he’s seen tires and refrigerators dumped near local waterways.
But, he said, he has a sense of well-being after having contributed to cleaning up the environment.
“For that one shiny, bright moment, those four hours, we leave that area a little bit cleaner,” Linkes said. “And the sun seems to be shining a little bit more.”
Sweeping the banksVolunteers for the Ohio River Sweep on Saturday should wear old, comfortable clothes and shoes or boots that can get dirty, according to River Sweep’s website. Close-toed shoes are recommended. Trash bags and gloves will be provided.
No pre-registration is required, but volunteers must sign a waiver of liability to participate, and anyone younger than 18 must have parental permission to take part.
Refreshments and a T-shirt will be provided.
Valley River SweepsHere’s a list of River Sweeps in the Alle-Kiski Valley on Saturday. Refreshments and a T-shirt will be provided.
• Natrona section of Harrison: Meet at the pavilion on Veterans Way
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Bethel Township: Crooked Creek site at Rosston Boat Launch, off of
Ross Avenue
8 a.m. to noon
• Parks Township: Garvers Ferry Road
8 a.m. to noon
• Braeburn section of Lower Burrell: Chartiers Run, Braeburn Road