BLOGSKI

Here’s your chance to walk across the Bridge of Sighs–without going to jail–and to explore and learn about the architectural significance of two of Pittsburgh’s most famous downtown landmarks.

Register for the Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation’s walking tour on Saturday, March 20, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.  The tour will explore the Allegheny County Courthouse and former Jail (H. H. Richardson, 1884-88) and the City-County Building (designed by Henry Hornbostel, 1915-17).  Visitors will also hear about the green roof planned for the County Office Building Annex.

Meeting Location: Richard Caliguiri statue, 414 Grant Street, Downtown
Fee: $10 for PHLF Members (or students).  $20 for non-members.

Email your tour reservation to marylu@phlf.org.  Space is limited.

For a complete schedule of special events in 2010, visit the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks website (click on “Tours & Events”).

April is the month of One Book, One Community and the Carnegie Library wanted to be sure to let the Polish Hill community know about One Book events at the nearby Lawrenceville Library.  This year Allegheny County chose the book, “A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson.

Sunday, April 11th 10:30am
Join Carnegie Library for a walk in Lawrenceville’s woods, Allegheny Cemetery.  A guided walking tour meets at Butler Street Entrance of the Allegheny Cemetery.  The tour is free, but please call 412-682-3668 to register.  All ages welcome!

Monday, April 12th, 5:00pm
One Book One Community Adult Book Discussion:  ”A Walk in the Woods” by Bill Bryson, at the Lawrenceville Library.

Saturday, April 17th 11:00 am
Family Fun: One Book Celebration for children and adults.  Storytime, Crafts, Games, and other activities to celebrate One Book One Community

The Lawrenceville branch of the Carnegie Library is located at 279 Fisk Street (between 40th and Main); for more information, call 412.682.3668.

(Photo from the Father Pitt blog archive)

We now have order forms for Redstone Easter Candies, and there’s a long, yummy-sounding list of items to choose from:

1-lb. eggs in fruit and nut, maple nut, peanut butter, or coconut (10.95 ea)

14 oz eggs in chocolate nut, fudge nut, or chocolate coconut (10.95 ea)

Foiled eggs (11 oz. box/7.95)

Chocolate covered pretzels (8 oz./7.95)

Solid milk or white chocolate rabbit, hen, bear, or cross (5 oz./4.50)

Solid milk or white chocolate rabbit (10 oz./7.95, 15oz./9.95, or 26 oz./14.95)

Chocolate covered marshmallows (10 oz./8.95)

Fruit, spiced, or black jelly beans (24 oz./5.50)

Peanut butter logs (10 oz./8.95)

Gummi strawberry fish (16 oz. jar/6.50)

Stop by the Polish Hill Civic Association office and pick up a form. Orders and payment are due back by March 18. Download a flyer here or the order form here

Allegheny County Courts sent out a press release warning that scam artists are posing as court employees, calling people and informing them that they have missed jury duty, or simply to ask about jury duty availability. After that, the caller sometimes asks for information like date of birth, social security number and credit card or bank account information.

The release stresses that county court employees do not solicit, and never ask for personal information.

Anyone receiving such a call is asked to contact the Office of Jury Management at 412-350-5336 and local law enforcement.

PA Women Work’s annual career conference is coming up and we would like to invite all job seekers to register for this day long event. UPMC and PNC Bank will be there recruiting, but it is MORE than a job fair – it is a full conference with speakers, workshops, mock interviews, resume review, chair massages, shopping and BREAKFAST and LUNCH! Only $5 for all day. Preregistration deadline is March 15th.

Reshaping Your Future Career Conference
Sat. March 27, 2010
8 am – 2:30 pm
PNC Firstside Center, 500 First Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Registration/Questions – 412-281-9240
Career Conference 2010 registration form

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, our good neighbors on Liberty Avenue, is turning 40 this year. Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre is calling on local artists to turn pointe shoes into works of art. Inspired by the theme of Swan Lake, artists are invited to design a pair of pointe shoes using any medium and materials they choose.

The top 20 designs will be displayed in the lobby of the Benedum Center during the dress rehearsal and performances of Swan Lake, April 15-18, where they will be auctioned off, via silent auction, with all proceeds benefiting Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

Pointe shoes to be displayed in the lobby of the Benedum Center during dress rehearsals and performances, April 15-18.

RULES FOR SUBMISSIONS:

• Open to all professional artists in the Pittsburgh area.
• PBT will provide the pointe shoes, and participating artists may contact Mandy Wilson at 412-454-9119 or mwilson@pittsburghballet.org to make arrangements to pick them up at the PBT studios at 2900 Liberty Avenue. Shoes must be picked up by Friday, April 9th.
• The 20 selected designs will be displayed at the Benedum Center.
• Designs can weigh a maximum of 10 lbs, with a maximum height of 3 ft, and maximum
width of 1 ft.
• Artists are asked to return their finished product to the PBT studios by Monday, April 12th.
• The 20 selected works will be chosen by a panel of judges from the Pittsburgh art community.
• The selected artists will be contacted and announced on Wednesday, April 14th.

For additional information, please contact Mandy Wilson at 412-454-9119; mwilson@pittsburghballet.org Or Bear Brandegee at 412-454-9117; bbrandegee@pittsburghballet.org.

In honor of Pittsburgh’s designation as the North American host city for the United Nations’ World Environment Day on June 5, Pittsburgh Glass Center will host a local juried exhibition of artwork about the environment.  Using their hands and three basic elements – sand, soda and flux – 28 artists create, influence, advocate and comment on the current state of the earth.

The exhibition runs from  March 5th to June 13th, and the opening reception is from 6-8 pm on March 5th.  The Pittsburgh Glass Center is located at 5472 Penn Avenue in Lawrenceville.

This from a Port Authority press release:  Several bus routes will use temporary stops in Downtown due to construction work at Smithfield & Seventh Avenue starting Monday, March 1, at 7 p.m.

The work will close one of two lanes on Seventh Avenue near its intersection with Smithfield Street — alongside the Chamber of Commerce Building. The lane will be closed between Smithfield and William Penn Place.

All bus stops in this area will be discontinued and temporary stops will be served.

The work will impact 14 Port Authority routes, including the EBA, 28X Airport Flyer and 33x West Busway All Stops. Also, Westmoreland Transit Route 4 and the Myers’ Coach Lines – Butler/Pittsburgh Commuter will be impacted by the work.

The changes are scheduled to last about five months.  Riders may obtain details about the detours by visiting the Port Authority website.

… and snows and snows and snows. Sort of like that Bunny with a drum, it just keeps snowing and snowing. February has broken snowfall records. We have now set the bar at over 40″, and we still have another day to go to finish out the month and it’s still snowing. But we have some heroes on our side during the 2010 Snowpocalypse, neighbors that have gone above and beyond.

Meet PHCA’s Winter Team, some of whom are out there on the streets of Polish Hill right now -

Leslie Clague
Terry Dolughty
Myra Faliz
Tom Hendricks
Jennifer Kirk
Karen Lillis
Josiah Parkinson
Josie Ramsey
Brian Seklecki
Patrick Singleton
Joe Tushak

Our Winter Team has been out daily since February 5, armed with shovels and sheer willpower. While other neighborhoods were immobilized with shock, these individuals put their back into it and made Polish Hill a safer neighborhood. Over the course of the last three weeks the Winter Team has been responsible for -

Clearing accumulation from the Monument on Brereton so that pedestrians could walk around the corner without needing to enter the street.
Cleared snow from blocking the cross walk across from Harmar St
Cleared sidewalks on Dobson from Brereton to Harmar
Pathways were cut through two separate snow piles blocking the staircase on upper Brereton.
Cleared the sidewalk on upper Brereton above the steps to the corner of Herron.
Cleared half the distance between Brereton and Phelan.
Cleared Phelan to Paulowna
Paulowna to 30th
30th to 28th St bridge
Bottom of Herron staircase to the EBA
Breezeway next to the PHCA
3100 Brereton
3102 Brereton
3062 Brereton
Pedestrian Tunnel (under Bigelow) steps / both sides
Bigelow Walkway steps
Herron to Dobson staircase
Cleared snow from the Doson/Herron staircase
Cleared snow on the Hancock staircase
Cleared the 28th St. bridge, down to Liberty Ave
Cleared the Herron Bridge to Liberty Ave.
Cleared the pedestrian walkway over Bigelow Blvd.

Our stars deserve a round of applause. If Staffski could, she would give them all medals. For instance –

Joe Tushak – Gold medal for the best kept sidewalk in Polish Hill
Patrick & Jennifer – Gold and world record holders for couples shoveling
Josiah Parkinson – Gold in the Men’s 100 city step iron man competition
Karen Lillis and Tom Hendricks – Gold for mixed-team relay staircase shoveling
Josie Ramsey – Gold in Womens’ cross country shoveling
Leslie Clague – Gold in consecutive sprints
Terry Dolughty – Gold for the twenty-block marathon competition
Myra Faliz – Gold in nocturnal shoveling
Brian Seklecki – Gold for most stylish shoveling

Unfortunately, the City sidewalk crew was unable to perform.

Gooski’s saw some really unusual talent last night at a silly little TALENT SHOW. Even with the latest storm dropping an avalance of snow onto Pittsburgh, quite a few stalwart supporters were on hand to entertain and amaze.

Josie Ramsey was the Mistress of Ceremonies, shepherding acts great and small onto the stage for the amusement, and sometimes bemusement, of the patrons. There were impromptu performances sprinkled among the programmed performers, touting talents from singing to magic.

Winners for the evening were The Hulaj Yinzers, Victoria Arshan and Coaltown Noir. Congratulations, you were all just wonderful!

Many, many thanks go out to Erin Peepels, who worked very hard to coordinate the event. Also, Josie Ramsey, who was a masterful Mistress of Ceremonies. A very special thanks to Gooski’s and its entire staff for making us welcome and letting us have this special night at their establishment.

Just to show what a good time we had, enjoy the pictures from the event.