BLOGSKI

The Allegheny Regional Asset District – or RAD – is your local sales tax dollars in support of our regional libraries, parks and trails, sports facilities, and arts and culture.  Since 1994, RAD has funded more than $1.3 billion in grants to places and to organizations that create a positive impact on the lives of residents of and visitors to Allegheny County.  RADical Days is a “thank you” to the public for its support of the assets through RAD.

RADical Days started on September 20 and continues through Saturday, October 13.  This is your chance to check out some of the cultural attractions that Pittsburgh has to offer — free of charge.  For three weeks each fall, dozens of Pittsburgh institutions offer free admission.  The options expand each weekend, there are several places to choose from, many of which are offering special programming — for all ages, and again, all free.  Here’s what’s coming up this weekend:

Saturday, September 29
Frick Art and Historical Center:  free family activities including scavenger hunts, games and art activities.
Fort Pitt Museum
Young Men and Women’s African Heritage Association:  Nia Quilt Guild, and music by the Nia Steel Pan Drum Ensemble.
Hartwood Acres Hay Day:  hayrides, pony rides, petting zoo, music, arts and crafts, book fair, and food vendors.

Sunday, September 30
Heinz History Center:  In addition to the museum collection and the Sports History Museum, there will be performances by the Pittsburgh Academy of Musical Theater, Pittsburgh Youth Ballet, and the South Hills Chorale.
National Aviary:  did you know they have a penguin colony here?
Young Men and Women’s African Heritage Association:  Nia Quilt Guild, and music by the Nia Steel Pan Drum Ensemble.
Carnegie Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History
Children’s Museum:  all the usual fun, and performances by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Fiddlesticks, and the Bulgarian Dance Troupe Otets Paissii.
Carnegie Main Library: Cy Hungerford exhibit and discussion.

That’s just this weekend — there are things to do every day — on weekends, many things — through October 13.  To see the whole RADical Days schedule and information, click here or visit the PHCA office to pick up a brochure.

Project Lido is a presentation of outdoor art installations in the former Leslie Pool in Lawrenceville — with other activities, events, and fun stuff to go along with it — all free!

On Sunday, August 19 from noon to 5 pm, there will be a pre-opening  Art Activity Day with lots of fun things to do for the whole family.  You can visit with the artists as they work on-site, play in an interactive installation by Mattress Factory – Museum of Contemporary Art, learn about green energy design, or make your own structure from paper tubes and tape.

The official opening reception is on Thursday August 30 from 7-10 pm.  There will also be other workshops, events, and weekend viewings.  Check out the Lido information page or Leslie Park Pool Collective Facebook page for event information.

Having trouble getting to a library location near you?  Well, the Carnegie Library is bringing some upcoming summer reading programs to Little House Big Art in Polish Hill.  These events are for kids between 12-18, and they’re free!

Teen Summer Reading: Creepy Cupcake party
Tuesday, June 5, 6:00 p.m. –  8:00 p.m.

Learn about what Summer Reading can do for you while decorating your own creepy cupcakes! Receive a free book for signing up.  Space is limited. Click here for more information and to register.

Teen Summer Reading: Edible Stargazing
Friday, June 15, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Explore the cosmos and then consume them! Use marshmallow and pretzels to create constellations and learn about the night sky. Maybe even spot your favorite constellation in this special evening program.  Click here for more information, and to register.

Little House, Big Art is located at 3028 Brereton Street.  Here’s a map.

West Penn staff called to let us know about a couple of Citiparks events coming up that Polish Hill residents might be interested in.  First, on Saturday May 12 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., there’s Pitch, Hit and Run, for boys and girls from 7-14.  Participants have a chance to win a trip to see the Pirates, or to the 2012 All-Star game.  The event will take place at McKinley Park; call West Penn (412.681.1950) for more information.

Further ahead:  with the goal of offering something new, Citiparks is planning to have a rowing (for all ages) activity this summer.  The group would meet at West Penn and drive over to Washington’s Landing as a group.  They don’t have a date yet, but  if you are interested in trying rowing, call West Penn (412.681.1950) to sign up.

Staffski is excited to report that the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is going to have a presence at the Pittsburgh Public Market! You will be able to pick up and return books and other media and CLP will be offering a selection of food-related materials at the location. From CLP’s announcement –

“The extended service pilot is part of the Library’s LYNCS (Libraries in Your Neighborhood Community and School) initiative. Staffed by Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh librarians and graduate students from the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Library & Information Science, the library services of LYNCS at the Pittsburgh Public Market (LYNCS: PPM) will provide customers with easy access to comprehensive library services during the weekend on their trips to the Strip’s great eateries and shops. Customers will be able to borrow materials from an on-site collection of materials, register for a library card, pick up or drop off library materials and access the Internet and online library catalog from an express computer hub.”

The CLP will be celebrating a grand opening at the Public Market on April 15. There are some fun events planned for the weekend, with a special appearance by Timbeleza! Following is a schedule of events planned for the weekend –

Friday, April 15 / 10 am Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting
Friday, April 15 / 12 pm – 12:30 pm 30 Books in 30
Minutes Librarians will share 30 great titles in just 30 minutes.
Friday, April 15 / 5 pm Timbeleza
Timbeleza is a Brazilian percussion ensemble based out of Pittsburgh, PA that has been performing since 2005. Their goal is to expose people to samba as well as invigorate the community with music and performance.
Saturday, April 16 / 9 – 11:30 am Drop-In Story Telling
Storytellers will intrigue and inspire audiences with their stories for young and old.
Sunday, April 17 / 12 – 2 pm
Gadget Lab Staff will demonstrate how to use the Library’s downloadable services with eReaders and MP3 players.

The CLP station at the Pittsburgh Public Market will operate –
10 am – 6 pm on Friday; 9 am – 5 pm on Saturday; and 10 am – 4 pm on Sunday.

For additional Library events at the Pittsburgh Public Market call 412.622.3114 or please visit www.carnegielibrary.org, www.pittsburghpublicmarket.org or www.neighborsinthestrip.com.

Halloween came to Polish Hill on Saturday, October 30, taking over the schoolyard of the previous Immaculate Heart of Mary School as well as the office of the Polish Hill Civic Association. It was a much-anticipated event, with Polish Hill neighbors dropping off treats and props since early in the month of October. Children were welcomed at the office with a pumpkin decorating activity. Bags of treats were handed out and Mark Knobil was set up just outside on Brereton St. to take pictures of the children. Check out his Picasa album and see if you’re there, or maybe your costumed pup!

In the schoolyard, there were scary costumed characters, ghosts and goblins, a graveyard and a battalion of witches and wizards lurking in the trees. All of the characters worked very hard to scare their guests. It wasn’t a gory set, so the scaring was all in good fun! Many thanks to Brady Wilson and Sean Martin for all of the planning and hard work that went into the schoolyard.

So, with cries of Monsters Begone! the monsters have been banished from Polish Hill. At least, until next year…

A heartfelt thanks to our many volunteers, who accomplished so much in so little time. Volunteers constructed and dressed the set, acted as monsters, created props, helped with pumpkin decorating and handing out treats to the kids, and clearing the schoolyard at the end of the project. Hats off to you –

Leslie Clague
Susan Constanse
Darelle Dogans
Terry Doloughty
Myra Falisz
Jillian Fleckenstein
Ben Halliburton
Janice Heagy
Trevor Howell
Kevin Kerns
Laura Klacic
Mark Knobil
Justin Lamorella
Sean Martin
Jennifer Martin
Jennifer Martin
Catherine McConnell
Alexis Miller
Maggie Negrete
Josiah Parkinson
Doug Ramsey
Josie Ramsey
Cortney Ressler
Moirin Reynolds
Patrick Singleton
Red Sinicki
Dorothy Sinicki
Stephanie Tecza
Valerie Testa
Dave Testa
Kelly Tobias
Braiden Alan Wilson

Special acknowledgment also goes out to Right by Nature for their donation of treats for the kids and to Duron Paints for donating drop cloths for the set.

As an aside, if you helped out and do not see your name on this list, please don’t be shy! Let me know, I’ll be more than happy to update the list. (Contact Susan at phcapgh@gmail.com or at 412-681-1950.)

Photos courtesy of Mark Knobil, Sean Martin, Patrick Singleton and Moirin Reynolds.

Most PHCA events and activities take place in Polish Hill.  Now here’s an opportunity to get to know some of your neighbors in a different context:  the PHCA presents a Laurel Highlands day hike on Sunday October 17.  We will meet at the PHCA office at 7:30 am and car caravan to the trail (about a 1.5 hour drive).  If you’re interested in going on the hike, please call us at 412.681.1950 or email phcapgh@gmail.com to sign up.  Be sure to let us know if you’ll be driving or if you need a spot in a car.

Polish Hill resident Susan Atkinson proposed the hike and has prepared an information sheet for those who haven’t done any hiking in a while.  If you’d like a copy, email us and we’ll send that along.

RAD (Regional Asset District) supports and finances regional assets in the areas of libraries, parks and recreation, cultural, sports and civic facilities and programs.  The District receives one-half of the proceeds from the 1% Allegheny County Sales and Use Tax.  Each fall, RAD  Days provides the opportunity to check out some of the area’s best cultural attractions-free of charge! Rad Days started on September 1th and runs through October 24th.  Each day of the week, a few different places offer free admission and in some cases, special programming.  Look at all the things scheduled for this Saturday, October 2:

Boyce-Mayview Park free admission 9 am – 3 pm
Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall free admission 10 am – 4 pm
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts free admission 10 am – 5 pm
Allegheny-Kisky Heritage Museum free admission 11 am – 3 pm
August Wilson Center for African American Culture free admission 11 am – 6 pm
Allegheny County South Park Hay Day free admission 12  – 4 pm
Silver Eye Center for Photography free admission 12 – 6 pm
City Theatre 11th Annual Young Playwrights Festival free admission 2:30 – 4:30 pm
Pittsburgh Filmmakers free admission 7 – 11 pm

That’s just one day–check here for a full list of dates and venues, and here’s a printable flyer.  Upcoming are a free tour of PNC Park (Oct. 7), a free concert by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (Oct 9), free admission at the Heinz History Center and the Pittsburgh Zoo (Oct. 10), and free admission to the Children’s Museum, the Mattress Factory (also Oct10), and a special 24-hour celebration at the Warhol Museum (Oct 23-24).

October in Pittsburgh brings numerous opportunities to dress up like a zombie and lurch around.  The Zombie Walk, which took place at Monroeville Mall for years, moves to Market Square this year.  There are similar Zombie Walk events in cities around the US and elsewhere; check the World Zombie Day Myspace page for more happenings.

Here’s an opportunity that’s close to home: Joy Reichenbacher of  Project 53 and Joy Toujours and the Toys du Jour will be filming a “no budget music video with a stereotypical zombie tale” on Sunday October 3rd.  Joy is looking for people to be zombies or survivors.  If you are interested, send an email to joeyno_e@hotmail.com.

Farmer’s market season is in full swing!  You probably know about the organic farmer’s market in the Strip District (9am- 1 pm next the the Firehouse Lounge, at 2216 Penn Avenue).  And the Bloomfield Farmer’s Market (3:30-7:30, in the Immaculate conception School parking lot, at the corner of Cedarville and Friendship).

Grow Pittsburgh has a full list of Pittsburgh area farmer’s markets on their site.

There’s another farmer’s market that’s convenient to Polish Hill residents:  the Northside Farmer’s Market, held on Fridays from 3:30 – 7:30 in Allegheny Commons East Park, at East Ohio Street and Cedar Avenue.  This is right on the 54C route and there’s also ample street parking.  Not only is this one of the larger farmer’s markets, there will be additional attractions at the market this summer.

Fresh Fridays at the Northside Farmers Market, an array of programming that complements the farmers market, debuted last year, with guest chefs demonstrating summer salads (and serving free samples), music, and art activities for all ages.  Fresh Fridays continues this year, starting on July 16, and we recommend that you check it out.  The schedule of events looks very promising.