BLOGSKI

It’s a drag to have two bad-news posts in a row, but people are asking about an incident, so we are putting out the information we have.  On December 16; a young woman leaving Gooski’s between midnight and 1:00 a.m. was mugged at gunpoint on Dobson street.  She handed over her bag and was not injured.  According to PHCA president Terry Doloughty, the mugger was a young African American man, dark skinned, and wearing a black coat and a black hat.  We’ve heard a couple of different descriptions of the hat but it sounds like a standard style of knit hat.   A couple of days later another young woman, also walking alone at night, was approached by a man of a similar description; she took off running.

Each holiday season Officer Janine Davis, our community liaison officer from Zone 2 precinct, reminds us that this is also the season for opportunistic crimes such as this.  As Officer Janine put it, criminals want to give Christmas presents too, but instead of buying stuff, they will steal it from other people, or hold up people to get money to shop.  So while you are enjoying the holiday season, so also be careful.  Don’t leave packages in your car where they can be seen, and make sure the doors are locked.  And when walking, be aware.

It’s good to remember that although Polish Hill is generally a very safe neighborhood, we are in a city, and it’s good to stay aware and careful.  And as always — don’t hesitate to call 911 if you see something, or if something doesn’t seem right.

Melissa Rubin from PWSA has just checked in to let us know that the water is back on. Luckily, the high rise did not lose water service.

But…they decided not to flush out the hydrants, as our system here is so fragile and it might cause another break.  So your newly restored water will be dirty for a while  The solution to that is to go down to the lowest point in your home and run the water until it runs clear.  Homeowners can apply for a credit with PWSA customer service for the water that was flushed.

PWSA did deliver bottled water to our office, and that is still available, so stop by and pick up some if needed.  And if you happen to walk past the work crews, remember that some of them have been here working since the very early morning.  Please let them know that we appreciate all their work.

It’s starting to look like it’s just a matter of time before Polish Hill washes away!  We just got another call from Melissa Rubin at PWSA; there is another water main break, this one on Herron Avenue.  This one is unrelated to the other stuff that’s been going on, but it affects the same general area.  John Paul Plaza, the senior high rise, will lose water service.  PWSA is on the way over to the high rise to deliver bottled water to the residents.

About 100 Polish Hill residents are still without water service, and PWSA rep Melissa Rubin just called the PHCA to give us an update on what’s going on.  This is what she told us:

Yesterday there was a planned shut-off, and the residents who would be affected were notified.  That was just a small number of homes.  Then a valve broke, and they had to drop back and shut off more of the water service, particularly at one location — Dobson and Hancock.

They had some trouble, and the water ended up not being restored until after 8 pm.  After the water was restored, there were two breaks, on Downing Street and Brereton Street.  This often happens when older lines recharge.

Then, at 2:30 am, there was another break on Brereton Street.  They throttled down, which keeps water running, but at a lower pressure.  But they got calls complaining about water getting into basements and garages.  To prevent property damage, they shut the water off completely.

At this time (10:30 am), they are predicting 3-4 hours until water service is restored.  There are several crews on site working.  PWSA has brought several cases of bottled water for residents to the PHCA for distribution.

It was posted on the PHCA Facebook page that water main breaks should be reported by calling 911.  This is incorrect;  you should call one of the PWSA emergency numbers.  For future reference:  here are the PWSA numbers to call with concerns or reports relating to water service (or the work they’re doing on Dobson Street).

Non-emergency:  Melissa Rubin Mon-Fri 8 am to 5 pm 412.255.0767
Emergency:  (24/7)   412.255.2429 or 412.255.2409

We’ve had a couple reports about attempted thefts of copper pipe, most recently on Melwood Avenue.  In this latest incident, the homeowner was home asleep; the would-be thieves had forced open the basement door, entered, shut off the main water valve and were preparing to cut out the pipe before they were interrupted.  Last month a vacant house on Harmar street was entered; luckily an alert neighbor noticed and called the police, who intervened before damage was done.

We posted in June about an attempted break-in on Flavian Street; someone tried to enter a home by pushing the window air conditioner in.  Luckily, the unit was secured well and the individual was unable to enter.

Fortunately, these attempts were all unsuccessful.  But it bears repeating and remembering — the warm weather months are a time when windows are open, and sometimes we relax our guard a bit.  If you leave your windows open when you are not at home, secure them well, and if possible, have some way to prevent people from getting in easily, like additional bars or other devices on accessible windows.  If you have an air conditioner, make sure it’s screwed into place.  Basement doors and windows should be secure as well.  And if you live near a vacant house, keep an eye out for intruders.

Allegheny County Emergency Services today announced the opening of more cooling centers throughout the area in response to temperatures forecasted to be in the mid to high 90s and heat indices predicted to be more than 100 degrees for the next several days. Emergency Services will issue updates if additional cooling centers open. An updated list of centers is also available on the Allegheny County website at www.alleghenycounty.us.

There are six cooling centers in Pittsburgh:

Brookline:  Seton Center, 1900 Pioneer Ave.  July 21-22, 7 a.m-9 p.m.  For information, call 412-344-4777.

East Liberty:  Lemington Community Center, 1701 Lincoln Ave.  July 21-22, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.  For information, call 412-362-7301.

Lawrenceville:  Stephen Foster Comm. Center, 286 Main St.  July 21-22, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.  For information, call 412-621-3342.

Squirrel Hill:  Jewish Community Center, 5738 Forbes Ave.  July 21-22, 9 a.m.- 9:30 p.m.  For more information, call 412-521-8010.

Homewood:  Citiparks Homewood Center, 7321 Frankstown Rd.  July 21-22 8 a.m.-7 p.m.;  July 23-24  11 a.m.-7 p.m.  For information call 412-244-4190.

Knoxville:  Elder-Ado Knoxville Sr. Center, 320 Brownsville Rd.  July 21-22  7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.  For information call 412-381-6900.

The Allegheny County Health Department is warning that the extreme heat and humidity forecast for the next few days can pose serious health problems for the elderly, infants and children up to the age of four, the overweight, people who work or exercise outdoors, and people with heart or respiratory problems.

Heat-related illness occurs when the body’s temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating, but sometimes this cooling mechanism breaks down and the body temperature rises rapidly, triggering heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and salt contained in sweat. Warning signs include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, fatigue, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting and fainting. Seek medical attention immediately, if the symptoms are severe or if the person has heart problems or high blood pressure. Otherwise, help the victim cool off, and seek medical attention if the symptoms worsen or last longer than one hour.

Heat stroke, a more serious and potentially life-threatening condition, occurs when the body is unable to control its temperature and the sweating mechanism fails. Warning signs may include an extremely high body temperature (above 103° F); red, hot and dry skin, due to no sweating; a rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea, confusion; and unconsciousness. Death or permanent disability may result without emergency treatment. Cool the victim rapidly by any means available until paramedics arrive.

These precautions are recommended to minimize the risk of heat-related illness:

– Stay cool indoors, preferably in an air-conditioned environment. Fans don’t help much when temperatures are in the 90s. A cool bath or shower is a more effective way to cool off, if you don’t have air conditioning. Better yet, visit someplace that does, such as a senior center, theater, mall or neighbor’s house.

– Drink plenty of fluids, at least eight cups a day, but not alcoholic or caffeinated drinks which actually cause you to lose more fluids. Avoid hot foods and heavy meals, which add heat to your body.

– Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing. A wide-brimmed hat provides shade and helps keep the head cool. Sunscreen can prevent sunburn, which can affect your body’s ability to cool itself and also cause a loss of body fluids.

– Avoid strenuous physical activity, particularly during the hotter part of the day.

– Never leave a child, or a pet, in a vehicle alone on a hot day. A child may become disoriented in just five minutes, unconscious in 10 and brain-damaged in 20.

– Use the buddy system and check on the elderly and the infirm who do not have air conditioning and are less able to take care of themselves.

Do you attend our community meetings? If you do, you know that we receive a report from Zone 2 about crime in the neighborhood every month. The officers usually have very little to report. In fact, Polish hill is rated as the second safest neighborhood in the city.

That’s why when something does happen, it really stands out.

On Tuesday, an armed robbery was committed on Dobson and Harmar and another incident was reported on Herron and Bigelow. First, and most importantly, nobody was physically harmed. We are sure that the individuals suffered a great deal of fear during these incidents.

It is really unusual for these types of incidents to occur here in Polish Hill. The neighborhood is very active in the evening, with a considerable number of people out walking their dogs, visiting with neighbors, and attending events and classes. There is regular car and bike traffic, too. This level of activity is a contributing factor to deterring crimes of this nature.

You, as Polish Hill residents, are doing a great job at keeping our neighborhood safe by doing things like walking your dog, keeping an eye on vacant properties and reporting activities that are suspicious. Many of you know your next-door neighbors and spend time with neighbors within walking distance of your home. These are all effective deterrents to crime, and we urge you to continue following these practices. Know your neighbors and practice vigilance. However, if you do witness a crime, or if you see something suspicious, don’t hesitate to call 911.

The Department of Public Safety has a Community Safety page that is a great resource for keeping yourself informed about issues in our, and surrounding, neighborhoods. You can sign up for emergency alerts and public safety updates. For more detailed information, you can check into the main Community Safety page. Links to an anonymous tip form, block watch groups and alerts are also available from the main page. Polish Hill is located in Zone 2, and information specific to the neighborhood can be found at the Zone 2 link.

Everybody in Pittsburgh, including our little part of it here in Polish Hill, has to aware that the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing against the Green Bay Packers in this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Best of luck to them, and we look forward to watching the game this Sunday!

For those of you planning to be out on Sunday night, and using public transportation, Port Authority has issued some detours for a few neighborhoods, starting at 9PM on Sunday:

The detours will begin as police close streets throughout the city in anticipation of post-Super Bowl activity. Many Port Authority bus routes will be detoured in Downtown Pittsburgh, the North Shore, Lawrenceville, Oakland and the South Side, and limited stops will be served in these neighborhoods. In addition, T service will be detoured Downtown — the Wood Street T station will be temporarily closed and the T will serve Penn Station (located at the East Busway entrance). The T will continue to serve the Steel Plaza and First Avenue stations.

Full details about the detours are available on a handy pdf file from the PAT site. Be safe and enjoy the festivities. Go Steelers!

The issues surrounding Marcellus Shale drilling in our region is a recurring topic of conversation, engaging many of our residents. Several have asked how they can get involved in disseminating information to others in our region and looking for additional information about this topic.

PennEnvironment is a good place to start. Their site offers information not only about the impact of Marcellus Shale drilling, but also on building greener, water quality issues and health in our community. They have, along with several other organizations, organized a free workshop geared towards those interested in getting involved in organizing around the Marcellus Shale issue. You can RSVP for the training sessions or simply use the new, interactive website that provides access to extensive information on drilling in our area and its impacts.

From their site:

Almost every week that goes by, there seems to be another accident from gas drilling, another story of someone’s water being poisoned, or another drilling rig being built in one of our state forests. Have you been wondering how you can protect your family from gas drilling or how to be a more effective organizer? On January 13th and 15th, we’re offering you the opportunity to do both.

We’ll teach you how to recruit volunteers, generate massive media coverage in local newspapers and on local TV, and how to use a new interactive web tool that will help you coordinate with other concerned citizens and track gas drilling impacts in your community.

Please RSVP and let us know if you can make one of the two trainings.

What: Get Organized: Skills to Protect your Community in the Marcellus Shale

Where and When:

• Thursday, January 13th, 6:30 p.m. Center for Healthy Environments & Communities (CHEC) 5th Floor Conference Room, Bridgeside Point Building, 100 Technology Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

OR

• Saturday, January 15th, 12:30 p.m. Connellsville Free Library, 299 South Pittsburgh Street, Connellsville, PA 15425

Who: The trainings are co-sponsored by PennEnvironment, Center for Healthy Environments and Communities, Earthworks OGAP, Clean Water Action, Mountain Watershed Association, Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), and the Three Rivers Waterkeeper.

DESCRIPTION:
Tan and white, Approx. 8 pounds, was wearing a blue collar with one gold & one blue tag.
Very friendly, answers to TWITTER

Please call 412 295 8472 if found or return him to owner at 3106 Dobson Street.

PLEASE NOTE: The address Twitter’s tag is different from return address