BLOGSKI

Assemble, a community space for arts and technology, is excited to announce its second annual MakerDate fundraising event.  On Saturday, May 18 at 6119 Penn Ave in East Liberty, Assemble will host an action packed evening highlighted by the MakerDate auction.  The event pairs local artists with skill seekers of all ages to further Assemble’s mission of building community through active learning.

Since its inception in 2011, Assemble has been host to a wide variety of learning and creative experiences in Pittsburgh.  It is the organization’s belief that curiosity breeds creativity, and intrigue is best satisfied through hands-on activities.  In true form, the MakerDate event takes the concept of date auctioning and re-dresses it with a purpose, pairing skilled creators with those that want to learn something new.  Attendees will have the unique chance to bid on dates with artists, craft makers, designers, innovators and skill-owners who will work with the winning bidders to make a piece of art, a personalized piece of technology, or teach a new skill.  The dates will take place after the event at a time and place determined by the maker and winning bidder.

The event will feature 15 Makers for the live auction and will also include items donated by a number of local artisans, creators, and businesses for a raffle.  2012′s inaugural event attracted more than 100 attendees and raised over $4,000 to fund educational programs and events at Assemble.  This year’s event promises to be bigger and bolder, raising funds for Assembles community focused initiatives.

Click here for more information, including a list of this year’s Makers.  Contact Assemble here.

Are you spring cleaning?  Is there a growing pile of items you don’t need anymore?  Consider donating them to the PHCA Yard Sale.  The twice-yearly yard sale helps fund the Polish Hill Arts Festival.  The next yard sale will be on Saturday, June 1.  We’re looking for books, toys, games, kitchen and household items, tools, antiques and interesting old stuff, jewelry, small appliances (if they work), small furniture items, lamps, and more.

We are not able to accept  clothing and shoes, Christmas or holiday decorations, upholstered furniture, tv’s, broken or very dirty items.  Call us at 412.681.1950 if there’s stuff you aren’t sure about.

Donations will be accepted at the PHCA office anytime after Tuesday, May 28.

Did you miss last Friday’s fish fry dinner at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church?  Well, don’t be sad; the church will continue the  dinners every Friday through Lent (through March 30).

They start serving at 3:00 p.m., and keep going until the food sells out  Even if you aren’t a churchgoer, a church fish fry dinner is a classic.  You get a fried fish filet, french fries, and coleslaw, all for $8, and they do it very well.

The fish fry dinner will be in Rosary Hall, same room they use for the Polish Hill polling station.  Enter on Brereton Street, just to the right of the main steps.  For more information, call IHM at 412.621.5170.

If you ordered pączki, this weekend is the time to pick them up.  Orders will be available for pickup on Saturday February 9 from 10-6, or on Sunday from 11-2.

If you forgot to order — we did order a few extra — but only a few.  Those will sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

The deadline to order pączki is February 5 — that’s just one week away.  Are you going to be one of those people who calls us on pick-up day hoping that there are some extra?

We are offering the very popular extra-large, softball-sized pączki (“poonch-key”) from Oakmont Bakery in four varieties:  Custard, Cherry, Prune, or Plain (no filling).  Also available is a mixed dozen containing three each of the above varieties.  Half-dozen boxes must be all of one flavor. We regret that due to food safety regulation we can’t do customized mixes.

The cost is $18 for a dozen, or $9 for a half-dozen.  Yes, that’s more than last year — Oakmont  raised their prices, and we had no choice but to follow suit.

To order, stop at the PHCA office to pick up an order form, or call in your order and mail us a check.  Orders and payments must be received at the PHCA office by Tuesday, February 5, 2013.

Pączki orders will be available for pick up at the PHCA office on Saturday February 9, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday February 10, between 11 a.m.  and 2 p.m.  All orders are for pick up only.

As a nod to the heritage of the neighborhood, each year the PHCA sells pączki (“poonch-key”), a Polish treat similar to a filled donut.  Pączki are traditionally eaten the weekend or Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which falls on February 13 this year.

We are offering the very popular extra-large, softball-sized pączki from Oakmont Bakery in four varieties:  Custard, Cherry, Prune, or Plain (no filling).  The cost is $18 for a dozen, or $9 for a half-dozen.  Yes, that’s more than last year — Oakmont  raised their prices, and we had no choice but to follow suit.

Also available is a mixed dozen containing three each of the above varieties.  Half-dozen boxes must be all of one flavor. We regret that due to food safety regulation we can’t do customized mixes.

To order, stop at the PHCA office to pick up an order form, or call in your order and mail us a check.  Orders and payments must be received at the PHCA office by Tuesday, February 5, 2013.

Pączki orders will be available for pick up at the PHCA office on Saturday February 9, between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Sunday February 10, between 11 a.m.  and 2 p.m.  All orders are for pick up only — no mail order or delivery service.

This year the PHCA is again selling the P-Rogues™ cards by Polish Hill artist Myra Falisz.  Proceeds from selling the cards will help support community projects.  One design features an antique red sleigh with a pierogi couple in old-timey clothing moving through a snowy landscape; another centers on tradition, with paper ornaments and a pierogi girl wearing a colorful Polish costume.  The third design is more contemporary, with a festive P-Rogue couple coasting downhill on a red tandem bike. All cards include the phrase of celebration, Sto Lat, wishing you 100 years of great joy and good cheer.

Pricing: a box of six cards for $15.  Choose all six of one design, or a mixed set with two of each.  We also sell the cards individually for $3.50.  For more information, email phca@phcapgh.org, or call 412-681-1950.

And don’t forget, we also have the popular Polish Hill t-shirts with either short or long sleeves, in red or black.  We also have a lots of pierogie ornaments and pins.  We’ll also be getting in some all-occasion cards with photographs of Polish Hill.  We take cash or check, and we will do mail orders.  For more information and see what we sell, see the PHCA store page.

Twice a year, Polish Hill resident Julie Sinicki coordinates a Redstone Candies fundraiser on behalf of the PHCA.  It’s that time again, and we now have product lists and order forms available at the PHCA office.  Orders are due with payment by November16.  You can log onto the Redstone Candies website to see their full Christmas selection in full color.

John Paul Plaza, at 1005 Herron Avenue (often referred to around the neighborhood as “the highrise”), is a Christian living facility for low-income, elderly residents.  The facility, which opened in 1982, was built to allow Polish Hill residents who couldn’t stay in their homes to still remain in the neighborhood.

This year is John Paul Plaza’s 30th anniversary, and they are planning a few events to celebrate.  Coming up this Sunday, September 23 is a fundraising spaghetti dinner.  The event also features a bake sale and a wine basket raffle.  They will be serving from 12:30 – 4:00 p.m. in the John Paul Plaza dining room.  Pre-sale tickets are $8.00, $9.00 at the door.  For children 12 and younger, tickets are $5.00.

Coming up next month:  a concert with Johnny Angel and the Halos, on October 21.  For more information on these events, or to learn more about John Paul Plaza, call them at 412.683.5850.

The PHCA is taking donations for our yard sale, which will take place on Saturday September 15 from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00  p.m.  We’re still hoping to get more stuff to sell!  Donations may be dropped off at the PHCA between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. today and tomorrow.  (If you can’t make it over here during office hours, get in touch and we’ll work something out.)

We’re looking for household items, books, records, toys, antique and retro items, furniture in good condition, lamps, and more.  Items must be clean and not broken; tools and appliances much be in working condition.  We are not able to accept clothing, very large or upholstered furniture, or items that are very dusty or dirty.  Proceeds from the yard sale will go towards next year’s arts festival.  For more information, call 412.681.1950, or email us.