BLOGSKI

Polish Hill is inside the area bounded by the Pittsburgh Marathon route, so getting in and out of the neighborhood tomorrow could be a bit problematic.  Downtown closures will start at 11:30 PM on Saturday, May 4 and continue around the city through 2:30 PM on Sunday, May 5. Road closures affecting Polish Hill will start this evening, and will continue until Sunday afternoon.  For detailed information, view the road closure chart and road closure map.

Certain sections of the city will be completely closed off to traffic on race day.  If you need to travel around the city on Sunday, click here to view the Guide to Marathon Sunday map; routes in/out and around the city are provided.  You might also want to check the detailed map of Downtown.

(Click on the map to see a larger version which includes road closure times for the different sections of the race)

A group of neighborhood volunteers came out early this morning to plant flowers on at West Penn Park.  The flowers provide a welcome splash of color at Brereton and 30th streets.

Valentina (right) will be tending the flower beds through the spring and summer.  Dead-heading a 40-foot plot of marigolds is no small task!

Many thanks to all the volunteers who helped to make this spot so bright and welcoming.  And extra thanks to the firefighters from Station 8, who said they came because one of their comrades is from Polish Hill, but couldn’t make it today.  You all helped make Polish Hill a prettier place, and the neighborhood appreciates your work!

The Vinyasa yoga class at West Penn Recreation Center is usually at 6:30 on Thursday evenings.  During the month of May, our instructor Erin has work obligations that required her to make the class a little later.  So on May 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30, the yoga class will be from 7:30 – 8:30.  We hope that this doesn’t make it difficult for any of our regulars — or new students — from attending.

The Polish Hill May Day parade, now in its fourth year, has become a symbol of the creative energy that is helping to revitalize the neighborhood.  The themes of the parade are Labor rights and history, something which  resonates with the working class roots of Polish Hill, and the beginning of Spring.

On Saturday May 4 at 12:00 the parade will once again be starting on lower Melwood Street, at Denver Street (near Pittsburgh Filmmakers).  The parade will move up Gold Way, then follow Melwood Avenue to Herron Avenue, on to Dobson Street, then down Brereton Street to West Penn Park for an afternoon of food and a baseball game.

The parade is organized by a group of artists and musicians who live in the neighborhood, and they encourage anyone and everyone to make a costume, a float, a flag, a dance, or anything else that could be taken on a small parade.  Each year, more residents join in, many carrying bright umbrellas, to add color, and bells, to make a joyful noise.  This is a peaceful, inclusive, and family friendly event that anyone can join in, and all are welcome.

We hope that many people will participate, or just come out and watch the parade as it moves through Polish Hill.

(Above:  The 2012 parade on Gold Way.  Photo by Mark Knobil)

This Saturday, the Polish Hill Green Team will be at West Penn Park planting flowers on the hillside at the corner of Brereton and 30th streets.   Work will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will continue until about noon.  Lunch will be provided for volunteers.

For more information, contact Green Team leader Valerie Testa at 412.537.2752, or email.

Polish Hill has just two community gardens, one on Harmar Street, the other on Wiggins Street.  They’re both small, so the plots go fast.  Most of the plots go to returning gardeners — some have been tending plots here for 30 years or more.

But each year, there are a few plots available for new gardeners.  If you’ve been thinking of applying for a community garden plot, this is the time to do it — the deadline is May 12.  Applicants must be Polish Hill residents, but you don’t have to be an experienced gardener.   Email us for more information.

(The Wiggins garden, just after sunset. Photo by Leslie Clague for the PHCA)

Many Polish Hill residents have very old paint, solvents, and other chemicals in their basements.  If these items are put out in the trash, they end up in a landfill, where they leach into the soil and water.  A better disposal option is to take items to a special collection event.

A PHCA volunteer will be taking a truckload to the Zero Waste Pittsburgh household chemical collection event on Saturday, May 4, and we’re offering to take items from other neighborhood residents as well.  Polish Hill residents can can drop items (anything from the list below) at the PHCA office on Friday, May 3 (not before).  You’ll need to give us cash for the collection fee (these events charge $2 per gallon), and we also ask for a small donation for the service that we’re providing.  In return, you get the peace of mind that these toxic items are no longer in your home!

Items accepted for collection:
Aerosol cans; automotive fluids; batteries; chemistry sets; compact fluorescent light bulbs; gasoline; kerosene; household cleaners; mercury; paint products; pesticides; herbicides; photo chemicals; and pool chemicals. Zero Waste Pittsburgh charges a fee of $2 per gallon, cash only, and you’ll need to pay that when items are dropped off.

We won’t be accepting items until May 3, and then  it’s household items only — no large quantities such as from a business.  To protect our office, staff, and volunteers, please pack your items carefully.  Bulbs should be in closed plastic bags.  Any leaking, or bulging containers should be placed in another container, tightly sealed and clearly marked (not a plastic bag).  If you have any questions, call the PHCA at 412.681.1950 or email us.

Other items not accepted at this collection event include ammunition; appliances, bulk waste; commercial and industrial waste; compressed gas cylinders; drugs; explosives; flares; fluorescent tubes; leaking containers; medical waste; PCBs and dioxin; tires; and radioactive materials (including smoke detectors).  For more information about this and other collection events, visit www.zerowastepgh.org or call 412-488-7452.

Inflate those tires, oil those chains, and gear up for the 2013 National Bike Challenge, sponsored locally by Bike Pittsburgh and OTB Bicycle Cafe!  Officially kicking off on May 1 and ending September 30, this free and friendly competition encourages Pittsburghers to get out and ride, whether as daily commuters, weekend warriors, or somewhere in between.  The challenge helps riders realize the health, economic and environmental benefits of riding a bike.  Riders can choose to participate as individuals or teams, and see how they stack up against others in the Pittsburgh region, and across the nation.  This year Bike Pittsburgh is working to register 1,250 Pittsburghers to help our region pedal to the top spot in the country!

Participant points heavily favor riding daily – 20 points per day, plus 1 point per mile logged.  Smartphone users can even download a free app to directly track and log trips for the National Bike Challenge.  Challenge yourself, your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to get moving, log miles, earn points, and be eligible to win prizes at the national level.  Pittsburgh riders even earn free drinks at OTB Bicycle Cafe just for participating!  Sign up at nationalbikechallenge.org, and start logging your miles today.

The Design Center invites all interested citizens to attend the Mayoral Candidates Forum on Design, Planning, and Public Policy on Wednesday, May 8 at Point Park University’s GRW Auditorium in University Center at 414 Wood Street, downtown.  The 90-minute program begins at 6:00 pm, with a reception following at 7:30 pm.

Candidates Bill Peduto, A.J. Richardson, Jack Wagner, and Jake Wheatley are confirmed to participate in the forum.  The first question—How will you ensure that your administration’s public policy makes good design and planning central to the City’s growth?—will serve as the candidates’ opening statement.  Answers to all questions will be limited to two minutes, with a closing statement of one minute.  Questions on topics such as blight and vacant properties, historic preservation, riverfronts, multi-modal transportation, and others will be taken from the audience as well as crafted in advance by the Design Center.

The Mayoral Candidates Forum on Design, Planning, and Public Policy is open to the public, but seating is limited.  Those interested in attending must RSVP to design@judith-kelly.com or at 412.281.0995.  The Forum is a project of Design Allies, an education and advocacy program of the Design Center that connects people with design and planning ideas by engaging them with public policy issues, offers lecture, film, and educational opportunities, and promotes dialogue via social media. For more information, visit designcenterpgh.org or facebook.com/DesignAllies.

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.