Heritage weekend AUG. 20—The Pittsburgh Pirates will host their Heritage Weekend Celebration. The celebration will feature a tribute to the Negro Leagues and players from the Homestead Grays and the Pittsburgh Crawfords. Festivities will run through Aug. 21 and include a sports luncheon and a street celebration. For more information, call Chaz Kellem at 412-325-4761 or e-mail chaz.kellem@pirates.com.
Allegheny County judges can hear as many as 300 juvenile cases in a year. With the high number of juveniles coming into the courtroom every year, many families are left wondering about the court system and how they should prepare their children. “I like the parents to be involved from the beginning. Sometimes we recommend things like family therapy because it’s obvious there are issues in the home as well as issues in their child’s behavior,” said Judge Kimberly Clark. “Sometimes parents are reluctant. Part of what I need to see parents do is demonstrate they have insight in their kids and they have the ability to properly supervise their child.” JUDGE KEVIN COOPER, JUDGE DWAYNE WOODRUFF, JUDGE KIMBERLY CLARK, JUDGE OSCAR PETITE
Bishop Eugene M. Thorpe passed away Aug. 7 after several years of health issues, his age was not given by the family. He was the founder of the North Side Institutional COGIC. “He passed of natural causes, quietly with his family at his side,” said James Vaughn, husband of Bishop Thorpe’s daughter, Lisa Thorpe-Vaughn. BISHOP EUGENE THORPE
A title and position may mean a lot to some, but to Rev. Dr. Ronald E. Peters, a prestigious appointment merely gives him the right to make challenging inroads on a larger scale; thereby impacting a world where God is always in control. The man who leaves an indelible mark on Pittsburgh’s theological community is moving his knowledge and expertise to the city of Atlanta as the eighth president of The Interdenominational Theological Center. Since 1958, the ITC has been training men and women for Christian leadership and service, both within the church and the surrounding global community. Located adjacent to the Atlanta University complex, the ecumenical consortium encompasses six various denominational seminaries, including the Baptist, United Methodist, African Methodist Episcopal, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian USA and the Church of God in Christ. The ITC, providing theological education, also includes a Lutheran center and is the country’s largest joint cooperative of African-Americans in higher education. REV. RON PETERS
A graduation ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh’s pilot prison reentry program, which provides counseling and training for individuals with a criminal record in developing a business idea and turning it into a new venture. There was over seven months of classes, educational forums and one-on-one counseling sessions in which the participants developed the knowledge and essentials business skills needed to either run a successful business or succeed in today’s job market. THE GRADUATES—The graduates from the program are men standing behind the couch, from left: Kunta Bradford, Raheem Allen, Terry Neal, Dominic Soloman and Christopher Lyons. Sitting, from left: Toni Schley, Haneefah Abdullah, Natalie Tomasic and Shelley Hart. Not in photo is Gerald McKinney.
With Stephen Thomas Ph.D, and his top staffers having departed the Center for Minority Health at the University of Pittsburgh for Maryland more than two months ago, one of the center’s key community-based initiatives, the Healthy Black Families project at the Kingsley Association is being discontinued. Not only does its loss leave a $130,000 void in the Kingsley’s budget, it also leaves a health service void in the heart of several Black communities. MALIK BANKSTON
After more than five years of planning, the YMCA of Greater Pittsburgh broke ground on the site for their new location in the Hill District. At the ground-breaking for the $12 million building Aug. 9, approximately 100 Hill District residents, past and present, as well as other community leaders, came out to celebrate the event. “This is truly a historical day as we move on for our community, truly a great day,” said Aaron Gibson, executive director, Centre Avenue YMCA. “For years our community has really struggled. We’ve been promised a new building, we’ve been promised hope, but it’s never happened. But in the past month this community has made it happen.” THE WORK CONTINUES—Hill District community leaders, residents and stakeholders break ground on the new facility.
The Rivers Casino celebrated its one year anniversary by giving away $2 million. And General Manager Todd Moyer wouldn’t have it any other way. “Yeah, this is fun,” he said at the Aug. 9 presentation. “We’ve given away millions in winnings and prizes, but this is different. It feels good to see a direct benefit of economic development coming to our neighbors.” Moyer noted it was a great first year, giving funds to the Penguins, going from zero to more than 1,400 employees and generating $125 million in tax revenue. But that, he said is the past. PROMISE KEPT— Members of the Hill District and North Side community groups, churches and development entities join state Rep. Jake Wheatley in accepting two $1 million checks from the Rivers Casino during its Aug. 9 anniversary celebration.
As new employees were still learning their way around the now completed Consol Energy Center, Penguins representatives held a final community meeting on the status of minority inclusion, especially inclusion of Hill District residents. Overall, they said the numbers were good. Penguins President David Morehouse said despite some tension early on, there was good collaboration that yielded positive results. “I’m proud to welcome you to the best building in the country and we look forward to being a catalyst for more development,” he said. “I’m proud that we came in ahead of schedule and under budget, but I’m especially proud of the number of jobs we’ve created for Hill residents in this building.” WORKING ON THE HILL—Ken Nesbit of the Hill First Resource Center presents employment data for jobs at the Consol Energy Center as Penguins consultant Ron Porter, Ron Moody and Clarence Curry look on.
There were several shootings in McKeesport last month leaving three dead. We asked residents what they thought and here’s what you said. “I don’t think they’re related in terms of people but the relationship between the shootings is the inadequacy of education and housing for the youth and the community. I pray that there aren’t more shootings but I think that there will be. There are no community centers and few who are interested in their upbringing.”Jan McLeanLegal assistantMcKeesport Jan McLean, Abdul-Rabb, James Poag
