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
Fundraiser AUG. 12—UPMC St. Margaret Hospital will host the American Heart Association’s “Heart of a Champion” fund-raising event from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Freeport Rd., Fox Chapel. There will be opportunities to take pictures with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins championship rings. All proceeds will go toward the association’s 2010 Pittsburgh Start! Heart Walk Oct. 10. For more information, call 412-784-5160.
(Part one of a series) Every year thousands of youths are cycled in and out of the juvenile justice system in Allegheny County. According to last year’s Annual Juvenile Probation Report, as of Dec. 31, 2009, there were 4,032 juveniles under court supervision. COMMUNITY INPUT—Marc Cherna leads a public meeting seeking feedback from the public on service provided by the county. Besides the many independent community groups working with youths to keep them out of the system, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services has a number of programs aimed at preventing and reducing criminal behavior and delinquency. “We serve over 225,000 people in the county every year out of the 1.2 mil and people tend to forget all of these services are paid for with their taxpayer money,” said DHS Director Marc Cherna. “We want more services basically and that’s always a matter of funding. We still have room to improve.”
Single females today head more than half of Black families in Pittsburgh. One local group aims to help improve the quality of life for these single mothers and their sons. Celebrating its 10th year supporting families, the Mother to Son program recently held its annual recognition dinner. As a supporting group under Small Seeds Development, Inc., the Mother to Son program assists single mothers through self-help training sessions and special workshops geared toward helping mothers deal with the difficulties of raising adolescent boys. Families can participate in field trips, motivational speakers, confidential mother/son mediation sessions, financial literacy education, and goal-oriented family service plans. CANDI CASTLEBERRY-SINGLETON, TYNIQUE ANDERSON, CAMERON RAINEY
The August Wilson Center for African American Culture recently revealed it was having financial difficulties so we asked Pittsburghers what they felt should be done. Here’s what you said. “I knew it was in trouble when I stopped receiving mailers. It is not supported enough by the larger community enabling it to market and spread information. It needs more funding to get info out to the community about what’s going on.”Shirlene ThomasSalon ownerBellevue Shirlene Thomas, Velva Millender, Lee Davis
Cooling centers for seniors As meteorologists predict temperatures to reach 90 degrees this week, the city of Pittsburgh is extending hours at local senior centers in the area to act as cooling centers for seniors to use to beat the heat. For residents more than 60 years old, the Citiparks Homewood and South Side Market House and the Jewish Community Centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. until Thursday. “It is our goal to provide a cool, fun and safe environment for our most at-risk citizens during dangerous heat waves,” Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said in a release.
Initially, Chuck Sanders said he wanted to contribute to the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime without any fanfare, but after two gang members contacted him directly to say they were joining the program, he agreed to do it publicly because it might inspire more to come forward. MONEY TALKS—Saying he’s putting his money where his mouth is, Chuck Sanders donates $100,000 to PIRC for a job subsidy fund, as Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, left, and police Chief Nate Harper look on. “My niece Angela was a victim of violence in McKeesport. This is dedicated to her memory,” he said during the July 29 announcement outside Macedonia Baptist Church in the Hill District. “I’m hoping other businesses will step up. I’ve put my money where my mouth is, and I hope others do the same.”
The month of July has a trend of being a month with one of the highest totals in homicides, but not since 2008 when there were 20 homicides in July, has the month had a number as high as this year’s with 12 homicides. In 2009 there were only eight homicides. More than half of the list are Black and Black men. And what is worse is that most of them are under the age of 30. In early history it was “The Man” killing Blacks, now its Blacks killing Blacks. We have now become “The Man” that is not only killing us, but that is holding us back. Not only are we losing our Young Black men to senseless gun violence, but also to the jails. It is time to take a stand and say enough is enough.
As an aside while leaving a recent board meeting about development projects in Pittsburgh’s Hill District, Rob Stephany, the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s executive director noted that there are no specific development plans for the Mellon Arena site. SPORTING LIFE—New Pittsburgh Courier sports columnist Aubrey Bruce proposes that ABA and WNBA teams make the old Civic/Mellon Arena home. “People assume it will be demolished and some combination of retail, office and residential development will go there,” he said. “But it’s not a done deal. Remember, there are preservationists trying to save it and I wouldn’t just write them off.”
