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.”
In lieu of a number of possible school reconfigurations and reforms in the Pittsburgh Public School District, decisions could hinge on the largest competition for education funding the nation has ever seen. Race to the Top is a $4.35 billion United States Department of Education program designed to spur reforms in state and local district K-12 education. Now in its second phase, states are competing for funds up to $700 million. MARK ROOSEVELT
Panel discussion AUG. 6—The Community Empowerment Association will host a Hip Hop Symposium at 6 p.m. at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater, 5941 Penn Ave., East Liberty. This event is an intellectual discourse on the pros and cons of hip-hop as it affects the unit of the Black family and the community. There will be several national and local celebrities participating in the panel discussion. For more information, call Lee Davis at 412-371-3689.
On July 13 more than 50 members of Pittsburgh’s most violent gangs were given the word they knew was coming—the shooting must stop. It was the first “call-in” for the Pittsburgh Initiative to Reduce Crime—and according to organizers, it was a big step for the city, its citizens and potentially for gang members seeking a way out. Program architect David Kennedy called it “electrifying.” UNBEARABLE LOSS—Betty Cooper, right, mother of shooting victim Shawn Houser, is consoled by his cousin, Bernessa Davis, left, and Adrienne Young of Tree of Hope. “It was really good. The guys could see a very visible new partnership between law enforcement, the community and service providers all saying ‘we care about you,’” he said. “The biggest thing is that the call-in happened at all, that the city got to this point.” But that initial elation was nearly shattered just days later by a rash of shootings, and subsequent criticism of the program. PIRC partners say the criticism is unjustified because the killings and shootings were not “group-related.”
Before Harry Rideout, former field supervisor for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, was keeping order in the schools, he was fighting for freedom and protecting his country in the military during a time when most Blacks could not even go to the same establishments as their White counterparts. For more than 20 years he served in the military, fighting in World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. LEGACY—Veteran Harry Rideout shares his photos and memorabilia of his time in the military and his service in three wars. Rideout, 83, was born in the Charleroi area of Pittsburgh and grew up in Beltzhoover. He volunteered with the army at the age of 17, was sworn in at 18 and was one of five brothers who also served in the military. “I enjoyed my time in the service. During my time in the wars, I was never really worried about anything,“ Rideout said. Although there was a lot of discrimination and unfair treatment of Blacks, Rideout said he enjoyed what he was doing. “There were many disparities of Blacks. We (were not liked) but we were always the first on the front line,” he said.
On July 20, citizens of the East End community gathered to voice their concern over proposed changes for several schools in their region. Though the group of past and present school administrators, parents and neighbors differed on why they opposed the plan or what they would rather see accomplished, they called for a postponement of the school board vote scheduled for the following night. NAACP REP— Marilyn Barnett, Ed.D., NAACP education chair, hosted a press conference regarding the East End schools. “In that the proposed realignment of Pittsburgh Public Schools for the East End of Pittsburgh was only released on June 25, and the possible impact on the students affected could be significant and long lasting, B-PEP requests that the final decision on this plan be delayed,” said Black Political Empowerment Project Chairman Tim Stevens in a letter to the superintendent. “Because of the importance of this decision, there should be at least one community meeting, if not more, held in the East End where the superintendent and his staff present the proposed plan, along with its justification and the potential impact on the student, parents and the community.”
On July 17 more than 300 North Side residents came out to West Park with their friends and family for the Workforce Development Global Alliance’s Day of Peace. This was only the first step to the North Side Family Connections Project set to begin in the fall. DAY?OF?PEACE ORGANIZERS—From left: Neicy Dennis, Paul Scott and Nancy Lee Cochran. “Our goal is to create a better neighborhood by building family connections as well as economic opportunity through peace,” said Niecy Dennis, president and founder of WDGA. “We want youth to find and take the path from peace to education to jobs to the prosperity that completes the circle and reinforces peace.” The day was complete with a march, concert and vigil designed to avert violence and promote peace which is part of WDGA’s 2Steps2Work program. The organization uses professional development and job placement as a way to decrease violence in the North Side.
