Seminar to Help Business Owners

Community Days & Sprout Mural Meetings Announced

JUNE 29th Two for the price of one! (Actually, free!) Please join us for a night of creative collaboration at the Borough Building on Monday, June 29th. Come have your voice heard – we want your input!! The fun kicks off at 6pm with Vanessa McCarthy-Johnson leading a meeting to organize activities, performances and vendors for Wilkinsburg Community Days. What can you bring to the table? This year’s Community Days celebration will be even better with your participation. At 7pm, Brian Holderman will unveil his concept design for the mural expansion planned for 745 Penn Avenue (by the parklet). During the design charrette in May, we collected feedback from the community as to what people would most like to see in Brian’s re-working of the current Sprout Fund mural. Come get a first look at his proposed design!

DATE: June 29th (a Monday)

TIMES: 6-7pm Community Days Meeting, 7-8pm Sprout Mural Meeting

LOCATION: Borough Building (605 Ross Ave), 2nd Floor – Council Chambers

Pix of Brian’s 2006 mural downtown at 900 Liberty Ave: http://old.sproutfund.org/publicart/murals/2006/

Gospel Concert To Benefit Wallace Avenue Soup Kitchen

AN EVENING OF GOSPEL  TO BENEFIT THE WALLACE  AVENUE  SOUP KITCHEN ON SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2009 5:00 P.M. AT DUNAMIS BAPTIST CHURCH 751 WALLACE AVENUE WILKINSBURG, PA 15221 (Next to Wilkinsburg High School) For Information Call 412-731-6458 or 412-241-9621

Living Amphitheater Proposed For Wilkinsburg

A proposal for the $25K Changemakers “Voices of Youth” grant sponsored by the Pittsburgh Foundation and the Grable Foundation for a living amphitheater in Wilkinsburg Borough is now online:
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/node/51620

(The link immediately shows the first two sections of the proposal, but you have to scroll down and click on “impact” and “sustainability” to read the rest.)

Some details from the submission:

“An outdoor, sculpted-earth amphitheater will provide a flexible arena for a variety of events, speaking for those who help design and construct it, and speaking to those who will gather within its bounds. The amphitheater will be the product of a community-based process commencing with forums to gather input from kids, teens and community members to reflect the needs and aspirations of our youth population.

The amphitheater will represent the living elements in our community by incorporating interactive, natural components such as raised bed planters and water features. It will manage storm water retention thru sculpted-earth design, rain catchment systems, a rain garden, and permeable turf and landscaped surfaces. Raised bed plantings will accommodate a variety of organically grown, edible plants including berry-producing bushes, sensory herbs, vegetables, and vibrant flowers. Vining gourds cultivated to become musical instruments will have the added benefit of a pleasing aesthetic during the growing season. Fruit trees will be woven together, eventually providing a naturally shaded cove encouraging contemplation of goals achieved and motivation for future projects. Students with technical inclinations may be interested in creating art that harnesses nature’s renewable resources, such as a solar powered LED security light.”

A group of residents lead by Lazae LaSpina put the proposal together and is looking for feedback and support. 

The process for selection is as follows… From now until June 14th, a panel will review the 45+ entries and select 5 to 10 finalists. From June 15th to July 3rd, the public will vote to decide which two projects should receive funding.

From Lazae…..”We can use your help now! Please register online (free) to make comments to our entry. If you think it’s a fantastic idea, please say so by specifying why you think our entry over all others will give a voice to youth. And if you have a question about something in the proposal, please feel free to point that out as well… I view this as an opportunity to further detail our submission by replying to online questions.”

To be able to vote and post online comments, you will need to create a free account on the Changemakers website:
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/user/register

If you are in support of the Living Amphitheater, please forward this email to family and friends.     :)

Conveniently Green: Artist Forges New Life For Downed Trees

WTAE Posted this story http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com

Wilkinsburg Business Makes Sure Downed Trees Don’t Go To Waste

WILKINSBURG, Pa. – Rotting trees that need to be cut down often end up in landfills. But one Wilkinsburg artist wants to lead the way to a more eco-friendly alternative.

John Metzler of Urban Tree Forge said he wants to breathe new life into fallen trees.

“Every time you open it up, you are revealing the tree’s life — what it has and what it has experienced in its life,” Metzler said. “It’s one of the things that makes the city trees so amazing, is that they have endured so much living a city life. Living on a city street like this, the pollution levels, the cars hitting them all the time and all those scars and things, they add character.”

With rotted bases and branches posing a danger to power lines above and cars below, a number of the trees lining Braddock Avenue in Wilkinsburg have to come down.

“These trees here have to be about 80 years old. So steel was king when they were babies,” Metzler said.

But the trees’ story won’t end with a chain saw. Instead of being dumped in a landfill, they will be given new purpose by Metzler.

“It’s beautiful raw material and the idea is you just do not waste this,” said Joan King of Wilkinsburg Shade Tree.

As part of a pilot program, Wilkinsburg is partnering with Metzler and Joe Suto’s company, Lumberjack Tree Service, to ensure the borough’s trees will no longer go to waste.

Instead the trees will be brought to Metzler’s Washington Boulevard studio, where resident artists work to repurpose the wood. Some of the wood will be used for custom furniture. Other pieces will be turned into art.

“We just saw the potential within the way this thing was formed,” said Metzler as he showed Channel 4 Action News’ Kelly Frey some of the projects.

Eighty percent of the trees will be reused, with the proceeds from sales going back into the borough’s forestry program.

The rest of the wood will be ground into mulch.

For more information about the program, visithttp://www.urbantreeforge.com.

Wilkinsburg Borough Parks and Recreation Committee Announces 2009 Summer Series Concerts

Wilkinsburg Borough Parks and Recreation Committee announces its schedule of concerts for the 2009 Summer Series, Art in the Park (formerly Jazz in the Park).  This is the 6^th year for the concert series which has become a favorite of residents throughout Wilkinsburg neighborhoods and we are looking to expand to include more local talent by opening up two nights to local talent.

 

Not only the are we including some pretty impressive bands, but there will also be inviting local talent to take part in talent shows on 2 dates.  The winners of the talent shows will be included in the annual Wilkinsburg Idol Show during Wilkinsburg Community Day on August 22^nd.  We are putting out a call for singers, dancers and spoken word artists to take part in the Talent shows on June 30^th and July 28^th.

 

The Concert Series begins on Tuesday, June 9^th with one of Wilkinsburg’s beloved music teachers, Andy Yalch, music teacher at Turner Elementary and 2 other musicians, Bobby Short and Dr. James Alston, Music Curriculum Supervisor for Pittsburgh Public Schools. 

 

Rodney McCoy on June 16^th 
Flow Band on June 23^rd 
Talent Show/Poetry Slam/DJ on June 30^th 
New Show Band on  July 7^th 
Toni Campbell on July 14^th 
Gerald Haymon on July 21^st 
Talent Show /Poetry Slam/DJ on July 28^th 
Smooth Groove TBD
New Show Band featuring Marvin on August 18^th

Wilkinsburg Idol Talent Show on Saturday, August 22^nd

 

All concerts (with the exception of Wilkinsburg Idol on August 22^nd) are held on the lawn of the Parklet on Penn Avenue (between H & R Block and 745 Penn Avenue).  Concerts begin at 7:00 p.m. and are free to the public.  Families are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy an evening of music.  For more information, please visit Wilkinsburg Borough’s website at www.wilkinsburgpa.gov. 

 

ART in the PARK

Parklet on Penn Avenue

Every Tuesday at 7:00 pm

June – August

Wilkinsburg Summer Jam & Community Health Fair Announced

When: Saturday June 20, 2009 12 noon – 4 pm
Where: Wilkinsburg Middle/High School 747 Wallace Ave

Free Health Screenings

Participants:
Asthma & COPD
PSA
Dental
Stroke
Blood Pressure
Bone Density
Hearing & Vision
Stress Testing
Cholesterol
CPR/First Aid
Bereavement Support

AFLAC
Citizens Bank
Community Hearing
Coston Funeral Homes
Eastern Area EMS
Family Care Connection
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Holistic Dentistry
Hosanna House
Khan Medical Association
Dr. R.C. Lin
Magee-Women’s Hospital Wilkinsburg Center
Metro Family Practice
Milestones
Dr. Nikki Lewis
Primary Care Health Services, Inc.
Reid Records
Rosaflora Flower Essences and Aromatherapy
SW PA Aids Planning Coalition
West PA Coalition for Single Payer Health Care
Star Optical
UPMC Asthma & Allergic Disease Research Center
UPMC Cancer Center
Village at Pennwood
Western PA School for the Deaf
Edutainment & light refreshments will be provided.

Sponsors

Kwame Ture Leadership Institute
Wilkinsburg Chamber of Commerce
Wilkinsburg Public Schools
Kelly-Strayhorn Theater
Well Women Radio Retreat – WAMO
Duquesne University

Contact Dr. Debra Comte at info@wilkinsburgchamber.com for more information.

Planning Ahead

Wilkinsburg is looking to the future. The Wilkinsburg Plan, an ambitious, wide-ranging effort to put the borough on the right track for the next decade and beyond, has been under way since early this year and will be taking shape for most of 2009 before its expected completion in the spring of 2010. Another plan, just completed, entitled Making Wilkinsburg Sustainable, is a community development project from Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management. That plan is available for viewing on the economic development section of Wilkinsburg’s Web site, www.wilkinsburgpa.gov.
Components of the Wilkinsburg Plan include a management audit, which will examine ways to optimize government services, a comprehensive plan, which is a blueprint for community development, and the most recent area to come under consideration, a plan for revitalizing the community’s business district. A weeklong design charrette, led by consultants from Delta Development Group and Burt Hill Architects, invited residents to share their thoughts on the business district’s strengths and weaknesses, and offer input for the best way to face the economic challenges of the future. Information gathered from residents, business owners and other stakeholders in a series of public meetings over the past month pointed to a need on Penn Avenue for storefront improvements, general cleanup and improved safety. Affordable housing was ranked either “very important” or “somewhat important” by about 85 percent of the participants, with a preferred redevelopment mix of renovation and new construction. Community strengths were walkability, accessibility to public transportation, historic buildings and a strong sense of community. Participants in one of the charrettes, in discussing the borough’s proximity to the city of Pittsburgh, combined with its small-town feel, described Wilkinsburg as an “urban Mayberry,” a description that Mayor John Thompson agreed with. “It is a small town,” he said. “Kids walk to school, most of us can walk to church.” The size of Wilkinsburg’s business district, encompassing Penn Avenue and the businesses on Wood Street, tops out at about 70 acres. To put that in perspective, Edgewood Towne Center is 30 acres; The Waterfront is 20 acres; South Side works is 35 acres; and Monroeville Mall is 100 acres. Some participants believed the size was a drawback, and a reconfiguration and transition of the district to include more housing and fewer businesses may be a more viable long-term strategy, one that could result in fewer vacant properties. Residents who want to learn more about the Wilkinsburg Plan, and who want to stay in the loop about the plan’s progress can call the borough office, 412-244-2900, ext.101 or send an e-mail to compplan@wilkinsburgpa.gov. Addressing vacant properties is the thrust of Making Wilkinsburg Sustainable. The study, commissioned with the idea of identifying strategies for making the borough more economically and environmentally sustainable, found that most of the challenges Wilkinsburg faces—few new residents, limited investment, poor public perception, a high property tax rate—can be traced to the high number of vacant properties in the borough. According to the 2000 US Census, 14.6 percent of Wilkinsburg’s housing units are vacant. The national average is 9 percent. A study by Temple University showed that property values of occupied homes decreased when those homes were close to an abandoned property. Some steps to reverse the trend are already being taken. Wilkinsburg’s tax base expansion ordinance includes a “willing seller program,” which will make it easier for prospective buyers to purchase abandoned and tax-delinquent buildings. The borough is in the process of compiling data on all abandoned properties, to include tax status, ownership, code violations and any report of criminal activity. Also, a pilot program with Nine Mile Run Watershed Association will attempt to maintain property values of homes adjacent to abandoned properties, by keeping vacant lots clean, providing landscaping improvements and building fences.
If you would like to weigh in on the Wilkinsburg Plan online, go to http://tiny.cc/wilkinsburgplan.

Peace in the Park

The popular Peace in the Park program, at the Johnston Elementary School playground park, gets under way on Monday, June 22. The five-day-a-week program runs from 5 to 8 p.m., through Friday, August 14. Arts and crafts, kickball, volleyball, chess, cards and more, for kids and adults. A light dinner will be served each night.

Sponsors and facilitators of Peace in the Park are Wilkinsburg Police Department; Tanya Smith, Johnson Elementary School principal; Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank and St. James Church. For further information, or if you would like to help out, call Josie Bryant, St. James Parish Social Service, 412-241-1309.

MAD DAD’s Father’s Day Event Returns on June 20

Come to the Hamnett Place Park and Ride for the Greater Pittsburgh Mad Dads’ third annual Father’s Day celebration, noon to 4 p.m., Satuday, June 20. Food, fun, fellowship and entertainment for everyone. For more information, or to learn more about Mad Dads, call George Spencer, 412-371-9188.