12.28.22 NPC

by Aubrey Bruce

For New Pittsburgh Courier

The night before the game in which the “Immaculate Reception” occurred, the late Bill “Bubby” Nunn III, son of the Steelers super scout, Hall-of-Famer Bill Nunn Jr., gave the late John “Squirrel” Mosley (one of the original members of the Roy Ayers group “Ubiquity” and a former member of the Isley Brothers’ horn section) and me tickets to the game. We were “bosom buddies” and alumni of the legendary Schenley High School.

Late in the game, on Dec. 23, 1972, when the Oakland Raiders scored to take the lead, we decided to leave.

After we exited Three Rivers Stadium, the remaining faithful cut loose

an ear-splitting roar. We assumed that it was from overly rambunctious and inebriated fans who were sore losers and so, we played it off. We almost blew our stack when we walked into the Alcatraz bar just a few blocks away from the stadium looking gloomy and sad, when the owner of the bar, “Mert,” as they called him, asked, “Weren’t you guys at the game?” We answered, “Yeah, but we left early.”

He exposed his toothless

most significant play in the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the history of the National Football League...and we had tickets.

grin and said: “So that’s why yaw’ll looking so down in the dumps. We won the game on the last m____erf____n play.”

John Mosley and I never stopped kicking ourselves in the rear end for our lack of faith in the team. After all, we missed the

I consider it one of the greatest coincidences and maybe a solid premonition that the future 6-star general of “Franco’s Italian Army” was born at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 7, 1950. In my opinion, Fort Dix, N.J., was his birthplace and where his manger lay. That was indeed a sure sign that immaculate accomplishments would be part of his destiny.

Franco Harris died in the late hours of Tuesday, Dec. 20. He was 72.

I initially met Franco Harris one night in 1973 at the “Fantastic Plastic,” a BYOB-disco located in

FRANCO HARRIS WAS LOVED BY ALL. (PHOTO BY SEBASTIAN FOLTZ/NFL)

by Frank Dobson Vanderbilt University

On Dec. 26, millions throughout the world’s African community started weeklong celebrations of Kwanzaa. There are daily ceremonies with food, decorations and other cultural objects, such as the kinara, which holds seven candles. At many Kwanzaa ceremonies, there is also African drumming and dancing. It is a time of communal self-affirmation—when famous Black heroes and heroines, as well as late family members—are celebrated.

As a scholar who has written about racially motivated violence against Blacks, directed Black cultural centers on college campuses and sponsored numerous Kwanzaa celebrations, I understand the importance of this holiday.

For the African American community, Kwanzaa

en principles. Translated these are: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics (building Black businesses), purpose, creativity and faith. A candle is lit on each day to celebrate each one of these principles. On the last day, a black candle is lit and gifts are shared.

Today, Kwanzaa is quite popular. It is celebrated widely on college campuses, the U.S. Postal Service issues Kwanzaa stamps, there is at least one municipal park named for it, and there are special Kwanzaa greeting cards.

Kwanzaa’s meaning for Black community

Kwanzaa was created by Karenga out of the turbulent times of the 1960’s in Los Angeles, following the 1965 Watts riots, when a young African American was pulled over on suspicions of drunk driving, resulting in an outbreak of violence.

Americans today, writer Amiri Baraka, says during an interview in the documentary, “We looked at Kwanzaa as part of the struggle to overturn White definitions for our lives.”

Indeed, since the early years of the holiday, until today, Kwanzaa has provided many Black families with tools for instructing their children about their African heritage.

Current activism and Kwanzaa

This spirit of activism and pride in the African heritage is evident on college campus Kwanzaa celebrations—one of which I recently attended. (It was done a few days early so that students going on break could participate.)

The speaker, a veteran of the Nashville civil rights movement, spoke about Kwanzaa as a time of memory and celebration. Wearing an African dashiki, he led those in

This Week In Black History A Courier Staple

• DECEMBER 28

1816—The American Colonization Society is organized by Robert Finley with the aim of returning Blacks to Africa. Ironically, it received support from two groups with opposing interests. Some abolitionists and philanthropists who wanted to end slavery supported the ACS with the hope of giving slaves a chance to start new, free lives in Africa. Meanwhile, some slave owners supported the ACS because they saw it as a way of ridding the country of free Blacks who they saw as stirring up trouble among Blacks who were still enslaved. It is estimated that at this time, there were 2 million enslaved Blacks and 200,000 free Blacks in America. In 10 years, the ACS returned nearly 3,000 Blacks to Africa. They helped to form what are today the West African nations of Liberia and Sierra Leone. Indeed, the first president of Liberia was an American Black who had returned to Africa.

1905—Legendary Jazz great and pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines is born on this day in Duquesne, Pa., near Pittsburgh. He was in a class by himself and a major influence not only in Jazz but also upon the Swing and Bebop eras of American popular music. He collaborated with such greats as Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Sarah Vaughn and Dizzy Gillespie. He died in 1983. Among his best known hits were “Stormy Monday Blues” and “Second Balcony Jump.”

1954—Movie star Denzel Washington is born on this day in Mt. Vernon, N.Y.

• DECEMBER 29

1939—One of the most outstanding educators of the 20th century, Kelly Miller, dies in Washington, D.C. He was a champion of education for Blacks and was among that group of more radical Blacks who opposed the accommodating policies of Booker T. Washington. In 1887, Miller became the first African American admitted to Johns Hopkins University. He became a long-time professor and dean at Howard University, while also being a prolific writer, essayist and newspaper columnist.

• DECEMBER 30

— KEITH MAYES

is not just any “Black holiday.” It is a recognition that knowledge of Black history is worthwhile.

History of Kwanzaa Maulana Karenga, a noted Black American scholar and activist created Kwanzaa in 1966. Its name is derived from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili, the most widely spoken African language. However, Kwanzaa, the holiday, did not exist in Africa.

Each day of Kwanzaa is devoted to celebrating the seven basic values of African culture or the “Nguzo Saba” which in Swahili means the sev-

Subsequently, Karenga founded an organization called Us—meaning, Black people—which promoted Black culture.

The purpose of the organization was to provide a platform, which would help to rebuild the Watts neighborhood through a strong organization rooted in African culture.

Karenga called its creation an act of cultural discovery, which simply meant that he wished to point African Americans to greater knowledge of their African heritage and past.

Rooted in the struggles and the gains of the civil rights and Black power movements of the 1950s and 1960s, it was a way of defining a unique Black American identity. As Keith A. Mayes, a scholar of African American history, notes in his book, “For Black power activists, Kwanzaa was just as important as the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Kwanzaa was their answer to what they understood as the ubiquity of white cultural practices that oppressed them as thoroughly as had Jim Crow laws.”

Overturning White definitions

Today, the holiday has come to occupy a central role, not only in the U.S. but also in the global African diaspora.

A 2008 documentary, “The Black Candle” that filmed Kwanzaa observances in the United States and Europe, shows children not only in the United States, but as far away as France, reciting the principles of the Nguzo Saba.

It brings together the Black community not on the basis of their religious faith, but a shared cultural heritage. Explaining the importance of the holiday for African

attendance—Blacks and Whites and those of other ethnicities—in Kwanzaa songs and recitations. On a table decorated in kente cloth, a traditional African fabric, was a kinara, which contains seven holes, to correspond to the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa. There were three red candles on the left side of the kinara, and three green candles on the right side of the kinara. The center candle was black. The colors of the candles represent the red, black and green of the African Liberation flag.

The auditorium was packed. Those in attendance, young and old, Black and White, held hands and chanted slogans celebrating Black heroes and heroines, as diverse as the civil rights icons, Rosa Parks and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and the Jamaican musician Bob Marley.

It was a cultural observance that acknowledged solidarity with the struggles of the past and with one another. Like the Black power movements, such as today’s Black Lives Matter movement, it is an affirmation of “Black folks’ humanity,” their “contributions to this society” and “resilience in the face of deadly oppression.”

Karenga wanted to “reaffirm the bonds between us” (Black people) and to counter the damage done by the “holocaust of slavery.” Kwanzaa celebrations are a moment of this awareness and reflection.

(by Frank Dobson, Associate Dean of Students, Vanderbilt University)

(This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.)

1928—R&B music legend Bo Diddley is born Ellas Bates on this day in McComb, Miss. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and a Grammy Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He was known in particular for his technical innovations, including his trademark rectangular guitar.

1929—Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority is officially incorporated. The international Black sorority was actually organized Nov. 22, 1922, by seven teachers in Indianapolis, Ind. It is currently headquartered in Cary, N.C., with the theme: “Sisterhood, Scholarship and Service.”

1929—A Black boycott of unfair store hiring practices begins during the Great Depression. The “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work” campaign began in Chicago with the picketing of a chain of stores. It soon spread to New York, Los Angeles, Cleveland and several other major cities.

• DECEMBER 31

1862—This day has become known as “Watch Night”—the eve of the Emancipation Proclamation going into effect and nominally freeing slaves in the Confederacy. Thousands of free Blacks gathered in various locations throughout the nation to “watch” for midnight when the Emancipation of slaves became the law of the land. A focal point for celebration was the home of abolitionist Frederick Douglas in Rochester, N.Y.

• JANUARY 1

1804—Jean Jacques Dessalines proclaims the independence of Haiti from France. The island nation, after the United States, becomes the second independent republic in the Western Hemisphere. The chief slogan of his independence speech was “Live free or die.” The Haitian war of independence had actually begun in August of 1791. The leader and greatest hero of that war was a former slave who worked as a carriage driver—Toussaint L’Ouverture. As a general, L’Ouverture was comparable to, and in some respects superior to, America’s George Washington and France’s Napoleon Bonaparte. However, under the ruse of discussing peace, L’Ouverture was tricked into traveling to France where

he died in prison in April of 1803. The Haitians nevertheless prevailed over the French under the leadership of Dessalines and he was able to declare independence on this day in 1804.

1854—Lincoln University becomes one of the first institutions of higher learning for Blacks in America when it is incorporated as Ashmun Institute in Oxford, Pa., on this day in 1854.

1863—The Emancipation Proclamation becomes law. Like many of the pro-Black measures taken by President Abraham Lincoln, the Emancipation, while welcomed by Blacks, reflected many contradictions. First of all, it only freed slaves in the South—an area of the country over which Lincoln at the time had no effective control. Further, it did not free slaves in the Border States. And even in the South, it exempted from nominal freedom slaves in 13 parishes in Louisiana, including New Orleans; 48 counties in West Virginia; and seven counties in Virginia, including Norfolk.

1997—Kofi Annan of Ghana becomes the first Black Secretary General of the United Nations.

1997—The notorious Robbens Island off the coast of South Africa, the prison that held legendary Black freedom fighter Nelson Mandela for 27 years, was converted into a museum.

• JANUARY 2

1831—William Lloyd Garrison (18051879), one of the great White heroes of Black history, begins publishing the anti-slavery newspaper, The Liberator, in Boston. Garrison was a fiery and strong-willed abolitionist who believed in the “immediate and complete” end of slavery. Thus, he ran afoul of not only the pro-slavery crowd but also those anti-slavery activists who favored a gradualist approach to the problem. He was so militant that he was imprisoned for libel because of his criticism of a merchant involved in the slave trade and at one point the state of Georgia offered a $5,000 reward for his arrest and conviction. According to Garrison, when it came to fighting slavery he was opposed to “timidity, injustice and absurdity.” His oft-repeated slogan as editor of The Liberator was, “I am in earnest; I will not equivocate; I will not retreat a single inch; and I will be heard.”

1837—The first National Negro Catholic Congress is held in Washington, D.C. 1898—Brilliant scholar Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander is born. She was the first Black woman to receive a doctorate in economics in America. She accomplished that feat in 1921 at the University of Pennsylvania at the age of 23. Later she earned a law degree and in 1927 became the first Black woman admitted to the Pennsylvania bar. She came from a distinguished family of educated and accomplished Blacks. She died in 1989.

1915—One of America’s most prominent historians, John Hope Franklin is born. Perhaps his best known work on Black history is “From Slavery to Freedom.”

1954—Oprah Winfrey, talk show queen and Black America’s first recognized billionaire, is born in Kosciusko, Miss. (There is some debate. Winfrey may have been the second Black billionaire after Black Entertainment Television founder Bob Johnson.) Winfrey retired from the “Oprah Winfrey Show” in 2011 and started her own network named OWN.

• JANUARY 3

1621—The first Black child is born in America. He was named William Tucker and he was born on a plantation in Jamestown, Va. His parents were Anthony and Isabella, who were among the first group of Black indentured servants (later slaves) brought to the American colonies in 1619. Indentured servants could work off so-called contracts and become free. But after 1619, all Africans brought to America were classified as slaves and only Whites were treated as indentured servants. (There is some dispute over the year of William Tucker’s birth. But it appears he was born in 1621 and Baptized in 1624.)

1966—One of the most tragic and senseless events of the Civil Rights Movement occurs. Sammy Younge Jr is shot and killed in Tuskegee, Ala., by White service station attendant Marvin Segrest for using the “Whites Only” restroom at the service station where Segrest worked. Younge was a 21-yearold Tuskegee Institute student and civil rights activist.

More Black families in Pittsburgh are embracing the choice of home education

The latest Census Bureau data show a surge in homeschooling rates — especially among Black families — since the pandemic.

by Lajja Mistry PublicSource

On a typical school day, you might find Wilkinsburg resident Simone Boone baking bread with her sons, Joshua and Noah.

But what seems like a fun activity is a math lesson in progress.

“Three one-thirds make a full cup,” she said, pouring flour while teaching her kids fractions.

Boone is one of the many parents who have decided to homeschool their children since the pandemic started. Her older son, Joshua, had just started kindergarten when COVID-19 hit. Boone decided to homeschool because she felt the online lessons were not helping him.

“At the age of 5, he wants to play. I should not have to have him sitting down, focus at a screen, just so I can take a picture to send to the teacher,” she said. “So when it was time to resend back to the school, I was like, yeah, this is not going to work.”

Homeschooling rates doubled during the pandemic, according to the latest Census Bureau data from the experimental Household Pulse survey. But the jump was much higher among Black families, among whom the proportion of households homeschooling increased by five times—larger than any other racial group. Standing at 3 percent during spring 2020, the homeschooling rate for Black households jumped to 16 percent by fall 2020.

Brian Ray, founder and president of the National Home Education Research Institute, said diversity and its visibility in homeschooling have increased dramatically in the last 20 years. More Black families started showing up at homeschooling meetings and conferences about 10 to 12 years ago, according to Ray’s research. And the pandemic further boosted their presence in 202021 as virtual schooling allowed parents to take a close look at their children’s education.

The overall homeschooling rates declined when schools reopened but still remained much higher than two years prior. Ray expects rates to rise gradually.

Tailoring to each family’s needs

Aishia Fisher, a mother of six from Aliquippa, has been homeschooling her children for six years. She started when three of her children were in third, fourth and fifth grades because she felt that the local charter school where her kids studied could no longer accommodate their education in a way that matched her religious beliefs.

Fisher has created a school-like system at home, with six classes throughout the day. They have even turned their basement into a classroom to separate the “school” from the rest of the home.

“We have a schedule from 9 to 3:30. And when school is over, school is over,” she said.

But the schedule does not need to be rigid. “One of the good things about schooling at home is even though we have a schedule, when different things come up, we have the ability to adjust and so that’s where that unstructured —that maximizing moments and things—that comes into play,” she said.

Fisher chose a curriculum that she customizes to fit her children’s individual learning styles. She

gets to choose the subjects that she wants her kids to learn. To required core subjects, she adds electives, including Bible studies.

“One of the benefits of homeschooling socially is that that child gets to have custom-designed, tailored curriculum just for them,” said Joyce Burges, co-founder and program director at National Black Home Educators (NBHE), a grassroots organization that supports families who are exploring home education. Various homeschool curriculum companies provide educational materials and NBHE recommends tailored curriculum options to parents based on the child’s learning needs, she said.

Boone calls herself an “eclectic homeschooler.”

Unlike Fisher, who works with a school schedule, Boone does not use a purchased curriculum package to teach her kids. Her approach is what many homeschoolers call “unschooling”.

“I just pull things from the library. Go by what he would like to know. Try to keep up on what’s happening in the world and put it in a way that’s understandable to him. So that’s how I came up with our curriculum,” she said. ”We don’t really have a schedule.”

The Pennsylvania Home Education Law has requirements that include: Filing an affidavit that certifies a parent or supervisor as a homeschooler; Providing 900 hours of primary instruction or 990 of secondary instruction per year; Maintaining a portfolio that includes a log of reading materials and work samples; Taking state-approved standardized tests in third, fifth and eighth grades.

The portfolio must also be evaluated by a certified teacher or a licensed school or clinical psychologist every year.

Reasons to homeschool vary for different families

For many parents, homeschooling allows them to teach their children what they may not learn in public or private schools.

Burges said parents lean toward creating an education that matches their values. Bullying in schools, religious considerations and concerns ranging from sexual content to the whitewashing of Black

history often factor into parents’ choices for their children.

Lavonda Pritchett, of Carrick, started homeschooling her 7-year-old daughter during the pandemic because she felt that the social influences and the school curriculum were not what she wanted for her child. She had always wanted to homeschool and made the leap when the pandemic meant that her daughter had to sit in front of a screen for six hours a day for school. With homeschooling, she incorporates teachings that she feels are important for her daughter.

“We have to do some more history about Pennsylvania because we live here, and you got some bases you have to hit for homeschooling. But the majority of my history teachings are African American studies,” she said.

Ray said he thinks that the pandemic prompted a sharp increase in homeschooling rates because virtual schooling gave parents a window into what was happening in public schools.

“They were surprised at what was going on. So that just boosted it for Black families,” he said. “Plus, the parents say, ‘We are not happy with the version of history that public schools teach. … We would like to have more focus on our ethnic group in the schooling of our children.’”

Some Black parents, he added, also say their children, especially the boys, continue to face discrimination in public schools.

For Leah Walker, a mother of four, the decision to homeschool her children stemmed from a bullying experience that her daughter faced in the charter school she attended.

“She didn’t feel protected. She didn’t feel safe. She just did not want to go to the school any longer,” Walker said.

Teacher churn and turnover of other staff also concerned Walker.

Cheryl Fields-Smith, professor of elementary education at the University of Georgia, has been researching homeschooling families since before the pandemic began. A familiar refrain, she said, is that parents inform a school of bullying and then the school won’t or can’t stop the behavior. “And so they have to protect their children,” she said. “So overall, homeschooling is a

type of refuge.”

Fisher’s son went back to a charter school after homeschooling for six years but started facing behavioral issues at school. They have decided to continue homeschooling starting next year.

Navigating challenges while providing meaningful education

Homeschooling is sometimes met with criticism for purported impacts on public school enrollment, student achievement and children’s social skills, or for increasing the risk of child abuse at home.

A 2019 Psychology Today article by a developmental psychologist acknowledged the benefits of homeschooling while also highlighting drawbacks, such as passing on biases and misinterpretations; ineffectively playing the dual role of parent and teacher; and limitations on providing a diverse and updated educational experience.

A child welfare expert told The Harvard Gazette in 2020 that the lack of homeschooling standards and monitoring creates various vulnerabilities for homeschooled children. The dangers, she said, range from not being proficient in basic academic skills, to being radicalized to a family’s ideology, to suffering from abuse or neglect.

Ray’s research shows that most homeschooled students performed significantly higher than institutional school students in terms of academic achievement, social-emotional learning and success into adulthood or college.

When Fisher started homeschooling her children six years ago, she did not know anyone who had done it. One of her biggest challenges was navigating the state laws and preparing a curriculum.

“I was at a complete loss,” she said.

Boone faced a different challenge: helping her 5-year-old son adapt to the new education system. “Josh would push back and I would remind him, hey, do you want to do this?” she said. The challenge was finding a balance between the demands of education and the flexibility of being at home. “You can sleep in as late as you want. You can play as long as you want. You can do as much as you want at home.

But with that, we need to do something. And then there’s some days we end up doing nothing, and I’m OK with that as long as we pick up the next day.”

Fields-Smith said parents often try to replicate school at home and realize that it’s not possible. “A lot of times, home educators will tell you that they first had to get to know their children as learners,” she said. “Sometimes they set out to teach their children in the way that they themselves learn. And then they realize it’s not working because their child learns a whole different way.”

As a first-time homeschooler, Pritchett felt unprepared to educate her daughter. “I still feel like I’m never prepared. I think my biggest challenge is not feeling like I’m doing enough for her. Am I the best teacher for her?”

For some parents, homeschooling also poses a financial challenge.

Fisher is a stay-at-home mother with no additional source of income. The curriculums can cost up to $1,000, and Fisher has been paying for four to suit her children’s needs. “It’s been a financial sacrifice.”

She believes that state funding for public schools should also be available for her children as long as they stay within the state guidelines.

National Black Home Educators provides financial assistance to member families in need. The organization advises families in choosing a curriculum that fits their budget and also assists by purchasing materials for them up to $150.

Fields-Smith said homeschooling can make an impact on a household’s economic status.

“A middle-class, Black family that decides to homeschool and they forgo an income, they can easily go from being middle class to working middle class,” she said. “But it’s a sacrifice that they’re willing to do because this is what their children need.”

Boone said homeschooling has given her the flexibility to create a meaningful learning experience for her children and thinks everyone should get a chance to explore it.

“They’re doing great and that makes me happy that I can help each of them in their own way.”

ROSE WILSON confirms one of her multiplication answers with her mother, Lavonda Pritchett, holding newborn Shelley-Rain Pritchett, on Tuesday, December 13, 2022, during a math lesson at their home in Carrick. Rose’s brother Adonis Pritchett sits behind her. (Photo by Lindsay Dill/PublicSource)

JACK AND JILL BALL 2022!

AMARI SMITH, presented by parents LaVette and Alvin Smith. (Photos by Gail Manker) DAILYN HOPKINS, presented by her parents DeVona and David Hopkins.

GABRIELLE GATHERS AND MOTHER CARLA GATHERS

JOSHUA WADE AND FATHER CLARENCE WADE

THE PRESENTEES—GABRIELLE GATHERS, EVANGELINE TETER, MACKENZIE PRIMER, OLIVIA JACKSON, DAILYN HOPKINS, NYLA BROWN, ALEXANDRA GRAVES, LINDSEY WASHINGTON

LINDSEY WASHINGTON AND MOTHER JOAN BARTLETT (PHOTOS BY GAIL MANKER)

MACKENZIE PRIMER, RIGHT, WITH HER MOTHER

EVAN ALLEN AND PARENTS, DARA AND GREGORY ALLEN

NYLA BROWN AND MOTHER TINA BROWN

TOREY BULLOCK JR. AND FATHER TOREY BULLOCK, J.D.

Grand Lodge in Hill District site of popular Annual Toy Drive

by Ashley G. Woodson

For New Pittsburgh Courier

In 2005, The Most Worshipful Hiram Grand Lodge Masonic Organization A.F. & A.M., in partnership with Omega Grand Chapter The Order of the Eastern Star State of Pennsylvania, saw a growing need to serve the less fortunate in the community by feeding people from all communities and having a toy drive for the children from all communities every Christmas.

And on Dec. 18, people came together for the Annual Toy Drive, held at the Grand Lodge on Centre Avenue in the Hill District. Hundreds of people from all parts of the Pittsburgh area brought their

children to the drive to receive a toy for Christmas. Some children were fortunate enough to receive two toys to put under the Christmas tree.

Deputy Grand Master Roosevelt J. Russell Jr. and Second Lady Sister Barbara Russell were Santa and Mrs. Claus for the kids.

Co-founder Grand Master Alan C. Duncan Sr. told the New Pittsburgh Courier that this event is all about helping one another and pleasing God.

Grand Master Xavier R. Harmon said: “This means being able to give back to those less fortunate, sharing my blessings and knowing God continues to bless me.”

Brenda Tate hosting New Year’s program for seniors, Dec. 29

The Senior Jazz Connection program is hosting a New Year’s jazz and free lunch event for Pittsburgh seniors on Thursday, December 29, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Energy Innovation Center on Bedford Avenue in the Hill District.

It’s hosted by 40-year Pittsburgh Police veteran and community activist, Brenda Tate, the New Pittsburgh Courier has learned exclusively.

As the COVID pandemic started to ease this year, Tate, a lifelong resident of the historic Hill District, in conjunction with her goddaughter, Tonya Ford, developed a concept to bring both entertainment and socialization to seniors living in high-rise complexes. Tate, an active senior herself, recognized how many of her friends, neighbors and seniors in high rises were struggling with the lack of socialization.

Tate and Ford Tonya designed a plan that would bring both socialization and entertainment into the housing communities. Every first Friday of the month, the Senior Jazz Connection shows up at a high rise in the

Hill District or Oakland with a jazz band and a healthy lunch. Local renowned musician Tony Campbell performs for the seniors for two hours as they dance and enjoy music that they have been sorely missing. Tate and Ford have also enlisted the support of many partners who believe in Senior Jazz Connection’s concept to make financial investments so that they can provide seniors with a safe environment to express themselves socially.

“My entire career as a police officer for 40 years was about service to my own community and the city,” said Tate, who made the decision to return to the Hill District late in her career to make it a safer community for seniors. “When I retired, my life didn’t change, only the job. I was still serving my community, but I could now focus on seniors. With Senior Jazz Connection we do just that every month.”

Added Tate: “We made the decision to close out 2022 with a bang, by hosting a New Year’s lunch party for seniors residing in the City of Pittsburgh. The Hill District has been

my lifelong home, and it gives me great satisfaction to be able to serve the seniors. This program has rebooted my life. As I age, I realize being a senior has many challenges, both physically and mentally. But you still have a strong desire to be as active as you possibly can and enjoy each other’s company. With the Senior Jazz Connection, you can do just that.”

The New Year’s event on Dec. 29 will include a free lunch and feature a performance by Tony Campbell Jazz Surgery. In addition, many resources will be available for the seniors, including McAuley Ministries, UPMC, Hearing and Deaf, Duquesne University law students, Senior Grandparents, PAWS Across Pittsburgh, Incarcerated Sons, Salem’s Market and more. Tate also tapped into her own scholarship (Brenda Tate Scholarship) recipients to serve as volunteers.

“We will be dedicating a prayer memorial for our friend Franco Harris, a real champion for Pittsburgh’s seniors,” Tate said.

SANTA AND MRS. CLAUS GIVING TOYS TO KIDS FROM ALL OVER THE CITY (PHOTOS BY ASHLEY WOODSON)

WORTHY MATRON SISTER MARQUICE WOODSON AND GRAND MASTER XAVIER R. HARMON SR.

SANTA CLAUS ASKING ONE OF THE CHILDREN WHAT THEY WANT FOR CHRISTMAS...

BRENDA TATE, FRANCO HARRIS

91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 15219 412-281-3141 Sunday Mass 11 AM www.sbtmparishpgh.com

Rev. Thomas J. Burke- Pastor Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar Rev. David H. TaylorSenior Parochial Vicar.

East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Patrice Fowler-Searcy and Rev. Heather Schoenewolf Pastors 412-441-3800

Worship in person or Online on Facebook/YouTube www.ELPC.church

Summer Worship.......10:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m.

For rate information, call 412-4818302, ext. 128. We want to feature positive youth from our Pittsburgh church community. Please mail their bio and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 or email us: religion@newpittsburghcourier.com

TOYS DONATED FROM ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY (PHOTOS BY ASHLEY WOODSON)

GRAND MASTER XAVIER R. HARMON SR., GRAND MASTER DAVID A. PATRICK II, MOTORCYCLE CLUB BUFFALO SOLDIER BLAINE FRANK.

SECOND LADY SISTER BARBARA RUSSELL (MRS. CLAUS)—Also pictured are deputy Grand Master Roosevelt J. Russell Jr. (Santa Claus) and Worthy Matron

Sister Marquice Woodson having a blast at the toy drive.

GRAND WARDEN BROTHER DAVID DIXON SR. and fiance Alexandria who helped with the “Free Store.”

‘The Last Reception’

Bill Neal remembers Steelers great Franco Harris

More than likely you don’t know Doug Brown, he of early Penn Hills High School football fame. But if you knew him and more importantly, if you had ever seen him run with a football, you would better understand why this salute to the great Franco Harris begins with him.

You see, Doug was our O.J. from fourth grade on. A magnificent runner with great natural talent and “Grown Man’s” strength by the time we got to seventh grade. And with him the rest of us...Jeff, Greg, Jessie, Johnny, Rip, Clarence and a few others expected to reach the “Promised Land,” aka state title by 1970, our senior year.

Well, things happened and we never got to the gold, not even close, but we fought under the leadership of new head coach Andy Urbanic. That being said, it didn’t dampen my dreams to play at Penn State and on to the Baltimore Colts of the NFL. Only one problem—I wanted Penn State but Penn State didn’t want me, nor did any other Division 1 school and I had a better chance of playing Scrooge at

Christmas than playing pro football. However, here’s where we begin to connect the dots.

Penn State wanted Doug, so I was able to sneak in a trip to State College with him on a recruitment trip. It was at that time I learned two things. #1. Coach Joe Paterno made it very clear

sor through my agency from 1979 to 2015. Not only did he sponsor the camps, he showed up at the majority of them to shake the hands of the young players as they left the field.

he appreciated my high school Hall of Fame status but it didn’t add up to what it took to be a Nittany Lion. “Cold-Blooded!” And #2. That meeting Franco Harris playing pick-up basketball in the “Rec Hall” would be the beginning of a lifelong relationship that would make me and countless Pittsburghers all the better for it. Most especially the thousands of young men that would come through the Champions/Franco Harris All-Pro Football Camps that he would go on to spon-

Of course it didn’t stop there. He was a co-sponsor in our youth tennis clinics (and if you didn’t know, Franco was a great tennis player) and proved to be a guardian angel for Champion Enterprises and Achieving Greatness Inc., by not only co-sponsoring many of our programs with an annual donation, but attending them as well, most notably the Willie Stargell Pittsburgh MVP Awards and the Connie Hawkins Summer Basketball League. Of course it goes without saying he was good friends with Willie and Connie... and by the way a damn good basketball player, too. Now ya know!!!

With a 40-plus-year relationship with one of the alltime greatest NFL players, it was an easy call on our part to join with Ben and Victor Scott and present Franco with an early Lifetime Achievement/Immac-

ulate Reception 50th Year Anniversary Award. It was solely because Ben and Victor were being inducted into the Pittsburgh City League Hall of Fame that they and the Scott family would have Franco on hand on their

behalf because he had such a monumental impact on their lives through high school and college. (For the record that’s an E-60 ESPN story to be told.)

With all that and the support of the Willie Thrower Foundation, represented by basketball legend B.B. Flenory and Foundation President Melvin Smith, the unexpected final pass would be thrown. (Willie Thrower is the first Black man to play quarterback in the NFL and hails from New Kensington) When former Steelers Super Bowl champion, the Honorable Judge Dwayne Woodruff, introduced and praised his teammate in front of the 500-plus guests and the 9th Annual Pittsburgh City League High School Hall of Fame inductees, little did we know it would be “The Last Reception” he would catch and who better to throw it than the late, great Willie Thrower!

Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, would be the last time we would see our dear friend and the greatness that was

Franco Harris. And while none of us could see any difference in him whatsoever, we, like millions of others, were anxiously awaiting his official NFL and Pittsburgh Steelers’ 50-year anniversary celebration and the retirement of his jersey that would join only two others in Steelers history, Ernie Stautner and the great Joe Greene.

All that you’ve heard about Franco Harris is true. That’s an easy blanket statement to make because you never, and I mean you never, heard anything bad about the man.

NFL Hall of Fame football superstar, four-time Super Bowl Champion, Super Bowl MVP, and top two rushing champion...it all, believe it or not, takes second place to the millions that he showcased his talent for and the thousands of lives he personally touched and the fortunate and blessed of us whom he touched and made our lives better.

Remembering an all-time great, on and off the field

Franco Harris passes at age 72

HARRIS FROM A1

the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. At the time, I was hanging out with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pitching ace “Dock” Ellis along with his fellow Pirates teammates Willie Stargell and Rennie Stennett.

Franco would hang out but he was on the quiet side and for all the years that I had known him, if you or anyone else indirectly or directly subjected him to any nonsense, most of the time he would quietly bring out the “Franco guillotine” and you would never gain his confidence or trust again.

But in some instances, Franco was comedy clublike hilarious and would have you in stitches.

Franco Harris was not only athletically astute, but also was intellectually, socially and spiritually attuned to and focused on the needs of the “family of humanity.” Many of the people that stayed warm during some of the terrible winters of the recent past were able to do so because of one of the government programs available to the public to assist with the payment of their utility bills. The LIHEAP Pro-

gram (low-income heating assistance) was one such program. When LIHEAP began to air the PSAs featuring Franco, his reassuring presence helped to remove the stigma of seeking assistance to pay electric bills.

Franco Harris received the first-ever Beaver Stadium Run Community Hero Award in 2013. This award is given each April to a member of the Penn State family who has shown support and generosity to Special Olympics and/or the community.

Franco was a member of Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Executive Advisory Board and his support spanned decades. These were just two examples of his commitment to community service.

There was a serious side to Franco Harris that could be equated to possessing a “sixth sense” when it came to identifying the ongoing social, economic and systemic racial issues that plagued and continue to poison the search for equality for all of the family of man.

Franco Harris had a stellar, storied and legendary athletic career, but his

accomplishments on the gridiron paled in comparison to the glaring light at the end of the “tunnel of possibilities” that he provided to help those in search of success and fulfillment.

One great example of Franco’s tireless and unwavering civic commitment was the effort to restore the legendary Pittsburgh entertainment and music venue the Crawford Grill. Franco was also focused on redeveloping and restoring a few of the affected adjacent properties. The Crawford Grill was a jazz club that operated in the Hill District. During the apex of its popularity in the 1950s and ‘60s, the venue hosted jazz legends Art Blakey, Charles Mingus, Max Roach and Miles Davis, among others. It was a musical staple until 2003 when it folded.

In 2010, Franco, assisted by Pittsburgh jazz star vocalist Jessica Lee, and trombonist Dr. Nelson Harrison and a group of investors, purchased the property with the goal of restoring and reopening the location as a venue and restaurant.

Internationally known artist Walt Sims Jr., whose father was a prince in the court of the Crawford Grill, shared a few of his lasting memories: “I grew up crawling around the floors in the Grill. I cut my teeth on the music of Art Blakey, Max Roach, and many of the immortal jazz giants. After the Grill folded in 2003, it was abandoned and sat dormant for a few years before Franco and his assistant, Jessica Lee, intervened to initiate the process of claiming, restoring and reopening the Grill. Fifty years from now the effort to save the Crawford Grill may simply be known as, ‘The Immaculate Salvation.’ It hurts because Franco Harris won’t be here to see it, (but) his impact went far beyond the football field. He was and is an angel to the people in the community and one of the greatest spirits I’ve ever met in my life.”

Last and certainly not least, I spoke with Jessica Lee, the extraordinary and iconic Pittsburgh jazz vocalist. Lee exhibits a few angelic qualities of her own. She had assisted

Franco for over a decade and has been a driving force behind restoring the Crawford Grill and redeveloping the surrounding properties.

“I received a call from our friend, Dr. Nelson Harrison, back in 2009 and Nelson said that it was urgent and that the Grill needed to be sold; and the fear was that when it was acquired, no one would properly restore it. That call (was eerily similar) to the miracle catch by Franco 50 years ago. After that conversation with Nelson, a group of ambassadors came together and saved it together. They had no business because they didn’t have time to create one. All they knew was that it deserved to be saved and that they would try to save it.”

Jessica Lee is an “old soul” as evidenced by an experience she had at the shuttered property. Jessica recalled the incident: “One dark day and I think this might have been still late 2008 or early 2009...I had a chance to meet “Buzzy” Robinson, the previous owner, and talk with him about how important it was for the legacy to be

honored by the new buyers, whoever that might be, and I asked them was it OK if I could stand on the stage. I stood for a few seconds and looked down at my feet. I closed my eyes. And as God is my witness, I saw Miles Davis and Sarah Vaughn standing there and I heard the clinking of glasses and a place filled with laughter. I left the stage and called Nelson Harrison and he simply said, ‘the spirits gotcha.’”

Jessica Lee explained how difficult it was to talk about Franco, but reflected on her final moments with the Steelers legend. “The last time I saw Franco alive was Dec. 13. This was a Tuesday afternoon. We went up to the Crawford Grill building around 2:30 p.m. and he asked me, ‘Jessica, do you hear it?’ He raised his hands up to his face, almost like putting his hands together in prayer and he looked down at me and said, ‘We’re gonna build something beautiful here.”

Franco Harris, you have already built something beautiful. Rest in peace, St. Franco.

FRANCO HARRIS, THIRD FROM RIGHT, WITH, AMONG OTHERS, COURIER SPORTS COLUMNIST BILL NEAL, THIRD FROM LEFT.

FRANCO HARRIS, AT THE PGH. CITY LEAGUE HIGH SCHOOL HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS. (PHOTOS BY KEN OGILVE)

down on unused subscriptions

The Afro

Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase

Subscription services are a billion-dollar-per-month industry, according to a survey by West Monroe, which found that the average person spends almost $240 each month on subscriptions. These subscription services include streaming, shopping, music, beauty products, fitness, and subscription boxes.

Now is a great time to take an inventory of all your subscriptions and cancel the ones you haven’t used enough in 2022. Give yourself the gift of cutting down on unused subscriptions with the following tools.

Subscription Management Apps

New technology can scan your bank statements and notify you of recurring charges. Most of these types of apps provide basic monitoring services for free. Some also have a premium paid option that will cancel the subscriptions for you. Other premium features include negotiating better deals, setting up savings accounts for you, negotiating parking tickets, and more.

Some services filter through your bank statements to identify any monthly recurring charges. Sometimes, the software cannot catch subscriptions that have billing periods that aren’t monthly. If you use one of these apps, following up on subscriptions with abnormal billing cycles is a good idea.

These apps have received some negative reviews because they need access to your private financial data. By connecting these apps to your financial accounts, you depend on them to handle your data securely. Check the appís privacy policy before signing up to ensure you’re comfortable.

Smartphone App Review

On your smartphone, you can see a list of your subscriptions in the store where you buy apps. If you can’t find it, do a quick online search to see where subscriptions are listed on your particular phone. From there, you should be able to view all active subscriptions and how much they cost.

Then, you can check for lower-cost plan options or consider canceling. Make a habit of checking your app subscriptions monthly and changing to a cheaper subscription plan when possible.

Free Streaming

Free ad-supported TV, called FAST for short, is a content delivery model provided at no cost to you. Much like traditional television, advertisers pay to stream ads before, during, or after your video. FAST also uses scheduled programming. The FAST streaming option is growing in popularity as companies look for ways to retain and attract new customers. This works to your advantage by giving you access to many platforms without paying for them.

One of the most popular features of FAST streaming is the various available options and access to the best new products or services, according to a Harris Poll survey.

Auto-Renew Features

Perhaps you subscribe to a service to watch the newest hit show or get a must-have item, only to forget to cancel later. Fortunately, many subscription services offer the option to turn off auto-renew. This will end your subscription after the current billing cycle or send you a reminder to renew or cancel.

You can also schedule a notification in your calendar when you sign up, reminding you to cancel before a free or reduced-cost billing period ends.

Previous Year Analysis

The end of the year is a great time to do a financial analysis and plan for the upcoming year. Part of that analysis can be to look at your bank statements to identify all your subscriptions. Sort the subscriptions based on whether you actively use them and cancel any you no longer want. With the new year approaching, now is the perfect time to take an inventory of your subscriptions to decide what to keep and what needs to be left in 2022.

(Give Yourself a Gift by Cutting Down on Unused Subscriptions appeared first in AFRO American Newspapers.)

Don’t spread yourself too thin: Avoid burnout with these simple tips

by Megan Sayles For New Pittsburgh Courier

(BlackPressUSA)—

We’ve all heard the ageold saying that “hard work pays off.”  But, sometimes, THE working too hard can do more harm than good.

“Burnout” is a form of work-related stress in which an individual experiences physical, emotional or mental exhaustion caused by their job’s demands. It can also make workers feel distanced from their jobs and engender negative feelings about them, according to the World Health Organization.

Although it cannot be medically diagnosed, burnout can lead people to lose their sense of self and feel as if they are not accomplishing enough. Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Psychological Association found that the risk of burnout has increased for workers due to extra stress, increased household demands and longer working hours.

This makes it even more important for people to know the signs of burnout and the strategies to combat it.

Natasha Charles is the founder and CEO of Intuitive Coaching with Natasha Charles, a comprehensive life coaching

and consulting firm. She created the business after gaining 20 years in senior administration roles.

Charles was motivated to open the firm in 2018 out of a desire to create a business focused on inspiring continuous improvement. There, she works with individuals and executives to create lives that they love and offers them personalized solutions to address critical work and business challenges.

“It’s really about thinking about you, the person, and all that you are,” Charles said. “People tend to be very focused on one aspect of their life, and a lot of times, it’s about their career, so it’s really about making space for all of your goals and all of your dreams.”

When someone experiences burnout, Charles said they could be actively doing their job while simultaneously worrying about their other responsibilities and priorities, whether personal or work-related. She also stressed that burnout can be experienced no matter what profession you are in and what you are being paid.

Aside from the physical and mental impacts of stress, burnout can impact finances if it causes an employee to take ex-

tended periods of time off or miss work, according to Charles. It can also reduce their productivity.

In the beginning of 2022, the term “quiet quitting” emerged, and for some, it’s being used as a method to avoid burnout. It involves individuals meeting the minimum requirements of their job descriptions, investing no extra time or effort than what is mandatory.

For Charles, quiet quitting is a signal that a person is not fulfilled by their job and may need to think about changing workplaces or careers.

“I get that people are not always able to up and quit, and it can take time to find what that next role is,” Charles said. “I would come from a space of encouraging the person to start thinking about what that is. What is it that you ultimately desire to be doing in your life and seeing your work?”

One of the most important steps in reducing and preventing burnout is educating yourself about the syndrome, so you can be aware of the warning signs, according to Charles. She also said it was crucial for employers to talk to their employees about it.

Awareness can help prevent the shame and guilt that comes with burnout

and allow people to give themselves grace.

After a person has weighed whether they are experiencing burnout or not, they should think about how they want to confront it. This could include engaging in self-care, asking for extra support at work or home, and creating stronger boundaries between their personal and professional lives.

When burnout is impacting your performance, it’s time to consider making a career change, Charles said.

To ensure your work life does not invade your personal life, Charles said people need to assess the goals they have for all areas of their life. Once you’ve set goals, it’s easier to devise a plan and set the necessary boundaries to achieve them.

Charles also said it’s important to carve out time for yourself where you’re not constantly checking your phone or email for work reasons.

“There is life beyond your work. There is an entire world out there to be discovered,” Charles said. “There’s a world within us to be discovered as well, and I encourage everyone to invest in discovering those pieces.”

(This article originally appeared in The Afro.)

A new year is upon us. One of the most often repeated statements you’ll hear people say as we bring in the new year is, “New Year! New Me!” When a person makes this statement, what’s being verbalized is, “I’m not living up to my full potential. I can do better. I will do better.”

No one is perfect. No one knows it all. No one has it all. There’s always room for growth and improvement. There’s nothing inherently wrong with striving to be a better version of yourself. In fact, it’s a good thing. The problem is many of us say “new year, new me” at the start of every year but never fully internalize or never consistently implement what’s necessary to become a better person. As a result, year after year, we say new year, new me only to be the same exact person we were in years past. There’s no noticeable improvement in our spiritual life. There’s no noticeable improvement in our health. There’s no noticeable improvement in our relationships. There’s no noticeable improvement in our finances. We can’t continue to just talk the talk. If we want positive improvement in one area of our lives or all areas of our lives, we have to walk the walk. Positive affirmations in and of themselves aren’t going to do it. Wishful thinking in and of itself isn’t going to do it.

In order to become a better version of ourselves, we have to set SMART goals. We have to adopt a new way of thinking. We have to change our daily routine. We have to surround ourselves with a community of people who are like-minded and aspire the same thing. Our behavior, decisions and actions have to be consistent with our goals.

Most importantly, we have to be committed to the idea of progressive change. Commitment is required because positive change isn’t an overnight process and old habits are hard to break.

Here’s a more descriptive list on how to become a better you.

Take ownership of your life: If it is to be, it’s up to me! If you haven’t done so, make that one of your daily positive affirmations. Nothing happens unless you make it happen. You’re your biggest cheerleader. You’re your worst critic. Take stock of your life. Identify what you want and what’s holding you back.

Set SMART goals: SMART goals are goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. This acronym is used to help plan and evaluate progress when trying to reach a certain goal. An example of a SMART goal might be: “I will jog for 30 minutes, three times a week for the next three months, to improve my overall fitness level. It’s also good to break your overall goal into smaller, manageable goals to increase your chances of success. For example, instead of setting a goal to save $3,000 for vacation, make a goal to save $500 per month over the next six months.

Change bad habits: It’s important to become aware of bad habits you have and

start making incremental changes with each one. It’s generally our bad habits that hold us back. By identifying what’s holding you back and identifying your bad habits, you address the elephant in the room. Bad habits are impediments to growth and progress. There can be no new you if you continue to do things that you know are holding you back.

Learn new skills: We live in a what have you done for me lately and what can you do for me now society. We have to constantly be updating our resume with both knowledge and know-how so that we can continue to grow, improve, be of value, stay relevant and be desirable. This advice isn’t exclusive to the labor market where learning new skills can increase your income. It was Janet Jackson who popularized the phrase, “What have you done for me lately.” She was talking about romantic relationships. Learning new skills and continuing to deliver value applies in all aspects of your life—spiritually, physically, relationally and financially.

Find ways to stay motivated: You will not always be motivated but you must always be consistent if you want to become a better version of yourself. As a result you have to find ways to motivate yourself to stay on track and keep pushing forward. By identifying both your goals and bad habits, you can use them as motivation.

Use your goals to remind you why you’re working hard and making various sacrifices. Use your bad habits to remind you of your setbacks and lack of progress. Doing the things that are consistent with your goals will lead you to a better place. Continuing to indulge in bad habits will keep you stagnant.

Celebrate your successes: Success is gratifying but it’s generally a slow process. It’s gradual. It’s cumulative. You’ll lose an ounce before you lose a pound. You’ll literally succeed one step at a time. Be sure to establish milestones along the way. Celebrate and reward yourself for your incremental progress as well as your overall successes.

Surround yourself with like-minded, positive people: The world is full of temptation. It seems like the food that is the least healthy tastes the best. It seems like activities that are not good for you are the most fun. We all know right from wrong and what’s good for us and what’s not good for us. But oftentimes our bad habits and in many cases our addictions are so influential, we need to surround ourselves with people who have similar mindsets and similar goals. These positive relationships can help encourage us to continue our journey at being the best version of ourselves.

Happy New Year! Resolve to evolve spiritually, relationally, physically, and financially this year! When you say “New Year, New Me” this year, don’t just say it! Do what is necessary to become a new and better you!

(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412-216-1013 or

can visit his website @ www.

Thinking about starting a business in 2023?

Here are six steps before opening doors

by JPMorgan Chase

Black business ownership is surging, fueled by Black women as the nation’s fastest-growing demographic of entrepreneurs. In fact, over one million new businesses started over the last decade are owned by entrepreneurs of color. It’s a promising trend, as local Black-owned businesses play a significant role in building wealth, creating job opportunities and celebrating diverse cultures.

Starting a business requires planning. You may already have a great business concept, but, before you start selling products or opening stores, consider these six steps to start your business off on the right foot:

Make it official-legally The first step is establishing your business by choosing between a limited liability corporation (LLC), a limited liability partnership (LLP) or a corporation.

Registering your business as an LLC, LLP or corporation is crucial because

it makes your business a separate legal entity and forms a financial protection barrier between you as the owner and your business.

Make your business account work for you

Once the business is established, it is essential to determine your business’ spending needs and financial resources. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recommends all incorporated businesses have a business banking account, and there are several benefits to opening one up. For example, separating your personal finances from those of your business allows you to take full advantage of tax deductions, automate your bookkeeping, protect yourself from business debt liability and establish business credit.

Consider speaking with a business banker for more information and available resources.

Fund your business idea

Business credit is one of most common ways for entrepreneurs to fund a new

business. It’s also a great way to access the capital that you need to start, run and grow your company.

Much like personal credit, business credit signals to lenders how your company handles its debt. Stronger credit scores can increase your purchasing power by potentially making it easier—and, in some cases, cheaper—to secure loans and other forms of financing to cover day-to-day expenses, invest in inventory, hire additional staff and conserve liquid cash. It’s important to remember, though, that using credit responsibly is a crucial component of building any business.

Take inventory of your

financial resources

What are your income streams and how much could you invest in your business to create more customers, increase sales and produce opportunities for growth? Make a list of all your assets, including savings, retirement, business accounts, or home equity. Next, list out your liabilities, including credit cards, rent, mortgage, or car payments. Then, find out your net worth by subtracting what you owe from what you own. Work with your financial, legal and tax advisors to run through best and worstcase scenarios and find out what your options are. Financial resources like cash

management solutions can be helpful when setting up your business.

Create your online presence Whether you have a brick-and-mortar business or you’re digital only, your customers need a way to find out more about your business and what you offer. Think about your target customer and what you want them to know about your brand. If you don’t already have a website, creating an online hub for your business is critical to getting your message out there and building a customer base.

Build your dream team

As your business grows, you’ll need to hire people

you can trust to get the job done and reach the next level. Assemble a team who brings a strong work ethic and diverse expertise. It’s also essential to hire against your weaknesses and find team members who can make you smarter, more strategic and more effective as you start down the path of growing a successful business.

Visit a local Chase branch and speak with a business banker or check out educational materials at chase. com/business/next-levelbiz to learn more about starting and managing your business.

(Reprinted from the Washington Informer)

How some are finding success while living on less

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire

(NNPA)—It was supposed to be a part-time job.

But the workload, travel requirements and responsibilities made Keturah Lee’s IT program management position as stressful as any full-time job.

The Northeast Washington resident was working for a federal agency less than 30 hours a week when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

“But I was doing a fulltime person’s job,” she said.

“It was extremely stressful. I was trying to carry all the responsibility and not drop the ball. It was a never-ending cycle. I felt I always had to be on.”

A few months into the pandemic, Lee decided to become one of the nearly 50 million Americans who quit or changed jobs during what has been termed the “Great Resignation” of 2021-22.

While some people didn’t have a choice due to loss of employment, many made a move in search of better opportunities.

According to a recent LinkedIn survey, work-life balance was the biggest concern, topping compensation, and benefits.

Lee decided to find a job with less pressure and more flexibility, allowing more time for her volunteer ministry as one of Je-

hovah’s Witnesses.

As the pandemic raged, she studied to be an American Sign Language interpreter.

She earned a certificate, quit the IT job, started working part-time as a freelance interpreter and found that her prayers were answered.

“I had made it a matter of prayer,” she said. “I didn’t want to be rash. I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision.”

Even without the pandemic as a catalyst for taking a hard look at priorities and life goals, the Witnesses’ emphasis on service and family has led many in that Christian faith to make similar employment choices over the decades and given them a wealth of experience in learning to find success living on less.

“Living a balanced, simple life protects us, because it gives us more

time and energy for spiritual things,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“Spirituality has a direct impact on a person’s emotional well-being, which is why Jesus said that those conscious of their spiritual need are happy. Living by that principle takes constant effort as we each strive to maintain life balance.”

Video programs with

practical

Gail Martin likewise has no regrets about reassessing her priorities more than two decades ago.

She left a high-powered but all-consuming job as a systems analyst to put faith and family first.

“I can prioritize studying the Bible, my religious meetings and my volunteer ministry,” said Martin of Riverside, California.

“I’m also able to spend three months a year in Illinois with my family and help my brother care for my mom.”

The key to long-term success at living on less, she said, is regular life reassessment.

“What might work now may eventually not work,” she said. “Sometimes, you have to make adjustments. It’s a continuous process.

She often goes back to the free resources on jw.org, searching for Scriptural counsel on how to “handle your finances, choosing a career, how to be happy and whatever it might be that you need to look at your priorities and your values,” she said.

style and helping others through her ministry.

“Having less is also good for less stress,” she said.

“I’m living within my means. Not consuming so much and having and buying just what I need has helped me live a life that’s less stressful.”

Martin is currently reevaluating her life to prepare for retirement. She doesn’t yet know what adjustments she will make to simplify her life further, but she’s holding on to what makes her happy.

“I feel like if you put priorities first like family and God, that’s a lot more fulfilling than working yourself to death,” she said.

Comcast set to raise rates on cable services

by Alec Larson Phila. Tribune Staff Writer

Comcast users will soon see price increases on their bills as the company raises fees for a number of services.

The company, headquartered in Philadelphia, recently announced that it will increase its rates for customers nationwide by 3.8 percent on average, with different regions seeing slightly different rate increases.

The price increases are set to go into effect Dec. 20.

The news comes just a year after the company last raised its rates, a 3

percent increase in December 2021.

For the over 2 million

Comcast customers in the Philadelphia region, the biggest rate increases will be in the broadcast TV fee and the regional sports fee.

The broadcast TV fee is set to increase by 11 percent, jumping from $19.15 to $21.30. The broadcast TV fee pays for national networks such as Fox, NBC, ABC and CBS.

The regional sports fee will increase 5 percent, from $12.70 to $13.35.

Also, modem rental fees will increase by $1. News of the Comcast

price increase did not sit well with some consumers.

“As soon as I get my Social Security, things start going up. Any cost-of-living increase is a joke, because things are going up faster than my check is,” said Doris Kay, 69, of Mount Airy after she went shopping along the Germantown business corridor. “I can’t win for losing. Food prices are even up. Buying gifts this year will be tight.”

Fellow shopper Ruth Fletcher, 63, said she keeps her cable service mainly for her grandchildren but she may have to rethink it if prices keep

going up.

“My grands love the holidays at my house and watch TV with me. I need cable to stay up on things too. But paying for other things is stretching my budget and something’s got to give,” she said. “I remember when we mainly only had 3, 6 and 10 on the television and maybe a wire hanger for an antennae. Those days are pretty much gone. They have you over a barrel now.”

Comcast said in a statement that the company’s national average increase of 3.8 percent is “about half” of the most recent rate of inflation, and that

programming costs associated with sports and broadcast TV have reportedly almost tripled since 2006.

“TV networks and other video programmers continue to raise their prices, with broadcast television and sports being the biggest drivers of increases in customers’ bills,” the Comcast statement said.

“We’re continuing to work hard to manage these costs for our customers while investing in our broadband network to provide the best, most reliable Internet service in the country and to give our customers more low-

cost choices in video and connectivity so they can find a package that fits their lifestyle and budget,” the company said.

Some recent Xfinity bills have reportedly been sent out with a note saying, “As we strive to bring you the best services possible, we must also periodically review our prices and update them in response to the rising costs of programming and increases in other expenses impacting our services.”

(alarson@phillytrib.com 215893-5782)

suggestions based on Scriptural principles onjw.org, the Witnesses’ official website, helped Lee appreciate the value of a simple life-

Black people are dominating the news

Lately, it appears that Black people are dominating the news. Of course, it is not new that Black people have always appeared in the print and electronic media, but recently they have been unusually prominent on national and international platforms. In one particular case, the outcomes of the event will have a major impact on the United States balance of power in the legislative branch of the government.

Regarding this last point, most Democrats and right-minded Americans breathed a sigh of ecstatic relief when the nerve-wracking Georgia Senate race was resolved due to the victory of incumbent Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock. Warnock was part of a cliffhanger; he was in a runoff race with Republican Herschel Walker. Warnock won by a thread, and his victory helped secure a Democratic majority in the Senate. This can give Vice President Kamala Harris some breathing room to devote to her other vice-presidential duties, since she has had to serve as a tie-breaker in the Senate. It remains to be seen, however, how this will ultimately turn out since Senator Kyrsten Sinema, who periodically thwarted the Democratic vote, decided to switch parties and become an Independent. The plot thickens.

On another note, we have all been watching the train wreck that has seen Kanye West, now known as “Ye,” influence the public discourse on race, specifically on antisemitism. Ye has lost a lot of money, friends, and according to some people, his mind, as he has made one controversial statement after another. He has dredged up the conspiracy theory of the Satanic hold on the music and entertainment industry and has accused a lot of his former friends of demonic practices. He even went on record to alienate Elon Musk and President Donald Trump. Regarding Musk, he openly opined that Musk might be a Chinese hybrid and a clone!

Regarding Trump, he brought a notorious antisemite and White supremacist to a dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Bringing his controversial guest has cast a pall over Trump’s presidential run, since he was seen openly entertaining a racist antisemite. Basically, Ye is in the process of antagonizing almost everyone, except his cult-like fan base.

Another African American dominating the media is the former Olympian and great WNBA basketball star, Brittney Griner. Griner, as most people know by now, had been sentenced to serve nine years in a Russian labor camp for being caught with a small amount of cannabis oil. President Biden made good on his promise to get her released, since she had been considered to be wrongfully detained.

Interestingly, her release in a prisoner swap has elated a lot of people on one side, and enraged people on the other. Vitriol is being spewed against her among many White people and some Blacks. Both groups allege that they are unhappy because she is “anti-American” due to her refusal to honor the national anthem. Some opponents claim that she should have been left in Russia since Paul Whelan, a former Marine, who has been detained and accused of being a spy, was left behind. Russian president Vladimir Putin made it very clear that there would be a one-forone swap and that it was non-negotiable. A lot of people feel that Biden should have left Griner behind if both she and Whelan couldn’t be released. As a result, opponents are blaming President Biden for bungling the issue. Many African Americans, and sensible others, on the other hand, are ecstatic that Griner was released.

Finally, there is a new documentary highlighting the trials and tribulations of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle. It is interesting to note the opposition that Meghan has had to endure, not only from the British press and the royal family, but from everyday people. She is quite unpopular in Britain, according to some reports. Meghan said she was not treated like a “Black woman” until her marriage to Prince Harry, and some Black people are disturbed by her comment. Others, however, understand that her presence in the Royal Family and the Black blood that would therein ensue would automatically generate antagonism. When considering the foregoing, Black people are major influencers on the global stage, and it would behoove those Blacks who complain about a lack of power to take heed; you are stronger than you give yourself credit for. A Luta Continua.

(Reprinted from the Chicago Crusader.)

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—I like animals! My busy daily schedule prevents me from having a pet, but I like animals. Considering the joy and happiness they bring members of my family and friends, it’s difficult not to like them. My concern extends to the abandoned, abused, and unsheltered animals, especially during this season when many commercials air asking for donations to support them.

I like animals, but I am more concerned about the thousands of Americans who live without the security of a home, and who, for practical purposes, live in conditions as bad or worse than those of animals.

Looking at homelessness through my “glass half-empty” lens, I see an issue of immense proportions growing at an ever-increasing rate. I commend generosity, but I think that too many Americans diminish the severity of the problem because of the gifts they give at stop lights while driving or as they pass spots where pedestrians are solicited for help.

This may ease their distress of seeing another human living in circumstances the individual donor feels intolerable, but reality demands that we realize that the problem of homelessness will not be remedied one gift at a time. Like everything else in our society, the collection of homelessness data has been affected by the COVID pandemic. 2020 was the last year in which comprehensive data was available.

Current statistics commonly reflect limited data when compared to that

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary

of 2020. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in January 2020, there were 580,466 people experiencing homelessness on our streets and in shelters in America. Most were individuals (70 percent), and the rest were people in families with children. They lived in every state and territory, and they include people from every gender, racial, and ethnic group. Decision-makers are especially concerned about children and young people due to their developmental needs and the potential life-long consequences of hardships in early life.

People in families with children make up 30 percent of the homeless population. Unaccompanied youth (under age 25) account for six percent of the larger group. Additionally, individuals with disabilities have also: 1) been continuously homeless for at least a year; or 2) experienced homelessness at least four times in the last three years for a combined length of time of at least a year.

Chronically homeless individuals are currently 19 percent of the homeless population. Finally, veterans represent six percent of people experiencing homelessness.

Recently, the issue of homelessness

was illuminated in historic proportions. Kamala Harris, the first woman and first woman of color elected to the Office of US Vice President administered the oath of office to Karen Bass, former US Congresswoman and first female mayor of Los Angeles. Ms. Bass focused her inaugural remarks on her plans to solve the city’s housing crisis. Approximately 40,000 people live on the streets, and innumerable other “Angelenos have no choice but to crowd multiple families into one home, and to work multiple jobs just to barely pay rent” Bass said.

She added, “Tragically, our city has earned the shameful crown as being home to the most crowded neighborhoods in the nation.” She said her first act as mayor would be to declare a state of emergency on homelessness. As a former resident and frequent visitor to Los Angeles, I see its problems as representative of homelessness problems across the nation. The cause of the problem is as individual as those who suffer from homelessness—unaffordability, unemployment, physical or mental disability, or a myriad of other issues.

I commend Mayor Bass. Her recognition of the depth of the problem and placing its resolution in high-priority is the only pathway to solving the problem. Her approach serves as a model for other public officials.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society (thedickgregorysociety.org; drefayewilliams@gmail.com) and President Emeritus of the National Congress of Black Women)

Jan. 6 Committee Report marks a chapter—not the end

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—The compelling report of the January 6 Committee, detailing the conspiracy that led to the sacking of the Capitol on that day of infamy, marks a chapter, not the end of the struggle for democracy.

The report includes both criminal referrals for the conspiracy to block the peaceful transfer of power, and details reforms to protect against any repeat in the future.

Far broader reforms are needed, however, if our government is in fact to be a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, as Abraham Lincoln pledged in his historic Gettysburg Address.

Our election system remains grievously deformed. Voter participation has been rising in recent elections but remains far below that of other democracies. Nearly one in four eligible voters are not registered to vote.

In states across the country, partisan legislatures restrict access to voting, often targeting voters of color. Partisan gerrymandering enables those with a minority of votes to win a majority of legislative seats. Big money—often dark money of unknown source—increasingly dominates our elections. And, while the 2022 elections turned back many of the most partisan election deniers, now there is a systematic effort to elect partisans as election officials— and to empower partisan legislatures to overturn the results of elections they do not like.

Democracy isn’t set in concrete. It is a fragile plant that must be tended to. The founding of our democracy was a bold and earth-shaking act. Yet, from the beginning, it was flawed—initially only White, male property owners could vote. It took years of struggle, and a Civil War—the bloodiest in our history—for the right to vote to be extended to all citizens, including Blacks, women, and the young.

The January 6 Committee focused on the events of that day and on Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn and discredit the election. But the erosion of democratic elections goes much further than that. In the past decades, the Supreme Court—n divided, partisan opinions—has gutted the Voting Rights Act, opening the door once more to racially targeted voting

by A. Peter Bailey

Commentary

impediments. It has ruled that the federal courts have no role in limiting partisan gerrymanders. And worse, it has opened the door to limitless election contributions, including by corporations.

The Congress will surely pass the Election Count Act to clean up the procedures by which presidential elections are determined, to deter the mischief that Trump pursued. Much more is needed to put meat back on the bones of our democracy.

For example, it is preposterous that registering to vote is so difficult, and that nearly a fourth of eligible voters are not registered. A sensible reform would be to use the census to register everyone automatically—and then make it easy for voters to update their status automatically, when they use any government service like applying for a license.

In the last Congress, the House of Representatives passed the most consequential voting rights reforms of the last half-century—in the For the People Act, and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act that revived the Voting Rights Act.

The For the People Act created federal standards that would make voting registration far easier, eliminate partisan gerrymandering, and counter the dominance of big money by providing a 6 to 1 match of small donors, requiring disclosure of financial sources, and cracking down on foreign money and meddling in our elections.

Passed in the House, it fell to a Republican filibuster in the Senate. Republicans were wrong to oppose it. Democrats were wrong to not make it possible to bolster democracy and free elections by majority rule, carving out an exception to the filibuster.

In the next year, these vital reforms face forbidding hurdles. The new Republican House leadership will

likely oppose putting the legislation forward. The Senate remains frozen by the filibuster.

Democracy can’t wait, however. States with Democratic or bipartisan majorities should move forward with state versions of the For the People Act. They can try out ways to limit big money in our politics. The Democratic Party itself can govern its own primaries and set up its own rules—without requiring Republican approval.

In the last election, democracy was on the ballot. And voters clearly indicated that they did not want our elections to be subverted by partisan machinations. Now as we head into 2024, strengthening our democracy —and limiting the role of big money in our elections—is still unfinished business. The struggle to build a more perfect union must and will go on.

In the 1820s and 1830s, for example, Jacksonian Democrats unilaterally pushed to enfranchise poor and working-class White men. The 15th Amendment, which prohibited states from denying Black Americans the right to vote, passed Congress in 1869 with precisely zero Democratic votes. Reconstruction-era Democrats were equally unified against the 14th Amendment and the Ku Klux Klan Act. Should Republicans have waited for Democrats to come around while people of color were denied full citizenship?

This is not an argument to postpone election reform—t’s an argument for Republicans to get on the right side of history.

This is a blinkered and naïve view of redistricting. As my colleague Michael Li points out, Republican map drawers have used the redistricting process to shore up the districts they already gerrymandered heavily in 2010. As a result, North Carolina Republicans could carry 71 percent of the state’s seats in Congress with just 47 percent of the vote. Texas Democrats would have to win 58 percent of the vote to be favored to capture 37 percent of the state’s congressional seats. The redistricting process has been particularly damaging to voters of color, whose districts were carved up to minimize their voting power. This isn’t gerrymandering in retreat, it’s gerrymandering 2.0.

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(TriceEdneyWire.com)—It is time for us Black folks, especially those in North American (USA), to clearly understand that our lack of unity is for all practical purposes a huge gift to White supremacists. In 2023, we must cease giving them that gift. My biggest wish for the upcoming year is that Black folks who believe in unity get together and decide on the best ways to promote and protect our health, economic, political, educational, technological, and communication interests. Black folks need solutions-oriented conferences for true believers.

Other wishes include the following:

• That many more Black folks in this country understand that the most successful way to promote and protect our group is serious unity.

• That people of African descent throughout the world especially on the African continent clearly understand that a lack of unity makes them susceptible to economic exploration by North Americans (USA), Europeans, and Asians.

•  That people of African descent in North America, the African continent and throughout the world make sure that their children are being taught by serious educators who have a strong commitment to Pan-Africanism.

• That Black people in North America recognize that our cul-

tural contributions, especially in music, are being economically and psychologically exploited when great Black cultural artists such as Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Mahalia Jackson, Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Little Richard, Staple Singers, B. B. King, Temptation, the Four Tops and numerous others are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since that place was put together by people exploiting Black culture.

• Finally, I extend thanks to my family members, my close friends, and others who inspire and support me as a Pan-Africanist, journalist, writer, and professor.

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Jesse Jackson Sr.

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—I’ve written about the importance of judges a few times over the last year. And every time I do, I realize that many people have never met a judge. Or they have, but it was at a time when they’d rather have been anywhere else. So the idea that judges are on my mind as something to celebrate this holiday season may strike you as strange. But bear with me.

Since President Biden came into office, he has made it a priority to nominate federal judges who are not only legal stars but are diverse, come from underrepresented professional backgrounds, and have a deep commitment to civil rights. Many of them have been civil rights lawyers or public defenders. This is a real change, even from past Democratic presidents. For decades, presidents most often nominated corporate lawyers or prosecutors to the bench. Those people were also overwhelmingly White and male. Not anymore.

At the federal circuit level, which is the level above the district or trial courts and just below the Supreme Court, 41 percent of Biden nominees have been Black. So far, more Black women have been confirmed to the circuit court bench than during all previous presidencies combined. At the district level, Biden has nominated people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and people of diverse faiths, who are historic “firsts” on their respective courts. Not only that, but we

Jealous

Commentary

have our first Black woman on the Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Her presence inspires me every day, even though there are many reasons to be dissatisfied with the Court’s far-right majority.

Thanks to President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin, the pace of nominations and confirmations has been fast—very fast. This was critical, because during the Trump presidency, the Far Right raced to confirm as many ultraconservative judges as possible. President Biden is beating Trump’s pace with one of the fastest confirmation processes ever. As I write this, 97 lifetime federal judges have been confirmed in the first two years of Biden’s presidency. Trump had 85 in his first two years. Biden’s pace is the second fastest in a quarter century.  And when the Senate returns in January, there will be a spectacular roster of nominees just waiting for the final step in their confirmation process: people like Nancy Abudu, an advocate for voting rights and civil rights through her work at the Southern Poverty Law Center and the ACLU; Natasha Merle, an advocate for racial justice at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; Tiffany Cartwright, a civil rights litigator whose cases include police misconduct; and Julie Rikelman, the longtime litigation director for the Center for Reproductive Rights.

So why does all this matter? It’s not just because having people from underrepresented communities on our courts is inspiring to see and long overdue. Both of those things are true. It’s because the nominations and confirmations represent the administration’s commitment to building fairer courts overall. The Biden administration is actively seeking out judicial nominees who will improve the quality of decision-making on our courts because of the lived experience they bring. It’s seeking people who have seen the justice system from all sides, in their work or in life. People who are committed to upholding rights for everyone, not just the wealthy or privileged. And already, decisions by fair-minded Biden nominees have improved justice for many Americans in areas like workers’ rights and the environment.

When we have fair judges and fair courts, our lives are dramatically better. Fair courts hold police officers accountable for brutality. Fair courts protect our right to vote and strike down laws aimed at voter suppression. Fair courts protect our jobs, our air and water, and our right to health care, including abortion care. The list goes on and on.

So in addition to celebrating all the great new judges the Biden administration and Senate leadership have given us, there’s one more thing we can do. All of us can call our senators’ offices in January and encourage them to keep up to the momentum by confirming all the rest of the president’s judicial nominees. It’s an easy way to make a difference.

As I’m thinking of things to be thankful for this holiday season, I’m thankful that many of our federal courts really are changing for the better. So many of the rights and freedoms we’ve worked for in the past and will work for in the future depend on this progress. We need to keep it going.

(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.)

Police shootings: from 2015 to 2022

In 2014, Michael Brown, a Black teenager, was fatally shot by a White police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.  This incident led to harsh criticism of police officer training and tactics.

The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, a group with chapters in many cities that works to stop police brutality, put out a study the year before Michael Brown was killed that said, “Police officers, security guards, or self-appointed vigilantes killed at least 312 African-Americans in 2012.”

The study’s conclusion created mass hysteria in Black communities by stating: A Black person was killed by police officers or security forces every 28 hours.

Michael Brown’s shooting confirmed the hysteria. Rioting erupted in Ferguson, and there were nationwide protests condemning the police. But a narrative ensued that grossly overestimated the number of Black people killed by police officers. It was widely believed that police officers shot hundreds of unarmed Black people per year.

Those that were skeptical of the “police killing spree” narrative insisted the biggest problem inside inner-city neighborhoods was Black-on-Black homicides. Black activists, however, scolded the skeptics and told them that “Black-on-Black” crime was either a myth or a misnomer that diverted attention from trigger-happy racist cops targeting Black people.

In 2015, the Washington Post decided to create an annual police-shooting

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database so the public could track police shootings in real time. WAPO’s police-shooting database revealed that out of 50 million annual police-civilian interactions and 11 million annual arrests, there were approximately 1,000 fatal police shootings per year.

The database also revealed that the majority of the people fatally shot by the police were in possession of weapons, and the majority of the people fatally shot were White, not Black. The total number of unarmed people shot in 2015 was 95, not hundreds like the police-shooting narrative promoted.

The “activist types” should have been relieved that the data disproved the hysteria and there was no “police killing spree.” Except that, of the 95 unarmed people killed by police, 38 were Black and only 31 were White. Many activists used that statistic to support their claim that Black people were more frequently shot by police than White people.

This was when Black Lives Matter activists first started shouting—defund the police.

The next year, Black economist Roland Fryer released a study about

police shootings. Fryer examined 1,332 shootings from 2000 to 2015 in 10 major police departments. Fryer called the results of the study the most surprising of his career.

The study revealed that there was no racial bias in police-involved shootings. Blacks are not more likely to be fired upon by police than Whites, Blacks are less likely to be shot at.

Once again, the “activist types” should have been relieved that their narrative about “racist policing” was inaccurate. This was the time for the “activist types” to encourage the police to keep their fatal shooting numbers as low as possible.

But the “activist types” made every effort to debunk the Fryer study instead. They didn’t succeed in refuting Fryer’s results, but they no longer needed to once a Black man named George Floyd was murdered by a White Minneapolis police officer in 2020.

The police killing of George Floyd didn’t negate WAPO’s data or Roland Fryer’s study. There was no evidence racial malice was involved, but the “activist types” used the incident to recreate the previous hysteria about racist police officers on a killing spree. Apparently, the “activist types” won’t be satisfied until their narrative becomes a reality.

In 2022, WAPO recorded the highest number of police shootings since their database has been in existence, and there’s no hysteria at all.

Bennie Thompson’s historic leadership of Jan. 6th Committee is an extension of a lifelong mission

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“This committee is nearing the end of its work. But as a country, we remain in strange and uncharted waters. We’ve never had a president of the United States stir up a violent attempt to block the transfer of power. I believe, nearly two years later, this is still a time of reflection and reckoning. If we are to survive as a nation of laws and democracy, this can never happen again.” —U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, Chair, House January 6 Committee

It is difficult to overstate the profound gravity of the decision by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol to recommend criminal charges against former President Donald Trump, or the grievous nature of his alleged crimes.

Almost as astounding has been the meticulous, conscientious work of the January 6 Committee under the resolute leadership of Chair Bennie Thompson.

In an environment where the instruments of government increasingly are exploited for political advantage, Rep. Thompson oversaw a clear-eyed, non-partisan, and fearless examination of the facts surrounding one of the darkest days in U.S. history.

The committee’s referral marks the first time in the nation’s history that federal law-enforcement officials have faced the prospect of criminally prosecuting a former president and a declared candidate to claim the office for a second time.

A federal grand jury in February 1974 was prepared to indict sitting President Richard Nixon on four criminal counts for his role in the Watergate scandal. But a 1973 opinion by the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel in 1973 concluded against indicting a sitting President. This conclusion, reaffirmed in 2000, guided special counsel Robert Mueller’s decision not to charge Trump with

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obstruction of justice related to the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

It also arguably bolstered Trump’s exaggerated sense of impunity which led directly to the events of January 6.  The mob that attempted to carry out Trump’s coup displayed the same sense of impunity, making no effort to hide their crimes, even posting the evidence on social media. The Big Lie of voter fraud, they believed, justified their violence.

Rep. Thompson, born and raised in Jim Crow Mississippi, has seen the power of a lie employed to justify violence, and it has fueled his determination to seek full accountability for those responsible.

“I’m from a part of the country where people justify the actions of slavery, Ku Klux Klan, and lynching. I’m reminded of that dark history as I hear voices today try and justify the actions of the insurrectionists of January 6, 2021,” he said as he opened the committee’s first public hearing on June 9.

Chairing the committee was an extension of his lifelong mission to protect voting rights and racial justice.

“We are supposed to be a democracy,” he told the New York Times. “And when we see people carrying Confederate battle flags in the group, that’s the symbol of slavery and absolute resistance to the rule of law. So for me, it was bringing back a part of our history that none of us should be proud of.”

Rep. Thompson has a very personal connection to that history.  Textbooks used in the segregated schools where he was educated—books that only reached Black students after they were discarded by White schools, “showed Black people as slaves, butlers or choppers in the field,” he said.

“You didn’t see a Black senator or a Black representative or a Black lieutenant governor. You only saw Black people in menial kinds of responsibilities.”

In his early teen years, he attended mass meetings in Jackson where he met Medgar Evers. He and a few friends were arrested for protesting but released because they were underage.

As a student at Tougaloo College, he worked as a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to register Black voters and volunteered on the congressional campaign of Fannie Lou Hamer.

He launched his career in public service immediately after graduating, elected as an alderman in his hometown of Bolton, Mississippi, in 1969 and as mayor in 1973.  Following his two terms as mayor, he served on the Hinds County Board of Supervisors until his election to Congress in 1993.

In his 30 years in Congress, he has compiled an impressive list of achievements including creation of the National Center for Minority Health and Health Care Disparities, disaster relief reforms in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and the most comprehensive homeland security package since September 11, 2001.

But he considers the work of the January 6 Committee his most important.

“I want it to benefit this country and the world,” he told the New York Times. “Because we still, in my humble opinion, are still the greatest country in the world. We just had a hiccup on Jan. 6. And we have to fix it.”

A Christmas message

We pause here from the multitude of issues and crises confronting us on a daily basis to extend our thanks and appreciation for your support during the year 2022. I am sure there were many things you could have done with the time you spent with us. Your support during this time of false news and social media dominating the time and attention of so many has encouraged us to work harder at doing more to improve upon who we are and how we represent you.

I would be remiss if I didn’t take this time to remind all of us that “Jesus is the reason for the season” because according to John 3:16, in the Bible, “God so loved the world that he gave

John E. Warren

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his only begotten Son, that whosoever believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life..”

The giving of his Son was God’s gift to us and in turn, releases the spirit of giving each year when we celebrate His birthday. The angels appearing to the shepherds on that special night of

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the birth of Jesus spoke of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men.” Therefore, it’s no accident that a spirit of “peace” and a spirit of “giving” come with the Christmas season.

We extend to you our desire for the blessings of peace and the spirit of giving to reach you, your family, friends, and even the stranger that God puts in your path so that you might be a blessing even as Jesus has been to each of us whether or not we have accepted him. We give thanks for you and your relationship with us as we pray the blessings of the season upon you. Be blessed.

(Dr. John E. Warren is Publisher of the San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper)

The New Pittsburgh Courier welcomes all responsible viewpoints for publication. All letters should be typewritten and contain writer’s address and phone number for verification. All letters will be edited for clarity and length. Address all letters to: Letters to the Editor, New Pittsburgh Courier, 315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219 You may fax your letter to 412-481-1360, or via e-mail to letters@newpittsburghcourier.com

This holiday season, judges give us something to celebrate

Ben

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Seeking a highly productive individual with strong interpersonal and communication skills who is passionate about community-driven revitalization in Lawrenceville. More info at bit.ly/CEPM-LU

Estate of VICTORIA EDWARDS, Estate No. 07800 OF 2022, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Christine Zapf, Extrx., 3532 Laird St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

Estate of ANNA M. GRANA A/K/A ANNA B. GRANA, deceased, of 1220 Love Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218, Estate No. 02-22-07810 Executrix, Constance Grana, 1400 Smokeywood Drive, Apt. 206, Swissvale, PA 15218. William C. Price, Jr. Price & Associates, P.C., 2005 Noble Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Estate of BARBARA S. MORANELLI, deceased Glassport Borough, Pennsylvania, No. 02-22-07942. Lisa Moranelli, Executrix, or to Ryan W. Brode, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15236

Estate of JUDITH A. MCLAIN, deceased of 1915 LaFayette Street, Swissvale, PA 15218, No. 02-22-07287. Executrix, Sherine A. Aulich, 1604 Lucas Avenue, Wichita Falls, TX 76301. William C. Price, Jr., Price & Associates, P.C. 2005 Noble Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Estate of PATRICIA ANNE O’CONNELL (deceased), of Mt. Lebanon, PA, No. 07873 of 2022. Susan D. O’Connell, Adm., 22 Creighton Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15205

Estate of BLANCHE PLUMMER-JONES deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 7366 of 2022 . Destiny Cherry-Igizio, appointed Executrix, November 16, 2022. Peter B. Lewis, Neighborhood Legal Services, 928 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222, Counsel.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

Estate of CHARLES W. STRUTHERS deceased, of Pittsburgh, No. 8139 of 2022 John Struthers, Executor, 5100 N. Apache Hills Trail, Tucson, AZ 85750 or to c/o Jacqueline H. Brangard, Esquire, Scolieri Law Group, P.C. 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219

Estate of ELLEN T. CRAMER, deceased, of South Fayette, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania No. 02-22-08004. Kristine Cramer, Executrix, 10 S. Fayette Street, Cuddy,PA 15031 or to Kimberly Lowder, Executor, 103 Boxwood Drive, Bridgeville, PA 15017, ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC., 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Meetings

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

The Community College of Allegheny County Board of Trustees will hold a meeting on January 12, 2023 . The meeting will be held virtually beginning at 4:30 p.m. and streamed on CCAC’s YouTube page. A copy of the Board meeting agenda will be made available for review on the College’s website (www.ccac.edu)

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY D.B.A. PRT

Electronic Proposals will be received online at PRT’s Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org). Proposals/bid submittals will be due 11:00 AM on January 19, 2023 and will be read at 11:15 AM., the same day through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conferencing, for the following:

Electronic Proposal - Ebusiness website (http://ebusiness.portauthority.org)

Bid Number Bid Name

1 B22-12-120 Underground Power Traction Cable

2 B22-12-123A Janitorial Supplies - Paper Products

3 B22-12-124A Refrigerants

4 B22-12-126 Railroad Cross Ties

5 B22-12-127A Bus Batteries

6 B22-12-128A Contactless Smart Fare Media - Connect Cards

To join the bid opening through Microsoft Teams meeting on your computer, mobile app or room device Meeting ID: 279 920 108 624

Passcode: rPrv4X

Or call in (audio only) 412-927-0245 Phone Conference ID: 767 593 812#

No bidder may withdraw a submitted Proposal for a period of 75 days after the scheduled time for opening of the sealed bids.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held via tele-conference on each of the above items at 10:00 AM, January 04, 2023 as well as through your web browser via Microsoft Teams video conference.

To join the pre-bid meeting through Microsoft Teams on your computer, mobile app or room device Meeting ID: 235 999 039 896

Passcode: wxiFYe

Or call in (audio only) 412-927-0245 Phone Conference ID: 591 911 109#

Attendance at this meeting is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged. Questions regarding any of the above bids will not be entertained by the PRT within five (5) business days of the scheduled bid opening These contracts may be subject to a financial assistance contract between Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT and the United States Department of Transportation. The Contractor will be required to comply with all applicable Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations.

Contractor is responsible for expenses related to acquiring a performance bond and insurance where applicable. All items are to be FOB delivered unless otherwise specified. Costs for delivery, bond, and insurance shall be included in bidder’s proposal pricing.

Port Authority of Allegheny County d.b.a. PRT hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively insure that in regard to any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprise will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

The Board of PRT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

LEGAL NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) RFP 2022-03

FORMER MUNICIPAL BUILDING SITE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BRENTWOOD,

PENNSYLVANIA

Issue Date: Week of December 26, 2022

Submission Deadline: 2:00 PM, February 2, 2023

The Borough of Brentwood (BOROUGH), Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) from qualified Developers interested in submitting a proposal for the purchasing and development of the Brentwood Borough Former Municipal Building Site Development Project located at 3624 Brownsville Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15227, and adjacent properties including 10-12 Marylea Avenue and 3630 Pary Street. The BOROUGH seeks to designate a Development Entity or multiple Development Entities with exceptional experience (ten (10) year minimum) and capability to transform the Existing Site Development Property into a thriving, mixed use property, that offers a collaborative environment based on job creation retail, market rate housing, and neighborhood enhancement. This selection process will lead to the designation of a Development Entity responsible for reutilizing the existing structure or demolishing the structure to redevelop the Existing Site Development Property. The ownership of the Development property will be transferred to the Development Entity.

Information relating to responding to the RFP including specific requirements, the organization of the RFP, and evaluation criteria can be found at PennBid (https://pennbid.procureware.com).

Interested parties must complete a no cost registration process to utilize this service. Paper copies of these documents will not be made available. All submittals must be submitted electronically at pennbid.procureware.com by 2:00 PM EST on February 2, 2023, and the same will be publicly opened and read immediately thereafter. The Borough reserves the right to reject any or all submittals, or any part thereof, for any reason, and reserves the right to waive any informality therein. Questions regarding this project shall only be accepted electronically via the ‘Clarifications’ section on pennbid.procureware.com.

George Zboyovsky, PE, ICMA-CM Borough Manager

DEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT

Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2023 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this locationall participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 p.m. via teleconference at: (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award.

UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK, DRAINAGE AND SLAB REPLACEMENT

CONTRACT NO. SYS-23-02-G CONTRACT NO. SYS-23-02-P CONTRACT NO. SYS-23-02-E

The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all of all supervision, labor, material, tools, equipment and incidentals necessary to: replace entrance concrete slab at East Liberty Garage, replace floor drain inlet and piping at Collier Garage; remove and replace Underground Storage Tanks (UST) dispensers and coalescer at Ross Garage; remove and replace USTs, gasoline dispenser and engine oil pump at Collier Garage; remove a UST and a dispenser at South Hills Village Transportation Building; remove and replace USTs, oil-water separator, and dispensers at South Hills Junction Building No.1 ; perform tank top upgrades (pipe sumps and spill buckets) on USTs and remove one UST at East Liberty Garage; remove USTs and one Aboveground Storage Tanks (AST) and dispensers at Harmar Garage, perform tank top upgrades at West Mifflin Garage; install sacrificial anodes for USTs at Manchester Garage; perform all associated electrical and plumbing work, and provide pavement restoration and maintenance and protection of traffic.

Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after Thursday, December 22, 2022 at Authority’s offices at the following address (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals):

Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527

Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on memory stick upon payment of $15 per memory stick. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH), payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County.” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods.

This Project may be funded, in part, by, and subject to certain requirements of, the County of Allegheny and/or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Authority, in compliance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303, as may be amended, require that certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall make good faith efforts in accordance with 74 Pa.C.S. § 303 to ensure that DBs have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of contracts for this Project. If aid is required to involve DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s DBE/DB Program Manager at (412) 566-5257.

The Bidder ’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions:

Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: Cindy Denner - Authority (412) 566-5117 cdenner@rideprt.org

All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to:

Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Attn: Cindy Denner (412) 566-5117 email: CDenner@rideprt.org

In addition, the Bidder ’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid:

9:00 a.m.

Pre-Bid Conference: Wednesday, Heinz 57 Center January 4, 2023 345 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 3rd Floor – Gateway Conference Room

All participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practiceminimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals.

(Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.)

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

SONNY BOY

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

PORT AUTHORITY OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY ADVERTISEMENT

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority), Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2023 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location – all participants – IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 p.m. via teleconference at: (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received, or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award.

SECURITY SYSTEM IMPROVEMENTS

CONTRACT NO. SYS-23-01 E

The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of security upgrades at multiple PRT facilities. Security upgrades include camera replacement, new camera installation, door access integration, and the installation of new parking lot lighting.

Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after Wednesday, December 28, 2022 at Authority’s offices at the following address (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location – all participants must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals):

Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527

Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on USB Storage Drive upon payment of $15.00 per USB drive. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH) , payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods. This Project is subject to financial assistance contracts between Authority and County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Authority, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, as amended, 74 Pa. C.S. § 303, as may be amended, implements positive affirmative action procedures to ensure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) and certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal and state funds provided for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall take all necessary and reasonable steps, and make good faith efforts, in accordance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBE’s, and in accordance with 74 Pa. C.S. § 300, to insure that DBs, have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of DOT-assisted contracts. It is a condition of this Contract that all Bidders shall follow the DBE and DB required procedures as set forth in the Bid Documents. If aid is required to involve DBEs and DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s DBE Representative, Sue Broadus at (412) 566-5257. The Bidder ’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions: Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: Cindy Denner – Authority (412) 566-5117 cdenner@rideprt.org

All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to:

Port Authority of Allegheny County Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 Attn: Cindy Denner email: cdenner@rideprt.org

In addition, the Bidder ’s attention is directed to the following schedule of activities for preparation of its Bid: 9:00 am Pre-Bid Conference will be conducted via January 5, 2023 teleconference at: Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786 (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended) 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pre-Bid Site Tour Day 1 January 10, 2023

Contractors to initially meet at: Port Authority of Allegheny County Manchester Main Shop – Front Lobby Entrance 2235 Beaver Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15233

9:45 a.m.

Pre-Bid Site Tour (1st Day): Manchester, Ross, Harmar & East Liberty Wednesday, Contractors to initially meet at: January 4, 2023 Heinz 57 Center Lobby 345 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527

All participants must provide and wear safety vests and appropriate footwear; all participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals.

Tours will be conducted in limited groupsizes and in the order of which bidders sign-in at the site. (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.)

9:00 a.m.

Pre-Bid Site Tour (2nd Day): Collier, West Mifflin, SHV Thursday, Transport. Bldg., & South Hills Junction Bldg. January 5, 2023

Contractors to initially meet at: Heinz 57 Center Lobby 345 Sixth Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527

All participants must provide and wear safety vests and appropriate footwear; all participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Tours will be conducted in limited group sizes and in the order of which bidders sign-in at the site. (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.)

1:30 p.m. Bids Due Tuesday, Purchasing and Materials Management Department January 24, 2023 Bids submitted via Fed Ex, UPS, USPS or other carrier are subject to the notification requirements indicated above. Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at the Heinz 57 location - all participants - IF UNVACCINATED

AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals.

2:00 p.m.

Bid Opening will be conducted @ 2:00 pm Tuesday, via teleconference at: January 24, 2023 (Toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 Conference ID #4485786).

Authority reserves the right to reject any or all Bids

Transportation will be provided via bus. Participants shall bring their own bagged lunch, if necessary. All participants must provide and wear class 2 safety vests and appropriate foot wear; all participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Tours will be conducted in limited group sizes and in the order of which bidders sign-in at the site. (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.)

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pre-Bid Site Tour Day 2 January 11, 2023

Contractors to initially meet at: Port Authority of Allegheny County Allegheny Station (Light Rail Transit Station) Reedsdale Street and Allegheny Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Transportation will be provided via the light rail system. Participants shall bring their own bagged lunch, if necessary. All participants must provide and wear class 2 safety vests and appropriate footwear; all participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals. Tours will be conducted in limited group sizes and in the order of which bidders sign-in at the site. (Attendance is not mandatory, but strongly recommended.)

1:30 p.m.