2.1.23 NPC

PITTSBURGH RALLIES FOR TYRE NICHOLS B-PEP demands that what happened in Memphis never happens in the future in Pittsburgh

by Rob Taylor Jr.

Courier Staff Writer

The video of Tyre Nichols being beaten by Memphis police officers, then receiving no care from EMTs, leading to his eventual death, was so bad that officials decided to wait until Friday night, Jan. 27, to release it.

Officials wanted all the people in Memphis and elsewhere who were working “traditional” hours of 9 to 5 to be able to get home safely, fearing that the country would be turned upside down by rioters and protesters.

Except...that didn’t happen.

Sure, there were protests and rallies around the country for Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black man seen in the video being apprehended and then beaten like he was not human, by police officers of his same race, on that fateful Jan. 7 evening. But they lacked the destruction that came following the unwatchable death of George Floyd, captured by a teenager in Minneapolis in May 2020.

If you’re Chief Ikhana, a Black woman from Pittsburgh, you’ve been through this before. A

number of her friends were killed by police in the Pittsburgh area, including Bernard Rogers, who was 26 years old in 2002 when he was shot by a Pittsburgh Housing Authority officer in Bedford Dwellings, Hill District. In reports from the Tribune-Review, Rogers’ sister, Vaughnette, was quoted as saying that “regardless of what they said, they (the police) killed him. You killed him even if you said it was an accident.”

Authority Police said Bernard Rogers was the target of a drug investigation, and, according to the Tribune-Review report, they said Rogers tried to grab an officer’s gun after he pushed an officer and knocked down another.

“If you’re selling drugs, then that makes you eligible for public execution I presume,” voiced Chief Ikhana in disgust.

Chief Ikhana was among the few dozen who marched from Brighton Road and Western Avenue on the North Side, to the Zone One Police Station a few blocks up the road, Jan. 30. It was the second

Common Pleas Judge denies DA’s request to detain Dawson

by Rob Taylor Jr.

Courier Staff Writer

Whether it was right or wrong for Pittsburgh activist Nicky Jo Dawson to allegedly post on social media hours after an area police officer was shot and killed, that “a pig died tonight, they want us to cry over it; they will use this to exterminate us and call it ‘looking for a suspect,’” a judge ruled that it wasn’t something that she should be detained for.

On Friday, Jan. 27, Common Pleas Judge Kelly E. Bigley denied the request from the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office to detain Dawson.

Apparently, DA Stephen

A. Zappala Jr. felt that Dawson’s alleged online comments were enough to be considered a probation violation. Dawson had been on probation after pleading guilty to one count of arson in 2019. His office wanted to have a Gagnon II hearing

scheduled, where the DA’s office would try to prove to a judge that Dawson violated probation. Legal experts had already mentioned on the record to various Pittsburgh media outlets that it would be a stretch for a judge in a Gagnon II hearing to rule in the DA’s favor, especially when no physical harm to any person or property came from Dawson’s comments made on Jan. 2.

But the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Judge, Bigley, put an end to it even before a hearing.

“While the social media posts attributed to the defendant (Dawson) are shocking, abhorrent, and appalling, neither the Commonwealth’s Motion or Brief address the issue of the defendant’s 1st Amendment rights or whether making such posts actually violated a condition of the defen-

Report reveals police issued 71 conflicting commands and impossible orders to Tyre Nichols in 13 Minutes

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Footage from Tyre Nichols’ fatal traffic stop found that police officers issued a barrage of confusing, conflicting, and sometimes impossible to obey commands.

If Nichols did not comply, or even if he did, the police would respond with increasing force.

According to the footage analyzed by the New York Times, police officers shouted a total of at least 71 orders in the roughly 13 minutes before they radioed in that Nichols was in custody.

The orders were given in two separate places: one near Nichols’ vehicle, and another where he had run to avoid being beaten severely. The video revealed that often the officers shouted conflicting orders, making it difficult for Nichols to understand and obey.

Nichols was ordered by officers to display his hand, even as officers held the young man’s hands.

At one point, they shouted for him to get down on the ground while he was already on the ground.

And when they had his body under their control, the officers still made him change positions.

The experts agree that the actions of the Memphis police officers were a blatant illustration of a widespread problem in policing, in which officers physically punish civilians for perceived disrespect or disobedience, a phenomenon known as “contempt of cop,” the Times reported.

Professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina Geoffrey Alpert said, “It was far more rampant in the ‘80s when I started doing police work than in the ‘90s or 2000s.”

Before body cameras, police officers were becoming more professional and less likely to take things personally, as appeared to have happened with Nichols, Alpert stated.

Because of the potential for escalation and confusion during police encounters, modern police training typically calls for a single officer to be present at the scene to issue clear and specific commands.

It also necessitates that police officers respond professionally and proportionally to any perceived act of defiance.

The review by the Times, however, shows that the Memphis officers consistently did the opposite.

There is no evidence in

This Week In Black History A Courier Staple

the footage that the present officers did anything to prevent the excessive use of force. Actually, it seems to prove the opposite.

After Nichols attempted to flee the scene, an officer can be heard on camera saying, “I hope they stomp his ass.”

The Times noted four “crucial instances” in which police officers reprimanded Nichols for disobeying incorrect orders.

An officer is seen pulling up to the intersection where Nichols’ car was trapped between two unmarked police cars at the start of the footage.

The cop springs out of the car, gun drawn, to join two others who are racing toward Nichols.

When one of the officers pulls Nichols out of the car, the other two immediately begin shouting, “On the ground!”

These are the initial instructions in a series of contradictory directives that throw Nichols off.

Nichols notes that the police officers have ordered him to sit on the ground.

However, several officers can be heard yelling the same order with growing anger and threats of violence.

One shouts, “Get down on the ground! I am going to tase your ass.”

It appears that the officers’ tension rises when Nichols repositions himself, yet still assures the officers that he’s no threat.

“You guys are really doing a lot right now,” Nichols says. “I’m just trying to go home.”

Nichols then protests, “I am on the ground!” as officers pinned his arms down, pressed a Taser against his leg, and barked increasingly threatening words at him.

Now one of the officers gives more detailed instructions: ‘On your stomach.’

Nichols is hit in the face with pepper spray three seconds later by one of the officers.

Nichols is now surrounded by officers who demand to see his hands.

However, one of them has a hold on his left arm, while another cop has a hold on his right. The police still hadn’t made it clear how they wanted Nichols to behave.

A third officer rushes up with pepper spray. Then he warns, “You’re about to get sprayed good.”

The other officers began punching Nichols in the face.

Nichols reacts by pulling his hands back to cover his face. As the punching gets

more intense, the pepper spray is released.

Nichols again tries to reassure the officers that he is attempting to cooperate, all the while he attempts to wipe the pepper spray from his eyes.

“OK,” Nichols pleads. “All right. All right.”

While one of the officers has a firm grip on Nichols, a second officer arrives and makes the same demand: that he show his hands.

Once again, Nichols appears confused by the competing instructions.

As he flails about, the police officers issue even more conflicting commands and apply more physical punishment. Again, he is hit with pepper spray.

After being pepper-sprayed three more times, Nichols is lying on his side and rubbing his eyes as two officers stand over him.

An officer then kicks Nichols in the face.

At this point, Nichols is barely conscious or coherent, but the police are treating him as though he is actively resisting them.

“Lay flat, goddamn it,” one officer yells.

As he lies there, Nichols groans and writhes in pain, having repeatedly been tased, kicked in the head, punched, and pepper sprayed.

When another officer yells, “Lay flat!” they behave as if Nichols is refusing to comply.

One officer lifts Nichols off the ground and forces him to kneel by grabbing his handcuffed arm. Another officer then repeatedly hits him with a baton while demanding, “Give us your hands!”

He tries to avoid being hit with the baton as he is surrounded by four police officers.

“Give me your [bleeping] hands!” another officer demands.

But Nichols, because of having an officer pin his arms behind his back, another grip his handcuffed wrist, and a third punch him in the face, simply cannot comply.

He collapses to the ground and cries for his mom, but the brutality continued.

In total, six officers have been dismissed and five stand accused of second-degree murder. In a press conference last week, attorneys for two of them said their clients would be entering not guilty pleas.

• FEBRUARY 1

1902—Langston Hughes, one of Black America’s greatest poets, is born in Joplin, Miss. He came to fame during the 1920s period of African American cultural expression known as the Harlem Renaissance. Before his death in 1967, he wrote 15 collections of poetry, two autobiographies and several children’s books. Hughes can best be described as “dignified, but militant.” He captured the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance writing in 1926, “We younger Negro artists now intend to express our dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If White people are pleased, we are glad. If they aren’t, it doesn’t matter.”

1926—The first “Negro History Week” is celebrated. Founded by Black historian Carter G. Woodson, the “week” became Black History Month in 1976. Woodson said he would welcome the day when a separate Black history celebration was no longer necessary because his ultimate goal was a true history “devoid of national bias, race hate and religious prejudice.”

1960—The “sit-in” movement as a protest method for civil rights is born on this day in Greensboro, N.C., when four North Carolina A&T students sit down at a “Whites only” lunch counter and refuse to move until served or arrested. Within two weeks the tactic had spread to 15 cities in five Southern states. The original four students were Joseph McNeil, Ezell Blair, Franklin McCain and David Richmond.

1965—One of the largest mass arrests of the Civil Rights Movement occurs when more than 700 people are jailed as a result of a protest in Selma, Ala. Among those thrown in prison was Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

2004—As a result of a so-called “wardrobe malfunction” singer Janet Jackson’s breast was briefly exposed while performing during the Super Bowl’s half-time show. The incident created a national controversy, including fines by the FCC.

• FEBRUARY 2

1839—Black inventor Edmond Berger develops one of the first spark plugs made in America.

• FEBRUARY 3

1908—Jack Johnson becomes the first Black heavyweight boxing champion by defeating Tommy Burns in Australia. Although he was not officially given the title until 1910 after he defeated the American Jim Jeffries in Las Vegas. Many Whites reacted violently to his defeat of Jeffries sparking riots in several cities. In Johnson’s home state of Texas, films of Johnson defeating White opponents were banned. Johnson reigned as heavyweight champion for 7 years. But he had two “faults”— he believed in speaking his mind and he liked White women. Those two tendencies landed him in jail in 1920 on trumped up charges of violating the Mann Act—a law that made it illegal to transport White women across state lines for “immoral purposes.” Johnson, who is arguably the greatest boxer who ever lived, died in an automobile accident near Raleigh, N.C., on June 10, 1946.

• FEBRUARY 4

1913—Civil rights heroine Rosa Parks is born on this day in Tuskegee, Ala. It was her refusal in December 1955 to give up her seat to a White man on a Montgomery, Ala., bus that sparked the modern Civil Rights Movement. For refusing to obey the laws of segregation, she was arrested and convicted. Montgomery Blacks responded with a boycott of city buses. A young minister named Martin Luther King Jr. was called upon to lead the boycott, which would last for nearly 13 months. The drama

and accompanying legal challenge all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court captivated the nation and propelled Dr. King into the national international spotlight as the nation’s premier civil rights leader. Mrs. Parks died in 2005 at 92.

• FEBRUARY 5

1866—Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, one of the great White heroes of Black history, offers his famous amendment to the Freedman’s Bureau bill to use land confiscated from former slave owners as well as some public lands to guarantee each adult former slave “40 acres and a mule.” However, even after the Civil War there was enough anti-Black and pro-South sentiment in Congress to defeat the measure 126 to 37. If the Stevens measure had passed, it may have changed the entire course of Black history in America because the former slaves would have had a solid economic foundation upon which to build their new lives and the poverty which plagued African Americans for the next 100 years could have been prevented.

1934—Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron was born on this day in Mobile, Ala. The baseball great and eventual home run king (until Barry Bonds) began his career with the old Negro Baseball League playing for the Indianapolis Clowns before joining the Atlanta Braves in 1954.

1945—Jamaican Reggae legend Bob Marley, is born on this day as Robert Nesta Marley in Nine Miles, Saint Ann, Jamaica. He used his music not only to entertain but to tirelessly spread Reggae and the Rastafarian religion from Africa to Europe and the U.S. Much of his music deals with the struggles of the impoverished and the oppressed. Marley died from complications due to cancer in Miami in May 1981.

• FEBRUARY 6

1820—The first organized emigration of Blacks from the U.S. back to Africa occurs. Eighty-six free Blacks leave New York Harbor on a ship named the “Mayflower of Liberia.” The group lands on the West African coast on March 9 and joins with ex-slaves freed by Britain to help form what would eventually become the West African nation of Sierra Leone.

1993—Tennis star Arthur Ashe dies on this day after contracting AIDS from a 1988 blood transfusion. Ashe was the first African American to win at Wimbledon defeating Jimmy Connors in the finals in 1975. Born and raised in Richmond, Va., Ashe was also known for his activism in various social causes. Once asked what type of attitude was required of a champion, Ashe responded, “The ideal attitude is to be physically loose and mentally tight.”

•FEBRUARY

7

1871—Alcorn A&M College (later “University”) opens in Mississippi. The great Black legislator Hiram Revels resigns his seat in Congress to become the first president of the institution, which would grow to become one of the leading Black colleges in the nation. At first it was only open to men but began admitting women in 1895.

1883—Eubie Blake is born James Hubert Blake in Baltimore, Md. Along with Noble Sissle, he popularizes Ragtime music. The genre had its birth in Black bars and whore houses in Southern and Midwestern cities. But Sissle and Blake took it mainstream with hits ranging from the “Charleston Rag” to “I’m Just Wild about Harry” to “Shuffle Along.” Blake died when he was 100 years old on Feb. 12, 1983.

1967—Comedian-actor Chris Rock is born on this day in Andrews, S.C. He is the oldest of seven children.

Junior Achievement unveils next group of ‘18 Under Eighteen’

Junior Achievement of Western PA (JA) unveiled its second 18 Under Eighteen honoree class, showcasing the notable talents and achievements of eigh-

reviewed each nomination and interviewed finalists to become the select eighteen.

In addition to being honored at the recognition

event, the eighteen students are currently virtually attending the Intern to VP ® Professional Branding and Leadership Development Training Program presented by Moments of Focus LLC. The honorees are learning the importance of personal branding, cross-divisional networking and professional development.

“It has been a joy coaching this group of young professionals who are already in place to make major changes in the world,” shared BeNeca Griffin, Moments of Focus creator and CEO.

The eighteen honorees will also be featured on local Lamar Advertising billboards around Pittsburgh and surrounding areas prior to the event.

The new class will be honored at a recognition ceremony on Feb. 7, at the UPMC Club at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. Tickets to the event are on sale now, with a limited number of in-person tickets available. JA will announce a virtual ticket option via the JA website. To learn more about the eighteen honorees, or to support the event, visit westernpa.ja.org.

Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic suc-

teen of our region’s most incredible young people and highlighting the vast young talent in our region.

“These outstanding kids represent both the best of the next generation and the good that exists in the world,” said Patrice Matamoros, President of Junior Achievement of Western PA. “Not only are they building their own impressive resumes with their entrepreneurial spirit, servant nature and maverick mentality, but their actions will have positive impacts on our communities, nation and world for years to come.”

The class of 2023 features advocates, entrepreneurs, musicians, engineers, and changemakers ranging from 10-years-old to 18-years-old. The honorees represent a diverse cross section of our region, including areas in Allegheny, Beaver, Cambria, and Washington counties.

The talent search was cast across the organization’s footprint in western PA and northern West Virginia. A diverse committee of community members

cess, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices.

JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers, and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship.

During the 2021-22 school year, JA impacted over 30,000 students across 56 counties in western Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia. To learn more about Junior Achievement of Western PA visit westernpa.ja.org for more information.

JASON GARLAND

TYLYNN GAULT

GRACE HOWARD

MOHAMMAD SHEDEED

Pittsburgh rallies for Tyre Nichols

protest in the City of Pittsburgh to show support for Nichols, while chastising police in general. The Pittsburgh Feminists for Intersectionality and Black Liberation Autonomous Collective were the primary organizers of the protest.

“It’s important to make sure that people’s rights are protected, that this violence against the average man or woman needs to stop,” Chief Ikhana told the New Pittsburgh Courier exclusively at the protest. “They really need to look into before the cameras were rolling. This has been going on for a long time. There’s a lot of people who died just like Tyre Nichols and George Floyd.”

Toy Slaughter, a speaker at the protest, said that “as a Black person here in America, it is ingrained in

you to be terrified of these racist murderers. My son was 2 years old; if he heard a siren, he would start running down the street to get away. I never taught him that police were bad; it is literally instilled in us from birth to be terrified of these racist (police) who just keep murdering us in the streets in cold blood.”

Saint Valentino, another speaker, asked the crowd: “What are we going to do about it besides protesting today? How are we going to protect our Black people here in Pittsburgh and the Greater Pittsburgh area from preventing that from happening? We already have multiple people who have passed away from the police in Pittsburgh, including Jim Rogers, who has yet to receive justice.

Therefore I ask, what are you going to do for the Black community?”

Tim Stevens, with the Black Political Empowerment Project, sent a letter on Jan. 30 to Mayor Ed Gainey, acting police chief Thomas Stangrecki, City Council President Theresa Kail-Smith and Public Safety Director Lee Schmidt, urging that “steps be taken immediately to send an urgent message to your command staff and to each officer of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police that such behavior as seen in Memphis, Tennessee, or anything even close, will not be tolerated in Pittsburgh.” But that’s not all. Stevens said he wants them to inform the officers that such behavior would result in “immediate termination of employment, as well as the filing of criminal charges.”

Stevens is also urging Acting Chief Stangrecki

to keep in place the policy that prevents city officers from pulling over residents for minor traffic violations. Acting Chief Stangrecki, according to other local media outlets, had reversed the policy in the latter stages of 2022, after City Council, notably Councilman Rev. Ricky Burgess, pushed for the legislation in late 2021, which was passed by City Council.

“Once again, it is the hope of the Black Political Empowerment Project that our City of Pittsburgh be pro-active in setting the tone for positive community-police relations,” Stevens said, “and making it clear to all members of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police that they are in fact paid to ‘protect and serve’ and that nothing less is acceptable.”

TOY SLAUGHTER SPEAKS AT THE PROTEST, JAN. 30, IN FRONT OF THE ZONE ONE POLICE STATION.

A SPEAKER ADDRESSES THE CROWD DURING THE JAN. 30 PROTEST ON THE NORTH SIDE.

Common Pleas Judge denies DA’s request to detain Dawson

dant’s probation,” wrote Judge Bigley, obtained by the New Pittsburgh Courier.

Judge Bigley also noted that Dawson has paid her electronic monitoring fees.

On the afternoon of Jan. 2, Brackenridge police chief Justin McIntyre was shot and killed while trying to catch a suspect, Aaron Swan. Police say Swan shot McIntyre, and then carjacked an individual, trying to get away. He was later found in Homewood, where a shootout with police occurred, and Swan, 28, was killed. Swan was wanted on a probation violation and had eluded police for hours prior to the shooting of McIntyre in Brackenridge.

A photo of Dawson and Pittsburgh’s current mayor, Ed Gainey, surfaced online the night that the posts allegedly made by Dawson were made. It had the mayor answering questions the next morning on media outlets like KDKA Radio (100.1 FM, 1020 AM).

“I don’t believe in none of the comments that Nicky Jo made, I’m not there,” Mayor Gainey said, Jan. 3. “I’m more focused on praying for this family, I can’t control the actions of a Nicky Jo and nobody else or what they say.”

The mayor added: “I didn’t know about none of this until you sent it to me in the morning in regards to the statements that were made. I want every cop to go home at the end of the day, I want every community to go home at the end of the day.”

When it was an -

nounced in mid-January that Zappala wanted to detain Dawson, she sent a statement to the Courier, dated Jan. 13: “This attack was meant to kill two birds with one stone.

Tarnishing the credibility of the first Black Mayor of Pittsburgh by aligning him with the alleged posts of a notoriously outspoken activist in the community, while ensuring my Freedom is revoked under the 13th amendment. As for the district attorney, I never send for him, but he keeps coming back for me. The DA’s motion is a mediocre and quite frankly, embarrassing retaliatory attempt to

silence a BLaQK woman, and anyone who thinks and/or agrees with her. I don’t know Allegheny County, do you really want to reelect a DA who would have you thrown in jail over your social media posts? A DA who believes 1st amendment rights don’t exist if he disagrees with your sentiments? This egregious motion to illegally detain me is proving that for BLaQK people, freedom of speech ain’t free!”

BLAQK HOUSE COLLECTIONS CO-OWNERS NICKY JO DAWSON AND CYNTHIA KENDERSON

NICKY JO DAWSON AND CYNTHIA KENDERSON, the co-founders of BlaQk House Collections.

DAWSON FROM A1

The 2023

‘Spirit of King’ Awards

THE 2023 SPIRIT OF KING CEREMONY was held on Jan. 12, as a virtual event. The annual award honors the lifetime achievements of those posthumously in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Pittsburgh Regional Transit, The Kingsley Association and the New Pittsburgh Courier were proud to present John H. Adams and Bill Nunn Jr., as the 2023 Spirit of King honorees. Pictured are Evelyn Newsome and Cynthia Adams Glenn. (Photos by J.L. Martello)

PICTURED: DEXTER HAIRSTON, REV. EARLENE COLEMAN, CYNTHIA ADAMS GLENN, EVELYN NEWSONE, AMANDA GREEN HAWKINS, ASHLEY JOHNSON, ERIK WELLS.

‘To God be the glory’ Creighton’s Walt ‘Baby’ Love inducted into Radio Hall of Fame

by Rob Taylor Jr.

Courier Staff Writer

For Walt “Baby” Love, he says that “my faith is all I have.”

That’s more than enough.

Love’s faith has taken him to the pinnacle of honors for a radio personality—an induction into the Radio Hall of Fame.

The prestigious honor came on Nov. 1, 2022, at Radisson Blue Aqua Hotel in Chicago.

Love was born in Warren, Ohio, but quickly moved to Creighton, a small town around the corner from New Kensington. He was raised in that small town, and graduated from East Deer-Frazer High School. The school is now known as Deer Lakes High School, as East Deer Township merged with West Deer Township High School.

According to a bio on Love’s website, his career started while he was an active member in the United States Army, once serving as a paratrooper and achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant E-6, a member of the famed 82nd Airborne Division.

While on Active Duty, Love became a part-time on-air personality at WWGO-AM and WWYN-FM radio in Erie. In Houston, Texas, Love got his big break at KYOK-AM radio and made history as the first Black on-air talent at KILT Radio.

Within four years of being in the broadcasting industry, Love became the first Black on-air talent at RKO radio, hosting programs at CKLW-AM

radio in the Canadian Province of Windsor, Ontario, and WOR-FM in New York City. During this span of his career, he also held on-air positions at WNBC-AM, WBLSFM, WOR-FM/WXLO-FM (99X) in New York City and 93 KHJ, KMPC AND KFI-AM in Los Angeles.

Love also was an Operations Manager at Chicago’s WVON-AM and FM, and worked in the same capacity at KGFJ/KKTT AND KUTE (102-FM), Los Angeles. However, he’s known across the country for his syndicated programs.

“The Countdown” with Walt “Baby” Love aired on hundreds of stations from 1982 to 2011, and “Gospel Traxx” with Walt “Baby” Love, which has been airing for more than 20 years and currently airs on WGBN-AM (1360) in Pittsburgh, Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m. The show was once heard on WAMO, along with “The Countdown.” Love has two other syndicated shows, “The Urban AC Countdown” and a shortform vignette program, “African Americans Making It Happen.”

In June 1997, Love was ordained in the ministry at the First House of Prayer in Chicago. Later, he became an Ordained Deacon and then Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, assigned to First African Methodist Church Los Angeles.

Faith “is everything to me,” Love told the New Pittsburgh Courier in an exclusive interview, Jan. 28. “If I didn’t really be-

lieve, I couldn’t make it and certainly couldn’t have made it this far in life from my days back in Western Pennsylvania, the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division, Southeast Asia, back to the States and then breaking into the radio business where Black-formatted radio stations wouldn’t hire me because of my articulation and General Market Mainstream White stations wouldn’t give me an opportunity because...you know why! As the Bible

“He that has pity upon the POOR lends unto the Lord; and that which he hath given will He pay him again.”

- Proverbs 19:17

REV. WALKER SAYS: As God has blessed us, let’s help others. The Word from Proverbs 28:27: He that gives unto the POOR shall not lack; but he that hides his eyes shall have many a curse.

says in a number of places, ‘BUT GOD...’”

Love added: “I like to say about my life experience, not only in the radio business, but in the military as well, ‘BUT GOD...’ gave me favor with people of influence and power and that’s how much my faith in GOD plays into my life.”

Love also spent more than 20 years as Urban Radio & Music Editor at Radio & Record Newspaper.

Love still has family in the Pittsburgh area. Now a California resident, Love reminisced to the Courier on what he learned growing up in Western Pa. “Growing up in a very small community was the importance of family, faith, friends, self-worth, and you have to dream BIG!! I learned at a young age from my great-grandparents and my mom, that you have to think out of the box if you plan to succeed at whatever you’re choosing to pursue in your life’s journey. The Bible tells us that WISDOM is a virtue and my great-grandparents were full of WISDOM and so were a number of people in my family, all living in a 10-to-12-mile radius of each other. That

was ‘SOUL’ power in and of itself.”

On Nov. 1, 2022, the decades of tireless hard work and consistent excellence in his craft culminated in that Hall of Fame induction, a place where most of the inductees over the years have been Caucasians. For the 2022 induction class, 2 of the 9 honorees were Black; the other was Marv Dyson, a radio executive who managed radio stations for 50 years, most notably in Chicago.

“It was a great experience,” Love, born Walter L. Shaw Jr., told the Courier of that evening. Decades ago, before Love was to do an on-air shift at a station in Texas, the announcer before him said that Walt “Baby” Love was coming up next. Why did that on-air talent include the “Baby” part? That wasn’t supposed to be Walt Love’s on-air name. But the name stuck. Walt “Baby” Love was born.

“All I can say is ‘Thank you, Jesus!’” Love said of his Hall of Fame induction. “It was really all I thought it might be and more. To GOD be the glory.”

WALT “BABY” LOVE

Noblemen score big with a slam dunk!

“And then a hero comes along with the strength to carry on!”

That’s part of a song offered by the great Mariah Carey in her #1 hit, “Hero.” She speaks in total the need to care, fight, survive and never give up. But more than anything, knowing that at times when you least expect it, someone comes along to renew your feeling and belief in your fellow human beings and tomorrow will be a better day.

That is in part the attitude and actions presented by the newly established Noblemen Community Club founded and based in Penn Hills. Giving evidence that they practice what they literally preach.

Pastor Mike Smith, the President of the club and Sheldon Oliver, Club VP and owner of the Noblemen Restaurant/Cigar Bar/Social Club, united their valuable years of trial, error and tested time to present a donation of notable proportion to the Boys and Girls varsity basketball teams at Penn Hills High School. Notable to be sure to the tune of $5,000-plus. Each of the 30 players received basketball game shoes for this season. As Pastor Mike stated, “It was important to present these outstanding student-athletes with top-quality game shoes they could be proud of and want to showcase. Thus, the trademark LeBron James for the boys and Kevin Durant for the girls.”

Greater than the presentation was the acceptance, a tremendous showing of appreciation shown by the players as well as Penn Hills Athletic Director Steph Strauss, coaches and

parents along with boys coach Chris Giles and girls coach Rob Cash. The event was capped off with Penn Hills mayoral candidate Qiana Buckner glorifying the qualities of the students and the need to continue more support for our future stars. Dawn Golden, Assistant Superintendent of Schools, was also on hand to support the presentation. A special thank you to restaurant general manager Kevin Cooper for making the arrangements.

A tremendous amount of credit has to go to Noblemen Club owner Sheldon Oliver for taking the lead on uniting his brotherhood to support the high cost of community service. As a Penn Hills resident and former student-athlete, I am always on guard to

do what I can to assist the athletic programs. When I presented the idea to Sheldon back in June 2022, I have to admit I wasn’t sure he could make it happen for this season. But once he was presented with the idea, he “ran” with it. The rest, as they say, is now history. And as the song concludes, “So when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong. And you’ll finally see the truth that a hero lies in you!”

What’s up with all the bad calls in NFL games?

Aubrey Bruce says, ‘The status quo, gotta go’

During the recent past in the NFL, one element that sticks out like a sore thumb is the number of officiating errors that have directly affected the outcome of games. Recently there have been far too many incorrect, questionable, and blown calls for any NFL purist to shake a stick at. From the “Immaculate Reception” to the “tuck rule,” to the Dez Bryant “catch or no catch,” the list is endless and does not seem as if the NFL has any plans to put anything in place that will help prevent future controversies.

I asked this question in a recent column: why have instant replay if it doesn’t have the power to correct the outcome of any and every play? The NFL is not supposed to mirror the WWE or WWF where the outcome of the game may be predetermined for months or even years in advance.

Let us begin with the origin of the “tuck rule.” The NFL only had to create a “tuck rule” because of a game involving the team that has a history of cheating scandals, the infamous New England Patriots.

One of the origins of the rule caused a “questionable” outcome to a divisional playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and the New England Patriots on January 19, 2002. In that game, Referee Walt Coleman reversed a called fumble and ruled the play an incomplete pass, and gave the ball back to New England. The game went into overtime and the Patriots kicked the winning field goal. Two games later, the Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI. The tuck rule was used by the NFL from 1999 until 2013.

NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When (an offensive) player is

holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble.

A fumble, is a bumble, is a stumble, is a mumble, you diggg. A bad or incompetent call by an official may not only alter the outcome of a game, but chances are the botched call may more than likely alter the course of NFL

history. Not only do fans have the right to suspect officiating irregularities, everyone, including NFL franchises, should be cautious and wary about “the overall officiating process” as well as officiating equality.

Will Brinson filed a story on cbssports.com on September 8, 2015. An excerpt from that report chronicled the shenanigans involving “Spygate.”

An excerpt from that report reads as follows.

“Inside a room accessible only to Belichick and a few others, they found a library of scouting material containing videotapes of opponents’ signals, with detailed notes matching signals to plays for many teams going back seven seasons. Among them were handwritten diagrams of the defensive signals of the Pittsburgh Steelers, including the notes used in the January

2002 AFC Championship Game won by the Patriots, 24-17. Yet almost as quickly as the tapes and notes were found, they were destroyed, on Goodell’s orders: League executives stomped the tapes into pieces and shredded the papers inside a Gillette Stadium conference room.”

The following month on February 3, 2002, the Patriots defeated the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Was this cheating allowed because the Steelers ownership group may have been more “ethnically sensitive” to the needs of their franchise? The Patriots had been to the Super Bowl twice before they defeated the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI P.C. (pre-cheating). However, in both those appearances, 1986 and 1997, they were soundly defeated by more than an average of two touchdowns per game.

They could only begin their winning streak, simultaneously, with their cheating streak. And both streaks began when the Patriots began to employ illegal methods to gain a devious and unfair advantage over their opponents. Incorrect calls, whether they happen on the sidelines or in the boardrooms of the NFL or any other professional sports league, are flat-out wrong. Look at the starving franchises that have been denied the opportunity to advance because of incompetent calls, denying the cities that they represent an opportunity to participate, economically in the postseason. An incompetent call is just as bad as outright cheating because the result remains the same. As far as the public should be concerned: The status quo, gotta go.

PASTOR MIKE, SHELDON OLIVER, KEVIN COOPER

PENN HILLS GIRLS’ BASKETBALL TEAM with their new game shoes. They’re joined by Sheldon Oliver and Qiana Buckner.

PROPERTY IS POWER!

New Year’s Resolution success

As the calendar turns to a new year, resolutions on self-improvement launch to the forefront of our minds. If your 2023 goals include buying a home, home improvement, or paying off debts we’ve got you covered.

Nearly two in five Americans make New Year’s resolutions. However, the vast majority of people will fail at meeting their desired goals. Setting your focus is one key to success. Instead of working toward a long list of goals, narrow your goals down to your top three. Better yet, try to make these goals build on one another. For example, if you accomplish the first goal, you’ll be prepared to accomplish the second goal. Then take these goals one at a time.

What goals are important for you to accomplish this new year? Do you want to:

• Buy a new home?

• Renovating your home?

• Paying off your debts?

Maybe the most important thing on your to-do list for 2023 is buying a new home. If so, it’s an exciting time. This time often takes patience as you move through the steps of home buying, including mortgage loan approval, finding your home, negotiation and closing Having the right real estate professionals on your side can make all the difference in today’s market.

Know yourself and set realistic goals

An easy way to set yourself up for failure is to set unattainable goals, and then get discouraged when they don’t come to fruition.

Recognize what has helped you achieve goals in the past (or held you back from success), and keep these in mind when setting realistic goals for 2023. Then set realistic and attainable goals that will work

Tips on saving for the unexpected

ANTHONY O. KELLUM

for you. Many people like to use the SMART method of goal setting. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. By creating detailed goals, you help set yourself up for success. It may also be helpful to break down big goals into smaller steps very similar to creating goals that build on one another. For example, say one of your big goals for 2023 is to enlarge the square footage of your home with an addition. What is one piece of that addition that must be completed first? You might start with making a goal to secure funding, then find an architect and contractor, etc. By breaking a big goal into smaller steps, your project becomes more manageable and less overwhelming. The beginning of a new year is always an exciting time. The new year brings with it chances for a fresh start and all that can occur over time. (Property is Power! Is a movement to promote home and community ownership. Studies indicate homeownership leads to higher graduation rates, family wealth, and community involvement.)

Finances are different for everyone, and so are the life events we all go through. An emergency fund is your financial line of defense against life’s lemons. Although there are many financial rules of thumb, there is no “normal” way to handle your emergency fund.

The bottom line: saving money is the first line of defense to financial wellness, especially when the unexpected happens. While nobody can predict the future, everyone can prepare for it.

What is the reason for my emergency fund?

Your emergency fund is a safety net that can help you avoid getting into a difficult financial situation due to a loss of income or unexpected, one-time expenses. Having one in place can reduce stress, anxiety, and other emotions that could make handling the non-financial aspects of an emergency much more difficult.

It may seem a little obvious that an emergency fund is for emergencies. However, one of the challenging aspects of an emergency fund is knowing what expenses qualify as an emergency. This fund’s sole purpose is to prepare you for costs that you cannot or would not typically plan out. For example, oil changes and new tires are predictable vehicle expenses you should plan for in your regular savings. However, you wouldn’t typically plan for costs that you could incur on the off chance that you need to make emergency home repairs or pay for emergency medical expenses. You would cover these from your emergency fund. How much do I need?

How much would a new furnace cost? If you could not work, how much would you need to cover essential expenses until you could?

Asking yourself these kinds of questions will help you set a goal amount for your emergency fund.

The general rule of thumb is three to six months of essential expenses. However, you can always start with a goal you find achievable. Say, $1,000. Once you reach that goal, aim for three months of rent, then three months of essential expenses, and so on.

Tracking your spending can help you estimate monthly expenses. Completing this exercise can also help you figure out how much you can afford to save toward your emergency fund each month.

How do I save that much?

Start small: If you haven’t started, consider putting $25 from every paycheck into a savings account. Even a few dollars can make a big impact in the long run. Check your budget or spending plan to see how much you can save after you’ve paid essential expenses and before budgeting for discretionary spending.

Keep it separate: Open a separate savings account to help you resist the temptation to dip into it. Remember, this account is for emergencies, so keep it away from your daily spending accounts and separate it from vacation and holiday savings. This method will help you stay organized, visualize your progress, and provide peace of mind.

Automate your savings: One way to automate is via direct deposit. You may be able to instruct your employer to deposit a portion of

your paycheck directly into your emergency savings account every pay period. Alternatively, you can set up an automatic transfer from your primary checking account to your emergency savings account on payday. Both methods save you from adding a manual transfer to your to-do list that may be overlooked if things get busy! Will I ever need to change the amount?

As your life changes, the amount you need in your emergency fund will change as well. It’s a good idea to revisit your emergency fund plan every six months or any time you experience a life event that impacts your income. Marriage, starting or adding to your family, buying a home, and divorce are just a few examples of when you may need to increase your emergency fund. A good savings plan can roll with the punches right alongside you! How do I prioritize emergency savings against debt and other goals?

Deciding whether you should pay down debt, save for other goals, or grow your emergency fund is all about the big picture. Everyone has different financials, so that picture will vary person-to-person. What will impact you the most financially? Paying down debt and saving money long term or having a plan B that allows you to keep making minimum payments if you lose income? There is no right or wrong answer. Your emergency fund is there to help you expense the unexpected. So, make a plan and be ready for whatever comes your way! (Sponsored content from JPMorgan

How do I prioritize paying off debt?

How should I prioritize paying off my debt? Should I prioritize paying off the lowest balance first or paying off the one with the highest interest rate?

~ Josuha

Damon says:

There are three methods that are taught in regards to best practices to eradicate debt. They are: Debt Avalanche, Debt Snowball, Debt Domino. The Debt Avalanche prioritizes debt based on highest to lowest interest rates. You write down each debt and its corresponding interest rate. The debt with the highest interest rate will be priority #1. Pay minimum payment on all other debt. The debt with the highest interest rate gets the minimum payment plus any extra amount that you can apply towards it. Once this debt is paid off, you focus on the next debt that has the highest interest rate. Continue to consistently apply this method until all debts are paid. The primary benefit here is by attacking the highest interest rate, you in effect reduce the overall interest you pay to your creditors.

The Debt Snowball prioritizes based on lowest to highest balance. You write down each debt and its corresponding balance. The debt with the lowest balance will be priority #1. Pay minimum payment on all other debt. The debt with the lowest balance gets the minimum payment plus any extra amount that you can apply towards it. Once this debt is paid off, you focus on the next debt that has the lowest balance. Continue to consistently apply this method until all debts are paid. The primary benefit here being by attacking the lowest balance, you experience quick wins

and are more likely to stay the course as you see various debts disappear.

The Debt Domino prioritizes debt based on the debt with the least amount of time to pay off. This is my preferred method. This method is harder to explain because it requires an additional step. You write down each debt and both its corresponding balance and minimum payment. The math to prioritize using the Debt Domino works this way. Take the balance and divide it by the minimum monthly payment. For example you have a debt with a $5,000 balance and a minimum payment of $200 per month. You take $5,000 / $200 = 25. Using rough and dirty, back of a napkin math, by making the minimum payment on this debt, it will take you approximately 25 months or 2 years and 1 month to pay off in full. You apply this same calculation to all outstanding debt. The debt with the least amount of time remaining to pay in full will be priority #1. Pay minimum payment on all other debt. The debt with the lowest term to repay gets the minimum payment plus any extra amount that you can apply towards it. Once this debt is paid off, you focus on the next debt that has the lowest term. Continue to consistently apply this method until all debts are paid. The reason this method is effective is because the shorter the term, or the less time you have remaining to repay a debt, the larger the portion of

your minimum payment is applied towards the principal. By applying an extra payment on top of the minimum payment, you’re able to drastically reduce the remaining term left on the debt.

Here’s the telling part. The key to successfully and quickly paying off your debt isn’t which method you use—be it Debt Avalanche, Debt Snowball or Debt Domino. The key is choosing a method, sticking to it and continuing to consistently work the method until all debt is paid.

Here’s why. I ran multiple scenarios on all three methods on multiple clients. Regardless of which method a person chooses, the length of time to pay off all debt varies by 2 to 6 months. In other words, no method is that much better than the other one. I repeat, the key is to get on board with one of them and consistently do it.

In many cases you’ll find that regardless of the method you choose, you’ll more than likely be attacking most of the debt in the same order.

Debt Avalanche is based on the highest to lowest interest rate. Highest to lowest interest tends to go in this order: Credit cards, personal loans, car loans, student loans, mortgages. Debt Snowball is based on the lowest to highest balance. The lowest to highest balance tends to go in this order: credit cards, personal loans, car loans, student loans, mortgages. Same difference!?

By employing the extra math step in the Debt Domino, it’s taking interest rate into account but it’s also recognizing debts that you’ve been paying on for a long period of time. Hence the reason why it has a shorter term and more of the payment is applied to principal reduction.

Here’s a couple things to avoid as you work to payoff debt:

Do not do a balance transfer to ZERO interest credit cards. The ZERO interest rate is good for 6-16 months. After which, the interest rate goes back to its double-digit interest rate level. But Damon, I’ll pay it off in the 6-16 months. I’ve heard that before. I’ve said that before. The truth of the matter is most people don’t pay it off during the time period where the interest rate was 0 percent. In the end, they have a balance on this new card where the balance was transferred to. With the increased available balance on the old card that the balance was transferred from, people go willy-nilly spending on the credit card again. Now they have double the credit card mess to clean up.

If you’re going to consolidate, get a personal loan with a fixed interest rate with a term no greater than three years. Under a personal loan, you can’t borrow the money after you paid it back.

The Number 1 rule to getting out of debt is this: STOP BORROWING MONEY!! To continue to borrow while you’re paying off debt is akin to trying to fill up a bucket with water but the bucket has holes. It’s not going to work.

PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES

Though a stigma may be associated with discussing salaries with coworkers, pay transparency can be helpful for employees as well as employers.

According to Career Builder, pay transparency can come in a variety of forms, such as including salary ranges on job listings, making documents with pay and benefits accessible for every job in a company, and open discussions between coworkers about wages.

Pay transparency can help others negotiate their salaries to help ensure they aren’t underpaid and reduce racial and gender wage disparities. As for employers, employees are less likely to leave their current company for another if they see they’re getting paid fairly for their work. Pay transparency can also motivate employees to excel in their tasks and increase their productivity if they are aware that their company is compensating their workers’ achievements.

During the hiring process, listing a salary range can eliminate the time wasted considering applicants who don’t believe a company pays enough. According to Career Builder, jobs with clear salary details receive 54 times more applications than those without. There are two federal laws in the US that address pay transparency. Executive Order 11246, which became effective in 2016, keeps federal employers from firing or retaliating against their employees who discuss their pay. Other employees who don’t work for the federal government are protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), which gives workers the right to talk to their coworkers about compensation outside of work.

A number of states, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maryland, have their own set of pay transparency laws.

Digital tools can help kids build safe money habits

The earlier kids start learning basic financial skills, the better their financial health in the long run, according to research. When it comes to teaching kids about money, caregivers are asking for help. In fact, 32 percent of

parents are uncomfortable speaking about finances with their own children and 46 percent are looking for additional resources to help encourage good financial habits, according to a Chase survey of parents across the U.S., with

children aged 8–14.

Traditionally, kids learn about money from shopping with adults and having related conversations. While discussions are an important part of learning about finances, online shopping has changed how kids experience spending.

“Families are juggling so many more responsibilities today than ever before, so it’s understandably more complicated to find opportunities to teach financial wellness to children or to find hands-on purchasing moments to talk about the value of money,” said Matt Gromada, Head of Family, Student and Starter Banking at Chase.

Fortunately, new tools are helping meet the changing needs of parents and their children. For example, the free Chase First Banking account is designed to help families develop healthy financial habits by putting parents in control and giving kids and teens the freedom to learn how to earn, spend and save money.

This type of digital tool makes financial literacy discussions easier and brings family money management into the digital age, engaging kids in meaningful ways. In addition to adopting useful tools, it’s important to have ongoing conversations about finances.

Gromada suggests starting with some rules for a family ‘contract’ when it comes to having access to an account:

I will spend responsibly and discuss what are acceptable purchases with my parent I will make a savings goal, discuss it with my parent, and work toward it

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR GROUP TERM LIFE, AD&D AND LTD BENEFITS

RFP# 650-28-22 REBID

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

Group Term Life, AD&D and LTD Benefits

The documents will be available no later than January 30, 2023 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 10:00 AM on February 21, 2023. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on February 21, 2023 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to:

Mr. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Legal Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2915

A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on February 9, 2023. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 898 4367 9287

Passcode: 541559 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RFP#600-05-23

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

Professional Environmental Services

The documents will be available no later than January 30, 2023 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 9:00 AM on February 21, 2023. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on February 21, 2023 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to:

James Harris Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Procurement Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2915

A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on February 9, 2023 at 9:00 AM. Please see meeting information below:

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 897 8894 1144 Passcode: 383388 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP’s has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/RFPs documentation.

Through the Chase Mobile app, parents can assign chores and provide allowance, set amounts and locations of where kids can spend money using a debit card, and help children reach savings goals. Kids interact with the app on their end, too, checking off assigned chores when completed and seeing when their allowance is paid. They can also see how much they can spend and where, as well as their savings goals.

I will not use my debit card on websites or at stores my parent does not approve of I will always keep my card in a safe place and discuss the best place to keep it with my parent I will not share my PIN number or account number with anyone I will not post pictures of my card or app on social media or share them with my friends I will never go to an ATM alone and will only use ATMs inside a bank

“These tools can help guide parents, so they have the confidence to teach kids about bank accounts and spending—it’s like an account with training wheels,” says Gromada. (Sponsored by JPMorgan Chase)

INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB)

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that specifications and proposal forms for furnishing all labor and materials and professional consulting and/ or construction services for the following project(s) entitled:

ReBid for Renovations and Addition • 818 Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221

Bid documents may be obtained from Sota Construction Services, Inc. by contacting Chris Michaels at cmichaels@sotaconstruction.com beginning January 25th.

ALL BIDS WILL BE RECEIVED until 1:00 PM on February, 16th, 2023 at the offices of Sota Construction Services. Bids will be publicly opened at 1:30 PM on February 16, 2023 at the Sota Construction Services, Inc. offices at 80 Union Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15202.

Bids must be on standard proposal forms and submitted in the manner therein described in the bidding documents. There will be a site walk thru on February 8th at 2:00 PM and February 9th at 10:00 AM to review the existing building conditions.

“Compliance is required with the Davis-Bacon Act and other Federal Labor Standard Provisions; Title VI and other applicable provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Department of Labor Equal Opportunity Clause (41 CFR 60 – 1.4); Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; Executive Order 11625 (Utilization of Minority Business Enterprise); Executive Order 12138 (Utilization of Female Business Enterprise); in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Allegheny County MBE/WBE Program enacted July, 1981, which sets forth goals of 13 percent Minority and 2 percent Female Business Enterprise; and the Allegheny County Ordinance #6867-12, setting forth goals of 5 percent Veteran-Owned Small Businesses.

Further, notice is hereby given that this is a Section 3 Project under the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, (as amended) and must to the greatest extent feasible, utilize lower income residents for employment and training opportunities and Section 3 Business concerns and all contracts and subcontracts for this project shall contain the “Section 3 Clause” as set forth in 24 CFR, Part 135.38. Moreover, compliance is required by the prime contractor and allsubcontractors with the Federal General Conditions included in the contract documents between ACED and the operating agency. These Federal General Conditions are to be incorporated by reference into all construction contracts between operating agency and contractor, contractor and subcontractor(s), and subcontractor(s) and lower tiered subcontractor(s).”

If there are additional questions, please contact Chris Michaels, Director of Preconstruction, at Sota Construction Services, Inc.

POWERBREAKFAST—County Commissioner Rich Fitzgerald (far right) was the African American Chamber of Commerce PowerBreakfast speaker. He is shown with Chamber Board Chair Samuel Stephenson (middle) and Pa. State Senator Sharif Street (left).

Guest Editorial

GOP is suppressing the teaching of American history

Florida is not the only Republican-controlled state seeking to suppress the full truthful teaching of American history.

Florida has rejected an advanced African American studies course proposed by the state schools.

In South Carolina, a bill to limit certain teachings on race in public schools is moving through the Republican-controlled state House of Representatives.

The proposal is the latest in a GOP-led nationwide effort to suppress the lessons of American history, particularly the painful aspects of African American history.

The language in the South Carolina bill is similar to sections of a law signed last year by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely 2024 presidential hopeful. DeSantis’ administration has blocked a new Advanced Placement course on African-American studies from being taught in high schools, saying the class violates newly enacted state law and that it is historically inaccurate.

Similar measures have been proposed in other Republican-dominated statehouses.

The South Carolina bill would prohibit ideas that “an individual, by virtue of the race, sex, ethnicity, religion, color, or national origin of the individual, inherently is privileged, racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or subconsciously” and that a person “bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members” sharing their identity.

The vague language of the South Carolina bill and other similar legislation is actually intended to stifle the teachings of American history that conservatives find objectionable.

Democratic state Rep. Deon Tedder said, “For example, it’s fact-based that African Americans were enslaved and beaten and chained. For some parents, that may not be age appropriate.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina is right in saying the vague language in the South Carolina bill would chill teachers’ speech and misrepresent American history.

Democratic Rep. Kambrell Garvin told the Associated Press the bill would have driven him out of the classroom if it had been law when he was teaching.

“I would have felt intimidated,” Garvin said. “I would have felt worried or concerned had I had to worry about somebody going to report me for teaching a historically significant fact.”

(Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune)

(TriceEdneyWire)—Carter

Godwin Woodson, The Father of Negro (Black) History, remains an invaluable source of historic information and critical thinking which prepares today’s young African Americans to confront and challenge the persistent racism that continues to plague the national psyche.  Ninety years ago, when most sources of public information characterized African Americans as ignorant, non-contributing, sub-human vermin who had no legitimate place in American society, Carter G. Woodson was a vocal champion of African American contributions to the nation and the reconstruction of a new, positive mindset among African Americans.  In my opinion, the 1933 publication of his “The Mis-Education of the Negro” is one of the most important literary works introduced to African Americans and this nation.

Among his notable quotations (and one of my favorites) is:  “If the Negro in the ghetto must eternally be fed by the hand that pushes him into the ghetto, he will never become strong enough to get out of the ghetto.”  In the context of my interpretation, the ghetto is not a location, it is a mindset.  In that same context, feeding is more than food, it is the constant barrage of information that molds our thinking.

During this year’s celebration of Black History Month, we must reevaluate the information or lack thereof, we and our children are being fed.  The real destruction of

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary

a race begins with the destruction of its children.  Woodson states: “As another has well said, to handicap a student by teaching him that his black face is a curse and that his struggle to change his condition is hopeless is the worst sort of lynching.” Fast forward to January 2023 in America.  As recently reported by ABC’s Averi Harper, members of the (Ron) DeSantis-appointed Florida Department of Education rejected the optional AP African American Studies program in a letter to SAT test administrators, the College Board—incorrectly claiming that the program “significantly lacks educational value.”  Given appropriate thought and consideration, this offensively bold assertion negates the presence of African Americans in this nation.  This is not a new or unexpected phenomenon, but one must ask how this position affects the student who sees no evidence of “self” in her/his educational process.

This “theft” of history may be codified in Florida, but it is replicated in so many other academic jurisdictions.  A lack of relevant knowledge by teachers or their direct intent to ignore or exclude

Black History from local curricula delivers the same result.  Woodson opines, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.”  Or even worse, “If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.”

Woodson echoes my greatest fear, “The education of the Negroes, then, the most important thing in the uplift of the Negroes, is almost entirely in the hands of those who have enslaved them and now segregate them.”  If we accept this reality, we have limited choices in our plan to resolve this problem.

I submit that when/where our numbers are sufficiently large or when we can collaborate with other “out” groups to exert our influence, that we do so.  White supremacy is sustained and enlarged with the exclusion of the historic contributions of those they wish to demean.  The historic reduction of their self-aggrandizement only diminishes their truth of superiority.

When our numbers are insufficient to exert that measure of influence, we must do it the old-fashioned way—we must value, learn, and then teach our history.  No one will do this for us.  No one else has a vested interest.

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

Decoding the Far Right’s attack on who can access bathrooms

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Over the past few years, we’ve all become painfully aware of the Far Right’s attacks on trans people, often centered around the right to use the restroom. So-called “bathroom bills” have popped up in a number of states, including right now in Arkansas. These bills are obvious attempts by the Far Right to attack an already marginalized group and score some culture war points with the most hateful members of their base. And the tactic isn’t even new.

The Far Right has used the fear of boogeymen in the bathroom—Black people, queer people, now trans people—to scare up support for decades. It’s never been about the bathrooms; it’s always been about riling up their base and trying to keep marginalized groups under control. When we look at the history of these attacks, we can see how the targets may change, but the hate remains the same.

The Long, Sad History of Bathroom Restrictions

Across the country, segregated bathrooms prevented Black people from accessing public accommodations well into and even after the 1960s. The Far Right made whatever racist arguments they could think of to justify their bigotry, including supposedly protecting women—the same specious argument they’ve doled out during other bathroom fights.

Through the 1970s and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, paranoia about

Svante Myrick

Commentary

queer people in bathrooms was rampant. Gay men were said to use bathroom stalls for illicit sex and to prey on youth. These types of baseless accusations fueled homophobia and helped established public restrooms as places of fear.

Today, the attacks largely focus on trans people, calling them “groomers” and implying they’re trying to do anything other than use the bathroom in peace and privacy. The attacks are completely disingenuous. So, if they’re not actually about protecting people in public restrooms, what are they about? Simple. Like most things in the Far Right’s culture war, they’re about control.

When You Can’t Use the Restroom, You Can’t Engage in Public Life

Whether you want to spend a leisurely day in the park, go out on the town, or stand in line to vote, you need access to public facilities when you’re out in public. The Far Right knows that, and that’s precisely why bathrooms have always been on their radar.

Keeping Black people from public

restrooms made it harder to do things like vote, protest, or participate in society. Keeping queer people out of bathrooms ensured they remained marginalized and were met with fear and persecution. Keeping trans people out of bathrooms fuels the narrative that trans people are attempting to force their way into private spaces for nefarious purposes.

The worst part is, they know it’s a lie. It’s always been a lie. Trans people aren’t out to get you in the bathroom, nor were queer people or Black people. We are all just trying to exist in public spaces, and that’s what the Far Right can’t stand. They want the people with whom they disagree to disappear completely from public life, relegated to the shadows until they need to scare their base again. Bathrooms bills are a convenient way for them to restrict public access and create fear at the same time.

So, the next time someone tries to argue that trans people shouldn’t be allowed to use the bathroom, remind them these scare tactics were rolled out against gay people and against Black people in the past. Remind them that it’s always been about depriving people of power, not plumbing. And remind them that, just like in the past, these attacks will ultimately fail if good people stand up for what’s right.

(Svante Myrick is President of People For the American Way.)

Thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses among the millions of Nazism’s victims

(NNPA)—On January 27, the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a symbolic date to commemorate the victims of Nazism. Murderous Nazi terror targeted millions for reasons of biology, nationality, or political ideology.

But few people know that the Nazis’ victims included thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who suffered for their Christian faith.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, also then known as Bible Students, were “the only group in the Third Reich to be persecuted on the basis of their religious beliefs alone,” says Professor Robert Gerwarth.

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher

The Nazi regime branded Witnesses “enemies of the State,” according to historian Christine King, because of “their very public refusal to accept even the smallest elements of [Nazism], which didn’t fit their faith and their beliefs.”

Stacy M. Brown

Commentary

bore a unique uniform symbol—the purple triangle.

Of about 35,000 Witnesses in Nazi-occupied Europe, more than onethird suffered direct persecution. Most were arrested and imprisoned.

Hundreds of their children were taken to Nazi homes or reformatories.

About 4,200 Witnesses went to Nazi concentration camps.

Leading authority Detlef Garbe wrote: “The declared intention of the NS [Nazi] rulers was to completely eliminate the Bible Students from German history.”

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Johnson Sales Director Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor John. H. Sengstacke Editor & Publisher Emeritus (1912-1997)

On religious grounds, the politically neutral Witnesses refused to give the “Heil Hitler” salute, take part in racist and violent acts, or join the German army. Moreover, “in their literature they publicly identified the evils of the regime, including what was happening to the Jews,” stated King.

Witnesses were among the first sent to concentration camps, where they

An estimated 1,600 Witnesses died, 370 by execution.

The Nazis sought to break Witnesses’ religious convictions by offering them freedom in exchange for a pledge of obedience.

The standard Erklärung (issued beginning in 1938) required the signee to renounce his or her faith, denounce other Witnesses to the police, fully

submit to the Nazi government, and defend the “Fatherland” with weapon in hand.

Prison and camp officials often used torture and privation to induce Witnesses to sign. According to Garbe, “extremely low numbers” of Witnesses recanted their faith.

Geneviève de Gaulle, a niece of General Charles de Gaulle and member of the French Resistance, said of female Witness prisoners in Ravensbrück concentration camp,“What I admired a lot in them was that they could have left at any time just by signing a renunciation of their faith. . . . Ultimately, these women, who appeared to be so weak and worn out, were stronger than the SS, who had power and all the means at their disposal. They had their strength, and it was their willpower that no one could beat.”

The failure of Nazi coercion in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses contrasts with widespread societal conformity to Nazi aims before and during the Holocaust.

The nonviolent resistance of ordinary people to racism, extreme nationalism, and violence merits thoughtful reflection on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

More information about Jehovah’s Witnesses during the Holocaust can be found on jw.org:

What if White cops had beaten Nichols to

a pulp?

Let’s be clear, the five former Black Memphis police officers got everything they deserved for beating Tyre Nichols to a pulp. They were fired and charged with second-degree murder, two counts of official misconduct, two counts of aggravated kidnapping, one count of official oppression and one count of aggravated assault.

It didn’t take a gruesome, horrid, hideous video of Nichol’s murder to convince anyone with a speck of human decency that the cops didn’t step over the line between lawful policing and pure naked, unabashed thuggery. They obliterated the line. Memphis police and city officials pressed for prosecution. They should be commended. They set a potential template for how other city and police officials should quickly act on wanton police violence against civilians.

However, here’s the tormenting question that dangles heavily in the air in the wake of the tape and the murder. What if five White cops had beaten Nichols to a pulp? Nichols family attorney Benjamin Crump lightly raised that question. He was far from alone.

I asked it, and many other Blacks asked the same question. Just one week before Nichol’s murder, a videotape was released that showed a swarm of White and non-Black Los Angeles PD officers manhandling, and repeatedly tasing Keenan Anderson on the ground. Anderson like Nichols was a young African American male and cousin of Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrice Cullers. Anderson died later of cardiac arrest that resulted directly from the repeated tasing.

Now contrast this. The L.A. Police Protective League did not issue an angry statement blasting the cops in the Anderson death. It apparently saw nothing inappropriate in their use of force against Anderson. However, in a public statement, the police group lambasted the five former Memphis officers for allegedly violating all the canons of lawful police work.

The issue of whether there is a racial double standard in how White and Black cops are treated when accused of misconduct surfaced in July 2017. Black former Minneapolis police officer Muhammad Noor was charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of a 40-year-old dual Australian American citizen. The victim was White.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Commentary

Noor was swiftly arrested, charged, and convicted. He served a couple of years in prison and was then released after a court upheld his appeal.  As in the case of the five former Memphis cops charged with the murder of Nichols, no Blacks justified Noor’s action. But they did raise the question of whether he was treated harsher than a White cop would have been particularly if the victim were nonWhite. It is hard to believe that a jury would buy the tried-and-true cop defense from a Black officer who beat, maim, or killed namely that he or she used deadly force because they feared for their life.

Some might argue, but wait, didn’t police and city officials demand prosecution of former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin for choking George Floyd to death? And wasn’t former Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke prosecuted for murdering 17-year-old Laquan McDonald in October 2014.? Both are White. That’s true. But it took the threat of national anarchy, and the grotesque long running video of the chocking of Floyd to assure firing of Chauvin and prosecution. As for Van Dyke it took five years to finally get a conviction against him.

It did not take a video, and the threat of national mayhem for the Black Memphis cops to lose their badges, and potentially their freedom. Again, this was the right thing to do. But they were Black.

Police have killed thousands of unarmed civilians in the decade since 2005 but according to a survey by The Washington Post and researchers at Bowling Green State University, only a handful of officers have been charged in the shootings and virtually all have been acquitted if they ever get to trial.

Prosecutions as we well know of any, I mean any, police officers for excessive force are the rarest of rare commodities. The number charged hover in the low single digits. The feds are no better according to the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Between 1990 and 2019, federal prosecutors leveled civil rights violations charges against police officers 41 times per year on average. That number hit a low in 2005 with 19 and peaked in 2008 with 67.

Prosecutors know it’s a tough hill to climb with jurors in police abuse cases and in surveys and interviews have said as much. This is one of two major reasons that they almost never bring charges against cops who kill even in the most blatant, outrageous and over the top killings.

The other is the public perception that communities and the police in America are under siege from lawless criminals. The cops who beat Nichols to death belonged to a special unit that was hailed for supposedly reducing rampant gun and murder violence, and major crime in Memphis. But they were still Black.

That’s why so many ask the question what if they weren’t? Would they have found themselves in a court docket—at least as quickly as they did? It’s a fair question.

(Earl

Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst.)

‘Cop City’— martyr or cautionary tale?

In September of 2021, the Atlanta City Council leased forested land to the Atlanta Police Foundation to build a training facility. Atlanta’s mayor, Keisha Lance Bottom, said the facility will provide the necessary space to ensure that police officers and first responders receive 21st-century training.

“Abolish the police” activists insisted law enforcement didn’t deserve a new facility, and environmentalists expected the area to be turned into a park.

The movement to halt construction was called “Stop Cop City”.

In December 2021, the movement created an encampment for “forest defenders” protesting the training facility.

In January, the bulldozers arrived to start construction, and dozens of “forest defenders” got into skirmishes with police that led to arrests. City officials told the “forest defenders” they were trespassing on private land, but the “forest defenders” continued to have clashes with the police.

In May 2022, “forest defenders” threw Molotov cocktails at officers patrolling the area.

A month later, a Guardian columnist described the entrance to the “forest defenders” encampment. “The sign in the forest reads: You Are Now Leaving the USA.” Then, high up among the branches of white oak trees, there is a tree house the size of a closet. It drapes all sides with white sheets bearing painted messages like ‘No Police’, ‘No Pipelines’, and ‘No Prisons’.”   The Guardian also had photographs of “forest defenders” in camouflage and ski masks.

The “forest defenders”, whose encampment was made up of makeshift tree houses, looked prepared for guerilla warfare.

One forest defender told a reporter, “A lot of people out here had friends who’ve died, been imprisoned, been shot, and experienced a lot of trauma, so they have

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a internalized hatred of police. There are other people who are very aware of the fact that the police are human beings who are trying to do what they think is right.”

From that comment, you can figure out there were some disagreements between the “abolish the police” activists and the environmentalists about the violence.

In December 2022, Axios Atlanta reported that a task force of local, state, and federal officers attempted to remove barricades installed by activists to block access to the property, but several “forest defenders” threw rocks at police cars and attacked EMTs outside a neighboring fire station with rocks and bottles. This time the “forest defenders” that were arrested were charged with domestic terrorism.

Police tried to persuade those remaining at the encampment to leave.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Georgia issued a statement that referred to the encampment as a “criminal network” and said that law enforcement would ensure the construction of the training facility.

At this point, any activist that disagreed with the violence needed to leave the forest. It was apparent any activist that stayed in the forest believed their encampment was no longer in the USA and the rule of law didn’t apply to them. The “forest defenders” hung another sign that said: Forest Defense is Self-Defense.

When law enforcement officers saw that sign, it’s most likely they assumed the “forest defenders” were now armed. Too bad there wasn’t another sign that said: Channeling social disillusionment into activism is not progressive its counterproductive.

Two weeks ago, The Guardian’s headline said: Assassinated in Cold Blood: Activist killed protesting Georgia’s Cop City. The Guardian reported that the killing of Manuel Teran, 26, is unprecedented in the history of environmental activism. Keith Woodhouse, professor of history at Northwestern University, said, “Killings of environmental activists by the state are depressingly common in other countries like Brazil, Honduras, and Nigeria, but this has never happened in the US.” Protesters gathered in downtown Atlanta and masked activists torched a police cruiser, smashed windows, and vandalized walls with anti-cop graffiti. However, Fox News’ coverage of the shooting was different. Their headline said: Georgia state trooper shot by protester at ‘Cop City’ near Atlanta. This report stated the police were clearing the encampment when an individual, without warning, shot a state trooper, wounding the officer, and other officers returned fire in self-defense, killing the person who fired upon them.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigations released a photograph of the handgun that was in Manuel Teran’s possession, and forensics confirmed that the projectile recovered from the trooper’s wound matched the same handgun.

No matter what The Guardian’s headline says, the “Stop Cop City” movement doesn’t have a martyr, but Manuel may be a victim of the movement’s misguidedness.

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Ron DeSantis has clearly demonstrated that he wants to dictate whose story does and doesn’t belong. He wants to control what our kids can learn based on politics and not sound policy ... He wants to say that I don’t belong. He wants to say that you don’t belong. Whose story does and doesn’t get to count. But we are here to tell him, we are America. Governor, Black history is American history, and you are on the wrong side of history.” —Florida State Rep. Fentrice Driskell

Bayard Rustin, as most students of American history now know, was one of the key organizers of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. It was Rustin who introduced Martin Luther King Jr., to the Gandhian tactics of non-violent resistance that guided the Civil Rights Movement through the 1950s and 1960s.

Because Rustin was a gay man at a time when same-sex relationships were criminalized, he often was forced to work from behind the scenes, allowing others to take the credit for his achievements. For decades, his transformational influence was downplayed and devalued. A warped history of the movement was allowed to take shape, one that historians only recently have begun to correct.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants to shove the legacy of Rustin and others like him back into the shadows, perpetuating a warped history of the nation.

DeSantis’ reactionary move to ban an AP course on African American studies is loosely based on his opposition to what he calls Critical Race Theory, a legal concept taught in law schools and little understood by the general public.

Right-wing activists and politicians like DeSantis have co-opted and corrupted the term to undermine any effort to confront or even

H. Morial

to acknowledge systemic racism.

As CNN political writer Brandon Tensley noted, “Because so many Americans don’t know what CRT is, it’s the perfect tool for scaring White conservative voters with made-up problems—for mobilizing them against the racial awakening of the past year.” The course itself is organized into four major units: Origins of the African Diaspora, including topics such as “The Strength and Reach of West African Empires” and “Intercultural Forces in African Kingdoms and City States;” Freedom, Slavery, and Resistance, which covers the period from the origins of the transatlantic slave trade to abolition; The Practice of Freedom, focused on African American experiences since abolition including Reconstruction and the Negro Renaissance, and Movements and Debates, which examines the Civil Rights Movement, Black feminism and intersectionality, and the diversity within Black communities.

DeSantis’ feeble efforts to rationalize the ban are so vague they are essentially meaningless. “Intersectionality is foundational to CRT,” his Department of Education howled, without even attempting to explain why either concept represents a threat. His “concerns” reflect a profound ignorance—or deliberate misrepresen-

tation—of both the curriculum and the legal theory he claims to oppose, but the ignorance is largely the point. The ban, like the ludicrous Stop WOKE Act that the course allegedly violates, is less about the details of a specific curriculum and almost entirely about weaponizing white grievance and resistance to a multicultural democracy.

DeSantis has charted a course to the White House that cuts straight through the swamp of White supremacy.

After all, if White people experience “guilt, anguish or other forms of psychological distress” as a result of acknowledging systemic racism, they might be inspired to alleviate that distress by dismantling systemic racism.  That’s a terrifying prospect for people who are so accustomed to the status quo that even the slightest effort to level the playing field feels like an earth-shattering cataclysm.

It’s impossible to know whether DeSantis genuinely shares that fear. But it’s undeniable he’s eager to exploit it for political advantage. His opponent in his first gubernatorial campaign famously remarked, “I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist.  I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.”

Three Florida students are poised to sue DeSantis if he does not lift the ban and allow the AP African American studies to be taught in schools. But because the College Board has agreed to revise the course, it’s likely that future students will be taught a watered-down curriculum that avoids the harsh realities that cause “distress.”  This injustice gives DeSantis and his allies the power not only to distort the past, but to shape a future where structural inequalities persist and racism is allowed to flourish.

Taking on the symptom that is gun violence

We’ve had more mass shootings this year than we’ve had days this year.

It’s sad to imagine that Half Moon Bay and Monterey Park will join a list with Uvalde and Buffalo and Orlando and Charleston and Sandy Hook and Columbine, reference points for a national epidemic we haven’t mustered the will to end despite decades of tragedies. But they likely will unless we can confront both the symptom that is gun violence and the underlying disease that causes it.  I shoot for sport, and I’ve trained others to shoot. I live in a coastal community in Maryland where hunters and hikers share wild places and work together to preserve them.

I also live not far from the Capital Gazette’s offices, where a man armed with a shotgun and angered by newspaper stories about him killed five and injured two five years ago. For generations, many in my family have served in law enforcement. I support common-sense steps to keep guns out of the hands of those who have demonstrated they shouldn’t have them. We all know that list by now —more and more thorough background checks, bans on assault weapons and unnecessarily large magazines, red flag laws that allow guns to be taken away from those who are risks to others or

Jealous

Commentary

themselves, and penalties for gun owners who fail to keep them out of the hands of children, teens, and mentally unstable people.

Fighting the disease at the root of the violence demands that we address it like the public health crisis it is. I realized that as a graduate student at Oxford when I started exploring rates of suicide in the United States. Almost unfettered access to guns, particularly handguns, has a lot to do with the numbers. If you try to kill yourself with a firearm, you’re much more likely to succeed. While suicides among young Black men sparked my research, I learned that White men over 55 were more likely to die of suicide with a gun than Black men 15 to 30 were to kill each other with a gun. You would never have known that from the media and popular culture at the time.

What pushes those two trend lines in

the same direction are shared causes —hopelessness, economic uncertainty, downward mobility, and addiction all made more painful by social isolation.

Those same factors feed the cultural and political polarization that has many wondering about the future of our republic.

Let’s not accept the isolation so many feel and the polarization we see in our public discourse as reinforcing and insurmountable. Let’s be determined to act now to find the solutions we can agree on—even gun owners overwhelmingly support some regulations, just as majorities support helping those with mental health needs.

I’ve seen this happen. When I was young, my dad organized a peer counseling program for abusive men, with 80 men taking part every six weeks. Men grew not only more empathetic but more humane. Some eventually wanted to do more together and formed Whites Interrupting Racism in our community. It was one of many lessons my dad taught me—that how we treat each other in our lives shapes what we’ll permit in the structures of our country.

(Ben Jealous is the incoming executive director of the Sierra Club, the oldest and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the country.)

Gov. DeSantis has charted a course perpetuating a warped history of the nation

Ben

Marc

To Be Equal

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Contract Specialist to be responsible for procurement contract administration on assigned Request for Bid (RFB) and Request for Quote (RFQ). To facilitate the Request for Bid (RFB) solicitation process for securing agreements; prepare and oversee the Request for Quote (RFQ) process; provide contract administration for assigned contracts; and to facilitate the processing of contract material requiring laboratory and field tests. To provide support to the Manager of Contract Administration.

Essential Functions:

• Provides contract administration with contractors for assigned contracts, including coordination with user department when they experience contractor noncompliance or require assistance with contracts. Implements and prepares contract documentation and ensures the proper execution and administration of contract agreements with in-house staff, legal counsel, and vendors. Prepares and maintains procurement file folder with bid/ contract policies and procedures to ensure compliance with proper contracting and governmental requirements. Arranges the final version of bid tabs. Develops change orders to contracts as required to ensure contracts stay within the funding allocated and within the original scope of work. Prepares bid advertisements, coordinates and sets bid opening dates with other Contract Specialists, selects and notifies in-house staff and prospective bidders.

• Facilitates the Request for Bid (RFB) solicitation processes for securing agreements including but not limited to:

• Conducting assigned Pre-Bid Conferences and meetings.

• Facilitates the receipt of and prepare responses to questions and requests for clarifications through the issuance of an addendum to the bid documents.

• Performs as Port Authority’s designated contact, as needed, during the sealed bid process.

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• Facilitate the processing of contracted material requiring laboratory and field tests to include:

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• Coordinating these activities with the appropriate departments within PRT.

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Job requirements include:

• High School Diploma or GED.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field from an accredited school. Contract Administration and/or Buyer experience within a contracting environment may be substituted for the education on a year-for-year basis.

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• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows, Microsoft Excel and Word.

• Professional and effective communication skills.

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Preferred attributes:

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• Electronic procurement experience in PeopleSoft / Oracle.

• Contract management or related certification.

• Valid PA driver’s license.

• PeopleSoft experience.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

The University of Pittsburgh seeks an Assistant Director, International Programs to work in Pittsburgh, PA, and provide leadership for programming, student organizations, and global leadership initiatives in Student Affairs. Apply at: https://www.join.pitt.edu, #22009909. Please upload a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three professional references. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled.

SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR - FACILITIES

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Senior Project Coordinator

- Facilities to be responsible for managing engineering, environmental and construction activities related to Pittsburgh Regional Transit light rail transit system and busways including, facilities, buildings, subways, roadways, bus stations, light rail stations, park and rides, building systems and other related infrastructure.

Ensures projects adhere to the scope, budget, and schedule as well as interfaces with Pittsburgh Regional Transit departments, consultants, contractors, community, and external stakeholder representatives. Ensure all phases of the project are performed in accordance with Quality Control and Quality Assurance procedures and achieve the needs of Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s operation and maintenance functions.

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• Site staging, mobilization, accessibility, and sequence of construction and safety. Manages the services of design and construction management consultants for assigned projects. Performs design and construction management functions on assigned projects, including management of construction contractors, Pittsburgh Regional Transit and consultant on-site personnel and inspectors; review and approval of contract related documents including pending change notices, change orders, field orders, invoices, pay estimates, claims and acceptance and approval of completed work.

Job requirements include:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited school.

• Minimum of seven (7) years of progressive experience in design and/ or construction project management.

• Professional and effective communications skills.

• Valid PA driver’s license.

• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows. Preferred attributes:

• Experience/education in construction and contract management.

• Certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Construction Manager (CCM) from nationally recognized registration entity.

PRODUCT DESIGNERS, SYSTEMS

Duolingo, Inc. seeks multiple Product Designers, Systems (Pittsburgh, PA) to dvlp intrctn models, wireframes, & hgh-fdlty mckps that promote ease of use & optmz how cstmrs intrct wth our prdcts. Req’s a Bach. Deg. (or frgn equiv) in Info Sci., Comp Sci., or rltd fld. Mst hve wrk or acdmc exp. with: Platform web dsgn; Game dsgn; Natural Lang. Processing; Interface dsgn; Interactive prototypes; User Experience dsgn; Visual dsgn; Wireframes; Data visualization theory; web-based visualization; & Figma. To apply, Email resumes to jobs@duolingo.com, reference code 7114713

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:

Amy Giammanco

Employment Department

345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527

AGiammanco@RidePRT.org EOE

We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:

Alex Kumnik

Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 AKumnik@RidePRT.org EOE

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BUSINESS ANALYSTOPERATIONS

Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Business Analyst –Operations to be primarily responsible to elicit, analyze, validate, specify, verify, and manage the project requests from stakeholders, within Operations, for both the Transportation and Maintenance Divisions. The business analyst serves as an assistant to the Chief Operating Officer – Maintenance and is a conduit between Operations and Finance. The Business Analyst is also responsible for generating and compiling reports based on the findings, complete with probable causes and possible solutions to departmental issues. Performs basic budgeting and accounting functions; conducts financial, statistical, and analytical studies; prepares and assists in the preparation of financial reports, statements, performs related duties as required.

Essential Functions:

• Works with the Deputy Chief of Transportation, Deputy Chief of Maintenance, and both Chief Operating Officers to document the department’s vision, project scope, and financial budgeting on actuals vs. budget.

• Elicit requirements for assignments, initiatives, or projects by using interviews, document analysis, business process descriptions, use cases, scenarios, event lists, business analysis, competitive product analysis, task and workflow analysis, and/or viewpoints.

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Job requirements include:

• High School Diploma or GED.

• Bachelor’s degree in Transportation, Business Administration, Data Analytics, Public Administration or related field from an accredited college or university. Directly related experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

• Comprehensive knowledge of transportation operations, project management techniques, and financial budget review for a transit environment with a minimum of three (3) years of experience.

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• Demonstrated ability in the use of Windows and Microsoft Word and Excel.

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Preferred attributes:

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We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to:

Joe Sekely

PRODUCT ANALYST

UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside seeks a Product Analyst to work in Pittsburgh, PA (Allegheny County). Leverage business and IT expertise to describe functional requirements based on healthcare market research data. Must have a Master’s degree, or equivalent, in Computer Science, Information Management or a related field, plus one (1) year of engineering, data analysis or related experience: developing datasets and data pipelines; analyzing healthcare data to support scientific projects and inquiries into clinical populations, treatments, markets and products; performing clinical and market analysis in a team-oriented setting; developing KPIs; identifying and understanding data trends in outcomes, utilization, quality and other areas; working with computer software programs, tools and technologies such as Python, R and SQL. Some telecommuting permissible. Apply by following these steps; visit http://careers.upmc.com and enter 2300007U in the “Search Keyword/Job ID” field and click Go. EOE/Disability/Veteran.

TENURE STREAM ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF FINANCE

The University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business, Finance Area in Pittsburgh, PA, seeks a tenure stream Assistant Professor of Finance to teach/instruct graduate and undergraduate courses in Finance, with particular emphasis on Corporate Finance. Apply at https://www.join.pitt.edu, #22010011. Please upload a cover letter, statement of teaching and research interests, curriculum vitae, writing sample, and at least three letters of recommendation, and teaching evaluations. The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity. EOE, including disability/vets.

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DIRECTOR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE ENGINEERING

SONNY BOY 3 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

HILLTOP ALLIANCE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Since 2007 Hilltop Alliance has worked collaboratively to preserve and create community assets across South Pittsburgh’s Hilltop (Allentown, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Beltzhoover, Carrick, Knoxville, Mt. Oliver Borough, Mt. Oliver City, Mt. Washington, South Side Slopes and St. Clair)

The Executive Director is the chief executive of the Hilltop Alliance, reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker responsible for the day-to-day operations, relationships with stakeholders, and management of development projects, program design, financial management, and implementation of long-term plans.

For a full detailed position announcement and instructions to be considered for this position, please go to https://www.pittsburghhilltopalliance. org/our-people and click on “Job Description” under the Executive Director heading.

FRONT DESK ADMINISTRATOR

Job Information: The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is seeking a Front Desk Administrator in our Pittsburgh, PA office to act as the face of the organization by greeting visitors and directing them to their appropriate destination using existing security guidelines. This position also provides clerical support and reports directly to the Executive Assistant of the CEO. Location: 800 Waterfront Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Full job posting can be viewed at: https://waterlandlife.org/aboutus/careers/job-openings/

To Apply: Submit cover letter, pay expectations and resume to wpcjobs@paconserve.org and list Front Desk Administrator in the subject line, and reference the “New Pittsburgh Courier” as your referral source.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer – Minority / Female / Disability / Veteran / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation / Age. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is fully committed to diversity and inclusion. We seek contributors from all backgrounds to join our team.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE POSITION OF POLICE OFFICER - ALTOONA POLICE DEPARTMENT

Applications for Police Officer with the City of Altoona can be obtained from the Human Resources Department of City Hall Monday through Friday between 8:30 A.M. and 4:30 P.M. For additional information or an application, please visit www.altoonapa.gov. Completed applications must be received in the Human Resources Department no later than Noon on Friday, March 3, 2023.

Human

Resources Department 1301 12th Street, Suite 400 Altoona, PA 16601

Maven Machines, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, seeks a Director of Quality Assurance Engineering. Position allows for the ability to work from home, with appropriate telecommuting systems, with limited travel to Pittsburgh 1 or 2 times per quarter. This position is responsible for building and leading our engineering teams with respect to software engineering processes to ensure that our entire product suite, including its internal tools and systems, and other engineering deliverables, are built and delivered to optimal quality, performance, and technological reliability. Apply at: https://mavenmachines.com/careers/

Employment Department 345 Sixth Avenue, 3rd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527 JSekely@RidePRT.org EOE JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted

The City of Altoona is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Bridgeville, PA 15017

Estate of TONI LYNN VESPAZIANI, Deceased of Scott Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, NO. 02-23-00394, Beth L. Bonzo, Administrator, 1149 Cardinal Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15243 or to ROBIN L. RARIE, Atty; BRENLOVE & FULLER, LLC. 401 Washington Avenue, Bridgeville, PA 15017

Estate of PAUL JOHN PRUCNAL, Deceased of Monroeville Borough, Pennsylvania, NO. 02-23-0446, Ann Margaret Starr, Executrix or to Ryan W. Brode, Atty, 6 Clairton Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15236

Estate of PAULINE V. HOSKING, Deceased of Pittsburgh, PA, NO. 022207325, Wendy M. Hosking, Executrix, 850 Baldwin Street, Apt. 318, Pittsburgh, PA 15234, or to SingletonEnglish Law Offices, Suite 301, 1725 Washington Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15241

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 7, 2023, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

Various Buildings

Water Cooler Replacement Phase 6

Plumbing and Electrical Primes

Various Buildings

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Phase V

Mechanical and Electrical Primes

Pgh. Schiller 6-8

Finish Floor Replacement and Miscellaneous Work (REBID)

General Primes ONLY

Pgh. Student Achievement Center

Elevator Construction & Renovations (REBID)

Electrical Primes ONLY

Pgh. Carmalt PreK-8

Window Replacement and Envelope Repair (REBID)

Electrical Primes ONLY

Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on January 16, 2022, at Modern

Reproductions (412-488-7700)

127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable.

Project details and dates are described in each project manual.

OFFICIAL ADVERTISEMENT

THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION of the SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH

Sealed proposals shall be deposited at the Administration Building, Bellefield Entrance Lobby, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15213, on February 14, 2023, until 2:00 P.M., local prevailing time for:

Pgh Sterrett Classical Academy, Pgh Fulton PreK-5, Pgh. Lincoln PreK-5, Pgh. Dilworth K-5 and Pgh Linden K-5

Whiteboard Installations

General Primes

Pgh. Perry High School PA System Upgrades

Electrical Primes

Project Manual and Drawings will be available for purchase on January 23, 2022 , at Modern

Reproductions (412-488-7700), 127 McKean Street, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15219 between 9:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M. The cost of the Project Manual Documents is non-refundable. Project details and dates are described in each project manual.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

ADVERTISEMENT

The Public Parking Authority of Pittsburgh (Authority) is soliciting proposals from qualified respondents to provide Parking Access and Revenue Control Systems (PARCS) at Five (5) Parking Authority Garages, as more fully described in the formal RFP document. The RFP document will be available Friday, February 3, 2023, after 10:00 a.m. EST on the Authority website at www.pittsburghparking.com.

(Doing Business with the PPA)

A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held virtually via Zoom on Thursday, February 9, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. EST. Meeting information will be provided along with the RFP documents and on the Authority website. Submitted proposals are required to be in the Authority’s possession, in the form of six (6) hard copies and one (1) electronic copy, clearly marked and sealed by 2:00 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER Beaver, Pennsylvania INVITATION TO BID

The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER will receive sealed bids, in duplicate, until 9:30 AM. (local time) on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at the office of the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver, James F. Tress Administration Building, 300 State Street (Vanport), Beaver, Pennsylvania at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 10:00 A.M. for the Exterior Renovations and Roofing at Pleasantview Homes, 1400 17th Ave, Beaver Falls, PA 15010 at Francis Farmer Apartments, Community Room, 274 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009. A fifteen percent (15%) bid bond is required for this project.

Proposed forms of contract documents, including Plans and Specifications are being distributed, with twenty-four hour prior notice of pick-up by Ditto (www.dittoplanroom.com), 1020 Ridge Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15233, phone (412) 231-7700. All prime bidders are REQUIRED to buy the full set of plans and specifications. No documents will be distributed until payment in full plus tax and shipping (non-refundable) payable to and received by Ditto. Free examination of said documents are available at the office of Canzian/ Johnston & Associates LLC and Pennsylvania Builders Exchange. Plans and specifications will be available on Thursday, January 26, 2023.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY and Section 3

Compliance are required

A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 1:00 PM on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at Pleasantview Homes Community Building, 1400 17th Ave, Beaver Falls, PA 15010

INVITATION TO BID

The HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER will receive sealed bids, in duplicate, until 9:30 AM. (local time) on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at the office of the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver, James F. Tress Administration Building, 300 State Ave (Vanport), Beaver, Pennsylvania at which time and place all bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 11:00 A.M. for the County-Wide Boiler Replacement at Francis Farmer Apartments, Community Room, 274 Friendship Circle, Beaver, PA 15009. A fifteen percent (15 %) bid bond is required for this project.

Proposed forms of contract documents, including Plans and Specifications may be obtained at the Housing Authority of the County of Beaver Central Office, James F. Tress Administration Building, 300 State Avenue, Beaver, PA 15009 by first mailing $125.00 in the form of a check made payable to the HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE COUNTY OF BEAVER for each set of documents so obtained. An additional $10.00 is required if you want it mailed. DEPOSITS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE. Plans and specifications will be available on Thursday, January 26, 2023.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY and Section 3 Compliance are required.

A MANDATORY Pre-Bid Conference will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at George Werner Apartments, 599 8th Street, Freedom, PA 15042 .

ADVERTISEMENT Bids are hereby solicited for the Community College of Allegheny County, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh PA 15233 on the following:

Bid 1112 – Furniture for Workforce Development Training Center Project Labor Agreement Compliance Required for Bid 1112. RFP 3138 – Rental of Trucks and Trailers for CDL Program Due date: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Wednesday, February 8, 2023

RFP 3139 – Administration of both Short Term Disability and Long Term Disability (TPA) Due date for RFP 3139: 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Time on Friday, April 28, 2023

Any bid or proposals received after this deadline will be considered as a “late bid” and will be returned unopened to the offerer. Proposals may require Bid Bonds, Performance Bonds, Payment Bonds, and Surety as dictated by the specifications. No bidder may withdraw his bid or proposal for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled closing time for receipt of bids.

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to reject any and all bids.

The Community College of Allegheny County is an Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and encourages bids from Minority/Disadvantaged owned businesses.

For more information, contact Michael Cvetic at mcvetic@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 February 17, 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 B22-12-125A Cleaning Solvent Service

2 B23-01-04A Meritor Drive Train Parts

To join the bid opening through Microsoft Teams meeting on your computer, mobile app or room device Meeting ID: 288 701 524 080

Passcode: dTzbD6

Or call in (audio only)

412-927-0245 Phone Conference ID: 752 348 590#

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, February 2, 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: 211 559 046 258

Passcode: nSCcYg

Or call in (audio only)

412-927-0245 Phone Conference ID: 928 670 254#

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.

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

The Sports & Exhibition Authority will receive proposals for Water Steps Pool Cleaning Services as identified below for the North Shore Riverfront Park. The contracts for this work will be with the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The Request for Proposals may be obtained after the date identified below from Bill Williams, email: bwilliams@pgh-sea.com, Telephone: (412) 325-3003.

This Advertisement applies to the following Request for Proposal:

Project: North Shore Riverfront Park Water Steps Pool Cleaning Services

RFP Available: January 25, 2023

Pre-Proposal Meeting: February 10, 2023 at 2:00 pm (non-mandatory) North Shore Riverfront Park Water Steps Pittsburgh, PA 15212

Time/Date/Location for Proposal Submittal: February 23, 2023 at 2:00 pm Sports & Exhibition Authority Office 171 10th Street, 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

The Sports & Exhibition Authority will receive proposals for Engineering Services for Annual Inspection and Maintenance of Switchgear Systems at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center as identified below. The contracts for this work will be with the Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The Request for Proposals may be obtained after the date identified below from Spencer Girman, Facility Manager, email: sgirman@pittsburghcc.com, Telephone: 412-325-6137.

This Advertisement applies to the following Request for Proposal:

Project: Engineering Services for Annual Inspection and Maintenance of Switchgear Systems

RFP Available: Wednesday, January 25, 2023

Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting: 11:00 am, Wednesday, February 1, 2023

David L. Lawrence Convention Center 1000 Ft. Duquesne Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15222

*A documented site visit to the facility is required if you are unable to attend the pre-proposal meeting*

Time/Date/Location for Proposals: 3:00 pm, Wednesday, February 15, 2023

David L. Lawrence Convention Center 1000 Ft. Duquesne Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15222

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

INVITATION FOR BIDS

Sealed bids will be received in the office of the Controller of Butler County, Mr. Benjamin Holland, County Government Center, 124 West Diamond Street, P.O. Box 1208 Butler, Pa. 16003-1208 until 2:00pm prevailing time Tuesday, March 14, 2023 with all bids opened at the public meeting on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 at 10am in the Public Meeting Room, First Floor, County Government Center, 124 West Diamond Street Butler, PA. All sealed bids must be clearly marked CDBG Jefferson Township Park Restroom Project on the outside of the envelope. A Non-Mandatory Pre-bid Meeting will be held at 10:00am on February 22, 2023 at the concessions building of the Laura Doerr Park, 200 Doerr Park Drive, Cabot, Pennsylvania 16023.

A general description of the work is as follows:

Project: Interior and minor exterior renovations for accessibility improvements to the existing restrooms at the concessions building as per plans and specifications in bid package. Electronic copies of the contract documents including drawings, technical specifications, and bid forms, may be obtained via email from Kulak-George Architects, 509 Chess Street, Monongahela, PA (Phone 724-258-2959) andrew@kulakgeorgearch.com

A non-refundable payment of $80.00 payable to Kulak-George Architects is required for each set of printed contract documents; include shipping to the fee if required. Each proposal shall be accompanied by a bidder’s bond, or certified check or cashier’s check, in favor of the County of Butler, in the amount of not less than ten percent. The County of Butler reserves the right to waive any informality in and to accept or reject any and all bids or any part of any bid. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of sixty (60) days.

Bidders must submit with their bids the non-collusion affidavit contained in the contract documents. Prevailing wages established under the Davis-Bacon Act will apply to this contract. The contract documents contain requirements addressing prevailing labor wage rates, labor standards, nondiscrimination in hiring practices, goals for minority and female participation, MBE and WBE participation, participation by Section 3 residents and businesses and related matters.

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Leslie A. Osche, Chairman Kimberly D. Geyer Kevin E. Boozel

ATTEST: Lori Altman Chief Clerk