AUGUST 17-23, 2022 $1.00 Pittsburgh CourierPittsburgh Courier Vol. 113 No. 33 Two Sections Published Weekly NEW www.newpittsburghcourier.com America’s best weeklyAmerica’s best weekly thenewpittsburghcourier To subscribe, 412-481-8302callext.136 Pittsburgh CourierNEW DOMINIQUE BROWN SHARED HER MOVING STORY TO HUNDREDS OF BLACK WOMEN DURING THE JULY 31 EVENT AT POINT STATE PARK. (PHOTO BY ROB TAYLOR JR.) PITTSBURGH MAYOR ED GAINEY APPLAUDED FELLOW ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN AT TAINING THE BIG GRANT FOR THE HILL DISTRICT. MARIMBA MILLIONES, RIGHT, HILL CDC PRESIDENT/ CEO, CALLED THE GRANT “TRANSFORMATIONAL” FOR THE HILL DISTRICT. Page A10 Trinity Mauricca Parker becomes youth minister — at age 8 SEE HULA HOOP A6 SEE HILL DISTRICT A5 EVEN MORE INVESTMENT COMING TO THE HILL DISTRICT The latest—$11.3 mil for ‘transformational’ improvements For Black women, it’s important to ‘Heal. Evolve. Restore.’ Bettering mental health the focus of hula hoop event
by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer Losing one child is hard enough.Losing a second child is evenThat’sharder.what happened to Dominique Brown. The East Hills resident fought back tears and instead, stood strong as she told her story, as more than 150 Black women held on to her every word. The event at Point State Park, July 31, was enti tled, “H.E.R.,” for “Heal. Evolve. Restore.” With ev ery passing year, it’s be coming more normal, more accepted to speak openly about mental health in the Black community. “H.E.R.” was started a few years ago by Dreamz Hair Salon and Barber Shop (Homestead) owner Tenel Dorsey, who knows all too well the pain that some Black women are experiencing; the pain masked by a trip to the hair salon to get “made up.” “At a hair salon, we make you feel good for that mo ment, but then we (Black women) still have the in ternal issues,” Dorsey told the New Pittsburgh Cou rier. “It’s almost been like a secret society, because nobody wants to say, ‘I’m so broken...’ I feel the respon sibility to serve a different purpose.”Delayed an hour or so due to the usual Downtown shower near the rivers, the “H.E.R.” Hula Hoop event went on as planned. There was music, a lot of exercise with the hula hoops, and speakers on everything from financial literacy to mental health. The event was meant to bring Black women together as one, with the intent on “heal ing” from internal issues or problems, “evolving” into a better person because of that healing, and “restor ing” oneself into the strong Black woman they were meant to Withoutbe.giving too much information out, Dorsey said one of the main issues her fellow Black women confide in her about is their body.“People are going and buying bodies,” Dorsey said, “but it’s really the soul that needs the surgery.” Dorsey added: “Let’s talk about the real problem.” Noranne Yarbough, of West Mifflin, was one of the attendees. She said the COVID-19 pandem ic brought death, job loss, isolation, and as a result, trauma. “There was a lot of therapy and healing need ed,” she said. “Oftentimes women are the backbone of their family, they take on a lot and they’re pouring into everyone else, they of ten don’t get a place where they, themselves, can get poured into.” Thus, with this event, Yarbough told the Courier, it continues “this move ment of women building each other up. Black wom en, in general, coming to by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither will the revitalization of the Hill District.Butlittle by little, day after day, progress is be ing made on a number of fronts to restore the Hill back to its glory. The latest news, an $11.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transpor tation, will go towards the reconstruction of public in frastructure in the Hill. “This grant is not just an investment into essential infrastructure, it is also an investment in correcting long-standing harms that have isolated the Hill from Downtown,” said Mayor Ed Gainey, in a statement obtained by the New Pitts burgh Courier, Aug. 12. “Designing solutions and getting them funded re quired a true community partnership, and this is an example of the kind of am bitious reinvestment in our city that can happen when we all work towards a com mon purpose and shared goal.”The federal transporta tion funding for the Hill was awarded through the Rebuilding American In frastructure with Sustain ability & Equity (RAISE) Grants program. The RAISE Grant program awards funding on a com petitive—very competitive —basis. The $11.3 mil lion grant was one of 166 grants totaling $2.2 billion in“There’sfunds. 435 congressio nal districts that were all putting in for these RAISE grants and only (about) 160 were awarded, only two in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Alleghe ny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald said at a news conference in the Hill District announcing the grant, Aug. 12. The money will fund con struction to improve the public transportation in frastructure in the Hill, including the reconstruc tion of intersections, street corridors, city steps, and it will include the installa tion of traffic calming mea sures, sidewalks, and green infrastructure, according to a release from Allegheny County.“Ithas long been a goal of the city to reconnect and invest in the Hill District, and this project is another major piece of the puzzle in terms of upgrading the Hill District’s infrastructure,” the release read. A drive through the Hill District, and one can see the overall progress be ing made when it comes to improvements. Nestled between the Black Beauty Lounge and the Hill Dis trict Federal Credit Union is the construction of the New Granada Square Apartments, a five-story, 40-apartment develop ment. Last summer, at the apartments’ groundbreak ing ceremony, The Hill Community Development Corporation said that the New Granada Square Apartments was the larg est commercial develop
1904— Jazz pianist and bandleader William “Count” Basie is born on this day in Red Bank, N.J. 1936— Bas ketball legend Wilt “The ChamberlainStilt” is born in Philadel phia, Pa. The 7’1” phenomenon had an amazing NBA career including being the only player to score 100 points in a single inChamberlaingame.diedOctober1999.
• AUGUST 20 1619— This is the most probable date that Black History in America begins . Approximately 20 Africans (the records of the day referred to them as “20 and odd Negras”) ar rived in Jamestown, Va., aboard a Dutch ship. It appears the Africans were sold as indentured servants who could work and earn their freedom. Little is known about the group ex cept that the Dutch had stolen them from a Spanish slave ship which was probably headed for the Caribbean or South America. Few names sur vive. But one of the men was called Anthony (or Antonio) and one of the women was called Isabella. The available records indicate the ship arrived in Jamestown in the latter part of August. Other records and some speculation have led most historians to believe the actual arrival date was Aug. 20, 1619—the beginning of Black history in America. 1830— The first National Negro Convention is held. It takes place in Philadelphia and is chaired by Richard Allen , founder of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Top on the agenda of the gathering was what could free Blacks do to help bring an end to slavery. 1942— Musician, composer, singer, songwriter Isaac Hayes is born on this day in Covington, Tenn.
• AUGUST 17 1887— Black separatist and Pan-Afri canist Marcus Garvey is born on this day in St. Ann’s Bay, Jamaica. Garvey advocated Black pride and the build ing of Black institutions. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association in 1914 and with amazing ly rapid speed built it into the largest independent Black organization in his tory with 1,100 branches in more than 40 countries. He came to the U.S. in 1916 and the FBI began keeping a file on him in 1919. By 1923 he was indict ed on what many considered trumped up mail fraud charges and eventually deported from his U.S. base in 1927. Garvey would die in England on June 10, 1940. But years before his death, he predicted his return, writing, “Look for me in the whirlwind or the storm, look for me all around you, with God’s grace, I shall come and bring with me countless millions…to aid you in the fight for liberty, freedom and life.”
• AUGUST 22 1791—The Haitian Revolution begins. It was the most successful Black slave revolt in world history. Led by Toussaint L’Ouverture , a trusted house slave who initially opposed the rebellion, the slaves defeated the mighty French army led by Napoleon. They also defeated a contingent of British troops. However, L’Ouverture was tricked into attending a “peace” conference where he was captured and would later die in prison. It fell to one of his lieutenants, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, to complete the struggle and declare the island nation an inde pendent republic on Jan. 1, 1804. 1843—A National Convention of Black Men takes place in Buffalo, N.Y. The militant abolitionist Henry Highland Garnett called for a slave revolt and for free Blacks to launch a nationwide strike in support of the revolt. But a more moderate Frederick Douglas opposed Garnett’s plan out of fear of potential violence. 1989— Black Panther Party co-found er Huey P. Newton is gunned down in California. He was killed by a 24-yearold member of the Black Guerilla drug gang. The reason for the murder was never clearly revealed, but Newton supporters considered it a political assassination. Newton had founded the militant Black Panther Party along with Bobby Seale in 1966. The group advocated community control, armed self-defense and a mixture of Black Nationalism and socialism based on the works of Mao Tse-tung, Che Gue vara and Frantz Fanon.
1954— Afri can Amer ican diplo mat BunchRalph is his(1950)Peacethereceivedhadtions.UnitedretaryUndersecnamedoftheNaBunchalreadyNobelPrizeforworkas a U.N. negotiator during the Arab-Is raeli war of 1948-1949. Bunch would later become U.N. Secretary General. He was born in Detroit but raised in Los Angeles.
• AUGUST 21
• AUGUST 18 1963— The first Black per son admitted to the Univer sity of Missis sippi, MeredithJames graduates on this day in 1963. His grad uation was un marred by the protests and violence which marked his federally forced entry into the once segregated institution. 1964— White-ruled South Africa is officially banned from competing in the Olympics because of its system of racial oppression known as Apartheid. The country’s Black majority would not achieve democratic rule, however, until May 1994 when the Nelson Man dela-led African National Congress won more than two-thirds of the vote in the country’s first free elections.
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• AUGUST 19 nekerjamin1791—BenBanwrites a letter Secretaryto of State edgeacknowlcheerfullyfreelydeclared,Bannekerhisslavery.denouncingJeffersonThomaspresident)(laterInletter,“Iandthat
• AUGUST 23 1826— This is generally recognized as the day that the first Black person in America graduated from college. His name was Edward Jones and he received his BA degree from Amherst College in Massachusetts. Despite the general recognition, however, there is some evidence that the honor actually belongs to Alexander Lucius Twi light who appears to have graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont in 1823. Nevertheless, Jones would eventually leave America and help establish the African nation of Sierra Leone.
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$35 This Week In Black History A Courier Staple NATIONALA2 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
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I am of the African race” and then precedes to label America’s recently achieved freedom from England a “hy pocrisy” as long as Blacks continued to suffer under “groaning captivity and cruel oppression.” Banneker was a Black activist against slavery even though he is generally recognized for his mathematical achievements, designing one of the first clocks made in America and laying out the nation’s capital after Pierre L’Enfant aban doned the job.
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
As Donald Trump told New York prosecutors that he’d invoke his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, Presi dent Joe Biden sat behind a desk at the White House, where he signed into law the PACT Act, legislation that expands health care benefits for veterans who developed illnesses be cause of exposure to toxic substances at U.S. military bases.“The PACT Act is the least we can do for the countless men and wom en, many of whom may be in this room, who suffered toxic exposure while serv ing their country,” Biden stated.“This new law matters. It matters a lot.” Facing unrelenting crit icism because of high gas prices, inflation, and his low-approval rating, Biden has built a track record that has gone almost over looked.Ifhecontinues the string of success he has enjoyed in getting his mandate through Congress, histori ans might revisit Biden’s presidency as one of the most consequential in American history. Despite Republican leadership vowing to do all they can to stunt Biden’s agenda, the pres ident has pushed through game-changing legislation like the PACT Act, the Bi partisan Infrastructure Bill, the American Rescue Plan, and the CHIPS and Science Act. He’s displayed a steady hand in returning af fordability to gas prices, succeeded in expanding NATO, and monthly jobs reports continue to show increases.“Youcan say what you will, that Biden is too old, he’s not a deal maker, he’s sleepy Joe, or whatever, but he’s getting things done even though he’s not getting the credit he de serves,” Stacey Rouse, a D.C.-based utility worker opined.“It’s funny. When the other guy [Trump] was in office, you heard so much talk and bragging about what he’s doing, and the media blanketed him with coverage,” Rouse asserted. “Now, you got the F.B.I. raiding Trump. He’s plead ing the Fifth at deposi tions, and Biden is con ducting business the way you would want your president to conduct him. I think he’s accomplished so much, but we don’t hear about it. I think ten years or so from now, and people will look back and realize what a good president this manRouse’sis.” colleague, Scott Anthony, agreed. “I was a skeptic because that thing about sleepy Joe seemed true,” Anthony said.“But, it seems other peo ple are doing the sleeping because Biden is getting things done and he’s just not getting the credit.”
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1831— The Nat Turner slave rebel lion begins in inslavedeadlyandorganizedtheVa.ampton,SouthItwasbestmostrevoltAmeri
can history. The charismatic Turner brought together between 50 and 70 Blacks (some slave and some free) to launch his revolt prompted by what he saw as a vision from God. As many as 70 Whites (men, women and children) were killed during a two-day period. It took the local militia and a detach ment of federal troops to put down the rebellion. However, Turner, known as “the Prophet” by his followers was not captured until Oct. 30. He was hanged on Nov. 11, 1831. Interestingly, he became known as “Turner” after the rebellion. During his life, he was simply known as Nat and was con sidered a brilliant, self-taught man. After the rebellion, Virginia passed a law making it illegal to teach a Black person how to read and write.
POSTMASTER:
Biden slowly winning LBJ- and FDR-like praise as legislative victories Stacy M. Brown
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Upon signing the CHIPS and Science Act on August 10, Biden also peaked into the future and prognosti cated what historians and others might determine. “I honest to God believe that 50, 75, 100 years from now, people who will look back on this week, they’ll know that we met this mo ment,” Biden declared. An acronym for Creating Helpful Incentives to Pro duce Semiconductors, the CHIPS Act provides $10 billion to invest in regional technology hubs across the country and a 25 percent investment tax credit for expenses for manufactur ing of semiconductors and other equipment. The bill earmarks about $100 billion in spending over five years on scientific research and $80 billion for the National Science Foun dation.“Those early aspirations to being another Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson, the ones that felt like so much hubris in the past few months, are being heard again in the halls of the West Wing and the Capitol,” Peter Baker wrote about Biden for the New York Times. “House aides argue that the string of toharmedhealthbill,thethecessesselvesstaffmansionofported.thejectedgueredhavetuneatopidency,”ductivehaspenned.F.D.R.president,oftwo-yearcomparesnallyandpackagevictories—cappedcongressionalbytheofclimate,healthtaxprovisionsthatficlearedtheSenate—favorablytothelegislativerecordmostanyothermodernevenperhapsandL.B.J.,”BakerPoliticonotedthat“Bidenneverhadamoreprostretchofhispreswithwinsstackingwinsatamostopportime.“AlreadythevictoriesenlivenedbeleasupportersandinnewoptimismacrossWestWing,”Politicore“Aidesdescribeaburstenergyintheexecutive…Bidenandhissuddenlyfindthemwithahostofsuctotalkabout,fromreconciliationbilltoChinacompetitivenessfromlegislationtogivebenefitstoveteransbytoxicburnpitsarobustjobsmarket.”
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$11.3 million for ‘transformational’
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public infrastructure improvements coming to the Hill ment and investment along the Centre Avenue corridor “in generations.” A block down the road, there’s high anticipation for Salem’s Market and Grill to open its second lo cation at the former Shop ‘n’ Save site at the Centre Heldman Plaza. There is a temporary Salem’s sign on the building, and plans to beautify the building and the concrete that runs along Centre Avenue with artwork led by Kyle Hol brook are already in mo tion. Salem’s, which has gained fame in the commu nity due to its offerings at its Strip District location, seems elated to adding a location in the heart of the Hill.In the lower Hill, First National Bank is con structing a $240-million, 26-story hub that, at first, was the source of con cern by some Hill District residents. However, with news that $7.5 million in anticipated tax revenues coming from the building will be earmarked by the bank for use in other parts of the Hill District, and a commitment from develop er Buccini/Pollin Group to divert millions in tax rev enues to the neighborhood, the concerns have turned intoAndhope.Thomas Boyd Sr., owner of Big Tom’s Bar bershop, was awarded a $500,000 grant late last year to move his shop into the former Hamm’s Bar bershop, which for decades was an institution at 2178 Centre. Also in the build ing will be four affordable housing apartments and an outdoor community area.Independent of the $11.3 million grant, adept eyes in the Hill have seen speed bumps placed along Bed ford Avenue, where plen ty of kids play and school buses pick up and drop off children. Those speed bumps were placed there in the past month. Expect more road-style improve ments to come. “This grant is the cul mination of years of hard work to invest in the re vitalization of the Hill District,” U.S. Representa tive Mike Doyle said in a release. “This project will provide safer streets, bet ter transit, and improved accessibility in the Hill District. Along with the federal funding we secured to reconnect Downtown and the Hill District with the I-579 Cap Project, this grant will ensure that we are investing in the middle and upper Hill District eq uitably.”Congressman Doyle add ed: “I worked persistently with Mayor Gainey and County Executive Fitzger ald to secure this funding —including arranging a meeting with the Mayor and Secretary (Pete) Butt igieg earlier this year to stress the importance of this project—and I believe that the combination of unified advocacy and proj ect merit won this grant for Pittsburgh. This proj ect also bolsters the city’s Avenues of Hope project to work with local and minority business own ers to invest in historical ly marginalized corridors throughout the city, a proj ect for which I secured $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending in Fis cal Year 2022.” “We were glad to support this important project that will improve the quality of life for residents in the Hill District,” Fitzgerald said in a release. “Through continued investment in the neighborhood, we are improving infrastructure, mobility and access for those who live there, but also for those who come to eat, shop and visit.” DISTRICT FROM A1 COUNTY EXECUTIVE RICH FITZGERALD U.S. REP. MIKE DOYLE
HILL
NORANNE YARBOUGH, LEFT, said that “oftentimes women are the backbone of their family, they take on a lot and they’re pouring into everyone else, they often don’t get a place where they, themselves, can get poured into.”
Bettering mental health the focus of ‘H.E.R.’ hula hoop event
In a National Health Interview Survey report from 2018, African Amer icans were 1.5 times more likely than Whites to re port feeling sad most or all the time. Within the Black community, the sur vey, commissioned by the Centers for Disease Con trol and Prevention, found that Black women were 1.8 times more likely to report sadness most or all the time than Black men, and 2.4 times more likely than Black men to report feeling hopeless more or all the time. And several national studies have consistently reported that Black wom en don’t get the help they need as much as White women when it comes to mental health. “I talked to the women about giving themselves permission to give them the space to heal,” said Jes sica Gurley, LCSW, owner of Social Work Consulting and Counseling, LLC and Mental Health T-shirts. “Ninety percent of what we do is unconscious and done without thinking and ther apy can help with this. I re inforced that therapy is for everyone, it’s not a luxury or not for those with trau matic events going on. I re minded them that therapy can be used to reduce con fusion, develop boundaries, create self-care routines or to help them be more aware of their unconscious thoughts that they act on daily.”Gurley, a member of the Courier’s Fab 40 Under 40 for 2022, feels as though Black women are strug gling with their mental health “because they are raised and socialized to do it all and do it all strong, even through exhaustion. Many are heads of their households and have to choose between self-care and time spent doing, working, housekeeping, nurturing and parenting. They are not raised to put themselves first. They constantly need reminded that self-care is not selfish and saying yes to everyone means constantly saying no to themselves. I em powered them to say yes to themselves more and to find more
store...”tothoughtisBrownever,spoke.toEveryonebalance.”wasattentiveGurley’swordsassheSomepeople,howgotemotionalwhenspoke.Brown,whoDorsey’ssister,nevershewouldneed“Heal,EvolveandRe“...Until2018whenmyfirstbornwasmurdered,”Browntoldthewomen.“In2019,asI’mstilltryingtodealwiththedeathofmyfirstborn(Jo’MarkiusFuller),my10-year-old(JonathanCooper)committedsuicideinourbathroom.”Brownsaidthatbecausetherewasno“manualonhowtogrieve,”shestayedtoherselfmuchofthetimefollowingthedeathsoftwoofherchildren,andfinally
During the event, Brown said another woman came up to her and said her 16-year-old son is going through what Brown’s 10-year-old went through. “He lost his brother and now he’s closed up in his room and he won’t come out unless he has to eat or for hygiene,” Brown said. “I said to please get him help...so many wom en have said that my story inspired them. I’m going to get the help I need. I didn’t realize I’m helping women by sharing my story.” Dorsey told the Courier she hopes the women who attended the hula hoop event understand that it’s “OK to heal.” She added: “You heal a woman, you heal a nation.”
realized that she needed to “Heal, Evolve and Restore” so that she could be strong to be present for her other three“’H.E.R.’children.isvery import ant to me as I continue this journey,” Brown said, as she’s recently reached out to a psychiatrist. “It’s hard. It’s super hard. I’m still dealing with it, still learning how to grieve and help my children.”
GRACIA DORSEY, DOMINIQUE BROWN, TENEL DORSEY, EBONY JOHNSON. DORSEY FOUNDED “HEAL.EVOLVE. RESTORE.” IN 2020. THE HULA HOOP EVENT WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND, JULY 31. (PHOTOS BY ROB TAYLOR JR.) QUAILA WHITE, LEFT, told the New Pittsburgh Courier it was important for her and her friends to attend the hula hoop event. A true time to come together.
HULA HOOP FROM A1
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KIELLE DEANDA, SAVANNA NAYLOR, AND DONTEYAH LAWHORN ATTENDED THE HULA HOOP EVENT, “H.E.R,” JULY 31.
gether, promoting each other’s businesses; just creating a community of authenticity.”ForEastLiberty resident Savanna Naylor, she said she’s spending each day “paying more attention to myself, embracing and being aware of what I’m experiencing,” whether it’s good or bad. She attended the “H.E.R.” Hula Hoop event with friends Kielle Deanda and Donteyah Lawhorn, both Homewood residents.“I’mafirm believer that when like-minded souls are together, powerful things can happen,” Dean da added. “On my journey of discovering myself, I dis covered how I was lacking in my feminine energy. We all have feminine and mas culine energy within us, and I think, especially in the Black community, a lot of women are in survival mode, meaning they’re in their masculine energy.”
METRONEW PITTSBURGH COURIER AUGUST 17-23, 2022 A7 WAMO DAY! WAMO 107.3 AFTERNOON PERSONALITY KIKI BROWN, LEFT, AT THE ANNUAL WAMO DAY CELEBRATION, JUNE 26, AT HIGHLAND PARK. (PHOTOS BY COURIER PHOTOGRAPHER DAYNA DELGADO) WAMO 107.3 EMPLOYEES JAMAL WOODSON, LOUIS WINGFIELD. SEE DOZENS MORE PHOTOS OF WAMO DAY AT NEWPITTSBURGHCOURIER.COM—SEARCH IN “PITTSBURGH NEWS” No COURIER.Pittsburgh.likecommunitycoversinmediaotheroutletPittsburghOURtheNew. PERIOD.
METROA8 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER PITTSBURGH’S 2022 BLACK MUSIC FESTIVAL DRAWS THOUSANDS THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME OUT THE FIRST DAY OF THE BLACK MUSIC FESTIVAL, JULY 14. LALAH HATHAWAY PERFORMING ON THE POINT STATE PARK STAGE AT THE BLACK MUSIC FESTIVAL. THE BLACK MUSIC FESTIVAL WAS HELD, JULY 14-17. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO) THE WALLS GROUP
METRONEW PITTSBURGH COURIER AUGUST 17-23, 2022 A9 THE HIP HOP LEGEND—RAKIM (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO) R&B GROUP TONY TONI TONE R&B GROUP BROWNSTONETHE OHIO PLAYERS PASTOR JOHN P. KEE PERFORMING...
It is with heavy heart we announce the passing of our beloved Leo C. Harper, Jr. who transitioned peacefully on July 26, 2022 in his home. Family and friends are invited to attend Leo’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 11am. The service will be held at Bethel AME Church, located at 2720 Webster Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 and can also be viewed on the church’s Facebook page.
Praise & Worship
Trinity Mauricca Parker becomes youth minister—at age 8
RELIGIONA10 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER Join our 8302,tion,ForWorshipPraisegrowingandChurchCommunity!rateinformacall412-481-ext.128. We want to feature positive youth from our Pitts burgh church commu nity. Please mail their bio and photo to: New Pittsburgh Courier 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 emailor religion@newpittsburghcourier.us:com ST. BENEDICT THE MOOR CATHOLIC CHURCH 91 Crawford Street Pgh., PA 412-281-314115219SundayMass11AM www.sbtmparishpgh.com East Liberty Presbyterian Church Rev. Patrice Fowler-Searcy and Rev.
IN MEMORIAM LEO CURTIS HARPER, JR. AUGUST 18, 1947 - JULY 26, 2022
The New Pittsburgh Courier has learned ex clusively that 8-year-old Trinity Mauricca Parker just completed the Youth Ministry Training Pro gram at Nabhi Christian Ministries, which officially makes her a youth minis ter.Parker, the child of Ains lie Johnson and Vaughan Parker, verbalized at age 6 that she knew she was supposed to follow God spiritually and become a child minister in training. Parker, who will begin third grade at the Milton Hershey School, enjoys vol unteering at Nabhi Chris tian Ministries, including being an usher, doing the opening address at Sun day service, writing songs, singing, painting, and cooking with Aunt Tara. A dedication ceremony for Parker was held at the church, 7060 Lemington Ave., July 31. HeatherPastorsSchoenewolf Rev. Thomas J. Burke- Pastor Rev. C. Matthew HawkinsParochial Vicar Rev. David H. TaylorSenior Parochial Vicar.
412-441-3800SummerWorship.......10:00 a.m. Taize -Wednesdays.........7:00 p.m. Worship in person or Online on www.ELPC.churchFacebook/YouTube The Courieris THE VOICE of Pittsburgh.Black TELL CHURCHABOUTUSYOURNEXTEVENT! We want to place your event in our Church Circuit weekly calendar! Send info to: NewCourierPittsburgh 315 E. Carson St. Pittsburgh PA 15219
“Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no search ing of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall.” - Isaiah 40:28-30
MIN. TRACEE KIRKLAND-RIVERS AND PASTOR JACQUE FIELDER DURING THE FIRST COMMUNION FOR TRINITY MAURICCA PARKER TRINITY MAURICCA PARKER MOM AINSLIE JOHNSON AND HER DAUGHTER, TRINITY MAURICCA PARKER
REV. WALKER SAYS: Word of God; But THEY that wait upon the Lord shall RENEW their STRENGTH; they shall mount up with WINGS as EAGLES; they shall RUN, and not be WEARY; and they shall WALK, and not FAINT. (Isaiah 40:31)
MARK MADDEN
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
In the Pittsburgh Steel ers’ 32-25 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Aug. 13, there were a lot of takeaways that came out of the game. The Good: Three quarterbacks looked good, the two back up running backs looked ready to step up, and George Pickens looks like the next great Steelers wide receiver. The Bad: The run defense in gen eral, particularly Devin Bush and any other line backer not named Myles Jack. The OK: The offen sive line got beat on a few plays in the first half. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s game. The quarterbacks all lookedMitchgreatTrubisky led the Steelers on the first two drives of the game and his first drive led them on a seven-play, 90-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard TD pass to Gunner Olsze wski. On his second drive, he made a nice throw to Conner Heyward for 16 yards and a first down. Trubisky went 4 for 7 for 63 yards and a touch down.Mason Rudolph came into the game and showed why he is making the case to be the starter. On the third play of his first drive, he put a beautiful ball to Pickens in the back corner of the end zone for a touchdown. However, he did throw a couple of passes that could have been intercepted. Ru dolph did lead the Steel ers on a 17-play, 82-yard drive that led to a field goal. Rudolph went 9 for 15 for 93 yards and the touchdown.Then,the stadium went crazy when Kenny Pickett came into the game and did not disappoint. He showed pocket presence well beyond his years, made plays with his arm and feet, and showed poise in the two-minute drill to find Tyler Vaughns in the end zone for the game-winning score. The way I see it now, Tru bisky is the starter, Pick ett is the backup and I see a scenario where Rudolph will be traded. Rudolph can play in this league but his time in Pittsburgh has run his course, whether it be Ben’s (Roethlisberg er) objection to drafting him, the helmet incident in Cleveland, or failing to beat a winless Detroit Lions team. It is time for them to move on. Jaylen Warren and George Pickens are beasts Warren is a 5-foot-8, 215-pound rookie out of Oklahoma State who was hitting the hole and fol lowing his blockers all night long and he was catching the ball out of the backfield. He runs with authority, and he is a willing pass blocker. He did have the fumble but as long as he cleans that up, he will make an impact in 2022. As for Pickens, he showed that he could be the next great Steelers wide receiver. Not only did he have those two in credible catches, but he pancaked Seahawks cor nerback Coby Bryant on a running play. This is what the Steelers need ed in the receiver room, someone who can bring the fight to their oppo nents and someone who has his mind in the right place and puts the game of football first. Devin Bush is officially a Ibustknow when a team gives up six yards a car ry rushing, it is on ev erybody involved, but when you have the green dot, you must hold some blame. Bush was slow, hesitant, and looked com pletely lost. Bush was not involved in any play, and I don’t think he gave the ef fort to even be on the ros ter, much less be a starter. I’m not talking about the 16-yard run by Travis Ho mer where Bush looked bad. I’m not even talking about the play after that where Homer got another 10 yards. I’m referring to the first play of the Sea hawks’ second offensive drive; Bush had a play on Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker but pulled up and forced Ahkillo Witherspoon to make the tackle and as a result, hurt his shoulder. There is a standard when playing linebacker for the Steelers that one must uphold, and he will nev er live up to it. I suggest the Steelers not start him but give him a fresh start somewhere else.
QBS LOOK GOOD, BUT LB DEVIN BUSH LOOKS BAD Takeaways from Steelers’ first preseason game, Aug. 13
SPORTSNEW PITTSBURGH COURIER AUGUST 17-23, 2022 A11
STEELERS’
Take the Pop Quiz from Damon Carr on page B1. How well do you know about Social Security?
Courier’s Aubrey Bruce incensed at latest column from Mark Madden regarding Bill Russell I swear to all of you folks...my original intent for this column was to profile and document the first 2022 preseason game played on Aug. 13 between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers won, 32-25. I must give kudos to all three “ac tive” quarterbacks of the Black and Gold. Choosing a starting QB for this 2022 season may be more diffi cult than previously antic ipated. The Steeler nation may be in for a pleasant surprise this upcoming season.However, please bear with me because my con science has mandated that I switch gears. During my youth, I idolized ath letes from Major League Baseball, professional football, and pro basket ball. It didn’t matter to me that Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Sandy Kou fax, or Don Drysdale was White or Black. I looked up to them because they were great performers. I had their posters on my bedroom wall along with photos of Roberto Cle mente, Frank Robinson, Bobby Bonds, Bob Gib son, Willie Mays, and a lot more. The NBA likenesses of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Rick Barry, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson covered the wall directly above my window. As far as the NFL was concerned, “Bullet” Bob Hayes, Mel Renfro, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Greene, Homer Jones and Lance Alworth all had the “dagger swagger” that almost all young men de sired. There were many young White men who ad mired those same players as well: there were no color barriers to greatness. We were young aficionados of the games. But it was al most always the biased and perverted opinions of a few media representatives of the White media that held the “carrot of divisiveness” in their socially calloused hands, manipulating and sculpturing the psyches of many young and impres sionable fans. Now hear this. In over four decades I have very seldom criticized other sportswriters. This col umn will focus on one of the ones that I have taken to the woodshed on more than one occasion; Mark Madden.OnJan. 2, 2019, Madden’s story posted on triblive. com read: “Tomlin should be fired. It won’t happen. But the Steelers need to change head coaches. They need to fire Mike Tomlin. It’s taken a lot for me to propose that. Replacing Tomlin guarantees noth ing, and it could go bad. The Steelers could waste what’s left of Ben Roeth lisberger. But the Steelers have three playoff wins in seven seasons. They just went from 7-2-1 to missing the postseason via epic fail. Tomlin has been wasting Roethlisberger for years.” This is a perfect example of how a few biased and ig norant members of the me dia can manipulate a naïve and ignorant fan base. In 2019 Ben Roethlisberg er was already finished. There was nothing left to waste.Madden just doesn’t stop there by directing his trail er park-based rhetorical rants at Mike Tomlin and the NFL; he also spews his nonsensical and ethnically insensitive views about the history of the Pittsburgh Pirates.InMarch of 2018 Mad den’s column posted online promoted another false statement as far as I’m concerned: “Ralph Kiner is greatest Pirates play er.” This article and opin ion were seemingly based upon the fact that back in the day, the Pirates were losers and Kiner “carried” the team on his back. In 8 years with the Pirates, Kiner had 19 stolen bas es but was caught steal ing 17 times giving him a net total of 2 stolen bases, over 8 seasons! In 18 years with the Pirates, Roberto Clemente had 83 stolen bases and was caught 46 times. During his 18 sea sons with the Pirates “the great one” hit 240 home runs, while Kiner hit 369. OK, advantage Kiner. It all goes downhill from here for Mark Madden and his hero, Mr. Kiner. Roberto Clemente won two World Series rings, Ralph Kiner won zilch-o, none-o, nada… you diggg. Consider how many runs that Clem ente prevented from being scored by running down fly balls and line drives in the outfield and by throw ing runners out. What “race-colored glasses” was Mark Madden looking through when he wrote this piece of pure and un adulterated garbage? One of his latest “gems of excrement” goes by the ti tle of; “Bill Russell’s No. 6 isn’t really retired.” Again, this is an effort to defile and dishonor the proud legacy of another Black sports legend. He goes on about the discrepancies of the NBA retiring the num ber of the late, great Bill Russell. Madden points out that, “there was a dis claimer: Players already wearing No. 6 can con tinue. Because the NBA didn’t have the guts to tell LeBron James to switch numbers. That means No. 6 isn’t really retired. That means James can volun tarily stop wearing No. 6 as a tribute to Russell. Or he can keep wearing it as a tribute to Russell. James gets to make it about him self. He’s good at that.” In May of 2008, during his ESPN 1250 radio broadcast, Madden said: “I’m very disappointed to hear that the late Senator Ted Kennedy of Massachu setts is near death because of a brain tumor. I always hoped Senator Kennedy would live long enough to beSenatorassassinated.”Kennedy was a longtime champion for mi norities. I had no idea that Madden hosted a political show on ESPN! There is no shame to his “color sen sitive” game. Is a percent age of his demographic out of touch or is it that, “they don’t see color?” Since Mark Madden al ways chooses to make statements regarding what others are good at, does he ever ask the ques tion, “what is Mark Mad den good at?” Why does he always make it about himself, and should he be retired,Maddeninvoluntarily?concludes by disguising this garbage collection of sentences as an article by writing the following: “Michael Jordan is probably livid that Rus sell’s number was retired by the NBA, not his. It be came personal with me.” Well join the club, Mark, because it has become per sonal with me. The stench of your rubbish is begin ning to smell up my patio next door.
A12 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Q: Social Security retirement benefits are based on my earnings history; I’ll re ceive the same monthly benefit amount whether I start collecting before or after my full retirement age. False: If you collect Social Security re tirement benefits before reaching full re tirement age, you effectively lock in a low er monthly benefit amount. If you wait to begin collecting until after you reach full retirement age, you become eligible for delayed retirement credits. These credits increase your monthly benefit amount by up to 8 percent each year that you delay collecting, up to a maximum of 32 per cent. Once you reach age 70, no addition al delayed retirement credits accrue.
Q:*** My Primary In surance Amount is the Social Security retire ment benefit amount I will receive if I elect to receive my retirement benefit at age 62.
Q:***If I am still working when I claim my Social Security, my benefit might be reduced, depending on my earnings and my age. True: You can work and receive Social Security retirement benefits. However, if you have not reached your full retire ment age, your earnings will be subject to the retirement earnings test. If your income exceeds the test limit, Social Se curity may withhold all or a portion of your benefits.
Q:***In most cases, if I take benefits be fore my full retirement age, they will be reduced for early filing. True: For those born in 1960 or lat er, full retirement age is 67 but you can If you have recently pur chased a house, you have probably taken a look at your mortgage statement and noticed that the ma jority of your first few pay ments are going toward interest. You do not start paying down a significant amount of the principal until later in your mort gage cycle. If you start to make more money, you might be interested in making additional pay ments toward the princi pal of your home. Is this a smart financial move? There are a few import ant points to know. You Can Cancel Your PMI Sooner
One of the major advan tages of making addition al mortgage payments toward the principal is that you can get rid of your private mortgage in surance sooner. If you put less than 20 percent down on your home, you might be required to purchase mortgage insurance. You will need to keep paying for mortgage insurance until you reach 20 per cent equity. If you want to get rid of your PMI more quickly, you may want to make additional pay ments to get to that 20 percent mark sooner You Save Money on Interest Of course, one of the big gest advantages of mak ing additional mortgage payments towards your principal is that you will not have to pay as much money in interest. Inter est is calculated as a per centage of the remaining balance of your loan if you make extra mortgage payments, you can shrink the remaining balance, helping you save money on interest. You Could Make More Money Elsewhere On the other hand, you may not want to make additional mortgage pay ments if you can use your money to make more money elsewhere. If you have a very low-interest rate on your mortgage, you might be better off putting your money in the stock market, where you can generate a greater re turn. Of course, the stock market is also a very vol atile place, so you need to be careful about how you invest your money It Depends on Your Goals In the end, you need to think about your financial goals to figure out where your money would serve you best. If you have ex tra money to put toward your mortgage, you could pay off your house more quickly. Or, you could put it in a retirement account. Think carefully about what works best for you.
Q:*** Social Security payments are not subject to cost-of-living adjustments.
False: The Social Security Act of 1973 included a provision for cost-of-living ad justments (COLAs) to help Social Secu rity benefits account for inflation. Each year, the Social Security Administration uses specific indexes and formulas man dated by this legislation to determine whether a COLA will apply to benefits paid in the coming year and, if so, how much the increase will be. For more de tailed information on how COLAs are calculated, visit the Social Security Ad ministration website.
Social Security Pop Quiz BUSINESS www.newpittsburghcourier.com New Pittsburgh Courier B Classifieds Find what you need from jobs to cars to housingB5-6 Recessions PageJ.re-educationandPharoahDossB4 SEE HELPFUL MONEY B2 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 ANTHONY O. KELLUM mortgageShouldPROPERTYISPOWERyoumakeextrapaymentstowardtheprincipalofyourhome? Helpful money tips for budget during inflation With no foreseeable end to the effect of inflation, it’s important for people to mitigate the dam age to their personal finances that all of this is causing. SEE POP QUIZ B2
Q:***If I file for retirement benefits and have minor dependent children, they may also qualify for Social Security benefits. True: When you file for Social Security retirement benefits, your children may also qualify to receive benefits based on your record. An eligible child can be your biological child, adopted child, or step child. Your dependent grandchild may also qualify. Normally, benefits stop when children reach age 18, unless they have a disability. However, if the child is still a full-time student at a secondary school at age 18, benefits will continue until the child graduates or until two months af ter the child reaches age 19, whichever comes first.
False: Your Prima ry Insurance Amount (PIA) is the benefit you will receive if you begin receiving retire ment benefits at your full retirement age. At this age, your benefit is neither re duced for early retirement nor increased for delayed retirement.
Q:***Under current So cial Security law, my benefits will not be re duced if I claim them at age 65. False: Your full re tirement age is based on the year you were born. For people born between 1943 and 1954, the full retire ment age is 66. For those born between 1955 and 1959, the full retirement age increases by two months each year start ing at 66 years and 2 months in 1955. If you were born in 1960 or later, the full retirement age is 67.
Q:*** If my spouse dies, I will continue to receive both my own benefit and my deceased spouse’s benefit; the total So cial Security benefits I receive will not change. False: Social Security retirement bene fits are only paid while you are alive. As suming that you are eligible, the amount you receive will equal the greater of your benefit or your spouse’s benefit.
by Donald Williams For New Pittsburgh Courier Gas prices are high. Food costs are rising. Every thing is going up and it’s all due to inflation. While the war in Ukraine was the catalyst for prices to go soaring, the domino effect only seems to get worse. Experts have concluded that the increases in prices will only continue to go up. To avoid another reces sion, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark in terest rate by 0.75 percent. Interest rates are the fed eral government’s main tool to combat inflation, with the goal of decreasing the amount of spending. Raising the interest rate is considered one of the more aggressive tactics the Fed can take and a signal to things are getting very serious.Butwhat should individ uals and families be doing this time. With no fore seeable end to the effect of inflation, it’s important for people to mitigate the damage to their personal finances that all of this is causing.Hereare seven helpful personal finance tips that individuals can utilize im mediately to protect them selves during this uncer tain time: 1. Accelerate purchas es: An individual will want to accelerate pur chases of goods and ser vices that the individual knows will be needed in the next year, because such goods and services will be more expensive in the fu ture. For example, an in dividual will want to now purchase non-perishable food/grocery items such as canned goods, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies, and will want to now hire con tractors to perform home repairs, since postponing such payments will result in having to pay higher prices in the future. 2. Buy goods in bulk/ bundle services. An in dividual will want to start buying goods in bulk. For example, an individual will want to b consumable goods (examples: paper towels, toothpaste, hair products, shaving prod ucts, etc.) in bulk in order to obtain a lower per unit price on such goods now and to avoid having to buy such goods in the future at higher prices. For services, an individual will want to try to bundle phone and data, home Internet, soft ware, and other recurring services for more favorable pricing.
3. Consider home-equi ty loans: In order to make purchase of goods and ser vices now and to buy in bulk, you may need to take on some productive debt. Productive debt includes home-equity loans, which allows an individual to borrow against the equity in the home at a relatively low interest rate. The bor rowed funds can be imme diately used to make pur chases now at prices that re lower than they will be in the Furthermore,future. since infla tion effectively decreases the value of the dollar over time, having to repay the home equity loan princi pal payments will be made
Q:***Only U.S. citizens can collect Social Security retirement benefits. False: You do not have to be a U.S. cit izen to qualify for Social Security retire ment benefits. Resident aliens who pay into the Social Security system may qual ify to receive retirement benefits, assum ing they earn enough credits and meet specific criteria. To become part of the So cial Security system, non-citizens must have lawful alien status, permission by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to work in the U.S., and a Social Security number.
How much do you know about Social Security?MassMutual recently gave a 13-ques tion true/false quiz to 1,500 individuals ages 55 through 65, CNBC reported. Ac cording to the results, 65 perent of people either failed or got a D grade, 18 percent of respondents earned a C, 12 percent got a B and 6 percent received an A. Only 1 percent of respondents got a perfect score. I went onto the MassMutual website and took the quiz. The quiz I took only had 10 questions. I’m happy to report, I got a perfect score. “10 out of 10 correct: Congratulations! You’ve done your homework.” I searched online to find the addition al 3 questions that were not on my quiz. I found an additional 4. I posted all 14 questions here along with the corre sponding answer.
Q:***My spouse is eligible to receive Social Security retirement benefits, even if he or she has no individual earnings history. True: Many spouses choose to stay at home to raise children or otherwise spend extended periods of time outside the paid workforce. This can affect a spouse’s abil ity to qualify for Social Security benefits. In such cases, that spouse may be eligible for a Social Security spousal benefit. A spousal benefit can be as much as 50 per cent of the spouse’s full retirement age benefit. The exact percentage will depend on whether the spouse filing for a spousal benefit has reached his or her full retire ment age.
Q:*** Government workers may receive reduced Social Security retirement ben efits. True: For certain workers, Social Se curity imposes two offsets that reduce the full Social Security monthly benefits that might otherwise have been paid. The “Windfall Elimination Provision” (WEP) affects workers who have earned a pen sion from an employer (such as a govern ment agency) that did not collect Social Security taxes and who also have worked in other jobs long enough to earn Social Security benefits. Under WEP, Social Security uses a modified formula to cal culate your benefit, resulting in a lower benefit than you might have otherwise received. The second offset is called the “Government Pension Offset” (GPO), and it affects spousal benefits if you receive a pension from an employer that did not collect Social Security taxes. The GPO can also reduce surviving spouse benefits.
Q:*** Generally, if I am in a same-sex marriage, there are different el igibility requirements when it comes to So cial Security retirement benefits. False: The SSA recog nizes same-sex marriag es, including approved foreign marriages, in all 50Q:***states.The money that comes out of my pay check for Social Secu rity goes into a specif ic account for me and remains there, earning interest, until I begin to receive Social Security benefits. False: Social Security is a pay-as-you-go pro gram. Today’s workers pay Social Security tax es, and that money goes back out as monthly in come to beneficiaries. Q:***Under current law, Social Security benefits could be reduced by 20 percent or more for ev eryone by 2035. True: Payroll taxes are only expected to cover about 78 percent of scheduled benefits by 2035. Retirees could see a 22 percent reduction in Social Security pay ments unless workers pay more into the sys tem or the full retire ment age is increased. (Are you looking to Beat Debt, Boost Your Savings, or Make Good Financial Deci sions? Contact me. Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached at 412-216-1013 or damonmoneycoach.com)
BUSINESSB2 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER HELPFUL MONEY FROM B1 Exploitative overdraft
More than a year ago, she proposed the Overdraft Pro tection Act and was joined by 30 co-sponsors. Since that time, the number of co-sponsors has doubled to 60 and now include House colleagues representing 25 states including: California, Illinois, Maryland, Massa chusetts, Michigan, New York, and Texas. Companion legislation is also in the U.S. Senate. TheOverdraft Protec tion Act (H.R. 4277) would amend the Truth in Lending Act to strengthen fair and transparent bank practices. Among its provisions the bill would require “reasonable and proportional” fees in re lation to the amount of the overdraft, expand prompt and detailed customer noti fications and/or statements, and provide customers the opportunity to cancel a transaction before incurring a fee. For example, currently it is legal for banks to change the order of transactions, so they can debit accounts from larg est to smallest to increase the number of overdraft fees triggered. As the banks max imize their overdraft reve nues, consumers are drained of the dollars that can keep their households’ finances in the black. Rep. Maloney’s bill would ban such practices. Other research and advo cacy bolsters Rep. Maloney’s legislative goal. Congressio nal testimony from the Cen ter for Responsible Lending (CRL) highlighted how con sumers of color are harmed the most by ill-conceived in stitutional practices. “By causing account clo sures and eroding trust in financial institutions, bank overdraft practices fuel fi nancial exclusion,” wrote CRL. “Banks that are pledg ing millions or billions of dollars in investment in underserved communities while continuing to rake in hundreds of millions, or bil lions, of dollars annually in overdraft fees, are stripping wealth from the same com munities they are claim ing to support… Congress must hold these regulators accountable while itself en suring that all checking ac counts are free from destruc tive overdraft practices.” As part of a July 12 news conference convened by Rep. Maloney, Nadine Chabrier, a CRL Senior Policy Counsel, underscored the organiza tion’s legislative support. “Legislation from Con gresswoman Maloney and from Senators Booker and Warren would provide con sumers with much-needed relief by reining in the cost and frequency of overdraft fees,” noted Chabrier. “Con gress should pass these bills.” (Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Respon sible Lending. She can be reached at blelending.org.)Charlene.crowell@responsi
by Charlene Crowell For New Pittsburgh Courier Runaway prices for food, fuel and housing make most consumers anxious about whether they will have enough money for a given month. Even after adjusting spending to stretch dear dol lars are far as possible, a lot of people remain perplexed about what else can be done to hold on in these hard times.
Yet there is no legal re quirement for other institu tions to do so. Some lenders continue to charge three or more overdraft fees of $34 or more per day, often costing consumers more than $100 in a single day. A typical deb it card overdraft fee, the most common overdraft source, comes from a transaction of less than $24, repaid within three days. Put in lending terms, a $34 overdraft fee for a $24 loan of three days is the equivalent of 17,000 percent APR. As one consumer told the Consumer Financial Protec tion Bureau (CFPB), “$35 is a lot of money for a person that doesn’t have any.”
DONALD WILLIAMS
As the banks maximize their over draft revenues, consumers are drained of the dollars that can keep their households’ finances in the black. Rep. Carolyn Maloney’s bill would ban such practices.
5. Put extra cash into investments:interest-bearing With in flation, cash that is not bearing any interest is effectively losing val ue, because $1 today will have less buying power in the future. An individual will want to make sure that any extra cash is invested in interest-bearing ac counts or other invest ments so that the extra cash is not losing value, as the interest helps to offset the decrease in value caused by infla tion. During inflation, interest rates normal ly rise. Extra cash can be invested into inter est-bearing savings ac counts, money market accounts, or certificates of deposits, or it can be loaned out to oth er person for interest, or it can be invested into stocks and bonds that provide returns in the forms of dividends and yield that keep up with the rising inflation coasts.
KEVIN WALKER
If you’re thinking ‘there ought to be a law’, New York Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney agrees.
Customers with bank and credit union accounts need to pay close attention to their monthly statements to identify multiple charges for overdraft fees.
Productive debt does not include, however, any credit card debt, as credit card debt should be avoided at all times, including during infla tion.
4. Buy off-brands: An individual will want to buy off-brands goods, especially with grocery purchases, during pe riods of inflation. Offbrands goods involving cereal, detergent, clean ing supplies, and many other food products can often save the in dividual 10-15 percent compared to the named brands goods, while still allowing the individual to benefit from substan tially the same quality. These price savings can offset the higher prices resulting from inflation.
Marketed and sold as a ‘customer convenience,’ over draft fees are charged every time the cost of a transaction is more than a checking ac count balance. Averaging $35 per usage, banks are bloating their profits—most often by exploiting the shortterm cash needs of consum ers who are usually just a few days away from their next deposit. In return, banks and cred it unions across the country rake in $15 billion each year from cash-strapped custom ers with an average account balance of $350 or less. More monetary misery is added by some banks’ manipulative practices designed to maxi mize fees through delaying posting of account deposits, and/or reordering transac tion. It should be noted that some banks have voluntarily chosen to change or end their overdraft programs. Con sumer advocates applaud lenders who have taken steps to reduce these costly fees.
POP QUIZ FROM B1 PITTSBURGH—After releasing its first report on diversity, equity and inclu sion (DEI) last summer, Duquesne Light Holdings Inc. (DLH) recently issued a follow-up report as another key step in the organization’s DEI journey. The new report—“Building a New Table Together: An Addendum on Hiring Practices and Pay Equity”—is part of DLH’s growing environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy and further advances the organization’s vision to ensure an equita ble, clean energy future for the Pittsburgh region.“Ensuring a clean energy future for all would not be possible without a sol id understanding of and commitment to corporate responsibility,” said Kevin Walker, president and CEO of DLH, in a statement to the New Pittsburgh Courier. “We are making significant strides in en suring that everything we do has a posi tive impact on our employees, customers, communities and the environment. Our work is nowhere near finished, but I’m extremely optimistic about the progress we’ve made and the steps we’re taking to achieve our full potential.” A pay study, conducted in late 2020 by an outside firm, assessed gender-, raceand ethnicity-based equity in the base an nual salaries of non-union employees at Duquesne Light Company (DLC), DLH’s regulated electric utility. Results showed equitable salaries across genders, races and ethnicities with near parity. On av erage, women are paid 99.72 percent of what men are paid at DLC, and Black or African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics are paid 100.73 percent of what White employees are paid. The organiza tion intends to reexamine pay data every few years to ensure continued equity. In addition to pay equity, DLH monitors internal and external hiring and is inten tional about building equitable opportu nity in its early-career pipelines. “As our workforce becomes more repre sentative of the communities we serve, we benefit from the diversity of thought that these team members bring to our com pany,” said Christine Waller, vice presi dent of communications and corporate responsibility at DLH, who also oversees DEI efforts, in a statement to the Courier. “Welcoming all employees to an accept ing, inclusive environment where they are valued and respected for their work is a vital way for us to recruit and retain talent while better serving our customers and communities.” Steadfast Commitment to Corporate Responsibility DLC has also launched a new webpage highlighting its growing commitment to corporate responsibility. The page serves as a comprehensive resource to learn about the company’s continued invest ment in its employees, customers and communities, and efforts to create a clean energy future for the Pittsburgh region. It includes information about DLC’s ESG strategy and performance, including ac cess to recent reports; partnerships and commitments; and feature articles. The page can be accessed DuquesneLight.com/ESG.at
There’s nothing inherently wrong about a financial in stitution earning a fair prof it. But there is nothing fair when billion-dollar institu tions design products to prey upon people with the fewest financial resources—just to boost their bottom lines. “Rather than competing on quality service and at tractive interest rates, many banks have become hooked on overdraft fees to feed their profit model,” said CFPB Di rector Rohit Chopra. Other CFPB research has found that consumers who are charged more than 10 overdraft fees a year account for 75 percent of overdraft fees each year.
Helpful money tips
Pay equity, diversity and inclusion among highlights of Duquesne Light Company’s Corporate Responsibility Journey NEMANI-SUSHEELASTANGER URA rehires Susheela Nemani-Stanger, now as Deputy Executive Director
The New Pittsburgh Cou rier has learned that Su sheela Nemani-Stanger has rejoined the Urban Redevel opment Authority of Pitts burgh as Deputy Executive Director. She began the role on Aug. Nemani-Stanger15. previ ously served as the URA’s Director of Economic Devel opment. As part of the Exec utive Leadership Team, her new role will focus on sup porting and providing over sight to the agency’s devel opment-related functions and affiliates. She becomes the second woman in URA history to serve as Deputy Executive Director, after Di amonte Walker, an African American woman, who left earlier this year to become CEO of Pittsburgh Scholar House.“Iwant to congratulate Su sheela on her new position as Deputy Executive Direc tor,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey, in a statement. “She is a welcome addition to the leadership team and will help to continue the URA’s important work of building a city where every one can thrive.”
6. Buy and hold real estate: Real estate val ues generally increase with inflation, so a holder of real estate will see their equity value of real estate increase, enabling them to re tain wealth and borrow against the higher real estate values. This dif fers form holding cash or some other types of investments that are much less like to in crease with inflation.
7. Consolidate ve hicle trips: Gasoline prices often increase during periods of infla tion.For an individual who likes or needs to drive a gasoline vehicle, gas prices can cut into sav ings. Planning and con solidating trips reduces miles driven and gaso lineForneeded.example, if the individual needs to go the hair salon, grocery store, gym, and gas sta tion, instead of taking four separate trips, con solidate into one trip. (Donald Williams is owner of Williams Accounting and Consulting in Marietta, Ga.) (This article originally appeared in The Charlotte Post) fees strip $15 billion from bank customers
Social Security Pop Quiz claim as early as age 62. Claiming at 62 per manently reduces your benefits by 30 percent, but you will receive more monthly payments than if you wait to file.
What it does
OPINION
Marc H. Morial
* The $280 billion CHIPS PLUS Act was signed into law to significantly boost domestic semiconductor produc tion, plus authorize scientific research for the next ten years. This will reduce supply chain shortages and boost technical/economic growth.
* The PACT Act expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substanc es affirming our commitment to their care.*The Senate approved the NATO Treaty expansion to include Sweden and Finland. This increases the NATO footprint in Europe and reduc es the potential for further Russian aggression on the continent. * New gun safety legislation in cludes incentives for state initiated red flag laws, expands background checks on people between the ages of 18 and 21 seeking to buy a gun, and expands an existing law that prevents domestic abusers from owning a gun to include dating partners rather than just spouses and former spouses. The crown jewel on this list of major accomplishments is the Inflation Reduction Act. This is a significant revenue plan that most analysts pre dict will lower prescription drug costs, significantly address climate change, and make a reduction in the federal deficit (aiding the inflation fight). The medical component of this act for the first time allows Medicare to negotiate drug prices with man ufacturers which will lower costs of the most commonly used prescrip tions. Medicare recipients will benefit from a $2,000 annual cap on out-ofpocket drug costs and a monthly $35 cap on insulin. Had Republicans not blocked it, the $35 cap on insulin would have extended to all Amer icans. 13 million Americans who currently benefit from the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will receive premium reductions averaging $800.00 which puts more discretion ary income in their pockets. The environmental component of the act targets a 40 percent reduction in harmful emissions by the year 2030. Significant investment will be made in the development of renew able energy sources. Wind turbines and solar energy will become more commonplace. Citizens will receive electric vehicle and home energy tax credits.Considering the proposed spending of the first two components, one could ask how this act is being paid for. The revenue component of this act es tablishes a 15 percent minimum tax on corporations making $1 billion or more annually. This tax will generate a deficit reduction estimated at $300 billion. A 1 percent tax will be placed on all stock buybacks. The IRS will receive additional funding allowing increased scrutiny of ultra-wealthy tax cheats. Most importantly, no new taxes will be imposed upon families earning $400,000 or less annually. These actions truly benefit the nonwealthy among us and are worthy of our understanding and appreci ation. DON’T LISTEN TO WHAT THEY SAY, LOOK AT WHAT THEY DO! (Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. is a minister, a UN Peace Ambassador, and President of the Dick Gregory Society.)
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NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER AUGUST 17-23, 2022 B3
Guidance from our ancestors for positive and productive action
Rod Doss Editor & Publisher
tostepty? wroteGoJunior,ingandbywillonechallengewillMcLeodourlearnwhat“me,ofests. Unfortunately,toBlacktheirareWhite(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Obviously,supremacistsinthiscountrybeingmuchmoreopenaboutbeliefs.ThismeansthatwefolksmustdevelopmoreunityprotectourselvesandourinterwaytoomanyuspracticewhatIcallexcessivemyself,andI’ism.” Tocombattheyaredoing,weshouldfromandactonguidancefromlegendaryancestors/leaders. Forinstance,educatorDr.MaryBethune,includedinherthefollowing,“Ileaveyoutheofdevelopingconfidenceinanother. Thiskindofconfidenceaidtheeconomicriseoftherace,bringingtogetherthepenniesdollarsofourpeopleandplowthemintousefulchannels.” BrotherMartinLutherKinginhisbook,“WhereDoWefromHere,ChaosorCommunithat“asecondimportantthattheNegromusttakeisworkpassionatelyforgroup identity. This does not mean group isolation or group exclusivity. There must always be healthy debate… this form of group identity can do infinitely more to liberate the Negro than any action of individuals. We have been oppressed as a group and we must overcome that oppression as a Brothergroup.”Malcolm X told members of his Organization of Afro-American Unity (OAAU) that “U.S. politics is ruled by special interest blocs and lobbies. What group has a more urgent special interest, what group needs a bloc, a lobby, more than the Black man…twenty-two million Black people should tomor row give a dollar a piece to build a skyscraper lobby building in Wash ington, DC. Every morning, every legislator should receive communi cations about what the Black man in America expects and wants, and needs. The demanding voice of the Black lobby should be in the ears of every legislator who votes on any issue.” Ifweare serious about protecting and promoting our health, econom ics, cultural, political, technological, legal, and communications interests in this country, we should follow the concrete guidance offered by our three ancestors quoted above as well as others such as Marcus Garvey, Adam Clay Powell Jr., C Deloris Tucker, Martin Delaney, Ida B Wells, WEB Dubois and countless others who have led the way.
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Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. Commentary Guest Editorial Serena Williams is ready to ‘evolve,’ not retire
These are all words that have been used to de fine the pop culture tennis icon Serena Williams. She has inspired Black girls around the world to follow in her fast footsteps on the court She is a trailblazing athlete, a fashion maker, a venture capitalist—but above all else, she’s a mother. So this week, the 40-year-old Williams announced she will retire. Though she won’t claim the word “retirement” and prefers to say that she is “evolving.” “Believe me, I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family,” she said. “Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity. ... I’m turn ing 41 this month, and something’s got to give.” She said Tuesday that she will look beyond the sport in which she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals so that she can focus on motherhood. Her choice is not dissimilar to that of many other professional women.Williams, who has been on the professional cir cuit since 1995, has also been clear about her desire to have a second child. Since undergo ing almost-fatal complications after the birth of her first child Olympia, having another child is not an easy proposition. Williams has therefore decided not to attempt to combine the rigors of professional tennis with pregnancy this time around.“Idefinitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete,” she said. “I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.” She and her older sister Venus started out with tough in-house coaching by their parents, Rich ard Williams and Oracene Price, in Compton, California, and now are stars on the international stage of an exclusive sport. At 17 years old, Serena became the first Black player since Arthur Ashe in 1975 to win a Grand Slam singles title and the first Black woman to win in a Grand Slam event since Althea Gibson inWilliams1958. said she will leave tennis after playing the U.S. Open later this month. Other top tennis players reacted to this week’s news of her retirement. Atlanta native and French Open runner-up Coco Grauff said, “The legacy that she’s left through her tennis career is something that I don’t think any other player can probably touch. I think that the legacy that she will continue to leave throughout her life is something that can inspire many more genera tions.”Andformer men’s No. 1 player John McEnroe said, “She should do whatever she wants. She’s an icon. Her place in American society has gone to a place where she deserves it after everything she’s accomplished, everything she’s done. ... I don’t think she needs to play again. She’s in that level where Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tom Brady are.” Whether she had the crowd completely behind her at various international matches, drew gasps with her innovative court fashion or was em broiled in linesmen disputes for her fierce lev el of play—especially fair play—Williams drew multitudes to watch, learn and appreciate tennis. Her appearance in the U.S. Open final in 2018 drew more than 3 million viewers, 50 percent more than the men’s finals. And the news of her leaving the court is expected to boost ratings for ESPN’s upcoming U.S. Open coverage. So just as she came in like gang-busters on the tennis court, Serena is expected to leave the sport with millions watching her and once again prove her greatness. Let’s be sure to tune in and stay tuned in for what’s next for Serena and ten nis. (Reprinted from the Philadelphia Tribune) (TriceEdneyWire.com)—I receive and read emails from many sourc es—even those I oppose. (I believe in knowing what your adversary is thinking!) Common sense informs me that what I read from the other side is full of misrepresentations and LIES! I am aggravated with their fabrications of working for the benefit of the aver age citizen. I am angered by what I receive—not for the information, but for an apparent lack of response from myEvenside.with my limited public reach, this week I’m going to brag about and highlight the recent accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration and Democratic legislators. By any measure, there have been events that can only be described as “good news” for the administration. The list includes: * The July job report showed the economy adding 528,000 new jobs and an unemployment rate reduction to 3.5 percent. 6.6 million jobs were cre ated during the first twelve months of the Biden administration.
inspiration.calledBlackour intoryasandonlypieces,letter—RoddenberrywithandbecauseIfspace,whointelligent,astimetoallowedtelevisionherer.KingtionRoddenberryreadyTrek actressassetain’tabody,(TriceEdneyWire.com)—“Everycomequick,comequick;there’sBlackladyontelevisionandshenomaid!”—WhoopiGoldbergFedupwithracistinsultsonandlongingtomakeherwayaBroadwaymusicalstar, StarNichelleNicholsalhadgivenshowrunnerGeneherletterofresignawhenshemetMartinLutherJr.,ataBeverlyHillsfundraisHeimploredhernottoquit,tellingthatStarTrekwastheonlyshowheandhiswifetheirthreeyoungchildrenstayupandwatch.“Forthefirstontelevision,wewillbeseenweshouldbeseeneveryday,asquality,beautiful,peoplecansingdance,andcangotowhoareprofessors,lawyers.youleave,thatdoorcanbeclosedyourroleisnotaBlackrole,isnotafemalerole;hecanfillitanybody—evenanalien.”Nicholsretrievedherresignationhadtornitintoandwentontoinspirenotagenerationofentertainersartistsbutreal-lifeastronautswell.BeforelaunchingintohisaboardSpaceShuttle Endeav1992,MaeJemison,thefirstwomantotravelintospace,NicholstothankherfortheNichols,whopassedawaylastmonth,portrayedacharacterwhoexudedintelligence,glamor, competence,andanauthoritythatwasrespectedbymenandwomenofallbackgroundsatatimewhensuchroleswererarenotjustontelevision,butinAmericanlife.“Blackpeopleofallabilitiesand professions were still being rele gated to the corners of restaurants, hotels and offices,” journalist Stacy China wrote in the New York Times. “Black women, if ever mentioned in the larger media, were portrayed as either loud, undignified troublemak ers or genial, overweight maids and nannies who supposedly delighted in doting on White folk’s children. “Out of this madness, Uhura ap peared.”Representation for people of color in the entertainment industry is a founding principle of the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, celebrating its 20th anni versary this week. The National Ur ban League continues to be an active participant in the festival, hosting and participating in panels and discussions, including a conversation with filmmaker Andre Gaines, whose film, After Jackie, tells the story of the second wave of Black baseball players after Jackie Robinson—Bill White, Curt Flood and Bob Gibson —“who put their lives on the line to integrate baseball and demand a fairer, more inclusive America for African American athletes around theThisworld.”year marks the 50th anni versary of a Supreme Court ruling known as the Curt Flood decision that opened the door for free agency in Major League Baseball. The film has re-ignited the push to induct Flood into the Hall of Fame. “One of the powers of this festival, and the work that [festival orga nizers Stephanie and Floyd Rance] have done, is to lift up stories that too often have been lost in the flow of time,” said former President Barack Obama, producer of another festival entry, Descendant, a documentary about the descendants of the slave ship Clotilda. “Because we believe that everybody’s stories matter. Everybody’s got a sacred story that motivates us, moves us. It’s not just a matter of nostalgia. It powers us into the present and the future.” Visibility for Black history, for the diversity and richness of Black ex periences, are essential in breaking down Black stereotypes and shatter ing the myth of White supremacy. “There is still a very long way to go in the representation of Black women and femmes on modern-day screens and stages, but Nichelle played a pivotal role in shifting our stories out of the lives of servants and sidekicks.” wrote actress Celia Rose Gooding, who reprises the role of Uhura in a Paramount+ se ries. “She taught us we all deserved to have our dreams come true be cause our dreams mattered, whether we were officers with a hand in pro tecting the future, space explorers, dancers who bring smiles to their spectators, or those of us with songs in our hearts we must set free. “And she taught us we deserved representation and the preservation of our futures not only because of what we could do for the world, but simply because it was our God-given right.”
Nichelle Nichols’ legacy: ‘Out of this madness, Uhura appeared’
Allison Palm Office Manager
Dr. Valda Crowder W.
(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Coronavirus has infected the most protected person in the world for the second time in a row. First President Trump, now President Biden, have had COVID-19. And we cannot forget about Vice President Harris’s infection. The news about the 46th President of the United States in quarantine raised a growing number of questions. If Biden who was so careful—vaccinated and twice boosted—got COVID, should we even both er with a n95 or kn95 mask? Can we do anything to stop coronavirus? Are we likely to get this virus? Is this pandemic going to end? Let’s move beyond answering a simple “yes” to all of these questions. We need to start with what should we all know to stay healthy or recover quickly. After a week of isolation, the President has tested negative; but then tested positive again. What can we learn from Biden’s experience with COVID?Knowledge is our best defense during the pandem ic. How can you identify risks and address them? In any situation from flying to a busy vacation spot or going to a crowded concert, we can make better deci sions armed with more information. If you are not an emergency medicine doctor facing sick patients on a regular basis, it is hard to keep track of the various flavors of coronavirus. To play an active role in sustaining your own welfare, it is help ful to know about the dominant strain. Read about the White House strategy manage BA.5, released July 12, 2022. Like mobile phone upgrades with new and better features, the dominant strain of a virus advances, so our thinking must evolve too. We have that in com mon with the virus, we both want to live as long as possible.Eachversion of the Omicron variant of coronavirus from the original version BA.1 to BA.5 represents many genetic changes, known as mutations. In late June, 37 percent of COVID infection cases were the BA.5 subvariant of Omicron, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. This number is expect ed to grow. We judge viruses based on their ability to mutate. Does a virus have the ability to adopt? If so, how quickly can a virus adopt? For example, measles lacks the skills to adopt quickly. Influenza, like its distant relative the virus associated with COVID-19, is a master of change and does it quickly. One well-publicized area of mutations is the spike protein, the surface of the virus. It allows the virus to attach and enter cells or more effectively infect us. The latest versions do a better job of infecting us than the original and other versions. This mutation means that we should wear a well-fitted mask indoors and frequently wash our hands with soap and water. As coronavirus continues to become more transmis sible and better able to elude vaccines and antibod ies, this is not the time to relax our guard because it is summertime. Winter may be considered the busy season for COVID-19, but many places are experi encing surges now. Biden was one of the over 120,000 new cases na tionwide a day, according to the CDC Data Tracker. There is so much to learn from the president’s posi tive test results on July 21. The letter from his phy sician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor is a gold mine of informa tion.Testing. First and foremost, Biden routinely tests. Everyone should have a testing ritual. Dr. O’Connor knows that with a regular testing schedule the pres ident most likely was infected within the past two days, the time of his last negative test. Antigen and PCR tests. When the rapid antigen test came back positive, Biden received a second test, referred to as a PCR or polymerase chain reaction test. The two different tests measure different parts of the coronavirus. The antigen test measures wheth er or not you are contagious. Check the expiration date before using a test. The federal government mailed tests with one-month expiration dates. The PCR test, considered more reliable, determines whether you have fragments of the genetic materi al in the coronavirus. Together the two tests confirm that the President has COVID with a high degree of accuracy.Therapy. This information from the two tests cou pled with mild symptoms allows the doctor to know that Biden was a good candidate for PAXLOVID, an antiviral which produces the best results early in the COVID life cycle. The medication prevents BA.5 from infecting new cells. PAXLOVID is two pills of NIRMATRELVIR, a new protease inhibitor, and one tablet of RITONAVIR, an older drug known as half an HIV treatment reg iment, taken twice a day for five days. Anyone with significant liver or kidney disease should seek med ical advice from their physician before taking this medicine. Doctors may prescribe a lowered dose or no medicine depending upon the severity of their liv er or kidney disease. One note of caution is that some cases appear to im prove and later rebound with symptoms returning to the patient. This just happened to Biden who tested positive again after the PAXLOVID treatment. Contact Tracing. The White House announced that staff will notify people who came in close contact with the President and need to test themselves. Anyone who test positive should tell their colleagues, friends, family and others who were close to them in the past five days to test for COVID. Treatment Plan. Following the CDC recommenda tion, Biden isolated for five days. Under a doctor’s care, Biden monitored his symptoms to make sure that they do not get worse. When he had a fever asso ciated with COVID-19, he took acetaminophen (TY LENOL). (Dr. Valda Crowder is an emergency medicine physician; chair, Health Committee, Black Women for Positive Change.)
Marshall Commentary
The Obama/Biden administration mastered the art of redefining concepts to meet their political objectives. The Bush/Cheney response to 9/11 was defined as a “global war on terror”, but the Obama/Biden administration dropped that terminology for the phrase “overseas contingency operations”. This didn’t change the military’s mission, but it altered the image of the United States, and President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Obama/Biden administration also redefined poverty by creating a new formula to measure the poverty rate. Instead of calculating a family’s income and the cost of food, the Obama/Biden formula included healthcare, childcare, housing, and utilities. This increased the percentage of poor people in America. The Obama/Biden administration insisted the new formula wasn’t going to replace the previous measurement nor be used to determine eligibility for government programs. It was created to get a more accurate picture of the im poverished by providing an “alternative povertyHowever,rate”.when Kellyanne Conway, Se nior Counselor to President Trump, said their press secretary presented “alter native facts” during a petty dispute over the size of the crowd at Trump’s 2016 presidential inauguration, the media called her a liar. When Biden campaigned for president, he branded himself as a “straightshooter” and promised his administration would not be one of false narratives and alter nativeDuringfacts.Biden’s administration, the Center for Disease Control and Preven tion redefined “vaccination”. Vaccination was defined as “the act of introducing a vaccine into the body to produce immuni ty to a specific disease”. The new definition switched “immuni ty” to Some“protection”.Americans speculated the chang es were an attempt to hide the fact that one can still get COVID-19 even after taking the required shots. A spokesperson for the CDC explained the changes were necessary because the previous definition was misleading. It could be interpreted to mean that vac cines were 100 percent effective, which has never been the case for any vaccine, so the new definition is more transpar ent.Maybe, but since the CDC changes were unannounced and brought to public attention by people who just happened to notice, many Americans didn’t think this redefining was “straight shooting” from the Biden administration. Now that the Biden administration has received low approval ratings due to high rates of inflation, the administration has made a concerted effort to keep the country out of recession by redefining the term.Forbes magazine wrote a recession is declared when the national economy ex periences rising levels of unemployment, falling retail sales, and contracting mea sures of income and manufacturing for an extended period of time. For decades, economic experts agreed, the extended period of time was two straight quarters. The Biden administration acknowl edged that the US economy has shrunk after the past two quarters, but they insist that doesn’t mean the country is experiencing a recession. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told reporters two quarters of negative GDP growth is not the “technical definition” of recession, it’s the “common definition”. According to the Biden administration, the technical definition “involves a much broader spectrum of data points”, and provides Americans with a more accu rate picture of the economy in the same way Obama’s “alternative poverty rate” provided a more accurate picture of the impoverished.KellyanneConway would call this an example of alternative facts. Therefore, the mainstream media should brand this technical definition of recession as a lie, but most of the main stream media agreed with the Biden administration. CNN reporter Jeremy Diamond said, “The White House has been eager to push back on the notion that two consecutive quarters of nega tive GDP growth automatically equals a recession. Yes, it is a rule of thumb. But the White House is really… Trying to educate the public.” More like the White House is trying to reeducate the public with alternative facts.
couplebarbssometimeswereearningabouthowandfantasticthatlutionizedably,(TriceEdneyWire.com)—UnquestionVenusandSerenaWilliamsrevowomen’stennis. Withservesapproachedthespeedoflight,agility,exceptionalathleticism,thegraceofgazelles,theychangedwomenplayedtennis. Furthermore,theywereoutspokenissueslikepayequity,advocatthatwomentennisplayersshouldasmuchasmen. Whiletheygraceful,theywerenotgracious,becauseofthehateful,racistlobbedatthem. Serenahadaoffamousmeltdownsandshoutingmatcheswithreferees. Shepaidthepriceforthem,and,often,shewonanyway.Andshe’sgivenusmanymagictennismoments. Considertheiconicblackcatsuitsheworein2018asanewmom. Conventionaltenniswasaghast,andtheFrenchTennisFederationwentsofarastobanthelook. VenusandSerena’spresenceinchampionshiptenniswasanirritanttothosewhooncesawtennisasanarrowwhiteoccasion,andtheirappearancewasharshlycriticizedwhen,asteens,theysportedbeadedbraids. SomecriticismwassouglyandvociferousthatonewondersiftheprotestwasontheWilliamssisters’fashionortheirsimplepresence.WhileSerenahasbeenwell-sponsored,Idon’tthinkshe’severgottenher“due.” I’llneverforgetthe2006USOpen“IFeelPretty”campaigncelebratingMariaSharapovaandherWhiteblondness. ThesizzlingSerenaistheantithesisofWhiteblondness,andtherehasneverbeensuchacelebrationofherBlackbeauty. Despiteslightslargeandsmall(anditwasratherdisgustingtoseealltheseSharapovalook-alikes sprinkled throughout Manhattan and on television “feeling pretty”), Serena has been the personification of Dr. Maya Angelou’s poem, “And Still I Rise.” “You can write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies; you may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I rise.” Serena says she is “evolving away” from tennis and toward other things, in cluding her venture capital firm. After winning 23 grand slams, the most in the Open era, she says she will likely hang her racket up after this month’s US Open. Many say she is unlikely to win it—she’s not won a tournament since winning Wimbledon in 2016. More recently, she’s given birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in 2017 and has since been plagued with injuries. Still, she has continued to compete and speak out about Black maternal health after her harrowing birth experience. She continues to grace magazine covers and remains an advocate for women, civil rights, and human rights. Serena will be 41 on September 26. Her evolution is timely. She and her husband want to expand their family. She has other fish to fry in the sizzling grease of life. And she continues to in spire young people, not only tennis play ers but many others who admire her persistence, resilience, and presence. Indeed, Serena’s evolution reminds us all about the seasons of life and the transitions we all experience as we age. Our movements are evolving, too. Even our methods of organiz ing are evolving. The Internet has changed the ways we communicate, organize, and interact. It has changed how we view politics, economics, and even race matters. The combination of communications shifts and COVID has revolutionized the workplace, with only the most turgid bureaucracies insisting that things must be as they always were. Hybrid schedules and hybrid learning are more the rule than the exception, with employers learning that they can expect more productivity from workers who can enjoy flexibility. Additionally, our planet may benefit from the new workplace flexibility as our carbon footprint shrinks when we do less Serenacommuting.Williamsand her sister, Venus, revolutionized tennis as we knew it fifty years ago when Martina Navratilova and Chrissie Everet dominated the sport. The Williams women opened the door for a generation of more diverse and hard-hitting players. Now Serena is doing another kind of role-modeling. She is modeling balance, the art of aging gently and gracefully, and the magic inherent in second and third acts and new life chapters. Serena has not al ways gotten her due, but she will always be an iconic champion, a tennis GOAT (greatest of all time). In her evolution, may she forever rise. (Dr. Julianne Malveaux is an economist, au thor and Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at Cal State LA. Juliannemalveaux.com)
Pharoah Doss ItCheckOut
and re-educationInformation is the best defense against COVID Julianne Malveaux News Analysis B4 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
Commentary Revolutions, evolutions and Serena Williams It is the fear that makes us crazy David
During the Trump presidency, the pon tiff continued to speak out. He said the president was “not Christian” because of his views on immigration and ought to extend protections to undocumented young immigrants if he is actually “prolife.” The pope’s words were not simply about the president but addressed the MAGA Christians who see Trump as their champion and even their “savior.” Pope Francis represents the type of religious leader who speaks from having a moral conscience concerning people rather than being a Christian leader playing the role of political kingmaker and enabler. With many Trump sup porters, the end only justifies the means when the end goal is to curtail human, civil, and political rights for minorities, give tax cuts to the rich and promote the type of White Christian domination in politics where the true teachings of Christ are ignored. In his role as a candidate, office holder, and former president, Donald Trump understands the deep undercurrent movement within the White working class where fear of “others” is a dark subculture waiting to explode. He understands the deep pas sions White evangelicals have over the topic of abortion while projecting himself as the only person who can deliver what they want. Lastly, he understands many GOP lawmakers’ greed and shameless quest for power. Trump is a master of exploiting law makers’ fears with the constant threat of a primary opponent and the immedi ate ability to turn his base supporters against them. Maintaining a sense of blind support and defense for the actions of a corrupt former president has adverse consequences that plant the seeds of dishonor and violence throughout our nation. The dishonor continues with law makers smearing the FBI and Attorney General for rightfully securing classified information, which the former president potentially mishandled. The same law makers will likely be the next Speaker of the House and Chairman of the House Judicial Committee. Where lawmakers are using verbal threats against the FBI, an armed Ohio man defended Trump by attempting to breach the FBI’s Cincinna ti field office. He is believed to have been in Washington in the days leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection, which shows how individuals are now bold in their willingness to take up arms in defense of their “leader.’ Unfortunately, the focus on good governance may easily get lost in the current mayhem. Senate and House Democrats passed the Inflation Reduc tion Act, delivering a legislative win for President Biden and the party before the midterm elections. While the IRA re ceived unanimous Republican opposition, their GOP constituents will benefit in the future from this bill. It is undisputed that Republican voters have historically benefitted from Demo cratic proposed policies. The MAGA voice is always loud and threatening with conspiracy theories. Still, they will never publicly admit their families are helped by Obamacare, the Social Security Act, Minimum Wage Law, the 40-hour week, overtime pay, Worker’s Compensation Act, Rural Electrification Act, the GI Bill of Rights, Federal Housing Administra tion, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Pell Grants, National School Lunch Program, Food Stamps, Occupational Safety & Health Act, Operation Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, Equal Pay Act, Older Americans Act, Guaranteed Student Loans, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Family & Medical Leave Act and more. This week has proven that our executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government can work. How ever, the primary safeguard against the politics of fear, obstruction, and threats is still informed and engaged voters. (David W. Marshall is the founder of the faithbased organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at www.davidwmar shallauthor.com.)
J. RecessionsFORUM
Highmark Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Senior Business Solutions Consultant position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) responsible for delivering value to customers thru client-facing advisory & delivery service in support of Highmark Health Plan product offerings & capabilities. Spec. duties incl. contributing to delivery & execution of complex, large-scale client engagements. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210594”. Highmark Health, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA has work-athome Senior Consultant position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) to be responsible for driving customer value thru client-facing advsry & delivery services in support of HMHS’ prdct offerings. Responsibilities incl: gathering data; analyzing, identifying, & prblm slvng from info sets; & dvlpng client-spec. req’ts, standard op. procedures, functional roles & responsibilities, process flow, & user guides. Must be willing to able to travel up to 80% of the time. Apply at https://careers. highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210604”.
The Contract Compliance Specialist will monitor contracts to ensure that MWDBEs are provided the maximum opportunity to obtain and perform on county contracts while in compliance with Allegheny County’s goals. The specialist will also provide outreach and technical assistance to the business community. In addition, the Contract Compliance Specialist will review and vet prime contractors’ MWDBE inclusion plans for various types of contracts (i.e., construction, services, supplies, etc.) . The specialist will monitor MWDBE commitments and utilization through contract completion, address, and monitor MWDBE concerns and assist in conflict resolution if necessary.
Residency: Must become a resident of Allegheny County within one (1) year of appointment.
The Office of the County Controller of Allegheny County, in conjunction with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Contract Awards Room; 7th Floor; Commonwealth Keystone Building; 400 North Street; Harrisburg, PA 17120 will receive bids through ECMS or a diskette delivered to the aforementioned address until 11:00 A.M. prevailing local time, Thursday, September 15, 2022. Bids will be opened through ECMS at approximately 11:00 a.m. and can be viewed publicly in the Contract Awards Room, for the following: DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS ARMSTRONG TUNNEL REHABILITATION City of Pittsburgh COUNTY PROJECT NO. AR01-0307 FEDERAL PROJECT NO. X111-970 MPMS NO.: 93922 THIS PROJECT WILL BE BID THROUGH PENNDOT ECMS
Veterans’ Preference: Will be awarded to eligible candidates. Applicants must possess and maintain a valid Pennsylvania Driver’s License throughout employment.
• Ability to retain and apply a sequence of instructions.
ALLEGHENY COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EQUITY AND DepartmentINCLUSIONOverview: The Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (MWDBE) Program provides maximum opportunities for Minority, Women, and Disadvantaged business enterprises (MBEs, WBEs and DBEs) to participate in county contracts. The department certifies business enterpris es as disadvantaged (per Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 49: Parts 23 & 26) and provide services and resources to help them grow their business. Office Clerk Greeting clients; Answers the telephone, responds to inquiries, or routes phone calls and takes messages for office staff; Operates office machines such as photocopies and scanners; Performs data entry; Scans documents into document control system; Completes other administrative tasks as necessary. Must be proficient in Microsoft Windows and Office Suite.
STEEL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT LISTINGS Special Education Teacher: Opening for Special Education teacher for 2022-2023 school year PA Special Education N-12 or Special Education PK-8 required; Experience in Autistic Support or Life Skills Support classroom preferred. Half-time Speech and Language Teacher: Opening for Half-time Speech and Language Teacher 2022-2023 school year. PA Speech and Language Impaired required. Send letter of interest, resume, standard application, transcripts, current clearances and credentials to hrsupport@steelvalleysd.org. Deadline noon on August 23, 2022. EOE SOUTH FAYETTE TWP. SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking: CLASSROOM PARAEDUCATOR Applications must be received by 4:00 PM August 22, 2022
• Good organizational skills.
FULL-TIMECOORDINATORCOMMUNITY
To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129 CLASSIFIEDS
• Basic mathematical skills.
Estate of MR. ROBERT JOSEPH KUTRUFIS, Deceased of 24 Hattman Drive, Coraopolis,PA 15108, Estate No. 02-22-04932, Mr. Brian E. Kutrufis, Executor, c/o Max C. Feldman, Esquire and the Law Office of Max C. Feldman, 1322 Fifth Avenue, Coraopolis, PA 15108
COURIER
FT POLICE OFFICERS Penn Hills Municipality is looking to hire FT Police Officers, Act 120 not required to apply. Please visit Theforhttps://pennhillspa.gov/employment/moreinfo.BOROUGHOFBRENTWOODSCHOOLCROSSINGGUARDBoroughofBrentwood is looking for dedicated individuals to join our team as part-time School Crossing Guards. If you are a highly responsible, safety-minded individual, we need you to help keep the children of Brentwood safe. This position requires you to work outdoors for approximately 17-20 hours per week, so you must be able to work in inclement weather conditions. Starting wage is $15.03 per hour. Applications are available online at www.brentwoodboro.com Please email online applications to Susan Toth, Finance/HR Director at stoth@brentwoodboro.com
Highmark Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Senior Big Data Engineer position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) responsible for leading design, building, & maintenance of high-prfrmnc data integration sftwr apps used for claims data extraction & submission to Center for Medicare & Medicaid Serv. (CMS). Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210873”.
Estate of BENJAMIN R. SINCILINE A/K/A BENJAMIN RAYMOND SINCILINE. of Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, No. 5184 of 2022, Brian D. Sinciline, Adm.,To Jennifer Roller Chontos, Chontos & Chontos, P.C., 561 Beluah Road, Turtle Creek, PA 15145
LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices
The Stadium Authority will receive Request for Proposals (RFP) for Revenue Control Equipment as identified below for the West General Robinson Street Garage. The contract for this work will be with the Stadium Authority of the City of Pittsburgh. The RFP may be obtained by contacting the project manager, Doug Straley- E-mail: dstraley@pgh-sea.com, Telephone: 412-393-0207. This Advertisement applies to the following RFP: Project: West General Robinson Street Garage RFP Name: Revenue Control Equipment Replacement RFP Available: Friday, August 12, 2022 Approximate Value: $300,000 Time/Date/Location for Non-Mandatory 11:00 AM, Thursday, August 18, 2022 Pre-Proposal Meeting: West General Robinson Street Garage 668 West General Robinson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Time/Date/Location for RFP: 2:00 PM, Wednesday, August 31, 2022 SEA Office 171 10th Street, 2nd Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222
• Effective and professional communications
Certification Analyst
Please see career page for and eligibility requirements at: www.alleghenycounty.us/careers
Estate of MAX F. ROSARIUS, JR. of Beaver, Pennsylvania, File No. 04-22-00254 of 2022 PNC Bank, National Association, c/o Paul J.Palko, Vice President, 300 Fifth Avenue, 31st floor, Mail Locator PT-PTWR-31-1, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 or to Christopher F. Farrell, Esquire, Dentons Cohen & Grigsby, P.C., 625 Liberty Avenue, 5th Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3152
• Must be able to obtain bus-way qualification and keep abreast of bus-way regulations.
ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA AUGUST 11, 2022
GHuetter@portauthority.org345EmploymentHuetterDepartmentSixthAvenue,3rdFloorPittsburgh,PA15222-2527EOE
• Ability to sort and file in alphabetical and numeric systems.
HM Health Solutions Inc. d/b/a enGen, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Senior Client Project Manager position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.) to drive customer value thru client-facing advisory & delivery services in support of HMHS’ product offerings. Responsibilities incl.: sys. implmntations; QA & automation; prblm slvng & risk mitigation; & dvlpng audits, training, & prcss imprvmnt materials. Must be willing & able to travel domest’ly to client locations up to 25%. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210598”. Highmark Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Application Developer position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.) responsible for analyzing, designing, coding, testing, & implmntng app enhancements w/no supervision. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210600”. Highmark Health, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-athome Senior Decision Support Analyst position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.; remote worksite must be w/in commuting distance of Pittsburgh, PA for weekly trips to corp. office) responsible for providing analysis in dvlpmnt & support of prjcts & data analysis. Spec. duties incl.: determining how decision support sys. will provide info req’d to make effective bus. decisions; & translating req’ts into apps that employ approp. decision support & reporting tools. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210566”.
•skills.Must adhere to Pittsburgh Regional Transit’s Dress Code Policy. offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Interested candidates should forward a cover letter (with salary requirements) and resume to: Glenn
CLASSIFIED AUGUST 17-23, 2022 www.newpittsburghcourier.com New Pittsburgh Courier 6 9 0 1 9 8 4 5 SONNY BOY 3 B5 To place a display ad in the New Pittsburgh Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129 COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO! JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted JOB OPPORTUNITIES Help Wanted CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! COURIER CLASSIFIEDS… THE ONLY WAY TO GO! CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! COURIER CLASSIFIEDS COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS COURIER Pittsburgh Regional Transit is seeking a Courier to sort and deliver incoming mail including facsimile transmissions received at designated central machines and miscellaneous office supplies to smoothandmaintainoutgoinglocations/departments;appropriatetopreparemailfordelivery,andtorelatedaccountbalancesnecessarysupplylevelsforthedailyoperationofthemailroom. Essential Functions: • Collects, sorts, prepares, and distributes mail and parcels, including delivery of certified mail to employees and ensure that appropriate signature is received. • Drives mail vehicle to designated location mail stops to deliver and collect mail, miscellaneous supplies and parcels. • Downloads money electronically to the postage machine. Maintain log of postage use. • Deliver paychecks to all garage •locations.Pickupcredit union check, documenting receipt of check, deliver to Pittsburgh Regional Transit employees. Job requirements include: • High School Diploma or GED.
• Demonstrated ability in the use of •Windows.ValidPA driver’s license.
PERSONAL CARE PARAEDUCATOR Applications must be received by 4:00 PM August 23, 2022 Complete job descriptions and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org
Performs analysis and investigative work in the certification process. This includes the desk and field audits that verify businesses meet the criteria set forth in the certification process regulations; Creates certification reports; Uses due diligence to make certification recommendations; Reviews business documentation and performs size analysis for continued certification eligibility; Attends and hosts meetings, workshops, counseling sessions and outreach events; Performs other duties as necessary. Contract Compliance Specialist
We
further information
HM Health Solutions Inc. d/b/a enGen headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Manager, IT position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.) responsible for providing app sftwr dvlpmnt mgmt for IT prjcts. Spec. duties incl.: creating plans & managing activities w/assigned unit; & assessing viability of current direction, prjcts, & ops & recommending strategies & tactics to satisfy current & future bus. needs. Apply at https://careers. highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210585”. HM Health Solutions Inc. d/b/a enGen headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, has work-at-home Lead Software Engineer position (w/ability to telecommute w/approp. telecommuting sys.) responsible for building scalable sftwr apps across all digital channels to serve Highmark’s customers. Apply at https://careers.highmarkhealth.org, using keyword “J210602”
Handwritten applications will not be accepted. The Borough of Brentwood is an equal opportunity employer.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper is hiring a full-time Community Coordinator to work with Pittsburgh communities impacted by water quality issues. Learn more at http://3rwk.org/Apply.
As a prospective bidder, please note the following general Project data regarding: Pre-Bid Information, Bidding Requirements, and Contract Conditions. See the Project Manual and Drawings (Proposal Report) for detailed information, responsibilities and instructions. PRE-BID INFORMATION: View the Project Manual and Drawings (PROPOSAL REPORT) on the PennDOT ECMS website (https://www.ecms.penndot.gov/ECMS/) or in Room 504, County Office Building, 542 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. BIDDING REQUIREMENTS: THIS PROJECT REQUIRES PREQUALIFICATION OF BIDDERS, INCLUDING SUBCONTRACTORS, AS SPECIFIED IN SECTION 102.01 OF COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SPECIFICATIONS 2020 (PUBLICATION 408) ON THIS PROJECT. ALL QUESTIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED THROUGH ECMS AND IF NEEDED ADDENDA WILL BE ISSUED ELECTRONICALLY. INSTRUCTION TO BIDDERS WILL BE PROVIDED IN THE PROPOSAL REPORT WHICH CAN BE VIEWED THROUGH ECMS. SUBMIT YOUR BID USING ECMS OR MAIL A DISKETTE TO THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, CONTRACT AWARDS CONTRACTROOM.CONDITIONS: U.S. Department of Labor minimum salaries and wages apply to this Project. The County Manager reserves the right to reject any and all bids. The County of Allegheny, in accordance with the Davis Bacon Act and other Federal Labor Standards Provisions; Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21 Non-discrimination in Federally-assisted programs of the County of Allegheny issued pursuant to such Act; Executive Order 11246; Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968; Section 109 of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974; and Executive Order 11625 (Utilization of Minority Business Enterprises), hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract pursuant to this Advertisement, the County will afford disadvantaged business enterprises full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and the County will not discriminate against disadvantaged business enterprises on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award. It is a condition of the bidding process/contract that responsive bidders/contractors shall follow the disadvan taged business enterprise procedures in the Bidding and Contracting Documents.
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals
Corey O’Connor NOTICECOUNTYCONTROLLEROFALLEGHENYTOPROPOSERS
• Ability to learn routes. • Ability to read names and addresses.
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 30, 2022 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: 3 PLY DISPOSABLE MASKS General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links.
Courier call 412-481-8302 ext. 128 or 129 To Pittsburgh’s African American community, the Courier is family. Subscribe today by calling
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on August 30, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids 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. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of ProcurementPittsburghDepartment 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on August 18, 2022 at 10:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom j/86507738963?pwd=M25Yci8yLhttps://us06web.zoom.us/Meeting1RmejJuZjYzUTY2VU1jdz09MeetingID:86507738963Passcode:355663+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 23, 2022 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: Window CleaningVarious Locations General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links. The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid. WE ARE AN EQUAL RIGHTS AND TOWNSHIPOFFICIALSCHOOLOPPORTUNITYDISTRICTBIDNOTICEOFUPPERST.CLAIR
laws, including
HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
Please refer to bid_information.phphttps://www.twpusc.org/business/ , for details regarding specifications and Bidding requirements. Matthew R. TownshipSerakowskiManager
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Trash Compactors and Chute Repair IFB#300-17-22 The documents will be available no later than August 15, 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 AM on September 6, 2022 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on September 6, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is ac cessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids 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, General Counsel/ Chief Contracting Officer Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Legal Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-456-5007 (for questions only) A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on August 25, 2022 at 9:00 A.M. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom Dialhttps://us06web.zoom.us/jMeeting/81358702501?pwd=UTg2bWRPZHJYVHI4TDVrT0NMbGdBdz09MeetingID:81358702501Passcode:920649in:+13017158592US(WashingtonD.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 has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPsHousingdocumentation.CasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorAuthorityoftheCityofPittsburgh
HACP conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.
Sealed Bids will be received by the Township of Upper St. Clair, 1820 McLaughlin Run Road, Upper St. Clair, PA 15241, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania until 9:00 A.M., Tuesday, September 13, 2022 and the Bids will be publicly opened and read thereafter in the Township Building at the same address for the following: 2022 MANHOLE TO MANHOLE LINING CONTRACT
revisions,
ext. 140 COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS
LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR COMBUSTION AND HOT WATER SERVICES REBID IFB #300-04-22-REBID
JBalZYYzdUYlI5RHBYSWJrZz09j/88912153470?pwd=YzUrazhttps://us06web.zoom.us/MeetingMeetingID:88912153470Passcode:740884+13017158592US(WashingtonD.C)
THE BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PITTSBURGH Sealed bids will be received in the Bellefield Avenue Lobby, Administration Building, 341 South Bellefield Avenue until 11:00 A.M. prevailing time August 23, 2022 and will be opened at the same hour in the administration building cafeteria: ROCK SALT & ICE MELT General Information regarding bids may be obtained at the Purchasing Office, 341 South Bellefield Avenue, RM 349 Pittsburgh, PA 15213. The bid documents are available on the School District’s Purchasing web site at: www.pghschools.org Click on Our Community; Bid Opportunities; Purchasing - under Quick Links. The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid. WE ARE AN EQUAL RIGHTS AND EDUCATIONTHESCHOOLOPPORTUNITYDISTRICTBOARDOFPUBLICOFTHESCHOOLDISTRICTOFPITTSBURGH
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR TRASH COMPACTORS AND CHUTEIFB#300-17-22REPAIR
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Combustion and Hot Water Services Rebid IFB #300-04-22-REBID
The documents will be available no later than August 15, 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 9:00 AM on August 30, 2022 The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical bids dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on August 30, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Bids may uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the IFB. Sealed bids 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. Kim Detrick Housing Authority of the City of ProcurementPittsburghDepartment 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2832 A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on August 18, 2022 at 9:00 AM. Please see meeting information below: Join Zoom
in
against any individuals protected by these statutes. To place a display ad in the New
HACP conducts business accordance federal, state, and local civil rights but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. discriminate Pittsburgh 412-481-8302
with all
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs thedocumentation.CasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorHousingAuthorityofCityofPittsburgh
and does not
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby requests bids from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s): Tree Service and Shrub Removal Authority Wide IFB#300-16-22
order
The Board of Public Education reserves the right to reject any and all bids, or select a single item from any bid. WE ARE AN EQUAL RIGHTS AND OPPORTUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH INVITATION FOR BIDS (IFB) FOR TREE SERVICE AND SHRUB REMOVAL AUTHORITY WIDE IFB#300-16-22
CLASSIFIEDSB6 AUGUST 17-23, 2022 NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER SONNY BOY COURIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! GETCLASSIFIEDSCOURIERRESULTS! LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals BestAmerica’sWeekly 315 East Carson Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Classifieds 412-481-8302Ext.140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com precedingDeadline/Closing/CancellationScheduleforcopy,corrections,andcancellations:FridaynoonWednesdaypublication LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals America’s Best Weekly 315 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Classifieds 412-481-8302 Ext. 140 E-mail: ads@newpittsburghcourier.com ScheduleDeadline/Closing/Cancellationforcopy,corrections,andcancellations:FridaynoonprecedingWednesdaypublication CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! Subscribe to 412-481-8302,todayCourierthebycallingext.136.SupportthepublicationthatisALWAYSfocusedonPittsburgh’sAfricanAmericancommunity. ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY LEGAL SUPPLEMENTALBULKCONTRACTNOTICENO.1769PURCHASEOFCARBONFOODSOURCE Sealed Bids for CONTRACT NO. 1769–BULK PURCHASE OF SUPPLEMENTAL CARBON FOOD SOURCE shall be received at the Engineering Department office of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15233, until 11:00 A.M., Prevailing Time, Wednesday, September 14, 2022 and then shall be publicly opened and read. ALCOSAN encourages businesses owned and operated by minorities and women to submit bids on Authority Contracts or to participate as subcontractors or suppliers to successful Bidders. Successful Bidders are to use minority and women’s businesses to the fullest extent possible. Documents pertaining to the submission of Bids are available at the Engineering office of the Authority, 3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. Bid Security shall be furnished by providing with the Bid a Certified Check or Bid Bond in the amount of $1,000.00. Contract documents must be obtained directly from ALCOSAN to qualify as an eligible bidder. Any questions regarding the Technical Specifications should be directed to Benjamin J. Heilman, Contract Supervisor, ALCOSAN, via email at benjamin.heilman@alcosan.org Any questions regarding obtaining the Contract Bidding Documents should be directed to Kathleen P. Uniatowski, ALCOSAN, via email at contract.clerks@alcosan.org. The Authority reserves the right to reject any or all bids, to waive any informality in any bid and to accept any bid should it be deemed in the interest of the Authority to do so.
The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation. HACP has revised their website. As those vendors must now register and log-in, in to view and download IFB/ RFPs thedocumentation.CasterD.Binion,ExecutiveDirectorHousingAuthorityofCityofPittsburgh
ALLEGHENY COUNTY SANITARY AUTHORITY Benjamin Heilman Contract Supervisor
The documents will be available no later than August 15 2022 and signed, sealed bids will be accepted until 10:00 AM on August 30, 2022
part of
